bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Higher maternal serum concentrations of nicotinamide and related metabolites in late pregnancy are associated with a lower risk of offspring atopic eczema at age 12 months
Authors: El‐Heis S. , Crozier S. R. , Robinson S. M. , Harvey N. C. , Cooper C. , Inskip H. M. ,   Southampton Women's Survey Study Group, Godfrey K. M.
Published: August 2016

Background

Evidence that atopic eczema partly originates in utero is increasing, with some studies linking the risk of developing the condition with aspects of maternal diet during pregnancy. Nicotinamide, a naturally occurring nutrient that is maintained through the dietary intakes of vitamin B3 and tryptophan, has been used in the treatment of some skin conditions including atopic eczema.

Objective

To examine the relation of maternal serum concentrations of nicotinamide and related tryptophan metabolites to the risk of atopic eczema in the offspring.

Methods

Within the UK Southampton Women Survey, infantile atopic eczema at ages 6 and 12 months was ascertained (modified UK Working Party Criteria for the Definition of Atopic Dermatitis). Maternal serum levels of kynurenine, kynurenic acid, anthranilic acid, tryptophan, nicotinamide and N1‐methylnicotinamide were measured in late pregnancy by mass spectrometry (n = 497) and related to the odds ratio of infantile atopic eczema.

Results

Maternal nicotinamide and related metabolite concentrations were not associated with offspring atopic eczema at age 6 months. Higher concentrations of nicotinamide and anthranilic acid were, however, associated with a lower risk of eczema at age 12 months (odds ratios 0.69, 95% CI 0.53–0.91/SD change, P = 0.007 and 0.63, 0.48–0.83, P = 0.001, respectively). The associations were robust to adjustment for potentially confounding variables.

Conclusion and clinical relevance

This is the first study linking maternal serum concentrations of nicotinamide and related metabolites to the risk of atopic eczema in the offspring. The findings point to potentially modifiable maternal influences on this complex and highly prevalent condition.
Large‐cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin: ultrastructural and immunohistochemical findings
Authors: Nagase Kotaro , Kimura Hiromi , Yonekura Naomi , Koba Shinichi , Inoue Takuya , Narisawa Yutaka
Published: August 2016

Large‐cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is an uncommon and aggressive neuroendocrine tumor, found mainly in the lung. Although LCNEC has been reported in various organs, LCNEC of the skin is extremely rare, poorly recognized and probably underestimated. Here we report a case of LCNEC of the skin, focusing on the histopathological and ultrastructural findings in detail. The patient was an 85‐year‐old Japanese woman presented with a mass on her right upper eyelid. Biopsy specimen showed an infiltrative mass with extension into the subcutis. Tumor cells were arranged in organoid and trabecular patterns with sheets, nests and trabecular cords. Extensive necrotic areas were observed. Most of the tumor cells were characterized by large cell size, polygonal shape, low nuclear‐cytoplasmic ratio, coarse nuclear chromatin and frequent nucleoli. They were positive for CD56, NSE, AE1/AE3, CK7, and negative for CK20, TTF‐1, synaptophysin and chromogranin A. A systematic radiographic examination revealed no additional neoplastic lesions other than the right upper eyelid mass. These findings suggest that the present case is a LCNEC of the skin. The existence of LCNEC in the skin should be recognized, as it is a rare variant of carcinoma that can potentially be misconstrued as a metastasis or as Merkel cell carcinoma.
Diagnosis and management of proximal sesamoid bone fractures in the horse
Authors: Schnabel L. V. , Redding W. R.
Published: August 2016

Fractures of the proximal sesamoid bones (PSBs) range in severity from simple to complex and comminuted and can be articular or nonarticular. The majority of PSB fractures are diagnosed in racehorses, but PSB fractures, especially simple ones, do occur in sport horses undertaking various disciplines. For simple apical, basilar and abaxial articular PSB fractures, surgical removal via arthroscopy carries the best prognosis for return to athletic performance. Removal of apical and abaxial PSB fractures generally result in a favourable prognosis for return to racing but are dependent on the amount of suspensory ligament injury. Removal of basilar PSB fracture fragments results in a less favourable or fair prognosis for return to racing. Mid‐body PSB fractures typically require (lag screw) surgical fixation preferably with arthroscopic guidance and carry a fair to guarded prognosis for return to racing.
Seed dispersal potential by wild mallard duck as estimated from digestive tract analysis
Authors: Kleyheeg Erik , Klaassen Marcel , Soons Merel B.
Published: August 2016

Dispersal of plant seeds by ducks and other waterbirds is of great importance to the ecology of freshwater habitats. To unravel the mechanisms of waterbird‐mediated seed dispersal, numerous laboratory experiments have been conducted, but effects of seed and waterbird traits on dispersal potential have rarely been investigated under field conditions.

Through analysis of the digestive tracts of 100 wild mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) across a winter season in the Netherlands, we assessed (i) the inter‐individual and seasonal variability of seeds in the digestive tract, (ii) the variability of digestive tract organ size and gizzard grit mass, and (iii) the potential effects of seed species traits and gut traits on the survival potential of ingested seeds.

