bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Food insecurity is associated with diabetes self‐care behaviours and glycaemic control
Authors: Heerman W. J. , Wallston K. A. , Osborn C. Y. , Bian A. , Schlundt D. G. , Barto S. D. , Rothman R. L. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractAimsFood insecurity is the ‘limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods’. Our objective was to examine the association between food insecurity, diabetes self‐care and glycaemic control.MethodsWe conducted a cross‐sectional analysis of baseline data from adult patients with Type 2 diabetes who were enrolled in a randomized trial evaluating a health literacy‐focused diabetes intervention in safety net primary care clinics in middle Tennessee. Food insecurity was assessed with three items from the U.S. Household Food Security Survey. Diabetes self‐care behaviours were assessed with the Summary of Diabetes Self‐Care Activities Scale, Personal Diabetes Questionnaire and Adherence to Refills and Medication Scale. Glycaemic control was assessed with HbA1c.ResultsThe sample consisted of 401 participants, 73% of whom reported some level of food insecurity. Food insecurity was significantly associated with self‐care behaviours including less adherence to a general diet [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 0.9, P = 0.02], less physical activity (AOR 0.9, P = 0.04) and with a greater occurrence of medication non‐adherence (AOR 1.2, P = 0.002) and calorie restriction (AOR 1.1, P = 0.02). Food insecurity was also associated with worse glycaemic control (adjusted β = 0.1, P = 0.03). None of the self‐care behaviours were significantly associated with HbA1c, limiting the ability to test for self‐care as a mechanism linking food insecurity to glycaemic control.ConclusionsThere was a high rate of food insecurity in a sample of patients with Type 2 diabetes who were of low socio‐economic status. Food insecurity was associated with less adherence to recommended self‐care behaviours and worse glycaemic control.
Diabetic hepatosclerosis: another diabetes microvascular complication?
Authors: King R. J. , Harrison L. , Gilbey S. G. , Santhakumar A. , Wyatt J. , Jones R. , Bodansky H. J. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractBackgroundLiver disease in diabetes is common and is frequently the result of hepatic steatosis. Diabetic hepatosclerosis is a relatively recent description of sinusoidal fibrosis, without steatosis, observed in liver biopsies of people with diabetes presenting with cholestasis. Its association with other microvascular complications suggests it is a form of hepatic diabetic microangiopathy.Case reportWe report the case of a 50‐year‐old woman with longstanding Type 1 diabetes, complicated by nephropathy resulting in cadaveric renal transplant, retinopathy, gastroparesis and neuropathy with slowly healing ulceration to her right foot. She was noted to have deranged liver function tests: alanine aminotransferase, 162 IU/l; bilirubin, 44 IU/l; alkaline phosphatase, 5279 IU/l (isoenzymes; bone 1029 IU/l, liver 4250 IU/l); γ–glutamyl transferase, 662 IU/l. A non‐invasive liver screen did not reveal the cause of the cholestasis. A liver biopsy demonstrated sinusoidal fibrosis without evidence of steatosis and thus a diagnosis of diabetic hepatosclerosis was made. Comparison with a biopsy performed 11 years previously at a different trust due to elevated alkaline phosphatase levels revealed slow progression of the sinusoidal fibrosis.DiscussionThis case describes the longest reported clinical course of diabetic hepatosclerosis, spanning 11 years, in which time the patient did not develop evidence of cirrhosis or portal hypertension. It is difficult to estimate the clinical relevance of this condition because little is known regarding its clinical course and effect on morbidity and mortality.Identified patients should undergo low‐intensity, long‐term follow‐up to improve understanding of its clinical sequelae and relevance.
