bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Moran effect revisited: spatial population synchrony under global warming
Authors: Hansen Brage B. , Grøtan Vidar , Herfindal Ivar , Lee Aline M.
Published: February 2020

The world is spatially autocorrelated. Both abiotic and biotic properties are more similar among neighboring than distant locations, and their temporal co‐fluctuations also decrease with distance. P. A. P. Moran realized the ecological importance of such ‘spatial synchrony’ when he predicted that isolated populations subject to identical log‐linear density‐dependent processes should have the same correlation in fluctuations of abundance as the correlation in environmental noise. The contribution from correlated weather to synchrony of populations has later been coined the ‘Moran effect’. Here, we investigate the potential role of the Moran effect in large‐scale ecological outcomes of global warming. Although difficult to disentangle from dispersal and species interaction effects, there is compelling evidence from across taxa and ecosystems that spatial environmental synchrony causes population synchrony. Given this, and the accelerating number of studies reporting climate change effects on local population dynamics, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the implications of global warming for spatial population synchrony. However, a handful of studies of insects, birds, plants, mammals and marine plankton indicate decadal‐scale changes in population synchrony due to trends in environmental synchrony. We combine a literature review with modeling to outline potential pathways for how global warming, through changes in the mean, variability and spatial autocorrelation of weather, can impact population synchrony over time. This is particularly likely under a ‘generalized Moran effect’, i.e. when relaxing Moran's strict assumption of identical log‐linear density‐dependence, which is highly unrealistic in the wild. Furthermore, climate change can influence spatial population synchrony indirectly, through its effects on dispersal and species interactions. Because changes in population synchrony may cascade through food‐webs, we argue that the (generalized) Moran effect is key to understanding and predicting impacts of global warming on large‐scale ecological dynamics, with implications for extinctions, conservation and management.
Expanding the search for emerging mental ill health to safeguard student potential and vocational success in high school: A narrative review
Authors: Bowman Siann , McKinstry Carol , Howie Linsey , McGorry Patrick
Published: February 2020

Aim

Young people experiencing mental ill health are more likely than their healthy aged peers to drop out of high school. This can result in social exclusion and vocational derailment. Identifying young people at risk and taking action before an illness is established or school dropout occurs is an important goal. This study aimed to examine evidence for the risk markers and at risk mental states of the clinical staging model (stage 0‐1b) and whether these risk states and early symptoms impact school participation and academic attainment.

Method

This narrative review assembles research from both the psychiatry and education literature. It examines stage 0 to stage 1b of the clinical staging model and links the risk states and early symptoms to evidence about the academic success of young people in high school.

Results

In accordance with the clinical staging model and evidence from education literature, childhood trauma and parental mental illness can impact school engagement and academic progress. Sleep disturbance can result in academic failure. Undifferentiated depression and anxiety can increase the risk for school dropout. Subthreshold psychosis and hypomanic states are associated with functional impairment and high rates of Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET) but are not recognized in the education literature.

Conclusion

Risk markers for emerging mental ill health can be identified in education research and demonstrate an impact on a student's success in high school. Clear referral protocols need to be embedded into school life to reduce risk of progression to later stages of illness and support school participation and success.
Valuing animals as they are—Whether they feel it or not
Authors: Abbate C.E.
Published: February 2020

Dressing up animals in ridiculous costumes, shaming dogs on the internet, playing Big Buck Hunter at the local tavern, feeding vegan food to cats, and producing and consuming “knockout” animals, what, if anything, do these acts have in common? In this article, I develop two respect‐based arguments that explain how these acts are morally problematic, even though they might not always, if ever, affect the experiential welfare of animals. While these acts are not ordinary wrongs, they are animal dignitary wrongs.
Stroke unit admission is associated with better outcome and lower mortality in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage
Authors: Ungerer M. N. , Ringleb P. , Reuter B. , Stock C. , Ippen F. , Hyrenbach S. , Bruder I. , Martus P , Gumbinger C. ,   the AG Schlaganfall
Published: February 2020

Background and purpose

There is no clear consensus among current guidelines on the preferred admission ward [i.e. intensive care unit (ICU) or stroke unit (SU)] for patients with intracerebral hemorrhage. Based on expert opinion, the American Heart Association and European Stroke Organization recommend treatment in neurological/neuroscience ICUs (NICUs) or SUs. The European Stroke Organization guideline states that there are no studies available directly comparing outcomes between ICUs and SUs.

Methods

We performed an observational study comparing outcomes of 10 811 consecutive non‐comatose patients with intracerebral hemorrhage according to admission ward [ICUs, SUs and normal wards (NWs)]. Primary outcomes were the modified Rankin Scale score at discharge and intrahospital mortality. An additional analysis compared NICUs with SUs.

Results

Treatment outside an SU was associated with higher odds for an unfavorable outcome [ICU vs. SU: odds ratio (OR), 1.27; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09–1.46; NW vs. SU: OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.08–1.52] and higher odds for intrahospital mortality (ICU vs. SU: OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.75–2.55; NW vs. SU: OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.23–1.89). A subgroup analysis of severely affected patients treated in dedicated NICUs (vs. SUs) showed that they had a lower risk of a poor outcome (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.26–0.79).

