bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An analysis of pancreas transplantation outcomes based on age groupings – an update of the UNOS database
Authors: Siskind Eric , Maloney Caroline , Akerman Meredith , Alex Asha , Ashburn Sarah , Barlow Meade , Siskind Tamar , Bhaskaran Madhu , Ali Nicole , Basu Amit , Molmenti Ernesto , Ortiz Jorge
Published: June 2014

Introduction

Previously, increasing age has been a part of the exclusion criteria used when determining eligibility for a pancreas transplant. However, the analysis of pancreas transplantation outcomes based on age groupings has largely been based on single‐center reports.

Methods

A UNOS database review of all adult pancreas and kidney‐pancreas transplants between 1996 and 2012 was performed. Patients were divided into groups based on age categories: 18–29 (n = 1823), 30–39 (n = 7624), 40–49 (n = 7967), 50–59 (n = 3160), and ≥60 (n = 280). We compared survival outcomes and demographic variables between each age grouping.

Results

Of the 20 854 pancreas transplants, 3440 of the recipients were 50 yr of age or above. Graft survival was consistently the greatest in adults 40–49 yr of age. Graft survival was least in adults age 18–29 at one‐, three‐, and five‐yr intervals. At 10‐ and 15‐yr intervals, graft survival was the poorest in adults >60 yr old. Patient survival and age were found to be inversely proportional; as the patient population's age increased, survival decreased.

Conclusion

Pancreas transplants performed in patients of increasing age demonstrate decreased patient and graft survival when compared to pancreas transplants in patients <50 yr of age.
Ethics and Rationing Access to Dialysis in Resource‐Limited Settings: The Consequences of Refusing a Renal Transplant in the South African State Sector
Authors: Etheredge Harriet , Paget Graham
Published: June 2014

Resource constraints in developing countries compel policy makers to ration the provision of healthcare services. This article examines one such set of Guidelines: A patient dialysing in the state sector in South Africa may not refuse renal transplantation when a kidney becomes available. Refusal of transplantation can lead to exclusion from the state‐funded dialysis programme. This Guideline is legally acceptable as related to Constitutional stipulations which allow for rationing healthcare resources in South Africa. Evaluating the ethical merit of the Guideline, and exploring the ethical dilemma it poses, proves a more complex task. We examine the actions of healthcare professionals as constrained by the Guideline. From a best interests framework, we argue that in these circumstances directing patient decision making (pressurising a patient to undergo renal transplantation) is not necessarily unethical or unacceptably paternalistic. We then scrutinise the guideline itself through several different ethical ‘lenses’. Here, we argue that bioethics does not provide a definitive answer as to the moral merit of rationing dialysis under these circumstances, however it can be considered just in this context. We conclude by examining a potential pitfall of the Guideline: Unwilling transplant recipients may not comply with immunosuppressive medication, which raises questions for policies based on resource management and rationing.
A cross‐sectional study examining computer task completion by adolescents with cerebral palsy across the Manual Ability Classification System levels
Authors: Davies T Claire , AlManji Amur , Stott N Susan
Published: June 2014

Aim

The aim of this study was to analyze the cursor trajectories of adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) when using a mouse for point‐and‐click computer tasks. By identifying some of the factors limiting cursor movement and gaining a better understanding of human movement, it will be possible to design more accessible computer interfaces.

Method

This study evaluated cursor trajectories of 29 individuals with bilateral CP who had different levels of upper limb function as measured by the Manual Ability Classification System, and compared the results with those of 12 adolescents with typical development.

Results

Among adolescents with typical development, movement time increases linearly as the index of difficulty increases (Fitts' law); however, this linearity was not apparent in adolescents with bilateral CP.

Interpretation

Interfaces for members of the population are designed around Fitts' law, with low precision requirements at indices of difficulty lower than 4. We found that interactive displays for adolescents with CP should be limited to an index of difficulty of 2.
UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE ON FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS: THE ROLE OF BACKGROUND RISK SHARING
Authors: Christiansen Charlotte , Joensen Juanna Schröter , Rangvid Jesper
Published: June 2014

We investigate how changes in marital status affect financial investments and how these effects vary with background risk. We use detailed register‐based panel data and difference‐in‐differences estimators to benchmark common unobserved influences on financial investments. Women increase the fraction of wealth invested in stocks after marriage and decrease it after divorce, whereas men show the opposite behavior. Households whose joint labor income risk is reduced more by marriage have a higher increase in their exposure to risky assets in marriage. Thus income risk sharing in the household is important for financial risk taking and investment responses to marital transitions. (JEL G11, J12, J16, D14)
Poly(ADP‐ribose)‐mediated interplay of XPA and PARP1 leads to reciprocal regulation of protein function
Authors: Fischer Jan M. F. , Popp Oliver , Gebhard Daniel , Veith Sebastian , Fischbach Arthur , Beneke Sascha , Leitenstorfer Alfred , Bergemann Jörg , Scheffner Martin , Ferrando‐May Elisa , Mangerich Aswin , Bürkle Alexander
Published: June 2014

