bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early human symbolic behavior in the Late Pleistocene of Wallacea
Authors: Brumm Adam , Langley Michelle C. , Moore Mark W. , Hakim Budianto , Ramli Muhammad , Sumantri Iwan , Burhan Basran , Saiful Andi Muhammad , Siagian Linda , Suryatman  , Sardi Ratno , Jusdi Andi , Abdullah  , Mubarak Andi Pampang , Hasliana  , Hasrianti  , Oktaviana Adhi Agus , Adhityatama Shinatria , van den Bergh Gerrit D. , Aubert Maxime , Zhao Jian-xin , Huntley Jillian , Li Bo , Roberts Richard G. , Saptomo E. Wahyu , Perston Yinika , Grün Rainer
Published: April 2017

Significance

We present evidence from the Late Pleistocene of Sulawesi, Indonesia, where an unusually rich and unique symbolic complex was excavated from archaeological deposits spanning 30,000 to 22,000 y ago. Including previously unknown practices of self-ornamentation, used ochre, pigmented artifacts, and portable art, these findings advance our knowledge of the cultural repertoires of modern humans in Pleistocene Wallacea, including the nonparietal artworks and symbolic material culture of some of the world’s earliest known “cave artists.”
Dantrolene requires Mg
2+
to arrest malignant hyperthermia
Authors: Choi Rocky H. , Koenig Xaver , Launikonis Bradley S.
Published: April 2017

Significance

The nature of overactive Ca
2+
release in malignant hyperthermia (MH) and the mechanism of action of the drug dantrolene that arrests MH events are poorly understood. Here, we show that dantrolene stops overactive Ca
2+
release by increasing the affinity of the ryanodine receptor (RyR) to Mg
2+
. In particular, Ca
2+
waves induced by MH triggers in human muscle are not affected by dantrolene unless Mg
2+
increases above resting levels, a condition met by the increase in MgATP hydrolysis during an MH episode. We suggest that only the combination of dantrolene and increased Mg
2+
can depress overactive Ca
2+
release and the resulting excessive heat production to arrest MH.
Plasmodium falciparum
erythrocyte-binding antigen 175 triggers a biophysical change in the red blood cell that facilitates invasion
Authors: Koch Marion , Wright Katherine E. , Otto Oliver , Herbig Maik , Salinas Nichole D. , Tolia Niraj H. , Satchwell Timothy J. , Guck Jochen , Brooks Nicholas J. , Baum Jake
Published: April 2017

Significance

The blood-stage malaria parasite, the merozoite, invades the human red blood cell (RBC) using receptor–ligand interactions between the parasite and host cell surface, yet the function of these interactions to invasion is not known. We have analyzed the binding between one key merozoite invasion ligand, called erythrocyte-binding antigen 175 (EBA175), and glycophorin A on the RBC surface (the most dominant surface antigen) and explored how this interaction affects the biophysical properties of the red cell. Using a combination of imaging techniques, we demonstrate that the malaria parasite changes the biophysical nature of the red cell, facilitating its own entry by effectively reducing the energy barrier to invasion. This study demonstrates a red cell biophysical contribution to merozoite entry.
Low-symmetry sphere packings of simple surfactant micelles induced by ionic sphericity
Authors: Kim Sung A , Jeong Kyeong-Jun , Yethiraj Arun , Mahanthappa Mahesh K.
Published: April 2017

Significance

Surfactants (“soaps”) spontaneously self-assemble into spherical micelles in water, which pack into ordered crystalline states. Such soft particles have long been assumed to adopt the same closest-packed configurations observed with hard spheres (e.g., billiard balls). Here, we show that surfactant micelles also form complex, tetrahedrally closest-packed Frank–Kasper (FK) phases. Surprisingly, the low-symmetry unit cells of these structures comprise multiple particle types with discrete size distributions. We demonstrate that these unexpected structures arise from simultaneous optimization of interparticle electrostatic interactions and the spherical symmetry of the charged ion clouds around each micelle. This discovery bridges previous reports of FK phases in neutral soft materials such as block polymers, dendrimers, and giant shape amphiphiles and in metal alloys.
Failures in Leadership
Authors: Feldman Ofer , Kinoshita Ken , Bull Peter
Published: April 2017

This paper examines how Japanese leading politicians deal with the communicative problems posed to them during broadcast political interviews. Based on data gathered during 14-month period in 2012–2013, the paper replicates and modifies the “Theory of Equivocation” to explore the extent to which national and local level politicians endeavor to affect the content of information distributed to the public and to influence the way people perceive events that take place in the public domain. Differentiating among selected groups of politicians, i.e., ruling and opposition parties’ members, Cabinet ministers and prime ministers, and local level politicians, the paper focuses on the ways Japanese politicians (and for comparison also nonpoliticians) equivocate during televised programs and the conditions underlying this equivocation, thereby also assesses the significance of these talk shows in the broader context of political communication in Japan.
Allergy
Authors: Alam Saima , Corrigan Christopher
Published: April 2017

