bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sacrifice in close relationships: Motives, emotions, and relationship outcomes
Authors: Righetti Francesca , Impett Emily
Published: September 2017

Romantic partners often face situations in which their preferences, interests and goals are not well aligned—what is good for one partner is not good for the other. In these situations, people need to make a decision between pursuing their own self‐interest and sacrificing for their partner or the relationship. In this work, we discuss antecedents and consequences of sacrifice in close relationships. Specifically, we address when people are more likely to sacrifice, what are the motivations driving a sacrifice, and what are the affective consequences of this behavior for the person who makes the sacrifice (i.e., the actor), for the person who receives the sacrifice (i.e., the recipient), and for the relationship. We conclude by discussing important directions for future research on the implications of sacrifice for the well‐being of individuals and their relationships.
Aid, trade and migration: How do bilateral flows interact?
Authors: Menard Audrey , Gary Aurore
Published: September 2017

This paper takes as its point of departure the European Commission's position, set out in 2005, which laid clear emphasis on aid and trade as tools for controlling immigration. We attempt to subject this position to empirical investigation. We exploit data on bilateral aid, trade and migration flows between developed and developing countries, for the period 2000–10, adopting an instrumental variable approach to address the endogeneity issue due to potential simultaneity bias. Our results establish that increasing aid and trade with developing countries is likely to fail to contain immigration, at least in the short run. The pattern of results is consistent with the hypothesis that promoting development in migrant‐sending countries, or cooperating with such countries to control migration outflows, is not sufficient to lessen immigration. Increasing visa restrictions and controls at borders is generally controversial; still, the results imply that policymakers cannot attain their short‐term immigration goals with the so‐called smart solutions of aid and trade.
Nonregenerative immune‐mediated anemia associated with a diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma in a captive jaguar (Panthera onca)
Authors: Keresztes Monika A. , Henrich Manfred , Baloi Penelope , Gerst Sascha , Rudnick Jens‐Christian , Langenstein Judith , Moritz Andreas , Bauer Natali
Published: September 2017

An 18‐year‐old male castrated jaguar (Panthera onca) was presented with anorexia and continuous bleeding from the oral cavity after a history of fighting with the partner animal. Clinical evaluation revealed ulcerating lesions on the gingiva and hard palate and a hematoma on the tongue. Computed tomography of the head and endoscopic examination of the esophagus and stomach were unremarkable. Hematology and clinical chemistry revealed severe nonregenerative anemia, mild thrombocytopenia, and moderate azotemia. SeveralPCRs for feline hemotropic mycoplasmas (Mycoplasma haemofelis, M heamominutium, M turicensis),Babesia felis, andBartonellaspp., as well as an FeLVantigen test were negative. The cytologic examination of a bone marrow aspirate was consistent with ineffective erythropoiesis, most likely due to immune‐mediated destruction of the erythroid precursor cells. Prednisolone therapy was initiated (1.25 mg/kg/day), and theCBCreturned to normal 16 days after the initiation of the therapy. Anemia relapsed after 4 months and severe splenomegaly was noted. A repeat bone marrow aspirate revealed active erythropoiesis in the presence of erythroid precursor phagocytosis suggesting an immune‐mediated process. Splenic fine‐needle aspiration and tissue biopsies were taken, and all findings including histology and immunohistochemistry were consistent with a diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Five days later, the clinical condition deteriorated and the jaguar died. Histopathology following necropsy showed infiltration with neoplastic lymphoblasts in the spleen, liver, and abdominal lymph nodes. This case report describes a nonregenerative immune‐mediated anemia associated with a DLBCL in a jaguar.
Ergodic measures on spaces of infinite matrices over non-Archimedean locally compact fields
Authors: Bufetov Alexander I. , Qiu Yanqi
Published: September 2017

Let$F$be a non-discrete non-Archimedean locally compact field and${\mathcal{O}}_{F}$the ring of integers in$F$. The main results of this paper are the classification of ergodic probability measures on the space$\text{Mat}(\mathbb{N},F)$of infinite matrices with entries in$F$with respect to the natural action of the group$\text{GL}(\infty ,{\mathcal{O}}_{F})\times \text{GL}(\infty ,{\mathcal{O}}_{F})$and the classification, for non-dyadic$F$, of ergodic probability measures on the space$\text{Sym}(\mathbb{N},F)$of infinite symmetric matrices with respect to the natural action of the group$\text{GL}(\infty ,{\mathcal{O}}_{F})$.
How to Realize Volume Conservation During Finite Plastic Deformation
Authors: Wang Heling , Jiang Dong-Jie , Zhang Li-Yuan , Liu Bin
Published: September 2017

