bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Two different initial treatment regimens of ranibizumab in myopic choroidal neovascularization: 12‐month results from a randomized controlled study
Authors: Li Songshan , Ding Xiaoyan , Sun Limei , Zhao Xiujuan , Zhang Aiyuan , Lyu Cancan , Liu Bingqian , Zhang Junyan , Jin Chenjin , Lu Lin
Published: October 2018

Importance

The optimal treatment regimen for myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV) is essential to understand but currently poorly studied.

Background

To date, there is still no consensus on the optimal dosage and frequency of anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor injections in treating mCNV.

Design

A prospective, single‐centre, single‐blind, randomized controlled study.

Participants

Adult patients with active mCNV.

Methods

Patients were randomized 1:1 to one or three doses initial ranibizumab treatments. Additional injections were administered pro re nata (prn) over 12 mo.

Main Outcome Measures

Number and frequency of injections.

Results

Fifty patients participated in the study. Patients in both 1 + prn or 3 + prn groups experienced similar best‐corrected visual acuity gain and anatomical improvement, including central retinal thickness (CRT), CNV thickness, area of CNV and area of leakage. Over 12 mo, patients in the 1 + prn group received fewer ranibizumab injections (2.04 ± 1.22) compared with the 3 + prn group (3.58 ± 0.72, P<0.0001), but no statistic difference of the injection received was observed in the prn period. During the follow‐up, 15 of 26 eyes in the 1 + prn group and 10 of 24 eyes in the 3 + prn group received additional injections after initial dosing (P = 0.2575). Cox regression analysis showed that 1 + prn, female, age > 55 y and CRT > 300 μm are risk factors for retreatment.

Conclusions and Relevance

The eyes with a single loading dose achieved parallel anatomical and functional visual improvement, while required less injections over 1 y. The risk factors for retreatment include 1 + prn, female, older age and thick retina thickness.
Improving the future for families with disabled children
Authors: Ribera Riccardo
Published: October 2018

This commentary is on the original article by Horridge et al. on pages 329–336 of this issue.
Binge drinking: Prevalence, correlates, and expectancies of alcohol use among individuals with first‐episode psychosis
Authors: Tan Jit H. , Shahwan Shazana , Satghare Pratika , Cetty Laxman , Verma Swapna , Sendren Jagan R. , Chong Siow Ann , Subramaniam Mythily
Published: October 2018

Aim

This study examines the prevalence and correlates of binge drinking and its association with expectancies of alcohol use, within a sample of patients with first‐episode psychosis enrolled in the Early Psychosis Intervention Programme (EPIP) in Singapore's Institute of Mental Health.

Methods

A total of 280 patients from the EPIP were recruited for an on‐going longitudinal study examining cigarette smoking and alcohol habits. Only baseline data were used, pertaining to socio‐demographics, alcohol use, clinical symptomology, quality of life, and expectancies of alcohol use.

Results

Overall 23.9% (N = 67) reported ever binge drinking in their lifetime, and 11.4% (N = 32) had binged in the past 2 weeks. Controlling for all other socio‐demographic and clinical factors, binge drinking was significantly associated with higher education levels, having children, current or past history of cigarette smoking, and lower negative symptom scores. Binge drinkers were also more likely to endorse statements relating to the themes of enhancement seeking (ie, using alcohol to alter or enhance experiences in a pleasurable way), coping with distress, and socializing‐related expectancies of alcohol use.

Conclusion

Similar to past studies, the prevalence of binge drinking among our first‐episode sample was relatively high. Our findings suggest certain lifestyle and social factors associated with risky drinking behaviour that future prevention efforts may address. Additionally, the three motivations of enhancement seeking, coping, and socializing also suggest psychological processes and coping styles that could be targeted for interventions.
Suprachiasmatic function in a circadian period mutant: Duper alters light‐induced activation of vasoactive intestinal peptide cells and PERIOD1 immunostaining
Authors: Manoogian Emily N. C. , Kumar Ajay , Obed Doha , Bergan Joseph , Bittman Eric L.
Published: October 2018

Mammalian circadian rhythms are entrained by photic stimuli that are relayed by retinal projections to the core of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Neuronal activation, as demonstrated by expression of the immediate early gene c‐fos, leads to transcription of the core clock gene per1. The duper mutation in hamsters shortens circadian period and amplifies light‐induced phase shifts. We performed two experiments to compare the number of c‐FOS immunoreactive (ir) and PER1‐ir cells, and the intensity of staining, in the SCN of wild‐type (WT) and duper hamsters at various intervals after presentation of a 15‐min light pulse in the early subjective night. Light‐induced c‐FOS‐ir within 1 hr in the dorsocaudal SCN of duper, but not WT hamsters. In cells that express vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), which plays a critical role in synchronization of SCN cellular oscillators, light‐induced c‐FOS‐ir was greater in duper than WT hamsters. After the light pulse, PER1‐ir cells were found in more medial portions of the SCN than FOS‐ir, and appeared with a longer latency and over a longer time course, in VIP cells of duper than wild‐type hamsters. Our results indicate that the duper allele alters SCN function in ways that may contribute to changes in free running period and phase resetting.
Getting Blood From Stones: Results and Policy Implications of an Empirical Investigation of Child Support Practice in St. Joseph County, Indiana Paternity Actions
Authors: Brinig Margaret F. , Garrison Marsha
Published: October 2018

