bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Accuracy of INECO Frontal Screening in the Diagnosis of Executive Dysfunction in Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Bahia Valéria S. , Cecchini Mário A. , Cassimiro Luciana , Viana Rene , Lima-Silva Thais B. , de Souza Leonardo Cruz , Carvalho Viviane Amaral , Guimarães Henrique C. , Caramelli Paulo , Balthazar Márcio L.F. , Damasceno Benito , Brucki Sônia M.D. , Nitrini Ricardo , Yassuda Mônica S.
Published: May 2018

Introduction:

Executive dysfunction is a common symptom in neurodegenerative disorders and is in need of easy-to-apply screening tools that might identify it. The aims of the present study were to examine some of the psychometric characteristics of the Brazilian version of the INECO frontal screening (IFS), and to investigate its accuracy to diagnose executive dysfunction in dementia and its accuracy to differentiate Alzheimer disease (AD) from the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD).

Methods:

Patients diagnosed with bvFTD (n=18) and AD (n=20), and 15 healthy controls completed a neuropsychological battery, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, the Clinical Dementia Rating, and the IFS.

Results:

The IFS had acceptable internal consistency (α=0.714) and was significantly correlated with general cognitive measures and with neuropsychological tests. The IFS had adequate accuracy to differentiate patients with dementia from healthy controls (AUC=0.768, cutoff=19.75, sensitivity=0.80, specificity=0.63), but low accuracy to differentiate bvFTD from AD (AUC=0.594, cutoff=16.75, sensitivity=0.667, specificity=0.600).

Conclusion:

The present study suggested that the IFS may be used to screen for executive dysfunction in dementia. Nonetheless, it should be used with caution in the differential diagnosis between AD and bvFTD.
Medicare Expenditures and Health Care Utilization in a Multiethnic Community-based Population With Dementia From Incidence to Death
Authors: Ornstein Katherine A. , Zhu Carolyn W. , Bollens-Lund Evan , Aldridge Melissa D. , Andrews Howard , Schupf Nicole , Stern Yaakov
Published: May 2018

Introduction:

While individuals live with dementia for many years, utilization and expenditures from disease onset through the end-of-life period have not been examined in ethnically diverse samples.

Methods:

We used a multiethnic, population-based, prospective study of cognitive aging (Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project) linked to Medicare claims to examine total Medicare expenditures and health care utilization among individuals with clinically diagnosed incident dementia from disease onset to death.

Results:

High-intensity treatment (hospitalizations, life-sustaining procedures) was common and mean Medicare expenditures per year after diagnosis was $69,000. Non-Hispanic blacks exhibited higher spending relative to Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites 1 year after diagnosis. Non-Hispanic blacks had higher total (mean=$205,000) Medicare expenditures from diagnosis to death compared with non-Hispanic whites (mean=$118,000). Hispanics’ total expenditures and utilization after diagnosis was similar to non-Hispanic whites despite living longer with dementia.

Discussion:

Health care spending for patients with dementia after diagnosis through the end-of-life is high and varies by ethnicity.
Ancient thioredoxins evolved to modern-day stability–function requirement by altering native state ensemble
Authors: Modi Tushar , Huihui Jonathan , Ghosh Kingshuk , Ozkan S. Banu
Published: May 2018

Thioredoxins (THRXs)—small globular proteins that reduce other proteins—are ubiquitous in all forms of life, from Archaea to mammals. Although ancestral thioredoxins share sequential and structural similarity with the modern-day (extant) homologues, they exhibit significantly different functional activity and stability. We investigate this puzzle by comparative studies of their (ancient and modern-day THRXs') native state ensemble, as quantified by the dynamic flexibility index (DFI), a metric for the relative resilience of an amino acid to perturbations in the rest of the protein. Clustering proteins using DFI profiles strongly resemble an alternative classification scheme based on their activity and stability. The DFI profiles of the extant proteins are substantially different around the α3, α4 helices and catalytic regions. Likewise, allosteric coupling of the active site with the rest of the protein is different between ancient and extant THRXs, possibly explaining the decreased catalytic activity at low pH with evolution. At a global level, we note that the population of low-flexibility (called hinges) and high-flexibility sites increases with evolution. The heterogeneity (quantified by the variance) in DFI distribution increases with the decrease in the melting temperature typically associated with the evolution of ancient proteins to their modern-day counterparts.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Allostery and molecular machines’.
Mature dentate granule cells show different intrinsic properties depending on the behavioral context of their activation
Authors: Peret Angélique , Pléau Claire , Pearlstein Edouard , Scalfati Thomas , Marti Geoffrey , Michel François , Crépel Valérie
Published: May 2018

The dentate gyrus (DG) plays a crucial role in learning, memory and spatial navigation. Only a small fraction of mature dentate granule cells (mDGCs) is active during behavior, while the large majority remains silent. To date, the properties of this active subset of neurons remain poorly investigated. Using fosGFP transgenic mice, we show ex vivo that activated mDGCs, from mice maintained in their home cage, exhibit a marked lower intrinsic excitability compared to the non-activated cells. Remarkably, activated mDGCs, from mice trained in a virtual environment, are more excitable than those from mice maintained in their home cage. Therefore, we show that activated mDGCs display different intrinsic properties and excitable states depending on the context of their activation. We propose that these properties could constitute a neural signature of cell assemblies recruited in different behavioral contexts.
Emergence and suppression of cooperation by action visibility in transparent games
Authors: Unakafov Anton M. , Schultze Thomas , Kagan Igor , Moeller Sebastian , Eule Stephan , Wolf Fred
Published: May 2018

