bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hedging House Price Risk in China
Authors: He Jia , Wu Jing , Li Haishi
Published: January 2016

The increasing risk associated with China's housing prices is globally recognized. However, hedging this risk is challenging because of a lack of financial derivatives on China's housing assets. We suggest that the short sale of futures contracts for construction raw materials, i.e., iron ore or/and steel, can act as useful tools to hedge the systematic risk of China's new home price. We first present evidence that there is a strong and stable correlation between changes in China's housing prices and global steel/iron ore prices. Using a hedging strategy model, we then show that, during the sample period between 2009 and 2015, 20.6% of the total unpredicted variance in Chinese housing prices can be hedged by shorting rebar and iron ore futures. We further examine this strategy with an event study based on the announcement of the “home‐purchase restriction” policy in April, 2010. The cumulative abnormal returns show that both steel and iron ore prices reacted significantly to this negative shock, and therefore the proposed strategy could substantially help investors offset losses in the housing market. We finally provide some evidences that this strategy can also help investors in specific regional housing markets, or the resale housing markets.
New record of the genus Omalus Panzer, 1801 (Chrysididae: Chrysidinae: Elampini) in South Korea, with description of a new species
Authors: Kim Jeong Kyu
Published: January 2016

The genus Omalus Panzer, 1801 is recorded for the first time in Korea with two species: Omalus aeneus (Fabricius, 1787) and a new species, O. exiguus n. sp. The new species is easily separated from congeners by small body, short notaulus pit, presence of paired anterior foveae and large median impunctate area on mesoscutellum, large brownish integument area and absence of apicomedian notch on T3, and brown to dark brown legs. Descriptions and images of these two species are provided.
The efficacy of laser, ultrasound and self‐adjustable file in removing smear layer debris from oval root canals following retreatment: A scanning electron microscopy study
Authors: Keles Ali , Kamalak Aliye , Keskin Cangül , Akçay Merve , Uzun İsmail
Published: January 2016

This study aims to compare the efficacy of different irrigation activation methods to remove smear layer and debris from oval‐shaped root canals following retreatment. Ninety mandibular canines with oval‐shaped root canals were selected. Retreatment was performed with R‐Endo retreatment files. The samples were randomly divided into six groups (n = 15). Groups were assigned according to agitation technique: R‐Endo with classic irrigation, with self‐adjustable file, with passive ultrasonic irrigation, R‐Endo + Er:YAG, R‐Endo + PIPS and R‐Endo + Nd:YAG. Compared with the classic irrigation (R‐Endo + CI) group, all other groups were more successful in reducing smear layer and debris (P < 0.05). The least amount of residual smear layer and debris was detected in the Er:YAG laser group (P < 0.05). Additional use of different agitation methods contributes to removal of debris and smear layer following root canal filling removal with rotary instruments; however, none of the techniques tested render root canal walls completely free of smear layer or debris.
Multiple needle‐pass percutaneous testicular sperm aspiration as first‐line treatment in azoospermic men
Authors: Jensen C. F. S. , Ohl D. A. , Hiner M. R. , Fode M. , Shah T. , Smith G. D. , Sonksen J.
Published: January 2016

summary

Percutaneous testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) has been known for decades as a simple, minimally invasive approach to sperm retrieval in azoospermic men. Because of lower reported sperm retrieval rates (SRR) when compared with microdissection testicular sperm extraction (mTESE), many centers now use mTESE as the first choice for retrieving spermatozoa in nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA). Objectives of this study were to evaluate the outcome and safety of TESA and mTESE in the treatment of azoospermia and to investigate the usefulness of a prognostic TESA to individualize protocols for couples and limit the use of invasive testicular procedures. IRB approval was obtained to retrospectively evaluate 208 patients undergoing multiple needle‐pass TESA between 1999 and 2014. Prognostic TESA was performed on 125 men with NOA and 82 with obstructive azoospermia (OA). Nine NOA men and 31 OA men with previously demonstrated spermatozoa had a subsequent therapeutic TESA while nine NOA men with a failed TESA proceeded to mTESE. Main outcome measures were complication rates and SRR. SRR of the prognostic TESA was 30% (38/125) for NOA men and 100% (82/82) for OA men. Eight/nine NOA men and 31/31 OA men had spermatozoa found for intracytoplasmic sperm injection in a subsequent therapeutic TESA. In nine NOA men in whom a TESA produced no spermatozoa, only one had spermatozoa found with mTESE. Overall complication rates of TESA and mTESE were 3% (7/267) and 21% (3/14), respectively. TESA provides reasonable SRR and is a safe procedure. Successful prognostic TESA indicates future success with therapeutic TESA. Men with a failed TESA have a limited chance of sperm retrieval using mTESE. Approaching azoospermic men with an initial prognostic TESA followed by either therapeutic TESA and/or mTESE is an efficient algorithm in the management of azoospermia and limits the use of more invasive procedures.
Effect of including sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam) meal in finishing pig diets on growth performance, carcass traits and pork quality
Authors: Pietrosemoli Silvana , Moron‐Fuenmayor Oneida Elizabeth , Paez Angel , Villamide Maria Jesús
Published: January 2016

