bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Island Sign
Authors: Li Qi , Liu Qing-Jun , Yang Wen-Song , Wang Xing-Chen , Zhao Li-Bo , Xiong Xin , Li Rui , Cao Du , Zhu Dan , Wei Xiao , Xie Peng
Published: October 2017

Background and Purpose—

The aim of the study was to investigate the usefulness of the computed tomography (CT) island sign for predicting early hematoma growth and poor functional outcome.

Methods—

We included patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) who had undergone baseline CT within 6 hours after ICH symptom onset in our hospital between July 2011 and September 2016. Two readers independently assessed the presence of the island sign on the admission noncontrast CT scan. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between the presence of the island sign on noncontrast admission CT and early hematoma growth and functional outcome.

Results—

A total of 252 patients who met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. Among them, 41 (16.3%) patients had the island sign on baseline noncontrast CT scans. In addition, the island sign was observed in 38 of 85 patients (44.7%) with hematoma growth. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the time to baseline CT scan, initial hematoma volume, and the presence of the island sign on baseline CT scan independently predicted early hematoma growth. The sensitivity of the island sign for predicting hematoma expansion was 44.7%, specificity 98.2%, positive predictive value 92.7%, and negative predictive value 77.7%. After adjusting for the patients’ age, baseline Glasgow Coma Scale score, presence of intraventricular hemorrhage, presence of subarachnoid hemorrhage, admission systolic blood pressure, baseline ICH volume, and infratentorial location, the presence of the island sign (odds ratio, 3.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.26–9.81;
P
=0.017) remained an independent predictor of poor outcome in patients with ICH.

Conclusions—

The island sign is a reliable CT imaging marker that independently predicts hematoma expansion and poor outcome in patients with ICH. The noncontrast CT island sign may serve as a potential marker for therapeutic intervention.
Mechanical Thrombectomy in Perioperative Strokes
Authors: Premat Kévin , Clovet Olivier , Frasca Polara Giulia , Shotar Eimad , Bartolini Bruno , Yger Marion , Di Maria Federico , Baronnet Flore , Pistocchi Silvia , Le Bouc Raphaël , Pires Christine , Sourour Nader , Alamowitch Sonia , Samson Yves , Degos Vincent , Clarençon Frédéric
Published: October 2017

Background and Purpose—

Perioperative strokes (POS) are rare but serious complications for which mechanical thrombectomy could be beneficial. We aimed to compare the technical results and patients outcomes in a population of POS versus non-POS (nPOS) treated by mechanical thrombectomy.

Methods—

From 2010 to 2017, 25 patients with POS (ie, acute ischemic stroke occurring during or within 30 days after a procedure) who underwent mechanical thrombectomy (POS group) were enrolled and paired with 50 consecutive patients with nPOS (control group), based on the occlusion’s site, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale, and age.

Results—

Respectively, mean age was 68.3±16.6 versus 67.2±16.6 years (
P
=0.70), and median National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score at admission was 20 (interquartile range, 15–25) versus 19 (interquartile range, 17–25;
P
=0.79). Good clinical outcome (modified Rankin Scale score of 0–2 at 3 months) was achieved by 33.3% (POS) versus 56.5% (nPOS) of patients (
P
=0.055). Successful reperfusion (modified Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction score of ≥2b) was obtained in 76% (POS) versus 86% (nPOS) of cases (
P
=0.22). Mortality at 3 months was 33.3% in the POS group versus 4.2% (nPOS) (
P
=0.002). The rate of major procedural complications was 4% (POS) versus 6% (nPOS); none were lethal. Average time from symptoms’ onset to reperfusion was 4.9 hours (±2.0) in POS versus 5.2 hours (±2.6).

Conclusions—

Successful reperfusion seems accessible in POS within a reasonable amount of time and with a good level of safety. However, favorable outcome was achieved with a lower rate than in nPOS, owing to a higher mortality rate.
Carotid Web (Intimal Fibromuscular Dysplasia) Has High Stroke Recurrence Risk and Is Amenable to Stenting
Authors: Haussen Diogo C. , Grossberg Jonathan A. , Bouslama Mehdi , Pradilla Gustavo , Belagaje Samir , Bianchi Nicolas , Allen Jason W. , Frankel Michael , Nogueira Raul G.
Published: October 2017

Background and Purpose—

Carotid webs have been increasingly recognized as a cause of recurrent stroke, but evidence remains scarce. We aim to report the clinical outcomes and first series of carotid stenting in a cohort of patients with strokes from symptomatic carotid webs.

Methods—

Prospective and consecutive data of patients <65 years old with cryptogenic stroke admitted within September 2014 to May 2017. Carotid web was defined by a shelf-like/linear filling defect in the posterior internal carotid artery bulb by computed tomographic angiography.

