bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self‐assessment of competencies in dental education in Germany – a multicentred survey
Authors: Bitter K. , Rüttermann S. , Lippmann M. , Hahn P. , Giesler M.
Published: August 2015

Introduction

The aim was to assess the competencies of undergraduate dental students in Germany in the domains team competence, communicative competence, learning competence and scholarship.

Materials and Methods

The survey was conducted at 11 dental schools that are equally distributed all over Germany. Competencies were assessed with the Freiburg Questionnaire to Assess Competencies in Medicine (FCM). A short version of the FCM was used in this study. This short form included the four domains: team competence (three items), communicative competence (eight items), learning competence (five items) and scholarship (four items). Students had to rate each item twice: first with regard to the respondent's current level of competence and second with regard to the level of competence that respondents think is required by their job. All items were rated on a five‐point Likert scale (1 ‘very much’ and 5 ‘not at all’). Responsible lecturers from all selected dental schools received another questionnaire to answer the questions whether the FCM domain corresponding learning objectives were taught at the respective dental school.

Results

A total of 317 undergraduate students from 11 dental schools in their last clinical year participated. The response rate varied between 48% and 92%. Cronbach's α for the FCM scales addressing the current level of competencies ranged from 0.70 to 0.89 and for the scales measuring the presumed level of competencies demanded by their job ranged from 0.72 to 0.82. The mean values of the scales for the assessment of the presumed level of competencies demanded by the job were significantly lower compared to the mean values of the scales for the current level of competencies (P < 0.001 in all analyses). We found large differences between the two levels – in terms of ‘standardised response means’ (SRM) – in the domains team competence (SRM 1.34), learning competence (SRM 1.27) and communicative competence (SRM 1.18). Overall, the learning objectives that correspond to the assessed domains of competencies were taught to 19.6% completely, to 55.4% partially and to 25% not at all at the participating dental schools.

Conclusion

The results of the present survey revealed that the participating students perceived deficiencies in all domains of competencies. These results indicate that the assessed domains are still barely integrated into dental medicine curricula in Germany and that further research in this field is needed.
Circadian rhythmicity of synapses in mouse somatosensory cortex
Authors: Jasinska Malgorzata , Grzegorczyk Anna , Woznicka Olga , Jasek Ewa , Kossut Malgorzata , Barbacka‐Surowiak Grazyna , Litwin Jan A. , Pyza Elzbieta
Published: August 2015

The circadian rhythmicity displayed by motor behavior of mice: activity at night and rest during the day; and the associated changes in the sensory input are reflected by cyclic synaptic plasticity in the whisker representations located in the somatosensory (barrel) cortex. It was not clear whether diurnal rhythmic changes in synapse density previously observed in the barrel cortex resulted from changes in the activity of the animals, from daily light/dark (LD) rhythm or are driven by an endogenous clock. These changes were investigated in the barrel cortex of C57BL/6 mouse strain kept underLD12 : 12 h conditions and in constant darkness (DD). Stereological analysis of serial electron microscopic sections was used to assess numerical density of synapses. In mice kept underLDconditions, the total density of synapses and the density of excitatory synapses located on dendritic spines was higher during the light period (rest phase). In contrast, the density of inhibitory synapses located on dendritic spines increased during the dark period (activity phase). UnderDDconditions, the upregulation of the inhibitory synapses during the activity phase was retained, but the cyclic changes in the density of excitatory synapses were not observed. The results show that the circadian plasticity concerns only synapses located on spines (and not those on dendritic shafts), and that excitatory and inhibitory synapses are differently regulated during the 24 h cycle: the excitatory synapses are influenced by light, whilst the inhibitory synapses are driven by the endogenous circadian clock.
Factors associated with the development of dental caries in children and adolescents in studies employing the life course approach: a systematic review
Authors: Abreu Lucas G. , Elyasi Maryam , Badri Parvaneh , Paiva Saul M. , Flores‐Mir Carlos , Amin Maryam
Published: August 2015

The purpose of this article was to conduct a systematic review of studies that used the life course approach to evaluate the association between factors experienced in early life and throughout the lifetime and the development of dental caries in children and adolescents. A systematic search of five electronic databases was carried out. Hand searches of the reference lists of the included articles and a gray literature search were also performed. Quantitative studies that adopted the life course approach to examine the factors associated with the development of dental caries in children and adolescents were selected. Abstracts were screened by two reviewers. Reports with relevant abstracts received full‐text review and were examined for inclusion in the present systematic review. Qualitative evaluation of the included articles was carried out using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. As a result of the high degree of heterogeneity, meta‐analysis was not feasible. Among the 48 articles submitted to full‐text analysis, 11 were included in the present systematic review. Different life course factors were associated with the development of dental caries among children and adolescents, including sociodemographic, biological, psychological, and oral health behaviors, as well as the dental status of mothers, children, and adolescents.
Parental Care and Mate Choice in the Giant Water Bug Belostoma lutarium
Authors: Thrasher Patsy , Reyes Elijah , Klug Hope
Published: August 2015

