bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long non‐coding RNA CASC8 polymorphisms are associated with the risk of esophageal cancer in a Chinese population
Authors: Sang Yonghua , Gu Haiyong , Chen Yongbing , Shi Yijun , Liu Chao , Lv Lu , Sun Yifeng , Zhang Yongsheng
Published: September 2020

Background

Esophageal cancer (EC) is an important disease that threatens public health and safety. Although there are numerous treatment options for esophageal cancer including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, these treatments have limited effects. Its morbidity and mortality vary widely among countries and regions. Esophageal cancer is classified into squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esopheageal adenocarcinoma (EADC). Here, we examined the genetic susceptibility to ESCC in relation to functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) CASC8.

Methods

To detect the susceptibility to ESCC in relation to functional polymorphisms in CASC8, a hypothesis‐driven study was performed to identify CASC8 SNPs in 949 patients with ESCC and 1369 control subjects.

Results

The CASC8 rs1562430 GG genotype was significantly associated with increased ESCC risk in men, patients younger than 63 years, non‐smokers, and nondrinkers.

Conclusions

CASC8 rs1562430 A > G may cause susceptibility to ESCC and CASC8 SNPs may play a vital role in ESCC risk, thereby serving as a potential biomarker for diagnosing ESCC. A larger sample size and multifactor information are needed to confirm these results.
Potential monoamine oxidase A inhibitor suppressing paclitaxel‐resistant non‐small cell lung cancer metastasis and growth
Authors: Yang Xiaoguang , Zhao Dongxue , Li Yanfeng , Li Yanyu , Cui Wei , Li Yuxin , Li Han , Li Xinyu , Wang Dun
Published: September 2020

Background

High expression of monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is related to epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the development of clinicopathological features of NSCLC. Nevertheless, the role of MAOA in drug resistance still remains unclear. Hence, the aim of this article was to evaluate a previously synthesized MAOA inhibitor (G11) on inhibiting paclitaxel‐resistant NSCLC metastasis and growth.

Methods

First, MAOA expression level was evaluated in several NSCLC cell lines. An MTT assay was used to validate the inhibitory effect of G11 on NSCLC cells in vitro. Second, gene expression in G11‐treated H460/PTX cells was analyzed by microarray gene expression. Third, transwell assay was performed to assess the invasion and metastasis of G11‐treated A549/PTX and H460/PTX cells and western blot assay used to analyze vital protein expression level in G11‐treated H460/PTX cells. Finally, the antimetastatic effect of G11 was tested in an NSCLC in vivo model.

Results

Our data revealed that G11 significantly inhibited the viability of paclitaxel (PTX)‐resistant NSCLC cell lines (A549/PTX and H460/PTX). G11 dramatically reduced the expression of MAOA in A549/PTX and H460/PTX cells, which exhibited relatively high MAOA expression levels. Additionally, G11 was found to hinder A549/PTX and H460/PTX cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, the in vivo study indicated that the coadministration of G11 and paclitaxel significantly suppressed tumor metastasis in H460/PTX lung metastasis models.

Conclusions

These findings indicated G11 showed a moderate inhibitory effect on paclitaxel‐resistant NSCLC metastasis and growth, and support further investigation on MAOA potentially as a promising therapeutic target for paclitaxel‐resistant NSCLC treatment.

Key points

Significant findings of the study

Inhibition of MAOA might contribute to the suppression of metastasis and growth in PTX‐resistant NSCLC cells.

What this study adds

This study explored the potential function of MAOA in drug‐resistant NSCLC and might consider MAOA as a promising target for the treatment of drug‐resistant NSCLC.
Challenges of caring for the aged: Attracting and retaining aged care assistants in Western Australia
Authors: Dhakal Subas P. , Nankervis Alan , Connell Julia , Burgess John
Published: September 2020

Objectives

To report on the attraction and retention challenges concerning Aged Care Assistants (ACAs) in the state of Western Australia (WA) and to identify the related specific ‘push‐and‐pull’ factors.

Methods

A self‐administered survey resulted in a 20.2% response rate (79/391) from nine WA residential aged care facilities. The key purpose of the survey was to explore the reasons why ACAs might remain in their jobs or leave for other occupations. The χ2 test was employed to determine statistically significant associationsbetween intention to stay in the job and each of the independent variables.

Results

Those who were younger, casually employed and working in urban areas were more likely than their counterparts to state their intention to leave their workplace in the next year.

Conclusion

In line with the national emphasis on the attraction and retention of ACAs, the findings reported here have the potential to inform future strategies in residential aged care facilities in WA.
High‐mobility group box 1 is a driver of inflammation throughout pregnancy
Authors: Saito Reis Chelsea A. , Padron Justin G. , Norman Ing Nainoa D. , Kendal‐Wright Claire E.
Published: September 2020

