bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real‐time measurement of platelet shape change by light scattering under riboflavin and ultraviolet light treatment
Authors: Terada Chikahiro , Shiba Masayuki , Satake Masahiro , Tadokoro Kenji
Published: November 2015

BACKGROUND

The adoption of pathogen reduction technologies (PRTs) is considered for the implementation of safer platelet (PLT) transfusion. However, the effects of PRT treatment including irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) light on PLT shape have not yet been fully clarified.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Leukoreduced PLT concentrates (PCs) were treated with riboflavin and UV light (Mirasol PRT, TerumoBCT). PLT shape and adenosine diphosphate (ADP)‐induced shape change were evaluated by a light scattering method where the amplitude of the scattered signal intensity was measured as the indicator of the proportion of discoid PLTs. Using a modified fluorometer, the real‐time effects of different wavelengths of UV light on PLT shape were examined over the range of 300 to 360 nm at the same dose.

RESULTS

The proportion of discoid PLTs in the Mirasol PRT–treated PCs decreased immediately after treatment. The difference in the proportion between PRT‐treated and untreated PLTs became larger with storage. Although this modification correlated significantly with the pH decrease and P‐selectin expression, the Mirasol PRT–treated PLTs retained sufficient ability to undergo an ADP‐induced shape change. In the study using the modified fluorometer, the proportion of discoid PLTs significantly decreased with the wavelength (<320 nm) of irradiated UV light.

CONCLUSION

Mirasol PRT treatment of PCs decreases the proportion of discoid PLTs, which seemed to be caused by the irradiation with UV light of short wavelengths (<320 nm), not that of long wavelengths (≥320 nm) in the Mirasol PRT system. Modification of UV light wavelength may improve the quality of PRT‐treated PCs.
Acoustophoresis of disk-shaped microparticles: A numerical and experimental study of acoustic radiation forces and torques
Authors: Garbin Alexander , Leibacher Ivo , Hahn Philipp , Le Ferrand Hortense , Studart André , Dual Jürg
Published: November 2015

Disk-shaped microparticles experience an acoustic radiation force and torque in an ultrasonic standing wave. Hence, they are translated by the acoustic field, an effect called acoustophoresis, and rotated. The torque effect is also known from the “Rayleigh disk” which is described in literature for sound intensity measurements. In this paper, inviscid numerical simulations of acoustic radiation forces and torques for disks with radius ≪ wavelength in water are developed in good agreement with former analytical solutions, and the dependence on disk geometry, density, and orientation is discussed. Experiments with alumina disks (diameter 7.5 μm), suspended in an aqueous liquid in a silicon microchannel, confirm the theoretical results qualitatively at the microscale and ultrasonic frequencies around 2 MHz. These results can potentially be applied for the synthesis of disk-reinforced composite materials. The insights are also relevant for the acoustic handling of various disk-shaped particles, such as red blood cells.
Auditory detection of non-speech and speech stimuli in noise: Effects of listeners' native language background
Authors: Liu Chang , Jin Su-Hyun
Published: November 2015

This study investigated whether native listeners processed speech differently from non-native listeners in a speech detection task. Detection thresholds of Mandarin Chinese and Korean vowels and non-speech sounds in noise, frequency selectivity, and the nativeness of Mandarin Chinese and Korean vowels were measured for Mandarin Chinese- and Korean-native listeners. The two groups of listeners exhibited similar non-speech sound detection and frequency selectivity; however, the Korean listeners had better detection thresholds of Korean vowels than Chinese listeners, while the Chinese listeners performed no better at Chinese vowel detection than the Korean listeners. Moreover, thresholds predicted from an auditory model highly correlated with behavioral thresholds of the two groups of listeners, suggesting that detection of speech sounds not only depended on listeners' frequency selectivity, but also might be affected by their native language experience. Listeners evaluated their native vowels with higher nativeness scores than non-native listeners. Native listeners may have advantages over non-native listeners when processing speech sounds in noise, even without the required phonetic processing; however, such native speech advantages might be offset by Chinese listeners' lower sensitivity to vowel sounds, a characteristic possibly resulting from their sparse vowel system and their greater cognitive and attentional demands for vowel processing.
The Effects of Pilates Training on Balance Control and Self-Reported Health Status in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Gabizon Hadas , Press Yan , Volkov Ilia , Melzer Itshak
Published: November 2015

Objectives:

To evaluate the effect of a group-based Pilates training program on balance control and health status in healthy older adults.

Design:

A single-blind, randomized, controlled trial.

Setting:

General community.

Participants:

A total of 88 community-dwelling older adults (age 71.15 ± 4.30 years), without evidence of functional balance impairment, were recruited and allocated at random to a Pilates intervention group (n = 44) or a control group (n = 44).

Intervention:

The Pilates intervention group received 36 training sessions over three months (3 sessions a week), while the control group did not receive any intervention.

Outcome measures:

Standing upright postural stability, performance-based measures of balance, and self-reported health status was assessed in both groups at baseline and at the end of the intervention period.

Results:

Compared with the control group, the Pilates intervention did not improve postural stability, baseline functional measures of balance, or health status.

