bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Angulated small nests and cords: Key diagnostic histopathologic features of infiltrative basal cell carcinoma can be identified using integrated reflectance confocal microscopy‐optical coherence tomography
Authors: Gill Melissa , Sahu Aditi , Alessi‐Fox Christi , Cordova Miguel , Gonzalez Salvador , Iftimia Nicusor , Aleissa Saud , Navarrete‐Dechent Cristian , Dusza Stephen , Rossi Anthony , Marghoob Ashfaq A. , Rajadhyaksha Milind , Chen Chih‐Shan J.
Published: September 2020

Background

Accurate basal cell carcinoma (BCC) subtyping is requisite for appropriate management, but non‐representative sampling occurs in 18% to 25% of biopsies. By enabling non‐invasive diagnosis and more comprehensive sampling, integrated reflectance confocal microscopy‐optical coherence tomography (RCM‐OCT) may improve the accuracy of BCC subtyping and subsequent management. We evaluated RCM‐OCT images and histopathology slides for the presence of two key features, angulation and small nests and cords, and calculated (a) sensitivity and specificity of these features, combined and individually, for identifying an infiltrative BCC subtype and (b) agreement across modalities.

Methods

Thirty‐three RCM‐OCT‐imaged, histopathologically‐proven BCCs (17 superficial and/or nodular; 16 containing an infiltrative component) were evaluated.

Results

The presence of angulation or small nests and cords was sufficient to identify infiltrative BCC on RCM‐OCT with 100% sensitivity and 82% specificity, similar to histopathology (100% sensitivity, 88% specificity, kappa = 0.82). When both features were present, the sensitivity for identifying infiltrative BCC was 100% using either modality and specificity was 88% on RCM‐OCT vs 94% on histopathology, indicating near‐perfect agreement between non‐invasive and invasive diagnostic modalities (kappa = 0.94).

Conclusions

RCM‐OCT can non‐invasively identify key histopathologic features of infiltrative BCC offering a possible alternative to traditional invasive biopsy.
Ovarian pulmonary‐type small cell carcinoma diagnosed by means of ascitic fluid cytology: A case report with immunocytochemical analysis
Authors: Ishikawa Akira , Fujisawa Hiroki , Yasumura Naoko , Kuraoka Kazuya , Zaitsu Junichi , Saito Akihisa , Kan Arisa , Iwahiro Kazue , Kimura Fumika , Nakamura Hiroko , Mizunoe Tomoya , Taniyama Kiyomi
Published: September 2020

Primary ovarian small cell carcinomas of pulmonary type are very rare neoplasms. This report describes an extraordinary case of small cell carcinoma of pulmonary type accurately diagnosed on cytology.
Corpora amylacea in sputum smears: Incidence and clinical significance
Authors: Martínez‐Girón Rafael , Pantanowitz Liron
Published: September 2020

Objective

To examine conventional sputum smears for the presence of corpora amylacea (CA), determining their incidence and clinical significance.

Methods

A retrospective 4‐year cohort study was undertaken of sputum samples from 1176 consecutive patients for the presence of CA. Variables such as age, sex, smoking status, and the presence or absence of haemoptysis were extracted from the medical record. A random group of 50 patients was selected as a control group, and a random group of 50 patients whose ages were below 49 years was also included as an age‐based control.

Results

A total of 1075 of the initial cohort of consecutive patients were included in the study. from these, there were 6898 sputum smears, of which 1.91% (132 smears) contained CA, corresponding to 9.86% of the cohort of patients (106 patients). There was a strong, positive, statistically significant correlation between age and CA presence (τb = .402, P < .001), which supports that CA are associated with older patients. The results of a binary logistic regression indicated that there was a significant association between age, diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and CA presence (χ2 = 49.051, df = 2, P < .001).

Conclusions

The presence of CA in sputum smears is related to age, being much more frequent in older people. Moreover, CA are related to non‐neoplastic lung diseases.
Early combination versus initial metformin monotherapy in the management of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: An East Asian perspective
Authors: Ji Linong , Chan Juliana C. N. , Yu Miao , Yoon Kun Ho , Kim Sin Gon , Choi Sung Hee , Huang Chien‐Ning , Te Tu Shih , Wang Chih‐Yuan , Paldánius Päivi Maria , Sheu Wayne H. H.
Published: September 2020

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the East Asian population is characterized by phenotypes such as low body mass index, an index of β‐cell dysfunction, and higher percentage of body fat, an index of insulin resistance. These phenotypes/pathologies may predispose people to early onset of diabetes with increased risk of stroke and renal disease. Less than 50% of patients with T2D in East Asia achieve glycaemic targets recommended by national or regional guidelines, which may be attributable to knowledge and/or implementation gaps. Herein, we review the latest evidence with special reference to East Asian patients with T2D and present arguments for the need to use early combination therapy to intensify glycaemic control. This strategy is supported by the 5‐year worldwide VERIFY study, which reported better glycaemic durability in newly diagnosed patients with T2D with a mean HbA1c of 6.9% treated with early combination therapy of vildagliptin plus metformin versus those treated with initial metformin monotherapy followed by addition of vildagliptin only with worsening glycaemic control. This paradigm shift of early intensified treatment is now recommended by the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. In order to translate these evidence to practice, increased awareness and strengthening of the healthcare system are needed to diagnose and manage patients with T2D early for combination therapy.
Mechanisms underlying the metabolic actions of testosterone in humans: A narrative review
Authors: Dandona Paresh , Dhindsa Sandeep , Ghanim Husam , Saad Farid
Published: September 2020

