bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Free‐Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment on Sap Flow and Canopy Microclimate of Maize Grown under Different Water Supply
Authors: Manderscheid R. , Erbs M. , Burkart S. , Wittich K.‐P. , Löpmeier F.‐J. , Weigel H.‐J.
Published: August 2015

The rise of atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) affects stomatal conductance and thus transpiration and leaf temperature. We evaluated the effect of elevated [CO2] levels under different water supply on daily sap flow and canopy microclimate (air temperature (Tc) and vapour pressure deficit (VPD)) of maize. The crop was cultivated in circular field plots under ambient (AMB, 378 μmol mol−1) and elevated [CO2] (FACE, 550 μmol mol−1) using free‐air CO2 enrichment with sufficient water in 2007, while in 2008 a DRY semicircle received only half as much water as compared to the WET semicircle from mid of July. In 2007, sap flow was measured in WET simultaneously under AMB and FACE conditions and was significantly decreased by elevated [CO2]. In 2008, sap flow was measured in all four treatments but not simultaneously. Therefore, data were correlated with potential evaporation and the slopes were used to determine treatment effects. Drought reduced whole‐plant transpiration by 50 % and 37 % as compared to WET conditions under AMB and FACE, respectively. Moreover, CO2 enrichment did not affect sap flow under drought but decreased it under WET by 20 % averaged over both years. The saving of water in the period before the drought treatment resulted in a displacement of dry soil conditions under FACE as compared to AMB. Under WET, CO2 enrichment always increased Tc and VPD during the day. Under DRY, FACE plots were warmer and drier most of the time in August, but cooler and damper short after the start of drought in July and from the end of August onwards. Thus, the CO2 effect on transpiration under drought was variable and detectable rather easy by measuring canopy microclimate.
New Insights into the Setting Processes of Glass Ionomer Cements from Analysis of Dielectric Properties
Authors: Šantić Ana , Čalogović Marina , Pavić Luka , Gladić Jadranko , Vučić Zlatko , Lovrić Davorin , Prskalo Katica , Janković Bernard , Tarle Zrinka , Moguš‐Milanković Andrea
Published: August 2015

The setting processes in the commercial glass ionomer cement (Fuji IX Fast) and resin modified glass ionomer cement (Fuji II LC) were investigated by the dielectric spectroscopy. The changes in the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric permittivity [ε*(ω)] as well as dielectric loss (tan δ) with time for Fuji IX Fast show several distinct regions which are related to the different stages of the acid–base reaction. Interestingly, the first stage that lasts for approximately 12 min terminates with a sharp decrease in dielectric parameters which is most probably related to the instantaneous (micro)fracturing of the sample due to a rapid build–up of the shrinkage stress. On the other hand, evolution of the dielectric properties during the setting of Fuji II LC indicates fast reaction in the initial stage (within few minutes) followed by the slow gradual change as a result of the competing nature of the acid–base reaction and light‐activated polymerization.
Several Conventional Risk Markers Suggesting Presence of Albuminuria Are Weak Among Rural Africans With Hypertension
Authors: Rasmussen Jon B. , Nordin Lovisa S. , Thomsen Jakúp A. , Rossing Peter , Bygbjerg Ib C. , Christensen Dirk L.
Published: August 2015

The objective of this cross‐sectional study was to investigate risk markers indicating the presence of albuminuria in patients with hypertension in rural sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). Urine albumin‐creatinine ratio, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood pressure, anthropometry, and other patient characteristics including medications were assessed. We identified 160 patients with hypertension, of whom 68 (42.5%) were co‐diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM). Among the included participants, 57 (35.6%) had albuminuria (microalbuminuria [n=43] and macroalbuminuria [n=14]). A backward multivariate logistic regression model identified age (per 10‐year increment) (odds ratio [OR], 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–1.95), HbA1c >53 compared with <48 mmol/mol (OR, 3.81; 95% CI, 1.74–8.35), and treatment with dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (OR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.09–6.16) as the variables significantly associated with albuminuria. Only dysregulated DM and age were the conventional risk markers that seemed to suggest albuminuria among patients with hypertension in rural SSA.
The development of executive function and language skills in the early school years
Authors: Gooch Debbie , Thompson Paul , Nash Hannah M. , Snowling Margaret J. , Hulme Charles
Published: August 2015

Background

The developmental relationships between executive functions (EF) and early language skills are unclear. This study explores the longitudinal relationships between children's early EF and language skills in a sample of children with a wide range of language abilities including children at risk of dyslexia. In addition, we investigated whether these skills independently predict children's attention/behaviour skills.

Method

Data are presented from 243 children at four time points. Children were selected for being at risk of reading difficulties either because of a family history of dyslexia (FR; N = 90) or because of concerns regarding their language development (LI; N = 79) or as typically developing controls (TD; N = 74). The children completed tasks to assess their executive function and language skills at ages 4, 5 and 6 years. At 6 (T4) and 7 years (T5) parents and teachers rated the children's attention/behaviour skills.

Results

There was a strong concurrent relationship between language and EF at each assessment. Longitudinal analyses indicated a considerable degree of stability in children's language and EF skills: the influence of language on later EF skills (and vice versa) was weak and not significant in the current sample. Children's EF, but not language, skills at T3 predicted attention/behaviour ratings at T4/T5.

