bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Degradation of black phosphorus is contingent on UV–blue light exposure
Authors: Ahmed Taimur , Balendhran Sivacarendran , Karim Md Nurul , Mayes Edwin L. H. , Field Matthew R. , Ramanathan Rajesh , Singh Mandeep , Bansal Vipul , Sriram Sharath , Bhaskaran Madhu , Walia Sumeet
Published: June 2017

Layered black phosphorous has recently emerged as a promising candidate for next generation nanoelectronic devices. However, the rapid ambient degradation of mechanically exfoliated black phosphorous poses challenges in its practical implementation in scalable devices. As photo-oxidation has been identified as the main cause of degradation, to-date, the strategies employed to protect black phosphorous have relied upon preventing its exposure to atmospheric oxygen. These strategies inhibit access to the material limiting its use. An understanding of the effect of individual wavelengths of the light spectrum can lead to alternatives that do not require the complete isolation of black phosphorous from ambient environment. Here, we determine the influence of discrete wavelengths ranging from ultraviolet to infrared on the degradation of black phosphorous. It is shown that the ultraviolet component of the spectrum is primarily responsible for the deterioration of black phosphorous in ambient conditions. Based on these results, new insights into the degradation mechanism have been generated which will enable the handling and operating of black phosphorous in standard fabrication laboratory environments.
Microencapsulation of α-tocopherol with zein and β-cyclodextrin using spray drying for colour stability and shelf-life improvement of fruit beverages
Authors: Saldanha do Carmo C. , Maia C. , Poejo Joana , Lychko I. , Gamito P. , Nogueira I. , Bronze M. R. , Serra Ana Teresa , Duarte Catarina M. M.
Published: June 2017

Encapsulated forms of α-tocopherol into β-cyclodextrin and zein carriers for colour stability and shelf-life improvement of beverages.
Evaluation of chemometric methodologies for the classification of Coffea canephora cultivars via FT-NIR spectroscopy and direct sample analysis
Authors: Luna Aderval S. , da Silva Arnaldo P. , Alves Enrique A. , Rocha Rodrigo B. , Lima Igor C. A. , de Gois Jefferson S.
Published: June 2017

This work presents a study of chemometric tools for the classification of Coffea canephora (whole beans) cultivars via in situ direct sample analysis using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR).
Photocatalytic decomposition of benzene enhanced by the heating effect of light: improving solar energy utilization with photothermocatalytic synergy
Authors: Fang Jialin , Chen Zhangsen , Zheng Qun , Li Danzhen
Published: June 2017

In the present paper, we propose to use the heating effect of light to enhance the solar utilization efficiency of the catalyst Pt/BiVO4/TiO2.
Athermal repair of nanoscale defects in optical materials using a femtosecond laser
Authors: Cao Qiang , Zhang Jiajun , Du Jian , Zhao Hongming , Liu Sheng , Peng Qing
Published: June 2017

Athermal reparation of nanoscale defects using a femtosecond laser.
Efficient trifluoromethylation via the cyclopropanation of allenes and subsequent C–C bond cleavage
Authors: Tang Yang , Yu Qiong , Ma Shengming
Published: June 2017

Trifluoromethyl has been efficiently incorporated into organic skeletons via allene cyclization and C–C bond cleavage.
Electrocatalytic activity of porous Ni–Fe–Mo–C–LaNi5 sintered electrodes for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline solution
Authors: Wu Liang , Guo Xiaohua , Xu Yang , Xiao Yifeng , Qian Jinwen , Xu Yanfei , Guan Zhuo , He Yuehui , Zeng Yi
Published: June 2017

The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was studied in 6 M KOH solution at temperatures ranging between 303 K and 353 K on a porous Ni–Fe–Mo–C–LaNi5 electrode.
Competitive biosorption behavior of Pt(iv) and Pd(ii) by Providencia vermicola
Authors: Xu Hang , Tan Ling , Dong Haigang , He Jia , Liu Xinxing , Qiu Guanzhou , He Qianfeng , Xie Jianping
Published: June 2017

Biosorption is an effective way to recover or remove metal ions from wastewater; however, the biosorption process in a multiple metal ion solution is still unclear.
Mn4+doped fluorotitanate phosphors: synthesis, optical properties and application in LED devices
Authors: Zhou Qiang , Tan Huiying , Zhang Qiuhan , Wang Nan , Wei Qianwen , Wang Zhengliang , Rong Meizhu , Wang Qin
Published: June 2017

Green and safe HAc acid was used as the reaction medium in the preparation process of Mn4+doped A2TiF6(X = Na, K and Cs) red phosphors, which is beneficial for the potential large scale production in the future.
Effect of rapid thermal annealing on crystallization and stress relaxation of SiGe nanoparticles deposited by ICP PECVD
Authors: Ravaux Florent , Rajput Nitul S. , Abed Jehad , George Leslie , Tiner Mike , Jouiad Mustapha
Published: June 2017

This work demonstrates the viability of direct fabrication utilizing a single (deposition/anneal) process for polycrystalline silicon germanium sub-micro particles.
Progress and perspectives in bioactive agent delivery via electrospun vascular grafts
Authors: Rychter Marek , Baranowska-Korczyc Anna , Lulek Janina
Published: June 2017

The review discusses the progress in the design and synthesis of bioactive agents incorporated into vascular grafts obtained by the electrospinning process.
Aggregation induced red shift emission of phosphorus doped carbon dots
Authors: Li Ying , Lin Hechun , Luo Chunhua , Wang Yunqiu , Jiang Chunli , Qi Ruijuan , Huang Rong , Travas-sejdic Jadranka , Peng Hui
Published: June 2017

