bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Vulval Disease Quality of Life Index in women with vulval lichen sclerosus correlates with clinician and symptom scores
Authors: Felmingham Claire , Chan Lydia , Doyle Lex W , Veysey Emma
Published: November 2019

Background/Objectives

The Vulval disease Quality of Life Index (VQLI) is a new tool that assesses the burden of vulval disease on quality of life (QoL). Our objective was to assess the correlation between VQLI score and clinician‐rated severity scores, overall patient itch/discomfort, disease duration, sexual activity, and age, in vulval lichen sclerosus (VLS) at a vulval disorders clinic.

Methods

A retrospective case note review, including consecutive women with VLS who attended the clinic between April and October 2018. Outcome measures include the VQLI score, clinician‐rated severity score, and patient symptom score.

Results

A total of 109 women with VLS were included. On multivariable analysis, there was evidence of a positive relationship between VQLI scores and the total clinician‐rated score (mean increase in VQLI score per unit increase in clinician score 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.31, 2.38; P = 0.01); the relationship was stronger for the cutaneous component. There was little evidence for relationships of the VQLI with the patient’s age, sexual activity or time since onset of symptoms. There was strong evidence for a positive relationship between VQLI score and overall itch/discomfort score (mean increase 2.38, 95% CI 1.88, 2.88; P < 0.001). New and follow‐up data were obtained on sequential visits for 12 women, among whom the VQLI score dropped a mean −2.75 points between visits (95% CI −6.05, 0.55; P = 0.094).

Conclusion

The clinician‐rated severity correlates with the impact of VLS on QoL. The VQLI captures information included in a patient itch/discomfort score, which can be easily incorporated into routine assessment.
Network analysis of mood symptoms in adolescents with or at high risk for bipolar disorder
Authors: Weintraub Marc J. , Schneck Christopher D. , Miklowitz David J.
Published: November 2019

Objectives

Network analyses of psychopathology examine the relationships between individual symptoms in an attempt to establish the causal interactions between symptoms that may give rise to episodes of psychiatric disorders. We conducted a network analysis of mood symptoms in adolescents with or at risk for bipolar spectrum disorders.

Methods

The sample consisted of 272 treatment‐seeking adolescents with or at high risk for bipolar disorder who had at least subsyndromal depressive or (hypo)manic symptoms. Based on symptom scores assessed via semi‐structured interviews, we constructed the network of depressive and manic symptoms and identified the most central symptoms and symptom communities within the network. We used bootstrapping analyses to determine the reliability of network parameters.

Results

Symptoms within the depressive and manic mood poles were more related to each other than to symptoms of the opposing mood pole. Four communities were identified, including a depressive symptom community and three manic symptom communities. Fatigue and depressed mood were the strongest individual symptoms within the overall network (ie the most highly correlated with other symptoms), followed by motor hyperactivity. Mood lability and irritability were found to be “bridge” symptoms that connected the two mood poles.

Conclusions

Symptoms of activity/energy (ie fatigue and hyperactivity) and depressed mood are the most prominent mood symptoms among youth with bipolar spectrum disorders. Mood lability and irritability represent potential warning signs of emergent episodes of either polarity. Targeting these central and bridge symptoms would lead to more efficient assessments and therapeutic interventions for bipolar disorder.
Discovering structure in multiple outcomes models for tests of childhood neurodevelopment
Authors: LaLonde Amy , Love Tanzy , Thurston Sally W. , Davidson Philip W.
Published: November 2019

Bayesian model–based clustering provides a powerful and flexible tool that can be incorporated into regression models to better understand the grouping of observations. Using data from the Seychelles Child Development Study, we explore the effect of prenatal methylmercury exposure on 20 neurodevelopmental outcomes measured in 9‐year‐old children. Rather than cluster individual subjects, we cluster the outcomes within a multiple outcomes model. By using information in the data to nest the outcomes into groups called domains, the model more accurately reflects the shared characteristics of neurodevelopmental domains and improves estimation of the overall and outcome‐specific exposure effects by shrinking effects within and between domains selected by the data. The Bayesian paradigm allows for sampling from the posterior distribution of the grouping parameters; thus, inference can be made about group membership and their defining characteristics. We avoid the often difficult and highly subjective requirement of a priori identification of the total number of groups by incorporating a Dirichlet process prior to form a fully Bayesian multiple outcomes model.
Illness, Couples and Couple Psychotherapy
Authors: Vincent Christopher
Published: November 2019

Within the couple psychotherapy literature there is very little written about how the illness of one or both partners emerges and is treated in the consulting room. This paper redresses this situation by drawing on clinical experience and research findings to develop a conceptual framework to identify how illness is experienced by those with serious illnesses and to locate these findings within a psycho‐dynamic couple context. Narrative research has explored how individuals talk about illness and Frank's (2009; The Wounded Storyteller: Body, Illness and Ethics) restitution narrative, chaos narrative and quest narrative are described and illustrated. In addition, the phenomenological research of Toombs (1987; Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 12: 219–40) identifies five major existential challenges that seriously ill people have to manage – the loss of wholeness, the loss of certainty, the loss of control, the loss of freedom to act and the loss of the familiar world. The work of Frank and Toombs focuses on the experience of individuals and does not account for a couple dimension. This paper cites research and clinical examples of couple functioning to show that these illness‐related experiences are often part of a shared couple interaction and elements in a couple's mutual defence and projective system.
Healthy Kids Cambodia – A novel approach to triage for dental care in a population with extreme caries experience
Authors: Turton Bathsheba , Patel Jilen , Hill Rachel , Sieng Chanthyda , Durward Callum
Published: November 2019

Objectives

To describe the disease experiences and treatment provided according to a set of novel triage criteria among children in the Healthy Kids Cambodia project.

