bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knockdown of Myosin 6 inhibits proliferation of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells
Authors: Zhang Xinyu , Huang Zhiquan , Hu Yongjie , Liu Liu
Published: August 2016

Background

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for 95% of all oral cancer with higher mortality and morbidity rates worldwide. However, the potential molecular mechanism of OSCC remains largely unclear. Myosin VI (MYO6) is a unique actin motor and reported to be overexpressed in several cancers. This study aims to examine the functional relationship between OSCC and MYO6.

Methods

The mRNA expression of MYO6 was firstly investigated by analyzing data derived from Oncomine database. On the basis of the results, the expression of MYO6 was knocked down using lentivirus‐delivered RNA interference in human OSCC cell line CAL27, as confirmed by qPCR and Western blot analysis. Stable MYO6 knockdown cells were employed to determine the effects of MYO6‐silencing on cell growth by MTT, colony formation and cell cycle distribution and apoptosis by flow cytometry assay. Moreover, the expressions of cell apoptotic proteins were examined by Western blot analysis.

Results

We first observed MYO6 was overexpressed in tongue squamous cell carcinoma TSCC belongs to OSCC, compared with normal tissues. For cellular analysis, shRNA sequences against MYO6 could efficiently reduce its expression in CAL27 cells. Knockdown of MYO6 significantly decreased cell proliferation, caused cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase, and promoted cell apoptosis. Moreover, cell apoptosis‐associated proteins, caspase‐3 and PARP, were obviously upregulated in CAL27 after MYO6‐silencing.

Conclusion

MYO6 could play an essential role in the growth of OSCC cells via regulation of cell cycle progression and apoptosis.
Effects of polyphenol‐rich plant products from grape or hop as feed supplements on the expression of inflammatory, antioxidative, cytoprotective and endoplasmic reticulum stress‐related genes and the antioxidative status in the liver of piglets
Authors: Gessner D. K. , Bonarius M. , Most E. , Fiesel A. , Eder K.
Published: August 2016

Recent studies have shown that supplementation of plant products rich in polyphenols exerts anti‐inflammatory effects in the small intestine and improves feed conversion in piglets. This study aimed to investigate whether dietary polyphenols have also anti‐inflammatory and cytoprotective effects in the liver of piglets. For this end, relative mRNA concentrations of eight genes involved in proinflammatory pathways, eight genes involved in the antioxidative and cytoprotective system, six genes of phase I and phase II metabolism and 15 genes of the unfolded protein response (triggered by stress of the endoplasmic reticulum) in the liver of pigs fed diets supplemented with either 1% of grape seed and grape marc meal extract (GME) or 1% spent hops (SH) as sources of polyphenols were determined. Relative mRNA concentrations of almost all these genes, with few exceptions, in the liver of pigs supplemented with GME or SH did not differ from those in the liver of control piglets. Gene expression data were validated by consideration of concentrations of some selected proteins of these pathways which also did not differ between piglets supplemented with GME or SH and control piglets. Moreover, concentrations of thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substances and tocopherols as well as the total antioxidant capacity in liver and plasma did not differ between pigs supplemented with either GME or SH and control piglets. Overall, this study shows that supplementation of GME or SH as sources of polyphenols does not influence hepatic pathways linked to inflammation, the antioxidant and cytoprotective system, stress of the endoplasmic reticulum and the xenobiotic system in healthy piglets.
Recent changes in alpine vegetation differ among plant communities
Authors: Gritsch Alexander , Dirnböck Thomas , Dullinger Stefan
Published: August 2016

Aim

Reports on recent changes in high‐mountain vegetation are mostly based on re‐surveys of mountaintop floras. Summits are very specific habitats, however, and detected trends may not necessarily represent alpine vegetation in general. Here, we analyse re‐samples of three prevalent plant communities in non‐summit alpine habitats (snowbeds, two grassland types).

Location

Northeastern European Alps.

Methods

In 2013 we re‐sampled a total of 91 relevés of three plant communities from the 1990s. We compared original and re‐samples in terms of species richness (α‐diversity), pair‐wise compositional dissimilarity (β‐diversity) and species pool size (γ‐diversity). Moreover, we calculated mean ecological indicator values (temperature, moisture, nutrient status and soil acidity) as well as potential plant height for each of the 182 relevés. Differences in species pool sizes between the two sampling campaigns were evaluated by randomization tests based on rarefaction curves. In all other cases, differences were compared using paired t‐tests or Kruskal–Wallis tests.

