bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cascading spatial and trophic impacts of oak decline on the soil food web
Authors: Domínguez‐Begines Jara , De Deyn Gerlinde B. , García Luis V. , Eisenhauer Nico , Gómez‐Aparicio Lorena
Published: November 2018

Tree defoliation and mortality have considerably increased world‐wide during the last decades due to global change drivers such as increasing drought or invasive pests and pathogens. However, the effects of this tree decline on soil food webs are poorly understood.

In this study, we evaluated the impacts of Quercus suber decline on soil food webs of Mediterranean mixed forests invaded by the exotic oomycete pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi, using soil nematodes as bioindicator taxa. We used a spatially explicit neighbourhood approach to predict the characteristics of the nematode community (diversity, trophic structure, and several indices indicative of soil food web conditions) as a function of the characteristics of the tree and shrub community (species composition, size, and health status).

Our results indicate that the process of defoliation and mortality of Q. suber caused significant alterations in the nematode trophic structure increasing the abundance of lower trophic levels (bacterivores, fungivores, and herbivores) and decreasing the abundance of higher levels (predators and omnivores). Furthermore, Q. suber decline altered the functional composition of soil communities, producing a setback of the ecological succession in the soil food web to an earlier stage (decrease in the maturity index and increase in the plant parasitic index), simplified soil food webs (decrease in the structure index), and shifts in the predominant decomposition channel (increase in the fungivores/bacterivores ratio).

We also detected contrasting characteristics of the nematode community in neighbourhoods dominated by coexisting woody species, which suggests potential for long‐term indirect effects on soil food webs due to the substitution of Q. suber by non‐declining species.

Synthesis. Our study provides novel results that show the major impacts that ongoing health deterioration of dominant tree species can have on the structure and composition of soil food webs in forest systems invaded by exotic pathogens, with cascading consequences for soil biogeochemical processes in both the short‐ and long term.
Evaluation Of A Powder‐Free DNA Extraction Method For Skeletal Remains
Authors: Harrel Michelle , Mayes Carrie , Gangitano David , Hughes‐Stamm Sheree
Published: November 2018

Bones are often recovered in forensic investigations, including missing persons and mass disasters. While traditional DNA extraction methods rely on grinding bone into powder prior to DNA purification, the TBone Ex buffer (DNA Chip Research Inc.) digests bone chips without powdering. In this study, six bones were extracted using the TBone Ex kit in conjunction with the PrepFiler® BTA™ DNA extraction kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific) both manually and via an automated platform. Comparable amounts of DNA were recovered from a 50 mg bone chip using the TBone Ex kit and 50 mg of powdered bone with the PrepFiler® BTA™ kit. However, automated DNA purification decreased DNA yield (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, short tandem repeat (STR) success was comparable across all methods tested. This study demonstrates that digestion of whole bone fragments is an efficient alternative to powdering bones for DNA extraction without compromising downstream STR profile quality.
Effects of fluctuating thermal regimes on cold survival and life history traits of the spotted wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii)
Authors: Enriquez Thomas , Ruel David , Charrier Maryvonne , Colinet Hervé
Published: November 2018

Drosophila suzukii is an invasive pest causing severe damages to a large panel of cultivated crops. To facilitate its biocontrol with strategies such as sterile or incompatible insect techniques, D. suzukii must be mass‐produced and then stored and transported under low temperature. Prolonged cold exposure induces chill injuries that can be mitigated if the cold period is interrupted with short warming intervals, referred to as fluctuating thermal regimes (FTR). In this study, we tested how to optimally use FTR to extend the shelf life of D. suzukii under cold storage. Several FTR parameters were assessed: temperature (15, 20, 25 °C), duration (0.5, 1, 2, 3 h), and frequency (every 12, 24, 36, 48 h) of warming intervals, in two wild‐type lines and in two developmental stages (pupae and adults). Generally, FTR improved cold storage tolerance with respect to constant low temperatures (CLT). Cold mortality was lower when recovery temperature was 20 °C or higher, when duration was 2 h per day or longer, and when warming interruptions occurred frequently (every 12 or 24 h). Applying an optimized FTR protocol to adults greatly reduced cold mortality over long‐term storage (up to 130 d). Consequences of FTR on fitness‐related traits were also investigated. For adults, poststorage survival was unaffected by FTR, as was the case for female fecundity and male mating capacity. On the other hand, when cold storage occurred at pupal stage, poststorage survival and male mating capacity were altered under CLT, but not under FTR. After storage of pupae, female fecundity was lower under FTR compared to CLT, suggesting an energy trade‐off between repair of chill damages and egg production. This study provides detailed information on the application and optimization of an FTR‐based protocol for cold storage of D. suzukii that could be useful for the biocontrol of this pest.
Long‐term investigation of microbial community composition and transcription patterns in a biogas plant undergoing ammonia crisis
Authors: Fischer Martin Alexander , Güllert Simon , Refai Sarah , Künzel Sven , Deppenmeier Uwe , Streit Wolfgang R. , Schmitz Ruth Anne
Published: November 2018