Conclusions

There is a strong concurrent association between language and EF skills during the preschool and early school years, when children with language impairment show persistent EF deficits. Latent variables measuring language and EF show high longitudinal stability with little evidence of significant or strong reciprocal influences between these constructs. EF, but not language, skills predict later ratings of children's attention and behaviour.
The influence of quarantine on reproductive cycling in wild‐caught Baboons (Papio anubis)
Authors: Liechty Emma R. , Wang Diane Y. , Chen Emily , Chai Daniel , Bell Jason D. , Bergin Ingrid L.
Published: August 2015

Stress impacts nonhuman primate menstrual cycle length but the impact of quarantine is unknown. A retrospective analysis was performed on cycle data from 31 wild‐caught baboons during and following quarantine. Cycling initiated in 94 days (19–181) and length normalized within 4–6 cycles. Quarantine significantly impacts menstrual cycle length.
Microsurgeons do better – tactile training might prevent the age‐dependent decline of the sensibility of the hand
Authors: Schmauss Daniel , Megerle Kai , Weinzierl Andrea , Agua Kariem , Cerny Michael , Schmauss Verena , Lohmeyer Joern A. , Machens Hans‐Guenther , Erne Holger
Published: August 2015

Recent data demonstrate that the normal sensibility of the hand seems to be age‐dependent with the best values in the third decade and a consecutive deterioration afterwards. However, it is not clear if long‐term tactile training might prevent this age‐dependent decline. We evaluated sensibility of the hand in 125 surgeons aged between 26 and 75 years who perform microsurgical operations, thereby undergoing regular tactile training. We examined sensibility of the radial digital nerve of the index finger (N3) and the ulnar digital nerve of the small finger (N10) using static and moving two‐point discrimination (2PD) tests and compared the results to 154 age‐matched individuals without specific long‐term tactile training. We found significantly lower static and moving 2PD values for the sixth, seventh, and eighth decade of life in the microsurgery group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). This study demonstrates that long‐term tactile training might prevent the known age‐dependent decline of the sensibility of the hand.
Mutational mechanisms in MFN2‐related neuropathy: compound heterozygosity for recessive and semidominant mutations
Authors: Piscosquito Giuseppe , Saveri Paola , Magri Stefania , Ciano Claudia , Di Bella Daniela , Milani Micaela , Taroni Franco , Pareyson Davide
Published: August 2015

Mitofusin‐2 (MFN2) mutations are the most common cause of autosomal dominant axonal Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease (CMT, type 2A), sometimes complicated by additional features such as optic atrophy (CMT6) and upper motor neuron involvement (CMT5). Several pathogenic mutations are reported, mainly acting in a dominant fashion, although few sequence variants behaved as recessive or semidominant in rare homozygous or compound heterozygous patients. We describe a 49‐year‐old woman with CMT5 associated with compound heterozygosity for two MFN2 variants, one already reported missense mutation (c.748C>T, p.R250W) and a novel nonsense sequence change (c.1426C>T, p.R476*). Her mother, carrying the p.R250W variant, had very late‐onset minimal axonal neuropathy, whilst the father harboring the nonsense sequence change had neither clinical nor electrophysiological neuropathy. The missense mutation is likely pathogenic according to in silico analyses and a previous report, while the nonsense variant is predicted to behave as a null allele. The p.R250W variant behaves as semidominant by causing only a mild, almost subclinical, neuropathy when heterozygous; the nonsense mutation in the father was phenotypically silent, suggesting that haploinsufficiency for MFN2 is not disease causative, but was deleterious in the daughter who had only one active mutated MFN2 allele.
Epidermal innervation morphometry by immunofluorescence and bright‐field microscopy
Authors: Nolano Maria , Biasiotta Antonella , Lombardi Raffaella , Provitera Vincenzo , Stancanelli Annamaria , Caporaso Giuseppe , Santoro Lucio , Merkies Ingemar S.J. , Truini Andrea , Porretta‐Serapiglia Carla , Cazzato Daniele , Dacci Patrizia , Vitale Dino F. , Lauria Giuseppe
Published: August 2015

We investigated the agreement between simple indirect immunofluorescence (IF) and bright‐field immunohistochemistry (BFI) on free‐floating sections for intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) quantification. Fifty‐five healthy subjects and 63 patients with probable small fiber neuropathy (SFN) underwent two adjacent skin biopsies at the distal leg processed by IF and BFI technique. Agreement between IENFD pairs obtained by each method was assessed by Bland–Altman testing. The area under the curve of the receiving operating characteristics (ROC) curves was used to compare the discrimination ability. The diagnostic judgment was based on sex and age‐adjusted normative values. IF and BFI showed good correlation (r = 0.81), with a ratio of about 2:1 and a mean difference of 5.5 ± 3.0 IENF per millimeter between paired measures, as demonstrated by linear regression and Bland–Altman test analyses. The square root transformation confirmed a Poisson distribution of the data and a fixed bias between IF and BFI measurements. The ROC curves analysis demonstrated a striking overlap between IF and BFI (0.83 and 0.82; p = 0.72). The diagnosis of SFN disagreed in only 6.7% of cases when the judgment was based on a difference of >1 IENF from 5% cut‐off value. IF and BFI showed comparable diagnostic efficiency when referred to appropriate normative reference values.
Does Music Influence the Multisensory Tasting Experience?
Authors: Reinoso Carvalho Felipe , Van Ee Raymond , Rychtarikova Monika , Touhafi Abdellah , Steenhaut Kris , Persoone Dominique , Spence Charles , Leman Marc
Published: August 2015

