bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reduced egg shell permeability affects embryonic development and hatchling traits in Lycodon rufozonatum and Pelodiscus sinensis
Authors: TANG Wenqi , ZHAO Bo , CHEN Ye , DU Weiguo
Published: May 2017

The response of embryos to unpredictable hypoxia is critical for successful embryonic development, yet there remain significant gaps in our understanding of such responses in reptiles with different types of egg shell. We experimentally generated external regional hypoxia by sealing either the upper half or bottom half of the surface area of eggs in 2 species of reptiles (snake [Lycodon rufozonatum] with parchment egg shell and Chinese soft‐shelled turtle [Pelodiscus sinensis] with rigid egg shell), then monitored the growth pattern of the opaque white patch in turtle eggs (a membrane that attaches the embryo to the egg shell and plays an important role in gas exchange), the embryonic heart rate, the developmental rate and the hatchling traits in turtle and snake eggs in response to external regional hypoxia. The snake embryos from the hypoxia treatments facultatively increased their heart rate during incubation, and turtle embryos from the upper‐half hypoxia treatment enhanced their growth of the opaque white patch. Furthermore, the incubation period and hatching success of embryos were not affected by the hypoxia treatment in these 2 species. External regional hypoxia significantly affected embryonic yolk utilization and offspring size in the snake and turtle. Compared to sham controls, embryos from the upper‐half hypoxia treatment used less energy from yolk and, therefore, developed into smaller hatchlings, but embryos from the bottom‐half hypoxia treatment did not.
LdtR is a master regulator of gene expression in Liberibacter asiaticus
Authors: Pagliai Fernando A. , Coyle Janelle F. , Kapoor Sharan , Gonzalez Claudio F. , Lorca Graciela L.
Published: May 2017

Huanglongbing or citrus greening disease is causing devastation to the citrus industry. Liberibacter asiaticus, an obligate intracellular pathogen of citrus, is one the causative agents of the disease. Most of the knowledge about this bacterium has been deduced from the in silico exploration of its genomic sequence. L. asiaticus differentially expresses genes during its transmission from the psyllid vector, Diaphorina citri, to the plant. However, the regulatory mechanisms for the adaptation of the bacterium into either hosts remain unknown. Here we show that LdtR, a MarR family transcriptional regulator, activates or represses transcription genome‐wide. We performed a double approach to identify the components of the LdtR regulon: a transcriptome analysis in both the related bacterium Liberibacter crescens and citrus‐infected leaves, strengthened with an in silico prediction of LdtR regulatory sites. Our results demonstrated that LdtR controls the expression of nearly 180 genes in L. asiaticus, distributed in processes such as cell motility, cell wall biogenesis, energy production, and transcription. These results provide new evidence about the regulatory network of L. asiaticus, where the differential expression of genes from these functional categories could be of great importance during the adaptation of the bacterium to either hosts.
Friends and family: A software program for identification of unrelated individuals from molecular marker data
Authors: de Jager Deon , Swarts Petrus , Harper Cindy , Bloomer Paulette
Published: May 2017

The identification of related and unrelated individuals from molecular marker data is often difficult, particularly when no pedigree information is available and the data set is large. High levels of relatedness or inbreeding can influence genotype frequencies and thus genetic marker evaluation, as well as the accurate inference of hidden genetic structure. Identification of related and unrelated individuals is also important in breeding programmes, to inform decisions about breeding pairs and translocations. We present Friends and Family, a Windows executable program with a graphical user interface that identifies unrelated individuals from a pairwise relatedness matrix or table generated in programs such as coancestry and genalex. Friends and Family outputs a list of samples that are all unrelated to each other, based on a user‐defined relatedness cut‐off value. This unrelated data set can be used in downstream analyses, such as marker evaluation or inference of genetic structure. The results can be compared to that of the full data set to determine the effect related individuals have on the analyses. We demonstrate one of the applications of the program: how the removal of related individuals altered the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium test outcome for microsatellite markers in an empirical data set. Friends and Family can be obtained from https://github.com/DeondeJager/Friends-and-Family.
Assessing strengths and weaknesses of DNA metabarcoding‐based macroinvertebrate identification for routine stream monitoring
Authors: Elbrecht Vasco , Vamos Ecaterina Edith , Meissner Kristian , Aroviita Jukka , Leese Florian
Published: May 2017

DNA metabarcoding holds great promise for the assessment of macroinvertebrates in stream ecosystems. However, few large‐scale studies have compared the performance of DNA metabarcoding with that of routine morphological identification.

We performed metabarcoding using four primer sets on macroinvertebrate samples from 18 stream sites across Finland. The samples were collected in 2013 and identified based on morphology as part of a Finnish stream monitoring program. Specimens were morphologically classified, following standardised protocols, to the lowest taxonomic level for which identification was feasible in the routine national monitoring.

DNA metabarcoding identified more than twice the number of taxa than the morphology‐based protocol, and also yielded a higher taxonomic resolution. For each sample, we detected more taxa by metabarcoding than by the morphological method, and all four primer sets exhibited comparably good performance. Sequence read abundance and the number of specimens per taxon (a proxy for biomass) were significantly correlated in each sample, although the adjusted R2 values were low. With a few exceptions, the ecological status assessment metrics calculated from morphological and DNA metabarcoding datasets were similar. Given the recent reduction in sequencing costs, metabarcoding is currently approximately as expensive as morphology‐based identification.

