bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trends and variability in absolute indices of temperature extremes over Nigeria: linkage with NAO
Authors: Abatan Abayomi A. , Abiodun Babatunde J. , Gutowski William J. , Rasaq‐Balogun Saidat O.
Published: July 2017

The present study examines trends in extreme temperature absolute indices [warmest day (TXx), coldest day (TXn), warmest night (TNx) and coldest night (TNn)] using the newly homogenized daily minimum and maximum temperature series from 21 stations in Nigeria for the period 1971–2012. The indices provide an understanding of the characteristics of changing temperature, in light of the present anthropogenic global warming. Trends in the indices and the statistical significance are obtained using the modified Mann–Kendall test in the R‐package. The results show that many of the stations have significant increasing trends in the absolute indices, with the warming most pronounced in Southern Nigeria. Averaged over the country, the TXx, TXn, TNx and TNn have absolute warming trends of 0.59, 0.17, 0.67and 0.97 °C, respectively, for the 42 years since 1971. The warming rate is highest during the winter (DJF) season for TNn. The present study also examines the possible influence of large‐scale teleconnection patterns on extreme temperature variations by determining the correlation between the absolute indices and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index on monthly, seasonal and annual timescales. Our results show that warming over Nigeria during the dry season months from November to February is significantly correlated with NAO. The NAO has significant correlation with TXx and TXn in the north, and with TNx and TNn in the south. The analysis is repeated with ERA‐20C‐gridded data set, and similar correlations are found. The warming nights, in particular, in Nigeria can lead to sleeplessness and widespread mosquito‐related diseases as the mosquito population and its parasites thrive in warmer conditions. The results of the analyses are relevant for decision‐making process, especially for the development of early warning systems for extreme heat events.
Infilling missing precipitation records using variants of spatial interpolation and data‐driven methods: use of optimal weighting parameters and nearest neighbour‐based corrections
Authors: Teegavarapu Ramesh S. V. , Aly Alaa , Pathak Chandra S. , Ahlquist Jon , Fuelberg Henry , Hood Jill
Published: July 2017

Variants of spatial interpolation and data‐driven methods to fill gaps in daily precipitation records are developed and evaluated in this study. The evaluated methods include variations of inverse distance and correlation weighting procedures, linear weight optimization and artificial neural networks. An already existing method, support vector logistic regression‐based copula, is also assessed. Optimal weights are estimated using inverse distance and correlation‐based weighting methods, post‐corrections of spatially interpolated estimates for rain or no rain classifications using support vector machine (SVM), and variations of a single best classifier (SBC) are used. The optimal number of gauges for use in spatial interpolation methods and for artificial neural network‐based method are selected. Three benchmark methods provide a basis against which all the methods are compared: single best estimator (SBE), and spatial and climatological mean estimators (SME and CME). All of the methods are tested for estimating varying amounts of missing precipitation data at 53 rain gauges located in South Florida, USA. Results show that the linear weight optimization method with an SBE provides the best estimates of daily precipitation values based on several performance metrics. Results from evaluation of different methods and their variants indicate use of optimized exponents in distance and correlation‐based weighting methods, classifiers for rain or no rain conditions, and an optimal number of neighbours in spatial interpolation improve estimates of missing data. Corrections to missing data estimates using nearest neighbours can help in improving the accuracy of rain and no rain state determinations with a possibility of introducing bias in estimates.
Ocean–atmosphere conditions related to severe and persistent droughts in the Mexican Altiplano
Authors: Vega‐Camarena José Pablo , Brito‐Castillo Luis , Farfán Luis M. , Gochis David J. , Pineda‐Martínez Luis F. , Díaz Sara C.
Published: July 2017

Ocean and atmospheric patterns associated with the most severe and most persistent droughts in the Mexican Altiplano region are explored. The standardized precipitation index on a time scale of 12 months was used and compared with time series of other atmospheric conditions to identify major dry episodes from 1970 to 2012. The time series were derived from the second mode of a varimax‐rotated empirical orthogonal functional analysis from the mean summer rainfall series observed at weather stations located in the Mexican Altiplano from 1970 through 2000. The results showed that the longest and most persistent episode occurred from 1998 through 2001, while the most severe dry episode occurred in 2011–2012, when the Pacific Decadal Oscillation was in a negative phase and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation in a positive phase, both in combination with a La Niña event. A large upper‐level anticyclone over the north‐central United States is related to droughts in the Altiplano. Under these conditions, the droughts were linked to a large anticyclone positioned over the central‐north of the United States, with consequent negative anomalies of specific humidity over central‐northern Mexico. Concurrent with droughts in the interior of Mexico, are positive rainfall anomalies along the central Pacific coast of Mexico near the study area. Under different atmospheric conditions, opposite anomalous behaviour between the coast and interior can exist. The mechanism driving this see‐saw behaviour between the west coast of Mexico and the Altiplano is explored.
Carbon‐ion radiotherapy for isolated para‐aortic lymph node recurrence from colorectal cancer
Authors: Isozaki Yuka , Yamada Shigeru , Kawashiro Shohei , Yasuda Shigeo , Okada Naomi , Ebner Daniel , Tsuji Hiroshi , Kamada Tadashi , Matsubara Hisahiro
Published: July 2017

Background

The safety and effectiveness of carbon‐ion radiotherapy (CIRT) for isolated para‐aortic lymph node (PALN) metastasis was evaluated retrospectively.

