bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment for youth paraphilic disorders: opportunities to reduce harm
Authors: Kasinathan John
Published: November 2016

Objective:

To outline current understanding and recommended treatments for paraphilic or sexual deviant disorders in adolescents and youth.

Method:

An overview of the diagnosis, development and scope of paraphilic disorders. Evidence and an algorithm for pharmacological treatments in youth are outlined.

Results:

Paraphilic disorders are relatively common in adolescents and youth, with fantasies and urges preceding the onset of deviant behaviour by a handful of years. Research in youth is sparse, but the available evidence supports that paraphilic disorders respond favourably to psychological and pharmacological treatments.

Conclusions:

The detection of paraphilic disorders in adolescents and youth presents a window of opportunity, where treatment may be provided before deviant behaviour occurs, potentially reducing the future incidence of sexual abuse.
Surface contamination of hazardous drug pharmacy storage bins and pharmacy distributor shipping containers
Authors: Redic Kimberly A , Fang Kayleen , Christen Catherine , Chaffee Bruce W
Published: November 2016

Purpose

This study was conducted to determine whether there is contamination on exterior drug packaging using shipping totes from the distributor and carousel storage bins as surrogate markers of external packaging contamination.

Methods

A two-part study was conducted to measure the presence of 5-fluorouracil, ifosfamide, cyclophosphamide, docetaxel and paclitaxel using surrogate markers for external drug packaging. In Part I, 10 drug distributor shipping totes designated for transport of hazardous drugs provided a snapshot view of contamination from regular use and transit in and out of the pharmacy. An additional two totes designated for transport of non-hazardous drugs served as controls. In Part II, old carousel storage bins (i.e. those in use pre-study) were wiped for snapshot view of hazardous drug contamination on storage bins. New carousel storage bins were then put into use for storage of the five tested drugs and used for routine storage and inventory maintenance activities. Carousel bins were wiped at time intervals 0, 8, 16 and 52 weeks to measure surface contamination.

Results

Two of the 10 hazardous shipping totes were contaminated. Three of the five-old carousel bins were contaminated with cyclophosphamide. One of the old carousel bins was also contaminated with ifosfamide. There were no detectable levels of hazardous drugs on any of the new storage bins at time 0, 8 or 16 weeks. However, at the Week 52, there was a detectable level of 5-FU present in the 5-FU carousel bin.

Conclusions

Contamination of the surrogate markers suggests that external packaging for hazardous drugs is contaminated, either during the manufacturing process or during routine chain of custody activities. These results demonstrate that occupational exposure may occur due to contamination from shipping totes and storage bins, and that handling practices including use of personal protective equipment is warranted.
Usefulness of an injectable anaesthetic protocol for semen collection through urethral catheterisation in domestic cats
Authors: Pisu Maria Carmela , Ponzio Patrizia , Rovella Chiara , Baravalle Michela , Veronesi Maria Cristina
Published: November 2016

Objectives

Although less often requested in comparison with dogs, the collection of semen in cats can be necessary for artificial insemination, for semen evaluation in tom cats used for breeding and for semen storage. Urethral catheterisation after pharmacological induction with medetomidine has proved to be useful for the collection of semen in domestic cats. However, most of the previously used protocols require the administration of high doses of medetomidine that can increase the risk of side effects, especially on the cardiovascular system. In routine clinical practice, one safe and useful injectable anaesthetic protocol for short-term clinical investigations or surgery in cats involves premedication with low intramuscular doses of dexmedetomidine with methadone, followed by intravenous propofol bolus injection. We aimed to assess the usefulness of this injectable anaesthetic protocol for semen collection, via urethral catheterisation, in domestic cats.

Methods

The study was performed on 38 purebred, adult cats, during the breeding season, and semen was collected via urethral catheterisation using an injectable anaesthesia protocol with methadone (0.2 mg/kg) and dexmedetomidine (5 µg/kg) premedication, followed by induction with propofol.

Results

The anaesthetic protocol used in the present study allowed the collection of large-volume semen samples, characterised by good parameters and without side effects.

Conclusions and relevance

The results from the present study suggest that the injectable anaesthetic protocol using methadone and dexmedetomidine premedication, followed by induction with propofol, could be suitable and safe for the collection of a good-quality semen sample, via urethral catheterisation, in domestic cats. It can therefore be used as an alternative to previous medetomidine-based sedation protocols.
Real-World Efficacy of 1064-nm Nd:YAG Laser for the Treatment of Onychomycosis
Authors: Rivers Jason K. , Vestvik Brianne J. , Berkowitz Jonathan
Published: November 2016

Background:

Onychomycosis is a cosmetic and, at times, medical concern; therefore, effective and safe alternatives to treatment are needed.

Objective:

To determine the efficacy of a 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser for the treatment of onychomycosis in a real-world setting.

Methods:

A single-centre retrospective chart review was conducted between 2012 and 2013. One hundred consecutive patients with a culture- and/or potassium hydroxide–confirmed diagnosis of onychomycosis were treated at least twice. Baseline and follow-up photographs were taken, and the change in degree of clinical nail involvement of the subject’s great toenail was determined by a blinded reviewer using validated planimetry measurement.

