bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of surgical approach on erectile function recovery following bilateral nerve‐sparing radical prostatectomy: an evaluation utilising data from a randomised, double‐blind, double‐dummy multicentre trial of tadalafil vs placebo
Authors: Stolzenburg Jens‐Uwe , Graefen Markus , Kriegel Christian , Michl Uwe , Martin Morales Antonio , Pommerville Peter J. , Manning Martina , Büttner Hartwig , Henneges Carsten , Schostak Martin
Published: January 2015

Objectives

To report pre‐specified and exploratory results on the effect of different surgical approaches on erectile function (EF) after nerve‐sparing radical prostatectomy (nsRP) obtained from the multicentre, randomised, double‐blind, double‐dummy REACTT trial of tadalafil (once a day [OaD] or on‐demand [pro‐re‐nata, PRN]) vs placebo.

Patients and Methods

Patients aged <68 years with normal preoperative EF who underwent nsRP for localised prostate cancer (Gleason ≤7, prostate‐specific antigen [PSA] <10 ng/mL) were randomised after nsRP 1:1:1 to 9‐month double‐blind treatment with tadalafil 5 mg OaD, tadalafil 20 mg PRN, or placebo, followed by 6‐week drug‐free washout, and 3‐month open‐label OaD treatment (all patients). Recovery of EF was defined as an International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)‐EF domain score of ≥22 and normal orgasmic function was defined based on IIEF Question 10. Both parameters were analysed at the end of washout using logistic regression including terms for treatment, country, visit, visit‐by‐treatment interaction, age group, nerve‐sparing score (perfect = 2, non‐perfect >2), and surgical approach (open surgery, robot‐assisted laparoscopy, conventional laparoscopy, other). Time to EF recovery was analysed post hoc with a Cox proportional‐hazards model including terms for treatment, age‐group, country, surgical approach and surgery‐by‐treatment interaction.

Results

Of 422 patients treated, 189 underwent open surgery, 115 robot‐assisted laparoscopy, 88 conventional laparoscopy and 30 surgery classified as ‘other’. The odds of achieving EF recovery at the end of drug‐free washout were about twice as high for the robot‐assisted laparoscopy group compared with the open surgery group (odds ratio 2.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24, 4.72; P = 0.029). Patients who underwent robot‐assisted laparoscopy were significantly more likely to recover during double‐blind treatment compared with patients who underwent open surgery (hazard ratio 1.92; 95% CI 1.17, 3.15; P = 0.010). No favourable effect of conventional laparoscopy compared with open surgery could be seen.

Conclusion

These results may provide further insights into the role of surgery on EF recovery after nsRP. However, the trial was not designed for these analyses and further prospective studies are needed.
Utilisation of preoperative imaging for muscle‐invasive bladder cancer: a population‐based study
Authors: McInnes Matthew D.F. , Siemens D. Robert , Mackillop William J. , Peng Yingwei , Wei Shelly , Schieda Nicola , Booth Christopher M.
Published: January 2015

Objective

To test the hypotheses that: (i) use of preoperative imaging for muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) conforms to practice guidelines; (ii) preoperative imaging, through more accurate staging is associated with improved outcomes.

Patient and Methods

In this population‐based cohort study, records of treatment were linked to the Ontario Cancer Registry to identify all patients with MIBC treated with cystectomy from 1994 to 2008. Utilisation of chest, abdomen‐pelvis and bone imaging were evaluated. Trends were evaluated over time. Logistic regression was used to analyse factors associated with utilisation. Cox model analyses were used to explore associations between imaging and survival.

Results

In all, 2 802 patients with MIBC underwent cystectomy during 1994–2008. Over the three 5‐year study periods there was an increase in the proportion of patients having preoperative: chest X‐ray (55%, 64%, 63%, P < 0.001), computed tomography (CT) of the chest (10%, 10%, 21%, P < 0.001), bone scan (30%, 34%, 36%; P = 0.04) and CT/magnetic resonance imaging/ultrasonography abdomen/pelvis (80%, 87%, 90%, P ≤ 0.001). Use of chest imaging was associated with age (odds ratio [OR] 1.24–1.59 compared with the youngest age group), N‐stage (OR 0.79 for the NX group compared with the N+ group), surgeon volume (OR 0.47–0.53 compared with the highest volume quartile) and geographic region (OR 0.47–2.19 compared with the largest region). Use of bone scan was associated with N‐stage (OR 0.57 for the NX group compared with the N+ group) and geographic region (OR 0.71–1.34 compared with the largest region). In adjusted analyses, we found that patients who did not have preoperative chest imaging had inferior overall survival (OS), hazard ratio (HR) 1.12 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–1.25) but not cancer specific survival (CSS), HR 1.09 (95% CI 0.97–1.22); those who did not have preoperative bone scan had inferior OS (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.01–1.22) and CSS (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01–1.25). Survival in the abdomen and pelvis imaging group was not evaluated due to lack of a suitable control group.