Results—

Twenty-four patients were identified (91.6% strokes/8.4% transient ischemic attacks [TIAs]). Median age was 46 (41–59) years, 61% were female, and 75% were black. Median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 10.5 (3.0–16.0) and ASPECTS (Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score) was 8 (7–8). There were no parenchymal hemorrhages, and 96% of patients were independent at 3 months. All webs caused <50% stenosis. In patients with bilateral webs (58%), median ipsilateral web length was larger than contralateral (3.1 [3.0–4.5] mm versus 2.6 [1.85–2.9] mm;
P
=0.01), respectively. Twenty-nine percent of patients had thrombus superimposed on the symptomatic carotid web. A recurrent stroke/TIA involving the territory of the previously symptomatic web occurred in 7 (32%; 6 strokes/1 TIA) patients: 3 <1 week, 2 1 year of follow-up. Two recurrences occurred on dual antiplatelet therapy, 3 on antiplatelet monotherapy, 1 within 24 hours of thrombolysis, and 1 off antithrombotics. Median follow-up was 12.2 (8.0–18.0) months. Sixteen (66%) patients were stented at a median 12.2 (7.0–18.7) days after stroke with no periprocedural complications. No recurrent strokes/TIAs occurred in stented individuals (median follow-up of 4 [2.4–12.0] months).

Conclusions—

Carotid web is associated with high recurrent stroke/TIA risk, despite antithrombotic use, and is amenable to carotid stenting.
Blood on a Mosque: Religion, the Sacred, and the Finnish Criminal Court Process
Authors: Äystö Tuomas
Published: October 2017

This article analyzes a Finnish criminal court process concerning a spattering of blood on a mosque. Initially ruled as a religious insult, the charge was eventually dropped on the grounds that the Islamic community in question did not have the proper legal personality. The article utilizes a non-normative discursive perspective to analyze the construction of ‘sacredness’ and the category of ‘religion’ in the legal process. First, it is argued that several officials were influenced by the prevailing discourses on religion and blood, as well as the meaning of ‘sacred,’ to the point where they contradicted the prevalent legalistic discourse. Second, the legalistic discourse observed in the final ruling demonstrates how the prohibition of religious insult is part of the Finnish association-oriented model for managing a society perceived as religiously diverse.
The Ilkhanid Revetment Aesthetic in the Buqʿa Pir-i Bakran: Chaotic Exuberance or a Cunningly Planned Architectural Revetment Repertoire?
Authors: Grbanovic Ana Marija
Published: October 2017

The Pir-i Bakran mausoleum (completed by 1312–13; Linjan, Isfahan) is considered to be a typical example of exuberant Ilkhanid architectural decoration. In the 1970s, the International Association of Mediterranean and Oriental Studies (IsMEO) undertook significant research and restoration work on the mausoleum. After their efforts were interrupted by the onset of the Iranian Revolution, restoration activities were continued by the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization. Almost four decades later, questions concerning the mausoleum’s history, function, decorative program, patronage, and craftsmen—as well as the identity of the deceased—nonetheless remain unresolved. The mausoleum’s tile and original polychrome stucco decoration also require further scholarly attention. 

This article proposes a new view of the mausoleum’s decorative aesthetic and contributes to our understanding of the Ilkhanid architectural legacy. The article argues that, rather than being a haphazard application, the aesthetic characteristics of Pir-i Bakran’s revetments were determined by multiple undertakings executed according to specific decorative principles. Moreover, the mausoleum’s decorative program illustrates a rapid change in Ilkhanid decorative principles and aesthetics. I also propose a hypothetical timeline of mausoleum’s constructive and decorative undertakings, and reconsider its function and political significance.
An Italian Renaissance Gate for the Khan: Visual Culture in Early Modern Crimea
Authors: Kançal-Ferrari Nicole
Published: October 2017

This article introduces the Renaissance “Iron Gate” erected in 1503–4 in the Khan’s Palace in Bahçesaray, Crimea. It proposes a new interpretation of this famous portal in the residence of the Crimean khans, taking into consideration the broader cultural context of early modernity. The research focuses on the visual appearance of the Iron Gate and the content of its unique inscription. Comparison with other portals and a tomb from the Balkans, on one hand, and with titulature in inscriptions, coins, and diplomatic documents from the Turco-Mongol-Islamic environment, on the other, furnishes enough data to situate the portal within the historical-cultural context of the khanate in the northern Black Sea region. Through an analysis of ways in which envoys were received in the Crimean capital, and an assessment of the architectural environment of the palace, new dimensions are opened into understanding Khan Mengli Geray I’s self-representation as ruler during this historically significant period.
A Missing Royal Mosque in Istanbul that Islamized a Catholic Space: The Galata New Mosque
Authors: Özgüleş Muzaffer
Published: October 2017

In the midst of the turbulent years following the Battle of Vienna, Gülnuş Valide Sultan’s Galata New Mosque replaced the San Francesco Convent, which had been the principal Catholic shrine of Galata in Istanbul. This mosque was intentionally built on the site of the church in 1696 in order to reshape the religious and demographic character of Galata, and was probably a compensation for the recent disastrous Ottoman military defeats. It appears that economic and social constraints shaped the architecture of the mosque, which was extraordinarily modest despite being a royal mosque. The Galata New Mosque later fell into ruin, and was finally replaced by a hardware market in mid-twentieth century. Drawing on hitherto unused Ottoman archival documents, rare photographs, and other primary sources, this article sheds new light on the history and architecture of a long forgotten royal mosque. I investigate reasons for the unusual architecture of the Galata New Mosque, compare it with contemporary structures, and discuss possible factors that motivated the appropriation of a Catholic space.
(Re)writing the Early Biography of the Alhambra’s Fountain of Lions: New Evidence from a Neo-Latin Poem (1497)
Authors: Schirg Bernhard
Published: October 2017

