bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of shell morphometry, microstructure, and thermal conductivity on thermoregulation in two tropical intertidal snails
Authors: Wong Yee Man , Lim Shirley S. L.
Published: May 2017

Tropical intertidal organisms tolerate large fluctuations in temperature and high desiccation rates when exposed during low tide. In order to withstand the short‐term heat stress, intertidal organisms adopt behavioral responses to maximize their survival. Our previous research showed that tropical littorinids found at the upper and lower intertidal shores in Singapore exhibited different behavioral adaptations during low tide. Most of the upper‐shore Echinolittorina malaccana kept a flat orientation, with the aperture against the substrate and the long axis of the shell towards the sun, whereas a majority of the lower‐shore individuals of Echinolittorina vidua stood with the edge of the aperture perpendicular to the substrate on the rocky shore during low tide. This prompted analyses of the shells of these two species to determine whether the differences in the shell morphometry, microstructure, and thermal conductivity of shells of E. malaccana and E. vidua were associated with their respective behavioral responses to thermal stress. Analyses of shell morphometry and thermal conductivity showed that shells of E. malaccana were more likely to minimize heat gain, despite having a higher thermal conductivity on the outer surface, due to their light‐gray, elongated shell. By contrast, the dark‐colored, globose shells of E. vidua probably gain heat more readily through solar radiation. Scanning electron microscopy images of the shells of both littorinid species further revealed that they have cross‐lamellar structure; however, only individuals of E. vidua showed the presence of disjointed rod layers and a pigmented inner shell surface. Individuals of E. malaccana had a rough outer shell surface with holes that inter‐connect to form water‐trapping channels that probably aid cooling. Individuals of E. vidua, however, had a smooth outer surface with rows of kidney‐shaped depressions as microsculptures which probably help to stabilize shell shape. In both Echinolittorina species, behavioral responses were used to overcome thermal stress during low tide that was associated with shell morphometry and shell thermal conductivity. Such combined adaptations increase survivability of the littorinids at their respective tidal levels.
Interannual study of spot urine–evaluated sodium excretion in young Japanese women
Authors: Yasutake Kenichiro , Moriguchi Ririko , Kajiyama Tomomi , Miyazaki Hitomi , Abe Shimako , Masuda Takashi , Imai Katsumi , Iwamoto Masako , Tsuda Hiroko , Obe Masayo , Kawate Hisaya , Ueno Hiromi , Ono Misaki , Goromaru Ryoko , Ohe Kenji , Enjoji Munechika , Tsuchihashi Takuya , Nakano Shuji
Published: May 2017

The authors investigated interannual differences in the sodium excretion levels of young healthy Japanese women as estimated from spot urine analysis at Nakamura Gakuen University from 1995 to 2015. Participants included 4931 women aged 18 to 20 years who were classified into three time periods according to year of health check: first (1995–2001), second (2002–2007), and third (2008–2015). Estimated daily urinary sodium and potassium excretion levels and the sodium to potassium ratio were 120.6±31.9 mmol, 35.2±8.1 mmol, and 3.5±0.9, respectively. Adjusted for body weight, sodium excretion, and potassium excretion significantly decreased in the second and third period compared with the first period (P<.001). Systolic blood pressure also decreased in the same way between time periods (P<.001). Estimated urinary excretion levels of sodium and potassium in young Japanese women have decreased over the past 20 years independently of body weight.
Squamous cell carcinoma in the Afro‐Caribbean community: an 11‐year retrospective study
Authors: Cordel N. , Bonnecarrère L. , Tressières B.
Published: May 2017

Background

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is considered the most frequent skin cancer in Black people. Its incidence is not known in the Afro‐Caribbean population.

Objective

To assess the incidence of SCC in Guadeloupe, the largest island of the Lesser Antilles (405 000 inhabitants, mostly Black people of African and European descent). The second objective was to characterize clinical and histological patterns of SCC occurring in the Afro‐Caribbean community.

Methods

This retrospective study was conducted over an 11‐year period (2000–2010). Data regarding 723 histological confirmed cases of SCC identified using the three Guadeloupean pathology laboratories' computerized databases were retrieved from the records of 551 patients. Private practice dermatologists and general practitioners were contacted to obtain any missing data.

Results

The annual age‐adjusted incidence of SCC was 15 per 100.000 residents in Guadeloupe. In the Afro‐Caribbean community, SCC had a greater size (i.e. 2.8 ± 2.8 cm vs. 1.5 ± 1.0 cm, P < 0.001), was more often located on the anogenital area (i.e. 48/79‐60.8% vs. 14/320‐4.4%, P < 0.001) in association with an underlying dermatosis due to HPV infection (15/71‐21.1% vs. 3/366, 0.8%, P < 0.001) and led more frequently to metastasis (13/84‐15.5% vs. 10/366‐2.7%, P < 0.001) and/or fatal evolution (11/83‐13.3% vs. 7/365‐1.9%, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

The results of this original study, which first estimated the incidence of SCC in West Indies, suggest that anogenital examination should be routinely performed in skin cancer screening of Afro‐Caribbean people to detect the presence of SCC at an early stage.