We found 4548 ingested seeds of at least 66 plant species from a wide range of habitats, most of which were retained in the gizzard. Nineteen species had not previously been reported from mallard diets. Individual tracts contained anywhere between 0 and 1048 seeds, of up to 14 species (median of three species). Diet composition and digestive tract size varied substantially between individuals and over the course of the winter season. As predicted from controlled feeding studies, we found that also in wild mallards, size‐dependent gut passage survival favours the dispersal of small‐seeded species. Despite the large variation in gizzard and small intestine size in this study, their effect on the dispersal potential of ingested seeds in the field remains unclear. We found no difference in dispersal potential between plants species growing in wet or dry habitats.

This study demonstrates that wild mallards are opportunistic seed consumers with a very diverse diet as reflected by seed species composition in both the foregut and hindgut. However, we also show that serious limitations of field‐based analyses compared to controlled experiments can impede drawing conclusions about gut passage survival of seeds. The large variability in diet composition among individuals and over time indicates high endozoochorous dispersal potential for a wide range of plant species by wild mallard in aquatic and wetland, as well as surrounding terrestrial habitats.
Ecosystem fluxes of hydrogen in a mid‐latitude forest driven by soil microorganisms and plants
Authors: Meredith Laura K. , Commane Róisín , Keenan Trevor F. , Klosterman Stephen T. , Munger J. William , Templer Pamela H. , Tang Jianwu , Wofsy Steven C. , Prinn Ronald G.
Published: August 2016

Molecular hydrogen (H2) is an atmospheric trace gas with a large microbe‐mediated soil sink, yet cycling of this compound throughout ecosystems is poorly understood. Measurements of the sources and sinks of H2 in various ecosystems are sparse, resulting in large uncertainties in the global H2 budget. Constraining the H2 cycle is critical to understanding its role in atmospheric chemistry and climate. We measured H2 fluxes at high frequency in a temperate mixed deciduous forest for 15 months using a tower‐based flux‐gradient approach to determine both the soil‐atmosphere and the net ecosystem flux of H2. We found that Harvard Forest is a net H2 sink (−1.4 ± 1.1 kg H2 ha−1) with soils as the dominant H2 sink (−2.0 ± 1.0 kg H2 ha−1) and aboveground canopy emissions as the dominant H2 source (+0.6 ± 0.8 kg H2 ha−1). Aboveground emissions of H2 were an unexpected and substantial component of the ecosystem H2 flux, reducing net ecosystem uptake by 30% of that calculated from soil uptake alone. Soil uptake was highly seasonal (July maximum, February minimum), positively correlated with soil temperature and negatively correlated with environmental variables relevant to diffusion into soils (i.e., soil moisture, snow depth, snow density). Soil microbial H2 uptake was correlated with rhizosphere respiration rates (r = 0.8, P < 0.001), and H2 metabolism yielded up to 2% of the energy gleaned by microbes from carbon substrate respiration. Here, we elucidate key processes controlling the biosphere–atmosphere exchange of H2 and raise new questions regarding the role of aboveground biomass as a source of atmospheric H2 and mechanisms linking soil H2 and carbon cycling. Results from this study should be incorporated into modeling efforts to predict the response of the H2 soil sink to changes in anthropogenic H2 emissions and shifting soil conditions with climate and land‐use change.
Mapping gains and losses in woody vegetation across global tropical drylands
Authors: Tian Feng , Brandt Martin , Liu Yi Y. , Rasmussen Kjeld , Fensholt Rasmus
Published: August 2016

Woody vegetation in global tropical drylands is of significant importance for both the interannual variability of the carbon cycle and local livelihoods. Satellite observations over the past decades provide a unique way to assess the vegetation long‐term dynamics across biomes worldwide. Yet, the actual changes in the woody vegetation are always hidden by interannual fluctuations of the leaf density, because the most widely used remote sensing data are primarily related to the photosynthetically active vegetation components. Here, we quantify the temporal trends of the nonphotosynthetic woody components (i.e., stems and branches) in global tropical drylands during 2000–2012 using the vegetation optical depth (VOD), retrieved from passive microwave observations. This is achieved by a novel method focusing on the dry season period to minimize the influence of herbaceous vegetation and using MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data to remove the interannual fluctuations of the woody leaf component. We revealed significant trends (P < 0.05) in the woody component (VODwood) in 35% of the areas characterized by a nonsignificant trend in the leaf component (VODleaf modeled from NDVI), indicating pronounced gradual growth/decline in woody vegetation not captured by traditional assessments. The method is validated using a unique record of ground measurements from the semiarid Sahel and shows a strong agreement between changes in VODwood and changes in ground observed woody cover (r2 = 0.78). Reliability of the obtained woody component trends is also supported by a review of relevant literatures for eight hot spot regions of change. The proposed approach is expected to contribute to an improved assessment of, for example, changes in dryland carbon pools.
Mothers’ self‐efficacy and children's oral health
Authors: Anaya‐Morales M , Villanueva‐Vilchis MC , Aleksejūnienė J , De la Fuente Hernández J
Published: August 2016

Objectives

To (i) test the validity of the Spanish Self‐Efficacy Scale for Maternal Oral Care (SESMO), (ii) compare SESMO scores among socio‐demographic groups and (iii) relate mothers’ SESMO to children's dental status.

