bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in anti‐müllerian hormone levels as a biomarker for ovarian reserve after ultrasound‐guided high‐intensity focused ultrasound treatment of adenomyosis and uterine fibroid
Authors: Lee J‐S , Hong G‐Y , Lee K‐H , Kim T‐E
Published: September 2017

Objective

To assess the changes in antimüllerian hormone (AMH) levels after ablation for symptomatic uterine fibroids and adenomyosis using ultrasound‐guided high‐intensity focused ultrasound (USgHIFU).

Design

A prospective study.

Setting

Gynaecological department in multiple hospitals in South Korea.

Population

Patients with uterus fibroids and adenomyosis.

Methods

Seventy‐nine women with symptomatic uterine fibroids and adenomyosis who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in our study between January 2014 and December 2014. All patients underwent USgHIFU ablations. Each patient was examined before and after treatment, and at 6 and 12 months after treatment by T2‐weighted MRI imaging (T2WI) and T1‐weighted MRI imaging (T1WI) with gadolinium injection. Symptom severity scores (SSS), Uterine Fibroid Symptom Quality of Life (UFS‐QOL) questionnaire subscales, and reductions of treated volume were assessed. AMH levels before and 6 months after HIFU ablation were compared to determine whether USgHIFU ablation affected ovarian reserve.

Main outcome measures

HIFU treatment did not affect the ovarian function.

Results

HIFU treatment time (mean ± standard deviation), HIFU ablation time, and treatment energy were 73.5 ± 25.6 minutes, 9994.7 ± 386.8 seconds, and 364 713.8 ± 156 350.7 Joules, respectively. AMH levels before and 6 months after HIFU ablation were 2.11 ± 2.66 and 1.84 ± 2.57 μg/l, respectively. There was no significant difference in AMH level between the two time points (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

USgHIFU ablation for uterine fibroid and adenomyosis was effective without affecting ovarian reserve.

Tweetable abstract

HIFU ablation is a safe and effective treatment for patients with uterine fibroids and adenomyosis that does not affect ovarian function.
Pregnancy outcomes in patients with uterine fibroids treated with ultrasound‐guided high‐intensity focused ultrasound
Authors: Zou M , Chen L , Wu C , Hu C , Xiong Y
Published: September 2017

Objective

To investigate the effect of high‐intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation for uterine fibroids on pregnancy.

Design

A retrospective observational study.

Setting

Department of Gynaecology in a single centre in China.

Population

Patients with uterine fibroids who wish to become pregnant.

Methods

Patients with uterine fibroids who wished become pregnant and have children, were treated using HIFU from April 2011 to March 2016 at Chongqing Haifu Hospital. Pregnancy outcomes were analysed.

Main outcome measures

Pregnancy outcomes after undergoing USgHIFU.

Results

After the HIFU treatment, the 78 patients had 80 pregnancies, in which 76 cases were natural pregnancies and four were test‐tube pregnancies. Of the 78 patients who became pregnant, nine patients had complicated primary or secondary infertility before the HIFU treatment, 13 patients had had at least two miscarriages or missed miscarriages, one patient had had a stillbirth; none had undergone other special treatment. After the HIFU treatment, the average time to pregnancy was 5.6 ± 2.7 months. There were 15 cases of full‐term normal delivery and 56 cases of caesarean, including three cases of premature caesarean. After the treatment, three patients had a miscarriage (one patient's progesterone level was lower than the normal value; and the other two miscarriages were for unknown reasons), two patients became pregnant 3 months after complete curettage of uterine cavity and had full‐term normal deliveries, one patient planned to use contraception after complete curettage of the uterine cavity; and one patient had her labour induced (after 13‐weeks pregnancy). The fetuses of all the patients developed well during both the pregnancy and child‐bearing without uterine rapture or perinatal and postpartum complications.

Conclusion

HIFU treatment can effectively treat patients with uterine fibroids who wish to have children; it could significantly reduce the preparation period for pregnancy after the operation. It can also improve the fertility of patients with a history of infertility and abnormal pregnancy and child‐bearing, with no additional obstetric risks.

Tweetable abstract

As a noninvasive therapeutic technique, HIFU safely can be used to treat patients with uterine fibroids who wish to become pregnant.
High‐intensity focused ultrasound combined with hysteroscopic resection for the treatment of placenta accreta
Authors: Ye M , Yin Z , Xue M , Deng X
Published: September 2017

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a combination of high‐intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and hysteroscopic resection while treating placenta accreta (PA).

Design

A retrospective study.

Setting

A university teaching hospital in China.

Methods

This study included 25 patients diagnosed with PA who underwent HIFU followed by hysteroscopic resection in our hospital between January 2014 and December 2015. All patients had completed follow‐up data. Treatment efficacy and safety were evaluated retrospectively.

Main outcome measures

Placenta accreta could be removed with hysteroscopic resection after HIFU.

