bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Animal models of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
Authors: Iijima Masahiro 
Published: May 2018

AbstractChronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is characterized by a relapsing or chronic progressive course and immune‐mediating pathogenesis targeting the peripheral nervous system. The prevalence rate of CIDP is 1.6 to eight cases per 100 000 people, and the disorder is predominant among males. Immune‐modulating therapies, such as intravenous immunoglobulin, corticosteroids and plasmapheresis, are equally effective in classical CIDP. However, the pathogenesis of CIDP is heterogeneous, and atypical variants have been recognized as poor or non‐responders to these therapeutic approaches. For example, immunoglobulin G4 autoantibodies targeting paranodal molecules (neurofascin‐155, contactin‐1 and Caspr‐1) are thought to be involved in patients with unique findings (distal dominant and sensory ataxia with postural tremor, and non‐responders to intravenous immunoglobulin). Thus, it is necessary to decompose each immunological background to develop novel therapeutic approaches. Importantly, animal models for immune‐mediated neuropathies have provided substantial information about autoimmune mechanisms. The traditional experimental autoimmune neuritis model of acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and a recent variety of spontaneous autoimmune polyneuropathy models based on non‐obese diabetes mice have provided valuable knowledge about the chronicity of immunopathogenesis. Here, we describe the representative subtypes of CIDP and their presumed pathogenesis, and discuss animal models that could extend understanding of this diversity.
Session 1: Colon cancer – 10 years behind the rectum
Authors: Tudyka V. , Madoff R. , Wale A. , Laurberg S. , Yano H. , Brown G. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe improvements in surgical technique brought about by the widespread adoption of total mesorectal excision plane dissection in rectal cancer has substantially improved survival and recurrence rates from this disease. For the first time in 50 years, the outcomes in rectal cancer have overtaken those of colon cancer. Professor Madoff's overview lecture and the experts’ round table discussion address whether applying the surgical principles already achieved in rectal cancer can meet with similar success in colon cancer, how this can be achieved and the challenges we face.
Session 3: Beyond the boundaries of Total Mesorectal Excision – where surgeons fear to tread
Authors: Patel A. , Holm T. , Wale A. , Rutten H. , Nicholls J. , Hawkins M. , Steele R. J. C. , Marks J. , Brown G. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractApproximately 10–15% of patients present with an advanced rectal cancer that extends beyond the conventional total mesorectal excision (TME) planes. In such cases extending the surgery to ensure resection with clear margins (R0 resection) is essential in order to achieve long‐term cure. Professor Holm describes the techniques of beyond‐TME exenterative surgery, the methods of patient selection and outcomes.
Possible impact of immunosuppressive therapy regimens on histopathologic outcomes of abnormal uterine bleeding in solid‐organ transplant recipients
Authors: Tohma Yusuf Aytac , Akilli Huseyin , Kirnap Mahir , Haberal Asuman Nihan , Akyel Dilan , Zengin Hatice Yagmur , Zeyneloglu Hulusi Bulent , Kuscu Esra , Ayhan Ali , Haberal Mehmet 
Published: May 2018

AbstractBackgroundIn this study, we aimed to determine the frequency of histopathologic outcomes of solid‐organ transplantation in women with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) receiving immunosuppressive therapies.MethodsThis is a retrospective study including a single‐center experience. Data were extracted from hospital records, and solid‐organ transplant recipients who were diagnosed with AUB were included.ResultsFifty‐five of these patients were renal transplant recipients (79.7%), and 14 were liver transplant recipients (20.3%). Histopathologic examination showed various histopathologic patterns of endometrium in patients with AUB consisting of normal histopathologic findings of endometrium in 31 patients (48.4%); 29 hormonal imbalance during proliferative and secretory phases of menstrual cycle and two atrophic endometrium. Endometrial hyperplasia without atypia was observed in 11 patients (17.2%). Polyp was seen in 22 patients (34.4%); 21 endometrial polyp and one endocervical polyp. There were significant differences in terms of histopathologic findings among the three groups of patients according to different immunosuppressive regimens (P = .029). There was no endometrial hyperplasia in women receiving sirolimus‐based immunosuppressive regimens. Moreover, there was no endometrial hyperplasia in the liver transplant recipient group.ConclusionsSirolimus‐based immunosuppressive regimens may be administered to patients who have risk factors for endometrial precancerous lesions, such as endometrial hyperplasia. However, additional well‐designed, large‐scale studies are warranted to confirm our findings.
Heritage Education in The Archaeological Sites. An Identity Approach in The Museum of Calatayud
Authors: Rivero Pilar , Fontal Merillas Olaia , García‐Ceballos Silvia , Martínez Rodríguez Marta 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe present paper reports on a case study performed on the Museum of Calatayud's educational program where the latter is showcased as a didactic model for the museumization of archaeological remains in the Iberian Peninsula (museum and site). This research has been developed by the Spanish Heritage Education Observatory (SHEO) in conjunction with the University of Zaragoza's CIVITAS project. The study shows a qualitative approach and is based on the comprehensive evaluation of the program's educational design and implementation resulting from a previous analysis of a sample consisting of N = 223 educational programs on archeological heritage. The evaluation has been conducted by using the SHEO method, whose aim is to gain deeper insights into educational practices by means of a standards‐based assessment of their underlying designs. Following the results of this study, the Museum of Calatayud appears as a clear benchmark: an institution that stands out because of its holistic conception and an approach that addresses issues of symbolism and identity in order to raise the population's awareness of its legacy and the importance of education inspired by heritage‐related values of respect and protection. Our research enables us to draw up a decalogue of key actions which we do not mean to be transferable to other contexts, but rather to provide an example or a starting point for future educational designs and implementations by the museum community and heritage institutions.
Handle with Care! A Qualitative Comparison of the Fragile States Index's Bottom Three Countries: Central African Republic, Somalia and South Sudan
Authors: Glawion Tim , de Vries Lotje , Mehler Andreas 
Published: May 2018