Methods

A limited census sample included 130 children and their mothers. The SESMO was applied through an interview, and the children's DMFT/dmft (number of decayed, missing and filled teeth) and OHI‐S (oral hygiene score) were assessed through clinical examinations. To test the internal consistency and validity, the Spanish and English SESMO versions were compared. Dental status and oral hygiene were examined in different socio‐demographic groups.

Results

Most of the families were from the middle socio‐economic class, and the majority of children (65%) were ≤6 years of age. Cronbach's α was 0.82 for the English SESMO and 0.86 for the Spanish SESMO; both versions had a three‐factor structure (one for each self‐efficacy subscale). Overall, the factor loadings of the total and its subscale items were similar between the two SESMO versions. There was a correlation between the mothers’ self‐efficacy and the children's dental health status in deciduous dentition.

Conclusions

The Spanish SESMO scale had similar internal consistency and validity as the previously validated English SESMO scale. Mothers’ self‐efficacy was associated with children's dental status in deciduous dentition but not with children's status in permanent dentition.
Ion transport peptide (ITP) regulates wing expansion and cuticle melanism in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens
Authors: Yu B. , Li D.‐T. , Wang S.‐L. , Xu H.‐J. , Bao Y.‐Y. , Zhang C.‐X.
Published: August 2016

Ion transport peptide (ITP) and its alternatively spliced homologous ITP‐like (ITPL) products play important roles in various insect developmental processes. We found for the first time that alternative 5' untranslated regions (5' UTRs) of ITPL (NilluITPLs‐1, ‐2, ‐3 and ‐4) control spatiotemporal expression in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, as demonstrated by reverse‐transcription quantitative PCR. By using an alternative 5' UTR, NilluITPL‐1 was expressed exclusively in the male reproductive system, resulting in the production of the NilluITPL seminal fluid protein. Interestingly, NilluITPLs‐3 and −4 were expressed exclusively in the integument, indicating a specialized function for NilluITPL during ecdysis and eclosion. We investigated the functions of NilluITP and NilluITPL using RNA interference (RNAi). We did not observe apparent phenotypes when expression of NilluITPLs was suppressed. However, when NilluITP expression was suppressed, the insect exhibited melanism and failed wing expansion, indicating that NilluITP is a neuropeptide associated with wing expansion in addition to bursicon. Additionally, in contrast to bursicon, the insects showed increased melanism when NilluITP was eliminated by RNAi. Unlike previous studies of ITP/ITPL in other species, NilluITP was very important in the control of N. lugens postecdysial behaviours but was not critical during ecdysis. Thus, the functions of ITP and ITPL are more complex in insects than previously thought.
Market disruptions in supply chains: a review of operational models
Authors: Shen Bin , Li Qingying
Published: August 2016

Market disruptions are unplanned and unanticipated events, which may further influence the flow of goods and materials within a supply chain. In view of the increasing significance of market disruptions in industries, in this paper, we review a selection of related papers that focus on market disruptions in the supply chain. We classify the literature into three aspects, namely, demand disruption, supply disruption, and supply chain disruption risk. We review the representative operational models in each aspect. We derive insights into the current state of knowledge in each area. We suggest three future research directions: (a) Can supply chain structure help reduce disruption risk? (b) How does information asymmetry influence the supply chain in the presence of disruption? (c) How does social welfare vary in the presence of disruption? In conclusion, this paper provides up‐to‐date information to both researchers and practitioners to better identify, manage, and control market disruptions.
The Cogs and Wheels of Reflexive Law – Business Disclosure under the Modern Slavery Act
Authors: Wen Shuangge
Published: August 2016

In response to the novel challenges posed by labour exploitation in the contemporary business context, recent years have witnessed an increasing adoption of reflexive law in the form of slavery disclosure, s. 54 of the United Kingdom Modern Slavery Act 2015 (MSA) being the latest attempt. Given that the pragmatic usages and effects of reflexive law have been explored far less to date than its conceptual and jurisprudential implications, this article seeks to put matters right by critically examining the use of this regulatory mode in the context of s. 54. It also aims to contribute to the broader appraisal of regulatory methods by comparing reflexive laws with the traditional regulatory dichotomy which has long dominated debates on globalized business and human rights.
Disability Discrimination Law in the United Kingdom and the New Civil Rights History: The Contribution of Caroline Gooding
Authors: O'Brien Nick
Published: August 2016

This article concerns the theoretical and practical contribution of radical lawyer, feminist, and disability activist, Caroline Gooding to disability rights in the United Kingdom. It assesses the impact of her published work in the 1990s and translation of her insights into practice through her work on the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and later at the Disability Rights Commission, not least in securing in legislation a positive disability equality duty. In particular, it seeks to situate Gooding's contribution within the ‘new civil rights history’, with its emphasis on the role of lawyer as mediator, facilitator, and ‘gatekeeper’. It argues that through her engagement with strategic law enforcement, law reform, and the wider mobilization of the law, Gooding created ‘alternative visions and accounts’ of disability and so forged a decisive connection between disabled people as a social movement and the law, in ways of exemplary value to social movements more generally.
When War Adversaries Talk: The Experimental Effect of Engagement Rules on Postconflict Deliberation
Authors: Ugarriza Juan E.
Published: August 2016