All of the senses can potentially contribute to the perception and experience of food and drink. Sensory influences come both from the food or drink itself, and from the environment in which that food or drink is tasted and consumed. In this study, participants initially had to pair each of three soundtracks with one of three chocolates (varying on the bitter‐sweet dimension). In a second part of the study, the impact of the various music samples on these participants’ ratings of the taste of various chocolates was assessed. The results demonstrate that what people hear exerts a significant influence over their rating of the taste of the chocolate. Interestingly, when the results were analysed based on the participants’ individual music‐chocolate matches (rather than the average response of the whole group), more robust crossmodal effects were revealed. These results therefore provide support for the claim that ambient sound influences taste judgments, and potentially provide useful insights concerning the future design of multisensory tasting experiences.

Practical Applications

The approach outlined here follows the increasing demand from the field of gastronomy for greater influence over the general multisensory atmosphere surrounding eating/drinking experiences. One of the novel contributions of the present research is to show how, by considering a participant's individual response, further insight for user‐studies in gastrophysics may be provided. Increasing the personalization of such experiments in the years to come may help researchers to design individualized “sonic seasoning” experiences that are even more effective. In the future, then, the approach outlined here may help researchers and experience designers to obtain more profound effects of the auditory or multisensory atmosphere.
Effect of a Limited Iodine Diet on Iodine Uptake by Thyroid Glands in Hyperthyroid Cats
Authors: Scott‐Moncrieff J.C. , Heng H.G. , Weng H.Y. , Dimeo D. , Jones M.D.
Published: August 2015

Background

The effect of feeding a limited iodine diet on radioactive iodine uptake in the thyroid glands of hyperthyroid cats is unknown.

Objectives

To determine how feeding limited dietary iodine affects radioactive iodine uptake by the thyroid glands of hyperthyroid cats.

Animals

Eight geriatric cats with spontaneous hyperthyroidism.

Methods

Prospective study of eight client owned hyperthyroid cats fed a commercially available iodine limited diet for 6 months. Clinical signs were evaluated and TT4 and fT4 were measured during consumption of the diet. Uptake of 123I was determined before and 8–16 weeks after exclusive consumption of the diet.

Results

Clinical signs of hyperthyroidism resolved in all cats, but there was no significant increase in body weight. TT4 and fT4 decreased into the reference range by 8–16 weeks in all cats. Mean TT4 before consumption of the diet was 9.7 μg/dL (SD 5.2) and after consumption of the diet was 3.1 μg/dL (SD 0.9). Scintigraphy revealed unilateral uptake of isotope in 5 cats and bilateral uptake in 3 cats. Mean percentage uptake of 123I by the thyroid gland at 8 hours after isotope administration was 16.2 (SD 11.8) before diet consumption and 34.6 (SD 11.7) 8–16 weeks after exclusive consumption of the diet. The percentage increase was variable between cats (38–639%).

Conclusions and clinical importance

Limited iodine diets increase iodine uptake in the autonomous thyroid glands of hyperthyroid cats. Further studies are necessary to determine if consumption of a limited iodine diet changes sensitivity of the thyroid gland to 131I treatment.
Molecular biomarkers for chronological age in animal ecology
Authors: Jarman Simon N. , Polanowski Andrea M. , Faux Cassandra E. , Robbins Jooke , De Paoli‐Iseppi Ricardo , Bravington Mark , Deagle Bruce E.
Published: August 2015

The chronological age of an individual animal predicts many of its biological characteristics, and these in turn influence population‐level ecological processes. Animal age information can therefore be valuable in ecological research, but many species have no external features that allow age to be reliably determined. Molecular age biomarkers provide a potential solution to this problem. Research in this area of molecular ecology has so far focused on a limited range of age biomarkers. The most commonly tested molecular age biomarker is change in average telomere length, which predicts age well in a small number of species and tissues, but performs poorly in many other situations. Epigenetic regulation of gene expression has recently been shown to cause age‐related modifications to DNA and to cause changes in abundance of several RNA types throughout animal lifespans. Age biomarkers based on these epigenetic changes, and other new DNA‐based assays, have already been applied to model organisms, humans and a limited number of wild animals. There is clear potential to apply these marker types more widely in ecological studies. For many species, these new approaches will produce age estimates where this was previously impractical. They will also enable age information to be gathered in cross‐sectional studies and expand the range of demographic characteristics that can be quantified with molecular methods. We describe the range of molecular age biomarkers that have been investigated to date and suggest approaches for developing the newer marker types as age assays in nonmodel animal species.
Can plants evolve tolerance mechanisms to heterospecific pollen effects? An experimental test of the adaptive potential inClarkiaspecies
Authors: Arceo‐Gómez Gerardo , Raguso Robert A. , Geber Monica A.
Published: August 2015