Ammonia caused disturbance of biogas production is one of the most frequent incidents in regular operation of biogas reactors. This study provides a detailed insight into the microbial community of a mesophilic, full‐scale biogas reactor (477 kWh h−1) fed with maize silage, dried poultry manure and cow manure undergoing initial process disturbance by increased ammonia concentration. Over a time period of 587 days, the microbial community of the reactor was regularly monitored on a monthly basis by high‐throughput amplicon sequencing of the archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA genes. During this sampling period, the total ammonia concentrations varied between 2.7 and 5.8 g l−1 [NH4+–N]. To gain further inside into the active metabolic pathways, for selected time points metatranscriptomic shotgun analysis was performed allowing the quantification of marker genes for methanogenesis, hydrolysis and syntrophic interactions. The results obtained demonstrated a microbial community typical for a mesophilic biogas plant. However in response to the observed changing process conditions (e.g. increasing NH4+ levels, changing feedstock composition), the microbial community reacted highly flexible by changing and adapting the community composition. The Methanosarcina‐dominated archaeal community was shifted to a Methanomicrobiales‐dominated archaeal community in the presence of increased ammonia conditions. A similar trend as in the phylogenetic composition was observed in the transcription activity of genes coding for enzymes involved in acetoclastic methanogenesis and syntrophic acetate oxidations (Codh/Acs and Fthfs). In accordance, Clostridia simultaneously increased under elevated ammonia concentrations in abundance and were identified as the primary syntrophic interaction partner with the now Methanomicrobiales‐dominated archaeal community. In conclusion, overall stable process performance was maintained during increased ammonia concentration in the studied reactor based on the microbial communities’ ability to flexibly respond by reorganizing the community composition while remaining functionally stable.
MiR‐145‐targeted HBXIP modulates human breast cancer cell proliferation
Authors: Jiang Yang , Wang Dan , Ren Hui , Shi Ying , Gao Yufei
Published: November 2018

Background

MiR‐145 has been identified as a tumor suppressive microRNA in multiple cancers. In this current investigation, we searched for new direct targets of miR‐145 and evaluated their effect on breast cancer development.

Methods

Targetscan was used to predict the target genes of miR‐145. The targeting of miR‐145 on oncogenic HBXIP was verified by luciferase reporter gene analysis. The effect of miR‐145 on the level of messenger RNA and protein of HBXIP was evaluated by quantitative real‐time PCR and immunoblotting. Correlations between miR‐145 and HBXIP, as well as miR‐145 expression, were analyzed in 30 paired breast cancer and noncancerous tissues by quantitative real‐time PCR. Methyl thiazol tetrazolium and colony formation assays were applied to determine the cell proliferation ability.

Results

HBXIP was identified as a novel target gene of miR‐145 in breast cancer. MiR‐145 was found to dose‐dependently decrease messenger RNA and protein expression of HBXIP in breast cancer MCF‐7 cells. Notably, miR‐145 expression was negatively related to HBXIP expression and was obviously reduced in breast cancer samples. Finally, miR‐145 suppressed cell proliferation while its inhibitor, anti‐miR‐145, accelerated cell proliferation. Interestingly, silencing of HBXIP reversed the acceleration of cell proliferation induced by anti‐miR‐145 in breast cancer.

Conclusion

Oncogenic HBXIP is a new direct target of tumor suppressive miR‐145. Our findings reveal that miR‐145‐targeting HBXIP could be a potential therapeutic target in breast cancer.
Functional traits and community composition: A comparison among community‐weighted means, weighted correlations, and multilevel models
Authors: Miller Jesse E. D. , Damschen Ellen I. , Ives Anthony R.
Published: November 2018

Of the several approaches that are used to analyse functional trait–environment relationships, the most popular is community‐weighted mean regressions (CWMr) in which species trait values are averaged at the site level and then regressed against environmental variables. Other approaches include model‐based methods and weighted correlations of different metrics of trait–environment associations, the best known of which is the fourth‐corner correlation method.

We investigated these three general statistical approaches for trait–environment associations: CWMr, five weighted correlation metrics (Peres‐Neto, Dray, & ter Braak, Ecography, 40, 806–816, 2017), and two multilevel models (MLM) using four different methods for computing p‐values. We first compared the methods applied to a plant community dataset. To determine the validity of the statistical conclusions, we then performed a simulation study.

CWMr gave highly significant associations for both traits, whereas the other methods gave a mix of support. CWMr had inflated type I errors for some simulation scenarios, implying that the significant results for the data could be spurious. The weighted correlation methods had generally good type I error control but had low power. One of the multilevel models, that from Jamil, Ozinga, Kleyer, and ter Braak (Journal of Vegetation Science, 24, 988–1000, 2013) had both good type I error control and high power when an appropriate method was used to obtain p‐values. In particular, if there was no correlation among species in their abundances among sites, a parametric bootstrap likelihood ratio test (LRT) gave the best power. When there was correlation among species in their abundances, a conditional parametric LRT had correct type I errors but had lower power.