A set of discussion groups including leftist ex-guerrillas and rightist ex-paramilitaries in Colombia shows the limits for democratic deliberation in postconflict societies, but also points to ways that outcomes closer to the deliberative ideal might be obtained. A total of 342 ex-combatants agreed to sit down and talk politics under a number of experimental conditions, using three different protocols of engagement. Results show that consensus rule fosters simultaneously a more reasoned and common-good–oriented, and less self-interested type of discussion when compared to majority rule and unstructured “free talk.” Nevertheless, while it might be desirable to promote a better quality of deliberation in divided societies, it does not necessarily prevent antagonists’ tendency to polarize.
Impact of Wood Biochar and Its Interactions with Mycorrhizal Fungi, Phosphorus Fertilization and Irrigation Strategies on Potato Growth
Authors: Liu C. , Liu F. , Ravnskov S. , Rubæk G. H. , Sun Z. , Andersen M. N.
Published: August 2016

Biochar amendment to soil has the potential to improve soil quality and increase crop yield. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) provide beneficial plant services of stress alleviation with respect to phosphorus (P) deficiency and drought. The aim of this study was to explore interactive effects of biochar with AMF, P fertilization levels and irrigation strategies on growth of potato plants. Potato plants were amended with wood biochar of 0.74 % w/w (B+) or not (B−), fertilized with phosphorus of 0.11 mg P g−1 soil (P1) or not (P0), irrigated with full irrigation (FI) or partial root‐zone drying irrigation (PRD) and inoculated with AMF of Rhizophagus irregularis (M+) or not (M−) in split‐root pots in a sandy loam soil. Plants were analysed for growth performance, P and nitrogen (N) uptake and water use efficiency (WUE). Biochar adsorption of mineral P and N in aqueous solution was tested in subexperiment. B+ significantly decreased plant biomass production except under P0 FI M−, where B+ increased plant biomass. This growth stimulation was counteracted by treatments of P1, PRD and M+. B+ significantly decreased plant leaf area, P and N uptake and WUE, but had no significant effect on root biomass and soil pH. The positive plant growth response to AMF was substantially reduced by biochar amendment. The wood biochar had no adsorption for mineral N, and it had 0.96 % adsorption for mineral P in aqueous solution. The results suggested that the negative effect of wood biochar application on plant growth may due to the reduced plant uptake of P and N and the possibility of phytotoxic effects of wood biochar on potato growth. It was concluded that the wood biochar used in current study had negative impact on plant growth and P/N uptake and it is not recommendable to apply this wood biochar to mycorrhizal agro‐system, to soil fertilized with high rate of P or to soil suffering water deficiency.
Dual colonization of the Palaearctic from different regions in the Afrotropics by Senecio
Authors: Kandziora Martha , Kadereit Joachim W. , Gehrke Berit
Published: August 2016

Aim

Investigation of the geographical origin of Senecio and the colonization of the Palaearctic including the relationship of life‐history strategy and elevational distribution in the source area and the colonized area.

Location

Worldwide with a focus on the Afrotropic and the Palaearctic.

Methods

Sampling focused on adding species from the Afrotropic to existing datasets of Senecio. Two nuclear markers and three chloroplast markers were amplified and sequenced. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference were used to infer phylogeny, divergence times, biogeographical history and life‐history strategy evolution.

Results

Senecio originated most likely during the Mid to Late Miocene in western southern Africa (WSA). Colonization of the Palaearctic probably started from two different areas. One lineage of mostly annual lowland species seems to have originated in WSA, whereas the other lineage of perennial mountain species originated in mountainous areas of eastern southern Africa or tropical/subtropical East Africa.

Main conclusions

Senecio evolved in arid or semi‐arid regions in WSA during a period of ongoing aridification and broad‐scale biome changes at the onset of a winter rainfall regime in the Greater Cape Floristic Region. Life‐history strategy and elevational distribution of the two Palaearctic lineages did not change between the source areas and the colonized areas.
Epigallocatechin‐3‐O‐gallate up‐regulates microRNA‐199a‐3p expression by down‐regulating the expression of cyclooxygenase‐2 in stimulated human osteoarthritis chondrocytes
Authors: Rasheed Zafar , Rasheed Naila , Al‐Shobaili Hani A.
Published: August 2016

