bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does LLETZ excision margin status predict residual disease in women who have undergone post‐treatment cervical cytology and high‐risk human papillomavirus testing?
Authors: Palmer J. E. , Ravenscroft S. , Ellis K. , Crossley J. , Dudding N. , Smith J. H. , Tidy J. A.
Published: September 2015

Objective

This study looks at the importance of large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) excision margins and residual cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in women undertaking high‐risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) test of cure (TOC).

Methods

A retrospective cohort study with interval analysis performed June 2007 and June 2012 on all women undertaking treatment for CIN and subsequent hrHPV TOC 6 months post LLETZ.

Results

Final analysis group comprised 2093 women treated by LLETZ (1396 completely excised; 697 incompletely excised). 298 out of 1794 women (13%) were hrHPV positive at TOC. Thirty‐six women who failed TOC and attended colposcopy had residual CIN. No statistically significant difference existed between the completely and incompletely excised groups with regards to the detection of residual CIN at 6 months post‐treatment. There was no correlation of margins of excision with hrHPV status at TOC. The overall cure rate at TOC was 98%.

Conclusions

TOC pathways recommend subsequent follow‐up in primary care. This study identified no safety issues with TOC pathways. We can no longer assess histological failure rates at 12 months; we, therefore, recommend that this measure of treatment failure be redefined for post TOC women. It seems time to question the benefits of routine excision margins reporting, in the absence of invasion, for treated CIN. Future reporting needs to be reconsidered by the Royal College of Pathologists.
Size dependency in colour patterns of Western Palearctic carabids
Authors: Schweiger Andreas H. , Beierkuhnlein Carl
Published: September 2015

Body colouration is of high evolutionary relevance for most animals. Several competing hypotheses exist regarding the evolutionary reasons for animal colouration ranging from predator avoidance and sexual advertisement to neutral selection.

Among these hypotheses, biophysical principles suggest the thermoregulatory importance of dark colouration which in turn strongly depends on species body size. This body size – darkness trade‐off is based on sound theoretical background conceptualized in the thermal melanism hypothesis and is confirmed by numerous case studies for individual species. However, evidence for the general relevance of this trade‐off on large spatial and taxonomic scale is still missing.

Here we specifically focus on this body size – colouration trade‐off for a hyper‐diverse and cosmopolitan group of insects, namely ground beetles. We combined colour information with trait data and distributional as well as bioclimatic attributes for more than 1000 carabid species from the entire Western Palearctic. We quantified species‐specific body colouration from high‐quality, standardised digital photographs using the Munsell colour system.

We detect a strong increase of colour darkness with body size from small to medium‐sized carabids up to a body size threshold of 15 mm which is consistent with the thermal melanism hypothesis. However, body size showed no effect above this threshold and colour darkness remained constantly high which is in accordance with previous ideas about the size‐dependency of thermoregulative control mechanisms (size dependence hypothesis).

By demonstrating a strong tendency towards darkness with increasing body size, we illustrate the inter‐specific relevance of body colouration for this cosmopolitan group of ectotherms on a continental scale. The putative thermoregulative trade‐off between body size and melanism seems to be of significant importance for carabids on a broad spatial scale and may be a general but still underestimated phenomenon for ectotherms in general, although other mechanistic drivers cannot be completely neglected.
Predator–rodent–plant interactions along a coast–inland gradient in Fennoscandian tundra
Authors: Ruffino Lise , Oksanen Tarja , Hoset Katrine S. , Tuomi Maria , Oksanen Lauri , Korpimäki Erkki , Bugli Amandine , Hobson Keith A. , Johansen Bernt , Mäkynen Aurelia
Published: September 2015

Spatial variation in the strength of trophic cascades in arctic tundra has been related to flows of subsidies across ecosystem boundaries. Here, we ask whether the input of marine subsidies in tundra systems would cause spatial variation in the strength of rodent–plant interactions between coastal areas, where predators have access to marine‐derived resources, and non‐subsidized inland areas of northern Fennoscandia. We present a detailed evaluation of predator–rodent–vegetation interactions along a coast‐inland gradient, during the 2011 rodent outbreak and the two following decline years, by using direct assessments of rodent impacts and tracing of marine‐derived nutrients in the food web. Our results revealed that the main rodent predator during summer, the long‐tailed jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus, did not benefit from marine resources while breeding (relative dietary proportion in chicks’ diet = 0–3%). Contrary to this pattern, parasitic jaegers S. parasiticus, bred exclusively near the coast and preyed effectively on both marine resources (41% of chicks’ diet) and rodents (12%). Mammalian predators also showed a higher activity during winter near the coast. Despite overall higher predator numbers, no evidence was found for lower rodent population growth rates during the three monitoring summers and for weaker rodent grazing impacts in the coastal area. Instead, we documented pronounced damages caused by lemmings and voles on bryophytes and vascular plants, especially dwarf shrubs (e.g. Vaccinum myrtillus) all along the coast–inland gradient. Taken together, our results did not support the hypothesis that marine subsidies would trigger a trophic cascade in coastal tundra areas of northern Fennoscandia during a major rodent outbreak, probably due to a relatively low diversity of marine‐subsidized predators in the region. Comparative observational and experimental studies at large spatial scales in various arctic regions are absolutely necessary for a better understanding of factors causing regional variations in the functioning of arctic food webs.
geoknife: reproducible web‐processing of large gridded datasets
Authors: Read Jordan S. , Walker Jordan I. , Appling Alison P. , Blodgett David L. , Read Emily K. , Winslow Luke A.
Published: September 2015