Results:

A total of 199 hallux nails from 100 subjects were assessed. The mean infected area decreased from 53.2% at baseline to 50.8% at the end of the study (paired t test, P = .054; Wilcoxon signed rank test, P = .006). Degree of nail involvement was statistically significantly associated with amount of improvement; subjects who had the greatest degree of nail involvement improved the most, while those with less severe disease showed a worsening of nail appearance (Kruskal-Wallis test, P < .001). Three-quarters (72.6%) of nails that had more than 67% nail involvement showed statistically significant improvement (χ2 test, P = .001). Adverse events were limited to mild to moderate pain at the time of therapy. A total of 76 subjects were assessed for treatment satisfaction: 60% were very satisfied with treatment despite limited clinical improvement in some cases.

Conclusions:

Laser therapy has a very limited positive clinical effect on the appearance of onychomycosis after 2 treatment sessions.
Improbable frequency? Advocating queer–feminist pedagogic alliances within Irish and European higher education contexts
Authors: Quilty Aideen
Published: November 2016

Heterosexist ideology underpins education policy and practice almost universally. It has the effect of rendering invisible and disrespecting practitioners and students of other sexual and non-gender conforming identities. Much explicitly queer work has challenged this normalising and frequently oppressive higher education terrain. To maximise this queer potential this article proposes re-positioning queer within and through a practice and pedagogy of feminism. The broad-based identity politics of feminism and the anti-identitarian politic of queer may appear a slightly improbable alliance. The article argues, however, that intersectional approaches which reinforce queer integrity, challenge oppressive social norms and simultaneously re-emphasise the importance of the political through an identity politics heavily influenced by feminism, are not just possible but necessary. In seeking to explore what unites feminism and queer educationally, the article makes three observations relating to history, pedagogy and activism. It references two particular LGTBQ Irish and European educational programmes, which it argues highlight this sense of the probable in terms of queer–feminist educational alliances. Such alliances can continue to challenge in material ways sustained educational constructions of heterosexuality as normal, natural and moral and in so doing provide a platform for empowerment and change.
The National Maternity Review’s Rapid Resolution and Redress scheme model: A comparison with other worldwide compensation schemes
Authors: Macleod Sonia
Published: November 2016

The National Maternity Review has proposed an insurance-based Rapid Resolution and Redress scheme be considered by the Department of Health. This article will outline and examine the Maternity Review’s proposals; drawing parallels and highlighting contrasts between the proposals and other schemes.
Moonlighting in the nightlife: From indentured to precarious labor in Los Angeles Koreatown’s hostess industry
Authors: Choi Carolyn
Published: November 2016

This article explores the emergence of precarious work within the hostess industry of Los Angeles Koreatown, an ethnic enclave cited as a hotbed of sex trafficking. Hostesses provide companionship, flirtation, and entertainment to male patrons in drinking settings. While hostess work in Koreatown historically relied on indentured migrant workers from South Korea, the 2008 recession combined with shifting US immigration laws transformed the occupational structure of the hostess industry to a contingency-based labor system, which increasingly depends on the labor of local US women. These women turn to hostess work in Koreatown because of their displacement from jobs in the dominant US labor market. I argue that the emergence of precarious labor in Koreatown’s hostess industry reflects larger economic shifts within the labor market and political economy of Los Angeles. Looking at hostess work in Los Angeles Koreatown’s sexual economy provides a window to the labor instability of young women in the USA and across borders.
Becoming public characters, not public intellectuals
Authors: Fatsis Lambros
Published: November 2016

Research into the sociology of intellectual life reveals numerous appeals to the public conscience of intellectuals. The way in which concepts such as ‘the public intellectual’ or ‘intellectual life’ are discussed, however, conceals a long history of biased thinking about thinking as an elite endeavour with prohibitive requirements for entry. This article argues that this tendency prioritizes the intellectual realm over the public sphere, and betrays any claims to public relevance unless a broader definition of what counts as intellectual life is introduced. By calling for a shift from the notion of public intellectuals to Jane Jacobs’ (1961) idea of the ‘public character’, a publicly situated and affect-laden conception of intellectual life is articulated with the aim of redefining intellectual life as an ordinary, collective pursuit, rather than the prerogative of a few extraordinary individuals, as well as restoring the role of the senses in theoretical discussions on the life of the mind. The theoretical scope of this article therefore is to cast the net wider in the search for meanings of what public intellectual life is, can or may be in a larger context than ‘intellectualist’ discussions currently allow.
Super-diversity and the prosperous society
Authors: Mintchev Nikolay , Moore Henrietta L
Published: November 2016