A proinflammatory response driven by high‐mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is important for the success of both the early stages of pregnancy and parturition initiation. However, the tight regulation of HMGB1 within these two stages is critical, as increased HMGB1 can manifest into pregnancy‐related pathologies. Although during the early stages of pregnancy HMGB1 is critical for the development and implantation of the embryo, and uterine decidualization, high levels within the uterine cavity have been linked to pregnancy failure. In addition, chronic inflammation, resultant from increased HMGB1 within the maternal circulation and gestational tissues, also increases the risk for preterm labor, preterm birth, or infant mortality. Due to the link between HMGB1 and several pregnancy pathologies, the possibility of leveraging HMGB1 as a biomarker has been assessed. However, data are limited that demonstrate how known HMGB1 inhibitors could reduce inflammation within pregnancy. Thus, further research is warranted to improve our understanding of the potential of HMGB1 as a therapeutic target to reduce inflammation within pregnancy. This review aims to describe what is understood about the role of HMGB1 that drives inflammation throughout pregnancy and highlight its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target within this context.
Screening and treating pre‐operative anaemia and suboptimal iron stores in elective colorectal surgery: a cost effectiveness analysis
Authors: Trentino K. M. , Mace H. S. , Symons K. , Sanfilippo F. M. , Leahy M. F. , Farmer S. L. , Hofmann A. , Watts R. D. , Wallace M. H. , Murray K.
Published: September 2020

Our study investigated whether pre‐operative screening and treatment for anaemia and suboptimal iron stores in a patient blood management clinic is cost effective. We used outcome data from a retrospective cohort study comparing colorectal surgery patients admitted pre‐ and post‐implementation of a pre‐operative screening programme. We applied propensity score weighting techniques with multivariable regression models to adjust for differences in baseline characteristics between groups. Episode‐level hospitalisation costs were sourced from the health service clinical costing data system; the economic evaluation was conducted from a Western Australia Health System perspective. The primary outcome measure was the incremental cost per unit of red cell transfusion avoided. We compared 441 patients screened in the pre‐operative anaemia programme with 239 patients not screened; of the patients screened, 180 (40.8%) received intravenous iron for anaemia and suboptimal iron stores. The estimated mean cost of screening and treating pre‐operative anaemia was AU$332 (£183; US$231; €204) per screened patient. In the propensity score weighted analysis, screened patients were transfused 52% less red cell units when compared with those not screened (rate ratio = 0.48, 95%CI 0.36–0.63, p < 0.001). The mean difference in total screening, treatment and hospitalisation cost between groups was AU$3776 lower in the group screened (£2080; US$2629; €2325) (95%CI AU$1604–5947, p < 0.001). Screening elective patients pre‐operatively for anaemia and suboptimal iron stores reduced the number of red cell units transfused. It also resulted in lower total costs than not screening patients, thus demonstrating cost effectiveness.
A case of esophageal cancer with an aberrant right subclavian artery treated with mediastinoscopic esophagectomy
Authors: Hashimoto Masashi , Shirakawa Yasuhiro , Maeda Naoaki , Tanabe Shunsuke , Sakurama Kazufumi , Noma Kazuhiro , Fujiwara Toshiyoshi
Published: September 2020

An aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) is one of the famous anatomical abnormalities with a prevalence of 0.16–4.4%. In esophagectomy, anatomical abnormalities of the ARSA could cause complications with some surgical procedures. An 85‐year old man was referred to our department for esophageal adenocarcinoma that was at a slightly high position for esophagectomy with the abdominal approach. However, he had a significant past medical history. This risk factor made it difficult to perform thoracoscopic esophagectomy. He underwent mediastinoscopic esophagectomy (ME) with the left cervical and laparoscopic approach. The ARSA presented no difficulties with the ME surgical technique including the dissection of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node. Although this patient had a respiratory dysfunction and some difficulties in a prone position, ME enabled a safe esophagectomy with lymph node dissection.
Phylogenetic and ecological correlates of pollen morphological diversity in a Neotropical rainforest
Authors: Mander Luke , Parins‐Fukuchi Caroline , Dick Christopher W. , Punyasena Surangi W. , Jaramillo Carlos
Published: September 2020

Morphology varies enormously across clades, and the morphology of a trait may reflect ecological function or the retention of ancestral features. We examine the tension between ecological and phylogenetic correlates of morphological diversity through a case study of pollen grains produced by angiosperms in Barro Colorado Island, Panama (BCI). Using a molecular phylogeny of 730 taxa, we demonstrate a statistically significant association between morphological and genetic distance for these plants. However, the relationship is non‐linear, and while close relatives share more morphological features than distant relatives, above a genetic distance of ~ 0.7 increasingly distant relatives are not more divergent in phenotype. The pollen grains of biotically pollinated and abiotically pollinated plants overlap in morphological space, but certain pollen morphotypes and individual morphological traits are unique to these pollination ecologies. Our data show that the pollen grains of biotically pollinated plants are significantly more morphologically diverse than those of abiotically pollinated plants.

Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.
Complex roles of the actin‐binding protein Girdin/GIV in DNA damage‐induced apoptosis of cancer cells
Authors: Chen Chen , Enomoto Atsushi , Weng Liang , Taki Tetsuro , Shiraki Yukihiro , Mii Shinji , Ichihara Ryosuke , Kanda Mitsuro , Koike Masahiko , Kodera Yasuhiro , Takahashi Masahide
Published: September 2020

The actin‐binding protein Girdin is a hub protein that interacts with multiple proteins to regulate motility and Akt and trimeric G protein signaling in cancer cells. Girdin expression correlates with poor outcomes in multiple human cancers. However, those findings are not universal, as they depend on study conditions. Those data suggest that multiple aspects of Girdin function and its role in tumor cell responses to anticancer therapeutics must be reconsidered. In the present study, we found that Girdin is involved in DNA damage‐induced cancer cell apoptosis. An esophageal cancer cell line that exhibited high Girdin expression showed a marked sensitivity to UV‐mediated DNA damage compared to a line with low Girdin expression. When transcriptional activation of endogenous Girdin was mediated by an engineered CRISPR/Cas9 activation system, sensitivity to DNA damage increased in both stationary and migrating HeLa cancer cells. High Girdin expression was associated with dysregulated cell cycle progression and prolonged G1 and M phases. These features were accompanied by p53 activation, which conceivably increases cancer cell vulnerability to UV exposure. These data highlight the importance of understanding complex Girdin functions that influence cancer cell sensitivity to therapeutics.
Impact of fully or partially guided surgery on the position of single implants immediately placed in maxillary incisor sockets: A randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Kraft Bruno , Frizzera Fausto , de Freitas Rubens Moreno , de Oliveira Guilherme José Lopes Pimentel , Marcantonio Junior Elcio
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The aim of this study was to compare the deviation of the implant position after placement in single maxillary incisor post‐extraction sockets between fully and partially guided surgery.

Materials and methods

Twenty‐four patients with a failing maxillary incisor were randomly allocated into two groups: the partially guided surgery (PGS, n = 12) group or fully guided surgery (FGS, n = 12) group. Clinical analyses, intra‐oral scans, and computed tomography scans (CT) were initially performed to define the virtual positioning of the implants and fabrication of the 3D printed surgical guides. A narrow, 3.5 × 16 mm implant was placed in each socket. In this moment, the insertion torque (IT) was assessed and resonance frequency analysis (RFA) was performed. All patients received an immediate provisional without occlusal contacts. Another CT scan was performed after the procedures to compare the implant position with the virtually planned position.

Results

Significant deviations occurred at the implant apex, according to the global and facial‐palatal analyses, in comparison to its cervical position. The PGS group also presented a larger deviation in the MD position. No statistical differences between the groups were detected, however, there was a tendency of lower angular deviation in the PGS group.

Conclusions

While there was a slight deviation from the virtually planned position of the implant to the actual position and a tendency of lower angular deviation in the PGS group, there was no difference among groups regarding its position and primary stability. (UNT: 1111–1214‐2812 ‐ http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-4tmcrk/).
Bone formation around unstable implants is enhanced by a WNT protein therapeutic in a preclinical in vivo model
Authors: Coyac Benjamin R. , Leahy Brian , Li Zhijun , Salvi Giuseppe , Yin Xing , Brunski John B. , Helms Jill A.
Published: September 2020

Objectives

Our objective was to test the hypothesis that local delivery of a WNT protein therapeutic would support osseointegration of an unstable implant placed into an oversized osteotomy and subjected to functional loading.

Materials and methods

Using a split‐mouth design in an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model, 50 titanium implants were placed in oversized osteotomies. Implants were subjected to functional loading. One‐half of the implants were treated with a liposomal formulation of WNT3A protein (L‐WNT3A); the other half received an identical liposomal formulation containing phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS). Finite element modeling estimated peri‐implant strains caused by functional loading. Histological, molecular, cellular, and quantitative micro‐computed tomographic (µCT) imaging analyses were performed on samples from post‐implant days (PID) 3, 7, and 14. Lateral implant stability was quantified at PID 7 and 14.

Results

Finite element analyses predicted levels of peri‐implant strains incompatible with new bone formation. Micro‐CT imaging, histological, and quantitative immunohistochemical (IHC) analyses confirmed that PBS‐treated implants underwent fibrous encapsulation. In those cases where the peri‐implant environment was treated with L‐WNT3A, µCT imaging, histological, and quantitative IHC analyses demonstrated a significant increase in expression of proliferative (PCNA) and osteogenic (Runx2, Osterix) markers. One week after L‐WNT3A treatment, new bone formation was evident, and two weeks later, L‐WNT3A‐treated gaps had a stiffer interface compared to PBS‐treated gaps.

Conclusion

In a rat model, unstable implants undergo fibrous encapsulation. If the same unstable implants are treated with L‐WNT3A at the time of placement, then it results in significantly more peri‐implant bone and greater interfacial stiffness.
Obesity is common in chronic kidney disease and associates with greater antihypertensive usage and proteinuria: evidence from a cross‐sectional study in a tertiary nephrology centre
Authors: Martin William P. , Bauer Jessica , Coleman John , Dellatorre‐Teixeira Ludmilla , Reeve Janice L.V. , Twomey Patrick J. , Docherty Neil G. , O'Riordan Aisling , Watson Alan J. , le Roux Carel W. , Holian John
Published: September 2020