Conclusion

In routine clinical practice there is considerable variation in use of preoperative chest, body, and bone imaging. Preoperative chest and bone imaging is associated with improved outcomes; this association probably reflects better patient selection for cystectomy.
Angiotensin‐(1‐7) attenuates airway remodelling and hyperresponsiveness in a model of chronic allergic lung inflammation
Authors: Magalhães G S , Rodrigues‐Machado M G , Motta‐Santos D , Silva A R , Caliari M V , Prata L O , Abreu S C , Rocco P R M , Barcelos L S , Santos R A S , Campagnole‐Santos M J
Published: January 2015

Background and Purpose

A long‐term imbalance between pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory mediators leads to airway remodelling, which is strongly correlated to most of the symptoms, severity and progression of chronic lung inflammation. The Angiotensin‐(1‐7) [Ang‐(1‐7)]/Mas receptor axis of the renin‐angiotensin system is associated with attenuation of acute and chronic inflammatory processes. In this study, we investigated the effects of Ang‐(1‐7) treatment in a model of chronic allergic lung inflammation.

Experimental Approach

Mice were sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA; 4 injections over 42 days, 14 days apart) and were challenged three times per week (days 21–46). These mice received Ang‐(1‐7) (1 μg·h−1, s.c.) by osmotic mini‐pumps, for the last 28 days. Histology and morphometric analysis were performed in left lung and right ventricle. Airway responsiveness to methacholine, analysis of Ang‐(1‐7) levels (RIA), collagen I and III (qRT‐PCR), ERK1/2 and JNK (Western blotting), IgE (elisa), cytokines and chemokines (elisa multiplex), and immunohistochemistry for Mas receptors were performed.

Key Results

Infusion of Ang‐(1‐7) in OVA‐sensitized and challenged mice decreased inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen deposition in the airways and lung parenchyma, and prevented bronchial hyperresponsiveness. These effects were accompanied by decreased IgE and ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and decreased pro‐inflammatory cytokines. Mas receptors were detected in the epithelium and bronchial smooth muscle, suggesting a site in the lung for the beneficial actions of Ang‐(1‐7).

Conclusions and Implications

Ang‐(1‐7) exerted beneficial attenuation of three major features of chronic asthma: lung inflammation, airway remodelling and hyperresponsiveness. Our results support an important protective role of Ang‐(1‐7) in lung inflammation.
Transdermal patches: history, development and pharmacology
Authors: Pastore Michael N , Kalia Yogeshvar N , Horstmann Michael , Roberts Michael S
Published: January 2015

Transdermal patches are now widely used as cosmetic, topical and transdermal delivery systems. These patches represent a key outcome from the growth in skin science, technology and expertise developed through trial and error, clinical observation and evidence‐based studies that date back to the first existing human records. This review begins with the earliest topical therapies and traces topical delivery to the present‐day transdermal patches, describing along the way the initial trials, devices and drug delivery systems that underpin current transdermal patches and their actives. This is followed by consideration of the evolution in the various patch designs and their limitations as well as requirements for actives to be used for transdermal delivery. The properties of and issues associated with the use of currently marketed products, such as variability, safety and regulatory aspects, are then described. The review concludes by examining future prospects for transdermal patches and drug delivery systems, such as the combination of active delivery systems with patches, minimally invasive microneedle patches and cutaneous solutions, including metered‐dose systems.
Stage‐dependent benefits and risks of pimobendan in mice with genetic dilated cardiomyopathy and progressive heart failure
Authors: Nonaka Miki , Morimoto Sachio , Murayama Takashi , Kurebayashi Nagomi , Li Lei , Wang Yuan‐Yuan , Arioka Masaki , Yoshihara Tatsuya , Takahashi‐Yanaga Fumi , Sasaguri Toshiyuki
Published: January 2015

Background and Purpose

The Ca2+ sensitizer pimobendan is a unique inotropic agent that improves cardiac contractility with less of an increase in oxygen consumption and potentially fewer adverse effects on myocardial remodelling and arrhythmia, compared with traditional inotropes. However, clinical trials report contradictory effects of pimobendan in patients with heart failure (HF). We provide mechanistic experimental evidence of the efficacy of pimobendan using a novel mouse model of progressive HF.

Experimental Approach

A knock‐in mouse model of human genetic dilated cardiomyopathy, which shows a clear transition from compensatory to end‐stage HF at a fixed time during growth, was used to evaluate the efficacy of pimobendan and explore the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms.

Key Results

Pimobendan prevented myocardial remodelling in compensated HF and significantly extended life span in both compensated and end‐stage HF, but dose‐dependently increased sudden death in end‐stage HF. In cardiomyocytes isolated from end‐stage HF mice, pimobendan induced triggered activity probably because of early or delayed afterdepolarizations. The L‐type Ca2+ channel blocker verapamil decreased the incidence of triggered activity, suggesting that this was from over‐elevated cytoplasmic Ca2+ through increased Ca2+ entry by PDE3 inhibition under diminished sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ reuptake and increased Ca2+ leakage from sarcoplasmic reticulum in end‐stage HF.

Conclusions and Implications

Pimobendan was beneficial regardless of HF stage, but increased sudden cardiac death in end‐stage HF with extensive remodelling of Ca2+ handling. Reduction of cytoplasmic Ca2+ elevated by PDE3 inhibition might decrease this risk of sudden cardiac death.
Compound 21, a selective agonist of angiotensin AT2 receptors, prevents endothelial inflammation and leukocyte adhesion in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Sampson Amanda K , Irvine Jennifer C , Shihata Waled A , Dragoljevic Dragana , Lumsden Natalie , Huet Olivier , Barnes Tyrone , Unger Thomas , Steckelings Ulrike M , Jennings Garry L , Widdop Robert E , Chin‐Dusting Jaye P F
Published: January 2015

Background and Purpose

Angiotensin AT2 receptors are upregulated in disease states such as atherosclerosis and blockade of the AT2 receptors exacerbates plaque formation. Direct stimulation of these receptors is anti‐atherogenic but the mechanisms and pathways involved remain unknown. We examined the effect of direct AT2 receptor stimulation with Compound 21 (C21) on the leukocyte adhesion cascade in vitro, right through to plaque formation in vivo.

