bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemical redox reactions and extended PXRD-characterization of triphylite-type compounds AM0.5Fe0.5PO4 (A = Li, Na; M = Mn, Co)
Authors: Bauer Jessica , Haberkorn Robert , Kickelbick Guido
Published: May 2017

The alkaline content of mixed transition metal phosphates Li(1−y)·zNay·zM0.5Fe0.5PO4 (M = Mn, Co; 0 ≤ y < 1; 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 1) was determined by powder X-ray diffraction data by means of Rietveld analysis and multi-fraction models. The compounds LiM0.5Fe0.5PO4 were synthesized via solid-state reactions. Chemical extraction of Li with bromine in acetonitrile yielded well-crystalline Li0.5M0.5Fe0.5PO4. Subsequent reduction with Na2S in acetonitrile gave a product with a triphylite-type phase of the average composition Li0.5Na0.5M0.5Fe0.5PO4 showing a broad distribution of Li-to-Na-ratios. For Rietveld refinements a set of 11 fractions Li1−yNayM0.5Fe0.5PO4 was used to represent the triphylite-type phase and its composition fluctuation. To obtain samples with compositions close to NazM0.5Fe0.5PO4 (z = 0.5 or z = 1) up to two additional cycles of chemical oxidation and reduction were required. Because of a complex distribution of Li and Na within the triphylite-type phase a model of 121 fractions of Li(1−y)·zNay·zM0.5Fe0.5PO4 was developed to enable proper Rietveld refinements. The scaling factors of the 121 fractions were constrained by a bimodal bivariate normality. The evaluation of the pattern revealed a type of passivation, preventing the compound from complete oxidation or reduction of Fe for higher cycle numbers. Hence, no completely Li-free samples could be obtained.
ESBL carriage in pig slaughterhouse workers is associated with occupational exposure
Authors: DOHMEN W. , VAN GOMPEL L. , SCHMITT H. , LIAKOPOULOS A. , HERES L. , URLINGS B. A. , MEVIUS D. , BONTEN M. J. M. , HEEDERIK D. J. J.
Published: May 2017

We investigated the prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) carriage in slaughterhouse workers and the association with occupational exposure to slaughter animals and products. Stool samples from 334 employees in a Dutch pig slaughterhouse were obtained. Presence of ESBL was determined by selective plating, microarray analysis, and gene sequencing. Questionnaires were used to collect personal and occupational information. The overall prevalence of ESBL carriage was 4·8% (16/334). All ESBL-producing isolates were Escherichia coli. The ESBL genes detected were blaCTX-M-1 (n = 8), blaCTX-M-15 (n = 3), blaCTX-M-27 (n = 2), blaCTX-M-24 (n = 1), blaCTX-M-55 (n = 1), and blaSHV-12 (n = 1). A higher prevalence of ESBL was seen in workers in jobs with as tasks ‘removal of lungs, heart, liver, tongue’ (33%), and ‘removal of head and spinal cord’ (25%). For further analysis, participants were divided in two groups based on potential exposure to ESBL as related to their job title. One group with an assumed higher exposure to ESBL (e.g. stable work, stabbing, dehairing, removal of organs) and another group with an assumed lower exposure to ESBL (e.g. refrigeration, packaging and expedition). In the ‘higher exposure’ group, ten out of 95 (10·5%) were carrying ESBL vs. six out of 233 (2·6%) in the ‘lower exposure’ group. Human ESBL carriage was significantly associated with job exposure in the slaughterhouse (OR 4·5, CI 1·6–12·6). Results suggest that ESBL carriage in slaughterhouse workers overall is comparable with the Dutch population. Within the slaughterhouse population a difference in carriage exists depending on their position along the slaughter line and tasks involved.
Models of antimicrobial pressure on intestinal bacteria of the treated host populations
Authors: VOLKOVA V. V. , CAZER C. L. , GRÖHN Y. T.
Published: May 2017

Antimicrobial drugs are used to treat pathogenic bacterial infections in animals and humans. The by-stander enteric bacteria of the treated host's intestine can become exposed to the drug or its metabolites reaching the intestine in antimicrobially active form. We consider which processes and variables need to be accounted for to project the antimicrobial concentrations in the host's intestine. Those include: the drug's fraction (inclusive of any active metabolites) excreted in bile; the drug's fractions and intestinal segments of excretion via other mechanisms; the rates and intestinal segments of the drug's absorption and re-absorption; the rates and intestinal segments of the drug's abiotic and biotic degradation in the intestine; the digesta passage time through the intestinal segments; the rates, mechanisms, and reversibility of the drug's sorption to the digesta and enteric microbiome; and the volume of luminal contents in the intestinal segments. For certain antimicrobials, the antimicrobial activity can further depend on the aeration and chemical conditions in the intestine. Model forms that incorporate the inter-individual variation in those relevant variables can support projections of the intestinal antimicrobial concentrations in populations of treated host, such as food animals. To illustrate the proposed modeling framework, we develop two examples of treatments of bovine respiratory disease in beef steers by oral chlortetracycline and injectable third-generation cephalosporin ceftiofur. The host's diet influences the digesta passage time, volume, and digesta and microbiome composition, and may influence the antimicrobial loss due to degradation and sorption in the intestine. We consider two diet compositions in the illustrative simulations. The examples highlight the extent of current ignorance and need for empirical data on the variables influencing the selective pressures imposed by antimicrobial treatments on the host's intestinal bacteria.
What happened at Vienna's Allgemeines Krankenhaus after Semmelweis's contract as Assistant in the First Maternity Division was terminated?
Authors: JADRAQUE P. P. , CARTER K. C.
Published: May 2017

