bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LUCAT1 promotes colorectal cancer tumorigenesis by targeting the ribosomal protein L40‐MDM2‐p53 pathway through binding with UBA52
Authors: Zhou Qianwen , Hou Zhibo , Zuo Siyu , Zhou Xin , Feng Yadong , Sun Yong , Yuan Xiaoqin
Published: January 2019

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women in the USA. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms that drive CRC tumorigenesis are still not clear. Several studies have reported that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have important roles in tumor development. Here, we undertook a transcriptome microarray analysis in 6 pairs of CRC tissues and their corresponding adjacent normal tissues. A total of 1705 differentially expressed lncRNAs were detected in CRC tissues at stages I/II and III/IV (fold change greater than or equal to 2 or less than or equal to 0.5). Among them, we found that the lncRNA lung cancer‐associated transcript 1 (LUCAT1) was upregulated in CRC tissues and was closely associated with poor overall survival of CRC patients, through analysis of clinical data and The Cancer Genome Atlas. Functional studies indicated that LUCAT1 promoted CRC cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, knockdown of LUCAT1 rendered CRC cells hypersensitive to oxaliplatin treatment. Mechanistically, bioinformatic analysis indicated that low expression of LUCAT1 was associated with the p53 signaling pathway. Chromatin isolation by RNA purification followed by mass spectrometry and RNA immunoprecipitation revealed that LUCAT1 bound with UBA52, which encodes ubiquitin and 60S ribosomal protein L40 (RPL40). We found that RPL40 functions in the ribosomal protein‐MDM2‐p53 pathway to regulate p53 expression. Taken together, our findings indicate that suppression of LUCAT1 induces CRC cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by binding UBA52 and activating the RPL40‐MDM2‐p53 pathway. These results implicate LUCAT1 as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for CRC.
Glucose starvation induces resistance to metformin through the elevation of mitochondrial multidrug resistance protein 1
Authors: Hwang Sung‐Hyun , Kim Myung‐Chul , Ji Sumin , Yang Yeseul , Jeong Yeji , Kim Yongbaek
Published: January 2019

Metformin, a drug for type 2 diabetes mellitus, has shown therapeutic effects for various cancers. However, it had no beneficial effects on the survival rate of human malignant mesothelioma (HMM) patients. The present study was performed to elucidate the underlying mechanism of metformin resistance in HMM cells. Glucose‐starved HMM cells had enhanced resistance to metformin, demonstrated by decreased apoptosis and autophagy and increased cell survival. These cells showed abnormalities in mitochondria, such as decreased ATP synthesis, morphological elongation, altered mitochondrial permeability transition pore and hyperpolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Intriguingly, Mdr1 was significantly upregulated in mitochondria but not in cell membrane. The upregulated mitochondrial Mdr1 was reversed by treatment with carbonyl cyanide m‐chlorophenyl hydrazone, an MMP depolarization inducer. Furthermore, apoptosis and autophagy were increased in multidrug resistance protein 1 knockout HMM cells cultured under glucose starvation with metformin treatment. The data suggest that mitochondrial Mdr1 plays a critical role in the chemoresistance to metformin in HMM cells, which could be a potential target for improving its therapeutic efficacy.
Hypoxic preconditioning improves long‐term functional outcomes after neonatal hypoxia–ischemic injury by restoring white matter integrity and brain development
Authors: Xu Ming‐Yue , Wang Yang‐Fan , Wei Peng‐Ju , Gao Yan‐Qin , Zhang Wen‐Ting
Published: January 2019

Aims

Neonatal hypoxia–ischemia (H/I) results in gray and white matter injury, characterized by neuronal loss, failure of neural network formation, retarded myelin formation, and abnormal accumulation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). These changes lead to severe neurological deficits and mortality. Sublethal hypoxic preconditioning (HPC) can protect the developing brain against H/I. However, limited evidence is available concerning its effect on white matter injury.

Methods

In this study, P6 neonatal Sprague‐Dawley rats were subjected to normoxic (21% O2) or HPC (7.8% O2) for 3 hours followed 24 hours later by H/I brain injury. Neurological deficits were assessed by gait, righting reflex, foot fault, and Morris water maze tests. Compound action potential of the corpus callosum was recorded 35 days after surgery, and the correlation between axon myelination and neurological function was determined.

Results

Hypoxic preconditioning significantly attenuated H/I brain injury at 7 days and remarkably improved both sensorimotor and cognitive functional performances up to 35 days after H/I. HPC‐afforded improvement in long‐term neurological outcomes was attributable, at least in part, to restoration of the differentiation and maturation capacity in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, amelioration of microglia/macrophage activation and neuroinflammation, and continuation of brain development after H/I.

Conclusions

Hypoxic preconditioning restores white matter repair, development, and functional integrity in developing brain after H/I brain injury.
A randomized trial comparing triiodothyronine (T3) with thyroxine (T4) for hemodynamically unstable brain‐dead organ donors
Authors: Dhar Rajat , Stahlschmidt Emily , Yan Yan , Marklin Gary
Published: January 2019

Rationale

Brain‐dead (BD) organ donors frequently exhibit hemodynamic instability and/or reversible cardiac dysfunction. Retrospective studies have suggested that thyroid hormone may stabilize hemodynamics and enhance myocardial recovery. Intravenous levothyroxine (T4) is most frequently utilized but studies have suggested that triiodothyronine (T3) may be superior. We performed a randomized comparative‐effectiveness trial to address this uncertainty in donor management.

