bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lower limb chronic edema management program: Perspectives of disengaged patients on challenges, enablers and barriers to program attendance and adherence
Authors: Khong Linda A. M. , Buckley Amma , Johnson Wendy , Cavalheri Vinicius
Published: July 2019

Background

Chronic edema (CO) is a progressive, physically disfiguring and currently incurable condition. A multifaceted program has been recommended to manage the swelling. However, there is little evidence investigating patients’ perspectives following the program, particularly for those who have poor adherence or are disengaged.

Aim

To investigate the perceived challenges faced by disengaged participants with lower limb CO by identifying their enablers and barriers to participating in a Physiotherapy CO program.

Method

An exploratory qualitative approach was used. A purposive sampling strategy was adopted to recruit participants. Those with more than three months swelling and who had low adherence or attendance (disengaged) to the CO program were invited to participate. Semi-structured interviews with six participants from a CO clinic in a tertiary hospital were conducted. Data was thematically analyzed and findings in terms of enablers and barriers were subsequently reflected in the light of a theoretical framework.

Results

All six participants were morbidly obese (BMI 47 ± 4 kg/m2) with multiple chronic comorbidities. Enablers and barriers detected included physical, psychological and social factors that interplay to present multidimensional challenges that influence the participants’ adjustment to managing their CO. For the disengaged participants in this study, their under-managed lower limb CO was a progression towards being housebound and having a gradually increasing level of disability.

Conclusion

Chronic edema, if left unmanaged, can have a profound debilitating impact on the individual permanently. Understanding the challenges faced by patients with lower limb CO has implications for developing a more patient-centered multidisciplinary approach to clinical practice and suggests the need for further research.
Tobacco Hornworm (Manduca sexta) caterpillars as a novel host model for the study of fungal virulence and drug efficacy
Authors: Lyons Naomi , Softley Isabel , Balfour Andrew , Williamson Carolyn , O’Brien Heath E. , Shetty Amol C. , Bruno Vincent M. , Diezmann Stephanie
Published: July 2019

The two leading yeast pathogens of humans, Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans, cause systemic infections in >1.4 million patients world-wide with mortality rates approaching 75%. It is thus imperative to study fungal virulence mechanisms, efficacy of antifungal drugs, and host response pathways. While this is commonly done in mammalian models, which are afflicted by ethical and practical concerns, invertebrate models, such as wax moth larvae and nematodes have been introduced over the last two decades. To complement existing invertebrate host models, we developed fifth instar caterpillars of the Tobacco Hornworm moth Manduca sexta as a novel host model. These caterpillars can be maintained at 37°C, are suitable for injections with defined amounts of yeast cells, and are susceptible to the most threatening yeast pathogens, including C. albicans, C. neoformans, C. auris, and C. glabrata. Importantly, fungal burden can be assessed daily throughout the course of infection in a single caterpillar’s faeces and haemolymph. Infected caterpillars can be rescued by treatment with antifungal drugs. Notably, these animals are large enough for weight to provide a reliable and reproducible measure of fungal disease. M. sexta caterpillars combine a suite of parameters that make them suitable for the study of fungal virulence.
Evidence for a unitary structure of spatial cognition beyond general intelligence
Authors: Malanchini Margherita , Rimfeld Kaili , Shakeshaft Nicholas G. , McMillan Andrew , Schofield Kerry L. , Rodic Maja , Rossi Valerio , Kovas Yulia , Dale Philip S. , Tucker-Drob Elliot M. , Plomin Robert
Published: July 2019

Performance in everyday spatial orientation tasks (e.g. map reading and navigation) has been considered functionally separate from performance on more abstract object-based spatial abilities (e.g. mental rotation and visualization). However, evidence remains scarce and unsystematic. With a novel gamified battery, we assessed six tests of spatial orientation in a virtual environment and examined their association with ten object-based spatial tests, as well as their links to general cognitive ability (g). We further estimated the role of genetic and environmental factors in underlying variation and covariation in these spatial tests. Participants (N = 2,660) were part of the Twins Early Development Study, aged 19 to 22. The 6 tests of spatial orientation clustered into a single ‘Navigation’ factor that was 64% heritable. Examining the structure of spatial ability across all 16 tests, three factors emerged: Navigation, Object Manipulation and Visualization. These, in turn, loaded strongly onto a general factor of Spatial Ability, which was highly heritable (84%). A large portion (45%) of this high heritability was independent of g. The results from this most comprehensive investigation of spatial abilities to date point towards the existence of a common genetic network that supports all spatial abilities.
Interferon-stimulated genes in zebrafish and human define an ancient arsenal of antiviral immunity
Authors: Levraud Jean-Pierre , Jouneau Luc , Briolat Valérie , Laghi Valerio , Boudinot Pierre
Published: July 2019

