Type 1 IGF Receptor Localization in Paediatric Gliomas: Significant Association with WHO Grading and Clinical Outcome

Abstract

Nuclear localization of insulin-like growth factor receptor type 1 (IGF-1R) has been described as adverse prognostic factor in some cancers. We studied the expression and localization of IGF-1R in paediatric patients with gliomas, as well as its association with World Health Organization (WHO) grading and survival. We conducted a single cohort, prospective study of paediatric patients with gliomas. Samples were taken at the time of the initial surgery; IGF-1R expression and localization were characterized by immunohistochemistry (IHC), subcellular fractionation and western blotting. Tumours (47/53) showed positive staining for IGF-1R by IHC. IGF-1R nuclear labelling was observed in 10/47 cases. IGF-1R staining was mostly non-nuclear in low-grade tumours, while IGF-1R nuclear labelling was predominant in high-grade gliomas (p = 0.0001). Survival was significantly longer in patients with gliomas having non-nuclear IGF-1R localization than in patients with nuclear IGF-1R tumours (p = 0.016). In gliomas, IGF-1R nuclear localization was significantly associated with both high-grade tumours and increased risk of death. Based on a prospective design, we provide evidence of a potential usefulness of intracellular localization of IGF-1R as prognostic factor in paediatric patients with gliomas.

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Modified Lung-RADS Improves Performance of Screening LDCT in a Population with High Prevalence of Non–smoking-related Lung Cancer

Publication date: Available online 9 March 2018
Source:Academic Radiology
Author(s): Hui-Ting Hsu, En-Kuei Tang, Ming-Ting Wu, Carol C. Wu, Chia-Hao Liang, Chi-Shen Chen, Guang-Yuan Mar, Ruay-Sheng Lai, Jo-Ching Wang, Chuan-Ling Wu, Yi-Luan Huang, Fu-Zong Wu
ObjectivesWe proposed a modification of the ACR Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS) to clarify the characteristics of subsolid nodules with categories 1–11, and to compare the diagnostic accuracy with Lung-RADS and National Lung Screening Trial criteria in an Asian population with high prevalence of adenocarcinoma.MethodsWe analyzed a retrospective cohort of 1978 consecutive healthy subjects (72.8% nonsmoker) who underwent low-dose computed tomography from August 2013 to October 2014 (1084 men, 894 women). Lung-RADS categories 2 and 3 were modified to include subcategories of 2A/2B/2C and 3A/3B/3C, respectively. Clinical information and nodule characteristics were recorded. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to compare diagnostic accuracy at different cutoffs.ResultsThirty-two subjects (30 nonsmokers) had pathology-proven adenocarcinoma spectrum lesions in the follow-up period (1.6 ± 0.5 years). Modified Lung-RADS, using modified Lung-RADS category 2C as cutoff, had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.973 in predicting adenocarcinoma spectrum lesions (sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 89.3%), which was significantly higher than that of Lung-RADS (AUC = 0.815, P < .001) and National Lung Screening Trial (AUC = 0.906, P < .001). Furthermore, modified Lung-RADS showed an AUC of 0.992 in predicting invasive adenocarcinoma (sensitivity of 95%, specificity of 97.8%) when category 3B was used as cutoff.ConclusionsModified Lung-RADS may substantially improve sensitivity while maintaining specificity for detection of adenocarcinoma spectrum lesions in an Asian population. Compared to Lung-RADS, it has enhanced ability to differentiate invasive from indolent adenocarcinoma by more refined subclassification of subsolid nodules using two cutoff values of category 2C and 3B. The effect of using modified Lung-RADS in clinical practice must be carefully studied in prospective large cohort studies.



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Attitudes of Radiology Program Directors Toward MD-PhD Trainees, Resident Research Productivity, and Dedicated Research Time

Publication date: Available online 9 March 2018
Source:Academic Radiology
Author(s): Petrice M. Cogswell, Lori A. Deitte, Edwin F. Donnelly, Victoria L. Morgan, Reed A. Omary
Rationale and ObjectivesThe percentage of clinical scientists in radiology has historically been low. Increasing the pipeline of trainees interested in research could occur by recruiting MD-PhD trainees and providing protected research time during residency. The purpose of this work is to assess the attitudes of radiology program directors toward MD-PhD trainees, resident research productivity, and dedicated research time.MethodsAn online survey was sent to residency program directors of all diagnostic radiology departments that received National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards in 2014 (n = 63). Survey questions included program size; perception of overall performance, clinical performance, and research productivity of MD-PhD residents compared to non-PhD residents; and presence of dedicated research time. Responses comparing MD-PhD residents to non-PhD residents were reported as a five-point Likert scale. Student t test was used to assess for significance (alpha = 0.05).ResultsResponse rate was 37%. Clinical performance of MD-PhD residents was judged inferior (P < .05) to non-PhD residents, although that of all residents engaged in research trended toward superiority compared to those not involved in research. Dedicated research time is offered by 61% of programs in years R1–R3 and all programs in year R4. Research productivity during residency was judged to be similar (P = .5) between MD-PhD and non-PhD residents.ConclusionsSurvey results suggest that clinical performance during residency and research involvement is often individually based and difficult to generalize based on prior PhD training. All programs offered dedicated research time, and the vast majority of residents were reported to engage in research during residency, which may increase the pipeline of trainees interested in an academic career.



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Qualitative CT Criterion for Subsolid Nodule Subclassification

Publication date: Available online 9 March 2018
Source:Academic Radiology
Author(s): Po An Chen, Eric P. Huang, Lu Yang Shih, En Kuei Tang, Chu Chun Chien, Ming Ting Wu, Fu Zong Wu
Rationale and ObjectivesThe main aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical validity and correlation with pathologic invasiveness in the pulmonary adenocarcinoma spectrum based on the novel qualitative computed tomography criterion for subsolid nodule (SSN) classification, which classified SSN into pure ground-glass nodule, heterogeneous ground-glass nodule, and part-solid nodule. In addition, we compared the performance of the conventional and novel classifications.Materials and MethodsThe computed tomography images of 41 SSN nodules were interpreted by six observers independently, and the SSN characteristics were classified according to both the conventional and the novel classification systems. Each observer assessed 41 nodules in two different classifications separated by a minimum of 8 weeks. The kappa (κ) coefficient test was used to determine the reliability. The correlation between pulmonary adenocarcinoma spectrum and the SSN classification was analyzed with Spearman correlation coefficients.ResultsInterobserver agreement (κ) was 0.702 (range 0.42–0.89) and 0.707 (range 0.58–0.88) for the conventional and the novel classifications for SSN, respectively, and intraobserver agreement (κ) was 0.92 and 0.88 for the conventional and the novel classifications for SSN, respectively. The novel SSN classification (correlation coefficient range 0.622–0.732) is more strongly correlated with the pathologic invasiveness degree of lesions in adenocarcinoma spectrum than the conventional SSN classification (correlation coefficient range 0.458–0.644).ConclusionsThe agreement between observers on the novel SSN classification system was good and had better correlation with pathologic invasiveness than the conventional SSN classification. Further studies are needed to confirm these results on interobserver agreement.