Methods

CIRT for isolated PALN metastasis from CRC was performed in 34 cases from June 2006 to August 2015 in our institute. A median dose of 52.8 Gy(RBE) (range, 48‐52.8 Gy(RBE)) was delivered with a median daily dose of 4.4 Gy(RBE) (range, 4.0‐4.4 Gy(RBE)).

Results

The median follow‐up duration for all patients was 24.4 months (range, 7‐82.8 months). There were 13 cases (38.2%) who achieved complete response after treatment. The local control rates at 2 and 3 years were 70.1% and 70.1%, respectively. The overall survival rates at 2 and 3 years were 83.3% and 63.0%, respectively. The 3‐year survival rates for Stage I‐III were 68.7%, while those for Stage IV was 0%. The overall survival of cases with rectal cancer or with high CA19‐9 values pre‐CIRT tended to be worse. The median survival period was 41.7 months. Twelve of the 34 patients survived for more than 3 years. There were no adverse effects of Grade 3 or higher.

Conclusions

CIRT for isolated PALN recurrence after curative resection for CRC appears effective and safe, and it is considered a promising therapy.
Strategy for the separation of concentrated samples by capillary electrophoresis
Authors: Liang Shuang , Fu Xia , Xiao Hongting , Li Tianxiang , Xu Jun , Zhang Yong
Published: July 2017

The use of concentrated samples is usually avoided during conventional separations since utilization of concentrated samples normally compromises the quality of separation. However, in case of the detection of low‐abundance components, highly concentrated samples are necessary, which leads to an extremely high concentration for high‐abundant components. This will make the separation difficult due to the serious longitudinal dispersion. Here, we developed a method to separate high concentration of components based on the modified capillary electrophoresis. The mechanism involves concentrated sample stretched into a wider zone in the higher electric field strength; the sample zone is fractionated into thin sections via a cutting effect; these thin sections are then separated. Based on this mechanism, we examined to separate an overloaded mixture of N,N′‐diphenylguanidine and N,N′‐di(o‐tolyl)guanidine. Baseline separation was achieved due to much small longitudinal dispersion. The theoretical plate numbers of peaks were around 3.5 × 105 m−1. The practicality of the new approach is demonstrated in the separation of a model protein mixture, containing lysozyme, bovine serum albumin, and ribonuclease A.
Ultrasound‐Guided Drainage for Pediatric Soft Tissue Abscesses Decreases Clinical Failure Rates Compared to Drainage Without Ultrasound: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Gaspari Romolo Joseph , Sanseverino Alexandra
Published: July 2017

Objectives

Soft tissue abscesses are common in the pediatric emergency department (ED). Ultrasound (US) can be used to both diagnose soft tissue abscesses as well as guide drainage. We hypothesized that clinical failure rates would be less in pediatric patients with suspected skin abscesses when evaluated with US.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of suspected pediatric skin abscesses at 4 EDs over a 22‐month period. Cases were identified through electronic medical record descriptions, discharge diagnoses, and US database records. Data on US use, findings, and outcomes were abstracted to an electronic database. Comparisons between groups included US versus non‐US (primary outcome) as well as surgical drainage vs nonsurgical drainage (secondary outcome).

Results

A total of 377 patients were seen with concern for a potential skin abscess; 141 patients (37.4%) underwent US imaging during their visit, and 239 (63.4%) underwent incision and drainage (I&D) during their ED stay: 90 with US and 149 without. The failure rate for patients evaluated with US was significantly lower than that for those evaluated without US (4.4% versus 15.6%; P < .005). Thirty‐four (11.3%) of the 302 patients with a diagnosis of an abscess failed therapy: 19 (8.2%) after I&D and 15 (21.1%) after nonsurgical management. Failure after I&D was associated with a smaller abscess cavity on US imaging (17.2 versus 44.8 mm3; P < .05).

Conclusions

The use of US for patients with a suspected skin abscess was associated with a reduction in the amount of clinical failure rates after both surgical drainage and nonsurgical therapy. Ultrasound should be used when evaluating or treating patients with abscesses.
Weaning of proton pump inhibitors in patients with suspected laryngopharyngeal reflux disease
Authors: Lin R. Jun , Sridharan Shaum , Smith Libby J. , Young VyVy N. , Rosen Clark A.
Published: July 2017

Objective

To evaluate the feasibility of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) weaning protocol in a cohort of patients following successful empiric treatment for suspected laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD).

Study Design

Retrospective chart review.

Methods

LPRD patients were weaned from PPIs using a standardized weaning protocol. Symptom recurrence rate following PPI wean and present PPI use were determined. All numeric data were analyzed. The setting was a tertiary laryngology practice. The subjects were patients who had a positive response to empiric treatment for LPRD and subsequently were weaned from PPI therapy.

