bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determinants of glycaemic outcome in the current practice of care for young people up to 21 years old with type 1 diabetes under real‐life conditions
Authors: Kordonouri O. , Lange K. , Biester T. , Datz N. , Kapitzke K. , von dem Berge T. , Weiskorn J. , Danne T.
Published: September 2019

Aim

To determine factors influencing the success of treatment for type 1 diabetes, defined as HbA1c < 58 mmol/mol (<7.5%), in a large paediatric cohort under real‐life conditions.

Methods

This is a monocentric observational study analysing the determinants of glycaemic outcome (sex, age, comorbidities, sociodemographic factors, diabetes technology) in an entire cohort of people with diabetes aged up to 21 years. Glycaemic outcome was defined as an individual's median HbA1c and the prevalence of acute complications over this period.

Results

Of 700 young people with type 1 diabetes [age 13.6 years (range: 1.4–20.9 years); diabetes duration 5.8 years (range: 0.1–18.3 years)], 63% were using an insulin pump and 32% any type of continuous glucose monitoring. Mean HbA1c was 61 mmol/mol [95% confidence interval (CI) 60–62; 7.7%, 95% CI 7.5–7.8]. Some 63% of children aged < 12 years reached HbA1c (58 mmol/mol (<7.5%) compared with 43% of older participants. The prevalence of severe hypoglycaemia was 2.41 events and that of diabetic ketoacidosis 1.4 events per 100 person‐years. Neither type of insulin therapy nor use of continuous glucose monitoring, sex or comorbidity with coeliac disease or thyroiditis was significantly associated with glycaemic outcome. However, age, diabetes duration, having a father not born in Germany, psychiatric comorbidities and family structure were associated with HbA1c.

Conclusions

Current technologies and a multidisciplinary team approach allow high numbers of children and adolescents to realize tight glycaemic control with a low prevalence of acute complications. However, age‐related challenges, sociodemographic factors and psychological comorbidities are barriers to achieving best possible glycaemic outcome.
Age‐related changes in diastolic function in children: Echocardiographic association with vortex formation time
Authors: Kulkarni Aparna , Morisawa Daisuke , Gonzalez Daisy , Kheradvar Arash
Published: September 2019

Background

This study aims to understand the age‐related changes in vortex formation time (VFT) index in children, and thus, describe the ranges of VFT in different pediatric age groups with the ultimate goal of assessment of diastolic function.

Methods and results

Transthoracic echocardiograms in healthy (n = 84) subjects from birth to 20 years were analyzed to compute VFT and diastolic performance. LV apical and short‐axis views were used. Three separate measurements were performed, and the mean was used to derive VFT and other indices. Statistical comparisons were made amongst the groups, stratified by age.

Results

Vortex formation times in neonates (median 1.79, interquartile range 1.31–1.92) and infants (1.38, 1.07–1.72) were found to be significantly lower (P < .05) than the older age groups (1–5 years 2.47, 1.87–2.94, 5–10 years 2.18, 1.89–2.53, 10–20 years 2.34, 1.84–2.96). The changes in VFT correlate to the changes in diastolic function in children.

Conclusion

Our results show that unlike adults, VFT changes along with the growth‐related myocardial adaptations in children, and its range may be used to evaluate diastolic function. The present study is the first to test the significance of the trans‐mitral VFT in children by comparing different age groups of healthy subjects.
Vector calibration in Australian desert ants, Melophorus bagoti: Effects of a delay after the acquisition of vector information
Authors: Lionetti Vito A. G. , Cheng Ken
Published: September 2019

Desert ants navigate by using two chief strategies: path integration, keeping track of the straight‐line distance and direction to the starting point as they travel, and landmark guidance, orientation based on the visual panorama. Both Cataglyphis ants in North Africa and Melophorus bagoti in Central Australia are known to adjust their vectors derived from path integration to compensate for mismatches between their outbound direction of travel and (the reverse of) the inbound direction of travel that takes them home, a process known as vector calibration. We created mismatches of 90° between the outbound vector and the homebound direction by displacing ants from a feeder before their homebound run. We examined temporal factors in vector calibration by varying the delay (0, 1 or 3 hr) between the outbound run to the feeder and the homebound run from the displacement site. According to the temporal weighting rule, such a delay should decrease the weight given to the vector information obtained from the outbound run. This in turn should favour reliance on the visual panorama and thus speed up calibration. Results did not support this prediction. At the displacement site, a delay had little effect on the extent of calibration or the speed of calibration (the number of trials to reach maximum calibration). Just before being displaced, ants were also tested in a test ring surrounded by high walls that obliterated the visual scenery. In the test ring, a delay made the ants less likely to rely on their vector: ants were often not oriented as a group. Otherwise, the ants in the test ring also did not calibrate any more or any faster.
Producer Attitudes Toward Groundwater Conservation in the U.S. Ogallala‐High Plains
Authors: Lauer Stephen , Sanderson Matthew R.
Published: September 2019