Experimental Approach

Effects of C21 on TNFα‐induced inflammation were assessed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), activation of monocytes, polarisation of monocyte‐derived macrophages and in intact mouse aortae.

Key Results

C21 attenuated TNFα‐induced: monocyte adhesion to cultured HUVECs, adhesion molecule expression and abolished TNFα‐induced ROS production. TNFα‐induced NFκB translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, essential for cytokine production, was prevented by C21. C21 did not influence monocyte activation or macrophage polarisation but did reduce TNFα and IL‐6 mRNA expression in M1 macrophages. The anti‐inflammatory effects of C21 were abolished by an AT2 receptor antagonist confirming that the effects of C21 were AT2 receptor‐mediated. Also, leukocyte adhesion and cytokine gene expression, induced by high‐fat diet (HFD), was attenuated in ApoE‐/‐ mice treated with C21. Plaque size and stability were improved with C21 treatment with increased smooth muscle cell composition and decreased lipid size, compared with HFD‐saline treated mice.

Conclusion and Implications

C21 prevented TNFα‐induced and HFD‐induced vascular inflammation in vitro and in vivo. Our data provide strong evidence that the anti‐atherosclerotic actions of C21 were due to vascular anti‐inflammatory effects, mediated by AT2 receptors.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Inflammation: maladies, models, mechanisms and molecules. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2016.173.issue-4
Worse outcome in women with STEMI: a systematic review of prognostic studies
Authors: van der Meer Manon G. , Nathoe Hendrik M. , van der Graaf Yolanda , Doevendans Pieter A. , Appelman Yolande
Published: January 2015

Background

Treatment of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has improved enormously since the introduction of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). It remains unclear whether differences in survival between women and men treated with pPCI exist and whether these potential differences can be explained by gender or by differences in baseline‐ or procedural characteristics. Therefore we systematically reviewed the available evidence.

Materials and methods

On 10 May 2013 PubMed, Embase and Cochrane were searched for studies comprising original data on STEMI patients treated with pPCI. A separate gender analysis including > 100 women was a requirement. Data were extracted and pooled whenever possible.

Results

21 studies were included from 2001 to 2013 comprising 47·439 men and 16·927 women. Women were older, had more diabetes (women 24%, men 15%) and hypertension (women 58%, men 45%), and were less current smokers (women 30%, men 54%). The procedural characteristics were comparable except for a longer symptom‐to‐balloon time (women 266 min, men 240 min) and less use of GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors in women (women 51%, men 57%). Crude short‐ and long‐term mortality was higher in women. Although we could not pool adjusted mortality proportions due to heterogeneity, generally the difference in mortality disappeared after adjustment for baseline‐ and procedural characteristics.

Conclusion

Mortality is higher in women with STEMI and can be explained by their unfavourable risk profile and longer symptom‐to‐balloon time.
Unnatural Contexts Cause Honey Bee Guards to Adopt Non‐Guarding Behaviours Towards Allospecifics and Conspecifics
Authors: Couvillon Margaret J. , Boniface Taylor J. , Evripidou Alexis M. , Owen Christopher J. , Ratnieks Francis L. W.
Published: January 2015

Context plays an important role in a discriminator's ability to make appropriate recognition decisions, such as accepting what is acceptable and rejecting what is not acceptable. Previously it was shown that in both honey bees and stingless bees, discriminating workers (guards) make more errors towards conspecific non‐nestmates when the guards are removed from the natural hive entrance. However, it may be that guards, in addition to making incorrect recognition decisions, also may adopt non‐guarding behaviours. Here, we tested honey bee guards in two contexts (natural versus unnatural) against five types of introduced arthropods (conspecific nestmates and non‐nestmates; allospecific wasps, beetles and woodlice), which should be rejected without error. We scored a guard's response as accept, reject, avoid and ignore. Total errors significantly increased from natural to unnatural contexts. Specifically, guards were significantly more likely to make an acceptance error, guarding and accepting both conspecific and allospecific non‐nestmates, in the unnatural context. Importantly, guards were significantly more likely to adopt a non‐guarding behaviour in the unnatural context, which usually involved ignoring or avoiding, where a guard makes contact but then immediately retreats, the introduced arthropod. Overall, these data demonstrate the context is important. Removing a guard from the home that it protects elicits either incorrect discrimination or, additionally, a complete lack of discriminator behaviour altogether.
Lessons from gain‐ and loss‐of‐function models of pro‐survival Bcl2 family proteins: implications for targeted therapy
Authors: Sochalska Maja , Tuzlak Selma , Egle Alexander , Villunger Andreas
Published: January 2015

