bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Successful recanalization in acute basilar artery occlusion treated with endovascular therapy is independent of thrombus length
Authors: Shu Liang , Riedel Christian , Meyne Johannes , Jansen Olav , Jensen-Kondering Ulf
Published: October 2016

Background and purpose

As previously demonstrated, the recanalization rate and clinical outcome in patients with anterior circulation stroke treated with IV thrombolysis (IVT) depend on clot characteristics such as thrombus length and thrombus density. In patients with basilar artery occlusion (BAO) treated with IVT, the recanalization rate has also been shown to depend on thrombus length, although no cut-off value beyond which recanalization would seem impossible has been determined. We aim to evaluate the correlation of clot characteristics with recanalization rate and outcome in patients with BAO treated with endovascular therapy (EVT).

Methods

We retrospectively assessed 51 consecutive patients with BAO treated with EVT. Thrombus length and thrombus density (in Hounsfield units, HU) were measured on thin slice non-enhanced cranial CT scan before treatment. Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction grade 2–3 was considered successful recanalization and 3-month modified Rankin Scale score 0–2 was considered a favorable outcome. To evaluate the correlation of clot characteristics with recanalization rate and outcome, a binary logistic regression test was computed.

Results

Neither thrombus length nor thrombus density correlated with recanalization rate (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.11, p=0.58 and OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.23, p=0.13, respectively). Thrombus density and thrombus length were not significantly different in patients with (n=41, 80.4%) or without (n=10, 19.6%) successful recanalization (52.3 HU vs 48.4 HU, p=0.07 and 8.2 mm vs 7.5 mm, p=0.91). However, higher clot density was correlated with a favorable outcome (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.59, p=0.006) whereas thrombus length was not correlated with clinical outcome (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.03, p=0.20).

Conclusions

Successful recanalization does not depend on thrombus length in patients with BAO treated with EVT. Recanalization can therefore be achieved despite high clot burden. Additionally, a high density of thrombi was a strong predictor of a favorable outcome.
Use of flow diverters in the treatment of unruptured saccular aneurysms of the anterior cerebral artery
Authors: Bhogal P , Martinez Moreno R , Ganslandt O , Bäzner H , Henkes H , Perez M Aguilar
Published: October 2016

Background

Few publications have dealt exclusively with the use of flow diverter stents for the treatment of aneurysms of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA).

Objective

To determine the efficacy of flow-diverting stents in the treatment of small, unruptured aneurysms of the ACA.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed our database of prospectively collected information for all patients treated with flow diversion for an unruptured saccular aneurysm of the ACA between September 2009 and July 2016. The aneurysm fundus size, neck size, number and type of flow-diverting stent (FDS), complications, and follow-up data were recorded.

Results

In total 26 patients, with 27 aneurysms were identified that matched our inclusion criteria (11 male and 15 female). The average age of the patients was 59.3 years (range 27–77 years). All patients, except one, had a single aneurysm affecting the ACA. Fourteen aneurysms were located on the left (51.9%). The average aneurysm fundus size was 2.9 mm (range 2–6 mm). Twenty patients had follow-up angiographic studies. In total, 16 aneurysms were completely excluded, 1 aneurysm showed a very small remnant, and no follow-up angiographic data are available for the remaining patients. One patient had a treatment-related complication.

Conclusions

Treatment of aneurysms arising from the ACA with flow diverters is technically feasible and carries a high degree of success with low complication rate.
Treatment of wide-necked aneurysms with the Low-profile Visualized Intraluminal Support (LVIS Jr) device: a multicenter experience
Authors: Grossberg J A , Hanel R A , Dabus G , Keigher K , Haussen D C , Sauvageau E , Linfante I , Gonsales D , Aguilar Salinas P , Bouslama M , Mayich M , Nogueira R G , Lopes D K
Published: October 2016

Background

The Low-profile Visualized Intraluminal Support (LVIS) Junior stent is newly approved for the treatment of wide-necked intracranial aneurysms.

Objective

To report our multicenter experience with use of the LVIS Jr device.

Methods

The neurointerventional databases of the participating institutions were retrospectively reviewed for aneurysms treated with LVIS Jr from the time of Food and Drug Administration approval until February 2016. All patients in the study period were included. Clinical presentation, aneurysm location, aneurysm size, vessel size, procedural complications, clinical and imaging follow-up were included in the analysis.

Results

Eighty-five patients (54 female and 31 male) met the inclusion criteria for the study. Sixty-eight (80%) of the aneurysms were unruptured and the remainder were ruptured. The most common location of the treated aneurysms was anterior communicating artery (36%), middle cerebral artery bifurcation (22%), and basilar terminus (15%). The mean aneurysm size was 6.1 mm. The mean minimum parent vessel size was 2.3 mm. The LVIS Jr was successfully deployed in all but one case (99%). Initial angiographic results demonstrated Roy–Raymond class 1–2 occlusions in 61/84 patients (73%). At 6 months, 85% of the patients seen at follow-up had Roy–Raymond class 1–2 aneurysm occlusion. No procedure-related deaths occurred. Two cases of procedure-related complications (intraprocedural rupture and delayed rupture at day 2) were seen, leading to permanent neurologic morbidity. Both these cases were in patients with ruptured aneurysms.

