bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Occupational biomechanical risk factors for radial nerve entrapment in a 13-year prospective study among male construction workers
Authors: Jackson Jennie A , Olsson David , Burdorf Alex , Punnett Laura , Järvholm Bengt , Wahlström Jens
Published: March 2019

Objectives

The aim was to assess the association between occupational biomechanical exposure and the occurrence of radial nerve entrapment (RNE) in construction workers over a 13-year follow-up period.

Methods

A cohort of 229 707 male construction workers who participated in a national occupational health surveillance programme (1971–1993) was examined prospectively (2001–2013) for RNE. Height, weight, age, smoking status and job title (construction trade) were obtained on health examination. RNE case status was defined by surgical release of RNE, with data from the Swedish national registry for out-patient surgery records. A job exposure matrix was developed, and biomechanical exposure estimates were assigned according to job title. Highly correlated exposures were summed into biomechanical exposure scores. Negative binomial models were used to estimate the relative risks (RR) (incidence rate ratios) of RNE surgical release for the biomechanical factors and exposure sum scores. Predicted incidence was assessed for each exposure score modelled as a continuous variable to assess exposure–response relationships.

Results

The total incidence rate of surgically treated RNE over the 13-year observation period was 3.53 cases per 100 000 person-years. There were 92 cases with occupational information. Increased risk for RNE was seen in workers with elevated hand-grip forces (RR=1.79, 95% CI 0.97 to 3.28) and exposure to hand-arm vibration (RR=1.47, 95% CI 1.08 to 2.00).

Conclusions

Occupational exposure to forceful handgrip work and vibration increased the risk for surgical treatment of RNE.
Effects of livestock grazing on flocks of seed-eating birds in the central Monte desert, Argentina
Authors: Zarco A. , Cueto V.R. , Sagario M.C. , Marone L.
Published: March 2019

Animal populations often decline due to habitat disturbance, but the initial response of organisms to human-induced environmental change is usually behavioral. Intra- and inter-specific interactions can restrict or facilitate access to resources, resulting in changes to individual fitness, and resource depletion may affect the frequency and strength of interactions. In birds, it is often assumed that feeding in groups increases foraging efficiency. We assessed how the reduction of seed resources provoked by cattle grazing affected different properties of seed-eating bird flocks in woodlands having the same structural characteristics but differing in seed abundance. Under lower availability of grass seeds (i.e., under grazing), flocks were smaller and less rich and birds showed a lower flocking propensity. This pattern could be explained by three non-exclusive hypotheses. Food reduction caused by grazing (i) decreases the number of seed-eating birds and concomitantly generates smaller flocks; (ii) reduces the density of nuclear species, decreasing the group cohesion in large flocks; (iii) makes large flocks less attractive by increasing individual competence for food. Our results provide evidence that cattle grazing affect the interactions of seed-eating birds and suggest the importance of understanding flocking behavior to bring about management actions.
Er(III) and Lu(III) complexes of 2(3),9(10),16(17),23(24)-tetrakis- and 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octakis-[4-(1-methyl-1-phenylethyl)phenoxy]phthalocyaninato. Synthesis and spectroscopic properties
Authors: Tikhomirova Tatyana , Nalimova Kseniya , Kerner Anastasiya , Vashurin Artur , Znoyko Serafima
Published: March 2019

4-[4-(1-Methyl-1-penylethyl)phenoxy]- and 4,5-di-[4-(1-methyl-1-phenylethyl)phenoxy]phthalonitriles are obtained by nucleophilic substitution. Mono- and double-decker lutetium and erbium complexes of 2(3),9(10),16(17),23(24)-tetrakis- and 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octakis-[4-(1-methyl-1-phenylethyl)phenoxy]phthalocyanines are synthesized based on the phthalonitriles. Synthesized complexes are studied spectrophotometrically.
Microwave-assisted synthesis and sublimation enthalpies of hemiporphyrazines
Authors: Kuznetsova Aleksandra S. , Pechnikova Nadezhda L. , Zhabanov Yuriy A. , Khochenkov Aleksey E. , Koifman Oscar I. , Aleksandriiskii Victor V. , Islyaikin Mikhail K.
Published: March 2019

It was established that microwave irradiation solvent-free processing of 2,6- diaminopyridine or 1,3-phenylenediamine with phthalonitrile or 4-tert-butylphthalonitrile led to corresponding hemiporphyrazines with sufficiently high yields and a huge reduction in the time required for synthesis, from 8–12 h to 20 min. The data of IR and UV-vis spectroscopies and elemental analysis of the final products were found to be similar to those described in literature. The obtained hemiporphyrazines were characterized by 1H and [Formula: see text]C NMR data. We applied the Knudsen effusion method with mass spectrometric control of vapor composition. The mass spectrometric investigations established that the macrocyclic compounds give a stable stream of particles and their enthalpies of sublimation were estimated by the second law of thermodynamics.
Functionalized Eu(III)-based nanoscale metal-organic framework for enhanced targeted anticancer therapy
Authors: Chen Pan , Huang Ya-Fan , Xu Guang-Yu , Xue Jin-Ping , Chen Juan-Juan
Published: March 2019

