bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Characterisation of the endocrine pancreas in type 1 diabetes: islet size is maintained but islet number is markedly reduced
Authors: Seiron Peter , Wiberg Anna , Kuric Enida , Krogvold Lars , Jahnsen Frode L , Dahl‐Jørgensen Knut , Skog Oskar , Korsgren Olle 
Published: September 2019

AbstractInsulin deficiency in type 1 diabetes (T1D) is generally considered a consequence of immune‐mediated specific beta‐cell loss. Since healthy pancreatic islets consist of ~65% beta cells, this would lead to reduced islet size, while the number of islets per pancreas volume (islet density) would not be affected. In this study, we compared the islet density, size, and size distribution in biopsies from subjects with recent‐onset or long‐standing T1D, with that in matched non‐diabetic subjects. The results presented show preserved islet size and islet size distribution, but a marked reduction in islet density in subjects with recent onset T1D compared with non‐diabetic subjects. No further reduction in islet density occurred with increased disease duration. Insulin‐negative islets in T1D subjects were dominated by glucagon‐positive cells that often had lost the alpha‐cell transcription factor ARX while instead expressing PDX1, normally only expressed in beta cells within the islets. Based on our findings, we propose that failure to establish a sufficient islet number to reach the beta‐cell mass needed to cope with episodes of increased insulin demand contributes to T1D susceptibility. Exhaustion induced by relative lack of beta cells could then potentially drive beta‐cell dedifferentiation to alpha‐cells, explaining the preserved islet size observed in T1D compared to controls.
Adolescent but not adult Sprague‐Dawley rats display goal‐directed responding after reward devaluation
Authors: Towner Trevor Theodore , Fager Michael , Spear Linda Patia 
Published: September 2019

AbstractAlcohol drinking is typically initiated in adolescence, with use sometimes escalating to problematic levels. Escalation of drinking is often associated with a shift in drinking motives, with goal‐directed initial use later transitioning to more habitual behavior. This study assessed whether adolescents are more sensitive than adults to habit formation when indexed via insensitivity to reward devaluation in an operant task for food reward. Adolescent and adult Sprague‐Dawley rats were trained on either a random ratio (RR) or random interval (RI) schedule before undergoing devaluation. Adolescent animals on both schedules increased the number of lever presses across all training days. In contrast, adults in the RR group increased the number of lever presses across days whereas RI adults remained relatively stable. In response to pellet devaluation, only adolescents exhibited reduced responding, suggestive of goal‐directed behavior, whereas no age differences were evident following control (home cage chow) devaluation. Contrary to our hypothesis, adolescents (but not adults) displayed goal‐directed responding indexed via sensitivity to reward devaluation. These findings suggest that adolescents are not necessarily more likely to develop habits than adults, and hence other factors may contribute to the greater propensity of adolescents to engage in and escalate alcohol use.
Large local reaction to Hymenoptera stings: Sound studies are needed to change a shared concept
Authors: Pucci Stefano , Incorvaia Cristoforo , Romano Antonino 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe natural history of large local reactions to Hymenoptera stings allowed to estimate the risk to develop a systemic reaction after an initial large local reaction in about 4% of patients. A recently published study claimed that such risk concerns instead around one‐fourth of patients. However, such study is flawed by serious imprecision, particularly the unreliable identification by patients of the culprit insect, as well as the dubious identification of the causative venom in multisensitized patients. Also, the authors criticized previous studied because of the limited number of patients, while they included in the study 662 patients. Indeed, when only patients clearly restung by the same insect according to their history data were considered, the number of patients fell to 35. These data are unable to change the current shared concept on the low risk of systemic reactions in patients with initial large local reaction.
A systematic review of the effectiveness, safety, and acceptability of medical management of intrauterine fetal death at 14–28 weeks of gestation
Authors: Cleeve Amanda , Fønhus Marita Sporstøl , Lavelanet Antonella 
Published: September 2019