Conclusions

The LVIS Jr is a technically feasible, safe, and effective treatment for wide-necked intracranial aneurysms. Early results are promising but will need to be corroborated with longer-term follow-up.
Initial experience with SOFIA as an intermediate catheter in mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Wong Johnny H Y , Do Huy M , Telischak Nicholas A , Moraff Adrienne M , Dodd Robert L , Marks Michael P , Ingle Shreya M , Heit Jeremy J
Published: October 2016

Background

The benefits of mechanical thrombectomy for emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) have been established. Combined mechanical/aspiration (Solumbra) and a direct aspiration as a first pass technique (ADAPT) are valid procedures requiring an intermediate catheter for clot suction. Recently, SOFIA (Soft torqueable catheter Optimized For Intracranial Access) was developed as a single lumen flexible catheter with coil and braid reinforcement, but its suitability for mechanical thrombectomy had not been evaluated.

Objective

To describe our initial experience with SOFIA in acute stroke intervention and evaluate its efficacy and safety.

Methods

All patients with ELVO undergoing endovascular stroke intervention with SOFIA were identified. Demographic, presentation, treatment, and complication data were recorded. Primary outcome was Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (TICI) 2b/3 revascularization rate and the number of passes required. Secondary outcomes included complication rates and discharge National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score.

Results

33 patients with a mean age of 72 years were treated for ELVO with SOFIA and IV tissue plasminogen activator was administered in 67%. Vessel occlusion involved the internal carotid artery (15.2%), M1 (48.5%), and M2 (24.2%) segments, and posterior circulation (12.1%). Median presentation NIHSS score was 14 (IQR 11–19) and discharge NIHSS 4 (IQR 2–14). The Solumbra technique represented 94% of treatments and ADAPT 3%. The TICI 2b/3 revascularization rate was 94%, including 48.5% TICI 3 with an average of 1.6 passes. The symptomatic reperfusion hemorrhage rate was 6%. Procedural complications occurred in four patients, but were unrelated to SOFIA. Mortality was 21%, secondary to failed revascularization, hemorrhagic transformation, and baseline medical condition.

Conclusions

Mechanical and aspiration thrombectomy with SOFIA is safe and effective with high revascularization rates. Its trackability, stability, and luminal size make SOFIA suitable for stroke intervention.
The discovery and development of the CRISPR system in applications in genome manipulation
Authors: Lau Veronica , Davie James R.
Published: October 2016

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) associated 9 (Cas9) system is a microbial adaptive immune system that has been recently developed for genomic engineering. From the moment the CRISPR system was discovered in Escherichia coli, the drive to understand the mechanism prevailed, leading to rapid advancement in the knowledge and applications of the CRISPR system. With the ability to characterize and understand the function of the Cas9 endonuclease came the ability to adapt the CRISPR–Cas9 system for use in a variety of applications and disciplines ranging from agriculture to biomedicine. This review will provide a brief overview of the discovery and development of the CRISPR–Cas9 system in applications such as genome regulation and epigenome engineering, as well as the challenges faced.
Chern–Simons theories with fundamental matter: A brief review of large N results including Fermi–Bose duality and the S-matrix
Authors: Wadia Spenta R.
Published: October 2016

We begin with a few words about Salam’s contribution to the growth of String Theory in India. In the technical talk we review results in [Formula: see text] Chern–Simons plus vector matter theories in 2[Formula: see text]+[Formula: see text]1 dim in the large [Formula: see text] limit. The dressing of charged matter by Chern–Simons gauge fields leads to anyons that interpolate between fermions and bosons and lead to a duality symmetry between fermionic and bosonic theories. The S-matrix (defined in the large [Formula: see text] limit) besides exhibiting this duality, also exhibits novel properties due to the presence of anyons. The S-matrix is not analytic, like in Aharonov–Bohm scattering, and satisfies modified crossing symmetry relations.
AFOA: An Adaptive Fruit Fly Optimization Algorithm with Global Optimizing Ability
Authors: Zhang Yiwen , Cui Guangming , Zhu Erzhou , He Qiang
Published: October 2016

With the development of intelligent computation technology, the intelligent evolution algorithms have been widely applied to solve optimization problem in the real world. As a novel evolution algorithm, fruit fly optimization algorithm (FOA) has the advantages of simple operation and high efficiency. However, FOA also has some disadvantages, such as trapping into local optimal solution easily, failing to traverse the problem domain and limiting the universality. In order to cope with the disadvantages of FOA while retain it merits, this paper proposes AFOA, an adaptive fruit fly optimization algorithm. AFOA adjusts the swarm range parameter V dynamically and adaptively according to the historical memory of each iteration of the swarm, and adopts the more accurate elitist strategy, which is therefore very effective in both accelerating the convergence of the swarm to the global optimal front and maintaining diversity of the solutions. The convergence of the algorithm is firstly analyzed theoretically, and then 14 benchmark functions with different characteristics are executed to compare the performance among AFOA, PSO, FOA, and LGMS-FOA. The experimental results have shown that, AFOA algorithm is a new algorithm with global optimizing capability and high universality.
Restoring genuine tripartite entanglement under local amplitude damping
Authors: Ali Mazhar
Published: October 2016