The role of testosterone in improving sexual symptoms in men with hypogonadism is well known. However, recent studies indicate that testosterone plays an important role in several metabolic functions in males. Multiple PubMed searches were conducted with the use of the terms testosterone, insulin sensitivity, obesity, type 2 diabetes, anaemia, bone density, osteoporosis, fat mass, lean mass and body composition. This narrative review is focused on detailing the mechanisms that underlie the metabolic aspects of testosterone therapy in humans. Testosterone enhances insulin sensitivity in obese men with hypogonadism by decreasing fat mass, increasing lean mass, decreasing free fatty acids and suppressing inflammation. At a cellular level, testosterone increases the expression of insulin receptor β subunit, insulin receptor substrate‐1, protein kinase B and glucose transporter type 4 in adipose tissue and adenosine 5′‐monophosphate‐activated protein kinase expression and activity in skeletal muscle. Observational studies show that long‐term therapy with testosterone prevents progression from prediabetes to diabetes and improves HbA1c. Testosterone increases skeletal muscle satellite cell activator, fibroblast growth factor‐2 and decreases expression of the muscle growth suppressors, myostatin and myogenic regulatory factor 4. Testosterone increases haematocrit by suppressing hepcidin and increasing expression of ferroportin along with that of transferrin receptor and plasma transferrin concentrations. Testosterone also increases serum osteocalcin concentrations, which may account for its anabolic actions on bone. In conclusion, testosterone exerts a series of potent metabolic effects, which include insulin sensitization, maintenance and growth of the skeletal muscle, suppression of adipose tissue growth and maintenance of erythropoiesis and haematocrit.
Physical activity may not be associated with long‐term risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Kunutsor Setor K. , Laukkanen Jari A. , Kauhanen Jussi , Willeit Peter
Published: September 2020

Background

While it is well established that physical activity is associated with reduced risk of vascular and nonvascular outcomes as well as mortality, evidence on the association between physical activity and dementia is inconsistent. We aimed to assess the associations of physical activity with the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Material and methods

We analysed data on 2394 apparently healthy men with good baseline cognitive function from the prospective population‐based Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease study. We assessed habits of physical activity at baseline using a 12‐month leisure time physical activity (LTPA) questionnaire. Using Cox regression, we calculated hazard ratios adjusted for body mass index, systolic blood pressure, smoking status, history of type‐2 diabetes, total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, alcohol consumption, history of coronary heart disease and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein.

Results

During a median follow‐up of 24.9 years (interquartile range: 18.3‐26.9), 208 men developed dementia and 128 developed AD. Multivariable adjusted hazard ratios for dementia comparing top vs bottom tertiles of physical activity were 0.97 (95% confidence intervals: 0.69‐1.38) for total physical activity volume, 0.96 (0.69‐1.34) for conditioning LTPA volume and 1.13 (0.80‐1.61) for total LTPA volume. Corresponding hazard ratios for AD were 1.19 (0.76‐1.85), 0.98 (0.64‐1.49) and 1.22 (0.77‐1.93). Associations were consistent in analyses restricted to participants with ≥10 years of follow‐up.

Conclusions

In middle‐aged Caucasian men, various physical activity exposures were not associated with all‐cause dementia or AD. Future studies should address biases due to reverse causation and regression dilution and should involve objective measures of physical activity.
Characterization of gut microbiota in polycystic ovary syndrome: Findings from a lean population
Authors: Mammadova Gulnar , Ozkul Ceren , Yilmaz Isikhan Selen , Acikgoz Aylin , Yildiz Bulent O.
Published: September 2020

Background

Limited available animal and human data suggest an association between dysbiosis of gut microbiota and PCOS. We aimed to determine whether gut microbiota in lean women with PCOS shows any alterations compared to healthy women.

Materials and methods

Twenty‐four lean patients with PCOS phenotype A according to the Rotterdam 2003 diagnostic criteria and 22 BMI‐matched healthy women were included in this study. Anthropometric, hormonal and biochemical measurements were carried out in all participants. 16S rRNA gene V3‐V4 region amplicon sequencing was performed on stool samples. Preprocessing of the raw data was performed using QIIME, and both QIIME and R packages were used for microbiome analysis.

