bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Misoprostol for primary versus secondary prevention of postpartum haemorrhage: a cluster‐randomised non‐inferiority community trial
Authors: Raghavan S , Geller S , Miller S , Goudar SS , Anger H , Yadavannavar MC , Dabash R , Bidri SR , Gudadinni MR , Udgiri R , Koch AR , Bellad MB , Winikoff B
Published: September 2015

Objective

To assess whether secondary prevention, which preemptively treats women with above‐average postpartum bleeding, is non‐inferior to universal prophylaxis.

Design

A cluster‐randomised non‐inferiority community trial.

Setting

Health sub‐centres and home deliveries in the Bijapur district of Karnataka, India.

Population

Women with low‐risk pregnancies who were eligible for delivery with an Auxiliary Nurse Midwife at home or sub‐centre and who consented to be part of the study.

Methods

Auxiliary Nurse Midwifes were randomised to secondary prevention using 800 mcg sublingual misoprostol administered to women with postpartum blood loss ≥350 ml or to universal prophylaxis using 600 mcg oral misoprostol administered to all women during the third stage of labour.

Main outcome measures

Postpartum haemoglobin ≤7.8 g/dl, mean postpartum blood loss and postpartum haemoglobin, postpartum haemorrhage rate, transfer to higher‐level facilities, acceptability and feasibility of the intervention.

Results

Misoprostol was administered to 99.7% of women as primary prevention. In secondary prevention, 92 (4.7%) women had postpartum bleeding ≥350 ml, of which 90 (97.8%) received misoprostol. The proportion of women with postpartum haemoglobin ≤7.8 g/dl was 5.9 and 8.8% in secondary and primary prevention clusters, respectively [difference −2.9%, one‐sided 95% confidence interval (CI) <1.3%]. Postpartum transfer and haemorrhage rates were low (<1%) in both groups. Shivering was more common in primary prevention clusters (P = 0.013).

Conclusion

Secondary prevention of postpartum haemorrhage with misoprostol is non‐inferior to universal prophylaxis based on the primary outcome of postpartum haemoglobin. Secondary prevention could be a good alternative to universal prophylaxis as it medicates fewer women and is an acceptable and feasible strategy at the community level.

Tweetable abstract

Secondary prevention of postpartum haemorrhage with misoprostol is non‐inferior to universal prophylaxis.
Evaluation of Direct PCR Amplification Using Various Swabs and Washing Reagents
Authors: Altshuler Hallie , Roy Reena
Published: September 2015

DNA profiles were generated via direct amplification from blood and saliva samples deposited on various types of swab substrates. Each of the six non‐FTA substrates used in this research was punched with a Harris 1.2 mm puncher. After 0.1 μL of blood or 0.5 μL saliva, samples were deposited on each of these punches, samples were pretreated with one of four buffers and washing reagents. Amplification was performed using direct and nondirect autosomal and Y‐STR kits. Autosomal and Y‐STR profiles were successfully generated from most of these substrates when pretreated with buffer or washing reagents. Concordant profiles were obtained within and between the six substrates, the six amplification kits, and all four reagents. The direct amplification of substrates which do not contain lysing agent would be beneficial to the forensic community as the procedure can be used on evidence samples commonly found at crime scenes.
Influence of Running on Pistol Shot Hit Patterns
Authors: Kerkhoff Wim , Bolck Annabel , Mattijssen Erwin J.A.T.
Published: September 2015

In shooting scene reconstructions, risk assessment of the situation can be important for the legal system. Shooting accuracy and precision, and thus risk assessment, might be correlated with the shooter's physical movement and experience. The hit patterns of inexperienced and experienced shooters, while shooting stationary (10 shots) and in running motion (10 shots) with a semi‐automatic pistol, were compared visually (with confidence ellipses) and statistically. The results show a significant difference in precision (circumference of the hit patterns) between stationary shots and shots fired in motion for both inexperienced and experienced shooters. The decrease in precision for all shooters was significantly larger in the y‐direction than in the x‐direction. The precision of the experienced shooters is overall better than that of the inexperienced shooters. No significant change in accuracy (shift in the hit pattern center) between stationary shots and shots fired in motion can be seen for all shooters.
Postmortem Aortic Dissection: An Artifact of the Embalming Process
Authors: Rae Guenevere , Husain Mujtaba , McGoey Robin , Swartz William
Published: September 2015

Aortic dissection (AD) is a serious condition that affects 3/100,000 individuals a year. Recently, a case report was published describing an embalmed patient with an aortic dissection. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of AD among 80 embalmed cadavers and confirm the AD with histopathologic evaluation. In seven cases of grossly identified AD, six were determined to be due to the embalming procedure and only one case of true antemortem AD was confirmed. These results suggest that aortic morphology can be altered by administration of the embalming fluid and that alterations can mimic AD, not only on gross inspection but also on postmortem imaging. Awareness of this embalming artifact may prevent misdiagnosis of an aortic dissection in an embalmed patient, a point particularly useful for autopsy pathology that may include postmortem examination of an embalmed patient.
The Role of the Cost‐of‐Crime Literature in Bridging the Gap Between Social Science Research and Policy Making
Authors: Domínguez Patricio , Raphael Steven
Published: September 2015

Research Summary

In this article, we review the theoretical paradigm underlying cost–benefit analysis and address some of the critiques of this framework that have arisen within criminal justice circles and other policy areas. We also review existing studies devoted to estimating the costs of specific crimes. We offer a brief discussion categorizing the alternative costs of crime and the various methodological approaches taken (hedonic analysis, contingent valuation, and accounting methods), with an explicit discussion of the relative strengths and weaknesses of each approach and debates within the economics profession pertaining to these methodologies. We argue that cost considerations broadly defined should be of central importance in criminal justice policy debates. However, we also highlight the potential for cost‐consideration and important equity criteria to come into conflict.