Results

Thirty‐five patients with suspected LPRD were instructed to wean from PPI after successful empiric treatment of their LPRD symptoms from July 2013 to September 2015. Twenty‐three patients (66%) remained symptom‐free post‐wean. Twelve patients (34%) had symptom recurrence post‐wean; of those, 11 of them (92%) needed to go back on a PPI. Median durations of follow‐up for the unsuccessful wean group and the successful wean group were 13 (range 6–29) months and 18 (range 6–38) months, respectively. Pre‐wean and post‐wean reflux symptom index (RSI) scores in the unsuccessful wean group were 7.7 ± 5.6 and 12.9 ± 6 (P = .11). Pre‐wean and post‐wean RSI scores in the successful wean group were 8.1 ± 6.5 and 8.1 ± 9.0 (P < .99). Body mass index (BMI) was found to be a significant predictor of failure to wean (odds ratio = 0.72, 95% confidence interval = 0.55–0.95) after controlling for age, sex, PPI treatment duration, and PPI regime. None of the other covariates were found to be significant predictors of failure of PPI wean.

Conclusion

Approximately 66% of patients who were on PPIs for LPRD were successfully weaned. High BMI was significantly predictive of failure to wean.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 128:133–137, 2018
Self‐perception of voice in transgender persons during cross‐sex hormone therapy
Authors: Bultynck Charlotte , Pas Charlotte , Defreyne Justine , Cosyns Marjan , den Heijer Martin , T'Sjoen Guy
Published: July 2017

Objective

Self‐perception of voice has a significant psychosocial impact on transgender persons. Research about the evolution of self‐perception of voice during cross‐sex hormone therapy (CSHT) is lacking.

The aim of this study was to examine if self‐perception of voice changes during CSHT, and if a change of serum testosterone levels as a result of CSHT can predict a change of self‐perception of voice.

Study Design

Prospective longitudinal study.

Methods

The Transsexual Voice Questionnaire (TVQ), consisting of three factors—anxiety and avoidance (AA), gender identity (GI), and voice quality (VQ)—was used. Transgender persons completed the TVQ at baseline (80 trans men and 103 trans women), after 3 and 12 months of CSHT follow‐up.

Results

Trans men: From 0 to 3 months, 0 to 12 months, and 3 to 2 months of CSHT, the AA and GI scores improved. From 0 to 3 months of CSHT, the increasing testosterone level was predictive for the improvements of AA and GI scores. Trans women: From 0 to 3 months, the GI score improved. From 0 to 12 months, the AA, GI, and VQ scores improved. Improvements of self‐perception of voice could not be predicted by changing serum testosterone levels.

Conclusion

During CSHT, self‐perception of voice improves in both trans men and trans women. In trans men only, the improving self‐perception of voice during the first 3 months can be attributed to the CSHT. For trans women, this study supports that testosterone has acted irreversibly virializing to the voice before CSHT, if they already went through male puberty.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 127:2796–2804, 2017
Meta‐analysis of quality‐of‐life improvement after cochlear implantation and associations with speech recognition abilities
Authors: McRackan Theodore R. , Bauschard Michael , Hatch Jonathan L. , Franko‐Tobin Emily , Droghini H. Richard , Nguyen Shaun A. , Dubno Judy R.
Published: July 2017

Objectives

Determine the impact of cochlear implantation on quality of life (QOL) and determine the correlation between QOL and speech recognition ability.

Study Design

Two authors independently searched PubMed, Medline, Scopus, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature to identify studies reporting hearing‐specific or cochlear implant (CI)–specific QOL outcomes before and after cochlear implantation, and studies reporting correlations between QOL and speech recognition after cochlear implantation. Data from the included articles were obtained independently by two authors. Standardized mean difference (SMD) for each measure and pooled effects were determined to assess improvement in QOL before and after cochlear implantation.

Results

From 14 articles with 679 CI patients who met the inclusion criteria, pooled analyses of all hearing‐specific QOL measures revealed a very strong improvement in QOL after cochlear implantation (SMD = 1.77). Subset analysis of CI‐specific QOL measures also showed very strong improvement (SMD = 1.69). Thirteen articles with 715 patients met the criteria to evaluate associations between QOL and speech recognition. Pooled analyses showed a low positive correlation between hearing‐specific QOL and word recognition in quiet (r = 0.213), sentence recognition in quiet (r = 0.241), and sentence recognition in noise (r = 0.238). Subset analysis of CI‐specific QOL showed similarly low positive correlations with word recognition in quiet (r = 0.213), word recognition in noise (r = 0.241), and sentence recognition in noise (r = 0.255).

