bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Percentile charts of twin birthweight
Authors: Kosińska Magdalena , Sierzputowska‐Pieczara Monika , Gadzinowski Janusz , Cygan Dorothy , Szpecht Dawid
Published: August 2018

Background

The birthweight of multiples is naturally lower than that of singletons. Given that the incidence of twin pregnancy has risen in recent years, it seems reasonable to create standards of birthweight separately for twins. This could help in the objective assessment of small and large for gestational age twin newborns. The main goal of this study was therefore to construct and present up‐to‐date birthweight references.

Methods

The present percentile charts for twins are based on a cohort retrospective study of 757 pairs of twins (767 boys and 709 girls) born between weeks 25 and 39 of gestation. Mean and standard deviation were calculated for the subsequent weeks of gestation. Percentiles were read for the subsequent gestational age. The obtained curves were smoothed with a fifth‐degree polynomial function. The significance of differences between the 50th percentile values for twins and singletons was estimated using median test.

Results

In both sexes, a continuous observable trend occurs of a significantly lower average birthweight for twins. Differences increase with increasing gestational age and are greater in girls. The estimated 50th percentile for twins was greater than the estimated 10th percentile for singletons. This supports the notion of discordant growth as a physiological adaptation that promotes maturity.

Conclusions

Percentile charts for singletons are not applicable for twins. This indicates the importance of applying separate percentile charts for twins, enabling objective evaluation of their health status and identifying deviations from normality.
Introduction of laryngeal mask airway in Japan, and its rescue use for newborns
Authors: Mizumoto Hiroshi , Motokura Koji , Kurosaki Akiko , Hata Daisuke
Published: August 2018

Background

In neonatal resuscitation, laryngeal mask airway (LMA) is recommended when both face mask ventilation and endotracheal intubation fail. Experience of LMA among obstetricians, nurses and midwives in Japan, however, is limited. The aims of the present study were to (i) offer an LMA training course to professionals dealing with low‐risk pregnancies at institutions across Japan; and (ii) assess the subsequent use and value of LMA at the participating institutions.

Methods

Between August 2016 and March 2017, a total of 18 training courses for 60 min were provided for around 350 medical personnel from 51 institutes. LMA use over the subsequent 12 months was assessed via a postal questionnaire.

Results

After training, a total of 38 institutes introduced LMA. Of 13 254 live births, seven cases of rescue use LMA in “cannot ventilate, cannot intubate” situations were reported. None of these seven newborns had any malformation of the upper airway. LMA insertion resulted in adequate ventilation in all seven cases.

Conclusion

LMA can be a life‐saving tool in neonatal resuscitation. All medical institutions dealing with low‐risk pregnancies in Japan should be equipped with this device.
Preparing for the 2018‐2019 influenza season
Authors: de St. Maurice Annabelle , Halasa Natasha
Published: August 2018

The 2017‐18 influenza season brought record numbers of cases in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, resulting in high rates of influenza‐related hospital admission and death. Estimated efficacy of flu vaccine was low against the most common circulating strain, influenza A (H3N2). Decreased efficacy may be due to changes in circulating virus or mutations that occur in the vaccine strain during the manufacturing process.
Measures of cardiac function in Theraphosidae spiders using in vivo magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Merrifield Gavin D. , Brydges Nichola M. , Hall Lynsey , Mullin James , Gallagher Lindsay , Pizzi Romain , Holmes William M.
Published: August 2018

We report the first in vivo cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of Theraphosidae spiders. MRI scanning is performed on six spiders under isoflurane‐induced anaesthesia. Retrospective self‐gating cine‐cardiac MRI (RG‐CINE‐MRI) is used to overcome the difficulties of prospective cardiac gating in this species. The resulting RG‐CINE‐MRI images are successfully analyzed to obtain functional cardiac parameters from live spiders at rest. Cardiac ejection fraction is found to increase with animal mass (Pearson correlation 0.849, P = 0.03) at a faster rate than myocardial tissue volume, whereas heart rate remains constant across animals. This suggests the spider heart undergoes additional biomechanical loading with age. The results of the present study demonstrate the potential for retrospective gating with respect to evaluating aspects of cardiac function in a wide range of previously inaccessible species.
Development of an in vitro protocol to screen Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis pathogenicity in different Solanum species
Authors: Mohd Nadzir M. M. , Vieira Lelis F. M. , Thapa B. , Ali A. , Visser R. G. F. , van Heusden A. W. , van der Wolf J. M.
Published: August 2018

Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Cmm) is a quarantine organism in Europe and in many other countries. It is one of the most severe bacterial pathogens affecting tomato. Screening tomato plants for their resistance level to Cmm requires a large amount of space under quarantine conditions and is therefore costly. This project developed a new inoculation protocol on in vitro tomato plants to facilitate a more economic and higher throughput disease screening. A new method using the PathoScreen system was tested to localize green fluorescent protein‐tagged Cmm in planta and to quantify the pathogen based on the percentage of corrected GFP (cGFP%). The system was sensitive in detecting the GFP‐tagged Cmm in the shoots, but in the roots a high autofluorescence masked detection and thus sensitivity of the assay. The in vitro protocol was tested on several wild relatives of tomato, which were previously screened in a greenhouse assay. The correlation between wilt symptoms in vitro and wilt symptoms in the greenhouse was overall moderate (r = 0.6462). The protocol worked well in differentiating the two parents that were used in the mapping studies. This study shows that the in vitro protocol can be efficiently used for resistance breeding in many tomato genotypes.
Genetic variation of Pyrenophora teres f. teres isolates in Western Australia and emergence of a Cyp51A fungicide resistance mutation
Authors: Ellwood S. R. , Piscetek V. , Mair W. J. , Lawrence J. A. , Lopez‐Ruiz F. J. , Rawlinson C.
Published: August 2018

