bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High prevalence of BRAF V600E mutations in Korean patients with ameloblastoma: Clinicopathological significance and correlation with epithelial‐mesenchymal transition
Authors: Oh Kyu‐Young , Cho Sung‐Dae , Yoon Hye‐Jung , Lee Jae‐Il , Ahn Sun‐Ha , Hong Seong‐Doo
Published: March 2019

Background

BRAF V600E mutations are activating mutations that have recently been detected in ameloblastoma. However, their prevalence has not been reported in East Asian patients with ameloblastoma and their clinicopathological significance remains unclear. In this study, we examined the prevalence and clinicopathological significance of BRAF V600E mutations in Korean patients with ameloblastoma. In addition, we investigated the relationship between BRAF V600E mutations and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition, which has not been studied in ameloblastoma.

Methods

Thirty ameloblastoma tissue samples were collected, and DNA isolation, polymerase chain reaction, and Sanger sequencing were performed to detect BRAF V600E mutations. Immunohistochemistry was carried out using antibodies against two epithelial‐mesenchymal transition‐inducing transcription factors, Twist and Snail. Associations of BRAF V600E mutations with clinicopathological factors and expression of Twist and Snail were statistically analyzed.

Results

We found a high frequency (90.0%) of BRAF V600E mutations, and mutation status was not associated with clinicopathological factors including age, tumor location, and recurrence. Positive expression of Twist and Snail was observed in 33.3% and 56.7% of cases, respectively, and associated with recurrence (P = 0.020 and 0.010, respectively). There was no correlation between BRAF V600E mutation status and expression of Twist and Snail (P = 1.000, for both).

Conclusions

A higher prevalence of BRAF V600E mutations was identified in Korean patients with ameloblastoma compared with previous studies, which indicates that BRAF‐targeted therapies can be widely used for refractory ameloblastomas. Furthermore, our findings suggest that BRAF V600E mutations and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition may act independently in the development of ameloblastoma.
Bioprospecting for fungi with potential pathogenic activity on leaves of Agave tequilana Weber var. Azul
Authors: Campos‐Rivero Gerardo , Sánchez‐Teyer Lorenzo F. , De la Cruz‐Arguijo Erika A. , Ramírez‐González Maria S. , Larralde‐Corona Claudia P. , Narváez‐Zapata José A.
Published: March 2019

Thirty different fungal strains were isolated from A. tequilana leaves showing disease symptoms such as wilt and curled leaves, black, red and chlorotic spots. Ten genera were identified and confirmed by using the LSU D1/D2 rDNA and ITS1‐5.8S‐ITS2 regions, mainly of the Ascomycota phylum, where the Lasiodiploidia and Neoscytalidium genera were the more (46.6%) abundant. The other genera identified were Cladosporium, Cytospora, Epicoccum, Flavodon, Lasiodiplodia, Myrmaecium, Neoscytalidium, Penicillium, Peniophora, Purpureocillium, Trametes and Fusarium. Five strains of Lasiodiplodia and one of Fusarium were selected based on their representativeness and pathogenic potential on Agaves. Pathogenic potential was analysed by both, an infection assay, evidenced as necrosis, and by pectinolytic activity. Specifically, necrosis infection assay was conducted by puncture (wounded) infection and by direct mycelium contact. In general, Lasiodiplodia strains exhibited different pathogenic profiles according to their necrosis percentages, regardless of the infection method used. Fusarium strain analysed also showed a high necrosis infection (> 99%). Pectinolytic activity used as an indirect measurement of pathogenesis presented a high Fusarium extract activity (peaking at 23.9 U). Lasiodiplodia strains exhibited up 6 times more enzymatic activity (peaking at 143.5) than Fusarium strain analysed. In addition, Agave leaf extracts used totally or partially as carbon source during fungal induction culture may induce different pathogenic activities in these strains. In general, the two pathogenicity assays implemented evidenced differences in the pathogenicity profile of these analysed strains.
Monitoring cellular C:N ratio in phytoplankton by means of FTIR‐spectroscopy
Authors: Wagner Heiko , Jebsen Christian , Wilhelm Christian
Published: March 2019

Statistical growth rate modelling can be applied in a variety of ecological and biotechnological applications. Such models are frequently based on Monod or Droop equations and, especially for the latter, require reliable determination of model input parameters such as C:N quotas. Besides growth rate modelling, a C:N quota quantification can be useful for monitoring and interpretation of physiological acclimation to abiotic and biotic disturbances (e.g., nutrient limitations). However, as high throughput C:N quota determination is difficult to perform, alternatives need to be established. Fourier‐transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is used to analyze a variety of biochemical, chemical, and physiological parameters in phytoplankton. Hence, a quantification of the C:N quota should also be feasible. Therefore, using FTIR spectroscopy, six phytoplankton species from among different phylogenetic groups have been analyzed to determine the effect of nutrient limitation on C:N quota patterns. The typical species‐specific response to increasing nitrogen limitation was an increase in the C:N quota. Irrespective of this species specificity, we were able to develop a reliable multi‐species C:N quota prediction model based on FTIR spectroscopy using the partial least square regression (PLSR) algorithm. Our data demonstrate that the PLSR approach is more robust in C:N quota quantification (R2 = 0.93) than linear correlation of C:N quota versus growth rate (R2 ranges from 0.74 to 0.86) or biochemical information based on FTIR spectra (R2 ranges from 0.82 to 0.89). This accurate prediction of C:N values may support high throughput measurements in a broad range of future approaches.
Self‐assembling polymeric dendritic peptide as functional osteogenic matrix for periodontal regeneration scaffolds—an in vitro study
Authors: Das Eva C. , Dhawan Sameer , Babu Jisha , Anil Kumar PR , Kumary Thrikkovil Variathu , Haridas V , Komath Manoj
Published: March 2019

