bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing an e-Strategy for the South African Astronomical Observatory Library and Information Service: A case study
Authors: Samantha Muriëll Bennett , de Young Theresa
Published: August 2018

The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) Library and Information Service (LIS) forms part of the SAAO - which is a business unit of the National Research Foundation (NRF) in South Africa. Until recently each business unit had a library service that operated independently. With the formation of the NRF Knowledge Center (KC) this is set to change. Previously it was possible for a library service to conduct its processes and procedures in isolation as long as the LIS aligned with the business unit. This paper covers the study that investigated the needs and possible guidelines for an e-Strategy for the SAAO LIS that is both aligned to the broader NRF strategy but which also incorporates recommendations to upgrade the library products and services offering. The pool of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) -based products and services is growing. ‘Upgrading’ therefore requires that it is acknowledged that ICT provides essential infrastructure for the relevant the library. Library focused trends show continuous development. Bringing the SAAO LIS up to standard will require that these developments are continuously monitored for relevance and incorporation. This paper provides information about the SAAO LIS and its history. Both ‘SWOT’ and ‘PESTEL’ analyses were used to direct the discussion on the internal and external influences on the SAAO LIS. The analyses also provided insight into the challenges the SAAO LIS faces, the strengths that could be capitalized and the opportunities that could be exploited. The paper recommends that the SAAO LIS, before engaging in a strategic change, addresses the challenges of sustainable funding and accessibility to core resources. It is also recommends that the SAAO LIS uses its e-Strategy to ‘fast track’ the process of bringing it up to the standard required of world-class astronomy libraries.
Innovative or sustainable? Future of the IBVS
Authors: Holl András , Molnár László , Szabados László , Plachy Emese , Bányai Evelin , Váradi Mihály
Published: August 2018

Long-term archiving of scientific information is a well known challenge. We discuss the issue of preservation for journals and their enhanced versions. We use the Information Bulletin on Variable Stars as an example. This express journal, created to satisfy the need of researchers for rapid dissemination of discoveries and results has been developed to become an enhanced journal, with several data journal features. However, the original software developed for the enhanced web version of the journal is not sustainable for the long term. We discuss the possibilities for moving the journal to a standard open source platform, and the trade-offs of the process. Long-term preservation of content, including data, is addressed as well.
Higher Detection Rates of Biologically Aggressive Breast Cancers in Mammography Screening than in the Biennial Interval
Authors: Prange Anna , Bokhof Beate , Polzer Philipp , Tio Joke , Radke Isabel , Heidinger Oliver , Heindel Walter , Weigel Stefanie
Published: August 2018

Purpose Assessment of age group-dependent detection rates of invasive breast cancers among participants in mammography screening including the interval, classified into immunohistochemical subtypes indicating the intrinsic tumor aggressiveness.

Materials und Methods The target population comprises women aged 50 – 69 years. All invasive breast cancers diagnosed in one screening (sc) unit during the implementation phase 1/2006 – 12/2010 or identified by the cancer registry during the biennial interval (iv) were categorized based on hormonal-receptor status (HR) and Her2-expression (Her2) into the following subtypes: a) HR+ Her2-, b) HR+ Her2 +, c) HR– Her2 + or d) HR– Her2– (triple-negative); Her2 + and triple-negative types were defined as aggressive. The calculated detection rates (DR, ‰) were based on 53 375 sc-examinations and for the interval on 52 887 sc-negative examinations.

Results The DRs of all subtypes were higher in screening versus the interval: (a) 4.95 ‰ (n = 264) vs. 1.00 ‰ (n = 53); b) 0.92 ‰ (n = 49) vs. 0.25 ‰ (n = 13); c) 0.36 ‰ (n = 19) vs. 0.06 ‰ (n = 3); d) 0.39 ‰ (n = 21) vs. 0.19 ‰ (n = 10). 77.4 ‰ (89/115) of all aggressive breast cancers including the following 2-year interval were diagnosed by screening. The sum of the DR of aggressive cancers was 1.67 ‰ in screening and 0.49 ‰ in the interval; the corresponding DRs for women aged 60 – 69 years [sc: 2.24 ‰ (51/22 814), iv: 0.58 ‰ (13/22 536)] were higher than among women aged 50 – 59 years [sc: 1.24 ‰ (38/30 561), iv: 0.43 ‰ (13/30 351)].

Conclusion Screening has the potential for earlier diagnosis of aggressive tumor types as its detection rate is about three-fold higher compared to the interval. Within the target group, participants aged 60 – 69 years are at risk based on absolute numbers. They show a nearly two-fold higher detection rate of Her2-positive or triple-negative tumors compared to the age group 50 – 59 years.