Conclusions

Using hearing‐specific and CI‐specific measures of QOL, patients report significantly improved QOL after cochlear implantation. However, widely used clinical measures of speech recognition are poor predictors of patient‐reported QOL with CIs. Laryngoscope, 128:982–990, 2018
Fine‐scale variability in elemental composition of estuarine water and otoliths: Developing environmental markers for determining larval fish dispersal histories within estuaries
Authors: Williams Joel , Jenkins Gregory P. , Hindell Jeremy S. , Swearer Steve E.
Published: July 2017

Otolith chemistry has been widely used as a natural tag for determining environmental histories of fish that migrate across large distances and environmental gradients. However, it is not as well established as to whether otolith chemistry can be a useful tool for determining fine‐scale movement and dispersal patterns of fish, particularly larvae, within estuaries. In this study, we collected water samples and otoliths from larvae of black bream, Acanthopagrus butcheri, an estuarine resident fish, and analyzed each for a suite of trace elements to determine the degree of spatio‐temporal variability in elemental composition and which elements were incorporated into otoliths in relation to their associated water chemistry. We found that there were three distinct water layer signatures based on their Me : Cawater (Me = each element): a freshwater signature, a halocline signature, and a marine signature. There were also significant spatio‐temporal patterns in Me : Caotolith, most notably for Li : Ca, K : Ca, and Mn : Ca. This study provides encouraging evidence for the utility of intra‐estuary otolith chemistry to reconstruct environmental histories during larval development. This application will enable a better understanding of the abundance, timing, and duration of residency in particular water masses and locations that are important larval nursery habitats for species that develop within estuaries.
Addressing the unique healthcare needs of women: Opportunity for change exists at the intersection of precision health and learning health systems
Authors: Satveit Sonya
Published: July 2017

Introduction

Women have unique healthcare needs that are not well addressed by our current healthcare system and with healthcare transformation underway the opportunity exists to avoid weaving these age‐old problems into the fabric of the new healthcare design. myAva is an example of a learning health system integrated into a cloud‐based precision health platform. The goal of myAva is to integrate the tools of precision health and principals of a learning health system to improve care for women, starting with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods

Putting patients at the center in designing a new style of healthcare has been an important concept underlying the development of myAva since inception. Understanding the needs of patients and providers is key to the development of myAva. Surveys were collected from members of the PCOS patient community and patient and medical advisory boards were recruited. For the pilot group comprehensive omic data, biometric and self‐reported data were collected and integrated into a personalized health dashboard enabling providers to formulate personalized treatment plans. The ongoing collection of data will create continuous improvement of healthcare.

Results

Precision health for chronic issues faced is in its infancy and although myriad challenges exist the potential to improve health outcomes is great. myAva's providers, patients, and advisors are encouraged by the early outcomes of the program with improved health outcomes and an increased sense of empowerment reported. It is clear that designing and implementing this type of care requires collaboration, the involvement of all stakeholders, with patients at the center.
A Generalized Packing Model for Bulk Crystalline Regioregular Poly(3‐alkylthiophenes) with Extended Side Chains
Authors: Bohle Anne , Dudenko Dmytro , Koenen Nils , Sebastiani Daniel , Allard Sybille , Scherf Ullrich , Spiess Hans Wolfgang , Hansen Michael Ryan
Published: July 2017

Poly(3‐alkylthiophenes) are one of the most frequently used conjugated polymer classes in organic photovoltaics. Here, a generalized packing model for the polythiophene main chains in the crystalline form I of high molecular weight regioregular poly(3‐alkylthiophenes) with extended side chains (pentyl through octyl) is reported. The model is based on structural constraints from solid‐state NMR: short internuclear distances of less than 4.0 Å of neighboring thiophene protons parallel to the stacking direction and the isotropic chemical shift for the thiophene protons is high‐field shifted by 0.9 ± 0.1 ppm. Nucleus‐independent chemical shift calculations show that only the most recent structure for P3HT (space group P21/c) is compatible with these structural constraints. On this basis, a generalized packing model is developed, showing that slipping parallel to the stacked polymer chains of up to 1.5 Å is allowed, while out‐of‐plane tilts perpendicular to the stacked chains are only tolerated up to 20°.
Aged garlic extract suppresses inflammation in apolipoprotein E‐knockout mice
Authors: Morihara Naoaki , Hino Atsuko , Miki Satomi , Takashima Miyuki , Suzuki Jun‐ichiro
Published: July 2017

Scope

Chronic inflammation plays a major role in the formation and progression of atherosclerotic plaques. To clarify the mode of action of aged garlic extract (AGE) to retard atherosclerosis, we investigated whether AGE suppresses the inflammation in apolipoprotein E‐knockout (ApoE‐KO) mice.

Methods and results

ApoE‐KO mice were fed standard diet with or without 3% AGE for 12 wk. AGE feeding inhibited the progression of atherosclerotic lesion by 27% and reduced the level of C‐reactive protein (CRP) and thromboxane B2 (TXB2), a marker of platelet activation, in serum by 39 and 33%, respectively, compared to ApoE‐KO mice without AGE treatment. AGE treatment also decreased the level of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α), a major stimulus inducing CRP production, in the liver by 35%. AGE decreased the level of interleukin‐1 receptor‐associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) by 60% and almost doubled the level of phospho‐AMP‐activated protein kinase (p‐AMPK) in the liver.

Conclusion

The anti‐atherosclerotic effect of AGE involves the suppression of inflammation by reducing the serum level of CRP and TXB2, and the protein level of TNF‐α and IRAK4, and increasing AMPK activity in liver.
Technical Note: Empirical altitude correction factors for well chamber measurements of permanent prostate and breast seed implant sources
Authors: Watt Elizabeth , Spencer David P. , Meyer Tyler
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Previous studies in the literature have measured an altitude effect for low‐energy brachytherapy seeds; a correction factor applied in addition to PTP to account for the breakdown of Bragg–Gray cavity theory at low energies in well‐type ionization chambers. In clinical practice, many centers use altitude correction factors that are not seed‐model‐specific. The purpose of this work is to present altitude correction factors for several seed models without documented factors in the literature.

