bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Uterosacral Ligament Suspension Versus Robotic Sacrocolpopexy for Treatment of Apical Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Authors: Smith Benjamin C. , Crisp Catrina C. , Kleeman Steven D. , Yook Eunsun , Pauls Rachel N.
Published: February 2019

Objective

The aim of the study was to compare long-term outcomes of uterosacral ligament suspension (USLS) versus robotic sacrocolpopexy (RSC) in patients with pelvic organ prolapse.

Methods

This was an institutional review board–approved retrospective cohort study. Women 3 to 7 years after USLS or RSC were contacted for enrollment. Participants were asked to complete validated questionnaires and physical examinations. The primary outcomes were no symptoms of bulge or retreatment for prolapse (subjective) and POP-Q examination demonstrating prolapse above or equal to −1 (objective). For the subjective outcome, a noninferiority calculation with 10% noninferiority margin deemed 91 subjects in each group were required.

Results

We identified the following 770 eligible subjects: 205 were contacted, 19 declined, 186 subjects agreed to participate, and 2 were excluded. There were 92 subjects per group in the analysis for the primary subjective outcome, and 84% underwent examinations for the objective outcome. Baseline characteristics were overall similar; however, previous prolapse surgery was more common in the RSC group (P < 0.001). Subjective success was achieved in 83 subjects in the USLS group and 78 subjects in the RSC group (90.2% vs 84.4%, respectively, P = 0.265 [95% confidence interval = −0.036 to 1.000]). Objective success was noted in 93.2% and 91.3% of the USLS and RSC groups, respectively (P = 0.869). Postoperative complication rates were low and did not differ between groups. Mesh complications were noted in 6.6% of the RSC group. One subject in the USLS group reported pain related to surgery.

Conclusion

Uterosacral ligament suspension was noninferior to RSC at 3- to 7-year postsurgery for subjective symptoms and similar for objective outcomes. Both approaches showed high success rates and strong patient satisfaction.
Apical Suspension Utilization at the Time of Vaginal Hysterectomy for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Varies With Surgeon Specialty
Authors: Sheyn David , El-Nashar Sherif , Mahajan Sangeeta T. , Mangel Jeffrey M. , Chapman Graham C. , Hijaz Adonis K.
Published: February 2019

Objective

To evaluate whether utilization of apical suspension procedures at the time of vaginal hysterectomy for pelvic organ prolapse varies with surgeon specialty.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study using data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2014 to 2016. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification with a diagnosis of pelvic organ prolapse who underwent vaginal hysterectomy with any combination of pelvic reconstructive procedures. Propensity score matching using available preoperative clinical data was used to ameliorate selection bias by specialty at a ratio of 1 female pelvic reconstructive surgeon (FPMRS) surgeon to 2 obstetrician-gynecologists (OBG). Descriptive statistics were reported as means with standard deviations. Pairwise analysis using Student t test and Fisher exact test was performed where appropriate.

Results

After propensity score matching, there were 901 cases performed by FPMRS and 1802 performed by OBG. The overall utilization rate of apical suspension in the matched cohort was 81.7% for FPMRS and 19.8% for OBG (P < 0.001). Obstetrician-gynecologists were more likely to perform vaginal hysterectomy without apical suspension compared with FPMRS (44.3% vs 5.8%; P < 0.001) and were also more likely to perform nonapical vaginal repair without also performing an apical suspension, (17.7% vs 9.3%, P < 0.001), compared to urogynecologists. On multivariable logistic regression, having surgery performed by FPMRS was the only significant variable associated with an increased likelihood of undergoing apical suspension (adjusted odds ratio, 5.34; 95% confidence interval, 4.48–6.36).

Conclusions

The FPMRS physicians are more likely to perform apical suspension with vaginal hysterectomy for prolapse repair compared with OBG.
The earliest equatorial record of frogs from the Late Triassic of Arizona
Authors: Stocker Michelle R. , Nesbitt Sterling J. , Kligman Ben T. , Paluh Daniel J. , Marsh Adam D. , Blackburn David C. , Parker William G.
Published: February 2019

Crown-group frogs (Anura) originated over 200 Ma according to molecular phylogenetic analyses, though only a few fossils from high latitudes chronicle the first approximately 60 Myr of frog evolution and distribution. We report fossils that represent both the first Late Triassic and the earliest equatorial record of Salientia, the group that includes stem and crown-frogs. These small fossils consist of complete and partial ilia with anteriorly directed, elongate and distally hollow iliac blades. These features of these ilia, including the lack of a prominent dorsal protuberance and a shaft that is much longer than the acetabular region, suggest a closer affinity to crown-group Anura than to Early Triassic stem anuransTriadobatrachusfrom Madagascar andCzatkobatrachusfrom Poland, both high-latitude records. The new fossils demonstrate that crown anurans may have been present in the Late Triassic equatorial region of Pangea. Furthermore, the presence of Early Jurassic anurans in the same stratigraphic sequence (Prosalirus bitisfrom the Kayenta Formation) suggests that anurans survived the climatic aridification of this region in the early Mesozoic. These fossils highlight the importance of the targeted collection of microfossils and provide further evidence for the presence of crown-group representatives of terrestrial vertebrates prior to the end-Triassic extinction.
Whole-genome analysis of extraintestinal Escherichia coli sequence type 73 from a single hospital over a 2 year period identified different circulating clonal groups
Authors: Bogema D. R. , McKinnon J. , Liu M. , Hitchick N. , Miller N. , Venturini C. , Iredell J. , Darling A. E. , Roy Chowdury P. , Djordjevic S. P.
Published: February 2019