The evolution of the interferon (IFN) system, the major innate antiviral mechanism of vertebrates, remains poorly understood. According to the detection of type I IFN genes in cartilaginous fish genomes, the system appeared 500My ago. However, the IFN system integrates many other components, most of which are encoded by IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). To shed light on its evolution, we have used deep RNA sequencing to generate a comprehensive list of ISGs of zebrafish, taking advantage of the high quality genome annotation in this species. We analyzed larvae after inoculation of recombinant zebrafish type I IFN, or infection with chikungunya virus, a potent IFN inducer. We identified more than 400 zebrafish ISGs, defined as being either directly induced by IFN or induced by the virus in an IFN receptor-dependent manner. Their human orthologues were highly enriched in ISGs, particularly for highly-inducible genes. We identified 72 orthology groups containing ISGs in both zebrafish and human, revealing a core ancestral ISG repertoire, which includes most of the known signaling components of the IFN system. Many downstream effectors were also already present 450 My ago in the common ancestor of tetrapods and bony fish, and diversified as multi-gene families independently in the two lineages. A large proportion of the ISG repertoire is lineage-specific; around 40% of protein-coding zebrafish ISGs had no human orthologue. We identified 14 fish-specific gene families containing multiple ISGs, including finTRIMs. This work illuminates the evolution of the IFN system and provides a rich resource to explore new antiviral mechanisms.

Key points

We established an exhaustive list of larval zebrafish ISGs.

Orthologous ISGs in fish and human identify a large ancestral ISG repertoire.
Hydrothermal vent protistan distribution along the Mariana arc suggests vent endemics may be rare and novel
Authors: Murdock Sheryl A. , Juniper S. Kim
Published: July 2019

Elucidation of the potential roles of single‐celled eukaryotes (protists) in ecosystem function and trophodynamics in hydrothermal vent ecosystems is reliant on information regarding their abundance, distribution and preference for vent habitats. Using high‐throughput 18S rRNA gene sequencing on a diverse suite of hydrothermally influenced and background water samples, we assess the diversity and distribution of protists and identify potential vent endemics. We found that 95% of the recovered sequences belong to operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with a cosmopolitan distribution across vent and non‐vent habitats. Analysis of ‘vent only’ OTUs found in more than one vent sample and co‐occurrence network analysis comparing protist groups to extremophilic reference organisms suggest that the most likely vent endemics are infrequently encountered, potentially in low abundance, and belong to novel lineages, both at the phylum level and within defined clades of Rhizaria and Stramenopila. Potential endemism is inferred for relatives of known apusomonads, excavates and some clades of Syndiniales. Similarity in community composition among samples was low, indicating a strong stochastic component to protist community assembly and suggesting that rare endemics may serve as a reservoir poised to respond to changing environmental conditions in these dynamic systems.
Characterization of a thaumarchaeal symbiont that drives incomplete nitrification in the tropical spongeIanthella basta
Authors: Moeller Florian U. , Webster Nicole S. , Herbold Craig W. , Behnam Faris , Domman Daryl , Albertsen Mads , Mooshammer Maria , Markert Stephanie , Turaev Dmitrij , Becher Dörte , Rattei Thomas , Schweder Thomas , Richter Andreas , Watzka Margarete , Nielsen Per Halkjaer , Wagner Michael
Published: July 2019

Marine sponges represent one of the few eukaryotic groups that frequently harbour symbiotic members of theThaumarchaeota, which are important chemoautotrophic ammonia‐oxidizers in many environments. However, in most studies, direct demonstration of ammonia‐oxidation by these archaea within sponges is lacking, and little is known about sponge‐specific adaptations of ammonia‐oxidizing archaea (AOA). Here, we characterized the thaumarchaeal symbiont of the marine spongeIanthella bastausing metaproteogenomics, fluorescencein situhybridization, qPCR and isotope‐based functional assays. ‘CandidatusNitrosospongia ianthellae’ is only distantly related to cultured AOA. It is an abundant symbiont that is solely responsible for nitrite formation from ammonia inI. bastathat surprisingly does not harbour nitrite‐oxidizing microbes. Furthermore, this AOA is equipped with an expanded set of extracellular subtilisin‐like proteases, a metalloprotease unique among archaea, as well as a putative branched‐chain amino acid ABC transporter. This repertoire is strongly indicative of a mixotrophic lifestyle and is (with slight variations) also found in other sponge‐associated, but not in free‐living AOA. We predict that this feature as well as an expanded and unique set of secreted serpins (protease inhibitors), a unique array of eukaryotic‐like proteins, and a DNA‐phosporothioation system, represent important adaptations of AOA to life within these ancient filter‐feeding animals.
The effect of sildenafil on pleural and peritoneal effusions after the TCPC operation
Authors: Koski Tapio K. , Suominen Pertti K. , Raissadati Alireza , Knihtilä Hanna M. , Ojala Tiina H. , Salminen Jukka T.
Published: July 2019

Background

We evaluated whether the administration of sildenafil in children undergoing the TCPC operation shortened the interval from the operation to the removal of the pleural and peritoneal drains.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the data of 122 patients who had undergone the TCPC operation between 2004 and 2014. Patients were divided into two groups on the basis of their treatments. Sildenafil was orally administered pre‐operatively in the morning of the procedure or within 24 hours after the TCPC operation to the sildenafil group (n = 48), which was compared to a control group (n = 60). Fourteen patients were excluded from the study.