There is no overall best method for identifying trait–environment associations. For the simple task of testing associations between single environmental variables and single traits, the weighted correlations with permutation tests all had good type I error control, and their ease of implementation is an advantage. For the more complex task of multivariate analyses and model fitting, and when high statistical power is needed, we recommend MLM2 (Jamil et al., 2013). However, care must be taken to ensure against inflated type I errors for both weighted correlations and MLM2. Because CWMr exhibited highly inflated type I error rates, it should always be avoided.
Tracking Assault‐injured, Drug‐using Youth in Longitudinal Research: Follow‐up Methods
Authors: Roche Jessica S. , Clery Michael J. , Carter Patrick M. , Dora‐Laskey Aaron , Walton Maureen A. , Ngo Quyen M. , Cunningham Rebecca M.
Published: November 2018

Objectives

Violence is one of the leading causes of death among youth ages 14 to 24. Hospital‐ and emergency department (ED)‐based violence prevention programs are increasingly becoming a critical part of public health efforts; however, evaluation of prevention efforts is needed to create evidence‐based best practices. Retention of study participants is key to evaluations, although little literature exists regarding optimizing follow‐up methods for violently injured youth. This study aims to describe the methods for retention in youth violence studies and the characteristics of hard‐to‐reach participants.

Methods

The Flint Youth Injury (FYI) Study is a prospective study following a cohort of assault‐injured, drug‐using youth recruited in an urban ED, and a comparison population of drug‐using youth seeking medical or non–violence‐related injury care. Validated survey instruments were administered at baseline and four follow‐up time points (6, 12, 18, and 24 months). Follow‐up contacts used a variety of strategies and all attempts were coded by type and level of success. Regression analysis was used to predict contact difficulty and follow‐up interview completion at 24 months.

Results

A total of 599 patients (ages 14–24) were recruited from the ED (mean ± SD age = 20.1 ± 2.4 years, 41.2% female, 58.2% African American), with follow‐up rates at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of 85.3%, 83.7% 84.2%, and 85.3%, respectively. Participant contact efforts ranged from two to 53 times per follow‐up time frame to complete a follow‐up appointment, and more than 20% of appointments were completed off site at community locations (e.g., participants’ homes, jail/prison). Participants who were younger (p < 0.05) and female (p < 0.01) were more likely to complete their 24‐month follow‐up interview. Participants who sought care in the ED for assault injury (p < 0.05) and had a substance use disorder (p < 0.01) at baseline required fewer contact attempts to complete their 24‐month follow‐up, while participants reporting a fight within the immediate 3 months before their 24‐month follow‐up (p < 0.01) required more intensive contact efforts.

Conclusions

The FYI study demonstrated that achieving high follow‐up rates for a difficult‐to‐track, violently‐injured ED population is feasible through the use of established contact strategies and a variety of interview locations. Results have implications for follow‐up strategies planned as part of other violence prevention studies.
A Machine Learning Approach to Predicting Need for Hospitalization for Pediatric Asthma Exacerbation at the Time of Emergency Department Triage
Authors: Patel Shilpa J. , Chamberlain Daniel B. , Chamberlain James M.
Published: November 2018

Objectives

Pediatric asthma is a leading cause of emergency department (ED) utilization and hospitalization. Earlier identification of need for hospital‐level care could triage patients more efficiently to high‐ or low‐resource ED tracks. Existing tools to predict disposition for pediatric asthma use only clinical data, perform best several hours into the ED stay, and are static or score‐based. Machine learning offers a population‐specific, dynamic option that allows real‐time integration of available nonclinical data at triage. Our objective was to compare the performance of four common machine learning approaches, incorporating clinical data available at the time of triage with information about weather, neighborhood characteristics, and community viral load for early prediction of the need for hospital‐level care in pediatric asthma.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of patients ages 2 to 18 years seen at two urban pediatric EDs with asthma exacerbation over 4 years. Asthma exacerbation was defined as receiving both albuterol and systemic corticosteroids. We included patient features, measures of illness severity available in triage, weather features, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention influenza patterns. We tested four models: decision trees, LASSO logistic regression, random forests, and gradient boosting machines. For each model, 80% of the data set was used for training and 20% was used to validate the models. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) curve was calculated for each model.

Results

There were 29,392 patients included in the analyses: mean (±SD) age of 7.0 (±4.2) years, 42% female, 77% non‐Hispanic black, and 76% public insurance. The AUCs for each model were: decision tree 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.66–0.77), logistic regression 0.83 (95% CI = 0.82–0.83), random forests 0.82 (95% CI = 0.81–0.83), and gradient boosting machines 0.84 (95% CI = 0.83–0.85). In the lowest decile of risk, only 3% of patients required hospitalization; in the highest decile this rate was 100%. After patient vital signs and acuity, age and weight, followed by socioeconomic status (SES) and weather‐related features, were the most important for predicting hospitalization.

Conclusions

Three of the four machine learning models performed well with decision trees preforming the worst. The gradient boosting machines model demonstrated a slight advantage over other approaches at predicting need for hospital‐level care at the time of triage in pediatric patients presenting with asthma exacerbation. The addition of weight, SES, and weather data improved the performance of this model.
Alcohol Use Among Never‐Deployed U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers: The Effects of Nondeployment Emotions and Sex
Authors: Hoopsick Rachel A. , Homish D. Lynn , Vest Bonnie M. , Homish Gregory G.
Published: November 2018

Background

Limited research shows that mental health problems are prevalent among never‐deployed soldiers and many experience negative emotions related to their nondeployment. U.S. Army Reserve/National Guard (USAR/NG) soldiers are also at high risk for alcohol misuse. However, it is not known if nondeployment emotions contribute to an increased risk of alcohol misuse among never‐deployed USAR/NG soldiers.

