bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chitinase 3‐like 1 protein plays a critical role in respiratory syncytial virus‐induced airway inflammation
Authors: Kim Min Jung , Shim Doo Hee , Cha Hye‐Ran , Moon Kuk‐Young , Yang Chang Mo , Hwang Su Jin , Kim Kyung Won , Park Jeon Han , Lee Chun Geun , Elias Jack A. , Sohn Myung Hyun , Lee Jae Myun
Published: November 2018

Background

Chitinase 3‐like 1 protein (CHI3L1) (YKL‐40 in humans and breast regression protein [BRP]‐39 in mice) is required for optimal allergen sensitization and Th2 inflammation in various chronic inflammatory diseases including asthma. However, the role of CHI3L1 in airway inflammation induced by respiratory viruses has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between CHI3L1 and airway inflammation caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection.

Methods

We measured YKL‐40 levels in human nasopharyngeal aspirate (NPA) from hospitalized children presenting with acute respiratory symptoms. Wild‐type (WT) and BRP‐39 knockout (KO) C57BL/6 mice were inoculated with live RSV (A2 strain). Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue samples were obtained on day 7 after inoculation to assess lung inflammation, airway reactivity, and expression of cytokines and BRP‐39.

Results

In human subjects, YKL‐40 and IL‐13 levels in NPA were higher in children with RSV infection than in control subjects. Expression of BRP‐39 and Th2 cytokines, IL‐13 in particular, was increased following RSV infection in mice. Airway inflammation caused by RSV infection was reduced in BRP‐39 KO mice as compared to WT mice. Th2 cytokine levels were not increased in the lungs of RSV‐infected BRP‐39 KO mice. BRP‐39 regulated M2 macrophage activation in RSV‐infected mice. Additionally, treatment with anti‐CHI3L1 antibody attenuated airway inflammation and Th2 cytokine production in RSV‐infected WT mice.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that CHI3L1 could contribute to airway inflammation induced by RSV infection. CHI3L1 could be a potential therapeutic candidate for attenuating Th2‐associated immunopathology during RSV infection.
Electrocardiographic predictors of myocardial fibrosis and apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Tangwiwat Chayapat , Kaolawanich Yodying , Krittayaphong Rungroj
Published: November 2018

Background

Electrocardiography (ECG) may be an efficacious diagnostic and prognostic tool in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). This study aimed to investigate association between deep T‐wave inversion (TWI) and apical HCM, and between fragmented QRS (fQRS) complex and myocardial fibrosis in patients with HCM.

Methods

Patients with documented HCM by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) during 2005–2015 were studied. The 12‐lead ECG and CMR were performed on the same day. All patients underwent CMR for the assessment of cardiac structure, function, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). LGE was used to detect myocardial fibrosis.

Results

One hundred forty‐four HCM (mean age 66 ± 15.8 years, 60.4% male) were included. Twenty‐nine (20.14%) subjects had deep TWI, and apical HCM was found in 76 (52.78%). Deep TWI was associated with apical HCM with the Odds ratio (95%CI) of 5.82 (2.07, 16.04) and p < 0.001 in univariate analysis model. The association was still significant in multivariate analysis with adjusted Odds ratio (95%CI) of 9.86 (3.17, 30.66), p < 0.001. Forty‐seven (32.64%) subjects had fQRS complex, and myocardial fibrosis was detected in 101 (70.14%). fQRS complex was found to be associated with myocardial fibrosis in univariate analysis with the Odds ratio (95%CI) = 2.75 (1.16, 6.54), p = 0.019. However, the association cannot be demonstrated in the multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

Deep TWI is independently associated with apical HCM, but the relationship between fQRS complex and myocardial fibrosis did not survive multivariate analysis.
The Limits of Liberal Recognition: Racial Capitalism, Settler Colonialism, and Environmental Governance in Vancouver and Atlanta
Authors: McCreary Tyler , Milligan Richard
Published: November 2018

Despite increasing institutionalised recognition of Indigenous and Black environmental concerns in governance processes, the structures of settler colonialism and racial capitalism in North America continue to normalise dispossession and disproportionately burden marginalised communities with environmental harms. Engaging recent critiques of the inability of Indigenous rights frameworks to reverse ongoing colonial dispossessions and the failure of environmental justice policies to address racialised environmental inequalities, this article argues that political ecologists must contend with the limitations of institutionalisedrecognitionof historically marginalised communities in North American environmental governance. We argue that institutionalisation of such concern, while putatively redressing injustices or reconciling dispossession through environmental governance, functions more to elide historic drivers and geographic processes of marginalisation than to disrupt white supremacy and settler colonialism.
The Pluralities of Black Geographies
Authors: Bledsoe Adam , Wright Willie Jamaal
Published: November 2018