Key Points 

Citation Format
Clinical Outcomes of Closing- and Opening-Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy for Treatment of Anteromedial Unicompartmental Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Lu Jiangfeng , Tang Shiyu , Wang Yanru , Li Yao , Liu Chang , Niu Yingzhen , Cao Pengkai , Wang Fei
Published: August 2018

This article compares the long-term outcomes of closing-wedge osteotomy (CWO) and opening-wedge osteotomy (OWO) in the treatment of unicompartmental medial osteoarthritis with varus deformity. This study included 79 patients who underwent high tibial osteotomy (HTO) between 2002 and 2008. Pre- and postoperative radiography and computed tomography were used to evaluate the posterior tibial slope, the patellar height, the tibiofemoral angle, and the lateral and medial tibiofemoral joint space. Pre- and postoperative severity of arthritis was assessed with the Kellgren–Lawrence grading system. Pre- and postoperative American Knee Society (AKS) score and Lysholm Knee Score (LKS) were determined to evaluate functional outcomes. The duration of follow-up was 86.1 ± 6.2 months. Postoperatively, at the most recent follow-up, there was a slight increase in the size of the medial tibiofemoral joint space after CWO and OWO, which reflected a decrease in stress on the medial compartment and manifested as a significant improvement in the AKS knee and function scores and the LKS. OWO increased the posterior tibial slope as compared with the preoperative value, while CWO reduced the posterior tibial slope. CWO and OWO for HTO resulted in similar functional outcomes. OWO was associated with patella infera and more severe patellofemoral arthritis, while CWO was associated with a greater severity of lateral tibiofemoral arthritis.
Dual Pathway Inhibition with Low-Dose Direct Factor Xa Inhibition after Acute Coronary Syndromes—Why Is It Not Used in Clinical Practice?
Authors: Zeymer Uwe , Schrage Benedikt , Westermann Dirk
Published: August 2018

The optimal anti-thrombotic therapy for secondary prevention after an acute coronary syndrome is still a matter of debate. While current guidelines recommend dual anti-platelet therapy with aspirin and a P2Y12 inhibitor over 12 months especially in patients with stent implantation, the value of prolonged anticoagulation is still controversial. In the ATLAS-TIMI 52 trial, a low-dose direct factor Xa inhibition with rivaroxaban compared with placebo reduced the combined primary endpoint of cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infraction and stroke with an increase in major bleeding complications. This article discusses the value and problems of adding low-dose rivaroxaban to anti-platelet therapy as secondary prevention measure after an acute myocardial infarction. It will describe the pros and cons of intensified anti-platelet therapy versus dual pathway inhibition and give recommendations for different patient groups in clinical practice.
Bubble dynamics in rotating flow under an accelerating field
Authors: Maneshian B. , Javadi Kh. , Rahni M. Taeibi
Published: August 2018

Three-dimensional bubble dynamics in rotating flow under an accelerating field such as a centrifugal one is studied in this work. We employ the lattice Boltzmann method in two phase flows to simulate bubble dynamics for different Bond and Morton numbers of 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 and 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100, respectively. Another dimensionless number named as dimensionless force, F*, which is the ratio of buoyancy force to centripetal force is defined to explain the dynamics of the bubbles. In this work, we consider 5×10−7≤F*≤5. The results show that bubbles in rotating flows have different kinds of motions such as spinning, rotating, and translating. Based on the ratios of the forces (dimensionless numbers) acting on the bubble, four different classes of bubble dynamics can be distinguished: (1) stationary spinal bubbles at the center of the rotating flow, (2) spinal bubbles with axial motion at the center of the rotating flow, (3) bubbles with upward spiral motion at an approximate constant radius close to the center of the rotating flow, and (4) bubbles with dominant upward motion.
Whose shadow is it? The representation of trauma and creativity in Anton Nimblett’s ‘Ring Games’ and ‘Sections of an Orange’
Authors: Schamp Jutta
Published: August 2018

Intervening in the current debate about an overemphasis on the individual in classical psychoanalytic trauma theory and the demand for a prioritization of the group in postcolonial trauma studies, this article proposes that Anton Nimblett’s short stories ‘Ring Games’ and titular ‘Sections of an Orange’ from his 2009 collection invite a postcolonial, post-Jungian optic because they portray the devastating effects of a colonized creative unconscious on the characters’ Self, relationships, and the collective. Both short stories explore the traumatic impact of colonialism and neoliberalism on the development of the characters’ unconscious and consciousness, unveiling the obstacles to re-inscribing a traditional heteronormative, Euro- American image of masculinity; individuating as gay; and living an authentic life. Questioning the binary opposites of the individual and the group, both short stories gesture towards the importance of creative self-realization as one cornerstone of individual and collective health when healing the destructive impact of postcolonial and neoliberal power configurations.
Propionic acid promotes the virulent phenotype of Crohn’s disease-associated adherent-invasive Escherichia coli
Authors: Ormsby Michael J. , Johnson Síle A. , Meikle Lynsey M. , Goldstone Robert J. , McIntosh Anne , Wessel Hannah M. , Hulme Heather E. , McConnachie Ceilidh C. , Connolly James P. R. , Roe Andrew J. , Hasson Conor , Boyd Joseph , Fitzgerald Eamonn , Gerasimidis Konstantinos , Morrison Douglas , Hold Georgina , Hansen Richard , Smith David G.E. , Wall Daniel M.
Published: August 2018

The short chain fatty acid propionic acid (PA) is a bacteria-derived human intestinal antimicrobial and immune modulator used widely in Western food production and agriculture. Here we examine the effect of PA on the pathogenicity of the Crohn’s disease-associated microbe, adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC). Passage of AIEC through a murine model, where the low intestinal PA levels were increased to replicate those of the human intestine, led to the recovery of AIEC post-infection that had significantly increased virulence. These phenotypic changes, including increased adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells and biofilm formation, could be replicated in AIEC in vitro through exposure to PA alone. This in vitro exposure of AIEC to PA fundamentally changed AIEC virulence, with strains exposed to PA in vitro subsequently persisting at 20-fold higher levels in a murine model compared to non-exposed strains. RNA-sequencing identified the transcriptional changes in AIEC in response to PA with upregulation of genes involved in biofilm formation, stress responses, metabolism, membrane integrity and alternative carbon source utilisation. These PA induced changes in virulence could be replicated in a number of E. coli isolates from Crohn’s disease patients. Finally, removal of the PA selective pressure was sufficient to reverse these phenotypic changes. Our data indicate that exposure of AIEC to PA evolves bacteria that are both resistant to this natural human intestinal antimicrobial and increasingly virulent in its presence.