Policy Implications

Policy makers should consider careful cost–benefit analysis as an important criterion in criminal justice policy. Given some features of criminal justice policy choices such as the unequal distribution of the costs of criminal victimization, anti‐crime enforcement, and the potential for perceived illegitimacy of the criminal justice system to undermine various public institutions, we argue that equity considerations also deserve careful attention. In practice, we place greater confidence in the use of cost‐of‐crime estimates to judge the relative effectiveness of alternative interventions, and we are cautious regarding policy prescriptions emanating from benefit–cost ratios that are marginally greater than one.
Future Directions for the Global Meat Industry?
Authors: Bansback Bob
Published: September 2015

The world meat industry has faced many challenges in recent years yet consumption continues to increase, particularly in emerging and developing countries. There has been substantial consumption growth in China over the past 30 years but only in the last 5 years has this had a major impact on the world meat economy. By 2013, China was easily the world's largest meat importer with increases in consumption outstripping production growth. Other issues currently facing the industry include higher production costs, competition from other proteins, consumer concerns about food safety and animal welfare, and environmental factors. The big challenge for the industry is to meet projected growth in meat consumption with sustainable production growth. Defining and measuring sustainability in meat production is not straightforward and there is a danger that too narrow a definition of sustainability will be used to monitor progress. The industry is capable of reaching sustainable meat consumption targets although the biggest challenges will be in developing and emerging economies. The industry is adopting new technology and using opportunities to add value for example in the marketing and processing of offal and animal by‐products.
Distribution and ecology of lesser pouched rat, Beamys hindei, in Tanzanian coastal forests
Authors: SABUNI Christopher A. , SLUYDTS Vincent , MULUNGU Loth S. , MAGANGA Samwel L.S. , MAKUNDI Rhodes H. , LEIRS Herwig
Published: September 2015

The lesser pouched rat, Beamys hindei, is a small rodent that is patchily distributed in the Eastern Arc Mountains and coastal forests in East Africa. The ecology of this species and its current distribution in coastal forests is not well known. Therefore, we conducted a study in selected coastal forests to assess the current distribution of the species and to investigate the population ecology in terms of abundance fluctuations and demographic patterns. Assessments of the species distribution were conducted in 5 forests through trapping with Sherman live traps. Data on ecology were obtained from monthly capture–mark–recapture studies conducted for 5 consecutive nights per month in two 1 ha grids set in Zaraninge Forest over a 2‐year period. The results indicate the presence of B. hindei in 3 forests where it was not previously recorded. The population abundance estimates ranged from 1 to 40 animals per month, with high numbers recorded during rainy seasons. Reproduction patterns and sex ratios did not differ between months. Survival estimates were not influenced by season, and recruitment was low, with growth rate estimates of 1 animal per month. These estimates suggest a stable population of B. hindei in Zaraninge Forest. Further studies are recommended to establish the home range, diet and burrowing behavior of the species in coastal forests in East Africa.
A cannabinoid receptor 1 polymorphism is protective against major depressive disorder in methadone‐maintained outpatients
Authors: Icick Romain , Peoc'h Katell , Karsinti Emily , Ksouda Kamilla , Hajj Aline , Bloch Vanessa , Prince Nathalie , Mouly Stéphane , Bellivier Frank , Lépine Jean‐Pierre , Laplanche Jean‐Louis , Vorspan Florence
Published: September 2015

Background and Objectives

The burden of opiate dependence not only relies on somatic complications such as infectious diseases or acute intoxication but also on frequent psychiatric events such as major depressive disorder (MDD) and suicidal behavior (SB). Given the preclinical and clinical evidence regarding the associations between cannabinoid systems and both opiate dependence and psychiatric disorders, we chose to address whether one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the cannabinoid receptor type 1 gene (CNR1) named rs2023239 would be associated with lifetime MDD and SB in a population of opiate‐dependent outpatients remitted under stable methadone treatment.

Methods

Sociodemographic and clinical data were included as independent factors in two logistic regression models aimed at predicting SB and MDD, respectively, performed with 85 Caucasian individuals.

Results

The minor C allele of rs2023239 showed an independent protective effect against lifetime MDD after adjustment for potential confounders. It was not associated with variables related to suicidal behavior.

Conclusions and Scientific Significance

Despite limitations due to the modest sample size, our results are consistent with previous research on the endocannabinoid system and suggest new leads for detecting subjects at risk of MDD, which remains insufficiently diagnosed and treated in patients suffering from severe addictive disorders. (Am J Addict 2015;XX:1 –8)
Amphetamine‐induced psychosis: Transition to schizophrenia and mortality in a small prospective sample
Authors: Medhus Sigrid , Rognli Eline Borger , Gossop Michael , Holm Bjørn , Mørland Jørg , Bramness Jørgen G.
Published: September 2015

Background and objectives

We investigated transition from amphetamine‐induced psychosis (AIP) to schizophrenia.