Phosphorous doped carbon dots (P-CDs), prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method, show the phenomenon of aggregation induced red shift emission (AIRSE).
Tea polyphenols ameliorate hydrogen peroxide- and constant darkness-triggered oxidative stress via modulating the Keap1/Nrf2 transcriptional signaling pathway in HepG2 cells and mice liver
Authors: Qi Guoyuan , Mi Yashi , Fan Rong , Li Runnan , Wang Yiwen , Li Xingyu , Huang Shuxian , Liu Xuebo
Published: June 2017

Tea polyphenols alleviate oxidative stressviamodulating the Keap1/Nrf2 transcriptional signaling pathway in HepG2 cells and the liver of mice kept in constant darkness.
Root-like natural fibers in polypropylene prepared via directed diffusion and self-assembly driven by hydrogen bonding
Authors: Huang Pei , Shi Shaohong , Liu Yuansen , Nie Min , Wang Qi
Published: June 2017

Constructing root-like natural fibers in polypropylene via hydrogen bonding-driven diffusion and aggregation of self-assembling molecules.
A phenomenological thermodynamic approach for evaluating the energetics involved in the discharge of lithium ion battery
Authors: Sudha V. , Harinipriya S.
Published: June 2017

Illustrative representation of the discharge process in lithium ion battery constituted by porous electrodes.
Synthesis of three-dimensional graphene aerogel encapsulated n-octadecane for enhancing phase-change behavior and thermal conductivity
Authors: Xia Yongpeng , Cui Weiwei , Zhang Huanzhi , Xu Fen , Sun Lixian , Zou Yongjin , Chu Hailiang , Yan Erhu
Published: June 2017

Novel 3D-GA composite PCMs were successfully prepared for enhancing the thermal conductivity, energy storage capacity and thermal repeatability of PCMs.
Catalytic action of Y2O3@graphene nanocomposites on the hydrogen-storage properties of Mg–Al alloys
Authors: Lan Zhiqiang , Sun Zhenzhen , Ding Yuchuan , Ning Hua , Wei Wenlou , Guo Jin
Published: June 2017

The synthetic effect of Y2O3and rGO has a significant improvement on the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of Mg–Al alloys.
Korsettschulung bei Skoliose – Das Korsett-Einmaleins
Authors: Piper Verena , Kroggel Lena
Published: June 2017

Ein Korsett zu tragen ist zunächst unangenehm, vor allem sich damit in der Öffentlichkeit zu zeigen. Eine Korsetttraining mit begleitender Physiotherapie hilft Kindern und Jugendlichen, das Hilfsmittel und ihren Körper zu akzeptieren.
Predicting outcomes of gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection using a Bayesian approach: a step for individualized risk assessment
Authors: Libânio Diogo , Dinis-Ribeiro Mário , Pimentel-Nunes Pedro , Dias Cláudia , Rodrigues Pedro
Published: June 2017

Background and study aims Efficacy and adverse events probabilities influence decisions regarding the best options to manage patients with gastric superficial lesions. We aimed at developing a Bayesian model to individualize the prediction of outcomes after gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).

Patients and methods Data from 245 gastric ESD were collected, including patient and lesion factors. The two endpoints were curative resection and post-procedural bleeding (PPB). Logistic regression and Bayesian networks were built for each outcome; their predictive value was evaluated in-sample and validated through leave-one-out and cross-validation. Clinical decision support was enhanced by the definition of risk matrices, direct use of Bayesian inference software and by a developed online platform.

Results ESD was curative in 85.3 % and PPB occurred in 7.7 % of patients. In univariate analysis, male sex, ASA status, carcinoma histology, polypoid or depressed morphology, and lesion size ≥ 20 mm were associated with non-curative resection, while ASA status, antithrombotics and lesion size ≥ 20 mm were associated with PPB. Naïve Bayesian models presented AUROCs of ~80 % in the derivation cohort and ≥ 74 % in cross-validation for both outcomes. Risk matrices were computed, showing that lesions with cancer at biopsies, ≥ 20 mm, proximal or in the middle third, and polypoid are more prone to non-curative resection. PPB risk was < 5 % in lesions < 20 mm in the absence of antithrombotics.

Conclusions The derived Bayesian model presented good discriminative power in the prediction of ESD outcomes and can be used to predict individualized probabilities, improving patient information and supporting clinical and management decisions.
Vordere Kreuzbandplastik mit der
Semitendinosussehne
Authors: Wagenhäuser Kirsten , Feustel Martin
Published: June 2017

OP-Ablauf In Deutschland treten jedes Jahr über 350 000 Knieverletzungen
mit Kreuzbandriss auf, das vordere Kreuzband reißt zehnmal häufiger als das
hintere. Ungefähr 90 000 Kreuzbandrisse werden operativ mit einer
Kreuzbandplastik (Kreuzbandrekonstruktion) versorgt. Im OP-Ablauf schildert das
Team des Leopoldina Krankenhauses in Schweinfurt, wie die vordere
Kreuzbandplastik (VKB) mithilfe der Semitendinosussehne in
ACL-TightRope®-Technik durchgeführt wird.
Universitätsmedizin Mainz erhält Gelder aus Innovationsfonds – „Wir sind Überzeugungstäter“
Authors: Rieger Anja
Published: June 2017

