bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictors of cerebral blood flow in patients with and without anemia
Authors: Borzage Matthew T. , Bush Adam M. , Choi Soyoung , Nederveen Aart J. , Václavů Lena , Coates Thomas D. , Wood John C.
Published: January 2016

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common cause of stroke in childhood and results primarily from a mismatch of cerebral oxygen supply and demand rather than arterial obstruction. However, resting cerebral blood flow (CBF) has not been examined in the general African American population, in whom obesity, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, and diminished cerebrovascular reserve capacity are common. To better understand the underlying physiological substrate upon which SCD is superimposed, we measured CBF in 32 young (age 28 ± 10 yr), asymptomatic African American subjects with and without sickle cell trait ( n = 14). To characterize the effects of chronic anemia, in isolation of sickle hemoglobin we also studied a cohort of 13 subjects with thalassemia major ( n = 10), dyserythropoetic anemia ( n = 1), or spherocytosis ( n = 2). Blood was analyzed for complete blood count, hemoglobin electrophoresis, cell free hemoglobin, and lactate dehydrogenase. Multivariate regression analysis showed that oxygen content was the strongest predictor of CBF ( r2 = 0.33, P < 0.001). CBF declined rapidly in the second and third decades of life, but this drop was explained by reductions in cerebral gray matter. However, age effects persisted after correction for brain composition, possibly representing microvascular impairment. CBF was independent of viscosity, hemoglobin S%, and body mass index. Hyperoxia resulted in reduced CBF by 12.6% ( P = 0.0002), and CBF changes were proportional to baseline oxygen content ( r2 = 0.16, P = 0.02). These data suggest that these hemoglobin subtypes do not alter the normal CBF regulation of the balance of oxygen supply and demand.
Hypereosinophilic Syndrome: A Case of Fatal Löffler Endocarditis
Authors: Baltazares-Lipp Mario Enrique , Soto-González Juan Ignacio , Aboitiz-Rivera Carlos Manuel , Carmona-Ruíz Héctor A. , Ortega Benito Sarabia , Blachman-Braun Ruben
Published: January 2016

Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is a rare disorder with unknown global prevalence, barely reported in Hispanic population, and characterized by persistent eosinophilia in association with organ dysfunctions directly attributable to eosinophilic infiltration. Cardiac involvement may be present in 50 to 60% of the patients. This is known as Löffler endocarditis. We present a case of a 36-year-old Hispanic man with signs of heart failure. Laboratory studies showed eosinophilia (23,100/μL). Thoracic computer tomography showed bilateral pleural effusion and a large left ventricular mass. Transthoracic echocardiography showed left ventricle apical obliteration and a restrictive pattern. Pulmonary angiography demonstrated a thrombus in the lingular and middle lobe. Despite treatment, the patient deceased seven days after admission. Autopsy confirmed the diagnosis of Löffler endocarditis.
Influence of Endothelin-1 in Aqueous Humor on Intermediate-Term Trabeculectomy Outcomes
Authors: Choritz Lars , Mahmoodi Benjamin , Thieme Hagen
Published: January 2016

Purpose. To investigate whether increased concentrations of ET-1 in aqueous humor of glaucoma patients influences surgical outcome of standard trabeculectomy with Mitomycin C.Methods. Retrospective chart review of 36 glaucoma patients with known ET-1 concentrations who had undergone trabeculectomy with Mitomycin C. Patients were divided into two groups based on their aqueous ET-1 concentration, a below-median (low ET-1) and an above-median (high ET-1) group. Postoperative IOP development, necessity of glaucoma medication, surgical success and complications, postoperative use of antifibrotics (5-FU), and number of additional glaucoma surgeries were compared between the groups.Results. Overall surgical success of trabeculectomy was comparable to published literature (90%, 81%, 76%, and 68% absolute success at 12, 24, 36, and 48 months after surgery). There was no difference between high and low ET-1 group in the postsurgical development of IOP, surgical success rate, or complication rate. There was no difference in postoperative scarring or indirect indicators thereof (e.g., number of 5-FU injections, needlings, suture lyses, or IOP lowering medications).Conclusion. In this set of patients, ET-1 in aqueous humor does not appear to have influenced surgical outcome of trabeculectomy with Mitomycin C. There is no indication of an increased likelihood of bleb fibrosis in patients with increased ET-1 concentrations.
Andrographolide Sodium Bisulfate Prevents UV-Induced Skin Photoaging through Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Inflammation
Authors: Zhan Janis Ya-Xian , Wang Xiu-Fen , Liu Yu-Hong , Zhang Zhen-Biao , Wang Lan , Chen Jian-Nan , Huang Song , Zeng Hui-Fang , Lai Xiao-Ping
Published: January 2016

