bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examining the Institutional Features Influencing Sexual Assault at Small Colleges and Universities*
Authors: Cameron Kolby , Wollschleger Jason
Published: April 2019

This article explores the relationships between institutional features of small college and university campuses and the levels of reported sexual assault. Using the mandated reporting of crime on campus through the Clery Act, we look at the combined levels of reported sexual assault for the years 2012 and 2013 at the main campuses of all accredited non‐profit, four‐year, residential, undergraduate colleges and universities in the United States that have a student body size of 2,000–2,999 students, N = 198. We find that the presence of a Greek life system, alcohol policy, religious affiliation, and the proportion of male students all influence the levels of reported sexual assault at colleges and universities, with alcohol policy being the strongest influence.
Applying discursive psychology to ‘fact’ construction in political discourse
Authors: Burke Shani , Demasi Mirko A.
Published: April 2019

In this paper, we show how discursive psychology can be used to show how ‘facts’ are used rhetorically by politicians. That is, they are more than neutral reflections of an objective reality—these ‘facts’ are highly attuned to the local context of political argumentation. We draw upon examples from two studies that used discursive psychology to analyse two different political contexts: (1) Islamophobia in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attack and (2) debates over Great Britain and the European Union. In both contexts, the analysis uncovers how politicians challenge both the context and the relevance of a fact. The context of ‘facts’ is reconstructed to undermine their original argumentative strength, whereas questioning the relevance of a ‘fact’ undermines it both as fact and as a rhetorical tool to be used in a debate. These findings show how discursive psychology can contribute to knowledge about political communication, as well as the benefits of applying discursive psychology to political discourse.
Polarization of Climate Change Beliefs: The Role of the Millennial Generation Identity
Authors: Ross Ashley D. , Rouse Stella M. , Mobley William
Published: April 2019

Objective

This article explores how the Millennial Generation identity—the shared values and experiences of young adults (born between 1980 and 1997)—affects political polarization of climate change belief, specifically how it mediates the relationship between party affiliation and educational attainment.

Method

To test this, an interaction between Millennial*Republican*education is estimated, using data from an original national survey administered in 2015.

Results

Millennials are more likely to believe in the evidence of climate change and its anthropogenic causes than older adults of their same party affiliation. Unlike older adults, the most educated Millennials are not the most likely to adhere to political party stance; rather, it is among the least educated Millennials that party sorting is most evident.

Conclusion

The Millennial Generation identity is meaningful for understanding political attitudes. Important distinctions exist between Millennials and older adults in the evaluation of climate change opinion and related policies.
Extended State Observer Based Robust Friction Compensation for Tracking Control of an Omnidirectional Mobile Robot
Authors: Ren Chao , Ding Yutong , Li Xiaohan , Zhu Xinshan , Ma Shugen
Published: April 2019

This paper presents an extended state observer (ESO) based robust friction compensation scheme for trajectory tracking control of a three-wheeled omnidirectional mobile robot. The proposed approach is practical in implementation, with no friction model required and only three parameters to be tuned. First, a dynamic model with unknown friction forces is given for the robot. Then, the controller is designed, consisting of two parts. One part of the control effort is to compensate the friction effects, which are estimated by ESO without using any friction model. The other part of the control effort is designed based on traditional resolved acceleration control to achieve the trajectory tracking goals. In addition, stability analysis of the designed control system is presented. Extensive simulations and experiments are conducted to validate the proposed control system design in compensating different friction forces.
On the High-Temperature Free Vibration Analysis of Elastically Supported Functionally Graded Material Plates Under Mechanical In-PlaneForce Via GDQR
Authors: Lal Roshan , Saini Rahul
Published: April 2019

In this article, the effect of Pasternak foundation on free axisymmetric vibration of functionally graded circular plates subjected to mechanical in-plane force and a nonlinear temperature distribution (NTD) along the thickness direction has been investigated on the basis of classical plate theory. The plate material is graded in thickness direction according to a power-law distribution and its mechanical properties are assumed to be temperature-dependent (TD). At first, the equation for thermo-elastic equilibrium and then equation of motion for such a plate model have been derived by Hamilton's principle. Employing generalized differential quadrature rule (GDQR), the numerical values of thermal displacements and frequencies for clamped and simply supported plates vibrating in the first three modes have been computed. Values of in-plane force parameter for which the plate ceases to vibrate have been reported as critical buckling loads. The effect of temperature difference, material graded index, in-plane force, and foundation parameters on the frequencies has been analyzed. The benchmark results for uniform and linear temperature distributions (LTDs) have been computed. A study for plates made with the material having temperature-independent (TI) mechanical properties has also been performed as a special case. Comparison of results with the published work has been presented.
Experimental and Simulated Studies of Oil/Water Fully Dispersed Flow in a Horizontal Pipe
Authors: Santos D. S. , Faia P. M. , Garcia F. A. P. , Rasteiro M. G.
Published: April 2019

