bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in Non‐current Assets and in Property, Plant and Equipment and Future Stock Returns: The UK Evidence
Authors: Petrovic Nikola , Manson Stuart , Coakley Jerry
Published: April 2016

We examine the effect of changes in non‐current operating assets (NCOA) and of changes in property, plant and equipment (PPE) on future abnormal stock returns using a sample of 21,549 UK non‐financial firm observations over the 1990–2012 event period. The results from a matching portfolio procedure and 4‐factor regressions indicate that abnormal returns from investing in a portfolio of low‐minus‐high quintile NCOA and PPE change firms are between 5.5% and 6.1%. This negative association is confirmed by cross‐sectional regressions. The economic significance of mispricing seems weaker than in the US and weaker than the mispricing of working capital accruals adjusted for depreciation in the UK. Changes in PPE drive the predictability of share returns with respect to changes in NCOA. There is no significant evidence that return predictability is stronger in less liquid firms. We find two strands of evidence that lend some support to behavioural explanations of predictability through overreaction to investment. On one hand, fundamental information about investment explains one‐third of the predictability of returns while, on the other, predictability is generally not significantly stronger in firms with high operating leverage as a proxy for risk.
Historical biogeography of Polyura butterflies in the oriental Palaeotropics: trans‐archipelagic routes and South Pacific island hopping
Authors: Toussaint Emmanuel F. A. , Balke Michael
Published: April 2016

Aim

The respective contribution of vicariance and/or dispersal events to the evolution of clades dwelling in the archipelagic parts of the Oriental and Australian regions remains equivocal. Using a complete, species‐level phylogeny of Polyura butterflies that are widespread in the oriental Palaeotropics, we aim to test predictions related to vicariance driven by past abiotic factors in the Indo‐Australian archipelago (IAA) (Miocene tectonics and Pleistocene climatic shifts) versus repeated trans‐archipelagic dispersal events.

Location

The Oriental and Australian regions with a focus on the IAA.

Methods

Bayesian species tree phylogenetic analyses were conducted using a matrix comprising two mitochondrial and two nuclear gene fragments. Bayesian relaxed clocks were used to produce a chronogram, which was used in ancestral area estimations to infer the spatio‐temporal evolution of the genus at different geographical scales. Diversification dynamics were investigated using the package TreePar in R.

Results

Polyura originated during the mid‐Miocene (c. 13 million years ago). Ancestral area estimations inferred an origin in Indomalaya. Wallacea was colonized out‐of‐Indomalaya in the P. pyrrhus group, while the P. athamas and P. eudamippus groups diversified in Indomalaya and the east Palaearctic. We inferred three long‐distance dispersal (LDD) events. The first one implies out‐of‐Sunda colonization of the Solomon Islands, which have three extant, endemic species. The second implies a colonization of Vanuatu out‐of‐Sunda that later served as a stepping stone for the colonization of other Pacific islands (Fiji and New Caledonia). A third permitted the reverse colonization of Wallacea from the Pacific islands. These LDD events were supported by our diversification analyses that suggested no diversification rate shift throughout the evolution of the genus.

Main conclusions

Our results suggest unusual colonization routes with Pacific islands as a hub for late Miocene reverse colonizations back into the centre of the Indo‐Australian archipelago.
Tree cover and seasonal precipitation drive understorey flammability in alpine mountain forests
Authors: Fréjaville Thibaut , Curt Thomas , Carcaillet Christopher
Published: April 2016

Aim

Little is known about the understorey flammability of European mountain forests. The aim of this study was to determine the relative effects of climate, vegetation structure and composition on the fuel‐driven variation in fire spread and intensity.

Location

The western Alps.

Methods

Fire spread and intensity were simulated under constant moisture and weather conditions for a wide range of understorey fuel parameters measured in the litter, grass and shrub layers. Simulation outputs were used to compare understorey flammability between different forest ecosystem types (FET). TheFETs were characterized by using a co‐inertia analysis between composition and the environment (vegetation structure and climate). The relationships between these factors, fuel properties and understorey flammability were then tested using partial regression analyses.

Results

The most flammable forests displayed an open canopy (dry‐subalpine and open‐mediterranean) and grew in areas with dry autumns and wet and cold springs. Fire spread and intensity were controlled by the trade‐off between tree cover and dead (litter) and live (grass and shrub) biomass load. Fire intensity also increased as a result of seasonal precipitation patterns (differential distribution between the seasons): rainy springs enhanced biomass growth, whereas dry climates, especially in autumn, promoted shrub biomass and stimulated litter accumulation and residence (higher litterfall and lower decomposition rates). Interestingly, we found a positive relationship between fire intensity and the proportion of conifers that disappeared after accounting for tree cover, indicating that, in the Alps, the open canopy structure of needle‐leaved forests makes them potentially more flammable than broad‐leaved forests because of the higher load and continuity of surface fuels.