Sequence type (ST)73 has emerged as one of the most frequently isolated extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli. To examine the localized diversity of ST73 clonal groups, including their mobile genetic element profile, we sequenced the genomes of 16 multiple-drug resistant ST73 isolates from patients with urinary tract infection from a single hospital in Sydney, Australia, between 2009 and 2011. Genome sequences were used to generate a SNP-based phylogenetic tree to determine the relationship of these isolates in a global context with ST73 sequences (n=210) from public databases. There was no evidence of a dominant outbreak strain of ST73 in patients from this hospital, rather we identified at least eight separate groups, several of which reoccurred, over a 2 year period. The inferred phylogeny of all ST73 strains (n=226) including the ST73 clone D i2 reference genome shows high bootstrap support and clusters into four major groups that correlate with serotype. The Sydney ST73 strains carry a wide variety of virulence-associated genes, but the presence of iss, pic and several iron-acquisition operons was notable.
CNN Model With Hilbert Curve Representation of DNA Sequence For Enhancer Prediction
Authors: Anjum Monowar Md. , Tahmid Ibrahim Asadullah , Rahman M. Sohel
Published: February 2019

Motivation

Enhancers are distal cis-acting regulating regions that play a vital role in gene transcription. However, due to the inherent nature of enhancers being linearly distant from the affected gene in an irregular manner while being spatially close at the same time, systematically predicting enhancers has been a challenging task. Although several computational predictor models through both epigenetic marker analysis and sequence-based analysis have been proposed, they lack generalization capacity across different enhancer datasets and have feature dependency. On the other hand, the recent proliferation of deep learning methods has opened previously unknown avenues of approach for sequence analysis tasks which eliminates feature dependency and achieves greater generalization. Therefore, harnessing the power of deep learning based sequence analysis techniques to develop a more generalized model than the ones developed before to predict enhancer region in a DNA sequence is a topic of interest in bioinformatics.

Results

In this study, we develop the predictor model CHilEnPred that has been trained with the visual representation of the DNA sequences with Hilbert Curve. We report our computational prediction result on FANTOM5 dataset where CHilEnPred achieves an accuracy of 94.97% and AUC of 0.987 on test data.

Availability

Our CHilEnPred model can be freely accessed at https://github.com/iatahmid/chilenpred

Contact

msrahman@cse.buet.ac.bd
Modeling cell shape diversity arising from complex Rho GTPase dynamics
Authors: Zmurchok Cole , Holmes William R.
Published: February 2019

It is well known that cells exhibit a variety of morphologically distinct responses to their environments that manifest in their cell shape. Some protrude uniformly to increase substrate contacts, others are broadly contrac-tile, some polarize to facilitate migration, and yet others exhibit mixtures of these responses. Prior imaging studies have identified a discrete collection of shapes that the majority of cells display and have demonstrated links between those shapes and activity levels of the cytoskeletal regulators Rho GTPases. Here we use a novel computational modeling approach to demonstrate that well known Rho GTPase signaling dynamics naturally give rise to this diverse but discrete (rather than continuum) set of morphologies. Specifically, the combination of auto-activation and mutually-antagonistic crosstalk between GTPases along with the conservative membrane (un)binding dynamics readily explain at least 6 of the 7 commonly observed morphologies. We further use this methodology to map the entire parameter space of this model and show that in appropriate regimes, individual parameter sets give rise to a variety of different morphologies. This provides an explanation for how seemingly similar cells of the same fate derived from the same population can exhibit a diverse array of cell shapes in imaging studies. These results thus demonstrate that Rho GTPases form the core of a cytoskeletal regulatory system governing cell shape, further supporting the picture that they act as a central signaling hub determining how cells respond to their environmental context.
The tumour microenvironment shapes dendritic cell plasticity in a human organotypic melanoma culture
Authors: Di Blasio S , Tazzari M , van Wigcheren G , van Duffelen A , Stefanini I , Bloemendal M , Gorris M , Vasaturo A , Bakdash G , Hato SV , Schalkwijk J , de Vries IJM , van den Bogaard EH , Figdor CG
Published: February 2019