The flow of oil/water mixtures in a pipe can occur under different flow patterns. Additionally, being able to predict adequately pressure drop in such systems is of relevant importance to adequately design the conveying system. In this work, an experimental and numerical study of the fully dispersed flow regime of an oil/water mixture (liquid paraffin and water) in a horizontal pipe, with concentrations of the oil of 0.01, 0.13, and 0.22 v/v were developed. Experimentally, the values of pressure drop, flow photographs, and radial volumetric concentrations of the oil in the vertical diameter of the pipe cross section were collected. In addition, normalized conductivity values were obtained, in this case, for a cross section of the pipe where an electrical impedance tomography (EIT) ring was installed. Numerical studies were carried out in the comsolmultiphysics platform, using the Euler–Euler approach, coupled with the k–ε turbulence model. In the simulations, two equations for the calculation of the drag coefficient, Schiller–Neumann and Haider–Levenspiel, and three equations for mixture viscosity, Guth and Simba (1936), Brinkman (1952), and Pal (2000), were studied. The simulated data were validated with the experimental results of the pressure drop, good results having been obtained. The best fit occurred for the simulations that used the Schiller–Neumann equation for the calculation of the drag coefficient and the Pal (2000) equation for the mixture viscosity.
A Fast Method to Predict the Cavitation Volume on Two-Dimensional Sections
Authors: Zeng Zhibo , Kuiper Gert
Published: April 2019

The paper presents a simplified prediction method to estimate cavitation-induced pressure fluctuations by marine propellers in a nonuniform wake field. It is realized by a very fast calculation of the cavitation volume variation. The sheet cavitation volume is represented by the cavitation area in a two-dimensional section, which is the vapor area inside the cavity contour. The variation of the cavitation area on a two-dimensional blade section has been simplified to a relation in quasi-steady condition with only a limited number of nondimensional parameters. This results in a fast method to predict the cavitation area of a blade section passing a wake peak, using a precalculated database. Application of this method to the prediction of cavitation-induced pressure fluctuations shows to be effective. This makes optimization of propeller sections for minimum cavitation-induced pressure fluctuations feasible.
Elastography findings of encapsulated solid papillary carcinoma of breast in a man
Authors: Başara Akın Işıl , Özgül Hakan Abdullah , Gürel Duygu , Aksoy Süleyman Özkan , Balcı Pınar
Published: April 2019

Encapsulated solid papillary carcinoma (ESPC) is one of the malignant papillary lesions and classified it as ductal carcinoma in situ. Radiologic features of ESPC have been reported in the literature many times. However, to our best knowledge US elastography findings of ESPC have not been reported in the published literature yet. In this case report, we present US elastography findings of ESPC.
Enterovirus A71 Containing Codon-Deoptimized VP1 and High-Fidelity Polymerase as Next-Generation Vaccine Candidate
Authors: Tsai Yi-Hsuan , Huang Sheng-Wen , Hsieh Wen-Sheng , Cheng Cheng-Kai , Chang Chuan-Fa , Wang Ya-Fang , Wang Jen-Ren
Published: April 2019

EV-A71 can cause severe neurological diseases with fatality in infants and young children, but there are still no effective drugs to date. Here, we developed a novel vaccine strategy with the combination of CD and HF substitutions to generate the genetically stable reverse genetics virus. We found that CD combined with HF polymerase decreased the virulence but maintained the antigenicity of the virus. This work demonstrated the simultaneous introduction of CD genome sequences and HF substitutions as a potential new strategy to develop attenuated vaccine seed virus. Our work provides insight into the development of a low-virulence candidate vaccine virus through a series of genetic editing of virus sequences while maintaining its antigenicity and genome stability, which will provide an additional strategy for next-generation vaccine development of EV-A71.
Correct Sorting of Lipoproteins into the Inner and Outer Membranes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by the Escherichia coli LolCDE Transport System
Authors: Lorenz Christian , Dougherty Thomas J. , Lory Stephen
Published: April 2019

Gram-negative bacteria build their outer membranes (OM) from components that are initially located in the inner membrane (IM). A fraction of lipoproteins is transferred to the OM by the transport machinery consisting of LolABCDE proteins. Our work demonstrates that the LolCDE complexes of the transport pathways of
Escherichia coli
and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
are interchangeable, with the
E. coli
orthologues correctly sorting the
P. aeruginosa
lipoproteins while retaining their sensitivity to a small-molecule inhibitor. These findings question the nature of IM retention signals, identified in
E. coli
as aspartate at position +2 of mature lipoproteins. We propose an alternative model for the sorting of IM and OM lipoproteins based on their relative affinities for the IM and the ability of the promiscuous sorting machinery to deliver lipoproteins to their functional sites in the OM.
Evolutionary and Genomic Insights into
Clostridioides difficile
Sequence Type 11: a Diverse Zoonotic and Antimicrobial-Resistant Lineage of Global One Health Importance
Authors: Knight Daniel R. , Kullin Brian , Androga Grace O. , Barbut Frederic , Eckert Catherine , Johnson Stuart , Spigaglia Patrizia , Tateda Kazuhiro , Tsai Pei-Jane , Riley Thomas V.
Published: April 2019

