bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Laparoscopic Treatment of Presinusoidal Schistosomal Portal Hypertension Associated With Postoperative Endoscopic Treatment: Results of a New Approach
Authors: Colaneri Renata P. , Coelho Fabrício F. , de Cleva Roberto , Herman Paulo
Published: September 2016

Aim:

To propose a laparoscopic treatment for schistosomal portal hypertension.

Methods:

Ten patients with schistosomiasis and portal hypertension, with previous gastrointestinal hemorrhage from esophageal varices rupture, were evaluated. Patients were subjected to a laparoscopic procedure, with ligature of splenic artery and left gastric vein. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed on the 30th postoperative day, when esophageal varices diameter was measured and band ligature performed. During follow-up, other endoscopic procedures were performed according to endoscopy findings.

Results:

There was no operative mortality. One patient had a postoperative splenic infarction that was conservatively treated. Mean hospitalization time was 5 days. During endoscopy 30 days after surgery, a decrease in variceal diameters was observed in 6 patients. During follow-up (mean 84 mo), after endoscopic therapy 8 patients had eradicated varices, but 4 presented with recurrence. Considering the late postoperative evaluation, all patients had a decrease in variceal diameters. A mean of 3.8 endoscopic banding sessions were performed per patient. Two patients presented bleeding recurrence; one had a minor bleeding episode and the other had 2 episodes of bleeding varices requiring blood transfusion. In both patients, bleeding was controlled with endoscopic therapy. No late mortality was observed.

Conclusions:

Laparoscopic ligature of the splenic artery and the left gastric vein is a promising and less-invasive method for the treatment of schistosomal portal hypertension.
Gastrostomy Placement in Children: Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy or Laparoscopic Gastrostomy?
Authors: Merli Laura , De Marco Erika A. , Fedele Camilla , Mason Elena J. , Taddei Alessandra , Paradiso Filomena V. , Catania Vincenzo D. , Nanni Lorenzo
Published: September 2016

The aim of this study is to compare the outcomes and the complications between the 2 most adopted procedures for gastrostomy placement: percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and laparoscopic gastrostomy (LG) in children. We present our study on 69 patients (male: 46/female: 23): group 1 (37 patients, 54%) undergoing PEG, group 2 (32 patients, 46%) undergoing LG. A total of 5 major complications were observed all in the PEG group (13.5%), no major complication was observed in the LG group (P-value<0.05). A total of 12 minor complications were observed: 4 occurred in the PEG group (10.8%) and 8 (25%) in the laparoscopic gastrostmoy group, not statistically relevant. We suggest that the LG should be considered the preferred technique for gastrostomy placement in pediatric patients, particularly in newborns, children with significant skeletal malformations, and patients who underwent previous abdominal surgery.
Brain networks stimulation in dementia: insights from functional imaging
Authors: Pievani Michela , Pini Lorenzo , Cappa Stefano F. , Frisoni Giovanni B.
Published: September 2016

Purpose of review

Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) is increasingly used in the field of dementia as a therapeutic option; however, evidence of clinical efficacy is limited, and the mechanism of action remains unknown. This review summarizes how functional imaging could contribute to the design of targeted and effective NIBS interventions for dementia.

Recent findings

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has largely contributed to understanding brain dysfunction in dementia by identifying disease-specific networks. Resting-state fMRI might inform on a number of factors critical for the conduction of effective NIBS trials, such as definition of stimulation paradigms and choice of the stimulation target. In addition, fMRI may contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms of action of NIBS, and provide a tool to monitor treatment efficacy.

Functional imaging is a promising approach for the development of hypothesis-driven, targeted stimulation approaches in the field of dementia.
Leptomeningeal metastases of solid cancer
Authors: Le Rhun Emilie , Galanis Evanthia
Published: September 2016

Purpose of review

To review recent original data on leptomeningeal metastases in patients with solid cancer.

Recent findings

Lung and breast cancer as well as melanoma remain the most common primaries. Advanced cytological methods and targeted sequencing for candidate tumor-specific mutations may improve the sensitivity of cerebrospinal fluid diagnostics in leptomeningeal metastases. Targeted treatments like epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors for non-small cell lung cancer, anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 treatments for breast cancer or B-rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma-targeted or immunotherapy for melanoma have an emerging role in the management of this condition.

Novel diagnostic approaches and the introduction of targeted agents may improve the clinical management of patients with leptomeningeal metastases from solid cancers.
Remote effect of Insecticide-treated nets and the personal protection against malaria mosquito bites
Authors: Moiroux Nicolas , Chandre Fabrice , Hougard Jean-Marc , Corbel Vincent , Pennetier Cédric
Published: September 2016

Experimental huts are part of the WHO process for testing and evaluation of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN) in semi-field conditions. Experimental Hut Trials (EHTs) mostly focus on two main indicators (i.e. mortality and blood feeding reduction) that serve as efficacy criteria to obtain WHO interim recommendation. However, several other outputs that rely on counts of vectors collected in the huts are neglected although they can give useful information about vectors behavior and personal protection provided by ITNs. In particular, EHTs allow to measure the deterrent effect and personal protection of ITNs.