Andrographolide sodium bisulfate (ASB), a water-soluble form made from andrographolide through sulfonating reaction, is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory drug; however, the antiphotoaging effect of ASB has still not been revealed. Oxidative stress and inflammation are known to be responsible for ultraviolet (UV) irradiation induced skin damage and consequently premature aging. In this study, we aimed at examining the effect of ASB on UV-induced skin photoaging of mice by physiological and histological analysis of skin and examination of skin antioxidant enzymes and immunity analyses. Results showed that topical administration of ASB suppressed the UV-induced skin thickness, elasticity, wrinkles, and water content, while ASB, especially at dose of 3.6 mg/mouse, increased the skin collagen content by about 53.17%, decreased the epidermal thickness by about 41.38%, and prevented the UV-induced disruption of collagen fibers and elastic fibers. Furthermore, ASB decreased MDA level by about 40.21% and upregulated the activities of SOD and CAT and downregulated the production of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-αin UV-irradiated mice. Our study confirmed the protective effect of ASB against UV-induced photoaging and initially indicated that this effect can be attributed to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activitiesin vivo, suggesting that ASB may be a potential antiphotoaging agent.
Evaluation of Tissue Homogenization to Support the Generation of GMP‐Compliant Mesenchymal Stromal Cells from the Umbilical Cord
Authors: Emnett Ryan J. , Kaul Aparna , Babic Aleksandar , Geiler Vicki , Regan Donna , Gross Gilad , Akel Salem
Published: January 2016

Recent studies have demonstrated that the umbilical cord (UC) is an excellent source of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). However, current protocols for extracting and culturing UC‐MSCs do not meet current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) standards, in part due to the use of xenogeneic reagents. To support the development of a cGMP‐compliant method, we have examined an enzyme‐free isolation method utilizing tissue homogenization (t‐H) followed by culture in human platelet lysate (PL) supplemented media. The yield and viability of cells after t‐H were comparable to those obtained after collagenase digestion (Col‐D). Importantly, kinetic analysis of cultured cells showed logarithmic growth over 10 tested passages, although the rate of cell division was lower for t‐H as compared to Col‐D. This slower growth of t‐H‐derived cells was also reflected in their longer population doubling time. Interestingly, there was no difference in the expression of mesenchymal markers and trilineage differentiation potential of cells generated using either method. Finally, t‐H‐derived cells had greater clonogenic potential compared to Col‐D/FBS but not Col‐D/PL and were able to maintain CFU‐F capacity through P7. This bench scale study demonstrates the possibility of generating therapeutic doses of good quality UC‐MSCs within a reasonable length of time using t‐H and PL.
Chaotic Dynamics-Based Analysis of Broadband Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvesting Enhanced by Using Nonlinearity
Authors: Chen Zhongsheng , Guo Bin , Cheng Congcong , Shi Hongwu , Yang Yongmin
Published: January 2016

Nonlinear magnetic forces are always used to enlarge resonant bandwidth of vibration energy harvesting systems with piezoelectric cantilever beams. However, how to determine properly the distance between two magnets is one of the key engineering problems. In this paper, the Melnikov theory is introduced to overcome it. Firstly, the Melnikov state-space model of the nonlinear piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting (PVEH) system is built. Based on it, chaotic dynamics mechanisms of achieving broadband PVEH by nonlinearity are exposed by potential function of the unperturbed nonlinear PVEH system. Then the corresponding Melnikov function of the nonlinear PVEH system is defined, based on which two Melnikov necessary conditions of determining the distance are obtained. Finally, numerical simulations are done to testify the theoretic results. The results demonstrate that the distance is closely related to the excitation amplitude and frequency once geometric and material parameters are fixed. Under a single-frequency excitation, the nonlinear PVEH system can generate a periodic vibration around a stable point, a large-amplitude vibration around two stable points, or a chaotic vibration. The proposed method is very valuable for optimally designing and utilizing nonlinear broadband PVEH devices in engineering applications.
Pulmonary Empty Spaces: Silicone Embolism—A Decade of Increased Incidence and Its Histological Diagnosis
Authors: Lyapichev Kirill , Chinea Felix Manuel , Poveda Julio , Pereda Jeniffer , Bejarano Pablo A. , Garcia-Buitrago Monica T.
Published: January 2016

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a critical complication related to multiple disorders and different medical or cosmetic procedures. This case report presents two patients who were admitted for respiratory symptoms in the setting of previously receiving silicone injections for cosmetic purposes and were diagnosed with silicone pulmonary embolism. The relevance of including questions about all cosmetic procedures as a part of a medical history is highlighted, in particular about silicone injections. The diagnosis is confirmed by histological means. Additionally, our review showed the change of most common sites of silicone injections and a significant increase in cosmetic procedures causing silicone embolism during the past twelve years.
Free-Floating Iris Pigmented Epithelial Cyst in the Anterior Chamber
Authors: Rotsos Tryfon , Bagikos Georgios , Christou Spyridon , Symeonidis Chrysanthos , Papadaki Thekla , Papaeuthimiou Ioannis , Miltsakakis Dimitrios
Published: January 2016

An unusual case of a free-floating peripheral pigmented cyst in the anterior chamber is presented. A 30-year-old Caucasian male presented reporting a visual defect on his right eye in prone position over the past year. Slit-lamp examination revealed a small pigmented free-floating peripheral iris cyst at the 6 o’clock position in the anterior chamber. Ultrasound biomicroscopy revealed an unfixed epithelial pigmented cyst with an extremely thin wall and no internal reflectivity. Due to the lack of severity of visual disturbance of the patient, no surgical treatment was indicated. The patient is to be followed up annually and advised to return immediately in case of pain or any visual symptoms. Free-floating iris cysts in the anterior chamber are uncommon and remain stable in the majority of cases. Management includes only regular observation until any complications arise.
Estimation of Bioactive Compound, Maslinic Acid by HPTLC, and Evaluation of Hepatoprotective Activity on Fruit Pulp of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. Cultivars in India
Authors: Rajopadhye Anagha , Upadhye Anuradha S.
Published: January 2016

