bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Guidelines for public health and safety metrics to evaluate the potential harms and benefits of cannabis regulation in Canada
Authors: Lake Stephanie , Kerr Thomas , Werb Dan , Haines‐Saah Rebecca , Fischer Benedikt , Thomas Gerald , Walsh Zach , Ware Mark A. , Wood Evan , Milloy M.‐J.
Published: October 2019

Issues

Canada recently introduced a public health‐based regulatory framework for non‐medical cannabis. This review sought to identify a comprehensive set of indicators to evaluate the public health and safety impact of cannabis regulation in Canada, and to explore the ways in which these indicators may be expected to change in the era of legal non‐medical cannabis.

Approach

Five scientific databases were searched to compile a list of cannabis‐related issues of interest to public health and safety. A set of indicators was developed based on topics and themes that emerged. Preliminary evidence from other jurisdictions in the USA and Canada that have legalised medical and/or non‐medical cannabis (e.g. Colorado, Washington) was summarised for each indicator, wherever possible.

Key Findings

In total, 28 indicators were identified under five broad themes: public safety; cannabis use trends; other substance use trends; cardiovascular and respiratory health; and mental health and cognition. Preliminary trends from other legalised jurisdictions reveal little consensus regarding the effect of cannabis legalisation on public health and safety harms and an emerging body of evidence to support potential benefits (e.g. reductions in opioid use and overdose).

Implications

In addition to indicators of commonly discussed challenges (e.g. cannabis‐related hospitalisations, cannabis‐impaired driving), this review led to the recommendation of several indicators to monitor for possible public health and safety improvements.

Conclusion

In preparing a comprehensive public health and safety monitoring and evaluation system for cannabis regulation, this review underscores the importance of not only measuring the possible risks but also the potential benefits.
Mind the gap: Can downscaling Area of Occupancy overcome sampling gaps when assessing IUCN Red List status?
Authors: Marsh Charles J. , Gavish Yoni , Kunin William E. , Brummitt Neil A.
Published: October 2019

Aim

The Area of Occupancy (AOO) of a species is often utilized to assess extinction risk for determining IUCN Red List status. However, the recommended raw‐counts method of summing occupied grid cells likely reflects only sampling effort, as the majority of species have not been sampled across their entire range at the fine grains required by IUCN. More accurate measurements can be generated at coarser grains (so‐called atlas data) as false absences are reduced. If we fit the occupancy‐area relationship to these data, we can extrapolate the relationship down to estimate occupancy at finer grains. Numerous models have been proposed to carry out such occupancy downscaling, but have only been tested on a limited range of species.

Methods

We test the ability of downscaling models to recover fine grain AOO against the raw‐counts method for 28,900 virtual species with a wide range of prevalence and aggregation characteristics, subsampled to reflect common spatial biases in sampling effort. We address several questions for ensuring accurate downscaling: How to generate accurate atlas data? How far can we accurately extrapolate the occupancy‐area relationship given perfect data? Can occupancy downscaling overcome false absences at fine grain sizes? And how does sampling bias and coverage affect accuracy?

Results

Downscaling was more accurate than the raw‐counts method in all scenarios except where sampling coverage was very high and/or the sampling bias was positively related to the species distribution. However, if atlas data contained many false absences, then even downscaling under‐estimated actual occupancy.

Main conclusions

Occupancy downscaling has the potential to be a useful tool for estimating AOO for IUCN Red List assessments, especially when sampling coverage is low and the currently recommended method is ineffective. However, its application should be tailored to the species’ characteristics, as well as the sampling coverage and bias of the species’ records.
Novel pre‐incision clip and traction method for colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection
Authors: Kawaguchi Koichiro , Ikebuchi Yuichiro , Isomoto Hajime
Published: October 2019

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Biliary stenting for hilar malignant biliary obstruction
Authors: Lee Tae Hoon , Moon Jong Ho , Park Sang‐Heum
Published: October 2019

Although endoscopic intervention is the mainstay for palliation of malignant biliary obstruction, a percutaneous approach has been preferred, particularly in patients with advanced high‐grade hilar malignant biliary obstruction, because of the technical difficulty and risk of complications. However, recently, primary endoscopic palliation using plastic or metal stents has had higher technical and clinical success with fewer adverse events than the percutaneous approach. Endoscopic interventions are being done more and more frequently because of advances in metal stents, accessories, and techniques. However, several concerns, such as optimal stent type, number, and deployment method, remain to be resolved. Therefore, we reviewed the literature in order to identify the optimal biliary stenting strategy for patients with hilar malignant biliary obstruction, focusing on stent type (plastic vs metal), number (unilateral [single] vs bilateral [multiple]), and deployment method (stent‐in‐stent vs stent‐by‐stent).
Unemployment and Effort at Work
Authors: Burda Michael C. , Genadek Katie R. , Hamermesh Daniel S.
Published: October 2019