Methods

All heart‐eligible donors managed at a single OPO underwent standardized fluid resuscitation. If not weaned off vasopressors, donors underwent echocardiography (within 12 hours of BD) and were randomized to T3 or T4 infusion for eight hours.

Results

A total of 37 BD donors were randomized (16 T3 vs 21 T4). Baseline ejection fraction (EF) was comparable (median 38% vs 45%, P = 0.87) as was vasopressor dosage (6 vs 12 μg/min of norepinephrine, NE, P = 0.12). Reduction in NE dose and proportion weaned off vasopressors was similar and LVEF improved in both groups (repeat EF: 50% vs 52.5%, P = 0.38) with almost half attaining EF ≥55%. Although more hearts were transplanted in the T3 group (10/16 vs 6/21, P = 0.04), this difference did not persist after adjusting for baseline imbalances in age and PF ratio.

Conclusions

Infusion of T3 does not appear to confer significant hemodynamic or cardiac benefits over T4 for hemodynamic unstable BD organ donors.
Spraying l‐menthol enhances gastric intestinal metaplasia in linked color imaging
Authors: Ono Shoko , Ono Yuji , Sakamoto Naoya
Published: January 2019

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Putative neuroprotective pharmacotherapies to target the staged progression of mental illness
Authors: Robertson Oliver D. , Coronado Nieves G. , Sethi Rickinder , Berk Michael , Dodd Seetal
Published: January 2019

Aim

Neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, bipolar and schizophrenia frequently exhibit a neuroprogressive course from prodrome to chronicity. There are a range of agents exhibiting capacity to attenuate biological mechanisms associated with neuroprogression. This review will update the evidence for putative neuroprotective agents including clinical efficacy, mechanisms of action and limitations in current assessment tools, and identify novel agents with neuroprotective potential.

Method

Data for this review were sourced from online databases PUBMED, Embase and Web of Science. Only data published since 2012 were included in this review, no data were excluded based on language or publication origin.

Results

Each of the agents reviewed inhibit one or multiple pathways of neuroprogression including: inflammatory gene expression and cytokine release, oxidative and nitrosative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, neurotrophin dysregulation and apoptotic signalling. Some demonstrate clinical efficacy in preventing neural damage or loss, relapse or cognitive/functional decline. Agents include: the psychotropic medications lithium, second generation antipsychotics and antidepressants; other pharmacological agents such as minocycline, aspirin, cyclooxygenase‐2 inhibitors, statins, ketamine and alpha‐2‐delta ligands; and others such as erythropoietin, oestrogen, leptin, N‐acetylcysteine, curcumin, melatonin and ebselen.

Conclusions

Signals of evidence of clinical neuroprotection are evident for a number of candidate agents. Adjunctive use of multiple agents may present a viable avenue to clinical realization of neuroprotection. Definitive prospective studies of neuroprotection with multimodal assessment tools are required.
Effects of intravesicular loading of a Ca2+ chelator and depolymerization of actin fibers on neurotransmitter release in frog motor nerve terminals
Authors: Narita Kazuhiko , Suzuki Naoya , Himi Naoyuki , Murayama Takashi , Nakagawa Toshitaka , Okabe Naohiko , Nakamura‐Maruyama Emi , Hayashi Norito , Sakamoto Issei , Miyamoto Osamu , Kuba Kenji
Published: January 2019

Ca2+‐induced Ca2+ release (CICR) via type‐3 ryanodine receptor enhances neurotransmitter release in frog motor nerve terminals. To test a possible role of synaptic vesicle in CICR, we examined the effects of loading of EGTA, a Ca2+ chelator, into synaptic vesicles and depolymerization of actin fibers. Intravesicular EGTA loading via endocytosis inhibited the ryanodine sensitive enhancement of transmitter release induced by tetanic stimulation and the associated rises in intracellular‐free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i: Ca2+ transients). Latrunculin A, a depolymerizer of actin fibers, enhanced both spontaneous and stimulation‐induced transmitter release, but inhibited the enhancement of transmitter release elicited by successive tetanic stimulation. The results suggest a possibility that the activation of CICR from mobilized synaptic vesicles caused the enhancement of neurotransmitter release.
Selective vulnerability of dorsal raphe‐medial prefrontal cortex projection neurons to corticosterone‐induced hypofunction
Authors: Prouty Eric W. , Chandler Daniel J. , Gao Wen‐Jun , Waterhouse Barry D.
Published: January 2019