Volume conservation during plastic deformation is the most important feature and should be realized in elastoplastic theories. However, it is found in this paper that an elastoplastic theory is not volume conserved if it improperly sets an arbitrary plastic strain rate tensor to be deviatoric. We discuss how to rigorously realize volume conservation in finite strain regime, especially when the unloading stress free configuration is not adopted in the elastoplastic theories. An accurate condition of volume conservation is first clarified and used in this paper that the density of a volume element after the applied loads are completely removed should be identical to that of the initial stress free states. For the elastoplastic theories that adopt the unloading stress free configuration (i.e., the intermediate configuration), the accurate condition of volume conservation is satisfied only if specific definitions of the plastic strain rate are used among many other different definitions. For the elastoplastic theories that do not adopt the unloading stress free configuration, it is even more difficult to realize volume conservation as the information of the stress free configuration lacks. To find a universal approach of realizing volume conservation for elastoplastic theories whether or not adopt the unloading stress free configuration, we propose a single assumption that the density of material only depends on the trace of the Cauchy stress by using their objectivities. Two strategies are further discussed to satisfy the accurate condition of volume conservation: directly and slightly revising the tangential stiffness tensor or using a properly chosen stress/strain measure and elastic compliance tensor. They are implemented into existing elastoplastic theories, and the volume conservation is demonstrated by both theoretical proof and numerical examples. The potential application of the proposed theories is a better simulation of manufacture process such as metal forming.
Assessment Criteria for Computational Fluid Dynamics Model Validation Experiments
Authors: Oberkampf William L. , Smith Barton L.
Published: September 2017

Validation assesses the accuracy of a mathematical model by comparing simulation results to experimentally measured quantities of interest. Model validation experiments emphasize obtaining detailed information on all input data needed by the mathematical model, in addition to measuring the system response quantities (SRQs) so that the predictive accuracy of the model can be critically determined. This article proposes a framework for assessing model validation experiments for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) regarding information content, data completeness, and uncertainty quantification (UQ). This framework combines two previously published concepts: the strong-sense model validation experiments and the modeling maturity assessment procedure referred to as the predictive capability maturity method (PCMM). The model validation experiment assessment requirements are captured in a table of six attributes: experimental facility, analog instrumentation and signal processing, boundary and initial conditions, fluid and material properties, test conditions, and measurement of system responses, with four levels of information completeness for each attribute. The specifics of this table are constructed for a generic wind tunnel experiment. Each attribute’s completeness is measured from the perspective of the level of detail needed for input data using direct numerical simulation of the Navier–Stokes equations. While this is an extraordinary and unprecedented requirement for level of detail in a model validation experiment, it is appropriate for critical assessment of modern CFD simulations.
Locomotion of a Mini Bristle Robot With Inertial Excitation
Authors: Majewski Tadeusz , Szwedowicz Dariusz , Majewski Maciej
Published: September 2017

The paper presents a theory of vibratory locomotion, a prototype, and the results of experiments on mini robot, which moves as a result of inertial excitation provided by two electric motors. The robot is equipped with elastic bristles which are in contact with the supporting surface. Vibration of the robot generates the friction force which can push the robot forward or backward. The paper presents a novel model of interaction between the bristles and the supporting surface. The friction force (its magnitude and sense) is defined as a function of the robot velocity and the robot's vibrations. The analysis is done for a constant coefficient of friction and a smooth surface. Depending on the motors' speed, one may obtain a rectilinear or a curvilinear motion, without jumping or losing contact with the substrate. The results of the simulation show which way the robot moves, its mean velocity of locomotion, change of the slipping velocity of the bristles and its influence on the normal and the friction force. A prototype was built and experiments were performed with it.
Tumor lymphangiogenesis promotes T cell infiltration and potentiates immunotherapy in melanoma
Authors: Fankhauser Manuel , Broggi Maria A. S. , Potin Lambert , Bordry Natacha , Jeanbart Laura , Lund Amanda W. , Da Costa Elodie , Hauert Sylvie , Rincon-Restrepo Marcela , Tremblay Christopher , Cabello Elena , Homicsko Krisztian , Michielin Olivier , Hanahan Douglas , Speiser Daniel E. , Swartz Melody A.
Published: September 2017

Tumor lymphangiogenesis, a driver of immunosuppression and metastasis, also potentiates immunotherapy.
Peptide probes detect misfolded transthyretin oligomers in plasma of hereditary amyloidosis patients
Authors: Schonhoft Joseph D. , Monteiro Cecilia , Plate Lars , Eisele Yvonne S. , Kelly John M. , Boland Daniel , Parker Christopher G. , Cravatt Benjamin F. , Teruya Sergio , Helmke Stephen , Maurer Mathew , Berk John , Sekijima Yoshiki , Novais Marta , Coelho Teresa , Powers Evan T. , Kelly Jeffery W.
Published: September 2017

Peptide probes detect misfolded transthyretin oligomers in amyloidosis patient plasma.
In the mood for food
Authors: Dzirasa Kafui
Published: September 2017

A neuronal subpopulation in the central amygdala promotes food consumption.
Metabolic Roles of Uncultivated Bacterioplankton Lineages in the Northern Gulf of Mexico “Dead Zone”
Authors: Thrash J. Cameron , Seitz Kiley W. , Baker Brett J. , Temperton Ben , Gillies Lauren E. , Rabalais Nancy N. , Henrissat Bernard , Mason Olivia U.
Published: September 2017