ABSTRACTFor the past four years, the Fund for Peace has ranked the Central African Republic, Somalia and South Sudan as the ‘most fragile states’ in the world, in its annual Fragile States Index (FSI). The three countries’ almost identical scores suggest comparability; however, critics raise concerns about the FSI's data aggregation methods, and its conflation of causes and consequences. This article treads the uncharted path of unpacking the empirical realities that hide behind FSI indicators. Drawing on data collected during field research in the three states, the authors investigate three security indicators (security apparatus, factionalized elites, and external intervention) and propose an alternative, qualitative appreciation. Each country's fragility is based on how security forces, elites and interventions evolved over time and installed themselves differently in each region of the country. The qualitative assessment presented here shows that not every indicator matters in all cases at all times or throughout the country. Most crucially, the authors unveil enormous differences between and within the FSI's three ‘most fragile states’. Such variations call for better‐adapted and more flexible intervention strategies, and for quantitative comparisons to be qualitatively grounded.
The Invisible Hand that Rocks the Cradle: On the Limits of Time Use Surveys
Authors: Lentz Erin , Bezner Kerr Rachel , Patel Raj , Dakishoni Laifolo , Lupafya Esther 
Published: May 2018

ABSTRACTAlmost every intervention in the field of international agricultural development — from microcredit finance to fertilizer subsidies to trade policy — has come to recognize gender, and relationships within households, as important. Yet most interventions continue to treat the household as a ‘black box’, with changes within the household measured by the effects on income, anthropometry, health, or other secondary metrics within bargaining models. In this context, there has been increasing interest in time use studies as a way to peer inside this black box. This article offers a review of methods and identifies some of the difficulties facing time use studies in capturing intrahousehold dynamics, and presents the results of a two‐season simultaneous activity time use study in Malawi which aimed to address these difficulties. The results suggest significant limitations to time use surveys. The kinds of reproductive labour that often interest researchers may be invisible to the women responding to time use surveys, with the result that care work is dramatically under‐reported. The authors discuss the implications of the divergence between researchers’ concerns and the women's reports of their lives for time use surveys, and for feminist development research methods more broadly.
Exploring personality in Australian dentistry students: Implications for coping with a challenging degree
Authors: Stormon N. , Ford P. J. , Eley D. S. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractIntroductionDentistry is known to be a challenging degree and students are often under considerable academic pressure which may lead to stress and difficulties in coping. Personality influences coping ability, yet very little is known about the personality traits of dentistry students. This study aimed to describe the personality profiles of students enrolled in an Australian undergraduate dental degree.MethodsStudents enrolled in year one and two of the undergraduate dental programme at The University of Queensland were invited to complete an online survey which included the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Personality was measured by four dimensions of temperament: Novelty Seeking, Harm Avoidance, Reward Dependence and Persistence; and three‐character traits: Self‐Directedness, Cooperativeness and Self‐Transcendence. Data analysis was mostly descriptive, and t tests and univariate statistics compared groups.ResultsParticipants (n = 134; 97% response rate; females = 51%) were generally single, spoke another language at home and lived in shared accommodation. The majority (55%) were 20‐29 years old, and 40% were international students. The sample had average levels of all TCI traits, except for Cooperativeness which was high.ConclusionsThis sample of dentistry students portrayed a profile of temperament and character similar to profiles of other health profession students with the intellectual ability and drives to undertake a competitive and challenging degree. Longitudinal studies are needed to track changes in personality throughout the degree. This would provide insight into how and when to best support students.
Effects of a ceramide‐containing water‐in‐oil ointment on skin barrier function and allergen penetration in an IL‐31 treated 3D model of the disrupted skin barrier
Authors: Huth Sebastian , Schmitt Laurenz , Marquardt Yvonne , Heise Ruth , Lüscher Bernhard , Amann Philipp M. , Baron Jens M. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractAtopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronically relapsing, pruritic inflammation of the skin with dryness and disturbed skin barrier function. Recently, we established that IL‐31 treatment of human 3D skin models resulted in a disrupted skin barrier phenotype resembling AD. In this model, we found that IL‐31 interferes with the differentiation of keratinocytes and inhibits the expression of terminal differentiation markers. In the present study, we investigated the effects of a ceramide‐containing water‐in‐oil skin care ointment on the physical skin barrier structure and function in disrupted skin barrier models, generated either by using primary normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) or HaCaT cells. We observed that the physical skin barrier of the models recovered after daily topical treatment with the ceramide‐containing ointment. Topical application of the ointment prevented downregulation of filaggrin and disorganization of other differentiation markers, such as keratin 10 and β4‐integrin, as demonstrated by immunohistological analysis. The expression of Ki67 was also upregulated in response to the ointment. Furthermore, functional studies revealed that local application of the ointment diminished the increased uptake of fluorescently labelled recombinant allergens of timothy grass (phl p1) in our model. In conclusion, our data revealed that topical application of a ceramide‐containing skin care ointment reduced IL‐31 induced impairments of the physical skin barrier and skin barrier function in an in vitro model of the disrupted skin barrier. This standardized model can be utilized in the future to monitor ex vivo effects of various topical therapies on skin morphology, physiology, and gene expression.
Toll‐like receptor 4 attenuates a murine model of atopic dermatitis through inhibition of langerin‐positive DCs migration
Authors: Lin Lin , Xie Mengying , Chen Xi , Yu Yu , Liu Yunzhi , Lei Ke , Wang Di , Zeng Jiaqi , Zhou Jia , Zhang Liyun , Zuo Daming , Sun Ledong 
Published: May 2018

AbstractAtopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease that is often associated with skin barrier dysfunction leading to a higher frequency of bacterial and viral skin infections. Toll‐like receptor (TLR) 4 on resident skin cells was involved in sensing pathogens and eliciting pathogen‐specific innate and adaptive immune responses. Previous studies have demonstrated that TLR4 was linked to AD severity in context of pathogen infection. However, the immune regulatory role of TLR4 in AD remains to be defined. We here investigated the immune regulatory function of TLR4 in AD induced by repeated epicutaneous application of a hapten, 2,4‐dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). Our results showed that TLR4‐deficient (TLR4−/−) mice exhibited more severe AD symptoms than WT mice after DNCB challenge. The DNCB‐treated TLR4−/− mice also displayed higher expression levels of inflammatory cytokines and stronger Th2 response than WT counterparts. Moreover, the skin expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), an important potential contributor to allergic inflammation, was significantly elevated in TLR4−/− mice compared with that in WT mice upon DNCB administration. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the migration of langerin‐positive dendritic cells (DCs) into draining lymph nodes was enhanced in TLR4−/− mice following DNCB challenge, which is partially dependent on the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokine TNF‐α. Together, these results determined that TLR4 affected the hapten‐induced skin inflammation in the absence of exogenous pathogen infection, suggesting that TLR4 not only regulates infection but also may serve as a modulator of the immune response during AD development.
Informed Trading of Mutual Funds: Evidence from Fund‐Underwriter Relationships
Authors: Hwang Hyoseok (David) 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThis paper investigates whether the relationship between investment banks and their affiliated funds helps the funds deliver superior performance due to the information advantage or whether it costs the funds due to the conflict of interest. Using firms with class‐action lawsuits, I examine whether underwriter‐affiliated funds can avoid a potential economic loss from the underwriting clients’ fraudulent activities. Consistent with the information advantage hypothesis, I find that affiliated funds reduce their stakes in underwritten firms before the disclosure of the firms’ misconduct. Additionally, I find that significant selling activity by the affiliated funds can predict the outcome of a potential lawsuit.
Eurasian perch Perca fluviatilis growth and fish community structure, inside and outside a marine‐protected area in the Baltic Sea
Authors: Nelson T. R. , Jefferson A. E. , Cooper P. T. , Buckley C. A. , Heck K. L. , Mattila J. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractGrowth of Eurasian perch Perca fluviatilis L. and fish community structure between sites within a marine‐protected area (MPA) and unprotected sites in the Baltic Sea were examined. Von Bertalanffy, logistic and Gompertz growth models were fitted to P. fluviatilis length at age data, and the logistic model was the most parsimonious for growth between locations. A larger mean maximum size (L∞) and a smaller instantaneous growth rate (g) were found within the MPA. All three models also predicted that after age seven, fish inside the MPA would be larger. Community structure differed with more P. fluviatilis collected outside of the MPA, and more roach Rutilus rutilus (L.) and bleak Alburnus alburnus (L.) collected inside the MPA. These growth differences may be indicative of recreational fishing effects on P. fluviatilis outside of the MPA, a result of complex interspecific and intraspecific species interactions, or other undetected environmental variation between locations.
A tale of two eras: Phytoplankton composition influenced by oceanic paleochemistry
Authors: Giordano Mario , Olivieri Camilla , Ratti Simona , Norici Alessandra , Raven John A. , Knoll Andrew H. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractWe report the results of simple experiments which support the hypothesis that changes in ocean chemistry beginning in the Mesozoic Era resulted in an increase in the nutritional quality per mole of C and per cell of planktonic algal biomass compared to earlier phytoplankton. We cultured a cyanobacterium, a diatom, a dinoflagellate, and a green alga in media mimicking aspects of the chemistry of Palaeozoic and Mesozoic‐Cenozoic oceans. Substantial differences emerged in the quality of algal biomass between the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic‐Cenozoic growth regimes; these differences were strongly affected by interspecific interactions (i.e., the co‐existence of different species alters responses to the chemistry of the medium). The change was in the direction of a Mesozoic‐Cenozoic biomass enriched in protein per mole C, although cells contained less carbon overall. This would lead to a lower C:N ratio. On the assumption that Mesozoic‐Cenozoic grazers’ assimilation of total C was similar to that of their earlier counterparts, their diet would be stoichiometrically closer to their C:N requirement. This, along with an increase in mean cell size among continental shelf phytoplankton, could have helped to facilitate observed evolutionary changes in the Mesozoic marine fauna. In turn, increased grazing pressure would have operated as a selective force for the radiation of phytoplankton clades better equipped with antigrazing capabilities (sensu lato), as found widely in phytoplankton with biomineralization. Our results emphasize potential links between changing seawater chemistry, increased predation pressure and the rise to ecological dominance of chlorophyll a+c algae in Mesozoic oceans. The experiments also suggest a potential role for ocean chemistry in changes of marine trophic structure from the Palaeozoic to the later Mesozoic Era.
Successional change in species composition alters climate sensitivity of grassland productivity
Authors: Shi Zheng , Lin Yang , Wilcox Kevin R. , Souza Lara , Jiang Lifen , Jiang Jiang , Jung Chang Gyo , Xu Xia , Yuan Mengting , Guo Xue , Wu Liyou , Zhou Jizhong , Luo Yiqi 
Published: May 2018

