bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ordinary lives means ordinary schools: towards a unitary 0-99 years policy for adults and children with learning disabilities
Authors: Goodey Christopher
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to look forward to the next generation of policymaking on learning disability and recommends a unitary strategy covering all phases of life including childhood.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the author addresses the policy gap between inclusion in ordinary (“mainstream”) schools and inclusion in ordinary adult life. The author asks why what has been accepted, at least in principle, for the adult two-thirds of the learning disabled population is still contested for the other, younger third. In the following sections, the author summarises the present discrepancy, compares the rights of children in general with those of people with learning disabilities and outlines the rationale for a 0-99 years focus in research and practice on learning disability, and for future government strategy to establish a 0-99 policy.

Findings

It is in the broad context of a unitary 0-99 years approach that policymaking must in future be addressed. The education of children is key to the success of their adult lives, and makes the policy of educating them together in ordinary schools (i.e. giving them from the start the “ordinary lives” that are the main goal of adult policy) an imperative.

Originality/value

The need to consider children’s rights in a general sense has not previously been applied to the field of policymaking for adults with learning disabilities.
A new contribution to the geology of the Egyptian Red Sea shelf using geophysical data
Authors: Azab Ahmad , El‐Khadragy Ali Ali , Saada Saada Ahmed
Published: January 2020

The study examines the Egyptian Red Sea shelf and throws more light on the structural set‐up and tectonics controlling the general framework of the area and nature of the crust. Herein, an integrated study using gravity and magnetic data with the available seismic reflection lines and wells information was carried out along the offshore area. The Bouguer and reduced‐to‐pole aeromagnetic maps were processed and reinterpreted in terms of rifting and plate tectonics. The qualitative interpretation shows that the offshore area is characterized by positive gravity everywhere that extremely increases towards the centre of the graben, supporting the presence of an intrusive zone below the axial/main trough. The gravity data were confirmed by the presence of high magnetic amplitudes, magnetic linearity and several dipoles concentrated along the rift axis for at least 250 km. The lineament analysis indicates widespread of the Erythrean (Red Sea) trend that was offset/cut by transform faults in the NE direction (Aqaba). The tectonic model suggests the presence of one tensional (N65°E) and two compressional (N15°W, N30°W) phases of tectonism, resulted in six cycles of deformations, classified into three left lateral (N35°E, N15°E and N–S) and three right lateral (N85°W, N45°W and N60°W). The basement relief map reveals a rough basement surface that varies in depth between 1 and 5.6 km. It outlines several offshore basins, separated from each other by ridges. The models show that the basement consists of tilted fault blocks, which vary greatly in depth and composition and slopes generally to the west. They indicate that the coastal plain is underlain by acidic basement blocks (continental crust) with no igneous activity while suggesting elevated basic materials (oceanic crust) below the rift axis. The study suggests that northern Red Sea forms an early stage of seafloor spreading or at least moved past the late stage of continental rifting.
Giving voice: an oral history of speech and language therapy
Authors: Stansfield Jois
Published: January 2020

Background

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2020. The historical study of speech and language therapy (SLT) has been very limited. A small number of publications have traced the changes in the profession over time, but to date there has been no comprehensive work undertaken to gain an insight into the experiences of UK speech therapists who entered the newly formed profession after 1945.

Aims

To use an oral history methodology to explore the life stories of early members of the profession.

Methods & Procedures

Participants were recruited through RCSLT networks. Interviews were held across England and Scotland. Conversations were audio recorded and analysed using thematic network analysis. Archive material was used to complement participants’ narratives.

Outcomes & Results

Participants were 19 women who qualified between 1945 and 1968. Three global themes emerged: personal, professional and political stories. On a personal level, each reported steps towards autonomy and agency within the social constraints they experienced. Professionally, all commented on the vast expansion in the range of identifiable clinical fields between 1945, when the first participant qualified, and 2008, when the last participant retired. Politics and social policies impacted upon their lives and, sometimes to their surprise, the participants found themselves campaigning politically in pursuit of fairness for their profession.

Conclusions & Implications

This paper offers a unique insight into the challenges and achievements participants experienced over their careers as early practitioners in the UK profession.
Determinants of generalized fatigue in individuals with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: The MOST Study
Authors: Fawole Henrietta O. , Riskowski Jody L. , Dell'Isola Andrea , Steultjens Martijn P. , Nevitt Michael C. , Torner James C. , Lewis Cora E. , Felson David T. , Chastin Sebastien F. M.
Published: January 2020

Aim

The aim of the study was to identify sociodemographic, disease‐related, physical and mental health‐related determinants of fatigue at 2‐year follow‐up in individuals with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods

A longitudinal analysis of participants with symptomatic knee OA from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST) was conducted to identify predictors of fatigue at 2‐year follow‐up. Participants self‐reported fatigue at baseline for the first time in the MOST cohort and at follow‐up using a 0‐10 visual analog scale. At baseline, questionnaires on sociodemographics, disease‐related symptoms, physical and mental health factors were completed. Data were analyzed using linear regressions with a backwards elimination approach.