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Serum proteome profiling in canine idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy using TMT-based quantitative proteomics approach

Publication date: Available online 9 March 2018
Source:Journal of Proteomics
Author(s): Petra Bilić, Nicolas Guillemin, Alan Kovačević, Blanka Beer Ljubić, Ines Jović, Asier Galan, Peter David Eckersall, Richard Burchmore, Vladimir Mrljak
Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (iDCM) is a primary myocardial disorder with an unknown aetiology, characterized by reduced contractility and ventricular dilation of the left or both ventricles. Naturally occurring canine iDCM was used herein to identify serum proteomic signature of the disease compared to the healthy state, providing an insight into underlying mechanisms and revealing proteins with biomarker potential. To achieve this, we used high-throughput label-based quantitative LC-MS/MS proteomics approach and bioinformatics analysis of the in silico inferred interactome protein network created from the initial list of differential proteins. To complement the proteomic analysis, serum biochemical parameters and levels of know biomarkers of cardiac function were measured. Several proteins with biomarker potential were identified, such as inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H4, microfibril-associated glycoprotein 4 and apolipoprotein A-IV, which were validated using an independent method (Western blotting) and showed high specificity and sensitivity according to the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Bioinformatics analysis revealed involvement of different pathways in iDCM, such as complement cascade activation, lipoprotein particles dynamics, elastic fibre formation, GPCR signalling and respiratory electron transport chain.SignificanceIdiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy is a severe primary myocardial disease of unknown cause, affecting both humans and dogs. This study is a contribution to the canine heart disease research by means of proteomic and bioinformatic state of the art analyses, following similar approach in human iDCM research. Importantly, we used serum as non-invasive and easily accessible biological source of information and contributed to the scarce data on biofluid proteome research on this topic. Bioinformatics analysis revealed biological pathways modulated in canine iDCM with potential of further targeted research. Also, several proteins with biomarker potential have been identified and successfully validated.

Graphical abstract

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Human follicular fluid proteomic and peptidomic composition quantitative studies by SWATH-MS methodology. Applicability of high pH RP-HPLC fractionation

Publication date: Available online 10 March 2018
Source:Journal of Proteomics
Author(s): Aleksandra E. Lewandowska, Katarzyna Macur, Paulina Czaplewska, Joanna Liss, Krzysztof Łukaszuk, Stanisław Ołdziej
Analysis of proteomic composition of human follicular fluid (hFF) has been previously proposed as a potential tool of oocyte quality evaluation. In order to develop an efficient method to investigate the hFF proteome and peptidome components, we applied and tested a few prefractionation schemes of hFF material consisting of ultrafiltration, optional immunodepletion, and high pH RP-HPLC separation by building spectral libraries and comparing their quantification capabilities of unfractionated samples. Low Molecular-Weight Fraction peptides (LMWF, <10 kDa) and High Molecular-Weight Fraction proteins (HMWF, >10 kDa) resulting from ultrafiltration were analyzed separately. We identified 302 proteins in HMWF and 161 proteins in LMWF in all qualitative experiments. All LMWF peptidomic libraries turned out to be of poor quantification quality, however they enabled measurement of higher numbers of peptides with increasing input of experiment data, in contrast to HMWF proteomic libraries. We were able to quantify a total of 108 HMWF proteins and 250 LMWF peptides (from 84 proteins) in all experiments. Employment of high RP-HPLC fractionation allowed for identification of a much broader set of proteins, however did not significantly improve the quantification capabilities of the applied method. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD008073.SignificanceIn the search of biomarkers for assessment of oocyte quality in assisted reproductive technology, many studies are devoted to analysis of follicular fluid composition. Candidates for such biomarkers can be located in both the proteome and the recently investigated peptidome of hFF. Reliable qualitative and especially quantitative analysis of complex mixtures such as hFF, requires development of a fast and preferably inexpensive analytical procedure. The powerful SWATH-MS technique is well suited for quantitative label-free analysis of complex protein and peptide mixtures. However, for efficient usage it needs well designed and constructed MS-spectral libraries as well as a proper protocol for sample preparation. We investigated the influence of the size and quality of MS-spectral libraries (different spectral libraries are constructed using various sample prefractionation protocols) on SWATH experiments on hFF proteome and peptidome. In the case of peptidome investigation, increasing the size of spectral libraries led to quantification of more peptides in a single experiment. For the proteome, increasing the size of spectral libraries improved quantification only to a limited extend, and further extension of spectral libraries even worsened results. Nevertheless, using the best selected prefractionation schemes and spectral libraries we were able to quantify as many as 79 proteins of hFF proteome and 106 peptides (from 53 proteins) of hFF peptidome in single experiments. The spectral libraries and prefractionation protocols we developed allow for a large scale fast scan of hundreds of clinical hFF samples in the search for biomarkers for evaluation of oocyte quality.

Graphical abstract

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Patterns of pathologically confirmed metastasis to bone in Near East population

Publication date: June 2018
Source:Cancer Epidemiology, Volume 54
Author(s): Abdallah Flaifel, Farah Tabaja, Sami Bannoura, Asif Loya, Sajid Mushtaq, Ibrahim Khalifeh
BackgroundMetastatic tumors to bone constitute the majority of bone malignancies. The site of metastasis to bone and the prognosis depend chiefly on the primary tumor. Despite all the advances in diagnostic techniques, identifying the primary tumor has not improved significantly.MethodsA total of 576 cases (Lebanon; n = 306, Pakistan; n = 270) presenting with microscopic evidence of metastasis to bone were reviewed between 1996 and 2016. Clinical and radiologic data were recorded.ResultsOut of 20 types of primary tumors, unknown primary (38.2%), followed by breast (23.8%), lung (10.4%) and thyroid (4.9%) tumors were the most commonly presenting with bone metastasis. The primary source of the tumor showed significant correlation with the site of metastasis, time lag to metastasis and radiologic presentation (p < 0.001). Interestingly, a significant variation was noted between the 2 observed populations.ConclusionThe patterns of pathologically confirmed metastasis to skeletal sites in Near East population showed a special distribution, and variation was even observed between the 2 studied centers. Understanding the biologic variations of the primary tumors in our population may further explain the variation in patterns of metastasis.



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Frequency and distribution of primary site among gender minority cancer patients: An analysis of U.S. national surveillance data

Publication date: June 2018
Source:Cancer Epidemiology, Volume 54
Author(s): Rebecca Nash, Kevin C. Ward, Ahmedin Jemal, David E. Sandberg, Vin Tangpricha, Michael Goodman
BackgroundTransgender people and persons with disorders of sex development (DSD) are two separate categories of gender minorities, each characterized by unique cancer risk factors. Although cancer registry data typically include only two categories of sex, registrars have the option of indicating that a patient is transgender or has a DSD.MethodsData for primary cancer cases in 46 states and the District of Columbia were obtained from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) database for the period 1995–2013. The distributions of primary sites and categories of cancers with shared risk factors were examined separately for transgender and DSD patients and compared to the corresponding distributions in male and female cancer patients. Proportional incidence ratios were calculated by dividing the number of observed cases by the number of expected cases. Expected cases were calculated based on the age- and year of diagnosis-specific proportions of cases in each cancer category observed among male and female patients.ResultsTransgender patients have significantly elevated proportional incidence ratios (95% confidence intervals) for viral infection induced cancers compared to either males (2.3; 2.0–2.7) or females (3.3; 2.8–3.7). Adult DSD cancer patients have a similar distribution of primary sites compared to male or female patients but DSD children with cancer have ten times more cases of testicular malignancies than expected (95% confidence interval: 4.7–20).ConclusionThe proportions of certain primary sites and categories of malignancies among transgender and DSD cancer patients are different from the proportions observed for male or female patients.