Genome‐wide, unlinked, simple sequence repeat markers were used to examine genetic variation and relationships within Pyrenophora teres f. teres, a common pathogen of barley, in Western Australia. Despite the region's geographic isolation, the isolates showed relatively high allelic variation compared to similar studies, averaging 7.11 alleles per locus. Principal component, Bayesian clustering and distance differentiation parameters provided evidence for both regional genotypic subdivision together with juxtaposing of isolates possessing different genetic backgrounds. Genotyping of fungicide resistant Cyp51A isolates indicated a single mutation event occurred followed by recombination and long‐distance regional dispersal over hundreds of kilometres. Selection of recently emergent favourable alleles such as the Cyp51A mutation and a cultivar virulence may provide an explanation, at least in part, for juxtaposed genotypes. Factors affecting genotypic composition and the movement of new genotypes are discussed in the context of grower practices and pathogen epidemiology, together with the implications for resistance breeding.
Meta‐analysis of fungicide efficacy on soybean target spot and cost–benefit assessment
Authors: Edwards Molina J. P. , Paul P. A. , Amorim L. , da Silva L. H. C. P. , Siqueri F. V. , Borges E. P. , Campos H. D. , Nunes Junior J. , Meyer M. C. , Martins M. C. , Balardin R. S. , Carlin V. J. , Grigolli J. F. J. , Belufi L. M. de R. , Godoy C. V.
Published: August 2018

Target spot of soybean has spread in Brazil, the southeastern United States and Argentina in the last decade. A collaborative network of field Uniform Fungicide Trials (UFT) in Brazil was created in 2011 to study the target spot control efficacy of fungicides, including azoxystrobin + benzovindiflupyr (AZ_BF), carbendazim (CZM), fluxapyroxad + pyraclostrobin (FLUX_PYRA), epoxiconazole + FLUX_PYRA (EPO_FLUX_PYRA), mancozeb (MZB) and prothioconazole + trifloxystrobin (PROT_TRIF). Network meta‐analysis was used to conduct a quantitative synthesis of UFT data collected from 2012 to 2016 and to evaluate the effects of disease pressure (DP, low ≤ 35% target spot severity in the nontreated control < high) and year of experiment on the overall mean efficacy and yield response to each of the tested fungicides. Based on mean percentage control of target spot severity, the tested fungicides fall into three efficacy groups (EG): high EG, FLUX_PYRA (76.2% control relative to the nontreated control) and EPO_FLUX_PYRA (75.7% control); intermediate EG, PROT_TRIF (66.5% control) and low EG, MZB (49.6% control), AZ_BF (46.7% control) and CZM (32.4% control). DP had a significant effect on yield response. At DPLow, the highest response was due to PROT_TRIF (+342 kg ha−1, +12.8%) and EPO_FLUX_PYRA (+295.5 kg ha−1, +11.2%), whereas at DPHigh, EPO_FLUX_PYRA and FLUX_PYRA outperformed the other treatments, with yield responses of 503 kg ha−1 (+20.2%) and 469 kg ha−1 (+19.1%), respectively. The probability of a positive return on fungicide investment ranged from 0.26 to 0.56 at DPLow and from 0.34 to 0.66 at DPHigh.
Defining Neuropsychiatric Inventory scale differences across frontotemporal dementia syndromes
Authors: Yiannopoulou Konstantina G. , Papatriantafyllou John D. , Ghika Apostolia , Tsinia Niki , Lykou Eudoxia , Hatziantoniou Evaggelia , Agiomyrgiannakis Dimitrios , Kyrozis Andreas , Papageorgiou Sokratis G.
Published: August 2018

Aim

The aim of this study was to assess the ability of Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) scale profiles to differentiate between distinct frontotemporal dementia (FTD) subtypes.

Methods

The NPI was used to assess 311 older patients who had been clinically diagnosed with FTD. FTD subtypes included behavioural variant FTD (bvFTD, n = 121), primary progressive aphasia (semantic variant (n = 69), non‐fluent agrammatic variant (n = 31), and logopenic variant (n = 0)), FTD‐motor neuron disease (n = 4), progressive supranuclear palsy (n = 43), and corticobasal syndrome (n = 43). Total NPI score and scores for each NPI item were correlated across the distinct FTD subtypes.

Results

Patients with bvFTD showed significantly greater impairment on their total NPI score than patients with corticobasal syndrome (P < 0.001), non‐fluent agrammatic variant primary progressive aphasia (P < 0.001), progressive supranuclear palsy (P = 0.002), and semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (P = 0.010). Aggressiveness, euphoria, apathy, disinhibition, irritability, aberrant motor behaviours, and appetite disturbance were significantly higher in bvFTD than in the other subgroups. The lowest NPI scores were generally shown among those with CBS. However, NPI total and specific item values overlapped among the subtypes.