Using samples obtained in the field, we demonstrated that DNA metabarcoding can achieve comparable assessment results to current protocols relying on morphological identification. Thus, metabarcoding represents a feasible and reliable method to identify macroinvertebrates in stream bioassessment, and offers powerful advantage over morphological identification in providing identification for taxonomic groups that are unfeasible to identify in routine protocols. To unlock the full potential of DNA metabarcoding for ecosystem assessment, however, it will be necessary to address key problems with current laboratory protocols and reference databases.
Deriving ICD‐11 personality disorder domains from dsm‐5 traits: initial attempt to harmonize two diagnostic systems
Authors: Bach B. , Sellbom M. , Kongerslev M. , Simonsen E. , Krueger R. F. , Mulder R.
Published: May 2017

Objective

The personality disorder domains proposed for the ICD‐11 comprise Negative Affectivity, Detachment, Dissociality, Disinhibition, and Anankastia, which are reasonably concordant with the higher‐order trait domains in the Alternative DSM‐5 Model for Personality Disorders.

Method

We examined (i) whether designated DSM‐5 trait facets can be used to describe the proposed ICD‐11 trait domains, and (ii) how these ICD‐11 trait features are hierarchically organized. A mixed Danish derivation sample (N = 1541) of 615 psychiatric out‐patients and 925 community participants along with a US replication sample (N = 637) completed the Personality Inventory for DSM‐5 (PID‐5). Sixteen PID‐5 traits were designated to cover features of the ICD‐11 trait domains.

Results

Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) analyzes showed that the designated traits were meaningfully organized in the proposed ICD‐11 five‐domain structure as well as other recognizable higher‐order models of personality and psychopathology. Model fits revealed that the five proposed ICD‐11 personality disorder domains were satisfactorily resembled, and replicated in the independent US sample.

Conclusion

The proposed ICD‐11 personality disorder domains can be accurately described using designated traits from the DSM‐5 personality trait system. A scoring algorithm for the ICD‐11 personality disorder domains is provided in appendix.
Clinical utility of a short resting‐state MRI scan in differentiating bipolar from unipolar depression
Authors: Li M. , Das T. , Deng W. , Wang Q. , Li Y. , Zhao L. , Ma X. , Wang Y. , Yu H. , Li X. , Meng Y. , Palaniyappan L. , Li T.
Published: May 2017

Objective

Depression in bipolar disorder (BipD) requires a therapeutic approach that is from treating unipolar major depressive disorder (UniD), but to date, no reliable methods could separate these two disorders. The aim of this study was to establish the clinical validity and utility of a non‐invasive functional MRI‐based method to classify BipD from UniD.

Method

The degree of connectivity (degree centrality or DC) of every small unit (voxel) with every other unit of the brain was estimated in 22 patients with BipD and 22 age, gender, and depressive severity‐matched patients with UniD and 22 healthy controls. Pattern classification analysis was carried out using a support‐vector machine (SVM) approach.

Results

Degree centrality pattern from 8‐min resting fMRI discriminated BipD from UniD with an accuracy of 86% and diagnostic odds ratio of 9.6. DC was reduced in the left insula and increased in bilateral precuneus in BipD when compared to UniD. In this sample with a high degree of uncertainty (50% prior probability), positive predictive value of the DC test was 79%.

Conclusion

Degree centrality maps are potential candidate measures to separate bipolar depression from unipolar depression. Test performance reported here requires further pragmatic evaluation in regular clinical practice.
Lymph node dissection for Siewert II esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma: a retrospective study of 136 cases
Authors: Duan Xiaofeng , Shang Xiaobin , Tang Peng , Jiang Hongjing , Yu Zhentao
Published: May 2017

Background

To compare the lymph node dissection with the right transthoracic Ivor‐Lewis (IL) procedure to that with the left transthoracic (LT) approach for Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric (AEG) junction.

Methods

In this study, 136 patients with Siewert type II AEG who met the inclusion criteria underwent surgical resection were divided into the IL (47 cases) and LT (89 cases) groups. The number and frequency of the dissected lymph nodes in each station were compared between the two groups.

Results

The IL group had a longer proximal surgical margin (P = 0.000) and more total (P = 0.000), thoracic (P = 0.000), and abdominal lymph nodes (P = 0.000) dissected than the LT group. In general, the IL group had a higher dissection rate in each thoracic lymph node station (P < 0.05) than the LT group. The dissection rates of the hepatic artery, splenic artery and celiac trunk lymph nodes were higher in the IL group than in the LT group (P < 0.05). The lymph node metastasis rate was 78.7% in the IL group, higher than the 61.8% in the LT group (P = 0.045).