This article asks if and under what conditions ethnic diversity could become the foundation for a prosperous society. Recent studies on ethnic diversity and social cohesion suggest that diversity has a negative effect on social cohesion and therefore is detrimental to the social prosperity of individuals and communities. This article argues that although such a negative correlation may apply to contexts with well-consolidated ethnic groups, it does not necessarily apply to ‘super-diverse’ places with multiple small ethnic groups and multiple social, legal and cultural differences that cut across ethnicity. Drawing on ethnographic material from East London, the authors contend that, in super-diverse places, ethnic diversity could become a valuable aspect of community life, while inequalities in social, cultural and symbolic capital become central points of social antagonism to the detriment of prosperity.
The experiences of family caregivers of people with advanced dementia living in nursing homes, with a specific focus on spouses: A narrative literature review
Authors: Hennings Jean , Froggatt Katherine
Published: November 2016

Dementia affects individuals, families and their relationships. While there is increasing evidence about the experiences of family caregivers of people with dementia, relatively little is known of their experiences when their relatives are living in nursing homes with dementia. This narrative literature review aimed to synthesise current knowledge about family caregivers’ experience of having relatives living in nursing homes with advanced dementia, particularly focussing on community-dwelling spouses. Using a systematic approach, textual narrative synthesis was undertaken. Four themes were identified: changing relationships, the need for companionship, adjusting to new roles and relationships and anticipating death/looking towards the future. Two additional themes were present only for spouses: changing identity – feeling married, being married; and alone but… The review demonstrates that some aspects of spouses’ experiences are different from those of other family caregivers. Longitudinal studies are required to better understand spouses’ motivations to continue caring in this context and to find ways of supporting them.
How Content Preferences Limit the Reach of Voting Aids
Authors: Mummolo Jonathan , Peterson Erik
Published: November 2016

Voters are often uninformed about the political candidates they choose between. Governments, media outlets, and civic organizations devote substantial resources to correcting these knowledge deficits by creating tools to provide candidate information to voters. Despite the widespread production of these aids, it remains unclear who they reach. We collect validated measures of online voter guide use for more than 40,000 newspaper readers during a state primary election. We show this newspaper-produced voter guide was primarily used by individuals with high levels of political interest and knowledge, a finding in contrast to earlier hypotheses that providing guides directly to voters online would reduce disparities in use based on political interest. A field experiment promoting the voter guide failed to diminish these consumption gaps. These results show that the same content preferences that contribute to an unequal distribution of political knowledge also impede the effectiveness of subsequent efforts to close knowledge gaps.
Cultural confessions: Law and the racial scrutiny of the Indo-Canadian home in Metro Vancouver
Authors: Buffam Bonar
Published: November 2016

In Metro Vancouver, the recurrence of gang violence involving young South Asian men has spawned a series of public explanations about a new threat to public safety: the ‘Indo-Canadian gangster’. This article explicates the racial force of a specific exposé on the putatively ‘cultural’ origins of the Indo-Canadian gangster which identifies the domestic realm of the city’s South Asian populations as the principal cause of this gang violence. By tracking the trajectories of this exposé and other texts that take similar confessional forms, this article provides important insight into the differential capacity of texts to attract public attention and to persuade, by virtue of the narrative forms they assume as well as the semantic content of the knowledges they mobilize. On the one hand, this article documents the tropes of cultural inertia that characterize public knowledges of the ‘Indo-Canadian home’, which is configured as a domestic space that is culturally insulated from putatively Western norms of civility and legality. On the other hand, it explains how this exposé acquires its epistemic force from the confessional form of the knowledges it circulates, which acts as a mechanism of cultural interpellation for South Asian actors who are positioned to renounce and disavow the pathologies of Indo-Canadian culture.
Collectins, H-ficolin and LL-37 reduce influence viral replication in human monocytes and modulate virus-induced cytokine production
Authors: White Mitchell R , Tripathi Shweta , Verma Anamika , Kingma Paul , Takahashi Kazue , Jensenius Jens , Thiel Steffen , Wang Guangshun , Crouch Erika C , Hartshorn Kevan L
Published: November 2016

Infiltrating activated monocytes are important mediators of damaging inflammation during influenza A virus (IAV) infection. We show that soluble respiratory proteins [collectins, surfactant proteins D (SP-D) and mannose binding lectin (MBL), H-ficolin and LL-37] inhibit replication of seasonal IAV in human monocytes. The collectins and H-ficolin also increased viral uptake by the cells, while LL-37 did not. H-ficolin was able to inhibit replication of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 strain (Cal09) in monocytes, but SP-D and LL-37 had significantly fewer inhibitory effects on this strain than on seasonal IAV. All of these proteins reduced IAV-induced TNF-α production, even in instances when viral replication was not reduced. We used modified recombinant versions of SP-D, MBL and ficolin to elucidate mechanisms through which these proteins alter monocyte interactions with IAV. We demonstrate the importance of the multimeric structure, and of binding properties of the lectin domain, in mediating antiviral and opsonic activity of the proteins. Hence, soluble inhibitors present in airway lining fluid may aid clearance of IAV by promoting monocyte uptake of the virus, while reducing viral replication and virus-induced TNF-α responses in these cells. However, SP-D and LL-37 have reduced ability to inhibit replication of pandemic IAV in monocytes.
Mepolizumab in the management of severe eosinophilic asthma in adults: current evidence and practical experience
Authors: Varricchi Gilda , Bagnasco Diego , Ferrando Matteo , Puggioni Francesca , Passalacqua Giovanni , Canonica Giorgio W.
Published: November 2016