In the centuries following the conquest of Granada in 1492, the Alhambra’s iconic Fountain of Lions underwent numerous changes. More than a hundred years ago, a process of restoring the object to its original appearance under Nasrid rule was initiated. The joint interpretation of archaeological findings and historical texts guided the process of writing and rewriting the early biography of an object whose physical form has gradually been reshaped according to these narratives. The present article focuses on a brief period in the complex history of the fountain—the decades surrounding the conquest of Granada—and revisits Islamic and Christian written testimonies, emphasizing their inherent limitations as documentary sources. By introducing a hitherto unknown Neo-Latin poem, the article calls into question the early biography of the Fountain of Lions as it has been narrated so far, thereby challenging recent modifications to the fountain.
Kashan Revisited: A Luster-Painted Ceramic Tombstone Inscribed with a Chronogram Poem by Muhtasham Kashani
Authors: Kanda Yui
Published: October 2017

The production site(s) of luster-painted ceramics from the fifteenth century onward have yet to be precisely identified due to a paucity of material and textual evidence regarding ceramic production during this period. This study focuses on a hitherto undeciphered Persian poem, which was inconspicuously inscribed in the unskilled nastaʿlīq script on a luster-painted ceramic tombstone dated 25 Jumada II 967 (March 23, 1560). This poem can be identified as a qiṭʿa by Muhtasham Kashani (d. 1588), a renowned court poet who spent his entire life in Kashan. The identification of this poem is particularly important for two reasons. First, it may imply that luster-painted ceramics were produced in Kashan during the early Safavid period. Second, it suggests that there is indeed potential for using epitaphs as historical sources, as the poem in question sheds valuable light on the editing process of Haft dīvān, as well as on the social context of the growing popularity of chronogram poems in Iran during this period.
Between Istanbul and Gujarat: Descriptions of Mecca in the Sixteenth-Century Indian Ocean
Authors: Burak Guy
Published: October 2017

In 1543, a quarter century after the Ottoman conquest of the Holy Cities, the Meccan jurist, hadith scholar, and chronicler Jar Allah Muhammad Ibn Fahd (d. 1547) completed a short work devoted to the construction projects undertaken in the city by the Ottoman sultans Selim I (r. 1512–20) and his son Süleyman (r. 1520–66). The work is highly unusual from the perspective of the Arabic historiographical tradition and constitutes the first comprehensive response by an Arab chronicler to the emergence of an Ottoman imperial architectural idiom around the turn of the sixteenth century. The article situates Ibn Fahd and his work in three interrelated contexts: (a) the incorporation of Mecca and Medina into the Ottoman domains; (b) the emergence of an Ottoman architectural idiom and visual interest in the description of the Holy Sanctuaries across the Indian Ocean, from Istanbul to Gujarat; and (c) the competition between the new Custodians of the Two Holy Sanctuaries and other Islamic rulers, past and present. In particular, the article focuses on the challenges posed by the sultans of Gujarat, who were also quite interested in the Holy Sanctuaries. This interest is captured in Muhyi al-Din Lari’s (d. 1526–27) description of the pilgrimage and the Haramayn, which was written for the Gujarati sultan Muzaffar Shah II (r. 1511–26).
A new species of the catfish genus Cordylancistrus (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia
Authors: PROVENZANO R. FRANCISCO , MILANI NADIA , ARDILA R. CARLOS
Published: October 2017

As a part of an assessment of loricariid catfishes inhabiting the Andes of Colombia, specimens belonging to an interesting new species were identified. The new species is described herein, and it is tentatively included in the genus Cordylancistrus. The new species can be easily distinguished among its congeners by the presence of a unique diagnostic character: a fleshy keel or excrescence, black or dark brown, over the posterior tip of supraoccipital. Specimens of the new species were captured in rivers of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Sierra de Perijá that drain to the Magdalena River Basin and Caribbean Sea. The occurrence of one species of Cordylancistrus in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta could have interesting biogeographic implications for hypotheses related to the geological history of northwestern corner of South America or to the dispersal or vicariance models used to explain biogeographical patterns of related species in Colombia.
Revision of the Alycaeidae of China, Laos and Vietnam (Gastropoda: Cyclophoroidea) I: The genera Dicharax and Metalycaeus
Authors: PÁLL-GERGELY BARNA , HUNYADI ANDRÁS , SÁNG ĐỨC ĐỖ , NAGGS FRED , ASAMI TAKAHIRO
Published: October 2017

