bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The History and Evolution of Independence Movements in Tunisia
Authors: El Houssi Leila
Published: April 2017

After the establishment of French protectorate in 1881, the role played by the domestic nationalist movements that emerged in Tunisia during the early twentieth century is fundamentally important for any analysis of the long chain of events that ultimately led to the decolonization of the country. The first Tunisian nationalist movement was that of the Jeunes Tunisiens (Young Tunisians) in 1907, which was fronted by two charismatic leaders: al-Bašīr Ṣafar and ʿAlī Bāš Ḥānbah.

Al-Bašīr Ṣafar, the undisputed heart and soul of the movement, was among the founders of the Ḫaldūniyyah, a journalist for Le Tunisien, and, after 1908, the governor of Sousse. ʿAlī Bāš Ḥānbah as an administrator at the Collège Sadiki and co-founder of Le Tunisien. After the Great War, another movement emerged demanding the creation of a parliamentary assembly made up of both French and native citizens: the Parti Libéral Constitutionnel, or Dustūr, led by ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-Taʿālbī, which founded the Arabic-language newspaper “Sabīl al-Rašād”. Initially underestimated by the French authorities, Dustūr would go on become a legitimate nationalist movement. In 1934, at the Congress of Ksar Hellal, the party line imposed by Dustūr frustrated and disappointed many young nationalist militants, who split away from the group and founded a movement of their own that would go on to become the primary champion of the independence struggle: Néo-Dustūr. Among these young militants were Ḥabīb Būrqībah, the leader of the new party, which radically transformed itself with a cross-class platform capable of winning the allegiance of the Tunisian masses in the fight for greater independence.

As we shall see, the origins of decolonization in Tunisia indisputably lay in the creation and evolution of these nationalist groups, which built upon and succeeded one another during the first four decades of the twentieth century.
Mīšīl ʿAflaq’s Thought between Nationalism and Socialism
Authors: Stegagno Carlotta
Published: April 2017

This article analyses and describes the political thought of Mīšīl ʿAflaq, the founder—together with Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Bīṭār—and the main ideologue of the Arab Baʿṯ Socialist Party (Ḥizb al-Baʿṯ al-ʿarabī al-ištirākī).1 Mīšīl ʿAflaq was an atypical figure in his contemporary Middle Eastern society, who differ from the strongmen that typified his era such as Ǧamāl ʿAbd al-Nāṣer and Qaḏḏāfī. He was an intellectual, a philosopher, who, with his ideas of Panarabism and Arab socialism affected more than a generation of Arab youth. His dream of Arab Unity became a reality from 1958-1961 with the merger of Egypt and Syria into the United Arab Republic, and the Panarabist Party he created became one of the key players in Middle East from the 1940s onwards.

This paper, after sketching a brief biography of Mīšīl ʿAflaq, focuses on his understanding of Nationalism and Arab Socialism, on which his ideology is grounded. By connecting these two ideas, he created a monist ideology in which the mission of Arab Unity is both the starting point and the final goal.
Discursive strategies of genre hybridisation in Gianrico Carofiglio’s essays and novels: Towards a consensual language of truth and justice
Authors: Di Ciolla Nicoletta
Published: April 2017

Justice is a recurrent theme in the writings of Gianrico Carofiglio, in particular the novels and the essays. In these works, great attention is paid to how justice is delivered through the Italian legal processes, how it is conceived by those who are entrusted with its administration and how it is perceived by citizens. Through the analysis of a sample corpus, comprising two essays and two of the novels of the Guido Guerrieri cycle, this contribution examines a range of strategies used by the author to configure his vision of justice. A preliminary overview appears to suggest a pronounced difference between novels and essays with regard to the author’s own stance towards justice. Whilst the novels echo the nationally shared distrust for what is considered to be a system that is dysfunctional and that deserves to be critiqued and contested, the essays encourage readers to embrace a consensual, positive view of the principles of justice. The main contention in this contribution is that the apparently resigned portrayal of a flawed justice system found in the novels contains the same desire and points to the same social and ethical perspective as the essays. Through a reflection on the topoi that emerge in the texts, and through the analysis of their key themes and the observation of some of their linguistic features (including lexical frequency and distribution), this contribution brings to the fore the ideological, as well as stylistic coherence that exists between the two sets of texts.
L’allegoria come forma stilistica della chiarezza e della verità: Paesaggio con serpente di Franco Fortini e la poetica della giustizia
Authors: Paroli Elena
Published: April 2017

In conclusione al saggio Vergogna della poesia il poeta e critico Franco Fortini (1917‒1994) afferma che la caratteristica fondante della poesia non andrebbe tanto ricercata nel suo essere engagée, quanto nel suo essere engageante: è attorno a questo perno militante che si forma tutta la struttura letteraria dell’autore, notoriamente basata sul rapporto senza soluzione di continuità fra verità poetica e verità sociale. Ed è proprio a partire da questa idea che Fortini pone come condicio sine qua non della propria poesia le sue stesse e necessarie finalità militanti, storiche (e storicizzanti). Epigono di Brecht, sulla scorta delle letture di Benjamin l’autore arriva a formulare una poesia allegorica intesa come soluzione ai limiti insiti sia nel realismo che nel simbolismo. L’allegoria diviene il segno più tangibile della volontà sociale che soggiace alla poesia fortiniana, di cui è al tempo stesso strumento e climax stilistica. L’articolo offre un’analisi della struttura allegorica all’interno della raccolta Paesaggio con serpente, edita nel 1984, al fine di mettere in luce i tre aspetti fondamentali che fanno dell’allegoria uno strumento di verità: l’aspetto figurale, l’aspetto formale (l’allegoria come “forma vuota”) e l’aspetto dialettico.
Randomized Clinical Trials on Deep Carious Lesions: 5-Year Follow-up
Authors: Bjørndal L. , Fransson H. , Bruun G. , Markvart M. , Kjældgaard M. , Näsman P. , Hedenbjörk-Lager A. , Dige I. , Thordrup M.
Published: April 2017

