bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Epidemiologic Analysis of Onychomycosis in the San Diego Pediatric Population
Authors: Totri Christine R. , Feldstein Stephanie , Admani Shehla , Friedlander Sheila F. , Eichenfield Lawrence F.
Published: October 2016

Background

Onychomycosis (OM) is thought to be a rare disease in children, although there are few epidemiologic studies.

Methods

This 3‐year retrospective case series of nearly 400 children seen at Rady Children's Hospital–San Diego (RCHSD) describes the characteristics of OM found in this pediatric population.

Results

From 2011 to 2013, the Pediatric and Adolescent Dermatology Clinic at RCHSD saw a total of 36,634 unique patients, of whom 433 were unique patients with OM. Thirty‐four patients met exclusion criteria, leaving 399 (1.1%) with a diagnosis of OM by a pediatric dermatologist. Nail cultures were obtained in 242 cases (60.7%), 116 (48.0%) of which were positive. Trichophyton rubrum was the most commonly isolated pathogen, responsible for 106 cases (91.3%) of positive cultures in the cohort.

Conclusions

Our study provides important regional information regarding epidemiologic data in pediatric onychomycosis, highlighting the diagnostic methods most commonly used and the pathogens most frequently encountered in our practice.
Pediatric Pyoderma Gangrenosum: A Retrospective Review of Clinical Features, Etiologic Associations, and Treatment
Authors: Schoch Jennifer J. , Tolkachjov Stanislav N. , Cappel Jonathan A. , Gibson Lawrence E. , Davis Dawn Marie R.
Published: October 2016

Background/Objectives

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a neutrophilic dermatosis rarely seen in children. Its features have not been well characterized in children. We sought to characterize the clinical features, etiologic associations, and treatment of PG in children younger than 18 years.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of children younger than 18 years with PG at the Mayo Clinic from January 1976 to August 2013.

Results

Thirteen children with PG were identified (n = 8; 62% female). All had ulcerations, with 62% having pustular lesions. Sites of involvement included the trunk (77%), lower extremities (77%), upper extremities (38%), and head and neck (38%). Nine (69%) had an underlying comorbidity, including seven with Crohn's disease (54%), one with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (8%), and one with pyogenic arthritis, pyoderma gangrenosum, and acne syndrome (8%). Treatments included topical or local care (92%) and systemic therapies (85%) such as oral corticosteroids (62%) and sulfasalazine or related 5‐aminosalicylate drugs (46%). The clinical course did not correlate with that of the underlying systemic disease and response to treatment varied.

Conclusion

Pediatric PG has a more varied anatomic distribution and a greater predominance of pustular lesions than PG in adults and a strong association with inflammatory bowel disease.
Topical Cidofovir for Recalcitrant Verrucae in Individuals with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Henrickson Sarah E. , Treat James R.
Published: October 2016

Verrucae vulgaris in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCST) can be challenging to manage. We describe two brothers with X‐linked SCID who had severe, persistent verrucae that did not respond to traditional topical therapies, including liquid nitrogen, imiquimod, salicylic acid, sinecatechins, 40% urea, and 5‐fluorourcil. Both brothers had full response to topical 3% cidofovir, which should be considered in recalcitrant warts in individuals with SCID after HSCT.
Retrospective Study of Nasal Infantile Hemangiomas: Characteristics, Complications, and Outcomes
Authors: Kryatova Maria S. , Rainer Barbara M. , Zhao Jiawei , Villarroel Vadim A. , Yasmine Kirkorian Anna , Grossberg Anna L. , Puttgen Katherine B. , Cohen Bernard A.
Published: October 2016

Background/Objectives

Nasal infantile hemangiomas (IHs) pose serious medical complications and psychosocial stress if tumor involution is incomplete or prolonged. The objective was to determine which IH characteristics are associated with complications and are predictive of outcome, assessed as the presence of IHs or residual skin changes upon kindergarten entry, to better manage these lesions and counsel families.

Methods

A retrospective chart review of all patients seen in the Division of Pediatric Dermatology at Johns Hopkins Medicine between 2001 and 2014 for nasal IHs (N = 89) was performed. A follow‐up telephone interview with parents was conducted in June and July 2014.

Results

Complications were observed in 39% of patients. Segmental and indeterminate IHs were more likely to have complications than focal IHs (p = 0.01). Mixed IHs were more likely to ulcerate than deep or superficial IHs (p = 0.01). Eighty percent of patients had treatment and 19% had surgery. Although IHs regressed by kindergarten entry in 70% of patients, 78% of these patients had residual skin changes. Mixed and superficial IHs left more residua than deep IHs (p = 0.04). A statistical comparison of treatments with respect to outcome at kindergarten entry could not be made because subgroups were too small and heterogeneous.