Allergic disorders are on the increase. This chapter covers a range of common allergic problems encountered in patients with severe asthma which may contribute to symptomatology and exacerbations, including genetic and environmental factors, affecting the airways, and the diagnosis and management of atopic asthma in association with seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis. The account elucidates the basic principles behind simple investigations, such as skin prick testing and in vitro allergen-specific IgE assays, as well as relatively novel tests, including component resolved diagnosis. Also covered are recent advances in managing patients with seasonal and perennial rhinosinusitis, with an explanation of the indications, and the protocols available for desensitization to pollens, house dust mites, and animal dander. Overall, this chapter should provide the reader with adequate knowledge to deal with day-to-day management dilemmas in a specialist asthma clinic.
Bacterial lung infection
Authors: Brill Simon , Brown Jeremy
Published: April 2017

Bacterial lung infection may be caused by a wide variety of pathogens and may present in different ways. This chapter discusses a case presenting with signs and symptoms that were initially treated as community-acquired pneumonia, before the presence of a complicated bacterial lung abscess became clear. The clinical course was complicated by an episode of atrial fibrillation. The patient did not improve, and an underlying squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed. The initial investigation and treatment of pneumonia are discussed, as well as risk stratification, aetiology, differential diagnosis, detailed investigations, and treatment. The potential pulmonary and cardiac complications of pneumonia are also discussed, with particular relevance to the aetiology and treatment of bacterial lung abscess. This chapter provides an overview of the varied spectrum of lung infection and reinforces the importance of considering differential diagnosis and potential complications in any patient who fails to improve with standard treatment.
Central sleep apnoea
Authors: Pittman Marcus , Williams Adrian
Published: April 2017

Central sleep apnoea and Cheyne-Stokes respiration are common forms of sleep-disordered breathing, particularly in patients with co-morbidities such as cardiac and renal disease which, however, often do not require specific treatment. Physicians may encounter such patients in their outpatient clinics or as ward referrals in hospital. A typical case is presented to aid the approach to such patients, including how to make an accurate diagnosis, which of the various treatment modalities to use, and what to do if a treatment fails. The evidence for the different interventions is explored, including oxygen, modes of non-invasive positive airway pressure, and drug treatments, with particular attention to groundbreaking studies.
Pulmonary fungal infections
Authors: Tunnicliffe Georgia , Wise Matthew
Published: April 2017

Pulmonary fungal infections remain relatively uncommon, although they are increasingly diagnosed as a consequence of a growing population of immunocompromised individuals, foreign travel, and improved diagnostic tools. Groups who were not previously thought to be at significant risk of invasive disease are also being recognized. The increasing incidence of fungal lung disease as a consequence of changing patient demographics means that clinicians will encounter cases in outpatient clinics, medical admission departments, and the intensive care unit with increasing frequency. As international travel increases, so too will presentations of endemic mycoses to respiratory physicians practising in the United Kingdom. Many fungi, such as Aspergillus species, are ubiquitous and can cause a spectrum of pulmonary disorders from colonization, leading to hypersensitivity reactions, to invasive disease with high mortality rates. This chapter considers commonly encountered fungi and how diseases associated with them may present.
HIV-related lung disease
Authors: Collier Dami , Miller Robert F
Published: April 2017

Pneumocystis pneumonia is a common fungal infection, occurring particularly in immunosuppressed individuals. It is a common AIDS-defining illness. This case-based discussion summarizes the clinical course of a HIV-related Pneumocystis pneumonia clinical event. It highlights the common clinical features in HIV-infected patients, the different diagnostic modalities available to physicians in the United Kingdom, treatment recommendations, and adverse drug reactions associated with treatment.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Ross Clare , Wells Athol
Published: April 2017

Interstitial lung diseases are a complex heterogeneous group which are challenging to diagnose and treat. The diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, as opposed to connective tissue interstitial lung disease, is important, as treatments and prognoses are very different. This chapter focusses on a case where this diagnosis is challenging. The evidence for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is reviewed, in light of recent trials and new recommendations.
Non-invasive ventilation and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Ramsay Michelle , Polkey Mike
Published: April 2017

Non-invasive ventilation is one of the major advances in respiratory medicine over the last century. It can be lifesaving for patients in acute hypercapnic respiratory failure, improving gas exchange and pulmonary mechanics and reducing the need for endotracheal intubation. Adherence to therapy is key to its success, and many patients find this a significant challenge. This case report will examine the pitfalls of initiating non-invasive ventilation, provide a brief overview of the current British Thoracic Society non-invasive ventilation guidelines, and describe common causes of a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient ‘failing’ non-invasive ventilation and an approach to the long-term management of the frequently exacerbating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient.
Oxygen: risks as well as benefits
Authors: McDermott Rory , Davidson Craig
Published: April 2017

Oxygen administration is the most commonly used therapy in emergency medicine. It is given to 18,000 patients in the United Kingdom every day, and 14% of patients in hospital receive it at some time during their stay. Whilst some of this activity is helpful, or indeed lifesaving, in some patients, oxygen can lead to harm, or even death. The domiciliary use of oxygen is also an area in which there is the potential for both waste and harm. When appropriately used, it prolongs life and provides valuable symptom relief; yet, in up to 43% of the cases, such therapy was either not used by patients as directed or provided no clinical benefit. At an annual cost in excess of £110 million, this is a lot of waste. This chapter examines the use of oxygen in both the acute setting and the assessment for home oxygen, with a focus on the pathophysiology behind oxygen therapy and the potential dangers.
Water on the lung: a rare cause of a transudative effusion and new options for palliation
Authors: Schomberg Lucy , Maskell Nick
Published: April 2017