Today, there is consensus that the current system of allocating and enforcing child support obligations does not work well for disadvantaged families, most of which are nonmarital. Nonmarital children are less likely to have support orders established than marital children, and they are much less likely to experience full payment. In this article, we report data on child support awards and enforcement associated with a sample of paternity actions brought in 2008 or 2010 in St. Joseph County, Indiana. We found that child support practice in St. Joseph County promotes limited contact between children and their absent fathers, nonpayment of prior support obligations, and the accrual of arrears that can never be paid. These results strongly support recent changes in federal child support regulations and programs that postdate the orders in our study. Our results also demonstrate both the need for additional reforms and the difficulties that lie ahead as the states begin to grapple with applying the new standards.
Creating the Trauma‐to‐Prison Pipeline: How the U.S. Justice System Criminalizes Structural and Interpersonal Trauma Experienced by Girls of Color
Authors: Baumle DeAnna
Published: October 2018

The staggering number of girls in the juvenile justice system who have experienced abuse is described as the sexual‐abuse‐to‐prison pipeline. However, this pipeline does not capture the entire picture, nor does it fully explain the unjustifiable disproportionality of girls of color and girls from low‐income communities in the system. This article builds on the foundation of the sexual‐abuse‐to‐prison pipeline to develop the trauma‐to‐prison pipeline, describing how the juvenile justice system criminalizes girls because of their experiences of multiple and intersecting forms of trauma, including trauma resulting from the structural forces of racism and poverty.
Mid borderline leprosy in type Bα Blaschko linear pattern: a rare phenomenon
Authors: Chetan Rajput , Shailesh Malani
Published: October 2018

Introduction

Leprosy is a chronic granulomatous disease caused by M. leprae. It is a great imitator as it can manifest in different unusual and atypical ways. Mid borderline leprosy (BB) is an unstable form representing the immunologic midpoint in the clinical spectrum.

Case report

Here, we report a case of BB leprosy having classical inverted saucer‐shaped lesions elsewhere on the body with a linear psoriasiform lesion over the left forearm following the lines of Blaschko. Biopsy from this lesion revealed granulomas consisting of equal admixture of epithelioid cells and macrophages without multinucleate giant cells suggesting mid borderline leprosy.

Conclusion

Occurrence of lesions in a Blaschko linear pattern supports the role of genetic susceptibility to leprosy. The genetically vulnerable cells along the lines of Blaschko were infected while the surrounding cells remained unaffected. This explains the concept of locus minoris resistentiae due to cutaneous mosaicism.
Species‐specific elicitors induce tea leaf to arrest the endoparasitoid Ascogaster reticulata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)
Authors: Piyasaengthong Narisara , Sato Yasushi , Kainoh Yooichi
Published: October 2018

Ascogaster reticulata Watanabe (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is an egg‐larval endoparasitoid of the smaller tea tortrix, Adoxophyes honmai Yasuda. Recent studies have examined tritrophic interactions among Camellia sinensis, A. honmai and A. reticulata, but the effect of non‐host insects on the induction of tea plant that may affect foraging behaviour of A. reticulata remains unclear. In this study, we selected two non‐host insects, Homona magnanima Diakonoff and Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée), as representative species in our bioassays. Tea leaves were treated with homogenized female reproductive tissues of a non‐host insect in comparison with untreated leaves in a choice test. Residence times of parasitoids on both leaves were recorded. The parasitoids seemed to prefer walking on leaves treated with homogenates of H. magnanima over untreated leaves, but the difference in residence times was not significant. In contrast, its residence time on leaves treated with homogenates of O. furnacalis was significantly shorter than that on untreated leaves. Thus, the induction of tea leaf surface chemicals may differ among moth species, which may produce different types of elicitors. This difference may, in turn, affect the host‐searching behaviour of A. reticulata.
Evidence of spawning by hermaphroditic skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis
Authors: Ashida Hiroshi , Ohashi Shinpei , Masujima Masachika , Nakano Masaaki , Shimose Tamaki
Published: October 2018

Hermaphroditic gonads were collected from three skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis in the western and central Pacific Ocean. Both ovarian and testicular tissues were found in the same gonad lobe for each of the three fish. Histological sections of the hermaphroditic gonad from one K. pelamis showed postovulatory follicles, which is evidence of spawning.
MHC class IIA polymorphisms and their association with resistance–susceptibility to Streptococcus agalactiae in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus
Authors: Gao Feng‐Ying , Zhang Dong , Lu Mai‐Xin , Cao Jian‐Meng , Liu Zhi‐Gang , Ke Xiao‐Li , Wang Miao , Zhang De‐Feng , Yi Meng‐Meng
Published: October 2018