Results

Of the 2330 individuals in the MOST cohort at baseline, 576 had symptomatic knee OA and of these, 449 with complete fatigue values at baseline and follow‐up were included in this analysis. Minimally important fatigue change (ie, worsening [≥1.13], no change [<0.82 or <1.13] and improvement [≥−0.82]) from baseline to follow‐up were unequal within the population (34.5%, 26.9%, 38.5%; χ2 [2, N = 449] = 9.32, P = .009). The multiple linear regression showed that baseline fatigue (unstandardized coefficient [Β] = 0.435; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.348‐0.523, P < .001), slow gait speed (Β = −1.124; 95% CI −1.962 to −0.285, P = .009), depressive symptoms (Β = 0.049; 95% CI 0.024‐0.075, P < .001) and higher numbers of comorbidities (Β = 0.242; 95% CI 0.045‐0.439, P = .016) were significant predictors of greater fatigue at follow‐up.

Conclusion

Fatigue is strongly associated with physical‐ and mental‐related health factors. Individualized treatments that include combined psychological and physical function rehabilitation might be modalities for fatigue management.
The relationship of serum SCUBE‐1, ‐2 and ‐3 levels with clinical findings and ultrasonographic skin thickness in systemic sclerosis patients
Authors: Gündüz İbrahim , Batmaz İbrahim , Bozan Turgut , Ekinci Aysun , Cevik Remzi
Published: January 2020

Aim

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the level of serum signal peptide‐CUB‐EGF domain‐containing protein (SCUBE)‐1, SCUBE‐2 and SCUBE‐3 and clinical findings and ultrasonographic skin thickness in systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Material and Methods

Thirty patients who met the American College of Rheumatology/European League against Rheumatism 2013 SSc classification criteria and 44 healthy volunteers who were compatible with the patient group in terms of age and gender were included in the study. Serum SCUBE levels were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Ultrasonographic skin thickness measurements were simultaneously performed.

Results

No significant difference was found between the serum SCUBE levels of SSc patients and serum SCUBE levels of the control group. A negative correlation was detected between serum SCUBE‐1 level and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1). While a positive correlation was detected between serum SCUBE‐2 level and the Duruöz Hand Index and serum C4 level, a negative correlation was determined with the forced vital capacity (FVC) value. A negative correlation was determined between serum SCUBE‐3 level and echocardiographic pulmonary artery pressure (PAP). A correlation could not be determined between serum SCUBE levels and ultrasonographic skin thickness. However, a positive correlation was observed between ultrasonographic skin thickness and the modified Rodnan skin score.

Conclusion

In this study, a correlation was observed between serum SCUBE levels and some clinical and laboratory parameters (FEV1, FVC, PAP, C4, and Duruöz Hand Index) in SSc patients. New clinical studies are needed to better understand the contribution of these molecules in the progression and pathogenesis of SSc.
Unique metastasis‐associated lncRNA signature optimizes prediction of tumor relapse in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zhang Xiaoshi , Han Jingyi , Du Lutao , Li Xiaoli , Hao Jing , Wang Lili , Zheng Guixi , Duan Weili , Xie Yujiao , Zhao Yinghui , Zhang Xin , Zou Mingjin , Wang Chuanxin
Published: January 2020

Background

Local relapses and metastases are primary causes of death in lung cancer patients. In the present study, we aimed to develop a prognostic signature based on metastasis‐associated lncRNAs in patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

Methods

Firstly, the potential metastasis‐associated lncRNAs were identified by analyzing high‐throughput data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and based on which, an lncRNA signature was constructed for prediction of relapse in LUAD patients using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Moreover, the prognostic performance of the lncRNA signature was evaluated using Kaplan‐Meier survival analysis, time‐dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Cox analysis, respectively. In addition, the potential metastasis‐associated function of these six lncRNAs was confirmed by lncRNA over‐expression or depletion and in vitro transwell assays in LUAD cells.

Results

An lncRNA signature consisting of six most important prognostic factors (LINC01819, ZNF649‐AS1, HNF4A‐AS1, FAM222A‐AS1, LINC02323 and LINC00672) was developed. The signature was an independent predictor for patients' relapse‐free survival (RFS), which could provide higher tumor relapse prediction capability compared with the TNM staging system at three years and five years, respectively (P = 0.0209 and P = 0.0468). Furthermore, the combination of this lncRNA signature and TNM stage had better prognostic value than TNM stage alone at three and five years, respectively (P = 0.0006 and P = 0.0096). Additionally, all the lncRNAs of the signature had a regulatory role in the LUAD cell mobility.

Conclusions

This novel six‐lncRNA signature had considerable prognostic value for prediction of relapse in LUAD patients.

Key points

Significant findings of the study

The unique metastasis‐associated lncRNA signature was related to tumor metastasis and prognosis in LUAD patients.