We measure the sensitivity of work effort to local labour market conditions using self‐reported non‐work at the workplace in the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) 2003–12. Non‐work at work is quantitatively significant and varies positively with local unemployment, but in opposite directions at the extensive and intensive margins. The fraction of workers reporting positive values declines with unemployment, while time spent in non‐work conditional on any such time rises with unemployment. The results speak to issues of labour hoarding, efficiency wages and the cyclicality of labour productivity. We also demonstrate a relationship between the incidence of non‐work and unemployment benefits in state data linked to the ATUS. There are also pronounced occupational differences in the incidence and intensity of non‐work.
Globalization and electoral outcomes: Evidence from Italy
Authors: Caselli Mauro , Fracasso Andrea , Traverso Silvio
Published: October 2019

We study whether and to what extent the electoral dynamics in Italy over the 1994–2008 period can be explained by the development of economic factors associated with globalization. To measure the level of exposure to globalization for local labor markets, our main unit of analysis, we use the intensity of import competition from China and the presence of immigrants. Looking at parties’ political positions and employing an estimation strategy that accounts for endogeneity and time‐invariant unobserved effects across local labor markets, we find that both immigration intensity and exposure to import competition from China have contributed positively to the electoral outcomes of far‐right parties, whereas only immigration intensity has increased the vote shares of right‐wing and traditionalist/authoritarian/nationalist parties. Some evidence, albeit not robust, shows that immigration may have also had a positive impact on far‐left parties, thus possibly further contributing toward political polarization. Moreover, electoral turnout has responded negatively to an increased presence of migrants. While the above effects seem to work through the mediation of labor markets, our results, especially those related to immigration, suggest that other mechanisms at the level of local communities are also at play.
Wheat‐derived soil organic carbon accumulates more than its maize counterpart in a wheat–maize cropping system after 21 years
Authors: Dong Xinliang , Sun Hongyong , Wang Jintao , Liu Xiaojing , Singh Bhupinder Pal
Published: October 2019

Fertilization is the most common way to supply nutrients to the soil and to maintain crop productivity in agricultural ecosystems, which may also influence soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation rates. In 1996, we set up a long‐term field experiment to explore the effect of fertilization on soil properties in a winter wheat–summer maize cropping system in the North China Plain. Eight treatments included: no fertilization (Ct), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and N combined with P (NP) fertilizer application with or without potassium (K). After 21 years of fertilization, N application did not increase soil total N content, but P application significantly increased soil total P contents by 33.9%. The single application of N or P did not significantly affect SOC content, whereas the NP combination significantly increased SOC contents by 22.1 and 29.6% compared to Ct in the no K and K treatments, respectively. The natural 13C abundance approach and the SOC contents suggested that the NP combination increased C3 wheat‐derived SOC by 37.5 and 49.8% in the no K and K treatments, respectively. However, fertilization had no impact on C4 maize‐derived SOC content. Wheat‐derived SOC was positively correlated with the wheat yield, whereas maize‐derived SOC was not correlated with the maize yield, which indicated that wheat‐derived SOC accumulated more than maize‐derived SOC in the wheat–maize cropping system. In addition, soil inorganic carbon (SIC) and its compositions were not affected by the long‐term fertilization. Our results indicate that N combined with P application is more beneficial than N or P alone to enlarge SOC sequestration in the North China Plain, especially for wheat‐derived SOC. Thus, in soil with nutrient limitations, nutrient resources should be supplied with priority to the wheat growing season in wheat–maize cropping systems, to maintain or enlarge SOC storage.

Highlights

Long‐term N combined with P application increased wheat‐derived SOC

Wheat‐derived SOC accumulated more than maize‐derived SOC in the cropping system

Wheat yield was lower than maize in the wheat–maize cropping system

Long‐term N, P or NP fertilization did not influence soil inorganic carbon
Genetic evidence of a northward range expansion in the eastern Bering Sea stock of Pacific cod
Authors: Spies Ingrid , Gruenthal Kristen M. , Drinan Daniel P. , Hollowed Anne B. , Stevenson Duane E. , Tarpey Carolyn M. , Hauser Lorenz
Published: October 2019

Poleward species range shifts have been predicted to result from climate change, and many observations have confirmed such movement. Poleward shifts may represent a homogeneous shift in distribution, seasonal northward movement of specific populations, or colonization processes at the poleward edge of the distribution. The ecosystem of the Bering Sea has been changing along with the climate, moving from an arctic to a subarctic system. Several fish species have been observed farther north than previously reported and in increasing abundances. We examined one of these fish species, Pacific cod, in the northern Bering Sea (NBS) to assess whether they migrated from another stock in the eastern Bering Sea (EBS), Gulf of Alaska, or Aleutian Islands, or whether they represent a separate population. Genetic analyses using 3,599 single nucleotide polymorphism markers indicated that nonspawning cod collected in August 2017 in the NBS were similar to spawning stocks of cod in the EBS. This result suggests escalating northward movement of the large EBS stock during summer months. Whether the cod observed in the NBS migrate south during winter to spawn or remain in the NBS as a sink population is unknown.
Introducing dominant‐currency pricing in the ECB's global macroeconomic model
Authors: Georgiadis Georgios , Mösle Saskia
Published: October 2019

