bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Asymptomatic hypoglycaemia in Type 1 diabetes: incidence and risk factors
Authors: Henriksen M. M. , Andersen H. U. , Thorsteinsson B. , Pedersen‐Bjergaard U.
Published: October 2018

Aim

The epidemiology of asymptomatic (silent) hypoglycaemia is not well‐described. We investigated incidence and risk factors for asymptomatic hypoglycaemia in Type 1 diabetes.

Methods

A cohort of 153 people with Type 1 diabetes participated in 6 days of blinded continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and recording of hypoglycaemia symptoms. At entry, hypoglycaemia awareness was classified (by three different methods) and HbA1c and C‐peptide were measured. Hypoglycaemic episodes were defined as interstitial glucose ≤ 3.9 mmol/l (IG3.9) or ≤ 3.0 mmol/l (IG3.0) for ≥ 15 min, and were considered asymptomatic if no hypoglycaemic symptoms were reported.

Results

At thresholds IG3.9 and IG3.0, the incidence rates of hypoglycaemic episodes were 5.0 (7.9) [median (IQR)] and 1.3 (3.4) episodes/person‐week, respectively. Three‐quarters of episodes were asymptomatic. In total, 77% and 52% of participants experienced one or more episode of asymptomatic hypoglycaemia at IG3.9 and IG3.0 [3.0 (6.2) and 1.0 (2.3) asymptomatic episodes/person‐week]. At multivariate analysis, reduced awareness was positively associated with asymptomatic hypoglycaemia, particularly nocturnal events, and negatively with symptomatic hypoglycaemia. High insulin dose was associated with increased risk of both asymptomatic and symptomatic hypoglycaemia, whereas low HbA1c and long diabetes duration were risk factors only for symptomatic hypoglycaemia.

Conclusions

Asymptomatic hypoglycaemia constitutes the majority of hypoglycaemic events in Type 1 diabetes. Reduced hypoglycaemia awareness and high insulin dose are risk factors for asymptomatic hypoglycaemia but other conventional risk factors for severe hypoglycaemia do not correlate with risk of asymptomatic episodes.
Predictors of cardiovascular outcome and rehospitalization in elderly patients with heart failure
Authors: Rosa Gian M. , Scagliola Riccardo , Ghione Paola , Valbusa Alberto , Brunelli Claudio , Carbone Federico , Montecucco Fabrizio , Monacelli Fiammetta
Published: October 2018

Background

Heart failure (HF) is a major public health problem and represents the only cardiac disease continuing to increase in prevalence, in particular among elderly patients. The frequent rehospitalizations have a negative impact on quality of life of patients with HF, constituting a substantial cost for patients and the health system. The aim of this review was to look into biochemical, echocardiographic and socioeconomical parameters as predictors of clinical outcomes and rehospitalizations.

Methods

This narrative review is based on the material searched for and obtained via PubMed from January 2000 up to March 2018. The search terms we used were as follows: “elderly, heart failure, cardiovascular” in combination with “biomarker, echocardiography and hospitalization.”

Results

This review analyses the potential predictive role of biochemical and echocardiographic and socioeconomical parameters on clinical outcomes (particularly cardiovascular) and hospital readmissions in patients with chronic HF. We focused on risk stratification of elderly patients with HF, who constitute a category of frail subjects at higher risk for readmission to hospital.

Conclusions

In elderly subjects with chronic HF, the risk stratification could benefit of a multiparametric approach combining biochemical, echocardiographic, demographic and socioeconomical parameters, thus ensuring a better quality of life and at the same time a better allocation of financial resources.
CULTURAL IDENTITIES AND RESOLUTION OF SOCIAL DILEMMAS
Authors: Cox James C. , Sadiraj Vjollca , Sen Urmimala
Published: October 2018

We report an experiment on payoff‐equivalent, sequential provision and appropriation games with high‐ and low‐caste Indian villagers. A central question is whether caste identities affect resolution of social dilemmas. Making caste salient elicits striking changes in behavior compared to baseline treatment with no information about others' castes. Homogenous groups with high caste villagers are more successful in resolving social dilemmas than homogenous groups with low caste villagers. The success of mixed‐caste groups is somewhere between, which is inconsistent with a group identity model. Absent salient information on caste, behavior is inconsistent with unconditional social preferences but as predicted by reciprocity. (JEL C93, H41, Z13)
The complementary role of lentic and lotic habitats for Arctic grayling in a complex stream‐lake network in Arctic Alaska
Authors: Heim Kurt C. , Arp Christopher D. , Whitman Matthew S. , Wipfli Mark S.
Published: October 2018

