bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
collapse of the Bronze Age Aegean
Authors: Middleton Guy D.
Published: March 2019

Around 1200 bce, the Mycenaean palace centres of mainland Greece and Crete were destroyed along with, presumably, the states they governed; key aspects of palatial culture that had developed over the preceding two centuries, such as writing and administration, were lost or rejected. Although there was rebuilding at some sites, such as Tiryns, the style was different from the preceding age, which suggests an ideological shift and likely a weakening of central authority. Elsewhere, in Messenia, there was no rebuilding at Pylos palace, and the landscape appears depopulated. Many explanations for the collapse have been proposed, from migration and climate change to plague and shifts in trade; the continued disagreement over what happened and why demonstrates the difficulty of arriving at an unambiguous conclusion from the available evidence. Mycenaean culture continued for more than a century after the collapse, but the features associated with palaces and kings disappeared.
intratextuality
Authors: Sharrock Alison
Published: March 2019

Intratextuality is a critical term used to explore the relationship between the parts and the whole in texts, including issues of unity (and disunity), the relationship between digressions and their surroundings, interactions between disparate parts of texts (such as ring composition), juxtapositions that may reflect surprisingly on their neighbours, or any structural issue within a single work of literature. Intratextual approaches may also be interested in ways in which the activity of a reader affects response to the text, for example by dividing it into mental “paragraphs.” Crucial to intratextual reading is that all these relationships be interpretable.
Sexual Orientation
Authors: Hall William J.
Published: March 2019

Sexual orientation is a multidimensional phenomenon involving a person’s sexual attraction, sexual behavior, and sexual orientation identity. Sexual orientation patterns may remain consistent or fluctuate over time. Although heterosexual attractions, behaviors, and identities appear to be the dominant manifestations of sexual orientation, other sexual expressions exist. The causes of sexual orientation are still not completely understood; however, evidence suggests that biological factors play a strong role. Sexual development is an important part of human development, and there are parallel and differing developmental tasks and trajectories for those who are heterosexual and those who are queer. Non-heterosexual sexualities are often stigmatized, which contributes to homophobia and heterosexism. There is a continuing history in the mental health professions of efforts to change the sexual orientation of people who are queer, despite evidence of harm and ethical mandates. Researchers and service providers should assess sexual orientation because it is one of many important characteristics in the lives of individuals.
Flexible Tests for USDA Report Announcement Effects in Futures Markets
Authors: Ying Jiahui , Chen Yu , Dorfman Jeffrey H
Published: March 2019

The value of USDA reports in commodity futures markets has been intensively researched, but statistical hypothesis tests have been limited by the sheer number of reports and the consequent need to limit parameters to be estimated. This has led most tests of USDA report announcement effects to be based on single coefficients for each report series. We relax the implicit assumption that a report series has a constant impact on futures price volatility or returns in two ways in order to introduce more flexible tests for announcement effects. First, we introduce a time trend into the impact of announcements on futures price volatility to determine if USDA reports are becoming more or less influential over time. Then we allow each report to have a different impact on futures price returns using Theil‐Goldberger mixed estimation. The results show that many, but not all, USDA reports have significant effects on corn and soybean futures market returns or volatility.
Hypoxic-conditioned cardiosphere-derived cell sheet transplantation for chronic myocardial infarction
Authors: Fujita Akira , Ueno Koji , Saito Toshiro , Yanagihara Masashi , Kurazumi Hiroshi , Suzuki Ryo , Mikamo Akihito , Hamano Kimikazu
Published: March 2019

OBJECTIVES

Cell therapy provides a suitable environment for regeneration through paracrine effects such as secretion of growth factors. Cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) have a high capacity for growth factor secretion and are an attractive target for clinical applications. In particular, a cell sheet technique was reported to have clinical advantages by covering a specific region. Here, we examined the effect of the hypoxic-conditioned (HC) autologous CDC sheet therapy on a rabbit chronic myocardial infarction model.

METHODS

CDC sheet function was assessed by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and quantified by polymerase chain reaction in vitro (days 1–3 of conditioning). The rabbit chronic myocardial infarction model was established by left coronary ligation. Autologous CDCs were isolated from the left atrial specimen; CDC sheets with or without 2-day HC were transplanted onto the infarcted hearts at 4 weeks. The cardiac function was assessed by an echocardiography at 0, 4 and 8 weeks. A histological analysis of the host hearts was performed by tomato lectin staining at 8 weeks.