Implication for practice

Squamous cell carcinoma is the most frequent skin cancer in Black people. Its incidence is not known in the Afro‐Caribbean population. In Guadeloupe, the largest island of the Lesser Antilles, the annual age‐adjusted incidence of SCC was estimated to be 15.0 per 100 000 residents, 95% CI:[13.8; 16.2]. In the Guadeloupean Afro‐Caribbean community, SCC seems to more frequently occur in the anogenital area, due to HPV infection. These results support to include a routine genital urinary examination in the skin cancer screening of people of Afro‐Caribbean descent.
Eosinophilic annular erythema is clinically characterized by central pigmentation reflecting basal melanosis: a clinicopathological study of 10 cases
Authors: Nakazato S. , Fujita Y. , Shinkuma S. , Nomura T. , Shimizu H.
Published: May 2017

Background

Eosinophilic annular erythema (EAE) has been proposed as a clinical entity to describe annular skin lesions associated with tissue eosinophilia. However, systematic investigations on the histopathology of EAE have not been performed, and useful histopathological findings for diagnosis of EAE remain unknown.

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological features of EAE.

Methods

We retrospectively studied 10 patients at our hospital during a 5‐year span who clinically showed annular or figurate lesions and histopathologically exhibited eosinophilic infiltration in the dermis.

Results

Nine of the 10 cases had annular lesions with pigmentation on the interior side. Blood eosinophilia was found in only one patient. Histopathologically, basal melanosis was observed in nine cases. Infiltration of eosinophils was confined to the dermis in nine cases. Patients treated with systemic corticosteroid tended to show less recurrence than those treated with topical corticosteroid.

Limitations

The main limitation of our study is the small number of patients.

Conclusion

Skin biopsy should be performed when EAE is suspected, even in cases without blood eosinophilia. Basal melanosis and tissue eosinophilia confined to the dermis suggest the diagnosis of EAE. We recommend topical corticosteroids as the initial treatment for EAE.
Diel and seasonal movements of silver eels, Anguilla dieffenbachii, emigrating from a lake subject to hydro‐electric control
Authors: Jellyman D. J. , Unwin M. J.
Published: May 2017

To investigate the behaviour and fate of silver female longfin eels Anguilla dieffenbachii in relation to flow variations from New Zealand's largest (700 MW) hydro‐electric station, 210 A. dieffenbachii were tagged with acoustic transmitters during summer and autumn over 6 years from 2005 to 2010. A shoreline array of receivers (2005–2008) was supplemented by positioning systems near the power station and natural outlet (2009–2010) that enabled continuous tracking of A. dieffenbachii within these areas. Tagged A. dieffenbachii (total length 785–1372 mm) emigrated from the lake over an 8 month period, either in the same season they were tagged (75%) or the following spring after over‐wintering for up to 7 months (25%). Most A. dieffenbachii (67%) emigrated via the natural outlet. Swimming activity was related to water temperature and was greatest during the summer months. Activity was strongly diel, although less so at the outlet where A. dieffenbachii migrating at depths greater than 20 m often did so during daylight. To analyse searching behaviour, sustained periods of continuous swimming activity (termed forays) were examined in the vicinity of the outlet. Most successful forays (where the A. dieffenbachii exited the lake via the lower Waiau River) were associated with outflows; such outflows were sometimes <10 m3 s−1 although most successful forays took place at flows >50 m3 s−1. The timing of successful forays was related to outflow, the day of year and whether the A. dieffenbachii had delayed migration or not, but not lunar phase or rainfall. Passage time from the lake to the lower Waiau River 81 km downstream decreased from an average of 58 days early in the season to <1 day in late autumn. The wide range of behaviours and responses displayed by female silver A. dieffenbachii were interpreted as an inherent form of bet‐hedging to spread the risks associated with silvering and seaward migration in this slow‐growing species.
Comparative study of two chemical protocols for creating white spot lesions: An in vitro FluoreCam evaluation
Authors: Abufarwa Moufida , Noureldin Amal , Campbell Phillip M. , Buschang Peter H.
Published: May 2017

Aim

The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness and practicality of two commonly‐used protocols for white spot lesion creation.

Methods

Sound posterior human teeth were sectioned into halves and randomly allocated into two groups (n=20). Using the FluoreCam system, the enamel surfaces were imaged under standardized conditions, and baseline data (area, intensity, and impact) were recorded. Specimens were covered with an acid‐resistant polish, leaving a 2×6‐mm enamel window. Group 1 was immersed in Queiroz solution (64 hours/37°C/pH5 with agitation); Group 2 was immersed in Buskes solution (14 days/37°C/pH5 with agitation). The specimens then were imaged again. Within‐group changes that occurred over time were evaluated using the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test. Between‐group differences were analyzed using the Mann‐Whitney U‐test. Polarized light microscopy (PLM) was used to calculate the mean lesion depth of representative specimens.

Results

Each protocol showed significant changes in the surface area, intensity and impact of demineralization over time (P<.05). There were no statistically‐significant differences (P=.53, P=.2, P=.74) between the two groups. PLM showed that the mean lesion depths of representative specimens were 51.4 and 73.0 μm for groups 1 and 2, respectively.