Marine regions that have seasonal to long-term low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, sometimes called “dead zones,” are increasing in number and severity around the globe with deleterious effects on ecology and economics. One of the largest of these coastal dead zones occurs on the continental shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM), which results from eutrophication-enhanced bacterioplankton respiration and strong seasonal stratification. Previous research in this dead zone revealed the presence of multiple cosmopolitan bacterioplankton lineages that have eluded cultivation, and thus their metabolic roles in this ecosystem remain unknown. We used a coupled shotgun metagenomic and metatranscriptomic approach to determine the metabolic potential of Marine Group II
Euryarchaeota
, SAR406, and SAR202. We recovered multiple high-quality, nearly complete genomes from all three groups as well as candidate phyla usually associated with anoxic environments—
Parcubacteria
(OD1) and
Peregrinibacteria
. Two additional groups with putative assignments to ACD39 and PAUC34f supplement the metabolic contributions by uncultivated taxa. Our results indicate active metabolism in all groups, including prevalent aerobic respiration, with concurrent expression of genes for nitrate reduction in SAR406 and SAR202, and dissimilatory nitrite reduction to ammonia and sulfur reduction by SAR406. We also report a variety of active heterotrophic carbon processing mechanisms, including degradation of complex carbohydrate compounds by SAR406, SAR202, ACD39, and PAUC34f. Together, these data help constrain the metabolic contributions from uncultivated groups in the nGOM during periods of low DO and suggest roles for these organisms in the breakdown of complex organic matter.

IMPORTANCE
Dead zones receive their name primarily from the reduction of eukaryotic macrobiota (demersal fish, shrimp, etc.) that are also key coastal fisheries. Excess nutrients contributed from anthropogenic activity such as fertilizer runoff result in algal blooms and therefore ample new carbon for aerobic microbial metabolism. Combined with strong stratification, microbial respiration reduces oxygen in shelf bottom waters to levels unfit for many animals (termed hypoxia). The nGOM shelf remains one of the largest eutrophication-driven hypoxic zones in the world, yet despite its potential as a model study system, the microbial metabolisms underlying and resulting from this phenomenon—many of which occur in bacterioplankton from poorly understood lineages—have received only preliminary study. Our work details the metabolic potential and gene expression activity for uncultivated lineages across several low DO sites in the nGOM, improving our understanding of the active biogeochemical cycling mediated by these “microbial dark matter” taxa during hypoxia.
Activity-Related Conformational Changes in
d,d
-Carboxypeptidases Revealed by
In Vivo
Periplasmic Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Assay in
Escherichia coli
Authors: Meiresonne Nils Y. , van der Ploeg René , Hink Mark A. , den Blaauwen Tanneke
Published: September 2017

One of the mechanisms of β-lactam antibiotic resistance requires the activity of
d,d
-carboxypeptidases (
d,d
-CPases) involved in peptidoglycan (PG) synthesis, making them putative targets for new antibiotic development. The activity of PG-synthesizing enzymes is often correlated with their association with other proteins. The PG layer is maintained in the periplasm between the two membranes of the Gram-negative cell envelope. Because no methods existed to detect
in vivo
interactions in this compartment, we have developed and validated a Förster resonance energy transfer assay. Using the fluorescent-protein donor-acceptor pair mNeonGreen-mCherry, periplasmic protein interactions were detected in fixed and in living bacteria, in single samples or in plate reader 96-well format. We show that the
d,d
-CPases PBP5, PBP6a, and PBP6b of
Escherichia coli
change dimer conformation between resting and active states. Complementation studies and changes in localization suggest that these
d,d
-CPases are not redundant but that their balanced activity is required for robust PG synthesis.

IMPORTANCE
The periplasmic space between the outer and the inner membrane of Gram-negative bacteria contains many essential regulatory, transport, and cell wall-synthesizing and -hydrolyzing proteins. To date, no assay is available to determine protein interactions in this compartment. We have developed a periplasmic protein interaction assay for living and fixed bacteria in single samples or 96-well-plate format. Using this assay, we were able to demonstrate conformation changes related to the activity of proteins that could not have been detected by any other living-cell method available. The assay uniquely expands our toolbox for antibiotic screening and mode-of-action studies.
Binding of NAD
+
-Glycohydrolase to Streptolysin O Stabilizes Both Toxins and Promotes Virulence of Group A
Streptococcus
Authors: Velarde Jorge J. , O’Seaghdha Maghnus , Baddal Buket , Bastiat-Sempe Benedicte , Wessels Michael R.
Published: September 2017