Poly(ADP‐ribose) (PAR) is a complex and reversible post‐translational modification that controls protein function and localization through covalent modification of, or noncovalent binding to target proteins. Previously, we and others characterized the noncovalent, high‐affinity binding of the key nucleotide excision repair (NER) protein XPA to PAR. In the present study, we address the functional relevance of this interaction. First, we confirm that pharmacological inhibition of cellular poly(ADP‐ribosyl)ation (PARylation) impairs NER efficacy. Second, we demonstrate that the XPA–PAR interaction is mediated by specific basic amino acids within a highly conserved PAR‐binding motif, which overlaps the DNA damage‐binding protein 2 (DDB2) and transcription factor II H (TFIIH) interaction domains of XPA. Third, biochemical studies reveal a mutual regulation of PARP1 and XPA functions showing that, on the one hand, the XPA–PAR interaction lowers the DNA binding affinity of XPA, whereas, on the other hand, XPA itself strongly stimulates PARP1 enzymatic activity. Fourth, microirradiation experiments in U2OS cells demonstrate that PARP inhibition alters the recruitment properties of XPA‐green fluorescent protein to sites of laser‐induced DNA damage. In conclusion, our results reveal that XPA and PARP1 regulate each other in a reciprocal and PAR‐dependent manner, potentially acting as a fine‐tuning mechanism for the spatio‐temporal regulation of the two factors during NER.
‘I Write Like a Painter’: Feminine Creation with Arts‐Based Methods in Organizational Research
Authors: Biehl‐Missal Brigitte
Published: June 2014

Feminine writing and organizational aesthetics are brought together in this paper to sketch a different form of academic production in organizational research that involves arts‐based methods (‘feminine creation’). Feminine creation relates to écriture féminine (Cixous, Irigaray, and Kristeva) and also to peinture féminine (Nancy Spero) and modern choreography (Trisha Brown). Feminine creation responds to the feminist and the aesthetic critique of conventional academic writing and has the potential to challenge its masculine stereotypes of rationality, rigorous method and explicit knowledge production. The paper discusses the practices of poetic writing, painting and dance that are used to present academic research. It includes its own series of ‘peinture feminine’, some of which are contributions by the artist and organizational scholar Schrat. They illustrate my argument in a synedochic aesthetic format and encourage a different, aesthetic way of perceiving academic research and of re‐imagining gendered bodies.
Broadening the Intersectional Path: Revealing Organizational Practices through ‘Working Mothers’ Narratives about Time
Authors: O'Hagan Clare
Published: June 2014

This article is concerned with the complex inequality experienced by mothers in employment, and applies ‘strong intersectionality’ to women's narratives about time to reveal the intersecting inequalities women experience and gendered organizational practices. Drawing on empirical research with 30 Irish ‘working mothers’, this article explores the way time is ordered and managed to create gendered inequalities for women at the intersection of maternity with paid work. By conceptualizing gender, maternity and class as simultaneous processes of identity practice, institutional practice and social practice, following Holvino, women's narratives reveal that organizations manage and order time to fit with notions of ‘ideal workers’, which perpetrate older hierarchies and gendered inequalities, and which create regimes of inequality for women at the intersection of maternity with paid work.
Consumers' willingness to pay using an experimental auction methodology: applications to brand equity
Authors: Li Yan Ming , Ellis Joan L.
Published: June 2014

Research has established a relationship between willingness to pay to price premium and brand equity, however, most studies used stated preference data, which are hypothetical situations. Although the experimental auction methodology has been well documented in the previous literature, its application in understanding brand equity has been minimal.

The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between brand equity and consumers' willingness to pay a price premium for branded apparel products using revealed preference methodology. In order to determine the relationship, the Becker‐Degroot‐Marshack experimental auction mechanism was used with the endow‐and‐upgrade approach followed with a survey. The survey included 10 multidimensional brand equity questions adopted from the Yoo and Donthu brand equity scale, demographics, previous brand experiences, importance of apparel product attributes and beliefs about brands. The experiment resulted in 100 usable observations. Brand equity was analysed using a composite score on the multidimensional brand equity measurement (Yoo and Donthu), willingness to pay a price premium was analysed using descriptive statistics and Tobit regression analysis was used to analyse the relationship between brand equity and the willingness to pay a price premium.

Findings indicated that the overall brand equity score, a belief that there are more choices in branded merchandise and the importance of brand in making clothing purchase decisions had a modest positive and significant influence on the willingness to pay a price premium. The higher the brand equity, the higher the importance of brands in making clothing purchase decisions, and belief that there are more choices in branded merchandise, the higher the price premium a consumer was willing to pay.
Safety of medication use in primary care
Authors: Olaniyan Janice O , Ghaleb Maisoon , Dhillon Soraya , Robinson Paul
Published: June 2014

Background

Medication errors are one of the leading causes of harmin health care. Review and analysis of errors have often emphasized their preventable nature and potential for reoccurrence. Of the few error studies conducted in primary care to date, most have focused on evaluating individual parts of the medicines management system. Studying individual parts of the system does not provide a complete perspective and may further weaken the evidence and undermine interventions.

