bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Intellectual Disability and Schizophrenia Associated Transcription Factor TCF4 Is Regulated by Neuronal Activity and Protein Kinase A
Authors: Sepp Mari , Vihma Hanna , Nurm Kaja , Urb Mari , Page Stephanie Cerceo , Roots Kaisa , Hark Anu , Maher Brady J. , Pruunsild Priit , Timmusk Tõnis 
Published: September 2017

Transcription factor 4 (TCF4 also known as ITF2 or E2-2) is a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein associated with Pitt–Hopkins syndrome, intellectual disability, and schizophrenia (SCZ). Here, we show that TCF4-dependent transcription in cortical neurons cultured from embryonic rats of both sexes is induced by neuronal activity via soluble adenylyl cyclase and protein kinase A (PKA) signaling. PKA phosphorylates TCF4 directly and a PKA phosphorylation site in TCF4 is necessary for its transcriptional activity in cultured neurons and in the developing brainin vivo. We also demonstrate thatGadd45g(growth arrest and DNA damage inducible gamma) is a direct target of neuronal-activity-induced, TCF4-dependent transcriptional regulation and that TCF4 missense variations identified in SCZ patients alter the transcriptional activity of TCF4 in neurons. This study identifies a new role for TCF4 as a neuronal-activity-regulated transcription factor, offering a novel perspective on the association of TCF4 with cognitive disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe importance of the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor transcription factor 4 (TCF4) in the nervous system is underlined by its association with common and rare cognitive disorders. In the current study, we show that TCF4-controlled transcription in primary cortical neurons is induced by neuronal activity and protein kinase A. Our results support the hypotheses that dysregulation of neuronal-activity-dependent signaling plays a significant part in the etiology of neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Experience-Dependent Synaptic Plasticity in V1 Occurs without Microglial CX3CR1
Authors: Schecter Rachel W. , Maher Erin E. , Welsh Christina A. , Stevens Beth , Erisir Alev , Bear Mark F. 
Published: September 2017

Brief monocular deprivation (MD) shifts ocular dominance and reduces the density of thalamic synapses in layer 4 of the mouse primary visual cortex (V1). We found that microglial lysosome content is also increased as a result of MD. Previous studies have shown that the microglial fractalkine receptor CX3CR1 is involved in synaptic development and hippocampal plasticity. We therefore tested the hypothesis that neuron-to-microglial communication via CX3CR1 is an essential component of visual cortical development and plasticity in male mice. Our data show that CX3CR1 is not required for normal development of V1 responses to visual stimulation, multiple forms of experience-dependent plasticity, or the synapse loss that accompanies MD in layer 4. By ruling out an essential role for fractalkine signaling, our study narrows the search for understanding how microglia respond to active synapse modification in the visual cortex.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTMicroglia in the visual cortex respond to monocular deprivation with increased lysosome content, but signaling through the fractalkine receptor CX3CR1 is not an essential component in the mechanisms of visual cortical development or experience-dependent synaptic plasticity.
Morbidity and mortality in patients with hyperprolactinaemia: the PROLEARS study
Authors: Soto-Pedre Enrique , Newey Paul J , Bevan John S , Leese Graham P 
Published: September 2017

Purpose
High serum prolactin concentrations have been associated with adverse health outcomes in some but not all studies. This study aimed to examine the morbidity and all-cause mortality associated with hyperprolactinaemia.

Methods
A population-based matched cohort study in Tayside (Scotland, UK) from 1988 to 2014 was performed. Record-linkage technology was used to identify patients with hyperprolactinaemia that were compared to an age–sex-matched cohort of patients free of hyperprolactinaemia. The number of deaths and incident admissions with diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, cancer, breast cancer, bone fractures and infectious conditions were compared by the survival analysis.

Results
Patients with hyperprolactinaemia related to pituitary tumours had no increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, bone fractures, all-cause cancer or breast cancer. Whilst no increased mortality was observed in patients with pituitary microadenomas (HR = 1.65, 95% CI: 0.79–3.44), other subgroups including those with pituitary macroadenomas and drug-induced and idiopathic hyperprolactinaemia demonstrated an increased risk of death. Individuals with drug-induced hyperprolactinaemia also demonstrated increased risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease and bone fracture. However, these increased risks were not associated with the degree of serum prolactin elevation (Ptrend > 0.3). No increased risk of cancer was observed in any subgroup.