Seit Ende 2016 fördert der Gemeinsame Bundesausschuss 91 Projekte zur Verbesserung der Patientenversorgung in Deutschland mit insgesamt 225 Millionen Euro. Physiotherapeut Dr. Ulrich Betz und Chirurg und Chefarzt Prof. Dr. Philipp Drees haben davon 5,1 Millionen für ihr Projekt an der Universitätsmedizin Mainz ergattert, mit dem sie die Versorgungsqualität von Patienten mit Hüft- und Knie-TEP verbessern wollen.
Stimulated rotational Raman scattering suppression by pulse stacking
Authors: Fan Xinmin , Huang Xiaodong , Wang Chunyan , Zhang Jianxin , Li Hourong , Sun Yongzhi
Published: June 2017

Suppression of stimulated rotational Raman scattering (SRRS) is essential for the effective long-distance transmission of high-intensity laser pulses in air. In this work, a method for SRRS suppression is proposed based on the reconstruction of the initial laser pulse via subpulse stacking. The proposed method can suppress SRRS significantly and doubles the threshold distance when the initial laser pulse is stacked using 30 subpulses; this capability is attributed to the mutually perpendicular polarization directions of the adjacent subpulses. Additionally, the SRRS gain decreases even further if different phases are added to adjacent subpulses. This pulse stacking scheme also has potential for use in the suppression of other nonlinear effects, including transverse stimulated Raman scattering and transverse stimulated Brillouin scattering in large aperture optical components. There may be some difficulties in the implementation of such a scheme, and the energy losses that occur during the stacking process may even be greater than the losses due to SRRS, but we believe that the proposed method can serve as an inspiration for SRRS suppression scheme design.
Catalytic property of an indium-deposited powder-type material containing silicon and its dependence on the dose of indium nano-particles irradiated by a pulse arc plasma process
Authors: Yoshimura Satoru , Nishimoto Yoshihiro , Kiuchi Masato , Agawa Yoshiaki , Tanaka Hiroyuki , Yasuda Makoto
Published: June 2017

Indium nano-particle irradiations onto zeolite powders were carried out using a pulse arc plasma source system. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic and scanning electron microscopic studies of an indium irradiated zeolite sample revealed that indium nano-particles were successfully deposited on the sample. Besides, the sample was found to be capable of catalyzing an organic chemical reaction (i.e., Friedel-Crafts alkylation). Then, we examined whether or not the catalytic ability depends on the irradiated indium dose, having established the optimal indium dose for inducing the catalytic effect.
Effect of zinc concentration and source on performance, tissue mineral status, activity of superoxide dismutase enzyme and lipid peroxidation of meat in broiler chickens
Authors: Kamran Azad S. , Shariatmadari F. , Karimi Torshizi M. A. , Ahmadi Hamed
Published: June 2017

The present experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding different concentrations and the source of zinc (Zn) on the performance, tissue mineral status, superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity and meat quality in 0–4-week-old broiler chicks. Dietary treatments included the corn–soybean meal-based diet (control) and the basal diet supplemented with Zn at 20, 50 or 80 mg/kg, added as ZnSO4, Zn-methionine or Zn-enriched yeast. The results showed that birds fed Zn-supplemented diets had higher average weight gain and average feed intake than did birds fed the control diet (P < 0.01). At the end of the experiment, the Zn deposition in pancreas, liver and tibia increased (P < 0.01), regardless of the source, in response to increasing dietary Zn concentrations, whereas plasma Zn status was significantly increased by the highest Zn supplementation level. The main effect of Zn supplementation level was significant for the activities of Cu and/or Zn SOD in the liver and pancreas (P < 0.01). As broiler given 50 mg Zn had higher tissue SOD activity than did broilers fed the other treatment diets. Furthermore, Zn supplementation at up to 50 mg/kg significantly increased (P < 0.01) Zn accumulation and SOD activity and decreased lipid peroxidation in muscles around the femur bone. Results from the present study demonstrated that supplementation with 50 mg Zn may be sufficient for normal broiler growth to 28 days of age and the dietary inclusion of organic Zn could be utilised more effectively than that of inorganic sources.
Demonstratives and the emergence of a definite article in Juba Arabic and Ki-Nubi
Authors: Manfredi Stefano
Published: June 2017

In this study I provide a description of the morphosyntax and the functions of demonstratives in Juba Arabic and Ki-Nubi, two closely related Arabic-based contact languages. The study describes the process of acquisition of demonstrative pronouns and determiners and it explains the formal and functional changes that have taken place in the demonstrative system of Arabic as a consequence of pidginization and subsequent creolization. Broadly speaking, the reduction of the inflection of Arabic demonstratives and the gradual loss of their deictic value corresponds to a change of their grammatical functions along the common grammaticalization pathdeictic demonstrative > anaphoric demonstrative > definite article. However, Juba Arabic and Ki-Nubi clearly differ in terms of both forms and functions of pronominal and adnominal demonstratives. If Juba Arabic demonstratives are characterized by a certain morphological continuity with those of its Arabic lexifier, Ki-Nubi gives evidence of an innovative, and rather complex, system of demonstrative pronouns and determiners. This morphosyntactic divergence is also reflected on a functional ground insofar as the adnominal demonstrativede“this” is mainly used as a tracking device in Juba Arabic, whereas it can mark nominal definiteness in Ki-Nubi. The study eventually proposes a unified diachronic hypothesis that accounts for a greater degree of grammaticalization of nominal determination in Ki-Nubi as a result of its radical creolization.
Putting Matawai on the Surinamese linguistic map
Authors: Migge Bettina
Published: June 2017

