bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Systematic review of the oncological and functional outcomes of pelvic organ‐preserving radical cystectomy (RC) compared with standard RC in women who undergo curative surgery and orthotopic neobladder substitution for bladder cancer
Authors: Veskimäe Erik , Neuzillet Yann , Rouanne Mathieu , MacLennan Steven , Lam Thomas B. L. , Yuan Yuhong , Compérat Eva , Cowan Nigel C. , Gakis Georgios , van der Heijden Antoine G. , Ribal Maria J. , Witjes Johannes Alfred , Lebrét Thierry
Published: February 2017

Context

Pelvic organ‐preserving radical cystectomy (POPRC) for women may improve postoperative sexual and urinary functions without compromising the oncological outcome compared with standard radical cystectomy (RC).

Objective

To determine the effect of POPRC on sexual, oncological and urinary outcomes compared with RC in women who undergo standard curative surgery and orthotopic neobladder substitution for bladder cancer.

Evidence acquisition

Medline, Embase, Cochrane controlled trials databases and clinicaltrial.gov were systematically searched for all relevant publications. Women with bladder cancer who underwent POPRC or standard RC and orthotopic neobladder substitution with curative intent were included. Prospective and retrospective comparative studies and single‐arm case series were included. The primary outcomes were sexual function at 6–12 months after surgery and oncological outcomes including disease recurrence and overall survival (OS) at >2 years. Secondary outcomes included urinary continence at 6–12 months. Risk of bias (RoB) assessment was performed using standard Cochrane review methodology including additional domains based on confounder assessment.

Evidence synthesis

The searches yielded 11 941 discrete articles, of which 15 articles reporting on 15 studies recruiting a total of 874 patients were eligible for inclusion. Three papers had a matched‐pair study design and the rest of the studies were mainly small, retrospective case series. Sexual outcomes were reported in seven studies with 167/194 patients (86%) having resumed sexual activity within 6 months postoperatively, with median (range) patients’ sexual satisfaction score of 88.5 (80–100)%. Survival outcomes were reported in seven studies on 197 patients, with a mean follow‐up of between 12 and 132 months. At 3 and 5 years, cancer‐specific survival was 70–100% and OS was 65–100%. In all, 11 studies reported continence outcomes. Overall, the daytime and night‐time continence rates were 58–100% and 42–100%, respectively. Overall, the self‐catheterisation rate was 9.5–78%. Due to poor reporting and large heterogeneity between studies, instead of subgroup‐analysis, a narrative synthesis approach was used. The overall RoB was high across all studies.

Conclusion

For well‐selected patients, POPRC with orthotopic neobladder may potentially be comparable to standard RC for oncological outcomes, whilst improving sexual and urinary function outcomes. However, in women undergoing RC, oncological and functional data regarding POPRC remain immature and require further evaluation in a prospective comparative setting.
Robot‐assisted approach to ‘W’‐configuration urinary diversion: a step‐by‐step technique
Authors: Hussein Ahmed A. , Ahmed Youssef E. , Kozlowski Justen D. , May Paul R. , Nyquist John , Sexton Sandra , Curtin Leslie , Peabody James O. , Abol‐Enein Hassan , Guru Khurshid A.
Published: February 2017

Objective

To describe a detailed step‐by‐step approach of our technique for robot‐assisted intracorporeal ‘W’‐configuration orthotopic ileal neobladder.

Patients and Methods

Five patients underwent robot‐assisted radical cystectomy (RARC), extended pelvic lymph node dissection and intracorporeal neobladder (ICNB). ICNB was divided into six key steps to facilitate and enable a detailed analysis and auditing of the technique. No conversion to open surgery was required. Timing for each step was noted. All patients had at least 3 months of follow‐up.

Results

The mean age was 57 years. The mean overall console and diversion times were 357 and 193 min, respectively. None of the patients had any evidence of residual disease after RARC. Four of the five patients had complications; three developed fevers due to urinary tract infections (one required readmission), and one developed myocardial infarction and required coronary angiography and stenting. Looking at the timing for the individual steps, bowel detubularisation and construction of the posterior plate were consistently the longest among the key steps (average 46 min, 13% of the overall operative time), followed by uretero‐ileal anastomosis (37 min, 10%), neobladder–urethral anastomosis (23 min, 6%), and identification and fixation of the bowel (26 min, 7%).

Conclusion

We described our step‐by‐step technique and initial perioperative outcomes of our first five ICNBs with ‘W’ configuration.
Representation of critical natural capital in China
Authors: Lü Yihe , Zhang Liwei , Zeng Yuan , Fu Bojie , Whitham Charlotte , Liu Shuguang , Wu Bingfang
Published: February 2017

