bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polycystic ovary morphology is associated with insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Hong So‐hyeon , Sung Yeon‐Ah , Hong Young Sun , Jeong Kyungah , Chung Hyewon , Lee Hyejin
Published: May 2017

Background/Objectives

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by chronic anovulation, hyperandrogenism, polycystic ovary morphology (PCOM) and metabolic disturbances including insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although insulin resistance could be associated with PCOM, recent studies have shown controversial results. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between PCOM and insulin resistance.

Subjects/Methods

This was a cross‐sectional clinical study. A total of 679 women with PCOS who were diagnosed using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Disease (NICHD) criteria and 272 control women were analysed. We measured fasting glucose and insulin levels, 75 g oral glucose tolerance test‐derived glucose and insulin levels, testosterone levels, ovarian volume and follicle number.

Results

Polycystic ovary morphology was described in 543 women (80.0%) with PCOS. Women with PCOS had significantly higher 2 hours postload glucose, fasting and 2 hours postload insulin levels, ovarian volume, ovarian follicle numbers and lower insulin sensitivity compared with those of the controls (all P<.01). In women with PCOS, ovarian volume and ovarian follicle number were negatively associated with the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index after adjusting for age, body mass index and total testosterone; however, this association was not observed in the controls. In the logistic regression analysis, increased ovarian follicle number was associated with decreased insulin sensitivity in women with PCOS.

Conclusions

In PCOS, enlarged ovarian volume and follicle excess were associated with insulin resistance, and the number of ovarian follicles could be a predictor of insulin resistance.
Volumetric magnetic resonance imaging analysis in patients with short‐term remission of Cushing's disease
Authors: Jiang Hong , Ren Jie , He Na‐Ying , Liu Chang , Sun Yu‐Hao , Jian Fang‐Fang , Bian Liu‐Guan , Shen Jian‐Kang , Yan Fu‐Hua , Pan Si‐Jian , Sun Qing‐Fang
Published: May 2017

Objective

The data on patients with short‐term remission of Cushing's disease (CD) might provide information that is not available from previous long‐term remission studies. We aimed to investigate structural changes in the brain in these patients and to examine whether these changes were associated with clinical characteristics.

Design

A cross‐sectional study was performed.

Methods

Thirty‐four patients with CD (14 with CD in short‐term remission and 20 with active CD) and 34 controls matched for age, sex and education underwent clinical evaluation and magnetic resonance imaging brain scans. Biometric measurements, disease duration and remission duration data were collected. Grey matter volumes in the whole brain were examined using voxel‐based morphometry (VBM).

Results

No differences were observed in the grey matter volumes of the medial frontal gyrus (MFG) and cerebellum between the patients with remitted CD and healthy controls, whereas patients with active CD had smaller grey matter volumes in these two regions compared with controls and patients with remitted CD. Furthermore, significant correlations were found between remission time and grey matter values in these regions in short‐term remission patients with CD. Additionally, greater grey matter volumes in the bilateral caudate of short‐term remission patients with CD were observed.

Conclusions

Trends for structural restoration were found in CD patients with short‐term remission. This finding was associated with the number of days elapsed since curative surgery and the current age of the patients. This study enhances our understanding of potential reversibility after the resolution of hypercortisolism in CD patients.
Effect of microthreads on coronal bone healing of narrow‐diameter implants with reverse‐tapered design in beagle dogs
Authors: Chang Yun‐Young , Kim Su‐Hwan , Park Keun‐Oh , Yun Jeong‐Ho
Published: May 2017

Objectives

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of microthreads on the coronal bone healing of narrow‐diameter implants with reverse‐tapered design.

Material and Methods

A total of 52 implants were classified into two groups according to presence or absence of coronal microthreads, the reverse‐tapered narrow‐diameter implant (RTN) group, and the reverse‐tapered narrow‐diameter implant with microthreads (RTNM) group. The implants were installed in split‐mouth design in the edentulous mandible of six dogs. Three animals were sacrificed at 4 weeks and three at 8 weeks. Resonance frequency analysis, bone measurement using microcomputed tomography (micro‐CT), removal torque test, and histometric analysis were performed.

Results

No significant differences in implant stability quotient value were observed between the groups at baseline, 4 weeks, or 8 weeks. Bone measurement using micro‐CT showed that bone–implant contact volume (BICV) and bone–implant contact volume ratio (BICVR) in the coronal part of RTNM were statistically higher than those in RTN at 4 and 8 weeks. Histometric analysis showed statistically higher bone–implant contact length (BICL) in the coronal part of RTNM than in RTN at 4 weeks; however, bone–implant contact ratio (BICR) was not significantly different between the groups. At 8 weeks, the BICL and BICR did not differ significantly between the groups. Removal torque test showed no significant differences between the groups at 4 and 8 weeks.

