bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Epilepsy in Papua New Guinea: a longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Mond Casparia , Duke Trevor , Vince John
Published: July 2019

Epilepsy affects up to 1-4% of children living in low income and middle countries, however there are few studies of the problems faced by children with epilepsy in such settings. We aimed to document the situation for children with epilepsy in Port Moresby, an urban area in Papua New Guinea, a low-middle income country in the Western Pacific region. We conducted longitudinal cohort study using mixed methods, with serial data collected over 2 years which assessed seizure control, neurodevelopment, and structured interviews with children and parents. For quantitative data descriptive statistics are reported; for qualitative data common responses, themes, experiences and perceptions were grouped and reported in narrative. Forty-seven children with epilepsy were followed for a median of 18 months. Twenty six (55%) children had some associated neurodevelopmental disability. Children gave detailed and vivid descriptions of their experience of seizures. Most children and parents had a positive view of the future but faced many challenges including financial difficulties, fear of having seizures especially at school, restriction of activity that isolated them from peers, and significant stigma and discrimination. Seizure control improved over time for some children, but inconsistent supply of phenobarbitone hindered better control. Comprehensive care for children with epilepsy requires a good knowledge of the individual patient —including their seizure type and comorbidities, their family, and their strengths and vulnerabilities. Children with epilepsy face many problems that can lead to isolation, discrimination and restricted opportunities.
Cross-country analysis of correlation between protection of women’s economic and social rights, health improvement and sustainabledevelopment
Authors: Alaei Kamiar , Akgüngör Sedef , Chao Weng-Fong , Hasan Sayyida , Marshall Allyson , Schultz Emily , Alaei Arash
Published: July 2019

Objective

The goal of this study is to assess the correlation between protection of women’s economic and social rights (WESR), health improvement and sustainable development.

Methods

A cross-country analysis of 162 countries was employed to assess development, health and human rights of the countries by measuring associated variables. Data sets for the health, human rights and economic and social rights of these countries were from 2004 to 2010. The dependent variables are health and human development and the independent variables are the human rights variables. Regression analysis and principle axis factoring were used for extraction and varimax method for rotation. Country grouping was made using cluster analysis. Potential biases, resulting from measurement differences in human rights values, were eliminated by using z-transformation to standardise variables.

Results

Regression results reveal that WESR variable is correlated with the health outcomes. Cluster analysis separated the countries into three clusters, based on the WESR variable. Countries where WESR were ‘highly respected’ (44 countries) are categorised into cluster 1; countries where WESR were ‘moderately respected’ (51 countries) are categorised into cluster 2 and countries where WESR were ‘poorly respected’ (63 countries) are categorised into cluster 3. Countries were then compared in their respective clusters based on health and human development variables. It was found that the countries which ‘highly respected’ WESR had better average health values compared with the second and third clusters. Our findings demonstrate that countries with a strong women’s rights status ultimately had better health outcomes.

Conclusion

WESR status has correlation with the health and human development. When women’s rights are highly respected, the nation is more likely to have higher health averages and accelerated development.
Process and outcomes evaluation of a pre-academic arts program for individuals with mental health conditions: a mixed methods study protocol
Authors: Salomon-Gimmon Maayan , Orkibi Hod , Elefant Cochavit
Published: July 2019

Introduction

TheGarageis a multidisciplinary pre-academic arts school for people with artistic abilities who are coping with mental health conditions (MHC). The programme, supported by the National Insurance Institute and the Ministry of Health in Israel, is an innovative rehabilitation service designed to impart and enhance artistic-professional skills and socioemotional abilities to ultimately facilitate participants’ integration into higher education and the job market.

Methods and analysis

This mixed methods longitudinal study will include an embedded design in which the qualitative data are primary and the quantitative data are secondary, thus providing complementary information. The study will examine the contribution of the Garage to changes in participants’ personal recovery, well-being, creative self-concept and community integration as well as possible mechanisms that may account for these changes. Qualitative data will be collected using focus groups with graduates and students (a total of ~60 participants). Quantitative data will be ‎collected by self-report questionnaires only from students attending the programme (before, during and at the end of the academic year). Data on the graduates’ integration into higher education and the job market after completing the programme will also be collected from the management team. The qualitative data will be analysed following the grounded theory approach and the quantitative data will be analysed with correlations, paired tests to examine pre–post changes and regression analyses. A merged data analysis will be conducted for data integration.

Ethics and dissemination

The University’s Human Research Ethics Committee approved the design and procedures of the study (approval #357–16). All participants will sign an informed consent form where it is clarified that participation in the study is on a voluntary basis, and anonymity and confidentiality are guaranteed. The results will be submitted for peer-reviewed journal publications, presented at conferences and disseminated to the funder and the programme’s management team.
Is it possible to automatically assess pretreatment digital rectal examination documentation using natural language processing? A single-centre retrospective study
Authors: Bozkurt Selen , Kan Kathleen M , Ferrari Michelle K , Rubin Daniel L , Blayney Douglas W , Hernandez-Boussard Tina , Brooks James D
Published: July 2019

Objectives

To develop and test a method for automatic assessment of a quality metric, provider-documented pretreatment digital rectal examination (DRE), using the outputs of a natural language processing (NLP) framework.