The partial replacement of a commercial concentrate at 10‐20% and 15‐30% (the first percentage of each dietary treatment corresponded to weeks 1–3 and the second to weeks 4–7 of the experiment, respectively) by sweet potato meal (SPM; 70% foliage: 30% roots) was evaluated for growth performance, carcass yield, instrumental and sensory pork quality using 36 commercial crossbred pigs (56.8 ± 1.3 kg initial body weight). Three dietary treatments were compared in a randomized complete block design. Most growth, carcass traits and pork quality variables were not affected by the SPM inclusion. Growth performance averaged 868 g/day and feed efficiency 0.24 kg/kg. However, feed intake increased 2.2% (P = 0.04) in pigs fed the 10‐20% SPM diets, in a similar order of magnitude as the decrease in dietary energy. Despite an increase in gastrointestinal tract as a percent of hot carcass weight (+14.7%) (P = 0.03) with SPM inclusion, carcass yield averaged 69.4%. Conversely, decreases in loin yield (−4.2%) (P = 0.05), backfat thickness (−6.0%) (P < 0.01) and pork tenderness (−13%) (P = 0.02) were observed with 15‐30% SPM inclusion. Results suggest that up to 20% SPM inclusion is a viable feed strategy for finishing pigs, easily replicable in small farm settings. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science
N‐acetylcysteine in Acute Organophosphorus Pesticide Poisoning: A Randomized, Clinical Trial
Authors: El‐Ebiary Ahmad A. , Elsharkawy Rasha E. , Soliman Nema A. , Soliman Mohammed A. , Hashem Ahmed A.
Published: January 2016

Organophosphorus poisoning is a major global health problem with hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. Research interest in N‐acetylcysteine has grown among increasing evidence of the role of oxidative stress in organophosphorus poisoning. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of N‐acetylcysteine as an adjuvant treatment in patients with acute organophosphorus poisoning. This was a randomized, controlled, parallel‐group trial on 30 patients suffering from acute organophosphorus poisoning, who were admitted to the Poison Control Center of Tanta University Emergency Hospital, Tanta, Egypt, between April and September 2014. Interventions included oral N‐acetylcysteine (600 mg three times daily for 3 days) as an added treatment to the conventional measures versus only the conventional treatment. Outcome measures included mortality, total dose of atropine administered, duration of hospitalization and the need for ICU admission and/or mechanical ventilation. A total of 46 patients were screened and 30 were randomized. No significant difference was found between both groups regarding demographic characteristics and the nature or severity of baseline clinical manifestations. No major adverse effects to N‐acetylcysteine therapy were reported. Malondialdehyde significantly decreased and reduced glutathione significantly increased only in the NAC‐treated patients. The patients on NAC therapy required less atropine doses than those who received only the conventional treatment; however, the length of hospital stay showed no significant difference between both groups. The study concluded that the use of N‐acetylcysteine as an added treatment was apparently safe, and it reduced atropine requirements in patients with acute organophosphorus pesticide poisoning.
Spatial Regression with Covariate Measurement Error: A Semiparametric Approach
Authors: Huque Md Hamidul , Bondell Howard D. , Carroll Raymond J. , Ryan Louise M.
Published: January 2016

Spatial data have become increasingly common in epidemiology and public health research thanks to advances in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) technology. In health research, for example, it is common for epidemiologists to incorporate geographically indexed data into their studies. In practice, however, the spatially defined covariates are often measured with error. Naive estimators of regression coefficients are attenuated if measurement error is ignored. Moreover, the classical measurement error theory is inapplicable in the context of spatial modeling because of the presence of spatial correlation among the observations. We propose a semiparametric regression approach to obtain bias-corrected estimates of regression parameters and derive their large sample properties. We evaluate the performance of the proposed method through simulation studies and illustrate using data on Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD). Both simulation and practical application demonstrate that the proposed method can be effective in practice.
An intact putative mouse telomerase essential N‐terminal domain is necessary for proper telomere maintenance
Authors: Rousseau Philippe , Khondaker Shanjadia , Zhu Shusen , Lauzon Catherine , Mai Sabine , Autexier Chantal
Published: January 2016

Background Information

Naturally occurring telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) isoforms may regulate telomerase activity, and possibly function independently of telomeres to modulate embryonic stem (ES) cell self‐renewal and differentiation.

Results

We report the characterisation of two novel mouse TERT (mTERT) splice variants, Ins‐i1[1‐102] (Insi1 for short) and Del‐e12[1‐40] (Dele12 for short) that have not been previously described. Insi1 represents an in‐frame insertion of nucleotides 1–102 from intron 1, encoding a 34 amino acid insertion at amino acid 73. Based on known functions of this region in human and Tetrahymena TERTs, the insertion interrupts the RNA interaction domain 1 implicated in low‐affinity RNA binding and the telomerase essential N‐terminal domain implicated in DNA substrate interactions. Dele12 contains a 40 nucleotide deletion of exon 12 which generates a premature stop codon, and possible protein lacking the C‐terminus. We found Insi1 expressed in adult mouse brain and kidney and Dele12 expressed in adult mouse ovary. Dele12 was inactive in vitro and in mTERT−/− ES cells and Insi1 retained 26–48% of telomerase activity reconstituted by wild‐type mTERT in vitro and in mTERT−/− ES cells. The Insi1 variant exhibited reduced DNA substrate binding in vitro and both variants exhibited a reduction in binding the telomerase RNA, mTR, when expressed in mTERT−/− ES cells. Stable expression of Dele12 in the mouse fibroblast CB17 cell line inhibited telomerase activity and slowed cell growth, suggesting a potential dominant‐negative effect. Levels of signal‐free ends, representing short telomeres, and end‐to‐end fusions were higher in mTERT–/– ES cells expressing mTERT‐Insi1 and mTERT‐Dele12, compared with levels observed in mTERT–/– ES cells expressing wild‐type mTERT. In addition, in mTERT−/− cells expressing mTERT‐Insi1, we observed chromosomes that were products of repeated breakage‐bridge‐fusion cycles and other telomere dysfunction‐related aberrations.