We investigate the possibility to restore genuine tripartite entanglement under local amplitude damping. We show that it is possible to protect genuine entanglement using CNOT and Hadamard gates. We analyze several ordering of such recovery operations. We find that for recovery operations applied after exposing qubits to decoherence, there is no enhancement in lifetime of genuine entanglement. Actual retrieval of entanglement is only possible when reversal scheme is applied before and after the decoherence process. We find that retrieval of entanglement for mixture of [Formula: see text] state with white noise is more evident than the respective mixture of [Formula: see text] state. We also find the retrieval of entanglement for similar mixture of [Formula: see text] state as well.
On powers of the Euler class for flat circle bundles
Authors: Nariman Sam
Published: October 2016

Apparently a lost theorem of Thurston [1] states that the cube of the Euler class [Formula: see text] is zero where [Formula: see text] is the analytic orientation preserving diffeomorphisms of the circle with the discrete topology. This is in contrast with Morita’s theorem [5] that the powers of the Euler class are nonzero in [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is the orientation preserving [Formula: see text]-diffeomorphisms of the circle with the discrete topology. The purpose of this short note is to prove that the powers of the Euler class [Formula: see text] in fact are nonzero in cohomology with integer coefficients. We also give a short proof of Morita’s theorem [5].
Exploration challenges along the North Atlantic volcanic margins: the intra-volcanic sandstone play in subsurface and outcrop
Authors: Larsen Michael , Bell Brian , Guarnieri Pierpaolo , Vosgerau Henrik , Weibel Rikke
Published: October 2016

The margins of the North Atlantic rift are covered by an extensive succession of volcanic rocks, with up to 5 km of continental flood basalts, hyaloclastites and interbedded sedimentary rocks. The volcanic succession deteriorates seismic imaging and has hampered petroleum exploration in these areas. Focused research and pioneering exploration activity, however, has improved the understanding and development of new play models in volcanic-influenced basins. In 2004, the Rosebank discovery finally proved that intra-volcanic siliciclastic sandstones of the Flett Formation may form attractive hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Faroe–Shetland Basin.

The Kangerlussuaq Basin in southern East Greenland offers a unique opportunity to study the interaction of siliciclastic sediments with lavas and various volcaniclastic units. It is demonstrated that: (1) laterally extensive siliciclastic sedimentary units are present in the lower part of the volcanic succession; (2) the morphology of the lavas controlled variations in sandstone geometry and thickness; and (3) deposition of the interbedded sediments and lavas occurred in a low-relief environment close to sea level. The mineralogical composition of the intra-volcanic sediments is highly variable, ranging from siliciclastic to purely volcaniclastic. Diagenetic studies suggest that the nature of the volcanic component in volcaniclastic sandstones is more important to reservoir properties than the relative concentration.
Deep structure of the Porcupine Basin from wide-angle seismic data
Authors: Watremez Louise , Prada Manel , Minshull Tim , O'Reilly Brian , Chen Chen , Reston Tim , Shannon Pat , Wagner Gerlind , Gaw Viola , Klaeschen Dirk , Edwards Rose , Lebedev Sergei
Published: October 2016

The Porcupine Basin, part of the frontier petroleum exploration province west of Ireland, has an extended history that commenced prior to the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean. Lithospheric stretching factors have previously been estimated to increase from <2 in the north to >6 in the south of the basin. Thus, it is an ideal location to study the processes leading to hyper-extension on continental margins. The Porcupine Median Ridge (PMR) is located in the south of the basin and has been alternatively interpreted as a volcanic feature, a serpentinite mud diapir or a tilted block of continental crust. Each of these interpretations has different implications for the thermal history of the basin. We present results from travel-time tomographic modelling of two approximately 300 km-long wide-angle seismic profiles across the northern and southern parts of the basin. Our results show: (1) the geometry of the crust, with maximum crustal stretching factors of up to 6 and 10 along the northern and southern profiles, respectively; (2) asymmetry of the basin structures, suggesting some simple shear during extension; (3) low velocities beneath the Moho that could represent either partially serpentinized mantle or mafic under-plating; and (4) a possible igneous composition of the PMR.
North Sea – next life: extending the commercial life of producing North Sea fields
Authors: Gluyas Jon , Mathias Simon , Goudarzi Salim
Published: October 2016

In 2015, the North Sea petroleum province was 50 years old. The celebrations were short lived because oil prices and gas prices were in free fall. The demand from the UK market had outstripped demand back in 2005 and, 10 years on, falling production and increasing operating expenditure, when coupled with falling prices, had brought the North Sea to crisis point. Many fields became unprofitable and companies began to close down. In an effort to avert the developing crisis, this work examines what options exist for better utilizing the North Sea industry, be that monetizing co-produced fluids or using the pore space once occupied by petroleum for waste products such as carbon dioxide. We briefly examine: the possibility of utilizing heat from the co-produced fluids for power generation; extracting gases and ores from co-produced fluids; and evaluation of the role that carbon dioxide could play in enhanced oil and gas recovery, as well as its ultimate long-term storage in geological deep storage.
Ichnological evidence for the Cambrian explosion in the Ediacaran to Cambrian succession of Tanafjord, Finnmark, northern Norway
Authors: McIlroy Duncan , Brasier Martin D.
Published: October 2016

