bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel echocardiographic prognostic markers for cardiac tamponade in patients with large malignant pericardial effusions: A paradigm shift from flow to tissue imaging
Authors: Chalikias George , Samaras Antonios , Ziakas Antonios , Kikas Petros , Thomaidis Adina , Drosos Ioannis , Giannakoulas George , Karvounis Haralambos , Konstantinides Stavros , Tziakas Dimitrios
Published: July 2017

Background

With this study, we sought to investigate the prognostic value of echocardiographic tissue imaging markers in predicting tamponade among patients with large malignant pericardial effusion compared to routinely used echocardiographic signs.

Methods

A total of 96 consecutive patients with large malignant pericardial effusion, not in clinical cardiac tamponade, underwent an echocardiographic examination and were prospectively assessed for 1 month. Clinically evident cardiac tamponade was considered as the study endpoint. The prognostic performance of tricuspid valve annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and peak systolic annular velocity at the lateral margin of the tricuspid valve annulus (STV) was assessed and compared to routinely used imaging signs.

Results

During follow‐up, 37 patients (39%) developed clinically evident cardiac tamponade. TAPSE (area under the curve [AUC] 0.958) and STV (AUC 0.948) had excellent predictive accuracy for tamponade. Multivariate analysis showed that TAPSE (Hazard ratio [HR] 3.03; 95% CI 1.60–5.73, P=.001) and STV (HR 1.17; 95% CI 1.05–1.29, P=.005) remained independent significant predictors of cardiac tamponade. Reclassification analysis and decision curve analysis showed additive prognostic value and adjunct clinical benefit of these markers when added to a recently published triage pericardiocentesis score.

Conclusion

Echocardiographic tissue imaging markers such as TAPSE and STV are characterized by an excellent prognostic ability for development of cardiac tamponade and better prognostic value compared to routine echocardiographic signs in patients with large malignant pericardial effusion. Incorporating these markers to a recent triage pericardiocentesis score resulted in additional prognostic value and increased clinical benefit.
Risk of cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and other subtypes of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Chang Timothy W. , Weaver Amy L. , Shanafelt Tait D. , Habermann Thomas M. , Wriston Cooper C. , Cerhan James R. , Call Timothy G. , Brewer Jerry D.
Published: July 2017

Background

Second hematologic cancers in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL) are well documented and include Hodgkin lymphoma, therapy‐related acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndromes, and transformation to diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma. Although cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma (CTCL) has been reported in patients with CLL, the incidence and comparison to expected rates are unknown. We evaluated the incidence of CTCL among patients with CLL or other non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.

Methods

We searched the SEER 13 registries for patients with a diagnosis of CLL and NHL between 1992 and 2008. Among patients identified, we evaluated the incidence of CTCL.

Results

Among 31,286 patients with CLL, the incidence of CTCL was not significantly higher in men than women: 104.2 (95% CI, 50.0–191.8) and 28.1 (95% CI, 3.4–101.3) per 1,000,000 person‐years, respectively (P = 0.06). Among 97,691 patients with NHL, the incidence of CTCL was similar in men and women (97.9 [95% CI, 62.0–146.9] and 92.0 [95% CI, 56.2–142.1] per 1,000,000 person‐years, respectively; P = 0.84). The incidence of CTCL among males with CLL (standardized incidence ratio [SIR], 3.0 [95% CI, 1.4–5.5]), males with NHL (SIR, 3.7 [95% CI, 2.3–5.5]), and females with NHL (SIR, 5.9 [95% CI, 3.6–9.1]) was significantly higher than expected in the general population (all P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The risk of CTCL is greater in men with CLL than in the general population. In patients with NHL, both men and women are at greater risk for CTCL than in the general population.
Associations between birthweight and overweight and obesity in school‐age children
Authors: Kapral N. , Miller S. E. , Scharf R. J. , Gurka M. J. , DeBoer M. D.
Published: July 2017

Background

Relationships between birthweight and future obesity risk remain unclear.

Objective

To assess associations between birthweight and later obesity in a nationally representative cohort of early school‐aged children.

Methods

We used linear and logistic regression to evaluate 10 186 term‐ or preterm children in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study‐Kindergarten Cohort 2011 for relationships between birthweight and later obesity and change in BMI z‐score from kindergarten‐to‐second grade. All analyses were adjusted for sex, race/ethnicity, parental education and household income.

Results

Compared to children born normal birthweight (NBW), high birthweight (HBW) term children and large‐for‐gestational‐age (LGA) preterm children had significantly greater BMI z‐scores from kindergarten‐to‐second grade (p < 0.001). Term children born HBW had higher odds of obesity by kindergarten (adjusted odds ratios [aOR] 1.91, p < 0.0001). Among preterm children, odds of obesity was higher among LGA children starting in first grade (aOR 2.34, p < 0.05) and among small‐for‐gestational age children in second grade (aOR 2.26, p < 0.05). Compared to NBW children, HBW children had greater change in BMI z‐score between kindergarten‐first grade (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