Main conclusions

Inter‐relationships between tree cover, precipitation seasonality and species composition govern the understorey flammability of mountain forests. We also found evidence that tree cover strongly constrains fire spread by driving the amount and type of surface fuel, which suggests that land use change can have a strong influence on flammability patterns.
Promoting contextual vocabulary learning through an adaptive computer‐assisted EFL reading system
Authors: Wang Y.‐H.
Published: April 2016

The study developed an adaptive computer‐assisted reading system and investigated its effect on promoting English as a foreign language learner‐readers' contextual vocabulary learning performance. Seventy Taiwanese college students were assigned to two reading groups. Participants in the customised reading group read online English texts, each of which was customised by the developed system to offer immediate and repeated meetings with previously encountered unknown words, while participants in the typical reading group read online texts without control on unknown word recurrence. After the 4‐week online reading treatment, the two groups of learners were tested by online immediate and delayed vocabulary tests, and the students from the customised reading group were also required to complete the questionnaire regarding system use. The results showed that the vocabulary mean scores from both immediate and delayed testing demonstrated significantly better results in word gain and word retention with the customised reading group and that the adaptive reading system was appealing for the students. The study demonstrated that by providing customised reading with word recurrence specific to individuals' unknown words, this adaptive computer‐assisted English as a foreign language reading system creates a more favourable condition for foreign language vocabulary growth.
High homocysteine levels prevent via H2S the CoCl2‐induced alteration of lymphocyte viability
Authors: Bruzzese Laurie , Fenouillet Emmanuel , Fromonot Julien , Durand‐Gorde Josée‐Martine , Condo Jocelyne , Kipson Nathalie , Mottola Giovanna , Deharo Pierre , Guieu Régis , Ruf Jean
Published: April 2016

High homocysteine (HCy) levels are associated with lymphocyte‐mediated inflammatory responses that are sometimes in turn related to hypoxia. Because adenosine is a potent lymphocyte suppressor produced in hypoxic conditions and shares metabolic pathways with HCy, we addressed the influence of high HCy levels on the hypoxia‐induced, adenosine‐mediated, alteration of lymphocyte viability. We treated mitogen‐stimulated human lymphocytes isolated from healthy individuals and the human lymphoma T‐cell line CEM with cobalt chloride (CoCl2)to reproduce hypoxia. We found that CoCl2‐altered cell viability was dose‐dependently reversed using HCy. In turn, the HCy effect was inhibited using DL‐propargylglycine, a specific inhibitor of the hydrogen sulphide (H2S)‐synthesizing enzyme cystathionine‐γ‐lyase involved in HCy catabolism. We then addressed the intracellular metabolic pathway of adenosine and HCy, and the role of the adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR). We observed that: (i) hypoxic conditions lowered the intracellular concentration of HCy by increasing adenosine production, which resulted in high A2AR expression and 3′, 5′‐cyclic adenosine monophosphate production; (ii) increasing intracellular HCy concentration reversed the hypoxia‐induced adenosinergic signalling despite high adenosine concentration by promoting both S‐adenosylhomocysteine and H2S production; (iii) DL‐propargylglycine that inhibits H2S production abolished the HCy effect. Together, these data suggest that high HCy levels prevent, via H2S production and the resulting down‐regulation of A2AR expression, the hypoxia‐induced adenosinergic alteration of lymphocyte viability. We point out the relevance of these mechanisms in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases.
Fragility of epidermis in newborns, children and adolescents
Authors: Blume‐Peytavi U. , Tan J. , Tennstedt D. , Boralevi F. , Fabbrocini G. , Torrelo A. , Soares‐Oliveira R. , Haftek M. , Rossi A.B. , Thouvenin M.D. , Mangold J. , Galliano M.F. , Hernandez‐Pigeon H. , Aries M.F. , Rouvrais C. , Bessou‐Touya S. , Duplan H. , Castex‐Rizzi N. , Mengeaud V. , Ferret P.J. , Clouet E. , Saint Aroman M. , Carrasco C. , Coutanceau C. , Guiraud B. , Boyal S. , Herman A. , Delga H. , Biniek K. , Dauskardt R.
Published: April 2016

Within their first days of life, newborns’ skin undergoes various adaptation processes needed to accommodate the transition from the wet uterine environment to the dry atmosphere. The skin of newborns and infants is considered as a physiological fragile skin, a skin with lower resistance to aggressions. Fragile skin is divided into four categories up to its origin: physiological fragile skin (age, location), pathological fragile skin (acute and chronic), circumstantial fragile skin (due to environmental extrinsic factors or intrinsic factors such as stress) and iatrogenic fragile skin.

Extensive research of the past 10 years have proven evidence that at birth albeit showing a nearly perfect appearance, newborn skin is structurally and functionally immature compared to adult skin undergoing a physiological maturation process after birth at least throughout the first year of life. This article is an overview of all known data about fragility of epidermis in ‘fragile populations’: newborns, children and adolescents. It includes the recent pathological, pathophysiological and clinical data about fragility of epidermis in various dermatological diseases, such as atopic dermatitis, acne, rosacea, contact dermatitis, irritative dermatitis and focus on UV protection.
Italian expert consensus for the management of actinic keratosis in immunocompetent patients
Authors: Peris K. , Calzavara‐Pinton P.G. , Neri L. , Girolomoni G. , Malara G. , Parodi A. , Piaserico S. , Rossi R. , Pellacani G.
Published: April 2016

