bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Keloids and Hypertrophic Scars: Pathophysiology, Classification, and Treatment
Authors: Berman Brian , Maderal Andrea , Raphael Brian
Published: June 2016

BACKGROUND

Keloid and hypertrophic scars represent an aberrant response to the wound healing process. These scars are characterized by dysregulated growth with excessive collagen formation, and can be cosmetically and functionally disruptive to patients.

OBJECTIVE

Objectives are to describe the pathophysiology of keloid and hypertrophic scar, and to compare differences with the normal wound healing process. The classification of keloids and hypertrophic scars are then discussed. Finally, various treatment options including prevention, conventional therapies, surgical therapies, and adjuvant therapies are described in detail.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Literature review was performed identifying relevant publications pertaining to the pathophysiology, classification, and treatment of keloid and hypertrophic scars.

RESULTS

Though the pathophysiology of keloid and hypertrophic scars is not completely known, various cytokines have been implicated, including interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-10, as well as various growth factors including transforming growth factor-beta and platelet-derived growth factor. Numerous treatments have been studied for keloid and hypertrophic scars,which include conventional therapies such as occlusive dressings, compression therapy, and steroids; surgical therapies such as excision and cryosurgery; and adjuvant and emerging therapies including radiation therapy, interferon, 5-fluorouracil, imiquimod, tacrolimus, sirolimus, bleomycin, doxorubicin, transforming growth factor-beta, epidermal growth factor, verapamil, retinoic acid, tamoxifen, botulinum toxin A, onion extract, silicone-based camouflage, hydrogel scaffold, and skin tension offloading device.

CONCLUSION

Keloid and hypertrophic scars remain a challenging condition, with potential cosmetic and functional consequences to patients. Several therapies exist which function through different mechanisms. Better understanding into the pathogenesis will allow for development of newer and more targeted therapies in the future.
Anticoagulation Reversal Strategies for Left Ventricular Assist Device Patients Presenting with Acute Intracranial Hemorrhage
Authors: Wong Joshua K. , Chen Peter C. , Falvey Jennifer , Melvin Amber L. , Lidder Alcina K. , Lowenstein Lisa M. , Miranpuri Amrendra S. , Knight Peter A. , Massey H. Todd
Published: June 2016

The safety of alternative vitamin K antagonist (VKA) reversal strategies in patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVAD’s) who present with intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) are not well known. A review of LVAD patients with ICH from May 2008 to 2015 was conducted, comparing the safety and efficacy of 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrate-assisted VKA reversal (4F-PCC group, n = 10) to reversal with traditional agents alone (no-PCC group, n = 10). An analysis of a no-reversal strategy in selected patients (n = 11) with ICH was additionally performed. Thirty-one cases of ICH on LVAD support were reviewed. The rate of post reversal thromboembolic events was not significantly different between 4F-PCC and no-PCC patients (0% vs. 10%, p = 1.0); however, the time to VKA reversal was shorter (474 vs. 945 minutes, p = 0.02) and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) requirements lower (1.9 vs. 3.6 units, p = 0.05) in 4F-PCC patients, with no difference in mortality between groups (p = 1.0). Eleven patients (mean ICH volume: 0.4 cm3) were successfully managed without active VKA reversal, with no increased hemorrhage noted on neuroimaging. These results suggest that 4F-PCC-assisted reversal in LVAD patients is safe and may improve the efficacy of VKA reversal. Our findings also indicate that carefully selected patients with small ICH volumes may be safely managed by discontinuing anticoagulation and allowing the international normalized ratio (INR) to normalize physiologically.
Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder: Disease Course and Long-Term Visual Outcome
Authors: Brody Judith , Hellmann Mark A. , Marignier Romain , Lotan Itay , Stiebel-Kalish Hadas
Published: June 2016

Background:

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an autoimmune disease that classically manifests as attacks of optic neuritis (ON) and transverse myelitis (TM). The prevalence, course, and severity of NMOSD vary considerably. Few studies report the neuro-ophthalmologic disease course and visual outcome.

Objective:

We sought to describe the course and long-term visual outcome in a cohort of NMOSD patients treated in a single tertiary referral center.

Methods:

The database was searched for all patients with NMOSD who were treated in our center from 2005 to 2014. Data collected included detailed visual outcome, grade of final visual disability, neuroimaging, and results of optical coherence tomography. Details on relapses, acute episodes, and maintenance therapies were recorded.

Results:

Of the 12 patients with NMOSD who were followed for a mean duration of 9.06 years, 10 (83%) were women. Mean age at presentation was 33.90 ± 16.94 years. Patients with acute attacks were treated with high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone and offered immunosuppressive maintenance. ON occurred in 18 eyes of 12 patients, with a cumulative total of 37 ON episodes. At the end of the follow-up period, no patient had become legally blind and only 1 patient had lost her driver's license. Pain associated with acute ON was common (83%), whereas optic disc edema was a rare finding in our patient cohort (6%).