Results

All patients received one session of HIFU ablation therapy. The median total HIFU treatment time was 18 minutes and the median exposure time was 600 seconds. During treatment, 23 lesions showed massive grey‐scale changes and two lesions modest grey‐scale change. Contrast‐enhanced ultrasound showed signs of reduced perfusion in all lesions. During treatment, all patients tolerated the HIFU procedure well and completed the treatment. All patients complained of mild lower abdominal and sacrococcygeal pain, with a pain score ranging from 1 to 4 points. Seven patients complained of a ‘hot’ skin sensation. No serious complications were encountered during or after the procedure. All patients received hysteroscopic operations with a median of 2 days after HIFU treatment. The average depth of the uterus was 10.36 ± 2.14 cm. The median volume of intraoperative blood loss was 20 ml, and no blood transfusions were given. Sixteen patients underwent only one session of hysteroscopic resection and nine patients underwent a second session of hysteroscopic resection operation 11–61 days after the first operation. All patients preserved their uterus and tolerated the hysteroscopic operation well. Of the 25 patients, two had uterine perforation during the first operation. No other severe hysteroscopic complication was observed. The average hospital stay was 8.4 ± 1.6 days. After treatment the median duration of vaginal bleeding was 10 days. Twenty‐one patients recovered normal menstruation 34 days after the operation. The other four patients continued breastfeeding and therefore exhibited abnormal menstruation.

Conclusions

HIFU treatment followed by hysteroscopic resection is safe and effective in treating patients with PA.

Tweetable abstract

For patients with placenta accreta, HIFU treatment before hysteroscopic resection could help reduce risk during the procedure of hysteroscopic resection.
Enhancing ablation effects of a microbubble contrast agent on high‐intensity focused ultrasound: an experimental and clinical study
Authors: Cheng C , Xiao Z , Huang G , Zhang L , Bai J
Published: September 2017

Objective

To investigate the relationship between SonoVue ablation enhancement effects on high‐intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and the concentration of SonoVue and timing of HIFU.

Design

Two randomised controlled trials.

Setting

An animal centre in a university and a gynaecological department in a university hospital in China.

Population or sample

63 rabbits and 143 patients with a solitary uterine fibroid.

Methods

Among the 63 rabbits, three were assigned to the control group. The other 60 were evenly assigned to three study groups pretreated with 0.03, 0.05 or 0.07 ml/kg of SonoVue before HIFU treatment. Two points in each liver were selected to be treated with HIFU and sonication started at 10, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 250 or 300 seconds after the administration of SonoVue, respectively. The 143 patients with solitary uterine fibroids were assigned to four groups: 30 patients were treated using only HIFU; the other patients were pretreated with same dosage of SonoVue and 32, 38 and 43 were treated with HIFU at 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐minutes after administration of SonoVue, respectively.

Main outcome measures

The relation between SonoVue ablation enhancement effects on HIFU and the concentration of SonoVue and timing of HIFU.

Results

In the experimental study, the highest temperature and the largest necrotic volume in the liver were observed when HIFU sonication started at 60 seconds after administration of SonoVue. In the clinical study, the rate of significant grey‐scale changes in the 1‐minute SonoVue group was significantly greater than in the other three groups. The sonication time to reach massive grey‐scale changes measured in the 1‐minute SonoVue group was significantly shorter than in in the other three groups. The sonication time for ablating 1 cm3 of fibroid volume in the 1‐minute SonoVue group was significantly shorter than in the other three groups. The acoustic energy used in treating 1 mm3 of uterine fibroid in the 1‐minute SonoVue group was significantly less than that used in the other three groups. No major complications occurred in this study.

Conclusions

SonoVue could safely be used to enhance the ablation effects of HIFU treatment, and the optimal time to begin HIFU sonication seems to be 1 minute after the administration of SonoVue.

Tweetable abstract

SonoVue, a microbubble contrast agent, enhanced the ablation effects of HIFU treatment; the optimal time to begin HIFU sonication appears to be 1 minute after the administration of SonoVue.
Data Management Dimensions of Social Water Science: The iUTAH Experience
Authors: Flint Courtney G. , Jones Amber Spackman , Horsburgh Jeffery S.
Published: September 2017

Integrating social and hydrologic sciences for understanding water systems is challenged by data management complexities. Contemporary mandates for open science and data sharing necessitate better understanding of the implications of social science data types. In the context of an interdisciplinary water research program that endeavors to integrate and share social science and biophysical data, we highlight the array of data types and issues associated with social water science. We present a multi‐dimensional classification of social water science data that provides insight into data management considerations for each data type. Recommendations for cyberinfrastructure, planning, and policy are offered.
An Empirical Examination of the Divergence between Managers’ and Analysts’ Earnings Forecasts
Authors: Das Somnath , Kim Kyonghee , Patro Sukesh
Published: September 2017

We study circumstances when analysts’ forecasts diverge from managers’ forecasts after management guidance, and the consequences of this divergence for investors and analysts. Our results show that investors’ return response to earnings surprises based on analyst forecasts is significantly weaker when analyst and management forecasts diverge, and that this attenuating effect is stronger when the management forecast is more credible. When the divergent management forecast is more accurate than the analyst consensus forecast, the subsequent‐quarter analyst consensus forecast is significantly more accurate than that of the current quarter, and exhibits less serial correlation. Overall, our findings suggest that, when analyst and management forecasts diverge, investors find the two sources to contain complementary information, and analysts learn to improve their subsequent forecasts.
Political Identity, Type of Victim, and Hate Crime‐Related Beliefs as Predictors of Views Concerning Hate Crime Penalty Enhancement Laws
Authors: Cramer Robert J. , Laxton Kelsey L. , Chandler Joseph F. , Kehn Andre , Bate Brittany P. , Clark John W.
Published: September 2017