Objective

Regeneration of periodontal defects is challenging as it necessitates the formation of complex tissue structure with cementum, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone. Rather than the conventional barrier membranes, scaffolds mimicking extracellular matrix (ECM) can achieve faster healing as they promote migration, adhesion, and differentiation of native progenitor cells. This work explores the possibility of a functional osteogenic matrix based on self‐assembling peptide appended dendritic polydiacetylene in regenerating diseased periodontia.

Method

The amino acid lysine was appended onto a diacetylene core, which was converted to a polymeric dendritic lysine matrix (Lys‐PDA) through photopolymerization. This bioactive matrix was evaluated in vitro for the viability, adhesion, spreading, and differentiation of cultured human periodontal ligament (hPDL) progenitor cells. Its osteogenic differentiation was analysed by histologic staining and expression of osteogenic markers (alkaline phosphatase and Osteonectin). Electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) mat, a candidate barrier material, was fabricated and functionalized with Lys‐PDA matrix, and the cell viability, adhesion, and spreading of hPDL cells were evaluated.

Results

The dendritic Lys‐PDA matrix well supported the hPDL cell growth and differentiation. The cells were viable and showed good cytoskeletal organization. Early expression of osteogenic markers and mineralization was noted in vitro in the presence of Lys‐PDA matrix. The electrospun PCL mat functionalized with Lys‐PDA maintained the viability, morphology, and spreading of the hPDL cells.

Significance

The ECM mimetic dendritic peptide matrices are capable of hosting and differentiating cells which can lead to the regeneration of periodontal tissue architecture. They could be used in conjunction with barrier membranes for better results.
Functional and phylogenetic consequences of plant invasion for coastal native communities
Authors: de la Riva Enrique G. , Godoy Oscar , Castro‐Díez Pilar , Gutiérrez‐Cánovas Cayetano , Vilà Montserrat
Published: March 2019

Question

Do invasions by alien plant species with contrasting trait profiles (Arctotheca calendula, Carpobrotus spp., Conyza bonariensis and Opuntia dillenii) change the functional and phylogenetic structure of coastal plant communities?

Location

Atlantic coastal habitats in Huelva (Spain).

Methods

We identified species diversity and composition in 220 paired (invaded and non‐invaded) plots along the coast (440 plots in total). We measured nine functional traits for every native and invader species, namely, specific leaf area (SLA), specific root length (SRL), leaf and root dry mass content (LDMC and RDMC) and carbon isotope fraction (δ13C). We calculated, at the plot scale, community means (CMs) for each trait, functional richness, Faith's phylogenetic diversity and functional and phylogenetic mean pairwise dissimilarities.

Results

Three out the four species showed rather extreme trait values compared to the native flora with greater impact on invaded communities. In plots invaded by A. calendula the values of the native communities of SLA and SRL increased, while LDMC, RDMC and δ13C decreased showing CMs more similar to its functional profile. Besides, these plots showed lower functional and phylogenetic diversity in the native component of the community. In plots invaded by Carpobrotus spp. and O. dillenii the CMs values for LDMC and δ13C increased, but have little effect on the functional and phylogenetic structure of the native communities, while no differences were observed for the communities invaded by C. bonariensis (the most functionally similar to the native species).

Conclusions

Our study highlights that inferring community assembly rules from the exploration of functional and phylogenetic differences between invaded and non‐invaded plots is not straightforward. By considering invaders with different functional profiles, we have shown that species with different mechanisms of invasion have contrasting impacts on the community. Consequently, the effect of plant invaders differs depending on their functional distinction from the recipient community, rather than their phylogenetic origin.
Will I stay or will I go? Plant species‐specific response and tolerance to high land‐use intensity in temperate grassland ecosystems
Authors: Busch Verena , Klaus Valentin H. , Schäfer Deborah , Prati Daniel , Boch Steffen , Müller Jörg , Chisté Melanie , Mody Karsten , Blüthgen Nico , Fischer Markus , Hölzel Norbert , Kleinebecker Till
Published: March 2019

Aim

Intensification of land use strongly impacts plant communities by causing shifts in taxonomic and functional composition. Mechanisms of land use‐induced biodiversity losses have been described for temperate grasslands, but a quantitative assessment of species‐specific occurrence optima and maximum tolerance (niche breadth) to land‐use intensity (LUI) in Central European grasslands is still lacking.

Location

Temperate, managed permanent grasslands in three regions of Germany.