What this study adds

This signature had considerable prognostic value for prediction of relapse in LUAD patients.
Upregulation of microRNA‐200a in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells enhances the repair of spinal cord injury in rats by reducing oxidative stress and regulating Keap1/Nrf2 pathway
Authors: Wang Xianxiang , Ye Lei , Zhang Ke , Gao Lu , Xiao Jin , Zhang Yiquan
Published: January 2020

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common disease with high incidence, disability rate and treatment cost. microRNA (miR)‐200a is reported to inhibit Keap1 to activate Nrf2 signaling. This study aimed to explore the effects of lentivirus‐mediated miR‐200a gene‐modified bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transplantation on the repair of SCI in a rat model. BMSCs were isolated from the bone marrow of Sprague–Dawley rats. MiR‐200a targeting to Keap1 was identified by luciferase reporter gene assay. The expressions of Keap1, nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2), NAD(P)H‐dependent quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO‐1), heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) and glutamate‐cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) were detected by Western blotting in SCI rats. The locomotor capacity of the rats was evaluated using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan scale. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were measured. miR‐200a inhibited Keap‐1 3′ UTR activity in BMSCs. Transplantation of BMSCs with overexpression of miR‐200a or si‐Keap1 increased locomotor function recovery of rats after SCI, while decreased MDA level, increased SOD, CAT activities, and Nrf2 expression together with its downstream HO‐1, NQO1, GCLC protein expressions in SCI rat. These results indicated that overexpressed miR‐200a in BMSCs promoted SCI repair, which may be through regulating antioxidative signaling pathway.
Reclaiming community spaces in the Mekong River transboundary commons: Shifting territorialities in Chiang Khong, Thailand
Authors: Yong Ming Li
Published: January 2020

In Northern Thailand's Chiang Khong district, which lies along the banks of the Mekong River and the Thai‐Lao border, an community‐based environmental movement under the leadership of the Rak Chiang Khong conservation group emerged in response to processes that have appropriated territories traditionally used by locals for state‐led economic exploitation. The Rak Chiang Khong has put up fierce opposition to large‐scale development projects such as the China‐led navigation project, which planned to blast ecologically and culturally significant rapids, and hydropower dam development along the Mekong River. As a result, local‐level governance arrangements of the transboundary commons in Chiang Khong have shifted to counter threats both within and beyond the borders of Thailand. Through adapting fishing arrangements, engaging in community‐led research and establishing village conservation zones, overlapping forms of territorialisation have emerged in response to socio‐ecological changes to the river. These new forms of territorialisation are produced by complex configurations of political, cultural, and ecological histories, politicaleconomic changes, and transboundary dynamics. These territorial strategies have been key towards reclaiming the transboundary commons of the Mekong River for riparian communities, and providing a deeper understanding of the values that drive community involvement in the transboundary environmental governance of the Mekong River.
Classification of the European marsh vegetation (Phragmito‐Magnocaricetea) to the association level
Authors: Landucci Flavia , Šumberová Kateřina , Tichý Lubomír , Hennekens Stephan , Aunina Liene , Biță‐Nicolae Claudia , Borsukevych Lyubov , Bobrov Alexander , Čarni Andraž , Bie Els De , Golub Valentin , Hrivnák Richard , Iemelianova Svitlana , Jandt Ute , Jansen Florian , Kącki Zygmunt , Lájer Konrád , Papastergiadou Eva , Šilc Urban , Sinkevičienė Zofija , Stančić Zvjezdana , Stepanovič Jazep , Teteryuk Boris , Tzonev Rossen , Venanzoni Roberto , Zelnik Igor , Chytrý Milan
Published: January 2020

Aims

To create a comprehensive, consistent and unequivocal phytosociological classification of European marsh vegetation of the class Phragmito‐Magnocaricetea.

Location

Europe.

Methods

We applied the Cocktail method to a European data set of 249,800 vegetation plots. We identified the main purposes and attributes on which to base the classification, defined assignment rules for vegetation plots, and prepared formal definitions for all the associations, alliances and orders of the class Phragmito‐Magnocaricetea using formal logic. Each formula consists of the combination of “functional species groups”, cover values of individual species, and in the case of high‐rank syntaxa also of “discriminating species groups” created using the Group Improvement (GRIMP) method.

Results

The European Phragmito‐Magnocaricetea vegetation was classified into 92 associations grouped in 11 alliances and six orders. New syntaxa (previously invalidly published according to the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature) were introduced: Bolboschoeno maritimi‐Schoenoplection tabernaemontani, Glycerio maximae‐Sietum latifolii, Glycerio notatae‐Veronicetum beccabungae, Schoenoplectetum corymbosi and Thelypterido palustris‐Caricetum elongatae. Based on a critical revision, some other syntaxa were rejected or excluded from the class Phragmito‐Magnocaricetea.

Conclusions

This work provides the first consistent classification of the class Phragmito‐Magnocaricetea at the European scale, which is an important tool for nature conservation. Our classification largely respects previously existing concepts of syntaxa, but it also proposes modifications to the recently published EuroVegChecklist. This work also provides a protocol that can be used for extending the current classification to new syntaxa and geographical regions.
The Supervisory Alliance in Group Supervision
Authors: Hedegaard Anne Engholm
Published: January 2020

In this paper the author explores the ways in which a supervision group can be a source of ruptures in the supervisory alliance. Furthermore, the group's involvement in repair of the supervisory alliance is examined. The author draws upon empirical material from supervision sessions with a supervision group consisting of one supervisor and four novice psychotherapists conducting psychodynamic psychotherapy at a university clinic. Based on the work of W.R. Bion, the paper argues that, in group supervision, the supervisory alliance cannot be separated from the group processes in which it is embedded. The author concludes that a supervision group can affect the supervisory alliance negatively through group dynamics, or the alliance can be ruptured by other alliance formations that constitute themselves in group supervision. However, a supervision group can contribute to the repair of the supervisory alliance by supporting the supervisee, compensating for the supervisor's imperfection and supporting the supervisor.
Of Distance and Desire: The Many Metamorphoses of George Michael and the Origins of his Creativity
Authors: Schultheis Kathleen J.
Published: January 2020

