bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Depressive symptoms and emotion regulation strategies in children with and without developmental language disorder: a longitudinal study
Authors: van den Bedem Neeltje P. , Dockrell Julie E. , van Alphen Petra M. , de Rooij Mark , Samson Andrea C. , Harjunen Elina L. , Rieffe Carolien
Published: August 2018

Background

Depressive symptoms are common in children with developmental language disorder (DLD). However, risk and protective factors contributing to these problems are currently underspecified.

Aims

The current longitudinal study examined the role of emotion‐regulation (ER) strategies in the severity of depressive symptoms in children with and without DLD, taking into account the severity of communication problems of children with DLD.

Methods & Procedures

We followed clinically referred children with DLD (n = 114, 49% girls) and without DLD (n = 214, 58% girls) between the ages of 8 and 16 years across an 18‐month period. Participants completed self‐report questionnaires at three time points. Parents of children with DLD reported on their child's communication problems.

Outcomes & Results

Multilevel analyses confirmed higher levels of depressive symptoms in youngsters with DLD compared with peers without DLD, with a decrease across time in the DLD group. In both groups, higher levels of approach and increasing avoidant strategies aimed at distraction or trivializing a problem explained lower depressive symptoms, whereas more worry and externalizing strategies contributed to more depressive symptoms. Within the DLD group, semantic language problems were associated with higher depressive symptoms. However, this relation was mediated by the tendency to worry or use externalizing strategies.

Conclusions & Implications

Results suggest that interventions for children with DLD should focus on enhancing their adaptive ER strategies to help them cope with daily stressors just as in the general population.
A methodological approach to couples therapy using a conjoint relational drawing process for the description of and intervention with relational patterns and meaning‐attributions
Authors: Elisa Molina María , Tapia‐Villanueva Luis , Fossa Pablo , Pereira Ximena , Aspillaga Carolina , de la Puerta Sofía
Published: August 2018

The consultants’ observation and understanding of relational patterns in couples therapy is a main therapeutic objective and a resource for change. The Conjoint Relational Drawing Process (CRDP) methodology uses a drawing technique to enable the display and efficient observation of relational patterns. It was designed to address the relational process in couples therapy. Two couples participated in making a conjoint drawing that was video‐recorded and later observed and analysed by the couple and the therapist and the researchers. The relational pattern descriptions and meaning attributions about the video‐recorded drawings were analysed in the therapeutic and research contexts. As a result, new perspectives regarding relational patterns and meaning attributions emerged, revealing modes of interaction that allowed new viewpoints about difficulties and ways forward. This approach for the clinical application of CRDP contributed to the evaluation and intervention in the couples’ therapy, and enabled issues to be defined early in the process.
Early or late pregnancy loss and development of clinical cardiovascular disease risk factors: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Horn J , Tanz LJ , Stuart JJ , Markovitz AR , Skurnik G , Rimm EB , Missmer SA , Rich‐Edwards JW
Published: August 2018

Objective

To assess the association between the outcome of a woman's first pregnancy and risk of clinical cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting and population

Nurses’ Health Study II.

Methods

Multivariable‐adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between first pregnancy outcome and hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia.

Main outcome measures

Hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia.

Results

Compared to women who reported a singleton live first birth, women with early spontaneous abortion (<12 weeks) had a greater rate of type 2 diabetes (HR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.07–1.34) and hypercholesterolemia (HR: 1.06; 95% CI: 1.02–1.10), and a marginally increased rate of hypertension (HR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00–1.11). Late spontaneous abortion (12–19 weeks) was associated with an increased rate of type 2 diabetes (HR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.14–1.65), hypercholesterolemia (HR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.03–1.19), and hypertension (HR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.05–1.25). The rates of type 2 diabetes (HR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.13–1.87) and hypertension (HR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.01–1.30) were higher in women who delivered stillbirth. In contrast, women whose first pregnancy ended in an induced abortion had lower rates of hypertension (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.84–0.91) and type 2 diabetes (HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.79–0.99) than women with a singleton live birth.

Conclusions

Several types of pregnancy loss were associated with an increased rate of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia, which may provide novel insight into the pathways through which pregnancy outcomes and CVD are linked.

Tweetable abstract

Pregnancy loss is associated with later maternal risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia.
Atypical Suicide by Submachine Gun
Authors: Kolopp Martin , Blum Alain , Leupold Marc‐Antoine , Martrille Laurent
Published: August 2018

In case of suicide, the presence of multiple entrance wounds is always suspicious. We report the case of a man who committed suicide by shooting himself three times in the chest and the skull with a submachine gun. The weapon seems to have been initially pointed in the precordium area with a lethal lesion of the proximal aorta. Two other projectiles were fired by the weapon and hit the neck and the skull of the deceased. The presence of three entrance wounds despite a first fatal wound could finally be explained by the characteristics of the weapon and wounds. Most suicides related to multiple gunshot wounds are explained by a first nonlethal shot but the use of an automatic weapon can also be found. In these last cases, medicolegal and criminalistics aspects become important in differentiating suicide and homicide.
Collusion with limited product comparability
Authors: de Roos Nicolas
Published: August 2018