Deep caries presents a dilemma in terms of which treatment that will render an optimal prognosis by maintaining pulp vitality with absence of apical pathology. Previously, 2 randomized clinical trials were performed testing the short-term effects of stepwise carious tissue removal versus nonselective carious removal to hard dentin with or without pulp exposure. The aim of this article was to report the 5-y outcome on these previously treated patients having radiographically well-defined carious lesions extending into the pulpal quarter of the dentin but with a well-defined radiodense zone between the carious lesion and the pulp. In this long-term study, 239 of 314 (76.2%) patients were analyzed. The stepwise removal group had a significantly higher proportion of success (60.2%) at 5-y follow-up compared with the nonselective carious removal to hard dentin group (46.3%) ( P = 0.031) when pulp exposures per se were included as failures. Pulp exposure rate was significantly lower in the stepwise carious removal group (21.2% vs. 35.5%; P = 0.014). Irrespective of pulp exposure status, the difference (13.3%) was still significant when sustained pulp vitality without apical radiolucency and unbearable pain was considered (95% confidence interval, 3.1–26.3, P = 0.045). After pulp exposure, only 9% ( n = 4) of the analyzed patients were assessed as successful, indicating that the prognosis is highly dubious following conventional pulp-capping procedures (direct pulp capping or partial pulpotomy) in deep carious lesions in adults. In conclusion, the stepwise carious removal group had a significantly higher proportion of pulps with sustained vitality without apical radiolucency versus nonselective carious removal of deep carious lesions in adult teeth at 5-y follow-up ( ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00187837 and NCT00187850).
A Determination of Hopelessness and the Perception of Illness in Cancer
Authors: Nehir Sevgi , Tavşanli Nurgül Güngör , Özdemir Çiğdem , Akyol Tuğba
Published: April 2017

This study was performed with the objective of determining hopelessness and perception of illness in cancer patients. This was a descriptive and regressional study. The study was performed between January and June 2014 on 105 outpatients at the oncology clinic of Manisa Government Hospital in Turkey’s western. A patient information form, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the illness perception questionnaire were used to collect data, and data analysis was performed using the program Statistical Package for Social Sciences 15.0. Percentages, t test, Kruskal–Wallis, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation were used in the evaluation of research data. The hopelessness levels of cancer patients participating in the study were at a medium level. As patients’ scores on the hopelessness scale and its subscales increase, so their illness perception scores also increase. The hopelessness levels of patients whose illness perception was good were lower; that is, as patients’ hopelessness levels fell, their illness perceptions and view of their illness were affected in a positive way.
Diagnosis of neonatal sepsis using 16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction
Authors: Punia Harish , Gathwala Geeta , Dhaulakhandi Dhara B , Aamir Mohammed
Published: April 2017

The gold standard for detecting bacterial sepsis is blood culture. However, the sensitivity of blood culture is low and the results take 48–72 h. Molecular assays for the detection of bacterial DNA permit early detection of a bacterial cause as the turnaround time is 6–8 h. We undertook an evaluation of the performance of universal bacterial primer (16S rRNA) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis at a tertiary care medical college teaching hospital. 16S rRNA PCR was positive in all cases of blood culture proven sepsis. PCR revealed 95.6% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% positive predictive value and 91.2% negative predictive value and so appears to be a useful tool for the early diagnosis of bacterial neonatal sepsis.
Digital stretching of cervix in the active phase of labour to shorten its duration: a randomised control trial
Authors: Rosario Deepti Pinto , Abraham Anuja , Rathore Swati , Benjamin Santosh Joseph , Jeyaseelan Visalakshi , Mathews Jiji Elizabeth
Published: April 2017

An assessment of the efficacy and satisfaction of women in active labour having digital cervical stretching compared to women who did not have this intervention. Ours was a randomised controlled trial at a tertiary centre in India. Low-risk women at term with vertex presentation in active labour with ruptured membranes and cervical dilation of 4–6 cm were included. Stretching to delivery interval was 247.5 ± 158.2 min in the intervention group and 265.5 ± 158.4 in the control group. The mode of delivery, incidence of cervical tear, and maternal, fetal and neonatal complications were similar in both groups. The Labour and Delivery Satisfaction Index (LADSI) was similar in both groups. While no significant discomfort was perceived with stretching, it does not appear to expedite labour.
Tracheal T‐tubes for Long‐term Management of the Unreconstructable Trachea in Adults
Authors: Varvares Mark A.
Published: April 2017

Management of tracheostenosis in adult patients who are either medically unreconstructable due to significant comorbidities or surgically unreconstructable remains a challenge. The tracheal T‐tube offers an excellent permanent solution to the problem of the unreconstructable trachea. This article reviews 3 patients who underwent tracheofissure and placement of a tracheal T‐tube after failed prior attempts at repair of tracheal stenosis. The tracheal T‐tubes have been maintained for 13, 15, and 36 years, and these patients have enjoyed adequate phonatory and respiratory functions with the T‐tube plugged and functioning as an airway stent. There have been no major complications related to use of the T‐tube in this group of patients. The tracheal T‐tube is a viable alternative to long‐term management of the unreconstructable trachea, allowing patients airway support and adequate phonatory and respiratory function.
Natural course of untreated cluster headache: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Lee Mi Ji , Choi Hyun Ah , Shin Jong Hwa , Park Hea Ree , Chung Chin-Sang
Published: April 2017

Objective

To determine the natural course of cluster headache.