Actinic keratosis (AK) is a common skin disease which can potentially progress to invasive squamous cell carcinoma (iSCC). Given that mortality rates and health‐care cost associated with iSCC are substantial, the management of AK represents an important public health issue. Several effective lesion‐directed and field‐directed treatments are available. Ablative procedures (e.g. cryosurgery, excision, laser ablation, curettage alone or with electrodessication) are considered cost‐effective options for solitary lesions. Field‐directed therapies (e.g. Ingenol Mebutate, imiquimod, PDT, 5‐Fluorouracile, diclofenac 3%, 5‐FU + Salicylic acid) can be used over large epidermal surfaces and are directed to treat both individual visible lesions and cancerization fields. In order to provide guidance for management choice in clinical practice, several guidelines concerning the diagnosis and treatment of AK have been published in the past decade. However, the introduction of novel therapeutic options requires continuous updates of recommendations and adaptation to national contexts. The present review summarizes the existing evidence and reports the results of a consensus workshop on the management of AK.
Focal vitiligo: long‐term follow‐up of 52 cases
Authors: Lommerts J.E. , Schilder Y. , de Rie M.A. , Wolkerstorfer A. , Bekkenk M.W.
Published: April 2016

Background

Focal vitiligo is characterized by depigmented patches located in a small area without a typical segmental distribution. Focal vitiligo is classified as an undetermined type of vitiligo, and a more definitive diagnosis can be made when the lesions have not evolved into non‐segmental or segmental vitiligo after a period of 1–2 years. However, the chance of progression is not known and may lead to treatment‐indecision.

Objective

The objective was to study the characteristics of patients with focal vitiligo and possible predictors of progression.

Methods

We conducted a survey study in patients with initial diagnosis of focal vitiligo between January 2005 and June 2010. Focal vitiligo was defined as either a small acquired isolated depigmented lesion without typical segmental distribution, or two to three small acquired lesions localized in a non‐segmental area with a maximum of 5 cm. The survey comprised of 21 questions concerning the patient's characteristics, the onset of focal vitiligo, progression of depigmentation and treatment history.

Results

We identified 128 eligible patients and the response rate was 40.6% (n = 52 completed questionnaires). Progression to non‐segmental vitiligo occurred in 23%. The median follow‐up duration was 7 years. In 11.5% of the patients, progression to non‐segmental vitiligo occurred within 2 years after onset. Nevertheless, even after a first stable period of more than 2 years, another 11.5% of the patients advanced to non‐segmental vitiligo. No associated prognostic factors at baseline of progression to non‐segmental or long‐lasting focal vitiligo were found.

Conclusion

Focal vitiligo is a rare subtype of vitiligo and most patients have long‐lasting focal lesions after onset of the disease. In this study, focal vitiligo progressed to typical non‐segmental vitiligo, but not towards typical segmental vitiligo. Progression 2 years after onset of focal vitiligo, occurs in 50% of the patients with eventual progression to non‐segmental vitiligo. There seem to be no clinical signs that predict progression in focal vitiligo.
Changing the habitat: the evolution of intercorrelated traits to escape from predators
Authors: Mikolajewski D. J. , Scharnweber K. , Jiang B. , Leicht S. , Mauersberger R. , Johansson F.
Published: April 2016

Burst escape speed is an effective and widely used behaviour for evading predators, with burst escape speed relying on several different morphological features. However, we know little about how behavioural and underlying morphological attributes change in concert as a response to changes in selective predation regime. We studied intercorrelated trait differentiation of body shape and burst‐swim‐mediating morphology in response to a habitat shift‐related reduction in burst escape speed using larvae of the dragonfly genusLeucorrhinia. Species in this genus underwent a well‐known habitat shift from predatory fish lakes (fish lakes) to predatory fish‐free lakes dominated by large predatory dragonflies (dragonfly lakes) accompanied by relaxed selection on escape burst speed. Results revealed that species from fish lakes that possess faster burst speed have evolved a suite of functionally intercorrelated traits, expressing a wider abdomen, a higher abdominal muscles mass and a larger branchial chamber compared with species from dragonfly lakes. In contrast, populations within species did not show significant differences in muscle mass and branchial chamber size between lake types in three of the species. High multicollinearity among variables suggests that traits have evolved in concert rather than independently whenLeucorrhiniashifted from fish lakes to dragonfly lakes. Thus, relaxed selection on burst escape speed in dragonfly‐lake species resulted in a correlated reduction of abdominal muscles and a smaller branchial chamber, likely to save production and/or maintenance costs. Our results highlight the importance of studying integrated behavioural and morphological traits to fully understand the evolution of complex phenotypes.
Near‐term embryos in a Pristis pristis (Elasmobranchii: Pristidae) from Brazil
Authors: Nunes J. L. S. , Rincon G. , Piorski N. M. , Martins A. P. B.
Published: April 2016

This paper describes the record of a gravid Pristis pristis from the north coast of Maranhão State (Brazil) in May of 2009 by an artisanal vessel. Size, mass and rostrum length of the adult female were estimated at 5000 mm, 750000 g and 1536 mm, respectively. Total length (LT) of miscarried embryos ranged from 755 to 800 mm and total mass from 890 to 1120 g. Although this is a single record, it indicates that P. pristis births may be taking place during May or coming months and there may be population differences between Central and South America.
Simulating floods triggered by volcanic activities in the Cheon‐ji caldera lake for hazards and risk analysis
Authors: Lee K.‐H. , Kim S.‐W. , Kim S.‐H.
Published: April 2016

