bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ichthyoses in everyday practice: management of a rare group of diseases
Authors: Süßmuth Kira , Traupe Heiko , Metze Dieter , Oji Vinzenz
Published: March 2020

Ichthyoses comprise a heterogeneous group of hereditary disorders of keratinization characterized by a highly varied clinical picture. A distinction is made between common hereditary ichthyoses (ichthyosis vulgaris and X‐linked ichthyosis), which usually manifest themselves in the first year of life, and rare, sometimes severe congenital ichthyoses. Patients with very mild symptoms often do not even realize they have ichthyosis. The diagnosis is usually based on clinical evaluation. Molecular genetic testing as well as histological and electron microscopic studies may aid in confirming the diagnosis. Mapping a family tree is also diagnostically useful. Besides skin manifestations, important aspects of the clinical examination and history include disease onset, presence of a collodion membrane at birth as well as the presence of hair anomalies and extracutaneous signs and symptoms.

Rigorous hydration of the skin (several times a day) and balneotherapy are the mainstay of ichthyosis treatment. For patients with severe disease, systemic acitretin treatment should be considered on a case‐by‐case basis. While ichthyoses are generally limited to the skin, there are syndromic forms that may affect other organs and that require interdisciplinarity cooperation. Although ichthyoses remain incurable, they can be managed well with symptomatic treatment. However, such treatment is frequently time consuming and expensive. In the future, novel therapeutic approaches might include enzyme replacement and gene therapies as well as antiinflammatory drugs.
Knee pain in children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Chambers Henry G
Published: March 2020

This commentary is on the original article by Pelrine et al. on pages 709–713 of this issue.
BAY 81‐8973 demonstrated efficacy, safety and joint status improvement in patients with severe haemophilia A in the LEOPOLD I extension for ≤2 years
Authors: Mahlangu Johnny , Lopez Fernandez Maria Fernanda , Santagostino Elena , Lalezari Shadan , Tseneklidou‐Stoeter Despina , Beckmann Horst , Church Nikki
Published: February 2020

Objectives

BAY 81‐8973 (Kovaltry®), a full‐length, unmodified, recombinant human factor VIII, provided excellent bleeding control for patients with haemophilia A in the pivotal 1‐year LEOPOLD I trial. The LEOPOLD I extension evaluated long‐term efficacy and safety of BAY 81‐8973 prophylaxis.

Methods

After completing LEOPOLD I, patients continued receiving 20‒50 IU/kg BAY 81‐8973 two‐ or three‐times weekly in the extension. Outcomes included annualised bleeding rate (ABR) and haemostasis during surgery.

Results

Fifty‐five patients aged 12‐65 years participated in the extension. Median (range) exposure days during the 2‐year total study period was 309 (115‐355). No patient switched regimens. Median (Q1; Q3) ABR for all bleeds was 2.0 (1.0; 6.1) during the pivotal study, 2.0 (0.0; 5.2) during the extension, and 2.0 (0.5; 5.5) combined. The proportion of joint bleeds affecting target joints decreased (pivotal study: 90.9%, extension: 60.0%). Haemostasis was assessed as excellent/good in all five major surgeries. One serious adverse event (myocardial infarction) occurred in a patient with cardiovascular risk factors. No patients developed inhibitors.

Conclusions

BAY 81‐8973 prophylaxis efficacy outcomes in the pivotal study were maintained or, in the case of joint protection, improved during the extension, with a safety and tolerability profile consistent with previous experience.
Creation of original Tamil character dataset through segregation of ancient palm leaf manuscripts in medicine
Authors: Subramani Kavitha , Subramaniam Murugavalli
Published: March 2020

Palm leaves were one of the essential and primary sources for writing before the advent of paper. Tamil is one of the oldest southern Indian languages and among the ten oldest languages of the world. Agathiyar, a renowned Siddhar of ancient India, considered as the Father of Siddha Medicine, wrote all his therapeutic procedures only on palm leaf manuscripts, in the Tamil language. For modern day, people who try to only write and read new aspects of Tamil, identifying the ancient characters of the language is difficult. To expand readability and secure the written medicinal practices and traditions, a better recognition system is needed that can transform the ancient text images to modern ones, interpreting the ancient Tamil characters from palm leaves and understanding their contexts a time‐consuming and complicated process. Especially when it comes to medicine, the practitioners need to understand the contents of a manuscript, to apply them on a daily basis. Therefore, a recognition system is of much use to understand, interpret, and apply the techniques explained in the manuscript on a daily basis. This study is an attempt to create a considerable volume of Tamil character datasets through the segregation of ancient Tamil palm leaf manuscripts related to the field of medicine. In this study, the characters created are fed as inputs to expert systems for intelligent recognition of the context and content perceived to be present in the selected medical manuscripts. The characters have been identified in large numbers manually, and datasets are created using Gaussian distortion.
Relieving ferroptosis may partially reverse neurodegeneration of the auditory cortex
Authors: Chen Xi , Li Dan , Sun Hai‐Ying , Wang Wen‐Wen , Wu Han , Kong Wen , Kong Wei‐Jia
Published: February 2020

