bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Moving alcohol prevention research forward—Part II: new directions grounded in community‐based system dynamics modeling
Authors: Apostolopoulos Yorghos , Lemke Michael K. , Barry Adam E. , Lich Kristen Hassmiller 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackground and aimsGiven the complexity of factors contributing to alcohol misuse, appropriate epistemologies and methodologies are needed to understand and intervene meaningfully. We aimed to (1) provide an overview of computational modeling methodologies, with an emphasis on system dynamics modeling; (2) explain how community‐based system dynamics modeling can forge new directions in alcohol prevention research; and (3) present a primer on how to build alcohol misuse simulation models using system dynamics modeling, with an emphasis on stakeholder involvement, data sources and model validation. Throughout, we use alcohol misuse among college students in the United States as a heuristic example for demonstrating these methodologies.MethodsSystem dynamics modeling employs a top–down aggregate approach to understanding dynamically complex problems. Its three foundational properties—stocks, flows and feedbacks—capture non‐linearity, time‐delayed effects and other system characteristics. As a methodological choice, system dynamics modeling is amenable to participatory approaches; in particular, community‐based system dynamics modeling has been used to build impactful models for addressing dynamically complex problems.ResultsThe process of community‐based system dynamics modeling consists of numerous stages: (1) creating model boundary charts, behavior‐over‐time‐graphs and preliminary system dynamics models using group model‐building techniques; (2) model formulation; (3) model calibration; (4) model testing and validation; and (5) model simulation using learning‐laboratory techniques.ConclusionsCommunity‐based system dynamics modeling can provide powerful tools for policy and intervention decisions that can result ultimately in sustainable changes in research and action in alcohol misuse prevention.
Consequences of disperser behaviour for seedling establishment of a mistletoe species
Authors: Amico Guillermo C. , Sasal Yamila , Vidal‐Russell Romina , Aizen Marcelo A. , Morales Juan Manuel 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe dispersal process in plants links adults and their offspring. For frugivore‐dispersed plants, animal behaviour can have a strong effect on plant fitness. Many mistletoes are totally dependent on animals that deposit seeds on suitable hosts and particular branch diameters. We characterised the seed dispersal and seedling establishment of the mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus, which at our study site, is exclusively dispersed by the marsupial Dromiciops gliroides. Mistletoes’ fruits have a viscous pulp that remains in the seed even after dispersal. This substance adheres the seed to the host branch. We estimated host branch availability in the forest and seed deposition (faeces) by the marsupial in the study area. Specifically, the branch suitability factors we assessed were host identity, branch status (alive or dead), branch diameter, height, and canopy cover. Lodged faeces were individually marked and the number of seed deposited within these droppings was counted, and we recorded the number of seedlings with true leaves that had established after 1 year to estimate the probability of seedling establishment. Branch diameter and canopy cover had a significant positive effect on seed deposition probability. Seedling establishment probability decreased with the number of seeds deposited per faeces and with canopy cover. In general, the marsupial deposited mistletoe seeds in microsites that increase the chance of seedling establishment. Thus, the movement behaviour of the marsupial has a positive effect on the regeneration process of this mistletoe species.
Commentary: Perspectives on alcohol‐related gene and environment interplay in diverse populations
Authors: Scott Marcia S. 