Methods

We screened patients with cluster headache who were diagnosed at Samsung Medical Center and lost to follow-up for ≥5 years. Eligible patients were interviewed by phone about the longitudinal changes in headache characteristics and disease course. Remission was defined as symptom-free 1) for longer than twice the longest between-bout period and 2) for ≥5 years.

Results

Forty-two patients lost to follow-up for mean 7.5 (range, 5.0–15.7) years were included. The length of the last bout did not differ from the first one, while the last between-bout period was longer than the first one ( p = 0.012). Characteristics of cluster headache decreased over time: Side-locked unilaterality (from 92.9% to 78.9%), seasonal and circadian rhythmicity (from 63.9% to 60.9% and from 62.2 to 40.5%, respectively), and autonomic symptoms (from 95.2% to 75.0%). Remission occurred in 14 (33.3%) patients at a mean age of 42.3 (range, 27–65) years, which was not different from the age of last bouts in active patients ( p = 0.623). There was a trend for more seasonal and circadian predilection at baseline in the active group ( p = 0.056 and 0.063, respectively) and fewer lifetime bouts and shorter disease duration in patients in remission ( p = 0.063 and 0.090).

Conclusions

This study first shows the natural courses of cluster headache. Features of cluster headache become less prominent over time. Remission occurred regardless of age. Although no single predictor of remission was found, our data suggest that remission of cluster headache might not be a consequence of more advanced age, longer duration of disease, or accumulation of lifetime bouts.
Leptin levels in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus inversely correlate with regulatory T cell frequency
Authors: Wang X , Qiao Y , Yang L , Song S , Han Y , Tian Y , Ding M , Jin H , Shao F , Liu A
Published: April 2017

Leptin levels are increased in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) but little is known on how this correlates with several disease characteristics including the frequency of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Here we compared serum leptin levels with frequency of circulating Tregs in 47 lupus patients vs. 25 healthy matched controls. Correlations with lupus disease activity were also analyzed, as well as Treg proliferation potential. It was found that leptin was remarkably increased in SLE patients as compared to controls, particularly in SLE patients with moderate and severe active SLE, and the increase correlated with disease activity. Importantly, increased leptin in lupus patients inversely correlated with the frequency of Tregs but not in controls, and leptin neutralization resulted in the expansion of Tregs ex vivo. Thus, hyperleptinemia in lupus patients correlates directly with disease activity and inversely with Treg frequency. The finding that leptin inhibition expands Tregs in SLE suggests possible inhibition of this molecule for an enhanced Treg function in the disease.
An audit of suicide attempt admissions over a four-year period in a UK Major Trauma Centre
Authors: Shepherd Laura
Published: April 2017

Background

Some admissions to UK Major Trauma Centres are due to suicide attempts.

Methods

An audit of suicide attempt admissions to a UK Major Trauma Centre was conducted to explore frequency and trends in admissions, demographic variables and mechanisms of injuries, referrals to and outcomes of Liaison Psychiatry during admission and whether patients had been known to mental health services prior to admission. Data were analysed retrospectively from the TARN database.

Results

Over a four-year period, 91 admissions due to suicide attempts were recorded. Admissions appeared to be increasing, from 1.4% in 2012 to 2.2% in 2015. Admissions were most common in males and patients in the 20–29 year age range, although admissions in the 30–39 years age range had particularly increased over the time period studied. Jumping from heights was the most common mechanism of injury, followed by self-stabbings. The majority (86%) survived their injuries. Around half of the local patients were not known to a mental health service at the time of their suicide attempt. In around a fifth who survived their injuries, no referral for a psychiatric assessment had been made. Outcomes of psychiatric assessments included referrals to mental health services, talking therapy or other support in a substantial proportion. Around a quarter was considered safe for discharge with no further mental health follow-up.

Conclusions

Suicide attempt admissions to UK Major Trauma Centres may be increasing, and regular audits regarding this should be undertaken. The need for appropriate psychiatric input during admission is essential, and training in mental health and suicide for staff working in MTCs is likely to be important.
Influence of Cu addition on transformation temperatures and thermal stability of TiNiPd high temperature shape memory alloys
Authors: Rehman Saif ur , Khan Mushtaq , Khan A Nusair , Alam Khurshid , Jaffery Syed Husain Imran , Ali Liaqat , Khan Ashfaq
Published: April 2017