Conclusion and Significance

An intact mTERT N‐terminus which contributes to mTR binding, DNA binding and telomerase activity is necessary for elongation of short telomeres and the maintenance of functional telomeres. It is reasonable to speculate that relative levels of mTERT‐Insi1 may regulate telomere function in specific tissues.
Fenofibrate inhibits atrial metabolic remodelling in atrial fibrillation through PPAR‐α/sirtuin 1/PGC‐1α pathway
Authors: Liu Guang‐zhong , Hou Ting‐ting , Yuan Yue , Hang Peng‐zhou , Zhao Jing‐jing , Sun Li , Zhao Guan‐qi , Zhao Jing , Dong Jing‐mei , Wang Xiao‐bing , Shi Hang , Liu Yong‐wu , Zhou Jing‐hua , Dong Zeng‐xiang , Liu Yang , Zhan Cheng‐chuang , Li Yue , Li Wei‐min
Published: January 2016

Background and Purpose

Atrial metabolic remodelling is critical for the process of atrial fibrillation (AF). The PPAR‐α/sirtuin 1 /PPAR co‐activator α (PGC‐1α) pathway plays an important role in maintaining energy metabolism. However, the effect of the PPAR‐α agonist fenofibrate on AF is unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of fenofibrate on atrial metabolic remodelling in AF and explore its possible mechanisms of action.

Experimental Approach

The expression of metabolic proteins was examined in the left atria of AF patients. Thirty‐two rabbits were divided into sham, AF (pacing with 600 beats·min−1 for 1 week), fenofibrate treated (pretreated with fenofibrate before pacing) and fenofibrate alone treated (for 2 weeks) groups. HL‐1 cells were subjected to rapid pacing in the presence or absence of fenofibrate, the PPAR‐α antagonist GW6471 or sirtuin 1‐specific inhibitor EX527. Metabolic factors, circulating biochemical metabolites, atrial electrophysiology, adenine nucleotide levels and accumulation of glycogen and lipid droplets were assessed.

Key Results

The PPAR‐α/sirtuin 1/PGC‐1α pathway was significantly inhibited in AF patients and in the rabbit/HL‐1 cell models, resulting in a reduction of key downstream metabolic factors; this effect was significantly restored by fenofibrate. Fenofibrate prevented the alterations in circulating biochemical metabolites, reduced the level of adenine nucleotides and accumulation of glycogen and lipid droplets, reversed the shortened atrial effective refractory period and increased risk of AF.

Conclusion and Implications

Fenofibrate inhibited atrial metabolic remodelling in AF by regulating the PPAR‐α/sirtuin 1/PGC‐1α pathway. The present study may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for AF.
Elevated hepatocyte growth factor expression as an autocrine c‐Met activation mechanism in acquired resistance to sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma cells
Authors: Firtina Karagonlar Zeynep , Koc Dogukan , Iscan Evin , Erdal Esra , Atabey Neşe
Published: January 2016

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer and the third leading cause of cancer‐related deaths worldwide. Limitations in HCC treatment result due to poor prognosis and resistance against traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapies. The multikinase inhibitor sorafenib is the only FDA approved drug available for advanced HCC patients, and development of second‐line treatment options for patients who cannot tolerate or develop resistance to sorafenib is an urgent medical need. In this study, we established sorafenib‐resistant cells from Huh7 and Mahlavu cell lines by long‐term sorafenib exposure. Sorafenib‐resistant HCC cells acquired spindle‐shape morphology, upregulated mesenchymal markers, and showed significant increase in both migration and invasion abilities compared to their parental counterparts. Moreover, after long‐term sorafenib treatment, HCC cells showed induction of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) synthesis and secretion along with increased levels of c‐Met kinase and its active phosphorylated form, indicating autocrine activation of HGF/c‐Met signaling. Importantly, the combined treatment of the resistant cells with c‐Met kinase inhibitor SU11274 and HGF neutralizing antibody significantly reversed the increased invasion ability of the cells. The combined treatment also significantly augmented sorafenib‐induced apoptosis, suggesting restoration of sorafenib sensitivity. These results describe, for the first time, compensatory upregulation of HGF synthesis leading to autocrine activation of HGF/c‐Met signaling as a novel cellular strategy in the acquisition of sorafenib resistance. Therefore, we suggest that combinatorial therapeutic strategies with HGF and c‐Met inhibitors comprise promising candidates for overcoming sorafenib resistance.
Doppler‐guided haemorrhoidal artery ligation with suture mucopexy compared with suture mucopexy alone for the treatment of Grade III haemorrhoids: a prospective randomized controlled trial
Authors: Aigner F. , Kronberger I. , Oberwalder M. , Loizides A. , Ulmer H. , Gruber L. , Pratschke J. , Peer S. , Gruber H.
Published: January 2016

Aim

Novel minimally invasive techniques aimed to reposition the haemorrhoidal zone have been established for prolapsing haemorrhoids. We present a prospective randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of additional Doppler‐guided ligation of submucosal haemorrhoidal arteries (DG‐HAL) in patients with symptomatic Grade III haemorrhoids. The trial was registered as ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02372981.