The creoles associated with Suriname have figured prominently in research on creole languages. However, one variety, Matawai, has, to date, remained completely unresearched. This paper attempts to address this lacuna. It discusses its history and selected areas of grammar in order to assess the place of Matawai among its sister languages and its development. The linguistic analysis draws on recordings from 2013 and the 1970s. The paper provides evidence to support the view that Matawai is most closely related to Saamaka. However, there are also features that are unique to Matawai and those that appear to be due to either patterns of language contact with the other creoles of Suriname or common inheritance. The paper argues that systematic corpus-based analysis of lesser-used varieties provides new insights into existing debates.
Surveillant landscapes
Authors: Jones Rodney H.
Published: June 2017

Most linguistic landscape research to date has focused on how people read and write language in the material world. Much less attention has been paid to the way linguistic landscapes sometimes read and write their inhabitants through technologies like CCTV cameras, intruder alarms, and other aspects of the built environment designed to make people ‘visible’ – what I call surveillant landscapes. This article puts forth a framework for analyzing the surveillant nature of linguistic landscapes based on tools from mediated discourse analysis. It sees surveillant landscapes in terms of the way they communicate practices of surveillance to the people who inhabit them (‘discourses in place’), the kinds of social relationships and social identities that they make possible (‘interaction orders’), and the ways architectures of surveillance come to be internalized by citizens, while at the same time aspects of their behaviors and identities come to be sedimented into their environments (‘historical bodies’). I argue that studies of linguistic landscapes should take more account of the agenitive nature of linguistic landscapes and their increasing ability to recognize and to entextualize what takes place within them, and the consequences of this both on situated social interactions and on broader political and economic realities.
Partitioned learning of deep Boltzmann machines for SNP data
Authors: Hess Moritz , Lenz Stefan , Blätte Tamara J , Bullinger Lars , Binder Harald
Published: June 2017

Motivation

Learning the joint distributions of measurements, and in particular identification of an appropriate low-dimensional manifold, has been found to be a powerful ingredient of deep leaning approaches. Yet, such approaches have hardly been applied to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data, probably due to the high number of features typically exceeding the number of studied individuals.

Results

After a brief overview of how deep Boltzmann machines (DBMs), a deep learning approach, can be adapted to SNP data in principle, we specifically present a way to alleviate the dimensionality problem by partitioned learning. We propose a sparse regression approach to coarsely screen the joint distribution of SNPs, followed by training several DBMs on SNP partitions that were identified by the screening. Aggregate features representing SNP patterns and the corresponding SNPs are extracted from the DBMs by a combination of statistical tests and sparse regression. In simulated case–control data, we show how this can uncover complex SNP patterns and augment results from univariate approaches, while maintaining type 1 error control. Time-to-event endpoints are considered in an application with acute myeloid leukemia patients, where SNP patterns are modeled after a pre-screening based on gene expression data. The proposed approach identified three SNPs that seem to jointly influence survival in a validation dataset. This indicates the added value of jointly investigating SNPs compared to standard univariate analyses and makes partitioned learning of DBMs an interesting complementary approach when analyzing SNP data.

Availability and implementation

A Julia package is provided at ‘http://github.com/binderh/BoltzmannMachines.jl’.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
pqsfinder: an exhaustive and imperfection-tolerant search tool for potential quadruplex-forming sequences in R
Authors: Hon Jiří , Martínek Tomáš , Zendulka Jaroslav , Lexa Matej
Published: June 2017

Motivation

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are one of the non-B DNA structures easily observed in vitro and assumed to form in vivo. The latest experiments with G4-specific antibodies and G4-unwinding helicase mutants confirm this conjecture. These four-stranded structures have also been shown to influence a range of molecular processes in cells. As G4s are intensively studied, it is often desirable to screen DNA sequences and pinpoint the precise locations where they might form.

Results

We describe and have tested a newly developed Bioconductor package for identifying potential quadruplex-forming sequences (PQS). The package is easy-to-use, flexible and customizable. It allows for sequence searches that accommodate possible divergences from the optimal G4 base composition. A novel aspect of our research was the creation and training (parametrization) of an advanced scoring model which resulted in increased precision compared to similar tools. We demonstrate that the algorithm behind the searches has a 96% accuracy on 392 currently known and experimentally observed G4 structures. We also carried out searches against the recent G4-seq data to verify how well we can identify the structures detected by that technology. The correlation with pqsfinder predictions was 0.622, higher than the correlation 0.491 obtained with the second best G4Hunter.

Availability and implementation

http://bioconductor.org/packages/pqsfinder/ This paper is based on pqsfinder-1.4.1.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Hemodynamic Changes after Unilateral Revascularization for Moyamoya Disease: Serial Assessment by Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Angiography
Authors: Kim Tackeun , Bang Jae Seung , Kwon O-Ki , Hwang Gyojun , Kim Jeong Eun , Kang Hyun-Seung , Cho Won-Sang , Jung Cheolkyu , Oh Chang Wan
Published: June 2017

BACKGROUND: Ultrasonic flow meters and quantitative magnetic resonance angiography quantitatively assess flow during hemodynamic evaluation of cerebral ischemia. Although their reliability and reproducibility have been verified, their clinical impact in moyamoya disease has rarely been reported.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate flow measurement outcomes in moyamoya disease patients pre- and postoperatively through a retrospective observational study.

METHODS: We evaluated 41 patients undergoing their first revascularization surgery who were followed ≥6 mo. Hemodynamic parameters were recorded preoperatively, at 1 and 6 mo postoperatively, and at the last follow-up. Demographic factors, Suzuki stage, and stroke development were also analyzed.