Conclusions:

In this retrospective series of 12 patients with NMOSD, followed for a mean of 9.06 years, acute-phase treatment was given within 8 days of relapse, followed by maintenance therapy. Functional visual outcome, as measured by the World Health Organization/International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision visual disability scale was better than reported in previous studies and driver's license was preserved in 11 of 12 patients. Pain accompanied 83% of ON attacks and may not aid differentiating multiple sclerosis from NMOSD-related ON.
Inference of Transmission Network Structure from HIV Phylogenetic Trees
Authors: Giardina Federica , Romero-Severson Ethan Obie , Albert Jan , Britton Tom , Leitner Thomas
Published: June 2016

Phylogenetic inference is an attractive mean to reconstruct transmission histories and epidemics. As the interest lies in how HIV-1 spread in a human population, many previous studies have ignored details about the evolutionary process of the pathogen. Because phylogenetics investigates the evolutionary history of the pathogen rather than the spread between hosts per se, we first investigated the effects of including a within-host evolutionary model in epidemiological simulations. In particular, we investigated if the resulting phvlogenv could recover different types of contact networks. To further improve realism, we also introduced patient-specific differences in infectivitv across disease stages, and on the epidemic level we considered incomplete sampling and the age of the epidemic. Second, we implemented an inference method based on approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) to discriminate among three well-studied network models and jointly estimate both network parameters and key epidemiological quantities such as the infection rate. Our ABC framework used both topological and distance-based tree statistics for comparison between simulated and observed trees. Overall, our simulations showed that a virus time-scaled phvlogenv (genealogy) may be substantially different from the between-host transmission tree. This has important implications for the interpretation of what a phvlogenv reveals about the underlying epidemic contact network. In particular, we found that while the within-host evolutionary process obscures the transmission tree, the diversification process and infectivitv dynamics also add discriminatory power to differentiate between different types of contact networks. We also found that the possibility to differentiate contact networks depends on how far an epidemic has progressed, where distance-based tree statistics have more power early in an epidemic. Finally, we applied our ABC inference on two different outbreaks from the Swedish HIV-1 epidemic.
Predicting the stability of homologous gene duplications in a plant RNA virus
Authors: Willemsen Anouk , Zwart Mark P. , Higueras Pablo , Sardanyés Josep , Elena Santiago F.
Published: June 2016

One of the striking features of many eukaryotes is the apparent amount of redundancy in coding and non-coding elements of their genomes. Despite the possible evolutionary advantages, there are fewer examples of redundant sequences in viral genomes, particularly those with RNA genomes. The low prevalence of gene duplication in RNA viruses most likely reflects the strong selective constraints against increasing genome size. Here we investigated the stability of genetically redundant sequences and how adaptive evolution proceeds to remove them. We generated plant RNA viruses with potentially beneficial gene duplications, measured their fitness and performed experimental evolution, hereby exploring their genomic stability and evolutionary potential. We found that all gene duplication events resulted in a loss of viability or significant reductions in fitness. Moreover, upon evolving the viable viruses and analyzing their genomes, we always observed the deletion of the duplicated gene copy and maintenance of the ancestral copy. Interestingly, there were clear differences in the deletion dynamics of the duplicated gene associated with the passage duration, the size of the gene and the position for duplication. Based on the experimental data, we developed a mathematical model to characterize the stability of genetically redundant sequences, and showed that the fitness of viruses with duplications is not enough information to predict genomic stability as a recombination rate dependent on the genetic context – the duplicated gene and its position – is also required. Our results therefore demonstrate experimentally the deleterious nature of gene duplications in RNA viruses, and we identify factors that constrain the maintenance of duplicated genes.
Coevolutionary Dynamics of Costly Bonding Ritual and Altruism
Authors: Frost Karl
Published: June 2016

While altruistic behavior and bonding in altruistic pairs or groups of cooperators is observed throughout the animal kingdom, the genetic evolution of such is on an ongoing source of debate, curiosity, and conflict in the behavioral sciences. Many such bonded groups and pairs are observed to take part in costly ritualized movement behavior that is hypothesized to trigger or maintain altruistic sentiments amongst the participants. Such costly ritualized practices could have evolved if they engaged pre-existing behavioral instincts that manifest as altruism in the new context of ritual bonding. While this seems at first to be a ‘Green Beard’ hypothesis (‘marker (ie., ‘green beard’) as honest signal of altruistic intent', an hypothesis well-known to be problematic), it is distinct in two important ways. First, the ritual as marker is costly, and second the ritual engages a pre-existing behavioral potential caused by genes which, importantly, have some other benefit. This paper models the genetic coevolutionary dynamics both analytically and through simulation. It finds that such coevolution can lead to fixation of altruism in a population or to cycling of altruism in the population, depending on the balance of costs and benefits. Where cycling occurs, even though altruism is consistently present in the population, population mean fitness declines with the introduction of these bonding rituals.
16SpeB: Towards defining bacterial species boundaries by intra-species gene sequence identity
Authors: Wong Adam Chun-Nin , Ng Patrick , Douglas Angela E.
Published: June 2016

16SpeB (16S rRNA-basedSpeciesBoundary) is a package of Perl programs that evaluates total sequence variation of a bacterial species at the levels of the whole 16S rRNA sequences or single hypervariable (V) regions, using publicly-available sequences. The 16SpeB pipelines filter sequences from duplicated strains and of low quality, extracts a V region of interest using general primer sequences, and calculates sequence percentage identity (%ID) through all possible pairwise alignments.