To provide a better assessment of ITNs efficacy, we performed a retrospective analysis of the deterrence and the personal protection against malaria transmission for 12 unwashed and 13 washed ITNs evaluated through EHTs conducted in West Africa.

A significant deterrent effect was shown for six of the 12 unwashed ITNs tested. When washed 20 times, only three ITNs had significant deterrent effect (Rate Ratios (RR)<1; p<0.05) and three showed an apparent “attractiveness” (RR>1; p<0.01). When compared to the untreated net, all unwashed ITNs showed lower number of blood-fedAnophelesindicating a significant personal protection (RR<1, p<0.05). However, when washed 20 times, three ITNs that were found to be attractive did not significantly reduced human-vector contact (p>0.05).

Current WHO efficacy criteria do not sufficiently take into account the deterrence effect of ITNs. Moreover the deterrence variability is rarely discussed in EHT's reports. Our findings highlighted the long range effect (deterrent or attractive) of ITNs that may have significant consequences for personal/community protection against malaria transmission. Indicators measuring the deterrence should be further considered for the evaluation of ITNs.
Contrasting genome dynamics between domesticated and wild yeasts
Authors: Yue Jia-Xing , Li Jing , Aigrain Louise , Hallin Johan , Persson Karl , Oliver Karen , Bergström Anders , Coupland Paul , Warringer Jonas , Consentino Lagomarsino Marco , Fischer Gilles , Durbin Richard , Liti Gianni
Published: September 2016

Structural rearrangements have long been recognized as an important source of genetic variation with implications in phenotypic diversity and disease, yet their evolutionary dynamics are difficult to characterize with short-read sequencing. Here, we report long-read sequencing for 12 strains representing major subpopulations of the partially domesticated yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiaeand its wild relativeSaccharomyces paradoxus. Complete genome assemblies and annotations generate population-level reference genomes and allow for the first explicit definition of chromosome partitioning into cores, subtelomeres and chromosome-ends. High-resolution view of structural dynamics uncovers that, in chromosomal cores,S. paradoxusexhibits higher accumulation rate of balanced structural rearrangements (inversions, translocations and transpositions) whereasS. cerevisiaeaccumulates unbalanced rearrangements (large insertions, deletions and duplications) more rapidly. In subtelomeres, recurrent interchromosomal reshuffling was found in both species, with higher rate inS. cerevisiae. Such striking contrasts between wild and domesticated yeasts reveal the influence of human activities on structural genome evolution.
Genetic indicators of drug resistance in the highly repetitive genomes ofTrichomonas vaginalisand other trichomonads
Authors: Bradic Martina , Warring Sally D. , Tooley Grace E. , Scheid Paul , Secor William E. , Land Kirkwood M. , Huang Po-Jung , Chen Ting-Wen , Lee Chi-Ching , Tang Petrus , Sullivan Steven A. , Carlton Jane M.
Published: September 2016

Background

Trichomonas vaginalis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted parasite, causes ~283 million trichomoniasis infections annually and is associated with complications during pregnancy and increased risk of HIV-1 acquisition. The antimicrobial drug metronidazole is used for treatment, but has lead to widespread drug resistance. We undertook sequencing of multiple clinical isolates and lab derived lines to identify genetic markers and mechanisms of metronidazole resistance.

Results

Reduced representation genome sequencings of more than 100T. vaginalisclinical isolates identified 3,923 SNP markers and presence of a bipartite population structure. Linkage disequilibrium decays rapidly, suggesting genome-wide recombination and the feasibility of genetic association studies in the parasite. We identified 72 SNPs associated with metronidazole resistance, and a comparison of SNPs within several lab-derived resistant lines revealed an overlap with the clinically resistant isolates. We identified SNPs in sets of genes for which no function has yet been assigned, as well as in functionally-characterized genes highly relevant to drug resistance (e.g., pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase(PFO)). Transcription profiling of these and other genes served as proxy for testing the functional consequences of multiple identified SNPs. Transcription profiles of lab-derived drug resistance strain as well as clinically resistant strain depict common regulation changes in carbohydrate metabolism and oxygen detoxification pathways correlated with Mz resistance. Finally, we identified convergent genetic changes in lab-derived resistant lines ofTritrichomonas foetus, a distantly-related species that causes venereal disease in cattle.

Conclusions

Our observation of shared genetic changes within and betweenT. vaginalisandTr. foetusparasites suggests conservation of the pathways through which adaptation has occurred. These findings extend our knowledge of drug resistance in the parasite, providing a panel of markers that can be used as a diagnostic tool.
Inferring recent demography from isolation by distance of long shared sequence blocks
Authors: Ringbauer Harald , Coop Graham , Barton Nick
Published: September 2016

