bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deproteinized bovine bone remodeling pattern in alveolar socket: a clinical immunohistological evaluation
Authors: Milani Stefano , Dal Pozzo Laura , Rasperini Giulio , Sforza Chiarella , Dellavia Claudia
Published: December 2014

Objectives

Considering the low rate of deproteinized bovine bone (DBB) graft resorption in vivo and vitro, the aim of this study was to investigate, through an immunohistochemical method, DBB remodeling patterns in human.

Material and Methods

Socket preservation, a highly documented and affirmed technique, was selected as the best in vitro model to analyze DBB effect on bone remodeling. Following premolar extraction (T0), 20 patients were randomized into two treatment groups. In the test group (t), the alveolar sockets were grafted with DBB, while in the control group (c) no bone graft was applied and the alveolar sockets were left to heal spontaneously. After 5 months, a re‐entry procedure was performed, and one implant was placed according to manufacturer's protocols (T1). Bone biopsies were harvested for each patient both at T0 and at T1. On the bone samples, immunohistochemical investigations were performed to analyze BMP‐2, BMP‐7, ALP, IL‐6, TNF‐α expression.

Results

Bone morphogenetic proteins were more expressed in the control group than in the test group (BMP‐2: P < 0.001; BMP‐7: P = 0.017), while TNF‐α value was larger in the test group (P < 0.001); no statistically significant differences were observed for the other markers. When considering time as the main variable, statistically significant differences were found for BMP‐2 (P < 0.001), BMP‐7 (P < 0.001), IL‐6 (P < 0.001), ALP (P < 0.05), and TNF‐α (P < 0.001). Significant interaction between groups and time was found for BMP‐2 (P < 0.001), BMP‐7 (P < 0.001), TNF‐α (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Deproteinized bovine bone guarantees the activity of bone remodeling processes in human extraction socket at 5 months of healing, bringing to a higher expression of anabolic and catabolic bone markers.
MnTM‐4‐PyP Modulates Endogenous Antioxidant Responses and Protects Primary Cortical Neurons against Oxidative Stress
Authors: Cheng Kuo‐Yuan , Guo Fei , Lu Jia‐Qi , Cao Yuan‐Zhao , Wang Tian‐Chang , Yang Qi , Xia Qing
Published: December 2014

Aims

Oxidative stress is a direct cause of injury in various neural diseases. Manganese porphyrins (MnPs), a large category of superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimics, shown universally to have effects in numerous neural disease models in vivo. Given their complex intracellular redox activities, detailed mechanisms underlying the biomedical efficacies are not fully elucidated. This study sought to investigate the regulation of endogenous antioxidant systems by a MnP (MnTM‐4‐PyP) and its role in the protection against neural oxidative stress.

Methods

Primary cortical neurons were treated with MnTM‐4‐PyP prior to hydrogen peroxide–induced oxidative stress.

Results

MnTM‐4‐PyP increased cell viability, reduced intracellular level of reactive oxygen species, inhibited mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, and ameliorated endoplasmic reticulum function. The protein levels and activities of endogenous SODs were elevated, but not those of catalase. SOD2 transcription was promoted in a transcription factor–specific manner. Additionally, we found FOXO3A and Sirt3 levels also increased. These effects were not observed with MnTM‐4‐PyP alone.

Conclusion

Induction of various levels of endogenous antioxidant responses by MnTM‐4‐PyP has indispensable functions in its protection for cortical neurons against hydrogen peroxide‐induced oxidative stress.
Memory Without Consolidation: Temporal Distinctiveness Explains Retroactive Interference
Authors: Ecker Ullrich K. H. , Brown Gordon D. A. , Lewandowsky Stephan
Published: December 2014

Is consolidation needed to account for retroactive interference in free recall? Interfering mental activity during the retention interval of a memory task impairs performance, in particular if the interference occurs in temporal proximity to the encoding of the to‐be‐remembered (TBR) information. There are at least two rival theoretical accounts of this temporal gradient of retroactive interference. The cognitive neuroscience literature has suggested neural consolidation is a pivotal factor determining item recall. According to this account, interfering activity interrupts consolidation processes that would otherwise stabilize the memory representations of TBR items post‐encoding. Temporal distinctiveness theory, by contrast, proposes that the retrievability of items depends on their isolation in psychological time. According to this theory, information processed after the encoding of TBR material will reduce the temporal distinctiveness of the TBR information. To test between these accounts, implementations of consolidation were added to the SIMPLE model of memory and learning. We report data from two experiments utilizing a two‐list free recall paradigm. Modeling results imply that SIMPLE was able to model the data and did not benefit from the addition of consolidation. It is concluded that the temporal gradient of retroactive interference cannot be taken as evidence for memory consolidation.
Induction therapy: clinical and quality of life outcomes in aged renal transplant recipients
Authors: Palanisamy Arun P. , Al Manasra Abdel R. , Pilch Nicole A. , Dowden Jacob E. , Nadig Satish N. , McGillicuddy John W. , Baliga Prabakar K. , Chavin Kenneth D. , Taber David J.
Published: December 2014

Background

One primary purpose of transplant is to improve quality of life (QOL) in renal transplant recipients (RTRs) ≥50 yr of age, where death with a functioning graft limits life years gained. We aimed to determine the impact of induction therapy, with its subsequent effects on rejection, infection, and readmissions, on QOL.