Conclusions:

The results suggest that because Pilates training is not task specific, it does not improve balance control or balance function in independent older adults.
A gene deletion that up-regulates viral gene expression yields an attenuated RSV vaccine with improved antibody responses in children
Authors: Karron Ruth A. , Luongo Cindy , Thumar Bhagvanji , Loehr Karen M. , Englund Janet A. , Collins Peter L. , Buchholz Ursula J.
Published: November 2015

A live attenuated vaccine candidate for RSV may decrease viral replication while enhancing immunogenicity in children.
Plasma
AR
and abiraterone-resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Romanel Alessandro , Tandefelt Delila Gasi , Conteduca Vincenza , Jayaram Anuradha , Casiraghi Nicola , Wetterskog Daniel , Salvi Samanta , Amadori Dino , Zafeiriou Zafeiris , Rescigno Pasquale , Bianchini Diletta , Gurioli Giorgia , Casadio Valentina , Carreira Suzanne , Goodall Jane , Wingate Anna , Ferraldeschi Roberta , Tunariu Nina , Flohr Penny , De Giorgi Ugo , de Bono Johann S. , Demichelis Francesca , Attard Gerhardt
Published: November 2015

Androgen receptor mutations and amplifications in circulating tumor DNA provide clues to prostate cancer drug resistance.
The hydrology of cerebrospinal fluid flow: Rivulets, fjords, and oceans
Authors: Janson Christopher G.
Published: November 2015

Interstitial fluid flows to the mouse brain ventricles by convective bulk flow in a pathway complementary to that of the paravascular system.
The skin-y on B cell subsets
Authors: Singh Anne Marie
Published: November 2015

Atopic dermatitis is associated with system expansion of B cell subsets that correlate with disease severity.
Choosing Healthcare Options by Involving Canada's Elderly: a protocol for the CHOICE realist synthesis project on engaging older persons in healthcare decision-making
Authors: Stolee Paul , Elliott Jacobi , McNeil Heather , Boscart Veronique , Heckman George A , Hutchinson Rebecca , Hedley Margaret , Glouberman Sholom , Judd Maria
Published: November 2015

Introduction

While patient and citizen engagement has been recognised as a crucial element in healthcare reform, limited attention has been paid to how best to engage seniors—the fastest growing segment of the population and the largest users of the healthcare system. To improve the healthcare services for this population, seniors and their families need to be engaged as active partners in healthcare decision-making, research and planning. This synthesis aims to understand the underlying context and mechanisms needed to achieve meaningful engagement of older adults in healthcare decision-making, research and planning.

Methods and analysis

The CHOICE Knowledge Synthesis Project: Choosing Healthcare Options by Involving Canada's Elderlyaims to address this issue by synthesising current knowledge on patient, family, and caregiver engagement. A realist synthesis will support us to learn from other patient and citizen engagement initiatives, from previous research, and from seniors, families and caregivers themselves. The synthesis will guide development or adaptation of a framework, leading to the development of best practice guidelines and recommendations for engagement of older people and their families and caregivers in clinical decision-making, healthcare delivery, planning and research.

Ethics and dissemination

The components of this protocol involving consultation with patients or caregivers have received ethics clearance from the University of Waterloo, Office of Research Ethics (ORE#19094). After completion of the project, we will amalgamate the information collected into a knowledge synthesis report which will include best practice guidelines and recommendations for patient, family and caregiver engagement in clinical and health system planning and research contexts.

Results

Will be further disseminated to citizens, clinicians, researchers and policymakers with the help of our partners.

Trial registration number

CRD42015024749.
An exploratory analysis of cigarette price premium, market share and consumer loyalty in relation to continued consumption versus cessation in a national US panel
Authors: Lewis Michael , Wang Yanwen , Cahn Zachary , Berg Carla J
Published: November 2015

Introduction

Brand equity and consumer loyalty play a role in continued purchasing behaviour; however, this research has largely focused on non-addictive products without counter-marketing tactics. We examined the impact of brand equity (price premium, market share) and consumer loyalty (switching rates) on smoking cessation (discontinued cigarette purchases for 1 year) among smokers in a consumer panel.

Methods

In Spring 2015, we analysed 1077 cigarette-purchasing households in the Nielsen Homescan Panel. We analysed cessation in relation to brand equity, consumer loyalty, other purchasing behaviours (nicotine intake, frequency), sociodemographics and tobacco control activities (per state-specific data) over a 6-year period (2004–2009) using Cox proportional hazard modelling.

Results

The sample was 13.28% African-American; the average income was $52 334 (SD=31 445). The average price premium and market share of smokers’ dominant brands were $1.31 (SD=0.49) and 15.41% (SD=19.15), respectively. The mean brand loyalty level was 0.90 (SD=0.17), indicating high loyalty. In our final model, a higher price premium and market share were associated with lower quit rates (p=0.039); however, an interaction effect suggested that greater market share was not associated with lower cessation rates for African-American smokers (p=0.006). Consumer loyalty was not associated with cessation. Other predictors of lower quit rates included a higher nicotine intake (p=0.006) and baseline purchase frequency (p<0.001). Tobacco control factors were not significantly associated.