Central presbycusis is caused by degradation of the auditory centre during ageing. Its main characteristics are difficulties in understanding language and localizing sound. Presbycusis is an increasingly critical public health problem, but the underlying molecular mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Ferroptosis is a form of regulated cell death caused by iron‐ and reactive oxygen species‐induced lipid peroxidation. Ferroptosis is related to many pathological processes, but whether it participates in the degeneration of the auditory system remains unclear. To investigate this, we measured iron levels in a simulated ageing model established by the addition of d‐galactose (d‐gal). We found, for the first time, that iron accumulated within cells and that the ultrastructural features of ferroptosis appeared in the auditory cortex with ageing. These changes were accompanied by upregulation of iron regulatory protein 2 (IRP‐2), which led to an increase in transferrin receptor 1 (TfR‐1), thus increasing iron entry into cells and potentially leading to ferroptosis. In addition, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the occurrence of mitochondrial DNA common deletions (CDs) increased, neuron degeneration appeared, and glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity decreased. Furthermore, we found that treatment with the iron chelator deferoxamine (DFO) and knockdown of IRP‐2 both relieved ferroptosis during the simulated ageing process, thus achieving a partial protective effect to delay ageing. In summary, we describe here the first discovery that age‐related iron deposition and ferroptosis may be associated with auditory cortex neurodegeneration. Relieving ferroptosis might thus be a new intervention strategy for age‐related hearing loss.
Preferential retention of algal carbon in benthic invertebrates: Stable isotope and fatty acid evidence from an outdoor flume experiment
Authors: Kühmayer Thomas , Guo Fen , Ebm Nadine , Battin Tom J. , Brett Michael T. , Bunn Stuart E. , Fry Brian , Kainz Martin J.
Published: March 2020

According to the River Continuum Concept, headwater streams are richer in allochthonous (e.g. terrestrial leaves) than autochthonous (e.g. algae) sources of organic matter for consumers. However, compared to algae, leaf litter is of lower food quality, particularly ω‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐3 PUFA), and would constrain the somatic growth, maintenance, and reproduction of stream invertebrates. It may be thus assumed that shredders, such as Gammarus, receive lower quality diets than grazers, e.g. Ecdyonurus, that typically feed on algae.

The objective of this study was to assess the provision of dietary PUFA from leaf litter and algae to the shredder Gammarus and the grazer Ecdyonurus. Three different diets (algae, terrestrial leaves, and an algae–leaf litter mix) were supplied to these macroinvertebrates in a flume experiment for 2 weeks. To differentiate how diet sources were retained in these consumers, algae were isotopically labelled with 13C.

Both consumers became enriched with 13C in all treatments, demonstrating that both assimilated algae. For Gammarus, n‐3 PUFA increased, whereas n‐6 PUFA stayed constant. By contrast, the n‐3 PUFA content of Ecdyonurus decreased as a consequence of declining algal supply.

Results from compound‐specific stable isotope analysis provided evidence that the long‐chain n‐3 PUFA eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in both consumers was more enriched in 13C than the short‐chain n‐3 PUFA α‐linolenic acid, suggesting that EPA was taken up directly from algae and not from heterotrophic biofilms on leaf litter. Both consumers depended on algae as their carbon and EPA source and retained their EPA from high‐quality algae.
If we cannot measure it, we cannot improve it: Understanding measurement problems in routine oral/dental assessments in Canadian nursing homes—Part II
Authors: Yoon Minn N. , Lu Lily (Ling) , Ickert Carla , Estabrooks Carole A. , Hoben Matthias
Published: March 2020

Objective

To evaluate the response process validity of the Resident Assessment Instrument—Minimum Data Set 2.0 (RAI) oral/dental items and the organisational processes for assessing nursing home (NH) residents’ oral/dental status.

Background

Although care aides provide most direct care to NH residents, including oral care, they are not directly involved in structured care planning activities, including RAI assessments. This most likely affects the accuracy of RAI assessments, as well quality of care. However, we neither know how well regulated and unregulated care staff understand the RAI oral/dental items, nor what processes are used in completing oral/dental assessments.

Methods

We conducted nine focus groups with 44 care aides, nurses, allied health providers, clinical specialists and managers. We discussed randomly selected RAI oral/dental assessments with focus group participants, including participants’ understanding of the items and why the options were selected. Participants also explained the communication and process for completing the RAI.

Results

Participants’ perceptions of the oral/dental items aligned fairly well with the item definitions. However, responses primarily focused on severe oral/dental problems with obvious physical characteristics (eg black teeth denoting caries). For non‐visual oral problems, such as pain, staff relied on resident verbalisation. No formal mechanisms were described for care aides to update nurses on residents’ oral health needs.