Flowering plants do not occur alone and often grow in mixed‐species communities where pollinator sharing is high and interactions via pollinators can occur at pre‐ and post‐pollination stages. While the causes and consequences of pre‐pollination interactions have been well studied little is known about post‐pollination interactions via heterospecific pollen (HP) receipt, and even less about the evolutionary implications of these interactions. In particular, the degree to which plants can evolve tolerance mechanisms to the negative effects of HP receipt has received little attention. Here, we aim to fill this gap in our understanding of post‐pollination interactions by experimentally testing whether two co‐floweringClarkiaspecies can evolve HP tolerance, and whether tolerance to specific HP ‘genotypes’ (fine‐scale local adaptation to HP) occurs. We find thatClarkiaspecies vary in their tolerance to HP effects. Furthermore, conspecific pollen performance and the magnitude of HP effects were related to the recipient's history of exposure to HP inC. xantianabut not inC. speciosa. Specifically, better conspecific pollen performance and smaller HP effects were observed in populations ofC. xantianaplants with previous exposure to HP compared to populations without such exposure. These results suggest that plants may have the potential to evolve tolerance mechanisms to HP effects but that these may occur not from the female (stigma, style) but from the male (pollen) perspective, a possibility that is often overlooked. We find no evidence for fine‐scale local adaptation to HP receipt. Studies that evaluate the adaptive potential of plants to the negative effects of HP receipt are an important first step in understanding the evolutionary consequences of plant–plant post‐pollination interactions. Such knowledge is in turn crucial for deciphering the role of plant–pollinator interactions in driving floral evolution and the composition of co‐flowering communities.
Methylene blue treatment for resistant shock following renal transplantation
Authors: Hershman Eli , Hadash Amir , Attias Ori , Ben‐Ari Josef
Published: August 2015

We report a case of a 19‐year‐old female with a history of hyperoxaluria type 1 and renal failure. The patient presented for a second renal transplantation 17 years after her first combined liver and kidney transplantation. Postoperative shock was highly resistant to fluids and required massive pharmacologic hemodynamic support. Vasoplegic shock was the presumed diagnosis, and methylene blue was utilized as a rescue therapy, with a rapid hemodynamic response and no apparent side effects.
A retrospective comparison of ropivacaine and 2‐chloroprocaine continuous thoracic epidural analgesia for management of postthoracotomy pain in infants
Authors: Muhly Wallis T. , Gurnaney Harshad G. , Kraemer Francis W. , Ganesh Arjunan , Maxwell Lynne G.
Published: August 2015

Introduction

Continuous thoracic epidural analgesia is useful in the management of infants following thoracotomy. Concerns about drug accumulation and toxicity limit the amount of amide local anesthetics that can be delivered. Continuous epidural infusions of the ester local anesthetic chloroprocaine result in little drug accumulation allowing for higher infusion rates. We retrospectively compared patients managed with 1.5% 2‐ chloroprocaine or 0.1% ropivacaine epidural infusions to determine if the increased infusion rate resulted in similar or improved analgesia.

Methods

This retrospective cohort comparison consisted of full term infants 6 months or younger who underwent thoracotomy for congenital lung lesion resection. Patients were included if they were managed with either a 1.5% 2‐chloroprocaine (Group C) (n = 26) or 0.1% ropivacaine (Group R) (n = 28) infusion administered through a caudally placed thoracic epidural catheter. The primary outcome was morphine administration at 0–24 h.

Results

Patients were similar in age, weight, length of stay, epidural location and duration. There was weak evidence for a difference in morphine use in the first 24 h in Group C compared to Group R (P = 0.08) but no difference 24–48 h. Group C was more commonly managed with ketorolac at 0–24 h (P = 0.03) and 24–48 h (P =< 0.01).

Discussion

The use of 2‐chloroprocaine for continuous epidural infusion in infants following thoracotomy was not inferior to ropivacaine and there was weak evidence for a reduction in opioid consumption in the first 24 h postoperatively. However, the 2‐chloroprocaine group was more likely to receive ketorolac.
The Varieties of (Relative) Modality
Authors: Leech Jessica
Published: August 2015

In ‘The Varieties of Necessity’ Fine presents purported counterexamples to the view that a proposition is a naturally necessary truth if and only if it is logically necessary relative to or conditional upon the basic truths about the status and distribution of natural kinds, properties and relations. The aim of this article is to defend the view that natural necessity is relative necessity, and the general idea that we can define other kinds of necessity as relative, against Fine's criticisms.
Unusual cystic hamartomatous lung lesion with clinical manifestation of subpleural bullae in a woman of reproductive age: A case report
Authors: Yorita Kenji , Ayabe Takanori , Chosa Eiichi , Uchino Noriko , Nagatomo Yasuhiro , Yamaguchi Tetsuro , Nakatani Yukio , Kataoka Hiroaki
Published: August 2015