To improve the cancer targeting and anticancer efficacy, the multifunctional Eu-based metal-organic framework (EuBTC) is post-synthetically modified with a targeting moiety folic acid and a zinc phthalocyanine photosensitizer. In addition, this nanosphere is also applied as a drug delivery system to load the chemical drug doxorubicin. Electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction and infrared spectometry demonstrated the formation of these multifunctional nanospheres (DOX). Our nanospheres kept the high singlet oxygen quantum yield of zinc phthalocyanine. Additionally, Cell viability experiments demonstrated the biosafety of EuBTC and the enhanced anticancer effect of DOX@FA-EuBTC-Pc under light irradiation. In short, these well-arranged DOX@FA-Eu-BTC-Pcs exhibit as promising drug delivery systems for enhanced targeted anticancer therapy.
Memory-Side Protection With a Capability Enforcement Co-Processor
Authors: Azriel Leonid , Humbel Lukas , Achermann Reto , Richardson Alex , Hoffmann Moritz , Mendelson Avi , Roscoe Timothy , Watson Robert N. M. , Faraboschi Paolo , Milojicic Dejan
Published: March 2019

Byte-addressable nonvolatile memory (NVM) blends the concepts of storage and memory and can radically improve data-centric applications, from in-memory databases to graph processing. By enabling large-capacity devices to be shared across multiple computing elements, fabric-attached NVM changes the nature of rack-scale systems and enables short-latency direct memory access while retaining data persistence properties and simplifying the software stack.

An adequate protection scheme is paramount when addressing shared and persistent memory, but mechanisms that rely on virtual memory paging suffer from the tension between performance (pushing toward large pages) and protection granularity (pushing toward small pages). To address this tension, capabilities are worth revisiting as a more powerful protection mechanism, but the long time needed to introduce new CPU features hampers the adoption of schemes that rely on instruction-set architecture support.

This article proposes the Capability Enforcement Co-Processor (CEP), a programmable memory controller that implements fine-grain protection through the capability model without requiring instruction-set support in the application CPU. CEP decouples capabilities from the application CPU instruction-set architecture, shortens time to adoption, and can rapidly evolve to embrace new persistent memory technologies, from NVDIMMs to native NVM devices, either locally connected or fabric attached in rack-scale configurations. CEP exposes an application interface based on memory handles that get internally converted to extended-pointer capabilities.

This article presents a proof of concept implementation of a distributed object store (Redis) with CEP. It also demonstrates a capability-enhanced file system (FUSE) implementation using CEP. Our proof of concept shows that CEP provides fine-grain protection while enabling direct memory access from application clients to the NVM, and that by doing so opens up important performance optimization opportunities (up to 4× reduction in latency in comparison to software-based security enforcement) without compromising security.

Finally, we also sketch how a future hybrid model could improve the initial implementation by delegating some CEP functionality to a CHERI-enabled processor.
DUCATI
Authors: Jaleel Aamer , Ebrahimi Eiman , Duncan Sam
Published: March 2019

Conventional on-chip TLB hierarchies are unable to fully cover the growing application working-set sizes. To make things worse, Last-Level TLB (LLT) misses require multiple accesses to the page table even with the use of page walk caches. Consequently, LLT misses incur long address translation latency and hurt performance. This article proposes two low-overhead hardware mechanisms for reducing the frequency and penalty of on-die LLT misses. The first,
Unified CAche and TLB (UCAT)
, enables the conventional on-die Last-Level Cache to store cache lines and TLB entries in a single unified structure and increases on-die TLB capacity significantly. The second,
DRAM-TLB
, memoizes virtual to physical address translations in DRAM and reduces LLT miss penalty when UCAT is unable to fully cover total application working-set. DRAM-TLB serves as the next larger level in the TLB hierarchy that significantly increases TLB coverage relative to on-chip TLBs. The combination of these two mechanisms,
DUCATI
, is an address translation architecture that improves GPU performance by 81%; (up to 4.5×) while requiring minimal changes to the existing system design. We show that DUCATI is within 20%, 5%, and 2% the performance of a perfect LLT system when using 4KB, 64KB, and 2MB pages, respectively.
Approaching 3/2 for the
s
-
t
-path TSP
Authors: Traub Vera , Vygen Jens
Published: March 2019

We show that there is a polynomial-time algorithm with approximation guarantee 3/2+ε for the
s
-
t
-path TSP, for any fixed ε > 0.

It is well-known that Wolsey’s analysis of Christofide algorithm also works for the
s
-
t
-path TSP with its natural LP relaxation, except for the
narrow cuts
(in which the LP solution has a value less than two). A fixed optimum tour has either a single edge in a narrow cut (then call the edge and the cut
lonely
) or at least three (then call the cut
busy
). Our algorithm “guesses” (by dynamic programming) lonely cuts and edges. Then, we partition the instance into smaller instances and strengthen the LP, requiring a value of at least three for busy cuts. By setting up a
k
-stage recursive dynamic program, we can compute a spanning tree (
V
,
S
) and an LP solution
y
such that (½+
O
(2

−
k

))
y
is in the
T
-join polyhedron, where
T
is the set of vertices whose degree in
S
has the wrong parity.
MicroRNAs and Their Regulatory Roles in Plant–Environment Interactions
Authors: Song Xianwei , Li Yan , Cao Xiaofeng , Qi Yijun
Published: March 2019

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 20–24 nucleotide noncoding RNAs abundant in plants and animals. The biogenesis of plant miRNAs involves transcription of miRNA genes, processing of primary miRNA transcripts by DICER-LIKE proteins into mature miRNAs, and loading of mature miRNAs into ARGONAUTE proteins to form miRNA-induced silencing complex (miRISC). By targeting complementary sequences, miRISC negatively regulates gene expression, thereby coordinating plant development and plant–environment interactions. In this review, we present and discuss recent updates on the mechanisms and regulation of miRNA biogenesis, miRISC assembly and actions as well as the regulatory roles of miRNAs in plant developmental plasticity, abiotic/biotic responses, and symbiotic/parasitic interactions. Finally, we suggest future directions for plant miRNA research.
The Development of Human Genetics at the National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt: A Story of 50 Years
Authors: Temtamy Samia A.
Published: March 2019