Results

Of all the community attributes analysed, changes were most consistent with respect to increasing mean species' temperature indicator values. Mean potential plant height also increased slightly in all three communities, but differences were statistically significant only in the case of Carex sempervirens grasslands. Changes in species richness varied among communities, with only the Carex firma grasslands accumulating significantly more species at both the local and regional scales. For the other two plant communities, α‐ and γ‐diversity remained constant, but β‐diversity increased. Indicator values other than temperature either did not change or changed idiosyncratically in the different communities.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that some long‐term changes occurred in high mountain grassland and snowbed vegetation of the study area. Consistent changes in mean species' temperature indicator values suggest that climate warming was an important driver. However, trends in biodiversity metrics differed substantially between the studied communities. We conclude that recent increase in species numbers commonly reported from temperate and boreal mountaintops cannot readily be generalized to all temperate and boreal high‐mountain vegetation.
Land use as a filter for species composition in Amazonian secondary forests
Authors: Jakovac Catarina C. , Bongers Frans , Kuyper Thomas W. , Mesquita Rita C.G. , Peña‐Claros Marielos
Published: August 2016

Questions

Secondary succession in the tropics can follow alternative pathways. Land‐use history is known to engender alternative successional communities, but the underlying mechanisms driving and sustaining divergence remain unclear. In this study we aim to answer the following questions: (1) does previous land use act as a filter for species composition in secondary forests; and (2) what are the relative roles of management practices, soil properties and landscape composition in determining species composition?

Location

Central Amazon, Brazil.

Methods

We sampled trees, shrubs and palms (≥1cm diameter) in 38 early secondary forests (5 yr after abandonment) located along gradients of land‐use intensity in five shifting cultivation landscapes. We measured the diameter and height of each sampled plant, identified it to species or morpho‐species level and checked if it was resprouting or not. At each secondary forest we also collected soil samples for chemical and physical analyses and estimated the amount of old‐growth forest surrounding it (landscape composition).

Results

We found that previous land‐use intensity determined species composition. With increasing land‐use intensity, management practices of cut‐and‐burn and associated reduction in soil quality filtered out seed‐dependent species and favoured strong sprouters and species that can cope with low nutrient availability. Landscape composition had a weak effect on species assemblages. We found specific species assemblages and indicator species associated with different levels of previous land‐use intensity. As a consequence of these local filters, species α‐ and β‐diversity decreased and therefore early successional communities became more similar to each other.

Conclusion

Species composition of successional forests is strongly determined by different land‐use intensities. Dispersal limitation has a limited effect on determining the composition of the dominant species. Filtering effects of management practices and soil quality determine the species dominating the canopy at early stages of succession and narrow down the range of species able to colonize and establish. This study highlights how land use shapes successional communities and suggests that alternative successional pathways are determined at early stages of succession. Therefore, accounting for land‐use history is crucial to improve the understanding of tropical secondary succession. We present a list of indicator species for different levels of previous land‐use intensity that can be used to support conservation and restoration decisions in the Amazon.
Legislative Fragmentation and Government Spending in Presidential Democracies: Bringing Ideological Polarization into the Picture
Authors: Eslava Marcela , Nupia Oskar
Published: August 2016

We claim that, in presidential democracies, the effect of increasing fragmentation on government spending should be conditional on polarization, defined as the ideological distance between the government's party and other parties in Congress. We build a model where this result follows from negotiations between the legislature and an independent government seeking the approval of its initiatives—as in presidential democracies. Using cross‐country data over time, we test the empirical validity of our claim finding that, in presidential democracies, there is indeed a positive effect of fragmentation only when polarization is sufficiently high. The same is not true for parliamentary democracies.
Spatial patterns of self‐recruitment of a coral reef fish in relation to island‐scale retention mechanisms
Authors: Beldade Ricardo , Holbrook Sally J. , Schmitt Russell J. , Planes Serge , Bernardi Giacomo
Published: August 2016

Oceanographic features influence the transport and delivery of marine larvae, and physical retention mechanisms, such as eddies, can enhance self‐recruitment (i.e. the return of larvae to their natal population). Knowledge of exact locations of hatching (origin) and settlement (arrival) of larvae of reef animals provides a means to compare observed patterns of self‐recruitment ‘connectivity’ with those expected from water circulation patterns. Using parentage inference based on multiple sampling years in Moorea, French Polynesia, we describe spatial and temporal variation in self‐recruitment of the anemonefish Amphiprion chrysopterus, evaluate the consistency of net dispersal distances of self‐recruits against the null expectation of passive particle dispersal and test the hypothesis that larvae originating in certain reef habitats (lagoons and passes) would be retained and thus more likely to self‐recruit than those originating on the outer (fore) reef. Estimates of known self‐recruitment were consistent across the sampling years (~25–27% of sampled recruits). For most (88%) of these self‐recruits, the net distance between hatching and settlement locations was within the maximum dispersal distance expected for a neutrally buoyant passive particle based on the longest duration of the larval dispersive phase and the average direction and speed of current flow around Moorea. Furthermore, a parent of a given body size on the outer (fore) reef of Moorea was less likely to produce self‐recruits than those in passes. Our findings show that even a simple dispersal model based on net average flow and direction of alongshore currents can provide insight into landscape‐scale retention patterns of reef fishes.
Geographic distribution of patients affected by Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii species complexes meningitis, pigeon and tree populations in Southern Brazil
Authors: Spina‐Tensini Tallulah , Muro Marisol Dominguez , Queiroz‐Telles Flávio , Strozzi Isabella , Moraes Samia Talise , Petterle Ricardo Rasmussen , Vettorello Marcelo , Staudacher Claudia , Miguez Luiz Alberto Lopes , de Almeida Sérgio Monteiro
Published: August 2016