Methods

The present study describes the management of caries using the Healthy Kids Cambodia (HKC) strategy at one school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Treatment was provided across three levels of care based on a set of simple screening criteria. All children received Level 1 (L1) care, which included application of 30% silver diammine fluoride (SDF) to arrest dental caries. Level 2 (L2) care involved use of atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) and GIC fissure sealants for children between six and eight years of age, and for older children who had one or more cavitated lesions on permanent posterior teeth. Level 3 care involved conventional dental rehabilitation for those children with cavitated lesions in permanent anterior teeth, acute infections, pulpally involved permanent teeth or carious permanent posterior teeth that were not restorable using ART. Three activities were evaluated: (i) screening of all children at the school using the HKC triage criteria; (ii) a detailed re‐examination of children in Grades 3 and 4; and (iii) a clinical audit of treatment provided at Level 3 (L3).

Results

1194 children were screened using the HKC approach, and a sample of 304 8‐ to 12‐year‐old children was re‐examined. Among those who were re‐examined, 48 (15.7%) had been referred for L3 treatment and 88 (28.9%) referred for L2 (only). There was a significant difference in baseline caries experience by referral level, whereby those referred to higher levels of care had more severe caries experience. All children in the L3 category required advanced rehabilitative care.

Conclusions

The application of a triage system by dental students was successful in identifying children in greatest need of complex care (L3). Further research may better validate the system for caries management.
Rosiglitazone polarizes microglia and protects against pilocarpine‐induced status epilepticus
Authors: Peng Jing , Wang Kan , Xiang Weiwei , Li Yan , Hao Yong , Guan Yangtai
Published: November 2019

Aims

Activated microglia have been found in the forebrains and hippocampi of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients and status epileptic (SE) animal models. The peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPAR γ) agonist rosiglitazone has been shown to prevent microglial activation. However, its role in pilocarpine‐induced status epilepticus remains unknown. We aimed to examine the effect of the PPAR γ agonist rosiglitazone in protecting against pilocarpine‐induced status epileptic resulting from over‐activation and to explore phenotypic changes in microglia as the underlying mechanism.

Methods

Male C57BL/6 mice were assigned to three groups: the control group, pilocarpine‐induced (SE) group, and rosiglitazone‐treated (SE+Rosi) group. Status epileptic mice were administered 300 mg/kg pilocarpine via intraperitoneal injection. SE+Rosi mice were administered rosiglitazone (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.) after SE. Flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining, and quantitative real‐time PCR were used to examine the activation of and phenotypic changes in microglia in the brain and to evaluate neuroinflammation.

Results

We found that the expression of proinflammatory CD86 and iNOS was increased and that the expression of antiinflammatory CD206 and Arg‐1 was decreased in the brains of pilocarpine‐induced SE mice compared to control mice. The mRNA levels of proinflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokines were not significantly changed in the brain. Rosiglitazone treatment significantly inhibited the proinflammatory polarization of microglia and rescued neuron loss in the temporal lobe and hippocampi of the brain after SE.

Conclusion

Rosiglitazone reverses microglial polarization in the brains of SE mice and also affords neuroprotection against pilocarpine‐induced status epilepticus without inducing significant changes in brain inflammation.
Estimating IUCN Red List population reduction: JARA—A decision‐support tool applied to pelagic sharks
Authors: Sherley Richard B. , Winker Henning , Rigby Cassandra L. , Kyne Peter M. , Pollom Riley , Pacoureau Nathan , Herman Katelyn , Carlson John K. , Yin Jamie S. , Kindsvater Holly K. , Dulvy Nicholas K.
Published: November 2019

The International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List is the global standard for quantifying extinction risk but assessing population reduction (criterion A) of wide‐ranging, long‐lived marine taxa remains difficult and controversial. We show how Bayesian state–space models (BSSM), coupled with expert knowledge at IUCN Red List workshops, can combine regional abundance data into indices of global population change. To illustrate our approach, we provide examples of the process to assess four circumglobal sharks with differing temporal and spatial data‐deficiency: Blue Shark (Prionace glauca), Shortfin Mako (Isurus oxyrinchus), Dusky Shark (Carcharhinus obscurus), and Great Hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran). For each species, the BSSM provided global population change estimates over three generation lengths bounded by uncertainty levels in intuitive outputs, enabling informed decisions on the status of each species. Integrating similar analyses into future workshops would help conservation practitioners ensure robust, consistent, and transparent Red List assessments for other long‐lived, wide‐ranging species.
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Pharmacokinetic Variability of Small Molecule Targeted Cancer Therapy
Authors: Reyner Eric , Lum Bert , Jing Jing , Kagedal Matts , Ware Joseph A. , Dickmann Leslie J.
Published: November 2019