RESULTS

The optimal HC duration was 48 h. HC significantly increased the mRNA expression levels of VEGF and ANG2 on day 2 compared to the normoxic-conditioned (NC) group. The HC group showed significant improvement in the left ventricular ejection fraction (64.4% vs 58.8% and 53.4% in the NC and control) and a greater lectin-positive area in the ischaemic region (HC:NC:control = 13:8:2).

CONCLUSIONS

HC enhances the paracrine effect of a CDC sheet on angiogenesis to improve cardiac function in the chronic myocardial infarction model, which is essential for cardiomyocyte proliferation during cardiac regeneration.
Effects of systematic bisphosphonate use in patients under orthodontic treatment: a systematic review
Authors: Zymperdikas Vasileios F , Yavropoulou Maria P , Kaklamanos Eleftherios G , Papadopoulos Moschos A
Published: March 2019

Background

Bisphosphonates are a class of drugs prescribed for several osseous related disorders owing to their ability to regulate bone turnover, which could in turn affect orthodontic treatment outcomes.

Objective

To examine the effect of bisphosphonate (BP) use on orthodontic patients through clinical and radiographic measurements.

Search methods

Systematic and unrestricted search of 17 databases complemented with additional hand-searches were performed up to March 2019.

Selection criteria

Articles reporting on human patients with a history of BPs administration that received orthodontic treatment were eligible for inclusion.

Data collection and analysis

Data regarding the medical profile of the patients, the specific type of malocclusion and the performed treatment plan, as well as the clinical and radiographic outcomes were extracted. Quality assessment was performed by the ROBINS-I tool for the cohort studies and by a slightly modified checklist from the original one proposed by Agbabiaka et al. for the case reports.

Results

7 articles (1 retrospective cohort study and 6 case reports) were eventually included in the present review including 122 subjects (29 patients and 93 controls) reporting on the clinical and radiographic changes following orthodontic treatment of patients during or after BPs use. BPs seem to have a controversial effect on the clinical and patient-reported variables, even though the majority of the included patients presented with compromised treatment results and a rather slow rate of tooth movement. Most radiographic findings revealed mild root resorption, widened periodontal ligament spaces and sclerotic changes on the surrounding alveolar bone. However, these results should be interpreted with caution, due to the limited number of the eligible articles and their limitations.

Limitations

The included studies were of rather low quality due to study design and incomplete reporting.

Conclusions and implications

BP administration seems to be associated with compromised clinical outcomes, prolonged treatment time, and moderate changes on the roots and surrounding tissues of orthodontic patients.

Registration

Non-registered.

Funding

None.
Analysis of a new class of rational RBF expansions
Authors: Buhmann Martin D , De Marchi Stefano , Perracchione Emma
Published: March 2019

We propose a new method, namely an eigen-rational kernel-based scheme, for multivariate interpolation via mesh-free methods. It consists of a fractional radial basis function (RBF) expansion, with the denominator depending on the eigenvector associated to the largest eigenvalue of the kernel matrix. Classical bounds in terms of Lebesgue constants and convergence rates with respect to the mesh size of the eigen-rational interpolant are indeed comparable with those of classical kernel-based methods. However, the proposed approach takes advantage of rescaling the classical RBF expansion providing more robust approximations. Theoretical analysis, numerical experiments and applications support our findings.
Escalation of Pyrethroid Resistance in the Malaria Vector Anopheles funestus Induces a Loss of Efficacy of Piperonyl Butoxide–Based Insecticide-Treated Nets in Mozambique
Authors: Riveron Jacob M , Huijben Silvie , Tchapga Williams , Tchouakui Magellan , Wondji Murielle J , Tchoupo Micareme , Irving Helen , Cuamba Nelson , Maquina Mara , Paaijmans Krijn , Wondji Charles S
Published: March 2019

Background

Insecticide resistance poses a serious threat to insecticide-based interventions in Africa. There is a fear that resistance escalation could jeopardize malaria control efforts. Monitoring of cases of aggravation of resistance intensity and its impact on the efficacy of control tools is crucial to predict consequences of resistance.

Methods

The resistance levels of an Anopheles funestus population from Palmeira, southern Mozambique, were characterized and their impact on the efficacy of various insecticide-treated nets established.

