bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can a disaster affect rheumatoid arthritis status? A retrospective cohort study after the 2011 triple disaster in Fukushima, Japan
Authors: Ochi Sae , Kato Shigeaki , Leppold Claire , Morita Tomohiro , Tsubokura Masaharu , Oikawa Tomoyoshi , Shineha Ryuzaburo , Kanazawa Yukio , Fujiwara Masatoshi
Published: April 2018

Objective

As status of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is highly affected by environmental factors, a catastrophic disaster may also affect RA activity. Herein we conducted a retrospective cohort study in the disaster area of the 2011 triple disaster in Fukushima, Japan: an earthquake, tsunamis and a nuclear accident.

Methods

Clinical records of RA patients who attended a hospital near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant were collected. For those who underwent whole‐body counter testing, internal radiation exposure levels were also collected. As clinical parameters may fluctuate in the absence of a disaster, changes in values before and after the disaster were also compared. Logistic regression was conducted to identify factors affecting RA status.

Results

Fifty‐three patients (average age, 64.2 years; females, 83%; average disease duration, 15.7 years) were included in the study. Five patients lived within the no‐entry zone, 37 evacuated immediately after the disaster, and four temporarily stopped RA treatment. The proportions of patients who showed worsened tender joint counts, swollen joint counts and rheumatoid factor values were significantly higher after the disaster compared to those before. Among the 16 patients who underwent whole‐body counter testing, only one showed a detectable, but negligible, radioactive cesium level. Use of methotrexate was identified as a possible preventive factor for RA exacerbation in this setting.

Conclusion

This is the first study to analyze detailed profiles of RA patients after a disaster. As methotrexate may prevent disease exacerbation, continuity of care for this common chronic disease should be considered in disaster settings.
Generating species assemblages for restoration and experimentation: A new method that can simultaneously converge on average trait values and maximize functional diversity
Authors: Laughlin Daniel C. , Chalmandrier Loïc , Joshi Chaitanya , Renton Michael , Dwyer John M. , Funk Jennifer L.
Published: April 2018

Restoring resilient ecosystems in an era of rapid environmental change requires a flexible framework for selecting assemblages of species based on functional traits. However, current trait‐based models have been limited to algorithms that select species assemblages that only converge on specified average trait values, and could not accommodate the common desire among restoration ecologists to generate functionally diverse assemblages.

We have solved this problem by applying a nonlinear optimization algorithm to solve for the species relative abundances that maximize Rao's quadratic entropy (Q) subject to other linear constraints. Rao's Q is a closed‐form algebraic expression of functional diversity that is maximized when the most abundant species are functionally dissimilar.

Previous models have maximized species evenness subject to the linear constraints by maximizing the entropy function (H’). Maximizing Q alone produces an undesirable species abundance distribution because species that exhibit extreme trait values have the highest abundances. We demonstrate that the maximization of an objective function that additively combines Q and H’ produces a more even relative abundance distribution across the trait dimension.

Some ecological restoration projects aim to restore communities that converge on one set of traits while diverging across another. The selectSpecies r function can derive assemblages for any size species pool that maximizes the diversity of any set of traits, while simultaneously converging on average values of any other set of traits. We demonstrate how the function works through examples using uniformly spaced trait distributions and data with a known structure. We also demonstrate the utility of the function using real trait data collected on dozens of species from three separate ecosystems: serpentine grasslands, ponderosa pine forests, and subtropical rainforests.

The quantitative selection of species based on their functional traits for ecological restoration and experimentation must be both rigorous and accessible to practitioners. The selectSpecies function provides ecologists with an easy‐to‐use open‐source solution to objectively derive species assemblages based on their functional traits.
Interpolation to define clinical tumor stage in prostate cancer using clinical description of digital rectal examination
Authors: Evans Sue M. , Murphy Declan G. , Davis Ian D. , Sengupta Shomik , Borzeshi Ehsan Zare , Sampurno Fanny , Millar Jeremy L.
Published: April 2018

Aim

This study aims to assess characteristics of patients with prostate cancer for whom clinical T stage category (cT) was not documented in the medical record and assess whether specialists had concordant conclusions regarding cT based on digital rectal examination (DRE) notes.

Methods

Data from the Prostate Cancer Outcome Registry – Victoria (PCOR‐Vic) were interrogated. Four specialists independently assigned cT to DRE notes. Words, or part thereof, associated with agreement between clinicians were identified.

Results

Of the 10 587 men, cT was documented in 8758 (82.7%) cases. Multivariate analysis indicated that poor cT documentation was associated with older patient age (odds ratio [OR] 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.66–0.99 if 75.1–85 years; OR 0.50, 95%CI 0.36–0.72 if >85 years); diagnosis via transperineal compared to transrectal ultrasound‐guided biopsy (TRUS) (OR 0.68, 95%CI 0.51–0.91); diagnosed in a private hospital (OR 0.85, 95%CI 0.75–0.96); and a diagnostic Gleason score of >8 compared to ≤6 (OR 0.59, 95%CI = 0.48–0.73). cT was more likely documented in men diagnosed via transurethral resection of prostate (OR 2.06, 95%CI 1.64–2.58) compared to TRUS and/or if receiving treatment in a radiotherapy center (OR 3.44, 95%CI 2.80–4.23 for external beam radiotherapy; OR 3.57 95%CI 2.44–5.23 for brachytherapy and OR 1.34, 95%CI 1.06–1.69 for combination surgery and radiotherapy) compared to those undergoing radical prostatectomy. Agreement in cT assignment ranged from kappa of 0.158 to 0.582. Stem word components in DRE notes associated with poorest level of agreement were “abnorm,” “hard,” “nodul” and those with highest level of agreement were terms “benign” and “smooth.”