Conclusions

Performance problems of RAI oral/dental items are largely rooted in poor communication between care aides and nurses and not integrating care aides in assessment processes. We need policies that address these problems in order to improve NH residents’ poor oral health.
A New R Program for Flow‐Log Analysis of Single Holes (FLASH‐R)
Authors: Barbosa Marcos B. , Terry Neil , Day‐Lewis Frederick D. , Bertolo Reginaldo , Lane John W.
Published: February 2020

A new version of the computer program FLASH (Flow‐Log Analysis of Single Holes) is presented for the analysis of borehole vertical flow logs to estimate fracture (or layer) transmissivities and far‐field hydraulic heads. The program is written in R, an open‐source environment. All previous features have been retained and new features incorporated including more rigorous parameter estimation, uncertainty analysis, and improved data import. The program has a dynamic user interface compatible with most operating systems.
Value Commitment, Resolute Choice, and the Normative Foundations of Behavioural Welfare Economics
Authors: DesRoches C. Tyler
Published: February 2020

Given the endowment effect, the role of attention in decision‐making, and the framing effect, most behavioural economists agree that it would be a mistake to accept the satisfaction of revealed preferences as the normative criterion of choice. Some have suggested that what makes agents better off is not the satisfaction of revealed preferences, but ‘true’ preferences, which may not always be observed through choice. While such preferences may appear to be an improvement over revealed preferences, some philosophers of economics have argued that they face insurmountable epistemological, normative, and methodological challenges. This article introduces a new kind of true preference – values‐based preferences – that blunts these challenges. Agents express values‐based preferences when they choose in a manner that is compatible with a consumption plan grounded in a value commitment that is normative, affective, and stable for the agent who has one. Agents who choose according to their plans are resolute choosers. My claim is that while values‐based preferences do not apply to every choice situation, this kind of preference provides a rigorous way for thinking about classic choice situations that have long interested behavioural economists and philosophers of economics, such as ‘Joe‐in‐the‐cafeteria.’
SIRT3 deficiency delays diabetic skin wound healing via oxidative stress and necroptosis enhancement
Authors: Yang Shengju , Xu Mengting , Meng Guoliang , Lu Yan
Published: March 2020

Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) plays a vital role in several dermatological diseases. However, the role and detailed mechanism of SIRT3 in diabetic wound healing are unknown well yet. To explore possible involvement of SIRT3 and necroptosis in diabetic skin wound healing, SIRT3 knockout (KO) mice and 129S1/SvImJ wild‐type (WT) mice were injected with streptozotocin (STZ), and mice skin fibroblasts were exposed to high glucose (HG). It was found that SIRT3 expression decreased in the skin of diabetic patients. SIRT3 deficiency delayed healing rate, reduced blood supply and vascular endothelial growth factor expression, promoted superoxide production, increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, decreased total antioxidant capacity (T‐AOC), reduced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and aggravated ultrastructure disorder in skin wound of diabetic mice. SIRT3 deficiency inhibited mice skin fibroblasts migration with HG stimulation, which was restored by SIRT3 overexpression. SIRT3 deficiency also suppressed α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) expression, enhanced superoxide production but decreased mitochondrial membrane potential with HG stimulation after scratch. SIRT3 deficiency further elevated receptor‐interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3), RIPK1 and caspase 3 expression both in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, SIRT3 deficiency delayed skin wound healing in diabetes, the mechanism might be related to impaired mitochondria function, enhanced oxidative stress and increased necroptosis. This may provide a novel therapeutic target to accelerate diabetic skin wound healing.
Exploring the cognitive, emotional and sensory correlates of social anxiety in autistic and neurotypical adolescents
Authors: Pickard Hannah , Hirsch Colette , Simonoff Emily , Happé Francesca
Published: March 2020

Background

Social anxiety is common in autistic adolescents. While emerging evidence indicates the importance of several mechanisms (including intolerance of uncertainty (IU), alexithymia and sensory processing) for maintaining anxiety, limited research has explored how these factors are associated with social anxiety in autistic adolescents.

Methods

We investigated whether IU, emotional and sensory processing are related to social anxiety in autistic and neurotypical adolescents, gathering experimental and questionnaire data from 61 autistic and 62 neurotypical 11‐ to 17‐year‐olds recruited to have similarly high levels of anxiety.

Results

In autistic and neurotypical adolescents matched for social anxiety, similar significant associations were observed between social anxiety and IU, alexithymia, maladaptive emotion regulation, sensory hypersensitivity and interoceptive sensibility. Taking a dimensional approach, we found that child‐ and parent‐reported IU, alexithymia and sensory hypersensitivity mediated the relationship between autistic traits and social anxiety symptoms in the combined group of adolescents.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that similar correlates of social anxiety are evident in autistic and neurotypical youths experiencing social anxiety and further our understanding of mechanisms that may contribute towards social anxiety in both groups.
Associations between ADHD and emotional problems from childhood to young adulthood: a longitudinal genetically sensitive study
Authors: Stern Adi , Agnew‐Blais Jessica C. , Danese Andrea , Fisher Helen L. , Matthews Timothy , Polanczyk Guilherme V. , Wertz Jasmin , Arseneault Louise
Published: February 2020

Background

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with emotional problems, and their co‐occurrence often leads to worse outcomes. We investigated the developmental associations between ADHD and emotional problems from childhood to early adolescence and examined the genetic and environmental contributions to their developmental link. We further tested whether this developmental association remained across the transition to young adulthood.