In this research, four high temperature shape memory alloys, Ti50Ni25-xPd25Cux (x = 0, 5, 10 and 15) were developed and designated 0Cu, 5 Cu, 10 Cu, and 15Cu, respectively. The effect of 5%, 10%, and 15% (all in atomic percent) Cu addition was investigated through their microstructure analysis, transformation temperatures and thermal stability. After the alloying of Cu content in their desired percentage, the alloys were named as 0Cu, 5Cu, 10Cu and 15Cu alloys. The martensite onset temperature Ms of ternary 0Cu alloy increased by 12.5 ℃, 27.5 ℃ and 60.5 ℃, respectively, by replacement of Ni with 5%, 10% and 15% Cu. Similarly, the austenite finish temperature Af increased by 11 ℃, 25 ℃, and 52 ℃, respectively. At the same time, thermal hysteresis of the 5Cu, 10Cu, and 15Cu alloys decreased by 1.5 ℃, 2.5 ℃, and 8.5 ℃, respectively, as compared to 0Cu alloy. The thermal stability of ternary 0Cu alloy was improved by replacing Ni with Cu. During thermal cycling, the net drop in Ms and Af of 0Cu alloy was 7.5 ℃ and 14 ℃, respectively. By replacing Ni with 5%, 10%, and 15% Cu, the net drop in Ms decreased to 5 ℃, 3.7 ℃, and 3 ℃, respectively, whereas the net drop in Af decreased to 10 ℃, 8.7 ℃, and 5 ℃. The overall results suggested that by the addition of 5%, 10%, and 15% Cu in place of Ni in TiNiPd alloys, the transformation temperatures and thermal stability improved. At the same time, thermal hysteresis decreased to a reasonable level which has a positive effect on the actuation behavior.
Use of 2% hydroxypropyl methylcellulose to prevent the corneal swelling during the in vitro mechanical characterization
Authors: Ortillés Ángel , Lanchares Elena , Á Cristóbal Jose , Calvo Begoña
Published: April 2017

The aim of this study was to assess the use of 2% HPMC during in vitro uniaxial tensile tests, with corneal strips immediately obtained or after storing the eyes for 24 h in 0.9% NaCl solution at 4 ℃. The purpose was to establish a standardized procedure to prevent phenomena which can modify the mechanical properties of the tissue. Rabbit eyes were divided into four groups. Group A had seven eyes that were preserved in NaCl solution for 24 h before testing. Group B had seven eyes that were immediately tested. In both groups, to prevent both swelling and dehydration, 2% hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (2% HPMC) was applied. Group C had seven eyes that were preserved in NaCl solution for 24 h before testing. Group D had seven eyes that were immediately tested. In both groups, HPMC was not applied. Regarding the mechanical response, groups with HPMC showed similar Cauchy stress–stretch curves and there were no statistically significant differences at 5%, 10% and 15% strain between them, which mean that both showed similar mechanical behavior. The same result was obtained between groups without HPMC. However, for coupled groups with and without HPMC, statistically significant differences at 10% and 15% strain were observed. On the other hand, when grouped by storage time, statistically significant differences were found between groups that had eyes preserved for 24 h with and without HPMC, respectively, as well as between groups immediately tested with and without HPMC, respectively, at 15% strain. Nevertheless, if coupled groups were considered, between groups that were preserved for 24 h in NaCl before testing and groups that were immediately tested, no statistically significant differences were obtained. In addition, the Cauchy stress–stretch curves of groups without HPMC showed a decreasing slope of the linear part (strain > 8%) of the graph during the experiment. In summary, the use of HPMC during the handling of the tissue from excision to testing seems to prevent both swelling and dehydration.
Control of oxygen tension recapitulates zone-specific functions in human liver microphysiology systems
Authors: Lee-Montiel Felipe T , George Subin M , Gough Albert H , Sharma Anup D , Wu Juanfang , DeBiasio Richard , Vernetti Lawrence A , Taylor D Lansing
Published: April 2017

This article describes our next generation human Liver Acinus MicroPhysiology System (LAMPS). The key demonstration of this study was that Zone 1 and Zone 3 microenvironments can be established by controlling the oxygen tension in individual devices over the range of ca. 3 to 13%. The oxygen tension was computationally modeled using input on the microfluidic device dimensions, numbers of cells, oxygen consumption rates of hepatocytes, the diffusion coefficients of oxygen in different materials and the flow rate of media in the MicroPhysiology System (MPS). In addition, the oxygen tension was measured using a ratiometric imaging method with the oxygen sensitive dye, Tris(2,2′-bipyridyl) dichlororuthenium(II) hexahydrate (RTDP) and the oxygen insensitive dye, Alexa 488. The Zone 1 biased functions of oxidative phosphorylation, albumin and urea secretion and Zone 3 biased functions of glycolysis, α1AT secretion, Cyp2E1 expression and acetaminophen toxicity were demonstrated in the respective Zone 1 and Zone 3 MicroPhysiology System. Further improvements in the Liver Acinus MicroPhysiology System included improved performance of selected nonparenchymal cells, the inclusion of a porcine liver extracellular matrix to model the Space of Disse, as well as an improved media to support both hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells. In its current form, the Liver Acinus MicroPhysiology System is most amenable to low to medium throughput, acute through chronic studies, including liver disease models, prioritizing compounds for preclinical studies, optimizing chemistry in structure activity relationship (SAR) projects, as well as in rising dose studies for initial dose ranging.

