bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nifedipine maintenance tocolysis and perinatal outcome: an individual participant data meta‐analysis
Authors: van Vliet EOG , Dijkema GH , Schuit E , Heida KY , Roos C , van der Post JAM , Parry EC , McCowan L , Lyell DJ , El‐Sayed YY , Carr DB , Clark AL , Mahdy ZA , Uma M , Sayin NC , Varol GF , Mol BW , Oudijk MA
Published: August 2016

Background

Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity in developed countries. Whether continued tocolysis after 48 hours of rescue tocolysis improves neonatal outcome is unproven.

Objectives

To evaluate the effectiveness of maintenance tocolytic therapy with oral nifedipine on the reduction of adverse neonatal outcomes and the prolongation of pregnancy by performing an individual patient data meta‐analysis (IPDMA).

Search strategy

We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases for randomised controlled trials of maintenance tocolysis therapy with nifedipine in preterm labour.

Selection criteria

We selected trials including pregnant women between 24 and 366/7 weeks of gestation (gestational age, GA) with imminent preterm labour who had not delivered after 48 hours of initial tocolysis, and compared maintenance nifedipine tocolysis with placebo/no treatment.

Data collection and analysis

The primary outcome was perinatal mortality. Secondary outcome measures were intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH), necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), infant respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS), prolongation of pregnancy, GA at delivery, birthweight, neonatal intensive care unit admission, and number of days on ventilation support. Pre‐specified subgroup analyses were performed.

Main results

Six randomised controlled trials were included in this IPDMA, encompassing data from 787 patients (n = 390 for nifedipine; n = 397 for placebo/no treatment). There was no difference between the groups for the incidence of perinatal death (risk ratio, RR 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI 0.35–5.33), intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) ≥ grade II (RR 0.65; 95% CI 0.16–2.67), necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) (RR 1.15; 95% CI 0.50–2.65), infant respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS) (RR 0.98; 95% CI 0.51–1.85), and prolongation of pregnancy (hazard ratio, HR 0.74; 95% CI 0.55–1.01).

Conclusion

Maintenance tocolysis is not associated with improved perinatal outcome and is therefore not recommended for routine practice.

Tweetable abstract

Nifedipine maintenance tocolysis is not associated with improved perinatal outcome or pregnancy prolongation.
Changing paediatric emergency department model of care is associated with improvements in the National Emergency Access Target and a decrease in inpatient admissions
Authors: Margolis Stephen A , Muller Reinhold , Ypinazar Valmae A , Lawton Ben
Published: August 2016

Objective

To assess the impact on patient flow as noted by the National Emergency Access Target (NEAT), with the introduction of a new Paediatric ED (PEM ED) model of care.

Methods

This longitudinal observational study was conducted at the Logan Hospital, a 344 bed public hospital in metropolitan Brisbane, which opened a physically separate, dedicated PEM ED on 14 October 2014, incorporating approximately 30% more staff, limited changes in processes and no changes in governance. De‐identified data of the entire clientele from the ED Information System were compared 365 days before and after the opening of the PEM ED.

Results

Although the number of children presenting to ED increased by 23% (pre 18 142, post 22 391), the median length of stay decreased substantially from 152 min to 138 min, resulting in a 7.75% rise in presentations that met the NEAT target (pre 77.41%, post 85.16%; P < 0.0001). Admission to the ED Short Stay Unit rose by 16.48% (pre 5.38%, post 21.86%; P < 0.0001), whereas final disposition to the inpatient paediatric unit fell by 2.30% (pre 11.43, post 9.13%; P < 0.0001). The clinical presentations were similar pre and post across age, sex, ethnicity, referral and arrival mode, Australasian Triage Scale category, presenting problem and discharge diagnosis.

Conclusion

NEAT times improved after changing the PEM ED model of care. Further studies may assist identifying which of the specific features within the new model are most effective for improving patient flow.
Supporting dietitians to work in Aboriginal health: Qualitative evaluation of a Community of Practice mentoring circle
Authors: Wilson Annabelle M. , Delbridge Robyn , Palermo Claire
Published: August 2016

Aim

This paper explores the experience of dietitians participating in a Community of Practice designed to support their work with Aboriginal communities.

Methods

The Community of Practice for dietitians working with Aboriginal communities ran for 12 months, starting in May 2014. Six‐weekly mentoring sessions were held using Skype, with conversation aided by a facilitator. In‐depth, semi‐structured interviews were held with all participants at the conclusion of the Community of Practice. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

Thirteen dietitians participated in the Community of Practice and an in‐depth, semi‐structured interview. Four key themes were identified: (i) Aboriginal health practice requires a different way of ‘knowing’, ‘being’ and ‘working’; (ii) Community of Practice is a safe place to discuss, debrief and explore ideas that are not safe elsewhere; (iii) participation in Community of Practice contributed to workforce retention in the Aboriginal health sector; and (iv) participation in Community of Practice contributed to dietitians changing their practice and feeling confident to do so.

Conclusions

By increasing confidence and opportunities for safe discussion, Community of Practice appears to be a useful model of Continuing Professional Development to support dietitians working in Aboriginal health.
Serotonin transporter binding is reduced in seasonal affective disorder following light therapy
Authors: Tyrer A. E. , Levitan R. D. , Houle S. , Wilson A. A. , Nobrega J. N. , Rusjan P. M. , Meyer J. H.
Published: August 2016

Objective

To investigate the effects of light therapy on serotonin transporter binding (5‐HTT BPND), an index of 5‐HTT levels, in the anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortices (ACC and PFC) during winter in seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 5‐HTT BPND fluctuates seasonally to a greater extent in SAD relative to health. We hypothesized that in SAD, 5‐HTT BPND would be reduced in the ACC and PFC following light therapy.