Cryptococcal meningitis is mainly caused by members of the C. neoformans/C. gattii species complexes. The ecological niches of Cryptococcus species have extensively been studied, but its epidemiological relationship with meningitis cases is still unknown. In this study, we estimate the relationship between cryptococcal meningitis cases and tree and pigeon populations, the classical niches of members of C. neoformans/C. gattii sensu lato. We analysed the records of every patient whose cerebrospinal fluid culture yielded Cryptococcus spp. during the last 30 years at Clinical Hospital of Curitiba. Data about Curitiba′s pigeon and tree distribution were obtained from Curitiba′s Secretaries of Zoonosis and Environment archives. We used ArcGis9 software to plot the distribution of the pigeon and tree populations in this city as well as cryptococcal meningitis cases, distinguishing them according to the causal agent in C. neoformans or C. gattii s.l. In total, 489 cryptococcal cultures were documented, with 140 corresponding to patients eligible for this study (134 affected by C. neoformans s.l. and 6 by C. gattii s.l.). The map showed a relationship between C. neoformans s.l. patients and pigeon population. C. gattii s.l. patients were associated with neither tree nor pigeon populations, but lived close to large unbuilt, unforested areas.
Economic evaluation of azoles as primary prophylaxis for the prevention of invasive fungal infections in Spanish patients undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant
Authors: Solano Carlos , Slavin Monica , Shaul Alissa J. , Marks David I. , Cordonnier Catherine , Cornely Oliver A. , Pagliuca Antonio , Cragin Lael , Jarque Isidro , Garcia‐Vidal Carolina , Sorensen Sonja , Vanness David J. , Charbonneau Claudie , Barrueta Jon Andoni , Peral Carmen , De Salas‐Cansado Marina , Bow Eric J.
Published: August 2016

Patients undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) are at risk of developing invasive fungal infections (IFIs). Even with introduction of oral triazole antifungal agents (fluconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole and voriconazole) IFI‐associated morbidity and mortality rates and economic burden remain high. Despite their proven efficacy, it is currently unknown which is the most cost‐effective antifungal prophylaxis (AFP) agent. To determine the costs and outcomes associated with AFP, a decision‐analytic model was used to simulate treatment in a hypothetical cohort of 1000 patients undergoing alloHSCT from the perspective of the Spanish National Health System. Generic itraconazole was the least costly AFP (€162) relative to fluconazole (€500), posaconazole oral suspension (€8628) or voriconazole (€6850). Compared with posaconazole, voriconazole was associated with the lowest number of breakthrough IFIs (36 vs 60); thus, the model predicted fewer deaths from breakthrough IFI for voriconazole (24) than posaconazole (33), and the lowest predicted costs associated with other licensed antifungal treatment and IFI treatment in a cohort of 1000. Voriconazole resulted in cost savings of €4707 per patient compared with posaconazole. Itraconazole demonstrated a high probability of being cost‐effective. As primary AFP in alloHSCT patients 180 days posttransplant, voriconazole was more likely to be cost‐effective than posaconazole regarding cost per additional IFI and additional death avoided.
The gastrointestinal tract – a central organ of cannabinoid signaling in health and disease
Authors: Hasenoehrl C. , Taschler U. , Storr M. , Schicho R.
Published: August 2016

Background

In ancient medicine, extracts of the marijuana plant Cannabis sativa were used against diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Today, our knowledge of the ingredients of the Cannabis plant has remarkably advanced enabling us to use a variety of herbal and synthetic cannabinoid (CB) compounds to study the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a physiologic entity that controls tissue homeostasis with the help of endogenously produced CBs and their receptors. After many anecdotal reports suggested beneficial effects of Cannabis in GI disorders, it was not surprising to discover that the GI tract accommodates and expresses all the components of the ECS. Cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands, the endocannabinoids, participate in the regulation of GI motility, secretion, and the maintenance of the epithelial barrier integrity. In addition, other receptors, such as the transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1), the peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and the G‐protein coupled receptor 55 (GPR55), are important participants in the actions of CBs in the gut and critically determine the course of bowel inflammation and colon cancer.

Purpose

The following review summarizes important and recent findings on the role of CB receptors and their ligands in the GI tract with emphasis on GI disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and colon cancer.
Imagining Experiences
Authors: Langland‐Hassan Peter
Published: August 2016

It is often held that in imagining experiences we exploit a special imagistic way of representing mentality—one that enables us to think about mental states in terms of what it is like to have them. According to some, when this way of thinking about the mind is paired with more objective means, an explanatory gap between the phenomenal and physical features of mental states arises. This paper advances a view along those lines, but with a twist. What many take for a special imagistic way of thinking about experiences is instead a special way of misconstruing them. It is this tendency to misrepresent experiences through the use of imagery that gives rise to the appearance of an explanatory gap. The pervasiveness and tenacity of this misrepresentational reflex can be traced to its roots in a particular heuristic for monitoring and remembering the mental states of others. The arguments together amount to a new path for defending the transparency of perceptual experience.
Dispersal duration mediates selection on offspring size
Authors: Svanfeldt Karin , Monro Keyne , Marshall Dustin J.
Published: August 2016