Conclusions

Smokers of high-equity cigarette brands are less likely to quit, perhaps due to strong brand–consumer relationships. Thus, continued efforts should aim to regulate tobacco marketing efforts in order to disrupt these relationships to promote cessation.
Perception of electronic cigarettes in the general population: does their usefulness outweigh their risks?
Authors: Martínez-Sánchez Jose M , Fu Marcela , Martín-Sánchez Juan Carlos , Ballbè Montse , Saltó Esteve , Fernández Esteve
Published: November 2015

Objective

To describe and compare the perceptions of the general population about the harmful effects of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) on users and on those passively exposed to e-cigarettes and the perceptions about e-cigarette usefulness for reducing or eliminating tobacco smoking.

Design, setting, and participants

We analysed cross-sectional data from a longitudinal study of a representative sample of the general adult (≥16 years) population of Barcelona, Spain (336 men and 400 women). The fieldwork was conducted between May 2013 and February 2014. We computed the percentages, adjusted OR and their corresponding 95% CI among participants with some awareness of e-cigarettes (79.2% of the sample).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

We assessed the perception about harmfulness for e-cigarette users and for passively exposed non-e-cigarette users, as well as the perception of usefulness for smokers of cigarette cessation and reduction.

Results

In this sample, 40.1% thought that e-cigarettes had a harmful effect on users, and 27.1% thought that e-cigarettes had a harmful effect on passively exposed bystanders (p<0.001). Particularly, more never-smokers perceived that e-cigarettes had harmful effects on passively exposed bystanders than current smokers (34.4% vs 20.6%; OR=1.93, 95% CI 1.02 to 3.63). More people perceived e-cigarettes as being useful for reducing smoking than for quitting (50.6% vs 29.9%, p<0.001), as well as for reducing smoking than as being harmful to users (50.6% vs 40.1%, p=0.044).

Discussion

The perception that e-cigarettes are useful for reducing tobacco consumption was more prevalent than the perception that e-cigarettes are harmful to users and to those passively exposed to e-cigarettes. Advertisements and messages about the use of e-cigarettes and their harmful effects should be regulated and based on scientific evidence to avoid creating erroneous ideas about their use.
Tall Man lettering and potential prescription errors: a time series analysis of 42 children's hospitals in the USA over 9 years
Authors: Zhong Wenjun , Feinstein James A , Patel Neil S , Dai Dingwei , Feudtner Chirs
Published: November 2015

Background

Despite the widespread implementation of Tall Man lettering, little evidence exists regarding whether this technique has reduced drug errors due to look-alike sound-alike (LA-SA) drug names. This study evaluated rates of potential LA-SA drug errors in the drug management process through to the point of dispensing before and after implementation of Tall Man lettering in 2007.

Methods

We used detailed pharmacy data for paediatric inpatients (<21 years old) from 42 children's hospitals in 2004–2012. After prespecifying a set of 8 potential LA-SA drug error patterns we searched within each hospitalisation for the occurrence of one of these patterns for a total of 12 LA-SA drug pairs deemed highly relevant to paediatric inpatients. To assess for potential change of error rates before and after Tall Man lettering implementation, we performed segmented regression analyses for each of 11 LA-SA drug pairs (because 1 pair had no detected potential errors) and for the overall total errors of all 11 LA-SA drug pairs.

Results

Among 1 676 700 hospitalisations, no statistically significant change was detected for either the intercept or the slope of LA-SA error rate for each of the 11 drug pairs or for the combined error rate. In a sensitivity analysis of the moving average of the potential error rate over the entire study period, no downward trend in potential LA-SA drug error rates was evident over any time period 2004 onwards.

Conclusions

Implementation of Tall Man lettering in 2007 was not associated with a reduction in the potential LA-SA error rate. Whether Tall Man lettering is effective in clinical practice warrants further study.
Using voluntary reports from physicians to learn from diagnostic errors in emergency medicine
Authors: Okafor Nnaemeka , Payne Velma L , Chathampally Yashwant , Miller Sara , Doshi Pratik , Singh Hardeep
Published: November 2015

Objectives

Diagnostic errors are common in the emergency department (ED), but few studies have comprehensively evaluated their types and origins. We analysed incidents reported by ED physicians to determine disease conditions, contributory factors and patient harm associated with ED-related diagnostic errors.

Methods

Between 1 March 2009 and 31 December 2013, ED physicians reported 509 incidents using a department-specific voluntary incident-reporting system that we implemented at two large academic hospital-affiliated EDs. For this study, we analysed 209 incidents related to diagnosis. A quality assurance team led by an ED physician champion reviewed each incident and interviewed physicians when necessary to confirm the presence/absence of diagnostic error and to determine the contributory factors. We generated descriptive statistics quantifying disease conditions involved, contributory factors and patient harm from errors.

Results

Among the 209 incidents, we identified 214 diagnostic errors associated with 65 unique diseases/conditions, including sepsis (9.6%), acute coronary syndrome (9.1%), fractures (8.6%) and vascular injuries (8.6%). Contributory factors included cognitive (n=317), system related (n=192) and non-remedial (n=106). Cognitive factors included faulty information verification (41.3%) and faulty information processing (30.6%) whereas system factors included high workload (34.4%) and inefficient ED processes (40.1%). Non-remediable factors included atypical presentation (31.3%) and the patients’ inability to provide a history (31.3%). Most errors (75%) involved multiple factors. Major harm was associated with 34/209 (16.3%) of reported incidents.