Methods

Subanalysis of patients ≥50 yr of age that participated in a single‐center, prospective, risk‐stratified, randomized, open‐label study. Two hundred RTRs ≥ 50 yr of age.

Interventions

All patients received either rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) or interleukin 2 receptor antagonists (IL‐2RA) in addition to tacrolimus (FK), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and corticosteroids in a randomized fashion. Outcome analyses included safety, efficacy, and QOL.

Results

Results reported 1 yr post‐transplant. Of 111 patients ≥50 yr old, 48 received IL‐2RA and 63 received rATG. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. Patients that received rATG had a trend toward lower acute rejection rates, fewer readmissions, and fewer supratherapeutic tacrolimus troughs, with similar rates of infections. QOL analysis demonstrated patients that received rATG were significantly more likely to have improvements in physical and social functioning after transplant.

Conclusions

Contrary to the common practice, T‐cell depletion in recipients ≥50 yr of age may be beneficial.
The potential of liquid‐based cytology in lymph node cytological evaluation: the role of morphology and the aid of ancillary techniques
Authors: Rossi E. D. , Martini M. , Straccia P. , Bizzarro T. , Fadda G. , Larocca L. M.
Published: December 2014

Objectives

Our aim was to evaluate the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of liquid‐based cytology (LBC) on lymph node fine needle aspiration (FNA). FNA may fulfil a challenging role in the evaluation of the majority of primary (benign and malignant) diagnoses as well as metastatic lymph node lesions. Although the morphological features may be quite easily recognized, cytological samples with a scant cellular component may raise some issues.

Methods

We appraised 263 cytological lymph nodes from different body regions analysed between January and December 2013, including 137 male and 126 female patients, and processed with LBC.

Results

The cytological diagnoses included 160 benign and 103 malignant lesions. We reported 35 benign and 73 malignant lesions from 108 with surgical follow‐up. The latter malignant series included 68 metastatic lesions, four suspicious for malignancy and one inadequate sample. The cytological diagnoses were supported by 62 conclusive immunocytochemical and 28 molecular analyses. Of the 108 cases, we documented 35 true negatives, 72 true positives, one false negative and no false positives, resulting in 98.6% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 99% diagnostic accuracy, 97.2% negative predictive value and 100% positive predictive value.

Conclusions

FNA represents the first diagnostic tool in lymph node management and a reliable approach in order to avoid an excision biopsy. Furthermore, LBC is a feasible method for ancillary tests for which methanol‐fixed samples are suitable, such as immunocytochemistry and molecular analysis.
The importance of parasite geography and spillover effects for global patterns of host–parasite associations in two invasive species
Authors: Wells Konstans , O'Hara Robert B. , Morand Serge , Lessard Jean‐Philippe , Ribas Alexis
Published: December 2014

Aim

Geographic spread and range expansion of species into novel environments may merge originally separated species assemblages, yet the possible drivers of geographic heterogeneity in host–parasite associations remain poorly understood. Here, we examine global patterns in the parasite assemblages of two rat species and explore the role of parasite acquisition from local pools of host species.

Location

Global.

Methods

We compiled a global data set of helminth parasites (n = 241 species) from two rat species (Rattus rattus species complex, R. norvegicus) and, concomitantly, from all other mammal species known to be infected by the same parasites. We used an inverse Bayesian modelling approach to explicitly link species‐level to community‐level infestation probabilities at different geographic scales and alleviate the shortcoming of sampling bias.

Results

Patterns of species richness and turnover of parasites in the two focal rat species revealed clear biogeographic structure with lowest species richness and most distinct assemblages in Madagascar and highest species richness and least distinct assemblages in the Palaearctic region. Parasite species richness and turnover across regions were correlated for the two focal hosts, although they were associated with distinct assemblages within regions. Infection probability of a focal host with any given parasite was clearly related to infection probability of the local species pool of wildlife hosts with that same parasite. Infection probability of other mammal species infected with these parasite species, in turn, decreased with their taxonomic distance to the genus Rattus.

Main conclusions

Our study demonstrates the importance of spillover of parasites from local wildlife hosts to invasive rats on global patterns of host–parasite associations. Considering both changes in local pools of host species and the global distributions of parasite and pathogen diversity in consistent model frameworks may therefore advance the forecasting of species‐level infestation patterns and the possible risk of disease emergence from local to global scale.
Development and the epigenome: the ‘synapse’ of gene–environment interplay
Authors: Boyce W. Thomas , Kobor Michael S.
Published: December 2014

