bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Data on the frequency of non-reproductive adults in a cross-cultural sample of small-scale human societies
Authors: Ross Cody , Hooper Paul , Borgerhoff Mulder Monique
Published: November 2015

A number of recent accounts have described Homo sapiens as a species that practices cooperative breeding [e.g., Hill and Hurtado (2009); Hrdy (2009); Kramer (2010); Mace and Sear (2005); van Schaik and Burkart (2010)]. These claims raise two important questions: first, do humans in general, or humans under a specific set of conditions, exhibit behaviors conforming to the technical definition of cooperative breeding? And second, to what extent are patterns of behavior and reproduction in humans similar to, or distinct from those found in non-human animals that are classified as cooperative breeders? The goal of this brief communication is to report cross-cultural data with relevance to researchers studying cooperative breeding in humans in the context of other non-human mammals. The data are derived from ethnographic research in 4 small-scale human populations.
Role of autoregulation and relative synthesis of operon partners in alternative sigma factor networks
Authors: Narula Jatin , Tiwari Abhinav , Igoshin Oleg A.
Published: November 2015

Despite the central role of alternative sigma factors in bacterial stress response and virulence their regulation remains incompletely understood. Here we investigate one of the best-studied examples of alternative sigma factors: the σBnetwork that controls the general stress response ofBacillus subtilisto uncover widely relevant general design principles that describe the structure-function relationship of alternative sigma factor regulatory networks. We show that the relative stoichiometry of the synthesis rates of σB, its anti-sigma factor RsbW and the anti-anti-sigma factor RsbV plays a critical role in shaping the network behavior by forcing the σBnetwork to function as an ultrasensitive negative feedback loop. We further demonstrate how this negative feedback regulation insulates alternative sigma factor activity from competition with the housekeeping sigma factor for RNA polymerase and allows multiple stress sigma factors to function simultaneously with little competitive interference.

Major Subject Areas:Computational and systems biology, Microbiology & Infectious disease

Research Organism:Bacillus subtilis
BRANE Cut: Biologically-Related A priori Network Enhancement with Graph cuts for Gene Regulatory Network Inference
Authors: Pirayre Aurélie , Couprie Camille , Bidard Frédérique , Duval Laurent , Pesquet Jean-Christophe
Published: November 2015

Background: Inferring gene networks from high-throughput data constitutes an important step in the discovery of relevant regulatory relationships in organism cells. Despite the large number of available Gene Regulatory Network inference methods, the problem remains challenging: the underdetermination in the space of possible solutions requires additional constraints that incorporate a priori information on gene interactions. Methods: Weighting all possible pairwise gene relationships by a probability of edge presence, we formulate the regulatory network inference as a discrete variational problem on graphs. We enforce biologically plausible coupling between groups and types of genes by minimizing an edge labeling functional coding for a priori structures. The optimization is carried out with Graph cuts, an approach popular in image processing and computer vision. We compare the inferred regulatory networks to results achieved by the mutual-information-based Context Likelihood of Relatedness (CLR) method and by the state-of-the-art GENIE3, winner of the DREAM4 multifactorial challenge. Results: Our BRANE Cut approach infers more accurately the five DREAM4 in silico networks (with improvements from 6% to 11%). On a real Escherichia coli compendium, an improvement of 11.8% compared to CLR and 3% compared to GENIE3 is obtained in terms of Area Under Precision-Recall curve. Up to 48 additional verified interactions are obtained over GENIE3 for a given precision. On this dataset involving 4345 genes, our method achieves a performance similar to that of GENIE3, while being more than seven times faster. The BRANE Cut code is available at: http://www-syscom.univ-mlv.fr/~pirayre/Codes-GRN-BRANE-cut.html Conclusions: BRANE Cut is a weighted graph thresholding method. Using biologically sound penalties and data-driven parameters, it improves three state-of-the-art GRN inference methods. It is applicable as a generic network inference post-processing, due its computational efficiency.
Mind the drift - improving sensitivity to fMRI pattern information by accounting for temporal pattern drift
Authors: Alink Arjen , Walther Alexander , Krugliak Alexandra , van den Bosch Jasper J.F. , Kriegeskorte Nikolaus
Published: November 2015

Analyzing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) pattern similarity is becoming increasingly popular because it allows one to relate distributed patterns of voxel activity to continuous perceptual and cognitive states of the human brain. Here we show that fMRI pattern similarity estimates are severely affected by temporal pattern drifts in fMRI data – even after voxel-wise detrending. For this particular dataset, the drift effect obscures orientation information as measured by fMRI pattern dissimilarities. We demonstrate that orientation information can be recovered using three different methods: 1. Regressing out the drift component through linear modeling; 2. Computing representational distances between conditions measured in independent imaging runs; 3. Crossvalidation of pattern distance estimates. One possible source of temporal pattern drift could be random walk like fluctuations — physiological or scanner related — occurring within single voxel timecourses. This explanation is consistent with voxel-wise detrending not alleviating pattern drift effects. In addition, this would explain why crossvalidated pattern distances are robust to temporal drift because a random walk process is expected to give rise to non-replicable drift directions. Given these findings, we recommend that future fMRI studies take pattern drift into account when analyzing pattern similarity as this can greatly enhance the sensitivity to experimental effects of interest.
Consistent estimation of complete neuronal connectivity in large neuronal populations using sparse “shotgun” neuronal activity sampling
Authors: Mishchenko Yuriy
Published: November 2015