Published: July 2017

Background and ObjectivesRacial/ethnic groups comprise more than 20% of the U.S. population, but many experience disproportionately high risk for alcohol misuse, often resulting in higher rates of alcohol‐associated consequences. Completion of mapping the human genome has launched rapidly evolving research methods aimed at improved understanding of genetic contribution to disease. Despite decades of research on the influence of genetic and environmental risks on alcohol use disorders and outcomes, few studies have included racial/ethnic subpopulations in sufficient numbers to allow for proper statistical analysis.MethodsThe papers in this special issue help to elucidate current knowledge on the etiology of genetic and environmental contributors and potential moderators of alcohol use and associated problems among racial/ethnic populations. The lack of racial/ethnic diversity across many genetic studies contributes to challenges in interpretation of findings and eventually applications to precision medicine.ResultsProposed approaches to overcome disparities in racial/ethnic participant recruitment in genetic studies include methods to address population stratification in allele frequency, improve transparency in subjects’ consenting to participate, and engaging interdisciplinary research teams and community involvement to improve recruitment of racial/ethnic minorities.Discussion and ConclusionsThe reviews presented underscore various gaps in our knowledge of the genetic influences on alcohol use disorders due to the failure to include racially and ethnically diverse populations in genetic and epigenetic study samples. New directions are suggested to overcome the resulting research challenges and ultimately to inform future personalized intervention approaches for racial/ethnic populations.Scientific SignificanceInclusion of heterogeneous populations in genomic research will provide a better comprehension of possible unique genetic factors in the broader general population that may be missed due to exclusion of unique and common variants that may be present in racial/ethnic populations. (Am J Addict 2017;26:526–531)
ADAM10 and Notch1 on murine dendritic cells control the development of type 2 immunity and IgE production
Authors: Damle S. R. , Martin R. K. , Cockburn C. L. , Lownik J. C. , Carlyon J. A. , Smith A. D. , Conrad D. H. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackgroundAllergy and allergic asthma are significant health burdens in developed countries and are increasing in prevalence. Dendritic cells (DCs) initiate immune responses to common aeroallergens, and ADAM10 has been demonstrated to be important for the development of adaptive responses. This study's objective was to understand the role of ADAM10 on DCs in the development of allergic and anaphylactic responses.MethodsIn this study, we used mouse models of allergic airway inflammation (house dust mice and Alternaria alternata) and OVA‐induced models of active anaphylaxis to determine the DC‐specific function of ADAM10 and Notch signaling. To examine TH1 and TH17 immunity infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Citrobacter rodentium respectively, were used.ResultsMice, which have ADAM10 deleted from DCs, have dramatic reductions in IgE production and do not develop significant TH2 immune responses. Further, ADAM10DC−/− mice are resistant to IgE‐mediated anaphylaxis. This response is selective for TH2 immunity as TH1 and TH17 immunity is largely unaffected. Notch1, a known ADAM10 substrate, when knocked out of DCs (Notch1DC−/−) demonstrated a similar reduction in anaphylaxis and IgE. Without ADAM10 and Notch1 signaling, DCs were unable to make cytokines that stimulate TH2 cells and cytokines. Anaphylaxis and allergic lung inflammation were restored in ADAM10DC−/− with the overexpression of the Notch1‐intracellular domain, confirming the role of Notch signaling.ConclusionsTargeting ADAM10 and Notch1 on DCs represent a novel strategy for modulating TH2 immune responses and IgE production.
The effect of pre‐operative methylprednisolone on early endothelial damage after total knee arthroplasty: a randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Lindberg‐Larsen V. , Ostrowski S. R. , Lindberg‐Larsen M. , Rovsing M. L. , Johansson P. I. , Kehlet H. 