This is the first part of the revision of the Alycaeidae of China, Laos and Vietnam. Here we revise the species hitherto classified in Chamalycaeus Möllendorff, 1897 (genera Dicharax and Metalycaeus in this study). We show that no Chamalycaeus live in the region, and the alycaeid species of the investigated region can be classified into five genera: Alycaeus Baird, 1850, Dicharax Kobelt & Möllendorff, 1900, Dioryx Benson, 1859, Metalycaeus Pilsbry, 1900 and Pincerna Preston, 1907. We propose Dioryx dautzenbergi Páll-Gergely nom. nov. as a replacement name for Alycaeus (Dioryx) major Bavay & Dautzenberg, 1900, non Alycæus (Dioryx) granum var. major Godwin-Austen, 1893. Alycaeus anceyi Mabille, 1887, A. eydouxi Venmans, 1956, A. mouhoti L. Pfeiffer, 1862, A. rolfbrandti Maassen, 2006 and A. vanbuensis Bavay & Dautzenberg, 1900 are retained in Alycaeus. Alycaeus costulosa Bavay & Dautzenberg, 1912 and A. maolanensis Luo, Zhang & Zhuo 2009 were transferred to Pincerna. We examined newly collected specimens and the type specimens of all species with the exception of the following: A. elevatus Heude, 1886, A. expansus Heude, 1890, A. neglectus Heude, 1885, Chamalycaeus libonensis Chen, Li & Luo 2003, C. panshiensis Chen, 1989, C. tangmaiensis Chen & Zhang, 2001, C. zayuensis Zhang, Chen & Zhou, 2008. Fifteen new species are described as follows: Dicharax (?) abdoui Páll-Gergely, n. sp., Dicharax (?) alticola Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi n. sp., Dicharax (?) ellipticus Páll-Gergely n. sp., Dicharax (?) immaculatus Páll-Gergely n. sp., Dicharax bison Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi n. sp., Dicharax draco Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi n. sp., Dicharax imitator Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi n. sp., Dicharax microcostatus Páll-Gergely n. sp., Dicharax micropolitus Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi n. sp., Dicharax robustus Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi, n. sp., Metalycaeus (?) awalycaeoides Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi n. sp., Metalycaeus (?) ibex Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi n. sp., Metalycaeus laosensis Páll-Gergely n. sp., Metalycaeus oharai Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi n. sp., Metalycaeus (?) okuboi Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi, n. sp. A total of twelve names are synonymised with valid species. In this revision we payed special attention to conchological characters hitherto neglected, such as the fine sculpture of the embryonic whorls and the fine structure of the microtunnels along the breathing tube. We described the radula and penis morphology of five Dicharax species.
Impact of Arctic Wetlands on the Climate System: Model Sensitivity Simulations with the MIROC5 AGCM and a Snow-Fed Wetland Scheme
Authors: Nitta Tomoko , Yoshimura Kei , Abe-Ouchi Ayako
Published: October 2017

Wetlands cover large areas of the middle and high latitudes and influence the surface water and energy budget, surface hydrology, and the climate system. In this study, a scheme implicitly representing a snow-fed wetland, in which snowmelt can be stored with consideration of subgrid terrain complexity, was implemented in the Minimal Advanced Treatments of Surface Interaction and Runoff (MATSIRO) land surface model. An atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) experiment was conducted using the Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate, version 5 (MIROC5), with and without the wetland scheme, with the main aim of reducing the model bias of warm and dry boreal summer at mid- to high latitudes. The experiment showed not only a better surface hydrology but also a weaker land–atmosphere coupling strength and larger (smaller) latent (sensible) heat flux due to the delayed snowmelt runoff. The summer warm and dry bias was partially improved over snowy and flat areas, particularly over much of western Eurasia and North America, without an apparent deterioration of simulated surface hydrology and climate over the rest of the land in the other seasons; the mean absolute error of 2-m air temperature and precipitation over land at 45°–90°N in summer decreased by 19% and 4%, respectively. The next step of model development will involve implementing an explicit representation of subgrid-scale surface water and related processes.
Submesoscale Instabilities in Mesoscale Eddies
Authors: Brannigan Liam , Marshall David P. , Naveira Garabato Alberto C. , Nurser A. J. George , Kaiser Jan
Published: October 2017

Submesoscale processes have been extensively studied in observations and simulations of fronts. Recent idealized simulations show that submesoscale instabilities also occur in baroclinic mesoscale cyclones and anticyclones. The instabilities in the anticyclone grow faster and at coarser grid resolution than in the cyclone. The instabilities lead to larger restratification in the anticyclone than in the cyclone. The instabilities also lead to changes in the mean azimuthal jet around the anticyclone from 2-km resolution, but a similar effect only occurs in the cyclone at 0.25-km resolution. A numerical passive tracer experiment shows that submesoscale instabilities lead to deeper subduction in the interior of anticyclonic than cyclonic eddies because of outcropping isopycnals extending deeper into the thermocline in anticyclones. An energetic analysis suggests that both vertical shear production and vertical buoyancy fluxes are important in anticyclones but primarily vertical buoyancy fluxes occur in cyclones at these resolutions. The energy sources and sinks vary azimuthally around the eddies caused by the asymmetric effects of the Ekman buoyancy flux. Glider transects of a mesoscale anticyclone in the Tasman Sea show that water with low stratification and high oxygen concentrations is found in an anticyclone, in a manner that may be consistent with the model predictions for submesoscale subduction in mesoscale eddies.
Thirty Years of Multilevel Processes for Adaptation of Livestock Production to Droughts in Uruguay
Authors: Cruz G. , Baethgen W. , Bartaburu D. , Bidegain M. , Giménez A. , Methol M. , Morales H. , Picasso V. , Podestá G. , Taddei R. , Terra R. , Tiscornia G. , Vinocur M.
Published: October 2017