Conclusions

The microthreads might facilitate more coronal bone–implant contact due to increased surface areas at an early healing phase; however, they did not significantly affect coronal bone healing at 8 weeks.
A simple in vitro method to study interactions between soil insects, entomopathogenic fungi, and plant extracts
Authors: Eckard Sonja , Bacher Sven , Enkerli Jürg , Grabenweger Giselher
Published: May 2017

A combined application of a biological control agent, such as an entomopathogenic fungus (EPF), with other means of pest control may lead to enhanced or more reliable efficacy of the biocontrol agent. Ideally, the combined components would interact synergistically, yielding significantly higher mortality of the target pest. The mode of such interactions is often unclear and particularly difficult to elucidate for soil‐dwelling pests. Here, an efficient image analysis protocol was developed to study behavioural responses of soil‐dwelling insects to application of control measures in two‐dimensional terraria. The interactions between the EPF Metarhizium brunneum Petch (Hypocreales), a supposedly repellent extract of garlic, Allium sativum L. (Amaryllidaceae), and wireworms, Agriotes obscurus (L.) (Coleoptera: Elateridae), as target hosts were investigated. Tunnelling activity and mortality of wireworms were studied under choice and no‐choice situations of various combinations of the control agents. A treatment with Metarhizium spores resulted in wireworm mortalities of about 80%. Contrary to expectations, a combination of the EPF with the garlic extract did not increase, but slightly decrease wireworm mortality. The data gained from the image analysis revealed that the tunnelling activity of wireworms was clearly reduced in the presence of garlic, which, together with a reduced germination rate of spores, is a possible explanation for the antagonism detected in the combined treatment. The methodological approach developed here can be used to study the interactions among control agents and soil insects over several days and weeks.
Trends of mortality from Alzheimer's disease in the European Union, 1994–2013
Authors: Niu H. , Alvarez‐Alvarez I. , Guillen‐Grima F. , Al‐Rahamneh M. J. , Aguinaga‐Ontoso I.
Published: May 2017

Background and purpose

In many countries, Alzheimer's disease (AD) has gradually become a common disease in elderly populations. The aim of this study was to analyse trends of mortality caused by AD in the 28 member countries in the European Union (EU) over the last two decades.

Methods

We extracted data for AD deaths for the period 1994–2013 in the EU from the Eurostat and World Health Organization database. Age‐standardized mortality rates per 100 000 were computed. Joinpoint regression was used to analyse the trends and compute the annual percent change in the EU as a whole and by country. Analyses by gender and by European regions were conducted.

Results

Mortality from AD has risen in the EU throughout the study period. Most of the countries showed upward trends, with the sharpest increases in Slovakia, Lithuania and Romania. We recorded statistically significant increases of 4.7% and 6.0% in mortality rates in men and women, respectively, in the whole EU. Several countries showed changing trends during the study period. According to the regional analysis, northern and eastern countries showed the steepest increases, whereas in the latter years mortality has declined in western countries.

Conclusions

Our findings provide evidence that AD mortality has increased in the EU, especially in eastern and northern European countries and in the female population. Our results could be a reference for the development of primary prevention policies.
Future warmer seas: increased stress and susceptibility to grazing in seedlings of a marine habitat‐forming species
Authors: Hernán Gema , Ortega María J. , Gándara Alberto M. , Castejón Inés , Terrados Jorge , Tomas Fiona
Published: May 2017

Increases in seawater temperature are expected to have negative consequences for marine organisms. Beyond individual effects, species‐specific differences in thermal tolerance are predicted to modify species interactions and increase the strength of top‐down effects, particularly in plant–herbivore interactions. Shifts in trophic interactions will be especially important when affecting habitat‐forming species such as seagrasses, as the consequences on their abundance will cascade throughout the food web. Seagrasses are a major component of coastal ecosystems offering important ecosystem services, but are threatened by multiple anthropogenic stressors, including warming. The mechanistic understanding of seagrass responses to warming at multiple scales of organization remains largely unexplored, especially in early‐life stages such as seedlings. Yet, these early‐life stages are critical for seagrass expansion processes and adaptation to climate change. In this study, we determined the effects of a 3 month experimental exposure to present and predicted mean summer SST of the Mediterranean Sea (25°C, 27°C, and 29°C) on the photophysiology, size, and ecology (i.e., plant‐herbivore interactions) of seedlings of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Warming resulted in increased mortality, leaf necrosis, and respiration as well as lower carbohydrate reserves in the seed, the main storage organ in seedlings. Aboveground biomass and root growth were also limited with warming, which could hamper seedling establishment success. Furthermore, warming increased the susceptibility to consumption by grazers, likely due to lower leaf fiber content and thickness. Our results indicate that warming will negatively affect seagrass seedlings through multiple direct and indirect pathways: increased stress, reduced establishment potential, lower storage of carbohydrate reserves, and increased susceptibly to consumption. This work provides a significant step forward in understanding the major mechanisms that will drive the capacity of seagrass seedlings to adapt and survive to warming, highlighting the potential additive effects that herbivory will have on ultimately determining seedling success.
Localization and domain characterization of the SflA regulator of flagellar formation in Vibrio alginolyticus
Authors: Inaba Satoshi , Nishigaki Takehiko , Takekawa Norihiro , Kojima Seiji , Homma Michio
Published: May 2017

