bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Salvage logging changes the taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional successional trajectories of forest bird communities
Authors: Georgiev Kostadin B. , Chao Anne , Castro Jorge , Chen Yan‐Han , Choi Chang‐Yong , Fontaine Joseph B. , Hutto Richard L. , Lee Eun‐Jae , Müller Jörg , Rost Josep , Żmihorski Michal , Thorn Simon
Published: February 2020

Salvage logging following natural disturbances may alter the natural successional trajectories of biological communities by affecting the occurrences of species, functional groups and evolutionary lineages. However, few studies have examined whether dissimilarities between bird communities of salvaged and unsalvaged forests are more pronounced for rare species, functional groups and evolutionary lineages than for their more common counterparts.

We compiled data on breeding bird assemblages from nine study areas in North America, Europe and Asia, covering a 17‐year period following wildfire or windstorm disturbances and subsequent salvage logging. We tested whether dissimilarities based on non‐shared species, functional groups and evolutionary lineages (a) decreased or increased over time and (b) the responses of rare, common and dominant species varied, by using a unified statistical framework based on Hill numbers and null models.

We found that dissimilarities between bird communities caused by salvage logging persisted over time for rare, common and dominant species, evolutionary lineages and for rare functional groups. Dissimilarities of common and dominant functional groups increased 14 years post disturbance.

Salvage logging led to significantly larger dissimilarities than expected by chance. Functional dissimilarities between salvaged and unsalvaged sites were lower compared to taxonomic and phylogenetic dissimilarities. In general, dissimilarities were highest for rare, followed by common and dominant species.

Synthesis and applications. Our research demonstrates that salvage logging did not decrease dissimilarities of bird communities over time and taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic dissimilarities persisted for over a decade. We recommend resource managers and decision makers to reserve portions of disturbed forest to enable unmanaged post‐disturbance succession of bird communities, particularly to conserve rare species found in unsalvaged disturbed forests.
Drawing a line in the sand: affect and testimony in autism assessment teams in the UK
Authors: Hayes Jennie , McCabe Rose , Ford Tamsin , Russell Ginny
Published: February 2020

Diagnosis of autism in the UK is generally made within a multidisciplinary team setting and is primarily based on observation and clinical interview. We examined how clinicians diagnose autism in practice by observing post‐assessment meetings in specialist autism teams. Eighteen meetings across four teams based in the south of England and covering 88 cases were audio‐recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. We drew out two themes, related to the way in which clinicians expressed their specialist disciplinary knowledge to come to diagnostic consensus: Feeling Autism in the Encounter; and Evaluating Testimonies of Non‐present Actors. We show how clinicians produce objective accounts through their situated practices and perform diagnosis as an act of interpretation, affect and evaluation to meet the institutional demands of the diagnostic setting. Our study contributes to our understanding of how diagnosis is accomplished in practice.
Prognostic value of baseline hemoglobin‐to‐red blood cell distribution width ratio in small cell lung cancer: A retrospective analysis
Authors: Wu Fangfang , Yang Shaoxing , Tang Xiuhua , Liu Wenjing , Chen Haoran , Gao Hongjun
Published: February 2020

Background

This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of baseline hemoglobin‐to‐red blood cell distribution width ratio (HRR) in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients with newly diagnosed SCLC who had received first‐line chemotherapy at the Department of Pulmonary Oncology of the PLA 307 Hospital between January 2008 and October 2018. The optimal cutoff value of the continuous variables was determined using the X‐tile software. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using Cox proportional hazard models. The Kaplan‐Meier method was used for survival analysis, with differences tested using the log‐rank test.

Results

A total of 146 patients were included. The cutoff value for HRR was determined as 0.985. Statistically significant differences were observed in sex, smoking history, stage, radiotherapy combination, neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio, platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio, hemoglobin, and red blood cell distribution width between the high and low HRR groups. The median overall survival (OS) was nine and 17.5 months in the low and high HRR groups, respectively (P < 0.001). The median progression‐free survival (PFS) was five and 8.5 months, respectively (P < 0.001). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed low HRR to be an independent predictor of a poor prognosis for OS (hazard ratio = 3.782; 95% confidence interval, 2.151–6.652; P < 0.001) and PFS (hazard ratio = 2.112; 95% confidence interval, 1.195–3.733; P = 0.01) in SCLC.

Conclusion

Low HRR was associated with poorer OS and PFS in patients with SCLC and can be a potentially valuable prognostic factor for these patients.

Key points

The prognostic value of the baseline hemoglobin‐to‐red blood cell distribution width ratio was evaluated in patients with small cell lung cancer.