Results

A dramatic loss of efficacy of all long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), including piperonyl butoxide (PBO)–based nets (Olyset Plus), was observed. This An. funestus population consistently (2016, 2017, and 2018) exhibited a high degree of pyrethroid resistance. Molecular analyses revealed that this resistance escalation was associated with a massive overexpression of the duplicated cytochrome P450 genes CYP6P9a and CYP6P9b, and also the fixation of the resistance CYP6P9a_R allele in this population in 2016 (100%) in contrast to 2002 (5%). However, the low recovery of susceptibility after PBO synergist assay suggests that other resistance mechanisms could be involved.

Conclusions

The loss of efficacy of pyrethroid-based LLINs with and without PBO is a concern for the effectiveness of insecticide-based interventions, and action should be taken to prevent the spread of such super-resistance.
Vaccine coverage for Lebanese citizens and Syrian refugees in Lebanon
Authors: Kmeid Maria , Azouri Hayat , Aaraj Racha , Bechara Elissa , Antonios Diane
Published: March 2019

Article History

Following the refugee crisis in Lebanon, the on-going inflow of Syrian refugees presented new challenges to optimal immunization coverage for all the children living in the country. Healthcare facilities have been overburdened during this period and the country witnessed outbreaks of many infectious diseases. Thus, the evaluation of vaccine compliance for mandatory and non-mandatory vaccines as well as the factors affecting the vaccination rate among Lebanese residents and Syrian refugees is fundamental.

Background

Since 2012, Lebanon has hosted around 1.2 million Syrian refugees, a high number in a country whose population does not exceed 4.4 million. Healthcare facilities have been overburdened during this period, which has led to the spread of many infectious diseases, including outbreaks of measles, mumps and hepatitis. At the appearance of such outbreaks, it becomes essential to evaluate vaccine compliance and the factors influencing the vaccination rate among Lebanese residents and Syrian refugees in infants and children up to 15 y of age.

Methods

A total of 571 infants and children were recruited in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, two governorates that together host half of the Lebanese population.

Results

A very high rate of vaccine compliance was seen for mandatory vaccines, whereas an intermediate to very low rate of compliance was found for non-mandatory vaccines. Both bivariate and multiple regression analyses indicated that age group and regular consultation of a pediatrician were independently associated with immunization coverage. Bivariate analysis indicated that parental age, occupational and educational status of parents, family size and vaccine price were also independently associated with immunization coverage. Incomplete vaccination coverage was associated with socioeconomic factors.

Conclusions

From these results, it becomes apparent that it may be necessary to reassess vaccination priorities considering the current socioeconomic situation.
Perception, transduction, and integration of nitrogen and phosphorus nutritional signals in the transcriptional regulatory network in plants
Authors: Ueda Yoshiaki , Yanagisawa Shuichi
Published: March 2019

Nitrate and phosphate ions are major sources of nitrogen and phosphorus for plants. In addition to their vital roles as indispensable macronutrients, these ions function as signalling molecules and induce a variety of responses. Plants adapt to different levels of nutrients by altering their gene expression profile and subsequent physiological and morphological responses. Advances made in recent years have provided novel insights into plant nutrient sensing and modulation of gene expression. Key breakthroughs include elucidation of the mechanisms underlying post-translational regulation of NIN-LIKE PROTEIN (NLP) and PHOSPHATE STARVATION RESPONSE (PHR) family transcription factors, which function as master regulators of responses to nitrate and phosphate starvation, respectively. Determination of the mechanisms whereby these nutrient signals are integrated through NIGT1/HHO family proteins has likewise represented important progress. Further studies have revealed novel roles in nutrient signalling of transcription factors that have previously been shown to be associated with other signals, such as light and phytohormones. Nitrate and phosphate signals are thus transmitted through an intricate gene regulatory network with the help of various positive and negative transcriptional regulators. These complex regulatory patterns enable plants to integrate input signals from various environmental factors and trigger appropriate responses, as exemplified by the regulatory module involving NIGT1/HHO family proteins. These mechanisms collectively support nutrient homeostasis in plants.
Constraining the magnetic field on white dwarf surfaces; Zeeman effects and fine structure constant variation
Authors: Hu J , Webb J K , Ayres T R , Bainbridge M B , Barrow J D , Barstow M A , Berengut J C , Carswell R F , Dzuba V A , Flambaum V V , Holberg J B , Lee C C , Preval S P , Reindl N , Tchang-Brillet W-Ü L
Published: March 2019