Setting

An electronic health records (EHR)-based prostate cancer data warehouse was used to identify patients and associated clinical notes from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2017. Using a previously developed natural language processing pipeline, we classified DRE assessment as documented (currently or historically performed), deferred (or suggested as a future examination) and refused.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

We investigated the quality metric performance, documentation 6 months before treatment and identified patient and clinical factors associated with metric performance.

Results

The cohort included 7215 patients with prostate cancer and 426 227 unique clinical notes associated with pretreatment encounters. DREs of 5958 (82.6%) patients were documented and 1257 (17.4%) of patients did not have a DRE documented in the EHR. A total of 3742 (51.9%) patient DREs were documented within 6 months prior to treatment, meeting the quality metric. Patients with private insurance had a higher rate of DRE 6 months prior to starting treatment as compared with Medicaid-based or Medicare-based payors (77.3%vs69.5%, p=0.001). Patients undergoing chemotherapy, radiation therapy or surgery as the first line of treatment were more likely to have a documented DRE 6 months prior to treatment.

Conclusion

EHRs contain valuable unstructured information and with NLP, it is feasible to accurately and efficiently identify quality metrics with current documentation clinician workflow.
Status and influencing factors of diabetes information acquisition among rural elderly with pre-diabetes in Yiyang City, China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Zhu Tingting , Xu Huilan
Published: July 2019

Objective

This study was designed to investigate the status of diabetes information acquisition and its influencing factors among patients, 60 years and older, with pre-diabetes in rural China.

Design

This is a cross-sectional study.

Setting

The survey was conducted in 42 rural communities in Yiyang City, Hunan Province, China.

Participants

A total of 461 elderly with pre-diabetes participated in this study, and 434 of them completed the survey (434/461, 94.1%).

Outcome measures

Information on sociodemographic and diabetic information-seeking behaviours were assessed through the structured questionnaires and described by percentages, mean±SD. The influencing factors of diabetes information acquisition were analysed using multiple linear regression analysis.

Results

The average score of diabetes information acquisition in the subjects was 8.39±11.28. The most popular and trusted source of diabetes information for the subjects was doctors. The level of information acquisition not only declined as the age progressed (95% CI −3.754 to −0.143) but also proved lowest among subjects with less than 1 year of education (95% CI 0.756 to 4.326). In addition, the level of information acquisition among elderly individuals with pre-diabetes, but with no history of hyperglycaemia, was lower than among those with a history of hyperglycaemia (95% CI 3.398 to 11.945).

Conclusions

These data indicated that the lack of ability to acquire diabetes information in elderly with pre-diabetes was common in rural China. Improving the ability of rural residents to access information should be incorporated into rural diabetes prevention efforts, especially for the elderly with pre-diabetes with low education and no history of hyperglycaemia.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR-IOR-15007033; Pre-results.
Role of Endotoxemia in Causing Renal Dysfunction in Cirrhosis
Authors: Peng Jennifer L , Techasatian Witina , Hato Takashi , Liangpunsakul Suthat
Published: July 2019

Renal failure is a challenging problem in patients with cirrhosis since mortality increases with worsening renal function, hence the inclusion of serum creatinine in calculating the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score for liver transplant evaluation. Among the various causes, infection is the leading etiology of mortality associated with cirrhosis. Bacterial infection frequently precipitates renal failure in patients with cirrhosis with the reported prevalence around 34%. Patients with cirrhosis are at increased risk of infections due to impaired immunity and increased gut permeability leading to bacterial translocation in the setting of portal hypertension. One of the most feared complications of severely decompensated liver and renal failure is hepatorenal syndrome, of which liver transplant may be the only available treatment. Furthermore, in those with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and urinary tract infection, progressive renal failure occurs despite resolution of infection. Thus, the effects of endotoxemia on renal function in cirrhosis have become a major focus of research. The mechanisms of the damaging effects of endotoxin on renal function are complex but, in essence, involve dysregulated inflammation, circulatory dysfunction, poor clearance of endotoxin burden, as well as vasomotor nephropathy. In this article, we will review the mechanisms of endotoxemia-induced renal dysfunction in the setting of cirrhosis through the effects on renal blood flow, renal vascular endothelium, glomerular filtration rate, and tubular function.
Comparing the profiles of UK and Australian military veterans supported by national treatment programmes for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Authors: Murphy Dominic , Howard A , Forbes D , Busuttil W , Phelps A
Published: July 2019

Introduction

The aim of this study was to compare and contrast the profiles of military veterans seeking formal support for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in national treatment programmes in Australia and the UK to better understand the needs of this vulnerable population.

