bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mediator Preference of Two Different FAD-Dependent Glucose Dehydrogenases Employed in Disposable Enzyme Glucose Sensors
Authors: Loew Noya , Tsugawa Wakako , Nagae Daichi , Kojima Katsuhiro , Sode Koji
Published: November 2017

Most commercially available electrochemical enzyme sensor strips for the measurement of blood glucose use an artificial electron mediator to transfer electrons from the active side of the enzyme to the electrode. One mediator recently gaining attention for commercial sensor strips is hexaammineruthenium(III) chloride. In this study, we investigate and compare the preference of enzyme electrodes with two different FAD-dependent glucose dehydrogenases (FADGDHs) for the mediators hexaammineruthenium(III) chloride, potassium ferricyanide (the most common mediator in commercial sensor strips), and methoxy phenazine methosulfate (mPMS). One FADGDH is a monomeric fungal enzyme, and the other a hetero-trimeric bacterial enzyme. With the latter, which contains a heme-subunit facilitating the electron transfer, similar response currents are obtained with hexaammineruthenium(III), ferricyanide, and mPMS (6.8 µA, 7.5 µA, and 6.4 µA, respectively, for 10 mM glucose). With the fungal FADGDH, similar response currents are obtained with the negatively charged ferricyanide and the uncharged mPMS (5.9 µA and 6.7 µA, respectively, for 10 mM glucose), however, no response current is obtained with hexaammineruthenium(III), which has a strong positive charge. These results show that access of even very small mediators with strong charges to a buried active center can be almost completely blocked by the protein.
Estimating Crop Area at County Level on the North China Plain with an Indirect Sampling of Segments and an Adapted Regression Estimator
Authors: Dong Qinghan , Liu Jia , Wang Limin , Chen Zhongxin , Gallego Javier
Published: November 2017

Image classifications, including sub-pixel analysis, are often used to estimate crop acreage directly. However, this type of assessment often leads to a biased estimation, because commission and omission errors generally do not compensate for each other. Regression estimators combine remote sensing information with more accurate ground data on a field sample, and can result in more accurate and cost-effective assessments of crop acreage. In this pilot study, which aims to produce crop statistics in Guoyang County, the area frame sampling approach is adapted to a strip-like cropping pattern on the North China Plain. Remote sensing information is also used to perform a stratification in which non-agricultural areas are excluded from the ground survey. In order to compute crop statistics, 202 ground points in the agriculture stratum were surveyed. Image classification was included as an auxiliary variable in the subsequent analysis to obtain a regression estimator. The results of this pilot study showed that the integration of remote sensing information as an auxiliary variable can improve the accuracy of estimation by reducing the variance of the estimates, as well as the cost effectiveness of an operational application at the county level in the region.
Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics of Agave Sap (Agave salmiana) after Its Inoculation with Microorganisms Isolated from Agave Sap Concentrate Selected to Enhance Anticancer Activity
Authors: Figueroa Luis , Santos-Zea Liliana , Escalante Adelfo , Gutiérrez-Uribe Janet
Published: November 2017

Saponins have been correlated with the reduction of cancer cell growth and the apoptotic effect of agave sap concentrate. Empirical observations of this artisanal Mexican food have shown that fermentation occurs after agave sap is concentrated, but little is known about the microorganisms that survive after cooking, or their effects on saponins and other metabolites. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in metabolites found in agave (A. salmiana) sap after its fermentation with microorganisms isolated from agave sap concentrate, and demonstrate its potential use to enhance anticancer activity. Microorganisms were isolated by dilution plating and identified by 16S rRNA analysis. Isolates were used to ferment agave sap, and their corresponding butanolic extracts were compared with those that enhanced the cytotoxic activity on colon (Caco-2) and liver (Hep-G2) cancer cells. Metabolite changes were investigated by mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. Among 69 isolated microorganisms, the actinomycetes Arthrobacter globiformis and Gordonia sp. were used to analyze the metabolites, along with bioactivity changes. From the 939 ions that were mainly responsible for variation among fermented samples at 48 h, 96 h, and 192 h, four were correlated to anticancer activity. It was shown that magueyoside B, a kammogenin glycoside, was found at higher intensities in the samples fermented with Gordonia sp. that reduced Hep-G2 viability better than controls. These findings showed that microorganisms from agave sap concentrate change agave sap metabolites such as saponins. Butanolic extracts obtained after agave sap fermentation with Arthrobacter globiformis or Gordonia sp. increased the cancer cell growth inhibitory effect on colon or liver cancer cells, respectively.
Short Term Wind Power Prediction Based on Improved Kriging Interpolation, Empirical Mode Decomposition, and Closed-Loop Forecasting Engine
Authors: Amjady Nima , Abedinia Oveis
Published: November 2017