Method

All consecutive patients with symptomatic Grade III haemorrhoids were randomly allocated to one of the two study arms: (i) Group A, DG‐HAL with mucopexy or (ii) Group B, mucopexy alone. End‐points were postoperative pain, faecal incontinence, bleeding, residual prolapse and alterations of the vascularization of the anorectal vascular plexus. Vascularization of the anorectal vascular plexus was assessed by transperineal contrast enhanced ultrasound. Patients recorded their symptoms in a diary maintained for a month.

Results

Forty patients were recruited and randomized to the two study groups. Patients in Group A had less pain in the first two postoperative weeks. At the 12‐month follow‐up, two patients in Group A (10%) and one in Group B (5%) showed recurrent Grade III haemorrhoids (P = 0.274). No significant morphological changes were observed in the transperineal ultrasound findings between the preoperative assessment and the assessment at 1 and 6 months in either group (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Mucopexy techniques for treating prolapsing haemorrhoids are effective, but DG‐HAL does not add significantly to the results achieved by mucopexy. Repositioning the haemorrhoidal zone is the key to success, and mucopexy should be placed at the sites of the largest visible prolapse.
Comparison of a low Hartmann's procedure with low colorectal anastomosis with and without defunctioning ileostomy after radiotherapy for rectal cancer: results from a national registry
Authors: Jonker F. H. W. , Tanis P. J. , Coene P. P. L. O. , Gietelink L. , van der Harst E. ,   Dutch Surgical Colorectal Audit Group
Published: January 2016

Aim

This study used a national registry to compare the outcome after a low Hartmann's procedure (LHP), defined as removal of most of the rectum to leave a short anorectal stump and an end colostomy, and low anterior resection (LA) with or without a diverting ileostomy (DI) in rectal cancer patients all of whom had received preoperative neoadjuvant radiotherapy (RT).

Method

Patients who underwent LHP or LA with or without DI for rectal cancer after RT between 2009 and 2013 were identified from the Dutch Surgical Colorectal Audit. The postoperative outcome was compared between the three groups and risk of complications, reoperation and mortality were analysed in a multivariable model.

Results

The study included 4288 patients were included, of whom 27.8% underwent LHP, 20.2% LA and 52.0% LA with DI. Thirty‐day mortality was higher after LHP (3.2% vs 1.3% and 1.3% for LA with or without DI, P < 0.001), but LHP was not an independent predictor of mortality in multivariable analysis. LHP and LA with DI were associated with a lower rate of abdominal infective complications (6.5% and 10.1% vs 16.2%, P < 0.001) and reoperation (7.3% and 8.1% vs 16.5%, P < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, LHP (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.26–0.47) and LA with DI (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.33–0.54) were associated with a lower risk of reoperation than LA alone. LHP was associated with a lower risk of any postoperative complication than LA with or without DI (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.66–0.98).

Conclusion

LHP and LA with DI were associated with fewer infective complications and reoperations than LA alone. The rate of any complication was less after LHR than LA with or without DI.
Endobronchial metastases from melanoma: a survival analysis
Authors: Chaussende Amandine , Hermant Christophe , Tazi‐Mezalek Rachid , Favrolt Nicolas , Hureaux José , Fournier Clément , Lorut Christine , Paganin Fabrice , Ngo Minh‐Triet , Vandemoortele Thomas , Anevlavis Stavros , Froudarakis Marios E. , Vergnon Jean‐Michel
Published: January 2016

Background

Metastatic spread to the tracheobronchial tree from other than bronchopulmonary tumors is a common clinical problem. However, malignant melanoma, a highly metastatic potential tumor, is rarely metastasing in the airways. Therefore little is known about survival of patients with endobronchial metastasis from melanoma.

Objectives

The aim of our study was to assess survival of patients with endobronchial metastasis of melanomas according to clinical and radiological features, to determine any possible factor affecting survival.

Methods

This retrospective study included 19 patients who underwent a bronchoscopy from 11 different hospitals. Data about patients’ demographics, symptoms, radiographic, endoscopic findings and treatment were investigated to evaluate any possible impact on survival.

Results

Endobronchial metastases occurred at a median of 48 months (range 0–120) following the diagnosis of the primary tumor. About 73.7% of patients had other proven metastases when the endobronchial involvement was diagnosed. Symptoms are not specific as well as radiological features. Median overall survival of the studied population was 6 months (range 1–46). Factors of poor survival were multiple metastatic sites (P = 0.019), pleural (P = 0.0014) and soft tissue metastasis (P = 0.024). Different treatment modalities applied in our patients showed no effect on survival.