Parental care and sexual selection are highly interrelated. Understanding the evolution of sex‐specific patterns of parental care and sexual selection is a major focus of current evolutionary ecology research and requires empirical studies that simultaneously quantify components of both parental care and sexual selection in a single species. In this study, we quantify the dynamics of paternal care and sexual selection in the giant water bug Belostoma lutarium. Specifically, we examined (1) which sex potentially experiences sexual selection, (2) which traits, if any, are associated with attaining a mate by males and/or females (i.e. which traits are potentially under selection), and (3) which male and female traits, if any, relate to paternal care and offspring survival. Our findings suggest that (1) males are likely the choosier sex and that heavier females are more likely to mate than smaller females, (2) that female body weight is under selection if female weight is a trait that is stable within a given individual and (3) body size is sexually dimorphic, with females being the larger sex in this species. There was no evidence of male or female traits being linked to offspring survival in this species, although this is potentially due to the lack of egg predators in our study. We discuss our findings in relation to the evolution of sex roles and future avenues of research in this species.
Epidemiological and evolutionary management of plant resistance: optimizing the deployment of cultivar mixtures in time and space in agricultural landscapes
Authors: Fabre Frédéric , Rousseau Elsa , Mailleret Ludovic , Moury Benoît
Published: August 2015

The management of genes conferring resistance to plant–pathogens should make it possible to control epidemics (epidemiological perspective) and preserve resistance durability (evolutionary perspective). Resistant and susceptible cultivars must be strategically associated according to the principles of cultivar mixture (within a season) and rotation (between seasons). We explored these questions by modeling the evolutionary and epidemiological processes shaping the dynamics of a pathogen population in a landscape composed of a seasonal cultivated compartment and a reservoir compartment hosting pathogen year‐round. Optimal deployment strategies depended mostly on the molecular basis of plant–pathogen interactions and on the agro‐ecological context before resistance deployment, particularly epidemic intensity and landscape connectivity. Mixtures were much more efficient in landscapes in which between‐field infections and infections originating from the reservoir were more prevalent than within‐field infections. Resistance genes requiring two mutations of the pathogen avirulence gene to be broken down, rather than one, were particularly useful when infections from the reservoir predominated. Combining mixture and rotation principles were better than the use of the same mixture each season as (i) they controlled epidemics more effectively in situations in which within‐field infections or infections from the reservoir were frequent and (ii) they fulfilled the epidemiological and evolutionary perspectives.
Guttural pouch mycosis in two foals
Authors: Chidlow H. B. , Slovis N. M.
Published: August 2015

Guttural pouch mycosis (GPM) is a rare disorder in foals and should be considered as a differential in a foal presenting with dysphagia. This manuscript describes the medical management of 2 Thoroughbred foals (age 2 and 4 months) that presented with dysphagia secondary to presumptive mucosal penetration and damage by the fungal hyphae to the glossopharyngeal and hypoglossal nerves, and the pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve. Successful treatment of theGPMwas achieved with the use of systemic itraconazole and topical miconazole. The mycotic lesions resolved, but both foals continued to have residual cranial nerve deficits, which included an acquired left laryngeal paralysis (Foal A), and residual dysfunction of the glossopharyngeal, hypoglossal and vagus nerves resulting in a weak swallow reflux and transient dysphagia (Foal B).
Classification by clustering using an extended saliency measure
Authors: Barak A. , Gelbard R.
Published: August 2015

In many data mining tasks, the goal is to classify entities into a set of pre‐defined groups (classes). A second and equally important goal is the interpretation, i.e. understanding the nature of the population aggregated in each class. These tasks are rendered even more complex when there is no a‐priori information regarding the right classification.

The current paper is based on two concepts: (1) Bounded‐Rationality theory which implements an S‐shaped function that represents human logic as a saliency measure to determine the substantial features that characterize each potential group and (2) Classification by clustering (CBC) that applies Decision Tree‐like classification in unsupervised clustering problems, where neither an a‐priori classification nor target‐attributes are known in advance.

In the context of these two concepts, the current research contributes: (1) by expanding the saliency measure to all possible types of variables (nominal as well as numerical), (2) by evaluating, using five datasets, a composite model that combines the CBC method and the saliency concept.

The findings show that by using clustering algorithms for classification tasks (CBC method) the results are as accurate as those obtained by conventional Decision Trees, but with a better saliency factor.
Learning to Teach a Foreign Language: Identity Negotiation and Conceptualizations of Pedagogical Progress
Authors: Martel Jason
Published: August 2015

From an empirical standpoint, relatively little is known about learning outcomes associated with foreign language teacher preparation programs in the United States. In order to address this gap, the present study considers a Spanish student teacher's learning about language pedagogy during her yearlong licensure program. Using symbolic interactionist and teacher socialization lenses, the study conceptualizes learning in social terms, with identity as the unit of analysis. Findings highlight the messages that were communicated to the participant by significant others in university‐ and student teaching–based settings about how she should take up the role of Spanish teacher, in addition to the unique ways in which she folded—or did not fold—these messages into her self‐concept. The notion of progress in the field of foreign language teacher education is discussed in light of these findings.
Is preoperative state anxiety a risk factor for postoperative delirium among elderly hip fracture patients?
Authors: Van Grootven Bastiaan , Detroyer Elke , Devriendt Els , Sermon An , Deschodt Mieke , Flamaing Johan , Dubois Christophe , Milisen Koen
Published: August 2015

Aim

To determine if preoperative state anxiety is a risk factor for postoperative delirium in older hip fracture patients.