We examine the effect of limited product comparability on the viability of collusion. Firms choose messages to influence consumer product comparison. The cartel hinders transparency on the equilibrium path and seeks it for optimal punishment. Five conditions are each sufficient to ensure obfuscation aids collusion: if firms can mix over messages or commit to messages, if messages are informative, or if an individual firm or the cartel can control comparability. We also analyze the impact of message differentiation and complexity for optimal messages, and identify a key role for the convexity or concavity of comparison probabilities in these features.
Fuel taxation, emissions policy, and competitive advantage in the diffusion of European diesel automobiles
Authors: Miravete Eugenio J. , Moral María J. , Thurk Jeff
Published: August 2018

Economic integration agreements have significantly decreased import tariffs. We investigate whether national policies can be an effective replacement for tariffs to protect domestic industry. We show that (a) European fuel taxes and vehicle emissions policy favored diesel vehicles, a technology popular with European consumers but largely offered only by domestic automakers; (b) European automakers benefited from pro‐diesel fuel taxes and a lenient NOx emissions policy to earn significant profits from diesel cars; and (c) that both policies amounted to significant nontariff trade policies equivalent to an import tariff between two to three times the official rate.
The determinants of product lines
Authors: Johnson Justin P. , Myatt David P.
Published: August 2018

We study product line choice allowing for cost asymmetries but ruling out strategic motivations such as a desire to soften competition. We identify two forces that interact with asymmetric competition to shape equilibrium product lines. Possible outcomes range from head‐to‐head competition to complete separation of product lines and include the intermediate case of partial separation. In an international trade context, we predict which qualities a disadvantaged foreign producer will specialize in. If cost factors drive quality‐based discrimination then foreign firms sell only lower qualities. However, if demand factors are the main drivers then foreign firms sell only high qualities.
Strategic design under uncertain evaluations: structural analysis of design‐build auctions
Authors: Takahashi Hidenori
Published: August 2018

I investigate firms' competition over price and product design under uncertain design evaluations in the context of Design‐Build (DB) auctions. Reviewers' design evaluations contain uncertainty from a bidder's perspective, leading luck to dampen differences in the firms' chances of winning. I model bidders' behavior and show semiparametric identification of the model primitives. Uncertain design evaluations increase the expected price of design quality and exacerbate an auctioneer's uncertainty in auction outcomes. These effects are mostly due to changes in bidding strategies. Bid ranking swaps due to uncertain evaluations account for a small share of these effects.
Cross‐licensing and competition
Authors: Jeon Doh‐Shin , Lefouili Yassine
Published: August 2018

We analyze the competitive effects of bilateral cross‐licensing agreements in a setting with many competing firms. We show that firms can sustain the monopoly outcome if they can sign unconstrained bilateral cross‐licensing contracts. This result is robust to increasing the number of firms who can enter into a cross‐licensing agreement. We also investigate the scenario in which a cross‐licensing contract cannot involve the payment of a royalty by a licensee who decides ex post not to use the licensed technology. Finally, policy implications regarding the antitrust treatment of cross‐licensing agreements are derived.
Multidimensional private information, market structure, and insurance markets
Authors: Fang Hanming , Wu Zenan
Published: August 2018

We investigate whether selection based on multidimensional private information in risks and risk preferences can, under different market structures, result in a negative correlation between insurance coverage and ex post realization of risk. We show that, under perfect competition, selection based on multidimensional private information does not result in the negative correlation property, unless there is a sufficiently high loading factor. However, it is possible to generate the negative correlation property under monopoly when risk and risk preference types are sufficiently negative dependent. We also clarify the connections between important concepts such as adverse/advantageous selection and positive/negative correlation property.
Association between bullous pemphigoid and psoriasis: Systematic review and meta‐analysis of case‐control studies
Authors: Phan Kevin , Goyal Sourabh , Murrell Dedee F
Published: August 2018

Several case reports and cohort studies have recently investigated the potential association between bullous pemphigoid (BP) and psoriasis. It has been speculated that chronic inflammation in the dermo‐epidermal junction can trigger exposure to antigens to autoreactive T cells, resulting in autoimmune blistering disease. However, the association described has been inconsistently reported amongst studies. We performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis to investigation this potential association. We identified four case–control studies for inclusion in the present meta‐analysis, with a total of 4035 bullous pemphigoid cases and 19 215 control cases. There was a significantly higher prevalence of psoriasis in BP compared to controls (2.6% vs 1.1%, OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.4–4.6). Subgroup analysis showed that this association remained significant in both males (3.0% vs 1.3%, OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.6–3.6) as well as females (1.9% vs 0.7%, OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.4–5.9). A significantly higher proportion of cases were reported in males (3.0% vs 1.9%, OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.1–2.7). This pooled analysis of existing case–control studies to date demonstrates a significant association between BP and psoriasis. We also showed that in contrast with the majority of autoimmune diseases which are predisposed in females, that the coexistence of BP and psoriasis appears to be predisposed in male patients.
Pulmonary function and bronchial reactivity 4 years after the first virus‐induced wheezing
Authors: Leino Annamari , Lukkarinen Minna , Turunen Riitta , Vuorinen Tytti , Söderlund‐Venermo Maria , Vahlberg Tero , Camargo Carlos A. , Bochkov Yury A. , Gern James E. , Jartti Tuomas
Published: August 2018

Background

Wheezing illnesses among young children are common and are a risk factor for asthma. However, determinants of childhood bronchial reactivity, a key feature of asthma, are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to determine how patient characteristics during the first severe virus‐induced wheezing episode are associated with pulmonary function at preschool age.