Offspring size varies at all levels of organisation, among species, mothers and clutches. This variation is thought to be the result of a tradeoff between offspring quality and quantity, where larger offspring perform better but are more costly to produce. Local environmental conditions alter the benefits of increased offspring size and thereby mediate selection on this trait. For sessile organisms, dispersal is a crucial part of the offspring phase, and in animals, bigger offspring tend to better endure longer dispersal distances than smaller offspring because they have more energy. Theory predicts that increasing distances between suitable habitats strengthens selection for larger offspring. We manipulated the dispersal duration of offspring of different sizes in the bryozoan Watersipora subtorquata and then examined the relationship between offspring size and post‐metamorphic performance in the field. We found that selection on offspring size is altered by larval experience. Larger offspring had higher post‐settlement performance if the larval period was short but, contrary to current theory, performed worse when the larval period was extended. The reversal of the relationship between offspring size and performance by extending the larval phase in Watersipora may be due to the way in which offspring size affects growth in this species. Regardless of the mechanism, it appears that experiences in one life‐history stage alter selection on offspring size in another stage, even when they occupy identical habitats as adults.
The influence of age on positions of the conus medullaris, Tuffier's line, dural sac, and sacrococcygeal membrane in infants, children, adolescents, and young adults
Authors: Jung Ji‐Yun , Kim Eun‐Hee , Song In‐Kyung , Lee Ji‐Hyun , Kim Hee‐Soo , Kim Jin‐Tae
Published: August 2016

Background

The purpose of this study was to analyze the distances between the conus medullaris and the Tuffier's line, and between the dural sac and the sacrococcygeal membrane (SCM) in the same pediatric population.

Methods

Spinal magnetic resonance images and simple X‐ray images of 350 patients aged from 1 month to 20 years were reviewed. Positions of the conus medullaris, Tuffier's line, the dural sac, and the SCM were identified. Each position was recorded in relation to the corresponding vertebral body segments. The distances between the conus medullaris and Tuffier's line, and between the dural sac and the SCM, were measured and then assessed according to age using an analysis of variance and a linear regression analysis.

Results

The median levels of the conus medullaris and Tuffier's line were in the lower third of L1 [the first lumbar vertebral body] and the middle third of L5, respectively. The levels of the conus medullaris and Tuffier's line were lower in younger populations. The distance between the conus medullaris and Tuffier's line ranged from 1.5 to 4.75 vertebral body height. However, a narrow range of 1.5–2.5 vertebral height was observed only in children younger than 2 years. The level of the dural sac did not differ greatly by age, but the upper limit of the SCM was lower in older populations. The distance between the dural sac and the upper limit of the SCM increased with age.

Conclusions

In children, there is a distance of 1.5–4.75 vertebral body height between the conus medullaris and the Tuffier's line. However, these distances were narrower among younger populations. The distance between the dural sac and the upper limit of the SCM increased with age.
Differential effect of exposure‐based therapy and cognitive therapy on post‐traumatic stress disorder symptom clusters: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Horesh Danny , Qian Meng , Freedman Sara , Shalev Arieh
Published: August 2016

A question remains regarding differential effects of exposure‐based versus non‐exposure‐based therapies on specific post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom clusters. Traumatized emergency room patients were randomized to receive prolonged exposure (PE) or cognitive therapy (CT) without exposure. PE/CT had no differential effect on individual symptom clusters, and change in total PTSD score remained significant even after controlling for the reductions in all three symptom clusters. In addition, baseline levels of PTSD avoidance/intrusion/hyperarousal did not moderate the effects of PE and CT on total PTSD symptom scores. Taken together, these findings challenge the notion that PE and CT are specifically, and differentially, useful in treating one particular PTSD symptom cluster.

Practitioner points

Despite their different theoretical backgrounds and techniques, the notion that PE and CT (without exposure) target different PTSD symptoms was not confirmed in this study. Thus, both interventions may in fact be equally effective for treating intrusion, avoidance and hyperarousal symptoms.

Baseline levels of avoidance, intrusion and hyperarousal may not be good a priori indicators for PTSD treatment selection.

The effect of PE and CT on PTSD as a whole does not seem to depend on a reduction in any specific symptom cluster.

These findings indicate that exposure and non‐exposure interventions may lead to similar results in terms of reductions in specific PTSD symptoms. It is quite possible that individual PTSD clusters may respond to therapy in an inter‐related fashion, with one cluster affecting the other.
Installation of multiple automated external defibrillators to prevent sudden death in school‐aged children
Authors: Higaki Takashi , Chisaka Toshiyuki , Moritani Tomozo , Ohta Masaaki , Takata Hidemi , Yamauchi Toshifumi , Yamaguchi Youhei , Konishi Kyoko , Yamamoto Eiichi , Ochi Fumihiro , Eguchi Mariko , Eguchi‐Ishimae Minenori , Mitani Yoshihide , Ishii Eiichi
Published: August 2016

Background

Recently, a student died of idiopathic ventricular fibrillation in a school where an automated external defibrillator (AED) had been installed. The tragedy could not be prevented because the only AED in the school was installed in the teachers' office, far from the school ground where the accident took place. This prompted establishment of a multiple AED system in schools. The aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy of the multiple AED system to prevent sudden death in school‐aged children.

