bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is C‐11 Methionine PET an alternative to 18‐F FDG‐PET for identifying recurrent laryngeal cancer after radiotherapy?
Authors: Wedman Jan , Pruim Jan , van der Putten Lisa , Hoekstra Otto S. , de Bree Remco , van Dijk Boukje A. C. , van der Laan Bernard F. A. M.
Published: October 2018

Objective

18F FDG‐PET is superior to other imaging techniques in revealing residual laryngeal cancer after radiotherapy. Unfortunately, its specificity is low, due to FDG uptake in inflammation and in anaerobic conditions. PET imaging with the amino acid‐based radiopharmaceutical C11‐methionine (MET) should be less influenced by post‐radiation conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of MET in diagnosing recurrent laryngeal cancer after radiotherapy as compared to 18F‐FDG.

Methods

Forty‐eight patients with a clinical suspicion of local residual disease at least 3 months after completion of radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for a T2‐4 laryngeal carcinoma, along with an indication for direct laryngoscopy, were included. They received MET‐PET and FDG‐PET prior to the direct laryngoscopy. One senior nuclear medicine physician assessed both the FDG‐PET and MET‐PET images visually for the degree of abnormal uptake. The gold standard was a biopsy‐proven recurrence 12 months after PET. The nuclear physician had no access to the medical charts and was blinded to the results of the other PET. Sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive value were calculated.

Results

The sensitivity of FDG was 77.3% and the specificity 56.0% after the conservative reading, with these values equalling 54.5% and 76.0% for MET. The positive predictive value of FDG was 60.7% and the negative predictive value 73.7%. The PPV of MET was 66.7%, and the NPV was 65.5%. The McNemar test within diseased (sensitivity comparison) shows a p‐value of 0.125, and the McNemar test within non‐diseased (specificity comparison) shows a P‐value of 0.180.

Conclusion

MET‐PET is not superior to FDG‐PET in terms of identifying recurrent laryngeal cancer.
WHAT CAUSES THE EFFICIENCY AND THE TECHNOLOGY GAP UNDER DIFFERENT OWNERSHIP STRUCTURES IN THE CHINESE BANKING INDUSTRY?
Authors: Lee Chi‐Chuan , Huang Tai‐Hsin
Published: October 2018

This paper estimates and compares the cost efficiency of the Chinese banking industry among different ownership types for the period 2003–2014, using the stochastic metafrontier model. We find that foreign banks have the lowest cost frontier, while state‐owned commercial banks undertake the least sophisticated technology. Moreover, the results of the upward trend in the technology gap ratio (TGR) and in metafrontier cost efficiency support that a more open financial market is able to enhance banking efficiency. As for the role of environmental conditions, off‐balance sheet items, non‐performing loans, and financial market structure significantly impact the TGRs of different bank types. (JEL C51, G21, D24)
Zyxin‐involved actin regulation is essential in the maintenance of vinculin focal adhesion and chondrocyte differentiation status
Authors: Li Gaoming , Song Xiongbo , Li Rui , Sun Li , Gong Xiaoyuan , Chen Cheng , Yang Liu
Published: October 2018

Objectives

To investigate the role of zyxin‐involved actin regulation in expression level of vinculin focal adhesion and collagen production of chondrocyte and its possible underlying mechanism.

Materials and methods

Chondrocytes obtained from rabbit articular cartilage were used in this study. The expression of zyxin, actin and vinculin, as well as the extracellular matrix (ECM) protein collagen type I, II and X (COL I, II and X) of chondrocytes were compared between zyxin‐knockdown group and negative control group, and between transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) treatment group and non‐treatment group, respectively.

Results

Knockdown of zyxin increased the ratio of globular actin (G‐actin) to filamentous actin (F‐actin) of chondrocyte, which further inhibited expression of vinculin and chondrogenic marker COL II as well as hypertrophy marker COL X. On the other hand, chondrocytes treated with TGF‐β1 showed an enhanced expression of F‐actin, and a lower expression of zyxin compared to non‐treatment group. In response to TGF‐β1‐induced actin polymerization, expression of vinculin and COL I was increased, while expression of COL II and aggrecan was decreased.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate supporting evidence that in chondrocytes the level of zyxin is closely associated with the state of actin polymerization. In particular, the change of zyxin and F‐actin parallels with the change of COL II and vinculin, respectively, indicating a major role of zyxin‐actin interaction in the synthesis of collagen ECM and the remodelling of cytoskeleton‐ECM adhesion.
Outcomes for potential kidney transplant recipients offered public health service increased risk kidneys: A single‐center experience
Authors: Fernandez Hilda E. , Chiles Mariana C. , Pereira Marcus , Husain Syed Ali , Miko Benjamin , Baral Prativa , Dale Leigh‐Anne , Patel Shefali , Runge Brian , Tsapepas Demetra , Sandoval Pedro Rodrigo , Ratner Lloyd E. , Cohen David J. , Mohan Sumit
Published: October 2018

Background

Discard rate of Public Health Service Increased Risk (PHS‐IR) organs is high despite the absence of worse kidney transplant outcomes.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective, single‐center study of PHS‐IR kidney offers made to kidney transplant‐only potential recipients from 6/2004 to 5/2015. Overall mortality and transplant outcomes between potential recipients were stratified by response to PHS‐IR kidney offers. Cox regression and Kaplan‐Meier analyses of mortality and allograft failure were performed.