Eosinophils represent approximately 1% of peripheral blood leukocytes in normal donors and their maturation and differentiation in the bone marrow are mainly regulated by interleukin (IL)-5 [Broughton et al. 2015]. IL-5, a cytokine that belongs to the β common-chain family, together with IL-3 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), stimulates also the activation and survival of eosinophils and, to some extent, of basophils. IL-5 binds to a heterodimer receptor composed of the specific subunit IL-5Rα and a common subunit βc shared with IL-3 and GM-CSF. Human eosinophils express approximately a three-fold higher level of IL-5Rα compared with basophils. Major sources of IL-5 are T-helper 2 (Th2) cells, mast cells, CD34+ progenitor cells, invariant natural killer (NK) T-cells, group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s), and eosinophils themselves. ILC2s control not only eosinophil number but also their circadian cycling through the production of IL-5.
Current understanding and approach to well differentiated lung neuroendocrine tumors: an update on classification and management
Authors: Hilal Talal
Published: November 2016

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare neoplasms that can arise from any tissue. They are classified based on embryonic gut derivative (i.e. foregut, midgut and hindgut) with midgut tumors being the most common (e.g. gastrointestinal NET). The second most common category of NETs is that which arises from the lung. In fact, 25% of primary lung cancers are NETs, including small cell lung cancer (SCLC), which comprises 20% of all lung cancers. The remaining 5% are large cell neuroendocrine cancer (LCNEC, 3%), typical carcinoids (TCs, 1.8%), and atypical carcinoids (ACs, 0.2%). The less common TCs/ACs are well differentiated lung NETs. Their incidence has been increasing in more recent years and although these tumors are slow growing, advanced disease is associated with poor survival. There have been advances in classification of lung NETs that have allowed for more appropriate management upfront. They are cured by surgical resection when disease is limited. However, advanced and metastatic disease requires medical therapy that is ever changing and expanding. In this review, the aim is to summarize the current understanding and classification of well differentiated lung NETs (i.e. TCs and ACs), and focus on recent updates in medical management of advanced disease, along with a brief discussion on potential future discoveries.
Diet and Pollinator Role of the Long-Snouted Bat Platalina genovensium in Lomas Ecosystem of Peru
Authors: Maguiña Rossana , Amanzo Jessica
Published: November 2016

The long-snouted bat ( Platalina genovensium) is an endemic nectar-feeding bat from arid regions in western Peru and Chile. In certain areas of its distribution, it is likely the only bat pollinator and seed disperser of plants, and it is currently highly endangered. However, some aspects of its ecology, diet, and pollinator role remain unknown, especially in the unique and endangered lomas ecosystem. We conducted monthly evaluations of bats and plants over 15 months in the lomas of the National Reserve of Lachay (Peru) by sampling in three different plant communities along the Guayabito gorge. We collected fecal and pollen fur samples from 16 individuals of P. genovensium and recorded the phenology of its potential plant food resources. We differentiated fecal sample components and then identified and counted all pollen morphotypes in order to estimate their frequency and abundance in the samples. We also analyzed the niche breadth. Our results showed that the dietary components of P. genovensium included nectar, pollen, fruits, and insects, and that it utilized the cacti community for feeding. Pollen of the genus Haageocereus (Cactaceae) was the most frequent and abundant resource recorded, which was available all year long; moreover, the niche breadth analysis revealed that P. genovensium has a specialized diet on the Haageocereus cactus in Lachay. Finally, we suggest that P. genovensium could serve as a pollinator for Haageocereus acranthus, Haageocereus pseudomelanostele, and Puya ferruginea (Bromeliaceae) due to the large pollen loads it carries and the specific placement of pollen on different body zones.
Facing the Spectator
Authors: Koenderink Jan , van Doorn Andrea , Pinna Baingio , Pepperell Robert
Published: November 2016