Pharmacokinetic (PK) variability in cancer clinical trials may be due to heterogeneous populations and identifying sources of variability is important. Use of healthy subjects in clinical pharmacology studies together with detailed knowledge of the characteristics of patients with cancer can allow for quick identification and quantification of factors affecting PK variability. PK data and sources of variability of 40 marketed molecularly targeted oncology therapeutics were compiled from regulatory approval documents covering an 18‐year period (1999–2017). Variability in PK parameters was compared and contributors to variability were identified. The results show that PK variability was ~ 16% higher for peak plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the concentration time curve (AUC) in patients with cancer compared with healthy subjects. Several factors were identified as major contributors to variability including hepatic/renal impairment and cytochrome P450 inhibition/induction. Lower PK variability in healthy subjects may represent an opportunity to perform rapid and robust pharmacological and PK assessments to inform subsequent studies in the development of new cancer therapies.
Engaging Audiences with Difficult Pasts: The Voices of ’68 Project at the Ulster Museum, Belfast
Authors: Black Graham , Reynolds Chris
Published: November 2019

Can history museums influence the relationship between divided communities? This paper explores why an initially modest collaboration between the authors and the Ulster Museum on the non‐violent Northern Ireland Civil Rights Movement of 1968/69, eventually had substantial impact beyond the museum’s walls. Having placed the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Movement within the context of both the international protests of 1968 and the specific environment of Northern Ireland, particularly the virtual civil war known as the Troubles, the paper turns to the role of museums in responding to the legacy of this past, and the evolving practice of the Ulster Museum, as background to the project. The latter began as a limited intervention within an existing display, based on oral histories and underpinned by the theory of ‘agonism’, proposing that divided communities must learn to live with difference. It eventually included exhibitions, workshops, school study days, curricular materials and online provision. It has directly influenced the Northern Ireland GCSE History Curriculum and been held up as an example of good practice within the province’s peace process. The paper discusses why the project succeeded – location within a national museum; credibility with protagonists, academics, communities and audiences; starting small; a willingness to take risks and share control; multiple perspectives; and an acceptance that not everyone will be satisfied. With a version of the Voices of 68 exhibition now installed in the Museum’s permanent gallery, the next challenges are longitudinal studies on its impact and assessing the approach’s relevance to other museums working in post‐conflict societies.
The many roles of tranexamic acid: An overview of the clinical indications for TXA in medical and surgical patients
Authors: Cai Johnny , Ribkoff Jessica , Olson Sven , Raghunathan Vikram , Al‐Samkari Hanny , DeLoughery Thomas G. , Shatzel Joseph J.
Published: November 2019

Clinically significant bleeding can occur as a consequence of surgery, trauma, obstetric complications, anticoagulation, and a wide variety of disorders of hemostasis. As the causes of bleeding are diverse and not always immediately apparent, the availability of a safe, effective, and non‐specific hemostatic agent is vital in a wide range of clinical settings, with antifibrinolytic agents often utilized for this purpose. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is one of the most commonly used and widely researched antifibrinolytic agents; its role in postpartum hemorrhage, menorrhagia, trauma‐associated hemorrhage, and surgical bleeding has been well defined. However, the utility of TXA goes beyond these common indications, with accumulating data suggesting its ability to reduce bleeding and improve clinical outcomes in the face of many different hemostatic challenges, without a clear increase in thrombotic risk. Herein, we review the literature and provide practical suggestions for clinical use of TXA across a broad spectrum of bleeding disorders.
Climate change disrupts local adaptation and favours upslope migration
Authors: Anderson Jill T. , Wadgymar Susana M.
Published: November 2019

Contemporary climate change is proceeding at an unprecedented rate. The question remains whether populations adapted to historical conditions can persist under rapid environmental change. We tested whether climate change will disrupt local adaptation and reduce population growth rates using the perennial plant Boechera stricta (Brassicaceae). In a large‐scale field experiment conducted over five years, we exposed > 106 000 transplants to historical, current, or future climates and quantified fitness components. Low‐elevation populations outperformed local populations under simulated climate change (snow removal) across all five experimental gardens. Local maladaptation also emerged in control treatments, but it was less pronounced than under snow removal. We recovered local adaptation under snow addition treatments, which reflect historical conditions. Our results revealed that low elevation populations risk rapid decline, whereas upslope migration could enable population persistence and expansion at higher elevation locales. Local adaptation to historical conditions could increase vulnerability to climate change, even for geographically widespread species.
Manufacturing Revolution Boosts People Issues: The Evolutionary Need for ‘Human‐Automation Resource Management' in Smart Factories
Authors: Stein Volker , Scholz Tobias M.
Published: November 2019