Ignác Fülöp Semmelweis is famous for dramatically reducing puerperal mortality while he was an Assistant in Vienna's largest hospital, the Allgemeines Krankenhaus; he did this, mainly, by requiring medical personnel to disinfect their hands by washing in a chlorine solution. But Semmelweis was soon removed from his post as assistant. The conventional view, which is suggested by Semmelweis's own account, is that his contemporaries were skeptical of his results, that he was marginalized and that once he was no longer directly responsible for caring for maternity patients, puerperal mortality returned to its former high levels. In fact, the situation appears to have been quite different. In this paper, we calculate and discuss the number of deaths at the Allgemeines maternity clinic after Semmelweis was removed from his position. As we will see, his successors maintained a relatively low mortality rate roughly consistent with the rate Semmelweis himself achieved. This suggests that the chlorine washings were probably still used conscientiously after he left and that the opposition he encountered had other sources than doubts about the effectiveness of the chlorine washings.
Collaborative dialogue in synchronous computer-mediated communication and face-to-face communication
Authors: Zeng Gang
Published: May 2017

Previous research has documented that collaborative dialogue promotes L2 learning in both face-to-face (F2F) and synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) modalities. However, relatively little research has explored modality effects on collaborative dialogue. Thus, motivated by sociocultual theory, this study examines how F2F compares with SCMC regarding the generation of collaborative dialogue specifically in terms of its frequency and nature. Thirty-two Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) students participated in this study and completed two types of collaborative tasks (i.e. dictogloss and jigsaw) in dyads in both modalities. The analyses of learners’ exchanges focused on language-related episodes (LREs), the instantiation of collaborative dialogue. The identified LREs were categorized based on their focus, outcome and type. A follow-up questionnaire was conducted to elicit students’ perspectives. The results revealed that LREs were more frequent in SCMC than in F2F. Furthermore, the analyses of the nature of LREs indicated some cross-modality differences: whereas SCMC LREs had the features oforthographical,correctandself-correctionoutcomes, F2F LREs were characterized byincorrectandrequest for assistanceoutcomes. Pedagogical implications and suggestions for the future research were also discussed.
Comparing Graphs of Different Sizes
Authors: LYONS RUSSELL
Published: May 2017

We consider two notions describing how one finite graph may be larger than another. Using them, we prove several theorems for such pairs that compare the number of spanning trees, the return probabilities of random walks, and the number of independent sets, among other combinatorial quantities. Our methods involve inequalities for determinants, for traces of functions of operators, and for entropy.
Parish banking in informal credit markets: the business of private
lending in early nineteenth-century Sweden
Authors: Lindgren Håkan
Published: May 2017

This study demonstrates the existence of a private, informal and lively credit
market in rural Sweden during the 1840s, a period that predates the development
of a modern banking system. The market, mainly based on private promissory
notes, was concentrated in the hands of a limited number of wealthy farmers who
specialized in lending, They facilitated access to credit to well-off farmers,
regardless of whether they owned their farms or leased taxed land. By using
information from probate inventories, the article analyses the wealth portfolio
and characteristics of the lending business of the largest creditors
(‘parish bankers’) in a judicial district of southern Sweden in
1841–5. The heart and soul of their business was an intimate knowledge of
borrowers’ creditworthiness and mutual trust, as typical of local credit
networks. The article also explores the existence of an intergenerational
transmission of parish banking business – a dimension of private lending
that opens an original path of research on local credit markets in early modern
Europe.
Mixed features in major depressive disorder: diagnoses and treatments
Authors: Suppes Trisha , Ostacher Michael
Published: May 2017

For the first time in 20 years, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) updated the psychiatric diagnostic system for mood disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). Perhaps one of the most notable changes in the DSM-5 was the recognition of the possibility of mixed symptoms in major depression and related disorders (MDD). While MDD and bipolar and related disorders are now represented by 2 distinct chapters, the addition of a mixed features specifier to MDD represents a structural bridge between bipolar and major depression disorders, and formally recognizes the possibility of a mix of hypomania and depressive symptoms in someone who has never experienced discrete episodes of hypomania or mania. This article reviews historical perspectives on “mixed states” and the recent literature, which proposes a range of approaches to understanding “mixity.” We discuss which symptoms were considered for inclusion in the mixed features specifier and which symptoms were excluded. The assumption that mixed symptoms in MDD necessarily predict a future bipolar course in patients with MDD is reviewed. Treatment for patients in a MDD episode with mixed features is critically considered, as are suggestions for future study. Finally, the premise that mood disorders are necessarily a spectrum or a gradient of severity progressing in a linear manner is argued.
Australia: a land of missed opportunities?
Authors: Greasley David , McLaughlin Eoin , Hanley Nick , Oxley Les
Published: May 2017

Comprehensive Investment (CI) may provide an indicator of future changes in a country's per capita consumption. The authors explore the utility of the CI indicator for Australia by constructing CI data since 1861 and by estimating their relationship with changes in future consumption over periods of 50 years ahead. The CI measures include changes in natural, produced and human capital, and make allowance for exogenous technological progress. The results are used to consider how Australia's natural capital exploitation influenced the consumption of future generations. Further, the authors gauge if low CI relative to other leading OECD countries resulted in lower consumption levels in Australia over time than feasible, had it saved more.
Chunyu Kun: Motifs, Narratives, and Personas in Early Chinese Anecdotal Literature
Authors: WEINGARTEN OLIVER
Published: May 2017

