Showing papers by "University of Amsterdam published in 2008"
Federal University of Bahia1, McMaster University2, University of Amsterdam3, National Institutes of Health4, Charité5, Catholic University of Cordoba6, University of Genoa7, Radboud University Nijmegen8, Transilvania University of Brașov9, Ghent University10, University of Tennessee Health Science Center11, University of Naples Federico II12, Laval University13, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais14, University of Oslo15, University of Manchester16, Aarhus University17, Imperial College London18, Erasmus University Rotterdam19, George Washington University20, Seoul National University21, Medical University of Łódź22, Hai phong University Of Medicine and Pharmacy23, Université de Montréal24, Guangzhou Medical University25, University of South Florida26, University of California, San Diego27, University of California28, University of Chicago29, Monash University30, Teikyo University31, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens32, Nippon Medical School33, Sofia Medical University34, Leiden University35, Leiden University Medical Center36, University College London37, University of Manitoba38, University of Helsinki39, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health40, National University of Singapore41, Karolinska Institutet42, University of Minnesota43, Celal Bayar University44, University of Cape Town45, Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University46, Tunis University47, University of Ghana48, University of Wisconsin-Madison49, University of British Columbia50, Georgia Regents University51, Vilnius University52, University of Washington53, University of Dundee54, University of Poitiers55, University of Mississippi56, Federal University of São Paulo57, German Red Cross58, Jagiellonian University Medical College59, Chiba University60, American Pharmacists Association61, University of Aberdeen62, University of Nevada, Reno63, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill64
TL;DR: The ARIA guidelines for the management of allergic rhinitis and asthma are similar in both the 1999 ARIA workshop report and the 2008 Update as discussed by the authors, but the GRADE approach is not yet available.
Abstract: Allergic rhinitis is a symptomatic disorder of the nose induced after allergen exposure by an IgE-mediated inflammation of the membranes lining the nose. It is a global health problem that causes major illness and disability worldwide. Over 600 million patients from all countries, all ethnic groups and of all ages suffer from allergic rhinitis. It affects social life, sleep, school and work and its economic impact is substantial. Risk factors for allergic rhinitis are well identified. Indoor and outdoor allergens as well as occupational agents cause rhinitis and other allergic diseases. The role of indoor and outdoor pollution is probably very important, but has yet to be fully understood both for the occurrence of the disease and its manifestations.
In 1999, during the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) WHO workshop, the expert panel proposed a new classification for allergic rhinitis which was subdivided into 'intermittent' or 'persistent' disease.
This classification is now validated. The diagnosis of allergic rhinitis is often quite easy, but in some cases it may cause problems and many patients are still under-diagnosed, often because they do not perceive the symptoms of rhinitis as a disease impairing their social life, school and work.
The management of allergic rhinitis is well established and the ARIA expert panel based its recommendations on evidence using an extensive review of the literature available up to December 1999. The statements of evidence for the development of these guidelines followed WHO rules and were based on those of Shekelle et al. A large number of papers have been published since 2000 and are extensively reviewed in the 2008 Update using the same evidence-based system. Recommendations for the management of allergic rhinitis are similar in both the ARIA workshop report and the 2008 Update. In the future, the GRADE approach will be used, but is not yet available.
Another important aspect of the ARIA guidelines was to consider co-morbidities. Both allergic rhinitis and asthma are systemic inflammatory conditions and often co-exist in the same patients. In the 2008 Update, these links have been confirmed.
The ARIA document is not intended to be a standard-of-care document for individual countries. It is provided as a basis for physicians, health care professionals and organizations involved in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and asthma in various countries to facilitate the development of relevant local standard-of-care documents for patients.
3,769 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that asbestos and silica are sensed by the Nalp3 inflammasome, whose subsequent activation leads to interleukin-1β secretion, and support its role as a major proinflammatory “danger” receptor in particulate matter–related pulmonary diseases.
Abstract: The inhalation of airborne pollutants, such as asbestos or silica, is linked to inflammation of the lung, fibrosis, and lung cancer. How the presence of pathogenic dust is recognized and how chronic inflammatory diseases are triggered are poorly understood. Here, we show that asbestos and silica are sensed by the Nalp3 inflammasome, whose subsequent activation leads to interleukin-1β secretion. Inflammasome activation is triggered by reactive oxygen species, which are generated by a NADPH oxidase upon particle phagocytosis. (NADPH is the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate.) In a model of asbestos inhalation, Nalp3–/– mice showed diminished recruitment of inflammatory cells to the lungs, paralleled by lower cytokine production. Our findings implicate the Nalp3 inflammasome in particulate matter–related pulmonary diseases and support its role as a major proinflammatory “danger” receptor.