Lakes can be important to stream dwelling fishes, yet how individuals exploit habitat heterogeneity across complex stream‐lake networks is poorly understood. Furthermore, despite growing awareness that intermittent streams are widely used by fish, studies documenting the use of seasonally accessible lakes remain scarce. We studied Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) in a small seasonally flowing (June–October) stream‐lake network in Alaska using PIT telemetry. Overall, 70% of fish visited two lakes, 8% used a single lake, and 22% used only stream reaches. We identified five distinct behavioural patterns that differed in dominant macrohabitat used (deep lake, shallow lake or stream reaches), entry day into the network and mobility. Some juvenile fish spent the entire summer in a shallow seasonally frozen lake (average 71 days), whereas others demonstrated prospecting behaviour and only entered the stream channel briefly in September. Another group included adult and juvenile fish that were highly mobile, moving up to 27 km while in the 3‐km stream‐lake network, and used stream reaches extensively (average 59 days). Lentic and lotic habitats served differing roles for individuals, some fish occupied stream reaches as summer foraging habitat, and other individuals used them as migration corridors to access lakes. Our study emphasises the importance of considering stream‐lake connectivity in stream fish assessments, even to shallow seasonally frozen habitats not widely recognised as important. Furthermore, we demonstrate that individuals may use temporary aquatic habitats in complex and changing ways across ontogeny that are not captured by typical classifications of fish movement behaviour.
Size‐based sexual dimorphism of nitrogen excretion in livebearing fishes
Authors: Ambus Nicholas , Moody Eric K.
Published: October 2018

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are important limiting or co‐limiting nutrients in many aquatic ecosystems. Consumers such as fishes can significantly impact the balance and redistribution of these nutrients through consumer‐driven nutrient recycling. Intraspecific variation in nutrient excretion rates can therefore have significant ecosystem impacts. Among individuals of sexually dimorphic consumers, variation in population size structure and sex ratio could potentially have impacts of similar magnitude. We tested for the effects of body size and sex on consumer‐driven nutrient recycling by measuring N and P excretion rates from eight species of poeciliid fishes. We found a strong positive effect of size on N excretion rates, as has been previously described among species. However, we found no effect of size on P excretion rates, nor did we find any difference in N or P excretion rates between sexes. Our work provides a preliminary analysis of how sexual dimorphism can lead to disparate nutrient excretion rates within consumer populations. These results indicate that variation in population sex ratios of sexually dimorphic consumers could have impacts at the ecosystem scale.
Tooth identification puzzle: A method of teaching and learning tooth morphology
Authors: Risnes Steinar , Khan Qalbi , Hadler‐Olsen Elin , Sehic Amer
Published: October 2018

Introduction

The present report outlines a method of teaching/learning tooth morphology by tooth identification puzzle.

Materials and Methods

Students are presented with sets of extracted human teeth comprising complete dentitions except deciduous incisors and canines. The task is to place the teeth in correct positions in a schematic dentition diagram. The course, including 2‐3 introductory lectures and a final test of one hour, has a time frame of 14‐16 hours. A total of 506 2nd year students from several years participated.

Results

The course is much appreciated by the students who experience a marked progress in skills. In the final test, 51.8% of the students had no faults, whilst 3% failed (more than 12 faults). The average number of faults per student was 2.3. Of the 20 240 positioned teeth 5.7% were misplaced. The most frequently misplaced teeth were mandibular central incisors, maxillary second premolars and mandibular first premolars. The most common type of fault was inside determination.

Discussion

The course is cost‐effective and facilitates learning through its multifaceted activity with involvement of many senses. An important asset is the appreciation of variations in tooth morphology. The course provides an arena for close and positive interaction between students and teachers.
Soman‐induced status epilepticus, epileptogenesis, and neuropathology in carboxylesterase knockout mice treated with midazolam
Authors: Marrero‐Rosado Brenda , de Araujo Furtado Marcio , Schultz Caroline R. , Stone Michael , Kundrick Erica , Walker Katie , O’Brien Sean , Du Fu , Lumley Lucille A.
Published: October 2018

Objective

Exposure to chemical warfare nerve agents (CWNAs), such as soman (GD), can induce status epilepticus (SE) that becomes refractory to benzodiazepines when treatment is delayed, leading to increased risk of epileptogenesis, severe neuropathology, and long‐term behavioral and cognitive deficits. Rodent models, widely used to evaluate novel medical countermeasures (MCMs) against CWNA exposure, normally express plasma carboxylesterase, an enzyme involved in the metabolism of certain organophosphorus compounds. To better predict the efficacy of novel MCMs against CWNA exposure in human casualties, it is crucial to use appropriate animal models that mirror the human condition. We present a comprehensive characterization of the seizurogenic, epileptogenic, and neuropathologic effects of GD exposure with delayed anticonvulsant treatment in the plasma carboxylesterase knockout (ES1−/−) mouse.

Methods

Electroencephalography (EEG) electrode‐implanted ES1−/− and wild‐type (C57BL/6) mice were exposed to various seizure‐inducing doses of GD, treated with atropine sulfate and the oxime HI‐6 at 1 minute after exposure, and administered midazolam at 15‐30 minutes following the onset of seizure activity. The latency of acute seizure onset and spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS) was assessed, as were changes in EEG power spectra. At 2 weeks after GD exposure, neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation were assessed.

Results

GD‐exposed ES1−/− mice displayed a dose‐dependent response in seizure severity. Only ES1−/− mice exposed to the highest tested dose of GD developed SE, subchronic alterations in EEG power spectra, and SRS. Degree of neuronal cell loss and neuroinflammation were dose‐dependent; no significant neuropathology was observed in C57BL/6 mice or ES1−/− mice exposed to lower GD doses.