Methods

A sample of 28 individuals was identified while hospitalized for AIP. We reviewed their hospital records after six years.

Results

During follow‐up, seven individuals (25%) died and nine (32%) had moved from the area. Of the remaining 12, four individuals (25%) were diagnosed with schizophrenia. These individuals were, at baseline, characterized by fewer hallucinatory symptoms and more homelessness.

Conclusion and scientific significance

Hospitalization for AIP was a relatively specific risk factor for schizophrenia and the mortality rate in AIP was high. (Am J Addict 2015;XX:1–4)
Effects of Gender on Electrocardiography in Subjects with Shortened Ventricular Depolarization (QRS)
Authors: Aydin Fatih , Aktoz Meryem , Altun Armagan , Gursul Erdal , Aksit Ercan
Published: September 2015

Background

Distinctions between electrocardiograms of female and male subjects have been recognized for many years. Due to these differences, arrhythmias in each gender have a tendency to differ. In our study, we aimed to compare electrocardiography intervals between men and women with short QRS durations.

Methods

Subjects with a QRS interval of ≤80 ms were included in the study. Patients were grouped by gender and the parameters were compared. Patients with diseases that might affect QRS interval and/or who were on medications were excluded. The electrocardiogram intervals of the subjects were measured, Holter monitors were placed, and parameters of time‐based heart rate variation were analyzed.

Results

A total of 100 patients (55% female) were included in the study. According to statistical analysis, no significant difference between the genders was observed in the heart rate or in the parameters, such as QT, JT, JTp, and TpTe intervals or heart rate‐corrected QTc, JTc, JTpc, and TpTec intervals, which affect repolarization and are known to be arrhythmia precursors by shortening or elongation. No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups for the parameters of heart rate variability time measures (SDNN, SDANN, rMSSD, and pNN50).

Conclusion

We observed that when the QRS interval gets shorter, repolarization differences between the genders disappear. New studies are required on this subject.
Sex Work, Heroin Injection, and HIV Risk in Tijuana: A Love Story
Authors: Syvertsen Jennifer L. , Bazzi Angela Robertson
Published: September 2015

The relationships between female sex workers and their noncommercial male partners are typically viewed as sites of HIV risk rather than meaningful unions. This ethnographic case study presents a nuanced portrayal of the relationship between Cindy and Beto, a female sex worker who injects drugs and her intimate, noncommercial partner who live in Tijuana, Mexico. On the basis of ethnographic research in Tijuana and our long‐term involvement in a public health study, we suggest that emotions play a central role in sex workers’ relationships and contribute in complex ways to each partner's health. We conceptualize Cindy and Beto's relationship as a “dangerous safe haven” in which HIV risk behaviors such as unprotected sex and syringe sharing convey notions of love and trust and help sustain emotional unity amid broader uncertainties but nevertheless carry very real health risks. Further attention to how emotions shape vulnerable couples’ health remains a task for anthropology.
Introduction: Toward an Anthropology of Affect and Evocative Ethnography
Authors: Skoggard Ian , Waterston Alisse
Published: September 2015

A growing interest in affect holds much promise for anthropology by providing a new frame to examine and articulate subjective and intersubjective states, which are key parts of human consciousness and behavior. Affect has its roots in the social, an observation that did not go unnoticed by Durkheim and since then has been kept in view by those social scientists interested in the emotions, feelings, and subjectivity. However, the challenge for ethnographers has always been to articulate in words and conceptualize theoretically what is only felt and sensed. What we are calling “evocative ethnography” is an ethnography that meets this challenge to make room for, and hold onto, feelings and affect in its description and explanation. The papers in this special issue accomplish that, as well as provide some anthropological insights into affect theory.
Treatment of inferior pole breast cancer with the oncoplastic ‘Crescent’ technique: the Westmead experience
Authors: Ng E‐Ern Ian , French James , Hsu Jeremy , Elder Elisabeth E.
Published: September 2015

Background

Conservative treatment of inferior breast cancers has been a challenge for breast surgeons due to the high incidence of poor cosmetic outcomes. In 2008, Renouvel et al. described an oncoplastic ‘Crescent’ technique utilizing an advancement flap to fill the defect after cancer excision in the lower pole of the breast. A follow‐up study demonstrated no local recurrence at 45 months and excellent or good cosmetic outcomes in over 70% of patients. This study aims to assess the outcomes of applying this ‘Crescent’ technique in a breast surgical unit.

Methods

Retrospective study carried out at Westmead Breast Cancer Institute on 16 patients treated with the ‘Crescent’ technique. Data regarding patient and tumour characteristics, operative outcomes and complications were obtained. Patients were invited to complete a modified Breast‐Q questionnaire and have their photographs taken to assess patient satisfaction and cosmetic outcome.