Conclusions

Treatment in SUs was associated with better functional outcome and reduced mortality compared with ICUs and NWs. Our findings support the current guideline recommendations to treat patients with intracerebral hemorrhage in SUs or NICUs and suggest that some patients may further benefit from NICU treatment.
Poly‐aneuploid cancer cells promote evolvability, generating lethal cancer
Authors: Pienta Kenneth J. , Hammarlund Emma U. , Axelrod Robert , Brown Joel S. , Amend Sarah R.
Published: February 2020

Cancer cells utilize the forces of natural selection to evolve evolvability allowing a constant supply of heritable variation that permits a cancer species to evolutionary track changing hazards and opportunities. Over time, the dynamic tumor ecosystem is exposed to extreme, catastrophic changes in the conditions of the tumor—natural (e.g., loss of blood supply) or imposed (therapeutic). While the nature of these catastrophes may be varied or unique, their common property may be to doom the current cancer phenotype unless it evolves rapidly. Poly‐aneuploid cancer cells (PACCs) may serve as efficient sources of heritable variation that allows cancer cells to evolve rapidly, speciate, evolutionarily track their environment, and most critically for patient outcome and survival, permit evolutionary rescue, therapy resistance, and metastasis. As a conditional evolutionary strategy, they permit the cancer cells to accelerate evolution under stress and slow down the generation of heritable variation when conditions are more favorable or when the cancer cells are closer to an evolutionary optimum. We hypothesize that they play a critical and outsized role in lethality by their increased capacity for invasion and motility, for enduring novel and stressful environments, and for generating heritable variation that can be dispensed to their 2N+ aneuploid progeny that make up the bulk of cancer cells within a tumor, providing population rescue in response to therapeutic stress. Targeting PACCs is essential to cancer therapy and patient cure—without the eradication of the resilient PACCs, cancer will recur in treated patients.
On the necessity of combining ethnobotany and genetics to assess agrobiodiversity and its evolution in crops: A case study on date palms (Phoenix dactyliferaL.) in Siwa Oasis, Egypt
Authors: Gros‐Balthazard Muriel , Battesti Vincent , Ivorra Sarah , Paradis Laure , Aberlenc Frédérique , Zango Oumarou , Zehdi‐Azouzi Salwa , Moussouni Souhila , Naqvi Summar Abbas , Newton Claire , Terral Jean‐Frédéric
Published: February 2020

Crop diversity is shaped by biological and social processes interacting at different spatiotemporal scales. Here, we combined population genetics and ethnobotany to investigate date palm (Phoenix dactyliferaL.) diversity in Siwa Oasis, Egypt. Based on interviews with farmers and observation of practices in the field, we collected 149 date palms from Siwa Oasis and 27 uncultivated date palms from abandoned oases in the surrounding desert. Using genotyping data from 18 nuclear and plastid microsatellite loci, we confirmed that some named types each constitute a clonal line, that is, a true‐to‐type cultivar. We also found that others are collections of clonal lines, that is, ethnovarieties, or even unrelated samples, that is, local categories. This alters current assessments of agrobiodiversity, which are visibly underestimated, and uncovers the impact of low‐intensity, but highly effective, farming practices on biodiversity. These hardly observable practices, hypothesized by ethnographic survey and confirmed by genetic analysis, are enabled by the way Isiwans conceive and classify living beings in their oasis, which do not quite match the way biologists do: a classic disparity ofeticversus.emiccategorizations. In addition, we established that Siwa date palms represent a unique and highly diverse genetic cluster, rather than a subset of North African and Middle Eastern palm diversity. As previously shown, North African date palms display evidence of introgression by the wild relativePhoenix theophrasti, and we found that the uncultivated date palms from the abandoned oases share even more alleles with this species than cultivated palms in this region. The study of Siwa date palms could hence be a key to the understanding of date palm diversification in North Africa. Integration of ethnography and population genetics promoted the understanding of the interplay between diversity management in the oasis (short‐time scale), and the origins and dynamic of diversity through domestication and diversification (long‐time scale).
Barriers and enablers for dental care among dentate home‐based older New Zealanders who receive living support
Authors: Smith Lee A. , Smith Moira , Thomson William Murray
Published: February 2020

Objective

To explore the structural, social and individual barriers to, and facilitators for, accessing dental services and remaining dentate, among a purposive sample of dentate home‐based older people who receive living support (HBOPWRLS).

Background

Studies on the oral health of older people have largely been quantitative, while fewer studies have specifically explored the dental service utilisation patterns of dentate HBOPWRLS, especially in New Zealand.

Materials and method

In early 2019, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 40 dentate HBOPWRLS from one region of New Zealand. A parallel coding and thematic analysis of the interview data was conducted, based on the constant comparative method.