Conclusions

The right transthoracic IL procedure was demonstrated to be a better application than the LT approach for Siewert type II AEG in terms of the number and frequency of lymph node resections.
Editorial: evidence is growing for protective effects of 5‐aminosalicylates against colitis‐associated cancer
Authors: Collins P. D.
Published: May 2017

Linked Content

This article is linked to Bonovas et al papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14023 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14084.
Editorial: visceral fat as a predictor of post‐operative recurrence of Crohn's disease—Authors’ reply
Authors: Holt D. Q. , Moore G. T. , Strauss B. J. G. , Hamilton A. L. , De Cruz P. , Kamm M. A.
Published: May 2017

Linked Content

This article is linked to Holt et al, and Stidham and Waljee papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14018 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14069.
Letter: hepatitis B reactivation in patients with chronic hepatitis C during direct‐acting antiviral therapy—authors' reply
Authors: Londoño M.‐C. , Carrión J. A. , Forns X.
Published: May 2017

Linked Content

This article should be linked to Londoño et al and Huang et al papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.13985 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14080.
G‐POEM with antro‐pyloromyotomy for the treatment of refractory gastroparesis: mid‐term follow‐up and factors predicting outcome
Authors: Gonzalez J. M. , Benezech A. , Vitton V. , Barthet M.
Published: May 2017

Background

Gastric peroral endoscopic pyloromyotomy (G‐POEM) was introduced for treating refractory gastroparesis.

Aim

To present a series of patients focussed on clinical mid‐term efficacy and predictive outcomes factors.

Methods

This was a single centre study of 29 patients operated on between January 2014 and April 2016, with disturbed gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES) and/or elevated Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptoms Index (GCSI). The procedures were performed as previously described. The primary endpoint was the efficacy at 3 and 6 months, based on GCSI and symptoms. The secondary endpoints were GES evolution, procedure reproducibility and safety, and identification of predictive factors for success.

Results

There were 10 men, 19 women (mean age 52.8±18). The technical success rate was 100% (average 47 minutes). There were two complications managed conservatively: one bleeding and one abscess. The median follow‐up was 10±6.4 months. The clinical success rate was 79% at 3 months, 69% at 6 months, with a significant decrease in the mean GCSI compared to pre‐operatively (3.3±0.9 vs 1±1.2 and 1.1±0.9 respectively). The GES (n=23) normalised in 70% of cases, with a significant improvement of the mean half emptying time and retention at 2 hours, and a discordance in 21% of the cases. In univariate analysis, diabetes and female gender were significantly associated with risk of failure, but not confirmed in multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

The mid‐term efficacy of G‐POEM reaches 70% at 6 months. The procedure remains reproducible and safe. Diabetes and female gender were predictive of failure.
The Changing Face of the Auditor's Report: Implications for Suppliers and Users of Financial Statements
Authors: Prasad Pranil , Chand Parmod
Published: May 2017

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) recently finalised several significant and controversial reforms of the audit reporting model. The reforms are in response to long‐standing criticisms about the form and content of the existing audit report. This study critically examines the current audit report reforms and their implications. In particular, we investigate the perceptions of prominent stakeholders in respect of these reforms and then evaluate the implications of the reforms on the informational value of the audit report, audit quality and audit costs. The findings suggest that the changes to the audit report are of significant informational value to users, while the implications for audit quality are unclear. Indeed, the changes would increase audit costs and potentially the legal liability of auditors. This appraisal is timely given the efforts made by the IAASB in commissioning these reforms to enhance the relevance and informational value of the audit report.
Spenders or Savers? An Examination of the Reserves of Australian NGOs
Authors: Booth Michael , Irvine Helen , Ryan Christine , McGregor‐Lowndes Myles
Published: May 2017

Not‐for‐profit (NFP) organisations experience a tension between societal perceptions about maximising mission expenditure on one hand, and their need to accumulate reserves to ensure longer term financial sustainability on the other. While studies have examined the level of reserves in UK and US contexts, there is little Australian research or guidance about what constitutes an appropriate level of NFP reserves. This paper examines the levels and implications of the reserves of 52 Australian NFP non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) over eight years, identifying two groups. Spenders, with less than three months of expenditure in reserve, were more financially vulnerable, had higher levels of debt, yet spent a relatively greater proportion of their revenue on mission‐related activities than savers. Savers, with more than three months’ reserves, demonstrated a greater proportion of revenue from fundraising, proportionately greater equity levels, and higher returns on assets. Providing unique insights into the financial reserves of Australian NGOs, this empirical study contributes to existing NFP literature on reserves, which to date has focused primarily on US and UK contexts. Further, we propose that by developing, monitoring and communicating their reserves’ strategies, NFP boards and managers will be able to improve their organisations’ financial sustainability and manage societal perceptions about reserves.
Moral Enhancement Meets Normative and Empirical Reality: Assessing the Practical Feasibility of Moral Enhancement Neurotechnologies
Authors: Dubljević Veljko , Racine Eric
Published: May 2017