We present descriptive findings on attitudes towards groundwater conservation and management from a survey of 1,226 producers farming in the High Plains/Ogallala aquifer region of the United States. We find that a super‐majority of producers agree that groundwater should be conserved rather than entirely depleted. The majority perceives groundwater depletion to be a serious problem. Producers perceive depletion to be a greater problem for their communities than for their own farming operations. There is overwhelming agreement that groundwater should be conserved for altruistic reasons to benefit future generations in the community. Most producers believe they have limited personal capacity for additional groundwater conservation on their farms, and few are involved in voluntary group conservation initiatives. We suggest that a key element of the conservation challenge is social and that future efforts should focus on developing networks, capacities, and cultures of groundwater conservation on the High Plains.
Phase 3 drug pipelines in the treatment of non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis
Authors: Sumida Yoshio , Okanoue Takeshi , Nakajima Atsushi ,   Japan Study Group of NAFLD (JSG‐NAFLD)
Published: September 2019

Non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is a more severe form of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease, can at least partly lead to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and hepatic failure. Liver transplantation is the only option for NASH cirrhosis at this time. By 2020, NASH is projected to overtake hepatitis C as the leading cause of liver transplants in the USA. There are still no approved drugs for treating NASH. Although there are approximately 196 agents of investigational NASH therapies in various stages of development, we here mainly review phase 3 drug candidates in the pipeline for NASH. The NASH space across the seven major markets of the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and Japan, is set to rise from $618 million in 2016 to approximately $25.3 billion by 2026. However, the fact that the race to develop an effective drug against NASH has reached the home stretch, with five drug candidates (obeticholic acid, elafibranor, selonsertib, cenicriviroc, and resmetirom) in phase 3 stage of the trial, is welcome news for patients. The very earliest a NASH drug could hit the market is 2021, assuming all goes well as planned.
Predicting aggression in adults with intellectual disability: A pilot study of the predictive efficacy of the Current Risk of Violence and the Short Dynamic Risk Scale
Authors: Lofthouse Rachael E. , Golding Laura , Totsika Vasiliki , Hastings Richard P. , Lindsay William R.
Published: September 2019

Background

Structured assessments have been shown to assist professionals to evaluate the risk of aggression in secure services for general offender populations and more recently among adults with intellectual disabilities. There is a need to develop intellectual disability sensitive measures for predicting risk of aggression in community samples, especially tools with a focus on dynamic variables.

Methods

The study prospectively followed 28 participants for up to 2 months to test whether the Current Risk of Violence (CuRV) and Short Dynamic Risk Scale (SDRS) were able to predict verbal and physical aggression in a community sample of adults with intellectual disability.

Results

CuRV and SDRS ratings significantly predicted verbal and physical aggression over a 2‐month period.

Conclusions

The current study supports the use of the CuRV with adults with intellectual disability living in community settings. The CuRV and SDRS are worthy of future development and evaluation in independent investigations.
Masked hypertensives: A disguised arterial stiffness population
Authors: Antza Christina , Doundoulakis Ioannis , Stabouli Stella , Tziomalos Konstantinos , Kotsis Vasilios
Published: September 2019

The aim of this study was to determine whether masked hypertension (MHT) and white coat hypertension (WCHT) could be related to increased arterial stiffness and to identify the best office cutoff values of office BP for the diagnosis of MHT and WCHT. A total of 542 consecutive patients (50.2% male, age 42.5 ± 26.2 years) were included in the study. Patients were never treated before for hypertension. Patients were classified as true normotensives (44%), true hypertensives (30%), WC hypertensives (19%), and masked hypertensives (7%). Carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity (c‐f PWV) was 9.91 ± 0.20 m/s in true normotension, 10.26 ± 0.27 m/s in WCHT, 11.28 ± 0.47 m/s in MHT, and 11.86 ± 0.23 m/s in true hypertension after adjustment for age and sex. Decision limits yielding 65% sensitivity were 130 mm Hg for office systolic BP with 72% specificity for the diagnosis of MHT. The optimal cutoff value of 80 mm Hg for office diastolic BP provides 60% sensitivity and 68% specificity. Decision limits yielding 63% sensitivity were 150 mm Hg for office systolic BP with 72% specificity for the diagnosis of WCHT. The optimal cutoff value of 95 mm Hg for office diastolic BP provides 75% sensitivity and 51% specificity. The presence of MHT should be taken into account when increased c‐f PWV is detected in the absence of office hypertension. The optimal office BP of 130/80 mm Hg provides the best sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of MHT. As regards the diagnosis of WCHT, the cutoff value of 150/95 mm Hg seems to provide the best option.
The cost of love: financial consequences of insecure attachment in antisocial youth
Authors: Bachmann Christian J. , Beecham Jennifer , O'Connor Thomas G. , Scott Adam , Briskman Jackie , Scott Stephen
Published: September 2019

Background

Knowing that your parent or caregiver will be there for you in times of emotional need and distress is a core aspect of the human experience of feeling loved and being securely attached. In contrast, an insecure attachment pattern is found in many antisocial youth and is related to less sensitive caregiving. Such youth are often distrustful of adults and authority figures, and are at high risk of poor outcomes. As they become adults, they require extensive health, social and economic support, costing society ten times more than their well‐adjusted peers. However, it is not known whether insecure attachment itself is associated with higher costs in at‐risk youth, independently of potential confounders, nor whether cost differences are already beginning to emerge early in adolescence.