This article describes my experiences over more than 50 years in initiating and maintaining research on human genetics and genomics at the National Research Centre in Cairo, Egypt, from its beginnings in a small unit of human genetics to the creation of the Center of Excellence for Human Genetics. This was also the subject of a lecture I gave at the 10th Conference of the African Society of Human Genetics, held in Cairo in November 2017, after which Professor Michèle Ramsay, president of the society, suggested that I write an autobiographical article for the Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics. I hope that I succeeded in the difficult assignment of summarizing the efforts of a researcher from a developing country to initiate and maintain the rapidly advancing science of human genetics and genomics in my own country and make contributions to the worldwide scientific community.
Endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibition blunts the development of essential hypertension in the spontaneously hypertensive rat
Authors: Naiel Safaa , Carlisle Rachel E. , Lu Chao , Tat Victor , Dickhout Jeffrey G.
Published: March 2019

Essential hypertension is the leading cause of premature death worldwide. However, hypertension’s cause remains uncertain. endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has recently been associated with hypertension, but it is unclear whether ER stress causes hypertension. To clarify this question, we examined if ER stress occurs in blood vessels before the development of hypertension and if ER stress inhibition would prevent hypertension development. We used the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) as a model of human essential hypertension and the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat as its normotensive control. Resistance arteries collected from young rats determined that ER stress was present in SHR vessels before the onset of hypertension. To assess the effect of ER stress inhibition on hypertension development, another subset of rats were treated with 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA; 1 g·kg−1·day−1) for 8 wk from 5 wk of age. Blood pressure was measured via radiotelemetry and compared with untreated SHR and WKY rats. Mesenteric resistance arteries were collected and assessed for structural and functional changes associated with hypertension. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly lower in the 4-PBA-treated SHR groups than in untreated SHRs. Additionally, 4-PBA significantly decreased the media-to-lumen ratio and ER stress marker expression, improved vasodilatory response, and reduced contractile responses in resistance arteries from SHRs. Overall, ER stress inhibition blunted the development of hypertension in the SHR. These data add evidence to the hypothesis that a component of hypertension in the SHR is caused by ER stress.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY In this study, 4-phenylbutyric acid’s (4-PBA’s) molecular chaperone capability was used to inhibit endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the small arteries of young spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and reduce their hypertension. These effects are likely mediated through 4-PBA's effects to reduce resistant artery contractility and increase nitric oxide-mediated endothelial vasodilation through a process preventing endothelial dysfunction. Overall, ER stress inhibition blunted the development of hypertension in this young SHR model. This suggests that a component of the increase in blood pressure found in SHRs is due to ER stress. However, it is important to note that inhibition of ER stress was not able to fully restore the blood pressure to normal, suggesting that a component of hypertension may not be due to ER stress. This study points to the inhibition of ER stress as an important new physiological pathway to lower blood pressure, where other known approaches may not achieve blood pressure-lowering targets.
Extracellular histones induce calcium signals in the endothelium of resistance-sized mesenteric arteries and cause loss of endothelium-dependent dilation
Authors: Collier Daniel M. , Villalba Nuria , Sackheim Adrian , Bonev Adrian D. , Miller Zachary D. , Moore Jesse S. , Shui Bo , Lee Jane C. , Lee Frank K. , Reining Shaun , Kotlikoff Michael I. , Nelson Mark T. , Freeman Kalev
Published: March 2019

Histone proteins are elevated in the circulation after traumatic injury owing to cellular lysis and release from neutrophils. Elevated circulating histones in trauma contribute to coagulopathy and mortality through a mechanism suspected to involve endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction. However, the functional consequences of histone exposure on intact blood vessels are unknown. Here, we sought to understand the effects of clinically relevant concentrations of histones on the endothelium in intact, resistance-sized, mesenteric arteries (MAs). EC Ca2+ was measured with high spatial and temporal resolution in MAs from mice selectively expressing the EC-specific, genetically encoded ratiometric Ca2+ indicator, Cx40-GCaMP-GR, and vessel diameter was measured by edge detection. Application of purified histone protein directly to the endothelium of en face mouse and human MA preparations produced large Ca2+ signals that spread within and between ECs. Surprisingly, luminal application of histones had no effect on the diameter of pressurized arteries. Instead, after prolonged exposure (30 min), it reduced dilations to endothelium-dependent vasodilators and ultimately caused death of ~25% of ECs, as evidenced by markedly elevated cytosolic Ca2+ levels (793 ± 75 nM) and uptake of propidium iodide. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ but not depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores prevented histone-induced Ca2+ signals. Histone-induced signals were not suppressed by transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channel inhibition (100 nM GSK2193874) or genetic ablation of TRPV4 channels or Toll-like receptor receptors. These data demonstrate that histones are robust activators of noncanonical EC Ca2+ signaling, which cause vascular dysfunction through loss of endothelium-dependent dilation in resistance-sized MAs.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We describe the first use of the endothelial cell (EC)-specific, ratiometric, genetically encoded Ca2+ indicator, Cx40-GCaMP-GR, to study the effect of histone proteins on EC Ca2+ signaling. We found that histones induce an influx of Ca2+ in ECs that does not cause vasodilation but instead causes Ca2+ overload, EC death, and vascular dysfunction in the form of lost endothelium-dependent dilation.
Genetic and genomic evidence for an important role of the Na+/H+exchanger 3 in blood pressure regulation and angiotensin II-induced hypertension
Authors: Li Xiao C. , Zheng Xiaowen , Chen Xu , Zhao Chunling , Zhu Dongmin , Zhang Jianfeng , Zhuo Jia L.
Published: March 2019