Impact statement

Oxygen zonation is a critical aspect of liver functions. A human microphysiology system is needed to investigate the impact of zonation on a wide range of liver functions that can be experimentally manipulated. Because oxygen zonation has such diverse physiological effects in the liver, we developed and present a method for computationally modeling and measuring oxygen that can easily be implemented in all MPS models. We have applied this method in a liver MPS in which we are then able to control oxygenation in separate devices and demonstrate that zonation-dependent hepatocyte functions in the MPS recapitulate what is known about in vivo liver physiology. We believe that this advance allows a deep experimental investigation on the role of zonation in liver metabolism and disease. In addition, modeling and measuring oxygen tension will be required as investigators migrate from PDMS to plastic and glass devices.
Leadership-as-practice: Theory and application—An editor’s reflection
Authors: Raelin Joseph A
Published: April 2017

In this review article, the editor of the new Routledge volume, Leadership-as-Practice: Research and Application, describes the foundation, thematic attributes, and critical uniqueness of leadership-as-practice, comparing it to related collective traditions in leadership and contrasting it to individualistic approaches that emphasize leader psychology. The review highlights the contributions of each chapter writer in weaving a tapestry of an emerging movement seeking to find leadership not in people but within the practices from which it springs.
Inhibitory receptor FcγRIIb mediates the effects of IgG on a phagosome acidification and a sequential dephosphorylation system comprising SHIPs and Inpp4a
Authors: Segawa Tomohiro , Hazeki Kaoru , Nigorikawa Kiyomi , Nukuda Atsuko , Tanizawa Tomoki , Miyamoto Kenshiro , Morioka Shin , Hazeki Osamu
Published: April 2017

The relative abundance of phosphoinositide (PI) species on the phagosome membrane fluctuates over the course of phagocytosis. PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 and PtdIns(3,4)P2 rapidly increase in the forming of the phagocytic cup, following which they disappear after sealing of the cup. In the present study, we monitored the clearance of these PI species using the enhanced green fluorescent protein-fused pleckstrin homology domain of Akt, a fluorescence probe that binds both PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 and PtdIns(3,4)P2 in Raw 264.7 macrophages. The clearance of PIs was much faster when the phagocytosed particles were coated with IgG. The effect of IgG was not observed in the macrophages deficient in FcγRIIb, an inhibitory IgG receptor. To identify the lipid phosphatases responsible for the FcγRIIb-accelerated PI clearance, we prepared a panel of lipid phosphatase-deficient cells. The lack of a PI 5-phosphatase Src homology 2 domain-containing inositol-5-phosphatase (SHIP)1 or SHIP2 impaired the FcγRIIb-accelerated clearance of PIs. The lack of a PI 4-phosphatase Inpp4a also impaired the accelerated PIs clearance. In the FcγRIIb- and Inpp4a-deficient cells, acidification of the formed phagosome was slowed. These results suggested that FcγRIIb drives the sequential dephosphorylation system comprising SHIPs and Inpp4a, and accelerates phagosome acidification.
Local and Plasma Biomarker Profiles in Localized Aggressive Periodontitis
Authors: Branco-de-Almeida L.S. , Cruz-Almeida Y. , Gonzalez-Marrero Y. , Huang H. , Aukhil I. , Harrison P. , Wallet S.M. , Shaddox L.M.
Published: April 2017

Localized aggressive periodontitis (LAP) patients possess a systemic hyperinflammatory response after lipopolysaccharide stimulation. However, the levels of inflammatory and bone biomarkers in plasma, as well as possible associations between local and plasma biomarkers, are unknown in LAP. This cross-sectional study aimed to characterize gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and plasma biomarker profiles in LAP patients, their healthy siblings (HS), and healthy unrelated controls (HC). Fifty-eight LAP subjects, 33 HS, and 49 HC (African Americans, aged 5 to 25 y) were included. Following collection of clinical parameters with GCF and plasma samples, levels of 16 inflammatory and bone resorption biomarkers were determined with Milliplex. Univariate and correlation analyses were performed among all clinical and laboratorial parameters. Discriminant analyses were used to investigate groups of biomarkers discriminating LAP from HS and HC in GCF and plasma. GCF levels of multiple cytokines and chemokines and RANKL:OPG ratio (receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand:osteoprotegerin) were higher in LAP disease, most of which positively correlated with probing depth and attachment loss of sampled sites. A group of IL-12p40, IL-6, IL-12p70, IL-2, and MIP-1α discriminated LAP diseased sites from twheir healthy sites, as well as from HS and HC healthy sites. In plasma, only RANKL levels were increased in LAP versus controls, which positively correlated with the percentage of affected sites and deep/bleeding sites. A plasma inflammatory profile including MIP-1α, IL-8, IL-10, and INF-γ could significantly discriminate LAP patients from HS and HC. No correlations were found between GCF and plasma levels of biomarkers. In conclusion, an inflammatory profile including groups of specific biomarkers in GCF and plasma may significantly discriminate LAP from healthy individuals. The hyperinflammatory response previously found in the peripheral blood of LAP patients is dependent on lipopolysaccharide stimulation, apparently resulting mostly in local tissue destruction and changes in biomarker profile, with a slight influence in the systemic inflammatory profile ( ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01330719).