Conclusions

Patients with bvFTD showed significantly greater neuropsychiatric dysfunction than those with the other FTD subtypes, as measured by the NPI scale. In contrast, patients with corticobasal syndrome had a comparatively healthier profile. Therefore, differential diagnosis among the FTD subtypes may be guided by the NPI, although the subtype is unlikely to be confirmed on the basis of NPI alone.
Defining E‐leadership as Competence in ICT‐Mediated Communications: An Exploratory Assessment
Authors: Roman Alexandru V. , Van Wart Montgomery , Wang XiaoHu , Liu Cheol , Kim Soonhee , McCarthy Alma
Published: August 2018

While many aspects of the dramatic shifts caused by digital government have made enormous progress, the leadership of those who serve the public via electronic means has yet to take a significant step forward. This article addresses three questions: How significant has e‐leadership become? What are the challenges in trying to create a more comprehensive model of defining and measuring e‐leadership? And, based on current knowledge, what skill and behavioral elements are candidates for a concrete e‐leadership model? The authors develop and test an original model that focuses on e‐leadership as a competence in virtual communications (i.e., the use of ICT‐mediated communications) and the digital opportunities and challenges that are created. The results provide strong support for the proposed model. The article concludes with a discussion of a future agenda for e‐leadership research that can be developed in a manner that is fruitful for theory and practitioners.
Rocketing restoration: enabling the upscaling of ecological restoration in the Anthropocene
Authors: Perring Michael P. , Erickson Todd E. , Brancalion Pedro H. S.
Published: August 2018

In the 25 years during which the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) has overseen the publication of Restoration Ecology, the field has witnessed conceptual and practical advances. These have become necessary due to the scale of environmental change wrought by the increasing global human population, and associated demands for food, fiber, energy, and water. As we look to the future, and attempt to fulfill global restoration commitments and meet sustainable development goals, there is a need to reverse land degradation and biodiversity loss through upscaling ecological restoration. Here, we argue that this upscaling requires an expanded vision for restoration that explicitly accounts for people and nature. This expansion can assess success in a future‐focused way and as improvements relative to a degraded socio‐ecological system. We suggest that upscaling requires addressing governance, legal and ethical challenges, investing in technological and educational capacity building, bolstering the practical science necessary for restoration, encouraging adoptable packages to ensure livelihoods of local stakeholders, and promoting investment opportunities for local actors and industry. Providing SER embraces this socio‐ecological vision, it is ideally placed to aid the achievement of goals and remain globally relevant. SER needs to harness and coordinate three sources of potential energy (global political commitments, the green economy, and local community engagement) to rocket restoration into the Anthropocene. With principles that can embrace flexibility and context‐dependency in minimum restoration standards, SER has the potential to guide socio‐ecological restoration and help realize the ultimate goal of a sustainable Earth.
Turning delivery of ecosystem services into a deliverable of ecosystem restoration
Authors: Matzek Virginia
Published: August 2018

That ecological restoration helps restore natural capital and ecosystem services (ES) of value to human and societal well‐being is generally well‐accepted. But quantification of these societal benefits is sorely lagging our recognition that they exist. This may be the result of methodological concerns and/or philosophical objections to the monetization of nature's services; it may also be the result of practical challenges in monitoring that already plague restoration. In this article, I argue that, regardless of whether or not restoration efforts come to rely on formal systems of payment for ES, we should be doing a better job of rigorously quantifying the socioeconomic returns of our work. Recognizing the substantial obstacles to this effort, I suggest some possible ways to overcome them.
Efficacy and safety of the direct switch to indacaterol/glycopyrronium from salmeterol/fluticasone in non‐frequently exacerbating COPD patients: The FLASH randomized controlled trial
Authors: Frith Peter A. , Ashmawi Samiha , Krishnamurthy Srikanth , Gurgun Alev , Hristoskova Sashka , Pilipovic Virginia , Hamann Anna Marie , Backer Arthur , Olsson Petter , Kostikas Konstantinos , Diaz Dina V. ,   on behalf of the FLASH Investigators
Published: August 2018

Background and objective

Combination long‐acting β2‐agonist/long‐acting muscarinic antagonist (LABA/LAMA) has demonstrated superior clinical outcomes over LABA/inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients; however, data from blinded randomized controlled trials on direct switching from LABA/ICS to LABA/LAMA are lacking. FLASH (Assessment of switching salmeterol/Fluticasone to indacateroL/glycopyrronium in A Symptomatic COPD patient coHort) investigated if direct switch, without a washout period, from salmeterol/fluticasone (SFC) to indacaterol/glycopyrronium (IND/GLY) in COPD patients improves lung function and is well tolerated.

Methods

In this 12‐week, multicentre, double‐blind study, patients with moderate‐to‐severe COPD and up to one exacerbation in previous year, receiving SFC for ≥3 months, were randomized to continue SFC 50/500 μg twice daily (bd) or switch to IND/GLY 110/50 μg once daily (od). Primary endpoint was pre‐dose trough forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) at Week 12.

Results

In total, 502 patients were randomized (1:1) to IND/GLY or SFC. Patients switched to IND/GLY demonstrated superior lung function (pre‐dose trough FEV1) versus SFC at Week 12 (treatment difference (Δ) = 45 mL; P = 0.028). IND/GLY provided significant improvements in pre‐dose trough forced vital capacity (FVC; Δ = 102 mL; P = 0.002) and numerical improvements in transition dyspnoea index (TDI; Δ = 0.46; P = 0.063). Rescue medication use and COPD assessment test (CAT) scores were comparable between groups. Both treatments had similar safety profiles.