We investigate the properties of the recently proposed “shotgun” sampling approach for the common inputs problem in the functional estimation of neuronal connectivity. We study the asymptotic correctness, the speed of convergence, and the data size requirements of such an approach. We find that the shotgun approach can be expected to allow the inference of the complete connectivity matrix in large neuronal populations under some rather general conditions. However, we find that the posterior error of the shotgun connectivity estimator may grow quickly with the size of the unobserved neuronal populations, the connectivity strength, and the square of the observations’ sparseness. This implies that the shotgun connectivity estimation will require significant amounts of neuronal activity data whenever the number of neurons in the observed populations is small. We present a numerical approach for solving the shotgun estimation problem in general settings and use it to demonstrate the shotgun connectivity inference in simulated synfire and weakly coupled cortical neuronal networks.
Genome-wide analysis of over 106,000 individuals identifies 9 neuroticism-associated loci
Authors: Smith Daniel J , Escott-Price Valentina , Davies Gail , Bailey Mark ES , Colodro Conde Lucia , Ward Joey , Vedernikov Alexey , Marioni Riccardo , Cullen Breda , Lyall Donald , Hagenaars Saskia P , Liewald David CM , Luciano Michelle , Gale Catharine R , Ritchie Stuart J , Hayward Caroline , Nicholl Barbara , Bulik-Sullivan Brendan , Adams Mark , Couvy-Duchesne Baptiste , Graham Nicholas , Mackay Daniel , Evans Jonathan , Smith Blair H , Porteous David J , Medland Sarah , Martin Nick , Holmans Peter , McIntosh Andrew M , Pell Jill P , Deary Ian J , O'Donovan Michael
Published: November 2015

Neuroticism is a personality trait of fundamental importance for psychological wellbeing and public health. It is strongly associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) and several other psychiatric conditions. Although neuroticism is heritable, attempts to identify the alleles involved in previous studies have been limited by relatively small sample sizes and heterogeneity in the measurement of neuroticism. Here we report a genome-wide association study of neuroticism in 91,370 participants of the UK Biobank cohort and a combined meta-analysis which includes a further 6,659 participants from the Generation Scotland Scottish Family Health Study (GS:SFHS) and 8,687 participants from a QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute (QIMR) cohort. All participants were assessed using the same neuroticism instrument, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R-S) Short Form Neuroticism scale. We found a SNP-based heritability estimate for neuroticism of approximately 15% (SE = 0.7%). Meta-analysis identified 9 novel loci associated with neuroticism. The strongest evidence for association was at a locus on chromosome 8 (p = 1.5x10-15) spanning 4 Mb and containing at least 36 genes. Other associated loci included interesting candidate genes on chromosome 1 (GRIK3, glutamate receptor ionotropic kainate 3), chromosome 4 (KLHL2, Kelch-like protein 2), chromosome 17 (CRHR1, corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 and MAPT, microtubule-associated protein Tau), and on chromosome 18 (CELF4, CUGBP elav-like family member 4). We found no evidence for genetic differences in the common allelic architecture of neuroticism by sex. By comparing our findings with those of the Psychiatric Genetics Consortia, we identified a strong genetic correlation between neuroticism and MDD (0.64) and a less strong but significant genetic correlation with schizophrenia (0.22), although not with bipolar disorder. Polygenic risk scores derived from the primary UK Biobank sample captured about 1% of the variance in neuroticism in independent samples. Overall, our findings confirm a polygenic basis for neuroticism and substantial shared genetic architecture between neuroticism and MDD. The identification of 9 new neuroticism-associated loci will drive forward future work on the neurobiology of neuroticism and related phenotypes.
Shared genomic variants: identification of transmission routes using pathogen deep sequence data
Authors: Worby Colin J. , Lipsitch Marc , Hanage William P.
Published: November 2015

Sequencing pathogen samples during a communicable disease outbreak is becoming an increasingly common procedure in epidemiological investigations. Identifying who infected whom sheds considerable light on transmission patterns, high-risk settings and subpopulations, and infection control effectiveness. Genomic data shed new light on transmission dynamics, and can be used to identify clusters of individuals likely to be linked by direct transmission. However, identification of individual routes of infection via single genome samples typically remains uncertain. Here, we investigate the potential of deep sequence data to provide greater resolution on transmission routes, via the identification of shared genomic variants. We assess several easily implemented methods to identify transmission routes using both shared variants and genetic distance, demonstrating that shared variants can provide considerable additional information in most scenarios. While shared variant approaches identify relatively few links in the presence of a small transmission bottleneck, these links are highly confident. Furthermore, we proposed hybrid approach additionally incorporating phylogenetic distance to provide greater resolution. We apply our methods to data collected during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, identifying several likely routes of transmission. Our study highlights the power of pathogen deep sequence data as a component of outbreak investigation and epidemiological analyses.
Activation of G proteins by guanine nucleotide exchange factors relies on GTPase activity
Authors: Stanley Rob J , Thomas Geraint MH
Published: November 2015