Conclusions

Most diagnostic errors in ED appeared to relate to common disease conditions. While sustaining diagnostic error reporting programmes might be challenging, our analysis reveals the potential value of such systems in identifying targets for improving patient safety in the ED.
Heimlich valve orientation error leading to radiographic tension pneumothorax: analysis of an error and a call for education, device redesign and regulatory action
Authors: Broder Joshua S , Fox James W , Milne Judy , Theiling Brent Jason , White Ann
Published: November 2015

Medical errors are commonly multifactorial, with adverse clinical consequences often requiring the simultaneous failure of a series of protective layers, termed the Swiss Cheese model. Remedying and preventing future medical errors requires a series of steps, including detection, mitigation of patient harm, disclosure, reporting, root cause analysis, system modification, regulatory action, and engineering and manufacturing reforms. We describe this process applied to two cases of improper orientation of a Heimlich valve in a thoracostomy tube system, resulting in enlargement of an existing pneumothorax and the development of radiographic features of tension pneumothorax. We analyse elements contributing to the occurrence of the error and depict the implementation of reforms within our healthcare system and with regulatory authorities and the manufacturer. We identify features of the Heimlich valve promoting this error and suggest educational, design, and regulatory reforms for enhanced patient safety.
Diagnosis of acute ischemia using dual energy CT after mechanical thrombectomy
Authors: Gariani Joanna , Cuvinciuc Victor , Courvoisier Delphine , Krauss Bernhard , Mendes Pereira Vitor , Sztajzel Roman , Lovblad Karl-Olof , Vargas Maria Isabel
Published: November 2015

Background and purpose

To assess the performance of dual energy unenhanced CT in the detection of acute ischemia after mechanical thrombectomy.

Methods

Retrospective study, approved by the local institutional review board, including all patients that underwent intra-arterial thrombectomy in our institution over a period of 2 years. The presence of acute ischemia and hemorrhage was evaluated by three readers. Sensitivity and specificity of the non-contrast CT weighted sum image (NCCT) and the virtual non-contrast reconstructed image (VNC) were estimated and compared using generalized estimating equations to account for the non-independence of regions in each patient.

Results

58 patients (27 women and 31 men; mean age 70.4 years) were included in the study, yielding 580 regions of interest. Sensitivity and specificity in detecting acute ischemia were higher for all readers when using VNC, with a significant increase in sensitivity for two readers (p<0.001 and 0.01) and a significant increase in specificity in one reader (p<0.001). Specificity in detecting hemorrhage was excellent for all readers.

Conclusions

Dual energy unenhanced CT VNC images were superior in the identification of acute ischemia in comparison with NCCT.
Copeptin in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction: a report from the prospective KaRen-study
Authors: Hage Camilla , Lund Lars H , Donal Erwan , Daubert Jean-Claude , Linde Cecilia , Mellbin Linda
Published: November 2015

Introduction

Underlying mechanisms of heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) remain unknown. We explored copeptin, a biomarker of the arginine vasopressin system, hypothesising that copeptin in HFPEF is elevated, associated with diastolic dysfunction and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and predictive of HF hospitalisation and mortality.

Methods and analysis

In a prospective observational substudy of the The Karolinska Rennes (KaRen) 86 patients with symptoms of acute HF and ejection fraction (EF) ≥45% were enrolled. After 4–8 weeks, blood sampling and echocardiography was performed. Plasma-copeptin was analysed in 86 patients and 62 healthy controls. Patients were followed in median 579 days (quartile 1; quartile 3 (Q1;Q3) 276;1178) regarding the composite end point all-cause mortality or HF hospitalisation.

Ethics and dissemination

The patients with HFPEF had higher copeptin levels, median 13.56 pmol/L (Q1;Q3 8.56;20.55) than controls 5.98 pmol/L (4.15;9.42; p<0.001). Diastolic dysfunction, assessable in 75/86 patients, was present in 45 and absent in 30 patients. Copeptin did not differ regarding diastolic dysfunction and did not correlate with cardiac function but with NT-proBNP (r=0.223; p value=0.040). In univariate Cox regression analysis log copeptin predicted the composite end point (HR 1.56 (95% CI 1.03 to 2.38; p value=0.037)) but not after adjusting for NT-proBNP (HR 1.39 (95% CI 0.91 to 2.12; p value=0.125)).

Conclusions

In the present patients with HFPEF, copeptin is elevated, correlates with NT-proBNP but not markers of diastolic dysfunction, and has prognostic implications, however blunted after adjustment for NT-proBNP. The HFPEF pathophysiology may be better reflected by markers of neurohormonal activation than by diastolic dysfunction.