Methods

We combined extensive field work with a null model–randomization approach, defined a “habitat niche” for each plant species based on occurrence and abundance across 150 grassland sites differing in LUI (i.e., amount of fertilizer, mowing/grazing intensity and a compound index of these), and assessed their realized niche breadth (tolerance). Underlying mechanisms driving species’ responses to LUI were assessed by relating plant functional traits, Ellenberg indicator values (EIV), Grime's ecological strategies (CSR) and Briemle utilization numbers.

Results

Out of 151 plant species, 34% responded negatively, whereas 10% responded positively to high LUI. This pattern was mainly driven by species’ response to fertilization and mowing frequency; grazing intensity response was less pronounced. Positively reacting species, displaying broader niches, were associated with competition‐related functional traits, high EIV for nutrient supply and moisture and high mowing tolerance under spatiotemporally variable conditions. Negatively responding species, displaying relatively narrow niches confined to spatiotemporally homogeneous low LUI sites, were associated with a nutrient‐retentive strategy, under nutrient‐poor, base‐rich soil conditions.

Conclusion

Our analyses of individual species’ reactions clearly demonstrate that species responding negatively to high LUI display little tolerance towards intensive fertilization and mowing, leading to plant diversity loss; whereas grazing partly thwarts these effects by creating new habitat niches and promoting ruderal species. Our approach can be applied to other habitat types and biogeographical regions in order to quantify local specific response or tolerance, adding to existing knowledge about local vegetation dynamics.
Medical treatment for cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Adeva Jorge , Sangro Bruno , Salati Massimiliano , Edeline Julien , La Casta Adelaida , Bittoni Alessandro , Berardi Rossana , Bruix Jordi , Valle Juan W
Published: March 2019

Most of the patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) present with advanced (inoperable or metastatic) disease, and relapse rates are high in those undergoing potentially curative resection. Previous treatment nihilism of patients with advanced disease has been replaced by active clinical research with the advent of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and a much greater effort at understanding molecular mechanisms underpinning CCA. Three RCTs have recently been reported evaluating adjuvant chemotherapy following curative resection; only one of these has the potential to change practice. The BILCAP study failed to meet its primary endpoint by intention‐to‐treat analysis; however, a survival benefit was seen in a preplanned sensitivity analysis (predominantly adjusting for lymph nodes status). This, along with the numerical difference in median overall survival has led to the uptake of adjuvant capecitabine by many clinicians. In patients with advanced disease, the only level 1 data available supports the use of cisplatin and gemcitabine for the first‐line treatment of patients with advanced disease; there is no established second‐line chemotherapy. Previous forays into targeted therapy have proven unfruitful (namely targeting the epithelial growth factor receptor and vascular endothelial growth factor pathways). An increasing number of genomic subtypes are being defined; for some of these on‐target therapeutic options are under active investigation. The most developed are studies targeting IDH‐1 (isocitrate dehydrogenase) mutations and FGFR‐2 (fibroblast growth factor receptor) fusions, with promising early results. Several other pathways are under evaluation, along with early studies targeting the immune environment; these are too premature to change practice to date. These emerging treatments are discussed.
Is empathy change in medical school geo‐socioculturally influenced?
Authors: Ponnamperuma Gominda , Yeo Su Ping , Samarasekera Dujeepa D
Published: March 2019

Context

There is convincing evidence that physician empathy leads to better patient care. As a result, there has been considerable research interest in investigating how empathy changes during undergraduate medical studies. Early (generally North American) studies raised concerns that medical training causes a decline in empathy. More recent studies (conducted around the world) have begun to suggest that either a slight increase or decrease in empathy occurs during undergraduate medical training, which has led some to argue that empathy changes indiscriminately (with no discernible pattern). This paper explores whether there is evidence to suggest that empathy changes indiscriminately or with a discernible geo‐sociocultural pattern during undergraduate medical training.

Methods

Literature that investigated change in empathy during undergraduate medical training was reviewed. Cross‐sectional and longitudinal studies were tabulated separately according to their respective geographical locations. The tabulated results were analysed to investigate whether empathy changed similarly or differently within different geographical locations.

Results

The studies reviewed indicate similar patterns of empathy change within approximate geo‐sociocultural clusters. Whereas US studies predominantly show small but significant decreases in empathy, Far Eastern studies mostly show small but significant increases in empathy as undergraduates progress through the medical course.

Conclusions

These results suggest that change in empathy during undergraduate medical education is not as indiscriminate (patternless) as once thought. Additionally, these results support the notion that empathy is a locally construed global construct.
Natural infection by Culex flavivirus in Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes captured in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso Mid‐Western Brazil
Authors: Moraes O. S. , Cardoso B. F. , Pacheco T. A. , Pinto A. Z. L. , Carvalho M. S. , Hahn R. C. , Burlamaqui T. C. T. , Oliveira L. F. , Oliveira R. S. , Vasconcelos J. M. , Lemos P. S. , Nunes M. R. T. , Slhessarenko R. D.
Published: March 2019

