bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Questionnaire investigation to clarify the occurrence rate and characteristics of maternal rejection behavior in Japanese black cattle (Bos taurus)
Authors: Kohari Daisuke , Takakura Azusa
Published: August 2017

We conducted a questionnaire investigation among breeding farmers to clarify the actual conditions of maternal rejection in Japanese Black cattle. We asked keeping experience of maternal rejective cows and compared occurrence patterns, rejective behavior manners, birth assistance methods, colostrum feeding method for calves, parity and rearing conditions of the cows. We found that 24% of the farms had kept rejective cows and 6% of the cows in these farms indicated maternal rejections. The most common occurrence pattern was ‘Occurred from the first birth (65.6%)’ and behavior manner was performing no maternal grooming with aggressive behavior (75%). Almost all the farmers assisted in each parturition (P < 0.05). There was not a significant difference among the colostrum feeding methods, but a significant difference in the rearing conditions of the cows, except for the cows with no data (P < 0.005). The parity of the rejective cows did not significantly differ in association with rejective behavior manners, birth assistance methods, colostrum feeding methods or rearing conditions. These results suggest that the occurrence rate of maternal rejection in Japanese Black cattle was approximately 6% and many of the rejective cows continuously performed no maternal grooming with aggressive behavior.
Government Regulation of International Corporate Social Responsibility in the US and the UK: How Domestic Institutions Shape Mandatory and Supportive Initiatives
Authors: Knudsen Jette Steen
Published: August 2017

While most scholarship on corporate social responsibility (CSR) focuses on company‐level CSR initiatives, it increasingly also examines government programs for CSR. However, research on how governments contribute to CSR has mainly focused on domestic and not international CSR challenges. This literature also does not specify whether governments shape CSR through mandatory regulation or supportive initiatives. This article adopts a process‐tracing approach to determine how governments regulate international CSR. It demonstrates that the legal and political systems in the liberal market economies of the UK and the US lead to different forms of public CSR regulation — notably in the areas of labour standards in apparel and tax transparency in extractives. The UK government has been more likely to support bottom‐up collaborative multi‐stakeholder initiatives, whereas the US government has favoured top‐down mandatory regulation.
Compliance with recommended protective actions during an H7N9 emergency: a risk perception perspective
Authors: Wang Fei , Wei Jiuchang , Shi Xing
Published: August 2017

This study investigates the factors determining an individual's response to official recommended protective measures, based on the Health Belief Model and the Protective Action Decision Model, to understand the adoption of protective behaviour during an H7N9 (Avian Influenza A) emergency. A public survey involving 1,375 respondents was conducted in Anhui Province, China, during the 2013 H7N9 outbreak to test the research model and hypotheses. The results indicate that protective, stakeholder, and risk perceptions influence positively an individual's willingness to take recommended actions. Protective and stakeholder perceptions also have a positive bearing on lay people's risk perceptions. A stakeholder perception is a vital determinant of a protective perception. More importantly, the effects of protective and stakeholder perceptions on behavioural responses to recommendations are mediated in part by risk perception. These findings can help public health officials to develop messages to encourage members of the population to protect themselves effectively during an influenza crisis.
Ischaemic stroke
Authors: Meschia J. F. , Brott T.
Published: August 2017

There are about 25.7 million stroke survivors worldwide. Ischaemic stroke remains the most common type of stroke. Numerous modifiable risk factors have been identified, including behaviors such as cigarette smoking and sedentary lifestyle and treatable medical comorbidities such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and atrial fibrillation. Once considered irreversible, acute ischaemic stroke is now amenable to acute medical and endovascular therapies to reduce infarct volume. Many advances are expected in the years to come, particularly in the areas of prevention and recovery.
Infant Sex Moderates the Effects of Maternal Pre‐ and Postnatal Stress on Executive Functioning at 8 Months of Age
Authors: Nolvi Saara , Pesonen Henri , Bridgett David J. , Korja Riikka , Kataja Eeva‐Leena , Karlsson Hasse , Karlsson Linnea
Published: August 2017

Previous studies report that early life stress, including maternal pre‐ and postnatal stress, has adverse effects on cognitive development and that these associations might be sex‐specific. However, no studies exist on early life stress and infant executive functioning (EF). The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between maternal pre‐ and postnatal stress and infant EF, and whether these associations are moderated by infant sex. Maternal prenatal depressive, general anxiety, and pregnancy‐specific anxiety symptoms were measured three times, and postnatal depressive and general anxiety symptoms were measured 6 months postpartum. Infant EF was assessed with a modified A‐not‐B task 8 months postpartum (N = 214). Maternal postnatal general anxiety predicted poorer EF in girls in comparison with boys. Moreover, there was a trend toward an interaction between prenatal anxiety and infant sex such that prenatal anxiety predicted infant EF differently in girls and in boys. No association was found between depressive symptoms or pregnancy‐specific anxiety symptoms and infant EF. These findings suggest that maternal anxiety may have sex‐specific effects on early EF and that pre‐ and postnatal stress may differently affect infant EF/cognitive development. The implications of these findings and important future directions are discussed.
Banking on Identity: Constructing a Canadian Banking Identity One Branch at a Time
Authors: Bal Simarjit S.
Published: August 2017