Traditional means of assessing representativeness of conservation value in protected areas depend on measures of structural biodiversity. The effectiveness of priority conservation areas at representing critical natural capital (CNC) (i.e., an essential and renewable subset of natural capital) remains largely unknown. We analyzed the representativeness of CNC‐conservation priority areas in national nature reserves (i.e., nature reserves under jurisdiction of the central government with large spatial distribution across the provinces) in China with a new biophysical‐based composite indicator approach. With this approach, we integrated the net primary production of vegetation, topography, soil, and climate variables to map and rank terrestrial ecosystems capacities to generate CNC. National nature reserves accounted for 6.7% of CNC‐conservation priority areas across China. Considerable gaps (35.2%) existed between overall (or potential) CNC representativeness nationally and CNC representation in national reserves, and there was significant spatial heterogeneity of representativeness in CNC‐conservation priority areas at the regional and provincial levels. For example, the best and worst representations were, respectively, 13.0% and 1.6% regionally and 28.9% and 0.0% provincially. Policy in China is transitioning toward the goal of an ecologically sustainable civilization. We identified CNC‐conservation priority areas and conservation gaps and thus contribute to the policy goals of optimization of the national nature reserve network and the demarcation of areas critical to improving the representativeness and conservation of highly functioning areas of natural capital. Moreover, our method for assessing representation of CNC can be easily adapted to other large‐scale networks of conservation areas because few data are needed, and our model is relatively simple.
The Role of Off‐Farm Labor Participation Decisions of Married Farm Couples on Farm Direct Marketing in Taiwan
Authors: Chang Hung‐Hao , He Junlin , Saeliw Kannika
Published: February 2017

Direct marketing from farm producers to consumers has been seen as a viable business option to increase farm income. This study investigates the factors that determine a farm's direct marketing decisions; special attention is paid to understanding the correlation between farm couples' off‐farm labor participation and the farm's adoption of direct marketing strategies. A nationally representative dataset of 3,670 married family farm couples in Taiwan is used as an illustration. A multiple choice treatment effect model is estimated to cope with endogeneity bias. The results indicate a significant association between farm couples' off‐farm labor decisions and the farm's adoption of direct marketing strategies. Moreover, gender difference is evident: farm husband's (wife's) off‐farm work is positively (negatively) associated with the farm's direct marketing decision.
Does MAX open up a new avenue for meiotic research?
Authors: Suzuki Ayumu , Hirasaki Masataka , Okuda Akihiko
Published: February 2017

Meiosis is a central event of sexual reproduction. Like somatic cells, germ cells conduct mitosis to increase their cell number, but unlike somatic cells, germ cells switch their cell division mode from mitosis to meiosis at a certain point in gametogenesis. However, the molecular basis of this switch remains elusive. In this review article, we give an overview of the onset of mammalian meiosis, including our recent finding that MYC Associated Factor X (MAX) prevents ectopic and precocious meiosis in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and germ cells, respectively. We present a hypothetical model of a MAX‐centered molecular network that regulates meiotic entry in mammals and propose that inducible Max knockout ESCs provide an excellent platform for exploring the molecular mechanisms of meiosis initiation, while excluding other aspects of gametogenesis.
Do natural resource revenues lower government reliance on seigniorage? The role of exchange rate policy
Authors: Ellis Michael A. , Elbahnasawy Nasr G.
Published: February 2017

The study investigates how the degree of exchange rate management conditions the relationship between seigniorage and governments’ natural resource revenues using a sample of 140 countries over the period from 1971 to 2012. It also disaggregates natural resource revenues to investigate if this relationship holds across the various types of natural resources. The main approach is to estimate dynamic panel data interaction models. The study finds that under exchange rate regimes characterized as fixed or of limited flexibility an increase in natural resource rents is associated with an increase in seigniorage. Under crawling currency bands and managed floating, an increase in natural resource rents has little association with seigniorage. Under exchange rate regimes permitting greater exchange rate flexibility, greater natural resource rents allow less reliance on seigniorage. Additionally, the direct relationship between natural resource rents and seigniorage is driven mostly by oil and natural gas.
THE EFFECTS OF FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES ON DOMESTIC HUMAN CAPITAL ACCUMULATION
Authors: Xu Xu , Sylwester Kevin
Published: February 2017

This article considers the effects upon human capital in a host country when foreign universities open branches within this country. We create a model where aspiring students differ according to inherent ability and choose endogenously how much time to devote to preparing to win admittance to a university. Universities can either be domestic or foreign, and payoffs for the student differ between them. The presence of these foreign universities can potentially increase effort—and so human capital—by providing more incentive to study. However, they can also lead to brain drain as students could be more likely to emigrate upon graduation relative to those who attend a domestic university. We apply this model to China and use parameter values in simulations to assess to what extent inflow of foreign universities provide benefits to China. (JEL D82, I23, I25)
Strong Competition Does Not Always Predict Play Asymmetry: The Case of South American Sea Lions (Otaria flavescens)
Authors: Llamazares‐Martín Clara , Scopa Chiara , Guillén‐Salazar Federico , Palagi Elisabetta
Published: February 2017