Methods

Assumed accident sites consisted of the school ground, gymnasium, Judo and Kendo hall, swimming pool, and classrooms on the first and the fourth floor. Multiple AED were installed in the teachers' office, gymnasium, some classrooms, and also provided as a portable AED in a rucksack. The time from the accident site to the teachers' office for single AED, and from the accident site to the nearest AED for multiple AED, was calculated.

Results

The AED retrieval time was significantly shorter in 55 elementary schools and in 29 junior high schools when multiple AED were installed compared with single AED. Except for the classroom on the fourth floor, the number of people who took >120 s to bring the AED to the accident site was lower when multiple AED were installed compared with the single AED.

Conclusion

Multiple AED provided in appropriate sites can reduce the time to reach the casualty and hence prevent sudden death in school‐aged children.
Mosapride for gastroesophageal reflux disease in neurologically impaired patients
Authors: Komura Makoto , Kanamori Yutaka , Tanaka Yujiro , Kodaka Tetsuro , Sugiyama Masahiko , Terawaki Kan , Suzuki Kan , Iwanaka Tadashi
Published: August 2016

Background

The prokinetic agent cisapride is effective for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in infants and children, but is no longer used for this purpose because of safety concerns. Therefore, other pharmacological agents need to be investigated for efficacy in GERD treatment. In this study, we examined the effectiveness and safety of mosapride for the treatment of neurologically impaired children and adolescents with GERD.

Methods

Mosapride (0.3 mg/kg/day) was administered to 11 neurologically impaired patients with GERD (five male; median age, 12.3 years). Esophageal acid exposure was measured using esophageal pH monitoring before and at >5 days after the start of mosapride treatment. The pressure and length of the lower esophageal sphincter were compared before and after mosapride treatment.

Results

In the 11 patients, median reflux index (percentage of the total monitoring period during which recorded pH was <4.0) was 17.5% (range, 4.4–59%) before and 8.2% (range, 2.8–20.7%) after mosapride treatment (P = 0.02). Median esophageal clearance was 1.0 min/reflux (range, 0.5–2.1 min/reflux) before and 0.7 min/reflux (range, 0.4–1.2 min/reflux) after treatment with mosapride (P = 0.02). The median number of reflux episodes before (219) and after (122) drug treatment did not differ significantly.

Conclusion

The decreased reflux index in neurologically impaired patients with GERD is due to mosapride, therefore mosapride may be a candidate for GERD treatment.
Segregative cell division and the cytoskeleton in two species of the genus Struvea (Cladophorales, Ulvophyceae, Chlorophyta)
Authors: Okuda Kazuo , Sekida Satoko , Hasebe Ami , Iwabuchi Misa , Kamiya Mitsunobu , Hishinuma Tasuku
Published: August 2016

The detailed segregative cell division (SCD) processes and changes in the arrangement of cortical microtubules and actin filaments were examined in two species of Struvea. SCD was initiated by the appearance of annular constrictions along the lateral side of a mother cell. The constrictions decreased in diameter, became thin, tubular in shape, and pinched the protoplasm of the mother cell into several protoplasmic sections. The protoplasmic sections expanded and developed into daughter cells, which appressed each other, and were arranged in a single row. Lateral branches protruded from the upper parts of the daughter cells. The protoplasm of the lateral branches was divided by secondary SCDs and was distributed amongst the new daughter cells. SCD and lateral branch formation were essential for morphogenesis in Struvea. Cortical microtubules were arranged parallel and longitudinally to the cell axis before SCD. When SCD was initiated, there was considerable undulation of the cortical microtubules and several transverse bundles appeared in the cytoplasmic zone where annular constrictions occurred. A microtubule‐disrupting drug (amiprophos methyl) inhibited SCD. Actin filaments maintained reticulate patterns before and during SCD. These results demonstrated that SCD in Struvea species was quite distinct from that in Dictyosphaeria cavernosa reported previously.
GnRH and prostaglandin‐based synchronization protocols as alternatives to progestogen‐based treatments in sheep
Authors: Rekik M , Haile A , Abebe A , Muluneh D , Goshme S , Ben Salem I , Hilali M El‐Dine , Lassoued N , Chanyalew Y , Rischkowsky B
Published: August 2016

Contents

The study investigated, for cycling sheep, synchronizing protocols simultaneously to the standard “P” protocol using progestogens priming with intravaginal devices and gonadotropin. In November 2014, 90 adult Menz ewes were assigned to either the “P” protocol, “PGF” treatment where oestrus and ovulation were synchronized using two injections of prostaglandin 11 days apart or a “GnRH” treatment where the ewes had their oestrus and ovulation synchronized with GnRH (day 0)–prostaglandin (day 6)–GnRH (day 9) sequence. The ewes were naturally mated at the induced oestrus and the following 36 days. Plasma progesterone revealed that 92% of the ewes were ovulating before synchronization and all, except one, ovulated in response to the applied treatments. All “P” ewes exhibited oestrus during the 96‐hr period after the end of the treatments in comparison with only 79.3% and 73.3% for “PGF” and “GnRH” ewes, respectively (p < .05). Onset and duration of oestrus were affected by the hormonal treatment (p < .05); “GnRH” ewes showed oestrus earliest and had the shortest oestrous duration. Lambing rate from mating at the induced oestrus was lower for “P” than for “PGF” ewes (55.6% and 79.3%, respectively; p < .05). The same trait was also lower for “P” than for “PGF” and “GnRH” ewes (70.4%, 89.7% and 86.7%, respectively; p < .05) following the 36‐day mating period. Prostaglandin and GnRH analogue‐based protocols are promising alternatives for both controlled natural mating and fixed insemination of Menz sheep after the rainy season when most animals are spontaneously cycling.
A European multicenter study on systematic ethics work in nursing homes
Authors: Bollig Georg , Rosland Jan Henrik , Gjengedal Eva , Schmidt Gerda , May Arnd T. , Heller Andreas
Published: August 2016

