bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of Doppler Ultrasound in the Management of Uteroplacental Perfusion During Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Pregnancy
Authors: Mandel D.C. , Pryde P.G. , Shah D.M. , Iruretagoyena J.I.
Published: May 2017

(Int J Obstet Anesth. 2016;27:75–80)

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) performed during pregnancy is known to increase the risk of fetal mortality by up to 20%. This can be minimized to some extent by the use of fetal-maternal Doppler ultrasound as a surrogate for monitoring maternal oxygen transport and uterine blood flow. This current case report describes the care of a woman who underwent CPB during pregnancy in which intermittent Doppler ultrasound was used to monitor uteroplacental blood flow.
Extracellular Matrix Regenerative Graft Attenuates the Negative Impact of Polypropylene Prolapse Mesh on Vagina in Rhesus Macaque
Authors: Liang Rui , Knight Katrina , Barone William , Powers Robert W. , Nolfi Alexis , Palcsey Stacy , Abramowitch Steven , Moalli Pamela A.
Published: May 2017

(Abstracted from Am J Obstet Gynecol 2017;216:153.e1–153.e9)

Use of wide pore lightweight polypropylene mesh in an effort to improve anatomic outcomes in the surgical repair of prolapse has been associated with significant mesh-related complications. A widely used implanted polypropylene mesh (Gynemesh) has been shown to induce a host immune foreign-body response and degenerative changes in the vagina when implanted via sacrocolpopexy.
An Allometric Model of Remifentanil Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics
Authors: Eleveld Douglas J. , Proost Johannes H. , Vereecke Hugo , Absalom Anthony R. , Olofsen Erik , Vuyk Jaap , Struys Michel M. R. F.
Published: May 2017

Background

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic models are used to predict and explore drug infusion schemes and their resulting concentration profiles for clinical application. Our aim was to develop a pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model for remifentanil that is accurate in patients with a wide range of age and weight.

Methods

Remifentanil pharmacokinetic data were obtained from three previously published studies of adults and children, one of which also contained pharmacodynamic data from adults. NONMEM was used to estimate allometrically scaled compartmental pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic models. Weight, age, height, sex, and body mass index were explored as covariates. Predictive performance was measured across young children, children, young adults, middle-aged, and elderly.

Results

Overall, 2,634 remifentanil arterial concentration and 3,989 spectral-edge frequency observations from 131 individuals (55 male, 76 female) were analyzed. Age range was 5 days to 85 yr, weight range was 2.5 to 106 kg, and height range was 49 to 193 cm. The final pharmacokinetic model uses age, weight, and sex as covariates. Parameter estimates for a 35-yr-old, 70-kg male (reference individual) are: V1, 5.81 l; V2, 8.82 l; V3, 5.03 l; CL, 2.58 l/min; Q2, 1.72 l/min; and Q3, 0.124 l/min. Parameters mostly increased with fat-free mass and decreased with age. The pharmacodynamic model effect compartment rate constant (ke0) was 1.09 per minute (reference individual), which decreased with age.

Conclusions

We developed a pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model to predict remifentanil concentration and effect for a wide range of patient ages and weights. Performance exceeded the Minto model over a wide age and weight range.
Specific Skin Lesions of Sarcoidosis Located at Venipuncture Points for Blood Sample Collection
Authors: Marcoval Joaquim , Penín Rosa M. , Mañá Juan
Published: May 2017

It has been suggested that the predilection of sarcoidosis to affect scars is due to the presence of antigens or foreign bodies that can serve as a stimulus for granuloma formation. Several patients with sarcoidosis-specific skin lesions in venous puncture sites have been reported. However, in these patients the pathogenesis of the cutaneous lesions is not clear because the presence of foreign bodies is not to be expected. Our objective was to describe 3 patients who developed specific lesions of sarcoidosis in areas of venipuncture and to discuss their possible pathogenesis. The database of the Sarcoid Clinic of Bellvitge Hospital (an 800-bed university referral center providing tertiary care to approximately 1 million people in Barcelona, Spain) was reviewed to detect those patients with specific cutaneous lesions of systemic sarcoidosis in areas of venipuncture. Three patients with biopsy-proven specific cutaneous lesions of systemic sarcoidosis in areas of venipuncture for blood collection were detected (3 women, mean age 56 years). In one case, the histopathological image shows the hypothetical path of a needle through the skin. In 2 cases, an amorphous birefringent material was detected under polarized light. This material was consistent with silicone. In patients who are developing sarcoidosis, the smallest amount of oil used as lubricant in the needle for sample blood collection may induce the formation of granulomas. In addition to exploring scars, it is advisable to explore the cubital folds to detect specific cutaneous lesions of sarcoidosis.
Decreasing Disparities in Child Development Assessment: Identifying and Discussing Possible Delays in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Authors: Zuckerman Katharine E. , Chavez Alison E. , Reeder Julie A.
Published: May 2017

Objective:

To assess how staff at the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) address potential developmental delays and parent developmental concerns in children <5 years.