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Substrate fiber alignment mediates tendon cell response to inflammatory signaling

Publication date: Available online 10 March 2018
Source:Acta Biomaterialia
Author(s): Angelina D. Schoenenberger, Jasper Foolen, Pascal Moor, Unai Silvan, Jess G. Snedeker
Healthy tendon tissue features a highly aligned extracellular matrix that becomes disorganized with disease. Recent evidence suggests that inflammation coexists with early degenerative changes in tendon, and that crosstalk between immune-cells and tendon fibroblasts (TFs) can contribute to poor tissue healing. We hypothesized that a disorganized tissue architecture may predispose tendon cells to degenerative extracellular matrix remodeling pathways, particularly within a pro-inflammatory niche. This hypothesis was tested by analyzing human TFs cultured on electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) mats with either highly aligned or randomly oriented fiber structures. We confirmed that fibroblast morphology, phenotype, and markers of matrix turnover could be significantly affected by matrix topography. More strikingly, the TF response to paracrine signals from polarized macrophages or by stimulation with pro-inflammatory cytokines featured significant downregulation of signaling related to extracellular synthesis, with significant concomitant upregulation of gene and protein expression of matrix degrading enzymes. Critically, this tendency towards degenerative re-regulation was exacerbated on randomly oriented PCL substrates. These novel findings indicate that highly aligned tendon cell scaffolds not only promote tendon matrix synthesis, but also play a previously unappreciated role in mitigating adverse resident fibroblast response within an inflammatory milieu.Statement of SignificanceUse of biomaterial scaffolds for tendon repair often results in tissue formation characteristic of scar tissue, rather than the highly aligned type-1 collagen matrix of healthy tendons.We hypothesized that non-optimal biomaterial surfaces may play a role in these outcomes, specifically randomly oriented biomaterial surfaces that unintentionally mimic structure of pathological tendon. We observed that disorganized scaffold surfaces do adversely affect early cell attachment and gene expression. We further identified that disorganized fiber surfaces can prime tendon cells to pro-inflammatory signaling. These findings represent provocative evidence unstructured fiber surfaces may underlie inflammatory responses that drive aberrant collagen matrix turnover. This work could be highly relevant for the design of cell instructive biomaterial therapies that yield positive clinical outcomes.

Graphical abstract

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In vitro and in vivo studies on zinc-hydroxyapatite composites as novel biodegradable metal matrix composite for orthopedic applications

Publication date: Available online 9 March 2018
Source:Acta Biomaterialia
Author(s): Hongtao Yang, Xinhua Qu, Wenjiao Lin, Cong Wang, Donghui Zhu, Kerong Dai, Yufeng Zheng
Recent studies indicate that there is a great demand to optimize pure Zn with tunable degradation rates and more desirable biocompatibility as orthopedic implants. Metal matrix composite (MMC) can be a promising approach for this purpose. In this study, MMC with pure Zn as a matrix and hydroxyapatite (HA) as reinforcements were prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Feasibility of novel Zn-HA composites to be used as orthopedic implant applications was systematically evaluated. After sintering, HA distributed in the Zn particle boundaries uniformly. Corrosion tests indicated that the degradation rates of Zn-HA composites were adjustable due to the biphasic effects of HA. Zn-HA composites showed significantly improved cell viability of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells compared with pure Zn. Both pure Zn and composites exhibited a low thrombosis risk and hemolysis rates while a Zn ion concentration-dependent effect was found on coagulation time. An effective antibacterial property was observed as well. The volume loss of pure Zn and Zn-5HA composite was 1.7% and 3.2% after 8 weeks' implantation. Histological analysis found newly formed bone surrounding pure Zn and Zn-5HA composite at week 4 and increased bone mass over time. With prolonged implantation time, Zn-5HA composite was more effective on stimulating new bone formation than pure Zn. In summary, MMC is a feasible way to design Zn based materials with adjustable degradation rates and improved biocompatibility.Statement of SignificanceBiodegradable zinc materials are promising candidates for the new generation of orthopedic implants. However, the slow degradation rates and unsatisfactory cytocompatibility of pure Zn in bone environments limit its future clinical applications. Generally, alloying is a common way to improve the performance of pure Zn. In this study, metal matrix composite was chosen as a novel strategy to solve the problems. Hydroxyapatite, as a bioactive component, was added into Zn matrix via spark plasma sintering. We find that Zn-HA composites exhibited adjustable degradation rates and improved biocompatibility both in vitro and in vivo. This study provides exhaustive and significant information including microstructure, mechanical performance, degradation behavior, biocompatibility, hemocompatibility and antibacterial property for the future Zn based implants design.

Graphical abstract

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Protein Machineries defining Pathways of Nanocarrier Exocytosis and Transcytosis

Publication date: Available online 10 March 2018
Source:Acta Biomaterialia
Author(s): Jonas Reinholz, Christopher Diesler, Susanne Schöttler, Maria Kokkinopoulou, Sandra Ritz, Katharina Landfester, Volker Mailänder
The transport of nanocarriers through barriers like the gut in a living organism involves the transcytosis of these nanocarriers through the cell layer dividing two compartments. Understanding how this process works is not only essential to further developing strategies for a more effective nanocarrier transport system but also for providing fundamental insights into the barrier function as a means of protection against micro- and nanoplastics in the food chain. We therefore set out to investigate the different uptake mechanisms, intracellular trafficking and the routes for exocytosis for small polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NPs ca. 100 nm) as mimicking nanocarriers in a Caco-2 cell model for gut-blood transition. We used label-free, quantitative mass spectrometry (MS) for determining the proteome that adhered to transversed nanoparticles. From this rich proteomics dataset, as well as previous studies, we generated stable-transfected Caco-2 cell lines carrying the green fluorescent protein (GFP) coupled to proteins of interest for uptake, early, late and exocytotic endosomes. We detected the spatial and temporal overlap of such marked endosomes with the nanocarrier signal in confocal laser scanning and super-resolution microscopy. There was a clear distinction in the time course of nanoparticle trafficking between groups of proteins for endocytosis, intracellular storage and putatively transcytosis and we identified several key transcytotic markers like Rab3 and Copine1. Moreover, we postulate the necessity of a certain protein composition on endosomes for successful transcytosis of nanocarriers. Finally, we define the two-sided impasse of the lysosome as a dead end for nano-plastic and the limit of nanocarriers in the 100 nm range.Significance TranscytosisHere we focus on mechanisms of transcytosis and how we can follow these with methods not used before. First, we use mass spectrometry of transcytosed nanoparticles to pick proteins of the transcytosis machinery describing key proteins involved. We can detect the complex mixtures of proteins. As this is a dynamic process involving whole families of proteins interacting with each other and as this is an orchestrated process we coined the term protein machineries for this active interplay.By genetically modifying the proteins attaching GFP we are able to follow the transcytosis pathway We evaluate the process in a quantitative manner over time. This reveals that the most obvious obstacle to transcytosis is a routing of the nanocarriers to the lysosomes.

Graphical abstract

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Zinc-based alloys for degradable vascular stent applications

Publication date: Available online 10 March 2018
Source:Acta Biomaterialia
Author(s): Ehsan Mostaed, Malgorzata Sikora-Jasinska, Jaroslaw W. Drelich, Maurizio Vedani
The search for biodegradable metals with mechanical properties equal or higher to those of currently used permanent biomaterials, such as stainless steels, cobalt chromium and titanium alloys, desirable in vivo degradation rate and uniform corrosion is still an open challenge. Magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn)-based alloys have been proposed as biodegradable metals for medical applications. Over the last two decades, extensive research has been done on Mg and Fe. Fe-based alloys show appropriate mechanical properties, but their degradation rate is an order of magnitude below the benchmark value. In comparison, alongside the insufficient mechanical performance of most of its alloys, Mg degradation rate has proven to be too high in a physiological environment and corrosion is rarely uniform. During the last few years, Zn alloys have been explored by the biomedical community as potential materials for bioabsorbable vascular stents due to their tolerable corrosion rates and tunable mechanical properties. This review summarizes recent progress made in developing Zn alloys for vascular stenting application. Novel Zn alloys are discussed regarding their microstructural characteristics, mechanical properties, corrosion behavior and in vivo performance.Statement of SignificanceNumerous studies on magnesium and iron materials have been reported to date, in an effort to formulate bioabsorbable stents with tailorable mechanical characteristics and corrosion behavior. Crucial concerns regarding poor ductility and remarkably rapid corrosion of magnesium, and very slow degradation of iron, seem to be still not desirably fulfilled. Zinc was introduced as a potential implant material in 2013 due to its promising biodegradability and biocompatibility. Since then, extensive investigations have been made toward development of zinc alloys that meet clinical benchmarks for vascular scaffolding. This review critically surveys the zinc alloys developed since 2013 from metallurgical and biodegradation points of view. Microstructural features, mechanical, corrosion and in vivo performances of these new alloys are thoroughly reviewed and evaluated.