Conclusions
No excess morbidity was observed in patients with raised prolactin due to pituitary tumours. Although the increased morbidity and mortality associated with defined patient subgroups are unlikely to be directly related to the elevation in serum prolactin, hyperprolactinaemia might act as a biomarker for the presence of some increased disease risk in these patients.
Predictors of Venous Thromboembolism and Early Mortality in Lung Cancer: Results from a Global Prospective Study (CANTARISK)
Authors: Kuderer Nicole M. , Poniewierski Marek S. , Culakova Eva , Lyman Gary H. , Khorana Alok A. , Pabinger Ingrid , Agnelli Giancarlo , Liebman Howard A. , Vicaut Eric , Meyer Guy , Shepherd Frances A. 
Published: September 2017

Abstract

Background
Patients with lung cancer are known to be at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Venous thromboembolism is associated with increased risk for early mortality. However, there have been no studies performing a comprehensive assessment of risk factors for VTE or early mortality in lung cancer patients undergoing systemic chemotherapy in a global real-world setting.

Materials and Methods
CANTARISK is a prospective, global, noninterventional cohort study including patients with lung cancer initiating a new cancer therapy. Clinical data were collected until 6-month follow-up. The impact of patient-, disease-, and treatment-related factors on the occurrence of VTE and early mortality was evaluated in univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses. A previously validated VTE risk score (VTE-RS) was also calculated (also known as Khorana score).

Results
Of 1,980 patients with lung cancer who were enrolled from 2011 to 2012, 84% had non-small cell lung cancer. During the first 6 months, 121 patients developed a VTE (6.1%), of which 47% had pulmonary embolism, 46% deep vein thrombosis, 3% catheter-associated thrombosis, and 4% visceral thrombosis. Independent predictors for VTE included female sex, North America location, leg immobilization, and presence of a central venous catheter. The VTE-RS was not significantly associated with VTE in either univariable or multivariable analysis in this population. During the study period, 472 patients died, representing 20%, 24%, 36%, and 25% with VTE-RS 1, 2, ≥3, or unknown, respectively (p &lt; .0001). Significant independent predictors of early mortality include older age, current/former smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≥2, no prior surgery, and metastatic disease, as well as the VTE-RS.

Conclusion
In this global, prospective, real-world analysis, several demographic, geographic, and clinical factors are independent risk factors for VTE and early mortality in patients with lung cancer. The VTE-RS represents a significant independent predictor of early mortality but not for VTE in lung cancer in the era of targeted therapy.

Implications for Practice
Multiple risk factors for both venous thromboembolism (VTE) and early mortality in patients with lung cancer receiving systemic chemotherapy should guide best practice by better informing clinical evaluation and treatment decision-making. The Khorana risk score is of value in assessing the risk of early all-cause mortality along with other clinical parameters in patients with lung cancer receiving systemic therapy. Further study is needed to fully evaluate the validity of the risk score in predicting the risk of VTE in the modern era of lung cancer therapy.
Perspectives of wild medicine harvesters from Cape Town, South Africa
Authors: Petersen Leif , Reid Andrew M. , Moll Eugene J. , Hockings Marc T. 
Published: September 2017

Cape Town is a fast-growing cityscape in the Cape Floristic Region in South Africa with 24 formally protected conservation areas including the World Heritage Table Mountain National Park. These sites have been protected and managed as critical sites for local biodiversity, representing potentially one-third of all Cape Floristic Region flora species and 18% of South Africa’s plant diversity. Cape Town is also inhabited by a rapidly growing culturally and economically diverse citizenry with distinct and potentially conflicting perspectives on access to, and management of, local natural resources. In a qualitative study of 58 locally resident traditional healers of distinct cultural groups, we examined motivations underlying the generally illicit activity of harvesting of wild resources from Cape Town protected areas. Resource harvester motivations primarily link to local economic survival, health care and cultural links to particular resources and practices, ‘access for all’ outlooks, and wholesale profit-seeking perspectives. We describe these motivations, contrast them with the current formal, legal and institutional perspectives for biodiversity protection in the city, and propose managerial interventions that may improve sustainability of ongoing harvest activities.

Significance:

The study reveals, for the first time in the Cape Floristic Region, informal economy viewpoints on terrestrial nature and how its direct use has important economic and cultural roles – specifically in wild medicine harvesting and trade.
We contrast the formal and informal approaches to nature conservation in the city and propose new considerations for conservation managers.
Exploring the relationship between entry requirements and throughput rates for honours students
Authors: Murray Mike 
Published: September 2017

In order for a student to enrol in an honours programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), a weighted average mark for their final year of undergraduate study must exceed a particular threshold value. Students are then ranked according to this weighted average mark, with entry into the honours programme offered on a top-down basis, within the constraints of teaching resources and space. A proposal has been made at UKZN to remove existing barriers for entry into an honours programme, i.e. to allow entry to any student who has completed a 3-year undergraduate degree with a major in that discipline. The impact of such a decision was investigated. By lowering the requirement for entry into an honours programme, one is expected to predict how a new cohort of students will perform. Apart from obviously having a lower weighted average mark for their final year of undergraduate study, these new students may also differ in other unobservable ways which need to be accounted for. In a regression modelling context, one is asked to predict outside the range of a collected data set. A Heckman selection model was used to account for a possible self-selection bias that may arise because the subpopulation for which a prediction is required (namely those new students who will now be able to enter an honours programme), may be significantly different from the population of UKZN undergraduate students who are currently permitted entry to an honours programme.