Geoprocessing of large gridded data according to overlap with irregular landscape features is common to many large‐scale ecological analyses. The geoknife R package was created to facilitate reproducible analyses of gridded datasets found on the U.S. Geological Survey Geo Data Portal web application or elsewhere, using a web‐enabled workflow that eliminates the need to download and store large datasets that are reliably hosted on the Internet. The package provides access to several data subset and summarization algorithms that are available on remote web processing servers. Outputs from geoknife include spatial and temporal data subsets, spatially‐averaged time series values filtered by user‐specified areas of interest, and categorical coverage fractions for various land‐use types.
The anterior paraventricular thalamus modulates neuronal excitability in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the rat
Authors: Alamilla Javier , Granados‐Fuentes Daniel , Aguilar‐Roblero Raúl
Published: September 2015

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in mammals is the master clock which regulates circadian rhythms. Neural activity of SCN neurons is synchronized to external light through the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT). The paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT) is a neural structure that receives synaptic inputs from, and projects back to, the SCN. Lesioning the anterior PVT (aPVT) modifies the behavioral phase response curve induced by short pulses of bright light. In order to study the influence of the aPVT on SCN neural activity, we addressed whether the stimulation of the aPVT can modulate the electrical response of the SCN to either retinal or RHT stimulation. Using in vitro and in vivo recordings, we found a large population of SCN neurons responsive to the stimulation of either aPVT or RHT pathways. Furthermore, we found that simultaneous stimulation of the aPVT and the RHT increased neuronal responsiveness and spontaneous firing rate (SFR) in neurons with a low basal SFR (which also have more negative membrane potentials), such as quiescent and arrhythmic neurons, but no change was observed in neurons with rhythmic firing patterns and more depolarized membrane potentials. These results suggest that inputs from the aPVT could shift the membrane potential of an SCN neuron to values closer to its firing threshold and thus contribute to integration of the response of the circadian clock to light.
Commonness, rarity, and intraspecific variation in traits and performance in tropical tree seedlings
Authors: Umaña María Natalia , Zhang Caicai , Cao Min , Lin Luxiang , Swenson Nathan G.
Published: September 2015

One of the few rules in ecology is that communities are composed of many rare and few common species. Trait‐based investigations of abundance distributions have generally focused on species‐mean trait values with mixed success. Here, using large tropical tree seedling datasets in China and Puerto Rico, we take an alternative approach that considers the magnitude of intraspecific variation in traits and growth as it relates to species abundance. We find that common species are less variable in their traits and growth. Common species also occupy core positions within community trait space indicating that they are finely tuned for the available conditions. Rare species are functionally peripheral and are likely transients struggling for success in the given environment. The work highlights the importance of considering intraspecific variation in trait‐based ecology and demonstrates asymmetry in the magnitude of intraspecific variation among species is critical for understanding of how traits are related to abundance.
Investigation of the cingulate cortex in idiopathic generalized epilepsy
Authors: Braga Aline M. da S. , Fujisao Elaine K. , Verdade Roberto C. , Paschoalato Rômulo P. , Paschoalato Ricardo P. , Yamashita Seizo , Betting Luiz E.
Published: September 2015

Objective

Studies using quantitative neuroimaging have shown subtle abnormalities in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE). These findings have several locations, but the midline parasagittal structures are most commonly implicated. The cingulate cortex is related and may be involved. The objective of the current investigation was to perform a comprehensive analysis of the cingulate cortex using multiple quantitative structural neuroimaging techniques.

Methods

Thirty‐two patients (18 women, 30 ± 10 years) and 36 controls (18 women, 32 ± 11 years) were imaged by 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A volumetric three‐dimensional (3D) sequence was acquired and used for this investigation. Regions‐of‐interest were selected and voxel‐based morphometry (VBM) analyses compared the cingulate cortex of the two groups using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM8) and VBM8 software. Cortical analyses of the cingulate gyrus was performed using Freesurfer. Images were submitted to automatic processing using built‐in routines and recommendations. Structural parameters were extracted for individual analyses, and comparisons between groups were restricted to the cingulate gyrus. Finally, shape analyses was performed on the anterior rostral, anterior caudal, posterior, and isthmus cingulate using spherical harmonic description (SPHARM).

Results

VBM analyses of cingulate gyrus showed areas of gray matter atrophy, mainly in the anterior cingulate gyrus (972 mm3) and the isthmus (168 mm3). Individual analyses of the cingulate cortex were similar between patients with IGE and controls. Surface‐based comparisons revealed abnormalities located mainly in the posterior cingulate cortex (718.12 mm2). Shape analyses demonstrated a predominance of anterior and posterior cingulate abnormalities.