Methods

Eleven SAD participants underwent [11C] DASB positron emission tomography (PET) scans to measure 5‐HTT BPND before and after 2 weeks of daily morning light therapy.

Results

The primary finding was a main effect of treatment on 5‐HTT BPND in the ACC and PFC (repeated‐measures manova, F(2,9) = 6.82, P = 0.016). This effect was significant in the ACC (F(1,10) = 15.11 and P = 0.003, magnitude of decrease, 11.94%) and PFC (F(1,10) = 8.33, P = 0.016, magnitude of decrease, 9.13%). 5‐HTT BPND also decreased in other regions assayed following light therapy (repeated‐measures manova, F(4,7) = 8.54, P = 0.028) including the hippocampus, ventral striatum, dorsal putamen, thalamus and midbrain (F(1,10) = 8.02–36.94, P < 0.0001–0.018; magnitude −8.83% to −16.74%).

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that light therapy reaches an important therapeutic target in the treatment of SAD and provide a basis for improvement of this treatment via application of [11C]DASB PET.
Dissociative role for dorsal hippocampus in mediating heroin self‐administration and relapse through CDK5 and RhoB signaling revealed by proteomic analysis
Authors: Chen Zhong‐Guo , Liu Xing , Wang Weisheng , Geng Fan , Gao Jing , Gan Chen‐Ling , Chai Jing‐Rui , He Ling , Hu Gang , Zhou Hu , Liu Jing‐Gen
Published: August 2016

Addiction is characterized by drug craving, compulsive drug taking and relapse, which is attributed to aberrant neuroadaptation in brain regions implicated in drug addiction, induced by changes in gene and protein expression in these regions after chronic drug exposure. Accumulating evidence suggests that the dorsal hippocampus (DH) plays an important role in mediating drug‐seeking and drug‐taking behavior and relapse. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects of the DH are unclear. In the present study, we employed a label‐free quantitative proteomic approach to analyze the proteins altered in the DH of heroin self‐administering rats. A total of 4015 proteins were quantified with high confidence, and 361 proteins showed significant differences compared with the saline control group. Among them, cyclin‐dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) and ras homolog family member B (RhoB) were up‐regulated in rats with a history of extended access to heroin. Functionally, inhibition of CDK5 in the DH enhanced heroin self‐administration, indicating that CDK5 signaling in the DH acts as a homeostatic compensatory mechanism to limit heroin‐taking behavior, whereas blockade of the Rho‐Rho kinase (ROCK) pathway attenuated context‐induced heroin relapse, indicating that RhoB signaling in the DH is required for the retrieval (recall) of addiction memory. Our findings suggest that manipulation of CDK5 signaling in the DH may be essential in determining vulnerability to opiate taking, whereas manipulation of RhoB signaling in the DH may be essential in determining vulnerability to relapse. Overall, the present study suggests that the DH can exert dissociative effects on heroin addiction through CDK5 and RhoB signaling.
Brain metastasis features and association with tumor epidermal growth factor receptor mutation in patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung
Authors: Luo Yung‐Hung , Wu Chieh‐Hung , Huang Chu‐Yun , Wu Chih‐Wei , Wu Wen‐Shuo , Lee Yu‐Chin , Whang‐Peng Jacqueline , Chen Yuh‐Min
Published: August 2016

Aim

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are frequent in pulmonary adenocarcinoma patients. The association between tumor EGFR mutation and characteristics of brain metastasis (BM) is still unclear.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed pulmonary adenocarcinoma patients with and without BMs, and characteristics of BM to analyze the association between tumor EGFR mutation and characteristics of BM.

Results

Of 374 cases, 239 had EGFR mutations; 69 had BM at initial diagnosis, and 82 with BMs after treatment. All eligible patients received EGFR‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors treatment. Older patients (≥70 years old) were less likely to have BMs than younger patients (25.8% vs 48%, P < 0.001). Patients with higher N stage had higher proportion of BMs (P = 0.006). Patients with exon 19 deletion were more likely to have BMs than those without EGFR mutation (48.1% vs 34.1%, P = 0.021). Patients with exon 19 deletion didn't have significantly higher chance of BMs at initial diagnosis but had higher chance to develop BM after treatment than those without EGFR mutation (35.6% vs 21.2%, P = 0.019). Patients with exon 19 deletion survived longer than those without EGFR mutation (1‐year survival rate 95.8% vs 78.7%, P = 0.003). Thus, longer survival may lead to higher proportion of BM occurrence in patients with exon 19 deletion than those without EGFR mutation.

Conclusions

In pulmonary adenocarcinoma, there is no significant difference in frequency of BMs at initial diagnosis between patients with EGFR mutation and wild type. However, after treatment, patients with EGFR mutations are significantly more likely to develop BM.
EPHB4, a down stream target of IFN‐γ/STAT1 signal pathway, regulates endothelial activation possibly contributing to the development of preeclampsia
Authors: Liu Xiaoping , Hu Ying , Liu Xiaoxia , Zheng Yanfang , Luo Minglian , Liu Weifang , Zhao Yin , Zou Li
Published: August 2016

Problem

Preeclampsia is characterized by endothelial activation and excessive inflammation, of which interferon (IFN)‐γ is a potent inducer. Eph receptor B4 (EPHB4) also involved in endothelial activation in inflammation. Their role and relationship in preeclampsia remain unclear.