Methods

Data were extracted from 1926 participants in these treatment programmes. This consisted of 1230 from the UK who had accessed support between 2014 and early 2019, and 696 from Australia who had accessed support between 2014 and 2018. Comparison was made between a number of sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex and educational achievements), military factors (branch of military, time since leaving the military and whether participants were early service leavers or not) and health outcomes (PTSD, anger, alcohol misuse, anxiety and depression).

Results

Small differences were observed, with those in the UK cohort appearing to be younger, having lower educational achievement, being more likely to be ex-Army, having longer periods of enlistment in the military and taking longer to seek help. Further, minor differences were reported in health outcomes, with those in the UK cohort reporting more severe symptoms of PTSD, anger, anxiety and depression.

Conclusions

Overall, the observed differences between the cohorts were modest, suggesting that treatment-seeking veterans from the Australian and UK cohorts reported similar presentations. This provides evidence to support the establishment of international cohorts of treatment-seeking veterans to improve knowledge within this field.
Incidence of dual antiplatelet therapy interruption within 1 year after primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction
Authors: Tam Chor Cheung , Lee Jeffrey , Chan Ki Wan , Lam Cheung Chi , Wong Yiu Tung , Chan Eric , Sze Michael , Lam Yui Ming , Chan Carmen , Tse Hung Fat , Siu Chung Wah
Published: July 2019

Background

After primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is recommended to continue for 1 year. Occasionally, DAPT interruption may be required due to bleeding issues or unplanned surgical procedures.

Objective

To systematically evaluate the incidence of DAPT interruption within 1 year after PPCI.

Methods and results

This was a single-centre, retrospective registry study. Consecutive patients with STEMI who underwent PPCI from 2013 to 2017 (N=538) were recruited into the analysis. The primary outcome was the incidence of interruption of DAPT within 1 year from the index PPCI. Secondary outcomes included incidence of bleeding in 1 year and prevalence of high bleeding risk (HBR) criteria at index presentation. Within 1 year, 17.1% (84/490) of post-PPCI survivors needed DAPT interruption and 7.1% (35/490) had major bleeding (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium type 3 or 5). At index presentation, HBR criteria were present in 36.1% (194/538) of patients. On univariate analysis, age, female gender, anaemia, anticoagulation, diabetes, hypertension and being a non-smoker were associated with DAPT interruption. On multivariate analysis, age was the only independent factor to predict DAPT interruption.

Conclusion

DAPT interruption was not uncommon after PPCI in patients with STEMI particularly in the elderly. This has implication on stent selection during PPCI, and further studies are required to investigate which type of stent may best suit our real-life patients with STEMI.
Rings which are sums of PI subrings
Authors: Kȩpczyk Marek
Published: July 2019

We study rings [Formula: see text] which are sums of a subring [Formula: see text] and an additive subgroup [Formula: see text]. We prove that if [Formula: see text] is a prime radical ring and [Formula: see text] satisfies a polynomial identity, then [Formula: see text] is nilpotent modulo the prime radical of [Formula: see text]. Additionally, we show that if [Formula: see text] is a [Formula: see text] ring, then the prime radical of [Formula: see text] is nilpotent modulo the prime radical of [Formula: see text]. We also obtain a new condition equivalent to Koethe’s conjecture.
Effect of Variable Thermo-Physical Properties of LiBr-H2O Solution on the Performance Parameters of Horizontal Tube Absorber
Authors: Mosa M.
Published: July 2019

Absorber is the most important component in LiBr-H2O absorption systems as its operating performance directly influences the performance of the whole system. In simulating absorption heat and mass transfer in horizontal tube absorber, many authors, for simplicity, make some assumptions. One of these assumptions is that the thermo-physical properties of the solution are constant across the absorber. In this paper, LiBr-H2O horizontal tube absorber was simulated with constant and variable thermo-physical properties and a comparison between the performance parameters (solution concentration, solution temperature, absorber heat duty and rate of vapor absorption) was made. Two solution flow rates are used in this simulation ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]) and a computer program was developed to simulate the two cases (constant and variable thermo-physical properties). The comparison results show that, in case of variable thermo-physical properties, the heat duty and vapor absorption rate are less than those in case of constant thermo-physical properties whereas solution concentration and temperature are slightly greater. Also, it is found that increasing solution volume flow rate [Formula: see text] increases the difference in heat duty and absorption rate and slightly decreases the difference in solution concentration and temperature.
A Simulation Modeling of Forest Water Supply Under Community-Managed PES Schemes
Authors: Ranjan Ram
Published: July 2019