Conclusion

Nasal IHs had higher rates of complications and treatment than previous reports of IHs at all body sites. Lesions of segmental and indeterminate type and mixed depth should be identified as high risk and treated accordingly. Parents may be counseled that most nasal IHs involute by kindergarten but leave residua and that early referral for treatment may be important for the best outcome.
Liver fibrosis with hypereosinophilia causing transient abnormal myelopoiesis
Authors: Minakata Shunsuke , Sakata Naoki , Wada Norihisa , Konishi Yuhei , Marutani Satoshi , Enya Takuji , Nakagawa Hidenori , Wada Hiroshi , Takemura Tsukasa
Published: October 2016

Transient abnormal myelopoesis is mostly self‐resolving and has a good prognosis, but some patients subsequently die of liver fibrosis. We report the case of an infant with Down syndrome who developed life‐threatening liver fibrosis at the same time as the blasts were about to disappear. This patient also had a marked increase in eosinophils, which were possibly harboring a GATA1 mutation and were expressing a high level of platelet‐derived growth factor‐B mRNA; these may have been involved in the development of liver fibrosis. Low‐dose cytosine arabinoside therapy effectively treated both hypereosinophilia and liver fibrosis.
Oxygen delivery using neonatal self‐inflating bags without reservoirs
Authors: Sugiura Takahiro , Urushibata Rei , Komatsu Kenji , Shioda Tsutomu , Ota Tatsuki , Sato Megumi , Okubo Yumiko , Fukuoka Tetsuya , Hosono Shigeharu , Tamura Masanori
Published: October 2016

Background

Guidelines recommend avoiding excessive oxygen during neonatal resuscitation. Recent studies have suggested that oxygen titration can be achieved using a self‐inflating bag, but data on the effectiveness of resuscitators used in neonatal ventilation are scarce, The aim of this study was therefore to determine the amount of oxygen delivered using several brands of neonatal self‐inflating resuscitation bags without reservoirs under different conditions with regard to oxygen flow rate, ventilation rate (VR), peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) range, and test lung compliance.

Methods

Oxygen concentration was measured under a variety of conditions. Combinations of oxygen flow rate (10, 5.0, 3.0 and 1.0 L/min), VR (40, 60 inflations/min), PIP range (20–25 cmH2O, 35–40 cmH2O), and test lung compliance (0.6, 1.0, 3.0, and 5.0 mL/cmH2O) were examined using six kinds of self‐inflating bag.

Results

Delivered oxygen concentration varied widely (30.1–96.7%) and had a significant positive correlation with gas flow rate in all of the bags. Delivered oxygen concentration was also negatively correlated with PIP in all of the bags and with VR in some of them. Test lung compliance did not affect delivered oxygen concentration.

Conclusion

The use of neonatal resuscitation self‐inflating bags without reservoirs resulted in different delivered oxygen concentrations depending on gas flow rate, VR, PIP, and manufacturer, but not on lung compliance. This suggests that targeted oxygen concentrations could be delivered, even in lungs with decreased compliance, during resuscitation.
Mechanism of auditory hypersensitivity in human autism using autism model rats
Authors: Ida‐Eto Michiru , Hara Nao , Ohkawara Takeshi , Narita Masaaki
Published: October 2016

Background

Auditory hypersensitivity is one of the major complications in autism spectrum disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the auditory brain center is affected in autism model rats.

Methods

Autism model rats were prepared by prenatal exposure to thalidomide on embryonic day 9 and 10 in pregnant rats. The superior olivary complex (SOC), a complex of auditory nuclei, was immunostained with anti‐calbindin d28k antibody at postnatal day 50.

Results

In autism model rats, SOC immunoreactivity was markedly decreased. Strength of immunostaining of SOC auditory fibers was also weak in autism model rats. Surprisingly, the size of the medial nucleus of trapezoid body, a nucleus exerting inhibitory function in SOC, was significantly decreased in autism model rats.

Conclusions

Auditory hypersensitivity may be, in part, due to impairment of inhibitory processing by the auditory brain center.
Electrophysiological revelations of trial history effects in a color oddball search task
Authors: Shin Eunsam , Chong Sang Chul
Published: October 2016

In visual oddball search tasks, viewing a no‐target scene (i.e., no‐target selection trial) leads to the facilitation or delay of the search time for a target in a subsequent trial. Presumably, this selection failure leads to biasing attentional set and prioritizing stimulus features unseen in the no‐target scene. We observed attention‐related ERP components and tracked the course of attentional biasing as a function of trial history. Participants were instructed to identify color oddballs (i.e., targets) shown in varied trial sequences. The number of no‐target scenes preceding a target scene was increased from zero to two to reinforce attentional biasing, and colors presented in two successive no‐target scenes were repeated or changed to systematically bias attention to specific colors. For the no‐target scenes, the presentation of a second no‐target scene resulted in an early selection of, and sustained attention to, the changed colors (mirrored in the frontal selection positivity, the anterior N2, and the P3b). For the target scenes, the N2pc indicated an earlier allocation of attention to the targets with unseen or remotely seen colors. Inhibitory control of attention, shown in the anterior N2, was greatest when the target scene was followed by repeated no‐target scenes with repeated colors. Finally, search times and the P3b were influenced by both color previewing and its history. The current results demonstrate that attentional biasing can occur on a trial‐by‐trial basis and be influenced by both feature previewing and its history.
Steady‐state visual evoked potentials as a research tool in social affective neuroscience
Authors: Wieser Matthias J. , Miskovic Vladimir , Keil Andreas
Published: October 2016