Real-world agents, such as humans, animals and robots, observe each other during interactions and choose their own actions taking the partners’ ongoing behaviour into account. Yet, classical game theory assumes that players act either strictly sequentially or strictly simultaneously (without knowing the choices of each other). To account for action visibility and provide a more realistic model of interactions under time constraints, we introduce a new game-theoretic setting called transparent game, where each player has a certain probability to observe the choice of the partner before deciding on its own action. Using evolutionary simulations, we demonstrate that even a small probability of seeing the partner’s choice before one’s own decision substantially changes evolutionary successful strategies. Action visibility enhances cooperation in a Bach-or-Stravinsky game, but disrupts cooperation in a more competitive iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma. In both games, strategies based on the “Win–stay, lose–shift” and “Tit-for-tat” principles are predominant for moderate transparency, while for high transparency strategies of “Leader-Follower” type emerge. Our results have implications for studies of human and animal social behaviour, especially for the analysis of dyadic and group interactions.
Predicting cell types in single cell mass cytometry data
Authors: Abdelaal Tamim , van Unen Vincent , Höllt Thomas , Koning Frits , Reinders Marcel J.T. , Mahfouz Ahmed
Published: May 2018

Motivation

Mass cytometry (CyTOF) is a valuable technology for high-dimensional analysis at the single cell level. Identification of different cell populations is an important task during the data analysis. Many clustering tools can perform this task, however, they are time consuming, often involve a manual step, and lack reproducibility when new data is included in the analysis. Learning cell types from an annotated set of cells solves these problems. However, currently available mass cytometry classifiers are either complex, dependent on prior knowledge of the cell type markers during the learning process, or can only identify canonical cell types.

Results

We propose to use a Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) classifier to automatically identify cell populations in CyTOF data. LDA shows comparable results with two state-of-the-art algorithms on four benchmark datasets and also outperforms a non-linear classifier such as the k-nearest neighbour classifier. To illustrate its scalability to large datasets with deeply annotated cell subtypes, we apply LDA to a dataset of ~3.5 million cells representing 57 cell types. LDA has high performance on abundant cell types as well as the majority of rare cell types, and provides accurate estimates of cell type frequencies. Further incorporating a rejection option, based on the estimated posterior probabilities, allows LDA to identify cell types that were not encountered during training. Altogether, reproducible prediction of cell type compositions using LDA opens up possibilities to analyse large cohort studies based on mass cytometry data.

Availability

Implementation is available on GitHub (https://github.com/tabdelaal/CyTOF-Linear-Classifier).

Contact

a.mahfouz@lumc.nl
Implementing new portable touchscreen-setups to enhance cognitive research and enrich zoo-housed animals
Authors: Schmitt Vanessa
Published: May 2018

Abstracts

To understand the evolutionary development of cognition, comparing the cognitive capacities of different animal species is essential. However, getting access to various species with sufficient sample sizes can be very challenging. Zoos, housing large ranges of animal taxa, would offer ideal research environments, but zoo-based studies on cognition are still rare. The use of touchscreen-computers to explore the cognitive abilities of nonhuman animals has shown to be highly applicable, and simultaneously offers new enrichment possibilities for captive animals. To facilitate zoo-based research, I here illustrate the assembly and usage of newly developed touchscreen-computer-systems (Zoo-basedAnimal-Computer-Interaction System,ZACI), which can be used in various zoo environments and, importantly, with different taxa (e.g. primates, birds). The developed setups are portable, can be attached to various mesh sizes, and do not need any external power supply while being used. To evaluate the usability of the ZACI, they have been tested with experimentally naïve subjects of three great ape species (orang-utans, chimpanzees, gorillas) housed at Zoo Heidelberg, Germany, demonstrating to be easy to handle, animal-proof, and of great interest to the animals. Animals could be tested within their social group, as each subject had access to its own device during testing. To support the implementation of touchscreen-setups at other facilities, I also illustrate the training procedure and present first data on the apes’ performance in a simple object discrimination task. Portable touchscreen-setups offer the great possibility to enhance collaboration between zoos and researchers, allow a standardisation of methods, and improve data collection.
Chimeric antigen receptors that trigger phagocytosis
Authors: Morrissey Meghan A. , Williamson Adam P. , Steinbach Adriana M. , Roberts Edward W. , Kern Nadja , Headley Mark B. , Vale Ronald D.
Published: May 2018

Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are synthetic receptors that reprogram T cells to kill cancer. The success of CAR-T cell therapies highlights the promise of programmed immunity, and suggests that applying CAR strategies to other immune cell lineages may be beneficial. Here, we engineered a family of Chimeric Antigen Receptors for Phagocytosis (CAR-Ps) that direct macrophages to engulf specific targets, including cancer cells. CAR-Ps consist of an extracellular antibody fragment, which can be modified to direct CAR-P activity towards specific antigens. By screening a panel of engulfment receptor intracellular domains, we found that the cytosolic domains from Megf10 and FcRγ robustly triggered engulfment independently of their native extracellular domain. We show that CAR-Ps drive specific engulfment of antigen-coated synthetic particles and whole cancer cells. Addition of a tandem PI3K recruitment domain increased cancer cell engulfment. Finally, we show that CAR-P expressing macrophages reduce cancer cell number in co-culture by over 40%.