Conclusions

While both protocols produce similar amounts of demineralization, the Queiroz solution is more practical, as it requires less time.
Iron oxide nanoparticles decrease nuclear fractal dimension of buccal epithelial cells in a time‐dependent manner
Authors: NIKOLOVSKI D. , DUGALIC S. , PANTIC I.
Published: May 2017

In this paper, we present results that iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) induce time‐dependent structural changes in nuclei of buccal epithelial cells. The cells were treated with magnetite, Fe3O4 nanoparticles (spherical shape, diameter 80–100 nanometres). The digital micrographs of the nuclei were made in 3 different time points: 15, 30 and 60 min after the treatment with IONPs, as well as in the control cells. A total of 120 nuclear structures (30 per sample) were analysed. Fractal analysis of nuclei was done in ImageJ software of the National Institutes of Health, (Bethesda, MD, USA). For each nuclear structure, the values of fractal dimension and lacunarity were calculated. There was a time‐dependent reduction of nuclear fractal dimension in buccal epithelial cells after exposure to magnetite iron oxide nanoparticles. Negative trend was observed (p < 0.01). Nuclear lacunarity, as another fractal parameter was shown to increase, also in a time‐dependent manner, after the treatment with IONPs. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate effects of magnetite nanomaterial on nuclear fractal complexity, and also the first to apply fractal analysis method in testing of the interaction between nanoparticles and cell nucleus in this experimental setting.
Correlates of Nocturia and Relationships of Nocturia With Sleep Quality and Glycemic Control in Women With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Chang Chun‐Jen , Pei Dee , Wu Chien‐Chih , Palmer Mary H. , Su Ching‐Chieh , Kuo Shu‐Fen , Liao Yuan‐Mei
Published: May 2017

Purposes

To explore correlates of nocturia, compare sleep quality and glycemic control for women with and without nocturia, and examine relationships of nocturia with sleep quality and glycemic control in women with diabetes.

Design

This study was a cross‐sectional, correlational study with data collected from 275 women with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify correlates. Chi‐squared tests were used to identify candidate variables for the first logistic regression model. A one‐way analysis of variance was used to compare sleep quality and glycemic control for women with and those without nocturia. Pearson correlations were used to examine the relationships of nocturia with sleep quality and glycemic control.

Findings

Of the 275 participants, 124 (45.1%) had experienced nocturia (at least two voids per night). Waist circumference, parity, time since diagnosis of diabetes, sleep quality, and increased daytime urinary frequency were correlated with nocturia after adjusting for age. Compared to women without nocturia, women who had nocturia reported poorer sleep quality. A significant correlation was found between the number of nocturnal episodes and sleep quality.

Conclusions

Nocturia and poor sleep are common among women with diabetes. The multifactorial nature of nocturia supports the delivered management and treatments being targeted to underlying etiologies in order to optimize women's symptom management. Interventions aimed at modifiable correlates may include maintaining a normal body weight and regular physical exercise for maintaining a normal waist circumference, and decreasing caffeine consumption, implementing feasible modifications in sleeping environments and maintaining sleep hygiene to improve sleep quality.

Clinical Relevance

Healthcare professionals should screen for nocturia and poor sleep and offer appropriate nonpharmacological lifestyle management, behavioral interventions, or pharmacotherapy for women with diabetes.
Foot shape in arboreal birds: two morphological patterns for the same pincer‐like tool
Authors: Abourachid Anick , Fabre Anne‐Claire , Cornette Raphaël , Höfling Elizabeth
Published: May 2017

The feet are the only contact between the body and the substrate in limbed animals and as such they provide a crucial interface between the animal and its environment. This is especially true for bipedal and arboreal species living in a complex three‐dimensional environment that likely induces strong selection on foot morphology. In birds, foot morphology is highly variable, with different orientations of the toes, making it a good model for the study of the role of functional, developmental, and phylogenetic constraints in the evolution of phenotypic diversity. Our data on the proportions of the phalanges analyzed in a phylogenetic context show that two different morphological patterns exist that depend mainly on habitat and toe orientation. In the anisodactyl foot, the hallux is the only backward‐oriented toe and is enlarged in climbing species and reduced in terrestrial ones. Moreover, a proximo‐distal gradient in phalanx size is observed depending on the degree of terrestriality. In the two other cases (heterodactyl and zygodactyl) that have two toes that point backward, the hallux is rather small in contrast to the other backward‐pointing toe, which is enlarged. The first pattern is convergent and common among tetrapods and follows rules of skeletal development. The second pattern is unique for the clade and under muscle–morphogenetic control. In all cases, the functional result is the same tool, a pincer‐like foot.
Osteoarthritis in two marine mammals and 22 land mammals: learning from skeletal remains
Authors: Nganvongpanit Korakot , Soponteerakul Ratsadakorn , Kaewkumpai Piyatida , Punyapornwithaya Veerasak , Buddhachat Kittisak , Nomsiri Raksiri , Kaewmong Patcharaporn , Kittiwatanawong Kongkiat , Chawangwongsanukun Rachanchai , Angkawanish Taweepoke , Thitaram Chatchote , Mahakkanukrauh Pasuk
Published: May 2017

