bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MORTALITY ANALYSIS OF THE PATIENTS WITH ALCOHOLIC LIVER CIRRHOSIS
Authors: Matkovska N. R.
Published: July 2019

Background. Alcohol is considered to be the main risk factor for adverse event deaths around the world. In Ukraine, mortality due to alcoholic liver disease (ALD) has taken the second place in the structure of death causes from diseases of the digestive system.

Objective. The aim of the research was to study the peculiarities of the causes of death in the patients with alcoholic liver disease at the stage of liver cirrhosis (LC) based on the analysis of protocols of pathoanatomical research.

Methods. The analysis of 149 protocols of the pathoanatomical study of the patients, who died from alcoholic LC, has been carried out at the premises of the Pathoanatomical Department of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Clinical Hospital in 2006-2018.

Results. Most people were young and middle aged. Fatal cases were caused by decompensation of the LC with the development of hepatic, hepatic-renal, cardio-pulmonary insufficiency, pancreatic necrosis, gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB), sepsis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In 37.6 % of the patients the concomitant illness was coronary heart disease (CHD), 10.7 % of the people had hypertension. In 6 % of the patients, ischemic stroke of the brain was diagnosed. In most people atherosclerotic vascular changes were revealed.

Conclusions. Excessive consumption of alcohol and, consequently, the development of LC, can be considered as an adverse factor in the reducing social standard of living. In the majority of people, who died from the decompensation of alcoholic LC, atherosclerotic vascular lesions have been detected. This indicates a significant prevalence of lipid metabolism disturbance in the people with alcoholic LC.
ОКСИДАНТНО-АНТИОКСИДАНТНА СИСТЕМА ПРИ ХРОНІЧНОМУ ОБСТРУКТИВНОМУ ЗАХВОРЮВАННІ ЛЕГЕНЬ ПРОФЕСІЙНОЇ ЕТІОЛОГІЇ
Authors: Ivchuk V. V. , Kovalchuk T. A.
Published: July 2019

Вступ. Основною причиною неспроможності механізмів специфічного та неспецифічного захисту організму при багатьох захворюваннях і патологічних станах є дисбаланс у системі прооксиданти – антиоксиданти. Суттєвий дисбаланс у ній супроводжується розвитком оксидативного стресу з його патологічними складовими. Наявність оксидативного стресу відмічено при ряді фізіологічних та багатьох патологічних станах. Не є винятком і таке розповсюджене серед працівників гірничодобувної промисловості захворювання, як хронічне обструктивне захворювання легень професійної етіології.

Мета дослідження – оцінити особливості та направленість зрушень окремих показників оксидантно-антиоксидантної системи при хронічному обструктивному захворюванні легень професійної етіології.

Методи дослідження. Проаналізовано результати досліджень венозної крові 170 працівників гірничодобувної промисловості, хворих на хронічне обструктивне захворювання легень із різним ступенем тяжкості. Серед пацієнтів 60 осіб мали ІІ стадію захворювання, 56 осіб – ІІІ стадію, 54 практично здорових особи становили контрольну групу. Стан окиснення ліпідів у сироватці хворих оцінювали за вмістом ТБК-активних продуктів їх пероксидації, стан системи антиоксидантного захисту – за вмістом або активністю ряду компонентів первинного захисту (ензимів супероксиддисмутази, каталази, глутатіонпероксидази, церулоплазміну і неферментативних низькомолекулярних сполук).

Результати й обговорення. Підвищення рівня ТБК-активних продуктів і зниження загальної антиоксидантної активності плазми свідчили про поглиблення оксидативного стресу. При хронічному обструктивному захворюванні легень професійної етіології відбувались виснаження захисних можливостей системи антиоксидантного захисту, порушення балансу між генерацією та елімінацією активних кисневих радикалів. Звідси дефіцит антиоксидантного захисту є, вочевидь, одним із факторів, що провокують тяжкий перебіг та прогресування хронічного обструктивного захворювання легень професійної етіології.

Висновки. При перебігу хронічного обструктивного захворювання легень професійної етіології різного ступеня тяжкості посилюються процеси пероксидного окиснення ліпідів. Дані порушення відбуваються на тлі пригнічення системи антиоксидантного захисту. Це супроводжується розладом у системі глутатіону.
Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Diversity
Authors: Liu Mingjun , Gomez Delphine
Published: July 2019

Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) play a critical role in controlling blood pressure and blood distribution, as well as maintaining the structural integrity of the blood vessel. SMC also participate in physiological and pathological vascular remodeling due to their remarkable ability to dynamically modulate their phenotype. During the past decade, the development of in vivo fate mapping systems for unbiased identification and tracking of SMC and their progeny has led to major discoveries as well as the reevaluation of well-established concepts about the contribution of vascular SMC in major vascular diseases including atherosclerosis. Lineage tracing studies revealed that SMC undergoes multiple phenotypic transitions characterized by the expression of markers of alternative cell types (eg, macrophage-like and mesenchymal-stem cell-like) and populate injured or diseased vessels by oligoclonal expansion of a limited number of medial SMC. With the development of high-throughput transcriptomics and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq), the field is moving forward towards in-depth SMC phenotypic characterization. Herein, we review the major observations put forth by lineage and clonality tracing studies and the evidence in support for SMC phenotypic diversity in healthy and diseased vascular tissue. We will also discuss the opportunities and remaining challenges of combining lineage tracing and single-cell transcriptomics technologies, as well as studying the functional relevance of SMC phenotypic transitions and identifying the mechanisms controlling them.
Favorable Trend of Implantable Cardioverter‐Defibrillator Service Life in a Large Single‐Nation Population: Insights From 10‐Year Analysis of the Italian Implantable Cardioverter‐Defibrillator Registry
Authors: Poli Stefano , Boriani Giuseppe , Zecchin Massimo , Facchin Domenico , Gasparini Maurizio , Landolina Maurizio , Ricci Renato Pietro , Lanera Corrado , Gregori Dario , Proclemer Alessandro
Published: July 2019

Background

Implantable cardioverter‐defibrillators (
ICDs
) are widely employed for the prevention of sudden cardiac death. Despite technological improvements, patients often need to undergo generator replacement, which entails the risk of periprocedural complications. Our aim was to estimate the service life of
ICD
s over a 10‐year interval and to assess the main causes of replacement on the basis of data from the National
ICD
Registry of the Italian Society of Arrhythmology and Cardiac Pacing (AIAC).

Methods and Results

The registry includes data from over 400 hospitals in Italy. We included all patients who underwent device replacement from calendar years 2007 to 2016. The median service life of the
ICD
s and its trend over the years was estimated across the 3 types of devices (single‐chamber, dual‐chamber, cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator) and the indication to implantation. The causes of replacement were also analyzed. We included 29 158 records from 27 676 patients (80.9% men; mean age at device replacement 65.8±12.0 years). The median service life was 57.3 months (interquartile range 27.8 months). Over the years, service life showed an increasing trend. The majority of patients underwent elective replacement because of battery end of life, and over the years there was a significant reduction of replacement for recalls, erosion/infections, and cardiac resynchronization therapy upgrading.

Conclusions

Our data from a large single‐nation population showed that the trend of
ICD
service life, independently from
ICD
type, indication, and settings, significantly improved over time. Moreover, there was a striking reduction of interventions for upgrading and infection/erosion. This favorable trend has important clinical, organizational, and financial implications.
Epistemic Angst, Intellectual Courage and Radical Scepticism
Authors: Schönbaumsfeld Genia
Published: July 2019

The overarching aim of this paper is to persuade the reader that radical scepticism is driven less by independently plausible arguments and more by a fear of epistemic limitation which can be overcome. By developing the Kierkegaardian insight that knowledge requires courage, I show that we are not, as potential knowers, just passive recipients of a passing show of putatively veridical information, we also actively need to put ourselves in the way of it by learning to resist certain forms of epistemic temptation: the Cartesian thought that we could be ‘imprisoned’ within our own representations, and, hence permanently ‘out of touch’ with an ‘external’ world, and the Reasons Identity Thesis, which has us believe that whether we are in the good case or in the bad case, our epistemic grounds are the same.
Methodologies and Models in Military Innovation Studies
Authors: Laurence M. Burke ii
Published: July 2019

Barry Posen’s 1984 book, The Sources of Military Doctrine, is considered to have kicked off the field of military innovation studies. While historians have made contributions to the field, it is the political scientists who have created new models of military innovation, likely because historians avoid the predictive connotations of “model”. This article first reviews the dominant models in the field that rely on the actions and decisions of individuals (as opposed to more diffuse cultural models) and places them in dialogue with each other. Second, it argues that historians should be less leery of “models”, since they create or use implicit models in their own work. Finally, this article proposes that the various models laid out in the first part of the article may be seen as specific cases of a methodology from science and technology studies, “Actor/Network Theory”, which is a promising new tool for analyzing military innovation.
Description of the larvae of four Japanese Platambus Thomson, 1859 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Agabinae) with phylogenetic considerations
Authors: OKADA RYOHEI , ALARIE YVES , MICHAT MARIANO C.
Published: July 2019

The larvae of four species of Platambus Thomson, 1859 from Japan, P. pictipennis (Sharp, 1873), P. convexus Okada, 2011, P. fimbriatus (Sharp, 1884) and P. sawadai (Kamiya, 1932) are described for the first time including a detailed chaetotaxy analysis of the cephalic capsule, head appendages, legs, last abdominal segment and urogomphi. A provisional parsimony analysis based on 39 informative larval characteristics of 15 species in seven genera of the subfamily Agabinae was conducted using the program TNT. Larvae of the Platambus species studied stand out from those of other genera of Agabinae by the unique presence of a subquadrate last abdominal segment not protruding posteriorly into siphon and the much shorter length of the primary urogomphal seta UR5 compared to seta UR7 in first instar larva.
Redescription of the enigmatic Pronyssa hennigi (W. Horn), comb. nov. (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae)
Authors: GÖRN SEBASTIAN
Published: July 2019