We report the first Chimeric Antigen Receptors for Phagocytosis (CAR-Ps) that promote engulfment of antigen-coated particles and cancer cells.
Fission yeast TRP channel Pkd2p localizes to the cleavage furrow and regulates cell separation during cytokinesis
Authors: Morris Zachary , Sinha Debatrayee , Poddar Abhishek , Morris Brittni , Chen Qian
Published: May 2018

Force plays a central role in separating daughter cells during cytokinesis, the last stage of cell division. However, the mechanism of force-sensing during cytokinesis remains unknown. Here we discovered that Pkd2p, a putative force-sensing TRP channel, localizes to the cleavage furrow during cytokinesis of the fission yeast,Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Pkd2p, whose human homologues are associated with Autosomal Polycystic Kidney Disease, is an essential protein whose localization depends on the contractile ring and the secretory pathway. We identified and characterized a novelpkd2mutantpkd2-81KD. Thepkd2mutant cells show signs of osmotic stress, including temporary shrinking, paused turnover of the cytoskeletal structures and hyper-activated MAPK signaling. During cytokinesis, although the contractile ring constricts more rapidly in thepkd2mutant than the wild-type cells (50% higher), the cell separation in the mutant is slower and often incomplete. These cytokinesis defects are also consistent with mis-regulated turgor pressure. Lastly, thepkd2mutant exhibits strong genetic interactions with two mutants of the SIN pathway, a signaling cascade essential for cytokinesis. We propose that Pkd2p modulates osmotic homeostasis and is potentially a novel regulator of cytokinesis.

Highlight summary for TOC

Fission yeast TRP channel Pkd2p is the homologue of human polycystins. Thepkd2mutant exhibits defects in the contractile ring closure and cell separation during cytokinesis. This essential protein localizes to the cleavage furrow where it likely regulates osmotic homeostasis during cytokinesis.
The peopling of South America and the trans-Andean gene flow of the first settlers
Authors: Gómez-Carballa Alberto , Pardo-Seco Jacobo , Brandini Stefania , Achilli Alessandro , Perego Ugo A. , Coble Michael D. , Diegoli Toni M. , Álvarez-Iglesias Vanesa , Martinón-Torres Federico , Olivieri Anna , Torroni Antonio , Salas Antonio
Published: May 2018

Genetic and archaeological data indicate that the initial Paleoindian settlers of South America followed two entry routes separated by the Andes and the Amazon rainforest. The interactions between these paths and their impact on the peopling of South America remain unclear. Analysis of genetic variation in the Peruvian Andes and regions located south of the Amazon River might provide clues on this issue. We analyzed mitochondrial DNA variation at different Andean locations and >360,000 autosomal SNPs from 28 Native American ethnic groups to evaluate different trans-Andean demographic scenarios. Our data reveal that the Peruvian Altiplano was an important enclave for early Paleoindian expansions and point to a genetic continuity in the Andes until recent times, which was only marginally affected by gene flow from the Amazonian lowlands. Genomic variation shows a good fit with the archaeological evidence, indicating that the genetic interactions between the descendants of the settlers that followed the Pacific and Atlantic routes were extremely limited.
Thymoquinone protects rat liver after partial hepatectomy under ischaemia/reperfusion through oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress prevention
Authors: Bouhlel Ahlem , Bejaoui Mohamed , Ben Mosbah Ismail , Hadj Abdallah Najet , Ribault Catherine , Viel Roselyne , Hentati Hassen , Corlu Anne , Ben Abdennebi Hassen
Published: May 2018

Ischaemia reperfusion (I/R) is associated with liver injury and impaired regeneration during partial hepatectomy (PH). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of thymoquinone (TQ), the active compound of essential oil obtained from Nigella sativa seeds, on rat liver after PH. Male Wistar rats were divided equally into four groups (n = 6) receiving an oral administration of either vehicle solution (sham and PH groups) or TQ at 30 mg/kg (TQ and TQ + PH groups) for 10 consecutive days. Then, rats underwent PH (70%) with 60 minutes of ischaemia followed by 24 hours of reperfusion (PH and TQ + PH groups). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity and histopathological damage were determined. Also, antioxidant parameters, liver regeneration index, hepatic adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and apoptosis were assessed. In response to PH under I/R, liver damage was significantly alleviated by TQ treatment as evidenced by the decrease in ALT activity (P < .01) and histological findings (P < .001). In parallel, TQ preconditioning increased hepatic antioxidant capacities. Moreover, TQ improved mitochondrial function (ATP, P < .05), attenuated ER stress parameters and repressed the expression of apoptotic effectors. Taken together, our results suggest that TQ preconditioning could be an effective strategy to reduce liver injury after PH under I/R. The protective effects were mediated by the increase of antioxidant capacities and the decrease of ER stress and apoptosis.
Synthesis, characterization, molecular modelling and biological evaluation of thieno‐pyrimidinone methanesulphonamide thio‐derivatives as non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory agents
Authors: Graziano Adriana C E , Pannuzzo Giovanna , Salemi Ettore , Santagati Andrea , Avola Rosanna , Longo Emanuele , Cardile Venera
Published: May 2018