2,382 citations
University of Zurich1, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai2, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill3, Monash University4, University Hospital of Lausanne5, University of California, San Diego6, Radboud University Nijmegen7, University of Buenos Aires8, Cornell University9, University of Amsterdam10, University of Alabama at Birmingham11, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine12, University of California, San Francisco13
TL;DR: This report provides guidelines for when to initiate antiretroviral therapy, selection of appropriate initial regimens, patient monitoring, when to change therapy, and what regimens to use when changing.
Abstract: Context New trial data and drug regimens that have become available in the last 2 years warrant an update to guidelines for antiretroviral therapy (ART) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected adults in resource-rich settings. Objective To provide current recommendations for the treatment of adult HIV infection with ART and use of laboratory-monitoring tools. Guidelines include when to start therapy and with what drugs, monitoring for response and toxic effects, special considerations in therapy, and managing antiretroviral failure. Data Sources, Study Selection, and Data Extraction Data that had been published or presented in abstract form at scientific conferences in the past 2 years were systematically searched and reviewed by an International Antiviral Society–USA panel. The panel reviewed available evidence and formed recommendations by full panel consensus. Data Synthesis Treatment is recommended for all adults with HIV infection; the strength of the recommendation and the quality of the evidence increase with decreasing CD4 cell count and the presence of certain concurrent conditions. Recommended initial regimens include 2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (tenofovir/emtricitabine or abacavir/lamivudine) plus a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (efavirenz), a ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor (atazanavir or darunavir), or an integrase strand transfer inhibitor (raltegravir). Alternatives in each class are recommended for patients with or at risk of certain concurrent conditions. CD4 cell count and HIV-1 RNA level should be monitored, as should engagement in care, ART adherence, HIV drug resistance, and quality-of-care indicators. Reasons for regimen switching include virologic, immunologic, or clinical failure and drug toxicity or intolerance. Confirmed treatment failure should be addressed promptly and multiple factors considered. Conclusion New recommendations for HIV patient care include offering ART to all patients regardless of CD4 cell count, changes in therapeutic options, and modifications in the timing and choice of ART in the setting of opportunistic illnesses such as cryptococcal disease and tuberculosis.
2,357 citations
Daniel J. Klionsky1, Hagai Abeliovich2, Patrizia Agostinis3, Devendra K. Agrawal4 +232 more•Institutions (137)
TL;DR: A set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of the methods that can be used by investigators who are attempting to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as by reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that investigate these processes are presented.
Abstract: Research in autophagy continues to accelerate,(1) and as a result many new scientists are entering the field Accordingly, it is important to establish a standard set of criteria for monitoring macroautophagy in different organisms Recent reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose(2,3) There are many useful and convenient methods that can be used to monitor macroautophagy in yeast, but relatively few in other model systems, and there is much confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure macroautophagy in higher eukaryotes A key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers of autophagosomes versus those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway; thus, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation needs to be differentiated from fully functional autophagy that includes delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi) Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of the methods that can be used by investigators who are attempting to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as by reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that investigate these processes This set of guidelines is not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to verify an autophagic response
2,310 citations
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TL;DR: A link exists between global warming and the worldwide proliferation of harmful cyanobacterial blooms as discussed by the authors, and it has been shown that global warming can be linked with the proliferation of these blooms.
Abstract: A link exists between global warming and the worldwide proliferation of harmful cyanobacterial blooms.
2,180 citations
TL;DR: The biology of T NF and related family members are discussed in the context of the potential mechanisms of action of TNF antagonists in a variety of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.
1,517 citations
TL;DR: This meta-analysis synthesized 102 effect sizes reflecting the relation between specific moods and creativity revealing that positive moods produce more creativity than mood-neutral controls, and negative, deactivating moods were not associated with creativity, but negative, activating moods with an avoidance motivation and a prevention focus were associated with lower creativity.