The growing trend of wind generation in power systems and its uncertain nature have recently highlighted the importance of wind power prediction. In this paper a new wind power prediction approach is proposed which includes an improved version of Kriging Interpolation Method (KIM), Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD), an information-theoretic feature selection method, and a closed-loop forecasting engine. In the proposed approach, EMD decomposes volatile wind power time series into more smooth and well-behaved components. To enhance the performance of EMD, Improved KIM (IKIM) is used instead of Cubic Spline (CS) fitting in it. The proposed IKIM includes the von Karman covariance model whose settings are optimized based on error variance minimization using an evolutionary algorithm. Each component obtained by this EMD decomposition is separately predicted by a closed-loop neural network-based forecasting engine whose inputs are determined by an information-theoretic feature selection method. Wind power prediction results are obtained by combining all individual forecasts of these components. The proposed wind power forecast approach is tested on the real-world wind farms in Spain and Alberta, Canada. The results obtained from the proposed approach are extensively compared with the results of many other wind power prediction methods.
G-Protein Coupled Receptors Targeted by Analgesic Venom Peptides
Authors: Daniel James , Clark Richard
Published: November 2017

Chronic pain is a complex and debilitating condition associated with a large personal and socioeconomic burden. Current pharmacological approaches to treating chronic pain such as opioids, antidepressants and anticonvulsants exhibit limited efficacy in many patients and are associated with dose-limiting side effects that hinder their clinical use. Therefore, improved strategies for the pharmacological treatment of pathological pain are urgently needed. G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are ubiquitously expressed on the surface of cells and act to transduce extracellular signals and regulate physiological processes. In the context of pain, numerous and diverse families of GPCRs expressed in pain pathways regulate most aspects of physiological and pathological pain and are thus implicated as potential targets for therapy of chronic pain. In the search for novel compounds that produce analgesia via GPCR modulation, animal venoms offer an enormous and virtually untapped source of potent and selective peptide molecules. While many venom peptides target voltage-gated and ligand-gated ion channels to inhibit neuronal excitability and blunt synaptic transmission of pain signals, only a small proportion are known to interact with GPCRs. Of these, only a few have shown analgesic potential in vivo. Here we review the current state of knowledge regarding venom peptides that target GPCRs to produce analgesia, and their development as therapeutic compounds.
The Effects of Various Weather Conditions as a Potential Ischemic Stroke Trigger in Dogs
Authors: Meadows Kristy , Silver Gena
Published: November 2017

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, and is the leading cause of serious, long-term disability worldwide. There are at least 795,000 new or recurrent strokes each year, and approximately 85% of all stroke occurrences are ischemic. Unfortunately, companion animals are also at risk for ischemic stroke. Although the exact incidence of ischemic stroke in companion animals is unknown, some studies, and the veterinary information network (VIN), report that approximately 3% of neurological case referrals are due to a stroke. There is a long list of predisposing factors associated with the risk of ischemic stroke in both humans and canines; however, these factors do not explain why a stroke happens at a particular time on a particular day. Our understanding of these potential stroke “triggers” is limited, and the effect of transient environmental exposures may be one such “trigger”. The present study investigated the extent to which the natural occurrence of canine ischemic stroke was related to the weather conditions in the time-period immediately preceding the onset of stroke. The results of the present study demonstrated that the change in weather conditions could be a potential stroke trigger, with the strokes evaluated occurring after periods of rapid, large fluctuations in weather conditions. There are currently no epidemiological data on the seasonal variability of ischemic stroke in dogs, and determining whether canine stroke parallels human stroke would further validate the use of companion dogs as an appropriate naturally occurring model.
Contamination Event Detection Method Using Multi-Stations Temporal-Spatial Information Based on Bayesian Network in Water Distribution Systems
Authors: Yu Jie , Xu Le , Xie Xiang , Hou Dibo , Huang Pingjie , Zhang Guangxin , Zhang Hongjian
Published: November 2017

As a core part of protecting water quality safety in water distribution systems, contamination event detection requires high accuracy. Previously, temporal analysis-based methods for single sensor stations have shown limited performance as they fail to consider spatial information. Besides, abundant historical data from multiple stations are still underexploited in causal relationship modelling. In this paper, a contamination event detection method is proposed, in which both temporal and spatial information from multi-stations in water distribution systems are used. The causal relationship between upstream and downstream stations is modelled by Bayesian Network, using the historical water quality data and hydraulic data. Then, the spatial abnormal probability for one station is obtained by comparing its current causal relationship with the established model. Meanwhile, temporal abnormal probability is obtained by conventional methods, such as an Autoregressive (AR) or threshold model for the same station. The integrated probability that is calculated employed temporal and spatial probabilities using Logistic Regression to determine the final detection result. The proposed method is tested over two networks and its detection performance is evaluated against results obtained from traditional methods using only temporal analysis. Results indicate that the proposed method shows higher accuracy due to its increased information from both temporal and spatial dimensions.
Hydrolysis, polarity, and conformational impact of C-terminal partially fluorinated ethyl esters in peptide models
Authors: Kubyshkin Vladimir , Budisa Nediljko
Published: November 2017

Fluorinated moieties are highly valuable to chemists due to the sensitive NMR detectability of the 19F nucleus. Fluorination of molecular scaffolds can also selectively influence a molecule’s polarity, conformational preferences and chemical reactivity, properties that can be exploited for various chemical applications. A powerful route for incorporating fluorine atoms in biomolecules is last-stage fluorination of peptide scaffolds. One of these methods involves esterification of the C-terminus of peptides using a diazomethane species. Here, we provide an investigation of the physicochemical consequences of peptide esterification with partially fluorinated ethyl groups. Derivatives of N-acetylproline are used to model the effects of fluorination on the lipophilicity, hydrolytic stability and on conformational properties. The conformational impact of the 2,2-difluoromethyl ester on several neutral and charged oligopeptides was also investigated. Our results demonstrate that partially fluorinated esters undergo variable hydrolysis in biologically relevant buffers. The hydrolytic stability can be tailored over a broad pH range by varying the number of fluorine atoms in the ester moiety or by introducing adjacent charges in the peptide sequence.
Anatomical Variation Of The Submandibular Gland Duct. A Unreported Anomaly
Authors: Ferreira Arquez Humberto
Published: November 2017