This study reports the synthesis, molecular docking and biological evaluation of eight (5‐8 and 5a‐8a) newly synthesized thieno‐pyrimidinone methanesulphonamide thio‐derivatives. The synthetic route used to prepare the new isomers thioaryl and thio‐cycloesyl derivatives of the heterocyclic system 6‐phenylthieno[3,2]pyrimidinone was economically and environmentally very advantageous and characterized by the simplicity of procedure, reduction in isolation steps, purification phases, time, costs and waste production. The study in silico for the evaluation of cyclooxygenase (COX)‐1 and COX‐2 selective inhibition was carried out by AutoDock Vina, an open‐source program for doing molecular docking which predicts the preferred orientation of one molecule to a second when bound to each other to form a stable complex. The research in vitro for the biological evaluation was performed by using human cartilage and chondrocytes cultures treated with 10 ng/mL of interleukin‐1beta as inflammation models. The anti‐inflammatory activity of each new compound at the concentration of 10 μmol/L was determined by assaying COX‐2, inducible nitric oxide synthetase (iNOS) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM 1) through Western blot. The examined derivatives showed interesting pharmacological activity, and the compound N‐[2‐[2,4‐difluorophenyl)thio]‐4‐oxo‐6‐phenylthieno[3,2‐d]pyridine‐34H‐yl]methanesulphonamide (7) was excellent COX‐2 inhibitor. In agreement with the biological data, compound 7 was able to fit into the active site of COX‐2 with highest interaction energy. These results can support the design of novel specific inhibitors of COX‐2 by the comparative modelling of COX‐1 and COX‐2 enzymes with the available pharmacophore.
The Case Against Participation Income—Political, Not Merely Administrative
Authors: Wispelaere Jurgen De , Stirton Lindsay
Published: May 2018

This article develops the position we have taken in debate with Anthony Atkinson that a participation income (PI) would be problematic from an administrative and political point of view. We argue that Atkinson remains far too optimistic about the magnitude of administrative difficulties a PI would face. Negotiating these difficulties will inevitably involve the sort of political trade‐offs PI is supposedly able to avoid when compared to its more controversial cousin, the unconditional basic income. The enduring significance of ‘The case for a participation income’, we argue, lies in the often neglected point that Atkinson intends a PI as a supplement to an eroding contribution‐based welfare state. In the current political and fiscal environment, the case for a universal support scheme set below the rate of subsistence, and supplemented by other forms of welfare support, deserves careful re‐examination.
The contested space: The impact of competency‐based education and accreditation on dietetic practice in Australia
Authors: Ash Susan , Palermo Claire , Gallegos Danielle
Published: May 2018

Aim

Competency‐based Education (CBE) has underpinned the education of dietitians in Australia since the first Competency Standards (CS) were published; however, little is known about how CBE has influenced dietetic practice. The aim of this paper is to explore how a CBE framework and the CS have influenced dietetic practice in Australia since 1990.

Methods

A qualitative investigation explored concepts of dietetic practice. Data analysed were original interviews previously undertaken with recent graduate dietitians during 1991 (n = 26), 1998 (n = 23) and 2007 (n = 19) and seven guided discussions with dietitians and employers (n = 28) conducted in 2014 to identify themes. The DAA Competency Standards and Accreditation Manuals/Standards since 1990 were also analysed to triangulate the interview data and to investigate how the CS were interpreted.

Results and Conclusions

Themes identified from interviews included: (i) communicating for better care, (ii) scientific enquiry for effective practice, (iii) critical thinking and evidence‐based practice and (iv) professionalism, which remained core to dietetic practice over time, but leadership, advocacy, business management and entrepreneurial skills have emerged more strongly as the scope of practice has diversified. The landscape in which dietitians' practice showed increasing complexity and clear boundaries separating professional roles were disappearing. The 2015 CS and the 2017 Accreditation Standards highlighted that competency remains a shifting construct and that professional behaviours change depending on economic and political reasons in the play of power. Accreditation policy and current standards have successfully maintained a standard of dietetic practice across a diverse country but have the potential to constrain innovation.
Dyspepsia in non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug users and the effect of preventive measures
Authors: Lee Hooi Leng , Chua Siew Siang , Mahadeva Sanjiv
Published: May 2018

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate regular non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID) users for dyspepsia, as well as to assess the effect of preventive measures, and the reasons for non‐adherence to gastroprotective agents (GPA) from a real‐world perspective.

METHODS

A prospective longitudinal study was conducted among outpatients with regular NSAID usage. The presence of dyspepsia was assessed by locally validated versions of the Leeds dyspepsia questionnaire (LDQ), GPA and the participants' adherence to the drugs were assessed at recruitment and 2 weeks later. GPA was defined as the use of antisecretory medications or cyclooxygenase‐2 inhibitors.