G proteins are an important family of signalling molecules controlled by guanine nucleotide exchange and GTPase activity in what is commonly called an ‘activation/inactivation cycle’. The molecular mechanism by which guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) catalyse the activation of monomeric G proteins is well-established, however the complete reversibility of this mechanism is often overlooked. Here, we use a theoretical approach to prove that GEFs are unable to positively control G protein systems at steady-state in the absence of GTPase activity. Instead, positive regulation of G proteins must be seen as a product of the competition between guanine nucleotide exchange and GTPase activity – emphasising a central role for GTPase activity beyond merely signal termination. We conclude that a more accurate description of the regulation of G proteins via these processes is as a ‘balance/imbalance’ mechanism. This result has implications for the understanding of many intracellular signalling processes, and for experimental strategies that rely on modulating G protein systems.
The ASYMMETRIC LEAVES Complex Employs Multiple Modes of Regulation to Affect Adaxial-Abaxial Patterning and Leaf Complexity
Authors: Husbands Aman Y. , Benkovics Anna H. , Nogueira Fabio T.S. , Lodha Mukesh , Timmermans Marja C.P.
Published: November 2015

Flattened leaf architecture is not a default state but depends on positional information to precisely coordinate patterns of cell division in the growing primordium. This information is provided, in part, by the boundary between the adaxial (top) and abaxial (bottom) domains of the leaf, which are specified via an intricate gene regulatory network whose precise circuitry remains poorly defined. Here, we examined the contribution of the ASYMMETRIC LEAVES (AS) pathway to adaxial-abaxial patterning in Arabidopsis thaliana and demonstrate that AS1-AS2 affects this process via multiple, distinct regulatory mechanisms. AS1-AS2 uses Polycomb-dependent and -independent mechanisms to directly repress the abaxial determinants MIR166A, YABBY5, and AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR3 (ARF3), as well as a nonrepressive mechanism in the regulation of the adaxial determinant TAS3A. These regulatory interactions, together with data from prior studies, lead to a model in which the sequential polarization of determinants, including AS1-AS2, explains the establishment and maintenance of adaxial-abaxial leaf polarity. Moreover, our analyses show that the shared repression of ARF3 by the AS and trans-acting small interfering RNA (ta-siRNA) pathways intersects with additional AS1-AS2 targets to affect multiple nodes in leaf development, impacting polarity as well as leaf complexity. These data illustrate the surprisingly multifaceted contribution of AS1-AS2 to leaf development showing that, in conjunction with the ta-siRNA pathway, AS1-AS2 keeps the Arabidopsis leaf both flat and simple.
Host infection history modifies co‐infection success of multiple parasite genotypes
Authors: Klemme Ines , Louhi Katja‐Riikka , Karvonen Anssi
Published: November 2015

Co‐infections by multiple parasite genotypes are common and have important implications for host–parasite ecology and evolution through within‐host interactions. Typically, these infections take place sequentially, and therefore, the outcome of co‐infection may be shaped by host immune responses triggered by previous infections. For example, in vertebrates, specific immune responses play a central role in protection against disease over the course of life, but co‐infection research has mostly focused on previously uninfected individuals.

Here, we investigated whether sequential exposure and activation of host resistance in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss affects infection success and interactions between co‐infecting parasite genotypes of the trematode eye‐fluke Diplostomum pseudospathaceum.

In accordance with earlier results, we show that a simultaneous attack of two parasite genotypes facilitates parasite establishment in previously uninfected hosts. However, we find for the first time that this facilitation in co‐infection is lost in hosts with prior infection.

We conclude that vertebrate host infection history can affect the direction of within‐host–parasite interactions. Our results may have significant implications for the evolution of co‐infections and parasite transmission strategies.
Climate and habitat interact to shape the thermal reaction norms of breeding phenology across lizard populations
Authors: Rutschmann Alexis , Miles Donald B. , Le Galliard Jean‐François , Richard Murielle , Moulherat Sylvain , Sinervo Barry , Clobert Jean
Published: November 2015

Substantial plastic variation in phenology in response to environmental heterogeneity through time in the same population has been uncovered in many species. However, our understanding of differences in reaction norms of phenology among populations from a given species remains limited.

As the plasticity of phenological traits is often influenced by local thermal conditions, we expect local temperature to generate variation in the reaction norms between populations.

Here, we explored temporal variation in parturition date across 11 populations of the common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) from four mountain chains as a function of air temperatures during mid‐gestation. We characterized among‐population variation to assess how local weather conditions (mean and variance of ambient temperatures during mid‐gestation) and habitat openness (an index of anthropogenic disturbance) influence the thermal reaction norms of the parturition date.

Our results provide evidence of interactive effects of anthropogenic disturbance and thermal conditions, with earlier parturition dates in warmer years on average especially in closed habitats.

Variation in the reaction norms for parturition date was correlated with mean local thermal conditions at a broad geographical scale. However, populations exposed to variable thermal conditions had flatter thermal reaction norms.