Driven by significant innovations in manufacturing on the edge of a ‘second machine age', automation will play a pivotal role in turning the world of work upside down. Digitized manufacturing is fundamentally changing relations between human and machine. The expected symbiosis has not yet been systematically organized, since human resource management has widely ignored the topic of automation. If HRM fails to answer the final call, it will lose its influence in smart factories, ultimately being replaced by other functions. Our theoretically derived concept of human‐automation resource management (HARM) discloses a possible way out by specifically tackling the conjunction between humans and machines. We will sketch HARM as the combination of HRM and automation management and, therefore, as the next evolutionary step in the advancement of HRM. After supporting the strategic integration by means of its synergistic benefits, we will determine the tasks HARM is expected to fulfill at the automation‐people‐nexus.
Male mate‐seeking and mating behaviors of Eucera nipponensis (Hymenoptera: Apidae) at a nectarless orchid habitat: Are empty flower patches a profitable rendezvous site?
Authors: Sugiura Naoto , Maehara Shoma
Published: November 2019

Male solitary bees typically use emergence‐nesting areas and/or flower patches of food plants, where receptive females are relatively numerous, as rendezvous sites. However, mate‐seeking males have been also observed at food‐deceptive orchid patches, where numerous encounters with foraging females can hardly be expected, owing to the lack of floral rewards. Here, we describe the male mate‐seeking and mating behaviors of the Japanese long‐horned bee Eucera nipponensis at habitats of the food‐deceptive orchid Cymbidium goeringii. On the basis of the results, we report empty flower patches are not necessarily fruitless sites for mate‐seeking males because naive female bees, which are highly likely to be recently emerged and unmated, can be attracted to non‐rewarding orchids. We also suggest a possibility that a small number of the males could receive a “sexual reward” (i.e. mating opportunities), owing to the food‐deceptive orchid, in return for their pollination work. This occasional interaction could represent the initial stage in the evolution of sexually deceptive orchids from food‐deceptive orchids.
Rapid adaptation of the Irish potato famine pathogen Phytophthora infestans to changing temperature
Authors: Wu E‐Jiao , Wang Yan‐Ping , Yahuza Lurwanu , He Meng‐Han , Sun Dan‐Li , Huang Yan‐Mei , Liu Yu‐Chan , Yang Li‐Na , Zhu Wen , Zhan Jiasui
Published: November 2019

Temperature plays a multidimensional role in host–pathogen interactions. As an important element of climate change, elevated world temperature resulting from global warming presents new challenges to sustainable disease management. Knowledge of pathogen adaptation to global warming is needed to predict future disease epidemiology and formulate mitigating strategies. In this study, 21 Phytophthora infestans isolates originating from seven thermal environments were acclimated for 200 days under stepwise increase or decrease of experimental temperatures and evolutionary responses of the isolates to the thermal changes were evaluated. We found temperature acclimation significantly increased the fitness and genetic adaptation of P. infestans isolates at both low and high temperatures. Low‐temperature acclimation enforced the countergradient adaptation of the pathogen to its past selection and enhanced the positive association between the pathogen's intrinsic growth rate and aggressiveness. At high temperatures, we found that pathogen growth collapsed near the maximum temperature for growth, suggesting a thermal niche boundary may exist in the evolutionary adaptation of P. infestans. These results indicate that pathogens can quickly adapt to temperature shifts in global warming. If this is associated with environmental conditions favoring pathogen spread, it will threaten future food security and human health and require the establishment of mitigating actions.
External transcutaneous ultrasound technique in the equine cricoarytenoideus dorsalis muscle: Assessment of muscle size and echogenicity with resting endoscopy
Authors: Satoh Masato , Higuchi Tohru , Inoue Satoshi , Miyakoshi Daisuke , Kajihara Ayako , Gotoh Tadahiro , Shimizu Yasuhito
Published: November 2019

Background

Recent studies have assessed the cricoarytenoideus dorsalis muscle (CAD) using transoesophageal ultrasonography in equine recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN). We assessed the CAD using the external transcutaneous ultrasound technique, which may constitute an easier method in horses.

Objectives

To evaluate ultrasonographic imaging of the left cricoarytenoideus dorsalis muscle (LCAD) and right cricoarytenoideus dorsalis muscle (RCAD) as a diagnostic tool for RLN using the transcutaneous ultrasound technique.

Study design

Cross‐sectional study.

Methods

The axial plane thickness, cross‐sectional area and echogenicity of the LCAD and RCAD were measured using transcutaneous ultrasonography in 164 horses. Assessments of LCAD were compared with those of RCAD. The LCAD:RCAD ratios in thickness and area were compared between control horses (resting grades 1 and 2) and horses with resting laryngeal grades 3 and 4 using the Havemeyer 4‐point grading system with subgrades.

Results

The LCAD:RCAD ratios for thickness and area were 0.69 and 0.66 in horses with resting grades 3 and 4 respectively; LCAD was more hyperechogenic than RCAD in resting grades 3 and 4. LCAD:RCAD ratios for thickness and area in grades 3.II, 3.III and 4 were significantly lower than those in control horses. Thickness and area of the LCAD were negatively correlated with resting laryngeal grade

Main limitations

Overground endoscopy was not performed in this study. There were some differences in methodology: measurement of the physical thickness of the LCAD and clipping of hair at the laryngeal region were only performed in horses that underwent laryngoplasty.