Aim and Objectives

The aim of this review is to estimate the scale of medication errors as a problem across the medicines management system in primary care. Objectives were:

Methods

A systematic search of the literature was performed in PubMed (MEDLINE), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA), Embase, PsycINFO, PASCAL, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, and CINAHL PLUS from 1999 to November, 2012. Bibliographies of relevant publications were searched for additional studies.

Key findings

Thirty-three studies estimating the incidence of medication errors and thirty-six studies evaluating the impact of error-prevention interventions in primary care were reviewed. This review demonstrated that medication errors are common, with error rates between <1% and >90%, depending on the part of the system studied, and the definitions and methods used. The prescribing stage is the most susceptible, and that the elderly (over 65 years), and children (under 18 years) are more likely to experience significant errors. Individual interventions demonstrated marginal improvements in medication safety when implemented on their own.

Conclusion

Targeting the more susceptible population groups and the most dangerous aspects of the system may be a more effective approach to error management and prevention. Co-implementation of existing interventions at points within the system may offer time- and cost-effective options to improving medication safety in primary care.
Impact of anticholinergic load of medications on the length of stay of cancer patients in hospice care
Authors: Gupte Komal P , Wu Wenchen
Published: June 2014

Objectives

An important goal of hospice care is to relieve pain and suffering of terminal cancer patients. Anticholinergic medications are effective in the symptom palliation among terminal cancer patients. However, use of these medications has been associated with increased risk of side effects, which might lead to premature mortality. Short lengths of stay in hospice care leave patients with a higher level of unmet needs. The study was conducted to examine the effect of increasing anticholinergic load on the length of stay of cancer patients in hospice care in the USA.

Methods

The National Home and Hospice Care Survey 2007 was used as the data source. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate the risk of death among users of moderate and high anticholinergic load compared with users of low anticholinergic load in presence of other prognostic factors.

Key findings

Cancer patients on a moderate anticholinergic load had a 12.7% lower hazard of death (P = 0.0244), while those on a high anticholinergic load had a 15.6% lower hazard of death (P = 0.0071) as compared with those patients on a low anticholinergic load. Among other prognostic factors, non-elderly age group, male gender, white race, metropolitan hospice agency, non-profit hospice agency, severe activities of daily living dependency and cognitive impairment were significantly associated with a higher probability of death.

Conclusions

These results provide no evidence for increasing anticholinergic load increasing mortality in cancer patients using hospice care. Thus, high anticholinergic load might have conferred a protective effect on the patients because of better symptom control.
Treatment by testicular sperm extraction and intracytoplasmic sperm injection of 65 azoospermic patients with non‐mosaic Klinefelter syndrome with birth of 17 healthy children
Authors: Madureira C. , Cunha M. , Sousa M. , Neto A. P. , Pinho M. J. , Viana P. , Gonçalves A. , Silva J. , Teixeira da Silva J. , Oliveira C. , Ferraz L. , Dória S. , Carvalho F. , Barros A.
Published: June 2014

The aim of this work was to present the clinical and embryological outcomes of 65 azoospermic patients with non‐mosaic Klinefelter syndrome (KS), treated by testicular sperm extraction (TESE), followed by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), either with fresh or cryopreserved testicular spermatozoa. In total, spermatozoa were recovered in 25/65 (38.5%) of the cases. Of the 48 patients who choose to perform TESE followed by ICSI using fresh testicular spermatozoa (treatment TESE), spermatozoa was recovered in 19 patients (40%), with birth of 12 newborn. Of the 17 patients who choose to perform TESE followed by testicular sperm cryopreservation, spermatozoa were recovered in six patients (35%), with birth of one child. Of the patients who performed treatment TESE, nine went for a new cycle using cryopreserved spermatozoa. Of these, five patients had a previous failed treatment cycle (two patients, three newborn) and four with a previous success went for a new cycle (one patient, one newborn). Overall, the embryological and clinical rates were as follows: 52% of fertilization, 41% of blastocyst, 27% of implantation, 39% of live birth delivery and 47% of newborn. Of the 16 clinical pregnancies, 14 had a successful delivery (12 girls and 5 boys). The 17 newborns had a mean gestation time of 37.2 weeks (35.3% pre‐term) and a mean newborn weight of 2781.3 g (37.5% low weight). Comparisons between cycles with fresh and frozen‐thaw spermatozoa revealed higher fertilization and clinical pregnancy rates with fresh spermatozoa, with no differences regarding implantation or newborn rates. Of the 17 newborns, no abnormal karyotypes (n = 3) or numerical abnormalities in chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X and Y (n = 14) as evaluated by Multiplex Ligation–dependent Probe Amplification were observed. In conclusion, this study presents further data that reassures that men with KS have no increased risk of transmitting their genetic problem to the offspring.
The Crystallization of Amorphous Aluminum Oxide Thin Films Grown on NiAl(100)
Authors: Qin Hailang , Sutter Peter , Zhou Guangwen
Published: June 2014