Conclusions

Mode of diagnosis/subsequent treatment, and cancer characteristics were associated with cT documentation. Third party interpretation of clinical notes is problematic.
Why we miss fetal growth restriction: Identification of risk factors for severely growth‐restricted fetuses remaining undelivered by 40 weeks gestation
Authors: Diksha Prerna , Permezel Michael , Pritchard Natasha
Published: April 2018

Background

Severe fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a leading cause of adverse perinatal morbidity and mortality; however, in Victoria, 35% of severely growth‐restricted infants are undelivered by 40 weeks gestation.

Aims

We aimed to identify factors associated with failure to deliver severely growth‐restricted fetuses by 40 weeks gestation.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective case‐control study of term singletons born <3rd centile for gestation at a single tertiary centre (2010–2017). Infants with a planned delivery for FGR between 37.0–39.6 weeks gestation (‘planned birth’ group; n = 187) were compared with those undelivered by 40.0 weeks (‘undelivered’ group; n = 233). Variables assessed included the presence of risk factors for FGR, model of care, symphyseal‐fundal height measurements and third trimester ultrasounds.

Results

An equivalent proportion of women were ‘high‐risk’ for FGR on history (31.3% vs 38.0%, P = 0.187) in the planned and undelivered groups. Women booked under low‐risk models (shared care and midwifery‐led care) were significantly more likely to be in the undelivered group compared to those booked under traditional collaborative models (79.8% vs 37.4%, P < 0.001). Women in the undelivered group were less likely to have received a third trimester ultrasound (93.0% vs 40.3%, P < 0.001); however, they were more likely to have had a reassuring ultrasound with an estimation of fetal weight or abdominal circumference >10th centile (78.7% vs 16.1%, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Failure to deliver the severely growth‐restricted fetus before 40.0 weeks is more likely to occur in the following situations: (i) failure to receive an indicated third trimester ultrasound; (ii) the presence of falsely reassuring third trimester ultrasound scan; and (iii) booking under a low‐risk rather than traditional collaborative models of care.
Microscopic positive margins in papillary thyroid cancer do not impact disease recurrence
Authors: Abraham Earl , Tran Bryan , Roshan David , Graham Susannah , Lehane Christopher , Wykes James , Campbell Peter , Ebrahimi Ardalan
Published: April 2018

Background

The prognostic significance of microscopic positive margins in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine if microscopic positive margins are associated with increased risk of disease recurrence.

Methods

This is a retrospective analysis of 610 patients with PTC using multivariate Cox regression to evaluate the association between microscopic positive margins and disease‐free survival.

Results

Microscopic positive margins were found in 67 (11%) patients and associated with extrathyroidal extension (P < 0.001), multifocality (P < 0.001), nodal metastases (P < 0.001), lymphovascular invasion (P < 0.001), age ≥55 years (P = 0.048), administration of radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy (P = 0.001) and a trend towards larger tumour size (18 versus 15 mm; P = 0.074). After a median follow‐up of 3.4 years, there were 83 recurrences. Although involved margins were associated with increased risk of recurrence on univariate analysis (hazard ratio 2.6, 95% confidence interval 1.5–4.6; P = 0.001), there was no association after adjusting for age, nodal metastases, tumour size and extrathyroidal extension on multivariate analysis (hazard ratio 1.5, 95% confidence interval 0.8–2.9; P = 0.242). Similar results were obtained after adjusting for RAI and if margins were analysed as focal versus widely positive. In our study cohort, patients with involved margins generally had other indications for RAI. However, in the nine patients who did not receive RAI, there was no recurrence in the thyroid bed.

Conclusion

Despite a strong association between microscopic positive margins and other adverse prognostic factors in PTC, there is no independent association with disease recurrence on multivariate analysis. Microscopic positive margins are rare (1.1%) in the absence of other indications for RAI.
Method of pedicle division during laparoscopic right hemicolectomy affects lymph node yield and short‐term outcomes
Authors: Pal Atanu , Stearns Adam T. , Kapur Sandeep , Speakman Christopher T. M. , Wharton Richard Q. , Shaikh Irshad , Hernon James M.
Published: April 2018

Background

Several ways of performing laparoscopic right hemicolectomy (RHC) have evolved. The vascular pedicle can be divided into extracorporeal (RHC‐EC) or intracorporeal (RHC‐IC). It is not known whether vessel ligation during RHC‐EC is as central as during RHC‐IC. We compare these approaches in terms of pathological and short‐term clinical outcomes.

Methods

Patients undergoing elective laparoscopic RHC in a single centre (July 2013–September 2016) were identified. Data collection included operative details, length of stay, complications, specimen parameters including number and involvement of lymph nodes and recurrence.