AbstractBackgroundOptimal dose, interval, and administration route of misoprostol with added benefit of mifepristone for management of second trimester intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) are not established.ObjectivesTo assess effectiveness, safety, and acceptability of medical management of second trimester IUFD.Search strategyResearch databases from January 2006 to October 2018.Selection criteriaRandomized controlled trials with IUFD cases at 14–28 weeks of gestation.Data collection and analysisWe screened and extracted data, assessed risk of bias, conducted analyses, and assessed overall certainty of the evidence.Main resultsSixteen trials from 1695 citations. When misoprostol is used alone, 400 μg is more effective than 200 μg (RR 0.78; 95% CI, 0.66–0.92, moderate certainty evidence); the sublingual route is more effective than the oral route (RR 0.88; 95% CI, 0.70–1.11, low certainty evidence). There may be little to no difference between the sublingual and vaginal route (RR 0.93; 95% CI, 0.85–1.03, low certainty evidence). Certainty of evidence related to mifepristone–misoprostol regimens and safety and acceptability is very low.ConclusionsMisoprostol 400 μg every 4 hours, sublingually or vaginally, may be effective. We cannot draw conclusions about safety and acceptability, or about the added benefits of mifepristone.
Photobiomodulation Increases Viability in Full‐Thickness Grafts in Rats Submitted to Nicotine
Authors: de Souza Thamires R. , de Souza Ana Karina , Garcia Sérgio B. , das Neves Lais M. S. , Barbosa Rafael I. , de Jesus Guirro Rinaldo R. , de Oliveira Guirro Elaine C. 
Published: September 2019

Background and ObjectivesPhotobiomodulation (PBM) therapy with 830 nm wavelength or 660 wavelength to compare the effects with parameters of 30 mW, 0.028 cm2, 9.34 seconds, and 3.64 J on the total integration of total skin grafts in rats submitted to nicotine.Study Design/Materials and MethodsSixty male Wistar rats were divided in six groups: Sham—skin‐grafting surgery; 830 nm—skin‐grafting followed by 830 nm irradiation; 660 nm—skin grafting followed by 660 nm irradiation; Nicotine—subjected to subcutaneous nicotine injection (2 mg/kg twice a day for 4 weeks), followed by skin grafting; Group Nicotine/830 nm—similar to Group Nicotine, followed by 830 nm irradiation; Group Nicotine/660 nm—similar to Group Nicotine, followed by 660 nm irradiation. The percentage contraction of the grafting tissue was evaluated through ImageJ®. The thickness of the epidermis, inflammatory infiltrates, and the space between the implanted tissue and receptor bed were determined by histology; and the expression of vascular growth factor and blood vessel density (factor VIII) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry.ResultsThe PBM at both wavelengths promoted a facilitating effect on the integration of the skin graft under nicotine and had a more significant effect on the thickness of the epidermis and expression of angiogenesis without nicotine at a wavelength of 830 nm. Different wavelengths influence responses related to the viability of cutaneous grafts in rats submitted to nicotine.ConclusionsThe PBM with 830 nm and 660 nm promoted beneficial results in skin grafts submitted to the deleterious action of nicotine. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Application of Ultrasound Thermal Imaging for Monitoring Laser Ablation in Ex Vivo Cardiac Tissue
Authors: Park Suhyun , Hwang Jieun , Park Jung‐Eun , Ahn Yeh‐Chan , Kang Hyun Wook 
Published: September 2019