The sodium (Na+)/hydrogen (H+) exchanger 3 (NHE3) and sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na+/K+-ATPase) are two of the most important Na+transporters in the proximal tubules of the kidney. On the apical membrane side, NHE3 primarily mediates the entry of Na+into and the exit of H+from the proximal tubules, directly and indirectly being responsible for reabsorbing ~50% of filtered Na+in the proximal tubules of the kidney. On the basolateral membrane side, Na+/K+-ATPase serves as a powerful engine driving Na+out of, while pumping K+into the proximal tubules against their concentration gradients. While the roles of NHE3 and Na+/K+-ATPase in proximal tubular Na+transport under in vitro conditions are well recognized, their respective contributions to the basal blood pressure regulation and angiotensin II (ANG II)-induced hypertension remain poorly understood. Recently, we have been fortunate to be able to use genetically modified mouse models with global, kidney- or proximal tubule-specific deletion of NHE3 to directly determine the cause and effect relationship between NHE3, basal blood pressure homeostasis, and ANG II-induced hypertension at the whole body, kidney and/or proximal tubule levels. The purpose of this article is to review the genetic and genomic evidence for an important role of NHE3 with a focus in the regulation of basal blood pressure and ANG II-induced hypertension, as we learned from studies using global, kidney- or proximal tubule-specific NHE3 knockout mice. We hypothesize that NHE3 in the proximal tubules is necessary for maintaining basal blood pressure homeostasis and the development of ANG II-induced hypertension.
A Novel ACKR2-Dependent Role of Fibroblast-Derived CXCL14 in Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Metastasis of Breast Cancer
Authors: Sjöberg Elin , Meyrath Max , Milde Laura , Herrera Mercedes , Lövrot John , Hägerstrand Daniel , Frings Oliver , Bartish Margarita , Rolny Charlotte , Sonnhammer Erik , Chevigné Andy , Augsten Martin , Östman Arne
Published: March 2019

Purpose:

Fibroblasts expressing the orphan chemokine CXCL14 have been previously shown to associate with poor breast cancer prognosis and promote cancer growth. This study explores the mechanism underlying the poor survival associations of stromal CXCL14.

Experimental Design:

Tumor cell epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, and metastasis were studied in in vitro and in vivo models together with fibroblasts overexpressing CXCL14. An approach for CXCL14 receptor identification included loss-of-function studies followed by molecular and functional endpoints. The clinical relevance was further explored in publicly available gene expression datasets.

Results:

CXCL14 fibroblasts stimulated breast cancer EMT, migration, and invasion in breast cancer cells and in a xenograft model. Furthermore, tumor cells primed by CXCL14 fibroblasts displayed enhanced lung colonization after tail-vein injection. By loss-of function experiments, the atypical G-protein–coupled receptor ACKR2 was identified to mediate CXCL14-stimulated responses. Downregulation of ACKR2, or CXCL14-induced NOS1, attenuated the pro-EMT and migratory capacity. CXCL14/ACKR2 expression correlated with EMT and survival in gene expression datasets.

Conclusions:

Collectively, the findings imply an autocrine fibroblast CXCL14/ACKR2 pathway as a clinically relevant stimulator of EMT, tumor cell invasion, and metastasis. The study also identifies ACKR2 as a novel mediator for CXCL14 function and thereby defines a pathway with drug target potential.

See related commentary by Zhang et al., p. 3476
Traumatic Occipitocervical Distraction Injuries in Children: A Systematic Review
Authors: Hale Andrew T. , Say Irene , Shah Smit , Dewan Michael C. , Anderson Richard C.E. , Tomycz Luke D.
Published: March 2019

Background: Occipitocervical distraction injuries (OCDI) in children occur on a wide spectrum of severity, and decisions about treatment suffer from a lack of rigorous guidelines and significant inter-institutional variability. While clear cases of frank atlanto-occipital dislocation (AOD) are treated with surgical stabilization, the approach for less severe cases of OCDI is not standardized. These patients require a careful assessment of both radiographic and clinical criteria, as part of a complex risk-benefit analysis, to establish whether occipitocervical fusion (OCF) is indicated. Here, we performed a systematic review of the literature that describes traumatic OCDI in children < 18 years of age. Summary: We performed a systematic review, according to PRISMA guidelines, of children < 18 years of age presenting with traumatic etiologies of OCDI. We searched PubMed to identify papers congruent with these criteria. Exclusion criteria included (1) reports on atraumatic causes of OCDI and (2) studies with insufficient clinical and radiographic details on individual patients. We identified 16 reports describing a total of 144 patients treated for pediatric traumatic OCDI. Based on the synthesis of these findings and the collective experience of the authors, we present the demographic, clinical, and radiographic factors that underlie OC instability, which we hope will serve as components of a grading system in the future. We considered various clinical and radiographic findings including: (1) the mechanism of injury, (2) the patient’s age, (3) CT/CT angiography of head and neck findings and parameters, (4) MRI findings, and (5) neurological exam, for the purpose of determining the severity of the OCDI and offering treatment guidelines based on the summative risk of underlying OC instability. Key Messages: OCDI is a potentially devastating injury, especially in children. Although missing the diagnosis can have potentially catastrophic consequences, reverting to surgical fixation in less severe cases can subject children to unnecessary operative risk and permanently reduce their range of motion. After reviewing all the available reports of pediatric traumatic OCDI in the neurosurgical literature, we propose an outline of clinical and radiographic factors influencing underlying OC instability that could be incorporated into a grading scale to guide treatment. We hope this study stimulates discussion on the standardization of treatment for pediatric OCDI.
Cleft Palate with or without Cleft Lip: The Role of Retronasal Triangle View and Maxillary Gap at 11–14 Weeks
Authors: De Robertis Valentina , Rembouskos Georgios , Fanelli Tiziana , Votino Carmela , Volpe Paolo
Published: March 2019