Results

The primary outcome measure was the time from the operation to the removal of the drains. The study groups had similar demographics. The median [interquartile range] time for the removal of drains (sildenafil group 11 [8‐19] vs control group 11 [7‐16] d, P = .532) was comparable between the groups. The median [interquartile range] fluid balance on the first post‐operative day was significantly higher (P = .001) in the sildenafil group compared with controls (47 [12‐103] vs 7 [−6‐67] mL kg−1). The first post‐operative day fluid balance was a significant predictor for a prolonged need for drains in the multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

Sildenafil administration, pre‐operatively or within 24 hours after the TCPC operation, did not reduce the required time for pleural and peritoneal drains but was associated with a significantly higher positive fluid balance.
The structure of Chinese adolescents’ conscience: A scale and its application
Authors: Bian Junfeng , Li Liang , Yan Liangshi , Li Ying , Li Chanyi , Li Chan
Published: July 2019

Based on traditional Chinese conscience theory, we defined the concept of conscience after reviewing the relevant literature. We constructed a preliminary theoretical model of the conscience structure through in‐depth interviews conducted with a sample of 127 Chinese adolescents and an open‐ended questionnaire conducted with 374 volunteers based on the consensual qualitative research (CQR) method. Then, we developed a preliminary conscience scale questionnaire and surveyed 702 people to obtain data for the development of the final questionnaire. The analysis indicated that the self‐developed questionnaire had good reliability and validity. The revised structure model of conscience in Chinese adolescents includes five dimensions: (a) compassion, (b) honesty and credibility, (c) a sense of right and wrong, (d) filial piety and fraternal duty, and (e) gratitude. Using this scale, we surveyed 1,009 adolescents in China. We have discussed the characteristic differences in scale scores among different age cohorts, genders, subject disciplines, and places of residence.
Does indocyanine green improve the evaluation of perfusion during laparoscopic colorectal surgery with extracorporeal anastomosis?
Authors: Buxey Kenneth , Lam Francis , Muhlmann Mark , Wong Shing
Published: July 2019

Background

There has been recent interest in indocyanine green (ICG) to assess anastomotic perfusion in colorectal surgery. We describe our experience using ICG when performing laparoscopic segmental colorectal resections with extracorporeal anastomotic technique and a highly standardized approach for clinically assessing blood flow.

Methods

We recruited 20 consecutive patients to undergo segmental laparoscopic resection and determined an appropriate point to transect mesentery proximally confirming pulsatile arterial flow at this level. Once confirmed, we did a further perfusion study using ICG to ascertain if this would change intraoperative decision‐making.

Results

Twenty segmental colonic resections were assessed in nine female and 11 male patients aged 26–91 years. ICG administration was safe with no adverse outcomes documented. ICG demonstrated anastomotic perfusion in all cases. We observed no cases wherewith pulsatile blood flow at the cut edge of the mesentery, ICG showed inadequate perfusion at this level. We did find in 25% of cases ICG showed perfusion beyond the cut edge of the mesentery to a distance of up to 2.5 cm.

Conclusion

ICG perfusion is safe and straightforward to carry out. However, when pulsatile arterial bleeding is demonstrated clinically it does not add anything to assessment of perfusion in our study. Furthermore, in 25% of cases perfusion can be demonstrated beyond the cut edge of the mesentery up to a distance of 2.5 cm. This raises the possibility that an organ well perfused with ICG may have less than ideal blood flow when assessing for this with a view to constructing an anastomosis.
Genetic parameter estimation for number born alive at different parities in Landrace and Large White pigs
Authors: Ogawa Shinichiro , Konta Ayane , Kimata Makoto , Ishii Kazuo , Uemoto Yoshinobu , Satoh Masahiro
Published: July 2019

We estimated genetic parameters for number born alive (NBA) from the first to the seventh parities in Landrace and Large White pigs using three models. Analyzing 55,160 farrowing records for 12,677 Landrace dams and 43,839 for 10,405 Large White dams, we used a single‐trait animal model to estimate the heritability of NBA at each parity and a two‐trait animal model and a single‐trait random regression model to estimate the genetic correlations between parities. Heritability estimates of NBA at each parity ranged from 0.08 to 0.13 for Landrace and from 0.05 to 0.16 for Large White. Estimated genetic correlations between parities in all cases were positive. Genetic correlations between the first and second parities were slightly lower than those between other neighboring parities. Genetic correlations between more distant parities tended to be lower, in some cases <0.8. The results indicate the necessity to investigate the applicability of evaluating NBA at different parities as different traits (e.g., the first and later parities), although a repeatability model might still be reasonable.
A phase I pharmacokinetic study of belinostat in patients with advanced cancers and varying degrees of liver dysfunction
Authors: Takebe Naoko , Beumer Jan H. , Kummar Shivaani , Kiesel Brian F. , Dowlati Afshin , O'Sullivan Coyne Geraldine , Piekarz Richard , Rubinstein Lawrence , Fogli Laura K. , Vaishampayan Ulka , Goel Sanjay , O'Bryant Cindy L. , El‐Rayes Bassel F. , Chung Vincent , Lenz Heinz‐Josef , Kim Richard , Belani Chandra P. , Tuscano Joseph M. , Schelman William , Moore Nancy , Doroshow James H. , Chen Alice P.
Published: July 2019

Aims

The histone deacetylase inhibitor belinostat has activity in various cancers. Because belinostat is metabolized by the liver, reduced hepatic clearance could lead to excessive drug accumulation and increased toxicity. Safety data in patients with liver dysfunction are needed for this drug to reach its full potential in the clinic.