Method of study

Intercellular adhesion molecular (ICAM)‐1 was employed as the hallmark of endothelial activation. The serum levels of IFN‐γ and the expression of EPHB4 and ICAM‐1 were assessed by ELISA, qRT‐PCR and WB, respectively. Primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with IFN‐γ of different concentration or for different times to determine the effect of IFN‐γ on EPHB4 and ICAM‐1 expression. Overexpression and shRNA constructs, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and luciferase assays were conducted to clarify the regulation mechanism of IFN‐γ/STAT1 on EPHB4 resulting in HUVECs activation. Endothelial–trophoblast co‐culture model was used to illustrate the role of EPHB4 in the process of activated endothelial cells resisting trophoblast invasion.

Results

IFN‐γ, EPHB4 and ICAM‐1 expression were elevated in preeclampsia. IFN‐γ induced HUVECs activation through EPHB4 expression. ChIP and luciferase assays revealed that IFN‐γ promoted EPHB4 transcription by STAT‐1 binding to EPHB4 promoter. EPHB4 probably involved in resisting trophoblasts displacement by IFN‐γ‐activated HUVECs.

Conclusion

This study uncovered the character of EPHB4‐regulating endothelial activation in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.
Precarity outside: The political unconscious of French academic labor
Authors: THORKELSON ELI
Published: August 2016

The concept of precarity has lately become prominent in anthropology as a way of theorizing neoliberal labor, affect, and subjectivity. But just what are the politics of this concept? In the context of French higher education and research, précarité is not only a designator for affect or labor relations. It is also a semiautonomous political concept with a political unconscious. Even as it mobilizes academic unions and makes claims on the French state, it fulfills covert ideological functions like political delegation, othering, sociological occlusion of race and class, and the universalization of elite disappointment. This in turn raises reflexive questions about precarity within Anglophone anthropology. [precarity, academic labor, reflexive anthropology, otherness, disidentification, political unconscious, France]

Le concept de précarité est de plus en plus saillant en anthropologie car il permet de théoriser le travail, l'affect et la subjectivité néolibéraux. Mais quels sont les politiques de ce concept? Dans le contexte français de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, la « précarité » n'est pas seulement un terme qui désigne l'affect ou les relations de travail. C'est également un concept politique quasi‐autonome doté d'un inconscient politique. Alors même qu'il mobilise les syndicats universitaires et qu'il porte des revendications auprès de l'Etat français, il a des fonctions idéologiques cachées telles que la délégation politique, la production de l'altérité, l'occultation sociologique de la race et de la classe sociale et l'universalisation du sentiment de déception chez les élites. Réciproquement, le cas français soulève des questions réflexives quant à la précarité au sein de l'anthropologie anglophone. [précarité, travail universitaire, anthropologie réflexive, altérité, désidentification, inconscient politique, France]
Royal pharmaceuticals: Bioprospecting, rights, and traditional authority in South Africa
Authors: MORRIS CHRISTOPHER
Published: August 2016

The translation of international biogenetic resource rights to a former apartheid homeland is fostering business partnerships between South African traditional leaders and multinational pharmaceutical companies. In the case of one contentious resource, these partnerships are entrenching, and in some instances expanding, apartheid‐associated boundaries and configurations of power. The state and corporate task of producing communities amenable to biodiversity commercialization and conservation is entangled with segregationist laws and spatial planning. Rather than exclusion and the closure of ethnic boundaries, resource rights in this context foreground forced enrollment and the expansion of indigenous group‐membership as modes of capitalist accumulation in an extractive economy. [pharmaceutical bioprospecting, Pelargonium sidoides, Convention on Biological Diversity, indigeneity, homelands, South Africa]

Ukufezekiswa/ukuphunyezwa kwamalungelo egunya lwezimbiwa zendalo ezilapha, kwindawo ezisakuba yinxenye yamaphandle ocalu‐calulo, ikhuthaza ubuhlakani nolwahlulelwano phakathi kweeNkosi kunye neeNkampani eznkulu zamazwe angaphandle kweli. (Amalungelo abhekisa kulawo abantu inezimbiwa ezinjenge zityalo/mithi, ngokuzisebenzisa kwabo kwanobunini bazo.) Omnye umzekelo wesityalo obangela ingxabano, ngowokuba obubuhlakani/lwahlulelwano (iinkosi neenkampani zamazwe) bubangela ifuthe elityhala ngamandla lokude kwandiswe memida yemihlaba eyayisekiwe ngeloxesha lamaphandle ocalu‐calulo, kananjalo nesimo esitsha samagunya nolawulo lomthetho. Amalinge/imizamo kaRhulumente neeNkampani zamayeza/zamachiza okufumana abantu abangena ngci kwindlela yeengcinga zabo abasele benazo kakade, (abakwaziyo ukurhweba kwanokulondoloza indalo), utyhalwa lifuthe lomgaqo‐nkqubo ocalu‐calula abantu, kwanomgaqo‐nkqubo obona utyalo‐mali lusenzeka ikakhulu, ngaphandle kwezondawo zazisakuba phantsi kwamaphandle ocalu‐calulo ngokwemida. U Rhulumente ukhangeleka ngathi ufuna kwenza utyalo‐mali ikakhulu, ezixekweni/dolophini kweli le Mpuma Kapa, ngaphezu kwakwimimandla yeelali zelalisakuba liphandle localu‐calulo. Kunokuba iinkokheli zemveli noRhulumente zenze imali zodwa, ngokubashiya ngaphandle abahlali bale mihlaba, iinkokheli zemveli kwakunye noRhulumnte zizama ukwandisa inani lazo, labobantu baphantsi kwazo, okanye banyanzelise abantu bezondawo babephantsi kolawulo lweenkosi ngokwabantu bemveli yalondawo, ngeenjongo zokwenza ingeniso‐mali kwishishini lemveliso elikhupha/elomba izimbiwa zendalo eMzantsi Afrika. [Ushishino ngemithi/amachiza/izityalo zendalo kwaneengcambu zisetyenziselwa ukwenza amayeza (pharmaceutical bioprospecting),uvendle,eli ligama elisemthethweni le Nkomfa (Convention on Biological Diversity), imo yokuba ngowemveli yalo ndawo oknye inzalelwane yalapho kulo ndawo,amaphandle ocalu‐calulo (Bantustans),uMzantsi Afrika]
Conceptual issues behind the Chinese translations of the term ‘Bipolar Disorder’
Authors: Leung Chi‐Ming , Ungvari Gabor S. , Xiang Yu‐Tao
Published: August 2016