The tumour microenvironment (TME) forms a major obstacle in effective cancer treatment and for clinical success of immunotherapy. Conventional co-cultures have shed light into multiple aspects of cancer immunobiology, but they are limited by the lack of physiological complexity. We developed a novel human, organotypic skin melanoma culture (OMC) that allows real-time study of host-malignant cell interactions within a multi-cellular tissue architecture. By co-culturing keratinocytes, fibroblasts and immune cells with melanoma cells, onto a de-cellularized dermis, we generated a reconstructed TME that closely recapitulates tumour growth as observed in human lesions and supports cell survival and function. We demonstrate that the OMC is suitable and outperforms conventional 2D co-cultures for the study of TME-imprinting mechanisms. Within the OMC we observed the tumour-driven conversion of cDC2s into CD14+DCs, characterized by a an immunosuppressive phenotype. The OMC provides a valuable complement to current approaches to study the TME.
Structural insight into the mechanism of 4-aminoquinolines selectivity for the alpha2A-adrenoceptor
Authors: Li Zaibing , Li Jingyu , Liu Liyan , Deng Wenyi , Zhang Wen , Hou Huifang , Wang Xinyuan , Yang Zhimei , Wang Xiaoying , Chen Shanze , Wang Yi , Chen Junli , Huang Ning
Published: February 2019

α2A-adrenoceptor (AR) is a potential target for the treatment of degenerative diseases of the central nervous system, and α2A-AR agonists are one of the most effective drugs for this condition. However, the lack of high selectivity for α2A-AR subtype of traditional drugs greatly limits their clinic usage. In this study, a series of homobivalent 4-aminoquinolines conjugated by two 4-aminoquinoline moieties via varying alkane linker length (C2-C12) were characterized for their affinities for each α2-AR subtype. Subsequently, docking, molecular dynamics and mutagenesis were applied to uncover the molecular mechanism. Most 4-aminoquinolines (4-aminoquinoline monomer, C2-C6, C8-C10) were selective for the α2A-AR over α2B- and α2C-ARs. Besides, the affinities are of similar linker length-dependence for each α2-AR subtype. Among all the compounds tested, C10 has the highest affinity for the α2A-AR (pKi=-7.45±0.62), which is 12-fold and 60-fold selective over α2B-AR and α2C-AR, respectively. Docking and molecular dynamics studies suggest that C10 simultaneously interacts with an orthosteric and an “allosteric site” of the α2A-AR. The mutation of F205, which is situated at the orthosteric binding pocket decreases the affinity by 2-fold. The potential allosteric residues include Ser90, Asn93, Glu94 and W99. The specificity of C10 for the α2A-AR and the potential orthosteric and allosteric binding sites proposed in this study provide valuable guidance for the development of novel α2A-AR subtype selective compounds.
Gradients of structure-function tethering across neocortex
Authors: Vázquez-Rodríguez Bertha , Suárez Laura E. , Shafiei Golia , Markello Ross D. , Paquola Casey , Hagmann Patric , van den Heuvel Martijn P. , Bernhardt Boris C. , Spreng R. Nathan , Mišić Bratislav
Published: February 2019

The white matter architecture of brain networks imparts a distinct signature on neuronal co-activation patterns. Inter-regional projections promote synchrony among distant neuronal populations, giving rise to richly patterned functional networks. A variety of statistical, communication and biophysical models have been proposed to study the relationship between brain structure and function, but the link is not yet known. In the present report we seek to relate the structural and functional connection profiles of individual brain areas. We apply a simple multilinear model that incorporates information about spatial proximity, routing and diffusion between brain regions to predict their functional connectivity. We find that structure-function relationships vary markedly across the neocortex. Structure and function correspond closely in unimodal, primary sensory and motor regions, but diverge in transmodal cortex, corresponding to the default mode and salience networks. The divergence between structure and function systematically follows functional and cytoarchitectonic hierarchies. Altogether, the present results demonstrate that structural and functional networks do not align uniformly across the brain, but gradually uncouple in higher-order polysensory areas.
Left Ventricular Chamber Shape During Vena Caval Occlusion: Improved MRI-based Measurement of the End-Systolic Pressure-Volume Relationship in Normal Sheep
Authors: Giao Duc M. , Wang Yan , Rojas Renan , Takaba Kiyoaki , Badathala Anusha , Spaulding Kimberly A. , Soon Gilbert , Zhang Yue , Wang Vicky Y. , Haraldsson Henrik , Liu Jing , Saloner David , Ge Liang , Guccione Julius M. , Wallace Arthur W. , Ratcliffe Mark B.
Published: February 2019

The left ventricular (LV) end-systolic pressure volume relationship (ES; ESPVR) is the cornerstone of systolic LV function analysis. Recently, it became possible to measure 2D LV chamber shape during vena cava occlusion (VCO) with MRI. We used an improved level-set semi-automatic segmentation method (LSSM) to determine the effect of VCO on LV geometry, ES pressure area (PA) and ESPVR.

10 healthy adult sheep were anesthetized. LV pressure transducer and inferior vena cava (IVC) balloon catheter were percutaneously inserted. Ferumoxytol (0.125 ml/kg iv; AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Waltham, MA) was given to enhance blood pool contrast. LV pressure and 2D retrospectively-gated cine MRI of LV cross sections 25 (Apex), 50 (Mid) and 75% (Base) of the distance from the apex to the base of the LV were obtained during separate IVC balloon inflations (VCO). LV pressure was digitally filtered and LV chamber segmented with the LSSM. Cross sectional area, major and minor axes, major axis orientation, ESPAR and ESPVR were calculated.