Methods

Sample: A total of 174 young people followed up aged 9–17 years (mean 12.1, SD 1.8): 85 recruited with moderate antisocial behaviour (80th percentile) from a school screen aged 4–6 years; 89 clinically referred with very high antisocial behaviour (98th percentile) aged 3–7 years. Measures: Costs by detailed health economic and service‐use interview; attachment security to mother and father from interview; diagnostic interviews for oppositional and conduct problems; self‐reported delinquent behaviour.

Results

Costs were greater for youth insecurely attached to their mothers (secure £6,743, insecure £10,199, p = .001) and more so to fathers (secure £1,353, insecure £13,978, p < .001). These differences remained significant (mother p = .019, father p < .001) after adjusting for confounders, notably family income and education, intelligence and antisocial behaviour severity.

Conclusions

Attachment insecurity is a significant predictor of public cost in at‐risk youth, even after accounting for covariates. Since adolescent attachment security is influenced by caregiving quality earlier in childhood, these findings add support to the public health case for early parenting interventions to improve child outcomes and reduce the financial burden on society.
Energetic and exergetic analyses of Barnyard millet drying using continuous multistage fluidized bed dryer
Authors: Devani Yogendrasasidhar , Yelamarthi Pydi Setty
Published: September 2019

Most of the exergy studies reported were in batch fluidized bed drying process. The continuous dryer plays a pivotal role in industrial usage. In this study, exergy and energy analyses of multistage fluidized bed drying of Barnyard millet with stages connected externally were examined. The dryer was operated by changing wall temperature of stages (313–328 K), air inlet velocity (1.01–1.3 m/s), downcomer height (50–70 mm), and flow rate of solids (5–10 kg/h). Drying characteristics of Barnyard millet by changing process operating conditions of the dryer, were reported and the energy utilization ratio, exergy loss and exergy efficiency of dryer were also reported. The EUR of dryer at steady state has been found to be in the range of 0.25–0.46 and the maximum exergy efficiency of dryer was observed as 0.64 and lowest as 0.371 in the continuous drying process.

Practical Applications

Fluidized beds offer many distinct features and advantages for processing of particulate food materials. To decrease the drying time than that for single stage dryers, continuous multistage fluidized bed dryer was introduced. Reducing moisture content from feed materials in continuous dryers while discharging continuously, helps to process large quantity of solid materials with good quality of product. Several dryers with different modifications and designs have been suggested by many earlier investigators but continuous dryers play significant role in particulate industry. The multistage dryer is designed by connecting two or more fluidized beds internally or externally, where each bed is termed as a stage. Advantages of the multistage dryer are improvement in gas–solid axial mixing, which results in good quality of product. Due to stage‐wise contact of solids with gas, dried product with uniform moisture content can be obtained.
Feasibility of observational screening colonoscopy followed by deferred polypectomy
Authors: Sekiguchi Masau , Kakugawa Yasuo , Nakamura Keiko , Matsumoto Minori , Takamaru Hiroyuki , Yamada Masayoshi , Sakamoto Taku , Saito Yutaka , Matsuda Takahisa
Published: September 2019

Background and Aim

With the increasing necessity of colorectal cancer screening, observational screening colonoscopy during which only endoscopic observation and diagnosis is performed is worth consideration. However, whether detected lesions can be correctly identified at secondary colonoscopy performed for polypectomy is unclear. Further, whether new neoplastic lesions can be detected at secondary colonoscopy has not been fully examined. This study was performed to investigate the detectability of adenomatous polyps and advanced colorectal neoplasia (ACN) at secondary colonoscopy.

Methods

Data were analyzed from individuals who underwent initial observational screening colonoscopy followed by secondary colonoscopy for polypectomy. The proportion of correct detection at secondary colonoscopy of the lesions detected at initial colonoscopy was assessed. The number and characteristics of lesions that were newly detected at secondary colonoscopy were also evaluated.

Results

Data of 587 individuals were assessed. Among the 1 331 lesions detected at the initial colonoscopy, 1 151 (86.5%) were properly detected at the secondary colonoscopy. The proportions of correct detection at the secondary colonoscopy for ACN, non‐advanced adenomas sized 5 to 9 mm, and non‐advanced adenomas sized 1 to 4 mm were 100%, 95.4%, and 70.3%, respectively. In total, 175 adenomatous polyps and ACNs were newly detected at secondary colonoscopy in 112 individuals (19.1% of all individuals). Most of the lesions (165 lesions, 94.3%) were non‐advanced adenomas, while advanced adenomas (5.7%) were also found.

Conclusion

Screening by observational colonoscopy followed by deferred polypectomy is a feasible option in terms of lesion detectability, particularly when lesions sized ≥ 5 mm are the treatment target.
Non‐immunological biomarkers for assessment of villous abnormalities in patients with celiac disease
Authors: Singh Alka , Verma Anil K , Das Prasenjit , Prakash Shyam , Pramanik Raja , Nayak B , Datta Gupta Siddhartha , Sreenivas V , Kumar Lalit , Ahuja Vineet , Makharia Govind K
Published: September 2019

Background and Aim

Demonstration of villous abnormalities is an essential component of diagnosis of celiac disease (CeD) that requires duodenal biopsies. There is a need for non‐invasive biomarker(s) that can predict the presence of villous abnormalities.