Pulmonary hamartoma is a common benign lung disorder, and most cases show solid nodules. Here, we documented the clinicopathological features of a growing, bulla‐like, multilocular hamartomatous lung lesion in a woman of reproductive age. To the best of our knowledge, this disorder has not been reported in the literature to date. An asymptomatic 29‐year‐old Japanese woman with no significant past medical history was referred to our institution for surgical treatment of a bullous lesion in the right upper lobe because the pulmonary lesion had enlarged to multilocular cysts, including a giant bulla, within 1 year, leading to compression of the right lung. The bullous lesion, which was projected from the apex of the lung via a narrow stalk, showed nonemphysematous, multiloculated tissue. The wall mimicked a bronchiolar structure with ciliated, nonatypical epithelium and layers of nonatypical spindle cells that were positive for smooth muscle markers and sex steroid hormone receptors. No cartilage was included in the lesion. We believe that this may be a novel form of hamartoma. This disorder may be included in a differential diagnosis of subpleural bullous diseases in women of reproductive age.
Early and late adjustments of the photosynthetic traits and stomatal density in Quercus ilex L. grown in an ozone‐enriched environment
Authors: Fusaro L. , Gerosa G. , Salvatori E. , Marzuoli R. , Monga R. , Kuzminsky E. , Angelaccio C. , Quarato D. , Fares S.
Published: August 2015

Quercus ilex L. seedlings were exposed in open‐top chambers for one growing season to three levels of ozone (O3): charcoal filtered air, non‐filtered air supplemented with +30% or +74% ambient air O3. Key functional parameters related to photosynthetic performance and stomatal density were measured to evaluate the response mechanisms of Q. ilex to chronic O3 exposure, clarifying how ecophysiological traits are modulated during the season in an ozone‐enriched environment. Dark respiration showed an early response to O3 exposure, increasing approximately 45% relative to charcoal‐filtered air in both O3 enriched treatments. However, at the end of the growing season, maximum rate of assimilation (Amax) and stomatal conductance (gs) showed a decline (−13% and −36%, for Amax and gs, respectively) only in plants under higher O3 levels. Photosystem I functionality supported the capacity of Q. ilex to cope with oxidative stress by adjusting the energy flow partitioning inside the photosystems. The response to O3 was also characterised by increased stomatal density in both O3 enriched treatments relative to controls. Our results suggest that in order to improve the reliability of metrics for O3 risk assessment, the seasonal changes in the response of gs and photosynthetic machinery to O3 stress should be considered.
Investment in Shared Suppliers: Effect of Learning, Spillover, and Competition
Authors: Agrawal Anupam , Kim Youngsoo , Kwon H. Dharma , Muthulingam Suresh
Published: August 2015

We investigate the optimal strategies for firms to invest in their suppliers when the benefits of such investments can spillover to other firms who also source from the same suppliers. We consider two Bayesian firms that can invest in improving the quality of their shared supplier; the firms do not have complete information on the true quality of the supplier, but they update their beliefs based on the supplier's performance. We formulate the problem as an investment game and obtain Markov perfect equilibria characterized by the investment thresholds of both firms. The equilibrium investment strategies of the two firms are characterized by a region of preemption and a region of war of attrition. We also examine how the interplay between spillover, competition, and returns from the investment at shared suppliers affect the investment threshold and the time to the leader's investment, and identify the conditions under which competition delays or hastens the first investment in a shared supplier.
Contact and Community: The Role of Social Interactions for a Political Identity
Authors: Stoeckel Florian
Published: August 2015

Can social interaction contribute to a sense of community that transcends national borders? This question was initially raised by Deutsch (1953) and revived by Fligstein (2008). My analysis makes two contributions to this literature. First, insights from social psychology are applied to specify the microfoundations for why contact across group boundaries can be related to a collective identity. Second, a new three‐wave panel data set is used to examine the relationship empirically. The sample includes almost 1,500 students at 38 German universities. The results show that social interaction contributes to a European identity, but that it is in particular contact with other international students rather than contact with hosts that fosters it most effectively. The data also reveal that contact has a more profound impact on individuals with a weak European identity to begin with. Finally, the change I find is stable after students return to their home institutions.
Clinical characteristics of catamenial and non‐catamenial thoracic endometriosis‐related pneumothorax
Authors: Fukuoka Mizuki , Kurihara Masatoshi , Haga Takahiro , Ebana Hiroki , Kataoka Hideyuki , Mizobuchi Teruaki , Tatsumi Koichiro
Published: August 2015

Background and objective

A major pathogenic factor for catamenial pneumothorax is thoracic endometriosis. However, thoracic endometriosis‐related pneumothorax (TERP) can develop as either catamenial or non‐catamenial pneumothorax (CP). Therefore, the aim of this study was to elucidate the clinical differences between catamenial and non‐catamenial TERP.

Methods

The clinical and pathological data in female patients who underwent video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery at the Pneumothorax Research Center during an 8‐year period were retrospectively reviewed. This study included 150 female patients with surgico‐pathologically confirmed TERP. The subjects were divided into two groups, those having all of the pneumothorax episodes in the catamenial period (CP group) and those who did not (non‐CP group). We compared the clinical characteristics and surgico‐pathological findings between these two groups.