This paper argues that there is a revolution afoot in the developmental science of gene–environment interplay. We summarize, for an audience of developmental researchers and clinicians, how epigenetic processes – chromatin structural modifications that regulate gene expression without changing DNA sequences – may offer a strong, parsimonious account for the convergence of genetic and contextual variation in the genesis of adaptive and maladaptive development. Epigenetic processes may play a plausible explanatory role in understanding: divergent trajectories and sexual dimorphisms in brain development; statistical interactions between genes and environments; the biological embedding of early psychosocial adversities; the linkages of such adversities to disorders of mental health; the striking individual variation in the strength of those linkages; the molecular origins of critical and sensitive periods; and the transgenerational inheritance of risk and protection. Taken together, these arguments converge in a claim that epigenetic processes constitute a promising and illuminating point of connection – a ‘synapse’ – between genes and environments.
Validation in the Wild
Authors: Sonders Dave , Braun Lauren
Published: December 2014

Why is successful innovation so rare? How do you predict success for a product that has never been seen before? The odds can be improved.

We can ask: What should we create? The tough question is: How do we know it will succeed?
Effect of changes in end‐tidal carbon dioxide tension on oral tissue blood flow during dexmedetomidine infusion in rabbits
Authors: Okada Reina , Matsuura Nobuyuki , Kasahara Masataka , Ichinohe Tatsuya
Published: December 2014

A decrease in arterial carbon dioxide tension induces an increase in masseter muscle blood flow and a decrease in mandibular bone marrow blood flow during general anesthesia. In addition, dexmedetomidine infusion reduces oral tissue blood flow. In this study we investigated how end‐tidal carbon dioxide tension (ET‐CO2) changes influence on oral tissue blood flow during continuous dexmedetomidine infusion in rabbits. Eleven male Japan White rabbits were anesthetized with sevoflurane. Then, ET‐CO2 was set at 30 mmHg and adjusted to 40 and 60 mmHg, and heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, common carotid artery blood flow, mandibular bone marrow blood flow, masseter muscle blood flow, and blood flow in other oral tissues were measured. Following this, the ET‐CO2 was returned to 30 mmHg and dexmedetomidine was infused over 60 min. The measurements were repeated. Most parameters increased, regardless of whether or not dexmedetomidine was present, and heart rate and masseter muscle blood flow decreased in an ET‐CO2‐dependent manner. Dexmedetomidine infusion suppressed ET‐CO2‐dependent masseter muscle blood flow change. Masseter muscle blood flow during ET‐CO2 at 30 mmHg with dexmedetomidine was the same as that during ET‐CO2 at 40 mmHg without dexmedetomidine. Our findings suggest that dexmedetomidine infusion and slight hypocapnia under general anesthesia suppress an increase in masseter muscle blood flow as well as reducing mandibular bone marrow blood flow. These results may be of significance for decreasing bleeding during oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Investors' Judgments, Asset Pricing Factors and Sentiment
Authors: Shefrin Hersh
Published: December 2014

This paper presents results based on new data showing that the relationships involving investors' judgments of risk and variables such as beta, size, and book‐to‐market equity (B/M) have the same directional effects as those involving realised returns. Moreover, the relationships involving risk are mediated by Baker–Wurgler sentiment, with directional effects similar to those that have already been documented for realised returns. In this regard, Baker‐Wurgler sentiment mediates the time series of investors' judgments of expected return and the cross‐section of their judgments about risk. The results are consistent with the position that investors' judgments of risk and return, both mediated by sentiment, influence market prices.
Calculation of mixed mode stress intensity factors for an elliptical subsurface crack under arbitrary normal loading
Authors: Alizadeh K. J. , Ghajar R.
Published: December 2014

Normal loading causes mixed fracture modes in an elliptical subsurface crack because of the nonsymmetrical geometry with respect to the crack face. In this paper, mixed mode weight functions (MMWFs) for elliptical subsurface cracks in an elastic semi‐infinite space under normal loading are derived. Reference mixed mode stress intensity factors (MMSIFs), calculated by finite element analysis, under uniform normal loading are used to derive MMWFs. The cracks have aspect ratios and crack depth to crack length ratios of 0.2–1.0 and 0.05 to infinity, respectively. MMWFs are used to calculate MMSIFs for any point of the crack front under linear and nonlinear two‐dimensional (2D) loadings. So, in order to evaluate the fatigue crack growth phenomenon under complicated 2D stress distributions, MMWFs can be easily used. The comparison between the MMSIFs obtained from the MMWFs and finite element analysis indicates high accuracy.
Comparing seasonal dynamics of functional and taxonomic diversity reveals the driving forces underlying phytoplankton community structure
Authors: Weithoff Guntram , Rocha Marcia R. , Gaedke Ursula
Published: December 2014

In most biodiversity studies, taxonomic diversity is the measure for the multiplicity of species and is often considered to represent functional diversity. However, trends in taxonomic diversity and functional diversity may differ, for example, when many functionally similar but taxonomically different species co‐occur in a community. The differences between these diversity measures are of particular interest in diversity research for understanding diversity patterns and their underlying mechanisms.

We analysed a temporally highly resolved 20‐year time series of lake phytoplankton to determine whether taxonomic diversity and functional diversity exhibit similar or contrasting seasonal patterns. We also calculated the functional mean of the community inn‐dimensional trait space for each sampling day to gain further insights into the seasonal dynamics of the functional properties of the community.