Many swimming bacteria use flagella as locomotive organelles. The spatial and numerical regulation of flagellar biosynthesis differs by bacterial species. The marine bacteria Vibrio alginolyticus use a single polar flagellum whose number is regulated positively by FlhF and negatively by FlhG. Cells lacking FlhF and FlhG have no flagellum. The motility defect in an flhFG deletion was suppressed by a mutation in the sflA gene that resulted in the production of multiple, peritrichous flagella. SflA is a Vibrio‐specific protein. SlfA either facilitates flagellum growth at the cell pole or prevents flagellar formation on the cell body by an unknown mechanism. Fluorescent protein fusions to SflA localized to the cell pole in the presence of FlhF and FlhG, but exhibited both polar and lateral cell localization in ΔflhFG cells. Polar localization of SflA required the polar landmark protein HubP. Over‐expression of the C‐terminal region of SflA (SflAC) in ΔflhFG ΔsflA cells suppressed the lateral flagellar formation. Our results suggest that SflA localizes with the flagella and that SflAC represses the flagellar initiation in ΔflhFG strains. A model is presented where SflA inhibits lateral flagellar formation to facilitate single polar flagellum assembly in V. alginolyticus cells.
Usefulness of detection of clarithromycin‐resistant Helicobacter pylori from fecal specimens for young adults treated with eradication therapy
Authors: Osaki Takako , Mabe Katsuhiro , Zaman Cynthia , Yonezawa Hideo , Okuda Masumi , Amagai Kenji , Fujieda Shinji , Goto Mitsuhide , Shibata Wataru , Kato Mototsugu , Kamiya Shigeru
Published: May 2017

Background

To prevent Helicobacter pylori infection in the younger generation, it is necessary to investigate the prevalence of antibiotic‐resistant H. pylori.

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the method of PCR‐based sequencing to detect clarithromycin (CAM) resistance‐associated mutations using fecal samples as a noninvasive method.

Methods

DNA extracted from fecal specimens and isolates from gastric biopsy specimens were collected from patients with H. pylori infection. Antibiotic resistance to CAM was analyzed by molecular and culture methods. The detection rates of CAM resistance‐associated mutations (A2142C or A2143G) were compared before and after eradication therapy.

Results

With CAM resistance of H. pylori evaluated by antibiotic susceptibility test as a gold standard, the sensitivity and the specificity of gene mutation detection from fecal DNA were 80% and 84.8%, respectively. In contrast, using DNA of isolated strains, the sensitivity and the specificity were 80% and 100%. Of the seven cases in which eradication was unsuccessful by triple therapy including CAM, CAM‐resistant H. pylori, and resistance‐associated mutations were detected in three cases, CAM‐resistant H. pylori without the mutation was detected in two patients, and resistance‐associated mutation was only detected in one patient.

Conclusion

PCR‐based sequencing to detect CAM resistance‐associated mutations using isolates or fecal samples was useful for finding antibiotic‐resistant H. pylori infection. Although the specificity of the detection from fecal samples compared with antibiotic susceptibility testing was lower than that from isolates, this fecal detection method is suitable especially for asymptomatic subjects including children. Further improvement is needed before clinical application.
Clinical outcomes of stereotactic body radiotherapy for elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Teraoka Yuji , Kimura Tomoki , Aikata Hiroshi , Daijo Kana , Osawa Mitsutaka , Honda Fumi , Nakamura Yuki , Morio Kei , Morio Reona , Hatooka Masahiro , Kobayashi Tomoki , Nakahara Takashi , Murakami Eisuke , Nagaoki Yuko , Kawaoka Tomokazu , Tsuge Masataka , Hiramatsu Akira , Imamura Michio , Kawakami Yoshiiku , Nagata Yasushi , Chayama Kazuaki
Published: May 2017

Aim

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in elderly patients.

Methods

From 2008 to 2015, 117 patients with HCC (≤3 nodules, ≤30 mm in diameter, Child–Pugh score ≤7, and no vascular or extracellular metastasis) were treated with SBRT at our hospital. We evaluated overall survival (OS), disease‐free survival (DFS), local control, and adverse events. Patients were stratified according to age 75 years and older (elderly group, n = 54) and age younger than 75 years (young group, n = 63).

Results

The median OS in the elderly group was not significantly different from that in the young group (52 months vs. not reached, P = 0.27). The 1‐, 2‐, and 3‐year OS rates were 96.2%, 77.6%, and 63.9%, respectively, in the elderly group, and 96.8%, 84.8%, and 67.7%, respectively, in the young group. The median DFS in the elderly group was significantly shorter than that in the young group (13 vs. 25 months, respectively; P = 0.03). The 1‐, 2‐, and 3‐year DFS rates were 50.6%, 30.4%, and 26.6%, respectively, in the elderly group and 66.5%, 50.7%, and 45.3%, respectively, in the young group. The 3‐year local tumor control rate in the elderly group was 98.1%, and that in the young group was 98.4% (P = 0.83). There was no difference between groups in the incidence of any adverse events.