Obesity is a treatable risk factor for chronic kidney disease progression. We audited the reporting of body‐mass index in nephrology outpatient clinics to establish the characteristics of individuals with obesity in nephrology practice. Body‐mass index, clinical information and biochemical measures were recorded for patients attending clinics between 3rd August, 2018 and 18th January, 2019. Inferential statistics and Pearson correlations were used to investigate relationships between body‐mass index, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and proteinuria. Mean ± SD BMI was 28.6 ± 5.8 kg/m2 (n = 374). Overweight and obesity class 1 were more common in males (P = .02). Amongst n = 123 individuals with obesity and chronic kidney disease, mean ± SD age, n (%) female and median[IQR] eGFR were 64.1 ± 14.2 years, 52 (42.3%) and 29.0[20.5] mL/min/BSA, respectively. A positive correlation between increasing body‐mass index and proteinuria was observed in such patients (r = 0.21, P = .03), which was stronger in males and those with CKD stages 4 and 5. Mean body‐mass index was 2.3 kg/m2 higher in those treated with 4‐5 versus 0‐1 antihypertensives (P = .03). Amongst n = 59 patients with obesity, chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes, 2 (3.5%) and 0 (0%) were prescribed a GLP‐1 receptor analogue and SGLT2‐inhibitor, respectively. Our data provides a strong rationale not only for measuring body‐mass index but also for acting on the information in nephrology practice, although prospective studies are required to guide treatment decisions in people with obesity and chronic kidney disease.
Are pangolins scapegoats of the COVID‐19 outbreak‐CoV transmission and pathology evidence?
Authors: Choo Siew Woh , Zhou Jinfeng , Tian Xuechen , Zhang Siyuan , Qiang Shen , O'Brien Stephen J. , Tan Ka Yun , Platto Sara , Koepfli Klaus‐Peter , Antunes Agostinho , Sitam Frankie Thomas
Published: September 2020

The COVID‐19 outbreak has infected over 6 million people across the world. The origin of COVID‐19 coronavirus (CoV) remains unknown, although pangolins have been suggested as potential hosts. We investigated two pangolins seized in Guangdong Province, China. Molecular screening revealed CoV in one pangolin (“Dahu”), while another (“Meidong”) was infected by Ehrlichia ruminantium. Dahu exhibited difficulty breathing, infections of lung, intestines, and nostrils, as revealed by computed tomography imaging and necropsy. Previous phylogenetic analyses showed bat coronavirus RaTG13 is closer to COVID‐19 CoV compared to pangolin coronavirus. Over 20 caregivers have had close physical contact with CoV‐positive Dahu, but none became infected with CoV. Our data suggest that pangolins are unlikely the natural reservoir or secondary hosts of COVID‐19 CoV. Pangolins seems to be victims infected by CoV carried by a not yet unidentified natural reservoir host species, perhaps due to their weakened immune system.
Community management yields positive impacts for coastal fisheries resources and biodiversity conservation
Authors: Smallhorn‐West Patrick F. , Stone Karen , Ceccarelli Daniela M. , Malimali Siola'a , Halafihi Tu'ikolongahau , Bridge Tom C. L. , Pressey Robert L. , Jones Geoffrey P.
Published: September 2020

Combining no‐take marine reserves with exclusive access by communities to unreserved waters could provide the required incentives for community management to achieve positive impacts. However, few protected areas have been critically evaluated for their impact, which involves applying counterfactual thinking to predict conditions within protected areas if management had never occurred. Here, we use statistical matching to conduct a rigorous impact evaluation of dual management systems on coral reef fishes in Tonga, with communities having both full no‐take areas and areas of exclusive fishing rights. No‐take areas generally had positive impacts on the species richness, biomass, density, and size of target reef fish, while exclusive access areas were similar to predicted counterfactual conditions. The latter is likely because overall fishing pressure in exclusive access areas might not actually change, although more fish could be exploited by communities with access rights. Our findings suggest that dual management is effective at incentivizing effective community‐based no‐take areas for biodiversity conservation and resource management.
Implications of the World Bank's environmental and social framework for biodiversity
Authors: Morley Jonathan , Buchanan Graeme , Mitchard Edward T.A. , Keane Aidan
Published: September 2020

The World Bank is the single largest source of development finance, with wide‐reaching influence. The Bank's safeguards aim to minimize the negative impacts of the projects it funds. These policies have recently been updated in a new Environmental and Social Framework. For conservation, the key changes include a mechanism for the use of biodiversity offsets and borrowers’ own frameworks to manage impacts. Concerns have been raised that these changes may weaken protections as there is substantial flexibility about when offsets or borrowers’ frameworks can be used, and uncertainty around the efficacy of offsets. The project‐by‐project nature of these mechanisms and the lack of clear criteria may also hinder future efforts to hold the Bank to account. Concerns about these changes were raised by conservation organizations during the consultation process, but the framework's formulation does not fully reflect recommendations made. Although elements of the new policy have the potential to benefit conservation, the flexibility presents a risk to biodiversity. It is vital for conservation organizations to engage effectively to ensure that any negative impacts arising do not go unchallenged.
Classroom Simulations for Teaching Production Control in Nonrepetitive Contexts: Insights for Theory and Practice
Authors: Thürer Matthias , Cole Rosanna , Hanna Mark D. , Protzman Charles W.
Published: September 2020