Importance

Exposure to propionic acid, an intestinal short chain fatty acid and commonly used antimicrobial in Western food production, induces significant virulence associated phenotypic changes in adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC).
The UK housing developers’ five-star rating: fact or fiction?
Authors: Boothman Christopher , Craig Nigel , Sommerville James
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the data collected by the House Builders Federation (HBF)/National House Building Council (NHBC) surveys are used in practice to improve the service provided to the customers, the transition of any changes into practice and the overall management of the customer satisfaction process by the builder.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach to the research was adopted, and the findings from the interviews provide an indication of the views from a range of private/speculative house builders relating to the areas of customer satisfaction and the ratings provided through industry-based surveys.

Findings

This paper has uncovered the views and opinions of private house builders relating to customer satisfaction and five-star ratings. The findings provide evidence that the house building industry is not fully engaged with the HBF five-star-related concept and that they provide a differing level of service in relation to customer satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

The research concluded that the customer can be manipulated by the builders in some cases causing a bias in the market; on the whole, the customer satisfaction surveys and star rating are simply seen as a marketing tool, used by the builders marketing department as a sign of quality and a way to promote the company.

Practical implications

This paper is of interest to private house builders and the wider construction industry and will aid their understanding of not only generic customer satisfaction but also in particular customer satisfaction in new build housing and quality-related ratings/targets applied by industry bodies.

Originality/value

The paper provides an insight to house builders practices by examining the use of the HBF/NHBC survey results and how they are used to manage and improve the service provided to the customer, and the results therefore are of value to the end home buyer and the wider house building industry.
Service enterprise productivity in action: measuring service productivity
Authors: Scerri Moira , Agarwal Renu
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to measure service productivity using the Service Enterprise Productivity in Action (SEPIA) model. The research operationalises only one of the five stakeholder groups, the customer interface which incorporates service complexity (SC), customer interactions, customer channel, customer loyalty (CL) (new) as inputs, and CL (referred and repeat) and willingness to pay as output measures.

Design/methodology/approach

The research extends our understanding of existing service productivity models with the development of the SEPIA model. Data were collected from 14 organisations operating in the Australian travel and tourism industry, which was analysed using a data envelopment analysis input oriented variable return to scale method as applied to the SEPIA model customer interface.

Findings

Four key findings from the research include: customer choice and their ability to pay is a determinant of service productivity; service productivity is a two stage process when measured; SC is not categorical; and quality business systems do impact service productivity.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation of this research is that only one (customer) of the five key stakeholders, customer, employee, manager, supplier and shareholder, was operationalised in this research paper.

Practical implications

The operationalisation of the SEPIA customer interface using transactional data and measuring non-financial, intangible factors of productivity provide managers with insights on what services to offer, when to invest in or promote the use of technology and whether to spend marketing effort on customer acquisition or customer retention.

Originality/value

The SEPIA model positions service firms within a social and service value network and provides a range of customer measures that extend the current capital (K), labour (L), energy (E), materials (M) and service (S), KLEMS measure of productivity and can be used to show the impact customers have on service productivity.
Public funds and internal innovation goals as drivers of formal and informal open innovation practices
Authors: Cruz-Cázares Claudio , Bayona-Sáez Cristina , García-Marco Teresa , Berends Hans , Smits Armand , Reymen Isabelle
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse a firm’s internal and external drivers of formal and informal open innovation (OI) practices. To enrich the analysis and to obtain more robust results, the authors checked the study’s hypotheses using samples from two European regions, Navarre (Spain), classified an innovator follower, and Noord-Brabant (Netherlands), an innovator leader.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample selected includes manufacturing and service firms that completed the Community Innovation Survey for the year 2008 in both regions. The final sample had 1,288 observations from Navarre and 623 observations from Noord-Brabant. The authors consider two OI dimensions, breadth of information sources for informal OI practices and breadth of cooperation agreement for formal OI practices. Finally, the estimates were performed by means of a negative binomial regression.

Findings

Results indicate that for the internal drivers, product-related motives to innovate and in-house R&D intensity are strong drivers for both formal and informal OI engagement in general, while the influence of process- and environmental-related motives are context dependence.

Originality/value

This study distinguishes between formal (i.e. cooperation activities) and informal (i.e. external sources of information used for new ideas) inbound OI practices, while most of the literature has focussed on one single type of OI practice. The use of two samples coming from two different European regions allows observe whether the adoption motives of the OI practices are robust independently from the firms’ location or if they vary across regions owing to context dependence.
Quercetin in Food: Possible Mechanisms of Its Effect on Memory
Authors: Babaei Fatemeh , Mirzababaei Mohammadreza , Nassiri‐Asl Marjan
Published: August 2018