The occurrence of osteoarthritis (OA) in marine mammals is still questionable. Here we investigated the prevalence of OA in marine (dolphin and dugong) and terrestrial mammals (Asian elephant, Asiatic buffalo, camel, cat, cattle, deer, dog, domestic goat, horse, human, hyena, impala, lion, Malayan tapir, Assam macaque, mule, pig, rabbit, red kangaroo, sheep, tiger and waterbuck). Skeletal remains obtained from five institutes were used as subjects; a total of 45 different parts (locations) of bones were observed for OA lesions. The prevalence of OA was reported as number of OA lesions/total number of bones. Our results revealed that the presence of OA in marine species (dolphin and dugong) was 2.44% and 3.33%, respectively. In dolphins, the highest OA occurrence was on the left and right humeral trochlea, with 13.68% and 12.63%, respectively, while the highest number of OA lesions in dugongs was on the lumbar vertebrae (8.79%). No significant difference (P > 0.05) in the prevalence of OA between sexes in dolphins and dugongs was observed, but we found a significant difference (P < 0.05) in 24 bone locations of human bones, which had the highest OA prevalence (48.93%), followed by dogs (3.94%). In conclusion, OA can occur in marine mammals, similar to terrestrial mammals, even though their natural habitat is the ocean.
Comparative Effect of Different Polymerization Techniques on the Flexural and Surface Properties of Acrylic Denture Bases
Authors: Gad Mohammed M. , Fouda Shaimaa M. , ArRejaie Aws S. , Al‐Thobity Ahmad M.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Polymerization techniques have been modified to improve physical and mechanical properties of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) denture base, as have the laboratory procedures that facilitate denture construction techniques. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of autoclave polymerization on flexural strength, elastic modulus, surface roughness, and the hardness of PMMA denture base resins.

Materials and Methods

Major Base and Vertex Implacryl heat‐polymerized acrylic resins were used to fabricate 180 specimens. According to the polymerization technique, tested groups were divided into: group I (water‐bath polymerization), group II (short autoclave polymerization cycle, 60°C for 30 minutes, then 130°C for 10 minutes), and group III (long autoclave polymerization cycle, 60°C for 30 minutes, then 130°C for 20 minutes). Each group was divided into two subgroups based on the materials used. Flexural strength and elastic modulus were determined by a three‐point bending test. Surface roughness and hardness were evaluated with a profilometer and Vickers hardness (VH) test, respectively. One‐way ANOVA and the Tukey‐Kramer multiple‐comparison test were used for results analysis, which were statistically significant at p ≤ 0.05.

Results

Autoclave polymerization showed a significant increase in flexural strength and hardness of the two resins (p < 0.05). The elastic modulus showed a significant increase in the major base resin, while a significant decrease was seen for Vertex Implacryl in all groups (p < 0.05); however, there was no significant difference in surface roughness between autoclave polymerization and water‐bath polymerization (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Autoclave polymerization significantly increased the flexural properties and hardness of PMMA denture bases, while the surface roughness was within acceptable clinical limits. For a long autoclave polymerization cycle, it could be used as an alternative to water‐bath polymerization.
Synthesis and preclinical pharmacokinetic study of DHA-10, a novel potential antifungal pogostone analogue
Authors: Liu Ming , Zhou Yanfen , Zhu Jianwei , Ma Bo , Fang Zheng , Zhang Qi
Published: May 2017

Objectives

The emergence of fungal disease calls for the urgency of development of novel drug. In this study, we developed a novel pogostone analogue, DHA-10 and investigated its preclinical pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, excretion and protein binding rate in rats.

Methods

DHA-10 was synthesized with dehydroacetic acid (DHA) as the starting material and the structure confirmed by NMR and HRMS. The LC-MS/MS was applied to quantitative analysis of DHA-10 concentrations in the biological samples.

Key finding

DHA-10 was eliminated rapidly in rat plasma with half-lives of 3.39 ± 0.5, 3.24 ± 0.32 and 3.80 ± 0.40 h after single oral doses of 70, 140 and 280 mg/kg, respectively, and showed linear pharmacokinetic within the examined dosage range. The oral bioavailability of DHA-10 was 69.09 ± 3.9%. DHA-10 distributed widely in tissues with highest tissue concentration was found in small intestine at 2.5 h postdose, followed by the stomach, liver and uterus. Approximately, 1.50 ± 0.26% and 9.12 ± 2.53% of parent drug was excreted via the urine and faeces within 48 h, respectively; 1.45 ± 0.12% was excreted into the bile up to 36 h after a single oral administration of 140 mg/kg. Binding rate of DHA-10 with plasma protein was about 78.80 ± 1.75% in a concentration-independent manner.

Conclusions

DHA-10 was successfully synthesized and characterized. The preclinical pharmacokinetics study in rats supported the further development of this new antifungal candidate compound.
Implication, clinical and biological impact of vector‐borne haemopathogens in anaemic dogs in France: a prospective study
Authors: Bouzouraa T. , Cadore J. L. , Chene J. , Goy‐Thollot I. , Ponce F. , Chalvet‐Monfray K. , Rannou B. , Chabanne L.
Published: May 2017

Objectives

To prospectively describe the clinical and biological impact of vector‐borne haemopathogens in anaemic dogs in France and occurrence of haemolysis.

Materials and Methods

This prospective descriptive cohort study includes 134 client‐owned dogs that were anaemic on admission at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of VetAgro Sup, Lyon, France. They underwent comprehensive screening with PCR to detect a panel of vector‐borne haemopathogens, SNAP Leishmania and SNAP 4Dx Plus (IDEXX).