In this population, this ratio was an independent predictor of overall survival and progression‐free survival. This ratio, an inexpensive and routine parameter, can be used as a prognostic factor in small cell lung cancer.
miR‐181a negatively modulates synaptic plasticity in hippocampal cultures and its inhibition rescues memory deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Rodriguez‐Ortiz Carlos J. , Prieto Gilberto Aleph , Martini Alessandra C. , Forner Stefania , Trujillo‐Estrada Laura , LaFerla Frank M. , Baglietto‐Vargas David , Cotman Carl W. , Kitazawa Masashi
Published: February 2020

MicroRNAs play a pivotal role in rapid, dynamic, and spatiotemporal modulation of synaptic functions. Among them, recent emerging evidence highlights that microRNA‐181a (miR‐181a) is particularly abundant in hippocampal neurons and controls the expression of key plasticity‐related proteins at synapses. We have previously demonstrated that miR‐181a was upregulated in the hippocampus of a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and correlated with reduced levels of plasticity‐related proteins. Here, we further investigated the underlying mechanisms by which miR‐181a negatively modulated synaptic plasticity and memory. In primary hippocampal cultures, we found that an activity‐dependent upregulation of the microRNA‐regulating protein, translin, correlated with reduction of miR‐181a upon chemical long‐term potentiation (cLTP), which induced upregulation of GluA2, a predicted target for miR‐181a, and other plasticity‐related proteins. Additionally, Aβ treatment inhibited cLTP‐dependent induction of translin and subsequent reduction of miR‐181a, and cotreatment with miR‐181a antagomir effectively reversed the effects elicited by Aβ but did not rescue translin levels, suggesting that the activity‐dependent upregulation of translin was upstream of miR‐181a. In mice, a learning episode markedly decreased miR‐181a in the hippocampus and raised the protein levels of GluA2. Lastly, we observed that inhibition of miR‐181a alleviated memory deficits and increased GluA2 and GluA1 levels, without restoring translin, in the 3xTg‐AD model. Taken together, our results indicate that miR‐181a is a major negative regulator of the cellular events that underlie synaptic plasticity and memory through AMPA receptors, and importantly, Aβ disrupts this process by suppressing translin and leads to synaptic dysfunction and memory impairments in AD.
Temporal fragmentation of a critically endangered forest ecosystem
Authors: Taylor Chris , Lindenmayer David B.
Published: February 2020

Landscape change and habitat fragmentation is increasingly affecting forests worldwide. Assessments of patterns of spatial cover in forests over time can be critical as they reveal important information about landscape condition. In this study, we assessed landscape patterns across the Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) and Alpine Ash (Eucalyptus delegatensis) forests in the Central Highlands of Victoria between 1999 and 2019. These forests have experienced major disturbance over the past 20 years through a major fire (in 2009) and extensive industrial logging. We found that around 70% and 65% of the Mountain Ash and Alpine Ash forest areas, respectively, were either disturbed or within 200 m of a disturbed area. Inclusion of planned logging increased these disturbance categories to 72% and 70%, respectively. We also found that the isolation of Mountain Ash core areas (patches of undisturbed forest >1000 ha) increased significantly (P < 0.05) over our study period, with the proximity between disturbed areas conversely increasing significantly (P < 0.05). This means that continued and planned disturbance through industrial logging will have an amplified adverse effect on remaining undisturbed ash forest patches, which will become smaller and more dispersed across the landscape.
Small Indigenous Schools: Indigenous Resurgence and Education in the Americas
Authors: Sumida Huaman Elizabeth
Published: February 2020

Based on Indigenous education research in Canada, the U.S., and Peru, small Indigenous school founders and educators reveal visions and tensions emerging through commitment to community‐based Indigenous schooling. Major themes encompass connections to histories, relationships with the environment, and navigation of local and state pressures. Anchoring each school are efforts to protect Indigenous lands and cultural practices, and the article asserts that small Indigenous schools are vital representations of resurgence in and beyond Indigenous communities.
Are pesticides risk decreasing? The relevance of pesticide indicator choice in empirical analysis
Authors: Möhring Niklas , Bozzola Martina , Hirsch Stefan , Finger Robert
Published: February 2020

The reduction of adverse health and environmental effects from pesticide use is currently a top priority on the agricultural policy agenda. Efficient pesticide policies must take into account farmers’ application behavior, especially effects of pesticide use on economic risk. However, previous results regarding the direction of risk effects of pesticides are ambiguous. We show that the ambiguity in earlier studies could be due to the pesticide indicator selected. Indicators which fail to account for the heterogeneous properties of pesticides may be inapt for interpreting farmers’ pesticide use decisions. Our analysis, based on a rich panel dataset of Swiss wheat producers with highly detailed information on pesticide use, considers different pesticide indicators and multiple sources of uncertainty. Our key finding is that indicator choice affects the magnitude and sign of estimated risk effects. Estimates of pesticide productivity and risk effects are significantly higher for fungicides, and even reversed for herbicides when we measure pesticide use in simple quantity units (kilogram per hectare) ‐ compared to the quality and intensity corrected Load Index. This means for example, that farmers will ceteris paribus use lower quantities of herbicides, but will increase the overall toxicity of the products applied with increasing risk aversion. We discuss implications of our findings for the design of pesticide policies and agricultural risk management instruments.
PD‐1 and PD‐L1 expression on T‐cell subsets in women with unexplained recurrent pregnancy losses
Authors: Wang Wen‐Juan , Salazar Garcia Maria Dinorah , Deutsch Gloria , Sung Nayoung , Yang Xiuhua , He Qiaohua , Jubiz Giovanni , Bilal Mahmood , Dambaeva Svetlana , Gilman‐Sachs Alice , Beaman Kenneth , Kwak‐Kim Joanne
Published: February 2020

Problem

Does programmed death‐1 (PD‐1)/programmed death ligand‐1 (PD‐L1) expression on the T‐cell subsets such as T helper (Th) 1, Th17, and Treg cells differentiate women with recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL) from normal fertile women?