Graphical abstract

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Scholar : Applied Developmental Science, Volume 22, Issue 2, April-June 2018 is now available online on Taylor & Francis Online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content Applied Developmental Science, Volume 22, Issue 2, April-June 2018 is now available online on Taylor & Francis Online. This new issue contains the following articles: ARTICLES Cultural values and other perceived benefits of organized activities: A qualitative analysis of Mexican-origin parents' perspectives in Arizona Alex R. Lin, Sandra D. Simpkins, Erin R. Gaskin & Cecilia Menjívar Pages: 89-109 | DOI: 10.1080/10888691.2016.1224669 A person-centered exploration of children of immigrants' social experiences and their school-based well-being Kerrie A. Pieloch, Amy K. Marks & Cynthia García Coll Pages: 110-124 | DOI: 10.1080/10888691.2016.1225500 Evaluation of a leadership program for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Youth: Stories of positive youth development and community engagement Tanya Halsall & Tanya Forneris Pages: 125-138 | DOI: 10.1080/10888691.2016.1231579 Animal assisted therapy for incarcerated youth: A randomized controlled trial Nicholas P. Seivert, Annmarie Cano, Rita J. Casey, Amy Johnson & Dana K. May Pages: 139-153 | DOI: 10.1080/10888691.2016.1234935 Direct and indirect experiences with heterosexism: How slurs impact all students Alyssa L. Norris, Jenifer K. McGuire & Cheryl Stolz Pages: 154-167 | DOI: 10.1080/10888691.2016.1245101 2018 Future Directions Forum JOIN US at the 2018 Future Directions Forum for Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology - June 15-16, 2018 To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. Unsubscribe from new content alerts for this journal (both new issue and latest article notifications) with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Scholar : Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, Volume 64, Issue 4, April 2018 is now available online on Taylor & Francis Online

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The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, Volume 64, Issue 4, April 2018 is now available online on Taylor & Francis Online. This new issue contains the following articles: Review Articles Traits-related QTLs and genes and their potential applications in rice improvement under low phosphorus condition Anumalla Mahender, Annamalai Anandan, Sharat Kumar Pradhan & Onkar Nath Singh Pages: 449-464 | DOI: 10.1080/03650340.2017.1373764 Original Articles Nitrate leaching, nitrous oxide emission and N use efficiency of aerobic rice under different N application strategy Sangita Mohanty, C. K. Swain, Rahul Tripathi, S. K. Sethi, P. Bhattacharyya, Anjani Kumar, R. Raja, Mohammad Shahid, B. B. Panda, B. Lal, Priyanka Gautam, Sushmita Munda & A. K. Nayak Pages: 465-479 | DOI: 10.1080/03650340.2017.1359414 Article Effect of nitrogen fertilizer rate and timing on sorghum productivity in Ethiopian highland Vertisols Nigus Demelash Melaku, Wondimu Bayu, Feras Ziadat, Stefan Strohmeier, Claudio Zucca, Meron Lakew Tefera, Baye Ayalew & Andreas Klik Pages: 480-491 | DOI: 10.1080/03650340.2017.1362558 Phloem transport of assimilates in relation to flowering time and senescence in barley grown with different availabilities of nitrogen and phosphorus Maria V. Criado, Irma N. Roberts, Cintia G. Veliz, Mariela Echeverria, Flavio H. Gutierrez Boem & Carla Caputo Pages: 492-504 | DOI: 10.1080/03650340.2017.1367093 Original Articles Is sewage sludge biochar capable of replacing inorganic fertilizers for corn production? Evidence from a two-year field experiment Walda Monteiro Faria, Cícero Célio de Figueiredo, Thais Rodrigues Coser, Ailton Teixeira Vale & Bruna Gehrke Schneider Pages: 505-519 | DOI: 10.1080/03650340.2017.1360488 The effect of zeolite, selenium and silicon on qualitative and quantitative traits of onion grown under salinity conditions Ahmad Bybordi, Saaed Saadat & Parisa Zargaripour Pages: 520-530 | DOI: 10.1080/03650340.2017.1373278 Assessing soil properties and nutrient availability under conservation agriculture practices in a reclaimed sodic soil in cereal-based systems of North-West India | H. S. Jat, Ashim Datta, P. C. Sharma, Virender Kumar, A. K. Yadav, Madhu Choudhary, Vishu Choudhary, M. K. Gathala, D. K. Sharma, M. L. Jat, N. P. S. Yaduvanshi, Gurbachan Singh & A. McDonald Pages: 531-545 | DOI: 10.1080/03650340.2017.1359415 Prediction of soil properties using a hyperspectral remote sensing method Huan Yu, Bo Kong, Guangxing Wang, Rongxiang Du & Guangping Qie Pages: 546-559 | DOI: 10.1080/03650340.2017.1359416 Rates of decomposition and nutrient mineralization of leaf litter from different orchards under hot and dry sub-humid climate Sushanta Kumar Naik, Sudarshan Maurya, D. Mukherjee, A. K. Singh & B. P. Bhatt Pages: 560-573 | DOI: 10.1080/03650340.2017.1362104 Auxin production by rhizobacteria was associated with improved yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under drought stress Asif Raheem, Alexander Shaposhnikov, Andrey A. Belimov, Ian C. Dodd & Basharat Ali Pages: 574-587 | DOI: 10.1080/03650340.2017.1362105 Short Communication Response of soil microbial abundance and diversity in Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) farms with different land-use histories in a tropical area of Southwestern China Shu Wang, Xipin Chen, Hede Gong & Zhiquan Cai Pages: 588-596 | DOI: 10.1080/03650340.2017.1373183 Hoping to have your article read by anyone, anywhere and at any time? Find out more about publishing open access with Ecosystem Health and Sustainability. To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. Unsubscribe from new content alerts for this journal (both new issue and latest article notifications) with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Patient Characteristics and Costs in Recurrent or Refractory Head and Neck Cancer: Retrospective Analysis of a Community Oncology Database