Results

Vector‐borne haemopathogen‐associated anaemia accounted for 17·2% (23/134) of anaemic cases. PCR forBabesiaspecies,Mycoplasmaspecies,Anaplasmaplatys orEhrlichiacanis and positive serology forLeishmaniaspecies, occurred in 11/23, 10/23, 2/23, 1/23 and 1/23 cases, respectively. Two dogs had positive PCR for bothBabesiaandMycoplasmaspecies. All dogs infected withMycoplasmaspecies alone had neoplastic disease. Vector‐borne haemopathogens were the second most common cause of haemolysis (7/23, 30·4%). In the multivariable regression model, males were overrepresented ( OR : 2·82, P=0·03) and haemolysis ( OR : 3·31, P=0·01) was more frequent in dogs with vector‐born haemopathogen‐associated anaemia.

Clinical Significance

Vector‐borne haemopathogens are a common cause of anaemia in this geographical region.
Heat girdling does not affect xylem integrity: an in vivo magnetic resonance imaging study in the tomato peduncle
Authors: Van de Wal Bart A. E. , Windt Carel W. , Leroux Olivier , Steppe Kathy
Published: May 2017

Heat girdling is a method to estimate the relative contribution of phloem vs xylem water flow to fruit growth. The heat girdling process is assumed to destroy all living tissues, including the phloem, without affecting xylem conductivity. However, to date, the assumption that xylem is not affected by heat girdling remains unproven.

In this study, we used in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) velocimetry to test if heat girdling can cause xylem vessels to embolize or affect xylem water flow characteristics in the peduncle of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv Dirk).

Anatomical and MRI data indicated that, at the site of girdling, all living tissues were disrupted, but that the functionality of the xylem remained unchanged. MRI velocimetry showed that the volume flow through the secondary xylem was not impeded by heat girdling in either the short or the long term (up to 91 h after girdling).

This study provides support for the hypothesis that in the tomato peduncle the integrity and functionality of the xylem remain unaffected by heat girdling. It therefore confirms the validity of the heat girdling technique as a means to estimate relative contributions of xylem and phloem water flow to fruit growth.
Isolation, structure, and bioactivities of polysaccharides from Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) Iljinskaja
Authors: Li Qiqiong , Hu Jielun , Xie Jianhua , Nie Shaoping , Xie Ming‐Yong
Published: May 2017

Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) Iljinskaja, a well‐known edible and medicinal plant, has been widely used in China as a traditional medicine for treating hypertension and diabetes. C. paliurus possesses various bioactivities, such as antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, antihypertensive, anticancer, antifatigue, antioxidation, antimicrobial, colon health–promoting, and immunological activities. Polysaccharides, as natural macromolecules with various biological activities, are considered to be the main effective components in C. paliurus. Here, we summarize studies of polysaccharides from C. paliurus over the past 20 years, including extraction and purification processes, structure, and bioactivities.
Berry production drives bottom–up effects on body mass and reproductive success in an omnivore
Authors: Hertel Anne G. , Bischof Richard , Langval Ola , Mysterud Atle , Kindberg Jonas , Swenson Jon E. , Zedrosser Andreas
Published: May 2017

Obligate herbivores dominate studies of the effects of climate change on mammals, however there is limited empirical evidence for how changes in the abundance or quality of plant food affect mammalian omnivores. Omnivores can exploit a range of different food resources over the course of a year, but they often rely on seasonally restricted highly nutritious fruiting bodies during critical life stages. Brown bears Ursus arctos in Sweden are dependent on berries for fattening before entering hibernation. We used a ten‐year time series to evaluate the effect of temperature and snow on annual variation in berry abundance and how this variation affected bears. We found marked interannual variation in berry production of bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus and lingonberry V. vitis‐idaea, that we could attribute in part to temperature during plant dormancy and flowering and precipitation during fruit ripening. Both, autumn weights of female bears and spring weights of yearling bears increased linearly with bilberry abundance. When bilberry abundance was low, lightweight female bears had a lower reproductive success than females in better condition. This effect vanished when food abundance was above average, indicating that lightweight females could compensate for their initial weight during good bilberry years. Our study highlights the importance of considering individuals’ dynamic responses to variation in food availability, which leave some more vulnerable to food shortage than others. Individual life‐history heterogeneity in response to resource variation likely affects long‐term population recruitment. Our findings emphasize that Scandinavian bears can be dependent on a single food resource during a critical period of the year and are therefore less resilient to environmental change than expected for an omnivore. Future climate scenarios predict ambiguous trends for weather covariates that affected crucial stages of berry phenology, preventing a clear prognosis of how climate change may affect long‐term bilberry production.
The in vivo T helper type 17 and regulatory T cell immune responses to Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans
Authors: Mahabady S. , Tjokro N. , Aharonian S. , Zadeh H.H. , Chen C. , Allayee H. , Sedghizadeh P.P.
Published: May 2017