The paper examines the problems of the existing nomenclature in Chinese psychiatry with special reference to the Chinese translation of bipolar disorder in the context of stigma of mental illness in the Chinese culture. The development of the concept of bipolar disorder is reviewed, followed by a critical examination of the accuracy and validity of the current translation of bipolar disorder in the Chinese psychiatric literature. A new translation is suggested with consideration for literal accuracy and social acceptance.
Distal mean nocturnal baseline impedance on pH‐impedance monitoring predicts reflux burden and symptomatic outcome in gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease
Authors: Patel A. , Wang D. , Sainani N. , Sayuk G. S. , Gyawali C. P.
Published: August 2016

Background

Mean nocturnal baseline impedance (MNBI), a novel pH‐impedance metric, may be a surrogate marker of reflux burden.

Aim

To assess the predictive value of MNBI on symptomatic outcomes after anti‐reflux therapy.

Methods

In this prospective observational cohort study, pH‐impedance studies performed over a 5‐year period were reviewed. Baseline impedance was extracted from six channels at three stable nocturnal 10‐min time periods, and averaged to yield MNBI. Distal and proximal oesophageal MNBI values were calculated by averaging MNBI values at 3, 5, 7 and 9 cm, and 15 and 17 cm respectively. Symptomatic outcomes were measured as changes in global symptom severity (GSS, rated on 100‐mm visual analogue scales) on prospective follow‐up after medical or surgical anti‐reflux therapy. Univariate and multivariate analyses assessed the predictive value of MNBI on symptomatic outcomes.

Results

Of 266 patients, 135 (50.8%) were tested off proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy and formed the study cohort (52.1 ± 1.1 years, 63.7% F). The 59 with elevated acid exposure time (AET) had lower composite and distal MNBI values than those with physiological AET (P < 0.0001), but similar proximal MNBI (P = 0.62). Linear AET negatively correlated with distal MNBI, both individually and collectively (Pearson's r = −0.5, P < 0.001), but not proximal MNBI (Pearson's r = 0, P = 0.72). After prospective follow‐up (94 patients were followed up for 3.1 ± 0.2 years), univariate and multivariate regression models showed that distal MNBI, but not proximal MNBI, was independently predictive of linear GSS improvement.

Conclusions

Distal oesophageal MNBI negatively correlates with AET and, when assessed off PPI therapy, is independently predictive of symptomatic improvement following anti‐reflux therapy.
On Standardized Relative Survival
Authors: Sasieni Peter , Brentnall Adam R.
Published: August 2016

Cancer survival comparisons between cohorts are often assessed by estimates of relative or net survival. These measure the difference in mortality between those diagnosed with the disease and the general population. For such comparisons methods are needed to standardize cohort structure (including age at diagnosis) and all-cause mortality rates in the general population. Standardized non-parametric relative survival measures are evaluated by determining how well they (i) ensure the correct rank ordering, (ii) allow for differences in covariate distributions, and (iii) possess robustness and maximal estimation precision. Two relative survival families that subsume the Ederer-I, Ederer-II, and Pohar-Perme statistics are assessed. The aforementioned statistics do not meet our criteria, and are not invariant under a change of covariate distribution. Existing methods for standardization of these statistics are either not invariant to changes in the general population mortality or are not robust. Standardized statistics and estimators are developed to address the deficiencies. They use a reference distribution for covariates such as age, and a reference population mortality survival distribution that is recommended to approach zero with increasing age as fast as the cohort with the worst life expectancy. Estimators are compared using a breast-cancer survival example and computer simulation. The proposals are invariant and robust, and out-perform current methods to standardize the Ederer-II and Pohar-Perme estimators in simulations, particularly for extended follow-up.
Oligocene‐Miocene Great Lakes in the India‐Asia Collision Zone
Authors: DeCelles Peter G. , Castañeda Isla S. , Carrapa Barbara , Liu Juan , Quade Jay , Leary Ryan , Zhang Liyun
Published: August 2016