Significance

This study suggests that patients with IGE have structural abnormalities in the cingulate gyrus mainly localized at the anterior and posterior portions. This finding is subtle and variable among patients.
Harnessing natural selection to tackle the problem of prey naïveté
Authors: Moseby Katherine E. , Blumstein Daniel T. , Letnic Mike
Published: September 2015

Many populations are threatened or endangered because of excessive predation resulting from individuals' inability to recognize, avoid, or escape alien predators. Such prey naïveté is often attributed to the absence of prior experience and co‐evolution between native prey and introduced predators. Many reintroduction programs focus on reducing predation rate by excluding introduced predators, a focus which ignores, and indeed exacerbates, the problem of prey naïveté. We argue for a new paradigm in reintroduction biology that expands the focus from predator control to kick‐starting learning and evolutionary processes between alien predators and reintroduced prey. By exposing reintroduced prey to carefully controlled levels of alien predators, in situ predation could enhance reintroduction success by facilitating acquisition of learned antipredator responses and through natural selection for appropriate antipredator traits. This in situ predator exposure should be viewed as a long‐term process but is likely to be the most efficient and expedient way to improve prey responses and assist in broadscale recovery of threatened species.
Understanding the cancer cell phenotype beyond the limitations of current omics analyses
Authors: Moreno‐Sánchez Rafael , Saavedra Emma , Gallardo‐Pérez Juan Carlos , Rumjanek Franklin D. , Rodríguez‐Enríquez Sara
Published: September 2015

Efforts to understand the mechanistic principles driving cancer metabolism and proliferation have been lately governed by genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic studies. This paper analyzes the caveats of these approaches. As molecular biology's central dogma proposes a unidirectional flux of information from genes to mRNA to proteins, it has frequently been assumed that monitoring the changes in the gene sequences and in mRNA and protein contents is sufficient to explain complex cellular processes. Such a stance commonly disregards that post‐translational modifications can alter the protein function/activity and also that regulatory mechanisms enter into action, to coordinate the protein activities of pathways/cellular processes, in order to keep the cellular homeostasis. Hence, the actual protein activities (as enzymes/transporters/receptors) and their regulatory mechanisms ultimately dictate the final outcomes of a pathway/cellular process. In this regard, it is here documented that the mRNA levels of many metabolic enzymes and transcriptional factors have no correlation with the respective protein contents and activities. The validity of current clinical mRNA‐based tests and proposed metabolite biomarkers for cancer detection/prognosis is also discussed. Therefore, it is proposed that, to achieve a thorough understanding of the modifications undergone by proliferating cancer cells, it is mandatory to experimentally analyze the cellular processes at the functional level. This could be achieved (a) locally, by examining the actual protein activities in the cell and their kinetic properties (or at least kinetically characterize the most controlling steps of the pathway/cellular process); (b) systemically, by analyzing the main fluxes of the pathway/cellular process, and how they are modulated by metabolites, all which should contribute to comprehending the regulatory mechanisms that have been altered in cancer cells. By adopting a more holistic approach it may become possible to improve the design of therapeutic strategies that would target cancer cells more specifically.
Evaluation of environmentally assisted fracture of austempered ductile iron (ADI) under cyclic load bearing
Authors: Fernández Scudeller F , Martínez R A
Published: September 2015

This paper aims to characterize the behaviour of austempered ductile iron (ADI) under cyclic load bearing and its surface in contact with water.

The first part is devoted to verifying the drop in Ultimate tensile strength and the elongation that takes place when ADI tensile samples are tested submerged in water as compared to values obtained in dry condition.

Focus of this work is placed on crack initiation and propagation when submerged SEN(B) samples are tested applying cyclic loads.

Different test stages of fissure nucleation and propagation on the lateral face of the sample were documented by microscopic imaging during the test, thereby allowing to characterize the manner in which failure occurred.

The resulting fracture surfaces were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and possible fracture mechanisms are discussed.

The main contributions of this work include characteristic values of the time of crack initiation, crack growth rate and a methodology to study some particularities of the operating fracture mechanisms based on lateral observations and fracture surface images.
Seasonal temperature and precipitation regulate brook trout young‐of‐the‐year abundance and population dynamics
Authors: Kanno Yoichiro , Pregler Kasey C. , Hitt Nathaniel P. , Letcher Benjamin H. , Hocking Daniel J. , Wofford John E. B.
Published: September 2015

Abundance of the young‐of‐the‐year (YOY) fish can vary greatly among years and it may be driven by several key biological processes (i.e. adult spawning, egg survival and fry survival) that span several months. However, the relative influence of seasonal weather patterns on YOY abundance is poorly understood.

We assessed the importance of seasonal air temperature (a surrogate for stream temperature) and precipitation (a surrogate for stream flow) on brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) YOY summer abundance using a 29‐year data set from 115 sites in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, U.S.A. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model that allowed the effect of seasonal weather covariates to vary among sites and accounted for imperfect detection of individuals.

Summer YOY abundance was affected by preceding seasonal air temperature and precipitation, and these regional‐scale drivers led to spatial synchrony in YOY abundance dynamics across the 170‐km‐long study area. Mean winter precipitation had the greatest effect on YOY abundance and the relationship was negative. Mean autumn precipitation, and winter and spring temperature had significantly positive effects on YOY abundance, and mean autumn temperature had a significant negative effect. In addition, the effect of summer precipitation differed along a latitudinal gradient, with YOY abundance at more northern sites being more responsive to inter‐annual variation in summer precipitation.

