bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Continuous flash sintering
Authors: Sortino Emanuele , Lebrun Jean‐Marie , Sansone Andrea , Raj Rishi
Published: October 2017

We develop an algorithm that relates the incubation time for flash initiation to the workpiece velocity as it is pulled through stationary electrodes in a continuous flash sintering experiment. Experiments with a whiteware green body that is sintered in this way are compared with the model. A processing map when the workpiece is drawn at a constant velocity is developed. The parameter space for the map is given by the speed and the current flowing through the workpiece. It distinguishes between the regimes for uniform and inhomogeneous sintering. All experiments were carried out at a furnace temperature of 900°C. The study shows the viability of continuous flash sintering of ceramics at speeds of up to 3 mm s−1 with electrodes that form a line contact with the workpiece. Remarkably, higher velocities and higher currents yield better sintering.
The Evolving Shareholder Activist Landscape (How Companies Can Prepare for It)
Authors: Khorana Ajay , Shivdasani Anil , Sigurdsson Gustav
Published: October 2017

Shareholder activists remain an important force in the boardroom. More than 60 activist campaigns were initiated against S&P 1500 companies in 2016. And although activist hedge funds have under‐performed the broad market since 2013, activists’ assets under management are still nearly double their level of four years ago, and announcements of their campaigns continue to be met with increases in the target companies’ stock prices.

At the same time, shareholder activism continues to evolve in constructive ways. Most important is the growing support of mainstream investors, as reflected in the increased backing of activist proposals by traditional institutional asset managers and the falling number of openly confrontational campaigns. Activists have also had continued success in gaining board representation, particularly at the largest target companies. And more board seats are being gained by activists in early settlements, which have also been associated with higher stock returns than those campaigns that resulted in later settlements or ended in a proxy contest.

During the period 2006–2016, over 40% of activist campaigns made public demands for specific strategic actions, such as selling assets, spinning off divisions, or seeking buyers for the companies. And activist investors have been remarkably effective in accomplishing such changes in that those activist targets urged to seek buyers were four times more likely to be acquired than the average company.

At the same time, a growing number of campaigns have focused on operating efficiency, capital allocation, business strategy, and other changes that often require longterm engagement. Perhaps because of their longer‐term focus, such campaigns have also more been likely to result in board seats for the activists.

The authors' findings contain a number of messages for corporate managements and boards: listen to your shareholders, and assess your strengths and vulnerabilities through an activist's eyes; build an effective board; articulate your strategy clearly; consider the possibility of activist intervention when planning M&A transactions; and engage early when approached by an activist.
Improving the Health of Healthcare Companies
Authors: Milano Gregory V. , Karame Marwaan R. , Theriault Joseph G.
Published: October 2017

The healthcare sector has been extremely effective in improving human health while at the same time delivering outstanding returns to shareholders, at least on average. But averages can hide a lot of poor performance, and careful examination of the sector shows a sizable disparity between the long‐run productivity and value added of the top companies and the rest. To better understand the reasons for this disparity, the authors undertook a comprehensive study of how differences in capital deployment strategies, financial policies, and measures of corporate operating performance such as sales growth and return on capital are associated with returns to shareholders.

Perhaps the most striking finding is the strong positive correlation in the healthcare industry between higher rates of reinvestment, especially in the form of spending on R&D and acquisitions, and stock price performance. And given the importance of such reinvestment, it is not surprising that maintaining financial flexibility by paying down net debt and otherwise limiting corporate leverage—and even issuing significant equity—are all associated with higher stock returns. When it comes to operating performance, moreover, it's not enough just to be good; it takes growth and improvement in cash flow and earnings to drive share prices higher. Measures of changes in performance such as increases in EBIT and ROIC, and high rates of growth in sales, all show consistently strong and positive relationships with stock returns while measures of levels of performance, especially EBIT margins and EBITDA margins, demonstrate relationships that are weak and in some cases even negative.

Last, and consistent with the findings reported above, despite often vocal investor demands to pay dividends and buy back shares, in the case of healthcare as a whole such distributions have a clearly inverse relationship with share price performance. That is to say, the larger the payouts to shareholders, the lower the shareholder returns.
University of Texas Roundtable on The State of the U.S. Private Equity Market
Authors: Jhawar Andy , Kosch Tiffany , Long Austin , Carpenter Will
Published: October 2017

In this discussion that took place at the 2017 University of Texas Private Equity conference, the moderator began by noting that since 2000, the fraction of the U.S. GDP produced by companies that are owned or controlled by global private equity firms has increased from 7% to 15%. What's more, today's PE firms have raised an estimated $1.5 trillion of capital that is now available for investing. And thanks in part to this abundance of capital, the prices of PE transactions have increased sharply, with EBITDA pricing multiples rising from about 8.8X in 2012 to 11.5X at the beginning of 2017. Partly as a consequence of such abundant capital and high transaction prices, the aggregate returns to U.S. private equity funds during this four‐year period have fallen below the returns to the stockholders of U.S. public companies.

Nevertheless, the good news for private equity investors is that the best‐performing PE firms have continued their long history of outperforming the market. And the consistency of their performance goes a long way toward explaining why the overwhelming majority of the capital contributed by limited partners continues to be allocated to funds put together by these top‐tier PE firms.