Methods

An in‐house constructed pressure vessel was used with a well‐type ionization chamber to measure the air‐kerma strength of the IsoAid Advantage (Pd‐103), Theragenics AgX100 (I‐125), and Nucletron selectSeed (I‐125) at a pressure range representative of those encountered worldwide. The TheraSeed 200 (Pd‐103) was also measured for comparison to the originally published correction factor for validation of the experimental process. When correction factors derived in this work were within experimental uncertainties of those published, no new correction factors were proposed.

Results

The three seed models measured herein all demonstrated a similar response to change in pressure as previously documented in the literature with the HDR 1000 Plus well‐type ionization chamber. Correction factors of the functional form , consistent with those previously published, were found to be appropriate for these seed models. A new correction factor is proposed for the Theragenics AgX100 and Nucletron selectSeed (k1 = 0.0417, k2 = 0.479). The IsoAid Advantage, however, agreed to within uncertainty with the published altitude correction factor for the TheraSeed 200; thus the application of the same correction factor is appropriate (k1 = 0.0241, k2 = 0.562).

Conclusions

This work presents altitude correction factors for three permanent implant brachytherapy seed models in clinical use. This will allow clinics to utilize model‐specific factors, reducing systematic errors in their air‐kerma strength verifications.
Nonelement boundary representation with Bézier surface patches for 3D linear elasticity problems in parametric integral equation system (PIES) and its solving using Lagrange polynomials
Authors: Zieniuk Eugeniusz , Szerszeń Krzysztof
Published: July 2017

In this article, we present a strategy of using rectangular and triangular Bézier surface patches for nonelement representation of 3D boundary geometries for problems of linear elasticity. The boundary generated in this way is directly incorporated in the parametric integral equation system (PIES), which has been developed by the authors. The boundary values on each surface patch are approximated by Lagrange polynomials. Three illustrative examples are presented to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed boundary representation in connection with PIES and to show good accuracy of numerical results.© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 34: 51–79, 2018
Emission Standards, Public Transit, and Infant Health
Authors: Ngo Nicole S.
Published: July 2017

Transit buses are an integral part of urban life. They reduce externalities generated from private vehicles and increase geographic mobility. However, unlike most private vehicles in the United States, they use diesel fuel and emit higher amounts of toxic pollutants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set emission standards for transit buses starting in 1988 that have been continually updated, but their public health and economic impacts are unclear due to scarce emissions data. I construct a novel panel dataset for the New York City (NYC) Transit bus fleet between 1990 and 2009 and examine the impact of bus pollution on infant health by using bus vintage as a proxy for emissions. I exploit the variation in vintage as older buses are retired and replaced with newer, lower‐emitting buses forced to adhere to stricter emission standards. I then assign maternal exposure to bus vintage at the census block level. Findings suggest that maternal exposure to the oldest, unregulated buses is associated with modest reductions in birth weight and gestational age relative to newer buses that abide by emissions policies. I then conduct a back‐of‐the‐envelope cost‐benefit calculation and find net economic benefits of $53.3 million resulting from improved emission standards for the 2009 birth cohort in NYC. Since the treatment in this study clearly maps to federal emissions policies, these results are the first to provide credible evidence that transit bus emission standards had a positive effect on infant health.
Genomic and transcriptomic heterogeneity of colorectal tumours arising in Lynch syndrome
Authors: Binder Hans , Hopp Lydia , Schweiger Michal R , Hoffmann Steve , Jühling Frank , Kerick Martin , Timmermann Bernd , Siebert Susann , Grimm Christina , Nersisyan Lilit , Arakelyan Arsen , Herberg Maria , Buske Peter , Loeffler‐Wirth Henry , Rosolowski Maciej , Engel Christoph , Przybilla Jens , Peifer Martin , Friedrichs Nicolaus , Moeslein Gabriela , Odenthal Margarete , Hussong Michelle , Peters Sophia , Holzapfel Stefanie , Nattermann Jacob , Hueneburg Robert , Schmiegel Wolff , Royer‐Pokora Brigitte , Aretz Stefan , Kloth Michael , Kloor Matthias , Buettner Reinhard , Galle Jörg , Loeffler Markus
Published: July 2017