The Himalayan‐Tibetan Plateau is Earth's highest topographic feature, and formed largely during Cenozoic time as India collided with and subducted beneath southern Asia. The >1300 km long, late Oligocene‐early Miocene Kailas basin formed within the collisional suture zone more than 35 Ma after the onset of collision, and provides a detailed picture of surface environments, processes and possible geodynamic mechanisms operating within the suture zone during the ongoing convergence of India and Asia. We present new geochronological, sedimentological, organic geochemical and palaeontological data from a previously undocumented 400 km long portion of the Kailas basin. The new data demonstrate that this part of the basin was partly occupied by large, deep, probably meromictic lakes surrounded by coal‐forming swamps. Lacustrine facies include coarse‐ and fine‐grained turbidites, profundal black shales and marginal Gilbert‐type deltas. Organic geochemical temperature proxies suggest that palaeolake water was warmer than 25 °C, and cyprinid fish fossils indicate an ecology capable of supporting large fish. Our findings demonstrate a brief period of low elevation in the suture zone during Oligocene‐Miocene time (26–21 Ma) and call for a geodynamic mechanism capable of producing a long (>1000 km) and narrow basin along the southern edge of the upper, Asian plate, long after the onset of intercontinental collision. Kailas basin deposits presently are exposed at elevations >6000 m, requiring dramatic elevation gain in the region after Kailas deposition, without strongly shortening the upper crust. Episodic Indian slab rollback, followed by break‐off and subsequent renewal of flat‐slab subduction, can account for features of the Kailas basin.
Action mechanisms of histone deacetylase inhibitors in the treatment of hematological malignancies
Authors: Imai Yoichi , Maru Yoshiro , Tanaka Junji
Published: August 2016

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) critically regulate gene expression by determining the acetylation status of histones. Studies have increasingly focused on the activities of HDACs, especially involving non‐histone proteins, and their various biological effects. Aberrant HDAC expression observed in several kinds of human tumors makes HDACs potential targets for cancer treatment. Several preclinical studies have suggested that HDAC inhibitors show some efficacy in the treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia with AML1‐ETO, which mediates transcriptional repression through its interaction with a complex including HDAC1. Recurrent mutations in epigenetic regulators are found in T‐cell lymphomas (TCLs), and HDAC inhibitors and hypomethylating agents were shown to act cooperatively in the treatment of TCLs. Preclinical modeling has suggested that persistent activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling pathway could serve as a useful biomarker of resistance to HDAC inhibitor in patients with cutaneous TCL. Panobinostat, a pan‐HDAC inhibitor, in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone, has achieved longer progression‐free survival in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM) than the placebo in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone. Panobinostat inhibited MM cell growth by degrading protein phosphatase 3 catalytic subunit α (PPP3CA), a catalytic subunit of calcineurin. This degradation was suggested to be mediated by the blockade of the chaperone function of heat shock protein 90 due to HDAC6 inhibition. Aberrant PPP3CA expression in advanced MM indicated a possible correlation between high PPP3CA expression and the pathogenesis of MM. Furthermore, PPP3CA was suggested as a common target of panobinostat and bortezomib.
Incremental value of live/real time three‐dimensional transesophageal echocardiography over the two‐dimensional technique in the assessment of aortic atherosclerotic thrombi and ulcers
Authors: Elsayed Mahmoud , Bulur Serkan , Kalla Aditi , Ahmed Mustafa I , Hsiung Ming C , Uygur Begum , Alagic Nermina , Sungur Aylin , Singh Satinder , Nanda Navin C
Published: August 2016

We present two cases in whom live/real time three‐dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) provided incremental value in the assessment of atherosclerotic disease in the aorta. In one patient, it identified additional atherosclerotic ulcers as well as thrombi within them which were missed by two‐dimensional (2D) TEE. In both cases, the size of the large mobile atherosclerotic plaque was underestimated by 2DTEE as compared with 3DTEE. Furthermore, 3DTEE provided volume quantification of the thrombi and ulcers which is not possible by 2DTEE. The echocardiographic findings of atherosclerotic plaques were confirmed by computed tomography in one patient and by surgery in the other.
Evaluation of fetal cardiac valve anomalies by four‐dimensional echocardiography with spatiotemporal image correlation (4DSTIC)
Authors: Hu Guyue , Zhang Ying , Fan Miao , Wang Meilian , Siddiqui Faiza Amber , Wang Yu , Sun Wei , Sun Feifei , Zhang Dongyu , Lei Wenjia , Sun Xue
Published: August 2016

Background

Prenatal diagnosis of cardiac valve anomalies challenged most screening sonographers. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the use of four‐dimensional echocardiography with spatiotemporal image correlation (4DSTIC) in detecting normal and abnormal fetal cardiac valves.

Methods

Forty‐three cases of confirmed cardiac valve anomalies identified by two‐dimensional echocardiography (2DE) were retrospectively reviewed in this study. Additional 121 confirmed normal fetuses were included as controls. Four‐dimensional volumes were acquired from each fetus using a transverse sweep. Four‐dimensional rendered images were retrieved from the volumes for each of the cardiac valves for the normal fetuses and for the intended valves for fetuses with valve malformations.

Results

The visualization rates of cardiac valves retrieved from 4D volumes in the normal fetuses ranged from 72.5% to 97.5% before 33 gestational weeks and from 46.3% to 80.5% in late pregnancy. Furthermore, 4D rendered images were successfully obtained in 38 of 43 (88.4%) fetuses with cardiac valve lesions.