Many volcanic craters and calderas are filled with large amounts of water that can pose significant flood hazards to downstream communities due to their high elevation and the potential for catastrophic releases of water. Explosive volcanic activity, uplift of the lake floor and landslides directed into the lake are some of the possible scenarios that can cause the release of water through a breach. In this paper, we derive a physically based model that uses the mass balance equation to simulate the hydrograph through a breached rim due to water displacement by lake floor uplift or landsliding. The model was applied to the Baekdusan volcano to examine its performance. Then, the hydrograph at the breach of a caldera lake serves as an upstream boundary condition for the subsequent flood‐routing model,FLO‐2D. TheFLO‐2Dsimulation shows that three populated towns are at risk, showing maximum depth up to 10–30 m. The flow converges to the Baishan dam that has a volume capacity of 6.5 km3. The simulation shows the probable inundation zones and maximum depth, and these are to be used for risk assessment.
Association of radiotherapy with favorable prognosis in daily clinical practice for treatment of locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer
Authors: Yang Shih‐Hung , Guo Jhe‐Cyuan , Yeh Kun‐Huei , Tien Yu‐Wen , Cheng Ann‐Lii , Kuo Sung‐Hsin
Published: April 2016

Background and Aim

Radiotherapy (RT) with or without chemotherapy is currently used in definitive therapy for advanced pancreatic cancer. We sought to evaluate the prognostic significance, pattern of care, and use of RT in locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Methods

Between 2002 and 2011, patients with invasive pancreatic carcinoma and prior exposure to systemic chemotherapy were included. We used Cox regression model and propensity score matching for prognostic analyses and logistic regression for analyzing the factors impacting the use of RT.

Results

We identified 217 pancreatic cancer patients (74 with unresectable stage II or III and 143 with stage IV). Of all patients, 90.8% had adenocarcinoma, and only 19.2% (42/217) received RT with doses ranging from 50 to 55 Gy in 25 to 28 fractions using modern RT techniques. Logistic regression showed stage (P < 0.001) and initial CA 19‐9 level (P = 0.026) were significantly predictive of the choice of RT as a first‐line treatment, whereas the second‐line use of RT was associated with the response to first‐line chemotherapy and longer progression‐free survival. Patients with RT had a better median survival than those without it (14.6 vs 8.1 months, P < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis and propensity score matching, RT remained a good prognostic factor for overall survival.

Conclusion

The use of RT might be associated with a favorable clinical outcome in patients with locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer. Further exploration of RT as a first‐line therapy or second‐line therapy for locally advanced or even metastatic pancreatic cancer is warranted.
Platelet count to spleen diameter ratio non‐invasively identifies severe fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with autoimmune hepatitis
Authors: Sheptulina Anna , Shirokova Elena , Nekrasova Tatiana , Blum Hubert , Ivashkin Vladimir
Published: April 2016

Background and Aim

Non‐invasive markers are essential to assess the progression of chronic liver diseases to fibrosis/ cirrhosis and the effectiveness of therapeutic strategies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of non‐invasive markers to identify significant fibrosis, severe fibrosis, and cirrhosis in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).

Methods

Seventy‐six patients with AIH were enrolled in the study and analyzed for the following parameters of liver fibrosis: Fibrosis 4 score (FIB‐4), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio (AAR), AST to platelet count ratio (APRI), and platelet count to spleen diameter (PC/SD) ratio. All patients underwent liver biopsy. The diagnostic accuracy of tests was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC).

Results

Among the 76 AIH patients, 55 (72.3%) had significant fibrosis (≥ F2), 37 (48.7%) had severe fibrosis (≥ F3), and 29 (38.2%) had cirrhosis (F4). PC/SD ratio (AUROC = 0.840) was superior to AAR (AUROC = 0.756), FIB‐4 (AUROC = 0.702), and APRI (AUROC = 0.626) in discriminating between mild and significant fibrosis (≥ F2). The AUROCs of PC/SD ratio, FIB‐4, AAR, and APRI were 0.884, 0.742, 0.731, and 0.707, respectively, for severe fibrosis (≥ F3); 0.968, 0.795, 0.744, and 0.723, respectively, for cirrhosis (F4). PC/SD ratio correctly identified 85.1% of patients with severe fibrosis, and 89.6% of patients with cirrhosis.

Conclusions

PC/SD ratio proved to be a simple non‐invasive tool to correctly identify AIH patients with severe fibrosis and cirrhosis, thereby reducing the need for a liver biopsy in these patients.
Update on therapeutic interventions for the management of achalasia
Authors: Gunasingam Nishmi , Perczuk Adam , Talbot Michael , Kaffes Arthur , Saxena Payal
Published: April 2016

Achalasia is a primary esophageal motility disorder. It is the absence of peristalsis in the esophageal body and inability of the lower esophageal sphincter to relax, which characterizes this rare condition. Its features typically include dysphagia, regurgitation, chest pain, and weight loss. The ultimate goal in treating achalasia is to relieve the patient's symptoms, improve esophageal emptying, and prevent further dilatation of the esophagus. Current treatment modalities targeted at achalasia include pharmacological therapy, endoscopic therapy, and surgery. This review focuses on the current therapeutic options and explores the role of peroral endoscopic myotomy in the management armamentarium.
Effects of Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Lean Mass, Muscle Strength, and Bone Mineral Density During Weight Loss: A Double‐Blind Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Mason Caitlin , Tapsoba Jean D. , Duggan Catherine , Imayama Ikuyo , Wang Ching‐Yun , Korde Larissa , McTiernan Anne
Published: April 2016

Objectives

To compare the effects of 12 months of vitamin D3 supplementation with that placebo on lean mass, bone mineral density (BMD), and muscle strength in overweight or obese postmenopausal women completing a structured weight‐loss program.

Design

Double‐blind, placebo‐controlled randomized clinical trial.

Setting

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington.