Trial registration number

ClinicalTrials.govNCT00774709.
Preliminary application of a single‐port access technique for laparoscopic ovariohysterectomy in dogs
Authors: Sánchez‐Margallo F. M. , Tapia‐Araya A. , Díaz‐Güemes I.
Published: November 2015

Laparoscopic ovariohysterectomy using single‐portal access was performed in nine selected owned dogs admitted for elective ovariohysterectomy and the surgical technique and outcomes were detailed. A multiport device (SILS Port, Covidien, USA) was placed at the umbilical area through a single 3 cm incision. Three cannulae were introduced in the multiport device through the access channels and laparoscopic ovariohysterectomy was performed using a 5‐mm sealing device, a 5‐mm articulating grasper and a 5‐mm 30° laparoscope. The mean total operative time was 52.66±15.20 minutes and the mean skin incision during surgery was 3.09±0.20 cm. Of the nine cases examined, in the one with an ovarian tumour, the technique was converted to multiport laparoscopy introducing an additional 5‐mm trocar. No surgical complications were encountered and intraoperative blood loss was minimum in all animals. Clashing of the instruments and reduced triangulation were the main limitations of this technique. The combination of articulated and straight instruments facilitated triangulation towards the surgical field and dissection capability. One month after surgery a complete wound healing was observed in all animals. The present data showed that ovariohysterectomy performed with a single‐port access is technically feasible in dogs. The unique abdominal incision minimises the abdominal trauma with good cosmetic results.
Mechanism of reactive magnesia – ground granulated blastfurnace slag (GGBS) soil stabilization
Authors: Yi Yaolin , Liska Martin , Jin Fei , Al-Tabbaa Abir
Published: November 2015

Reactive magnesia (MgO)-activated ground granulated blastfurnace slag (GGBS), with fixed GGBS dosages but varying MgO/GGBS ratios, was used for stabilization of two soils and compared with brucite (Mg(OH)2)-activated GGBS and hydrated lime (Ca(OH)2)-activated GGBS. A range of tests, including unconfined compressive strength testing, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy, was conducted to study the mechanical, chemical, and microstructural properties of the stabilized soils, and then to investigate the mechanism of MgO–GGBS soil stabilization. Results indicate that the Mg(OH)2had a minimal activating efficacy for GGBS-stabilized soil, while the reactive MgO yielded a higher activating efficacy than the Ca(OH)2. The activator–soil reactions in the stabilized soil slowed down the activating reaction rate for GGBS; this effect was less significant in MgO–GGBS-stabilized soil than in Ca(OH)2–GGBS-stabilized soil, and hence the GGBS hydration rate in the former was less reduced by the soil than the latter. The Mg2+and OH−ions produced from MgO dissolution participated in the GGBS hydration reactions without precipitating Mg(OH)2. The common hydration products in all GGBS-stabilized soils were calcium silicate hydrate–like compounds. Additionally, hydrotalcite and calcite could be produced in MgO–GGBS- and Ca(OH)2–GGBS-stabilized soils, respectively, especially with a high activator/GGBS ratio.
Physiological response of two differentChlamydomonas reinhardtiistrains to light–dark rhythms
Authors: Sandmann Michael , Garz Andreas , Menzel Ralf
Published: November 2015

Cells of a cell-wall deficient line (cw15-type) of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and of the corresponding wild type were grown during repetitive light–dark cycles. In a direct comparison, both lines showed approximately the same relative biomass increase during light phase but the cw-line produced significantly more, and smaller, daughter cells. Throughout the light period the average cellular starch content, the cellular chlorophyll content, the cellular rate of dark respiration, and the cellular rate of photosynthesis of the cw-line was lower. Despite this, several non-cell volume related parameters like the development of starch content per cell volume were clearly different over time between the strains. Additionally, the chlorophyll-based photosynthesis rates were 2-fold higher in the mutant than in the wild-type cells, and the ratio of chlorophyll a to chlorophyll b as well as the light-saturation index were also consistently higher in the mutant cells. Differences in the starch content were also confirmed by single cell analyses using a sensitive SHG-based microscopy approach. In summary, the cw15-type mutant deviates from its genetic background in the entire cell physiology. Both lines should be used in further studies in comparative systems biology with focus on the detailed relation between cell volume increase, photosynthesis, starch metabolism, and daughter cell productivity.
Modelled nearshore sediment transport in open-water conditions, central north shore of Prince Edward Island, Canada
Authors: Manson Gavin K. , Davidson-Arnott Robin G.D. , Forbes Donald L.
Published: November 2015

The central north shore of Prince Edward Island comprises embayments separated by subtle headlands that may constrain nearshore sediment transport. The study area includes two such embayments informally known as Brackley and Tracadie bights, both of which are sand-rich onshore and sand-starved between 20 and 50 m water depth. Storm winds and waves from the northwest and northeast are common in autumn and winter. The hydrodynamic model Delft3D is used to simulate waves, currents, water levels, and sediment transport in Brackley and Tracadie bights during 23 autumn seasons between 1955 and 2005. When compared with wave and current measurements from a field experiment in the autumn of 1999, the model successfully simulates conditions during storms and fair-weather periods. Results from the simulations show that, in autumn, the weighted mean direction of transport is to the southeast (133°). Bedload transport is directed onshore to the south (170°), and suspended load is directed offshore to the northeast (67°). When aggregated over the 23 seasons, transport magnitudes and directions differ between Brackley and Tracadie bights. Rates of transport are higher in Tracadie Bight and directed more to the east. During individual storms, transport is dependent on the storm wind and wave direction. Most transport occurs in bed load, and deposition occurs at the shoreline, with erosion offshore. The patterns of bed load and suspended load suggest a mechanism for the landward migration of this shoreline during transgression, and may explain the existence of the sand-starved zone offshore.
Non-native pelagic macroinvertebrate alters population dynamics of herbivorous zooplankton in a large deep lake
Authors: Caldwell Timothy J. , Wilhelm Frank M. , Dux Andy
Published: November 2015