Methods

A secondary data analysis comprising data from a prospective non‐randomized trial including 86 patients with a hip fracture aged 65 years and older was carried out. State anxiety was measured preoperatively using the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory. Delirium and its severity was measured pre‐ and postoperatively (day 1, 3, 5, 8) by trained research nurses using the Confusion Assessment Method and Delirium Index.

Results

A total of 24 patients (27.9%) developed delirium postoperatively. Preoperative state anxiety (State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory) was not associated with postoperative delirium (rb = 0.135, P = 0.353), duration of postoperative delirium (rho = 0.038, P = 0.861) or severity of postoperative delirium (rho = 0.153, P = 0.160). Independent predictors of postoperative delirium were lower MMSE scores (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.60–0.95, P = 0.015), osteosynthesis surgery (OR 3.66, 95% CI 1.02–13.15, P = 0,047) and lowest intraoperative diastolic blood pressure (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.85–0.99, P = 0.031).

Conclusion

No relationship between state anxiety and postoperative delirium was found, but significant methodological hurdles were observed and discussed providing important groundwork for further research in this area. Further research should focus on reliable measurement of state anxiety in cognitively impaired older populations. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 948–955.
Short CCG repeat in huntingtin gene is an obstacle for replicative DNA polymerases, potentially hampering progression of replication fork
Authors: Le Hang Phuong , Masuda Yuji , Tsurimoto Toshiki , Maki Satoko , Katayama Tsutomu , Furukohri Asako , Maki Hisaji
Published: August 2015

Trinucleotide repeats (TNRs) are highly unstable in genomes, and their expansions are linked to human disorders. DNA replication is reported to be involved in TNR instability, but the current models are insufficient in explaining TNR expansion is induced during replication. Here, we investigated replication fork progression across huntingtin (HTT)‐gene‐derived fragments using an Escherichia coli oriC plasmid DNA replication system. We found most of the forks to travel smoothly across the HTT fragments even when the fragments had a pathological length of CAG/CTG repeats (approximately 120 repeats). A little fork stalling in the fragments was observed, but it occurred within a short 3′‐flanking region downstream of the repeats. This region contains another short TNR, (CCG/CGG)7, and the sense strand containing CCG repeats appeared to impede the replicative DNA polymerase Pol III. Examining the behavior of the human leading and lagging replicative polymerases Pol epsilon (hPolε) and Pol delta (hPolδ) on this sequence, we found hPolδ replicating DNA across the CCG repeats but hPolε stalling at the CCG repeats even if the secondary structure is eliminated by a single‐stranded binding protein. These findings offer insights into the distinct behavior of leading and lagging polymerases at CCG/CGG repeats, which may be important for understanding the process of replication arrest and genome instability at the HTT gene.
International trends in health science librarianship part 15: West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal)
Authors: Sulemani Solomon Bayugo , Afarikumah Ebenezer , Aggrey Samuel Bentil , Ajuwon Grace A. , Diallo Ousmane
Published: August 2015

This is the 15th in a series of articles exploring international trends in health science librarianship in the 21st century. It is the third of four articles pertaining to different regions in the African continent. The present issue focuses on countries in West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal). The next feature column will investigate trends in North Africa.

JM
Information behaviour of French‐speaking speech–language therapists in Belgium: results of a questionnaire survey
Authors: Durieux Nancy , Pasleau Françoise , Piazza Aurelie , Donneau Anne‐Françoise , Vandenput Sandrina , Maillart Christelle
Published: August 2015

Background

Speech–language therapists (SLTs) are encouraged to implement evidence‐based practice (EBP). Nevertheless, EBP use by practitioners can be questioned.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to explore Belgian French‐speaking SLTs’ information behaviour and their awareness of EBP. The collected data allow one to determine how far they have embraced this approach.

Methods

The two Belgian French‐speaking SLT professional associations promoted an online questionnaire survey by email. Additionally, clinical supervisors of students were asked to participate. In March 2012, 2068 emails were sent.

Results

The participation rate was at least 20% (n = 415). The reported information needs mainly concerned treatment or diagnosis. Most of the time, to attempt to fulfil their information needs, SLTs relied on their own resources (personal experience and libraries) and on colleagues in the workplace. When they searched on the Internet, they preferred to use a general search engine rather than a specialised bibliographic database. Barriers to obtaining scientific information are highlighted. Only 12% of the respondents had already heard about EBP.