The association between major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class IIA polymorphisms and the severity of infection by Streptococcus agalactiae was investigated using 40 susceptible and 40 resistant individuals of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. Twenty‐five alleles were identified from 80 individuals, which belong to 22 major allele types. High polymorphism of mhcIIa gene and at least two loci were discovered in O. niloticus. In peptide‐binding region (PBR) and non‐PBR, the ratio of nonsynonymous substitution (dN) to synonymous substitution (dS) was 1.294 (>1) and 1.240 (>1), suggesting that the loci are evolving under positive balancing selection. Association analysis showed that the allele, orni‐daa*0501, was significantly associated with resistance to S. agalactiae, while the alleles, orni‐daa*1101, orni‐daa*1301, orni‐daa*1401 and orni‐daa*1201, were associated with susceptibility to S. agalactiae. To confirm these correlations, another independent challenge experiment was performed in the Huizhou population of the O. niloticus. The frequency distribution showed that the orni‐daa*1101 allele was significantly more frequent in the Huizhou‐Susceptible group (HZ‐SG) than in the Huizhou‐Resistant group (HZ‐RG) (P < 0.05), which was consistent with the first challenge. However, orni‐daa*0501 did not present in HZ‐SG and HZ‐RG and the distribution frequencies of the orni‐daa*1201, orni‐daa*1301 and orni‐daa*1401 alleles were not significantly more frequent in HZ‐SG than in HZ‐RG. These results indicate that the orni‐daa*1101 allele confers susceptibility to S. agalactia infection. These results suggest that the diversity of exon 2 of mcaIIa alleles could be used to explore the association between disease susceptibility or resistance and the multiformity of mcaIIa and to achieve the molecular‐assisted selection of O. niloticus with enhanced disease resistance.
Australian infection control in endoscopy consensus statements on carbapenemase‐producing Enterobacteriaceae
Authors: Devereaux Benedict M , Athan Eugene , Brown Robyn R , Greig Sue M , Jones Dianne M , Bailey Fiona K , Wallis David J , Singh Rajvinder
Published: October 2018

Outbreaks of carbapenemase‐producing Enterobacteriaceae clinical infections related to endoscopic transmission are well documented. The high morbidity and mortality associated with these infections emphasizes the need to reassess endoscopic reprocessing protocols. The Gastroenterological Society of Australia established a multi‐society committee to formulate evidence‐based consensus statements on the prevention and management of endoscopic transmission of carbapenemase‐producing Enterobacteriaceae. A literature search was undertaken utilizing the MEDLINE database. Further references were sourced from published paper bibliographies. Nine statements were formulated. Using the Delphi methodology, the statements were initially reviewed electronically by the committee members and subsequently at a face‐to‐face meeting in Melbourne, Australia. After further discussion, four additional sub‐statements were added resulting in a total of 13 statements. Each statement was assessed for level of evidence, recommendation grade and the voting on recommendation was recorded. For a statement to be accepted, five out of six committee members had to “accept completely” or “accept with some reservation.” All 13 statements achieved consensus agreement. Eleven statements achieved 100% “accepted completely.” Two statements were 83% “accepted completely” and 17% “accepted with some reservation.” Of particular significance, automated flexible endoscope reprocessors were mandated for high‐level disinfection, and the use of forced‐air drying cabinets was mandated for endoscope storage. These evidence‐based statements encourage preventative strategies with the aim of ensuring the highest possible standards in flexible endoscope reprocessing thereby optimizing patient safety. They must be considered in addition to the broader published guidelines on infection control in endoscopy.
Borrowing Constraints, Home Ownership and Housing Choice: Evidence from Intra‐Family Wealth Transfers
Authors: BLICKLE KRISTIAN , BROWN MARTIN
Published: October 2018

We study the impact of borrowing constraints on home ownership and housing demand by comparing the tenure choice and housing quality of consumers who receive intra‐family wealth transfers to those that do not. Our analysis is based on household‐level panel data providing information on the receipt of wealth transfers, changes in tenure status as well as changes in the size and quality of housing. On average we find that the receipt of a wealth transfer increases the propensity of consumers to transition from renters to home‐owners by 6–8 percentage points (35% of the sample mean). Additional analyses suggest that this effect is unlikely to be driven by wealth effects and can thus be attributed to the relaxation of borrowing constraints. By contrast, wealth transfers do not increase the likelihood that existing homeowners “trade‐up” to larger homes in better locations.
Balanced‐Budget Rules and Aggregate Instability: The Role of Endogenous Capital Utilization
Authors: HUANG KEVIN X.D. , MENG QINGLAI , XUE JIANPO
Published: October 2018

It has long been demonstrated that in a closed economy a balanced‐budget fiscal policy can induce aggregate instability unrelated to economic fundamentals. The empirical relevance of this result has been challenged by many studies. In this paper, we show that such extrinsic instability associated with a balanced‐budget rule is a robust phenomenon in a similar closed‐economy setting enhanced with endogenous capital utilization. This suggests that the design or operation of a balanced‐budget fiscal policy should recognize that it may constitute a potential source of self‐fulfilling prophecies and belief‐driven fluctuations.
Low‐Pand high‐Tmetamorphism of basalts: Insights from the Sudbury impact melt sheet aureole and thermodynamic modelling
Authors: Jørgensen Taus R. C. , Tinkham Douglas K. , Lesher C. Michael
Published: October 2018