The crystallization of amorphous aluminum oxide thin films formed on NiAl(100) has been investigated using in‐situ low energy electron microscopy, low energy electron diffraction, and scanning tunneling microscopy. It is found that both the annealing temperature and annealing time play crucial roles in the crystallization process. A critical temperature range of 450°C–500°C exists for the crystallization to occur within a reasonably short annealing time. The initially uniform oxide film first becomes roughened, followed by coalescing into amorphous‐like oxide islands; further annealing results in the conversion of the amorphous oxide islands into crystalline oxide stripes. The density of the crystalline oxide stripes increases concomitantly with the decrease in the density of the amorphous oxide islands for annealing at a higher temperature or longer time.
Dielectric and Magnetodielectric Properties of R2NiMnO6 (R = Nd,Eu,Gd,Dy, and Y)
Authors: Kakarla Devi Chandrasekhar , Jyothinagaram Krishna Murthy , Das Amal Kumar , Adyam Venimadhav
Published: June 2014

We have prepared polycrystalline R2NiMnO6 (R = Nd, Eu, Gd, Dy, and Y) samples by conventional solid‐state reaction and all the samples have shown monoclinic structure with P21/n space group. With the decrease in rare‐earth ionic size (), the  bond angle decreases, correspondingly a decrease in ferromagnetic (FM) Curie temperature is noticed. In the dielectric measurement, the dielectric anomaly shifts to high temperature with the decrease in the  and shows no correlation with the FM Curie temperature and hints the absence of apparent magnetodielectric (MD) coupling. Appearance of multiple relaxations in the dielectric study suggests the electrical heterogeneity of the system. The dielectric/impedance analysis has revealed a close correlation between dc conductivity and the dielectrics; in fact, both dc resistivity and the grain relaxations follow the variable range hopping mechanism. The thermal activation of charge carriers at the grain boundary led to Maxwell–Wagner interfacial polarization. Finally, dielectric study under magnetic field showed no effect, it implies that not only the intrinsic MD is absent, but also the extrinsic MD due to the lack of magnetoresistance.
Piezoelectricity in Poled Hydroxyapatite Ceramics
Authors: Gandhi Abbasi A. , Wojtas Maciek , Lang Sidney. B. , Kholkin Andrei L. , Tofail Syed A. M.
Published: June 2014

Direct current electrical poling of textured hydroxyapatite (HAp) ceramics is reported here to exhibit weak ferroelectricity and pyroelectricity, but a remarkably higher (six orders of magnitude) piezoelectricity. The piezoelectric strain coefficient is an order higher than that of bone and of the same order as that of quartz crystal and uncalcified collagen in tendon. The piezoelectric charge coefficient is an order higher than bone, and three orders higher than that of tendon. Piezoelectric constants of poled HAp ceramics are high enough to have physiological relevance such as in the use of bone grafts for stimulated calcification or in energy harvesting from physiological motions. Piezoelectricity in these ceramics can be tuned by controlling texture, and poling parameters. The density of power that can be harvested from HAp ceramics is currently just one order lower than biocompatible ferroelectric ceramic such as barium titanate.
Dietary Salt Intake and Coronary Atherosclerosis in Patients With Prehypertension
Authors: Zhao Xin , Yang Xiaoxu , Zhang Xiaolin , Li Yi , Zhao Xiaochuan , Ren Lili , Wang Li , Gu Chonghuai , Zhu Zhiming , Han Yaling
Published: June 2014

High dietary salt intake is known to contribute to hypertension and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The authors investigated the association between dietary salt intake and development of hypertension or cardiovascular disease (CVD) in 243 patients with prehypertension. After a median follow‐up of 4.53 years (range, 3.1–8.7), 123 (50.6%) patients developed hypertension and 71 (29.2%) experienced cardiovascular events, including fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarctions. Adjusted hazard ratios for patients with a high salt diet (≥6 g/d) were 1.57 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17–3.31; P=.018) for hypertension and 1.97 (95% CI, 1.08–2.27; P=.011) for CVD. Multivariable‐adjusted analyses of subgroups showed a significant association between salt intake and CVD, but no such association was found in patients younger than 60 years, women, or patients with normal weight or normal cholesterol level. These results provide further research of prevention of hypertension and CVD in prehypertension.
Genomic regions repeatedly involved in divergence among plant‐specialized pea aphid biotypes
Authors: Nouhaud P. , Peccoud J. , Mahéo F. , Mieuzet L. , Jaquiéry J. , Simon J.‐C.
Published: June 2014

Understanding the genetic bases of biological diversification is a long‐standing goal in evolutionary biology. Here, we investigate whether replicated cases of adaptive divergence involve the same genomic regions in the pea aphid,Acyrthosiphon pisum,a large complex of genetically differentiated biotypes, each specialized on different species of legumes. A previous study identified genomic regions putatively involved in host‐plant adaptation and/or reproductive isolation by performing a hierarchical genome scan in three biotypes. This led to the identification of 11FSToutliers among 390 polymorphic microsatellite markers. In this study, the outlier status of these 11 loci was assessed in eight biotypes specialized on other host plants. Four of the 11 previously identified outliers showed greater genetic differentiation among these additional biotypes than expected under the null hypothesis of neutral evolution (α < 0.01). Whether these hotspots of genomic divergence result from adaptive events, intrinsic barriers or reduced recombination is discussed.
Oceanic barriers promote language diversification in the Japanese Islands
Authors: Lee S. , Hasegawa T.
Published: June 2014

