bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of HYBID (KIAA1199)‐mediated hyaluronan degradation and anti‐wrinkle effect of Geranium thunbergii extract
Authors: Yoshida Hiroyuki , Yamazaki Kohei , Komiya Aya , Aoki Mika , Nakamura Tomomi , Kasamatsu Shinya , Murata Takeshi , Sayo Tetsuya , Okada Yasunori , Takahashi Yoshito
Published: November 2018

Background

Hyaluronan (HA) is an essential constituent of extracellular matrix in the skin. HA reduction in the dermis and overexpression of HYBID (KIAA1199), a key molecule for HA degradation in skin fibroblasts, are implicated in facial skin wrinkling.

Aims

We aimed to obtain anti‐wrinkle agent(s) by screening for inhibition of HYBID‐mediated HA degradation.

Methods

Various plant extracts were screened for inhibition of HA degradation in HYBID‐stable transfectants in HEK293 (HYBID/HEK293). Inhibition of HA‐degrading activity and HYBID mRNA and protein expression by Geranium thunbergii extract was studied in skin fibroblasts and HYBID/HEK293 cells. Size distribution of newly produced HA was evaluated by preparing metabolically radiolabeled HA in skin fibroblasts. A double‐blind, randomized, and placebo‐controlled study was performed in healthy Japanese women (n = 21) by topically treating each side of the face with a lotion formulated with G. thunbergii extract or placebo for 8 weeks.

Results

Among the plant extracts tested, only G. thunbergii extract abolished HA depolymerization in skin fibroblasts and HYBID/HEK293 cells by down‐regulating HYBID mRNA and protein expression and by inhibiting HYBID‐mediated HA‐degrading activity. Although untreated skin fibroblasts produced polydispersed HA, G. thunbergii extract‐treated cells produced high‐molecular‐weight HA. Treatment with G. thunbergii extract‐formulated lotion significantly improved skin elasticity and reduced skin wrinkling scores at the outer eye corner compared with the placebo formulation.

Conclusions

Geranium thunbergii extract inhibited HYBID‐mediated HA degradation in vitro and showed anti‐wrinkle activity in vivo accompanying the improvement in skin elasticity. Our study provides a possible strategy for anti‐wrinkle care through inhibition of HYBID‐mediated HA degradation.
The Shaping of Science by Ideology: How Feminism Inspired, Led, and Constrained Scientific Understanding of Sex and Gender
Authors: Eagly Alice H.
Published: November 2018

When the Second Wave of feminism emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, feminist psychologists vigorously attacked earlier scholarship on gender for assuming that women's intrinsic nature accounts for their deficits of power and status. Consistent with the liberal, progressive ideology that has prevailed among feminist psychologists, most of their research on the psychology of gender instead found the causes of women's disadvantage in the social context of women's lives. In particular, social psychologists championed this perspective by providing evidence of the influence of gender stereotypes, social norms, organizational barriers, and sexist prejudices on the behavior of women and men. This approach de‐emphasized other causes of women's disadvantage, notably the self‐construals and personal goals that guide individual choices. In addition, many feminist psychologists rejected biological causation as sexist and reductionist, thereby participating minimally in research on interactive processes by which nature and nurture work together in producing sex differences and similarities. The challenge now facing feminist psychologists is to reach beyond ideological constraints to discover how social, self, and biological causes interact to produce the phenomena of gender.
The pharmacokinetics of moxidectin following intravenous and topical administration to swine
Authors: Xiao Hongzhi , Peng Haoyuan , Zhao Ting , kong Jingyuan , Xue Jiao , Wang Jianzhong , Lin Yalong , zhang Suxia , Cao Xingyuan
Published: November 2018

The pharmacokinetic parameters of moxidectin (MXD) after intravenous and pour‐on (topical) administration were studied in sixteen pigs at a single dose of 1.25 and 2.5 mg/kg BW (body weight), respectively. Blood samples were collected at pretreatment time (0 hr) over 40 days. The plasma kinetics were analyzed by WinNonlin 6.3 software through a noncompartmental model. For intravenous administration (n = 8), the elimination half‐life (λZ), the apparent volume of distribution (Vz), and clearance (Cl) were 10.29 ± 1.90 days, 89.575 ± 29.856 L/kg, and 5.699 ± 2.374 L/kg, respectively. For pour‐on administration (n = 8), the maximum plasma drug concentration (Cmax), time to maximum plasma concentration (Tmax), and λZ were 7.49 ng/ml, 1.72, and 6.20 days, respectively. MXD had a considerably low absolute pour‐on bioavailability of 9.2%, but the mean residence time (MRT) for pour‐on administration 10.88 ± 1.75 days was longer than 8.99 ± 2.48 days for intravenous administration. These results showed that MXD was absorbed via skin rapidly and eliminated slowly. The obtained data might contribute to refine the dosage regime for topical MXD administration.
Pharmacokinetics of ketorolac in wild Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) after single intramuscular administration
Authors: Cerreta Anthony J. , Masterson Chris A. , Lewbart Gregory A. , Dise Delta R. , Papich Mark G.
Published: November 2018