Methods:

A Web-based survey of Oregon WIC staff in nonadministrative roles assessed staff interactions with parents regarding concerning child development/behavior, perceptions of connectedness with local developmental resources, and knowledge of typical child development.

Results:

Staff (N = 153) responses indicated knowledge of typical child development, frequent interactions with families about child development, and frequent noticing of developmental concerns. However, most staff reported being less than very well connected to developmental resources. Open-ended responses suggested that staff frequently make direct referrals to early intervention, public health nurses, and others who can further assess developmental concerns.

Conclusion:

Although it is outside the primary scope of their work, developmental and behavioral concerns are frequently raised and addressed by WIC staff. Findings suggest that strengthening the existing referral processes and enhancing continuity of care between WIC and developmental providers may improve child outcomes and reduce disparities.
Pharmacokinetics of Antibiotics in Sub-Saharan African Patient Populations: A Systematic Review
Authors: Bos Jeannet C. , van Hest Reinier M. , Prins Jan M.
Published: May 2017

Background:

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), severe febrile illness accounts for a large majority of medical admissions. SSA patients may also suffer from cachexia and organ dysfunction resulting from tuberculosis, hepatitis B, and hypertension. It is hard to tell how these conditions influence the pharmacokinetics (PK) of antibiotics in this population. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize antibiotic PK data of SSA adult patient populations to clarify whether inappropriate drug concentrations that may also lead to antimicrobial resistance are likely to occur.

Methods:

An electronic search was conducted in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and the African Index Medicus collecting studies from 1946 to May 2016. Reviewers independently selected studies reporting outcome data on volume of distribution (V), clearance, and half-life. Relevant information was abstracted and quality assessed.

Results:

Twelve studies were selected, addressing 6 antibiotic classes. There were 6 studies on fluoroquinolones and 1 on β-lactam antibiotics. Nine out of 12 originated from South Africa and 6 of those dealt with intensive care unit (ICU) populations. The quality of most studies was low. Studies on amikacin, teicoplanin, and ertapenem (n = 4) displayed a pattern of a large V with low drug concentrations. Fluoroquinolone PK changes were less prominent and more diverse whereas the probability of pharmacodynamic target attainment was low for the treatment of tuberculosis in South Africa. Interindividual variability of V was high for 10/12 studies.

Conclusions:

Antibiotic PK data of SSA adult patient populations are scarce, but disease-induced inappropriate drug concentrations do occur. Data from non–ICU, severely ill patients, and β-lactam data are particularly lacking, whereas β-lactam antibiotics are commonly used, and typically vulnerable to disease-induced PK changes. Studies investigating the PK and pharmacodynamics of β-lactam antibiotics in severely ill, adult SSA patient populations are needed to improve local antibiotic dosing strategies.
A Case of Keloids Complicated by Castleman’s Disease: Interleukin-6 as a Keloid Risk Factor
Authors: Quong Whitney L. , Kozai Yasuji , Ogawa Rei
Published: May 2017

Keloids are a manifestation of a fibroproliferative scarring disorder of the skin and develop in response to dermal injury in patients with a susceptible background. Local, systemic, and genetic factors contribute to keloid susceptibility. These factors include tension on the edges of the wound, hormonal influences, and ethnicity, respectively. Castleman’s disease is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder that is characterized by the unregulated overproduction of interleukin-6, which leads to systemic lymphadenopathy and constitutional inflammatory symptoms. This case report shows that the bilateral auricular keloids of an adult woman were greatly exacerbated by the onset of Castleman’s disease. We present our multimodal management algorithm for auricular keloids, which involves core excision and radiation therapy and achieves excellent aesthetic outcomes. The current treatment pathway for auricular keloids and the possible relationship between interleukin-6 and keloid progression will be discussed.
The Relationship Between Weather and Objectively Measured Physical Activity Among Individuals With COPD
Authors: Balish Shea M. , Dechman Gail , Hernandez Paul , Spence John C. , Rhodes Ryan E. , McGannon Kerry , Blanchard Chris
Published: May 2017

Purpose:

Although daily variation in weather impacts physical activity (PA) levels among relatively healthy individuals, it is largely unknown whether this relationship occurs for those living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The purpose of this study was to examine how daily variation in temperature, rain, and snow is related to objectively measured PA among patients with COPD, and whether demographic or clinical characteristics moderate these relationships.

Methods:

Patients with COPD completed a questionnaire and wore a pedometer for 7 days at baseline, end of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), and 3 and 9 months after completing PR (28 days in total).

Results:

Hierarchal linear modeling showed that daily mean temperature and total daily rainfall, but not snowfall, independently predicted steps/day, controlling for demographic and clinical covariates in 189 patients in PR. Specifically, an increase of 10°C translates into 316 more steps (6.6% of mean steps/day) whereas a rainfall of 10 mm translates to 175 less steps (3.6% of mean steps/day). Furthermore, those with higher income had more steps/day on warmer days.