White dwarf (WD) atmospheres are subjected to gravitational potentials around 105 times larger than occur on Earth. They provide a unique environment in which to search for any possible variation in fundamental physics in the presence of strong gravitational fields. However, a sufficiently strong magnetic field will alter absorption line profiles and introduce additional uncertainties in measurements of the fine structure constant. Estimating the magnetic field strength is thus essential in this context. Here, we model the absorption profiles of a large number of atomic transitions in the WD photosphere, including first-order Zeeman effects in the line profiles, varying the magnetic field as a free parameter. We apply the method to a high signal-to-noise, high-resolution, far-ultraviolet Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph spectrum of the WD G191−B2B. The method yields a sensitive upper limit on its magnetic field of B < 2300 G at the 3σ level. Using this upper limit, we find that the potential impact of quadratic Zeeman shifts on measurements of the fine structure constant in G191−B2B is 4 orders of magnitude below laboratory wavelength uncertainties.
Studying the physical properties of tidal features – I. Extracting morphological substructure in CANDELS observations and VELA simulations
Authors: Mantha Kameswara Bharadwaj , McIntosh Daniel H , Ciaschi Cody P , Evan Rubyet , Ferguson Henry C , Fries Logan B , Guo Yicheng , Koekemoer Anton M , Landry Luther D , McGrath Elizabeth J , Simons Raymond C , Snyder Gregory F , Thompson Scott E , Bell Eric F , Ceverino Daniel , Hathi Nimish P , Pacifici Camilla , Primack Joel R , Rafelski Marc , Rodriguez-Gomez Vicente
Published: March 2019

The role of major mergers in galaxy evolution remains a key open question. Existing empirical merger identification methods use non-parametric and subjective visual classifications that can pose systematic challenges to constraining merger histories. As a first step towards overcoming these challenges, we develop and share publicly a new python-based software tool that identifies and extracts the flux-wise and area-wise significant contiguous regions from the model-subtracted residual images produced by popular parametric light-profile fitting tools (e.g. galfit). Using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) H-band single-Sérsic residual images of 17 CANDELS galaxies, we demonstrate the tools ability to measure the surface brightness and improve the qualitative identification of a variety of common residual features (disc structures, spiral substructures, plausible tidal features, and strong gravitational arcs). We test our method on synthetic HST observations of a z ∼ 1.5 major merger from the VELA hydrodynamic simulations. We extract H-band residual features corresponding to the birth, growth, and fading of tidal features during different stages and viewing orientations at CANDELS depths and resolution. We find that the extracted features at shallow depths have noisy visual appearance and are susceptible to viewing angle effects. For a VELA z ∼ 3 major merger, we find that James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam observations can probe high-redshift tidal features with considerable advantage over existing HST capabilities. Further quantitative analysis of plausible tidal features extracted with our new software hold promise for the robust identification of hallmark merger signatures and corresponding improvements to merger rate constraints.
Decorrelating the errors of the galaxy correlation function with compact transformation matrices
Authors: Yuan Sihan , Eisenstein Daniel J
Published: March 2019

Covariance matrix estimation is a persistent challenge for cosmology, often requiring a large number of synthetic mock catalogues. The off-diagonal components of the covariance matrix also make it difficult to show representative error bars on the 2-point correlation function (2PCF) since errors computed from the diagonal values of the covariance matrix greatly underestimate the uncertainties. We develop a routine for decorrelating the projected and anisotropic 2PCF with simple and scale-compact transformations on the 2PCF. These transformation matrices are modelled after the Cholesky decomposition and the symmetric square root of the Fisher matrix. Using mock catalogues, we show that the transformed projected and anisotropic 2PCF recover the same structure as the original 2PCF while producing largely decorrelated error bars. Specifically, we propose simple Cholesky-based transformation matrices that suppress the off-diagonal covariances on the projected 2PCF by ${\sim } 95{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ and that on the anisotropic 2PCF by ${\sim } 87{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. These transformations also serve as highly regularized models of the Fisher matrix, compressing the degrees of freedom so that one can fit for the Fisher matrix with a much smaller number of mocks.
The Incidence of Postoperative Seizures Following Treatment of Postinfectious Hydrocephalus in Ugandan Infants: A Post Hoc Comparison of Endoscopic Treatment vs Shunt Placement in a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Punchak Maria , Mbabazi Kabachelor Edith , Ogwal Michael , Nalule Esther , Nalwoga Joyce , Ssenyonga Peter , Mugamba John , Rattani Abbas , Dewan Michael C , Kulkarni Abhaya V , Schiff Steven J , Warf Benjamin
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

There are currently no published data directly comparing postoperative seizure incidence following endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), with/without choroid plexus cauterization (CPC), to that for ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) placement.