Background and ObjectiveLaser ablation can be used to treat atrial fibrillation by thermally isolating pulmonary veins. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of high‐resolution (<1 mm) ultrasound thermal imaging to monitor spatial temperature distribution during laser ablation on ex vivo cardiac tissue.Study Design/Materials and MethodsLaser ablation (808 nm) was performed on five porcine cardiac tissue samples. A thermocouple was used to measure the interstitial tissue temperature during the laser ablation process. Tissue‐strain‐based ultrasound thermal imaging was conducted to monitor the spatial distribution of the temperature in the cardiac tissue. The tissue temperature was estimated from the time shifts of ultrasound signals owing to the changes in the speed of sound and was compared with the measured temperature. The temperature estimation coefficient k of porcine cardiac tissue was calculated from the estimated thermal strain and the measured temperature. The degree of tissue coagulation (temperatures > 50°C) was derived from the estimated temperature and was compared with that of the tested cardiac tissue.ResultsThe estimated tissue temperature using strain‐based ultrasound thermal imaging at a depth of 1 mm agreed with thermocouple measurements. During the 30‐second period of the laser ablation process, the estimated tissue temperature increased from 25 to 70°C at a depth of 0.1 mm, while the estimated temperature at a depth of 1 mm increased up to 46°C. Owing to the uncertainty of the coefficient k, the k value of the porcine cardiac tissue varied from 160 to 220°C with temperature changes of up to 20°C. The estimated coagulation region in the ultrasound thermal imaging was 20% wider (+0.6 mm) but 9% shallower (−0.1 mm) than the measured region of the ablated porcine cardiac tissue.ConclusionsThe current study demonstrated the feasibility of temperature monitoring with the use of ultrasound thermal imaging during the laser ablation on ex vivo porcine cardiac tissue. The high‐resolution ultrasound thermal imaging could map the spatial distribution of the tissue temperature. The proposed method can be used to monitor the temperature and thermal coagulation to achieve effective laser ablation for atrial fibrillation. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mosaic complete tetrasomy 21 in a fetus with complete atrioventricular septal defect and minor morphological variations
Authors: Gatinois Vincent , Bigi Nicole , Mousty Eve , Chiesa Jean , Musizzano Yuri , Schneider Anouck , Lefort Geneviève , Pinson Lucile , Gaillard Jean‐Baptiste , Ragon Clémence , Perez Marie‐Josée , Tournaire Magali , Blanchet Patricia , Corsini Carole , Haquet Emmanuelle , Callier Patrick , Geneviève David , Pellestor Franck , Puechberty Jacques 
Published: September 2019

AbstractBackgroundTetrasomy 21 is a very rare aneuploidy which could clinically resemble a Down syndrome. It was most often described in its partial form than complete. We report the prenatal, pathological and genetic characteristics of a fetus with mosaic complete tetrasomy 21. This is the second well‐documented description of a complete tetrasomy 21 in the literature.MethodsPrenatal and fetal pathological examinations, cytogenetic and molecular analyses were performed to characterize fetal features with tetrasomy 21.ResultsPrenatal ultrasound examination revealed an isolated complete atrioventricular septal defect with normal karyotype on amniotic fluid. After termination of pregnancy, clinical examination of the fetus evoked trisomy 21 or Down syndrome. Chromosomal microarray analysis and FISH on lung tissue showed a mosaicism with four copies of chromosome 21 (tetrasomy 21).ConclusionOur observation and the review of the literature reported the possibility of very weak mosaicism and disease‐causing confined tissue‐specific mosaicism in fetus or alive patients with chromosome 21 aneuploidy, mainly Down syndrome. In case of clinical diagnosis suggestive of Down syndrome, attention must be paid to the risk of false‐negative test due to chromosomal mosaicism (very weak percentage, different tissue distribution). To overcome this risk, it is necessary to privilege the diagnostic techniques without culture step and to increase the number of cells and tissues analyzed, if possible. This study highlights the limits of microarray as the unique diagnostic approach in case of weak mosaic and French cytogenetics guidelines recommend to check anomalies seen in microarray by another technique on the same tissue.
Homozygous missense variant in BMPR1A resulting in BMPR signaling disruption and syndromic features
Authors: Russell Bianca E. , Rigueur Diana , Weaver Kathryn N. , Sund Kristen , Basil Janet S. , Hufnagel Robert B. , Prows Cynthia A. , Oestreich Alan , Al‐Gazali Lihadh , Hopkin Robert J , Saal Howard M. , Lyons Karen , Dauber Andrew 
Published: September 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway is known to play an imperative role in bone, cartilage, and cardiac tissue formation. Truncating, heterozygous variants, and deletions of one of the essential receptors in this pathway, Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptor Type1A (BMPR1A), have been associated with autosomal dominant juvenile polyposis. Heterozygous deletions have also been associated with cardiac and minor skeletal anomalies. Populations with atrioventricular septal defects are enriched for rare missense BMPR1A variants.MethodsWe report on a patient with a homozygous missense variant in BMPR1A causing skeletal abnormalities, growth failure a large atrial septal defect, severe subglottic stenosis, laryngomalacia, facial dysmorphisms, and developmental delays.ResultsFunctional analysis of this variant shows increased chondrocyte death for cells with the mutated receptor, increased phosphorylated R‐Smads1/5/8, and loss of Sox9 expression mediated by decreased phosphorylation of p38.ConclusionThis homozygous missense variant in BMPR1A appears to cause a distinct clinical phenotype.
Exploring the effectiveness of structured language learning experiences for bilinguals in a language acquisition course
Authors: McCrocklin Shannon 
Published: September 2019