Results

A total of 2423 potential recipients were offered a PHS‐IR kidney, with 1502 transplanted, with or without a PHS‐IR kidney. Predictors of accepting a PHS‐IR kidney included higher Estimated Post Transplant Survival (EPTS) score, prior kidney transplant, and lower educational achievement on multivariable analysis (P = 0.025, P = 0.004, P = 0.023). A positive response to a PHS‐IR kidney was associated with lower risk of mortality (3.63% vs 11.6%; aHR 0.467, P = 0.0008). PHS‐IR kidney recipients had decreased risk of allograft loss compared to non‐PHS‐IR recipients (P = 0.007), though mortality outcomes were not significantly different based on PHS‐IR status (P = 0.38). No transmission of HIV, HBV, or HCV occurred from PHS‐IR kidney donors in this cohort.

Conclusions

Efforts must be made to increase awareness of the beneficial outcomes of PHS‐IR organs to maximize appropriate donor allocation.
The expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase and paired box gene 5 in Merkel cell carcinomas and its relation to the presence of Merkel cell polyomavirus DNA
Authors: Johansson Benjamin , Sahi Helka , Koljonen Virve , Böhling Tom
Published: October 2018

Background

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) tumor samples frequently express B‐lymphoid lineage markers. However, the reasons for expression of specific B‐lymphoid lineage markers are still unclear. We studied the expression of TdT and PAX5 (two B‐cell lymphoid lineage markers) in a large pool of MCC tissue microarray samples.

Methods

Immunoexpression and staining intensities of TdT and Pax‐5 were statistically correlated with patient, tumor, Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV), and disease‐specific parameters.

Results

In a cohort of 117 MCC patients and their corresponding tumor samples, TdT was expressed in 37 (31.6%) samples and PAX5 in 26 (22.2%). Simultaneous immunostaining for TdT and PAX5 was observed in 13 (11.1%) samples. A statistically significant relationship was observed between MCV virus copy number and positive TdT expression (P = 0.0056). Similarly, a significant relationship was also observed between positive TdT and tumor MCV virus positivity (P = 0.000495).

Conclusion

We observed frequent TdT and PAX5 immunoexpression in MCC tumor samples. However, simultaneous immunoexpression of these markers was scarce. TdT expression was statistically significantly associated with MCV positivity. The absence of a statistically significant association between tumor parameters and disease progression markers undermines the systemic use of these markers in clinical practice.
Agminated blue nevus with a GNAQ mutation: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Eichenfield Dawn Z. , Cotter David , Thorson John , Hinds Brian , Sun Bryan K.
Published: October 2018

Agminated blue nevi are dermal melanocytic proliferations that classically present as dark blue macules or papules in a grouped, linear, or blaschkoid distribution. In their more common sporadic form, blue nevi manifest in young adulthood as solitary blue papules or macules on the scalp, face, hands, or feet. By contrast, agminated blue nevi tend to manifest earlier in life, and are distributed more evenly across anatomic sites. Recent studies have identified mutations in sporadic blue nevi in the genes encoding G Protein subunit alpha Q and G protein subunit alpha 11 (GNAQ and GNA11). It is unknown whether agminated blue nevi share the same genetic changes. In the present paper, we present a case of agminated blue nevus on the wrist, and identify an activating mutation (c.626A > T, p.Glu209Leu) in GNAQ. We hypothesize that GNAQ/GNA11 activating mutations arising earlier during development may trigger agminated blue nevi, explaining the broader field of involvement in these cutaneous lesions.
Gut microbiota and obesity: An opportunity to alter obesity through faecal microbiota transplant (FMT)
Authors: Lee Patrick , Yacyshyn Bruce R. , Yacyshyn Mary B.
Published: October 2018

Obesity is a global pandemic with immense health consequences for individuals and societies. Multiple factors, including environmental influences and genetic predispositions, are known to affect the development of obesity. Despite an increasing understanding of the factors driving the obesity epidemic, therapeutic interventions to prevent or reverse obesity are limited in their impact. Manipulation of the human gut microbiome provides a new potential therapeutic approach in the fight against obesity. Specific gut bacteria and their metabolites are known to affect host metabolism and feeding behaviour, and dysbiosis of this biosystem may lead to metabolic syndrome. Potential therapies to alter the gut microbiota to treat obesity include dietary changes, supplementation of the diet with probiotic organisms and prebiotic compounds that influence bacterial growth, and the use of faecal microbiota transplant, in which gut microbiota from healthy individuals are introduced into the gut. In this review, we examine the growing scientific evidence supporting the mechanisms by which the human gut microbiota may influence carbohydrate metabolism and obesity, and the various possible therapies that may utilize the gut microbiota to help correct metabolic dysfunction.
Meta‐analysis of neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte and platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Erre Gian Luca , Paliogiannis Panagiotis , Castagna Floriana , Mangoni Arduino Aleksander , Carru Ciriaco , Passiu Giuseppe , Zinellu Angelo
Published: October 2018

Background

We conducted a meta‐analysis to review the available evidence regarding the associations between peripheral blood neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and the presence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus, from inception to January 2018, were searched for studies reporting on NLR and PLR in RA in comparison with healthy subjects. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was calculated with a confidence interval (CI) of 95%.