This paper seeks to explore the role that the Canadian branch banking structure has played in producing a national Canadian economic space as well as nationally oriented conservative Canadian banking subjects. Explosive growth in the scope of Canadian bank branch networks between 1880 and 1930, both in terms of number of branches and their geographic range, forced banks to re‐evaluate their management practices. To manage an increasingly unwieldy structure, banks worked to centralize control and homogenize operations and the bankers themselves. Through centralization, bank head offices developed more robust branch reporting tools, which allowed them collect and repurpose disparate data into new national level information and knowledge. Working as centres of calculation, bank head offices used this new information to integrate a nationalist outlook throughout the network, deploying disciplinary technologies and techniques, in an effort to detach bankers from a local or regional orientation. This paper shows that, rather than merely a tool for efficient allocation of capital, the branching structure is a productive socio‐technical structure, which helped to construct the very nature of the national space it sought to manage.
The Kitchen, the Cat, and the Table: Domestic Affairs in Minority‐Language Politics
Authors: Graber Kathryn E.
Published: August 2017

This article examines ideological constructions of the domestic sphere in metalinguistic commentary about loss in Buryat, a contracting language of Siberia whose speakers are shifting to Russian. Although calling Buryat “just a kitchen language” suggests that the kitchen is linguistically devalued, a popular joke told among bilingual speakers and its use‐in‐context show that kitchens can also be invoked to positively demarcate an inner sphere of comfortable, “offstage” interaction, to authenticate otherwise derided ways of speaking, and to build solidarity. The kitchen emerges as a complex discursive resource for commenting on—and for re‐creating—pragmatic rules for the use of different codes and registers.
Jury Rigging and Supply Network Design: Evolutionary “Tinkering” in the Presence of Unknown‐Unknowns
Authors: Kauffman Stuart , Pathak Surya D. , Sen Pradyot K. , Choi Thomas Y.
Published: August 2017

Nobel laureate François Jacob wrote often about evolution as “tinkering” in which parts and processes alone or together in cells and organisms were co‐opted for new functional purposes. Such behavior remains unexamined concerning how adaptive systems succeed in biology, supply networks, the economy, and beyond. In the presence of Unknown‐Unknown events (Unk‐Unks) that have no prior occurrences and are evident only in their realizations, the design of supply networks must allow for developing adaptive capabilities at the firm‐level. When performed right, such organic development in the supply network would mimic a biological phenomenon of tinkering and natural selection. We describe enabling such adaptive processes as jury rigging. We discuss how firms could design their supply networks and organize their supply network ex‐ante that enables the network members to respond to Unk‐Unks in an innovative way through jury rigging of their relationships. Development of such jury rigging capabilities requires integrative suppliers with deep embedded relationships, enabled through appropriate incentives that include incomplete contracts with the suppliers and sharing of unspecified decision rights.
The Effect of Unemployment Insurance Generosity on Unemployment Duration and Labor Market Transitions
Authors: Filiz Elif S.
Published: August 2017

This paper examines the impact of unemployment insurance (UI) benefit generosity on labor market transitions in Turkey from 2002 to 2012. Using a unique administrative dataset, I take advantage of a sharp discontinuity in treatment assignment at 900‐paid‐premium‐days to identify the impact of generosity on the outcome variables. I find that unemployment benefit duration is increased by approximately 0.07 weeks per additional week of UI. However, more generous benefits lead to lower probabilities of transition to employment and the impact is greater compared to developed countries. In addition, workers who are entitled to longer UI periods have lower probabilities of cheating the system and rejecting the services of the Turkish Employment Agency.
Protracted storage of CR chondrules in a region of the disk transparent to galactic cosmic rays
Authors: Roth Antoine S. G. , Metzler Knut , Baumgartner Lukas P. , Hofmann Beda A. , Leya Ingo
Published: August 2017

Renazzo‐type carbonaceous (CR) chondrites are accretionary breccias that formed last. As such they are ideal samples to study precompaction exposures to cosmic rays. Here, we present noble gas data for 24 chondrules and 3 dark inclusion samples (DIs) from Shişr 033 (CR2). The meteorite was selected based on the absence of implanted solar wind noble gases and an anomalous oxygen isotopic composition of the DIs; the oxygen isotopes match those in CV3 and CO3 chondrites. Our samples contain variable mixtures of galactic cosmic ray (GCR)‐produced cosmogenic noble gases and trapped noble gases of presolar origin. Remarkably, all chondrules have cosmogenic 3He and 21Ne concentrations up to 4.3 and 7.1 times higher than the DIs, respectively. We derived an average 3He‐21Ne cosmic ray exposure (CRE) age for Shişr 033 of 2.03 ± 0.20 Ma (2 SD) and excesses in cosmogenic 3He and 21Ne in chondrules (relative to the DIs) in the range (in 10−8 cm3STP/g) 3.99–7.76 and 0.94–1.71, respectively. Assuming present‐day GCR flux density, the excesses translate into average precompaction 3He‐21Ne CRE ages of 3.1–27.3 Ma depending on the exposure geometry. The data can be interpreted assuming a protracted storage of a single chondrule generation prior to the final assembly of the Shişr 033 parent body in a region of the disk transparent to GCRs.
A molecular systematic analysis of theNeotropical banner winged damselflies (Polythoridae:Odonata)
Authors: SANCHEZ HERRERA MELISSA , BEATTY CHRISTOPHER , NUNES RENATO , REALPE EMILIO , SALAZAR CAMILO , WARE JESSICA L.
Published: August 2017