High birthweight term and LGA preterm children had increased adjusted odds of obesity in school‐age compared to their NBW counterparts. Physicians may provide counselling early in life for families of large infants to help prevent future obesity.
Six‐Month‐Old Infants Prefer Speech with Raised Formant Frequencies
Authors: Benders Titia
Published: July 2017

Voices can be characterized by their fundamental frequency as well as by speech timbre characteristics, such as formant frequencies. While infants' responses to fundamental frequency characteristics are well established, very little is known about how infants respond to changes in formant frequencies. This study tested whether 6‐month‐old infants prefer listening to speech with raised formant frequencies over speech with lowered formant frequencies. Naturally spoken utterances were acoustically manipulated to render raised‐formant and lowered‐formant stimuli that only differed in the formant frequencies, while keeping fundamental frequency and other acoustic characteristics constant. Infants in an infant‐controlled listening procedure listened longer to the raised‐formant than to the lowered‐formant stimuli. These results provide the first evidence that infants distinguish and show preferences for variations in formant frequencies in adult speech.
How Taxes and Welfare Benefits Affect Work Incentives: A Life‐Cycle Perspective
Authors: Brewer Mike , Shaw Jonathan
Published: July 2017

Personal taxes and benefits affect the incentive to work over the life cycle by altering income–age profiles, insuring against adverse shocks and changing the returns to human capital. In this paper, we show how a life‐cycle perspective alters our impression of how the UK tax and benefit system affects women's work incentives. Given that actual longitudinal data conflate age effects, cohort effects and policy effects, and, in the UK, are not available covering the full life cycle, we use simulated data produced by a rich, dynamic structural model of female labour supply and human capital that incorporates family formation and fertility. We find that individuals experience considerable variability in work incentives across life that outweighs the variability across individuals. Changes in the presence of children and a partner, as well as the level of any partner's earnings, are key to explaining these patterns: work incentives vary dramatically depending on family composition and the earnings of any partner, especially for the lower‐skilled, and most women experience a number of different family types during the course of their lives.
Ratio of visceral‐to‐subcutaneous fat area predicts cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Fukuda Tatsuya , Bouchi Ryotaro , Takeuchi Takato , Nakano Yujiro , Murakami Masanori , Minami Isao , Izumiyama Hajime , Hashimoto Koshi , Yoshimoto Takanobu , Ogawa Yoshihiro
Published: July 2017

Aims/Introduction

To investigate whether the ratio of visceral fat area (VFA) to subcutaneous fat area (SFA; V/S ratio) could be predictive of cardiovascular disease (CVD) as compared with VFA or SFA in patients with diabetes.

Materials and Methods

A total of 682 patients with type 2 diabetes (mean age 64 ± 13 years; 41% women) were enrolled. VFA (cm2) and SFA (cm2) were assessed by a dual bioelectrical impedance analyzer. The patients were divided into four groups according to the quartiles of the V/S ratio. The study end‐point was the first occurrence or recurrence of CVD.

Results

Over a median follow up of 2.5 years, 21 patients reached the end‐point. The number of patients who reached the end‐point was increased along with the increasing of the V/S ratio quartiles. The V/S ratio was significantly associated with incident or recurrent CVD (hazard ratio [HR] 1.82, 95% CI: 1.09–3.04, P = 0.021) after adjusting for estimated glomerular filtration rate (HR 0.98, 95% CI: 0.96–1.00), brain‐type natriuretic peptide (HR 1.00, 95% CI: 1.00–1.01), use of antiplatelet agents (HR 4.26, 95% CI: 1.63–11.13), coefficient of variation of R‐R intervals (HR 0.85, 95% CI: 0.69–1.10) and glycated hemoglobin (HR 1.37, 95% CI: 1.05–1.79). The addition of the V/S ratio to age, estimated glomerular filtration rate, brain‐type natriuretic peptide, antiplatelet agents and glycated hemoglobin significantly improved classification performance for CVD using net reclassification improvement (0.60, 95% CI: 0.21–1.00) and the integrated discrimination improvement (0.02, 95% CI: 0.00–0.05).

Conclusions

The V/S ratio measured by dual bioelectrical impedance analyzer is an independent predictor of CVD in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Prediction of contrast‐induced acute kidney injury by early post‐procedural analysis of urinary biomarkers and intra‐renal Doppler flow indices in patients undergoing coronary angiography
Authors: Wybraniec Maciej T. , Chudek Jerzy , Bożentowicz‐Wikarek Maria , Mizia‐Stec Katarzyna
Published: July 2017

Background

The study was designed to evaluate the applicability of combined assessment of urinary biomarkers and intra‐renal Doppler flow indices for the prediction of contrast‐induced acute kidney injury (CI‐AKI) after coronary angiography/percutaneous coronary interventions (CA/PCI).

Methods

This prospective observational study covered 95 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease subject to elective or urgent CA/PCI. Doppler intra‐renal flow indices were assessed before and 1 h following CA/PCI. Urine samples were collected within 24 h before and 6 h after CA/PCI and assayed for urinary interleukin‐18 (IL‐18), liver‐fatty acid‐binding protein (L‐FABP), and kidney injury molecule‐1 (KIM‐1) using ELISA method. CI‐AKI was defined as ≥50% relative or ≥0.3 mg/dL absolute increase of serum creatinine concentration at 48 h post‐procedurally.