Conclusion

FLASH demonstrated that a direct switch to IND/GLY from SFC improved pre‐dose FEV1 and FVC in COPD patients with up to one exacerbation in the previous year. No new safety signals were identified.
Assessing the Economic Benefits of Flood Defenses: A Repeat‐Sales Approach
Authors: Beltrán Allan , Maddison David , Elliott Robert J. R.
Published: August 2018

In this article we identify the impact of the construction of flood defenses on property prices using a difference‐in‐differences repeat‐sales methodology. Our data set contains information on over 12 million individual property transactions, which is merged with GIS data identifying the spatial location and main characteristics of 1,666 flood defenses built in England between 1995 and 2014. Results suggest that at the finer 6‐digit postcode level the construction of flood defenses raises urban house prices by 12.6% to 16.7%. However, for rural properties at the slightly coarser 5‐digit postcode level the construction of defenses reduces house prices by 0.8% to 5.0%. This suggests that in certain locations the disamenity impact of flood defenses and the perceived threat of redirected flooding outweigh the benefits of reduced flood risk.
A novel HLA‐DRB1*04 allele, HLA‐DRB1*04:153, identified in a Chinese donor by sequence‐based typing
Authors: Li Jian‐Ping , Zhang Xu , Lin Feng‐Qiu , Zhang Kun‐Lian , Li Xiao‐Feng
Published: August 2018

HLA‐DRB1*04:153 has one nucleotide change from HLA‐DRB1*04:01:01, where 14 Glutamate is changed to Glutamine.
The novel HLA‐DRB1*15:158 allele discovered in a Taiwanese individual
Authors: Yang K. L. , Lin P. Y.
Published: August 2018

Three nucleotide substitutions in HLA‐DRB1*15:01:01:01 result in a new allele, HLA‐DRB1*15:158.
Safety and effectiveness of direct acting antivirals for treatment of hepatitis C virus in patients with solid organ transplantation
Authors: Mansour Marlina , Hill Lucas , Kerr Janice
Published: August 2018

Background

The direct acting antivirals (DAAs) for treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have sustained virologic response (SVR) rates of greater than 90% in most patients. However, data evaluating DAA use in transplant patients are limited. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of HCV treatment in this high‐risk population.

Methodology

This single‐center retrospective study included liver, kidney, lung, and/or heart transplant patients who were treated for HCV infection with DAAs. The primary objective was to identify drug‐drug interactions between DAAs and immunosuppressants by comparing immunosuppression dosages and levels at baseline and week 4 of HCV treatment. As secondary objectives, we described the percentage of patients with new or worsening rejection and/or graft dysfunction during HCV treatment, and the percentage of study patients who achieved SVR.

Results

Of the 108 patients included, the majority had liver (76%) or kidney (13%) transplants. Simeprevir plus sofosbuvir was the most commonly prescribed HCV treatment (33.9%) and tacrolimus was the most common immunosuppressant (91%). We did not detect a statistically significant difference in immunosuppression dosages or levels during HCV treatment. Furthermore, only one patient (<1%) experienced rejection and five patients (4.6%) had six episodes of graft dysfunction while on DAAs. Efficacy was high with 98% of patients achieving SVR.

Conclusion

DAAs appear to be safe and effective for HCV treatment in patients with a history of liver and/or kidney transplantation. More data are needed to evaluate DAAs in lung and/or heart transplant patients.
‘I think we are going to leave these cases’. Obstacles to surgery in rural Malawi: a qualitative study of provider perspectives
Authors: Gajewski J. , Bijlmakers L. , Mwapasa G. , Borgstein E. , Pittalis C. , Brugha R.
Published: August 2018

Objectives

Surgical services at district level in Malawi are poor, yet the majority of the population resides in rural areas. This study aimed to explore the perceived obstacles to surgery from the perspective of the cadre directly responsible for surgical service delivery at district hospitals.

Methods

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 clinical officers (COs) receiving surgical training in eight public district hospitals and their 12 trainers. Thematic analysis of data was conducted using a top‐down coding method.

Results

Despite readiness of the COs to conduct operations, other staff essential for surgery were sometimes unavailable to support them. Respondents attributed this to lack of skills, weak motivation or poor work ethic of their colleagues. Lack of commitment to do surgery, passiveness, lack of initiative in problem‐solving and ‘laziness’ of surgical team members were among the reasons provided by study participants, accounting for unnecessary cancellations of elective surgery and inappropriate referrals of emergency cases. Other factors included infrastructure breakdowns and stock‐outs of surgical supplies. There were instances where COs, and their supervisors, showed initiative in finding solutions to problems resulting from poor district hospital management practices.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates how the motivation of surgical team members is a key factor in deciding whether or not to perform operations; and that shortages of supplies or infrastructure need not be an absolute obstacle to service delivery. Scale‐up of surgical services at district level requires investments to improve surgical and anaesthetic skills, to strengthen human resources and facility management, and to ensure the availability of reliable infrastructure and essential supplies.
Effects of esmolol on systemic hemodynamics and heart rate variability measured using the Analgesia/Nociception Index in resuscitated piglets with Pseudomonas aeruginosa septic shock
Authors: Boselli Emmanuel , Jacquet‐Lagrèze Matthias , Ayoub Jean‐Yves , Bouvet Lionel , Dauwalder Olivier , Mansour Christelle , Margez Thomas , Paquet Christian , Restagno Damien , Allaouchiche Bernard , Bonnet‐Garin Jeanne‐Marie , Junot Stéphane
Published: August 2018

Objective

To determine the effects of esmolol on hemodynamics and heart rate variability (HRV) in the early stage of sepsis.