This paper argues for George Michael's significance to contemporary culture, a significance that requires a radical reinterpretation of his life. My discussion suggests that what is at stake in understanding Michael's life is a pattern of internalized homophobia. The method of this paper is to trace the double structure of his consciousness – his awareness of his role as icon and his private state of despair – by isolating moments in both parts of his life. From these, I attempt to extract an understanding of Michael's inner world that found expression in his lyrics. These encounters I explore in light of Kohut's theory of narcissism and Winnicott's ideas of transitional objects. In addition, George Michael's later years were defined by two losses, that of his lover and that of his mother. Michael's relationship to his grief is the focus of this essay. Drawing upon the biographies that have been written about George Michael and the interviews he gave over his career, I attempt to trace the origin of his depression to his early encounters with loss. These losses, I maintain, were reactivated at the peak of Michael's fame and led ultimately to withdrawal and artistic silence in his final years.
From Soma To Psyche: An Outcome Evaluation Of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy In A Patient With Somatic Symptoms And Chronic Diseases
Authors: Laskoski Pricilla Braga , Serralta Fernanda Barcellos , Barros Alcina Juliana Soares , Teche Stefania Pigatto , Hauck Simone , Eizirik Cláudio Laks
Published: January 2020

This paper presents and discusses the outcomes of the psychodynamic psychotherapy of a patient with somatic symptom disorder and chronic diseases in a naturalistic setting. The entire treatment included 120 weekly sessions and lasted 30 months. It was interrupted by the patient. The treatment was considered successful in terms of its results. Regarding symptomatic evaluation (assessed by Outcome Questionnaire, OQ‐45), the patient showed an improvement, especially during the three‐month follow‐up assessment period, showing a change from dysfunction to functionality. In relation to personality evaluation (assessed by the Shedler‐Westen Assessment Procedure, SWAP‐200), although structural changes were not completed, the patient achieved a high level of overall functioning (i.e. strengthening of the ego). The clinical evaluation and the measures provided by the instruments were in agreement. This study showed that psychodynamic psychotherapy can help patients who show characteristics such as chronic diseases and operative functioning. Moreover, the pluralistic perspective used for evaluating treatment outcome proved to be very hopeful for improving our understanding of the patient's idiosyncrasies.
Comparison between high‐resolution water‐perfused anorectal manometry and THD® Anopress anal manometry: a prospective observational study
Authors: Leo C. A. , Cavazzoni E. , Leeuwenburgh M. M. N. , Thomas G. P. , Dennis A. , Bassett P. , Hodgkinson J. D. , Warusavitarne J. , Murphy J. , Vaizey C. J.
Published: January 2020

Aim

Anorectal physiology tests provide a functional assessment of the anal canal. The aim of this study was to compare the results generated by standard high‐resolution water‐perfused manometry (WPM) with the newer THD® Anopress manometry system.

Method

This was a prospective observational study. Conventional manometry was carried out using a water‐perfused catheter with high‐resolution manometry and compared with the Anopress system with air‐filled catheters. All patients underwent the two procedures successively in a randomized order. Time to arrive at the resting pressure plateau, resting, squeeze, straining pressure and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for pain were recorded. A qualitative analysis of the two devices was performed.

Results

Between 2016 and 2017, 60 patients were recruited. The time from insertion of the catheter to arriving at the resting pressure plateau was significantly lower with the Anopress compared with WPM: 12 s [interquartile range (IQR) 10–17 s] versus 100 s (IQR 67–121 s) (P < 0.001). A strong correlation between the manometric values of WPM and the Anopress was observed. Both procedures were well tolerated, although the VAS score for insertion of the WPM catheter was significantly higher. The Anopress was easier to use and more time‐efficient than the WPM.

Conclusion

The pressure values obtained with Anopress correlated well with those of conventional manometry. The Anopress has the advantage of being less time‐consuming, user‐friendly and better tolerated by patients.
Ethical management of wildlife. Lethal versus nonlethal control of white‐tailed deer
Authors: Gamborg Christian , Sandøe Peter , Palmer Clare
Published: January 2020

Calls for ethical management of wildlife in the international conservation community are increasing. However, it is not clear what this actually entails. Using a case of lethal (hunting) and nonlethal control (fertility control) of “chronically abundant” large herbivores such as white‐tailed deer in rural and suburban areas of the United States we show what different ethical values and commitments may lead to in terms of management preference. The values looked at are humane treatment of deer, not killing them and allowing them a natural life. In terms of deer welfare, fertility control might be, overall, better than lethal control; in terms of naturalness, lethal control may have the edge. However, this conclusion is tentative. There are insufficient studies on the welfare effects of different control methods, and the specificities will also make a difference. In conclusion, there is no simple or single answer as to what constitutes “ethical management” of deer populations. Different values can be prioritized, and different ethical approaches adopted (e.g., “respecting rights” or “best consequences.”) A better understanding of what is at stake ethically could help both in designing further research and in making transparent and well‐informed decisions.
An audit of liquid‐based cytology samples reported as high‐risk human papillomavirus and borderline nuclear change in endocervical cells
Authors: Manley Kristyn M. , Luker Russell , Park Claire
Published: January 2020