Historically,
Clostridioides difficile
(
Clostridium difficile
) has been associated with life-threatening diarrhea in hospitalized patients. Increasing rates of
C. difficile
infection (CDI) in the community suggest exposure to
C. difficile
reservoirs outside the hospital, including animals, the environment, or food.
C. difficile
sequence type 11 (ST11) is known to infect/colonize livestock worldwide and comprises multiple ribotypes, many of which cause disease in humans, suggesting CDI may be a zoonosis. Using high-resolution genomics, we investigated the evolution and zoonotic potential of ST11 and a new closely related ST258 lineage sourced from diverse origins. We found multiple intra- and interspecies clonal transmission events in all ribotype sublineages. Clones were spread across multiple continents, often without any health care association, indicative of zoonotic/anthroponotic long-range dissemination in the community. ST11 possesses a massive pan-genome and numerous clinically important antimicrobial resistance elements and prophages, which likely contribute to the success of this globally disseminated lineage of One Health importance.
IgG4-related disease in a patient with HIV infection
Authors: Ron Raquel , Ruz-Caracuel Ignacio , García Eugenia , Montes-Ramírez María Luisa
Published: April 2019

A 47-year-old HIV-positive man with good immune and virological status presented with chronic multiple enlarged lymph nodes, lung disease and eosinophilia. Radiologic tests showed enlarged cervical, thoracic and axillary lymph nodes, with interstitial lung damage. After several non-specific histologic studies, an elevated serum IgG4 level led us to request immunohistochemistry of a lymph node sample. The test confirmed the diagnosis of IgG4-related disease.
Isolated intermittent neurogenic priapism: an unusual presentation in degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis
Authors: Santananukarn Manasawan , Pasutharnchat Nath
Published: April 2019

Priapism is a relatively uncommon clinical presentation. The well-recognised causes are sickle cell anaemia and the use of medications, such as vasoactive erectile agents. Infrequently, it could be the result of lumbar spinal stenosis. The authors reported an elderly man with 1-year history of isolated intermittent priapism aggravated by walking. MRI showed lumbosacral spondylosis with severe stenosis at the level of L4–L5. Total laminectomy of L4 and L5 was done, resulting in a rapid and complete resolution of symptom without recurrence during the follow-up time of 10 years.
Chaperones for genital examination
Authors: Bignell C J
Published: April 2019

Provide comfort and support for the patient and protection for the Doctor
Medical teaching and the ILT
Authors: Brown Sally
Published: April 2019

New institute aims to improve teaching and learning
Calling all cyberfans
Authors: Knight Siân
Published: April 2019

The Student BMJ launches its new all singing, all dancing website
A Peruvian hospital experience
Authors: Simpson Kate
Published: April 2019

Kate Simpson
tells a tale of typhoid and vending machines
A murmur in my ear
Authors: Ward Caroline
Published: April 2019

A doctor without a stethoscope? Inventiveness helps
Caroline Ward
to overcome her hearing problem, but what about her image?
Locally isotropic gravastars with cylindrical spacetime
Authors: Bhatti M. Z. , Yousaf Z. , Ajmal M.
Published: April 2019

This paper is aimed to set up a thin-shell gravastar model and address its physically accepted features in the background of noncommutative geometry. For this purpose, we have considered the cylindrically symmetric interior metric matched with suitable noncommutative exterior geometry using Israel boundary conditions. The stability of this thin-shell as well as thermodynamical stability is then explored under linear perturbations around the throat. We have found the stable regions near the horizon with some specific values of the involved parameters.
Multi-Criteria Evaluation and Benchmarking for Active Queue Management Methods: Open Issues, Challenges and Recommended Pathway Solutions
Authors: Khatari Maimuna , Zaidan A. A. , Zaidan B. B. , Albahri O. S. , Alsalem M. A.
Published: April 2019

The evaluation and benchmarking processes of active queue management (AQM) methods are complicated and challenging. Several evaluation criteria/metrics must be considered before an AQM method can yield satisfactory performance using specific metric(s). Further investigations are required to highlight the limitations of how criteria/metrics are determined and how their procedures accord with the evaluation and benchmarking processes of AQM. In this paper, we presented comprehensive insights into the multi-criteria evaluation and benchmarking of AQM methods based on two critical directions. First, current AQM evaluation criteria are collected, analyzed and categorized. Second, these AQM evaluation criteria highlight conflicting issues and benchmarking techniques to identify weak points, and possible solutions are discussed. The findings of this study are as follows: (1) The limitations and problems of existing AQM evaluation and benchmarking methods, such as multi-evaluation criteria, criteria trade-off, benchmarking and criteria significance, are presented and emphasized. (2) Multi-criteria decision-making using multiple criteria, such as performance, processing overhead and configuration, can be used to benchmark numerous AQM methods to determine solutions for future directions.
Nonhuman primate vestibuloocular reflex responses to prosthetic vestibular stimulation are robust to pulse timing errors caused by temporal discretization
Authors: Boutros Peter J. , Valentin Nicolas S. , Hageman Kristin N. , Dai Chenkai , Roberts Dale , Della Santina Charles C.
Published: April 2019