Design

Prospective, randomized, controlled, parallel trial.

Settings

Veterinary research laboratory.

Animals

Ten anesthetized piglets.

Interventions

Septic shock was induced by infusing a suspension of live Pseudomonas aeruginosa IV in 10 anesthetized piglets. The piglets were resuscitated according to a standardized protocol using Ringer's lactate solution, norepinephrine, and milrinone. Once stabilized, the piglets were randomized to receive IV esmolol, titrated to a heart rate <90/min, or control, receiving saline. A pulmonary artery catheter and an arterial catheter were inserted for hemodynamic measurements. The Analgesia/Nociception Index (ANI) and the normalized HRV frequency domain parameters ‐ high‐frequency (HF), low frequency (LF), LF/HF ratio ‐ were recorded using a proprietary monitor.

Measurements and Main Results

A significant decrease in cardiac output and heart rate, and a significant increase in systemic vascular resistance were observed over time in the esmolol group in comparison to the control group. No other differences were observed in hemodynamic parameters. No significant differences were observed in ANI variations or HRV parameters over time between groups.

Conclusions

The administration of esmolol produced significant changes in hemodynamics with no change in ANI values or HRV parameters. Further study is needed to understand the effect of esmolol during sepsis.
Of teeth and trees: A fossil tip‐dating approach to infer divergence times of extinct and extant squaliform sharks
Authors: Flammensbeck Christina K. , Pollerspöck Jürgen , Schedel Frederic D. B. , Matzke Nicholas J. , Straube Nicolas
Published: August 2018

Fossil tip‐dating allows for the inclusion of morphological data in divergence time estimates based on both extant and extinct taxa. Neoselachii have a cartilaginous skeleton, which is less prone to fossilization compared to skeletons of Osteichthyans. Therefore, the majority of the neoselachian fossil record is comprised of single teeth, which fossilize more easily. Neoselachian teeth can be found in large numbers as they are continuously replaced. Tooth morphologies are of major importance on multiple taxonomic levels for identification of shark and ray taxa. Here, we review dental morphological characters of squalomorph sharks and test these for their phylogenetic signal. Subsequently, we combine DNA sequence data (concatenated exon sequences) with dental morphological characters from 85 fossil and extant taxa to simultaneously infer the phylogeny and re‐estimate divergence times using information of 61 fossil tip‐dates as well as eight node age calibrations of squalomorph sharks. Our findings show that the phylogenetic placement of fossil taxa is mostly in accordance with their previous taxonomic allocation. An exception is the phylogenetic placement of the extinct genus †Protospinax, which remains unclear. We conclude that the high number of fossil taxa as well as the comprehensive DNA sequence data for extant taxa may compensate for the limited number of morphological characters identifiable on teeth, serving as a backbone for reliably estimating the phylogeny of both extinct and extant taxa. In general, tip‐dating mostly estimates older node ages compared to previous studies based on calibrated molecular clocks.
Phylogeny and taxonomic reassessment of jerboa,Dipus(Rodentia, Dipodinae), in inland Asia
Authors: Cheng Jilong , Ge Deyan , Xia Lin , Wen Zhixin , Zhang Qian , Lu Liang , Yang Qisen
Published: August 2018

Deserts and arid regions are perceived to have low biological and genetic diversity, which has partially influenced the identification of psammophilic species, especially taxonomic inferences based on morphology alone. Recent studies ofDipus sagittahave revealed clear, deep genetic divergence beyond the species level within this monotypic genus. To clarify the taxonomy ofDipus, we examined a morphometric dataset consisting of 191 voucher specimens covering nearly the entire distribution of the genus to explore skull variation using traditional morphological measurements and geometric morphometric analysis. Phylogenetic relationships withinDipususing two mitochondrial genes (n = 383) and six nuclear genes (n = 106) were assessed by Bayesian inference and maximum‐likelihood procedures. We used a “candidate species approach” with the divergent mtDNAphylogenetic groups and subspecies identified in previous studies as the starting point and analysed the candidates using five species delimitation methods and two validation methods. Our findings indicate thatDipuscan be divided into four phylogenetic groups that include two species: the Deasyi group (D. deasyi), Sagitta group, Sowerbyi group and Turanicus group (D. sagitta). According to the morphological analyses and the examined specimens, pelage colour varies significantly with season and age, making it unsuitable as a diagnostic characteristic of the subspecies. Furthermore, measurements of body size and skull size require a large number of specimens to reach statistical significance and obtain reliable results. Geographical distributions should be considered first when identifying species or subspecies due to the disjunct habitats ofDipus. Our molecular analyses revealed the long‐neglected potential diversity in arid regions and improved the efficiency of species/subspecies identification. We also found that individuals from more humid areas or higher altitudes were larger, whereas individuals from drier areas possessed longer appendages and larger tympanic bulla.
Effect of Bulgarian Split Squat Exercise on 20 Meters Sprint Performance
Authors: Dinç Nurten , Hayta Ümit
Published: August 2018