Participants

Postmenopausal women aged 50 to 75 with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 or greater and a serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration between 10.0 and 32.0 ng/mL (insufficient) (N = 218).

Intervention

Oral vitamin D3 2,000 IU/d or placebo in combination with a lifestyle‐based weight loss intervention consisting of a reduction of 500 kcal to 1,000 kcal per day and 225 min/wk of moderate‐ to vigorous‐intensity aerobic exercise.

Measurements

Serum 25(OH)D, body composition, and muscle strength were measured before randomization (baseline) and at 12 months. Mean changes of the groups were compared (intention to treat) using generalized estimating equations.

Results

Change in 25(OH)D was significantly different between the vitamin D and placebo groups at 12 months (13.6 ng/mL vs −1.3 ng/mL, P < .001), but no differences in change in lean mass (−0.8 kg vs −1.1 kg, P = .53) or BMD of the spine (−0.01 g/cm2 vs 0.0 g/cm2, P = .82) or right femoral neck (both −0.01 g/cm2, P = .49) were detected between the groups. Leg strength decreased in the vitamin D group but not in the placebo group (−2.6 pounds vs 1.8 pounds, P = .03). In women randomized to vitamin D, achieving repletion (25(OH)D ≥ 32 ng/mL) did not alter results.

Conclusion

Vitamin D3 supplementation during weight‐loss decreased leg strength but did not alter changes in lean mass or BMD in postmenopausal women with vitamin D insufficiency.
Polygenetic titanite records the composition of metamorphic fluids during the exhumation of ultrahigh‐pressure metagranite in the Sulu orogen
Authors: Chen Y.‐X. , Zhou K. , Zheng Y.‐F. , Gao X.‐Y. , Yang Y. H.
Published: April 2016

An integrated study of U–Pb ages and trace elements was carried out for titanite and zircon from ultrahigh‐pressure (UHP) metagranites in the Sulu orogen, east‐central China. The results provide constraints on the composition of metamorphic fluids during the exhumation of deeply subducted continental crust. Titanite has two domain types based on REE patterns and trace element variations, Ttn‐I and Ttn‐II respectively. These two domains show indistinguishable U–Pb ages of 232 ± 14 to 220 ± 8 Ma, in general agreement with anatectic zircon U–Pb ages of 223 ± 4 to 219 ± 2 Ma for the partial melting event during early exhumation. The Ttn‐I domains have significantly higher REE, Th, Ta and Sr, and higher Th/U ratios than the Ttn‐II domains, indicating that the two domains have grown from metamorphic fluids with different compositions. For the Ttn‐I domains, Zr‐in‐titanite thermometry yields high temperatures of 773–851 °C at 2.5 GPa, and petrographic observations reveal the presence of melt pseudomorphs. Thus, they are interpreted to have grown from hydrous melts in the early exhumation stage. In contrast, the Ttn‐II domains were texturally equilibrated with amphibolite facies minerals such as biotite and plagioclase and contain inclusions of plagioclase and quartz. The Zr‐in‐titanite thermometry yields lower temperatures of 627–685 °C at 1.0 GPa. In combination with their REE patterns, they are interpreted to have grown from aqueous solutions at amphibolite facies metamorphic conditions during further exhumation. The differences in Th and Sr contents are prominent between the Ttn‐I and Ttn‐II domains, signifying the compositional difference between the hydrous melts and aqueous solutions. Therefore, the polygenetic titanite in the UHP metamorphic rocks provides insights into the geochemical property of metamorphic fluids during the continental subduction‐zone processes.
l‐Lactate mediates neuroprotection against ischaemia by increasing TREK1 channel expression in rat hippocampal astrocytes in vitro
Authors: Banerjee Aditi , Ghatak Swagata , Sikdar Sujit Kumar
Published: April 2016

Brain ischaemia is a highly debilitating condition where shortage of oxygen and glucose leads to profuse cell death. Lactate is a neuroprotective metabolite whose concentrations increase up to 15–30 mmol/L during ischaemia and TREK1 is a neuroprotective potassium channel which is upregulated during ischaemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of l‐lactate on TREK1 expression and to evaluate the role of l‐lactate‐TREK1 interaction in conferring neuroprotection in ischaemia‐prone hippocampus. We show that 15–30 mmol/L l‐lactate increases functional TREK1 protein expression by 1.5–3‐fold in hippocampal astrocytes using immunostaining and electrophysiology. Studies with transcription blocker actinomycin‐D and quantitative PCR indicate that the increase in TREK1 expression is due to enhanced TREK1 mRNA transcription. We further report that l‐lactate‐mediated increase in TREK1 expression is via protein kinase A (PKA)‐dependent pathway. This is the first report of an ischaemic metabolite affecting functional expression of an ion channel. Our studies in an in vitro model of ischaemia using oxygen glucose deprivation show that 30 mmol/L l‐lactate fails to reduce cell death in rat hippocampal slices treated with TREK1 blockers, PKA inhibitors and gliotoxin. The above effects were specific to l‐lactate as pyruvate failed to increase TREK1 expression and reduce cell death. l‐Lactate‐induced TREK1 upregulation is a novel finding of physiological significance as TREK1 channels contribute to neuroprotection by enhancing potassium buffering and glutamate clearance capacity of astrocytes. We propose that l‐lactate promotes neuronal survival in hippocampus by increasing TREK1 channel expression via PKA pathway in astrocytes during ischaemia.

image

Insufficient blood supply to the brain leads to cerebral ischaemia and increase in extracellular lactate concentrations. We incubated hippocampal astrocytes in lactate and observed increase in TREK1 channel expression via protein kinase A (PKA). Inhibition of TREK1, PKA and metabolic impairment of astrocytes prevented lactate from reducing cell death in ischaemic hippocampus. This pathway serves as an alternate mechanism of neuroprotection.