Conclusions

Stereotactic body radiotherapy can be effective and safe for the treatment of HCC in elderly patients.
The mutational frequency of BRAF and KRAS in low‐grade serous testicular neoplasms—a case series
Authors: Gwiti Paidamwoyo , Vereczkey Ildikó , Cundell David , Aslam Shazia , Clench Tim , Csernák Erzsébet , Götzer Katalin , Braybrooke Jeremy , Sohail Muhammed , Melegh Zsombor
Published: May 2017

Aims

Low‐grade serous neoplasms of the testis are rare neoplasms that show striking morphological similarities with the better‐understood ovarian neoplasms. This study is to see if there are similar molecular abnormalities in these two tumours. The cell of origin, relationship with serous ovarian tumour and the pathogenesis of these neoplasms are not fully established.

Methods and results

As low‐grade serous ovarian neoplasms are known to harbour mutations in the MAPK pathway, we investigated the involvement of BRAF and KRAS mutations in low‐grade testicular serous tumour by performing mutational analysis of seven cases. Mutational analysis was performed by melting curve analysis followed by bidirectional sequencing. Our findings showed BRAF and/or KRAS mutations in three of the seven cases, which is similar to the proportions reported in low‐grade ovarian serous neoplasms. Of these three cases, one showed co‐mutation of BRAF and KRAS.

Conclusion

The findings of this study are in support of a role of aberrant signalling of the MAPK pathway in the pathogenesis of low‐grade serous testicular neoplasms, and provide a genetic link between low‐grade testicular and ovarian serous tumours.
Absence of juvenile hormone signalling regulates the dynamic expression profiles of nutritional metabolism genes during diapause preparation in the cabbage beetle Colaphellus bowringi
Authors: Liu W. , Tan Q.‐Q. , Zhu L. , Li Y. , Zhu F. , Lei C.‐L. , Wang X.‐P.
Published: May 2017

Temperate insects have evolved diapause, a period of programmed developmental arrest during specific life stages, to survive unfavourable conditions. During the diapause preparation phase (DPP), diapause‐destined individuals generally store large amounts of fat by regulating nutrition distribution for the energy requirement during diapause maintenance and postdiapause development. Although nutritional patterns during the DPP have been investigated at physiological and biochemical levels in many insects, it remains largely unknown how nutritional metabolism is regulated during the DPP at molecular levels. We used RNA sequencing to compare gene expression profiles of adult female cabbage beetles Colaphellus bowringi during the preoviposition phase (POP) and the DPP. Most differentially expressed genes were involved in specific metabolic pathways during the DPP. Genes related to lipid and carbohydrate metabolic pathways were clearly highly expressed during the DPP, whereas genes related to protein metabolic pathways were highly expressed during the POP. Hormone challenge and RNA interference experiments revealed that juvenile hormone via its nuclear receptor methoprene‐tolerant mediated the expression of genes associated with nutritional metabolism during the DPP. This work not only sheds light on the mechanisms of diapause preparation, but also provides new insights into the molecular basis of environmental plasticity in insects.
The fiscal costs of systemic banking crises
Authors: Amaglobeli David , End Nicolas , Jarmuzek Mariusz , Palomba Geremia
Published: May 2017

This paper examines fiscal costs of systemic banking crises. It uses a dataset of 65 crisis episodes since 1980 and considers both the direct budgetary cost of government intervention and the overall fiscal impact as proxied by changes in the public debt‐to‐GDP ratio. We find that both direct and overall fiscal impacts of banking crises are high when countries enter the crisis with large banking sectors, rely on excessive external funding, have highly leveraged non‐financial private sectors, and resort to using government guarantees on bank liabilities during the crisis. Better quality of banking supervision and higher coverage of deposit insurance help, however, alleviate the direct fiscal costs. We also identify a policy trade‐off: costly short‐term interventions are not necessarily associated with larger increases in public debt, supporting the thesis that immediate intervention may actually be a more cost‐effective solution over the long term.
A century and three‐quarters of Bank Rate and long‐term interest rates in the United Kingdom
Authors: Berument Hakan , Cabezon Ezequiel , Froyen Richard
Published: May 2017

Over the years from 1844 to 2013, the United Kingdom had several distinct monetary policy regimes. This paper examines the relationship between the Bank of England policy rate and UK long‐term rates in each regime. Our starting point is R. G. Hawtrey's A century of Bank Rate, which focused mainly on the classical Gold Standard. We also examine the Interwar years, post‐Second World War years of policy by discretion and the recent regime of inflation targeting. We find that policy regimes that firmly anchor inflationary expectations result in long‐run interest rates becoming less responsive to changes in monetary policy rates. This suggests a conflict between a regime that anchors inflationary expectations and one that allows a central bank to have significant effects on long‐term rates via a short‐term policy rate.
Does escaping victimization in elementary school lead to improved health in high school: a comparison of victimization profile groups
Authors: Jensen‐Campbell Lauri A. , Boyd Erin Q. , Arana Allyson A. , Lee Sarah
Published: May 2017