Publication date: Available online 9 March 2018
Source:Clinical Therapeutics
Author(s): Maxine D. Fisher, Ancilla W. Fernandes, Temitope O. Olufade, Paul J. Miller, Mark S. Walker, Moon Fenton
PurposeThe goal of this study was to describe patient characteristics, health resource utilization (HRU), and costs associated with treating recurrent or refractory head and neck cancer (HNC) among patients with disease progression in the community oncology setting.MethodsThis retrospective observational study was conducted by using data from the Vector Oncology Data Warehouse. Patients had been diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic (stage III–IVc) HNC between January 1, 2007, and October 1, 2015. Patients also had evidence of at least 1 systemic anticancer therapy regimen following the diagnosis of advanced HNC, with at least 1 disease progression. Costs, treatment patterns, and HRU were evaluated beginning with diagnosis of advanced HNC through 3 lines of therapy. Costs of surgery or radiation were not available for inclusion in the analysis. Total cost for the study period and cost per month were analyzed by using a generalized linear regression model.FindingsThe study included 462 patients (median age, 61 years; range, 26–99 years); of these, 81% were male, 77% were white, and 21% were black. At initial diagnosis, the most frequent tumor locations were the hypopharynx/larynx (31%) and the oropharynx (31%). Human papilloma virus testing was most frequent among the oropharynx group (22% tested, 52% positive). Overall, 42% were current tobacco users and 22% were current or past alcohol abusers/excessive users. Platinum-based combination therapies were the most frequently administered chemotherapy in both first (42%) and second (40%) lines of treatment. Through the overall study period (mean, 20.5 months), 74% of patients were hospitalized, 19% had an emergency department visit, and 100% had an office visit. The overall mean (SD) duration of hospital stay was 12.6 days, and the median number of office visits per patient was 35. The mean monthly health care cost for the overall study period was $14,391 (95% CI, 12,739–16,044). Hospitalization costs represented ~57% of the total expenditures. Statistically significant predictors of higher overall cost included primary tumor location in the oral cavity, history of alcohol abuse/excess use, use of cetuximab, and higher comorbidity index. Older age and being stage IV versus other stages of disease at diagnosis were associated with lower overall cost.ImplicationsThese data suggest that costs of care in patients with recurrent or refractory HNC are related to patient characteristics and treatment patterns. Identification of factors contributing to the costs of care in HNC may provide a useful foundation for developing strategies to control rising costs.



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An Overview of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Gynecologic Cancers

Publication date: Available online 9 March 2018
Source:Clinical Therapeutics
Author(s): Tara Castellano, Kathleen N. Moore, Laura L. Holman
PurposeThe goal of this study was to compile a review of topics pertinent to the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in gynecologic malignancies, including foundation for use, current agents available and trials in gynecologic cancers, special populations of interest, identification and management of toxicities, and considerations in predictive biomarkers and response assessment.MethodsA literature review of selected topics in reference to immune checkpoint inhibitors and gynecologic cancers was conducted on PubMed and the US Food and Drug Administration drug search application. A review of current and ongoing clinical trials was performed in clinicaltrials.gov, and selected preliminary results reported in PubMed abstracts and through the American Society of Clinical Oncologists were compiled.FindingsAlthough immunotherapy in gynecologic malignancy is relatively new, 7 agents are currently approved for use in other oncologic indications, and a multitude of trials in gynecologic cancer are ongoing. Immunotherapy has a specific set of drug toxicities that manifest and are managed unlike traditional cytotoxic therapies.ImplicationsApplication of the knowledge of immune checkpoint inhibitor use in gynecologic cancers will improve care for women with cancers of the female reproductive tract. As more complex and newer immunotherapies evolve, it will be vital to accurately characterize each specific drug class and management thereof.



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Reflections on Oncotherapies

Publication date: Available online 9 March 2018
Source:Clinical Therapeutics
Author(s): Richard I. Shader




http://ift.tt/2IdwvpM

Scholar : These new articles for Research in Dance Education are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Research in Dance Education and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Original Articles Sometimes … dances … 'do more' on the page than they ever did on the stage Gordon Curl Pages: 1-11 | DOI: 10.1080/14647893.2018.1429248 To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. Unsubscribe from new content alerts for this journal (both new issue and latest article notifications) with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Health status, mental health and air quality: evidence from pensioners in Europe

Abstract

Environmental quality is an important determinant of individuals' well-being and one of the main concerns of the governments is the improvement on air quality and the protection of public health. This is especially the case of sensitive demographic groups, such as the old aged people. However, the question this study attempts to answer is how do individuals value the effects on the environment. The study explores the effects of old and early public pension schemes, as well as the impact of air pollution on health status of retired citizens. The empirical analysis relies on detailed micro-level data derived from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). As proxies for health, we use the general health status and the Eurod mental health indicator. We examine two air pollutants: the sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and ground-level ozone (O₃). Next, we calculate the marginal willingness-to-pay (MWTP) which shows how much the people are willing to pay for improvement in air quality. We apply various quantitative techniques and approaches, including the fixed effects ordinary least squares (OLS) and the fixed effects instrumental variables (IV) approach. The last approach is applied to reduce the endogeneity problem coming from possible reverse causality between the air pollution, pensions and the health outcomes. For robustness check, we apply also a structural equation modelling (SEM) which is proper when the outcomes are latent variables. Based on our favoured IV estimates and the health status, we find that the MWTP values for one unit decrease in SO₂ and O₃ are respectively €221 and €88 per year. The respective MWTP values using the Eurod measure are €155 and €68. Overall, improvement of health status implies reduction in health expenditures, and in previous literature, ageing has been traditionally considered the most important determinant. However, this study shows that health lifestyle and socio-economic status, such as education and marital status, are more important, and furthermore, air pollution cannot be ignored in the agenda of policy makers.

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Scholar : These new articles for Environmental Claims Journal are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Environmental Claims Journal and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Original Articles The Emerging Urgency of Mitigating Environmental Impacts and Potential Public Health Risks of the United States Postal Service Robert A. Michaels Pages: 1-9 | DOI: 10.1080/10406026.2018.1442077 Withholding Municipal Services to Facilitate Coastal Retreat: Legal Risks and Possibilities Matthew S. Scarano Pages: 1-20 | DOI: 10.1080/10406026.2018.1442545 Hoping to have your article read by anyone, anywhere and at any time? Find out more about publishing open access with Ecosystem Health and Sustainability. To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. Unsubscribe from new content alerts for this journal (both new issue and latest article notifications) with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Components of metabolic syndrome in relation to plasma levels of retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) in a cohort of people aged 65 years and older

Abstract

Purpose

Elevated plasma concentration of retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) has recently emerged as a potential risk factor as a component of developing metabolic syndrome (MS). Therefore, this study aimed to analyse the relationship between components of MS and concentrations of plasma RBP4 in a population of subjects 65 years and older.

Methods

The study sample consisted of 3038 (1591 male) participants of the PolSenior study, aged 65 years and older. Serum lipid profile, concentrations of RBP4, glucose, insulin, C-reactive protein, IL-6, and activity of aminotransferases were measured. Nutritional status (BMI/waist circumference) and treatment with statins and fibrates were evaluated. Glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), de Ritis ratio, and fatty liver index (FLI), as well as HOMA-IR were calculated.

Results

Our study revealed a strong relationship between components of MS and RBP4 in both sexes: plasma RBP4 levels were increased in men by at least 3×, and in women by at least 4×. Hypertriglyceridemia was most strongly associated with elevated plasma RBP4 levels. Multivariate, sex-adjusted regression analysis demonstrated that chronic kidney disease [OR 1.86 (95% CI 1.78–1.94)], hypertriglyceridemia [OR 1.52 (1.24–1.87)], hypertension [OR 1.15 (1.12–1.19)], low serum HDL cholesterol [OR 0.94 (0.92–0.97)], and age > 80 years [OR 0.86 (0.81–0.90)] were each independently associated with RBP4 concentration (all p < 0.001).