Results

The minimum %ID of 16S rRNA gene sequences for 15 clinically-important bacterial species, as determined by 16SpeB, ranged from 82.6% to 99.8%. The relationship between minimum %ID of V2/V6 regions and full-gene sequences varied among species, indicating that %ID species limits should be resolved independently for each region of the 16S rRNA gene and bacterial species.

Availability

16SpeB and user manual are freely available for download from:https://github.com/pnpnpn/16SpeB. A video tutorial is available at:https://youtu.be/Vd6YmMhyBiA

Contact

cw442@cornell.edu

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Differential stimulation of the retina with glutamate toward a neurotransmitter-based retinal prosthesis
Authors: Rountree Corey M. , Inayat Samsoon , Troy John B. , Saggere Laxman
Published: June 2016

Subretinal stimulation of the retina with neurotransmitters, the normal means of conveying visual information, is a potentially better alternative to electrical stimulation widely used in current retinal prostheses for treating blindness from photoreceptor degenerative diseases. Yet, no retinal stimulation study exploiting the inner retinal pathways exists. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of differentially stimulating retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) through the inner nuclear layer of the retina with glutamate, a primary neurotransmitter chemical, in a biomimetic way. We show that controlled pulsatile delivery of glutamate into the subsurface of explanted wild-type rat retinas elicits highly localized simultaneous inhibitory and excitatory spike rate responses in OFF and ON RGCs. We also present the spatiotemporal characteristics of RGC responses to subretinally injected glutamate and the therapeutic stimulation parameters. Our findings could pave the way for future development of a neurotransmitter-based subretinal prosthesis offering more naturalistic vision and better visual acuity than electrical prostheses.
Reading assessments for students with ASD: a survey of summative reading assessments used in special educational schools in the UK
Authors: Arnold Sharon , Reed Phil
Published: June 2016

Schools have an obligation to assess the literacy skills of their students, and the provision of reading instruction to students includes the ability to measure progress in this area. However, the design of reading tests includes the ability not only to read words, but also the ability to verbalise them. This presents a particular challenge for practitioners working with students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who can be nonverbal in many cases. How this issue is generally overcome is currently unknown. A survey was developed, in the form of an online multiple‐choice questionnaire, in order to determine which tests are currently being used in the UK to assess the reading abilities of nonverbal students, and to examine the opinions of the education practitioners who use them, in relation to their suitability. Using the schools web directory, e‐mail invitations were sent to 1,050 special educational needs schools across the UK, and 70 schools responded to the invitation. Respondents suggested that the majority of practitioners hold little faith in the ability of current reading assessments to provide an accurate picture of reading ability for students with ASD, and this holds particularly true for nonverbal pupils with ASD. One purpose of education assessment is to establish a baseline of students’ ability in order to plan for lifelong learning and achievement. If there is an inability on the part of schools accurately to assess the reading abilities of nonverbal students with ASD, then it would be fair to assume that this could have a negative impact on the provision of learning opportunities for this population.
Employee ownership and firm performance: a meta‐analysis
Authors: O'Boyle Ernest H. , Patel Pankaj C. , Gonzalez‐Mulé Erik
Published: June 2016

Employee ownership has been an area of significant practitioner and academic interest for the past four decades. Yet, empirical results on the relationship between employee ownership and firm performance remain mixed. To aggregate findings and provide potential direction for future theoretical development, we conducted a meta‐analysis of 102 samples representing 56,984 firms. Employee ownership has a small, but positive and statistically significant relation to firm performance (
 = 0.04). The effect is generally positive for studies with different sampling designs (samples assessing change in performance pre‐employee–post‐employee ownership adoption or samples on firms with employee ownership), different performance operationalisation (efficiency or growth) and firm type (publicly held or privately held). Suggesting benefits of employee ownership in a variety of contexts, we found no differences in effects on performance in publicly held versus privately held firms, stock or stock option‐based ownership plans or differences in effects across different firm sizes (i.e. number of employees). We do find that the effect of employee ownership on performance has increased in studies over time and that studies with samples from outside the USA report stronger effects than those within. We also find little to no evidence of publication bias.
Adolescent Women Induce Lower Blood Alcohol Levels Than Men in a Laboratory Alcohol Self‐Administration Experiment
Authors: Jünger Elisabeth , Gan Gabriela , Mick Inge , Seipt Christian , Markovic Alexandra , Sommer Christian , Plawecki Martin H. , O'Connor Sean , Smolka Michael N. , Zimmermann Ulrich S.
Published: June 2016

Background

Adolescence is a critical period for the development of alcohol use disorders; drinking habits are rather unstable and genetic influences, such as male sex and a positive family history of alcoholism (FH), are often masked by environmental factors such as peer pressure.