Electrical stimulation of vestibular afferent neurons to partially restore semicircular canal sensation of head rotation and the stabilizing reflexes that sensation supports has potential to effectively treat individuals disabled by bilateral vestibular hypofunction. Ideally, a vestibular implant system using this approach would be integrated with a cochlear implant, which would provide clinicians with a means to simultaneously treat loss of both vestibular and auditory sensation. Despite obvious similarities, merging these technologies poses several challenges, including stimulus pulse timing errors that arise when a system must implement a pulse frequency modulation-encoding scheme (as is used in vestibular implants to mimic normal vestibular nerve encoding of head movement) within fixed-rate continuous interleaved sampling (CIS) strategies used in cochlear implants. Pulse timing errors caused by temporal discretization inherent to CIS create stair step discontinuities of the vestibular implant’s smooth mapping of head velocity to stimulus pulse frequency. In this study, we assayed electrically evoked vestibuloocular reflex responses in two rhesus macaques using both a smooth pulse frequency modulation map and a discretized map corrupted by temporal errors typical of those arising in a combined cochlear-vestibular implant. Responses were measured using three-dimensional scleral coil oculography for prosthetic electrical stimuli representing sinusoidal head velocity waveforms that varied over 50–400°/s and 0.1–5 Hz. Pulse timing errors produced negligible effects on responses across all canals in both animals, indicating that temporal discretization inherent to implementing a pulse frequency modulation-coding scheme within a cochlear implant’s CIS fixed pulse timing framework need not sacrifice performance of the combined system’s vestibular implant portion.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Merging a vestibular implant system with existing cochlear implant technology can provide clinicians with a means to restore both vestibular and auditory sensation. Pulse timing errors inherent to integration of pulse frequency modulation vestibular stimulation with fixed-rate, continuous interleaved sampling cochlear implant stimulation would discretize the smooth head velocity encoding of a combined device. In this study, we show these pulse timing errors produce negligible effects on electrically evoked vestibulo-ocular reflex responses in two rhesus macaques.
The Clinical and Steroid-Free Remission of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation to Patients with Ulcerative Colitis: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lam Wai Ching , Zhao Chen , Ma Wen Juan , Yao Liang
Published: April 2019

Background and Purpose. Since the first case of fecal microbiota transplantation for the treatment of ulcerative colitis was described in the year 1989, there have been an increment of case reports, case series, cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). In this study, we were going to investigate general clinical remission, clinical response, and steroid-free remission of fecal microbiota transplantation. Methods. We searched Ovid Medline, Ovid EMBASE, and Cochrane Library, focusing prospective studies including randomized controlled trials and cohort studies. The outcomes were clinical remission, clinical response, steroid-free remission, and serious adverse events. We used RevMan 5.3 software for meta-analyses. Key Results. A total of 4 RCTs and 2 cohort studies (340 cases from 5 countries) were included. We found that FMT might be more effective than placebo on clinical remission (OR, 3.85 [2.21, 6.7]; P<0.001; I2=0%) and clinical response (OR, 2.75 [1.33, 5.67]; P=0.006; I2=49%), but no statistical difference on steroid-free remission (OR, 2.08 [0.41, 10.5]; P=0.37; I2=69%) and serious adverse events (OR, 2.0 [0.17, 22.97]; P=0.44; I2=0%). Conclusions and Inferences. Fecal microbiota transplantations were associated with significant clinical remission and response in ulcerative colitis patients while there was no significant difference found between FMT and placebo in steroid-free remission. Moreover, a common consensus on the route, volume, timing, preferred donor characteristics, and frequency of fecal administration is necessary to achieve remission.
Epigenetic Modifications in Placenta are Associated with the Child’s Sensitization to Allergens
Authors: Harb Hani , Alashkar Alhamwe Bilal , Acevedo Nathalie , Frumento Paolo , Johansson Catharina , Eick Lisa , Papadogiannakis Nikos , Alm Johan , Renz Harald , Potaczek Daniel P. , Scheynius Annika
Published: April 2019

Prenatal environmental exposures are considered to contribute to the development of allergic sensitization by epigenetic mechanisms. The role of histone acetylation in the placenta has not been examined yet. We hypothesized that placental histone acetylation at the promoter regions of allergy-related immune regulatory genes is associated with the development of sensitization to allergens in the child. Histones H3 and H4 acetylation at the promoter regions of 6 selected allergy-related immune regulatory genes was assessed by a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay in 173 term placentas collected in the prospective birth-cohort ALADDIN. The development of IgE sensitization to allergens in the children was followed from 6 months up to 5 years of age. We discovered significant associations of histone acetylation levels with decreased risk of allergic sensitization in 3 genes. Decreased risk of sensitization to food allergens was associated with higher H3 acetylation levels in placentas at the IFNG and SH2B3 genes, and for H4 acetylation in HDAC4. Higher HDAC4 H4 acetylation levels were also associated with a decreased risk of sensitization to aeroallergens. In conclusion, our results suggest that acetylation of histones in placenta has a potential to predict the development of sensitization to allergens in children.
A New Air Quality Prediction Framework for Airports Developed with a Hybrid Supervised Learning Method
Authors: Tian Yong , Huang Weifang , Ye Bojia , Yang Minhao
Published: April 2019