New species of insect‐specific viruses (ISV) have been reported worldwide. In the present study, the complete genome of Culex flavivirus (CxFV) and partial sequences of other ISVs in Culex quinquefasciatus Say 1823 females (n = 3425) sampled in 200 urban areas census tracts of Cuiaba, state of Mato Grosso, were identified via reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction for a NS5 region of flaviviruses, nucleotide and high‐throughput sequencing, and viral isolation in C6/36 cells. CxFV was detected in 16 of 403 mosquito pools; sequences found in the study presented a high similarity with isolates from São Paulo, Brazil and other countries in Latin American that belong to genotype II, supporting the geographical influence on CxFV evolution. The monthly maximum likelihood estimation for CxFV ranged from 1.81 to 9.94 per 1000 mosquitoes. In addition to the CxFV complete genome, one pool contained an ORF1 sequence (756 bp) that belongs to a novel Negevirus from the Sandewavirus supergroup most similar to the Santana virus (77.1%) and another pool presented an RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase sequence (1081 bp) of a novel Rhabdovirus most similar to Wuhan mosquito virus 9 (44%). After three passages in C6/36 cells, only CxFV was isolated from these co‐infected pools. The importance of ISVs relies on their possible ability to interfere with arbovirus replication in competent vectors.
Direct evidence for modulation of photosynthesis by an arbuscular mycorrhiza‐induced carbon sink strength
Authors: Gavito Mayra E. , Jakobsen Iver , Mikkelsen Teis N. , Mora Francisco
Published: March 2019

It has been suggested that plant carbon (C) use by symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may be compensated by higher photosynthetic rates because fungal metabolism creates a strong C sink that prevents photosynthate accumulation and downregulation of photosynthesis. This mechanism remains largely unexplored and lacks experimental evidence.

We report here two experiments showing that the experimental manipulation of the mycorrhizal C sink significantly affected the photosynthetic rates of cucumber host plants. We expected that a sudden reduction in sink strength would cause a significant reduction in photosynthetic rates, at least temporarily.

Excision of part of the extraradical mycorrhizal mycelium from roots, and causing no disturbance to the plant, induced a sustained (10–40%) decline in photosynthetic rates that lasted from 30 min to several hours in plants that were well‐nourished and hydrated, and in the absence of growth or photosynthesis promotion by mycorrhizal inoculation. This effect was though minor in plants growing at high (700 ppm) atmospheric CO2.

This is the first direct experimental evidence for the C sink strength effects exerted by arbuscular mycorrhizal symbionts on plant photosynthesis. It encourages further experimentation on mycorrhizal source–sink relations, and may have strong implications in large‐scale assessments and modelling of plant photosynthesis.
Determining factors, regulation system, and domestication of anthocyanin biosynthesis in rice leaves
Authors: Zheng Jie , Wu Hao , Zhu Huabing , Huang Changyuan , Liu Chang , Chang Yongsheng , Kong Zichun , Zhou Zaihui , Wang Gongwei , Lin Yongjun , Chen Hao
Published: March 2019

Wild and cultivated rice show a significant difference in anthocyanin biosynthesis in the leaf. The regulation system of anthocyanin biosynthesis in rice leaf and the causal mechanism of the difference in this biosynthesis between wild and cultivated rice remain largely unknown.

In this study, a genome‐wide association study and transcriptome analysis were performed to identify the determinant factors and dissect the regulatory system for anthocyanin biosynthesis in rice leaves.

OsC1, OsRb and OsDFR were identified as the determinants of anthocyanin biosynthesis in rice leaves. Artificial selection of certain null mutations of OsC1 and OsRb was the main causal mechanism underlying the loss of anthocyanin pigmentation in most cultivated rice. OsP1 and the MYB‐bHLH‐WD40 complexes regulate anthocyanin biosynthetic genes in rice leaves with partial functional overlap. OsP1 specifically activates upstream biosynthetic genes (OsCHS, OsCHI and OsF3′H) for anthocyanin biosynthesis, whereas the ternary MYB‐bHLH‐WD40 complex activates all anthocyanin biosynthetic genes including OsCHS, OsCHI, OsF3′H, OsF3H, OsDFR and OsANS. OsC1 and OsRb are tissue‐specific regulators that do not influence anthocyanin biosynthesis in the pericarp.

Our results reveal the determinant factors, regulatory system and domestication of anthocyanin biosynthesis in rice leaves, and show the potential of engineering anthocyanin biosynthesis in rice.
Healing activities construct the objects of therapy: Medicine's way of seeking truth, organizing forms of reality, regulating patients' bodies, illness and culture?
Authors: Cypress Brigitte S.
Published: March 2019