Knowledge Transfer Statement: The results of this study can be possibly used by clinicians in the future as diagnostic tools for localized aggressive periodontitis. Thus, in the future, with proper consideration of cost, patient preference, chair-side feasibility and ultimately further studies validating the role of GCF markers for disease progression and response to treatment, this information could lead to more appropriate therapeutic decisions and the development of preventive approaches for susceptible patients.
Human definitive hematopoietic specification from pluripotent stem cells is regulated by mesodermal expression of CDX4
Authors: Creamer J. Philip , Dege Carissa , Ren Qihao , Ho Jolie T. K. , Valentine Mark C. , Druley Todd E. , Sturgeon Christopher M.
Published: April 2017

Key Points

CDX genes are differentially expressed in mesoderm harboring definitive hematopoietic potential in a WNT-dependent manner. CDX4 expression during mesoderm specification regulates human definitive hematopoietic specification.
EPCR expression marks UM171-expanded CD34+ cord blood stem cells
Authors: Fares Iman , Chagraoui Jalila , Lehnertz Bernhard , MacRae Tara , Mayotte Nadine , Tomellini Elisa , Aubert Léo , Roux Philippe P. , Sauvageau Guy
Published: April 2017

Publisher's Note: There is an Inside Blood Commentary on this article in this issue.
Repeatability and agreement of ultrasonography with computed tomography for evaluating forefoot structure in the coronal plane
Authors: Matsubara Keisuke , Matsushita Tomofumi , Tashiro Yuto , Tasaka Seishiro , Sonoda Takuya , Nakayama Yasuaki , Yokota Yuki , Suzuki Yusuke , Kawagoe Mirei , Aoyama Tomoki
Published: April 2017

Background

Forefoot structure is important to understand some foot problems such as hallux valgus and metatarsalgia. Ultrasonography (US) is a highly portable, noninvasive, low cost, and fast imaging method, especially when compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and radiography. As the use of US for evaluating forefoot bony structure has not been validated, except for the presence of synovitis, erosions and bursitis within the forefoot in people with inflammatory arthritis, the purpose of this study was to determine whether US is a reliable method for evaluating forefoot structure.

Methods

Sixty feet (30 women, age = 40.1 ± 11.8 years) were examined by US and CT to assess agreement with CT and repeatability of US evaluation of the 2nd metatarsal head height, length between the medial sesamoid bone and 5th metatarsal head, transverse arch height, transverse arch index, sesamoid rotation angle, and area under the transverse arch. The measurement data were evaluated for agreement with CT using the intra‐class correlation coefficient (ICC)3, 1, Pearson correlation coefficient, and Bland‐Altman plot, and with ICC1, 1 for repeatability.

Results

The ICC3, 1 values of 0.78–0.89, Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.78–0.90, and Bland‐Altman plots showed almost perfect agreements between the US and CT method for all parameters, except the area under the transverse arch (AUTA). The ICC1, 1 also showed perfect agreements (0.84–0.92) between two sets of US measurements in all parameters.

Conclusions

The US evaluation of forefoot structure in the coronal plane showed good agreement with CT and repeatability of two ultrasonograms in adult women. This reliable evaluation method of forefoot structure can contribute to a quick clinical assessment screening for risk factors of foot problems such as hallux valgus and metatarsalgia. However, because of some limitations such as a lack of inter‐observer reliability, more research is needed to validate US evaluation of forefoot structure.

Trial registration

The current study (trial registration number: R0297) was approved by the Ethical Committee for Human Experiments of Kyoto University (http://www.ec.med.kyoto‐u.ac.jp) on December 3, 2015. The first participant in this study was enrolled on November 17, 2015 and retrospectively registered.
A Problem-Sorting Task Detects Changes in Undergraduate Biological Expertise over a Single Semester
Authors: Hoskinson Anne-Marie , Maher Jessica Middlemis , Bekkering Cody , Ebert-May Diane
Published: April 2017

Calls for undergraduate biology reform share similar goals: to produce people who can organize, use, connect, and communicate about biological knowledge. Achieving these goals requires students to gain disciplinary expertise. Experts organize, access, and apply disciplinary knowledge differently than novices, and expertise is measurable. By asking introductory biology students to sort biological problems, we investigated whether they changed how they organized and linked biological ideas over one semester of introductory biology. We administered the Biology Card Sorting Task to 751 students enrolled in their first or second introductory biology course focusing on either cellular–molecular or organismal–population topics, under structured or unstructured sorting conditions. Students used a combination of superficial, deep, and yet-uncharacterized ways of organizing and connecting biological knowledge. In some cases, this translated to more expert-like ways of organizing knowledge over a single semester, best predicted by whether students were enrolled in their first or second semester of biology and by the sorting condition completed. In addition to illuminating differences between novices and experts, our results show that card sorting is a robust way of detecting changes in novices’ biological expertise—even in heterogeneous populations of novice biology students over the time span of a single semester.
Students’ Use of Optional Online Reviews and Its Relationship to Summative Assessment Outcomes in Introductory Biology
Authors: Carpenter Shana K. , Rahman Shuhebur , Lund Terry J. S. , Armstrong Patrick I. , Lamm Monica H. , Reason Robert D. , Coffman Clark R.
Published: April 2017

Retrieval practice has been shown to produce significant enhancements in student learning of course information, but the extent to which students make use of retrieval to learn information on their own is unclear. In the current study, students in a large introductory biology course were provided with optional online review questions that could be accessed as Test questions (requiring students to answer the questions before receiving feedback) or as Read questions (providing students with the question and correct answer up-front). Students more often chose to access the questions as Test compared with Read, and students who used the Test questions scored significantly higher on subsequent exams compared with students who used Read questions or did not access the questions at all. Following an in-class presentation of superior exam performance following use of the Test questions, student use of Test questions increased significantly for the remainder of the term. These results suggest that practice questions can be an effective tool for enhancing student achievement in biology and that informing students about performance-based outcomes coincides with increased use of retrieval practice.
Novel role of immature myeloid cells in formation of new lymphatic vessels associated with inflammation and tumors
Authors: Ran Sophia , Wilber Andrew
Published: April 2017