TheNeotropics are a hotspot of global diversity for many groups of organisms, including the dragonflies and damselflies (Insecta:Odonata). While the number of biodiversity surveys and new species descriptions forNeotropical odonates is increasing, diversity in this region is still under‐explored, and very few studies have looked at the genetic and morphological diversity among (and within) species. Here, we present an overview of the evolutionary history of theNeotropical damselfly familyPolythoridae. The family comprises 57 species across seven genera:ChalcopteryxSelys,ChalcothoreDeMarmels,CoraSelys,EuthoreSelys,MiocoraCalvert,PolythoreCalvert andStenocoraKennedy. Using a multi‐locus approach, mitochondrial (COI,ND1, 16S) and nuclear (18S, 28S,EF1‐alpha) genes were concatenated to estimate phylogenetic relationships. Our results support five monophyletic clades, which were not always congruent with the genera previously considered to be monophyletic. OnlyPolythorewas recovered as monophyletic, and within it there was geographical structure. We propose the following new genus‐level classification:Chalcothore,Chalcopteryx,Coras.s.,Coras.l.,Miocora,Euthores.l andPolythore.In addition, we proposed the following new combinations:Miocora aureacomb.n.,Miocora chirripacomb.n.,Euthore confusacomb.n.,Euthore kleneicomb.n., andEuthore terminaliscomb.n.,based on our phylogenetic analyses, our evaluation of morphological characters and their geographical distribution: these data each support the monophyletic entities we recover here.

This published work has been registered in ZooBank,http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E9E10CD8‐6A04‐4F2E‐A632‐1B998BAFB193.
ABO blood group phenotype frequency estimation using molecular phenotyping in rhesus and cynomolgus macaques
Authors: Kanthaswamy S. , Ng J. , Oldt R. F. , Valdivia L. , Houghton P. , Smith D. G.
Published: August 2017

A much larger sample (N = 2369) was used to evaluate a previously reported distribution of the A, AB and B blood group phenotypes in rhesus and cynomolgus macaques from six different regional populations. These samples, acquired from 15 different breeding and research facilities in the United States, were analyzed using a real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay that targets single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) responsible for the macaque A, B and AB phenotypes. The frequency distributions of blood group phenotypes of the two species differ significantly from each other and significant regional differentiation within the geographic ranges of each species was also observed. The B blood group phenotype was prevalent in rhesus macaques, especially those from India, while the frequencies of the A, B and AB phenotypes varied significantly among cynomolgus macaques from different geographic regions. The Mauritian cynomolgus macaques, despite having originated in Indonesia, showed significant (P ≪ .01) divergence from the Indonesian animals at the ABO blood group locus. Most Mauritian animals belonged to the B blood group while the Indonesian animals were mostly A. The close similarity in blood group frequency distributions between the Chinese rhesus and Indochinese cynomolgus macaques demonstrates that the introgression between these two species extends beyond the zone of intergradation in Indochina. This study underscores the importance of ABO blood group phenotyping of the domestic supply of macaques and their biospecimens.
Independence may feel strange
Authors: Meyer Joerg M.
Published: August 2017

Stochastic independence is not an easy notion. Because it is part of the probability structure, it can have some surprising non‐properties, which is beneficial for teachers and students to see illustrated. Neither is the relationship to causal independence an easy one.
A Genetic Algorithm-based Framework for Soft Handoff Optimization in Wireless Networks
Authors: Asuquo Daniel E. , Robinson Samuel A.
Published: August 2017

In this paper, a genetic algorithm (GA)-based approach is used to evaluate the probability of successful handoff in heterogeneous wireless networks (HWNs) so as to increase capacity and network performance. The traditional handoff schemes are prone to ping pong and corner effects and developing an optimized handoff scheme for seamless, faster, and less power consuming handoff decision is challenging. The GA scheme can effectively optimize soft handoff decision by selecting the best fit network for the mobile terminal (MT) considering quality of service (QoS) requirements, network parameters and user’s preference in terms of cost of different attachment points for the MT. The robustness and ability to determine global optima for any function using crossover and mutation operations makes GA a promising solution. The developed optimization framework was simulated in Matrix Laboratory (MATLAB) software using MATLAB’s optima tool and results show that an optimal MT attachment point is the one with the highest handoff success probability value which determines direction for successful handoff in HWN environment. The system maintained a 90%  with 4 channels and more while a 75% was obtained even at high traffic intensity.
End user and implementer experiences of mHealth technologies for noncommunicable chronic disease management in young adults: a qualitative systematic review protocol
Authors: Slater Helen , Briggs Andrew , Stinson Jennifer , Campbell Jared M.
Published: August 2017

Review objective:

The objective of this review is to systematically identify, review and synthesize relevant qualitative research on end user and implementer experiences of mobile health (mHealth) technologies developed for noncommunicable chronic disease management in young adults. “End users” are defined as young people aged 15–24 years, and “implementers” are defined as health service providers, clinicians, policy makers and administrators.