Method of study

The study was designed as a prospective cohort study. Forty‐five women with two or more RPL of unknown etiology and twenty fertile women who had at least one or more live‐born infants were enrolled prospectively from Jan 2017 to Jul 2019. PD‐1 and PD‐L1 expression on T‐cell subsets were measured by flow cytometric analysis.

Results

The proportions of PD‐1+ Th1 (CD4+/IFN‐γ+/CD279+ and CD4+/TNF‐α+/CD279+) and PD‐1+ Th17 cells (CD4+/IL17+/CD279+) were significantly lower in RPL group than those of controls (P < .05, respectively). The proportion of PD‐1+ Tregs (CD4+/CD25+/CD127dim/−/CD279+) in RPL group was not different from that of controls. The proportion of PD‐L1+ Th17 cells (CD4+IL17+CD274+) was significantly lower as compared with that of /controls (P < .05). However, the proportions of PD‐L1+ Th1 (CD4+/IFN‐γ+/CD274+ and CD4+/TNF‐α+/CD274+) and PD‐L1+ Treg (CD4+/CD25+/CD127dim/−/CD274+) cells were not different between the RPL group and controls (P > .05, respectively). In Th1, Th17 and Treg cells, the proportions of PD‐L1+ (CD274+) cells were significantly higher than those of PD‐1+ (CD279+) cells in both RPL group and controls (P < .05, respectively).

Conclusion

PD‐1 and PD‐L1 expressions on Th17 cells as well as PD‐1 expression on Th1 cells were significantly downregulated in women with RPL, which may lead to increased Th1 and Th17 immunity, and imbalance between Th17, Th1, and Treg cells in women with RPL.
Orally applied bacterial lysate in infants at risk for atopy does not prevent atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma or allergic sensitization at school age: Follow‐up of a randomized trial
Authors: Roßberg Siri , Keller Theresa , Icke Katja , Siedmann Valentina , Lau Imke , Keil Thomas , Lau Susanne
Published: February 2020

Background

The allergy preventive effects of gut immune modulation by bacterial compounds are still not fully understood.

Objective

We sought to evaluate the effect of bacterial lysate applied orally from the second until seventh months of life on the prevalence of allergic diseases at school age.

Methods

In a randomized, placebo‐controlled trial, 606 newborns with at least one allergic parent received orally a bacterial lysate consisting of heat‐killed Gram‐negative Escherichia coli Symbio and Gram‐positive Enterococcus faecalis Symbio or placebo from week 5 until the end of month 7. A total of 402 children were followed until school age (6‐11 years) for the assessment of current atopic dermatitis (AD), allergic rhinitis (AR), asthma and sensitization against aeroallergens.

Results

AD was diagnosed in 11.0% (22/200) of children in the active and in 10.4% (21/202) of children in the placebo group. AR was diagnosed in 35% (70/200) of children in the active and in 38.1% (77/202) children in the placebo group. Asthma was diagnosed in 9% (18/199) of children in the active and in 6.6% (13/197) of children in the placebo group. Sensitization occurred in 46.5% (66/142) of participants in the active and 51.7% (76/147) in the placebo group.

Conclusion

An oral bacterial lysate of heat‐killed Gram‐negative Escherichia coli and Gram‐positive Enterococcus faecalis applied during the first 7 months of life did not influence the development of AD, asthma and AR at school age.
Significance of blood lipid parameters as effective markers for arteriogenic erectile dysfunction
Authors: Li Ming , Ma Zhen , Zhang Xiu‐Lin , Guo Li‐Qiang , Yuan Ming‐Zhen
Published: February 2020

Objectives

The aim of the study was to investigate the ability of the blood lipid parameters to predict the discrimination of arteriogenic erectile dysfunction (ED).

Materials and methods

260 subjects with ED and 60 healthy controls were enrolled. Eight lipid parameters, including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), LDL‐C, HDL‐C, non‐HDL‐C, TC/HDL ratio, TG/HDL ratio, and LDL/HDL ratio, together with other plasma biomarkers like sex hormones were measured in all participants. Nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT), penile color Doppler ultrasonography (pDUS), and neurophysiological tests were conducted in the ED group.

Results

Forty‐four ED patients with normal NPT, and 84 with normal vasculature or mixed vascular abnormalities were excluded. The remaining 132 men were classified into two groups, arteriogenic ED (n = 87) and venous leakage (n = 45), by pDUS. TC/HDL, LDL/HDL, and LDL‐C were significantly higher (P < .05) and HDL‐C was significantly lower (P < .05) in the arteriogenic ED group when compared with the venous and the control groups. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis identified area under the curve values that were predictive of arteriogenic ED for: TC/HDL and LDL/HDL 0.720 and 0.737, TC/HDL ≥ 3.73 and LDL/HDL ≥ 2.01 (sensitivity: 56.3%; specificity: 83.3% vs sensitivity: 55.2%; specificity: 91.7%), HDL‐C (0.791), ≤1.25 mmol/L (sensitivity: 69%; specificity: 81.7%), LDL‐C (0.641), ≥2.41 mmol/L (sensitivity: 55.2%; specificity: 76.7%).In the arteriogenic ED group, a significant inverse correlation was detected between TC/HDL, LDL/HDL, LDL‐C and 10‐minutes peak systolic velocity (PSV) (AllP < .01)and a significant positive correlation was recognized between HDL‐C and 10‐minutes PSV(P < .01). Multivariate step wise linear regression indicated lipid parameters of LDL/HDL and HDL‐C were significantly associated with 10‐MinPSV (P < .01).