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a most common form of arthritis worldwide leading to significant disability. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non‐coding RNAs involved in various aspects of cartilage development, homoeostasis and pathology. Several miRNAs have been identified which have shown to regulate expression of target genes relevant to OA pathogenesis such as matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐13, cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2, etc. Epigallocatechin‐3‐O‐gallate (EGCG), the most abundant and active polyphenol in green tea, has been reported to have anti‐arthritic effects, however, the role of EGCG in the regulation of miRNAs has not been investigated in OA. Here, we showed that EGCG inhibits COX‐2 mRNA/protein expression or prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production via up‐regulating microRNA hsa‐miR‐199a‐3p expression in interleukin (IL)‐1β‐stimulated human OA chondrocytes. This negative co‐regulation of hsa‐miR‐199a‐3p and COX‐2 by EGCG was confirmed by transfection of OA chondrocytes with anti‐miR‐199a‐3p. Transfection of OA chondrocytes with anti‐miR‐199a‐3p significantly enhanced COX‐2 expression and PGE2 production (P < 0.001), while EGCG treatment significantly inhibited anti‐miR‐199a‐3p transfection‐induced COX‐2 expression or PGE2 production in a dose‐dependent manner. These results were further re‐validated by co‐treatment of these transfection OA chondrocytes with IL‐1β and EGCG. EGCG treatment consistently up‐regulated the IL‐1β‐decreased hsa‐miR‐199a‐3p expression (P < 0.05) and significantly inhibited the IL‐1β‐induced COX‐2 expression/PGE2 production (P < 0.05) in OA chondrocytes transfected with anti‐hsa‐miR‐199a‐3p. Taken together, these results clearly indicate that EGCG inhibits COX‐2 expression/PGE2 production via up‐regulation of hsa‐miR‐199a‐3p expression. These novel pharmacological actions of EGCG on IL‐1β‐stimulated human OA chondrocytes provide new suggestions that EGCG or EGCG‐derived compounds inhibit cartilage breakdown or pain by up‐regulating the expression of microRNAs in human chondrocytes.
Late childhood interpersonal callousness and conduct problem trajectories interact to predict adult psychopathy
Authors: Hawes Samuel W. , Byrd Amy L. , Waller Rebecca , Lynam Donald R. , Pardini Dustin A.
Published: August 2016

Background

Studies have demonstrated a robust association between interpersonal callousness (IC) and the development of severe and chronic conduct problems (CP) in youth. Although children exhibiting IC are also believed to be at particularly high risk for developing psychopathic personality features in adulthood, there is little longitudinal evidence supporting this assumption, particularly after controlling for co‐occuring CP severity.

Methods

This study used data collected on a longitudinal cohort of boys (n = 508), with an oversampling of youth exhibiting elevated conduct problems. Analyses examined the unique and interactive association between latent growth curve trajectories of IC and CP assessed bi‐annually from late childhood to early adolescence (~ages 10–13) and features of psychopathy in early adulthood (age ~ 24) assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist – Short Version (PCL:SV; Hart, Cox, & Hare, 1995).

Results

Growth curve analysis indicated that initial levels of IC and CP in childhood (~age 10 intercept) both uniquely predicted the development of the interpersonal/affective features of adult psychopathy, and boys with a combination of high initial levels of IC and CP were at particularly high risk for developing the impulsive/antisocial features of the disorder. Boys who exhibited systematic increases in CP from late childhood to early adolescence also demonstrated higher adult psychopathy scores, but changes in IC across this developmental period did not significantly add to the prediction of adult psychopathy.

Conclusions

Findings highlight the importance of developing targeted interventions for boys exhibiting severe IC and CP in childhood, as they appear to be at high risk for developing adult psychopathic features.
New insights into potential risk factors and associations in genital lichen sclerosus: Data from a multicentre Italian study on 729 consecutive cases
Authors: Virgili A. , Borghi A. , Cazzaniga S. , Di Landro A. , Naldi L. , Minghetti S. , Verrone A. , Stroppiana E. , Caproni M. , Nasca M.R. , D'Antuono A. , Papini M. , Di Lernia V. , Corazza M. ,   the GLS Italian Study Group
Published: August 2016

Background

Limited data are available on risk factors associated with lichen sclerosus and no data are available on gender differences in genital lichen sclerosus (GLS).

Objective

This multicentre study aimed at identifying potential risk factors for GLS, through data collection from a large, mixed‐sex sample of patients comparing gender‐related differences in relation to data from the general population.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study on 729 subjects (53.8% females, 46.2% males) affected with GLS, consecutively observed within a network of 15 Italian dermatology units. The following information was collected: demographic data, anthropometric measures, comorbidities, family history of LS, clinical features and symptoms related to GLS.

Results

Overweight and obesity, blood hypertension, hypothyroidism and an educational attainment equal or above upper secondary school level were more frequent among the study patients than among the general Italian population. Moreover, a family history of GLS was reported more frequently than expected among GLS patients. These factors were similar in males and females. The disease tended to occur later in females than in males.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that metabolic factors, and possibly a sedentary lifestyle, may play a role in GLS pathogenesis in genetically predisposed patients, and that risk profile is similar in males and females despite some difference in the onset of symptoms.
Basophil CD63 expression in chronic spontaneous urticaria: correlation with allergic sensitization, serum autoreactivity and basophil reactivity
Authors: Chen Q. , Zhai Z. , Xu J. , Chen W. , Chen S. , Zhong H. , Huang X. , Hao F. , Song Z.
Published: August 2016

Background

The underlying causes and factors contributing to the disease severity of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) are unknown.

Objective

Given the important role of basophils in the pathogenesis of urticaria and that CD63 serves as a useful marker for basophil activation and detecting, CD63 expression of basophils is a reliable tool for diagnosing allergy and hypersensitivity reactions to different allergens; the objective of this study was to investigate whether the level of basophil CD63 expression is correlated with allergen sensitization, serum autoreactivity and basophil reactivity in patients with CSU.

Methods

Basophil‐enriched leucocytes were separated from the blood of 64 patients with chronic urticaria (54 CSU patients and 10 symptomatic dermographism patients), 18 healthy control subjects and seven atopic donors without urticaria. Flow cytometry was then used to detect CD63 expression on the cell membrane of basophils from all samples. Analysis was also preformed on basophils incubated with sera from CSU patients with positive or negative autologous serum skin test (ASST).