Results

Bacterial richness and diversity did not show a significant difference between patients and controls. Beta diversity was similar between the groups. However, Erysipelotrichaceae, Proteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, Planococcaceae, Gemmules and Bacillales were significantly abundant in PCOS group according to LEfSe analysis. Clostridium cluster XVII showed increased abundance in patient group, while Clostridium sensustricto and Roseburia were decreased compared to controls. Random forest prediction analysis revealed Clostridium cluster XIVb as the most discriminative feature of patient group and Roseburia for healthy controls. Testosterone and androstenedione were negatively correlated with alpha and phylogenetic diversity.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that gut microbiome of lean PCOS patients with full phenotype shows compositional alterations with similar bacterial richness and diversity compared to controls and that hyperandrogenism is associated with dysbiosis.
Multi‐family group and single‐family intervention in first‐episode psychosis: A prospective, quasi‐experimental cohort study
Authors: Haahr Ulrik Helt , Jansen Jens Einar , Lyse Nielsen Hanne‐Grethe , Pedersen Marlene Buch , Trauelsen Anne Marie , Bachmann Østergaard Lise , Simonsen Erik
Published: September 2020

Background

The evidence for manualized psycho‐educative family intervention (FI) in first‐episode psychosis (FEP) is well‐established to reduce relapse and caregiver distress. Less is known, however, about type and duration of FI.

Aim

To compare two different types of manualized family interventions for FEP: Multi‐Family Groups (MFG) and Single‐Family Intervention (SFI).

Methods

This was a prospective, quasi‐experimental cohort study of all participants of an early psychosis service (OPUS) with an ICD‐10 diagnosis of F20 to F29 (excl. F21), aged 18 to 35 years, in Psychiatry Region Zealand, Denmark, during a 2‐year period. All service users and their relatives are offered FI, either MFG or SFI. Assessment of level of participation, psychopathology measured by The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), remission status and relapses was carried out at 3‐year follow up.

Results

We found no differences between the service users participating in SFI (N = 25) or MFG (N = 18) on number of readmissions or relapses after baseline or psychopathology. A binary logistic regression analysis on remission status at follow up showed a trend in favour of MFG. A surprisingly high proportion of the families did not receive an FI.

Conclusions

SFI and MFG seem equally effective in an FEP programme. The low attendance of FI may be due to several issues—among others, the probability that the FI did not sufficiently match the needs of the service users. Further studies involving larger samples are needed, included randomized controlled trials and implementation studies.
Using self‐study as a methodology for dental educators’ professional inquiry
Authors: Leadbeatter Delyse , Dracopoulos Susie , Lansdown Karen , Terry Andrew
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Dental educators play crucial roles in dental education and in the functioning of dental schools. Whilst it is recognised that dental educators need more than relevant disciplinary expertise and that scholarly development of dental educators is important, there is a lack of knowledge about ways research can be used to promote professional development. This article aims to showcase a research methodology for professional inquiry that is widely used in teacher education to promote the view that dental education is a professional practice.

Approach

Self‐study methodology was employed by four dental educators to illuminate their theory‐informed practice. We chose to frame the inquiry around technology and accumulated three forms of data: individual journaling, video‐call discussions and Padlet/bricolage. Analysis of this data focused on how the learning was co‐constructed by the group.

Findings and discussion

Five key elements of our self‐study were constructed into narratives: understanding technology as a dental educator, being a learner and embodied scholarship, the (expanded) roles of a teacher in a technological environment, advancing our own professional identity as an educator, and possibilities and limits for self‐study in the dental education context.

Conclusion

Professionalisation of dental educators is critical to sustainable dental education. By educators researching their own practice, research approaches such as self‐study can perform a dual role of facilitating scholarly development and contributing to the generation of new knowledge about becoming and being a dental educator.
Dentistry students’ experiences, engagement and perception of biochemistry within the dental curriculum and beyond
Authors: Youhanna Karla Mariah Yumul , Adam Lee , Monk Brian C. , Loch Carolina
Published: September 2020

Introduction/Objectives

Basic knowledge at the molecular level is necessary to care for the orofacial complex as part of the whole body. Many undergraduate dentistry students struggle to engage with biochemistry during the degree due to difficulty in appreciating the relevance of biochemistry to clinical practice. This study investigated student experiences, perception and engagement with biochemistry as part of the dental curriculum and explored how the teaching of biochemistry might be further developed.

Methods

Focus groups were conducted with 21 participants, in groups of four to six students from the 3rd year to 5th year, as well as with recent graduates and post‐graduate students from a prominent Australasian dental school. Data were analysed using a general inductive approach.

Results

Focus group participants viewed the oral biochemistry module as well organised and professionally run. However, participants reported that the large amount of material taught in the module made them feel overwhelmed and demotivated. Biochemistry was regarded by undergraduate participants as relevant to dental practice, but graduate participants thought it was only relevant to those sitting examinations for further training. Biochemistry was perceived as most relevant to dental research and expanding scientific literacy.