Methods

We performed a phase 1 trial to determine the safety, maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and pharmacokinetics of belinostat in patients with advanced cancer and varying degrees of liver dysfunction.

Results

Seventy‐two patients were enrolled and divided into cohorts based on liver function. In patients with mild dysfunction, the MTD was the same as the recommended phase 2 dose (1000 mg/m2/day). Belinostat was well tolerated in patients with moderate and severe liver dysfunction, although the trial was closed before the MTD in these cohorts could be determined. The mean clearance of belinostat was 661 mL/min/m2 in patients with normal liver function, compared to 542, 505 and 444 mL/min/m2 in patients with mild, moderate and severe hepatic dysfunction. Although this trial was not designed to assess clinical activity, of the 47 patients evaluable for response, 13 patients (28%) experienced stable disease.

Conclusion

While a statistically significant difference in clearance indicates increased belinostat exposure with worsening liver function, no relationship was observed between belinostat exposure and toxicity. An assessment of belinostat metabolites revealed significant differences in metabolic pathway capability in patients with differing levels of liver dysfunction. Further studies are needed to establish formal dosing guidelines in this patient population.
On how risk and group size interact to influence vigilance
Authors: Beauchamp Guy
Published: July 2019

Vigilance allows animals to monitor their surroundings for signs of danger associated with predators or rivals. As vigilance is costly, models predict that it should increase when the risk posed by predators or rivals increases. In addition, vigilance is expected to decrease in larger groups that provide more safety against predators. Risk and group size are thus two key determinants of vigilance. Together, they could have additive or interactive effects. If risk and group size interacted, the magnitude of the group‐size effect on vigilance would vary depending on the level of risk experienced, implying that the benefits of sociality in terms of vigilance vary with risk. Depending on the model, vigilance is predicted to decrease more rapidly with group size at low risk or at high risk. Little work has focused directly on the interaction between risk and group size, making it difficult to understand under which conditions particular interactive effects arise and whether interactive effects are common in natural systems. I review the vast literature on vigilance in birds and mammals to assess whether interactive effects between risk and group size are common, and if present, which pattern occurs more frequently. In studies involving predation risk, the greatest proportion reported no statistically significant interactive effects. In other cases, vigilance decreased with group size more rapidly at low or high risk in a similar proportion of studies. In studies involving risk posed by rivals (social risk), most documented a more rapid decrease in vigilance with group size at low than at high risk, as predicted if the need to monitor rivals increases in larger groups. Low statistical power to detect interactive effects might have been an issue in several studies. The absence of interactive effects, on the other hand, might suggest constraints or limits on the ability of animals to adjust vigilance to current risk or group sizes. Interactive effects on vigilance have implications for the evolution of sociality and for our understanding of the phenotypic plasticity of predator‐ and competitor‐induced defences and deserve more attention in future studies.
Receptive language skills among young children in rural Guatemala: The relationship between the Test de Vocabulario en Imagenes Peabody and a translated and adapted version of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning
Authors: Connery Amy K. , Colbert Alison M. , Lamb Molly M. , Hernández Sara , Martínez María Alejandra , Bauer Desirée , Arroyave Paola , El Sahly Hana M. , Paniagua‐Avila Alejandra , Calvimontes Mirella , Bolaños Guillermo Antoñio , Olson Daniel , Asturias Edwin J. , Munoz Flor M.
Published: July 2019

Background

Children in low‐ and lower middle income countries (LMICs) often have poorer language skills compared with children from high‐income countries. Limited availability of culturally and linguistically appropriate assessment measures in LMICs, especially for young children, can hinder early identification and prevention efforts. Here, we describe receptive language (RL) skills among young children in rural Guatemala and report on the validity of a translated and culturally adapted developmental measure of RL.

Methods

Children (n = 157; m = 53.6 months, range = 42–68 months) enrolled in a prospective cohort study of postnatally acquired Zika virus infection were administered the Test de Vocabulario en Imagenes Peabody (TVIP) and the RL scale from a translated and adapted version of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL). Performance on the TVIP was compared with the Latin American normative sample. Correlational analysis examined the relationship between performance on the TVIP and the MSEL‐RL.

Results

Mean scores were significantly below the normative sample mean on the TVIP, t(126) = −11.04, p < .001; d = 1.00. Performance on the TVIP among children who passed the practice items (n = 127) was significantly positively associated with performance on the MSEL‐RL (r = .50, p < .001), but not significantly associated with age or gender. Older age (p < .0001) and female gender (p = .018) were associated with passing the TVIP practice items.