Conclusion

These findings suggest the LDL/HDL and HDL‐C might be a powerful indicator to predict and diagnose arteriogenic ED, and lipid‐lowing therapy should be considered for these patients.
Indeterminate liver lesions – a virtual epidemic: a cohort study over 8 years
Authors: Kuan Li Lian , Mavilakandy Akash , Oyebola Taiwo , Bhardwaj Neil , Dennison Ashley R. , Garcea Giuseppe
Published: February 2020

Background

Within the last decade, advances and availability in radiological imaging have led to an increase in the detection of incidental liver lesions (ILLs) in the asymptomatic patient population. This poses a diagnostic conundrum. This study was undertaken to review the outcome of liver lesions labelled as ‘indeterminate’ in asymptomatic patients without a biopsy‐proven concomitant primary tumour. The secondary aim was to assess the impact on healthcare resources and cost‐effectiveness with regards to the frequency and modality of radiological scans, multidisciplinary team discussions and clinic reviews.

Methods

The study consisted of a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from the University Hospitals of Leicester multidisciplinary team database. The study period ranged from 2010 to 2015. All patients were followed‐up for 3 years to ensure no late re‐occurrences with malignancy.

Results

A total of 92 patients with ILL were identified. The median age was 72 years. The median size of these ILLs was 10 mm. Eighty‐seven patients required supplementary imaging and 42 required a third imaging. Ninety‐one patients had benign lesions. Only one case was biopsy proven to be malignant.

Conclusion

Small (<15 mm) hepatic lesions discovered incidentally in patients with no known primary malignancy and risk factors are virtually always benign, with a 1% risk of malignancy. There is a need for a classification system, which stratifies ILLs by malignant potential based on a standardized and evidence‐based approach. This is important to prevent unnecessary investigations. A multidisciplinary approach in an experienced hepatobiliary and pancreatic centre is recommended until such a classification exists.
The incidence of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment is increasing
Authors: Nielsen Birgitte Romme , Alberti Mark , Bjerrum Søren Solborg , la Cour Morten
Published: February 2020

Purpose

To study the development over time of the age‐ and sex‐standardized incidence of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in Denmark.

Methods

Registry study, based on the Danish National Patient Registry data. End‐point: Individuals undergoing the first surgery for RRD.

Results

During 2000–2016 we identified 11 769 individuals with a primary RRD surgery in either eye. The age‐ and sex‐standardized incidence rate of RRD increased by more than 50% during the study period. We found a significant increase in this incidence rate for both men and women older than 50 years, and in men, but not in women, younger than 50 years (p < 0.001). However, the increase of primary RRD surgery during the study period was most pronounced in men aged 50 years or older, where the rate of increase was 1.7 ± 0.1 cases per 100 000 person‐years per year (p < 10−11).

Conclusion

The incidence of RRD is increasing, and this increase is primarily driven by men aged 50 years or older.
Sleep disordered breathing in pregnancy: A review of the pathophysiology of adverse pregnancy outcomes
Authors: Johns Emma C. , Denison Fiona C. , Reynolds Rebecca M.
Published: February 2020

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is a common obesity‐related co‐morbidity with strong associations to cardiometabolic disease. The risk of SDB is increased during pregnancy, particularly among obese pregnant women. Accumulating evidence suggests that an association exists between maternal SDB and the development of adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Intermittent hypoxia, a central characteristic of SDB, has been shown in animal and clinical studies to dysregulate several biological pathways. This includes the promotion of oxidative stress, increased inflammation, activation of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis, increased sympathetic activity and impaired glucose and insulin metabolism. This review considers how, during pregnancy, these pathophysiological processes are plausible mechanisms through which SDB may contribute to an increased risk of adverse outcomes, for the mother and perhaps also the offspring. However, a lack of robust evidence specific to the pregnant population, including limited evaluation of the placental function in affected pregnancies, limits our ability to draw definite conclusions on mechanisms contributing to adverse pregnancy outcomes and, indeed, the strength of association between SDB and certain pregnancy complications.
Troubling places: Walking the “troubling remnants” of post‐conflict space
Authors: Robinson Joseph S. , McClelland Andrew G.
Published: February 2020

This paper explores the productive potential of walking methods in post‐conflict space, with particular emphasis on Northern Ireland. We argue that walking methods are especially well suited to studying post‐conflict spatial arrangements, yet remain underutilised for a variety of reasons. Specifically, we argue that walking methods can “trouble” dominant productions of post‐conflict space, revealing its storied depth, multi‐temporality, and the alternative narratives of the past that frequently remain hidden in places touched by violence. Critically, employing such place‐sensitive approaches challenges “bad scripts” that reify polarised narratives of conflicted places, thereby enabling the writing of new spatial stories that are potentially generative of new research questions and scholarly insights rooted in overlooked, marginalised, or taken‐for‐granted people, places, and landscapes. Informed by both authors' ongoing research journeys, we argue that walking in troubled places can help scholars dig into the reservoirs of emotion, affect, vitality, and multi‐temporality people experience in post‐conflict landscapes, thus opening up new research vistas in places scholars might not have sought to look using only sedentary methods.
Research progress of rumen hydrogen sulfide production in ruminants
Authors: Qian Kun , Xu Jing , Zu Hao‐chen , Cong Yu‐yan
Published: February 2020

Rumen fermentation can produce hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and H2S can be rapidly absorbed by the intestinal wall in nature. If excessive H2S was produced in rumen, it might be toxic to ruminants. This article reviews the research progress of toxicity of H2S, rumen H2S production pathway and its influential factors to lay a foundation for further research and application of rumen H2S‐producing regulation in ruminant.
Association of insulin regimens with severe hypoglycaemia in patients with type 1 diabetes: A Danish case–control study
Authors: Jensen Morten Hasselstrøm , Hejlesen Ole , Vestergaard Peter
Published: February 2020

Aims

To evaluate the risk of severe hypoglycaemia for patients with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) when exposed to insulin regimens including human insulin only or insulin analogues.