When introducing production control solutions, most textbooks focus on a to‐stock, repetitive context. In response, we extend the classical match‐and‐dice game, which also assumes a repetitive context, to teach complexities that emerge in a nonrepetitive setting, such as the appearance of direct and indirect load, and to introduce appropriate production control solutions (e.g., Constant Work‐In‐Process [ConWIP] and Control of Balance by Card Based Navigation [COBACABANA]). Two field tests were used to prove the playability of our game and assess its teaching effectiveness using postgame scores and self‐assessment. Both test results give support to our game and highlight that it helps students to understand complex production control issues. Applying the simulation as part of an iterative design process not only ensured the pragmatic validity of our design, but also provided important insights on the production control systems being taught. During the application, we encountered several issues associated with the implementation of these production control systems in practice. In terms of theory, applying the simulation showed that there is a change in mindset required when switching from Kanban to COBACABANA, and physics synchronization is essential for logistics synchronization.
Feasibility of intraoperative aortic root imaging in congenital heart surgery
Authors: Rodgers Nathan J. , MacIver Robroy H. , Evanoff Nicholas , Narasimhan Shanti
Published: September 2020

Background

Intraoperative vascular imaging is a useful tool to evaluate coronary ostia in congenital heart patients with suboptimal preoperative imaging findings. Additionally, vascular imaging has potential value for visualization of the ascending aortic intima media thickness (IMT) in certain clinical scenarios. This study sought to evaluate the feasibility of intraoperative vascular imaging of coronary ostia and IMT during congenital heart surgery.

Methods

We describe the technique for performance of intraoperative vascular imaging by a pediatric cardiologist using a high‐resolution linear sequential array transducer.

Results

Intraoperative vascular imaging was obtained on seven patients. Coronary ostia were normal in all except one. This patient had congenital stenosis of the left coronary ostium discovered during intraoperative imaging and confirmed by the surgeon. In another patient with Williams syndrome, the IMT was noted to be prominent.

Conclusions

It is feasible to perform intraoperative vascular imaging in less than 5 minutes of operator's time and provides superior visualization of the coronary ostia and IMT.
IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE OUTCOME, CHANGE THE CONTEST
Authors: Winfree Jason A.
Published: September 2020

This article analyzes contests when contestants derive heterogeneous benefits from winning and investments are seen as costs to the contest designer. An example of this is sports leagues maximizing league profits. For sports leagues, optimal contests depend upon the heterogeneity of market sizes and the impact of team investment on winning. Sports leagues have mechanisms to change the structure of contests, implying they have some control of the expected payoff of teams, the value of the athletes, and the balance of the league. Data from Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association are used to empirically estimate the model. (JEL C72, L10, L83)
THE COMPETITIVE RETURNS TO THE GLOBAL SEARCH FOR TALENT: PROFESSIONAL SPORTS MARKETS AND FOREIGNERS
Authors: Schmidt Martin B.
Published: September 2020

We examine the geographical and racial diversity of a market's labor supply. While the likely impact of expanding supply is to increase the level of productivity, it is not obvious what impact the expansion would have on the overall level of competition. If the added labor increases productivity differentials or are disproportionately populated on high achieving firms, then the likely result would be greater imbalance. We find that while increases in the foreign‐born component are associated with an increase in the overall level of competition, the impact has diminished across time. (JEL C22, D23, D30)
Cranial nerve involvement in typical and atypical chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathies
Authors: Shibuya K. , Tsuneyama A. , Misawa S. , Suichi T. , Suzuki Y. , Kojima Y. , Nakamura K. , Kano H. , Prado M. , Kuwabara S.
Published: September 2020

Background and purpose

Cranial nerve palsy is occasionally present in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), but its prevalence, characteristics and relations with the CIDP subtypes have rarely been investigated. The aim of this study was to systematically assess cranial nerve involvement in typical and atypical CIDP.

Methods

Clinical data were reviewed in 132 consecutive patients with CIDP, including typical CIDP (n = 89), multifocal acquired demyelinating sensory and motor neuropathy (MADSAM) (n = 31), distal acquired demyelinating symmetric (DADS) (n = 9) and others (n = 3).

Results

The frequency of cranial nerve palsy was 11% in typical CIDP, 48% in MADSAM and 11% in DADS. Facial and bulbar palsy was most frequently present (9%), followed by ocular motor nerve palsy (5%). Bilateral involvement was seen in all typical CIDP and DADS patients, whereas 80% of MADSAM patients had unilateral palsy. The presence of cranial nerve involvement was associated with more severe limb muscle weakness in typical CIDP, but not in MADSAM. Cranial nerve palsy fully recovered in 90% of typical CIDP and in 67% of MADSAM patients.

Conclusion

Amongst the CIDP subtypes, cranial palsy is frequent and unilateral in MADSAM, and less frequent and bilateral in typical CIDP and DADS. In typical CIDP, facial and bulbar palsy reflects more severe and extensive inflammation.
Epidural administration of opioid analgesics improves quality of recovery in horses anaesthetised for treatment of hindlimb synovial sepsis
Authors: Louro Luís F. , Milner Peter I. , Bardell David
Published: September 2020

Background

Opioid epidural analgesia has been shown to provide effective analgesia in horses. There is a lack of evidence regarding the effect of opioid epidural analgesia on quality of recovery in horses.

Objectives

Identify whether opioid epidural analgesia influences quality of recovery in horses undergoing general anaesthesia required for management of hindlimb synovial sepsis.

Study design

Single‐centre retrospective cross‐sectional study.

Methods

Data were obtained from the clinical records of horses which had undergone arthroscopic or tenoscopic surgery for management of hindlimb synovial sepsis over a 9‐year period in a referral hospital population. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the perioperative factors that impact on quality of recovery.