Conclusions

Results of ultrasonographic assessments of the CAD using transcutaneous ultrasonography were similar to those obtained by transoesophageal ultrasonography. This technique enables a simple, noninvasive, direct and easy examination. Assessment of the CAD using transcutaneous ultrasonography may be a useful technique and a potential option for determining whether to perform nerve graft or laryngoplasty.
Endothelial cells and organ function: applications and implications of understanding unique and reciprocal remodelling
Authors: Reiterer Moritz , Branco Cristina M.
Published: November 2019

The microvasculature is a heterogeneous, dynamic and versatile component of the systemic circulation, with a unique ability to locally self‐regulate and to respond to organ demand and environmental stimuli. Endothelial cells from different organs display considerable variation, but it is currently unclear to what extent functional properties of organ‐specific endothelial cells are intrinsic, acquired and/or reprogrammable. Vascular function is a fundamental pillar of homeostasis, and dysfunction results in systemic consequences for the organism. Additionally, vascular failure can occur downstream of organ disease or environmental stress, often driving an exacerbation of symptoms and pathologies originally independent of the local circulation. The understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying endothelial physiology and metabolism holds the promise to inform and improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment options for a myriad of conditions as unrelated as cancer, neurodegeneration or pulmonary hypertension, and likely everything in between, if we consider that also treatments for such conditions are primarily distributed via the bloodstream. However, studying endothelial function has its challenges: the origin, isolation, culture conditions and preconditioning stimuli make this an extremely variable cell type to study and difficult to source. Animal models exist but are neither trivial to generate, nor necessarily adequately translatable to human disease. In this article, we aim to illustrate the breadth of microvascular functions in different environments, highlighting current and pioneering studies that have advanced our insight into the importance of the integrity of this tissue, as well as the limitations posed by its heterogeneity and plasticity.
How T'reg‐ulate healing of the injured spinal cord?
Authors: Milling Simon , Edgar Julia M.
Published: November 2019

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are important for limiting inflammation‐dependent damage in neural tissue. However, Tregs have also been shown to inhibit neural repair associated with type 2 (anti‐inflammatory/wound healing) immune responses. Recently, it was demonstrated that Sirtuins, a family of proteins that contribute to the control of cellular responses to metabolic stimuli, influence the functions of Tregs. Specifically, SIRT4 was found to suppress the anti‐neuroinflammatory activity of Tregs infiltrating the spinal cord following injury; when SIRT4 expression was genetically suppressed, Tregs made more anti‐inflammatory factors, IL‐10, FoxP3, and transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ). Thus, understanding how the SIRT4‐Treg pathway can be manipulated could provide useful avenues to control both pathogenic and neuroprotective immune responses.
Do emotional labour strategies influence emotional exhaustion and professional identity or vice versa? Evidence from new nurses
Authors: Liu Han , Zou Hao‐Yun , Wang Hai‐Jiang , Xu Xiaohong , Liao Jian‐Qiao
Published: November 2019

Aims

The aim was to examine the reciprocal relationships of emotional labour strategies with emotional exhaustion and professional identity.

Design

This study adopted a four‐wave cross‐lagged panel design.

Methods

Survey data were collected in 2018 from a sample of 171 newly hired nurses from 58 hospitals in 11 provinces of China. Nurses’ emotional labour (i.e., deep acting and surface acting), emotional exhaustion and professional identity were repeatedly measured. Cross‐lagged panel analyses were conducted to examine the reciprocal relationships we hypothesized.

Results

We found that emotional exhaustion was positively related to surface acting (but not vice versa); deep acting was negatively related to emotional exhaustion (but not vice versa); professional identity was positively related to deep acting (but not vice versa).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that deep acting and professional identity may decrease the level of emotional exhaustion, whereas emotionally exhausted nurses are more likely to employ surface acting strategies.

Impact

This research finding will have an impact on the nursing management. Healthcare managers may consider workshops or training and development programs that promote nurses’ professional identify to promote nurses’ use of deep acting and consequently reduce their level of emotional exhaustion, which has been associated with a variety of negative consequences, such as low quality of patient service, high medical accidents, and turnover rate.
The relationship of workplace violence and nurse outcomes: Gender difference study on a propensity score matched sample
Authors: Li Mengqi , Liu Jiali , Zheng Jing , Liu Ke , Wang Jun , Miner Ross Amy , Liu Xu , Fu Xue , Tang Jing , Chen Chen , You Liming
Published: November 2019

Aims

To investigate workplace violence and nurse outcomes by comparing gender differences.

Design

A secondary analysis of cross‐sectional survey data.

Methods

Workplace violence was measured by four items from the International Hospital Outcome Study. Nurse outcomes were measured by tools including burnout, job satisfaction and intention to stay. We used propensity score matching to generate a sociodemographic balanced dataset of 108 male and 288 female nurses. A hypothetical relationship model was derived from the affective events theory. Comparative statistics and multi‐group structural equation modelling were conducted to analyze gender differences. Data were collected in China from December 2013 – August 2014.