A large share of global trade being priced and invoiced primarily in U.S. dollar rather than the exporter's or the importer's currency has important implications for the transmission of shocks. We introduce this “dominant‐currency pricing” (DCP) into ECB‐Global, the ECB's macroeconomic model for the global economy. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to incorporate DCP into a major global macroeconomic model used at central banks or international organisations. In ECB‐Global, DCP affects in particular the role of expenditure‐switching and the U.S. dollar exchange rate for spillovers: In case of a shock in a non‐U.S. economy that alters the value of its currency multilaterally, expenditure‐switching occurs only through imports; in case of a U.S. shock that alters the value of the U.S. dollar multilaterally, expenditure‐switching occurs both in non‐U.S. economies’ imports and—as these are imports of their trading partners—exports. Overall, under DCP the U.S. dollar exchange rate is a major driver of global trade, even for transactions that do not involve the United States. To illustrate the usefulness of ECB‐Global and DCP for policy analysis, we explore the implications of the euro rivalling the U.S. dollar as a second dominant currency in global trade. According to ECB‐Global, in such a scenario the global spillovers from U.S. shocks are smaller, whereas those from euro area shocks are amplified; domestic euro area monetary policy effectiveness is hardly affected by the euro becoming a second globally dominant currency in trade.
A nurse‐led implantable loop recorder service is safe and cost effective
Authors: Lim Wei Yao , Papageorgiou Nikolaos , Sukumar Shivasankar M. , Alexiou Sophia , Srinivasan Neil T. , Monkhouse Christopher , Daw Holly , Caldeira Helder , Harvie Helen , Kuriakose Jincymol , Baca Marco , Ahsan Syed Y. , Chow Anthony W. , Hunter Ross J. , Finlay Malcolm , Lambiase Pier D. , Schilling Richard J. , Earley Mark J. , Providencia Rui
Published: October 2019

Introduction

Implantable loop recorders (ILR) are predominantly implanted by cardiologists in the catheter laboratory. We developed a nurse‐delivered service for the implantation of LINQ (Medtronic; Minnesota) ILRs in the outpatient setting. This study compared the safety and cost‐effectiveness of the introduction of this nurse‐delivered ILR service with contemporaneous physician‐led procedures.

Methods

Consecutive patients undergoing an ILR at our institution between 1st July 2016 and 4th June 2018 were included. Data were prospectively entered into a computerized database, which was retrospectively analyzed.

Results

A total of 475 patients underwent ILR implantation, 271 (57%) of these were implanted by physicians in the catheter laboratory and 204 (43%) by nurses in the outpatient setting. Six complications occurred in physician‐implants and two in nurse‐implants (P = .3). Procedural time for physician‐implants (13.4 ± 8.0 minutes) and nurse‐implants (14.2 ± 10.1 minutes) were comparable (P = .98). The procedural cost was estimated as £576.02 for physician‐implants against £279.95 with nurse‐implants, equating to a 57.3% cost reduction. In our center, the total cost of ILR implantation in the catheter laboratory by physicians was £10 513.13 p.a. vs £6661.55 p.a. with a nurse‐delivered model. When overheads for running, cleaning, and maintaining were accounted for, we estimated a saving of £68 685.75 was performed by moving to a nurse‐delivered model for ILR implants. Over 133 catheter laboratory and implanting physician hours were saved and utilized for other more complex procedures.

Conclusion

ILR implantation in the outpatient setting by suitably trained nurses is safe and leads to significant financial savings.
Cardiovascular biomarkers and echocardiographic findings at rest and during graded hypovolemic stress in women with recurrent vasovagal syncope
Authors: Lindenberger Marcus , Fedorowski Arthur , Melander Olle , Gallo Widet , Engvall Jan , Skoog Johan
Published: October 2019

Introduction

Vasovagal reflex is the most common type of syncope but its etiology is not fully elucidated. Venous return and cardiac output are key in hemodynamic control. The aim of the study was to assess cardiovascular biomarkers and echocardiographic measures at rest and during hypovolemia in women with and without a history of vasovagal syncope.

Methods

Fourteen women (aged 18‐30) suffering from recurrent vasovagal syncope and 15 age‐matched healthy women were included. Graded lower body negative pressure (LBNP) was used to create central hypovolemic stress until signs of presyncope occurred. Echocardiography was applied at rest and throughout LBNP. Cardiovascular biomarkers: copeptin, mid‐regional proadrenomedullin, mid‐regional pro‐ANP, C‐terminal proendothelin‐1, and plasma norepinephrine were measured both at rest and throughout graded hypovolemia to presyncope.

Results

Women prone to vasovagal syncope presented with a narrower right ventricle (RV) (29 ± 1 vs 32 ± 1 mm, P < .05), smaller left atrium (36 ± 2 vs 47 ± 3 cm3, P < .01) and lower cardiac output at rest (3.1 ± 0.2 vs 3.7 ± 0.2 L/min, P < .05) and during graded hypovolemia (P < .05). Copeptin was elevated at rest (4.3 ± 0.8 vs 2.5 ± 0.2 pmol/L, P < .05) and increased more in women with vasovagal syncope during progression of LBNP (P < .01). At rest, lower C‐terminal proendothelin‐1 (35 ± 5 vs 46 ± 2 pmol/L, P < .05) and higher norepinephrine levels (1.1 ± 0.1 vs 0.8 ± 0.1 nmol/L, P < .01) were seen in women with vasovagal syncope.