In this paper, I will explore the concept that healing activities shape the objects of therapy and seek to construct those objects through therapeutic activities. Objects of therapy are the persons, patients, human bodies, diseases, physiological processes and personal suffering—that which clinical medicine constructs through its distinctive formative processes, practices and knowledge. The rationale for choice of philosophical sources namely, Cassirer, Foucault, the anthropological perspective of Good and the sociological account of Frank will be discussed. The claim articulated by Good will be examined and its relationship to culture, illness, medical knowledge, practice, truth, and science. I then focus on Frank's concepts of the patient and the body and how medical knowledge and practices affects it. The concept that the medicalization of the illness narrative silences the patient's voice requiring an ethic of listening will be emphasized, described and further supported by Charon's (2006, Narrative medicine: Honoring the stories of illness. New York, NY: Oxford University Press) and Cassell's (2015, The nature of suffering and the goals of medicine. New York, NY: Oxford University Press) thoughts on narrative of illness in clinical medicine. My position concludes that healing activities construct the objects of therapy: as the medical culture's way of seeking truth; as medicine's way of mediating and organizing forms of reality through culture and symbolic forms; and, as medicine's way of entering the body and constructing the disease. Lastly, I suggest that in spite of the remarkable progress in the control of disease, the failure to address the interpretation of illness meanings is a fundamental flaw in the work of “doctoring.” The experience and meanings of illness are at the centre of clinical practice and is a moral, political, ethical and professional obligation. The person is a cultural construct, a complex and culturally shaped way of experiencing self and other, and cultural “work” is required to constitute the person who is the object of medical attention and it also necessitates the ethic of listening.
Putting Socrates back in Socratic method: Theory‐based debriefing in the nursing classroom
Authors: Dinkins Christine Sorrell , Cangelosi Pamela R.
Published: March 2019

The term “Socratic method” is so pervasive in education across the disciplines that it has largely lost its meaning, and it has lost its roots in its originator—the historical Socrates. In this article we draw from the original source, Plato's ancient dialogues, to understand the theory and principles behind the questioning used in Socratic method. A deep understanding of Socratic method is particularly timely now as nursing leaders call for increased use of theory‐based debriefing across the nursing curriculum. Socratic questioning is ideally suited as a method for debriefing in nursing classrooms because of its ability to enhance critical thinking and self‐reflection of the learner and because of its basis in care for the learner through a learner‐centred design. We present an analysis of the Socratic method in Plato's works and provide an overview of the key Socratic principles and techniques. We illustrate these principles and techniques with examples of how Socratic teaching can be applied in the nursing classroom, and we address the challenges and rewards for nursing faculty implementing Socratic method. Learning about Socratic method directly from Plato's dialogues can provide a richer and more robust understanding of this key pedagogical technique and help nurse educators practice more intentional and informed Socratic questioning and debriefing.
Impact of nutrition in the treatment of congenital diaphragmatic hernia
Authors: Terui Keita , Usui Noriaki , Tazuke Yuko , Nagata Kouji , Ito Miharu , Okuyama Hiroomi , Hayakawa Masahiro , Taguchi Tomoaki , Sato Yasunori , Yoshida Hideo
Published: March 2019

Background

The optimum enteral (EN) and parenteral nutrition (PN) regimens during acute management of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) remain unclear. We examined the effects of EN and PN on weight gain in CDH patients.

Methods

A multicenter retrospective cohort study of neonates with CDH (born 2006–2010; n = 105) who survived to discharge was conducted. Patients were divided as receiving PN ≥ or <50 kcal/kg/day at 1 week of age, and EN ≥ or <60 kcal/kg/day at 2 weeks of age. Changes in bodyweight at 30, 60, and 90 days of age were compared.

Results

The higher EN group (n = 39) had greater mean weight gain than the lower EN group (n = 66; 90 days: 2,501 g, 95% CI: 2,294–2,710 g vs 1,706 g, 95% CI: 1,553–1,861 g; P <0.001). When patients received lower EN, the higher PN group (n = 24) had greater mean weight gain than the lower PN group (n = 42; 90 days: 1,768 g, 95% CI: 1,574–1,961 g vs 1,411 g, 95% CI: 1,264–1,558 g; P = 0.004).

Conclusion

The amount of EN in the acute phase of CDH management is essential for weight gain during infancy. When patients are intolerant to adequate EN, supportive PN is also essential.
Hyperspectral signal decomposition and symptom detection of wheat rust disease at the leaf scale using pure fungal spore spectra as reference
Authors: Bohnenkamp D. , Kuska M. T. , Mahlein A.‐K. , Behmann J.
Published: March 2019

This study establishes a method to detect and distinguish between brown rust and yellow rust on wheat leaves based on hyperspectral imaging at the leaf scale under controlled laboratory conditions. A major problem at this scale is the generation of representative and correctly labelled training data, as only mixed spectra comprising plant and fungal material are observed. For this purpose, the pure spectra of rust spores of Puccinia triticina and P. striiformis, causal agents of brown and yellow rust, respectively, were used to serve as a spectral fingerprint for the detection of a specific leaf rust disease. A least‐squares factorization was used on hyperspectral images to unveil the presence of the spectral signal of rust spores in mixed spectra on wheat leaves. A quantification of yellow and brown rust, chlorosis and healthy tissue was verified in time series experiments on inoculated plants. The detection of fungal crop diseases by hyperspectral imaging was enabled without pixel‐wise labelling at the leaf scale by using reference spectra from spore‐scale observations. For the first time, this study shows an interpretable decomposition of the spectral reflectance mixture during pathogenesis. This novel approach will support a more sophisticated and precise detection of foliar diseases of wheat by hyperspectral imaging.
A review of the influence of periodontal treatment in systemic diseases
Authors: Falcao Artur , Bullón Pedro
Published: March 2019