Conclusions

Delays in RL vocabulary were identified among young children in rural Guatemala on the TVIP. The association between scores on the TVIP and the RL scale of the MSEL provides preliminary support for the construct validity of this translated and adapted version of the MSEL.
Along the London Overground: Transport Improvements, Gentrification, and Symbolic Ownership along London's Trendiest Line
Authors: Lagadic Marion
Published: July 2019

Between 2008 and 2011, the dysfunctional North London line was improved and rebranded into a high–quality, high–frequency service: the London Overground. Great ambitions for regeneration came with this project: The improved line, running through deprived areas of East London, was expected to bring inward investment and to open access to new opportunities outside the borough to its residents. Seven years after the beginning of the improvement works, Hackney's Overground stations have emerged as hubs for London's trendy, symbolic economy, and the current commercial dynamism has been interpreted by many as indicative of widespread gentrification. Through census data analysis and 58 interviews with local shopkeepers and experts around four stations of the London Overground—Dalston, Hackney Central, Homerton, and Hackney Wick—this study shows that the emergence of a trendy retail scene should not be mistaken for inclusive regeneration. The North London Line improvements catalyzed gentrification both by capital and by collective action, and fostered gentrification in both direct and indirect ways. The expansion of the trendy retail scene, if left uncontrolled by policymakers, will lead to a symbolic displacement of longstanding residents, which will be added to their direct displacement through rising rents and exclusion from employment opportunities in the symbolic economy.
Cdc2‐like kinase 2 (Clk2) promotes early neural development in Xenopus embryos
Authors: Virgirinia Regina Putri , Jahan Nusrat , Okada Maya , Takebayashi‐Suzuki Kimiko , Yoshida Hitoshi , Nakamura Makoto , Akao Hajime , Yoshimoto Yuta , Fatchiyah Fatchiyah , Ueno Naoto , Suzuki Atsushi
Published: July 2019

Neural induction and patterning in vertebrates are regulated during early development by several morphogens, such as bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and fibroblast growth factors (FGFs). Ventral ectoderm differentiates into epidermis in response to BMPs, whereas BMP signaling is tightly inhibited in the dorsal ectoderm which develops into neural tissues. Here, we show that Cdc2‐like kinase 2 (Clk2) promotes early neural development and inhibits epidermis differentiation in Xenopus embryos. clk2 is specifically expressed in neural tissues along the anterior‐posterior axis during early Xenopus embryogenesis. When overexpressed in ectodermal explants, Clk2 induces the expression of both anterior and posterior neural marker genes. In agreement with this observation, overexpression of Clk2 in whole embryos expands the neural plate at the expense of epidermal ectoderm. Interestingly, the neural‐inducing activity of Clk2 is increased following BMP inhibition and activation of the FGF signaling pathway in ectodermal explants. Clk2 also downregulates the level of p‐Smad1/5/8 in cooperation with BMP inhibition, in addition to increasing the level of activated MAPK together with FGF. These results suggest that Clk2 plays a role in early neural development of Xenopus possibly via modulation of morphogen signals such as the BMP and FGF pathways.
Developmental milestones of the Latin American Academy of Child Development and Disabilities
Authors: Schiariti Verónica
Published: July 2019

Spanish and Portuguese translations of this editorial are available in the online issue.

Video Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj7Qs5XP_Ec&t=9s
Hitos del desarrollo de la Academia Latinoamericana de Desarrollo Infantil y Discapacidades
Authors: Schiariti Verónica
Published: July 2019

Video Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoD4acx2odw
Impact of severe hypoglycaemia on psychological outcomes in adults with Type 2 diabetes: a systematic review
Authors: Hendrieckx C. , Ivory N. , Singh H. , Frier B. M. , Speight J.
Published: July 2019

Aim

Hypoglycaemia affects many people with Type 2 diabetes using insulin and other glucose‐lowering therapies. This systematic review examined the impact of severe hypoglycaemia (episodes requiring external assistance) on psychological outcomes (e.g. emotional well‐being, health status and quality of life) in adults with Type 2 diabetes.

Methods

MEDLINE Complete, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases were searched for peer‐reviewed empirical studies, published in English, reporting the occurrence and severity of hypoglycaemia and its relationship with patient‐reported outcomes (PROs) in adults with Type 2 diabetes. Data were extracted from published reports and analysed.

Results

Of 3756 potentially relevant abstracts, 29 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most reported cross‐sectional data and sample sizes varied widely (N = 71 to 17 563). Although definitions of mild and severe hypoglycaemia were largely consistent between studies, additional non‐standard categorizations (e.g. moderate, very severe) were apparent and recall periods varied. Overall, severe hypoglycaemia was associated with increased fear of hypoglycaemia and decreased emotional well‐being, health status and diabetes‐specific quality of life. Effect sizes show that the association with fear of hypoglycaemia was stronger than with general health status.

Conclusions

Notwithstanding the limitations of the empirical studies, these findings indicate that severe hypoglycaemia in adults with Type 2 diabetes (insulin‐ and non‐insulin‐treated) is associated with impaired psychological outcomes. Healthcare professionals should address the psychological impact of severe hypoglycaemia during clinical consultations, to support individuals to minimize exposure to, and the psychological consequences of, severe hypoglycaemia.
The “Reggio Emilia At‐Risk Mental States” program: A diffused, “liquid” model of early intervention in psychosis implemented in an Italian Department of Mental Health
Authors: Pelizza Lorenzo , Azzali Silvia , Paterlini Federica , Garlassi Sara , Scazza Ilaria , Chiri Luigi R. , Poletti Michele , Pupo Simona , Raballo Andrea
Published: July 2019

Aim

From September 2012, the Reggio Emilia Department of Mental Health developed a specific program (the “Reggio Emilia At‐Risk Mental States” [ReARMS] protocol) as a diffused, “liquid” infrastructure for early intervention in psychosis. Aims of the current study are (a) to describe the ReARMS macroscopic organization and (b) to examine specific process indicators during the first 5 years of clinical activity.