Pleural effusions are very common in clinical practice and can be notoriously difficult to diagnose and a real challenge to manage. There is a large amount of literature on malignant effusions, but no clear guidelines on managing refractory non-malignant pleural effusions. This case examines a rarer cause of a transudative effusion, focussing on the route to diagnosis. The emergence of thoracic ultrasound, in light of the National Patient Safety Agency report in 2008, and the increased safety are reviewed, and, in addition, the options for management are considered, including the tunnelled pleural catheter as a potential long-term solution in this challenging situation.
Pulmonary vasculature
Authors: Vergnaud Sophie , Dobarro David , Wort John
Published: April 2017

A 16-year-old girl with a diagnosis of diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis is referred to a specialist pulmonary hypertension centre with a history of progressive breathlessness, reduced exercise tolerance, and raised pulmonary pressures on transthoracic echocardiogram. She is found to have pulmonary arterial hypertension on right cardiac catheterization and is started on sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor, which stabilizes her condition. An endothelin receptor antagonist is added, which provides some initial symptomatic improvement. She continues to deteriorate over a period of 5 years, ultimately requiring intravenous prostanoids, the only treatment to provide a real symptomatic and haemodynamic improvement. This chapter explores the physiology and pathophysiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension, its classification, the means of investigation and diagnosis, who to refer to specialist centres, and the concepts behind current and future treatment strategies.
Sleep-disordered breathing in the obese
Authors: Mandal Swapna , Steier Joerg
Published: April 2017

Sleep-disordered breathing in the obese is not a small problem. Obesity-related sleep-disordered breathing is common and may include sleep apnoea or obesity hypoventilation syndrome. Patients present with symptoms of excessive daytime sleepiness, breathlessness, and, in severe cases, hypercapnic respiratory failure. In recent decades, the prevalence of obesity has increased exponentially. Although not exclusively responsible, obesity is directly linked to the development of sleep-disordered breathing due to high resistance in the upper airway, increased work of breathing, and high neural respiratory drive. Obese patients with sleep disorders are complicated with multiple metabolic, cardiovascular, and orthopaedic co-morbidities, frequently presenting at an advanced stage. This chapter reviews a common clinical presentation of an obese patient with a respiratory condition and the difficulties in their management. The chapter explains the complex underlying pathophysiology and the long-term management of these patients, and shows how sleep-disordered breathing may develop as a consequence of obesity.
Pulmonary sarcoidosis
Authors: Bloom Chloe , Donnelly Seamus
Published: April 2017

This case of a young female with suspected pulmonary sarcoidosis demonstrates the difficulties in confirming the diagnosis and subsequently identifying the appropriate treatment. Current guidelines were developed in the 1990s, and there has been little change in the diagnostic pathway since then. However, there are new clinical tools to help differentiate from the common differential diagnosis of tuberculosis. The patient’s management can be complex, with a host of clinical parameters that can be potentially used to assess each patient’s disease activity, severity, and prognosis, and the decision to start immunosuppressive treatment is often difficult. The mainstay of treatment remains glucocorticoids, with a wide choice of possible steroid-sparing agents. However, the evidence for their use is limited. This case is particularly interesting, as the patient is a female with a young daughter who is planning imminently on continuing her family and has legitimate concerns about treatment side effects.
Nonlinear buckling behaviour of spherical shells: barriers and symmetry-breaking dimples
Authors: Hutchinson John W. , Thompson J. Michael T.
Published: April 2017

The nonlinear axisymmetric post-buckling behaviour of perfect, thin, elastic spherical shells subject to external pressure and their asymmetric bifurcations are characterized, providing results for a structure/loading combination with an exceptionally nonlinear buckling response. Immediately after the onset of buckling, the buckling mode localizes into a dimple at the poles. The relations among the pressure, the dimple amplitude and the change in volume of the shell are determined over a large range of pole deflections. These results allow accurate evaluation of criteria such as the Maxwell condition for which the energies in the unbuckled and buckled states are the same and evaluation of the influences of pressure versus volume-controlled loadings. Non-axisymmetric bifurcation from the axisymmetric state, which occurs deep into the post-buckling regime in the form of multi-lobed dimples, is also established and discussed.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Patterning through instabilities in complex media: theory and applications.’
Fluid dynamic instabilities: theory and application to pattern forming in complex media
Authors: Gallaire François , Brun P.-T.
Published: April 2017

In this review article, we exemplify the use of stability analysis tools to rationalize pattern formation in complex media. Specifically, we focus on fluid flows, and show how the destabilization of their interface sets the blueprint of the patterns they eventually form. We review the potential use and limitations of the theoretical methods at the end, in terms of their applications to practical settings, e.g. as guidelines to design and fabricate structures while harnessing instabilities.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Patterning through instabilities in complex media: theory and applications’.
Segmentation in cohesive systems constrained by elastic environments
Authors: Novak I. , Truskinovsky L.
Published: April 2017