The LSSM had excellent reliability. All cross sections became more elliptical during VCO. The orientation (angle) of each major axis relative to the anterior RV insertion shifted during VCO. However, the orientation remained toward the septum. There was chamber collapse (LV area < 0.25 cm2) at the apical level during VCO (7 cases). ESPAR was non-linear at all levels. ESPVR was non-linear because of apical collapse.

In conclusion, MRI-based measurement of LV geometry, ESPAR and ESPVR during VCO is a valuable method that may lead to improved understanding of systolic LV function.

New and Noteworthy

Real-time MRI was used to continuously measure the LV PA relationship as loading conditions were transiently varied in anesthetized sheep. All three examined cross-sections became more elliptical during VCO. The ESPAR were non-linear at all three cross-sections. Chamber collapse at the apical level during VCO resulted in a non-linear ESPVR. The heart contracted in a non-concentric manner during VCO which could inform modeling studies and elucidate mechanisms underlying LV adaptations to sudden load changes.
Pressure overload leads to coronary plaque formation, progression and myocardial events in ApoE-/- mice
Authors: Marino Alice , Zhang Yi , Rubinelli Luisa , Ip James E , Di Lorenzo Annarita
Published: February 2019

Hypercholesterolemia and hypertension are two major risk factors for coronary artery diseases, which remain the major cause of mortality in the industrialized world. Current animal models of atherosclerosis do not recapitulate coronary plaque disruption, thrombosis and myocardial infarction occurring in human. Recently, we demonstrated that exposure of the heart to high pressure, by transverse aortic constriction (TAC), induced coronary lesions in ApoE-/- mice on chow diet.

The aim of this study was to characterize the magnitude and location of coronary lesions in ApoE-/- mice post-TAC, and to assess the susceptibility of coronary plaque to disruption, leading to myocardial events.

Here we describe a reliable pathological condition in mice characterized by the development of coronary lesions and its progression leading to myocardial infarction, which better recapitulate human disease. Following TAC surgery, about 90% of ApoE-/- mice develop coronary lesions, especially in the left anterior descending artery, with 59% of the mice manifesting different magnitude of LAD stenosis. Myocardial events, identified in 74% of the mice, were mainly due to coronary plaque thrombosis and occlusion.

That TAC induces the development and progression of coronary lesions in ApoE-/- mice leading to myocardial events represents a novel and important tool to investigate the development of coronary lesions and its sequelae in a setting that better resemble human conditions.
Supportive mentoring behaviours in a public medical school
Authors: Mohammad Jamilah Al-Muhammady , Abdul Rahim Ahmad Fuad , Mat Nor Mohd Zarawi , Ahmad Rozaziana , Yusoff Muhamad Saiful Bahri
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate mentoring behaviours in a public medical school in Malaysia and examine factors associated with those mentoring behaviours. The study is important because effective mentoring promotes the personal and professional growth of mentees.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional study was conducted with a population of 632 medical students. The authors used the Mentor Behaviour Scale (MBS) to measure four domains of mentoring behaviour: mentoring relationship structure, engagement, autonomy support and competency support. The authors evaluated the scoring of these domains as high, moderate or low scores.

Findings

A total of 508 (80.4 per cent) medical students in Years 2–5 participated in this study. Mentoring relationship structure, engagement and competency support were perceived as moderate scores, whereas autonomy support was perceived as a low score. Students in the early phases of study had better attitudes regarding mentoring behaviours. More frequent meetings and longer duration of meetings were significantly associated with better attitudes towards mentoring behaviour.

Originality/value

This paper evaluates contemporary mentoring behaviours in a Malaysian public medical school and contributes to non-western literature on mentoring. These behaviours were reflected in the four domains of the theory-based MBS.
Integrating health and care in the 21st century workforce
Authors: Aiello Matt , Mellor Julian D.
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The NHS needs to adapt as never before to maintain and plan for an integrated and sustainable multi-professional workforce, spanning all health and care sectors. This cannot happen without system leaders embracing workforce transformation at scale and enabling system-wide collaboration and support for multi-professional learning and role development. “By learning together, we learn how to work together”. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The case studies included in this paper provide evidence of the ability of NHS systems to adopt integrated workforce models at scale. The case studies were chosen to demonstrate how system-wide change is possible, but still requires a partnership approach to innovation, strategic workforce planning and commissioner support for new models of care.

Findings

With partnership working between arm’s length bodies, commissioners, educators and workforce planners, the NHS is more than capable of generating a transformed workforce; a workforce able to continue providing safe, effective and joined-up person-centred care.

Research limitations/implications

The focus of this paper is integrated workforce development undertaken by Health Education England from 2017 to the date of drafting. The case studies within this paper relate to England only and are a cross-section chosen by the authors as a representative of Health Education England activity.

Practical implications

The NHS needs to find ways to use the wider health and care workforce to manage an ever-increasing and diverse patient population. Silo working, traditional models of workforce planning and commissioning no longer provide an appropriate response to increasing patient need and complexity.