The present article undertakes a comprehensive study of ancient Chinese anecdotal and dialogic sources on Chunyu Kun, who is presented in a variety of roles such as trickster, sophist, envoy, jester, procurer of talent for his ruler, and erudite at the so-called Jixia academy which was allegedly established in the pre-imperial state of Qi. The article outlines how certain motifs and topics were reused and, in the process, reshaped by the narrative tradition and Chunyu Kun came to serve as a stock figure in different types of discourse.
Dietary sources and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors affecting vitamin D and calcium intakes in European adolescents: the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) Study
Authors: Julián Cristina , Mouratidou Theodora , Vicente-Rodriguez Germán , Gracia-Marco Luis , Valtueña Jara , González-Gross Marcela , Ferrari Marika , Gottrand Frederic , Manios Yannis , de la O Alejandro , Widhalm Kurt , Molnár Dénes , Kafatos Antonios , Sjöström Michael , Kersting Mathilde , Gunter Marc J , De Henauw Stefaan , Moreno Luis A , Huybrechts Inge
Published: May 2017

Objective

To investigate dietary sources of Ca and vitamin D (VitD) intakes, and the associated sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, among European adolescents.

Design

Linear regression mixed models were used to examine sex-specific associations of Ca and VitD intakes with parental education, family affluence (FAS), physical activity and television (TV) watching while controlling for age, Tanner stage, energy intake and diet quality.

Setting

The Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA)Cross-Sectional Study.

Subjects

Adolescents aged 12·5–17·5 years (n 1804).

Results

Milk and cheese were the main sources of Ca (23 and 19 % contribution to overall Ca intake, respectively). Fish products were the main VitD source (30 % contribution to overall VitD intake). Ca intake was positively associated with maternal education (β=56·41; 95 % CI 1·98, 110·82) and negatively associated with TV viewing in boys (β=–0·43; 95 % CI −0·79, −0·07); however, the significance of these associations disappeared when adjusting for diet quality. In girls, Ca intake was positively associated with mother’s (β=73·08; 95 % CI 34·41, 111·74) and father’s education (β=43·29; 95 % CI 5·44, 81·14) and FAS (β=37·45; 95 % CI 2·25, 72·65). This association between Ca intake and mother’s education remained significant after further adjustment for diet quality (β=41·66; 95 % CI 0·94, 82·38). Girls with high-educated mothers had higher Ca intake.

Conclusions

Low-educated families with poor diet quality may be targeted when strategizing health promotion programmes to enhance dietary Ca.
Improving early exclusion of acute coronary syndrome in primary care: the added value of point-of-care troponin as stated by general practitioners
Authors: Kip Michelle M.A. , Noltes Amber M. , Koffijberg Hendrik , IJzerman Maarten J. , Kusters Ron
Published: May 2017

Aim

To investigate general practitioners’ (GPs’) desire and perceived added value of point-of-care (POC) troponin, its effect on referral decisions, and test requirements.

Background

Excluding acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in primary care remains a diagnostic challenges for GPs. Consequently, referral rates of chest pain patients are high, while the incidence of a cardiovascular problem is only 8–15%. Previous studies have shown that GPs are interested in a POC troponin test. This test could enhance rapid exclusion of ACS, thereby preventing unnecessary patient distress, without compromising safety and while reducing costs. However, using this test is not recommended in current guidelines due to uncertainty in the test’s potential added value, and the lower sensitivity early after symptom onset as compared with troponin tests in a regular laboratory.

Methods

An online survey containing 34 questions was distributed among 837 Dutch GPs in June 2015.

Findings

A total of 126 GPs (15.1%) completed at least 75% of the questions. 67.1% of GPs believe that POC troponin tests have moderate to very high added value. Although the availability of a POC test is expected to increase the frequency at which troponin tests are used, it likely decreases (immediate) referral rates. Of the responding GPs, 78.3% only accept 10 min as the maximum test duration, 78.1% think reimbursement of the POC device is required for implementation, and 68.9% consider it necessary that it can be performed with a finger prick blood sample. In conclusion, according to GPs, the POC troponin test can be of added value to exclude ACS early on. Actual test implementation will depend on test characteristics, including test duration, type of blood sample required, and reimbursement of the analyzer.
Public–private partnerships to improve primary healthcare surgeries: clarifying assumptions about the role of private provider activities
Authors: Mudyarabikwa Oliver , Tobi Patrick , Regmi Krishna
Published: May 2017

Aim

To examine assumptions about public–private partnership (PPP) activities and their role in improving public procurement of primary healthcare surgeries.

Background

PPPs were developed to improve the quality of care and patient satisfaction. However, evidence of their effectiveness in delivering health benefits is limited.

Methods

A qualitative study design was employed. A total of 25 interviews with public sector staff (n=23) and private sector managers (n=2) were conducted to understand their interpretations of assumptions in the activities of private investors and service contractors participating in Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) partnerships. Realist evaluation principles were applied in the data analysis to interpret the findings.

Results

Six thematic areas of assumed health benefits were identified: (i) quality improvement; (ii) improved risk management; (iii) reduced procurement costs; (iv) increased efficiency; (v) community involvement; and (vi) sustainable investment. Primary Care Trusts that chose to procure their surgeries through LIFT were expected to support its implementation by providing an environment conducive for the private participants to achieve these benefits. Private participant activities were found to be based on a range of explicit and tacit assumptions perceived helpful in achieving government objectives for LIFT.