Background

There are many existing ethical challenges in nursing homes. Although different methods and approaches to discussing the ethical challenges have been established, systematic ethics work is not yet a standard in all nursing homes. The aim of the present study was to explore ethical challenges and approaches to implementing systematic ethics work in nursing homes.

Methods

Data from five institutions in Austria, Germany and Norway were collected, and a mixed‐methods two‐tiered study approach was chosen. Documentation of ethics discussions was combined with qualitative focus group interviews with staff members regarding the implementation of systematic ethics work in nursing homes.

Results

One hundred and five ethics meetings were documented. The main topics were advance care planning, ethical challenges associated with artificial nutrition, hospitalisation and end‐of‐life decision‐making. Of the meetings, 33% focused mainly on everyday ethical challenges. In 76% of prospective case discussions, agreements about a solution were reached; however, in 29% of these no residents or relatives participated. The advantages of systematic ethics work described by the staff were enhanced openness and dialogue, overall, and a greater ethical awareness. Many voiced a need for structure and support from the administration.

Conclusions

Systematic ethics work is greatly appreciated by the staff and helps to reach a consensus in the majority of case discussions. It should be implemented in all nursing homes. Attention to everyday ethical challenges is important. The participation of relatives and physicians could be improved. The participation of the residents' in ethics discussions should be encouraged to strengthen their autonomy and dignity.
The U.S. Economic Polity, Social Identity, and International Human Rights
Authors: Curtis Joshua
Published: August 2016

In this essay, I provide some complementary perspectives on certain themes that emerge in Judith Blau's (2016) timely and insightful article, “Human Rights: What the United States Might Learn from the Rest of the World and, Yes, from American Sociology.” In response, I offer some very brief reflections structured through two prisms by which we might think further about the United States and human rights. These perspectives pick up on the core issue of Blau's article, the U.S. rejection of socioeconomic rights, and how this issue in turn relates first to the “social identity” of the United States as a whole, and second to the role of the political economy in states' recognition of human rights.
Human Rights Matter
Authors: Blau Judith
Published: August 2016

This article serves as a response to all those who commented on my original essay “Human Rights: What the United States Might Learn from the Rest of the World and, Yes, from American Sociology.”
Measurement of proteinuria in dogs: analytic and diagnostic differences using 2 laboratory methods
Authors: Rossi Gabriele , Bertazzolo Walter , Binnella Monica , Scarpa Paola , Paltrinieri Saverio
Published: August 2016

Background

Urinary protein‐to‐creatinine (UPC) ratio is an early diagnostic and prognostic marker of renal disease in dogs. Pyrogallol red molybdate (PRM) and Coomassie brilliant blue (CBB) are the most popular dye‐binding assays for measurement of proteinuria. Published guidelines recommend strict cut‐off points to substage patients with chronic renal diseases, irrespective of the assay applied. However, analytic variability and method‐dependent differences could affect substaging of patients.

Objectives

The aims of this study were to analytically validate the CBB assay to evaluate possible method‐dependent differences with PRM in urinary protein (UP) determination, and to assess the influence of such differences in substaging according to the International Renal Interest Society (IRIS).

Methods

Urine was collected from healthy and proteinuric dogs. Intra‐assay and inter‐assay repeatability (imprecision), linearity under dilution (LUD), and spiking recovery (inaccuracy) were determined for the CBB assay. Split samples were measured with PRM and CBB, and agreement between methods and concordance in classification according to IRIS guidelines was determined.

Results

The CBB assay was precise (< 10%) at all urine protein concentrations after excluding outliers from the intra‐assay precision assay of high urine protein concentrations. Acceptable accuracy was demonstrated with both LUD and spiking recovery test. Both UP and UPC determined by CBB were significantly higher (P < .0001) than those obtained with PRM, and both a constant and proportional bias were present. Concordance of IRIS substaging was only moderate.