Methods

We used data from the Environmental Risk (E‐Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a cohort of 2,232 British twins. In childhood, ADHD and emotional problems were assessed at ages 5, 7, 10 and 12 with mothers’ and teachers’ reports. At age 18, we used self‐reported symptoms according to DSM‐5 criteria for ADHD, and DSM‐IV for anxiety and depression.

Results

Longitudinal analyses showed that earlier ADHD was associated with later emotional problems consistently across childhood. However, earlier emotional problems were not associated with later ADHD symptoms. The developmental association between ADHD and later emotional problems in childhood was entirely explained by common genetic factors. Consistent with results in childhood, earlier symptoms of ADHD were associated with later emotional problems during the transition to young adulthood.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate that ADHD symptoms are predictors of the development of emotional problems, from childhood up to young adulthood, through shared genetic influences. Interventions targeting ADHD symptoms might prevent the development of emotional problems. Clinicians treating youth with ADHD must be aware of their risk for developing emotional problems and ought to assess, monitor and treat emotional problems alongside ADHD symptoms from childhood to adulthood.
It is time to consider global variations in the clinical phenotype: a commentary on the new diagnostic criteria for atopic dermatitis in children in China
Authors: Bieber T.
Published: February 2020

Linked article: R. Cheng et al. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2020; 34: 542–548. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.15979.
Histological examination of the potential arrhythmic substrates in the setting of Ebstein’s malformation
Authors: Sánchez‐Quintana Damián , Cabrera José Angel , Picazo‐Angelin Beatriz , Cabrera Alberto , Anderson Robert H.
Published: March 2020

Cardiac arrhythmias, notably Wolff‐Parkinson‐White syndrome, are known to represent a major issue in patients with Ebstein’s malformation of the tricuspid valve. Abnormal conducting circuits, however, can also be produced by pathways extending either from the atrioventricular node or the ventricular components of the atrioventricular conduction axis, direct to the crest of the muscular ventricular septum. We hoped to provide further information on the potential presence of such pathways by investigations of six autopsied examples of Ebstein’s malformation. All were studied by histological sectioning on the full extent of the atrioventricular conduction axis, with limited sectioning of the right atrioventricular junction supporting the inferior and antero‐superior leaflets of the deformed tricuspid valve. We used the criteria established by Aschoff (Verhandlungen der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Pathologie, 14, 1910, 3) and Mönckeberg (Verhandlungen der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Pathologie, 14, 1910, 64) over a century ago to define abnormal connections across the atrioventricular junctions, as these definitions retain their validity for the identification of gross myocardial connections across the insulating tissues of the atrioventricular junctions. In one specimen, we found two discrete accessory myocardial connections across the parietal right atrioventricular junction. In all of the hearts, we found so‐called nodoventricular connections, and in one heart we also observed a well‐formed connection originating from the penetrating atrioventricular bundle. In addition to accessory myocardial connections across the parietal right atrioventricular junction, therefore, our histological findings demonstrate a potential role for direct connections between the atrioventricular conduction axis and the ventricular myocardium in the setting of Ebstein’s malformation.
Paradigm shifts in abdominal aortic aneurysm management based on vascular registries
Authors: de Guerre L. , Venermo M. , Mani K. , Wanhainen A. , Schermerhorn M.
Published: March 2020

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a relatively common and potentially fatal disease. The management of AAA has undergone extensive changes in the last two decades. High quality vascular surgical registries were established early and have been found to be instrumental in the evaluation and monitoring of these changes, most notably the wide implementation of minimally invasive endovascular surgical technology. Trends over the years showed the increased use of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) over open repair, the decreasing perioperative adverse outcomes and the early survival advantage of EVAR. Also, data from the early EVAR years changed the views on endoleak management and showed the importance of tracking the implementation of new techniques. Registry data complemented the randomized trials performed in aortic surgery by showing the high rate of laparotomy‐related reinterventions after open repair. Also, they are an essential tool for the understanding of outcomes in a broad patient population, evaluating the generalizability of findings from randomized trials and analysing changes over time. By using large‐scale data over longer periods of time, the importance of centralization of care to high‐volume centres was shown, particularly for open repair. Additionally, large‐scale databases can offer an opportunity to assess practice and outcomes in patient subgroups (e.g. treatment of AAA in women and the elderly) as well as in rare aortic pathologies. In this review article, we point out the most important paradigm shifts in AAA management based on vascular registry data.
Broader phenotypic traits and widespread brain hypometabolism in spinocerebellar ataxia 27
Authors: Paucar M. , Lundin J. , Alshammari T. , Bergendal Å. , Lindefeldt M. , Alshammari M. , Solders G. , Di Re J. , Savitcheva I. , Granberg T. , Laezza F. , Iwarsson E. , Svenningsson P.
Published: February 2020

Objective

The goal of this study was to characterize a Swedish family with members affected by spinocerebellar ataxia 27 (SCA27), a rare autosomal dominant disease caused by mutations in fibroblast growth factor 14 (FGF14). Despite normal structural neuroimaging, psychiatric manifestations and intellectual disability are part of the SCA27 phenotype raising the need for functional neuroimaging. Here, we used clinical assessments, structural and functional neuroimaging to characterize these new SCA27 patients. Since one patient presents with a psychotic disorder, an exploratory study of markers of schizophrenia associated with GABAergic neurotransmission was performed in fgf14−/− mice, a preclinical model that replicates motor and learning deficits of SCA27.