Low‐pressure and high‐temperature (LP–HT) metamorphism of basaltic rocks, which occurs globally and throughout geological time, is rarely constrained by forward phase equilibrium modelling, yet such calculations provide valuable supplementary thermometric information and constraints on anatexis that are not possible to obtain from conventional thermometry. Metabasalts along the southern margin of the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) record evidence of high‐grade contact metamorphism involving partial melting and melt segregation. Peak metamorphic temperatures reached at least ~925°C at ~1–3 kbar near theSICcontact. Preservation of the peak mineral assemblage indicates that most of the generated melt escaped from these rocks leaving a residuum characterized by a plagioclase–orthopyroxene–clinopyroxene–ilmenite‐magnetite±melt assemblage. Peak temperatures reached ~875°C up to 500 m from theSIClower contact, which marks the transition to metabasalts that only experienced incipient partial melting without melt loss. Metabasalts ~500 to 750 m from theSICcontact are characterized by a similar two‐pyroxene mineral assemblage, but typically contain abundant hornblende that overgrew clino‐ and orthopyroxene along an isobaric cooling path. Metabasalts ~750 to 1,000 m from theSICcontact are characterized by a hornblende–plagioclase–quartz–ilmenite assemblage indicating temperatures up to ~680°C. Mass balance and phase equilibria calculations indicate that anatexis resulted in 10–20% melt generation in the inner ~500 m of the aureole, with even higher degrees of melting towards the contact. Comparison of multiple models, experiments, and natural samples indicates that modelling in the Na2O–CaO–FeO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O–TiO2–O2(NCFMASHTO) system results in the most reliable predictions for the temperature of the solidus. Incorporation of K2O in the most recent amphibole solution model now successfully predicts dehydration melting by the coexistence of high‐Ca amphibole and silicate melt at relatively low pressures (~1.5 kbar). However, inclusion of K2O as a system component results in prediction of the solidus at too low a temperature. Although there are discrepancies between modelling predictions and experimental results, this study demonstrates that the pseudosection approach to mafic rocks is an invaluable tool to constrain metamorphic processes atLP–HTconditions.
Role of βarrestin1 in AT1R‐mediated mitogen‐activated protein kinase activation in Wistar and SHR brainstem astrocytes
Authors: Negussie Shmuel , Lymperopoulos Anastasios , Clark Michelle A.
Published: October 2018

βarrestin (βarr)‐1 and ‐2 are ubiquitously (outside the retina) expressed G‐protein‐coupled receptor adapter proteins. They uncouple G‐protein‐coupled receptors from G proteins, internalize the receptor, and subsequently initiate their own wave of signaling independently of G proteins. Angiotensin (Ang) II type 1 receptor (AT1R) is a well‐established example of a receptor signaling through βarrs. Despite the pivotal role of brain AT1Rs in the regulation of blood pressure, the involvement of βarr‐dependent signaling, mediated by AT1Rs is not well studied. Particularly, in brain astrocytes very little is known about the effects of βarrs in AT1R signaling. Herein, we utilized a combination of pharmacological and gene manipulation approaches to investigate the role of βarrs in AT1R‐mediated signaling in isolated brainstem astrocytes from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and Wistar rats. We observed that βarr1 is the predominant arrestin isoform at the protein level in these cells. Its expression was down‐regulated in SHR astrocytes compared to Wistar rat astrocytes. Ang II, contrary to observations in SHR astrocytes where it had no effect, up‐regulates βarr1 protein in Wistar rat astrocytes. We observed differential involvement of βarr1 in MAPK activation in brainstem astrocytes of SHR versus Wistar rats. The βarr‐biased agonist peptide [Sar1, Il4, Il8] Ang‐II (SII), induced AT1R‐mediated ERK and p38 activation in Wistar rat astrocytes. SII had no effect on ERK and p38 activation in SHRs brainstem astrocytes. Our results indicate, reduced involvement of βarr1 in dampening Ang II‐induced MAPKs activation and diminished βarr1‐mediated ERK and p38 activation in SHR brainstem astrocytes. These findings might be mechanistically related to the development of the brain renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system hyperactivity, which leads to pathogenesis of the hypertensive state of the SHR model.

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Theories from the Lab: How Research on Science Commercialization can Contribute to Management Studies
Authors: Fini Riccardo , Rasmussen Einar , Wiklund Johan , Wright Mike
Published: October 2018

Universities and research centres have long been used to study management issues. A growing body of research has focused on how science can be effectively commercialized, emphasizing technology commercialization activities, university–industry collaborations, and academic entrepreneurship. While much of this work has documented empirical relationships, our aim in this introductory article of the special issue is to show how research on science commercialization may yield conceptual contributions to the field of management. Hence, we first discuss the importance of context for theory development. We then review how the science commercialization context has been used for theory development, identifying two facets used to conceptualize science commercialization (i.e., managing the transition between institutional contexts, and the multiple goals and impacts of actors engaging in science commercialization). This forms the basis for discussing what makes this context suited for theory development in general management and for outlining a future research agenda. We conclude by summarizing the papers in the special issue.
Automatic sleep classification using adaptive segmentation reveals an increased number of rapid eye movement sleep transitions
Authors: Koch Henriette , Jennum Poul , Christensen Julie A. E.
Published: October 2018

The reference standard for sleep classification uses manual scoring of polysomnography with fixed 30‐s epochs. This limits the analysis of sleep pattern, structure and, consequently, detailed association with other physiologic processes. We aimed to improve the details of sleep evaluation by developing a data‐driven method that objectively classifies sleep in smaller time intervals.