Results

One hundred and sixty‐nine patients were included (94 RHC‐IC, 75 RHC‐EC). For caecal and ascending colon cancers, mesocolic width was greater after RHC‐IC than RHC‐EC (7.9 cm versus 6.6 cm, P < 0.05), as was lymph node yield (19.5 versus 17.3, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in length of colon resected, distal resection margin, number of positive nodes, proportion of node‐positive tumours and R1 rate. Operative duration was higher for RHC‐IC (163 min versus 91 min, P < 0.001), as was incidence of ileus (35% versus 15%, P < 0.05). Length of stay also tended to be higher (7.4 days versus 6.0 days, P = 0.19). There was no difference in disease recurrence (follow‐up 12 months). Body mass index was positively correlated with lymph node yield for RHC‐EC, but not for RHC‐IC.

Conclusion

Lymph node yield after laparoscopic RHC is adequate, whether the vascular pedicle is taken intracorporeal or extracorporeal, supporting the use of both approaches. RHC‐IC yields more lymph nodes and greater mesocolic width, but involves a longer operation and higher incidence of ileus.
Rethinking the flipped learning pre‐class: Its influence on the success of flipped learning and related factors
Authors: Lee Jihyun , Choi Hyoseon
Published: April 2018

Flipped learning (FL) has had a substantial impact on higher education worldwide, prompting active dialog among educational researchers and practitioners. It is widely accepted that the value of FL lies in enabling in‐depth, learner‐centered learning experiences by offloading content delivery onto pre‐class online learning. The in‐class component is thus generally considered more critical, even though both pre‐class and in‐class elements are indispensable components of FL and practitioners are faced with the issue of under‐prepared learners. In this study, we examine the significance of pre‐class learning as a gateway to the intended benefits of FL. We aim to investigate the extent to which FL pre‐class learning influences overall FL success and what other factors affect FL pre‐class learning to ascertain the implications of designing and implementing FL pre‐class learning. A college life science course was designed and implemented with the FL model for a semester, from which data were collected and statistically analyzed. The results indicate that the influence of pre‐class learning on final FL success is significant and strong. Regarding the modality of pre‐class learning materials, learners demonstrated higher levels of performance in the weeks with video materials than during those with reading materials. Among several learner factors, self‐direction was found to significantly influence pre‐class learning performance and perceived learning readiness. The role of FL pre‐class learning to attain the intended value of FL is discussed, and theoretical and practical design implications are suggested.
Loneliness in Adolescence: Insights From Cacioppo's Evolutionary Model
Authors: Goossens Luc
Published: April 2018

Adolescents are often thought to be lonely because they distance themselves from their parents and are not fully integrated into the social world of their peers. Cacioppo's evolutionary model of loneliness, which has been applied primarily to adults, offers a complementary perspective. This model explains not only how feelings of loneliness emerge, but also how they are maintained. It also explains how loneliness can affect physiological functioning and health, and can spur changes in how people process information in the brain, as well as how genetic factors can affect loneliness. In this article, I use recent research to illustrate how the model sheds new light on loneliness in adolescence. I also suggest a comprehensive model of adolescent loneliness that combines key aspects of Cacioppo's evolutionary model with elements of other models.
Teaching and Learning Spelling
Authors: Treiman Rebecca
Published: April 2018

Learning to spell is important for writing and reading, but how spelling should be taught is a controversial topic. Although children learn about spelling to some extent as they encounter words while reading, this is not usually enough to make them good spellers. Children need systematic spelling instruction to learn how the writing system works and not just memorize how words are spelled. Phonics instruction is more effective than some other instructional approaches, but teaching phonics presents a simplified and in some ways inaccurate picture of English and some other writing systems. Studying words and the patterns they follow is more effective. To use such methods well, teachers need more opportunities to learn about writing systems and the development of spelling.
Oral immunotherapy with omalizumab reverses the Th2 cell‐like programme of regulatory T cells and restores their function
Authors: Abdel‐Gadir A. , Schneider L. , Casini A. , Charbonnier L.‐M. , Little S. V. , Harrington T. , Umetsu D. T. , Rachid R. , Chatila T. A.
Published: April 2018

Background

Oral immunotherapy (OIT) successfully desensitizes patients with food allergies, but the immune mechanisms mediating its efficacy remain obscure.

Objectives

We tested the hypothesis that allergen‐specific regulatory T (Treg) cell function is impaired in food allergy and is restored by anti‐IgE antibody (omalizumab)‐supplemented OIT.

Methods

Peanut‐specific T effector (Teff) and Treg cell proliferative responses, activation markers and cytokine expression were analysed by flow cytometry in 13 peanut‐allergic subjects before the start of omalizumab‐supplemented OIT and periodically in some subjects thereafter for up to 2 years. Peripheral blood regulatory T cells (Treg cells) were analysed for their peanut‐specific suppressor function before and at 1 year following OIT. This study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01290913).