The two key questions we wish to systematically explore from identified relevant qualitative studies or studies with qualitative components are:

What are users’ (end user and implementer) experiences with mHealth technologies to support health interventions for the management of chronic noncommunicable conditions, including persistent musculoskeletal pain?

What factors do users (end user and implementer) perceive or experience as facilitators or barriers to the uptake and/or implementation of mHealth technologies for young people with chronic noncommunicable conditions, including persistent musculoskeletal pain?
Determining the limit of detection of surface bound antibody
Authors: Madiona Robert M. T. , Welch Nicholas G. , Scoble Judith A. , Muir Benjamin W. , Pigram Paul J.
Published: August 2017

Determination of a limit of detection (LoD) for surface bound antibodies is crucial for the development and deployment of sensitive bioassays. The measurement of very low concentrations of surface bound antibodies is also important in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical products such as antibody-conjugated pharmaceuticals. Low concentrations are required to avoid an immune response from the target host. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) were used to determine the LoD for the surface bound antibody (antiepidermal growth factor receptor antibody) on silicon substrates. Antibody solution concentrations between 10 μg/ml and 1 ng/ml and a control (antibody-free buffer solution) were employed, and the detection performance of each technique was compared. For this system, the ELISA LoD was 100 ng/ml and the XPS LoD was 1 μg/ml, corresponding to an estimated surface concentration of 49 ± 7 ng/cm2 using a 1 μg/ml solution. Due to the multivariate complexity of ToF-SIMS data, analysis was carried out using three different methods, peak ratio calculations, principal component analysis, and artificial neural network analysis. The use of multivariate analysis with this dataset offers an unbiased analytical approach based on the peaks selected from ToF-SIMS data. The results estimate a ToF-SIMS LoD between applied antibody concentrations of 10 and 100 ng/mL. For surface bound antibodies on a silicon substrate, the LoD is below an estimated surface concentration of 49 ng/cm2. The authors have determined the LoD for this system using ELISA, XPS, and ToF-SIMS with multivariate analyses, with ToF-SIMS offering an order of magnitude better detection over ELISA and 2 orders of magnitude better detection over XPS.
Global mRNA polarization regulates translation efficiency in the intestinal epithelium
Authors: Moor Andreas E. , Golan Matan , Massasa Efi E. , Lemze Doron , Weizman Tomer , Shenhav Rom , Baydatch Shaked , Mizrahi Orel , Winkler Roni , Golani Ofra , Stern-Ginossar Noam , Itzkovitz Shalev
Published: August 2017

Location, location, location

The distribution of RNA in cells is important for efficient translation into proteins. Asymmetric RNA localization is known in several cell types but is poorly understood in gut epithelial cells. Moor
et al.
found that transcripts in intestinal enterocytes tend to distribute to the cells' apical or basal cell sides (see the Perspective by Gáspár and Ephrussi). mRNA localization does not generally overlap protein localization; instead, ribosomes are apically biased, which allows more efficient translation. On refeeding of fasted mice, gut cell mRNAs encoding ribosomal proteins exhibit a basal-to-apical shift in localization and a boost in translation. Thus, dynamic polarization of mRNA and polarized translation modulate translational efficiency in the intestinal epithelium.

Science
, this issue p.
1299
; see also p.
1235
Complete Genome Sequences of Three Isolates of Xanthomonas fragariae, the Bacterium Responsible for Angular Leaf Spots on Strawberry Plants
Authors: Gétaz Michael , van der Wolf Jan M. , Blom Jochen , Pothier Joël F.
Published: August 2017

Xanthomonas fragariae
is a worldwide-spread plant bacterial disease causing angular leaf spots, thus reducing the yield of production for strawberry fruits. Three isolates with various geographic and time origins were sequenced with long-read technology (PacBio) to generate finished genome sequences of virulent strains and observe the variability in their contents.
Whole-Genome Sequence of the Soil Bacterium
Micrococcus
sp. KBS0714
Authors: Kuo V. , Shoemaker W. R. , Muscarella M. E. , Lennon J. T.
Published: August 2017

We present here a draft genome assembly of
Micrococcus
sp. KBS0714, which was isolated from agricultural soil. The genome provides insight into the strategies that
Micrococcus
spp. use to contend with environmental stressors such as desiccation and starvation in environmental and host-associated ecosystems.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Plant Growth-Promoting Bacterium
Pseudomonas
sp. SCPG-7, Isolated from Saline Soil
Authors: Han Yajie , Dai Bin , Zhou Ying , Wu Zhansheng , Ye Bang-Ce
Published: August 2017

Pseudomonas
sp. SCPG-7 was isolated from saline soil. The strain can increase the germination rate of cotton seeds and promote the growth of cotton seedlings under salt stress conditions. The genome is 6,256,198 bp long, containing 5,672 predicted open reading frames.
Draft Genome Sequence of
Methylocaldum
sp. SAD2, a Methanotrophic Strain That Can Convert Raw Biogas to Methanol in the Presence of Hydrogen Sulfide
Authors: Wei Xiangdong , Ge Xumen , Li Yebo , Yu Zhongtang
Published: August 2017