Methods

A total of 19 896 patients with T1D were extracted from the Danish National Patient Register. Of these, 6379 T1D patients experiencing 1 of more severe hypoglycaemic episodes (total of 17 242 episodes) were matched 1:1 with T1D patients without severe hypoglycaemia. A logistic regression model with last insulin regimen used as exposure was constructed to analyse the effect on severe hypoglycaemia.

Results

People on a basal–bolus regimen with insulin analogues had a reduced risk of severe hypoglycaemia of 39% (odds ratio: 0.61, 95% confidence interval: 0.54–0.68) compared to patients on a basal–bolus human insulin only regimen. Furthermore, patients on a premixed regimen containing an insulin analogue had a 58% (odds ratio: 0.42, 95% confidence interval: 0.36–0.49) reduced risk of severe hypoglycaemia compared to patients on premixed human insulin only.

Conclusion

This study indicates that use of a basal–bolus insulin regimen with an insulin analogue is safer with respect to severe hypoglycaemia in patients with T1D than the use of a basal–bolus human insulin only regimen.
Model informed quantification of the feed‐forward stimulation of growth hormone by growth hormone‐releasing hormone
Authors: van Esdonk Michiel J. , Burggraaf Jacobus , van der Graaf Piet H. , Stevens Jasper
Published: February 2020

Aims

Growth hormone (GH) secretion is pulsatile and secretion varies highly between individuals. To understand and ultimately predict GH secretion, it is important to first delineate and quantify the interaction and variability in the biological processes underlying stimulated GH secretion. This study reports on the development of a population nonlinear mixed effects model for GH stimulation, incorporating individual GH kinetics and the stimulation of GH by GH‐releasing hormone (GHRH).

Methods

Literature data on the systemic circulation, the median eminence, and the anterior pituitary were included as system parameters in the model. Population parameters were estimated on data from 8 healthy normal weight and 16 obese women who received a 33 μg recombinant human GH dose. The next day, a bolus injection of 100 μg GHRH was given to stimulate GH secretion.

Results

The GH kinetics were best described with the addition of 2 distribution compartments with a bodyweight dependent clearance (increasing linearly from 24.7 L/h for a 60‐kg subject to 32.1 L/h for a 100‐kg subject). The model described the data adequately with high parameter precision and significant interindividual variability on the GH clearance and distribution volume. Additionally, high variability in the amount of secreted GH, driven by GHRH receptor activation, was identified (coefficient of variation = 90%).

Conclusion

The stimulation of GH by GHRH was quantified and significant interindividual variability was identified on multiple parameters. This model sets the stage for further development of by inclusion of additional physiological components to quantify GH secretion in humans.
Teachers' perceptions of culturally responsive teaching in technology‐supported learning environments
Authors: Chuang Hsueh‐Hua , Shih Ching‐Lin , Cheng Ming‐Min
Published: February 2020

This study developed and validated an instrument for assessing teachers' perceptions of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) in technology‐supported learning environments (TSLE). Data were collected from a total of 257 elementary and secondary school teachers in Taiwan during March and April 2018 to verify the reliability and construct validity of the instrument. The construct validity of this instrument was examined via confirmatory factor analysis and a multidimensional partial credit model for item responses in which an 18‐item instrument (4 items regarding cultural values, 3 regarding culturally relevant curricula, 4 regarding cultural scaffolding, 3 regarding multicultural collaboration, and 4 regarding integrating with technology and multicultural perspectives) was validated after the elimination of 4 items. The reliability of the instrument was found to be satisfactory according to multidimensional versions of the partial credit model analysis. Regression analysis showed that technology experiences and technology experiences in teaching were positive predictors while school level was a negative predictor of teachers’ perceived CRT in TSLE. Elementary school teachers were more likely to have positive perceptions of CRT in TSLE than were secondary school teachers.

Practitioner Notes

What is already known about this topic

Well‐developed culturally responsive teaching (CRT) frameworks can facilitate teachers' understanding of how students' cultural backgrounds and experiences can be used to enhance student learning.

Digital tools and technology activities have been demonstrated to be among the best practices for teaching to multicultural classrooms due to the large differences in ethnically diverse student populations.

CRT is a fundamental pedagogical approach that should be included in teacher preparation and applied in learning activities in culturally diverse classrooms.

What this paper adds

We developed and validated an instrument for assessing teachers' perceptions of CRT perceptions in technology‐supported learning environments (TSLE).

Results from this study showed that teachers' technology experiences and technology experiences in teaching were found to positively predict teachers' perceived CRT in TSLE.

School level was found to be a negative predictor of teachers' CRT perceptions in TSLE, indicating that an elementary school teacher was more likely to have a positive perception of CRT in TSLE than a secondary school teacher.