Results

Records from 149 horses, undergoing 170 general anaesthetics were included. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that opioid epidural analgesia (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.2 to 7.2, P = .02) was associated with good quality of recovery, whereas Cob breeds (OR 0.16, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.46, P = .001), age (in years) (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.97, P = .004) increasing intraoperative dosages (in mg/kg) of thiopental (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.90, P = .01) or ketamine (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.98, P = .04) were associated with poor quality of recovery.

Main limitations

Certain variables that may influence quality of recovery, such as patient temperament and hindlimb orthopaedic co‐morbidities were not recorded. The clinical prediction model obtained is only applicable to the specific facilities, population and perianaesthetic management practiced at our institution.

Conclusions

Opioid epidural analgesia is significantly associated with good quality of recovery in horses undergoing general anaesthesia required for management of hindlimb synovial sepsis. Other risk factors, such as increasing age, cob breed, use of higher intraoperative dosages (in mg/kg) of ketamine and/or thiopental, were associated with poor quality of recovery.
Equilibrium in plant functional trait responses to warming is stronger under higher climate variability during the Holocene
Authors: Gaüzère Pierre , Iversen Lars Lønsmann , Seddon Alistair W. R. , Violle Cyrille , Blonder Benjamin
Published: September 2020

Aim

The functional trait composition of plant communities is thought to be determined largely by climate, but relationships between contemporary trait distributions and climate are often weak. Spatial mismatches between trait and climatic conditions are commonly thought to arise from disequilibrium responses to past environmental changes. We aimed to investigate whether current trait–climate disequilibrium is likely to emerge during plant functional responses to Holocene climate warming.

Location

North America.

Time period

14–0 ka.

Major taxa studied

Terrestrial plants.

Methods

We joined global trait data with palaeoecological time series and climate simulations on 425 sites. We estimated plant community functional composition for three leaf traits involved in resource use. We then quantified disequilibrium in plant trait temporal responses to climate change during two contrasted periods: a period of high climate variability (14–7 ka) and a period of low climate variability (7–0 ka).

Results

Functional trait composition showed consistent deviation from climatic equilibrium during both periods. The temporal dynamics of trait composition tends to be positively correlated with climate equilibrium expectations during Holocene climate warming (14–7 ka), but not during a subsequent period of low climate variability (7–0 ka).

Main conclusions

Long‐term functional responses of plants to climate change showed mixed evidence for both equilibrium and disequilibrium responses. Temporal trait dynamics were closer to the expectations of spatial dynamics under high climate variability, indicating that the relevance of space‐for‐time substitution might be dependent, in part, on climate variability. Our results also suggest that current mismatches between trait and climatic conditions might arise because of a divergence of factors influencing trait dynamics during periods of low climate variability. These findings provide a counterpoint to the common assumption that contemporary trait–climate mismatches result from lagged responses to past climate warming. Our study also demonstrates the need for a deeper investigation of the potential influence of non‐climatic factors on functional plant community dynamics.
Ultrasound‐guided left internal jugular vein cannulation: Advantages of a lateral oblique axis approach
Authors: Moreno‐Sanchez Teresa , Moreno‐Ramirez Manuela
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Retrospective observational study to evaluate the technique of cannulation guided by ultrasound of the left internal jugular vein (LIJV) using a lateral oblique axis (LOAX) approach with variable angulation in the placement of tunneled central venous catheters (CVC) for hemodialysis.

Methods

Seventy‐one patients with 77 LIJV vascular accesses aged 16 or older who needed CVC for hemodialysis were evaluated. The catheters were inserted, guided by LOAX ultrasound with variable angulation, depending on the angulation of the left brachiocephalic trunk. The success rate, additional instrumentation needs, and number of immediate and late complications were analyzed.

Findings

Central venous catheters placement was possible in all cases and none of the peelable introducers folded. A placement guide was needed in only eight patients, whose brachiocephalic trunk elongation and angulation was 90°. We found no major complications, and only five cases of minor complications (6.5%): four periprocedural and one displacement of the catheter a week after placement.

Discussion

Tunneled CVC percutaneous cannulation in LIJV guided by ultrasound with the LOAX approach with variable angulation provides very good results, allows visualization of the needle and the vascular structures at the same time, and reduces the number of manoeuvers required for placement and complications that might arise.
Altered Serum Levels of Renin‐Angiotensin System Markers in Migraine
Authors: Bhering Martins Laís , Silva de Miranda Aline , Rodrigues Ana Maria dos Santos , Braga Tibaes Jenneffer Rayane , Gomez Rodrigo Santiago , Ferreira Adaliene Versiani Matos , Teixeira Antonio Lúcio
Published: September 2020

Objective

To compare the serum levels of renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) components between patients with migraine and healthy controls, and to evaluate whether these levels are associated with migraine severity. We hypothesized that migraine would be associated with the activation of the inflammatory arm of the RAS, possibly leading to increased levels of angiotensin (Ang) II.