Results

CI‐AKI was confirmed in nine patients (9.5%). CI‐AKI onset was associated with significantly higher urinary KIM‐1 at 6 h (P = 0.003) and ΔKIM‐1 concentrations (P = 0.001), and urinary IL‐18 at 6 h (P = 0.014) and ΔIL‐18 concentrations (P = 0.012), however, L‐FABP and ΔL‐FABP levels were comparable in both groups. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis denoted that post‐procedural IL‐18 levels at 6 h >89.8 pg/mg (AUC = 0.75, P = 0.007), KIM‐1 at 6 h >0.425 ng/mg (AUC = 0.81, P = 0.001), renal resistive index (RRI) at 1 h >0.73 (AUC 0.88; P < 0.0001), and renal pulsatility index (RPI) at 1 h >0.86 (AUC = 0.86; P < 0.0001) predicted CI‐AKI onset. Logistic regression analysis of postoperative predictors revealed that IL‐18 and RRI were independent predictors of CI‐AKI onset (AUC = 0.96; P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Joint assessment of early post‐procedural urinary biomarkers and Doppler renovascular parameters aids early diagnosis of CI‐AKI in patients undergoing coronary interventions.
The Relationship Between Rural Health Clinic Use and Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits Among Medicare Beneficiaries
Authors: Wright Brad , Potter Andrew J. , Trivedi Amal N. , Mueller Keith J.
Published: July 2017

Purpose

High rates of potentially preventable hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits indicate limited primary care access. Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) are intended to increase access to primary care. The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of RHCs and their impact on potentially preventable hospitalizations and ED visits among Medicare beneficiaries based on actual individual‐level utilization patterns.

Methods

With Medicare Part A and Part B claims data from 2007 to 2010, we constructed a series of individual‐level negative binomial regression models to examine the relationship between RHC use and the number of potentially preventable hospitalizations and ED visits.

Findings

RHC use was associated with a 27% increase in potentially preventable hospitalizations and a 24% increase in potentially preventable ED visits among older Medicare enrollees. Among younger, disabled Medicare beneficiaries, RHC use was associated with a 14% increase in potentially preventable hospitalizations and an 18% increase in potentially preventable ED visits. Potentially preventable hospitalizations and ED visits were more common among beneficiaries who were black or who had more chronic conditions.

Conclusions

The results of our study highlight that the Medicare population using RHCs is at especially high risk for potentially preventable hospitalizations and ED visits. The mechanisms behind this are not well understood and should receive continued attention from policy makers and researchers.
Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of enrofloxacin after single intramuscular injection in Pacific white shrimp
Authors: Fang X. , Zhou J. , Liu X.
Published: July 2017

The pharmacokinetic properties and tissue distribution of enrofloxacin (EF) were investigated after single intramuscular (i.m.) dose of 10 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) in Pacific white shrimp at 22 to 25°C.EFand its metabolite ciprofloxacin (CF) were determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography. After i.m. administration,EFwas absorbed quickly, and the peak ofEFconcentration (Cmax) reached at first time point in hemolymph. The volume of distributionVd(area)ofEFwas 3.84 L/kg, indicating that the distribution ofEFwas good. The area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) ofEFwas 90.1 and 274.2 μg hr/ml in muscle and hepatopancreas, respectively, which was higher than 75.8 μg hr/ml in hemolymph. TheEFelimination was slow in muscle and hepatopancreas with the half‐life (T1/2β) of 52.3 and 75.8 hr, respectively.CF, the mainly metabolite ofEF, was detected in hemolymph, muscle and hepatopancreas. TheCmaxwas 0.030, 0.013 and 0.218 μg/ml, respectively. Based on a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.006–0.032 μg/ml for susceptible strains,EFi.m. injected at a dose 10 mg/kg could be efficacious against common pathogenic bacteria of Pacific white shrimp.
Obligate annual and successive facultative diapause establish a bet‐hedging strategy of Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae) in seasonally unpredictable environments
Authors: Moraiti Cleopatra A. , Papadopoulos Nikos T.
Published: July 2017

To cope with temporal and spatial heterogeneity of habitats, herbivorous insects in the temperate zone usually enter diapause that facilitates synchronization of their life cycle with specific stages of host plants, such as fruit ripening. In the present study, we address those factors regulating dormancy responses as part of a ‘longer strategy’ to persist and thrive in temperate environments, focusing on Rhagoletis cerasi, a univoltine, oligophagous species, which overwinters as pupae and emerges when host fruits are available for oviposition at local scale. To ensure population survival and reproduction at habitats with ecological heterogeneity, R. cerasi has evolved a sophisticated diapause strategy based on a combination of local adaptation and diversified bet‐hedging strategies. Diapause duration is determined both by (i) the adaptive response to local host fruit phenology patterns (annual diapause) and (ii) the plastic responses to unpredictable inter‐annual (temporal) climatic variability that drives a proportion of the populations to extend dormancy by entering a second, successive, facultative cycle of prolonged diapause as part of a bet‐hedging strategy. Besides the dormant periods, post‐diapause development (which varies among populations) exerts ‘fine tune’ adjustments that assure synchronization and may correct possible errors. Adults emerging from pupae with prolonged diapause are larger in body size compared with counterparts emerging during the first year of diapause. However, female fecundity rates are reduced, followed by an extended post‐oviposition period, whereas adult longevity remains unaffected. Overall, it appears that R. cerasi populations are adapted to ecological conditions of local habitats and respond plastically to unpredictable environmental (climatic) conditions.
Professional Cities: Accredited Agencies, Government Structure, and Rational Choice
Authors: Coyle McCabe Barbara , Ponomariov Branco , Estrada Fabyan
Published: July 2017