Background: The submandibular gland is the second largest major salivary gland and weighs 7–16 gr. The gland is located in both sides of the face, at the same level of the body of the jaw, in the submandibular triangle, The submandibular duct or Wharton’s duct exits anteriorly, coursing deep to the lingual nerve and medial to the sublingual gland, the main excretory duct of the submandibular gland, whose diameter is of 2 to 3mm and approximately 4–5 cm long. It empties lateral to the lingual frenulum through a papilla in the floor of the mouth behind the lower incisor tooth. The purpose of this study is determine the morphologic features and describe an unusual anatomical variation of the path of the submandibular duct.

Methods and Findings: A total of 17 cadavers were used for this study in the Morphology Laboratory at the University of Pamplona. In a cadaver were findings: The excretory duct of the left submandibular gland had an external location that ascends and crosses vertically off the body of the mandible, in its termination it is divided in four ducts that had separate openings into the oral cavity upon a small papillas independent, opposites to the first and second lower molar Crown.

Conclusions: Awareness of potential variations of the excretory ducts of the salivary glands can aid in the accurate diagnosis and treatment of patients with salivary conditions as well as help surgeons avoid further complications or duct lacerations during surgical procedures.
Exterior Companions to Hot Jupiters Orbiting Cool Stars Are Coplanar
Authors: Becker Juliette C. , Vanderburg Andrew , Adams Fred C. , Khain Tali , Bryan Marta
Published: November 2017

The existence of hot Jupiters has challenged theories of planetary formation since the first extrasolar planets were detected. Giant planets are generally believed to form far from their host stars, where volatile materials like water exist in their solid phase, making it easier for giant planet cores to accumulate. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain how giant planets can migrate inward from their birth sites to short-period orbits. One such mechanism, called Kozai–Lidov migration, requires the presence of distant companions in orbits inclined by more than ∼40° with respect to the plane of the hot Jupiter’s orbit. The high occurrence rate of wide companions in hot-Jupiter systems lends support to this theory for migration. However, the exact orbital inclinations of these detected planetary and stellar companions is not known, so it is not clear whether the mutual inclination of these companions is large enough for the Kozai–Lidov process to operate. This paper shows that in systems orbiting cool stars with convective outer layers, the orbits of most wide planetary companions to hot Jupiters must be well aligned with the orbits of the hot Jupiters and the spins of the host stars. For a variety of possible distributions for the inclination of the companion, the width of the distribution must be less than ∼20° to recreate the observations with good fidelity. As a result, the companion orbits are likely well aligned with those of the hot Jupiters, and the Kozai–Lidov mechanism does not enforce migration in these systems.
A Case for an Atmosphere on Super-Earth 55 Cancri e
Authors: Angelo Isabel , Hu Renyu
Published: November 2017

One of the primary questions when characterizing Earth-sized and super-Earth-sized exoplanets is whether they have a substantial atmosphere like Earth and Venus or a bare-rock surface like Mercury. Phase curves of the planets in thermal emission provide clues to this question, because a substantial atmosphere would transport heat more efficiently than a bare-rock surface. Analyzing phase-curve photometric data around secondary eclipses has previously been used to study energy transport in the atmospheres of hot Jupiters. Here we use phase curve, Spitzer time-series photometry to study the thermal emission properties of the super-Earth exoplanet 55 Cancri e. We utilize a semianalytical framework to fit a physical model to the infrared photometric data at 4.5 μm. The model uses parameters of planetary properties including Bond albedo, heat redistribution efficiency (i.e., ratio between radiative timescale and advective timescale of the atmosphere), and the atmospheric greenhouse factor. The phase curve of 55 Cancri e is dominated by thermal emission with an eastward-shifted hotspot. We determine the heat redistribution efficiency to be

, which implies that the advective timescale is on the same order as the radiative timescale. This requirement cannot be met by the bare-rock planet scenario because heat transport by currents of molten lava would be too slow. The phase curve thus favors the scenario with a substantial atmosphere. Our constraints on the heat redistribution efficiency translate to an atmospheric pressure of ∼1.4 bar. The Spitzer 4.5 μm band is thus a window into the deep atmosphere of the planet 55 Cancri e.
Know the Planet, Know the Star: Precise Stellar Densities from Kepler Transit Light Curves
Authors: Sandford Emily , Kipping David
Published: November 2017

The properties of a transiting planet’s host star are written in its transit light curve. The light curve can reveal the stellar density (