Assessing whether environmental heterogeneity drives differentiation among reaction norms is crucial to estimate the capacity of different populations to contend with projected climatic and anthropogenic challenges.
Changing climate cues differentially alter zooplankton dormancy dynamics across latitudes
Authors: Jones Natalie T. , Gilbert Benjamin
Published: November 2015

In seasonal climates, dormancy is a common strategy that structures biodiversity and is necessary for the persistence of many species. Climate change will likely alter dormancy dynamics in zooplankton, the basis of aquatic food webs, by altering two important hatching cues: mean temperatures during the ice‐free season, and mean day length when lakes become ice free. Theory suggests that these changes could alter diversity, hatchling abundances and phenology within lakes, and that these responses may diverge across latitudes due to differences in optimal hatching cues and strategies.

To examine the role of temperature and day length on hatching dynamics, we collected sediment from 25 lakes across a 1800 km latitudinal gradient and exposed sediment samples to a factorial combination of two photoperiods (12 and 16 h) and two temperatures (8 and 12 °C) representative of historical southern (short photoperiod, warm) and northern (long photoperiod, cool) lake conditions. We tested whether sensitivity to these hatching cues varies by latitudinal origin and differs among taxa.

Higher temperatures advanced phenology for all taxa, and these advances were greatest for cladocerans followed by copepods and rotifers. Although phenology differed among taxa, the effect of temperature did not vary with latitude. The latitudinal origin of the egg bank influenced egg abundance and hatchling abundance and diversity, with these latter effects varying with taxa, temperature and photoperiod.

Copepod hatchling abundances peaked at mid‐latitudes in the high temperature and long photoperiod treatments, whereas hatchling abundances of other zooplankton were greatest at low latitudes and high temperature. The overall diversity of crustacean zooplankton (copepods and cladocerans) also reflected distinct responses of each taxa to our treatments, with the greatest diversity occurring at mid‐latitudes (~56 °N) in the shorter photoperiod treatment.

Our results demonstrate that hatching cues differ for broad taxonomic groups that vary in developmental and life‐history strategies. These differences are predicted to drive latitude‐specific shifts in zooplankton emergence with climate change and could alter the base of aquatic food webs.
Unravelling the role of allochthonous aquatic resources to food web structure in a tropical riparian forest
Authors: Recalde Fátima C. , Postali Thaís C. , Romero Gustavo Q.
Published: November 2015

The role of matter and energy flow across ecosystem boundaries for the subsidized consumer populations is well known. However, little is known on the effects of allochthonous subsidies on food web structure and trophic niche dimensions of consumers in the tropics.

We excluded allochthonous aquatic insects from tropical streams using greenhouse‐type exclosures to test the influence of aquatic allochthonous subsidies on the trophic structure and niche dimensions of terrestrial predators using stable isotope methods.

In exclosure treatments, abundance and biomass of terrestrial predators, and biomass of phytophages decreased and increased, respectively. Vegetation‐living predators were more responsive to allochthonous inputs than those living on the ground. Overall, lower availability of allochthonous inputs did not affect community‐wide metrics and niche width of predators. However, the niche width of some spider families had very low overlap between treatments, and others had wider isotopic niches in the control than in the exclusion treatment. Most of the C and N in predators living in control stretches came from aquatic subsidies, and those predators living in the exclusion treatments switched their diets to terrestrial sources, showing a preference of predators for allochthonous subsidies.

Our results suggest that allochthonous subsidies are also relevant to tropical fauna living upon vegetation. Moreover, allochthonous resources may amplify the niche dimension of certain predators or considerably change the trophic niche of others. Our study highlights the importance of including modern isotopic tools in elucidating the role of allochthonous resources on the patterns of trophic structure and niche dimensions of consumers from donor ecosystems.
Desperately seeking reductions in health inequalities: perspectives of UK researchers on past, present and future directions in health inequalities research
Authors: Garthwaite Kayleigh , Smith Katherine E. , Bambra Clare , Pearce Jamie
Published: November 2015

Following government commitments to reducing health inequalities from 1997 onwards, the UK has been recognised as a global leader in health inequalities research and policy. Yet health inequalities have continued to widen by most measures, prompting calls for new research agendas and advocacy to facilitate greater public support for the upstream policies that evidence suggests are required. However, there is currently no agreement as to what new research might involve or precisely what public health egalitarians ought to be advocating. This article presents an analysis of discussions among 52 researchers to consider the feasibility that research‐informed advocacy around particular solutions to health inequalities may emerge in the UK. The data indicate there is a consensus that more should be been done to learn from post‐1997 efforts to reduce health inequalities, and an obvious desire to provide clearer policy guidance in future. However, discussions as to where researchers should now focus their efforts and with whom researchers ought to be engaging reveal three distinct ways of approaching health inequalities, each of which has its own epistemological foundations. Such differences imply that a consensus on reducing health inequalities is unlikely to materialise. Instead, progress seems most likely if all three approaches are simultaneously enabled.
Category attribution as a device for diagnosis: fitting children to the autism spectrum
Authors: Turowetz Jason , Maynard Douglas W.
Published: November 2015