Although play fighting has been studied for over a century in both human and non‐human animals, quantitative data on marine mammals are still scarce. Here, we investigated play fighting in South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens), one of the most sexually dimorphic species with an extreme polygynous mating system, high levels of both intra‐ and inter‐sexual competition. All these features make South American sea lions a good model species to test some predictions on play fighting. Our results indicate play is restricted to juveniles, being inhibited among adults, and as to be expected in a species that shows a high degree of sexual dimorphism, it is mainly expressed in males. Even though playful interactions were punctuated by competitive behaviours, animals played in a highly symmetric way and were able to adjust their competitive playful interactions in a flexible manner and so reduce the risk of escalation to a minimum level. They were highly selective in their choice of playmates by limiting the number of players per session and playing more with age‐matched companions and friends. All these factors taken together are probably at the basis of the low risk of escalation recorded during the study. This result is predictive of a high ability and motivation of these animals to engage in play behaviour which can have a possible role not only in the acquisition of dominance status, but also in establishing and maintaining social relationships, an unexpected role in a so highly competitive species.
Human‐mediated evolution in a threatened species? Juvenile life‐history changes in Snake River salmon
Authors: Waples Robin S. , Elz Anna , Arnsberg Billy D. , Faulkner James R. , Hard Jeffrey J. , Timmins‐Schiffman Emma , Park Linda K.
Published: February 2017

Evaluations of human impacts on Earth's ecosystems often ignore evolutionary changes in response to altered selective regimes. Freshwater habitats for Snake River fall Chinook salmon (SRFCS), a threatened species in the US, have been dramatically changed by hydropower development and other watershed modifications. Associated biological changes include a shift in juvenile life history: Historically essentially 100% of juveniles migrated to sea as subyearlings, but a substantial fraction have migrated as yearlings in recent years. In contemplating future management actions for this species should major Snake River dams ever be removed (as many have proposed), it will be important to understand whether evolution is at least partially responsible for this life‐history change. We hypothesized that if this trait is genetically based, parents who migrated to sea as subyearlings should produce faster‐growing offspring that would be more likely to reach a size threshold to migrate to sea in their first year. We tested this with phenotypic data for over 2,600 juvenile SRFCS that were genetically matched to parents of hatchery and natural origin. Three lines of evidence supported our hypothesis: (i) the animal model estimated substantial heritability for juvenile growth rate for three consecutive cohorts; (ii) linear modeling showed an association between juvenile life history of parents and offspring growth rate; and (iii) faster‐growing juveniles migrated at greater speeds, as expected if they were more likely to be heading to sea. Surprisingly, we also found that parents reared a full year in a hatchery produced the fastest growing offspring of all—apparently an example of cross‐generational plasticity associated with artificial propagation. We suggest that SRFCS is an example of a potentially large class of species that can be considered to be “anthro‐evolutionary”—signifying those whose evolutionary trajectories have been profoundly shaped by altered selective regimes in human‐dominated landscapes.
Oxidative stress, serotonergic changes and decreased ultrasonic vocalizations in a mouse model of Smith–Lemli–Opitz syndrome
Authors: Sharif N. F. , Korade Z. , Porter N. A. , Harrison F. E.
Published: February 2017

Smith–Lemli–Opitz syndrome is an inherited monogenic disorder in which mutations to the 7‐dehydrocholesterol (7‐DHC) reductase (Dhcr7) gene lead to deficits in cholesterol synthesis. As a result, many patients suffer from gross physiological and neurological deficits. The purpose of this study was to identify a potential abnormal behavioral phenotype in a compound mutant mouse model for Smith–Lemli–Opitz disease (Dhcr7
Δ3
–5/

T93M
) to further validate the model and to provide potential targets for future therapeutic interventions. We also sought to identify some of the underlying changes in brain function that may be responsible for behavioral differences among groups. The Dhcr7 compound mutant mice were smaller than their single mutant littermates. Both single and compound heterozygous mice made fewer ultrasonic vocalizations when separated from the dam, which may suggest a communication deficit in these animals. Striking increases of the highly oxidizable 7‐DHC were observed in the compound mutant mice. 7‐Dehydrocholesterol is the precursor to cholesterol and builds up because of decreased function of the mutated Dhcr7 enzyme. Additionally, several differences were noted in the serotonergic system including increased expression of the serotonin transporter and increased uptake of serotonin by isolated synaptosomes. We propose that changes to the oxidative environment during development can have a significant impact on the development of serotonergic function and that this contributes to behavioral differences observed in the mutant mice.
Methane yield of biomass from extensive grassland is affected by compositional changes induced by order of arrival
Authors: Popp Denny , von Gillhaussen Philipp , Weidlich Emanuela W. A. , Sträuber Heike , Harms Hauke , Temperton Vicky M.
Published: February 2017