Good barriers make good languages. Scholars have long speculated that geographical barriers impede linguistic contact between speech communities and promote language diversification in a manner similar to the process of allopatric speciation. This hypothesis, however, has seldom been tested systematically and quantitatively. Here, we adopt methods from evolutionary biology and attempt to quantify the influence of oceanic barriers on the degree of lexical diversity in the Japanese Islands. Measuring the degree of beta diversity from basic vocabularies, we find that geographical proximity and, more importantly, isolation by surrounding ocean, independently explains a significant proportion of lexical variation across Japonic languages. Further analyses indicate that our results are neither a by‐product of using a distance matrix derived from a Bayesian language phylogeny nor an epiphenomenon of accelerated evolutionary rates in languages spoken by small communities. Moreover, we find that the effect of oceanic barriers is reproducible with the Ainu languages, indicating that our analytic approach as well as the results can be generalized beyond Japonic language family. The findings we report here are the first quantitative evidence that physical barriers formed by ocean can influence language diversification and points to an intriguing common mechanism between linguistic and biological evolution.
The tidepool shrimp, Palaemon ritteri Holmes, constitutes a novel host to the white spot syndrome virus
Authors: Sánchez‐Paz A , Terán‐Díaz B , Enríquez‐Espinoza T , Encinas‐Garcia T , Vázquez‐Sánchez I , Mendoza‐Cano F
Published: June 2014

The white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is a lethal and contagious pathogen for penaeid shrimp and a growing number of other crustacean species. To date, there are no effective prophylactic or therapeutic treatments commercially available to interfere with the occurrence and spread of the disease. In addition, the significance of alternative vectors on the dispersal of this disease has been largely ignored and therefore the ecological dynamics of the WSSV is still poorly understood and difficult to ascertain. Thus, an important issue that should be considered in sanitary programmes and management strategies is the identification of species susceptible to infection by WSSV. The results obtained provide the first direct evidence of ongoing WSSV replication in experimentally infected specimens of the tidepool shrimp Palaemon ritteri. Viral replication was detected using a validated set of primers for the amplification by RT‐PCR of a 141 bp fragment of the transcript encoding the viral protein VP28. It is therefore conceivable that this shrimp may play a significant role in the dispersal of WSSV.
Development of physical fitness in children with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Hartman E. , Smith J. , Westendorp M. , Visscher C.
Published: June 2014

Background

Few studies examined the development of physical fitness in children and youth with intellectual disabilities (ID), but the developmental patterns of physical fitness are largely unknown. The first aim was to examine physical fitness of primary school children with ID, aged 8–12, and compare the results with typically developing children in order to determine the performance level of children with ID. The second aim was to investigate the developmental trajectory of physical fitness in children with ID and the possible influence of gender and severity of cognitive impairment in a 4‐year during longitudinal study.

Method

Seventy‐three children with borderline or mild ID (51 boys, 22 girls; age range 8–11 in the year of enrolment) were measured annually on running speed, aerobic endurance (cardiovascular endurance), explosive strength, handgrip strength and trunk strength. Physical fitness scores of 515 typically developing children (266 boys, 249 girls; age range 8–12) were collected for reference values.

Results

The results indicated statistically significant differences (with moderate to large Effect Sizes) between children with ID and typically developing children in all ages, favouring the typically developing children, and showed that the gap remained stable across the ages or decreased with increasing age. Multilevel models showed that the children with ID developed statistically significant on all items of physical fitness between age 8 and age 12. There was no statistically significant effect of gender on physical fitness, and the developmental trajectories were similar for boys and girls. For children with borderline and mild ID the developmental trajectories were parallel, but children with mild ID scored statistically significant worse on running speed, explosive strength and handgrip strength.

Conclusions

Despite statistically significant development of physical fitness in children with ID, their physical fitness levels should be stimulated. This should start already in young children (<8 years) and the children with the most severe cognitive impairments need special attention.
Speech outcome in complete unilateral cleft lip and palate – a comparison of three methods of the hard palate closure
Authors: Hortis‐Dzierzbicka M. , Radkowska E. , Stecko E. , Dudzinski L. , Fudalej P. S.
Published: June 2014