Strong YOY years resulted in high abundance of adults (>age 1 + fish) in the subsequent year at more than half of sites. However, higher adult abundance did not result in higher YOY abundance in the subsequent year at any of the study sites (i.e. no positive stock–recruitment relationship).

Our results indicate that YOY abundance is a key driver of brook trout population dynamics that is mediated by seasonal weather patterns. A reliable assessment of climate change impacts on brook trout needs to account for how alternations in seasonal weather patterns impact YOY abundance and how such relationships may differ across the range of brook trout distribution.
Participatory Action Research: Coproduction, Governance and Care
Authors: Mason Kelvin
Published: September 2015

In the wake of recent academic interest in coproduction, engaged research and transdisciplinarity, this article reviews some developments and directions in participatory action research (PAR), mainly within human geography. It examines one response to poststructuralist critiques that PAR either elides power relations or conversely can be equated to tyranny, namely a proposal to view PAR as a form of governance. Spatialising PAR then draws attention to the reach and relational workings of power. Counter‐topography is discussed as a conceptualisation by which PAR can jump scales to inform theory. Prefiguring the social justice imperative with which it is invested, the potential of practising PAR as an ethics of care is explored. Consideration is given to how PAR's imperative for social change shapes the researcher's responsibilities vis‐à‐vis representation, political strategy and emotional engagement. Tensions between PAR's social change imperative, the needs of research partners and the institutional constrains of academia are a through‐going theme. I conclude that PAR has much to offer research in human geography and, in turn, that work in human geography has provided PAR with space‐relational strategies of engaging with power, which do not preclude emancipatory action.
Understanding barriers to home‐based and self‐care in‐center hemodialysis
Authors: Yau May , Carver Michelle , Alvarez Luis , Block Geoffrey A. , Chertow Glenn M.
Published: September 2015

Despite superior outcomes and lower associated costs, relatively few patients with end‐stage renal disease undergo self‐care or home hemodialysis. Few studies have examined patient‐ and physician‐specific barriers to self‐care and home hemodialysis in the modern era. The degree to which innovative technology might facilitate the adoption of these modalities is unknown. We surveyed 250 patients receiving in‐center hemodialysis and 51 board‐certified nephrologists to identify key barriers to adoption of self‐care and home hemodialysis. Overall, 172 (69%) patients reported that they were “likely” or “very likely” to consider self‐care hemodialysis if they were properly trained on a new hemodialysis system designed for self‐care or home use. Nephrologists believed that patients were capable of performing many dialysis‐relevant tasks, including: weighing themselves (98%), wiping down the chair and machine (84%), clearing alarms during treatment (53%), taking vital signs (46%), and cannulating vascular access (41%), but thought that patients would be willing to do the same in only 69%, 34%, 31%, 29%, and 16%, respectively. Reasons that nephrologists believe patients are hesitant to pursue self‐care or home hemodialysis do not correspond in parallel or by priority to reasons reported by patients. Self‐care and home hemodialysis offer several advantages to patients and dialysis providers. Overcoming real and perceived barriers with new technology, education and coordinated care will be required for these modalities to gain traction in the coming years.
NUP98–HOXA9 bearing therapy‐related myeloid neoplasm involves myeloid‐committed cell and induces HOXA5,EVI1, FLT3, and MEIS1 expression
Authors: Burillo‐Sanz S. , Morales‐Camacho R. M. , Caballero‐Velázquez T. , Vargas M. T. , García‐Lozano J. R. , Falantes J. F. , Prats‐Martín C. , Bernal R. , Pérez‐Simón J. A.
Published: September 2015

Introduction

Chromosomal rearrangements involving NUP98 gene have been associated with human leukemias such as de novo AML, therapy‐related AML (t‐AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Genetic fusion NUP98–HOXA9, caused by t(7;11)(p15;p15), is a recurrent cytogenetic alteration in de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) usually found in young Asian patients and its description in therapy‐related myeloid neoplasms (t‐MN) is rare. Only one Asian case with molecular demonstration of the NUP98–HOXA9 fusion has been reported in therapy‐related leukemia. NUP98–HOXA9 leukemogenic mechanism is derived from the transcription factor activity of the chimeric protein, which enhances the expression of genes related to cellular differentiation arrest and proliferation.

Patients and Methods

We studied a Caucasian woman with a therapy‐related acute myeloid leukemia after Ewing′s sarcoma. Molecular demonstration of the genetic fusion NUP98–HOXA9 was performed by RT‐PCR, and gene expression was analyzed by real‐time PCR, including four AML patients with MLL rearrangements for comparative analysis. Cytologic and flow cytometric analysis was also carried out.

Results

After cytologic and flow cytometric analysis diagnostics was therapy‐related myeloid neoplasm (t‐MN). The major component of blasts in the acute leukemia was with neutrophilic differentiation, but 13% erythroid lineage blasts were also found. Cytogenetic and FISH analysis revealed t(7;11)(p15;p15) and NUP98–HOXA9 fusion gene was demonstrated. Gene expression analysis showed upregulation of EVI1 and MEIS1 in the index patient, both of them previously related to a worst outcome.