Significance

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) animal rule requires the use of relevant animal models for the advancement of MCMs against CWNAs. We present evidence that argues for the use of the ES1−/− mouse model to screen anticonvulsant, antiepileptic, and/or neuroprotective drugs against GD‐induced toxicity, as well as to identify mechanisms of GD‐induced epileptogenesis.
Measuring viability selection from prospective cohort mortality studies: A case study in maritime pine
Authors: Robledo‐Arnuncio Juan J. , Unger Gregor M.
Published: October 2018

By changing the genetic background available for selection at subsequent life stages, stage‐specific selection can define adaptive potential across the life cycle. We propose and evaluate here a neutrality test and a Bayesian method to infer stage‐specific viability selection coefficients using sequential random genotypic samples drawn from a longitudinal cohort mortality study, within a generation. The approach is suitable for investigating selective mortality in large natural or experimental cohorts of any organism in which individual tagging and tracking are unfeasible. Numerical simulation results indicate that the method can discriminate loci under strong viability selection, and provided samples are large, yield accurate estimates of the corresponding selection coefficients. Genotypic frequency changes are largely driven by sampling noise under weak selection, however, compromising inference in that case. We apply the proposed methods to analyze viability selection operating at early recruitment stages in a natural maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) population. We measured temporal genotypic frequency changes at 384 candidate‐gene SNP loci among seedlings sampled from the time of emergence in autumn until the summer of the following year, a period with high elimination rates. We detected five loci undergoing allele frequency changes larger than expected from stochastic mortality and sampling, with putative functions that could influence survival at early seedling stages. Our results illustrate how new statistical and sampling schemes can be used to conduct genomic scans of contemporary selection on specific life stages.
Crystal structure of afifavidin reveals common features of molecular assemblage in the bacterial dimeric avidins
Authors: Avraham Orly , Bayer Edward A. , Livnah Oded
Published: October 2018

The subfamily of bacterial dimeric avidins is being extended through the discovery of additional members originating from diverse sources. All of these newly discovered dimeric avidin forms exhibit high affinity towards biotin, despite their lack of critical Trp in the classical tetrameric forms. The common feature of forming cylinder‐like multimers (hexamers and octamers) seems to be more than a random occurrence, which generally characterizes their apo forms in the crystalline state and also in some cases in solution. Afifavidin from the Gram‐negative α‐proteobacteriumAfifella pfennigiiis the fourth member of the subfamily of dimers, which, in the intact apo form, also congregates into octamers both in the solution and in the crystalline state, whereby the C‐terminal extended segments stretch into the biotin‐binding sites of adjacent non‐canonical monomers. The intact apo afifavidin molecule self‐assembles into toroid‐shaped nanostructures that dissociate into the inherent dimers upon binding biotin. On removal of the C‐terminal regions, the short‐form of afifavidin forms dimers both in the solution and in the crystalline states. The high affinity of the dimeric forms of afifavidin towards biotin is maintained, due to the conserved disulfide bridge between L3,4 and L5,6 and the presence of Phe50 in L3,4 that compensate for the lack of the critical Trp in the tetrameric avidins. These cyclic multimeric‐avidin assemblies may be exploited in the future to further diversify biotin‐based nanotechnology or to serve as building blocks in the construction of bio‐inspired materials.

Database

Structural data are available in thePDBdatabases under the accession numbers:6HDV,6HDS,6HDT.
Ancestral diterpene cyclases show increased thermostability and substrate acceptance
Authors: Hendrikse Natalie M. , Charpentier Gwenaëlle , Nordling Erik , Syrén Per‐Olof
Published: October 2018

Bacterial diterpene cyclases are receiving increasing attention in biocatalysis and synthetic biology for the sustainable generation of complex multicyclic building blocks. Herein, we explore the potential of ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) to generate remodeled cyclases with enhanced stability, activity, and promiscuity. Putative ancestors of spiroviolene synthase, a bacterial class I diterpene cyclase, display an increased yield of soluble protein of up to fourfold upon expression in the model organism Escherichia coli. Two of the resurrected enzymes, with an estimated age of approximately 1.7 million years, display an upward shift in thermostability of 7–13 °C. Ancestral spiroviolene synthases catalyze cyclization of the natural C20‐substrate geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) and also accept C15 farnesyl diphosphate (FPP), which is not converted by the extant enzyme. In contrast, the consensus sequence generated from the corresponding multiple sequence alignment was found to be inactive toward both substrates. Mutation of a nonconserved position within the aspartate‐rich motif of the reconstructed ancestral cyclases was associated with modest effects on activity and relative substrate specificity (i.e., kcat/KM for GGPP over kcat/KM for FPP). Kinetic analyses performed at different temperatures reveal a loss of substrate saturation, when going from the ancestor with highest thermostability to the modern enzyme. The kinetics data also illustrate how an increase in temperature optimum of biocatalysis is reflected in altered entropy and enthalpy of activation. Our findings further highlight the potential and limitations of applying ASR to biosynthetic machineries in secondary metabolism.
Intersectoral strategies between health and education for preventing adolescent pregnancy in Chile: Findings from a qualitative study
Authors: Obach Alexandra , Sadler Michelle , Cabieses Báltica
Published: October 2018

Background

In Chile, despite its steady decrease overall, adolescent pregnancy is concentrated in the most vulnerable population. Efforts in intersectoral collaboration between health and education to address the problem are being developed, but they have not been assessed.