RESULTS: Patients’ median age was 37 yr (interquartile range [IQR], 27-43), and 16 (39.0%) patients were men. During follow-up, 9 (22.0%) patients experienced postoperative stroke (4 major strokes). Hemodynamic status was improved in 34 (82.9%) patients at the 6-mo follow-up. Median intraoperative flow was 41 mL/min (IQR, 25-59). Bypass flow peaked at 6 mo (median, 67 mL/min; IQR, 35-99). At the 1- and 6-mo follow-ups, ipsilateral hemispheric flow was significantly increased. The median proportion of posterior circulation at 6 mo was 44.4%, significantly lower than the preoperative proportion (50.1%). Abundant intraoperative bypass flow was associated with hemodynamic improvement, while low contralateral hemispheric flow was related with immediate postoperative ischemic stroke.

CONCLUSION: Ipsilateral hemispheric flow was increased during 6-mo follow-up, and posterior circulation flow burden was diminished. Abundant intraoperative bypass flow was associated with postoperative hemodynamic improvement. Low preoperative contralateral hemispheric flow was related with immediate postoperative ischemic stroke.
New oral antiplatelet medications
Authors: Jeffords Travis
Published: June 2017

New and more potent oral antiplatelet agents have shown better clinical outcomes over the last few years. This article reviews the latest oral antiplatelet therapies available, their indications and contraindications, genetic resistance, and major drug interactions.
The Effect of Aging and Priming on Same/Different Judgments Between Text and Partially Masked Speech
Authors: Freyman Richard L. , Terpening Jenna , Costanzi Angela C. , Helfer Karen S.
Published: June 2017

Objectives:

It is well known from previous research that when listeners are told what they are about to hear before a degraded or partially masked auditory signal is presented, the speech signal “pops out” of the background and becomes considerably more intelligible. The goal of this research was to explore whether this priming effect is as strong in older adults as in younger adults.

Design:

Fifty-six adults—28 older and 28 younger—listened to “nonsense” sentences spoken by a female talker in the presence of a 2-talker speech masker (also female) or a fluctuating speech-like noise masker at 5 signal-to-noise ratios. Just before, or just after, the auditory signal was presented, a typed caption was displayed on a computer screen. The caption sentence was either identical to the auditory sentence or differed by one key word. The subjects’ task was to decide whether the caption and auditory messages were the same or different. Discrimination performance was reported in d'. The strength of the pop-out perception was inferred from the improvement in performance that was expected from the caption-before order of presentation. A subset of 12 subjects from each group made confidence judgments as they gave their responses, and also completed several cognitive tests.

Results:

Data showed a clear order effect for both subject groups and both maskers, with better same-different discrimination performance for the caption-before condition than the caption-after condition. However, for the two-talker masker, the younger adults obtained a larger and more consistent benefit from the caption-before order than the older adults across signal-to-noise ratios. Especially at the poorer signal-to-noise ratios, older subjects showed little evidence that they experienced the pop-out effect that is presumed to make the discrimination task easier. On average, older subjects also appeared to approach the task differently, being more reluctant than younger subjects to report that the captions and auditory sentences were the same. Correlation analyses indicated a significant negative association between age and priming benefit in the two-talker masker and nonsignificant associations between priming benefit in this masker and either high-frequency hearing loss or performance on the cognitive tasks.

Conclusions:

Previous studies have shown that older adults are at least as good, if not better, at exploiting context in speech recognition, as compared with younger adults. The current results are not in disagreement with those findings but suggest that, under some conditions, the automatic priming process that may contribute to benefits from context is not as strong in older as in younger adults.
Remodeling after arthroscopic reduction of glenohumeral joint in adduction internal rotation shoulder deformity in obstetric brachial plexus palsy
Authors: Ghaly Nabil , Elabd Mostafa , Samir Shady , Samy Maged , Kotb Ahmed , Fayyad Tamer
Published: June 2017

Background:

Lesions of the upper trunk in obstetric brachial plexus palsy (OBPP) commonly leads to long-term shoulder dysfunction. The constant internal rotation lead to early glenohumeral (GH) joint deformity by 6 mo of age and to advanced deformity by 2 yr. Halting or reversing GH deformity and the percentage of the humeral head anterior to the midscapular line is an important surgical goal to restore shoulder function. The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of arthroscopic anterior release (with or without tendon transfers) to correct GH deformity.

Methods:

Twenty-one patients were included in this study. The average age was 26 mo (17 to 50 mo). Sixteen patients (76.2%) had C5 or 6 lesion, while five (23.8%) had C5, 6 or 7 lesion. Seven patients had grade II GH deformity (33.3%), ten had grade III (47.6%), and four had grade IV (19.1%). Ten children underwent isolated release and 11 underwent concomitant tendon transfers. Functional and radiographic assessments were used to assess outcome after at least 1-year follow-up. The average follow-up period was 19±7 mo (range 12-41 mo).

Results:

Significant improvement was noted in both the glenohumeral retroversion angle (GRV) angle and percentage of humeral head anterior to the midscapular line at 1-year follow-up The mean preoperative GRV angle was −27.8 degrees and postoperatively −11.8 degrees. The mean percentage of humeral head anterior to the midscapular line was 25% preoperatively and 43% postoperatively. Aggregate Mallet score also demonstrated statistically significant improvement.