Abstract: This meta-analysis synthesized 102 effect sizes reflecting the relation between specific moods and creativity. Effect sizes overall revealed that positive moods produce more creativity than mood-neutral controls (r= .15), but no significant differences between negative moods and mood-neutral controls (r= -.03) or between positive and negative moods (r= .04) were observed. Creativity is enhanced most by positive mood states that are activating and associated with an approach motivation and promotion focus (e.g., happiness), rather than those that are deactivating and associated with an avoidance motivation and prevention focus (e.g., relaxed). Negative, deactivating moods with an approach motivation and a promotion focus (e.g., sadness) were not associated with creativity, but negative, activating moods with an avoidance motivation and a prevention focus (fear, anxiety) were associated with lower creativity, especially when assessed as cognitive flexibility. With a few exceptions, these results generalized across experimental and correlational designs, populations (students vs. general adult population), and facet of creativity (e.g., fluency, flexibility, originality, eureka/insight). The authors discuss theoretical implications and highlight avenues for future research on specific moods, creativity, and their relationships.
1,346 citations
TL;DR: A systematic review of the literature on in-hospital adverse events found that a substantial part of these events are preventable and interventions aimed at preventing these events have the potential to make a substantial difference.
Abstract: Introduction: Adverse events in hospitals constitute a serious problem with grave consequences. Many studies have been conducted to gain an insight into this problem, but a general overview of the data is lacking. We performed a systematic review of the literature on inhospital adverse events. Methods: A formal search of Embase, Cochrane and Medline was performed. Studies were reviewed independently for methodology, inclusion and exclusion criteria and endpoints. Primary endpoints were incidence of in-hospital adverse events and percentage of preventability. Secondary endpoints were adverse event outcome and subdivision by provider of care, location and type of event. Results: Eight studies including a total of 74 485 patient records were selected. The median overall incidence of inhospital adverse events was 9.2%, with a median percentage of preventability of 43.5%. More than half (56.3%) of patients experienced no or minor disability, whereas 7.4% of events were lethal. Operation- (39.6%) and medication-related (15.1%) events constituted the majority. We present a summary of evidence-based interventions aimed at these categories of events. Conclusions: Adverse events during hospital admission affect nearly one out of 10 patients. A substantial part of these events are preventable. Since a large proportion of the in-hospital events are operation- or drug-related, interventions aimed at preventing these events have the potential to make a substantial difference.
1,292 citations
TL;DR: A strategy based on cross model validation and permutation testing to validate the classification models and advocate against the use of PLSDA score plots for inference of class differences is discussed.
Abstract: Classifying groups of individuals based on their metabolic profile is one of the main topics in metabolomics research. Due to the low number of individuals compared to the large number of variables, this is not an easy task. PLSDA is one of the data analysis methods used for the classification. Unfortunately this method eagerly overfits the data and rigorous validation is necessary. The validation however is far from straightforward. Is this paper we will discuss a strategy based on cross model validation and permutation testing to validate the classification models. It is also shown that too optimistic results are obtained when the validation is not done properly. Furthermore, we advocate against the use of PLSDA score plots for inference of class differences.
1,216 citations
TL;DR: This article explored the interface between personality psychology and economics and examined the predictive power of personality and the stability of personality traits over the life cycle, and developed simple analytical frameworks for interpreting the evidence in personality psychology.
Abstract: This paper explores the interface between personality psychology and economics. We examine the predictive power of personality and the stability of personality traits over the life cycle. We develop simple analytical frameworks for interpreting the evidence in personality psychology and suggest promising avenues for future research.
1,206 citations
TL;DR: There is great variation in the reported prevalence of FOF in older people and that there are multiple associated factors, which may be useful in developing multidimensional strategies to decrease FOF and improve quality of life.
Abstract: Background fear of falling (FOF) is a major health problem among the elderly living in communities, present in older people who have fallen but also in older people who have never experienced a fall. The aims of this study were 4-fold: first, to study methods to measure FOF; second, to study the prevalence of FOF among fallers and non-fallers; third, to identify factors related to FOF; and last, to investigate the relationship between FOF and possible consequences among community-dwelling older persons. Methods several databases were systematically searched, and selected articles were cross-checked for other relevant publications. Results a systematic review identified 28 relevant studies among the community-dwelling elderly. Due to the many different kinds of measurements used, the reported prevalence of FOF varied between 3 and 85%. The main risk factors for developing FOF are at least one fall, being female and being older. The main consequences were identified as a decline in physical and mental performance, an increased risk of falling and progressive loss of health-related quality of life. Conclusion this review shows that there is great variation in the reported prevalence of FOF in older people and that there are multiple associated factors. Knowledge of risk factors of FOF may be useful in developing multidimensional strategies to decrease FOF and improve quality of life. However, the only identified modifiable risk factor of FOF is a previous fall. In order to measure the impact of interventions, a uniform measurement strategy for FOF should be adopted, and follow-up studies should be conducted.