When Walther Horn described Heptodonta hennigi from Assam in 1898, on the basis of a single female, he was completely uncertain about which genus he should classify this species in. He wrote that he could not identify the genus, but that the closest looking species he knew were Heptodonta tricondyloides Gestro, which is now placed in the genus Dilatotarsa Dokhtouroff, and Euryoda (= Prothyma Hope) lucidicollis Chaudoir. He was especially confused by the shape of the pronotum, but also by the lack of pubescens on the lateral margin of the metacoxae, which is a typical character for the genus Heptodonta Hope (see also Fowler 1912). Hence, twelve years later, Horn (1910) transferred hennigi to the Madagascan genus Physodeutera Lacordaire, which he regarded as a “group” of the genus Prothyma Hope. After more than eighty years, Wiesner (1992) placed the species in the Philippine Prothyma subgenus Symplecthyma Rivalier, but also indicated his classification as doubtful with a question mark. Cassola (2002) suggested for the first time a possible affiliation to the genus Pronyssa Bates. Just one year later, Karl Werner visited the collection Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut in Müncheberg, Germany, and labelled the still only known specimen with the handwritten note: “Genus / Pronyssa! / Werner det’.03”.
Ground spiders (Araneae: Gnaphosidae, Liocranidae, Prodidomidae) from the Greek islands Rodos, Symi and Karpathos, with the description of new species
Authors: CHATZAKI MARIA , VAN KEER JOHAN
Published: July 2019

New taxonomic data on the ground spiders of the families Gnaphosidae, Liocranidae and Prodidomidae from the Greek islands Rodos and Symi are presented resulting from extensive field work conducted in 2006. Additional material from Karpathos is also included. In total, 48 species are recorded, and five new species (Drassodes mylonasi Chatzaki sp.n., Echemus kaltsasi Chatzaki sp.n., Minosiella apolakia Chatzaki sp.n., Phaeocedus vankeeri Chatzaki sp.n., and Turkozelotes attavirus Chatzaki sp.n.) are proposed. Although the Gnaphosidae of Cyprus are not the focus of the present paper, the unknown female of Echemus levyi Kovblyuk, 2009 found in Cyprus, is also described here for comparative purposes. Leptodrassex memorialis (Spassky, 1940) is justifiably transferred to the genus Leptopilos Levy, 2009 and it is therefore regarded as Leptopilos memorialis comb.nov. The male of Zelotes daidalus Chatzaki, 2003 and the female of Z. minous Chatzaki, 2003 are newly matched and Z. daidalus is further synonymised with Z. shaked Levy, 1998.The new matching of Z. minous males with Z. daidalus females is justified. Two species are new records for Greece: Zelotes limnatis Chatzaki & Russell-Smith, 2017 and Agraecina scupiensis Deltshev, 2016.
Riethia (Kieffer 1917) (Diptera: Chironomidae) revised for the Austro-Pacific region
Authors: CRANSTON PETER S.
Published: July 2019

Riethia Kieffer, known previously from New Zealand for a species stated to be also in Australia plus several Australian and South American species, is revised for the Austro-Pacific region. The three previously-described Australian species Riethia stictoptera Kieffer (the genotype), Riethia cinctipes Freeman and Riethia plumosa Freeman are distinct and valid, and are redescribed in all stages. In contrast, Riethia zeylandica Freeman now is restricted to New Zealand: Australian specimens previously allocated to R. zeylandica belong to several new species recognised on morphology of adult male, pupa and larva, with guidance from molecular data. Most belong to a widespread eastern Australian Riethia azeylandica sp. n.: others are allocated to Riethia hamodivisa sp. n., Riethia paluma sp. n., Riethia phengari sp. n. and Riethia queenslandensis sp. n., each with a more restricted range. From Western Australia three species, Riethia donedwardi sp. n., Riethia noongar sp. n. and Riethia wazeylandica sp. n., are described as new from adult male, pupa and larva. Riethia kakadu sp. n. is described from the monsoonal tropics of Northern Territory from the adult male and tentatively associated pupa. From New Caledonia a reared species is described as Riethia neocaledonica sp. n.. Illustrated identification keys are provided for the males, pupae and larvae. Unassociated larvae that key to reared described species are excluded from type status, and based on morphology and molecular evidence three unreared larval types, ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’, are also described and keyed. Previously reported molecular vouchers are reviewed, and certain Genbank accessions re-identified. Extensive data shows Riethia are distributed almost throughout Australia from standing and flowing waters, from tropics and subtropics to cool temperate Tasmania, but probably only in permanent and standing waters. The immature stages of several taxa can co-occur: as many as four can be found simultaneously in one site. Terminology of the volsellae of the male genitalia and the dorsal head and maxilla of the larva is reviewed.
Nomenclatural problems in the article ‘new species of the Latithorax Species Group of Velarifictorus Randell, 1964 (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Gryllinae; Gryllinae) from China’
Authors: MA LIBIN
Published: July 2019