In this roundtable, a representative of one of these top‐tier firms joins the founder of a relatively new firm with a middle‐market focus in discussing the core competencies and approaches that have enabled the best PE firms to increase the productivity and value of their portfolio companies. Effective financial management—the ability to manage leveraged capital structures and the process of readying their companies for sale to potential strategic or financial investors—is clearly part of the story. But more fundamental and critical to their success has been their ability to find undervalued or undermanaged assets—and either retain or recruit operating managements that, when effectively monitored and motivated, are able to realize the potential value of those assets through changes in strategy and increases in operating efficiency.
University of Texas Roundtable on The Role of Private Equity in the Financing and Restructuring of Oil and Gas Companies
Authors: Sheffield Bryan , Montgomery Bill , Hackett Jim , Manning Chris
Published: October 2017

In this second of two University of Texas roundtables, four highly successful veterans of the U.S. energy industry, with considerable experience running both public and private companies, discuss recent developments in this rapidly evolving industry. Among the most remarkable—and a major focus of this discussion—is the dramatic expansion of the output and productivity of the Permian Basin of West Texas, and the role of private equity in accomplishing it.

Although the Permian has been a major source of oil and gas since 1920, the combination of massive horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has contributed to a tripling of production volumes from about 800,000 barrels per day to 2.5 million during the past ten years. In fact, the productivity gains are said to be so great that, even with the huge run‐up in the cost of acquiring acreage (to as high as $40,000 per acre), today's producers are projecting annual operating returns of 20% even if oil prices fail to rise above their current level of about $50 a barrel.

What's more, there appears to have been a fairly clear division of labor between private and public companies in this recent development of the Permian. With most of the high‐priced acreage now being acquired by larger public companies, the primary role of private equity has been to identify and make good on opportunities to increase the productivity and value of smaller operations that can then be sold to public companies—companies that have the size and access to capital to benefit from the economies of scale produced by combining them with their other operations.

Thanks to their earlier position in the value chain, investments by private equity groups have generally not only produced higher payoffs, on average, but involved larger operating and financial risks. And this difference in risk profile is reflected in a notable difference in hedging practices between public and private equity‐controlled companies. This difference was summed up as follows by a private equity partner who has also run several public oil and gas companies:

To a much greater extent in private equity than in public companies, we think of our projects and companies as delivering value that is largely independent of changes in oil prices. Hedging is our way of saying we don't want to take oil price risk if we don't have to. We do not count on price increases to make our required returns. The returns come from operating the company successfully without the help of commodity prices.
Two Different Ways of Treating Corporate Cash in FCF Valuations—and the Importance of Getting the Cost of Capital Right
Authors: Easton Peter D. , Sommers Gregory A.
Published: October 2017

The methods for calculating free cash flow presented in texts on financial statement analysis and valuation appear to be very different from those in corporate finance texts, causing some confusion among academics as well as practitioners. Financial statement analysis and valuation texts generally begin by valuing just the enterprise operations—that is, the entity that engages in the firm's primary revenue‐generating activities—and then adding back the value of its cash holdings and other financial assets. The corporate finance approach is typically to value all the assets together, including financial assets that are not used in the production of the goods and services provided by the firm. Using a simple example, the authors show that the valuation of the equity ownership of the firm should be the same for both methods of calculating free cash flow, provided the analyst makes the appropriate adjustments to the method for calculating the cost of capital (WACC) used to discount forecasted free cash flows to a present value.
Investor Protection and Governance in the Valuation of Emerging Markets Investments
Authors: Atwi Leila , Safieddine Assem , Titman Sheridan
Published: October 2017

The combination of ineffective corporate governance at the company level and an uncertain legal and regulatory environment can significantly reduce the prices investors are willing to pay when investing in companies in emerging markets. The authors report the findings of their recent survey that asks investment professionals to compare the value of a hypothetical Australian company with that of its identical counterparts located in five emerging markets: Malaysia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Iran.

The responding investors said they would value the emerging markets investments at discounts from the value of the Australian company that ranged from a low of 13.5% for its Malaysian counterpart to 51.2% for the Iranian company. Moreover, they indicated they would require costs of equity for these investments that were consistent with even larger valuation discounts.

The investors' responses to the survey also suggest that corporate governance is especially important in countries with weaker investor protection. Well‐governed companies located in these countries enjoy significant value premiums that can partly offset the negative effect of the poor institutional environments, which suggests there may be a significant payoff for investors that succeed in improving the governance of the companies they invest in.
The Empirical Average Cost of Capital: A New Approach to Estimating the Cost of Corporate Funds
Authors: Olson Gerard T. , Pagano Michael S.
Published: October 2017