Two adaptive segmentation methods using 3, 10 and 30‐s windows were compared. One electroencephalographic (EEG) channel was used to segment into quasi‐stationary segments and each segment was classified using a multinomial logistic regression model. Classification features described the power in the clinical frequency bands of three EEG channels and an electrooculographic (EOG) anticorrelation measure for each segment. The models were optimised using 19 healthy control subjects and validated on 18 healthy control subjects. The models obtained overall accuracies of 0.71 ± 0.09, 0.74 ± 0.09 and 0.76 ± 0.08 on the validation data. However, the models allowed a more dynamic sleep, which challenged a true validation against manually scored hypnograms with fixed epochs.

The automated classifications indicated an increased number of stage transitions and shorter sleep bouts using models with smaller window size compared with the hypnograms. An increased number of transitions from rapid eye movement (REM) sleep was likewise expressed in the model using 30‐s windows, indicating that REM sleep has more fluctuations than captured by today's standard.

The models developed are generally applicable and may contribute to concise sleep structure evaluation, research in sleep control and improved understanding of sleep and sleep disorders. The models could also contribute to objective measuring of sleep stability.
Montane valley grasslands are highly resistant to summer wildfire
Authors: Suazo Martina M. , Collins Scott L. , Parmenter Robert R. , Muldavin Esteban
Published: October 2018

Aims

Understanding the ecological role of fire in shaping plant communities in fire‐prone ecosystems is needed for ecosystem restoration, preservation and management. We investigated the effects of wildfire on plant community structure and the biotic and abiotic factors that are most influential in stabilizing and/or driving change before and after burning in high‐elevation montane grasslands dominated by C3 species receiving a mean annual precipitation of 545 mm.

Location

Valles Caldera National Preserve, Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, USA.

Methods

Long‐term data (10 year pre‐fire; 5 year post‐fire) on plant community composition of nine burned and seven unburned grassland sites were used to determine the response of montane grasslands to a summer wildfire. We used multivariate and univariate analyses to determine changes in plant community composition and structure, pre‐ and post‐wildfire on burned and unburned grasslands.

Results

The montane grassland community consisted of 155 plant taxa, including 44 perennial grasses, one annual grass, 92 perennial forbs and nine annual forbs. We found that these fire‐adapted plant communities were highly resilient to fire; fire had no significant effects on composition or structure beyond the normal range of inter‐annual variability. Instead, seasonal precipitation had the largest influence on plant community dynamics over time, with lower average plant canopy height and diversity during drought periods.

Conclusion

Our results show that fire has very limited effects on the composition and structure of these C3‐dominated montane grasslands. Our results support efforts by land managers to reintroduce fire on these historically burned landscapes.
Deciphering the drivers of negative species–genetic diversity correlation in Alpine amphibians
Authors: Marchesini Alexis , Vernesi Cristiano , Battisti Andrea , Ficetola Gentile Francesco
Published: October 2018

The evolutionary and ecological importance of neutral and adaptive genetic diversity is widely recognized. Nevertheless, genetic diversity is rarely assessed for conservation planning, which often implicitly assumes a positive correlation between species and genetic diversity. Multiple drivers can cause the co‐variation between the genetic diversity of one species and the richness of the whole communities, and explicit tests are needed to identify the processes that can determine species–genetic diversity correlations (SGDCs). Here, we tested whether intrapopulation genetic diversity (at neutral loci) and species richness co‐vary in the amphibian communities of a southern Alpine region (Trentino, Italy), using the common frog (Rana temporaria) as focal species for the study of genetic diversity. We also analysed ecological similarity, niche overlap and interspecific interactions between the species, to unravel the processes determining SGDC. The neutral genetic diversity of common frogs was negatively related to species richness. The negative SGDC was probably due to an opposite influence of environmental gradients on the two levels of biodiversity, since the focal species and the other amphibians differ in ecological preferences, particularly in terms of thermal optimum. Conversely, we did not find evidence for a role of interspecific interactions in the negative SGDC. Our findings stress that species richness cannot be used as a universal proxy for genetic diversity, and only combining SGDC with analyses on the determinants of biodiversity can allow to identify the processes determining the relationships between genetic and species diversity.
Distributed medical education: What is the point?
Authors: Snadden David
Published: October 2018

The author discusses why Distributed Medical Education matters and how educating rural applicants in rural contexts can influence physician maldistribution and improve health disparities.
Staying in touch with reality: The importance of stereoscopic vision
Authors: Kramp Kelvin H
Published: October 2018

Kramp offers comment on Wainman et al.'s discovery, offering reflection on the implications of knowing that stereoscopic vision is crucial for learning anatomy.
When I say … feedback
Authors: Ajjawi Rola , Regehr Glenn
Published: October 2018

In the latest installment of the “When I say…” series, Ajjawi and Regehr assert that the term feedback should be reserved for a dynamic and co constructive process in a shared social or cultural space.
Rapidly progressive amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is associated with microglial reactivity and small heat shock protein expression in reactive astrocytes
Authors: Gorter R. P. , Stephenson J. , Nutma E. , Anink J. , de Jonge J. C. , Baron W. , Jahreiβ M.‐C. , Belien J. A. M. , van Noort J. M. , Mijnsbergen C. , Aronica E. , Amor S.
Published: October 2018

Aims

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of motor neurons, muscle weakness, spasticity, paralysis and death usually within 2–5 years of onset. Neuroinflammation is a hallmark of ALS pathology characterized by activation of glial cells, which respond by upregulating small heat shock proteins (HSPBs), but the exact underlying pathological mechanisms are still largely unknown. Here, we investigated the association between ALS disease duration, lower motor neuron loss, TARDNA‐binding protein 43 (TDP‐43) pathology, neuroinflammation and HSPB expression.