This study examined whether children follow unique victimization trajectories during elementary school and whether these paths predict differential psychological and physical health outcomes during high school. Participants included 1,073 children from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Peer victimization was assessed in the 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 9th grades, and psychological and physical health outcomes (e.g., depression, loneliness, internalizing problems, externalizing problems, physical health markers, and health habits) were measured in the 9th grade. Growth mixture modeling revealed three groups: non‐victims (n = 886), persistent victims (n = 52), and escaped victims (n = 70). Generally, persistent victims experienced poorer physical functioning and health, higher levels of psychological maladjustments, and poorer health habits (i.e., sleep problems, disordered eating) compared to non‐victims. Using case–control matching, escaped victims and non‐victims did not differ on health behaviors and most physical health measures, with the exception of adiposity. Escaped victims experienced higher levels of psychological issues than non‐victims comparable to those observed in persistent victims. These findings underscore the heterogeneity of both victimization experiences and health outcomes following aversive peer experiences.
Protection and restriction: A mixed‐methods study of self‐reported well‐being among youth with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Boström Petra , Broberg Malin
Published: May 2017

Background

As most mental health studies of school‐aged children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are based on proxy ratings, the subjective views of these young persons are rarely explored. The present study explores experiences of well‐being, mental ill‐health, family, school, and peer relations in students in special education.

Methods

Ten students in special education, aged 13–16 years, answered the Wellbeing in Special Education Questionnaire (WellSEQ) and participated in semi‐structured interviews. Data were analyzed using a mixed methods phenomenological research approach.

Results

The general agreement between questionnaire responses and interview accounts appears to be good, and the students emphasized mainly positive emotions and good mental health. Students described their school environment and family relations as inclusive contexts experienced as both protective and restrictive.

Conclusion

Using well‐adapted research instruments enables students with IDD to communicate subjective experiences of well‐being and how it relates to aspects of their everyday environment.
An event model for phylogenetic biogeography using explicitly geographical ranges
Authors: Arias J. Salvador
Published: May 2017

Aim

To develop and implement a method for phylogenetic biogeography that is both event based and geographically explicit, that is, that uses the geographical ranges observed in the terminals instead of ‘predefined areas.’

Methods

The method, GEM (Geographically explicit Event Model), attributes vicariance, sympatry (range copying), point sympatry (subset sympatry) or founder events, to the internal nodes of the tree. The cost of a reconstruction is calculated as the event cost plus the amount of range changes along a branch, and the best reconstruction is the combination of the event and range assignments that minimize the cost.

Results

The approach was implemented in a computer program, evs, using a geographical data model (a raster) in which range changes were measured by pixel counts. The program can be used in real‐sized datasets, using an heuristic to find reasonable solutions in short times.

Main conclusion

GEM provides a method for direct analysis of joint data on phylogeny and explicit distribution ranges, and proposes both the ancestral ranges and the biogeographical events connected with cladogenesis.
In and out of the Neotropics: historical biogeography of Eneopterinae crickets
Authors: Vicente Natállia , Kergoat Gael J. , Dong Jiajia , Yotoko Karla , Legendre Frédéric , Nattier Romain , Robillard Tony
Published: May 2017

Aim

Multiple biogeographical scenarios involving vicariance and different colonization routes can explain disjunct species distributions in the Southern Hemisphere. Here, we tested several alternative hypotheses in Eneopterinae crickets, a diverse subfamily presenting a disjunct worldwide distribution. We inferred a dated phylogeny of Eneopterinae and reconstructed their biogeographical history to unravel the origin of their present‐day distribution, focusing on their multiple origins in the Neotropics.

Location

Worldwide.

Methods

We sampled 62 eneopterine species representing all extant genera. We inferred their phylogenetic relationships through Bayesian and maximum likelihood approaches based on four mitochondrial and three nuclear gene sequences. Divergence time estimates were inferred using Bayesian relaxed clock approaches and primary fossil calibrations. Biogeographical analyses were conducted with the default dispersal–extinction–cladogenesis (DEC) model and a variant model (DEC+J), which accounts for rare‐jump dispersal events.

Results

Our dating analyses showed that the Eneopterinae is far older than expected and its diversification can be traced back to the Late Cretaceous (c. 76 Ma). In this context, the most supported biogeographical scenario (under DEC+J) suggests that the Neotropics were colonized twice independently: first during the break‐up of Gondwana, when Antarctica, Australia and South America started separating (compatible with a vicariance event if relying on the result of the DEC model alone); later through a northern recolonization originating from Southeast Asia, likely related to a Holarctic Boreotropical distribution of an eneopterine lineage during the Eocene.

Main conclusions

We provided a dated worldwide biogeographical framework for the Eneopterinae crickets. Overall, the subfamily disjunct distribution pattern is better explained by both ancient and recent dispersal events. Whether this could reflect a widespread pattern in insect groups exhibiting a disjunct distribution remains to be investigated by studying other insect lineages. The information gathered here will also help foster new directions for future studies concerning the acoustic innovations of this clade.
Beta diversity of herbivorous insects is coupled to high species and phylogenetic turnover of plant communities across short spatial scales in the Cape Floristic Region
Authors: Kemp Jurene E. , Linder H. Peter , Ellis Allan G.
Published: May 2017

Aim

Insect distribution patterns can result from historical contingency (biogeography and dispersal limitation), abiotic filtering and biotic factors (ecological interactions and evolutionary associations). Here, we analyse turnover of plant and insect herbivore community composition at multiple spatial scales to tease apart these influences. While positive associations between plant and insect turnover across broad spatial scales could arise through any of these influences, strong association at very local scales is only likely if insect distributions are determined primarily by biotic factors (i.e. host specificity).