Conclusions:

These results add to converging evidence that weather plays an important role in determining PA among individuals with COPD.
TWENTY-FOUR MONTH FOLLOW-UP OF TOCILIZUMAB THERAPY FOR REFRACTORY UVEITIS-RELATED MACULAR EDEMA
Authors: Mesquida Marina , Molins Blanca , Llorenç Victor , Hernández María V. , Espinosa Gerard , Sainz de la Maza Maite , Adán Alfredo
Published: May 2017

Background:

To report the 24-month efficacy and safety of the interleukin-6 receptor antagonist tocilizumab (TCZ) for refractory uveitis-related macular edema (ME).

Methods:

Data were obtained by standardized chart review. Patients with quiescent uveitis seen at a single tertiary referral center, for whom ME was the principal cause of reduced visual acuity.

Outcome Measures:

Central foveal thickness measured by optical coherence tomography; degree of anterior and posterior chamber; inflammation (Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature Working Group criteria); and visual acuity (Snellen and logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) were recorded in all patients during TCZ therapy at months 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24.

Results:

Sixteen eyes from 12 patients (10 women) were included. Mean age was 34.6 years. Mean duration of ME was 13.2 years. All patients achieved 24 months of follow-up and that is the census date for data collection. Before TCZ was commenced, ME was present, and all patients had been previously treated with immunosuppressive therapy and biologic agents. Uveitis diagnoses were juvenile idiopathic arthritis associated, uveitis (n = 6), birdshot chorioretinopathy (n = 2), idiopathic panuveitis (n = 2), sympathetic ophthalmia (n = 1), and ankylosing spondylitis (n = 1). Mean central foveal thickness (95%; confidence interval) was 516 ± 55 μm at baseline, improving to 274 ± 13 at Month 12 (P = 0.0004), and sustained at 274 ± 14 at Month 24 of follow-up (P = 0.00039). Mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution best-corrected visual acuity improved from 0.78 ± 0.18 (Snellen 20/120 ± 20/30) at baseline to 0.42 ± 0.17 (20/52 ± 20/30) at Month 12 (P = 0.0001) and 0.40 ± 0.17 (20/50 ± 20/30) at Month 24 of follow-up (P = 0.0002). Tocilizumab therapy was withdrawn in 5 patients with sustained remission at Month 12 but in all, ME relapsed between 1 and 3 months after TCZ discontinuation. Rechallenge of TCZ infusions led to recovery of uveitis control and ME resolution. Two adverse events were reported during two 4-month follow-ups: one Grade 1 neutropenia and one community-acquired pneumonia.

Conclusion:

In this long-term study, TCZ was effective and had a comparable safety profile to published data for TCZ use in other indications, when used for the treatment of refractory uveitis-related ME.
FIVE-YEAR FOLLOW-UP AFTER EPIRETINAL MEMBRANE SURGERY
Authors: Fleissig Efrat , Zur Dinah , Moisseiev Elad , Keren Shay , Ohana Oded , Barak Adiel
Published: May 2017

Purpose:

To evaluate the rate of epiretinal membrane (ERM) recurrence in eyes that underwent ERM peeling surgery at least 5 years earlier.

Methods:

Retrospective interventional case series study of 37 patients (15 women and 22 men; mean age, 70 ± 7.6 years) operated on for ERM removal with a follow-up of at least 5 years. The patients underwent testing for visual acuity, an ophthalmic examination, and optical coherence tomography imaging, all of which were assessed preoperatively, postoperatively, and at the 5-year follow-up.

Results:

Visual acuity significantly improved at 1 year after peeling compared with baseline (P = 0.045), and the improved results were maintained at 5 years (P = 0.804) 0.766 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (Snellen 6/35). The central macular thickness decreased significantly at the 1-year follow-up compared with baseline and continued to decrease as measured at the 5-year follow-up (P = 0.04). At 5 years, the ERM recurrence rate reached 58% (28% extrafoveal). Photoreceptor atrophy and retinal pigment epithelium changes correlated with diabetes mellitus (P = 0.028).

Conclusion:

The recurrence rate of ERM after peeling surgery was reported as being around 5% to 12%. It was 58% in the current study. Because the recurrent ERM is generally mild, visual acuity was unaffected.
MULTIMODAL IMAGING OF ACUTE EXUDATIVE POLYMORPHOUS VITELLIFORM MACULOPATHY WITH OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY AND ADAPTIVE OPTICS SCANNING LASER OPHTHALMOSCOPY
Authors: Skondra Dimitra , Nesper Peter L. , Fawzi Amani A.
Published: May 2017

Purpose:

To report a case of acute exudative polymorphous vitelliform maculopathy including the findings of optical coherence tomography angiography and adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy.

Methods:

Findings on clinical examination, color fundus photography, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, infrared reflectance, autofluorescence, optical coherence tomography angiography, and adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy.

Results:

A 54-year-old white man with no significant medical history and history of smoking presented with bilateral multiple serous and vitelliform detachments consistent with acute exudative polymorphous vitelliform maculopathy. Extensive infectious, inflammatory, and malignancy workup was negative. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography showed thickened, hyperreflective ellipsoid zone, subretinal fluid, and focal as well as diffuse subretinal hyperreflective material corresponding to the vitelliform lesions. Optical coherence tomography angiography showed normal retinal and choroidal vasculature, whereas adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy showed circular focal “target” lesions at the level of the photoreceptors in the area of foveal detachment.