Little empirical work exists examining predictors of support or opposition of hate crime penalty enhancement laws despite such laws remaining a socially and politically contentious issue. Grounded in legal and philosophical arguments concerning hate crime laws, we tested political identity, victim minority status, and hate crime‐related beliefs as predictors of perceptions concerning penalty enhancement laws for bias‐motivated crime. Jury‐eligible Texas community members (n = 382) participating in a community survey of social and legal attitudes took part in the present study. Participants read a vignette of a hate‐motivated homicide that varied victim type (African American, gay, transgender) and answered questions regarding demographics, political identity, and hate crime penalty enhancement support. Qualitatively coded hate crime‐related beliefs yielded the following categories: legal arguments, moral statements, victim‐related beliefs, offender‐related beliefs, and an “other” category. Political identity, legal arguments, victim‐related and offender‐related beliefs all predicted views of penalty enhancement laws in logistic regression analyses. Exploratory mediation tests identified two pathways: (1) political conservatism–legal arguments–penalty enhancement opposition, and (2) political liberalism–offender beliefs–penalty enhancement support. Implications concerning social justice, public policy, trial consultation practice, and future research are discussed.
Teacher spatial skills are linked to differences in geometry instruction
Authors: Otumfuor Beryl Ann , Carr Martha
Published: September 2017

Background

Spatial skills have been linked to better performance in mathematics.

Aim

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teacher spatial skills and their instruction, including teacher content and pedagogical knowledge, use of pictorial representations, and use of gestures during geometry instruction.

Sample

Fifty‐six middle school teachers participated in the study.

Methods

The teachers were administered spatial measures of mental rotations and spatial visualization. Next, a single geometry class was videotaped.

Result

Correlational analyses revealed that spatial skills significantly correlate with teacher's use of representational gestures and content and pedagogical knowledge during instruction of geometry. Spatial skills did not independently correlate with the use of pointing gestures or the use of pictorial representations. However, an interaction term between spatial skills and content and pedagogical knowledge did correlate significantly with the use of pictorial representations. Teacher experience as measured by the number of years of teaching and highest degree did not appear to affect the relationships among the variables with the exception of the relationship between spatial skills and teacher content and pedagogical knowledge.

Conclusion

Teachers with better spatial skills are also likely to use representational gestures and to show better content and pedagogical knowledge during instruction. Spatial skills predict pictorial representation use only as a function of content and pedagogical knowledge.
Human Factors in Streaming Data Analysis: Challenges and Opportunities for Information Visualization
Authors: Dasgupta Aritra , Arendt Dustin L. , Franklin Lyndsey R. , Wong Pak Chung , Cook Kristin A.
Published: September 2017

Real‐world systems change continuously. In domains such as traffic monitoring or cyber security, such changes occur within short time scales. This results in a streaming data problem and leads to unique challenges for the human in the loop, as analysts have to ingest and make sense of dynamic patterns in real time. While visualizations are being increasingly used by analysts to derive insights from streaming data, we lack a thorough characterization of the human‐centred design problems and a critical analysis of the state‐of‐the‐art solutions that exist for addressing these problems. In this paper, our goal is to fill this gap by studying how the state of the art in streaming data visualization handles the challenges and reflect on the gaps and opportunities. To this end, we have three contributions in this paper: (i) problem characterization for identifying domain‐specific goals and challenges for handling streaming data, (ii) a survey and analysis of the state of the art in streaming data visualization research with a focus on how visualization design meets challenges specific to change perception and (iii) reflections on the design trade‐offs, and an outline of potential research directions for addressing the gaps in the state of the art.
Worker Training, Firm Productivity, and Trade Liberalization: Evidence from Chinese Firms
Authors: Liu Qing , Qiu Larry , Yu Miaojie
Published: September 2017

This paper discusses a novel mechanism—worker training—in relation to the effect of output trade liberalization on firm productivity. Using disaggregated Chinese firm‐level production data from 2004 to 2006, we find strong evidence that output trade liberalization boosts firm productivity. More importantly, after controlling for the firm's self‐selection in regards to investment in worker training, our extensive empirical research suggests the following findings. First, with fiercer import competition, firms experience a decrease in profitability and hence are less likely to invest in worker training. Second, less productive firms are more likely to train their workers, as otherwise they would collapse and exit from the market. The lower the firm productivity, the more is invested in the firm's worker training. Finally, the effect of output trade liberalization on firm productivity is more pronounced for firms with more training investment. Such results are robust regardless of various empirical specifications and different measures.
Trade Liberalization, Market Share Reallocation, and Aggregate Productivity: The Case of the Indonesian Manufacturing Industry
Authors: Hayakawa Kazunobu , Matsuura Toshiyuki
Published: September 2017