Methods

Study consisted of 76 children presenting with their first wheezing episode at the ages of 3 to 23 months. At study entry, viral etiology, rhinovirus genome load, atopic and clinical characteristics, and standardized questionnaire were analyzed. At 4‐year follow‐up visit, impulse oscillometry with exercise challenge was performed.

Results

At study entry, the mean age of the children was 12 months (SD 6.0), 57 (75%) were rhinovirus positive, and 22 (30%) were sensitized. At follow‐up visit four years later, the mean age of the children was 60 months (SD 7.9) and 37 (49%) were using asthma medication regularly (discontinued before testing in 25 [68%] children). Bronchial reactivity (≥35% change in mean crude values of resistance) after exercise challenge or bronchodilation was present in nine (12%) children. Children with atopic sensitization at the time of the first wheezing episode were more often likely to develop bronchial reactivity (odds ratio 8.8, P = 0.03) than the children without sensitization. No other significant associations were found.

Conclusions

Atopic sensitization at the time of the first severe wheezing episode is an important early risk factor for increased bronchial reactivity at preschool age.
Relationship Between Central Venous Catheter Protein Adsorption and Water Infused Surface Protection Mechanisms
Authors: Sutherland David W. , Blanks Zachary D. , Zhang Xin , Charest Joseph L.
Published: August 2018

Central venous catheters (CVCs) are implanted in the majority of dialysis patients despite increased patient risk due to thrombotic occlusion and biofilm formation. Current solutions remain ineffective at preventing these complications and treatment options are limited and often harmful. We present further analysis of the previously proposed water infused surface protection (WISP) technology, an active method to reduce protein adsorption and effectively disrupt adsorbed protein sheaths on the inner surface of CVCs. A WISP CVC is modeled by a hollow fiber membrane (HFM) in a benchtop device which continuously infuses a saline solution across the membrane wall into the blood flow, creating a blood‐free boundary layer at the lumen surface. Total protein adsorption is measured under various experimental conditions to further test WISP performance. The WISP device shows reduced protein adsorption as blood and WISP flow rates increase (P < 0.040) with up to a 96% reduction in adsorption over the no WISP condition. When heparin is added to the WISP flow, protein adsorption (0.097[+0.035/–0.055] µg/mm2) is reduced when compared to both bolus administration and nondoped WISP, 0.406(+0.056/–0.065) µg/mm2 (P = 0.001) and 0.191 (+0.076/–0.126) (P = 0.029), respectively. Additionally, when heparinized WISP is applied to a preadsorbed protein layer, 0.375(+0.114/–0.164) µg/mm2, it displays the ability to reduce the previously‐adsorbed protein, 0.186(+0.058/–0.084) µg/mm2 (P = 0.0012), suggesting aptitude for intermittent treatments. The WISP technology not only shows the ability to reduce protein adsorption, but also the ability to remove preadsorbed material by effectively delivering drugs to the point of adsorption; functionalities that could greatly improve clinical outcomes.
Preterm infant showed better object handling skills in a neonatal intensive care unit during silence than with a recorded female voice
Authors: Lejeune Fleur , Brand Laure‐Anne , Palama Amaya , Parra Johanna , Marcus Leïla , Barisnikov Koviljka , Debillon Thierry , Gentaz Edouard , Berne‐Audéoud Frédérique
Published: August 2018

Aim

This study compared whether preterm infants showed better tactile abilities during silence or when they heard a prerecorded female voice at different intensities.

Methods

We studied 74 preterm infants of 28–35 weeks’ postconceptional age who were admitted to a French neonatal intensive care unit from 2014 to 2017. They were presented with wooden objects, one smooth and one angled, at various points during silence (n = 26) or while listening to a female voice at +5 (n = 24) or +15 decibels (n = 24) inside their incubator. We compared the conditions to see if there was any difference in how the infants handled the objects and also compared familiar and unfamiliar objects.

Results

The preterm infants showed better handling skills and only displayed effective discrimination, during silence. We found that 27.1% of the infants exposed to female voices failed to get habituated to the object, compared to 7.7% in the silence condition (p < 0.05) and success during the voice conditions required more trials (6.1 vs. 5.3) than the silence condition (p = 0.05). The different voice intensities made no difference.

Conclusion

Being exposed to a female voice had a negative impact on preterm infants’ tactile sensory learning, regardless of its intensity.
Facilitated tucking during early neonatologist‐performed echocardiography in very preterm neonates
Authors: Gautheyrou Laurène , Durand Sabine , Jourdes Emilie , De Jonckheere Julien , Combes Clémentine , Cambonie Gilles
Published: August 2018

Aim

To assess the effect of facilitated tucking (FT), a nonpharmacologic nursing intervention, on echocardiographic parameters and infant comfort collected prospectively during neonatologist‐performed echocardiography.