Conclusions:

Arthroscopic release and reduction of GH joint with or without tendon transfer for the sequela of OBPP was associated with GH remodeling. The current study confirmed that the improvement was achieved after nearly 1-year follow-up. The clinical improvements paralleled the radiographic ones.

Level of evidence:

IV.
Neurobiologic Correlates of Attention and Memory Deficits Following Critical Illness in Early Life*
Authors: Schiller Raisa M. , IJsselstijn Hanneke , Madderom Marlous J. , Rietman André B. , Smits Marion , van Heijst Arno F. J. , Tibboel Dick , White Tonya , Muetzel Ryan L.
Published: June 2017

Objectives:

Survivors of critical illness in early life are at risk of long-term–memory and attention impairments. However, their neurobiologic substrates remain largely unknown.

Design:

A prospective follow-up study.

Setting:

Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Patients:

Thirty-eight school-age (8–12 yr) survivors of neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and/or congenital diaphragmatic hernia with an intelligence quotient greater than or equal to 80 and a below average score (zscore ≤ –1.5) on one or more memory tests.

Interventions:

None.

Measurements and Main Results:

Intelligence, attention, memory, executive functioning, and visuospatial processing were assessed and compared with reference data. White matter microstructure and hippocampal volume were assessed using diffusion tensor imaging and structural MRI, respectively. Global fractional anisotropy was positively associated with selective attention (β= 0.53;p= 0.030) and sustained attention (β= 0.48;p= 0.018). Mean diffusivity in the left parahippocampal region of the cingulum was negatively associated with visuospatial memory, both immediate (β= –0.48;p= 0.030) and delayed recall (β= –0.47;p= 0.030). Mean diffusivity in the parahippocampal region of the cingulum was negatively associated with verbal memory delayed recall (left:β= –0.52,p= 0.021; right:β= –0.52,p= 0.021). Hippocampal volume was positively associated with verbal memory delayed recall (left:β= 0.44,p= 0.037; right:β= 0.67,p= 0.012). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation type did not influence the structure-function relationships.

Conclusions:

Our findings indicate specific neurobiologic correlates of attention and memory deficits in school-age survivors of neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and congenital diaphragmatic hernia. A better understanding of the neurobiology following critical illness, both in early and in adult life, may lead to earlier identification of patients at risk for impaired neuropsychological outcome with the use of neurobiologic markers.
Using the Venous Pectoral Branch from the Thoracoacromial System as a Lifeboat in Autologous Breast Reconstruction
Authors: Tarakji Michael , Bartow Matthew J. , Dupin Charles , Tessler Oren
Published: June 2017

The most common recipient vessels for autologous free flap breast reconstruction are the internal mammary vessels. At times, there are problems with the exposed internal mammary vein (IMV) that require other options such as using the contralateral IMV, superior rib resection to access proximal IMV, retrograde IMV use, and thoracodorsal vein access with or without a vein graft. This case demonstrates using the pectoral branch of the thoracoacromial venous system without a vein graft as a lifeboat option when the IMV is not suitable for anastomosis. C.W. was a 65-year-old female who underwent right-sided mastectomy with placement of a tissue expander. After adjuvant radiation therapy, C.W. underwent deep inferior epigastric perforator free flap breast reconstruction. During exposure of the internal mammary artery and IMV, an iatrogenic venotomy occurred that precluded the use of this vessel as a reliable recipient. The deep inferior epigastric perforator flap pedicle was then dissected proximal to isolate the artery and vein, and the vein was successfully anastomosed to the venous pectoral branch of the thoracoacromial system. The postoperative course was uneventful and patient was discharged home on postoperative day 4. Using the venous pectoral branch of the thoracoacromial is a safe and valuable option that can be considered in difficult situations when the IMV is not a suitable option.
Pain Management in Abdominal Wall Reconstruction
Authors: Khansa Ibrahim , Koogler Andrew , Richards Jesse , Bryant Richard , Janis Jeffrey E.
Published: June 2017

Background:

In abdominal wall reconstruction, adequate pain control and minimization of narcotic consumption are essential to improving patient outcomes and satisfaction. Previous studies have examined the role of individual strategies, such as neuraxial analgesia and multimodal analgesia. However, there has not been a study that examined all potential determinants of postoperative narcotic requirements, including intraoperative strategies.

Methods:

Consecutive patients who underwent abdominal wall reconstruction were reviewed. Preoperative factors (chronic preoperative narcotic usage, indication for abdominal wall reconstruction, administration of neuraxial analgesia), intraoperative factors (intraoperative narcotics administered, method of mesh fixation), and postoperative factors (multimodal analgesia, complications) were collected. The main outcomes were daily amount of opioids used and length of hospital stay.

Results:

Ninety-three patients were included in the study. Patients who had an epidural required lower doses of opioids postoperatively, while those on chronic preoperative opioids, those whose mesh was fixated using transfascial sutures, and those who received large doses of opioids intraoperatively required higher doses of postoperative opioids. Hospital length of stay was longer in patients who received transfascially sutured mesh and those on chronic opioids preoperatively.