Results

Male nurses reported more workplace violence from staff and less intention to stay than females. Besides finding the mediation of burnout sharing with female nurses consistent with the affective events theory, workplace violence was directly linked to less intention to stay in male nurses.

Conclusion

Male nurses experience more workplace violence by staff than female nurses. Besides responding emotionally to workplace violence like female nurses, male nurses also respond behaviourally.

Impact

What problem did the study address? Gender differences in workplace violence and its relationship to nurse outcomes. What were the main findings? Male nurses experienced more workplace violence than female nurses, linked directly to less intention to stay. Workplace violence linked to less job satisfaction and intention to stay in nurses was mediated by burnout. Where and on whom will the research have impact? Gender‐based prevention of and coping with workplace violence should be included in nursing training.
Expression and functional analysis of lncRNAs in the hippocampus of immature rats with status epilepticus
Authors: Gan Jing , Huang Lingyi , Qu Yi , Luo Rong , Cai Qianyun , Zhao Fengyan , Mu Dezhi
Published: November 2019

Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in the regulation of gene expression at various levels. However, to date, the expression profile of lncRNAs in status epilepticus (SE) was unclear. In our study, the expression profile of lncRNAs was investigated by high‐throughput sequencing based on a lithium/pilocarpine‐induced SE model in immature rats. Furthermore, weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA), gene ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were performed to construct co‐expression networks and establish functions of the identified hub lncRNAs in SE. The functional role of a hub lncRNA (NONRATT010788.2) in SE was investigated in an in vitro model. Our results indicated that 7082 lncRNAs (3522 up‐regulated and 3560 down‐regulated), which are involved in cell proliferation, inflammatory responses, angiogenesis and autophagy, were dysregulated in the hippocampus of immature rats with SE. Additionally, WGCNA identified 667 up‐regulated hub lncRNAs in turquoise module that were involved in apoptosis, inflammatory responses and angiogenesis via regulation of HIF‐1, p53 and chemokine signalling pathways and via inflammatory mediator regulation of TRP channels. Knockdown of an identified hub lncRNA (NONRATT010788.2) inhibited neuronal apoptosis in vitro. Taken together, our study is the first to demonstrate the expression profile and potential function of lncRNAs in the hippocampus of immature rats with SE. The defined hub lncRNAs may participate in the pathogenesis of SE via lncRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA network.
Down‐regulation of Suv39h1 attenuates neointima formation after carotid artery injury in diabetic rats
Authors: Zhang Jing , Yang Jian , Xu Changwu , Hu Qi , Hu Jun , Chen Jing , Jiang Hong
Published: November 2019

Patients with diabetes have an increased risk of vascular complications. Suv39h1, a histone methyltransferase, plays a protective role against myocardial injury in diabetes. Herein, we intend to explore whether Suv39h1 could affect neointimal formation after vascular injury in diabetic rats and reveal the underlying mechanism. In this study, we generated adenovirus expressing Suv39h1 as well as lentivirus expressing Suv39h1‐targeting shRNA and evaluated the significance of Suv39h1 in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) under diabetic conditions. In vitro, we examined proliferative and migratory behaviours as well as the underlying signalling mechanisms in VSMCs in response to high glucose treatment. In vivo, we induced diabetes in SD rats with streptozocin and established the common carotid artery balloon injury model. Suv39h1 was found to be both necessary and sufficient to promote VSMC proliferation and migration under high glucose conditions. We observed corresponding changes in intracellular signalling molecules including complement C3 and phosphor‐ERK1/2. However, either up‐regulating or down‐regulating Suv39h1, phosphor‐p38 level was not significantly affected. Consistently, Suv39h1 overexpression led to accelerated neointima formation, while knocking down Suv39h1 reduced it following carotid artery injury in diabetic rats. Using microarray analyses, we showed that altering the Suv39h1 level in vivo dramatically altered the expression of myriad genes mediating different biological processes and molecular function. This study reveals the novel role of Suv39h1 in VSMCs of diabetes and suggests its potential role as a therapeutic target in diabetic vascular injury.
Distinct trajectories of long‐term symptom severity in pediatric obsessive–compulsive disorder during and after stepped‐care treatment
Authors: Jensen Sanne , Højgaard Davíð R.M.A. , Hybel Katja A. , Mortensen Erik Lykke , Skarphedinsson Gudmundur , Melin Karin , Ivarsson Tord , Nissen Judith Becker , Weidle Bernhard , Valderhaug Robert , Torp Nor Christian , Dahl Kitty , Compton Scott , Thomsen Per Hove
Published: November 2019

Background

First‐line treatments for pediatric obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) include exposure‐based cognitive‐behavioral therapy (CBT) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). No studies have thus far identified distinct classes and associated predictors of long‐term symptom severity during and after treatment. Yet, these could form the basis for more personalized treatment in pediatric OCD.

Method

The study included 269 OCD patients aged 7−17 years from the Nordic Long‐term OCD Treatment Study (NordLOTS). All participants received stepped‐care treatment starting with 14 weekly sessions of manualized CBT. Nonresponders were randomized to either prolonged CBT or SSRIs. Symptom severity was assessed using the Children's Yale‐Brown Obsessive‐Compulsive Scale at seven time points from pre‐ to post‐treatment and over a three‐year follow‐up. Latent class growth analysis (LCGA) was performed to identify latent classes of symptom severity trajectories. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to detect differences between classes and identify predictors of trajectory class membership including several clinical and demographic variables. Trial registry: Nordic Long‐term Obsessive‐Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Treatment Study; www.controlled-trials.com; ISRCTN66385119.