Conclusion:

Multimodal imaging is valuable in evaluating patients with acute exudative polymorphous vitelliform maculopathy.
Are Perioperative Bundles Associated With Reduced Postoperative Morbidity in Women Undergoing Benign Hysterectomy? Retrospective Cohort Analysis of 16,286 Cases in Michigan
Authors: Harris John A. , Sammarco Anne G. , Swenson Carolyn W. , Uppal Shitanshu , Kamdar Neil , Campbell Darrel , Evilsizer Sarah , DeLancey John O. , Morgan Daniel M.
Published: May 2017

(Abstracted from Am J Obstet Gynecol 2017;216:502.e1–502.e11)

In the past decade, team-based interventions such as checklists and bundle processes have been shown to improve health care outcomes.
Outcome of Patients With Advanced Ovarian Cancer Who Do Not Undergo Debulking Surgery: A Single Institution Retrospective Review
Authors: Marchetti Claudia , Kristeleit Rebecca , McCormack Mary , Mould Tim , Olaitan Adeola , Widschwendter Martin , MacDonald Nicola , Ledermann Jonathan A.
Published: May 2017

(Abstracted from Gynecol Oncol 2017;144:57–60)

The cornerstone of ovarian cancer (OC) treatment is debulking surgery to remove all residual disease. Recommended treatment for advanced OC (FIGO [International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics] III–IV) is optimal primary debulking surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy.
Approach to adenovirus infections in the setting of hematopoietic cell transplantation
Authors: Lee Yeon Joo , Prockop Susan E. , Papanicolaou Genovefa A.
Published: May 2017

Purpose of review

To review risk-based pre-emptive treatment for adenovirus (ADV) based on quantitative PCR (qPCR) and to provide an update on clinical trials of brincidofovir (BCV) and ADV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (ADV-CTLs).

Recent findings

ADV qPCR in various body compartments enables distinction of clinically significant infection and assessment of treatment responses. Plasma ADV qPCR monitoring and aggressive pre-emptive treatment is recommended for high-risk patients. Pre-emptive therapy at low viral load is associated with faster virologic response and improved outcomes. BCV has demonstrated virologic responses against all clinically significant ADV serotypes. Prolonged administration of oral BCV may be limited by gastrointestinal toxicity; an intravenous BCV formulation does not show gastrointestinal toxicity in early studies. ADV-CTLs can be generated from ADV-seropositive individuals using a variety of systems. Banked ADV-CTLs can achieve durable responses in patients for whom no donor-derived cell therapy product is available.

Disseminated ADV disease is associated with substantial mortality in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients. Routine monitoring by plasma ADV qPCR and pre-emptive therapy at low viral load are associated with improved outcomes in high-risk patients. BCV and ADV-CTLs are promising modalities currently undergoing clinical trials.
Diagnostic Yield of Routine Electroencephalography With Concurrent Video Recording in Detecting Interictal Epileptiform Discharges in Relation to Reasons for Request: A Prospective Study of 1,080 Video-Electroencephalograms
Authors: Grau-López Laia , Jiménez Marta , Ciurans Jordi , Barambio Sonia , Fumanal Alejandra , Becerra Juan L.
Published: May 2017

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to prospectively analyze the sensitivity and specificity of routine electroencephalography with concurrent video recording (vEEG) in relation to the reasons for requesting the test and to investigate when routine vEEG should be requested.

Methods:

We prospectively analyzed 1,080 consecutive vEEGs performed between April 2015 and April 2016. The requests for vEEG were classified as requests with a low suspicion of epilepsy (syncope, confusion or delirium, suspicion of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, and paroxysmal focal neurological deficit) or requests with a high suspicion of epilepsy (first clinical seizure, suspected status epilepticus, follow-up study of a patient with epilepsy, and acute symptomatic seizures). Predominant vEEG findings (ictal and interictal epileptiform activities, diffuse, or focal slowing and triphasic waves) were analyzed, and sensitivity and specificity ​​values calculated.

Results:

The most common indication for vEEG was a follow-up study of patients with epilepsy (38%), followed by first clinical seizure (19.3%) and suspected status epilepticus (11%). The respective specificity and sensitivity values were 93% and 58% for 235 vEEGs performed in children/adolescents (≤18 years), 95% and 40% for 533 vEEGs performed in adults (>18 ≤ 65 years), and 93% and 39% for 312 vEEGs performed in older adults (>65 years). Twenty-four patients with false-positive paroxysms had a clinical diagnosis of confusional state or paroxysmal focal neurological deficit. Neurologists and neuropediatricians with experience in managing epilepsy had higher specificity values than general neurologists or physicians (P = 0.012).