TL;DR: In patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, combined therapy with ezetimibe and simVastatin did not result in a significant difference in changes in intima-media thickness, as compared with simvastatin alone, despite decreases in levels of LDL cholesterol and C-reactive protein.
Abstract: The primary outcome, the mean (±SE) change in the carotid-artery intima–media thickness, was 0.0058±0.0037 mm in the simvastatin-only group and 0.0111±0.0038 mm in the simvastatin-plus-ezetimibe (combined-therapy) group (P = 0.29). Secondary outcomes (consisting of other variables regarding the intima–media thickness of the carotid and femoral arteries) did not differ significantly between the two groups. At the end of the study, the mean (±SD) LDL cholesterol level was 192.7±60.3 mg per deciliter (4.98±1.56 mmol per liter) in the simvastatin group and 141.3±52.6 mg per deciliter (3.65±1.36 mmol per liter) in the combined-therapy group (a between-group difference of 16.5%, P<0.01). The differences between the two groups in reductions in levels of triglycerides and C-reactive protein were 6.6% and 25.7%, respectively, with greater reductions in the combined-therapy group (P<0.01 for both comparisons). Side-effect and safety profiles were similar in the two groups. Conclusions In patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, combined therapy with ezetimibe and simvastatin did not result in a significant difference in changes in intima–media thickness, as compared with simvastatin alone, despite decreases in levels of LDL cholesterol and C-reactive protein. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00552097.)
TL;DR: The present functional magnetic resonance imaging findings demonstrate the validity, function, and generalizability of PASA, as well as its importance for the cognitive neuroscience of aging.
Abstract: A consistent finding from functional neuroimaging studies of cognitive aging is an age-related reduction in occipital activity coupled with increased frontal activity. This posterior-anterior shift in aging (PASA) has been typically attributed to functional compensation. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging sought to 1) confirm that PASA reflects the effects of aging rather than differences in task difficulty; 2) test the compensation hypothesis; and 3) investigate whether PASA generalizes to deactivations. Young and older participants were scanned during episodic retrieval and visual perceptual tasks, and age-related changes in brain activity common to both tasks were identified. The study yielded 3 main findings. First, inconsistent with a difficulty account, the PASA pattern was found across task and confidence levels when matching performance among groups. Second, supporting the compensatory hypothesis, age-related increases in frontal activity were positively correlated with performance and negatively correlated with the age-related occipital decreases. Age-related increases and correlations with parietal activity were also found. Finally, supporting the generalizability of the PASA pattern to deactivations, aging reduced deactivations in posterior midline cortex but increased deactivations in medial frontal cortex. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the validity, function, and generalizability of PASA, as well as its importance for the cognitive neuroscience of aging.
TL;DR: The GRADE system can be used to grade the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations for diagnostic tests or strategies as discussed by the authors, and patient-important outcomes are taken into account in this process.
Abstract: The GRADE system can be used to grade the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations for diagnostic tests or strategies. This article explains how patient-important outcomes are taken into account in this process
TL;DR: This paper found that companies that provided contributions to elected federal deputies experienced higher stock returns than firms that did not around the 1998 and 2002 elections, suggesting that contributions help shape policy on a firm-specific basis.
Book•
24 May 2008TL;DR: In this article, the Citizen and the Body and Managing versus Doctoring are discussed. And the Good in Practice is discussed. But the focus is on the individual and the collective.
Abstract: 1 Two Logics 2 Customer or Patient? 3 The Citizen and the Body 4 Managing versus Doctoring 5 Individual and Collective 6 The Good in Practice
Posted Content•
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed the impact of a leading entrepreneurship education program on college students' entrepreneurship skills and motivation using an instrumental variables approach in a difference-in-differences framework.