Conclusions

In Caucasians 65 years and older, RBP4 serum levels are associated with a number of components of MS, independent of sex and kidney function. Hypertriglyceridemia as a component of MS is most significantly related to RBP4 concentration.

http://ift.tt/2HjEfFC

Electroencephalographic correlates of low-frequency vagus nerve stimulation therapy for Crohn’s disease

Publication date: Available online 10 March 2018
Source:Clinical Neurophysiology
Author(s): Astrid Kibleur, Sonia Pellissier, Valérie Sinniger, Jade Robert, Eloise Gronlier, Didier Clarençon, Laurent Vercueil, Dominique Hoffmann, Bruno Bonaz, Olivier David
ObjectivesIn the context of the first clinical trial of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in Crohn's disease (CD), our main objective was to quantify the acute and chronic effects of VNS on brain activity in CD patients.MethodsWe measured the electroencephalogram (EEG) in 9 CD patients under VNS at 10 Hz just before VNS initiation, after 6 weeks and after 12 months of chronic VNS.ResultsAcute VNS induced increased spectral power in delta and theta bands on frontal, temporal and occipital electrodes. The main significant modulation was the 12 months' chronic effect of VNS which consisted mainly in a decreased power in the alpha frequency band which was correlated with the normalization of bowel mucosal inflammation, anxiety state and vagal tone.ConclusionsIn addition to the activation of vagal efferent fibers that regulate the autonomic nervous system, our data suggest that chronic VNS has a regulatory action via afferent vagal fibers on anxio-depressive symptomatology associated to CD, which could be directly highlighted by the modulation of EEG alpha power known to be associated to depressed states.SignificanceThis is the first report of the central effects of VNS in CD patients.



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Systemic effects of deep brain stimulation on synergic control in Parkinson’s disease

Publication date: Available online 9 March 2018
Source:Clinical Neurophysiology
Author(s): Ali Falaki, Hang Jin Jo, Mechelle M. Lewis, Barbara O'Connell, Sol De Jesus, James McInerney, Xuemei Huang, Mark L. Latash
ObjectiveWe explored effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) on the synergic control of fingers in a multi-finger force production task and of muscles in a task involving vertical posture.MethodsThe finger task involved the four fingers of a hand producing accurate total force followed by a targeted quick force pulse. The postural task involved releasing a load from extended arms. The analysis of synergies was performed within the framework of the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis.ResultsDBS led to no significant changes in indices of stability during steady-state phases. In contrast, DBS improved indices of agility, quantified as anticipatory synergy adjustments that reduced stability of salient performance variables in preparation to their quick change. There were moderate-to-strong correlations between indices of both stability and agility measured in the multi-finger force production and multi-muscle whole-body action.ConclusionsOur results point at systemic changes in synergic control in PD. They show that DBS is effective in improving only one components of synergic control related to agility in performance being relatively ineffective for the stability component.SignificanceThe results show systemic brain mechanisms of synergies and suggest differential effects of DBS on indices of stability and agility.



http://ift.tt/2p4l235

Emotion identification and aging: Behavioral and neural age-related changes

Publication date: Available online 9 March 2018
Source:Clinical Neurophysiology
Author(s): Ana R. Gonçalves, Carina Fernandes, Rita Pasion, Fernando Ferreira-Santos, Fernando Barbosa, João Marques-Teixeira
ObjectiveAging is known to alter the processing of facial expressions of emotion (FEE), however the impact of this alteration is less clear. Additionally, there is little information about the temporal dynamics of the neural processing of facial affect.MethodsWe examined behavioral and neural age-related changes in the identification of FEE using event-related potentials. Furthermore, we analyze the relationship between behavioral/neural responses and neuropsychological functioning. To this purpose, 30 younger adults, 29 middle-aged adults and 26 older adults identified FEE.ResultsThe behavioral results showed a similar performance between groups. The neural results showed no significant differences between groups for the P100 component and an increased N170 amplitude in the older group. Furthermore, a pattern of asymmetric activation was evident in the N170 component. Results also suggest deficits in facial feature decoding abilities, reflected by a reduced N250 amplitude in older adults. Neuropsychological functioning predicts P100 modulation, but does not seem to influence emotion identification ability.ConclusionsThe findings suggest the existence of a compensatory function that would explain the age-equivalent performance in emotion identification.SignificanceThe study may help future research addressing behavioral and neural processes involved on processing of FEE in neurodegenerative conditions.



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Antimicrobial, cytotoxic and antioxidative evaluation of natural deep eutectic solvents

Abstract

Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) are a new generation of green solvents. They are mixtures of two or three compounds such as choline chloride as a cationic salt and alcohols, acids, amides, amines or sugars as hydrogen-bond donors. Although the majority of NADES' components are of natural origin and therefore NADES are often presumed to be non-toxic, the evaluation of their toxicity and biodegradability must accompany the research on their synthesis and application. Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate the effect of ten synthesised NADES towards bacteria (i.e., Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus), yeast (i.e., Candida albicans) and human cell lines (i.e., HeLa, MCF-7 and HEK293T). In addition, oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) method was used to determine the antioxidative activity of the tested NADES. Differences in toxicity response between microorganisms and cell lines were observed, and only NADES that contained organic acid showed toxicity towards the test systems. Furthermore, the NADES containing compounds that possess antioxidative activity also showed antioxidative activity. However, research whose primary purpose is the synthesis and application of NADES must be followed by an evaluation of their biological properties (e.g., antimicrobial activity, toxicity towards animal cells and antioxidative or other biological activity) to find the solvent with the best profile for wider industrial applications.

http://ift.tt/2tAzkxU

Association between urinary cadmium and chronic musculoskeletal pain in residents of cadmium-contaminated area in Northwest Thailand

Abstract

Cadmium exposure is known to cause adverse health effects in different organs of the human body but whether the effects result in chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) remain inclusive. The present study, therefore, aims to examine the relationship between urinary cadmium levels and CMP. An observational retrospective cohort study was conducted in two areas having different levels of cadmium contamination for comparison. The subjects enrolled into the study were individuals ages 18 and above who have lived in the studied areas for 1 year or more. The evaluation of chronic pain was carried out using a questionnaire and urine samples were collected for analysis of urinary cadmium levels. The data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. The likelihood of CMP increased in a correlation with elevations in urinary cadmium from < 0.359, 0.359–0.753, 0.754–1.742, and ≥ 1.743 μg/g creatinine, adjusted odds ratio 1.07 (95% CI 0.62–1.86), 1.33 (95% CI 0.76–2.32), and 2.26 (95% CI 1.28–3.99) respectively. A positive association was found in our study between urinary cadmium level and CMP suggesting that cadmium exposure might cause neurological damage and/or tissue/muscle injury which in turn causing CMP.

http://ift.tt/2FDugxA

Physicochemical parameters and microbiological status of honey produced in an urban environment in Serbia

Abstract

Honey is a natural substance produced by honey bees (the genus Apis) enjoyed by people due to its unique nutritional and medicinal properties. The aim of this study was to determine the physicochemical parameters (moisture, ash, water-insoluble content, reducing sugars, sucrose, free acidity, diastase activity, hydroxymethylfurfural, and electrical conductivity) and microbiological status (total number of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, total number of sulfite-reducing clostridia, the presence of Salmonella spp., total numbers of fungi and yeasts and the presence of Clostridium botulinum) in honey (honeydew, blossom, sunflower, acacia, and linden) produced in an urban environment in Serbia. We analyzed 19 apiary samples of honey, collected during the 2011 harvesting season, by using recommendation methods. Physicochemical parameters of the examined honey produced in the urban environment indicated the honeys were of acceptable quality. Bacillus spp. were detected in four honeys, yeasts were detected in three honeys, and Clostridium botulinum type E was detected in one honey using PCR. The current study also showed the presence of diverse honey varieties in Serbia.

http://ift.tt/2ty8NBs

Biodegradation of kraft lignin by newly isolated Klebsiella pneumoniae , Pseudomonas putida , and Ochrobactrum tritici strains