Like many other primates, humans place a high premium on social information transmission and processing. One important aspect of this information concerns the emotional state of other individuals, conveyed by distinct visual cues such as facial expressions, overt actions, or by cues extracted from the situational context. A rich body of theoretical and empirical work has demonstrated that these socioemotional cues are processed by the human visual system in a prioritized fashion, in the service of optimizing social behavior. Furthermore, socioemotional perception is highly dependent on situational contexts and previous experience. Here, we review current issues in this area of research and discuss the utility of the steady‐state visual evoked potential (ssVEP) technique for addressing key empirical questions. Methodological advantages and caveats are discussed with particular regard to quantifying time‐varying competition among multiple perceptual objects, trial‐by‐trial analysis of visual cortical activation, functional connectivity, and the control of low‐level stimulus features. Studies on facial expression and emotional scene processing are summarized, with an emphasis on viewing faces and other social cues in emotional contexts, or when competing with each other. Further, because the ssVEP technique can be readily accommodated to studying the viewing of complex scenes with multiple elements, it enables researchers to advance theoretical models of socioemotional perception, based on complex, quasinaturalistic viewing situations.
Semen supplementation with palmitoleic acid promotes kinematics, microscopic and antioxidative parameters of ram spermatozoa during liquid storage
Authors: Eslami M , Ghasemiyan H , Zadeh Hashem E
Published: October 2016

Contents

The purpose of the present experiment was to investigate the protective effects of palmitoleate on the quality of ram semen during low temperature liquid storage. Ejaculates were collected using the artificial vagina from four Qezel rams twice a week. Ejaculates were pooled, diluted with Tris–egg yolk extender without palmitoleate (control) or supplemented with 0.125 (P 0.125), 0.25 (P 0.25), 0.5 (P 0.5) and 1 (P 1) mM palmitoleate at a final concentration of 500 × 106 spermatozoa/ml. Total motility and forward progressive motility (FPM) as well as other spermatozoa kinematics were evaluated by computer‐assisted sperm analysis. Moreover, viability and membrane functionality were determined in the spermatozoa. Additionally, amounts of malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant activity (AOA), nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were evaluated in the medium and spermatozoa at 0, 24, 48 and 72 hr of storage. The palmitoleate supplementation resulted in a significant (p < .05) increase in total motility and FPM with the highest increase at 0.5 mM concentration for 72 hr. P 0.5 group also resulted in the highest percentage of membrane‐intact spermatozoa (76.60 ± 1.95%) and viability (75.81 ± 1.34%) at 72 hr (p < .05). The amounts of MDA and NO were lower in P 0.125, P 0.25 and P 0.5 groups compared to control at 48 hr and 72 hr (p < .05). Higher amounts of AOA were obtained in palmitoleate‐treated groups in medium and spermatozoa during storage time (p < .05). Furthermore, palmitoleate supplementation increased the SOD activities in spermatozoa compared to the control (p < .05). The results of the present experiment reveal that supplementation with 0.5 mM palmitoleate improves ram spermatozoa motion characteristics, AOA levels and SOD activities during liquid storage. Then, palmitoleate could be used as an antioxidant source during liquid storage of ram semen.
Enhancing Industrial Cluster Formation Through the Realistic Export Opportunities of the TRADE‐DSM
Authors: Pisa Noleen , Viviers Wilma , Rossouw Riaan
Published: October 2016

This paper explores the natural synergies between industrial cluster formation and the identification of realistic export opportunities (REOs), using the TRADE‐DSM for a resource‐dependent region, the North West Province of South Africa. The structural path analysis and power of pull methods were applied to a provincial social accounting matrix to identify the top industrial clusters. Ten industrial clusters were identified and matched to the results of the TRADE‐DSM. Six of the industrial clusters analysed had REOs. These results provide a basis for focused export market development and for the formalisation of the cluster initiative as a strategy for sustained economic and export growth.
Examining the Performance of the South African Economics Departments, 2005‐2014
Authors: Yu Derek , Kasongo Atoko , Moses Mariana
Published: October 2016

This study examines the teaching and research activities of 17 Economics Departments in 2005‐2014 by consulting the information from each university's faculty prospectus, publication in accredited local and international peer‐reviewed journals, Economic Society of South Africa conference participation, Economic Research Southern Africa working paper series and the National Research Foundation. The results indicate there is big variation in the departments’ teaching and research activities during the period. Nonetheless, research output increased, in particular publication in accredited international journals in both absolute and proportional terms.
Willingness of Mentally Ill Individuals to Sign Up for a Novel Proposal to Prevent Firearm Suicide
Authors: Vars Fredrick E. , McCullumsmith Cheryl B. , Shelton Richard C. , Cropsey Karen L.
Published: October 2016

The study goal was to determine whether a significant number of high suicide risk individuals would confidentially put their own names onto a list to prevent future gun purchases. An anonymous written survey was administered in an inpatient psychiatric unit and two outpatient psychiatric clinics at an academic medical center. Two hundred forty individuals were approached to fill out the survey, of whom 200 (83.3%) did so. Forty‐six percent of participants stated that they would put their own name onto the list. This novel suicide prevention proposal, a Do‐Not‐Sell List, would appeal to many people at high risk for suicide.
Postdeployment Suicide Risk Increases Over a 6‐month Period: Predictors of Increased Risk among Midwestern Army National Guard Soldiers
Authors: Kim Hyungjin Myra , Levine Debra Siegel , Pfeiffer Paul N. , Blow Adrian J. , Marchiondo Christopher , Walters Heather , Valenstein Marcia
Published: October 2016