Background

Recent studies have proposed the use of drugs that interfere with RAS, a hormonal system primarily implicated in blood pressure regulation, as a prophylactic strategy for migraine. However, no previous studies have directly assessed RAS components in migraine.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study involving 30 patients with episodic migraine who were in the interictal period and 20 healthy controls. This study was conducted at Hospital das Clínicas (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil) outpatient clinic. Headache severity was evaluated using the Headache Impact Test, version 6 (HIT‐6) and the Migraine Disability Test (MIDAS) questionnaires. Given that migraine is comorbid with mood disorders, depressive and anxious symptoms were evaluated using the Beck Anxiety and Depression Inventories (BDI and BAI), respectively. Clinical and demographic data were also collected. Serum levels of angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE), ACE2, Ang II, and Ang (1‐7) were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

Patients with migraine and controls were comparable in age, body mass index, blood pressure, and depressive and anxious symptoms. Patients with migraine showed lower levels of ACE [85.2 (66.8, 101.2) vs 65.5 (54.2, 77.5); P = .005] and lower ACE/ACE2 ratio [4.3 (3.4, 5.2) vs 3.5 (2.9, 4.1); P = .032] than controls. Conversely, patients with migraine had higher levels of Ang II [309.7 ± 147.4 vs 605.4 ± 200.4; difference: −287.1 (95% CI: −391.4‐−182.8), P < .001] and Ang (1‐7) [214.4 ± 155.8 vs 397.9 ± 217.9; difference: −184.6 (95% CI: −296.7‐−72.6), P = .001] than controls. There were no correlations between RAS serum markers and migraine severity scores (HIT and MIDAS) or depressive and anxious symptoms (BDI and BAI) (P > .05).

Conclusions

Altogether, our results suggest the participation of RAS in migraine pathophysiology, but not in its severity.
Helicobacter pylori infection and eradication: Exploring their impacts on the gastrointestinal microbiota
Authors: Tao Zhi‐Hang , Han Ji‐Xuan , Fang Jing‐Yuan
Published: September 2020

The rapid development of microbiota research has remolded our view of human physiological and pathological processes. Among all the gastrointestinal microorganisms, Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) is probably the most notorious constituent. Although half of the adults worldwide are infected with H pylori, their clinical manifestations vary widely, suggesting other microorganisms beyond H pylori may play a role in determining clinical outcomes. Recently, many studies have put effort into elucidating the crosstalk within the human microbiota, some of which specifically explored the interplay between H pylori and other gastrointestinal microbial members. In this work, we reviewed these potential interactions. Meanwhile, the impacts of H pylori eradication therapy on gastrointestinal microbial homeostasis were summarized in terms of diversity, composition, functional capacity, and antibiotic resistance.
HOW THE VISUAL IS SPATIAL: CONTEMPORARY SPATIAL HISTORY, NEO‐MARXISM, AND THE GHOST OF BRAUDEL
Authors: RANKIN WILLIAM
Published: September 2020

Contemporary spatial history is founded on the potential for maps and other visualizations to show the historical constructedness of space, usually in broadly neo‐Marxist terms, yet neo‐Marxist geographical theory is famously critical of visual representation, especially mapping. At stake in this contradiction isn't just the relationship between digital enthusiasm and spatial theory (or the wider spatial turn), but the theoretical status of the visual itself in spatial scholarship. It raises a crucial question: how does visual material—everything from today's statistical maps and cutting‐edge data graphics to the broader use of primary‐source photographs or drawings—in fact shape our understanding of space, and what theoretical work does it do? By extension, how can humanists make critical theoretical interventions through their own visual production? This article proposes an analytic vocabulary of “visual argument” grounded in an image‐focused rereading of two canonical bodies of work: the neo‐Marxist theory most cited by spatial history (Henri Lefebvre, David Harvey, Doreen Massey, and Edward Soja) and the conspicuously uncited work of Fernand Braudel. By focusing on how these authors’ illustrations make claims about spatial subjectivity and the historicity of space—especially through visual relationships of background and foreground—I argue for a new way of understanding and responding to this work and to the visual project of spatial history today. A visual analysis highlights not only the limitations of neo‐Marxism but also the pervasiveness of certain assumptions—shared across the neo‐Marxists, Braudel, and digital visualization—about temporality, the natural/human dichotomy, and the methodological tensions between argument and visualization. I present my own mapping of Phoenix as one possibility for an argument‐driven rethinking of familiar visual commitments, which also suggests a broader meditation on the relationship between visual and textual scholarship.
9. MOVING FROM, AND BEYOND, INVENTED CATEGORIES: AFTERWORDS
Authors: LAVEAGA GABRIELA SOTO
Published: September 2020

The decentering of narratives is no longer sufficient for bringing the past into sharper focus. As a discipline, we must contend with the continued power imbalance in the production and circulation of histories. It is necessary to give equal valence to histories produced by embracing a range of historical methods, many of which the essays in this forum explore. Doing so expands understandings of what counts as theory in our histories and their obligations in society.
HISTORY PAINTING AND ITS CHANGING SUBJECTS
Authors: Carrier David
Published: September 2020