Recently it has become feasible to detect long blocks of almost identical sequence shared between pairs of genomes. These so called IBD-blocks are direct traces of recent coalescence events, and as such contain ample signal for inferring recent demography. Here, we examine sharing of such blocks in two-dimensional populations with local migration. Using a diffusion approximation to trace genetic ancestry back in time, we derive analytical formulas for patterns of isolation by distance of long IBD-blocks, which can also incorporate recent population density changes. As a main result, we introduce an inference scheme that uses a composite likelihood approach to fit observed block sharing to these formulas. We assess our inference method on simulated block sharing data under several standard population genetics models. We first validate the diffusion approximation by showing that the theoretical results closely match simulated block sharing patterns. We then show that our inference scheme rather accurately and robustly recovers estimates of the dispersal rate and effective density, as well as bounds on recent dynamics of population density. To demonstrate an application, we use our estimation scheme to explore the fit of a diffusion model to Eastern European samples in the POPRES data set. We show that ancestry diffusing with a rate ofduring the last centuries, combined with accelerating population growth, can explain the observed exponential decay of block sharing with pairwise sample distance.
Early inflammation, immunopathology and aging
Authors: Khan Imroze , Agashe Deepa , Rolff Jens
Published: September 2016

Age-related diseases are often attributed to immunopathology, which results in self-damage caused by an inappropriate inflammatory response. Immunopathology associated with early-life inflammation also appears to cause faster ageing, although we lack direct experimental evidence for this association. To understand the interactions between ageing, inflammation and immunopathology, we used the mealworm beetleTenebrio molitoras a study organism. We hypothesized that phenoloxidase (PO), an important immune effector in insect defence, may impose substantial immunopathological costs by causing tissue damage, in turn accelerating aging. In support of this hypothesis, we found that RNAi knockdown of PO transcripts in young adults reduced inflammation-induced autoreactive tissue damage to Malpighian tubules, and increased adult lifespan. Our work thus provides empirical evidence for a causative link between immunopathological costs of early life inflammation and faster ageing. We also reasoned that if natural selection weakens with age, older individuals should display increased immunopathological costs associated with an immune response. Indeed, we found that while old infected individuals cleared infection faster than young individuals, they displayed exacerbated immunopathological costs and higher post-infection mortality. RNAi-mediated knockdown of PO response reduced immunopathology in older beetles and increased their lifespan after infection. This is the first demonstration of a direct role of immunopathological consequences of immune response during ageing in insects. Our work is also the first report that highlights the pervasive role of immunopathology under diverse contexts of aging and immune response.
Temporal probabilistic modeling of bacterial compositions derived from 16S rRNA sequencing
Authors: Äijö Tarmo , Müller Christian L. , Bonneau Richard
Published: September 2016

The number of microbial and metagenomic studies has increased drastically due to advance-ments in next-generation sequencing-based measurement techniques. Statistical analysis and the validity of conclusions drawn from (time series) 16S rRNA and other metagenomic sequencing data is hampered by the presence of significant amount of noise and missing data (sampling zeros). Accounting uncertainty in microbiome data is often challenging due to the difficulty of obtaining biological replicates. Additionally, the compositional nature of current amplicon and metagenomic data differs from many other biological data types adding another challenge to the data analysis.

To address these challenges in human microbiome research, we introduce a novel probabilistic approach to explicitly model overdispersion and sampling zeros by considering the temporal correlation between nearby time points using Gaussian Processes. The proposed Temporal Gaussian Process Model for Compositional Data Analysis (TGP-CODA) shows superior modeling performance compared to commonly used Dirichlet-multinomial, multinomial, and non-parametric regression models on real and synthetic data. We demonstrate that the nonreplicative nature of human gut microbiota studies can be partially overcome by our method with proper experimental design of dense temporal sampling. We also show that different modeling ap-proaches have a strong impact on ecological interpretation of the data, such as stationarity, persistence, and environmental noise models.

A Stan implementation of the proposed method is available under MIT license athttps://github.com/tare/GPMicrobiome.
Analyzing whole genome bisulfite sequencing data from highly divergent genotypes
Authors: Wulfridge Phillip , Langmead Ben , Feinberg Andrew P. , Hansen Kasper D.
Published: September 2016

In the study of DNA methylation, genetic variation between species, strains, or individuals can result in CpG sites that are exclusive to a subset of samples, and insertions and deletions can rearrange the spatial distribution of CpGs. How to account for this variation in an analysis of the interplay between sequence variation and DNA methylation is not well understood, especially when the number of CpG differences between samples is large. Here we use whole-genome bisulfite sequencing data on two highly divergent inbred mouse strains to study this problem. We find that while the large number of strain-specific CpGs necessitates considerations regarding the reference genomes used during alignment, properties such as CpG density are surprisingly conserved across the genome. We introduce a method for including strain-specific CpGs in differential analysis, and show that accounting for strain-specific CpGs increases the power to find differentially methylated regions between the strains. Our method uses smoothing to impute methylation levels at strain-specific sites, thereby allowing strain-specific CpGs to contribute to the analysis, and also allowing us to account for differences in the spatial occurrences of CpGs. Our results have implications for analysis of genetic variation and DNA methylation using bisulfite-converted DNA.
PEMapper / PECaller: A simplified approach to whole-genome sequencing
Authors: Johnston H Richard , Chopra Pankaj , Wingo Thomas S , Patel Viren ,   Internation Consortium on Brain and Behavior in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome, Epstein Michael P , Mulle Jennifer , Warren Stephen T , Zwick Michael E , Cutler David J.
Published: September 2016