National Guard (NG) soldiers returning from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan were surveyed at 6 and 12 months following their return (N = 970). The overall prevalence of suicide risk at 6 and 12 months following their return was assessed, as were changes in suicide risk among soldiers initially at high or low risk. Factors associated with changes in risk were assessed. The percentage of NG soldiers with high suicide risk increased from 6.8% at 6 months to 9.2% at 12 months (odds ratio = 1.7, p = .02). In the 882 soldiers initially at low risk, 5.9% (52/882) became high risk at 12 months; in the 64 soldiers initially at high risk, 46.9% (30/64) became low risk at 12 months. Initial levels of depressive symptoms were predictive of changing to high risk; this association appeared to be partially explained by soldier reports of increased search in the meaning in life and higher levels of perceived stress. Because suicide risk increases over the first 12 months, continued risk assessments during this time period should be considered. Supporting soldiers to find meaning in their life after deployment and enhancing their capacity to cope with perceived stress may help prevent increases in suicide risk over time.
Genetic architecture of motives for leisure‐time physical activity: a twin study
Authors: Aaltonen S. , Kaprio J. , Vuoksimaa E. , Huppertz C. , Kujala U. M. , Silventoinen K.
Published: October 2016

The aim of this study was to estimate the contribution of genetic and environmental influences on motives for engaging in leisure‐time physical activity. The participants were obtained from the FinnTwin16 study. A modified version of the Recreational Exercise Motivation Measure was used to assess the motives for leisure‐time physical activity in 2542 twin individuals (mean age of 34.1 years). Linear structural equation modeling was used to investigate the genetic and environmental influences on motive dimensions. The highest heritability estimates were found for the motive dimensions of “enjoyment” [men 33% (95% CI 23–43%), women 53% (95% CI 45–60%)] and “affiliation” [men 39% (95% CI 0.28–0.49%), women 35% (95% CI 0.25–0.43%)]. The lowest heritability estimates were found for others’ expectations [men 13% (95% CI 0.04–0.25%), women 15% (95% CI 0.07–0.24%)]. Unique environmental influences explained the remaining variances, which ranged from 47% to 87%. The heritability estimates for summary variables of intrinsic and extrinsic motives were 36% and 32% for men and 40% and 24% for women, respectively. In conclusion, genetic factors contribute to motives for leisure‐time physical activity. However, the genetic effects are, at most, moderate, implying the greater relative role of environmental factors.
Grow Old With Me! Future Directions of Race, Age, and Place Scholarship
Authors: Byrnes Mary E.
Published: October 2016

This article reviews current theories of age and place to demonstrate a more inclusive perspective in sociology that considers race, age, and place. Scholars who study age have advanced our knowledge about what place means to old people or how environment operates in an oppressive way to aged bodies. Likewise, race scholars have advanced our knowledge about the ways oppression and White supremacy are rooted in place. Yet the two bodies of literature do not inform one another, and there are potentially dangerous gaps in our knowledge that contribute to oppression. The result is age scholarship about environment that lacks a critical race perspective and race scholarship on place that ignores the oppressive conditions of age. By reviewing these pieces, I argue that scholars must inform themselves of the ways in which we overlook important analyses and may potentially contribute to our own ageism.
On the Job: White Employers, Workers of Color, and Racial Triangulation Theory
Authors: Cruz Adrian
Published: October 2016

This article offers that Claire Jean Kim's theory of racial triangulation provides an ideal framework to study workers of color, the racialization of their labor and the ways in which actual and potential employers neglect and discriminate against these workers. Specifically, the piece determines that racial triangulation theory bolsters analysis of race‐based power that employers exert in the construction and maintenance of racial inequality in regard to management of labor and employment possibilities for workers of color. A triangulated approach allows for a sharp focus on employer engineered labor market inequality as they oversee, hire, and refuse to be racially inclusive in hiring practices. Most significantly, racial triangulation theory addresses the forces of racial inequity within the meso‐level of U.S. social structure when applied to study of organizational dynamics such as workplaces. I open the article by assaying historical and contemporary studies on workers of color to illustrate white employer domination and the ways in which workers of color are referenced to each other as inferior and superior workers. Subsequently, the article looks to fresh analytical directions in which sociologists can evaluate racism as a triangulated, multidimensional social force in the workplace and other social contexts.
The political consequences of contemporary immigration
Authors: Eger Maureen A. , Bohman Andrea
Published: October 2016

This article synthesizes research on political outcomes associated with increasing immigration, with an emphasis on cross‐national studies of European countries, where immigration is a relatively newer phenomenon compared to the United States and other traditional immigrant destinations. We begin with explanations of and research on anti‐immigrant sentiment, not a political phenomenon in itself but considered an important precursor to other relevant political attitudes. Next, we review scholarship on the relationship between immigration and support for the welfare state, as well as exclusionary attitudes regarding immigrants' rights to welfare benefits. Then, we review research on immigration and political party preferences, in particular radical right parties, whose platforms often combine anti‐immigration and welfare chauvinistic positions. We conclude by discussing how these processes may ultimately shape social policies, which may in turn influence immigration itself.
Examining Determinants of Foreign Wage Premiums in China
Authors: Greaney Theresa M. , Li Yao
Published: October 2016