Methods

All participants (n = 300) were young help‐seekers, aged 13 to 35 years, who completed the Comprehensive Assessment of At‐Risk Mental States (CAARMS).

Results

At baseline, 95 (31.7%) participants did not meet CAARMS‐defined criteria, while 205 (68.3%) were offered a dedicated protocol of care: 154 (75.1%) of them were enrolled in the program, 19 (9.3%) refused and 32 (15.6%) dropped out during the first year of treatment. Individuals enrolled in the ReARMS protocol were mainly referred by general practitioners (33.3%), emergency room/general hospital (24%) or they were self‐referred (15%). In comparison with ultra‐high risk individuals, patients with first episode psychosis showed significantly higher mean age at entry and preponderance of males, as well as higher percentages of history of substance abuse and previous hospitalization.

Conclusions

An early intervention in psychosis service in Italian child/adolescent and adult mental health services are feasible and clinically relevant, also in adolescents, who have a high risk of falling through the child‐adult service gap as they cross the transition boundary between services.
Copepod nauplii use phosphorus from bacteria, creating a short circuit in the microbial loop
Authors: Faithfull Carolyn , Goetze Erica
Published: July 2019

In subtropical oceans phytoplankton carbon: phosphorus (C : P) ratios are high, and these ratios are predicted to increase further with rising ocean temperatures and stratification. Prey stoichiometry may pose a problem for copepod zooplankton nauplii, which have high phosphorus demands due to rapid growth. We hypothesised that nauplii meet this demand by consuming bacteria. Naupliar bacterial and phytoplankton carbon and phosphorus ingestion, assimilation and incorporation were traced using 33P and 14C radioisotopes. Bacterial carbon was incorporated four times less efficiently into biomass than phytoplankton carbon. In contrast, bacterial and phytoplankton phosphorus were incorporated at similar efficiencies, and bacteria could meet a substantial amount of naupliar phosphorus requirements. As parts of the ocean become more oligotrophic, bacteria could help sustain naupliar growth and survival under suboptimal stoichiometric conditions. Thus, nauplii may be a shortcut for phosphorus from the microbial loop to the classical food web.
Infestation of the non‐photosynthetic plant Mitrastemon yamamotoi (Ericales: Mitrastemonaceae) by Assara balanophorae (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
Authors: Suetsugu Kenji , Yoshiyasu Yutaka
Published: July 2019

Although the majority of Assara (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) larvae feed on pinaceous cones, Assara balanophorae Sasaki & Tanaka is known to infest the infructescence of the holoparasitic plant Balanophora tobiracola Makino (Santalales: Balanophoraceae). Here, we report additional feeding ecology of A. balanophorae. We found that A. balanophorae larvae bored into the infructescence of the holoparasitic plant Mitrastemon yamamotoi Makino (Ericales: Mitrastemonaceae), pushing frass to the outside from small holes, and occasionally exited from the holes and consumed the scale leaves. Although Mitrastemon is distantly related to Balanophora at the order level, both plants could present a similar resource for A. balanophorae, due to their convergent holoparasitic characteristics. Given that A. balanophorae is considered as the brood‐site pollinator of Balanophora, rather than only parasitizing it, the morphological and ecological similarities between M. yamamotoi and Balanophora might suggest that the relationship between M. yamamotoi and A. balanophorae is also brood‐site pollination mutualism.
Quantitative evaluation of age‐related changes to pelvic floor muscles in magnetic resonance images from 369 patients
Authors: Komemushi Yoshimitsu , Komemushi Atsushi , Morimoto Kazuya , Yoneda Yukio , Yoshimura Rikio , Tanaka Tomoaki , Katou Takeharu , Nakatani Tatsuya
Published: July 2019

Aim

This study aimed to establish and validate a quantitative evaluation method for pelvic floor muscles using magnetic resonance images (MRI) and to examine the morphological change of pelvic floor muscles with aging.

Methods

Data from 369 consecutive patients (163 men, 206 women; median age 58 years; range 17–92 years) who underwent coronal T2‐weighted pelvic MRI at Osaka General Hospital between January 2016 and December 2016 were retrospectively examined. MRI of the levator ani muscle was evaluated. The MRI image blinded the patient information and was evaluated by a radiology specialist with 22 years of experience. In coronal T2‐weighted MRI of the pelvis, the levator ani muscle was evaluated using the slice; it showed the most upward and downward convexity. We measured the thickness of the levator ani muscle, and the distance at the most convex part from a straight line connecting the origin and insertion of the levator ani muscle on both the left and right sides. Upward and downward convexity was recorded in positive and negative values, respectively.

Results

The levator ani muscle was able to be evaluated quantitatively in all cases. Both men and women showed thinning (men: mean 3.316 mm, r = −0.388, P < 0.0001; women: mean 3.947 mm, r = −0.359, P < 0.0001) and concavity (men: mean 1.412 mm, r = −0.362, P < 0.0001; women: mean 4.979 mm, r = −0.630, P < 0.0001) of the levator ani muscle with aging.