Results

Thirteen NLR studies (1550 RA patients and 1128 healthy controls) and 8 PLR studies (380 RA patients and 305 healthy controls) were included in the meta‐analysis. NLR and PLR were significantly higher in patients with RA when compared to controls (SMD = 0.79, 95% CI 0.55‐1.03; P < 0.001 and SMD = 0.66, 95% CI 0.43‐0.88; P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions

The NLR and PLR are significantly associated with the presence of RA. Further studies are required to ascertain the potential clinical use of these simple and relatively inexpensive markers in RA diagnosis.
Response of marine communities to local temperature changes
Authors: Flanagan Patrick H. , Jensen Olaf P. , Morley James W. , Pinsky Malin L.
Published: October 2018

As global climate change and variability drive shifts in species’ distributions, ecological communities are being reorganized. One approach to understand community change in response to climate change has been to characterize communities by a collective thermal preference, or community temperature index (CTI), and then to compare changes in CTI with changes in temperature. However, important questions remain about whether and how responsive communities are to changes in their local thermal environments. We used CTI to analyze changes in 160 marine assemblages (fish and invertebrates) across the rapidly‐changing Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem and calculated expected community change based on historical relationships between species presence and temperature from a separate training dataset. We then compared interannual and long‐term temperature changes with expected community responses and observed community responses over both temporal scales. For these marine communities, we found that community composition as well as composition changes through time could be explained by species associations with bottom temperature. Individual species had non‐linear responses to changes in temperature, and these nonlinearities scaled up to a nonlinear relationship between CTI and temperature. On average, CTI increased by 0.36°C (95% CI: 0.34–0.38°C) for every 1°C increase in bottom temperature, but the relationship between CTI and temperature also depended on community composition. In addition, communities responded more strongly to interannual variation than to long‐term trends in temperature. We recommend that future research into climate‐driven community change accounts for nonlinear responses and examines ecological responses across a range of temporal and geographical scales.
Recurrent epileptiform discharges in the medial entorhinal cortex of kainate‐treated rats are differentially sensitive to antiseizure drugs
Authors: West Peter J. , Saunders Gerald W. , Billingsley Peggy , Smith Misty D. , White H. Steve , Metcalf Cameron S. , Wilcox Karen S.
Published: October 2018

Objective

Approximately 30% of patients with epilepsy are refractory to existing antiseizure drugs (ASDs). Given that the properties of the central nervous systems of these patients are likely to be altered due to their epilepsy, tissues from rodents that have undergone epileptogenesis might provide a therapeutically relevant disease substrate for identifying compounds capable of attenuating pharmacoresistant seizures. To facilitate the development of such a model, this study describes the effects of classical glutamate receptor antagonists and 20 ASDs on recurrent epileptiform discharges (REDs) in brain slices derived from the kainate‐induced status epilepticus model of temporal lobe epilepsy (KA‐rats).

Methods

Horizontal brain slices containing the medial entorhinal cortex (mEC) were prepared from KA‐rats, and REDs were recorded from the superficial layers. 6‐cyano‐7‐nitroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione, (2R)‐amino‐5‐phosphonovaleric acid, tetrodotoxin, or ASDs were bath applied for 20 minutes. Concentration‐dependent effects and half maximal effective concentration values were determined for RED duration, frequency, and amplitude.

Results

ASDs targeting sodium and potassium channels (carbamazepine, eslicarbazepine, ezogabine, lamotrigine, lacosamide, phenytoin, and rufinamide) attenuated REDs at concentrations near their average therapeutic plasma concentrations. γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic synaptic transmission–modulating ASDs (clobazam, midazolam, phenobarbital, stiripentol, tiagabine, and vigabatrin) attenuated REDs only at higher concentrations and, in some cases, prolonged RED durations. ASDs with other/mixed mechanisms of action (bumetanide, ethosuximide, felbamate, gabapentin, levetiracetam, topiramate, and valproate) and glutamate receptor antagonists weakly or incompletely inhibited RED frequency, increased RED duration, or had no significant effects.