Conclusions:

In our series, vEEG abnormalities were mainly observed in patients with clinical findings highly suggestive of epilepsy. In confusional states, and paroxysmal focal neurological deficit vEEG could be indicated.
Operculo-Insular Epilepsy: Scalp and Intracranial Electroencephalographic Findings
Authors: Levy Ariel , Yen Tran Thi Phuoc , Boucher Olivier , Bouthillier Alain , Nguyen Dang Khoa
Published: May 2017

Purpose:

Operculo-insular seizures are heterogeneous and may resemble seizures originating from the temporal, frontal, or parietal lobe. Although surface and invasive EEG recordings are often necessary to detect operculo-insular seizures, electrophysiological features of operculo-insular epilepsies remain poorly characterized. This study describes the EEG findings of patients with operculo-insular epilepsy.

Methods:

We reviewed electrophysiological data of all patients (n = 9) with operculo-insular seizures revealed by intracranial EEG and for whom operculo-insular epilepsy was confirmed by good seizure outcome after resective or radiosurgery at our center between 2005 and 2013. Patients were divided according to whether their seizure focus involved the anterior (group 1; n = 4) or posterior (group 2; n = 5) portion of the insula.

Results:

Interictal scalp EEG was lateralizing and showed distinct topographical spike patterns between groups: frontal and temporal in group 1, temporal in group 2. Intracranial recordings showed abundant spikes limited to the operculo-insular region or involving distant areas in the frontal/temporal (group 1) and temporal/parietal lobes (group 2). Ictal intracranial EEG revealed discharges limited to the insula or simultaneously involving extrainsular contacts at onset, notably the orbitofrontal cortex (group 1) and the frontal and parietal opercula (group 2), and propagating to the frontal and temporal lobes in group 1 and to parietal and temporal lobes in group 2.

Conclusions:

Spike distribution and seizure propagation in operculo-insular epilepsy follows an anterior-to-posterior pattern mirroring an anterior or posterior insular focus localization. When presented with frontal and/or temporal epileptiform abnormalities, an operculo-insular focus should be considered.
Inference of facultative mobility in the enigmatic Ediacaran organism
Parvancorina
Authors: Darroch Simon A. F. , Rahman Imran A. , Gibson Brandt , Racicot Rachel A. , Laflamme Marc
Published: May 2017

Establishing how Ediacaran organisms moved and fed is critical to deciphering their ecological and evolutionary significance, but has long been confounded by their non-analogue body plans. Here, we use computational fluid dynamics to quantitatively analyse water flow around the Ediacaran taxon
Parvancorina
, thereby testing between competing models for feeding mode and mobility. The results show that flow was not distributed evenly across the organism, but was directed towards localized areas; this allows us to reject osmotrophy, and instead supports either suspension feeding or detritivory. Moreover, the patterns of recirculating flow differ substantially with orientation to the current, suggesting that if
Parvancorina
was a suspension feeder, it would have been most efficient if it was able to re-orient itself with respect to current direction, and thus ensure flow was directed towards feeding structures. Our simulations also demonstrate that the amount of drag varied with orientation, indicating that
Parvancorina
would have greatly benefited from adjusting its position to minimize drag. Inference of facultative mobility in
Parvancorina
suggests that Ediacaran benthic ecosystems might have possessed a higher proportion of mobile taxa than currently appreciated from trace fossil studies. Furthermore, this inference of movement suggests the presence of musculature or appendages that are not preserved in fossils, but which would noneltheless support a bilaterian affinity for
Parvancorina
.
Semantic closure demonstrated by the evolution of a universal constructor architecture in an artificial chemistry
Authors: Clark Edward B. , Hickinbotham Simon J. , Stepney Susan
Published: May 2017

We present a novel stringmol-based artificial chemistry system modelled on the universal constructor architecture (UCA) first explored by von Neumann. In a UCA, machines interact with an abstract description of themselves to replicate by copying the abstract description and constructing the machines that the abstract description encodes. DNA-based replication follows this architecture, with DNA being the abstract description, the polymerase being the copier, and the ribosome being the principal machine in expressing what is encoded on the DNA. This architecture is
semantically closed
as the machine that defines what the abstract description means is itself encoded on that abstract description. We present a series of experiments with the stringmol UCA that show the evolution of the
meaning
of genomic material, allowing the concept of semantic closure and transitions between semantically closed states to be elucidated in the light of concrete examples. We present results where, for the first time in an
in silico
system, simultaneous evolution of the genomic material, copier and constructor of a UCA, giving rise to viable offspring.
Activin A regulates activation of mouse neutrophils by Smad3 signalling
Authors: Qi Yan , Ge Jingyan , Ma Chunhui , Wu Na , Cui Xueling , Liu Zhonghui
Published: May 2017