Cover image for this issue: doi: 10.1111/jnc.13326.
Neurotransmitter signaling pathways required for normal development inXenopus laevisembryos: a pharmacological survey screen
Authors: Sullivan Kelly G. , Levin Michael
Published: April 2016

Neurotransmitters are not only involved in brain function but are also important signaling molecules for many diverse cell types. Neurotransmitters are widely conserved, from evolutionarily ancient organisms lacking nervous systems through man. Here, results are reported from a loss‐ and gain‐of‐function survey, using pharmacological modulators of several neurotransmitter pathways to examine possible roles for these pathways in normal embryogenesis. Applying reagents targeting the glutamatergic, adrenergic and dopaminergic pathways to embryos ofXenopus laevisfrom gastrulation to organogenesis stages, we observed and quantified numerous malformations, including craniofacial defects, hyperpigmentation, muscle mispatterning and miscoiling of the gut. These data implicate several key neurotransmitters in new embryonic patterning roles, reveal novel earlier stages for processes involved in eye development, suggest new targets for subsequent molecular‐genetic investigation, and highlight the necessity for in‐depth toxicology studies of psychoactive compounds to which human embryos might be exposed during pregnancy.
Fragmented Territories: Incomplete Enclosures and Agrarian Change on the Agricultural Frontier of Samlaut District, North‐West Cambodia
Authors: Diepart Jean‐Christophe , Sem Thol
Published: April 2016

In Cambodia, the interactions between large‐scale land investment and land titling gathered particular momentum in 2012–13, when the government initiated an unprecedented upland land titling programme in an attempt to address land tenure insecurity where large‐scale land investment overlaps with land appropriated by peasants. This paper is based on a spatially explicit ethnography of land rights conducted in the Samlaut district of north‐west Cambodia – a former Khmer Rouge resistance stronghold – in a context where the enclosures are both incomplete and entangled with post‐war, socially embedded land tenure systems. We discuss how this new pattern of fragmentation affects the prevailing dynamics of agrarian change. We argue that it has introduced new forms of exclusion and a generalized perception of land tenure uncertainty that is managed by peasants through the actualization of hybrid land tenure arrangements borrowing from state rules and local consensus. In contrast with common expectations about land formalization, the process reinforces the patterns of social differentiation initiated by land rent capture practices of early migrants and pushes more vulnerable peasants into seeking wage labour and resorting to job migration.
Patients’ experiences from an education programme ahead of orthopaedic surgery – a qualitative study
Authors: Conradsen Stein , Gjerseth Mette Muren , Kvangarsnes Marit
Published: April 2016

Aims and objectives

The objective of this study was to investigate how patient education in a surgical department was experienced by patients who had undergone total knee arthroplasty or total hip arthroplasty.

Background

Total knee arthroplasty and total hip arthroplasty are two of the most common and clinically effective surgical treatments performed in the Western world. Patient education efforts related to these procedures have been studied, but usually only to evaluate clinical outcome and little in a patient perspective.

Design

The empirics consist of qualitative in‐depth interviews with 11 patients admitted to the surgical department at a Norwegian hospital. The interviews were carried out in 2011.

Methods

The study has a qualitative design with a phenomenological approach. The data have been analysed through meaning condensation, in accordance with Amadeo Giorgi's four‐step method. N = 11.

Results

The education programme made the patients feel mentally prepared for surgery and the postsurgical situation. Three themes were identified: (1) realistic information preparing for surgery, (2) involvement and sense of control and (3) trust in staff.

Conclusion

A relationship seems to exist between how informed patients feel and how much they trust the department in which they are undergoing treatment. There may also be a relationship between a sense of control and trust.

Relevance to clinical practice

To build a trustful relationship between healthcare providers and patients, patient education both in groups and individually should be implemented, and be designed in a way that supports trust. Information should be realistic and accurate.
Evolution of cesarean categories in a modified Robson classification in a single center from 2002 to 2012 due to high rate of maternal pathology
Authors: Jayot Aude , Nizard Jacky
Published: April 2016

Aim

To study the evolution in cesarean section (CS) categories in a single center from 2002 to 2012.

Methods

We performed a retrospective study on all live births from 2002, 2007, and 2012 using a modified Robson classification accounting for cervical ripening in the induction groups, post‐term pregnancies, and the number of uterine scars.

Results

We recorded 2162, 2105 and 2380 deliveries with caesarean delivery rates of 23.2%, 24.9%, and 30.4% in 2002, 2007, and 2012 respectively. Nulliparous women in spontaneous labor (group 1) decreased from 36.3% to 27.4% of the total population, but CS rates in this group increased from 14.1% to 19.5% (P < 0.05). Labor induction and CS before labor in nulliparous women category (group 2) increased from 6.7% to 14.2% but with stable CS rates. Induction of labor and cervical ripening in this group increased from 91 and nine in 2002 to 119 and 240 in 2012, respectively. In the same period, maternal pathology increased from 11% to 33%. Scarred uterus remained the major source of CS (almost 30% of all CS in 2012).