The analysis of human whole-genome sequencing data presents significant computational challenges. The sheer size of datasets places an enormous burden on computational, disk array, and network resources. Here we present an integrated computational package, PEMapper/PECaller, that was designed specifically to minimize the burden on networks and disk arrays, create output files that are minimal in size, and run in a highly computationally efficient way, with the single goal of enabling whole-genome sequencing at scale. In addition to improved computational efficiency, we implement a novel statistical framework that allows for a base-by-base error model, allowing this package to perform as well or better than the widely used Genome Analysis Toolkit (GATK) in all key measures of performance on human whole-genome sequences.
Crystal structure of 2-chloro-1,3-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-3-ium tetrakis(3,5-trifluoromethylphenyl)borate
Authors: Stack Darcie L. , Masuda Jason D.
Published: September 2016

The title compound, C27H38ClN2
+·C32H12BF24
−, was synthesized by reacting the product formed from a previous reaction between 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolinium-2-carboxylate (SIPrCO2), and SOCl2, with sodium tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate (NaBARF). In the cation, the imidazole ring is in a half-chair conformation and the formerly carbene carbon atom is bonded in a distorted trigonal–planar geometry with N—C—Cl angles of 122.96 (16) and 122.21 (16)° and an N—C—N angle of 114.83 (18)°. In the crystal, weak C—H...F hydrogen bonds link the cations and anions, forming a three-dimensional network. In addition, a short Cl...F contact of 3.213 Å and several short F...F contacts less than the sum of the van der Waals radii [1.47 Å + 1.47 Å = 2.94 Å] are observed. The F atoms of two of the CF3 groups were refined as disordered over four sets of sites.
Interaction of multiple courses of wave‐induced fluid flow in layered porous media
Authors: Cao Chenghao , Zhang Hongbing , Pan Yixin
Published: September 2016

Different theoretical and laboratory studies on the propagation of elastic waves in layered hydrocarbon reservoir have shown characteristic velocity dispersion and attenuation of seismic waves. The wave‐induced fluid flow between mesoscopic‐scale heterogeneities (larger than the pore size but smaller than the predominant wavelengths) is the most important cause of attenuation for frequencies below 1 kHz. Most studies on mesoscopic wave‐induced fluid flow in the seismic frequency band are based on the representative elementary volume, which does not consider interaction of fluid flow due to the symmetrical structure of representative elementary volume. However, in strongly heterogeneous media with unsymmetrical structures, different courses of wave‐induced fluid flow may lead to the interaction of the fluid flux in the seismic band; this has not yet been explored. This paper analyses the interaction of different courses of wave‐induced fluid flow in layered porous media. We apply a one‐dimensional finite‐element numerical creep test based on Biot's theory of consolidation to obtain the fluid flux in the frequency domain. The characteristic frequency of the fluid flux and the strain rate tensor are introduced to characterise the interaction of different courses of fluid flux. We also compare the behaviours of characteristic frequencies and the strain rate tensor on two scales: the local scale and the global scale. It is shown that, at the local scale, the interaction between different courses of fluid flux is a dynamic process, and the weak fluid flux and corresponding characteristic frequencies contain detailed information about the interaction of the fluid flux. At the global scale, the averaged strain rate tensor can facilitate the identification of the interaction degree of the fluid flux for the porous medium with a random distribution of mesoscopic heterogeneities, and the characteristic frequency of the fluid flux is potentially related to that of the peak attenuation. The results are helpful for the prediction of the distribution of oil–gas patches based on the statistical properties of phase velocities and attenuation in layered porous media with random disorder.
Arctangent function‐based third derivative attribute for characterisation of faults
Authors: Yu Jingbo , Li Zhong
Published: September 2016

Using seismic attributes such as coherence and curvature to characterise faults not only can improve the efficiency of seismic interpretation but also can expand the capability to detect faults. The coherence and curvature have been widely applied to characterising faults for years. These two methods detect faults based on the similarity of seismic waveforms and shapes of the reflectors, respectively, and they are complementary to each other and both have advantages and disadvantages in fault characterisation. A recent development in fault characterisation based on reflector shapes has been the use of the rate of change of curvature. Through an application to the seismic data from Western Tazhong of the Tarim Basin, China, it was demonstrated that the rate of change of curvature is more capable of detecting subtle faults having quite small throws and heaves. However, there often exist multiple extreme values indicating the same fault when applying the rate of change of curvature, which significantly degrades the signal‐to‐noise ratio of the computation result for multiple extrema interfering with each other. To resolve this problem, we propose the use of a linear combination of arctangent and proportional functions as the directrix of a cylindrical surface to fit the fault model and calculate its third derivative, which can then be used to characterise the fault. Through an application to the 3D seismic data from Western Tazhong of the Tarim Basin, the results show that the proposed method not only retains the same capability to detect subtle faults having small throws as the curvature change rate but also greatly improves the signal‐to‐noise ratio of the calculated result.
The experiences of learning, friendship and bullying of boys with autism in mainstream and special settings: a qualitative study
Authors: Cook Anna , Ogden Jane , Winstone Naomi
Published: September 2016