We found an overall weak positive relationship between taxonomic diversity and functional diversity with a distinct seasonal pattern. The two diversity measures showed synchronous behaviour from early spring to mid‐summer and a more complex and diverging relationship from autumn to late winter.

The functional mean of the community exhibited a recurrent annual pattern with the most prominent changes before and after the clear‐water phase. From late autumn to winter, the functional mean of the community and functional diversity were relatively constant while taxonomic diversity declined, suggesting competitive exclusion during this period.

A further decline in taxonomic diversity concomitant with increasing functional diversity in late winter to early spring is seen as a result of niche diversification together with competitive exclusion. Under these conditions, several different sets of traits are suitable to thrive, but within one set of functional traits only one, or very few, morphotypes can persist.

Taxonomic diversity alone is a weak descriptor of trait diversity in phytoplankton. However, the combined analysis of taxonomic diversity and functional diversity, along with the functional mean of the community, allows for deeper insights into temporal patterns of community assembly and niche diversification.
Batch recall of French plasma‐derived products due to variant Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease risk: the psychological impact on haemophilic patients, changes in their therapeutic demands and behaviour and ethical considerations
Authors: Aouba A. , Harroche A. , Frenzel L. , Torchet M. ‐F. , Rothschild C. , François I. , Mamzer‐Bruneel M. ‐F.
Published: December 2014

The choice of plasma‐derived products (PdP) vs. recombinant products (RP) for treating haemophilia is influenced by the infectious and perceived safety of the products. Batch recall of PdP due to the risk of variant Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease (vCJD) may have unfavourable psychological impacts on haemophilia patients and influence their product preferences. This study aimed to assess the psychological impact of batch recalls of PdP in six haemophilia patients and their therapeutic demands, and to discuss the ethical problems in physicians’ management of this event. A survey was conducted using a new interview form and an existing anxiety and depression questionnaire. Batch recalls produce recurrent negative emotional outcomes in haemophiliacs and their families. The quality, understanding and efficiency of the batch recall announcements were unsatisfactory in some respects. Only one patient still had some of the vials in question, and only three patients understood the real reason for the batch recall. Four patients asked to change their PdP for RP; a fifth patient was considering doing so. Here, topics for discussion include the delivery of an unclear message to patients about a very uncertain risk of a frightening disease, the reasons to maintain PdP when RP are largely available, except in specific cases, and the related discomfort for caregivers. The ethical questions revealed by batch recalls and the high psychological impact of vCJD risk on patients can no longer be ignored, and require surveys assessing the rationales and choices of the healthcare authorities, manufacturers, prescribers and users.
Is self‐management feasible and acceptable for addressing nutrition and physical activity needs of cancer survivors?
Authors: Lawn Sharon , Zrim Stephanie , Leggett Stephanie , Miller Michelle , Woodman Richard , Jones Lynnette , Kichenadasse Ganessan , Sukumaran Shawgi , Karapetis Chris , Koczwara Bogda
Published: December 2014

Background

Self‐management is recommended for patients with chronic conditions, but its use with cancer survivors is underexplored. Optimal strategies for achieving lifestyle changes in cancer survivors are not known.

Objective

We aimed to determine feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of self‐management‐based nutrition and physical activity interventions for cancer survivors.

Design, setting and participants

Adult survivors (n = 25) during (Group 1 , n = 11) or post (Group 2, n = 14)‐curative chemotherapy for solid tumours, most (n = 20, 80%) with breast cancer, were recruited prospectively from a single clinical centre.

Intervention

The Flinders Living Well Self‐Management Program, a generic self‐management care planning programme, was utilized to establish patient‐led nutrition and exercise goals within a tailored 12‐week intervention. Fortnightly progress reviews occurred with assessments at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks.

Results

Most participants (84%) found the intervention acceptable/very acceptable. Both groups showed a trend towards significant improvement in the self‐management capability ‘knowledge about changing risk factors’ (P = 0.047); Group 2 showed a trend towards significantly improved ‘psychological impacts’ (P = 0.007). Goal ratings improved for both groups (P = 0.001). Quality of life improved for both groups for emotional functioning (P = 0.03). Physical functioning improved for Group 2 (P = 0.05); however, most symptom domains worsened for Group 1, as expected given their treatment stage.