The globally dominant, invasive M1T1 strain of group A
Streptococcus
(GAS) harbors polymorphisms in the promoter region of an operon that contains the genes encoding streptolysin O (SLO) and NAD
+
-glycohydrolase (NADase), resulting in high-level expression of these toxins. While both toxins have been shown experimentally to contribute to pathogenesis, many GAS isolates lack detectable NADase activity. DNA sequencing of such strains has revealed that reduced or absent enzymatic activity can be associated with a variety of point mutations in
nga
, the gene encoding NADase; a commonly observed polymorphism associated with near-complete abrogation of activity is a substitution of aspartic acid for glycine at position 330 (G330D). However,
nga
has not been observed to contain early termination codons or mutations that would result in a truncated protein, even when the gene product contains missense mutations that abrogate enzymatic activity. It has been suggested that NADase that lacks NAD-glycohydrolase activity retains an as-yet-unidentified inherent cytotoxicity to mammalian cells and thus is still a potent virulence factor. We now show that expression of NADase, either enzymatically active or inactive, augments SLO-mediated toxicity for keratinocytes. In culture supernatants, SLO and NADase are mutually interdependent for protein stability. We demonstrate that the two proteins interact in solution and that both the translocation domain and catalytic domain of NADase are required for maximal binding between the two toxins. We conclude that binding of NADase to SLO stabilizes both toxins, thereby enhancing GAS virulence.

IMPORTANCE
The global increase in invasive GAS infections in the 1980s was associated with the emergence of an M1T1 clone that harbors a 36-kb pathogenicity island, which codes for increased expression of toxins SLO and NADase. Polymorphisms in NADase that render it catalytically inactive can be detected in clinical isolates, including invasive strains. However, such isolates continue to produce full-length NADase. The rationale for this observation is not completely understood. This study characterizes the binding interaction between NADase and SLO and reports that the expression of each toxin is crucial for maximal expression and stability of the other. By this mechanism, the presence of both toxins increases toxicity to keratinocytes and is predicted to enhance GAS survival in the human host. These observations provide an explanation for conservation of full-length NADase expression even when it lacks enzymatic activity and suggest a critical role for binding of NADase to SLO in GAS pathogenesis.
Gene Expression in
Leishmania
Is Regulated Predominantly by Gene Dosage
Authors: Iantorno Stefano A. , Durrant Caroline , Khan Asis , Sanders Mandy J. , Beverley Stephen M. , Warren Wesley C. , Berriman Matthew , Sacks David L. , Cotton James A. , Grigg Michael E.
Published: September 2017

Leishmania tropica
, a unicellular eukaryotic parasite present in North and East Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent, has been linked to large outbreaks of cutaneous leishmaniasis in displaced populations in Iraq, Jordan, and Syria. Here, we report the genome sequence of this pathogen and 7,863 identified protein-coding genes, and we show that the majority of clinical isolates possess high levels of allelic diversity, genetic admixture, heterozygosity, and extensive aneuploidy. By utilizing paired genome-wide high-throughput DNA sequencing (DNA-seq) with RNA-seq, we found that gene dosage, at the level of individual genes or chromosomal “somy” (a general term covering disomy, trisomy, tetrasomy, etc.), accounted for greater than 85% of total gene expression variation in genes with a 2-fold or greater change in expression. High gene copy number variation (CNV) among membrane-bound transporters, a class of proteins previously implicated in drug resistance, was found for the most highly differentially expressed genes. Our results suggest that gene dosage is an adaptive trait that confers phenotypic plasticity among natural
Leishmania
populations by rapid down- or upregulation of transporter proteins to limit the effects of environmental stresses, such as drug selection.

IMPORTANCE
Leishmania
is a genus of unicellular eukaryotic parasites that is responsible for a spectrum of human diseases that range from cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL) to life-threatening visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Developmental and strain-specific gene expression is largely thought to be due to mRNA message stability or posttranscriptional regulatory networks for this species, whose genome is organized into polycistronic gene clusters in the absence of promoter-mediated regulation of transcription initiation of nuclear genes. Genetic hybridization has been demonstrated to yield dramatic structural genomic variation, but whether such changes in gene dosage impact gene expression has not been formally investigated. Here we show that the predominant mechanism determining transcript abundance differences (>85%) in
Leishmania tropica
is that of gene dosage at the level of individual genes or chromosomal somy.
Treatment and management of children with haemolytic uraemic syndrome
Authors: Walsh Patrick R , Johnson Sally
Published: September 2017

Haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), comprising microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia, thrombocytopaenia and acute kidney injury, remains the leading cause of paediatric intrinsic acute kidney injury, with peak incidence in children aged under 5 years. HUS most commonly occurs following infection with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC-HUS). Additionally, HUS can occur as a result of inherited or acquired dysregulation of the alternative complement cascade (atypical HUS or aHUS) and in the setting of invasive pneumococcal infection. The field of HUS has been transformed by the discovery of the central role of complement in aHUS and the dawn of therapeutic complement inhibition. Herein, we address these three major forms of HUS in children, review the latest evidence for their treatment and discuss the management of STEC infection from presentation with bloody diarrhoea, through to development of fulminant HUS.
Lactobacillus: the not so friendly bacteria
Authors: Pararajasingam Abirami , Uwagwu Juliet
Published: September 2017

We present a 65-year-old diabetic patient with a complex liver abscess and bacteraemia fromLactobacillus paracasei. The abscess resulted in a prolonged hospital stay due to ongoing sepsis despite ultrasound-guided drainage and broad-spectrum antibiotics. Furthermore, the patient developed several secondary complications including a right-sided pleural effusion, an inferior vena cava thrombus and septic lung emboli. The abscess was eventually managed successfully with a prolonged course of antibiotics and multiple ultrasound-guided drainage procedures.

