bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stepwise mass screening for atrial fibrillation using N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide: the STROKESTOP II study
Authors: Kemp Gudmundsdottir Katrin , Fredriksson Tove , Svennberg Emma , Al-Khalili Faris , Friberg Leif , Frykman Viveka , Hijazi Ziad , Rosenqvist Mårten , Engdahl Johan
Published: August 2019

Aims

To study the prevalence of unknown atrial fibrillation (AF) in a high-risk, 75/76-year-old, population using N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and handheld electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings in a stepwise screening procedure.

Methods and results

The STROKESTOP II study is a population-based cohort study in which all 75/76-year-old in the Stockholm region (n = 28 712) were randomized 1:1 to be invited to an AF screening programme or to serve as the control group. Participants without known AF had NT-proBNP analysed and were stratified into low-risk (NT-proBNP <125 ng/L) and high-risk (NT-proBNP ≥125 ng/L) groups. The high-risk group was offered extended ECG-screening, whereas the low-risk group performed only one single-lead ECG recording. In total, 6868 individuals accepted the screening invitation of which 6315 (91.9%) did not have previously known AF. New AF was detected in 2.6% [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.2–3.0] of all participants without previous AF. In the high-risk group (n = 3766/6315, 59.6%), AF was diagnosed in 4.4% (95% CI 3.7–5.1) of the participants. Out of these, 18% had AF on their index-ECG. In the low-risk group, one participant was diagnosed with AF on index-ECG. The screening procedure resulted in an increase in known prevalence from 8.1% to 10.5% among participants. Oral anticoagulant treatment was initiated in 94.5% of the participants with newly diagnosed AF.

Conclusion

N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide-stratified systematic screening for AF identified 4.4% of the high-risk participants with new AF. Oral anticoagulant treatment initiation was well accepted in the group diagnosed with new AF.
Fantastic yeasts and where to find them: the discovery of a predominantly clonal Cryptococcus deneoformans population in Saudi Arabian soils
Authors: Samarasinghe Himeshi , Aljohani Renad , Jimenez Carlene , Xu Jianping
Published: August 2019

Cryptococcus deneoformans is an opportunist yeast pathogen and causative agent of meningoencephalitis in humans. It is known to be mainly distributed in temperate climates. Most of our current understanding of this species has come from clinical isolates, leaving environmental populations largely unexplored. The Middle East remains one such underexplored area with no published study to date investigating cryptococcal diversity in soil. In this study, we identified 76 C. deneoformans isolates from a survey of 562 soil samples collected from six cities in Saudi Arabia. Multilocus sequence typing revealed the presence of two major sequence types (STs), ST160 (n = 63) and ST294 (n = 9), along with four singleton STs, three of which were novel. One novel ST, ST613, was likely a recombinant product between ST160 and ST294. Among the 76 isolates, 75 belonged to mating type (MAT)α while one isolate was MATa. Our analyses suggest that the Saudi Arabian C. deneoformans population likely reproduces both asexually and sexually in nature. Our study is the first to report the occurrence of C. deneoformans in a desert climate, representing a novel expansion to this species’ currently known ecological niche.
Impact of sea level change on coastal soil organic matter, priming effects and prokaryotic community assembly
Authors: Dinter Thomas , Geihser Simone , Gube Matthias , Daniel Rolf , Kuzyakov Yakov
Published: August 2019

Salt marshes are coastal areas storing high amounts of soil organic matter (SOM) while simultaneously being prone to tidal changes. Here, SOM-decomposition and accompanied priming effects (PE), which describe interactions between labile and old SOM, were studied under controlled flooding conditions. Soil samples from two Wadden Sea salt marsh zones, pioneer (Pio), flooded two times/day, and lower salt marsh (Low), flooded ∼eight times/month, were measured for 56 days concerning CO2-efflux and prokaryotic community shifts during three different inundation-treatments: total-drained (Drained), all-time-flooded (Waterlogged) or temporal-flooding (Tidal). Priming was induced by 14C-glucose addition. CO2-efflux from soil followed Low>Pio and Tidal>Drained>Waterlogged, likely due to O2-depletion and moisture maintenance, two key factors governed by tidal inundation with regard to SOM mineralisation. PEs in both zones were positive (Drained) or absent (Waterlogged, Tidal), presumably as a result of prokaryotes switching from production of extracellular enzymes to direct incorporation of labile C. A doubled amount of prokaryotic biomass in Low compared to Pio probably induced higher chances of cometabolic effects and higher PE. 16S-rRNA-gene-amplicon-based analysis revealed differences in bacterial and archaeal community composition between both zones, revealing temporal niche adaptation with flooding treatment. Strongest alterations were found in Drained, likely due to inundation-mediated changes in C-binding capacities.
Spatial heterogeneity of belowground microbial communities linked to peatland microhabitats with different plant dominants
Authors: Chroňáková Alica , Bárta Jiří , Kaštovská Eva , Urbanová Zuzana , Picek Tomáš
Published: August 2019