Conclusion

Patients with endobronchial metastasis have overall poor survival, affected by multiple organ involvement, the presence of pleural and soft tissue disease, while no impact on survival has been shown by any treatment applied.
Endoscopic ultrasonography‐guided rendezvous technique
Authors: Tsuchiya Takayoshi , Itoi Takao , Sofuni Atsushi , Tonozuka Ryosuke , Mukai Shuntaro
Published: January 2016

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) requires deep biliary cannulation. When deep biliary cannulation is failed, the endoscopic ultrasonography rendezvous technique (EUS‐RV) is a useful salvage method. From the previous 15 articles that included 382 EUS‐RV cases, the overall success rate of EUS‐RV is 81 % with a complication rate of 10 %. In EUS‐RV, the bile duct is punctured under EUS guidance and a guidewire is advanced into the duodenum via the papilla. The EUS scope is then switched to a duodenoscope and inserted into the bile duct over the guidewire exiting the papilla, or the guidewire is grasped with forceps and passed through the working channel; the catheter can then be inserted through the papilla over the wire. There are three puncture routes for EUS‐RV: transgastric puncture of the intrahepatic bile duct (IHBD), transduodenal puncture of the extrahepatic bile duct (EHBD) via the proximal duodenum (D1), and transduodenal puncture of the EHBD via the second portion of the duodenum (D2). The puncture route for each patient should be selected based on the patient condition. GW selection for EUS‐RV is critical, a hydrophilic GW is useful for this procedure. Although EUS‐RV is now performed relatively routinely in a few high‐volume centers, procedure standardization and the development of exclusive devices for EUS‐RV are still underway. The development of exclusive devices for EUS‐RV and prospective comparative studies with other salvage methods are needed to truly evaluate the procedure's usefulness and safety.
Time‐course of myelination and atrophy on cerebral imaging in 35 patients with PLP1‐related disorders
Authors: Sarret Catherine , Lemaire Jean‐Jacques , Tonduti Davide , Sontheimer Anna , Coste Jerome , Pereira Bruno , Feschet Fabien , Roche Basile , Boespflug‐Tanguy Odile
Published: January 2016

Aim

Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) motor development score (MDS) correlations were used to analyze the natural time‐course of hypomyelinating PLP1‐related disorders (Pelizaeus‐Merzbacher disease [PMD] and spastic paraplegia type 2).

Method

Thirty‐five male patients (ranging from 0.7–43.5y at the first MRI) with PLP1‐related disorder were prospectively followed over 7 years. Patients were classified according to best motor function acquired before 5 years (MDS) into five categories (from PMD0 without motor acquisition to PMD4 with autonomous walking). We determined myelination and atrophy scores and measured corpus callosum area, volume of cerebellum, white matter and grey matter on 63 MRI.

Results

Age‐adjusted multivariate analysis revealed that patients with PMD0‐1 had higher‐severity atrophy scores and smaller corpus callosum area than did patients with PMD2 and PMD3‐4. Myelination score increased until 12 years. There was evidence that the mean myelination differed in frontal white matter, arcuate fibres, and internal capsules among the groups. Most patients showed worsening atrophy (brain, cerebellum, corpus callosum), whereas grey matter and white matter proportions did not change.

Interpretation

Brain atrophy and myelination of anterior cerebral regions appear to be pertinent biomarkers of motor development. The time‐course of inter‐ and intra‐individual cerebral white matter and grey matter atrophy suggests that both oligodendrocytes and neurons are involved in the physiopathology of PLP1‐related disorders.
The consequences of diet limitation in juvenile threespine stickleback: growth, lipid storage and the phenomenon of compensatory growth
Authors: Reyes Miguel L. , Baker John A.
Published: January 2016

Many organisms exhibit compensatory growth (CG), an accelerated growth rate during recovery from periods of low nutrient resources. Despite numerous studies, many aspects ofCG, particularly fine‐scale temporal effects early in life, remain poorly understood. We manipulated early‐life feeding regimens in threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to study compensatory responses in growth rate and lipid storage during the first growing season. Laboratory‐reared stickleback, including ancestral oceanic and derived freshwater populations, were divided into three age‐specific dietary treatment groups –DPR1,DPR2 andDPR3 – which were exposed to a half‐ration nutrient deprivation for 30 days at the onset of 2, 3 and 4 months of age, respectively. We hypothesised that these month‐long periods of nutrient deprivation would result in strong, yet variableCGresponses across stickleback populations and dietary treatments following a return to optimal ration levels. The youngest two age classes of fish (DPR1 &andDPR2) exhibited strongCGresponses, matching growth rates and lipid generation levels seen in control fish fed anad libitumdiet. The oldest nutrient‐deprived group (DPR3) showed a reducedCGresponse, with body growth recovering only partially, and lipid levels exhibiting even less recovery. Our results demonstrate that compensatory growth responses in juvenile stickleback depend on the timing of deprivation during the first growing season and further that responses to late‐season deprivation have favoured development of a larger body frame entering the overwintering season over lipid regeneration.
Environmental enrichment delays limbic epileptogenesis and restricts pathologic synaptic plasticity
Authors: Yang Meng , Ozturk Ezgi , Salzberg Michael R. , Rees Sandra , Morris Margaret , O'Brien Terence J. , Jones Nigel C.
Published: January 2016

Objective

Environmental exposures impart powerful effects on vulnerability to many brain diseases, including epilepsy. Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is a common form of epilepsy, and it is often accompanied by neuropsychiatric comorbidities. This study tests the hypothesis that environmental enrichment (EE) confers antiepileptogenic, psychoprotective, and neuroprotective effects in the amygdala kindling model of MTLE, and explores potential neurobiologic mechanisms.

Methods

At weaning, male Wistar rats were allocated into either EE (large cages containing running wheels and toys; n = 43) or standard housing (SH; standard laboratory cages; n = 39) conditions. At P56, a bipolar electrode was implanted into the left amygdala, and rats underwent rapid amygdala kindling until experiencing five class V seizures (Racine scale, fully kindled). The elevated plus maze was used to assess anxiety. Postmortem histologic and molecular analyses investigated potential biologic mediators of effects.