In order to reduce the air pollution impacts by aircraft operations around airports, a fast and accurate prediction of air quality related to aircraft operations is an essential prerequisite. This article proposes a new framework with a combination of the standard assessment procedure and machine learning methods for fast and accurate prediction of air quality in airports. Instead of taking some specific pollutant as concerned metric, we introduce the air quality index (AQI) for the first time to evaluate the air quality in airports. Then, following the standard assessment procedure proposed by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the airports AQIs in different scenarios are classified with consideration of the airport configuration, actual flight operations, aircraft performance, and related meteorological data. Taking the AQI classification results as sample data, several popular supervised learning methods are investigated for accurately predicting air quality in airports. The numerical tests implicate that the accuracy rate of prediction could reach more than 95% with only 0.022 sec; the proposed framework and the results could be used as the foundation for improving air quality impacts around airports.
Adverse Events Associated with Ethical Kampo Formulations: Analysis of the Domestic Adverse-Event Data Reports of the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare in Japan
Authors: Shimada Yutaka , Fujimoto Makoto , Nogami Tatsuya , Watari Hidetoshi
Published: April 2019

Objectives. Traditional Japanese Kampo medicines have been integrated into the Japanese national health-care system. In Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare’s website discloses adverse drug-event data that have been obtained from medical personnel reports investigated by the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency. Using these data, we investigated adverse events associated with ethical Kampo formulations. Methods. Reports of adverse events associated with ethical Kampo formulations from the domestic adverse-event data were obtained from July 30, 2003, to March 31, 2018. Adverse events were then categorized, and the relationships between categories of adverse events and crude drugs were analyzed. Results. There were 4,232 reported adverse events associated with ethical Kampo formulations. The numbers of events by category were as follows: events related to liver injury, 1,193; lung injury, 1,177; pseudoaldosteronism, 889; mesenteric phlebosclerosis, 223; drug eruption, 185; and others, 565. Among events related to both liver injury and lung injury, approximately 70% were suspected to be induced by Kampo formulations containing Scutellariae Radix. The pseudoaldosteronism-related events, which are induced by Glycyrrhizae Radix, included several events related to muscle injury, heart failure, and arrhythmia. Events related to mesenteric phlebosclerosis, believed to be induced by long-term use of Kampo formulas containing Gardeniae Fructus, increased remarkably during the study period. Among the events related to drug eruption, approximately 35% were suspected to be induced by Kampo formulations containing Ephedrae Herba. Conclusion. Kampo medicines may cause various adverse events. The present results provide valuable information regarding adverse events associated with Kampo medicines from the viewpoint of patient safety.
Dihydromyricetin Ameliorates Cardiac Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury through Sirt3 Activation
Authors: Wei Liping , Sun Xuseng , Qi Xin , Zhang Yufan , Li Yuanyang , Xu Yue
Published: April 2019

During myocardial infarction, quickly opening the occluded coronary artery is a major method to save the ischemic myocardium. However, it also induces reperfusion injury, resulting in a poor prognosis. Alleviating the reperfusion injury improves the prognosis of the patients. Dihydromyricetin (DHM), a major component in theAmpelopsis grossedentata, has numerous biological functions. This study aims to clarify the effects of DHM under the ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) condition. We elucidated the role of Sirt3 in the cardiomyocyte response to DHM based on the hearts and primary cardiomyocytes. Cardiac function, mitochondrial biogenesis, and infarct areas were examined in the different groups. We performed Western blotting to detect protein expression levels after treatments. In an in vitro study, primary cardiomyocytes were treated with Hypoxia/Reoxygenation (H/R) to simulate the I/R. DHM reduced the infarct area and improved cardiac function. Furthermore, mitochondrial dysfunction was alleviated after DHM treatment. Moreover, DHM alleviated oxidative stress indicated by decreased ROS and MnSOD. However, the beneficial function of DHM was abolished after removing the Sirt3. On the other hand, the mitochondrial function was improved after DHM intervention in vitro study. Interestingly, Sirt3 downregulation inhibited the beneficial function of DHM. Therefore, the advantages of DHM are involved in the improvement of mitochondrial function and decreased oxidative stress through the upregulation of Sirt3. DHM offers a promising therapeutic avenue for better outcome in the patients with cardiac I/R injury.
Postprandial Glucose Levels Are Better Associated with the Risk Factors for Diabetes Compared to Fasting Glucose and Glycosylated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) Levels in Elderly Prediabetics: Beneficial Effects of Polyherbal Supplements—A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial
Authors: Zhu Jingfen , Xing Guoqiang , Shen Tian , Xu Gang , Peng Yun , Rao Jianyu , Shi Rong
Published: April 2019