Implications for practice and/or policy

Professional training and pedagogical modelling of technology use, especially in classrooms with culturally diverse students, is highly recommended.

More technology‐related knowledge and more experience using technology in teaching may prompt teachers to modify their teaching within culturally diverse students in TSLE.
An alpha‐defensin gene single nucleotide polymorphism modulates the gut microbiota and may alter the risk of acute graft‐versus‐host disease
Authors: Rashidi Armin , Herman Adam , Gomes Antonio L. C. , Peled Jonathan U. , Jenq Robert R. , Brereton Daniel G. , Staley Christopher , Blazar Bruce R. , Weisdorf Daniel J.
Published: February 2020

We previously reported a protective association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs4415345G and rs4610776A alleles) of Paneth cell α‐defensin‐5 against acute graft‐versus‐host disease (aGVHD). Because dysbiosis has been associated with aGVHD, we hypothesized that these SNPs may have a gut microbiota signature. In Lasso regression analysis of 248 healthy individuals, rs4415345G was associated with a higher abundance of Odoribacter splanchnicus, an anaerobic butyrogenic commensal. In multivariable analysis of data from 613 allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplant recipients, peri‐engraftment presence of O. splanchnicus was associated with ~50% lower risk for grade II–IV aGVHD (hazard ratio 0·53, 95% confidence interval 0·28–1·00, P = 0·05). O. splanchnicus may protect rs4415345G individuals against aGVHD.
MicroRNA‐361‐3p is a potent therapeutic target for oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Ogawa Himiko , Nakashiro Koh‐ichi , Tokuzen Norihiko , Kuribayashi Nobuyuki , Goda Hiroyuki , Uchida Daisuke
Published: February 2020

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can act not only as tumor suppressor genes but also as oncogenes. Oncogenic miRNAs (oncomiRs) could therefore provide opportunities for the treatment of human malignancies. Here, we aimed to identify oncomiRs present in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and addressed whether targeting these miRNAs might be useful in treatment for cancer. Functional screening for oncomiRs in a human OSCC cell line (GFP‐SAS) was carried out using the miRCURY LNA microRNA Knockdown Library – Human version 12.0. We identified a locked nucleic acid (LNA)/DNA antisense oligonucleotide against miR‐361‐3p (LNA‐miR‐361‐3p) which showed the largest degree of growth inhibition of GFP‐SAS cells. Transfection with a synthetic mimic of mature miR‐361‐3p resulted in an approximately 20% increase in the growth of GFP‐SAS cells. We identified odd‐skipped related 2 (OSR2) as a miR‐361‐3p target gene. Transfection of GFP‐SAS cells with LNA‐miR‐361‐3p caused a significant increase in the expression levels of OSR2. Cotransfection of a OSR2 3′‐UTR luciferase reporter plasmid and LNA‐miR‐361‐3p into GFP‐SAS cells produced higher levels of luciferase activity than in cells cotransfected with the LNA‐nontarget. We assessed the effect of LNA‐miR‐361‐3p on the in vivo growth of GFP‐SAS cells. We found that LNA‐miR‐361‐3p significantly reduced the size of s.c. xenografted GFP‐SAS tumors, compared to the control group treated with LNA‐NT. Finally, we observed that miR‐361‐3p is overexpressed in OSCC tissues. These results suggest that miR‐361‐3p supports the growth of human OSCC cells both in vitro and in vivo and that targeting miR‐361‐3p could be a useful therapeutic approach for patients with OSCC.
Upregulation of adipocyte enhancer‐binding protein 1 in endothelial cells promotes tumor angiogenesis in colorectal cancer
Authors: Yorozu Akira , Yamamoto Eiichiro , Niinuma Takeshi , Tsuyada Akihiro , Maruyama Reo , Kitajima Hiroshi , Numata Yuto , Kai Masahiro , Sudo Gota , Kubo Toshiyuki , Nishidate Toshihiko , Okita Kenji , Takemasa Ichiro , Nakase Hiroshi , Sugai Tamotsu , Takano Kenichi , Suzuki Hiromu
Published: February 2020

Tumor angiogenesis is an important therapeutic target in colorectal cancer (CRC). We aimed to identify novel genes associated with angiogenesis in CRC. Using RNA sequencing analysis in normal and tumor endothelial cells (TECs) isolated from primary CRC tissues, we detected frequent upregulation of adipocyte enhancer‐binding protein 1 (AEBP1) in TECs. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that AEBP1 is upregulated in TECs and stromal cells in CRC tissues. Quantitative RT‐PCR analysis showed that there is little or no AEBP1 expression in CRC cell lines, but that AEBP1 is well expressed in vascular endothelial cells. Levels of AEBP1 expression in Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were upregulated by tumor conditioned medium derived from CRC cells or by direct coculture with CRC cells. Knockdown of AEBP1 suppressed proliferation, migration, and in vitro tube formation by HUVECs. In xenograft experiments, AEBP1 knockdown suppressed tumorigenesis and microvessel formation. Depletion of AEBP1 in HUVECs downregulated a series of genes associated with angiogenesis or endothelial function, including aquaporin 1 (AQP1) and periostin (POSTN), suggesting that AEBP1 might promote angiogenesis through regulation of those genes. These results suggest that upregulation of AEBP1 contributes to tumor angiogenesis in CRC, which makes AEBP1 a potentially useful therapeutic target.
Targeting claudin‐4 enhances chemosensitivity in breast cancer
Authors: Luo Yi , Kishi Shingo , Sasaki Takamitsu , Ohmori Hitoshi , Fujiwara‐Tani Rina , Mori Shiori , Goto Kei , Nishiguchi Yukiko , Mori Takuya , Kawahara Isao , Kondoh Masuo , Kuniyasu Hiroki
Published: February 2020