The draft genome sequence of
Methylocaldum
sp. SAD2, a methanotrophic strain isolated from a hydrogen sulfide-rich anaerobic digester, is reported here. Strain SAD2 possesses genes for methane oxidation in the presence of H
2
S.
Whole-Genome Sequences of Two Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella quasipneumoniae Strains Isolated from a Tertiary Hospital in Johor, Malaysia
Authors: Gan Han Ming , Rajasekaram Ganeswrie , Eng Wilhelm Wei Han , Kaniappan Priyatharisni , Dhanoa Amreeta
Published: August 2017

We report the whole-genome sequences of two carbapenem-resistant clinical isolates of
Klebsiella quasipneumoniae
subsp.
similipneumoniae
obtained from two different patients. Both strains contained three different extended-spectrum β-lactamase genes and showed strikingly high pairwise average nucleotide identity of 99.99% despite being isolated 3 years apart from the same hospital.
Transvaginal postpartum manual removal of a prolapsed submucous leiomyoma, initially diagnosed hybrid predominantly intramural
Authors: Elgonaid Wael , Belkhir Reem , Boama Vincent
Published: August 2017

We present a rare case of a large infarcted submucous fibroid removed manually after a normal vaginal delivery. This patient was known to have a large postero-fundal hybrid predominantly intramural uterine fibroid, measuring 11 x 10 cm in diameter and diagnosed 2 years prior to last conception. Thirty-five days postpartum, she presented with severe lower abdominal pain and foul smell per vaginum. Abdominal examination revealed a very tender bulky uterus at 24 weeks size, and vaginal examination revealed a big fleshy smelly mass with friable surface just bulging from a dilated cervix. Examination under anaesthesia revealed a very foul smelly large pedunculated submucous fibroid that was felt through a dilated cervix. It was deliverable vaginally, so the submucous leiomyoma was removed manually, a procedure similar to manual removal of placenta. Histopathology examination confirmed an infarcted massive fibroid.
Aluminium phosphide poisoning with severe cardiac dysfunction and the role of digoxin
Authors: Changal Khalid Hamid , Latief Muzamil , Parry Manzoor , Abbas Farhat
Published: August 2017

Aluminium phosphide (ALP) is a common cause of suicidal poisoning in India where it is easily available and commonly known as ‘rice tablet’. In rural areas of India, it is still used to protect rice and stored grains from rodents and pests.1There is no specific antidote for phosphide poisoning and treatment involves meticulous supportive care. Ingestion can lead to severe cardiac suppression and cardiogenic shock. For patients poisoned with ALP who continue to have refractory shock with persistent myocardial suppression despite the use of adrenergic inotropic agents, the addition of digoxin may be beneficial. We present a case where digoxin was utilised with beneficial patient outcomes.
Why don’t serum vitamin D concentrations associate with BMD by DXA? A case of being ‘bound’ to the wrong assay? Implications for vitamin D screening
Authors: Allison Richard J , Farooq Abdulaziz , Cherif Anissa , Hamilton Bruce , Close Graeme L , Wilson Mathew G
Published: August 2017

Background

The association between bone mineral density (BMD) and serum25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration is weak, particularly in certain races (eg, BlackAfrican vs Caucasian) and in athletic populations. We aimed to examine if bioavailable vitamin D rather than serum 25(OH)D was related to markers of bone health within a racially diverse athletic population.

Methods

In 604 male athletes (Arab (n=327), Asian (n=48), Black (n=108), Caucasian (n=53) and Hispanic (n=68)), we measured total 25(OH)D, vitamin D-binding protein and BMD by DXA. Bioavailable vitamin D was calculated using the free hormone hypothesis.

Results

From 604 athletes, 21.5% (n=130) demonstrated severe 25(OH)D deficiency, 37.1% (n=224) deficiency, 26% (n=157) insufficiency and 15.4% (n=93) sufficiency. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were not associated with BMD at any site. After adjusting for age and race, bioavailable vitamin D was associated with BMD (spine, neck and hip). Mean serum vitamin D binding protein concentrations were not associated with 25(OH)D concentrations (p=0.392).

Conclusion

Regardless of age or race, bioavailable vitamin D and not serum 25(OH)D was associated with BMD in a racially diverse athletic population. If vitamin D screening is warranted, clinicians should use appropriate assays to calculate vitamin D binding protein and bioavailable vitamin D levels concentrations than serum 25(OH)D. In turn, prophylactic vitamin D supplementation to ‘correct’ insufficient athletes should not be based on serum 25(OH)D measures.
Establishing the aims, format and function for multidisciplinary team-driven care within an inflammatory bowel disease service: a multicentre qualitative specialist-based consensus study
Authors: Morar Pritesh S , Sevdalis Nick , Warusavitarne Janindra , Hart Ailsa , Green James , Edwards Cathryn , Faiz Omar
Published: August 2017

Objective

To obtain a specialist-based consensus on the aims, format and function for MDT-driven care within an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) service.

Design

This was a prospective, multicentre study using a Delphi formal consensus-building methodology.

Setting

Participants were recruited nationally across 13 centres from July to August 2014.