Results

CD63 expression was significantly higher in the basophils from patients with CSU than in those from patients with symptomatic dermographism and the healthy control group. The levels of CD63 expression in CSU patients with ASST+ and/or allergen sensitization were higher than those with ASST− and/or no allergen sensitization patients. Incubation with ASST+ serum resulted in an increased expression of CD63 in the basophils of ASST+ CSU patients, whereas no such response was observed in healthy controls or ASST− CSU patients.

Conclusion

The increased CD63 expression in basophils from CSU patients may correlate with allergen sensitization, autoreactivity of serum and basophil reactivity. Our results suggest that CD63 may contribute new insight into the pathogenesis of CSU.
Survival of acral lentiginous melanoma in the National Cancer Institute of Colombia
Authors: Duarte C.A. , Flórez J.P. , López H.G. , Meneses M.X. , de Vries E.
Published: August 2016

Objective

To determine survival of a cohort of patients with acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM), treated at the National Cancer Institute of Colombia, the largest referral hospital of the country.

Methods

All patients diagnosed with an invasive ALM between 2003 and 2009 at the Colombian National Cancer Institute were included for analyses and followed for vital status and date of death. Using Kaplan–Meier methods, overall survival at 1, 3 and 5 years post diagnosis was determined, and Cox proportional hazards models were constructed for the variables showing a significant effect on survival in univariate analyses.

Results

Overall survival of this cohort of 90 patients was 77% at 1 year, 59% at 3 years and 54% at 5 years after diagnosis. Females had a better prognosis in univariate analyses but this advantage disappeared in multivariate models. Clinical stage was a strong predictor of survival, in univariate and multivariate models, particularly among elderly patients.

Conclusions

Prognosis of ALM in Colombia is relatively poor, particularly for patients with higher clinical stage. The large proportions of ALM diagnosed in stage III and IV explain the relatively poor survival, and illustrate the importance of improving prognosis by lowering stage at diagnosis through better education and early detection programmes.
Telbivudine therapy for chronic hepatitis B: A journey to identify super‐responders and to optimize treatment using the roadmap model
Authors: Kao Jia‐Horng , Asselah Tarik , Dou Xiao‐Guang , Hamed Kamal
Published: August 2016

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the most serious health problems worldwide with a high risk for cirrhosis and liver cancer. Several antiviral agents have been approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B, leading to a rapid reduction in HBV DNA and normalization of serum alanine aminotransferase levels. Telbivudine, a potent inhibitor of HBV replication, has been shown to be well tolerated. Because of the emergence of drug resistance, optimization strategies for telbivudine therapy have been shown to improve patient responses. Optimal baseline characteristics in so‐called super‐responders have been used to predict the virological response. Baseline HBV DNA levels < 9 log10 copies/mL (2 × 108 IU/mL) or alanine aminotransferase levels of more than or equal to twofold the upper limit of normal in HBeAg‐positive patients and HBV DNA < 7 log10 copies/mL (2 × 106 IU/mL) in HBeAg‐negative patients were strong predictors for virological response. In addition, the roadmap model, based on early virological response at week 24 of therapy, is considered as a powerful tool to identify patients at risk of treatment failure (HBV DNA ≥ 300 copies/mL, i.e. 60 IU/mL) and to reduce the risk of antiviral resistance. When considering pre‐treatment characteristics and on‐treatment responses, telbivudine may provide physicians with a wide choice of options to effectively treat patients with chronic hepatitis B, especially those with or at risk of renal impairment, or women of childbearing age.
Tectonometamorphic evolution of an intracontinental orogeny inferred from P–T–t–d paths of the metapelites from the Rehamna massif (Morocco)
Authors: Wernert P. , Schulmann K. , Chopin F. , Štípská P. , Bosch D. , El Houicha M.
Published: August 2016

New petrographic and microstructural observations, mineral equilibria modelling and U/Pb (monazite) geochronological studies were carried out to investigate the relationships between deformation and metamorphism across the Rehamna massif (Moroccan Variscan belt). In this area, typical Barrovian (muscovite to staurolite) zones developed in Cambrian to Carboniferous metasedimentary rocks that are distributed around a dome‐like structure. First assemblages are characterized by the presence of locally preserved andalusite, followed by prograde evolution culminating at 6 kbar and 620 °C in the structurally deepest staurolite zone rocks. This Barrovian sequence was subsequently uplifted to supracrustal levels, heterogeneously reworked at greenschist facies conditions, which was followed locally by static growth of andalusite, indicating heating to 2.5–4 kbar and 530–570 °C. The 206Pb/238U monazite age of 298.3 ± 4.1 Ma is interpreted as minimum age of peak metamorphic conditions, whereas the ages of 275.8 ± 1.7 Ma and 277.0 ± 1.1 Ma date decompression and heating at low pressure, in agreement with previous dating of Permian granitoids intruding the Rehamna massif. The prograde metamorphism occurred during thickening and associated horizontal flow in the deeper crust (S1 horizontal schistosity). The horizontally disposed metamorphic zones were subsequently uplifted by a regional scale antiform during ongoing N–S compression. The re‐heating of the massif follows late massive E–W shortening, refolding and retrograde shearing of all previous fabrics coevally with regionally important intrusions of Permian granitoids. We argue that metamorphic evolution of the Rehamna massif occurred several hundred kilometres from the convergent plate boundaries in the interior of continental Gondwanan plate. The tectonometamorphic history of the Rehamna massif is put into Palaeozoic plate tectonic perspective and Late Carboniferous reactivation of (Devonian)–Early Carboniferous basins formed during stretching of the north Gondwana margin and formation of the Palaeotethys Ocean. The inherited heat budget of these magma‐rich basins plays a role in the preferential location of this intracontinental orogen. It is shown that rapid transition from lithospheric stretching to compression is characterized by specific HT type of Barrovian metamorphism, which markedly differs from similar Barrovian sequences along Palaeozoic plate boundaries reported from Variscan Europe.
Geometry and spatial orientation of a quadruple node of triple junctions in a europium‐doped KI crystal as determined by epifluorescence microscopy
Authors: CORDERO‐BORBOA A.E. , UNDA‐ANGELES R.
Published: August 2016