The aim of this study was to compare the speech in subjects with cleft lip and palate, in whom three methods of the hard palate closure were used. One hundred and thirty‐seven children (96 boys, 41 girls; mean age = 12 years, SD = 1·2) with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (CUCLP) operated by a single surgeon with a one‐stage method were evaluated. The management of the cleft lip and soft palate was comparable in all subjects; for hard palate repair, three different methods were used: bilateral von Langenbeck closure (b‐vL group, n = 39), unilateral von Langenbeck closure (u‐vL group, n = 56) and vomerplasty (v‐p group, n = 42). Speech was assessed: (i) perceptually for the presence of a) hypernasality, b) compensatory articulations (CAs), c) audible nasal air emissions (ANE) and d) speech intelligibility; (ii) for the presence of compensatory facial grimacing, (iii) with clinical intra‐oral evaluation and (iv) with videonasendoscopy. A total rate of hypernasality requiring pharyngoplasty was 5·1%; total incidence post‐oral compensatory articulations (CAs) was 2·2%. The overall speech intelligibility was good in 84·7% of cases. Oronasal fistulas (ONFs) occurred in 15·7% b‐vL subjects, 7·1% u‐vL subjects and 50% v‐p subjects (P < 0·001). No statistically significant intergroup differences for hypernasality, CAs and intelligibility were found (P > 0·1). In conclusion, the speech after early one‐stage repair of CUCLP was satisfactory. The method of hard palate repair affected the incidence of ONFs, which, however, caused relatively mild and inconsistent speech errors.
The chemokine receptor‐CXCR2 plays a critical role in the invasion and metastases of oral squamous cell carcinoma in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Qian Yong , Wang Yu , Li Duan‐Shu , Zhu Yong‐Xue , Lu Zhong‐Wu , Ji Qing‐Hai , Yang Gong
Published: June 2014

Background

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common cancers in the world with about 50% survival rate over 5 years. OSCC has a highly invasive potency and frequently metastasizes to the cervical lymph nodes, which is the principle reason leading to poor prognosis. CXCR2, the receptor of CXC chemokines, has been reported to be involved in invasion and metastasis in multiple types of malignancy. However, the accurate role of CXCR2 in OSCC has been little noticed.

Methods

In this study, we determined the expression of CXCR2 in OSCC using immunohistochemical staining (IHC) and analyzed the association between the expression of CXCR2 and the biobehavior of OSCC. Then, we established stable OSCC cell lines with interference of CXCR2 and observed the effect of CXCR2 knockdown on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and morphological changes in vitro and in vivo.

Results

CXCR2 was positively expressed in 55.3% of OSCC patients and was statistically associated with the high cervical lymph node metastasis in OSCC. CXCR2 silencing markedly inhibited migration and invasion of OSCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, CXCR2 silencing led to morphological changes and decreased lamellipodial structures in OSCC cells. However, CXCR2 silencing showed no effect on proliferation of OSCC cells in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusions

CXCR2 plays a critical role in the invasion and metastases of OSCC. And it is probably by regulating actin cytoskeletal remodeling that CXCR2 takes part in the invasion and metastases of OSCC.
Fear of hypoglycemia in parents of children with type 1 diabetes
Authors: Hawkes Colin Patrick , McDarby Vincent , Cody Declan
Published: June 2014

Aim

The aim of this study is to determine if parental hypoglycaemia fear is associated with worse glycaemic control and increased resource utilisation and to identify risk factors for increased hypoglycaemia fear.

Methods

Parents of children with diabetes completed a modified Hypoglycaemia Fear Survey. Demographic data, phone contacts and mean glycosylated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were also recorded over a 1 year study period.

Results

A total of 106 parents participated. Mean patient age was 11.1 years, and duration of diabetes was 4.8 years. Fifty‐two per cent were male, and 48% were on insulin pump therapy. Fear of hypoglycaemia was highest among parents of 6‐ to 11‐year‐olds. Parents of children with HbA1c less than 7.5% had less hypoglycaemia fear. Previous seizures and increased frequency of phone calls to the diabetes team were not associated with increased fear.

Conclusion

Fear of hypoglycaemia is associated with worse glycaemic control. It is highest among parents of 6‐ to 11‐year‐olds but is not affected by previous severe hypoglycaemia or associated with increased contact with the diabetes team.
The prevalence of the oral allergy syndrome and pollen‐food syndrome in an atopic paediatric population in south‐west Sydney
Authors: Brown Cassandra EB , Katelaris Constance H
Published: June 2014

Aim

Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) and pollen‐food syndrome (PFS) are regarded as uncommon manifestations of paediatric atopic disease. However, little Australian data exist. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of OAS in an atopic, paediatric population.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study assessed 163 patients aged 4–17 years from the Paediatric Allergy & Immunology Clinic at Campbelltown Hospital, which serves a population base >250 000 with approximately 28% under the age of 18 years. A questionnaire was administered and skin prick tests (SPTs) were performed utilising commercial extracts and fresh and frozen fruit samples. Frozen samples were created by reducing fresh fruit to a semi‐solid state and storing at −20 degrees Celsius for up to 6 months.

Results

Within the studied population, the prevalence of OAS was 14.7%, PFS 4.9%, PFS in those with allergic rhinitis 6.25% and PFS in those with allergic rhinitis and pollen sensitisation 12.1%. All PFS‐implicated fruits were tropical fruits with watermelon the most common. The prevalence of OAS caused by food allergy was 13.6%, implicating peanut most frequently. The most common cause of OAS was immunoglobulin E‐mediated food allergy (57.9%). Only frozen samples of watermelon, pineapple and rockmelon produced results consistent with the ‘gold standard’ of fresh fruit SPT.