Objective: To evaluate the presence of maxillary gap (MG) and abnormal retronasal triangle (RT) as markers of cleft palate (CP) with and without cleft lip in the first trimester and to assess their association with the type of orofacial cleft (OC). Methods: The RT and the mid-sagittal view of the face were evaluated retrospectively by two operators in 26 fetuses with OC and in 80 normal controls to detect abnormal RT and/or MG. The agreement between operators was calculated. Results: Amongst the 26 fetuses, there were 15 cases of bilateral, 6 cases of unilateral, and 4 cases of median cleft lip and palate, and 1 case of CP alone. The MG was observed in 18 cases by operator 1 and in 17 cases by operator 2; an abnormal RT was detected in 21 cases by operator 1 and in 22 cases by operator 2. Great agreement between operators was obtained. In controls, MG or abnormal RT was suspected in 6 and 2–4% of cases, respectively. Conclusions: RT seems to be more sensitive compared to MG; however, the latter showed an additional diagnostic ability when the secondary palate was involved. Both approaches in combination could be useful in detecting OC in the first trimester.
Depletion of αβ+ T and B Cells Using the CliniMACS Prodigy: Results of 10 Graft-Processing Procedures from Haploidentical Donors
Authors: Haastrup Eva , Ifversen Marianne R.S. , Heilmann Carsten , Fischer-Nielsen Anne
Published: March 2019

Background: Depletion of TCRαβ+ T cells and B cells with the CliniMACS Plus® has been used for haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for a decade. The depletion procedure is time and labour demanding and with variable reported efficiencies. Recently, an automated procedure was launched for the CliniMACS Prodigy® (Miltenyi Biotec) but reported data are scarce. Here, we report the results of the first ten TCRαβ+ and B cell depletion procedures for clinical use performed at our centre. Materials and Methods: All transplants were from a parent to a child. Collection of peripheral blood stem cells was performed after filgrastim mobilisation by use of the Spectra Optia® (TerumoBCT) set on the MNC program. Because of insufficient hematopoietic stem cell mobilisation, 1 donor received additional plerixafor. Results: We performed ten uncomplicated processes with the CliniMACS Prodigy. We found the results of the depletion procedures satisfactory with a median log reduction of TCRαβ+ cells of –4.21 (range –3.98 to –4.74), resulting in a median number of TCRαβ+ cells in the depleted product of 28.6 × 103/kg recipient weight (range 14.9–69.7 × 103/kg). The median CD34 recovery was 83% (range 70–100). To achieve a sufficient number of CD34+ cells, we performed an additional CD34+ enrichment procedure using the CliniMACS Plus for 3 patients. The B cell depletion was slightly less efficient with a median log reduction of –3.72 (range –2.83 to –4.20). Conclusion: Overall, we found the TCRαβ and CD19 depletion procedure on the CliniMACS Prodigy easy to handle and reliable, providing reproducible good results.
Improvements in Body Composition after 4 Years of Growth Hormone Treatment in Adult-Onset Hypopituitarism Compared to Age-Matched Controls
Authors: Postma Mark R. , van Beek André P. , Jönsson Peter J. , van Bunderen Christa C. , Drent Madeleine L. , Mattsson Anders F. , Camacho-Hubner Cecilia
Published: March 2019

Background/Aims: It is unknown whether long-term growth hormone replacement therapy (GHRT) affects body composition in an age- or sex-dependent manner. We aimed to study the effects of 4 years of GHRT on body composition in a large cohort of patients with hypopituitarism compared to a reference population matched by age and sex. Methods: A total of 964 GH-deficient adults from KIMS (Pfizer International Metabolic Database) with adult-onset hypopituitarism, adequately replaced with all pituitary hormones except for GH at baseline were included. A random sample of the general population (2,301 subjects) from a similar time period was used as reference. Patients and controls were grouped by sex in 5 age cohorts of 10 years. Main outcome measures were changes in BMI and waist circumference after 4 years of GHRT. Results: In younger patients (28–47 years), 4 years of GHRT resulted in a BMI increase similar to that observed in the reference population, but older patients (48–67 years) had significantly less BMI increase than age-matched healthy controls. Significant differences were seen in waist circumference in patients of all age cohorts who showed virtually no change after 4 years of GHRT compared to approximately 4 cm of increase in the reference population. Conclusion: Four years of GHRT resulted in improvements in BMI and waist circumference in patients with adult-onset hypopituitarism compared to age-matched controls observed during the same follow-up time. Despite these beneficial effects on body composition, BMI and waist circumference remained higher in patients on GHRT compared to healthy controls.
Cohort Study Examining the Association Between Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease
Authors: Thomas Manapurathe Diana , Moxon Joseph Vaughan , Krishna Smriti Murali , Rowbotham Sophie , Quigley Frank , Jenkins Jason , Bourke Michael , Bourke Bernard , Jones Rhondda E. , Golledge Jonathan
Published: March 2019

Background

Hypertension is an important risk factor for cardiovascular events in patients with peripheral artery disease; however, optimal blood pressure targets for these patients are poorly defined. This study investigated the association between systolic blood pressure (
SBP
) and cardiovascular events in a prospectively recruited patient cohort with peripheral artery disease.