Objective

To describe intersectoral strategies between health and education to address adolescent sexual and reproductive health, prevent adolescent pregnancy, and to explore adolescents’ and health professionals’ perceptions regarding those strategies.

Design

A qualitative ethnographic study was carried out in five municipalities in the Metropolitan Region of Chile. A sample of five key informants, 23 health professionals and 50 adolescents participated in a total of 38 semi‐structured interviews and five discussion groups.

Results

Two intersectoral strategies to respond to adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health needs were identified: (a) the “in‐and‐out” strategy, where health professionals provide health care mostly in health centres and carry out specific actions in schools and (b) the school‐based strategy in which health professionals carry out continuous actions in schools as part of the curriculum. The second is perceived as responding better to adolescents’ needs in sexual and reproductive health issues and in preventing adolescent pregnancy.

Discussion

The school‐based strategy, with the constant presence of health professionals and lack of bureaucratic procedures, facilitates adolescents to access sexual and reproductive health care. This strategy enables sexual and reproductive health to be understood as an integral dimension of adolescents’ lives, and it reinforces a holistic idea of health in which it is approached as a whole.
The effect of audit opinion signature on a jury's perception of negligence
Authors: Wilson Aaron B. , Chapman Michael , Stott David M.
Published: October 2018

New regulation by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCOAB) and the International Auditing & Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) regarding changes to the way audit opinions are signed has resulted in very different outcomes. The PCAOB requires audit firms to report the audit partner's name on Form AP, which is available on the PCAOB website. The IAASB, on the other hand, requires mandatory disclosure of the audit partner on the audit opinion. Opponents argued that requiring partner signature would increase liability. Based on a scenario depicting fraudulent activity, assessed jury negligence is higher when the partner signs their name to the audit opinion than when they sign their firm's name when measuring both partner and firm negligence. Firm size was assessed but found to be insignificant. Finally, we examined the effect of psychological contract violation theory in relation to the audit opinion signature method, with results suggesting the relationship between signature method and perceived auditor negligence is mediated by trust.
Spirituality, religion and consumption: Introduction to a special issue
Authors: Casidy Riza , Arli Denni
Published: October 2018

The introduction outlines the role of religion in consumption and future research opportunities. A brief summary for each of the articles included in the special issue follows. The article also concludes with a note of appreciation to the reviewers and to the Editor‐in‐Chief of this journal.
Cutaneous expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in vitiligo patients: a case‐control study
Authors: Elmasry Maha Fathy , Nagui Noha Abdel Rehim , Rashed Laila Ahmed , El Darbi Reem
Published: October 2018

Background

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a major pro‐allergic cytokine promoting T helper‐2 responses. Our aim was to study and verify the hypothesis of the role of TSLP in the pathogenesis of vitiligo.

Methods

This case‐control study was conducted on 25 patients with generalized non‐segmental vitiligo (recruited from the Dermatology outpatient clinic, Kasr El Ainy, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University) and 25 healthy controls fulfilling the inclusion criteria over a period of 7 months (January 2017–July 2017). Patients underwent complete medical history, detailed assessment of vitiligo, and photographic documentation. Skin biopsies were taken from the back from both patients’ vitiliginous skin and from normal skin of controls for which relative TSLP messenger RNA (mRNA) tissue expression levels were measured using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction technique.

Results

There was a statistically significant difference between the TSLP mRNA expression levels in patients and controls (P < 0.001) with lower levels in the former group.

Conclusion

This study revealed lower TSLP mRNA expression levels in vitiliginous skin than in normal skin suggesting an imminent role of TSLP in the pathogenesis of vitiligo.
(Re)producing Statelessness via Indirect Gender Discrimination: Descendants of Haitian Migrants in the Dominican Republic
Authors: Petrozziello Allison J.
Published: October 2018

Gender discrimination as a risk factor for statelessness has been understood as direct discrimination whereby legal frameworks prohibit mothers from conferring their nationality. This article discusses research findings from the Dominican Republic where indirect gender discrimination, evident in documentation and birth registration practices applicable to Haitian migrants and descendants, is causing matrilineal transmission of statelessness. Restricting access to citizenship has become a form of migration control, just as the creation of temporary, ad hoc status forms allows the state to sidestep responsibilities for migrant incorporation. If the links between gender and statelessness are not only legal, but also historical, structural, and procedural, then disrupting this cycle requires more than legal reform. For advocacy campaigns, such as UNHCR's #IBelong Campaign and the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights, to be successful, they must adopt a broader interpretation of the relationship between gender and statelessness, based on CEDAW's substantive conception of gender equality.
What is the optimal treatment time for larval therapy? A study on incubation time and tissue debridement by bagged maggots of the greenbottle fly, Lucilia sericata
Authors: Wilson Michael R. , Nigam Yamni , Knight John , Pritchard David I.
Published: October 2018