Discussion/Conclusions

Participants in this study suggested that reducing the amount of material taught, focusing on dentally relevant biochemical concepts and overtly stating the connection of biochemistry to clinical practice could increase engagement and enhance the module within the dental curriculum.
Cortical neurophysiology of primary isolated dystonia and non‐dystonic adults: A meta‐analysis
Authors: McCambridge Alana B. , Bradnam Lynley V.
Published: September 2020

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non‐invasive method to assess neurophysiology of the primary motor cortex in humans. Dystonia is a poorly understood neurological movement disorder, often presenting in an idiopathic, isolated form across different parts of the body. The neurophysiological profile of isolated dystonia compared to healthy adults remains unclear. We conducted a systematic review with meta‐analysis of neurophysiologic TMS measures in people with isolated dystonia to provide a synthesized understanding of cortical neurophysiology associated with isolated dystonia. We performed a systematic database search and data were extracted independently by the two authors. Separate meta‐analyses were performed for TMS measures of: motor threshold, corticomotor excitability, short interval intracortical inhibition, cortical silent period, intracortical facilitation and afferent‐induced inhibition. Standardized mean differences were calculated using a random effects model to determine overall effect sizes and confidence intervals. Heterogeneity was explored using dystonia type subgroup analysis. The search resulted in 78 studies meeting inclusion criteria, of these 57 studies reported data in participants with focal hand dystonia, cervical dystonia, blepharospasm or spasmodic dysphonia, and were included in at least one meta‐analysis. The cortical silent period, short‐interval intracortical inhibition and afferent‐induced inhibition was found to be reduced in isolated dystonia compared to controls. Reduced GABAergic‐mediated inhibition in the primary motor cortex in idiopathic isolated dystonia's suggest interventions targeted to aberrant cortical disinhibition could provide a novel treatment. Future meta‐analyses require neurophysiology studies to use homogeneous cohorts of isolated dystonia participants, publish raw data values, and record electromyographic responses from dystonic musculature where possible.
The value of privileged access
Authors: Peterson Jared
Published: September 2020

It is commonly held that we stand in a special epistemic relationship with respect to certain facts about our minds, a relationship that is known as privileged access. Recently, a number of philosophers have argued that we either lack privileged access entirely, or that the scope of such access is severely limited. While there have been a number of attempts in the literature to respond to these skeptics, one question that has not been addressed is what, if anything, of value we fail to possess if these skeptics are right. In this paper, I argue that insofar as we lack privileged access, something of significant value would be absent from our cognitive lives. I defend this claim by developing a novel position that privileged access is necessary for possessing a type of epistemic control that is extrinsically valuable to those who possess it. I also provide reasons for thinking that privileged access is valuable in and of itself.
On the function ofself‐deception
Authors: Krstić Vladimir
Published: September 2020

Self‐deception makes best sense as a self‐defensive mechanism by which the self protects itself from painful reality. Hence, we typically imagine self‐deceivers as people who cause themselves to believe as true what they want to be true. Some self‐deceivers, however, end up believing what they do not want to be true. Their behaviour can be explained on the hypothesis that the function of this behaviour is protecting the agent's perceived focal benefit at the cost of inflicting short‐term harm, which is a basis for a unified account of the phenomenon. In this paper, I argue that this view is narrow. Cases of altruistic, benevolent, and even self‐punishing self‐deception also exist. There, the function is not the self‐deceiver's benefit. In fact, self‐deception may have no function at all. Therefore, I put forward a novel account that analyses the function of self‐deception on a case‐by‐case basis.
Loss of the neuronal genome organizer and transcription factor CTCF induces neuronal death and reactive gliosis in the anterior cingulate cortex
Authors: Kwak Ji‐Hye , Kim Somi , Yu Nam‐Kyung , Seo Hyunhyo , Choi Ja Eun , Kim Ji‐il , Choi Dong Il , Kim Myung Won , Kwak Chuljung , Lee Kyungmin , Kaang Bong‐Kiun
Published: September 2020

CCCTC‐binding factor (CTCF) is a genome organizer that regulates gene expression through transcription and chromatin structure regulation. CTCF also plays an important role during the developmental and adult stages. Cell‐specific CTCF deletion studies have shown that a reduction in CTCF expression leads to the development of distinct clinical features and cognitive disorders. Therefore, we knocked out Ctcf (CTCF cKO) in the excitatory neurons of the forebrain in a Camk2a‐Cre mouse strain to examine the role of CTCF in cell death and gliosis in the cortex. CTCF cKO mice were viable, but they demonstrated an age‐dependent increase in reactive gliosis of astrocytes and microglia in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) from 16 weeks of age prior to neuronal loss observed at over 20 weeks of age. Consistent with these data, qRT‐PCR analysis of the CTCF cKO ACC revealed changes in the expression of inflammation‐related genes (Hspa1a, Prokr2 and Itga8) linked to gliosis and neuronal death. Our results suggest that prolonged Ctcf gene deficiency in excitatory neurons results in neuronal cell death and gliosis, possibly through functional changes in inflammation‐related genes.
Erenumab in Chronic Migraine: An Australian Experience
Authors: Cheng Shuli , Jenkins Bronwyn , Limberg Nicole , Hutton Elspeth
Published: September 2020

Objective

To determine the effectiveness and safety of erenumab in patients with chronic migraine in the real‐world setting of 3 headache centers in Australia.

Methods

Patients with migraine were prescribed erenumab (70 or 140 mg) in the setting of either a product familiarization program or paid access to the medication in 3 headache centers in Australia. We obtained baseline and monthly prospective data on monthly headache days, monthly migraine days, monthly triptan use days, monthly codeine use days, Headache Impact Test‐6 scores, and adverse reactions. In this paper, we present our data at 3 and 6 months in our subgroup of patients with chronic migraine with and without medication overuse.