Methods and Results

A total of 2773 patients were included and were grouped according to
SBP
at recruitment (≤120 mm Hg, n=604; 121–140 mm Hg, n=1065; and >140 mm Hg, n=1104). Adjusted Cox proportional hazards analyses suggested that patients with
SBP
≤120 mm Hg were at greater risk of having a major cardiovascular event (myocardial infarction, stroke, or cardiovascular death) than patients with
SBP
of 121–140 mm Hg (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.36; 95%
CI,
1.08–1.72;
P
=0.009). Patients with
SBP
>140 mm Hg had an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.23 (95%
CI,
1.00–1.51;
P
=0.051) of major cardiovascular events compared with patients with
SBP
of 121–140 mm Hg. These findings were similar in sensitivity analyses only including patients receiving antihypertensive medications or focused on patients with a minimum of 3 months of follow‐up.

Conclusions

This cohort study suggests that patients with peripheral artery disease and
SBP
≤120 mm Hg are at increased risk of major cardiovascular events. The findings suggest caution in intensive
SBP
lowering in this patient group.
Investigation of taxonomically important morphological features of endoparasitic bat flies of the subfamily Ascodipterinae (Diptera: Streblidae) by scanning electron microscopy
Authors: HASTRITER MICHAEL W. , DITTMAR KATHARINA , WHITING MICHAEL F.
Published: March 2019

Endoparasitic dealate females of Ascodipteron and an undescribed genus of Ascodipterinae are examined by scanning electron microscopy. The unique morphology of the head and mouth parts and terminal segments are displayed and discussed. Prior reports have focused only on details observable with light microscopy. The taxonomic position of members of the subfamily Ascodipterinae relative to the Old World families of Streblidae and Nycteribiidae is briefly discussed in light of previously published molecular information.
A review of the hyperiidean amphipod superfamily Archaeoscinoidea Vinogradov, Volkov & Semenova, 1982 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyperiidea)
Authors: ZEIDLER WOLFGANG
Published: March 2019

A taxonomic review of the superfamily Archaeoscinoidea is presented, based predominantly on collections held by the Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. The superfamily includes just one family, Archaeoscinidae, comprising two genera, Archaeoscina and Paralanceola. Prior to this review, Archaeoscina was known from two species, A. steenstrupi and A. stebbingi, with the status of the latter in doubt. Despite the loss of the unique type of A. stebbingi it is regarded as valid species for the time being. In addition, one new species of Archaeoscina, A. danae sp. nov., is described from the Pacific, Indo-Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. Paralanceola was known only from the unique type of P. anomala Barnard, 1930. Remains of the type were re-examined to determine unique characters such as the morphology of the second antennae. More specimens of P. anomala were not found but two additional species are described as new to science; P. wolffi sp. nov. from the South Pacific and Atlantic Ocean and P. oleseni sp. nov. from the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Two new characters were discovered during this study; the presence of a partial ventral suture between urosomites 2 & 3 in all specimens and the presence of male genital papillae in P. oleseni sp. nov. An examination of other members of the Physosomata revealed that these characters are also present in most other genera. Thus, they may be of phylogenetic significance. Keys are provided for genera and all species.
Authorship and publication date of the Palaeozoic genera Cypridinella, Cypridellina, Sulcuna, Rhombina, and Offa (Ostracoda: Myodocopa)
Authors: KORNICKER LOUIS S.
Published: March 2019

Authorship and publication date of the Palaeozoic genera Cypridinella, Cypridellina, Rhombina, Sulcuna, and Offa have been attributed in the literature to either Jones 1873a, Jones & Kirkby, 1874, or Jones, Kirkby, and Brady, 1874, or 1884 (see Kornicker, 2001). Kornicker (2001) concluded that the correct authorship and publication date of the five genera are Jones, 1873a. Becker (2004) disputed this and argued that the correct authorship and publication date of the first four genera are Jones and Kirkby, 1874 (Offa not mentioned), centering his argument on the genus Sulcuna. On June 10, 2005, I forwarded a request to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) requesting a ruling on the identity of the author of the Palaeozoic genus Sulcuna. An answering letter received in August 2005 from the ICZN Secretariat (Fig. 1) stated that Jones (1873a) should be credited as the author of the genus Sulcuna.
Three new species of Gastromyzon (Teleostei: Balitoridae) from southern Sarawak
Authors: TAN H. H. , LEH C. U.M.
Published: March 2019