Cell survival depends on the maintenance of mitochondrial integrity controlled by a well‐balanced interplay between anti‐ and pro‐apoptotic B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) family members. Given their frequent deregulation in human pathologies, including autoimmunity and cancer, significant research efforts have increased our molecular understanding of how Bcl2 proteins control cell death. This has fostered the development of small non‐peptidic compounds, so‐called BH3‐mimetics, that show excellent prospects of passing clinical trials and entering daily use for targeted therapy. Possible limitations in clinical application may, to a certain degree, be predicted from loss‐of‐function phenotypes gathered from studies using gene‐modified mice that we attempt to summarize and discuss in this context.
Effects on Repolarization Using Dynamic QT Interval Monitoring in Long‐QT Patients Following Left Cardiac Sympathetic Denervation
Authors: DESIMONE CHRISTOPHER V. , BOS J. MARTIJN , BOS KATY M. , LIANG JACKSON J. , PATEL NIKHIL A. , HODGE DAVID O. , NOHERIA AMIT , ASIRVATHAM SAMUEL J. , ACKERMAN MICHAEL J.
Published: January 2015

Dynamic QT Interval Monitoring Post‐LCSD

Background

Videoscopic left cardiac sympathetic denervation (LCSD) is an adjunct therapy for reduction of arrhythmia‐induced events in patients with long‐QT syndrome (LQTS). LCSD reduces LQTS‐triggered breakthrough cardiac events. The temporal effects of QTc changes post‐LCSD have not been studied.

Methods

We utilized continuous QTc monitoring on 72 patients with LQTS. We evaluated acute and long‐term QTc changes in comparison to 12‐lead ECG‐derived QTc values prior to surgery, 24 hours postsurgery, and at follow up ≥3 months.

Results

Seventy‐two patients underwent LCSD at our institution (46% male, mean age at LCSD was 14 ± 10 years). The mean baseline, pre‐LCSD QTc was 505 ± 56 ms, which had decreased significantly at ≥3 months post‐LCSD to 491 ± 40 ms (P = 0.001). QTc monitoring revealed that the majority of the cohort (53/72; 74%) had a transient increase >30 ms in QTc from baseline, with an average maximum increase of 72 ± 30 ms. Resolution within 10 ms of baseline or less occurred in 57% (30/53) at 24 hours post‐LCSD.

Conclusions

Although LQTS patients may have a paradoxically increased QTc post‐LCSD, the effects are transient in most patients. Importantly, no patients experienced any arrhythmias in the postoperative setting related to this transient rise in QTc.
Associations Between Body Mass Index, Ambulatory Blood Pressure Findings, and Changes in Cardiac Structure: Relevance of Pulse and Nighttime Pressures
Authors: Fedecostante Massimiliano , Spannella Francesco , Giulietti Federico , Espinosa Emma , Dessì‐Fulgheri Paolo , Sarzani Riccardo
Published: January 2015

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is central in the management of hypertension. Factors related to BP, such as body mass index (BMI), may differently affect particular aspects of 24‐hour ABPM profiles. However, the relevance of BMI, the most used index of adiposity, has been underappreciated in the determination of specific aspects of 24‐hour ABPM profiles in hypertension. The authors evaluated the association between BMI and aspects of ABPM together with their associations with cardiac remodeling in 1841 patients. A positive association of BMI with 24‐hour, daytime, and nighttime pulse pressure in untreated normal weight and overweight/obese hypertensive patients and a positive association of BMI with nocturnal BP parameters in treated overweight/obese hypertensive patients was observed. The clinical relevance of these findings was supported by the positive significant correlations of BMI‐related BPs with left ventricular mass and atrial diameter.
Urinary Sodium Excretion and Ambulatory Blood Pressure Findings in Patients With Hypertension
Authors: Afsar Baris , Elsurer Rengin , Kirkpantur Alper , Kanbay Mehmet
Published: January 2015

Use of ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring (ABPM) allows for identification of dipping, nondipping, extreme dipping, and reverse dipping of BP. Using office BP and ABPM, hypertension subtypes can be identified: sustained normotension (SNT), white‐coat hypertension, masked hypertension, and sustained hypertension. The comparison of hemodynamic parameters and salt intake has not been investigated among these patient groups. Office BP, ABPM, augmentation index (AIx), pulse wave velocity (PWV), cardiac output (CO), and total peripheral resistance (TPR) were automatically measured. Estimation of salt intake was assessed by 24‐hour urinary sodium excretion. Urinary sodium excretion was not different among groups. AIx, PWV, CO, and TPR were lowest in patients with SNT. CO was lowest while AIx adjusted for a heart rate of 75 beats per minute, PWV, and TPR were highest in the extreme dipper group. No relationship was detected between hypertension subtypes and urinary sodium excretion.
Hypertension Criterion for Stroke Prevention—to Strengthen the Principle of Individualization in Guidelines
Authors: Chen Yicong , Chen Xinran , Dang Ge , Zhao Yuhui , Ouyang Fubing , Su Zhenpei , Zeng Jinsheng
Published: January 2015

The diagnosis of hypertension, as recommended by most guidelines, is determined by systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg. A threshold‐based definition of hypertension, however, ignores sex and age, pathophysiology, and disparities in patient‐specific conditions. Moreover, the harmful effects of hypertension‐induced target organ damage cannot be ignored. Although the principle of individualization for hypertension management is recommended, especially for stroke prevention, how to practice it in a clinical setting has not been clearly elaborated. Therefore, we put forward a proposal for individualized hypertension management incorporating target organ damage, the main harmful effect of hypertension. We propose that hypertension should be diagnosed when an individual's blood pressure exceeds some difference from their own baseline in young adulthood, accompanied by any hypertension‐induced target organ damage, confirmed by various detection methods. Application of this proposal to stroke prevention will hopefully strengthen the principle of individualized hypertension management.
Effect of Garlic on Blood Pressure: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Wang Hai‐Peng , Yang Jing , Qin Li‐Qiang , Yang Xiang‐Jun
Published: January 2015