Moral enhancement refers to the possibility of making individuals and societies better from a moral standpoint. A fierce debate has emerged about the ethical aspects of moral enhancement, notably because steering moral enhancement in a particular direction involves choosing amongst a wide array of competing options, and these options entail deciding which moral theory or attributes of the moral agent would benefit from enhancement. Furthermore, the ability and effectiveness of different neurotechnologies to enhance morality have not been carefully examined. In this paper, we assess the practical feasibility of moral enhancement neurotechnologies. We reviewed the literature on neuroscience and cognitive science models of moral judgment and analyzed their implications for the specific target of intervention (cognition, volition or affect) in moral enhancement. We also reviewed and compared evidence on available neurotechnologies that could serve as tools of moral enhancement. We conclude that the predictions of rationalist, emotivist, and dual process models are at odds with evidence, while different intuitionist models of moral judgment are more likely to be aligned with it. Furthermore, the project of moral enhancement is not feasible in the near future as it rests on the use of neurointerventions, which have no moral enhancement effects or, worse, negative effects.
Can Neuroscience Contribute to Practical Ethics? A Critical Review and Discussion of the Methodological and Translational Challenges of the Neuroscience of Ethics
Authors: Racine Eric , Dubljević Veljko , Jox Ralf J. , Baertschi Bernard , Christensen Julia F. , Farisco Michele , Jotterand Fabrice , Kahane Guy , Müller Sabine
Published: May 2017

Neuroethics is an interdisciplinary field that arose in response to novel ethical challenges posed by advances in neuroscience. Historically, neuroethics has provided an opportunity to synergize different disciplines, notably proposing a two‐way dialogue between an ‘ethics of neuroscience’ and a ‘neuroscience of ethics’. However, questions surface as to whether a ‘neuroscience of ethics’ is a useful and unified branch of research and whether it can actually inform or lead to theoretical insights and transferable practical knowledge to help resolve ethical questions. In this article, we examine why the neuroscience of ethics is a promising area of research and summarize what we have learned so far regarding its most promising goals and contributions. We then review some of the key methodological challenges which may have hindered the use of results generated thus far by the neuroscience of ethics. Strategies are suggested to address these challenges and improve the quality of research and increase neuroscience's usefulness for applied ethics and society at large. Finally, we reflect on potential outcomes of a neuroscience of ethics and discuss the different strategies that could be used to support knowledge transfer to help different stakeholders integrate knowledge from the neuroscience of ethics.
Respect for Autonomy in Light of Neuropsychiatry
Authors: Müller Sabine
Published: May 2017

Bioethics needs an elaborated concept of autonomy based on empirical knowledge about the prerequisites of the capacity of autonomy. Whereas Beauchamp and Childress, and many other bioethicists have discussed social influences on the capacity of autonomy in depth, neurobiological influences have received less attention. A comprehensive concept of autonomy should consider both social and biological factors that can diminish the capacity of autonomy. This article focuses on neurobiological influences that can reduce the capacity of autonomy. The thesis of this article is that the integration of neuropsychiatric knowledge into the concept of autonomy is essential for (1) evaluating demands for harmful medical treatments which might be caused by a brain disease, and (2) deciding on involuntary treatments of patients who suffer from substantial lack of autonomy due to neuropsychiatric disorders. Diametrically opposed to such a comprehensive concept of the capacity of autonomy is the concept of ‘liberty of illness’. In Germany, this concept is supported not only by anti‐psychiatric groups but also by the Federal Constitutional Court.

Several real cases demonstrate how the brain can be ‘hijacked’ by parasites, antibodies or technical devices. Applying the concept of ‘liberty of illness’ to persons whose decision‐making capacity is severely affected by neuropsychiatric disorders is cynical. These patients neither chose their disease nor would refuse effective treatment if their will was not disturbed by the disease. Respect for autonomy should be understood as the positive obligation to save, support or restore the biological prerequisites of the capacity for autonomous decision‐making.
Why You Cannot Transform Your Way out of Trouble for Small Counts
Authors: Warton David I.
Published: May 2017

While data transformation is a common strategy to satisfy linear modeling assumptions, a theoretical result is used to show that transformation cannot reasonably be expected to stabilize variances for small counts. Under broad assumptions, as counts get smaller, it is shown that the variance becomes proportional to the mean under monotonic transformations that satisfy , excepting a few pathological cases. A suggested rule-of-thumb is that if many predicted counts are less than one then data transformation cannot reasonably be expected to stabilize variances, even for a well-chosen transformation. This result has clear implications for the analysis of counts as often implemented in the applied sciences, but particularly for multivariate analysis in ecology. Multivariate discrete data are often collected in ecology, typically with a large proportion of zeros, and it is currently widespread to use methods of analysis that do not account for differences in variance across observations nor across responses. Simulations demonstrate that failure to account for the mean–variance relationship can have particularly severe consequences in this context, and also in the univariate context if the sampling design is unbalanced.
A multi‐proxy palaeoenvironmental and geochronological reconstruction of the Saalian‐Eemian‐Weichselian succession at Klein Klütz Höved, NE Germany
Authors: Kenzler Michael , Rother Henrik , Hüneke Heiko , Frenzel Peter , Strahl Jaqueline , Tsukamoto Sumiko , Li Yan , Meng Stefan , Gallas Julia , Frechen Manfred
Published: May 2017