This paper explores the design of a forestry-based payment for ecosystem services (PES) scheme, which improves stream water supply while simultaneously helping conserve forests and supporting livelihoods in communities of Uttarakhand, India. Under a PES arrangement, upstream communities reduce fuelwood harvesting to restore forest quality and improve stream flow in the downstream communities. Results suggest that such PES projects can play a crucial role in supporting forest conservation efforts and mitigating water scarcity in the region. For instance, PES-based payments required to meet the water needs of downstream communities can be three times lower than the costs of municipal water supply. Whereas, if communities do not receive any monetary incentives for reducing fuelwood harvesting, it results in a significant degradation of the forests in the long run. However, hydrological and ecological constraints can reduce the effectiveness of PES programs in the region. A high displacement of oak forests by the pine forests would lower the benefits from PES participation for the local communities. When the shifting species composition of forests also increases the failure risk of PES projects, optimal response requires further restricting fuelwood harvesting.
West Gondwana orogenies and Pangaea break-up: thermotectonic effects on the southernmost Mantiqueira Province, Brazil
Authors: Machado João Pacífico S. L. , Jelinek Andréa R. , Bicca Marcos M. , Stephenson Randell , Genezini Frederico A.
Published: July 2019

Through the joint use of apatite fission tracks (AFT) and (U–Th)/He analysis in apatite (AHe) and zircon (ZHe), we evaluate the thermotectonic evolution of the Sul-Rio-Grandense Shield (SRGS), southernmost Mantiqueira Province, Brazil. Formed during the assembly of West Gondwana (Neoproterozoic), the shield comprises four tectonostratigraphic terranes separated by regional faults and shear zones. The central and eastern terranes present Mesozoic AFT ages, whereas the western terrane ages are mostly late Paleozoic. AHe ages show considerable dispersion, although most are Mesozoic. ZHe ages from the east are early Permian, whereas the west presents Devonian ages. Inverse thermal modelling indicates a Devonian to Carboniferous cooling phase in the west, time correlated with orogenies occurring at the SW margin of Gondwana, which affected the regional geodynamics and are possibly linked to limited uplift of the shield. From the Permian to Jurassic a major cooling phase took place in the SRGS, probably related to lithosphere thinning and uplift preceding the South Atlantic rifting. Samples closer to the Atlantic coast suggest a subtle reheating after this event, provisionally linked to a geothermal disturbance related to ocean opening and associated magmatism. A final post-Paleocene cooling phase towards surface conditions affected the entire SRGS.

Supplementary material
: The final inverse thermal model for each sample is available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4579547
Geometric Heuristics for Rectilinear Crossing Minimization
Authors: Radermacher Marcel , Reichard Klara , Rutter Ignaz , Wagner Dorothea
Published: July 2019

In this article, we consider the
rectilinear crossing minimization problem
, i.e., we seek a straight-line drawing Γ of a graph
G
=(
V
,
E
) with a small number of edge crossings. Crossing minimization is an active field of research [1, 10]. While there is a lot of work on heuristics for topological drawings, these techniques are typically not transferable to the rectilinear (i.e., straight-line) setting. We introduce and evaluate three heuristics for rectilinear crossing minimization. The approaches are based on the primitive operation of moving a single vertex to its crossing-minimal position in the current drawing Γ, for which we give an
O
((
kn
+
m
)
2
log (
kn
+
m
))-time algorithm, where
k
is the degree of the vertex and
n
and
m
are the number of vertices and edges of the graph, respectively. In an experimental evaluation, we demonstrate that our algorithms compute straight-line drawings with fewer crossings than energy-based algorithms implemented in the O
pen
G
raph
D
rawing
F
ramework
 [11] on a varied set of benchmark instances. Additionally, we show that the difference of the number of crossings of topological drawings computed with the edge insertion approach [10, 13] and the number of crossings in straight-line drawings computed by our heuristic is relatively small. All experiments are evaluated with a statistical significance level of α = 0.05.
Artificial Intelligence, Artists, and Art
Authors: Hong Joo-Wha , Curran Nathaniel Ming
Published: July 2019

This study examines how people perceive artwork created by artificial intelligence (AI) and how presumed knowledge of an artist's identity (Human vs. AI) affects individuals’ evaluation of art. Drawing on Schema theory and theory of Computers Are Social Actors (CASA), this study used a survey-experiment that controlled for the identity of the artist (AI vs. Human) and presented participants with two types of artworks (AI-created vs. Human-created). After seeing images of six artworks created by either AI or human artists, participants (
n
= 288) were asked to evaluate the artistic value using a validated scale commonly employed among art professionals. The study found that human-created artworks and AI-created artworks were not judged to be equivalent in their artistic value. Additionally, knowing that a piece of art was created by AI did not, in general, influence participants’ evaluation of art pieces’ artistic value. However, having a schema that AI cannot make art significantly influenced evaluation. Implications of the findings for application and theory are discussed.
Polyhedral Compilation for Multi-dimensional Stream Processing
Authors: Leben Jakob , Tzanetakis George
Published: July 2019