Quercetin (3,3′,4′,5,7‐pentahydroxyflavone) is found in vegetables and fruits. It is one of the major flavonoids that is part of human diets. Quercetin has several pharmacological effects in the nervous system as a neuroprotective agent. In this review, we summarize the research on quercetin and its role in memory in both animals and humans. Articles were chosen from the Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. In this review, we describe and summarize the importance of quercetin's presence in the body, particularly in the brain; its kinetics, including its absorption, metabolism, distribution, and excretion; its behavioral effects; and some of the possible mechanisms of action of quercetin on memory in different animal models. Several important pathways that may be involved in the processes of learning and memory, long‐term potentiation, and cognition may be impaired during neurological diseases or other medical conditions. As dietary quercetin is important, provision of its best formulation for delivery to the brain as a nutraceutical and in clinical translational research for the prevention or treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia is necessary.
Enzyme therapy for functional bowel disease‐like post‐prandial distress
Authors: Graham David Y. , Ketwaroo Gyanprakash A. , Money Mary E. , Opekun Antone R.
Published: August 2018

Post‐prandial gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal distension, flatulence, bloating and a feeling of fullness are common complaints of often unknown etiology and pathogenesis. There is a long history of trials reporting the successful use of products containing a variety of combinations of digestive enzymes including a number of randomized placebo‐controlled trials. We provide a narrative review of studies describing the use of multi‐digestive enzymes for symptoms consistent with irritable bowel syndrome. We describe clinical trials reported over the past 60 years including double‐blinded randomized, placebo‐controlled studies and recent trials that focused on post‐prandial diarrhea consistent with diarrhea‐predominant irritable bowel syndrome. Disaccharidase deficiencies or deficiencies of other carbohydrate digesting enzymes were excluded. Worldwide studies have generally reported success with multi‐enzyme preparations although none used a factorial design to identify subgroups or attempted to link specific symptom responses to specific components of therapy. Although there is a long history of the successful use of multi‐enzyme preparations for post‐prandial symptoms consistent with irritable bowel syndrome, long‐term studies using validated scoring systems and factorial designs are needed to confirm the results for specific symptoms and the components of the combination drugs received.
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Suberanilohydroxamic Acid Treatment Reverses Hyposensitivity to γ‐Aminobutyric Acid in the Ventral Tegmental Area During Ethanol Withdrawal
Authors: You Chang , Vandegrift Bertha J. , Zhang Huaibo , Lasek Amy W. , Pandey Subhash C. , Brodie Mark S.
Published: August 2018

Background

The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is important for alcohol‐related reward and reinforcement. Mouse VTA neurons are hyposensitive to γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) during ethanol (EtOH) withdrawal, and GABA responsiveness is normalized by in vitro treatment with histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi). The present study examined the effect of a systemically administered HDACi, suberanilohydroxamic acid (SAHA) on GABA sensitivity, and related molecular changes in VTA neurons during withdrawal after chronic EtOH intake in rats.

Methods

Sprague Dawley male adult rats were fed with Lieber‐DeCarli diet (9% EtOH or control diet) for 16 days. Experimental groups included control diet‐fed and EtOH diet‐fed (0‐ or 24‐hour withdrawal) rats treated with either SAHA or vehicle injection. Single‐unit recordings were used to measure the response of VTA neurons to GABA. Immunohistochemistry was performed to examine levels of HDAC2, acetylated histone H3 lysine 9 (acH3K9), and GABAA receptor α1 and α5 subunits in the VTA; quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to examine the mRNA levels of HDAC2 and GABAA receptor subunits.

Results

VTA neurons from the withdrawal group exhibited GABA hyposensitivity. In vivo SAHA treatment 2 hours before sacrifice normalized the sensitivity of VTA neurons to GABA. EtOH withdrawal was associated with increased HDAC2 and decreased acH3K9 protein levels; SAHA treatment normalized acH3K9 levels. Interestingly, no significant change was observed in the mRNA levels of HDAC2. The mRNA levels, but not protein levels, of GABAA receptor α1 and α5 subunits were increased during withdrawal.

Conclusions

Withdrawal from chronic EtOH exposure results in a decrease in GABA‐mediated inhibition, and this GABA hyposensitivity is normalized by in vivo SAHA treatment. Disruption of signaling in the VTA produced by alteration of GABA neurotransmission could be 1 neuroadaptive physiological process leading to craving and relapse. These results suggest that HDACi pharmacotherapy with agents like SAHA might be an effective treatment for alcoholism.
TLR7‐let‐7 Signaling Contributes to Ethanol‐Induced Hepatic Inflammatory Response in Mice and in Alcoholic Hepatitis
Authors: Massey Veronica L. , Qin Liya , Cabezas Joaquin , Caballeria Juan , Sancho‐Bru Pau , Bataller Ramon , Crews Fulton T.
Published: August 2018

Background

Toll‐like receptor 7 (TLR7) is an endosomal TLR that is activated by single‐stranded RNA, including endogenous microRNAs (e.g., let‐7b). Increased hepatic expression of TLRs, microRNAs, and inflammatory mediators is linked to ethanol (EtOH) exposure and to alcoholic liver disease (ALD). ALD invovles chronic hepatic inflammation that can progress to alcoholic hepatitis (AH), a particularly severe form of ALD. This study aimed to investigate TLR7 expression in patients with different liver disease phenotypes and in mouse liver following alcohol exposure.

Methods

Hepatic mRNA expression was determined by RNA sequencing of liver tissue from patients with liver disease or normal liver tissue. Mice were exposed to subchronic EtOH followed by administration of the TLR7 agonist imiquimod. Primary human hepatocytes were exposed to EtOH or imiquimod in vitro.