Most countries lack effective policies to manage climate risks, despite growing concerns with climate change. The authors analyzed the policy evolution from a disaster management to a risk management approach, using as a case study four agricultural droughts that impacted Uruguay’s livestock sector in the last three decades. A transdisciplinary team of researchers, extension workers, and policy makers agreed on a common conceptual framework for the interpretation of past droughts and policies. The evidence presented shows that the set of actions implemented at different levels when facing droughts were mainly reactive in the past but later evolved to a more integral risk management approach. A greater interinstitutional integration and a decreasing gap between science and policy were identified during the period of study. Social and political learning enabled a vision of proactive management and promoted effective adaptive measures. While the government of Uruguay explicitly incorporated the issue of adaptation to climate change into its agenda, research institutions also fostered the creation of interdisciplinary study groups on this topic, resulting in new stages of learning. The recent changes in public policies, institutional governance, and academic research have contributed to enhance the adaptive capacity of the agricultural sector to climate variability, and in particular to drought. This study confirms the relevance of and need to work within a transdisciplinary framework to effectively address the different social learning dimensions, particularly those concerning the adaptation to global change.
The Use of Hamstring Fatigue to Reduce Quadriceps Inhibition After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Lowe Timothy , Dong Xuanliang Neil
Published: October 2017

Arthrogenic muscle inhibition, an inability to fully activate the quadriceps muscles, has been persistently observed after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLr) surgery. Reductions in quadriceps activation may be partly due to the flexion reflex pathway, hamstrings activation, and reciprocal quadriceps inhibition. Since central fatigue has been shown to modify hamstring excitability and change the hamstring reflex response, hamstring fatigue might alleviate quadriceps muscle inhibition by counteracting the flexion reflex. In this study, nine young adult athletes (age: M = 19.9 years, SD = 1.7) with unilateral ACLr and nine control athletes (age: M = 24.0 years, SD = 2.4) with no previous history of knee injury performed tempo squats to induce fatigue. The ACLr group tended to use hamstrings for more hip flexion and trunk forward flexion than the control group. We assessed each participant’s quadriceps inhibition through the central activation ratio (CAR), measured by twitch interpolation, before and after the induced fatigue. A mixed analysis of variance was used to examine the effect of fatigue on the CAR between pre- and post-fatigue and for both ACLr and control groups. The ACLr group showed significantly ( p = .010) greater CAR of the quadriceps post-fatigue ( M = 96.0%, SD = 7.6%) than pre-fatigue ( M = 81.2%, SD = 15.8%), while the control group showed no significant ( p = .969) pre-fatigue ( M = 96.9%, SD = 9.6%) and post-fatigue ( M = 97.0%, SD = 17.1%) differences. Thus, fatigue training may be used as a rehabilitation strategy to restore normal quadriceps function at the knee joint following ACL reconstruction by relaxing the hamstrings and overcoming quadriceps inhibition.
Comparison of ultrasonographic findings in cats with and without azotaemia
Authors: Lamb Christopher R , Dirrig Helen , Cortellini Stefano
Published: October 2017

Objectives

The objective of this study was to identify the renal ultrasonographic (US) findings most strongly associated with azotaemia in cats.

Methods

US findings in 238 cats with (serum creatinine >180 μmol/l) and 270 cats without azotaemia were compared in a retrospective case-control study. Cats with pre-renal azotaemia or urethral obstruction were excluded. Data extracted from the medical records included age, body weight and body condition score (BCS). Quantitative and subjective US findings were extracted from archived ultrasound images and contemporaneous reports.

Results

In non-azotaemic cats, mean ± SD renal length was 40.1 ± 5.5 mm. Male cats had larger kidneys than female cats (mean difference 5.2 mm; P = 0.001) and, on average, the right kidney was slightly larger than the left (mean difference 1.6 mm; P = 0.01). Azotaemic cats had significantly lower mean body weight and BCS, and greater mean age and renal pelvic diameter. Renal pelvic diameter was negatively correlated with urine specific gravity (ρ –0.44, P <0.001). Compared with non-azotaemic cats, there was no difference in mean renal length of azotaemic cats because the numbers with enlarged kidneys and small kidneys were similar. Radiologists’ subjective assessments of renal size differed markedly between azotaemic and non-azotaemic cats, with azotaemic cats more likely to be recorded falsely as having abnormally small or enlarged kidneys. US findings significantly associated with azotaemia were perinephric fluid (odds ratio [OR] 26.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.4–207.7), small kidneys (OR 8.4, 95% CI 4.0–17.4), hyperechoic renal cortex (OR 4.1, 95% CI 2.2–7.6), loss of corticomedullary differentiation (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.8–9.6), renal calculi (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.4–4.9), enlarged kidneys (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2–5.5) and dilated renal pelvis (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.3–1.9).

Conclusions and relevance

Perinephric fluid was the US finding most strongly associated with azotaemia in this study and may merit more emphasis than it has received to date. Bias in radiologists’ subjective assessments of renal size suggests that other subjective findings will also be biased.
Fluorophlogopite-bearing and carbonate metamorphosed xenoliths from theCampanian Ignimbrite (Fiano, southern Italy): crystal chemical, geochemical and volcanological insights
Authors: Lacalamita M. , Balassone G. , Schingaro E. , Mesto E. , Mormone A. , Piochi M. , Ventruti G. , Joachimski M.
Published: October 2017