Conclusion

This study provides the first overview of the information behaviour of SLTs working in the French community of Belgium. Several recommendations are suggested for SLTs and librarians.
Prognostic significance of morphological growth patterns and mitotic index of epithelioid malignant peritoneal mesothelioma
Authors: Krasinskas Alyssa M , Borczuk Alain C , Hartman Douglas J , Chabot John A , Taub Robert N , Mogal Ashish , Pingpank James , Bartlett David , Dacic Sanja
Published: August 2015

Aims

The prognostic significance of histological subtyping of epithelioid pleural mesotheliomas has been recently reported, but similar data are lacking for peritoneal mesotheliomas. The aim of this study was to investigate possible relationships between histological growth patterns of epithelioid peritoneal mesotheliomas, clinicopathological features, and patient outcome.

Methods and results

Eighty‐four cases of chemotherapy‐naive epithelioid peritoneal mesothelioma were classified into tubulopapillary, micropapillary, papillary, tubular, solid and trabecular growth patterns. Pathological features such as depth of invasion, lymphocytic host response, mitotic count, nuclear grade, lymphovascular invasion, lymph node metastasis and stromal desmoplasia were analysed. The most common histological patterns were solid (n = 37, 44%), tubulopapillary (n = 24, 29%), and micropapillary (n = 11, 13%). The overall median survival was 36 months. Patients with solid mesothelioma had shorter overall survival (median, 29 months) than patients with tubulopapillary and micropapillary growth patterns (median, 51 and 53 months, respectively; P = 0.053). A high mitotic index (>5 in 50 high‐power fields) was found to be associated with poor survival (P < 0.03). A moderate to severe lymphocytic host response was associated with longer median survival (P = 0.13).

Conclusions

Our study highlights the prognostic importance of the solid growth pattern among diffuse epithelioid peritoneal mesotheliomas, and reaffirms mitotic index as a predictor of overall survival.
Comparison of three retreatment techniques with ultrasonic activation in flattened canals using micro‐computed tomography and scanning electron microscopy
Authors: Bernardes R. A. , Duarte M. A. H. , Vivan R. R. , Alcalde M. P. , Vasconcelos B. C. , Bramante C. M.
Published: August 2015

Aim

To use micro‐CT to quantitatively evaluate the amount of residual filling material after using several techniques to remove root fillings with and without ultrasonic activation and to analyse the cleanliness of the root canal walls and dentine tubules with scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Methodology

The root canals of one hundred and eight human mandibular incisors were selected and instrumented with rotary files using the BioRace system up to file size 40, .04 taper. After instrumentation, the teeth were filled using a hybrid technique with gutta‐percha and sealer then divided into three groups according to the method used for removing the root filling: G1‐Reciproc (using only instrument R50), G2‐ProTaper Universal retreatment system and G3‐Manual (hand files and Gates‐Glidden burs). All groups were divided into two subgroups depending on whether ultrasonic agitation was used with the irrigants. Micro‐CT scans were taken before and after removal of the filling material to detect residual material in the canal. After micro‐CT analysis, the roots were cut in half, imaged by SEM and scored based on the amount of surface covered by root filling remnants. The data were analysed statistically using a significance level of 5%.

Results

All groups had retained material in the root canals after instrumentation. The Reciproc method was associated with less retained material than the ProTaper and Manual methods. Ultrasonic activation significantly reduced the amount of residual root filling in all groups (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

None of the instrumentation methods were able to completely remove root filling material. Ultrasonic activation improved the removal of root filling material in all groups.
Sensory and nutritive profiles of biscuits from whole grain sorghum and pearl millet plus soya flour with and without sourdough fermentation
Authors: Omoba Olufunmilayo S. , Taylor John R. N. , de Kock Henriëtte L.
Published: August 2015

Whole grain sorghum–soya and pearl millet–soya composite biscuits, with and without sourdough, were produced with the aim of developing a ready‐to‐eat supplementary food for nutritionally at‐risk school‐age children in Africa. Descriptive sensory profiling revealed that the biscuits were indistinguishable from a whole grain wheat biscuit standard in terms of hardness, roughness and coarseness, but they were darker, less crisp, less dry and denser with distinctive sorghum flavour. Biscuits containing sourdough were sourer to taste and had more aroma and a more fermented taste and odour character; other examples were more rancid and bitter with less sorghum‐type flavour. Biscuits without sourdough were blander and sweeter. Two biscuits per day will, on average, contribute 13% of the Dietary Reference Intake of fibre for children aged 4–8 years and 16%, 11% and 8% of Mg, Fe and Zn, respectively. The sourdough biscuits had 10–17% less phytate, and phenolic content while antioxidant activity increased.
Effect of vitamin D3 treatment on endothelial function in obese adolescents
Authors: Javed A. , Kullo I. J. , Balagopal P. Babu , Kumar S.
Published: August 2015

Background

Obesity in children is associated with vitamin D deficiency and endothelial dysfunction. It is not known if treatment with vitamin D improves endothelial function in obese adolescents.

Objective

This study aimed to determine whether treatment with vitamin D3 improves endothelial function in obese adolescents.

Methods

Nineteen obese adolescents, 13–18 years of age, with 25‐hydroxy vitamin D (25[OH]D) levels <75 nmol L−1 were treated with 100 000 IU vitamin D3 orally once a month for 3 months in an open‐label, single‐centre prospective trial. Endothelial function was assessed by flow‐mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery at study entry and 1 month after the third dose of vitamin D3. Biochemical parameters, including calcium, fasting lipids, glucose, insulin and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, were also obtained.