Glucocorticoid hormones and serotonin (5‐HT) are strongly associated with the development and treatment of depression, respectively. Glucocorticoids regulate the function of serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR), which are the major source of 5‐HT to the forebrain. DR 5‐HT neurons are electrophysiologically heterogeneous, though whether this phenotypic variation aligns with specific brain functions or neuropsychiatric disease states is largely unknown. The goal of this work was to determine if chronic exogenous glucocorticoid administration differentially affects the electrophysiological profile of DR neurons implicated in the regulation of emotion versus visual sensation by comparing properties of cells projecting to medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) versus lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). Following retrograde tracer injection into mPFC or LGN, male Sprague‐Dawley rats received daily injections of corticosterone (CORT) for 21 days, after which whole‐cell patch clamp recordings were made from retrogradely labeled DR neurons. CORT‐treatment significantly increased the action potential half‐width of LGN‐projecting DR neurons, but did not significantly affect the firing frequency or excitatory postsynaptic currents of these cells. CORT‐treatment significantly reduced the input resistance, evoked firing frequency, and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current frequency of mPFC‐projecting DR neurons, indicating a concurrent reduction of both intrinsic excitability and excitatory drive. Our results suggest that the serotonergic regulation of cognitive and emotional networks in the mPFC may be more sensitive to the effects of glucocorticoid excess than visual sensory circuits in the LGN and that reduced 5‐HT transmission in the mPFC may underlie the association between glucocorticoid excess and depression.
Functional trait trade‐off and species abundance: insights from a multi‐decadal study
Authors: Ge Xing‐Yue M. , Scholl Joshua P. , Basinger Ursula , Huxman Travis E. , Venable D. Lawrence
Published: January 2019

Phylogenetically informed trait comparisons across entire communities show promise in advancing community ecology. We use this approach to better understand the composition of a community of winter annual plants with multiple decades of monitoring and detailed morphological, phenological and physiological measurements. Previous research on this system revealed a physiological trade‐off among dominant species that accurately predicts population and community dynamics. Here we expanded our investigation to 51 species, representing 96% of individual plants recorded over 30 years, and analysed trait relationships in the context of species abundance and phylogenetic relationships. We found that the functional‐trait trade‐off scales to the entire community, albeit with diminished strength. It is strongest for dominant species and weakens as progressively rarer species are included. The trade‐off has been consistently expressed over three decades of environmental change despite some turnover in the identity of dominant species.
Trends of atropinic (anticholinergic) exposure in the elderly: a 10‐year analysis in the French EGB database
Authors: de Germay Sibylle , Rueter Manuela , Montastruc François , Rousseau Vanessa , Lapeyre‐Mestre Maryse , Montastruc Jean‐Louis
Published: January 2019

Atropinic drugs are known to potentially induce physical and/or mental impairments in the elderly. The aim of this study was to investigate trends of atropinic exposure in patients ≥65 years in France between 2006 and 2015. A repeated cross‐sectional study was performed quarterly from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2015, in the ‘Echantillon Généraliste des Bénéficiaires (EGB)’, a representative sample of the French population. Exposed patients were identified using the Anticholinergic Durán's list. Outcomes were rate of patients exposed to at least one atropinic drug (atropinic prevalence rate) and atropinic burden per patient (sum of atropinic burden scores). Interrupted time series were used to analyze the impact of market withdrawal of some drugs with atropinic properties during the period of the study. The number of patients ≥65 years registered in the EGB ranged from 75 611 in 2006 to 95 389 in 2015. Atropinic prevalence rate decreased significantly from 45.6% in 2006 to 33.2% in 2015 (−12.4%, slope significance P < 0.05). Subjects aged ≥85 years were the most exposed. Total atropinic burden decreased significantly between 2006 and 2015 (2.2 ± 1.7 in 2006; 2.0 ± 1.5 in 2015; slope significance P < 0.05), especially in patients ≥85 years. Market withdrawals for safety reasons of some atropinic drugs were significantly associated with a decrease in the atropinic prevalence rate (P < 0.05) and atropinic burden per patient (P < 0.05). In conclusion, atropinic drug exposure in the elderly significantly decreased in France between 2006 and 2015. This decrease can be partly explained by regulatory measures against some atropinic drugs.
Does the “high sugar” trait of perennial ryegrass cultivars express under temperate climate conditions?
Authors: Rivero M. Jordana , Balocchi Oscar A. , Moscoso Cristian J. , Siebald Juan Agustín , Neumann Fabián Lukas , Meyer Don , Lee Michael R. F.
Published: January 2019

The objective was to evaluate water‐soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and crude protein (CP) concentration of perennial ryegrass (PRG) cultivars with different genetic potential for producing WSC under two contrasting agronomic managements in temperate climate (southern Chile). A 4 × 2 factorial design was randomly allocated to 24 plots (31 m2 each, three blocks): four PRG cultivars (diploid standard cultivar, “2nSt”; tetraploid standard cultivar, “4nSt”; diploid high sugar cultivar developed in New Zealand, “2nHSNZ”; and tetraploid high sugar cultivar developed in Europe, “4nHSEU”) and two agronomic managements (“favourable,” defoliations at three leaves per tiller and nitrogen (N) fertilization rate of 83.3 kg N ha−1 year−1; “unfavourable,” defoliations at two leaves per tiller and N fertilization rate of 250 kg N ha−1 year−1). Herbage samples were collected in early spring, spring, summer and autumn. Concentration of WSC did not differ among cultivars in spring and summer, averaging 194 and 251 g/kg DM, respectively. The cultivar 4nHSEU had the greatest WSC concentration in early spring and autumn (187 and 266 g/kg DM, respectively) and the greatest CP concentration across samplings (average 230 g/kg DM). Favourable management improved WSC concentrations in early spring and summer and decreased CP in spring, summer and autumn. Annual DM yield did not vary with cultivar or management, averaging 8.43 t/ha. Within a 12‐month study at one site in a temperate environment in southern Chile, PRG cultivars have not shown a consistent expression of the “high sugar” trait, where a genetic × environment interaction might be operating.
Utility of robot‐assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal urinary diversion for muscle‐invasive bladder cancer
Authors: Koie Takuya , Ohyama Chikara , Makiyama Kazuhide , Shimazui Toru , Miyagawa Tomoaki , Mizutani Kosuke , Tsuchiya Tomohiro , Kato Taku , Nakane Keita
Published: January 2019