The authors develop a new way to measure the cost of capital, called the empirical average cost of capital (or “EACC”), which is consistent with existing methods of calculating the weighted average cost of capital, but uses information from the firm's financial statements and requires fewer and less subjective inputs. The authors’ model relies on the concept of economic profit while using data from the period 1990‐2012 on net operating profits and total capital to estimate the EACC at both the individual company and industry‐wide levels. Estimates of the EACC and rolling quarterly forecasts of future net operating profits for a single company, McDonald's, for its related industry, and for 57 other U.S. industries are compared to five conventional “textbook” estimates of the weighted average cost of capital published by Ibbotson Associates. The authors find that the EACC yields forecasts of future net operating profit after taxes that compare favorably to those of the five published measures of the weighted average cost of capital, as well as the average and median of these measures.
Shareholder coordination and stock price informativeness
Authors: Kim Incheol , Pantzalis Christos , Wang Bin
Published: October 2017

We show that firm‐specific information is more likely to be incorporated into stock prices when firms have stronger shareholder coordination. The premise of our work is that geographic proximity reduces communication costs among shareholders, thereby leading to better coordination. The positive coordination‐informativeness relation is driven mainly by shareholder coordination among dedicated and independent institutions. We further show that the positive effect is more pronounced for firms with weaker governance mechanisms, suggesting that shareholder coordination could serve as a substitute conduit of price discovery. Lastly, we propose that shareholder coordination improves stock price informativeness through the channel of enhanced voluntary disclosure quality.
Associations of urinary sodium and sodium to potassium ratio with hypertension prevalence and the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with prehypertension
Authors: Zhao Xin , Zhang Yan , Zhang Xiaolin , Kang Yi , Tian Xiaoxiang , Wang Xiaozeng , Peng Junyin , Zhu Zhiming , Han Yaling
Published: October 2017

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of urinary sodium and sodium to potassium ratio on inflammatory cytokines, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease in patients with prehypertension. The authors observed 627 patients with prehypertension in the General Hospital of Shenyang Military Region. Rank correlation analysis revealed that interleukin 6 expression exhibited significant positive correlations with urinary sodium (R = .13) and sodium to potassium ratio (R = .13). The multivariate‐adjusted hazard ratio of 24‐hour urinary sodium was 1.01 (95% confidence interval, 1.00 – 1.01) for hypertension and 1.01 (95% confidence interval, 1.00 – 1.02) for cardiovascular disease, whereas the hazard ratio for 24‐hour urinary sodium to potassium ratio was 1.13 (95% confidence interval, 1.08 – 1.19) for hypertension and 1.10 (95% confidence interval, 1.04 – 1.17) for cardiovascular disease. The study suggests that a high‐salt diet may lead to increased interleukin 6 levels and may contribute to hypertension. In addition, a high sodium to potassium ratio and high sodium levels are associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease and hypertension in patients with prehypertension.
Curcumin attenuates high glucose‐induced inflammatory injury through the reactive oxygen species–phosphoinositide 3‐kinase/protein kinase B–nuclear factor‐κB signaling pathway in rat thoracic aorta endothelial cells
Authors: Zhang Zhen , Li Keming
Published: October 2017

Aims/Introduction

Endothelial cell inflammatory injury is likely required for barrier dysfunction under hyperglycemic conditions. Curcumin (CUR) is well known for its anti‐inflammatory effect. However, there have been few reports about the anti‐inflammatory effect of CUR induced by high glucose in endothelial cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the inflammatory effect of high glucose and the anti‐inflammatory effect of CUR induced by high glucose in rat thoracic aorta endothelial cells (TAECs).

Materials and Methods

Well characterized TAECs were established and cell viability was assayed by the cell counting kit‐8 method, messenger ribonucleic acid and protein expression were identified by real‐time polymerase chain reaction, western blot or enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The production of reactive oxygen species was observed by a fluorescence microscope.

Results

High glucose (30 mmol/L) significantly decreased the cell viability of TAECs after being co‐cultivated for 12 h and showed a time‐dependent manner, and increased interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐6 and tumor necrosis factor‐α secretion in TAECs. The injury effect of high glucose was involved in the reactive oxygen species–phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)–nuclear factor (NF)‐κB signaling pathway. Anti‐oxidant N‐acetylcysteine, PI3K and NF‐κB‐specific pathway inhibitors can abolish the secretion of these inflammatory factors; pretreatment with anti‐oxidant N‐acetylcysteine significantly decreased PI3K expression, the level of phosphorylated AKT and nuclear NF‐κB; pretreatment of LY294002 can significantly decrease the NF‐κB level in nuclei. After treatment with CUR for 12 h, IL‐1β, IL‐6 and tumor necrosis factor‐α secretion were markedly decreased, and PI3K expression, the phosphorylation of AKT and nuclear NF‐κB level were also decreased.

Conclusion

Curcumin attenuates high glucose‐induced inflammatory injury through the reactive oxygen species–PI3K/AKT–NF‐κB signaling pathway in rat thoracic aorta endothelial cells.
Dermatological moulage collections in the Nordic countries
Authors: Worm A.‐M. , Sinisalo H. , Eilertsen G. , Åhrén E. , Meyer I.
Published: October 2017

Background

The art of producing and acquiring dermatological wax models, moulages, flourished all over Europe in the beginning of the twentieth century, whereas very little is known about the existence of moulage collections in the Nordic countries.

Objective

The aim of this study was to elucidate the presence, the origin, the production place, the use and the condition of dermatological moulage collections in the Nordic countries.