This paper seeks to spur conversations around the inherent pluralities found within Black Geographies. While analyses of Black Geographies have provided important reflections on the spatial imaginaries and practices of Black populations, less attention has been paid to the differences found among Black geographical expressions. This piece therefore seeks to draw out the ways in which Black people uniquely conceive of space by highlighting the distinctions present within different Black social movements. The authors explore the spatial politics of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, the Black Panther Party for Self‐Defense, and the Provisional Government of the Republic of New Afrika to argue that while these three movements all attempted to create spaces of Black self‐determination, they did so with distinct spatial aspirations and concrete politics. The authors argue that recognising and accounting for the pluralities of Black spatial creation is necessary for realising more just geographies.
Participatory natural resource management in rural China: Making and unmaking environmental narratives
Authors: Wang Ju‐Han Zoe , Fisher Robert , Connell John
Published: November 2018

Environmental and development discourses in China can be categorised into three narrative motifs framing human–nature relationships: peasant, indigenous, and community. Indigenous and community narratives have been widely adopted by environmental NGOs (eNGOs) in China in promoting community‐based natural resource management projects, but there has been very limited critical research on such phenomena. Analysis of socio‐economic change in two ethnic minority communities in Yunnan shows that neither narrative theme is fully internalised by the relevant communities. Instead narratives may be strategically modified or even rejected by local communities. This is due to different agendas being held by local communities and eNGOs, and two factors pertinent to rural China: the incompatibility of concepts of ‘community’ in Chinese and international contexts results in confusion, and a lack of recent territorial and cultural claims by rural communities since the collectivist era makes it difficult to construct the identity of a community. It remains challenging for eNGOs in China to advocate either community or indigenous narratives in contexts of rapid socio‐economic change.
Ultrastructure of the spermatozoa of three species of Anomalodesmata (Mollusca, Bivalvia) and phylogenetic implications
Authors: Campos Ariane , Introíni Gisele Orlandi , Tallarico Lenita de Freitas , Passos Flávio Dias , Machado Fabrizio Marcondes , Recco‐Pimentel Shirlei Maria
Published: November 2018

Anomalodesmata is the rarest and most specialized group of the class Bivalvia. In general, scarce data on sperm ultrastructure of anomalodesmatans are available in the literature. Aiming to contribute to an understanding of spermatozoon morphology in this group, the present study describes the ultrastructure of male gametes of three species—Cardiomya cleryana (Orbigny 1842) (Cuspidariidae), Pandora brevirostris Güller and Zelaya 2016 (Pandoridae) and Thracia similis Couthouy 1839 (Thraciidae). C. cleryana has an acrosome located at the anterior region, and the mitochondria are symmetrically arranged, while the spermatozoa of P. brevirostris and T. similis have unique characteristics, in particular the association of the acrosome with the midpiece and asymmetric mitochondria. This position of the acrosome appears to be peculiar among Anomalodesmata and is unknown for non‐anomalodesmatan bivalves. The present ultrastructural description of spermatozoa contributes to differentiate the studied species, bringing new insights about the sperm features of anomalodesmatan species and shares several characteristics with that of other species of the two lineages proposed by molecular phylogeny.
Regulation of glioma cell invasion by 3q26 gene products PIK3CA, SOX2 and OPA1
Authors: Schaefer Thorsten , Ramadoss Archana , Leu Severina , Tintignac Lionel , Tostado Cristobal , Bink Andrea , Schürch Christoph , Müller Joëlle , Schärer Jonas , Moffa Giusi , Demougin Philippe , Moes Suzette , Stippich Christoph , Falbo Simona , Neddersen Heike , Bucher Heiner , Frank Stephan , Jenö Paul , Lengerke Claudia , Ritz Marie‐Françoise , Mariani Luigi , Boulay Jean‐Louis
Published: November 2018

Diffuse gliomas progress by invading neighboring brain tissue to promote postoperative relapse. Transcription factor SOX2 is highly expressed in invasive gliomas and maps to chromosome region 3q26 together with the genes for PI3K/AKT signaling activator PIK3CA and effector molecules of mitochondria fusion and cell invasion, MFN1 and OPA1. Gene copy number analysis at 3q26 from 129 glioma patient biopsies revealed mutually exclusive SOX2 amplifications (26%) and OPA1 losses (19%). Both forced SOX2 expression and OPA1 inactivation increased LN319 glioma cell invasion in vitro and promoted cell dispersion in vivo in xenotransplanted D. rerio embryos. While PI3 kinase activity sustained SOX2 expression, pharmacological PI3K/AKT pathway inhibition decreased invasion and resulted in SOX2 nucleus‐to‐cytoplasm translocation in an mTORC1‐independent manner. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter gene assays together demonstrated that SOX2 trans‐activates PIK3CA and OPA1. Thus, SOX2 activates PI3K/AKT signaling in a positive feedback loop, while OPA1 deletion is interpreted to counteract OPA1 trans‐activation. Remarkably, neuroimaging of human gliomas with high SOX2 or low OPA1 genomic imbalances revealed significantly larger necrotic tumor zone volumes, corresponding to higher invasive capacities of tumors, while autologous necrotic cells are capable of inducing higher invasion in SOX2 overexpressing or OPA1 knocked‐down relative to parental LN319. We thus propose necrosis volume as a surrogate marker for the assessment of glioma invasive potential. Whereas glioma invasion is activated by a PI3K/AKT‐SOX2 loop, it is reduced by a cryptic invasion suppressor SOX2‐OPA1 pathway. Thus, PI3K/AKT‐SOX2 and mitochondria fission represent connected signaling networks regulating glioma invasion.
Natural compounds with xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity: A review
Authors: Mehmood Arshad , Ishaq Muhammad , Zhao Lei , Safdar Bushra , Rehman Ashfaq‐ur , Munir Masooma , Raza Ali , Nadeem Muhammad , Iqbal Waheed , Wang Chengtao
Published: November 2018