Here we present a multi‐proxy investigation of the Klein Klütz Höved (KKH) coastal cliff section in northeastern Germany, involving lithofacies analysis, micromorphology, micropalaeontology, palynology and luminescence dating of quartz and feldspar. We subdivide the local stratigraphy into three depositional phases. (i) Following a Saalian advance (MIS 6) of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet, the penultimate deglaciation (Termination II) at the site occurred between c. 139 and 134 ka, leading to the establishment of a braided river system and lacustrine basins under arctic‐subarctic climate conditions. (ii) In the initial phase of the Eemian interglacial lacustrine deposits were formed, containing warm‐water ostracods and a pollen spectrum indicating gradual expansion of woodlands eventually containing thermophile deciduous forest elements. A correlation of the local pollen assemblages with Eemian reference records from central Europe suggests that fewer than 750 years of the last interglacial period are preserved at KKH. The occurrence of brackish ostracods dates the onset of the Eemian marine transgression at the section at c. 300–750 years after the beginning of the last interglacial period. (iii) Directly above the Eemian record a ~10‐m‐thick sedimentary succession of MIS 2 age was deposited, implying a significant hiatus of c. 90 ka encompassing the time from middle and upper MIS 5e to late MIS 3. During the Late Weichselian, KKH featured a depositional shift from (glacio‐)lacustrine to subglacial to recessional terminoglacial facies, with the first documented Weichselian ice advance post‐dating 20±2 ka. Overall, the KKH section represents an exceptional sedimentary archive for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions, covering the period from the Saalian glaciation and subsequent Termination II to the early Eemian and Late Weichselian. The results refine the existing palaeogeographical and geochronological models of the late Quaternary history in the southwestern Baltic Sea area and allow correlations with other reference records in a wider area.
Distracted Walking, Bicycling, and Driving: Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Mobile Technology and Youth Crash Risk
Authors: Stavrinos Despina , Pope Caitlin N. , Shen Jiabin , Schwebel David C.
Published: May 2017

This article examined the impact of mobile technology on young pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers. A systematic search yielded 41 articles meeting inclusion criteria: peer‐reviewed, published before February 1, 2016, behavioral outcome related to pedestrian, bicycling, or driving in the presence of mobile technology use, youth sample. Eleven studies were meta‐analyzed to evaluate increased risk for crash/near‐crash while distracted. Risk of bias and quality of research were assessed. Across methodologies, developmental stages, and type of distracting task, mobile technology use impairs youth safety on the road. Quality of evidence was low (pedestrian) to moderate (driving). Findings are discussed from the perspective of cognitive and visual distractions. Policy and behavioral efforts should continue to reduce mobile technology use in transportation settings.
Management of myasthenia gravis in daily practice for general neurologists and healthcare professionals
Authors: Yokoyama Kazumasa , Hattori Nobutaka
Published: May 2017

A characteristic feature of myasthenia gravis (MG) is the fluctuating weakness of the muscles. MG is an autoimmune neuromuscular junction disorder mediated by autoantibodies against nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and muscle‐specific tyrosine kinase. If the commercially available acetylcholine receptor and muscle‐specific tyrosine kinase antibody test is negative, MG patients are termed as having double‐seronegative MG. Although the clinical phenotype is not yet defined, antibodies for lipoprotein receptor‐related protein 4 and agrin, involved in clustering of acetylcholine receptors within the postsynaptic membrane and in structural maintenance of the neuromuscular synapse, have been found. The updated 2014 Guidelines in Japan state that the management of MG should be individualized, and earlier aggressive treatment using steroid pulse, plasma exchange and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy, before long‐term steroid therapy, should be used in order to minimize manifestation, with fewer adverse effects achieved by co‐administering immunosuppressants. In 2016, thymectomy was shown to be efficacious in non‐thymomatous MG in a single‐arm randomized clinical trial. The continuous update and modification in MG management makes it difficult for the general neurologist to decide on a treatment strategy. The present review aims to improve the understanding of current MG diagnosis, specific immunotherapy and clinical management tips, not only for the general neurologist, but also for other medical staff.
Constitutional mismatch repair deficiency in a healthy child: On the spot diagnosis?
Authors: Suerink M. , Potjer T.P. , Versluijs A.B. , ten Broeke S.W. , Tops C.M. , Wimmer K. , Nielsen M.
Published: May 2017

Constitutional mismatch repair deficiency (CMMRD) is a rare, recessively inherited childhood cancer predisposition syndrome caused by biallelic germline mutations in one of the mismatch repair genes. The CMMRD phenotype overlaps with that of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), since many patients have multiple café‐au‐lait macules (CALM) and other NF1 signs, but no germline NF1 mutations.

We report of a case of a healthy 6‐year‐old girl who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of NF1 with >6 CALM and freckling. Since molecular genetic testing was unable to confirm the diagnosis of NF1 or Legius syndrome and the patient was a child of consanguineous parents, we suspected CMMRD and found a homozygous PMS2 mutation that impairs MMR function.