Abstract

Bacterial systems have drawn an increasing amount of attention on lignin valorization due to their rapid growth and powerful environmental adaptability. In this study, Klebsiella pneumoniae NX-1, Pseudomonas putida NX-1, and Ochrobactrum tritici NX-1 with ligninolytic potential were isolated from leaf mold samples. Their ligninolytic capabilities were determined by measuring (1) the cell growth on kraft lignin as the sole carbon source, (2) the decolorization of kraft lignin and lignin-mimicking dyes, (3) the micro-morphology changes and transformations of chemical groups in kraft lignin, and (4) the ligninolytic enzyme activities of these three isolates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that Ochrobactrum tritici species can depolymerize and metabolize lignin. Moreover, laccase, lignin peroxidase, and Mn-peroxidase showed high activities in P. putida NX-1. Due to their excellent ligninolytic capabilities, these three bacteria are important supplements to ligninolytic bacteria library and could be valuable in lignin valorization.

http://ift.tt/2FI1xrk

Flexible versus common technology to estimate economies of scale and scope in the water and sewerage industry: an application to England and Wales

Abstract

The water industry presents several structures in different countries and also within countries. Hence, several studies have been conducted to evaluate the presence of economies of scope and scale in the water industry leading to inconclusive results. The lack of a common methodology has been identified as an important factor contributing to divergent conclusions. This paper evaluates, for the first time, the presence of economies of scale and scope in the water industry using a flexible technology approach integrating operational and exogenous variables of the water companies in the cost functions. The empirical application carried out for the English and Welsh water industry evidenced that the inclusion of exogenous variables accounts for significant differences in economies of scale and scope. Moreover, completely different results were obtained when the economies of scale and scope were estimated using common and flexible technology methodological approaches. The findings of this study reveal the importance of using an appropriate methodology to support policy decision-making processes to promote sustainable urban water activities.

http://ift.tt/2twYldp

Application of UV-visible absorption spectroscopy combined with two-dimensional correlation for insight into DOM fractions from native halophyte soils in a larger estuarine delta

Abstract

UV-visible absorption spectroscopy combined with principal component analysis (PCA) and two-dimensional correlation (2D correlation) is used to trace components of dissolved organic matter (DOM) extracted from soils in a larger estuarine delta and to investigate spatial variations of DOM fractions. Soil samples of different depths were collected from native halophyte soils along a saline gradient, i.e., Suaeda salsa Comm. (SSC), Chenopodium album Comm. (CAC), Phragmites australis Comm. (PAC), and Artemisia selengensis Comm. (ASC). Molecular weights of DOM within the SSC soil profile were the lowest, followed by the CAC, PAC, and ASC soil profiles. Humification degree of DOM within the ASC soil profile was the highest, followed by the PAC, SSC, and CAC soil profiles. DOM within the soil profiles mainly contained phenolic, carboxylic, microbial products, and aromatic and alkyl groups through the PCA, which presented the significant differentiation among the four native halophyte soil profiles. The 2D UV correlation spectra of DOM within the SSC soil profile indicated that the variations of the phenolic groups were the largest, followed by the carboxylic groups, microbial products, and humified organic materials according to the band changing order of 285 → 365 → 425 → 520 nm. The 2D UV correlation spectra of DOM within the CAC soil profiles determined that the decreasing order of the variations was phenolic groups > carboxylic groups > microbial products according the band changing order of 285 → 365 → 425 nm. The 2D UV correlation spectra of DOM within the PAC soil profile proved that the variations of the phenolic groups were larger than those of the carboxylic groups according to the band changing order of 285 → 365 nm. The 2D UV correlation spectra of DOM within the ASC soil profile demonstrated that the variations of the phenolic groups were larger than those of the other DOM fractions according to the broad cross-peak at 285/365–700 nm.

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Case-series of paraneoplastic Cushing syndrome in small-cell lung cancer

Summary

The objective of this study is to report three cases of paraneoplastic or ectopic Cushing syndrome, which is a rare phenomenon of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-dependent Cushing syndrome. Three cases are reported in respect of clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment in addition to relevant literature review. The results showed that ectopic ACTH secretion can be associated with different types of neoplasm most common of which are bronchial carcinoid tumors, which are slow-growing, well-differentiated neoplasms with a favorable prognosis and small-cell lung cancer, which are poorly differentiated tumors with a poor outcome. The latter is present in two out of three cases and in the remaining one, primary tumor could not be localized, representing a small fraction of patients with paraneoplastic Cushing. Diagnosis is established in the setting of high clinical suspicion by documenting an elevated cortisol level, ACTH and doing dexamethasone suppression test. Treatment options include management of the primary tumor by surgery and chemotherapy and treating Cushing syndrome. Prognosis is poor in SCLC. We concluded that in front of a high clinical suspicion, ectopic Cushing syndrome diagnosis should be considered, and identification of the primary tumor is essential.

Learning points:

Learning how to suspect ectopic Cushing syndrome and confirm it among all the causes of excess cortisol.

Distinguish between occult and severe ectopic Cushing syndrome and etiology.

Providing the adequate treatment of the primary tumor as well as for the cortisol excess.

Prognosis depends on the differentiation and type of the primary malignancy.

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The best strategy for RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer patients in first-line treatment: a classic and Bayesian meta-analysis

Publication date: Available online 9 March 2018
Source:Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology
Author(s): Domenico Ciliberto, Nicoletta Staropoli, Francesca Caglioti, Silvia Chiellino, Antonella Ierardi, Rossana Ingargiola, Cirino Botta, Mariamena Arbitrio, Pierpaolo Correale, Pierfrancesco Tassone, Pierosandro Tagliaferri
BackgroundAt present, there is uncertainty on the best systemic treatment in first-line setting for RAS wild-type (WT) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. Indeed, several chemotherapy and biologics combinations showed an improvement on survival. We performed a systematic review with a pair-wise and bayesan meta-analysis to rank the best strategy for these patients.MethodsA systematic literature search through March 2017 was performed to evaluate the association between several treatment combinations and overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate (ORR) and toxicity rate (TR) in RAS WT mCRC patients. Data were extracted from studies and pooled using the random-effect model for pair-wise meta-analyses and bayesan model for network meta-analysis (NMA).ResultsEight studies with a total of 2518 individuals were included in the meta-analyses. Pooled analyses for subgroups stratified by type of schedule and tumor location demonstrated that anti-EGFR + doublet had the best OS when compared to doublet ± bevacizumab (0.767; 95%CI, 0.695–0.846; P < .0001). This benefit is limited to LSCC when compared to a doublet-based schedule and doublet + bevacizumab (HRs, 0.692; 95%CI, 0.596–0.804; P < .001; 0.706; 95%CI, 0.584–0.854; P < .001; respectively). No significant differences are detected in PFS, whereas the cetuximab-based regimens showed the highest ORR and TR. In NMA our ranking showed the best performance for FOLFOX + panitumumab.ConclusionsOur study indicates that FOLFOX + panitumumab has the major probability to provide an improvement of survival with a good safety profile in patients with RAS WT mCRC with an added value from selection based on sidedness.



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Review and clinical experience exploring evidence, clinical efficacy, and safety regarding nonsurgical treatment of feminine rejuvenation

Summary

Introduction

The use of energy-based devices for the treatment of vaginal laxity, orgasmic dysfunction, and stress incontinence, such as minimally ablative fractional laser and radiofrequency, is gaining momentum. This review aims to answer clinical questions on the application of energy-based devices for feminine genital rejuvenation.

Methods

The target group includes physicians involved in esthetic medicine and feminine genital rejuvenation. A literature review was conducted on technologies in use for feminine rejuvenation to explore their safety, efficacy, tolerability, patient satisfaction, and clinical usability. A panel of physicians with clinical experience conducting these types of treatment reviewed and discussed the results of the literature search and gave clinical evidence-based recommendations.