Results

Over 12 months, 16 women underwent the ‘Crescent’ technique. Mean tumour size was 11.4 mm (range 2.0–36 mm) and median resected volume was 33.0 g (range 15–117 g). One patient (7.1%) had involved margins. One patient returned to theatre for evacuation of a haematoma. Cosmetic outcome was excellent or good in over 80% of patients.

Conclusion

The oncoplastic ‘Crescent’ technique is a safe and reliable technique with good cosmetic outcome that can be implemented in a breast surgical unit.
Surgical waiting time for radical cystectomy: a New Zealand experience
Authors: Kahokehr Arman , Glasson Julius , Studd Rodney
Published: September 2015

Background

The New Zealand Ministry of Health (MOH) has issued recommendations under the new ‘Faster Cancer Treatment Programme’ specifically mandating that ‘treatment begin within 31 days of a decision being made to have that treatment’. In preparation to plan compliance with these targets and identify delays, the wait‐times for radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer at our institution were reviewed.

Methods

Patient data were collected for all patients who underwent radical cystectomy in Wellington Hospital from 2006 to 2013. Three interval periods for RC were defined and reviewed. The cause of delay was assessed. We looked at survival based upon delay periods.

Results

There were 43 RC during the study period. The median time from recommendation to RC was 29 days (range 2–97). Seventeen (40%) were outside this time period due to requirement for further medical investigation (n = 7), patient‐related factors (n = 3), other speciality input needed (n = 3), scheduling factors (n = 2) and unknown factors (n = 2).

Conclusion

The median wait‐time to RC was 29 days in our institution, within the MOH period. A significant proportion (40%) of patients had a delay of >31 days commonly due to patient factors such as co‐morbidities needing additional investigations. A delay of >31 days did not confer a worse survival outcome in this cohort.
Retrograde Cerebral Perfusion Results in Better Perfusion to the Striatum Than the Cerebral Cortex During Deep Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest: A Microdialysis Study
Authors: Liang Meng‐Ya , Chen Guang‐Xian , Tang Zhi‐Xian , Rong Jian , Yao Jian‐ping , Wu Zhong‐Kai
Published: September 2015

It remains controversial whether contemporary cerebral perfusion techniques, utilized during deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA), establish adequate perfusion to deep structures in the brain. This study aimed to investigate whether selective antegrade cerebral perfusion (SACP) or retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP) can provide perfusion equally to various anatomical positions in the brain using metabolic evidence obtained from microdialysis. Eighteen piglets were randomly assigned to 40 min of circulatory arrest (CA) at 18°C without cerebral perfusion (DHCA group, n = 6) or with SACP (SACP group, n = 6) or RCP (RCP group, n = 6). Microdialysis parameters (glucose, lactate, pyruvate, and glutamate) were measured every 30 min in cortex and striatum. After 3 h of reperfusion, brain tissue was harvested for Western blot measurement of α‐spectrin. After 40 min of CA, the DHCA group showed marked elevations of lactate and glycerol and a reduction in glucose in the microdialysis perfusate (all P < 0.05). The changes in glucose, lactate, and glycerol in the perfusate and α‐spectrin expression in brain tissue were similar between cortex and striatum in the SACP group (all P > 0.05). In the RCP group, the cortex exhibited lower glucose, higher lactate, and higher glycerol in the perfusate and higher α‐spectrin expression in brain tissue compared with the striatum (all P < 0.05). Glutamate showed no difference between cortex and striatum in all groups (all P > 0.05). In summary, SACP provided uniform and continuous cerebral perfusion to most anatomical sites in the brain, whereas RCP resulted in less sufficient perfusion to the cortex but better perfusion to the striatum.
Brain disorders associated with corticotropin‐releasing hormone expression in the placenta among children born before the 28th week of gestation
Authors: Leviton Alan , Allred Elizabeth N. , Kuban Karl C.K. , O'Shea Thomas Michael , Paneth Nigel , Majzoub Joseph ,   ELGAN Study Investigators
Published: September 2015

Aim

To evaluate the relationship between placenta corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH) expression and brain structure and function abnormalities in extremely preterm newborns.

Methods

In a sample of 1243 infants born before the 28th week of gestation, we evaluated the relationship between CRH expression in the placenta and the risk of brain ultrasound scan abnormalities identified while these infants were in the intensive care nursery, low scores on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development‐II of 900 of these children at age two years and head circumference measurements then more than one and two standard deviations below the mean.

Results

Infants who had a low placenta CRH messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) concentration were at increased risk of ventriculomegaly on an ultrasound scan. An elevated placenta CRH mRNA concentration was associated with increased risk of an inability to walk at age two years, and a Bayley Motor Scale 3 standard deviations below the mean.