Methods

A comprehensive characterization that included clinical assessments, cognitive tests, structural neuroimaging studies, brain metabolism with 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose PET ([18F] FDG PET) and genetic analyses was performed. Brains of fgf14−/− mice were studied with immunohistochemistry.

Results

Nine patients had ataxia, and all affected patients harboured an interstitial deletion of chromosome 13q33.1 encompassing the entire FGF14 and integrin subunit beta like 1 (ITGBL1) genes. New features for SCA27 were identified: congenital onset, psychosis, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and widespread hypometabolism that affected the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in all patients. Hypometabolism in the PFC was far more pronounced in a SCA27 patient with psychosis. Reduced expression of VGAT was found in the mPFC of fgf14−/− mice.

Conclusions

This is the second largest SCA27 family identified to date. We provide new clinical and preclinical evidence for a significant psychiatric component in SCA27, strengthening the hypothesis of FGF14 as an important modulator of psychiatric disease.
Personality, interview performance, and the mediating role of impression management
Authors: Bourdage Joshua S. , Schmidt Joseph , Wiltshire Jocelyn , Nguyen Brenda , Lee Kibeom
Published: February 2020

The present study investigated the association between personality and job interview performance, as mediated by applicant use of impression management (IM) behaviours. We focused primarily on the novel role of Honesty‐Humility, with a secondary focus on Extraversion and an exploratory examination of other HEXACO personality traits. The sample consisted of 212 management students participating in high fidelity mock interviews with 70 experienced interviewers. Findings indicated that, across both self‐ and peer reports of personality, (low) Honesty‐Humility, (high) Extraversion, and (low) Emotionality predict IM use. In addition, mediation analyses indicated that individuals high in Extraversion and low on Emotionality may perform better in the interview through their use of IM. On the other hand, while Honesty‐Humility indirectly impacted interview performance through several paths, the overall effect was null, such that individuals low in Honesty‐Humility did not perform better in the interview. This is because they used both forms of IM that led to success, and those that detracted from success, thereby cancelling each other out. This study informs our knowledge of personality and interview performance, such that differences in the IM behaviours an individual chooses have implications for whether individuals with certain traits are successful.

Practitioner points

Impression management behaviours have an important impact on how applicants are evaluated by interviewers.

Individuals who engage in IM may not be those who are necessarily better at the job once hired. They are predominantly high in Extraversion and low in Honesty‐Humility.
Reproductive tract development and histomorphometric analysis of testes in neonatal Zaraibi kids raised on milk replacer supplemented with sodium butyrate
Authors: Mohamed Mahmoud Yassin , Saba Fatma E. , Gomaa Abdelhameed A. A. I. , Desoky Ahmed L. I. , Almwafy Ayman A. , AbdEl‐Salam Omnia M. , Ibrahim Eid M. M.
Published: March 2020

This study aimed to determine the effect of sodium butyrate (SB) on reproductive tract development and histomorphometric analysis of testes in neonatal kids, as well as on their growth, antioxidant status and some blood metabolites. Thirty‐six neonatal Zaraibi kids were divided immediately after 4–5 days from birth into three equal groups (12 kids/ each). The first group (G1) received milk replacer (MR) at a rate of 10% of the body weight until the weaning. The second group (G2) received 9.7% MR supplemented with 0.3% SB. The third group (G3) received whole milk and served as a control. The results revealed that there was significant (p < .001) increase in total and daily gain between the G2 and G1 groups, whereas there was no significant change between G2 and G3 groups. Body condition score was slightly increased (p > .05) in G2 compared with G1. Serum total protein and cholesterol levels were significantly decreased in treated groups compared with the G3 group, on reverse globulin and glucose levels had no significant changes. Also, T3 and testosterone concentrations were significantly (p < .0001 & p < .05) higher in G3 and G2 than G1. Antioxidant status was enhanced through decreasing the oxidative marker and increasing antioxidant enzymes activity in G2. Testis parameters in G3 and G2 kids had the highest values, compared with G1. G1 and G2 had thin basement membrane of seminiferous tubules with few Leydig cells and pyknotic germinal epithelium, while G3 showed thick basement membrane, mild wide interstitial spaces with many Leydig cells. The tubular diameter was also significantly larger in the G3 and G2. It could be concluded that MR supplemented with SB can be used as alternative whole milk in suckling goat kids for maintaining reproductive tract and kids' performance through improving the antioxidant status.
Effect of different nitrogen sources on the viscosity and rheological properties of welan gum produced by Sphingomonas sp. ATCC 31555
Authors: Xu Xiaopeng , Nie Zuoming , Zheng Zhiyong , Zhu Li , Zhan Xiaobei
Published: February 2020