The complexity of fracture-induced segmentation in elastically constrained cohesive (fragile) systems originates from the presence of competing interactions. The role of discreteness in such phenomena is of interest in a variety of fields, from hierarchical self-assembly to developmental morphogenesis. In this paper, we study the analytically solvable example of segmentation in a breakable mass–spring chain elastically linked to a deformable lattice structure. We explicitly construct the complete set of local minima of the energy in this prototypical problem and identify among them the states corresponding to the global energy minima. We show that, even in the continuum limit, the dependence of the segmentation topology on the stretching/pre-stress parameter in this problem takes the form of a devil's type staircase. The peculiar nature of this staircase, characterized by locking in rational microstructures, is of particular importance for biological applications, where its structure may serve as an explanation of the robustness of stress-driven segmentation.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Patterning through instabilities in complex media: theory and applications.’
Drying paint: from micro-scale dynamics to mechanical instabilities
Authors: Goehring Lucas , Li Joaquim , Kiatkirakajorn Pree-Cha
Published: April 2017

Charged colloidal dispersions make up the basis of a broad range of industrial and commercial products, from paints to coatings and additives in cosmetics. During drying, an initially liquid dispersion of such particles is slowly concentrated into a solid, displaying a range of mechanical instabilities in response to highly variable internal pressures. Here we summarize the current appreciation of this process by pairing an advection-diffusion model of particle motion with a Poisson–Boltzmann cell model of inter-particle interactions, to predict the concentration gradients in a drying colloidal film. We then test these predictions with osmotic compression experiments on colloidal silica, and small-angle X-ray scattering experiments on silica dispersions drying in Hele–Shaw cells. Finally, we use the details of the microscopic physics at play in these dispersions to explore how two macroscopic mechanical instabilities—shear-banding and fracture—can be controlled.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Patterning through instabilities in complex media: theory and applications.’
Regimes of wrinkling in pressurized elastic shells
Authors: Taffetani Matteo , Vella Dominic
Published: April 2017

We consider the point indentation of a pressurized elastic shell. It has previously been shown that such a shell is subject to a wrinkling instability as the indentation depth is quasi-statically increased. Here we present detailed analysis of this wrinkling instability using a combination of analytical techniques and finite-element simulations. In particular, we study how the number of wrinkles observed at the onset of instability grows with increasing pressurization. We also study how, for fixed pressurization, the number of wrinkles changes both spatially and with increasing indentation depth beyond onset. This ‘Far from threshold’ analysis exploits the largeness of the wrinkle wavenumber that is observed at high pressurization and leads to quantitative differences with the standard ‘Near threshold’ stability analysis.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Patterning through instabilities in complex media: theory and applications.’
Estimating the extinction date of the thylacine accounting for unconfirmed sightings
Authors: Carlson Colin J. , Bond Alexander L. , Burgio Kevin R.
Published: April 2017

The thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), one of Australia’s most characteristic megafauna, was the largest marsupial carnivore until hunting, and potentially disease, drove them to extinction in 1936. Current knowledge suggests that thylacines became extinct on mainland Australia two millennia prior to their extirpation on Tasmania, but recent “plausible” sightings on the Cape York Peninsula have emerged, leading some to speculate the species may persist, undetected. Here we show that the continued survival of the thylacine is entirely implausible based on most current mathematical theories of extinction. We present a dataset including physical evidence, expert-validated sightings, and unconfirmed sightings leading up to the present day, and use a Bayesian framework that takes all three types of data into account by modelling them as independent processes, to evaluate the likelihood of the thylacine’s persistence. Although the last captive thylacine died in 1936, our model suggests the most likely extinction date would be 1940, or at the latest the 1950s. We validated this result by using other extinction estimator methods, all of which confirmed that the thylacine’s extinction likely fell between 1936 and 1943; even the most optimistic scenario suggests the species did not persist beyond 1956. The search for the thylacine, much like similar efforts to “rediscover” other recently extinct charismatic species, is likely to be fruitless, especially given that persistence on Tasmania would have been no guarantee the species could reappear in regions that had been unoccupied for millennia. The search for the thylacine may become a rallying point for conservation and wildlife biology, and could indirectly help fund and support critical research in understudied areas like Cape York. However, our results suggest that attempts to rediscover the thylacine will likely be unsuccessful.
Neuron type-specific mechanical regulation of voltage-gated Ca2+channels and excitability in hippocampal and trigeminal ganglion neurons
Authors: liu Sisi , Yu Yang , Wu Xiaoan , Huang Liying , Qi Yuchen , Jiang Lin-Hua , Zhao Hucheng
Published: April 2017