Activin A, a member of the transforming growth factor beta superfamily, acts as a pro-inflammatory factor in acute phase response, and influences the pathological progress of neutrophil-mediated disease. However, whether activin A can exert an effect on the activities of neutrophils remains unclear. In this study, we found that the release of activin A was enhanced from neutrophils of mouse when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. Furthermore, neutrophils were not only the source of activin A but also the target cells in response to activin A, in which canonical activin signalling components existed, and levels of ACTRIIA, SMAD3 and p-SMAD3 proteins were elevated in activin A-treated neutrophils. Next, the role of activin A was determined in regulation of neutrophils activities. Our data revealed that activin A induced O2−release and reactive oxygen species production, promoted IL-6 release, and enhanced phagocytosis, but failed to attract neutrophils migrating across the trans-well membrane. Moreover, we found that effect of activin A on IL-6 release from the peritoneal neutrophils of mouse was significantly attenuated byin vivo Smad3knockdown. In summary, these data demonstrate that activin A can exert an effect on neutrophils activation in an autocrine/paracrine manner through Smad3 signalling, suggesting that activin A is an important regulator of neutrophils.
Social associations between California sea lions influence the use of a novel foraging ground
Authors: Schakner Zachary A. , Petelle Matthew B. , Tennis Mathew J. , Van der Leeuw Bjorn K. , Stansell Robert T. , Blumstein Daniel T.
Published: May 2017

Social relationships define an individual's position in its social network, which can influence the acquisition and spread of information and behavioural variants through the population. Thus, when nuisance behaviours spread through wildlife populations, identifying central individuals may provide valuable insights for problem-species management. We studied the effects of network position on California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) discovery and foraging success at a novel foraging ground—the salmonids that aggregate at the Bonneville Dam tail-race, 235 km up the Columbia River. We found that an individual's centrality in their social network influenced discovery of the Bonneville Dam and whether they returned the next year. Foraging success once at the dam was independent of network position. Extensive lethal and non-lethal removal efforts have been implemented at Bonneville Dam and focused on reducing the number of individual sea lions at the dam. Since social relationships forged at the opening of the Columbia River influence both the discovery and return to the Bonneville Dam, efforts to increase salmon recovery may be enhanced by breaking apart social networks at the opening of the river.
Negative effects of restricted sleep on facial appearance and social appeal
Authors: Sundelin Tina , Lekander Mats , Sorjonen Kimmo , Axelsson John
Published: May 2017

The importance of assessing evolutionarily relevant social cues suggests that humans should be sensitive to others' sleep history, as this may indicate something about their health as well as their capacity for social interaction. Recent findings show that acute sleep deprivation and looking tired are related to decreased attractiveness and health, as perceived by others. This suggests that one might also avoid contact with sleep-deprived, or sleepy-looking, individuals, as a strategy to reduce health risk and poor interactions. In this study, 25 participants (14 females, age range 18–47 years) were photographed after 2 days of sleep restriction and after normal sleep, in a balanced design. The photographs were rated by 122 raters (65 females, age range 18–65 years) on how much they would like to socialize with the participants. They also rated participants' attractiveness, health, sleepiness and trustworthiness. The results show that raters were less inclined to socialize with individuals who had gotten insufficient sleep. Furthermore, when sleep-restricted, participants were perceived as less attractive, less healthy and more sleepy. There was no difference in perceived trustworthiness. These findings suggest that naturalistic sleep loss can be detected in a face and that people are less inclined to interact with a sleep-deprived individual.
Assessing the use of mobile phone data to describe recurrent mobility patterns in spatial epidemic models
Authors: Panigutti Cecilia , Tizzoni Michele , Bajardi Paolo , Smoreda Zbigniew , Colizza Vittoria
Published: May 2017

The recent availability of large-scale call detail record data has substantially improved our ability of quantifying human travel patterns with broad applications in epidemiology. Notwithstanding a number of successful case studies, previous works have shown that using different mobility data sources, such as mobile phone data or census surveys, to parametrize infectious disease models can generate divergent outcomes. Thus, it remains unclear to what extent epidemic modelling results may vary when using different proxies for human movements. Here, we systematically compare 658 000 simulated outbreaks generated with a spatially structured epidemic model based on two different human mobility networks: a commuting network of France extracted from mobile phone data and another extracted from a census survey. We compare epidemic patterns originating from all the 329 possible outbreak seed locations and identify the structural network properties of the seeding nodes that best predict spatial and temporal epidemic patterns to be alike. We find that similarity of simulated epidemics is significantly correlated to connectivity, traffic and population size of the seeding nodes, suggesting that the adequacy of mobile phone data for infectious disease models becomes higher when epidemics spread between highly connected and heavily populated locations, such as large urban areas.
Experimental priming of independent and interdependent activity does not affect culturally variable psychological processes
Authors: Magid Kesson , Sarkol Vera , Mesoudi Alex
Published: May 2017