Results

EE significantly delayed kindling epileptogenesis, with EE rats requiring a significantly greater number of kindling stimulations to reach a fully kindled state compared to SH rats (p < 0.05). EE and kindling both reduced anxiety (p < 0.05). Timm's staining revealed significant reductions in aberrant mossy fiber sprouting in EE rats (p < 0.05), and these effects of EE were accompanied by reduced expression of TrkB and CRH genes.

Significance

We identify beneficial effects of EE on vulnerability to limbic epileptogenesis and anxiety, and identify reduced pathologic neuroplasticity and plasticity‐related gene expression as potential underlying mechanisms. Enhanced environmental stimulation represents a potential antiepileptogenic strategy that might also mitigate the common psychiatric comorbidities of MTLE.
Targeting regulatory T cells in tumors
Authors: Liu Chang , Workman Creg J. , Vignali Dario A. A.
Published: January 2016

Regulatory T (Treg) cells play a crucial role in maintaining peripheral tolerance and preventing autoimmunity. However, they also represent a major barrier to effective antitumor immunity and immunotherapy. Consequently, there has been considerable interest in developing approaches that can selectively or preferentially target Treg cells in tumors, while not impacting their capacity to maintain peripheral immune homeostasis. In this review, we describe our current understanding of the mechanisms underlying the recruitment, expansion, and suppressive activity of tumor‐associated Treg cells, and discuss the approaches used and the challenges encountered in the immunotherapeutic targeting of Treg cells. In addition, we summarize the primary clinical targets and some emerging data on exciting new potential Treg cell‐restricted targets. We propose that discovering and understanding mechanisms that are preferentially used by Treg cells within the tumor microenvironment will lead to strategies that selectively target Treg cell‐mediated suppression of antitumor immunity while maintaining peripheral immune tolerance.
The cell's dilemma, or the story of cell death: an entertainment in three acts
Authors: Green Douglas R.
Published: January 2016

Cells. They assemble, thrive, and cooperate to compose an organism, simple or complex. And like any living thing, they die. They die by catastrophe, they become sabotaged by condition, or they remove themselves on command from within or without. Each small life is followed by a death, to the benefit or the harm of the whole. Our story, here, is not of how each quietus occurs, but instead, of our ongoing effort to understand these tiny demises, to manipulate them, and to some day control them.
Overexpression of the long noncoding RNA TUG1 protects against cold‐induced injury of mouse livers by inhibiting apoptosis and inflammation
Authors: Su Song , Liu Jiang , He Kai , Zhang Mengyu , Feng Chunhong , Peng Fangyi , Li Bo , Xia Xianming
Published: January 2016

Hepatic injury provoked by cold storage is a major problem affecting liver transplantation, as exposure to cold induces apoptosis in hepatic tissues. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are increasingly understood to regulate apoptosis, but the contribution of lncRNAs to cold‐induced liver injury remains unknown. Using RNA‐seq, we determined the differential lncRNA expression profile in mouse livers after cold storage and found that expression of the lncRNA TUG1 was significantly down‐regulated. Overexpression of TUG1 attenuated cold‐induced apoptosis in mouse hepatocytes and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells LSECs, in part by blocking mitochondrial apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathways. Moreover, TUG1 attenuated apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress in vivo in livers subjected to cold storage. Overexpression of TUG1 also improved hepatocyte function and prolonged hepatic graft survival rates in mice. These results suggest that the lncRNA TUG1 exerts a protective effect against cold‐induced liver damage by inhibiting apoptosis in mice, and suggests a potential role for TUG1 as a target for the prevention of cold‐induced liver damage in liver transplantation.

Databases

RNA‐seq data are available from GEO using accession number GSE76609.
Were U.S. Banks Exposed to the Greek Debt Crisis? Evidence from Greek CDS Spreads
Authors: Cornett Marcia Millon , Erhemjamts Otgontsetseg , Musumeci Jim
Published: January 2016

This study provides an empirical analysis of the impact of the Greek debt crisis on stock returns of U.S. commercial banks. We find that good (bad) news events pertaining to the Greek debt crisis, identified by large changes in the Greek CDS spread, produce insignificant positive (negative) abnormal stock returns. While banks were exposed to Greek debt, their exposure was such that it did not result in any abnormal fluctuations in bank values at the height of the crisis. When we measure the sensitivity of bank returns to changes in the Greek CDS spread in an effort to measure banks’ exposure to the crisis, we find that changes in the Greek CDS spread provide no additional explanatory power for bank returns beyond what a U.S. market index does. Finally, we find no bank characteristic that allows us to consistently predict the effect of the Greek crisis on specific banks.
Effects of additives on the fermentation and aerobic stability of grass silages and total mixed rations
Authors: Seppälä A. , Heikkilä T. , Mäki M. , Rinne M.
Published: January 2016