Hyperuricemia (HUA), a disease due to an elevation of body uric acid level and responsible for various diseases such as gout, cardiovascular disorders, and renal failure, is a major ground debate for the medical science these days. Considering the risk factors linked with allopathic drugs for the treatment of this disease, the debate has now become a special issue. Previously, we critically discussed the role of dietary polyphenols in the treatment of HUA. Besides dietary food plants, many researchers figure out the tremendous effects of medicinal plants‐derived phytochemicals against HUA. Keeping in mind all these aspects, we reviewed all possible managerial studies related to HUA through medicinal plants (isolated compounds). In the current review article, we comprehensively discussed various bioactive compounds, chemical structures, and structure–activity relationship with responsible key enzyme xanthine oxidase.
Amyloid beta soluble forms and plasminogen activation system in Alzheimer’s disease: Consequences on extracellular maturation of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor and therapeutic implications
Authors: Angelucci Francesco , Čechová Kateřina , Průša Richard , Hort Jakub
Published: November 2018

Soluble oligomeric forms of amyloid beta (Aβ) play an important role in causing the cognitive deficits in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by targeting and disrupting synaptic pathways. Thus, the present research is directed toward identifying the neuronal pathways targeted by soluble forms and, accordingly, develops alternative therapeutic strategies. The neurotrophin brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is synthesized as a precursor (pro‐BDNF) which is cleaved extracellularly by plasmin to release the mature form. The conversion from pro‐BDNF to BDNF is an important process that regulates neuronal activity and memory processes. Plasmin‐dependent maturation of BDNF in the brain is regulated by plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1), the natural inhibitor of tissue‐type plasminogen activator (tPA). Therefore, tPA/PAI‐1 system represents an important regulator of extracellular BDNF/pro‐BDNF ratio. In this review, we summarize the data on the components of the plasminogen activation system and on BDNF in AD. Moreover, we will hypothesize a possible pathogenic mechanism caused by soluble Aβ forms based on the effects on tPA/PAI‐1 system and on the consequence of an altered conversion from pro‐BDNF to the mature BDNF in the brain of AD patients. Translation into clinic may include a better characterization of the disease stage and future direction on therapeutic targets.
Efficacy of cannabinoids in paediatric epilepsy
Authors: Ali Shayma , Scheffer Ingrid E , Sadleir Lynette G
Published: November 2018

There are hundreds of compounds found in the marijuana plant, each contributing differently to the antiepileptic and psychiatric effects. Cannabidiol (CBD) has the most evidence of antiepileptic efficacy and does not have the psychoactive effects of ∆9‐tetrahydrocannabinol. CBD does not act via cannabinoid receptors and its antiepileptic mechanism of action is unknown. Despite considerable community interest in the use of CBD for paediatric epilepsy, there has been little evidence for its use apart from anecdotal reports, until the last year. Three randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind trials in Dravet syndrome and Lennox–Gastaut syndrome found that CBD produced a 38% to 41% median reduction in all seizures compared to 13% to 19% on placebo. Similarly, CBD resulted in a 39% to 46% responder rate (50% convulsive or drop‐seizure reduction) compared to 14% to 27% on placebo. CBD was well tolerated; however, sedation, diarrhoea, and decreased appetite were frequent. CBD shows similar efficacy to established antiepileptic drugs.

What this paper adds

Cannabidiol (CBD) shows similar efficacy in the severe paediatric epilepsies to other antiepileptic drugs.

Careful down‐titration of benzodiazepines is essential to minimize sedation with adjunctive CBD.
Cardiovascular disease management in people with diabetes outside North America and Western Europe in 2006 and 2015
Authors: Tabesh M. , Magliano D. J. , Tanamas S. K. , Surmont F. , Bahendeka S. , Chiang C.‐E. , Elgart J. F. , Gagliardino J. J. , Kalra S. , Krishnamoorthy S. , Luk A. , Maegawa H. , Motala A. A. , Pirie F. , Ramachandran A. , Tayeb K. , Vikulova O. , Wong J. , Shaw J. E.
Published: November 2018

Aim

Optimal treatment of cardiovascular disease is essential to decrease mortality among people with diabetes, but information is limited on how actual treatment relates to guidelines. We analysed changes in therapeutic approaches to anti‐hypertensive and lipid‐lowering medications in people with Type 2 diabetes from 2006 and 2015.

Methods

Summary data from clinical services in seven countries outside North America and Western Europe were collected for 39 684 people. Each site summarized individual‐level data from outpatient medical records for 2006 and 2015. Data included: demographic information, blood pressure (BP), total cholesterol levels and percentage of people taking statins, anti‐hypertensive medication (angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin II receptor blockers, thiazide diuretics) and antiplatelet drugs.