Conclusions

The 4D images and cine loops displayed the valves anatomy vividly in both normal and abnormal fetuses, including some subtle malformations which were not identified by traditional 2DE. The standardized protocol we propose herein was important in obtaining the 4D images from the volumes. The 4D modality allows a better visualization of fetal cardiac valves and should be considered a valuable addition to traditional 2DE imaging.
Right‐sided endocarditis: eustachian valve and coronary sinus involvement
Authors: Kumar Kartik R. , Haider Samran , Sood Aditya , Mahmoud Karim A.I. , Mostafa Ashraf , Afonso Luis C. , Kottam Anupama R.
Published: August 2016

Infective endocarditis in patients with intravenous drug use commonly involves right‐sided heart valves. Eustachian valve (EV) endocarditis is not commonly seen given the valve's infrequent presence. Involvement of the coronary sinus (CS) with endocarditis is also an unusual finding. We present a case with echocardiographic findings consistent with EV endocarditis along with CS involvement, which appropriately responded to antibiotics.
Colour lightness of dragonfly assemblages across North America and Europe
Authors: Pinkert Stefan , Brandl Roland , Zeuss Dirk
Published: August 2016

Dark‐coloured ectotherms absorb energy from the environment at higher rates than light‐coloured ectotherms. The thermal melanism hypothesis (TMH) states that this physical mechanism links the colour lightness of the body surfaces of ectotherms to their thermal environment and hence to their geographical distribution. Studies on different insect taxa in Europe found support for this prediction of the TMH. However, whether these results hold also for other biogeographical regions remains unclear. Here, we quantify and map the colour lightness of dragonfly species in North America and directly compare our results to previously published findings for Europe. We estimated the colour lightness of 152 North American dragonfly species from published illustrations, compiled their distribution data from the literature and combined all these data with six biologically relevant environmental variables. We evaluated the importance of phylogenetic autocorrelation for the spatial variation of mean colour lightness of dragonfly assemblages (grid cells of approximately 50 × 50 km size) by repeating all analyses also for the phylogenetically predicted component of the colour lightness of species and the species‐specific deviation from this prediction. We also accounted for spatial autocorrelation with autoregressive error models. All statistical approaches showed that dragonfly assemblages from both continents consistently tended to be darker coloured in regions with cold climates and lighter coloured in regions with warm climates. Regression slopes, however, were significantly less steep, and the amount of variance explained by environmental variables was lower for North America than for Europe. Our results highlight the importance of colour lightness for the distribution of dragonfly species, but they also indicate that idiosyncrasies of the continents modify the general pattern.
Innate and acquired components of oligophagy in the herbivorous lepidopteran, Manduca sexta
Authors: Gretes William C. , Stanwyck Elizabeth A. , Hanson Frank E.
Published: August 2016

Innate and acquired aspects of oligophagy were investigated in the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta L. (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae), a species normally restricted to members of the family Solanaceae. Larvae were reared in the laboratory on solanaceous species tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), strawberry groundcherry (Physalis pruinosa L.), and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), as well as the non‐solanaceous foods cowpea [Vigna sinensis (L.) (Fabaceae)], rapeseed [Brassica napus L. (Brassicaceae)], and artificial diet. Feeding assays were conducted using the above plants plus corkscrew vine [Vigna caracalla (L.) Verdc. (Fabaceae)], lettuce [Lactuca sativa L. (Asteraceae)], and moist glass‐fiber filter paper. Larval feeding was characterized using two camera‐monitored assays: (1) a quantitative no‐choice disc test that determines consumption over time, delays in initiation of feeding, and % of larvae rejecting the food, and (2) a novel no‐choice emigration test that measures how soon a larva abandons a whole plant. Experimental results from both assays revealed that larvae displayed high levels of acceptance of Solanaceae regardless of whether they had been reared on solanaceous or non‐solanaceous food. We conclude that solanaceous oligophagy in M. sexta is primarily innate and does not require (but may be strengthened by) previous feeding experience on Solanaceae. In contrast, larvae tested on non‐solanaceous plants or moist filter paper showed large variation in both acceptance of foods and emigration times that were strongly dependent on the food on which they had been reared (analogous to the ‘induction of preference’ of earlier literature). Two types of induction were identified: an increase in acceptability of a plant of (1) the same species as the one on which the larva was reared, or (2) a related species. These discoveries both challenge and expand our current understanding of oligophagy in the tobacco hornworm.
Beneath the bark: associations among Sirex noctilio development, bluestain fungi, and pine host species in North America
Authors: FOELKER CHRISTOPHER J.
Published: August 2016

1. Invasive species with global distributions encounter unique environmental and biotic variables that can greatly affect the magnitude of their impact. The European woodwasp, Sirex noctilio Fabricius, is a prime example that has invaded climatically and ecologically distinct ecosystems across the Southern Hemisphere and, more recently, North America.

2. Northeastern North America presents a unique set of conditions, including pine host species, native parasitoids, a diverse assemblage of native co‐colonising insects, and fungal associates of these co‐colonisers. In North America, S. noctilio attacks both a naturalised ancestral host (Pinus sylvestris L.) from Europe and a naïve native host (P. resinosa). A large assemblage of insects and their associated bluestaining ophiostomatoid fungi colonise these pines. Competition between S. noctilio and this group is a hypothesised mechanism of biotic resistance in the invaded region of North America, possibly via superior resource capture abilities or alteration of host tissue by bluestain fungi.