Fluorine-, boron- and magnesium-rich metamorphosed xenoliths occur in the Campanian Ignimbrite deposits at Fiano (southern Italy), at ∼50 km northeast of the sourced volcanic area. These rocks originated from Mesozoic limestones of the Campanian Apennines, embedded in a fluid flow. The Fiano xenoliths studied consist of ten fluorophlogopite-bearing calc-silicate rocks and five carbonate xenoliths, characterized by combining mineralogical analyses with whole-rock and stable isotope data. The micaceous xenoliths are composed of abundant idiomorphic fluorophlogopite, widespread fluorite, F-rich chondrodite, fluoborite, diopside, Fe(Mg)-oxides, calcite, humite, K-bearing fluoro-richterite and grossular. Of the five mica-free xenoliths, two are calcite marbles, containing subordinate fluorite and hematite, and three are weakly metamorphosed carbonates, composed only of calcite. The crystal structure and composition of fluorophlogopite approach that of the end-member. The Fiano xenoliths are enriched in trace elements with respect to the primary limestones. Comparisons between the rare-earth element (REE) patterns of the Fiano xenoliths and those of both Campanian Ignimbrite and Somma-Vesuvius marble and carbonate xenoliths showthat the Fiano pattern overlaps that of Somma-Vesuvius marble and carbonate xenoliths, and reproduces the trend of Campanian Ignimbrite rocks. Values of δ13C and δ18O depict the same trend of depletion in the heavy isotopes observed in the Somma-Vesuvius nodules, and is related to thermometamorphism. Trace-element distribution, paragenesis, stable isotope geochemistry and data modelling point to infiltration of steam enriched in F, B,Mg and As into carbonate rocks at a temperature of ∼300–450°C during the emplacement of the Campanian Ignimbrite.
Immune reconstitution and survival of 100 SCID patients post–hematopoietic cell transplant: a PIDTC natural history study
Authors: Heimall Jennifer , Logan Brent R. , Cowan Morton J. , Notarangelo Luigi D. , Griffith Linda M. , Puck Jennifer M. , Kohn Donald B. , Pulsipher Michael A. , Parikh Suhag , Martinez Caridad , Kapoor Neena , O’Reilly Richard , Boyer Michael , Pai Sung-Yun , Goldman Frederick , Burroughs Lauri , Chandra Sharat , Kletzel Morris , Thakar Monica , Connelly James , Cuvelier Geoff , Davila Saldana Blachy J. , Shereck Evan , Knutsen Alan , Sullivan Kathleen E. , DeSantes Kenneth , Gillio Alfred , Haddad Elie , Petrovic Aleksandra , Quigg Troy , Smith Angela R. , Stenger Elizabeth , Yin Ziyan , Shearer William T. , Fleisher Thomas , Buckley Rebecca H. , Dvorak Christopher C.
Published: October 2017

Key Points

Active infection pretransplant adversely impacts survival (81% in patients with active infection vs 95% in infection-free patients; P = .009). Preparative chemotherapy improved 1-year post-HCT median CD4 counts (P = .02) and freedom from IV immunoglobulin (P < .001).
Gemtuzumab ozogamicin for acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Appelbaum Frederick R. , Bernstein Irwin D.
Published: October 2017

On 1 September 2017, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO) for the treatment of adults with newly diagnosed CD33+ acute myeloid leukemia and for patients aged ≥2 years with CD33+ acute myeloid leukemia who have experienced a relapse or who have not responded to initial treatment. This signals a new chapter in the long and unusual story of GO, which was the first antibody–drug conjugate approved for human use by the FDA.
Olfactory sensory axons target specific protoglomeruli in the olfactory bulb of zebrafish
Authors: Shao Xin , Lakhina Vanisha , Dang Puneet , Cheng Ryan P. , Marcaccio Christina L. , Raper Jonathan A.
Published: October 2017

Background

The axons of Olfactory Sensory Neurons (OSNs) project to reproducible target locations within the Olfactory Bulb (OB), converting odorant experience into a spatial map of neural activity. We characterized the initial targeting of OSN axons in the zebrafish, a model system suitable for studying axonal targeting early in development. In this system the initial targets of OSN axons are a small number of distinct, individually identifiable neuropilar regions called protoglomeruli. Previously, Olfactory Marker Protein-expressing and TRPC2-expressing classes of OSNs were shown to project to specific, non-overlapping sets of protoglomeruli, indicating that particular subsets of OSNs project to specific protoglomerular targets. We set out to map the relationship between the classical Odorant Receptor (OR) an OSN chooses to express and the protoglomerulus its axon targets.

Methods

A panel of BACs were recombineered so that the axons of OSNs choosing to express modified ORs were fluorescently labeled. Axon projections were followed into the olfactory bulb to determine the protoglomeruli in which they terminated.

Results

RNA-seq demonstrates that OSNs express a surprisingly wide variety of ORs and Trace Amine Associated Receptors (TAARs) very early when sensory axons are arriving in the bulb. Only a single OR is expressed in any given OSN even at these early developmental times. We used a BAC expression technique to map the trajectories of OSNs expressing specific odorant receptors. ORs can be divided into three clades based upon their sequence similarities. OSNs expressing ORs from two of these clades project to the CZ protoglomerulus, while OSNs expressing ORs from the third clade project to the DZ protoglomerulus. In contrast, OSNs expressing a particular TAAR project to multiple protoglomeruli. Neither OR choice nor axonal targeting are related to the position an OSN occupies within the olfactory pit.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that it is not the choice of a particular OR, but of one from a category of ORs, that is related to initial OSN target location within the olfactory bulb. These choices are not related to OSN position within the olfactory epithelium.
Data retrieval from building information models based on visual programming
Authors: Preidel Cornelius , Daum Simon , Borrmann André
Published: October 2017

Background

With the rising adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the AEC sector, computational models supersede traditional ways of information provision based on textual documents and two-dimensional drawings. The use of models enables the streamlining of workflows, and the included virtual construction increases the quality of the final product, the building. To create a comprehensive description of a planned building, information from different sources must be combined, specified and regularly updated by the project’s stakeholders. The emerging models are highly structured, and instance files entail large amounts of data. However, in an unprocessed state, these models are of limited suitability for performing engineering tasks as the amount and structure does not match the domain-specific and purpose-oriented views.