Results

Barriers to accessing dental services included the cost of dental treatment, negotiating transport issues, social isolation, traumatic childhood dental experiences, lack of role modelling for good oral health and hygiene, self‐ageing and drawing upon discourses of older people, and health conditions impacting on mobility and access to oral health care. Facilitators for accessing dental services included having a support network, parental role models, healthy diet, knowledge of the link between oral and general health, dental clearances for surgery, not wanting dentures and having a strong dislike of them, and agency to resist dentists’ advice to have a full extraction.

Conclusion

The expense of dental care is a major barrier to HBOPWRLS accessing dental services at a life stage of reduced income. Strategies for boosting dental service access among socially isolated older people need further exploration.
‘You got into Oxbridge?’ Under‐represented students’ experiences of an elite university in the south of England
Authors: Stubbs Joshua E. , Murphy Emily C.
Published: February 2020

Amid concerns about the skewed socio‐demographic composition of England’s elite universities, this study sought to better understand what undergraduates from under‐represented backgrounds found supportive in the process of them gaining an offer of admission from a prestigious university, and their social and academic experience of higher education. Twelve undergraduates who self‐identified as originating from under‐represented backgrounds participated in semi‐structured interviews. Participants needed to experience explicit validation of their academic capabilities at national level, and of their (localised) social identities, before considering Oxbridge a viable institution for ‘people like them’; in other words, these students engaged in their own form of benchmarking depending on their school setting. On entering higher education, some participants experienced being ‘alienated’ from certain social and academic spaces on the basis that many other students already ‘seemed to know each other’. Findings suggest that the application process to more prestigious universities could be prioritised at earlier stages of education among under‐represented groups, and that widening participation initiatives cannot simply stop at entrance to higher education.
Effects of mesenchymal stromal cells on motor function and collagen in the skeletal muscles of rats with type I diabetes
Authors: Luna Genoveva L. F. , Russo Thiago L. , Sabadine Maria A. , Estrada‐Bonilla Yisel C. , Andrade Ana L. M. , Brassolatti Patricia , Anibal Fernanda F. , Leal Ângela M. O.
Published: February 2020

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) transplantation on motor function and collagen organization in the muscles of rats with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to three groups: control (C), diabetic (DM) and diabetic treated with MSCs (DM‐MSCs). Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (50 µg/kg). Bone marrow cells were isolated from the tibia and femur. After 10 weeks of DM induction, the DM‐MSC rats received four i.p. injections of MSCs (1 × 106). Ten weeks after MSC transplantation, motor performance was evaluated by the rotarod test and the anterior tibial (TA) muscles were collected for morphometric and quantification of collagen birefringence by polarizing microscopy analysis. Motor performance of the DM group was significantly reduced when compared to the C group and increased significantly in the DM + MSC group. The TA muscle mass was significantly reduced in the DM and DM + MSC groups compared to the C group. The connective tissue increased in the DM group compared to the C group and decreased in the DM + MSC group. The percentage collagen birefringence decreased significantly in the DM group when compared to the C group and increased in the DM + MSC group. Motor performance was positively correlated with collagen birefringence and negatively correlated with percentage of connective tissue. The results indicate that MSC transplantation improves both motor function and the collagen macromolecular organization in type 1 DM.
Electrochemical properties of ZnO anode materials with MicNo® morphology
Authors: Dermenci Kamil B. , Yanık Tunç , Dağ Sevinç , Suvacı Ender , Kesim Mehmet T. , Savacı Umut , Turan Servet
Published: February 2020

ZnO‐based anodes are currently possessing drawbacks such as their low cyclic stability, high capacity fade, and relatively low electronic conductivity that prevent their widespread use in commercial batteries. A commercially available, patented MicNo morphology of ZnO is known to adopt the advantages of nanosize into bulk in the field of semiconductor and cosmetic technology. In this study, the electrochemical performance of ZnO having MicNo morphology and its potential use in Li‐ion batteries were investigated. After 100 galvanostatic cycles at constant 100 mA/g current density, the retained capacity of MicNo is higher than nanosized ZnO‐the starting powder for MicNo ZnO. On the contrary, at higher current densities of 500 or 1000 mA/g, the nano‐ZnO showed better cyclability and lower capacity fade compared to MicNo ZnO. In cyclic voltammetry results, reduction in ZnO, LiZn, and Li2Zn3 formation was dominant during formation cycle of MicNo ZnO along with excellent reversibility. After lithiation, phase change from crystalline ZnO into metallic Zn and amorphous ZnO was observed from transmission electron microscopy analysis. Improved Li+ diffusion in SEI and pore channels, better charge‐transfer characteristics, poor electronic contact, and high EDL capacitance are other features of MicNo ZnO according to electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
Auditors' Response to Different Reporting Environments: Experimental Evidence From the Quantity and Quality of Auditors' Evidence Demands in China
Authors: Cao June , Coram Paul J.
Published: February 2020