RESULTS

Initially, 409 participants (mean age 52.3 ± 14.6 years, 60.6% females, 48.4% treated for musculoskeletal pain) were recruited. At recruitment, 50.9% of the participants had at least one upper gastrointestinal symptom. Complete data for follow‐up analysis were collected from 158 participants who were naive NSAID users, had no prior gastrointestinal medication and who could be contacted. At 2‐week follow‐up there was no significant difference in the LDQ score change between NSAID users treated with GPA and those did not. However, there was a greater reduction in abdominal pain/discomfort (8.8% vs 5.0%, P < 0.001) and burping (8.8% vs 4.0%, P < 0.001) among participants using GPA compared with those who were not. Adherence to GPA was poor, with study participants citing the absence of gastrointestinal symptoms as their main reason for non‐adherence.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of GPA in patients on regular NSAIDs does not improve their overall dyspepsia, but it reduces abdominal pain and burping. Poor adherence to GPA may be a contributing factor.
Repeated disturbances affect functional but not compositional resistance and resilience in an aquatic bacterioplankton community
Authors: Sjöstedt Johanna , Langenheder Silke , Kritzberg Emma , Karlsson Christofer M. G. , Lindström Eva S.
Published: May 2018

Disturbances are believed to be one of the main factors influencing variations in community diversity and functioning. Here we investigated if exposure to a pH press disturbance affected the composition and functional performance of a bacterial community and its resistance, recovery and resilience to a second press disturbance (salt addition). Lake bacterial assemblages were initially exposed to reduced pH in six mesocosms whereas another six mesocosms were kept as reference. Seven days after the pH disturbance, three tanks from each treatment were exposed to a salt disturbance. Both bacterial production and enzyme activity were negatively affected by the salt treatment, regardless if the communities had been subject to a previous disturbance or not. However, cell‐specific enzyme activity had a higher resistance in communities pre‐exposed to the pH disturbance compared to the reference treatment. In contrast, for cell‐specific bacterial production resistance was not affected, but recovery was faster in the communities that had previously been exposed to the pH disturbance. Over time, bacterial community composition diverged among treatments, in response to both pH and salinity. The difference in functional recovery, resilience and resistance may depend on differences in community composition caused by the pH disturbance, niche breadth or acquired stress resistance.
#Frailty: A snapshot Twitter report on frailty knowledge translation
Authors: Jha Sunita R , McDonagh Julee , Prichard Ros , Newton Phillip J , Hickman Louise D , Fung Erik , Macdonald Peter S , Ferguson Caleb
Published: May 2018

Objectives

The objectives of this short report are to: (i) explore #Frailty Twitter activity over a six‐month period; and (ii) provide a snapshot Twitter content analysis of #Frailty usage.

Methods

A mixed‐method study was conducted to explore Twitter data related to frailty. The primary search term was #Frailty. Objective 1: data were collected using Symplur analytics, including variables for total number of tweets, unique tweeters (users) and total number of impressions. Objective 2: a retrospectively conducted snapshot content analysis of 1500 #Frailty tweets was performed using TweetReach™.

Results

Over a six‐month period (1 January 2017–31 June 2017), there was a total of 6545 #Frailty tweets, generating 14.8 million impressions across 3986 participants. Of the 1500 tweets (814 retweets; 202 replies; 484 original tweets), 56% were relevant to clinical frailty. The main contributors (‘who’) were as follows: the public (29%), researchers (25%), doctors (21%), organisations (18%) and other allied health professionals (7%). Tweet main message intention (‘what’) was public health/advocacy (41%), social communication (28%), research‐based evidence/professional education (24%), professional opinion/case studies (15%) and general news/events (7%).

Conclusions

Twitter is increasingly being used to communicate about frailty. It is important that thought leaders contribute to the conversation. There is potential to leverage Twitter to promote and disseminate frailty‐related knowledge and research.
Population numbers, density and activity patterns of servals in savannah patches of Odzala‐Kokoua National Park, Republic of Congo
Authors: Bohm Torsten , Hofer Heribert
Published: May 2018

Despite its wide distribution in continental Africa, the serval (Leptailurus serval Schreber) has received relatively little scientific attention so far. We did camera‐trapping in the forest–savannah mosaic of the Odzala‐Kokoua National Park, Republic of Congo. The park's savannahs represent the northernmost extension of the savannahs of the Batéké Plateaux, a large ecoregion of open habitat in Central Africa. During 8 months of camera‐trapping, we recorded 51 individuals. Almost two‐thirds of individuals recorded belonged to the servaline morph, with a pattern mutation of small “freckled” spots. Using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian spatially explicit capture–recapture methods serval density was 7.7–9.8 individuals/100 km². ML analyses favoured a model with trap placement and gender as covariates. Serval males were largely nocturnal whereas females were mainly diurnal. Differences in activity patterns were likely related to the occurrence of spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta Erxleben). Spotted hyaenas were highly nocturnal and, consequently, had a higher overlap in activity patterns with male servals. Our study provided the first robust density estimates for this medium‐sized carnivore in Central Africa. To achieve sufficient precision in density estimates, we recommend that future studies also include individual and trap placement covariates in analyses.
Collagenase clostridium histolyticum for the treatment of Peyronie's disease: a prospective Italian multicentric study
Authors: Capece M. , Cocci A. , Russo G. , Cito G. , Giubilei G. , Cacciamani G. , Garaffa G. , Falcone M. , Timpano M. , Tasso G. , Sessa F. , Campi R. , Di Maida F. , Cai T. , Morelli G. , Giammusso B. , Verze P. , Palmieri A. , Ralph D. , Mirone V. , Mondaini N.
Published: May 2018