Low‐input grassland biomass from marginal and other slightly more fertile sites can be used for energy production without competing with food or fodder production. The effect of grassland diversity on methane yield has received some attention, but we do not know how community assembly may affect methane yield from grassland biomass. However, methane yields determine the potential economic value of a bioenergy substrate. Hence, a better understanding of how plant community assembly affects methane yield would be important. We measured biomass production and methane yield in the second year of a grassland field experiment which manipulated the order of arrival of different plant functional groups (forbs, grasses or legumes sown first and all sown simultaneously) and sown diversity (9 vs. 21 species). The order of arrival of the plant functional groups significantly determined the relative dominance of each group which in turn mainly explained the variance in aboveground biomass production. Differences in area‐specific methane yields were driven by differences in biomass production and which plant functional groups dominated a plot. When grasses were sown first, legumes and grasses codominated a plot and the highest area‐specific methane yield was obtained. Overall, the results indicate that altering the order of arrival affected the community functional and species composition (and hence methane yields) much more than sown diversity. Our study shows that a combined use of positive biodiversity effects and guided plant community assembly may be able to optimize methane yields under field conditions. This may allow a guided, sustainable, and lucrative use of grassland biomass for biogas production in the future.
Identification of core gene networks and hub genes associated with progression of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease by RNA sequencing
Authors: Hotta Kikuko , Kikuchi Masataka , Kitamoto Takuya , Kitamoto Aya , Ogawa Yuji , Honda Yasushi , Kessoku Takaomi , Kobayashi Kaori , Yoneda Masato , Imajo Kento , Tomeno Wataru , Nakaya Akihiro , Suzuki Yutaka , Saito Satoru , Nakajima Atsushi
Published: February 2017

Aim

Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progresses because of the interaction between numerous genes. Thus, we carried out a weighted gene coexpression network analysis to identify core gene networks and key genes associated with NAFLD progression.

Methods

We enrolled 39 patients with mild NAFLD (fibrosis stages 0–2) and 21 with advanced NAFLD (fibrosis stages 3–4). Total RNA was extracted from frozen liver biopsies, and sequenced to capture a large dynamic range of expression levels.

Results

A total of 1777 genes differentially expressed between mild and advanced NAFLD (q‐value <0.05) clustered into four modules. One module was enriched for genes that encode cell surface or extracellular matrix proteins, and are involved in cell adhesion, proliferation, and signaling. This module formed a scale‐free network containing four hub genes (PAPLN, LBH, DPYSL3, and JAG1) overexpressed in advanced NAFLD. PAPLN is a component of the extracellular matrix, LBH and DPYSL3 are reported to be tumor suppressors, and JAG1 is tumorigenic. Another module formed a random network, and was enriched for genes that accumulate in the mitochondria. These genes were downregulated in advanced NAFLD, reflecting impaired mitochondrial function. However, the other two modules did not form unambiguous networks. KEGG analysis indicated that 71 differentially expressed genes were involved in “pathways in cancer”. Strikingly, expression of half of all differentially expressed genes was inversely correlated with methylation of CpG sites (q‐value <0.05). Among clinical parameters, serum type IV collagen 7 s was most strongly associated with the epigenetic status in NAFLD.

Conclusions

Newly identified core gene networks suggest that the NAFLD liver undergoes mitochondrial dysfunction and fibrosis, and acquires tumorigenic potential epigenetically. Our data provide novel insights into the pathology and etiology of NAFLD progression, and identify potential targets for diagnosis and treatment.
Closing the patient experience chasm: A two‐level validation of the Consumer Quality Index Inpatient Hospital Care
Authors: Smirnova Alina , Lombarts Kiki M. J. M. H. , Arah Onyebuchi A. , van der Vleuten Cees P. M.
Published: February 2017

Background

Evaluation of patients’ health care experiences is central to measuring patient‐centred care. However, different instruments tend to be used at the hospital or departmental level but rarely both, leading to a lack of standardization of patient experience measures.

Objective

To validate the Consumer Quality Index (CQI) Inpatient Hospital Care for use on both department and hospital levels.

Design

Using cross‐sectional observational data, we investigated the internal validity of the questionnaire using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), and the generalizability of the questionnaire for use at the department and hospital levels using generalizability theory.

Setting and participants

22924 adults hospitalized for ≥24 hours between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2014 in 23 Dutch hospitals (515 department evaluations).

Main variable

CQIInpatient Hospital Care questionnaire.

Results

CFAresults showed a good fit on individual level (CFI=0.96,TLI=0.95,RMSEA=0.04), which was comparable between specialties. When scores were aggregated to the department level, the fit was less desirable (CFI=0.83,TLI=0.81,RMSEA=0.06), and there was a significant overlap betweencommunication with doctorsandexplanation of treatmentsubscales. Departments and hospitals explained ≤5% of total variance in subscale scores. In total, 4‐8 departments and 50 respondents per department are needed to reliably evaluate subscales rated on a 4‐point scale, and 10 departments with 100‐150 respondents per department for binary subscales.

Discussion and conclusions

TheCQIInpatient Hospital Care is a valid and reliable questionnaire to evaluate inpatient experiences in Dutch hospitals provided sufficient sampling is done. Results can facilitate meaningful comparisons and guide quality improvement activities in individual departments and hospitals.
Human leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐DQB1*03:02 and HLA‐A*02:01 have opposite patterns in their effects on susceptibility to HIV infection
Authors: Rallón N , Restrepo C , Vicario JL , del Romero J , Rodríguez C , García‐Samaniego J , García M , Cabello A , Górgolas M , Benito JM
Published: February 2017

Objectives

The objective of this study was to seek correlates of immune protection in HIV infection. We sought to elucidate the association between the presence of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) alleles, as well as killer immunoglobulin receptor (KIR) genotypes, and the susceptibility to HIV infection in a Spanish cohort of HIV‐exposed seronegative (HESN) individuals.