Methods

In each Nordic country, an extensive survey was undertaken during spring 2016. Dermatological departments, museums with medical collections, persons assumed to have specific information about wax moulages as well as secondary sources were contacted and interviewed.

Results

Several hitherto undescribed collections have survived in each country, most, however, damaged and in disrepair. One Danish and part of a Finnish collection have been restored. Only few moulages are exhibited and some have been photographed and digitalized. Denmark and Sweden have had a local moulage production. Responses to the survey indicate that the result covers all collections of dermatological moulages in the Nordic countries, though some moulages may remain in private collections unknown to the authors, or uncatalogued in museums.

Conclusion

Moulages are medical gems from bygone days before modern technology facilitated new means of communication. Restoration and appropriate storing should be considered for at least selected items from the Nordic collections.
Koebner's sheep in Wolf's clothing: does the isotopic response exist as a distinct phenomenon?
Authors: Happle R. , Kluger N.
Published: October 2017

Until 1995, a case of psoriasis developing within the dermatome of a healed herpes zoster was taken as a Koebner phenomenon. In this year, however, the term ‘isotopic response’ was introduced by Wolf et al. to describe ‘the occurrence of a new skin disorder at the site of another, unrelated and already healed skin disease’, thus appearing ‘on apparently unaffected and healthy skin’. Initially, the term was mainly related to herpes zoster, but today the name ‘Wolf's isotopic response’ is used to include a plethora of other triggering factors such as healed cutaneous leishmaniasis, tinea or varicella. For obvious reasons, such triggering factors cannot be taken as examples of ‘unaffected and healthy skin’. Notably, the authors themselves have categorized the dermatome of a healed herpes zoster as a ‘vulnerable area’. In a recent commentary, Wolf et al. have expanded the definition of healed skin diseases triggering an ‘isotopic response’. They now included ‘scars, pigment changes, color changes or various other minimal changes by the first disease’. Hence, there is no clear‐cut criterion to distinguish the isotopic response from a Koebner reaction. Wolf et al. even argue that, if the triggered disorder precedes the appearance of generalized skin lesions, then it is not a Koebner reaction but ‘Wolf's isotopic response’. In our view, such definition is unacceptable. All reactions of this kind represent examples of a Koebner phenomenon. Accordingly, the ‘isotopic response’ should today be taken as a historical error.
Incidence and relative survival of melanoma in children and adolescents in the Netherlands, 1989–2013
Authors: Eggen C.A.M. , Durgaram V.V.L. , van Doorn R. , Mooi W.J. , Pardo L.M. , Pasmans S.G.M.A. , Hollestein L.M.
Published: October 2017

Background

Melanoma is rare in the first two decades of life. Trends in incidence differ across countries.

Objective

To describe incidence and relative survival of children and adolescents with melanoma in the Netherlands for children (0 through 11 years) and adolescents (12 through 19 years) separately. We hypothesized that adolescent melanoma increased in contrast to childhood melanoma, possibly due to a difference in cancer biology and sun exposure patterns.

Methods

Data on all patients of 0–19 years diagnosed between 1989 and 2013 with histologically confirmed cutaneous invasive melanoma were retrieved from the Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR). Incidence trends were analysed with Joinpoint regression. Relative survival analysis was performed.

Results

Between 1989 and 2013, 80 children and 544 adolescents with melanoma were registered in the NCR. Median age at diagnosis was 17 years (IQR 15–18); the female‐to‐male ratio was 1.7 : 1 Statistically significant incidence trends were found in the older age group (12–19 years): an increasing incidence since 1991 [annual percentage change (APC) 3.2%, 95%CI 1.3–5.1] followed by a decrease from 2005 to 2013 (APC −4.9%, 95%CI −9.6–0.0). No incidence trends for childhood melanoma were observed (APC 0.3%, 95% CI −3.0–3.8). Relative survival at 1, 5 and 10 years was 98% (95% CI 97–99), 94% (95% CI 92–96) and 90% (95% CI 87–92), respectively. Survival was worse in males and higher Breslow thickness.

Conclusions

Melanoma is very rare under the age of 12 with stable incidence rates. In comparison with childhood melanoma, melanomas in adolescents are more common with a decreasing trend in the past decade. Male sex and increasing Breslow thickness are associated with worse survival in paediatric melanoma patients.
Seasonal shifts along the oviparity–viviparity continuum in a cold-climate lizard population
Authors: Shine R. , Wapstra E. , Olsson M.
Published: October 2017

Squamate embryos require weeks of high temperature to complete development, with the result that cool climatic areas are dominated by viviparous taxa (in which gravid females can sun-bask to keep embryos warm) rather than oviparous taxa (which rely on warm soil to incubate their eggs). How, then, can some oviparous taxa reproduce successfully in cool climates – especially late in summer, when soil temperatures are falling? Near the northern limit of their distribution (in Sweden), sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) shift tactics seasonally, such that the eggs in late clutches complete development more quickly (when incubated at a standard temperature) than do those of early clutches. That acceleration is achieved by a reduction in egg size and by an increase in the duration of uterine retention of eggs (especially, after cool weather). Our results clarify the ability of oviparous reptiles to reproduce successfully in cool climates and suggest a novel advantage to reptilian viviparity in such conditions: by maintaining high body temperatures, viviparous females may escape the need to reduce offspring size in late-season litters.
Possible antagonism of (Z)‐2‐hexenyl (E)‐3‐hexenoate against the attractiveness of (E)‐2‐hexenyl (Z)‐3‐hexenoate to Ooencyrtus nezarae (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae)
Authors: Roh G. H. , Kim J. , Park C. G.
Published: October 2017