Conclusions

A quantitative evaluation method for pelvic floor muscles using MRI was established. Aging was associated with morphological changes in the pelvic floor muscles in both men and women. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 834–837.
Conditioned openings and restraints: The meaning‐making of women professionals breaking into the male‐dominated sector of forestry
Authors: Johansson Kristina , Andersson Elias , Johansson Maria , Lidestav Gun
Published: July 2019

This article addresses how women forestry professionals articulate and interpret their experiences of being a woman and a professional in the male‐dominated context of forestry. The findings suggest that the entrance of women into forestry has created openings as well as restraints within the dominant discourses of forestry organizations. Gendered constructions of skills and a workplace culture described as built on homosocial values cause women to feel questioned and disadvantaged. At the same time, women are valued for their perceived capacity to perform relational‐based aspects of forestry work and as a means to reduce gender segregation. We conclude that while these openings are conditioned by discourses of gender differences and masculine privileges, they provide women, to some extent, with subjectivity and organizational space that, with time, may challenge the dominant and gendered discourses of forestry organizations.
Voegtlin‐style suction traps measure insect diversity and community heterogeneity
Authors: Favret Colin , Lessard Vincent , Trépanier Alexis , Eon‐Le Guern Titouan , Théry Thomas
Published: July 2019

Comparing ecologically relevant communities of insects in heterogeneous environments requires methods capable of sampling a sufficient number of individuals and diversity of species to measure β diversity.

A battery‐operated computer fan powers a 1.5 m high Voegtlin suction trap. These traps are efficient at capturing small, weakly flying insects, and can be used to sample the α and β diversity of Microhymenoptera in discrete habitats within a temperate forest ecosystem.

During a preliminary study comparing Voegtlin‐style suction and Townes‐style Malaise traps, we found that the suction traps caught a greater number and a greater diversity of Hymenoptera than the Malaise traps, especially of those OTUs smaller than 1.5 mm.

Placed along a transect at 50 m intervals, the suction traps also yielded more heterogeneous samples than the Malaise traps, suggesting they may be particularly useful for quantifying β diversity at small spatial scales. The same analyses with brachyceran Diptera were more nuanced. Malaise traps outperformed suction traps in terms of measuring α diversity, but suction traps resolved a higher degree of brachyceran community heterogeneity using β diversity.

Insofar as Hymenoptera are amongst the most diverse of insect orders and the vast majority of species are specialist parasitoids of other insects, suction trapped Hymenoptera diversity may be a useful proxy for measuring α and β insect diversity in general.
The cross‐sectional and prospective associations between sleep characteristics and adiposity in toddlers: Results from the GET UP! Study
Authors: Zhang Zhiguang , Pereira João R. , Sousa‐Sá Eduarda , Okely Anthony D. , Feng Xiaoqi , Santos Rute
Published: July 2019

Background

The associations between sleep characteristics and adiposity in children under three years are not fully understood yet.

Objective

The objective of the study is to examine the cross‐sectional and prospective associations between sleep characteristics and adiposity in toddlers over a 12‐month period.

Methods

Participants were 202 toddlers from the GET‐UP! Study. Sleep duration, sleep timing, and sleep variability were assessed using 24‐hour accelerometry for seven consecutive days. Height and weight were measured, and BMI z scores were calculated. Linear mixed models were performed to examine the cross‐sectional and prospective associations between sleep characteristics and adiposity, with adjustments for clustering effects and demographic factors.

Results

Total sleep duration was negatively associated with higher adiposity cross‐sectionally (B = −0.12; 95% CI: −0.23, −0.01; .033) but not prospectively (B = 0.01; 95% CI: −0.13, 0.10; .843). Nap duration was prospectively associated with higher levels of adiposity (B = 0.41; 95% CI: 0.14, 0.68; .003). Sleep variability and sleep timing were not associated with concurrent or subsequent adiposity.

Conclusion

Although sleep duration is an important factor associated with obesity in toddlerhood, the potential effects of different types of sleep duration may vary. While longer total sleep duration may protect children from increasing adiposity, longer nap duration seems to be risk factor. As evidence in this age group is scarce, more research is needed to confirm this finding.
A Chinese Model for Labour in Europe?
Authors: Ceccagno Antonella , Sacchetto Devi
Published: July 2019

Based on long‐term fieldwork in multiple locations, our article questions the approach that posits a Chinese model of work and employment relations as increasingly exporting its form of labour management and dominating worldwide. It does so by focusing on Europe and discussing two labour regimes considered as typically Chinese: the Chinese fashion workshops in the Italian fashion industry, and the Foxconn electronics plants in the Czech Republic. Our findings bring new insights to bear on issues for which research is still thin on the ground and challenge the hypothesis of a ‘Chinesisation’ of work and employment practices in Chinese small firms and MNCs operating in Europe. We move the focus away from the simple analysis of firm management prevailing in the literature and suggest that, in order to understand the firm’s behaviours, the role of the state, the unions, the migrant workers and the role of temporary work agencies should all be taken into consideration.
PACAP ameliorates hepatic metabolism and inflammation through up‐regulating FAIM in obesity
Authors: Xiao Xing , Qiu Pei , Gong Hui‐Zhen , Chen Xue‐Ming , Sun Yan , Hong An , Ma Yi
Published: July 2019