Accreditation, long used to signal quality among hospitals and universities, has been available to police, fire, and public works departments since the late 1980s. For public service departments, accreditation is a voluntary process that demands significant organizational resources without a guaranteed outcome. Why would city officials devote scarce resources to such an endeavor? Two explanations are examined. First, accreditation may be a rational response to a history of trouble or the potential for future crisis. Second, municipalities may use accreditation to build a reputation for professional administration of public services. The authors use Poisson regression to test these explanations on a new data set of midsize cities.
Leading the Implementation of ICT Innovations
Authors: Hansen Morten Balle , Nørup Iben
Published: July 2017

This article analyzes the associations between leadership, the implementation of information and communication technology (ICT) innovations, and performance. After reviewing theories and empirical evidence from the literature on leading change, ICT innovations, and performance, the authors elaborate hypotheses and test them in an analysis of the implementation of an ICT innovation in a Danish multisite hospital. In a quasi‐experimental research design using panel data, survey responses from more than 2,000 employees before and after the implementation were generated, in addition to qualitative interviews with change agents. Findings indicate how differences in leadership during the ICT implementation process have an important impact on performance after the implementation. Mobilization of initial support, directive leadership through information and technical assistance, participative leadership through employee involvement, and locally adapted implementation processes are important leadership factors associated with performance. The article concludes by discussing broader perspectives of the study and implications for practice, theory, and future research.
The problem with moralism
Authors: Archer Alfred
Published: July 2017

Moralism is often described as a vice. But what exactly is wrong with moralism that makes it aptly described as a character flaw? This paper will argue that the problem with moralism is that it downgrades the force of legitimate moral criticism. First, I will argue that moralism involves an inflated sense of the extent to which moral criticism is appropriate. Next, I will examine the value of legitimate moral criticism, arguing that its value stems from enabling us to take a stand against immoral behavior. Finally, I will argue that unwarranted moral criticism downgrades the force of legitimate moral criticism and that this is why moralism should be seen as a vice.
What the novel ecosystem concept provides: a reply to Kattan et al
Authors: Miller James R. , Bestelmeyer Brandon T.
Published: July 2017

The novel ecosystem concept expands the restoration palette by focusing our attention on what is possible when recovery to an historical pre‐disturbance condition is not. Although some elements of the concept have long been accepted in restoration circles, the novel ecosystem framework brings these elements to the fore. There is a growing frustration with restoration prescriptions that above all else emphasize native species and historical trajectories, and there is a clear need for alternatives that recognize real limitations to achieving these goals in at least some instances. Though not perfect, the novel ecosystem framework represents such an alternative.
Value Diversity and Regional Economic Development
Authors: Beugelsdijk Sjoerd , Klasing Mariko J. , Milionis Petros
Published: July 2017

We investigate the link between culture and regional economic development within European countries. Considering a variety of cultural values, we provide evidence that it is the degree of diversity in these values at the regional level that strongly correlates with economic performance, rather than the prevalence of specific values. In particular, we show that greater value diversity is negatively associated with regional economic performance within countries, which also relates to lower institutional quality and poorer public goods provision. These patterns are robust even when diversity is measured on the basis of values expressed by emigrants residing outside their region of origin.
Geometry and Degrees of Freedom of Linearly Constrained Generalized Lasso
Authors: Zeng Peng , Hu Qinqin , Li Xiaoyu
Published: July 2017

The least squares fit in a linear regression is always unique even when the design matrix has rank deficiency. In this paper, we extend this classic result to linearly constrained generalized lasso. It is shown that under a mild condition, the fit can be represented as a projection onto a polytope and, hence, is unique no matter whether design matrixXhas full column rank or not. Furthermore, a formula for the degrees of freedom is derived to characterize the effective number of parameters. It directly yields an unbiased estimate of degrees of freedom, which can be incorporated in an information criterion for model selection.
Exercise‐mediated modulation of autophagy in skeletal muscle
Authors: Martin‐Rincon M. , Morales‐Alamo D. , Calbet J. A. L.
Published: July 2017