Introduction

Primary human papillomavirus (HPV) screening, testing for the virus responsible for 99% of cervical cancers, was introduced in 2018‐2020 in the UK. This was preceded by HPV triage of low‐grade cytology from 2012. Much of the evidence incorporated into current National Health Service (NHS) colposcopy guidance assessed outcomes prior to this change in screening. The aim of this paper is to assess adherence to NHS cervical screening programme standards, determine the incidence of cases reported as high‐risk HPV plus borderline nuclear change in endocervical cells, to calculate colposcopic accuracy and assess histological outcomes in this cohort.

Method

A retrospective audit of women referred to a colposcopy clinic in one NHS trust from 2016 to 2018. Data relating to histological outcomes, cytological follow‐up and demographics were collected.

Results

Of 2001 referrals, 22 data sets identifying HPV‐positive borderline endocervical change were eligible for analysis (1.2% incidence). Median age was 29.5. Two‐thirds (68.2%, n = 15) had high‐grade dysplasia at diagnostic biopsy. Those women with reassuring histology had normal cytological follow‐up. Colposcopic accuracy was moderate (positive predictive value 43.8%, negative predictive value 100%).

Conclusions

Borderline nuclear change in endocervical cells is an uncommon condition but should be treated as a high‐grade referral. All women should be offered a diagnostic biopsy at the initial colposcopy; if no histopathological abnormality is identified, alternative sources of pathology should be considered. Excisional treatment should be recommended to unreliable attenders, those with a complete family and inadequate colposcopy (TZ3) and considered in younger women with a TZ3.
Event‐related EEG oscillations in body dysmorphic disorder
Authors: Kapsali Fotini , Zioga Ioanna , Papageorgiou Panos , Smyrnis Nikolaos , Chrousos George P. , Papageorgiou Charalabos
Published: January 2020

Background

Patients with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) exhibit differential attentional mechanisms compared to healthy subjects. The exact nature of this differentiation is unclear. To this end, EEG (electrophysiological) responses to prepulse inhibition (PPI: reflecting attentional modulation) and prepulse facilitation (PPF: indicating orienting activation) were recorded and analysed. The aim of this study was to compare the respective neural oscillations associated with PPI and PPF in BDD vs healthy controls.

Materials and Methods

Event‐related EEG oscillations elicited by PPI and PPF (26 and 25 trials, respectively, randomly presented) were explored in a sample of patients with BDD (N = 30) vs healthy controls (N = 25). The Yale‐Brown Obsessive‐Compulsive Scale for BDD (BDD‐YBOCS), the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Examination, the Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire (DCQ) and the Brown Assessment of Belief Scale (BABS) were also administered.

Results

Analysis of the power spectrum in response to PPI and PPF revealed that the BDD patient group compared to healthy controls exhibited higher theta‐1 oscillations (potentially indicative of disrupted thalamo‐cortical activation) and reduced beta‐1 oscillations (potentially indicative of reduced top‐down‐controlled processing during attentional orienting).

Conclusion

These findings offer novel contributions with regards to the neural mechanisms underlying attention processes in BDD patients, and demonstrate the potential of event‐related EEG oscillations as a tool to better understand body dysmorphic disorder.
The influence of multiyear drought and associated reduction in tributary connectivity on an adfluvial fish species
Authors: Glassic Hayley Corrine , Gaeta Jereme William
Published: January 2020

Multiyear drought is projected to increase in frequency and duration in arid and semiarid regions across the world, threatening native species and ecosystem function. The effects of multiyear drought are often exacerbated by human water use, which manifest in reduced lake elevation, reduced stream discharge, and disruption in hydrologic connectivity for aquatic species. Here, we demonstrate that drought‐driven decreasing lake levels reduce the connectivity between tributaries and lakes by creating an elevation‐explicit tributary distance map. We combined long‐term fish catch data and a lake elevation time‐series with our elevation‐explicit tributary distance map to test whether population demographics are related to drought‐driven changes in tributary connectivity. We surveyed the littoral zone of Bear Lake, Utah and Idaho, USA, from full pool to a depth of >12 m, totalling 94.86 km2 surveyed. As lake elevation decreased from full pool to the lowest historical elevation, tributary channel distance increased by 3.5 km. Bear Lake Bonneville Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii utah) catch per unit effort was strongly negatively correlated with tributary channel distance, though individual growth rates were not influenced by drought metrics. We predicted the response of age 0 to age 10 cutthroat under high and low cobble availability, estimating up to a 61% decline in cutthroat CPUE when tributary channel distance is at its maximum historical value. Our study provided a unique opportunity to identify quantitative linkages between climate‐driven changes in habitat connectivity and an ecologically important endemic sportfish, expanding our understanding of potential pathways through which climate change may affect lentic ecosystems and fishes.
Hobbes's genealogy of private conscience
Authors: Frilli Guido
Published: January 2020