The practice of medicine involves applying abstract diagnostic classifications to individual patients. Patients present with diverse histories and symptoms, and clinicians are tasked with fitting them into generic categories. They must also persuade patients, or family members, that the diagnosis is appropriate and elicit compliance with prescribed treatments. This can be especially challenging with psychiatric disorders such as autism, for which there are no clear biomarkers. In this paper, we explicate a discursive procedure, which we term category attribution. The procedure juxtaposes a narrative about the child with a claim about members of a clinically relevant category, in this case, either children with autism or typically/normally developing children. The attribution procedure carries the implication that the child does or does not belong to that category. We show that category attributions are organised in a recurrent interactional sequence. Further, we argue that category attributions encode normative expectations about child development, such that the child is rendered typical or atypical relative to clinical and social norms. Accordingly, such categorisation devices have a moral dimension as well as a clinical one.
Recurrent pre‐eclampsia in women with metabolic syndrome and low plasma volume: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Stekkinger E , Scholten RR , Heidema WM , Spaanderman MEA
Published: November 2015

Objective

To determine the prevalence of recurrent pre‐eclampsia in women with a history of pre‐eclampsia with both metabolic syndrome and low plasma volume postpartum, as compared with women without either entity.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Three tertiary referral hospitals in the Netherlands.

Population

Women with a history of pre‐eclampsia.

Methods

In 196 women with a history of pre‐eclampsia we determined the presence or absence of metabolic syndrome using the World Health Organization criteria and measured plasma volume with the 125I‐human serum albumin indicator dilution technique. We compared the prevalence of recurrent pre‐eclampsia in four groups, classified according to presence or absence of metabolic syndrome and low or normal plasma volume, calculating odds ratios (OR), adjusted for confounders.

Main outcome measure

Recurrence of pre‐eclampsia in the subsequent pregnancy.

Results

The prevalence of recurrent pre‐eclampsia was 12% (12/99) in women without metabolic syndrome with normal plasma volume, versus 47% (8/17) in women with both metabolic syndrome and low plasma volume: OR 6.44 (95% CI 2.09–19.90), adjusted OR 7.90 (95% CI 2.30–27.16). Recurrent pre‐eclampsia was present in 44% (10/23) and 25% (14/57) of women with isolated metabolic syndrome and low plasma volume, respectively.

Conclusions

In the concomitant presence of metabolic syndrome and low plasma volume, the prevalence of recurrent pre‐eclampsia was nearly 50%, which is four times as high as the prevalence in women without either entity.

Tweetable abstract

Metabolic syndrome and low plasma volume raise the risk of recurrent pre‐eclampsia to nearly 50%.
Outcomes of mucosal melanoma of the head and neck
Authors: Frakes Jessica M , Strom Tobin J , Naghavi Arash O , Trotti Andy , Rao Nikhil G , McCaffrey Judith C , Otto Kristen J , Padhya Tapan , Caudell Jimmy J
Published: November 2015

Introduction

Mucosal melanoma of the head and neck is a rare disease with limited data available on outcomes; therefore, we reviewed our institutional experience.

Methods

An institutional database was queried and 38 patients with head and neck mucosal melanoma were identified. Charts were abstracted and local control (LC), progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated.

Results

Most patients had T4 disease (86%), although nodes were positive in 11%. En bloc or endoscopic resection was performed on 93%. Adjuvant or definitive radiotherapy to a median dose of 60 Gy was utilized in 90%. Chemotherapy was given in 21%, and 16% received interferon. Three‐year LC, PFS and OS were 90%, 48% and 59%, respectively. Median OS was 4.6 years. Site of first failure was distant in 52% of cases.

Conclusion

With aggressive therapy median OS was 4.6 years in this cohort. Distant recurrence remains the primary mode of failure. It may be reasonable to include mucosal melanoma patients in trials of systemic agents along with high‐risk cutaneous melanomas.
Characteristics of users and usage of different types of electronic cigarettes: findings from an online survey
Authors: Etter Jean‐François
Published: November 2015

Aims

Studying users of e‐cigarettes is important to help determine whether these devices aid smoking cessation. Obtaining data in representative samples is difficult, but online surveys of users may begin to build a picture. Therefore, this study aimed, through a large online survey, to describe usage and characteristics of users of e‐cigarettes.

Design

Cross‐sectional internet survey between 2012 and 2014.

Setting and participants

A total of 2807 current e‐cigarette users enrolled via e‐cigarette and smoking cessation websites, who lived in France (n = 988), the United States (n = 579), Switzerland (n = 310), the United Kingdom (n = 143) and other countries (n = 787).

Measurements

Type of e‐cigarette used: pre‐filled cartridges (n = 71), unmodified refillable tanks (n = 758), modified refillable tanks (n = 392), patterns of use, perceived effects.