Fruits of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. (family: Rhamnaceae), known as Indian jujube or “Ber,” are of potential nutritional and medicinal value. The objectives of the present study were to estimate bioactive compound maslinic acid by HPTLC method and to evaluate in vitro antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of eight cultivars of Indian jujube. Maslinic acid and the fruit pulp of various cultivars of Indian jujube, namely, Gola, Sannur, Umaran, Mehrun, and Chhuhara, exhibited significantly high antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity. HPTLC‐densitometric method was developed for quantification of maslinic acid from fruits of Indian jujube cultivars. The trend of occurrence of maslinic acid in fruits pulp extracts was as follows: Gola > Sannur > Umaran > Mehrun > Chhuhara > Wild > Kadaka > Apple. A significant correlation was shown by maslinic acid content and prevention of oxidative stress induced by CCl4 in liver slice culture cell treated with extract. Maslinic acid along with its other phytoconstituents like phenols, flavonoids, and ascorbic acid may act as a possible therapeutic agent for preventing hepatotoxicity caused by oxidative stress generated due to the prooxidants like CCl4. This is the first report of fruit pulp extracts of Z. jujube cultivars in India and maslinic acid preventing CCl4 induced damage in liver slice culture cell of mice.
Facilitation as Attenuating of Environmental Stress among Structured Microbial Populations
Authors: Silveira Martins Suzana Cláudia , Santaella Sandra Tédde , Martins Claudia Miranda , Martins Rogério Parentoni
Published: January 2016

There is currently an intense debate in microbial societies on whether evolution in complex communities is driven by competition or cooperation. Since Darwin, competition for scarce food resources has been considered the main ecological interaction shaping population dynamics and community structure both in vivo and in vitro. However, facilitation may be widespread across several animal and plant species. This could also be true in microbial strains growing under environmental stress. Pure and mixed strains ofSerratia marcescensandCandida rugosawere grown in mineral culture media containing phenol. Growth rates were estimated as the angular coefficients computed from linearized growth curves. Fitness index was estimated as the quotient between growth rates computed for lineages grown in isolation and in mixed cultures. The growth rates were significantly higher in associated cultures than in pure cultures and fitness index was greater than 1 for both microbial species showing that the interaction betweenSerratia marcescensandCandida rugosayielded more efficient phenol utilization by both lineages. This result corroborates the hypothesis that facilitation between microbial strains can increase their fitness and performance in environmental bioremediation.
Decavanadate Toxicology and Pharmacological Activities: V10 or V1, Both or None?
Authors: Aureliano M.
Published: January 2016

This review covers recent advances in the understanding of decavanadate toxicology and pharmacological applications. Toxicological in vivo studies point out that V10 induces several changes in several oxidative stress parameters, different from the ones observed for vanadate (V1). In in vitro studies with mitochondria, a particularly potent V10 effect, in comparison with V1, was observed in the mitochondrial depolarization (IC50 = 40 nM) and oxygen consumption (99 nM). It is suggested that mitochondrial membrane depolarization is a key event in decavanadate induction of necrotic cardiomyocytes death. Furthermore, only decavanadate species and not V1 potently inhibited myosin ATPase activity stimulated by actin (IC50 = 0.75 μM) whereas exhibiting lower inhibition activities for Ca2+‐ATPase activity (15 μM) and actin polymerization (17 μM). Because both calcium pump and actin decavanadate interactions lead to its stabilization, it is likely that V10 interacts at specific locations with these proteins that protect against hydrolysis but, on the other hand, it may induce V10 reduction to oxidovanadium(IV). Putting it all together, it is suggested that the pharmacological applications of V10 species and compounds whose mechanism of action is still to be clarified might involve besides V10 and V1 also vanadium(IV) species.
Retrievable Inferior Vena Cava Filters in Patients with Cancer: Complications and Retrieval Success Rate
Authors: Casanegra Ana I. , Landrum Lisa M. , Tafur Alfonso J.
Published: January 2016

Active cancer (ACa) is strongly associated with venous thromboembolism and bleeding. Retrievable inferior vena cava filters (RIVCF) are frequently placed in these patients when anticoagulation cannot be continued.Objectives. To describe the complications and retrieval rate of inferior vena cava filters in patients with ACa.Methods. Retrospective review of 251 consecutive patients with RIVCF in a single institution.Results. We included 251 patients with RIVCF with a mean age of 58.1 years and a median follow-up of 5.4 months (164 days, IQR: 34–385). Of these patients 32% had ACa. There were no differences in recurrence rate of DVT between patients with ACa and those without ACa (13% versus 17%,p= ns). Also, there were no differences in major filter complications (11% ACa versus 7% no ACa,p= ns). The filter retrieval was not different between groups (log-rank = 0.16). Retrieval rate at 6 months was 49% in ACa patients versus 64% in patients without ACa (p= ns). Filter retrieval was less frequent in ACa patients with metastatic disease (p< 0.01) or a nonsurgical indication for filter placement (p= 0.04).Conclusions. No differences were noted in retrieval rate, recurrent DVT, or filter complications between the two groups. ACa should not preclude the use of RIVCF.
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Arising inCALRMutated Essential Thrombocythemia
Authors: Langabeer Stephen E. , Haslam Karl , O’Brien David , Kelly Johanna , Andrews Claire , Ryan Ciara , Flavin Richard , Hayden Patrick J. , Bacon Christopher L.
Published: January 2016