Conclusion

CS rates increased throughout the studied period, associated with an increase in rates of maternal pathology, induction by cervical ripening, and scarred uterus.
Hugs, Not Hits: Warmth and Spanking as Predictors of Child Social Competence
Authors: Altschul Inna , Lee Shawna J. , Gershoff Elizabeth T.
Published: April 2016

Many parents believe that spanking is an effective way to promote children's positive behavior, yet few studies have examined spanking and the development of social competence. Using information from 3,279 families with young children who participated in a longitudinal study of urban families, this study tested competing hypotheses regarding whether maternal spanking or maternal warmth predicted increased social competence and decreased child aggression over time and which parent behavior was a stronger predictor of these changes. The frequency of maternal spanking was unrelated to maternal warmth. Findings from cross‐lagged path models indicated that spanking was not associated with children's social competence, but spanking predicted increases in child aggression. Conversely, maternal warmth predicted children's greater social competence but was not associated with aggression. Warmth was a significantly stronger predictor of children's social competence than spanking, suggesting that warmth may be a more effective way to promote children's social competence than spanking.
Partially Revealing Campaign Promises
Authors: PANOVA ELENA
Published: April 2016

Candidates competing for political office give promises to voters. There are no legal restraints preventing incumbents from breaking their electoral promises. This paper models campaign promises as pure cheap talk and asks why is it influential. We propose that a candidate's campaign promises are a partially revealing signal of her policy preference type. The incumbent's policy choice is yet another signal of her type. Policy choice is a costly signal (unlike campaign promises). The incumbent keeps her electoral promises in order to preserve ambiguity about her type, which is necessary to assemble a winning majority for reelection. She keeps her promises regardless of information about the efficiency of different public policies which she receives upon taking office. Therefore, campaign promises generate inefficiencies in public policy.
Trends in decayed teeth among middle‐aged and older adults in the United States: socioeconomic disparities persist over time
Authors: Hybels Celia F. , Wu Bei , Landerman Lawrence R. , Liang Jersey , Bennett Joan M. , Plassman Brenda L.
Published: April 2016

Objectives

While trends in tooth loss among older adults have been well documented and show a decline over the last few decades, little is known about trends in tooth decay which may lead to tooth loss. The study aim was to examine trends in tooth decay among adults ages 50 years and older in the United States and determine whether these trends were consistent across demographic and socioeconomic subgroups of middle‐aged and older adults.

Methods

Secondary analysis of data collected through detailed oral health examinations in the National Health and Nutrition Examination (NHANES) surveys 1988–1994 and 1999–2004. Tooth decay was measured as active caries. Multivariable associations were estimated using negative binomial regression models.

Results

Averaged over time, the mean number of decayed teeth was 0.54. Rates of decay remained stable over time. Males, non‐Hispanic Blacks, Mexican‐Americans, and those of other race/ethnicity as well as those with fewer years of education and lower levels of income had more decayed teeth. The increased number of decayed teeth for Mexican‐Americans and those of other race/ethnicity was due in part to differing levels of education and income. Trends over time did not vary by any of these demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Trends in the number of decayed teeth did not meaningfully change when the numbers of missing and filled teeth were controlled.

Conclusions

Although studies have shown the number of middle‐aged and older Americans experiencing tooth loss has decreased over time, trends in tooth decay have remained relatively stable, with socioeconomic disparities persisting over time.
Gnaphaliin A and gnaphaliin B synergize the relaxant effect of salbutamol but not of ipratropium in guinea pig trachea
Authors: Rodríguez-Ramos Fernando , Andrade-Moreno Miguel Ángel , Alfaro-Romero Alejandro , Balderas-López José Luis , Navarrete Andrés
Published: April 2016

Objective

This work was aimed to investigate the pharmacodynamic interactions between gnaphaliins A and B with ipratropium bromide (IBR) and salbutamol (SAL) using the guinea pig trachea model through application of the combination index (CI)-isobologram equation.

Methods

The guinea pig trachea rings in isolated chamber with Krebs–Henseleit solution (37°C) were contracted with carbachol (3 μm), and then, concentration–relaxant effect curves were constructed for individual drugs and in combination at fixed constant ratios (1 : 1, 3 : 1 and 1 : 3). Median effect and combination index (CI)-isobologram equations were used for determining interactions.

Key findings

Gnaphaliin A and gnaphaliin B showed clear synergistic interaction with salbutamol, reducing the dose of salbutamol more than sevenfolds to produce the same relaxant effect. However, the combination of either flavonoids with ipratropium bromide showed no interaction.

Conclusions

Applying the combination index-isobologram method, we determined that gnaphaliin A and gnaphaliin B have synergistic effect with salbutamol due probably to their inhibitory effect on phosphodiesterases to maintain high levels of cAMP in the tracheal smooth muscle. However, these compounds did not show any effect with ipratropium.
The Thomas P. Hustad Best Paper Award Winning Articles From The Journal of Product Innovation Management 1998–2014
Authors: Hustad Thomas
Published: April 2016

See virtual issue: Winning Articles from 1998–2014
Accuracy and Precision of Noninvasive Blood Pressure in Normo‐, Hyper‐, and Hypotensive Standing and Anesthetized Adult Horses
Authors: Heliczer N. , Lorello O. , Casoni D. , Navas de Solis C.
Published: April 2016

Background

Blood pressure is relevant to the diagnosis and management of many medical, cardiovascular and critical diseases. The accuracy of many commonly used noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) monitors and the accuracy ofNIBPmeasurements in hypo‐ and hypertensive standing horses has not been determined.