We estimate foreign wage premiums for every 3‐digit manufacturing industry in China and discover a wide range of premiums both for ‘foreign’ ownership and for overseas Chinese ownership. Foreign ownership generates larger and more prevalent wage premiums than overseas Chinese ownership, but both produce premiums that respond similarly in estimates of determinants. Using the number of computers per worker to measure firms' technology levels, we find evidence consistent with the hypothesis that foreign firms pay higher wages to reduce the risk of worker turnover and the accompanying technology leakage in 76 to 78 per cent of industries. However, this determinant explains only 5 to 6 per cent of the foreign wage premium. We find the most intensive support for the ‘fair wage’ hypothesis that foreign firms pay higher wages because they are more profitable than domestic firms and workers in more profitable firms expect to be paid more, otherwise they will shirk. This hypothesis explains an average of 8 to 9 per cent of the foreign wage premiums, with support found in 72 to 75 per cent of the industries. When we consider the best combination of explanatory variables to include in each industry's wage regression, we find evidence consistent with our combined hypotheses in most industries, but we still find large residual foreign wage premiums.
Spurious reticulocyte profiles in dogs with large form babesiosis: a retrospective study
Authors: Piane Laetitia , Young Karen M. , Giraud Lena , Bourges‐Abella Nathalie , Trumel Catherine
Published: October 2016

Background

Erroneously high reticulocyte counts (pseudoreticulocytosis) have been reported in dogs with leukemia. Pseudoreticulocytosis and an abnormal reticulocyte profile were observed in a dog with large form babesiosis presented at our institution.

Objectives

The aims of this retrospective study were to determine if dogs with babesiosis and other dogs had abnormal reticulocyte profiles, and to correlate these profiles with the primary diagnosis.

Methods

All canine CBCs obtained with the Sysmex XT‐2000iV or Procyte DX were reviewed. Cases of large form babesiosis were identified and their reticulocyte dot plots were analyzed. Dogs with abnormal reticulocyte profiles but without microscopically apparent intraerythrocytic Babesia piroplasms were identified. The reticulocyte profiles and fluorescence ratios of dogs with and without babesiosis were compared.

Results

Twenty of 92 dogs with babesiosis had abnormal reticulocyte profiles, including 8 with a separation between the reticulocyte and mature RBC plots or a continuum of reticulocytes from the RBC plot but with a higher density of dots in the middle of the “comet tail” than in the left quarter of the dot plot. Thirteen of 6980 dogs without Babesia on the blood smear had abnormal reticulocyte profiles, including 3 with leukemia. The medium‐fluorescence reticulocyte ratios tended to be higher in dogs with babesiosis and abnormal dot plots than in other dogs, whereas the high‐fluorescence ratio was higher in one dog with leukemia.

Conclusion

Abnormal reticulocyte dot plots and atypical reticulocyte fluorescence ratios may occur in dogs with babesiosis and alert clinical pathologists to consider this diagnosis.
Carotid body chemoreflex: a driver of autonomic abnormalities in sleep apnoea
Authors: Prabhakar Nanduri R.
Published: October 2016

New Findings

What is the topic of this review?

This article presents emerging evidence for heightened carotid body chemoreflex activity as a major driver of sympathetic activation and hypertension in sleep apnoea patients.

What advances does it heighlight?

This article discusses the recent advances on cellular, molecular and epigenetic mechanisms underlying the exaggerated chemoreflex in experimental models of sleep apnoea.

The carotid bodies are the principal peripheral chemoreceptors for detecting changes in arterial blood oxygen concentration, and the resulting chemoreflex is a potent regulator of the sympathetic tone, blood pressure and breathing. Sleep apnoea is a disease of the respiratory system that affects several million adult humans. Apnoeas occur during sleep, often as a result of obstruction of the upper airway (obstructive sleep apnoea) or because of defective respiratory rhythm generation by the CNS (central sleep apnoea). Patients with sleep apnoea exhibit several co‐morbidities, with the most notable among them being heightened sympathetic nerve activity and hypertension. Emerging evidence suggests that intermittent hypoxia resulting from periodic apnoea stimulates the carotid body, and the ensuing chemoreflex mediates the increased sympathetic tone and hypertension in sleep apnoea patients. Rodent models of intermittent hypoxia that simulate the O2 saturation profiles encountered during sleep apnoea have provided important insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the heightened carotid body chemoreflex. This article describes how intermittent hypoxia affects the carotid body function and discusses the cellular, molecular and epigenetic mechanisms underlying the exaggerated chemoreflex.
Time‐of‐day variation in vascular function
Authors: Rodrigo G. C. , Denniff M.
Published: October 2016

New Findings

What is the topic of this review?

This report looks at the role of endothelial nitric oxide signalling in the time‐of‐day variation in vasoconstriction of resistance vessels.

What advances does it highlight?

It highlights a time‐of‐day variation in contraction of mesenteric arteries, characterized by a reduced contractile response to either phenylephrine or high K+ and increased relaxation in response to acetylcholine during the active period. This time‐of‐day variation in contraction results from a difference in endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) signalling that correlates with levels of eNOS expression, which peak during the active period and may have far reaching physiological consequences beyond regulation of blood pressure.