Methods

Levels of plasma citrulline, plasma intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I‐FABP), and serum regenerating gene 1α (Reg1α) were estimated in treatment naïve patients with CeD and controls. The levels of these biomarkers and their cyclical pattern were validated in a predicted model of enteropathy. Optimum diagnostic cut‐off values were derived, and the results were further validated in a prospective validation cohort.

Results

While level of plasma citrulline was significantly lower, the levels of plasma I‐FABP and serum Reg1α were significantly higher in patients with CeD (n = 131) in comparison with healthy (n = 216) and disease controls (n = 133), and their levels reversed after a gluten‐free diet (GFD). In the model of predicted enteropathy (n = 70), a sequential decrease and then increase in the level of plasma citrulline was observed; such a sequential change was not observed with I‐FABP and Reg1α. The diagnostic accuracy for prediction of presence of villous abnormality was 89% and 78% if citrulline level was  ≤ 30 μM/L and I‐FABP levels were ≥ 1100 pg/mL, respectively. The results were validated in a prospective validation cohort (n = 104) with a sensitivity and specificity of 79.5% and 83.1%, respectively, for predicting villous abnormalities of modified Marsh grade > 2 at calculated cut‐off values of citrulline and I‐FABP.

Conclusions

Plasma citrulline  ≤ 30 μM/L is the most consistent, highly reproducible non‐invasive biomarker that can predict the presence of villous abnormality and has the potential for avoiding duodenal biopsies in 78% patients suspected to have CeD.
Syntactic development in children with intellectual disabilities – using structured assessment of syntax
Authors: Koizumi M. , Saito Y. , Kojima M.
Published: September 2019

Background

Children with intellectual disabilities (IDs) have a severe delay in syntactic development compared with other language abilities. This study investigated conditions of syntactic development in native Japanese‐speaking children with ID.

Methods

Children with ID [N = 51; 18 autism spectrum disorders (ASD), 18 Down syndrome (DS) and 15 ID without ASD and DS] were compared with typically developing children (N = 78) with the same mental age (MA). The development of syntax in spoken language was examined by receptive and production tasks.

Results

The development of syntax in children with ID was significantly delayed than in typically developing children with the same MA. However, when reaching the MA of 7–9, syntax abilities started to develop remarkably. Moreover, children with ASD had significant difficulties in acquiring passive voice, whereas children with DS showed a significant delay in syntactic development.

Conclusions

The development of syntax in children with ID might be affected by MA and the type of disability. Moreover, it is necessary to exceed an MA of 7–9 years for children with ID to develop syntax abilities.
Implementation Science Training and Resources for Nurses and Nurse Scientists
Authors: Boehm Leanne M. , Stolldorf Deonni P. , Jeffery Alvin D.
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to describe the differences between quality improvement and implementation science, the urgency for nurses and nurse scientists to engage in implementation science, and international educational opportunities and resources for implementation science.

Organizing Construct

There is a push for providing safe, effective, patient‐centered, timely, efficient, and equitable health care. Implementation science plays a key role in adoption and integration of evidence‐based practices to improve quality of care.

Methods

We reviewed implementation science programs, organizations, and literature to analyze the roles of nurses and nurse scientists in translating evidence into routine practice.

Findings

Implementation‐trained nurses and nurse scientists are needed as part of multidisciplinary teams to advance implementation science because of their unique understanding of contextual barriers within nursing practice. Likewise, nurses are uniquely qualified for recognizing what implementation strategies are needed to improve nursing care across practice settings.

Conclusions

Many international clinical and training resources exist and are supplied to aid interested readers in learning more about implementation science.

Clinical Relevance

Half of research evidence never reaches the clinical setting, and the other half takes 20 years to translate into clinical practice. Implementation science‐trained nurses are in a position to be excellent improvers for meaningful change in practice.
Novel interpenetrating polymer network provides significant and long‐lasting improvements in hydration to the skin from different body areas
Authors: Falla Timothy , Rodan Katie , Fields Kathy , Bianchini Robert , Mahon Cullin , Skobowiat Cezary
Published: September 2019

Background

Hydration and moisturization both impact skin quality, directly reflecting its appearance. Signs and onset of dehydration‐related skin aging are region‐specific and require tailored treatment to be effective.

Aims

To test the hydrating effects of formulas containing a novel 3‐dimensional 3‐polymer interpenetrating network (3D3P‐IPN) to deliver humectants and actives to specific body sites.

Methods

Two clinical studies were conducted focused on the skin under eyes and body (arms/legs). Healthy women ages 25‐65 (eyes) or 35‐65 (body) with mild to moderate dry and aged skin were enrolled. Study product containing the 3D3P‐IPN and tailored actives was applied twice daily for 8 weeks on the periorbital area and for 4 weeks on the body. Changes in skin attributes were measured by biophysical instrumentation for hydration, dark circles, skin color, elasticity and transepidermal water loss, and by clinical grading and subject self‐assessment.