Ooencyrtus nezarae (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is an egg parasitoid of bean bug Riptortus pedestris (Hemiptera: Alydidae) which is a major pest of beans. Females of O. nezarae are attracted to (E)‐2‐hexenyl (Z)‐3‐hexenoate (EZ), one of the components of aggregation pheromone of R. pedestris. Effects of three isomers (ZE, EE and ZZ) of EZ on the attractiveness of O. nezarae were tested using electroantennography (EAG) and field bioassays. EAG analyses revealed that the response of O. nezarae to ZE was significantly higher than those to air, hexane and two other isomers, even though the response was lower than that to EZ. ZE affected the attractiveness of EZ dose‐dependently in the field. Addition of ZE (100 mg) to EZ (10 mg) caused a significant reduction in the catches of O. nezarae females. Single or binary addition of two other isomers (EE and ZZ) to EZ could not decrease or increase significantly the number of O. nezarae catches of EZ. Even though addition of ZZ (10, 50 or 100 mg) to EZ (10 mg) caused dose‐dependent reduction in the number of O. nezarae female catches, the reductions were not significantly different from that of EZ. EZ and its three isomers were not attractive to O. nezarae males at all.
Phylogenic Diversity and Taxonomic Problems of the Dictyosphaerium Morphotype within the Parachlorella Clade (Chlorellaceae, Trebouxiophyceae)
Authors: Song Huiyin , Wang Qinghua , Liu Xudong , Hu Yuxin , Long Jijian , Liu Guoxiang , Hu Zhengyu
Published: October 2017

The Parachlorella clade was put forward as a group within the family Chlorellaceae in 2004. Recent molecular analyses have revealed that Dictyosphaerium morphotype algae form several independent lineages within the Parachlorella clade, and new genera and species have been established. In this study, we focus on the diversity of Dictyosphaerium morphotype algae within the Parachlorella clade, based on 42 strains from China. We used combined analyses of morphology and molecular data based on SSU and internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) rDNA sequences to characterize these algae. In addition, the secondary structure of ITS2 was compared to delineate new lineages. Our results revealed high phylogenic diversity of Dictyosphaerium morphotype algae, and we describe five distinct lineages. We examined the morphological features of these five lineages, and morphological differences are difficult to find compared with other Dictyosphaerium morphotype algae. The five distinct lineages were not described as new genera currently. We lastly discuss the taxonomic problems regarding the Dictyosphaerium morphotype within the Parachlorella clade, and possible solutions are considered.
Temporal expression of interleukin‐22, interleukin‐22 receptor 1 and interleukin‐22‐binding protein during experimental periodontitis in rats
Authors: Pan S. , Yang D. , Zhang J. , Zhang Z. , Zhang H. , Liu X. , Li C.
Published: October 2017

Background and Objective

Interleukin‐22 (IL‐22), mainly produced by CD4+ T‐helper subtypes and innate lymphoid cells at barrier surfaces, is found to involve in several diseases, including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, peri‐implantitis and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. The purpose of this study was to investigate histological changes and the levels of interleukin‐22, interleukin‐22 receptor 1 (IL‐22R1) and interleukin‐22‐binding protein (IL‐22BP) in experimental periodontitis.

Material and Methods

Sixty male 8‐week‐old Sprague Dawley rats were randomly allocated to six groups of 10 rats each. In the periodontitis groups, experimental periodontitis was established and the rats were killed on days 3, 5, 7, 11 and 15 after ligation, while the rats without ligation were killed on day 0, representing the healthy control group (day 0 group). Histopathologic changes were detected by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, and alveolar bone loss was determined by micro‐computed tomography (micro‐CT). Tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining was used to investigate osteoclast formation. Real‐time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry were used to investigate the expression and location of IL‐22, IL‐22R1 and IL‐22BP in gingival tissues.

Results

H&E staining showed increasingly severe destruction of the epithelial layer between day 3 and day 7, and the hyperplasia of pocket epithelium and the formation of periodontal pockets could be detected from day 11 to day 15. Micro‐CT indicated an exponential increase in alveolar bone loss from day 3 to day 11 (P < .01). Bone resorption tended to be stationary after this period. TRAP staining showed that the number of multinucleate osteoclasts peaked at day 3 (P < .001, compared with day 0) and decreased at subsequent time points between day 5 and day 15. IL‐22BP was expressed strongly under steady‐state conditions in epithelial cells. IL‐22‐positive cells could be clearly observed both in the epithelial layer and around the lamina propria, whereas IL‐22R1 was mainly localized in the epithelial layer of the damage period. Real‐time qPCR revealed up‐regulation of IL‐22 and IL‐22R1, as well as down‐regulation of IL‐22BP in gingival tissues during the destructive phase of periodontitis.