) and the limb-darkening profile in addition to the characteristics of the planet and its orbit. For planets with strong prior constraints on orbital eccentricity, we may measure these stellar properties directly from the light curve; this method promises to aid greatly in the characterization of transiting planet host stars targeted by the upcoming NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite mission and any long-period, singly transiting planets discovered in the same systems. Using Bayesian inference, we fit a transit model, including a nonlinear limb-darkening law, to 66 Kepler transiting planet hosts to measure their stellar properties. We present posterior distributions of ρ
*, limb-darkening coefficients, and other system parameters for these stars. We measure densities to within 5% for the majority of our target stars, with the dominant precision-limiting factor being the signal-to-noise ratio of the transits. Of our measured stellar densities, 95% are in 3σ or better agreement with previously published literature values. We make posterior distributions for all of our target Kepler objects of interest available online at 10.5281/zenodo.1028515.
Detailed Abundances for the Old Population near the Galactic Center. I. Metallicity Distribution of the Nuclear Star Cluster
Authors: Rich R. M. , Ryde N. , Thorsbro B. , Fritz T. K. , Schultheis M. , Origlia L. , Jönsson H.
Published: November 2017

We report the first high spectral resolution study of 17 M giants kinematically confirmed to lie within a few parsecs of the Galactic center, using

spectroscopy from Keck/NIRSPEC and a new line list for the infrared K band. We consider their luminosities and kinematics, which classify these stars as members of the older stellar population and the central cluster. We find a median metallicity of

and a large spread from approximately −0.3 to

(quartiles). We find that the highest metallicities are

, with most of the stars being at or below the solar iron abundance. The abundances and the abundance distribution strongly resemble those of the Galactic bulge rather than the disk or halo; in our small sample we find no statistical evidence for a dependence of velocity dispersion on metallicity.
High-frequency Quasi-periodic Light Variations from Arc-shaped Gas Clouds Falling onto a Black Hole
Authors: Moriyama Kotaro , Mineshige Shin , Takahashi Hiroyuki R.
Published: November 2017

We investigate the dynamical and radiative properties of arc-shaped gas clouds falling onto a stellar-mass black hole based on the three-dimensional general relativistic radiation-magnetohydrodynamics (3D-GRRMHD) simulation data. Assuming that the gas clouds radiate mainly due to the free–free emission and/or optically thick, inverse Compton scattering, we calculate how the emissivity distributions develop with time. We find that (1) gas clouds, each of which has a ring-like or arc shape, are intermittently formed, and that (2) they slowly fall onto the black hole, keeping nearly the Keplerian orbital velocity. These features support the dynamical properties of the gas clouds assumed in the spin measurement method proposed by Moriyama & Mineshige, but the radius of the inner edge of the accretion disk is larger than that of the marginally stable orbit (ISCO). Next, we examine how each gas cloud is observed by a distant observer by calculating the photon trajectories in the black hole spacetime. The luminosity of the accretion flow exhibits significant time variations on different timescales, reflecting the time evolution of the gas density distributions. The relatively slow variations on the time durations of 0.08–0.10 s is due to the formation and fall of gas clouds, while quasi-periodic flux peaks with short time intervals (0.01 s) are due to the quasi-periodic enhancement of light from the non-axisymmetric arc-shaped clouds through the beaming effect. This may account for the high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (HF QPOs) observed in black hole binaries. The observational implications and future issues are briefly discussed.
Data Reduction and Image Reconstruction Techniques for Non-redundant Masking
Authors: Sallum S. , Eisner J.
Published: November 2017

The technique of non-redundant masking (NRM) transforms a conventional telescope into an interferometric array. In practice, this provides a much better constrained point-spread function than a filled aperture and thus higher resolution than traditional imaging methods. Here, we describe an NRM data reduction pipeline. We discuss strategies for NRM observations regarding dithering patterns and calibrator selection. We describe relevant image calibrations and use example Large Binocular Telescope data sets to show their effects on the scatter in the Fourier measurements. We also describe the various ways to calculate Fourier quantities, and discuss different calibration strategies. We present the results of image reconstructions from simulated observations where we adjust prior images, weighting schemes, and error bar estimation. We compare two imaging algorithms and discuss implications for reconstructing images from real observations. Finally, we explore how the current state of the art compares to next-generation Extremely Large Telescopes.
Initial Mass Function Variability (or Not) among Low-velocity Dispersion, Compact Stellar Systems
Authors: Villaume Alexa , Brodie Jean , Conroy Charlie , Romanowsky Aaron J. , Dokkum Pieter van
Published: November 2017

Analyses of strong gravitational lenses, galaxy-scale kinematics, and absorption-line stellar population synthesis (SPS) have all concluded that the stellar initial mass function (IMF) varies within the massive early-type galaxy (ETG) population. However, the physical mechanism that drives variation in the IMF is an outstanding question. Here we use new SPS models to consider a diverse set of compact, low-velocity dispersion stellar systems: globular clusters (GCs), an ultra-compact dwarf (UCD), and the compact elliptical (cE) galaxy M32. We compare our results to massive ETGs and available dynamical measurements. We find that the GCs have stellar mass-to-light ratios (M/L) that are either consistent with a Kroupa IMF or are slightly bottom-light, while the UCD and cE have mildly elevated M/L. The separation in derived IMFs for systems with similar metallicities and abundance patterns indicates that our SPS models can distinguish abundance and IMF effects. Variation among the sample in this paper is only

in normalized M/L compared to the

among the ETG sample. This suggests that metallicity is not the sole driver of IMF variability and additional parameters need to be considered.
Enrichment in r-process Elements from Multiple Distinct Events in the Early Draco Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy*
Authors: Tsujimoto Takuji , Matsuno Tadafumi , Aoki Wako , Ishigaki Miho N. , Shigeyama Toshikazu
Published: November 2017