Establishment of non-native species can alter native species populations and restructure lake food webs through complex tropic interactions such as intraguild predation or classic trophic cascades. Although the freshwater shrimp Mysis diluviana is well known for its ability to impact both primary and secondary productivity through omnivorous feeding in aquatic ecosystems in which it has been introduced, empirical evidence of mysid consumption of zooplankton prey and associated impacts on cladoceran communities from the same lake is uncommon. Furthermore, recent literature has suggested that mysids may impact other zooplankton populations outside of cladocerans. To test the hypothesis that introduced mysids negatively affect the seasonal abundance of cladocerans in Lake Pend Oreille, a large and deep (348 km2, max. depth: 352 m) lake in Idaho, USA, we quantified the seasonal diet and consumption rates of mysids and compared them with cladoceran production rates. During isothermal conditions, mysids opportunistically fed on copepods, diatoms, and rotifers. However, during stratification, mysids strongly selected cladocerans. In addition, during isothermal conditions, mysids consumed 100% of cladoceran production and selected reproductive-sized individuals. We interpret this to show that mysids regulate the production of cladocerans when the lake is not stratified. The suppression of cladocerans in the spring coincides with the appearance of kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) fry whose growth and survival may be negatively affected by the lack of abundant cladocerans, a preferred prey. This suggests a possible cascading effect to higher trophic levels.
Principles underlying the epizootiology of viral hemorrhagic septicemia in Pacific herring and other fishes throughout the North Pacific Ocean
Authors: Hershberger Paul K. , Garver Kyle A. , Winton James R.
Published: November 2015

Although viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) typically occurs at low prevalence and intensity in natural populations of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) and other marine fishes in the Northeast Pacific Ocean, epizootics of the resulting disease (VHS) periodically occur, often in association with observed fish kills. Here we identify a list of principles, based on a combination of field studies, controlled laboratory experiments, and previously unpublished observations, that govern the epizootiology of VHS in Pacific herring. A thorough understanding of these principles provides the basis for identifying risk factors that predispose certain marine fish populations to VHS epizootics, including the lack of population resistance, presence of chronic viral carriers in a population, copious viral shedding by infected individuals, cool water temperatures, limited water circulation patterns, and gregarious host behavioral patterns. Further, these principles are used to define the epizootiological stages of the disease in Pacific herring, including the susceptible (where susceptible individuals predominate a school or subpopulation), enzootic (where infection prevalence and intensity are often below the limits of reasonable laboratory detection), disease amplification (where infection prevalence and intensity increase rapidly), outbreak (often accompanied by host mortalities with high virus loads and active shedding), recovery (in which the mortality rate and virus load decline owing to an active host immune response), and refractory stages (characterized by little or no susceptibility and where viral clearance occurs in most VHS survivors). In addition to providing a foundation for quantitatively assessing the potential risks of future VHS epizootics in Pacific herring, these principles provide insights into the epizootiology of VHS in other fish communities where susceptible species exist.
The evolution and future of environmental partition coefficients
Authors: Mackay Donald , Celsie Alena K.D. , Parnis J. Mark
Published: November 2015

Partition or distribution coefficients (and increasingly referred to as partition ratios) are widely used in environmental science to relate the concentration of a chemical solute in one phase to that in a second phase between which equilibrium applies or is approached. The solutes include organic and inorganic substances; the focus of this paper being on the former. The phases of interest include air, water, soils, sediments, aerosols, and biotic phases, such as lipids, blood, and various tissues. Availability of reliable partition coefficients for contaminants is essential for regulatory and scientific purposes, the general aim being to understand and predict the distribution of the substances in multimedia environmental and biological systems. The history of partition coefficients is reviewed, followed by a brief outline of their theoretical basis and a discussion of methods for determining partition coefficients both empirically and using a variety of predictive methods. It is suggested that ultimately a combination of empirical measurements, quantitative structure–property relationships, and computationally intensive quantum chemical molecular modeling techniques is required to provide accurate data for the large and increasing number of chemicals of commerce that may enter the environment.
Stromal cell-derived factor-1 mediates changes of bone marrow stem cells during the bone repair process
Authors: Okada Kiyotaka , Kawao Naoyuki , Yano Masato , Tamura Yukinori , Kurashimo Shinzi , Okumoto Katsumi , Kojima Kotarou , Kaji Hiroshi
Published: November 2015

Osteoblasts, osteoclasts, chondrocytes, and macrophages that participate in the bone repair process are derived from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). However, the roles of these stem cells during the repair of injured bone tissue are still unclear. In the present study, we examined the effects of bone defect on HSCs and MSCs in bone marrow and spleen in 75 mice and its mechanism. We analyzed the HSC and MSC populations in these tissues of a mouse with femoral bone damage by using flow cytometry. The number of HSCs in the bone marrow of mice with damaged femurs was significantly lower than the number of these cells in the bone marrow of the contralateral intact femurs on day 2 after injury. Meanwhile, the number of MSCs in the bone marrow of mice with damaged femurs was significantly higher than that of the contralateral femurs. Both intraperitoneal administration of AMD3100, a C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) antagonist, and local treatment with an anti-stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) antibody blunted the observed decrease in HSC and increase in MSC populations within the bone marrow of injured femurs. In conclusion, the present study revealed that there is a concurrent decrease and increase in the numbers of HSCs and MSCs, respectively, in the bone marrow during repair of mouse femoral bone damage. Furthermore, the SDF-1/CXCR4 system was implicated as contributing to the changes in these stem cell populations upon bone injury.
Short-term sleep deprivation with nocturnal light exposure alters time-dependent glucagon-like peptide-1 and insulin secretion in male volunteers
Authors: Gil-Lozano Manuel , Hunter Paola M. , Behan Lucy-Ann , Gladanac Bojana , Casper Robert F. , Brubaker Patricia L.
Published: November 2015