Results

Proliferation of allergen‐specific Teff and Treg cells precipitously declined following the initiation of omalizumab therapy prior to OIT, followed by partial recovery after the initiation of OIT. At baseline, peanut‐specific Treg cells exhibited a Th2 cell‐like phenotype, characterized by increased IL‐4 expression, which progressively reversed upon OIT. Peanut‐specific Treg cell suppressor activity was absent at the start of omalizumab/OIT therapy but became robust following OIT. Absent peanut‐specific Treg cell function could also be recovered by the acute blockade of IL‐4/IL‐4R receptor signalling in Treg cells, which inhibited their IL‐4 production.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

OIT supplemented by omalizumab promotes allergen desensitization through an initial omalizumab‐dependent step that acutely depletes allergen‐reactive T cells, followed by an increase in allergen‐specific Treg cell activity due to the reversal of their Th2 cell‐like programme. Improved Treg cell function may be a key mechanism by which OIT ameliorates food allergy.
Lysophosphatidylserine receptor P2Y10: A G protein‐coupled receptor that mediates eosinophil degranulation
Authors: Hwang S. M. , Kim H. J. , Kim S. M. , Jung Y. , Park S. W. , Chung I. Y.
Published: April 2018

Background

P2Y10, along with GPR34 and GPR174, is a G protein‐coupled receptor that is activated by an endogenous lipid mediator lysophosphatidylserine (LysoPS). Its expression pattern and its function are completely unknown. We have previously shown that P2Y10 is one of the highly up‐regulated genes at the late differentiation stage during in vitro eosinophilopoiesis.

Objective

We explored the expression and functions of P2Y10 in human cord blood (CB)‐derived and peripheral blood (PB) eosinophils.

Methods

Real‐time PCR, FACS, Western blot, ELISA, and chemotaxis assays were performed to determine the expression and function of P2Y10.

Results

As CB cells differentiated towards eosinophils, P2Y10 mRNA and protein were abundantly expressed. P2Y10 was the most highly expressed in the granulocytes from PB, to a lesser extent in monocytes, and least in lymphocytes. Further fractionation of granulocytes revealed that eosinophils express P2Y10 much more strongly than do neutrophils. PB eosinophils solely expressed P2Y10 among the three LysoPS receptors, while PB neutrophils expressed the three at comparable levels. LysoPS activated both CB and PB eosinophils to induce a robust ERK phosphorylation. Importantly, LysoPS was capable of triggering degranulation of ECP in PB eosinophils. This response was significantly reduced by pharmacological inhibitors of TNF‐alpha‐converting enzyme (TACE), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and ERK1/2, which were known to be required in P2Y10‐mediated signalling pathways. However, LysoPS had no effect on chemotaxis, differentiation, or eosinophil survival.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

LysoPS provokes eosinophil degranulation through P2Y10. Therefore, P2Y10 is a potential therapeutic target to control eosinophil‐associated diseases.
Genetic analysis of adult leukoencephalopathy patients using a custom‐designed gene panel
Authors: Kunii M. , Doi H. , Ishii Y. , Ohba C. , Tanaka K. , Tada M. , Fukai R. , Hashiguchi S. , Kishida H. , Ueda N. , Kudo Y. , Kugimoto C. , Nakano T. , Udaka N. , Miyatake S. , Miyake N. , Saitsu H. , Ito Y. , Takahashi K. , Nakamura H. , Tomita‐Katsumoto A. , Takeuchi H. , Koyano S. , Matsumoto N. , Tanaka F.
Published: April 2018

Leukoencephalopathies encompass all clinical syndromes that predominantly affect brain white matter. Genetic diagnosis informs clinical management of these patients, but a large part of the genetic contribution to adult leukoencephalopathy remains unresolved. To examine this genetic contribution, we analyzed genomic DNA from 60 Japanese patients with adult leukoencephalopathy of unknown cause by next generation sequencing using a custom‐designed gene panel. We selected 55 leukoencephalopathy‐related genes for the gene panel. We identified pathogenic mutations in 8 of the 60 adult leukoencephalopathy patients (13.3%): NOTCH3 mutations were detected in 5 patients, and EIF2B2, CSF1R, and POLR3A mutations were found independently in 1 patient each. These results indicate that cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) caused by NOTCH3 mutations is the most frequent adult leukoencephalopathy in our cohort. Moreover, brain imaging analysis indicates that CADASIL patients who do not present typical phenotypes may be underdiagnosed if not examined genetically.
Pathogenetic implication of fusion genes in acute promyelocytic leukemia and their diagnostic utility
Authors: Baba S.M. , Pandith A.A. , Shah Z.A. , Baba R.A.
Published: April 2018

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) has been recognized as a discrete subset of hematopoietic malignancies constituting approximately 10% of acute myeloid leukemia cases. The hallmark reciprocal chromosomal translocation t(15;17) involving fusion between the retinoic acid receptor (RARα) gene and promyelocytic leukemia (PML) gene is a characteristic feature in APL which consequently results in the emergence of PML‐RARα chimeric gene. This gene has been substantiated to be responsible for cellular transformation and is a prime target of all‐trans‐retinoic acid (ATRA) as well as arsenic‐trioxide (ATO) therapy. Since this initial discovery, about 10 diverse translocation partner genes of RARα have been reported that result in variant APL forms strongly suggesting that disruption of RARα underlies its pathogenesis. The nature of the fusion partner has a significant bearing upon disease characteristics including sensitivity to retinoids and ATO and thereby underpins the need for rapid and accurate diagnosis and also demands a highly specific treatment approach. In this article we laid emphasis on the rearrangement of the RARα gene and its different fusion partners resulting in variant forms of APL, their implication in underlying molecular pathogenesis of APL and also the different diagnostic modalities that should be employed for their rapid and accurate diagnosis.
Summoning compassion to address the challenges of conservation
Authors: Wallach Arian D. , Bekoff Marc , Batavia Chelsea , Nelson Michael Paul , Ramp Daniel
Published: April 2018