The effects and consequences of periodontal diseases might not be confined to the oral cavity. A great body of evidence has arisen supporting the claim demonstrating an association with several systemic conditions and diseases. With different levels of evidence, an association between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease, diabetes, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, pregnancy outcomes and respiratory diseases has been established. However, the true nature of this association, if it is causal, still remains elusive. For a better understanding of the complex relationships linking different conditions, interventional studies now begin to focus on the possible outcomes of periodontal treatment in relation to the events, symptoms and biomarkers of several systemic disorders, assessing if periodontal treatment has any impact on them, hopefully reducing their severity or prevalence. Therefore, we proceeded to review the recent literature on the subject, attempting to present a brief explanation of the systemic condition or disease, what proposed mechanisms might give biological plausibility to its association with periodontal disease, and finally and more importantly, what data are currently available pertaining to the effects periodontal treatment may have. Raising awareness and discussing the possible benefits of periodontal treatment on overall systemic health is important, in order to change the perception that periodontal diseases are only limited to the oral cavity, and ultimately providing better and comprehensive care to patients.
Research on implants and osseointegration
Authors: Guglielmotti María B. , Olmedo Daniel G. , Cabrini Rómulo L.
Published: March 2019

Osseointegration was originally defined as a direct structural and functional connection between ordered living bone and the surface of a load‐carrying implant. It is now said that an implant is regarded as osseointegrated when there is no progressive relative movement between the implant and the bone with which it is in direct contact. Although the term osseointegration was initially used with reference to titanium metallic implants, the concept is currently applied to all biomaterials that have the ability to osseointegrate. Biomaterials are closely related to the mechanism of osseointegration; these materials are designed to be implanted or incorporated into the living system with the aims to substitute for, or regenerate, tissues and tissue functions. Objective evaluation of the properties of the different biomaterials and of the factors that influence bone repair in general, and at the bone tissue–implant interface, is essential to the clinical success of an implant. The Biomaterials Laboratory of the Oral Pathology Department of the School of Dentistry at the University of Buenos Aires is devoted to the study and research of the properties and biological effects of biomaterials for dental implants and bone substitutes. This paper summarizes the research work resulting from over 25 years’ experience in this field. It includes studies conducted at our laboratory on the local and systemic factors affecting the peri‐implant bone healing process, using experimental models developed by our research team. The results of our research on corrosion, focusing on dental implants, as well as our experience in the evaluation of failed dental implants and bone biopsies obtained following maxillary sinus floor augmentation with bone substitutes, are also reported. Research on biomaterials and their interaction with the biological system is a continuing challenge in biomedicine, which aims to achieve optimal biocompatibility and thus contribute to patient health.
Plaque control and reduction of gingivitis: The evidence for dentifrices
Authors: Valkenburg Cees , Van der Weijden Fridus A. , Slot Dagmar E.
Published: March 2019

This paper focuses on plaque control and the management of gingivitis in adults and summarizes the evidence of commercially available dentifrices as gathered from existing systematic reviews. Three internet sources were used to search for appropriate papers (up to and including February 2017). The search strategy was designed to include any systematic review published on dentifrices that also included an evaluation of plaque and gingivitis scores. Characteristics of the individual reviews, such as methodological aspects, quantitative data and conclusions, were extracted. The potential risk of bias was estimated and the acquired evidence was graded. Independent screening of 205 unique reviews resulted in 10 published and eligible systematic reviews. One publication evaluated the mechanical contribution of dentifrice to plaque removal. Eight papers were identified that evaluated the efficacy of a proposed single active ingredients, of which two reviewed more than one potentially active ingredient. One study compared two active ingredients. This meta‐review appraised the current state of evidence and found that toothbrushing with a standard fluoride dentifrice does not provide an added effect for the mechanical removal of dental plaque. Evidence suggests that compared with a standard dentifrice, those containing triclosan or stannous fluoride have benefits with respect to gingival health and control of dental plaque.
Temporal and metabolic overlap between lipid accumulation and programmed cell death due to nitrogen starvation in the unicellular chlorophyte Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Sathe Santosh , Orellana Mónica V. , Baliga Nitin S. , Durand Pierre M.
Published: March 2019

Lipid accumulation due to nitrogen depletion has been studied extensively in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the metabolic changes that lead to triacylglycerol biosynthesis have been of particular interest to researchers in the biodiesel industry. The induction of programmed cell death (PCD) in response to nitrogen starvation has also been documented in related chlorophytes. Here, we examined the temporal and metabolic overlap of lipid accumulation and PCD in response to nitrogen starvation in the important model organism C. reinhardtii. Nitrogen starvation induced physiological stress, measured by the progressive decline in chlorophyll a fluorescence, reduced photosynthetic efficiency and decreased growth. In keeping with previous reports, cells accumulated lipids reaching a peak after 2–3 days. At the same time, DNA nicking and caspase‐like protease activity was observed in a proportion of cells, and ultrastructural observations confirmed that death was via PCD. Our results demonstrate that DNA nicking and caspase‐like activity are observed during PCD in C. reinhardtii in response to nitrogen starvation, and that death occurs at the same time as lipid biosynthesis. Microalgal lipid production due to nitrogen depletion in C. reinhardtii is limited by the decrease in culture growth and knowing that the loss of culture density is, at least in part, due to PCD is important for the biotechnology industry.
Mapping attention during gameplay: Assessment of behavioral and ERP markers in an auditory oddball task
Authors: Núñez Castellar Elena Patricia , Antons Jan‐Niklas , Marinazzo Daniele , Van Looy Jan
Published: March 2019