Peatland vegetation is composed mostly of mosses, graminoids and ericoid shrubs, and these have a distinct impact on peat biogeochemistry. We studied variation in soil microbial communities related to natural peatland microhabitats dominated by Sphagnum, cotton-grass and blueberry. We hypothesized that such microhabitats will be occupied by structurally and functionally different microbial communities, which will vary further during the vegetation season due to changes in temperature and photosynthetic activity of plant dominants. This was addressed using amplicon-based sequencing of prokaryotic and fungal rDNA and qPCR with respect to methane-cycling communities. Fungal communities were highly microhabitat-specific, while prokaryotic communities were additionally directed by soil pH and total N content. Seasonal alternations in microbial community composition were less important; however, they influenced the abundance of methane-cycling communities. Cotton-grass and blueberry bacterial communities contained relatively more α-Proteobacteria but less Chloroflexi, Fibrobacteres, Firmicutes, NC10, OD1 and Spirochaetes than in Sphagnum. Methanogens, syntrophic and anaerobic bacteria (i.e. Clostridiales, Bacteroidales, Opitutae, Chloroflexi and Syntrophorhabdaceae) were suppressed in blueberry indicating greater aeration that enhanced abundance of fungi (mainly Archaeorhizomycetes) and resulted in the highest fungi-to-bacteria ratio. Thus, microhabitats dominated by different vascular plants are inhabited by unique microbial communities, contributing greatly to spatial functional diversity within peatlands.
Nematicidal metabolites from endophytic fungus Chaetomium globosum YSC5
Authors: Khan Babar , Yan Wei , Wei Shan , Wang Zhiyang , Zhao Shuangshuang , Cao Lingling , Rajput Nasir Ahmed , Ye Yonghao
Published: August 2019

Management of nematodes is a very hectic job due to a highly diverse group of organisms. To find lead compounds for new nematicide development, five metabolites (1–5) were isolated from the culture broth of Chaetomium globosum YSC5 and tested for nematicidal activities against the second stage juveniles (J2s) of Meloidogyne javanica. The results revealed that chaetoglobosin A (1), chaetoglobosin B (2) and flavipin (3) exhibited strong adverse effects (91.6, 83.8 and 87.4%, respectively) on J2 mortality at 200 μg/mL with LC50 values of 88.4, 107.7 and 99.2 μg/mL after 72 h, respectively, while 3-methoxyepicoccone (4) and 4,5,6-trihydroxy-7-methylphthalide (5) showed moderate effects (78.0 and 75.5%, respectively) with LC50 values of 124.0 and 131.6 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, in pot assay compounds 1 and 2 appeared to be promising metabolites at 200 μg/mL that significantly reduced nematode reproduction and showed a positive influence on plant growth. Our findings could be helpful for development of new potential bio-based pesticides for integrated management of plant-parasitic nematode.
Microbiology can be comic
Authors: Scavone Paola , Carrasco Valentina , Umpiérrez Ana , Morel María , Arredondo Daniela , Amarelle Vanesa
Published: August 2019

For microbiologists, the importance of microorganisms in our daily lives and their impact on our well-being is evident. However, microbiology literacy in our society is far from being enough for individuals to make informed choices and to demand actions based on that information. The vaccine hesitation movement and the alarming increase in antimicrobial resistance due to overuse and misuse of antibiotics are just two examples of how much work is needed to make our society literate in topics related to microbiology. Considering the challenges of communicating a discipline surrounded by misconceptions, which studies the role of living organisms that cannot be seen in plain sight, we need to explore different strategies to effectively contribute to microbiology literacy in our society. Here, we will comment on the use of comics for such a task.
Forever panting and forever growing: physiology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae at extremely low oxygen availability in the absence of ergosterol and unsaturated fatty acids
Authors: da Costa Bruno Labate Vale , Raghavendran Vijayendran , Franco Luís Fernando Mercier , Chaves Filho Adriano de Britto , Yoshinaga Marcos Yukio , Miyamoto Sayuri , Basso Thiago Olitta , Gombert Andreas Karoly
Published: August 2019

We sought to investigate how far the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae under full anaerobiosis is dependent on the widely used anaerobic growth factors (AGF) ergosterol and oleic acid. A continuous cultivation setup was employed and, even forcing ultrapure N2 gas through an O2 trap upstream of the bioreactor, neither cells from S. cerevisiae CEN.PK113–7D (a lab strain) nor from PE-2 (an industrial strain) washed out after an aerobic-to-anaerobic switch in the absence of AGF. S. cerevisiae PE-2 seemed to cope better than the laboratory strain with this extremely low O2 availability, since it presented higher biomass yield, lower specific rates of glucose consumption and CO2 formation, and higher survival at low pH. Lipid (fatty acid and sterol) composition dramatically altered when cells were grown anaerobically without AGF: saturated fatty acid, squalene and lanosterol contents increased, when compared to either cells grown aerobically or anaerobically with AGF. We concluded that these lipid alterations negatively affect cell viability during exposure to low pH or high ethanol titers.
Anaerobic growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CEN.PK113-7D does not depend on synthesis or supplementation of unsaturated fatty acids
Authors: Dekker Wijb J C , Wiersma Sanne J , Bouwknegt Jonna , Mooiman Christiaan , Pronk Jack T
Published: August 2019