Conclusion

Women prone to vasovagal syncope demonstrate reduced cardiac preload, lower cardiac output, as well as increased release of vasopressin in rest and during hypovolemic challenge. The results emphasize the importance of venous return and cardiac output in the pathogenesis of vasovagal syncope.
Approach to catheter ablation of left atrial flutters
Authors: Markowitz Steven M. , Thomas George , Liu Christopher F. , Cheung Jim W. , Ip James E. , Lerman Bruce B.
Published: October 2019

Left atrial tachycardias (ATs) most commonly occur after catheter or surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation and in patients with atrial myopathies. Pre‐existing scar in the left atrium (LA) can result in complex circuits, sometimes with narrow channels that can be detected with high‐resolution mapping. The most common forms of macroreentrant AT from the LA are variants of peri‐mitral and roof‐dependent reentry. Localized reentrant rhythms occur in the setting of fibrosis that gives rise to slow conduction and may occur adjacent to areas of prior ablation. The approach to treating these ATs involves first identifying the left atrial origin, defining the tachycardia circuit – which can be facilitated by ultrahigh density mapping and entrainment – and selecting a suitable isthmus to target for ablation. An important endpoint in ablating left atrial flutters is to establish and confirm bidirectional line of the block. Challenges in ablating these ATs include the presence of multiple tachycardias, defining circuits with complex activation patterns and achieving durable lines of block, particularly in the lateral mitral isthmus. Progress in treating these arrhythmias has come from new mapping technologies and the recognition of epicardial connections that allow for persistent conduction across ablation lesions. Also, advances in delivering energy to obtain complete transmural lesions promise to improve the long‐term success of ablating ATs from the LA.
SERUM cardiac‐specific biomarkers and atrial fibrillation in myotonic dystrophy type I
Authors: Russo Vincenzo , Rago Anna , Atripaldi Luigi , Leonardi Silvia , Papa Andrea Antonio , Politano Luisa , Golino Paolo , Potpara Tatjana S. , Nigro Gerardo
Published: October 2019

Introduction

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin I, N terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP), creatine kinase‐MB mass concentration (CK‐MB mass) and copeptin (CP) in predicting incident atrial fibrillation (AF) in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) patients.

Materials and methods

The study enrolled 60 consecutive DM1 patients (age 50.3 ± 7.3 years, 34 male) who underwent pacemaker (PM) implantation for cardiac rhythm abnormalities and 60 PM recipients whose age and sex matched served as control group. All DM1 patients underwent a 12‐lead electrocardiogram, 2D color Doppler echocardiogram, biomarkers measurements and device interrogation at implantation, 1 month after and every 6 months thereafter for a minimum of 2‐year follow‐up.

Results

The study population was divided into two groups according to the presence of AF (AF group vs non‐AF group). The AF group was older (47.3 ± 8 vs 38.6 ± 7 years, P = .03) and showed higher serum levels of NT‐proBNP (151 ± 38.4 vs 107.3 ± 24.2 pg/mL, P < .001) and CP (18.9 ± 4.5 vs 7 ± 2.3 P < .001) than non‐AF Group. NT‐proBNP (P < .001) and CP (P < .001) were found to be an independent predictor of AF. Based on the receiver‐operating characteristics curve analysis, the cut‐off value for NT‐proBNP that best predicted AF event in DM1 patients was 123 pg/ml (sensitivity of 83.3% and specificity of 86.5%); the cut‐off value for CP that best predicted AF event in DM1 patients was 9 pmol/L (sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 87%).

Conclusion

NT‐proBNP and CP represent two independent predictors of AF onset in DM1 population with conduction disturbances underwent PM implantation.
Simvastatin preparations promote PDGF‐BB secretion to repair LPS‐induced endothelial injury through the PDGFRβ/PI3K/Akt/IQGAP1 signalling pathway
Authors: Zheng Xia , Zhang Wang , Wang Zhen
Published: October 2019