Three new species of the genus Gastromyzon are described from southern Sarawak. Gastromyzon scitulus, new species, is similar to G. ctenocephalus but differs in having a black body, with numerous evenly spaced smaller light brown spots, head dorsum black, with numerous cream spots, pectoral and pelvic fins with cream spots; caudal fin with iridescent blue streaks when live; and 57– 58 scales in lateral line. Gastromyzon crenastus, new species, is the smallest known Gastromyzon, largest recorded specimen measuring only 29.7 mm SL. It is similar to G. ridens, but differs in having a black body, dorsum with 6–8 thin cream bars or spots, head black with cream spots and blotches; a truncate snout when viewed dorsally; and 60–65 scales in lateral line. Gastromyzon farragus, new species, is similar to G. ocellatus but differs in having a dark brown body, dorsum with 9–10 thin cream bars, side with spots and blotches, head dorsum dark brown with fine cream spots; caudal fin reddish in life; and 52–55 scales in lateral line. Data on these species are presented, together with a short discussion on their ecology.
Two new species of Comesomatidae Filipjev, 1922 (Nematoda: Chromadorida) from sandy bottoms of Tenerife, Canary Islands
Authors: RIERA RODRIGO , NÚÑEZ JORGE , BRITO MARÍA D.C.
Published: March 2019

Two new species of Comesomatidae Filipjev, 1922 are described from sandy bottoms of Tenerife, Canary Islands. Paracomesoma sigmoidalis new species is characterized by having 35 precloacal supplements, S-shaped and slender spicules, and an elliptical plaque at the distal end of the gubernaculum. Setosabatieria triangularis new species is characterized by the number of turns (2.5) and development of the amphid (68% cbd), and a triangular gubernaculum.
A new species of Opistheurista Carvalho, from Southern Brazil (Heteroptera: Miridae: Mirinae)
Authors: FERREIRA PAULO S.F. , COELHO LÍVIA A.
Published: March 2019

The Resthenini genus Opistheurista has been known until now by the single species O. clandestina, which occurs in the Nearctic region. While studying mirids from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, we found a female exemplar as a new species. We provide descriptions, diagnoses, illustrations, and a key to distinguish the two species of genus Opistheurista.
The identity of Paraleyrodes perseae (Quaintance) (Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae), a potential pest of fruit trees in the United States and beyond
Authors: MARTIN JON H.
Published: March 2019

Paraleyrodes perseae (Quaintance) is redefined, with both puparial and male identification characters illustrated, in order to overcome confusion caused by conflicting earlier accounts of this species. A lectotype is designated. The pest potential of this species is briefly discussed, in relation to invasive populations of other Paraleyrodes species.
Redescription of Ilyarachna zachsi Gurjanova, 1933 (Crustacea:Isopoda: Munnopsidae) from the Sea of Japan, with the synonymisation of I. starokadomskii Gurjanova, 1933
Authors: GOLOVAN OLGA A. , MALYUTINA MARINA V.
Published: March 2019

Ilyarachna zachsi Gurjanova, 1933, from the Sea of Japan, is redescribed and I. starokadomskii Gurjanova, 1933 is regarded as a junior subjective synonym of that species. I. zachsi is characterized by the cephalon having a transverse row of 6 dorsal spines, anterior margins of pereonites 1–3 with 4–14 dorsal spines and the male pleopods 2 stylet not reaching the distal end of protopod. The species displays significant intraspecific variability in the armament of pereonites 1– 3. The smaller specimens with 4 long spines are generally males, these having been previously described as I. starokadomskii, while the larger, more spiny specimens are females (the specimen with extreme state of this character was previously described as I. zachsi).
A new species of Prismognathus Motschulsky from Xizang (Tibet), China (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Lucanidae)
Authors: BARTOLOZZI LUCA , WAN XIA
Published: March 2019

A new species of stag beetle, Prismognathus prossi n. sp., is described from Xizang (Tibet), China. The new species is compared with similar species, from which it differs in the peculiar shape of the eye canthus. The status of the type specimen of P. branczicki Nonfried is discussed. A checklist of the known species and subspecies of Prismognathus Motschulsky is also given.
Antennuloniscus alfi n. sp. (Crustacea: Isopoda: Haploniscidae) from the Scotia Sea, Antarctica
Authors: WÜRZBERG LAURA , BRÖKELAND WIEBKE
Published: March 2019

Antennuloniscus alfi n. sp. is reported from samples obtained with an epibenthic sledge in the deep sea of the Southern Ocean. The species can be recognised by its trapezoidal head, the broad and short articles 5 and 6 of the antenna and the pleotelson, which has rounded margins and two dorsal cuticular tubercles.
Osteology and phylogeny of Parioglossus (Teleostei, Gobioidei), with a revised key to the species
Authors: WANG RUI , WINTERBOTTOM RICHARD
Published: March 2019

The seventeen species of Parioglossus (Perciformes, Gobioidei) form a group of small fishes that inhabit the warm temperate to tropical regions of the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. A revised key to the species, based on external characters, is provided. Using external characters and osteology, a parsimony analysis of 24 characters of the 17 described species resulted in five equally most parsimonious trees. The strict consensus tree of these five trees supports the monophyly of Parioglossus. There is a basal polytomy, within which are monophyletic subgroups, one consisting only of P. dotui and P. neocaledonicus. The other subgroup is fully resolved, and consists of (P. galzini (P.aporos (P. nudus, P. philippinus) (P. rainfordi (P. palustris (P. interruptus (P. taeniatus (P. formosus (P. sinensis, P. raoi)))))))). However, only two of the nodes have a support value of greater than one.
Morphological and molecular characterization of a new isolate of Steinernema feltiae (Filipjev, 1934) from Vancouver, Canada, with morphometrical comparison with the topotype population from Russia
Authors: NGUYEN KHUONG B. , MRÁČEK ZDENĚK , WEBSTER JOHN M.
Published: March 2019