Backgrounds. Prediabetes is a condition in which a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal physiological levels but lower compared to patients with diabetes. Up to 70% of individuals with prediabetes will eventually develop diabetes. To date, there have been no pharmaceutical drugs to treat diabetes. It is believed that early diagnosis and nonpharmacological intervention for prediabetes are critical for effective prevention of diabetes. Most individuals with prediabetes remain undiagnosed even after being evaluated using the standard tests for fasting glucose (FG) and HbA1c. We investigated if postprandial glucose levels (2h-PG) were associated with pre/diabetes and if polyherbal supplements could be beneficial for individuals with prediabetes.Materials and Methods. 100 elderly individuals with impaired 2h-PG or fasting glucose levels were recruited to receive either a 12-week supplement of GlucoVita (an antioxidative polyherbal formulation) (n=50) or placebo (n=50).Results. No baseline differences were observed for FG, HbA1c, or 2h-PG. Individuals who received a twelve-week administration of GlucoVita supplements had significantly reduced 2h-PG (8.15±1.67 versus 7.35±2.06 mmol/l, P<0.05) levels compared to individuals in the placebo group. In addition, HbA1c levels were lower in individuals who received GlucoVita (5.81±0.49 %) compared to the individuals in the placebo group (6.00±0.51%) (P=0.08) after 12-weeks. Stratified analysis, based on impaired fasting glucose (IFG), 2h-PG, metabolic symptom, and age, demonstrated that, after the 12-week intervention, HbA1c levels were significantly lower in the GlucoVita administered group compared to the placebo group (IFG subgroup; 5.85±0.46%, n= 27 versus 6.14±0.50, n=33, P<0.05) and the metabolic symptom-free subgroup (5.73±0.45%, n=23 versus 6.04±0.52%, n=24, P<0.05). GlucoVita also reduced FG in individuals with normal 2h-PG (6.37±0.27 versus 6.08±0.38 mmol/l, P<0.05). Baseline 2h-PG levels, but not HbA1c or FG levels, were significantly correlated with body weight, waist circumference, and BMI (r=0.25, P<0.05; r=0.31, P<0.01; r=0.22, P<0.05, respectively).Conclusion. 2h-PG levels were better associated with body weight, waist circumference, and BMI risk factors compared to FG and HbA1c levels in elderly individuals with prediabetes. Polyherbal formulation GlucoVita supplements improved 2h-PG and HbA1c levels only in elderly individuals who were overweight but were symptom-free and under 65 years of age. Due to the small cohort size of this pilot study, future studies are required to validate our findings.
Comparative Study on Mechanical Properties of Compacted Clay under Freeze-Thaw Cycles with Closed and Open Systems
Authors: Xian Shaohua , Lu Zheng , Yao Hailin , Fang Ran , She Jianbo
Published: April 2019

The frost heave and thaw settlement caused by freeze-thaw cycles will seriously affect the engineering properties of soil. This paper attempts to comparatively investigate the deterioration effect of freeze-thaw cycles on the mechanical properties of compacted clay in closed and open systems. The specimens were frozen and thawed from the top to bottom in two systems. The moisture contents and deformations after freeze-thaw cycles were measured. Mechanical parameters of soil were examined through triaxial compression tests. Results show that the moisture content and deformation of soil change evidently with the increase of freeze-thaw cycles in the open system, while these parameters in the closed system change little. In the open system, the attenuation rate of failure strength, elastic modulus, and angle of internal friction of soil subjected to 7 freeze-thaw cycles are all about 2 times as large as that in the closed system and the attenuation rate of cohesion is even 4 times of that in the closed system. These differences reveal that the deterioration effect of freeze-thaw cycles on soil strength is aggravated after water supply. These findings indicate that soil structure damage and moisture content increase is the dominant factor affecting engineering properties of the soil in the open system.
Quest for Tangible Biomarkers for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Sharma Dipali
Published: April 2019

Identification of key molecular networks involved in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) growth and metastasis will increase our mechanistic understanding of this disease and pave the way for the development of novel therapeutic interventions. The study by Khawaled and colleagues points to a direct antimetastatic function of WW domain–containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) in TNBC and identifies the Myc/miR-146a/fibronectin axis as a molecular mediator of the tumor-suppressive function of WWOX. This information can potentially be used to identify actionable nodes for targeting TNBC, a breast cancer subtype otherwise characterized by the absence of markers.

See related article by Khawaled et al., p. 1784
Tumor-associated Macrophages as Prognostic and Predictive Biomarkers for Postoperative Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Stage II Colon Cancer
Authors: Feng Qingyang , Chang Wenju , Mao Yihao , He Guodong , Zheng Peng , Tang Wentao , Wei Ye , Ren Li , Zhu Dexiang , Ji Meiling , Tu Yongjiu , Qin Xinyu , Xu Jianmin
Published: April 2019

Purpose:

For stage II colon cancer, the efficacy of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy remains controversial. It is well known that tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are important in tumor progression. In this study, TAMs were investigated as prognostic and predictive biomarkers for the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II colon cancer after radical resection.

Experimental Design:

This study enrolled two independent cohorts of consecutive patients from one medical center with pathologic stage II colon cancer after radical resections. Macrophages were detected using IHC staining of CD68 and CD206. Infiltration densities of CD68+ TAMs, CD206+ TAMs, and ratio of CD206+ TAMs/CD68+ TAMs (CD206/CD68 ratio) were calculated as prognostic and predictive biomarkers.

Results:

The primary and validation cohorts consisted of 521 and 314 patients, respectively. In both cohorts, high CD206/CD68 ratio was significantly associated with poor disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). As an independent risk factor, CD206/CD68 ratio also had significantly better prognostic efficacy than CD68+ TAM density, CD206+ TAM density, and traditional clinicopathologic high-risk factors. Moreover, adjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved DFS and OS for patients with high CD206/CD68 ratio but not for those with low CD206/CD68 ratio. The interaction analyses were also significant for DFS. In subgroup analysis, CD206/CD68 ratio was still a significant predictor for adjuvant chemotherapy for patients in traditional high-risk group of recurrence (significant interaction for DFS).