Garlic supplements are thought to reduce blood pressure (BP). The authors performed a meta‐analysis to investigate garlic's effect on BP. Ovid Medline, Cochrane Library, and PubMed (1946 to November 2013) were used to search for randomized controlled trials. Seventeen trials were included. Pooled analysis showed that garlic intake caused a 3.75‐mm Hg reduction (95% confidence interval [CI], −5.04 to −2.45, I2=30.7%; P<.001) in systolic BP and a 3.39‐mm Hg reduction (95% CI, −4.14 to −2.65, I2=67%; P<.001) in diastolic BP compared with controls. Meta‐analysis of subgroups showed a significant reduction in systolic BP in hypertensive (−4.4 mm Hg; 95% CI, −7.37 to −1.42, I2=0.0%; P=.004) but not normotensive patients. No significant reduction in diastolic BP was seen. After sensitivity analysis, heterogeneity disappeared and significant diastolic BP reduction (−2.68 mm Hg, 95% CI, −4.93 to −0.42, I2=0.0%; P=.020) was shown in hypertensive patients. This meta‐analysis suggests that garlic supplements are superior to controls (placebo in most trails) in reducing BP, especially in hypertensive patients.
Spawning aggregations of three protogynous groupers in the southern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Tuz‐Sulub A. , Brulé T.
Published: January 2015

Spawning aggregations of red hindEpinephelus guttatus, tiger grouperMycteroperca tigrisand yellowfin grouperMycteroperca venenosawere identified at two coral‐reef systems: Arrecife Alacranes (emergent bank reef) and Bajos del Norte (submerged bank reef) on the continental shelf of the Yucatan Peninsula (Campeche Bank), Mexico. At both reefs,E. guttatusforms large spawning aggregations between February and March. At Bajos del Norte,M. tigrisreproduces in a small, low‐density aggregation in May, whileM. venenosaaggregates at high densities for spawning between March and May. Multi‐species use of an aggregation site byE. guttatusandM. venenosawas observed at Bajos del Norte. The identified spawning aggregations are apparently stable in location over time, and all three species were commonly observed to spawn within 1 week following the full moon. Development and survival of the larvae spawned in these aggregations are probably aided by a seasonal (spring–summer) upwelling in the north‐east Campeche Bank. A permanent area closure at Bajos del Norte, currently outside any specific fisheries management area or regulations, would provide protection needed for the spawning aggregations of these three species.
Effect of UV radiation on habitat selection by Girella laevifrons and Graus nigra (Kyphosidae)
Authors: Pulgar J. , Lagos P. , Maturana D. , Valdés M. , Aldana M. , Pulgar V. M.
Published: January 2015

The effect of UV radiation on habitat use of two species of intertidal fishes that inhabit the same pools but exhibit different activity levels and diets was measured: the highly active omnivorous Girella laevifrons and the cryptic carnivorous Graus nigra. Individuals of each species were acclimated to a tank divided in three sections with different illumination; no light (NL), ultraviolet light (UV) and white light (WL), and the time spent and number of visits to each section were recorded. Although both species preferred the NL section, G. laevifrons spent more time in UV and less time in WL compared with G. nigra; G. laevifrons also displayed higher number of visits to UV, suggesting a different tendency in space use in response to UV exposure in intertidal fishes.
Life‐history transitions of the coral‐reef fishElacatinus lori
Authors: Rickborn A. J. , Buston P. M.
Published: January 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate the life‐history transitions of the line snout gobyElacatinus lori, a coral‐reef fish endemic to Belize. Specifically, this study aimed to: (1) quantify the length of pelagic larval duration (PLD) and standard length (LS) at settlement, (2) determine the age andLSat sexual maturity and (3) if applicable, determine the age,LSand direction of sex change. Otolith analysis was used to determine PLD, age andLSat settlement, while gonad histology and morphological data were used to determine age andLSat maturity. It was found that: (1) estimates of PLD ranged from 18·8 to 24·8 days, with a mean ±s.d.of 20·9 ± 1·3 days, and estimatedLSat settlement ranged from 7·4 to 9·4 mm, with a mean ±s.d.of 8·1 ± 1·7 mm, (2) estimates ofLSat which 50% of females and males are mature were 31·1 and 32·4 mm, which represents 65·4 and 55·3% of their maximumLS,respectively and (3) that there was no evidence of sex change:E. loriis probably gonochoristic. This study provides the first comprehensive description of these life‐history transitions for a species within the genusElacatinus, the most speciose genus of fishes on Caribbean coral reefs.
MiR‐146b attenuates high‐fat diet‐induced non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis in mice
Authors: Jiang Weiwei , Liu Juan , Dai Yanyan , Zhou Nan , Ji Chenling , Li Xiaonan
Published: January 2015

Background and Aim

Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide. In this study, we investigated the role of miR‐146b in the Toll‐like receptor‐4 signaling pathway and high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced NASH in vivo and in vitro.