Introduction and Aim: The results of the research show that the results of squat exercise affect the sprint performance and the results are different. For this reason, our aim in the study is to investigate the effect of Bulgarian split squat exercise, which is a squat type, on the sprint performance of 20 meters.Method: 10 sedanters who had a mean age of 20 ± 198 years, a mean height of 175,4 ± 5,35, a mean weight of 66,42 ± 7,68 and a BMI of 21,52 ± 1,37, from Manisa Celal Bayar University Faculty of Sports Sciences voluntarily participated in the study. Given the exercise protocol, participants were warmed up by low tempo jogging for 5 minutes. After the rests, participants participated in Bulgarian squat exercises in the form of 5-8 repetitions at 60-80 % of 1 RM. After each Bulgarian split squat, a 4-minute rest was given and then two 20-meter sprint tests were performed (STAE). After each sprint was given a 3-minute rest. The same group performed two 20-meter sprint tests 72 hours later without Bulgarian split squat exercise (STWE). The best score was taken from two sprint tests. The sprint performance after exercise was compared with the sprint performance without exercise. The data were analysed using the repeated measures method in the SPSS program.Findings and Conclusion: No significant difference was found (p>0.05) between the exercise types when the data obtained were compared. The reason for this is thought to be the fact that the subjects participating in the study were sedentary and in addition, the exercise caused fatigue on the subjects.
CaBER vs ROJER—Different time scales for the thinning of a weakly elastic jet
Authors: Mathues Wouter , Formenti Susanna , McIlroy Claire , Harlen Oliver G. , Clasen Christian
Published: August 2018

In this paper, we demonstrate that the capillary thinning dynamics of a weakly viscoelastic jet follow a different timescale than a liquid bridge of the same fluid between two stationary surfaces for similar geometrical scales. The thinning in the latter case observed with capillary breakup extensional rheometry (or CaBER) follows a well established scaling of the radius with time for an elasto-capillary (EC) balance of R∼exp⁡(−t/3λ). However, for the thinning of the filaments between droplets in a jet, it was so far just assumed that the same scaling law holds. In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate that the jet thinning in a Rayleigh–Ohnesorge jetting extensional rheometer (or ROJER) follows a different scaling of R∼exp⁡(−t/2λ). This is demonstrated by a direct comparison of the thinning dynamics of weakly viscoelastic (Oh<0.01) aqueous solutions of polyethylene oxide in the two experimental setups, covering a wide range of jetting velocities or Weber numbers of 1–70. We demonstrate outgoing from a momentum balance that includes inertia and elasticity that this difference in scaling is due to a constant axial tension in the jet arising from the constant creation rate of new surface at the nozzle. Numerical simulations using the FENE-P model support this theory and demonstrate that in the exponential thinning regime of the jet the elastic stresses are indeed balanced by the axial tension (rather than by capillary pressure as in the EC balance regime of the CaBER experiment). It is readily shown from the reduced stress balance that this axial-elastic balance regime in the ROJER experiment leads to a faster exponential thinning, following the new scaling of R∼exp⁡(−t/2λ) that was experimentally observed. Furthermore, we observe both in experiment and simulation that a jet thinning does not exhibit a self-similar structure of the corner region where the thinning filament connects to the drop as it is generally observed for a filament with an axial tension decaying with the filament radius as in the CaBER. The resulting difference of 50% in extensional relaxation time λ extracted from ROJER experiments might require one to revisit previously reported ROJER experiments and is required for the correct evaluation of future jetting rheometry experiments.
Intracellular Staphylococcus aureus Modulates Host Central Carbon Metabolism To Activate Autophagy
Authors: Bravo-Santano Natalia , Ellis James K. , Mateos Luis M. , Calle Yolanda , Keun Hector C. , Behrends Volker , Letek Michal
Published: August 2018

Staphylococcus aureus
escapes from immune recognition by invading a wide range of human cells. Once the pathogen becomes intracellular, the most important last resort antibiotics are not effective. Therefore, novel anti-infective therapies against intracellular
S. aureus
are urgently needed. Here, we have studied the physiological changes induced in the host cells by
S. aureus
during its intracellular proliferation. This is important, because the pathogen exploits the host cell’s metabolism for its own proliferation. We find that
S. aureus
severely depletes glucose and amino acid pools, which leads to increased breakdown of glutamine by the host cell in an attempt to meet its own metabolic needs. All of these metabolic changes activate autophagy in the host cell for nutrient scavenging and energy generation. The metabolic activation of autophagy could be used by the pathogen to sustain its own intracellular survival, making it an attractive target for novel anti-infectives.
Physician leadership development: towards multidisciplinary programs?
Authors: Frich Jan C , Spehar Ivan
Published: August 2018

Background

The format and content of leadership development programmes for physicians is a theme for discussion in the literature.

Objectives

The aim of this study is to explore healthcare executives’ perspectives on physician leadership development, focusing on perceived benefits and negative effects associated with multidisciplinary programmes.

Methods

We did a qualitative study based on data from semistructured interviews with 16 healthcare executives in US healthcare systems.