Conclusions:

This study provides potential strategies to improve pain control and minimize narcotic consumption postoperatively in patients undergoing abdominal wall reconstruction. Intraoperative administration of opioids should be minimized to avoid the development of tolerance. Epidural analgesia reduces postoperative narcotic requirement and may be especially beneficial in patients at highest risk for postoperative pain, including those on chronic opioids, and those in whom transfascial sutures are used for mesh fixation.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Perinatally Acquired HIV and HBV Coinfection
Authors: Seers Timothy , Sarker Debashis , Ross Paul , Heaton Nigel , Suddle Abid , Lyall Hermione , Tudor-Williams Gareth , Fidler Sarah , Foster Caroline
Published: June 2017

This report describes a case of hepatocellular carcinoma in an adolescent with perinatally acquired HIV and hepatitis B virus coinfection, arising despite more than a decade of suppressive antiretroviral therapy for both HIV and hepatitis B virus. This case raises important questions regarding optimal hepatocellular carcinoma screening in this high-risk group and the oncogenic potential of even very well-controlled viral infection.
Itchy Cobblestoned Papules on the Shins
Authors: Zumwalt Michael , Jacob Sharon E.
Published: June 2017

Teledermatology is a term to describe the provision of dermatologic medical services through telecommunication technology. This is a case of itchy cobblestoned papules on the shins.
Effect of Continuity of Care on Drug-Drug Interactions
Authors: Guo Jiun-Yu , Chou Yiing-Jenq , Pu Christy
Published: June 2017

Background:

Drug-drug interaction (DDI) is a critical concern in health care systems because it is directly associated with patient outcomes and is generally preventable. However, few studies have been conducted on whether poor continuity of care (COC) is a determinant of DDIs and whether this effect varies by level of comorbidity. Patients with higher comorbidity normally require more complex treatment regimens than other patients, and hence their COC is more critical for ensuring the accuracy of their medication information.

Objective:

This study investigated the association between COC and DDI, with COC being measured as physician and site COC. The effect of comorbidities on DDI events was also analyzed.

Methods:

The Taiwan National Health Insurance claims data of ∼1,000,000 randomly selected insurance beneficiaries were used. Each person was longitudinally followed from 2005 to 2013. Negative nominal regressions were estimated to determine the effect of COC on DDI.

Results:

Higher COC was found to decrease the risk of DDI, and this risk reduction was even greater with physician COC and a higher Charlson comorbidity index. In the 1-year observation interval, patients exhibited a 3% reduction in DDIs for every 0.1 increment in their COC index. The ability of COC to reduce DDIs increased with the level of comorbidity. Similar results were observed when the observation interval was increased.

Conclusions:

Improving COC is critical for reducing DDIs. The effect of high-quality COC on the reduction of DDI is more significant for patients with higher levels of comorbidity; thus, they should be targeted to improve COC.
Rat model of cancer-induced bone pain: changes in nonnociceptive sensory neurons in vivo
Authors: Zhu Yong Fang , Ungard Robert , Zacal Natalie , Huizinga Jan D. , Henry James L. , Singh Gurmit
Published: June 2017

Introduction:

Clinical data on cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) suggest extensive changes in sensory function. In a previous investigation of an animal model of CIBP, we have observed that changes in intrinsic membrane properties and excitability of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) nociceptive neurons correspond to mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia.

Objectives:

To investigate the mechanisms underlying changes in nonnociceptive sensory neurons in this model, we have compared the electrophysiological properties of primary nonnociceptive sensory neurons at <1 and >2 weeks after CIBP model induction with properties in sham control animals.

Methods:

Copenhagen rats were injected with 106 MAT-LyLu rat prostate cancer cells into the distal femur epiphysis to generate a model of CIBP. After von Frey tactile measurement of mechanical withdrawal thresholds, the animals were prepared for acute electrophysiological recordings of mechanically sensitive neurons in the DRG in vivo.

Results:

The mechanical withdrawal threshold progressively decreased in CIBP model rats. At <1 week after model induction, there were no changes observed in nonnociceptive Aβ-fiber DRG neurons between CIBP model rats and sham rats. However, at >2 weeks, the Aβ-fiber low-threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMs) in CIBP model rats exhibited a slowing of the dynamics of action potential (AP) genesis, including wider AP duration and lower AP amplitude compared with sham rats. Furthermore, enhanced excitability of Aβ-fiber LTM neurons was observed as an excitatory discharge in response to intracellular injection of depolarizing current into the soma.

Conclusion:

After induction of the CIBP model, Aβ-fiber LTMs at >2 weeks but not <1 week had undergone changes in electrophysiological properties. Importantly, changes observed are consistent with observations in models of peripheral neuropathy. Thus, Aβ-fiber nonnociceptive primary sensory neurons might be involved in the peripheral sensitization and tumor-induced tactile hypersensitivity in CIBP.
Brief Report: HIV/HBV Coinfection is a Significant Risk Factor for Liver Fibrosis in Tanzanian HIV-Infected Adults
Authors: Hawkins Claudia , Christian Beatrice , Fabian Emanuel , Macha Irene , Gawile Cecilia , Mpangala Shida , Ulenga Nzovu , Thio Chloe L. , Ammerman Lauren R. , Mugusi Ferdinand , Fawzi Wafaie , Green Richard , Murphy Robert
Published: June 2017

Background:

In sub-Saharan Africa, the burden of liver disease associated with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HIV is unknown. We characterized liver disease using aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and FIB-4 in patients with HIV, HBV, and HIV/HBV coinfection in Tanzania.

Methods:

Using a cross-sectional design, we compared the prevalence of liver fibrosis in treatment-naive HIV monoinfected, HBV monoinfected, and HIV/HBV-coinfected adults enrolled at Management and Development for Health (MDH)-supported HIV treatment clinics in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Risk factors associated with significant fibrosis (APRI >0.5 and FIB-4 >1.45) were examined.