3. Investigating these ecological interactions is challenging because they manifest deep in the xylem tissue. To overcome this, 30 experimentally stressed trees were systematically dissected with an electric log splitter to investigate the effects of bluestain fungi and tree factors on S. noctilio development and parasitism by native hymenopterans.

4. Body size and colonisation density were affected by pine species, with S. noctilio being 25% larger and densities three‐fold greater in P. sylvestris than P. resinosa. Survivorship was slightly negatively correlated with the proportional volume of bluestain infection. Interestingly, rhyssine (Rhyssa and Megarhyssa spp.) parasitism responded positively to greater S. noctilio density, but there was no density relationship with Ibalia leucospoides ensiger parasitism. Pine host species appears to play a strong role in S. noctilio development, which is important considering uninvaded regions of North America have a diversity of pine species that likely vary in their susceptibility to this woodborer.
Caterpillar assemblages on Chusquea bamboos in southern Ecuador: abundance, guild structure, and the influence of host plant quality
Authors: SEIFERT CARLO L. , LEHNER LISAMARIE , BODNER FLORIAN , FIEDLER KONRAD
Published: August 2016

1. Information on the guild structure of foliage‐associated tropical insects is scarce, especially as caterpillars are mostly considered only as herbivores feeding on living leaves. However, many caterpillar species display alternative trophic associations, feeding on dead or withered leaves or epiphylls (‘non‐herbivores’).

2. To determine the contribution of these non‐herbivores, caterpillar communities associated with Chusquea Kunth (Poaceae) in the Andes of southern Ecuador were investigated. Caterpillars were collected at two elevation levels (montane rainforest ∼2000 m and elfin forest at ∼3000 m a.s.l.) and assigned to three feeding guilds (strict herbivores, non‐herbivores, and switchers) based on feeding trials. Foliage quality and leaf area were recorded to test for their influence on guild composition and caterpillar density.

3. Three hundred and eighty‐nine individuals belonging to 175 Lepidoptera species associated with Chusquea bamboos were found. The species richness of caterpillars was similarly high at both elevation levels but varied between feeding guilds. Approximately half (46.5%) displayed an alternative feeding association, i.e. were non‐herbivores (31.1%) or switchers (15.4%).

4. Caterpillar density was nearly two‐fold higher in the elfin forest, but only strict herbivores and switchers increased significantly with elevation. Leaf area positively influenced the density of strict herbivores and switchers; foliage quality only affected strict herbivores. The density of non‐herbivores did not differ significantly between the forest types and was not related to leaf area or foliage quality.

5. The present study underpins that non‐herbivores make up a considerable fraction of caterpillar communities in tropical mountain ecosystems and demonstrates that elevation, foliage quality and available plant biomass further shape feeding guild composition.
The preventive effects of two nutraceuticals on experimentally induced acute synovitis
Authors: van de Water E. , Oosterlinck M. , Dumoulin M. , Korthagen N. M. , van Weeren P. R. , van den Broek J. , Everts H. , Pille F. , van Doorn D. A.
Published: August 2016

Background

Nutraceuticals are often used in the management of equine osteoarthritis, but scientific evidence of their efficacy is lacking.

Objectives

To study the preventive effects of two new nutraceuticals after the experimental induction of synovitis in comparison with positive and negative control treatments.

Study design

Blinded, controlled, randomised experiment.

Methods

Twenty‐four healthy Standardbred horses were randomly allocated to supplement AT (multi‐ingredient, 28 days), supplement HP (collagen hydrolysate, 60 days), meloxicam (4 days) or placebo (60 days). Synovitis was induced in the right intercarpal joint by intra‐articular injection of 0.5 ng lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Escherichia coli while treatments were continued. Blood and synovial fluid were sampled before treatment, immediately prior to LPS injection, and at 8, 24 and 48 h post‐injection. Synovial fluid samples were analysed for total nucleated cell count (TNCC), total protein (TP) and selected biomarkers (prostaglandin E2 [PGE2], interleukin‐6 [IL‐6], glycosaminoglycans [GAGs], type II collagen synthesis [CPII], matrix metalloproteinase [MMP]). Lameness was scored by visual examination and pressure plate analysis immediately prior to LPS injection, and at 8, 24 and 48 h post‐injection. Clinical examinations were performed before treatment, immediately prior to LPS injection, at 2, 4 and 6 h post‐injection, and then twice per day during the test period.

Results

Before treatment and intra‐articular challenge, there were no statistically significant differences among the treatment groups for any of the parameters. After intra‐articular challenge, the placebo group showed significantly higher synovial fluid TP, TNCC and PGE2 compared with the meloxicam group, although the model did not induce a relevant amount of lameness. Both nutraceuticals resulted in significantly lower synovial fluid TP, TNCC and PGE2 compared with placebo. No statistical differences in IL‐6, GAGs, CPII or MMPs were observed among treatment groups. No adverse effects were observed.

Main limitations

Despite evidence of synovitis, lameness was too mild to detect.