We present a method for compilation of multi-dimensional stream processing programs from affine recurrence equations with unbounded domains into imperative code with statically allocated memory. The method involves a novel polyhedral schedule transformation called periodic tiling. It accommodates existing polyhedral optimizations to improve memory access patterns and expose parallelism. This enables efficient execution of programming languages with unbounded recurrence equations, as well as optimization of existing languages from which this form can be derived. The method is experimentally evaluated on 5 DSP algorithms with large problem sizes. Results show potential for improved throughput compared to hand-optimized C++ (speedups on a 6-core Intel Xeon CPU up to 10× with a geometric mean 3.3×).
1
A First Step Toward Using Quantum Computing for Low-level WCETs Estimations
Authors: Louise Stephane
Published: July 2019

Low-Level analysis of Worst Case Execution Time (WCET) is an important field for real-time system validation. It stands between computer architecture and mathematics, as it relies strongly on variants of abstract interpretation. One of the features that causes the largest uncertainty regarding WCET evaluation for low-level analysis of sequential execution on a single processor is taking Cache Memory-related Delays (CMRD) and Cache-related Preemption Delays (CRPD) correctly into account. Research work from the 1990s provides a good basic framework for this problem as long as a task runs without preemption. But when preemption of tasks is allowed, although several formalisms exist, their predictive power is lower and the usual approach relies on analyses of NP-hard problems.

In this article, we want to show some potential advantages of using a formalism inspired by Quantum Computing (QC) to evaluate CMRDs with preemptions while avoiding the NP-hard problem underneath. The experimental results, with a classic (non-quantum) numerical approach, on a selection of Malardalen benchmark programs display very good accuracy, while the complexity of the evaluation is a low-order polynomial of the number of memory accesses. While it is not yet a fully parallel quantum algorithm, we provide a first roadmap on how to reach such an objective.
Making Maps Available for Play
Authors: Toups Dugas Phoebe O. , Lalone Nicolas , Alharthi Sultan A. , Sharma Hitesh Nidhi , Webb Andrew M.
Published: July 2019

Maps in video games have grown into complex interactive systems alongside video games themselves. What map systems have done and currently do have not been cataloged or evaluated. We trace the history of game map interfaces from their paper-based inspiration to their current smart phone-like appearance.
Read-only map interfaces
enable players to consume maps, which is sufficient for wayfinding.
Game cartography interfaces
enable players to persistently modify maps, expanding the range of activity to support planning and coordination. We employ thematic analysis on game cartography interfaces, contributing a near-exhaustive catalog of games featuring such interfaces, a set of properties to describe and design such interfaces, a collection of play activities that relate to cartography, and a framework to identify what properties promote the activities. We expect that designers will find the contributions enable them to promote desired play experiences through game map interface design.
An Innovative Approach for Ad Hoc Network Establishment in Disaster Environments by the Deployment of Wireless Mobile Agents
Authors: Su Xing , Zhang Minjie , Bai Quan
Published: July 2019

In disasters, many stationary tasks, such as saving survivors in debris, extinguishing fire of buildings, and so on, need first responders to complete on site. In such circumstances, wireless mobile robots are usually employed to search for tasks and establish ad hoc networks to assist first responders. Due to the unknown and complexity of environments and limited capabilities of wireless mobile robots, searching and establishing ad hoc networks in disaster environments is a challenging issue in both theory and practice. To this end, a task-based wireless mobile robot deployment approach is proposed in this article. The proposed approach consists of a search process and a deployment process. The search process can guide wireless mobile robots to efficiently find tasks in unknown and complex environments. The deployment process can find suitable deployment locations for wireless mobile robots to establish ad hoc networks. The established ad hoc networks can ensure the communication of wireless mobile robots in the network and can cover the maximum number of task locations and the maximum areas in a disaster environment. Experimental results demonstrate that based on the proposed approach, wireless mobile robots have better performance in terms of search and ad hoc network establishment in disaster environments.
Transcriptomic evidence that cortisol alters perinatal epicardial adipose tissue maturation
Authors: Richards Elaine M. , McElhaney Emily , Zeringue Katelyn , Joseph Serene , Keller-Wood Maureen
Published: July 2019

Cortisol administration during late gestation in ewes, modeling maternal stress, resulted in transcriptomic changes suggesting altered maturation and metabolic changes to the offspring heart. This study investigates the effects of cortisol on epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), a visceral fat pad associated with adverse cardiovascular conditions in adults. Pregnant ewes were treated with either 1 mg·kg−1·day−1cortisol from 115 days gestation to term and EAT collected from term fetuses (control: n = 8, maternal cortisol 1 mg·kg−1·day−1: n = 6). To compare the effects of cortisol to the normal maturation in EAT, we also modeled the normal changes in gene expression in EAT at the transition from in utero to postnatal life using the EAT from control fetuses and from two-week-old lambs (control: n = 7). Transcriptomic modeling was used to identify pathways altered by maternal cortisol overexposure. Transcriptomic modeling confirmed the brown fat phenotype of EAT at term and a transition toward white fat at 2 wk of age in EAT of control fetuses/lambs and highlighted a role of immune responses, including complement coagulation, and serotonin in this transition. Maternal cortisol (1 mg·kg−1·day−1) increased the lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxynonenal in EAT of term fetuses but did not affect the number of activated macrophages or size of the lipid droplets in the depot; transcriptomics suggested an earlier metabolic maturation of EAT via, in part, increased immune responses.
Renal secretion of hydrochlorothiazide involves organic anion transporter 1/3, organic cation transporter 2, and multidrug and toxin extrusion protein 2-K
Authors: Yin Jia , Wagner David J. , Prasad Bhagwat , Isoherranen Nina , Thummel Kenneth E. , Wang Joanne
Published: July 2019

Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) is the most widely used thiazide diuretic for the treatment of hypertension either alone or in combination with other antihypertensives. HCTZ is mainly cleared by the kidney via tubular secretion, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. Using cells stably expressing major renal organic anion and cation transporters [human organic anion transporter 1 (hOAT1), human organic anion transporter 3 (hOAT3), human organic cation transporter 2 (hOCT2), human multidrug and toxin extrusion 1 (hMATE1), and human multidrug and toxin extrusion 2-K (hMATE2-K)], we found that HCTZ interacted with both organic cation and anion transporters. Uptake experiments further showed that HCTZ is transported by hOAT1, hOAT3, hOCT2, and hMATE2-K but not by hMATE1. Detailed kinetic analysis coupled with quantification of membrane transporter proteins by targeted proteomics revealed that HCTZ is an excellent substrate for hOAT1 and hOAT3. The apparent affinities ( Km) for hOAT1 and hOAT3 were 112 ± 8 and 134 ± 13 μM, respectively, and the calculated turnover numbers ( kcat) were 2.48 and 0.79 s−1, respectively. On the other hand, hOCT2 and hMATE2-K showed much lower affinity for HCTZ. The calculated transport efficiency ( kcat/ Km) at the single transporter level followed the rank order of hOAT1> hOAT3 > hOCT2 and hMATE2-K, suggesting a major role of organic anion transporters in tubular secretion of HCTZ. In vitro inhibition experiments further suggested that HCTZ is not a clinically relevant inhibitor for hOAT1 or hOAT3. However, strong in vivo inhibitors of hOAT1/3 may alter renal secretion of HCTZ. Together, our study elucidated the molecular mechanisms underlying renal handling of HCTZ and revealed potential pathways involved in the disposition and drug-drug interactions for this important antihypertensive drug in the kidney.
Distribution, habitats, phenology and conservation of New Caledonian Odonata
Authors: GRAND DANIEL , MARINOV MILEN , JOURDAN HERVE , COOK CARL , ROUYS SOPHIE , MILLE CHRISTIAN , THEUERKAUF JÖRN
Published: July 2019

Compared to other archipelagos of the Pacific, the New Caledonian Odonata fauna is rich and diverse with 56 valid species or subspecies (23 endemics, 41%) from eight families (four Zygoptera: Argiolestidae, Coenagrionidae, Isostictidae, Lestidae, and four Anisoptera: Aeshnidae, Corduliidae, Synthemistidae, Libellulidae) and 31 genera (including four endemics, 13%). In Zygoptera, we record 19 species including 12 endemics (63%), and among Anisoptera, we record 37 species or subspecies, including 11 endemics (30%). We removed five species from the list that had been erroneously recorded as occurring in New Caledonia: Tramea carolina (Linnaeus, 1763), Austroargiolestes icteromelas (Selys-Longchamps, 1862), Ischnura torresiana Tillyard, 1913, Xiphiagrion cyanomelas Selys-Longchamps, 1876 and Hemicordulia oceanica Selys-Longchamps, 1871. The occurrence of Tramea limbata (Desjardins, 1835) appears also doubtful, but we were unable to clarify to which taxon this record referred hence we excluded it from our update. From a biogeographic perspective, the New Caledonian fauna has mostly Australian affinities with some connections with southeast Asia and the Pacific region. We provide for each species, whenever information was available, a distribution map with a brief review of its known ecology, behaviour and phenology. We also evaluated each species’ conservation status, in light of known threats (range restriction, scarcity and human activity including altered water flow). We consider seventeen species (30%) endangered. The most immediate threats concern water pollution including alteration to the flow of water courses caused by mining, deforestation and fires. Invasive species, such as alien fish, may be predators of concern for odonata larva, although this has not yet been proven in New Caledonia.
Investigating Land Surface Effects on the Moisture Transport over South America with a Moisture Tagging Model
Authors: Yang Zhao , Dominguez Francina
Published: July 2019