Conclusions:

For stage II colon cancer, CD206/CD68 ratio is a better prognostic and predictive biomarker for postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Together with clinicopathologic high-risk factors, it will aid in precision treatment.
TP53 Mutation by CRISPR System Enhances the Malignant Potential of Colon Cancer
Authors: Watanabe Sho , Tsuchiya Kiichiro , Nishimura Ryu , Shirasaki Tomoaki , Katsukura Nobuhiro , Hibiya Shuji , Okamoto Ryuichi , Nakamura Tetsuya , Watanabe Mamoru
Published: April 2019

Tumor protein p53 (TP53) mutation is a well-known occurrence at the late phase of carcinogenesis during the adenoma–carcinoma sequence of a sporadic colon cancer. Although numerous reports about clinical information of the patients with colon cancer have suggested that TP53 mutation might be related to various types of malignant potential, the direct effects of this mutation on the malignant potential of colon cancer remain unknown. Notably, no previous report has described a relationship between TP53 mutation and cancer stemness. We therefore aimed to assess the function of a TP53 mutant induced by the CRISPR-Cas9 system in colon cancer cells. In this study, two TP53 mutations, corresponding to exon 3 (TP53E3) and 10 (TP53E10), were generated in LS174T cells derived from a wild-type TP53 human colon cancer via a lentiviral CRISPR-Cas9 system. The loss of function of TP53 resulting from both mutations manifested as resistance to Nutlin3a-induced apoptosis and the downregulation of target genes of TP53. TP53 mutants exhibited an enhanced malignant potential, characterized by accelerated cell growth, invasiveness, chemoresistance, and cancer stemness. Interestingly, TP53E10 but not TP53E3 cells exhibited aberrant transcriptional activity of regenerating family member 1-α (REG1A) and expression of REG1A, resulting in the acquisition of enhanced malignant potential. In conclusion, we demonstrated for the first time that TP53 genomic mutation into human colon cancer cells affects the malignant potential.

Implications:

These findings suggest that both a loss of function and an aberrant gain of function of TP53 might promote high malignant potentials at the late phase of carcinogenesis in colon cancer.
The Mealtime Assessment Scale (MAS): Part 2 – Preliminary Psychometric Analysis
Authors: Pizzorni Nicole , Valentini Debora , Gilardone Marco , Scarponi Letizia , Tresoldi Martina , Barozzi Stefania , Corbo Massimo , Schindler Antonio
Published: April 2019

Aims: The Mealtime Assessment Scale (MAS) was developed to assess swallowing safety and efficacy during the meal. The study aims to perform a preliminary validation of MAS by investigating internal consistency, inter-rater agreement, concurrent and known-group validity, and responsiveness. Methods:MAS was tested on 100 persons without dysphagia (group 1) and 100 persons with dysphagia (group 2). Fifty subjects were simultaneously evaluated at mealtime using MAS by two independent clinicians to test inter-rater agreement. For concurrent validity, MAS was correlated with the Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MASA) and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association National Outcomes Measurement System (ASHA NOMS) swallowing scale. MAS scores of groups 1 and 2 were compared for known-group validity. Responsiveness was tested reassessing 36 patients from group 2 after diet improvement. Results: Internal consistency and responsiveness were established for efficacy but not for safety. For inter-rater agreement, an average deviation index <0.66 was found for all items. MAS showed strong correlations with MASA and ASHA NOMS. MAS scores were significantly different between groups 1 and 2. Conclusion:Preliminary evidence of the validity and reliability of MAS was established, except for the internal consistency and the responsiveness of the safety subscale. Further studies need to complete the validation process.
The Arginase Pathway in Neonatal Brain Hypoxia-Ischemia
Authors: Krystofova Jana , Pathipati Praneeti , Russ Jeffrey , Sheldon Ann , Ferriero Donna
Published: April 2019

Brain damage after hypoxia-ischemia (HI) occurs in an age-dependent manner. Neuroprotective strategies assumed to be effective in adults might have deleterious effects in the immature brain. In order to create effective therapies, the complex pathophysiology of HI in the developing brain requires exploring new mechanisms. Critical determinants of neuronal survival after HI are the extent of vascular dysfunction, inflammation, and oxidative stress, followed later by tissue repair. The key enzyme of these processes in the human body is arginase (ARG) that acts via the bioavailability of nitric oxide, and the synthesis of polyamines and proline. ARG is expressed throughout the brain in different cells. However, little is known about the effect of ARG in pathophysiological states of the brain, especially hypoxia-ischemia. Here, we summarize the role of ARG during neurodevelopment as well as in various brain pathologies.
Thorakozentese als erstes Diagnostikverfahren zur Stratifizierung von Pleuraergüssen bei Patienten mit Verdacht auf eine metastasierte Tumorerkrankung
Authors: Stanzel Franz
Published: April 2019