Discussion and conclusions

Self‐management interventions are feasible for this population. In particular, building self‐management capacity during the active phase of patients' cancer treatment provides health and psychosocial benefits. Larger randomized controlled trials are required to further determine efficacy. Further translational research is also needed to determine acceptability,feasibility, enablers and barriers for clinicians embedding this approach into routine cancer survivorship care.
The Reformation in Global Perspective
Authors: Parker Charles H.
Published: December 2014

Concepts and methods introduced by the “new world history” present important opportunities to contextualize the European Reformation in transregional frames of reference. A global approach allows historians to situate the Reformation more fully within the orbit of people, ideas, and cultural goods that interacted with one another across the early modern world. A number of historians who study missionary encounters, especially those of Jesuits, have already initiated global methodologies in analyzing the Reformation overseas. Other scholars have pointed to ways in which an engagement with the wider world influenced European societies. These works indicate the rich possibilities for looking at the Reformation with new eyes. In assessing this scholarship, this article discusses the prospects and challenges for adopting global perspectives in the study of the Reformation.
Hemangioma Activity and Severity Index (HASI), an instrument for evaluating infantile hemangioma: development and preliminary validation
Authors: Semkova Kristina , Kazandjieva Jana , Kadurina Miroslava , Tsankov Nikolay
Published: December 2014

Background

Infantile hemangiomas (IHs) are the most common benign vascular tumors of infancy. Their evaluation is important and requires the use of a unified scoring system.

Objectives

We designed a novel scoring index, the Hemangioma Activity and Severity Index (HASI), for the clinical evaluation of IHs. The purpose of this pilot study was to validate the HASI.

Methods

The HASI was evaluated for validity by an external panel of experts. The reliability study included 59 children with superficial and mixed hemangiomas. Patients attended an assessment visit and a subsequent visit three days later for a second scoring. They were then followed up monthly for six months and scored at each visit by two investigators separately.

Results

Interclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for inter‐rater reliability were 0.82 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.75–0.88) for IH activity and 0.94 (95% CI 0.91–0.96) for IH severity. Intra‐rater reliability was high, with negligible mean differences of 0.3 and 0.4 points between the two ratings. The average time required to complete the scoring was 2.5 minutes.

Conclusions

Our preliminary studies on the HASI show promising results in terms of its clinical utility and applicability in practice. It could be used by physicians as an objective instrument for the scoring of IHs.
Tinea capitis in schoolchildren in a rural area in southern Ethiopia
Authors: Leiva‐Salinas Maria , Marin‐Cabanas Irene , Betlloch Isabel , Tesfasmariam Abraham , Reyes Francisco , Belinchon Isabel , Ramos José Manuel
Published: December 2014

Objectives

Skin diseases, especially tinea capitis, represent some of the most frequent causes of morbidity in developing countries. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalences of fungal infections in schoolchildren in a primary school located in a rural area in southern Ethiopia and to perform an analysis of the risk factors associated with tinea capitis.

Methods

This school‐based, prospective cross‐sectional study was conducted in October 2012 in Gambo School, Kore, West Arsi, Oromya Region, Ethiopia. Detailed interviews and dermatological examinations were performed. No laboratory examinations were conducted.

Results

A total of 647 students were interviewed and examined. The mean age of these children was 10 years (range: 4–14 years). Of the children examined, 236 had some type of dermatophytosis (prevalence: 36.5%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 32.8–40.3), which represented the most frequent type of skin problem. The prevalence of dermatophytoses was more common in males than in females (42.2% and 30.5%, respectively; P = 0.002), and among pupils aged 5–7 years (46.9%; P < 0.001). A total of 159 (prevalence: 24.6%, 95% CI 21.3–28.1) children had tinea capitis, 56 (8.7%) had tinea pedis, 50 (7.7%) had tinea corporis, and six (0.9%) had tinea unguium. In multivariate analysis, the risk factors for tinea capitis were: age (odds ratio [OR] 0.75, 95% CI 0.69–0.84; P < 0.001), and male gender (OR 2.56, 95% CI 1.69–13.39; P = 0.002).

Conclusions

Fungal dermatoses, especially tinea capitis, are common in primary schoolchildren in rural areas of southern Ethiopia, especially in young boys.
The Atopic Dermatitis Antecubital Severity score: validity, reliability, and sensitivity to change in patients with atopic dermatitis
Authors: Baek Ji Hwoon , Park Chun Wook , Choi Kyung Min , Yang Yoon Seok , Lee Soo Yun , Koh Jae Sook , Chung Bo Young , Kim Hye One , Park Gyeong‐Hun
Published: December 2014

Background

The Atopic Dermatitis Antecubital Severity (ADAS) score is a new objective scale for the assessment of the severity of atopic dermatitis (AD). It is calculated by multiplying the intensity of inflammatory signs by the size of an antecubital eczema lesion.

Aim

To test the validity, reliability, and sensitivity to changes of the ADAS score compared with those of the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) score.

Methods

Forty patients with AD were enrolled and treated with a moisturizer. At baseline, and in weeks 1 and 2, two independent evaluators measured the ADAS score, the EASI score, and the investigator's global assessment score rated on a six‐point scale.

Results

The ADAS score showed a higher validity than the EASI score. The superiority of the ADAS to the EASI was prominent in mild AD. Inter‐evaluator reliability was excellent in both the ADAS score and the EASI. The sensitivity to changes was higher in the ADAS score than in the EASI score.

Conclusions

The ADAS score may be used as a simple scoring system with good validity, reliability, and sensitivity to changes, especially in patients with mild‐to‐moderate AD.
Recalcitrant psoriatic uveitis and anti‐tumor necrosis factor‐α monoclonal antibodies: experience from a psoriasis referral center
Authors: Fotiadou Christina , Lazaridou Elizabeth , Kemanetzi Christina , Kyrmanidou Eirini , Ioannides Demetris
Published: December 2014

Background

The incidence of non‐infectious uveitis on a background of psoriasis is estimated to be 7–20%. The use of tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) inhibitors as a treatment for refractory uveitis is emerging.