To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of probiotic consumption, confirmed by strain identification, as the likely source of a liver abscess. Probiotic products have been widely used for many years and are advocated to the general public for their health benefits with no warning of side effects. Lactobacilli are one group of bacteria commonly used in these products. Although rare, complications have been reported. Susceptible patients, such as those who are immunocompromised, should be advised against excessive consumption.
Protocol for a systematic review of instruments for the assessment of quality of life and well-being in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy
Authors: Mpundu-Kaambwa Christine , Chen Gang , Huynh Elisabeth , Russo Remo , Ratcliffe Julie
Published: September 2017

Introduction

Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of physical disability in children and adolescents and is associated with impairments that may reduce the quality of life (QOL) of this population. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) can facilitate the assessment of the effect of disease and treatment on QOL, from a patient viewpoint. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify PROMs that are used to measure QOL and subjective well-being (SWB) outcomes in young people with cerebral palsy and to evaluate the suitability of these PROMs for application in economic evaluations within this population.

Methods and analysis

MEDLINE, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science Core Collection, EconLit, PsycINFO, CINAHL, EMBASE and Informit will be systematically searched from inception to date of search. Published peer-reviewed, English-language articles reporting PROMs measuring QOL or SWB outcomes in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy will be included. One reviewer will conduct the initial search and screen titles and abstracts for potentially eligible studies. The search will be performed in November 2017. To reduce the likelihood of reviewer selection bias, two other reviewers will independently screen a randomly selected subsample (10%) of the citations. Two reviewers will then retrieve full texts of potentially eligible studies and assess them against predefined inclusion criteria. The suitability of selected PROMs for use in economic evaluations of young people with cerebral palsy will be assessed using the International Society of Quality of Life Research recommended Minimum Standards and the Patient-Centered Outcomes and Comparative Effectiveness Research checklist. A narrative synthesis of extracted data will be presented including study descriptive data, PROMs measurement properties, settings in which they were applied and the valuation methods. Recommendations for practice on the selection of PROMs for use in economic evaluations of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy will be presented.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is not required as the proposed systematic review will not use primary data. The results of this study will be widely disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and conference presentation(s).

Systematic review registration number

International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews number: CRD42016049746.
Neck circumference and clustered cardiovascular risk factors in children and adolescents: cross-sectional study
Authors: Castro-Piñero José , Delgado-Alfonso Alvaro , Gracia-Marco Luis , Gómez-Martínez Sonia , Esteban-Cornejo Irene , Veiga Oscar L , Marcos Ascensión , Segura-Jiménez Víctor
Published: September 2017

Objective

Early detection of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, such as obesity, is crucial to prevent adverse long-term effects on individuals’ health. Therefore, the aims were: (1) to explore the robustness of neck circumference (NC) as a predictor of CVD and examine its association with numerous anthropometric and body composition indices and (2) to release sex and age-specific NC cut-off values to classify youths as overweight/obese.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

23 primary schools and 17 secondary schools from Spain.

Participants

2198 students (1060 girls), grades 1–4 and 7–10.

Measures

Pubertal development, anthropometric and body composition indices, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP, respectively), cardiorespiratory fitness, blood sampling triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), glucose and inflammatory markers. Homoeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) and cluster of CVD risk factors were calculated.

Results

NC was positively correlated with all anthropometric and body composition indices. NC was negatively associated with maximum oxygen consumption (R2=0.231, p<0.001 for boys; R2=0.018, p<0.001 for girls) and positively associated with SBP, DBP, TC/HDL-c, TG, HOMA, complement factors C-3 and C-4, leptin, adiponectin and clustered CVD risk factor in both sexes (R2from 0.035 to 0.353, p<0.01 for boys; R2from 0.024 to 0.215, p<0.001 for girls). Moreover, NC was positively associated with serum C reactive protein, LDL-c and visfatin only in boys (R2from 0.013 to 0.107, p<0.05).

Conclusion

NC is a simple, low-cost and practical screening tool of excess of upper body obesity and CVD risk factors in children and adolescents. Paediatricians can easily use it as a screening tool for overweight/obesity in children and adolescents. For this purpose, sex and age-specific thresholds to classify children and adolescents as normal weight or overweight/obese are provided.
A retrospective analysis of 34 potentially missed cases of female genital mutilation in the emergency department
Authors: Fawcett Richard John , Kernohan George
Published: September 2017

Objectives

To discover if healthcare professionals working within an ED are able to make a diagnosis of female genital mutilation (FGM) in those patients who have previously undergone the procedure and report it as per UK law.

Design

A retrospective analysis of patients’ notes who were assigned an FGM code during the period of May 2015 to August 2016.

Setting

Single-centre, large UK major trauma centre offering a tertiary FGM clinic.

Participants

Any woman coded during the study period as having undergone FGM.

Primary outcome

Number of FGM cases identified by the ED.