The Ediacaran to Cambrian transition of the Digermul Peninsula consists of an ichnologically rich, thick, conformable, shallow marine siliciclastic succession that crosses the Neoproterozoic–Cambrian boundary. The Tanafjord section has been independently dated by published palynological and new body fossil discoveries. As is also observed at the current Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary at Fortune Head in Newfoundland, Canada, there is a marked increase in burrow size and inferred behavioural diversity around the inferred boundary level at a surface without a significant hiatus. The diversity of this trace fossil assemblage presents an opportunity to compare the ichnological first appearance datums between the GSSP and another sedimentologically similar, but palaeogeographically remote, succession. We found that the first appearance datums of taxa in Finnmark broadly support the definition and stratigraphic extents of the
Harlaniella podolica
,
Treptichnus pedum, Rusophycus avalonensis
and
Cruziana tenella
zones. Our work shows that there is a marked increase in ichnodiversity in the lowermost Fortunian, mostly in the form of shallow tier traces. The main post-Fortunian ichnological innovation is the evolution of bulk sediment deposit feeding that is first evidenced by spreiten burrows at around the base of Cambrian Stage 2 in both the GSSP and in the Tanafjord section.

Supplementary material:
Additional images of trace fossils from the studied section are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3462561
Electrophysiological characterization of human rectal afferents
Authors: Ng Kheng-Seong , Brookes Simon J. , Montes-Adrian Noemi A. , Mahns David A. , Gladman Marc A.
Published: October 2016

It is presumed that extrinsic afferent nerves link the rectum to the central nervous system. However, the anatomical/functional existence of such nerves has never previously been demonstrated in humans. Therefore, we aimed to identify and make electrophysiological recordings in vitro from extrinsic afferents, comparing human rectum to colon. Sections of normal rectum and colon were procured from anterior resection and right hemicolectomy specimens, respectively. Sections were pinned and extrinsic nerves dissected. Extracellular visceral afferent nerve activity was recorded. Neuronal responses to chemical [capsaicin and “inflammatory soup” (IS)] and mechanical (Von Frey probing) stimuli were recorded and quantified as peak firing rate (range) in 1-s intervals. Twenty-eight separate nerve trunks from eight rectums were studied. Of these, spontaneous multiunit afferent activity was recorded in 24 nerves. Peak firing rates increased significantly following capsaicin [median 6 (range 3–25) spikes/s vs. 2 (1–4), P < 0.001] and IS [median 5 (range 2–18) spikes/s vs. 2 (1–4), P < 0.001]. Mechanosensitive “hot spots” were identified in 16 nerves [median threshold 2.0 g (range 1.4–6.0 g)]. In eight of these, the threshold decreased after IS [1.0 g (0.4–1.4 g)]. By comparison, spontaneous activity was recorded in only 3/30 nerves studied from 10 colons, and only one hot spot (threshold 60 g) was identified. This study confirms the anatomical/functional existence of extrinsic rectal afferent nerves and characterizes their chemo- and mechanosensitivity for the first time in humans. They have different electrophysiological properties to colonic afferents and warrant further investigation in disease states.
Acute exposure to progesterone attenuates cardiac contraction by modifying myofilament calcium sensitivity in the female mouse heart
Authors: Feridooni Hirad A. , MacDonald Jennifer K. , Ghimire Anjali , Pyle W. Glen , Howlett Susan E.
Published: October 2016

Acute application of progesterone attenuates cardiac contraction, although the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We investigated whether progesterone modified contraction in isolated ventricular myocytes and identified the Ca2+ handling mechanisms involved in female C57BL/6 mice (6–9 mo; sodium pentobarbital anesthesia). Cells were field-stimulated (4 Hz; 37°C) and exposed to progesterone (0.001–10.0 μM) or vehicle (35 min). Ca2+ transients (fura-2) and cell shortening were recorded simultaneously. Maximal concentrations of progesterone inhibited peak contraction by 71.4% (IC50 = 160 ± 50 nM; n = 12) and slowed relaxation by 75.4%. By contrast, progesterone had no effect on amplitudes or time courses of underlying Ca2+ transients. Progesterone (1 µM) also abbreviated action potential duration. When the duration of depolarization was controlled by voltage-clamp, progesterone attenuated contraction and slowed relaxation but did not affect Ca2+ currents, Ca2+ transients, sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) content, or fractional release of SR Ca2+. Actomyosin MgATPase activity was assayed in myofilaments from hearts perfused with progesterone (1 μM) or vehicle (35 min). While maximal responses to Ca2+ were not affected by progesterone, myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity was reduced (EC50 = 0.94 ± 0.01 µM for control, n = 7 vs. 1.13 ± 0.05 μM for progesterone, n = 6; P < 0.05) and progesterone increased phosphorylation of myosin binding protein C. The effects on contraction were inhibited by lonaprisan (progesterone receptor antagonist) and levosimendan (Ca2+ sensitizer). Unlike results in females, progesterone had no effect on contraction or myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity in age-matched male mice. These data indicate that progesterone reduces myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity in female hearts, which may exacerbate manifestations of cardiovascular disease late in pregnancy when progesterone levels are high.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We investigated myocardial effects of acute application of progesterone. In females, but not males, progesterone attenuates and slows cardiomyocyte contraction with no effect on calcium transients. Progesterone also reduces myofilament calcium sensitivity in female hearts. This may adversely affect heart function, especially when serum progesterone levels are high in pregnancy.