This study aimed to explore experiences of learning, friendships and bullying of boys with autism attending specialist and mainstream schools, and those of their parents. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 11 boys with autism, aged 11 to 17 years, and nine of their mothers. Thematic analysis identified four key themes relating to experiences of friendships and bullying, risk factors, protective factors and outcomes. Overall, the findings indicated that five of the 11 participants had been subjected to bullying, particularly those in mainstream schools (four out of six). Further, if risk factors relating to autism or the school culture were not mediated by protective factors such as self‐esteem or supportive friends, various negative outcomes were identified as more likely, including mental health issues and effects on learning and relationships. Therefore, although not inevitable, mainstream settings may increase the likelihood of negative experiences, as they have fewer resources to protect children against the risk of bullying.
The Latest Instalment in the Whig Interpretation of Australian Education History: Catherine Byrne's JORH Article “Free, Compulsory and (not) Secular”
Authors: Hastie David
Published: September 2016

The original meaning of the term “secular” in the “free compulsory and secular” nineteenth‐century Australian public education acts is often contested, and has recently become part of a contemporary debate about the presence of confessional religion in state schools. I outline four different interpretations expressed in Australian education history writing, then review the recent Journal of Religious History article “Free, Compulsory and (not) Secular” by Catherine Byrne, arguing that it belongs to the secular liberal or “Whig” interpretation of the meaning of “secular” in the acts. The article is critiqued for forcing sources to conform to an overly rhetorical narrative device: a polarised structure valorising Victorian legislator George Higinbotham, and demonising New South Wales legislator Sir Henry Parkes. The article is also criticised for sub‐optimal source‐work, lack of awareness of the corpus of Australian education history, and overt contemporary policy agendas. I also suggest that the larger “Whig” interpretation of “secular” as part of a liberal progress narrative, underemphasises a religious hermeneutic and a critical theory hermeneutic: that a Protestant consensus about state schooling and “secular” in the Public Education Acts was also a deeply sectarian device for excluding Catholics from a dominant social settlement, just one part of a systemically divided and prejudicial culture.
Role of VR1 in the differentiation of bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells into cardiomyocytes associated with Wnt/β‐catenin signaling
Authors: Ren Mingming , Wang Tao , Huang Lei , Ye Xiaoqiang , Xv Zhifeng , Ouyang Chun , Han Zhen
Published: September 2016

Aim

Accumulating evidence showed that transient receptor potential channels play an important role in the regulation of cardiomyocyte differentiation. The vanilloid receptor 1 (VR1) is a member of the transient receptor channel super family and is expressed in cardiomyocytes. However, its function in cardiomyocytes remains unclear.

Methods

Herein, the aim of this study was to investigate the functional role of VR1 in the cardiomyocyte differentiation of bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and to elucidate the potential molecular mechanisms.

Results

Immunofluorescence assay showed that cardiomyocyte marker cardiac troponin T (cTnT) was found significantly elevated in differentiated BMSCs induced by 5‐azacytidine compared with control. Similarly, VR1 expression was also found significantly increased in induced BMSCs differentiation. Additionally, we examined the role of VR1 in BMSC differentiation processes through VR1 siRNAs. We found that the expression of cardiomyocyte marker genes, such as alpha‐myosin heavy chain (α‐MHC), α‐cardiac actin, and Nkx2.5 (cardiac‐specific transcription factor), was significantly decreased when VR1 was silenced. Furthermore, we found that inhibition of VR1 expression is associated with downregulation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling.

Conclusions

To summarize, our data demonstrate important role of VR1 in BMSCs differentiation into cardiomyocytes in conjunction of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling.
Impact of stent diameter and length on in‐stent restenosis after DES vs BMS implantation in patients needing large coronary stents—A clinical and health‐economic evaluation
Authors: Zbinden Rainer , von Felten Stefanie , Wein Bastian , Tueller David , Kurz David J. , Reho Ivano , Galatius Soren , Alber Hannes , Conen David , Pfisterer Matthias , Kaiser Christoph , Eberli Franz R.
Published: September 2016

Aims

The British National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend to use drug‐eluting stents (DES) instead of bare‐metal stents (BMS) only in lesions >15 mm in length or in vessels <3 mm in diameter. We analyzed the impact of stent length and stent diameter on in‐stent restenosis (ISR) in the BASKET‐PROVE study population and evaluated the cost‐effectiveness of DES compared to BMS.

Methods/Results

The BASKET‐PROVE trial compared DES vs BMS in large coronary arteries (≥3 mm). We calculated incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios (ICERs) and cost‐effectiveness acceptability curves with regard to quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs) gained and target lesion revascularizations (TLRs) avoided.

A total of 2278 patients were included in the analysis. A total of 74 ISR in 63 patients were observed. In‐stent restenosis was significantly more frequent in segments treated with a BMS compared to segments treated with a DES (5.4% vs 0.76%; P<.001). The benefit of a DES compared to a BMS regarding ISR was consistent among the subgroups of stent length >15 mm and ≤15 mm, respectively. With the use of DES in short lesions, there was only a minimal gain of 0.005 in QALYs. At a threshold of 10 000 CHF per TLR avoided, DES had a high probability of being cost‐effective.