Methods

Data are from Operation: SAFETY (Soldiers and Families Excelling Through the Years), an ongoing study of USAR/NG soldiers. We used regression models to examine the relations between nondeployment emotions, assessed by the Non‐Deployment Emotions (NDE) Questionnaire, and a range of alcohol use outcomes, assessed by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and standard quantity and frequency questions, among a sample of never‐deployed soldiers who were partnered at baseline (N = 174). Final models controlled for years of military service, current number of close military friends in the social network, marital satisfaction, and depression. We also tested for potential differences in these associations by sex.

Results

Nondeployment emotions were associated with frequency of getting drunk (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.04; p < 0.05) and typical number of drinks consumed during a drinking episode (aRR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.04; p < 0.01). Nondeployment emotions had a trend‐level association with percent of days drinking (adjusted odds ratio = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.11; p = 0.055). Nondeployment emotions had a significant interaction with sex (p < 0.05) on the likelihood of alcohol problems, such that only male soldiers experienced a greater likelihood of alcohol problems when they had highly negative nondeployment emotions. There was no relation between nondeployment emotions and alcohol problems among female soldiers.

Conclusions

Findings demonstrate that greater nondeployment emotions are associated with increased alcohol use among never‐deployed USAR/NG soldiers. The NDE Questionnaire may assist in identifying those at highest risk for alcohol problems.
Parental perception on the effects of early exposure to anaesthesia on neurodevelopment
Authors: Koh J. H. , Daniel P. , Bong C. L.
Published: November 2018

Several studies have investigated the effects of general anaesthesia on neurodevelopment in children, with conflicting results. The potential for early general anaesthesia exposure to impact neurodevelopment in children may cause significant concern for parents. Administering a questionnaire in 200 parents, we aimed to explore their knowledge, concerns and perceptions, and determine factors which influence parents’ willingness for their children to participate in relevant research studies. A significant proportion of parents (40%) were concerned that general anaesthesia may affect their child's neurodevelopment. Generally these concerns arose from the parents’ own beliefs or preconceived ideas and only 25.5% had encountered prior information in this domain. Parents with children aged 2 years or younger, those whose children had previous general anaesthesia exposure, and those who had encountered information about potential neurodevelopmental effects were most likely to be concerned. The majority of parents (68%) would agree to participate in research studies, especially if they were able to receive the test results. Anaesthetists should pre‐emptively initiate discussions to address any potential misconceptions regarding the effects of general anaesthesia on neurodevelopment in children.
The therapeutic space and doctor–parent relationship in paediatrics: trainees’ experiences and perspectives
Authors: Arzuaga Bonnie H. , Petty Carter , Janvier Annie
Published: November 2018

Aim

To explore paediatric trainees’ experiences and perspectives regarding interactions and relationships between physicians and patients’ parents.

Methods

Email survey was sent to AAP Section of Pediatric Trainees members. Trainees were asked about 40 interactions with parents as well as perceived benefits/risks and potential influences. Analysis of associations between variables and perspectives/experiences used chi‐square and Fisher exact.

Results

Three hundred and seventy surveys were completed. Respondents participated in a median of nine interactions (IQR 7–13; range 0–37): 99.7% participated in at least one; 52% in 5–10; 41% in >10. 50% reported refusing to participate in at least one interaction following parental request; 8% refused 5–10; 1% refused >10. Electronic communication/social media domain had highest refusals and most interactions respondents believed should never be allowed. 94% agreed that interactions may be beneficial to providers: 75% identified at least one benefit; 86% one risk. Respondents who are parents or female reported increased interactions.

Conclusion

A variety of interactions with patient's parents are common amongst paediatric trainees, who identify risks and benefits. Disagreements relative to acceptability of certain interactions points to the need for additional research. A reflective educational approach, rather than a prescriptive one, may help trainees better manage these relationships.
Second‐generation of temporary implantable nitinol device for the relief of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia: results of a prospective, multicentre study at 1 year of follow‐up
Authors: Porpiglia Francesco , Fiori Cristian , Amparore Daniele , Kadner Gregor , Manit Arya , Valerio Massimo , Nicolaas Lumen , Ho Brian S. H. , Alonso Sergio , Schulman Claude , Barber Neil
Published: November 2018

Objectives

To report the clinical experience with a second‐generation of temporary implantable nitinol device (iTIND; Medi‐Tate Ltd, Or‐Akiva, Israel) for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) after 1 year of follow‐up.

Patients and Methods

In all, 81 patients with LUTS, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) ≥10, maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) ≤12 mL/s, and prostate volume <75 mL, were enrolled in this prospective Research Ethics Committee‐approved multicentre study. The main exclusion criteria were: haemostatic disorders, post‐void residual urine volume (PVR) >250 mL, obstructive median lobe, and previous prostate surgery. The iTIND was implanted within the bladder neck and the prostatic urethra under light sedation, using a rigid cystoscope. The device was removed 5–7 days later in an outpatient setting. Demographics, perioperative results, complications (according to the Clavien–Dindo system), functional results and quality of life (QoL) were evaluated. Follow‐up assessments were conducted at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively.