Conclusion

The success of PPPs depended upon private participants’ (i) capacity to assess how PPP assumptions added value to their activities, (ii) effectiveness in interpreting assumptions in their expected activities, and (iii) preparedness to align their business principles to government objectives for PPPs. They risked missing some of the expected benefits because of some factors constraining realization of the assumptions. The ways in which private participants preferred to carry out their activities also influenced the extent to which expected benefits were achieved. Giving more discretion to public than private participants over critical decisions may help in ensuring that assumptions in PPP activities result in outcomes that match the anticipated health benefits.
Afterlives of Photographs: The Artist’s Point of View
Authors: Frąś Jacek
Published: May 2017

As a comic book artist who combines surrealistic and realistic imagery, I am often forced to use different types of photographs. Some of them are just typical references for artists—anatomy, poses, gesture, facial expressions. I prefer, however, to use old photographs from family archives, documentary books, and vintage postcards, in addition to numerous photographs found on the web. I enjoy putting together and mixing various kinds of visuals because every element has its own ghost from the past and the sum of these ghosts, including some added from my imagination, gives me a sense of fullness in my graphic stories.
European Statistics, Russian Numbers, and Social Dynamics, 1861–1914
Authors: Stanziani Alessandro
Published: May 2017

Recent analyses of the economic impact of the abolition of serfdom mark a major return to quantitative approaches in the economic and social history of Russia. Tracy Dennison, Steven Nafziger, and Ekaterina Zhuravskaya, among others, make wide use of data produced by thezemstvo(provincial elected assembly), the Central Statistics Committee (TsSK), the Ministry of Agriculture, and local governors. These figures are particularly crucial with regard to the debate over the impact of the abolition of serfdom and the economic dynamics of tsarist Russia between 1861 and 1914. Indeed, the authors are too quick to consider the data reliable and only concerned about which statistical method should be used. Markevich and Zhuravskaya claim outright: “Historians agree that the quality of the late imperial statistics and governor reports is rather high.” Nafziger makes a similar statement regarding zemstvo statistics, which he declares are fully reliable sources. Dennison and Nafziger add: “Zemstvo publications offer a unique window into rural economic conditions in the post-1861 period, but western scholars have only begun to explore them. We consider these household surveys, other zemstvo publications, research by central government and provincial statistical authorities (including the 1897 census), and various secondary sources to develop some “stylized facts” about rural living standards in Iaroslavl' and Vladimir provinces in the post-1861 period.”
Read Zamiatin, but Not to Correct His Math
Authors: Kotsonis Yanni
Published: May 2017

I thank Alessandro Stanziani and the editors ofSlavic Reviewfor bringing the problem of quantitative economic history to a diverse readership. Colleagues divided between departments (economics and history) and by method (positivist and critical) tend not to publish in the same journals or attend the same panels. This is a rare opportunity to share in a discussion. Allow me to use Stanziani’s points as an occasion to go further and to discuss how I have appreciated numbers in some of my research because I am, as he puts it and as I agree, radical.
Quantification and the Economic History of Imperial Russia
Authors: Nafziger Steven
Published: May 2017

Historians work with sources that are products of specific social, cultural, political, and economic contexts. Thus, understanding how and why sources were produced and why they survived is an essential component of historical scholarship. At the same time, many historians often employ some sort of conceptual framework—implicit or explicit, descriptive or normative—in order to translate the sources into a coherent narrative. Modern economic historians are no different. The sources tend to be quantitative and focused on economic phenomena (with many exceptions), but doing economic history well means interrogating the origins, trustworthiness, and usefulness of the data in question. In doing this, modern economic historians are largely unapologetic about employing the tools—especially statistical—and intellectual apparatus of economics to interrogate their sources, much as social, political, or environmental historians draw on ideas and methods from related disciplines in their own inquiries. This is precisely how we make sense of the historical process of economic development.
Kardiale Beteiligung bei Vaskulitiden
Authors: Könemann Stephanie , Felix Stephan B.
Published: May 2017

Zusammenfassung. Unter dem Begriff Vaskulitiden wird eine Gruppe von Erkrankungen zusammengefasst, die durch eine Entzündung von Gefässen unterschiedlicher Größe aufgrund von immunreaktiven Prozessen gekennzeichnet ist. Für viele dieser Syndrome ist eine kardiale Beteiligung beschrieben worden. Diese fällt bei den einzelnen Erkrankungen sehr unterschiedlich aus. Während zum kardialen Befall bei der Riesenzellarteriitis und dem Cogan-Syndrom nur einige wenige Fallberichte zu finden sind, zeigt sich bei der Panarteriitis nodosa (bis zu 80 %) und der eosinophilen Granulomatose mit Polyangiitis (ca. 30 %) häufig eine Mitbeteiligung des kardiovaskulären Systems. Das Kawasaki-Syndrom gilt als häufigste Ursache für Herz-Kreislauferkrankungen bei Kindern. Doch auch bei Erkrankungen, bei denen selten das Herz betroffen ist, sollte ein entsprechendes Screening erfolgen, da eine kardiale Beteiligung prognoseentscheidend ist und eine Intensivierung des Therapieregimes zur Folge haben sollte. Bei jungen Patienten mit einer koronaren Herzkrankheit, Koronaraneurysmen oder Rhythmusstörungen sollte eine Vaskulitis als zugrunde liegende Ursache in Betracht gezogen werden. Unter Immunsuppression, die den Hauptpfeiler der Vaskulitistherapie darstellt, zeigt sich häufig auch eine Regression der kardialen Symptome. In einigen Fällen ist aber auch eine spezifische Therapie z. B. im Sinne eines koronaren Bypasses bei Koronaraneurysmen, sowie Stenosen und Thrombosen der Koronarien erforderlich. Die Weiterentwicklung strahlungsarmer bildgebender Verfahren ist bei den Vaskulitiden von grosser Bedeutung, da sich die zum Teil sehr jungen Patienten engmaschigen Verlaufskontrollen unterziehen müssen. Aktuell wird diesbezüglich insbesondere die Methode der Positronen-Emissions-Tomographie in Kombination mit einer Magnetresonanztomographie getestet und weiter entwickelt.
Update zu Diagnostik und Management der kardialen Sarkoidose
Authors: Sinning David , Bigalke Boris , Poller Wolfgang , Landmesser Ulf
Published: May 2017