Experimental evidence for a time‐integrated effect of productivity on diversity
Authors: Armitage David W. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThe time–area–productivity hypothesis is a proposed explanation for global biodiversity gradients. It predicts that a bioregion's modern diversity is the product of its area and productivity, integrated over evolutionary time. I performed the first experimental test of the time–area–productivity hypothesis using a model system for adaptive radiation – the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25. I initiated hundreds of independent radiations under culture conditions spanning a variety of productivities, spatial extents and temporal extents. Time‐integrated productivity was the single best predictor of extant phenotypic diversity and richness. In contrast, ‘snapshots’ of modern environmental variables at the time of sampling were less useful predictors of diversity patterns. These results were best explained by marked variation in population growth parameters under different productivity treatments and the long periods over which standing diversity could persist in unproductive habitats. These findings provide the first experimental support for time‐integrated productivity as a putative driver of regional biodiversity patterns.
Creating a Pronunciation Profile of First‐Year Spanish Students
Authors: Añorga Angel , Benander Ruth 
Published: August 2015

AbstractPrevious research has shown that improving pronunciation in the foreign language classroom is challenging, and there is often little time left over in a dense curriculum for pronunciation practice. In describing a pronunciation profile for all phonemes in Spanish, this study suggests that the principal challenge for native speakers of English who are learning Spanish may not be vowels, but the /r/ phonemes: the flap, the trill, and the cluster sound /tɾ/ pose the greatest challenges. Thus, if time is allocated to direct instruction in pronunciation, instructors and learners may focus on the pronunciation of Spanish language /r/ in its three forms, particularly since, when the /r/ phonemes are fronted in Spanish pronunciation, the following vowels are less likely to be pronounced as American English diphthongs. In addition, this study suggests that having students record themselves when reading aloud at multiple points during the course and then analyze and reflect on what they hear may result in pronunciation changes.
Early prophylaxis in children with severe haemophilia A: clinical and ultrasound imaging outcomes
Authors: Altisent C. , Martorell M. , Crespo A. , Casas L. , Torrents C. , Parra R. 
Published: August 2015

AimThis observational study was undertaken with the aim to describe the characteristics and evaluate the outcomes of prophylactic treatment in children with severe haemophilia A (HA) treated at our centre.MethodsTwenty‐five patients aged 4–19 years with severe HA, no history of inhibitors and treated with at least two infusions of factor VIII (FVIII) per week were studied. Prophylactic doses and annual joint bleeding rate (AJBR) were retrospectively evaluated over the last 5 years. Current joint status was assessed using the Haemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS) (136 joints of 23 patients) and the Haemophilia Early Arthropathy Detection with Ultrasound (HEAD‐US) procedure (124 joints of 21 patients).ResultsMedian AJBR was 0.2 and median prophylaxis dose 65.4 IU−1 kg−1 week−1. Median total HJHS was 0 (range 0–13) and total HEAD‐US 1 (0–8). At the joint level, 85.3% of joints were normal on HJHS and 79.0% on US. The ankle was the joint most commonly affected, considering bleeding and ultrasound results. Correlation was found between HEAD‐US scores and bleeding scores but not between HEAD‐US and HJHS scores. HJHS and HEAD‐US scores were concordant in 91/124 (73.4%) joints (86 joints normal and five abnormal). Ultrasound detected minimal changes in 19.6% of joints with normal physical function, whereas 12.2% of joints considered normal on ultrasound showed changes at HJHS.ConclusionA well‐preserved joint status was found in our cohort. High‐resolution US detected a higher percentage of abnormalities than the physical evaluation, but the clinical implications of these findings still need to be ascertained.