We investigate how trade liberalization affects aggregate productivity growth, focusing on market reallocation as well as within‐firm productivity improvement. To this end, using Indonesian plant‐level data from 1993 to 2005, we estimate the plant‐level impact of trade liberalization focusing on productivity, output, and the probability to exit. Then, using the simple dynamic simulation method, we calculate the likely impact if tariff rates remain constant in the initial period. Comparing the actual and counterfactual scenarios, our results show that although within‐plant productivity improvement through tariff reduction has a sizable impact on aggregate productivity growth, the contribution of market share reallocation is less significant.
OPTIMAL EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP CONTRACTS UNDER AMBIGUITY AVERSION
Authors: Aubert Nicolas , Ben Ameur Hachmi , Garnotel Guillaume , Prigent Jean‐Luc
Published: September 2017

The aim of this paper is to compute and describe the conditions of an optimal employee ownership contract between an employer and an ambiguity‐averse employee. We then introduce ambiguity aversion in the baseline model of Aubert et al. (2014) using the multiple prior preferences of Gilboa and Schmeidler (1989) and its extension proposed by Maccheroni et al. (2006). This model offers solutions that reconcile labor and financial economics and behavioral economics research findings on employee ownership. The paper focuses on the most common situation where employee ownership has a positive impact on corporate performance, but can also be used as an entrenchment mechanism. We determine the optimal company stock contribution, which corresponds to a perfect subgame Nash equilibrium in the ambiguity framework. Using the framework of Gilboa and Schmeidler (1989), we show that the optimal ownership contract is increasing with respect to the lower bound of the return expectation in the case of a high level of effort, and decreasing with respect to the upper bound of the return expectation in the case of a low level of effort. In the framework of Maccheroni et al. (2006), we prove that if aversion to ambiguity is sufficiently high, then we find the same behavior as in the case of no ambiguity. (JEL G11, G32, G34, J33)
Pulmonary embolism as a complication after abdominal surgery and colitis in a foal
Authors: Edwards R. A. , Frellstedt L.
Published: September 2017

This report describes a fatal pulmonary embolism in a foal, as a sequela of septic thrombophlebitis of the right jugular vein and/or a generalised hypercoagulable state. The foal underwent abdominal surgery and suffered from severe and prolonged colitis. Despite intense supportive care, the colt developed venous thrombophlebitis and subsequently died suddenly 12 days after discharge from the hospital, following an initial improvement. On post‐mortem examination, a large pulmonary embolism was discovered. Pulmonary thromboembolism is a potentially fatal sequelae of thrombus formation. It is difficult to detect and therefore likely to be underdiagnosed.
Fremanezumab as Add‐On Treatment for Patients Treated With Other Migraine Preventive Medicines
Authors: Cohen Joshua M. , Dodick David W. , Yang Ronghua , Newman Lawrence C. , Li Thomas , Aycardi Ernesto , Bigal Marcelo E.
Published: September 2017

Background

Fremanezumab (formerly TEV‐48125) is a monoclonal antibody directed against calcitonin‐gene‐related peptide (CGRP), a validated target for migraine preventive therapy. In two previous phase 2 studies, fremanezumab administered once every 28 days for 12 weeks was found to be effective and safe as a preventive treatment for patients suffering from episodic migraine (EM) and chronic migraine (CM).

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of fremanezumab as an add‐on preventive therapy in individuals with EM and CM who are on stable doses of preventive migraine medications.

Methods

Two randomized placebo‐controlled studies tested once‐monthly subcutaneous injections of various dosing regimens of fremanezumab versus placebo in EM and CM. Headache information was captured daily using an electronic headache diary. For these post hoc analyses, data were pooled from patients who were on stable preventive medications and taking fremanezumab doses of 225 mg or 675/225 mg, or placebo.

Results

The sample consisted of 133 patients, (67 fremanezumab and 66 placebo). Total reduction in migraine days for the duration of the study was 12.4 for fremanezumab and 7.4 for placebo (P = .0321). There were also decreases in moderate/severe headache days (12.5 vs 7.1, P = .0058), and days using acute medication for headaches relative to placebo (11.6 vs 7.5, P = .0414). Treatment emergent adverse events were generally mild and transient, and no serious adverse events were considered to be treatment‐related by the site investigators.

Conclusions

The findings from these post hoc analyses suggest that fremanezumab is a safe and effective add‐on treatment for migraine patients being concomitantly treated with other migraine preventive medications. Trials are registered at Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02025556 and NCT02021773.
BACTERIOLOGICAL STUDIES IN CHRONIC BRONCHITIS
Authors: GANDEVIA BRYAN , COWLING D. C.
Published: September 2017

From patients with chronic bronchitis, either in a small series studied for over a year or in a consecutive series of hospital patients, the common potential pathogens isolated from the sputum were Hæmophilus influenza, Streptococcus pneumoniæ and Escherichia coli.

Among 17 patients, from whose sputum 282 cultures were made over a period of 16 months, three were found whose sputum grew E. coli as the only likely pathogen, and in two others this organism was isolated with notable consistency.

The frequency with which E. coli was found in this study is not solely attributable to previous antibiotic therapy, although influenced by it, and it is considered a significant pathogen in some patients with chronic bronchitis.