Results

Three LCGA classes were identified: (a) acute, sustained responders (54.6%); (b) slow, continued responders (23.4%); and (c) limited long‐term responders (21.9%). Class membership was predicted by distinct baseline characteristics pertaining to age, symptom severity, contamination/cleaning and anxiety symptoms.

Conclusions

The LCGA suggests three distinct trajectory classes of long‐term symptom severity during and after treatment in pediatric OCD with different clinical profiles at pretreatment. The results point to required clinical attention for adolescent patients with contamination/cleaning and anxiety symptoms who do not show convincing responses to first‐line treatment even though they may have reached the established cutoff for treatment response.
Comparison of hair manifestations in cardio‐facio‐cutaneous and Costello syndromes highlights the influence of the RAS pathway on hair growth
Authors: Urban J. , Qi L. , Zhao H. , Rybak I. , Rauen K.A. , Kiuru M.
Published: November 2019

Background

Abnormal hair growth is a defining feature of RASopathies, syndromes caused by germline mutations in the RAS pathway. However, detailed hair manifestations and the mechanisms of altered hair growth in RASopathies are poorly delineated.

Objectives

To identify distinguishing clinical features and investigate how the RAS pathway influences hair growth by performing a systematic and detailed side‐by‐side comparison of hair manifestations in cardio‐facio‐cutaneous syndrome (CFCS) and Costello syndrome (CS), two RASopathies caused by mutations in the downstream and upstream elements of the RAS pathway, respectively.

Methods

Sixteen individuals with CFCS and 23 individuals with CS were enrolled. Mutation data were recorded. Scalp hair, eyebrows and eyelashes of individuals with CFCS or CS were examined for texture, colour, density and morphology. Scalp hairs were examined by light microscopy.

Results

While both syndromes displayed abnormal hair, striking differences were observed, including darker and thicker scalp hair and sparse eyebrows and eyelashes in CFCS. By contrast, synophrys, trichomegaly and abnormalities of the scalp hair shafts were observed in CS. Possible correlation with straight hair and genotype was observed in CS.

Conclusion

The results emphasize the role of the RAS pathway in hair growth, improve accuracy of clinical diagnosis of CFCS and CS and provide a foundation for identification of therapeutic targets.
Inhibition of GLUT2 transporter by geraniol from Cymbopogon martinii: a novel treatment for diabetes mellitus in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats
Authors: Kamble Snehalata Prakash , Ghadyale Varsha Adhikrao , Patil Rahul Shivaji , Haldavnekar Vivek Sudhakar , Arvindekar Akalpita Umesh
Published: November 2019

Objective

To isolate and identify the bioactive component from Cymbopogon martinii having GLUT2 transporter inhibitory activity – towards development of a novel strategy for treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Method

Isolation of bioactive component was carried out using differential solvent extraction, HPTLC and HPLC, and identification was done by GC-MS. In-vitro studies on intestine, liver, kidney and in-vivo assessment by OGTT and long-term treatment on diabetic rats were carried out.

Key findings

Geraniol was isolated and identified as bioactive component. Intestinal glucose absorption demonstrated 60.28% inhibition of transport at 648.34 μm of geraniol. It was found to inhibit glucose release from liver on adrenaline challenge by 89.82% at 324.17 μm/ml. Kidney glycogen content doubled using 648.34 μm of geraniol as compared to control. Geraniol demonstrated 2.14 times higher renal glucose output than diabetic control. OGTT demonstrated prevention of postprandial spikes. Prolonged treatment for 60 days with 29.37 mm/kg B.W. twice a day of geraniol improved the lipid profile, HbA1C levels and renal parameters. In mRNA studies for 10 days, over expression of GLUT2 was prevented by geraniol.

Conclusions

Inhibition of GLUT2 by geraniol has the potential to reduce hyperglycaemia and prevent secondary complications in diabetes.
Are all patterns created equal? Cooperation is more likely in spatially simple habitats
Authors: Bertolini Camilla , Hlebowicz Kasper , Schlichta Flavia , Capelle Jacob J. , van de Koppel Johan , Bouma Tjeerd.J.
Published: November 2019