Location

The Cape Floristic Region (CFR), South Africa.

Methods

To characterize the relationship between spatial turnover in plant and insect composition in the CFR, communities of Restionaceae, a dominant family in the florally diverse CFR, and their associated herbivores were sampled using a spatially nested sampling design on three spatially separated mountain blocks with similar climates, thus controlling for broad abiotic influences. This allowed us to quantify insect and plant turnover, and their association, at multiple independent spatial scales. Redundancy analysis was used to determine the effects of plant on insect composition, controlling for geographical distance.

Results

Insect species turnover was significantly related to plant species and phylogenetic turnover at local, as well as broad, spatial scales, suggesting that insect distribution patterns are mainly structured by host specificity. Plant communities show near complete turnover at small spatial scales (i.e. communities situated 0.1–3 km apart), with insects mirroring this pattern. Further, insect turnover increased significantly with increasing geographical separation (e.g. between mountains), suggesting an additional influence of biogeographical factors on insect distributions in the CFR. Measured environmental and plant structural components had no influence on insect composition.

Main conclusions

High insect beta diversity positively associated with plant turnover at local scales suggests insect herbivore diversity patterns in the CFR are primarily structured by plant distribution patterns.
Statistical indicators for insects caught in the development trap
Authors: Blackshaw R. P. , Esbjerg P.
Published: May 2017

The effects of climate change on insect phenologies are of current interest, but little attention has been given to the potential driver for population decline of increased mortality arising from the failure to reach a viable overwintering stage. We use numerical simulation modelling to show that increased mortality from a partial second generation results in the weakening of density dependence, whereas increasing mortality within the first generation does not. These general results are then compared with annual trap count data for the moth Agrotis segetum (Denis and Schiffermüller) in Denmark, a species which is in decline there because a partial second generation fails to survive the winter. Results from the moth data are consistent with those from the simulations, and we conclude that the development trap phenomenon can be detected by the application of simple statistical tests to time‐series data.
Erythritol ingestion impairs adult reproduction and causes larval mortality in Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies (Diptera: Drosophilidae)
Authors: O'Donnell S. , Baudier K. , Fiocca K. , Marenda D. R.
Published: May 2017

Previous feeding studies showed the polyalcohol erythritol was toxic when ingested by adult laboratory fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). We asked whether erythritol could additionally affect fly population growth either through larval toxicity or through effects on adult reproduction. Females did not avoid laying on food substrates with 1M erythritol; laying rate on 1M erythritol food was similar to control food when females were given free‐choice access. Eggs laid or placed on 0.5 M to 2.5 M erythritol foods hatched at normal rates, suggesting erythritol was not toxic to eggs upon contact. Drosophila melanogaster larvae readily consumed food containing 1 M erythritol, but none of these larvae reached pupation. Longevity of larvae feeding on in 1 M erythritol food was significantly reduced relative to controls, and mean ± SE larval lifespan on erythritol was 1.54 ± 0.10 days (max. = 3 days). Exposing cohorts of second‐instar larvae to food with varying concentrations of erythritol showed the LD50 (at 24 hr) concentration was approximately 0.6 M. Taken together, these results suggest erythritol could be employed in effective larval‐sink baits. Adults flies fed with erythritol produced significantly fewer eggs on days when they fed on 1 M erythritol, and egg production was significantly reduced for one additional day after the adults were moved to control food. These findings suggest erythritol is rapid and effective at temporarily suppressing D. melanogaster reproduction, increasing its potential for use in effective insect population control.
Morphological and functional aspects of the epidermis of the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus throughout development
Authors: Rodríguez‐Alonso R. , Megías M. , Pombal M. A. , Molist P.
Published: May 2017

The development of the epidermis of sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus along the whole life cycle was studied using conventional staining techniques and lectin histochemistry. The epidermis undergoes variations in morphology and thickness throughout development. The simple cuboidal epithelium found in the epidermis of prolarvae becomes stratified cubic in the adult by increasing the number of cell layers. The cuticle thickness undergoes a steady increase during the larval period. There are changes in the glycoconjugate composition of the three main cell types of the P. marinus epidermis, mucous, granular and skein cells, which are more pronounced after metamorphosis. The Alcian blue–periodic acid Schiff (AB–PAS) histochemical method shows the presence of both acidic and neutral glycoconjugates in the mucous cells, indicating their secretory function. Moreover, lectin analysis reveals a mucous secretion containing glycoconjugates such as sulphated glycosaminoglycans (N‐acetylglucosamine and N‐acetylgalactosamine) and N‐glycoproteins rich in mannose. Although granular cells are AB–PAS negative, they exhibit a similar glycoconjugate composition to the mucous cells. Moreover, granular cells show sialic acid positivity in larvae but this monosaccharide residue is not detected after metamorphosis. The skein cells, a unique cell of lampreys, are negative to AB–PAS staining but they mostly contain l‐fucose and sialic acid residues, which also disappear after metamorphosis. The function of the granular and skein cells is still unknown but the role of their glycoconjugate composition is discussed. In addition, a different cellular origin is suggested for these two types of cells.
Exercise or Social Intervention for Nursing Home Residents with Dementia: A Pilot Randomized, Controlled Trial
Authors: de Souto Barreto Philipe , Cesari Matteo , Denormandie Philippe , Armaingaud Didier , Vellas Bruno , Rolland Yves
Published: May 2017