It is possible that a variety of organisms usually considered non‐pathogenic may play a part in infecting a mucous membrane already damaged by other agents, such as smoking and atmospheric pollution, and that the less susceptible organisms may assume greater significance after the administration of antibiotics.
THE EFFECT OF ENZYMIC DIGESTION OF FOODS ON THE LIBERATION OF IRON
Authors: SANFORD RONA
Published: September 2017

Raw and cooked liver and cooked blood were submitted in vitro to various enzymic digestions, and the amounts of ferrous and total iron released by the treatments were estimated colorimetrically. The action of trypsin alone on cooked blood made available only one‐third as much iron as did peptic digestion. Tryptic digestion following peptic digestion did not liberate any further iron than had already been released by peptic digestion alone.

All enzymic digestions performed on cooked liver liberated the same amounts of iron, but the quantity released was less than that obtained from the raw materials by the action of acid and pepsin.

In all treatments the bulk of the iron liberated was in the ferrous state.
HOLMES‐ADIE SYNDROME WITH PROGRESSIVE AUTONOMIC DEGENERATION
Authors: BONNIN MARK , SKINNER S. L. , WHELAN R. F.
Published: September 2017

A case is described of coexisting autonomic degeneration and Holmes‐Adie syndrome. Physiological investigations suggest that both conditions are due to post‐ganglionic degeneration of the autonomic nervous system. A common pathogenesis is postulated.
FAMILIAL ENDOCRINE ADENOMATOSIS WITH ULCEROGENIC TUMOUR OF THE PANCREAS
Authors: SAINT E. G. , FINLAY-JONES R. , STEWART H. H.
Published: September 2017

A further instance of the syndrome of familial multiple endocrine adenomatosis is described, an unusual feature being the occurrence in two generations of the less common non‐beta‐cell adenoma of the pancreatic islets, causing in the daughter typical clinical manifestations of the Zollinger‐Ellison syndrome—primary jejunal ulceration and recurrent marginal ulceration, requiring total gastrectomy and pancreatectomy. This patient has also a pituitary tumour, the evidence pointing to a chromophobe adenoma, and may possibly have parathyroid hyperplasia or adenoma. The father of the patient was shown at autopsy to have parathyroid adenomas, a pituitary chromophobe adenoma, adrenal cortical hyperplasia and a pancreatic islet‐cell adenoma morphologically resembling most closely that seen in his surviving issue.
A comprehensive study on compositional and structural changes in 45S5 bioglass products exposed to simulated body fluid
Authors: Montinaro Selena , Desogus Luca , Orrù Roberto , Garroni Sebastiano , Delogu Francesco , Ricci Pier Carlo , Cao Giacomo
Published: September 2017

The interaction of fully dense 45S5‐bioglass derived samples produced by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) with simulated body fluid (SBF) solution was investigated in detail taking advantage of the Rietveld refinement method to quantitatively evidence the corresponding microstructural and compositional changes. It is observed that, when the original amorphous nature is mostly (75 wt%) preserved in the material during sintering (550°C, 2 minutes), the resulting specimens dissolve faster and determine relatively higher pH increase and ions release in the SBF solution. Correspondingly, a relatively lower amount of hydroxycarbonate apatite (HCA) is formed on their surface. In contrast, a more extensive apatite layer with trabecular structure is generated within 3 days storage on the surface of fully crystallized samples obtained at 600°C by SPS, which only consists of Na–Ca silicate grains (20 nm). Moreover, as the sintering temperature and dwell time were increased to 700°C and 20 minutes, respectively, a rhenanite‐like phase was also formed (about 15 wt%), other than crystallites growth to 90 nm. Interestingly, the presence of rhenanite provides a beneficial contribution for the production of the HCA layer, which was found the largest for this system when considering storage periods of 7 and 14 days, respectively.
Oral melanoma and other pigmentations: when to biopsy?
Authors: Lambertini M. , Patrizi A. , Fanti P.A. , Melotti B. , Caliceti U. , Magnoni C. , Misciali C. , Baraldi C. , Ravaioli G.M. , Dika E.
Published: September 2017

Oral pigmentations (OPs) are often neglected, although a meticulous examination of the oral cavity is important not only in the diagnosis of oral melanoma, but also for the detection of important clinical findings that may indicate the presence of a systemic disease. OPs may be classified into two major groups on the basis of their clinical appearance: focal and diffuse pigmentations, even though this distinction may not appear so limpid in some cases. The former include amalgam tattoo, melanocytic nevi, melanoacanthoma and melanosis, while the latter include physiological/racial pigmentations, smoker's melanosis, drug‐induced hyperpigmentations, postinflammatory hyperpigmentations and OPs associated with systemic diseases. We will discuss the most frequent OPs and the differential diagnosis with oral mucosal melanoma (OMM), underlining the most frequent lesions that need to undergo a bioptic examination and lesions that could be proposed for a sequential follow‐up.
History rather than hybridization determines population structure and adaptation in Populus balsamifera
Authors: Meirmans P. G. , Godbout J. , Lamothe M. , Thompson S. L. , Isabel N.
Published: September 2017