Although exercise exerts multiple beneficial health effects, it may also damage cellular structures. Damaged elements are continuously degraded and its constituents recycled to produce renovated structures through a process called autophagy, which is essential for the adaptation to training. Autophagy is particularly active in skeletal muscle, where it can be evaluated using specific molecular markers of activation (unc‐51‐like kinase 1 [ULK1] phosphorylation) and specific proteins indicating increased autophagosome content (increased total LC3, LC3‐II, LC3‐II/LC3‐I ratio). Studies in humans are technically limited but have provided evidence suggesting the activation of autophagy in skeletal muscle through AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its downstream target ULK1. Autophagy activation is more likely when the intensity is elevated and the exercise performed in the fasted state. The autophagy‐gene program and autophagosome content are upregulated after ultraendurance running competitions. However, autophagosome content is reduced after endurance exercise at moderate intensities (50% and 70% of VO2max) for 60‐120 minutes. Autophagosome content is decreased within the first few hours after resistance training. The effects of regular endurance and strength training on basal autophagy remain to be established in humans. One study has reported that acute severe hypoxia increases autophagosome content in human skeletal muscle, which is reverted by 20 minutes of low‐intensity exercise. Experiments with transgenic mice have shown that autophagy is necessary for skeletal muscle adaptation to training. Little is known on how genetic factors, environment, nutrition, drugs and diseases may interact with exercise to modulate autophagy at rest and during exercise in humans.
Molecular support for morphology‐based family‐rank taxa: The contrasting cases of two families of Proseriata (Platyhelminthes)
Authors: Scarpa Fabio , Cossu Piero , Delogu Valentina , Lai Tiziana , Sanna Daria , Leasi Francesca , Norenburg Jon L. , Curini‐Galletti Marco , Casu Marco
Published: July 2017

Representatives of the Meidiamidae and Otomesostomidae (Platyhelminthes: Proseriata) are seldom encountered, and the monophyly and phylogenetic relationships of these families have never been assessed on molecular basis. Here, we present the first exhaustive molecular study of Proseriata at the family level, including species belonging to the genera Meidiama and Yorknia (Meidiamidae), and Otomesostoma auditivum (Otomesostomidae), using 18S and 28S genes as markers. We performed phylogenetic analyses (Maximum Likelihood [ML] and Bayesian Inference [BI] methods) and species delimitation methods (Single/Multiple Threshold‐Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent [ST/MT‐GMYC] and Poisson Tree Processes [PTP/bPTP]). The taxon Meidiamidae was not supported, since the type species (Meidiama lutheri) and Meidiama etrusca sp. n. are nested within the Archimonocelididae, formerly restricted to specialized cnidarian feeders. Species belonging to the genus Yorknia resulted genetically well separated from species of Meidiama and from the rest of Archimonocelididae. The new family‐level taxon Yorkniidae fam. n. is thus here introduced, to include the type species of Yorknia (Yorknia aprostatica), and six new species, five of which are formally described here. Otomesostoma auditivum, representative of Otomesostomidae, the only exclusively freshwater taxon of the Proseriata, is the sister taxon of the predominantly marine Apingospermata. This result is not conflictual with the family level attributed to Otomesostomidae on morphological grounds, but it raises speculations on the marine versus freshwater origin of Apingospermata.
Modulation of high frequency noise by engine tones of small boats
Authors: Pollara Alexander , Sutin Alexander , Salloum Hady
Published: July 2017

The effect of modulation of high frequency ship noise by propeller rotation frequencies is well known. This modulation is observed with the Detection of Envelope Modulation on Noise (DEMON) algorithm. Analysis of the DEMON spectrum allows the revolutions per minute and number of blades of the propeller to be determined. This work shows that the high frequency noise of a small boat can also be modulated by engine frequencies. Prior studies have not reported high frequency noise amplitude modulated at engine frequencies. This modulation is likely produced by bubbles from the engine exhaust system.
First Report and Complete Genome Sequence of Alfalfa Enamovirus from Sudan
Authors: Nemchinov Lev G. , Grinstead Samuel C. , Mollov Dimitre S.
Published: July 2017

We report the complete genome sequence of a viral pathogen detected in alfalfa samples from Sudan and provisionally named alfalfa enamovirus 2 (AEV-2). Based on high nucleotide and amino acid identities, AEV-2 represents a strain of a newly discovered alfalfa enamovirus 1 that has only been described in Argentina.
Complete Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus rhamnosus BFE5264, Isolated from Maasai Traditional Fermented Milk
Authors: Choi Sang-Haeng , Ji Yosep , Park Soyoung , Mathara Julius , Holzapfel Wilhelm , Kang Jihee
Published: July 2017

Here, we report the complete genome of
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
BFE5264, which was sequenced with the Pacific Biosciences RSII platform. The genome size is 3.01 Mb and includes 3,077 annotated coding sequences, including genes associated with the promotion of intestinal epithelial homeostasis through specific signaling pathways.
Draft Genome Sequence of a Multidrug-Resistant Sequence Type 231 Outbreak-Associated Clone of Klebsiella pneumoniae, KP41-2015, Producing OXA-232 Carbapenemase
Authors: Abdul Momin M. H. F. , Liakopoulos A. , Wareham D. W.
Published: July 2017

Carbapenem-resistant
Klebsiella pneumoniae
infection is a rising public health threat due to limited therapeutic options. Here, we report the genome sequence of a multidrug-resistant
K. pneumoniae
sequence type 231 (ST231) strain associated with an outbreak of infections in an intensive care unit that carries a unique complement of resistance determinants.
Draft Genome Sequences of Two ATCC Staphylococcus aureus subsp.
aureus
Strains
Authors: Putonti Catherine , Kalesinskas Laurynas , Cudone Evan , Engelbrecht Kathleen C. , Koenig David W. , Wolfe Alan J.
Published: July 2017