Results

We found that one group perceived programmes targeting one profession as advantageous, promoting openness and professional relationships among peers. Other executives argued that multidisciplinary programmes could add value because they could bridge professional boundaries, strengthen networks and build leadership capacity throughout an organisation. Costs, timing, organisational culture and a lack of knowledge about how to run multidisciplinary programmes were challenges our informants associated with multidisciplinary leadership development programmes.

Conclusion

This study identifies topics and challenges that can inform organisational policies and decisions about leadership development activities.
Genetics, molar pregnancies and medieval ideas of monstrous births: the lump of flesh inThe King of Tars
Authors: Goodison Natalie , Mackay Deborah J G , Temple I Karen
Published: August 2018

The medieval English romanceThe King of Tarsgives an account of a birth of a lump of flesh. This has been considered as fantastic and monstrous in past literature, the horrific union of a Christian and Saracen. However, while the text certainly speaks to miscegenation, we propose that this lump of flesh is actually a hydatidiform mole. We trace the hydatidiform mole from antiquity, surrounding it with contextual medieval examples, from theology, history and medicine, that also describe abnormal births as ‘lumps of flesh’. By discussing medieval ideas of monsters as a warning sign, we interpret the lump of flesh in terms of abnormal births, seed transmission, parental contribution and sin. Ideas of warning, blame and intervention present themselves as a response to moles both in medieval texts as well as in modern reactions to hydatidiform moles. We explore the epigenetics of hydatidiform moles and relate them to the medieval text. InThe King of Tars, the fault for the lump of flesh could reside with either parent; we find that this is also the case in the genetic formation of the hydatidiform mole; we also argue that the epigenetics supports medieval theories of seed transmission.
Phytochemical analysis and nephroprotective effect of cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) cladodes on sodium dichromate-induced kidney injury in rats
Authors: Hfaiedh Mbarka , Brahmi Dalel , Zourgui Mohamed Nizar , Zourgui Lazhar
Published: August 2018

Environmental and occupational exposure to chromium compounds, especially hexavalent chromium, is widely recognized as potentially nephrotoxic in humans and animals. The present study aimed to assess the efficacy of cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) against sodium dichromate-induced nephrotoxicity, oxidative stress, and genotoxicity. Cactus cladodes extract (CCE) was phytochemically studied and tested in vitro for its potential antioxidant activities. Additionally, the preventive effect of CCE against sodium dichromate-induced renal dysfunction in a Wistar rat model (24 rats) was evaluated. For this purpose, CCE at a dose of 100 mg/kg was orally administered, followed by 10 mg/kg sodium dichromate (intraperitoneal injection). After 40 days of treatment, the rats were sacrificed, and the kidneys were excised for histological, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzyme analyses. The phenol, flavonoid, tannin, ascorbic acid, and carotenoid contents of CCE were considered to be important. Our analyses showed that 1 mL of CCE was equivalent to 982.5 ± 1.79 μg of gallic acid, 294.37 ± 0.84 μg of rutin, 234.78 ± 0.24 μg of catechin, 204.34 ± 1.53 μg of ascorbic acid, and 3.14 ± 0.51 μg of β-carotene. In vivo, pretreatment with CCE was found to provide significant protection against sodium dichromate-induced nephrotoxicity by inhibiting lipid peroxidation, preserving normal antioxidant activities, and protecting renal tissues from lesions and DNA damage. The nephroprotective potential of CCE against sodium dichromate toxicity might be due to its antioxidant properties.
Geographic variation in body size and sexual size dimorphism of North American Ratsnakes (Pantherophis spp. s.l.)
Authors: DeGregorio Brett A. , Blouin-Demers Gabriel , Carfagno Gerardo L.F. , Gibbons J. Whitfield , Mullin Stephen J. , Sperry Jinelle H. , Willson John D. , Wray Kenny , Weatherhead Patrick J.
Published: August 2018

Because body size affects nearly all facets of an organism’s life history, ecologists have long been interested in large-scale patterns of body-size variation, as well as why those large-scale patterns often differ between sexes. We explored body-size variation across the range of the sexually dimorphic Ratsnake complex (species of the genus Pantherophis Fitzinger, 1843 s.l.; formerly Elaphe obsoleta (Say in James, 1823)) in North America. We specifically explored whether variation in body size followed latitudinal patterns or varied with climatic variables. We found that body size did not conform to a climatic or latitudinal gradient, but instead, some of the populations with the largest snakes occurred near the core of the geographic range and some with the smallest occurred near the northern, western, and southern peripheries of the range. Males averaged 14% larger than females, although the degree of sexual size dimorphism varied between populations (range: 2%–25%). There was a weak trend for male body size to change in relation to temperature, whereas female body size did not. Our results indicate that relationships between climate and an ectotherm’s body size are more complicated than linear latitudinal clines and likely differ for males and females.
Anti-IL-22 Antibody Attenuates Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease via Increasing Foxp3+T Cell through Modulation of CD11b+Cell Function
Authors: Wu Jianbo , Gu Jian , Zhou Shun , Lu Hao , Lu Yunjie , Lu Ling , Wang Xuehao
Published: August 2018