Radical cystectomy remains the gold standard for treatment of muscle‐invasive bladder cancer. Robot‐assisted radical cystectomy has technical advantages over laparoscopic radical cystectomy and has emerged as an alternative to open radical cystectomy. Despite the advancements in robotic surgery, experience with total intracorporeal reconstruction of urinary diversion remains limited. Most surgeons have carried out the hybrid approach of robot‐assisted radical cystectomy and extracorporeal reconstruction of urinary diversion, as intracorporeal reconstruction of urinary diversion remains technically challenging. However, intracorporeal reconstruction of urinary diversion might potentially proffer additional benefits, such as decreased fluid loss, reduction in estimated blood loss and a quicker return of bowel function. The adoption of intracorporeal ileal neobladder reconstruction has hitherto been limited to high‐volume academic institutions. In the present review, we compare the totally intracorporeal robot‐assisted radical cystectomy approach with open radical cystectomy and robot‐assisted radical cystectomy + extracorporeal reconstruction of urinary diversion in muscle‐invasive bladder cancer patients.
Dental abnormalities associated with a chromosome 2 deletion
Authors: SYMONS ANNE L. , GAGE J. P. , ROMANIUK K. , DALEY T.
Published: January 2019

This case report describes the dental and physical anomalies observed in a young female patient who had a chromosome abnormality involving deletion of the q 33‐q 35 region of chromosome 2. The dental dysplasia observed in this patient is proposed to be of genetic origin but the complication of anoxia at birth makes it difficult to assign the intellectual and physical impairments solely to the genetic deletion.
Multiple ICD shocks in a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy: What is the mechanism?
Authors: Fontenla Adolfo , López‐Gil María , Rodríguez Muñoz Daniel , Díez de las Heras David , Arribas Fernando
Published: January 2019

We present the case of a 45‐year‐old male patient with dilated cardiomyopathy who suffers from multiple implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) shocks. The analysis of the ICD tracing and the electrophysiological study allows to conclude that bundle branch re‐entrant tachycardia is the most likely diagnosis, even in absence of conduction abnormalities in his basal electrocardiography.
Endocrine organs of cardiovascular diseases: Gut microbiota
Authors: Jia Qiujin , Xie Yingyu , Lu Chunmiao , Zhang Ao , Lu Yanmin , Lv Shichao , Zhang Junping
Published: January 2019

Gut microbiota (GM) is a collection of bacteria, fungi, archaea, viruses and protozoa, etc. They inhabit human intestines and play an essential role in human health and disease. Close information exchange between the intestinal microbes and the host performs a vital role in digestion, immune defence, nervous system regulation, especially metabolism, maintaining a delicate balance between itself and the human host. Studies have shown that the composition of GM and its metabolites are firmly related to the occurrence of various diseases. More and more researchers have demonstrated that the intestinal microbiota is a virtual ‘organ’ with endocrine function and the bioactive metabolites produced by it can affect the physiological role of the host. With deepening researches in recent years, clinical data indicated that the GM has a significant effect on the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This article systematically elaborated the relationship between metabolites of GM and its effects, the relationship between intestinal dysbacteriosis and cardiovascular risk factors, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure and hypertension and the possible pathogenic mechanisms. Regulating the GM is supposed to be a potential new therapeutic target for CVD.
Reply to: Statins for Primary Prevention in Older Adults
Authors: Singh Sonal , Go Alan S. , Wenger Nanette K. , Zoungas Sophia , Gurwitz Jerry H.
Published: January 2019

This letter comments on the letter by Timo Strandberg
Health behaviors of foreign mothers in Japan regarding their young children and the factors that affect these behaviors: A qualitative study
Authors: Sudo Kyoko , Hamamoto Yoko
Published: January 2019

Aim

The number of foreign residents in Japan is increasing and these residents therefore should no longer be disregarded as members of Japanese society. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the health behaviors of foreign mothers in Japan regarding their children and the factors that affected these behaviors.

Methods

A qualitative descriptive research design was used, involving a content analysis. Six focus group interviews were conducted with a total of 24 foreign mothers who were members of childrearing circles.