Conservation practice is informed by science, but it also reflects ethical beliefs about how humanity ought to value and interact with Earth's biota. As human activities continue to drive extinctions and diminish critical life‐sustaining ecosystem processes, achieving conservation goals becomes increasingly urgent. However, the determination to react decisively can drive conservationists to handle complex challenges without due deliberation, particularly when wildlife individuals are sacrificed for the so‐called greater good of wildlife collectives (populations, species, ecosystems). With growing recognition of the widespread sentience and sapience of many nonhuman animals, standard conservation practices that categorically prioritize collectives without due consideration for the well‐being of individuals are ethically untenable. Here we highlight 3 overarching ethical orientations characterizing current and historical practices in conservation that suppress compassion: instrumentalism, collectivism, and nativism. We examine how establishing a commitment to compassion could reorient conservation in more ethically expansive directions that incorporate recognition of the intrinsic value of wildlife, the sentience of nonhuman animals, and the values of novel ecosystems, introduced species, and their members. A compassionate conservation approach allays practices that intentionally and unnecessarily harm wildlife individuals, while aligning with critical conservation goals. Although the urgency of achieving effective outcomes for solving major conservation problems may enhance the appeal of quick and harsh measures, the costs are too high. Continuing to justify moral indifference when causing the suffering of wildlife individuals, particularly those who possess sophisticated capacities for emotion, consciousness, and sociality, risks estranging conservation practice from prevailing, and appropriate, social values. As conservationists and compassionate beings, we must demonstrate concern for both the long‐term persistence of collectives and the well‐being of individuals by prioritizing strategies that do both.
dCK negatively regulates the NRF2/ARE axis and ROS production in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Hu Qiangsheng , Qin Yi , Xiang Jinfeng , Liu Wensheng , Xu Wenyan , Sun Qiqing , Ji Shunrong , Liu Jiang , Zhang Zheng , Ni Quanxing , Xu Jin , Yu Xianjun , Zhang Bo
Published: April 2018

Objectives

Decreased deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) expression is a reported indicator of gemcitabine efficacy in pancreatic cancer, due to the impact of this kinase on gemcitabine metabolism. The transcription factor NF‐E2 p45‐related factor 2 (NRF2, also called Nfe2l2), a master regulator of redox homoeostasis, has been reported to tightly control the expression of numerous ROS‐detoxification genes and participates in drug resistance. However, the contribution of dCK to the NRF2 signalling axis has seldom been discussed and needs investigation.

Materials and methods

By overexpressing dCK in pancreatic cancer cells, we assessed the impact of dCK on NRF2 transcriptional activity. Furthermore, we measured the impact of dCK expression on the intracellular redox balance and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. By utilizing immunohistochemical staining and tissues from pancreatic cancer patients, we assessed the correlation between dCK and NRF2 expression. Through proliferation and metastasis assays, we examined the impact of dCK expression on cell proliferation and metastasis.

Results

dCK negatively regulates NRF2 transcriptional activity, leading to the decreased expression of ARE‐driven antioxidant genes. In addition, dCK negatively regulates intracellular redox homoeostasis and ROS production. Negative correlations between dCK and NRF2 levels in pancreatic cancer cell lines and patient samples were observed. In vitro cell line studies suggested that dCK negatively regulated proliferation and metastasis.

Conclusion

Decreased dCK expression promotes NRF2‐driven antioxidant transcription, which further enhances gemcitabine treatment resistance, forming a feedback loop.
Topographical cues of direct metal laser sintering titanium surfaces facilitate osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells through epigenetic regulation
Authors: Zheng Guoying , Guan Binbin , Hu Penghui , Qi Xingying , Wang Pingting , Kong Yu , Liu Zihao , Gao Ping , Li Rui , Zhang Xu , Wu Xudong , Sui Lei
Published: April 2018

Objectives

To investigate the role of hierarchical micro/nanoscale topography of direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) titanium surfaces in osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), as well as the possible underlying epigenetic mechanism.

Materials and methods

Three groups of titanium specimens were prepared, including DMLS group, sandblasted, large‐grit, acid‐etched (SLA) group and smooth titanium (Ti) group. BMSCs were cultured on discs followed by surface characterization. Cell adhesion and proliferation were examined by SEM and CCK‐8 assay, while osteogenic‐related gene expression was detected by real‐time RT‐PCR. Immunofluorescence, western blotting and in vivo study were also performed to evaluate the potential for osteogenic induction of materials. In addition, to investigate the underlying epigenetic mechanisms, immunofluorescence and western blotting were performed to evaluate the global level of H3K4me3 during osteogenesis. The H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 levels at the promoter area of the osteogenic gene Runx2 were detected by ChIP assay.

Results

The DMLS surface exhibits greater protein adsorption ability and shows better cell adhesion performance than SLA and Ti surfaces. Moreover, both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that the DMLS surface is more favourable for the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs than SLA and Ti surfaces. Accordingly, osteogenesis‐associated gene expression in BMSCs is efficiently induced by a rapid H3K27 demethylation and increase in H3K4me3 levels at gene promoters upon osteogenic differentiation on DMLS titanium surface.