Results

Energy-based devices may induce wound healing, stimulating new collagen, and elastin fiber formation. Radiofrequency treatment may also increase small nerve fiber density in the papillary dermis, improving nerve sensitivity, sexual function, including arousal and orgasmic dysfunction. Both minimally ablative fractional laser and radiofrequency has been shown to be effective when treating mild to moderate primary or secondary vulvovaginal laxity and associated secondary conditions. These treatments are reported to be safe, effective, and well tolerated with a rapid return to activities of daily living.

Conclusions

As this is an evolving medical field, clinical evidence often lacks robustness. Studies and clinical experience suggest that feminine genital rejuvenation using energy-based devices seems an attractive option for patients with mild-to-moderate medical conditions. The treatment can be safely and effectively delivered by trained staff as part of the comprehensive care, that is, currently available to women.

http://ift.tt/2p1VZ0u

Effect of narrow-band ultraviolet B on the serum of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in vitiligo patients

Summary

Background

Narrow-band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) is the gold standard in the treatment of vitiligo. 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH- vitamin D) might play a physiological role in photo-induced melanogenesis in human skin so the association between vitamin D levels and vitiligo still needs to be investigated more thoroughly.

Objective

we aim to investigate the influence of cumulative doses of NB-UVB phototherapy on vitamin D in patients with vitiligo and their correlation with NB-UVB-induced pigmentation.

Methods

Eighty patients of vitiligo and twenty number of age and sex matched controls were recruited in a case-control study. Patients with vitiligo were treated with NB-UVB twice weekly for 24 weeks. 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels were measured at 0, 12, and 24 weeks in the cases and at 0 only in control by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Vitiligo Area Severity Index (VASI) were calculated at 0 (baseline) and 24 weeks.

Results

The mean baseline level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (at 0 week) was significantly lower in patients than the control group. Levels of 25(OH) vitamin D at 12 and 24 weeks showed significant improvement and Patients show significant reduction in VASI score after 24 weeks of therapy.

Conclusions

Cumulative doses of NB-UVB therapy improve low vitamin D levels in patients with vitiligo, which might have a significant role in NB-UVB-induced repigmentation and may contribute to its therapeutic efficacy but further studies with larger sample size are needed to prove the complete mechanisms of NB-UVB-induced pigmentations and vitamin D in vitiligo.

http://ift.tt/2Ij9XUK

A wearable electrochemical glucose sensor based on simple and low-cost fabrication supported micro-patterned reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite electrode on flexible substrate

Publication date: 30 June 2018
Source:Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Volume 109
Author(s): Xing Xuan, Hyo S. Yoon, Jae Y. Park
In this study, a reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-based nanostructured composite working electrode of high quality was successfully microfabricated and micro-patterned on a flexible polyimide substrate using simple low-cost fabrication processes. Gold and platinum alloy nanoparticles were electrochemically deposited onto the microfabricated rGO surface and chitosan-glucose oxidase composites were integrated onto the modified surface of the working electrode to develop a human sweat-based wearable glucose sensor application. The fabricated biosensor exhibited excellent amperometric response to glucose at a detection range of 0–2.4 mM (covers the glucose range in sweat), with a sensitivity of 48 μA/mMcm², a short response time (20 s), and high linearity (0.99). The detection limit for glucose was calculated as 5 µm. The human sweat/mixing glucose samples initially used for testing indicated acceptable detection performance and stability for low glucose concentrations. These results confirm that the proposed nanostructured composite flexible working electrode and fabrication process are highly promising for application as human sweat-based electrochemical glucose sensors.



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Novel photoluminescence enzyme immunoassay based on supramolecular host-guest recognition using L-arginine/6-aza-2-thiothymine-stabilized gold nanocluster

Publication date: 30 June 2018
Source:Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Volume 109
Author(s): Youmei Wang, Minghua Lu, Dianping Tang
A new photoluminescence (PL) enzyme immunoassay was designed for sensitive detection of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) via an innovative enzyme substrate, 6-aza-2-thiothymine-stabilized gold nanocluster (AAT-AuNC) with L-arginine. The enzyme substrate with strong PL intensity was formed through supramolecular host-guest assembly between guanidine group of L-arginine and AAT capped on the surface of AuNC. Upon arginase introduction, the captured L-arginine was hydrolyzed into ornithine and urea, thus resulting in the decreasing PL intensity. Based on this principle, a novel competitive-type immunoreaction was first carried out on AFB1-bovine serum albumin (AFB1-BSA) conjugate-coated microplate, using arginase-labeled anti-AFB1 antibody as the competitor. Under the optimum conditions, the PL intensity increased with the increment of target AFB1, and allowed the detection of the analyte at concentrations as low as 3.2 pg mL⁻¹ (ppt). Moreover, L-arginine-AAT-AuNC-based PL enzyme immunoassay afforded good reproducibility and acceptable specificity. In addition, the accuracy of this methodology, referring to commercial AFB1 ELISA kit, was evaluated to analyze naturally contaminated or spiked peanut samples, giving well-matched results between two methods, thus representing a useful scheme for practical application in quantitative monitoring of mycotoxins in foodstuff.



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Rapid fully automatic segmentation of subcortical brain structures by shape-constrained surface adaptation

Publication date: Available online 9 March 2018
Source:Medical Image Analysis
Author(s): Fabian Wenzel, Carsten Meyer, Thomas Stehle, Jochen Peters, Susanne Siemonsen, Christian Thaler, Lyubomir Zagorchev
This work presents a novel approach for the rapid segmentation of clinically relevant subcortical brain structures in T1-weighted MRI by utilizing a shape-constrained deformable surface model. In contrast to other approaches for segmenting brain structures, its design allows for parallel segmentation of individual brain structures within a flexible and robust hierarchical framework such that accurate adaptation and volume computation can be achieved within a minute of processing time. Furthermore, adaptation is driven by local and not global contrast, potentially relaxing requirements with respect to preprocessing steps such as bias-field correction. Detailed evaluation experiments on more than 1000 subjects, including comparisons to FSL FIRST and FreeSurfer as well as a clinical assessment, demonstrate high accuracy and test-retest consistency of the presented segmentation approach, leading, for example, to an average segmentation error of less than 0.5 mm. The presented approach might be useful in both, research as well as clinical routine, for automated segmentation and volume quantification of subcortical brain structures in order to increase confidence in the diagnosis of neuro-degenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, or clinical applications for other neurologic and psychiatric diseases.

Graphical abstract

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Estimating fiber orientation distribution from diffusion MRI with spherical needlets

Publication date: Available online 8 February 2018
Source:Medical Image Analysis
Author(s): Hao Yan, Owen Carmichael, Debashis Paul, Jie Peng
We present a novel method for estimation of the fiber orientation distribution (FOD) function based on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (D-MRI) data. We formulate the problem of FOD estimation as a regression problem through spherical deconvolution and a sparse representation of the FOD by a spherical needlets basis that forms a multi-resolution tight frame for spherical functions. This sparse representation allows us to estimate the FOD by ℓ1-penalized regression under a non-negativity constraint on the estimated FOD. The resulting convex optimization problem is solved by an alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) algorithm. The proposed method leads to a reconstruction of the FOD that is accurate, has low variability and preserves sharp features. Through extensive experiments, we demonstrate the effectiveness and favorable performance of the proposed method compared to three existing methods. Specifically, we demonstrate that the proposed method is able to successfully resolve fiber crossings at small angles and automatically identify isotropic diffusion. We also apply the proposed method to real 3T D-MRI data sets of healthy individuals. The results show realistic depictions of crossing fibers that are more accurate, less noisy, and lead to superior tractography results compared to competing methods.

Graphical abstract

http://ift.tt/2FrQgMN