Methods

We investigated how sex and FH modulate alcohol use in a sample of 18‐ to 19‐year‐olds from the Dresden Longitudinal Study on Alcohol use in Young Adults. Adolescents reported their real‐life drinking in a TimeLine Follow‐Back interview. They subsequently completed a training and an experimental session of free‐access intravenous alcohol self‐administration (i.v. ASA) using the computer‐assisted alcohol infusion system to control for environmental cues as well as for biological differences in alcohol pharmacokinetics. During i.v. ASA, we assessed subjective alcohol effects at 8 time points.

Results

Women reported significantly less real‐life drinking than men and achieved significantly lower mean arterial blood alcohol concentrations (aBACs) in the laboratory. At the same time, women reported greater sedation relative to men and rated negative effects as high as did men. A positive FH was associated with lower real‐life drinking in men but not in women. In the laboratory, FH was not linked to i.v. ASA. Greater real‐life drinking was significantly positively associated with higher mean aBACs in the laboratory, and all i.v. ASA indices were highly correlated across the 2 sessions.

Conclusions

We conclude that adolescent women chose lower aBACs because they experienced adverse alcohol effects, namely sedation and negative effects, at lower aBACs than men. A positive FH was not apparent as risk factor for drinking in our young sample. The i.v. ASA method demonstrated good external validity as well as test–retest reliability, the latter indicating that a separate training session is not required when employing the i.v. ASA paradigm.
An Archaeomagnetic Study of a Roman Bath in Southern France
Authors: Hammond M. L. , Lanos PH. , Hill M. J. , Colleoni F.
Published: June 2016

Absolute Thellier–Thellier archaeointensity determinations were conducted on 137 tiles and sedimentary blocks from five different structures from the ‘Site de la Molère’, southern France, to constrain the archaeological interpretation of a relative age difference between structures and add new data to the French secular variation database. We present 89 new archaeointensity and 20 new directional results, with averages of 57 (±8) μT in the second century ad and 68 (±7) μT in the third century ad. The overall data trend is consistent with the limited available data, indicating rapidly increasing field intensity from the second to the third century ad.
Chicken and Egg: Testing the Carbon Isotopic Effects of Carnivory and Herbivory
Authors: O'Connell T. C. , Hedges R. E. M.
Published: June 2016

In bone, the spacing between δ13C in collagen and bioapatite carbonate is greater in herbivores than carnivores, with implications for understanding animal dietary ecology from surviving hard tissues. Two explanations have been proposed: varying diet composition or differences in physiology between herbivores and carnivores. We measured the isotopic effects of carnivorous and herbivorous diets on a single species, to test the effect of diet composition alone. Protein δ13C and δ15N and carbonate δ13C were measured on egg and bone from hens on different diets. Herbivorous hens had a +14.3‰ spacing between egg albumen and shell δ13C, compared to +12.4‰ for omnivorous hens, and +11.5‰ for carnivorous hens. The bioapatite–collagen Δ13C spacing was measured as +6.2‰ for herbivorous hens, and calculated as +4.3‰ for omnivorous hens, and +3.4‰ for carnivorous hens—similar to observed mammalian herbivore and carnivore bioapatite–collagen Δ13C differences. We conclude that a shift in diet composition from herbivory to carnivory in a single species does alter the bioapatite–collagen carbon isotopic spacing. Our data strongly suggest that this results from differences in the Δ13Cbioapatite–diet spacing, and not that of Δ13Ccollagen–diet.
Multiple drivers of Holocene lake level changes at a lowland lake in northeastern Germany
Authors: Dietze Elisabeth , Słowiński Michał , Zawiska Izabela , Veh Georg , Brauer Achim
Published: June 2016

Many German lakes experienced significant water level declines in recent decades that are not fully understood due to the short observation period. At a typical northeastern German groundwater‐fed lake with a complex basin morphology, an acoustic sub‐bottom profile was analysed together with a transect of five sediment cores, which were correlated using multiple proxies (sediment facies, μ‐XRF, macrofossils, subfossil Cladocera). Shifts in the boundary between sand and mud deposition were controlled by lake level changes, and hence, allowed the quantification of an absolute lake level amplitude of ~8 m for the Holocene. This clearly exceeded observed modern fluctuations of 1.3 m (AD 1973–2010). Past lake level changes were traced continuously using the calcium‐record. During high lake levels, massive organic muds were deposited in the deepest lake basin, whereas lower lake levels isolated the sub‐basins and allowed carbonate deposition. During the beginning of the Holocene (>9700 cal. a BP), lake levels were high, probably due to final melting of permafrost and dead‐ice remains. The establishment of water‐use intensive Pinus forests caused generally low (3–4 m below modern) but fluctuating lake levels (9700–6400 cal. a BP). Afterwards, the lake showed an increasing trend and reached a short‐term highstand at c. 5000 cal. a BP (4 m above modern). At the transition towards a cooler and wetter late Holocene, forests dominated by Quercus and Fagus and initial human impact probably contributed more positively to groundwater recharge. Lake levels remained high between 3800 and 800 cal. a BP, but the lake system was not sensitive enough to record short‐term fluctuations during this period. Lake level changes were recorded again when humans profoundly affected the drainage system, land cover and lake trophy. Hence, local Holocene water level changes reflect feedbacks between catchment and vegetation characteristics and human impact superimposed by climate change at multiple temporal scales.
Is dipyridamole useful in improving left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in patients with coronary slow flow?
Authors: Suner Arif , Cetin Mustafa
Published: June 2016