The development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in an existing myeloproliferative neoplasm is rare with historical cases unable to differentiate between concomitant malignancies or leukemic transformation. Molecular studies of coexistingJAK2V617F-positive myeloproliferative neoplasms and mature B cell malignancies indicate distinct disease entities arising in myeloid and lymphoid committed hematopoietic progenitor cells, respectively. Mutations ofCALRin essential thrombocythemia appear to be associated with a distinct phenotype and a lower risk of thrombosis yet their impact on disease progression is less well defined. The as yet undescribed scenario of pro-B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia arising inCALRmutated essential thrombocythemia is presented. Intensive treatment for the leukemia allowed for expansion of the originalCALRmutated clone. WhetherCALRmutations in myeloproliferative neoplasms predispose to the acquisition of additional malignancies, particularly lymphoproliferative disorders, is not yet known.
Noise Exposure and Hearing Capabilities of Quarry Workers in Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Gyamfi Charles Kwame R. , Amankwaa Isaac , Owusu Sekyere Frank , Boateng Daniel
Published: January 2016

Introduction.Although quarry operations have high economic significance, the effects they cause to the workers in terms of excessive noise production cannot be overlooked. This cross-sectional study assessed the extent of noise exposure and its influence on hearing capabilities among quarry workers in Ashanti region.Methods. The study involved 400 workers randomly selected from five quarries in Ashanti region from April to June 2012. Data was collected using structured questionnaires, physical examination, and audiological assessments. A logistic regression model was fitted to assess independent predictors of hearing loss.Results. All the machines used at the various quarries produced noise that exceeded the minimum threshold with levels ranging from 85.5 dBA to 102.7 dBA. 176 (44%) of study respondents had hearing threshold higher than 25 dBA. 18% and 2% of these were moderately (41–55 dBA) and severely (71–90 dBA) impaired, respectively. Age, duration of work, and use of earplugs independently predicted the development of hearing loss. Use of earplugs showed a protective effect on the development of hearing loss (OR = 0.45; 95% CI = 0.25, 0.84).Conclusion.This study provides empirical evidence on the extent of damage caused to quarry workers as a result of excessive noise exposure. This will support the institution of appropriate protective measures to minimize this threat.
Pure Laparoscopic Left Hemihepatectomy for Hepatic Peribiliary Cysts with Biliary Intraepithelial Neoplasia
Authors: Umemura Akira , Suto Takayuki , Sasaki Akira , Nitta Hiroyuki , Nakamura Seika , Endo Fumitaka , Harada Kazuho , Ishida Kazuyuki
Published: January 2016

Introduction. Hepatic peribiliary cysts (HPCs) usually originate due to the cystic dilatation of the intrahepatic extramural peribiliary glands. We describe our rare experience of pure laparoscopic left hemihepatectomy (PLLH) in a patient with HPCs accompanied by a component of biliary intraepithelial neoplasia (BilIN).Case Presentation. A 65-year-old man was referred for further investigation of mild hepatic dysfunction. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed dilatation of the left-sided intrahepatic bile duct, and biliary cytology showed class III cells. The patient was highly suspected of having left side-dominated cholangiocarcinoma and underwent PLLH. Microscopic findings revealed multiple cystic dilatations of the extramural peribiliary glands; hence, this lesion was diagnosed as HPCs. The resected intrahepatic bile duct showed that the normal ductal lumen comprised low columnar epithelia; however, front formation on the BilIN was observed in some parts of the intrahepatic bile duct, indicating that the BilIN coexisted with HPCs.Conclusion.We chose surgical therapy for this patient owing to the presence of some features of biliary malignancy. We employed noble PLLH as a minimally invasive procedure for this patient.
A SIW Antipodal Vivaldi Array Antenna Design
Authors: Suo Ying , Li Wei , Chen Jianzhong
Published: January 2016

A kind of compact SIW (substrate integrated waveguide) Vivaldi array antenna is proposed and analyzed. The antenna consisted of 4 Vivaldi structure radiation elements fed by an equal power divider with SIW technology. The radiation element is composed of antipodal index gradient microstrip lines on both sides of the substrate. The measured reflection coefficient of the array antenna is less than −10 dB from 8.88 GHz to 10.02 GHz. The measured gain of the array antenna is 13.3 dB on 9.5 GHz.
The Infrapatellar Adipose Body: A Histotopographic Study
Authors: Macchi Veronica , Porzionato Andrea , Sarasin Gloria , Petrelli Lucia , Guidolin Diego , Rossato Marco , Fontanella Chiara Giulia , Natali Arturo , De Caro Raffaele
Published: January 2016

The infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) can be regarded as a peculiar form of fibro-adipose tissue localized close to the synovial membrane and articular cartilage. The aims of the present study were to analyze the microscopic anatomy of the IFP through histological and ultrastructural methods, comparing it with that of the subcutaneous tissue of the abdomen and of the knee. Ten specimens of IFP were sampled from bodies of the Donation Program of the University of Padua without a history of osteoarthritis. The IFP consisted of white adipose tissue, of lobular type, with lobules delimited by thin connective septa. The IFP lobule areas were smaller (p < 0.05) and the interlobular septa were thicker (p > 0.05) than those of subcutaneous tissues of the abdomen, whereas the IFP lobule areas were larger (p < 0.05) and the interlobular septa were thinner than those of the subcutaneous tissue of the knee (p < 0.05). The IFP adipocytes present a mean area of 3,708 ± 976 µm2 with a large intercellular space, whereas the mean area of the abdominal tissues was greater (6,082 ± 628 µm2; p < 0.05). At scanning electron microscopy the IFP adipocytes were covered by thick fibrillary sheaths, creating a basket around the adipocytes. The structural characteristics of the IFP (lobular aspect of the adipose tissue, thickness of the septa with scarce elastic fibers) could act as a plastic portion aimed at the absorption of pressure variation during knee articular activity. The extensive distribution of nerves suggests a possible role of the IFP as a mechanoreceptor, corresponding to a tridimensional connective mesh working in the proprioceptive regulation of the activity of the knee joint.
Combined Use of Malaria Antigen and Antibody Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Blood Screening of Plasmodium vivax in the Republic of Korea
Authors: Kim Jeeyong , Jang Jin Woo , Kim Ju Yeon , Oh Deok Ja , Lim Chae Seung
Published: January 2016

Objective: To evaluate the clinical sensitivity and specificity of the newly developed Genedia malaria antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test and to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the combined use of the Genedia malaria antigen and antibody ELISA tests to detect Plasmodium vivax in blood samples. Materials and Methods: In all, 1,070 samples were analyzed: 300 P. vivax-infected patients, 41 samples from posttreatment patients upon follow-up and 729 healthy volunteers. The Genedia malaria antigen ELISA test and the Genedia malaria antibody ELISA 2.0 test were evaluated and compared to polymerase chain reaction and microscopy. Results: The Genedia malaria antigen ELISA test had a clinical sensitivity of 94.7% (284/300) and a clinical specificity of 99.3% (724/729). The Genedia malaria antibody ELISA 2.0 test had a clinical sensitivity of 94.0% (282/300) and a clinical specificity of 98.4% (717/729). The Genedia malaria antigen ELISA test was able to detect 13 confirmed P. vivax cases without antibodies against P. vivax, whereas the Genedia malaria antibody ELISA 2.0 test detected 11 confirmed P. vivax cases nonreactive to the Genedia malaria antigen ELISA test, and 25 cases from 41 follow-up samples nonreactive in the Genedia malaria antigen ELISA test. The combined Genedia malaria antigen and antibody ELISA 2.0 tests had a clinical sensitivity of 98.3% (295/300) and a clinical specificity of 97.9% (714/729). Conclusion: The combination of antigen and antibody ELISAs improved the diagnostic sensitivity in P. vivax-confirmed cases in the Republic of Korea.
Influence of platelet reactivity on BARC classification in East Asian patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Kwon Tae Jung , Tantry Udaya S. , Park Yongwhi , Choi Young-Min , Ahn Jong-Hwa , Kim Kye Hwan , Koh Jin-Sin , Park Jeong-Rang , Hwang Seok-Jae , Kwak Choong Hwan , Hwang Jin-Yong , Gurbel Paul A. , Smith Sidney C. , Jeong Young-Hoon
Published: January 2016

An increasing body of data suggests that East Asian patients have differing risk profiles for both thrombophilia and bleeding compared with Western population. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship of bleeding to platelet function in East Asians undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Patients who had undergone uneventful PCI (n= 301) were prospectively enrolled and bleeding events were evaluated during dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and clopidogrel. Platelet function was measured during hospitalisation and at 30-day follow-up by light transmittance aggregometry (LTA) and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein phosphorylation (VASP-P) assay. During 30-day follow-up, 29.2 % of patients (n=88) experienced post-discharge Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) complications (24.6 % and 7.0 % of BARC type 1 and 2, respectively). Patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction had fewer episodes of type 1 BARC bleeding (odds ratio: 0.41; 95 % confidence interval: 0.22 to 0.76; p= 0.005). The cut-off of low platelet reactivity (LPR) (20 μM ADP-induced platelet aggregation ≤ 46.1 %; platelet reactivity index ≤ 45.1 %) was the independent determinant of type 2 BARC bleeding (odds ratio: 3.55 and 4.44; p= 0.009 and 0.002, respectively). The first 30-day BARC bleeding episodes were associated with an increased rate of subsequent premature DAPT discontinuation during one-year follow-up (4.7 % vs 11.4 %; odds ratio: 2.60; 95 % confidence interval: 1.04 to 6.50; p= 0.035). In conclusion, among East Asians, mild bleeding episodes are common early after PCI and are associated with premature DAPT discontinuation. Type 2 BARC bleeding episodes are associated with LPR cut-offs measured at 30 days post-discharge.
Platelet inhibition with prasugrel in patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing therapeutic hypothermia after cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Authors: Flierl Ulrike , Röntgen Philipp , Florian Zauner , Jörn Tongers , Dominik Berliner , Johann Bauersachs , Andreas Schäfer
Published: January 2016