Methods

A total of 152 individuals were evaluated: 29 HESN individuals in stable heterosexual relationships with an HIV‐infected partner admitting high‐risk sexual intercourse for at least 12 months prior to inclusion in the study, 61 HIV‐infected patients and 62 healthy controls. HLA class I and II alleles and KIR genotypes were assessed in genomic DNA from all individuals in the study by polymerase chain reaction−sequence‐specific oligonucleotide (PCR‐SSO) using bead array technology.

Results

HESN individuals showed a higher prevalence of HLA‐A3 (62%) and HLA‐B44 (83%) supertypes compared with HIV‐infected individuals (42% and 66%, respectively). Regarding specific HLA alleles, HESN individuals had a higher prevalence of HLA‐A*33:01, DRB1*04 and DQB1*03:02 alleles (14%, 34% and 31%, respectively) and a lower prevalence of the HLA‐A*02:01 allele (27%) than HIV‐infected patients (3%, 15%, 11% and 52%, respectively; P < 0.05). Interestingly, in a multivariate analysis, only the presence of DQB1*03:02 and the absence of A*02:01 alleles were independently associated with HESN status [odds ratio (OR) 3.4 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–10.5) and 0.4 (95% CI: 0.1–0.9), respectively; P < 0.05]. No KIR genotype was associated with susceptibility to HIV infection.

Conclusions

Our data showed that the presence of the HLA class II allele DQB1*03:02 was a correlate of immune protection against HIV infection, while the presence of the HLA class I allele A*02:01 was associated with being infected with HIV.
Optimized photoluminescence of red phosphor Na2SnF6:Mn4+ as red phosphor in the application in “warm” white LEDs
Authors: Xi Luqing , Pan Yuexiao , Chen Xian , Huang Shaoming , Wu Mingmei
Published: February 2017

The Mn4+ activated fluostannate Na2SnF6 red phosphor was synthesized from starting materials metallic tin shots, NaF, and K2MnF6 in HF solution at room temperature by a two‐step method. The formation mechanism responsible for preparing Na2SnF6:Mn4+ (NSF:Mn) has been investigated. The influences of synthetic parameters: such as concentrations of HF and K2MnF6 in reaction system, reaction time, and temperature on crystallinity, microstructure, and luminescence intensity of NSF:Mn have been investigated based on detailed experimental results. The actual doping concentration of Mn4+ in the NSF:Mn host lattice is less than 0.12 mol%. The most of K2MnF6 is decomposed in HF solution especially in hydrothermal system at elevated temperatures. The color of the as‐prepared NSF:Mn samples changes from orange to white when the temperature is higher than 120°C, which indicates the lower concentration of luminescence centers in the crystals. A series of “warm” white light‐emitting diodes with color rendering index (CRI) higher than 88 and correlated color temperatures between 3146 and 5172 K were obtained by encapsulating the as‐prepared red phosphors NSF:Mn with yellow one Y3Al5O12:Ce3+ (YAG:Ce) on 450 nm blue InGaN chips. The advantage of the synthetic strategy to obtain NSF:Mn can be extended to developing Mn4+‐doped red phosphors from low‐costing metals at room temperature for large‐scale industrial applications.
Sintering‐induced delamination of thermal barrier coatings by gradient thermal cyclic test
Authors: Cheng Bo , Zhang Yu‐Ming , Yang Ning , Zhang Meng , Chen Lin , Yang Guan‐Jun , Li Cheng‐Xin , Li Chang‐Jiu
Published: February 2017

Lifetime is crucial to the application of advanced thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), and proper lifetime evaluation methods should be developed to predict the service lifetime of TBCs precisely and efficiently. In this study, plasma‐sprayed YSZ TBCs were subjected to gradient thermal cyclic tests under different surface temperatures, with the aim of elucidating the correlation between the coating surface temperature and the thermal cyclic lifetime. Results showed that the thermal cyclic lifetime of TBCs decreased with the increasing of surface temperatures. However, the failure modes of these TBCs subjected to thermal cyclic tests were irrespective of different surface/BC temperatures, that is, sintering‐induced delamination of the top coat. The thickness of thermally grown oxide (TGO) was significantly less than the critical TGO thickness to result in the failure of TBCs through the delamination of top coat. There was no phase transformation of the top coat after failure. In contrast, in the case concerning the top coat surface of the failure specimens, the elastic modulus and microhardness increased to a comparable level due to sintering despite of the various thermal cyclic conditions. Consequently, it is conclusive that the failure of TBCs subjected to gradient thermal cyclic test was primarily induced by sintering during high‐temperature exposure. A delamination model with multilayer splats was developed to assist in understanding the failure mechanism of TBCs through sintering‐induced delamination of the top coat. Based on the above‐described results, this study should aid in facilitating the lifetime evaluation of the TBCs, which are on active service at relatively lower temperatures, by an accelerated thermal cyclic test at higher temperatures in laboratory conditions.
Al2O3·2SiO2 powders synthesized via sol–gel as pure raw material in geopolymer preparation
Authors: Catauro Michelina , Bollino Flavia , Cattaneo Alice Silvia , Mustarelli Piercarlo
Published: February 2017