Social implications

The evolution of the NHS into a joined-up, integrated health and social care workforce is essential to meet the aspirations of national policy and local workforce need – to centre care holistically on the needs of patients and populations and blur the boundaries between primary and secondary care; health and social care; physical and mental health.

Originality/value

This paper contains Health Education England project work and outcomes which are original and as yet unpublished.
Separating owner-occupier and investor demands for housing in the Australian states
Authors: Ma Le , Reed Richard , Liang Jian
Published: February 2019

Purpose

There has been declining home ownership and increased acceptance of long-term renting in many western countries including Australia; this has created a problem when examining housing markets as there are dual demand and include both owner-occupiers and investors. The purpose of this paper is to examine the long-run relationship between house prices, housing supply and demand, and to estimate the effects of the two types of demand (i.e. owner-occupier and investor) on house prices.

Design/methodology/approach

The econometric techniques for cointegration with vector error correction models are used to specify the proposed models, where the housing markets in the Australian states and territories illustrate the models.

Findings

The results highlight the regional long-run equilibrium and associated patterns in house prices, the level of new housing supply, owner-occupier demand for housing and investor demand for housing. Different types of markets were identified.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that policies that depress the investment demand can effectively prevent the housing bubble from further building up in the Australian states. The empirical findings shed light in the strategy of maintaining levels of housing affordability in regions where owner-occupiers have been priced out of the housing market.

Originality/value

There has been declining home ownership and increased acceptance of long-term renting in many western countries including Australia; this has created a problem when examining housing markets as there are dual demand and include both owner-occupiers and investors. This research has given to the relationship between supply and dual demand, which includes owner-occupation and investment, for housing and the influence on house prices.
Filipp Maliavin in Emigration: Artistic Strategy and the Afterlife of Secessionism
Authors: Kozicharow Nicola
Published: February 2019

This essay addresses artistic strategy in interwar Europe through the career of Russian émigré artist Filipp Maliavin. Maliavin's eclectic style, which adopted modern techniques but still strove for legibility, was characteristic of the international juste milieu artists participating in the secessionist system of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Scholars have emphasized this system's demise in 1914, yet Maliavin's success demonstrates how secessionist exhibitions and transnational networks continued to benefit artists. Exploring Maliavin's dominance of the Parisian salons, and his ability to market his work across Europe amid worldwide economic crisis in the 1930s, dispels previous assumptions about how artists operated during this period. In addition, this account illuminates the rich possibilities that unfold when investigating artists residing in the middle ground between tradition and avant‐garde, challenging narratives that dismiss continuity in artists' careers as regressive.
Moving to secondary school for children with ASN: a systematic review of international literature
Authors: Cantali Dianne
Published: February 2019

This article presents the findings, from a systematic review of international literature, of the existing research into the transition to secondary school of children with additional support needs, which happens for most children at around 11–12 years of age in Scotland. It brings an original contribution to the existing literature through its focus on the holistic transition experience of this group of children. From an initial 52 texts that met the inclusion criteria, further scrutiny led to the identification of only 22 empirical studies published in the last 15 years which contained findings meeting the review objectives. Transition is an ongoing process; however, only five studies were longitudinal. There remains a paucity of international literature to inform good practice in a consistent manner, and a need for further longitudinal, qualitative research to support the development of inclusive education internationally. Implications for educational policy include personalisation of this school move.
Nutrition Transition and Changing Food Preferences in India
Authors: Law Cherry , Fraser Iain , Piracha Matloob
Published: February 2019

We present empirical evidence on how changes in food preferences have contributed to nutrition transition, where the dietary pattern of households shifts away from traditional staples. Using household‐level time series cross‐section survey data for India, we estimate time varying demand elasticities, revealing evidence of the declining importance of cereals in Indian household diets. The estimates show that Indian demand for cereals has become more income inelastic and price elastic. We also find that cereals are a substitute rather than a complement to animal products in household diets. Since changes in elasticities can only be attributed to variation in utility parameters, this indicates that cereals are losing favour with Indian households. These findings have implications for Indian food policy design and implementation.
Acculturation, coping, and integration success of international skilled migrants: An integrative review and multilevel framework
Authors: Hajro Aida , Stahl Günter K. , Clegg Callen C. , Lazarova Mila B.
Published: February 2019

In this article, we review the limited but growing body of research on international skilled migrants and examine to what extent knowledge generated in adjacent research streams—specifically, work on assigned and self‐initiated expatriates—can be meaningfully applied to aid our understanding of the challenges, coping strategies, and acculturation dynamics of skilled migrants. We develop a framework that explains how variables and processes at multiple levels (individual, organisational, and societal) influence migrant acculturation and coping and result in integration‐related outcomes in the domains of personal/family life and workplace/career. We discuss directions for future research and implications for practice.
Bats adjust temporal parameters of echolocation pulses but not those of communication calls in response to traffic noise
Authors: SONG Shengjing , LIN Aiqing , JIANG Tinglei , ZHAO Xin , METZNER Walter , FENG Jiang
Published: February 2019