Results

From 2006 to 2015, mean cholesterol levels decreased in six of eight sites (range: −0.5 to −0.2), whereas the proportion with BP levels > 140/90 mmHg increased in seven of eight sites. Decreases in cholesterol paralleled increases in statin use (range: 3.1 to 47.0 percentage points). Overall, utilization of anti‐hypertensive medication did not change. However, there was an increase in the use of angiotensin II receptor blockers and a decrease in angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors. The percentage of individuals receiving calcium channel blockers and aspirin remained unchanged.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that control of cholesterol levels improved and coincided with increased use of statins. The percentage of people with BP > 140/90 mmHg was higher in 2015 than in 2006. Hypertension treatment shifted from using angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors to angiotensin II receptor blockers. Despite the potentially greater tolerability of angiotensin II receptor blockers, there was no associated improvement in BP levels.
Effects of loss of consciousness on maxillofacial fractures in simple falls
Authors: Hino Shunsuke , Yamada Miki , Araki Ryuichiro , Kaneko Takahiro , Horie Norio
Published: November 2018

Background/Aims

Loss of consciousness while falling is reported to increase the risk of more severe injury. However, few studies of maxillofacial injuries have been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of loss of consciousness on maxillofacial fractures in falls on a level surface (simple falls).

Material and Methods

Patients with maxillofacial fractures caused by simple falls were subdivided into two categories: patients who fell without loss of consciousness and patients who fell with loss of consciousness, according to the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Syncope (version 2009). The severity of the injuries was compared between these two groups.

Results

In 413 patients with maxillofacial fractures, 58 cases were falls without loss of consciousness, and 44 cases were falls with loss of consciousness. In falls with loss of consciousness, 54.5% were reflex syncope, followed by syncope due to orthostatic hypotension (15.9%), epilepsy (15.9%), and cardiac syncope (9.1%). The average number of fracture lines in the mandible was significantly lower in falls without loss of consciousness (1.53 ± 0.7) than in falls with loss of consciousness (2.00 ± 1.00) (P = 0.045). The average Facial Injury Severity Scale score was lower in falls without loss of consciousness (2.24 ± 1.20) than in falls with loss of consciousness (2.68 ± 1.39). Fractures of other parts of the body were significantly more common in falls without loss of consciousness (22.2%) than in falls with loss of consciousness (9.1%) (P = 0.0135).

Conclusions

Patients with loss of consciousness and maxillofacial fractures due to simple falls showed a tendency to sustain more severe maxillofacial injuries than those without loss of consciousness.
Mood‐related central and peripheral clocks
Authors: Ketchesin Kyle D. , Becker‐Krail Darius , McClung Colleen A.
Published: November 2018

Mood disorders, including major depression, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder, are debilitating disorders that affect a significant portion of the global population. Individuals suffering from mood disorders often show significant disturbances in circadian rhythms and sleep. Moreover, environmental disruptions to circadian rhythms can precipitate or exacerbate mood symptoms in vulnerable individuals. Circadian clocks exist throughout the central nervous system and periphery, where they regulate a wide variety of physiological processes implicated in mood regulation. These processes include monoaminergic and glutamatergic transmission, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis function, metabolism, and immune function. While there seems to be a clear link between circadian rhythm disruption and mood regulation, the mechanisms that underlie this association remain unclear. This review will touch on the interactions between the circadian system and each of these processes and discuss their potential role in the development of mood disorders. While clinical studies are presented, much of the review will focus on studies in animal models, which are attempting to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms in which circadian genes regulate mood.
Adaptive neurogenesis in the cerebral cortex and contralateral subventricular zone induced by unilateral cortical devascularization: Possible modulation by dopamine neurotransmission
Authors: Vargas‐Saturno Leslie , Ayala‐Grosso Carlos
Published: November 2018

Understanding endogenous neurogenesis and neuronal replacement to mature circuits is a topic of discussion as a therapeutic alternative under acute and chronic neurodegenerative disorders. Adaptive neurogenic response may result as a result of ischemia which could support long‐term recovery of behavioral functions. Endogenous sources of neural progenitors may be stimulated by changes in blood flow or neuromodulation. Using a mouse model of unilateral cortical devascularization, we have observed reactive neurogenesis in the perilesional cortex and subventricular zone neurogenic niche. C57BL/6L 4 weeks old male mice were craneotomized at 1 mm caudal from frontal suture and 1 mm lateral from midline to generate a window of 3 mm side. Brain injury was produced by removal of the meninges and superficial vasculature of dorsal parietal cortex. BrdU agent (50 mg/kg, ip) was injected to lesioned and sham animals, during days 0 and 1 after surgery. Sagittal sections were analyzed at 1, 4, 7, and 10 days post‐injury. A time‐dependent increase in BrdU+ cells in the perilesional parietal cortex was accompanied by augmented BrdU+ cells in the sub ventricular and rostral migratory stream of ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres. Neural progenitors and neuroblasts proliferated in the lesioned and non‐lesioned subventricular zone and rostral migratory stream on day 4 after injury. Augmented contralateral neurogenesis was associated with an increase in vesicular monoamine transporter 2 protein in the striosomal sub ventricular neurogenic niche of non‐lesioned hemisphere.
The COMT Val158Met polymorphism does not modulate the after‐effect of tDCS on working memory
Authors: Jongkees Bryant J. , Loseva Alexandra A. , Yavari Fatemeh B. , Nitsche Michael A. , Colzato Lorenza S.
Published: November 2018