This contribution aims at reconstructing Hobbes's critique of the language of private conscience and at evaluating the relevance of this critique for Hobbes's political philosophy. Hobbes, I argue, radically subverts the traditional moral‐theological notion of private judgment by turning it into a natural and social fact: conscience becomes nothing more than a shared opinion. This drastic redefinition allows him to condemn the seditious uses of the language of conscience: Hobbes's criticism of Papists and Presbyterians can be read, I contend, as an attempt at a genealogical analysis of private conscience. Yet, while always constructed by powerful rhetoric, conscience is not insignificant to Hobbes, since it becomes—in a way that neither “liberal” nor “absolutist” readings of Hobbes's politics have satisfactorily accounted for—the ambivalent dimension of the construction of political consent.
Testing for deterministic succession in metazoan parasite communities of marine fish
Authors: Espínola‐Novelo Juan F. , González M. Teresa , Pacheco Aldo S. , Luque José L. , Oliva Marcelo E.
Published: January 2020

Parasite communities are similar to free‐living communities; decay of similarity over geographic distance, theory of island biogeography, species–area relationships and nestedness have been documented in both communities. Ecological succession has been studied in free‐living communities but has rarely been examined in parasite communities. We use seriation with replication to test the hypothesis that succession of parasite community structure is deterministic, thus developing throughout consecutive changes along the fish ontogeny, via a seriated pattern. 12 306 marine fishes (95 species) were studied. In 40 species, a seriated pattern was detected; 25 had a tendency towards a seriated pattern, and for 31 species, succession was at random. Age‐classes for each host species explained deterministic successional patterns for whole parasite communities and ectoparasites. Richness and number of age‐classes explained this pattern for endoparasites. Seriated successional pattern was evident for parasite communities of long‐lived marine fish, indicating that parasite communities follow sequential changes over time, like many free‐living communities.
Expression of keratins 8, 18, and 19 in epithelia of atrophic oral lichen planus
Authors: Schreurs Olav , Karatsaidis Andreas , Balta Maria G. , Grung Bjarte , Hals Else K. B. , Schenck Karl
Published: January 2020

Keratins form intermediate filaments of the cytoskeleton in keratinocytes and have roles in cell structure, signaling, intracellular transport, and cell death. Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an oral inflammatory disease with derangements in basal keratinocytes and disruption of the basal membrane. Here, we focused on epithelial expression of keratins 8, 18, and 19 because these proteins are known to modulate cell death. Biopsies were taken from buccal oral mucosa of persons with normal oral mucosa (n = 10) or atrophic OLP (n = 10). Cultured normal oral keratinocytes (n = 4) showed expression of mRNA and protein for keratins 8, 18, and 19. Immunohistochemistry showed consistent staining for keratins 8 and 18 in basal keratinocytes of normal oral mucosa. In OLP, staining for keratin (K)8 was mostly negative and staining for K18 was weak. Keratin 19 was expressed irregularly in most biopsies of normal oral mucosa and not at all in OLP. Several mononuclear leukocytes in the cellular infiltrate showed membrane staining for K8 and K18. Positive staining for K16 confirmed partial collapse of the basal cell layer in OLP. The basal cell niche in OLP therefore appeared to be partly populated with keratinocytes demonstrating a higher degree of differentiation (K8− K18− K19− K16+); consequently, such areas may be more susceptible to the action of cell death factors released from the cell infiltrate as a result of lacking the protective, normal keratin present in the basal epithelial cell layer of normal oral mucosa.
Higher body mass index may increase the risk for the development of incisional complications in horses following emergency ventral midline celiotomy
Authors: Hill Jacqueline A. , Tyma Jesse F. , Hayes Galina M. , Radcliffe Rolfe , Fubini Susan L.
Published: January 2020

Background

Obesity is common in the equine population and it has been associated with increased surgical morbidity and mortality in humans. The effect of increased body mass index (BMI) on the incidence of surgical site infections has not been investigated in horses.

Objectives

To determine whether horses with increased body fat, as estimated by BMI, are more likely to develop post‐operative complications, particularly incisional complications, following emergency ventral midline celiotomy.

Study design

Retrospective, multi‐institutional clinical study.

Methods

Medical records of horses >2 years old presenting with colic that underwent ventral midline celiotomy between January 2010 and September 2018 with follow‐up of a minimum of 30 post‐operative days were reviewed. Extracted data included signalment, operative details and outcome. BMI was calculated by dividing the patient's weight (kg) by the withers height squared (m2).

Results

In all, 287 horses fit inclusion criteria. Incisional complication prevalence was 23.7%. Horses with incisional complications had a higher BMI (median 203.6 kg/m2, IQR = 191.5‐217.4) compared with those without (median 199.1 kg/m2, IQR = 184.7‐210.2) (P = .03). Multi‐variable analysis of the effects of age, sex, breed and presence of metabolic disease on the association between BMI and risk of incisional complications, identified a tendency towards increased risk with a higher BMI, but statistical significance decreased toP = .07. Breed had an association with BMI (P < .01), but not with incisional complication risk.