We investigated the familiar phenomenon of the uncanny feeling that represented people in frontal pose invariably appear to “face you” from wherever you stand. We deploy two different methods. The stimuli include the conventional one—a flat portrait rocking back and forth about a vertical axis—augmented with two novel variations. In one alternative, the portrait frame rotates whereas the actual portrait stays motionless and fronto-parallel; in the other, we replace the (flat!) portrait with a volumetric object. These variations yield exactly the same optical stimulation in frontal view, but become grossly different in very oblique views. We also let participants sample their momentary awareness through “gauge object” settings in static displays. From our results, we conclude that the psychogenesis of visual awareness maintains a number—at least two, but most likely more—of distinct spatial frameworks simultaneously involving “cue–scission.” Cues may be effective in one of these spatial frameworks but ineffective or functionally different in other ones.
A consensus statement on lipid management after acute coronary syndrome
Authors: Schiele François , Farnier Michel , Krempf Michel , Bruckert Eric , Ferrières Jean , Angoulvant Denis , Boccara Franck , Bonnet Jacques , Bonnet Jean-Louis , Bruckert Eric , Cayla Guillaume , Chatot Marion , Chopard Romain , Collet Jean-Philippe , Danchin Nicolas , Ducrocq Gregory , Elbaz Meyer , Ferrari Emile , Galinier Michel , Farnier Michel , Ferrières Jean , Gerbaud Edouard , Guedj Dominique , Kownator Serge , Krempf Michel , Lemesle Gilles , Levai Laszlo , Mansencal Nicolas , Mansourati Jacques , Meune Christophe , Morel Olivier , Paillard François , Piot Christophe , Probst Vincent , Puymirat Etienne , Roubille François , Sabouret Pierre , Schiele François , Teiger Emmanuel
Published: November 2016

In patients admitted for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), the guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology give a Class I, Level A recommendation for the prescription of high-intensity statins to be initiated as early as possible, regardless of the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level. Although statins are widely prescribed after ACS, the intensity of therapy and the proportion of patients achieving target LDL-C values are often not in line with recommendations due to a lack of compliance with guidelines by the physicians, a lack of compliance with treatment or poor tolerance by patients, and poor dose adaptation. In this context, a group of French physicians came together to define strategies to facilitate and improve the management of lipid-lowering therapy after ACS. This paper outlines the scientific rationale for the use of statins at the acute phase of ACS, the utility of ezetimibe, the measurement of LDL-C during the course of ACS, the opportunities for detecting familial hypercholesterolaemia and the results of the consensus for the management of lipid-lowering therapy, illustrated in two decision-making algorithms.
The Medium-Term Effects of Treatment for Mild Aortic Recoarctation
Authors: Grøndahl Camilla , Pedersen Thais Almeida Lins , Hjortdal Vibeke Elisabeth
Published: November 2016

Objective:

To assess medium-term effects of treatment for mild to moderate recoarctation in an adult population.

Design:

We identified all patients who had coarctation repair between 1965 and 1985 in our institution. They were all (n = 156) invited to a thorough outpatient examination, which was accepted by 133. Eleven (median age 36 [28-53] years) were identified with isolated mild to moderate recoarctation and received reintervention. They comprise the patient population of the current study. We performed bicycle exercise testing, transthoracic echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and 24-hour blood pressure monitoring before and 14 to 29 months after reintervention.

Results:

Compared to the values before reintervention, 24-hour blood pressures were reduced, but only significantly so for nighttime values. On echocardiography, wall thickness was reduced (1.2 ± 0.3 vs 1.1 ± 0.2, P > .05), and maximum flow velocity in the distal aortic arch decreased (2.8 ± 0.5 m/s vs 2.1 ± 0.4 m/s, P < .05). The invasive coarctation gradient was significantly reduced (15 ± 7 mm Hg vs 5 ± 9 mm Hg, P < .05), and the diameter at the coarctation site was increased (11 ± 3 mm vs 15 ± 3 mm, P < .05). Maximum achieved workload increased (182 ± 51 W vs 205 ± 65 W, P < .05). Cardiac symptoms were overall reduced.

Conclusion:

Reintervention was overall beneficial in increasing exercise capacity and reducing symptoms in the medium term, but the effects on established myocardial hypertrophy and blood pressures were less profound. Larger studies are needed in order to establish the definite role of reintervention for patients with milder recoarctation.
A Review of Worksite Lactation Accommodations
Authors: Hilliard Elizabeth Dianne
Published: November 2016

The purpose of this review was to examine workplace lactation accommodations, and their association with breastfeeding duration, and identify strategies occupational health professionals can use to promote lactation improvements. This study included literature published from 1985 through 2015 and listed in PubMed and CINAHL. Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), 11 articles were identified for review. Presence of a corporate lactation program, on-site child care, and return to work/telephone lactation consultation were consistently associated with breastfeeding at 6 months. Other breastfeeding accommodations (i.e., lactation spaces, lactation breaks, worksite lactation policies, and supervisor/coworker support) were not consistently associated with breastfeeding duration. Occupational health professionals can play key roles in improving the effectiveness of lactation accommodations. Assuring adequate implementation of accommodations, increasing communication and marketing of accommodations, and promoting supervisor and coworker support are areas that occupational health professionals should explore for improving lactation duration.
A Case of Relapsing Polyarthritis Associated With Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Authors: Adiga Avinash , Pixley John
Published: November 2016