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by highly aggressive phenotype, limited treatment options and a poor prognosis. In the present study, we examined the therapeutic effect of anti–claudin (CLDN)‐4 extracellular domain antibody, 4D3, on TNBC. When the expression of CLDN4 and CLDN1 in invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) was examined in 114 IDC (78 cases from 2004 to 2009 in a single center and 36 cases of tissues array), CLDN1 had lower expression than CLDN4 and was correlated with histological grade. In contrast, expression of CLDN4 was correlated with histological grade, receptor subtype, and stage. CLDN4 expression in human IDC cell lines MCF‐7 (luminal subtype) and MDA‐468 (TNBC) was at the same level. In both cells, paclitaxel (PTX)‐induced growth suppression was enhanced by 4D3. Furthermore, 4D3 increased both intracellular PTX concentration (in both cells) and apoptosis. In the mouse model, 4D3 promoted the antitumor effect of PTX on subcutaneous tumors and reduced lung metastasis. The combination of PTX and 4D3 reduced M2 macrophages and mesenchymal stem cells in the tumor. 4D3 also reduced stemness of the tumors and increased the intratumoral pH. Moreover, concurrent treatment with 4D3, PTX and tamoxifen, or with PTX and tamoxifen in MDA‐468 also showed the same level of antitumor activity and survival as MCF‐7. Furthermore, in a bone metastasis model, combination of PTX and bisphosphonate with 4D3 promoted tumor growth in both cells. Thus, CLDN4 targeting of the antibody facilitated existing therapeutic effects.
Cerebral organoids transplantation improves neurological motor function in rat brain injury
Authors: Wang Zhi , Wang Shu‐Na , Xu Tian‐Ying , Hong Chen , Cheng Ming‐He , Zhu Peng‐Xi , Lin Jian‐Sheng , Su Ding‐Feng , Miao Chao‐Yu
Published: February 2020

Background and Purpose

Cerebral organoids (COs) have been used for studying brain development, neural disorders, and species‐specific drug pharmacology and toxicology, but the potential of COs transplantation therapy for brain injury remains to be answered.

Methods

With preparation of traumatic brain injury (TBI) model of motor dysfunction, COs at 55 and 85 days (55 and 85 d‐CO) were transplanted into damaged motor cortex separately to identify better transplantation donor for brain injury. Further, the feasibility, effectiveness, and underlying mechanism of COs transplantation therapy for brain injury were explored.

Results

55 d‐CO was demonstrated as better transplantation donor than 85 d‐CO, evidenced by more neurogenesis and higher cell survival rate without aggravating apoptosis and inflammation after transplantation into damaged motor cortex. Cells from transplanted COs had the potential of multilinage differentiation to mimic in‐vivo brain cortical development, support region‐specific reconstruction of damaged motor cortex, form neurotransmitter‐related neurons, and migrate into different brain regions along corpus callosum. Moreover, COs transplantation upregulated hippocampal neural connection proteins and neurotrophic factors. Notably, COs transplantation improved neurological motor function and reduced brain damage.

Conclusions

This study revealed 55 d‐CO as better transplantation donor and demonstrated the feasibility and efficacy of COs transplantation in TBI, hoping to provide first‐hand preclinical evidence of COs transplantation for brain injury.
Ethmoidal drug‐eluting stent therapy is not superior to nasal corticosteroid spray in the prevention of endoscopic sinus surgery: Results from a randomised, clinical trial
Authors: Taulu Rami , Sillanpää Niko , Numminen Jura , Rautiainen Markus
Published: February 2020

Objectives

To evaluate whether an ethmoidal drug‐eluting stent (DES) (the Relieva Stratus™ MicroFlow Spacer) could better prevent endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) than standard non‐invasive therapy using corticosteroid nasal spray in patients suffering from chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).

Design

Prospective, randomised clinical trial.

Setting

Tertiary referral centre.

Participants

Sixty‐three adult patients with ethmoidal involvement in cone beam computerised tomography (CBCT) whose first‐line medical treatment with topical corticosteroids had failed and who were candidates for ESS were randomised either to a DES group, which received triamcinolone acetonide stents (n = 34), or to a topical intranasal corticosteroid group (n = 29) that used optimally dosed triamcinolone acetonide nasal spray.

Outcome measures

Patients were followed up prospectively for 6 months and at 36 months. Freedom from ESS was the primary endpoint. Further, we identified those factors predicting ESS.

Results

At 6 months, ESS could be prevented in almost half of the patients in both groups (DES 13/28, 46.4%, nasal spray 14/29, 48.3%). At 36 months, 20/28 (71.4%) patients in the DES group and 18/29 (62.1%) in the nasal spray group had been operated. The differences were not statistically significant at either timepoint. Patients who smoked (14/19, 73.7% vs 16/38, 42.1%) were more likely to be operated at 6 months.