The geometry and spatial orientation of a typical arrangement of four triple junctions and six grain boundaries sharing a common quadruple node in a Eu2+‐doped KI crystal are investigated by epifluorescence microscopy using the proper doping ion as a fluorochrome. To achieve this, an electronic three‐dimensional reconstruction of the studied arrangement of crystal defects was built from microscopy images of different optical cross‐sections of this arrangement. Previously, the doping ions were induced, by subjecting the crystal to a long annealing treatment, to form europium precipitates into the crystal grain boundaries. The optical properties of these precipitates were characterized by fluorescence spectrophotometry and used to tailor properly the microscope fluorescence mirror unit, whereas the single‐crystal character of the microscope samples was tested by X‐ray diffraction. By inspecting the reconstruction under handling, the dihedral angles between the grain boundaries that meet at a common triple junction as well as the angles between the triple junctions sharing the quadruple node were successfully measured at the quadruple node site. The measuring procedures are carefully described. The resulting values (132º, 109º, 119º, 125º, 111º, 124º, 124º, 111º, 125º, 129º, 109º and 122º ± 2º) for the dihedral angles depart for some few degrees from the characteristic angle (120º) of a 3‐fold symmetry rotation, whereas the resulting values (104º, 111º, 117º, 103º, 100º and 121º ± 2º) for the triple junction angles are not far from the characteristic angle (109.47º) between the legs of a tetrahedron. These results, indicating that in the close neighbourhood of the quadruple node the studied arrangement of crystal defects deviates from a state of full structural stability, allow this arrangement to be fairly modelled in such a neighbourhood by a distorted tetrahedron. The angles between the studied triple junctions and the host lattice directions [11], [11], [11] and [] were also measured at the quadruple node site, and the resulting values (8º, 7º, 6º and 8º ± 2º, respectively) indicate that a symmetry mismatching exists between the tetrahedral model of the studied Eu2+‐decorated arrangement of crystal defects and the KI matrix cubic crystal lattice. This symmetry mismatching is discussed to be responsible for the observed deviation from structural stability.
Laparoscopic appendectomy to remove a metallic foreign body in a wild Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) undergoing rehabilitation
Authors: Llano Sanchez Karmele , Handayani Ayu B. , Nelson Christine L. , Eng Jaclyn W.L. , Prameswari Wendi , Hicks Nigel , Pizzi Romain
Published: August 2016

A laparoscopic appendectomy was performed in a wild orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) undergoing rehabilitation, for a metal nail found on radiographs, using 3‐mm instrumentation. Post‐operative healing was rapid and uneventful, with return to the forest within 10 days. This is the first report of minimally invasive surgery in a wild orangutan.
Selective Oestrogen Receptor Agonists Rescued Hippocampus Parameters in Male Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Pietranera L. , Correa J. , Brocca M. E. , Roig P. , Lima A. , Di Giorgio N. , Garcia‐Segura L. M. , De Nicola A. F.
Published: August 2016

Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) show pronounced hippocampus alterations, including low brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression, reduced neurogenesis, astrogliosis and increased aromatase expression. These changes are reverted by treatment with 17β‐oestradiol. To determine which oestradiol receptor (ER) type is involved in these neuroprotective effects, we used agonists of the ERα [propylpyrazole triol (PPT)] and the ERβ [diarylpropionitrite (DPN)] given over 2 weeks to 4‐month‐old male SHR. Wistar Kyoto normotensive rats served as controls. Using immunocytochemistry, we determined glial fibrillary protein (GFAP)+ astrocytes in the CA1, CA3 and hilus of the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, aromatase immunostaining in the hilus, and doublecortin (DCX)+ neuronal progenitors in the inner granular zone of the dentate gyrus. Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor mRNA was also measured in the hippocampus by the quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In SHR, PPT had no effect on blood pressure, decreased astrogliosis, slightly increased BDNF mRNA, had no effect on the number of DCX+ progenitors, and increased aromatase staining. Treatment with DPN decreased blood pressure, decreased astrogliosis, increased BDNF mRNA and DCX+ progenitors, and did not modify aromatase staining. We hypothesise that, although both receptor types may participate in the previously reported beneficial effects of 17β‐oestradiol in SHR, receptor activation with DPN may preferentially facilitate BDNF mRNA expression and neurogenesis. The results of the present study may help in the design of ER‐based neuroprotection for the encephalopathy of hypertension.
Experiences of Military Spouses of Veterans With Combat‐Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: Yambo Teresa W. , Johnson Mary E. , Delaney Kathleen R. , Hamilton Rebekah , Miller Arlene Michaels , York Janet A.
Published: August 2016

Purpose

To explore the experiences of military spouses living with veterans with combat‐related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Design

Husserlian phenomenology was chosen as the theoretical framework because it allowed a deeper understanding of the unfolding of the spouses’ daily experience.