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, inflammatory follicular skin disease with recurrent skin nodules, sinus tracts, and scarring. We observed a case of HS associated with relapsing polyarthritis. On presentation the patient had a flare of polyarthritis with an increase in the number and size of pustular nodules. He has had similar episodes 1 to 2 times yearly subsiding with antibiotic treatment. Radiographs revealed erosions and demineralization. Symptoms improved following institution of anti-inflammatory and antibiotic therapy. HS is associated with several inflammatory conditions, and dysregulation in innate immunity may play an important role in etiopathogenesis. Spondyloarthritis/sacroiliitis is the most common joint manifestation in HS and mechanism(s) underlying arthropathy is unknown. Treatment of arthritis in HS is anecdotal.
Oligodendrocyte development in the embryonic tuberal hypothalamus and the influence of Ascl1
Authors: Marsters Candace M. , Rosin Jessica M. , Thornton Hayley F. , Aslanpour Shaghayegh , Klenin Natasha , Wilkinson Grey , Schuurmans Carol , Pittman Quentin J. , Kurrasch Deborah M.
Published: November 2016

Background

Although the vast majority of cells in our brains are glia, we are only beginning to understand programs governing their development, especially within the embryonic hypothalamus. In mice, gliogenesis is a protracted process that begins during embryonic stages and continues into the early postnatal period, with glial progenitors first producing oligodendrocyte precursor cells, which then differentiate into pro-oligodendrocytes, pro-myelinating oligodendrocytes, and finally, mature myelinating oligodendrocytes. The exact timing of the transition from neurogenesis to gliogenesis and the subsequent differentiation of glial lineages remains unknown for most of the Central Nervous System (CNS), and is especially true for the hypothalamus.

Methods

Here we used mouse embryonic brain samples to determine the onset of gliogenesis and expansion of glial populations in the tuberal hypothalamus using glial markers Sox9, Sox10, Olig2, PdgfRα, Aldh1L1, and MBP. We further employed Ascl1 and Neurog2 mutant mice to probe the influence of these proneural genes on developing embryonic gliogenic populations.

Results

Using marker analyses for glial precursors, we found that gliogenesis commences just prior to E13.5 in the tuberal hypothalamus, beginning with the detection of glioblast and oligodendrocyte precursor cell markers in a restricted domain adjacent to the third ventricle. Sox9+ and Olig2+ glioblasts are also observed in the mantle region from E13.5 onwards, many of which are Ki67+ proliferating cells, and peaks at E17.5. Using Ascl1 and Neurog2 mutant mice to investigate the influence of these bHLH transcription factors on the progression of gliogenesis in the tuberal hypothalamus, we found that the elimination of Ascl1 resulted in an increase in oligodendrocyte cells throughout the expansive period of oligodendrogenesis.

Conclusion

Our results are the first to define the timing of gliogenesis in the tuberal hypothalamus and indicate that Ascl1 is required to repress oligodendrocyte differentiation within this brain region.
Examining the Role of Leadership in an Undergraduate Biology Institutional Reform Initiative
Authors: Matz Rebecca L. , Jardeleza Sarah E.
Published: November 2016

Undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education reform continues to be a national priority. We studied a reform process in undergraduate biology at a research-intensive university to explore what leadership issues arose in implementation of the initiative when characterized with a descriptive case study method. The data were drawn from transcripts of meetings that occurred over the first 2 years of the reform process. Two literature-based models of change were used as lenses through which to view the data. We find that easing the burden of an undergraduate education reform initiative on faculty through articulating clear outcomes, developing shared vision across stakeholders on how to achieve those outcomes, providing appropriate reward systems, and ensuring faculty have ample opportunity to influence the initiative all appear to increase the success of reform. The two literature-based models were assessed, and an extended model of change is presented that moves from change in STEM instructional strategies to STEM organizational change strategies. These lessons may be transferable to other institutions engaging in education reform.
The PULSE Vision & Change Rubrics, Version 1.0: A Valid and Equitable Tool to Measure Transformation of Life Sciences Departments at All Institution Types
Authors: Brancaccio-Taras Loretta , Pape-Lindstrom Pamela , Peteroy-Kelly Marcy , Aguirre Karen , Awong-Taylor Judy , Balser Teri , Cahill Michael J. , Frey Regina F. , Jack Thomas , Kelrick Michael , Marley Kate , Miller Kathryn G. , Osgood Marcy , Romano Sandra , Uzman J. Akif , Zhao Jiuqing
Published: November 2016

The PULSE Vision & Change Rubrics, version 1.0, assess life sciences departments’ progress toward implementation of the principles of the Vision and Change report. This paper reports on the development of the rubrics, their validation, and their reliability in measuring departmental change aligned with the Vision and Change recommendations. The rubrics assess 66 different criteria across five areas: Curriculum Alignment, Assessment, Faculty Practice/Faculty Support, Infrastructure, and Climate for Change. The results from this work demonstrate the rubrics can be used to evaluate departmental transformation equitably across institution types and represent baseline data about the adoption of the Vision and Change recommendations by life sciences programs across the United States. While all institution types have made progress, liberal arts institutions are farther along in implementing these recommendations. Generally, institutions earned the highest scores on the Curriculum Alignment rubric and the lowest scores on the Assessment rubric. The results of this study clearly indicate that the Vision & Change Rubrics, version 1.0, are valid and equitable and can track long-term progress of the transformation of life sciences departments. In addition, four of the five rubrics have broad applicability and can be used to evaluate departmental transformation by other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines.
Mixed-Methods Design in Biology Education Research: Approach and Uses
Authors: Warfa Abdi-Rizak M.
Published: November 2016