In the recent article ‘new species of the Latithorax Species Group of Velarifictorus Randell, 1964 (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Gryllinae) from China’, was described a new species Velarifictorus agitatus Ma, 2019 with two subspecies, Velarifictorus agitatus shaanxiensis Ma, 2019 and Velarifictorus agitatus yunnanensis Ma, 2019. However, there are nomenclatural problems in the two new subspecies. Velarifictorus agitatus shaanxiensis Ma, 2019 is the nominotypical subspecies and its name should be Velarifictorus agitatus agitatus. Velarifictorus agitatus yunnanensis Ma, 2019 is a junior homonym of Velarifictorus yunnanensis Liu & Yin 1993 and is here renamed as Velarifictorus agitatus minutus.
Airborne Measurements of Surface Wind and Slope Statistics over the Ocean
Authors: Lenain Luc , Statom Nicholas M. , Melville W. Kendall
Published: July 2019

As reported in 1954, more than a half century ago, C. Cox and W. Munk developed an empirical model of the slope distribution of ocean surface waves that has been widely used ever since to model the optical properties of the sea surface and is of particular importance to the satellite remote sensing community. In that work, the reflectance of sunlight was photographed from a Boeing B-17G bomber and was then analyzed. In this paper, surface slope statistics are investigated from airborne scanning topographic lidar data collected during a series of field experiments off the coast of California and in the Gulf of Mexico, over a broad range of environmental conditions, with wind speeds ranging from approximately 2 to 13 m s−1. Unlike the reflectance-based approach of Cox and Munk, the slope distribution is computed by counting laser glints produced by specular reflections as the lidar is scanned over the surface of the ocean. We find good agreement with their measurements for the mean-square slope and with more recent (2006) results from Bréon and Henriot that were based on satellite remote sensing. Significant discrepancies for the higher-order statistics are found and discussed. We also demonstrate here that airborne scanning lidar technology offers a viable means of remotely estimating surface wind speed and momentum flux.
Violent Attachments
Authors: Kotef Hagar
Published: July 2019

Drawing on feminist and queer critiques that see violence as constitutive of identities, this essay points to subject-positions whose construction is necessarily conditioned by exercising violence. Focusing on settler colonialism, I reverse the optics of the first set of critiques: rather than seeing the self as taking form through the injuries she suffers, I try to understand selves that are structurally constituted by causing injury to others. This analysis refuses the assumption that violence is in conflict with (liberal) identity, and that, therefore, the endurance of violence of liberal states/societies is dependent upon mechanisms of active blindness (or denial, deferral, and other forms of dissociation). I argue that this assumption, which is shared by many critiques of violence, fails to perceive that people can desire the violent arrangements supporting their communities. They therefore fail to address political settings wherein violence is an affirmative element of political identities.
Mitral annulus calcification: current management and future challenges
Authors: Carino Davide , Agostinelli Andrea , El Qarra Suad , Gripshi Florida , Nicolini Francesco
Published: July 2019

Mitral annulus calcification is a chronic degenerative process in the fibrous base of the mitral valve. Assessment and treatment of mitral valve disease in patients with severe mitral annulus calcification is challenging, and a multimodal approach is helpful to delineate its severity and anatomic features, and to guide the therapeutic strategy. This article reviews the current literature to provide a clinically relevant description of mitral annulus calcification, analyze the diagnostic pathway of a patient with mitral annulus calcification, and summarize the therapeutic options.
Limited engagement in, yet clear preferences for advance care planning in young-onset dementia: An exploratory interview-study with family caregivers
Authors: Van Rickstal Romy , De Vleminck Aline , Aldridge Melissa D , Morrison Sean R , Koopmans Raymond T , van der Steen Jenny T , Engelborghs Sebastiaan , Van den Block Lieve
Published: July 2019

Background:

The significance of advance care planning in dementia is widely acknowledged. Despite the suggestion that younger people with dementia and their family might have distinct needs and preferences in this area, studies on advance care planning in young-onset dementia are absent.

Aim:

We aim to explore (1) whether family caregivers had already engaged in advance care planning with patients and/ or professionals and the accompanying reasons and (2) family caregivers’ preferences for how to ideally engage in the process with patients, family and professionals.

Design:

A qualitative study was conducted: we analysed semi-structured interviews ( n = 15) through the method of constant comparative analysis.

Setting/participants:

We included Flemish family caregivers of persons with young-onset dementia.

Results:

Plans for the future typically concerned non-medical affairs. Participants’ limited engagement in advance care planning was clarified through several reasons: not considering it useful, hindering patient behaviour, adopting a day-to-day attitude, caregivers emotionally protecting themselves and uncertainty about patients’ cognitive competence. However, endorsement for advance care planning showed from respondents’ preferences that it should be initiated timely, by a third party, and emphasize patients’ remaining capacities. Finally, the need for information and high-quality care emerged.

Conclusion:

A gap of knowledge, of information and in care intertwiningly hinder advance care planning. In young-onset dementia, engaging in advance care planning is not an option equally accessible as not doing so. Policy makers, institutions and professionals could reflect on their responsibility in providing these patients and caregivers an actual choice to engage in advance care planning or not.
High-dose levocetirizine for the treatment of refractory chronic spontaneous urticaria and the effect on the serum inositol triphosphate level
Authors: Huang Xianqiong , Li Zhaoyang , Sun Renshan
Published: July 2019

Objective

The second messenger inositol triphosphate (IP3) is involved in signal transduction in multiple cell types. We evaluated the effects of high-dose levocetirizine on chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and examined the significance of serum IP3 level in the pathogenesis of CSU.