Methods

With immunohistochemistry, we examined HSPB1, HSPB5, HSPB6, HSPB8 and HSP16.2 expression in cervical, thoracic and sacral spinal cord regions in 12 ALS cases, seven with short disease duration (SDD), five with moderate disease duration (MDD), and ten age‐matched controls. Expression was quantified using ImageJ to examine HSP expression, motor neuron numbers, microglial and astrocyte density and phosphorylated TDP‐43 (pTDP‐43+) inclusions.

Results

SDD was associated with elevated HSPB5 and 8 expression in lateral tract astrocytes, while HSP16.2 expression was increased in astrocytes in MDD cases. SDD cases had higher numbers of motor neurons and microglial activation than MDD cases, but similar levels of motor neurons with pTDP‐43+ inclusions.

Conclusions

Increased expression of several HSPBs in lateral column astrocytes suggests that astrocytes play a role in the pathogenesis of ALS. SDD is associated with increased microgliosis, HSPB5 and 8 expression in astrocytes, and only minor changes in motor neuron loss. This suggests that the interaction between motor neurons, microglia and astrocytes determines neuronal fate and functional decline in ALS.
Traumatic brachial plexopathy in a patient with off‐state Parkinson disease
Authors: Hoshiyama Eisei , Kokubun Norito , Hirata Koichi
Published: October 2018

The patient was a 67‐year‐old woman who had an advanced Parkinson disease. She developed flaccid monoplegia with areflexia in the right upper limb after a fall during off‐state. Neurophysiological examinations revealed a neurapraxia in the proximal segment of the peripheral nerves. MRI showed high signal intensity in the right supraclavicular area including the brachial plexus and peripheral tissue on short TI inversion recovery images, which supported the diagnosis of the crush injury. The diagnosis of the traumatic brachial plexopathy was made. By the combination of neurophysiological examination and MRI, more elaborate diagnosis of the traumatic nerve injuries can be made.
Severe visual impairment and subclinical encephalitis preceding clinical signs of chondritis in relapsing polychondritis
Authors: Miyano Ryoji , Kurihara Masanori , Orimo Kenta , Mano Tatsuo , Kaburaki Toshikatsu , Tanaka Rie , Nishijima Hironobu , Ikemura Masako , Takahashi Miwako , Mori Harushi , Mutoh Tatsuro , Hamada Masashi , Hayashi Toshihiro , Toda Tatsushi
Published: October 2018

A 71‐year‐old woman with a 6‐month history of relapsing bilateral anterior scleritis presented with severe right visual impairment due to posterior scleritis. Despite radiological signs of encephalitis, the patient and her family members noticed no cognitive decline. The patient subsequently developed slight auricular pain without any visual changes such as redness or swelling, which, however, showed increased uptake of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose on positron emission tomography. Auricular cartilage biopsy revealed perichondrial inflammation suggesting relapsing polychondritis. Steroid therapy improved her symptoms and radiological findings. This case illustrates that asymptomatic brain inflammatory lesions can precede clinical signs of chondritis in relapsing polychondritis, and that auricular cartilage biopsy should be considered even with mild auricular pain without apparent clinical findings of inflammation.
Lipo‐chitooligosaccharides promote lateral root formation and modify auxin homeostasis in Brachypodium distachyon
Authors: Buendia Luis , Maillet Fabienne , O'Connor Devin , van de‐Kerkhove Quitterie , Danoun Saida , Gough Clare , Lefebvre Benoit , Bensmihen Sandra
Published: October 2018

Lipo‐chitooligosaccharides (LCOs) are microbial symbiotic signals that also influence root growth. In Medicago truncatula, LCOs stimulate lateral root formation (LRF) synergistically with auxin. However, the molecular mechanisms of this phenomenon and whether it is restricted to legume plants are not known.

We have addressed the capacity of the model monocot Brachypodium distachyon (Brachypodium) to respond to LCOs and auxin for LRF. For this, we used a combination of root phenotyping assays, live‐imaging and auxin quantification, and analysed the regulation of auxin homeostasis genes.

We show that LCOs and a low dose of the auxin precursor indole‐3‐butyric acid (IBA) stimulated LRF in Brachypodium, while a combination of LCOs and IBA led to different regulations. Both LCO and IBA treatments locally increased endogenous indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA) content, whereas the combination of LCO and IBA locally increased the endogenous concentration of a conjugated form of IAA (IAA‐Ala). LCOs, IBA and the combination differentially controlled expression of auxin homeostasis genes.