Conclusion

Placenta CRH mRNA concentration appears to convey information about the risk of brain damage in the infant born at an extremely low gestational age.
De Beers, Anglo American and Optima Magazine
Authors: Schwartz Michael , Comer Debra R.
Published: September 2015

We consider in this article how the largest corporations in Apartheid South Africa used an in‐house magazine to manipulate their shareholders' perceptions of the current political scenario. We argue that in that era, business felt compelled to respond to the portrayal of events in South Africa presented by the international media. Furthermore, we examine the motivation of business for doing so and why that motivation does not exist in post‐apartheid South Africa.
The Real Walmart
Authors: Morillo Juan , McNally Callie , Block Walter E.
Published: September 2015

The Walmart Company is one of the favorite punching bags of market critics. They accuse this firm of underpaying employees, dealing unfairly with customers, exploiting suppliers, and bankrupting small competitors. Various political jurisdictions have banned this firm from their environs, either implicitly or explicitly. The present article offers a more nuanced position on the behemoth from Arkansas. Although it has some flaws, there is an overwhelming case to be made in its behalf as an employer, competitor, purchaser, benefactor of customers.
Genetic polymorphism of CYP1A2 but not total or free teriflunomide concentrations is associated with leflunomide cessation in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Hopkins Ashley M. , Wiese Michael D. , Proudman Susanna M. , O'Doherty Catherine E. , Upton Richard N. , Foster David J. R.
Published: September 2015

Aim

Leflunomide, via its active metabolite teriflunomide, is used in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment, yet approximately 20 to 40% of patients cease due to toxicity. The aim was to develop a time‐to‐event model describing leflunomide cessation due to toxicity within a clinical cohort and to investigate potential predictors of cessation such as total and free teriflunomide exposure and pharmacogenetic influences.

Methods

This study included individuals enrolled in the Early Arthritis inception cohort at the Royal Adelaide Hospital between 2000 and 2013 who received leflunomide. A time‐to‐event model in nonmem was used to describe the time until leflunomide cessation and the influence of teriflunomide exposure and pharmacogenetic variants. Random censoring of individuals was simultaneously described. The clinical relevance of significant covariates was visualized via simulation.

Results

Data from 105 patients were analyzed, with 34 ceasing due to toxicity. The baseline dropout hazard and baseline random censoring hazard were best described by step functions changing over discrete time intervals. No statistically significant associations with teriflunomide exposure metrics were identified. Of the screened covariates, carriers of the C allele of CYP1A2 rs762551 had a 2.29 fold increase in cessation hazard compared with non‐carriers (95% CI 2.24, 2.34, P = 0.016).

Conclusions

A time‐to‐event model described the time between leflunomide initiation and cessation due to side effects. The C allele of CYP1A2 rs762551 was linked to increased leflunomide toxicity, while no association with teriflunomide exposure was identified. Future research should continue to investigate exposure–toxicity relationships, as well as potentially toxic metabolites.
Factors predicting outcomes of micropercutaneous nephrolithotomy: results from a large single‐centre experience
Authors: Ganpule Arvind , Chhabra Jaspreet Singh , Kore Vinayak , Mishra Shashikant , Sabnis Ravindra , Desai Mahesh
Published: September 2015

Objectives

To present our single‐centre experience of the micropercutaneous nephrolithotomy (microperc) technique and define its role in the management of renal calculi as well as to analyse the factors predicting outcome.

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively analysed data from 139 patients who underwent microperc for renal calculi between June 2010 and November 2014 at our institution. The factors analysed were demographic variables, which included age, sex, stone volume, stone density (Hounsfield units [HU]) and stone location, and intra‐ and peri‐operative variables, such as operating time, drop in haemoglobin level, stone clearance and complications.

Results

The mean ± sd (range) patient age was 38.99 ± 17 years (9 months to 73 years), stone volume was 1 095 ± 1 035 (105–6 650) mm3 and stone density was 1 298 ± 263 HU. The mean ± sd (range) operation duration was 50.15 ± 9.8 (35–85) min, hospital stay was 2.36 ± 0.85 (2–5) days and drop in haemoglobin level was 0.63 ± 0.84 (0–3.7) mg/dl. Eight patients had renal colic that was managed by antispasmodic medication, four patients had renal colic severe enough to warrant JJ stenting and three patients had urinary tract infections which were managed with appropriate antibiotics. We were able to complete microperc in 130 patients, with 119 (91.53%) patients being rendered completely stone‐free, while in 11 patients (8.46%) there were some residual fragments seen on imaging. On multivariate analysis, stone number, volume and density were found to be significant predictors of clearance. Conversion to mini‐ or standard percutaneous nephrolithotomy was required in nine patients (6.47%), with intra‐operative complications and stone number being the significant factors warranting conversion on a multivariate basis.

Conclusion

The outcomes in the present study suggest that microperc is a promising treatment method for solitary renal stones with volumes <1 000 mm3 and stones with low density (HU), regardless of stone location. In the present series we achieved a high success rate with low morbidity; however larger, prospective and comparative studies from multiple centres are required to further establish the role of microperc in the management of renal calculi.
NONPARAMETRIC MODELS OF FINANCIAL LEVERAGE DECISIONS
Authors: Bastos João A. , Ramalho Joaquim J. S.
Published: September 2015

This paper applies nonparametric decision tree models to the analysis of financial leverage decisions. This approach presents three appealing features: (i) the relationship between leverage and explanatory variables is not predetermined but is derived from information provided by the data, (ii) the models respect the fractional nature of leverage ratios, and (iii) each covariate is allowed to influence in different ways the financial leverage decisions of firms automatically assigned to different groups. Based on a data set of Portuguese firms, decision trees are used to tackle both classification (the decision to issue debt) and regression (the decision on the amount of debt to be issued, conditional on using debt) problems. It is found that: (i) two‐part models are the most appropriate specification for explaining the overall amount of debt used by firms, (ii) there are no drastic differences between the results produced by tree and parametric models, although some divergences may arise, and (iii) tree models suggest relationships between covariates and leverage that parametric models fail to capture, especially when the sample size is small.
Targeted gene flow for conservation
Authors: Kelly Ella , Phillips Ben L.
Published: September 2015