Published: July 2017

SummaryWe wished to evaluate whether inhibition of the systemic inflammatory response by a single pre‐operative dose of methylprednisolone reduced markers of early endothelial damage after fast‐track total knee arthroplasty. We randomly allocated 70 patients undergoing elective unilateral total knee arthroplasty (1:1) to receive either pre‐operative intravenous methylprednisolone 125 mg (methylprednisolone group) or isotonic saline (control group). All procedures were performed under spinal anaesthesia without a tourniquet, using a standardised multimodal analgesic regime. The outcomes included changes in Syndecan‐1 concentrations, a marker of glycocalyx degradation, markers of endothelial cell damage and activation (plasma soluble thrombomodulin and sE‐Selectin), and permeability by vascular endothelial growth factor, as well as C‐reactive protein concentrations. Blood samples were collected at baseline and 2 h, 6 h and 24 h after surgery, with complete sampling from 63 patients for analyses. Methylprednisolone significantly reduced markers of endothelial damage at 24 h following surgery compared with saline (methylprednisolone group vs. control group, adjusted means (SEM)) expressed by circulating Syndecan‐1: 11.6 (1.0) ng.ml−1 vs. 13.4 (1.1) ng.ml−1 p = 0.046; soluble thrombomodulin: 5.1 (0.1) ng.ml−1 vs. 5.7 (0.2) ng.ml−1, p = 0.009; sE‐Selectin: 64.8 (1.8) ng.ml−1 vs. 75.7 (1.9) ng.ml−1, p = 0.001, and vascular endothelial growth factor: 35.3 (2.7) ng.ml−1 vs. 58.5 (2.8) ng.ml−1, p < 0.001. The effect of the intervention increased with time for soluble thrombomodulin, sE‐Selectin and vascular endothelial growth factor, and was more pronounced in patients with high baseline values. Finally, methylprednisolone reduced the C‐reactive protein response 24 h postoperatively; 31.1 (1.1) mg.l−1 vs. 68.4 (1.1) mg.l−1, p < 0.001. Pre‐operative administration of methylprednisolone 125 mg reduced circulating markers of endothelial activation and damage, as well as the systemic inflammatory response (C‐reactive protein) early after fast‐track total knee arthroplasty. These findings may have a positive effect on surgical outcome, but require studies in major surgery.
Shear Stress‐Induced Total Blood Trauma in Multiple Species
Authors: Chan Chris H. H. , Pieper Ina Laura , Robinson Christian R. , Friedmann Yasmin , Kanamarlapudi Venkateswarlu , Thornton Catherine A. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe common complications in heart failure patients with implanted ventricular assist devices (VADs) include hemolysis, thrombosis, and bleeding. These are linked to shear stress‐induced trauma to erythrocytes, platelets, and von Willebrand factor (vWF). Novel device designs are being developed to reduce the blood trauma, which will need to undergo in vitro and in vivo preclinical testing in large animal models such as cattle, sheep, and pig. To fully understand the impact of device design and enable translation of preclinical results, it is important to identify any potential species‐specific differences in the VAD‐associated common complications. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of shear stress on cells and proteins in bovine, ovine, and porcine blood compared to human. Blood from different species was subjected to various shear rates (0–8000/s) using a rheometer. It was then analyzed for complete blood counts, hemolysis by the Harboe assay, platelet activation by flow cytometry, vWF structure by immunoblotting, and function by collagen binding activity ELISA (vWF : CBA). Overall, increasing shear rate caused increased total blood trauma in all tested species. This analysis revealed species‐specific differences in shear‐induced hemolysis, platelet activation, and vWF structure and function. Compared to human blood, porcine blood was the most resilient and showed less hemolysis, similar blood counts, but less platelet activation and less vWF damage in response to shear. Compared to human blood, sheared bovine blood showed less hemolysis, similar blood cell counts, greater platelet activation, and similar degradation of vWF structure, but less impact on its activity in response to shear. The shear‐induced effect on ovine blood depended on whether the blood was collected via gravity at the abattoir or by venepuncture from live sheep. Overall, ovine abattoir blood was the least resilient in response to shear and bovine blood was the most similar to human blood. These results lay the foundations for developing blood trauma evaluation standards to enable the extrapolation of in vitro and in vivo animal data to predict safety and biocompatibility of blood‐handling medical devices in humans. We advise using ovine venepuncture blood instead of ovine abattoir blood due to the greater overall damage in the latter. We propose using bovine blood for total blood damage in vitro device evaluation but multiple species could be used to create a full understanding of the complication risk profile of new devices. Further, this study highlights that choice of antibody clone for evaluating platelet activation in bovine blood can influence the interpretation of results from different studies.