Methods

The effect of miR‐146b on the expression of IL‐1 receptor‐associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) and tumor necrosis factor receptor‐associated factor 6 (TRAF6) in RAW264.7 cells and HepG2 was studied, and the effect of miR‐146b on lipid accumulation in HepG2 was also studied in vitro. The levels of IRAK1, TRAF6, NF‐κB, and pro‐inflammatory cytokines, as well as the histologic features and lipid accumulation in the livers of HFD‐induced non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and an miR‐146b‐administered HFD mouse model, were studied in vivo.

Results

After miR‐146b administration, TRAF6 and IRAK1 mRNA and protein levels in macrophages after lipopolysaccharide administration and in HepG2 cells after oleic acid (OA) administration were significantly decreased in 146b group compared with control group (P < 0.001). The lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells exposed to OA was also decreased by inactivation of IRAK1 and TRAF6, then downregulation of the downstream molecules (NF‐κB) and upregulation of the tension homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) level. In vivo, after administration of miR‐146b, TRAF6 and IRAK1 mRNA and protein levels as well as TNF‐α and IL‐6 mRNA and protein levels were decreased, and hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that the 146b group had low average adipose cell cross‐sectional areas compared with control group.

Conclusion

MiR‐146b ameliorated HFD‐induced NASH by directly suppressing IRAK1 and TRAF6.
Epicardial fat accumulation, cardiometabolic profile and cardiovascular events in patients with stages 3–5 chronic kidney disease
Authors: Cordeiro A. C. , Amparo F. C. , Oliveira M. A. C. , Amodeo C. , Smanio P. , Pinto I. M. F. , Lindholm B. , Stenvinkel P. , Carrero J. J.
Published: January 2015

Background

It has been hypothesized that epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) exerts pathogenic effects on cardiac structures. We analysed the associations between EAT and both cardiovascular (CV) disease risk factors and CV events in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Patients and methods

We included 277 nondialysed patients [median age 61, interquartile range (IQR) 53–68 years; 63% men] with stages 3–5 CKD in this cross‐sectional evaluation. EAT and abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) were assessed by computed tomography. Patients were followed for median 32 (IQR 20–39) months, and the composite of fatal and nonfatal CV events was recorded.

Results

With increasing EAT quartiles, patients were older, had higher glomerular filtration rate, body mass index, waist, VAT and coronary calcification, higher levels of haemoglobin, triglycerides, albumin, C‐reactive protein and leptin and higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy and myocardial ischaemia; total and high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, 25‐hydroxy‐vitamin D and 1, 25‐dihydroxy‐vitamin D progressively decreased. Associations between EAT and cardiac alterations were not independent of VAT. During follow‐up, 58 CV events occurred. A 1‐SD higher EAT volume was associated with an increased risk of CV events in crude [hazard ratio (HR) 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.12–1.78) and adjusted (HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.21–1.99) Cox models. However, adding EAT to a standard CV disease risk prediction model did not result in a clinically relevant improvement in prediction.

Conclusion

Epicardial adipose tissue accumulation in patients with CKD increases the risk of CV events independent of general adiposity. This is consistent with the notion of a local pathogenic effect of EAT on the heart or heart vessels, or both. However, EAT adds negligible explanatory power to standard CV disease risk factors.
Description of a Rat Palatal Acrylic Plate That Can Be Relined
Authors: Meister Lissandra Matos Bról , Bail Michele , Pellissari Cláudia Viviane Guimarães , Ban Manuella de Cássia Iglesias , Campagnoli Eduardo Bauml , Jorge Janaina Habib , Campanha Nara Hellen
Published: January 2015

Purpose

The objective of this article is to describe a method to construct an intraoral acrylic device that permits a reline material to be added to the inner surface of the palatal plate.

Materials and Methods

Fifteen 60‐day‐old adult female rats (Rattus Norvegicus Albinus Wistar), weighing 150 to 250 g were used for this study and allocated to three groups (n = 5): G1, animals wearing a heat‐polymerized acrylic resin palatal plate (Lucitone 550) for 14 days; G2, animals wearing a heat‐polymerized acrylic resin palatal plate (Lucitone 550) relined with Tokuyama Rebase II for 14 days; and G3, animals maintained under the same conditions as the experimental groups, without wearing palatal plates for 14 days. The manipulation of the animals followed the guidelines of the Brazilian College of Animal Experimentation, under the approval of the animal ethics committee of the State University of Ponta Grossa. The palatal plates covered the whole palate, were fixed in the molar region with light‐cured resin, and were kept there for 14 days. The animals received a paste diet and water ad libitum. Before and after the trial period, the rats were weighed individually on a precision scale. Statistical analysis was performed using a two‐way analysis of variance (α = 0.05) test for comparison of the animals’ weight (g) at time 0 and after 14 days of using the palatal plate.

Results

No statistical differences were observed regarding the weight of the animals among the experimental groups in the study.