The current study aimed to determine the rheological properties of welan gum produced by Sphingomonas sp. ATCC 31555 using different nitrogen sources. The viscosity and rheological properties of welan gum produced by Sphingomonas sp. ATCC 31555 from different ratios of inorganic, organic, and mixture of organic and inorganic nitrogen sources were measured under different conditions of pH, rotational speeds, and temperatures and also in the presence of various metal ions. Increasing the proportion of sodium nitrate (NaNO3) as the nitrogen source enhanced the viscosity and the ability of welan gum solution to resist high temperatures and salinity. The viscosity of welan gum solution derived from all three nitrogen sources gradually declined when the rotational speed was increased and stabilized at rotational speeds >30 rpm. The elastic modulus and viscous modulus were highest for a welan gum solution derived from 4.0 g/L NaNO3. The viscosity, temperature, and salt tolerance were superior when a welan gum solution was produced from NaNO3 in comparison with that produced from organic nitrogen source.
Renin‐angiotensin aldosterone profile before and after angiotensin‐converting enzyme‐inhibitor administration in dogs with angiotensin‐converting enzyme gene polymorphism
Authors: Adin Darcy , Atkins Clarke , Domenig Oliver , DeFrancesco Teresa , Keene Bruce , Tou Sandra , Stern Joshua A. , Meurs Kathryn M.
Published: February 2020

Background

An angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism occurs in dogs; however, functional importance is not well studied.

Hypothesis

We hypothesized that dogs with the polymorphism would show alternative renin‐angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) pathway activation and classical RAAS pathway suppression before and after ACE‐inhibitor administration, as compared to dogs without the polymorphism that would show this pattern only after ACE‐inhibitor administration.

Animals

Twenty‐one dogs with mitral valve disease that were genotyped for the ACE gene polymorphism.

Methods

This retrospective study utilized stored samples from 8 ACE gene polymorphism‐negative (PN) dogs and 13 ACE gene polymorphism‐positive (PP) dogs before and after enalapril administration. Equilibrium analysis was performed to evaluate serum RAAS metabolites and enzyme activities. Results were compared before and after enalapril, and between groups.

Results

The classical RAAS pathway was suppressed and the alternative RAAS pathway was enhanced for both genotypes after administration of enalapril, with no differences before enalapril administration. Aldosterone breakthrough occurred in both PN (38%) and PP (54%) dogs despite angiotensin II suppression. Aldosterone was significantly higher (P = .02) in ACE gene PP dogs (median, 92.17 pM; IQR, 21.85‐184.70) compared to ACE gene PN dogs (median, 15.91 pM; IQR, <15.00‐33.92) after enalapril.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

The ACE gene polymorphism did not alter baseline RAAS activity. Aldosterone breatkthrough in some dogs suggests nonangiotensin mediated aldosterone production that might be negatively influenced by genotype. These results support the use of aldosterone receptor antagonists with ACE‐inhibitors when RAAS inhibition is indicated for dogs, especially those positive for the ACE gene polymorphism.
Two’s company, three’s a crowd: Exploring how host–parasite–microbiota interactions may influence disease susceptibility and conservation of wildlife
Authors: Trevelline Brian K. , Stephenson Jessica F. , Kohl Kevin D.
Published: March 2020

A large body of research has demonstrated that host‐associated microbiota—the archaeal, bacterial, fungal and viral communities residing on and inside organisms—are critical to host health (Cho & Blaser, 2012). Although the vast majority of these studies focus on humans or model organisms in laboratory settings (Pascoe, Hauffe, Marchesi, & Perkins, 2017), they nevertheless provide important conceptual evidence that the disruption of host‐associated microbial communities (termed “dysbiosis”) among wild animals may reduce host fitness and survival under natural environmental conditions. Among the myriad of environmental factors capable of inducing dysbiosis among wild animals (Trevelline, Fontaine, Hartup, & Kohl, 2019), parasitic infections represent a potentially potent, yet poorly understood, factor influencing microbial community dynamics and animal health. The study by DeCandia et al. in this issue of Molecular Ecology is a rare example of a host–parasite–microbiota interaction that impacts the health, survival and conservation of a threatened wild animal in its natural habitat. Using culture‐independent techniques, DeCandia et al. found that the presence of an ectoparasitic mite (Otodectes cynotis) in the ear canal of the Santa Catalina Island fox (Urocyon littoralis catalinae) was associated with significantly reduced ear canal microbial diversity, with the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus pseudintermedius dominating the community. These findings suggest that parasite‐induced inflammation may contribute to the formation of ceruminous gland tumours in this subspecies of Channel Island fox. As a rare example of a host–parasite–microbiota interaction that may mediate a lethal disease in a population of threatened animals, their study provides an excellent example of how aspects of disease ecology can be integrated into studies of host‐associated microbiota to advance conservation science and practice.
Movement ecology and sex are linked to barn owl microbial community composition
Authors: Corl Ammon , Charter Motti , Rozman Gabe , Toledo Sivan , Turjeman Sondra , Kamath Pauline L. , Getz Wayne M. , Nathan Ran , Bowie Rauri C.K.
Published: March 2020