Conclusion

This study suggests the prevalence of OAS and PFS are more common in paediatric populations than previously described, with tropical fruits predominantly implicated in PFS. Further research is required to determine whether frozen fruits are a reliable alternative to fresh fruit in SPT.
Comparison of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization references/standards for height in contemporary Australian children: Analyses of the Raine Study and Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity cohorts
Authors: Hughes Ian , Harris Mark , Cotterill Andrew , Garnett Sarah , Bannink Ellen , Pennell Craig , Sly Peter , Leong Gary M , Cowell Chris , Ambler Geoff , Werther George , Hofman Paul , Cutfield Wayne , Choong Catherine S
Published: June 2014

Aim

(i) To compare the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reference and World Health Organization (WHO) standard/reference for height, particularly with respect to short stature and eligibility for growth hormone (GH) treatment by applying them to contemporary Australian children; (ii) To examine the implications for identifying short stature and eligibility for GH treatment.

Methods

Children from the longitudinal Raine Study were serially measured for height from 1991 to 2005 (2–15‐year‐old girls (660) and boys (702) from Western Australia). In the cross‐sectional Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity survey (2–16‐year‐old boys (2415) and girls (2379) from all states), height was measured in 2007. Heights were converted to standard deviation scores (SDSs) based on CDC and WHO.

Results

Means and standard deviations of height‐SDS varied between CDC and WHO definitions and with age and gender within each definition. However, both identified similar frequencies of short stature (<1st centile for GH eligibility), although these were very significantly less than the anticipated 1% (0.1–0.7%) of the Australian cohorts. Mean heights in the Australian cohorts were greater than both the WHO and CDC means.

Conclusions

Neither CDC nor WHO height standardisations accurately reflect the contemporary Australian child population. Australian children are taller than the CDC or WHO height means, and significantly less than 1% of Australian children are defined as being short using either CDC or WHO. This study suggests there may be a case for an Australian‐specific standard/reference for height.
Oral health status in Navajo Nation Head Start children
Authors: Batliner Terrence , Wilson Anne R. , Tiwari Tamanna , Glueck Deborah , Henderson William , Thomas Jacob , Braun Patricia , Cudeii Diana , Quissell David , Albino Judith
Published: June 2014

Objective

This study assessed oral health status for preschool‐aged children in the Navajo Nation to obtain data on baseline decayed, missing, and filled tooth surfaces (dmfs) and dental caries patterns, describe sociodemographic correlates of children's baseline dmfs measures, and compare the children's dmfs measures with previous dental survey data for the Navajo Nation from the Indian Health Service and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Methods

The analyzed study sample included 981 child/caregiver dyads residing in the Navajo Nation who completed baseline dmfs assessments for an ongoing randomized clinical trial involving Navajo Nation Head Start Centers. Calibrated dental hygienists collected baseline dmfs data from child participants ages 3‐5 years (488 males and 493 females), and caregivers completed a basic research factors questionnaire.

Results

Mean dmfs for the study population was 21.33 (SD = 19.99) and not appreciably different from the 1999 Indian Health Service survey of Navajo Nation preschool‐aged children (mean = 19.02, SD = 16.59, P = 0.08). However, only 69.5 percent of children in the current study had untreated decay compared with 82.9 percent in the 1999 Indian Health Service survey (P < 0.0001). Study results were considerably higher than the 16.0 percent reported for 2‐4‐year‐old children in the whites‐only group from the 1999‐2004 NHANES data. Age had the strongest association with dmfs, followed by child gender, then caregiver income and education.

Conclusion

Dental caries in preschool‐aged Navajo children is extremely high compared with other US population segments, and dmfs has not appreciably changed for more than a decade.
The effect of three different head–neck positions on the average EMG activity of three important neck muscles in the horse
Authors: Kienapfel K.
Published: June 2014

The Knowledge of muscle activity in common head–neck positions (HNPs) is a necessary precondition for making judgements on HNPs. The aim of the study was to record the surface electromyography activities of important muscles of the horse's neck in various HNPs. The electrical activities of the m. splenius, brachiocephalicus and trapezius were recorded on both sides. Five horses, both with and without a rider, were examined in all three gaits on both hands in three different HNPs: a ‘free’ position, a ‘gathered’ (head higher, neck more flexed) position with the noseline in front of the vertical and a ‘hyperflexed’ position. Averages of ten consecutive gait cycles in each HNP were evaluated and compared by standard statistical methods. No difference between ridden and unridden horses could be detected. The m. brachiocephalicus was in the hyperflexed position in all gaits significantly (p < 0.01) more active than in the gathered and free position, which were not significantly different. By contrast, the m. splenius was in the hyperflexed position less active than in the free position (p < 0.02), in which it always showed the highest activity. In walking, the muscle activities in the free and gathered positions deviated significantly (p < 0.01). The m. trapezius was in the hyperflexed posture during walking significantly less active than in the free (p < 0.01) and gathered (p < 0.01) positions with the strongest activities in the free position. Again, the free and gathered positions differed significantly (p < 0.01). In trot, the same pattern occured, although the gathered and hyperflexed positions did not differ significantly. In the canter, the activities of the m. trapezius showed no differences between HNPs. In HNPs with the noseline in front of the vertical, the muscles of the topline (m. splenius, m. trapezius) are activated and trained. In the hyperflexed position, however, a major muscle of the lower topline (m. brachiocephalicus) is activated and trained.
Critical review of NGS analyses for de novo genotyping multigene families
Authors: Lighten Jackie , van Oosterhout Cock , Bentzen Paul
Published: June 2014