Results

The health behaviors were classified as “Gathering information about child health management,” “Preventing obstructions to child health care,” “Perceiving the child's health condition,” “Deciding to take the child to a healthcare facility,” “Selecting adequate healthcare facilities,” and “Managing at home when the child is sick.” The factors that affected the health behaviors were classified as “Japanese culture and customs,” “Child's health condition,” “Culture and customs of the mother's native country,” “Family,” “Mother's health perception,” “Healthcare facility and healthcare provider,” “Friends,” “Mother's health condition,” “Internet,” “Becoming accustomed to life in Japan,” and “Japanese language ability.” Gathering information, preventing obstructions to child health care, and perceiving the child's health condition were the most common behaviors. The main factors that affected the health behaviors were the culture and customs of both Japan and the mother's native country and the child's health condition.

Conclusion

It is recommended that healthcare professionals support foreign mothers to gather adequate and appropriate information regarding health, particularly child health, considering not only the culture and customs of the mother's native country, but also of the host country.
Clinical efficacy of 0.5% topical mangosteen extract in nanoparticle loaded gel in treatment of mild‐to‐moderate acne vulgaris: A 12‐week, split‐face, double‐blinded, randomized, controlled trial
Authors: Lueangarun Suparuj , Sriviriyakul Karuna , Tempark Therdpong , Managit Chittima , Sithisarn Pongtip
Published: January 2019

Background

Acne vulgaris is the most common inflammatory sebaceous gland disorder in young adults. The resistant strains of Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) are of increasing concern in the treatment of acne.

Objectives

To evaluate the efficacy of 0.5% topical mangosteen extract in nanoparticle loaded gel (containing alpha‐mangostin) compared with 1% clindamycin gel for treatment of mild‐to‐moderate acne vulgaris.

Methods

Patients aged 18‐40 years were enrolled in this double‐blinded, split‐face, randomized, control study. The 2.5% benzoyl peroxide cream was applied to both sides of the faces once daily for 5 minutes and washed off. Each patient was randomly treated with the mangosteen fruit rind extract on one side and 1% clindamycin on another side of the face twice daily for 12 weeks. Treatment efficacies and side effects were evaluated on every follow‐up.

Results

Twenty‐eight patients, 24 female (85.7%), mean ± SD age of 25.14 ± 5.8, with Global Acne Grading system (GAGs) score of 15.43 ± 5.96 were included. Mangosteen fruit rind extract significantly showed significant 66.86% and 67.05% reduction of comedone and inflammatory lesions (P < 0.001) after 12‐week treatment. The improvement on both treated sides significantly showed since 2 weeks after treatment, without statistical difference between two groups. Nonetheless, the mangosteen fruit rind extract revealed significantly better improvement of clinical severity, with no severe side effects.

Conclusions

The mangosteen fruit rind extract formation could be a phytopharmaceutical medication for effective treatment of mild and moderate acne vulgaris treatment comparable to 1% clindamycin gel, with no severe side effects.
Implementation of public health genomics and applications to public health dentistry
Authors: Duquette Debra
Published: January 2019

National and state public health genomics efforts exist to effectively and responsibly translate genome‐based knowledge to improve population health and reduce health disparities. Over the past two decades, public health genomics efforts have utilized the core public health functions of assessment, policy development, and assurance. Current evidence for a small number of genomic applications suggests that many lives could be saved if these were implemented in recommended populations. With the drastic increase in new genetic tests and technologies, multidisciplinary public health genomics efforts that should include public health dentistry are of greater importance. There is a need to integrate public health dentistry in efforts to increase use of evidence‐based genomic tests and services to improve health outcomes. Additionally, public health genomic efforts also are utilized to promote awareness about the insufficient evidence of the validity, utility and ethical, legal, and social implications for the vast majority of genomic tests. This is demonstrated by a recent genetic testing policy statement and educational resources from the American Dental Association. These organizational efforts should be considered in other realms of public health genomics to ensure that only genetic tests and preventive services with sufficient evidence for use are being implemented in clinical and public health.
Spatial Accessibility to Mammography Services in the Lower Mississippi Delta Region States
Authors: Zahnd Whitney E. , McLafferty Sara L. , Sherman Recinda L. , Klonoff‐Cohen Hillary , Farner Susan , Rosenblatt Karin A.
Published: January 2019

Purpose

To characterize spatial access to mammography services across 8 Lower Mississippi Delta Region (LMDR) states. These states include the Delta Region, a federally designated, largely rural, and impoverished region with a high proportion of black residents and low mammography utilization rates.

Methods

Using the enhanced 2‐step floating catchment area method, we calculated spatial accessibility scores for mammography services across LMDR census tracts. We compared accessibility scores between the Delta and non‐Delta Regions of the LMDR. We also performed hotspot analysis and constructed spatial lag models to detect clusters of low spatial access and to identify sociodemographic factors associated with access, respectively. We obtained mammography facility locations data from the Food and Drug Administration and sociodemographic variables from the American Community Survey and the US Department of Agriculture.

Results

Overall, there were no differences in spatial accessibility scores between the Delta and non‐Delta Regions, though there was some state‐to‐state variation. Clusters of low spatial access were found in parts of the Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee Delta. Spatial lag models found that poverty was associated with greater spatial access to mammography.