Current guidelines advise testing for CMMRD only in cancer patients. However, this case illustrates that including CMMRD in the differential diagnosis in suspected sporadic NF1 without causative NF1 or SPRED1 mutations may facilitate identification of CMMRD prior to cancer development. We discuss the advantages and potential risks of this CMMRD testing scenario.
Species trees, temporal divergence and historical biogeography of coastal rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) reveal their early Miocene origin and show that most divergence events occurred in the early Pliocene along the Pacific coasts
Authors: Song Jeong‐Hun , Ahn Kee‐Jeong
Published: May 2017

We investigated the species trees, temporal divergence and historical biogeography of Emplenota Casey and Triochara Bernhauer (ET clade hereafter), subgenera of the Aleochara coastal staphylinid beetles, to determine their place of origin. We explored a multilocus dataset to infer gene trees and species trees based on traditional concatenated and multispecies coalescent‐based approaches using both model‐ (maximum likelihood and Bayesian) and parsimony‐based methods. The multilocus dataset comprised DNA sequences from five nuclear genes (ArgK, CAD, EF1‐α, wg and 28S) and three mitochondrial genes (COI, COII and 16S). *BEAST analysis according to a coalescent‐based approach resolved the following phylogenetic relationships: ((A. trisulcata (A. nubis + A. zerchei)) (A. obscurella ((A. pacifica (A. curtidens + A. litoralis)) (A. hayamai (A. yamato (A. fucicola (A. segregata + A. puetzi))))))). Using a relaxed molecular clock, we reconstructed a time‐calibrated phylogeny for this group. Furthermore, to account for the historical biogeography of the ET clade at the ages of major divergences, we investigated the ancestral area based on a time‐calibrated phylogeny. Biogeographical analyses suggested that the ancestor of the ET clade was widely distributed along the eastern and western Palearctic and the western Nearctic coasts in the early Miocene. According to reconstruction of the ancestral area, one dispersal and three vicariance events were required, and the analyses indicated that vicariance events were important in shaping its current distribution patterns. Most of the divergence events occurred in the late Miocene and early Pliocene along the Pacific coasts, and the East Asian seacoasts harboured the most species‐rich fauna, including eight of the 13 species in the ET clade.
A pilot randomized study comparing extralevator with conventional abdominoperineal excision for low rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiation
Authors: Seshadri R. A. , West N. P. , Sundersingh S.
Published: May 2017

Aim

The aims of this study were to assess the feasibility of performing an extralevator abdominoperineal excision (ELAPE) after neoadjuvant chemoradiation (NCRT), to compare the rates of circumferential resection margin (CRM) involvement and intra‐operative perforation (IOP) of the specimen, and to assess the amount of tissue removed around the muscularis propria (MP)/internal sphincter (IS) of the lower rectum in patients with low rectal cancer undergoing ELAPE compared with conventional abdominoperineal excision (CAPE) after NCRT.

Method

This was an open‐label, parallel‐arm pilot randomized trial conducted in India. Twenty patients were randomized to one of the study arms. The surgical specimens were fixed, serially cross‐sectioned and photographed. Using specialized morphometry software, the amount of tissue resected with each operation was measured.

Results

There was a nonsignificant trend towards more IOPs (30% vs 0%, P = 0.06) and a higher CRM involvement rate (40% vs 20%, P = 0.32) in the CAPE arm. ELAPE removed a significantly greater amount of tissue around the IS/MP when compared with CAPE (mean ± SD: 1911.39 ± 382 mm2 vs 1132.03 ± 371 mm2, P < 0.001). The mean distance from the IS/MP to the CRM was significantly greater in the ELAPE arm both in the posterior (mean ± SD: 28.28 ± 3 mm vs 9.63 ± 3 mm, P < 0.001) and lateral (mean ± SD: 13.69 ± 3 mm vs 9.72 ± 3 mm, P = 0.009) parts of the rectum but not in the anterior part (mean ± SD: 6.74 ± 2 mm vs 6.10 ± 4 mm, P = 0.64). The short‐term morbidity was not significantly different between the two procedures.

Conclusion

ELAPE removed more tissue in the lower rectum and resulted in a lower rate of IOP and CRM involvement when compared with CAPE, even after NCRT.
Can Habitat Management Mitigate Disease Impacts on Threatened Amphibians?
Authors: Heard Geoffrey W. , Scroggie Michael P. , Ramsey David S. L. , Clemann Nick , Hodgson Jenny A. , Thomas Chris D.
Published: May 2017

Chytridiomycosis has decimated amphibian biodiversity. Management options for the disease are currently limited, but habitat manipulation holds promise due to the thermal and physicochemical sensitivities of chytrid fungi. Here, we quantify the extent to which habitat management could reduce metapopulation extinction risk for an Australian frog susceptible to chytridiomycosis. Our modeling revealed that: (1) habitat management is most effective in climates where hosts are already less susceptible to the disease; (2) creating habitat, particularly habitat with refugial properties adverse to the pathogen, may be substantially more effective than manipulating existing habitat; and (3) increasing metapopulation size and connectivity through strategic habitat creation can greatly reduce extinction risk. Controlling chytridiomycosis is a top priority for conserving amphibians. Our study provides impetus for experiments across a range of species and environments to test the capacity of habitat management to mitigate the impacts of this pervasive disease.
Use of fluorescent in‐situ hybridisation in salivary gland cytology: A powerful diagnostic tool
Authors: Evrard S. M. , Meilleroux J. , Daniel G. , Basset C. , Lacoste‐Collin L. , Vergez S. , Uro‐Coste E. , Courtade‐Saidi M.
Published: May 2017

Objective

Salivary gland cytology is challenging because it includes a diversity of lesions and a wide spectra of tumours. Recently, it has been reported that many types of salivary gland tumours have specific molecular diagnostic signatures that could be identified by fluorescent in‐situ hybridisation (FISH). The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of FISH on routine cytological salivary gland smears.