Draft genome sequences for
Staphylococcus aureus
subsp.
aureus
Rosenbach ATCC 14458 and ATCC 27217 strains were investigated. The genome sizes were 2,880,761 bp and 2,759,100 bp, respectively. Strain ATCC 14458 was assembled into 39 contigs, including 3 plasmids, and strain ATCC 27217 was assembled into 25 contigs, including 2 plasmids.
Sternoclavicular joint osteophytosis: a difficult diagnosis to swallow
Authors: Gill James Ritchie , Morrissey David I , Van Rensburg Lee , Tytherleigh-Strong Graham
Published: July 2017

Unexplained dysphagia requires prompt investigation to rule out a possible underlying malignancy. We describe the case of a 60-year-old man who presented to his family practitioner with a 1-year history of increasing dysphagia with associated pain over the front of his chest. He was referred on to an ear, nose and throat specialist where no obvious laryngeal pathology was found at direct laryngoscopy, but an ‘indentation’ of the right anterior larynx, which increased with external pressure on the sternoclavicular joint (SCJ), was noted. A subsequent CT scan of his neck demonstrated osteoarthritis of the right SCJ with an abnormally large posterior osteophyte. The patient was subsequently referred on to an orthopaedic surgeon specialising in SCJ surgery and underwent an arthroscopic excision of his right SCJ. Soon after surgery, the patient’s dysphagia had settled and his symptoms remain resolved 1 year post surgery.
Use of low-dose thrombolytics for treatment of intracardiac thrombus and massive pulmonary embolus after aborted liver transplant leads to recovery of right ventricular function and redo liver transplantation
Authors: Kafi Aarya , Friedman Oren , Kim Irene
Published: July 2017

This is a 61-year-old man with end-stage liver disease who experienced cardiac arrest secondary to a massive pulmonary embolus and intracardiac thrombus during cannulation for veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in preparation for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Surgery was aborted and the patient was taken back to the intensive care unit in cardiogenic shock on multiple vasopressors. The patient was unresponsive to heparin bolus and too high risk for systemic thrombolytics or embolectomy. He was ultimately treated with 12 mg total of alteplase through his pulmonary artery catheter over 3 hours. He had subsequent resolution of his cardiogenic shock and proceeded with successful liver transplantation 5 days after his initial event without any bleeding complications. Low-dose thrombolytic therapy in the setting of absolute contraindications to thrombolysis allowed for recovery of cardiac function and, ultimately redo OLT in a patient with otherwise little hope of survival.
Contribution of arterial spin-labelling MRI in a case with immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome
Authors: Wada Noriaki , Noguchi Tomoyuki , Aoki Takahiro , Tajima Tsuyoshi
Published: July 2017

Central nervous system immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (CNS-IRIS), which occurs most often in HIV-infected patients, is an exacerbation of inflammatory reactions related to opportunistic infections as well as primary CNS malignancies both of which mostly occur in HIV-infected patients. However, differential diagnoses are challenging both clinically and radiologically. We describe a patient with CNS-IRIS due to toxoplasmosis whose11C-methionine uptake suggested lymphoma but whose arterial spin-labelling MRI led to the correct diagnosis.
Cryptococcal meningitis causing obstructive hydrocephalus in a patient on fingolimod
Authors: Pham Chengde , Bennett Iwan , Jithoo Rondhir
Published: July 2017

Cryptococcosis is a recognised opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients. The long-term adverse effect profile of fingolimod, an immunomodulating agent approved for use in multiple sclerosis in 2010, is only just emerging. We report the first case to our knowledge of a patient presenting with obstructive hydrocephalus secondary to cryptococcal meningitis in the setting of fingolimod therapy. Extensive posterior fossa leptomeningeal inflammation with associated cerebellar oedema resulted in effacement of the fourth ventricle and obstructive hydrocephalus requiring urgent ventriculostomy. Induction, consolidative and maintenance antifungal therapy was prescribed and subsequent conversion to a ventriculoperitoneal shunt was successful in relieving the patient’s ventriculomegaly. Awareness of these rare, novel and life-threatening complications of fingolimod-associated immunocompromise is critical as the use of such drugs is expected to rise.
Vascularisation of the anterior lens capsule in an eye with excellent visual acuity
Authors: Walkden Andrew , Tan Shi Zhuan , Au Leon , Mercieca Karl
Published: July 2017

A 53-year-old phakic female with a history of nanophthalmos and hyperopia was incidentally found to have unilateral neovascularisation on the left inferoanterior lens surface on routine review for ocular hypertension.
The effects of shoe-worn insoles on gait biomechanics in people with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Shaw Kathryn E , Charlton Jesse M , Perry Christina K L , de Vries Courtney M , Redekopp Matthew J , White Jordan A , Hunt Michael A
Published: July 2017

Objectives

The effect of shoe-worn insoles on biomechanical variables in people with medial knee osteoarthritis has been studied extensively. The majority of research has focused specifically on the effect of lateral wedge insoles at the knee. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to summarise the known effects of different shoe-worn insoles on all biomechanical variables during level walking in this patient population to date.