Abstract: This paper analyzes the impact of a leading entrepreneurship education program on college students’ entrepreneurship skills and motivation using an instrumental variables approach in a difference-in-differences framework We exploit that the program was offered to students at one location of a school but not at another location of the same school Location choice (and thereby treatment) is instrumented by the relative distance of locations to parents’ place of residence The results show that the program does not have the intended effects: the effect on students’ self-assessed entrepreneurial skills is insignificant and the effect on the intention to become an entrepreneur is even negative
TL;DR: Recent methodological developments concerning problem formulation, location of literature, quality assessment, and meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy studies are reviewed by using the experience from the work on the Cochrane Handbook.
Abstract: More and more systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy studies are being published, but they can be methodologically challenging. In this paper, the authors present some of the recent developments in the methodology for conducting systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy studies. Restrictive electronic search filters are discouraged, as is the use of summary quality scores. Methods for meta-analysis should take into account the paired nature of the estimates and their dependence on threshold. Authors of these reviews are advised to use the hierarchical summary receiver-operating characteristic or the bivariate model for the data analysis. Challenges that remain are the poor reporting of original diagnostic test accuracy studies and difficulties with the interpretation of the results of diagnostic test accuracy research.
TL;DR: In patients managed with temozolomide chemoradiotherapy who have clinically asymptomatic progressive lesions at the end of treatment, adjuvant temozoomide should be continued; in clinically symptomatic patients, surgery should be considered.
Abstract: Since the introduction of chemoradiotherapy with temozolomide as the new standard of care for patients with glioblastoma, there has been an increasing awareness of progressive and enhancing lesions on MRI, noted immediately after the end of treatment, which are not related to tumour progression, but which are a treatment effect. This so-called pseudoprogression can occur in up to 20% of patients who have been treated with temozolomide chemoradiotherapy, and can explain about half of all cases of increasing lesions after the end of this treatment. These lesions decrease in size or stabilise without additional treatments and often remain clinically asymptomatic. Additionally, there is evidence that treatment-related necrosis occurs more frequently and earlier after temozolomide chemotherapy than after radiotherapy alone. The mechanisms behind these events have not yet been fully elucidated, but the likelihood is that chemoradiotherapy causes a higher degree of (desired) tumour-cell and endothelial-cell killing. This increased cell kill might lead to secondary reactions, such as oedema and abnormal vessel permeability in the tumour area, mimicking tumour progression, in addition to subsequent early treatment-related necrosis in some patients and milder subacute radiotherapy reactions in others. In patients managed with temozolomide chemoradiotherapy who have clinically asymptomatic progressive lesions at the end of treatment, adjuvant temozolomide should be continued; in clinically symptomatic patients, surgery should be considered. If mainly necrosis is noted during surgery, continuation of adjuvant temozolomide is logical. Trials on the treatment of recurrent malignant glioma should exclude patients with progression within the first 3 months after temozolomide chemoradiotherapy unless histological confirmation of tumour recurrence is available. Further research is needed to establish reliable imaging parameters that distinguish between true tumour progression and pseudoprogression or treatment-related necrosis.
St George's, University of London1, University of Sydney2, University of California, San Diego3, University of Iceland4, Karolinska Institutet5, University of Amsterdam6, University of Saskatchewan7, National Institute for Health and Welfare8, University of Helsinki9, Thomas Jefferson University10, University of Southampton11, Norwegian University of Science and Technology12, Crozer-Keystone Health System13, University College London14, University of Bristol15, University of London16, Dokkyo Medical University17, Harvard University18, University of Eastern Finland19, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital20
TL;DR: In most populations studied, birth weight was inversely related to type 2 diabetes risk, and the shape of the birth weight-type 2 diabetes association was strongly graded, particularly at birth weights of 3 kg or less.