Listen to this article’s corresponding podcast at https://ajpheart.podbean.com/e/acute-progesterone-modifies-cardiac-contraction/ .
A pilot study examining the impact of exercise training on skeletal muscle genes related to the TLR signaling pathway in older adults following hip fracture recovery
Authors: McKenzie Alec I. , Briggs Robert A. , Barrows Katherine M. , Nelson Daniel S. , Kwon Oh Sung , Hopkins Paul N. , Higgins Thomas F. , Marcus Robin L. , Drummond Micah J.
Published: October 2016

Older adults after hip fracture surgery experience progressive muscle atrophy and weakness, limiting full recovery. Further understanding of the molecular mechanisms in muscle with adaptation to exercise training in this vulnerable population is necessary. Therefore, we conducted a pilot study to investigate the skeletal muscle inflammatory and ceramide biosynthesis gene expression levels associated with the toll-like receptor (TLR) pathway before (Pre) and following a 3-mo multicomponent exercise training program in older adults (3M, 4F; 78.4 ± 13.3 yr; 25.5 ± 2.3 kg/m2) ~4 mo after repair from hip fracture (HipFx). Vastus lateralis biopsies from the surgical limb were obtained before (Pre) and after training. Molecular end points and muscle function data were also compared with matched nonexercise healthy controls (CON). As a follow-up analysis, we evaluated specific sphingolipid pools in HipFx and CON muscle. Following training, quadriceps cross-sectional area, strength, and 6-min walk (6MW) increased in the surgical limb ( P < 0.05). Additionally, MYD88, TAK1, NFKB1, IL6, SPT2, and CERS1 gene expression decreased after training ( P ≤ 0.05), but some remained elevated above CON levels. Interestingly, MYD88 mRNA was inversely correlated to quadriceps CSA, strength, and 6MW. Finally, muscle dihydroceramides and phosphoceramides in HipFx were lower than CON at Pre ( P ≤ 0.05), but after training differences from CON were removed. Together, our pilot data support that exercise training alters skeletal muscle inflammation and ceramide metabolism associated with TLR signaling in older adults recovering from hip fracture surgery and may be related to improvements in muscle function recovery.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY These pilot data demonstrate that 3 mo of exercise training in older adults recovering from hip fracture surgery was able to mitigate skeletal muscle gene expression related to inflammation and ceramide metabolism while also improving surgical limb lean tissue, strength, and physical function.
Circulating Tumor Cells Expressing Markers of Tumor-Initiating Cells Predict Poor Survival and Cancer Recurrence in Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Poruk Katherine E. , Blackford Amanda L. , Weiss Matthew J. , Cameron John L. , He Jin , Goggins Michael , Rasheed Zeshaan A. , Wolfgang Christopher L. , Wood Laura D.
Published: October 2016

Purpose: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been identified in the blood of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but little is known about the exact phenotype of these cells. We assessed expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), CD133, and CD44 as markers of CTCs with a tumor-initiating cell (TIC) phenotype in patients with PDAC and the relationship of this expression to patient outcomes.

Experimental Design: Peripheral blood from 60 consecutive patients with PDAC undergoing surgical resection was obtained and processed using the Isolation by Size of Epithelial Tumor (ISET) method. Immunofluorescence was used to identify CTCs expressing cytokeratin, CD133, CD44, and ALDH.

Results: Forty-seven patients (78%) had epithelial CTCs staining positive for pan-cytokeratin and at least one TIC marker. Forty-six patients (77%) had epithelial CTCs that labeled with antibodies to cytokeratin and ALDH. By separate analysis, 34 (57%) had cytokeratin-positive, CD133-positive, and CD44-positive (triple-positive) CTCs, whereas 40 (67%) had cytokeratin-positive, CD133-positive, CD44-negative CTCs. The remaining 13 patients did not have CTCs, as defined by cytokeratin expression. ALDH-positive CTCs and triple-positive CTCs were significantly associated with worse survival by univariate analysis, even when accounting for other significant prognostic factors (all, P ≤ 0.01). ALDH-positive CTCs, triple-positive CTCs, and dual cytokeratin- and CD133-positive CTCs were independent predictors of tumor recurrence by logistic regression analysis and associated with decreased disease-free survival (all, P ≤ 0.03).

Conclusions: CTCs labeling with one or more markers of TICs are found in a majority of patients with PDAC and are independently predictive of decreased disease-free and overall survival. Clin Cancer Res; 23(11); 2681–90. ©2016 AACR.
MicroRNA-126a Directs Lymphangiogenesis Through Interacting With Chemokine and Flt4 Signaling in Zebrafish
Authors: Chen Jian , Zhu Rong-Fang , Li Fang-Fang , Liang Yu-Lai , Wang Chen , Qin Yong-Wen , Huang Shuang , Zhao Xian-Xian , Jing Qing
Published: October 2016

Objective—

MicroRNA-126 (miR-126) is an endothelium-enriched miRNA and functions in vascular integrity and angiogenesis. The application of miRNA as potential biomarker and therapy target has been widely investigated in various pathological processes. However, its role in lymphatic diseases had not been widely explored. We aimed to reveal the role of miR-126 in lymphangiogenesis and the regulatory signaling pathways for potential targets of therapy.