Methods

Echocardiography was performed twice, in standard conditions and with FT; the order was randomised by computer. Echocardiography provided data on pulmonary artery flow and pressure, right and left ventricular function, and persistent ductus arteriosus. Comfort was assessed by a behavioural scale of pain, variations in heart rate (HR) and SpO2, and a newborn infant parasympathetic evaluation index based on the high‐frequency variability in HR.

Results

Fifty newborns, with mean gestational age of 28 [26.6–29.0] weeks and mean birthweight of 950 [780–1190] g, were studied at a postnatal age of 13 [9–27] hours. FT was associated with longer acceleration time/right ventricular ejection time in the main pulmonary artery (p = 0.006), reduced averaged HR variations (p = 0.03) and lower pain scores (p < 0.001). The other haemodynamic parameters and the parasympathetic index were not influenced by FT.

Conclusion

Echocardiography performed soon after birth in very premature neonates may generate mild discomfort. FT during echocardiography is associated with lower pulmonary artery pressures and improves infant's comfort during this examination.
Structural brain maturation differs between preterm and term piglets, whereas brain activity does not
Authors: Plomgaard A M , Andersen A D , Petersen T H , van de Looij Y , Thymann T , Sangild P T , Thomsen C , Sizonenko S V , Greisen G
Published: August 2018

Aim

The aim of the study was to investigate whether amplitude‐integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) and cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in preterm piglets would provide measures of cerebral functional, microstructural and anatomical maturation, which might reflect the signs of functional brain immaturity, documented in preterm piglets.

Methods

During July–October 2013 at the NEOMUNE Centre, Copenhagen University, Denmark, 31 preterm (90% gestation) and 10 term piglets underwent aEEG on days 1, 2, 4 and 11, and MRI on day 25. Physical activity levels were recorded.

Results

Preterm showed delayed neonatal arousal and physical activity, relative to term piglets. Preterm piglets had lower growth rates and brain volume than term piglets, but aEEG patterns were similar. MRI mean diffusivity was also similar, but fractional anisotropy (FA) was lower in preterm piglets (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Functional brain maturation, as assessed by aEEG, was relatively advanced in preterm piglets. Conversely, the low FA in the preterm piglets suggests that the white matter microstructure remains less mature in preterm compared to term piglets at postnatal day 25. The results might be utilised to define whether and how preterm piglets may contribute to preclinical models for brain development in preterm infants.
Successful closure of a complicated duodenal ulcer perforation with an expandable esophageal stent
Authors: Stavrou George , Rafailidis Vasileios , Diamantidou Anna , Kouskouras Constantinos , Michalopoulos Antonios , Kotzampassi Katerina
Published: August 2018

Laparotomy and reoperation remain the standard procedures for patients with suture line disruption after the initial surgical treatment for duodenal ulcer perforation has failed. Recently, endoscopic stents have been employed for dehiscence of the suture line after a surgical repair or even as a primary treatment. We present such a case, the fourth in the literature. In this case, a partially covered stent was placed to cover the duodenal perforation opening after an unsuccessful stitching 6 days earlier. We discuss the difficulties in stent positioning, the choice of sealant, and possible complications. Overall, for older patients with comorbidities, endoscopic stent placement could be considered a promising alternative minimally invasive treatment.
BPR1J373, a novel multitargeted kinase inhibitor, effectively suppresses the growth of gastrointestinal stromal tumor
Authors: Tsai Hui‐Jen , Jiaang Weir‐Torn , Shih Neng‐Yao , Fletcher Jonathan A. , Lin Ming‐Jon , Yang Ming‐Yu , Chen Chiung‐Tong , Hsu Tsu‐An John , Wu Chun‐Chieh , Lin Hui‐You , Chen Li‐Tzong
Published: August 2018

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a type of KIT‐driven cancer. KIT gene mutations are found in approximately 80% of GISTs, and most of these mutations occur in exon 9 and exon 11. Imatinib has been successfully used as a first‐line treatment for advanced GIST, with a significant improvement in progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival. However, disease progression might develop due to primary or secondary resistance to imatinib. Sunitinib and regorafenib have been approved as second‐ and third‐line treatments for advanced GIST patients, with median PFS values of 6.8 and 4.8 months, respectively. However, these relatively modest improvements in PFS underscore the need for more effective KIT inhibitors. BPR1J373 is a multitargeted kinase inhibitor that has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of KIT‐driven acute myeloid leukemia cells in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we found that BPR1J373 inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis by targeting KIT in GIST cells with KIT gene mutations. BPR1J373 also induced cell cycle arrest and senescent change in KIT‐mutant GIST48 cells, probably by targeting aurora kinase A. In the KIT‐null COS‐1 cell‐based system, BPR1J373 effectively inhibited KIT with single or double mutations of KIT developed in GIST. The antiproliferative effect was also consistently evident in GIST430 tumor‐grafted mice. The results suggest that BPR1J373 could be a potential anticancer drug for GIST and deserves further investigation for clinical applications.
Impact of oral health literacy on self‐reported missing data in epidemiological research
Authors: Firmino Ramon Targino , Fraiz Fabian Calixto , Montes Gisele Ristow , Paiva Saul Martins , Granville‐Garcia Ana Flávia , Ferreira Fernanda Morais
Published: August 2018