Results

Significant improvements in hydration and skin smoothing were demonstrated in both studies. In the periorbital region, actives and humectants delivered by the 3D3P‐IPN also led to significant improvements in dark circles, fine lines/crow's feet, puffiness, restoring radiance, and overall younger‐looking appearance. On the arms and legs, there were significant reductions in crepiness and dullness. The arms and legs also had improvements in tactile and visual skin texture, radiance, and general healthy look. Improvements were immediate and persisted through the end of both studies.

Conclusion

The 3D3P‐IPN provides immediate and long‐lasting improvements in skin hydration and overall healthy appearance regardless of the targeted application site.
Multiparametric 3D Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasound to Assess Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis: A Pilot Study
Authors: Pelz Johann Otto , Weinreich Anna , Schob Stefan , Saur Dorothee
Published: September 2019

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Extracranial internal carotid artery stenoses (ICASs) may greatly differ with respect to morphological and hemodynamical aspects. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the use of multiparametric 3‐dimensional (3D) contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (3D‐CEUS) to comprehensively examine ICAS.

METHODS

Fifteen patients with moderate to severe ICAS were examined with multiparametric 3D‐CEUS, power‐mode 3D ultrasound (3DUS), color‐coded duplex sonography (CDS), and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) (n = 9). Multiparametric 3D‐CEUS comprised the assessment of the morphology and the stenotic degree of ICAS and the measurement of the ipsistenotic cerebral circulation time (CCT).

RESULTS

Multiparametric 3D‐CEUS reliably visualized even complex aspects of ICAS such as ulcerated or heavily calcified plaques with high spatial resolution. When comparing the different methods to quantify ICAS, the intermethod agreement was good (ranging from poor to excellent) between 3D‐CEUS and CDS, moderate (ranging from poor to good) between 3D‐CEUS and DSA, and poor (ranging from poor to good) between CDS and DSA. The CCT was significantly longer in patients with ICAS than in healthy subjects (8.2 ± 1.5 seconds vs. 6.5 ± 1.3 seconds, P = .026).

CONCLUSION

In this pilot study, bedside multiparametric 3D‐CEUS provided reliable estimations of different morphological and hemodynamical aspects of ICAS, thus ideally complementing CDS.
Why is free education so popular? A political economy explanation
Authors: Correa Juan A. , Lu Yijia , Parro Francisco , Villena Mauricio
Published: September 2019

This paper analyzes the political support for different funding regimes of education in a one‐person, one‐vote democracy. We focus the analysis on four systems that have had a preponderant presence in the political debate on education: a private system, a public system that delivers the same resources to each student (universal‐free education), a public system that intends to equalize results, and a public system that aims to maximize the output of the economy. We show that a system of universal free education is the Condorcet winner. The level of income inequality and the degree to which income distribution is skewed to the right are key factors behind this conclusion. We also show that the voting outcome of public versus private funding for education depends crucially on the type of public funding under consideration.
Behaviour and welfare of fattening lambs supplemented with varying sizes and types of straw
Authors: Aguayo‐Ulloa Lorena A. , Pascual‐Alonso Maria , González‐Lagos César , Miranda‐de la Lama Genaro C. , Villarroel Morris , Asenjo Begoña , Resconi Virginia , María Gustavo A.
Published: September 2019

The aim was to evaluate the effect of size (long or chopped wheat straw), type (barley or wheat) and presence/absence (1 week) of straw supplementation on behaviour and welfare of fattening lambs. Sixteen lambs (65 days) were individually housed to be used in two simultaneous experiments (8 lambs each) for 5 weeks of fattening. After a habituation period, they were offered straw that differed either in size (Experiment 1) or type (Experiment 2), which was followed by a week without straw and then reallocation of straw. Maintenance behaviours, play and stereotypies were analysed using video recording. Physiological stress responses were measured using blood samples taken at the end of the week without straw and after the reallocation of the straw. A preference test was performed during the last week. Concentrate and roughage consumption, average daily gain and conversion index were estimated. Lambs provided with long straw spent more time eating forage, playing and performed fewer stereotypies (Experiment 1). Lambs given wheat straw increased their play behaviour compared with those given barley straw, without affecting stereotypies (Experiment 2). When the straw was removed, lambs performed more behaviours associated with stress; however, this was not reflected in blood stress indicators. Lambs clearly preferred long straw over chopped straw, but no clear preference was observed between wheat and barley straw. The amount of forage intake was consistent with the time spent eating forage, but the amount of concentrate intake did not vary with eating concentrate behaviour, since the amount of concentrate intake was higher when the straw was removed, especially in Experiment 2. Our results show that size more than type of straw supplement impact the behaviour of lambs. Long straw reduces the stereotypies and increases play. This may improve the welfare and performance of fattening lambs, adding ethical value to a highly appreciated product.
Comparison of clinical, clinicopathologic, and histologic variables in dogs with chronic inflammatory enteropathy and low or normal serum 25‐hydroxycholecalciferol concentrations
Authors: Jablonski Wennogle Sara A. , Priestnall Simon L. , Suárez‐Bonnet Alejandro , Webb Craig B.
Published: September 2019

Background

The cause of low serum vitamin D concentrations in dogs with chronic inflammatory enteropathy (CIE) is not well understood.