Many studies based on acute short‐term noise exposure have demonstrated that animals can adjust their vocalizations in response to ambient noise. However, the effects of chronic noise over a relatively long time scale of multiple days remain largely unclear. Bats rely mainly on acoustic signals for perception of environmental and social communication. Nearly all previous studies on noise‐induced vocal adjustments have focused on echolocation pulse sounds. Relatively little is known regarding the effects of noise on social communication calls. Here, we examined the dynamic changes in the temporal parameters of echolocation and communication vocalizations of Vespertilio sinensis when exposed to traffic noise over multiple days. We found that the bats started to modify their echolocation vocalizations on the fourth day of noise exposure, with an increase of 42–91% in the total number of pulse sequences per day. Under noisy conditions, the number of pulses within a pulse sequence decreased by an average of 17.2%, resulting in a significantly slower number of pulses/sequence (P < 0.001). However, there was little change in the duration of a pulse sequence. These parameters were not significantly adjusted in most communication vocalizations under the noise condition (all P > 0.05), except that the duration decreased and the number of syllables/sequences increased in 1 type of communicative vocalization (P < 0.05). This study suggests that bats routinely adjust temporal parameters of echolocation but rarely of communication vocalizations in response to noise condition.
Deep‐water cirripedes colonizing dead shells of the cephalopod Nautilus macromphalus from New Caledonian waters
Authors: BUCKERIDGE John , KOČÍ Tomáš , SCHLÖGL Ján , TOMAŠOVÝCH Adam , KOČOVÁ VESELSKÁ Martina
Published: February 2019

Fossil cephalopods are frequently encrusted by epibionts; however, determining whether encrustation occurred prior to or post‐mortem to the host, and whether the final environment of deposition corresponds to the habitat of encrustation is complex. The present paper describes cirripede epibionts, their calcareous bases and their attachment scars on 6 post‐mortem shells of Nautilus macromphalus, collected from deep water off New Caledonia. The cirripedes have left both cemented calcareous bases of Hexelasma and scars associated with bioerosion and discoloration produced by verrucomorph barnacles. Live cirripedes included a Metaverruca recta, with articulated opercular plates and organic tissue (on a shell that had been exposed on the sea floor for at least 150 years), and specimens of Hexelasma velutinum, one of which was partly attached to an internal surface of a shell. The disposition of verrucomorphs indicates that most Nautilus shells were colonized post‐mortem rather than during a floating stage. However, as cirripedes are known to have colonized living Nautilus, some Hexelasma, preserved only as calcareous eroded bases, may represent specimens that settled on a living Nautilus. The degree of bioerosion and discoloration induced by verrucomorph barnacles varies according to the surface preservation of Nautilus shells, with deeper and discolored traces preserved on old and degraded shells. Traces made by verrucomorphs described here are ellipsoidal and a new ichnotaxon, Anellusichnus ellipticus, is proposed to accommodate them. Importantly, verrucomorphs and other cirripede taxa with membranous bases that were attached to pristine shells may not leave any substantial scars, and, thus, will be difficult to detect in the fossil record.
Protective role of anti‐ribosomal P antibody in patients with lupus nephritis
Authors: Kang Ji‐Hyoun , Park Dong‐Jin , Choi Sung‐Eun , Yim Yi‐Rang , Kim Ji‐Eun , Lee Jeong‐Won , Lee Kyung‐Eun , Kim Tae‐Jong , Park Yong‐Wook , Lee Ji Shin , Choi Yoo‐Duk , Lee Jung‐Kil , Lee Shin‐Seok
Published: February 2019

Aim

The aim of this study was to define clinical, histopathologic, and prognostic differences according to the presence of anti‐ribosomal P antibody (anti‐P) in Korean patients with biopsy‐proven lupus nephritis (LN).

Methods

We studied 79 patients who underwent kidney biopsies prior to the start of induction treatment, and who were subsequently treated with immunosuppressive drugs for at least 6 months and followed‐up for more than 6 months. Anti‐P was measured by immunoblot analysis at the time of renal biopsy.

Results

Of all patients, 35.4% were anti‐P‐positive. Such patients exhibited earlier LN onset, a higher Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 score, and a higher estimated glomerular filtration rate at the time of renal biopsy, than did those without antibodies. Upon renal histopathological analysis, patients with anti‐P exhibited less interstitial inflammation in terms of the activity index, less glomerular sclerosis, less tubular atrophy, and less interstitial fibrosis in terms of the chronicity index. Furthermore, anti‐P was associated with lower chronicity scores. At a median follow‐up time of 47 months, renal function was preserved in 27 of 28 patients who had anti‐P, but only 38 of 51 patients without such antibodies did not progress to chronic renal disease. After multivariate logistic regression, we found that anti‐P positivity was associated with a reduced rate of progression to chronic kidney disease after adjusting for gender, baseline creatinine, activity and chronicity score, and treatment response (odds ratio = 0.196, 95% CI: 0.039‐0.989, P = 0.048).