Participants

24 participants were included into the Delphi Specialist Consensus Panel. They included six consultant colorectal surgeons, six gastroenterologists, five consultant radiologists, three consultant histopathologists and 4 IBD nurse specialists.

Interventions

Panellists ranked items on a Likert scale (1=not important to 5=very important). Items with a median score >3 were considered eligible for inclusion.

Main outcome measures

Consensus was defined with an IQR ≤1. Consensus on categorical responses was defined by an agreement of >60%.

Results

A consensus on items (median; IQR) that described the aims of the MDT-driven care that were consideredvery importantincluded:advance patient care(5;5-5),provide multidisciplinary input for the patient’s care plan(5;5-5),provide shared experience and expertise(5;5-5),improve patient outcome(5;5-5),deliver the best possible care for the patient(5;5-5) andto obtain consensus on management for a patient with IBD(5;4-5). A consensus for being a core MDT member was demonstrated for colorectal surgeons (24/24), radiologists (24/24), gastroenterologists (24/24), nurse specialists (24/24), dieticians (14/23), histopathologists (21/23) and coordinators (21/24).

Conclusions

This study has provided a consensus for proposed aims, overall design, format and function MDT-driven care within an IBD service. This can provide a focus for core members, and aid a contractual recognition to ensure attendance and proactive contribution.
Coronary angiography in worsening heart failure: determinants, findings and prognostic implications
Authors: Ferreira João Pedro , Rossignol Patrick , Demissei Biniyam , Sharma Abhinav , Girerd Nicolas , Anker Stefan D , Cleland John G , Dickstein Kenneth , Filippatos Gerasimos , Hillege Hans L , Lang Chim C , Metra Marco , Ng Leong L , Ponikowski Piotr , Samani Nilesh J , van Veldhuisen Dirk J , Zwinderman Aeilko H , Voors Adriaan , Zannad Faiez
Published: August 2017

Objectives

Coronary angiography is regularly performed in patients with worsening signs and/or symptoms of heart failure (HF). However, little is known on the determinants, findings and associated clinical outcomes of coronary angiography performed in patients with worsening HF.

Methods

The BIOSTAT-CHF (a systems BIOlogy Study to TAilored Treatment in Chronic Heart Failure) programme enrolled 2516 patients with worsening symptoms and/or signs of HF, either hospitalised or in the outpatient setting. All patients were included in the present analysis.

Results

Of the 2516 patients included, 315 (12.5%) underwent coronary angiography within the 30 days after the onset of worsening symptoms and/or signs of HF. Subjects who underwent angiography were more often observed as inpatients, had more often an overt acute coronary syndrome, had higher troponin I levels, were younger and had better renal function (all p≤0.01). Patients who underwent coronary angiography had a lower risk of the primary outcome of death and/or HF hospitalisation (adjusted HR=0.71, 95% CI 0.57 to 0.89, p=0.003) and death (adjusted HR=0.59, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.80, p=0.001). Among the patients who underwent coronary angiography, those with a coronary stenosis (39%) had a worse prognosis than those without stenosis (adjusted HR for the primary outcome=1.71, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.64, p=0.016).

Conclusions

Coronary angiography was performed in <13% of patients with symptoms and/or signs of worsening HF. These patients were remarkably different from those who did not undergo coronary angiography and had a lower risk of subsequent events. The presence of coronary stenosis on coronary angiography was associated with a worse prognosis.
Thrombectomy of calcified emboli in stroke. Does histology of thrombi influence the effectiveness of thrombectomy?
Authors: Dobrocky Tomas , Piechowiak Eike , Cianfoni Alessandro , Zibold Felix , Roccatagliata Luca , Mosimann Pascal , Jung Simon , Fischer Urs , Mordasini Pasquale , Gralla Jan
Published: August 2017

Background and purpose

Thrombus composition has been postulated to affect the success of endovascular therapy. Calcified clots are composed of large amounts of calcium phosphate which influences their mechanical properties and may serve as a model for testing this hypothesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the recanalization and complication rates of calcified thromboemboli in patients with acute ischemic stroke who underwent thrombectomy.

Material and methods

A retrospective analysis was performed of all calcified intracranial thromboemboli in patients suffering an acute ischemic stroke, referred for endovascular therapy at two centers between January 2013 and July 2016.

Results

Eight patients with a calcified intracranial clot underwent stent retriever thrombectomy (five women; mean age 80 years). Mean clot attenuation was 305 HU (range 150–640 HU). Successful reperfusion defined, as Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction grade 2b–3 was achieved in only one patient (12.5%). Two periprocedural adverse events occurred: one peripheral vessel perforation which was coiled and one inadvertent stent retriever detachment due to fracture of the stent retriever wire.