Conclusions

The CBB is precise and accurate, but the higher UPC obtained with CBB vs PRM may affect interpretation of the IRIS guidelines.
DYNAMIC SONOGRAPHY OF THE EQUINE METACARPO(TARSO)PHALANGEAL DIGITAL FLEXOR TENDON SHEATH
Authors: DiGiovanni Daria L. , Rademacher Nathalie , Riggs Laura M. , Baumruck Rebecca A. , Gaschen Lorrie
Published: August 2016

Palmar/plantar annular desmitis is a common disease that may be associated with adhesions and structures affecting the flexor tendons, which requires tenoscopy to diagnose. The purpose of this descriptive study was to develop a dynamic sonographic technique for evaluating the motion of normal equine flexor tendons in relation to the palmar/plantar annular ligament and to compare findings with horses previously diagnosed with palmar/plantar annular desmitis. Ten healthy adult horses were examined prospectively and the images of four horses diagnosed with palmar/plantar annular desmitis were retrospectively evaluated. Dynamic sonography was performed at the level of the metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal joint by maximally extending and flexing the interphalangeal joints. Palmar/plantar annular ligament thickness (mm), size of any gap between the flexor tendons, and subjectively increased angulation of the long linear echoes of the superficial digital flexor tendon were measured. The presence of gliding motion between the palmar/plantar annular ligament and superficial digital flexor tendon was determined by consensus. Twenty‐eight healthy control limbs (16 hind/12 fore) and four with palmar/plantar annular desmitis (3 hind/1 fore) were evaluated. Controls had unrestricted gliding motion between the palmar/plantar annular ligament and flexor tendons and zero to 13° of angulation of the long linear echoes. The four affected horses had restricted gliding motion and between 20–35° angulation of the long linear echoes. Dynamic ultrasound is a feasible technique for detecting restricted flexor tendon and palmar/plantar annular ligament gliding motion, as well as subjectively increased angulation of the long linear echoes of the flexor tendon in affected horses compared with controls and warrants further investigation.
Trade Agreements and Services Value Chain: The Case of India and Thailand
Authors: Goyal Tanu M. , Mukherjee Arpita
Published: August 2016

Services sector is an important component of the world trade and production networks. With the opening up of world economy, the role of services in the global value chain and value added has expanded. Services liberalisation is becoming a crucial component of free trade agreements. This is particularly true for trade agreements between South and Southeast Asia. Given this background, the objective of this paper is to understand the scope of establishing services value chain between two countries in South and Southeast Asia - namely India and Thailand - by integrating the two markets through trade agreement. The analysis is based on secondary data, in-depth interviews with policy makers and stakeholders in India and Thailand and an examination of the existing trade agreements of the two countries. The paper found that the present level of integration between the two markets is low due to the existence of market access barriers and regulatory bottlenecks. The paper makes recommendation on how the two countries can reduce barriers to trade in services, thereby fostering greater integration and leveraging the development of a global value chain.
A census of zeta functions of quartic K surfaces over
Authors: Kedlaya Kiran S. , Sutherland Andrew V.
Published: August 2016

We compute the complete set of candidates for the zeta function of a K$3$surface over$\mathbb{F}_{2}$consistent with the Weil and Tate conjectures, as well as the complete set of zeta functions of smooth quartic surfaces over$\mathbb{F}_{2}$. These sets differ substantially, but we do identify natural subsets which coincide. This gives some numerical evidence towards a Honda–Tate theorem for transcendental zeta functions of K$3$surfaces; such a result would refine a recent theorem of Taelman, in which one must allow an uncontrolled base field extension.
Point counting on K3 surfaces and an application concerning real and complex multiplication
Authors: Elsenhans Andreas-Stephan , Jahnel Jörg
Published: August 2016

We report on our project to find explicit examples of K3 surfaces having real or complex multiplication. Our strategy is to search through the arithmetic consequences of RM and CM. In order to do this, an efficient method is needed for point counting on surfaces defined over finite fields. For this, we describe algorithms that are$p$-adic in nature.
A database of genus-2 curves over the rational numbers
Authors: Booker Andrew R. , Sijsling Jeroen , Sutherland Andrew V. , Voight John , Yasaki Dan
Published: August 2016

We describe the construction of a database of genus-$2$curves of small discriminant that includes geometric and arithmetic invariants of each curve, its Jacobian, and the associated$L$-function. This data has been incorporated into the$L$-Functions and Modular Forms Database (LMFDB).
Algorithms for the approximate common divisor problem
Authors: Galbraith Steven D. , Gebregiyorgis Shishay W. , Murphy Sean
Published: August 2016

The security of several homomorphic encryption schemes depends on the hardness of variants of the approximate common divisor (ACD) problem. We survey and compare a number of lattice-based algorithms for the ACD problem, with particular attention to some very recently proposed variants of the ACD problem. One of our main goals is to compare the multivariate polynomial approach with other methods. We find that the multivariate polynomial approach is not better than the orthogonal lattice algorithm for practical cryptanalysis.

We also briefly discuss a sample-amplification technique for ACD samples and a pre-processing algorithm similar to the Blum–Kalai–Wasserman algorithm for learning parity with noise. The details of this work are given in the full version of the paper.
Visualizing elements of order in the Tate–Shafarevich group of an elliptic curve
Authors: Fisher Tom
Published: August 2016

We study the elliptic curves in Cremona’s tables that are predicted by the Birch–Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture to have elements of order $7$ in their Tate–Shafarevich group. We show that in many cases these elements are visible in an abelian surface or abelian 3-fold.
Constructing genus-3 hyperelliptic Jacobians with CM
Authors: Balakrishnan Jennifer S. , Ionica Sorina , Lauter Kristin , Vincent Christelle
Published: August 2016