Results:

Two hundred sixty-seven HIV-infected, 165 HBV-infected, and 63 HIV/HBV-coinfected patients were analyzed [44% men, median age 37 (interquartile range 14), body mass index 23 (7)]. APRI and FIB-4 were strongly correlated (r = 0.78, P < 0.001, R2 = 0.61). Overall median APRI scores were low {HIV/HBV [0.36 (interquartile range 0.4)], HIV [0.23 (0.17)], HBV [0.29 (0.15)] (P < 0.01)}. In multivariate analyses, HIV/HBV coinfection was associated with APRI >0.5 [HIV/HBV vs. HIV: odds ratio (OR) 3.78 (95% confidence interval: 1.91 to 7.50)], [HIV/HBV vs. HBV: OR 2.61 (1.26 to 5.44)]. HIV RNA per 1 log10 copies/mL increase [OR 1.53 (95% confidence interval: 1.04 to 2.26)] and HBV DNA per 1 log10 copies/mL increase [OR 1.36 (1.15, 1.62)] were independently associated with APRI >0.5 in HIV-infected and HBV-infected patients, respectively.

Conclusions:

HIV/HBV coinfection is an important risk factor for significant fibrosis. Higher levels of circulating HIV and HBV virus may play a direct role in liver fibrogenesis. Prompt diagnosis and aggressive monitoring of liver disease in HIV/HBV coinfection is warranted.
Hypercapnia-Induced Amelioration of the Intestinal Microvascular Oxygenation in Sepsis is Independent of the Endogenous Sympathetic Nervous System
Authors: Schulz Jan , Schöneborn Sabrina , Vollmer Christian , Truse Richard , Herminghaus Anna , Bauer Inge , Beck Christopher , Picker Olaf
Published: June 2017

Introduction:

Insufficient microvascular oxygenation (μHBO2) of the intestinal mucosa worsens outcome of septic patients. Hypercapnia ameliorates μHBO2, mediated via endogenous vasopressin release. Under physiological conditions, blockade of the endogenous sympathetic nervous system abolishes this protective effect of hypercapnia. The aim of our study was therefore to evaluate the role of the endogenous sympathetic nervous system during hypercapnia on intestinal μHBO2 under septic conditions.

Methods:

We randomized 80 male Wistar rats into eight groups. Sepsis was induced via colon ascendens stent peritonitis. The animals were subjected to 120 min of normocapnic (pCO2 35 mm Hg–45 mm Hg) or moderate hypercapnic (pCO2 65 mm Hg–75 mm Hg) ventilation 24 h after surgery. Animals received sympathetic blockade (hexamethonium 15 mg · kg−1 (bolus) followed by 15 mg · kg−1 · h−1 (infusion) intravenously) or the same volume as vehicle (NaCl 0.9%). Microcirculatory oxygenation (μHBO2) and perfusion (μflow) were recorded using tissue reflectance spectrophotometry and laser Doppler.

Results:

In septic animals, μHBO2 decreased during normocapnia (−8.9 ± 4%) and increased during hypercapnia (+7.8 ± 7.5%). The additional application of hexamethonium did not influence these effects. μHBO2 declined in normocapnic septic animals treated with hexamethonium similar to normocapnia alone (−6.1 ± 5.4%) and increased in hypercapnic animals treated with hexamethonium similar to hypercapnia alone (+7.9 ± 11.7%). Furthermore, hypercapnic ventilation ameliorated microcirculatory perfusion (μflow) irrespective of whether animals received hexamethonium (from 113 ± 54 [AU] to 206 ± 87 [AU]) or vehicle (from 97 ± 37 [AU]–169 ± 52 [AU]).

Conclusion:

The amelioration of the intestinal microcirculation during hypercapnia in sepsis is independent of the endogenous sympathetic nervous system.
Circulating Exosomes Isolated from Septic Mice Induce Cardiovascular Hyperpermeability Through Promoting Podosome Cluster Formation
Authors: Mu Xingjiang , Wang Xiaohong , Huang Wei , Wang Rui-Tao , Essandoh Kobina , Li Yutian , Pugh Amanda M. , Peng Jiangtong , Deng Shan , Wang Yigang , Caldwell Charles C. , Peng Tianqing , Yu Kai-Jiang , Fan Guo-Chang
Published: June 2017

Septic shock increases vascular permeability, leading to multiple organ failure including cardiac dysfunction, a major contributor to septic death. Podosome, an actin-based dynamic membrane structure, plays critical roles in extracellular matrix degradation and angiogenesis. However, whether podosome contributes to endothelial barrier dysfunction during septic shock remains unknown. In this study, we found that the endothelial hyperpermeability, stimulated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and thrombin, was accompanied by increased formation of podosome clusters at the cell periphery, indicating a positive correlation between podosome clusters and endothelial leakage. Interestingly, we observed that circulating exosomes collected from septic mice were able to stimulate podosome cluster formation in cardiac endothelial cells, together with increased permeability in vitro/in vivo and cardiac dysfunction. Mechanistically, we identified that septic exosomes contained higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) than normal ones, which were effectively transported to endothelial cells (ECs). Depletion of ROS in septic exosomes significantly reduced their capacity for promoting podosome cluster formation and thereby dampened vascular leakage. Finally, we elucidated that podosome cluster-induced endothelial hyperpermeability was associated with fragmentation/depletion of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) at the cell periphery. Our results demonstrate that septic exosomes were enriched with high amounts of ROS, which can be transported to ECs, leading to the generation of podosome clusters in target ECs and thereby, causing ZO-1 relocation, vascular leakage, and cardiac dysfunction.