Methods

Fifteen patients with refractory CSU were given oral levocetirizine at a dose of 15 mg once daily for 7 days, and treatment efficacy was determined using the Urticaria Activity Score and by evaluating wheal-and-erythema reactions and itching. The serum concentration of IP3 at specific time points was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

The mean serum concentration of IP3 was 43.54 ± 41.97 pg/mL prior to treatment, 18.40 ± 17.53 pg/mL after treatment, and 1.31 ± 0.92 pg/mL in a healthy control group. The mean concentration of IP3 was significantly higher before treatment than after treatment, and the level of IP3 in the patient group before and after treatment was significantly higher than that in the control group.

Conclusion

High-dose levocetirizine was shown to be effective in the treatment of CSU. The level of serum IP3 was positively correlated with CSU activity, indicating that IP3 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of this condition.
Carotid artery color Doppler ultrasonography and plasma levels of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 and cystatin C in arteriosclerotic cerebral infarction
Authors: Huang Lei , Yao Shengguo
Published: July 2019

Objective

This study was performed to evaluate the clinical application value of carotid artery color Doppler ultrasonography and the plasma levels of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) and cystatin C (Cys C) in the diagnosis and treatment of arteriosclerotic cerebral infarction.

Methods

Sixty patients with arteriosclerotic cerebral infarction and 60 matched healthy participants were included. The patients were divided into mild, moderate, and severe groups according to their National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores. Carotid artery intima plaque formation and the intima–media thickness (IMT) were observed using carotid artery color Doppler ultrasonography. The correlation between IMT and the Lp-PLA2 or Cys C level was statistically analyzed.

Results

Patients with arteriosclerotic cerebral infarction had a higher detection rate of carotid plaques, especially unstable plaques, than healthy participants. The plasma levels of Lp-PLA2 and Cys C were elevated in patients with arteriosclerotic cerebral infarction and increased with the NIHSS scores. The plasma levels of Lp-PLA2 and Cys C in patients with arteriosclerotic cerebral infarction were correlated with IMT.

Conclusion

The combination of carotid artery color Doppler ultrasonography with the Lp-PLA2 and Cys C plasma levels is of great clinical value in the diagnosis and treatment of arteriosclerotic cerebral infarction.
Diagnostic value of the blood monocyte–lymphocyte ratio in knee osteoarthritis
Authors: Gao Kun , Zhu Wenxiu , Liu Weidong , Ma Dujun , Li Heng , Yu Weiji , Wang Lixin , Cao Yafei , Jiang Yong
Published: July 2019

Objective

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a chronic inflammatory disease. The monocyte–lymphocyte ratio (MLR) was reported to be a non-invasive, cost-effective marker in various systemic diseases, but it has not yet been investigated in KOA. This cross-sectional study evaluated the diagnostic value of MLR in KOA.

Methods

Two hundred and five KOA patients and 120 healthy control subjects were enrolled. Patient data, including age, sex, blood cell counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, red blood cell distribution width, and the Kellgren–Lawrence (KL) score were recorded.

Results

One hundred nineteen patients (55 men, 64 women) were included, with a mean age of 55.47 ± 9.23 years. KOA patients showed a significantly higher MLR, neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet–lymphocyte ratio (PLR) than controls. The MLR area under the curve was 0.81, which was higher than that of NLR and PLR. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed blood MLR as an independent predictor of KOA. Correlation analysis showed that MLR was positively correlated with ESR and CRP levels. MLR and NLR were significantly higher in KL4 patients than in KL1–3 patients.

Conclusions

MLR has a high diagnostic value for KOA, so could be a reliable disease marker.
Long non-coding RNA NORAD induces cell proliferation and migration in prostate cancer
Authors: Zhang Haiyan , Guo Haixiang
Published: July 2019

Objectives

Prostate cancer (PCA) is the deadliest urological disease affecting men worldwide. Long noncoding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) levels are increased in many cancer types, and induce cancer cell progression. However, little is known about the biological functions of NORAD in PCA.

Methods

In this work, the roles of NORAD in cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis were examined by Cell Counting Kit-8, scratch wound, and annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide staining assays, respectively, in PCA cell lines. Knockdown of NORAD was achieved by small interfering (si)RNA in PCA cell lines, and quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of NORAD.

Results

Cell proliferation and migration rates were significantly lower in the siNORAD group than in the wild-type group, while the apoptosis level was significantly higher in the siNORAD group compared with the wild-type group.

Conclusions

These results suggest that NORAD promotes the proliferation and migration of PCA cells and inhibits their apoptosis.
Synovial fluid and plasma levels of milk fat globule–epidermal growth factor 8 are inversely correlated with radiographic severity of knee osteoarthritis
Authors: Chen Feihu , Liu Hao , Xia Jie , Ding Xiaomin , Fan Jianbo , Zhu Xinhui , Cui Shengyu , Yi Hong , Gao Rufeng , Liu Wei
Published: July 2019

Objective

Mounting evidence demonstrates that inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). Milk fat globule–epidermal growth factor 8 (MFG-E8) is an important glycoprotein that is involved in anti-inflammatory responses. The present study was performed to assess the MFG-E8 levels in plasma and synovial fluid and explore the association between radiographic severity and MFG-E8 levels in patients with knee OA.