The intestinal L cell is the principal source of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a major determinant of insulin release. Because GLP-1 secretion is regulated in a circadian manner in rodents, we investigated whether the activity of the human L cell is also time sensitive. Rhythmic fluctuations in the mRNA levels of canonical clock genes were found in the human NCI-H716 L cell model, which also showed a time-dependent pattern in their response to well-established secretagogues. A diurnal variation in GLP-1 responses to identical meals (850 kcal), served 12 h apart in the normal dark (2300) and light (1100) periods, was also observed in male volunteers maintained under standard sleep and light conditions. These findings suggest the existence of a daily pattern of activity in the human L cell. Moreover, we separately tested the short-term effects of sleep deprivation and nocturnal light exposure on basal and postprandial GLP-1, insulin, and glucose levels in the same volunteers. Sleep deprivation with nocturnal light exposure disrupted the melatonin and cortisol profiles and increased insulin resistance. Moreover, it also induced profound derangements in GLP-1 and insulin responses such that postprandial GLP-1 and insulin levels were markedly elevated and the normal variation in GLP-1 responses was abrogated. These alterations were not observed in sleep-deprived participants maintained under dark conditions, indicating a direct effect of light on the mechanisms that regulate glucose homeostasis. Accordingly, the metabolic abnormalities known to occur in shift workers may be related to the effects of irregular light-dark cycles on these glucoregulatory pathways.
Adipogenic role of alternatively activated macrophages in β-adrenergic remodeling of white adipose tissue
Authors: Lee Yun-Hee , Kim Sang-Nam , Kwon Hyun-Jung , Maddipati Krishna Rao , Granneman James G.
Published: November 2015

De novo brown adipogenesis involves the proliferation and differentiation of progenitors, yet the mechanisms that guide these events in vivo are poorly understood. We previously demonstrated that treatment with a β3-adrenergic receptor (ADRB3) agonist triggers brown/beige adipogenesis in gonadal white adipose tissue following adipocyte death and clearance by tissue macrophages. The close physical relationship between adipocyte progenitors and tissue macrophages suggested that the macrophages that clear dying adipocytes might generate proadipogenic factors. Flow cytometric analysis of macrophages from mice treated with CL 316,243 identified a subpopulation that contained elevated lipid and expressed CD44. Lipidomic analysis of fluorescence-activated cell sorting-isolated macrophages demonstrated that CD44+ macrophages contained four- to five-fold higher levels of the endogenous peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) ligands 9-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (HODE), and 13-HODE compared with CD44− macrophages. Gene expression profiling and immunohistochemistry demonstrated that ADRB3 agonist treatment upregulated expression of ALOX15, the lipoxygenase responsible for generating 9-HODE and 13-HODE. Using an in vitro model of adipocyte efferocytosis, we found that IL-4-primed tissue macrophages accumulated lipid from dying fat cells and upregulated expression of Alox15. Furthermore, treatment of differentiating adipocytes with 9-HODE and 13-HODE potentiated brown/beige adipogenesis. Collectively, these data indicate that noninflammatory removal of adipocyte remnants and coordinated generation of PPARγ ligands by M2 macrophages provides localized adipogenic signals to support de novo brown/beige adipogenesis.
Water deprivation-partial rehydration induces sensitization of sodium appetite and alteration of hypothalamic transcripts
Authors: Pereira-Derderian Daniela T. B. , Vendramini Regina C. , Menani José V. , Chiavegatto Silvana , De Luca Laurival A.
Published: November 2015

iSodium intake occurs either as a spontaneous or induced behavior, which is enhanced, i.e., sensitized, by repeated episodes of water deprivation followed by subsequent partial rehydration (WD-PR). In the present work, we examined whether repeated WD-PR alters hypothalamic transcripts related to the brain renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and apelin system in male normotensive Holtzman rats (HTZ). We also examined whether the sodium intake of a strain with genetically inherited high expression of the brain RAS, the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), responds differently than HTZ to repeated WD-PR. We found that repeated WD-PR, besides enhancing spontaneous and induced 0.3 M NaCl intake, increased the hypothalamic expression of angiotensinogen, aminopeptidase N, and apelin receptor transcripts (43%, 60%, and 159%, respectively) in HTZ at the end of the third WD-PR. Repeated WD-PR did not change the daily spontaneous 0.3 M NaCl intake and barely changed the need-induced 0.3 M NaCl intake of SHR. The same treatment consistently enhanced spontaneous daily 0.3 M NaCl intake in the normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats. The results show that repeated WD-PR produces alterations in hypothalamic transcripts and also sensitizes sodium appetite in HTZ. They suggest an association between the components of hypothalamic RAS and the apelin system, with neural and behavioral plasticity produced by repeated episodes of WD-PR in a normotensive strain. The results also indicate that the inherited hyperactive brain RAS is not a guarantee for sensitization of sodium intake in the male adult SHR exposed to repeated WD-PR.
Effects of scratching and other counterstimuli on responses of trigeminothalamic tract neurons to itch-inducing stimuli in rats
Authors: Lipshetz Brett , Giesler Glenn J.
Published: November 2015