Inflammation triggers an immune cell-driven program committed to restoring homeostasis to injured tissue. Central to this process is vasculature restoration, which includes both blood and lymphatic networks. Generation of new vessels or remodeling of existing vessels are also important steps in metastasis—the major cause of death for cancer patients. Although roles of the lymphatic system in regulation of inflammation and cancer metastasis are firmly established, the mechanisms underlying the formation of new lymphatic vessels remain a subject of debate. Until recently, generation of new lymphatics in adults was thought to occur exclusively through sprouting of existing vessels without help from recruited progenitors. However, emerging findings from clinical and experimental studies show that lymphoendothelial progenitors, particularly those derived from immature myeloid cells, play an important role in this process. This review summarizes current evidence for the existence and significant roles of myeloid-derived lymphatic endothelial cell progenitors (M-LECPs) in generation of new lymphatics. We describe specific markers of M-LECPs and discuss their biologic behavior in culture and in vivo, as well as currently known molecular mechanisms of myeloid-lymphatic transition (MLT). We also discuss the implications of M-LECPs for promoting adaptive immunity, as well as cancer metastasis. We conclude that improved mechanistic understanding of M-LECP differentiation and its role in adult lymphangiogenesis may lead to new therapeutic approaches for correcting lymphatic insufficiency or excessive formation of lymphatic vessels in human disorders.
Sonic QP/QS ratio as diagnostic tool for shale gas saturation
Authors: Qi Qiaomu , Müller Tobias M. , Pervukhina Marina
Published: April 2017

Sonic [Formula: see text] ratio obtained from full-waveform acoustic logs in conventional sandstone reservoirs is known to be sensitive to the presence of gas, and it is regarded as a potential diagnostic tool for saturation discrimination. However, it is not known if such a saturation diagnostic tool will be applicable in unconventional reservoirs, such as in gas-saturated shales. We have analyzed the monopole and dipole waveform logs acquired from a shale gas exploration well in the Cooper Basin, South Australia. The depth interval of interest is 300 m thick, and it intersects three shale units in which the two underlying formations contain gas saturation of more than 30% and are identified as the primary exploration targets. We use the statistical average method to extract the [Formula: see text]- and the [Formula: see text]-wave attenuation profiles and obtain an average [Formula: see text]-wave quality factor of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]-wave quality factor of [Formula: see text]. The gas saturation of the lithological layers having [Formula: see text] is appreciably larger than the gas saturation of the others having [Formula: see text]. The net difference indicates that the saturation is a dominant factor in controlling the [Formula: see text] ratio in these shale formations. Based on the criterion [Formula: see text], we identify the intervals with high gas potential. This result is in good agreement with the prediction from an independently obtained saturation log based on petrophysical analysis. Furthermore, we found that the [Formula: see text] ratio can be jointly interpreted with the [Formula: see text] ratio to differentiate between the saturation and the lithology effects for a shale reservoir interbedded with sandstone layers. Our results underpin the concept of using the [Formula: see text] ratio as a hydrocarbon saturation indicator and provide insights into application of this technique for shale gas detection.
Propensity Score Analysis of Radical Cystectomy Versus Bladder-Sparing Trimodal Therapy in the Setting of a Multidisciplinary Bladder Cancer Clinic
Authors: Kulkarni Girish S. , Hermanns Thomas , Wei Yanliang , Bhindi Bimal , Satkunasivam Raj , Athanasopoulos Paul , Bostrom Peter J. , Kuk Cynthia , Li Kathy , Templeton Arnoud J. , Sridhar Srikala S. , van der Kwast Theodorus H. , Chung Peter , Bristow Robert G. , Milosevic Michael , Warde Padraig , Fleshner Neil E. , Jewett Michael A.S. , Bashir Shaheena , Zlotta Alexandre R.
Published: April 2017

Purpose

Multidisciplinary management improves complex treatment decision making in cancer care, but its impact for bladder cancer (BC) has not been documented. Although radical cystectomy (RC) currently is viewed as the standard of care for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), radiotherapy-based, bladder-sparing trimodal therapy (TMT) that combines transurethral resection of bladder tumor, chemotherapy for radiation sensitization, and external beam radiotherapy has emerged as a valid treatment option. In the absence of randomized studies, this study compared the oncologic outcomes between patients treated with RC or TMT by using a propensity score matched-cohort analysis.

Methods

Data from patients treated in a multidisciplinary bladder cancer clinic (MDBCC) from 2008 to 2013 were reviewed retrospectively. Those who received TMT for MIBC were identified and matched (for sex, cT and cN stage, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status, Charlson comorbidity score, treatment date, age, carcinoma in situ status, and hydronephrosis) with propensity scores to patients who underwent RC. Overall survival and disease-specific survival (DSS) were assessed with Cox proportional hazards modeling and a competing risk analysis, respectively.