Significance

Taken together, these data suggest that epileptiform activity recorded from the superficial layers of the mEC in slices obtained from KA‐rats is differentially sensitive to existing ASDs. The different sensitivities of REDs to these ASDs may reflect persistent molecular, cellular, and/or network‐level changes resulting from disease. These data are expected to serve as a foundation upon which future therapeutics may be differentiated and assessed for potentially translatable efficacy in patients with refractory epilepsy.
Ecosystems say good management pays off
Authors: Fulton Elizabeth A. , Punt André E. , Dichmont Catherine M. , Harvey Chris J. , Gorton Rebecca
Published: October 2018

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of alternative assessment methods, harvest strategies and management approaches are an important part of operationalizing single‐species and ecosystem‐based fisheries management. Simulations run using two variants of a whole‐of‐ecosystem model for the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF) area shows that (a) data‐rich assessments outperform data‐poor assessments for target species and that this performance is reflected in the values of many system‐level ecosystem indicators; (b) ecosystem and multispecies management outperforms single‐species management applied over the same domain; (c) investment in robust science‐based fisheries management pays dividends even when there are multiple jurisdictions, some of which are not implementing effective management; and (d) that multispecies yield‐oriented strategies can deliver higher total catches without a notable decline in overall system performance, although the resulting system structure is different to that obtained with other forms of ecosystem‐based management.
Pyrrolizidine alkaloid production of Jacobaea aquatica and contamination of forage in meadows of Northern Austria
Authors: Chizzola Remigius , Bassler‐Binder Gabriele , Karrer Gerhard , Kriechbaum Monika
Published: October 2018

Jacobaea aquatica (=Senecio aquaticus, Asteraceae), marsh ragwort, grows regionally in low management intensity wet grasslands in various European countries. The plant can be regarded as a noxious weed as it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), which cause health problems in livestock. In the Waldviertel region of Northern Austria, marsh ragwort has established dense populations as the fertilizing and production intensity of the meadows changed during the last decades. Ragwort biomass production and alkaloid concentration in J. aquatica were recorded during three consecutive years at three sites to study the effects of two treatments: cutting twice a year either early in June plus September, or in July plus August, respectively. Six PAs (Z‐erucifoline > senecionine > integerrimine > seneciphylline > acetyl‐erucifoline and acetyl‐seneciphylline) were evaluated. The alkaloid contents were highest in July and August when 600–1,400 mg/kg dry matter (DM) total PAs occurred in most ragwort samples. Consequently, the forage can easily be contaminated with 40–80 mg/kg DM of PAs and may present a health risk for domestic animals and also affect human health as these alkaloids are transferred into milk.
Aristocracies in early medieval Italy, ca. 500–1000 CE
Authors: Schoolman Edward M.
Published: October 2018

In the 500 years after the political collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century CE, various new groups entered Italy, recasting the ranks of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals and local elites. In the social hierarchy of the late fifth century, Ostrogothic elite would exist in parallel with the late Roman aristocracy, while later arrivals—Lombards, Byzantines, and Franks, among others—would form entirely new aristocracies, bound primarily by local landownership and management, leaving behind the administrative apparatus of the late Roman Empire. Consequently, Italian aristocracies, especially at their highest levels, tended to reflect the conditions of their political systems through the tenth century, when changing pressures caused many family groups of the social and political elite to take on the qualities of hereditary nobility. This article traces the various developments of aristocracies, their composition, and contemporary definitions of dominant groups.
Material recycling in a sediment‐starved trench recorded in the Early Cretaceous Shiriya accretionary complex, Northeast Japan
Authors: Ueda Hayato , Kimura Sho , Saito Takahiro , Takano Yumi , Iizuka Natsumi , Orihashi Yuji
Published: October 2018

Identifying and examining geological processes that have occurred in sediment‐starved trenches of ancient non‐accretionary subduction zones exposed on land are still challenging, because such style of subduction is believed to leave scarce rock records. Our new geological mapping, petrography of coarse clastic rocks, radiolarian and zircon U–Pb dating of the Shiriya accretionary complex in Northeast Japan suggest that the younger parts (Sr1 unit) of the complex formed in a sediment‐starved trench. The key observation is that debris derived from the inner trench slope directly overlies pelagic chert in many sections where trench turbidites are lacking. A significant mass of turbidites occurring in other sections are also considered to represent distal facies of the debrites from the adjacent inner trench slope, rather than normal trench‐fill turbidites directly supplied from the continental landmass. These recycled materials from the inner trench slope comprised an imbricate frontal accretionary wedge, together with pelagic siliceous deposits of ocean floor origin. This accretionary wedge of debrite origin suggests that mass wasting on inner slopes of sediment‐starved trenches does not always result in tectonic erosion (removal of materials from the upper plate), but results in material recycling to reconstruct a new frontal accretionary wedge. The spatial dimensions of the recycling cell may be one of the critical differences between accretionary and non‐accretionary margins. Recycled continental materials transported by turbidites from remote landmasses construct frontal wedges in accretionary margins, whereas mass wasting on adjacent slopes and re‐accretion at the trench recycle continental materials in non‐accretionary margins. The transition from an accretionary to non‐accretionary (i.e. sediment‐starved) trench detected in the Shiriya Complex potentially records tectonic response of the inner trench slope to increased friction along the subduction interface.
Diversification of a ‘great speciator’ in the Wallacea region: differing responses of closely related resident and migratory kingfisher species (Aves: Alcedinidae:Todiramphus)
Authors: O'Connell Darren P. , Kelly David J. , Lawless Naomi , Karya Adi , Analuddin Kangkuso , Marples Nicola M.
Published: October 2018