Anthropogenic threats often impose strong selection on affected populations, causing rapid evolutionary responses. Unfortunately, these adaptive responses are rarely harnessed for conservation. We suggest that conservation managers pay close attention to adaptive processes and geographic variation, with an eye to using them for conservation goals. Translocating pre‐adapted individuals into recipient populations is currently considered a potentially important management tool in the face of climate change. Targeted gene flow, which involves moving individuals with favorable traits to areas where these traits would have a conservation benefit, could have a much broader application in conservation. Across a species’ range there may be long‐standing geographic variation in traits or variation may have rapidly developed in response to a threatening process. Targeted gene flow could be used to promote natural resistance to threats to increase species resilience. We suggest that targeted gene flow is a currently underappreciated strategy in conservation that has applications ranging from the management of invasive species and their impacts to controlling the impact and virulence of pathogens.
miR‐372 suppresses tumour proliferation and invasion by targeting IGF2BP1 in renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Huang Xuan , Huang Mingjie , Kong Lingbao , Li Yong
Published: September 2015

Objectives

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small non‐coding RNAs that regulate proteins and mRNAs for degradation or translational suppression. Up to now, the role of miR‐372 in renal cell carcinoma has remained unknown; in this study, we have aimed to reveal its functional importance in this tumour.

Materials and methods

qRT‐PCR was performed to measure expression levels of miR‐372 in renal cell carcinoma cell lines and tissues. CCK‐8 and an invasion assay were performed to measure its functional role. Luciferase assays, qRT‐PCR and western blotting were performed to discover miR‐372′s target gene.

Results

We demonstrated that miRNA‐372 was down‐regulated in renal cell carcinoma cell lines and tissue specimens; its over‐expression inhibited cell proliferation and invasion. Moreover, we showed that miRNA‐372 repressed insulin‐like growth factor 2 mRNA‐binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) expression by directly interacting with its putative binding site at the 3′‐UTR. Furthermore, ectopic expression of IGF2BP1 significantly reversed suppression of cell proliferation and invasion caused by miR‐372 over‐expression.

Conclusions

Our data indicated that miR‐372 seemed to function as a tumour suppressor in renal cell carcinoma progression by inhibiting the IGF2BP1 expression.
Recombinant PTH therapy for severe hypoparathyroidism after kidney transplantation in pre‐transplant parathyroidectomized patients: review of the literature and a case report
Authors: Hod Tammy , Riella Leonardo V. , Chandraker Anil
Published: September 2015

Although transient hypocalcemia following kidney transplantation can occur, severe refractory hypocalcemia is uncommon. We report a case of a 31‐yr‐old highly sensitized man with end‐stage renal disease caused by reflux nephropathy, who received an expanded criteria deceased donor kidney transplant. The post‐transplant course was significant for profound hypocalcemia despite treatment with large doses of calcium and vitamin D, in the setting of severe hypoparathyroidism following a subtotal parathyroidectomy three yr prior to the transplant. His course was also complicated by suboptimal allograft function with significant new vascular changes seen in the allograft biopsy by seven wk post‐transplant. Teriparatide (recombinant parathyroid hormone) injections were initiated (up to three times daily) with improvement in the vascular changes and a decrease in calcium phosphate calcification in biopsy, as well as reduction in hypercalciuria, restoration of calcium phosphate homeostasis and stabilization of allograft function. We describe six other cases of post‐transplant hypoparathyroidism, with five of six having decreased allograft function and three of those five demonstrating significant accelerated vascular changes on biopsy. We discuss the use of teriparatide injections for the treatment of renal transplant recipients with impaired renal function in the setting of hypoparathyroidism.
Parental drinking and adverse outcomes in children: A scoping review of cohort studies
Authors: Rossow Ingeborg , Felix Lambert , Keating Patrick , McCambridge Jim
Published: September 2015

Introduction and Aims

There is a growing interest in measuring alcohol's harms to people other than the drinker themselves. ‘Children of alcoholics’ and foetal alcohol spectrum disorder have received widespread attention. Less is known about how children are affected by post‐natal exposure to parental drinking other than alcohol abuse/dependence. In this scoping review, we aim to assemble and map existing evidence from cohort studies on the consequences of parental alcohol use for children, and to identify limitations and gaps in this literature.

Design and Methods

Systematic review methods were used. Electronic databases were searched (1980 to October 2013) and a total of 3215 abstracts were screened, 326 full text papers examined and 99 eligible for inclusion according to selection criteria including separation of exposure and outcome measurement in time and report of a quantitative effect size.

Results

The main finding is the large literature available. Adolescent drinking behaviour was the most common outcome measure and outcomes other than substance use were rarely analysed. In almost two of every three published associations, parental drinking was found to be statistically significantly associated with a child harm outcome measure. Several limitations in the literature are noted regarding its potential to address a possible causal role of parental drinking in children's adverse outcomes.