Mown herbage of timothy–meadow fescue (dry matter 218 (LDM) or 539 (HDM) g kg−1) was ensiled in laboratory silos to evaluate silage additives. For LDM silage, additives including formic acid (a blend of formic acid, sodium formate, propionic acid, benzoic acid, glycerol and another blend of formic acid and ammonium formate, both applied at 5 L t−1) were able to restrict fermentation and thereby improve intake potential of the silage. Aerobic stability (AS) of total mixed ration (TMR) was also improved. LDM grass treated with homofermentative lactic acid bacteria (hoLAB) resulted in silage containing lactic acid at 132 g kg−1 DM, ammonium‐N <40 g kg−1 total N, and pH < 3·8, and the AS was poor (<36 h). The treatment including heterofermentative strain (Lactobacillus brevis) produced more acetic acid and better AS than hoLAB. Salt treatment (sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, sodium nitrite) reduced pH compared to the Control treatment (3·89 vs. 4·24) and improved AS of TMR. The LDM Control silage had good AS, but the TMR based on it had poor AS. All additives were able to lower pH on HDM silages also, but other benefits of using additives were minimal. The treatment including L. brevis on HDM was able to improve AS of TMR.
Civil Rights, Educational Inequality, and Transnational Takes on the U.S. History Survey
Authors: Muñoz Laura K.
Published: January 2016

InMexicans in the Making of America, historian Neil Foley reconceptualizes Manifest Destiny, not as the glorious westward push of European Americans, but as their arrival on the doorstep of Mexican America. He argues that the United States came to Mexico, and we must reimagine this moment as an entry into an established New World where negotiation, conquest, and possession were already in play among various peoples and nations. The diversity of this nineteenth-century world is often absent in the ways that we have been trained to teach students in our first-year courses, and this absence, in turn, extends into our twentieth-century and contemporary discussions of race and race relations where binary comparisons dominate. Using educational and legal case studies from a variety of communities has allowed me to expand analyses in the U.S. history survey and to broaden students' conceptualizations from a singular white or binary black/white experience into a unified multilingual, multicultural, and transnational America. More importantly, this shift creates space for diverse groups of students to reconsider their own historical significance in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands and the relevance of local historical narratives in the scope of American history.
Induced thiacloprid insensitivity in honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) is associated with up‐regulation of detoxification genes
Authors: Alptekin S. , Bass C. , Nicholls C. , Paine M. J. I. , Clark S. J. , Field L. , Moores G. D.
Published: January 2016

Honey bees, Apis mellifera, are markedly less sensitive to neonicotinoid insecticides containing a cyanoimino pharmacophore than to those with a nitroimino group. Although previous work has suggested that this results from enhanced metabolism of the former by detoxification enzymes, the specific enzyme(s) involved remain to be characterized. In this work, a pretreatment of honey bees with a sublethal dose of thiacloprid resulted in induced insensitivity to the same compound immediately following thiacloprid feeding. A longer pretreatment time resulted in no, or increased, sensitivity. Transcriptome profiling, using microarrays, identified a number of genes encoding detoxification enzymes that were over‐expressed significantly in insecticide‐treated bees compared with untreated controls. These included five P450s, CYP6BE1, CYP305D1, CYP6AS5, CYP315A1, CYP301A1, and a carboxyl/cholinesterase (CCE) CCE8. Four of these P450s were functionally expressed in Escherichia coli and their ability to metabolize thiacloprid examined by liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (LC‐MS) analysis.
Systematic Risk in Conventional and Islamic Equity Markets
Authors: Sensoy Ahmet
Published: January 2016

We aim to compare the systematic risk in conventional and Islamic equity markets by introducing two dynamic risk measures. Accordingly, the level of the systematic risk in conventional markets is slightly higher than the risk in Islamic markets for most of the time. However, this difference is significant in less than 3% of the sample period. More importantly, there is no significant difference in the levels of systematic risk during the global financial crisis of 2008, suggesting that Islamic equities are not able to provide a lower market risk compared with their conventional counterparts in financial turbulent times.
Gender and labour in times of austerity: Ireland, Italy and Portugal in comparative perspective
Authors: ADDABBO Tindara , BASTOS Amélia , CASACA Sara Falcão , DUVVURY Nata , NÍ LÉIME Áine
Published: January 2016

Using Eurostat data for 2007, 2010 and 2012, the authors examine the effects of the 2008 crisis on the situation of male and female workers in Italy, Ireland and Portugal, with particular attention to changing labour market dynamics, (intra‐household) employment patterns, and incomes. The gender gaps in employment, unemployment and precarious employment are narrowing, but this trend cannot be interpreted as progress toward gender equality: it is driven by men's increasingly vulnerable position resulting from the generalized deterioration of labour market conditions, including the growth of precarious and/or low‐paid employment, unemployment and poverty to the detriment of household living standards.
A methodology for flood susceptibility and vulnerability analysis in complex flood scenarios
Authors: Dottori F. , Martina M.L.V. , Figueiredo R.
Published: January 2016

Nowadays, flood risk management is gaining importance in order to mitigate and prevent flood disasters, and consequently the analysis of flood risk components is becoming a key research topic. In this paper, we propose a methodology for large‐scale analysis of flood susceptibility and vulnerability. The methodology is based on a mathematical index, which considers local topography and basic information about the flood scenario to reproduce flooding processes. Its application allows for considering different levels of complexity of flood scenarios, from localized flood defence failures to complex hazard scenarios involving river reaches. The methodology synthesizes the spatial distribution of the index values into maps and curves that can be used to rank the susceptibility and implement a vulnerability analysis in the area of interest. The components of the methodology are tested in two flood plain areas in Northern Italy recently affected by floods. The results show that the methodology can provide an original and valuable insight of flood susceptibility and vulnerability processes.
Conventional protein kinase Cβ‐mediated phosphorylation inhibits collapsin response‐mediated protein 2 proteolysis and alleviates ischemic injury in cultured cortical neurons and ischemic stroke‐induced mice
Authors: Yang Xuan , Zhang Xinxin , Li Yun , Han Song , Howells David W. , Li Shujuan , Li Junfa
Published: January 2016