Secondary outcomes

Mean age, presenting complaint, discharge diagnosis, genitourinary exam and defibulation status.

Results

34 patients were identified as having undergone FGM, 19 had previously attended ED and none had their FGM identified during their ED attendance. The age range of those identified was 23 to 40 years. None had undergone defibulation.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that the identification of FGM victims by an ED is very poor, and more work needs to be done to increase awareness of the subject by front-line staff.
How to prepare cytological samples for molecular testing
Authors: Bellevicine Claudio , Malapelle Umberto , Vigliar Elena , Pisapia Pasquale , Vita Giulia , Troncone Giancarlo
Published: September 2017

This review is focused on the challenges in standardising and optimising molecular testing workflow in cytopathology. Although cytological samples yield optimal quality DNA, whose minimal amounts in most cases suffice even for multigene mutational profiling, the success of molecular testing is strongly dependent on standardised preanalytical protocols for maximising DNA yield and quality. Sample cytopreparation influences, even more, the quality of RNA and consequently the potential success of reverse transcription-PCR. Here, the educational and technical involvement of the cytopathologist as a relevant component of a multidisciplinary team, in the issues related to test request, specimen collection, fixation, processing, staining, tumour fraction enrichment, DNA quality/quantity assessment and storage conditions is discussed. In addition, the specific sample requirements related to more recent technological developments are examined, underlining the modern role of the cytopathologist, whose continuous education is crucial to meet the opportunities of molecular medicine.
Education and health and well-being: direct and indirect effects with multiple mediators and interactions with multiple imputed data in Stata
Authors: Sheikh Mashhood Ahmed , Abelsen Birgit , Olsen Jan Abel
Published: September 2017

Background

Previous methods for assessing mediation assume no multiplicative interactions. The inverse odds weighting (IOW) approach has been presented as a method that can be used even when interactions exist. The substantive aim of this study was to assess the indirect effect of education on health and well-being via four indicators of adult socioeconomic status (SES): income, management position, occupational hierarchy position and subjective social status.

Methods

8516 men and women from the Tromsø Study (Norway) were followed for 17 years. Education was measured at age 25–74 years, while SES and health and well-being were measured at age 42–91 years. Natural direct and indirect effects (NIE) were estimated using weighted Poisson regression models with IOW. Stata code is provided that makes it easy to assess mediation in any multiple imputed dataset with multiple mediators and interactions.

Results

Low education was associated with lower SES. Consequently, low SES was associated with being unhealthy and having a low level of well-being. The effect (NIE) of education on health and well-being is mediated by income, management position, occupational hierarchy position and subjective social status.

Conclusion

This study contributes to the literature on mediation analysis, as well as the literature on the importance of education for health-related quality of life and subjective well-being. The influence of education on health and well-being had different pathways in this Norwegian sample.
Subacute endovascular recanalization of symptomatic cerebral artery occlusion: a propensity score-matched analysis
Authors: Lee Sang Hun , Suh Dae Chul , Cho Su Hee , Sheen Jae Jon , Lee Deok Hee , Kim Jong S
Published: September 2017

Background

The interval between the onset of cerebral vessel occlusion and recanalization has been shown to be an independent predictor of poor outcomes. However, endovascular recanalization of symptomatic cerebral vessel occlusion in the subacute period has not been well documented. We investigated the safety and efficacy of subacute recanalization of occluded cerebral vessels in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs).

Methods

Between 2014 and 2015, 98 patients were admitted to the emergency room for ischemic stroke or TIA with a small infarct core, which was defined as modest early ischemic change on non-contrast CT or overt diffusion–perfusion mismatch. All patients underwent pre-transfemoral cerebral angiography and post-endovascular treatment. The patients were classified according to acute (onset-to-groin puncture time ≤6 hours) or subacute (onset-to-groin puncture time >6 hours) recanalization. Using propensity score analysis, recipients of acute and subacute recanalization underwent 1:1 matching.

Results

Following 1:1 propensity score matching, 32 patients who underwent acute and 32 who underwent subacute intra-arterial thrombolysis were matched. There were no significant differences in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale at discharge, modified Rankin scale (mRS), the proportion of patients with an mRS value of 0–2, mortality at discharge, intracerebral bleeding, postprocedural infarct extension, newly detected infarction, and hyperintense acute reperfusion marker on follow-up images between the acute and subacute recanalization groups.

Conclusions

In selected patients with clinically unstable cerebral artery occlusions, a diffusion–perfusion mismatch and small CT lesions, subacute and acute recanalization has comparable safety and efficacy rates.
Epidural interlaminar injections in severe degenerative lumbar spine: fluoroscopy should not be a luxury
Authors: Filippiadis Dimitrios K , Rodt Thomas , Kitsou Maria-Chrysanthi , Batistaki Chrysanthi , Kelekis Nikolaos , Kostopanagiotou Georgia , Kelekis Alexis
Published: September 2017

Objective

To assess technical efficacy, accuracy, and safety of epidural (interlaminar) injections performed blindly in patients with a severely degenerated lumbar spine.