The effective use of larvae of the greenbottle fly, Lucilia sericata, in wound debridement requires a working knowledge of how feeding changes over time. Using a laboratory assay and bagged larval dressings, the effect of incubation time on larval feeding rates and body mass was investigated for up to 120 hours at 32°C. The mass of tissue digested increased significantly in incremental 24‐hour periods up to 72 hours, with no significant consumption occurring afterwards. Larval mass increased only up to 48 hours. A further test comparing the efficacy of a single 96‐hour application of larvae against two consecutive 48‐hour applications found that the mass of tissue digested in the latter was 14.3% higher than the former, a difference that was statistically significant. Current clinical guidance suggests a 4‐day application period for bagged larvae. Based on these results, an incubation time of 72 hours (3 days) for bagged larvae would be the most effective at the study temperature. However, it is acknowledged that wound temperature can vary, whereby feeding rates would likely differ. In view of this, we conclude that a period of 3 to 4 days is optimum for the application of larvae, and current guidelines should be adhered to.
Anomalous photovoltaic effect in Bi(Ni2/3Ta1/3)O3‐PbTiO3 ferroelectric solid solutions
Authors: Pang Dongfang , Liu Xitao , He Xiang , Chen Chen , Zheng Jing , Yi Zhiguo
Published: October 2018

Dense Bi(Ni2/3Ta1/3)O3‐PbTiO3 (BNT‐PT) ceramics were prepared by solid‐state reaction method. Morphotropic phase boundary between tetragonal and rhombohedral phase was observed around the composition 0.38BNT‐0.62PT, at which large photovoltages of 13.2V were obtained under 405 nm laser illumination with power density of 200 mW/cm2. By B‐site Ni2+ ions doping, the bandgap values of BNT‐PT solid solutions were reduced to 2.25~1.85 eV, and the anomalous photovoltaic response was extended from the ultraviolet region to a wavelength of 550 nm at the visible light region.
Transnational Learning and Civil Society Empowerment in the EU Enlargement Process
Authors: Wunsch Natasha
Published: October 2018

Strengthening civil society as a domestic safeguard against the backsliding of reforms is a cornerstone of the EU enlargement process. Support provided by the EU, however, was shown to have had limited effects in triggering civil society empowerment in candidate countries. Adopting a novel perspective, this article demonstrates that the diffusion of mobilization formats, via transnational learning between activists from different enlargement rounds, facilitated the empowerment of non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) in countries joining later. Drawing on comparative evidence from Serbia and Montenegro, it shows how such transfers of external models enabled NGOs to feed into the ongoing membership talks. Their influence over substantive outcomes, however, was limited by a lack of domestic responsiveness, while funding availability constrained the operation of the transferred formats. These findings shed light on an overlooked dimension of learning in the context of Europeanization and feed into the debate on civil society empowerment in enlargement countries.
Nicotinic alpha‐7 acetylcholine receptor deficiency exacerbates hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in a mouse model of non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis
Authors: Kimura Kumi , Inaba Yuka , Watanabe Hitoshi , Matsukawa Toshiya , Matsumoto Michihiro , Inoue Hiroshi
Published: October 2018

Aims/Introduction

Non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which occurs in association with insulin resistance and hepatic fat accumulation, is characterized by chronic liver injury and fibrosis. NASH onset and progression is closely related to hepatic inflammation, which is partly regulated by the vagus nerve through the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAchR). Hepatic α7nAchR action is impeded in obesity and insulin resistance. In the present study, using α7nAchR knockout (α7KO) mice, we elucidated the effect of α7nAchR deficiency on NASH‐related inflammation and fibrosis.

Materials and Methods

α7KO mice were fed an atherogenic high‐fat diet (AD) for 32 weeks or methionine/choline‐deficient diet (MCD) for 6 weeks, both of which induce NASH. Mice were then examined for the degree of NASH‐related inflammation and fibrosis by hepatic gene expression analysis and Sirius red histological staining.

Results

Hepatic triglyceride accumulation and elevated plasma transaminase levels were observed in both AD and MCD mice, but the plasma transaminase level increase was higher in α7KO mice than in control mice. α7KO mice fed an AD showed significant upregulation of the Col1a1 gene encoding alpha‐1 type I collagen, which is involved in liver fibrosis, and the Ccl2 gene encoding C‐C motif chemokine ligand 2, a pro‐inflammatory chemokine; α7KO mice fed an MCD had significant upregulation of the Col1a1 gene and the Tnf gene, an inflammatory cytokine. Histological analysis showed that AD and MCD exacerbated liver fibrosis in α7KO mice.

Conclusions

The results of this study suggest that α7nAchR deficiency exacerbates hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in a diet‐induced mouse model of NASH.
Protein kinase C iota facilitates insulin‐induced glucose transport by phosphorylation of soluble nSF attachment protein receptor regulator (SNARE) double C2 domain protein b
Authors: Nomiyama Ryuta , Emoto Masahiro , Fukuda Naofumi , Matsui Kumiko , Kondo Manabu , Sakane Ayuko , Sasaki Takuya , Tanizawa Yukio
Published: October 2018

Aims/introduction

Double C2 domain protein b (DOC2b), one of the synaptotagmins, has been shown to translocate to the plasma membrane, and to initiate membrane‐fusion processes of vesicles containing glucose transporter 4 proteins on insulin stimulation. However, the mechanism by which DOC2b is regulated remains unclear. Herein, we identified the upstream regulatory factors of DOC2b in insulin signal transduction. We also examined the role of DOC2b on systemic homeostasis using DOC2b knockout (KO) mice.