Results

Of the 150 TERP patients, 55 (36.7%) were classified in the CP group, and 95 (63.3%) in the non‐CP group. In regard to the locations of endometriosis, all TERP patients had diaphragmatic endometriosis, while pleural implantation was recognized in 34 of the 55 (61.8%) patients in the CP group and 42 of the 95 (44.2%) patients in the non‐CP group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

A significant difference in the proportion of patients with pleural endometriosis was observed between catamenial and non‐catamenial TERP. The ectopic sites of the endometriosis may be responsible for the timing of the pneumothorax episodes.
This is what COPD looks like
Authors: Sheikh Khadija , Coxson Harvey O , Parraga Grace
Published: August 2015

Despite decades of research, and the growing healthcare and societal burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), therapeutic COPD breakthroughs have not occurred. Sub‐optimal COPD patient phenotyping, an incomplete understanding of COPD pathogenesis and a scarcity of sensitive tools that provide patient‐relevant intermediate endpoints likely all play a role in the lack of new, efficacious COPD interventions. In other words, COPD patients are still diagnosed based on the presence of persistent airflow limitation measured using spirometry. Spirometry measurements reflect the global sum of all the different possible COPD pathologies and perhaps because of this, we lose sight of the different contributions of airway and parenchymal abnormalities. With recent advances in thoracic X‐ray computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), lung structure and function abnormalities may be regionally identified and measured. These imaging endpoints may serve as biomarkers of COPD that can be used to better phenotype patients. Therefore, here we review novel CT and MRI measurements that help reveal COPD phenotypes and what COPD really ‘looks’ like, beyond spirometric indices. We discuss MR and CT imaging approaches for generating reproducible and sensitive measurements of COPD phenotypes related to pulmonary ventilation and perfusion as well as airway and parenchyma anatomical and morphological features. These measurements may provide a way to advance the development and testing of new COPD interventions and therapies.
Non‐anaemic iron deficiency in COPD: A potential therapeutic target?
Authors: Boutou Afroditi K. , Polkey Michael I. , Hopkinson Nicholas S.
Published: August 2015

See article, page 1089
Analysis ofNTSBAircraft‐Assisted Pilot Suicides: 1982–2014
Authors: Politano P. Michael , Walton Robert O.
Published: August 2015

On March 24, 2015, a Germanwings aircraft crashed in the Alps. The suicidal copilot killed himself and 150 others. Pilot suicide is rare, but does happen. This research analyzed the National Transportation Safety Board's accident database (eADMS) looking for pilots who died by suicide in flight. Fifty‐one suicides were identified. Gender, age, and other characteristics were examined. Average age of suicidal pilots was 38, significantly different from the average age of 45 for all male pilots involved in aircraft accidents. A discriminant function accurately identified suicidal incidents at 96%. There was a high false‐positive rate limiting the usefulness of the discriminant function.
Splenic vasculitis, thrombosis, and infarction in a febrile dog infected with Bartonella henselae
Authors: Friedenberg Steven G. , Balakrishnan Nandhakumar , Guillaumin Julien , Cooper Edward S. , Lewis Kristin , Russell Duncan S. , Breitschwerdt Edward B.
Published: August 2015

Objective

To describe the clinical course and successful management of a febrile dog with polyarthritis, splenic vasculitis, thrombosis, and infarction that was infected with Bartonella henselae.

Case Summary

An 8‐year‐old female spayed Labrador Retriever was referred to The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center Emergency Service for evaluation of limping, fever, vomiting, and malaise of 4 days’ duration. Physical examination abnormalities included generalized weakness, diminished conscious proprioception, bilateral temporalis muscle atrophy, and diarrhea. Peripheral lymph nodes were normal, and there were no signs of abdominal organomegaly, joint effusion, or spinal pain. Abdominal ultrasound identified a nonocclusive splenic vein thrombus. Fine‐needle aspirates of the spleen revealed pyogranulomatous inflammation, mild reactive lymphoid hyperplasia, and mild extramedullary hematopoiesis. Splenic histopathology found marked, multifocal to coalescing acute coagulation necrosis (splenic infarctions) and fibrinoid necrotizing vasculitis. Bartonella henselae DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced from the splenic tissue. The dog responded favorably to antimicrobials and was healthy at the time of follow‐up evaluation.

New and Unique Information Provided

Bartonella henselae is an incompletely characterized emerging canine pathogen. This case report establishes a potential role for this bacterium as a cause of vasculitis and thromboembolism, which have not been previously reported in association with B. henselae infection in dogs.
Investigation of the origin of acoustic Wood anomaly
Authors: Liu Jingfei , Declercq Nico F.
Published: August 2015

In the spectrum of a broadband wave reflected from a periodically corrugated surface, spectral anomalies have been observed earlier and identified as acoustic Wood anomalies. A thorough investigation of the physical origin of the acoustic Wood anomaly is made through an experimental investigation and an examination of the existing theories. The existing explanations of acoustic Wood anomaly are reviewed and evaluated based on the analysis of the experimental results obtained from three types of interfaces: liquid-solid, solid-liquid and solid-air interfaces. In addition, spectral tips are observed and identified as another type of acoustic Wood anomaly. The investigation is based on time-frequency analysis and offers much more insight into this phenomenon than earlier research where only the frequency spectrum was considered.
The Response to and Recovery From Maximum-Strength and -Power Training in Elite Track and Field Athletes
Authors: Howatson Glyn , Brandon Raphael , Hunter Angus M.
Published: August 2015

There is a great deal of research on the responses to resistance training; however, information on the responses to strength and power training conducted by elite strength and power athletes is sparse.