OBJECTIVE

To compare postoperative epilepsy incidence for ETV/CPC and VPS in Ugandan infants treated for postinfectious hydrocephalus (PIH).

METHODS

We performed an exploratory post hoc analysis of a randomized trial comparing VPS and ETV/CPC in 100 infants (<6 mo old) presenting with PIH. Minimum follow-up was 2 yr. Variables associated with and the incidence of postoperative epilepsy were compared (intention-to-treat) using a bivariate analysis. Time to first seizure was compared using the Kaplan–Meier method, and the relative risk for the 2 treatments was determined using Mantel-Haenszel hazard ratios.

RESULTS

Seizure incidence was not related to age (P = .075), weight (P = .768), sex (P = .151), head circumference (P = .281), time from illness to hydrocephalus onset (P = .973), or hydrocephalus onset to treatment (P = .074). Irritability (P = .027) and vision deficit (P = .04) were preoperative symptoms associated with postoperative seizures. Ten (10%) patients died, and 20 (20%) developed seizures over the follow-up period. Overall seizure incidence was 9.4 per 100 person-years (9.4 and 9.5 for ETV/CPC and VPS, respectively; P = .483), with no significant difference in seizure risk between groups (hazard ratio, 1.02; 95% CI: 0.42, 2.45; P = .966). Mean time to seizure onset was 8.5 mo for ETV/CPC and 11.2 mo for VPS (P = .464). As-treated, per-protocol, and attributable-intervention analyses yielded similar results.

CONCLUSION

Postoperative seizure incidence following treatment of PIH was 20% within 2 yr, regardless of treatment modality.
The Role of Spirituality in Pain, Function, and Coping in Individuals with Chronic Pain
Authors: Ferreira-Valente Alexandra , Damião Cátia , Pais-Ribeiro José , Jensen Mark P
Published: March 2019

Objective

Chronic pain is a multidimensional experience associated with psychosocial (e.g., pain-related beliefs and pain coping responses) and spiritual factors. Spirituality is a universal aspect of the human experience that has been hypothesized to impact pain experience via its effects on pain, physical/psychological function, resilience and pain-related beliefs, and pain coping responses. However, research evaluating the associations between measures of spirituality and measures of pain and function in individuals with chronic pain is limited. This study seeks to address this limitation.

Methods

Participants were 62 Portuguese adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Participants completed measures of spirituality, pain intensity, physical and psychological function, and pain coping responses.

Results

Spirituality as hope and a positive perspective toward life was positively and moderately associated with better psychological function and coping responses of ignoring pain sensations and coping self-statements. Spirituality as a search for meaning and sense of purpose was positively and moderately associated with the coping response of task persistence.

Conclusions

These findings suggest the possibility that spirituality may be a useful resource for facilitating psychological adjustment, potentially promoting the use of some adaptive pain coping responses.
Physiotherapy Based on a Biobehavioral Approach with or Without Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy in the Treatment of Nonspecific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Grande-Alonso Mónica , Suso-Martí Luis , Cuenca-Martínez Ferran , Pardo-Montero Joaquín , Gil-Martínez Alfonso , La Touche Roy
Published: March 2019

Objective

To compare the effectiveness of a biobehavioral approach with and without orthopedic manual physical therapy on the intensity and frequency of pain in patients diagnosed with nonspecific chronic low back pain.

Methods

A single-blind randomized controlled trial. Fifty patients were randomly allocated into two groups: one group received biobehavioral therapy with orthopedic manual physical therapy, and the other group received only biobehavioral therapy. Both groups completed a total of eight sessions, with a frequency of two sessions per week. The somatosensory, physical, and psychological variables were recorded at baseline and during the first and third month after initiation of treatment.

Results

In both groups, the treatment was effective, presenting significant differences for all the variables in the time factor. There were no significant differences between groups in intensity or frequency of pain, with a large effect size (>0.80), but there were intragroup differences for both intervention groups at one- and three-month follow-up. There were also no significant differences between groups in the secondary variables during the same follow-up period.