Conclusion

This study shows the expression and localization of IL‐22, IL‐22R1 and IL‐22BP, as well as the relevant histopathological alterations during the development of experimental periodontitis.
Long‐lived immunity to canine core vaccine antigens in UK dogs as assessed by an in‐practice test kit
Authors: Killey R. , Mynors C. , Pearce R. , Nell A. , Prentis A. , Day M. J.
Published: October 2017

Objectives

To determine the utility of an in‐practice test kit to detect protective serum antibody against canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus and canine parvovirus type 2 in a sample of the UK dog population.

Materials and Methods

Serum samples from 486 dogs, last vaccinated between less than 1 month and 124 months previously, were tested with the VacciCheck™ test kit for protective antibodies against distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus type 2.

Results

A high proportion of the dogs tested (93·6%) had protective antibody against all three of the core vaccine antigens: 95·7% of the dogs were seropositive against canine distemper virus, 97·3% against canine adenovirus and 98·5% against canine parvovirus type 2. The small number of dogs that were seronegative for one or more of the antigens (n = 31) may have had waning of previous serum antibody or may have been rare genetic non‐responders to that specific antigen.

Clinical Significance

UK veterinarians can be reassured that triennial revaccination of adult dogs with core vaccines provides long‐lived protective immunity. In‐practice serological test kits are a valuable tool for informing decision‐making about canine core revaccination.
“We Are the Visible Proof”: Legitimizing Abortion Regret Misinformation through Activists’ Experiential Knowledge
Authors: Doan Alesha , Candal Carolina Costa , Sylvester Steven
Published: October 2017

Since 2010, many abortion policies emerging at the state level have been designed around the idea of “abortion regret,” a scientifically discredited assertion that abortion causes long‐term health problems for women. Studies have examined the legal significance of regret claims in case law as well as the role scientific misinformation and uncertainty play in the policy process. However, scholars have given less attention to the intersection between abortion regret experiences and misinformation. We address this gap in the literature by examining how antiabortion activists' experiential knowledge continues to reinforce and legitimize misinformation contained in state policies. We explore the process of substantiating abortion regret misinformation by attaching it to activists' experiential expertise. Based on twenty‐three interviews with antiabortion activists, we argue that misinformation receives validation through the certainty of experiential knowledge, which activists mobilize around and use as a source of evidence in the policy process.
Widespread hybridization and bidirectional introgression in sympatric species of coral reef fish
Authors: Harrison Hugo B. , Berumen Michael L. , Saenz‐Agudelo Pablo , Salas Eva , Williamson David H. , Jones Geoffrey P.
Published: October 2017

Coral reefs are highly diverse ecosystems, where numerous closely related species often coexist. How new species arise and are maintained in these high geneflow environments have been long‐standing conundrums. Hybridization and patterns of introgression between sympatric species provide a unique insight into the mechanisms of speciation and the maintenance of species boundaries. In this study, we investigate the extent of hybridization between two closely related species of coral reef fish: the common coral trout (Plectropomus leopardus) and the bar‐cheek coral trout (Plectropomus maculatus). Using a complementary set of 25 microsatellite loci, we distinguish pure genotype classes from first‐ and later‐generation hybrids, identifying 124 interspecific hybrids from a collection of 2,991 coral trout sampled in inshore and mid‐shelf reefs of the southern Great Barrier Reef. Hybrids were ubiquitous among reefs, fertile and spanned multiple generations suggesting both ecological and evolutionary processes are acting to maintain species barriers. We elaborate on these finding to investigate the extent of genomic introgression and admixture from 2,271SNPloci recovered from a ddRADlibrary of pure and hybrid individuals. An analysis of genomic clines on recovered loci indicates that 261SNPloci deviate from a model of neutral introgression, of which 132 indicate a pattern of introgression consistent with selection favouring both hybrid and parental genotypes. Our findings indicate genome‐wide, bidirectional introgression between two sympatric species of coral reef fishes and provide further support to a growing body of evidence for the role of hybridization in the evolution of coral reef fishes.
Seascape genomics reveals fine‐scale patterns of dispersal for a reef fish along the ecologically divergent coast of Northwestern Australia
Authors: DiBattista Joseph D. , Travers Michael J. , Moore Glenn I. , Evans Richard D. , Newman Stephen J. , Feng Ming , Moyle Samuel D. , Gorton Rebecca J. , Saunders Thor , Berry Oliver
Published: October 2017