Objectives

To investigate whether oral health literacy (OHL) impacts missing data obtained through self‐reporting in oral health epidemiological research.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted with parents (n = 344) of 4‐ to 5‐year‐old children randomly selected from public schools within the city of Curitiba, Brazil. Parental OHL was measured using the Brazilian version of the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (BREALD‐30). Parents answered a set of questionnaires comprising 88 items concerning sociodemographic and economic data, children's access to dental services, oral hygiene behaviour, diet and mealtime behaviour. The total number of unanswered items (TUI) and the number of unanswered items in each type of question (open‐ended, dichotomous, multiple choice with up to 4 options and with 5‐9 options) for each participant was compared across different levels of OHL (chi‐squared, Mann‐Whitney, Kruskal‐Wallis and Spearman's correlation test). Multiple Poisson regression was used to estimate rate ratios (RR) of TUI between OHL scores and their respective 95% confidence interval (95% CI).

Results

Approximately one‐third of studied parents (37%) exhibited low OHL (BREALD‐30 ≤ 21). The prevalence of missing data in at least one item was 85.5%. Low OHL was associated with failing to respond open‐ended items (P = 0.003) and multiple‐choice items with up to 4 (P = 0.003) and between 5 and 9 options (P = 0.030). There was a negative correlation between OHL scores and TUI (r = −0.195; P < 0.001), as well as with the number of unanswered items in all types of questions (P < 0.01), except dichotomous questions. Parents with lower OHL were more likely to show higher values of TUI (RR 0.95: 0.93‐0.98), when adjusted by income and education.

Conclusions

Participants with lower OHL were significantly more likely to fail to complete research questionnaires. The impact of OHL on missing data was greater with more complex types of items.
Long‐term stability of autologous bone graft of intraoral origin after lateral sinus floor elevation with simultaneous implant placement
Authors: Maddalone Marcello , Mirabelli Luca , Venino Pier Matteo , Karanxha Lorena , Porcaro Gianluca , Del Fabbro Massimo
Published: August 2018

Background

Lateral approach to maxillary sinus floor elevation (LSFE) with autologous bone grafts and simultaneous implant insertion is a widespread technique for prosthetic rehabilitation of the atrophic maxilla.

Purpose

To analyze implant survival and autologous bone graft resorption after LSFE, in patients with at least 5 years follow‐up.

Materials and Methods

Thirty‐three patients (mean age 56 years, range 46‐68 years) who had undergone LSFE with intraoral autologous bone graft from mandibular ramus and simultaneous implant insertion were included. A minimum of 5 years of follow‐up was required. The total peri‐implant bone height was measured at mesial and distal aspects of the implants immediately after surgery (T0) and after a period ranging from 5 to 11.5 years after surgery (mean 7.65 ± 1.80 years) (T1) on digital panoramic and periapical radiographs. Wilcoxon matched‐pairs signed rank test was used to compare bone graft height at T0 and T1. The influence of patient‐, surgery‐, and implant‐related factors on the outcomes was investigated.

Results

Of the 58 implants placed, no one was lost. All prostheses were in function, and no biological or mechanical complications occurred. The residual ridge height at the involved sites averaged 6.48 ± 1.72 mm. The mean bone height at grafted regions was 12.05 ± 2.47 mm at T0 and 12.13 ± 2.39 mm at T1 (not statistically significant). Marginal bone level change at T1 averaged −1.22 ± 1.60 mm. None of the evaluated factors significantly affected the results.

Conclusion

Autologous bone grafts from intraoral donor sites display excellent volume stability over time that may contribute to optimal outcomes of the procedure.
Banded vs. non‐banded Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass for morbid obesity: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Magouliotis D. E. , Tasiopoulou V. S. , Svokos K. A. , Svokos A. A. , Sioka E. , Tzovaras G. , Zacharoulis D.
Published: August 2018

We aim to review the available literature on patients with morbid obesity treated with banded (BRYGB) or non‐banded Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass (NBRYGB), in order to compare the clinical outcomes and intraoperative parameters of the two methods. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Cochrane library and Scopus databases, in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria incorporating 3899 patients. This study reveals similar rates of complications, mortality, remission of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, gastroesophageal reflux and obstructive sleep apnoea, along with similar % excess weight loss (%EWL) at 1 and 2 years postoperatively. In contrast, according to an analysis of two eligible studies the BRYGB procedure was associated with increased %EWL at 5 years postoperatively. These results should be interpreted with caution due to the small number of statistical arms and randomized controlled studies. However, the present article represents the best available evidence in the field. Well‐designed, randomized controlled studies, comparing BRYGB to NBRYGB, are necessary to further assess their clinical outcomes.
Pilot study on a new concept of documenting the clinical relevance of patch test results in contact dermatitis patients
Authors: Uter Wolfgang , Bauer Andrea , Bensefa‐Colas Lynda , Brans Richard , Crépy Marie‐Noëlle , Giménez‐Arnau Ana , Larese Filon Francesca , Ljubojević Hadžavdić Suzana , Pesonen Maria , Schuttelaar Marie L.A. , Wilkinson Mark
Published: August 2018

Background

Assessment of the clinical relevance of patch test reactions is an essential part of the diagnostic work‐up of patients with (occupational) contact dermatitis. However, final diagnostic information, particularly the clinical relevance of allergic patch test reactions, has hitherto been ill‐represented in clinical documentation systems (patch test software) and surveillance registries based on these.