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, acyl-coenzyme A desaturation by Ole1 requires molecular oxygen. Tween 80, a poly-ethoxylated sorbitan-oleate ester, is therefore routinely included in anaerobic growth media as a source of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs). During optimization of protocols for anaerobic bioreactor cultivation of this yeast, we consistently observed growth of the laboratory strain S. cerevisiae CEN.PK113-7D in media that contained the anaerobic growth factor ergosterol, but lacked UFAs. To minimize oxygen contamination, additional experiments were performed in an anaerobic chamber. After anaerobic precultivation without ergosterol and Tween 80, strain CEN.PK113-7D and a congenic ole1Δ strain both grew during three consecutive batch-cultivation cycles on medium that contained ergosterol, but not Tween 80. During these three cycles, no UFAs were detected in biomass of cultures grown without Tween 80, while contents of C10 to C14 saturated fatty acids were higher than in biomass from Tween 80-supplemented cultures. In contrast to its UFA-independent anaerobic growth, aerobic growth of the ole1Δ strain strictly depended on Tween 80 supplementation. This study shows that the requirement of anaerobic cultures of S. cerevisiae for UFA supplementation is not absolute and provides a basis for further research on the effects of lipid composition on yeast viability and robustness.
Comparing Web-Based and Classroom-Based Memory Training for Older Adults: The ACTIVE Memory Works™ Study
Authors: Rebok George W , Tzuang Marian , Parisi Jeanine M
Published: August 2019

Objectives

To compare the efficacy of a web-based versus a classroom-based memory training program in enhancing cognition and everyday functioning in older adults, and program satisfaction and acceptability.

Method

Participants (N = 208; mean age = 71.1) were randomly assigned to a web-based or classroom-based training, or to a wait-list control condition. Cognitive and everyday functioning measures were administered at baseline, immediate, and 6 months post-training; both training groups evaluated program satisfaction and acceptability at immediate post-training. Repeated-measures analyses of variance assessed training effects on cognitive and functioning outcomes; independent-samples t tests assessed group differences in program satisfaction and acceptability.

Results

Compared to controls, neither training group showed a significant improvement on measures of memory or everyday functioning as assessed by dependence or difficulty on instrumental activities of daily living over time. Training effects did not transfer to non-trained cognitive abilities. The web-based group was as satisfied with the training as the classroom-based group (p > .05).

Discussion

Although no significant training effects were found, we demonstrated that a web-based platform is an acceptable and feasible mode to provide memory training to healthy older adults. Further studies are needed to investigate the potential of web-based memory training programs for improving cognition and function in cognitively healthy older adults.
Estimating plume heights of explosive eruptions using high-frequency seismic amplitudes
Authors: Mori Azusa , Kumagai Hiroyuki
Published: August 2019

Seismic signals during explosive eruptions have been correlated to eruption size or eruption volume flux for individual eruptive episodes. However, the universality of these correlations has yet to be confirmed. We quantified the sources of high-frequency seismic signals associated with sub-Plinian and Vulcanian eruptions at Kirishima (Japan), Tungurahua (Ecuador) and other volcanoes in Japan using a simple approach based on highly scattered seismic waveform characteristics. We found that eruption plume heights scale to seismic source amplitudes and are described by two relations depending on the value of source amplitudes: power-law and exponential relations for plume height >6 km and <6 km, respectively. Though conceptually similar, our scaling relations differ from the previously proposed relation based on reduced displacement. By comparing seismic and geodetic data during sub-Plinian eruptions at Kirishima, we found that the source amplitude is proportional to eruption volume flux. Combining these relations, we show that our scaling relation for Plinian eruptions is consistent with predictions from plume dynamics models. We present a source model to explain the proportionality between the source amplitude and eruption volume flux assuming a vertical crack or a cylindrical conduit as the source. The source amplitude can be estimated in seconds without any complicated data processing, whereas eruption plumes take minutes to reach their maximum heights. Our results suggest that high-frequency seismic source amplitudes are useful for estimating plume heights in real time.
Crustal imaging of northern Harrat Rahat, Saudi Arabia, from ambient noise tomography
Authors: Civilini F , Mooney W D , Savage M K , Townend J , Zahran H
Published: August 2019