Cultural psychologists have shown that people from Western countries exhibit more independent self-construal and analytic (rule-based) cognition than people from East Asia, who exhibit more interdependent self-construal and holistic (relationship-based) cognition. One explanation for this cross-cultural variation is the ecocultural hypothesis, which links contemporary psychological differences to ancestral differences in subsistence and societal cohesion: Western thinking formed in response to solitary herding, which fostered independence, while East Asian thinking emerged in response to communal rice farming, which fostered interdependence. Here, we report two experiments that tested the ecocultural hypothesis in the laboratory. In both, participants played one of two tasks designed to recreate the key factors of working alone and working together. Before and after each task, participants completed psychological measures of independent–interdependent self-construal and analytic–holistic cognition. We found no convincing evidence that either solitary or collective tasks affected any of the measures in the predicted directions. This fails to support the ecocultural hypothesis. However, it may also be that our priming tasks are inappropriate or inadequate for simulating subsistence-related behavioural practices, or that these measures are fixed early in development and therefore not experimentally primable, despite many previous studies that have purported to find such priming effects.
Social media enhances languages differentiation: a mathematical description
Authors: Vidal-Franco Ignacio , Guiu-Souto Jacobo , Muñuzuri Alberto P.
Published: May 2017

Understanding and predicting the evolution of competing languages is a topic of high interest in a world with more than 6000 languages competing in a highly connected environment. We consider a reasonable mathematical model describing a situation of competition between two languages and analyse the effect of the speakers' connectivity (i.e. social networks). Surprisingly, instead of homogenizing the system, a high degree of connectivity helps to introduce differentiation for the appropriate parameters.
Dog growls express various contextual and affective content for human listeners
Authors: Faragó T. , Takács N. , Miklósi Á. , Pongrácz P.
Published: May 2017

Vocal expressions of emotions follow simple rules to encode the inner state of the caller into acoustic parameters, not just within species, but also in cross-species communication. Humans use these structural rules to attribute emotions to dog vocalizations, especially to barks, which match with their contexts. In contrast, humans were found to be unable to differentiate between playful and threatening growls, probably because single growls' aggression level was assessed based on acoustic size cues. To resolve this contradiction, we played back natural growl bouts from three social contexts (food guarding, threatening and playing) to humans, who had to rate the emotional load and guess the context of the playbacks. Listeners attributed emotions to growls according to their social contexts. Within threatening and playful contexts, bouts with shorter, slower pulsing growls and showing smaller apparent body size were rated to be less aggressive and fearful, but more playful and happy. Participants associated the correct contexts with the growls above chance. Moreover, women and participants experienced with dogs scored higher in this task. Our results indicate that dogs may communicate honestly their size and inner state in a serious contest situation, while manipulatively in more uncertain defensive and playful contexts.
Ocean acidification impacts spine integrity but not regenerative capacity of spines and tube feet in adult sea urchins
Authors: Emerson Chloe E. , Reinardy Helena C. , Bates Nicholas R. , Bodnar Andrea G.
Published: May 2017

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO
2
) has resulted in a change in seawater chemistry and lowering of pH, referred to as ocean acidification. Understanding how different organisms and processes respond to ocean acidification is vital to predict how marine ecosystems will be altered under future scenarios of continued environmental change. Regenerative processes involving biomineralization in marine calcifiers such as sea urchins are predicted to be especially vulnerable. In this study, the effect of ocean acidification on regeneration of external appendages (spines and tube feet) was investigated in the sea urchin
Lytechinus variegatus
exposed to ambient (546 µatm), intermediate (1027 µatm) and high (1841 µatm) partial pressure of CO
2
(
p
CO
2
) for eight weeks. The rate of regeneration was maintained in spines and tube feet throughout two periods of amputation and regrowth under conditions of elevated
p
CO
2
. Increased expression of several biomineralization-related genes indicated molecular compensatory mechanisms; however, the structural integrity of both regenerating and homeostatic spines was compromised in high
p
CO
2
conditions. Indicators of physiological fitness (righting response, growth rate, coelomocyte concentration and composition) were not affected by increasing
p
CO
2
, but compromised spine integrity is likely to have negative consequences for defence capabilities and therefore survival of these ecologically and economically important organisms.
Isotocin neuronal phenotypes differ among social systems in cichlid fishes
Authors: Reddon Adam R. , O'Connor Constance M. , Nesjan Erin , Cameron Jason , Hellmann Jennifer K. , Ligocki Isaac Y. , Marsh-Rollo Susan E. , Hamilton Ian M. , Wylie Douglas R. , Hurd Peter L. , Balshine Sigal
Published: May 2017

Social living has evolved numerous times across a diverse array of animal taxa. An open question is how the transition to a social lifestyle has shaped, and been shaped by, the underlying neurohormonal machinery of social behaviour. The nonapeptide neurohormones, implicated in the regulation of social behaviours, are prime candidates for the neuroendocrine substrates of social evolution. Here, we examined the brains of eight cichlid fish species with divergent social systems, comparing the number and size of preoptic neurons that express the nonapeptides isotocin and vasotocin. While controlling for the influence of phylogeny and body size, we found that the highly social cooperatively breeding species (
n
 = 4) had fewer parvocellular isotocin neurons than the less social independently breeding species (
n
 = 4), suggesting that the evolutionary transition to group living and cooperative breeding was associated with a reduction in the number of these neurons. In a complementary analysis, we found that the size and number of isotocin neurons significantly differentiated the cooperatively breeding from the independently breeding species. Our results suggest that isotocin is related to sociality in cichlids and may provide a mechanistic substrate for the evolution of sociality.
Does coevolution with a shared parasite drive hosts to partition their defences among species?
Authors: Caves Eleanor M. , Stevens Martin , Spottiswoode Claire N.
Published: May 2017