Discussion and Conclusions

This study identifies targets for further study and provides a platform for more targeted analytic investigations which ascertain risk of bias, and which are capable of considering the appropriateness of causal inferences for the observed associations. [Rossow I, Felix L, Keating P, McCambridge J. Parental drinking and adverse outcomes in children: A scoping review of cohort studies. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:397–405]
A cluster randomized trial on the effect of a multifaceted intervention improved the technical quality of diabetes care by primary care physicians: The Japan Diabetes Outcome Intervention Trial‐2 (J‐DOIT2)
Authors: Hayashino Y. , Suzuki H. , Yamazaki K. , Goto A. , Izumi K. , Noda M.
Published: September 2015

Aims

To evaluate the effect of multifaceted interventions using the Achievable Benchmark of Care (ABC) method for improving the technical quality of diabetes care in primary care settings.

Methods

We conducted a 1‐year cluster randomized controlled trial in 22 regions divided into an intervention group (IG) or control group (CG). Physicians in the IG received a monthly report of their care quality, with the top 10% quality of diabetes care scores for all physicians being the achievable benchmark. The change in quality‐of‐care scores between the IG and CG during follow‐up was analysed using a generalized linear model considering clustering.

Results

A total of 2199 patients were included. Their mean (sd) age was 56.5 ± 5.9 years and the mean (sd) HbA1c level was 56.4 ± 13.3 mmol/mol (7.4 ± 1.2%). The quality‐of‐care score in the CG changed from 50.2%‐point at baseline to 51%‐point at 12 months, whereas the IG score changed from 49.9%‐point to 69.6%‐point, with statistically significant differences between the two groups during follow‐up [the effect of intervention was 19.0%‐point (95% confidence interval 16.7%‐ to 21.3%‐point; P < 0.001)].

Conclusions

Multifaceted intervention, measuring quality‐of‐care indicators and providing feedback regarding the quality of diabetes care to physicians with ABC, was effective for improving the technical quality of care in patients with Type 2 diabetes in primary care settings. (Trial Registration: umin.ac.jp/ctr as UMIN000002186)
The molecular clock as a metabolic rheostat
Authors: Perelis M. , Ramsey K. M. , Bass J.
Published: September 2015

Circadian clocks are biologic oscillators present in all photosensitive species that produce 24‐h cycles in the transcription of rate‐limiting metabolic enzymes in anticipation of the light–dark cycle. In mammals, the clock drives energetic cycles to maintain physiologic constancy during the daily switch in behavioural (sleep/wake) and nutritional (fasting/feeding) states. A molecular connection between circadian clocks and tissue metabolism was first established with the discovery that 24‐h transcriptional rhythms are cell‐autonomous and self‐sustained in most tissues and comprise a robust temporal network throughout the body. A major window in understanding how the clock is coupled to metabolism was opened with discovery of metabolic syndrome pathologies in multi‐tissue circadian mutant mice including susceptibility to diet‐induced obesity and diabetes. Using conditional transgenesis and dynamic metabolic testing, we have pinpointed tissue‐specific roles of the clock in energy and glucose homeostasis, with our most detailed understanding of this process in endocrine pancreas. Here, we review evidence for dynamic regulation of insulin secretion and oxidative metabolic functions by the clock transcription pathway to regulate homeostatic responses to feeding and fasting. These studies indicate that clock transcription is a determinant of tissue function and provide a reference for understanding molecular pathologies linking circadian desynchrony to metabolic disease.
Delayed release of brain natriuretic peptide to identify myocardial ischaemia
Authors: Zürcher Stephan , Honegger Ursina , Wagener Max , Lee Gino , Stallone Fabio , Marxer Tanja , Puelacher Christian , Schumacher Carmela , Sou Seoung Mann , Twerenbold Raphael , Reichlin Tobias , Hochgruber Thomas , Tanglay Yunus , Freese Michael , Wild Damian , Rentsch Katharina , Osswald Stefan , Zellweger Michael , Mueller Christian
Published: September 2015

Background

A recent pilot study suggested that exercise‐induced myocardial ischaemia may lead to a delayed release of cardiac biomarkers, so that later sampling, for example, at 4 h after exercise could be used for diagnostic purpose.

Materials and methods

In an observational study, we enrolled 129 consecutive patients referred for evaluation of a suspected coronary artery disease by rest/stress myocardial perfusion single‐photon emission computed tomography. The treating cardiologist used all available clinical information to quantify clinical judgment regarding the presence of myocardial ischaemia using a visual analogue scale twice: prior and after stress testing. BNP levels were determined in a blinded fashion at rest, at peak stress and 4 h after peak stress. The presence of myocardial ischaemia was adjudicated based on perfusion single‐photon emission computed tomography and coronary angiography findings by an independent cardiologist.

Results

Myocardial ischaemia was detected in 58 patients (45%). Patients with myocardial ischaemia had significantly higher BNP levels at all times, compared to patients without ischaemia: BNP rest (99 vs. 61 pg/mL P = 0·007), BNP stress (125 vs. 77 pg/mL P = 0·02) and BNP 4 h (114 vs. 71 pg/mL P = 0·018). Diagnostic accuracy as quantified by the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) was moderate for all time points (AUC 0·64–0·66). The change in BNP between rest and 4 h did not provide added value, neither to the baseline BNP level nor to clinical judgment.