Background

Coronary slow flow (CSF) is an angiographic finding characterized by delayed opacification of epicardial coronary arteries without obstructive coronary disease. Previous studies have shown greater impairment of left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function in patients with CSF. We aimed to examine the effect of dipyridamole on these functions.

Methods

Our study included 40 patients with CSF and 40 subjects with normal coronary arteries. Conventional echocardiography Doppler imaging (CDI) and tissue Doppler echocardiography imaging (TDI) were used to evaluate LV systolic and diastolic function before and 2 months after treatment with dipyridamole.

Results

Using CDI, we observed that early diastolic velocity (E) was significantly lower in patients with CSF, while late diastolic velocity (A), E/A ratio, isovolumic relaxation time, and myocardial performance index (MPI) were significantly higher in CSF patients compared with controls. Similarly, while early myocardial velocity (Em) was significantly lower, late myocardial velocity (Am), Em/Am ratio, isovolumic relaxation time (IRT), and MPI were significantly higher in CSF patients according to TDI measurements. Although there was no significant improvement in conventional Doppler parameters, there was significant normalization in tissue Doppler parameters after treatment with dipyridamole.

Conclusion

Left ventricular systolic and diastolic function may be negatively affected by CSF. Dipyridamole may improve these functions, especially at the tissue level.
Avoidance of an aposematically coloured butterfly by wild birds in a tropical forest
Authors: DELL'AGLIO DENISE D. , STEVENS MARTIN , JIGGINS CHRIS D.
Published: June 2016

1. Birds are considered to be the primary selective agents for warning colouration in butterflies, and select for aposematic mimicry by learning to avoid brightly coloured prey after unpleasant experiences. It has long been thought that bright colouration plays an important role in promoting the avoidance of distasteful prey by birds.

2. The hypothesis that warning colouration facilitates memorability and promotes predator avoidance was tested by means of a field experiment using distasteful model butterflies. Artificial butterflies with a Heliconius colour pattern unknown to local birds were generated using bird vision models, either coloured or achromatic, and hung in tree branches in a tropical forest. Two sequential trials were conducted at each site to test avoidance by naïve and experienced predators.

3. There was a significant reduction in predation in the second trial. Also, coloured models were attacked less than achromatic models. Specifically, coloured butterflies were attacked significantly less in the second trial, but there was no significant decrease in predation on achromatic models.

4. The present results imply an important role for colour in enhancing aversion of aposematic butterflies. It has also been demonstrated that previous experience of distasteful prey can lead to enhanced avoidance in subsequent trials, supporting mimicry theory.
Anti‐erosive effects of fluoride and phytosphingosine: an in vitro study
Authors: Yönel Nermin , Bikker Floris J. , Lagerweij Maxim D. , Kleverlaan Cees J. , van Loveren Cor , Özen Bugra , Çetiner Serap , van Strijp Augustinus J. P.
Published: June 2016

A selection of commercially available products containing stannous fluoride (SnF2)/sodium fluoride (NaF), SnF2/amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP), SnF2/NaF/ACP, tin (Sn)/fluorine (F)/chitosan were compared with phytosphingosine (PHS) with respect to their anti‐erosive properties in vitro. One‐hundred and twenty bovine enamel specimens were immersed in the respective product slurries for 2 min, twice daily. The formulations were diluted with either remineralization solution or artificial saliva. After each treatment, an erosive challenge was performed for 10 min, twice daily, using citric acid, pH 3.4. The specimens were stored in remineralization solution or artificial saliva until the next treatment‐erosion challenge. After 10 d, tissue loss was determined using profilometry. Enamel softening was determined through surface microhardness measurements. Tissue‐loss values (measured in μm and expressed as mean ± SD) for PHS, SnF2/NaF, SnF2/ACP, SnF2/ACP/NaF, and Sn/F/chitosan treatment groups and for the negative‐control group, were, respectively, 35.6 ± 2.8, 15.8 ± 1.8, 22.1 ± 2.0, 22.9 ± 1.8, 16.2 ± 1.2, and 51.2 ± 4.4 in the presence of remineralization solution and 31.7 ± 3.3, 15.6 ± 2.9, 16.5 ± 2.7, 16.8 ± 2.1, 13.1 ± 3.0, and 50.7 ± 2.8 in the presence of artificial saliva. There were no significant differences in surface microhardness measurements between the treatment groups. In conclusion, PHS resulted in a significant reduction of tissue loss compared with the negative control, but in comparison, the toothpastes containing Sn2+ and F− ions were significantly more effective compared with PHS.
Modeling Population Growth and Response to Harvest for River Otters in Illinois
Authors: Nielsen Clayton K.
Published: June 2016