Abstract: Context Low birth weight is implicated as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. However, the strength, consistency, independence, and shape of the association have not been systematically examined. Objective To conduct a quantitative systematic review examining published evidence on the association of birth weight and type 2 diabetes in adults. Data Sources and Study Selection Relevant studies published by June 2008 were identified through literature searches using EMBASE (from 1980), MEDLINE (from 1950), and Web of Science (from 1980), with a combination of text words and Medical Subject Headings. Studies with either quantitative or qualitative estimates of the association between birth weight and type 2 diabetes were included. Data Extraction Estimates of association (odds ratio [OR] per kilogram of increase in birth weight) were obtained from authors or from published reports in models that allowed the effects of adjustment (for body mass index and socioeconomic status) and the effects of exclusion (for macrosomia and maternal diabetes) to be examined. Estimates were pooled using random-effects models, allowing for the possibility that true associations differed between populations. Data Synthesis Of 327 reports identified, 31 were found to be relevant. Data were obtained from 30 of these reports (31 populations; 6090 diabetes cases; 152 084 individuals). Inverse birth weight–type 2 diabetes associations were observed in 23 populations (9 of which were statistically significant) and positive associations were found in 8 (2 of which were statistically significant). Appreciable heterogeneity between populations (I 2 = 66%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 51%-77%) was largely explained by positive associations in 2 native North American populations with high prevalences of maternal diabetes and in 1 other population of young adults. In the remaining 28 populations, the pooled OR of type 2 diabetes, adjusted for age and sex, was 0.75 (95% CI, 0.70-0.81) per kilogram. The shape of the birth weight–type 2 diabetes association was strongly graded, particularly at birth weights of 3 kg or less. Adjustment for current body mass index slightly strengthened the association (OR, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.70-0.82] before adjustment and 0.70 [95% CI, 0.65-0.76] after adjustment). Adjustment for socioeconomic status did not materially affect the association (OR, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.70-0.84] before adjustment and 0.78 [95% CI, 0.72-0.84] after adjustment). There was no strong evidence of publication or small study bias. Conclusion In most populations studied, birth weight was inversely related to type 2 diabetes risk.
21 Sep 2008
TL;DR: This paper presents an easy to install sensor network and an accurate but inexpensive annotation method and shows how the hidden Markov model and conditional random fields perform in recognizing activities.
Abstract: A sensor system capable of automatically recognizing activities would allow many potential ubiquitous applications. In this paper, we present an easy to install sensor network and an accurate but inexpensive annotation method. A recorded dataset consisting of 28 days of sensor data and its annotation is described and made available to the community. Through a number of experiments we show how the hidden Markov model and conditional random fields perform in recognizing activities. We achieve a timeslice accuracy of 95.6% and a class accuracy of 79.4%.
TL;DR: In this paper, a coupled biological-physical model was developed to investigate how competition for light between buoyant cyanobacteria, diatoms and green algae in eutrophic lakes is affected by the meteorological conditions of this extreme summer heatwave.
Abstract: Dense surface blooms of toxic cyanobacteria in eutrophic lakes may lead to mass mortalities of fish and birds, and provide a serious health threat for cattle, pets, and humans. It has been argued that global warming may increase the incidence of harmful algal blooms. Here, we report on a lake experiment where intermittent artificial mixing failed to control blooms of the harmful cyanobacterium Microcystis during the summer of 2003, one of the hottest summers ever recorded in Europe. To understand this failure, we develop a coupled biological-physical model investigating how competition for light between buoyant cyanobacteria, diatoms and green algae in eutrophic lakes is affected by the meteorological conditions of this extreme summer heatwave. The model consists of a phytoplankton competition model coupled to a one-dimensional hydrodynamic model, driven by meteorological data. The model predicts that high temperatures favour cyanobacteria directly, through increased growth rates. Moreover, high temperatures also increase the stability of the water column, thereby reducing vertical turbulent mixing, which shifts the competitive balance in favour of buoyant cyanobacteria. Through these direct and indirect temperature effects, in combination with reduced wind speed and reduced cloudiness, summer heatwaves boost the development of harmful cyanobacterial blooms. These findings warn that climate change is likely to yield an increased threat of harmful cyanobacteria in eutrophic freshwater ecosystems.
TL;DR: A dual pathway to creativity model is developed and tested, arguing that activating moods lead to more creative fluency and originality than do deactivating moods and that enhanced cognitive flexibility when tone is positive and because of enhanced persistence whentone is negative.
Abstract: To understand when and why mood states influence creativity, the authors developed and tested a dual pathway to creativity model; creative fluency (number of ideas or insights) and originality (novelty) are functions of cognitive flexibility, persistence, or some combination thereof. Invoking work on arousal, psychophysiological processes, and working memory capacity, the authors argue that activating moods (e.g., angry, fearful, happy, elated) lead to more creative fluency and originality than do deactivating moods (e.g., sad, depressed, relaxed, serene). Furthermore, activating moods influence creative fluency and originality because of enhanced cognitive flexibility when tone is positive and because of enhanced persistence when tone is negative. Four studies with different mood manipulations and operationalizations of creativity (e.g., brainstorming, category inclusion tasks, gestalt completion tests) support the model.