Significance:

A modelling technique that accounts for a possible sample selection bias was used to determine the impact of lowering the entry requirements into the honours programme at UKZN to allow entry to any student who has completed a 3-year undergraduate degree.
Pollination: Impact, role-players, interactions and study – A South African perspective
Authors: Gous Annemarie , Willows-Munro Sandi , Eardley Connal , Swanevelder Zacharias H. (Dirk) 
Published: September 2017

Plant–pollinator interactions are essential for maintaining both pollinator and plant communities in native and agricultural environments. Animal-instigated pollination can be complex. Plants are usually visited by a number of different animal species, which in turn may visit flowers of several plant species. Therefore, the identification of the pollen carried by flower visitors is an essential first step in pollination biology. The skill and time required to identify pollen based on structure and morphology has been a major stumbling block in this field. Advances in the genetic analysis of DNA, using DNA barcoding, extracted directly from pollen offers an innovative alternative to traditional methods of pollen identification. This technique, which is reviewed in detail, can be used on pollen loads sampled from bees in the field and from specimens in historic collections. Here the importance of pollination, the role-players involved, their management and the evolution of their interactions, behaviour and morphology are reviewed – with a special focus on South African bees.

Significance:

Pollen metabarcoding will enable the identification of pollen for a multitude of uses, including agriculture, conservation and forensics.
Plant–pollinator interaction documentation through pollen identification gives a more certain record of a visitor being a pollinator rather than a flower visitor that could be a nectar gatherer.
Externality costs of the coal-fuel cycle: The case of Kusile Power Station
Authors: Nkambule Nonophile P. , Blignaut James N. 
Published: September 2017

Coal-based electricity is an integral part of daily life in South Africa and globally. However, the use of coal for electricity generation carries a heavy cost for social and ecological systems that goes far beyond the price we pay for electricity. We developed a model based on a system dynamics approach for understanding the measurable and quantifiable coal-fuel cycle burdens and externality costs, over the lifespan of a supercritical coal-fired power station that is fitted with a flue-gas desulfurisation device (i.e. Kusile Power Station). The total coal-fuel cycle externality cost on both the environment and humans over Kusile’s lifespan was estimated at ZAR1 449.9 billion to ZAR3 279 billion or 91c/kWh to 205c/kWh sent out (baseline: ZAR2 172.7 billion or 136c/kWh). Accounting for the life-cycle burdens and damages of coal-derived electricity conservatively, doubles to quadruples the price of electricity, making renewable energy sources such as wind and solar attractive alternatives.

Significance:

The use of coal for electricity generation carries a heavy cost for social and ecological systems that goes far beyond the price we pay for electricity.
The estimation of social costs is particularly important to the electric sector because of non-differentiation of electricity prices produced from a variety of sources with potentially very dissimilar environmental and human health costs.
Because all electricity generation technologies are associated with undesirable side effects in their fuelcycle and lifespan, comprehensive comparative analyses of life-cycle costs of all power generation technologies is indispensable to guide the development of future energy policies in South Africa.
<b>Making and Doing Politics Through Grassroots Scientific Research on the Energy and Petrochemical Industries</b>
Authors: Wylie Sara , Shapiro Nick , Liboiron Max 
Published: September 2017

The high stakes of emergent environmental crises, from climate change to widespread toxic exposures, have motivated STS practitioners to innovate methodologically, including leveraging STS scholarship to actively remake environmental scientific practice and technologies. This thematic collection brings together current research that transforms how communities and academics identify, study, and collectively respond to contaminants engendered by the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries, including air contamination from hydraulic fracking, marine pollution from petroleum-derived plastics, and hydrocarbon derivatives such as formaldehyde that intoxicate our homes. These interventions make inroads into the “undone science” and “regimes of imperceptibility” of environmental health crises. Authors, most of whom are practitioners, investigate grassroots methods for collaboratively designing and developing low-cost monitoring tools, crowdsourcing data analysis, and imagining ways of redressing toxicity outside of the idioms of science. Collectively, these articles work towards remaking how knowledge is made about and across industrial systems by networking community grounded approaches for accounting for environmental health issues created by the fossil fuels and allied petrochemical industries.
Physico-Chemical Characteristics and Fatty acid Profiles of Smoked Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) Using Coconut Fiber and nutmeg Shell Smoking materials
Authors: Salindeho Netty 
Published: September 2017