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can alter cortical excitability, neural plasticity, and cognitive‐behavioral performance; however, its effects are known to vary across studies. A partial account of this variability relates to individual differences in dopamine function. Indeed, dopaminergic manipulations alter the physiological and cognitive‐behavioral effects of tDCS, and gene polymorphisms related to dopamine have predicted individual response to online tDCS (i.e., stimulation overlapping with the critical task). Notably, the role of individual differences in dopamine has not yet been properly assessed in the effect of offline tDCS (i.e., stimulation prior to the critical task). We investigated if and how the COMT Val158Met polymorphism (rs4680) modulates the after‐effect of prefrontal tDCS on verbal working memory (WM). One hundred and thirty‐nine participants were genotyped for the COMT Val158Met polymorphism and received anodal‐over‐left, cathodal‐over‐right (AL‐CR), cathodal‐over‐left, anodal‐over‐right (CL‐AR), or sham stimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in a between‐subjects, pretest–posttest study design. WM was assessed using the N‐back task. The results provide no evidence that the COMT polymorphism impacts the after‐effect of prefrontal tDCS on WM. Taken together with previous findings on dopamine and tDCS interactions, the results of the present study suggest that (a) indirect markers of dopamine (such as COMT) are differently related to online and offline effects of tDCS, and (b) findings from studies involving pharmacological manipulation should be generalized with caution to findings of inter‐individual differences. In sum, we argue that state (i.e., a manipulation of) and trait (i.e., baseline) differences in dopamine may exert different effects on online and offline tDCS.
Neuronal phase consistency tracks dynamic changes in acoustic spectral regularity
Authors: Gifford Adam M. , Sperling Michael R. , Sharan Ashwini , Gorniak Richard J. , Williams Ryan B. , Davis Kathryn , Kahana Michael J. , Cohen Yale E.
Published: November 2018

The brain parses the auditory environment into distinct sounds by identifying those acoustic features in the environment that have common relationships (e.g., spectral regularities) with one another and then grouping together the neuronal representations of these features. Although there is a large literature that tests how the brain tracks spectral regularities that are predictable, it is not known how the auditory system tracks spectral regularities that are not predictable and that change dynamically over time. Furthermore, the contribution of brain regions downstream of the auditory cortex to the coding of spectral regularity is unknown. Here, we addressed these two issues by recording electrocorticographic activity, while human patients listened to tone‐burst sequences with dynamically varying spectral regularities, and identified potential neuronal mechanisms of the analysis of spectral regularities throughout the brain. We found that the degree of oscillatory stimulus phase consistency (PC) in multiple neuronal‐frequency bands tracked spectral regularity. In particular, PC in the delta‐frequency band seemed to be the best indicator of spectral regularity. We also found that these regularity representations existed in multiple regions throughout cortex. This widespread reliable modulation in PC – both in neuronal‐frequency space and in cortical space – suggests that phase‐based modulations may be a general mechanism for tracking regularity in the auditory system specifically and other sensory systems more generally. Our findings also support a general role for the delta‐frequency band in processing the regularity of auditory stimuli.
The changing geographies of financial centres in China: The case of commercial banking
Authors: Wang Xiaoyang
Published: November 2018

This paper discusses the geographies of commercial banking in China. To understand the changing geographies of financial centres, this paper uses an empirical approach to highlight the changing spatial distribution of banking to the existing collection of empirical descriptions, and by an investigation of its spatial concentration over the period between 2006 and 2014. The empirical analysis is based on branch and sub‐branch data, employment data, headquarters data, and banking assets data, all of which are available, allowing a systematic geographical analysis of commercial banking. The findings reveal the status of Beijing and Shanghai as primary banking centres, as well as a hierarchical network of domestic banking centres and a growing spatial concentration within China's banking system. More specifically, Beijing is the predominant banking centre, while Shanghai retains its status as a capital for foreign banking. The rise of provincial banking centres in addition to Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen has contributed to the formation of a hierarchical network of banking centres at national level. Accordingly, the development of first‐ and second‐tier banking centres has led to an ascending geographical concentration within China's banking system.
Anti‐Calcitonin Gene‐Related Peptide (CGRP) Therapies: Update on a Previous Review After the American Headache Society 60th Scientific Meeting, San Francisco, June 2018
Authors: Tepper Stewart J.
Published: November 2018

Objective

To briefly update and correct the available data on anti‐calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP) therapies for headache since the American Headache Society 60th Scientific Meeting, San Francisco, June 2018.

Background

CGRP is a target for primary headache therapies.