Ketorolac is a nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug that possesses potent analgesic activity comparable to morphine. The opioid shortage in the United States has led to an unreliable supply of opioids for use in rehabilitation facilities, thus underscoring the need for research on the safe and effective use of nonopioid alternatives. The goal of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of ketorolac after a single 0.25 mg/kg intramuscular injection administered to injured Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina). A sparse blood sampling protocol was used to collect samples from 32 wild turtles that presented to the Turtle Rescue Team at North Carolina State University for traumatic injuries. Blood was collected from 0 to 24 hr after injection and analyzed via high‐pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). A nonlinear mixed‐effects (NLME) model was fitted to the data to obtain typical values for population parameters. Using this approach, we identified a long half‐life (T1/2) of 9.78 hr and a volume of distribution (Vss) of 0.26 L/kg. We have concluded that this long T1/2 for a dose of 0.25 mg/kg ketorolac‐injected IM provides plasma levels above a previously published target level for 24‐hour analgesia to allow for once daily dosing.
Ontogenetic variation in diet and habitat of Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea
Authors: Jackson‐Ricketts Justine , Ruiz‐Cooley R. Iliana , Junchompoo Chalatip , Thongsukdee Surasak , Intongkham Atichat , Ninwat Santi , Kittiwattanawong Kongkiat , Hines Ellen M. , Costa Daniel P.
Published: November 2018

Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) are threatened, little‐known cetaceans primarily jeopardized by fishing gear entanglement. Information regarding life history, foraging ecology, and movement are crucial to determine management units and conservation regions. This is the first analysis of the ontogenetic changes in diet and habitat of Irrawaddy dolphins from the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea using stable isotopes from skin and teeth. Results suggest limited age and sex structure indicated by weak ontogenetic and sexual variability in δ15N and δ13C in teeth. Significant variation in δ13C and δ15N values were observed between three Gulf regions and the Andaman Sea, indicating distinct regional groups. Isotope mixing models run on soft tissues from the eastern Gulf revealed a diet based primarily on fishes and secondarily on crustaceans, suggesting overlap with fishery targets. Conservation strategies that focus on reducing regional competition with humans and bycatch mortality are proposed. Fishing gear improvements and monitoring of fishing operations are a potential immediate response to reduce anthropogenic impact.
Invited Review: APOE at the interface of inflammation, neurodegeneration and pathological protein spread in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Tzioras M. , Davies C. , Newman A. , Jackson R. , Spires‐Jones T.
Published: November 2018

Despite more than a century of research, the aetiology of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unclear and finding disease modifying treatments for AD presents one of the biggest medical challenges of our time. AD pathology is characterized by deposits of aggregated amyloid beta (Aβ) in amyloid plaques and aggregated tau in neurofibrillary tangles. These aggregates begin in distinct brain regions and spread throughout the brain in stereotypical patterns. Neurodegeneration, comprising loss of synapses and neurons, occurs in brain regions with high tangle pathology, and an inflammatory response of glial cells appears in brain regions with pathological aggregates. Inheriting an apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE4) allele strongly increases the risk of developing AD for reasons that are not yet entirely clear. Substantial amounts of evidence support a role for APOE in modulating the aggregation and clearance of Aβ, and data have been accumulating recently implicating APOE4 in exacerbating neurodegeneration, tau pathology and inflammation. We hypothesize that APOE4 influences all the pathological hallmarks of AD and may sit at the interface between neurodegeneration, inflammation and the spread of pathologies through the brain. Here, we conducted a systematic search of the literature and review evidence supporting a role for APOE4 in neurodegeneration and inflammation. While there is no direct evidence yet for APOE4 influencing the spread of pathology, we postulate that this may be found in future based on the literature reviewed here. In conclusion, this review highlights the importance of understanding the role of APOE in multiple important pathological mechanisms in AD.
Methane emissions from tree stems: a new frontier in the global carbon cycle
Authors: Barba Josep , Bradford Mark A. , Brewer Paul E. , Bruhn Dan , Covey Kristofer , van Haren Joost , Megonigal J. Patrick , Mikkelsen Teis Nørgaard , Pangala Sunitha R. , Pihlatie Mari , Poulter Ben , Rivas‐Ubach Albert , Schadt Christopher W. , Terazawa Kazuhiko , Warner Daniel L. , Zhang Zhen , Vargas Rodrigo
Published: November 2018

Tree stems from wetland, floodplain and upland forests can produce and emit methane (CH4). Tree CH4 stem emissions have high spatial and temporal variability, but there is no consensus on the biophysical mechanisms that drive stem CH4 production and emissions. Here, we summarize up to 30 opportunities and challenges for stem CH4 emissions research, which, when addressed, will improve estimates of the magnitudes, patterns and drivers of CH4 emissions and trace their potential origin. We identified the need: (1) for both long‐term, high‐frequency measurements of stem CH4 emissions to understand the fine‐scale processes, alongside rapid large‐scale measurements designed to understand the variability across individuals, species and ecosystems; (2) to identify microorganisms and biogeochemical pathways associated with CH4 production; and (3) to develop a mechanistic model including passive and active transport of CH4 from the soil–tree–atmosphere continuum. Addressing these challenges will help to constrain the magnitudes and patterns of CH4 emissions, and allow for the integration of pathways and mechanisms of CH4 production and emissions into process‐based models. These advances will facilitate the upscaling of stem CH4 emissions to the ecosystem level and quantify the role of stem CH4 emissions for the local to global CH4 budget.
Tests of alternative evolutionary models are needed to enhance our understanding of biological invasions
Authors: Burns Jean H. , Murphy Jennifer E. , Zheng Yu‐Long
Published: November 2018