Over the Borderline? Rethinking Territoriality at the Margins of Empire and Nation in the Modern Middle East (Part II)
Authors: Ellis Matthew H. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThis is the second of two connected articles examining the evolution of historical scholarship on borderlands within the field of Middle East studies. In both articles, I pay particular attention to how historians have addressed the relationship between borderland identities and modern territorializing empires and nation‐states. I argue throughout both parts that analyzing what I call the “lived experience of territoriality” in borderland regions ought to take precedence over approaches that presume the ultimate imposition of fixed nation‐state boundaries by the mid‐twentieth century. The adoption of borderlands as an analytical category along these lines presents an exciting opportunity for future research in modern Middle Eastern history precisely for its malleability. Historians who take a conceptually nuanced approach to borderlands and relate their work to new scholarship on territoriality will be able to explore a range of ways to understand local as well as state experiences and practices of power and politics; sovereignty and authority; and identity and belonging. In Part I, I focused primarily on laying out a framework for conceptualizing the relationship between borderland identities and the lived experience of modern territoriality. In Part II, I push this framework further by surveying two large themes that have defined the work of Middle East borderland historians over the last two decades – critical cartography and the visual representation of borderland identities and borderlands as sites of contestation and negotiation. In the final section, I sketch out some possibilities for future research, drawing largely on new scholarship from within Middle East studies.
Driven to Kill: British Serial Killers and their Occupations
Authors: LYNES ADAM , WILSON DAVID 
Published: August 2015

AbstractDespite the wealth of academic literature relating to serial murder, there has been little research into how the occupational choice of serial killers influences their behaviour and subsequent offending. This article seeks to address this current gap by first examining the occupational history of known British serial murderers and determining if there were any particular work environments which were commonly selected. It was determined that there are four particular occupational ‘groups’ that known British serial murderers selected and these are described as: ‘Healthcare’; ‘Business’; ‘Public and personal service’; and ‘Driving and transient dependent work’. It is this latter occupational ‘grouping’ that was the most commonly selected form of employment. Through using a case study of Peter Sutcliffe – a serial murderer who was active during the 1970s and early 1980s – the reasons why such occupations may be so popular among serial sexual murderers are explored.
Silencing the Other: Gendered Representations of Co‐accused Women Offenders
Authors: BARLOW CHARLOTTE 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThis article explores the silencing process of female offender's voices in newspaper articles. It establishes the ways in which silencing, muting, and distortion, occurred in four case studies of co‐accused women who appeared in court between 2003 and 2013. In doing so, the article falls into three parts. The first part presents an analysis of what is known about the silencing of female offenders. The second part presents the findings of the empirical investigation, which explores the direct and hidden silencing techniques utilised by journalists to mute female offenders’ perspectives. In light of this analysis, the final section considers the potential consequence of this silencing and the ways in which such techniques serve to frame women as ‘unexplainable others’ and deny agency.
Grace Under Pressure: The Role of Courage in the Future of Probation Work
Authors: WORRALL ANNE 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThis article, based on the 18th Annual Bill McWilliams Memorial Lecture, explores the concept of ‘civil courage’ and its role in the future of probation work. The reader is invited temporarily to suspend their justifiable cynicism about the politics of probation and to examine how ‘nostalgia’ – the recollection of past good – can be used to build future cultures and identities that are recognisably ‘probation work’, regardless of the organisational environment in which they are located. Drawing on recent research projects, the work of others and the emergence of the Probation Institute, I suggest that probation workers engage with courage in what has been termed ‘edgework’ in other contexts. Controlling the boundary between order and chaos through voluntarily testing one's values, knowledge and skills to their limits and thus experiencing the satisfaction of success in the face of predicted failure, may be one characteristic of courageous probation work.