Results

The mean (sd) patient age was 65 (8.9) years, prostate volume was 40.5 (12.25) mL, Qmax was 7.3 (2.6) mL/s, IPSS was 22.5 (5.6), and the median (interquartile range) IPSS QoL score was 4 (2–5). All the implantations were successful, with no intraoperative complications recorded; all patients were discharged on the same day of surgery. The devices were retrieved at a mean (SD) of 5.9 (1.1) days after implantation, typically under topical anaesthesia. No Clavien–Dindo Grade >II complications were recorded. The mean (SD) Qmax at the 1 month follow‐up visit was 11.2 (5.7) mL/s and continued to improve thereafter, reaching 14.7 (8.1) mL/s at the 12‐month follow‐up visit (+100%). The mean (SD) IPSS urinary symptom scores were 11.7 (8.0) after 1 month and further improved to 8.8 (6.4) at the 12‐month follow‐up (−60%). In parallel, the mean (SD) IPSS QoL score drop reached 1.6 (1.3) by the end of the study. During the 12‐month period, two patients (2.4%) required medical therapy for BPH, two patients (2.4%) required transurethral resection of the prostate, whilst 10 patients were lost to follow‐up (12.3%). As compared to baseline, none of the 61 sexually active patients who completed the 12‐month follow‐up period reported sexual or ejaculatory dysfunction.

Conclusion

iTIND implantation is feasible, safe and effective in providing relief of BPH‐related symptoms, at least until 12 months postoperatively. Sexual and ejaculatory functions are fully preserved. Further studies with a longer follow‐up period are needed to assess the durability of these results and to clearly define the indications for iTIND implantation.
Rsph9 is critical for ciliary radial spoke assembly and central pair microtubule stability
Authors: Zhu Lei , Liu Hao , Chen Yawen , Yan Xiumin , Zhu Xueliang
Published: November 2018

Background Information

In the “9+2”‐type motile cilia, radial spokes (RSs) protruded from the nine peripheral microtubule doublets surround and interact with the central pair (CP) apparatus to regulate ciliary beat. RSPH9 is the human homologue of the essential protozoan RS head protein Rsp9. Its mutations in human primary ciliary dyskinesia patients, however, cause CP loss in a small portion of airway cilia without affecting the ciliary localization of other head proteins.

Results

We characterized mouse Rsph9 and investigated its function in ependymal motile cilia. Rsph9 was specifically expressed in mouse tissues containing motile cilia and upregulated during multiciliation. Its ciliary localization complied with its putative role as an RS subunit. Depletion of Rsph9 by RNAi in mouse ependymal cilia resulted in a near complete CP loss and altered the ciliary beat pattern from planar to rotational. Multiple RS proteins, including those in the head, were also markedly downregulated in the Rsph9‐depleted cilia.

Conclusion

Rsph9 is essential for both the RS head assembly and the CP maintenance in mammalian ependymal cilia.

Significance

Our results help to understand the assembly and functions of mammalian RS and pathology of RS‐related ciliopathy.
Prostaglandin‐cytokine crosstalk in chronic inflammation
Authors: Yao Chengcan , Narumiya Shuh
Published: November 2018

Chronic inflammation underlies various debilitating disorders including autoimmune, neurodegenerative, vascular and metabolic diseases as well as cancer, where aberrant activation of the innate and acquired immune systems is frequently seen. Since non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs exert their effects by inhibiting COX and suppressing PG biosynthesis, PGs have been traditionally thought to function mostly as mediators of acute inflammation. However, an inducible COX isoform, COX‐2, is often highly expressed in tissues of the chronic disorders, suggesting an as yet unidentified role of PGs in chronic inflammation. Recent studies have shown that in addition to their short‐lived actions in acute inflammation, PGs crosstalk with cytokines and amplify the cytokine actions on various types of inflammatory cells and drive pathogenic conversion of these cells by critically regulating their gene expression. One mode of such PG‐mediated amplification is to induce the expression of relevant cytokine receptors, which is typically observed in Th1 cell differentiation and Th17 cell expansion, events leading to chronic immune inflammation. Another mode of amplification is cooperation of PGs with cytokines at the transcription level. Typically, PGs and cytokines synergistically activate NF‐κB to induce the expression of inflammation‐related genes, one being COX‐2 itself, which makes PG‐mediated positive feedback loops. This signalling consequently enhances the expression of various NF‐κB‐induced genes including chemokines to macrophages and neutrophils, which enables sustained infiltration of these cells and further amplifies chronic inflammation. In addition, PGs are also involved in tissue remodelling such as fibrosis and angiogenesis. In this article, we review these findings and discuss their relevance to human diseases.
Entre souveraineté indigène et sécurité nationale : Négocier la sécurité frontalière et la culture Mohawk à Akwesasne
Authors: Rouvière Laetitia
Published: November 2018