Results

RNAseq analysis revealed that hepatic expression of TLR7 and let‐7b microRNA, an endogenous TLR7 ligand, was significantly increased in AH patients. Hepatic expression of TLR7 and let‐7b positively correlated with hepatic IL‐8 mRNA expression. In mice, EtOH increased hepatic TLR7 mRNA expression and enhanced imiquimod‐induced expression of the pro‐inflammatory mediators TNFα, MCP‐1, and iNOS. In vitro, EtOH significantly increased hepatocyte TLR7 mRNA and the TLR7 agonist, imiquimod, induced hepatocyte expression of TNFα and IL‐8 mRNA. EtOH also increased the release of let‐7b in microvesicles from hepatocytes, suggesting that EtOH can increase the expression of both the receptor and its endogenous ligand.

Conclusions

These studies suggest that increased TLR7 signaling caused by increased expression of TLR7 and its endogenous ligand let‐7b may contribute to the enhanced inflammatory response associated with AH.
Human β‐defensin‐1: A natural antimicrobial peptide present in amniotic fluid that is increased in spontaneous preterm labor with intra‐amniotic infection
Authors: Varrey Aneesha , Romero Roberto , Panaitescu Bogdan , Miller Derek , Chaiworapongsa Tinnakorn , Patwardhan Manasi , Faro Jonathan , Pacora Percy , Hassan Sonia S. , Hsu Chaur‐Dong , Gomez‐Lopez Nardhy
Published: August 2018

Problem

Human β‐defensins (HBDs) are antimicrobial peptides that participate in the soluble innate immune mechanisms against infection. Herein, we determined whether HBD‐1 was present in amniotic fluid during normal pregnancy and whether its concentrations change with intra‐amniotic inflammation and/or infection.

Method of Study

Amniotic fluid was collected from 219 women in the following groups: (a) midtrimester who delivered at term (n = 35); (b) term with (n = 33) or without (n = 17) labor; (c) preterm labor with intact membranes who delivered at term (n = 29) or who delivered preterm with (n = 19) and without (n = 29) intra‐amniotic inflammation and infection or with intra‐amniotic inflammation but without infection (n = 21); and (d) preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (pPROM) with (n = 19) and without (n = 17) intra‐amniotic inflammation/infection. Amniotic fluid HBD‐1 concentrations were determined using a sensitive and specific ELISA kit.

Results

(a) HBD‐1 was detectable in all amniotic fluid samples; (b) amniotic fluid concentrations of HBD‐1 were changed with gestational age (midtrimester vs term no labor), being higher in midtrimester; (c) amniotic fluid concentrations of HBD‐1 were similar between women with and without spontaneous labor at term; (d) among patients with spontaneous preterm labor, amniotic fluid concentrations of HBD‐1 in women with intra‐amniotic inflammation/infection and in those with intra‐amniotic inflammation without infection were greater than in women without intra‐amniotic inflammation or infection who delivered preterm or at term; and (e) the presence of intra‐amniotic inflammation and infection in patients with pPROM did not change amniotic fluid concentrations of HBD‐1.

Conclusion

HBD‐1 is a physiological constituent of amniotic fluid that is increased in midtrimester during normal pregnancy and in the presence of culturable microorganisms in the amniotic cavity. These findings provide insight into the soluble host defense mechanisms against intra‐amniotic infection.
Twenty‐four‐hour ambulatory ECG monitoring relevancy in myotonic dystrophy type 1 follow‐up: Prognostic value and heart rate variability evolution
Authors: Gamet Alexandre , Degand Bruno , Le Gal François , Bidegain Nicolas , Delaubier Anne , Gilbert‐Dussardier Brigitte , Christiaens Luc , Garcia Rodrigue
Published: August 2018

Background

Patient prognosis in type 1 myotonic dystrophy (DM1) is very poor. Annual 24‐hour holter ECG monitoring is recommended but its relevance is debated. Main objective was to determine whether holter ECG parameters could predict global death in DM1 patients and secondarily to assess whether they could predict cardiovascular events and sudden cardiac death, to compare DM1 patients and healthy controls, and to assess their evolution in DM1 over a 5‐year period.

Methods

This retrospective study included genetically confirmed DM1. Primary endpoint was global death. Secondary endpoints were labeled “sudden cardiac death” which was a composite of sudden cardiac death, aborted sudden cardiac death, implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy, sustained ventricular tachycardia, atrioventricular block grade 3, pause >3 s; and “cardiovascular events” which was a composite of all‐cause mortality, pacemaker or cardioverter defibrillator implantation, sustained ventricular tachycardia, supraventricular tachycardia, hospitalization for acute cardiac cause and heart failure.

Results

Forty‐seven patients (22 women, 40 ± 13 years old) were included. Three (7%) DM1 patients died, 9 (19%) experienced "sudden cardiac death" endpoint and 21 (45%) experienced "cardiovascular event" endpoint during mean follow‐up of 95 ± 22 months. None of holter ECG parameters were discriminant to predict death or secondary endpoints. Compared to healthy controls, DM1 patients had higher SDNN and LF/HF ratio. Finally, heart rate variability parameters remained stable over a mean interval of 61 ± 15 months excepting pNN50 which decreased significantly.