Main limitations

BMI as an estimate of body fat has limitations. Retrospective studies with reliance on owners reporting data and complete medical records is imperfect. When the data were subjected to multi‐variable analysis, the trend towards an increased incidence of incisional complications in horses with higher BMI persisted but it was not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Higher BMI may increase the risk for the development of incisional complications in horses following emergency ventral midline celiotomy.
Fyn‐mediated phosphorylation of Pyk2 promotes its activation and dissociation downstream of gonadotropin‐releasing hormone receptor
Authors: Higa‐Nakamine Sayomi , Okitsu‐Sakurayama Shiho , Kina Shinichiro , Yamamoto Hideyuki
Published: January 2020

The receptor for gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) is highly expressed in hypothalamic GnRH neurons, as well as in anterior pituitary gonadotrophs. In our previous study, we found that stimulation of the GnRH receptor activated protein kinase D1 (PKD1), and PKD1 was involved in the Fyn‐mediated activation of proline‐rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2) in cultured GnRH neurons (GT1‐7 cells). In the present study, we examined the molecular mechanisms of Pyk2 activation and the interaction of Pyk2 and Fyn in GT1‐7 cells. Experiments with site‐directed mutants of Pyk2 indicated that tyrosine 402 (Tyr402) was phosphorylated both by autophosphorylation and by Fyn, whereas Tyr579 was phosphorylated mainly by Fyn. We found that dasatinib, a Src family inhibitor, enhanced the interaction of Pyk2 and Fyn. Experiments with site‐directed mutants of Pyk2 and Fyn indicated that dasatinib enhanced the binding of Pyk2 autophosphorylated at Tyr402 and the Src homology 2 domain in Fyn. Our present data may suggest that fully activated Pyk2 dissociates from Fyn after Fyn‐mediated phosphorylation of Pyk2 at sites other than Tyr402 and Tyr579.
Low alanine aminotransferase levels predict low muscle strength in older patients with diabetes: A nationwide cross‐sectional study in Korea
Authors: Chung Seung Min , Moon Jun Sung , Yoon Ji Sung , Won Kyu Chang , Lee Hyoung Woo
Published: January 2020

Aim

Low alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level is associated with frailty in the older adult population. We investigated the usefulness of ALT in predicting low muscle strength among older patients with diabetes.

Methods

We included 550 men aged ≥50 years and 525 postmenopausal women. All participants had diabetes, and data were based on the 2014–2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants with ALT levels confounded by hepatic causes or who had a cerebrovascular accident were excluded. The accompanying metabolic disorders and the associated parameters were evaluated. Low muscle strength was defined as handgrip strength below the Korean‐specific cut‐off value.

Results

In men and women, when ALT level was divided into quartiles (Q1–Q4), a positive correlation between ALT and body mass index, triglycerides, fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin levels and handgrip strength was observed, whereas a negative correlation was observed with age and duration of diabetes (P < 0.05, all). After adjusting for age, sex, protein intake, aerobic exercise, body mass index, duration of diabetes, glycated hemoglobin and triglycerides, the lower ALT quartiles ([Q1 and Q2) showed a higher risk for low muscle strength compared with Q4 (OR 2.123 and 2.437; P = 0.060 and 0.029). The cut‐off ALT level for low muscle strength was 18.5 IU/L.

Conclusion

Older patients with diabetes with ALT levels below low‐to‐normal should not be considered metabolically healthy. Clinicians should pay special attention to the risk of low muscle strength in individuals with ALT levels of ≤18.5 IU/L, independent of any associated metabolic disorders. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 271–276.
Intravenous Endothelin‐1 Infusion Does Not Induce Aura or Headache in Migraine Patients With Aura
Authors: Hougaard Anders , Younis Samaira , Iljazi Afrim , Sugimoto Kazutaka , Ayata Cenk , Ashina Messoud
Published: January 2020

Objective

To investigate whether intravenously infused provokes migraine aura and migraine headache in migraine patients with aura.

Background

Migraine with aura has been associated with endothelial dysfunction and increased stroke risk. The initiating mechanism of migraine aura symptoms is not known. Experimental provocation of migraine headache using vasoactive peptides has provided tremendous advances in the understanding of migraine pathophysiology but substances that can induce migraine aura have not been identified. Endothelin‐1 (ET‐1), an endogenous, potent vasoconstrictor peptide released from the vascular endothelium, has been proposed to trigger migraine aura. This hypothesis is based on reports of increased plasma ET‐1 levels early during the migraine attacks and the observation that ET‐1 applied to the cortical surface potently induces the cortical spreading depolarization, the underlying electrophysiological phenomenon of migraine aura, in animals. Further, endothelial damage due to, for example, carotid puncture and vascular pathology is known to trigger aura episodes.

Methods

We investigated whether intravascular ET‐1 would provoke migraine aura in patients. Using a two‐way crossover, randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind design, we infused high‐dose (8 ng/kg/minutes for 20 minutes) intravenous ET‐1 in patients with migraine with typical aura. The primary end‐point was the difference in incidence of migraine aura between ET‐1 and placebo. Experiments were carried out at a public tertiary headache center (Danish Headache Center, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, Denmark).

Results

Fourteen patients received intravenous ET‐1. No patients reported migraine aura symptoms or migraine headache during or up to 24 hours following the ET‐1 infusion. Four patients reported mild to moderate headache only on the ET‐1 day, 3 patients reported moderate headache on the placebo day, and 1 patient reported mild headache on both days. No serious adverse events occurred during or after infusion.