There has been a significant worldwide movement to adopt International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), which are more principles‐based compared to many of the more rules‐based national accounting standards that they replaced. The majority of previous studies focus on how this financial reporting environment change influences earnings quality, while there has been limited research on how auditors respond to IFRS. We perform an experiment using Chinese professional auditors to test the joint effects of the type of accounting standards and the strength of the financial regulatory regime on both the quantity and quality of auditors' evidence demands. We find that auditors are likely to have more evidence demands and, particularly, more diagnostic evidence demands under principles‐based accounting standards. This influence is more pronounced under the stronger financial regulatory regime. The effect of the institutional environment on IFRS standards is an important international reporting topic particularly for emerging markets like China where there is strong economic growth with an increased focus on reporting standards and regulation. China is an ideal environment to examine this topic because it is the largest country in the world to adopt IFRS, and many Chinese auditors have experienced both rules‐ and principles‐based accounting standards.
Co‐precipitation of whey and pea protein – indication of interactions
Authors: Kristensen Heidi Thorgaard , Møller Anders Hauer , Christensen Mette , Hansen Mikka Stenholdt , Hammershøj Marianne , Dalsgaard Trine Kastrup
Published: February 2020

The aim was to optimise the yield of co‐precipitation of whey protein isolate (WPI) and pea protein isolate (PPI) and compare co‐precipitates and protein blends with respect to solubility. The yield of co‐precipitates was tested with different protein ratios of WPI and PPI in combination with different temperatures and acid precipitation (pH 4.6). The highest precipitation yield was obtained at protein ratios WPI < PPI, high temperature and alkaline protein solvation. The solubility was measured by an instability index and absorption spectroscopy of re‐suspended precipitated proteins at pH 3, 7 and 11.5. Co‐precipitates had significantly lower solubility than protein blends. Protein ratios WPI > PPI, low precipitation temperature and high pH showed the highest solubility. Differences in protein composition between co‐precipitates and protein blends were observed with SDS‐PAGE and matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionisation time‐of‐flight, and indicated different protein–protein interaction in samples, which needs further investigations.
Measuring next of kin satisfaction with hospital cancer care: Using a mixed‐method approach as basis for improving quality and safety
Authors: Bergerød Inger J. , Dalen Ingvild , Braut Geir S. , Gilje Bjørnar , Wiig Siri
Published: February 2020

Aim/s

To explore next of kin satisfaction with cancer care, map next of kin suggestions for involvement and combine this information to create a basis for improving quality and safety in hospitals.

Design

Convergent parallel mixed‐methods design applying the 20‐item FAMCARE Scale survey instrument for quantitative measurement of satisfaction with care and with an open‐ended question used for qualitative analysis.

Data sources

Responses from 238 next of kin (November 2016–November 2017).

Methods

Exploratory factor analysis, regression analysis and qualitative content analysis were combined.

Results

Both hospitals scored better in medical treatment (median, interquartile range: 1.5, 1.1–2.0), than in satisfaction with information and involvement of next of kin (1.9, 1.3–2.4), p < .001 (Wilcoxon signed ranks test). After adjusting for differences in demographical and clinical variables, the total FAMCARE scores were 13% higher (95% confidence interval: 1%–27%, Wald p = .029) at one of the hospitals. Qualitative findings support that the hospitals are not providing an equal offer to next of kin involvement in hospital cancer care that includes a proactive approach.

Conclusion

As a basis for quality and safety improvement, next of kin satisfaction and involvement in cancer care should be addressed in a two‐sided perspective, balancing the next of kin's need for involvement in cancer treatment with the patient's perspective.

Impact

There is limited knowledge of next of kin satisfaction with hospital cancer care and how next of kin would like to be involved in this trajectory. Several aspects of satisfaction with cancer care can prompt change to improve service quality and safety (e.g. information, involvement, practical care), but this is an underused source of information. Next of kin are key in cancer care and our study demonstrates a potential large impact on future practical ways of improving cancer care service provision in an integrative perspective including next of kin.
Caring and the Prison in Philosophy, Policy and Practice: Under Lock and Key
Authors: Coverdale Helen Brown
Published: February 2020

Care appears prima facie antithetical to punishment. Since the overlaps between care and punishment are greater than we paradigmatically expect, care ethics offers a more accurate account of prisons: recognising and critiquing both dehumanising carceral violence, and the necessity, presence, and inadequacies of penal care, as well as unlocking ways of thinking differently about structural change without losing sight of individual issues. After introducing care ethics and evidencing the presence of caring practices in present prisons, the article considers how we punish, in terms of the amount, method, and manner. Treating people in punishment as moral equals is important for liberal deontological penal theories. Treatment as equals requires context. Context is intrinsic to care‐ethics praxis, which provides methods of and standards for accessing and applying this information.
Dynamic changes in DNA methylation during postnatal development in zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata exposed to different temperatures
Authors: Sheldon Elizabeth L. , Schrey Aaron. W. , Hurley Laura L. , Griffith Simon C.
Published: February 2020