Population modeling is an invaluable tool for predicting wildlife population dynamics and the effects of management. I created a state‐space population model for unharvested river otters in the Illinois, Kaskaskia, and Wabash river basins in Illinois, and modeled future harvest at 5%, 10%, and 20% levels. River otter populations increased in the absence of harvest during 2000 – 2009 to 8,408 ± 1,934 individuals (λ = 1.11 ± 0.09). Harvest at 0%, 5%, 10%, and 20% levels resulted in continued population growth over time, with annual harvest numbers ranging from 446 – 1,786 in 2010 to 884 – 2,614 in 2014, depending on harvest scenario. I concluded that river otter populations in Illinois were thriving and capable of withstanding a regulated harvest.
Impacts of Pollutants on Beavers and Otters with Implications for Ecosystem Ramifications
Authors: Peterson Elizabeth K. , Schulte Bruce A.
Published: June 2016

Anthropogenic pollution has impacted ecosystems and organisms globally. Aquatic freshwater systems are of particular concern because of their importance to human health and livelihoods. Sentinel species can serve as indicators for both individual and population‐level health risks to both wildlife and humans, and therefore facilitate the mitigation and prevention of such contamination. When such species are also keystone species and/or ecological engineers in aquatic ecosystems, understanding the influence of pollutants on their physiology and behavior acquires added importance. Given that river otters (Lontra canadensisandLutra lutra) and beavers (Castor canadensisandC. fiber) serve such roles and are susceptible to a wide‐range of anthropogenic pollution, this makes them prime candidates as indicators or sentinels of aquatic ecosystem health. We review published evidence on the toxicological impacts of pollutants in beavers and river otters and discuss the implications of exposure to their behavioral systems, conservation, and surrounding ecosystem.
New Evidence of the Semi‐Aquatic Nimba Otter Shrew (Micropotamogale lamottei) at Mount Nimba and in the Putu Range of Liberia – Uncertain Future for an Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) Species in the Face of Recent Industrial Developments
Authors: Decher J. , Gray C.R. , Garteh J.C. , Kilpatrick C.W. , Kuhn H.J. , Phalan B. , Monadjem A. , Kadjo B. , Jacquet F. , Denys C.
Published: June 2016

New records of the endemic semi‐aquatic Nimba Otter Shrew Micropotamogale lamottei (Tenrecidae, Potamogalinae) were obtained during recent Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) in Liberia. We discuss the future of this Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species in the face of large‐scale landscape transformations. In an attempt to assess genetic diversity and genetic differentiation of M. lamottei throughout its distributional range, we examined two mitochondrial loci (cytochrome b and 12S rRNA) from five samples of Nimba Otter Shrews at three localities in Liberia and compared the 12S sequences with a GenBank sequence from Côte d'Ivoire. While all six individuals examined had unique mitochondrial haplotypes, the sequence divergence among these haplotypes was less than 1 %. However, the FST values indicated substantial differences between East Nimba and the other two populations. Recognizing that the genetic results are based on very small samples, the data suggest that the three populations experienced sufficient gene flow in the past, preventing sequence divergence, but currently there is substantially reduced gene flow with the East Nimba population. More targeted surveys in the Upper Guinea Region are recommended for this elusive species using aquatic traps in combination with an environmental DNA (eDNA) approach.
Climate predicts the proportion of divaricate plant species in New Zealand arborescent assemblages
Authors: Lusk Christopher H. , McGlone Matthew S. , Overton Jacob McC.
Published: June 2016

Aim

Puzzling features of plants are sometimes explained as legacies of co‐evolution with extinct herbivores. One example is the convergent evolution of a small‐leaved, twiggy ‘divaricate’ form in > 50 woody species in New Zealand. This growth form was first interpreted as a response to the Plio‐Pleistocene onset of frosty, droughty environments, but opinion now favours the hypothesis that it arose as a defence against large herbivorous birds (moa). It has been argued that the extinction of moa during the last millennium has left divaricate plants at risk of being out‐competed by faster growing broadleaved competitors, yet their current abundance in some habitats suggests this growth form might confer other advantages besides protection against avian browsing. We aimed to clarify the adaptive significance of the divaricate growth form by identifying environmental correlates of its geographic distribution in New Zealand.

Location

The main islands of the New Zealand archipelago, spanning latitude c. 34.5–47° S.

Methods

We used generalized additive models to examine the environmental correlates of the proportion of local tree and shrub assemblages contributed by divaricate species, on 1152 0.04 ha plots distributed across a wide range of climate and landforms.