Materials and Methods

We first identified DOC2b binding proteins by immunoprecipitation and mutagenesis experiments. Then, DOC2b KO mice were generated by disrupting the first exon of the DOC2b gene. In addition to the histological examination, glucose metabolism was assessed by measuring parameters on glucose/insulin tolerance tests. Insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake was also measured using isolated soleus muscle and epididymal adipose tissue.

Results

We identified an isoform of atypical protein kinase C (protein kinase C iota) that can bind to DOC2b and phosphorylates one of the serine residues of DOC2b (S34). This phosphorylation is essential for DOC2b translocation. DOC2b KO mice showed insulin resistance and impaired oral glucose tolerance on insulin and glucose tolerance tests, respectively. Insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake was impaired in isolated soleus muscle and epididymal adipose tissues from DOC2b KO mice.

Conclusions

We propose a novel insulin signaling mechanism by which protein kinase C iota phosphorylates DOC2b, leading to glucose transporter 4 vesicle translocation, fusion and facilitation of glucose uptake in response to insulin. The present results also showed DOC2b to play important roles in systemic glucose homeostasis.
Differences in physicochemical properties of yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis) obtained using traditional and alternative manufacturing methods
Authors: Holowaty Santiago A. , Thea Ana E. , Alegre Carolina , Schmalko Miguel E.
Published: October 2018

The aim of this study was to determine the drying kinetics and physicochemical properties of yerba maté obtained using three different alternative manufacturing methods and to compare these products with those of the yerba maté produced using the traditional process. Additionally, triangle tests were performed to establish whether there were sensory differences between the products studied. The assayed alternative manufacturing methods included the following: (a) zapecado using boiling water (BWZ) and (b) zapecado using steam water (SWZ), both followed by a final hot air drying step, and (c) an integral manufacturing method (zapecado + drying) using high‐frequency radiation (HFR). The HFR integral method yielded a product with a higher caffeine content (>30%; p < .05) than that of traditional yerba maté. Furthermore, HFR yerba maté showed significantly higher total polyphenol content values than those of BWZ and SWZ yerba maté (>10%; p < .05). Likewise, the HFR integral method resulted in a yerba maté that was much more similar in color and with imperceptible sensory differences (p > .05) when compared to the traditional product.

Practical applications

During traditional yerba maté manufacturing, freshly harvested branches of Ilex paraguariensis come into direct contact with combustion gases from the burning of forest biomass. This contributes to the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their subsequent deposition in yerba maté leaves and stems. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been proved to be carcinogenic, in addition to having other toxic effects on humans.

The elimination of combustion gases as a direct source of heat in the manufacturing process of yerba maté is an emerging need. The development of alternative manufacturing methods that avoid the contact of the raw material with the products of the incomplete combustion of forest biomass burning and the subsequent implementation of these methods in the industry will guarantee a higher quality product from a food safety point of view.
Substance Abusing Mothers with a History of Childhood Abuse and Their Children's Depressive Symptoms: The Efficacy of Family Therapy
Authors: Wu Qiong , Slesnick Natasha
Published: October 2018

This study examined the associations among maternal history of childhood abuse, substance use, and depressive symptoms and the change in children's depressive symptoms in therapy. Mothers (N = 183) were randomly assigned into either a family or an individual treatment condition. Mothers were assessed for their childhood abuse retrospectively, baseline depressive symptoms, and substance use, whereas their children's depressive symptoms were measured five times during 1.5 years. Maternal childhood abuse was associated with a slower decline in child depressive symptoms through elevated maternal depressive symptoms, only in individual treatment. Maternal substance use further moderated this mediation pathway. This study supports the efficacy of family therapy in protecting children of mothers with a substance use disorder and a history of childhood abuse.
Surface damage of dental implant systems and ions release after exposure to fluoride and hydrogen peroxide
Authors: Peñarrieta‐Juanito Gabriella , Sordi Mariane B. , Henriques Bruno , Dotto Marta E. R. , Teughels Wim , Silva Filipe S. , Magini Ricardo S. , Souza Júlio C. M.
Published: October 2018

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate surface changes on dental implant systems and ions release after immersion in fluoride and hydrogen peroxide.