Colorectal cancer (CRC) arising in Lynch syndrome (LS) comprises tumours with constitutional mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes. There is still a lack of whole‐genome and transcriptome studies of LS‐CRC to address questions about similarities and differences in mutation and gene expression characteristics between LS‐CRC and sporadic CRC, about the molecular heterogeneity of LS‐CRC, and about specific mechanisms of LS‐CRC genesis linked to dysfunctional mismatch repair in LS colonic mucosa and the possible role of immune editing. Here, we provide a first molecular characterization of LS tumours and of matched tumour‐distant reference colonic mucosa based on whole‐genome DNA‐sequencing and RNA‐sequencing analyses. Our data support two subgroups of LS‐CRCs, G1 and G2, whereby G1 tumours show a higher number of somatic mutations, a higher amount of microsatellite slippage, and a different mutation spectrum. The gene expression phenotypes support this difference. Reference mucosa of G1 shows a strong immune response associated with the expression of HLA and immune checkpoint genes and the invasion of CD4+ T cells. Such an immune response is not observed in LS tumours, G2 reference and normal (non‐Lynch) mucosa, and sporadic CRC. We hypothesize that G1 tumours are edited for escape from a highly immunogenic microenvironment via loss of HLA presentation and T‐cell exhaustion. In contrast, G2 tumours seem to develop in a less immunogenic microenvironment where tumour‐promoting inflammation parallels tumourigenesis. Larger studies on non‐neoplastic mucosa tissue of mutation carriers are required to better understand the early phases of emerging tumours. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of Abrupt Discontinuation of Antidepressants in Critically Ill Hospitalized Adults
Authors: Bainum Taryn B. , Fike David S. , Mechelay Diana , Haase Krystal K.
Published: July 2017

Objectives

To determine whether discontinuation of chronic antidepressant therapy is associated with a higher risk of antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS) symptoms in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) when compared with those who were continued on therapy and to identify factors associated with increased risk of ADS in this population.

Design

Single‐center retrospective observational cohort study.

Setting

ICUs in a tertiary care hospital.

Patients

A total of 106 adult patients, admitted to the ICU between September 2013 and August 2014, who had a length of stay of 72 hours or longer and who were receiving chronic selective serotonin inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin‐norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) before admission.

Measurements and Main Results

Patients were classified as continued or discontinued from therapy based on initiation of home SSRI/SNRI therapy within 48 hours of admission. The primary end point was incidence of ADS symptoms. Type of symptoms, receipt of symptom‐related therapies, and length of stay were also assessed. Sequential logistic regression analysis was used to determine the impact of discontinuation while controlling for other risk factors. Therapy was discontinued in 38.7% of patients. The risk of developing ADS symptoms was higher in discontinued patients (unadjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12–6.07, p=0.024). After adjusting for covariates, the odds of ADS increased (adjusted OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.3–11.7, p=0.018). Female sex was associated with an increase in risk of ADS (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.2–10.0, p=0.026). Affective symptoms were the most prevalent type reported (34.1% vs 10.8%, p=0.005). Use of symptom‐related therapies and length of stay did not differ between groups.

Conclusion

Abrupt discontinuation of SSRI/SNRI therapy increases the risk of ADS symptoms in critically ill patients, particularly in females. These results underscore the importance of continuation of home antidepressant therapy even in the setting of critical illness.
Altered signaling associated with chronic arsenic exposure in human skin keratinocytes
Authors: Mir Sartaj Ahmad , Renuse Santosh , Sathe Gajanan , Khan Aafaque Ahmad , Patil Arun H. , Nanjappa Vishalakshi , Bhat Firdous Ahmad , Prasad T.S. Keshava , Giri Ashok K. , Chatterjee Aditi , Gowda Harsha
Published: July 2017

Modulation of signaling pathways upon chronic arsenic exposure remains poorly studied. Here, we carried out SILAC‐based quantitative phosphoproteomics analysis to dissect the signaling induced upon chronic arsenic exposure in human skin keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT. We identified 4171 unique phosphosites derived from 2000 proteins. We observed differential phosphorylation of 406 phosphosites (twofold) corresponding to 305 proteins. Several pathways involved in cytoskeleton maintenance and organization were found to be significantly enriched (p<0.05). Our data revealed altered phosphorylation of proteins associated with adherens junction remodeling and actin polymerization. Kinases such as protein kinase C iota type (PRKCI), mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase kinase 1 (MAP3K1), tyrosine‐protein kinase BAZ1B (BAZ1B) and STE20 like kinase (SLK) were found to be hyperphosphorylated. Our study provides novel insights into signaling perturbations associated with chronic arsenic exposure in human skin keratinocytes. All MS/MS data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD004868.
Spheres, Generalised Parallelisability and Consistent Truncations
Authors: Lee Kanghoon , Strickland‐Constable Charles , Waldram Daniel
Published: July 2017

We show that generalised geometry gives a unified description of maximally supersymmetric consistent truncations of ten‐ and eleven‐dimensional supergravity. In all cases the reduction manifold admits a “generalised parallelisation” with a frame algebra with constant coefficients. The consistent truncation then arises as a generalised version of a conventional Scherk–Schwarz reduction with the frame algebra encoding the embedding tensor of the reduced theory. The key new result is that all round‐sphere geometries admit such generalised parallelisations with an frame algebra. Thus we show that the remarkable consistent truncations on S3, S4, S5 and S7 are in fact simply generalised Scherk–Schwarz reductions. This description leads directly to the standard non‐linear scalar‐field ansatze and as an application we give the full scalar‐field ansatz for the type IIB truncation on S5.
Foundations of Complementary Therapies and Alternative Medicine
Authors: Adams Robert
Published: July 2017

Looking for a comprehensive introduction to the field of complementary therapies and alternative medicine? This authoritative textbook will meet all your needs.