Conclusions

Topographical cues of DMLS surfaces have greater potential for the induction of osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs than SLA and Ti surfaces both in vitro and in vivo. A potential epigenetic mechanism is that the appropriate topography allows rapid H3K27 demethylation and an increased H3K4me3 level at the promoter region of osteogenesis‐associated genes during the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs.
Retracted: Repression of microRNA‐382 inhibits glomerular mesangial cell proliferation and extracellular matrix accumulation via FoxO1 in mice with diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Wang Shan , Wen Xin , Han Xin‐Rui , Wang Yong‐Jian , Shen Min , Fan Shao‐Hua , Zhuang Juan , Zhang Zi‐Feng , Shan Qun , Li Meng‐Qiu , Hu Bin , Sun Chun‐Hui , Wu Dong‐Mei , Lu Jun , Zheng Yuan‐Lin
Published: April 2018

Retraction: Repression of microRNA‐382 inhibits glomerular mesangial cell proliferation and extracellular matrix accumulation via FoxO1 in mice with diabetic nephropathy 2018, 51(5), e12462 (https://doi.org/10.1111/cpr.12462)

The above article, published online on 27 April 2018 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the Academic Committee of Jiangsu Normal University, the journal Editor‐in‐Chief Qi Zhou, and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The retraction has been agreed as the authors' institution investigated allegations made by a third party that the data particularly in gel blots and graphed data for figures 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10. The authors were unable to provide any evidence or data in support during the investigation, and the authors' institution has requested the retraction of the paper.]
Pediatric maxillofacial trauma: Epidemiologic study between the years 2012 and 2015 in an Israeli medical center
Authors: Joachim Michael , Tuizer Moti , Araidy Shareef , Abu El‐Naaj Imad
Published: April 2018

Background/Aim

Trauma is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population worldwide, and Israel is no different in this aspect. Of these injuries, craniofacial trauma is a significant cause of morbidity in the pediatric population. The high occurrence of pediatric trauma is possibly related to a lower perception for the hazards that surround them, combined with the restless and adventurous nature that is typical of children. The aim was to perform a retrospective, epidemiological study on facial trauma in children examined in the emergency room in order to analyze the different patterns in pediatric maxillofacial trauma, to emphasize this data and educate those involved in preventing and treating children’s injuries.

Materials and Methods

The database of pediatric maxillofacial trauma patients younger than 18 years registered at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya during a period of 4 years (2012‐2015) was reviewed and examined. The data collected were analyzed for each year separately and then comparisons and cross sections were made.

Results

This study examined 3034 files of pediatric maxillofacial and head trauma patients aged under 18. The comparison of frequency of the injuries between seasons reveals more injuries occur in the summer and 69.3% of the injuries occurred in boys. Average age was 6.5 years, with the most prevalent group being 0‐5 years. The most common type of injury was blunt head trauma followed by facial lacerations and dental injuries. Most (84.5%) of the injuries occurred outside the education system. The number of injuries at the Arab villages was higher than in the Jewish villages.

Conclusion

There is a marked difference in the injured children population with an increase incidence in the Arab child population and children under the age of 6.
The relation between bank credit growth and the expected returns of bank stocks
Authors: Gandhi Priyank
Published: April 2018

Higher bank credit growth implies that excess returns of bank stocks over the next one year are lower by nearly 3%. Credit growth tracks bank stock returns over the business cycle and explains nearly 14% of the variation in bank stock returns over a 1‐year horizon. I argue that the predictive variation in returns reflects investors' rational response to a small time‐varying probability of a tail event that impacts banks and bank‐dependent firms. Consistent with this hypothesis, the predictive power, as measured by the absolute magnitude of the coefficient on credit growth and the adjusted‐R2 at the 1‐year horizon, depend systematically on variables that regulate exposure to tail risk.
Validation data set for testing the criteria for multiaxial fatigue strength estimation
Authors: Papuga J. , Vízková I. , Nesládek M. , Trubelová Š.
Published: April 2018

This paper describes the way in which a specialized validation set intended for quick validation of new multiaxial fatigue strength estimation models in the high‐cycle fatigue regime was prepared. The rules established for accepting various data sets into the complete FatLim database are briefly described. This final FatLim database contained 282 data items at the moment this paper was written. The paper describes how FatLim has been reduced to a smaller validation set, marked as AMSD25. The criteria used for accepting the data items for this small‐scale test set are based on evaluating the mean and the standard deviation of the fatigue index errors obtained for each data item on the basis of 18 different prediction criteria. The items that got into the AMSD25 validation set are described, and potential issues are noted. The comparison between the original FatLim validation set and the shortened AMSD25 data set is presented. It shows that the in‐phase load cases without any mean stress effect are generally well mastered by most criteria, and they can be excluded as insignificant from any such analysis. However, the mean stress effect is generally poorly incorporated. Future multiaxial fatigue strength criteria should focus on load cases including mean stresses.
Policy Uncertainty and the Dual Role of Corporate Political Strategies
Authors: Kim Chansog (Francis) , Kim Incheol , Pantzalis Christos , Park Jung Chul
Published: April 2018

Firms use active political strategies not only to mitigate uncertainty emanating from legislative activity, but also to enhance their growth opportunities. We find that a firm's systematic risk (beta) can be hedged away by employing various political strategies involving the presence of former politicians on corporate boards of directors, contributions to political campaigns, and corporate lobbying activities. The hedging effect is greater when firms operate in more uncertain industries. In addition, active political strategies are associated with greater firm heterogeneity and make real options more value relevant as potential drivers of competitive advantages in uncertain environments.
Waxing and waning of forests: Late Quaternary biogeography of southeast Africa
Authors: Ivory Sarah J. , Lézine Anne‐Marie , Vincens Annie , Cohen Andrew S.
Published: April 2018