Objectives

To develop, implement as a pilot study, and analyse concerning feasibility and contents a new concept of representing the full scope of diagnostic information utilized in the diagnosis of patients with (occupational) contact dermatitis.

Methods

On the basis of a European working group discussion on items to document and catalogue lists to use for this purpose, an online documentation system to collect data was set up, followed by pilot use involving 9 dermatology departments across Europe.

Results

Data on 176 patients with suspected occupational hand dermatitis were included; among these, work‐relatedness was confirmed in 150, and in 53 non‐occupational aetiology was the sole or a contributory cause. Data were further analysed with regard to occupations, product categories, substances (haptens), source of information on which the evaluation was based, and various combinations of these factors, to illustrate the usefulness of the proposed data representation.

Conclusions

An improved method of data collection is presented that more accurately links allergen to exposure and to clinical disease and patient history, and thus better represents clinical relevance. This enables more precise analysis of the causation of contact dermatitis, occupational or non‐occupational, and thereby better targeting of prevention. The development of future databases should incorporate the above considerations to record the results of investigation.
Upregulated miR‐1258 regulates cell cycle and inhibits cell proliferation by directly targeting E2F8 in CRC
Authors: Zhang Zhiyuan , Li Jie , Huang Yuanjian , Peng Wen , Qian Wenwei , Gu Jiou , Wang Qingyuan , Hu Tao , Ji Dongjian , Ji Bing , Zhang Yue , Wang Shijia , Sun Yueming
Published: August 2018

Objectives

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) as small noncoding RNA molecules function by regulating their target genes negatively. MiR‐1258 was widely researched in multicancers, but its role remains unclear in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods

The expression of miR‐1258 and its specific target gene were detected in human CRC specimens and cell lines by miRNA RT‐PCR, qRT‐PCR and Western blot. The effects of miR‐1258 on CRC proliferation were evaluated using CCK‐8 assays, EdU incorporation, colony formation assays and cell‐cycle assays; in vitro and the in vivo effects were investigated using a mouse tumorigenicity model. Luciferase reporter and RIP assays were employed to identify interactions between miR‐1258 and its specific target gene.

Results

MiR‐1258 was downregulated in CRC tissues and CRC cell lines, and upregulated miR‐1258 was proved to inhibit proliferation and arrest cell cycle at G0/G1 in vitro and vivo. Luciferase reporter, RIP and western blot assays revealed E2F8 to be a direct target of miR‐1258. The effects of miR‐1258 in proliferation and cell cycle regulation can be abolished by E2F8 through rescue experiments. By directly targeting E2F8, miR‐1258 influenced the expression of several cell‐cycle factors, including cyclin D1 (CCND1) and cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (p21).

Conclusion

MiR‐1258 may function as a suppressive factor by negatively controlling E2F8, thus, highlighting the potential role of miR‐1258 as a therapeutic target for human CRC.
The spectrum of histopathologic findings in pemphigoid: Avoiding diagnostic pitfalls
Authors: Hodge Bonnie D. , Roach Jenna , Reserva Jeave L. , Patel Tejal , Googe Amber , Schulmeier Jennifer , Brodell Robert T.
Published: August 2018

Background

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune vesiculobullous dermatitis that primarily affects the elderly and presents with tense, fluid‐filled blisters. The histological hallmark on routine hematoxylin & eosin (H&E)‐stained specimens is a subepidermal blister with luminal eosinophils. However, there are histologic variants than can produce diagnostic confusion.

Methods

All immunofluorescence reports from an independent certified dermatopathology laboratory (2006‐2015) were inspected, and those with findings consistent with an autoimmune subepidermal blistering process were selected. Seventy‐seven cases were identified, and the corresponding H&E‐stained specimens were reviewed by two dermatopathologists who tabulated the histopathologic findings.

Results

Just over half of biopsies showed subepidermal clefting (54%). The histologic variants included: urticarial or eczematous findings (17%), partial or complete re‐epithelialization (28%), and epidermal necrosis (7%).