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the leading cause for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Therapeutic hypothermia improves neurological outcome in combination with early revascularisation, but seems to affect clopidogrel responsiveness. The more potent thienopyridine prasugrel has not yet been sufficiently evaluated during therapeutic hypothermia. We investigated 23 consecutive AMI patients (61 ± 11 years) following out-of-hospital resuscitation undergoing revascularisation and therapeutic hypothermia. Prasugrel efficacy was assessed by the platelet-reactivity-index (PRI) before and 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours(h) following a loading dose of 60 mg via a gastric tube. Mean PRI (±SD) was 70 ± 12 % prior to loading and 60 ± 16 % (2 h, ns), 52 ± 21 % (4 h, p< 0.01), 42 ± 26 % (6 h, p< 0.01), 37 ± 21 % (12 h, p< 0.01), 27 ± 23 % (24 h, p< 0.01), 18 ± 14 % (48 h, p< 0.01), and 13 ± 10 % (72 h, p< 0.01) after loading. Sufficient platelet inhibition occurred later compared to stable AMI patients (6 h vs 2 h); however, high on-treatment platelet reactivity significantly decreased over time and was non-existent after 72 h (PRI> 50 %: 2 h: 72 %, 4 h: 52 %, 6 h: 43 %, 12 h: 29 %, 24 h: 17 %, 48 h: 5 %, 72 h: 0 %). There was no relation between 30-day mortality rate (26 %) and PRI values. Prasugrel significantly reduced platelet reactivity even during vasopressor use, analgosedation and therapeutic hypothermia. Despite a significant delay compared to stable AMI patients, sufficient platelet inhibition was reached in 83 % of patients within 24 h. Therefore, prasugrel administration via gastric tube might be a useful therapeutic strategy in these patients at high risk, providing potent and effective P2Y12 inhibition.
Climate System Responses to a Common Emission Budget of Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Tian Di , Dong Wenjie , Yan Xiaodong , Chou Jieming , Yang Shili , Wei Ting , Zhang Han , Guo Yan , Wen Xiaohang , Yang Zhiyong
Published: January 2016

Global warming as quantified by surface air temperature has been shown to be approximately linearly related to cumulative emissions of CO2. Here, a coupled state-of-the-art Earth system model with an interactive carbon cycle (BNU-ESM) was used to investigate whether this proportionality extends to the complex Earth system model and to examine the climate system responses to different emission pathways with a common emission budget of man-made CO2. These new simulations show that, relative to the lower emissions earlier and higher emissions later (LH) scenario, the amount of carbon sequestration by the land and the ocean will be larger and Earth will experience earlier warming of climate under the higher emissions earlier and lower emissions later (HL) scenario. The processes within the atmosphere, land, and cryosphere, which are highly sensitive to climate, show a relatively linear relationship to cumulative CO2 emissions and will attain similar states under both scenarios, mainly because of the negative feedback between the radiative forcing and ocean heat uptake. However, the processes with larger internal inertias depend on both the CO2 emissions scenarios and the emission budget, such as ocean warming and sea level rise.
60th Anniversary Essay
Authors: Starbuck William H.
Published: January 2016

This essay proposes ways to improve editorial evaluations of manuscripts and to make published research more reliable and trustworthy. It points to troublesome properties of current editorial practices and suggests that editorial evaluations could become more reliable by making more allowance for reviewers’ human limitations. The essay also identifies some troublesome properties of prevalent methodology, such as statistical significance tests, HARKing, and p-Hacking, and proposes editorial policies to mitigate these detrimental behaviors.
Writing the Adivasi: Some historiographical notes
Authors: Banerjee Prathama
Published: January 2016

This essay explores the possibility of a new field of research called adivasi/tribal studies. It reflects on how adivasi history and adivasi subjectivity have evolved both in the domain of disciplinary knowledges and in India’s national and regional politics. Time and again referring to our experience of how dalit studies have come about in India, and with gender studies somewhere in the background, the essay argues that in order to carve out a field of adivasi studies, we must revisit histories of political and literary representation, political and cultural autonomy, vernacular languages and indeed religion and conversion. At the same time, we need to rethink land, territory and ecology together.
City of go(l)d: Spatial and cultural effects of high-status Jewish immigration from Western countries on the Baka neighbourhood of Jerusalem
Authors: Zaban Hila
Published: January 2016

Immigration to Israel by Jews from western countries has been growing over recent years. Jerusalem attracts more of these mainly religious immigrants than any other city in Israel. They are a desired population by the State of Israel, and for many reasons can be considered privileged immigrants. The way Diaspora Jews imagine Israel and Jerusalem plays a crucial role in their decision to move there. Many of these lifestyle/homecoming immigrants find their way to Baka, where they can live near other expatriates and enjoy the comforts of the ethnic enclave. The paper deals with the spatial and cultural implications that privileged lifestyle migration has on the space in which it settles. It focuses particularly on the case-study of English- and French-speaking Jewish immigrants who live in Baka and on their effects on the neighbourhood’s gentrification process, its real estate market and issues of consumerism and belonging.
Governing youth as an aesthetic and spatial practice
Authors: Crath Rory
Published: January 2016

The Graffiti Transformation Project was a City of Toronto, Canada sponsored programme funding ‘marginalised youth’ to paint over graffitied walls with public murals. I argue the imperatives driving the project extended beyond the reaches of policy concentrated on youth remediation, to include concerns of urban governance as a spatial and aesthetic problematic. I explore the manner in which practices of graffiti eradication and community mural making generated a set of calculations that were informed by globally mobile aesthetic norms and were, in turn, aesthetically informing. These calculations were used as an epistemological baseline for assessing, at least at the level of appearance, a host of urban problematics including Toronto’s desire to position itself globally as a functioning multicultural city. Turning to Jacques Ranciere’s thoughts about the space of political aesthetics, I draw on an ethnographic example to tease out a moment of aesthetic engagement in which youth artists interrupted the codes and practices associated with creative city entrepreneurialism to render another configuration of politics, another way of being social. Implications for broadening the scope of urban youth policy scholarship to include analysis of an aesthetic turn are considered.
Prevalence of hypothyroidism in rheumatoid arthritis and its correlation with disease activity
Authors: Joshi Prakash , Agarwal Abhishek , Vyas Sony , Kumar Ravindra
Published: January 2016

Objectives

To analyse the prevalence of hypothyroidism in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to elucidate its correlation with disease activity.