Conclusion

Results suggest that annually‐repeated holter ECG in DM1 is not useful for stratifying risk of sudden death and cardiovascular outcomes.
Donald Winnicott's Unique View of Depression with Particular Reference to his 1963 Paper on the Value of Depression
Authors: Brogan Chris
Published: August 2018

Winnicott's unique contributions to a psychoanalytic theory of depression are not as familiar as Freud and Klein's writings. I concentrate on six areas: depression as a developmental achievement which denotes unit status; the role of destruction which arises from love (as opposed to hate which for Winnicott is a more mature affect); the importance of contributing‐in and the response of the (m)other in recovery from depression; the startling idea that the patient seeks out the analyst's depression; some thoughts on the differences between Winnicott and Freud and Klein; and lastly, the effect of depression on the development of self, creativity and the capacity to play. Winnicott does not shirk the darker side of being human, but at the same time he offers us a hopeful picture.
The Meaning of Resilience as a Psychoanalytic Concept: An exploratory Study of the Perspectives of Training and Supervising Psychoanalysts
Authors: Malgarim Bibiana Godoi , Macedo Mônica Medeiros Kother , Freitas Lúcia Helena
Published: August 2018

Objective The objective of this study was to investigate how psychoanalysts perceive the concept of resilience and how it can be applied in this field.

Method Exploratory qualitative research was undertaken with a sampleof 10 training and supervising psychoanalysts belonging to a psychoanalytic institution in southern Brazil. A semi‐structured interview was used to collect the data.

Results Based on the material collected, the following final four categories were established: (1) the evident complexity of the origin andconceptual definition of resilience; (2) the technical potential ofresilience: communication and effects from a psychoanalytical perspective; (3) the life stories and difficulties of resilient beings: conditions, characteristics and development; and (4) the association between the clinical aspects of trauma and a subject's resources – resilience under discussion.

Conclusions The origin of the phenomenon of resilience opens up important questions and reflections for psychoanalysts even though the term's technical potential for the psychoanalytic clinic is recognized and serves as an important prognostic factor. Resilience relates to personality and resources of the ego, and this fact would seem to suggest the need for further study into the aetiological equation. It can be defined as the ability to elaborate on one's experiences.
Early Childhood Parenting Predicts Late Childhood Brain Functional Connectivity During Emotion Perception and Reward Processing
Authors: Kopala‐Sibley Daniel C. , Cyr Marilyn , Finsaas Megan C. , Orawe Jonathan , Huang Anna , Tottenham Nim , Klein Daniel N.
Published: August 2018

Seventy‐nine 3‐year olds and their mothers participated in a laboratory‐based task to assess maternal hostility. Mothers also reported their behavioral regulation of their child. Seven years later, functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired while viewing emotional faces and completing a reward processing task. Maternal hostility predicted more negative amygdala connectivity during exposure to sad relative to neutral faces with frontal and parietal regions as well as more negative left ventral striatal connectivity during monetary gain relative to loss feedback with the right posterior orbital frontal cortex and right inferior frontal gyrus. In contrast, maternal regulation predicted enhanced cingulo‐frontal connectivity during monetary gain relative to loss feedback. Results suggest parenting is associated with alterations in emotion and reward processing circuitry 7–8 years later.
A multianalysis thermography‐based approach for fatigue and damage investigations of ASTM A182 F6NM steel at two stress ratios
Authors: De Finis Rosa , Palumbo Davide , Galietti Umberto
Published: August 2018

Infrared thermography allows an alternative energy‐based approach for studying the fatigue behaviour of materials to better understand damage phenomena. In particular, the methodology of infrared thermography can explain the complex dissipative mechanisms promoted by the input parameters, such as the loading ratio, can rapidly provide information about the fatigue strength, and has low cost.

In this work, analysis of the thermographic sequences of ASTM A 182 grade F6NM steel obtained during fatigue testing provided four thermal indexes that were used to investigate the thermoelastic and plastic behaviour of material. Fatigue tests at two opportunely chosen loading ratios (R = −0.1, R = 0.5) were performed to investigate the relation between the material behaviour and each index at a specific loading ratio. Finally, estimation of the fatigue strength by means of suitable analysis procedures allowed for an investigation of the damage behaviour of materials under specific loading conditions.
The Ordovician and Silurian conodonts of Japan: Their biostratigraphical and paleobiogeographical significance
Authors: Männik Peep , Maekawa Takumi , Tanaka Gengo , Komatsu Toshifumi , Siveter David , Williams Mark , Hints Olle , Vandenbroucke Thijs R. A.
Published: August 2018

Conodont‐bearing Ordovician and Silurian rocks have a wide geographical distribution in Japan. They are exposed on Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu islands. Two recently studied samples from Gionyama, in Kyushu, yield conodont assemblages of Telychian (Distomodus sp., Apsidognathus sp. (cf. A. tuberculatus arcticus), Oulodus cf. rectangulus, Ozarkodina cf. waugoolaensis, Panderodus cf. amplicostatus) and probably the earliest Sheinwoodian (?Distomodus sp. (cf. D. staurognathoides), Ozarkodina sp., Oulodus sp., Walliserodus sp. (cf. Walliserodus sp. nov. c Männik), Panderodus sp.) ages, providing further biostratigraphical constraints for the age of the Gionyama Formation in the Kurosegawa Terrane. Most of the conodont taxa identified have wide paleobiogeographical distribution, but probable occurrence of Oulodus rectangulus, Ozarkodina waugoolaensis, and Panderodus amplicostatus suggests a relationship between Australia, the South China paleocontinent, and the Kurosegawa Terrane of ‘Proto‐Japan’ during the Silurian. These paleogeographic interpretations agree with the existing notions based on rugose corals.
Serum Mac‐2 binding protein glycosylation isomer predicts the activation of hepatic stellate cells after liver transplantation
Authors: Yamada Naoya , Katano Takumi , Hirata Yuta , Okada Noriki , Sanada Yukihiro , Ihara Yoshiyuki , Urahashi Taizen , Ushijima Kentaro , Karasawa Tadayoshi , Takahashi Masafumi , Mizuta Koichi
Published: August 2018

Background and Aim

Serum Mac‐2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) is a novel fibrosis marker for various chronic liver diseases. We investigated the ability of M2BPGi to predict liver fibrosis in liver transplant (LT) recipients.