Approach and Results—

Loss-of-function studies using morpholino oligonucleotides and CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9) system showed that silencing of miR-126a severely affected the formation of parachordal lymphangioblasts and thoracic duct in zebrafish embryos, although their development in miR-126b knockdown embryos was normal. Expression analyses by in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence indicated that miR-126a was expressed in lymphatic vessels, as well as in blood vessels. Time-lapse confocal imaging assay further revealed that knockdown of miR-126a blocked both lymphangiogenic sprouts budding from the posterior cardinal vein and lymphangioblasts extension along horizontal myoseptum. Bioinformatics analysis and in vivo report assay identified that miR-126a upregulated
Cxcl12a
by targeting its 5′ untranslated region. Moreover, loss- and gain-of-function studies revealed that Cxcl12a signaling acted downstream of miR-126a during parachordal lymphangioblast extension, whereby Flt4 signaling acts as a cooperator of miR-126a, allowing it to modulate lymphangiogenic sprout formation.

Conclusions—

These findings demonstrate that miR-126a directs lymphatic endothelial cell sprouting and extension by interacting with Cxcl12a-mediated chemokine signaling and Vegfc-Flt4 signal axis. Our results suggest that these key regulators of lymphangiogenesis may be involved in lymphatic pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases.
Recommended Dietary Pattern to Achieve Adherence to the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) Guidelines: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
Authors: Van Horn Linda , Carson Jo Ann S. , Appel Lawrence J. , Burke Lora E. , Economos Christina , Karmally Wahida , Lancaster Kristie , Lichtenstein Alice H. , Johnson Rachel K. , Thomas Randal J. , Vos Miriam , Wylie-Rosett Judith , Kris-Etherton Penny
Published: October 2016

In 2013, the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology published the “Guideline on Lifestyle Management to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk,” which was based on a systematic review originally initiated by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The guideline supports the American Heart Association’s 2020 Strategic Impact Goals for cardiovascular health promotion and disease reduction by providing more specific details for adopting evidence-based diet and lifestyle behaviors to achieve those goals. In addition, the
2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
issued updated evidence relevant to reducing cardiovascular risk and provided additional recommendations for adopting healthy diet and lifestyle approaches. This scientific statement, intended for healthcare providers, summarizes relevant scientific and translational evidence and offers practical tips, tools, and dietary approaches to help patients/clients adapt these guidelines according to their sociocultural, economic, and taste preferences.
Early Cessation of Adenosine Diphosphate Receptor Inhibitors Among Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients Treated With Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Fosbøl Emil L. , Ju Christine , Anstrom Kevin J. , Zettler Marjorie E. , Messenger John C. , Waksman Ron , Effron Mark B. , Baker Brian A. , Cohen David J. , Peterson Eric D. , Wang Tracy Y.
Published: October 2016

Background—

Guidelines recommend the use of adenosine diphosphate receptor inhibitor (ADPri) therapy for 1 year postacute myocardial infarction; yet, early cessation of therapy occurs frequently in clinical practice.

Methods and Results—

We examined 11 858 acute myocardial infarction patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention discharged alive on ADPri therapy from 233 United States TRANSLATE-ACS study (Treatment With Adenosine Diphosphate Receptor Inhibitors: Longitudinal Assessment of Treatment Patterns and Events After Acute Coronary Syndrome) participating hospitals to determine the prevalence of early ADPri cessation (within 1 year), patient-reported reasons for cessation, and associated risk of major adverse cardiovascular events at 1 year. Overall, 2514 (21.2%) of percutaneous coronary intervention–treated patients stopped ADPri by 1 year postmyocardial infarction; the median time from discharge to cessation was 200.5 days (25th, 75th percentiles: 71, 340). Among those with early ADPri cessation, 53.9% received drug-eluting stents and had a median duration of 301 treatment days (25th, 75th percentiles: 137, 353); 33.3% of drug-eluting stent patients stopped treatment within 6 months compared with 64.2% of bare metal stent patients. Those discharged on prasugrel (versus clopidogrel) had a slightly higher likelihood of early ADPri cessation (23.2% versus 21.0%;
P
=0.03; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.17–1.40). Patient-reported reasons for early ADPri cessation included physician-recommended discontinuation (54%), as well as patient self-discontinuation, because of cost (19%), medication side effects (9%), and procedural interruption (10%). Using a time-dependent covariate model, early cessation of ADPri therapy was associated with increased major adverse cardiovascular event (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.19–1.65;
P
<0.0001).

Conclusions—

One in 5 percutaneous coronary intervention–treated myocardial infarction patients stopped ADPri treatment within 1 year. Early cessation was associated with increased major adverse cardiovascular event risk.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01088503.
Representational Dynamics of Facial Viewpoint Encoding
Authors: Kietzmann Tim C. , Gert Anna L. , Tong Frank , König Peter
Published: October 2016

Faces provide a wealth of information, including the identity of the seen person and social cues, such as the direction of gaze. Crucially, different aspects of face processing require distinct forms of information encoding. Another person's attentional focus can be derived based on a view-dependent code. In contrast, identification benefits from invariance across all viewpoints. Different cortical areas have been suggested to subserve these distinct functions. However, little is known about the temporal aspects of differential viewpoint encoding in the human brain. Here, we combine EEG with multivariate data analyses to resolve the dynamics of face processing with high temporal resolution. This revealed a distinct sequence of viewpoint encoding. Head orientations were encoded first, starting after around 60 msec of processing. Shortly afterward, peaking around 115 msec after stimulus onset, a different encoding scheme emerged. At this latency, mirror-symmetric viewing angles elicited highly similar cortical responses. Finally, about 280 msec after visual onset, EEG response patterns demonstrated a considerable degree of viewpoint invariance across all viewpoints tested, with the noteworthy exception of the front-facing view. Taken together, our results indicate that the processing of facial viewpoints follows a temporal sequence of encoding schemes, potentially mirroring different levels of computational complexity.
The Place of Interests in Hobbes’s Civil Science
Authors: Karstadt Elliott
Published: October 2016