Cooperative behaviours, such as aggregation with neighbouring conspecifics, can enhance resilience in habitats where risks (i.e. predation, physical disturbances) are high, exerting positive feedback loops to maintain a healthy population. At the same time, cooperation behaviours can involve some extra energy expenditures and increasing resource competition. For sessile reefs, like mussels, simulation models predict increased cooperation under increasing levels of environmental stress. Predation risk is viewed as a behaviour‐modifying stressor, but its role on cooperation mechanisms, such as likelihood of reciprocity, has not yet been empirically tested. This study harnesses this framework to understand how cooperation changes under different perceived levels of predation risk, using mussel beds as model of a complex “self‐organised” system. Hence, we assessed the context dependency of cooperation response in different “landscapes of fear,” created by changes in predator cues, substratum availability and body size. Our experiments demonstrated that i) cooperation in a mussel bed system increases when predator cues are present, but that this relationship was found to be both, ii) strongly context‐dependent, particularly upon substratum availability and iii) size‐dependent. That is, while cooperation is in general greater for larger individuals, the response to risk results in greater cooperation when alternative attachment substratum is absent, meaning that simpler landscapes may be perceived as riskier. The context dependency of structural complexity is also an essential finding to consider in a changing world where habitats are losing complexity and cooperative strategies should be maximised.
The fire ant social supergene is characterized by extensive gene and transposable element copy number variation
Authors: Fontana Silvia , Chang Ni‐Chen , Chang Tiffany , Lee Chih‐Chi , Dang Viet‐Dai , Wang John
Published: November 2019

In the fire ant Solenopsis invicta, a supergene composed of ~600 genes and having two variants, SB and Sb, regulates colony social form. In single queen colonies, all individuals carry only the SB allele, while in multiple queen colonies, some individuals carry the Sb allele. In this study, we characterized genes with copy number variation between SB and Sb‐carrying individuals. We showed extensive acquisition of gene duplicates in the Sb genome, with some likely involved in polygyne‐related phenotypes. We found 260 genes with copy number differences between SB and Sb, of which 239 have greater copy number in Sb. We observed transposable element (TE) accumulation on Sb, likely due to the accumulation of repetitive elements on the nonrecombining chromosome. We found a weak correlation between TE copy number and differential expression, suggesting some TEs may still be proliferating in Sb while many of the duplicated TEs have presumably been silenced. Among the 115 non‐TE genes with higher copy in Sb, enzymes responsible for cuticular hydrocarbon synthesis were highly represented. These include a desaturase and an elongase, both potentially responsible for differential queen odour and likely beneficial for polygyne ants. These genes seem to have translocated into the supergene from other chromosomes and proliferated by multiple duplication events. While the presence of TEs in supergenes is well documented, little is known about duplication of non‐TE genes and their possible adaptive role. Overall, our results suggest that gene duplications may be an important factor leading to monogyne and polygyne ant societies.
Benefiting from the regional problem: The politics of 60 years of regional development
Authors: McNeill Jeffrey
Published: November 2019

The New Zealand government approach to regional development and the economy more broadly has oscillated from the 1970s economic growth and investment focus to 1980s neoliberal neglect, followed by the more recent rediscovery of the regions' importance in national economies, all with tenuous outcomes. This paper explores the changing scope of regional development initiatives by successive New Zealand governments over the last 60 years to show a pattern of opportunism and neglect that suggests regional development is more aligned to electoral priorities than regional success.
MicroRNA‐21 promotes orthodontic tooth movement by modulating the RANKL/OPG balance in T cells
Authors: Wu Lili , Su Yingying , Lin Feiran , Zhu Siying , Wang Jingyi , Hou Yanan , Du Juan , Liu Yi , Guo Lijia
Published: November 2019

Objectives

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of microRNA‐21 (miR‐21) on orthodontic tooth movement.

Methods

The orthodontic tooth movement model was established in C57BL/6 and miR‐21−/−mice with or without implantation of activated T cells. Histological and histomorphometrical analyses were performed by hematoxylin–eosin staining. Tartrate‐resistant acid phosphate staining was used to analyze the osteoclast numbers during tooth movement. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry analysis were used to examine the expression of RANKL and OPG.

Results

In miR‐21−/−mice, the distance of tooth movement was retarded, the osteoclast number was decreased, and serum RANKL expression was strongly reduced. MiR‐21 promoted the secretion of RANKL from activated T cells. Furthermore, activated T cells could partially rescue the decreased orthodontic tooth movement distance in miR‐21−/−mice. MiR‐21 was shown to promote orthodontic tooth movement by modulating the RANKL/OPG balance in T cells.

Conclusions

The impact of miR‐21 on tooth movement was better elucidated, furthering our understanding of its role and clinical applications in orthodontics.
Parliamentary scrutiny of executive patronage: The relationship between institutional norms, reputation and accountability
Authors: Matthews Felicity
Published: November 2019

While executive patronage brings important benefits in terms of governance and control, political influence over the selection of agency staff entails a democratic dilemma: how should the exercise of executive patronage be controlled? This article addresses this critical issue, examining Westminster's system of pre‐appointment scrutiny by analysing an original database that encompasses every pre‐appointment hearing held between 2007 and 2018. The article demonstrates that although the conduct of hearings accords with select committees’ longstanding commitment to cross‐party working, members have not prioritized pre‐appointment scrutiny relative to their other committee activities. By systematically disaggregating the factors which affect how select committees dispatch this account‐holding responsibility, the article deepens previous analyses of pre‐appointment scrutiny, and dovetails with scholarship examining the institutional determinants of select committee power. More broadly, it draws attention to the reputational dynamics of accountability, and how institutional norms can serve as vital reputational resources, enabling account‐holders to demonstrate ‘responsible’ account‐holding.