Skipjack tuna is one of the most popular fish processed through a traditional smoking method in North Sulawesi. This study was aimed to analyze the physicochemical characteristics and fatty acid profiles of <br />skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, smoked using coconut fibers and nutmeg shell for 15 hours of smoking. Results found that the smoked skipjack using the nutmeg shell smoking material had the lower water<br />content and aw, and higher protein, fat and ash content than those smoked with coconut fiber (P&lt;0.05). The fatty acid profile of the smoked skipjack using nutmeg shell showed lower total Saturated Fatty Acid<br />(SFA) and higher Monounsaturated Fatty Acid (MUFA) and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) than those smoked with coconut fiber (P&lt;0.05). The organoleptic test showed for smoking materials of coconut fiber and nutmeg shell, respectively, as follows: color was 4.97±1.32 and 5.87±0.89; taste was 5.64±0.99 and 5.80±0.88; the texture was 5.17±1.17 and 5.64±1.21; and aroma was 5.67±0.88 and 5.90±0.85. The panelists can accept the smoked skipjack using both smoking materials of coconut fiber and nutmeg shell.
Low ligation inferior mesenteric artery versus selective sigmoidal artery ligation in sigmoid colon cancer: a comparative study
Authors: Sirikurnpiboon Siripong , Angkurawaranon Chotirot , Pinyoteppratarn Ratchamon , Vitoopinyoparb Kasidin , Muyphuag Bunlung , Chantawibul Suchart , Ratanachu-ek Thawee 
Published: September 2017

Background: Ligation at the root of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) or ‘high-tie’ is widely accepted during oncologic resection of sigmoid colon cancer surgery. However, IMA ligation may compromise the anastomotic blood supply and risk injury to autonomic nerve plexus. The preservation of IMA or ‘low-tie’ may lead to increase blood flow and decrease postoperative bowel complications, nevertheless require longer operative time and technical difficulties. This study aims to compare the results between laparoscopic sigmoidectomy with selective sigmoidal artery ligation (group A) and low-ligation IMA (group B).Methods: A 1:2 case-matched comparative study and retrospective review of 27 patients with sigmoid cancer (19 female and 8 male) who underwent laparoscopic sigmoidectomy between January 2012 to December 2015. There were 9 patients in group A and 18 patients in group B. Perioperative results were collected and follow-up was recorded at 6 and 12 months after surgery.Results: There were no difference in the mean operative time {group A 194.44 (+28.77), group B 178.89 (+55.52), p=0.349}, blood loss {group A 94.44 (+52.71), group B 79.44 (+58.15), p=0.51}, and mean numbers of harvested lymph nodes {group A 14.56 (+3.74), group B 17.56 (+7.64), p=0.183}. Three patients in group B experienced a short period of stool frequency (2-4 weeks postoperative) and one with constipation. No leakage, bleeding, or tumor recurrence occurred in both groups during the 1 year follow up.Conclusions: Laparoscopic sigmoidectomy with selective sigmoidal artery ligation and lymph node dissection allows equivalent short-term oncologic results to low-ligation IMA technique.
The prevalence of practicing breast self-examination and knowledge of breast cancer disease among women attending secondary health facility
Authors: Olaogun Julius Gbenga , Emmanuel Eyitayo Ebenezer , Dada Samuel Ayokunle , Odesanmi Olakunle Muyiwa , Adesua Oladapo Atolagbe 
Published: September 2017

Background: Early diagnosis has been shown to improve the prognosis of breast cancer, hence breast self-examination (BSE) as a screening method may have its benefits. The aim of the present study is to determine the prevalence of BSE practice, the correctness of the practice steps and the knowledge of breast cancer disease among women attending secondary health facility.Methods: The study was a descriptive study among women attending antenatal care and immunization clinics at State Specialist Hospital, Ikere-Ekiti between October and December 2015. A total of 238 women seen during the period and who consented to participate in the study were included. Structured self-administered questionnaire was used and data obtained was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Level of significance was set at P<0.05.Results: Of 238 respondents, 94.2% were between 20 and 39 years and mostly married (86.1%). Overall, 56.7% were aware of BSE mainly through health workers (44.4%) and information media (30.4%). A little above half (55.6%) practiced BSE and 24% could be adjudged to have good practice. Performing BSE was significantly related to respondents’ level of education (p=0.001) and marital status (p=0.032). There was high awareness (84%) of breast cancer but the vast majority (87%) had poor knowledge of breast cancer symptoms and signs.Conclusions: This study revealed poor quality of BSE practice and poor knowledge of breast cancer symptoms among our women despite good awareness. There is need for more health education to improve the quality of BSE practice and knowledge of breast cancer disease for early detection and treatment.