Increasing evidence suggests that the mechanical properties of extracellular matrix regulate central and peripheral neuronal functions. We thus investigated the CaVchannels in hippocampal and trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons cultured on substrates with different stiffness. Patch-clamp current recordings showed that stiff substrate augmented the CaVchannel currents in hippocampal and TG neurons and additionally induced a leftward shift in the voltage-dependent channel activation curve in small TG neurons. Combination with using selective channel blockers revealed that substrate stiffness preferentially regulated the N-type channel current in hippocampal and medium TG neurons but the T-type channel current in small TG neurons. Current-clamp recordings further demonstrated that stiff substrate enhanced the excitability of small TG neurons, which was ablated by blocking the T-type channel. Treatment of neurons on the stiff substrate with low-dose blebbistatin reduced both the N-type channel current in hippocampal and medium TG neurons and the T-type channel current in small TG neurons to the levels in neurons on the soft substrate, whereas treatment of neurons on the soft substrate with calcium A increased both the N-type channel current in hippocampal and medium TG neurons and the T-type channel current in small TG neurons to the levels in neurons on the stiff substrate, thus consistently supporting critical involvement of actomyosin in mechanical sensing. Taken together, our results reveal neuron type-specific mechanical regulation of the Cav channels and excitability in the nervous system. Such information is useful for neural tissue engineering and regeneration.
Novel Repolarisation Metric Predicts Arrhythmia Origin And Clinical Events In ARVC And Brugada Syndrome
Authors: Martin Claire , Orini Michele , Srinivasan Neil , Bhar-Amato Justine , Honarbakhsh Shohreh , Chow Anthony , Lowe Martin , Simon Ron , Elliott Perry , Taggart Peter , Lambiase Pier
Published: April 2017

Background: Initiation of re-entrant ventricular tachycardia (VT) involves complex interactions between activation (AT) and repolarization times (RT). The re-entry vulnerability index (RVI) is a recently proposed activation-repolarization metric designed to quantify tissue susceptibility to re-entry. Objectives: The study aimed to test the feasibility of an RVI-based algorithm to predict the breakout site of VT and occurrence of clinical events. Methods: Patients with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) (n=11), Brugada Syndrome (BrS) (n=13) and focal RV outflow tract VT (n=9) underwent programmed stimulation with unipolar electrograms recorded from a non-contact array. The distance between region of lowest RVI and site of VT breakout (Dmin), and global minimum RVI (RVIG) were computed to assess prediction of site of VT breakout and occurrence of clinical events, respectively. Results: Lowest values of RVI, representing sites of highest susceptibility to re-entry, co-localised with site of VT breakout in ARVC/BrS but not in focal VT and Dmin values were lower in ARVC/BrS. ARVC/BrS patients with inducible VT had lower RVIG than those who were non-inducible or those with focal VT. Patients were followed up for 112 +/- 19 months; those with clinical VT events had lower RVIG than those without VT or those with focal VT. Conclusions: The proposed methodology based on RVI localises the origin of re-entrant but not focal ventricular arrhythmias and predicts clinical events. This index could be applied to target ablation for arrhythmias which are difficult to induce or are haemodynamically unstable and also risk stratify patients for ICD prophylaxis.
Improved outcome and cost effectiveness in ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation under general anaesthetic
Authors: Martin Claire A , Curtain James P , Gajendragadkar Parag R , Begley David A , Fynn Simon P , Grace Andrew A , Heck Patrick M , Salaunkey Kiran , Virdee Munmohan S , Agarwal Sharad
Published: April 2017

Aims

Outcome of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation remains suboptimal. Techniques employed to reduce arrhythmia recurrence rate are more likely to be embraced if cost-effectiveness can be demonstrated. A single-centre observational study assessed whether use of general anaesthesia (GA) in persistent AF ablation improved outcome and was cost-effective.

Methods

292 patients undergoing first ablation procedures for persistent AF under conscious sedation or GA were followed. End points were freedom from listing for repeat ablation at 18 months and freedom from recurrence of atrial arrhythmia at one year.

Results

Freedom from atrial arrhythmia was higher in patients who underwent ablation under GA rather than sedation (63.9% vs 42.3%, HR 1.87, 95% CI: 1.23 to 2.86, p = 0.002). Significantly fewer GA patients were listed for repeat procedures (29.2% vs 42.7%, HR 1.62, 95% CI: 1.01 to 2.60, p = 0.044). Despite GA procedures costing slightly more, a saving of £177 can be made per patient in our centre for a maximum of 2 procedures if all persistent AF ablations are performed under GA.

Conclusions

In patients with persistent AF, it is both clinical and economically more effective to perform ablation under GA rather than sedation.

What’s New?

There is very little known regarding the clinical outcome of catheter ablation of AF under GA compared with sedation; to our knowledge there is one study only in paroxysmal AF and no studies examining cost effectiveness.

This study shows that in patients with persistent AF, it is both clinical and economically more effective to perform ablation under GA rather than sedation.

This study leads us to recommend the use of GA for the ablation of persistent AF. As PAF ablation is now increasingly being undertaken by single shot techniques which do not have the same requirements for analgesia and immobility, GA resources may be allocated for persistent AF ablation.
CiliaCarta: an integrated and validated compendium of ciliary genes
Authors: van Dam Teunis J. P. , Kennedy Julie , Lee Robin van der , Vrieze Erik de , Wunderlich Kirsten A. , Rix Suzanne , Dougherty Gerard W. , Lambacher Nils J. , Li Chunmei , Jensen Victor L. , Leroux Michel R. , Hjeij Rim , Horn Nicola , Texier Yves , Wissinger Yasmin , van Reeuwijk Jeroen , Wheway Gabrielle , Knapp Barbara , Scheel Jan F. , Franco Brunella , Mans Dorus A. , van Wijk Erwin , Képès François , Slaats Gisela G. , Toedt Grischa , Kremer Hannie , Omran Heymut , Szymanska Katarzyna , Koutroumpas Konstantinos , Ueffing Marius , Nguyen Thanh-Minh T. , Letteboer Stef J.F. , Oud Machteld M. , van Beersum Sylvia E. C. , Schmidts Miriam , Beales Philip L. , Lu Qianhao , Giles Rachel H. , Szklarczyk Radek , Russell Robert B. , Gibson Toby J. , Johnson Colin A. , Blacque Oliver E. , Wolfrum Uwe , Boldt Karsten , Roepman Ronald , Hernandez-Hernandez Victor , Huynen Martijn A.
Published: April 2017