Hybridization between species is known to greatly affect their genetic diversity and, therefore, their evolution. Also, within species, there may be genetic clusters between which gene flow is limited, which may impact natural selection. However, few studies have looked simultaneously at the influence of among‐species and within‐species gene flow. Here, we study the influence of hybridization between Populus balsamifera and Populus trichocarpa on population structure and adaptation in P. balsamifera. We did this by sampling a total of 1517 individuals from across the ranges of these two species, and by genotyping them using a combination of 93 nuclear and 17 cpDNA SNPs. We found that hybridization is mostly limited to the contact zone where the species’ distributions overlap. Within P. balsamifera, we found multiple levels of population structure. Interestingly, the border between the Eastern and Central clusters is very sharp, whereas the border between the Central and Western clusters is diffuse. Outlier analysis revealed that three loci associated with the sharp border were also associated with climate. We hypothesize that the observed clusters derive from three refugia during the Pleistocene ice ages. Between the Central and Western clusters, post‐glacial long‐distance gene flow has led to the diffusion of their border. In the Eastern cluster, we hypothesize that endogenous genomic barriers have developed, leading to the sharp border and a spurious climate association. We conclude that the large‐scale genetic structure of P. balsamifera is mostly shaped by historical factors and the influence of interspecific hybridization is limited.
Structured Constructs Models Based on Change‐Point Analysis
Authors: Shin Hyo Jeong , Wilson Mark , Choi In‐Hee
Published: September 2017

This study proposes a structured constructs model (SCM) to examine measurement in the context of a multidimensional learning progression (LP). The LP is assumed to have features that go beyond a typical multidimentional IRT model, in that there are hypothesized to be certain cross‐dimensional linkages that correspond to requirements between the levels of the different dimensions. The new model builds on multidimensional item response theory models and change‐point analysis to add cut‐score and discontinuity parameters that embody these substantive requirements. This modeling strategy allows us to place the examinees in the appropriate LP level and simultaneously to model the hypothesized requirement relations. Results from a simulation study indicate that the proposed change‐point SCM recovers the generating parameters well. When the hypothesized requirement relations are ignored, the model fit tends to become worse, and the model parameters appear to be more biased. Moreover, the proposed model can be used to find validity evidence to support or disprove initial theoretical hypothesized links in the LP through empirical data. We illustrate the technique with data from an assessment system designed to measure student progress in a middle‐school statistics and modeling curriculum.
IMPORTANCE OF THE FUND MANAGEMENT COMPANY IN THE PERFORMANCE OF SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE MUTUAL FUNDS
Authors: Belghitar Yacine , Clark Ephraim , Deshmukh Nitin
Published: September 2017

We compare the performance of a sample of U.K.‐based socially responsible investment (SRI) funds with similar conventional funds using a matched‐pair analysis based on size, age, investment universe, and fund management company (FMC). We find that both the SRI and conventional funds outperform the market index about 50% of the time, even after fees. Subsample tests show that the SRI funds in our sample perform better in the pre‐ and postfinancial crisis periods but underperform during the financial crisis period. Importantly, we find that the FMC plays a major role in the outperformance of both SRI and conventional funds.
Use of antidepressive agents as a possibility in the management of periodontal diseases: A systematic review of experimental studies
Authors: Muniz Francisco Wilker Mustafa Gomes , Melo Iracema Matos , Rösing Cassiano Kuchenbecker , de Andrade Geanne Matos , Martins Ricardo Souza , Moreira Maria Mônica Studart Mendes , Carvalho Rosimary de Sousa
Published: September 2017

Antidepressant agents have anti‐inflammatory functions that could be interesting as adjuvants in periodontal therapy. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effect of antidepressive drugs in the management of periodontal disease. The MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, LILACS, and SciELO databases were searched. To be included, the studies had to be experimental studies; randomized, controlled; double‐blinded; or blinded studies. A total of 565 articles were initially searched, of which five were selected for the systematic review. All studies used rats, and three different drugs were evaluated: tianeptine, venlafaxine, and fluoxetine. Two of these studies evaluated the effect of antidepressive agents in rats submitted to both ligature‐induced periodontitis and depression models, showing that depressive rats had greater alveolar bone loss (ABL). Only the venlafaxine study was not able to find any significant ABL reduction in the group that used this antidepressive drug. The other four studies showed statistically‐significant differences, favoring the group with the antidepressant agent. Treatments that are able to modulate the brain‐neuroendocrine‐immune system could be used as an adjuvant to periodontal disease management. However, studies on humans and animals are scarce, limiting the conclusion of a positive effect in the present systematic review.
Correlation of CD4 count with cariogenic oral flora indicators and dental caries in HIV‐seropositive children undergoing antiretroviral therapy in Mangaluru, South India
Authors: Muraleedharan Soumya , Panchmal Ganesh Shenoy , Shenoy Rekha P. , Jodalli Praveen , Sonde Laxminarayan , Pasha Imran
Published: September 2017

Aim

The aim of the present study was to compare the association of CD4 count with cariogenic oral flora indicators and dental caries in HIV‐seropositive children receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Methods

A descriptive study was conducted among HIV‐seropositive children receiving ART at Snehasadan Camillian Care and Support Center HIV/AIDS in Mangaluru, India. Demographic details and r recent CD4 counts were recorded. For dental caries, the Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth (DMFT)/decayed, missing, filled/decayed, extracted, filled index was used. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Spearman's correlation was used to correlate CD4 count with dental caries and cariogenic oral flora indicators (mutans streptococci and lactobacilli).