The periodontal pathogen Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is known to elicit a systemic immune response in the infected host, and occasionally causes non‐oral infections. Detailed information on its immunopathological responses and the involvement of bacterial virulence factors remains to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to assess the systemic immune response to A. actinomycetemcomitans oral infection. We used an animal model that simulates systemic dissemination of the bacteria by injecting live wild‐type (WT) D7S‐1 and a double knockout mutant of leukotoxin and cytolethal distending toxin (ΔltxΔcdt) A. actinomycetemcomitans strains in rat oral mucosa. Draining lymph nodes were examined for regulatory T (Treg) and T helper type 17 (Th17) cell subsets and their associated mediators. An increase in the proportion of Th17 cells and a decrease in Treg cells over the experimental period of 3 weeks were similarly observed for rats challenged with WT and ΔltxΔcdt. Significant upregulation and downregulation of proinflammatory cytokines in the Th17 gene pathway was noted, as well as several qualitative differences between WT and ΔltxΔcdt. Furthermore, we observed differential fold regulation in key genes associated with a proinflammatory response in ΔltxΔcdt‐inoculated rats relative to D7S‐1 group. This suggests that although the knockout of these two virulence factors (ΔltxΔcdt) may suppress certain proinflammatory genes, it causes similar over‐expression of other genes compared with D7S‐1, indicating a common factor that still remains in the pathogenicity of A. actinomycetemcomitans.
Combination of a subcutaneous ICD in a patient with a baroreceptor activation device: Feasibility, safety, and precautions: A Case Report
Authors: Kuffer Liz , Steven Daniel , Halbach Marcel , Lüker Jakob , van den Bruck Jan‐Hendrik , Sultan Arian
Published: May 2017

We present a case of a patient with a baroreflex activation therapy (BAT) receiving a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S‐ICD). We anticipated two possible hazardous interactions between the two devices. Stimulation by the BAT could be adjudicated as noise and result in underdetection of ventricular arrhythmias or it might be misinterpreted as ventricular arrhythmias and lead to inappropriate shocks. Postop ensing occurred, the upper limit of pulse width of the BAT was limited because of noise detection by the S‐ICD, but the upper limit of amplitude was limited by patient's discomfort. In this patient, the combination of a BAT and an S‐ICD was safe.
I Do Not Like Green Eggs
Authors: Burke William A. , Phillips Charles M. , Hurd Erin M.
Published: May 2017

Shells of pinworm ova contain chitin, which stains bright green when exposed to chlorazol black E. The objective was to determine whether chlorazol black E could assist in identification of pinworm ova from skin scrapings. Skin scrapings were stained using chlorazol black E and pinworm ova were more easily recognized, staining a blue‐green color.
Congenital Atrophic Plaque: Fibroblastic Connective Tissue Nevus
Authors: Allemant Ortiz Luis Jesús , Calderón‐Castrat Ximena , Orellana Cortez Alex , Ingar Carbone Beatriz , Santos‐Briz Angel
Published: May 2017

Fibroblastic connective tissue nevus (FCTN) is a rare, benign, dermal mesenchymal hamartoma that affects children. We report a 15‐year‐old boy with a congenital FCTN and describe the clinical, dermatoscopic, and histopathologic features.
Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma in a Patient with Disabling Pansclerotic Morphea of Childhood
Authors: Ruiz‐Matta Juan M. , Flores‐Bozo Luis R. , Dominguez‐Cherit Judith
Published: May 2017

Disabling pansclerotic morphea of childhood (DPMC) is a rare disorder that confers a risk of developing ulcer‐related squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). We describe a young man with long‐standing DPMC and SCC with lung metastasis.
Clinical, Microscopic and Ultrastructural Findings in a Case of Short Anagen Syndrome
Authors: Martin Jose M. , Montesinos Encarnacion , Sanchez Sara , Torres Catalina , Ramon Dolores
Published: May 2017

Short anagen syndrome is an uncommon and recently described disease characterized by many telogen hairs and short maximum hair length. We report here the case of a 3‐year‐old girl whose short, sparse, fine hair since birth was consistent with short anagen syndrome. X‐ray microanalysis demonstrated normal composition of the main bioelements of her hairs.
“Love of wealth” and economic growth
Authors: Rehme Günther
Published: May 2017

In a Ramsey–Cass–Koopmans growth framework it is shown that for an optimum a benevolent social planner cannot have an excessive “love of wealth”. With a “right” “love of wealth” an optimum exists and implies higher long‐run per‐capita capital, income, and consumption relative to the standard model. This has important implications for comparative development trajectories. The optimum implies dynamic efficiency with the possibility of getting arbitrarily close to the golden rule where long‐run per‐capita consumption is maximal. It is shown that the optimal path attains its steady state more slowly. Thus, the beneficial effects of love of wealth materialize later than in the standard model. Furthermore, the economy can be decentralized as a competitive private ownership economy. One can then identify “love of wealth” with the “spirit of capitalism.” The paper thus implies that one needs a “right” level of the “spirit of capitalism” to realize any beneficial effects for the long run.
Dependency traps in self‐targeting food aid programs
Authors: Hurtubia Torres Jaime , Neitzel Jutta
Published: May 2017

We present an economy of farmers where food aid is warranted due to poverty traps triggered by nonconvex production sets. We model a food‐aid intervention as a dynamic game between a food‐aid manager and the farmers in a context of asymmetrical information. The food‐aid manager is motivated by a relief objective and targets farmers suffering the poverty trap. The food‐aid manager uses a self‐targeting mechanism by providing the aid through a food wage in exchange for participation in the intervention's activities. Guided by the relief objective and targeting constraint, he fixes the food wage equal to the reservation wage of the farmers not suffering the poverty trap. Dependency traps will then happen every time there is a considerable technological and nutritional gap between farmers who are in and out of the poverty trap. When there is a gap, poor farmers earn more working for the reservation wage of the well‐off farmers than by working in their own farm. Dependency can be overcome only if the food‐aid program allows farmers to upgrade their productive technologies and catch up with those farmers who are out of the poverty trap.
A conduct parameter model of price discrimination
Authors: Kutlu Levent
Published: May 2017