The stellar record of elemental abundances in satellite galaxies is important to identify the origin of r-process because such a small stellar system could have hosted a single r-process event, which would distinguish member stars that are formed before and after the event through the evidence of a considerable difference in the abundances of r-process elements, as found in the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Reticulum II (Ret II). However, the limited mass of these systems prevents us from collecting information from a sufficient number of stars in individual satellites. Hence, it remains unclear whether the discovery of a remarkable r-process enrichment event in Ret II explains the nature of r-process abundances or is an exception. We perform high-resolution spectroscopic measurements of r-process abundances for 12 metal-poor stars in the Draco dwarf galaxy in the metallicity range of

. We found that these stars are separated into two groups with r-process abundances differing by one order of magnitude. A group of stars with high abundances of r-process elements was formed by a single r-process event that corresponds to the event evidenced in Ret II. On the other hand, the low r-process abundance group was formed by another sporadic enrichment channel producing far fewer r-process elements, which is clearly identified for the first time. Accordingly, we identified two populations of stars with different r-process abundances, which are built by two r-process events that enriched gases at levels that differ by more than one order of magnitude.
Cumulative Burden of Glucocorticoid-related Adverse Events in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Findings from a 12-year Longitudinal Study
Authors: Chen Hung-Lin , Shen Li-Jiuan , Hsu Ping-Ning , Shen Chieh-Yu , Hall Susan A. , Hsiao Fei-Yuan
Published: November 2017

Objective.

The aim of this population-based study is to examine the adverse events (AE) associated with longitudinal systemic glucocorticoid (GC) use among an ethnic Chinese systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cohort.

Methods.

Our study subjects were patients with newly diagnosed SLE aged 18 and older who received at least 1 prescription of systemic GC between 2001 and 2012 from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). The earliest prescription date of systemic GC for each subject was defined as the index date. For each subject, we calculated the average prednisolone-equivalent dose and the medication possession ratio (MPR) of GC use every 90 days for each patient after the index date. Patients with a diagnosis of AE (defined by the International Classification of Diseases-9-Clinical Modification diagnosis code) during the followup were also identified from the NHIRD. Generalized estimating equations adjusted for propensity score were applied to examine the association between longitudinal GC use and risks of prespecified AE (musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, ophthalmologic, infectious, cardiovascular, neuropsychiatric, metabolic, and dermatologic diseases).

Results.

We identified 11,288 patients with SLE (mean followup: 6.28 yrs). Higher doses and higher MPR of GC were associated with increased risk of osteonecrosis [adjusted OR (aOR) 2.87–9.09]. Similar results were found regarding the risk of osteoporosis (aOR 1.71–3.67), bacterial infection (aOR 2.12–3.89), Cushingoid syndrome (aOR 6.51–62.03), and sleep disorder (aOR 1.42–3.59).

Conclusion.

To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that the dose and intensity of longitudinal use of GC were both associated with risk of AE among a nationwide Asian SLE cohort.
Underestimation of Risk of Carotid Subclinical Atherosclerosis by Cardiovascular Risk Scores in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis
Authors: Shen Jiayun , Lam Steven H. , Shang Qing , Wong Chun-Kwok , Li Edmund K. , Wong Priscilla , Kun Emily W. , Cheng Isaac T. , Li Martin , Li Tena K. , Zhu Tracy Y. , Lee Jack Jock-Wai , Chang Mimi , Lee Alex Pui-Wai , Tam Lai-Shan
Published: November 2017

Objective.

To test the performances of established cardiovascular (CV) risk scores in discriminating subclinical atherosclerosis (SCA) in patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Methods.

These scores were calculated: Framingham risk score (FRS), QRISK2, Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE), 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk algorithm (ASCVD) from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, and the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR)–recommended modified versions (by 1.5 multiplication factor, m-). Carotid intima-media thickness > 0.9 mm and/or the presence of plaque determined by ultrasound were classified as SCA+.

Results.

We recruited 146 patients [49.4 ± 10.2 yrs, male: 90 (61.6%)], of whom 142/137/128/118 patients were eligible to calculate FRS/QRISK2/SCORE/ASCVD. Further, 62 (42.5%) patients were SCA+ and were significantly older, with higher systolic blood pressure and higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (all p < 0.05). All CV risk scores were significantly higher in patients with SCA+ [FRS: 7.8 (3.9–16.5) vs 2.7 (1.1–7.8), p < 0.001; QRISK2: 5.5 (3.1–10.2) vs 2.9 (1.2–6.3), p < 0.001; SCORE: 1 (0–2) vs 0 (0–1), p < 0.001; ASCVD: 5.6 (2.6–12.4) vs 3.4 (1.4–6.1), p = 0.001]. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test revealed moderate goodness of fit for the 4 CV scores (p ranged from 0.087 to 0.686). However, of the patients with SCA+, those identified as high risk were only 44.1% (by FRS > 10%), 1.8% (QRISK2 > 20%), 10.9% (SCORE > 5%), and 43.6% (ASCVD > 7.5%). By applying the EULAR multiplication factor, 50.8%/14.3%/14.5%/54.5% of the patients with SCA+ were identified as high risk by m-FRS/m-QRISK2/m-SCORE/m-ASCVD, respectively. EULAR modification increased the sensitivity of FRS and ASCVD in discriminating SCA+ from 44% to 51%, and 44% to 55%, respectively.