Featuring perceptive case studies, study support material and resources for further reference, Foundations of Complementary Therapies and Alternative Medicine provides fascinating information about a broad range of approaches. Core content includes:

– Introductions written by practising experts in the field

– Basics of anatomy and physiology

– Practical advice on working with clients and patients

– Information on setting up your own practice

– Discussion of ethics and codes of conduct

– Study skill aids and professional development advice

With coverage of theory matched by a firm grounding in practice issues, Foundations of Complementary Therapies and Alternative Medicine is a complete learning resource. It is a must-have book for all undergraduate and foundation degree students taking courses on complementary therapies, alternative medicine, holistic therapies, nursing, health and related subjects.
Real Estate Market Research and Analysis
Authors: Leishman Chris
Published: July 2017

Real estate market research and analysis often draws on theory and techniques borrowed from other disciplines; in particular economics, finance and geography. Few textbooks recognise this, which makes Real Estate Market Research and Analysis a unique and innovative read. This accessible text provides a general overview of research philosophy and research practise in the real estate economics discipline. A range of applied quantitative empirical methods, commonly used in both academic and applied real estate market research and analysis, are examined as well as selected research-based studies which demonstrate how these methods are applied. Recent trends and developments in the evolving real estate economics research agenda are also explored.

This book is aimed at both undergraduate students and practitioners in the commercial property and real estate sector. It is essential reading for modules on general practice surveying. It sets out the means and methods by which a commercial property rent model should be constructed and estimated, and provides a helpful guide to good property market research practise. Key features include; a Foreword by Dr Craig Watkins at the University of Aberdeen, and a Glossary of property and economic research terms.
The Sustainable Built Environment
Authors: Sertyesilisik Begum , Shamma'a Ahmed Al
Published: July 2017

The text adopts an interdisciplinary approach to address the huge challenges in creating a sustainable built environment. In a broad survey of critical issues it assesses procurement, cost modelling and management, sustainable buildings, low and zero carbon technologies, sustainability in utilities, and the law.
Quantitative Methods in Archaeology Using R
Authors: Carlson David L.
Published: July 2017

Quantitative Methods in Archaeology Using R is the first hands-on guide to using the R statistical computing system written specifically for archaeologists. It shows how to use the system to analyze many types of archaeological data. Part I includes tutorials on R, with applications to real archaeological data showing how to compute descriptive statistics, create tables, and produce a wide variety of charts and graphs. Part II addresses the major multivariate approaches used by archaeologists, including multiple regression (and the generalized linear model); multiple analysis of variance and discriminant analysis; principal components analysis; correspondence analysis; distances and scaling; and cluster analysis. Part III covers specialized topics in archaeology, including intra-site spatial analysis, seriation, and assemblage diversity.
Drug Control and Human Rights in International Law
Authors: Lines Richard , Schabas William A.
Published: July 2017

Human rights violations occurring as a consequence of drug control and enforcement are a growing concern, and raise questions of treaty interpretation and of the appropriate balancing of concomitant obligations within the drug control and human rights treaty regimes. Tracing the evolution of international drug control law since 1909, this book explores the tensions between the regime's self-described humanitarian aspirations and its suppression of a common human behaviour as a form of 'evil'. Drawing on domestic, regional and international examples and case law, it posits the development of a dynamic, human rights-based interpretative approach to resolve tensions and conflicts between the regimes in a manner that safeguards human rights. Highlighting an important and emerging area of human rights inquiry from an international legal perspective, this book is a key resource for those working and studying in this field.
Reevaluation and taxonomic clarification ofGigantopteridiumandCathaysiopterisof western equatorial Pangea and their biogeographical significance
Authors: Koll Rebecca A. , DiMichele William A. , Manchester Steven R.
Published: July 2017

A reassessment of the taxonomic relationships of North American gigantopterids is presented in light of an examination of large populations of specimens housed in the US National Museum of Natural History. Variations in venation and subtle aspects of leaf shape facilitate refined understanding of the relationships and diversity of the North American gigantopterid species leading to an improved understanding of the taxonomic and biogeographic relationships of this group, which are found most abundantly in western equatorial Pangea and Cathaysia. Current literature suggests that there are eight North American genera, however, this study has revealed a morphological overlap of several previously defined genera, leading to the conclusion thatGigantopteridiumencompasses the species previously treated asCathaysiopteris yochelsoniias well as a new species,Gigantopteridium utebaturianum. The transfer ofC.yochelsoniitoGigantopteridium yochelsoniisuggests thatCathaysiopterismay represent a genus endemic to Cathaysia, limiting the biogeographical connection between the regions toZeilleropteris,Gigantopteridium,Euparyphoselis, andGigantonoclea.
CONSUMPTION CONSUMES: CIRCULATION, EXCHANGE, AND VALUE OF SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA BLACK POLISHED CERAMICS
Authors: Gallardo Francisco , Correa Itací , Pimentel Gonzalo , Blanco José Francisco
Published: July 2017