Methods

The psoriasis outpatient database at our referral center was searched for patients with concurrent diagnoses of psoriasis and uveitis. The medical records of the patients identified were reviewed for the use of TNF‐α inhibitors.

Results

Five patients (three women and two men) were identified. All of them suffered moderate to severe psoriasis and chronic, bilateral uveitis. The patient with the most severe ocular inflammation was the only patient positive for human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA‐B27) and the only one to suffer from psoriatic arthritis. All patients had received treatment with adalimumab and had been evaluated at three and six months. Their psoriasis had responded excellently, and in four patients, uveitis had shown the complete remission of inflammation at six months. The fifth patient (HLA‐B27+) exhibited improved uveitis activity but not complete remission at six months.

Conclusions

Uveitis is an entity that should be considered when evaluating psoriasis patients with ocular complaints, even in the absence of arthritis. Anti‐TNF‐α monoclonal antibodies and adalimumab in particular seem to represent a promising therapeutic avenue for the treatment of refractory psoriatic uveitis. Larger randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm our conclusions.
The experience of urostomists who do not have access to pre‐operative and post‐operative stoma care nursing intervention
Authors: Senol Celik Sevilay , Tuna Zahide , Yildirim Meral
Published: December 2014

Surgical outcomes due to cystectomy continue to improve, but this is not enough to eliminate all physical, psychological and social problems that patients experience after discharge and that continue to impact their quality of life (QOL). The aim of this study is to determine the QOL and problems experienced by urostomy patients. The data of this cross‐sectional and descriptive study were gathered from 17 patients who underwent first and elective radical cystectomy and ileal conduit in one university hospital in Turkey between March 9, 2009, and September 5, 2010. Data were collected by using two forms and the ‘Short Form‐36 Quality of Life Scale (SF‐36)’. Number, percentage, mean, standard deviation, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, t‐test and anova were used for data analysis. The mean age of patients was 64·76 ± 8·81. The majority of the patients in the study were male (94·1%). It was found that many patients experienced constipation (82·4%), problems related to incision site (64·7%), fatigue (58·8%), myalgia, limitation of movement and difficulties with changing stoma pouch (52·9%). The patients who experienced problems generated lower mean QOL scores than patients who did not experience any post‐discharge problems. In conclusion, urostomy patients experienced many physical and psychological problems after discharge which affected the patients' QOL. It is recommended that specialist stoma care nurse services are established in each hospital in Turkey to give comprehensive discharge training pre‐operatively and post‐operatively in order to prepare the patient for post‐operative recovery and adjustment to an ostomy, to continue counselling during home follow‐ups for decreasing psychologically and physically problems related to stoma and for improving patients' physical, psychological and social well‐being, and the QOL.
Estimating Corporation Income Tax Under‐Reporting Using Extreme Values from Operational Audit Data
Authors: Bloomquist Kim Michael , Hamilton Stuart , Pope Jeffrey
Published: December 2014

Effective tax policy requires periodically assessing how well taxpayers, including corporations, comply with existing tax law. For the largest corporations, such assessments typically rely on data from operational audits, as opposed to random audits, owing to the difficulty of constructing a representative sample for this relatively small group of heterogeneous firms. However, the possibility of selection bias arises when a non‐randomly selected sample is used to infer characteristics about a population. This paper introduces an alternative approach for estimating tax under‐reporting by corporations. The methodology relies on data from operational audits but derives an estimate of total non‐compliance using a fundamental theorem of extreme value (EV) theory, which holds that the largest observations of a stochastic process are Pareto–Zipf distributed. The methodology is demonstrated using operational audit data from the US.
The Investment Effect of Taxation: Evidence from a Corporate Tax Kink
Authors: Brockmeyer Anne
Published: December 2014

This paper exploits bunching of firms at a tax kink as quasi‐experimental variation to identify the effect of a tax rate change on investment (reported capital allowances). The idea is that firms with a taxable income slightly above the kink have an incentive to reduce their income to bunch at the kink, and increasing investment is one possible strategy for that. This means that bunching of firms should be accompanied by a spike in investment at the kink. Building on the standard bunching framework, I estimate the frequency distribution of firms around the kink and the share of bunchers with excess investments at the extensive and intensive margins.