The cilium is an essential organelle at the surface of most mammalian cells whose dysfunction causes a wide range of genetic diseases collectively called ciliopathies. The current rate at which new ciliopathy genes are identified suggests that many ciliary components remain undiscovered. We generated and rigorously analyzed genomic, proteomic, transcriptomic and evolutionary data and systematically integrated these using Bayesian statistics into a predictive score for ciliary function. This resulted in 285 candidate ciliary genes. We found experimental evidence of ciliary associations for 24 out of 36 analyzed candidate proteins. In addition, we show that OSCP1, which has previously been implicated in two distinct non-ciliary functions, causes a cilium dysfunction phenotype when depleted in zebrafish. The candidate list forms the basis of CiliaCarta, a comprehensive ciliary compendium covering 836 genes. The resource can be used to objectively prioritize candidate genes in whole exome or genome sequencing of ciliopathy patients and can be accessed athttp://bioinformatics.bio.uu.nl/john/syscilia/ciliacarta/.
Ablation of complex fractionated electrograms improves outcome in long standing persistent atrial fibrillation
Authors: Martin Claire A , Curtain James P , Gajendragadkar Parag R , Begley David A , Fynn Simon P , Grace Andrew A , Heck Patrick M , Virdee Munmohan S , Agarwal Sharad
Published: April 2017

Purpose

There is controversy and sparse data on whether substrate based techniques in addition to pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) confer benefit in the catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF), especially if long standing. We performed an observational study to assess whether substrate based ablation improved freedom from atrial arrhythmia.

Methods

286 patients undergoing first ablation procedures for persistent AF with PVI only, PVI plus linear ablation, or PVI plus complex fractionated electrogram (CFAE) and linear ablation were followed. Primary end point was freedom from atrial arrhythmia at one year.

Results

Mean duration of pre-procedure time in AF was 28+/-27 months. Freedom from atrial arrhythmia was higher with a PVI+CFAE+lines strategy then for PVI alone (HR 1.56, 95% CI: 1.04-2.34, p=0.032) but was not higher with PVI+lines. Benefit of substrate modification was conferred for pre-procedure times in AF of over 30 months. The occurrence of atrial tachycardia was higher when lines were added to the ablation strategy (HR 0.08, 95% CI: 0.01-0.59, p=0.014). Freedom from atrial arrhythmia at 1 year was higher with lower patient age, use of general anaesthetic (GA), normal or mildly dilated left atrium and decreasing time in AF.

Conclusions

In patients with long standing persistent AF of over 30 months duration, CFAE ablation resulted in improved freedom from atrial arrhythmia. Increased freedom from atrial arrhythmia occurs in patients who are younger and have smaller atria, and with GA procedures. Linear ablation did not improve outcome and resulted in a higher incidence of atrial tachycardia.
Serotonin buffers hippocampal neuroplasticity and emotional behavior
Authors: Maddaloni Giacomo , Migliarini Sara , Napolitano Francesco , Giorgi Andrea , Biasci Daniele , De Felice Alessia , Galbusera Alberto , Franceschi Sara , Lessi Francesca , La Ferla Marco , Aretini Paolo , Mazzanti Chiara Maria , Gozzi Alessandro , Usiello Alessandro , Pasqualetti Massimo
Published: April 2017

Adaptation to environmental insults is an evolutionary mechanism essential for survival. The hippocampus participates in controlling adaptive responses to stress and emotional state through the modulation of neuroplasticity events, which are dysregulated in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT) has been proposed as a pivotal player in hippocampal neuroplasticity in both normal and neuropsychiatric conditions though its role remains still poorly understood. Here, we investigated the impact of 5-HT deficiency on hippocampal activity combining RNA-seq,in vivoneuroimaging, neuroanatomical, biochemical and behavioral experiments on 5-HT depleted mice. We unveil that serotonin is required for appropriate activation of neuroplasticity adaptive mechanisms to environmental insults. Bidirectional deregulation of these programs in serotonin depleted mice is associated with opposite behavioral traits that model core symptoms of bipolar disorder. These findings delineate a previously unreported buffering role of 5-HT in instructing hippocampal activity and emotional responses to environmental demands.
Limitation of dogwhelk consumption of mussels by crab cues depends on dogwhelk density and cue type
Authors: Boudreau Melanie L. , Scrosati Ricardo A. , Wong Melisa C.
Published: April 2017