Methods

This study involved 138 healthy controls and 142 patients with knee OA. The MFG-E8 levels in plasma and synovial fluid were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The Kellgren and Lawrence classification was used for OA grading.

Results

The plasma MFG-E8 level was significantly lower in patients with knee OA than in healthy controls. The synovial fluid MFG-E8 level was significantly lower than the plasma level in patients with knee OA. More importantly, the MFG-E8 levels in synovial fluid and plasma were significantly and inversely associated with radiographic severity among patients with knee OA.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that the levels of MFG-E8 in synovial fluid and plasma are inversely correlated with the radiographic severity of knee OA.
Association between peripheral blood mononuclear cell ORMDL3 expression and the asthma predictive index in preschool children
Authors: Li Yaqin , Cao Lanfang , Yu Qing , Xue Haiyan , Lu Yanming
Published: July 2019

Objective

This study aimed to assess whether orosomucoid 1-like 3 (ORMDL3) expression and environmental and clinical factors are associated with wheezing episodes in preschool children.

Methods

Children diagnosed with wheezing episodes were classified according to their asthma predictive index (API) in the past year as follows: API+ (≥4 wheezing episodes), API− (1–3 wheezing episodes), and API0 (without wheezing). ORMDL3 expression was assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of ORMDL3 expression and the API was performed for diagnosing wheezing episodes. Correlations between ORMDL3 expression and asthma risk factors were examined using Spearman’s correlation.

Results

PBMC ORMDL3 expression was higher in the API+ group compared with the API− and API0 groups. The area under the curve for ORMDL3 expression was 0.820 (95% confidence interval, 0.771–0.869). ORMDL3 expression was positively correlated with the API ( r = 0.447), infantile eczema ( r = 0.499), wheezing ( r = 0.516), total immunoglobulin E ( r = 0.208), and environmental factors, including Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ( r = 0.357), house dust mites ( r = 0.112), dog fur ( r = 0.226), and Aspergillus( r = 0.257). ORMDL3 expression was negatively correlated with amaranth ( r = −0.122).

Conclusions

ORMDL3 expression in PBMCs is positively associated with the API and some asthma-related clinical and environmental risk factors in preschoolers.
Entropy values are closely related to the degree of neuromuscular block during desflurane anesthesia: a case report
Authors: Oh Seok Kyeong , Lim Byung Gun , Kim Young Sung , Park Sangwoo , Kim Seong Shin
Published: July 2019

The Entropy™ module and bispectral index (BIS) depth-of-anesthesia monitors have been shown to be influenced by electromyographic (EMG) activity. The increase in entropy and BIS values is most likely caused by increased EMG activity and a higher level of consciousness. A strong EMG activity can increase entropy and BIS values because it is impossible to separate electroencephalography (EEG) from EMG, and this results from their overlapping power spectra. Thus, the entropy module may be more affected by EMG compared with the BIS module because it has more overlap with the power spectra of EEG and EMG. Several studies have suggested that EMG activity is most likely to increase, especially as it relates to the level of total intravenous anesthesia without a muscle relaxant or an insufficient analgesic level, which results in falsely increased entropy values. We present the case of a patient whose entropy values were falsely elevated by increased EMG activity resulting from light neuromuscular block or nociceptive stimuli during surgery even when undergoing desflurane anesthesia. This was closely related to the change in the neuromuscular block level and it was influenced by the degree of analgesia and the remifentanil infusion rate.
Neutrophil-Extracellular Traps, Cell-Free DNA, and Immunothrombosis in Companion Animals: A Review
Authors: Goggs Robert , Jeffery Unity , LeVine Dana N. , Li Ronald H. L.
Published: July 2019

Immunothrombosis is a potentially beneficial physiological process that aids innate immunity and host defense against pathogen invasion. However, this process can also be damaging when it occurs to excess or in critical blood vessels. Formation of extracellular traps by leukocytes, particularly neutrophils, is central to our understanding of immunothrombosis. In addition to degranulation and phagocytosis, extracellular traps are the third mechanism by which neutrophils combat potential pathogens. These traps consist of extracellular DNA decorated with bactericidal cellular proteins, including elastase, myeloperoxidase, and cathepsins. Neutrophils can release these structures as part of a controlled cell-death process or via a process termed vital NETosis that enables the cells to extrude DNA but remain viable. There is accumulating evidence that NETosis occurs in companion animals, including dogs, horses, and cats, and that it actively contributes to pathogenesis. Numerous studies have been published detailing various methods for identification and quantification of extracellular trap formation, including cell-free DNA, measurements of histones and proteins such as high-mobility group box–1, and techniques involving microscopy and flow cytometry. Here, we outline the present understanding of these phenomena and the mechanisms of extracellular trap formation. We critically review the data regarding measurement of NETosis in companion animals, summarize the existing literature on NETosis in veterinary species, and speculate on what therapeutic options these insights might present to clinicians in the future.
Palestinian Women in Terrorism: A Double-Edged Sword?
Authors: Erez Edna , Laster Kathy
Published: July 2019