Methods

A purposive sample of 14 spouses living with veterans with symptoms of PTSD participated in unstructured interviews. Data were analyzed using a modification of the Colaizzi phenomenological method.

Findings

Spouses recognized that the veteran was no longer the same person, with life becoming one of living with the unpredictability of PTSD. The spouses bore the burden to maintain normalcy in the family and eventually created a new life.

Conclusions

Military spouses endure psychological stress and strain, while living with a veteran with PTSD. There is a need for more programs to support the resilience of military spouses.

Clinical Relevance

Life for military spouses of veterans with PTSD is ever‐changing and unpredictable. Practitioners need to be aware of the stress that spouses experience and develop programs and interventions that bolster the resilience of military families.
Managing Secrecy and Disclosure of Domestic Violence in Affluent Communities
Authors: Haselschwerdt Megan L. , Hardesty Jennifer L.
Published: August 2016

Although it is widely acknowledged that domestic violence (DV) can happen to anyone, there is scant research on affluent women's DV experiences. Using grounded theory, the present study examined how affluent mothers managed secrecy and disclosure of DV in the context of their community. Data consisted of interviews with 10 mothers and 17 service providers from one affluent community. The process of managing secrecy and disclosure of DV was nonlinear, ongoing, and strongly influenced by community culture and familial status. Mothers' secrecy and disclosure decisions (i.e., how and when mothers disclosed) and experiences (i.e., the type of responses they received upon disclosure) varied depending on whether they bought in or opted out of the culture of affluence during marriage. The resulting grounded theory has implications for future research on DV in affluent families and the broader literature on secrecy and DV disclosure.
The Added Prognostic Value of Metabolic Tumor Size on FDG‐PET at First Suspected Recurrence of Glioblastoma Multiforme
Authors: Chiang Gloria C. , Galla Naveen , Ferraro Richard , Kovanlikaya Ilhami
Published: August 2016

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) face a dismal prognosis, with an average survival of 6–7 months after recurrence. There remains no consensus for managing these patients due to the heterogeneity of these tumors. Imaging may affect treatment decisions by helping to stratify patient prognosis. The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate the added utility of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) over magnetic resonance (MR) imaging metrics in predicting survival.

METHODS

Forty‐four consecutive patients who underwent FDG‐PET for first recurrence of GBM were included in this analysis. Tumor sizes, using cross products, and volumes on FDG‐PET and MRI, maximum standardized uptake value (SUV), minimum apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value, presence of satellite lesions, presence of multifocal lesions, and presence of bilateral tumor were considered as prognostic variables. Survival was assessed using Cox hazard and logistic regression models based on the time interval between the PET scan and the patient's date of death.

RESULTS

Tumor volumes on FDG‐PET (P = .046), tumor cross products on FDG‐PET (P = .017), and tumor cross products on MRI (P = .031) were significant prognostic variables, adjusting for the extent of the initial resection. Enhancing tumor volume, tumor cross product on a T2‐weighted MRI sequence, maximum SUV on FDG‐PET, minimum ADC value, presence of satellites, multifocality, and bilaterality were not prognostic (P > .5). Prognostic accuracy of predicting short survival increased from 58% with tumor cross product on MRI alone to 74% after including tumor cross product from PET.

CONCLUSIONS

Tumor size on FDG‐PET adds prognostic information to enhancing tumor size on MRI at first suspected recurrence of GBM.
Cognitive Defusion Predicts More Approach and Less Avoidance Coping With Stress, Independent of Threat and Self‐Efficacy Appraisals
Authors: Donald James N. , Atkins Paul W. B. , Parker Philip D. , Christie Alison M. , Guo Jiesi
Published: August 2016

Objective

Recent evidence suggests that the way in which individuals relate to their aversive thoughts predicts behavioral effectiveness more than the content of such thoughts. This article is among the first to explore whether this is true for coping with stressful events.

Method

Three studies with emerging adults (Study 1, N = 202) and adults (Study 2, N = 201; Study 3, N = 141) tested whether changes in how individuals relate to their stress‐related thoughts, measured using the individual‐difference construct of cognitive defusion, predicted more approach and less avoidance coping behavior, controlling for stress‐related appraisals.

Results

We found that cognitive defusion predicted more approach coping (Studies 1 and 3) and less avoidance coping (Studies 2 and 3) following laboratory‐induced stress (Study 1), naturally occurring monthly stress (Study 2), and daily stress (Study 3). These effects occurred independently of the effects of threat appraisals (Studies 1–3) and self‐efficacy appraisals (Study 3) on coping responses.

Conclusions

Cognitive defusion may be an important individual‐difference predictor of coping behavior, adding to established theories of coping such as Lazarus and Folkman's (1987) transactional theory.