Conclusion

In this work, we include a detailed molecular, clinical, cytological, and cytometric study of the second t‐AML bearing NUP98–HOXA9 genetic fusion.
Survival impact of the Australian National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme
Authors: Ananda S. , Wong H. , Faragher I. , Jones I. T. , Steele M. , Kosmider S. , Desai J. , Tie J. , Field K. , Wong R. , Tran B. , Bae S. , Gibbs P.
Published: September 2015

Background

The Australian National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) has been offering age‐based faecal occult blood testing since 2006. With the rapid expansion of this programme, the NBCSP will ultimately offer biennial screening to all 50–74 years old by 2020. Participation rates remain low. Previous reports have described an increased proportion of earlier stage cancers in patients with NBCSP‐detected tumours.

Methods

Data on consecutive patients enrolled into a prospective, comprehensive, multidisciplinary database at six Victorian hospitals were examined. Clinicopathologic and outcome data were compared for NBCSP and symptomatic presentation patients.

Results

We identified 3743 patients that presented with colorectal cancer (CRC) at participating hospitals since May 2006. Of 1930 patients aged between 50 and 70 years, 141 (7.3%) had a NBCSP detected cancer, 1441 (74.7%) presented with symptoms and 266 (13.8%) were diagnosed through screening outside of the NBCSP. Based on the American Society of Anaesthesiology score, the NBCSP patients were fitter. They had an earlier stage of diagnosis and were more likely to be female and less likely to have lymphovascular invasion or to present as an emergency. NBCSP detected patients had a lower rate of recurrence (HR 0.17, P = 0.0001) and fewer deaths (HR 0.19, P = 0.005).

Conclusions

Patients with NBCSP‐detected CRC have a markedly reduced risk of CRC recurrence and death compared with patients with a symptomatic presentation. The dominant driver of this appears to be earlier stage at diagnosis. Increased promotion of the impact of the NBCSP, including data related to the survival impact, should be undertaken to increase participation rates and achieve further survival gains.
Can we ease the financial burden of colonoscopy? Using real‐time endoscopic assessment of polyp histology to predict surveillance intervals
Authors: Chandran S. , Parker F. , Lontos S. , Vaughan R. , Efthymiou M.
Published: September 2015

Background

Polyps identified at colonoscopy are predominantly diminutive (<5 mm) with a small risk (>1%) of high‐grade dysplasia or carcinoma; however, the cost of histological assessment is substantial.

Aim

The aim of this study was to determine whether prediction of colonoscopy surveillance intervals based on real‐time endoscopic assessment of polyp histology is accurate and cost effective.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted across a tertiary care and private community hospital. Ninety‐four patients underwent colonoscopy and polypectomy of diminutive (≤5 mm) polyps from October 2012 to July 2013, yielding a total of 159 polyps. Polyps were examined and classified according to the Sano–Emura classification system. The endoscopic assessment (optical diagnosis) of polyp histology was used to predict appropriate colonoscopy surveillance intervals. The main outcome measure was the accuracy of optical diagnosis of diminutive colonic polyps against the gold standard of histological assessment.

Results

Optical diagnosis was correct in 105/108 (97.2%) adenomas. This yielded a sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values (with 95%CI) of 97.2% (92.1–99.4%), 78.4% (64.7–88.7%), 90.5% (83.7–95.2%) and 93% (80.9–98.5%) respectively. Ninety‐two (98%) patients were correctly triaged to their repeat surveillance colonoscopy. Based on these findings, a cut and discard approach would have resulted in a saving of $319.77 per patient.

Conclusion

Endoscopists within a tertiary care setting can accurately predict diminutive polyp histology and confer an appropriate surveillance interval with an associated financial benefit to the healthcare system. However, limitations to its application in the community setting exist, which may improve with further training and high‐definition colonoscopes.
Maternal Age, Psychological Maturity, Parenting Cognitions, and Mother–Infant Interaction
Authors: Camberis Anna‐Lisa , McMahon Catherine A. , Gibson Frances L. , Boivin Jacky
Published: September 2015

In the context of the trend toward delayed childbearing, the aim of this study was to examine relations among maternal age and the quality of maternal interactive behavior at 7 months assessed using sensitivity and mind‐mindedness, while also considering whether age effects were attributable to psychological maturity and parenting cognitions. Participants were 150 Australian mothers (mean age 33‐years) and their firstborn infants who were participating in a prospective study of parenthood. Path analysis showed maternal age had both direct and indirect associations with maternal interactive behavior. Older mothers made more mind‐related comments to their infants. They were also more sensitive; however, this effect was indirect and explained by greater psychological maturity (hardiness) and a more internal locus of control with regard to parenting. Results suggest that older maternal age may confer some benefits in terms of responsive parenting in infancy.
Biodiversity and climate change: ethics and science
Authors: Crowley John
Published: September 2015