Transfer of splenocytes isolated from B6 mice into normal B6D2F1 mice induces acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), resulting in the expansion of donor cytotoxic T lymphocytes that eliminate recipient B cells. The cytokine IL-22, secreted by Th1 cells, Th17 cells, and innate immune cells, is structurally related to IL-10. To investigate the association between IL-22 and aGVHD, an anti-mouse IL-22 antibody (IL-22Ab) was used to ablate IL-22 activity in a mouse aGVHD model. Administration of IL-22Ab significantly reduced the progression of aGVHD in B6D2F1 recipients of B6 grafts. IL-22Ab treatment also decreased the percentage of interferon-γ+and tumor necrosis factor-α+T cells but increased the number of forkhead box p3+regulatory T cells (Tregs). In the presence of Tregs and donor CD11b+cells, IL-22Ab protected against aGVHD.In vitroTreg induction was more efficient when CD4+CD25−T cells differentiated in the presence of CD11b+cells obtained from IL-22Ab-treated GVHD mice, compared with cocultured untreated control cells. Finally, IL-22Ab modulated the expression of cytokines and costimulatory molecules in CD11b+cells in aGVHD mice. We therefore conclude that IL-22Ab administration represents a viable approach for treating aGVHD.
Height and Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Results from the Healthy Baby Cohort Study
Authors: Li Hui , Song Lulu , Shen Lijun , Liu Bingqing , Zheng Xiaoxuan , Zhang Lina , Wang Youjie , Cao Zhongqiang , Xu Shunqing
Published: August 2018

Background. The aim of this study was to examine the association between height and plasma glucose level, as well as risk of GDM among Chinese women. Methods. A total of 6941 pregnant Chinese women were recruited from the Healthy Baby Cohort study in Hubei Province, China, in 2012–2014. Measured height was categorized into four groups according to the quartile distribution (≤158.0 cm, 158.1–161.0 cm, 161.1–164.0 cm, and >164.0 cm). GDM was defined based on the International Association of the Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group criteria. Linear regression was used to estimate the association between height and plasma glucose levels. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between height and GDM. Results. The prevalence of GDM was 14.7% in our study. Height was inversely associated with the 1 h and 2h plasma glucose levels (all P value for trend < 0.05), but not with fasting plasma glucose levels. A significant negative trend was found between height and risk of GDM (P value for trend < 0.05), and each centimeter increase in height was associated with 2% (OR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96, 0.99) lower risk of GDM. Women in the highest quartile of height (>164.0 cm) had 23% (OR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.64, 0.94) lower risk of developing GDM than those in the shortest quartile of height (≤158.0 cm), after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusions. Our findings suggested that height was negatively associated with risk of GDM among Chinese women. The difference in plasma glucose levels is present in the 1 h and 2 h plasma glucose, but not with fasting plasma glucose.
CD30-Redirected Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Target CD30+ and CD30− Embryonal Carcinoma via Antigen-Dependent and Fas/FasL Interactions
Authors: Hong Lee K. , Chen Yuhui , Smith Christof C. , Montgomery Stephanie A. , Vincent Benjamin G. , Dotti Gianpietro , Savoldo Barbara
Published: August 2018

Tumor antigen heterogeneity limits success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies. Embryonal carcinomas (EC) and mixed testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) containing EC, which are the most aggressive TGCT subtypes, are useful for dissecting this issue as ECs express the CD30 antigen but also contain CD30−/dim cells. We found that CD30-redirected CAR T cells (CD30.CAR T cells) exhibit antitumor activity in vitro against the human EC cell lines Tera-1, Tera-2, and NCCIT and putative EC stem cells identified by Hoechst dye staining. Cytolytic activity of CD30.CAR T cells was complemented by their sustained proliferation and proinflammatory cytokine production. CD30.CAR T cells also demonstrated antitumor activity in an in vivo xenograft NOD/SCID/γcnull (NSG) mouse model of metastatic EC. We observed that CD30.CAR T cells, while targeting CD30+ EC tumor cells through the CAR (i.e., antigen-dependent targeting), also eliminated surrounding CD30− EC cells in an antigen-independent manner, via a cell–cell contact-dependent Fas/FasL interaction. In addition, ectopic Fas (CD95) expression in CD30+ Fas− EC was sufficient to improve CD30.CAR T-cell antitumor activity. Overall, these data suggest that CD30.CAR T cells might be useful as an immunotherapy for ECs. Additionally, Fas/FasL interaction between tumor cells and CAR T cells can be exploited to reduce tumor escape due to heterogeneous antigen expression or to improve CAR T-cell antitumor activity. Cancer Immunol Res; 6(10); 1274–87. ©2018 AACR.
Re-Examining Phonetic Variability in Native and Non-Native Speech
Authors: Vaughn Charlotte , Baese-Berk Melissa , Idemaru Kaori
Published: August 2018

Background/Aims: Non-native speech is frequently characterized as being more variable than native speech. However, the few studies that have directly investigated phonetic variability in the speech of second language learners have considered a limited subset of native/non-native language pairings and few linguistic features. Methods: The present study examines group-level withinspeaker variability and central tendencies in acoustic properties of vowels andstops produced by learners of Japanese from two native language backgrounds, English and Mandarin, as well as native Japanese speakers. Results: Results show that non-native speakers do not always exhibit more phonetic variability than native speakers, but rather that patterns of variability are specific to individual linguistic features and their instantiations in L1 and L2. Conclusion: Adopting this more nuanced approach to variability offers important enhancements to several areas of linguistic theory.