We previously reported that conventional protein kinase C (cPKC)β participated in hypoxic preconditioning‐induced neuroprotection against cerebral ischemic injury, and collapsin response‐mediated protein 2 (CRMP2) was identified as a cPKCβ interacting protein. In this study, we explored the regulation of CRMP2 phosphorylation and proteolysis by cPKCβ, and their role in ischemic injury of oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD)‐treated cortical neurons and brains of mice with middle cerebral artery occlusion‐induced ischemic stroke. The results demonstrated that cPKCβ‐mediated CRMP2 phosphorylation via the cPKCβ‐selective activator 12‐deoxyphorbol 13‐phenylacetate 20‐acetate (DOPPA) and inhibition of calpain‐mediated CRMP2 proteolysis by calpeptin and a fusing peptide containing TAT peptide and the calpain cleavage site of CRMP2 (TAT‐CRMP2) protected neurons against OGD‐induced cell death through inhibiting CRMP2 proteolysis in cultured cortical neurons. The OGD‐induced nuclear translocation of the CRMP2 breakdown product was inhibited by DOPPA, calpeptin, and TAT‐CRMP2 in cortical neurons. In addition, both cPKCβ activation and CRMP2 proteolysis inhibition by hypoxic preconditioning and intracerebroventricular injections of DOPPA, calpeptin, and TAT‐CRMP2 improved the neurological deficit in addition to reducing the infarct volume and proportions of cells with pyknotic nuclei in the peri‐infact region of mice with ischemic stroke. These results suggested that cPKCβ modulates CRMP2 phosphorylation and proteolysis, and cPKCβ activation alleviates ischemic injury in the cultured cortical neurons and brains of mice with ischemic stroke through inhibiting CRMP2 proteolysis by phosphorylation.

image

Focal cerebral ischemia induces a large flux of Ca2+ to activate calpain which cleaves collapsin response mediator (CRMP) 2 into breakdown product (BDP). Inhibition of CRMP2 cleavage by calpeptin and TAT‐CRMP2 alleviates ischemic injury. Conventional protein kinase C (cPKC)β‐mediated phosphorylation could inhibit CRMP2 proteolysis and alleviate ischemic injury in cultured cortical neurons and ischemic stroke‐induced mice.
Carbon dioxide therapy and hyaluronic acid for cosmetic correction of the nasolabial folds
Authors: Nisi Giuseppe , Cuomo Roberto , Brandi Cesare , Grimaldi Luca , Sisti Andrea , D'Aniello Carlo
Published: January 2016

Background

The main application of hyaluronic acid filling, in esthetic medicine, is the augmentation of soft tissues. The carbon dioxide therapy, instead, improves quality and elasticity of the dermis and increases the oxygen release to the tissue through an enhancing of the Bohr's effect. The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy, tolerability, and effect duration of hyaluronic acid fillers and the use of carbon dioxide therapy plus hyaluronic acid in the cosmetic correction of nasolabial folds.

Materials and Methods

Forty healthy female patients received a blinded and randomized treatment on nasolabial folds (hyaluronic acid in group A and hyaluronic acid plus subcutaneous injections of carbon dioxide in group B) for cosmetic correction of the nasolabial folds. The results were evaluated by two blinded plastic surgeons after the implant (1 week, 4 and 6 months) using a 1–5 graduated scale (GAIS), and at the same time, each patient was asked to express her opinion about the cosmetic result.

Results

Any long‐term adverse reaction was reported. The blinded evaluation at 4 and 6 months from the implant shows in all patients a maintenance of a good cosmetic result higher for the side treated with carbon dioxide therapy plus hyaluronic acid.

Conclusions

At the control visit, 6 months after the treatment, the patients treated with hyaluronic acid plus carbon dioxide therapy maintain a satisfactory esthetic result while the nasolabial fold treated only with hyaluronic acid shows, in almost all patients, a come back to pretreatment appearance.
Role of inflammation in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy
Authors: Biberoglu Ebru , Kirbas Ayse , Daglar Korkut , Kara Ozgur , Karabulut Erdem , Yakut Halil Ibrahim , Danisman Nuri
Published: January 2016

Aim

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), the most common liver disease in pregnancy, is characterized by elevated serum total bile acid and/or transaminase concentration, and pruritus. Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) is a key regulator of the immune response, hematopoiesis and inflammation. We examined both IL‐6 and the frequently used inflammatory marker high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP) at baseline in the same study population as for the primary endpoint, in order to provide a new perspective on the pathogenesis of ICP.

Methods

In this controlled cross‐sectional study 65 consecutive pregnant women with ICP (34 with mild and 31 with severe disease) and 40 healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies (control group) were examined. IL‐6 and hs‐CRP were compared between the groups.

Results

While serum IL‐6 was significantly higher in the mild ICP (P = 0.01) and severe ICP (P = 0.001) groups than in the control group, hs‐CRP was similar between the groups.

Conclusion

Interleukin‐6 may have an essential role, apart from CRP, in the pathogenesis of ICP and, also, is a more sensitive marker of inflammation.