Results

Mean 25(OH)D levels increased from 55.9 ± 12.2 to 86.9 ± 16.7 nmol L−1 (P < 0.01). There was no correlation between 25(OH)D levels and brachial artery FMD. The brachial artery FMD (%) did not change significantly following vitamin D3 treatment (9.5 ± 3.53 vs. 10.3 ± 3.83, P = 0.83). Serum parathyroid hormone declined from 3.8 ± 1.5 to 3.1 ± 1 pmol L−1 (P = 0.01). The remainder of biochemical measurements did not show a significant change.

Conclusions

Treatment with vitamin D3, 100 000 IU once a month for 3 months was effective in increasing 25(OH)D levels in obese adolescents but did not impact endothelial function.
Second-Generation Decline or Advantage? Latino Assimilation in the Aftermath of the Great Recession
Authors: Tran Van C. , Valdez Nicol M.
Published: August 2015

This article addresses the debate on second-generation advantage and decline among Latinos by providing a post-recession snapshot based on geocoded data from the Current Population Survey (2008–2012). It reports three findings. First, second-generation Mexicans and Puerto Ricans are at a disadvantage, whereas other Latinos have achieved
Local attachments and transnational everyday lives: second‐generation Italians in Switzerland
Authors: WESSENDORF SUSANNE
Published: August 2015

Many descendants of migrants grow up in the context of lively transnational social relations to their parents' homeland. Among southern Italian migrants in Switzerland, these relations are imbued with the wish to return among the first generation, a dream fostered since the beginning of their migration after the Second World War. Second‐generation Italians have developed different ways of negotiating the transnational livelihoods fostered by their parents on the one hand, and the wish for local attachments on the other. In this article I discuss how the children of Italian migrants have created their own cultural repertoires ofItalianitàand belonging within Switzerland and with co‐ethnic peers, and how, for some, this sense of belonging evokes the wish for ‘roots migration’, the relocation to the parents' homeland. With the example of two trajectories of local attachment and transnationalism among members of the second generation of the same origin, I question existing work on the second generation that assumes commonalities among them on the grounds of ethnicity and region of origin.
STRATEGY AND INTERVENTION VERSUS NONINTERVENTION: A MATTER OF THEORY?*
Authors: Goolishian Harold A. , Anderson Harlene
Published: August 2015

The question of whether or not intervention and strategy are necessary components of competent therapy is described and related to the metaphorical assumptions of underlying theory. Passive listening and expert interpretations are consequences of psychodynamic theory. Active manipulation of social structure and strategic intervention into feedback are described as consequences of the mechanical assumptions of structural and cybernetic theory. Conversational participation and non intervention are described as necessary consequences of hermeneutic and linguistic approaches to therapy. It is concluded that different theoretical assumptions yield different conclusions regarding the nature of therapy and human problems. From this perspective the question of Intervention Versus Non‐Intervention is more a matter of the theory held than a question to be answered in terms of the “right” or “adequate” thing to do or not do.
Evidence‐informed health policy making in Canada: past, present, and future
Authors: Boyko Jennifer A.
Published: August 2015

Evidence‐informed health policy making (EIHP) is becoming a necessary means to achieving health system reform. Although Canada has a rich and well documented history in the field of evidence‐based medicine, a concerted effort to capture Canada's efforts to support EIHP in particular has yet to be realized. This paper reports on the development of EIHP in Canada, including promising approaches being used to support the use of evidence in policy making about complex health systems issues. In light of Canada's contributions, this paper suggests that scholars in Canada will continue engaging in the field of EIHP through further study of interventions underway, as well as by sharing knowledge within and beyond Canada's borders about approaches that support EIHP.
Constraining P–T conditions during thrusting of a higher pressure unit over a lower pressure one (Gran Paradiso, Western Alps)
Authors: Manzotti P. , Pitra P. , Langlade J. , Ballèvre M.
Published: August 2015

Identifying higher pressure units overlying lower pressure ones is a first order argument to determine the presence of large‐scale thrusting. For the first time, petrology is used to quantify the pressure difference between two stacked units in the Western Alps. In the Gran Paradiso Massif, the Money unit crops out as a tectonic window below the Gran Paradiso unit. The reconstruction of the Alpine evolution of these two units and the history of their tectonic contact has been achieved using a multidisciplinary approach that combines meso‐ and microstructural analysis and pseudosection calculations. In both units, four stages of deformation and metamorphism have been identified. Stage 1 reflects the phase of continental crust subduction and P–T conditions of ~18–20 kbar, 480–520 °C and of ~13–18 kbar, 500–530 °C have been estimated for the Gran Paradiso and the Money units respectively. This yields a maximum difference of ~20 km in the depth reached by these two units during the early Alpine history. Thrusting of the Gran Paradiso unit over the Money unit (stage 2) led to the development of the main foliation and occurred in the high‐P part of the albite stability field at P–T conditions of ~12.5–14.5 kbar and 530–560 °C, identical in both units. The thrust contact was folded during stage 3 together with the entire Money unit, and then both units were exhumed together (stage 4). During this polyphase evolution, detrital garnet has been partially dissolved, while the earliest Na‐bearing phases (glaucophane, paragonite) have been overprinted by the low‐P mineral associations. The uncertainties on derived pressures between the two units are unfortunately larger than hoped, and this is attributed to the muscovite solid‐solution model not incorporating a pyrophyllite component.
Musculoskeletal anatomy and feeding performance of pre‐feeding engyodontic larvae of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla)
Authors: Bouilliart Mathias , Tomkiewicz Jonna , Lauesen Peter , De Kegel Barbara , Adriaens Dominique
Published: August 2015