Epigenetic changes associated with early life conditions are known to play a significant role in shaping the adult phenotype. Studies of DNA methylation in wild animals are lacking, yet are important for understanding the fitness consequences of environmentally induced epigenetic change. In our study, we quantified variation in DNA methylation in wild, post‐hatch zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata developing at seasonally variable temperatures in the Australian desert. We also compared variation in DNA methylation among captive zebra finch siblings raised in temperature controlled ‘hot’ or ‘cool’ rooms. We detected an increase in genome‐wide levels of DNA methylation between day 3 and day 11 of post hatch development in wild zebra finches. In the wild, ambient temperatures were also found to affect genome‐wide levels of DNA methylation and plasticity in the methylation state of individual loci. Family effects had a significant influence on DNA methylation throughout our study, and while we did not detect an effect of temperature on DNA methylation levels in non‐related captive birds, our sibling pair analyses revealed that within families, elevated temperatures were associated with higher levels of DNA methylation. Our findings suggest a wide window in early development during which climatically induced variation in DNA methylation could occur. Further work is necessary to understand the potential for such variation to promote ecologically relevant variation in wild birds.
Mechanism of indoleamine 2, 3‐dioxygenase inhibiting cardiac allograft rejection in mice
Authors: Li Chuan , Sun Zhaonan , Yuan Fang , Zhao Zhicheng , Zhang Jiehong , Zhang Baotong , Li Hongyue , Liu Tong , Dai Xiangchen
Published: February 2020

Indoleamine 2, 3‐dioxygenase (IDO)‐mediated regulation of tryptophan metabolism plays an important role in immune tolerance in transplantation, but it has not been elucidated which mechanism specifically induces the occurrence of immune tolerance. Our study revealed that IDO exerts immunosuppressive effects through two pathways in mouse heart transplantation, ‘tryptophan depletion’ and ‘tryptophan metabolite accumulation’. The synergism between IDO+DC and TC (tryptophan catabolic products) has stronger inhibitory effects on T lymphocyte proliferation and mouse heart transplant rejection than the two intervention factors alone, and significantly prolong the survival time of donor‐derived transplanted skin. This work demonstrates that the combination of IDO+DC and TC can induce immune tolerance to a greater extent, and reduce the rejection of transplanted organs.
Periodontitis and systemic markers of neurodegeneration: A case–control study
Authors: Leira Yago , Carballo Álvaro , Orlandi Marco , Aldrey José Manuel , Pías‐Peleteiro Juan Manuel , Moreno Federico , Vázquez‐Vázquez Laura , Campos Francisco , D’Aiuto Francesco , Castillo José , Sobrino Tomás , Blanco Juan
Published: February 2020

Aim

To investigate whether periodontitis is associated with amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides and whether systemic inflammation could act as a potential mediator of this link.

Materials and Methods

A case–control study was designed including 75 patients with periodontitis (cases) and 75 age‐balanced and gender‐matched participants without periodontitis (controls). Full‐mouth periodontal evaluation was performed in all participants. Demographic, clinical and behaviour data were also recorded. Fasting blood samples were collected, and serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL‐6), high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP), Aβ1‐40 and Aβ1‐42 were determined.

Results

Cases showed higher levels of IL‐6 (8.7 ± 3.2 vs. 4.8 ± 0.5 pg/ml), hs‐CRP (3.3 ± 1.2 vs. 0.9 ± 0.7 mg/L), Aβ1‐40 (37.3 ± 6.0 vs. 30.3 ± 1.8 pg/ml) and Aβ1‐42 (54.5 ± 10.6 vs. 36.5 ± 10.0 pg/ml) when compared to controls (all p < .001). Diagnosis of periodontitis was statistically significantly associated with circulating Aβ1‐40 ( = 6.9, 95% CI: 5.4–8.3; p < .001) and Aβ1‐42 ( = 17.8, 95% CI: 14.4–21.3; p < .001). Mediation analysis confirmed hs‐CRP and IL‐6 as mediators of this association.

Conclusions

Periodontitis is associated with increased peripheral levels of Aβ. This finding could be explained by enhanced systemic inflammation that can be seen in patients with periodontitis.
Why does early childhood deprivation increase the risk for depression and anxiety in adulthood? A developmental cascade model
Authors: Golm Dennis , Maughan Barbara , Barker Edward D. , Hill Jonathan , Kennedy Mark , Knights Nicky , Kreppner Jana , Kumsta Robert , Schlotz Wolff , Rutter Michael , Sonuga‐Barke Edmund J.S.
Published: February 2020

Background

Using data from the English & Romanian Adoptees (ERA) study, we recently reported that early time‐limited exposure to severe institutional deprivation is associated with early‐onset and persistent neurodevelopmental problems and later‐onset emotional problems. Here, we examine possible reasons for the late emergence of emotional problems in this cohort. Our main focus is on testing a developmental cascade mediated via the functional impact of early‐appearing neurodevelopmental problems on late adolescent functioning. We also explore a second putative pathway via sensitization to stress.

Methods

The ERA study includes 165 Romanian individuals who spent their early lives in grossly depriving institutions and were subsequently adopted into UK families, along with 52 UK adoptees with no history of deprivation. Age six years symptoms of neurodevelopmental problems and age 15 anxiety/depression symptoms were assessed via parental reports. Young adult symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed by both parent and self‐reports; young adults also completed measures of stress reactivity, exposure to adverse life events, and functioning in work and interpersonal relationships.