Research has shown that preservice teachers’ beliefs are engrained and difficult to change through teacher education programs. Yet work to examine and improve teacher education shows programs can affect beliefs. Many programs use teaching practicums, but this research study examines a different experiential approach, structured language learning experiences (SLLEs), and its potential for enhancing teacher education. Whereas many SLLE studies have focused on monolinguals, this study examines bilinguals along the U.S.‐Mexico border. Participants’ (N = 70) changes in beliefs about language learning were examined through an SLLE using French embedded in a university course in language acquisition using pre‐ and post‐SLLE questionnaires and focus groups. The results show that participants’ beliefs changed during the course, including heightened recognition of the role of anxiety, self‐esteem, and introversion/extroversion, while decreasing the emphasis put on intelligence in language learning. Further, the participants showed greater recognition of the relative difficulty of language learning, a belief found resistant to change in previous research. Finally, participants reported that they enjoyed the SLLE experience, it helped make connections with course readings, and it increased their empathy for second language learners. Given the results, SLLEs are recommended as a potential experiential project for inclusion in teacher education programs serving bilinguals.
Spontaneous scalarization of boson stars
Authors: Brihaye Yves , Hartmann Betti 
Published: September 2019

AbstractWe study the spontaneous scalarization of spherically symmetric, asymptoically flat boson stars in the (αℛ +γ$$ \mathcal{G} $$G)ϕ2scalar-tensor gravity model. These compact objects are made of a complex valued scalar field that has harmonic time dependence, while their space-time is static and they can reach densities and masses similar to that of supermassive black holes. We find that boson stars can be scalarized for both signs of the scalar-tensor coupling α andγ, respectively. This is, in particular, true for boson stars that area prioristable with respect to decay into individual bosonic particles. A fundamental difference between theα- andγ-scalarization exists, though: while we find an interval inα> 0 for which boson stars canneverbe scalarized whenγ= 0, there is no restriction onγ≠ 0 whenα= 0. Typically, two branches of solutions exist that differ in the way the boson star gets scalarized: either the scalar field is maximal at the center of the star, or on a shell with finite radius which roughly corresponds to the outer radius of the boson star. We also demonstrate that the former solutions can be radially excited.
Microsatellite instability and immune checkpoint inhibitors: toward precision medicine against gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary cancers
Authors: Eso Yuji , Shimizu Takahiro , Takeda Haruhiko , Takai Atsushi , Marusawa Hiroyuki 
Published: September 2019