Understanding the drivers of dispersal among populations is a central topic in marine ecology and fundamental for spatially explicit management of marine resources. The extensive coast of Northwestern Australia provides an emerging frontier for implementing new genomic tools to comparatively identify patterns of dispersal across diverse and extreme environmental conditions. Here, we focused on the stripey snapper (Lutjanus carponotatus), which is important to recreational, charter‐based and customary fishers throughout the Indo‐West Pacific. We collected 1,016 L. carponotatus samples at 51 locations in the coastal waters of Northwestern Australia ranging from the Northern Territory to Shark Bay and adopted a genotype‐by‐sequencing approach to test whether realized connectivity (via larval dispersal) was related to extreme gradients in coastal hydrodynamics. Hydrodynamic simulations using CONNIE and a more detailed treatment in the Kimberley Bioregion provided null models for comparison. Based on 4,402 polymorphic single nucleotide polymorphism loci shared across all individuals, we demonstrated significant genetic subdivision between the Shark Bay Bioregion in the south and all locations within the remaining, more northern bioregions. More importantly, we identified a zone of admixture spanning a distance of 180 km at the border of the Kimberley and Canning bioregions, including the Buccaneer Archipelago and adjacent waters, which collectively experiences the largest tropical tidal range and some of the fastest tidal currents in the world. Further testing of the generality of this admixture zone in other shallow water species across broader geographic ranges will be critical for our understanding of the population dynamics and genetic structure of marine taxa in our tropical oceans.
Promiscuity punishes sexual deviants
Authors: Engqvist Leif , Ramm Steven A.
Published: October 2017

Sex is good for us, but it is a compromise. For the benefit of being able to produce genetically variable offspring, we must pay the cost of passing on only half our genes to each of them. Whilst evolutionary biologists still puzzle over the precise details of why the benefits of sex so frequently seem to outweigh the costs (Neiman, Lively, & Meirmans, ), one major challenge to sexual reproduction is the fact that if we pass on only half our genetic material to each gamete, there is a strong incentive for each individual allele to try to gain an unfair representation during gamete production. Fundamental to stabilizing sex once it evolves is therefore the ability to ensure a fair meiosis. Nevertheless, this system is not perfect, and some selfish genetic elements – so‐called meiotic drivers – manage to tip the meiotic scales in their favour and gain a transmission advantage (review in Burt and Trivers, ). In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Manser, Lindholm, Simmons, and Firman () demonstrate that in house mice, the effectiveness of one such harmful transmission distorter is reduced by polyandry and hence that population viability can be somewhat restored by female promiscuity.
Genomics meets applied ecology: Characterizing habitat quality for sloths in a tropical agroecosystem
Authors: Fountain Emily D. , Kang Jung koo , Tempel Douglas J. , Palsbøll Per J. , Pauli Jonathan N. , Zachariah Peery M.
Published: October 2017

Understanding how habitat quality in heterogeneous landscapes governs the distribution and fitness of individuals is a fundamental aspect of ecology. While mean individual fitness is generally considered a key to assessing habitat quality, a comprehensive understanding of habitat quality in heterogeneous landscapes requires estimates of dispersal rates among habitat types. The increasing accessibility of genomic approaches, combined with field‐based demographic methods, provides novel opportunities for incorporating dispersal estimation into assessments of habitat quality. In this study, we integrated genomic kinship approaches with field‐based estimates of fitness components and approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) procedures to estimate habitat‐specific dispersal rates and characterize habitat quality in two‐toed sloths (Choloepus hoffmanni) occurring in a Costa Rican agricultural ecosystem. Field‐based observations indicated that birth and survival rates were similar in a sparsely shaded cacao farm and adjacent cattle pasture–forest mosaic. Sloth density was threefold higher in pasture compared with cacao, whereas home range size and overlap were greater in cacao compared with pasture. Dispersal rates were similar between the two habitats, as estimated using ABC procedures applied to the spatial distribution of pairs of related individuals identified using 3,431 single nucleotide polymorphism and 11 microsatellite locus genotypes. Our results indicate that crops produced under a sparse overstorey can, in some cases, constitute lower‐quality habitat than pasture–forest mosaics for sloths, perhaps because of differences in food resources or predator communities. Finally, our study demonstrates that integrating field‐based demographic approaches with genomic methods can provide a powerful means for characterizing habitat quality for animal populations occurring in heterogeneous landscapes.
Limaprost or Pregabalin: Preoperative and Postoperative Medication for Pain due to Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Authors: Kasukawa Yuji , Miyakoshi Naohisa , Kobayashi Takashi , Kikuchi Kazuma , Ebata Kunio , Ishikawa Noriyuki , Suzuki Tetsuya , Sasaki Hiroshi , Hatakeyama Yuji , Hongo Michio , Ishikawa Yoshinori , Kudo Daisuke , Abe Toshiki , Okuyama Koichiro , Kido Tadato , Chiba Mitsuho , Segawa Toyohito , Suzuki Masazumi , Mizutani Takashi , Kimura Ryota , Ono Yuichi , Iida Jumpei , Abe Eiji , Shimada Yoichi
Published: October 2017

Purpose

We aimed to evaluate the incidence of (and risk factors for) postoperative pregabalin and/or limaprost to treat persistent numbness and/or pain of the lower extremities after lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) surgery.

Methods

Medical records of 329 patients (168 men, 161 women; average age 70 years) were retrospectively reviewed for data on the duration of LSS diagnosis; LSS disease; preoperative medication (limaprost, pregabalin, or combined limaprost/pregabalin; duration); symptoms; preoperative/postoperative intermittent claudication (IC); operation type; and postoperative medication and period.