Endothelial barrier dysfunction is a critical pathophysiological process of sepsis. Impaired endothelial cell migration is one of the main reasons for endothelial dysfunction. Statins may have a protective effect on endothelial barrier function. However, the effect and mechanism of statins on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced endothelial barrier dysfunction remain unclear. Simvastatin (SV) was loaded in nanostructured lipid carriers to produce SV nanoparticles (SV‐NPs). Normal SV and SV‐NPs were used to treat human umbilical vein vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) injured by LPS. Barrier function was evaluated by monitoring cell monolayer permeability and transendothelial electrical resistance, and cell migration ability was measured by a wound healing assay. LY294002 and imatinib were used to inhibit the activity of PI3K/Akt and platelet‐derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) β. IQ‐GTPase‐activating protein 1 (IQGAP1) siRNA was used to knockdown endogenous IQGAP1, which was used to verify the role of the PDGFRβ/PI3K/Akt/IQGAP1 pathway in SV/SV‐NPs‐mediated barrier protection in HUVECs injured by LPS. The results show that SV/SV‐NPs promoted the migration and decreased the permeability of HUVECs treated with LPS, and the efficacy of the SV‐NPs exceeded that of SV significantly. LY294002, imatinib and IQGAP1 siRNA all suppressed the barrier protection of SV/SV‐NPs. SV/SV‐NPs promoted the secretion of platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB (PDGF‐BB) and activated the PDGFRβ/PI3K/Akt/IQGAP1 pathway. SV preparations restored endothelial barrier function by restoring endothelial cell migration, which is involved in the regulation of the PDGFRβ/PI3K/Akt/IQGAP1 pathway and PDGF‐BB secretion. As an appropriate formulation for restoring endothelial dysfunction, SV‐NPs may be more effective than SV.
Value and limitation of conization as a diagnostic procedure for cervical neoplasm
Authors: Yamamoto Rumiko , Sekiyama Kentaro , Higuchi Toshihiro , Ikeda Masae , Mikami Mikio , Kobayashi Yoichi , Nagase Satoru , Yokoyama Masatoshi , Enomoto Takayuki , Katabuchi Hidetaka
Published: October 2019

Aim

In the recent years, the number of cervical conization procedures performed for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes is increasing, accompanied by increased cervical neoplasia among young women. This study aimed to analyze the clinical data of patients who underwent conization in Japan.

Methods

Among the 14 832 cases of conization registered in 205 facilities over 2 years (2009–2011), the data of 2409 and 12 417 patients who underwent conization for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, respectively, were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

The median age of the patients in diagnostic and therapeutic conization groups was 44 and 37 years, respectively. When comparing the diagnostic and therapeutic groups, 25.5% of the patients in the former were suspected with invasive cancer preoperatively, which is higher than that in the latter (2.7%). About 25.7% in the diagnostic and 14.1% in the therapeutic group had positive margin in the conization specimens. Additional treatment was required for 36.0% and 5.5% of the patients in the diagnostic and therapeutic groups, respectively, which are high figures for both. The risk factors of pathological upgrade in the conization specimens were diagnostic purpose, postmenopausal status and glandular lesion. Additional hysterectomy was performed in 1304 patients after conization, and pathological diagnosis was upgraded in 550 cases. Multivariate analysis revealed that postmenstrual status was an independent risk factor.

Conclusion

This study revealed that cervical lesions of glandular lineage and patients with postmenopausal status benefit from diagnostic conization. However, in postmenopausal patients, the underlying disease cannot be excluded in the preserved uterus even by diagnostic conization.
Feeding difficulties in children with autism spectrum disorder: Aetiology, health impacts and psychotherapeutic interventions
Authors: Zhu Vincent , Dalby‐Payne Jacqueline
Published: October 2019

Feeding difficulties are common and significant issues for children with autism spectrum disorder and their families. Key features of autism are intrinsically linked with factors contributing to these children's feeding difficulties. Following a multidisciplinary assessment to exclude non‐behavioural reasons for the feeding difficulty, there are two mainstay modalities of treatment: operant conditioning and systematic desensitisation. Currently, evidence points towards operant conditioning as the most efficacious psychotherapy. However, recent research into cognitive behavioural therapy for older children with feeding difficulties has shown promising results and will be an area to monitor in the coming years. This review outlines the causes and health impacts and evaluates current evidence supporting the available psychotherapeutic interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder experiencing feeding difficulties.
Effect of renal ischaemia/reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury on pharmacokinetics of midazolam in rats
Authors: Tokunaga Ayako , Miyamoto Hirotaka , Fumoto Shintaro , Nishida Koyo
Published: October 2019

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the effects of renal ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) on the distribution of midazolam (MDZ), a probe drug for cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) activity.

Methods

We established an AKI model inducing ischaemia of both renal pedicles for 60 min followed by 24-h reperfusion. MDZ was administered intravenously (i.v.) to the rats via the jugular vein, and then, blood samples were collected to determine the plasma concentration of MDZ.

Key findings

While the plasma concentration of MDZ after i.v. administration was decreased in the I/R rats, the tissue concentration was not altered. In addition, the tissue-to-plasma (T/P) ratio of MDZ was increased in the I/R rats. The unbound fraction of MDZ and the level of indoxyl sulphate (IS) in plasma were elevated in the I/R rats. Furthermore, the unbound fraction of MDZ was significantly increased by the addition of IS.

Conclusions

These results indicated that the displacement of albumin-bound MDZ by IS changed the unbound fraction of MDZ and elevated the T/P ratio of MDZ in I/R rats.
Hypertension-induced cardiac impairment is reversed by the inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress
Authors: Bal Nur Banu , Han Sevtap , Kiremitci Saba , Sadi Gökhan , Uludag Orhan , Demirel-Yilmaz Emine
Published: October 2019

Objectives

Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) has been shown to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. However, the role and mechanisms of ERS on hypertension-induced cardiac functional and morphological changes remain unclear. In this study, the effect of ERS inhibition with tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) on hypertension-induced cardiac remodelling was examined.