These results demonstrate that LCOs are active on Brachypodium roots and stimulate LRF probably through regulation of auxin homeostasis. The interaction between LCO and auxin treatments observed in Brachypodium on root architecture opens interesting avenues regarding their possible combined effects during the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis.
CYP81A P450s are involved in concomitant cross‐resistance to acetolactate synthase and acetyl‐CoA carboxylase herbicides in Echinochloa phyllopogon
Authors: Iwakami Satoshi , Kamidate Yoshitaka , Yamaguchi Takuya , Ishizaka Masumi , Endo Masaki , Suda Hiroe , Nagai Kiichi , Sunohara Yukari , Toki Seiichi , Uchino Akira , Tominaga Tohru , Matsumoto Hiroshi
Published: October 2018

Californian populations of Echinochloa phyllopogon have evolved multiple‐herbicide resistance (MHR), posing a threat to rice production in California. Previously, we identified two CYP81A cytochrome P450 genes whose overexpression is associated with resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors from two chemical groups. Resistance mechanisms to other herbicides remain unknown.

We analyzed the sensitivity of an MHR line to acetyl‐CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors from three chemical groups, followed by an analysis of herbicide metabolism and segregation of resistance of the progenies in sensitive (S) and MHR lines. ACCase herbicide metabolizing function was investigated in the two previously identified P450s.

MHR plants exhibited resistance to all the ACCase inhibitors by enhanced herbicide metabolism. Resistance to the ACCase inhibitors segregated in a 3 : 1 ratio in the F2 generation and completely co‐segregated with ALS inhibitor resistance in F6 lines. Expression of the respective P450 genes conferred resistance to the three herbicides in rice, which is in line with the detection of hydroxylated herbicide metabolites in vivo in transformed yeast.

CYP81As are super P450s that metabolize multiple herbicides from five chemical classes, and concurrent overexpression of the P450s induces metabolism‐based resistance to the three ACCase inhibitors in MHR E. phyllopogon, as it does to ALS inhibitors.
Growth Trends and Systematic Patterns of Booms and Busts‐Testing 200 Years of Business Cycle Dynamics
Authors: Fritz Marlon , Gries Thomas , Feng Yuanhua
Published: October 2018

We study the dynamic pattern of business cycles using US GDP data between 1790 and 2015. To address difficulties in trend and cycle decomposition, we introduce a semiparametric estimation approach with an iterative plug‐in (IPI) algorithm for endogenous bandwidth selection. This algorithm identifies continuously moving growth trends with trend‐supporting growth periods. A simulation study demonstrates the value‐added of our trend identification. Afterwards, nonlinear SETAR models are fitted parametrically. Further, we test the trend using a recently developed test and the estimated SETAR models against their linear alternatives. The results indicate asymmetric characteristics during booms and busts.
‘The rollercoaster of follow‐up care’ after bariatric surgery: a rapid review and qualitative synthesis
Authors: Parretti H. M. , Hughes C. A. , Jones L. L.
Published: October 2018

Benefits of bariatric surgery for obesity related comorbidities are well established. However, in the longer term, patients can become vulnerable to procedure specific problems, experience weight regain and continue to need monitoring and management of comorbidities. Effective longer term follow‐up is vital due to these complex needs post‐surgery. Current guidance recommends annual long‐term follow‐up after bariatric surgery. However, attendance can be low, and failure to attend is associated with poorer outcomes. Understanding patients' experiences and needs is central to the delivery of effective care. This rapid review has synthesized the current qualitative literature on patient experiences of healthcare professional (HCP) led follow‐up from 12 months after bariatric surgery. A recurring theme was the need for more and extended follow‐up care, particularly psychological support. Enablers to attending follow‐up care were patient self‐efficacy as well as HCP factors such as a non‐judgemental attitude, knowledge and continuity of care. Barriers included unrealistic patient expectations and perceived lack of HCP expertise. Some preferences were expressed including patient initiated access to HCPs and more information preoperatively to prepare for potential post‐surgery issues. Insights gained from this work will help identify areas for improvement to care in order to optimize longer term outcomes.
INTUITIONS AS INFERENTIAL JUDGMENTS*
Authors: Balcerak Jackson Magdalena
Published: October 2018

According to philosophical orthodoxy, intuitions are perception‐like in that they provide us with non‐inferential justification. In this paper, I present four arguments to show that orthodoxy is mistaken: Intuitions, as used in thought experiments, are inferential judgments, that is the results of inferential transitions that are inferentially justified (if justified at all). The discussion will shed light on the nature of intuition but also on the nature of inference.
Attention norms in Siegel’s The Rationality of Perception
Authors: Irving Zachary C.
Published: October 2018