There is a strong time‐of‐day variation in the vasoconstriction in response to sympathetic stimulation that may contribute to the time‐of‐day variation in blood pressure, which is characterized by a dip in blood pressure during the individual's rest period when sympathetic activity is low. Vasoconstriction is known to be regulated tightly by nitric oxide signalling from the endothelial cells, so we have looked at the effect of time‐of‐day on levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and vascular contractility. Mesenteric arteries isolated from the nocturnal rat exhibit a time‐of‐day variation in their contractile response to α1‐adrenoreceptor and muscarinic activation, which is characterized by a reduced vasoconstriction in response to phenylephrine and enhanced vasodilatation in response to acetylcholine during the rat's active period at night. An increase in eNOS signalling during the active period is responsible for this time‐of‐day difference in response to phenylephrine and acetylcholine and correlates with the large increase in eNOS expression (mRNA and protein) during the active period, possibly driven by the presence of a functioning peripheral circadian clock. This increase in eNOS signalling may function to limit the increase in peripheral resistance and therefore blood pressure during the increased sympathetic activity.
Pleiotropic function of TRPV4 ion channels in the central nervous system
Authors: Kanju Patrick , Liedtke Wolfgang
Published: October 2016

New Findings

What is the topic of this review?

In this concise review, we highlight insights into the role of transient receptor potential, vanilloid type 4 (TRPV4) ion channels in the CNS, results that have been contributed over the last 16 years since the initial discovery of the channel.

What advances does it highlight?

TRPV4 has been found to function in neurons, astroglia and microglia, both in physiological (e.g. astrocytic neurovascular coupling, neuronal membrane potential at physiological temperature) and in pathological conditions (e.g. mechanical trauma), so far recorded as exciting findings in need of more in‐depth mechanistic clarification.

Transient receptor potential, vanilloid type 4 (TRPV4) ion channels are osmo‐mechano‐TRP channels, with pleiotropic function and expression in many different types of tissues and cells. They have also been found to be involved in pain and inflammation. Studies have focused on the role of TRPV4 in peripheral sensory neurons, but its expression and function in central nervous glial cells and neurons has also been documented. In this overview, based on the senior author’s (WL) lecture at the recent recent joint meeting of APS/The Physiological Society in Dublin, we concisely review evidence of TRPV4 expression and function in the CNS and how TRPV4 function can be modulated for therapeutic benefit of neuropsychiatric disorders. Novel TRPV4‐inhibitory compounds developed recently in the authors’ laboratory are also discussed.
The effects of cold water immersion and active recovery on inflammation and cell stress responses in human skeletal muscle after resistance exercise
Authors: Peake Jonathan M. , Roberts Llion A. , Figueiredo Vandre C. , Egner Ingrid , Krog Simone , Aas Sigve N. , Suzuki Katsuhiko , Markworth James F. , Coombes Jeff S. , Cameron‐Smith David , Raastad Truls
Published: October 2016

Key points

Cold water immersion and active recovery are common post‐exercise recovery treatments. A key assumption about the benefits of cold water immersion is that it reduces inflammation in skeletal muscle. However, no data are available from humans to support this notion.

We compared the effects of cold water immersion and active recovery on inflammatory and cellular stress responses in skeletal muscle from exercise‐trained men 2, 24 and 48 h during recovery after acute resistance exercise.

Exercise led to the infiltration of inflammatory cells, with increased mRNA expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and neurotrophins, and the subcellular translocation of heat shock proteins in muscle. These responses did not differ significantly between cold water immersion and active recovery.

Our results suggest that cold water immersion is no more effective than active recovery for minimizing the inflammatory and stress responses in muscle after resistance exercise.

Cold water immersion and active recovery are common post‐exercise recovery treatments. However, little is known about whether these treatments influence inflammation and cellular stress in human skeletal muscle after exercise. We compared the effects of cold water immersion versus active recovery on inflammatory cells, pro‐inflammatory cytokines, neurotrophins and heat shock proteins (HSPs) in skeletal muscle after intense resistance exercise. Nine active men performed unilateral lower‐body resistance exercise on separate days, at least 1 week apart. On one day, they immersed their lower body in cold water (10°C) for 10 min after exercise. On the other day, they cycled at a low intensity for 10 min after exercise. Muscle biopsies were collected from the exercised leg before, 2, 24 and 48 h after exercise in both trials. Exercise increased intramuscular neutrophil and macrophage counts, MAC1 and CD163 mRNA expression (P < 0.05). Exercise also increased IL1β, TNF, IL6, CCL2, CCL4, CXCL2, IL8 and LIF mRNA expression (P < 0.05). As evidence of hyperalgesia, the expression of NGF and GDNF mRNA increased after exercise (P < 0.05). The cytosolic protein content of αB‐crystallin and HSP70 decreased after exercise (P < 0.05). This response was accompanied by increases in the cytoskeletal protein content of αB‐crystallin and the percentage of type II fibres stained for αB‐crystallin. Changes in inflammatory cells, cytokines, neurotrophins and HSPs did not differ significantly between the recovery treatments. These findings indicate that cold water immersion is no more effective than active recovery for reducing inflammation or cellular stress in muscle after a bout of resistance exercise.
Design of Adaptive Fuzzy Control for a Class of Networked Nonlinear Systems
Authors: Hamdy Mohamed , Abd-Elhaleem Sameh , Fkirin M. A.
Published: October 2016