Methods

Ten implant‐abutment assemblies were embedded in acrylic resin and cross‐sectioned along the implant vertical axis. Samples were wet ground and polished. Delimited areas of groups of samples were immersed in 1.23% sodium fluoride gel (F) or in 35% hydrogen peroxide (HP) for 16 min. Gels (n = 3) were collected from the implant surfaces and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS), to detect the concentration of metallic ions released from the implant systems. Selected areas of the abutment and implant (n = 15) were analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Results

SEM images revealed surface topographic changes on implant‐abutment joints after immersion in fluoride. Implants showed excessive oxidation within loss of material, while abutment surfaces revealed intergranular corrosion after immersion in fluoride. ICP‐MS results revealed a high concentration of Ti, Al, V ions in fluoride after contact with the implant systems. Localized corrosion of implant systems could not be detected by SEM after immersion in hydrogen peroxide although the profilometry showed increase in roughness. ICP‐MS showed the release of metallic ions in hydrogen peroxide medium after contact with dental implants.

Conclusion

Therapeutical substances such as fluorides and hydrogen peroxide can promote the degradation of titanium‐based dental implant and abutments leading to the release of toxic ions.
ACVIM consensus statement: Support for rational administration of gastrointestinal protectants to dogs and cats
Authors: Marks Stanley L. , Kook Peter H. , Papich Mark G. , Tolbert M. K. , Willard Michael D.
Published: October 2018

The gastrointestinal (GI) mucosal barrier is continuously exposed to noxious toxins, reactive oxygen species, microbes, and drugs, leading to the development of inflammatory, erosive, and ultimately ulcerative lesions. This report offers a consensus opinion on the rational administration of GI protectants to dogs and cats, with an emphasis on proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), histamine type‐2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs), misoprostol, and sucralfate. These medications decrease gastric acidity or promote mucosal protective mechanisms, transforming the management of dyspepsia, peptic ulceration, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. In contrast to guidelines that have been established in people for the optimal treatment of gastroduodenal ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux disease, effective clinical dosages of antisecretory drugs have not been well established in the dog and cat to date. Similar to the situation in human medicine, practice of inappropriate prescription of acid suppressants is also commonplace in veterinary medicine. This report challenges the dogma and clinical practice of administering GI protectants for the routine management of gastritis, pancreatitis, hepatic disease, and renal disease in dogs and cats lacking additional risk factors for ulceration or concerns for GI bleeding. Judicious use of acid suppressants is warranted considering recent studies that have documented adverse effects of long‐term supplementation of PPIs in people and animals.
A temperate labrid fish demonstrates compensatory mechanisms to feed at torpor‐inducing temperatures
Authors: Moran C. J. , Carlowicz R. M. , Gerry S. P.
Published: October 2018

Temperature can have profound impacts on fitness‐related activities in fishes. Feeding is an ecologically relevant task which is controlled by muscle function. Consequently, in ectotherms, muscle function and feeding kinematics can be altered by temperature. This study investigated the effect of decreasing temperature on the feeding kinematics of the northern most labrid in the Western Atlantic. During winter, cunner (Tautogolabrus adspersus) enter a state of extended torpor in order to conserve energy when water temperatures drop below ~10°C. We hypothesized that feeding kinematics would be slower at lower temperatures especially those associated with torpor (≤10°C). Additionally, we hypothesized that prey type will elicit different feeding behaviors. Feeding events on sandworms and Asian shore crabs were recorded at 5, 10, 15 and 20°C. Fish held at 5°C had slower opening and closing jaw velocities while using more ram than the other temperature treatments. No differences were detected between prey types. For both prey types, the temperature treatment which consistently induced torpor (5°C) slowed oral jaw movements, which likely forced cunner to rely more on ram than suction to capture prey. Torpor temperatures appeared to have less of an effect on feeding than on metabolic rate, steady swimming capabilities and muscle function, suggesting some compensatory mechanisms of feeding musculature in cunner.
The Judicialization of Religion
Authors: Moustafa Tamir
Published: October 2018

Throughout the second half of the twentieth century, one Muslim-majority country after another adopted constitutional provisions meant to incorporate Islam into the legal order. In what is now a familiar pattern, leaders sought to harness the legitimating power of Islamic symbolism. But rather than shore up state legitimacy, these provisions opened new avenues of contestation. In countries where judicial institutions are robust, religion of the state clauses have helped to catalyze a “judicialization of religion,” wherein courts were made to authorize an “official” religion and/or render judgment on the appropriate place for religion in the political order. This study theorizes one aspect of the judicialization of religion through the illustrative case study of Malaysia. The study examines how shifting political context provided opportunities for activist lawyers to advance sweeping new interpretations of Malaysia's Religion of the Federation clause and, with it, a new vision for state and society.
Law, the State, and Public Order: Regulating Religion in Contemporary Egypt
Authors: Oraby Mona
Published: October 2018

A substantial scholarship has studied the extent to which states across the political and geographic spectrums rely on legal, bureaucratic, and judicial institutions to govern religion. However, a deeper inquiry into the mechanisms through which regulation occurs has yet been achieved. This article foregrounds conversion, understood as mobility between social groups in which belief and sincerity may figure but is not reducible to either, to observe these dynamics. Through an analysis of Egyptian jurisprudence on the right to change religion as well as interviews with complainants and litigators, the article challenges widespread assumptions about who and what constitute the regulatory field. It also shows how religious difference is produced in the legal-bureaucratic encounter. By accounting for institutions that are not typically considered part of the regulatory field nor thought to be bound by the strictures of legal positivism, this article further occasions a rethinking of the public–private distinction within critiques of secularism.
Using a nowcasting system to better understand lake water dynamics
Authors: Kimura Nobuaki , Wu Chin H.
Published: October 2018