Results

A total of 170 patients with chronic migraine were prescribed erenumab in the 3 headache centers. At 3 months, 100/170 (58.8%) had 50% or greater reduction in monthly migraine days. At 6 months, 79/170 (46.5%) had 50% or greater reduction in monthly migraine days. At 6 months, there was a mean reduction in monthly headache days of 9.2 days, a mean reduction in monthly migraine days of 10.2 days. There were few adverse events reported.

Conclusion

This is the first report from 3 Australian headache centers about erenumab in the real world. Our analysis has supported erenumab as an effective and well‐tolerated migraine preventative therapy for patients with chronic migraine who have failed many preventative therapies.
Age‐related risk of household transmission of COVID‐19 in Singapore
Authors: Pung Rachael , Park Minah , Cook Alex R. , Lee Vernon J.
Published: September 2020

Prior to the implementation of social distancing measures, we monitored the close family contacts of the first 400 cases of COVID‐19 in Singapore for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection to determine the risk of infection with age. Adjusting for gender and household size, the risk of COVID‐19 infection in household contacts was found to increase with age.
Establishing fidelity for the creating opportunities for personal empowerment: Symptom and technology management resources (COPE‐STAR) intervention
Authors: Spratling Regena , Faulkner Melissa S. , Chambers Rebecca , Lawrence Patricia , Feinberg Iris , Hayat Matthew J.
Published: September 2020

Aim

To establish intervention fidelity for the Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment: Symptom and Technology Management Resources web‐based intervention to assist caregivers of children aged 1–5 years in managing their child's symptoms and medical technology of tracheostomies and feeding tubes at home.

Design

Descriptive study of the strategies used to establish intervention fidelity, specifically using expert and caregiver reviewers.

Methods

To establish fidelity of the intervention, experts and caregivers were asked to evaluate the usefulness, ease of use, and acceptability of the intervention and provide any suggestions for the modules. Caregivers provided caregiver and child characteristics and were administered a health literacy measure, the Newest Vital Sign. Intervention fidelity was established from April 2019–July 2019.

Results/Findings

Expert and caregiver reviewers (N = 13) all agreed or strongly agreed that the intervention was useful, easy to use, and acceptable. In addition, caregiver reviewers provided care to children who required multiple technologies and a variety of care needs at home and confirmed adequate health literacy (N = 5).

Conclusion

The use of expert and caregiver reviewers was very beneficial in establishing intervention fidelity. Caregivers are experts in the care of their child and provide valuable feedback based on their daily experiences at home. Experts provided evidence‐based feedback.

Impact

This nursing intervention addresses caregivers of children who require medical technology by targeting caregiver management for common symptoms, related technologies, and resources for the child and caregiver in the home setting. Intervention fidelity was established and expert and caregiver reviewers confirmed the usefulness, ease of use, and acceptability of the intervention. This study is essential to nursing, other healthcare providers, and healthcare systems in planning and implementing programmes and services for children and their caregivers and for nurse researchers establishing intervention fidelity.

Trial registration

This study is not designated as a clinical trial per NIH/NINR study and grant proposal guidelines.
Take it personal! Development and modelling study of an indicated prevention programme for substance use in adolescents and young adults with mild intellectual disabilities and borderline intellectual functioning
Authors: Schijven Esmée P. , VanDerNagel Joanneke E. L. , Otten Roy , Lammers Jeroen , Poelen Evelien A. P.
Published: September 2020

Background

This paper describes the theory and development of Take it personal! an indicated prevention programme aimed at reducing substance use in individuals with mild intellectual disabilities and borderline intellectual functioning.

Method

The process of the development of Take it personal! followed the steps of the Intervention Mapping protocol. Take it personal! is based on the theory that personality traits are an important construct to understand substance use (14–30 years old). A small modelling study was conducted with six adolescents to examine the feasibility, user‐friendliness and potential effectiveness of the intervention.

Results

The results showed that the intervention has good feasibility and user‐friendliness. Post‐intervention evaluation of frequency, binge drinking and problematic use indicated that use was lower than at pre‐intervention.

Conclusions

Take it Personal! can be a promising preventive intervention designed to reduce substance use in individuals in this target group. A larger scale study is needed to draw further conclusions.
Risk of dementia in patients with periodontitis and related protective factors: A nationwide retrospective cohort study
Authors: Lee Chia‐Yen , Chang Chuen‐Chau , Lin Chao‐Shun , Yeh Chun‐Chieh , Hu Chaur‐Jong , Wu Ching‐Zong , Chen Ta‐Liang , Liao Chien‐Chang
Published: September 2020

Aim

We aimed to evaluate the long‐term risk of dementia in patients with periodontitis and its associated factors.

Materials and Methods

Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Database, we identified 56,018 patients aged ≥50 years with newly diagnosed periodontitis in 2000–2008. A cohort of 56,018 adults without periodontitis was selected for comparison, with matching by age and sex. Both cohorts were followed from 2000 to the end of 2013, and incident dementia was identified during the follow‐up period. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of dementia associated with periodontitis were calculated in the multivariate regressions.