Conclusion

In the BASKET‐PROVE study population, the strongest predictor of ISR is the use of a BMS, even in patients in need of stents ≥3.0 mm and ≤15 mm lesion length and DES were cost‐effective. This should prompt the NICE to reevaluate its recommendation to use DES instead of BMS only in vessels <3.0 mm and lesions >15 mm length.
Activated monocytes resist elimination by retinal pigment epithelium and downregulate their OTX2 expression via TNF‐α
Authors: Mathis Thibaud , Housset Michael , Eandi Chiara , Beguier Fanny , Touhami Sara , Reichman Sacha , Augustin Sebastien , Gondouin Pauline , Sahel José‐Alain , Kodjikian Laurent , Goureau Olivier , Guillonneau Xavier , Sennlaub Florian
Published: September 2016

Orthodenticle homeobox 2 (OTX2) controls essential, homeostatic retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) genes in the adult. Using cocultures of human CD14+ blood monocytes (Mos) and primary porcine RPE cells and a fully humanized system using human‐induced pluripotent stem cell‐derived RPE cells, we show that activated Mos markedly inhibit RPEOTX2 expression and resist elimination in contact with the immunosuppressive RPE. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that TNF‐α, secreted from activated Mos, mediates the downregulation of OTX2 and essential RPE genes of the visual cycle among others. Our data show how subretinal, chronic inflammation and in particular TNF‐α can affect RPE function, which might contribute to the visual dysfunctions in diseases such as age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) where subretinal macrophages are observed. Our findings provide important mechanistic insights into the regulation of OTX2 under inflammatory conditions. Therapeutic restoration of OTX2 expression might help revive RPE and visual function in retinal diseases such as AMD.
Effect of a randomised exclusive breastfeeding counselling intervention nested into the MINIMat prenatal nutrition trial in Bangladesh
Authors: Khan Ashraful Islam , Kabir Iqbal , Eneroth Hanna , El Arifeen Shams , Ekström Eva‐Charlotte , Frongillo Edward A. , Persson Lars Åke
Published: September 2016

Aim

It is unknown whether maternal malnutrition reduces the effect of counselling on exclusive breastfeeding. This study evaluated the effect of breastfeeding counselling on the duration of exclusive breastfeeding, and whether the timing of prenatal food and different micronutrient supplements further prolonged this duration.

Methods

Pregnant women in Matlab, Bangladesh, were randomised to receive daily food supplements of 600 kcal at nine weeks of gestation or at the standard 20 weeks. They also were allocated to either 30 mg of iron and 400 μg folic acid, or the standard programme 60 mg of iron and folic acid or multiple micronutrients. At 30 weeks of gestation, 3188 women were randomised to receive either eight breastfeeding counselling sessions or the usual health messages.

Results

The median duration of exclusive breastfeeding was 135 days in the counselling group and 75 days in the usual health message group (p < 0.001). Prenatal supplements did not modify the effects of counselling. Women in the usual health message group who were randomised to multiple micronutrients exclusively breastfed for 12 days longer than mothers receiving the standard iron–folate combination (p = 0.003).

Conclusion

Breastfeeding counselling increased the duration of exclusive breastfeeding by 60 days. This duration was not influenced by the supplements.
Patterns of antiplatelet drug use after a first myocardial infarction during a 10‐year period
Authors: Yasmina Alfi , de Boer Anthonius , Deneer Vera H.M. , Souverein Patrick C. , Klungel Olaf H.
Published: September 2016

Aims

The aims of the present study were to assess antiplatelet drug use patterns after a first myocardial infarction (MI) and to evaluate the determinants of antiplatelet nonpersistence.

Methods

The present study was conducted in 4690 patients from the Utrecht Cardiovascular Pharmacogenetics cohort with a first MI between 1986 and 2010, who were followed for a maximum of 10 years. Medication use and event diagnosis were obtained from the Dutch PHARMO Record Linkage System. Antiplatelet drug users were classified as persistent users (gap between prescriptions ≤90 days), nonpersistent users (>90‐day gap and no refills), and restarters (a new prescription after a >90‐day gap). The association between potential determinants and antiplatelet nonpersistence was analysed using Cox regression.

Results

The proportions of persistent users decreased from 84.0% at the 1‐year follow‐up to 32.8% at 10 years for any antiplatelet drug, and 77.3% to 27.5% for aspirin; and 39.0% to 6.4% for clopidogrel at 6 years. Most nonpersistent users restarted antiplatelet drugs later, leading to 89.3% overall antiplatelet drug users at 10 years after MI. Diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] 0.44; 0.32–0.60), hypertension (HR 0.77; 0.60–0.99), hypercholesterolaemia (HR 0.49; 0.39–0.62) and more recent MI diagnosis period (2003–2007: HR 0.69, 0.61–0.79; 2008–2010: HR 0.38, 0.19–0.77, compared to ≤ 2002 period) lowered the risk of antiplatelet nonpersistence, while vitamin K antagonist (VKA) comedication (HR 18.97; 16.91–21.28) increased this risk.