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors mediate donepezil‐induced oligodendrocyte differentiation
Authors: Imamura Osamu , Arai Masaaki , Dateki Minori , Ogata Toru , Uchida Ryuji , Tomoda Hiroshi , Takishima Kunio 
Published: August 2015

AbstractOligodendrocytes are the myelin‐forming cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Failure of myelin development and oligodendrocyte loss results in serious human disorders, including multiple sclerosis. Here, we show that donepezil, an acetlycholinesterase inhibitor developed for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, can stimulate oligodendrocyte differentiation and maturation of neural stem cell‐derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells without affecting proliferation or cell viability. Transcripts for essential myelin‐associated genes, such as PLP, MAG, MBP, CNPase, and MOG, in addition to transcription factors that regulate oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination, were rapidly increased after treatment with donepezil. Furthermore, luciferase assays confirmed that both MAG and MBP promoters display increased activity upon donepezil‐induced oligodendrocytes differentiation, suggesting that donepezil increases myelin gene expression mainly through enhanced transcription. We also found that the increase in the number of oligodendrocytes observed following donepezil treatment was significantly inhibited by the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist mecamylamine, but not by the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist scopolamine. Moreover, donepezil‐induced myelin‐related gene expression was suppressed by mecamylamine at both the mRNA and protein level. These results suggest that donepezil stimulates oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelin‐related gene expression via nAChRs in neural stem cell‐derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells.imageWe show that donepezil, a drug for the treatment of Alzheimer disease, can stimulate oligodendrocyte differentiation and maturation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Transcripts for essential myelin‐associated genes, such as PLP, MAG, MBP, CNPase and MOG in addition to transcripton factors that regulate oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination were rapidly increased after treatment with donepezil. These effects were partly dependent on nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR).
Down‐regulation ofBDNFin cell and animal models increases striatal‐enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase 61 (STEP61) levels
Authors: Xu Jian , Kurup Pradeep , Azkona Garikoitz , Baguley Tyler D. , Saavedra Ana , Nairn Angus C. , Ellman Jonathan A. , Pérez‐Navarro Esther , Lombroso Paul J. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractBrain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulates synaptic strengthening and memory consolidation, and alteredBDNFexpression is implicated in a number of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.BDNFpotentiatesN‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor function through activation of Fyn andERK1/2.STriatal‐Enriched protein tyrosine Phosphatase (STEP) is also implicated in many of the same disorders asBDNFbut, in contrast toBDNF,STEPopposes the development of synaptic strengthening.STEP‐mediated dephosphorylation of theNMDAreceptor subunit GluN2B promotes internalization of GluN2B‐containingNMDAreceptors, while dephosphorylation of the kinases Fyn, Pyk2, andERK1/2 leads to their inactivation. Thus,STEPandBDNFhave opposing functions. In this study, we demonstrate that manipulation ofBDNFexpression has a reciprocal effect onSTEP61levels. ReducedBDNFsignaling leads to elevation ofSTEP61both inBDNF+/−mice and after acuteBDNFknockdown in cortical cultures. Moreover, a newly identifiedSTEPinhibitor reverses the biochemical and motor abnormalities inBDNF+/−mice. In contrast, increasedBDNFsignaling upon treatment with a tropomyosin receptor kinase B agonist results in degradation ofSTEP61and a subsequent increase in the tyrosine phosphorylation ofSTEPsubstrates in cultured neurons and in mouse frontal cortex. These findings indicate thatBDNF‐tropomyosin receptor kinase B signaling leads to degradation ofSTEP61, while decreasedBDNFexpression results in increasedSTEP61activity. A better understanding of the opposing interaction betweenSTEPandBDNFin normal cognitive functions and in neuropsychiatric disorders will hopefully lead to better therapeutic strategies.imageAltered expression of BDNF and STEP61has been implicated in several neurological disorders. BDNF and STEP61are known to regulate synaptic strengthening, but in opposite directions. Here, we report that reduced BDNF signaling leads to elevation of STEP61both in BDNF+/−mice and after acute BDNF knockdown in cortical cultures. In contrast, activation of TrkB receptor results in the degradation of STEP61and reverses hyperlocomotor activity in BDNF+/−mice. Moreover, inhibition of STEP61by TC‐2153 is sufficient to enhance the Tyr phosphorylation of STEP substrates and also reverses hyperlocomotion in BDNF+/−mice. These findings give us a better understanding of the regulation of STEP61by BDNF in normal cognitive functions and in neuropsychiatric disorders.
Role of Oestrogen α Receptors in Sociosexual Behaviour in Female Rats Housed in a Seminatural Environment
Authors: Snoeren E. M. S. , Antonio‐Cabrera E. , Spiteri T. , Musatov S. , Ogawa S. , Pfaff D. W. , Ågmo A. 