Being part of the elopomorph group of fishes, Anguillidae species show a leptocephalus larval stage. However, due to largely unknown spawning locations and habitats of their earliest life stages, as well as their transparency, these Anguilla larvae are rarely encountered in nature. Therefore, information regarding the early life history of these larvae, including their exogenous feeding strategy and feeding performance, is rather scarce. To better understand the structural basis and functional performance of larval feeding in captivity, the functional morphology of the cranial musculoskeletal system in pre‐ and first‐feeding engyodontic leptocephali of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) was studied. A 3D reconstruction of the feeding apparatus (head of the leptocephali < 1 mm) was used to visualize and describe the musculoskeletal changes throughout these stages. To analyze the ontogenetic changes in the functionality of the feeding apparatus towards the active feeding phase, 3D data of joints, levers and muscles derived from the reconstructions were used to estimate bite and joint reaction forces (JRFs). Observing a maximum estimated bite force of about 65 μN (and corresponding JRFs of 260 μN), it can be hypothesized that leptocephalus larvae are functionally constrained to feed only on soft food particles. Additionally, potential prey items are size delimited, based on the theoretically estimated average gape of these larvae of about 100 μm. This hypothesis appears to be in line with recent observations of a diet consisting of small and/or gelatinous prey items (Hydrozoa, Thaliacea, Ctenophora, Polycystenia) found in the guts of euryodontic leptocephalus larvae.
Time course and side‐by‐side analysis of mesodermal, pre‐myogenic, myogenic and differentiated cell markers in the chicken model for skeletal muscle formation
Authors: Berti Federica , Nogueira Júlia Meireles , Wöhrle Svenja , Sobreira Débora Rodrigues , Hawrot Katarzyna , Dietrich Susanne
Published: August 2015

The chicken is a well‐established model for amniote (including human) skeletal muscle formation because the developmental anatomy of chicken skeletal muscle matches that of mammals. The accessibility of the chicken in the egg as well as the sequencing of its genome and novel molecular techniques have raised the profile of this model. Over the years, a number of regulatory and marker genes have been identified that are suited to monitor the progress of skeletal myogenesis both in wildtype and in experimental embryos. However, in the various studies, differing markers at different stages of development have been used. Moreover, contradictory results on the hierarchy of regulatory factors are now emerging, and clearly, factors need to be able to cooperate. Thus, a reference paper describing in detail and side‐by‐side the time course of marker gene expression during avian myogenesis is needed. We comparatively analysed onset and expression patterns of the key markers for the chicken immature paraxial mesoderm, for muscle‐competent cells, for cells committed to myogenesis and for cells entering terminal differentiation. We performed this analysis from stages when the first paraxial mesoderm is being laid down to the stage when mesoderm formation comes to a conclusion. Our data show that, although the sequence of marker gene expression is the same at the various stages of development, the timing of the expression onset is quite different. Moreover, marker gene expression in myogenic cells being deployed from the dorsomedial and ventrolateral lips of the dermomyotome is different from those being deployed from the rostrocaudal lips, suggesting different molecular programs. Furthermore, expression of Myosin Heavy Chain genes is overlapping but different along the length of a myotube. Finally, Mef2c is the most likely partner of Mrf proteins, and, in contrast to the mouse and more alike frog and zebrafish fish, chicken Mrf4 is co‐expressed with MyoG as cells enter terminal differentiation.
Saffron: a natural product with potential pharmaceutical applications
Authors: Christodoulou Eirini , Kadoglou Nikolaos PE , Kostomitsopoulos Nikolaos , Valsami Georgia
Published: August 2015

Objectives

Recently, a great deal of interest has been developed to isolate and investigate novel bioactive components from natural resources with health beneficial effects. Saffron is the dried stigma of Crocus sativus L. and has been used for centuries in traditional medicine mainly for its healing properties, as well as for the treatment of various pathological conditions. Objectives of the present review are to unravel its therapeutic properties and investigate the potential applications of saffron in contemporary therapy of a wide spectrum of diseases and summarize previous and current evidence regarding the biological/pharmacological activities of saffron and its active ingredients and their possible therapeutic uses.