The behavioural ecology of host species is likely to affect their microbial communities, because host sex, diet, physiology, and movement behaviour could all potentially influence their microbiota. We studied a wild population of barn owls (Tyto alba) and collected data on their microbiota, movement, diet, size, coloration, and reproduction. The composition of bacterial species differed by the sex of the host and female owls had more diverse bacterial communities than their male counterparts. The abundance of two families of bacteria, Actinomycetaceae and Lactobacillaceae, also varied between the sexes, potentially as a result of sex differences in hormones and immunological function, as has previously been found with Lactobacillaceae in the microbiota of mice. Male and female owls did not differ in the prey they brought to the nest, which suggests that dietary differences are unlikely to underlie the differences in their microbiota. The movement behaviour of the owls was associated with the host microbiota in both males and females because owls that moved further from their nest each day had more diverse bacterial communities than owls that stayed closer to their nests. This novel result suggests that the movement ecology of hosts can impact their microbiota, potentially on the basis of their differential encounters with new bacterial species as the hosts move and forage across the landscape. Overall, we found that many aspects of the microbial community are correlated with the behavioural ecology of the host and that data on the microbiota can aid in generating new hypotheses about host behaviour.
Self‐monitoring accuracy does not increase throughout undergraduate medical education
Authors: Kämmer Juliane E. , Hautz Wolf E. , März Maren
Published: March 2020

Context

Accurate self‐assessment of one's performace on a moment‐by‐moment basis (ie, accurate self‐monitoring) is vital for the self‐regulation of practising physicians and indeed for the effective regulation of self‐directed learning during medical education. However, little is currently known about the functioning of self‐monitoring and its co‐development with medical knowledge across medical education. This study is the first to simultaneously investigate a number of relevant aspects and measures that have so far been studied separately: different measures of self‐monitoring for a broad area of medical knowledge across 10 different performance levels.

Methods

This study assessed the self‐monitoring accuracy of medical students (n = 3145) across 10 semesters. Data collected during the administration of the formative Berlin Progress Test Medicine (PTM) were analysed. The PTM comprises 200 multiple‐choice questions covering all major medical disciplines and organ systems. A self‐report indicator (ie, confidence) and two behavioural indicators of self‐monitoring accuracy (ie, response time and the likelihood of changing an initial answer to a correct rather than an incorrect item) were examined for their development over semesters.

Results

Analyses of more than 390 000 observations (of approximately 250 students per semester) showed that confidence was higher for correctly than for incorrectly answered items and that 86% of items answered with high confidence were indeed correct. Response time and the likelihood of the initial answer being changed were higher when the initial answer was incorrect than when it was correct. Contrary to expectations, no differences in self‐monitoring accuracy were observed across semesters.

Conclusions

Convergent evidence from different measures of self‐monitoring suggests that medical students self‐monitor their knowledge on a question‐by‐question basis well, although not perfectly, and to the same degree as has been found in studies outside medicine. Despite large differences in performance, no variations in self‐monitoring across semesters (with the exception of the first semester) were observed.
The Arabidopsis exocyst subunits EXO70B1 and EXO70B2 regulate FLS2 homeostasis at the plasma membrane
Authors: Wang Wei , Liu Na , Gao Chenyang , Cai Huiren , Romeis Tina , Tang Dingzhong
Published: March 2020

The plasma membrane (PM)‐localized receptor kinase FLAGELLIN SENSING 2 (FLS2) recognizes bacterial flagellin or its immunogenic epitope flg22, and initiates microbe‐associated molecular pattern‐triggered immunity, which inhibits infection by bacterial pathogens. The localization, abundance and activity of FLS2 are under dynamic control.

Here, we demonstrate that Arabidopsis thaliana EXO70B1, a subunit of the exocyst complex, plays a critical role in FLS2 signaling that is independent of the truncated Toll/interleukin‐1 receptor‐nucleotide binding sequence protein TIR‐NBS2 (TN2). In the exo70B1‐3 mutant, the abundance of FLS2 protein at the PM is diminished, consistent with the impaired flg22 response of this mutant. EXO70B1‐GFP plants showed increased FLS2 accumulation at the PM and therefore enhanced FLS2 signaling.

The EXO70B1‐mediated trafficking of FLS2 to the PM is partially independent of the PENETRATION 1 (PEN1)‐containing secretory pathway. In addition, EXO70B1 interacts with EXO70B2, a close homolog of EXO70B1, and both proteins associate with FLS2 and contribute to the accumulation of FLS2 at the PM.

Taken together, our data suggest that the exocyst complex subunits EXO70B1 and EXO70B2 regulate the trafficking of FLS2 to the PM, which represents a new layer of regulation of FLS2 function in plant immunity.
Identifying the core attributes of pediatric communication techniques to be taught to anesthetic trainees
Authors: Mann Caroline Mary , Kennedy Catherine
Published: February 2020

Background

Anesthetic induction and other procedures performed by anesthetists are potentially stressful for children. Pediatric anesthetists use communication to rapidly establish rapport and engagement with children and reduce anxiety and discomfort. Communication in pediatric anesthesia is increasingly topical, but there is limited discussion regarding which specific techniques should be taught to trainees.