The genotyping of highly polymorphic multigene families across many individuals used to be a particularly challenging task because of methodological limitations associated with traditional approaches. Next‐generation sequencing (NGS) can overcome most of these limitations, and it is increasingly being applied in population genetic studies of multigene families. Here, we critically review NGS bioinformatic approaches that have been used to genotype the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) immune genes, and we discuss how the significant advances made in this field are applicable to population genetic studies of gene families. Increasingly, approaches are introduced that apply thresholds of sequencing depth and sequence similarity to separate alleles from methodological artefacts. We explain why these approaches are particularly sensitive to methodological biases by violating fundamental genotyping assumptions. An alternative strategy that utilizes ultra‐deep sequencing (hundreds to thousands of sequences per amplicon) to reconstruct genotypes and applies statistical methods on the sequencing depth to separate alleles from artefacts appears to be more robust. Importantly, the ‘degree of change’ (DOC) method avoids using arbitrary cut‐off thresholds by looking for statistical boundaries between the sequencing depth for alleles and artefacts, and hence, it is entirely repeatable across studies. Although the advances made in generating NGS data are still far ahead of our ability to perform reliable processing, analysis and interpretation, the community is developing statistically rigorous protocols that will allow us to address novel questions in evolution, ecology and genetics of multigene families. Future developments in third‐generation single molecule sequencing may potentially help overcome problems that still persist in de novo multigene amplicon genotyping when using current second‐generation sequencing approaches.
Deoxycholic acid induced changes in electrophysiological parameters and macromolecular permeability in murine small intestine with and without functional enteric nervous system plexuses
Authors: Forsgård R. A. , Korpela R. , Stenman L. K. , Österlund P. , Holma R.
Published: June 2014

Background

We have previously shown in mice that the fecal proportion and concentration of the hydrophobic bile acid deoxycholic acid (DCA) is elevated with high‐fat feeding and that these changes are able to disrupt the intestinal barrier function. The aim of this study was to investigate whether these changes are mediated by the enteric nervous system (ENS).

Methods

The function of the ENS in the small intestinal tissues of mice was compromised by two different methods: by removing the seromuscular layer and by incubating the intact tissues with tetrodotoxin (TTX), a neural conduction blocker, before DCA treatment. Tissues with or without functional plexuses were mounted into a Ussing chamber system and treated with 3 mM DCA for 20 min. After DCA treatment, the intestinal permeability to fluorescein was assessed. Short‐circuit current (Isc) and transepithelial resistance (TER) were recorded throughout the experiment.

Key Results

DCA increased intestinal fluorescein permeability only in tissues where the seromuscular layer was removed. In tissues with intact seromuscular layer, DCA induced a significant increase in TER, which was attenuated by blocking of the neural function by TTX.

Conclusions & Inferences

The results of this study suggest that the DCA‐induced increase observed in fluorescein permeability is not mediated through neural pathways, but more due to a direct effect on the epithelium. However, as TTX was able to attenuate the DCA‐induced increase in TER, it can be speculated that DCA is also able to elicit responses through neural pathways.
Damage to enteric neurons occurs in mice that develop fatty liver disease but not diabetes in response to a high‐fat diet
Authors: Rivera L. R. , Leung C. , Pustovit R. V. , Hunne B. L. , Andrikopoulos S. , Herath C. , Testro A. , Angus P. W. , Furness J. B.
Published: June 2014

Background

Disorders of gastrointestinal functions that are controlled by enteric neurons commonly accompany fatty liver disease. Established fatty liver disease is associated with diabetes, which itself induces enteric neuron damage. Here, we investigate the relationship between fatty liver disease and enteric neuropathy, in animals fed a high‐fat, high‐cholesterol diet in the absence of diabetes.

Methods

Mice were fed a high‐fat, high‐cholesterol diet (21% fat, 2% cholesterol) or normal chow for 33 weeks. Liver injury was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin, picrosirius red staining, and measurement of plasma alanine aminotransaminase (ALT). Quantitative immunohistochemistry was performed for different types of enteric neurons.

Key Results

The mice developed steatosis, steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and a 10‐fold increase in plasma ALT, indicative of liver disease. Oral glucose tolerance was unchanged. Loss and damage to enteric neurons occurred in the myenteric plexus of ileum, cecum, and colon. Total numbers of neurons were reduced by 15–30% and neurons expressing nitric oxide synthase were reduced by 20–40%. The RNA regulating protein, Hu, became more concentrated in the nuclei of enteric neurons after high‐fat feeding, which is an indication of stress on the enteric nervous system. There was also disruption of the neuronal cytoskeletal protein, neurofilament medium.

Conclusions & Inferences

Enteric neuron loss and damage occurs in animals with fatty liver disease in the absence of glucose intolerance. The enteric neuron damage may contribute to the gastrointestinal complications of fatty liver disease.