Objective

Improve understanding of pathogenesis of low serum vitamin D concentrations in dogs with CIE by comparing several clinical, clinicopathologic, and histologic variables between CIE dogs with low and normal serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D concentrations (25[OH]D).

Animals

Fifteen dogs with CIE and low serum 25[OH]D concentrations; 15 dogs with CIE and normal serum 25(OH)D concentrations.

Methods

Prospective cohort study. Clinical and clinicopathologic variables were compared between groups. Correlations between serum 25(OH)D concentration and histopathologic variables were assessed.

Results

Dogs with CIE and low serum 25(OH)D concentrations had higher canine chronic enteropathy clinical activity index scores (P = .003), lower serum α‐tocopherol (P < .001), cholesterol (P < .001), and albumin (P < .001) concentrations and higher serum C‐reactive protein (P = .004) concentrations compared to CIE dogs with normal serum 25(OH)D concentrations. Serum concentrations of vitamin D‐binding protein (VDBP) were not different between groups (P = .91). Duodenal morphologic and inflammatory histopathological scores (P = .002 and P = .004, respectively) and total histopathological scores in duodenum and combined duodenum and ileum negatively correlated with serum 25(OH)D concentration.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

The pathogenesis of low serum vitamin D concentrations in dogs with CIE is likely multifactorial. Fat malabsorption deserves further study in dogs with low serum vitamin D concentration and CIE. Loss of VDBP does not appear to be an important cause of low serum vitamin D concentration in dogs with CIE.
Neuropathology of Lewy body disease: Clinicopathological crosstalk between typical and atypical cases
Authors: Kon Tomoya , Tomiyama Masahiko , Wakabayashi Koichi
Published: September 2019

Lewy body disease (LBD) is characterized by the presence of Lewy bodies (LBs) and Lewy neurites and comprises a diagnostic spectrum that includes Parkinson's disease (PD), PD with dementia, and dementia with LBs. LBs and Lewy neurites are insoluble aggregates composed mainly of phosphorylated α‐synuclein and can be widely distributed throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems. The distribution of LBs may determine the LBD phenotype. Braak hypothesized that Lewy pathology progresses ascendingly from the peripheral nervous system to the olfactory bulbs and brainstem and then to other brain regions. Braak's PD staging suggests that LBD is a prion‐like disease. Most typical PD cases fit with Braak's PD staging, but the scheme fails in some cases. Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal syndrome, multiple system atrophy, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, cerebrovascular diseases, and essential tremor are common misdiagnoses for pathologically confirmed LBD. LBD exhibits considerable heterogeneity in both clinical and pathological settings, which makes clinical diagnosis challenging.
Gender and age differences in symptoms and health‐related quality of life in patients with atrial fibrillation referred for catheter ablation
Authors: Walfridsson Ulla , Steen Hansen Peter , Charitakis Emmanouil , Almroth Henrik , Jönsson Anders , Karlsson Lars O. , Liuba Ioan , Samo Ayou Romeo , Poci Dritan , Holmqvist Fredrik , Kongstad Ole , Walfridsson Håkan
Published: September 2019

Background

Primary indication for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is to reduce symptoms and improve health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). There are data showing differences between the genders and between younger and older patients. To evaluate this, we studied a large Scandinavian cohort of patients referred for catheter ablation of AF.

Methods

Consecutive patients filled out the ASTA questionnaire, assessing symptoms, HRQoL, and perception of arrhythmia, prior to ablation. Patients were recruited from four Swedish and one Danish tertiary center.

Results

A total of 2493 patients (72% men) filled out the ASTA questionnaire. Women experienced eight of the nine ASTA scale symptoms more often than men. Patients <65 years reported four symptoms more often, only tiredness was more frequent in those ≥65 years (P = .007). Women and patients <65 years experienced more often palpitations and regarding close to fainting and this was more common among women, no age differences were seen. Women and men scored differently in 10 of the 13 HRQoL items. Only negative impact on sexual life was more common in men (P < .001). Older patients reported more negative influence in four of the HRQoL items and the younger in one; ability to concentrate.

Conclusions

Women experienced a more pronounced symptom burden and were more negatively affected in all HRQoL concerns, except for the negative impact on sexual life, where men reported more influence of AF. Differences between age groups were less pronounced. Disease‐specific patient‐reported outcomes measures (PROMs) add important information where gender differences should be considered in the care.
Haplotype analysis in a 16‐year‐old boy with vancomycin‐induced DRESS syndrome
Authors: Ercan Nazlı , Yeşillik Sait , Demirel Fevzi , Tırık Nihan , Kartal Özgür
Published: September 2019

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is a rare but life‐threatening multisystem adverse reaction to a medication, with vancomycin being one of the most common cause reported. We present the HLA analysis of a pediatric patient who developed DRESS related to vancomycin and compared the results with the available literature. With further data, the use of pretreatment HLA analysis to prevent vancomycin related DRESS may be a valuable option in the near future.
The Itch that… freckles? Development of lentigines in areas of resolved chronic atopic dermatitis
Authors: Shayegan Leila H. , Lauren Christine T.
Published: September 2019