Peyronie's disease (PD) is a common condition which results in penile curvature making sexual intercourse difficult or impossible. Collagenase clostridium histolyticum (CCH) is the first licensed drug for the treatment of PD and is indicated in patients with palpable plaque and curvature deformity of at least 30° of curvature. However, only few monocentric studies are available in the current literature and this is the first national multicentric study focusing on this new treatment. In five Italian centres, 135 patients have completed the treatment with three injections of CCH using Ralph's shortened modified protocol. The protocol consisted of three intralesional injections of CCH (0.9 mg) given at 4‐weekly intervals in addiction to a combination of home modelling, stretching and a vacuum device on a daily basis. An improvement in the angle of curvature was recorded in 128/135 patients (94.8%) by a mean (range) of 19.1 (0–40)° or 42.9 (0–67)% from baseline (p < 0.001). There was also a statistically significant improvement in all IIEF and PDQ questionnaires subdomains (p < 0.001 in all subdomains). This prospective multicentric study confirms that the three‐injection protocol is effective enough to achieve a good result and to minimize the cost of the treatment.
Spores and soil from six sides: interdisciplinarity and the environmental biology of anthrax (Bacillus anthracis)
Authors: Carlson Colin J. , Getz Wayne M. , Kausrud Kyrre L. , Cizauskas Carrie A. , Blackburn Jason K. , Bustos Carrillo Fausto A. , Colwell Rita , Easterday W. Ryan , Ganz Holly H. , Kamath Pauline L. , Økstad Ole A. , Turner Wendy C. , Kolstø Anne‐Brit , Stenseth Nils C.
Published: May 2018

Environmentally transmitted diseases are comparatively poorly understood and managed, and their ecology is particularly understudied. Here we identify challenges of studying environmental transmission and persistence with a six‐sided interdisciplinary review of the biology of anthrax (Bacillus anthracis). Anthrax is a zoonotic disease capable of maintaining infectious spore banks in soil for decades (or even potentially centuries), and the mechanisms of its environmental persistence have been the topic of significant research and controversy. Where anthrax is endemic, it plays an important ecological role, shaping the dynamics of entire herbivore communities. The complex eco‐epidemiology of anthrax, and the mysterious biology of Bacillus anthracis during its environmental stage, have necessitated an interdisciplinary approach to pathogen research. Here, we illustrate different disciplinary perspectives through key advances made by researchers working in Etosha National Park, a long‐term ecological research site in Namibia that has exemplified the complexities of the enzootic process of anthrax over decades of surveillance. In Etosha, the role of scavengers and alternative routes (waterborne transmission and flies) has proved unimportant relative to the long‐term persistence of anthrax spores in soil and their infection of herbivore hosts. Carcass deposition facilitates green‐ups of vegetation to attract herbivores, potentially facilitated by the role of anthrax spores in the rhizosphere. The underlying seasonal pattern of vegetation, and herbivores' immune and behavioural responses to anthrax risk, interact to produce regular ‘anthrax seasons’ that appear to be a stable feature of the Etosha ecosystem. Through the lens of microbiologists, geneticists, immunologists, ecologists, epidemiologists, and clinicians, we discuss how anthrax dynamics are shaped at the smallest scale by population genetics and interactions within the bacterial communities up to the broadest scales of ecosystem structure. We illustrate the benefits and challenges of this interdisciplinary approach to disease ecology, and suggest ways anthrax might offer insights into the biology of other important pathogens. Bacillus anthracis, and the more recently emerged Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis, share key features with other environmentally transmitted pathogens, including several zoonoses and panzootics of special interest for global health and conservation efforts. Understanding the dynamics of anthrax, and developing interdisciplinary research programs that explore environmental persistence, is a critical step forward for understanding these emerging threats.
A comparison of intraoperative haemostatic techniques during tonsillectomy: Suture vs electrocautery—A study to assess postoperative pain scores and duration to resumption of normal diet
Authors: Cassano M. , Bayar Muluk N. , Di Taranto F. , Subramaniam S.
Published: May 2018

Objectives

To assess postoperative pain and pattern of recovery to normal diet in children who underwent tonsillectomy.

Methods

Cold steel tonsillectomy (or adenotonsillectomy) was performed in 61 children. Haemostasis was attained with sutures in Group 1 (n = 30, 8 tonsillectomy and 22 adenotonsillectomy), and electrocautery in Group 2 (n = 31, 6 tonsillectomy and 25 adenotonsillectomy). Information obtained included postoperative pain scores and the number of postoperative days taken to resume normal diet. The pain score was evaluated with the Wong‐Baker FACES® Pain Rating Scale (WBFS).