Video games are enjoyed most when the level and speed of the game match the players' skills. An optimal balance between challenges and skills triggers the subjective experience of “flow,” a focused motivation leading to a feeling of spontaneous joy. The present research investigates the behavioral and neural correlates of a paradigm aimed to assess the players' subjective experience during gameplay. Attentional engagement changes were assessed first at the behavioral level and in a second stage by means of EEG recordings. An auditory novelty oddball paradigm was implemented as a secondary task while subjects played in three conditions: boredom, frustration, and flow. We found higher reaction times and error rates in the flow condition. In a second stage, EEG time domain analysis revealed a significantly delayed response‐locked frontocentral negative deflection during flow, likely signaling the reallocation of attentional resources. Source reconstruction analyses showed that the brain regions responsible for the genesis of this negativity were located within the medial frontal cortex. Frequency domain analyses showed a significant power increase only in the alpha band for the flow condition. Our results showed that this alpha power enhancement was correlated with faster reaction times. This suggests that frontal alpha changes recorded as maximal at the midfrontal lines during flow might be related to inhibitory top‐down cognitive control processes.
Maintaining the benefits following pulmonary rehabilitation: Achievable or not?
Authors: Spencer Lissa M. , McKeough Zoe J.
Published: March 2019

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) improves exercise capacity, health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) and dyspnoea in patients with COPD and other lung conditions. Once PR is completed, the benefits gained begin to decline unless patients continue to exercise regularly. Due to limited evidence in other lung conditions, this review aims to examine the current evidence regarding maintenance exercise programmes for patients with COPD and to determine the types of programmes that are able to maintain the benefits gained from PR to 12 months and longer. A number of factors may affect the ability to maintain exercise capacity and HRQoL in the long term including: frequency of supervised maintenance exercise; strategies used to improve adherence to maintenance exercise; facilitators and barriers to long‐term exercise training; and initial PR programme itself. The current evidence for maintenance exercise programmes that included supervised maintenance exercise was weak, and for those programmes that included unsupervised maintenance exercise (with and without support) were difficult to interpret and in many instances were no better than usual care. New research using technology has provided some promising results for the future and surveys have revealed important features that may help in the development of maintenance programmes from a participant perspective such as ongoing therapist support. How to best maintain the benefits gained from PR remains unclear. Therefore, it is likely that no one model of maintenance is ideal for all patients with COPD and that individually adapted maintenance exercise programmes need to be considered.
Vocational school students’ self‐evaluations of a sexual health promotion intervention
Authors: Pakarinen Marja , Kylmä Jari , Helminen Mika , Suominen Tarja
Published: March 2019

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to pose a health risk among adolescents. School is therefore a logical place for promoting sexual health through interventions, but previous research has not examined student's self‐evaluations of these interventions. The purpose of this study was to examine students’ self‐evaluations of a sexual health promotion intervention carried out in four randomly selected vocational schools in Finland in the year 2011. The participants (n = 168) were first‐year students aged 15–19 years. The intervention (11 weeks) consisted of three components: (i) a teacher‐delivered classroom lesson about sexual health, (ii) information materials about sexual health and (iii) free condom distribution in the school corridors. An electronic questionnaire was developed and administered to the students after the intervention. The participants’ evaluations of the intervention were fairly positive. Almost all of the participants were at least partly satisfied with the classroom lesson. They mostly reported learning new information aboutSTIs and sexuality. Information material was also read and participants self‐evaluated themselves as having learned from the materials. Free condoms were obtained and the students felt that the condom distribution was useful. Sexual health promotion interventions might in the future include the classroom lesson, information material and free condom distribution components used in this study.
Assenting to exposedness – meanings of receiving assisted bodily care in a nursing home as narrated by older persons
Authors: Holmberg Bodil , Hellström Ingrid , Norberg Astrid , Österlind Jane
Published: March 2019

Most older persons moving to a nursing home need to receive assisted bodily care, which means being in a position of vulnerability. However, few studies have explicitly focused on the meanings of receiving assisted bodily care from the older persons’ perspective. This study aimed to elucidate meanings of receiving assisted bodily care, as narrated by older persons living in a nursing home. Twelve men and women, aged 80 or older, living in a Swedish nursing home, participated in the study. Data were generated by narrative interviews and analysed with a phenomenological‐hermeneutical method. The regional ethics committee approved the study. In the analysis, one main theme emerged: ‘Assenting to exposedness’. This theme comprised five themes, ‘To have hope in hopelessness’, ‘To relinquish one's body into others’ hands’, ‘To be between power and powerlessness’, ‘To oscillate between one's own responsibility and demands’, ‘To be in an ongoing interaction’, and ten subthemes. In conclusion, receiving assisted bodily care means to be exposed, but not passively. Rather, it means to be self‐determinant for as long as possible, to perceive the body as lived. When the body must be relinquished to others, it might be objectified, leading to care‐suffering. To avoid this, the older persons use a certain competence, acquired through life, to decide when to take action or when to assent. However, this is but one of the several possible interpretations, which may be considered a limitation.
High‐resolution synchrotron X‐ray fluorescence investigation of calcite coralloid speleothems: Elemental incorporation and their potential as environmental archives
Authors: Vanghi Valentina , Borsato Andrea , Frisia Silvia , Howard Daryl L. , Gloy Gertruida , Hellstrom John , Bajo Petra
Published: March 2019