African ecosystems are at great risk. Despite their ecological and economic importance, long‐standing ideas about African forest ecology and biogeography, such as the timing of changes in forest extent and the importance of disturbance, have been unable to be tested due to a lack of sufficiently long records. Here, we present the longest continuous terrestrial record of late Quaternary vegetation from southern Africa collected to date from a drill core from Lake Malawi covering the last ~600,000 years. Pollen analysis permits us to investigate changes in vegetation structure and composition over multiple climatic transitions. We observe nine phases of forest expansion and collapse related to regional hydroclimate change. The development of desert, steppe and grassland vegetation during arid periods is likely dynamically linked to thresholds in regional hydrology associated with lake level and moisture recycling. Species composition of these dryland ecosystems varied greatly and is unlike the vegetation found at Malawi today, with assemblages suggesting strong Somali‐Masai affinities. Furthermore, nearly all semiarid assemblages contain low forest taxa abundances, suggesting that moist lowland gallery forests formed refugia along waterways during arid times. When the region was wet, forests were species‐rich and very high afromontane tree abundances suggest frequent widespread lowland colonization by modern high elevation trees. Furthermore, species composition varied little amongst forest phases until ~80 ka when disturbance tolerant tree taxa characteristic of the modern vegetation increased in abundance. The waxing and waning of forests has important implications for understanding the processes that control modern tropical vegetation biogeography as well as the environments of early humans across Africa. Finally, this work highlights the resilience of montane forests during previous warm intervals, which is relevant for future climate change; however, we point to a fundamental shift in disturbance regimes which are crucial for the structure and composition of modern East African landscapes.
Omics research project on prospective cohort studies from the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project
Authors: Koshiba Seizo , Motoike Ikuko , Saigusa Daisuke , Inoue Jin , Shirota Matsuyuki , Katoh Yasutake , Katsuoka Fumiki , Danjoh Inaho , Hozawa Atsushi , Kuriyama Shinichi , Minegishi Naoko , Nagasaki Masao , Takai‐Igarashi Takako , Ogishima Soichi , Fuse Nobuo , Kure Shigeo , Tamiya Gen , Tanabe Osamu , Yasuda Jun , Kinoshita Kengo , Yamamoto Masayuki
Published: April 2018

Population‐based prospective cohort studies are indispensable for modern medical research as they provide important knowledge on the influences of many kinds of genetic and environmental factors on the cause of disease. Although traditional cohort studies are mainly conducted using questionnaires and physical examinations, modern cohort studies incorporate omics and genomic approaches to obtain comprehensive physical information, including genetic information. Here, we report the design and midterm results of multi‐omics analysis on population‐based prospective cohort studies from the Tohoku Medical Megabank (TMM) Project. We have incorporated genomic and metabolomic studies in the TMM cohort study as both metabolome and genome analyses are suitable for high‐throughput analysis of large‐scale cohort samples. Moreover, an association study between the metabolome and genome show that metabolites are an important intermediate phenotype connecting genetic and lifestyle factors to physical and pathologic phenotypes. We apply our metabolome and genome analyses to large‐scale cohort samples in the following studies.
U–Pb zircon geochronology of the North Pole Dome adamellite in the eastern Pilbara Craton
Authors: Asanuma Hisashi , Sawaki Yusuke , Sakata Shuhei , Obayashi Hideyuki , Suzuki Kazue , Kitajima Kouki , Hirata Takafumi , Maruyama Shigenori
Published: April 2018

Supracrustal rocks around the North Pole Dome area, Western Australia, provide valuable information regarding early records of the evolution of crustal processes, surface environments, and biosphere. Owing to the occurrence of the oldest known microfossils, the successions at the North Pole Dome area have attracted interest from many researchers. The Paleoarchean successions (Warrawoona Group) mainly comprise mafic‐ultramafic greenstones with intercalated cherts and felsic lavas. Age constraints on the sediments have been mainly based on zircon U–Pb geochronology. However, many zircon grains have suffered from metamictization and contain anomalously high contents of common Pb, which makes interpretation of the U–Pb data complicated. In order to provide more convincing chronological constraints, an U–Pb Concordia age is widely accepted as the best estimate. Most zircons separated from two adamellites also suffered from severe metamictization. In our analyses, less metamictized domains were selected using a pre‐ablation technique in conjunction with elemental mapping, and then their U–Pb isotopic compositions were determined with a laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Most analyzed domains contained certain amounts of common Pb (204Pb/206Pb > 0.000 1), whereas three and five U–Pb data points with less common Pb (204Pb/206Pb < 0.000 1) were obtained. These U–Pb datasets yielded U–Pb Concordia ages of ca 3 445 Ma and 3 454 Ma, respectively. These ages represent the timing of the adamellite intrusion, and constrain the minimum depositional age of the Warrawoona Group. In addition, a single xenocrystic zircon grain showed a 207Pb/206Pb age of ca 3 545 Ma, supporting the idea that the sialic basement of the Pilbara Craton existed prior to 3 500 Ma. The in situ U–Pb zircon dating combined with the pre‐ablation technique has the potentials to identify non‐metamictized parts and to yield precise and accurate geochronological data even from partially metamictized zircons.
Overnight sleep duration and obesity in 2–5 year‐old American Indian children
Authors: Ingram D. G. , Irish L. A. , Tomayko E. J. , Prince R. J. , Cronin K. A. , Parker T. , Kim K. , Carmichael L. , Grant V. M. , Sheche J. N. , Adams A. K.
Published: April 2018

Background

Sleep has emerged as a potentially modifiable risk factor for obesity in children.