Methods

A total of 116 liver biopsies were performed in 113 LT recipients. The serum level of M2BPGi was also measured on the same day. The median age at LT and liver biopsy was 1.1 and 11.8 years, respectively. Serum M2BPGi levels and liver fibrosis status using METAVIR fibrosis score were compared. Immunohistological evaluation by anti‐α‐smooth‐muscle actin (αSMA) was performed, and the relationship between αSMA positive rate and serum M2BPGi levels was investigated.

Results

The median M2BPGi level was 0.78 (range, 0.22–9.50), and 65, 29, 16, 5, and 1 patient(s) had METAVIR fibrosis scores of F0, F1, F2, F3, and F4, respectively. In patients with F0 fibrosis, median M2BPGi level was 0.69 and was significantly lower than in patients with F1 (median 0.99, P < 0.01), F2 (median 1.00, P = 0.01), and F3 fibrosis (median 1.53, P < 0.01). Area‐under‐the‐curve analysis of the ability of M2BPGi level to predict liver fibrosis grade were > F1: 0.716, > F2: 0.720, and > F3: 0.900. Three patients with acute cellular rejection showed high levels of M2BPGi, which decreased after the treatment. A positive correlation existed between M2BPGi levels and αSMA positive rate (r2 = 0.715, P < 0.01).

Conclusion

Mac‐2 binding protein glycosylation isomer is a novel liver fibrosis marker in LT recipients and is also increased in patients with acute liver injuries, especially acute cellular rejection, even when fibrosis is absent.
A comparative study of subsequent liver cirrhosis risk in non‐Helicobacter pylori‐infected peptic ulcer patients with and without vagotomy: An Asian population cohort study
Authors: Wu Shih‐Chi , Chen William Tzu‐Liang , Muo Chih‐Hsin , Hsu Chung Y
Published: August 2018

Objectives

Hepatic parasympathetic nerves branch off the vagus nerve. The vagal and hepatic nervous systems are important in liver physiological processes and some diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and liver cirrhosis. We were interested in vagal nerve integrity and subsequent diseases in peptic ulcer patients. Herein, we used National Health Insurance database in Taiwan and retrospectively assessed the risk of developing liver cirrhosis in peptic ulcer patients with and without complications by surgical treatments.

Methods

A cohort of 357 423 peptic ulcer patients without Helicobacter pylori, hepatitis B/C virus infection, and alcoholism from 2001 to 2008 was established. A randomly selected cohort of 357 423 people without peptic ulcer that matched by age, gender, comorbidities, and index year was used for comparison. The risks of developing liver cirrhosis were assessed both in cohorts and in peptic ulcer patients with and without vagotomy at the end of 2011.

Results

Peptic ulcer patients were with higher incidence of liver cirrhosis than those without peptic ulcer (2.63 vs 0.96 per 1000 person‐years) and with a 2.79‐fold adjusted hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval = 2.66–2.93) based on the multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Comparing with different peptic ulcer management strategies, the HR value for subsequent liver cirrhosis risk was the lowest in vagotomy group (HR = 0.46, 95% confidence interval = 0.33–0.64).

Conclusions

Peptic ulcer patients have an increased risk of developing liver cirrhosis. Moreover, there were association of vagotomy and decreased risk of subsequent liver cirrhosis in complicated peptic ulcer patients. However, further studies are warranted.
Long‐term outcome of primary immune‐mediated thrombocytopenia in dogs
Authors: Simpson K. , Chapman P. , Klag A.
Published: August 2018

Objectives

To determine the incidence of relapse after discharge from the hospital in dogs with a diagnosis of presumed primary immune‐mediated thrombocytopenia, risk factors associated with relapse and whether or not indefinite use of immunosuppressive medication influences risk of relapse.

Materials and Methods

Medical records from August 2007 through July 2016 were reviewed to identify dogs with a diagnosis of presumed primary immune‐mediated thrombocytopenia. Data collection included signalment, initial diagnostic tests, treatment, incidence of relapse, survival duration and follow‐up testing.

Results

A total of 45 dogs were diagnosed, treated and monitored for at least one year for presumed primary immune‐mediated thrombocytopenia. 89∙6% of patients survived to discharge and 31% of those experienced a relapse following discharge. The median time from diagnosis to relapse was 79 days. Of dogs that experienced a relapse, 50% had at least one further relapse. There was no difference in age, body weight, gender, breed, platelet count at presentation, nadir packed cell volume during hospitalisation, incidence of melaena or initial treatment between the relapsing and non‐relapsing groups. In the relapsing group, time to platelet recovery was significantly longer and these patients were more likely to have received a blood transfusion.