Published: August 2015

The present study investigated the role of oestrogen receptor (ER)α in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMN), the preoptic area (POA), the medial amygdala (MePD) and the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST) in sociosexual behaviour in female rats. This was conducted in two sets of experiments, with the VMN and POA investigated in the first set, and the MePD and BNST in the second set. The VMN and POA received intense projections from the MePD and BNST. We used a short hairpin RNA encoded within an adeno‐associated viral vector directed against the gene for ERα to reduce the number of ERα in the VMN or POA (first set of experiments) or in the BNST or MePD (second set of experiments) in female rats. The rats were housed in groups of four ovariectomised females and three males in a seminatural environment for 8 days. Compared with traditional test set‐ups, the seminatural environment provides an arena in which the rats can express their full behavioural repertoire, which allowed us to investigate multiple aspects of social and sexual behaviour in groups of rats. Behavioural observation was performed after oestrogen and progesterone injections. A reduction of ERα expression in the VMN or POA diminished the display of paracopulatory behaviours and lordosis responses compared to controls, whereas the lordosis quotient remained unaffected. This suggests that ERα in the VMN and POA play an important role in intrinsic sexual motivation. The reduction in ERα did not affect the social behaviour of the females, although the males sniffed and pursued the females with reduced ERα less than the controls. This suggests that the ERα in the VMN and POA is involved in the regulation of sexual attractiveness of females. The ERα in the MePD and BNST, on the other hand, plays no role in sociosexual behaviour.
Optimal Mainline Variable Speed Limit Control to Improve Safety on Large‐Scale Freeway Segments
Authors: Li Zhibin , Liu Pan , Xu Chengcheng , Wang Wei 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThe primary objective of this study was to develop a procedure for determining the optimal variable speed limit (VSL) control strategy that aims at reducing both collision risks and injury severity on large‐scale freeway segments. The achieved reduction in collision risks and injury severity were evaluated using real‐time crash risk and severity prediction models. A modified cell transmission model (CTM) that took into consideration the capacity drop and the stop‐and‐go traffic was used to simulate the traffic operations with the VSL control. A computational procedure that incorporated the genetic algorithm and the CTM was proposed for the optimization of critical VSL control factors. Three scenarios with various placements of VSL signs on freeway mainlines were evaluated. The results showed that the optimal VSL control successfully decreased the collision risks by 22.62% and reduced the injury severity of crashes by 14.67%. We also evaluated how drivers’ compliance to speed limits affected the effectiveness of VSL control. The safety effects decreased as drivers’ compliance rate to the VSL control decreased. The finding suggests the use of speed enforcement techniques together with the VSL control to achieve the optimum control effects.
Acute acalculous cholecystitis with eosinophilic infiltration
Authors: Muta Yuki , Odaka Akio , Inoue Seiichiro , Komagome Masahiko , Beck Yoshifumi , Tamura Masanori , Arai Eiichi 
Published: August 2015

AbstractWe report a case of acute acalculous cholecystitis with eosinophilic infiltration. A previously healthy 6‐year‐old boy was referred with right abdominal pain. Imaging demonstrated marked thickening of the gallbladder wall and peri‐cholecystic effusion. Acute acalculous cholecystitis was diagnosed. Symptoms persisted despite conservative treatment, therefore cholecystectomy was performed. Pathology indicated infiltration of eosinophils into all layers of the gallbladder wall. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient has had no further symptoms. Eosinophilic cholecystitis is acute acalculous cholecystitis with infiltration of eosinophils. The causes include parasites, gallstones, allergies, and medications. In addition, it may be seen in conjunction with eosinophilic gastroenteritis, eosinophilic pancreatitis, or both. An allergic reaction to abnormal bile is thought to be the underlying cause. The present case did not fulfill the diagnostic criteria of eosinophilic cholecystitis, but this may have been in the process of developing.