Conclusion

Stent retriever thrombectomy of calcified thromboemboli seems less effective than with other types of clots. Different mechanical properties of calcified clots may render them stiffer and less accessible for stent retrievers. When faced with a calcified intracranial thromboembolus in clinical practice, a more contained approach may be warranted in view of low recanalization rates, and the potential for periprocedural adverse events.
Comparison of veterinary drugs and veterinary homeopathy: part 1
Authors: Lees P. , Pelligand L. , Whiting M. , Chambers D. , Toutain P‐L. , Whitehead M. L.
Published: August 2017

For many years after its invention around 1796, homeopathy was widely used in people and later in animals. Over the intervening period (1796‐2016) pharmacology emerged as a science from Materia Medica (medicinal materials) to become the mainstay of veterinary therapeutics. There remains today a much smaller, but significant, use of homeopathy by veterinary surgeons. Homeopathic products are sometimes administered when conventional drug therapies have not succeeded, but are also used as alternatives to scientifically based therapies and licensed products. The principles underlying the veterinary use of drug‐based and homeopathic products are polar opposites; this provides the basis for comparison between them. This two‐part review compares and contrasts the two treatment forms in respect of history, constituents, methods of preparation, known or postulated mechanisms underlying responses, the legal basis for use and scientific credibility in the 21st century. Part 1 begins with a consideration of why therapeutic products actually work or appear to do so.
A 13-week low glycemic load diet and lifestyle modification program combining low glycemic load protein shakes and targeted nutraceuticals improved weight loss and cardio-metabolic risk factors
Authors: Dahlberg Clinton J. , Ou Joseph J. , Babish John G. , Lamb Joseph J. , Eliason Sarah , Brabazon Holly , Gao Wei , Kaadige Mohan R. , Tripp Matthew L.
Published: August 2017

An open-label, randomized, exploratory study of 44 healthy overweight subjects with cardio-metabolic syndrome (CMS) risk factors was conducted to assess the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of a proprietary lifestyle modification program without (DIET) and with (PROG) targeted nutraceutical supplementation, including phytosterols, antioxidants, probiotics, fish oil, berberine, and soy, pea, and whey proteins over 13 weeks. Key metrics were recorded at baseline and weeks 9 and 13. For the DIET and PROG groups, compliance was 85% and 86%, respectively, with no adverse events related to the diet or supplements. Twelve subjects discontinued participation before week 9 for reasons unrelated to the study. PROG subjects experienced greater decreases (p < 0.05) than DIET in body mass, fat mass, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, TG, cholesterol / HDL ratio, TG/HDL ratio, apolipoprotein B / apolipoprotein A1 ratio, and hs-CRP. The Framingham 10-year cardiovascular disease risk score decreased by 40% (p < 0.01) in the PROG arm versus no change for the DIET arm. As a pilot study, it was not possible to state whether the observed effects were the result of nutraceutical supplementation alone or the result of additive or synergistic interactions among diet, lifestyle modifications, and nutraceutical supplementation. Moreover, individuals with CMS risk factors following a lifestyle modification program received additional health benefits from targeted nutraceutical supplementation.
A New PID Neural Network Controller Design for Nonlinear Processes
Authors: Zribi Ali , Chtourou Mohamed , Djemel Mohamed
Published: August 2017

In this paper, a novel adaptive tuning method of PID neural network (PIDNN) controller for nonlinear process is proposed. The presented method utilizes an improved gradient descent method to adjust PIDNN parameters where the margin stability will be employed to get high tracking performance and robustness with regard to external load disturbance and parameter variation. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm compared with other well-known learning methods.
Geochemistry of loess deposits in northeastern China: constraint on provenance and implication for disappearance of the large Songliao palaeolake
Authors: Xie Yuanyun , Yuan Fang , Zhan Tao , Kang Chunguo , Chi Yunping , Ma Yongfa
Published: August 2017

The Harbin loess, typical of the loess in NE China, is located in the easternmost margin of the Eurasian loess belt, and was recently investigated from the perspective of an Asian aeolian dust system. Before this study, the geochemical composition and provenance of the Harbin loess remained poorly understood. More importantly, the study of the Harbin loess also provides a unique opportunity to understand the geomorphological evolution process of the large Songliao palaeolake in the Northeast Plain. This study presents the results on the geochemical characteristics (major elements, trace elements, rare earth elements and Sr–Nd isotope) of the Harbin loess. There are markedly consistent geochemical compositions in and between the loess and palaeosol sediments, revealing stable dust sources and identical sources for the loess and palaeosol. Various indicators illustrating weathering and recycling indicate that the Harbin loess–palaeosol sediments were derived from sources with a low degree of weathering and from material with first-cycle alluvial–lacustrine deposits. Combinations of various provenance tracing indicators indicate that the Harbin loess has a strong geochemical affinity with the Songnen Sandy Land and to a certain extent the Horqin Sandy Land but not with the Hulun Buir Sandy Land, which indicates that these loess deposits are derived from a mixed provenance, with the dominant source being the neighbouring Songnen Sandy Land and a second, distal source being the Horqin Sandy Land. Finally, we advocate that the Harbin loess accumulation could serve as the direct record of the Songliao palaeolake disappearance.