Results

Pain values in Group 1 (haemostasis with sutures) were significantly lower than those in Group 2 (haemostasis with cauterisation) from the 6th hour to the 7th postoperative day (P < .05). For both liquid and solid food, Group 1 returned to normal diet earlier, compared to Group 2 (P < .05). When comparing patients undergoing tonsillectomy vs adenotonsillectomy, resumption of normal diet was achieved later in the adenotonsillectomy patients (P < .05). In terms of postoperative bleeding, there were 2 significant events in Group 2 (electrocautery group), occurring on the 1st (severe) and 10th day (slight) in 2 children (6.5%). There were no postoperative bleeding events in Group 1.

Conclusion

Our results showed that suture haemostatis causes less pain and faster resumption of normal diet compared to electrocautery. In view of this, we recommend the use of sutures for achieving intraoperative haemostasis in paediatric patients.
Physical outcome measures for conductive and mixed hearing loss treatment: A systematic review
Authors: Johansson M.L. , Tysome J.R. , Hill‐Feltham P. , Hodgetts W.E. , Ostevik A. , McKinnon B.J. , Monksfield P. , Sockalingam R. , Wright T.
Published: May 2018

Background

The number of potential options for rehabilitation of patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss is continually expanding. To be able to inform patients and other stakeholders, there is a need to identify and develop patient‐centred outcomes for treatment of hearing loss.

Objective of review

To identify outcome measures in the physical core area used when reporting the outcome after treatment of conductive and mixed hearing loss in adult patients.

Type of review

Systematic review.

Search strategy

Systematic review of the literature related to reported physical outcome measures after treatment of mixed or conductive hearing loss without restrictions regarding type of intervention, treatment or device.

Evaluation method

Any measure reporting the physical outcome after treatment or intervention of mixed or conductive hearing loss was sought and categorised. The physical outcome measures that had been extracted were then grouped into domains.

Results

The literature search resulted in the identification of 1434 studies, of which 153 were selected for inclusion in the review. The majority (57%) of papers reported results from middle ear surgery, with the remainder reporting results from either bone conduction hearing devices or middle ear implants. Outcomes related to complications were categorised into 17 domains, whereas outcomes related to treatment success was categorised into 22 domains.

Conclusions

The importance of these domains to patients and other stakeholders needs to be further explored in order to establish which of these domains are most relevant to interventions for conductive or mixed hearing loss. This will allow us to then assess which outcome measures are most suitable for inclusion in the core set.
Morphology quiz: Pericardial effusion as first manifestation of malignancy
Authors: Martínez‐Girón R. , Martínez‐Torre S.
Published: May 2018

We report a case of pericardial effusion in a 56‐year‐old female as the initial presentation of multiple myeloma. Serous‐haemorrhagic fluid was obtained through a pericardiocentesis. A Papanicolaou stained smear, immunocytochemistry and a bone marrow biopsy illustrate this case.
Aspirate from an abdominal lump in a known case of breast carcinoma
Authors: Tanwar P. , Das P. , Barwad A. , Shukla N. , Ramteke P.
Published: May 2018

In this report we describe the means of diagnosing an incidental abdominal wall lump in an otherwise asymptomatic patient who had a history of previously treated breast carcinoma. FNAC and excision showed the lesion to be a granular cell tumor. Granular cell tumors are quite rare in subcutaneous tissue. FNAC is easily available, widely acceptable and minimally invasive and it can readily be used to screen and characterize such lesions.
Bimanual tasks in unilateral cerebral palsy: one hand clapping?
Authors: Basu Anna Purna
Published: May 2018

This commentary is on the original article by Gaillard et al. on pages 839–845 of this issue.
Free and fixed‐ratio combinations of basal insulin and GLP‐1 receptor agonists versus basal insulin intensification in type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Maiorino Maria Ida , Chiodini Paolo , Bellastella Giuseppe , Scappaticcio Lorenzo , Longo Miriam , Esposito Katherine , Giugliano Dario
Published: May 2018

A meta‐analysis is presented of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing free or fixed combinations of a glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist plus basal insulin versus insulin intensification on metabolic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Electronic databases were searched for RCTs assessing changes in HbA1c, proportion of patients at HbA1c target of <7% (53 mmol/mol), hypoglycaemia and body weight. A random‐effect model was used to calculate the weighted mean difference (WMD) or relative risk (RR) with 95% CI. Eleven RCTs were identified, lasting 24–30 weeks and involving 6176 patients. In the overall analysis, the combination therapy led to a mean HbA1c decrease significantly greater than insulin up‐titration (WMD −0.53%, 95% CI, −0.66, −0.40%, P < 0.001), more patients at HbA1c target (RR 1.69, 95% CI, 1.42, 2.00, P < 0.001), similar hypoglycaemic events (RR 0.97, 95% CI, 0.84, 1.12, P = 0.114), and reduction in body weight (WMD −1.9, 95% CI −2.3, −1.4, P < 0.001), with heterogeneity (I2 > 71%, P < 0.001). Results did not differ in either the free or fixed combination subgroups. Combination strategies, either free or fixed, represent a good option for intensifying basal insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes who need amelioration of glycaemic control.
Immune complex‐induced neutrophil functions: A focus on cell death
Authors: Vermeren Sonja , Karmakar Utsa , Rossi Adriano G.
Published: May 2018