Synchrotron high‐resolution and micro‐X‐ray fluorescence elemental mapping of two coeval coralloid speleothems from Lamalunga Cave (Italy) are complemented with petrographic, morphological and microstratigraphic studies. The importance of these speleothems relies on their direct and indirect association with a complete Neanderthal skeleton (‘Altamura Man’) found inside the cave. The coralloids grew discontinuously between 64·6 ka and the Holocene and reveal exceptionally high concentrations of Mg, Sr and Si, particularly on convex surfaces, where evaporation is more intense. The incorporation of trace elements depends on several factors including location, shape and geometrical evolution during their growth, as well as climate and environmental parameters. This resulted in calcite precipitation with Sr compositions from 100 to 1200 ppm and an average concentration of 7000 ppm Mg. An unusually high Si content (up to 16%) is possibly derived from volcanic ash transported as particulate and in solution inside the cave. The most common fabrics observed consist of non‐fluorescent elongated columnar calcite forming clean isopachous bands and fluorescent fibre‐like crystals associated with laminated, lenticular bands high in Sr, Mg and Si. Variability in Sr, Mg and Si concentrations appears to induce fabric changes in the coralloids. Elongation and lattice distortion of the crystals was found to coincide with high Mg concentrations. The transition from compact elongated to open to fibre‐like, is here interpreted as due to high concentrations of Si and Sr, which are preferentially incorporated in the speleothem at crystal boundaries and intra‐laminae. It is here inferred that coralloid fabric changes and their elemental content potentially record local rainfall variations through time, with the clean compact calcite marking high infiltration and open fibre‐like and micrite fabrics recording dry periods.
Development of the multispectral UV polarization reflectance imaging system (MUPRIS) for in situ monitoring of the UV protection efficacy of sunscreen on human skin
Authors: Nishino Ken , Haryu Yasushi , Kinoshita Ayui , Nakauchi Shigeki
Published: March 2019

Background

Protection of the human skin from ultraviolet (UV) damage is one of the main issues in dermatology and cosmetology. The UV protection efficacy (UVPE) of the sunscreen film is decreased by sweat, sebum, and friction during the day. However, the technical relationship between the UVPE evaluated in a laboratory and the actual protection in daily use has not been clarified, because the UVPE measurement method in real‐life setting has not been established. This study aimed to develop a novel UVPE evaluation system that allows in situ monitoring of the UVPE in real‐life activities.

Methods

The multispectral UV polarization reflectance imaging system (MUPRIS) and a UVPE estimation algorithm were developed. The diffuse reflectance spectra were measured for a total of 48 sunscreen materials that were applied on 59 subjects. The UVPEs estimated from the diffuse reflectance spectra were compared with the in vivo SPFs. Finally, the UVPE before and after a marine leisure activity was evaluated using the MUPRIS as the practical use test.

Results

Compared with the conventional UV camera, the MUPRIS could visualize the applied sunscreen more clearly and showed good UVPE estimation accuracy (correlation coefficient for in vivo SPF, 0.82). In the practical use test, the degradation of the UVPE during a marine leisure activity was quantitatively monitored and was validated by the actual occurrence of sunburn.

Conclusions

A novel in situ UVPE monitoring tool had been successfully developed. It can strongly support the development of innovative sunscreen products that can perfectly protect customers against UV irradiation in real‐life situation.
Legislative Seniority in the Partisan Congress*
Authors: Taylor Andrew J.
Published: March 2019

Objective

Despite the formal seniority system's demise, long‐serving members of the U.S. House of Representatives continue to demonstrate disproportionate legislative effectiveness in what scholars universally consider a strong‐party era. I test a bonding model of the continued utility of legislative seniority in an effort to understand the causal mechanism.

Methods

I use regression and multilevel mixed effects analyses of roll‐call and co‐sponsorship data in the U.S. House from the 1990s and early 2000s to test hypotheses derived from the model.

Results

The results are consistent with a process in which senior members attract support for their legislation through relationships cultivated over time. Seniority does not act like a commodity.

Conclusion

Seniority continues to provide value to its holders in the House by providing them opportunities to strengthen bonds with colleagues used to build coalitions for their legislative proposals.
A new allele, HLA‐B*54:39, identified by sequence‐based typing in a Korean individual
Authors: Choi Jungim , Im Jisu , Cho Yunjung
Published: March 2019

The new allele B*54:39 showed one nucleotide difference from B*54:01:01 in codon 10 (ACC‐>AGC).