Many scholars argue that Hobbes’s political ideas do not significantly develop between The Elements of Law (1640) and Leviathan (1651). This article seeks to challenge that assumption by studying the way in which Hobbes’s deployment of the vocabulary of ‘interest’ develops over the course of the 1640s. The article begins by showing that the vocabulary is newly important in Leviathan, before attempting a ‘Hobbesian definition’ of what is meant by the term. We end by looking at the impact that the vocabulary has on two key areas of Hobbes’s philosophy: his theory of counsel and his arguments in favour of monarchy as the best form of government. In both areas, Hobbes’s conception of ‘interests’ is shown to be of crucial importance in lending a new understanding of the political issue under consideration.
Hobbes on Felicity
Authors: Hamilton James J.
Published: October 2016

Thomas Hobbes’s concept of felicity is a re-imagining of the Hellenistic concept of eudaimonia, which is based on the doctrine that people by nature are happy with little. His concept is based instead on an alternative view, that people by nature are never satisfied and it directly challenges the Aristotelian and Hellenistic concepts of eudaimonia. I also will suggest that Hobbes developed it from ideas he found in Aristotle’s Rhetoric as well as in Francis Bacon’s critique of ancient moral philosophy in The Advancement of Learning.
A new species of Exacum (Gentianaceae) from Western Ghats, India
Authors: GEETHAKUMARY M. P. , PANDURANGAN A. G. , RAVICHANDRAN P. , DEEPU S.
Published: October 2016

Exacum idukkianum (Gentianaceae), a new species from Western Ghats of Kerala, India, is here described and illustrated. This species is similar to E. wightianum, from which it can be distinguished by the perennial habit, with plants up to 2.5 m tall, wingless stem, rectangular curved anthers with cordate base and broadly ovoid capsules. Morphological differences of this species with its putative closest allies with relevant notes and colour plates of the new species are presented.
The tadpole of Hypsiboas guentheri (Boulenger) (Anura: Hylidae)
Authors: ALMEIDA-SILVA DIEGO , NETO ANTONIO MOLLO , MENDES HUMBERTO FONSECA , VERDADE VANESSA KRUTH
Published: October 2016

Hypsiboas guentheri is a species of treefrog that inhabits the surrounding vegetation of temporary and permanent ponds at the coastal region of Southern Brazil, in the States of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul (Langone 1997; Frost 2016). It belongs to the H. pulchellus species group (Faivovich et al. 2004, Duellman et al. 2016), this group contains 39 species (Frost 2016), but formal descriptions of tadpoles are missing for 15 of them (Kolenc et al. 2008; Pinheiro et al., 2016). Herein we describe tadpoles of H. guentheri collected in February 2014 in the accumulated water on an underpass for wildlife crossing at the RS-486 highway (29º30'44.8" S 50º06'29.9" W), Itati municipality, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil.
A new species of the genus Pseudotrachystola Breuning (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) from China
Authors: XIANG LANBIN , XIE GUANGLIN , WANG WENKAI
Published: October 2016

The second species of Pseudotrachystola Breuning, P. yei, sp. nov., is described and illustrated from Hubei, China. The holotype is deposited in the Entomological Museum of Yangtze University. The Chinese name of the new species is designated as 叶氏伪糙天牛.
A new species of Pelecium Kirby (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Peleciini) from the Atlantic Forest biome, Brazil
Authors: ORSETTI ARTUR , LOPES-ANDRADE CRISTIANO
Published: October 2016

Pelecium Kirby is the most diverse Peleciini genus, with 33 species shared between two subgenera: Pelecidium Straneo & Ball, which comprises three species, and Pelecium, with the remaining 30 species (Straneo & Ball 1989). They occur from Panama to middle Argentina, and adults are nocturnal and prey upon millipedes (Martinez 2005). Larvae have parasitoids habits and millipedes are their main preys. There are also records of Pelecium larvae devouring immature beetles (Salt 1928). Our aim in this study is to describe Pelecium igneus sp. nov.. Aedeagus of this species is the first described for Pelecium.
Estimating Tropical Cyclone Integrated Kinetic Energy with the CYGNSS Satellite Constellation
Authors: Morris Mary , Ruf Christopher S.
Published: October 2016

The Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) constellation is designed to provide observations of surface wind speed in and near the inner core of tropical cyclones with high temporal resolution throughout the storm’s life cycle. A method is developed for estimating tropical cyclone integrated kinetic energy (IKE) using CYGNSS observations. IKE is calculated for each geographically based quadrant out to an estimate of the 34-kt (1 kt = 0.51 m s−1) wind radius. The CYGNSS-IKE estimator is tested and its performance is characterized using simulated CYGNSS observations with realistic measurement errors. CYGNSS-IKE performance improves for stronger, more organized storms and with increasing number of observations over the extent of the 34-kt radius. Known sampling information can be used for quality control. While CYGNSS-IKE is calculated for individual geographic quadrants, using a total-IKE—a sum over all quadrants—improves performance. CYGNSS-IKE should be of interest to operational and research meteorologists, insurance companies, and others interested in the destructive potential of tropical cyclones developing in data-sparse regions, which will now be covered by CYGNSS. The CYGNSS-IKE product will be available for the 2017 Atlantic Ocean hurricane season.
A Hybrid LSSVM Model with Empirical Mode Decomposition and Differential Evolution for Forecasting Monthly Precipitation
Authors: Tao Lizhi , He Xinguang , Wang Rui
Published: October 2016

In this study, a hybrid least squares support vector machine (HLSSVM) model is presented for effectively forecasting monthly precipitation. The hybrid method is designed by incorporating the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) for data preprocessing, partial information (PI) algorithm for input identification, and differential evolution (DE) for model parameter optimization into least squares support vector machine (LSSVM). The HLSSVM model is examined by forecasting monthly precipitation at 138 rain gauge stations in the Yangtze River basin and compared with the LSSVM and LSSVM–DE. The LSSVM–DE is built by combining the LSSVM and DE. Two statistical measures, Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) and relative absolute error (RAE), are employed to evaluate the performance of the models. The comparison of results shows that the LSSVM–DE gets a superior performance to LSSVM, and the HLSSVM provides the best performance among the three models for monthly precipitation forecasts. Meanwhile, it is also observed that all the models exhibit significant spatial variability in forecast performance. The prediction is most skillful in the western and northwestern regions of the basin. In contrast, the prediction skill in the eastern and southeastern regions is generally low, which shows a strong relationship with the randomness of precipitation. Compared to LSSVM and LSSVM–DE, the proposed HLSSVM model gives a more significant improvement for most of the stations in the eastern and southeastern regions with higher randomness.
Neighborhood Attainment over the Adult Life Course
Authors: South Scott J. , Huang Ying , Spring Amy , Crowder Kyle
Published: October 2016

This study uses data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, in conjunction with neighborhood-level data from the U.S. decennial census and American Community Survey, to examine the trajectory of individuals’ neighborhood characteristics from initial household formation into mid-to-late adulthood. Multilevel growth curve models reveal both different starting points and different life course trajectories for blacks and whites in neighborhood economic status and neighborhood racial composition. Among respondents who first established an independent household during the 1970s, improvement in neighborhood income over the adult life course was substantially greater for white than for black respondents; the racial difference in the percentage of neighbors who were non-Hispanic white narrowed slightly with age. Racial differences in the characteristics of neighborhoods inhabited during adolescence help explain racial differences in starting points and, to a lesser extent, subsequent trajectories of neighborhood attainment. Residing in an economically advantaged neighborhood during adolescence confers greater subsequent benefits in neighborhood economic status for white than for black respondents. We use these findings to begin developing a life course perspective on neighborhood attainment.
Sumptuary Labor
Authors: Sallaz Jeffrey J. , Wang Chi Phoenix
Published: October 2016

Liberal market states promote the responsible consumption of potentially dangerous commodities. But the work of enforcing sumptuary law is in fact delegated to service employees in the private sector. In this article such work is termed sumptuary labor. Although the ability of states to privatize sumptuary enforcement is a remarkable accomplishment, it is by no means a seamless one. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork among bartenders and casino dealers, the article elaborates patterned conflicts of interest that arise during the performance of sumptuary labor. Both firms and workers may fail to ensure eligibility for consumption, prevent overindulgence, or guarantee the purity of the problematic commodity. The article concludes by theorizing how liberal market states manage the potential decoupling of sumptuary policy and practice.
Development of disperse dye polypropylene fiber and process parameter optimization Part I: development of dyeable polypropylene fiber and parameter optimization
Authors: Kuo Chung-Feng Jeffrey , Lan Wei-Lun , Chen Shih-Hsiung , Lin Fang-Sian , Dong Min-Yan
Published: October 2016

This study develops polyester modified polypropylene (PP) with disperse dye dyeability. The thermal properties, rheological properties, and spectral properties are used for validation and differential analysis.

The optimum PP dyeable particle process uses polyester as the mixed copolymer. The melt temperature of polyester material is significantly different from PP, which may lead to a failure of the mixing process. Therefore, this study aims to develop low-melting co-polyester. Different proportions of adipic acid are used in the co-polyester molecular chain to reduce the melting point. The melting point has been controlled successfully, the thermal properties of the modified ester pellet are discussed, and the functional group is then verified by Fourier infrared spectroscopy. Afterwards, the low-melting co-polyester and PP are made into a composite through a dual-screw mixing process with PP grafting maleic anhydride compatilizer. The PP is endued with the dyeability of disperse dye through the molecular behavior of the co-polyester chain segment. The optimum process parameters of the made material are designed by using the Taguchi method, gray relational analysis, and fuzzy C means clustering algorithm, aiming at two quality characteristics: dyeing power and melt index (MI). The results show that the MI of the pure PP polymer is 35.78 g/10 min and the color strength is 100  K/S, while the MI of the PP/co-polyester is 37.63 g/10 min and the color strength is 211.20  K/S. The results suggest that the developed polymer exhibits good processing in circulation and color strength.