Methods

A total of 52 RA patients were enrolled in this study. All patients were assessed fully clinically and underwent routine laboratory investigation including thyroid function testing.

Results

Hypothyroidism (defined as having a TSH level >4.20 μIU/mL) was observed in 20/52 (38.4%). Erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESR) were found significantly elevated in patients with hypothyroidism compared to those without (36.3 ± 24.2 vs. 24.6 ± 9.0 mm/h). Disease activity parameters such as DAS-28-ESR, tender joint count; VAS scores were also significantly higher in the former. A significant correlation with serum TSH levels was observed with ESR and DAS-28-ESR.

Conclusion

Thyroid function test should be included in clinical evaluation of RA patients.
Institutional Entrepreneurs and Social Innovation in Danish Senior Care
Authors: Jensen Per H. , Fersch Barbara
Published: January 2016

This article discusses the social, political, and administrative dynamics behind shifting welfare policies and social innovations in the senior care provided by Danish municipalities. The main argument is that institutional entrepreneurs are key agents of change and that institutional entrepreneurship is rooted in exogenous (e.g., scarce resources) and endogenous (e.g., cognition) factors. The article shows how exogenous factors challenge existing practices or necessitate change, while new ideas among institutional entrepreneurs in politics and administration give direction to institutional change.
The Use of Greek in Early Roman Galilee: The Inscriptional Evidence Re-examined
Authors: Charlesworth Scott D.
Published: January 2016

Based on numbers alone, Greek had as much currency in first- as it did in second- and third-century Galilee. But measuring the use of Greek by calculating the number of inscriptions in each century is flawed methodology. This is because the inscriptional evidence is patchy and unrepresentative (as the very few inscriptions in Aramaic/Hebrew demonstrate). Scholars must first understand the various kinds of ancient bilingualism, then look for indications of these, including (written) Greek literacy. Literary and other evidence, especially factors that might encourage bilingualism, such as the influence of the administrative cities of Sepphoris and Tiberias and the surrounding Hellenistic cities, the state of the Galilean economy, and rural-urban dynamics, can then help to fill in the gaps. On the basis of all of the extant evidence, knowledge of Greek was probably quite common, with most people picking it up by force of circumstance rather than through formal instruction.
What to Expect when you’re Expecting: Maternity, Salvation History, and the ‘Apocalyptic Paul’
Authors: Davies J.P.
Published: January 2016

This article argues, on the basis of Jewish and Christian apocalypses, that ‘apocalyptic’ in Paul should not be understood as antithetical to ‘salvation history’. It focuses on one of Paul’s key metaphors, childbirth, which has been identified as an image intrinsically connected to Paul’s ‘apocalyptic’ eschatology. It will first offer a brief survey of the way the image of childbirth has been deployed in recent ‘apocalyptic’ interpretations of Paul (notably in the work of Beverly Gaventa) in support of a ‘punctiliar-invasive’ theology of history over against a ‘linear-progressive’ view. It will then examine some of the evidence from the apocalyptic literature where childbirth is used as an eschatological metaphor, particularly in the book of Revelation. It will argue that an understanding of the logic of this metaphor in Second Temple Jewish and early Christian apocalyptic thought raises questions about the eschatological dichotomy at the heart of the contemporary ‘apocalyptic Paul’ movement.
Christology, Eschatology and the Politics of Time in 1 Peter
Authors: Horrell David G. , Wan Wei Hsien
Published: January 2016

Taking a point of departure from Andrew Chester’s linking of messianism and eschatology, this article explores the Christology of 1 Peter as presented in 1.18-19, 2.21-25 and 3.18-22, linking this with 1 Peter’s eschatology. This is then analysed as a construal of time, a feature of social life to which recent social theory has given new attention. Like other examples in different times and places, the restructuring of the calendar in Asia to begin the new year with Augustus’s birthday is a politically significant act which structures the rhythms of human life according to the cardinal points of Roman imperial domination. The first letter of Peter’s eschatological Christology may thus be seen as a form of significant political challenge which structures its readers’ lives according to a different time. Assessing the significance of the letter’s construction of time offers a new way to consider its political stance vis-à-vis the Roman Empire.
Heidegger, McLuhan and Schumacher on Form and Its Aliens
Authors: Harman Graham
Published: January 2016

This article uses the ideas of Marshall McLuhan (and to a lesser extent Martin Heidegger) to argue for a non-relational approach to architecture. The word ‘form’ is used throughout the arts and humanities, though in different ways depending on the term to which it is opposed: as in form vs. function, form vs. content, and form vs. matter. In his book The Autopoiesis of Architecture, Patrik Schumacher argues that form/function is the lead-distinction of the architectural profession. I hold that Schumacher cannot be right in this claim, since form and function are both too relational in character to form a true opposition.
The mutual construction of urban retrofit and scale: Governing ON, IN and WITH in Greater Manchester
Authors: Hodson Mike , Marvin Simon
Published: January 2016