Methods

FISH was conducted on 37 cytological salivary gland smears from 34 patients. According to the cytological diagnosis suspected, MECT1/MAML2 gene fusion and rearrangements of PLAG1, MYB, or ETV6 were analysed. The presence and percentages of cells that had gene rearrangements were evaluated. Results were compared with the histological surgical samples, available from 26 patients.

Results

The PLAG1 rearrangement was observed in 12/20 (60%) cases of pleomorphic adenoma. MECT1/MAML2 gene fusion was observed in 1:2 mucoepidermoid carcinomas but was not observed in five other tumours (two pleomorphic adenomas, one Warthin's tumour, one mammary analogue secretory carcinoma [MASC] and one cystic tumour). MYB rearrangement was observed in 4/4 adenoid cystic carcinomas. ETV6‐gene splitting identified one MASC.

Conclusion

Overall, FISH had a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 66.7%. When FISH and cytological analyses were combined, the overall sensitivity was increased to 93.3%. It can thus be concluded that when the FISH analysis is positive, the extent of surgery could be determined with confidence pre‐operatively without needing a diagnosis from a frozen section.
The specificity of the neural response to speech at birth
Authors: May Lillian , Gervain Judit , Carreiras Manuel , Werker Janet F.
Published: May 2017

In this work we ask whether at birth, the human brain responds uniquely to speech, or if similar activation also occurs to a non‐speech surrogate ‘language’. We compare neural activation in newborn infants to the language heard in utero (English), to an unfamiliar language (Spanish), and to a whistled surrogate language (Silbo Gomero) that, while used by humans to communicate, is not speech. Anterior temporal areas of the neonate cortex are activated in response to both familiar and unfamiliar spoken language, but these classic language areas are not activated to the whistled surrogate form. These results suggest that at the time human infants emerge from the womb, the neural preparation for language is specialized to speech.
The Clash of Central Bankers with Labour Market Insiders, and the Persistence of Inflation and Unemployment
Authors: Alogoskoufis George
Published: May 2017

This paper analyses the implications of monetary policy for the dynamic behaviour of inflation, in a ‘natural’ rate model characterized by endogenous unemployment persistence. We present evidence for the main industrial economies that suggests that inflation displays persistence which is of the same order of magnitude as the persistence of deviations of unemployment from its ‘natural’ rate. We provide a theoretical explanation of this fact based on a model of the dynamic interactions between central bankers and labour market insiders. The clash in the objectives of central bankers and labour market insiders is what causes both inflation and unemployment to display the same persistence in this model. The analysis suggests that inflation persistence could be addressed in a welfare‐improving way, if central banks adopted monetary policy rules that targeted unanticipated changes in unemployment rates instead of deviations of unemployment from its ‘natural’ rate.
Comparing student and staff perceptions of the “Educational Climate” in Spanish Dental Schools using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure
Authors: Tomás I. , Aneiros A. , Casares‐de‐Cal M. A. , Quintas V. , Prada‐López I. , Balsa‐Castro C. , Ceballos L. , Gómez‐Moreno G. , Llena C. , López‐Jornet P. , Machuca M. C. , Palés J.
Published: May 2017

Objective

To compare the perceptions of students and teachers of the “Educational Climate” (EC) in Spanish public dental schools.

Methods

A group of 1064 students and 354 teachers from six Spanish public dental schools responded to the DREEM questionnaire. This has 50 items grouped into five subscales: perception of learning (Learning); perception of teachers (Teachers); academic self‐perceptions (Academic); perception of the atmosphere in the faculty (Atmosphere); and social self‐perceptions (Social). The DREEM scale provides results for each item, each subscale and the overall EC.

Results

The EC scores were 123.2 (61.6%) for the students and 134.1 (67.0%) for the teachers (P<.001). The scores of the students and teachers for the subscales were, respectively: 27.9 (58.1%) and 30.2 (63.0 %) for Learning (P<.001); 26.8 (60.9%) and 32.6 (74.1%) for Teachers (P<.001); 20.7 (64.7%) and 20.5 (64.0%) for Academic (P=.333); 29.9 (62.3%) and 33.7 (70.3%) for Atmosphere (P<.001); and 17.9 (64.0%) and 16.9 (60.5%) for Social (P<.001). The students identified six problematic items (12.0 %) compared to only two (4.0 %) highlighted by the teachers.

Conclusion

The students and teachers considered the EC to be “more positive than negative” in Spanish public dental schools; and the different subscales to be “positive and acceptable.” The teachers did, however, evaluate the EC, and specifically the learning‐teaching process, more positively than their students, identifying fewer problematic educational aspects. Both groups agreed on the need to: improve support systems for students who suffer from stress and reduce teaching based on “factual learning.”
Implementation of a digital preparation validation tool in dental skills laboratory training
Authors: Kozarovska A. , Larsson C.
Published: May 2017

Aim

To describe the implementation of a digital tool for preparation validation and evaluate it as an aid in students’ self‐assessment.