Harrat Rahat is a volcanic field located in west-central Saudi Arabia and is the site of the most recent eruption in the country (1256 CE). An earthquake swarm at a nearby volcanic field in 2009 prompted the need for new hazard models for this region, which includes the holy city of Medina. Tomography studies can be used to infer material properties of the subsurface such as partial melt, and are instrumental for volcanic hazard assessment. Regional earthquakes have been used to determine mantle structure, but such crustal models are often hindered by an insufficient number of earthquakes in the plate interior. We use ambient seismic noise to compute Rayleigh and Love surface-wave dispersion maps between 5 and 12 s for northern Harrat Rahat. The surface-wave maps are inverted to produce shear-wave velocities using a neighbourhood algorithm and interpolated into a pseudo-3-D model. The distributions of surface-wave and shear-wave velocities are heterogenous, varying between ±3 and 8 per cent. However, low velocities are not restricted to the Harrat. We observed a difference between Rayleigh- and Love-wave velocities that extends north from the site of the 1256 CE eruption and coincides with a low gravity anomaly. We obtain a shear-wave velocity increase of 10–15 per cent between 15 and 25 km depth consistent with the Conrad discontinuity, the interface between andesitic upper crust and the mafic lower crust of the Arabian Shield. The average velocities of the upper and lower crust are estimated to be 3.64 and 3.95 km s–1 using Rayleigh waves and 3.53 and 4.16 km s–1 using Love waves, which are in good agreement with the results of other geophysical studies of this area. The magnitude of the low-velocity anomalies, their location away from the Harrat, and the lack of reversals in the shear-velocity inversions suggest that the presence of a crustal magma chamber is not likely. If a magma chamber exists, it is smaller than can be imaged with a secondary microseism source (approximately 15 km wavelength), deeper than 30 km, or shallower than 5 km with a small velocity contrast.
The Role of Policy and Party Information in Direct-Democratic Campaigns
Authors: Dermont Clau , Stadelmann-Steffen Isabelle
Published: August 2019

Existing research has repeatedly discussed how citizens make up their minds when voting on direct-democratic proposals. While previous studies have emphasized the role of policy information and party cues on opinion formation, we explore the mechanisms behind policy and party effects in greater detail. We conceptualize vote decisions as multidimensional choices, and use a three-wave conjoint analysis to observe if and how policy preferences change over the course of a campaign. We find that preferences toward a policy proposal remain consistent, but may change if an issue is intensively discussed during the campaign and does not already rally strong support or opposition. Moreover, the effect of party information is only tangible for voters with an explicit party affiliation.
Phase transitions of spectral initialization for high-dimensional non-convex estimation
Authors: Lu Yue M , Li Gen
Published: August 2019

We study a spectral initialization method that serves a key role in recent work on estimating signals in non-convex settings. Previous analysis of this method focuses on the phase retrieval problem and provides only performance bounds. In this paper, we consider arbitrary generalized linear sensing models and present a precise asymptotic characterization of the performance of the method in the high-dimensional limit. Our analysis also reveals a phase transition phenomenon that depends on the ratio between the number of samples and the signal dimension. When the ratio is below a minimum threshold, the estimates given by the spectral method are no better than random guesses drawn from a uniform distribution on the hypersphere, thus carrying no information; above a maximum threshold, the estimates become increasingly aligned with the target signal. The computational complexity of the method, as measured by the spectral gap, is also markedly different in the two phases. Worked examples and numerical results are provided to illustrate and verify the analytical predictions. In particular, simulations show that our asymptotic formulas provide accurate predictions for the actual performance of the spectral method even at moderate signal dimensions.
Quantized compressive sensing with RIP matrices: the benefit of dithering
Authors: Xu Chunlei , Jacques Laurent
Published: August 2019

Quantized compressive sensing deals with the problem of coding compressive measurements of low-complexity signals with quantized, finite precision representations, i.e., a mandatory process involved in any practical sensing model. While the resolution of this quantization impacts the quality of signal reconstruction, there exist incompatible combinations of quantization functions and sensing matrices that proscribe arbitrarily low reconstruction error when the number of measurements increases. This work shows that a large class of random matrix constructions known to respect the restricted isometry property (RIP) is ‘compatible’ with a simple scalar and uniform quantization if a uniform random vector, or a random dither, is added to the compressive signal measurements before quantization. In the context of estimating low-complexity signals (e.g., sparse or compressible signals, low-rank matrices) from their quantized observations, this compatibility is demonstrated by the existence of (at least) one signal reconstruction method, the projected back projection, whose reconstruction error decays when the number of measurements increases. Interestingly, given one RIP matrix and a single realization of the dither, a small reconstruction error can be proved to hold uniformly for all signals in the considered low-complexity set. We confirm these observations numerically in several scenarios involving sparse signals, low-rank matrices and compressible signals, with various RIP matrix constructions such as sub-Gaussian random matrices and random partial discrete cosine transform matrices.
Micronutrients, Immunological Parameters, and Dengue Virus Infection in Coastal Ecuador: A Nested Case-Control Study in an Infectious Disease Surveillance Program
Authors: Finkelstein Julia L , Colt Susannah , Layden Alexander J , Krisher Jesse T , Stewart-Ibarra Anna M , Polhemus Mark , Beltrán-Ayala Efraín , Tedesco Julia M , Cárdenas Washington B , Endy Timothy , Mehta Saurabh
Published: August 2019

Background

Micronutrients are known to modulate host immunity, and there is limited literature on this association in the context of dengue virus infection (DENV).

Methods

Using a nested case-control design in a surveillance program, we measured the following: anthropometry; nutritional biomarkers including serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor, retinol-binding protein (RBP), 25-hydroxy vitamin D, folate, and vitamin B12; and a panel of immune response markers. We then compared these measures across 4 illness categories: healthy control, nonfebrile DENV, other febrile illness (OFI), and apparent DENV using multivariate polytomous logistic regression models.