Results

The study population comprised 35 patients. Dental caries prevalence was 54.1% in deciduous teeth and 41.2% in permanent teeth. Age and DMFT showed a significant, positive correlation; age and dmft showed a negative correlation (P < .05). A weak, negative correlation was found between age and Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), and also CD4 count; S. mutans and CD4 count and dmft were not found to be statistically significant (P < .05).

Conclusion

No statistically‐significant correlation was found between CD4 count and cariogenic oral flora indicators in HIV‐positive patients. The presence of a minimum number of restored teeth compared to decayed teeth suggests a lack of dental care being given to HIV‐positive patients.
Immunophenotype of Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes in Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Galler A. , Rütgen B.C. , Haas E. , Saalmüller A. , Hirt R.A. , Gerner W. , Schwendenwein I. , Richter B. , Thalhammer J.G. , Luckschander‐Zeller N.
Published: September 2017

Background

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is common in dogs. Despite the known importance of intestinal lymphocytes in its pathogenesis, little is known about the role of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) inIBD.

Objectives

The aims of this study were (1) comparison ofPBLs analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM) inIBDdogs and healthy controls and (2) comparison ofPBLs inIBDdogs at the time of diagnosis and in dogs in clinical remission.

Animals

Whole blood samples of 19IBDdogs at the time of diagnosis and blood samples of 6 dogs in clinical remission were collected. Ten healthy dogs served as controls.

Methods

In this prospective observational study,PBLs were analyzed with multicolorFCMby staining with a panel of anticanine and cross‐reactive monoclonal antibodies against T‐ and B‐cell differentiation antigens, includingCD45,CD3,CD4,CD8α,CD8β,TCRαβ,TCRγδ,CD79αcy, andCD21.

Results

TheIBDpatients’PBLs had significantly decreased percentages ofTCRγδ+T lymphocytes (median: healthy dogs, 3.32;IBDdogs, 0.97;P= 0.03) andCD21+B cells (median: healthy dogs, 27.61;IBDdogs, 17.26;P= 0.04). There were no significant differences inPBLs between pretreatment and follow‐up samples.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

The differences betweenPBLs in healthy andIBDdogs analyzed byFCMindicate an imbalance of lymphocytes with different immunologic functions and emphasize the potential value of this technique in a larger cohort of dogs. ThePBLs did not differ betweenIBDdogs before treatment and clinically well‐controlled dogs after treatment.
Intermineral oxygen three‐isotope systematics of silicate minerals in equilibrated ordinary chondrites
Authors: McDougal David , Nakashima Daisuke , Tenner Travis J. , Kita Noriko T. , Valley John W. , Noguchi Takaaki
Published: September 2017

High‐precision oxygen three‐isotope ratios were measured for four mineral phases (olivine, low‐Ca and high‐Ca pyroxene, and plagioclase) in equilibrated ordinary chondrites (EOCs) using a secondary ion mass spectrometer. Eleven EOCs were studied that cover all groups (H, L, LL) and petrologic types (4, 5, 6), including S1–S4 shock stages, as well as unbrecciated and brecciated meteorites. SIMS analyses of multiple minerals were made in close proximity (mostly <100 μm) from several areas in each meteorite thin section, to evaluate isotope exchange among minerals. Oxygen isotope ratios in each mineral become more homogenized as petrologic type increases with the notable exception of brecciated samples. In type 4 chondrites, oxygen isotope ratios of olivine and low‐Ca pyroxene are heterogeneous in both δ18O and Δ17O, showing similar systematics to those in type 3 chondrites. In type 5 and 6 chondrites, oxygen isotope ratios of the four mineral phases plot along mass‐dependent fractionation lines that are consistent with the bulk average Δ17O of each chondrite group. The δ18O of three minerals, low‐Ca and high‐Ca pyroxene and plagioclase, are consistent with equilibrium fractionation at temperatures of 700–1000 °C. In most cases the δ18O values of olivine are higher than those expected from pyroxene and plagioclase, suggesting partial retention of premetamorphic values due to slower oxygen isotope diffusion in olivine than pyroxene during thermal metamorphism in ordinary chondrite parent bodies.
The noble gas concentrations of the Martian meteorites GRV 99027 and paired NWA 7906/NWA 7907
Authors: Stephenson Peter C. , Lin Yangting , Leya Ingo
Published: September 2017

Here we present the isotopic concentrations of He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe for the three Martian meteorites, namely Grove Mountains 99027 (GRV 99027), Northwest Africa 7906 (NWA 7906), and Northwest Africa 7907 (NWA 7907). The cosmic ray exposure (CRE) age for GRV 99027 of 5.7 ± 0.4 Ma (1σ) is consistent with CRE ages for other poikilitic basaltic shergottites and suggests that all were ejected in a single event ~5.6 Ma ago. After correcting for an estimated variable sodium concentration, the CRE ages for NWA 7906 and NWA 7907 of 5.4 ± 0.4 and 4.9 ± 0.4 Ma (1σ), respectively, are in good agreement with the CRE age of ~5 Ma favored by Cartwright et al. () for NWA 7034. The data, therefore, support the conclusion that all three basaltic regolith breccias are paired. The 40Ar gas retention age for NWA 7907 of ~1.3 Ga is in accord with Cartwright et al. (). For NWA 7906, we were unable to determine a 40Ar gas retention age. The 4He gas retention ages for NWA 7906 and 7907 are in the range of 200 Ma and are much shorter than the 40Ar gas retention age of NWA 7907, indicating that about 86–88% of the radiogenic 4He has been lost. The Kr and Xe isotopic concentrations in GRV 99027 are composed almost exclusively of Martian interior (MI) gases, while for NWA 7906 and NWA 7907, they indicate gases from the MI, elementally fractionated air, and possibly Martian atmosphere.
The London Peace Society and Absolutist–Reformist Relations within the Peace Movement, 1816–1939
Authors: Ceadel Martin
Published: September 2017