Conclusion

While re‐epithelialization of subepidermal blisters is a commonly accepted phenomenon, there are no published data demonstrating its incidence. Because only half of the biopsies showed the classic subepidermal blister, it is important to be aware of the spectrum of histopathologic findings that occur in this disease. Specifically, the presence of an intraepidermal blister and/or epidermal necrosis on routine H&E‐stained specimens does not preclude the diagnosis of pemphigoid.
Finding answers in the dark: caves as models in ecology fifty years after Poulson and White
Authors: Mammola Stefano
Published: August 2018

The use of semi‐isolated habitats such as oceanic islands, lakes and mountain summits as model systems has played a crucial role in the development of evolutionary and ecological theory. Soon after the discovery of life in caves, different pioneering authors similarly recognized the great potential of these peculiar habitats as biological model systems. In their 1969 paper in Science, ‘The cave environment’, Poulson and White discussed how caves can be used as natural laboratories in which to study the underlying principles governing the dynamics of more complex environments. Together with other seminal syntheses published at the time, this work contributed to establishing the conceptual foundation for expanding the scope and relevance of cave‐based studies. Fifty years after, the aim of this review is to show why and how caves and other subterranean habitats can be used as eco‐evolutionary laboratories. Recent advances and directions in different areas are provided, encompassing community ecology, trophic‐webs and ecological networks, conservation biology, macroecology and climate change biology. Special emphasis is given to discuss how caves are only part of the extended network of fissures and cracks that permeate most substrates and, thus, their ecological role as habitat islands is critically discussed. Numerous studies have quantified the relative contribution of abiotic, biotic and historical factors in driving species distributions and community turnovers in space and time, from local to regional scales. Conversely, knowledge of macroecological patterns of subterranean organisms at a global scale remains largely elusive, due to major geographical and taxonomical biases. Also, knowledge regarding subterranean trophic webs and the effect of anthropogenic climate change on deep subterranean ecosystems is still limited. In these research fields, the extensive use of novel molecular and statistical tools may hold promise for quickly producing relevant information not accessible hitherto.
BBMV: an R package for the estimation of macroevolutionary landscapes
Authors: Boucher Florian C.
Published: August 2018

The distribution of traits along phylogenies bears signatures of how ecological and evolutionary processes have interacted to influence phenotypic evolution, which can be deciphered using macroevolutionary models. BBMV implements a model for the evolution of continuous characters on phylogenies that generalizes existing ones, like Brownian motion and the Ornstein‐Uhlenbeck model. In this model quantitative characters evolve under both random diffusion and a deterministic force that can be of any possible shape and strength. The model can be used to infer evolutionary scenarios that remained inaccessible so far, like directional trends, disruptive selection, and even bounded evolution. With this new tool at hand, researchers will be able to test complex hypothesis‐driven scenarios regarding trait evolution, but they will also have the possibility to estimate the shape of the adaptive landscapes in which traits evolved. Ultimately, this will provide a way to infer how ecological processes have influenced phenotypic evolution over long timescales. The BBMV package is implemented in the R statistical language and is freely available on the CRAN repository . All source code can also be found on < https://github.com/fcboucher/BBMV >, along with a detailed tutorial.
Targeting redox regulation to treat substance use disorder using N‐acetylcysteine
Authors: Womersley Jacqueline S. , Townsend Danyelle M. , Kalivas Peter W. , Uys Joachim D.
Published: August 2018

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a chronic relapsing disorder characterized by transitioning from acute drug reward to compulsive drug use. Despite the heavy personal and societal burden of SUDs, current treatments are limited and unsatisfactory. For this reason, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying addiction is required. Altered redox status, primarily due to drug‐induced increases in dopamine metabolism, is a unifying feature of abused substances. In recent years, knowledge of the effects of oxidative stress in the nervous system has evolved from strictly neurotoxic to include a more nuanced role in redox‐sensitive signaling. More specifically, S‐glutathionylation, a redox‐sensitive post‐translational modification, has been suggested to influence the response to drugs of abuse. In this review we will examine the evidence for redox‐mediating drugs as therapeutic tools focusing on N‐acetylcysteine as a treatment for cocaine addiction. We will conclude by suggesting future research directions that may further advance this field.
To replicate, or not to replicate – that is the question: how to tackle nonlinear responses in ecological experiments
Authors: Kreyling Juergen , Schweiger Andreas H. , Bahn Michael , Ineson Phil , Migliavacca Mirco , Morel‐Journel Thibaut , Christiansen Jesper Riis , Schtickzelle Nicolas , Larsen Klaus Steenberg
Published: August 2018

A fundamental challenge in experimental ecology is to capture nonlinearities of ecological responses to interacting environmental drivers. Here, we demonstrate that gradient designs outperform replicated designs for detecting and quantifying nonlinear responses. We report the results of (1) multiple computer simulations and (2) two purpose‐designed empirical experiments. The findings consistently revealed that unreplicated sampling at a maximum number of sampling locations maximised prediction success (i.e. theR² to the known truth) irrespective of the amount of stochasticity and the underlying response surfaces, including combinations of two linear, unimodal or saturating drivers. For the two empirical experiments, the same pattern was found, with gradient designs outperforming replicated designs in revealing the response surfaces of underlying drivers. Our findings suggest that a move to gradient designs in ecological experiments could be a major step towards unravelling underlying response patterns to continuous and interacting environmental drivers in a feasible and statistically powerful way.
Foundation species patch configuration mediates salt marsh biodiversity, stability and multifunctionality
Authors: Crotty Sinéad M. , Sharp Sean J. , Bersoza Ada C. , Prince Kimberly D. , Cronk Katheryne , Johnson Emma E. , Angelini Christine
Published: August 2018