Conclusion.

All CV risk scores underestimated the SCA+ risk. EULAR–recommended modification improved the sensitivity of FRS and ASCVD only to a moderate level.
A Systematic Review of Quality Measures for Inflammatory Arthritis
Authors: Cooper Matthew , Rouhi Azin , Barber Claire E.H.
Published: November 2017

Objective.

To conduct a systematic review and quality appraisal of quality measures for inflammatory arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Methods.

Embase, MEDLINE, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) were searched from January 1, 2000, to October 23, 2016, using Medical Subject Headings terms for inflammatory arthritis and quality measures. A “grey literature” search of international arthritis organizations and quality measure libraries was also conducted. Two reviewers independently considered the papers for inclusion, with disagreements resolved by consensus. A modified guideline appraisal tool (AGREE II) was used to appraise the measure development process, which determined final inclusion. Measures were abstracted in duplicate and categorized into themes, measure type, and domains of quality.

Results.

Thirteen measurement sets were included from 4 countries (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Netherlands) and 1 European consortium. They included 10 sets on RA and 1 each for PsA, inflammatory arthritis, and JIA. There were 161 unique individual measures (136 process, 20 structure, and 5 outcome). Major themes included assessment, medications, and comorbidities. Measure development methods were varied, including RAND/University of California, Los Angeles appropriateness methodology, prioritization exercises, or other modified-Delphi methods. Inclusion of patients occurred in 77% of development groups. Discussion of barriers to measurement was infrequent.

Conclusion.

Inflammatory arthritis quality measures cover a diversity of themes encompassing process, structure, and outcomes of care across the 6 domains of quality. However, between organizations, measure development is not standardized. Local assessment of measurement feasibility before use outside the original development context is recommended.
Plasma MicroRNA Profiles in Patients with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Responding to Adalimumab plus Methotrexate vs Methotrexate Alone: A Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Sode Jacob , Krintel Sophine B. , Carlsen Anting Liu , Hetland Merete L. , Johansen Julia S. , Hørslev-Petersen Kim , Stengaard-Pedersen Kristian , Ellingsen Torkell , Burton Mark , Junker Peter , Østergaard Mikkel , Heegaard Niels H.H.
Published: November 2017

Objective.

The aim was to identify plasma (i.e., cell-free) microRNA (miRNA) predicting antitumor necrosis and/or methotrexate (MTX) treatment response in patients enrolled in an investigator-initiated, prospective, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial (The OPERA study,NCT00660647).

Methods.

We included 180 disease-modifying antirheumatic drug–naive patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) randomized to adalimumab (ADA; n = 89) or placebo (n = 91) in combination with MTX. Plasma samples before and 3 months after treatment initiation were analyzed for 91 specific miRNA by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction on microfluidic dynamic arrays. A linear mixed-effects model was used to test for associations between pretreatment miRNA and changes in miRNA expression and American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) Boolean (28 joints) remission at 3 and 12 months, applying false discovery rate correction for multiple testing. Using leave-one-out cross validation, we built predictive multivariate miRNA models and estimated classification performances using receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curves.

Results.

In the ADA group, a higher pretreatment level of miR-27a-3p was significantly associated with remission at 12 months. The level decreased in remitting patients between pretreatment and 3 months, and increased in nonremitting patients. No associations were found in the placebo group receiving only MTX. Two multivariate miRNA models were able to predict response to ADA treatment after 3 and 12 months, with 63% and 82% area under the ROC curves, respectively.

Conclusion.

We identified miR-27a-3p as a potential predictive biomarker of ACR/EULAR remission in patients with early RA treated with ADA in combination with MTX. We conclude that pretreatment plasma-miRNA profiles may be of predictive value, but the results need confirmation in independent cohorts.
Activity Limitations in Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis: A Role for Fear of Movement and (Re)injury Beliefs
Authors: Swinnen Thijs W. , Vlaeyen Johan W.S. , Dankaerts Wim , Westhovens René , de Vlam Kurt
Published: November 2017

Objective.

To determine whether fear of movement and (re)injury [FOM/(R)I] beliefs, measured with the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia 11-item version (TSK-11), influence activity limitations and mediate the relationship between pain severity and activity limitations in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

Methods.

In 173 patients with axSpA, these data were collected: sex, body mass index, disease duration, medication, activity limitations (BASFI; Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index), disease activity [Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI); BASDAIinf, items 5 and 6; BASDAIpain, items 2 and 3; C-reactive protein and physician’s global assessment], spinal mobility (BASMI; Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index), and FOM/(R)I (TSK-11). Scaling assumptions and reliability of TSK-11 were tested with item-to-total correlations, item variances, and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Hypothesis testing determined TSK-11’s construct validity. Multiple linear regression showed the contribution of TSK-11 to BASFI (enter and backward modeling). Mediation by TSK-11 was analyzed (bias-corrected bootstrapping and Sobel test).