Predator nonconsumptive effects (NCEs) on prey activity are common in nature. Upon sensing predator cues, a common prey response is to reduce feeding to avoid being detected by predators. Using an aquatic system, this study investigated how prey density and predator cue type affect predator NCEs on prey feeding. Prey density was investigated because, as it increases, the individual risk of being preyed upon decreases, which may reduce NCEs if prey can detect conspecifics. Predator cue type was investigated because waterborne cues would trigger weaker NCEs than waterborne and tactile cues combined, as predation risk may be perceived by prey to be stronger in the second case. Specifically, a factorial experiment tested the hypotheses that (i) increasing dogwhelk (prey) density reduces the limitation that crab (predator) chemical cues can have on dogwhelk consumption of mussels and that (ii) chemical and tactile crab cues combined limit dogwhelk feeding more strongly than chemical crab cues alone. The results broadly supported these hypotheses. On the one hand, crab chemical cues limited the per-capita consumption of mussels by dogwhelks at a low dogwhelk density, but such NCEs disappeared at intermediate and high dogwhelk densities. On the other hand, the combination of chemical and tactile cues from crabs caused stronger NCEs, as dogwhelk consumption of mussels was negatively affected at all three dogwhelk densities. The structurally complex mussel beds may provide not only food for dogwhelks but a refuge from crab predation that allows dogwhelk density to limit crab NCEs when mediated by waterborne cues. Overall, this study suggests that prey evaluate conspecific density when assessing predation risk and that the type of cues prey are exposed to can affect their interpretation of risk.
Evolution of coprophagy and nutrient absorption in a cave salamander
Authors: Soares Daphne , Roenfeldt Rachel , Hammond Shea , Slay Michael E. , Fenolio Dante B. , Niemiller Matthew L.
Published: April 2017

The transition from carnivory to omnivory is poorly understood. The ability to feed at more than one trophic level theoretically increases an animal’s fitness in a novel environment. Because of the absence of light and photosynthesis, most subterranean ecosystems are characterized by very few trophic levels, such that food scarcity is a challenge in many subterranean habitats. One strategy against starvation is to expand diet breadth. Grotto salamanders (Eurycea spelaea) are known to ingest bat guano deliberately, challenging the general understanding that salamanders are strictly carnivorous. Here we tested the hypothesis that grotto salamanders have broadened their diet related to cave adaptation and found that, although coprophagous behavior is present, salamanders are unable to acquire sufficient nutrition from bat guano alone. Our results suggest that the coprophagic behavior has emerged prior to physiological or gut biome adaptations.
The Nuclear And Mitochondrial Genomes Of The Facultatively Eusocial Orchid BeeEuglossa dilemma
Authors: Brand Philipp , Saleh Nicholas , Pan Hailin , Li Cai , Kapheim Karen M. , Ramírez Santiago R.
Published: April 2017

Bees provide indispensable pollination services to both agricultural crops and wild plant populations, and several species of bees have become important models for the study of learning and memory, plant-insect interactions and social behavior. Orchid bees (Apidae: Euglossini) are especially important to the fields of pollination ecology, evolution, and species conservation. Here we report the nuclear and mitochondrial genome sequences of the orchid beeEuglossa dilemmaBembé & Eltz.Euglossa dilemmawas selected because it is widely distributed, highly abundant, and it was recently naturalized in the southeastern United States. We provide a high-quality assembly of the 3.3 giga-base genome, and an official gene set of 15,904 gene annotations. We find high conservation of gene synteny with the honey bee throughout 80 million years of divergence time. This genomic resource represents the first draft genome of the orchid bee genusEuglossa,and the first draft orchid bee mitochondrial genome, thus representing a valuable resource to the research community.
Cell size sensing in animal cells coordinates anabolic growth rates with cell cycle progression to maintain uniformity of cell size
Authors: Ginzberg Miriam B. , Chang Nancy , Kafri Ran , Kirschner Marc W.
Published: April 2017

The uniformity of cell size in healthy tissues suggests that control mechanisms might coordinate cell growth and division. We derived a method to assay whether growth rates of individual cells depend on cell size, by combining time-lapse microscopy and immunofluorescence to monitor how variance in cell size changes as cells grow. This analysis revealed two periods in the cell cycle when cell size variance decreases in a manner incompatible with unregulated growth, suggesting that cells sense their own size and adjust their growth rate to correct aberrations. Monitoring nuclear growth in live cells confirmed that these decreases in variance reflect a process that selectively inhibits the growth of large cells while accelerating growth of small cells. We also detected cell-size-dependent adjustments of G1 length, which further reduce variability. Combining our assays with chemical and genetic perturbations confirmed that cells employ two strategies, adjusting both cell cycle length and growth rate, to maintain the appropriate size.
Nanofabrication and characterization of a grating-based condenser for uniform illumination with hard X-rays
Authors: Liu Jianpeng , Li Xin , Chen Shuo , Zhang Sichao , Xie Shanshan , Xu Chen , Chen Yifang , Deng Biao , Mao Chenwen
Published: April 2017