The Collared Kingfisher species complex is the most widespread of the ‘great speciator’ lineages of the Indo‐Pacific. They have shown a remarkable ability to spread and diversify. As a result of this rapid diversification,Todiramphusspecies are often found in secondary sympatry. In Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, twoTodiramphusspecies are present, the breeding resident Collared KingfisherTodiramphus chlorisand the overwintering migratory Sacred KingfisherTodiramphus sanctus. We investigated the effect of isolation on these closely related species by comparing their populations on mainland Sulawesi and its larger continental islands, with populations on the small, oceanic Wakatobi Islands. Within our wider analysis we provide further support for the distinctiveness of the Sulawesi Collared Kingfisher population, perhaps isolated by the deep water barrier of Wallace's line. Within Sulawesi we found that populations of Collared Kingfisher on the Wakatobi Islands had diverged from those on mainland Sulawesi, differing both in morphology and in mitochondrial DNA. In contrast, there was no divergence between Sacred Kingfisher populations in either morphology or mitochondrial DNA. We propose that a difference in habitat occupied by Collared Kingfisher populations between the mainland and continental islands vs. oceanic islands has caused this divergence. Mainland Collared Kingfishers are predominately found inland, whereas Wakatobi Collared Kingfishers are also found in coastal habitats. The larger body size of Wakatobi Collared Kingfisher populations may be a result of increased competition with predominantly coastal Sacred Kingfisher populations. The uniform nature of Sacred Kingfisher populations in this region probably reflects their consistent habitat choice (coastal mangrove) and their migratory nature. The demands of their breeding range are likely to have an even stronger selective influence than their Sulawesi wintering range, limiting their scope for divergence. These results provide insight into the adaptability of the widespreadTodiramphuslineage and are evidence of the need for further taxonomic revision of Collared Kingfisher populations.
Effects of emulsifier type on physical and oxidative stabilities of algae oil‐in‐water emulsions
Authors: Chang Hyeon‐Jun , Shin Kwang‐Seup , Lee Jeung‐Hee
Published: October 2018

Algae oil‐in‐water emulsions were prepared using sodium caseinate (SC, 0.5%), whey protein concentrate (WPC, 0.5%), and a mixture of TWEEN80 (T80, 0.5%), and SPAN80 (SP80, 0.6%), and their emulsification and oxidative stabilities during storage were compared. Oil droplet sizes of SC‐ and T80+SP80‐emulsions were smaller than that of WPC‐emulsion. Serum layer appeared in all emulsions from day 15, and serum layer thicknesses were higher in WPC‐emulsion than SC‐ and T80+SP80‐emulsions, but an excess layer oil was observed only at the top of T80+SP80‐emulsion until day 36. According to conjugated dienes, aldehydes, hydroperoxide and TBARS values, the oxidative stability of SC‐emulsion was better than those of WPC‐ and T80+SP80‐emulsions. This trend was also observed in fatty acid profiles of the emulsions showing the largest DHA reduction and palmitic acid increase in T80+SP80‐emulsion, followed by WPC‐ and SC‐emulsions. In present study, sodium caseinate formed stable algae oil‐in‐water emulsions with excellent antioxidative activity.
Enhancing training with well‐designed checklists
Authors: Fletcher Keaton A , Bedwell Wendy L , Frick Sarah E , Telford Britany N
Published: October 2018

The theory of mental workload suggests that job aids should be particularly useful if they provide resources for individuals without creating excessive, additional cognitive burden. We tested this proposition by examining the individual and interactive effects of task‐based training and checklist design on training performance. Undergraduate students (N = 229) were randomly assigned to task‐based or non‐task‐based training, and to one of three checklists or no checklist to aid training performance. The three checklists were (1) designed to provide low levels of detail but highly structured, (2) high levels of detail and highly structured or (3) high levels of detail with low structure. Results suggest checklists improve accuracy and also minimize psychological strain, yet at the cost of reduced speed. This suggests industries in which accuracy is critical to performance outcomes should consider how checklists, such as safety checklists, are designed. Implications for checklist design and provision are discussed.
Three‐dimensional mean stone density measurement is superior for predicting extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy success
Authors: Yamashita Shimpei , Kohjimoto Yasuo , Iwahashi Yuya , Iguchi Takashi , Iba Akinori , Nishizawa Satoshi , Hara Isao
Published: October 2018

Objectives

The objective of the present study was to investigate the usefulness of three‐dimensional images of stones to measure mean stone density for predicting the outcome of shock wave lithotripsy.

Methods

We retrospectively identified 239 patients who underwent shock wave lithotripsy with pretreatment non‐contrast computed tomography. We automatically measured the mean stone density of three‐dimensional images of stones using a high‐functional viewer. For comparison, mean stone density was also measured by two previously reported techniques using both the abdominal windows and the bone windows on the axial slice at the level of the largest diameter of the stone. We compared the outcome predictive power after the first treatment with outcomes according to measurement by four other methods. We also carried out logistic regression analysis, including mean stone density measured by three‐dimensional images.