We consider a conduct parameter model where firms price discriminate based on the consumers’ willingness to pay. For any conduct, the average price is invariant to the extent of price discrimination. Moreover, when the number of prices goes to infinity, there is a linear relationship between market power, measured by conduct, and range of offered prices. Hence, when the firms face competition, some of the high valuation customers are charged below their valuations, which contrasts with perfect price discrimination results for a monopoly.
Sexual Harassment and the Construction of Ethnographic Knowledge
Authors: Hanson Rebecca , Richards Patricia
Published: May 2017

It is not uncommon for women researchers to experience sexualized interactions, sexual objectification, and harassment as they conduct fieldwork. Nevertheless, these experiences are often left out of ethnographers’ “tales from the field” and remain unaddressed within our discipline. In this article, we use women's experiences with harassment in the field to interrogate the epistemological foundations of ethnographic methodology within the discipline of sociology. Based on more than 50 qualitative interviews, we examine three “fixations” of contemporary ethnography that inform women ethnographers’ understandings of and reactions to harassment in the field. These fixations are solitude, danger, and intimacy. Our data show that these fixations not only put researchers in danger but also have implications for the construction of ethnographic knowledge. They contribute to silence surrounding sexual harassment, and are motivated by and reproduce androcentric norms that valorize certain types of fieldwork. We argue that acknowledging and analyzing experiences with harassment and other unwanted sexual attention in the field is part of a more fully developed understanding of ethnographic research itself.
Racial/Ethnic Patterns of Kindergarten School Enrollment in the United States
Authors: Lawrence Elizabeth , Mollborn Stefanie
Published: May 2017

Enrollment into unequal schools at the start of formal education is an important mechanism for the reproduction of racial/ethnic educational inequalities. We examine whether there are racial/ethnic differences in school enrollment options at kindergarten, the start of schooling. We use nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study‐Birth Cohort (ECLS‐B) to model whether parents seek information about their child's school before enrolling, whether parents move to a location so that a child can attend a certain school, or whether parents enroll their child in a school other than the assigned public school. Results indicate that enrollment patterns differ greatly across race/ethnicity. Whereas Black families are the most likely to seek information on a school's performance, White families are the most likely to use the elite option of choosing their residential location to access a particular school. These differences persist when controlling for socioeconomic status and sociogeographic location. Kindergarten enrollment patterns preserve the advantages of White families, perpetuating racial/ethnic disparities through multiple institutions and contributing to intergenerational processes of social stratification. Research should continue to examine specific educational consequences of housing inequities and residential segregation.
Verification of Self Using a Mathematical Theory of Identity, Feeling, and Behavior
Authors: Boyle Kaitlin M.
Published: May 2017

The current study tests the affect control theory of self, a mathematical theory that demonstrates a core social psychological principle: individuals strive for a stable and coherent self through identity selection and behavior. In the affect control theory of self, the self is conceptualized as self‐sentiments, which are measured on three dimensions: evaluation (good/bad), potency (powerful/powerless), and activity (fast/slow). In a longitudinal sample of college men and women, I find the self‐sentiment predicts how individuals describe themselves on a range of terms, including primary emotions and both stigmatized and esteemed traits related to mental illness and self‐esteem. It also predicts various productive and deviant behaviors five months later. Thus, the current study demonstrates the theoretical precision of the theory, its ability for understanding human behavior, and its potential for identifying at‐risk individuals.
Efficacy and safety of non‐invasive body tightening with high‐intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)
Authors: Ko E. J. , Hong J. Y. , Kwon T.‐R. , Choi E. J. , Jang Y.‐J. , Choi S. Y. , Yoo K. H. , Kim S. Y. , Kim B. J.
Published: May 2017

Background

Noninvasive skin‐tightening devices have become increasingly popular in response to increasing demand for improvements in skin laxity and tightening with minimal risk and recovery time.

Objective

We evaluated the efficacy and safety of HIFU for skin tightening in the face and body.

Methods

A total of 32 Korean subjects enrolled in this prospective clinical trial. The subjects were treated with HIFU to both cheeks, lower abdomen, and thigh. Skin elasticity was measured before and after treatment using a Cutometer (CT575, Courage and Khazaka®, Cologne, Germany). Three blinded, experienced dermatologists evaluated paired pre‐ and post‐treatment (week 4 and 12) photographs according to the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS). Participants also completed self‐assessments using GAIS. Subjects rated their pain on a numeric rating scale (NRS) immediately, 7 days, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks after treatment.

Results

Skin elasticity measured via a Cutometer was significantly improved 12 weeks after treatment at all treated sites (P<.05). Both IGAIS and SGAIS showed significant improvements 12 weeks after treatment. Immediately after treatment the mean NRS score was 3.00±1.586, but no pain was reported at 4 and 12 weeks post‐treatment. No serious adverse effects were observed during the follow‐up period.

Conclusion

HIFU safely and effectively improves skin elasticity and clinical contouring of the face and body.
Achieving Efficiency Without Losing Accuracy: Strategies for Scale Reduction with an Application to Risk Attitudes and Racial Resentment*
Authors: Loose Krista , Hou Yue , Berinsky Adam J.
Published: May 2017

Objectives

Researchers often employ lengthy survey instruments to tap underlying phenomena of interest. However, concerns about the cost of fielding longer surveys and respondent fatigue can lead scholars to look for abbreviated, yet accurate, variations of longer, validated scales. In this article, we provide a template to aid in scale reduction.