Purpose:

To establish the acute and 24-h neuromuscular and kinematic responses to Olympic-style barbell strength and power exercise in elite athletes.

Methods:

Ten elite track and field athletes completed a series of 3 back-squat exercises each consisting of 4 × 5 repetitions. These were done as either strength or power sessions on separate days. Surface electromyography (sEMG), bar velocity, and knee angle were monitored throughout these exercises and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), jump height, central activation ratio (CAR), and lactate were measured pre, post, and 24 h thereafter.

Results:

Repetition duration, impulse, and total work were greater (P < .01) during strength sessions, with mean power being greater (P < .01) after the power sessions. Lactate increased (P < .01) after strength but not power sessions. sEMG increased (P < .01) across sets for both sessions, with the strength session increasing at a faster rate (P < .01) and with greater activation (P < .01) by the end of the final set. MVC declined (P < .01) after the strength and not the power session, which remained suppressed (P < .05) 24 h later, whereas CAR and jump height remained unchanged.

Conclusion:

A greater neuromuscular and metabolic demand after the strength and not power session is evident in elite athletes, which impaired maximal-force production for up to 24 h. This is an important consideration for planning concurrent athlete training.
Monitoring Training Adaptation With a Submaximal Running Test Under Field Conditions
Authors: Vesterinen Ville , Nummela Ari , Äyrämö Sami , Laine Tanja , Hynynen Esa , Mikkola Jussi , Häkkinen Keijo
Published: August 2015

Regular monitoring of adaptation to training is important for optimizing training load and recovery, which is the main factor in successful training.

Purpose:

To investigate the usefulness of a novel submaximal running test (SRT) in field conditions in predicting and tracking changes of endurance performance.

Methods:

Thirty-five endurance-trained men and women (age 20–55 y) completed the 18-wk endurance-training program. A maximal incremental running test was performed at weeks 0, 9, and 18 for determination of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and running speed (RS) at exhaustion (RSpeak) and lactate thresholds (LTs). In addition, the subjects performed weekly a 3-stage SRT including a postexercise heart-rate-recovery (HRR) measurement. The subjects were retrospectively grouped into 4 clusters according to changes in SRT results.

Results:

Large correlations (r = .60–.89) were observed between RS during all stages of SRT and all endurance-performance variables (VO2max, RSpeak, RS at LT2, and RS at LT1). HRR correlated only with VO2max (r = .46). Large relationships were also found between changes in RS during 80% and 90% HRmax stages of SRT and a change of RSpeak (r = .57, r = .79). In addition, the cluster analysis revealed the different trends in RS during 80% and 90% stages during the training between the clusters, which showed different improvements in VO2max and RSpeak.

Conclusions:

The current SRT showed great potential as a practical tool for regular monitoring of individual adaptation to endurance training without time-consuming and expensive laboratory tests.
Mucosal, Cellular, and Humoral Immune Responses Induced by Different Live Infectious Bronchitis Virus Vaccination Regimes and Protection Conferred against Infectious Bronchitis Virus Q1 Strain
Authors: Chhabra Rajesh , Forrester Anne , Lemiere Stephane , Awad Faez , Chantrey Julian , Ganapathy Kannan
Published: August 2015

The objectives of the present study were to assess the mucosal, cellular, and humoral immune responses induced by two different infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) vaccination regimes and their efficacy against challenge by a variant IBV Q1. One-day-old broiler chicks were vaccinated with live H120 alone (group I) or in combination with CR88 (group II). The two groups were again vaccinated with CR88 at 14 days of age (doa). One group was kept as the control (group III). A significant increase in lachrymal IgA levels was observed at 4 doa and then peaked at 14 doa in the vaccinated groups. The IgA levels in group II were significantly higher than those in group I from 14 doa. Using immunohistochemistry to examine changes in the number of CD4+and CD8+cells in the trachea, it was found that overall patterns of CD8+cells were dominant compared to those of CD4+cells in the two vaccinated groups. CD8+cells were significantly higher in group II than those in group I at 21 and 28 doa. All groups were challenged oculonasally with a virulent Q1 strain at 28 doa, and their protection was assessed. The two vaccinated groups gave excellent ciliary protection against Q1, although group II's histopathology lesion scores and viral RNA loads in the trachea and kidney showed greater levels of protection than those in group I. These results suggest that greater protection is achieved from the combined vaccination of H120 and CR88 of 1-day-old chicks, followed by CR88 at 14 doa.
Diffuse Lepromatous Leprosy Due to Mycobacterium lepromatosis in Quintana Roo, Mexico
Authors: Han Xiang Y. , Quintanilla Marco
Published: August 2015

A 43-year-old woman of Mayan origin from Quintana Roo, Mexico, was diagnosed with diffuse lepromatous leprosy. The etiologic bacillus was determined to be
Mycobacterium lepromatosis
instead of
Mycobacterium leprae
. This case likely represents the first report of this leprosy form and its agent in the southeastern tip of Mexico.
Acupuncture for Pain Control after Caesarean Section: A Prospective Observational Pilot Study
Authors: Hesse Thomas , Henkel Berthold , Zygmunt Marek , Mustea Alexander , Usichenko Taras I
Published: August 2015

Objective

Options for pharmacological analgesia in patients who have undergone Caesarean section (CS) are often restricted. Acupuncture is a promising tool for treating postoperative pain. We aimed to study the feasibility and acceptability of acupuncture as an additional method of analgesia in CS patients in a prospective observational pilot investigation.