Geopolymers are inorganic aluminosilicates mainly proposed as environmentally friendly building materials, which are obtained by alkali activation of natural minerals, calcined clay (e.g., metakaolin) and other aluminosilicate sources. The wide range of chemical and mineralogical compositions of these raw materials influences several properties of the obtained geopolymers. In the present work, pure Al2O3·2SiO2 powders were synthesized via the sol–gel technique and proposed as pure aluminosilicate sources to prepare alkali activated geopolymers. Samples differing in the ratio between the SiO2 precursor and the H2O used in the sol–gel process were prepared, in order to study the effect of water content on the material structure and reactivity. The chemical structure of all the obtained Al2O3·2SiO2 powders were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) and solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance (27Al and 29Si MAS NMR) spectroscopies and compared to that of a reference metakaolin. Moreover, material reactivity was evaluated by alkali activation of the samples. After 28 days of ageing, 27Al and 29Si MAS NMR and FT‐IR spectra ascertained the formation of a geopolymeric network in the activated samples. The results showed that lower water content allows obtaining a homogeneous Al‐rich geopolymer similar to that obtained, using metakaolin as raw material.
Neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio: a biomarker for predicting systemic involvement in adult IgA vasculitis patients
Authors: Nagy G.R. , Kemény L. , Bata‐Csörgő Z.
Published: February 2017

Background

IgA vasculitis (IgAV) is a small‐vessel leucocytoclastic cutaneous vasculitis, often associated with kidney and gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations. Although predictive factors for systemic involvement have been extensively studied in children, there is paucity in the literature regarding adult patients. Neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an inflammatory marker, used to assess systemic inflammation in various diseases.

Objective

We sought to evaluate whether NLR can be used for predicting renal and GI involvement in adult IgA vasculitis patients.

Methods

This was a retrospective review of adult patients who were diagnosed with IgAV at our institution between 2004 and 2016.

Results

A total of 40 patients met our inclusion criteria. Half of the enrolled patients had clinical symptoms suggestive of systemic involvement, of which 6 (15%) had only renal, 3 (7.5%) had only GI and 11 (27.5%) had both renal and GI involvement. Pretreatment NLR was significantly associated with renal and/or GI manifestations of the disease (P < 0.001). The optimal cut‐off value of NLR, for predicting systemic involvement was 3.34, with a specificity of 95% and a sensitivity of 85%. In addition, pretreatment NLR was also found to be significantly correlated with the severity of the systemic manifestations of IgAV (P = 0.022).

Conclusion

This study suggests that NLR is a potential indicator for prognosticating systemic involvement in adult IgAV.
Pain and Suffering Damages in Personal Injury Cases: An Empirical Study
Authors: Chang Yun‐chien , Eisenberg Theodore , Li Tsung Hsien , Wells Martin T.
Published: February 2017

Many jurisdictions award pain and suffering damages, yet it is difficult for judges or juries to quantify pain. Several jurisdictions, such as California, cap pain and suffering damages or other noneconomic damages, and legal scholars have proposed ways to control such damages. Reforms and proposals, however, have been based on limited empirical evidence. It remains an open question whether components of economic damages explain pain and suffering damages. This study employs a unique dataset of Taiwan district court cases and uses detailed information on the components of pecuniary damages. Pain and suffering damages highly correlate with the plaintiff's medical expenses, level of injury, and the amount requested by the plaintiff. The association with the amount requested by the plaintiff persists when one accounts for the likely quantifiable influences on pain and suffering damages, evidence of a possible anchoring effect. The strong correlation between economic damages and noneconomic damages persists in a large U.S. dataset of judge and jury trials, in which the noneconomic fraction of total damages is no greater than the pain and suffering fraction of total damages in Taiwan. Judges and juries consistently produce coherent patterns of noneconomic damages.
Feeding dynamics, consumption rates and daily ration of wahoo Acanthocybium solandri in Indo‐Pacific waters
Authors: Perelman J. N. , Schmidt K. N. , Haro I. , Tibbetts I. R. , Zischke M. T.
Published: February 2017

This study reports the diet composition of 363 wahoo Acanthocybium solandri captured from the Indo‐Pacific. The study also provides the first estimates of consumption and daily ration for the species worldwide, which are important parameters for ecosystem models and may improve ecosystem‐based fisheries management. Thirty‐four prey taxa were identified from A. solandri stomachs with Scombridae having the highest relative importance. Actinopterygii comprised 96% of the total prey wet mass, of which 29% were epipelagic fishes, with 22% alone from Scombridae. There was no significant relationship between fish size and the size of prey items consumed. Feeding intensity, as measured by stomach fullness, did not significantly differ either among seasons or reproductive activity. The mean daily consumption rate was estimated as 344 g day−1, which corresponded to a mean daily ration of 2·44% body mass day−1. The results from this study suggest A. solandri is an opportunistic predator similar to other pelagic piscivores, worldwide.
International survey on the use and welfare of zebrafish Danio rerio in research
Authors: Lidster K. , Readman G. D. , Prescott M. J. , Owen S. F.
Published: February 2017