Contents

Summary
701

I.
Introduction
701

II.
Why we need an explicitly evolutionary perspective
702

III.
A case study invasion experiment
702

IV.
The way forward
703

V.
Conclusions
705

Acknowledgements
706

References
706

Comparing models of trait evolution might generate new insights into the role of evolutionary history in biological invasions. Assumptions underlying Darwin's naturalization conundrum suggest that close relatives are functionally similar. However, newer work is suggesting more complex relationships between phylogenetic and functional distance. We present an example in which communities of close relatives are functionally divergent in leaf traits and have greater invader biomass. Such an approach leads to new questions, such as: When might selection lead to divergence between close relatives? For example, a history of sympatry might correspond with divergence. We suggest that moving beyond a simplistic version of Darwin's naturalization conundrum as alternative hypotheses will lead to a more nuanced view on how evolution has shaped biological invasions.
Successful cryoablation of atrial fibrillation from jugular approach in patient with interrupted inferior vena cava and azygos continuation
Authors: Kanat Selçuk , Çakır Hakan , Tütüncü Ahmet , Tenekecioglu Erhan
Published: November 2018

We herein report successful cryoablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation via right jugular vein in a patient with interrupted inferior vena cava. We preferred cryoablation instead of radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of our patient. For stronger support in aiming the Brockenbrough needle toward the septum, we manuallly curved the needle with a 120° angle about 6 cm proximal to the tip. After successful transseptal puncture, we performed balloon dilatation in the septal puncture zone to facilitate passage. Cryoablation has theoretical advantage, particularly in challenging anatomies, in which it eliminates the need for point‐by‐point ablation around the pulmonary vein.
Molecular cloning and functional characterization of two glycerol‐3‐phosphate acyltransferases from the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Duarte‐Coello María E. , Herrera‐Valencia Virginia A. , Echevarría‐Machado Ileana , Casais‐Molina Melissa L. , Peraza‐Echeverria Santy
Published: November 2018

Glycerol‐3‐phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) catalyzes the first step of both the glycerolipid and the triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthetic pathways. In plants, there are different isozymes for GPAT in different organelles, including the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane‐bound GPAT and the soluble chloroplast (plastid) GPAT. In microalgae, studies on GPAT have been limited; only the microsomal TpGPAT from the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana has been characterized by enzymatic assay using heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the present study, we report the cloning and sequence analysis of two genes encoding GPAT isozymes from the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, CrGPATer and CrGPATcl. CrGPATer is a homolog to Arabidopsis thaliana AtGPAT9, which encodes an ER‐located GPAT, and CrGPATcl is a homolog to A. thaliana ATS1, which encodes a chloroplast‐located GPAT. We mapped the 3′UTRs of both CrGPATer and CrGPATcl and identified three alternative splicings in CrGPATer mRNA and two in CrGPATcl mRNA. Interestingly, one of these splicings results from a trans‐splicing event in CrGPATer mRNA. The heterologous expression of the cDNAs from each gene in the S. cerevisiae gat1Δ mutant demonstrated, for the first time, that both CrGPATer and CrGPATcl show GPAT activity. Moreover, GPAT activity for CrGPATer was detected in the membrane extract, while that for CrGPATcl was detected in both the soluble and membrane extracts. Overall, these findings represent an important contribution to the better understanding of lipid metabolism in C. reinhardtii and in green microalgae in general.
Remarkable behavioural signs and progressive non‐fluent aphasia in a patient with adult‐onset leucoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia
Authors: Funayama Michitaka , Sugihara Masako , Takata Taketo , Mimura Masaru , Ikeuchi Takeshi
Published: November 2018

Adult‐onset leucoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP), also known as hereditary diffuse leucoencephalopathy with spheroids (HDLS), is a progressive neurocognitive disorder that predominantly affects the cerebral white matter, mainly the frontal subcortical areas and the corpus callosum. Patients with ALSP are clinically characterized by a gradual onset of cognitive and behavioural dysfunction and personality changes, followed by motor impairments such as gait disturbance and bradykinesia. Given the disease‐related degenerative changes of the frontal white matter, it is no wonder that patients with ALSP present with behavioural symptoms and non‐fluent aphasia, which are found in patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration. However, behavioural symptoms and non‐fluent aphasia in a patient with ALSP have rarely reported in detail. Here, we describe a patient with ALSP who initially presented with remarkable behavioural signs and non‐fluent primary progressive aphasia, which resembled symptoms of frontotemporal lobar degeneration. The present case suggests that ALSP should be included in the differential diagnosis for frontotemporal lobar degeneration.
Quantitative Assessment of the Health Risk for Livestock When Animal Viruses Are Applied in Human Oncolytic Therapy: A Case Study for Seneca Valley Virus
Authors: Schijven Jack , Brizee Sabrina , Teunis Peter , de Vos Clazien , Eblé Phaedra , Rutjes Saskia
Published: November 2018