Drawing on a decade of research on terrorism in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, we show how subjective “rational choices” motivate some women to engage in terrorist activism. Focusing on the motives of young women who engage in terrorism is consistent with feminist theory’s insistence on women’s agency—even at the extremes. In addition to the well-established motivations for terrorism reported in the literature, interviews with young women involved in terrorism reveal mixed personal motives for their gender-defying choices, including thrill-seeking and some conscious rebellion. However, we contend that women’s subjective rationale for participation in such violent behavior needs to be contextualized. A cost–benefit approach, we maintain, highlights the strategic considerations supporting the deployment of women as combatants by Palestinian terrorist organizations. We argue that the inclusion of women in terrorist activism in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict exposes a major fault line in attitudes to the role and proper place of women in what remains largely a patriarchal culture. This social ambivalence accounts for why, on all measures, women fare worse than their male counterparts. The implications of the findings for feminist research as well as policy are discussed.
Novel methods of estimating relative pollen productivity: A key parameter for reconstruction of past land cover from pollen records
Authors: Fang Yiman , Ma Chunmei , Bunting M Jane
Published: July 2019

Reconstructing land cover from pollen data using mathematical models of the relationship between them has the potential to translate the many thousand pollen records produced over the last 100 years (over 2300 radiocarbon-dated pollen records exist for the UK alone) into formats relevant to ecologists, archaeologists and climate scientists. However, the reliability of these reconstructions depends on model parameters. A key parameter is Relative Pollen Productivity (RPP), usually estimated from empirical data using ‘Extended R Value analysis’ (ERV analysis). Lack of RPP estimates for many regions is currently a major limitation on reconstructing global land cover. We present two alternatives to ERV analysis, the Modified Davis Method and an iteration method, which use the same underlying model of the relationship between pollen and vegetation to estimate RPP from empirical data, but with different assumptions. We test them in simulation against ERV analysis, and use a case study of a problematic empirical dataset to determine whether they have the potential to increase the speed and geographic range of RPP estimation. The two alternative methods are shown to perform at least as well as ERV analysis in simulation. We also present new RPP estimates from southeastern sub-tropical China for nine taxa estimated using the Modified Davis Method. Adding these two methods to the ‘toolkit’ for land cover reconstruction from pollen records opens up the possibility to estimate a key parameter from existing datasets with less field time than using current methods. This can both speed up the inclusion of more of the globe in past land cover mapping exercises such as the PAGES Landcover6k working group and improve our understanding of how this parameter varies within a single taxon and the factors control that variation.
Retrospective frailty determination in critical illness from a review of the intensive care unit clinical record
Authors: Darvall Jai N , Boonstra Tristan , Norman Jen , Murphy Donal , Bailey Michael , Iwashyna Theodore J , Bagshaw Sean M , Bellomo Rinaldo
Published: July 2019

Frailty is one of the major challenges for intensive care, affecting one-third of intensive care unit patients and being associated with a range of poor health outcomes. Determination of frailty in critical illness using the Clinical Frailty Scale has recently been adopted by the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society, but it is not known whether this is able to be measured from the clinical record without interviewing patients or their relatives. The aims of this retrospective cohort study were to test whether a Clinical Frailty Scale score could be assigned in an intensive care unit population from the clinical record, and to assess the inter-rater reliability of frailty measured in this manner. A total of 144 patients were enrolled. Of these, 137 (95%) were able to have a Clinical Frailty Scale score assigned, and 22 (15%) were scored as frail (Clinical Frailty Scale ≥5). Cohen’s kappa coefficient for inter-rater reliability between assessors was 0.67, confirming substantial agreement. Consistent with other critically ill cohorts, frailty was associated on multivariate analysis with age, Charlson comorbidity score, dependence with activities of daily living, and limitation of medical treatment, indicating validity of this approach to frailty measurement. Our results imply that frailty measurement is possible and feasible from the intensive care unit clinical record, which is of importance as routine measurement and reporting of frailty in intensive care units in our region increases. Future work should seek to validate an assigned Clinical Frailty Scale score with that obtained directly from patients or their next of kin.
Improved Methods for Simulating Live Loads for Two-Dimensional Structural Analysis of Buried Culverts
Authors: Katona Michael G.
Published: July 2019