A survey was conducted regarding zebrafish Danio rerio use for scientific research with a focus on: anaesthesia and euthanasia; housing and husbandry; breeding and production; refinement opportunities. A total of 98 survey responses were received from laboratories in 22 countries in Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Australia. There appears a clear and urgent need to identify the most humane methods of anaesthesia and euthanasia. Aversive responses to MS‐222 were widely observed raising concerns about the use of this anaesthetic for D. rerio. The use of anaesthesia in fin clipping for genetic identification is widely practised and there appears to be an opportunity to further develop less invasive methods and refine this process. Optimization (and potentially standardization) of feeding is an area for further investigation. Given that diet and body condition can have such profound effects on results of experiments, differences in practice could have significant scientific implications. Further research into transition between dark and light phases in the laboratory appears to represent an opportunity to establish best practice. Plants and gravel were not considered practical by many laboratories. The true value and benefits need to be established and communicated. Overproduction is a concern both from ethical and financial viewpoints. There is an opportunity to further reduce wastage of D. rerio. There are clear concerns and opportunities for the scientific community to work together to further improve the welfare of these important laboratory models.
Evaluating clinical, dietary, and psychological risk factors for relapse of ulcerative colitis in clinical, endoscopic, and histological remission
Authors: Dhingra Rajan , Kedia Saurabh , Mouli Venigalla Pratap , Garg Sushil Kumar , Singh Namrata , Bopanna Sawan , Singla Vikas , Choudhury Bikash Narayan , Verma Prashant , Tiwari Veena , Gupta Siddhartha Datta , Makharia Govind , Ahuja Vineet
Published: February 2017

Background and Aim

The literature on possible factors that could trigger a relapse in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) in clinical, endoscopic, and histological remission on long‐term follow up is scarce. To determine the relapse rate in patients with UC in clinical, endoscopic, and histological remission and identify factors that may influence the risk of relapse.

Methods

Patients with UC in clinical, endoscopic, and histological remission were enrolled between January and July 2010 and followed up for 1 year to determine the effect of clinical, dietary, and psychological factors on relapse. Information regarding factors that may affect relapse such as infection, antibiotic, or non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) use and any other factor that the patient felt important and compliance with medications was obtained.

Results

Ninety‐seven patients (59 males, mean age 39 ± 11.9 years) were followed up for a mean duration of 9 ± 2.3 months. Eighteen (18.6%) relapsed with the median time to relapse being 3.5 months. On univariate analysis, more relapsers had significantly higher NSAIDs use within 15 days of relapse, respiratory tract infection within 4 weeks, use of steroids more than once in past, higher consumption of calcium, riboflavin, and vitamin A, and lower consumption of sugars. On multivariate analysis, NSAIDs use (HR [95% CI]: 6.41 [1.88–21.9]) and intake of vitamin A (HR [95% CI]: 1.008 [1.000–1.016]) were statistically significant predictors of relapse.

Conclusion

With a relapse rate of 18.6% over a follow up of 9 months in patients with UC in clinical, endoscopic, and histological remission, independent predictors of relapse were history of NSAIDs use within 15 days of relapse and higher intake of vitamin A.
Posttraumatic Growth in Relationally Betrayed Women
Authors: Laaser Deb , Putney Heather L. , Bundick Matthew , Delmonico David L. , Griffin Elizabeth J.
Published: February 2017

The research literature on relational betrayal in a committed relationship has focused on the resulting trauma from the betrayal; however, few studies investigated the potential for posttraumatic growth following a relational betrayal. This study investigated the presence of posttraumatic growth in relationally betrayed women. The research focused on women's perceptions of the relational betrayal, and factors that facilitated posttraumatic growth. Results indicated relationally betrayed women perceived the betrayal as a traumatic event, to the extent that some met criteria for PTSD diagnosis. The passage of time was significant corollary to posttraumatic growth when moderated by a PTSD diagnosis. Finally, certain resources were reported to be more helpful than others in the development of posttraumatic growth. Clinical implications are presented.
Rab7A regulates tau secretion
Authors: Rodriguez Lilia , Mohamed Nguyen‐Vi , Desjardins Alexandre , Lippé Roger , Fon Edward A , Leclerc Nicole
Published: February 2017

The axonal microtubule‐associated protein TAU, involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD), can be found in the extracellular space where it could be taken up by neurons, an event that is believed to contribute to the propagation of tau pathology in the brain. Since the small GTPase Rab7A is involved in the trafficking of endosomes, autophagosomes, and lysosomes, and RAB7A gene expression and protein levels are up‐regulated in AD patients, we tested the hypothesis that Rab7A was involved in tau secretion. We previously reported that both primary cortical neurons and HeLa cells over‐expressing human TAU can release tau. Using these two cellular systems, we demonstrated that Rab7A regulates tau secretion. Upon Rab7A deletion, tau secretion was decreased. Consistent with this, the over‐expression of a dominant negative and a constitutively active form of Rab7A decreased and increased tau secretion, respectively. A partial co‐localization of tau and Rab7‐positive structures in both neurons and HeLa cells indicated that a late endosomal compartment could be involved in its secretion. Collectively, the present data indicate that Rab7A regulates tau secretion and therefore the up‐regulation of RAB7A reported in AD, could contribute to the extracellular accumulation of pathological TAU species that could result in the propagation of tau pathology in the AD brain.