Results.

Adequate scale (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.80) and item internal consistency (range item-scale correlations 0.41–0.58, except for item 5, r = 0.23), equal item-scale correlations, and item variances were found for TSK-11. Construct validity was confirmed, except for the hypothesized positive relationship between TSK-11 and BASMI. Regression models (enter method, adjusted R2 range 53–74%) consistently identified TSK-11 as a determinant of BASFI (β range 0.155 to 0.321, p < 0.05), although BASMI (β range 0.441 to 0.537) and disease activity (β range 0.243 to 0.571, p < 0.05) were the largest determinants. TSK-11 partially mediated the BASDAIpain/BASFI relationship (B = 0.107; Sobel test, p = 0.004; bias-corrected CI 0.046–0.197).

Conclusion.

TSK-11 is a promising and valid tool to assess fearful beliefs in relation to activity limitations in axSpA. Future research applying TSK-11 may reveal FOM/(R)I as a novel treatment target in axSpA.
High Baseline Serum Clara Cell 16 kDa Predicts Subsequent Lung Disease Worsening in Systemic Sclerosis
Authors: Rivière Sébastien , Hua-Huy Thong , Tiev Kiet Phong , Cabane Jean , Dinh-Xuan Anh Tuan
Published: November 2017

Objective.

Clara cell secretory protein (CC16) is a sensitive marker of bronchial epithelial cell damage. The CC16 serum level is elevated in patients with pulmonary fibrosis, but its predictive value on lung disease progression has not yet been studied. We aimed to assess the value of serum CC16 concentration in predicting lung disease deterioration in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods.

We prospectively analyzed and followed 106 patients with SSc during a 4-year period for the risk of developing combined deleterious event, defined as a 10% decrease in total lung capacity or forced vital capacity from baseline, or death, according to serum CC16 at inclusion. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed for prediction of events during the first 2 years after inclusion. Cumulative risks of combined events were computed by Kaplan-Meier analysis.

Results.

The best cutoff level of serum CC16 for prediction of a combined event was 33 ng/ml, with 76% sensitivity and 65% specificity (area under the ROC curve: 0.71, 95% CI 0.61–0.81, p < 0.0001). Progression of lung disease evaluated by a mean time-to-event differed between patients with high baseline serum CC16 (42.8 mos, 36.3–49.3) and those with low serum CC16 (56.3 mos, 50.9–61.7; log-rank test, p < 0.001). After adjustment for age, duration of disease, clinical and lung function measures, the risk of combined event occurrence in patients with high serum CC16 was significantly higher than in those with low CC16 (HR 2.9, 1.2–6.75, p < 0.05).

Conclusion.

High baseline serum CC16 predicts lung disease worsening in patients with SSc.
Use of Disease-modifying Antirheumatic Drugs for Inflammatory Arthritis in US Veterans: Effect of Specialty Care and Geographic Distance
Authors: Walsh Jessica A. , Pei Shaobo , Burningham Zachary , Penmetsa Gopi , Cannon Grant W. , Clegg Daniel O. , Sauer Brian C.
Published: November 2017

Objective.

To evaluate the effect of access to and distance from rheumatology care on the use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) in US veterans with inflammatory arthritis (IA).

Methods.

Provider encounters and DMARD dispensations for IA (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis) were evaluated in national Veterans Affairs (VA) datasets between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2015.

Results.

Among 12,589 veterans with IA, 23.5% saw a rheumatology provider. In the general IA population, 25.3% and 13.6% of veterans were exposed to a synthetic DMARD (sDMARD) and biologic DMARD (bDMARD), respectively. DMARD exposure was 2.6- to 3.4-fold higher in the subpopulation using rheumatology providers, compared to the general IA population. The distance between veterans’ homes and the closest VA rheumatology site was < 40 miles (Near) for 55.9%, 40–99 miles (Intermediate) for 31.7%, and ≥ 100 miles (Far) for 12.4%. Veterans in the Intermediate and Far groups were less likely to see a rheumatology provider than veterans in the Near group (RR = 0.72 and RR = 0.49, respectively). Exposure to bDMARD was 34% less frequent in the Far group than the Near group. In the subpopulation who used rheumatology care, the bDMARD exposure discrepancy did not persist between distance groups.

Conclusion.

Use of rheumatology care and DMARD was low for veterans with IA. DMARD exposure was strongly associated with rheumatology care use. Veterans in the general IA population living far from rheumatology sites accessed rheumatology care and bDMARD less frequently than veterans living close to rheumatology sites.
Les échanges technologiques entre la France et les États-Unis : les télécommunications spatiales (1960-1985)
Authors: Nguyen Anne-Thérèse
Published: November 2017