Objectives

To compare the effects of exercise with those of a structured nonphysical intervention on ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and physical and cognitive function of persons with dementia (PWDs) living in nursing homes (NH).

Design

Cluster‐randomized pilot‐controlled trial.

Setting

Seven French NHs.

Participants

PWDs living in NHs.

Measurements

NHs were randomized to an exercise group (4 NHs, n = 47) or structured social activity group (3 NHs, n = 50) for a 24‐week intervention performed twice per week for 60 minutes per session. The main endpoint was ADL performance (Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study Activities of Daily Living Inventory for Severe Alzheimer's Disease Scale (ADCS‐ADL‐sev); range 0–54, higher is better); secondary endpoints were overall cognitive function (Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE)) and performance‐based tests of physical function (Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), usual gait speed).

Results

Ninety‐one participants with at least one postbaseline ADL assessment were included in efficacy analysis. Groups differed at baseline in terms of sex, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and nutritional status. Multilevel analysis adjusted for baseline differences between groups found no significant difference between effects of exercise and social activity (group‐by‐time interaction), with adjusted mean differences at 6 months of 1.9 points for ADCS‐ADL‐sev and 0.55 points for MMSE favoring social activity and 0.6 points for SPPB and 0.05 m/s favoring exercise. Adverse events did not differ between groups, except that the social activity group had more falls than the exercise group.

Conclusion

A larger, longer trial is required to determine whether exercise has greater health benefits than nonphysical interventions for institutionalized PWDs.
Type 2 diabetes and glucose intolerance in a population with intellectual disabilities: the STOP diabetes cross‐sectional screening study
Authors: Dunkley A. J. , Tyrer F. , Gray L. J. , Bhaumik S. , Spong R. , Chudasama Y. , Cooper S.‐A. , Ganghadaran S. , Davies M. , Khunti K.
Published: May 2017

Background

Adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) may be at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, due to lifestyle factors, medications and other diagnosed conditions. Currently, there is lack of evidence on prevalence and prevention in this population. The aim of this study was to conduct a diabetes screening programme to determine prevalence of previously undiagnosed type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose regulation in people with ID.

Methods

Screening was conducted in a variety of community settings in Leicestershire, UK. Adults with ID were invited via: general practices; the Leicestershire Learning Disability Register; ID psychiatric services; and some people directly contacted the research team due to publicity about the study. Screening involved collection of anthropometric, biomedical and questionnaire data. Type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose regulation were defined according to (venous) fasting plasma glucose or HbA1c, following current World Health Organisation criteria.

Results

Nine hundred thirty adults (29% of those approached) participated. Mean age was 43 years, 58% were male and 16% of South Asian ethnicity. Most participants were either overweight or obese (68%). Diabetes status was successfully assessed for 675 (73%) participants: Nine (1.3%, 95% confidence interval 0.6 to 2.5) were found to have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, and 35 (5.2%, 95% confidence interval 3.6 to 7.1) had impaired glucose regulation. Key factors associated with abnormal glucose regulation included the following: non‐white ethnicity and a first degree family history of diabetes.

Conclusions

Results from this large multi‐ethnic cohort suggest a low prevalence of screen‐detected (previously undiagnosed) type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose regulation in adults with ID. However, the high levels of overweight and obesity we found emphasise the need for targeted lifestyle prevention strategies, which are specifically tailored for the needs of people with ID.
Molecular species of prostaglandins involved in modulating luteinising hormone pulses of female rats under infectious stress conditions
Authors: Matsuwaki T. , Komatsuda M. , Fujisawa A. , Doke M. , Yamanouchi K. , Nishihara M.
Published: May 2017