Objectives

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the association between overnight sleep duration and obesity among American Indian (AI) children ages 2–5 years.

Methods

Data were examined from the baseline assessment of children enrolling in the Healthy Children, Strong Families study, which is a randomized lifestyle intervention trial in five diverse rural and urban AI communities nationally among children ages 2–5 years. Multivariable models were built to assess the relationship between sleep duration and BMI z‐score while controlling for potential sociodemographic and behavioural covariates.

Results

Three hundred and ninety‐eight children had sufficient data to be included in analysis. In multivariable models controlling for potential covariates, overnight sleep duration was significantly and inversely associated with BMI z‐score (B = −0.158, t = −1.774, P = 0.006). Similarly, when controlling for covariates, children who slept 12 or more hours had significantly lower BMI z‐scores compared with those who slept 8 to 10 h (P = 0.018) or less than 8 h (P = 0.035); the difference between 12+ hours and 10 to 12‐h groups did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.073) but supported a linear relationship between overnight sleep duration and BMI. Weekday‐to‐weekend variability in overnight sleep duration was not associated with BMI z‐score (B = 0.010, t = 0.206, P = 0.837).

Conclusions

Overnight sleep duration is independently and inversely related to BMI z‐score among AI children ages 2–5 years, even when controlling for important sociodemographic and obesogenic lifestyle factors. This represents the first report, to our knowledge, of sleep duration as a risk factor for obesity among AI children.
Evaluating the contribution of differences in lean mass compartments for resting energy expenditure in African American and Caucasian American children
Authors: Broadney M. M. , Shareef F. , Marwitz S. E. , Brady S. M. , Yanovski S. Z. , DeLany J. P. , Yanovski J. A.
Published: April 2018

Background

Resting energy expenditure (REE), adjusted for total lean mass (LM), is lower in African American (AA) than Caucasian American (CA) children. Some adult studies suggest that AA–CA differences in lean mass compartments explain this REE difference. Similar data are limited in children.

Objective

To evaluate differences in compartment‐specific lean mass between AA and CA children and examine the individual contributions of high‐metabolic rate‐at‐rest trunk lean mass (TrLM) and low‐metabolic‐rate‐at‐rest appendicular lean mass (AppLM) for AA–CA differences in REE.

Methods

We studied a convenience sample of 594 AA (n = 281) and CA (n = 313) children. REE was measured by using indirect calorimetry; dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry was used to assess body composition. ANCOVAs were performed to examine AA–CA differences in TrLM, AppLM and REE. After accounting for age, sex, height, pubertal development, bone mass and adiposity, REE was evaluated adjusting for total LM (model A) and separately adjusting for TrLM and AppLM (model B).

Results

African American children had greater adjusted AppLM (17.8 ± 0.2 [SE] vs. 16.0 ± 0.2 kg, p < 0.001) and lower TrLM (17.2 ± 0.2 vs. 17.7 ± 0.2 kg, p = 0.022) than CA children. REE adjusted for total LM was 77 ± 16 kcal/d lower in AA than CA (p < 0.001). However, after accounting separately for AppLM and TrLM, the discrepancy in REE between the groups declined to 28 ± 19 kcal/d (p = 0.14). In the adjusted model, both TrLM (p < 0.001) and AppLM (p < 0.027) were independently associated with REE.

Conclusion

In children, AA–CA differences in REE appear mostly attributable to differences in body composition. Lower REE in AA children is likely due to lower TrLM and greater AppLM.
Waist‐to‐height ratio as a risk marker for metabolic syndrome in childhood. A meta‐analysis
Authors: Ochoa Sangrador C. , Ochoa‐Brezmes J.
Published: April 2018

Background

Individuals with abdominal obesity have a higher cardiovascular risk, regardless of the degree of global overweight.

Objective

To estimate the accuracy of the Waist/height ratio (WtHR) as a risk marker for metabolic syndrome (MS) in children or adolescents.

Methods

Published cohort or cross‐sectional studies (Pubmed, Embase‐SCOPUS and CINAHL) were searched, with no limits of time. Studies providing Waist/height ratio and clustered criteria of metabolic syndrome were included.

Results

Thirty‐one studies (66,912 subjects) were selected. Overall, a high WtHR (≥0.5) was associated with a four‐fold increased risk of clustered criteria of MS (odds ratio [OR] 4.15, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 2.69 to 6.42) and two‐fold increased risk when adjusted by general obesity (adjusted OR 2.26, 95% CI: 1.29 to 3.98). The WtHR, as a quantitative measure, showed a pooled area under the curve of 0.76 (95% CI: 0.71 to 0.80) and, as a dichotomous measure, with a cut‐off point close to 0.5, a sensitivity of 60% (95% CI: 50% to 68.8%) and a specificity of 79% (95% CI: 71.6% to 83.9%).

Conclusions

Measuring WtHR may be considered in regular health checks of children and adolescents, as it can measure cardiovascular risk regardless of the degree of general obesity.