Exchange goods contribute to social complexity and identity construction, but our knowledge of past practices associated with the circulation and consumption of such goods is limited. We explore the polished black ceramics of the San Pedro de Atacama oasis in northern Chile, which were widely traded during the first seven centuries A.D. In particular, we consider the relationships established between the agricultural and pastoral communities of the highland oases and the marine hunter-gatherers who inhabited the Pacific coast in order to examine the circulation and consumption of exotics as prestige goods.
Event ethics and their elasticity: weddings in Botswana and the exploration of the tacit extraordinary
Authors: van Dijk Rijk
Published: July 2017

Whereas Michael Lambek situates the exploration of the significance of ‘ordinary ethics’ in the everyday as the study of ‘the ethical in the conjunction or movement between explicit local pronouncements and implicit local practices and circumstances’, this article takes the opposite view by drawing attention to special events that appear to engage – or provide space for – extraordinary ethics. Special events and their extraordinary ethics bring into relief the implicitness of the ordinary in everyday ethics. Weddings in Botswana are moments in the social life of the individual, the family and the community that produce such event ethics. On one level, the event ethics relate to the execution of these highly stylized weddings in terms of concerns about their performance and marital arrangements. On another level, the event ethics can have tacit dimensions that belong to the special nature of the occasion. This article argues not only that ‘ordinary ethics’ may be privileged through the study of what is tacit in social interactions, but that ‘event ethics’ also demonstrate the importance of the tacit.
Caring through crime: ethical ambivalence and the cocaine trade in Bissau
Authors: Vigh Henrik
Published: July 2017

This article examines the way young men in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau, make sense of and engage in the transnational cocaine trade, which has established itself on the Upper Guinea coast. It describes Guinea-Bissau's emergence as a regional centre for the trafficking of cocaine from Latin America to Europe, and shows how the illegality and volatility of the commerce are socially assessed and valued. The drug connection impacts on the lives of the young men in the city in a variety of ways. While it is seen to have brought with it a range of political and societal insecurities and uncertainties, it is also perceived to offer potential livelihoods and prospects. On the one hand, cocaine is positioned as an ethically dubious commodity; on the other, its revenue and concomitant social effects are seen as morally reasonable and required. The article therefore centres on the ethical dimensions of the trade, as seen from the perspective of the youth in question, and argues that it needs to be understood in terms of situational obligations rather than abstract ideals. It approaches ethics from a relational point of view and shows how the moral evaluation and ascription of the cocaine trade are defined inter-subjectively and understood in relation to social responsibility, care and accountability.
Performing the common good: volunteering and ethics in non-state crime prevention in South Africa
Authors: Kirsch Thomas G.
Published: July 2017

Using fieldwork data from South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, this article highlights ambiguities of volunteering as idea and practice by exploring discursive strategies used by volunteers in the field of civic crime prevention when the ethical honesty and selflessness of their commitment to volunteering is questioned by others. These ambiguities relate to asymmetries in the relationship between donors and recipients of volunteering, as well as, most importantly, the challenge to determine what constitutes the ‘common good’. This article demonstrates that these strategies entail the accommodation of contentions about: (1) the social identity of the volunteer by stressing the volunteer's commitment to abstract causes and objectives; (2) powerful asymmetries between donors and recipients of volunteering by invoking an encompassing sociality; and/or (3) the (alleged) self-interest of volunteers by defining the personal benefits achieved by volunteering not as an end in themselves but as ‘private means’ to ‘public ends’. All three strategies have in common that volunteers as ‘ethical subjects’ can here be shown to be co-produced with South African ‘communities of ethics’ on different social scales.
Cattle, raiding and disorder in Southern African history
Authors: King Rachel
Published: July 2017

Cattle raiding is iconic of the colonial frontier in Southern African history and historiography. Incorporating settlers and Africans as aggressors and victims alike, archives and ethnohistories depict raiding as thieving, subverting authority, and inciting conflict. Despite the in-depth anthropological attention given to ‘Bushman raiding’ and frontier commandos, comparatively little work has focused on the social and cultural function of cattle raiding within chiefdoms: that is, examining cattle raiding as socially embedded rather than simply transgressing authority and property ownership. This article explores how these narratives of ‘disorder’ have been constructed, and some alternative perspectives on nineteenth-century cattle raiding as a social institution. Through vignettes drawing on archival, archaeological, ethnographic and folkloric evidence, this article offers glimpses of what narratives of the recent past could look like if views of raiding-as-disorder were revisited and revised. I draw attention to where raids were illegal versus illicit, the role of cattle as social agents, and the logic underpinning designations of raiding as resistance. Developing a view of raiding as social practice permits us to interrogate archival perceptions of raiders as outlaws and raids as analogues for warfare, thus enabling more nuanced investigations of conflict in Southern Africa's past.
Ontological Entanglement in the Normative Web
Authors: WINOKUR BENJAMIN
Published: July 2017

Terence Cuneo has recently argued that we have to be committed to the existence of epistemic facts insofar as they are indispensable to theorizing. Furthermore, he argues that the epistemic properties of these facts are inextricably ‘ontologically entangled’ with certain moral properties, such that there exist ‘moral-epistemic’ facts. Cuneo, therefore, concludes that moral realism is true. I argue that Cuneo’s appeal to the existence of moral-epistemic facts is problematic, even granting his argument for the existence of indispensable epistemic facts. I conclude, therefore, that Cuneo’s argument fails to justify moral realism.