Key findings

Recent phytochemistry and pharmacological experiments have indicated that crocin and safranal, the major active ingredients of saffron, exert important actions, such as antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic. Unfortunately, the vast majority of those data derive from in vitro studies, whereas a limited number of in vivo experiments support the aforementioned effects. In addition to studies with mechanistic implications, very few clinical trials provide preliminary evidence of saffron potentiality to alleviate depression and increase cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

The history and structural features of saffron constituents are given in the first part of the review, followed by a comprehensive and critical presentation of the published preclinical and clinical studies and review papers on the pharmacology and possible therapeutic uses of saffron and its main active components crocin and safranal.
Improved human gingival fibroblast response to titanium implants coated with ultraviolet‐irradiated vitamin D precursor and vitamin E
Authors: Satué M. , Gómez‐Florit M. , Monjo M. , Ramis J. M.
Published: August 2015

Background and Objective

Ultraviolet (UV)‐irradiated 7‐dehydrocholesterol (7‐DHC) and vitamin E (VitE)‐coated titanium (Ti) implants have a beneficial effect on bone cells. Human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) are the most abundant cells in periodontal tissues and are involved in the wound healing and repair. The objective of this study was to evaluate the response of HGFs to Ti implants coated with UV‐irradiated 7‐DHC and VitE, for improved soft‐tissue integration of dental implants.

Material and Methods

Ti surfaces were coated with 7‐DHC and VitE, irradiated with UV light and incubated for 48 h at 23°C to allow cholecalciferol (D3) synthesis from 7‐DHC onto the Ti surface. HGFs were cultured on the modified surfaces and the influence of the coating on these cells was evaluated through the analysis of: (i) biocompatibility; (ii) the mRNA levels of genes involved in the composition and turnover of the extracellular matrix, the inflammatory response, periodontal bone resorption and wound healing; and (iii) the levels of MMP‐1 and TIMP‐1 proteins.

Results

We found a beneficial effect of UV‐irradiated 7‐DHC:VitE‐coated Ti implants on HGFs. Besides being biocompatible with HGFs, the UV‐irradiated 7‐DHC and VitE coating increased the levels of collagen III α1 and fibronectin mRNAs. and decreased the level of interleukin‐8 mRNA. TIMP‐1 was increased at both mRNA and protein levels in HGFs cultured on UV‐irradiated 7‐DHC:VitE‐coated Ti implants. Finally, the UV‐irradiated 7‐DHC and VitE coating decreased the level of RANKL mRNA in HGFs.

Conclusion

UV‐irradiated 7‐DHC:VitE‐coated Ti implants have a positive effect on HGFs in vitro by reducing the inflammatory response and extracellular matrix breakdown.
Editorial Comment on “Sex Offenders Seeking Treatment for Sexual Dysfunction—Ethics, Medicine, and the Law”
Authors: Fedoroff J. Paul
Published: August 2015

See article, page 1591
The diagnostic method has a strong influence on classification of obstructive sleep apnea
Authors: Escourrou Pierre , Grote Ludger , Penzel Thomas , Mcnicholas Walter T. , Verbraecken Johan , Tkacova Rosa , Riha Renata L. , Hedner Jan ,   the ESADA Study Group
Published: August 2015

Polygraphy (PG) and polysomnography (PSG) are used in clinical settings in Europe for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but their equivalence in unselected clinical cohorts is unknown. We hypothesized that the method would affect both diagnostic outcomes and disease severity stratification. Data from 11 049 patients in the multi‐centre European Sleep Apnea Cohort (ESADA) with suspected OSA (male and female, aged 18–80 years) were used in two groups of patients to compare PG (n = 5745) and PSG (n = 5304). Respiratory events were scored using the 2007 American Association of Sleep Medicine (AASM) criteria. In subjects who underwent PSG, mean apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) using sleep time (AHIPSG 31.0 ± 26.1 h−1) and total analysed time (TAT) (AHITAT 24.7 ± 22.0 h−1) were higher than in subjects who underwent PG (AHIPG 22.0 ± 23.5 h−1) (P < 0.0001). The oxygen desaturation index (ODI) was lower in subjects investigated with PG (ODIPG 18.4 ± 21.7 h−1) compared to subjects investigated with PSG (ODIPSG 23.0 ± 25.3 h−1) but not different when the PSG was indexed by TAT (ODITAT 18.6 ± 21.4 h−1, P < 0.65). The proportion of patients with an AHI ≥ 15 was 64% in the subjects who underwent PSG and 47% in the subjects who underwent PG (P < 0.001). Overall, patients investigated using PG are likely to have a 30% lower AHI on average, compared to patients investigated by PSG. This study suggests that PG interpreted using standard guidelines results in underdiagnosis and misclassification of OSA. We advocate the development of PG‐specific guidelines for the management of OSA patients.
Oral Processing of Mixtures of Food Particles
Authors: Kim Esther H.‐J. , Jakobsen Vibe B. , Wilson Arran J. , Waters Ian R. , Motoi Lidia , Hedderley Duncan I. , Morgenstern Marco P.
Published: August 2015

We investigated the chewing behavior and fragment size outcome in oral processing of mixtures of food particles. Experiments were conducted with colored gel particles to distinguish particles before and after chewing. Twelve subjects were asked to chew different sized gel particles and expectorate the bolus just before swallowing to measure their fragment size distributions. Chin movement was video‐recorded to measure chewing time and frequency. The results showed that the fragment size of ready‐to‐swallow bolus was affected by the food particle size and the presence of other particles of different sizes. When subjects chewed single‐sized gel particles, smaller particles were chewed less – with the result that they were swallowed more intact. In a mixture of two sizes, larger particles were preferentially selected for chewing so that the smaller particles were chewed significantly less than when chewed on their own, allowing them to be swallowed even more intact.