Some viruses cause tumor regression and can be used to treat cancer patients; these viruses are called oncolytic viruses. To assess whether oncolytic viruses from animal origin excreted by patients pose a health risk for livestock, a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) was performed to estimate the risk for the Dutch pig industry after environmental release of Seneca Valley virus (SVV). The QRA assumed SVV excretion in stool by one cancer patient on Day 1 in the Netherlands, discharge of SVV with treated wastewater into the river Meuse, downstream intake of river water for drinking water production, and consumption of this drinking water by pigs. Dose–response curves for SVV infection and clinical disease in pigs were constructed from experimental data. In the worst scenario (four log10 virus reduction by drinking water treatment and a farm with 10,000 pigs), the infection risk is less than 1% with 95% certainty. The risk of clinical disease is almost seven orders of magnitude lower. Risks may increase proportionally with the numbers of treated patients and days of virus excretion. These data indicate that application of wild‐type oncolytic animal viruses may infect susceptible livestock. A QRA regarding the use of oncolytic animal virus is, therefore, highly recommended. For this, data on excretion by patients, and dose–response parameters for infection and clinical disease in livestock, should be studied.
Cross‐cultural, population‐based study on adolescent body image and eating distress in Japan and Finland
Authors: Maezono Junko , Hamada Shoko , Sillanmäki Lauri , Kaneko Hitoshi , Ogura Masayoshi , Lempinen Lotta , Sourander Andre
Published: November 2018

This cross‐sectional population‐based survey compares the prevalence of self‐reported body image and eating distress symptoms among adolescents in Japan and Finland, and associations between emotional/behavioral problems, body image and eating distress from a cross‐cultural perspective. The study included 1,840 Japanese and 1,135 Finnish 8th grade students. The self‐reported questionnaire included the Body Image and Eating Distress Scale and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The female adolescents from both Finland and Japan reported much greater dissatisfaction with, and concern about, their bodies than the males and Japanese females expressed even higher distress than Finnish females. High levels of body image and eating distress were associated with psychiatric problems measured with the SDQ. There was a significant three‐way interaction effect of body image and eating distress, gender and country with SDQ peer problems and prosocial behavior.
A bivariate infinitely divisible law for modeling the magnitude and duration of monotone periods of log‐returns
Authors: Barreto‐Souza Wagner , Silva Rodrigo B.
Published: November 2018

The focus of this article is modeling the magnitude and duration of monotone periods of log‐returns. For this, we propose a new bivariate law assuming that the probabilistic framework over the magnitude and duration is based on the joint distribution of (X,N), where N is geometric distributed and X is the sum of an identically distributed sequence of inverse‐Gaussian random variables independent of N. In this sense, X and N represent the magnitude and duration of the log‐returns, respectively, and the magnitude comes from an infinite mixture of inverse‐Gaussian distributions. This new model is named bivariate inverse‐Gaussian geometric (
in short) law. We provide statistical properties of the
model and explore stochastic representations. In particular, we show that the
is infinitely divisible, and with this, an induced Lévy process is proposed and studied in some detail. Estimation of the parameters is performed via maximum likelihood, and Fisher's information matrix is obtained. An empirical illustration to the log‐returns of Tyco International stock demonstrates the superior performance of the
law compared to an existing model. We expect that the proposed law can be considered as a powerful tool in the modeling of log‐returns and other episodes analyses such as water resources management, risk assessment, and civil engineering projects.
The role of a class III gibberellin 2‐oxidase in tomato internode elongation
Authors: Schrager‐Lavelle Amanda , Gath Natalie N. , Devisetty Upendra K. , Carrera Esther , López‐Díaz Isabel , Blázquez Miguel A. , Maloof Julin N.
Published: November 2018

A network of environmental inputs and internal signaling controls plant growth, development and organ elongation. In particular, the growth‐promoting hormone gibberellin (GA) has been shown to play a significant role in organ elongation. The use of tomato as a model organism to study elongation presents an opportunity to study the genetic control of internode‐specific elongation in a eudicot species with a sympodial growth habit and substantial internodes that can and do respond to external stimuli. To investigate internode elongation, a mutant with an elongated hypocotyl and internodes but wild‐type petioles was identified through a forward genetic screen. In addition to stem‐specific elongation, this mutant, named tomato internode elongated ‐1 (tie‐1) is more sensitive to the GA biosynthetic inhibitor paclobutrazol and has altered levels of intermediate and bioactive GAs compared with wild‐type plants. The mutation responsible for the internode elongation phenotype was mapped to GA2oxidase 7, a class III GA 2‐oxidase in the GA biosynthetic pathway, through a bulked segregant analysis and bioinformatic pipeline, and confirmed by transgenic complementation. Furthermore, bacterially expressed recombinant TIE protein was shown to have bona fide GA 2‐oxidase activity. These results define a critical role for this gene in internode elongation and are significant because they further the understanding of the role of GA biosynthetic genes in organ‐specific elongation.
Platelet α‐granules modulate the inflammatory response under systemic lipopolysaccharide injection in mice
Authors: Tariket Sofiane , Guerrero Jose A. , Garraud Olivier , Ghevaert Cedric , Cognasse Fabrice
Published: November 2018

BACKGROUND

Beyond their role in hemostasis and thrombosis, platelets are also important mediators of inflammation by the release of hundreds of factors stored in their α‐granules. Mutations in Nbeal2 cause gray platelet syndrome (GPS), characterized by the lack of platelet α‐granules. This study aims to evaluate the immunological (proinflammatory) effects of platelet α‐granules.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

We performed an experiment using Nbeal2−/− mice, the mouse model of GPS. Systemic inflammation was induced by intravenous injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Inflammatory response was assessed by quantification of inflammatory soluble factors and platelet biological response modifiers.