TL;DR: In this large European multicenter study, a positive fluid balance was an important factor associated with increased 60-day mortality, and among patients treated with RRT, length of stay and mortality were lower when RRT was started early in the course of the ICU stay.
Abstract: Despite significant improvements in intensive care medicine, the prognosis of acute renal failure (ARF) remains poor, with mortality ranging from 40% to 65%. The aim of the present observational study was to analyze the influence of patient characteristics and fluid balance on the outcome of ARF in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The data were extracted from the Sepsis Occurrence in Acutely Ill Patients (SOAP) study, a multicenter observational cohort study to which 198 ICUs from 24 European countries contributed. All adult patients admitted to a participating ICU between 1 and 15 May 2002, except those admitted for uncomplicated postoperative surveillance, were eligible for the study. For the purposes of this substudy, patients were divided into two groups according to whether they had ARF. The groups were compared with respect to patient characteristics, fluid balance, and outcome. Of the 3,147 patients included in the SOAP study, 1,120 (36%) had ARF at some point during their ICU stay. Sixty-day mortality rates were 36% in patients with ARF and 16% in patients without ARF (P < 0.01). Oliguric patients and patients treated with renal replacement therapy (RRT) had higher 60-day mortality rates than patients without oliguria or the need for RRT (41% versus 33% and 52% versus 32%, respectively; P < 0.01). Independent risk factors for 60-day mortality in the patients with ARF were age, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II), heart failure, liver cirrhosis, medical admission, mean fluid balance, and need for mechanical ventilation. Among patients treated with RRT, length of stay and mortality were lower when RRT was started early in the course of the ICU stay. In this large European multicenter study, a positive fluid balance was an important factor associated with increased 60-day mortality. Outcome among patients treated with RRT was better when RRT was started early in the course of the ICU stay.
University of Padua1, University of Copenhagen2, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile3, University of Paris4, Erasmus University Rotterdam5, Medical University of Graz6, University of Sheffield7, University of Bern8, Hannover Medical School9, University of Murcia10, Queen Mary University of London11, Royal Stoke University Hospital12, University of Western Australia13, Royal London Hospital14, Radboud University Nijmegen15, Sapienza University of Rome16, University of Glasgow17, Charles University in Prague18, Istituto Giannina Gaslini19, Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital20, University of Leicester21, Vilnius University22, University of Amsterdam23, University of Gothenburg24, Imperial College London25
TL;DR: Large well-designed randomised controlled trials with clear descriptions of patients are needed to improve the present recommendations on the treatment of these common syndromes.
Abstract: There is poor agreement on definitions of different phenotypes of preschool wheezing disorders. The present Task Force proposes to use the terms episodic (viral) wheeze to describe children who wheeze intermittently and are well between episodes, and multiple-trigger wheeze for children who wheeze both during and outside discrete episodes. Investigations are only needed when in doubt about the diagnosis. Based on the limited evidence available, inhaled short-acting beta(2)-agonists by metered-dose inhaler/spacer combination are recommended for symptomatic relief. Educating parents regarding causative factors and treatment is useful. Exposure to tobacco smoke should be avoided; allergen avoidance may be considered when sensitisation has been established. Maintenance treatment with inhaled corticosteroids is recommended for multiple-trigger wheeze; benefits are often small. Montelukast is recommended for the treatment of episodic (viral) wheeze and can be started when symptoms of a viral cold develop. Given the large overlap in phenotypes, and the fact that patients can move from one phenotype to another, inhaled corticosteroids and montelukast may be considered on a trial basis in almost any preschool child with recurrent wheeze, but should be discontinued if there is no clear clinical benefit. Large well-designed randomised controlled trials with clear descriptions of patients are needed to improve the present recommendations on the treatment of these common syndromes.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the relationship of leader's social responsibility with different aspects of ethical leadership (morality and fairness, role clarification, and power sharing) as well as with despotic leadership.