Zusammenfassung. Die Sarkoidose ist eine systemische Erkrankung des Bindegewebes mit Granulombildung. Die Mehrzahl der Patienten weist eine pulmonale Beteiligung auf. Eine kardiale Beteiligung ist in bis zu 25 % der Fälle zu beobachten, wobei die Erkrankung häufig auch asymptomatisch verläuft. Klinisch manifestiert sich die kardiale Sarkoidose in der Regel als (dilatative) Kardiomyopathie oder durch Herzrhythmusstörungen. Eine klare Diagnose mit histologischem Nachweis der Epitheloidzellgranulome im Herzen gelingt durch eine Endomyokardbiopsie, wobei diese invasive Untersuchung eine begrenzte Sensitivität aufweist. Neben der Elektrokardiographie und der Echokardiographie spielen insbesondere die kardiale Magnetresonanztomographie und die FDG-Positronenemissionstomographie (PET) eine zunehmende Rolle bei der Diagnose sowie Verlaufsbeurteilung der kardialen Sarkoidose. Die first line Therapie der kardialen Sarkoidose erfolgt in der Regel mittels Kortikosteroiden, im Einzelfall kann als second line Therapie oder bei Steroid-Nebenwirkungen eine Behandlung mittels Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (insbesondere Methotrexat) erwogen werden, bei schweren therapierefraktären Verläufen als third line auch eine Biologika Therapie (TNF-α Antikörper). Dieser Artikel gibt einen Überblick über aktuelle Empfehlungen und den Stellenwert neuerer diagnostischer und therapeutischer Verfahren.
Atriale Tachykardie, Diagnostik- und Therapieoptionen
Authors: Krasniqi Nazmi
Published: May 2017

Zusammenfassung. Atriale Tachykardien sind häufig auftretende regelmässige oder unregelmässige supraventrikuläre Arrhythmien mit variablem elektrophysiologischen Substrat. Neben getriggerter Aktivität können micro- und macroentry sowie gesteigerte Automatizität als pathophysiologische Generatoren der Arrhythmien verantwortlich sein. Die Prognose und potentielle Komplikatonen atrialer Tachykardien hängen von der subspezifischen Entität ab. Neben der klinischen Untersuchung ist primär die elektrokardiographische Diagnostik nützlich zur Abrenzung gegenüber anderen supraventrikulären Arrhythmien und zur Idenfikiation potentieller anatomischer Herkunft zwecks gezielter diagnostischer und potentiell therapeutischer elektrophysiologischer Untersuchung, während die medikamentöse Therapie aufgrund der Unspezfität und potentieller unerwünschter Arzneimittelwirkungen mittlerweile weitgehend in den Hintergrund geraten ist.
Hypertrophe Kardiomyopathie: Definition, klinische Präsentation, Risikostratifizierung für den plötzlichen Herztod und Therapieoptionen
Authors: Muggli Bettina , Gruner Christiane
Published: May 2017

Zusammenfassung. Die hypertrophe Kardiomyopathie (HCM) ist die häufigste hereditäre Kardiomyopathie und wird definiert durch eine unerklärte linksventrikuläre Hypertrophie mit normal grossen Ventrikeln ohne andere kardiale Ursachen oder systemische Erkrankungen. Die klinische Präsentation ist vielfältig und reicht vom asymptomatischen Familienmitglied bis hin zu Patienten mit Symptomen einer schweren Herzinsuffizienz. Häufige Probleme sind der plötzliche Herztod (’sudden cardiac death’ SCD) und die Risikostratifizierung der Patienten im Hinblick auf eine primärprophylaktische ICD-Implantation. Des Weiteren spielen natürlich die Obstruktion des linksventrikulären Ausflusstrakts und deren Behandlung (medikamentös, kathetertechnisch mittels Septalalkoholablation, chirugische Myektomie), diastolische Dysfunktion, Vorhofflimmern und die Entwicklung einer Herzinsuffizienz mit systolischer linksventrikulärer Dysfunktion eine wichtige Rolle bei der Betreuung von Patienten mit HCM. Beim Vorhofflimmern muss unabhängig vom CHA2DS2Vasc Score eine orale Antikoagulation begonnen werden und aufgrund der diastolischen Dysfunktion sollte wenn möglich wieder ein Sinusrhythmus erreicht werden durch medikamentöse Massnahmen, elektrische Kardioversion und / oder Pulmonalvenenisolation. Kommt es zur Entwicklung einer Herzinsuffizienz ist eine übliche Herzinsuffizienztherapie indiziert. Bei terminaler Herzinsuffizienz sollte frühzeitig eine Herztransplantation evaluiert werden.
Rationale and design of the RECording COurses of vasculaR Diseases registry (RECCORD registry)
Authors: M. Malyar Nasser , Stausberg Jürgen , Ito Wulf D. , Kölble Heinz , Langhoff Ralf , Lawall Holger , Lichtenberg Michael , Stegemann Jens , Treitl Marcus , Weiss Norbert , Hoffmann Ulrich
Published: May 2017