Results

Limaprost, pregabalin, and combined limaprost/pregabalin were prescribed preoperatively for 43%, 7%, and 5% of patients, respectively. At an average of 21 months postoperatively, limaprost, pregabalin, and combined therapy were prescribed in 11%, 8%, 4% of patients, respectively. Medication requirement was significantly lower postoperatively than preoperatively (P < 0.0001). Significant risk factors for required postoperative medication were required preoperative medication (odds ratio [OR] 3.088, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.679 to 5.681]; postoperative period (OR 1.063, 95% CI 1.031 to 1.096); and postoperative IC (OR 3.868, 95% CI 1.481 to 10.103). A negative impact from postoperative medication was seen in patients who had undergone decompression surgery (OR 0.589, 95% CI 0.377 to 0.918).

Conclusions

Overall, 23% of LSS patients required medication for pain and/or numbness at 21 months postoperatively. Significant factors portending required postoperative medication were preoperative medication, longer postoperative period, and postoperative IC. A negative influence from postoperative medication was seen in patients who had undergone decompression surgery without fusion.
How to stent the ureter after kidney transplantation in children?—A comparison of two methods of urinary drainage
Authors: ter Haar Anuradha S. , Parekh Rulan S. , Leunissen Ralph W. J. , van den Joop , Lorenzo Armando J. , Hebert Diane , Keijzer‐Veen Mandy G. , Cransberg Karlien
Published: October 2017

Ureteral stenting after pediatric renal transplantation serves to prevent obstruction and urinary leakage, but can also cause complications. This study compares the complication rates of both methods. Data were retrospectively collected at Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (splint group, n = 61) and Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada (JJ catheter group, n = 50). Outcome measures included urological interventions and incidence of UTIs during the first 3 months post‐transplantation. The splint was removed after a median of 9 (IQR 8‐12), the JJ catheter after 42 (IQR 36‐50) days. Seven (11.5%) children in the splint group needed at least one urological re‐intervention versus two in the JJ catheter group (P‐value .20). UTIs developed in 19 children (31.1%) in the splint group and in twenty‐five (50.0%) children in the JJ catheter group (P‐value .04), with a total number of 27 vs. 57 UTIs (P‐value .02). Nine (33.3%) vs. 35 (61.4%) of these, respectively, occurred during the presence of the splint (P‐value <.001). Children with a JJ catheter developed more UTIs than children with a splint; the latter, however, tended to require more re‐interventions. Modification of either method is needed to find the best way to stent the ureter.
Quantifying the visual appearance of sunscreens applied to the skin using indirect computer image colorimetry
Authors: Richer Vincent , Kharazmi Pegah , Lee Tim K. , Kalia Sunil , Lui Harvey
Published: October 2017

Background

There is no accepted method to objectively assess the visual appearance of sunscreens on the skin.

Methods

We present a method for sunscreen application, digital photography, and computer analysis to quantify the appearance of the skin after sunscreen application. Four sunscreen lotions were applied randomly at densities of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mg/cm2 to areas of the back of 29 subjects. Each application site had a matched contralateral control area. High‐resolution standardized photographs including a color card were taken after sunscreen application. After color balance correction, CIE L*a*b* color values were extracted from paired sites. Differences in skin appearance attributed to sunscreen were represented by ΔE, which in turn was calculated from the linear Euclidean distance within the L*a*b* color space between the paired sites.

Results

Sunscreen visibility as measured by median ΔE varied across different products and application densities and ranged between 1.2 and 12.1. The visibility of sunscreens varied according to product SPF, composition (organic vs inorganic), presence of tint, and baseline b* of skin (P < .05 for all).

Conclusion

Standardized sunscreen application followed by digital photography and indirect computer‐based colorimetry represents a potential method to objectively quantify visibility of sunscreen on the skin.
Narrow‐band UVB effects on cutaneous vitamin D receptor expression and serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D in generalized vitiligo
Authors: El‐hanbuli Hala M. , Dawoud Noha M. , Mahmoud Rania H.
Published: October 2017

Background/Purpose

Vitamin D has a role in variety of autoimmune diseases including vitiligo. Narrow‐band UVB (NB‐UVB) treatment of vitiligo might act through its effects on vitamin D and its receptor.This study is the first to elucidate NB‐UVB effects on immunohistochemical vitamin D receptor (VDR) expression in generalized vitiligo and correlate it with serum vitamin D and repigmentation response.

Methods

Using immunohistochemistry, VDR expression was estimated in skin biopsies of 30 controls and 30 vitiligo patients; from vitiligo lesion, perilesional skin at baseline and from repigmented and nonresponding skin after 24 NB‐UVB sessions. Baseline serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was investigated and repeated after 24 NB‐UVB sessions.

Results

Vitamin D receptor expression and serum 25(OH)D in controls were significantly higher compared to vitiligo patients. After NB‐UVB therapy, there was a significant rise in VDR expression and serum 25(OH)D. VDR expression was significantly higher in repigmented skin compared to nonresponding lesion. Improvement in the clinical outcome score was associated with higher baseline VDR expression and higher serum 25(OH)D.

Conclusions

NB‐UVB phototherapy is associated with improved cutaneous VDR expression and vitamin D synthesis. Better repigmentation response to NB‐UVB may be related to higher baseline VDR expression and its upregulation after phototherapy.