RESULTS

The lack of Nbeal2 (in Nbeal2
−/− mice, compared with controls) significantly reduced the recruitment of circulating neutrophils and monocytes. Moreover, after LPS injection, there was a significant increase in neutrophil and monocyte counts in control animals, compared with Nbeal2
−/− mice. The control of inflammation, evaluated by the production of anti‐inflammatory cytokines, appeared to be greater in Nbeal2−/− mice compared with controls. Conversely, the production of certain inflammatory‐soluble mediators known to characterize normal platelet secretion, such as soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L), was decreased under experimental inflammation in Nbeal2
−/− mice.

CONCLUSIONS

These results show that α‐granules play a direct role in platelet‐mediated inflammation balance, confirming the need to further investigate platelet‐associated inflammatory pathophysiology and inflammatory adverse events related to blood transfusion.
In Love with My Footage: Desirous Undercurrents in the Making of an Essay Film on Candomblé
Authors: van de Port Mattijs
Published: November 2018

What underlies the choices anthropologists make when opting for a pen or a camera, or for “the observational style” or “video experimentation”? In this essay, I look at anthropology as a practice of mediation. I take this practice to be driven by the desire to arrive at a full account of fieldwork experiences, and to be informed by the fantasmatic promises with which particular media have been endowed. You might think of the possibilities promised by the linear clarity of your word‐processing environment; of the possibilities promised by the sensuousness of Forest of Bliss; of the way you found yourself seduced by such promises, moving in one direction, rather than another. To arrive at the details of the dynamics of anthropological mediations, I reflect on the making of my film about Brazilian Candomblé. I describe how I moved from writing about this religion to filming it, and how my initial attempts to make a film reminiscent of the “delinguified” sensory films coming out of the Harvard Sensory Ethnography Lab made way for the reintroduction of the word as proposed in the genre of the essay film.
Studying Multi‐Modal Religions: Migration and Mediation in the Cult of María Lionza (Venezuela, Barcelona, Internet)
Authors: Canals Roger
Published: November 2018

This article discusses the origin, development, and distribution of the multi‐modal projectAfro‐Venezuelan Rituals in Barcelona: A Comparative Study of Religious Nomadism through Film. This project focuses on the study of the migratory process of the cult of María Lionza between Venezuela and Barcelona, alongside the analysis of the presence of this religious practice on the Internet. In this article, I propose to define this cult as a “multi‐modal religion.” This term refers to the fact that its followers (and spirits) are increasingly using different kinds of media to relate to each other. To analyze this cult, I call for a more in‐depth exploration of the critical combination of different methods of research and modes of representation in anthropology (articles, films, websites, exhibitions). I also argue that one of the main interests of this multi‐modal approach lies in its potential to account for the plurality of agents that intervene in the development of religious cults.
Gaussian distribution in current-conduction mechanism of (Ni/Pt) Schottky contacts on wide bandgap AlInGaN quaternary alloy
Authors: Arslan Engin , Altındal S¸emsettin , Ural Sertaç , Kayal Ömer Ahmet , Öztürk Mustafa , Özbay Ekmel
Published: November 2018

The current-conduction mechanisms of the as-deposited and annealed at 450 °C (Ni/Pt) Schottky contacts on AlInGaN quaternary alloy have been investigated in the temperature range of 80–320 K. The zero-bias barrier height (BH) (ΦB0) and ideality factor (n) of them were evaluated using thermionic emission (TE) theory. The ΦB0 and n values calculated from the I-V characteristics show a strong temperature dependence. Such behavior of ΦB0 and n is attributed to Schottky barrier inhomogeneities. Therefore, both the ΦB0 vs n and ΦB0 vs q/2kT plots were drawn to obtain evidence on the Gaussian distribution (GD) of the barrier height at the metal/semiconductor interface. These plots show two different linear parts at low and intermediate temperatures for as-deposited and annealed Schottky contacts. Thus, the mean value of ΦB0 and standard deviation (σ0) was calculated from the linear parts of the ΦB0 vs q/kT plots for both samples. The values of the effective Richardson constant (A∗) and mean BH were obtained from the modified Richardson plots which included the effect of barrier inhomogeneity. These values of Richardson constant and barrier height for as-deposited contacts were found to be 19.9 A cm−2 K−2 and 0.59 eV, respectively, at low temperature, but 43.3 A cm−2 K−2 and 1.32 eV, respectively, at intermediate temperatures. These values of Richardson constant and barrier height for annealed contacts were found to be 19.6 A cm−2 K−2 and 0.37 eV, respectively, at low temperature, but 42.9 A cm−2 K−2 and 1.54 eV, respectively, at intermediate temperatures. It is clear that the value of the Richardson constant obtained for as-deposited and annealed samples by using double-GD for intermediate temperatures is close to the theoretical value of AlInGaN (=44.7 A cm−2 K−2). Therefore, I-V-T characteristics for the as-deposited and annealed Schottky contacts in the temperature range of 80–320 K can be successfully explained based on TE theory with double-GD of the BHs.
Nonlinear ultrasound parameter to monitor cell death in cancer cell samples
Authors: Muleki-Seya Pauline , Payan Cédric , Balasse Laure , Guillermin Régine , Roffino Sandrine , Guillet Benjamin , Franceschini Emilie
Published: November 2018