I apply this approach to administrative tax return data for the universe of UK firms from 2001 to 2007 and show that investment by small firms responds significantly to a tax rate change. I find large and significant spikes in the share of capital investors and median capital costs at the £10,000 kink. The spikes are larger in 2002–05, when the kink is larger, and for quickly depreciating capital items, which yield larger tax reductions. Different pieces of evidence suggest that the investment spikes are at least partly driven by avoidance and evasion behaviour such as misreporting and claiming capital allowances for personal‐use items.
The Second Wave of Incorporation in Latin America: A Conceptualization of the Quest for Inclusion Applied to Argentina
Authors: Rossi Federico M.
Published: December 2014

Between 1996 and 2009, a process of struggle for and (after 2002) partial achievement of the second incorporation of the popular sectors took place in Argentina. This process involved a combination of routine and contentious political dynamics that reformulated state-society relations in the postcorporatist period. As a continuation of the first incorporation (1943–55), the second incorporation displayed some similar features; other attributes were specific to this second process, mainly that it was not corporatist but territorial and that the central agents of transformation were not trade unions but the disincorporated popular sectors, which were territorially organized into a “reincorporation movement.” This article conceptualizes these dynamics and analyzes the role played by the main political actor related to this historical process, thepiquetero(picketer) movement.
Antibacterial Effect of Various Essential Oils against Pathogens and Spoilage Microorganisms in Fresh Produce
Authors: Hyun Jeong‐Eun , Bae Young‐Min , Song Hana , Yoon Jae‐Hyun , Lee Sun‐Young
Published: December 2014

This study was conducted to investigate the antibacterial effect of various essential oils (EOs) against pathogens and fresh produce spoilage bacteria using the agar disc diffusion method and 96‐well dilution method. Moreover, the antibacterial effect of EOs to reduce the level of total mesophilic microorganisms in fresh leaf lettuce and radish sprouts was determined by dipping method. Furthermore, membrane damage of two pathogens before and after treatment with effective EOs was determined using the fluorescent dye propidium iodide (PI) staining method. The results showed that thyme‐1, thyme‐2 and tea tree‐2 oils demonstrated the strongest antibacterial effect against 18 strains of pathogens, except for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in the agar disc diffusion method. Thyme‐1 oil showed the strongest antibacterial effect against spoilage bacteria. The dipping treatment results showed that oregano‐2 oil was the most effective at maintaining reduced levels of total mesophilic microorganisms in fresh produce compared with control, although it affected the quality of both vegetables after treatment. The results showed that treatment with clove bud, cinnamon‐2 and oregano‐2 oils led to PI values significantly greater than that of untreated cell.

Practical Applications

Natural essential oil solutions can be used for the disinfection of fresh produce as an alternative to chlorine, and oregano oil could be used as an alternative to synthetic sanitizers, classically applied in fresh produce.
Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial Activity and Mechanism of Action of Essential Oil from the Leaves of Macleaya Cordata (Willd.) R. Br
Authors: Li Chun‐Mei , Yu Jian‐Ping
Published: December 2014

The essential oil from the leaves of Macleaya cordata R. Br. obtained by hydrodistillation was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Sixty‐eight compounds consisting up to 92.53% of the essential oil were identified by GC and GC/MS analysis. The antibacterial activity and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the essential oil against several pathogens were evaluated. The results showed that bacteria had different sensitivities to essential oil of M. cordata with diameters of inhibition zones ranging from 8.5 ± 0.6 to 18.6 ± 1.9 mm and MIC values from 125 to 500 μg/mL. Among these bacteria, Ralstonia solanacearum was the most sensitive to essential oil. In addition, kill‐time assay also showed that the essential oil had a significant effect on the growth rate of surviving R. solanacearum. We concluded that the mechanism of action of the essential oil against R. solanacearum might be described as essential oil acting on membrane integrity according to the results of the leakage of electrolytes, the losses of content (proteins and reducing sugars) assays and electron microscopy observation. The treated cell membranes were severely damaged. The results presented here indicate that the essential oil of M. cordata may be a potential source of antimicrobial agents in the future.

Practical Applications

Crop diseases, food poisoning and food spoilage caused by microorganisms are still the most important issues facing the food industry and consumers. Today, essential oils with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities are ideal resources in the field of research on food and feed additives. The chemical composition of the essential oil from the leaves of Macleaya cordata was analyzed. The essential oil showed antimicrobial activities. In addition, kill‐time assay also showed that the essential oil had a significant effect on the growth rate of surviving Ralstonia solanacearum. We concluded that the mechanism of action of the essential oil against R. solanacearum might be described as essential oil acting on membrane integrity according to the results of the leakage of electrolytes, the losses of proteins and reducing sugars, and electron microscopy observation. Hence, the essential oil of M. cordata may be suggested as a new potential source of natural antimicrobial agent.
Depressive Symptoms, Cardiovascular Disease Severity, and Functional Status in Older Adults with Coronary Heart Disease: The Heart and Soul Study
Authors: Sin Nancy L. , Yaffe Kristine , Whooley Mary A.
Published: December 2014

Objectives

To compare the contributions of depressive symptoms and cardiovascular disease (CVD) severity to functional decline in individuals with coronary heart disease.

Design

Longitudinal.

Setting

Twelve outpatient clinics in the San Francisco Bay area.

Participants

Older adults (N = 960; mean age 67) with stable coronary heart disease recruited between September 2000 and December 2002.