Conclusions

The individual master impressions, the molar teeth coverage, and the method of cementation with nonadhesive composite resin provided good stability for the palatal plate showed in this study, not disturbing the eating habits and nutrition of the animals. This model seems reproducible, offering adequate histopathological evaluation. Differences in tissue morphology exist between the animals that used the palatal plate and the animals that did not use this device. Use of these palatal plates could clarify how prostheses bring changes in the palatal mucosa of users.
The Digital One‐Abutment/One‐Time Concept. A Clinical Report
Authors: Beuer Florian , Groesser Julian , Schweiger Josef , Hey Jeremias , Güth Jan‐Frederik , Stimmelmayr Michael
Published: January 2015

The digital fabrication of dental restorations on implants has become a standard procedure during the last decade. Avoiding changing abutments during prosthetic treatment has been shown to be superior to the traditional protocol. The presented concept for implant‐supported single crowns describes a digital approach without a physical model from implant placement to final delivery in two appointments. A 54‐year‐old man was provided with a single‐tooth implant on his left mandibular first molar. Before wound closure, the implant position was captured digitally with an intraoral scanning device. After bone healing at the time of second‐stage surgery the final screw‐retained crown fabricated without a physical model was inserted. Soft tissue healing took place at the definitive restoration, avoiding abutment changes or changes of the healing cap. These led to stable soft tissues with a minimum of surgery. The benefits of digital fabrication and the unique way to scan the implant right after placement give an additional value that would not be achieved by analog techniques. In addition to financial benefits it represents a biologically advantageous, one‐abutment/one‐time approach with customized screw‐retained, full‐contour crowns or cemented crowns on custom abutments.
Genitals evolve faster than other traits in Anolis lizards
Authors: Klaczko J. , Ingram T. , Losos J.
Published: January 2015

Male genitalia are thought to be particularly rapidly evolving morphological structures, but there have been few quantitative interspecific comparisons between the evolutionary rates of genital and nongenital traits. We characterize the morphology of hemipenes in 25 Caribbean Anolis lizard species, and compare rates of hemipenial evolution to those of traits related to ecology or visual signaling. Using phylogenetically based comparisons of rates of evolutionary divergence, we show that genital traits evolve more rapidly than nongenital traits in anoles.
Stable isotopes in a southern European crossbill population indicate restricted movement between regions with different pine species
Authors: Arizaga J. , Alonso D. , Edelaar P.
Published: January 2015

The adaptation of irruptive birds to breed where they find abundant food allows them to be highly mobile and ubiquitous and opens a debate on the ecological and evolutionary impact of this behavior. Using δ2H analyses, our aim here was to test whether the density fluctuation in a southern European crossbill population is caused by movements of irruptive northern European crossbills or of crossbills from nearby. Sampling was carried out in the western Pyrenees during four consecutive breeding seasons (2009–2012). During these four years, 2009 was a year with a much higher number of captures per day and this coincided with an invasion of crossbills in northern Europe. Only two out of 160 crossbills showed clear isotopic signatures of a northern European origin (and both were caught in 2009). Moreover, in 2009, we recaptured a bird ringed in The Netherlands. Otherwise, we found no differences among years in δ2H and no significant effect of wing length (indicative of a northern origin) or residency status (long‐term recaptures vs. non‐recaptures) on δ2H. Wing length also did not vary among these four years. Therefore, our results suggest that annual variation in local crossbill abundances is not only due to the movements of northern irruptive birds, but also to a large part due to the influx and local reproduction of individuals of Iberian origin. The lack of annual variation in isotopic signatures and similarity with values from a nearby mountain area with the same food resource (the pine Pinus sylvestris) suggests that movements are primarily between areas with the same type of resource. Thus, our results support recent morphological and genetic studies that indicate that crossbill populations within Iberia are not structured geographically but by resource use.
Is the Sum Greater than the Parts? The Terms of Civil War Peace Agreements and the Commitment Problem Revisited
Authors: Joshi Madhav , Quinn J. Michael
Published: January 2015

The dominant theoretical approaches to civil war negotiations in the field of political science have sought to explain both the scarcity and high failure rates of negotiated agreements in civil conflicts. This historical pattern, however, has fundamentally changed in the last two decades as changes in international norms and laws, as well as the increased prevalence and competence of peacebuilding professionals, now require conflict actors to have a greater commitment toward negotiations and the enforcement of agreements. While actors in interstate wars seek to avoid accountability, civil war actors seem to embrace the opportunities that these new dynamics create to achieve broad‐based reforms across numerous areas of policy and government. The result, we suggest, is that stakeholders evaluate agreements based on their potential to accomplish an array of sociopolitical objectives. In addition, for strategic and practical reasons, they perceive that those agreements that include more reforms across multiple policy sectors will have the greatest potential.

Our examination of nearly two hundred agreements found evidence that the peacemaking potential of a negotiated agreement between civil war adversaries is greatly enhanced when reforms are pursued across many different policy domains. Conversely, our analysis suggests that the greater the number of policy areas left untouched by a peace agreement, the more likely the stakeholders will be to follow that agreement with additional negotiations to enhance that agreement, or, alternatively, the more likely that violence will resume.
Neutral, Biased, or Both? Discursive Construction of a Mediator's Dual Role
Authors: Wang Jian
Published: January 2015

Within a theoretical and methodological framework based on critical discourse analysis and the principle of the objective, and using recordings from a civil case concerning an inheritance dispute, this article explores how a mediator in China employed various discursive strategies to foster conflict resolution and construct a dual role. On the one hand, he tried to maintain an impartial stance, but on the other he violated neutrality by acting selectively against one party. I suggest that the mediator, influenced by social ideology and/or his own interests, appears to be “neutral” but is sometimes “biased,” resulting in the performance of dual roles that combine the functions of problem solver, judge, and mediator. This finding facilitates greater understanding of what Chinese mediation is and how it operates.
Preferential allocation, physio‐evolutionary feedbacks, and the stability and environmental patterns of mutualism between plants and their root symbionts
Authors: Bever James D.
Published: January 2015

The common occurrence of mutualistic interactions between plants and root symbionts is problematic. As the delivery of benefit to hosts involves costs to symbionts, symbionts that provide reduced benefit to their host are expected to increase in frequency. Plants have been shown to allocate preferentially to the most efficient symbiont and this preferential allocation may stabilize the mutualism.