Results

Among 142 participants, serum ferritin (ng/mL) was associated with apparent DENV compared to healthy controls (odds ratio [OR], 2.66; confidence interval [CI], 1.53–4.62; P = .001), and RBP concentrations (µmol/L) were associated with apparent DENV (OR, 0.03; CI, 0.00–0.30; P = .003) and OFI (OR, 0.02; CI, 0.00–0.24; P = .003). In a subset of 71 participants, interleukin-15 levels (median fluorescent intensity) were positively associated with apparent DENV (OR, 1.09; CI, 1.03–1.14; P = .001) and negatively associated with nonfebrile DENV (OR, 0.89; CI, 0.80–0.99; P = .03) compared to healthy controls.

Conclusions

After adjusting for the acute-phase response, serum ferritin and RBP concentrations were associated with apparent DENV and may represent biomarkers of clinical importance in the context of dengue illness.
Examining the Effectiveness of Using Role-Play Simulations with Chinese Students in China
Authors: Toomey Michael , Zhou Xinhe , Yan Xin
Published: August 2019

A significant body of literature testifies to the effectiveness of role-play gaming and simulations as pedagogical methods in political science. Many of these studies involve students with a Western background. In contrast, little research exists on the teaching of political science in China and none on the effectiveness of simulations for teaching Chinese students. This study seeks to investigate the efficacy of role-play simulations as a method for teaching comparative politics to Chinese students. The study examined the levels of long-term knowledge retention, enthusiasm towards political science, and self-reported learning outcomes in two groups of students. A test group, students who had completed at least one political science course, participated in a politics-based role-playing simulation; the control group, students who had completed the same political science course, did not participate in a comparable game. The test group displayed significantly better self-reported learning outcomes and significantly better knowledge retention than the control group (albeit at the 90 percent level).
Challenges and lessons learned in promoting adoption of standardized local public health service delivery data through the application of the Public Health Activities and Services Tracking model
Authors: Bekemeier Betty , Park Seungeun , Whitman Greg
Published: August 2019

Population-level prevention activities are often publicly invisible and excluded in planning and policymaking. This creates an incomplete picture of prevention service-related inputs, particularly at the local level. We describe the process and lessons learned by the Public Health Activities and Services Tracking team in promoting adoption of standardized service delivery measures developed to assess public health inputs and guide system transformations. The 3 factors depicted in our Public Health Activities and Services Tracking model—data need and use, data access, and standardized measures—must be realized to promote collection of standard public health system data. Bureaucratic, resource, system, and policy challenges hampered our efforts toward adoption of the standardized measures we promoted. Substantial investments of time, resources, and coordination appear necessary for systems to adopt changes needed for collecting comparable service delivery data. Lessons from our process of promoting adoption of standardized measures provide recommendations to support future efforts to measure public health system contributions to the public’s health.
Varying Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Acute Effects on Human Split-Thickness Autografts
Authors: Rapp Scott J , Dershem Victoria , Zhang Xiang , Schutte Stacey C , Chariker Mark E
Published: August 2019

Over 6.5 million people in the United States suffer from traumatic, burn, acute, and chronic wounds yearly. When reconstruction is required, split and full-thickness autografts are a first line of treatment intervention. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is gaining traction as an adjunct modality to improve graft survival, yet the specifics on what settings to apply topically over the graft is unsubstantiated and associated with morbidities. This study was performed in an effort to understand initial changes in wound and graft healing with a long-term goal of surface pressure optimization. Excess skin from elective procedures from six human subjects was trimmed to 0.012 inch in order represent a split-thickness autografts. These grafts were treated continuously with either −75 mm Hg (n = 4), −125 mm Hg (n = 4), or no pressure (n = 4) for 3 hours. Six skin grafts were treated with no sponge or pressure control (n = 6). RNAseq was performed on all treatment groups and compared with no pressure control. Significant gene expression changes with a subset focusing on inflammatory, cellular/extracellular matrix proliferation and angiogenic mediators and having greater than 2-fold were confirmed with immunohistochemistry staining. There are 95 significant gene transcription differences among all treatment groups. NPWT leads to significantly increased gene expression of FGFR1, ET-1, and 22 Keratin proteins. Between −75 and −125 mm Hg groups, there are 19 significant gene changes. Proinflammatory genes S100A8 and Tenacin C (TNC) demonstrate an 8.8- and 9.1-fold change, respectively, and is upregulated in −125 mm Hg group and downregulated in −75 mm Hg group. Fibrinogen genes fibrinogen gamma chain and fibrinogen alpha chain had respective log2-fold changes of −7.9 and −7.4 change between treatment groups and were downregulated in −125 mm Hg group and upregulated in −75 mm Hg group. There are varying effects of surface pressures on human split-thickness autografts during the imbibition time period. NPWT may improve cellular migration, proliferation, and angiogenesis over controls. Human skin grafts respond differently to −125 and −75 mm Hg within 3 hours of NPWT treatment. The results suggest −75 mm Hg leads to less inflammation and increased fibrinogen production compared with the −125 mm Hg group, at least initially. Reducing “time to heal” with NPWT is critical to successful outcomes and quality of life within young patients who often experience pain/discomfort when treated at the current standard pump settings. The results from this study and continued investigation may quickly translate to the clinical setting by finding the ideal pressure setting utilized in an effort to reduce NPWT length of treatment, improve patient comfort, satisfaction, and psychosocial well-being.
The Effect of Pre-existing Seizure Disorders on Mortality and Hospital Length of Stay Following Burn Injury
Authors: Atwell Kenisha , Bartley Colleen , Cairns Bruce , Charles Anthony
Published: August 2019