Results

The single treatment success rate was 48.5%. The effect size (14.148) of the mean stone density measured by three‐dimensional images was higher than those of the other four manual methods. In addition, the area under the curve (0.6330) of the mean stone density measured by three‐dimensional images was significantly higher than those of the other methods. Increasing stone volume (P = 0.002) and increasing mean stone density measured by three‐dimensional images (P = 0.023) were significant independent predictors of the treatment outcome on multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

This is the first study to compare the predictive powers for shock wave lithotripsy outcome of various mean stone density measuring methods. There is an indication that mean stone density automatically measured by three‐dimensional images of stones is more useful than other measuring methods for predicting outcomes of shock wave lithotripsy.
Variation in coexisting birds to exploit spatial heterogeneity in small mammal activity
Authors: Emmering Quinn C. , Kelly J. K. , Ostfeld R. S. , Schmidt K. A.
Published: October 2018

Breeding nest site selection is often the first defense against nest predation risk. To be effective, this mechanism requires site‐specific spatial heterogeneity in predator abundance which produces predator‐poor space, prey's ability to assess spatial heterogeneity in risk, and few or weak constraints on the ability to settle in within predator‐poor space. We used a 15‐yr dataset on forested grids that provided extensive records of fledging success of veeries Catharus fuscescens and ovenbirds Seiurus aurocapilla in relation to areas of low and high spatial clustering of an important nest predator, the eastern chipmunk Tamias striatus. Ovenbird nests were built in locations with significantly lower chipmunk clustering at a scale of 900 m2, relative to random locations within our study grids. In contrast, veery nests were built at sites with significantly higher chipmunk clustering relative to random locations. Veery nest site preference for dense shrub patches may increase their vulnerability to chipmunks seeking shrubs to reduce their own vulnerability to predators. Despite interspecific differences in nest placement and avoidance of chipmunk clusters, for both species fledging success was unaffected by surrounding chipmunk activity. This study highlights key differences in the use of predator‐poor space among coexisting species, and highlights the need to consider constraints due to other habitat preferences and large predator communities.
Comparison of awake ambulatory blood pressure and automated office blood pressure using linear regression analysis in untreated patients in routine clinical practice
Authors: Myers Martin G. , Matangi Murray , Kaczorowski Janusz
Published: October 2018

The recent American hypertension guidelines recommended a threshold of 130/80 mmHg to define hypertension on the basis of office, home or ambulatory blood pressure (BP). Despite recognizing the potential advantages of automated office (AO)BP, the recommendations only considered conventional office BP, without providing supporting evidence and without taking into account the well documented difference between office BP recorded in research studies versus routine clinical practice, the latter being about 10/7 mmHg higher. Accordingly, we examined the relationship between AOBP and awake ambulatory BP, which the guidelines considered to be a better predictor of future cardiovascular risk than office BP. AOBP readings and 24‐hour ambulatory BP recordings were obtained in 514 untreated patients referred for ambulatory BP monitoring in routine clinical practice. The relationship between mean AOBP and mean awake ambulatory BP was examined using linear regression analysis with and without adjustment for age and sex. Special attention was given to the thresholds of 130/80 and 135/85 mmHg, the latter value being the recognized threshold for defining hypertension using awake ambulatory BP, home BP and AOBP in other guidelines. The mean adjusted AOBP of 130/80 and 135/85 mmHg corresponded to mean awake ambulatory BP values of 132.1/81.5 and 134.4/84.6 mmHg, respectively. These findings support the use of AOBP as the method of choice for determining office BP in routine clinical practice, regardless of which of the two thresholds are used for diagnosing hypertension, with an AOBP of 135/85 mmHg being somewhat closer to the corresponding value for awake ambulatory BP.
Heterotypic trajectories of dimensional psychopathology across the lifespan: the case of youth‐onset attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Manfro Arthur Gus , Santoro Marcos , Polanczyk Guilherme Vanoni , Gadelha Ary , Pan Pedro Mario , Bressan Rodrigo Affonseca , Brietzke Elisa , Talarico Fernanda , Belangero Sintia , Rohde Luis Augusto , Salum Giovanni Abrahão
Published: October 2018

Background

Recent studies have demonstrated the existence of a distinct late‐onset attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) trajectory. Our objective is to test if there are distinct ADHD trajectories regarding age of onset from childhood to adolescence and to compare clinical manifestations, cognitive functions and genetic risk for ADHD among distinct longitudinal groups.

Method

Nine hundred and twenty four children and adolescents from the community participated in the study. We compared clinical, cognitive features and genetic risk among four groups of participants: (a) childhood‐limited, (b) youth‐onset, (c) childhood‐onset with youth persistence, and (d) community comparisons without ADHD. Symptomatic and diagnostic assessments were performed using the Development and Well‐Being Behavior Assessment, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the Child Behavior Checklist. Cognitive functions were measured using a battery of standardized tests. Genetic risk for ADHD was calculating using summary statistics from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium.

Results

Half of the adolescents (52%) with ADHD had their symptom onset in adolescence. The impairment level of this group in adolescence is similar to the persistent group. Despite not having ADHD, the youth‐onset group already presented in childhood more symptoms from other domains of psychopathology, higher shared variance in psychiatric symptomatology (p‐factor), school impairment, and executive dysfunctions than community comparisons. Furthermore, the youth‐onset group presented lower levels of genetic risk for ADHD compared to other cases.