Methods

Hypertension was induced by deoxycorticosterone-acetate (DOCA) and salt administration in uni-nephrectomized rats for 12 weeks. TUDCA was administered for the last four weeks. Rhythmic activity and contractions of the right atrium and left papillary muscle (LPM) were recorded. In the left ventricle, the expression of various proteins was examined and histopathological evaluation was performed.

Key findings

Hypertension-induced increments in systolic blood pressure and ventricular contractions were reversed by TUDCA. In the hypertensive heart, while expressions of glucose-regulated protein-78 (GRP78), phospho-dsRNA-activated protein kinase-like ER kinase (p-PERK), sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase-2 (SERCA2), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and nuclear NF-κB p65 increased; Bcl-2 (B-cell lymphoma-2) expression decreased and the altered levels of all these markers were restored by TUDCA. In the microscopic examination, TUDCA treatment attenuated hypertension-stimulated cardiac inflammation and fibrosis.

Conclusions

These results suggest that ERS inhibition may ameliorate cardiac contractility through improving ERS-associated calcium mishandling, apoptosis, inflammation and fibrosis, thereby offering therapeutic potential in hypertension-induced cardiac dysfunction.
Relationships between chemical composition and in vitro gas production parameters of maize leaves and stems
Authors: He Yuan , Cone John W. , Hendriks Wouter H. , Dijkstra Jan
Published: October 2019

This study investigated the chemical composition (proximate and Van Soest analysis) and in vitro gas production parameters of maize leaves and stems separately, and related the in vitro gas production parameters with the chemical composition, of thirteen maize cultivars. After harvest in September 2016, all plants were separated into two morphological fractions: leaves and stems. The crude protein (CP) content was greater, and the ratio of acid detergent lignin (ADL) to potentially rumen degradable fibre (calculated as the difference between neutral detergent fibre and ADL; ADL:pRDF) was lower in the leaves than in the stems in all 13 cultivars. For the leaves, the cumulative gas production between 3 and 20 hr (A2), representing cell wall fermentation in the rumen fluid, and the cumulative 72‐hr gas production (GP72), representing total organic matter (OM) degradation, were moderately to weakly correlated with the chemical composition, including hemicellulose, cellulose, ADL and CP content (R2 < 0.40), whilst the best relationship between the half‐time value (B2), representing the rate of cell wall degradation, and chemical composition had an R2 of 0.63. For the stems, the best relationship between A2, B2 and GP72 with chemical composition was greater (R2 ≥ 0.74) and the best relationship included hemicellulose (A2 only), cellulose and ADL (GP72 and A2 only) contents. In conclusion, maize leaves and stems differed in chemical composition, in particular CP content and ADL:pRDF. The A2 and GP72 of the stems, but not of the leaves, were highly correlated with the chemical composition, indicating that the cell wall and OM degradation of maize stems can be better predicted by its chemical composition.
Registered nurse’s experiences of continence care for older people: A qualitative descriptive study
Authors: Borglin Gunilla , Hew Thach Emelie , Jeppsson Maria , Sjögren Forss Katarina
Published: October 2019

Aim

This study aimed to illuminate nurses’ experience of continence care for older people receiving home care, either in their own home or in an assisted living facility.

Background

Registered Nurses (RNs) have a major role to play in identifying and establishing appropriate actions regarding continence care for older people. However, the crucial nursing care pathway for continence care is commonly described as poor.

Methods

Interviews were conducted with 11 RNs providing home care, and the transcribed texts were analysed using inductive content analysis.

Result

The impressions of RNs were categorised according to four themes: perceptions of continence care, an open approach to continence care, the need for personalised aid fittings and the importance of teamwork in continence care. Key findings were the importance of teamwork; the need for nurses to embrace leadership at the point of care and be more visible in terms of the provision of direct care; substantiation that evidence‐based interventions, such as scheduled toileting and prompted voiding, should constitute the norm in continence care within the context of home care; and the need for nurses to support the right of older persons to receive an assessment of their continence problems, deemed to be the minimum standard of quality care.

Conclusion

The provision of continence care that is based on key nursing standards, such as evidence‐based and person‐centred care, as well as individualised continence care that is based on evidenced‐based guidelines, would ensure an improvement in the continence care that is presently on offer to older people.