Privilege and Marginality: How Group Identification and Personality Predict Right‐ and Left‐Wing Political Activism
Authors: Blankenship Benjamin T. , Frederick Jennifer K. , Savaş Özge , Stewart Abigail J. , Montgomery Samantha 
Published: July 2017

AbstractIn two studies, we examine how different processes might underlie the political mobilization of individuals with marginalized versus privileged identities for left‐wing activism (LWA) versus right‐wing activism (RWA). In the first study, with a sample of 244 midlife women, we tested the hypotheses that endorsement of system justification beliefs and social identities were direct predictors of political activism, and that system justification beliefs moderated the mobilization of social identities for activism on both the left and the right. We found that system justification predicted RWA only among those who felt close to privileged groups; the parallel reverse effect did not hold for LWA, though rejection of system‐justifying beliefs was an important direct predictor. In Study 2, we replicated many of these findings with a sample of 113 college students. In addition, we tested and confirmed the hypothesis that LWA is predicted by openness to experience and is unrelated to RWA, but not that openness plays a stronger role among those with marginalized identities. These two studies together support our overall hypothesis that different personality processes are involved with political mobilization of privileged and marginalized individuals on the right and the left.
Trimethylamine N‐oxide: breathe new life
Authors: Subramaniam Saravanan , Fletcher Craig 
Published: July 2017

Association between elevated levels of systemic trimethylamine N‐oxide (TMAO) and increased risk for adverse cardiovascular events have been proposed in recent years. Increasing experimental and clinical evidence in the last decade has implicated TMAO as an important contributor to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. TMAO, the oxygenated product of trimethylamine (TMA), belongs to the class of amine oxides. Most of the TMA derived from the metabolism of choline and L‐carnitine by gut bacteria is absorbed into the bloodstream and gets rapidly oxidized to TMAO by the hepatic enzyme, flavin‐containing monooxgenase‐3. Here, we discussed the biosynthesis of TMAO and clinical studies that have assessed TMAO as a biomarker for various cardiovascular and other diseases such as kidney failure, thrombosis, atherosclerosis, obesity, diabetes and cancer. We also summarized the interaction of TMAO with synthetic and traditional molecules that together affect circulating TMAO levels.Linked ArticlesThis article is part of a themed section on Spotlight on Small Molecules in Cardiovascular Diseases. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v175.8/issuetoc
Association between coffee consumption and all‐sites cancer incidence and mortality
Authors: Sado Junya , Kitamura Tetsuhisa , Kitamura Yuri , Sobue Tomotaka , Nishino Yoshikazu , Tanaka Hideo , Nakayama Tomio , Tsuji Ichiro , Ito Hidemi , Suzuki Takaichiro , Katanoda Kota , Tominaga Suketami ,   the Three‐Prefecture Cohort Study Group
Published: July 2017

The preventive effect of coffee on cancer at different sites has been reported, but the effect on all‐sites cancer incidence has not been extensively investigated. We evaluated the association between frequency of coffee consumption and risk of all‐sites cancer incidence and mortality among 39 685 men and 43 124 women (age 40–79 years, at baseline), in the Three‐Prefecture Cohort Study. The association between frequency of coffee consumption and risk of all‐sites cancer incidence and mortality was assessed by a Cox proportional hazards regression model, adjusted for potential confounders. During 411 341 person‐years among men and 472 433 person‐years among women, a total of 4244 men and 2601 women developed cancer at different sites and a total of 3021 men and 1635 women died of cancer at different sites. We showed an inverse association between frequency of coffee consumption and all‐sites cancer incidence in both men and women. Comparing participants who consumed coffee with those who never drank coffee, the adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidential interval) for all‐sites cancer incidence was 0.74 (0.62–0.88) for coffee consumption of ≥5 cups/day in men (P for trend < 0.001) and 0.76 (0.58–1.02) in women (P for trend = 0.020). Coffee consumption frequency was inversely associated with mortality from all‐sites cancer. In this population, increasing coffee consumption resulted in a decreased risk of all‐sites cancer incidence and mortality.