Results

Periodontitis was associated with dementia risk (HR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.67–1.93), and the association between periodontitis and dementia risk was significant in men, women, and people aged more than 60 years. Among patients with periodontitis, the use of statins (HR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.71–0.87), metformin (HR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.44–0.62), and influenza vaccination (HR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.61–0.74) were associated with a reduced risk of dementia, while diabetes, mental disorders, and stroke were major significant risk factors.

Conclusions

Periodontitis was a risk factor for dementia, while the use of statins and metformin may reduce the risk of dementia.
Ammoglanis natgeorum, a new miniature pencil catfish (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) from the lower Atabapo River, Amazonas, Venezuela
Authors: Henschel Elisabeth , Lujan Nathan K. , Baskin Jonathan N.
Published: September 2020

A new species of the sand‐dwelling catfish genus Ammoglanis is described from a marginal habitat of the lower Atabapo River, a left‐bank blackwater tributary of the upper Orinoco River in Amazonas, Venezuela, adjacent to the border with Colombia. Ammoglanis natgeorum is distinguished from all congeners by trunk pigmentation pattern consisting of scattered ventral chromatophores concentrated around the anal‐fin base and numerous additional meristic and anatomical characteristics. A. natgeorum is the second species of Ammoglanis described from the Orinoco River basin after Ammoglanis pulex, and several shared character states (e.g., eight total dorsal‐fin rays, overall coloration pattern and presence of two finger‐like papillae posterior to chin) suggest that it is more closely related to Ammoglanis obliquus (from the central Amazon basin) and A. pulex than to other congeners.
The Courts, Intimate Partner Violence and Mental Illness: The Case of Dwight Lamon Jones
Authors: Websdale Neil
Published: September 2020

Through the lens of the high‐profile spree killing perpetrated by Dwight Lamon Jones in 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona, this article examines the way the criminal and civil courts grappled with assessing the significance, extent, and outcome of the IPV and abuse directed at Dr. Connie Jones, Dwight Jones’s former wife. The case is unusual, not least because Dr. Jones had an upper middle‐class income and numerous resources IPV victims do not normally enjoy. Nevertheless, she felt the courts let her family down. Journalists, victim advocates, and others also criticized the Arizona courts. The article outlines the spree killing and the criticisms of the courts, narratesJonesover a period of nine years including the IPV and mental illness, and, through the work of the Study Committee convened by Arizona Chief Justice Bales, explores the potential use of IPV risk assessments in the courts, particularly the family court, and related matters. It concludes with recommendations regarding possible preventive interventions in IPV cases, including those addressing mental illness.
Effect of freezing methods on quality changes of grass carp during frozen storage
Authors: Jiang Qixing , Yin Ting , Yang Fang , Yu Dawei , Xu Yanshun , Tie Huaimao , Gao Pei , Wang Bin , Xia Wenshui
Published: September 2020

The effects of freezing method on ice crystal, distribution of water and freshness properties of grass carp during frozen storage was investigated. The freezing methods contained air‐blast freezing (AF), immersion freezing (IF) and liquid nitrogen freezing (LNF). Results showed that the freezing speed of IF samples was 4.22 times that of AF samples. Ice crystals of IF samples were smaller than that of AF samples (p < .05). Consequently, there was less damage to muscle fiber, lower water mobility and high retention of texture in IF samples during frozen storage. Meanwhile, equivalent diameter and area ratio of ice crystals increased by 101.2% and 38.8% (IF), 396.8% and 211.3% (LNF) after 5 months of frozen storage. Compared with LNF samples, IF samples had the lower growth rate of ice crystals, almost the same thawing loss and muscle tissue state. Principal component analysis showed that IF was similar to LNF in maintaining quality characteristics of fish. Overall, IF was a promising way to delay the degradation of fish during frozen storage.

Practical Applications

Liquid nitrogen freezing technology is one of the mature technologies on the market with many advantages because of its fast freezing speed; however, it is prone to cause low‐temperature fracture and whitening of products, affecting sensory quality of products. Immersion freezing technology and the coolants have been improved in recent years. The coolants used in immersion freezing can be recycled for many times and reduce costs of freezing. Once the effect of immersion freezing technology on quality of food is similar to that of liquid nitrogen freezing and the cost is relatively low, it is expected that the immersion freezing technology will be further promoted by industry processors.
Beyond polyphony: Open Dialogue in a Women’s Shelter in Australia as a possibility for supporting violence‐informed practice
Authors: Dawson Lisa , Einboden Rochelle , McCloughen Andrea , Buus Niels
Published: September 2020

Open Dialogue is a family/social network‐centered psychotherapeutic approach to responding to people in crisis and distress. In 2017, Open Dialogue network meetings were implemented in an Australian inner‐city shelter for disadvantaged women. The aim of this study was to explore the experience of participating in these meetings from the perspective of service users and Open Dialogue practitioners. Qualitative interviews were completed with thirteen participants (six service users and seven practitioners) and analyzed thematically. The findings suggested that dialogical processes created safety by attending to multiple voices in nonviolent ways that reduced perceived hierarchies. Notions of expertise were renegotiated, which allowed the women to feel heard in significant ways that were different from their previous experiences with other social and healthcare services. Open Dialogue is an approach that can meaningfully attend to some of the power relations within which women live and within which social and health care services are provided.
Disrupted memory inhibition in dementia of Alzheimer’s type
Authors: Tempel Tobias , Ludwig Mareike , Stolte Jennifer
Published: September 2020