Findings

Pre‐filled models were perceived to be less effective than unmodified refillable tanks for smoking cessation by former smokers (‘definitely helped’: 74% vs. 94%, P < 0.001) and by current smokers for smoking reduction (‘definitely helped’: 37% vs. 78%, P < 0.001). Users modified their e‐cigarettes mainly to obtain a better taste (‘very true’ 60%, 55.5–64.5%). Modified tanks were perceived to make it easier to abstain from smoking than unmodified tanks 95% vs. 89%, P < 0.001); 34% of users of pre‐filled cartridges, 60% of users of unmodified tanks and 83% of users of modified tanks were men (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Newer‐generation e‐cigarettes were perceived to be more satisfactory and more effective for refraining from smoking than older models. Women tended to use pre‐filled, unmodified models, which were perceived by participants to be the least effective in terms of abstaining from smoking.
Restorative treatment for initial, cavitated and gross coronal carious lesions
Authors: Brennan DS , Balasubramanian M , Spencer AJ
Published: November 2015

Background

Treatment patterns for caries have been shown to reflect high rates of restorative services. The objective of this study was to investigate types of restorative treatment provided to patients with a main diagnosis of coronal caries in relation to the severity of the caries lesion.

Methods

A random sample of Australian dentists was surveyed by mailed questionnaires in 2009–2010 (response rate 67%). Data on types of restorative treatment, patient characteristics and main diagnosis were collected from a service log.

Results

Models of service rates adjusted for age, gender, insurance status and reason for visit showed that compared to the reference category of initial caries lesions, there were lower rates [Rate Ratio, 95% CI] of adhesive anterior restorative services [0.57, 0.34–0.95] and lower rates of adhesive posterior restorations [0.56, 0.40–0.79] for gross lesions.

Conclusions

Treatment of coronal caries was characterized by high rates of adhesive posterior restorative services, but gross lesions had lower rates of both anterior and posterior adhesive restorations. Types of restorative treatment for coronal caries were similar between initial and cavitated lesions. This could indicate scope for the adoption of more minimum intervention approaches to the management of initial carious lesions.
Differential Spatiotemporal Patterns of Galectin Expression are a Hallmark of Endotheliochorial Placentation
Authors: Conrad Melanie L. , Freitag Nancy , Diessler Mónica E. , Hernandez Rocío , Barrientos Gabriela , Rose Matthias , Casas Luciano A. , Barbeito Claudio G. , Blois Sandra M.
Published: November 2015

Problem

Galectins influence the progress of pregnancy by regulating key processes associated with embryo‐maternal cross talk, including angiogenesis and placentation. Galectin family members exert multiple roles in the context of hemochorial and epitheliochorial placentation; however, the galectin prolife in endotheliochorial placenta remains to be investigated.

Method of study

Here, we used immunohistochemistry to analyze galectin (gal)‐1, gal‐3 and gal‐9 expression during early and late endotheliochorial placentation in two different species (dogs and cats).

Results

We found that during early feline gestation, all three galectin members were more strongly expressed on trophoblast and maternal vessels compared to the decidua. This was accompanied by an overall decrease of gal‐1, gal‐3 and gal‐9 expressions in late feline gestation. In canine early pregnancy, we observed that gal‐1 and gal‐9 were expressed strongly in cytotrophoblast (CTB) cells compared to gal‐3, and no galectin expression was observed in syncytiotrophoblast (STB) cells. Progression of canine gestation was accompanied by increased gal‐1 and gal‐3 expressions on STB cells, whereas gal‐9 expression remained similar in CTB and STB.

Conclusion

These data suggest that both the maternal and fetal compartments are characterized by a spatiotemporal regulation of galectin expression during endotheliochorial placentation. This strongly suggests the involvement of the galectin family in important developmental processes during gestation including immunemodulation, trophoblast invasion and angiogenesis. A conserved functional role for galectins during mammalian placental development emerges from these studies.
Oxidative Stress: Placenta Function and Dysfunction
Authors: Wu Fan , Tian Fu‐Ju , Lin Yi , Xu Wang‐Ming
Published: November 2015

During pregnancy, the placenta is a site of active oxygen metabolism that continuously generates oxidative stress (OS). Overproduction of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species can destroy normal placental functions. Therefore, the feto‐placental unit generates abundant antioxidants to keep OS under control. Properly controlled oxidative species have been proven to serve as indispensable cellular signal messengers by regulating gene expression and downstream cellular activities. OS also plays an important immunoregulatory role during pregnancy. Oxidative disorder and immune disturbances are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as spontaneous abortion, preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. In this review, we introduce recent studies revealing basal functions and regulatory roles of placental OS in metabolism and immunity. The relationships between OS‐ and pregnancy‐related disorders are also discussed.
End user bag‐mask ability and perceptions of two infant resuscitation mannequins
Authors: Hawkes Gavin A. , Malik Yusuf , Livingstone Vicki , Dempsey Eugene M. , Ryan C Anthony
Published: November 2015

Aim

To examine user ability and preference in performing bag‐mask ventilation (BMV) with four different configurations of infant mannequins.

Methods

Participants provided a 30‐second period of BMV to a Resusci Baby mannequin (RB), NeoNatalie mannequin (NN), NN filled with air (NNA), NN filled with water (NNW) and NN filled with 50% air and 50% water mix (NNAW). Participants rated the fidelity of each configuration.