Conclusion

In contrast to our hypothesis, myocardial ischaemia did not lead to a differential delayed release of BNP. Late sampling did not seem clinically useful.
Limited role of character displacement in the coexistence of congenericAnelosimusspiders in a Madagascan montane forest
Authors: Agnarsson Ingi , Gotelli Nicholas J. , Agostini Diego , Kuntner Matjaž
Published: September 2015

Evolutionary and ecological theory predicts that closely related and similar species should coexist infrequently because speciation is more likely to occur allopatrically than sympatrically, and because co‐occurring species with similar traits may compete for limited resources, leading to competitive exclusion or character displacement. Here we study the unusual coexistence of 10 similar congeneric species ofAnelosimusspiders within a small forest fragment in Madagascar. We asked if these species radiated in sympatry or allopatry, and if there was evidence for local‐scale character displacement in body size and other species‐level traits. We sampled ∼ 350 colonies (6346 individuals) along a 2800 m transect. We identified colonies using morphology and DNA barcoding, and tested the monophyly of local and regional species assemblages with time‐calibrated phylogenies. We used null model analysis and phylogenetic signal inference to test for patterns of segregation in body size, microhabitat, phenology, and seasonality of coexisting species. We found that all species belong to a Madagascan clade that radiated during the Pliocene, but that contemporary local assemblages are non‐monophyletic. This is consistent with allopatric speciation during periods of global cooling and expansion of grasslands, and subsequent species assembly as forest fragments re‐expanded and coalesced. We found no evidence for character displacement, except for overdispersion and even spacing in phenology: species were segregated by instars in a manner consistent with resource partitioning or maintenance of reproductive isolation. Overdispersion or even spacing in phenology may contribute to coexistence either through resource partitioning or mate recognition. However, there was no support for a scenario of resource partitioning and divergence of body size or other correlated morphological characters. These traits are better explained by evolutionary forces operating during speciation, rather than ecological forces operating during local community assembly.
Substratum preferences of motor and sensory neurons in postnatal and adult rats
Authors: Gonzalez‐Perez Francisco , Alé Albert , Santos Daniel , Barwig Christina , Freier Thomas , Navarro Xavier , Udina Esther
Published: September 2015

After peripheral nerve injuries, damaged axons can regenerate but functional recovery is limited by the specific reinnervation of targets. In this study we evaluated if motor and sensory neurites have a substrate preference for laminin and fibronectin in postnatal and adult stages. In postnatal dorsal root ganglia (DRG) explants, sensory neurons extended longer neurites on collagen matrices enriched with laminin (~50%) or fibronectin (~35%), whereas motoneurons extended longer neurites (~100%) in organotypic spinal cord slices embedded in fibronectin‐enriched matrix. An increased percentage of parvalbumin‐positive neurites (presumptive proprioceptive) vs. neurofilament‐positive neurites was also found in DRG in fibronectin‐enriched matrix. To test if the different preference of neurons for extracellular matrix components was maintained in vivo, these matrices were used to fill a chitosan guide to repair a 6‐mm gap in the sciatic nerve of adult rats. However, the number of regenerating motor and sensory neurons after 1 month was similar between groups. Moreover, none of the retrotraced sensory neurons in DRG was positive for parvalbumin, suggesting that presumptive proprioceptive neurons had poor regenerative capabilities compared with other peripheral neurons. Using real‐time PCR we evaluated the expression of α5β1 (receptor for fibronectin) and α7β1 integrin (receptor for laminin) in spinal cord and DRG 2 days after injury. Postnatal animals showed a higher increase of α5β1 integrin, whereas both integrins were similarly expressed in adult neurons. Therefore, we conclude that motor and sensory axons have a different substrate preference at early postnatal stages but this difference is lost in the adult.
Occupation as a potential contributing factor for temporomandibular disorders, bruxism, and cervical muscle pain: a controlled comparative study
Authors: Emodi Perelman Alona , Eli Ilana , Rubin Pessia F. , Greenbaum Tzvi , Heiliczer Shimrit , Winocur Ephraim
Published: September 2015

The aim of the study was to compare the prevalence of cervical muscle pain (CMP) and myogenic temporomandibular disorders (MFP) among female dentists, high‐tech workers, and a group of subjects employed in other occupations; to investigate the associations among CMP, MFP, and bruxism in those groups; and to evaluate the influence of work‐related stress on MFP and CMP. Evaluation was based on clinical examinations of MFP and CMP and self‐reported questionnaires concerning pain and stress. The diagnosis of sleep bruxism was adapted using the validated diagnostic criteria of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD‐2), 2005, Westchester, IL), whilst the diagnosis of awake bruxism was made on the basis of a questionnaire. The odds of a subject with MFP experiencing concurrent CMP or bruxism (sleep and/or awake) ranged from 2.603 to 3.077. These results suggest that high‐tech workers and dentists are at greater risk for developing temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) and CMP when compared with general occupation workers, as defined in this study. Furthermore, the associations shown here between TMDs and CMP highlight the importance of palpating neck musculature as part of any routine examination of TMD.