Given a sextic CM field $K$, we give an explicit method for finding all genus-$3$ hyperelliptic curves defined over $\mathbb{C}$ whose Jacobians are simple and have complex multiplication by the maximal order of this field, via an approximation of their Rosenhain invariants. Building on the work of Weng [J. Ramanujan Math. Soc. 16 (2001) no. 4, 339–372], we give an algorithm which works in complete generality, for any CM sextic field $K$, and computes minimal polynomials of the Rosenhain invariants for any period matrix of the Jacobian. This algorithm can be used to generate genus-3 hyperelliptic curves over a finite field $\mathbb{F}_{p}$ with a given zeta function by finding roots of the Rosenhain minimal polynomials modulo $p$.
An algorithm for NTRU problems and cryptanalysis of the GGH multilinear map without a low-level encoding of zero
Authors: Cheon Jung Hee , Jeong Jinhyuck , Lee Changmin
Published: August 2016

Let$\mathbf{f}$and$\mathbf{g}$be polynomials of a bounded Euclidean norm in the ring$\mathbb{Z}[X]/\langle X^{n}+1\rangle$. Given the polynomial$[\mathbf{f}/\mathbf{g}]_{q}\in \mathbb{Z}_{q}[X]/\langle X^{n}+1\rangle$, the NTRU problem is to find$\mathbf{a},\mathbf{b}\in \mathbb{Z}[X]/\langle X^{n}+1\rangle$with a small Euclidean norm such that$[\mathbf{a}/\mathbf{b}]_{q}=[\mathbf{f}/\mathbf{g}]_{q}$. We propose an algorithm to solve the NTRU problem, which runs in$2^{O(\log ^{2}\unicode[STIX]{x1D706})}$time when$\Vert \mathbf{g}\Vert ,\Vert \mathbf{f}\Vert$, and$\Vert \mathbf{g}^{-1}\Vert$are within some range. The main technique of our algorithm is the reduction of a problem on a field to one on a subfield. The GGH scheme, the first candidate of an (approximate) multilinear map, was recently found to be insecure by the Hu–Jia attack using low-level encodings of zero, but no polynomial-time attack was known without them. In the GGH scheme without low-level encodings of zero, our algorithm can be directly applied to attack this scheme if we have some top-level encodings of zero and a known pair of plaintext and ciphertext. Using our algorithm, we can construct a level-$0$encoding of zero and utilize it to attack a security ground of this scheme in the quasi-polynomial time of its security parameter using the parameters suggested by Garg, Gentry and Halevi [‘Candidate multilinear maps from ideal lattices’,Advances in cryptology — EUROCRYPT 2013(Springer, 2013) 1–17].
Increased sympathetic nerve activity and reduced cardiac baroreflex sensitivity in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Adlan Ahmed M. , Paton Julian F. R. , Lip Gregory Y. H. , Kitas George D. , Fisher James P.
Published: August 2016

Key points

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory condition associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality.

Increased sympathetic nerve activity and reduced cardiac baroreflex sensitivity heighten cardiovascular risk, althogh whether such autonomic dysfunction is present in RA is not known.

In the present study, we observed an increased sympathetic nerve activity and reduced cardiac baroreflex sensitivity in patients with RA compared to matched controls.

Pain was positively correlated with sympathetic nerve activity and negatively correlated with cardiac baroreflex sensitivity.

The pattern of autonomic dysfunction that we describe may help to explain the increased cardiovascular risk in RA, and raises the possibility that optimizing pain management may resolve autonomic dysfunction in RA.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory condition associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity/mortality and an incompletely understood pathophysiology. In animal studies, central and blood borne inflammatory cytokines that can be elevated in RA evoke pathogenic increases in sympathetic activity and reductions in baroreflex sensitivity (BRS). We hypothesized that muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) was increased and BRS decreased in RA. MSNA, blood pressure and heart rate (HR) were recorded in age‐ and sex‐matched RA‐normotensive (n = 13), RA‐hypertensive patients (RA‐HTN; n = 17), normotensive (NC; n = 17) and hypertensive controls (HTN; n = 16). BRS was determined using the modified Oxford technique. Inflammation and pain were determined using serum high sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP) and a visual analogue scale (VAS), respectively. MSNA was elevated similarly in RA, RA‐HTN and HTN patients (32 ± 9, 35 ± 14, 37 ± 8 bursts min–1) compared to NC (22 ± 9 bursts min–1; P = 0.004). Sympathetic BRS was similar between groups (P = 0.927), whereas cardiac BRS (cBRS) was reduced in RA, RA‐HTN and HTN patients [5(3–8), 4 (2–7), 6 (4–9) ms mmHg–1] compared to NC [11 (8–15) ms mmHg–1; P = 0.002]. HR was independently associated with hs‐CRP. Increased MSNA and reduced cBRS were associated with hs‐CRP although confounded in multivariable analysis. VAS was independently associated with MSNA burst frequency, cBRS and HR. We provide the first evidence for heightened sympathetic outflow and reduced cBRS in RA that can be independent of hypertension. In RA patients, reported pain was positively correlated with MSNA and negatively correlated with cBRS. Future studies should assess whether therapies to ameliorate pain and inflammation in RA restores autonomic balance and reduces cardiovascular events.