Results

Of the 20 participants, 65% rated NNW as having a high level of fidelity (HLF) ‘to hold’ (50% for NNAW, 10% for RB and 0% for NNA) (p < 0.001). Half rated NNAW as having a HLF in ‘tone’ (40% for NNW, 20% for RB and 5% for NNA) (p = 0.008). About 45% of participants rated NNAW as having a HLF in ‘appearance’ (45% for the RB, 20% for NNA and 15% for NNW) (p = 0.035). About 35% of participants rated NNAW as having a HLF in how it ‘felt to touch’ (30% for NNW, 15% for RB and 10% for NNA) (p = 0.008). Half of participants rated NNAW as having a HLF in terms of ‘weight’ (45% for NNW, 40% for RB and 0% for NNA) (p = 0.003). Participants delivered the greatest number of effective ventilations to the NNW mannequin.

Conclusion

The NNW and NNAW configurations had the highest fidelity and had the highest percentage of effective ventilations delivered.
ProEx™ C is a useful ancillary study for grading anal intraepithelial neoplasia alone and in combination with other biomarkers
Authors: Larson Brent K. , Mohanty Sambit K. , Wu Julie M. , Bose Shikha , Walts Ann E.
Published: November 2015

Anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) is a precursor to invasive anal squamous cell carcinoma. Histologic evaluation is hampered by intra‐ and interobserver variability. Various biomarkers have been investigated to improve the accuracy and reproducibility of diagnosis and grading, but interpretation can be challenging. ProEx™ C is an antibody cocktail for proteins upregulated in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. This study investigated ProEx™ C's role alone and with p16 and Ki‐67 in the diagnosis and grading of AIN. Sixty‐seven anal tissue samples (22 AIN I, 25 AIN II/III, and 20 non‐dysplastic) were stained for ProEx™ C, Ki‐67, and p16. Staining patterns were recorded and correlated with morphologic diagnoses. Considering AIN II/III vs I, full‐thickness ProEx™ C staining was more frequent in AIN II/III (p = 0.0373), and showed the highest sensitivity of the biomarkers. In combination with Ki‐67, sensitivity was lower, but specificity for AIN II/III rose to 83%. For differentiating non‐dysplasia from AIN I, negative ProEx™ C staining correlated with non‐dysplasia (p < 0.0001) and had the highest sensitivity (90%). In combination with Ki‐67, sensitivity dropped to 80%, but specificity was high (96%). ProEx™ C is useful for diagnosing and grading AIN, performing as well or better than other markers at identifying AIN II/III and non‐dysplastic epithelium.
HOXB13 as an immunohistochemical marker of prostatic origin in metastatic tumors
Authors: Barresi Valeria , Ieni Antonio , Cardia Roberta , Licata Luana , Vitarelli Enrica , Reggiani Bonetti Luca , Tuccari Giovanni
Published: November 2015

HOBX13 is a transcription factor expressed in the normal prostatic glands and overexpressed in prostate cancer. Recent studies suggested that HOXB13 represents a prostate‐specific marker in the differential diagnosis between prostatic and urothelial carcinoma. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the diagnostic value of HOXB13 and prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) immunoexpression for the detection of prostatic origin in metastatic tumours. PSA and HOXB13 immunohistochemical expression was assessed in 50 metastatic tumors, including 15 metastases from prostatic adenocarcinoma, 11 from lung adenocarcinoma, 12 from urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma, 11 from colorectal carcinoma, and in 1 from hepatocellular carcinoma. Strong staining for HOXB13 was observed in >75% of neoplastic cells in 15/15 (100%) metastases from prostate cancer. Weak staining in <25% of cells was found in 2/12 (17%) metastases from urothelial carcinoma. PSA immunostaining was detected only in 8 (53%) cases of prostatic origin. The sensitivity and specificity for metastatic prostate cancer were 100% and 94% for HOXB13 and 53% and 100% for PSA. Due to its high sensitivity and specificity, HOXB13 may be included in the pool of prostate‐specific markers in metastases showing absent or weak staining for PSA before excluding prostatic derivation.
Separating reflectance signatures of shrub species – a case study in the Central Greater Caucasus
Authors: Magiera Anja , Feilhauer Hannes , Tephnadze Nato , Waldhardt Rainer , Otte Annette
Published: November 2015

Questions

Shrub encroachment has been observed in many alpine and arctic environments and is expected to significantly alter these ecosystems. Mapping these processes with remote sensing is a powerful tool for monitoring purposes. Thus, we test the distinctiveness of the reflectance signature of target species relative to their co‐occurring shrub species using uni‐ and multivariate analyses for an alpine ecosystem. We ask: (i) is it possible to differentiate shrub species with a unique growth form by their reflectance signature; (ii) which of the tested multispectral sensors produces the best separation; and (iii) how are the results affected by the timing of data acquisition in the vegetation period?

Location

Kazbegi district, Central Greater Caucasus, Georgia.