We report two pediatric patients with a history of chronic lichenified atopic dermatitis (AD) who subsequently developed eruptive lentigines at sites of resolved AD. The occurrence of this phenomenon in eczematous dermatoses in the absence of topical calcineurin inhibitor (TCI) use is rarely reported in the literature.
Mixed epithelial and stromal tumor after pediatric kidney transplant
Authors: Ferdjallah Asmaa , Gordon Peter , Kirankumar Veena , Dietz Kelly , Bu Lihong , Verghese Priya
Published: September 2019

MEST of the kidney are a benign group of tumors with very rare incidence of malignant transformation. First described in 1998, this tumor has never been reported in a transplanted organ before. We present a unique case of de novo MEST in a donor kidney 4 years after transplant into a pediatric patient. Although removal of the lesions is curative without risking malignant transformation, in this case, surgical removal was not attempted to prevent reduction in transplant longevity. In this unique report of MEST in a transplanted kidney, we describe the patient/transplant outcomes without MEST resection.
Vertical specialization in North–South trade: Industrial relocation, wage and welfare
Authors: Kurata Hiroshi , Nomura Ryoichi , Suga Nobuhito
Published: September 2019

This paper presents a North–South trade model with vertically linked industries and examines how declining costs of trade across stages of production encourage vertical specialization and affect wages and welfare. As trade costs fall below a threshold, the production of all final goods relocates to the South and vertical specialization emerges. In some industries, production of intermediate goods also relocates against comparative costs because of benefits of co‐location, and further declines in trade costs lead to reshoring. A country may temporarily lose from falling trade costs, but both countries can be better off after trade costs fall sufficiently.
Agriculture, Pesticide Use, and Economic Development: A Global Examination (1990–2014)
Authors: Hedlund John , Longo Stefano B. , York Richard
Published: September 2019

Modern agricultural production typically requires large quantities of chemical pesticides, a potential source of both environmental and human harm. Previous social science research has suggested that environmental problems such as those associated with pesticide use may begin to decline at higher levels of economic development. Using fixed effects models, we examine whether this possible relationship holds within nations and over time. This study draws on data from the World Bank as well as pesticide use data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to examine the relationship between pesticide use and economic development within nations from 1990 to 2014. The findings are considered from theoretical perspectives in environmental sociology on the drivers of environmental impacts: the treadmill of production theory, structural human ecology, ecological modernization theory, and the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis. The results of this study show a positive relationship between economic development and pesticide consumption over time, with no decline in use at higher levels of economic development. Thus, they generally support the claims made by treadmill of production and structural human ecology.
The Battle for (Pre‐)Modernity: Medieval Festivals in Contemporary Russia
Authors: GORSKI BRADLEY A.
Published: September 2019

In May 2016 a medieval Russian “knight” lanced a drone out of the skies above Lipetsk. The assailant was part of the Rusborg Historical Festival, one of hundreds of medieval re‐enactment events that have sprung up across Russia since 2000 and have gained widespread popularity in recent years. This article considers these festivals as part of a larger trend in neomedievalism that has come to occupy a surprisingly prominent place in contemporary Russian culture. I examine this trend in historical reconstruction and show how it is motivated by contemporary concerns about globalization and modernity and Russia's place in the modern world. Though these issues are not explicitly discussed at medieval festivals, I argue that such events build towards an “affective public sphere,” that is, a space of public experience centered on aesthetics and affect rather than rational discourse. The immersive imaginary environments provided at these festivals, I suggest, encourage participants to explore the anxieties, nostalgias, and hopes evoked by contemporary life through emotional, affective experience, rather than rational political debate.
Peasant Dreams, Peasant Nightmares: On Tolstoy and Cross‐Dressing
Authors: NEWLIN THOMAS
Published: September 2019

A nobleman who proudly traced his lineage back to Riurik, Leo Tolstoy spent the greater part of his adult life dressing as a peasant. This essay asks why he did this, and explores how he used cross‐dressing in both his daily life and his fiction to destabilize easy categorizations and challenge assumptions about identity. After surveying some of the many reactions, positive and negative, to Tolstoy as a “peasant” from a variety of quarters, the essay turns to Anna Karenina. In this novel Tolstoy's utopian dream of the dissolution of the boundaries between peasant and noble finds its most complex artistic expression, and mutates into an unsettling reflection of the incursion of modernity into nineteenth‐century Russia, where questions of identity had become extraordinarily acute and fraught.
Karamzin's Traveler Meets the Locals: Micro‐Encounters in Letters of a Russian Traveler
Authors: PARTS LYUDMILA
Published: September 2019