Land–atmosphere interactions are a critical component of precipitation processes within the Amazon basin and La Plata River basin (LPRB) in South America. Two of the possible pathways through which the land surface can affect precipitation are 1) by changing the amount of moisture available for precipitation (moisture recycling) and 2) by changing the atmospheric thermal structure and consequently affecting circulation patterns. In this study, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model with embedded water vapor tracers (WVT) is used to disentangle these relative contributions, with a particular focus on the precipitation of LPRB. Using WRF-WVT we track the moisture that originates from the Amazon basin over a 10-yr period. It is estimated that Amazon evapotranspiration (ET) contributes to around 30% of the total precipitation over the Amazon and around 16% over the LPRB. Focusing on large-scale circulation patterns that transport moisture into the LPRB, we show that land surface conditions in northwestern Argentina are critical for the meridional transport of moisture to higher latitudes via Chaco jet events (CJEs). Warm surface air temperature associated with dry soil moisture over northwestern Argentina is linked to enhanced CJE northerly low-level winds that intensify moisture transport by changing continental-scale circulation patterns. WRF sensitivity tests confirm that soil moisture variations over this region affect meridional moisture transport.
Unsupervised Learning Techniques for the Investigation of Chronic Rhinosinusitis
Authors: Walker Abigail , Surda Pavol
Published: July 2019

Objectives:

This article reviews the principles of unsupervised learning, a novel technique which has increasingly been reported as a tool for the investigation of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). It represents a paradigm shift from the traditional approach to investigating CRS based upon the clinically recognized phenotypes of “with polyps” and “without polyps” and instead relies upon the application of complex mathematical models to derive subgroups which can then be further examined. This review article reports on the principles which underlie this investigative technique and some of the published examples in CRS.

Methods:

This review summarizes the different types of unsupervised learning techniques which have been described and briefly expounds upon their useful applications. A literature review of studies which have unsupervised learning is then presented to provide a practical guide to its uses and some of the new directions of investigations suggested by their findings.

Results:

The commonest unsupervised learning technique applied to rhinology research is cluster analysis, which can be further subdivided into hierarchical and non-hierarchical approaches. The mathematical principles which underpin these approaches are explained within this article. Studies which have used these techniques can be broadly divided into those which have used clinical data only and that which includes biomarkers. Studies which include biomarkers adhere closely to the established canon of CRS disease phenotypes, while those that use clinical data may diverge from the typical “polyp versus non-polyp” phenotypes and reflect subgroups of patients who share common symptom modifiers.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly influential in health care research and machine learning techniques have been reported in the investigation of CRS, promising several interesting new avenues for research. However, when critically appraising studies which use this technique, the reader needs to be au fait with the limitations and appropriate uses of its application.
Serum Disease after Intrathecal Injections of Serum
Authors: Rolleston H. D.
Published: July 2019

(1) SYMPTOMS of meningeal irritation may precede or accompany the appearance of the serum rash. (2) Though serum disease is frequent after intrathecal injection of serum, especially after Flexner's antimeningitis serum, it is not clear that it is more frequent than after hypodermic injection of serum. (3) Intrathecal injection of serum necessarily involves risk of inducing increased intracranial pressure and may introduce a secondary infection; but it is not proved that the volume of serum injection favours a secondary infection of the meninges from the blood stream.
CD40 Ligand Rescues Inhibitor of Differentiation 3-Mediated G1Arrest Induced by Anti-IgM in WEHI-231 B Lymphoma Cells
Authors: Hata Kikumi , Yoshimoto Takayuki , Mizuguchi Junichiro
Published: July 2019

The engagement of membrane-bound Igs (mIgs) results in growth arrest, accompanied by apoptosis, in the WEHI-231 murine B lymphoma cells, a cell line model representative of primary immature B cells. Inhibitor of differentiation (Id) proteins, members of the helix-loop-helix protein family, functions in proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in a variety of cell types. In this study, we analyzed the involvement of Id protein in mIg-induced growth arrest and apoptosis in WEHI-231 cells. Following stimulation with anti-IgM, expression of Id3 was up-regulated at both the mRNA and protein levels; this up-regulation could be reversed by CD40L treatment. Retrovirus-mediated transduction of the Id3 gene into WEHI-231 cells resulted in an accumulation of the cells in G1phase, but did not induce apoptosis. E box-binding activity decreased in response to anti-IgM administration, but increased after stimulation with either CD40L alone or anti-IgM plus CD40L, suggesting that E box-binding activity correlates with cell cycle progression. WEHI-231 cells overexpressing Id3 accumulated in G1phase, which was accompanied by reduced levels of cyclin D2, cyclin E, and cyclin A, and a reciprocal up-regulation of p27Kip1. Both the helix-loop-helix and the C-terminal regions of Id3 were required for growth-suppressive activity. These data suggest that Id3 mimics mIg-mediated G1arrest in WEHI-231 cells.
Nutritional Anæmia in Infancy: Some Observations on a Common Deficiency Disease
Authors: Mackay Helen M. M.
Published: July 2019

The prevalence of anæmia among London infants is shown by an investigation extending over the last three years and comprising about 770 cases with 3,100 hæmoglobin estimations. This anæmia is largely nutritional in origin and is due to a deficiency of iron, possibly associated with other factors. It is known that an infant obtains its necessary iron not only from its milk, which is poor in iron, but also from a store in the liver. Our results lead us to suppose that this store may be unduly low in many London infants. The average hæmoglobin percentage in the blood of fairly healthy artificially-fed London infants shows a sharp fall from its high level at birth to about 65 per cent, at 2 to 3 months of age, a rise to about 70 per cent, by 5 to 6 months, and then a steady fall reaching about 65 per cent, at 12 months. The continuous administration of iron, beginning when the infant is under 2 months old, raised the average hæmoglobin percentage to 80 per cent, at 4 months of age and onwards. Infants whose birth-weight is under 6 lb., twins and premature infants are specially in need of iron treatment. The selection of the iron salt is of importance, and iron and ammonium citrate proved effective. It was satisfactorily administered on a large scale by giving it incorporated in a dried milk.