Biodiversity and climate change are phenomena constructed on the basis of scientific knowledge. It is this distinctive epistemological status that gives rise to some of their most significant ethical properties. They are not autonomous scientific problems on which ethical thinking can be superimposed from the outside, any more than they are ethical concerns that have been gradually fuelled by factual elements. Rather, they are inseparably cognitive and ethical issues, in which the need for knowledge in the face of diffuse ethical concerns has always been central. After considering in more detail the attendant ethical issues, the article concludes that it is important to think about the conditions that can ensure, consistently with the commitments already made by the international community, that autonomous, integrated and rigorous science will contribute to the wellbeing of all of humanity, while preserving the integrity of the climate system and the intrinsic value of ecosystems. This is a considerable challenge, which requires a clarification of existing ethical principles, better understanding of a number of characteristics of climate change and biodiversity and, lastly, connections – some of which may be innovative – between scientific ethics, the sociology of science and the analysis of scientific policies.
Plasma levels of OLFM4 in normals and patients with gastrointestinal cancer
Authors: Clemmensen Stine N. , Glenthøj Anders J. , Heebøll Sara , Nielsen Hans Jørgen , Koch Claus , Borregaard Niels
Published: September 2015

Olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4) is a secreted glycoprotein predominantly expressed in bone marrow and gastrointestinal tissues. Aberrant expression of OLFM4 has been shown in several cancers. However, the clinical significance hereof is currently controversial. OLFM4 has been proposed as a candidate biomarker of gastrointestinal cancers. To address this, we developed monoclonal antibodies against synthetic peptides representing various segments of OLFM4. We examined expression of OLFM4 in epithelial cells by immunohistochemistry and found that OLFM4 is highly expressed in proliferating benign epithelial cells and in some carcinoma cells. We developed an Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay for OLFM4 and investigated whether plasma levels of OLFM4 reflect colorectal malignancies, but were unable to see any such association. Instead, we observed two populations of individuals with respect to OLFM4 levels in plasma, the majority with OLFM4 in plasma between 0 and 0.1 μg/ml, mean 0.028 μg/ml while 10% of both normals and patients with cancers had OLFM4 between 4 and 60 μg/ml, mean 15 μg/ml. The levels were constant over time. The background for this high plasma level is not known, but must be taken into account if OLFM4 is used as biomarker for GI cancers.
Analysis of the miRNA–mRNA–lncRNA networks in ER+ and ER− breast cancer cell lines
Authors: Wu Qian , Guo Li , Jiang Fei , Li Lei , Li Zhong , Chen Feng
Published: September 2015

Recently, rapid advances in bioinformatics analysis have expanded our understanding of the transcriptome to a genome‐wide level. miRNA–mRNA–lncRNA interactions have been shown to play critical regulatory role in cancer biology. In this study, we discussed the use of an integrated systematic approach to explore new facets of the oestrogen receptor (ER)‐regulated transcriptome. The identification of RNAs that are related to the expression status of the ER may be useful in clinical therapy and prognosis. We used a network modelling strategy. First, microarray expression profiling of mRNA, lncRNA and miRNA was performed in MCF‐7 (ER‐positive) and MDA‐MB‐231 cells (ER‐ negative). A co‐expression network was then built using co‐expression relationships of the differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs. Finally, the selected miRNA–mRNA network was added to the network. The key miRNA–mRNA–lncRNA interaction can be inferred from the network. The mRNA and non‐coding RNA expression profiles of the cells with different ER phenotypes were distinct. Among the aberrantly expressed miRNAs, the expression levels of miR‐19a‐3p, miR‐19b‐3p and miR‐130a‐3p were much lower in the MCF‐7 cells, whereas that of miR‐148b‐3p was much higher. In a cluster of miR‐17‐92, the expression levels of six of seven miRNAs were lower in the MCF‐7 cells, in addition to miR‐20b in the miR‐106a‐363 cluster. However, the levels of all the miRNAs in the miR‐106a‐25 cluster were higher in the MCF‐7 cells. In the co‐expression networking, CD74 and FMNL2 gene which is involved in the immune response and metastasis, respectively, had a stronger correlation with ER. Among the aberrantly expressed lncRNAs, lncRNA‐DLEU1 was highly expressed in the MCF‐7 cells. A statistical analysis revealed that there was a co‐expression relationship between ESR1 and lncRNA‐DLEU1. In addition, miR‐19a and lncRNA‐DLEU1 are both located on the human chromosome 13q. We speculate that miR‐19a might be co‐expressed with lncRNA‐DLEU1 to co‐regulate the expression of ESR1, which influences the occurrence and development of breast cancer cells with different levels of ER expression. Our findings reveal that the status of ER is mainly due to the differences in the mRNA and ncRNA profile between the breast cancer cell lines, and highlight the importance of studying the miRNA–mRNA–lncRNA interactions to completely illustrate the intricate transcriptome.
Epidemiology and costs of patients with toxic epidermal necrolysis: a 27‐year retrospective study
Authors: Oen I.M.M.H. , van der Vlies C.H. , Roeleveld Y.W.F. , Dokter J. , Hop M.J. , van Baar M.E.
Published: September 2015

Background

Recently, the importance of reporting the results and principles of management in Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) patients was underscored. Treatment ofTENfocuses on supportive care, often provided in a burn centre setting. Mortality inTENpatients can be high; theSCORTENscore is a scoring system that predicts mortality in patients withTEN. The predictive value of theSCORTENscore in our setting is unclear, as are the treatment costs ofTENpatients.