Results

A model with four climatic variables explained 37% of the observed variation. Mean minimum temperature of the coldest month was the single best predictor of the proportion of divaricate species in arborescent assemblages, with annual solar radiation, vapour pressure deficit and annual water deficit also contributing to the final model. Divaricates made their largest contributions to assemblages in the rain shadow of the Southern Alps, on sites with cold winters, low solar radiation and significant vapour pressure deficits, where potential evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation by > 130 mm. No physiographic variables (e.g. slope) contributed to the final model.

Main conclusions

The distribution of divaricate plants suggests they cope with frosty, droughty environments better than most other elements of New Zealand's arborescent flora. This may reflect selection for both (1) physiological resistance to frost and drought and (2) deterrence of herbivores, as climatic constraints on plant growth rates probably leave seedlings exposed for longer to ground‐dwelling browsers. However, the widespread persistence of divaricate plants during the c. 450‐year hiatus between the extinction of moa and the onset of widespread browsing by introduced ungulates suggests that even in the absence of large herbivores, divaricates are well adapted to frosty, droughty environments.
Global patterns of mammalian co‐occurrence: phylogenetic and body size structure within species ranges
Authors: Villalobos Fabricio , Olalla‐Tárraga Miguel Á. , Cianciaruso Marcus V. , Rangel Thiago F. , Diniz‐Filho José Alexandre F.
Published: June 2016

Aim

To analyse the geographical co‐occurrence among mammal species based on their complete geographical distributions, considering their phylogenetic relationships and body size data. We describe species‐level patterns and test the relative effects of ecological and evolutionary processes in determining species co‐occurrence under the phylogenetic field framework.

Location

Global.

Methods

We gathered distributional, phylogenetic and body size information for 3697 mammal species. We defined phylogenetic fields of species by estimating the phylogenetic structure of species co‐occurrence within a focal species' range. Likewise, body size structure within focal species' ranges was defined as body size fields. We applied a spatial‐phylogenetic statistical framework to evaluate geographical variation on species fields. Also, we tested the significance of phylogenetic and body size fields based on biogeographically informed null models. Analyses were done for all mammal species as a whole and within particular taxonomic orders.

Results

Phylogenetic and body size fields of mammal species showed significant geographical patterning beyond their spatial and phylogenetic dependence. Phylogenetic fields were strikingly different between the New and Old World, with mammals co‐occurring with more closely related species in the New World and more distantly related species in the Old World. Clustered phylogenetic and body size fields showed geographically congruent patterns. Similar findings were obtained within particular mammalian orders.

Main conclusions

Geographical co‐occurrence among mammal species reveals the imprint of historical origins and dispersal of mammalian lineages. Phylogenetic and body size structure within mammalian ranges is driven by the distinct histories among biogeographical regions and mainly between the New and Old World. We demonstrate the usefulness of a new protocol integrating species' distributional, phylogenetic and body size information for linking evolutionary and ecological approaches to understand geographical patterns of biodiversity.
Sticky trap monitoring of a pest–predator system in glasshouse tomato crops: are available trap colours sufficient?
Authors: Böckmann E. , Meyhöfer R.
Published: June 2016

Monitoring of pest presence and population development in the crop during the season is essential for integrated pest management. Although many tools, for instance coloured sticky traps, have been developed, the full advantage of available information is rarely taken into account in decision‐making. The reasons behind include high workload in practice but also the poorly studied relationships between trap catches and populations in the crop. Here, we investigate whether commercially available coloured sticky traps can be used as tool to monitor population densities of a pest–predator system in glasshouse tomato. The response of Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur) (Hemiptera, Miridae) to blue and yellow sticky traps was tested in laboratory and glasshouse experiments. The results indicate that M. pygmaeus can be monitored equally well with both trap colours. The number of trapped insects showed good correlation with the population densities on the crop. Under growing conditions, more M. pygmaeus were trapped on blue compared with yellow sticky traps. However, due to the known preference of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae), yellow traps should be used for a combined pest–predator monitoring.
Treatment Patterns with Antidementia Drugs in the United States: Medicare Cohort Study
Authors: Koller Daniela , Hua Tammy , Bynum Julie P.W.
Published: June 2016

Objectives

To evaluate frequency of use of two anti‐dementia drug classes approved for treatment of symptoms, whether populations most likely to benefit are treated, and correlates of treatment initiation.

Design

Nationally representative cohort study.

Setting

Fee‐for‐service Medicare.

Participants

Elderly adults with dementia enrolled in Medicare Parts A, B, and D in 2009 (N = 433,559) and a subset with incident dementia (n = 185,449).

Measurements

Main outcome was any prescription fill for antidementia drugs (cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) or memantine) within 1 year.