Educational research often requires mixing different research methodologies to strengthen findings, better contextualize or explain results, or minimize the weaknesses of a single method. This article provides practical guidelines on how to conduct such research in biology education, with a focus on mixed-methods research (MMR) that uses both quantitative and qualitative inquiries. Specifically, the paper provides an overview of mixed-methods design typologies most relevant in biology education research. It also discusses common methodological issues that may arise in mixed-methods studies and ways to address them. The paper concludes with recommendations on how to report and write about MMR.
Group Random Call Can Positively Affect Student In-Class Clicker Discussions
Authors: Knight Jennifer K. , Wise Sarah B. , Sieke Scott
Published: November 2016

Understanding how instructional techniques and classroom norms influence in-class student interactions has the potential to positively impact student learning. Many previous studies have shown that students benefit from discussing their ideas with one another in class. In this study of introductory biology students, we explored how using an in-class accountability system might affect the nature of clicker-question discussions. Clicker-question discussions in which student groups were asked to report their ideas voluntarily (volunteer call) were compared with discussions in which student groups were randomly selected to report their ideas (random call). We hypothesized that the higher-accountability condition (random call) would impress upon students the importance of their discussions and thus positively influence how they interacted. Our results suggest that a higher proportion of discussions in the random call condition contained exchanges of reasoning, some forms of questioning, and both on- and off-topic comments compared with discussion in the volunteer call condition. Although group random call does not impact student performance on clicker questions, the positive impact of this instructional approach on exchanges of reasoning and other features suggests it may encourage some types of student interactions that support learning.
A Guide for Graduate Students Interested in Postdoctoral Positions in Biology Education Research
Authors: Aikens Melissa L. , Corwin Lisa A. , Andrews Tessa C. , Couch Brian A. , Eddy Sarah L. , McDonnell Lisa , Trujillo Gloriana
Published: November 2016

Postdoctoral positions in biology education research (BER) are becoming increasingly common as the field grows. However, many life science graduate students are unaware of these positions or do not understand what these positions entail or the careers with which they align. In this essay, we use a backward-design approach to inform life science graduate students of postdoctoral opportunities in BER. Beginning with the end in mind, we first discuss the types of careers to which BER postdoctoral positions lead. We then discuss the different types of BER postdoctoral positions, drawing on our own experiences and those of faculty mentors. Finally, we discuss activities in which life science graduate students can engage that will help them gauge whether BER aligns with their research interests and develop skills to be competitive for BER postdoctoral positions.
Rasch Analysis for Instrument Development: Why, When, and How?
Authors: Boone William J.
Published: November 2016

This essay describes Rasch analysis psychometric techniques and how such techniques can be used by life sciences education researchers to guide the development and use of surveys and tests. Specifically, Rasch techniques can be used to document and evaluate the measurement functioning of such instruments. Rasch techniques also allow researchers to construct “Wright maps” to explain the meaning of a test score or survey score and develop alternative forms of tests and surveys. Rasch techniques provide a mechanism by which the quality of life sciences–related tests and surveys can be optimized and the techniques can be used to provide a context (e.g., what topics a student has mastered) when explaining test and survey results.
A Case Study Documenting the Process by Which Biology Instructors Transition from Teacher-Centered to Learner-Centered Teaching
Authors: Marbach-Ad Gili , Hunt Rietschel Carly
Published: November 2016

In this study, we used a case study approach to obtain an in-depth understanding of the change process of two university instructors who were involved with redesigning a biology course. Given the hesitancy of many biology instructors to adopt evidence-based, learner-centered teaching methods, there is a critical need to understand how biology instructors transition from teacher-centered (i.e., lecture-based) instruction to teaching that focuses on the students. Using the innovation-decision model for change, we explored the motivation, decision-making, and reflective processes of the two instructors through two consecutive, large-enrollment biology course offerings. Our data reveal that the change process is somewhat unpredictable, requiring patience and persistence during inevitable challenges that arise for instructors and students. For example, the change process requires instructors to adopt a teacher-facilitator role as opposed to an expert role, to cover fewer course topics in greater depth, and to give students a degree of control over their own learning. Students must adjust to taking responsibility for their own learning, working collaboratively, and relinquishing the anonymity afforded by lecture-based teaching. We suggest implications for instructors wishing to change their teaching and administrators wishing to encourage adoption of learner-centered teaching at their institutions.
Hepatitis C Virus E2 Protein Induces Upregulation of IL-8 Pathways and Production of Heat Shock Proteins in Human Thyroid Cells
Authors: Hammerstad Sara Salehi , Stefan Mihaela , Blackard Jason , Owen Randall P. , Lee Hanna J. , Concepcion Erlinda , Yi Zhengzi , Zhang Weijia , Tomer Yaron
Published: November 2016

Context:

Thyroiditis is one of the most common extrahepatic manifestations of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. By binding to surface cell receptor CD81, HCV envelope glycoprotein E2 mediates entry of HCV into cells. Studies have shown that different viral proteins may individually induce host responses to infection. We hypothesized that HCV E2 protein binding to CD81 expressed on thyroid cells activates a cascade of inflammatory responses that can trigger autoimmune thyroiditis in susceptible individuals.