Can we be responsible for our attention? Can attention be epistemically good or bad? Siegel tackles these under‐explored questions in “Selection Effects”, a pathbreaking chapter of The Rationality of Perception. In this chapter, Siegel develops one of the first philosophical accounts of attention norms. Her account is inferential: patterns of attention are often controlled by inferences and therefore subject to rational epistemic norms that govern any other form of inference. Although Siegel’s account is explanatorily powerful, it cannot capture a core attention norm in cognitive science: one should balance between exploratory and exploitative attention. For central cases of exploratory attention such as mind‐wandering, child‐like, and creative thinking are non‐inferential. Siegel’s view classifies them as “normative freebies” that are not subject to epistemic evaluation. We’re therefore left with a disjunctive conclusion: either Siegel’s inferentialist theory of attention norms is incomplete or cognitive scientists are wrong about the norms that govern attention.
A teacher’s judgment of spatial ability
Authors: Kotsopoulos Donna , Makosz Samantha , Zambrzycka Joanna , Cordy Michelle
Published: October 2018

International standardized tests are showing an underperformance of students in geometry and spatial ability relative to other content domains. In this research, we examined the relationship between a teacher’s judgment of third‐ and fourth‐grade students’ geometry and spatial ability (i.e., grades), three spatial ability tasks (Water‐Level‐Task, the Rod‐and‐Frame Test, and the Mental‐Rotations‐Test), composite spatial ability score, and standardized test scores of geometry and spatial ability. Results showed that this teacher’s judgment of a student’s geometry and spatial ability was more ambitious than evidence from the other measures. While two of the spatial ability tasks and the composite spatial ability score showed improvement over time, the teacher’s judgment of students’ geometry, and spatial ability did not show improvement over time. Implications for learning will be discussed.
How to…do research interviews in different ways
Authors: de la Croix Anne , Barrett Aileen , Stenfors Terese
Published: October 2018

This article is the next instalment in our ‘How to…’ series about qualitative research, and focuses on interviews. In many ways, conducting research interviews can be compared with talking to a patient or a student, yet there are specific elements to consider if you want the interview data to be useful for a research study. In this article, we will reflect on what a ‘good’ research interview is. We will provide an overview of different types of interviews, both much used and more adventurous. Finally, we present a list of dilemmas and frequently asked questions, with tips, tricks and suggestions. This practical and concise article will be helpful when starting a qualitative research project using interviews.

Getting access to participants’ inner worlds is the real trick to acquiring rich data
Distance to care, care seeking and child mortality in rural Burkina Faso: findings from a population‐based cross‐sectional survey
Authors: Sarrassat S. , Meda N. , Badolo H. , Ouedraogo M. , Somé H. , Cousens S.
Published: October 2018

Objective

Although distance has been identified as an important barrier to care, evidence for an effect of distance to care on child mortality is inconsistent. We investigated the association of distance to care with self‐reported care seeking behaviours, neonatal and post‐neonatal under‐five child mortality in rural areas of Burkina Faso.

Methods

We performed a cross‐sectional survey in 14 rural areas from November 2014 to March 2015. About 100 000 women were interviewed on their pregnancy history and about 5000 mothers were interviewed on their care seeking behaviours. Euclidean distances to the closest facility were calculated. Mixed‐effects logistic and Poisson regressions were used respectively to compute odds ratios for care seeking behaviours and rate ratios for child mortality during the 5 years prior to the survey.

Results

Thirty per cent of the children lived more than 7 km from a facility. After controlling for confounding factors, there was a strong evidence of a decreasing trend in care seeking with increasing distance to care (P ≤ 0.005). There was evidence for an increasing trend in early neonatal mortality with increasing distance to care (P = 0.028), but not for late neonatal mortality (P = 0.479) and post‐neonatal under‐five child mortality (P = 0.488). In their first week of life, neonates living 7 km or more from a facility had an 18% higher mortality rate than neonates living within 2 km of a facility (RR = 1.18; 95%CI 1.00, 1.39; P = 0.056). In the late neonatal period, despite the lack of evidence for an association of mortality with distance, it is noteworthy that rate ratios were consistent with a trend and similar to or larger than estimates in early neonatal mortality. In this period, neonates living 7 km or more from a facility had an 18% higher mortality rate than neonates living within 2 km of a facility (RR = 1.18; 95%CI 0.92, 1.52; P = 0.202). Thus, the lack of evidence may reflect lower power due to fewer deaths rather than a weaker association.

Conclusion

While better geographic access to care is strongly associated with increased care seeking in rural Burkina Faso, the impact on child mortality appears to be marginal. This suggests that, in addition to improving access to services, attention needs to be paid to quality of those services.
Statistical evaluation of High Resolution satellite precipitation products in arid and semi‐arid parts of Ethiopia: a note for hydro‐meteorological applications
Authors: Gella Getachew Workineh
Published: October 2018

The prime objective of this study was evaluating six satellite precipitation products by using standard statistical techniques to assess its capability to provide reliable rain rate (amount) and detect rainfall event correctly. High‐resolution precipitation products, Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station (CHIRPS), Tropical Applications of Meteorology using Satellite data and ground‐based observations (TAMSAT), Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM 3B42RT v7), Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIAN CDR), African Rainfall Climatology (ARC v2) and Climate Prediction Center Morphing technique (CMORPH v1.0) were utilized. Evaluation includes both numerical and categorial metrices. Results indicated that in terms of rainfall amount estimation, TAMSAT has relatively better capability whilst for detecting rain event, ARC v2 was found capable in Eastern Ethiopian landscape. All precipitation products underestimate precipitation amount with profound bias level. These needs a thorough bias correction before utilization of these satellite precipitation products.