This paper presents an adaptive fuzzy controller for a class of unknown nonlinear systems over network. The network-induced delays can degrade the performance of the networked control systems (NCSs) and also can destabilize the system. Moreover, the seriousness of the delay problem is aggravated when packet losses occur during a transmission of data. The proposed controller uses a filtered tracking error to cope the time-varying network-induced delays. It is also robust enough to cope some packet losses in the system. Fuzzy logic systems (FLSs) are used to approximate the unknown nonlinear functions that appear in the tracking controller. Based on Lyapunov stability theory, the constructed controller is proved to be asymptotically stable. Stability of the adaptive fuzzy controller is guaranteed in the presence of bounded external disturbance, time-varying delays, and data packet dropouts. Simulated application of the inverted pendulum tracking illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed technique with comparative results.
Stability Analysis of Discrete Integral Sliding Mode Control for Input–Output Model
Authors: Zina Elhajji , Khadija Dehri , Said Nouri Ahmed
Published: October 2016

The sliding mode control (SMC) has several advantages in terms of good transient performance and system robustness. However, the sensitivity of this control technique to disturbance before reaching the sliding surface and the existence of the chattering phenomenon can be considered as the major problems in its implementation. To overcome these problems, we propose a new discrete integral sliding mode control (DISMC) for input–output model and compare it with the classical SMC and a recent version of DISMC. Then, a stability analysis is presented. Simulation results are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Fast and Accurate Approximations for the Colebrook Equation
Authors: Biberg Dag
Published: October 2016

The standard expression for pipe friction calculations, the Colebrook equation, is in an implicit form. Here, we present two accurate approximate solutions, given by replacing the numerically unstable term in Keady's exact Lambert function solution with a truncated series expansion. The resulting expressions have a higher accuracy than most advanced approximations and a lower computational cost than basic engineering formulas. The simplest expression, given by retaining only three terms in the series expansion, has a maximum error of less than 0.153% for Re ≥ 4000. The slightly more involved expression, based on five terms, has a maximum error of 0.0061%.
Topography Analysis of Random Anisotropic Gaussian Rough Surfaces
Authors: Prajapati Deepak K. , Tiwari Mayank
Published: October 2016

Engineered surfaces (ground and similarly structured rough surfaces) show anisotropic characteristics and their topography parameters are direction dependent. Statistical characterization of these surfaces is still complex because of directional nature of surfaces. In this technical brief, an attempt is made to simulate anisotropic surfaces through use of topography parameters (three-dimensional (3D) surface parameters). First, 3D anisotropic random Gaussian rough surface is generated numerically with fast Fourier transform (FFT). Numerically generated anisotropic random Gaussian rough surface shows statistical properties (texture direction, texture ratio) similar to ground and similarly directional anisotropic rough surfaces. For numerically generated anisotropic Gaussian rough surface, important 3D roughness parameters are determined. Sayles and Thomas' (1976, “Thermal Conductance of Rough Elastic Contact,” Appl. Energy, 2(4), pp. 249–267.) theoretical model for directional anisotropic rough surface is adopted here for calculating the summit parameters, i.e., equivalent bandwidth parameter, mean summit curvature, skewness of summit height, standard deviation of summit height, and equivalent spectral moments. This work demonstrates the variation of spectral moments in both across and parallel to the lay directions with pattern ratio (γ=βx/βy). Correlation length (βx) is fixed 10μm and correlation length (βy) is varied from 100 to 10 μm. Variation of summit parameters with pattern ratio is also discussed in detail. Results shows that mean summit curvature and skewness of summit heights increase with increase in pattern ratio, whereas standard deviation of summit heights and equivalent bandwidth parameter (αe) decreases with pattern ratio. A significant difference is found in “Abbott-Firestone” parameters when calculated in both perpendicular and parallel to lay directions. Effect of these parameters on wear process is discussed in brief.
Fe2O3-WO3 nanosystems synthesized by a hybrid CVD/sputtering route, and analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
Authors: Barreca Davide , Carraro Giorgio , Gasparotto Alberto , Maccato Chiara
Published: October 2016

Fe2O3-WO3nanosystems have been grown on metallic Ti substrates by a hybrid chemical vapor deposition(CVD) / Radio Frequency (RF)-sputtering route. The obtained specimens have been characterized in their structure, morphology and chemical composition by means of X-ray diffraction(XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), secondary ion mass spectrometry(SIMS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS). Herein, a detailed XPS investigation of a representative sample is proposed. In addition to the wide scan spectrum, particular attention is dedicated to the analysis of O 1s, Fe 2p, W 4f, and W 4d core levels. The obtained results suggested the formation of pure Fe2O3-WO3composites, in which each oxide maintained its chemical identity.
An analysis of the acoustic cavitation noise spectrum: The role of periodic shock waves
Authors: Song Jae Hee , Johansen Kristoffer , Prentice Paul
Published: October 2016