Abstract: In this multi-method study, we examined the relationships of leader's social responsibility with different aspects of ethical leadership (morality and fairness, role clarification, and power sharing) as well as with despotic leadership. We also investigated how these leadership behaviors relate to effectiveness and optimism, using multiple-source ratings. Interviews with CEOs ( N = 73) were coded for the presence of leader's social responsibility and its facets. Also, using questionnaires, direct reports rated each CEOs' leader behavior ( n = 130) and a second group of direct reports ( n = 119) rated effectiveness and optimism. As expected, leaders high on social responsibility were rated higher on ethical leadership and lower on despotic leadership. Ethical leadership was also positively related to perceived top management team effectiveness and subordinates' optimism about the future of the organization and their own place within it.
TL;DR: In this article, an updated review of repetitive negative thinking as a transdiagnostic process is presented, where it is shown that elevated levels of negative thinking are present across a large range of Axis I disorders and appear causally involved in the maintenance of emotional problems.
Abstract: The current paper provides an updated review of repetitive negative thinking as a transdiagnostic process. It is shown that elevated levels of repetitive negative thinking are present across a large range of Axis I disorders and appear to be causally involved in the maintenance of emotional problems. As direct comparisons of repetitive negative thinking between different disorders (e.g., GAD–type worry and depressive rumination) have generally revealed more similarities than differences, it is argued that repetitive negative thinking is characterized by the same process across disorders, which is applied to a disorder–specific content. On the other hand, there is some evidence that—within given disorders—repetitive negative thinking can be reliably distinguished from other forms of recurrent cognitions, such as obsessions, intrusive memories or functional forms of repeated thinking. An agenda for future research on repetitive negative thinking from a transdiagnostic perspective is presented.
TL;DR: StarTrack as mentioned in this paper is a popular population synthesis code for X-ray binary populations that can be used for a wide variety of problems, with relevance to observations with many current and planned observatories, e.g., studies of Xray binaries (Chandra, XMM-Newton), gravitational radiation sources (LIGO, LISA), and gamma-ray burst progenitors (HETE-II, Swift).
Abstract: We present a comprehensive description of the population synthesis code StarTrack. The original code has been significantly modified and updated. Special emphasis is placed here on processes leading to the formation and further evolution of compact objects (white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes). Both single and binary star populations are considered. The code now incorporates detailed calculations of all mass transfer phases, a full implementation of orbital evolution due to tides, as well as the most recent estimates of magnetic braking. This updated version of StarTrack can be used for a wide variety of problems, with relevance to observations with many current and planned observatories, e.g., studies of X-ray binaries (Chandra, XMM-Newton), gravitational radiation sources (LIGO, LISA), and gamma-ray burst progenitors (HETE-II, Swift). The code has already been used in studies of Galactic and extragalactic X-ray binary populations, black holes in young star clusters, Type Ia supernova progenitors, and double compact object populations. Here we describe in detail the input physics, we present the code calibration and tests, and we outline our current studies in the context of X-ray binary populations.
TL;DR: The metabolic phenotype of mice treated with SRT1720, a specific and potent synthetic activator of SIRT1 that is devoid of direct action on AMPK that robustly enhances endurance running performance and strongly protects from diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance by enhancing oxidative metabolism in skeletal muscle, liver, and brown adipose tissue is reported.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors show that spheroid cultures of these colon CSCs contain expression of CD133, CD166, CD44, CD29, CD24, Lgr5, and nuclear β-catenin, which have all been suggested to mark the cancer stem cell population.
Abstract: Colon carcinoma is one of the leading causes of death from cancer and is characterized by a heterogenic pool of cells with distinct differentiation patterns. Recently, it was reported that a population of undifferentiated cells from a primary tumor, so-called cancer stem cells (CSC), can reconstitute the original tumor on xenotransplantation. Here, we show that spheroid cultures of these colon CSCs contain expression of CD133, CD166, CD44, CD29, CD24, Lgr5, and nuclear β-catenin, which have all been suggested to mark the (cancer) stem cell population. More importantly, by using these spheroid cultures or freshly isolated tumor cells from multiple colon carcinomas, we now provide compelling evidence to indicate that the capacity to propagate a tumor with all differentiated progeny resides in a single CSC. Single-cell-cloned CSCs can form an adenocarcinoma on xenotransplantation but do not generate the stroma within these tumors. Moreover, they can self-renew and are capable of multilineage differentiation. Further analysis indicated that the lineage decision is dictated by phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling in CSCs. These data support the hypothesis that tumor hierarchy can be traced back to a single CSC that contains multilineage differentiation capacity, and provides clues to the regulation of differentiation in colon cancers in vivo.