À partir du cas de la réserve mohawk d'Akwesasne à l'intersection entre l'Ontario, le Québec et l'État de New York, cet article analyse les liens entre l'affirmation d'une identité indigène transfrontalière et la mise en oeuvre de politiques de sécurité dans les zones frontalières. Au‐delà d'une opposition binaire entre ces deux dynamiques, nous constatons que la souveraineté indigène se trouve redéfinie au cours de processus de négociation et coopération pour la mise en place de nouvelles règles d'identification et de coopération policière. La mise en oeuvre de la sécurité frontalière s'avère paradoxalement être une opportunité politique pour les dirigeants qui souhaitent réaffirmer une souveraineté indigène : la réaffirmation d'une identité indigène par la coopération émerge comme un facteur clé de l'implémentation des politiques de sécurité frontalière entre le Canada et les États‐Unis.
Circulating miRNA panels for specific and early detection in bladder cancer
Authors: Usuba Wataru , Urabe Fumihiko , Yamamoto Yusuke , Matsuzaki Juntaro , Sasaki Hideo , Ichikawa Makiko , Takizawa Satoko , Aoki Yoshiaki , Niida Shumpei , Kato Ken , Egawa Shin , Chikaraishi Tatsuya , Fujimoto Hiroyuki , Ochiya Takahiro
Published: November 2018

Bladder cancer is the 9th leading cause of cancer death worldwide. The major problem in bladder cancer is primarily the high recurrence rate after drug treatment and resection. Although conventional screening methods, such as cystoscopy, urinary cytology and ultrasound sonography, have become widely used in clinical settings, the diagnostic performance of these modalities is unsatisfactory due to low accuracy or high invasiveness. Because circulating micro RNA (miRNA) profiles have recently been reported as an attractive tool for liquid biopsy in cancer screening, here, we performed global miRNA profiling of 392 serum samples of bladder cancer patients with 100 non‐cancer samples and 480 samples of other types of cancer as controls. We randomly classified the bladder cancer and control samples into 2 cohorts, a training set (N = 486) and a validation set (N = 486). By comparing both controls, we identified specific miRNA, such as miR‐6087, for diagnosing bladder cancer in the training and validation sets. Furthermore, we found that a combination of 7 miRNA (7‐miRNA panel: miR‐6087, miR‐6724‐5p, miR‐3960, miR‐1343‐5p, miR‐1185‐1‐3p, miR‐6831‐5p and miR‐4695‐5p) could discriminate bladder cancer from non‐cancer and other types of tumors with the highest accuracy (AUC: .97; sensitivity: 95%; specificity: 87%). The diagnostic accuracy was high, regardless of the stage and grade of bladder cancer. Our data demonstrated that the 7‐miRNA panel could be a biomarker for the specific and early detection of bladder cancer.
Q817G mutation in phosphodiesterase type 5: Conformational analysis and dissociation profile of the inhibitor Tadalafil
Authors: Pires de Oliveira Ivan , Lescano Caroline Honaiser , De Nucci Gilberto
Published: November 2018

Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE‐5) is an important enzyme involved in the hydrolysis of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) to guanosine monophosphate (GMP). The inhibition of this protein leads to the accumulation of cGMP in cells with various biological and therapeutic effects. Several PDE‐5 inhibitors exist, with Tadalafil being one of the most commonly studied and used in clinical therapy. In this study, we applied Molecular Dynamics simulations coupled to the ABF (Adaptive Biasing Force) method to study the effect of the mutation on the Gln817 residue (Q817G). The results of the free energy profiles made clear that the affinity of the inhibitor for PDE‐5 is dependent on the amino acid residue Gln817. The hydrogen bond made between the side chain of glutamine and the indole ring of Tadalafil results in the stabilization of the ligand in the catalytic site. Despite the prominent role of this interaction, it is important to highlight the contribution of other residues of the catalytic domain for the stabilization of the compound, due to the set of polar, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions performed by specific amino acid residues.
Significantly different contact patterns between Aβ40 and Aβ42 monomers involving the N‐terminal region
Authors: Liu Ziye , Jiang Fan , Wu Yun‐Dong
Published: November 2018

Aβ42 peptide, with two additional residues at C‐terminus, aggregates much faster than Aβ40. We performed equilibrium replica‐exchange molecular dynamics simulations of their monomers using our residue‐specific force field. Simulated 3JHNHα‐coupling constants agree excellently with experimental data. Aβ40 and Aβ42 have very similar local conformational features, with considerable β‐strand structures in the segments: A2‐H6 (A), L17‐A21 (B), A30‐V36 (C) of both peptides and V39‐I41 (D) of Aβ42. Both peptides have abundant A‐B and B‐C contacts, but Aβ40 has much more contacts between A and C than Aβ42, which may retard its aggregation. Only Aβ42 has considerable A‐B‐C‐D topology. Decreased probability of A‐C contact in Aβ42 relates to the competition from C‐D contact. Increased A‐C contact probability may also explain the slower aggregation of A2T and A2V mutants of Aβ42.
Heart transplantation outcomes for rheumatic heart disease: Analysis of international registry data
Authors: Dan Jennifer M. , Silva Enciso Jorge , Lund Lars H. , Aslam Saima
Published: November 2018

Background

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD), an autoimmune sequela of Group A streptococcal infection, is a chronic valvular disease affecting 32 million people worldwide, predominantly in developing nations. As the predisposition to autoimmune sequela still remains post transplantation, our primary objective was to assess if there were differences in mortality and rejection rates.

Methods and Results

Using the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) adult heart transplant registry, we identified 42 RHD patients who had undergone heart transplantation between 1988 and 2014. We matched the 42 RHD recipients by transplant year, age, and gender to 420 dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) recipients. One‐year mortality in the RHD group was 17.95% vs. 7.92% in the DCM group (P = 0.07). Survival was significantly reduced in the RHD group vs. the DCM group via Kaplan Meier curves (P = 0.04). In a multivariate model, RHD status (OR 3.19, 95% CI 1.15‐8.83, P = 0.025) and serum creatinine (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.09‐1.82, P = 0.009) were associated with an increased odds of one‐year mortality (P = 0.0013).