Method

We analysed three shrub (Betula litwinowii, Rhododendron caucasicum, Hippophae rhamnoides) and one tall forb (Veratrum lobelianum) species occurring in the sub‐alpine to alpine belt The vegetation of 52 relevés was analysed using non‐metric multidimensional scaling and indicator species analysis. From field spectrometric data we simulated multispectral sensor bands (IKONOS, Quickbird 2, RapidEye, WorldView‐2) directly taken from the target species. We analysed the reflectance signature in RapidEye data from June and September. For all data sets we calculated the Jeffries‐Matusita distance (JMD) as a separation measure and tested the reflectance signature of the single bands for differences.

Results

Betula litwinowii and V. lobelianum always co‐occurred in our data. A high abundance of B. litwinowii could also be found in the Rhododendron cluster and vice versa, whereas the Hippophae cluster was more homogeneous. Simulated bands showed good overall separation (JMD 1.58–2.00) of the target species. The separation increased with the increase of number of bands and inclusion of the red edge band. There was a general trend in which the reflectance from satellite images produced a lower separation (JMD 1.20–1.55) than the simulations, with the best separation in the late vegetation period.

Conclusion

Our results showed the possibility to spectrally separate encroaching shrub species with a unique growth form in a high‐mountain environment using simulated multispectral data and satellite imagery.
Extreme obesity does not predict poor cancer outcomes after surgery for renal cell cancer
Authors: Blute Michael L. , Zorn Kristin , Grimes Matthew , Shi Fangfang , Downs Tracy M. , Jarrard David F. , Best Sara L. , Richards Kyle , Nakada Stephen Y. , Abel E. Jason
Published: November 2015

Objective

To assess whether extreme obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 40 kg/m2) is associated with peri‐operative outcomes, overall survival (OS), cancer‐specific survival (CSS), or recurrence‐free survival (RFS) after surgical treatment for renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Patients and Methods

After institutional review board approval, we used an institutional database to identify patients treated surgically between January 2000 and December 2014 with a pathological diagnosis of RCC. Comprehensive clinical and pathological data were reviewed. Kaplan–Meier analyses were used to estimate OS, RFS and CSS. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to evaluate associations with OS, CSS and RFS in patients with extreme obesity, among other known predictive variables.

Results

In all, 100 patients (11.9%) with a BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 and 743 patients (88.1%) with a BMI < 40 kg/m2 who were treated surgically for RCC were identified. Morbid obesity was not associated with an increased risk of blood transfusion (odds ratio [OR] 1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.587–1.70; P = 1.0). The median (interquartile range) length of hospital stay (LOS) was 4 (3–6) days. Morbid obesity was not associated with longer LOS (P = 0.26) or 30‐day hospital readmission rates (P = 1.0). Major complications (Clavien ≥ 3a) were recorded in 67 patients (7.95%). BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 was not a predictor of major complications (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.227–1.47; P = 0.251) or 90‐day mortality (P = 0.4067). BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 was not associated with worse OS (P = 0.7), CSS (P = 0.2) or RFS (P = 0.5). BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2 was also not associated with worse OS, CSS or RFS (P = 0.3, 0.1, 0.5, respectively). The 5‐year OS rate was 68.9% for the entire cohort, including 69 and 70% for patients with BMI < 40 kg/m2 and BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2, respectively (P = 0.69). The 5‐year CSS was 79.5% for the entire cohort, including 78.4 and 87.9% (P = 0.16) for patients with BMI < 40 kg/m2 and BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2, respectively. The 5‐year RFS rates for BMI < 40 kg/m2 and BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 were 84.1 and 90.6%, respectively (P = 0.48).

Conclusions

Extreme obesity is not associated with worse peri‐operative or cancer outcomes after surgery for RCC. Surgery should remain a standard treatment option in well selected morbidly obese patients.
What should dental services for people with disabilities in Ireland be like? Agreed priorities from a focus group of people with learning disabilities
Authors: Mac Giolla Phadraig Caoimhin , Dougall Alison , Stapleton Siobhan , McGeown Danielle , Nunn June , Guerin Suzanne
Published: November 2015

Accessible summary

This study asked a group of people with learning disabilities in Ireland what was important to them about their dental services.

The group easily ordered their priorities according to five topics:Access, Cost, Information, Quality of Care and Treatment.

The group's discussion revealed a disempowered group who had little control over how they interacted with dental services.

We suggest ways to empower people with learning disabilities in their interactions with dental services.

Background:In Ireland, people with learning disabilities have poor oral health. This is in part due to inappropriate oral health services. Recognising the value of inclusive approaches to research and healthcare planning, this study sought to include a group of people with learning disabilities in priority setting for oral health services in Ireland. This study discusses the feasibility of the methods used to promote inclusive approaches in oral healthcare planning.

Materials and Methods:A single focus group of six participants with communication and cognitive impairments agreed priorities for dental services using evidence‐based research tools across five topics:Access, Cost, Information, Quality of Care and Treatment. Sorting was recorded photographically and discussion was video‐recorded, transcribed and analysed using deductive content analysis.

Results:The group ranked priorities within each topic but found it difficult to meaningfully rank between topics. Across topics, issues of control, empowerment and choice were observed.

Conclusions:Participants were largely disempowered in their interactions with dental services. The method used in this study to empower potential service users with disabilities was successful and can be used by others who have an interest in inclusive healthcare priority setting.