Methods

The author briefly reviews the new data and publications on gepants and anti‐CGRP and anti‐CGRP receptor monoclonal antibodies since the writing of his previous review in May 2018, with an emphasis on data provided at the American Headache Society 60th Scientific Meeting, San Francisco, June 2018.

Results

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved erenumab‐aooe, an anti‐CGRP receptor monoclonal antibody, for the prevention of migraine on May 17, 2018. On September 14, 2018, the FDA approved fremanezumab‐vfrm and on September 26, 2018, the FDA approved galcanezumab‐gnlm, both anti‐CGRP ligand monoclonal antibodies for the prevention of migraine. Galcanezumab showed effectiveness in preventing episodic cluster headache as well, although has not yet been submitted to the FDA for this indication. Both galcanezumab and fremanezumab failed to prevent chronic cluster headache. Eptinezumab will likely be submitted to the FDA for prevention of migraine later in 2018. Two gepants, ubrogepant and rimegepant, have completed positive pivotal trials for the acute treatment of migraine, but have not yet been submitted to the FDA for this indication. A press release with data on the effectiveness of daily atogepant in migraine prevention provides some details. An announcement at the meeting suggests daily rimegepant will be tested for prevention as well.

Conclusions

The development of anti‐CGRP therapies opens a new era in the acute and preventive treatment of primary headache disorders.
Radiolarian‐based study on the fabric and the formation process of the Early Cretaceous mélange near Zhongba, Yarlung–Tsangpo Suture Zone, southern Tibet
Authors: Li Xin , Matsuoka Atsushi , Li Yalin , Wei Yushuai , Wang Chengshan
Published: November 2018

The Yarlung–Tsangpo Suture Zone (YTSZ), as the southernmost and youngest among the sutures that subdivides the Tibetan Plateau into several east–west trending blocks, marks where the Neo‐Tethys was consumed as the Indian continent moved northward and collided against the Eurasian continent. Mélanges in the YTSZ represent the remnants of the oceanic plate through subduction and collision. Mélanges are characterized by a highly sheared volcanoclastic or siliceous mudstone matrix including blocks of chert, claystone, and basalt. Detailed radiolarian analyses are conducted on the mélange near Zhongba County. Macroscopic, mesoscopic, and microscopic observations are combined in order to elucidate the relationships among age, lithology, and structure of blocks in the mélange. Reconstructed ocean plate stratigraphy includes Lower Jurassic limestone within the chert sequence accumulated at a depth near the CCD (Unit 2), Upper Jurassic thin‐bedded chert interbedded with claystone deposited in the wide ocean basin (Unit 3), and Lower Cretaceous chert with siliceous mudstone (Units 4 and 5), representing the middle parts of ocean plate stratigraphy. The results highlight the fabric of brecciated chert on mesoscopic scale, which is thought to be due to localized overpressure. The formation of mesoscopic and microscopic block‐in‐matrix fabrics in the mélange is proposed for the chert and siliceous mudstone bearing different extents of consolidation and competence during the progressive deformation of accreted sediments at shallow‐level subduction.
Combined effect of antimicrobial edible coatings with reduction of initial microbial load on the shelf‐life of fresh hake (Merluccius merluccius) medallions
Authors: Otero‐Tuárez Víctor , Carrión‐Granda Ximena , Fernández‐Pan Idoya , Fernández Teresa , Maté Juan I.
Published: November 2018

Two distinct strategies were combined to preserve fresh fish (Merluccius merluccius) under refrigeration at 4 °C for 12 days: (i) the application of an antimicrobial edible coating enriched with oregano essential oil (OEO) or carvacrol (CV) and (ii) the reduction of initial microbial load by good handling practise and the use of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). The action of antimicrobial coatings alone retarded the growth of Enterobacteriaceae, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and H2S producing bacteria on fish samples. The reduction of initial microbial load by itself only affected the evolution of LAB, but not the rest of the bacterial groups. When using both techniques combined, edible antimicrobial coatings were significantly more effective with additional and significant delays in the growth of mesophilic, psychrotrophic and Pseudomonas bacteria. Thus, the use of both strategies combined resulted in a reduction of the counts of all bacterial groups after 12 days of storage which ranged from 1.5 log and 8 log, in Pseudomonas and H2S producing bacteria, respectively. Moreover, no significant differences were observed when comparing the microbiological evolution of samples treated with OEO compared to those only treated with CV.
Gagging prevalence and its association with dental fear in 4‐12‐year‐old children in a dental setting
Authors: Katsouda Maria , Tollili Christina , Coolidge Trilby , Simos Gregoris , Kotsanos Nikolaos , Arapostathis Konstantinos N.
Published: November 2018

Aim

The aims were to determine the prevalence of gagging in children in the dental setting, detect any association between gagging and dental fear in that setting, and determine if the association varied by type of setting.

Design

A total of 734 children (4‐12 years old), seeking dental care either at a University paediatric dental clinic (UC) or at a private paediatric practice (PP), filled out the Greek version of the Gagging Assessment Scale (GAS, subjective assessment) and the Greek version of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule‐Dental Subscale (CFSS‐DS). The shorter form of the Gagging Problem Assessment‐dentist part for children (GPA‐de‐c/SF, dentist's objective measurement) was used to assess their gag reflex.