AbstractRecent innovations in the next-generation sequencing technologies have unveiled that the accumulation of genetic alterations results in the transformation of normal cells into cancer cells. Accurate and timely repair of DNA is, therefore, essential for maintaining genetic stability. Among various DNA repair pathways, the mismatch repair (MMR) pathway plays a pivotal role. MMR deficiency leads to a molecular feature of microsatellite instability (MSI) and predisposes to cancer. Recent studies revealed that MSI-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) tumors, regardless of their primary site, have a promising response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), leading to the approval of the anti-programmed cell death protein 1 monoclonal antibody pembrolizumab for the treatment of advanced or recurrent MSI-H/dMMR solid tumors that continue to progress after conventional chemotherapies. This new indication marks a paradigm shift in the therapeutic strategy of cancers; however, when considering the optimum indication for ICIs and their safe and effective usage, it is important for clinicians to understand the genetic and immunologic features of each tumor. In this review, we describe the molecular basis of the MMR pathway, diagnostics of MSI status, and the clinical importance of MSI status and the tumor mutation burden in developing therapeutic strategies against gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary malignancies.
The Back-Door Governance of Crime: Confiscating Criminal Assets in the UK
Authors: Chistyakova Yulia , Wall David S. , Bonino Stefano 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe policy and practice of confiscating criminal assets to control crime and recover illicit wealth has come to occupy a central position in national and international policing and security agendas. However, this practice has raised many questions about agencies’ abilities to measure success and also the social impacts of asset confiscation. This article contributes to the crime control debates by exploring contemporary literature and drawing upon a subset of data from the Joint Asset Recovery Database (JARD). The first part of the article briefly outlines the key legislative provisions of asset recovery in the UK. The second part explores what the JARD data tells us about the performance of the confiscation of proceeds of crime approach and it will argue that seizing illicit wealth has not been the main priority for government. It will argue instead that the proceeds of crime approach, originally designed to target the most serious and organised crime, has effectively become a disciplining and symbolic tool against relatively lower level acquisitive crimes. It concludes that while technical measures of impact remain inconclusive, it is more important to subject the ideological underpinnings of the proceeds of crime law to critical scrutiny.
Tracking and managing deemed abilities
Authors: Troquard Nicolas 
Published: September 2019

AbstractInformation about the powers and abilities of acting entities is used to coordinate their actions in societies, either physical or digital. Yet, the commonsensical meaning of an acting entity being deemed able to do something is still missing from the existing specification languages for the web or for multi-agent systems. We advance a general purpose abstract logical account of evidence-based ability. A basic model can be thought of as the ongoing trace of a multi-agent system. Every state records systemic confirmations and disconfirmations of whether an acting entity is able to bring about something. Qualitative inductive reasoning is then used in order to infer what acting entities are deemed able to bring about in the multi-agent system. A temporalised modal language is used to talk about deemed ability, actual agency, and confirmation and disconfirmation of deemed ability. What constitutes a confirmation and a disconfirmation is left to the modeller as in general it depends on the application at hand. So to illustrate the methodology we propose two extended examples, one in practical philosophy, the other in system engineering. We first use a logic of agency and ability to obtain a version of Mele’s general practical abilities. Then, we look at the management of abilities in a supervised system.
A retrospective study of Newcastle disease in Kenya
Authors: Apopo Auleria A. , Kariithi Henry M. , Ateya Leonard O. , Binepal Yatinder S. , Sirya Jane H. , Dulu Thomas D. , Welch Catharine N. , Hernandez Sonia M. , Afonso Claudio L. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractNewcastle disease (ND) is a major constraint to Kenya’s poultry production, which is comprised of approximately 80% indigenous chickens (ICs; caged and free-range system) and 20% exotic chickens (intensive system). This study analyzed cases reported as suspected ND in Kenya between 2005 and 2015. Of the suspected 332 ND reported cases from the three production systems in 27 locations within six Kenyan Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZs), 140 diagnosed as infected with avian orthoavulavirus 1 (AOaV-1; formerly Newcastle disease virus) were present in every year in all AEZs. The numbers of AOaV-1-positive cases differed significantly (p < 0.05) between the production systems across the years depending on the season, climate, and location. In the free-range system, both ambient temperatures and season associated significantly (p = 0.001 and 0.02, respectively) with the number of cases, while in the intensive and caged systems, the positive cases correlated significantly with season and relative humidity, respectively (p = 0.05). Regardless of the production systems, the numbers of clinically sick birds positively correlated with the ambient temperatures (r = 0.6;p < 0.05). Failure to detect AOaV-1 in 58% of the ND cases reported, and mortalities exceeding the observed numbers of clinically sick birds suggest deficiencies in the current ND reporting and diagnostic system. Intensive farmers were the slowest in reporting the cases and diagnostic deficiencies were most evident by failure to test the exposure of ICs to natural infection with AOaV-1 and for the AOaV-1-negative cases lack of testing for other pathogens and/or AOaV-1 variants. This study indicates a need for improved surveillance and diagnostics in Kenyan domestic poultry.