Conclusion

Anti‐P was associated with better histological findings, and anti‐P‐positive patients had better renal outcomes than those without anti‐P.
EGFR exon 21 L858R as an acquired resistance mechanism to nivolumab in a lung cancer patient originally driver gene‐negative
Authors: Xia Chen , Zeng Fanxu , Zhang Yongchang
Published: February 2019

The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD‐1 and PD‐L1 in advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been one of the most significant improvements in recent years. However the resistance mechanisms of immune checkpoint inhibitors require further investigation. Herein we attempted to determine the possible resistance mechanism of nivolumab in a male smoker with advanced adenosquamous carcinoma. After experiencing disease progression on systematic chemotherapy, he was administered nivolumab as a result of high PD‐L1 expression. Larger panel gene detection was performed after the failure of nivolumab treatment to investigate the possible resistance mechanism and a new EGFR exon 21 L858R mutation was detected. After a achieving a response with gefitinib, the patient suffered a rapid relapse and died of tumor progression. This case represents the first time EGFR exon 21 L858R has been detected as an acquired resistance mutation to nivolumab. Patients with high PD‐L1 expression may exhibit a poor response to EGFR‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Large panel gene detection remains the optimal choice when confronted with drug resistance.
Phoretic relationship between the myceliophagous mite Microdispus lambi (Acari: Microdispidae) and mushroom flies in Spanish crops
Authors: Navarro María J. , López‐Serrano Francisco R. , Escudero‐Colomar Lucía A. , Gea Francisco J.
Published: February 2019

We studied the role played by the phorid Megaselia halterata (Wood) and the sciarid Lycoriella auripila (Winnertz) in the phoretic dispersion of the myceliophagous mite Microdispus lambi (Acari: Pygmephoridae). Twenty‐four crops were monitored during 18 months in commercial mushroom farms in Castilla‐La Mancha (Spain). Adults of both species were collected weekly and the mites they carried were counted and identified. Both phorids (19.6%) and sciarids (4.4%) carried the mite M. lambi. The calculated load of each was 3.4 M. lambi mites per phorid and 1.9 per sciarid. The same percentage of male and female phorid was used as vector, but the load was slightly higher for females (1.86 mites per female compared with1.48 mites per male). A mean of 7.2% of the phorids examined in winter were vectors of M. lambi, while in spring and autumn of the first year the average was more than 22%. The mean load did not vary significantly between seasons. Inside the mushroom farms, less than 10% of a small initial population of phorids carried mites (less than two mites per phorid). As the cycle progressed, more than 35% of a larger population of emerging flies did so (average 3.5 mites per phorid vector). At the end of the growth cycle, the flies may fly off to colonise nearby farms, favouring the propagation of M. lambi from infested to uninfested crops. Megaselia halterata is the principal vector of M. lambi in the mushroom farms of Castilla‐La Mancha due to their high numbers, the high percentage carrying mites and the number of M. lambi they carry.
Tau overexpression impairs neuronal endocytosis by decreasing the GTPase dynamin 1 through the miR‐132/MeCP2 pathway
Authors: Xie Ao‐Ji , Hou Tong‐Yao , Xiong Wan , Huang He‐Zhou , Zheng Jie , Li Ke , Man Heng‐Ye , Hu Ya‐Zhuo , Han Zhi‐Tao , Zhang Hong‐Hong , Wei Na , Wang Jian‐Zhi , Liu Dan , Lu Youming , Zhu Ling‐Qiang
Published: February 2019

Tauopathies are a class of neurodegenerative diseases that are characterized by pathological aggregation of tau protein, which is accompanied by synaptic disorders. However, the role of tau in endocytosis, a fundamental process in synaptic transmission, remains elusive. Here, we report that forced expression of human tau (hTau) in mouse cortical neurons impairs endocytosis by decreasing the level of the GTPase dynamin 1 via disruption of the miR‐132‐MeCP2 pathway; this process can also be detected in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and hTau mice. Our results provide evidence for a novel role of tau in the regulation of presynaptic function.
Interaction of biologic therapy with apical periodontitis and periodontitis: a systematic review
Authors: Peddis N , Musu D , Ideo F , Rossi‐Fedele G , Cotti E
Published: February 2019

Biologic medications (BMs) are increasingly used for the management of systemic chronic inflammatory diseases. These diseases are often associated with a higher prevalence of apical periodontitis (AP) and periodontitis (P). The purpose of this systematic review was to ascertain the interactions between AP and/or P and BMs. The review was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42017054756). Electronic searches were performed on Pubmed Medline, Scopus and The Web of Science from their inception through to 20 March 2018. The references of the articles selected were checked. The keywords were chosen based on a pilot search, which aimed to find the most frequently prescribed BMs. The included studies were appraised qualitatively using appropriate tools. Thirty‐five articles met the inclusion criteria, comprising 16 non‐randomized clinical studies, 12 in vivo animal studies and 7 case reports. Quality of information was assessed as high in 18 articles, moderate in 16 articles and low in 1 article. BMs in patients suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases seems to inhibit the progression of AP and P, and to enhance the healing response to periodontal and endodontic treatment. A healthier condition of the periodontal tissues seems to be associated with a better response of the patient to BMs therapy.
“This country is rotten”: Australian Nurses in India during the First World War and Their Encounters with Race and Nationhood
Authors: Bonnerjee Samraghni
Published: February 2019