Setting:

Human thyroid cell lines ML-1 and human thyrocytes in primary cell culture were treated with HCV recombinant E2 protein. The expression of major proinflammatory cytokines was measured at the messenger RNA and protein levels. Next-generation transcriptome analysis was used to identify early changes in gene expression in thyroid cells induced by E2.

Results:

HCV envelope protein E2 induced strong inflammatory responses in human thyrocytes, resulting in production of interleukin (IL)-8, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α. Furthermore, the E2 protein induced production of several heat shock proteins including HSP60, HSP70p12A, and HSP10, in human primary thyrocytes. In thyroid cell line ML-1, RNA sequencing identified upregulation of molecules involved in innate immune pathways with high levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines and increased expression of costimulatory molecules, specifically CD40, known to be a major thyroid autoimmunity gene.

Conclusion:

Our data support a key role for HCV envelope protein E2 in triggering thyroid autoimmunity through activation of cytokine pathways by bystander mechanisms.
Cardiotoxic Antiemetics Metoclopramide and Domperidone Block Cardiac Voltage-Gated Na+ Channels
Authors: Stoetzer Carsten , Voelker Marc , Doll Thorben , Heineke Joerg , Wegner Florian , Leffler Andreas
Published: November 2016

BACKGROUND:

Metoclopramide and domperidone are prokinetic and antiemetic substances often used in clinical practice. Although domperidone has a more favorable side effect profile and is considered the first-line agent, severe cardiac side effects were reported during the administration of both substances. Cardiac Na+channels are common targets of therapeutics inducing cardiotoxicity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the differential cardiotoxicities of metoclopramide and domperidone correlate with the block of Na+channels.

METHODS:

Effects of metoclopramide and domperidone on the human α-subunit Nav1.5 expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells and on Na+currents in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were investigated by means of whole-cell patch clamp recordings.

RESULTS:

Tonic block of resting Nav1.5 channels was more potent for domperidone (IC5085 ± 25 μM; 95% confidence interval [CI], 36–134) compared with metoclopramide (IC50458 ± 28 μM; 95% CI, 403–513). Both agents induced use-dependent block at 10 and 1 Hz, stabilized fast and slow inactivation, and delayed recovery from inactivation. However, metoclopramide induced considerably smaller effects compared with domperidone. Na+currents in rat cardiomyocytes displayed tonic and use-dependent block by both substances, and in this system, domperidone (IC50312 ± 15 μM; 95% CI, 22–602) and metoclopramide (IC50250 ± 30 μM; 95% CI, 191–309) induced a similar degree of tonic block.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our data demonstrate that the clinically relevant cardiotoxicity of domperidone and metoclopramide corresponds to a rather potent and local anesthetic-like inhibition of cardiac Na+channels including Nav1.5. These data suggest that Nav1.5 might be a hitherto unrecognized molecular mechanism of some cardiovascular side effects, for example, malignant arrhythmias of prokinetic and antiemetic agents.
Recovery of erectile function comparing autologous nerve grafts, unseeded conduits, Schwann cell seeded guidance tubes and GDNF-overexpressing Schwann cell grafts
Authors: May Florian , Buchner Alexander , Matiasek Kaspar , Schlenker Boris , Stief Christian , Weidner Norbert
Published: November 2016

Dissection of the cavernous nerves during radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer eliminates spontaneous erections. Using the rat as an experimental model, we compared the regenerative capacity of autologous nerve grafts and Schwann cell seeded nerve guides.

After bilateral excision of cavernous nerve segments, cavernous nerves were reconstructed using unseeded silicon tubes (UT), nerve autografts (NA) and silicon tubes seeded with either Glial cell line-derived (GDNF)-overexpressing or green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing Schwann cells (SCs) (16 study nerves per group). Control groups underwent either a sham operation or bilateral excision of cavernous nerve segments without repair.After 12 weeks erectile function was assessed by neurostimulation and intracavernous pressure (ICP) measurement. The reconstructed nerve segments were excised and histologically analyzed We demonstrated an intact erectile response upon neurostimulation in 25% (4/16) of autologous nerve grafts, in 50% (8/16) of unseeded tubes, in 75% (12/16) of the GFP and in 93.75% (15/16) of the GDNF group ICP was significantly increased comparing the GFP group with nerve autografts, unseeded conduits and negative controls (p<0,005).

In conclusion, Schwann cell seeded scaffolds combined with neurotrophic factors are superior to unseeded tubes and autologous nerve grafts. They present a promising therapeutic approach for the repair of erectile nerve gaps.