Methods

The template we develop walks researchers through a procedure for using existing data to consider all possible subscales along several reliability and validity criteria. We apply our method to two commonly used scales: the seven‐item Risk Attitudes Scale and the six‐item Racial Resentment Scale.

Results

After applying the template, we find a four‐item Risk Attitudes Scale that maintains nearly identical reliability and validity as the full scale and a three‐item Racial Resentment Subscale that outperforms the two‐item Subscale currently used in a major congressional survey.

Conclusions

Our general template should be of use to a broad range of scholars seeking to achieve efficiency without losing accuracy when reducing lengthy scales. The code to implement our procedures is available as an R package, ScaleReduce.
β1‐Adrenoceptor, but not β2‐adrenoceptor, subtype regulates heart rate in type 2 diabetic rats in vivo
Authors: Cook Rosalind F. , Bussey Carol T. , Mellor Kimberley M. , Cragg Patricia A. , Lamberts Regis R.
Published: May 2017

New Findings

What is the central question of the study?

The sympathetic system regulates heart rate via β‐adrenoceptors; this is impaired during diabetes. However, the specific β‐adrenoceptor subtype contributions in heart rate regulation in diabetes in vivo are unknown.

What is the main finding and its importance?

Telemetric recordings in conscious non‐diabetic and type 2 diabetic rats demonstrated that the β1‐adrenoceptor subtype, and not the β2‐adrenoceptor, regulated the lower resting heart rate and increased β‐adrenoceptor responsiveness in diabetes in vivo. This provides new physiological insight into the dysregulation of heart rate in type 2 diabetes, which is important for improving therapeutic strategies targeting the diabetic chronotropic incompetence.

β‐Adrenoceptor blockers are widely used to reduce heart rate, the strongest predictor of mortality in cardiac patients, but are less effective in diabetic patients. This study aimed to determine the specific contributions of β1‐ and β2‐adrenoceptor subtypes to chronotropic responses in type 2 diabetes in vivo, which are currently unknown. Type 2 diabetic and non‐diabetic rats were implanted with radiotelemeters to measure arterial blood pressure and derive heart rate in conscious conditions. Vascular access ports were implanted to inject isoprenaline (β1‐ and β2‐adrenoceptor agonist, 0.1–300 μg kg−1) in the presence of atenolol (β1‐adrenoceptor antagonist, 2000 μg kg−1) or nadolol (β1‐ and β2‐adrenoceptor agonist, 4000 μg kg−1) to determine the chronotropic contributions of the β‐adrenoceptor subtypes. Resting heart rate was reduced in diabetic rats (388 ± 62 versus 290 ± 37 beats min−1 non‐diabetic versus diabetic, P < 0.05, mean ± SD), which remained after atenolol or nadolol administration. Overall β‐adrenoceptor chronotropic responsiveness was increased in diabetic rats (change in heart rate at highest dose of isoprenaline: 135 ± 66 versus 205 ± 28 beats min−1, non‐diabetic versus diabetic, P < 0.05), a difference that diminished after β1‐adrenoceptor blockade with atenolol (change in heart rate at highest dose of isoprenaline: 205 ± 37 versus 195 ± 22 beats min−1, non‐diabetic versus diabetic, P < 0.05). In conclusion, the β1‐adrenoceptor is the main subtype to modulate chronotropic β‐adrenoceptor responses in healthy and diabetic rats. This study provides new insights into the pathological basis of dysregulation of heart rate in type 2 diabetes, which could be important for improving the current therapeutic strategies targeting diabetic chronotropic incompetence.
Theory on Bending in Cantilever Beams With Adsorbed Islands
Authors: Duan Chuangchuang , Wei Yujie
Published: May 2017

Traction between adsorbed islands and the substrate is commonly seen in both living and material systems: deposited material gathers into islands at the early stage of polycrystalline film deposition and generates stress due to lattice mismatch, cells exert cellular traction to extracellular matrix to probe their surrounding microenvironment in vivo, and so on. The traction between these islands and the substrate can result in perceivable macroscopic deformation in the substrate and may be measurable if the substrate is a cantilever beam. However, currently broadly used Stoney equation is incapable of handling such boundary condition. In this paper, we give the closed-form expression on the resulted curvature in substrate beams by distributed tractions. Such a relationship could be employed to monitor the stress evolution during thin film deposition, to quantify the stress level of cell traction as cells adhere to cantilever beams, and other related mechanical systems like charging–discharging induced stress in island-patterned electrode films. Moreover, we found that follower traction induced by an array of islands could lead to negative curvature. It shields light on the early stage compressive stress during polycrystalline film deposition.
Lamination Theory for the Strength of Fiber Composite Materials
Authors: Christensen Richard M.
Published: May 2017

Building upon the previous work for the failure of quasi-isotropic fiber composite laminates, the much more difficult and more important general case of orthotropic laminates is now taken up. The full and complete failure criterion is derived for fiber dominated, general 0, 90, ±45-deg laminated materials, with the relative volume fractions to be specified for each direction. Quasi-isotropy is a special case of the orthotropic formalism, and the general orthotropic results are just as rigorous as the previous specialized quasi-isotropic results. The orthotropic failure criterion results are of direct and immediate relevance in composite materials applications.