Counterstimuli such as scratching, pinching, noxious heat and cold, and innocuous cooling and warming have been shown to inhibit itch in humans. In the present study, the effects of each of these counterstimuli were determined on baseline firing rates and on sustained pruriceptive responses of rat trigeminothalamic tract neurons. We found that scratching had little, if any, effect on baseline firing levels but greatly reduced mean pruriceptive firing following scratching for nearly 1 min. None of the other noxious or innocuous counterstimuli significantly inhibited pruriceptive responses. Our results indicate that scratching, but not other counterstimuli, significantly reduces itch-induced responses of trigeminothalamic tract neurons.
How to discriminate conclusively among different models of decision making?
Authors: Thura David
Published: November 2015

A popular and successful class of decision-making models (the “evidence accumulator” models) has been recently challenged by a new hypothesis called the urgency-gating model. Hawkins et al. ( J Neurophysiol 114: 40–47, 2015) used a sophisticated curve-fitting procedure to show that these models are discriminable and thus testable in constant evidence tasks. In this Neuro Forum article I raise possible limitations of such an approach, discuss some of its implications, and propose alternative solutions.
Genetic loci associated with nonobstructive coronary artery disease in Caucasian women
Authors: Weng Liming , Taylor Kent D. , Chen Yii-Der Ida , Sopko George , Kelsey Sheryl F. , Bairey Merz C. Noel , Pepine Carl J. , Miller Virginia M. , Rotter Jerome I. , Gulati Martha , Goodarzi Mark O. , Cooper-DeHoff Rhonda M.
Published: November 2015

Nonobstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in women is associated with adverse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes; however, information regarding genetic variants that predispose women to nonobstructive CAD is lacking. Women from the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) Study and the St. James Women Take Heart (WTH) Study were genotyped with the Cardio-MetaboChip. WISE enrolled women with symptoms and signs of ischemia referred for coronary angiography; WTH enrolled asymptomatic, community-based women without heart disease. Analyses were conducted with a case (WISE) - control (WTH) design and multivariate logistic regression models to investigate genetic variation associated with likelihood of nonobstructive CAD. One genetic marker, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2301753 on chromosome 6 in RNF39, achieved chip-wide significance for nonobstructive CAD ( P < 9.5 × 10−7). After adjusting for baseline characteristics, we found no variants achieved chip-wide significance. However, SNP rs2301753 on chromosome 6 in RNF39 was associated with reduced likelihood of nonobstructive CAD [odds ratio (OR) 0.42 and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.29 to 0.68], at a nominal level of P = 5.6 × 10−6, while SNP rs12818945 in the ATP2B1 locus on chromosome 12 was associated with increased odds for nonobstructive CAD (OR 2.38 and 95% CI of 1.63 to 3.45) and nominal P = 5.8 × 10−6. The functions of RNF39 and ATP2B1 raise the possibility that genes involved in cardio-dysfunction may contribute to nonobstructive CAD in Caucasian women and may provide insights into novel approaches for therapy and prevention. If replicated, incorporation of these genetic variants into diagnostic evaluation may identify women at high risk for nonobstructive CAD.
Pappa2 is linked to salt-sensitive hypertension in Dahl S rats
Authors: Cowley Allen W. , Yang Chun , Kumar Vikash , Lazar Jozef , Jacob Howard , Geurts Aron M. , Liu Pengyuan , Dayton Alex , Kurth Theresa , Liang Mingyu
Published: November 2015

A 1.37 Mbp region of chromosome 13 previously identified by exclusion mapping was consistently associated with a reduction of salt-induced hypertension in the Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rat. This region contained five genes that were introgressed from the salt-insensitive Brown Norway (BN) rat. The goal of the present study was to further narrow that region to identify the gene(s) most likely to protect from salt-induced hypertension. The studies yielded a subcongenic SS rat strain containing a 0.71 Mbp insert from BN (26-P strain) in which salt-induced hypertension was reduced by 24 mmHg. The region contained two protein-coding genes ( Astn1 and Pappa2) and a microRNA ( miR-488). Pappa2 mRNA in the renal cortex of the protected 26-P was 6- to 10-fold greater than in SS fed a 0.4% NaCl diet but was reduced to levels observed in SS when fed 8.0% NaCl diet for 7 days. Compared with brain nuclei (NTS, RVLM, CVLM) and the adrenal gland, Pappa2 in the renal cortex was the only gene found to be differentially expressed between SS and 26-P and that responded to changes of salt diet. Immunohistochemistry studies found Pappa2 localized in the cytosol of the epithelial cells of the cortical thick ascending limbs. In more distal segments of the renal tubules, it was observed within tubular lumens and most notably bound to the apical membranes of the intercalated cells of collecting ducts. We conclude that we have identified a variant form of Pappa2 that can protect against salt-induced hypertension in the Dahl S rat.