Conclusions

The preventive administration of these nutraceuticals showed anti‐inflammatory effects in this validated synovitis model. Therefore, further studies of their clinical applicability are warranted.
French Interrogative Structures: A New Pedagogical Norm for the 21st‐Century Classroom
Authors: Antes Theresa A.
Published: August 2016

This study investigated interrogative structures most frequently used by native speakers of French, in an attempt to reconcile differences between language forms taught in the French as a foreign language classroom and those that are encountered in authentic input. Radio, television, and magazine interviews provided multiple examples of interrogatives in formal spoken contexts. Both yes/no and wh‐ interrogatives were identified. These were then examined for syntactic structure, the degree to which the interlocutor was implicated (event type), and pragmatic function. Based on these results, recommendations are made for the development of a pedagogical norm for presentation of interrogative structures in the French classroom. This new norm will allow instructors to consider learners’ developmental stages while at the same time mirroring the most frequent interrogative structures used by native speakers of French and observing important communicative and pragmatic distinctions between syntactic forms.
Confounding effects of spatial variation on shifts in phenology
Authors: de Keyzer Charlotte W. , Rafferty Nicole E. , Inouye David W. , Thomson James D.
Published: August 2016

Shifts in the timing of life history events have become an important source of information about how organisms are responding to climate change. Phenological data have generally been treated as purely temporal, with scant attention to the inherent spatial aspects of such data. However, phenological data are tied to a specific location, and considerations of sampling design, both over space and through time, can critically affect the patterns that emerge. Focusing on flowering phenology, we describe how purely spatial shifts, such as adding new study plots, or the colonization of a study plot by a new species, can masquerade as temporal shifts. Such shifts can look like responses to climate change but are not. Furthermore, the same aggregate phenological curves can be composed of individuals with either very different or very similar phenologies. We conclude with a set of recommendations to avoid ambiguities arising from the spatiotemporal duality of phenological data.
Interactive effects of temperature and pCO2 on sponges: from the cradle to the grave
Authors: Bennett Holly M. , Altenrath Christine , Woods Lisa , Davy Simon K. , Webster Nicole S. , Bell James J.
Published: August 2016

As atmospheric CO2 concentrations rise, associated ocean warming (OW) and ocean acidification (OA) are predicted to cause declines in reef‐building corals globally, shifting reefs from coral‐dominated systems to those dominated by less sensitive species. Sponges are important structural and functional components of coral reef ecosystems, but despite increasing field‐based evidence that sponges may be ‘winners’ in response to environmental degradation, our understanding of how they respond to the combined effects of OW and OA is limited. To determine the tolerance of adult sponges to climate change, four abundant Great Barrier Reef species were experimentally exposed to OW and OA levels predicted for 2100, under two CO2 Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). The impact of OW and OA on early life‐history stages was also assessed for one of these species to provide a more holistic view of species impacts. All species were generally unaffected by conditions predicted under RCP6.0, although environmental conditions projected under RCP8.5 caused significant adverse effects: with elevated temperature decreasing the survival of all species, increasing levels of tissue necrosis and bleaching, elevating respiration rates and decreasing photosynthetic rates. OA alone had little adverse effect, even under RCP8.5 concentrations. Importantly, the interactive effect of OW and OA varied between species with different nutritional modes, with elevated pCO2 exacerbating temperature stress in heterotrophic species but mitigating temperature stress in phototrophic species. This antagonistic interaction was reflected by reduced mortality, necrosis and bleaching of phototrophic species in the highest OW/OA treatment. Survival and settlement success of Carteriospongia foliascens larvae were unaffected by experimental treatments, and juvenile sponges exhibited greater tolerance to OW than their adult counterparts. With elevated pCO2 providing phototrophic species with protection from elevated temperature, across different life stages, climate change may ultimately drive a shift in the composition of sponge assemblages towards a dominance of phototrophic species.
The HIV/AIDS epidemic among young people in China between 2005 and 2012: results of a spatial temporal analysis
Authors: Zhang X , Tang W , Li Y , Mahapatra T , Feng Y , Li M , Chen F , Li P , Xing J , Qian S , Ge L , Bu K , Mahapatra S , Tang S , Wang L , Wang N
Published: August 2016

Objectives

Despite a recent increase in the HIV/AIDS epidemic among young people in China, youth‐specific HIV data are limited.

Methods

In total, 56 621 individuals with HIV/AIDS, aged 15–24 years, registered in the Case Reporting System of China between 2005 and 2012 and having complete spatial information were included in the present analysis. Spatial autocorrelation (general and local) and space−time scanning were performed using the ArcGIS 10.2 and SaTScan 9.3 software, respectively.

Results

During 2005−2012, the number of reported HIV/AIDS cases and the proportion of HIV cases increased while the proportion of AIDS cases decreased. Sexual contact became the predominant route of transmission in later years. Spatial analysis showed marked geographical variations in HIV infection among young people throughout China during 2005−2012. The number of new hotspots increased over time. They were mainly localized to southeastern coastal areas, southwestern frontier provinces or autonomous regions (of Guangxi, Yunnan and Sichuan) and Beijing municipality. Later these hotspots disappeared and new hotspots were found in the northeast of the country. Significant clusters of HIV‐positive cases were identified in three different time periods, which indicated high HIV transmission among young Chinese people in the recent past. The risk of HIV infection was highest in the first cluster (2009–2012; this cluster was the largest in size) covering the provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan, the Chongqing municipality, Guangxi, and the province of Sichuan. The second cluster (2010–2012) was mostly located in Shanghai, South Jiangsu, Zhejiang and South Anhui, while the third cluster (2010–2012) was located in Beijing and Tianjin.

Conclusions

Target‐specific comprehensive behavioural interventions are urgently needed to contain the HIV epidemic among young people.