Results

A total of 112 patients with MIBC were included after matching (56 who had been treated with TMT, and 56 who underwent RC). The median age was 68.0 years, and 29.5% had stage cT3/cT4 disease. At a median follow-up of 4.51 years, there were 20 deaths (35.7%) in the RC group (13 as a result of BC) and 22 deaths (39.3%) in the TMT group (13 as a result of BC). The 5-year DSS rate was 73.2% and 76.6% in the RC and TMT groups, respectively ( P = .49). Salvage cystectomy was performed in 6 (10.7%) of 56 patients who received TMT.

Conclusion

In the setting of a MDBCC, TMT yielded survival outcomes similar to those of matched patients who underwent RC. Appropriately selected patients with MIBC should be offered the opportunity to discuss various treatment options, including organ-sparing TMT.
Typification of Linnaean and Cavanilles names in the genus Malva (Malvaceae) for the Spanish flora
Authors: Iamonico Duilio , Valdés Benito
Published: April 2017

The typification of the Linnaean names Malva hispanica and M. tournefortiana are discussed. An illustration from Plukenet’s Phytographia and a specimen from LINN are designated as the lectotypes of the names M. hispanica and M. tournefortiana, respectively. An epitype (LINN) is also designated for the name M. hispanica using a specimen from LINN. The names M. spithamea, M. stipulacea and M. trifida are also studied and respectively lectotypified using a specimen from the Cavanilles Herbarium (MA) and illustrations from Asso’s Synopsis stirpium indigenarum Aragoniae and Cavanilles’s “Dissertatio Botanico”. The names M. stipulacea and M. spithamea are taken respectively as synonyms of M. trifida and M. hispanica.
Phylogeography and character evolution of Euphorbia sect. Aphyllis subsect. Macaronesicae (Euphorbiaceae)
Authors: Barres Laia , Galbany-Casals Mercè , Hipp Andrew L. , Molero Julià , Vilatersana Roser
Published: April 2017

The Macaronesian species of Euphorbia sect. Aphyllis subsect. Macaronesicae are distributed in four of the five archipelagos of Macaronesia and two mainland enclaves in Portugal and Morocco. The aims of this study are to investigate the biogeographic history of this group with AFLP and cpDNA markers, and to identify taxonomic entities within subsect. Macaronesicae based on genetic data, characterize them morphologically and infer the evolution of their diagnostic characters based on the reconstruction of ancestral character states. A continuous spatial diffusion analysis of AFLP data implicated Tenerife (central Canary Islands) as the area of origin of the group, followed by colonization of other Canarian islands and other Macaronesian archipelagos. Two dispersal events back to the mainland were also inferred. Our phylogenetic network, neighbour‐joining clustering and Structure analyses of AFLP data demonstrated that species are genetically well delimited and suggested that they may have originated from a combination of allopatric speciation at broad scales (among islands) and fine scales (within islands), or possibly sympatric ecological speciation followed by more recent inter‐island dispersal events. Ancestral character state reconstructions of morphological characters suggested that the ancestor of subsect. Macaronesicae was adapted to arid or mesic habitats, and traits associated with adaptation to humid habitats were acquired later. The central Canary Islands harbour the highest species diversity of this group in the Archipelago, and the highest nuclear and plastid genetic diversity. With regards to taxonomy, phylogenetic analyses and neighbour‐joining clustering analyses based on AFLPs showed two clearly differentiated genetic groups, sister to each other, which correspond to the E. atropurpurea and E. lamarckii complexes formerly recognised based on morphology. Euphorbia aphylla is recovered as sister to the rest of the species, supporting its exclusion from the two complexes. Euphorbia tuckeyana is excluded from the E. lamarckii complex.
Tests, scans and investigations, 9. Ultrasound
Authors: Peate Ian
Published: April 2017

Ultrasound is a medical imaging procedure that is commonly performed for a number of reasons. Ultrasound imaging is a non-invasive medical test that can assist doctors and other healthcare practitioners to make a diagnosis and treat medical conditions. Unlike X-rays, ultrasound examinations do not use ionising radiation and, as such, there is no radiation exposure to the patient or the practitioner.

This article provides an overview of this commonly performed procedure and an outline of the reasons why the test might be needed and how it is performed.

The role of the healthcare assistant and the assistant practitioner (HCA and AP) in assisting the patient is also discussed.
Process mapping: looking at the patient's full journey
Authors: Swann Julie
Published: April 2017

By looking at the patient's journey though the care service, improvements can be implemented to make the delivery of health services more effective. If parts of the patient's journey are analysed, it is possible to identify constraints and bottlenecks that make this journey less effective.

However, it is also important not to lose sight of the patient's journey from a personal and emotional perspective. This article encourages healthcare assistants to think of every stage of their patients' journeys—from the first sign of illness, through treatment until final discharge.
Optimising inhaler technique in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a complex issue
Authors: Riley Jo , Krüger Phillip
Published: April 2017

Inhaled therapies play a central role in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); however, studies indicate that many patients do not use their inhaled medication as directed, resulting in decreased medication delivery and suboptimal disease control. Key factors that should be considered when evaluating whether patients are achieving optimal outcomes with inhaled therapies are: if patients are using a correct inhalation technique; if patients have adequate dexterity to use the prescribed inhaler; if patients have sufficient inspiratory flow rate to achieve adequate lung deposition (for dry powder inhalers); and if the inhaler is accepted by the patient. There are many different types of dry powder inhalers available for COPD medications and their specific features can affect ease of use and suitability and acceptability for individual patients and patients' preferences.