A scaling subtraction method was proposed to analyze the radio frequency data from cancer cell samples exposed to an anti-cancer drug and to estimate a nonlinear parameter. The nonlinear parameter was found to be well correlated (R2 = 0.62) to the percentage of dead cells in apoptosis and necrosis. The origin of the nonlinearity may be related to a change in contacts between cells, since the nonlinear parameter was well correlated to the average total coordination number of binary packings (R2 ≥ 0.77). These results suggest that the scaling subtraction method may be used to early quantify chemotherapeutic treatment efficiency.
Influence of Feeding Type and
Nosema ceranae
Infection on the Gut Microbiota of
Apis cerana
Workers
Authors: Huang Shao K. , Ye Kun T. , Huang Wei F. , Ying Bi H. , Su Xin , Lin Li H. , Li Jiang H. , Chen Yan P. , Li Ji L. , Bao Xiu L. , Hu Jian Z.
Published: November 2018

The gut microbiota plays an essential role in the health of bees. Scientific evidence suggests that diet and infection can affect the gut microbiota and modulate the health of the gut; however, the interplay between those two factors and the bee gut microbiota is not well known. In this study, we used a high-throughput sequencing method to monitor the changes of gut microbiota associated with both feeding types and
Nosema ceranae
infection. Our results showed that the gut microbiota composition and diversity of Asian honey bee were significantly associated with both feeding types and the
N. ceranae
infection. More interestingly, bees fed with beebread showed higher microbiota stability and lower mortality rates than those fed with sugar water when infected by
N. ceranae
. Those data suggest that beebread has the potential not only to provide better nutrition but also help to establish a more stable gut microbiota to protect bees against
N. ceranae
infection.
Cerebral autoregulation in premature infants during the first 96 hours of life and relationship to adverse outcomes
Authors: Hoffman Suma B , Cheng Yun-Ju , Magder Laurence S , Shet Narendra , Viscardi Rose M
Published: November 2018

Objective

To test the hypothesis that impaired cerebral autoregulation (ICA) increases the susceptibility of premature infants to adverse outcomes, we determined the relationship of ICA and cerebral reactivity (CR) measured in the first 96 hours of life to the outcome of grade 3 or 4 intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) and/or death within 1 month.

Setting

Single-centre level IV neonatal intensive care unit.

Patients

Neonates 24–29 weeks’ gestation less than 12 hours old with invasive blood pressure monitoring.

Design

Cerebral saturations and mean arterial blood pressure were recorded every 30 s for 96 hours. For each 10 min epoch, the correlation coefficient (r) was calculated for mean arterial blood pressure versus cerebral saturations. The epoch was considered to have ICA if r>0.5 and CR if r<0.

Results

Sixty-one subjects were included. During the first 96 hours, ICA occurred 17.6% and CR occurred 41% of recorded time. In those without adverse outcomes, ICA decreased and CR increased by postnatal day (p<0.05). Adjusted for birth weight and gestational age, those with IVH and those who died spent more time with ICA and less time with CR (p<0.05) over the entire recording period. Those with IVH had 1.5-fold increase in time with ICA on day 2 (p=0.021), and decrease in time with CR on day 3 (p=0.036). Compared with survivors, non-survivors spent more time with ICA on days 3 and 4 (p<0.005), and less with CR on day 3 (p=0.032).

Conclusion

ICA and CR vary by postnatal day and these patterns are associated with adverse outcomes.
Recurrent complications of PAAG implants during lactation
Authors: Bourke Anita Geraldine , Jose Chaitra
Published: November 2018

A 35-year-old lactating woman with pre-existing polyacrylamide gel (PAAG) implants for 10 years presented on numerous occasions following both her pregnancies with bilateral recurrent breast infection, pain and finally massive breast enlargement with a ruptured galactocoele necessitating surgical intervention. As the safety of PAAG for the breastfeeding baby is not known, breastfeeding with PAAG implants is not recommended.
Multifocal avascular osteonecrosis despite appropriate anticoagulation therapy in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: Cecchi Irene , Pérez Sánchez Laura , Sciascia Savino , Roccatello Dario
Published: November 2018

Multifocal avascular osteonecrosis (AON) is a serious manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Prothrombotic factors, especially antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), have been associated with the development of AON; therefore, attenuating the procoagulant state while balancing the haemorrhagic risks might have a rationale when managing this condition. We report a case of a 37-year-old patient with SLE, treated with low doses of corticosteroids and immunosuppressive therapy, who was started on vitamin K antagonist following an episode of deep vein thrombosis while having persistent positivity for aPL. After 2 years, he presented with multifocal AON, involving both femurs and shoulders. The patient underwent a bilateral hip replacement, but despite appropriate anticoagulation therapy after 2 years, he developed another episode of AON at both distal epiphyses of the femurs and proximal epiphyses of the tibias. Multifocal AON should be suspected, especially in the presence of aPL positivity. Its aetiology is still unknown and is most likely multifactorial. Its management is challenging and requires combined approaches.
Case of keratoacanthoma centrifugum marginatum treated with acitretin
Authors: Mehrtens Sarah Helen , de la Hera Inma , Shankar Sonal
Published: November 2018