Conclusions

A significant proportion of adolescents with ADHD were youth‐onset cases and presented similar impairment levels as those cases with early‐onset ADHD. The presence of cognitive impairments and higher levels of clinical symptoms in the youth‐onset group already at childhood speaks in favor of a heterotypic trajectory of psychopathology suggesting that youth‐onset ADHD might be an artificial consequence of categorizing dimensional psychopathology into discrete diagnostic groups.
Prevalence and sequelae of self‐reported and other‐reported sexual abuse in adults with intellectual disability
Authors: Gil‐Llario M. D. , Morell‐Mengual V. , Díaz‐Rodríguez I. , Ballester‐Arnal R.
Published: October 2018

Background

Sexual victimisation is an important problem that affects millions of people around the world, especially those with some kind of disability. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of self‐reported and documented sexual abuse in people with mild or moderate intellectual disability and to analyse the sequelae that such experiences can have on their psychosocial health.

Methods

The sample consisted of 360 adults (50% men and 50% women) between 18 and 55 years of age (M = 39.87; standard deviation = 10.55).

Results

The prevalence of sexual abuse is 6.10% when it is self‐reported (9.4% in women and 2.8% in men) and 28.6% when it is reported by professionals (27.8% in women and 29.4% in men). People who self‐report cases of abuse present poorer quality of life, more negative attitudes towards sex and a lower capacity to identify situations that entail a risk of sexual abuse. Individuals who have suffered documented cases of abuse are more likely to present encopresis, social isolation, self‐harm and a higher number of suicide attempts.

Conclusions

Our results evidence the need to have access to all sources of information so as to be able to obtain prevalence figures that match the real situation and to perform a proper analysis of the sequelae.
Aberrant histone modification and inflammatory cytokine production of peripheral CD4+ T cells in patients with oral lichen planus
Authors: Shen Jun , Yin Cao , Jiang Xiao , Wang Xuan , Yang Shujuan , Song Guangbao
Published: October 2018

Backgrounds

To investigate alterations in histone modification and histone deacetylases (HDACs) in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP), and to evaluate correlations with inflammatory cytokine production.

Methods

Global histone H3/H4 acetylation and HDAC activity in CD4+ T cells from 23 patients with OLP and 10 healthy control subjects were examined using spectrophotometry. The mRNA levels of eight members of four classes of HDAC genes were measured by real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Forty cytokines involved in inflammation were examined with a cytokine array. The correlation between histone modification and cytokine production was analyzed.

Results

Global histone H3 hypo‐acetylation was observed in OLP patients. Patients with OLP had significantly higher HDACs activity,and higher HDAC6 and HDAC7 mRNA level compared with the controls. Of the 40 cytokines in the cytokine array, eight were significantly increased in OLP patients: interleukin (IL)‐4, IL‐8, IL‐1ra, tumor necrosis factor receptor II (TNFR II), macrophage inflammatory protein 1b (MIP‐1b), fibrosis‐associated tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP)‐1, monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP‐1), and eotaxin‐2. In the OLP group, the acetylation level of histone H3 was negatively correlated with IL‐4 and MCP‐1 production, and the expression of HDAC6 mRNA was positively correlated with MCP‐1 production. In the non‐erosive subgroup, acetylation of histone H3 was negatively correlated with IL‐4, IL‐16, and TIMP‐2 production. In the erosive OLP subgroup, the expression of HDAC7 mRNA was positively correlated with MIP‐1a production.

Conclusion

Aberrant histone modification of CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood could occur in OLP patients, and possibly affects inflammatory cytokine production.
What to do with vacant and abandoned residential structures? The effects of teardowns and rehabilitations on nearby properties
Authors: vom Hofe Rainer , Parent Olivier , Grabill Meghan
Published: October 2018

In the presented paper, we estimate the impacts of three distinct housing policy interventions to deal with distressed and abandoned residential properties: leaving vacant buildings in their current state, remodeling/rebuilding residential structures, and razing vacant structures. We show that vacant structures negatively impact nearby housing up to 4.1%, but when demolition is followed by complete reconstruction, neighboring housing can be appreciated by as much as 14.1%. In addition, negative spillover effects from foreclosures and vacant buildings are primarily observed in low‐income and middle‐income Census tracts, whereas positive spillover effects generated by remodeling are seen in high‐income Census tracts.
Spatial inequality and urban costs: Revisiting the home market effect
Authors: Zhou Yiming
Published: October 2018

This paper investigates how the interactions between product differentiation, transport costs, and urban costs determine the spatial inequality in a general‐equilibrium model. We shed light on the interrelation between different definitions of home market effect (HME) in literature. While the wages in the large region are always higher, the HME in industrial distribution occurs in a limited range of parameters, implying that the HME in factor price is more pervasive. Moreover, we show that the reverse HME is the more common outcome. It indicates that neglecting urban costs in theoretical methodologies tends to overestimate the existence of HME. We also disclose how a change in urban costs or transport costs affects regional inequalities and welfare.
Emerging from below the social radar: Incipient evaluation in the North West of England
Authors: Bailey George
Published: October 2018