Mammalian reproductive function is controlled by the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐gonadal (HPG) axis, which is suppressed under infectious stress conditions. By analysing the pulsatility of luteinising hormone (LH), we have previously demonstrated that prostaglandins (PGs) in the central nervous system mediate infectious stress to suppress the activity of the HPG axis. The present study aimed to characterise the types of PGs responsible for suppression of the HPG axis. We focused on three major types of PGs: PGE2, PGD2 and PGF2α. We used female rats overiectomised bilaterally 1 week before the experiments. Lipopolysaccharide (100 μg kg–1) suppressed LH pulses at the same time as enhancing the concentration of all three PGs in the cerebrospinal fluid, which was restored by indomethacin (10 mg kg–1). Subsequently, we observed LH pulsatility after a single injection of each PG and after co‐injection of PGE2 with PGF2α into the third cerebral ventricle. A single injection of PGE2 dose‐dependently induced a transient increase in mean LH concentration and LH pulse amplitude, and PGD2 significantly increased the amplitude of LH pulses, wereas PGF2α did not affect LH pulsatility. On the other hand, co‐injection of PGE2 and PGF2α induced a significant suppression of both the frequency and amplitude of LH pulses. These results suggest that PGE2 and PGF2α can represent two of the mediators that suppress the HPG axis in situations of infectious stress. Moreover, the results imply that there are two contradictory effects of PGE2 on LH pulsatility: (i) enhancive when working alone and (ii) suppressive when working together with PGF2α.
Fetoscopic laser photocoagulation for amniotic fluid discordance bordering on twin–twin transfusion syndrome: Feasibility, perinatal and long‐term outcomes
Authors: Ozawa Katsusuke , Sugibayashi Rika , Wada Seiji , Sumie Masahiro , Ishii Keisuke , Nakata Masahiko , Murakoshi Takeshi , Ito Yushi , Sago Haruhiko
Published: May 2017

Aim

This study investigated the feasibility and safety of fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (FLP) for amniotic fluid discordance (AFD) bordering on twin–twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) with an absent or reverse end‐diastolic velocity (AREDV) in the umbilical artery (UA), and evaluated the perinatal and long‐term outcomes.

Methods

A prospective intervention study was performed between 20 + 0 and 25 + 6 weeks of gestation (UMIN000004165). AFD bordering on TTTS was defined as maximum vertical pocket (MVP) of amniotic fluid in one twin's sac ≤3 cm and amniotic fluid MVP in the other twin's sac ≥7 cm excluding TTTS. Neurodevelopmental outcome was evaluated at 6 months and at 3 years of age.

Results

Eleven women were treated without complications between September 2010 and July 2011. In all cases amnioinfusion was required, with a median surgical time of 70 min. There were nine cases of selective intrauterine growth restriction in which the growth discordant rate was >25%. The survival rates of the donor and recipient twins were 27.3% (3/11) and 100% (11/11), respectively. None of the surviving donor twins and two of the 11 recipient twins had hemiplegia at 6 months of age. One additional recipient twin had developmental delay at 3 years of age.

Conclusions

Fetoscopic laser photocoagulation for AFD bordering on TTTS with AREDV in the UA was feasible without complications but frequently resulted in donor twin death and a high survival rate of the recipient twin, albeit with neurodevelopmental abnormalities in some cases. FLP does not seem to be a promising treatment option for AFD bordering on TTTS.
Primary peritoneal psammocarcinoma
Authors: Arole Vidya Chandrakant , Deshpande Kalpana Ananad , Jadhav Dipashri Bhaurao , Jogi Akash
Published: May 2017

Psammocarcinoma is a rare low‐grade serous carcinoma arising either from ovary or peritoneum and is characterized by extensive psammomatous calcifications and invasion of surrounding structures. Prognostically, psammocarcinoma resembles borderline serous tumor and has a much more favorable outcome than the common serous carcinoma of ovary and peritoneum.
Association study of interleukin‐1 family, interleukin‐6, and its receptor gene polymorphisms in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis
Authors: Izakovicova Holla Lydie , Valova Simona , Borilova Linhartova Petra , Bartova Jirina , Petanova Jitka , Kuklinek Pavel , Fassmann Antonin
Published: May 2017

Background

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is one of the most common oral chronic ulcerative disease in which proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin‐1 (IL‐1) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) are thought to play an important role. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between polymorphisms in the IL‐1 cytokine family, IL‐6 or its receptor and RAS in the Czech population.

Methods

A total of 248 subjects, 184 healthy controls, and 64 patients with RAS were genotyped for IL‐1A‐889C>T, IL‐1B‐511C>T, IL‐1B+3953C>T, IL‐1RN86 bp variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs) in intron 2, IL‐6‐597G>A, IL‐6‐572G>C, IL‐6‐174G>C, and IL‐6R+48992A>C by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods.

Results

No significant differences between investigated polymorphisms in healthy subjects and patients with RAS were detected (P>.05). In addition, complex analysis also revealed similar IL‐1 or IL‐6 haplotype frequencies between both groups (P>.05).

Conclusions

In conclusion, IL‐1 and IL‐6 or its receptor gene variants cannot be used as markers for identification of Czech patients with increased risk of recurrent aphthous stomatitis.
Development and demolition: a career in mental health nursing and 10 lessons learned
Authors: Butterworth T.
Published: May 2017

Accessible summary

Presented as part of the Ellen Skellern lifetime achievement award in 2016 this paper reflects on a career in mental health nursing and academia spanning 53 years. The presentation offers a series of key lessons learned in that time. They include observations on health care organisations, educational experiences, the nursing profession and the illusion of permanence in health care service organisations and the buildings that house them. The paper offers an account of how a profession must constantly develop to be relevant and how the demolition of both buildings and organisations have been a fact of life in the five decades reported.