Keratoacanthoma centrifugum marginatum (KCM) is a rare variant of keratoacanthoma (KA), characterised by a progressively expanding tumour with a lack of spontaneous remission and significant scarring. KCM has been reported previously in less than 50 cases worldwide. We present the case of a large solitary KCM on the right shin of a 71-year-old woman. This was treated successfully with oral acitretin for 16 months with sustained remission at 24 months. Our case provides further supporting evidence for acitretin as a useful treatment for KCM to induce remission, prevent extensive surgery and minimise destructive scarring.
Is cupping therapy effective in patients with neck pain? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kim Seoyoun , Lee Sook-Hyun , Kim Me-Riong , Kim Eun-Jung , Hwang Deok-Sang , Lee Jinho , Shin Joon-Shik , Ha In-Hyuk , Lee Yoon Jae
Published: November 2018

Objectives

Neck pain is a significant condition that is second only to depression as a cause of years lived with disability worldwide. Thus, identifying and understanding effective treatment modalities for neck pain is of heightened importance. This systematic review aimed to investigate the effects of cupping on neck pain from the current literature.

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

Setting

Nine databases, including Chinese, Korean and Japanese databases, were searched for data up to January 2018 with no restrictions on publication language.

Participants

Patients with neck pain.

Interventions

Cupping therapy as the sole or add-on intervention compared with no treatment or active controls.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Pain severity, functional disability and quality of life.

Results

Eighteen RCTs were selected. Compared with the no intervention group, the cupping group exhibited significant reduction in pain (mean difference (MD) −2.42(95% CI −3.98 to −0.86)) and improvement in function (MD −4.34(95% CI −6.77 to −1.19)). Compared with the active control, the cupping group reported significant reduction in pain (p=0.0009) and significantly improved quality of life (p=0.001). The group that received control treatment with cupping therapy (add-on group) displayed significant pain reduction compared with the active control group (p=0.001). Of the 18 studies, only 8 reported occurrence of adverse events, which were mostly mild and temporary.

Conclusions

Cupping was found to reduce neck pain in patients compared with no intervention or active control groups, or as an add-on treatment. Depending on the type of control group, cupping was also associated with significant improvement in terms of function and quality of life; however, due to the low quality of evidence of the included studies, definitive conclusions could not be drawn from this review. Future well-designed studies are needed to substantiate the effectiveness of cupping on neck pain.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42016047218.
Effects and costs of implementing predictive risk stratification in primary care: a randomised stepped wedge trial
Authors: Snooks Helen , Bailey-Jones Kerry , Burge-Jones Deborah , Dale Jeremy , Davies Jan , Evans Bridie Angela , Farr Angela , Fitzsimmons Deborah , Heaven Martin , Howson Helen , Hutchings Hayley , John Gareth , Kingston Mark , Lewis Leo , Phillips Ceri , Porter Alison , Sewell Bernadette , Warm Daniel , Watkins Alan , Whitman Shirley , Williams Victoria , Russell Ian
Published: November 2018

Aim

We evaluated the introduction of a predictive risk stratification model (PRISM) into primary care. Contemporaneously National Health Service (NHS) Wales introduced Quality and Outcomes Framework payments to general practices to focus care on those at highest risk of emergency admission to hospital. The aim of this study was to evaluate the costs and effects of introducing PRISM into primary care.

Methods

Randomised stepped wedge trial with 32 general practices in one Welsh health board. The intervention comprised: PRISM software; practice-based training; clinical support through two ‘general practitioner (GP) champions’ and technical support. The primary outcome was emergency hospital admissions.

Results

Across 230 099 participants, PRISM implementation increased use of health services: emergency hospital admission rates by 1 % when untransformed (while change in log-transformed rate ΔL=0.011, 95% CI 0.010 to 0.013); emergency department (ED) attendance rates by untransformed 3 % (while ΔL=0.030, 95% CI 0.028 to 0.032); outpatient visit rates by untransformed 5 % (while ΔL=0.055, 95% CI 0.051 to 0.058); the proportion of days with recorded GP activity by untransformed 1 % (while ΔL=0.011, 95% CI 0.007 to 0.014) and time in hospital by untransformed 3 % (while ΔL=0.029, 95% CI 0.026 to 0.031). Thus NHS costs per participant increased by £76 (95% CI £46 to £106).

Conclusions

Introduction of PRISM resulted in a statistically significant increase in emergency hospital admissions and use of other NHS services without evidence of benefits to patients or the NHS.
Association of community food environment and obesity among US adults: a geographical information system analysis
Authors: Chen Meifang , Creger Thomas , Howard Virginia , Judd Suzanne E , Harrington Kathy F , Fontaine Kevin R
Published: November 2018

Background

Emerging studies have investigated the contribution of food environment to obesity in the USA. However, the findings were inconsistent. Methodological explanations for the inconsistent findings included: (1) using individual store/restaurant exposure as food environment indicator, and (2) not accounting for non-stationarity assumption. This study aimed to describe the spatial distribution of obesity and examine the association between community food environment and obesity, and the variation of magnitude and direction of this association across the USA.