Foundation species enhance biodiversity and multifunctionality across many systems; however, whether foundation species patch configuration mediates their ecological effects is unknown. In a 6‐month field experiment, we test which attributes of foundation species patch configuration – i.e. patch size, total patch area, perimeter, area‐perimeter ratio, or connectivity – control biodiversity, stability and multifunctionality by adding a standardised density of mussel foundation species in patches of 1, 5, 10, 30, 60, 90 or 180 individuals to a southeastern US salt marsh. Over 67% of response variables increased with clustering of mussels, responses that were driven by increases in area–perimeter ratio (33%), decreases in perimeter (29%), or increases in patch size (5%), suggesting sensitivity to external stressors and/or dependence on foundation species‐derived niche availability and segregation. Thus, mussel configuration – by controlling the relative distribution of multidimensional patch interior and edge niche space – critically modulates this foundation species’ effects on ecosystem structure, stability and function.
The use of antidepressant drugs in pregnant women with epilepsy: A study from the Australian Pregnancy Register
Authors: Sivathamboo Niveshan , Hitchcock Alison , Graham Janet , Sivathamboo Shobi , Chen Zhibin , O'Brien Terence J. , Vajda Frank J. E.
Published: August 2018

Objective

To study interactions between first‐trimester exposure to antidepressant drugs (ADDs) and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), and a history of clinical depression and/or anxiety, on pregnancy outcomes and seizure control in pregnant women with epilepsy (WWE).

Methods

We examined data from the Australian Pregnancy Register of Antiepileptic Drugs in Pregnancy, collected from 1999 to 2016. The register is an observational, prospective database, from which this study retrospectively analyzed a cohort. Among the AED‐exposed outcomes, comparisons were made among 3 exposure groups: (1) pregnancy outcomes with first‐trimester exposure to ADDs; (2) outcomes with mothers diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety but who were not medicated with an ADD; and (3) those with mothers who were not diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety and were not medicating with ADD. Prevalence data was analyzed using Fisher's exact test.

Results

A total of 2124 pregnancy outcomes were included in the analysis; 1954 outcomes were exposed to AEDs in utero, whereas 170 were unexposed. Within the group of WWE taking AEDs, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of malformations in infants who were additionally exposed to ADDs (10.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.9‐16.6), compared to individuals in the non–ADD‐medicated depression and/or anxiety group (7.7%, 95% CI 1.2‐14.2), or those without depression or anxiety (6.9%, 95% CI 5.7‐8.1; P = 0.45). The malformation rates in pregnancy outcomes unexposed to AEDs were also similar in the above groups (P = 0.27). In WWE medicated with AEDs and ADDs, the frequency of convulsive seizures (P = 0.78), or nonconvulsive seizures (P = 0.45) throughout pregnancy, did not differ across comparative groups.

Significance

Co‐medicating with ADDs in WWE taking AEDs does not appear to confer a significant added teratogenic risk, and it does not affect seizure control.
‘Re‐reading’ Dassonville: Meaning and understanding in the history of European law
Authors: Schütze Robert
Published: August 2018

There are few ‘mythical’ judgments that every student of European integration has read or ought to have read. Dassonville is one of these judgments. The Court here makes one of its ‘most famous pronouncement[s] ever’; and yet very little historical research on where the Dassonville formula came from and what it was intended to mean in 1974 has yet been undertaken. The conventional wisdom holds that the Court offered a hyper‐liberalist definition of the European internal market, which radically dissociated itself from the conceptual shackles accepted in modern international trade law. According to this view, Dassonville represents the substantive law equivalent of Van Gend en Loos. This traditional view, it will be argued, is simply not borne out by the historical facts. A contextual interpretation indeed shows a very different meaning of Dassonville; and a closer author‐centric analysis reveals a very different understanding of the Dassonville formula in its historical context.
Warming springs and habitat alteration interact to impact timing of breeding and population dynamics in a migratory bird
Authors: Kentie Rosemarie , Coulson Tim , Hooijmeijer Jos C. E. W. , Howison Ruth A. , Loonstra A. H. Jelle , Verhoeven Mo A. , Both Christiaan , Piersma Theunis
Published: August 2018

In seasonal environments, increasing spring temperatures lead many taxa to advance the timing of reproduction. Species that do not may suffer lower fitness. We investigated why black‐tailed godwits (Limosa limosa limosa), a ground‐breeding agricultural grassland shorebird, have not advanced timing of reproduction during the last three decades in the face of climate change and human‐induced habitat degradation. We used data from an 11‐year field study to parameterize an Integral Projection Model to predict how spring temperature and habitat quality simultaneously influence the timing of reproduction and population dynamics. We found apparent selection for earlier laying, but not a correlation between the laying dates of parents and their offspring. Nevertheless, in warmer springs, laying dates of adults show a stronger positive correlation with laying date in previous springs than in cooler ones, and this leads us to predict a slight advance in the timing of reproduction if spring temperatures continue to increase. We also show that only in landscapes with low agricultural activity, the population can continue to act as a source. This study shows how climate change and declining habitat quality may enhance extinction risk.