Cognitive inhibition has been suggested to deteriorate in Alzheimer’s disease. While numerous studies with different experimental paradigms found evidence on impaired inhibition in attention and memory, evidence in favour of intact memory inhibition has been reported with regard to the phenomenon of retrieval‐induced forgetting (Moulin et al., 2002). Here, we adapted the previously used paradigm in order to reduce the contribution of non‐inhibitory processes and examined whether retrieval‐induced forgetting could still be observed in a sample of participants with diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease. In contrast to the previous finding, we found that retrieval‐induced forgetting only occurred in an age‐matched control group. These results suggest that inhibitory deficits in Alzheimer’s disease also generalize to memory inhibition that resolves interference occurring during retrieval, whereas effects of retrieval‐induced forgetting may still occur when non‐inhibitory causes, such as, blocking by previously retrieved content, are not precluded.
miR‐483 is downregulated in pre‐eclampsia via targeting insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and regulates the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway of endothelial progenitor cells
Authors: Han Li , Luo Qing‐qing , Peng Ming‐gang , Zhang Yang , Zhu Xiao‐hui
Published: September 2020

Aim

Pre‐eclampsia is a serious pregnancy‐specific disease with an incidence of 9.4%. MicroRNAs play a key role in regulating factors in pre‐eclampsia, but related research is still limited. This study aims to reveal the role and potential mechanisms of miR‐483 in pre‐eclampsia.

Methods

miR‐483 was detected in venous blood, umbilical cord blood and placental tissue of pre‐eclampsia patients by Real‐time Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). Insulin‐like growth factor (IGF1) and miR‐483 were detected by qRT‐PCR and western blot in endothelial progenitor cells isolated from fetal umbilical cord blood. miR‐483 was overexpressed and inhibited to detect changes of IGF1 and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in endothelial progenitor cells by qRT‐PCR and western blot.

Results

miR‐483 was downregulated in venous blood, umbilical cord blood and placental tissue of pre‐eclampsia patients. In endothelial progenitor cells, overexpression of miR‐483 inhibited the expression of IGF1, and inhibition of miR‐483 promoted the expression of IGF1. miR‐483 regulates the expression of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR in endothelial progenitor cells.

Conclusion

miR‐483 is downregulated in pre‐eclampsia and regulates endothelial progenitor cells by targeting IGF1. miR‐483 is a potential alternative for diagnosing and treating pre‐eclampsia.
Bipolar radiofrequency thermotherapy treatment of the prostate in urinary catheter‐dependent men
Authors: Salar Remzi , Özbay Engin , Öncel Halil Ferat
Published: September 2020

Objectives

In this study, for the first time in the literature, we evaluated patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who had undergone permanent urinary catheterization for urinary retention and who were treated with radiofrequency (RF) thermotherapy as an alternative method due to their inoperability based on the high risk associated with anesthesia. We aimed to investigate these patients' posttreatment parameters concerning the catheter‐free rates, quality of life (QoL) changes, and retrospective treatment efficacy.

Methods

RF thermotherapy was applied to 62 permanent patients catheterized within the last 3 months due to urinary retention. The follow‐up data of the patients were retrospectively analyzed. The patients who were free of catheters and those who required permanent catheterization were determined. The changes in the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), QoL, postvoiding residue (PVR), and maximal flow rate (Qmax) values were analyzed.

Results

A total of 52 patients were evaluated in terms of treatment success in relation to the elimination of the need for a urinary catheter, which was calculated as 73.07%. The Qmax, IPSS, QoL, and PVR values of 38 patients who no longer required a catheter were monitored for 24 months, and statistically significant changes were observed in all parameters.

Conclusion

Bipolar RF thermotherapy was found to be beneficial for men dependent on catheters due to BPH. It can be recommended as a safe, minimally invasive treatment method for elderly patients with a high anesthesia risk.
Fortified blended flour supplements displace plain cereals in feeding of young children
Authors: Cliffer Ilana R. , Masters William A. , Rogers Beatrice L.
Published: September 2020

Lipid‐based nutritional supplements (LNS) and fortified blended flours (FBF) are widely used to increase the nutrient density of children's diets and improve their health, but their effectiveness could be modified by displacement of other foods. We reanalysed data from a cost‐effectiveness trial comparing impacts on anthropometry of three FBFs (Corn Soy Blend Plus [CSB+], Corn Soy Whey Blend [CSWB], SuperCereal Plus [SC+]) and one LNS (Ready‐to‐use Supplementary Food [RUSF]) among infants aged 7–23 months in Burkina Faso. Using dietary diversity data from a single 24‐h recall period (n = 1,591 children, observed once over 18‐month study period), we fit logistic regression models to estimate differences in intake of each food group making up the infant and young child minimum dietary diversity score and linear models to test for differences in dietary diversity score among children in each supplement arm. We tested for differences in breastfeeding time using the subsample for which breastfeeding was observed (n = 176). Children who consumed one of the three FBFs had lower odds of consuming household grains, roots and tubers compared with the LNS consumers (odds ratios [ORs] = 0.35–0.47; 95% confidence intervals [CIs]: 0.20–1.05). Consumption of other foods, dietary diversity and breastfeeding did not differ significantly at the 5% significance level. FBFs displaced the household's own cereals more than LNS, with no difference in the child's consumption of other more nutrient‐rich family foods. Given limited stomach capacity and feeding time, providing fortified cereals may help improve children's overall diet quality in settings where children would otherwise be fed nutrient‐poor root crops or cereal grains.
Dispersal barriers and opportunities drive multiple levels of phylogeographic concordance in the Southern Alps of New Zealand
Authors: Marske Katharine A. , Thomaz Andréa T. , Knowles L. Lacey
Published: September 2020