Methods

Data from 20 897 adults who participated in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study and completed baseline assessment between January 2003 and October 2007 were eligible in analysis. Hot Spot analysis was used to assess the spatial distribution of obesity. The association between community food environment and obesity and the variation of this association across the USA were examined using global ordinary least squares regression and local geographically weighted regression.

Results

Higher body mass index (BMI) clusters were more likely to locate in socioeconomically disadvantaged, rural, minority neighbourhoods with a smaller population size, while lower BMI clusters were more likely to appear in more affluent, urban neighbourhoods with a higher percentage of non-Hispanic white residences. There was an overall significant, inverse association between community food environment and obesity (β=−0.0210; p<0.0001). Moreover, the magnitude and direction of this association varied significantly across the US regions.

Conclusions

The findings underscored the need for geographically tailored public health interventions and policies to address unique local food environment issues to achieve maximum effects on obesity prevention.
Tobacco control within and beyond WHO MPOWER: outcomes from Taiwan SimSmoke
Authors: Sanna Mattia , Gao Wayne , Chiu Ya-Wen , Chiou Hung-Yi , Chen Yi-Hua , Wen Chi-Pang , Levy David Theodore
Published: November 2018

Introduction

Adult smoking prevalence in Taiwan rapidly declined from 26.5% in 2005 to 20.0% in 2015. Nevertheless, future projections on smoking-attributable deaths and current per capita consumption do not paint an equally bright picture.

Methods

We used SimSmoke, a tobacco control simulation model to assess the impact of tax increases and other policies by predicting past and projecting over future decades smoking rates and smoking-attributable mortality.

Results

The model accurately depicts the decline in smoking prevalence observed in Taiwan from 2000 to 2015. Nonetheless, under the ‘status quo’ scenario, smoking-attributable mortality is projected to continue growing, peaking at 26 602 annual deaths in 2039 and cumulative deaths >1 million by 2044. By comparing projections with current policies with a counterfactual scenario based on the 2000 policy levels, SimSmoke estimates that tobacco control in Taiwan has been able to reduce smoking prevalence by 30% in 2015 with 450 000 fewer smoking-attributable deaths by 2060. Modified scenarios show that doubling the retail price of cigarettes and fully implementing the remaining MPOWER measures would avert approximately 45 000 lives by 2040 and 130 000 by 2060.

Conclusions

Tobacco will be a leading cause of death in Taiwan for the coming decades, showing yet again the long-term consequences of smoking on public health. The MPOWER package, even if adopted at the highest level with a large tax increase, is unlikely to reduce smoking prevalence to the endgame goal of 5% in the next five decades.
Methodological systematic review of studies on social inequalities in smoking among young adults: A field coming of age?
Authors: Gagné Thierry , Lee Joseph G L , Steinmetz-Wood Madeleine , Frohlich Katherine L
Published: November 2018

Objective

Socioeconomic circumstances are critically important to addressing smoking. In young adulthood (ages 18–25), dynamic transitions in education, employment, family and housing complicate the measurement of socioeconomic circumstances. To better understand approaches to capturing these circumstances, this methodological systematic review examined how socioeconomic characteristics used to identify social inequalities in smoking among young adults are measured.

Data sources

We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, ERIC and Sociological Abstracts, and used three prior reviews. We updated the search in March 2018.

Study selection

Two reviewers independently screened peer-reviewed records from OECD countries published in English, French, German or Spanish after 1995 whose samples covered at least 1 year between the ages of 18 and 25. We included 89 of 1320 records.

Data extraction

One reviewer extracted study characteristics, indicators used to operationalise socioeconomic circumstances and each indicator’s relation to results on smoking (ie, significance and direction). We found 39 indicators of socioeconomic circumstances related to six broad domains. These indicators were used in 425 results.

Data synthesis

We descriptively analysed the extracted data using evidence tables. Educational attainment was most common. Evidence of inequalities varied by indicator used. For example, there was inconsistent evidence regarding the role of parental characteristics and transition stages and insufficient evidence regarding personal income on smoking.

Conclusion

Despite its importance, studies have disproportionally examined inequalities among young adults using traditional indicators. The mismatch between young adults’ life transitions and measurement strategies may attenuate evidence of inequalities. We suggest strategies to improve future measurement.
Placement of ion-exchange membranes for monitoring nutrient release from flooded soils
Authors: Bremer E. , Miller J.J. , Curtis T.
Published: November 2018

Placement of Plant Root Simulator (PRS®) probes (ion-exchange membranes in a plastic support) may strongly influence nutrient supply measurements and their relationship to nutrient loss to overlying water due to gradients in ion activity and redox potential with depth. A laboratory study was conducted with two soils contrasting in potential nutrient loss (manured vs. unamended control) to determine the impact of probe placement (vertical, horizontal, and flat on the soil surface) on nutrient supply rate. The supply rates of the redox-sensitive nutrients Mn and Fe were generally 1–2 orders of magnitude lower for PRS probes placed on the soil surface than buried vertically. In contrast, the supply rate of P and K varied by 1–2 orders of magnitude between soils, but placement impacts were modest or absent. The ratio between manured and control soils in water P concentration was identical to that of soil P supply rate determined with PRS probes placed flat on the soil surface. All placements were effective in demonstrating the increased potential for loss of P and K from the manured soil, but only measurements from PRS probes placed on the soil surface were closely related to loss of the redox-sensitive nutrients Mn and Fe.