Objective

To describe patient characteristics, treatment, outcome and direct medical costs of patients withTENtreated in one Dutch burn centre in a 27‐year period. In addition, determinants of mortality and the predictive value of theSCORTENscore were assessed.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted in all patients withTEN(including Stevens–Johnson syndrome (SJS) and overlapSJS‐TEN) admitted to the burn centre Rotterdam between January 1987 and December 2013. The discriminative value of theSCORTENscore was assessed by receiver‐operator characteristics curve analysis.

Results

A total of 63 patients were admitted in 27‐year period. Overall mortality was 39.7%, mortality inTENpatients (>30%TBSA) was 37.1%. A higher age (OR= 1.04, 95%CI: 1.02–1.07) and comorbidity (OR= 4.25, 95%CI: 1.2–14.7) were associated with mortality. The discriminative value of theSCORTENprediction model in our population was limited (AUC=0.72, 95%CI: 0.57–0.86). The mean direct medical hospital‐based costs was €41.361.

Conclusion

Toxic epidermal necrolysis is a severe adverse drug reaction, with a high mortality. Elderly patients and patients with comorbidity, especially circulatory comorbidity, have a relatively high risk of decease. TheSCORTENscore, a frequently used prediction model in patients withTEN, underestimated the mortality in our study, mainly due to limited availability in patients with a good prognosis. The treatment of patient withTENis associated with high direct medical hospital‐based costs, also compared to burn patients in general.
Importance of the type of provider seen to begin health care for a new episode low back pain: associations with future utilization and costs
Authors: Fritz Julie M. , Kim Jaewhan , Dorius Josette
Published: September 2015

Rationale, aims and objective

Low back pain (LBP) care can involve many providers. The provider chosen for entry into care may predict future health care utilization and costs. The objective of this study was to explore associations between entry settings and future LBP‐related utilization and costs.

Methods

A retrospective review of claims data identified new entries into health care for LBP. We examined the year after entry to identify utilization outcomes (imaging, surgeon or emergency visits, injections, surgery) and total LBP‐related costs. Multivariate models with inverse probability weighting on propensity scores were used to evaluate relationships between utilization and cost outcomes with entry setting.

Results

747 patients were identified (mean age = 38.2 (± 10.7) years, 61.2% female). Entry setting was primary care (n = 409, 54.8%), chiropractic (n = 207, 27.7%), physiatry (n = 83, 11.1%) and physical therapy (n = 48, 6.4%). Relative to primary care, entry in physiatry increased risk for radiographs (OR = 3.46, P = 0.001), advanced imaging (OR = 3.38, P < 0.001), injections (OR = 4.91, P < 0.001), surgery (OR = 4.76, P = 0.012) and LBP‐related costs (standardized Β = 0.67, P < 0.001). Entry in chiropractic was associated with decreased risk for advanced imaging (OR = 0.21, P = 0.001) or a surgeon visit (OR = 0.13, P = 0.005) and increased episode of care duration (standardized Β = 0.51, P < 0.001). Entry in physical therapy decreased risk of radiographs (OR = 0.39, P = 0.017) and no patient entering in physical therapy had surgery.

Conclusions

Entry setting for LBP was associated with future health care utilization and costs. Consideration of where patients chose to enter care may be a strategy to improve outcomes and reduce costs.
Sexually dimorphic morphology and swimming performance relationships in wild‐type zebrafish Danio rerio
Authors: Conradsen C. , McGuigan K.
Published: September 2015

This study compared prolonged swimming performance (Ucrit) between male and female Danio rerio, and characterized how body shape was associated with this performance measure in each sex. When swimming in small (n = 6) mixed‐sex groups at 28° C, males swam, on average, over 10 cm s−1 faster than females despite being significantly smaller. Body shape was sexually dimorphic, with males and females exhibiting small, but statistically significant differences in most aspects of body shape. Body shape explained 18 and 43% of the variation in Ucrit among males and females. In general, effects of body shape on swimming performance appeared to be sex limited, whereby different aspects of body shape affected performance in each sex, although the contribution of the distance between pelvic and anal fins to swimming performance was weakly sexually antagonistic.
Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic: Rapid growing cystic ovarian metastasis from pancreatic cancer
Authors: Nomoto Daichi , Hashimoto Daisuke , Motohara Takeshi , Chikamoto Akira , Nitta Hidetoshi , Beppu Toru , Katabuchi Hidetaka , Baba Hideo
Published: September 2015

Pancreatic cancer rarely develops cystic ovarian metastasis. We present a 63‐year‐old female patient with unresectable pancreas head cancer. Seven months after the introduction of the chemoradiotherapy, a giant intrapelvic cystic tumor with rapid growth was found. The tumor was resected because the patient complained of severe bloating and no other new metastatic sites could be identified. Postoperative pathological examination diagnosed it as an ovarian metastasis from the pancreas cancer.
Physical Function and Disability After Acute Care and Critical Illness Hospitalizations in a Prospective Cohort of Older Adults
Authors: Ehlenbach William J. , Larson Eric B. , Randall Curtis J. , Hough Catherine L.
Published: September 2015

Objectives

To investigate associations between acute care and critical illness hospitalizations and performance on physical functional measures and activities of daily living (ADLs).