Conclusions

A large proportion of patients with a first MI still used antiplatelet drugs after 10 years. The frequent discontinuations during this time frame are expected to reduce the effectiveness of antiplatelet drugs as secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, VKA comedication and MI diagnosis period were determinants of antiplatelet nonpersistence.
Maximizing potential impact of experimental research into cognitive processes in health psychology: A systematic approach to material development
Authors: Hughes Alicia M. , Gordon Rola , Chalder Trudie , Hirsch Colette R. , Moss‐Morris Rona
Published: September 2016

Background

There is an abundance of research into cognitive processing biases in clinical psychology including the potential for applying cognitive bias modification techniques to assess the causal role of biases in maintaining anxiety and depression. Within the health psychology field, there is burgeoning interest in applying these experimental methods to assess potential cognitive biases in relation to physical health conditions and health‐related behaviours. Experimental research in these areas could inform theoretical development by enabling measurement of implicit cognitive processes that may underlie unhelpful illness beliefs and help drive health‐related behaviours. However, to date, there has been no systematic approach to adapting existing experimental paradigms for use within physical health research. Many studies fail to report how materials were developed for the population of interest or have used untested materials developed ad hoc. The lack of protocol for developing stimuli specificity has contributed to large heterogeneity in methodologies and findings.

Purpose

In this article, we emphasize the need for standardized methods for stimuli development and replication in experimental work, particularly as it extends beyond its original anxiety and depression scope to other physical conditions.

Method

We briefly describe the paradigms commonly used to assess cognitive biases in attention and interpretation and then describe the steps involved in comprehensive/robust stimuli development for attention and interpretation paradigms using illustrative examples from two conditions: chronic fatigue syndrome and breast cancer.

Conclusions

This article highlights the value of preforming rigorous stimuli development and provides tools to aid researchers engage in this process. We believe this work is worthwhile to establish a body of high‐quality and replicable experimental research within the health psychology literature.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Cognitive biases (e.g., tendencies to attend to negative information and/or interpret ambiguous information in negative ways) have a causal role in maintaining anxiety and depression.

There is mixed evidence of cognitive biases in physical health conditions and chronic illness; one reason for this may be the heterogeneous stimuli used to assess attention and interpretation biases in these conditions.

What does this study add?

Steps for comprehensive/robust stimuli development for attention and interpretation paradigms are presented.

Illustrative examples are provided from two conditions: chronic fatigue syndrome and breast cancer.

We provide tools to help researchers develop condition‐specific materials for experimental studies.
Association of genetic polymorphisms of de novo nucleotide biosynthesis with increased CHD susceptibility in the northern Chinese population
Authors: Jiang Y.‐C. , Kuang L.‐L. , Sun S.‐N. , Duan W.‐Y. , Qiao B. , Wang H.‐Y.
Published: September 2016

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of most prevalent birth defects in the world. However, the underlying molecular mechanism(s) have not been fully understood. Here we report that increased CHD susceptibility is associated with genetic polymorphisms for de novo nucleotide biosynthesis in northern Chinese population, which has been reported with lower plasma folate levels. Nine tagSNPs of four genes (GART, ATIC, MTHFD1 and SHMT1) in de novo nucleotide biosynthesis were sequenced in 802 sporadic CHD patients and 1093 controls from two Han Chinese populations, located in north China (Shandong) and South China (Shanghai), respectively. Six SNPs were found to be significantly associated with CHDs or septation defects only in the Shandong population dataset, but none displayed significant association with any CHDs in the Shanghai population dataset as well as in the combined dataset. We also showed that the minor A allele of rs7279549 in GART reduced transcriptional activity and displayed lower affinity for unknown transcription factor(s), demonstrating the allele is a functional risk factor for CHD in Shandong population. Our study indicates that dysregulation of de novo nucleotide biosynthesis pathway may conditionally contribute to CHD pathogenesis in northern Chinese.
Chromate and amine contact allergies in workers manufacturing precast concrete elements
Authors: Mowitz Martin , Zimerson Erik , Hauksson Inese , Pontén Ann
Published: September 2016

Background

Five workers from a plant manufacturing concrete wall panels and beams were referred to our department because of suspected occupational dermatitis. When patch tested, 3 workers reacted to potassium dichromate. Four workers reacted to ethylenediamine dihydrochloride, without any obvious exposure. Owing to the high proportion of workers with recent‐onset skin disease, an investigation of all workers at the plant was initiated.

Objectives

To investigate the prevalence of occupational dermatitis and contact allergy in the workers at the plant.

Methods

All 24 workers at the plant underwent a clinical investigation and were patch tested.

Results

Four cases of allergic occupational contact dermatitis and 3 cases of irritant occupational contact dermatitis were diagnosed. Contact allergy to potassium dichromate was found in 4 workers. All 4 also reacted to ethylenediamine dihydrochloride and/or amines that were present as additives in the cement.

Conclusions

Chromate contact allergy can still be found in concrete workers, despite the legislation regulating the amount of hexavalent chromium (chromate) in cement. Occupational contact allergy to amines can be found in workers exposed to cement and concrete, so amines should be tested in these workers.
Prognosis of small bowel adenocarcinoma in Crohn's disease compares favourably with de novo small bowel adenocarcinoma
Authors: Wieghard N. , Mongoue‐Tchokote S. , Young J. I. , Sheppard B. C. , Tsikitis V. L.
Published: September 2016

Aim

Limited data exist on Crohn's disease (CD)‐associated small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA). A large‐scale retrospective cohort study was conducted comparing the clinical features and outcome of CD‐associated SBA and de novo SBA.