Methods

Selection and filtering data for the user’s needs is a well-understood task in computer science, and various approaches are available. A promising approach is the usage of formal query languages. In this paper, selected common query languages are examined and assessed for processing building model information. Based on the analysis, we come to the conclusion that textual query languages are too complex to be employed by typical end users in the construction industry such as architects and engineers.

Results

To overcome this issue, two Visual Programming Languages representing a new, more intuitive mechanism for data retrieval are introduced. The first one, QL4BIM, is designed for general filtering of IFC models, the second one, VCCL, has been developed for Code Compliance Checking. Both languages provide operators based on the Relational Algebra to allow handling of relations - a highly required feature of BIM QLs.

Conclusions

The paper concludes with a discussion of the strengths and limitations of visual programming languages in the BIM context.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia relapse after CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy
Authors: Wang Jiasheng , Hu Yongxian , Huang He
Published: October 2017

CART19 therapy has revolutionized the treatment of CD19+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia, demonstrating an unprecedented complete remission rate; however, as follow-up prolongs, a high relapse rate after CART19 therapy has emerged as one of the major problems. Relapse can be attributed to the loss of leukemic cell immunogenicity, diminished function and amount of CART19 cells, and the inhibitory bone marrow microenvironment. Although studies to prevent and treat relapse have begun, some encouraging results have demonstrated the possibility of decreasing the relapse rate. In this review, we focus on the possible mechanisms behind relapse. We will summarize and propose strategies to prevent and manage relapse on the basis of these potential mechanisms.
Institutional Scientific Review of Cancer Clinical Research Protocols: A Unique Requirement That Affects Activation Timelines
Authors: Ning Ning , Yan Jingsheng , Dietrich Martin F. , Xie Xian-Jin , Gerber David E.
Published: October 2017

Purpose:

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) requirement that clinical trials at NCI-designated cancer centers undergo institutional scientific review in addition to institutional review board evaluation is unique among medical specialties. We sought to evaluate the effect of this process on protocol activation timelines.

Methods:

We analyzed oncology clinical trials that underwent full board review by the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee (PRMC) from January 1, 2009, through June 30, 2013. We analyzed associations between trial characteristics, PRMC decisions, protocol modifications, and process timelines using the χ2 test, Fisher’s exact test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and logistic regression.

Results:

A total of 226 trials were analyzed. Of these, 77% were industry sponsored and 23% were investigator initiated. The median time from submission to PRMC approval was 55 days. The length of review was associated with trial phase, timing of approval, and number of committee changes/clarifications requested. The median process time was 35 days for those approved at first decision, 68 days for second decision, and 116 days for third decision ( P < .001). The median process time was 39 days if no changes/clarifications were requested, 64 days for one to three changes/clarifications, and 73 days for four or more changes/clarifications ( P < .001). Requested changes/clarifications had a greater effect on industry-sponsored trials than on investigator-initiated trials.

Conclusion:

NCI-mandated institutional scientific review of oncology clinical trials contributes substantially to protocol activation timelines. Further evaluation of this process and the value added to research quality is warranted.
Design of Dication-Type Amino Acid Ionic Liquids and Their Application to Self-Assembly Media of Amphiphiles
Authors: Fujiwara Saki , Ohno Hiroyuki , Yoshio Masafumi , Kato Takashi , Ichikawa Takahiro
Published: October 2017

Dication-type amino acid ionic liquids have been prepared and their physicochemical properties, such as viscosity, glass transition temperature, Kamlet-Taft parameter, ionic conductivity, and refractive index, have been examined. Comparing these properties of the dication-type amino acid ionic liquids with those of corresponding monocation-type ones, we have investigated the effects of the cation-bridging. In addition, the comparison of aliphatic amino acid ionic liquids and aromatic ones has been also examined. By examining lyotropic liquid-crystalline behavior of an amphiphile in these ionic liquids, we have examined how these modifications of ionic liquids make changes in the potential utility of ionic liquids as self-organization media of amphiphiles. It has been found that critical concentrations of lyotropic liquid-crystalline amphiphiles in ionic liquids are successfully reduced by bridging their cations with covalent bonding and/or introducing aromatic-structures into their anions.
Malachite Green Derivatives for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Optoelectronic Characterizations and Persistence on TiO2
Authors: Harlé Jean-Baptiste , Arata Shuhei , Mine Shinya , Kamegawa Takashi , Nguyen Van Tay , Maeda Takeshi , Nakazumi Hiroyuki , Fujiwara Hideki
Published: October 2017