Measuring socioeconomic inequalities in the use of dental care services among older adults in Brazil
Authors: Bof de Andrade Fabíola , Drumond Andrade Flávia Cristina , Noronha Kenya 
Published: July 2017

AbstractObjectivesThe primary objectives are to assess socioeconomic inequality in the use of dental care among older Brazilian adults and to analyse the extent to which certain determinants contribute to that inequality.MethodsA cross‐sectional study using data from the National Oral Health Survey conducted in 2010. All individuals answered a structured questionnaire containing questions on their use of dental care and socioeconomic conditions and underwent a clinical oral examination by a dentist. Concentration indices were decomposed to determine the contribution of socioeconomic factors to inequalities.ResultsBeing in the fifth wealth, quintile was associated with higher odds of having recently visited a dentist (reference: 1st quintile, odds‐ratio (OR) 2.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.51‐3.38). In addition, being in the top two quintiles of wealth was negatively associated with the use of public dental services. Having eight or more years of schooling was associated with higher odds of both having a recent dental visit and receiving preventive care (relative to having 0‐3 years of education), and negatively associated with using public dental services. Results indicate pro‐rich inequalities in recent dental visits and preventive dental care. Further, there was a pro‐poor inequality in the use of public dental care services.ConclusionsThe recent use of dental care and the use of preventive care are disproportionately concentrated among wealthier older adults, whereas the use of public services is more common among poorer individuals. Wealth inequalities in dental care use were mainly explained by socioeconomic factors, such as wealth and education, rather than oral health factors, such as needing treatment or a dental prosthesis.
Input and Age‐Dependent Variation in Second Language Learning: A Connectionist Account
Authors: Janciauskas Marius , Chang Franklin 
Published: July 2017

AbstractLanguage learning requires linguistic input, but several studies have found that knowledge of second language (L2) rules does not seem to improve with more language exposure (e.g., Johnson & Newport, 1989). One reason for this is that previous studies did not factor out variation due to the different rules tested. To examine this issue, we reanalyzed grammaticality judgment scores in Flege, Yeni‐Komshian, and Liu's (1999) study of L2 learners using rule‐related predictors and found that, in addition to the overall drop in performance due to a sensitive period, L2 knowledge increased with years of input. Knowledge of different grammar rules was negatively associated with input frequency of those rules. To better understand these effects, we modeled the results using a connectionist model that was trained using Korean as a first language (L1) and then English as an L2. To explain the sensitive period in L2 learning, the model's learning rate was reduced in an age‐related manner. By assigning different learning rates for syntax and lexical learning, we were able to model the difference between early and late L2 learners in input sensitivity. The model's learning mechanism allowed transfer between the L1 and L2, and this helped to explain the differences between different rules in the grammaticality judgment task. This work demonstrates that an L1 model of learning and processing can be adapted to provide an explicit account of how the input and the sensitive period interact in L2 learning.
Correlation‐based classifier combination in the field of pattern recognition
Authors: Singh Pawan Kumar , Sarkar Ram , Nasipuri Mita 
Published: July 2017

AbstractClassifier combination methods have proved to be an effective tool to increase the performance of classification techniques that can be used in any pattern recognition applications. Despite a significant number of publications describing successful classifier combination implementations, the theoretical basis is still not matured enough and achieved improvements are inconsistent. In this paper, we propose a novel statistical validation technique known as correlation‐based classifier combination technique for combining classifier in any pattern recognition problem. This validation has significant influence on the performance of combinations, and their utilization is necessary for complete theoretical understanding of combination algorithms. The analysis presented is statistical in nature but promises to lead to a class of algorithms for rank‐based decision combination. The potentials of the theoretical and practical issues in implementation are illustrated by applying it on 2 standard datasets in pattern recognition domain, namely, handwritten digit recognition and letter image recognition datasets taken from UCI Machine Learning Database Repository (http://www.ics.uci.edu/_mlearn). An empirical evaluation using 8 well‐known distinct classifiers confirms the validity of our approach compared to some other combinations of multiple classifiers algorithms. Finally, we also suggest a methodology for determining the best mix of individual classifiers.