Method

Data for patients with small bowel adenocarcinoma were gathered from the 1992–2010 United States Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results cancer registry–Medicare linked database. We identified 2123 patients, of whom 179 had CD‐associated and 1944 de novo SBA. The main outcome measures were overall survival (OS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS).

Results

CD‐associated SBA was most commonly located in the ileum (62% vs 31%, P < 0.0001). CD patients were diagnosed at an earlier stage (I/II), compared with de novo SBA (55% vs 32%, P < 0.0001), and were more likely to undergo surgery (81% vs 72%, P = 0.0016). Chemotherapy use was similar (25% vs 21%, P = 0.1886). Patients with CD‐associated SBA had better 5‐year OS (43% vs 34%, P = 0.0121) but a similar CSS (65% vs 64%, P = 0.77). There was no difference in the OS between the cohorts when stratified by stage. On multivariate analysis, CD was not significantly related to OS [hazard ratio (HR) 0.97, 95% CI: 0.79–1.20, P = 0.7889]. Surgery and the extent of lymphadenectomy improved OS for all SBA patients (HR 0.73, 95% CI: 0.60–0.88, P = 0.001), whereas chemotherapy did not (HR 1.13, 95% CI: 0.99–1.28, P = 0.0665).

Conclusion

Patients with CD‐associated SBA present at an earlier stage than patients with de novo SBA, they receive more surgery but similar rates of chemotherapy, and have similar OS and CSS. The presence of CD does not worsen survival after treatment of SBA.
Synthesis and application of novel tricyanofuran hydrazone dyes as sensors for detection of microbes
Authors: Khattab Tawfik A. , Gaffer Hatem E.
Published: September 2016

Acknowledging the need to develop rapid and sensitive bacterial recognition approaches, we functionalised the tricyanofuran hydrazone molecular switch. Of significant interest in relation to the synthesised hydrazones is the formation of two different conjugated structures upon exposure to different pH values. Many bacteria release ammonia gas, which alkalises environments. Herein we report the synthesis of a tricyanofuran hydrazone having the function of a colorimetric pH sensor. The UV‐visible absorption and fluorescence spectra exhibit reversible colour changes of the tricyanofuran hydrazone solution in acetonitrile under acid–base conditions. Our results indicate that the tricyanofuran hydrazone probe can identify the bacterial targets quickly with high sensitivity. The infected samples exhibit a significant colour change from orange to blue and in the mean time there is a decrease in fluorescence emission as a function of ammonia and volatile amines released from bacterial metabolites. This tricyanofuran hydrazone chromophore is proposed for use in food packaging with a pH‐sensing capability.
Effect of mass rearing and gamma irradiation on the mating behaviour of Eldana saccharina
Authors: Mudavanhu Pride , Addison Pia , Conlong Des E.
Published: September 2016

At low doses of radiation, F1 sterility of the sugarcane stalk borer, Eldana saccharina Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), can be attained. This bodes well for progression of the sterile insect technique (SIT) as part of an area‐wide integrated pest management strategy against this pest of economic importance. However, success of the SIT is dependent on mating ability and performance of the mass‐reared sterile insects once released into the field. Mating behaviour of non‐irradiated laboratory‐reared male E. saccharina moths and those subjected to radiation (150, 200, or 250 Gy) was investigated in still‐air cage laboratory trials. Video technology was used to determine whether mass rearing and irradiation of adult moths altered their performance in lek formation and mating success, compared to their untreated wild counterparts. Mating frequency, mating duration, onset of mating, and calling during the first two scotophase periods following adult eclosion were used to make these assessments. Results indicated that both irradiated and non‐irradiated laboratory‐reared males are able to form leks and mate with wild females, and are therefore as effective as their wild counterparts with regards to mating performance. However, a quantitative departure of male mating behaviour away from that exhibited by wild males was observed in the non‐irradiated and irradiated laboratory males. These commenced calling and mating earlier than wild males in both scotophases, except for those irradiated at 250 Gy in the case of mating onset. The mating duration of treated males was similar to that of the untreated wild males, except for those irradiated at 150 Gy, which was significantly higher. Our study provides evidence that increasing radiation dose negatively impacts on performance of laboratory‐produced moths relative to their wild counterparts, which in turn could affect the efficacy of the SIT. At 150 and 200 Gy, these parameters are not affected significantly when compared to untreated wild males, and thus these radiation doses can be used safely. However, at higher doses negative effects do become evident.
Underdog Entrepreneurs: A Model of Challenge–Based Entrepreneurship
Authors: Miller Danny , Le Breton-Miller Isabelle
Published: September 2016

Although there has been abundant research on the positive personality and environmental qualities that stimulate entrepreneurship, we argue that negative personal circumstances of an economic, sociocultural, cognitive, and physical/ emotional nature may have an equally powerful role to play in getting people to become effective entrepreneurs. These challenges create conditions and experiences that motivate particular adaptive requirements which in turn foster outcomes such as work discipline, risk tolerance, social and network skills, and creativity.