Constraints in conventional field observations, such as measurement stations and instruments, human resources and occasional inclement weather conditions, hinder our understanding of the biological, chemical and physical processes in aquatic systems. Accordingly, the present study developed an integrated monitoring and prediction system called WISconsin nowCASTing (WIS‐CAST) to better predict spatial and temporal physical lake dynamics (e.g., water movements and temperatures). The system uses either present or past observations from instrumented buoys equipped with flow, water temperature and meteorological measurement sensors, integrating the observed data (i.e., in situ data) with high‐tech data communication tools, databases, a three‐dimensional hydrodynamic model and visualization tools. Acoustic Doppler current profiler in the system with radio wave two‐way communication covering a distance of 1,000 m also was utilized in the present study. The WIS‐CAST was deployed in early August 2006 in Trout Lake, a mid‐sized lake Wisconsin. It was maintained until late October 2006 as a local‐level, compacted nowcasting system to show temporal and spatial distributions of water temperature and movement in the water column and the entire lake. The lake dynamics affected by the Coriolis force for a state of summer stratification, a unique event of upwelling/downwelling and a process of overturn, all monitored and predicted during the measurement period with lake current and water temperature distributions, is presented herein. The WIS‐CAST, which was used as a system to assist lake management (e.g., water quality control), indicated the chemical dynamics were caused by a physical process, such as nutrient upwelling and vertical mixing of nutrients.
Showing Is Knowing: The Potential and Challenges of Using Neurocognitive Measures of Implicit Learning in the Classroom
Authors: Dahlstrom‐Hakki Ibrahim , Asbell‐Clarke Jodi , Rowe Elizabeth
Published: October 2018

The value of neurocognitive measures to study memory, attention, cognition, and learning is well established. However, the vast majority of work using these tools is performed in tightly controlled lab experiments using simple lab stimuli. This article looks at the viability of using multimodal neurocognitive instruments to measure implicit knowledge in real‐world learning contexts. We focus on some of the most promising neurocognitive tools for this purpose, including eye‐tracking, electroencephalography (EEG), and functional near infra‐red spectroscopy (fNIRS). The specific challenges and potential of each tool are considered for use within learning contexts. These tools may be of particular importance to student populations that typically underperform on traditional learning assessments, including students with disabilities, English language learners, and students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds, among others. This review concludes with recommendations to the field for further work required to bring objective measures of implicit knowledge to real world learning contexts.
Edge‐Enhanced Matching for Gradient‐Based Computer Vision Displacement Measurement
Authors: Luo Longxi , Feng Maria Q.
Published: October 2018

Computer vision‐based displacement measurement for structural monitoring has grown popular. However, tracking natural low‐contrast targets in low‐illumination conditions is inevitable for vision sensors in the field measurement, which poses challenges for intensity‐based vision‐sensing techniques. A new edge‐enhanced‐matching (EEM) technique improved from the previous orientation‐code‐matching (OCM) technique is proposed to enable robust tracking of low‐contrast features. Besides extracting gradient orientations from images as OCM, the proposed EEM technique also utilizes gradient magnitudes to identify and enhance subtle edge features to form EEM images. A ranked‐segmentation filtering technique is also developed to post‐process EEM images to make it easier to identify edge features. The robustness and accuracy of EEM in tracking low‐contrast features are validated in comparison with OCM in the field tests conducted on a railroad bridge and the long‐span Manhattan Bridge. Frequency domain analyses are also performed to further validate the displacement accuracy.
Genome and evolution of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Diversispora epigaea (formerly Glomus versiforme) and its bacterial endosymbionts
Authors: Sun Xuepeng , Chen Wenbo , Ivanov Sergey , MacLean Allyson M. , Wight Haley , Ramaraj Thiruvarangan , Mudge Joann , Harrison Maria J. , Fei Zhangjun
Published: October 2018

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form endosymbioses with most plants, and they themselves are hosts for Mollicutes/Mycoplasma‐related endobacteria (MRE). Despite their significance, genomic information for AM fungi and their MRE are relatively sparse, which hinders our understanding of their biology and evolution.

We assembled the genomes of the AM fungus Diversispora epigaea (formerly Glomus versiforme) and its MRE and performed comparative genomics and evolutionary analyses.

The D. epigaea genome showed a pattern of substantial gene duplication and differential evolution of gene families, including glycosyltransferase family 25, whose activities are exclusively lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. Genes acquired by horizontal transfer from bacteria possibly function in defense against foreign DNA or viruses. The MRE population was diverse, with multiple genomes displaying characteristics of differential evolution and encoding many MRE‐specific genes as well as genes of AM fungal origin. Gene family expansion in D. epigaea may enhance adaptation to both external and internal environments, such as expansion of kinases for signal transduction upon external stimuli and expansion of nucleoside salvage pathway genes potentially for competition with MRE, whose genomes lack purine and pyrimidine biosynthetic pathways.

Collectively, this metagenome provides high‐quality references and begins to reveal the diversity within AM fungi and their MRE.