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Influence of hyperglycemia on liver inflammatory conditions in the early phase of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice
Authors: Harada Shinichi , Miyagi Kei , Obata Tokio , Morimoto Yasuko , Nakamoto Kazuo , Kim Ke Ih , Kim Soo Ki , Kim Soo Ryang , Tokuyama Shogo
Published: February 2017

Objectives

A non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has high prevalence and now important issue of public health. In general, there exists strong interaction between NAFLD and diabetes, but the detailed mechanism is unclear. In this study, we determined the effects of hyperglycemia on progression in the early phase of NAFLD in mice.

Methods

Male ddY mice were fed a choline-deficient, l-amino acid-defined, high-fat diet (CDAHFD) consisting of 60% of kcal from fat and 0.1% methionine by weight. Hyperglycemic condition was induced by streptozotocin (STZ) treatment. The assessment of liver function used serum AST and ALT levels, and histological analysis. Hepatic tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α mRNA levels was estimated by qRT-PCR.

Key findings

During the 3–42 days that the mice were fed CDAHFD, the livers gradually caused accumulation of fat, and infiltration of inflammation cells gradually increased. Serum AST and ALT levels and significantly increased after being fed CDAHFD for 3 days and were exacerbated by the STZ-induced hyperglycemic condition. In addition, hepatic TNF-α mRNA also significantly increased. These phenomena reversed by insulin administration.

Conclusions

The results showed that progression in the early phase of NAFLD may be exacerbated by hyperglycemia-induced exacerbation of inflammation.
Association between central sleep apnea and left ventricular structure: the Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Authors: Javaheri Sogol , Sharma Ravi K. , Bluemke David A. , Redline Susan
Published: February 2017

We assessed whether the presence of central sleep apnea is associated with adverse left ventricular structural changes. We analysed 1412 participants from the Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis who underwent both overnight polysomnography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Subjects had been recruited 10 years earlier when free of cardiovascular disease. Our main exposure is the presence of central sleep apnea as defined by central apnea–hypopnea index = 5 or the presence of Cheyne–Stokes breathing. Outcome variables were left ventricular mass/height, left ventricular ejection fraction, and left ventricular mass/volume ratio. Multivariate linear regression models adjusted for age, gender, race, waist circumference, tobacco use, hypertension, and the obstructive apnea–hypopnea index were fit for the outcomes. Of the 1412 participants, 27 (2%) individuals had central sleep apnea. After adjusting for covariates, the presence of central sleep apnea was significantly associated with elevated left ventricular mass/volume ratio (β = 0.11 ± 0.04 g mL−1, P = 0.0071), an adverse cardiac finding signifying concentric remodelling.
Complicating canons: a critical literacy challenge to common core assessment
Authors: Peel Anne
Published: February 2017

The widespread adoption of the Common Core State Standards in the US has prioritized rigorous reading of complex texts. The emphasis on text complexity has led to instructional and assessment materials that constrain critical literacy practices by emphasizing quantitative features of text, such as sentence length, and a static list of text exemplars over the critical lens of the reader. Assessments like the PARCC, designed to align with nationalized standards, create the impression that complex texts are synonymous with a homogenized literary canon. A critical analysis of the texts and questions included in the first administration of the PARCC assessment reveals that the PARCC excludes both diverse authors and critical, rigorous reading practices. Research demonstrates that many literary curricula and classroom activities are strongly influenced by standardized tests; therefore, I argue for a definition of rigorous reading that supports critical literacy pedagogy and opposes the narrowing definitions of rigor and complexity that are asserted by the Common Core and PARCC.
Transcriptome analysis of root‐knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita)‐infected tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) roots reveals complex gene expression profiles and metabolic networks of both host and nematode during susceptible and resistance responses
Authors: Shukla Neha , Yadav Rachita , Kaur Pritam , Rasmussen Simon , Goel Shailendra , Agarwal Manu , Jagannath Arun , Gupta Ramneek , Kumar Amar
Published: February 2017

Root‐knot nematodes (RKNs, Meloidogyne incognita) are economically important endoparasites with a wide host range. We used a comprehensive transcriptomic approach to investigate the expression of both tomato and RKN genes in tomato roots at five infection time intervals from susceptible plants and two infection time intervals from resistant plants, grown under soil conditions. Differentially expressed genes during susceptible (1827, tomato; 462, RKN) and resistance (25, tomato; 160, RKN) interactions were identified. In susceptible responses, tomato genes involved in cell wall structure, development, primary and secondary metabolite, and defence signalling pathways, together with RKN genes involved in host parasitism, development and defence, are discussed. In resistance responses, tomato genes involved in secondary metabolite and hormone‐mediated defence responses, together with RKN genes involved in starvation stress‐induced apoptosis, are discussed. In addition, 40 novel differentially expressed RKN genes encoding secretory proteins were identified. Our findings provide novel insights into the temporal regulation of genes involved in various biological processes from tomato and RKN simultaneously during susceptible and resistance responses, and reveal the involvement of a complex network of biosynthetic pathways during disease development.