Results

The path between early institutional deprivation and adult emotional problems was mediated via the impact of early neurodevelopmental problems on unemployment and poor friendship functioning during the transition to adulthood. The findings with regard to early deprivation, later life stress reactivity, and emotional problems were inconclusive.

Conclusions

Our analysis suggests that the risk for adult depression and anxiety following extreme institutional deprivation is explained through the effects of early neurodevelopmental problems on later social and vocational functioning. Future research should more fully examine the role of stress susceptibility in this model.
A validated photonumeric cellulite severity scale for the area above the knees: the knee cellulite severity score
Authors: Longhitano S. , Galadari H. , Cascini S. , Shaniko K. , Chester J. , Farnetani F. , Pellacani G. , Urtis G.G. , Guida S.
Published: February 2020

Background

Treatment for cellulite above the knees is increasingly requested. However, a classification of cellulite of this area has not yet been developed.

Objective

To validate the proposed knee cellulite severity score (KCSS) for the assessment of cellulite and skin laxity above the knee.

Materials and methods

Based on standardized photographs of cellulite and skin laxity above the knees of 57 females (114 knees), three key morphological aspects of cellulite were identified. A photonumeric KCSS was developed and validated by three independent assessors.

Results

The three key cellulite morphological features (number of depressions, depth of depressions and presence of laxity) are each graded from 0 to 3, producing a classification of no lesions (0), mild (1–3), moderate (4–6) and severe (7–9). Evaluators at different time points repeated similar classifications (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.9), which were also similar among the assessors (inter‐observer reliability >0.9). All three key morphological aspects were deemed necessary, and positively contributed, to the overall scale (item‐total correlation analysis values >0.89, P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The KCSS is a consistent, comprehensive, reliable, and reproducible tool for standardized and objective assessment of the severity of cellulite and skin laxity above the knees.
The Lady Garden Club: supporting women with vulval conditions and their partners
Authors: Akel R. , Cohen C.E. , Fuller C.
Published: February 2020

Background

Vulval conditions have been shown to have a significant impact on patients’ quality of life and can affect their relationships. The Lady Garden Club (LGC) is peer support group that was set up by patients with vulval conditions and is supported by the vulval clinic physicians at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital.

Objectives

Our aim was to assess the efficacy of this peer support group and the physician contribution to it. We also aimed to assess potential unmet needs of partners, which in turn could affect our patients’ experience and quality of life.

Methods

An anonymized online Survey Monkey link was sent to LGC members. Questions included a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) section.

Results

The response rate was 60% (26). Over half (54%) were members >2 years. Diagnoses included 85% (22) lichen sclerosus, lichen planus, 8% (two) eczema/psoriasis, warts 8% (two), vulval cancer 4% (one) and vulvodynia 8% (two). All valued a vulval specialist leading the LGC. Women benefitted from: open member questioning (84%), learning from others (81%), self‐help tips (81%), more patient information (77%), latest research updates (69%), sharing concerns and fears (65%), sharing personal experiences (62%), peer support network (62%), and discussion about sex and relationships (35%). A third used the buddy system by phone, 19% soon after diagnosis. The average DLQI was 6.84 (range 0–25). Half reported depression and 59% anxiety. Two thirds (68%) felt women with other vulval conditions would benefit from the LGC. Over half (54%) felt there was an unmet need for helping partners understand their genital conditions.

Conclusion

The survey concluded that the LGC provides several additional benefits to women with vulval conditions, within a safe forum led by a vulval specialist. It also demonstrated a potential unmet need to support women's partners that can now be addressed.
Comparative Transcriptome Analyses of Drug‐sensitive and Drug‐resistant Strains of Eimeria tenella by RNA‐sequencing
Authors: Xie Yuxiang , Huang Bing , Xu Lingyang , Zhao Qiping , Zhu Shunhai , Zhao Huanzhi , Dong Hui , Han Hongyu
Published: February 2020

Avian coccidiosis is a widespread and economically significant disease in poultry. At present, treatment of coccidiosis mainly relies on drugs. Anticoccidial drugs can be divided into two categories: ionophorous compounds and synthetic drugs. However, the emergence of drug‐resistant strains has become a challenge for coccidiosis control with anticoccidial drugs. To gain insights into the molecular mechanism governing the drug resistance of Eimeria tenella, two drug‐resistant strains of E. tenella, one maduramicin‐resistant (MRR) strain and one diclazuril‐resistant (DZR) strain, were generated. We carried out comparative transcriptome analyses of a drug‐sensitive strain (DS) and two drug‐resistant MRR and DZR strains of E. tenella using RNA‐sequencing. A total of 1,070 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 672 upregulated and 398 downregulated, were identified in MRR vs. DS, and 379 DEGs, 330 upregulated and 49 downregulated, were detected in DZR vs. DS. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses were performed to better understand the functions of these DEGs. In the comparison of DZR vs. DS, some DEGs were involved in peroxisome, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, and fatty acid metabolism. In the comparison of MRR vs. DS, some DEGs were involved in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, and DNA replication. In addition, some DEGs coded for surface antigens that were downregulated in two drug‐resistant strains involved invasion, pathogenesis, and host–parasite interactions. These results provided suggestions for further research toward unraveling the molecular mechanisms of drug resistance in Eimeria species and contribute to developing rapid molecular methods to detect resistance to these drugs in Eimeria species in poultry.
A systematic review of UK‐based long‐term nonsurgical interventions for people with severe obesity (BMI ≥35 kg m−2)
Authors: Aceves‐Martins M. , Robertson C. , Cooper D. , Avenell A. , Stewart F. , Aveyard P. , de Bruin M. ,   the REBALANCE team
Published: February 2020