Patients with a seizure disorder have a higher incidence of burn injury; however, there are limited studies that examine the association between pre-existing seizure disorders (PSD) and burn outcomes. This is a retrospective study of admitted burn patients. Variables analyzed include patient demographics, clinical characteristics, associated PSD, hospital length of stay (LOS), and mortality. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to analyze the impact of PSD on burn mortality and LOS. Seven thousand six hundred and forty patients met the inclusion criteria and 1.31% (n = 100) patients had a PSD. There was no difference in mortality rate between patients with or without PSD (odds ratio [OR] = 2.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.87 to 5.93). Multivariate logistic regression showed that patients with PSD had significantly increased odds of longer hospital LOS (OR = 2.85, 95% CI = 1.73 to 4.67). Seizure disorder management is mandatory in reducing burn injury and decreasing the costs associated with increased hospital LOS.
Switching Schemas: Do Effects of Mindless Interactions With Agents Carry Over to Humans and Vice Versa?
Authors: Velez John A , Loof Travis , Smith Casey A , Jordan Joshua M , Villarreal Jonathan A , Ewoldsen David R
Published: August 2019

The Revised Ethopoeia Concept proposes that agents should activate human schema in the form of social expectations and rules. However, studies have demonstrated inconsistent reactions to agents and avatars, potentially due to the activation of a nonhuman schema that constrains people’s ability to mentally connect with agents. We first examined whether the schema activated during agent or avatar game play were consistent with and influenced a subsequent interaction with a human. Results suggested that schemas activated across consecutive interactions with an agent and then a human were incongruent, while avatars successfully influenced subsequent interactions with humans (i.e., prosocial behaviors) by evoking congruent schemas. A second experiment corroborated this by demonstrating a match between schemas activated during game play with agents and subsequent interactions with another human-like but nonhuman entity (i.e., artificial intelligence). Additional results and implications related to switching schemas in consecutive interactions with agents and humans are discussed.
‘It’s my duty to be like “this is wrong”’: Youth political social media practices in the Trump era
Authors: Penney Joel
Published: August 2019

This study used focus groups to explore emergent patterns of youth political social media practices in the Trump era. The participants (U.S. undergraduates aged 18 to 26) suggested that Trump’s election was a transformative moment in their lives and that they had shifted their approaches to political social media in response. Many articulated an increased sense of duty and responsibility to use social media to counter perceived problems—such as Trump’s ideological extremism and misinformation—online, suggesting the adaption of certain “dutiful citizenship” norms to an “actualizing” mode of political engagement that prioritizes digital self-expression. Simultaneously, Trump’s embrace of social media to communicate directly with publics also corresponds with youth “speaking back” as a more exploratory mode of engagement to define political identity. Together, the data highlight the ongoing development of hybrid youth citizenship styles in response to institutional shifts in tactical social media use and growing hyper-partisanship.
Museum Stobaeanum
Authors: Håkansson Håkan
Published: August 2019

The Museum Stobaeanum was founded at Lund University, Sweden, in 1735. At the time, Lund was one of Scandinavia’s smallest academies, struggling for survival, and the creation of the museum was part of a modernization process intended to bring the curriculum up to a par with other European universities. The result, however, was one of the last classic Wunderkammern in Europe, reflecting ideals that would be superseded a few years later. This essay attempts to contextualize the founding of the museum by focusing on the influences of the creator, Kilian Stobaeus. Best known as the teacher of Carl Linnaeus, Stobaeus not only introduced empirical natural history to Lund but was also influenced by physico-theological ideas that were gaining popularity in 1730s Scandinavia. By examining Stobaeus’ textual sources, it is possible tentatively to explore how old practices and new ideals could coexist and merge within the culture of ‘Baroque’ science.
From Gujarat to the Globe: ‘Bhakti Visuality’ and Identity in BAPS Svāminārāyaṇ Hinduism
Authors: Packert Cynthia
Published: August 2019