No evidence was obtained that want of light is an etiological factor in anæmia in infancy, and artificial light therapy did not cure it. No vitamin deficiency appeared to be involved. The value of liver treatment is still under investigation, but the results so far obtained can be explained on the assumption that liver treatment is efficacious only because it provides a source of iron. The routine administration of an iron salt to artificially-fed infants is advocated on the ground that, by preventing the anæmia from which most of them would otherwise suffer, the level of health of our infant population would be raised.
Discussion on the Pathology and Treatment of Hæmopathies, Including Leukæmias, of Man and Animals
Authors: Bayon H. P.
Published: July 2019

The difference between hæmopathies (which originate in the blood-forming tissues) and blood-diseases (which develop in the blood-stream) is explained and illustrated by examples and specimens.

Primary anæmia caused by the hyperplasia of the erythroblastic tissues in the marrow occurs in fowls as erythromyelosis. This condition can be experimentally transmitted, though inoculation in fowls may reproduce the anæmic disease, or give rise to a persistent polyerythrocythæmia. On farms erythromyelosis is often, but not always, associated with the cestode, Davainea proglottina.

Secondary anæmia develops in splenectomized rats following the invasion of the erythrocytes by Bartonella muris. The subsequent erythrocytolysis may induce hæmoglobinuria, similar to that occurring in man and cattle as the result of certain hæmic infections.

Oligoerythrocythæmia is frequently seen in fowls associated with leucocythæmia; the deficiency of the red blood-corpuscles is due to the pressure on the erythroblastic sinusoids, by the proliferation of the myeloblastic or lymphoblastic tissues in the marrow.

Lymphocythæmia (and lymphomatosis) have been observed in canaries, fowls, mice and guinea-pigs. The conditions can be experimentally transmitted within the species; inoculation with lymphocythæmic blood may reproduce the hæmic type or induce the development of scattered tumour-like deposits (lymphomatosis). Whichever type of lesion results, the pathological cell unit is one of the lymphoblast-lymphocyte series.

Fowl leucocythæmia originates through the morbid proliferation and premature entry into the circulation of cells of the myeloblast-granulocyte series. On inoculation in fowls the original leucocythæmia may be reproduced; rarely there follows the development of localized deposits of myeloblastic cells in the skin.

As these diseases of the blood-forming system, and those occurring in man and cattle offer many striking resemblances, it may be suggested that the determination of the origin of the particular type of cell encountered should serve as guide to diagnosis and classification in all hæmopathies.
Pharmacology and Nerve-Endings
Authors: Dale Henry
Published: July 2019

A brief account is given of the scientific career of Walter Ernest Dixon, and of the importance of his work and his influence for the development of Pharmacology in England. It is suggested that the Memorial Lecture may appropriately deal with some matter of new interest, from one of the fields of research in which Dixon himself was active. Special mention is made of his work with Brodie on the physiology and pharmacology of the bronchioles and the pulmonary blood-vessels, as probably showing the beginning of Dixon's interest in the actions of the alkaloids and organic bases which reproduce the effects of autonomic nerves.

An account is given of Dixon's early interest in the suggestion, first made by Elliott, that autonomic nerves transmit their effects by releasing, at their endings, specific substances, which reproduce their actions; and of his attempt to obtain experimental support for this conception. After the War it was established by the experiments of O. Loewi; and it is now generally recognized that parasympathetic effects are so transmitted by release of acetylcholine, sympathetic effects by that of a substance related to adrenaline.

Very recent evidence indicates that acetylcholine, by virtue of its other (“nicotine-like”) action, also acts as transmitter of activity at synapses in autonomic ganglia, and from motor nerve to voluntary muscle.

The terms “cholinergic” and “adrenergic” have been introduced to describe nerve-fibres which transmit their actions by the release at their endings of acetylcholine, and of a substance related to adrenaline, respectively. It is shown that Langley and Anderson's evidence, long available, as to the kinds of peripheral efferent fibres which can replace one another in regeneration, can be summarized by the statement, that cholinergic can replace cholinergic fibres, and that adrenergic can replace adrenergic fibres; but that fibres of different chemical function cannot replace one another. The bearing of this new evidence on conceptions of the mode of action of “neuromimetic” drugs is discussed. The pharmacological problem can now be more clearly defined, and Dixon's participation in further attempts at its solution will be sadly missed.