Introduction

The aim of this project was to systematically review UK evidence on the effectiveness of long‐term (≥12 months) weight management services (WMSs) for weight loss and weight maintenance for adults (≥16 years) with severe obesity (body mass index ≥35 kg m−2), who would generally be eligible for Tier 3 services.

Methods

Four data sources were searched from 1999 to October 2018.

Results

Our searches identified 20 studies, mostly noncomparative studies: 10 primary care interventions, nine in secondary care specialist weight management clinics and one commercial setting intervention. A programme including a phase of low energy formula diet (810–833 kcal day−1) showed the largest mean (SD) weight change at 12 months of –12.4 (11.4) kg for complete cases, with 25.3% dropout. Limitations or differences in evaluation and reporting (particularly for denominators), unclear dropout rates, and differences between participant groups in terms of comorbidities and psychological characteristics, made comparisons between WMSs and inferences challenging.

Conclusions

There is a persistent and clear need for guidance on long‐term weight data collection and reporting methods to allow comparisons across studies and services for participants with severe obesity. Data could also include quality of life, clinical outcomes, adverse events, costs and economic outcomes. A randomised trial comparison of National Health Service Tier 3 services with commercial WMSs would be of value.
“Search less, verify more”—Reviewing salivary biomarkers in oral cancer detection
Authors: Adeoye John , Brennan Peter A. , Thomson Peter
Published: February 2020

Oral squamous cell carcinoma is one of the commonest head and neck malignancies with approximately 350 000 cases reported annually and a mortality rate of 50% often attributed to late clinical presentation. Due to the close relationship between saliva bio‐fluid and tumour lesions, optimizing salivary biomarkers for disease detection and screening provides a major new research direction in diagnostic oral oncology. As inter‐tumour heterogeneity and intra‐tumour heterogeneity are common within oral cavity neoplasms, it is unlikely that a single diagnostic or “risk‐stratifying” saliva biomarker will suffice for universal translation to clinical practice. Therefore, this article highlights a number of promising saliva biomarker combinations for oral cavity cancer detection that require further research and validation to determine their true diagnostic potential.
First report of Cyprinid herpesvirus 2 outbreak in cultured gibel carp, Carassius auratus gibelio at low temperature
Authors: Ouyang Ping , Zhou Yaojia , Wang Kaiyu , Geng Yi , Lai Weiming , Huang Xiaoli , Chen Defang , Guo Hongrui , Fang Jing , Chen Zhengli , Tang Li , Huang Chao , Liu Wentao , Yin Lizi
Published: February 2020

Cyprinid herpesvirus 2 (CyHV‐2) is the causative agent of herpesviral hematopoietic necrosis (HVHN), an infectious disease with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Current research indicates that CyHV‐2 only infects fish in the genus Carassius. Outbreaks of fish viral diseases are highly temperature‐dependent, and HVHN outbreaks usually occur at water temperatures of 15–25°C. In November 2018, an infectious disease occurred on cultured gibel carp farms in ZiGong, Sichuan Province, China. The water temperature at the time was approximately 10°C. The clinical signs of the diseased fish included lethargy, inappetence, severe anoxia, hemorrhage on the body surface, and pale gills. Clinical and histopathological examinations, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and molecular analyses were used to determine the etiology of this disease. Pathological observation revealed severe necrosis of the hematopoietic organs, particularly the gills, kidney, and spleen. Spherical herpesvirus‐like virion particles were observed with TEM in the kidney and spleen tissues from moribund fish. An experimental infection demonstrated a cumulative mortality rate of 50% (10/20) at a water temperature of 13°C, whereas the mortality of the positive control group was 75% (15/20) at a water temperature of 23°C. A specific fragment of the helicase gene of CyHV‐2 was detected with polymerase chain reaction. In a phylogenetic analysis of the helicase gene, our isolate clustered with CyHV‐2 isolates in the database. Together, these results show that the putative pathogen involved in this outbreak was CyHV‐2. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a gibel carp disease caused by CyHV‐2 at low temperature. These findings are extremely important in reducing the risk of HVHN outbreaks in gibel carp aquaculture.
The impact of maternal supplementation during pregnancy and the first 6 months postpartum on the growth status of the next child born after the intervention period: Follow‐up results from Bangladesh and Ghana
Authors: Adams Katherine P. , Adu‐Afarwuah Seth , Mridha Malay K. , Oaks Brietta M. , Matias Susana L. , Arnold Charles D. , Kumordzie Sika M. , Okronipa Harriet , Ocansey Maku E. , Dewey Kathryn G.
Published: February 2020