Conclusions

The lack of identified differences in spatial access to mammography in the Delta and non‐Delta Regions suggests that psychosocial or financial barriers play a larger role in lower mammography utilization rates. Identifying clusters of low spatial access to mammography services can help inform resource allocation. Further, our study underscores the value of using coverage‐based methods rather than travel time or container measures to evaluate spatial access to care.
Variation in the diets of Japanese martens Martes melampus
Authors: Tsuji Yamato , Ito Takehiko Y. , Kaneko Yayoi
Published: January 2019

We reviewed dietary data in the literature for Japanese martens Martes melampus from 21 study sites covering the entire geographic range of the species, tested for differences in the diets of martens in evergreen and deciduous forests, and described variation in main diets and dietary diversity in relation to geographical and environmental variables.

Fruits, mammals, and insects occurred at the highest frequencies in faeces throughout the species’ range. Mammal prey items and non‐fruits were detected less frequently in scats collected in evergreen forests than in deciduous forests, while non‐fruits were detected more frequently in evergreen forests.

Three environmental variables (mean temperature, variation in the normalised difference vegetation index [NDVI], and snow depth) had significant effects on variation in dietary composition, but the relative contribution of each variable varied among food items. Geographical variables, on the other hand, had no significant effects on variation in dietary composition.

Mean temperature explained the variation in insect feeding, which increased in forests with moderate temperature. Snow depth explained the variation in feeding on non‐insects and other vertebrates; the former increased in forests with lower snow depth, while the latter increased in forests with higher snow depth. Variation in NDVI, on the other hand, had no effect on variation in feeding on a specific dietary category.

The snow depth had a significant effect on the variation in dietary diversity, which became lower in forests with moderate snow depth. The high plasticity in the dietary composition and dietary diversity might represent a behavioural trait acquired by Japanese martens to allow them to expand their range into various forests with different food availabilities.

When studying the variation in feeding behaviour of omnivorous carnivores, multiple environmental variables need to be considered equally.
Luck and Risk
Authors: Navarro Jesús
Published: January 2019

This paper advances new theses about the relationship between luck and risk, using recent work by Duncan Pritchard (2014, 2015, 2016) as its foil. Once Pritchard’s views are introduced in section 1, the rest of the paper completes two different tasks, one critical and one constructive. By focussing on some epistemological cases that Pritchard’s model would fail to identify, section 2 shows that it relies on a difference that is in fact inessential: the one between the occurrence and the non‐occurrence of an event. Section 3 sketches and defends an alternative account of the luck/risk distinction, based on the consideration of situations (instead of events) from different temporal perspectives: luck assessments track a situation’s past, considering it the actual outcome of some previous event, whereas risk assessments look at the situation’s future, regarding it as the initial condition of some unsettled event.
Pritchard Versus Pritchard on Luck
Authors: De Grefte Job
Published: January 2019

This paper argues for a particular account of luck by comparing two distinct versions of the modal account of luck that have been provided by Duncan Pritchard (2005, 2014). More specifically, it argues that there are three respects in which Pritchard’s earlier modal account of luck is preferable to his later account: it accounts better for the fact that luck comes in degrees, it includes a significance condition, and it better acknowledges the subjective nature of luck. The paper then discusses two consequences of the points it makes for epistemology: an alleged pragmatic encroachment, and a particular view on the relation between knowledge, luck, and justification.
Well‐Being Blindness
Authors: Sneddon Andrew
Published: January 2019

Why are we still studying well‐being? We have a vested interest in understanding the good life, and the relevant data seem to be accessible to us all. The challenge is to explain why well‐being is one lasting philosophical topic among others in spite of our special epistemic relationship to it. This article argues that human nature renders us well‐being blind. On one side this is due to the heterogeneous nature of our interests. Some are directly mediated by conscious thought, others are not. Some are individualistically realized, others relationally. On the other side we suffer from cognitive biases that lead us to undervalue, indeed, to miss entirely, the important aspects of human life that do not depend on conscious attention. Consequently, there is reason to think that we shall never be satisfied with a theory of well‐being.
A pilot study of the effects of high‐frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on dysphagia in the elderly
Authors: Park Jin‐Woo , Kim Hyojun , Park Taejune , Yeo Jeong‐Seok , Hong Ho‐Jin , Oh Jin‐Young
Published: January 2019

Background

Swallowing difficulty is common in the geriatric population and is associated with brain activity alteration with advancing age. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive approach to stimulate cortical neurons and can produce changes in cortical excitability. The objective of this study is to determine whether rTMS induces positive changes in the cortical areas and facilitates swallowing function in the elderly diagnosed with dysphagia.

Methods

Eight right‐handed elderly dysphagia patients without any neurologic deficits received 5 Hz rTMS to a pharyngeal motor hot spot in the right hemisphere for 10 minutes every weekday for 2 weeks. The intensity of the stimulation was set at 90% of the thenar motor threshold of the same hemisphere. They were all subjected to 18F‐labeled fluorodeoxyglucose‐PET scans at swallowing before and after rTMS. Differences between each patient's active image and control images on a voxel‐by‐voxel basis were examined to find significant increases in metabolism using statistical parametric mapping software. Videofluoroscopic swallowing study was also conducted before and after magnetic stimulation intervention. Penetration‐aspiration scale (PAS) and videofluoroscopic dysphagia scale (VDS) were compared to evaluate swallowing function.