Results

Treatment with antidementia drugs occurred in 55.8% of all participants with dementia and 49.3% of those with incident dementia. There was no difference between ChEIs and memantine use according to dementia severity (measured as death within first year or living in residential care vs in a community setting) even though memantine is not indicated in mild disease. In incident cases, initiation of treatment was lower in residential care (relative risk (RR) = 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.81–0.83) and with more comorbidities (RR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.96–0.96). Sixty percent of participants were managed in primary care alone. Seeing a neurologist (RR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.06–1.09) or psychiatrist (RR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.16–1.19) was associated with higher likelihood of treatment than seeing a primary care provider alone, and seeing geriatrician was associated with with lower likelihood (RR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.93–0.99). Across the United States, the proportion of newly diagnosed individuals started on antidementia treatment varied from 32% to 66% across hospital referral regions.

Conclusion

Antidementia drugs are used less often in people with late disease, but there is no differentiation in medication choice. Although primary care providers most often prescribe antidementia medication without specialty support, differences in practice between specialties are evident.
Associations Between Delirium and Preoperative Cerebrospinal Fluid C‐Reactive Protein, Interleukin‐6, and Interleukin‐6 Receptor in Individuals with Acute Hip Fracture
Authors: Neerland Bjørn Erik , Hall Roanna J. , Seljeflot Ingebjørg , Frihagen Frede , MacLullich Alasdair M. J. , Ræder Johan , Wyller Torgeir Bruun , Watne Leiv Otto
Published: June 2016

Objectives

To examine whether delirium in individuals with hip fracture is associated with high C‐reactive protein (CRP), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), and soluble IL‐6 receptor (sIL‐6R) levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Two university hospitals in Oslo, Norway, and Edinburgh, United Kingdom.

Participants

Individuals admitted with acute hip fracture (N = 151).

Measurements

Participants were assessed for delirium pre‐ and postoperatively using the Confusion Assessment Method. Prefracture cognitive impairment was detected using the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE). Serum was collected preoperatively and CSF just before the onset of spinal anesthesia. Cytokine levels in serum and CSF samples were determined using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Student t‐tests or Mann–Whitney U‐tests were used for between‐group comparisons. Spearman rho was used for correlations.

Results

Sixty participants had prior cognitive impairment (IQCODE score ≥3.44). Delirium was diagnosed in 46 participants (77%) with prior cognitive impairment and 25 (29%) without. In participants without prior cognitive impairment, CSF CRP levels were higher in participants with delirium (median 0.05 μg/mL, interquartile range (IQR) 0.02–0.12 μg/mL) than in those without delirium (median 0.01 μg/mL, IQR 0.00–0.06 μg/mL) (P = .01); there were no differences in participants with prior cognitive impairment. In secondary analyses, in participants with prior cognitive impairment, the concentration of CSF sIL‐6R was higher in those participants who developed delirium than in the other subgroups, but this difference was not statistically significant. Serum levels of CRP, IL‐6, and sIL‐6R were not different according to delirium in participants with or without prefracture cognitive impairment.

Conclusion

High CSF levels of CRP and sIL‐6R may be associated with delirium. Different pathophysiological mechanisms may operate in different subgroups, notably in relation to the presence of prior cognitive impairment.
ZONING A CROSS‐BORDER CITY
Authors: Bárcena‐Ruiz Juan Carlos , Casado‐Izaga F. Javier
Published: June 2016

This paper investigates zoning in a cross‐border linear city that consists of two bordering towns. In each town, a local regulator has a say in the location of the local firm. We find that local regulators may use zoning strategically. The incentive to gain consumers from the other town, or not to lose local consumers, may push regulators to approve only locations for firms close enough to the frontier. When zoning is costly an asymmetric equilibrium may emerge: only one regulator resorts to zoning. In the case of towns of different sizes, the regulator of the larger town is the only one that zones in an asymmetric equilibrium.
An Early Literacy Program for Young Children with Down Syndrome: Changes Observed over One Year
Authors: Colozzo Paola , McKeil Leah , Petersen Jill M. , Szabo Amanda
Published: June 2016

Although much individual variability exists, most persons with Down syndrome (DS) experience marked expressive language delays and challenges with speech production, hearing, and verbal memory that may negatively affect literacy development. There is, however, a paucity of research with respect to early intervention literacy programs with this population. The authors describe an early intervention literacy program that used a hybrid approach to reading instruction combining whole‐word (i.e., visual) and analytic (i.e., phonic or sound‐based) reading strategies. They also detail the changes observed in the literacy and language abilities of the participants over 1 year. The participants were 15 English speaking Canadian students with DS aged 3–6 years (M age 4;11, pretreatment) who took part in a 45‐week program. Weekly individual sessions with a certified teacher were augmented by regular homework. Each student's literacy and language abilities were assessed immediately pretreatment and posttreatment. Measures of letter name identification, letter sound identification, print concepts, and identification of taught sight words showed statistically significant changes. Letter name identification, letter sound identification, and number of sight words read pretreatment were all positively and significantly correlated with gains in word identification. There was also a clear difference regarding how many new sight words students were able to read posttreatment depending on whether they used abstract symbols to communicate (i.e., unprompted spoken words or signs) pretreatment. The authors note that this study provides support for literacy interventions that combine phonological awareness, word analysis, sight word training, and shared book reading with children with DS as young as 3 years of age with varying levels of language development.