Hypothesis/Objectives

The objective of this study was to investigate the accuracy of an oscillometricBPmonitor in standing horses before and during pharmacologically induced hyper‐ and hypotension and to compare results in standing and anesthetized horses.

Animals

Eight standing mares from a research herd (SG) and eight anesthetized horses from a hospital population (AG).

Methods

Prospective experimental and observational studies. Invasive blood pressure (IBP) andNIBP, corrected to heart level, were measured simultaneously. In theSGhyper‐ and hypotension were induced by administration of phenylephrine (3 μg/kg/minIVfor 15 minutes) and acepromazine (0.05 mg/kgIV), respectively. In theAG NIBPandIBPwere recorded during regular hospital procedures.

Results

There was a significant correlation between meanNIBPandIBPin standing (R= 0.88,P< .001) and anesthetized horses (R= 0.81,P< .001). The mean bias (lower, upper limit of agreement) was 16.4(−16.1, 48.9) mmHg for meanBPin theSGand 0.5(−22.3, 23.2) mmHg in theAG. TheNIBPdevice was capable of identifying the increase and decrease inBPin all horses, but in theSGsignificant correlation betweenNIBPandIBPwas only detected for the normotensive phase.

Conclusion and Clinical Importance

While the evaluated oscillometricBPdevice allowed estimation ofBPand adequately differentiated marked trends, the accuracy and precision were low in standing horses.
A Prospective, Placebo‐Controlled Pilot Evaluation of the Effect of Omeprazole on Serum Calcium, Magnesium, Cobalamin, Gastrin Concentrations, and Bone in Cats
Authors: Gould E. , Clements C. , Reed A. , Giori L. , Steiner J.M. , Lidbury J.A. , Suchodolski J.S. , Brand M. , Moyers T. , Emery L. , Tolbert M.K.
Published: April 2016

Background

Chronic proton pump inhibitor administration has been associated with electrolyte and cobalamin deficiency, disrupted bone homeostasis, hypergastrinemia, and rebound acid hypersecretion in humans. It is unknown if this occurs in cats.

Objectives

Prolonged oral omeprazole results in altered bone mineral density or content, serum calcium, magnesium, cobalamin, and gastrin concentrations in healthy cats.

Animals

Six healthy adult DSH cats.

Methods

In a within subjects, before and after design, cats received placebo followed by omeprazole (0.83–1.6 mg/kg PO q12h) for 60 days each. Analysis of serum calcium, magnesium, cobalamin, and gastrin concentrations was performed on days 0, 30, and 60. Bone density and content were evaluated on days 0 and 60 of each intervention. Continuous data were analyzed using a two‐way ANOVA (α = 0.006). On day 60 of omeprazole administration, continuous intragastric pH monitoring was performed in 2 cats to evaluate the effects of abrupt withdrawal of omeprazole.

Results

No significant changes were detected between treatments for any variables, except serum gastrin, which was significantly higher during omeprazole treatment in comparison to placebo (P = 0.002). Evidence of gastric hyperacidity was seen in both cats in which intragastric pH monitoring was performed following cessation of omeprazole.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Although further studies with larger populations of cats will be needed to draw any definitive conclusions, these preliminary results suggest that prolonged PPI treatment results in hypergastrinemia and abrupt PPI withdrawal might result in RAH in cats.
Sofosbuvir plus ribavirin in Asian patients with chronic genotype 2 hepatitis C virus infection: history of a success?
Authors: Sáez‐Royuela Federico , Badia Ester
Published: April 2016

See Article on Page 1101
Incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in untreated subjects with chronic hepatitis B: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Raffetti Elena , Fattovich Giovanna , Donato Francesco
Published: April 2016

Background & aims

In the natural history of hepatitis B virus (HBV) chronic infection, the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk is unclear. We assessed incidence and predictors of HCC by a systematic review and meta‐analysis.

Methods

We included longitudinal studies and randomized controlled trials assessing HCC incidence in untreated patients with HBV chronic infection. Incidence rates and their 95% confidence intervals were extracted by each study and pooled together in random effects models.

Results

Sixty‐six studies were included with a total of 347 859 patients. According to liver disease status, the summary incidence rates were in Europe, North America and East Asia, respectively: (a) asymptomatic carriers: 0.07 (95% confidence interval: 0.05–0.09), 0.19 (0.07–0.31) and 0.42 (0.21–0.63) per 100 person‐years, respectively; (b) inactive carriers: 0.03 (0.0–0.10), 0.17 (0.02–0.62) and 0.06 (0.02–0.10), respectively; (c) chronic hepatitis: 0.12 (0.0–0.27), 0.48 (0.22–0.91) and 0.49 (0.32–0.66), respectively; (d) compensated cirrhosis (Child–Pugh A): 2.03 (1.30–2.77), 2.89 (1.23–4.55) and 3.37 (2.48–4.26) respectively. Multivariate meta‐regression showed a significant increase in incidence rates for age, and for status of a symptomatic carrier, chronic hepatitis and compensated cirrhosis compared to inactive carrier, but not for geographical area after adjusting for age. An increase in the incidence rates was also observed for alcohol intake ≥60 g/dl, HBV genotype C with respect to B and HBV‐DNA serum levels >2000 IU/ml, in Asian studies.

Conclusions

Hepatocellular carcinoma risk in untreated subjects with HBV chronic infection is strongly related with age and liver disease status.