Methods

Over 12 consecutive months, 138 patients with a severe degenerative lumbar spine underwent epidural (interlaminar) injection as therapy for low back pain and neuralgia. Patients had already undergone a blind epidural infiltration with minimum or no pain reduction. The session was repeated in the angiography suite. Patients were placed in the lateral decubitus position. The injection was performed without image guidance by an anaesthesiologist; the target level was defined before the beginning of the procedure. Once air resistance loss was felt it was presumed that the needle was inside the epidural space. Verification of needle position was performed by injection of 1–3 mL of iodinated contrast medium under fluoroscopy in a lateral projection.

Results

Correct needle position inside the epidural space was documented in 82/138 cases (59.4%); unexpected extraepidural location was seen in 56/138 cases (40.6%). Target level was reached in 96/138 cases (69.6%); in 42/138 cases (30.4%) the needle was positioned in a non-target level. In 5/138 (3.6%) cases, there was inadvertent intradural position of the needle. Image guidance was subsequently used for correct positioning of the needle, which was feasible in all cases.

Conclusion

Blind interlaminar epidural injections lack the accuracy of exact needle location that imaging guidance offers in approximately 40% of cases, when there is difficult spine anatomy and the initial epidural approach has failed to provide pain relief. Image guidance for interlaminar epidural injection ensures accurate needle placement, enhancing the safety and efficacy of the procedure.
Inter-individual responses to sprint interval training, a pilot study investigating interactions with the sirtuin system
Authors: Gray Stuart R. , Aird Tom P. , Farquharson Andrew J. , Horgan Graham W. , Fisher Emily , Wilson John , Hopkins Gareth E. , Anderson Bradley , Ahmad Syed A. , Davis Stuart R. , Drew Janice E.
Published: September 2017

Sprint interval training (SIT) is reported to improve blood glucose control and may be a useful public health tool. The sirtuins and associated genes are emerging as key players in blood glucose control. This study investigated the interplay between the sirtuin/NAD system and individual variation in insulin sensitivity responses after SIT in young healthy individuals. Before and after 4 weeks of SIT, body mass and fat percentage were measured and oral glucose tolerance tests performed in 20 young healthy participants (7 females). Blood gene expression profiles (all 7 mammalian sirtuin genes and 15 enzymes involved in conversion of tryptophan, bioavailable vitamin B3, and metabolic precursors to NAD). NAD/NADP was measured in whole blood. Significant reductions in body weight and body fat post-SIT were associated with altered lipid profiles, NAD/NADP, and regulation of components of the sirtuin/NAD system (NAMPT, NMNAT1, CD38, and ABCA1). Variable improvements in measured metabolic health parameters were evident and attributed to different responses in males and females, together with marked inter-individual variation in responses of the sirtuin/NAD system to SIT.
Laboratory characterization and discrete element modeling of shrinkage and cracking in clay layer
Authors: Guo Yuan , Han Chanjuan , Yu Xiong (Bill)
Published: September 2017

The performance of a variety of geostructures, such as compacted clay liners, earth dams, and pavement embankments, is compromised by soil cracking. Experiments are set up to monitor the drying process of a clay layer under controlled temperature and humidity conditions. The gravimetric water content and images are captured automatically. Volumetric shrinkage of the bentonite sample as well as the crack patterns are determined from images. The monitored volumetric strain development is used to implement the discrete element method (DEM) to simulate the drying shrinkage and desiccation cracking. Model parameters are calibrated through unconfined compression tests on clay specimens at different water contents. This simplified calibration procedure allows characterization of the soil behaviors in the mesoscale and bypass the complex physicochemical processes involved. The initiation and propagation of cracks from the DEM model agree well with the phenomena observed in the laboratory experiments. The influence of boundary constraint and sample thickness on the crack patterns is analyzed, which includes the use of hydrophobic coating to diminish the boundary constraint. Major features of desiccation cracking can be replicated with the computational procedures. Boundary constraint, including surface roughness and strength of boundary layer, is found to significantly influence the final crack patterns.
A simple and sensitive sensor for silver ions based on unmodified gold nanoparticles by using dynamic light scattering techniques
Authors: Xiao Zhiyou , Tang Anjiang , Huang Hongsheng , Wang Ze
Published: September 2017

A simple and sensitive assay for Ag+ was developed with unmodified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by using dynamic light scattering techniques. Ag+ could induce the oligonucleotide (5′-ATC ACT ATA TCA TAT ACT CAT-3′) to change from a single-stranded structure to a double-stranded structure and desorb from the surface of AuNPs, which triggered the aggregation of AuNPs in the salt solution. The average hydrodynamic diameter of aggregated AuNPs could be detected by using dynamic light scattering techniques. Under the optimum conditions, the average hydrodynamic diameter of AuNPs is proportional to the concentration of Ag+ within the range of 13.3–100.0 nmol/L, with a detection limit of 3.2 nmol/L. The method is easy to operate and has low sample consumption, high sensitivity and selectivity.
Structural, electronic, elastic and lattice dynamical properties of CdIn2Te4 under pressure from first principle
Authors: Zhang Shaobo , Shi Liwei
Published: September 2017