Implications for practice

Nurses need to embrace leadership at the point of care and to be more visible with the provision of direct care in order to improve continence care for older people receiving home care.
Generalized, severe epidermolysis bullosa simplex caused by a Keratin 5 p.E477K mutation
Authors: Sheppard Sarah E. , Anderson Laura Elizabeth , Sibbald Cathryn , Cotton Colleen , Bhoj Elizabeth , Perman Marissa J. , Castelo‐Soccio Leslie
Published: October 2019

Epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) is a skin fragility disorder resulting from mutations of structural proteins in the epidermis. We provide a brief report of long‐term survival and reproduction in a mother with EBS due to keratin 5 (KRT5) c.1429G > A (p.E477K) mutation, which causes a particularly severe form of the disease.
Frontal theta and posterior alpha in resting EEG: A critical examination of convergent and discriminant validity
Authors: Smith Ezra E. , Tenke Craig E. , Deldin Patricia J. , Trivedi Madhukar H. , Weissman Myrna M. , Auerbach Randy P. , Bruder Gerard E. , Pizzagalli Diego A. , Kayser Jürgen
Published: October 2019

Prior research has identified two resting EEG biomarkers with potential for predicting functional outcomes in depression: theta current density in frontal brain regions (especially rostral anterior cingulate cortex) and alpha power over posterior scalp regions. As little is known about the discriminant and convergent validity of these putative biomarkers, a thorough evaluation of these psychometric properties was conducted toward the goal of improving clinical utility of these markers. Resting 71‐channel EEG recorded from 35 healthy adults at two sessions (1‐week retest) were used to systematically compare different quantification techniques for theta and alpha sources at scalp (surface Laplacian or current source density [CSD]) and brain (distributed inverse; exact low resolution electromagnetic tomography [eLORETA]) level. Signal quality was evaluated with signal‐to‐noise ratio, participant‐level spectra, and frequency PCA covariance decomposition. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed within a multitrait‐multimethod framework. Posterior alpha was reliably identified as two spectral components, each with unique spatial patterns and condition effects (eyes open/closed), high signal quality, and good convergent and discriminant validity. In contrast, frontal theta was characterized by one low‐variance component, low signal quality, lack of a distinct spectral peak, and mixed validity. Correlations between candidate biomarkers suggest that posterior alpha components constitute reliable, convergent, and discriminant biometrics in healthy adults. Component‐based identification of spectral activity (CSD/eLORETA‐fPCA) was superior to fixed, a priori frequency bands. Improved quantification and conceptualization of frontal theta is necessary to determine clinical utility.
The heart of cognitive control: Cardiac phase modulates processing speed and inhibition
Authors: Makowski Dominique , Sperduti Marco , Blondé Philippe , Nicolas Serge , Piolino Pascale
Published: October 2019

Bodily states are heavily intertwined with cognitive processes. A prominent communication channel between bodily signals and brain structures is provided by baroreceptors. Their phasic activity associated with the cardiac phase has been shown to modulate cognitive control in socio‐emotional contexts. However, whether this effect is specific to the affective dimension or impacts general cognitive control processes remains controversial. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of cardiac phase on different facets of cognitive control. We built a nonemotional cognitive control task to delineate mechanisms such as processing speed, response selection, response inhibition, and conflict monitoring. We showed that the systole (after the blood is ejected from the heart), compared to the diastole, was related to faster responses. Moreover, the cardiac phase dynamics also impacted response inhibition, with an increased probability of failure toward the middle of the course of systole. Although the reported effects were small in terms of magnitude, they highlight the influence of bodily states on abstract cognitive processes.
Spatial Quantification of the Population Exposed to Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii Species Complexes in Europe: Estimating the Immunocompetent and HIV/AIDS Patients Under Risk
Authors: Alaniz Alberto J. , Carvajal Jorge G. , Carvajal Mario A. , Cogliati Massimo , Vergara Pablo M.
Published: October 2019

Cryptococcus is an important fungal pathogen worldwide, causing serious clinical manifestations that can affect immunocompetent patients and can be particularly severe for immunocompromised patients. The Cryptococcus gattii s.s. (AFLP4/VGI), Cryptococcus tetragattii (AFLP/VGIV), Cryptococcus neoformans, and Cryptococcus deneoformans have been isolated from both clinical and environmental sources in Europe. We aim to quantify the people in Europe and the entire Mediterranean area who are under risk associated with each of the three fungal pathogens in a spatially explicit way, generating a series of maps and population statistics per country. Niche modeling was applied to estimate the potential distribution of each fungal pathogen, then these models were overlapped with a map of population density to estimate risk levels. The potential number of people per risk level and per country was quantified using a map of population count per pixel. Prevalence of HIV per country was also included in the analysis to quantify the HIV‐infected population under potential risk. People under risk associated with exposure to C. gattii species (C. gattii s.s. and C. tetragattii) reached 137.65 million, whereas those exposed to C. neoformans and C. deneoformans were 268.58 and 360.78 million people, respectively. More than a half million HIV‐infected patients are exposed to each of the two species of the C. neoformans species complex, and more than 200,000 to the C. gattii species complex. The present results can be useful for public health planning by European governments, focusing on the provision of inputs for a “screen‐and‐treat” approach, availability of medical resources, and continuous monitoring programs in risk zones.
Controls on accumulation of anomalously thick coals: Implications for sequence stratigraphic analysis
Authors: Wang Shuai , Shao Longyi , Wang Dongdong , Hilton Jason , Guo Biao , Lu Jing
Published: October 2019