Key Results

After 2 weeks of rTMS intervention, the VDS score was significantly reduced (from 43.6 ± 10.3 to 27.2 ± 14.5: P < 0.05), and especially pharyngeal motor function was improved. Activation was significantly increased in the bilateral primary motor cortex, premotor cortex, and right prefrontal cortex, which showed asymmetry.

Conclusions and Inferences

High‐frequency rTMS positively affected the activation in cortices and swallowing function in elderly patients with dysphagia.
SPL7 and SPL8 represent a novel flowering regulation mechanism in switchgrass
Authors: Gou Jiqing , Tang Chaorong , Chen Naichong , Wang Hui , Debnath Smriti , Sun Liang , Flanagan Amy , Tang Yuhong , Jiang Qingzhen , Allen Randy D. , Wang Zeng‐Yu
Published: January 2019

The aging pathway in flowering regulation is controlled mainly by microRNA156 (miR156). Studies in Arabidopsis thaliana reveal that nine miR156‐targeted SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING‐LIKE (SPL) genes are involved in the control of flowering. However, the roles of SPLs in flowering remain elusive in grasses.

Inflorescence development in switchgrass was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Microarray, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)‐PCR and EMSA were used to identify regulators of phase transition and flowering. Gene function was characterized by downregulation and overexpression of the target genes.

Overexpression of SPL7 and SPL8 promotes flowering, whereas downregulation of individual genes moderately delays flowering. Simultaneous downregulation of SPL7/SPL8 results in extremely delayed or nonflowering plants. Furthermore, downregulation of both genes leads to a vegetative‐to‐reproductive reversion in the inflorescence, a phenomenon that has not been reported in any other grasses.

Detailed analyses demonstrate that SPL7 and SPL8 induce phase transition and flowering in grasses by directly upregulating SEPALLATA3 (SEP3) and MADS32. Thus, the SPL7/8 pathway represents a novel regulatory mechanism in grasses that is largely different from that in Arabidopsis. Additionally, genetic modification of SPL7 and SPL8 results in much taller plants with significantly increased biomass yield and sugar release.
Neoliberal governing through social enterprise: Exploring the neglected roles of deviance and ignorance in public value creation
Authors: Teasdale Simon , Dey Pascal
Published: January 2019

This article makes a case for paying greater attention to how informal relationships between government officials and civil society practitioners impact processes of public value creation. Drawing on data from a five‐year qualitative longitudinal study, we illuminate how civil society practitioners deviate from the formal objectives of social enterprise policies in order to create what they see as having public value. Through a process of theory elaboration, we demonstrate how government officials’ wilful ignorance of, or informal collaboration in, such deviance, precipitates forms of public value that are consistent with wider political objectives. Our analysis adds nuance and granularity to the debate on public value by drawing attention to the arcane ways it may be informally negotiated and created outside of the public sphere. This opens up new empirical and theoretical opportunities for understanding how deviance and ignorance might be symbiotically related in processes of public value creation.”
Spatiotemporal sampling patterns in the 230 million year fossil record of terrestrial crocodylomorphs and their impact on diversity
Authors: Mannion Philip D. , Chiarenza Alfio Alessandro , Godoy Pedro L. , Cheah Yung Nam
Published: January 2019

The 24 extant crocodylian species are the remnants of a once much more diverse and widespread clade. Crocodylomorpha has an approximately 230 million year evolutionary history, punctuated by a series of radiations and extinctions. However, the group's fossil record is biased. Previous studies have reconstructed temporal patterns in subsampled crocodylomorph palaeobiodiversity, but have not explicitly examined variation in spatial sampling, nor the quality of this record. We compiled a dataset of all taxonomically diagnosable non‐marine crocodylomorph species (393). Based on the number of phylogenetic characters that can be scored for all published fossils of each species, we calculated a completeness value for each taxon. Mean average species completeness (56%) is largely consistent within subgroups and for different body size classes, suggesting no significant biases across the crocodylomorph tree. In general, average completeness values are highest in the Mesozoic, with an overall trend of decreasing completeness through time. Many extant taxa are identified in the fossil record from very incomplete remains, but this might be because their provenance closely matches the species’ present‐day distribution, rather than through autapomorphies. Our understanding of nearly all crocodylomorph macroevolutionary ‘events’ is essentially driven by regional patterns, with no global sampling signal. Palaeotropical sampling is especially poor for most of the group's history. Spatiotemporal sampling bias impedes our understanding of several Mesozoic radiations, whereas molecular divergence times for Crocodylia are generally in close agreement with the fossil record. However, the latter might merely be fortuitous, i.e. divergences happened to occur during our ephemeral spatiotemporal sampling windows.
Whole‐genome re‐sequencing reveals the impact of the interaction of copy number variants of the rhg1 and Rhg4 genes on broad‐based resistance to soybean cyst nematode
Authors: Patil Gunvant B. , Lakhssassi Naoufal , Wan Jinrong , Song Li , Zhou Zhou , Klepadlo Mariola , Vuong Tri D. , Stec Adrian O. , Kahil Sondus S. , Colantonio Vincent , Valliyodan Babu , Rice J. Hollis , Piya Sarbottam , Hewezi Tarek , Stupar Robert M. , Meksem Khalid , Nguyen Henry T.
Published: January 2019