Karamzin's Letters of a Russian Traveler, like most Russian travel narratives, is concerned with questions of national identity; my focus, however, is on the stories of human contact within the broader narratives of the encounter of civilizations, which I call micro‐encounters. I discuss the traveler's personal encounters with the ‘non‐great’ and ‘non‐sublime,’ proceeding from such questions as: What type of identity is constructed when he comes face‐to‐face with an ordinary local? How does he act, when the object of his gaze is neither Kant, nor the Rhine Falls but an uncelebrated foreign woman, peasant, or student? And what if they look back? These episodes reveal the multiple layers of the carefully constructed narrative persona, as one that negotiates between various, often conflicting identities, such as that of a representative of a culture, gender, social position, or an artistic movement. Like microhistory, the micro‐encounter analysis reduces the scale of observation in order to focus on the issues of individual agency and the key role of the narrative persona.
Population‐specific criterion to distinguish killer cell immunoglobulin‐like receptor genotypes and haplotypes in a large Eastern Han population
Authors: Bao Xiaojing , Zhang Tengteng , Wu Xiaojin , Yuan Xiaoni , Li Yang , Chen Luyao , He Jun
Published: September 2019

With the goal of improving the population‐specific criteria to distinguish KIR genotypes and haplotypes in the region, we examined the KIR gene and haplotype data of Eastern Han based on a large population and analyzed the component genes of centromeric (Cen) and telomeric (Tel) KIR haplotype segments, which may differ in the protection they provide in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Samples from 598 families and 2845 unrelated individuals of Eastern Han origin were collected between 2010 and 2017. Genotyping of 17 KIR genes was performed by PCR‐SSP and SSO methods. The results showed we obtained the KIR gene distribution of the Eastern Han population. The KIR gene frequencies (GF) in the present study are similar to those observed in other studies on Han but different from other populations. We observed a total of 56 different genotypes, including 1 AA and 55 group B genotypes. The high‐frequency KIR genotype profiles found in the present population were consistent with other studies on Han populations but different from those conducted on other populations. In the family panel, a total of 28 KIR haplotypes were identified in the segregation study. The majority of Eastern Han carried group A KIR gene motifs. Comparison of the frequencies of Cen and Tel KIR gene motifs shows that they differ from other populations. The study on the distribution of KIR genes in the population may aid in the development of a complementary population‐specific criterion to distinguish between KIR haplotypes and offer a research direction for further gene functional studies.
Investigation of thyroid function in dogs treated with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor toceranib
Authors: Harper Aaron , Blackwood Laura , Mason Sarah
Published: September 2019

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are widely utilized in veterinary oncology for the treatment of mast cell and solid tumours. In man, these drugs are associated with thyroid dysfunction: however, to date only one study has investigated this in dogs. The aim of this study was to prospectively assess thyroid function in a group of dogs with cancer receiving toceranib. Thirty‐four dogs were prospectively enrolled at two referral hospitals into two groups; those receiving toceranib with prednisolone and those receiving toceranib alone. Total thyroxine (TT4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was monitored at regular time points during treatment. Follow‐up data was available for 19 dogs. Overall, 12 incidences of elevated TSH occurred but none of these dogs had concurrent low TT4 concentrations. There was a significant difference in median TSH at week six compared with baseline. Hypothyroidism was not diagnosed in any patient during the study period. Patient drop‐out was higher than anticipated which prevented the assessment of longer term toceranib administration on thyroid function. Toceranib therapy was not associated with hypothyroidism in this study but did result in elevations in TSH which confirms what has been previously reported. Toceranib should be considered to cause thyroid dysfunction in dogs and monitoring is advised.
Characterization of chelator‐mediated recovery of pancreatic islets from barium‐stabilized alginate microcapsules
Authors: Rodriguez Samuel , Lau Hien , Corrales Nicole , Heng Jennifer , Lee Sarah , Stiner Rachel , Alexander Michael , Lakey Jonathan R. T.
Published: September 2019

Introduction

Islet recovery from within alginate‐based microcapsules is necessary for certain analytical assays like flow cytometry; however, this technology has not been widely characterized. In this study, we explore the ability of EDTA, EGTA, and sodium citrate to induce reverse alginate polymerization via chelation and assess the toxicity of each chelator on pancreatic islets.

Methods

EDTA, EGTA, and sodium citrate were used to dissolve single‐layered Ba2+ alginate encapsulated islets and the rate of capsule breakdown calculated from analysis of imaging data. The effect of chelator exposure on islet viability and recovery was assessed using flow cytometry, while glucose‐stimulated insulin release (GSIR) assay was used to measure effects on islet function.

Results

EGTA demonstrated the most rapid microcapsule dissolving rate followed by EDTA and sodium citrate. Islet recovery was significantly better when encapsulated islets were treated with EDTA than EGTA and Na+ citrate. A decrease in viability and increase in apoptotic cells were observed when encapsulated islets were treated with Na+ citrate compared to islets treated with EDTA and EGTA. Islets treated with EDTA and EGTA demonstrated comparable stimulation index values to non‐treated control. Conversely, islets treated with Na+ citrate exhibited significantly decreased SI values compared to control. All chelator groups showed significantly lower insulin secretion than non‐treated islets.

Conclusion

Islet recovery from alginate microcapsule is possible using common chelators like Na+ citrate, EDTA, and EGTA. Chelation of encapsulated islets using EDTA demonstrated the most efficient dissolving capabilities with the least toxicity toward islet recovery and health.