Research on applications of acoustic cavitation is often reported in terms of the features within the spectrum of the emissions gathered during cavitation occurrence. There is, however, limited understanding as to the contribution of specific bubble activity to spectral features, beyond a binary interpretation of stable versus inertial cavitation. In this work, laser-nucleation is used to initiate cavitation within a few millimeters of the tip of a needle hydrophone, calibrated for magnitude and phase from 125 kHz to 20 MHz. The bubble activity, acoustically driven at f0 = 692 kHz, is resolved with high-speed shadowgraphic imaging at 5 × 106 frames per second. A synthetic spectrum is constructed from component signals based on the hydrophone data, deconvolved within the calibration bandwidth, in the time domain. Cross correlation coefficients between the experimental and synthetic spectra of 0.97 for the f0/2 and f0/3 regimes indicate that periodic shock waves and scattered driving field predominantly account for all spectral features, including the sub-harmonics and their over-harmonics, and harmonics of f0.
A new way to beat the heat
Authors: Stanley Sarah A.
Published: October 2016

Specific neurons in the hypothalamus regulate body temperature and are rapidly activated by warmth.
Genetic Dissection of the Type VI Secretion System in
Acinetobacter
and Identification of a Novel Peptidoglycan Hydrolase, TagX, Required for Its Biogenesis
Authors: Weber Brent S. , Hennon Seth W. , Wright Meredith S. , Scott Nichollas E. , de Berardinis Véronique , Foster Leonard J. , Ayala Juan A. , Adams Mark D. , Feldman Mario F.
Published: October 2016

The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a widespread secretory apparatus produced by Gram-negative bacteria that has emerged as a potent mediator of antibacterial activity during interbacterial interactions. Most
Acinetobacter
species produce a genetically conserved T6SS, although the expression and functionality of this system vary among different strains. Some pathogenic
Acinetobacter baumannii
strains activate this secretion system via the spontaneous loss of a plasmid carrying T6SS repressors. In this work, we compared the expression of T6SS-related genes via transcriptome sequencing and differential proteomics in cells with and without the plasmid. This approach, together with the mutational analysis of the T6SS clusters, led to the determination of the genetic components required to elaborate a functional T6SS in the nosocomial pathogen
A. baumannii
and the nonpathogen
A. baylyi
. By constructing a comprehensive combination of mutants with changes in the T6SS-associated
vgrG
genes, we delineated their relative contributions to T6SS function. We further determined the importance of two effectors, including an effector-immunity pair, for antibacterial activity. Our genetic analysis led to the identification of an essential membrane-associated structural component named TagX, which we have characterized as a peptidoglycan hydrolase possessing
l
,
d
-endopeptidase activity. TagX shows homology to known bacteriophage
l
,
d
-endopeptidases and is conserved in the T6SS clusters of several bacterial species. We propose that TagX is the first identified enzyme that fulfills the important role of enabling the transit of T6SS machinery across the peptidoglycan layer of the T6SS-producing bacterium.

IMPORTANCE
Acinetobacter baumannii
is one of the most troublesome and least investigated multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens. We have previously shown that
A. baumannii
employs a T6SS to eliminate competing bacteria. Here we provide a comprehensive analysis of the components of the T6SS of
Acinetobacter
, and our results provide genetic and functional insights into the
Acinetobacter
T6SS. Through this analysis, we identified a novel peptidoglycan hydrolase, TagX, that is required for biogenesis of the T6SS apparatus. This is the first peptidoglycanase specialized in T6SS function identified in any species. We propose that this enzyme is required for the spatially and temporally regulated digestion of peptidoglycan to allow assembly of the T6SS machinery.
No-Go Zones for Mariner Transposition
Authors: Akerley Brian J.
Published: October 2016

The property of transposons to randomly insert into target DNA has long been exploited for generalized mutagenesis and forward genetic screens. Newer applications that monitor the relative abundance of each transposon insertion in large libraries of mutants can be used to evaluate the roles in cellular fitness of all genes of an organism, provided that transposition is in fact random across all genes. In a recent article, Kimura and colleagues identified an important exception to the latter assumption [S. Kimura, T. P. Hubbard, B. M. Davis, M. K. Waldor, mBio 7(4):e01351-16, 2016, doi:10.1128/mBio.01351-16]. They provide evidence that the Mariner transposon exhibits locus-specific site preferences in the presence of the histone-like nucleoid structuring protein H-NS. This effect was shown to bias results for important virulence loci in
Vibrio cholerae
and to result in misidentification of genes involved in growth
in vitro
. Fortunately, the bulk of this bacterium’s genome was unaffected by this bias, and recognizing the H-NS effect allows filtering to improve the accuracy of the results.
Jolt accentuation of neck pain: a novel physical finding for crowned dens syndrome
Authors: Kurihara Masaru , Tokuda Yasuharu
Published: October 2016

Crowned dens syndrome (CDS), a pseudogout attack involved with atlantoaxial joint, mimics meningitis, because jolt accentuation of headache, a physical sign for meningitis, is frequently considered mistakenly as ‘positive’ in CDS patients. Our patient with CDS experienced multiple ambulance transports and underwent lumbar puncture for suspected meningitis because of positive result of jolt accentuation of headache. We found that the patient actually had jolt accentuation of neck pain from CDS and treated her successfully. The characteristic physical finding produced by axial neck rotation in CDS patients is not headache, but a jolt accentuation of neck pain.