Conclusions

At one year post transplantation, RHD recipients had a significantly lower survival than DCM recipients. RHD status was also an independent predictor of mortality at 1 year post transplantation.
Employment Change in Occupations in Urban India: Implications for Wage Inequality
Authors: Sarkar Sudipa
Published: November 2018

This article analyses employment and wage change patterns in India for a period spanning almost three decades, from 1983–84 to 2011–12. Using data from the National Sample Survey Organization, the study finds evidence of job polarization (employment growth in low‐ and high‐skill jobs and decline in middle‐skill jobs) in urban India during the 1990s and 2000s, and employment upgrading in the 1980s. Consistent with the literature on job polarization, the article finds a reduction in employment share in routine task intensive occupations. The author argues that this reduction is a result of both mechanization and technological upgrading within Indian industry. On the other hand, an increase in employment share in both low‐skill and high‐skill occupations is argued to be a result of growing self‐employment and informal sector employment in urban India. The wage change patterns are largely consistent with the employment change patterns. The analysis suggests that structural change in occupation is an important factor for understanding earnings inequality in India.
Meta‐analysis of aberrant post‐error slowing in substance use disorder: implications for behavioral adaptation and self‐control
Authors: Sullivan Ryan M. , Perlman Greg , Moeller Scott J.
Published: November 2018

Individual with substance use disorders have well‐recognized impairments in cognitive control, including in behavioral adaptation after mistakes. One way in which this impairment manifests is via diminished post‐error slowing, the increase in reaction time following a task‐related error that is posited to reflect cautionary or corrective behavior. Yet, in the substance use disorder literature, findings with regard to post‐error slowing have been inconsistent, and thus could benefit from quantitative integration. Here, we conducted a meta‐analysis of case–control studies examining post‐error slowing in addiction. Twelve studies with 15 unique comparisons were identified, comprising 567 substance users and 384 healthy controls across three broad types of inhibitory control paradigms (go‐no/go, conflict resolution, and stop signal tasks, respectively). Results of the random‐effects meta‐analysis revealed a moderate group difference across all studies (Cohen's d = 0.31), such that the individuals with substance use disorder had diminished post‐error slowing compared with controls. Despite this omnibus effect, there was also large variability in the magnitude of the effects, explained in part by differences between studies in task complexity. These findings suggest that post‐error slowing may serve as a promising and easy‐to‐implement measure of cognitive control impairment in substance use disorder, with potential links to aberrant brain function in cognitive control areas such as the anterior cingulate cortex.
Investigation of the changes in oscillatory power during task switching after mild traumatic brain injury
Authors: Barlow Stephanie E. , Medrano Paolo , Seichepine Daniel R. , Ross Robert S.
Published: November 2018

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can cause persistent cognitive changes. These cognitive changes may be due to changes in neural communication. Task‐switching is a cognitive control operation that may be susceptible to mTBI and is associated with oscillations in theta (4–7 Hz), alpha (8–13 Hz), and beta (14–30 Hz) ranges. This study aimed to investigate oscillatory power in response to cues indicating a task‐switch after mTBI. Electroencephalogram and behavioral data were collected from 21 participants with a history of two or more concussions (mTBI) and 21 age‐ and gender‐matched controls as they performed a task‐switching paradigm. Participants differentiated whether visual stimuli were red or green, or circles or squares, depending on a cue. The cue changed every few trials with the first trial after a rule change being termed a switch trial. The mTBI group showed significantly less overall accuracy during the task. Over a posterior parietal region, the mTBI group showed more theta desynchronization than the control group from ~300 to ~600 ms post‐cue during switch trials and from ~300 to 400 ms during maintain trials, along with less alpha and beta desynchronization than the control group from ~2,000 to ~2,200 ms post‐cue. In a right parietal region, the mTBI group showed less alpha and beta desynchronization from ~525 to ~775 ms post‐cue. However, there was no condition × group interaction in the behavior or oscillatory results. These oscillatory differences suggest a change in neural communication is present after mTBI that may relate to global changes in task performance.
Guillotine versus pull‐through technique for palmar digital neurectomy: A retrospective study on 40 horses
Authors: Oosterlinck M. , Pille F. , Lubbers C. , Haspeslagh M. , Martens A.
Published: November 2018

Palmar digital neurectomy (PDN) is used in horses for treating chronic foot pain refractory to other treatments and is most often performed using the guillotine technique or the pull‐through technique. This study was performed to compare the outcome of the guillotine technique and the pull‐through technique for PDN. Medical records of horses undergoing PDN (January 2008–February 2017) were reviewed (guillotine technique: n = 25, pull‐through technique: n = 15). Outcome was obtained by telephone questionnaire. There was no significant difference between treatment groups for the return to athletic activity, presence of residual/recurrent lameness, occurrence of post‐operative complications and owner satisfaction. Outcome was similar for both techniques, albeit with highly variable individual responses. Establishing realistic client expectations is very important because only a proportion of horses remain sound following PDN as time progresses. Adequate case selection is warranted with either technique and should involve accurate localisation of pain with diagnostic anaesthesia and definitive diagnostic imaging techniques.
Gastrointestinal safety of coxibs: systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational studies on selective inhibitors of cyclo‐oxygenase 2
Authors: Martín Arias Luis Hermenegildo , Martín González Antonio , Sanz Fadrique Rosario , Salgueiro Vázquez Esther
Published: November 2018