Conclusions

Provocation of migraine aura by procedures or conditions involving vascular irritation is unlikely to be mediated by ET‐1.
Aberrant von Willebrand factor expression of sinusoidal endothelial cells and quiescence of hepatic stellate cells in nodular regenerative hyperplasia and obliterative portal venopathy
Authors: Zhang Xuchen , Thomas Courtney , Schiano Thomas D , Thung Swan N , Ward Stephen C , Fiel M Isabel
Published: January 2020

Aims

Nodular regenerative hyperplasia (NRH) and obliterative portal venopathy (OPV), entities that comprise idiopathic non‐cirrhotic portal hypertension (INCPH), are under‐recognised diseases of uncertain aetiology and the diagnosis can be easily missed on liver biopsy. The expression of CD34 and von Willebrand factor (vWF) in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) and alpha‐smooth muscle actin (ASMA) in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is unknown in NRH and OPV. We sought to investigate the pathogenesis and potential immunomarkers that might aid in making the diagnosis of NRH and OPV.

Methods and results

Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for CD34, vWF and ASMA was performed in clinically and histologically well‐characterised NRH (n = 15) and OPV (n = 47) liver specimens. Among the 47 OPV cases, 37 (78.7%) had concurrent features of NRH. CD34 positive staining was mainly confined to small vessels in the portal tracts and LSECs in periportal areas, a finding similar to that in non‐NRH/OPV livers. However, expression of vWF in LSECs was positive in the compressed sinusoids of NRH and in a patchy or geographic pattern, particularly prominent in the perivenular areas and dilated sinusoids of OPV cases. HSCs were negative for ASMA in all NRH and OPV cases.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that NRH may be a subtle but common concurrent morphological feature in OPV. The aberrant expression of vWF in LSECs suggests that endothelial injury may play a role in the pathogenesis, which may thus aid in the recognition and diagnosis of NRH and OPV, particularly when confronted with otherwise apparent normal liver histology on needle biopsy.
A novel water‐in‐oil emulsion with a lecithin‐modified bentonite prevents skin damage from urban dust and cedar pollen
Authors: Iwanaga T. , Nioh A. , Reed N. , Kiyokawa H. , Akatsuka H.
Published: January 2020

Objective

Particulate matter (PM), such as air pollutants and pollens, are known to cause skin ageing through skin inflammation. It is important to develop formulations which protect the skin from PM. We previously developed a conventional water‐in‐oil emulsion with a synthetic surfactant, distearyldimonium chloride, modified bentonite (C‐W/O), which protects skin from allergens. In the present study, we developed a novel water‐in‐oil emulsion with a natural surfactant, lecithin, modified bentonite (N‐W/O).

Methods

The microarray analysis was performed using total RNA extracted from a reconstructed human epidermis (RHE) stimulated with urban aerosols or cedar pollen for 6 h in order to develop an epidermal inflammation model by PM for the evaluation of topical formulations. We then compared the efficacy of N‐W/O and C‐W/O to prevent epidermal degradation. Tissues and culture media were collected 24 h after the urban aerosol or cedar pollen stimulation for a histological assay, and the quantification of MMP1 and IL‐8 secretion.

Results

The expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, such as IL1A and CXCL8, and matrix metalloproteinases, including MMP1, MMP3 and MMP9, were significantly up‐regulated by the PM stimulation. As a result of ranking based on the pathway enrichment analysis, oxidative stress‐related pathways, such as MAPK‐mediated signalling, HIF‐1 signalling, IL‐1 signalling and ROS‐induced cellular signalling, were ranked high in the urban dust‐ and cedar pollen‐treated groups. A thickened stratum corneum, thinned vital layer and cleaved E‐cadherin were observed by haematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemical staining of E‐cadherin in the PM treated groups. The secretion of MMP1 and IL‐8 into the media was significantly increased by the PM stimulation. N‐W/O prevented the degradation of epidermal integrity and secretion of inflammatory proteins more effectively than C‐W/O.

Conclusion

The present results showed that N‐W/O made using natural surfactant is useful at protecting skin from PM, such as urban aerosols and cedar pollen.
Factors associated with serious intent to die among suicide attempters in Hungary
Authors: Horváth Orsolya N. , Tóth Mónika Ditta , Àdám Szilvia , Purebl György
Published: January 2020

As suicide attempts pose major risk for future suicide death, understanding the underlying factors of suicide attempts and suicidal behaviour is an important mental health imperative. The aim of this study was to examine suicide attempts with a special focus on the intention. A total of 2540 discharge summaries were collected between 2009 and 2011 in Miskolc, Hungary, and a content analysis was conducted. Data regarding the method, the reason for suicide attempts, the amount, the source, and the type of the medication taken were examined. Deliberate self‐poisoning was the most frequent method (73.8%) committed with more than 200 different types of drugs. 40.5% of the patients attempted suicide with an intent to die, whilst 35.6% of the patients wanted to escape from an unbearable situation. Older age groups, greater amount of taken pills, and affective disorders were associated with self‐reported serious intention to die. Our findings should be taken into consideration when monitoring drugs for older patients with depressive disorders.