Abstract. Background: The prevalence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) is increasing worldwide. Revascularization procedures constitute a cornerstone of the therapy in PAD, not only in critical limb ischaemia but increasingly also in patients with intermittent claudication. The German Society of Angiology – Society for Vascular Medicine is establishing a nationwide, prospective, multicentre registry to address the lack of contemporary real life data regarding current practice of medical and interventional care in vascular patients and its subsequent long-term outcome. Patients and methods: The RECording COurses of vasculaR Diseases registry (RECCORD registry) is an observational, prospective, multicentre, all-comers registry platform. In the initial phase, patients referred for endovascular revascularization of PAD of the lower limbs will be prospectively included and followed up for at least one year. At baseline, data on patients’ demographic characteristics, comorbidities, previous peripheral interventions, medication, and clinical stage of PAD (Rutherford category), haemodynamic parameters, and procedural data including complications will be assessed. Major adverse cardiac and limb events will be recorded at planned (at six and 12 months) and at any unplanned visits. The therapeutic management will be exclusively left to the discretion of the vascular specialists. Results and conclusions: The RECCORD registry will provide a comprehensive dataset depicting the current real life practice and outcome of vascular care. The seven predefined quality indicators will be used for benchmarking the participating centres. Moreover, identifying factors promoting a favourable outcome might pave the way for an evidence-based therapeutic strategy and a dedicated therapeutic pathway for patients with PAD including patient-oriented best interventional approaches. In the future, the RECCORD registry may provide a general platform to study the courses of various defined vascular diseases in order to get detailed insights into the real life current practice of health care provided to vascular patients.
Variations in brain defects result from cellular mosaicism in the activation of heat shock signalling
Authors: Ishii Seiji , Torii Masaaki , Son Alexander I. , Rajendraprasad Meenu , Morozov Yury M. , Kawasawa Yuka Imamura , Salzberg Anna C. , Fujimoto Mitsuaki , Brennand Kristen , Nakai Akira , Mezger Valerie , Gage Fred H. , Rakic Pasko , Hashimoto-Torii Kazue
Published: May 2017

Repetitive prenatal exposure to identical or similar doses of harmful agents results in highly variable and unpredictable negative effects on fetal brain development ranging in severity from high to little or none. However, the molecular and cellular basis of this variability is not well understood. This study reports that exposure of mouse and human embryonic brain tissues to equal doses of harmful chemicals, such as ethanol, activates the primary stress response transcription factor heat shock factor 1 (Hsf1) in a highly variable and stochastic manner. While Hsf1 is essential for protecting the embryonic brain from environmental stress, excessive activation impairs critical developmental events such as neuronal migration. Our results suggest that mosaic activation of Hsf1 within the embryonic brain in response to prenatal environmental stress exposure may contribute to the resulting generation of phenotypic variations observed in complex congenital brain disorders.
Effect of Bacillus subtilis on Aeromonas hydrophila-induced intestinal mucosal barrier function damage and inflammation in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)
Authors: Kong Weiguang , Huang Can , Tang Ying , Zhang Ding , Wu Zhixin , Chen Xiaoxuan
Published: May 2017

Our study explored the effect of oral intubation of Bacillus subtilis on Aeromonas hydrophila-induced intestinal mucosal barrier function damage and inflammation in grass carp. The mid-intestine mucosal tissue was collected for ATPase activity measurement. Intestinal mucosa was also ultrastructurally examined with transmission electron microscope (TEM), and its permeability was determined using Evans blue (EB) and D-lactic acid. The mid-intestine pro-inflammation cytokine, MyD88 and tight junction (TJ) protein mRNA expression levels were measured using real-time quantitative PCR. The results revealed that B. subtilis was found to prevent the decrease in the activity of Na+, K+-ATPase and Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase, as well as the increase in EB and D-lactic acid concentration and inflammation induced by A. hydrophila in grass carp. Compared with A. hydrophila groups, B. subtilis safeguarded the integrity of intestinal villi and tight junction structure and restrained A. hydrophila-induced down-regulation of TJ proteins zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin. B. subtilis also restrained up-regulation of TJ protein claudin b, pro-inflammation cytokine tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α), cytokine interleukin 8 (IL-8), IL-1β, and adaptor protein myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) mRNA levels. Thus, oral intubation of B. subtilis could reduce A. hydrophila-induced intestinal mucosal barrier function damage and inflammation.
Identification of Tp0751 (Pallilysin) as a Treponema pallidum Vascular Adhesin by Heterologous Expression in the Lyme disease Spirochete
Authors: Kao Wei-Chien Andrew , Pětrošová Helena , Ebady Rhodaba , Lithgow Karen V. , Rojas Pablo , Zhang Yang , Kim Yae-Eun , Kim Yae-Ram , Odisho Tanya , Gupta Nupur , Moter Annette , Cameron Caroline E. , Moriarty Tara J.
Published: May 2017

Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, is a highly invasive spirochete pathogen that uses the vasculature to disseminate throughout the body. Identification of bacterial factors promoting dissemination is crucial for syphilis vaccine development. An important step in dissemination is bacterial adhesion to blood vessel surfaces, a process mediated by bacterial proteins that can withstand forces imposed on adhesive bonds by blood flow (vascular adhesins). The study of T. pallidum vascular adhesins is hindered by the uncultivable nature of this pathogen. We overcame these limitations by expressing T. pallidum adhesin Tp0751 (pallilysin) in an adhesion-attenuated strain of the cultivable spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Under fluid shear stress representative of conditions in postcapillary venules, Tp0751 restored bacterial-vascular interactions to levels similar to those observed for infectious B. burgdorferi and a gain-of-function strain expressing B. burgdorferi vascular adhesin BBK32. The strength and stability of Tp0751- and BBK32-dependent endothelial interactions under physiological shear stress were similar, although the mechanisms stabilizing these interactions were distinct. Tp0751 expression also permitted bacteria to interact with postcapillary venules in live mice as effectively as BBK32-expressing strains. These results demonstrate that Tp0751 can function as a vascular adhesin.
A simple and cost-effective setup for super-resolution localization microscopy
Authors: Ma Hongqiang , Fu Rao , Xu Jianquan , Liu Yang
Published: May 2017

Single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) has become a powerful imaging tool for biomedical research, but it is mostly available in imaging facilities and a small number of laboratories due to its high cost. Here, we evaluate the possibility of replacing high-cost components on standard SMLM with appropriate low-cost alternatives and build a simple but high-performance super-resolution SMLM setup. Through numerical simulation and biological experiments, we demonstrate that our low-cost SMLM setup can yield similar localization precision and spatial resolution compared to the standard SMLM equipped with state-of-the-art components, but at a small fraction of their cost. Our low-cost SMLM setup can potentially serve as a routine laboratory microscope with high-performance super-resolution imaging capability.
Role of GATA binding protein 4 (GATA4) in the regulation of tooth development via GNAI3
Authors: Guo Shuyu , Zhang Yuxin , Zhou Tingting , Wang Dongyue , Weng Yajuan , Wang Lin , Ma Junqing
Published: May 2017

Transcription factor GATA4 regulates cardiac and osteoblast differentiation. However, its role in tooth development is not clear. Therefore, we generated Wnt1-Cre;GATA4
fl/fl
mice, with conditional inactivation of the GATA4 gene in the dental papilla mesenchymal cells. Phenotypic analysis showed short root deformity along with reduced expressions of odonto/osteogenic markers. Proliferation (but not apoptosis) of cells around the apical area of the root was attenuated. In vitro, we knocked down GATA4 expression in stem cells of dental apical papilla (SCAPs). Proliferation, migration and odonto/osteogenic differentiation of SCAPs were affected in the shGATA4 group. Overexpression of GATA4 in SCAPs increased mineralization. Based on our previous iTRAQ results, guanine nucleotide binding proteins 3 (GNAI3) is one of the distinct proteins after GATA4 deletion. G protein signaling is involved in bone development, remodeling, and disease. In this study, both GATA4 deletion in the mouse root and knock-down in human SCAPs decreased the expression of GNAI3. Dual-luciferase and ChIP assay confirmed the direct binding of GATA4 to the GNAI3 promoter, both in vitro and in vivo. GNAI3 knock-down significantly decreased the odonto/osteogenic differentiation ability of SCAPs. We thus establish the role of GATA4 as a novel regulator of root development and elucidate its downstream molecular events.
BAMClipper: removing primers from alignments to minimize false-negative mutations in amplicon next-generation sequencing
Authors: Au Chun Hang , Ho Dona N. , Kwong Ava , Chan Tsun Leung , Ma Edmond S. K.
Published: May 2017

Amplicon-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been widely adopted for genetic variation detection in human and other organisms. Conventional data analysis paradigm includes primer trimming before read mapping. Here we introduce BAMClipper that removes primer sequences after mapping original sequencing reads by soft-clipping SAM/BAM alignments. Mutation detection accuracy was affected by the choice of primer handling approach based on real NGS datasets of 7 human peripheral blood or breast cancer tissue samples with known BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations and >130000 simulated NGS datasets with unique mutations. BAMClipper approach detected a BRCA1 deletion (c.1620_1636del) that was otherwise missed due to edge effect. Simulation showed high false-negative rate when primers were perfectly trimmed as in conventional practice. Among the other 6 samples, variant allele frequencies of 5 BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations (indel or single-nucleotide variants) were diluted by apparently wild-type primer sequences from an overlapping amplicon (17 to 82% under-estimation). BAMClipper was robust in both situations and all 7 mutations were detected. When compared with Cutadapt, BAMClipper was faster and maintained equally high primer removal effectiveness. BAMClipper is implemented in Perl and is available under an open source MIT license at https://github.com/tommyau/bamclipper.
Evolution of sex-dependent mtDNA transmission in freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionida)
Authors: Guerra Davide , Plazzi Federico , Stewart Donald T. , Bogan Arthur E. , Hoeh Walter R. , Breton Sophie
Published: May 2017