AbstractSuccession theory predicts altered sensitivity of ecosystem functions to disturbance (i.e., climate change) due to the temporal shift in plant community composition. However, empirical evidence in global change experiments is lacking to support this prediction. Here, we present findings from an 8‐year long‐term global change experiment with warming and altered precipitation manipulation (double and halved amount). First, we observed a temporal shift in species composition over 8 years, resulting in a transition from an annual C3‐dominant plant community to a perennial C4‐dominant plant community. This successional transition was independent of any experimental treatments. During the successional transition, the response of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) to precipitation addition magnified from neutral to +45.3%, while the response to halved precipitation attenuated substantially from −17.6% to neutral. However, warming did not affect ANPP in either state. The findings further reveal that the time‐dependent climate sensitivity may be regulated by successional change in species composition, highlighting the importance of vegetation dynamics in regulating the response of ecosystem productivity to precipitation change.
Emerging therapies for haemophilia ‐ Global perspective
Authors: Mahlangu J. , Cerquiera M. , Srivastava A. 
Published: May 2018

The therapeutic options for people with haemophilia (PWH) have rapidly evolved in the last 5 years. Moving on from conventional plasma‐derived and recombinant clotting factor concentrates (CFC), there now are extended half‐life CFCs (~1.8× for FVIII and ~4.5× for FIX) to as well as several novel haemostasis agents administered subcutaneously (weekly to monthly) such as bispecific antibody which brings together FIXa with FX like FVIII, a liver‐targeted siRNA against antithrombin which can reduce its levels enough to allow significant haemostasis and an antibody against tissue factor pathway inhibitor which then also enhances haemostasis. Successful gene therapy for both haemophilia A and haemophilia B has been demonstrated by gene transfer using adeno‐associated virus vectors. Sustained clinically significant elevation (>5%) to normal factor levels has been demonstrated. Some of these products have already obtained market authorization whilst others are at various stages of development. The choices of products for the treatment of haemophilia have never been better. Whilst the immediate superiority of all these products providing better haemostasis and convenience than conventional CFCs, their exact position in the clinical algorithm will need to be defined based on the long‐term safety and efficacy data. However, most of these products are likely to remain out of reach of >70% of PWH in the world. The biggest challenge will be to find and establish mechanisms for wider access to these transformational haemostasis products for all PWH around the world.