In this article, we focus on the mutually interrelated processes of constructing urban retrofit and the city-region as a scale for action. Urban retrofitting – the systematic reconfiguration of socio-technologies of energy in the existing built environment and infrastructure – is critical to the achievement of ambitious carbon reduction targets. To realise the ecological and economic benefits of retrofit cities are continually searching for a ‘fix’ that allows them to upscale retrofit from a largely ad hoc and piecemeal activity of repair and maintenance into strategic and systemic retrofit programmes that transform existing cities. This article is primarily concerned with understanding the politics and purpose of such experimentation and analyses efforts to integrate retrofit and governing in Greater Manchester. To do this, the article draws on a programme of interviews with national, city-regional, local authority and neighbourhood scale actors, documentary analysis and observations. We address on who is constructing retrofit responses in Greater Manchester and also why they are being constructed: Is it to transform the city-region and, if so, in what ways? And ask, in what ways are governance frameworks mediating and interpreting wider sets of global pressures at city-regional scale and which of these – economic, ecological, governing, social justice, etc. – pressures are more and less prioritised? We set out dominant city-regional responses (ON), alternative responses (IN) and assess the possibilities for integrated responses (WITH).
Lively commodities and encounter value
Authors: Barua Maan
Published: January 2016

Rendering nonhuman life for sale is a fundamental facet of contemporary capitalism. Political economy extensively examines how nature is commodified but fails to analyse the difference liveliness of animals makes to processes of commodification. Drawing upon empirical work on lions and elephants in the political economies of tourism and biodiversity conservation in India, this paper proposes analytics for understanding commodification and accumulation in relational and less humanist terms. First, it develops Haraway’s concepts of ‘lively commodities’ and ‘encounter value’, foregrounding animal ecologies to rework political economic categories of the commodity, labour and production in more-than-human terms. Second, it examines how lively commodities and encounter value configure political economies, mapping their specificities and economic potential. The paper advances potential diagnostics and vocabularies through which ecology and non-dualist accounts of agency might be integrated into the nature-as-resources approach of political economy.
The Spinal Ependymal Layer in Health and Disease
Authors: Moore S. A.
Published: January 2016

Ependymal cells are epithelial support cells that line the central canal and ventricular cavities of the central nervous system, providing the interface between the cerebrospinal fluid and the parenchyma of the brain and spinal cord. The spinal ependymal layer (SEL) is composed of 3 main cell types: tanycytes, ependymocytes, and cerebrospinal fluid–contacting neurons. A fourth cell type, termed the supraependymal cell, is also occasionally described. Cells of the SEL show restricted proliferative capacity in health but display neural stem cell properties both in vitro and in vivo in various disease states. A growing body of literature is devoted to the regenerative roles of the SEL, particularly in the context of spinal cord injury, where mechanical damage to the spinal cord leads to a significant increase in SEL proliferation. SEL-derived cell progeny migrate to sites of injury within the injured spinal cord parenchyma and contribute primarily to glial scar formation. In additional to their role as endogenous neural stem cells, cells of the SEL may be an important source of cytokines and other cell signaling molecules, such as tumor necrosis factor, heat shock proteins, and various growth factors. The SEL has become of recent interest to neuroscience researchers because of its potential to participate in and respond to diseases affecting the spinal cord (eg, traumatic spinal cord injury) and neurodegenerative disease. The intimate association of the SEL with the cerebrospinal fluid makes intrathecal therapies a viable option, and recent studies highlight the potential promise of treatments that augment SEL responses to disease.
The fault ride through technologies for doubly fed induction generator wind turbines
Authors: Ling Yu
Published: January 2016

The penetration of large-scale wind power generators to the grid has resulted in an increasing focus on the study on their fault ride through issue that is becoming imminent. The doubly fed induction generator-based wind turbine is still one of the most frequently adopted wind generation units in the market of the installed wind power worldwide due to its good behavior during normal grid conditions. However, due to the sensitivity of doubly fed induction generator to power disturbances, especially to voltage sags, the transient characteristic improvement of doubly fed induction generator during fault, thus meeting the fault ride through requirements, has become a problem of particular interest to wind turbine manufacturers. So, in this article, a comprehensive comparative study on the fault ride through techniques for doubly fed induction generator wind turbine is provided based to three broad subcategories: control algorithms, additional hardware circuit, and combined approaches. Furthermore, a discussion on the different characteristics of the fault ride through capability of these methods has been made, and a case study has been carried out to show the performance of different schemes. Finally, the article suggests a likely future outlook for the fault ride through technique for doubly fed induction generator wind turbines.
An improved wind power forecasting model based on eliminating outliers
Authors: Guo Jingxin , Zhang Xiao-Yu , Jang Wenling , Wang Hongqing
Published: January 2016

In this paper, we develop an improved outlier pointwise elimination rule based on the wind-power observation data and prove that when the stopping-parameter is [Formula: see text], the abnormal data can be eliminated maximally, where [Formula: see text] is the confidence level and m is the number of observation data. Then, by integrating the exponential smoothing method with the time series and the Kalman filter, we obtain an improved wind-power short-term forecasting model which has a high accuracy. Finally, a wind-power numerical experiment shows the simulation results and illustrates the effectiveness of our method.