Practical Applications

There is a growing interest from food manufacturers in understanding the oral processes during eating and to apply this to new product development. Although the limits of food particle size and size combination effects still need to be tested within a variety of food products, there may be potential to use these chewing behaviors to influence the fragment size of a swallowed bolus for controlled digestion rate or to minimize adverse sensory effects of healthy food products (e.g., low‐fat, low‐sugar, low‐salt, with added health‐promoting functional ingredients). For instance, it may be possible to minimize the unpleasant taste/odor of phytonutrients by incorporating them into smaller particles in the mix so that they can be swallowed with minimal chewing. On the other hand, it may be possible to maximize sweet/salty tastes by adding sugar/salt to large particles that are more actively chewed. Further studies are necessary to test the feasibility of this concept.
Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir treatment of hepatitis C virus is associated with reduction in serum apolipoprotein levels
Authors: Younossi Z.M. , Elsheikh E. , Stepanova M. , Gerber L. , Nader F. , Stamm L.M. , Brainard D.M. , McHutchinson J.G.
Published: August 2015

The interaction of lipoproteins with hepatitis C virus (HCV) has pathogenic and therapeutic implications. Our aim was to evaluate changes in the apolipoprotein profile of patients with chronic hepatitis C during and after successful cure with ledipasvir and sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) with and without ribavirin (RBV). One hundred HCV genotype 1 patients who had achieved SVR‐12 after treatment with 12 weeks of LDV/SOF ± RBV were selected from the ION‐1 clinical trial. Frozen serum samples from baseline, end of treatment and week 4 of follow‐up were used to assay apolipoproteins (apoAI, apoAII, apoB, apoCII, apoCIII, apoE) using the Multiplex platform to assess for changes in the apolipoprotein levels. At the end of treatment compared to baseline, a significant reduction in apoAII levels (−14.97 ± 63.44 μg/mL, P = 0.0067) and apoE levels (−4.38 ± 12.19 μg/mL, P < 0.001) was noted. These declines from baseline in apoAII (−16.59 ±66.15 μg/mL, P = 0.0075) and apoE (−2.66 ± 12.64 μg/mL, P = 0.015) persisted at 4 weeks of post‐treatment follow‐up. In multivariate analysis, treatment with LDV/SOF + RBV was independently associated with reduction in apoE (beta = 5.31 μg/mL, P = 0.002) (compared to RBV‐free LDV/SOF) (P < 0.05). In contrast, apoCII levels overall increased from baseline to end of treatment (+2.74 ±11.76 μg/mL, P = 0.03) and persisted at 4 weeks of follow‐up (+4.46 ± 12.81 μg/mL from baseline, P = 0.0005). Subgroup analysis revealed an increase in apoCII during treatment only in patients receiving LDV/SOF without RBV (+5.52 ± 11.92 μg/mL, P = 0.0007) but not in patients receiving LDV/SOF + RBV (P = 0.638). Treatment with LDV/SOF ± RBV is associated with a persistent reduction in the apolipoprotein AII and E after achieving cure. These data suggest that treatment with LDV/SOF ± RBV may be associated with alterations in serum apolipoproteins which could potentially impact viral eradication.
Development and psychometric testing of a semantic differential scale of sexual attitude for the older person
Authors: Park Hyojung , Shin Sunhwa
Published: August 2015

The purpose of this study was to develop and test a semantic differential scale of sexual attitudes for older people in Korea. The scale was based on items derived from a literature review and focus group interviews. A methodological study was used to test the reliability and validity of the instrument. A total of 368 older men and women were recruited to complete the semantic differential scale. Fifteen pairs of adjective ratings were extracted through factor analysis. Total variance explained was 63.40%. To test for construct validity, group comparisons were implemented. The total score of sexual attitudes showed significant differences depending on gender and availability of sexual activity. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for internal consistency was 0.96. The findings of this study demonstrate that the semantic differential scale of sexual attitude is a reliable and valid instrument.
Truthier Than Thou: Truth, Supertruth and Probability of Truth
Authors: Smith Nicholas J.J.
Published: August 2015

Different formal tools are useful for different purposes. For example, when it comes to modelling degrees of belief, probability theory is a better tool than classical logic; when it comes to modelling the truth of mathematical claims, classical logic is a better tool than probability theory. In this paper I focus on a widely used formal tool and argue that it does not provide a good model of a phenomenon of which many think it does provide a good model: I shall argue that while supervaluationism may provide a model of probability of truth, or of assertability, it cannot provide a good model of truth—supertruth cannot be truth. The core of the argument is that an adequate model of truth must render certain connectives truth‐functional (at least in certain circumstances)—and supervaluationism does not do so (in those circumstances).