Conclusion

Endoscopic sinus surgery can be prevented using both therapies in the medium term in almost half of cases with neither therapy being statistically superior. This effect was somewhat diminished in the long term with a trend towards more patients being operated in the DES group. Considering the additional costs, the need for general anaesthesia and the potential side effects associated with DES, its potential clinical role appears to be limited. Smoking was significantly associated with ESS.
Oral provocation of patients allergic to sesquiterpene lactones with German chamomile tea to demonstrate possible systemic allergic dermatitis
Authors: Lundh Kerstin , Gruvberger Birgitta , Persson Lena , Hindsén Monica , Zimerson Erik , Svensson Åke , Bruze Magnus
Published: February 2020

Background

Most patients with contact allergy to Asteraceae plants are patch test positive to sesquiterpene lactone mix (SLM). There are several reports among these patients of a flare‐up of hand eczema after ingestion of food and beverages originating from Asteraceae plants.

Aim

To investigate whether German chamomile tea can elicit systemic allergic dermatitis.

Patients and Methods

Individuals with or without contact allergy to SLM were patch tested with an extract of German chamomile tea. Six weeks later, they were provoked with capsules containing either freeze‐dried German chamomile tea or placebo capsules containing lactose, in a double‐blind, randomized study. A numerical rating scale (NRS) was used to ascertain the volunteers' opinion of their hand eczema status. The study individuals were examined to detect a possible flare‐up of healed patch test reactions to chamomile.

Results

None of the subjects had a flare‐up of healed patch test reactions. According to the NRS, SLM‐positive individuals experienced a significant worsening of hand eczema, independently of whether they received chamomile or lactose capsules.

Conclusion

No evidence suggestive of systemic allergic dermatitis was found.
Energy‐efficient routing technique for reliable data transmission under the background of big data for disaster region
Authors: Peng Xiaobo , Chang Yanfen
Published: February 2020

Big data analysis and cloud computing are gaining much interest in various applications including disaster management. One of the major difficulties in the process of exchanging environmental data in the disaster affected areas has been considered as one of the emerging areas of research. This research focuses on maintaining the environmental data information management of the disaster affected areas, where the intermediate node has been used to transmit the information during transmission and an optimized routing has been used to create efficient data transmission, such as temperature, pressure, humidity, and the level of pollution within the network. The intermediate node may also be hacked during data processing. In this article, the efficient big data‐based clustering technique has been proposed. In this research, the information is grouped into a cluster in every comparable node and the energy consumption has been efficiently managed with the hybrid metaheuristic optimization‐based effective routing technique. The system excellence has been evaluated using the energy utilization factor, packet delivery ratio, and attack‐free routing effectiveness metrics to handle environmental information on disaster affected areas.
Australian birds could benefit from predator exclusion fencing
Authors: Ringma Jeremy , Barnes Megan D. , Bode Michael
Published: February 2020

The use of predator exclusion fencing is widely recognized as one of the most effective mechanisms for protecting threatened fauna from introduced or overabundant predators. It is now used throughout the world to protect avian fauna. In Australia, where predator exclusion fencing is used extensively to protect threatened mammals, such fences for threatened avifauna are surprisingly sparse. In this perspective we demonstrate that (a) the use of predator exclusion fences for avifauna is popular in other countries with similar conservation problems, (b) a large number of Australian avian species could benefit from dedicated predator exclusion fences, and (c) despite legitimate concerns, if well designed, predator exclusion fences can pose little risk to threatened birds or are outweighed by the potential benefits. We believe wider use of predator exclusion fencing to protect Australian threatened birds could be highly beneficial and should be more regularly considered as a management action by conservation practitioners.
Concurrent mycosis fungoides and intravascular large B‐cell lymphoma in a single patient
Authors: Goyal Amrita , Totoraitis Kristin , Toama Wael , He Fiona , Bohjanen Kimberly , Williams Sarah , Miller Daniel D.
Published: February 2020

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is an indolent, uncommon, non‐Hodgkin T‐cell lymphoma of the skin. It classically presents with patches, plaques, and tumors and may rarely show spread to internal organs or bone marrow. Up to 7.5% of MF patients may be diagnosed with a second malignancy. Intravascular large B‐cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is an exceedingly rare non‐Hodgkin B‐cell lymphoma characterized by predominant growth of large neoplastic cells in the lumina of blood vessels. This case presents with an unusual confluence of two rare diagnoses, MF and IVLBCL, made more remarkable by the presence of both diagnoses on a single skin biopsy sample.
Urbanization and mortality in Britain, c. 1800–50
Authors: Davenport Romola J.
Published: February 2020

In the long‐running debate over standards of living during the industrial revolution, pessimists have identified deteriorating health conditions in towns as undermining the positive effects of rising real incomes on the ‘biological standard of living’. This article reviews long‐run historical relationships between urbanization and epidemiological trends in England, and then addresses the specific question: did mortality rise especially in rapidly growing industrial and manufacturing towns in the period c. 1830–50? Using comparative data for British, European, and American cities and selected rural populations, this study finds good evidence for widespread increases in mortality in the second quarter of the nineteenth century. However, this phenomenon was not confined to ‘new’ or industrial towns. Instead, mortality rose in the 1830s especially among young children (aged one to four years) in a wide range of populations and environments. This pattern of heightened mortality extended between c. 1830 and c. 1870, and coincided with a well‐established rise and decline in scarlet fever virulence and mortality. The evidence presented here therefore supports claims that mortality worsened for young children in the middle decades of the nineteenth century, but also indicates that this phenomenon was more geographically ubiquitous, less severe, and less chronologically concentrated than previously argued.