This article examines the writings of the nurses of the Australian Army Nursing Services, who served in hospitals in India between 1916 and 1919. Their writings show that they practised differences along three lines: colour, culture, and space. The article reveals the plurality of female engagements with empire, highlighting the inherent irony in the imperialist machinations of white women from the dominion nation of Australia. It also demonstrates how these nurses make a “grave” and basic mistake — as expounded by Ernest Renan in his 1882 Sorbonne lecture — by confusing race with nation. It ultimately argues that the Australian nurses in India during the First World War had been set as pawns by their own government in the greater game of colonial power, by analysing one instance of sexual control, a “scandal” which was censored by the Australian government, but which demonstrated how the latter used gender inequalities as an essential instrument for the perpetration of colonial racism and imperial authority.
Expanding the phenotypic and genetic spectrum of Chinese patients with congenital absence of vas deferens bearing CFTR and ADGRG2 alleles
Authors: Yuan P. , Liang Z. K. , Liang H. , Zheng L. Y. , Li D. , Li J. , Zhang J. , Tian J. , Lai L. H. , Zhang K. , He Z. Y. , Zhang Q. X. , Wang W. J.
Published: February 2019

Background

Congenital absence of vas deferens (CAVD) is a major cause of obstructive azoospermia. Mutations in CFTR and ADGRG2 are responsible for this disease. However, until now the genetic spectrum of the CFTR and ADGRG2 genes in Chinese population and the reasons of the differences from Caucasian cohorts were not clear.

Objectives

(i) To study the characteristic and functional consequences of CFTR and ADGRG2 mutations in Chinese CAVD patients. (ii) To describe the genetic spectrum of Chinese CAVD patients and explain the reasons of the differences from Caucasian cohorts and Chinese cystic fibrosis (CF) patients.

Materials and Methods

Patients were screened for mutations in CFTR by Sanger sequencing. Patients with only one or no mutations were further investigated by multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification analysis and direct sequencing of ADGRG2 gene. Bioinformatic analysis and structural modeling of proteins were performed.

Results

A total of 28 mutations in CFTR were identified in 72 patients, of which five mutations were novel. Fifty‐five patients (76.39%) had CFTR mutations but no indels, among which 80.00% CBAVD patients have at least one CFTR mutation and 66.67% CUAVD have at least one CFTR mutation. Two novel mutations (p.Lys818* and p.Arg1008Gln) in ADGRG2 were detected. These novel mutations were predicted to be damaging by bioinformatics and were absent or extremely low frequency among our controls and databases. The genetic spectrum of Chinese CAVD patients revealed that the most common mutations were c.1210‐12T[5], p.Ile556Val and p.Gln1352His, the last two of which were predicted to reduce the domains’ contacts and weaken adenosine triphosphate binding.

Discussion and Conclusion

This study illustrates the significance of all exon sequencing in CFTR and ADGRG2. A picture of the genetic spectrum of Chinese CAVD patients and the most common mutations can be described, which are different from Caucasian cohorts and Chinese CF patients.
Quantitative analysis of retinal and choroid capillary ischaemia using optical coherence tomography angiography in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Li Liang , Almansoob Siham , Zhang Pu , Zhou Yan‐dan , Tan Yao , Gao Ling
Published: February 2019

Purpose

To perform a quantitative analysis of retinal and choroid capillary ischaemia in diabetic patients by using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Methods

A total of 97 type 2 diabetic patients and 48 controls were included in this cross‐sectional study. Diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy (DR) were categorized as no DR (NDR) group; DR was classified into mild non‐proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), moderate NPDR, severe NPDR and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Quantitative parameters included foveal and parafoveal vascular density (VD) in superficial, deep and choroid capillary plexus (SCP, DCP and CCP), and foveal flow area in CCP. Stepwise comparisons between groups were performed in the adjacent stages.

Results

Diabetic patients had significantly lower flow area in CCP and VD in all three layers compared with controls. In NDR group, foveal flow area in CCP significantly decreased compared with controls. In mild NPDR, parafoveal VD significantly decreased in all three layers compared with NDR, especially in temporal and nasal areas. In moderate NPDR, VD reduction extended to the inferior area in SCP and DCP compared with mild NPDR. In severe NPDR, progressive losses of VD were presented in all layers compared with moderate NDPR. In PDR, the superior VD in SCP significantly increased compared with severe NPDR.

Conclusion

In diabetic patients, the microvascular ischaemia originated in choroid layer and extended inward affecting the deep and superficial layer. OCTA can serve as a reliable method for early detection and to monitor progressions in diabetic retinopathy.
Foreword: Exemplary centre and beyond
Authors: Kusno Abidin
Published: February 2019

The foreword to the special issue of Asia Pacific Viewpoint considers the concept of exemplary centre as it was formulated by Clifford Geertz in light of its potential and limitation to address issues of power and politics in the study of contemporary urbanism. The articles in this issue deal with topics of urban culture and politics in Southeast Asia.