Prior meta‐analyses have shown a higher gastrointestinal risk of nonselective NSAIDs versus placebo and a lower gastrointestinal risk of coxibs versus nonselective NSAIDs. However, the available data about gastrointestinal risk for coxibs versus placebo are scarce. The aim of this study was to review the current evidence on the use of coxibs and to evaluate the risk of gastrointestinal adverse outcomes (GAO) associated with coxibs versus nonexposed. Search was conducted on PubMed and Embase databases. We selected cohort observational, case‐control, nested case‐control and case‐crossover studies that reported the risk of GAO associated with coxibs versus nonexposed as relative risk (RR), odds ratio (OR), hazard ratio (HR) or incidence rate ratio (IRR). It was estimated the pooled RR and the 95% confidence interval (CI) for coxibs both individually and as a whole by the DerSimonian and Laird method. Twenty‐eight studies met inclusion criteria. Overall, coxibs were associated with a significant increment in the risk of GAO [RR 1.64 (95% CI 1.44–1.86)]. The analysis by individual drugs showed that etoricoxib [RR 4.85 (95% CI 2.64–8.93)] presented the highest gastrointestinal risk, followed by rofecoxib [RR 2.02 (95% CI 1.56–2.61)] and celecoxib [RR 1.53 (95% CI 1.19–1.97)]. Gastrointestinal risk was also high for the subgroups aged <65 years and low‐dose coxibs. The use of coxibs is associated with a statistically significant increased risk of GAO, which would be high even for low‐dose coxibs and <65‐year‐old subgroups. The risk would be higher for etoricoxib than for celecoxib and rofecoxib.
Interventions to assist pet owners in online health information seeking behaviour: a qualitative content analysis literature review and proposed model
Authors: Solhjoo Niloofar , Naghshineh Nader , Fahimnia Fatima , Ameri‐naeini Amir R.
Published: November 2018

Objective

Veterinarians and their clients are using online information to improve pets’ health. There are no comprehensive frameworks, theories and models to intervene and evaluate online health information seeking behaviour (HISB) of pet owners. The objective of this paper was to provide a comprehensive review of the literature and propose a model for evaluating and intervening pet owner's HISB.

Methods

The framework emerges from a systematic literature review and qualitative content analysis. NVivo 10 was used in this paper as an analysis tool for coding text and for supporting framework generation through identifying patterns.

Results

We indicate the most influencing factors on online HISB of pet owners, types of interventions for enhancing pet health information consumer skills and possible pet health outcomes. The themes identified from the literature review have been resulted into the development of a model for investigating pet owners’ health information behaviour interventions.

Discussion

We strengthen our findings further by learning from health behaviour models. Based on adaptation of the interaction model of client health behaviour, we developed our initial model.

Conclusion

This model serves as an initial step to engage health librarians and veterinarians for planning on pet health information outreach. However, future studies need to test the proposed model in various case studies and populations.
Evaluating the performance of automated UV enzymatic assay for screening of glucose 6‐phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency
Authors: Anantasomboon Pornchai , Chanda Makamas , Jugnam‐ang Watcharapong , Witoonpanich Pirada , Cheepsunthorn Poonlarp , Nuchprayoon Issarang , Fucharoen Suthat , Cheepsunthorn Chalisa L.
Published: November 2018

Introduction

A precise and reliable screening assay for glucose 6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency would greatly help avoiding unwanted outcomes due to bilirubin neurotoxicity in neonatal jaundice and antimalarial‐induced haemolytic anaemia in malaria patients. Currently, available assays are laborious and require sophisticated laboratory expertise. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of a recently introduced automated screening assay for G6PD deficiency by comparing with a routine spectrophotometric assay.

Methods

An automated UV‐based enzymatic (Mindray, PRC) and spectrophotometric assays were performed simultaneously in parallel to determine G6PD activity in 251 blood samples from the subjects.

Results

The median G6PD activity value from spectrophotometric assay was significantly lower than that of from the automated assay. The mean difference was −2.0 U/g haemoglobin (−7.3 to 3.2; P < 0.0001). The mean activity values of both assays were strongly correlated with Pearson's correlation coefficient of r = 0.8. Cohen's kappa statistics between assays was 0.77 (0.70‐0.83). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the automated assay were 85.7%, 99.2%, 85.7%, 99.2%, respectively. The sensitivity and positive predictive values of the automated assay for identifying intermediate G6PD activity levels were 40.0% and 25.0%, respectively. Genotyping was performed to confirm G6PD deficient and intermediate samples. The turnaround time for 40 samples was 60 minutes for the automated assay and 300 minutes for spectrophotometric assay.

Conclusion

The automated assay for the detection of G6PD deficiency is comparable to a routine spectrophotometric assay and help reducing sample handling time. However, the assay shows limitation in identifying individuals with G6PD intermediate.