Derivatives of malachite green, a well-known triphenylmethine dye, have been adapted for third-generation photovoltaic applications as dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The solar cells were developed based on a concentrated Br3−/Br− liquid electrolyte coupled to different trifluoroacetate (TFA−), triflate (TfO−), bromide (Br−) and tetrafluoroborate (BF4−) malachite green salts as dye sensitizers and mesoporous TiO2 anatase as electron collector, and their optoelectronic properties were characterized. The adsorption patterns of such salts at the TiO2 nanoparticle surface were studied by zeta (ζ) potential measurements on colloidal suspensions under neat conditions, and compared to the desorption rates of the dyes when exposed to the DSSC electrolyte. The different affinities of the ionic pairs for the oxide surface and the bulk were found crucial for the stability of the self-assembled monolayer of carboxylic acid-anchored chromophores at the surface, and for the photoconversion efficiency associated therewith. This study aimed at depicting the behavior of the ionic pairs at the surface and gave insights for their physical and chemical stabilization in the DSSC environment.
Insights into pancreatic β cell energy metabolism using rodent β cell models
Authors: Morten Karl J , Potter Michelle , Badder Luned , Sivathondan Pamela , Dragovic Rebecca , Neumann Abigale , Gavin James , Shrestha Roshan , Reilly Svetlana , Phadwal Kanchan , Lodge Tiffany A. , Borzychowski Angela , Cookson Sharon , Mitchell Corey , Morovat Alireza , Simon Anna Katharina , Uusimaa Johanna , Hynes James , Poulton Joanna
Published: October 2017

Background: Mitochondrial diabetes is primarily caused by β-cell failure, a cell type whose unique properties are important in pathogenesis.

Methods: By reducing glucose, we induced energetic stress in two rodent β-cell models to assess effects on cellular function.

Results: Culturing rat insulin-secreting INS-1 cells in low glucose conditions caused a rapid reduction in whole cell respiration, associated with elevated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production, and an altered glucose-stimulated insulin secretion profile. Prolonged exposure to reduced glucose directly impaired mitochondrial function and reduced autophagy.

Conclusions: Insulinoma cell lines have a very different bioenergetic profile to many other cell lines and provide a useful model of mechanisms affecting β-cell mitochondrial function.
Sourcing from Suppliers with Financial Constraints and Performance Risk
Authors: Tang Christopher S. , Yang S. Alex , Wu Jing
Published: October 2017

Two innovative financing schemes have emerged in recent years to enable suppliers to obtain financing for production. The first, purchase order financing (POF), allows financial institutions to offer loans to suppliers by considering the value of purchase orders issued by reputable buyers. Under the second, which we call buyer direct financing (BDF), manufacturers issue both sourcing contracts and loans directly to suppliers. Both schemes are closely related to the supplier’s performance risk (whether the supplier can deliver the order successfully), upon which the repayment of these loans hinges. To understand the relative efficiency of the two emerging schemes, we analyze a game-theoretical model that captures the interactions among three parties (a manufacturer, a financially constrained supplier who can exert unobservable effort to improve delivery reliability, and a bank). We find that, when the manufacturer and the bank have symmetric information, POF and BDF yield the same payoffs for all parties irrespective of the manufacturer’s control advantage under BDF. The manufacturer, however, has more flexibility under BDF in selecting contract terms. In addition, even when the manufacturer has superior information about the supplier’s operational capability, the manufacturer can efficiently signal her private information via the sourcing contract if the supplier’s asset level is not too low. As such, POF remains an attractive financing option. However, if the supplier is severely financially constrained, the manufacturer’s information advantage makes BDF the preferred financing scheme when contracting with an efficient supplier. In particular, the relative benefit of BDF (over POF) is more pronounced when the supply market contains a larger proportion of inefficient suppliers, when differences in efficiency between suppliers are greater, or when the manufacturer’s alternative sourcing option is more expensive.

The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2017.0638 .

This paper has been accepted for the Manufacturing & Service Operations Management Special Issue on Interface of Finance, Operations, and Risk Management.
Trade Credit Financing Under Competition and Its Impact on Firm Performance in Supply Chains
Authors: Lee Hsiao-Hui , Zhou Jianer , Wang Jingqi
Published: October 2017

Using a dyadic panel data set that links U.S. suppliers with their major buyers, we study how trade credit responds to various types of competition in supply chains, as well as the impact of trade credit on firm performance. We find that suppliers with smaller market share are associated with more trade credit, confirming that suppliers with weak market power use trade credit as a competitive tool. Next, we find that buyers with larger market share are associated with more trade credit, whereas suppliers selling to a concentrated buyer base are associated with less trade credit; by differentiating competition in buyers’ markets from competition between supply chain partners, we show that the two types of competition have different impacts on trade credit. In studying the impact of trade credit on firm performance, we make the distinction between an industry-average trade credit and an individual supply chain’s deviation from such an industry average. When suppliers offer trade credit at their industry-average level, this action facilitates trade and, thus, is positively associated with both parties’ performance; conversely, when suppliers are more aggressive in their trade credit strategy than the industry average, then the excess trade credit is negatively associated with buyer performance. One managerial message from our research is that buyers should be cautious about trade credit far exceeding the industry-average level.

The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2017.0640 .

This paper has been accepted for the Manufacturing & Service Operations Management Special Issue on Interface of Finance, Operations, and Risk Management.
Grappling with the challenge of early EoL conversations…
Authors: Mendes Aysha
Published: October 2017

In the September issue of the British Journal of Cardiac Nursing, Editor, Aysha Mendes, discussed the importance of identifying and discussing end of life as early as possible in a person's illness trajectory. In response, the below letter comments on the points raised and highlights some of the challenges associated with knowing when to begin these difficult conversations.