Methods

Four electronic databases were searched to identify studies containing biomechanical data using shoe-worn insole devices in the knee osteoarthritis population. Methodological quality was assessed and a random effects meta-analysis was performed on biomechanical variables reported in three or more studies for each insole.

Results

Twenty-seven studies of moderate-to-high methodological quality were included in this review. The primary findings were consistent reductions in the knee adduction moment with lateral wedge insoles, although increases in ankle eversion with these insoles were also found.

Conclusion

Lateral wedge insoles produce small reductions in knee adduction angles and external moments, and moderate increases in ankle eversion. The addition of an arch support to a lateral wedge minimises ankle eversion change, and also minimises adduction moment reductions. The paucity of available data on other insole types and other biomechanical outcomes presents an opportunity for future research.
Does prey density predict characteristics of primiparity in a solitary and specialized predator, the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)?
Authors: Reynolds John J. , Vander Wal Eric , Adams Barry K. , Curran Richard M. , Doucet Christine M.
Published: July 2017

Age at primiparity is a flexible life-history trait that purportedly responds to changing population dynamics and variable resource abundance. We examined placental scars in yearling Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis (Kerr, 1792)) from the island of Newfoundland and used pregnancy rates and litter sizes to indicate primiparity. We modelled these lynx productivity data with snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus Erxleben, 1777) population attributes using seven multiple a priori competing hypotheses. Hare abundance showed peak, decline, and increase phases, and densities based on capture–mark–recapture estimates ranged from 0.11 to 1.19 hares·ha−1. Overall, yearling pregnancy rate was 23.5% and the model with hare abundance fitted alone had the most support. However, surprisingly hare abundance explained little (6%) variation in yearling pregnancy rate. Mean (±SE) litter size was 3.51 ± 0.27. None of our covariate models provided unequivocal support for predicting yearling litter size. We speculate that individuals may exhibit behavioural plasticity such that they can dampen the impact of primary prey abundance on yearling pregnancy rate by exploiting alternate prey. Furthermore, intraspecific social interactions may provide additional insight into the determinants of pregnancy rate in yearling lynx.
Chery Automobile
Authors: Luo Biao , Wang Chengyuan , Liang Liang
Published: July 2017

Chery, which used to be the leader of Chinese indigenous automobile manufacturers as well as the entry-level market, has been losing its leader position since 2010. Chery, founded in 1997, has experienced a radical expansion along with industrial liberalization and economic growth in China since 2000. In 2007, Chery started the internationalization strategy by launching two middle and high-end brands and developing a series of joint ventures consecutively. However, Chery has confronted various challenges since 2010 with the growing maturity of Chinese automobile industry, including declining domestic sales and market share, and thus was in a weak position under attack. Finally, Chery announced its tactical adjustments in April 2013.

This case describes the co-evolution between the environmental transitions of Chinese automotive industry and the business strategies of Chery. Students are asked to analyze the development of Chery and provide specific suggestions of future directions on competitive strategy for Chery.
WPG Holdings: Electronic Integration of Supply Chain Network
Authors: Chang Hsin-Lu , Yen Wan-Chu
Published: July 2017

Globalization and the development of information technology not only accelerate the growth of the electronics industry but also threaten the industry in an increasingly competitive market. In order to have a leadership position in the electronics industry’s supply chain system, WPG Holdings, as a distributor of electronic components, needs to not only maintain a good relationship with existing upstream suppliers and downstream customers but also to consolidate its position through continuous mergers and acquisitions. However, these strategies also confront WPG with the complexity of network structure. Thus, the application and adjustment of information technology play an important role in WPG’s operations. This case study presents an example for business-to-business supply chain network integration. The study allows students to understand how WPG has overcomed its problems using various solutions and additionally has become the largest Asian electronic components distributor and one of the top three electronic components distributors worldwide.
Seismic tomography of the Arctic region: inferences for the thermal structure and evolution of the lithosphere
Authors: Lebedev Sergei , Schaeffer Andrew J. , Fullea Javier , Pease Victoria
Published: July 2017

Waveform tomography with very large datasets reveals the upper-mantle structure of the Arctic in unprecedented detail. Using tomography jointly with computational petrology, we estimate temperature in the lithosphere–asthenosphere depth range and infer lithospheric structure and evolution. Most of the boundaries of the mantle roots of cratons in the Arctic are coincident with their geological boundaries at the surface. The thick lithospheres of the Greenland and North American cratons are separated by a corridor of thin lithosphere beneath Baffin Bay and through the middle of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago; the southern archipelago is part of the North American Craton. The mantle root of the cratonic block beneath northern Greenland may extend westwards as far as central Ellesmere Island. The Barents and Kara seas show high velocities indicative of thick lithosphere, similar to cratons. The locations of intraplate basaltic volcanism attributed to the High Arctic Large Igneous Province are all on thin, non-cratonic lithosphere. The lithosphere beneath the central part of the Siberian Traps is warmer than elsewhere beneath the Siberian Craton. This observation is consistent with lithospheric erosion associated with the large igneous province volcanism. A corridor of relatively low seismic velocities cuts east–west across central Greenland. This indicates lithospheric thinning, which appears to delineate the track of the Iceland hotspot.
Collaborative PCA/DCA Learning Methods for Compressive Privacy
Authors: Kung Sun-Yuan , Chanyaswad Thee , Chang J. Morris , Wu Peiyuan
Published: July 2017