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is the most devastating plant‐parasitic nematode. Most commercial soybean varieties with SCN resistance are derived from PI88788. Resistance derived from PI88788 is breaking down due to narrow genetic background and SCN population shift. PI88788 requires mainly the rhg1‐b locus, while ‘Peking’ requires rhg1‐a and Rhg4 for SCN resistance. In the present study, whole genome re‐sequencing of 106 soybean lines was used to define the Rhg haplotypes and investigate their responses to the SCN HG‐Types. The analysis showed a comprehensive profile of SNPs and copy number variations (CNV) at these loci. CNV of rhg1 (GmSNAP18) only contributed towards resistance in lines derived from PI88788 and ‘Cloud’. At least 5.6 copies of the PI88788‐type rhg1 were required to confer SCN resistance, regardless of the Rhg4 (GmSHMT08) haplotype. However, when the GmSNAP18 copies dropped below 5.6, a ‘Peking’‐type GmSHMT08 haplotype was required to ensure SCN resistance. This points to a novel mechanism of epistasis between GmSNAP18 and GmSHMT08 involving minimum requirements for copy number. The presence of more Rhg4 copies confers resistance to multiple SCN races. Moreover, transcript abundance of the GmSHMT08 in root tissue correlates with more copies of the Rhg4 locus, reinforcing SCN resistance. Finally, haplotype analysis of the GmSHMT08 and GmSNAP18 promoters inferred additional levels of the resistance mechanism. This is the first report revealing the genetic basis of broad‐based resistance to SCN and providing new insight into epistasis, haplotype‐compatibility, CNV, promoter variation and its impact on broad‐based disease resistance in plants.
Divergence and heterogeneity of neoplastic PD‐L1 expression: Two autopsy case reports of intravascular large B‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Sakakibara Ayako , Inagaki Yuichiro , Imaoka Eiki , Sakai Yu , Ito Masafumi , Ishikawa Eri , Shimada Satoko , Shimada Kazuyuki , Suzuki Yuka , Nakamura Shigeo , Satou Akira , Kohno Kei
Published: January 2019

Intravascular large B‐cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a distinct disease, but the neoplastic PD‐L1 expression on tumor cells may vary among cases. We evaluated 10 IVLBCL autopsy cases for neoplastic PD‐L1 expression, and had positive results in two cases. In one case, neoplastic PD‐L1 expression (SP142, 28‐8, and E1J2J clones) was dependent on the organ and anatomical site (capillaries vs. vessels) of the tumor tissue. Neoplastic PD‐L1 expression was found in tumor cells located in capillaries in the central nervous system, pituitary gland, kidneys, lung, and gastrointestinal tract; sinuses/sinusoids of the spleen, liver, bone marrow, and lymph nodes; and an extravascular location. However, this expression was not detected in tumor cells located in the adrenal gland, thyroid gland, pancreas, ovaries, uterus, pleura, and small or larger‐sized vessels of the lung. The other case showed constant neoplastic PD‐L1 expression on the tumor cells, and in addition to the affected organs, capillaries, and vessels with two anti‐PD‐L1 antibodies (28‐8 and E1J2J, but not SP142). The divergence and heterogeneity of neoplastic PD‐L1 expression were clearly demonstrated in our cases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of divergent neoplastic PD‐L1 expression among the affected organs and anatomical sites in IVLBCL.
Why do junctures become critical? Political discourse, agency, and joint belief shifts in comparative perspective
Authors: Rinscheid Adrian , Eberlein Burkard , Emmenegger Patrick , Schneider Volker
Published: January 2019

Why do junctures become critical in some cases but not in others? Building on the critical juncture framework and perspectives on the formation and diffusion of beliefs, we develop a theoretically parsimonious and empirically traceable account of divergence in institutional outcomes. By illuminating the role of agency and joint belief shifts we further open the “black box” of critical junctures. In particular, we develop the argument that the role agents play is conditioned by conflict lines that structure an institutional field before a juncture sets in. Empirically, we trace political discourses around the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in Canada, Germany, and Japan using discourse network analysis. Through comparative investigation, we empirically show that discursive interactions during potential critical junctures indicate institutional outcomes that are shaped by causally relevant historical legacies.
Bidirectional relations among empathy‐related traits, prosocial moral reasoning, and prosocial behaviors
Authors: Mestre Maria Vicenta , Carlo Gustavo , Samper Paula , Malonda Elizabeth , Mestre Ana Llorca
Published: January 2019

This study examined the longitudinal links among empathic concern, perspective taking, prosocial moral reasoning, and prosocial behaviors. Four hundred and seventeen adolescents (225 girls; Mage = 14.70 years) from public schools in Spain completed measures of those constructs in three successive years. Path analyses showed support for the notion that empathic concern and prosocial moral reasoning accounted for the relations between perspective taking in earlier adolescence and later altruistic and public forms of helping. Moreover, there was support for a reverse causal model such that empathic concern and prosocial moral reasoning mediated the relations between altruistic (but not public) helping behaviors in earlier adolescence and later perspective taking. The implications for cognitive developmental and social cognitive theories of prosocial development were discussed.