This paper investigates the social meaning of post‐nasal [ɡ]‐presence, a dialectal variant characteristic of North Western varieties of British English that is claimed to have local prestige. Using a matched‐guise approach, this study reveals the absence of a community‐wide norm with respect to how [ŋɡ] clusters are evaluated as well as diachronic change in the level of awareness speakers have of this variable. Older subjects are not sensitive to the dialectal status of [ŋɡ] and as a result do not evaluate it differently from [ŋ]; the local form is more accessible to evaluation among younger subjects, for whom the northern indexicality is stronger, but at this incipient stage of social meaning there is no agreement on what the content of this evaluation should be. The results speak to questions regarding the development of shared norms, their role in the speech community, and the granularity of social meaning more generally.
International, multicentre, observational study of fluid bolus therapy in neonates
Authors: Keir Amy K , Karam Oliver , Hodyl Nicolette , Stark Michael J , Liley Helen G , Shah Prakesh S , Stanworth Simon J ,   on behalf of the NeoBolus Study Group
Published: October 2018

Aim

To assess the prevalence, types and indications for fluid bolus therapy in neonates with haemodynamic compromise.

Methods

This was a pragmatic, international, multicentre observational study in neonatal units across Australasia, Europe and North America with a predefined study period of 10–15 study days per participating neonatal unit between December 2015 and March 2017. Infants ≤28 days of age who received a fluid bolus for the management of haemodynamic compromise (≥10 mL/kg given at ≤6 h) were included.

Results

A total of 163 neonates received a bolus over 8479 eligible patient days in 41 neonatal units. Prevalence of fluid bolus therapy varied between centres from 0 to 28.6% of admitted neonates per day, with a pooled prevalence rate of 1.5% (95% confidence interval 1.1–1.9%). The most common fluid used was 0.9% sodium chloride (129/163; 79%), and the volume of fluid administered was most commonly 10 mL/kg (115/163; 71%) over a median of 30 min (interquartile range 20–60). The most frequent indications were hypotension (n = 56; 34%), poor perfusion (n = 20; 12%) and metabolic acidosis (n = 20; 12%). Minimal or no clinical improvement was reported by clinicians in 66 of 163 cases (40%).

Conclusions

Wide international variations in types, indications and effects of fluid bolus administration in haemodynamically compromised neonates suggest uncertainty in the risk–benefit profile. This is likely to reflect the lack of robust evidence to support the efficacy of different fluid types, doses and appropriate indications. Together, these highlight a need for further clinically relevant studies.
Lessons learned from a hospital‐wide review of blood stream infections for paediatric central line‐associated blood stream infection prevention
Authors: Campbell Anita J , Blyth Christopher C , Hewison Christopher J , Chen Yu‐Ping , Gough Leanne , Goff Zoy , Bowen Asha C
Published: October 2018

Aim

Bacteraemia episodes were assessed to calculate a hospital‐wide central line‐associated blood stream infection (CLABSI) rate per 1000 catheter‐days. Secondary objectives were to describe risk factors, microbiology and outcomes of children with CLABSI.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted at an Australian tertiary paediatric hospital in children <18 years who had blood culture sampling during the 2‐year period, 2014–2015. All blood culture results were extracted from the hospital's laboratory information system. National Healthcare Safety Network Centres for Disease Control and Prevention definitions for bacteraemia classification were used. Central venous access device (CVAD) insertion and removal dates were obtained from a surgical electronic database and anaesthetic records and then manually validated.

Results

Of 11 774 processed blood culture bottles, 207 episodes of blood stream infection were observed. Eighty‐five (41%) episodes were community‐acquired bacteraemia (CA‐B) and 122 (59%) health care‐associated bacteraemia (HA‐B), of which 73 (35%) were CLABSI. The hospital‐wide CLABSI rate was 0.62 per 1000 catheter‐days (95% confidence interval: 0.49–0.77). Conditions associated with CLABSI were malignancy (n = 45, 62%) and gastrointestinal failure (n = 6, 8%). Thirty‐three (45%) CLABSI episodes developed in an outpatient setting.

Conclusions

HA‐B has a significant impact on child health, exceeding the number of CA‐B at our hospital. Children with CVADs are vulnerable in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Collecting robust data for a hospital‐wide CLABSI rate is important to understand the full spectrum of paediatric CLABSI. The value of validating data using both electronic and manual methods is demonstrated.
Therapeutic potential of melatonin related to its role as an autophagy regulator: A review
Authors: Boga Jose A. , Caballero Beatriz , Potes Yaiza , Perez‐Martinez Zulema , Reiter Russel J. , Vega‐Naredo Ignacio , Coto‐Montes Ana
Published: October 2018

There are several pathologies, syndromes, and physiological processes in which autophagy is involved. This process of self‐digestion that cells trigger as a survival mechanism is complex and tightly regulated, according to the homeostatic conditions of the organ. However, in all cases, its relationship with oxidative stress alterations is evident, following a pathway that suggests endoplasmic reticulum stress and/or mitochondrial changes. There is accumulating evidence of the beneficial role that melatonin has in the regulation and restoration of damaged autophagic processes. In this review, we focus on major physiological changes such as aging and essential pathologies including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, viral infections and obesity, and document the essential role of melatonin in the regulation of autophagy in each of these different situations.