Traditional European history painting showed scenes from scripture or Greco‐Roman history. These were the most important paintings because they showed the most important subjects. The seventeenth‐century art of Nicolas Poussin was a significant model for this tradition. In the late eighteenth century, however, artists began to present contemporary subjects in history paintings. In an influential essay published in 1938, Edgar Wind argued that it was these late eighteenth‐century painters who first showed present‐day events outside of Europe and then turned to contemporary subjects. Soon enough, present‐day events were as important as those depicted in old master history painting. This was a decisive change in how both history and art were understood. This essay collection charts the development of history painting using well‐illustrated case studies discussing famous figures as well as some lesser‐known artists. It features accounts of traditional history painting; discussions of the marketplace for this artistic genre in the eighteenth century; and varied examples of history painting after modernism, which allowed that any important subject whatsoever can, with sufficient motivation, become the subject of a history painting. As such, we now have contemporary history paintings showing present‐day political developments, the global economy, and the concerns of ecology.
INTELLECTUAL HISTORY CONFRONTS THE LONGUE DURÉE
Authors: Marchand Suzanne
Published: September 2020

This review of John Potts's Ideas in Time: The Longue Durée in Intellectual History discusses the advantages and disadvantages of writing intellectual histories that embrace the longue durée. It applauds Potts's concise account of historiographical discussions of continuity and discontinuity in the history of ideas in the last seventy‐five years but laments his failure to discuss the contributions of historians of science and scholarship to the practices of knowledge‐making and to the transmission of ideas. It suggests that the study of discontinuities can also be rich and revealing, and it proposes one approach to understanding the ways in which ideas go out of fashion. It concludes by noting, first, that the models that contemporary historians of ideas adopt also have to do with book‐market opportunities and pressures and, second, that we have work to do to engage our contemporaries and students in whatever form of intellectual history we choose to write.
Excess liver‐related mortality among people with AIDS compared to the general population: an Italian nationwide cohort study using multiple causes of death
Authors: Taborelli M , Suligoi B , Toffolutti F , Frova L , Grande E , Grippo F , Pappagallo M , Pugliese L , Regine V , Serraino D , Zucchetto A
Published: September 2020

Objectives

Liver diseases have become a leading cause of death among people with AIDS (PWA). This study aimed to investigate whether PWA experienced excess mortality related to liver diseases as compared to the general population (non‐PWA), using a multiple cause of death (MCoD; i.e. all conditions reported on death certificates) approach.

Methods

A population‐based, nationwide, retrospective cohort study was conducted among Italian people, aged 15–74 years, who had been diagnosed with AIDS since 2006. Date of death and MCoD data were retrieved, up to December 2015, by individual record linkage with national mortality data. Sex‐ and age‐standardized mortality ratios (SMRs), with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were estimated by dividing the observed number of deaths related to a specific condition among PWA to the expected number, based on non‐PWA mortality rates.

Results

Among 7912 PWA (34 184 person‐years), 2076 deaths occurred. The number of death certificates reporting liver diseases among MCoDs was 583 (28.1%), including 382 (18.4%) reporting viral hepatitis, 370 (17.8%) reporting nonviral liver diseases, and 41 (2.0%) reporting liver cancers. The corresponding SMRs were 40.4 (95% CI 37.2–43.8) for all liver diseases, 131.1 (95% CI 118.3–145.0) for viral hepatitis, 29.9 (95% CI 27.0–33.1) for nonviral liver diseases, and 11.2 (95% CI 8.1–15.3) for liver cancers. Particularly elevated SMRs emerged among PWA aged 15–49 years and those infected by injecting drug use.

Conclusions

The high excess liver‐related mortality observed among PWA warrants preventive actions to limit the burden of viral hepatitis coinfections, alcohol abuse, and metabolic disorders, especially among younger PWA and injecting drug users.
Universal test and treat in relation to HIV disease progression: results from a stepped‐wedge trial in Eswatini
Authors: Boeke CE , Khan S , Walsh F , Hettema A , Lejeune C , Spiegelman D , Okello V , Harwell J , Mazibuko S , Bärnighausen T
Published: September 2020

Objectives

Universal test and treat (UTT) is recommended for people living with HIV (PLHIV) to reduce morbidity/mortality and minimize transmission. However, concerns exist that this strategy may lead to more crowded hospitals, longer wait times and poorer service, adversely impacting health outcomes for clients with severe disease. We assessed how UTT was related to markers of disease progression in PLHIV overall and specifically among clients with low CD4 count/high World Health Organization (WHO) stage.

Methods

The analysis was conducted using data from a stepped‐wedge trial of UTT in 14 government‐managed health facilities in Eswatini from 2014 to 2017. Disease progression was defined as CD4 count falling below 200 cells/µL or baseline value, > 10% weight loss, body mass index (BMI) dropping below 18.5, incident tuberculosis (TB) or HIV‐related death; these outcomes also were assessed individually. We assessed multivariate Cox proportional hazard models overall and specifically among clients with CD4 count < 350 cells/μL or WHO stage 3–4 at enrolment.

Results

Eight hundred and seven of 3176 clients demonstrated at least one marker of disease progression over 2339 person‐years of follow‐up. Overall, 62.4% of clients were female; 57.2% were < 35 years old. Compared to clients not exposed to UTT, those exposed to UTT had a lower rate of disease progression overall [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.60; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.46–0.78] and a lower rate of CD4 decline (aHR 0.40; 95% CI 0.27–0.58). When the analysis was limited to clients with CD4 count < 350 cells/μL or WHO stage 3–4, UTT was not associated with disease progression (aHR 0.92; 95% CI 0.66–1.29).

Conclusions

UTT reduced HIV disease progression overall and was not detrimental for clients with more severe disease.