When mimicry imposes costs on models, selection may drive the model's phenotype to evolve away from its mimic. For example, brood parasitism often drives hosts to diversify in egg appearance among females within a species, making mimetic parasitic eggs easier to detect. However, when a single parasite species exploits multiple host species, parasitism could also drive host egg evolution away from other co-occurring hosts, to escape susceptibility to their respective mimics. This hypothesis predicts that sympatric hosts of the same parasite should partition egg phenotypic space (defined by egg colour, luminance and pattern) among species to avoid one another. We show that eggs of warbler species parasitized by the cuckoo finchAnomalospiza imberbisin Zambia partition phenotypic space much more distinctly than do eggs of sympatric but unparasitized warblers. Correspondingly, cuckoo finch host-races better match their own specialist host than other local host species. In the weaver family, parasitized by the diederik cuckooChrysococcyx caprius, by contrast, parasitized species were more closely related and overlapped extensively in phenotypic space; correspondingly, cuckoos did not match their own host better than others. These results suggest that coevolutionary arms races between hosts and parasites may be shaped by the wider community context in which they unfold.
Wild birds respond to flockmate loss by increasing their social network associations to others
Authors: Firth Josh A. , Voelkl Bernhard , Crates Ross A. , Aplin Lucy M. , Biro Dora , Croft Darren P. , Sheldon Ben C.
Published: May 2017

Understanding the consequences of losing individuals from wild populations is a current and pressing issue, yet how such loss influences the social behaviour of the remaining animals is largely unexplored. Through combining the automated tracking of winter flocks of over 500 wild great tits (Parus major) with removal experiments, we assessed how individuals' social network positions responded to the loss of their social associates. We found that the extent of flockmate loss that individuals experienced correlated positively with subsequent increases in the number of their social associations, the average strength of their bonds and their overall connectedness within the social network (defined as summed edge weights). Increased social connectivity was not driven by general disturbance or changes in foraging behaviour, but by modifications to fine-scale social network connections in response to losing their associates. Therefore, the reduction in social connectedness expected by individual loss may be mitigated by increases in social associations between remaining individuals. Given that these findings demonstrate rapid adjustment of social network associations in response to the loss of previous social ties, future research should examine the generality of the compensatory adjustment of social relations in ways that maintain the structure of social organization.
Unbiased emission factor estimators for large scale forest inventories: domain assessment techniques
Authors: Birigazzi Luca , Gamarra Javier G. P. , Gregoire Timothy G.
Published: May 2017

Large scale forest inventories are often undertaken following a stratified random or systematic design. Yet the strata rarely correspond to the reporting areas of interest (domains) over which the country wants to report specific variables. The process is exemplified by a country aiming to use national forest inventory data to obtain average biomass estimates per forest type for GHGI international reporting, where activity data (areas of land use or land use changes) and emission factors (carbon coefficients) are typically compiled from disparate sources and estimated using different sampling schemes. This study aims to provide a decision tree for the use of data obtained from forest surveys to draw conclusions about population sub-groups created after (and independently of) the sample selection. While bias can arise whenever activity data and emission factors are calculated independently, it can be eliminated in case of a simple random or simple systematic design if properly weighted estimators are provided. This manuscript describes two unbiased estimators that can be used to estimate reporting-strata means, regardless of the sampling design adopted, and extends the result to the common situation in which the reporting-strata are spatially explicit, where a nested group estimator outperforms in terms of both bias and precision other more traditional estimators. From this estimator, an optimal sample allocation scheme is also derived.
Prediction of fluoroquinolone susceptibility directly from whole genome sequence data using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to identify mutant genotypes
Authors: Wan Nur Ismah Wan Ahmad Kamil , Takebayashi Yuiko , Findlay Jacqueline , Heesom Kate J. , Jiménez-Castellanos Juan-Carlos , Zhang Jay , Graham Lee , Bowker Karen , Williams O. Martin , MacGowan Alasdair P. , Avison Matthew B.
Published: May 2017

Fluoroquinolone resistance in bacteria is multifactorial, involving target site mutations, reductions in fluoroquinolone entry due to reduced porin production, increased fluoroquinolone efflux, enzymes that modify fluoroquinolones, and Qnr, a DNA mimic that protects the drug target from fluoroquinolone binding. Here we report a comprehensive analysis using transformation and in vitro mutant selection, of the relative importance of each of these mechanisms in fluoroquinolone resistance and non-susceptibility, usingKlebsiella pneumoniae, one of the most clinically important multi-drug resistant bacterial species known, as a model system. Our improved biological understanding was then used to generate rules that could be predict fluoroquinolone susceptibility inK. pneumoniaeclinical isolates. Key to the success of this predictive process was the use of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry to measure the abundance of proteins in extracts of cultured bacteria, identifying which sequence variants seen in the whole genome sequence data were functionally important in the context of fluoroquinolone susceptibility.