In the development of full-field transmission X-ray microscopy for basic study in science and technology, a condenser capable of providing intense illumination with high uniformity and stability on tested specimens in order to achieve high-quality images is essential. The latest design of a square-shaped condenser based on diffractive gratings has demonstrated promising uniformity in illumination. This paper describes in more detail the development of such a beam shaper for hard X-rays at 10 keV with regard to its design, manufacture and optical characterization. The effect of the grating profile on the diffracted intensity has been theoretically predicted by numerical simulation using the finite-difference time-domain method. Based on this, the limitations of the grating-based condenser are discussed.
SUT-NANOTEC-SLRI beamline for X-ray absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Klysubun Wantana , Kidkhunthod Pinit , Tarawarakarn Pongjakr , Sombunchoo Panidtha , Kongmark Chanapa , Limpijumnong Sukit , Rujirawat Saroj , Yimnirun Rattikorn , Tumcharern Gamolwan , Faungnawakij Kajornsak
Published: April 2017

The SUT-NANOTEC-SLRI beamline was constructed in 2012 as the flagship of the SUT-NANOTEC-SLRI Joint Research Facility for Synchrotron Utilization, co-established by Suranaree University of Technology (SUT), National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC) and Synchrotron Light Research Institute (SLRI). It is an intermediate-energy X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) beamline at SLRI. The beamline delivers an unfocused monochromatic X-ray beam of tunable photon energy (1.25–10 keV). The maximum normal incident beam size is 13 mm (width) × 1 mm (height) with a photon flux of 3 × 108to 2 × 1010 photons s−1(100 mA)−1varying across photon energies. Details of the beamline and XAS instrumentation are described. To demonstrate the beamline performance,K-edge XANES spectra of MgO, Al2O3, S8, FeS, FeSO4, Cu, Cu2O and CuO, and EXAFS spectra of Cu and CuO are presented.
N′-[Bis(methylsulfanyl)methylidene]-2-methoxybenzohydrazide
Authors: Nath Paras , Bharty Manoj K. , Butcher Ray J. , Jasinski Jerry P.
Published: April 2017

In the title compound, C11H14N2O2S2, the diethyl dithioate groups are inclined slightly to the benzoyl ring, making a dihedral angle of 14.0 (3)°. A short intramolecular N—H...O contact generates anS(6) ring. In the crystal, C—H...O contacts generate aC(8) chain motif along [010].
(4Z)-4-(2-Oxopropylidene)-1,3-bis(prop-2-en-1-yl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-1,5-benzodiazepin-2-one
Authors: Sebhaoui Jihad , El Bakri Youness , Rayni Ibtissam , El Bourakadi Khadija , Essassi El Mokhtar , Mague Joel T.
Published: April 2017

In the title compound, C18H20N2O2, the diazepin-2-one ring adopts a tub conformation. The conformation of the acetyl group is partially determined by an intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bond. In the crystal, pairwise C—H...O hydrogen bonds form inversion dimers.
Arts and culture management
Authors: Ruiz Jaime , Colbert Francois , Hinna Alessandro
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overall picture of the five articles included in this issue highlighting their contributions and revealing the importance of academic research for arts and culture management as a nascent topic in the Latin American context.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper elaborates a critical description of the main aspects of the papers included. The contributions are grouped together around central topics pertaining to arts and culture management such as: audience creation and environment; museums, competition and efficiency; and management skills and entrepreneurship.

Findings

The contributions of the articles are as diverse as the topics included in them. Some highlight the importance of the context in audience creation processes, others reveal the determinants of the institutional variables in the efficiency of artistic organisations, and a final one, reveals the deconstruction of an artistic genre and its contribution to the comprehension of organisations’ innovation processes. However, the most important contribution, within the Latin American context, consists basically in a process of dissemination and knowledge of the research developed in different international contexts and which may apply to the analysis of arts and culture management in the region.

Originality/value

As noted in the body of this paper, the topic of cultural management is novel and has acquired notable importance in developed economies in which the arts and culture sector has strategic value. Latin America reveals an institutional revolution which situates the cultural sector in a predominant position where its contribution to the creation of social and economic value turns it into a key field in Latin American societies. Arts and culture constitute a factor of value creation which requires carefully planned and pertinent management processes. This publication, through its five contributions, all European, is a valuable tool of dissemination for knowledge and management in Latin America, where academic research into the sector is, as yet, incipient.
Understanding competition and service offer in museum marketing
Authors: Komarac Tanja , Ozretic-Dosen Durdana , Skare Vatroslav
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the current role of competition as one of the neglected aspects of museum marketing management. It also aims to discover whether museum professionals consider museums to be market immune and to find out what they think about the role of competition in creating and managing their existing and new services.

Design/methodology/approach

The theoretical part of the paper is based on a review of the literature from the multidisciplinary field of arts and museum marketing management. The exploratory qualitative research included 17 museum professionals and was carried out in 17 museums in one EU emerging market country.

Findings

Museum professionals are not aware of the competition, or they tend to ignore its existence. They consider the preservation of objects (exhibits) to be equally or even more important than providing services. However, additional services become important. Although some museum professionals try to engage visitors in the active creation of museum experience, most are still conservative in such terms.

Research limitations

The primary research limitations are related to intentional, convenience sample and the perspective of one employee (marketing manager or museums’ director).

Originality/value

Research findings provide valuable insights for both marketing academics and professionals engaged in the museum marketing management field. The contribution of the paper is also contextual as it helps to bridge the gap existing in museum marketing management research in the context of the emerging markets.