Background: Thoracentesis with cytological examination of pleural fluid is the initial test of choice for evaluation of pleural effusions in patients with suspected malignant pleural effusion (MPE). There is limited data on the sensitivity of thoracentesis stratified by tumor type. A better understanding of stratified sensitivities is of clinical interest, and may guide early and appropriate referral for pleural biopsy. Objective: The primary objective was sensitivity of thoracentesis with pleural fluid cytology stratified by tumor type. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients with a solid tumor malignancy with proven or strong suspicion for metastatic disease with new pleural effusions that underwent an initial thoracentesis. Only patients with metastatic disease were included. Results: Of the 725 patients examined, 63% had pleural fluid cytology positive for malignancy. Sensitivity of thoracentesis varied from a low of 0.38 (95% CI 0.13-0.68) in head and neck malignancy, 0.38 (95% CI 0.15-0.65) in sarcoma, and 0.53 (95% CI 0.34-0.72) in renal cancer to a high of 93 (95% CI 88-97) in breast cancer, and 100 (95% CI 0.82-100) in pancreatic cancer. Factors associated with an increased risk of MPE included larger amount of fluid drained (p = 0.014) and higher pleural fluid protein (p = 0.002). The only factor associated with decreased risk of MPE if first cytology was negative for malignancy was the presence of contralateral effusion (p = 0.005). Conclusions: Sensitivity of thoracentesis for solid tumors varies significantly depending on the type of tumor and is lowest in those with sarcomas, head and neck malignancies, and renal cell cancers.
Utility of Carotid Intima-Media Thickness as an Auxiliary Vascular Parameter of Structural Alteration in Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Kothari Harit Goverdhan , Gupta Sudhir Jagdishprasad , Gaikwad Nitin Rangrao
Published: April 2019

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by chronic relapsing-remitting inﬂammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The chronic inﬂammatory process may predispose to atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to assess the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and its relation to subclinical atherosclerosis and to follow up cardiovascular complications in patients with UC. Methods: 83 patients with proven UC in remission were enrolled in the study. 42 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were taken. Patients with known risk factors for atherosclerosis were excluded from the study. Baseline blood investigations along with C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and fasting lipid profile were done. CIMT was measured using B-mode Doppler imaging study. Results: The mean age of the UC patients was 37.06 ± 14.87 years. Left-sided colitis (45.8%) was the commonest type of presentation according to the extent of the disease. Mean CIMT (0.55 ± 0.17) was significantly higher in UC patients when compared to mean CIMT (0.46 ± 0.13) in the control group (p = 0.002). In Pearson correlation analysis, age, ESR, and CRP were positive and significantly correlated with CIMT. Multiple linear regression analysis (R2 = 0.18, p = 0.0026) revealed that age and CRP were significant independent predictors of mean CIMT. On following up for 6 months, 4 patients with UC had complications in the form of venous thrombosis. Conclusion: CIMT is a simple, noninvasive, reliable and objective auxiliary vascular parameter of structural alteration in UC patients.
Atypical Endometrial Hyperplasia Arising in a Cesarean Section Scar: A Mechanism of Malignant Transformation
Authors: Monist Marta , Lewkowicz Dorota , Jóźwik Maciej , Gogacz Marek , Bogusiewicz Michał , Rechberger Tomasz , Semczuk Andrzej
Published: April 2019

The incidence of scar endometriosis in Cesarean sections varies between 0.03 and 0.4%. However, the recently increased rate of Cesarean sections worldwide may be causing an increase in occurrence of scar endometriosis. This report presents anatomopathological evidence of an early-stage malignant transformation in endometriotic tissue from a post-Cesarean scar and briefly reviews possible underlying mechanisms. A 40-year-old woman with a body mass index of 42.7 was referred to the gynecological department with recurrent pain and presence of a palpable mass in her Cesarean section scar. She had undergone this procedure 7 years earlier and began experiencing discomfort and pain at the incision site 6 months postoperatively. Surgical treatment was instituted with complete removal of the lesion. Anatomopathological examination revealed endometriotic tissue intertwined with atypical endometrial hyperplasia and fibrosis. At 2 years’ follow-up, she was asymptomatic, both clinically and based on ultrasound examination. Endometriotic foci inoculated within an abdominal scar may undergo malignant transformation. Long-lasting abdominal scar endometriosis, in morbidly obese women, requires special attention from the physician.
Mild segregation in the breeding preferences of an invasive anuran (Discoglossus pictus) and its main native competitor (Epidalea calamita) in ephemeral ponds
Authors: Pujol-Buxó Eudald , Riaño Gabriel M. , Llorente Gustavo A.
Published: April 2019

The choice of breeding sites by pond-breeding anurans has notable consequences for the fitness of larvae. Hence, beyond pond typology and phenology, adults can also discriminate according to several other features, for instance to favour allotopy with potential competitors. However, the lack of shared evolutionary history might impede proper ecological differentiation with alien species during the first stages of invasions. Here, we studied several possible sources of ecological segregation between the invasive Discoglossus pictus and the native Epidalea calamita in ephemeral ponds, where the native toad hardly had competition before the arrival of the invasive frog. During spring of 2016, we periodically surveyed 69 ephemeral ponds in three areas with different invasion histories to detect the presence/absence of eggs and tadpoles of these species. Invasive D. pictus started breeding earlier than E. calamita, but differences were not significant. Similarly, there were not clear differences among areas with different invasion histories. However, we found for both species a mutual tendency to directly avoid larval syntopy at the end of the reproductive season. We also found interspecific differences in the features that both species use for pond choice, preferring the native species shallower and less vegetated ephemeral ponds. Globally however, co-occurrence was high, pointing at other processes as key to the coexistence between both species in these habitats.