Pregnancy and breastfeeding make demands on maternal nutrient stores. The extent of depletion and the degree to which nutrient stores are replenished between pregnancies has implications for a mother's nutritional status at conception of the subsequent child and therefore that child's birth outcomes and growth. Using follow‐up data collected several years after a randomized effectiveness trial conducted in rural Bangladesh and a randomized efficacy trial conducted in semiurban Ghana, we evaluated the impact of maternal supplementation with small‐quantity lipid‐based nutrient supplements (LNS) or multiple micronutrients (MMN) through pregnancy (the index pregnancy) and 6 months postpartum on the growth status of the next living younger sibling conceived and born after the index pregnancy. In both Bangladesh (n = 472 younger siblings) and Ghana (n = 327 younger siblings), there were no overall differences in the growth status or the prevalence of undernutrition among younger siblings whose mothers had received LNS (or MMN, Ghana only) during and after the index pregnancy compared with the younger siblings of mothers who had received iron plus folic acid (IFA) during the index pregnancy (Ghana) or during and for 3 months after the index pregnancy (Bangladesh). These findings do not indicate that preconception nutrition interventions do not improve child growth. Rather, they suggest that any benefits of maternal LNS or MMN supplementation during one pregnancy and for 6 months postpartum are unlikely to extend to the growth of her next child beyond any effects due to IFA alone.
Diet quality among pregnant women in the Navajo Birth Cohort Study
Authors: De La Rosa Vanessa Y. , Hoover Joseph , Du Ruofei , Jimenez Elizabeth Yakes , MacKenzie Debra ,   NBCS Study Team, Lewis Johnnye
Published: February 2020

Proper nutrition during pregnancy is vital to maternal health and fetal development and may be challenging for Navajo Nation residents because access to affordable and healthy foods is limited. It has been several decades since reported diet quality during pregnancy was examined on Navajo Nation. We present the first study to estimate iodine intake and use the Healthy Eating Index (HEI‐2015) to assess maternal diet quality among pregnant women in the Navajo Birth Cohort Study (NBCS). Based on dietary intake data derived from food frequency questionnaires, overall estimated micronutrient intake has remained similar since the last assessment in 1981, with potential improvements evident for folate and niacin. A high proportion of women (>50%) had micronutrient intakes from dietary sources below the Estimated Average Requirements during pregnancy. The median urinary iodine concentration for NBCS women (90.8 μg/L; 95% CI [80, 103.5]) was less than adequate and lower than concentrations reported for pregnant women that participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2011 and 2014. Overall, average diet quality of NBCS women estimated using the HEI‐2015 (62.4; 95% CI [60.7, 64.0]) was similar to that reported for women of child‐bearing age and pregnant women in NHANES. Although, NBCS women had diets high in added sugar, with sugar‐sweetened beverages as the primary contributors. Our study provides updated insights on maternal diet quality that can inform health and nutrition initiatives in Navajo communities emphasizing nutrition education and access to prenatal vitamins and calcium, iodine, and vitamin E dense foods.
Movement of small RNAs in and between plants and fungi
Authors: Wang Mengying , Dean Ralph A.
Published: February 2020

RNA interference is a biological process whereby small RNAs inhibit gene expression through neutralizing targeted mRNA molecules. This process is conserved in eukaryotes. Here, recent work regarding the mechanisms of how small RNAs move within and between organisms is examined. Small RNAs can move locally and systemically in plants through plasmodesmata and phloem, respectively. In fungi, transportation of small RNAs may also be achieved by septal pores and vesicles. Recent evidence also supports bidirectional cross‐kingdom communication of small RNAs between host plants and adapted fungal pathogens to affect the outcome of infection. We discuss several mechanisms for small RNA trafficking and describe evidence for transport through naked form, combined with RNA‐binding proteins or enclosed by vesicles.
The Ernest Gellner Nationalism Lecture: The Soviet Union, self‐determination, and the creation of the postwar human rights system
Authors: Weitz Eric D
Published: February 2020

The USSR played a key role in the establishment of the post‐World War II human rights system despite its repressive and even murderous domestic record. It forged an alliance with the countries of the Global South in support of decolonization, self‐determination, and social and economic rights, policies opposed by liberal states like the United States, Great Britain, and France. These positions were deeply rooted in the socialist tradition. Moreover, when a human rights movement emerged in the mid‐1960s, its members—in its origins overwhelmingly from the intelligentsia—called not for the overthrow of the Soviet Union but for the fulfilment of Soviet law. The language of rights, proclaimed with such flourish in the 1936 constitution and its successor in 1977, served as the weapon hurled by dissidents as they called on the Soviet government to respect freedom of speech and assembly, and national rights, including the right to emigrate. In turn, the international human rights movement developed from the 1960s to the 1990s largely through support for the Soviet dissident movement, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch prime examples. The Soviet experience is critical to any global history of human rights.