Doubly uniparental inheritance (DUI) describes a mode of mtDNA transmission widespread in gonochoric freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Palaeoheterodonta: Unionida). In this system, both female- and male-transmitted mtDNAs, named F and M respectively, coexist in the same species. In unionids, DUI is strictly correlated to gonochorism and to the presence of the atypical open reading frames (ORFans) F-orf and M-orf, respectively inside F and M mtDNAs, which are hypothesized to participate in sex determination. However, DUI is not found in all three Unionida superfamilies (confirmed in Hyrioidea and Unionoidea but not in Etherioidea), raising the question of its origin in these bivalves. To reconstruct the co-evolution of DUI and of ORFans, we sequenced the mtDNAs of four unionids (two gonochoric with DUI, one gonochoric and one hermaphroditic without DUI) and of the related gonochoric species Neotrigonia margaritacea (Palaeoheterodonta: Trigoniida). Our analyses suggest that rearranged mtDNAs appeared early during unionid radiation, and that a duplicated and diverged atp8 gene evolved into the M-orf associated with the paternal transmission route in Hyrioidea and Unionoidea, but not in Etherioidea. We propose that novel mtDNA-encoded genes can deeply influence bivalve sex determining systems and the evolution of the mitogenomes in which they occur.
Grass and forbs respond differently to nitrogen addition: a meta-analysis of global grassland ecosystems
Authors: You Chengming , Wu Fuzhong , Gan Youmin , Yang Wanqin , Hu Zhongmin , Xu Zhenfeng , Tan Bo , Liu Lin , Ni Xiangyin
Published: May 2017

Nitrogen (N) deposition has increased globally and has profoundly influenced the structure and function of grasslands. Previous studies have discussed how N addition affects aboveground biomass (AGB), but the effects of N addition on the AGB of different functional groups in grasslands remain unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis to identify the responses of AGB and the AGB of grasses (AGBgrass) and forbs (AGBforb) to N addition across global grasslands. Our results showed that N addition significantly increased AGB and AGBgrass by 31 and 79%, respectively, but had no significant effect on AGBforb. The effects of N addition on AGB and AGBgrass increased with increasing N addition rates, but which on AGBforb decreased. Although study durations did not regulate the response ratio of N addition for AGB, which for AGBgrass increased and for AGBforb decreased with increasing study durations. Furthermore, the N addition response ratios for AGB and AGBgrass increased more strongly when the mean annual precipitation (MAP) was 300–600 mm but decreased with an increase in the mean annual temperature (MAT). AGBforb was only slightly affected by MAP and MAT. Our findings suggest that an acceleration of N deposition will increase grassland AGB by altering species composition.
Detecting the Molecular System Signatures of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis through Integrated Genomic Analysis
Authors: Gangwar Indu , Kumar Sharma Nitesh , Panzade Ganesh , Awasthi Supriya , Agrawal Anurag , Shankar Ravi
Published: May 2017

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is an incurable progressive fibrotic disease of the lungs. We currently lack a systematic understanding of IPF biology and a systems approach may offer new therapeutic insights. Here, for the first time, a large volume of high throughput genomics data has been unified to derive the most common molecular signatures of IPF. A set of 39 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was found critical to distinguish IPF. Using high confidence evidences and experimental data, system level networks for IPF were reconstructed, involving 737 DEGs found common across at least two independent studies. This all provided one of the most comprehensive molecular system views for IPF underlining the regulatory and molecular consequences associated. 56 pathways crosstalks were identified which included critical pathways with specified directionality. The associated steps gained and lost due to crosstalk during IPF were also identified. A serially connected system of five crucial genes was found, potentially controlled by nine miRNAs and eight transcription factors exclusively in IPF when compared to NSIP and Sarcoidosis. Findings from this study have been implemented into a comprehensive molecular and systems database on IPF to facilitate devising diagnostic and therapeutic solutions for this deadly disease.
Suppression of autoimmune demyelinating disease by preferential stimulation of CNS-specific CD8 T cells using Listeria-encoded neuroantigen
Authors: Itani Farah R. , Sinha Sushmita , Brate Ashley A. , Pewe Lecia L. , Gibson-Corley Katherine N. , Harty John T. , Karandikar Nitin J.
Published: May 2017

CD8 T-cells predominate in CNS lesions of MS patients and display oligoclonal expansion. However, the role of myelin-specific CD8 T-cells in disease remains unclear, with studies showing protective and pathogenic roles in EAE. We demonstrated a disease-suppressive function for CNS-specific CD8 T-cells in a model where the antigen is exogenously administeredin vivoand used forin vitroactivation. To probe the nature of the CD8 response elicited by endogenously presented myelin antigensin vivo, we developed a novel approach utilizing infection withListeria monocytogenes(LM) encoding proteolipid protein peptide (PLP) amino acids 178-191 (LM-PLP). LM-PLP infection preferentially induced PLP-specific CD8 T-cell responses. Despite the induction of PLP-specific CD8 T-cells, LM-PLP infection did not result in disease. In fact, LM-PLP infection resulted in significant amelioration of PLP178-191-induced EAE. Disease suppression was not observed in mice deficient in CD8 T-cells, IFN-γ or perforin. DTH responses and CNS infiltration were reduced in protected mice, and their CD4 T-cells had reduced capacity to induce tissue inflammation. Importantly, infection with LM-PLP ameliorated established disease. Our studies indicate that CD8 T-cells induced by endogenous presentation of PLP178-191 attenuate CNS autoimmunity in models of EAE, implicating the potential of this approach as a novel immunotherapeutic strategy.