Methods

Twenty-two patients scheduled for elective CS under spinal anaesthesia were enrolled according to set inclusion criteria. Each patient received auricular and body acupuncture with 20 indwelling fixed needles according to previously validated protocols of acupuncture for postoperative analgesia. Pain intensity on an 11-point verbal rating scale (VRS-11, where 0=no pain and 10=maximal pain), analgesia-related side effects, time to mobilisation and Foley catheter removal after CS, and patients’ compliance and satisfaction with treatment of pain on a 5-point VRS (VRS-5, where 1=excellent; 5=bad) were recorded.

Results

Twenty patients were included in the final analysis. One patient was disturbed by paraesthesia at the site of needling. All other patients tolerated acupuncture well. Pain intensity on movement on the first postoperative day was 4.3±2.4 (mean±SD; VRS-11) and decreased to 2.2±1.2 on the day of discharge. Patient satisfaction was 1.9±0.8 (mean±SD; VRS-5) and compliance (rated by their nurses) was 1.5±0.5 (mean±SD; VRS-5).

Conclusions

Acupuncture for additional analgesia after CS was well accepted. The primary outcome measurement was feasible and allowed the sample size to be calculated for a future randomised controlled trial.
Successful acute and late management of a chemical burn with primary implantation of Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis
Authors: Ranjan Abhishek , Senthil Sirisha , Sangwan Virender
Published: August 2015

A 29-year-old woman presented to our clinic 1 month after an accidental chemical burn with concentrated sulfuric acid, involving her entire face including eyes and neck. She received treatment for her ocular and facial burns, and subsequently underwent Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis in her right eye after 1 year. One week postoperatively, she was diagnosed with advanced disc damage, and was started on topical antiglaucoma medication. Visual field testing was only possible at 2 months postoperative, once visual acuity improved. Subsequently, progression of visual field defect was noted on Humphrey visual field 10-2, needing implantation of an Ahmed glaucoma valve in her right eye. Two years after the Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis implantation, the patient's best-corrected visual acuity was stable at 20/100; intraocular pressure was digitally normal with a stable visual field.
FatalPneumocystis jiroveciipneumonia in a HIV-negative adult
Authors: Mahfood Haddad Toufik , Vallabhajosyula Saraschandra , Nawaz Muhammad Sarfraz , Vivekanandan Renuga
Published: August 2015

Pneumocystis jiroveciiis responsible forP. jiroveciipneumonia (PJP) in immunocompromised individuals, with a recent rise of cases noted in non-HIV patients. A middle-aged man presented with new-onset cough, fever, hypoxia and tachypnoea. He was on a tapering course of dexamethasone for amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis. He developed worsening airspace disease necessitating mechanical ventilation. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was positive forP. jiroveciiand he was managed with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and pentamidine, but succumbed to cardiorespiratory arrest. One-third of PJP cases occur in non-HIV patients, and have a higher morbidity and mortality. Most immunocompromised patients typically exhibit PJP during a corticosteroid taper. The accurate dose, duration or frequency of steroid use in not well established. Diagnosis of PJP in this population is more challenging due to lower BAL yield with alternate modalities such as serum/BAL β-d-glucan and PCR enhancing the yield. Further studies are needed to highlight PJP prophylaxis in patients with steroid use.
A light bulb moment: an unusual cause of foreign body aspiration in children
Authors: Lau C T , Lan Lawrence , Wong Kenneth , Tam Paul Kwong Hang
Published: August 2015

A 15-month-old girl developed persistent cough with no associated history of foreign body aspiration. Chest X-ray showed a U-shaped radiopaque foreign body, which was initially thought to be a hairpin, in the right main bronchus. Rigid bronchoscopy was performed and the foreign body turned out to be a light-emitting diode (LED) bulb. In this article, we report our experience of LED bulb aspiration in children, with the view to raise the awareness of clinicians about this potentially life-threatening emergency.
Effusive-constrictive tuberculous pericarditis in the setting of penetrating abdominal trauma
Authors: Meytes Vadim , Docimo Salvatore , Elkowitz David , Kopatsis Anthony
Published: August 2015

Tuberculous pericarditis is rare in developed nations and is most commonly associated with effusive-constrictive pericarditis. We present the case of a 33-year-old man with a self-inflicted mid-abdominal stab wound. The patient underwent an exploratory laparotomy, revealing a grade IV pancreatic transection and injuries to the portal vein, right renal vein, inferior vena cava and the superior mesenteric vein. Repair of the vessels was performed and a pancreaticojejunostomy with a gastrojejunostomy was created for the pancreatic injury. The patient's hospital course was complicated by tuberculous effusive-constrictive pericarditis requiring emergent median sternotomy with opening of the pericardial sac and eventual expiration. The final cultures from the pericardial fluid demonstrated tuberculosis.