Obesity is considered a chronic inflammatory disease, the inflammatory factors, such as interleukin 6 (IL‐6), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP‐1) and small inducible cytokine A5 (RANTES), are elevated in obese individuals. Pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating polypeptide (PACAP) suppresses anti‐inflammatory cytokines and ameliorates glucose and lipid metabolism. Our previous study showed that Fas apoptosis inhibitory molecule (FAIM) is a new mediator of Akt2 signalling, increases the insulin signalling pathway and lipid metabolism. In this study, we found that PACAP promoted the expression of FAIM protein in a human hepatocyte cell line (L02). Overexpression of FAIM with lentivirus suppressed the expression of the inflammatory factor interleukin 6 (IL‐6), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP‐1) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α). Following treatment of obese mice with FAIM or PACAP for 2 weeks, inflammation was alleviated and the bodyweight and blood glucose levels were decreased. Overexpression of FAIM down‐regulated the expression of adipogenesis proteins, including SREBP1, SCD1, FAS, SREBP2 and HMGCR, and up‐regulated glycogen synthesis proteins, including Akt2 (Ser474) phosphorylation, GLUT2 and GSK‐3β, in the liver of obese mice. However, down‐regulation of FAIM with shRNA promotes obesity. Altogether, our data identified that FAIM mediates the function of PACAP in anti‐inflammation, glucose regulation and lipid metabolism in obese liver.
miR‐499 released during myocardial infarction causes endothelial injury by targeting α7‐nAchR
Authors: Zhou Rui , Huang Wenjun , Fan Xinrong , Liu Feng , Luo Liangqin , Yuan Haiyang , Jiang Yu , Xiao Haiying , Zhou Zhichao , Deng Chenliang , Dang Xitong
Published: July 2019

The surged systemic vascular inflammation after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) aggravates the atherosclerotic endothelial injury. To explore roles of miR‐499 released from cardiomyocytes during AMI in endothelial injury. Using qPCR and ELISA, we discovered that patients with AMI had significantly increased plasma miR‐499, which was directly correlated with serum thrombomodulin, a marker for endothelial injury. Plasma of AMI patients, when incubated with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), significantly increased the expression of endothelial injury markers, which could be abrogated by antagomiR‐499. In vitro, neonatal rat cardiomyocytes subjected to hypoxia/reoxygenation (HX/R) released miR‐499 that could be internalized into rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (RPMECs), worsening the high glucose‐induced injury. In silico analysis demonstrated that CHRNA7 encoding α7‐nAchR is a target of miR‐499, which was validated in cell lines expressing endogenous α7‐nAchR. In high glucose‐induced RPMECs injury model, miR‐499 aggravated, whereas forced CHRNA7 expression ameliorated the injury. Moreover, the perfusate from Langendorff perfused rat heart subjected to HX/R contained higher level of miR‐499 that significantly impaired the Bradykinin‐mediated endothelium‐dependent relaxation in both conduit and resistance arteries, which could be partially abrogated by antagomiR‐499. Finally, the correlation between plasma miR‐499 and endothelial injury was further confirmed in another cohort of AMI patients. We conclude that miR‐499 released from injured cardiomyocytes contributes to the endothelial injury by targeting α7‐nAchR. This study implies that miR‐499 may serve as a potential target for the treatment of the surged vascular inflammation post‐AMI.
Increasing risk of diabetes mellitus in postmenopausal women with newly diagnosed primary breast cancer
Authors: Wang Chih‐Yuan , Shih Shyang‐Rong , Huang Kuo‐Chin
Published: July 2019

Aims/Introduction

We sought to determine if postmenopausal women who develop breast cancer are at increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus.

Materials and Methods

The Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database was searched from 2001 to 2015 for women aged ≥55 years (postmenopausal) with a diagnosis of primary breast cancer. Participants were age‐matched with women without breast cancer in a 1:5 ratio. Cox proportional hazards analyses were used to examine associations between breast cancer, risk factors and the development of diabetes mellitus.

Results

A total of 4,607 women with primary breast cancer and 23,035 age‐matched controls without breast cancer were included (mean age 58.6 ± 9.1 years). Adjusting for age, income, urbanization, Charlson Comorbidity Index and medical conditions, the risk of diabetes mellitus for participants with breast cancer at 1, 5, 10 and 15 years was 1.70‐, 1.34‐, 1.27‐ and 1.24‐fold higher, respectively, than for participants without breast cancer (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.40–2.05; aHR 1.34, 95% CI 1.17–1.54; aHR 1.27, 95% CI 1.13–1.44; aHR 1.24, 95% CI 1.11–1.40). The risk of diabetes mellitus at 1 year for breast cancer patients receiving hormone therapy was 1.22‐fold higher than in those not receiving hormone therapy (aHR 1.22, 95% CI 0.86–1.74), but without statistical significance.

Conclusions

Postmenopausal women with breast cancer are at increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus, independent of receiving hormone therapy, and should be closely monitored to establish an early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention for improving related outcomes.