In the Internet era, the data being collected on consumers like us are growing exponentially, and attacks on our privacy are becoming a real threat. To better ensure our privacy, it is safer to let the data owner control the data to be uploaded to the network as opposed to taking chance with data servers or third parties. To this end, we propose
compressive privacy
, a privacy-preserving technique to enable the data creator to compress data via collaborative learning so that the compressed data uploaded onto the Internet will be useful only for the intended utility and not be easily diverted to malicious applications.

For data in a high-dimensional feature vector space, a common approach to data compression is dimension reduction or, equivalently, subspace projection. The most prominent tool is principal component analysis (PCA). For unsupervised learning, PCA can best recover the original data given a specific reduced dimensionality. However, for the supervised learning environment, it is more effective to adopt a supervised PCA, known as discriminant component analysis (DCA), to maximize the discriminant capability.

The DCA subspace analysis embraces two different subspaces. The signal-subspace components of DCA are associated with the discriminant distance/power (related to the classification effectiveness), whereas the noise subspace components of DCA are tightly coupled with recoverability and/or privacy protection. This article presents three DCA-related data compression methods useful for privacy-preserving applications:

—
Utility-driven DCA
: Because the rank of the signal subspace is limited by the number of classes, DCA can effectively support classification using a relatively small dimensionality (i.e., high compression).

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Desensitized PCA
: By incorporating a signal-subspace ridge into DCA, it leads to a variant especially effective for extracting privacy-preserving components. In this case, the eigenvalues of the noise-space are made to become insensitive to the privacy labels and are ordered according to their corresponding component powers.

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Desensitized K-means/SOM
: Since the revelation of the K-means or SOM cluster structure could leak sensitive information, it is safer to perform K-means or SOM clustering on a desensitized PCA subspace.
Dietary nitrate supplementation increases acute mountain sickness severity and sense of effort during hypoxic exercise
Authors: Rossetti Gabriella M. K. , Macdonald Jamie H. , Wylie Lee J. , Little Samuel J. , Newton Victoria , Wood Benjamin , Hawkins Kieran A. , Beddoe Rhys , Davies Hannah E. , Oliver Samuel J.
Published: July 2017

Dietary nitrate supplementation enhances sea level performance and may ameliorate hypoxemia at high altitude. However, nitrate may exacerbate acute mountain sickness (AMS), specifically headache. This study investigated the effect of nitrate supplementation on AMS symptoms and exercise responses with 6-h hypoxia. Twenty recreationally active men [age, 22 ± 4 yr, maximal oxygen consumption (V̇o2max), 51 ± 6 ml·min−1·kg−1, means ± SD] completed this randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled crossover study. Twelve participants were classified as AMS− on the basis of Environmental Symptoms Questionnaire [Acute Cerebral Mountain Sickness score (AMS-C)] <0.7 in both trials, and five participants were classified as AMS+ on the basis of AMS-C ≥0.7 on placebo. Five days of nitrate supplementation (70-ml beetroot juice containing ~6.4 mmol nitrate daily) increased plasma NO metabolites by 182 µM compared with placebo but did not reduce AMS or improve exercise performance. After 4-h hypoxia [inspired O2 fraction ([Formula: see text]) = 0.124], nitrate increased AMS-C and headache severity (visual analog scale; whole sample ∆10 [1, 20] mm, mean difference [95% confidence interval]; P = 0.03) compared with placebo. In addition, after 5-h hypoxia, nitrate increased sense of effort during submaximal exercise (∆7 [−1, 14]; P = 0.07). In AMS−, nitrate did not alter headache or sense of effort. In contrast, in AMS+, nitrate increased headache severity (∆26 [−3, 56] mm; P = 0.07), sense of effort (∆14 [1, 28]; P = 0.04), oxygen consumption, ventilation, and mean arterial pressure during submaximal exercise. On the next day, in a separate acute hypoxic exercise test ([Formula: see text] = 0.141), nitrate did not improve time to exhaustion at 80% hypoxic V̇o2max. In conclusion, dietary nitrate increases AMS and sense of effort during exercise, particularly in those who experience AMS. Dietary nitrate is therefore not recommended as an AMS prophylactic or ergogenic aid in nonacclimatized individuals at altitude.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to identify that the popular dietary nitrate supplement (beetroot) does not reduce acute mountain sickness (AMS) or improve exercise performance during 6-h hypoxia. The consumption of nitrate in those susceptible to AMS exacerbates AMS symptoms (headache) and sense of effort and raises oxygen cost, ventilation, and blood pressure during walking exercise in 6-h hypoxia. These data question the suitability of nitrate supplementation during altitude travel in nonacclimatized people.