Steinernema feltiae, strain British Columbia (BC) was collected from Vancouver, Canada. SEM, morphometrical and molecular studies were conducted and the results reported. This article presents the SEM study of different stages of S. feltiae. The significant characteristic found in this study is that the formula of the lateral field of S. feltiae is 2, 7, 8, 7, 4, 2. Morphometric comparison of the new isolate and the topotype population (strain RU from Russia) showed that the body length, distance from anterior end to excretory pore, tail length, and hyaline length are significantly different. Molecular studies of rDNA ITS regions showed that the strain BC is closely related to the topotype of S. feltiae (strain RU) from Russia. Sequence length of strain RU is 980 base pairs compared to 977 base pairs for strain BC. Intraspecific relationships among strains of S. feltiae showed that geographic distribution is associated with the genetic differences, but the differences are not sufficient to delimit new species.
Water mites of the genus Torrenticola Piersig, 1896 (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Torrenticolidae) from Iran, with description of two new species
Authors: PESIC VLADIMIR , SABOORI ALIREZA , ASADI MAHDIEH , VAFAEI REZA , SANATGAR ELHAM
Published: March 2019

Nine water mite species of the genus Torrenticola Piersig, 1896 are reported from Iran. Torrenticola irana and T. khorassanula are described as new to science, and the first records for Iran are given for T. brevirostris (Halbert, 1911), T. barsica (Szalay, 1933), T. amplexa (Koenike, 1908) and T. thori (Halbert, 1944).
The taxonomy of Neotropical Brunettiina (Diptera, Psychodidae, Psychodinae, Mormiini), with descriptions of ten new species from Brazil and comments on the generic classification of the subtribe
Authors: BRAVO FREDDY
Published: March 2019

Ten new species of Brazilian Brunettiina are described. A cladistic analysis was used to test the two generic classifications of Brunettiina in the literature, providing a more objective classification of nine of the ten new species with 14 flagellomeres. The genus Mormia Enderlein was chosen to polarize the characters and root the cladogram. Seventeen characters were used for the analysis. The two classificatory proposals are coherent with the topology of the cladogram obtained in this study; however, the classification that recognizes three genera in the subtribe was accepted because it corresponds to the three major groups observed in the cladogram: Brunettia Annandale, with four subgenera; Atrichobrunettia Satchell, with five subgenera; and Gerobrunettia Quate & Quate. A new subgenus was proposed for the nine new species of Brunettiina with 14 flagellomeres. This new subgenus is classified with the subgenera Atrichobrunettia, Mirousiella Vaillant, Plesiobrunettia Duckhouse, and Horobrunettia Duckhouse in the genus Atrichobrunettia. The taxonomy of the subtribe Brunettiina in the Neotropical Region is re-examined. Keys are provided for the genera and subgenera of Brunettiina and for the Neotropical species of Brunettia and Atrichobrunettia.
Aedes (Finlaya) alongi Galliard and Ngu (Diptera: Culicidae: Aedini): description of the female, redescription of the fourth-instar larva, and reassignment to genus Bothaella Reinert
Authors: REINERT JOHN F. , HARBACH RALPH E. , HUONG VU D.
Published: March 2019

The female of Aedes (Finlaya) alongi is described for the first time and the fourth-instar larva is redescribed in detail. The species is reassigned to Bothaella and compared to other species of the genus.
Notes on the Neotropical bee genera Agapostemonoides Roberts & Brooks and Rhinetula Friese, with description of a new species of Agapostemonoides (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Halictinae)
Authors: GONÇALVES RODRIGO B. , MELO GABRIEL A.R.
Published: March 2019

The genera Agapostemonoides and Rhinetula have been treated as containing only a single species each. In this work Agapostemonoides weyrauchi new species, from Bolivia and Peru, is described and the species Rhinetula rufiventris Friese, 1922 is removed from the synonymy of Rhinetula denticrus Friese, 1922. Identification keys, illustrations of male terminalia and record maps for the species of both genera are provided.
A review of the H. obtusipennis species-group of the genus Helina R.-D. (Diptera: Muscidae) from the Palaearctic and Oriental regions, with description of one new species
Authors: WANG MING-FU , WANG RONG-RONG , XUE WAN-QI
Published: March 2019

The Helina obtusipennis species-group is erected for nine species of Helina in the Palaearctic and Oriental regions, namely H. atlantica (Tiensuu), H. ciliatocosta (Zetterstedt), H. eurymetopa Emden, H. macrocera Hennig, H. mandschurica Hennig, H. medogensis sp. nov., H. obtusipennis (Fallén), H. setigera (Pokorny), and H. spinicosta ( Zetterstedt). These species are Palaearctic in distribution except for H. eurymetopa Emden and H. medogensis, which are known from the Oriental Region. Members of this group can be easily differentiated from those of other Helina species-groups by their broad frons in both sexes with one or two pairs of upper orbital setae. A key to the males of the H. obtusipennis species-group is given.
Two new species of Notoperla (Plecoptera: Gripopterygidae) and a redescription of Notoperlopsis femina Illies
Authors: MCLELLAN IAN , MISERENDINO MARÍA L. , HOLLMANN MARÍA E.T.
Published: March 2019

Notoperla fasciata new species and Notoperla magnaspina new species are described, and a key given for the two species. The female and larva of Notoperlopsis femina are redescribed and the male is described for the first time. Notes on distribution, habitat and ecology are given.