Methods

Students at the final semester of skills laboratory training were asked to use a digital preparation validation tool (PVT) when performing two different tasks; preparation of crowns for teeth 11 and 21. The students were divided into two groups. Group A self‐assessed and scanned all three attempts at 21 (“prep‐and‐scan”). Group B self‐assessed all attempts chose the best one and scanned it (“best‐of‐three”). The situation was reversed for 11. The students assessed five parameters of the preparation and marked them as approved (A) or failed (F). These marks were compared with the information from the PVT. The students also completed a questionnaire. Each question was rated from 1 to 5. Teachers’ opinions were collected at staff meetings throughout the project.

Results

Most students in the “prep‐and‐scan” groups showed an increase in agreement between their self‐assessment and the information from the PVT, whereas students in the “best‐of‐three” groups showed lower levels of agreement. All students rated the PVT positively. Most strongly agreed that the tool was helpful in developing skills (mean 4.15), easy to use (mean 4.23) and that it added benefits in comparison to existing assessment tools (mean 4.05). They did not however, fully agree that the tool is time efficient (mean 2.55), and they did not consider it a substitute for verbal teacher feedback. Teachers’ feedback suggested advantages of the tool in the form of ease of use, visual aid and increasing interest and motivation during skills laboratory training however, they did not notice a reduction in need of verbal feedback.

Conclusions

Within the limitations of the study, our conclusion is that a digital PVT may be a valuable adjunct to other assessment tools in skills laboratory training.
Adverse event management in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma taking pomalidomide plus low‐dose dexamethasone: A pooled analysis
Authors: Moreau Philippe , Dimopoulos Meletios A. , Richardson Paul G. , Siegel David S. , Cavo Michele , Corradini Paolo , Weisel Katja , Delforge Michel , O'Gorman Peter , Song Kevin , Chen Christine , Bahlis Nizar , Oriol Albert , Hansson Markus , Kaiser Martin , Anttila Pekka , Raymakers Reinier , Joao Cristina , Cook Gordon , Sternas Lars , Biyukov Tsvetan , Slaughter Ana , Hong Kevin , Herring Jennifer , Yu Xin , Zaki Mohamed , San‐Miguel Jesus
Published: May 2017

Objectives

Heavily pretreated patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma are susceptible to treatment‐related adverse events (AEs). Managing AEs are important to ensure patients continue therapy long enough to receive the best clinical benefit. Data from the MM‐002, MM‐003, and MM‐010 trials were pooled to further characterize the safety profile of pomalidomide plus low‐dose dexamethasone and AE management.

Methods

This analysis included 1088 patients who received ≥ 2 prior therapies, including lenalidomide and bortezomib, and progressed ≤ 60 days of last therapy. Patients received 28‐day cycles of pomalidomide 4 mg/day on days 1‐21 and low‐dose dexamethasone 40 mg (20 mg if aged > 75 years) weekly until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Thromboprophylaxis was required.

Results

The most common grade 3/4 AEs were neutropenia (56.2%), anemia (32.3%), and thrombocytopenia (25.8%), which occurred within the first few cycles of treatment. Grade 3/4 infections occurred in 33.7% patients, of whom 13.9% had pneumonia, and 40.3% had neutropenia. Pomalidomide dose reductions or interruptions were reported in 24.2% and 66.0% of patients, respectively. AEs were managed by dose modifications and/or supportive care.

Conclusions

Pomalidomide plus low‐dose dexamethasone showed an acceptable safety profile, and AEs were well managed according to study protocols and established guidelines.
Neural correlates of visuomotor adjustments during scaling of human finger movements
Authors: Brand Johannes , Michels Lars , Bakker Romy , Hepp‐Reymond Marie‐Claude , Kiper Daniel , Morari Manfred , Eng Kynan
Published: May 2017

Visually guided finger movements include online feedback of current effector position to guide target approach. This visual feedback may be scaled or otherwise distorted by unpredictable perturbations. Although adjustments to visual feedback scaling have been studied before, the underlying brain activation differences between upscaling (visual feedback larger than real movement) and downscaling (feedback smaller than real movement) are currently unknown. Brain activation differences between upscaling and downscaling might be expected because within‐trial adjustments during upscaling require corrective backwards accelerations, whereas correcting for downscaling requires forward accelerations. In this behavioural and fMRI study we investigated adjustments during up‐ and downscaling in a target‐directed finger flexion–extension task with real‐time visual feedback. We found that subjects made longer and more complete within‐trial corrections for downscaling perturbations than for upscaling perturbations. The finger task activated primary motor (M1) and somatosensory (S1) areas, premotor and parietal regions, basal ganglia, and cerebellum. General scaling effects were seen in the right pre‐supplementary motor area, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, inferior parietal lobule, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Stronger activations for down‐ than for upscaling were observed in M1, supplementary motor area (SMA), S1 and anterior cingulate cortex. We argue that these activation differences may reflect differing online correction for upscaling vs. downscaling during finger flexion‐extension.