Résumé Entre 1960 et 1985, la France réussit à combler en grande partie le fossé technologique qui la sépare des États-Unis dans le domaine des technologies de télécommunications spatiales. Afin d’expliquer la réussite française, cet article étudie les motivations et les interactions des politiques suivies par les deux parties. Les politiques spatiales de la France comme des États Unis résultent d’une interaction complexe entre des visées stratégiques, industrielles et économiques dans un contexte de guerre froide marquée. Il s’agit pour les États-Unis de conserver leur monopole stratégique et économique, tout en coopérant suffisamment avec les pays européens pour préserver des liens privilégiés et limiter le développement d’une recherche européenne indépendante et surtout à visée militaire. Cette politique déclinée à travers la création d’Intelsat, le National Security Action Memorandum n° 338 et des coopérations notamment entre la NASA et le CNET atteint toutefois ses limites en 1974, lorsque les États-Unis posent comme condition au lancement du satellite franco-allemand de télécommunication Symphonie 1 le renoncement à toute utilisation commerciale. Dès lors, la France qui avait oscillé entre collaboration et développement indépendant, se fixe comme objectif la réalisation d’un programme national complet, réalisé avec des partenariats au niveau européen. Cela se traduit par la création de l’Agence spatiale européenne, la mise au point d’Ariane, la participation à Eutelsat et enfin la réalisation d’un programme de télécommunications par satellite. Cette stratégie est couronnée de succès en 1984 avec le lancement du premier satellite Telecom 1 A, dont la fabrication est principalement réalisée en France et qui à l’instar du satellite américain d’IBM, SBS, utilise les dernières technologies (AMRT).
Une quinzaine de « marché unique » de l'électricité dans l'Union européenne ?
Authors: Glachant Jean-Michel
Published: November 2017

Résumé Fondé sur des enquêtes récentes, cet article propose un bilan de l’application de la directive 96/92 sur la réalisation du marché européen de l’énergie en parcourant trois grandes variables : le cadre institutionnel, la morphologie physique des infrastructures techniques et l’offre industrielle. L’auteur démontre que les résultats sont le produit de ces contraintes de long terme et de la manière dont les acteurs jouent des nouvelles règles. En étudiant les prix dans les différents pays, l’accès aux réseaux, l’accès aux structures capitalistiques, il conclut à une faible intégration du marché. Des écarts subsistent, le secteur électrique demeure un marché organisé en sous-secteurs qui conservent une certaine indépendance. Dans une dernière partie, il montre que l’unification viendra peut-être à terme des stratégies menées par les grands groupes multi-secteurs et internationalisés.
Les centres commerciaux français, futurs pôles de loisirs ?
Authors: Desse René-Paul
Published: November 2017

Résumé À l’échelle des agglomérations, les regroupements spatiaux sont très importants, sous forme de centres commerciaux ou de zones d’activités commerciales, comme si l’effet de masse était recherché. Le bouclage des périphéries ayant été effectué, il s’agit actuellement de se démarquer de la concurrence. L’alliance des loisirs et du commerce apparaît comme le moyen de donner une nouvelle vie à des centres commerciaux ou à des zones d’activités qui ont été conçus sur les mêmes modèles de marketing et qui ont donc quelques difficultés à se différencier les uns par rapport aux autres. Les consommateurs d’ambiance, que nous sommes, contribuent au recul des espaces publics traditionnels de centre-ville en privilégiant ces espaces plus ou moins disneylandisés. Quant aux acteurs institutionnels, ils ne s’y trompent pas, confirmant dans quelques cas comme à Atlantis (Nantes), Odysseum (Montpellier) ou Val-d’Europe, la naissance d’une nouvelle centralité, en la rendant accessible par le TCSP.
Risques catastrophiques et réseaux vitaux : de nouvelles vulnérabilités
Authors: Michel-Kerjan Erwann
Published: November 2017

Résumé Terrorisme de masse, désastres naturels d’ampleur exceptionnelle, catastrophes industrielles majeures, actes de malveillance à grande échelle…, autant de sinistres hier considérés comme des scénarios impossibles, qu’il convient aujourd’hui de traiter avec beaucoup d’attention. Nous montrons dans cet article que ces risques présentent des régularités et des caractéristiques communes. Il est donc possible de préparer les dirigeants des entreprises et des organisations (privées comme publiques) à y faire face. À une échelle nationale, il y a urgence à créer de l’apprentissage collectif sur ces sujets qui restent complexes à appréhender et à résoudre, sous peine, à court terme, de devoir subir des catastrophes plus nombreuses, plus coûteuses et plus dramatiques encore. Si la France demeure bien frileuse encore, des initiatives collectives sont à souligner, notamment en Amérique du Nord. Elles pourraient constituer des exemples à suivre ou à améliorer.
La numérotation des routes françaises. Le sens de la nomenclature dans une perspective géographique
Authors: Beyer Antoine
Published: November 2017

Résumé La numérotation des routes françaises s’inscrit dans un processus historique séculaire, où les grands événements politiques et techniques ont laissé leur marque. La matrice napoléonienne constitue ainsi un moment fondateur du système. Longtemps cantonnés à un usage d’administration et de gestion, les numéros gagnent un usage public avec l’avènement, au tout début du XXe siècle, de nouvelles mobilités liées à la voiture et au vélo qui exigent une meilleure lisibilité de la route. À partir des années 1970, le développement autoroutier va profondément perturber les logiques antérieures. Le déclassement d’un nombre important de routes nationales brouille la géographie héritée des numéros, au moment où émergent d’autres principes de classement. Les récentes évolutions témoignent d’une évolution politico-administrative de la France qui accuse une certaine atténuation de la centralité au profit d’une régionalisation autoroutière et d’une très discrète numérotation européenne.