Phylogeographic concordance, or the sharing of phylogeographic patterns among codistributed species, suggests similar responses to topography or climatic history. While the orientation and timing of breaks between lineages are routinely compared, spatial dynamics within regions occupied by individual lineages provide a second opportunity for comparing responses to past events. In environments with complex topography and glacial history, such as New Zealand's South Island, geographically nested comparisons can identify the processes leading to phylogeographic concordance between and within regional genomic clusters. Here, we used single nucleotide polymorphisms (obtained via ddRADseq) for two codistributed forest beetle species, Agyrtodes labralis (Leiodidae) and Brachynopus scutellaris (Staphylinidae), to evaluate the role of climate change and topography in shaping phylogeographic concordance at two, nested spatial scales: do species diverge over the same geographic barriers, with similar divergence times? And within regions delimited by these breaks, do species share similar spatial dynamics of directional expansion or isolation‐by‐distance? We found greater congruence of phylogeographic breaks between regions divided by the strongest dispersal barriers (i.e., the Southern Alps). However, these shared breaks were not indicative of shared spatial dynamics within the regions they delimit, and the most similar spatial dynamics between species occurred within regions with the strongest gradients in historical climatic stability. Our results indicate that lack of concordance as traditionally detected by lineage turnover does not rule out the possibility of shared histories, and variation in the presence and type of concordance may provide insights into the different processes shaping phylogeographic patterns across geologically dynamic regions.
Intuitions, Biases, and Extra‐Wide Reflective Equilibrium
Authors: Director Samuel
Published: September 2020

It seems that intuitions are indispensable in philosophical theorizing. Yet, there is evidence that our intuitions are heavily influenced by biases. This generates a puzzle: we must use our intuitions, but we seemingly cannot fully trust those very intuitions. This paper develops a methodology for philosophical theorizing that attempts to avoid this puzzle. Specifically, it develops and defends a methodology it calls Extra‐Wide Reflective Equilibrium. It argues that this method allows us to use intuitions, while also providing a mechanism to check the influence of bias on our intuitions. In section 1, it defends the claim that intuitions are indispensable in philosophical theorizing. In section 2, it outlines recent arguments against the reliability of intuitions. In section 3, it explains and defends its account of Extra‐Wide Reflective Equilibrium.
The Methodological Implications of Reference Magnetism on Moral Twin Earth
Authors: Mokriski David
Published: September 2020

The Moral Twin Earth challenge to ethical naturalism threatens to undermine an otherwise promising metaethical view by showing that typical, naturalist‐friendly theories of reference determination predict diverging reference in Twin Earth scenarios, making it difficult to account for substantive moral disagreement. Several theorists have recently invoked David Lewis’s doctrine of reference magnetism as a solution, claiming that a highly elite moral property—a moral “joint in nature”—could secure shared reference between ourselves and our twins on Twin Earth, despite our diverging usages of moral terms. This paper argues that this move has significant methodological implications: namely, it entails that a certain sort of simplicity is truth‐conducive. Consequently, when applied to moral theories, this gives certain views, specifically monist ones like utilitarianism and contractualism, an advantage over their more complicated rivals, forms of pluralism and particularism. Thus, ethical naturalists cannot invoke reference magnetism without a substantial impact on first‐order theorizing.
Assessment of the Hemotek® system for the in vitro feeding of field‐collected Culicoides imicola (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in South Africa
Authors: de Beer C. J. , Boikanyo S. N. B. , Venter G. J.
Published: September 2020

The optimising and standardisation of in vitro blood feeding protocols for field‐collected Culicoides species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) will be of essence for the comparison of the vector competencies of various populations of viruses of veterinary importance and the establishment of laboratory colonies of putative vector species. A custom‐made feeding chamber to accommodate the small size of Culicoides imicola Kieffer was designed for the commercially available Hemotek® system and compared to existing membrane and cotton pledge feeding methods. High feeding rates coupled to higher mean blood meal volume than that of the existing OVI device indicated that the Hemotek system will be suitable for the feeding of field‐collected Culicoides. The Hemotek system was subsequently used to identify factors that may affect feeding success in the laboratory. Evaluated factors were the source (host) and temperature of the blood meal, time of the day of feeding, the position of the blood reservoir in relation to the midges and exposure time to the blood. While only feeding orientation and the temperature of the blood source seems to significantly affect the feeding rate, all the factors did influence the volume of blood consumed.