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Large health maintenance organization.

Participants

Two thousand nine hundred twenty‐six participants in Adult Changes in Thought, a study of aging enrolling dementia‐free individuals aged 65 and older not living in a nursing home from 1994 to September 30, 2008 (N = 2,926).

Measurements

The exposure of interest was hospitalization during study participation, subdivided by presence of critical illness. Outcomes included gait speed, grip strength, chair stand speed, and difficulty and dependence in performingADLs measured at biennial visits.

Results

Median time between hospital discharge and the next study visit was 311 days (interquartile range (IQR) 151–501 days) after acute care hospitalization and 359 days (IQR181–420 days) after critical illness hospitalization. Gait speed was slower after acute care (−0.05 m/s, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.01–0.04 m/s slower,P < .001) and critical illness (−0.16 m/s, 95%CI = −0.22 to −0.10,P < .001). Grip was weaker after acute care hospitalization (−0.8 kg, 95%CI = −1.0 to −0.6,P < .001) but not significantly different after critical illness hospitalization. Chair‐stand speed was slower after acute care hospitalization (−0.04 stands/s, 95%CVI = −0.05 to −0.04,P < .001) and critical illness hospitalization (−0.09, 95%CI = −0.15 to −0.03,P = .003). The odds of difficulty with (odds ratio (OR) = 1.4, 95%CI = 1.2–1.6,P < .001) or dependence in (OR = 2.0, 95%CI = 1.2–3.2,P = .006) one or moreADLs was higher after acute care hospitalization, as were the odds of difficulty with (OR = 1.9, 95%CI = 1.1–3.6,P = .03) or dependence in (OR = 7.9, 95%CI = 2.5–25.7,P = .001) one or moreADLs after critical illness.

Conclusion

In older adults, hospitalization, especially for critical illness, was associated with clinically relevant decline in gait and chair stand speed and strongly associated with difficulty with and dependence inADLs.
News Shocks in the Data: Olympic Games and Their Macroeconomic Effects
Authors: Brückner Markus , Pappa Evi
Published: September 2015

We examine the macroeconomic effects of bidding for the Olympic Games using panel data for 188 countries during the period 1950–2009. Our findings confirm that economies react to news shocks: investment, consumption, and output significantly increase 9 to 7 years before the actual event in bidding countries. Hosting countries also experience significant increases in investment, consumption, and output 5 to 2 years before the hosting of the Games. Mapping the Olympics into a macroeconomic model, we show that we can match our empirical findings if we assume that an Olympic bid represents news about increases in government investment.
Investment‐Specific News Shocks and U.S. Business Cycles
Authors: Ben Zeev Nadav , Khan Hashmat
Published: September 2015

We provide robust evidence that news shocks about future investment‐specific technology (IST) constitute a significant force behind U.S. business cycles. Positive IST news shocks induce comovement, that is, raise output, consumption, investment, and hours. These shocks account for 70% of the business cycle variation in output, hours, and consumption, and 60% of the variation in investment, and have played an important role in 9 of the last 10 U.S. recessions. Our findings provide strong support for shifting focus to IST news shocks when investigating the role of news in driving U.S. business cycles.
Connecting Interfirm and Intrafirm Collaboration in NPD Projects: Does Innovation Context Matter?
Authors: Schleimer Stephanie C. , Faems Dries
Published: September 2015

Interfirm collaboration is an important strategy for firms to generate new products and services. Whereas existing research emphasizes the importance of interfirm collaboration engagement to realize synergistic benefits in interfirm NPD projects, it remains surprisingly silent on the potential impact of intrafirm relational processes and how they can impact the interfirm setting. In this article, we therefore explore the impact of intrafirm collaboration engagement on the relationship between interfirm collaboration engagement and new product development (NPD) performance in interfirm NPD projects. Relying on insights from information processing theory, the authors hypothesize that intrafirm collaboration engagement increases firms' capacity to process complex information flows in the case of extensive interfirm collaboration engagement. Moreover, it is expect that the added value of extensive intrafirm collaboration engagement depends on the innovation objective (i.e., incremental versus radical new product development) of the interfirm NPD project. In particular, we hypothesize that the positive moderating impact of intrafirm collaboration engagement on the relationship between interfirm collaboration engagement and NPD performance is stronger for radical interfirm projects than incremental interfirm projects. Analyzing 195 interfirm NPD projects, a negative interaction effect between interfirm and intrafirm collaboration engagement is observed in radical interfirm NPD projects, whereas significant interactions between them remain absent in incremental interfirm NPD projects. Jointly, these findings provide first evidence that intrafirm relational processes can substantially impact partners' ability to realize relational rents in interfirm settings. Moreover, the negative interaction effect between interfirm and intrafirm collaboration engagement points to potential trade‐offs between inward‐looking and outward‐looking absorptive capacity.