This article revisits the author's pioneering archival work on the world's leading peace association of the nineteenth century, the London Peace Society (LPS), to focus on its distinctive strategy for dealing with the fact that from the outset, the peace movement had two distinct wings, absolutist (the small core of pacifists) and reformist (the rather larger penumbra of pacificists). Unlike other early such associations, which adopted different membership strategies, the LPS catered to both wings but in a two‐tier hierarchy: Its top tier, the national committee that determined its policy, was strictly pacifist and rejected even defensive war, but no such stringency of belief was required of the bottom tier of ordinary members, which therefore contained many pacificists. Top‐tier pacifism served the LPS well for half a century, in particular enabling it to outperform its American counterpart, but for the next half‐century caused it to fall between two stools by disappointing absolutists as well as reformists. It was tacitly abandoned as the LPS plunged into steep decline on passing its centenary and was repudiated on the eve of the Second World War.
Red Flecks on a White Suit: Mark Twain on Military Intervention and the Responsibility to Protect (R2P)
Authors: Leitch David G.
Published: September 2017

The ongoing Syrian civil war represents only the latest of a line of moments in which the global political community is asked to engage in militarized humanitarian intervention. International relations and human rights scholars have articulated a number of models for guiding policymakers, including most recently the concept of a Responsibility to Protect (R2P). While R2P finds considerable support among policy makers, scholarly critics argue that R2P insufficiently restrains state actors from engaging in imperial projects under a humanitarian guise. I turn in this article to an unusual resource for thinking through these issues: the writings of Mark Twain (1835–1910). Twain, well known for his anti‐imperial activism in his later years, grappled throughout his life with questions of when and how violence used toward political ends could be appropriate. His writings offer contemporary scholars engaged in the debate over R2P and intervention generally a unique perspective on both the normative questions and a possible alternative model for justifying foreign intervention: reliance on nonstate actors exclusively.
“Sport Is a School of Peace”: Sports for Development, the Francis Effect, and New Directions in Catholic Peacebuilding
Authors: Barbieri William A.
Published: September 2017

Programs combining peace and development work with sports have begun to proliferate in the global Catholic community, and Pope Francis has lent his considerable popularity to efforts to integrate the pursuits of sports, religion, and peace. This article proposes that the conditions are in place for the growth of a vibrant Catholic sports‐for‐peace movement. These conditions include (1) a burgeoning international sector using sports to enhance human development and peace, (2) the involvement of Catholic advocacy for peace and social justice in the emergence of innovative approaches and techniques in the field of peacebuilding, and (3) an ongoing tradition of Catholic training and values with respect to sports. The article concludes with a consideration of both prospects and challenges for the enterprise of Catholic peacebuilding through sports.
Experimental Investigation of Drying Thymus Cut Leaves in Indirect Solar Dryer With Phase Change Material
Authors: El-Sebaii A. A. , Shalaby S. M.
Published: September 2017

In this work, the indirect solar drier (IDSD) is used for drying Thymus by using four techniques. First, the whole leaves of Thymus are dried using the IDSD without using phase change material (PCM). The obtained results of this experiment show that the moisture content of Thymus leaves decreases slowly in the first three days, which is considered abnormal behavior compared with most studied dried plants in the literature. In order to reduce the drying time, the Thymus leaves are cut before drying without using the PCM. The results indicated that cutting Thymus leaves reduces the drying time by 55.6%. To increase the operating time of the IDSD and control the drying temperature as well, the IDSD is integrated with paraffin wax as a PCM. This reduces the drying time of cut leaves by 50% compared with the system without using the PCM. Moreover, eleven mathematical models are tested in order to select the best one describing the drying behavior of whole and cut leaves in the IDSD without and with using the PCM. As a result of the abnormal behavior of drying Thymus, most of the examined mathematical models failed to describe the drying behavior of Thymus satisfactory. Therefore, a new mathematical model (four-parameter logistic model) is introduced aimed to well describe the drying behavior of Thymus.
Source localization in an ocean waveguide using supervised machine learning
Authors: Niu Haiqiang , Reeves Emma , Gerstoft Peter
Published: September 2017

Source localization in ocean acoustics is posed as a machine learning problem in which data-driven methods learn source ranges directly from observed acoustic data. The pressure received by a vertical linear array is preprocessed by constructing a normalized sample covariance matrix and used as the input for three machine learning methods: feed-forward neural networks (FNN), support vector machines (SVM), and random forests (RF). The range estimation problem is solved both as a classification problem and as a regression problem by these three machine learning algorithms. The results of range estimation for the Noise09 experiment are compared for FNN, SVM, RF, and conventional matched-field processing and demonstrate the potential of machine learning for underwater source localization.