Results

A total of 209 children (28.47%) gagged according to theGPA‐de‐c/SF. There was no significant difference in gagging betweenUCandPPchildren. Children rated as gaggers on theGPA‐de‐c/SFreported significantly higherGASandCFSS‐DSscores (U = 33 629.000;P < 0.001,U = 31 955.500,P < 0.001, respectively). Also, there was a significant association betweenGASandCFSS‐DS(rho = 0.307,P < 0.001).

Conclusions

In the dental setting, there were significant relationships between dental fear, the dentist's objective measurement of gagging severity, and the child's subjective gagging assessment.
Fulfilling the ‘British way’: beyond constrained choice—Amazon workers' lived experiences of workfare
Authors: Briken Kendra , Taylor Phil
Published: November 2018

This article makes a distinctive contribution to critiquing the Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices (TRMWP). Rejecting TRMWP's abstracted concept of ‘choice’ and its celebration of the ‘British way’ of job creation, it emphasises the degree of compulsion experienced by low‐pay, temporary workers in local labour markets. The empirical focus is on Amazon's ‘fulfilment centre’ at Swansea and draws on testimonies of ‘associates’, both permanent and, mostly, agency temps including migrant workers. The article situates these worker experiences in job‐starved labour markets, considering the role of temporary worker agencies (TWAs) and the effects of workfare and benefit sanctions. The evidence compels a reconceptualisation of the triangular relationship between TWAs, employers and temp workers as quadrilateral, emphasising the role of the state. A brutal, digitally enabled lean workplace regime intersects with a brutal, digitally enabled workfare regime which serves to thoroughly critique Taylor's absurdly optimistic characterisation of choice.
Effects on learning of time spent by university students attending lectures and/or watching online videos
Authors: Meehan Maria , McCallig John
Published: November 2018

We apply Carroll's model of school learning, which theorizes about the relationship between time and learning, to motivate the design of a large, first‐year, university mathematics course, where students have the choice to attend lectures and/or watch online videos. The theoretical model informs how the course and resources are designed in order to assist students to spend the time they need to master a task in an efficient manner. We examine the relationship between learning and time spent on lectures and/or videos, by analysing data collected on lecture attendance, videos accessed, and mathematical achievement, prior to, and at the end of, the course. Findings show that students use videos as either a complement to, or substitute for, the lecture, and time spent using either or both resources has a significant impact on learning.
High sodium intake increases blood pressure and risk of kidney disease. From the Science of Salt: A regularly updated systematic review of salt and health outcomes (August 2016 to March 2017)
Authors: Malta Daniela , Petersen Kristina S. , Johnson Claire , Trieu Kathy , Rae Sarah , Jefferson Katherine , Santos Joseph Alvin , Wong Michelle M. Y. , Raj Thout Sudhir , Webster Jacqui , Campbell Norm R. C. , Arcand JoAnne
Published: November 2018

The purpose of this review was to identify, summarize, and critically appraise studies on dietary salt and health outcomes that were published from August 2016 to March 2017. The search strategy was adapted from a previous systematic review on dietary salt and health. Studies that meet standards for methodological quality criteria and eligible health outcomes are reported in detailed critical appraisals. Overall, 47 studies were identified and are summarized in this review. Two studies assessed all‐cause or disease‐specific mortality outcomes, eight studies assessed morbidity reduction‐related outcomes, three studies assessed outcomes related to symptoms/quality of life/functional status, 25 studies assessed blood pressure (BP) outcomes and other clinically relevant surrogate outcomes, and nine studies assessed physiologic surrogate outcomes. Eight of these studies met the criteria for outcomes and methodological quality and underwent detailed critical appraisals and commentary. Five of these studies found adverse effects of salt intake on health outcomes (BP; death due to kidney disease and initiation of dialysis; total kidney volume and composite of kidney function; composite of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events including, and risk of mortality); one study reported the benefits of salt restriction in chronic BP and two studies reported neutral results (BP and risk of CKD). Overall, these articles confirm the negative effects of excessive sodium intake on health outcomes.
Can social media lead to labor market discrimination? Evidence from a field experiment
Authors: Manant Matthieu , Pajak Serge , Soulié Nicolas
Published: November 2018

In this paper, we investigate the role of social media as a source of information for recruiters to discriminate applicants. We set up a field experiment over a 12‐month period, involving more than 800 applications from two fictitious applicants which differed in their perceived origins, which is an information available only from their Facebook profiles. During the experiment, an unexpected change in the Facebook layout reduced the salience of the information available on social media profiles. Before this change, a significant 41.7% gap between the two applicants callback rates highlights that personal online profiles are used by recruiters as a source of information to discriminate against applicants of foreign origin. After the layout change that mitigates our signal, the difference in callback rates fades away. This result suggests that the screening conducted by the employers does not go beyond the main pages of profiles. It also illustrates that design choices made by online platforms may have important consequences on the extent of discrimination.
A Framework for Development and Communication of Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment Methods
Authors: Bjørn Anders , Richardson Katherine , Hauschild Michael Zwicky
Published: November 2018

An absolute environmental sustainability assessment (AESA) addresses whether a production or consumption activity can be considered environmentally sustainable in an absolute sense. This involves a comparison of its environmental pressure to its allocated environmental carrying capacity. AESA methods have been developed in multiple academic fields, each using their own set of concepts and terms with little communication across the fields. A recent growing interest in using AESA methods for decision support calls for a better common understanding of the constituents of an AESA method and how it can be communicated to scientific peers and to potential users.