I construct a general model of the interactive feedbacks of host preferential allocation and the dynamics of root symbiont populations to evaluate the stability of nutritional mutualisms.

Preferential allocation can promote the evolution of mutualism even when the cost to the symbiont is very large. Moreover, the physiological plasticity of preferential allocation likely leads to coexistence of beneficial and nonbeneficial symbionts. For arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which facilitate plant uptake of phosphorus (P), the model predicts greater P transfer from these fungi per unit carbon invested with decreasing concentrations of soil P and with increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2, patterns that have been observed in laboratory and field studies.

This framework connects physiological plasticity in plant allocation to population processes that determine mutualism stability and, as such, represents a significant step in understanding the stability and environmental patterns in mutualism.
Capillary‐Venous Malformation in the Upper Limb
Authors: Uihlein Lily Changchien , Liang Marilyn G. , Fishman Steven J. , Alomari Ahmad I. , Mulliken John B.
Published: January 2015

We present a group of patients with regional capillary malformations of the upper limbs and few additional findings other than prominent veins. We believe that this entity is the upper extremity equivalent of capillary‐venous malformation of the lower limb and, likewise, belongs at the minor end of the spectrum of vascular disorders with overgrowth.
Translation as editorial mediation: Charles Estienne's experiments with the dissemination of knowledge
Authors: Cazes Hélène
Published: January 2015

Charles Estienne is the most versatile member of the French humanist dynasty of printers, the Estiennes, yet he has suffered from an unfavourable comparison with his father and brothers. This article accords him, at last, the respect he deserves. He authored a series of short compilations for young students between 1536 and 1540, printed in Paris and Lyon. These booklets, organized like beginners' dictionaries, propose a system of bridges between languages: Greek, Latin, and French. Presented as summaries, they can be read as attempts to structure and circulate knowledge according to a new ‘printed’ model, and they were reprinted and rearranged by Estienne in the 1550s, after he himself became a printer. His anatomical treatise, first published in Latin (1545) then in French (1546), also appears like a system of names and languages. As the translator of texts representing a wide variety of genres, Estienne plays on the different registers of the annotated edition, summary, compilation, and translation to effectuate the same trope: vulgarization, meaning accessibility for a great number of readers as well as translation into the vernacular. Similarly, the printing press addresses a great number of potential readers. The study enquires whether the technology of this first form of vulgarization calls for a second one, a ‘vernacularization’, whether printing also implies editing, and whether annotations and editions turn into translations. Taking Charles Estienne, the one‐man printer, editor, translator and annotator as a case study, I explore the meaning of ‘vulgarization’ in the typographical workshop.
The Role of Child Characteristics and Peer Experiences in the Development of Peer Cooperation
Authors: Endedijk Hinke M. , Cillessen Antonius H. N. , Cox Ralf F. A. , Bekkering Harold , Hunnius Sabine
Published: January 2015

Cooperation with peers is challenging for young children, and there are large individual differences in the development of cooperation. The roles of child characteristics and peer experiences for peer interaction during free play have been studied extensively, but it is unclear which factors predict young children's successful cooperation at different points in development. In this study, 2‐, 3‐, and 4‐year‐old children were observed during a peer cooperation task. Both their interactive behavior and cooperation success were examined, and the association of these variables with child characteristics and peer experiences was explored. Results showed that successful peer cooperation increased with age. Moreover, early individual differences in peer cooperation were related to temperamental characteristics, and, among older children, the rate of cooperation was related to prior peer experience.
Gender Gap Trends on Mathematics Exams Position Girls and Young Women for STEM Careers
Authors: Beekman John A. , Ober David
Published: January 2015

Nine years of results on 4.2 million of Indiana's Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) mathematics (math) exams (grades 3–10) taken after the implementation of No Child Left Behind have been used to determine gender gaps and their associated trends. Sociocultural factors were investigated by comparing math gender gaps and gap trends for (a) state public schools, (b) state nonpublic schools, (c) a low‐performing metropolitan school, and (d) a high‐performing suburban school. To control for changing sociocultural factors, multiregression analyses were conducted to predict grade‐level (3–10) gender gaps and math scale scores using socioeconomic and ethnicity variables. The underrepresentation of females in earning advanced STEM degrees was investigated by determining the gender of the highest performer on the ISTEP math exams in grades 3–10 for each of state's 292 school corporations. Boys' percentages were higher across all grades by about a 2:1 ratio, similar to high‐end results on Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) math exams. Simulations of distributions for d = .27 and variance ratio = 1.13 fitted 2013 college‐bound SAT math empirical data. Results of the analyses of the state's ISTEP math exam data and the 2013 SAT math scores of college‐bound seniors support the arguments that girls and young women possess the abilities to pursue STEM careers that require advanced mathematical skills.