Coal seams preserve high‐resolution records of ancient terrestrial water table (base level) fluctuations in ancient peat accumulations, but little is known about base level change in anomalously thick coal seams. Using the Early Cretaceous 91 m anomalously thick No. 6 coal (lignite) seam in the Erlian Basin (north‐east China) as a case study, the origin and evolution of peat accumulation in a continental faulted basin is revealed by sedimentological, sequence stratigraphic and coal petrological analyses. The lignite is dominated by huminite, indicating oxygen‐deficient and waterlogged conditions in the precursor mire. Four types of key sequence stratigraphic surfaces are recognized, including paludification, terrestrialization, accommodation‐reversal and give‐up transgressive surfaces. Vertically, the No. 6 coal seam consists of fourteen superimposed wetting‐up and drying‐up cycles separated by key sequence stratigraphic surfaces, with each of these cycles having a mean duration of about 156 to 173 kyr. In a high accommodation peat swamp system, the wetting‐up cycles are generally characterized by an upward increase in mineral matter and inertodetrinite and an upward decrease in huminite with the paludification surface as their base and the give‐up transgressive surface or accommodation‐reversal surface as their top, representing a trend of upward‐increasing accommodation. In contrast, the drying‐up cycles are generally characterized by an upward decrease in mineral matter and inertodetrinite and an upward increase in huminite, with the terrestrialization surface as their base and the accommodation‐reversal surface as their top, representing a trend of upward‐decreasing accommodation. A multi‐phase mire stacking model for accumulation of the coal seam is proposed based on high‐frequency accommodation cycles and the stratigraphic relationships between coal and clastic sediments. High‐frequency accommodation cycles in the coal are closely related to water table fluctuations in the precursor mires and are driven by high‐frequency climate via changes in the intensity and seasonality of precipitation in a relatively stable subsidence regime. Recognition that the No. 6 coal seam is composed of multiple stacked mires has implications for studies addressing palaeoclimatic inferences and genesis of anomalously thick coals seams.
An automated method for the selection of complex railway lines that accounts for multiple feature constraints
Authors: Li Chengming , Liu Xiaoli , Wu Wei , Wu Pengda
Published: October 2019

The automatic selection of railway marshaling lines is an important procedure in the generalization of road network data. The line selection results must be geometrically consistent with the topological features of the external/internal structural and topological connectivity of the railway stations. When current methods are used to process the lines at railway marshaling stations, which exhibit crisscrossing, dense, non‐hierarchical, and complex characteristics, the selected lines tend to be topologically and structurally erroneous. In this article, we propose an automated method for the selection and generalization of complex railway lines that accounts for multiple feature constraints. First, we identify four types of line structures in accordance with the spatial and topological features of railway stations. Then, based on length and spacing thresholds specified for the generalization process, line selection is performed while accounting for constraints regarding structural robustness and topological extensibility. Finally, we report the validation of our method on a dataset relating to Chengdu Railway Station, China. The results indicate that our method successfully preserves the external and internal structural features and connectivity of railway stations.
Corticospinal excitability modulation by pairing peripheral nerve stimulation with cortical states of movement initiation
Authors: Fu Lingdi , Rocchi Lorenzo , Hannah Ricci , Xu Guizhi , Rothwell John C. , Ibáñez Jaime
Published: October 2019

Key points

We compare the effects on corticospinal excitability of repeatedly delivering peripheral nerve stimulation at three time points (−30 ms, 0 ms, +50 ms) relative to muscle onset in a cue‐guided task.

Plastic changes in excitability are only observed when stimuli are delivered immediately before the time when muscles activate, while stimuli delivered at muscle onset or shortly later (0, +50 ms) have no effect.

Plastic effects are abolished if there is ongoing volitional electromyogram activity in the muscles prior to the onset of the phasic contraction.

The plastic effects induced by timing peripheral stimulation relative to electromyographic markers of muscle activation are as effective as those that occur if stimulation is timed relative to electroencephalographic markers of motor cortical activation. We provide a simple alternative protocol to induce plasticity in people in whom electroencephalogram recording is difficult.

Plastic changes in corticospinal excitability (CSE) and motor function can be induced in a targeted and long‐term manner if afferent volleys evoked by peripheral nerve stimulation are repeatedly associated with the peak of premovement brain activity assessed with an electroencephalogram (EEG). The present study investigated whether other factors might also characterize this optimal brain state for plasticity induction. In healthy human volunteers (n = 24), we found that the same reliable changes in CSE can be induced by timing peripheral afferent stimulation relative to the onset of electromyogram (EMG) activity rather than using the EEG peak. Specifically, we observed an increase in CSE when peripheral stimulation activated the cortex just before movement initiation. By contrast, there was no effect on CSE if the afferent input reached the cortex at the same time or after EMG onset, consistent with the idea that the temporal order of synaptic activation from afferent input and voluntary movement is important for production of plasticity. Finally, in 14 volunteers, we found that background voluntary muscle activity prior to movement also abolished the effect on CSE. One possible explanation is that the intervention strengthens synapses that are inactive at rest but change their activity in anticipation of movement, and that the intervention fails when the synapses are tonically active during background EMG activity. Overall, we demonstrate that, in individuals with voluntary control of muscles targeted by our intervention, EMG signals are a suitable alternative to an EEG for inducing plasticity by coupling movement‐related brain states with peripheral afferent input.