Measurements

At baseline, depressive symptoms and angina pectoris were assessed according to self‐report, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and exercise capacity were evaluated using echocardiography and exercise treadmill testing. Difficulty performing activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living was assessed at baseline and annually for the next 5 years. Covariates included demographic characteristics, comorbid conditions, cognitive function, social support, and health behaviors. Five years later, 658 participants returned for follow‐up assessments.

Results

Higher baseline depressive symptoms predicted greater risk of functional decline over 5 years, whereas higher baseline exercise capacity was associated with lower risk of functional decline. In 658 participants who returned for follow‐up, 5‐year changes in depressive symptoms and exercise capacity were associated with 5‐year changes in functional status. Angina pectoris frequency and LVEF were not associated with functional decline or change in functional status, after adjusting for covariates and other predictors.

Conclusion

In older adults with coronary heart disease, depressive symptoms and lower exercise capacity predicted functional decline over 5 years. In contrast, other traditional measures of CVD severity (LVEF and angina pectoris) were not independently predictive of subsequent functional status. These findings suggest that efforts to ameliorate depressive symptoms may be as important as treating CVD severity to enhance functional status.
The extracellular fragment of GPNMB (Glycoprotein nonmelanosoma protein B, osteoactivin) improves memory and increases hippocampal GluA1 levels in mice
Authors: Murata Kenta , Yoshino Yuta , Tsuruma Kazuhiro , Moriguchi Shigeki , Oyagi Atsushi , Tanaka Hirotaka , Ishisaka Mitsue , Shimazawa Masamitsu , Fukunaga Kohji , Hara Hideaki
Published: December 2014

Glycoprotein nonmelanoma protein B (GPNMB, alias osteoactivin), a type I transmembrane glycoprotein, is cleaved by extracellular proteases, resulting in release of an extracellular fragment (ECF). GPNMB is widely expressed by neurons within the CNS, including the hippocampus; however, its function in the brain remains unknown. Here, we investigated the role of GPNMB in memory and learning by using transgenic (Tg) mice over‐expressing GPNMB (Tg mice on a BDF‐1 background) and ECF‐treated mice. In the hippocampus of both wild‐type and Tg mice, GPNMB was highly expressed in neurons and astrocytes. Tg mice exhibited memory improvements in two types of learning tasks but were impaired in a passive‐avoidance test. In Tg mice, the hippocampus displayed increased levels of the α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionate receptor subunit GluA1. Intracerebroventricular administration of ECF (50 ng) to Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice also improved memory in a passive‐avoidance test and increased hippocampal GluA1 levels 24 h after treatment. In Tg mice and ECF (0.25 μg/mL)‐treated hippocampal slices, long‐term potentiation was promoted. These findings suggest that GPNMB may be a novel target for research on higher order brain functions.

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Glycoprotein nonmelanoma protein B (GPNMB) is widely expressed in neurons. We investigated the role of GPNMB on memory by using transgenic mice over‐expressing GPNMB (Tg) and GPNMB extracellular fragment (ECF)‐treated mice. Both mice exhibited memory improvement. In Tg mice, protein levels of phosphorylated α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionate (AMPA) receptor subunit GluA1, CaMK2 (Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase 2), and GSK3β (glycogen synthase kinase 3β) were increased. Tg mice and ECF‐treated hippocampus promoted LTP. These findings suggest that GPNMB might become a novel target for research on higher order brain functions.
Lipocalin‐2 enhances angiogenesis in rat brain endothelial cells via reactive oxygen species and iron‐dependent mechanisms
Authors: Wu Limin , Du Yang , Lok Josephine , Lo Eng H. , Xing Changhong
Published: December 2014

Inflammation is a key part of central nervous system pathophysiology. However, inflammatory factors are now thought to have both beneficial and deleterious effects. Here, we examine the hypothesis that lipocalin‐2 (LCN2), an inflammatory molecule that can be up‐regulated in the distressed central nervous system, may enhance angiogenesis in brain endothelial cells. Adding LCN2 (0.5–2.0 μg/mL) to RBE (Rat brain endothelial cells). 4 rat brain endothelial cells significantly increased matrigel tube formation and scratch migration, and also elevated levels of iron and reactive oxygen species. Co‐treatment with a radical scavenger (U83836E), a Nox inhibitor (apocynin) and an iron chelating agent (deferiprone) significantly dampened the ability of LCN2 to enhance tube formation and scratch migration in brain endothelial cells. These findings provide in vitro proof of the concept that LCN2 can promote angiogenesis via iron‐ and reactive oxygen species‐related pathways, and support the idea that LCN2 may contribute to the neurovascular recovery aspects of inflammation.

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Angiogenesis is an important part of stroke recovery. In the present study, we examined the hypothesis that lipocalin‐2 (LCN2) may enhance angiogenesis in brain endothelial cells. LCN2 promoted tube formation and migration via iron and ROS‐related pathways in rat brain endothelial cells. ROS scavengers, Nox inhibitors and iron chelators all dampened the ability of LCN2 to enhance in vitro angiogenesis. These findings support the idea that LCN2 that is released by damaged neurons may act as a ‘help me’ signal that promotes neurovascular recovery after stroke and brain injury.