The first-principle calculations have been performed to study the pressure-induced effects on the structural, electronic, elastic and lattice dynamical properties of defect chalcopyrite CdIn2Te4. The optimized structural parameters are well consistent with the available experimental and theoretical data. The evolutions of energy gaps, elastic constants, elastic moduli, phonon dispersion spectra, and Raman scattering spectra, as well as zone-center phonon frequencies with pressure have been investigated in detail. Our results show that CdIn2Te4 has a direct bandgap and energy gaps decrease nonlinearly with pressure. A pressure-induced transition from brittle fracture to plastic flow exists, and DC-CdIn2Te4 is elastic anisotropy. Most Raman-active phonon frequencies have positive pressure dependence, the exception is for the E2 and B3 modes.
“BATS ARE BLIND?” COGNITIVE BIASES IN RISK PERCEPTION OF ENTREPRENEURS
Authors: DÖLARSLAN EMRE ŞAHIN , KOÇAK AKIN , ÖZER ALPER
Published: September 2017

In general, it could be said that bats are blind but they have high quality senses of smelling and hearing to survive. Similarly, entrepreneurs can look at the business world with different eyes to survive. This affects their cognitive biases in risk perception. The aim of this study was to analyze how entrepreneurs’ cognitive biases affect their opportunity exploitation and risk perception. In this study, we evaluated self-efficacy, locus of control, overconfidence and optimism as dimensions of cognition. Independently of our purpose, results also show entrepreneurs have social capital, such as experience and prior knowledge, which forms their cognitive biases and leads them to perceive less risk when evaluating a new venture idea.
REDD1 induction regulates the skeletal muscle gene expression signature following acute aerobic exercise
Authors: Gordon Bradley S. , Steiner Jennifer L. , Rossetti Michael L. , Qiao Shuxi , Ellisen Leif W. , Govindarajan Subramaniam S. , Eroshkin Alexey M. , Williamson David L. , Coen Paul M.
Published: September 2017

The metabolic stress placed on skeletal muscle by aerobic exercise promotes acute and long-term health benefits in part through changes in gene expression. However, the transducers that mediate altered gene expression signatures have not been completely elucidated. Regulated in development and DNA damage 1 (REDD1) is a stress-induced protein whose expression is transiently increased in skeletal muscle following acute aerobic exercise. However, the role of this induction remains unclear. Because REDD1 altered gene expression in other model systems, we sought to determine whether REDD1 induction following acute exercise altered the gene expression signature in muscle. To do this, wild-type and REDD1-null mice were randomized to remain sedentary or undergo a bout of acute treadmill exercise. Exercised mice recovered for 1, 3, or 6 h before euthanization. Acute exercise induced a transient increase in REDD1 protein expression within the plantaris only at 1 h postexercise, and the induction occurred in both cytosolic and nuclear fractions. At this time point, global changes in gene expression were surveyed using microarray. REDD1 induction was required for the exercise-induced change in expression of 24 genes. Validation by RT-PCR confirmed that the exercise-mediated changes in genes related to exercise capacity, muscle protein metabolism, neuromuscular junction remodeling, and Metformin action were negated in REDD1-null mice. Finally, the exercise-mediated induction of REDD1 was partially dependent upon glucocorticoid receptor activation. In all, these data show that REDD1 induction regulates the exercise-mediated change in a distinct set of genes within skeletal muscle.
Stability of hand force production. I. Hand level control variables and multifinger synergies
Authors: Reschechtko Sasha , Latash Mark L.
Published: September 2017

We combined the theory of neural control of movement with referent coordinates and the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis to explore synergies stabilizing the hand action in accurate four-finger pressing tasks. In particular, we tested a hypothesis on two classes of synergies, those among the four fingers and those within a pair of control variables, stabilizing hand action under visual feedback and disappearing without visual feedback. Subjects performed four-finger total force and moment production tasks under visual feedback; the feedback was later partially or completely removed. The “inverse piano” device was used to lift and lower the fingers smoothly at the beginning and at the end of each trial. These data were used to compute pairs of hypothetical control variables. Intertrial analysis of variance within the finger force space was used to quantify multifinger synergies stabilizing both force and moment. A data permutation method was used to quantify synergies among control variables. Under visual feedback, synergies in the spaces of finger forces and hypothetical control variables were found to stabilize total force. Without visual feedback, the subjects showed a force drift to lower magnitudes and a moment drift toward pronation. This was accompanied by disappearance of the four-finger synergies and strong attenuation of the control variable synergies. The indexes of the two types of synergies correlated with each other. The findings are interpreted within the scheme with multiple levels of abundant variables.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We extended the idea of hierarchical control with referent spatial coordinates for the effectors and explored two types of synergies stabilizing multifinger force production tasks. We observed synergies among finger forces and synergies between hypothetical control variables that stabilized performance under visual feedback but failed to stabilize it after visual feedback had been removed. Indexes of two types of synergies correlated with each other. The data suggest the existence of multiple mechanisms stabilizing motor actions.