Supplementary material:
Data for the NE Sandy Lands of China, and full provenance discrimination diagrams are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3835009
.
Fate-Regulating Circuits in Viruses: From Discovery to New Therapy Targets
Authors: Pai Anand , Weinberger Leor S.
Published: August 2017

Current antivirals effectively target diverse viruses at various stages of their life cycles. Nevertheless, curative therapy has remained elusive for important pathogens, such as human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and herpesviruses, in large part due to viral latency and the evolution of resistance to existing therapies. Here, we review the discovery of viral master circuits: virus-encoded autoregulatory gene networks that autonomously control viral expression programs (i.e., between active, latent, and abortive fates). These circuits offer the opportunity for a new class of antivirals that could lead to intrinsic combination-antiviral therapies within a single molecule—evolutionary escape from such circuit-disrupting antivirals would require simultaneous evolution of both the viral cis regulatory element (e.g., the DNA-binding site) and the trans element (e.g., the transcription factor) in order for the virus to recapitulate a circuit that would not be disrupted. We review the architectures of these fate-regulating master circuits in HIV-1 and the human herpesvirus cytomegalovirus along with potential circuit-disruption strategies that may ultimately enable escape-resistant antiviral therapies.
Benefits of oxytocin administration in obstructive sleep apnea
Authors: Jain Vivek , Marbach Joseph , Kimbro Shawn , Andrade David C. , Jain Arad , Capozzi Eleanor , Mele Kyle , Del Rio Rodrigo , Kay Matthew W. , Mendelowitz David
Published: August 2017

Activation of oxytocin receptors has shown benefits in animal models of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We tested if nocturnal oxytocin administration could have beneficial effects in OSA patients. Eight patients diagnosed with OSA were administered intranasal oxytocin (40 IU). Changes in cardiorespiratory events during sleep, including apnea and hypopnea durations and frequency, risk of event-associated arousals, and heart rate variability, were assessed. Oxytocin significantly increased indexes of parasympathetic activity, including heart rate variability, total sleep time, and the postpolysommogram sleep assessment score, an index of self-reported sleep satisfaction. Although the apnea-hypopnea index was not significantly changed with oxytocin administration, when apnea and hypopnea events were compared independently, the frequency of hypopneas, but not apneas, was significantly ( P ≤ 0.005) decreased with oxytocin treatment. Both apneas and hypopneas were significantly shortened in duration with oxytocin treatment. Oxytocin treatment significantly decreased the percent of apnea and hypopnea events that were accompanied with an arousal. Oxytocin administration has the potential to restore cardiorespiratory homeostasis and reduce some clinically important (objective and patient-reported) adverse events that occur with OSA. Additional studies are needed to further understand the mechanisms by which oxytocin promotes these changes in cardiorespiratory and autonomic function in OSA patients.
Endothelial cell-related autophagic pathways in Sugen/hypoxia-exposed pulmonary arterial hypertensive rats
Authors: Kato Fumiaki , Sakao Seiichiro , Takeuchi Takao , Suzuki Toshio , Nishimura Rintaro , Yasuda Tadashi , Tanabe Nobuhiro , Tatsumi Koichiro
Published: August 2017

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by progressive obstructive remodeling of pulmonary arteries. However, no reports have described the causative role of the autophagic pathway in pulmonary vascular endothelial cell (EC) alterations associated with PAH. This study investigated the time-dependent role of the autophagic pathway in pulmonary vascular ECs and pulmonary vascular EC kinesis in a severe PAH rat model (Sugen/hypoxia rat) and evaluated whether timely induction of the autophagic pathway by rapamycin improves PAH. Hemodynamic and histological examinations as well as flow cytometry of pulmonary vascular EC-related autophagic pathways and pulmonary vascular EC kinetics in lung cell suspensions were performed. The time-dependent and therapeutic effects of rapamycin on the autophagic pathway were also assessed. Sugen/hypoxia rats treated with the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor blocker SU5416 showed increased right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and numbers of obstructive vessels due to increased pulmonary vascular remodeling. The expression of the autophagic marker LC3 in ECs also changed in a time-dependent manner, in parallel with proliferation and apoptotic markers as assessed by flow cytometry. These results suggest the presence of cross talk between pulmonary vascular remodeling and the autophagic pathway, especially in small vascular lesions. Moreover, treatment of Sugen/hypoxia rats with rapamycin after SU5416 injection activated the autophagic pathway and improved the balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis in pulmonary vascular ECs to reduce RVSP and pulmonary vascular remodeling. These results suggested that the autophagic pathway can suppress PAH progression and that rapamycin-dependent activation of the autophagic pathway could ameliorate PAH.
The hypoxia-adenosine link during inflammation
Authors: Bowser Jessica L. , Lee Jae W. , Yuan Xiaoyi , Eltzschig Holger K.
Published: August 2017

Hypoxic tissue conditions occur during a number of inflammatory diseases and are associated with the breakdown of barriers and induction of proinflammatory responses. At the same time, hypoxia is also known to induce several adaptive and tissue-protective pathways that dampen inflammation and protect tissue integrity. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) that are stabilized during inflammatory or hypoxic conditions are at the center of mediating these responses. In the past decade, several genes regulating extracellular adenosine metabolism and signaling have been identified as being direct targets of HIFs. Here, we discuss the relationship between inflammation, hypoxia, and adenosine and that HIF-driven adenosine metabolism and signaling is essential in providing tissue protection during inflammatory conditions, including myocardial injury, inflammatory bowel disease, and acute lung injury. We also discuss how the hypoxia-adenosine link can be targeted therapeutically in patients as a future treatment approach for inflammatory diseases.