Clinical Significance

This study does not provide evidence to support the use of long‐term immunosuppressive medications to prevent relapse. However, the data suggest that patients with more severe disease at the time of diagnosis or that have already experienced a relapse should be monitored more closely.
Regulation of Melanopsin Signaling: Key Interactions of the Nonvisual Photopigment
Authors: Stachurska Anna , Sarna Tadeusz
Published: August 2018

Melanopsin is a G protein‐coupled receptor with a peak sensitivity in the blue part of the spectrum, which plays a key role in nonvisual light‐mediated signaling. Recently, its importance in forming visual pathway as well as its role in blood vessels photorelaxation was also revealed. Melanopsin was discovered in 1998 in Xenopus leavis. Since then, the melanopsin presence was demonstrated across the species. The existence of two melanopsin genes (opn4m and opn4x) as well as melanopsin isoforms resulting from alternative splicing contributes to the variety in melanopsin‐regulated processes. In this review, the diversity in melanopsin‐induced signaling, regulation of melanopsin activity by phosphorylation and regulation of melanopsin mRNA are discussed.
The HLA‐DRB1*09:29 allele identified in a volunteer donor for hematopoietic stem cell transplant
Authors: Baek In‐Cheol , Choi Eun‐Jeong , Shin Dong‐Hwan , Kim Hyoung‐Jae , Kim Tai‐Gyu
Published: August 2018

HLA‐DRB1*09:29 differs from HLA‐DRB1*09:01:02:01 in a codon 75 in exon 2.
Kidney transplant recipients with polycystic kidney disease have a lower risk of post‐transplant BK infection than those with end‐stage renal disease due to other causes
Authors: Plafkin Callie , Singh Tripti , Astor Brad C. , Parajuli Sandesh , Bhutani Gauri , Safdar Nasia , Panzer Sarah E.
Published: August 2018

Background

Polyomavirus‐associated nephropathy is associated with high risk of kidney allograft loss. Whether the cause of native end‐stage renal disease influences the risk of BK infection is unclear.

Methods

A retrospective, single‐center study of 2741 adult kidney transplant recipients between 1994 and 2014 was performed. Recipients had end‐stage renal disease due to polycystic kidney disease (PKD, n = 549), diabetes mellitus (DM, n = 947), hypertension (HTN, n = 442), or glomerulonephritis (GN, n = 803).

Results

A total of 327 recipients (12%) developed post‐transplant BK viremia over a median follow‐up time of 5 years. The incidence rate of BK viremia was lowest in patients with PKD (1.46 per 100 person‐years) compared to other causes of ESRD (DM = 2.06, HTN = 2.65, and GN = 2.01 per 100 person‐years). A diagnosis of PKD was associated with a lower risk of post‐transplant BK viremia (adjusted HR (95% CI) = 0.67 (0.48‐0.95), P = 0.02). BK nephropathy was significantly less common in patients with PKD (0.21 per 100 person‐years) compared to those with HTN (0.80 per 100 person‐years, P ≤ 0.001). Among patients with PKD, the risk of BK viremia was lower in patients with nephrectomy, compared to those without nephrectomy (adjusted HR (95% CI) = 0.42 (0.19‐0.92), P < 0.05).

Conclusion

ESRD due to PKD is associated with a lower risk of post‐transplant BK infection. The renal tubular epithelial cells in PKD are unique; they are in a proliferative but non‐differentiated state. Whether this characteristic of renal tubular epithelial cells alters the BK viral reservoir or replication in PKD patients warrants further study.
Protein kinase D1 and oxysterol‐binding protein form a regulatory complex independent of phosphorylation
Authors: Goto Asako , Charman Mark , Ridgway Neale D.
Published: August 2018

Protein kinase D (PKD) controls secretion from the trans‐Golgi network (TGN) by phosphorylating phosphatidylinositol 4‐kinase IIIβ and proteins that bind and/or transfer phosphatidylinositol 4‐phosphate (PtdIns‐4P), such as oxysterol‐binding protein (OSBP) and ceramide transfer protein. Here, we investigated the consequences of PKD phosphorylation of OSBP at endoplasmic reticulum (ER)‐Golgi membrane contact sites (MCS). Results with OSBP phospho‐mutants revealed that PKD phosphorylation did not affect sterol and PtdIns‐4P binding, activation of sphingomyelin (SM) synthesis at Golgi‐ER MCS or other OSBP phospho‐sites. Instead, an interaction was identified between the N‐terminal region of OSBP and PKD1 that was independent of kinase activity and OSBP phosphorylation status. S916 autophosphorylation of PKD1 was inhibited by OSBP expression suggesting the interaction negatively regulates PKD1 activity. Stimulation of PKD1 activity by phorbol ester promoted the Golgi‐localization of wild‐type and phospho‐mutants of OSBP but did not affect OSBP‐dependent SM synthesis. Only when wild‐type or kinase‐dead PKD1 was overexpressed was 25‐hydroxycholesterol‐activated SM synthesis inhibited. We conclude that OSBP and PKD1 form a complex that inhibits both the oxysterol‐dependent activity of OSBP at the ER‐Golgi and activation of PKD1. Formation of the complex was independent of PKD1 activity and phosphorylation of OSBP.
Candida albicans Zn Cluster Transcription Factors Tac1 and Znc1 Are Activated by Farnesol To Upregulate a Transcriptional Program Including the Multidrug Efflux Pump
CDR1
Authors: Liu Zhongle , Rossi John M. , Myers Lawrence C.
Published: August 2018

Farnesol, a quorum-sensing molecule, inhibits
Candida albicans
hyphal formation, affects its biofilm formation and dispersal, and impacts its stress response. Several aspects of farnesol's mechanism of action remain incompletely uncharacterized.