The renovation and 150th anniversary of the Akṣar Derī, an important commemorative shrine at the BAPS Svāminārāyaṇ temple complex in Gondal, western Gujarat, was celebrated in grand fashion in January 2018. This site is profoundly important for BAPS devotees, as it preserves the funerary monument of Akṣarabrahman Guṇātītānanda Svāmī (1784–1867 CE), who is venerated as the first spiritual successor of Bhagvān Svāminārāyaṇ (1781–1830 CE), an influential religious leader who espoused a new form of Vaiṣṇava bhakti in nineteenth-century Gujarat. The Akṣar Derī's 150th anniversary was, however, no ordinary honoring of the renovation of a historical shrine; it is an exceptional landmark, differentiated from other important historical sites as the sacred spot that memorializes BAPS’ origins as a unique Svāminārāyaṇ community with its own particular theology. BAPS is continually creating new content in a wide variety of different visual media—art, architecture, print, film, digital—to educate its devotees about its origins and beliefs, as well as keeping the community abreast of current events. The Akṣar Derī celebration presents an ideal opportunity to analyze what I define as a BAPS-specific ‘bhakti visuality’ that is distinguished by its awe-inspiring aesthetics and sophisticated array of visual tools and techniques used to tell their particular story.
Establishment and Distribution of Laricobius spp. (Coleoptera: Derodontidae), a Predator of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, Within the Urban Environment in Two Localities in Southwest Virginia
Authors: Foley Jeremiah R , McAvoy Thomas J , Dorman Seth , Bekelja Kyle , Kring Timothy J , Salom Scott M
Published: August 2019

Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae Annand, is a highly destructive non-native pest lethal to eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière, and Carolina hemlock, T. caroliniana Engelmann. Fifty years following the first observation of HWA in eastern North America, a predatory beetle, Laricobius nigrinus Fender, was evaluated, approved, and released as a biological control agent. Efforts were made to mass rear L. nigrinus with the goal of redistributing the beetles on public lands, typically in forest ecosystems, as a secondary option to silvicultural and chemical controls. The majority of L. nigrinus releases has occurred on public lands. Herein, we report the observation of L. nigrinus within the urban environment outside of known release locations. Two towns, Blacksburg and Radford, were divided into 0.40 km2 grids. A total of 27 and 19 grids were randomly selected from each town, respectively. Hemlocks were present in 44 and 42% of the grids surveyed in Blacksburg and Radford, respectively. In Blacksburg and Radford, 86 and 100% of the grids with hemlocks were infested with HWA, and of those infested hemlocks, Laricobius spp. was present in 100 and 75% of grids, respectively. A total of 154 Laricobius spp. (98% L. nigrinus and 2% Laricobius rubidus) adults were collected between each town. While it is unclear the level of control L. nigrinus has on reducing HWA's impact, the establishment of this biological control agent in the urban environment is an additional level of predation, that would otherwise not be present, for homeowners with HWA-infested trees.
Invasive Insects: Management Methods Explored
Authors: McLaughlin Gemma M , Dearden Peter K
Published: August 2019

Invasive insect species can act as a plague across the globe, capable of vast expansion and rapid, proliferate reproduction. The spread of pathogens of serious diseases such as malaria and Zika virus and damages to agricultural crops number some of the afflictions invasive insects provide to humans alone. Additionally, an escape from predators can fail to keep invasive insects in check, providing potential threats such as extra resource competition to native species when insects invade. A variety of methods are employed to combat these invasive species, each with their own varying levels of success. Here, we explore the more traditional methods of invasive insect pest control, such as pesticides and biological control. In lieu of several unintended consequences resulting from such practices, we suggest some should be abandoned. We evaluate the potential of new techniques, in particular, those with a genetic component, regarding the costs, benefits and possible consequences of implementing them. And finally, we consider which techniques should be the focus of future research, if we truly wish to manage or even eradicate invasive insects in their introduced lands.
The brain in solitude: an (other) eighth amendment challenge to solitary confinement
Authors: Coppola Federica
Published: August 2019

Solitary confinement is not cruel and unusual punishment. It is cruel and unusual if one or more of its accompanying material conditions result in a wanton and unnecessary infliction of pain upon an individual. This requirement is met when such conditions involve a “deprivation of basic identifiable human needs” to an extent that they inflict harm or create a “substantial risk of serious harm” and they are enacted with “deliberate indifference” by prison personnel. With limited exceptions, the Supreme Court and lower federal courts have perpetuated a narrow application of these standards. In particular, Courts have often discounted the generalized mental pain caused by extreme isolation. Accordingly, Courts have often neglected the duration of solitary confinement as an autonomous aspect of constitutional scrutiny. Growing neuroscientific research has emphasized that social interaction and environmental stimulation are of vital importance for physiological brain function. It has further highlighted that socio-environmental deprivation can have damaging effects on the brain, many of which may entail irreversible consequences. Drawing on these insights, this article suggests that solitary confinement is in and of itself cruel and unusual punishment even under the current standards. Avenues for a profound rethinking of solitary confinement regimes are presented and discussed.
HARMFUL SIGNALS: CARTEL PROHIBITION AND OLIGOPOLY THEORY IN THE AGE OF MACHINE LEARNING
Authors: Thomas Stefan
Published: August 2019