With this aim, we develop a framework for AESA methods, composed of a succession of four assessment steps and involving six methodological choices that must be made by the method developer or the user. We then use the framework to analyze and compare five selected AESA methods that focus on the release of phosphorus and nitrogen to the environment. In this manner, we show that the framework is able to systematically differentiate AESA methods that initially appear to be similar. Intended users of the framework include (1) method developers communicating new AESA methods to academic peers or potential method users and (2) researchers comparing a group of existing AESA methods and communicating their differences to their peers and to potential users looking for guidance on method selection.
Precision medicine in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Prasad R. B. , Groop L.
Published: November 2018

The Precision Medicine Initiative defines precision medicine as ‘an emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment and lifestyle for each person’. This approach will facilitate more accurate treatment and prevention strategies in contrast to a one‐size‐fits‐all approach, in which disease treatment and prevention strategies are developed for generalized usage. Diabetes is clearly more heterogeneous than the conventional subclassification into type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Monogenic forms of diabetes like MODY and neonatal diabetes have paved the way for precision medicine in diabetes, as carriers of unique mutations require unique treatment. Diagnosis of diabetes in the past has been dependent upon measuring one metabolite, glucose. By instead including six variables in a clustering analysis, we could break down diabetes into five distinct subgroups, with better prediction of disease progression and outcome. The severe insulin‐resistant diabetes (SIRD) cluster showed the highest risk of kidney disease and highest prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, whereas patients in the insulin‐deficient cluster 2 (SIDD) had the highest risk of retinopathy. In the future, this will certainly be improved and expanded by including genetic, epigenetic and other biomarker to allow better prediction of outcome and choice of more precise treatment.
Aroma and flavor characteristics of commercial Chinese traditional bacon from different geographical regions
Authors: Wang Hongwei , Zhang Xiao , Suo Huayi , Zhao Xin , Kan Jianquan
Published: November 2018

Chinese traditional bacon (Larou) is a popular ethnic pork product produced in southern of China and yet sensory characteristics of this bacon are not well described. A highly trained, descriptive sensory panel identified and defined 13 flavor terms and 4 basic taste terms in 24 commercial Chinese traditional bacon from different geographical regions. Principal component analysis was used to map the scores obtained during the validation phase. Obvious differences were found among the three main Chinese traditional bacon from Guangdong, Hunan, and Sichuan. The developed attributes and references were successfully used by the trained panel to describe a wide range of Chinese traditional bacon samples.

Practical applications

Chinese Traditional Bacon is a popular uncooked meat product, with dominant producing areas in Guangdong, Sichuan, Hunan, and Guizhou, among others. The lexicon was used to describe the aroma and flavor characteristics of commercial Chinese traditional bacon from different geographical regions. This information is useful for product developers, researchers, and technologists to understand the aroma and flavor characteristics of Chinese traditional bacon. They can use those attributes to determine key flavor compounds, to develop new products, modify other products, and study quality control and shelf‐life issues.
Melatonin‐deficient rice plants show a common semidwarf phenotype either dependent or independent of brassinosteroid biosynthesis
Authors: Lee Kyungjin , Back Kyoungwhan
Published: November 2018

Melatonin‐deficient rice with a semidwarf erect‐leaf phenotype was created by suppressing serotonin N‐acetyltransferase 2 (SNAT2). We generated an RNAi transgenic rice that suppressed tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC), which encodes the first TDC enzyme committed step for melatonin biosynthesis in plants catalyzing the conversion of tryptophan into tryptamine, to determine whether other transgenic rice with downregulated melatonin biosynthetic genes exhibited the same erect‐leaf phenotype as the snat2 RNAi rice. The TDC RNAi rice produced significantly less melatonin than the wild type and exhibited a semidwarf phenotype, but no erect‐leaf phenotype was observed. In contrast, tryptamine 5‐hydroxylase (T5H) knockout Sekiguchi rice and caffeic acid O‐methyltransferase (COMT) RNAi rice seedlings were semidwarf phenotypes with erect leaves, as was the snat2 RNAi rice due to a melatonin deficiency. All RNAi rice plants showing erect‐leaf phenotypes had lower expression levels of the DWARF4 gene, which is a key enzyme for brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis, leading to lower BR levels than their respective wild types. Suppressing melatonin synthesis did not alter the contents of indole 3‐acetic acid (IAA), suggesting the irrelevance of melatonin deficiency to IAA biosynthesis. These data indicate that a semidwarf seedling is a common rice phenotype by the lack of melatonin synthesis with or without BR suppression in a melatonin biosynthetic gene‐specific manner.