The current AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications stipulates a “special distribution width” for two-dimensional (2D) live-load analysis of reinforced concrete (r/c) boxes and arches with less than 2 ft of soil cover. This special distribution width allows a significantly greater reduction of the applied surface load than permitted for other culvert shapes and materials. Neither the AASHTO commentary nor the underlying developmental report provide the physical reasoning for the special distribution width, or why it only applies to r/c boxes and arches. This paper provides a clear, physical understanding of the three-dimensional (3D) phenomena associated with the special distribution width and the interaction with longitudinal load spreading through soil. This is achieved with the aid of a flat-plate model, representative of the top slab of a box culvert, with a variable line-load width. The closed-form solution reveals that the physical reason is “3D stiffness effects” (3DSE), which occur when the line-load width is relatively short compared with the culvert’s longitudinal lay length. Moreover, it is shown that 3DSE disappear when the line load reaches a special width called the “critical distribution width” or Wcritical. Wcritical is dependent on the culvert’s span and length, and is a key parameter along with parameter Wmin needed to identify the limiting line-load width that evokes 3DSE. The key concepts of 3DSE, Wcritical, and Wmin are used to develop improved 2D analysis procedures using either the traditional reduced surface load approach or the more recent continuous load spreading approach.
Fluoride Content in Foods and Beverages From Mexico City Markets and Supermarkets
Authors: Cantoral Alejandra , Luna-Villa Lynda Cristina , Mantilla-Rodriguez Andres A. , Mercado Adriana , Lippert Frank , Liu Yun , Peterson Karen E. , Hu Howard , Téllez-Rojo Martha M. , Martinez-Mier Esperanza A.
Published: July 2019

Background:

Sources of fluoride exposure for Mexicans include foods, beverages, fluoridated salt, and naturally fluoridated water. There are no available data describing fluoride content of foods and beverages consumed in Mexico.

Objective:

To measure the content of fluoride in foods and beverages typically consumed and to compare their content to that of those from the United States and the United Kingdom.

Methods:

Foods and beverages reported as part of the Mexican Health and Nutrition Survey (n = 182) were purchased in the largest supermarket chains and local markets in Mexico City. Samples were analyzed for fluoride, at least in duplicate, using a modification of the hexamethyldisiloxane microdiffusion method. Value contents were compared to those from the US Department of Agriculture and UK fluoride content tables.

Results:

The food groups with the lowest and highest fluoride content were eggs (2.32 µg/100 g) and seafood (371 µg/100 g), respectively. When estimating the amount of fluoride per portion size, the lowest content corresponded to eggs and the highest to fast foods. Meats and sausages, cereals, fast food, sweets and cakes, fruits, dairy products, legumes, and seafood from Mexico presented higher fluoride contents than similar foods from the United States or the United Kingdom. Drinks and eggs from the United States exhibited the highest contents, while this was the case for pasta, soups, and vegetables from the United Kingdom.

Conclusion:

The majority of items analyzed contained higher fluoride contents than their US and UK counterparts. Data generated provide the first and largest table on fluoride content, which will be useful for future comparisons and estimations.
Plans that Disrupt Development: Equity Policies and Social Vulnerability in Six Coastal Cities
Authors: Berke Philip , Yu Siyu , Malecha Matt , Cooper John
Published: July 2019

Urban plans often ignore the uneven impacts of hazards on socially vulnerable populations. We evaluate the degree to which equity policies in local networks of plans support risk reduction for socially vulnerable populations, and examine the relationship between equity policies scores and the level of social vulnerability in six cities exposed to floods and projected sea level rise. We find high variability in equity policy support for risk reduction, and that equity policies in plans actually actively increase risk of loss in neighborhoods with high levels of social vulnerability, which in turn could disrupt further development.
Osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells on random and aligned PAN/PPy nanofibrous scaffolds
Authors: Ince Yardimci Atike , Baskan Oznur , Yilmaz Selahattin , Mese Gulistan , Ozcivici Engin , Selamet Yusuf
Published: July 2019

The aim of this study was to develop random and aligned polyacrilonitrile (PAN)/polypyrrole (PPy) nanofibrous scaffolds by electrospinning technique for osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Nanofibers were fabricated successfully as straight, smooth, and free from bead formation. The average diameter of random and aligned nanofibers was 268(±49) nm and 225(±72) nm, respectively. Alignment process increased the tensile strength of nanofibers 3.9-fold, while the tensile strain of nanofibers decreased by 78%. PAN/PPy nanofibers were hydrophilic with the contact angle value of about 32° and alignment did not affect the contact angle value. Random and aligned PAN/PPy nanofibers were investigated as a scaffold material for osteogenic differentiation of D1 ORL UVA mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Cells were able to attach and grow on nanofibers confirmed by cell viability results. Stem cells that were cultured with osteogenic induction were able to mineralize on electrospun nanofibers based on alizarin red and Von Kossa dye staining. For aligned PPy nanofibers, mineralization occurred in the fiber alignment direction. Consequently, PAN/PPy nanofibrous mats in both random and aligned forms would be potential candidates for bone tissue engineering.
Growing Small Business: Mitigating the Wage and Wealth Gap
Authors: Ertel Stefanie
Published: July 2019

This article not only acknowledges that the wage and wealth gap is an issue larger than the scope of the following research, but also endeavors to begin foundational conversations in order to assist small business owners. This article will delve into surveys received from 11 small business owners around the country, offering solutions and concluding with the impact small business owners can make in addressing the wage and wealth gap. Many in the United States are considered to be within the poverty level, and many of those individuals are working for larger corporations who do not pay enough per hour to adequately support their employees. Quotes and credible statistics will be used throughout the article to portray the opportunity small business owners have in order to help those who are poverty stricken today, and ultimately the local economy.