The traditional legal approach for distinguishing between illicit collusion and legitimate oligopoly conduct is to rely on criteria that relate to the means and form of how rivals interact, such as elements of “practical cooperation”, or on the finding of an anticompetitive intent. These criteria ultimately refer to the inner sphere of natural persons and its emanations in communicative acts. Some authors therefore conclude that the cartel prohibition of Article 101 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) or Section 1 of the U.S. Sherman Act is unable to capture collusion if it is achieved by autonomously acting computers relying on machine learning capabilities. It is instead suggested here to define collusion as parallel informational signals, which achieve a supracompetitive equilibrium, and to use the consumer welfare standard as a proxy for distinguishing between illicit collusion and legitimate oligopoly conduct. This approach is not tantamount to the idea of prohibiting tacit collusion as such. Rather, it is to check singular elements of communication, that is, “informational signals”, within an existing oligopolistic setting for their propensity to create consumer harm. This approach can help to close potential regulatory gaps currently associated with the surge of algorithmic pricing.
An Infectious Diseases Perspective on Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Clostridioides difficile Infection in Children
Authors: Cotter Jillian M , Nicholson Maribeth R , Kociolek Larry K
Published: August 2019

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is efficacious for treatment of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections (rCDIs). Pediatric experience with FMT for rCDIs is increasing, particularly at large centers. While retrospective studies suggest that FMT is generally safe in the short term, particularly in immunocompetent patients and with rigorous donor screening, additional large prospective studies are needed. This particularly includes those at high risk for infectious complications, such as immunocompromised hosts. Further, long-term implications of altering the intestinal microbiome with FMT are not well understood. The role of FMT in children, particularly in high-risk patients, will require continual reexamination with future availability of pediatric safety and efficacy data. This review summarizes key points for infectious diseases physicians to consider when evaluating a child for FMT.
Infectious Causes of Acute Gastroenteritis in US Children Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant: A Longitudinal, Multicenter Study
Authors: Schuster Jennifer E , Johnston Samantha H , Piya Bhinnata , Dulek Daniel E , Wikswo Mary E , McHenry Rendie , Browne Hannah , Gautam Rashi , Bowen Michael D , Vinjé Jan , Payne Daniel C , Azimi Parvin , Selvarangan Rangaraj , Halasa Natasha , Englund Janet A
Published: August 2019

Background

Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) patients causes significant morbidity and mortality. Data regarding the longitudinal assessment of infectious pathogens during symptomatic AGE and asymptomatic periods, particularly in children, are limited. We investigated the prevalence of AGE-associated infectious pathogens in children undergoing allogeneic HCT.

Methods

From March 2015 through May 2016, 31 pediatric patients at 4 US children’s hospitals were enrolled and had stool collected weekly from pre-HCT through 100 days post-HCT for infectious AGE pathogens by molecular testing. Demographics, clinical symptoms, antimicrobials, vaccination history, and outcomes were manually abstracted from the medical record into a standardized case report form.

Results

We identified a pathogen in 18% (38/206) of samples, with many detections occurring during asymptomatic periods. Clostridioides difficile was the most commonly detected pathogen in 39% (15/38) of positive specimens, although only 20% (3/15) of C. difficile–positive specimens were obtained from children with diarrhea. Detection of sapovirus, in 21% (8/38) of pathogen-positive specimens, was commonly associated with AGE, with 87.5% of specimens obtained during symptomatic periods. Norovirus was not detected, and rotavirus was detected infrequently. Prolonged shedding of infectious pathogens was rare.

Conclusions

This multicenter, prospective, longitudinal study suggests that the epidemiology of AGE pathogens identified from allogeneic HCT patients may be changing. Previously reported viruses, such as rotavirus and norovirus, may be less common due to widespread vaccination and institution of infection control precautions, and emerging viruses such as sapoviruses may be increasingly recognized due to the use of molecular diagnostics.
Biofilm-sealed perforation of the gastric body: a rare sequela of gastric band erosion
Authors: Hurley Ciaran M , Hechtl Daniel , Ng Kin Cheung , McHugh Jack , Sehgal Rishabh , Regan Mark C
Published: August 2019

Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding is one of the cardinal bariatric interventions and due to its early safety profile, became the mainstay. Major long-term complications of gastric banding include pouch-herniation-dilation and gastric erosion. A 59-year-old female presented to the emergency department with a 2-week history of progressive central abdominal pain and distention on a background history of a laparoscopic adjustable band insertion 11 years previously. Subsequent computed tomography demonstrated an intragastric band erosion. An exploratory laparotomy demonstrated a gastric band eroded through the stomach sealed by a biofilm. Secondary findings included small bowel ischemia and portal vein thrombosis. The gastric band was extracted, and the stomach was repaired. The ischemic small bowel was resected with primary anastomosis. The patient recovered uneventfully. Gastric band erosion should be considered in all patients presenting with abdominal pain and previous weight loss surgery. Prompt recognition may avoid fatal consequences.
Metastasis of colorectal carcinoma in the testis: first sign of peritoneal disease
Authors: Smit Johannes A , Baas Jara M , Verheijen Paul M
Published: August 2019

Metastases of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) in the testis are very rare and indicate an advanced stage of disease. In this case report, we present a patient with adenocarcinoma in the sigmoid colon with metastasis in the right testis. Testicular metastasis of CRC is mostly diagnosed late because of their low incidence rate. Patients with CRC and testicular metastasis have a poor prognosis. In this case, the patient turned out to have peritoneal metastasis and one should be aware that testicular metastasis could be the first sign of widespread disease.