Neutrophils are amongst the first cells to be recruited to sites of infection or trauma. Neutrophil functional responsiveness is tightly regulated by many agents including immune complexes. These immune cells can generate reactive oxygen species and degranulate to release abundant cytotoxic products, making them efficient at killing invading microorganisms. If neutrophil function is dysregulated, however, these cells have the potential to cause unwanted host tissue damage as exemplified by pathological and chronic inflammatory conditions. In physiological inflammation, once the initial insult has efficiently been dealt with, neutrophils are thought to leave the tissues or undergo programmed cells death, especially apoptosis. Apoptotic neutrophils are then rapidly removed by other phagocytes, primarily macrophages, by mechanisms that do not elicit a pro‐inflammatory response. In this review, we discuss the interesting observations and consequences that immune complexes have on neutrophil cell death processes such as apoptosis.
PARLIAMENT SHAPES AND SIZES
Authors: Godefroy Raphael , Klein Nicolas
Published: May 2018

This paper proposes a model of Parliamentary institutions in which a society makes three decisions behind the veil of ignorance: whether a Parliament should comprise one or two chambers, what the relative bargaining power of each chamber should be if the Parliament is bicameral, and how many legislators should sit in each chamber. We document empirical regularities across countries that are consistent with the predictions of our model. (JEL D71, D72)
Morgan's Canon: Is it still a useful rule of thumb?
Authors: Zentall Thomas R.
Published: May 2018

For over 100 years, Morgan's Canon has served as the criterion for distinguishing what appears to be complex cognitive processes shown by animals from simpler associative learning processes (Pavlovian and instrumental conditioning). Morgan's () canon states “In no case is an animal activity to be interpreted in terms of higher psychological processes if it can be fairly interpreted in terms of processes which stand lower in the scale of psychological evolution and development.” In the present article, several examples are provided in which complex human‐like processes are proposed to have been demonstrated but the judicious use of Morgan's Canon suggests that simpler mechanisms may be sufficient to account for the behavior. The use of Morgan's Canon is not meant to reduce behavior to its lowest common denominator but rather to challenge investigators to develop procedures that can distinguish between simple behavioral principles and the more complex processes that cannot be explained in terms of genetics or simple conditioning. Whatever the results of these experiments, they should help identify the underlying processes and mechanisms involved.
Vascular morphology in normal skin studied with dynamic optical coherence tomography
Authors: Lindsø Andersen Pernille , Olsen Jonas , Friis Kersti Brosbøl Engelund , Themstrup Lotte , Grandahl Kasper , Mortensen Ole Steen , Jemec Gregor Borut Ernst
Published: May 2018

Dynamic optical coherence tomography (D‐OCT) is a non‐invasive imaging technique, suitable for the study of structural and dynamic features of cutaneous microvasculature. Studies with D‐OCT have primarily focused on non‐melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), and a reference description of healthy skin is lacking. The aim of the study was to describe the prevalence of standard microvascular features in normal skin. A total of 280 participants without skin disease were D‐OCT–scanned on four body locations: three sun‐exposed areas and one unexposed: forehead, back of the neck, back of the hand and medial side of the upper arm. Frequencies of standard vascular features were reported, and relations to anatomical location and demographic data were investigated. “Dots,” “lines” and “curves” were the most frequent shapes at 150 μm, 300 μm and 500 μm. “Mottle” was the predominant pattern at 150 μm and 300 μm. “Mesh” was found from 300 μm and primarily found at 500 μm. Regional differences in vascular characteristics were primarily found comparing the medial side of the arm with the other body locations. In normal skin, the most frequent shapes were “dots,” “lines” and “curves,” and “mottle” was present more superficially than “mesh.” In conclusion, regional anatomical differences should be taken into account when evaluating D‐OCT images.
Lobaplatin inhibits prostate cancer progression in part by impairing AR and ERG signal
Authors: Chen Lei , Cao Hongwen , Yu Chao , Feng Yigeng
Published: May 2018

Lobaplatin is the third‐generation platinum drug that has been shown promising antitumor activity in preclinical studies and clinical trials for multiple human cancers except prostate cancer. In this study, we investigated the role of lobaplatin on prostate cancer progression and the underlying molecular mechanism. We treated a variety of prostate cancer cell lines with different doses of lobaplatin and examined cell cycle progression, cell apoptosis, cell proliferation, and cell migration. Moreover, we also assessed the in‐vivo antitumor activity of lobaplatin using xenograft mouse model. Importantly, we further dissected the underlying molecular mechanism by examining the expression of AR and ERG, as well as their downstream targets. We found that lobaplatin arrested cell cycle progression in G2/M phase and trigged cell apoptosis. Lobaplatin also dramatically inhibited cell proliferation and migration in vitro. Consistently, lobaplatin significantly suppressed tumor growth in xenograft mouse model. Mechanistically, the expression of AR and ERG, as well as their downstream targets, was markedly decreased upon treatment with lobaplatin in prostate cancer cells. Altogether, our results suggest that lobaplatin displayed favorable antitumor activity on prostate cancer both in vitro and in vivo, providing molecular basis and rational for using lobaplatin to combat human prostate cancer.