Aims

The aim of this research was to identify which communication techniques used locally by pediatric anesthetic specialists, trainees, and nurses are viewed as the most effective and valuable to teach trainees.

Methods

Qualitative semi‐structured focus groups (7) and in‐depth interviews (7) were used to gather data from 30 specialist pediatric anesthetists, trainees, and assistants from a major tertiary pediatric anesthetic department. Inductive and deductive thematic data analysis explored communication techniques used locally.

Results

The research identified the range of communication techniques being utilized to establish rapport and engage with children, including methods for distraction and focusing attention such as storytelling, guided imagery, and positive suggestions. Thematic analysis revealed a series of core overarching principles for successful application, using social skills within an adaptable, competent, child‐centered approach. Drawing on the experiences of specialist practitioners and trainees, teaching these communication techniques would ideally employ an interactive approach involving both modeling and specific communication education with focus on developing communication skills via experiential learning using self‐reflection and feedback.

Conclusions

Within the range of communication techniques being utilized by pediatric anesthetists exist a series of core principles that are essential to engaging and building rapport with children. Focusing on the importance of these common core elements in trainee education, in addition to the range of techniques available, may provide a pragmatic framework for centers providing pediatric anesthesia to consider when designing their trainee curriculum.
Clinical Trials and Basic Research in Photodynamic Diagnostics and Therapies from the Center for Laser Diagnostics and Therapy in Poland
Authors: Kawczyk‐Krupka Aleksandra , Bartusik‐Aebisher Dorota , Latos Wojciech , Cieślar Grzegorz , Sieroń Karolina , Kwiatek Sebastian , Oleś Piotr , Kwiatek Beata , Aebisher David , Krupka Magdalena , Wiench Rafał , Skaba Dariusz , Olek Marcin , Kasperski Jacek , Czuba Zenon , Sieroń Aleksander
Published: February 2020

The purpose of this review is to present an overview of the development of photodiagnostic and photodynamic therapy (PDD and PDT) techniques in Poland. The paper discusses the principles of PDD, including fluorescent techniques in determining precancerous conditions and cancers of the skin, digestive tract, bladder and respiratory tract. Methods of PDT of cancer will be discussed and the current state of knowledge as well as future trends in the development of photodynamic techniques will be presented, including the possibility of using photodynamic antimicrobial therapy. Research pioneers in photodynamic medicine such as Thomas Dougherty are an inspiration for the development of methods of PDD and PDT in our Clinic. The Center for Laser Diagnostics and Therapy in Bytom, Poland, promotes the propagation of PDD and PDT through the training of clinicians and raising awareness among students in training and the general public. Physicians at the Center are engaged in photomedical research aimed at clinical implementation and exploration of new avenues in photomedicine while optimizing existing modalities. The Center promotes dissemination of clinical results from a wide range of topics in PDD and PDT and serving as representative authorities of photodynamic medicine in Poland and Europe.
Changes in the Inner Retinal Cells after Intense and Constant Light Exposure in Sprague‐Dawley Rats
Authors: Gupta Chandan L. , Nag Tapas C. , Jha Kumar Abhiram , Kathpalia Poorti , Maurya Meenakshi , Kumar Pankaj , Gupta Sneha , Roy Tara S.
Published: February 2020

Light insult causes photoreceptor death. Few studies reported that continuous exposure to light affects horizontal, Müller and ganglion cells. We aimed to see the effect of constant light exposure on bipolar and amacrine cells. Adult Sprague‐Dawley rats were exposed to 300 or 3000 lux for 7 days in 12‐h light: 12‐h dark cycles (12L:12D). The latter group was then exposed to 24L:0D for 48 h to induce significant damage. The same animals were reverted to 300 lux and reared for 15 days in 12L:12D cycles. They were sacrificed on different days to find the degree of retinal recovery, if any, from light injury. Besides photoreceptor death, continuous light for 48 h resulted in downregulation of parvalbumin in amacrine cells and recoverin in cone bipolar cells (CBC). Rod bipolar cells (RBC) maintained an unaltered pattern of PKC‐α expression. Upon reversal, there were increased expressions of parvalbumin in amacrine cells and recoverin in CBC, while RBC showed an increasing trend of PKC‐α expression. The data show that damage in bipolar and amacrine cells after exposure to intense, continuous light can be ameliorated upon reversal to normal LD cycles to which the animals were initially acclimated to.
Capitalism and Christian theology
Authors: Rieger Joerg
Published: February 2020

Christian theologians who study capitalism with a critical lens have argued that capitalist economics is not just a matter of finance or politics but tends to shape people all the way to the core, including religious beliefs and practices. Different theological approaches not only differ in how they conceive of the relation of religion and capitalism, they also differ in their evaluations of capitalism itself. While some Christian theologians endorse capitalism, others offer critical reflections and propose alternative economic systems, rooted in Christian traditions and practices as well as in broad historical and cultural shifts. Challenges include questions about the neoliberal turn in economics, the role of corporations, economic deregulation, competition and community, the reality of scarcity, the development of financial capitalism, as well as the relation of religion and labor, and the location of agency.