Conclusions

The results of this study suggest that orthopedic manual physical therapy does not increase the effects of a treatment based on biobehavioral therapy in the short or medium term, but these results should be interpreted with caution.
“My Surgical Success”: Effect of a Digital Behavioral Pain Medicine Intervention on Time to Opioid Cessation After Breast Cancer Surgery—A Pilot Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Darnall Beth D , Ziadni Maisa S , Krishnamurthy Parthasarathy , Flood Pamela , Heathcote Lauren C , Mackey Ian G , Taub Chloe Jean , Wheeler Amanda
Published: March 2019

Objective

This study aims to assess the feasibility of digital perioperative behavioral pain medicine intervention in breast cancer surgery and evaluate its impact on pain catastrophizing, pain, and opioid cessation after surgery.

Design and Setting

A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted at Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA, USA) comparing a digital behavioral pain medicine intervention (“My Surgical Success” [MSS]) with digital general health education (HE).

Participants

A convenience sample of 127 participants were randomized to treatment group. The analytic sample was 68 patients (N = 36 MSS, N = 32 HE).

Main Outcomes

The primary outcome was feasibility and acceptability of a digital behavioral pain medicine intervention (80% threshold for acceptability items). Secondary outcomes were pain catastrophizing, past seven-day average pain intensity, and time to opioid cessation after surgery for patients who initiated opioid use.

Results

The attrition rate for MSS intervention (44%) was notably higher than for HE controls (18%), but it was lower than typical attrition rates for e-health interventions (60–80%). Despite greater attrition for MSS, feasibility was demonstrated for the 56% of MSS engagers, and the 80% threshold for acceptability was met. We observed a floor effect for baseline pain catastrophizing, and no significant group differences were found for postsurgical pain catastrophizing or pain intensity. MSS was associated with 86% increased odds of opioid cessation within the 12-week study period relative to HE controls (hazard ratio = 1.86, 95% confidence interval = 1.12–3.10, P = 0.016).

Conclusions

Fifty-six percent of patients assigned to MSS engaged with the online platform and reported high satisfaction. MSS was associated with significantly accelerated opioid cessation after surgery (five-day difference) with no difference in pain report relative to controls. Perioperative digital behavioral pain medicine may be a low-cost, accessible adjunct that could promote opioid cessation after breast cancer surgery.
Intrinsic Connectivity of the Globus Pallidus: An Uncharted Marker of Functional Prognosis in People With First-Episode Schizophrenia
Authors: Tarcijonas Goda , Foran William , Haas Gretchen L , Luna Beatriz , Sarpal Deepak K
Published: March 2019

There is growing evidence suggesting that abnormalities in cortical-basal ganglia circuitry may play a significant role in determining outcomes in schizophrenia. The globus pallidus (GP), a critical structure within this circuitry, unique in its role as a mediator of competing inputs through the striatum, has not been well characterized in schizophrenia. The following study examined functional interactions of the GP in individuals with first-episode schizophrenia (FES). To probe the large-scale intrinsic connectivity of the GP, resting-state fMRI scans were obtained from patients with FES and sex and age-matched healthy controls. Participants with FES were also evaluated after 6 months via the Strauss–Carpenter Outcomes Scale to assess overall functional trajectory. The GP was parcellated to generate seeds within its substructures, and connectivity maps were generated. Our FES cohort showed significantly lower functional connectivity between the left GP interna and a network of regions including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, caudate, and cerebellum at baseline. In addition, FES participants with lower overall scores of functioning at 6 months showed significantly decreased connectivity between the GP interna and the dorsal anterior cingulate and bilateral insula, all regions important for motivational salience. These results provide novel evidence for unique abnormalities in functional interactions of the GP with key prefrontal cortical regions in FES. Our findings also suggest that reduced prefrontal-pallidal connectivity may serve as a predictor of early functional outcome.
Abnormal Functional Relationship of Sensorimotor Network With Neurotransmitter-Related Nuclei via Subcortical-Cortical Loops in Manic and Depressive Phases of Bipolar Disorder
Authors: Martino Matteo , Magioncalda Paola , Conio Benedetta , Capobianco Laura , Russo Daniel , Adavastro Giulia , Tumati Shankar , Tan Zhonglin , Lee Hsin-Chien , Lane Timothy J , Amore Mario , Inglese Matilde , Northoff Georg
Published: March 2019

Objective

Manic and depressive phases of bipolar disorder (BD) show opposite psychomotor symptoms. Neuronally, these may depend on altered relationships between sensorimotor network (SMN) and subcortical structures. The study aimed to investigate the functional relationships of SMN with substantia nigra (SN) and raphe nuclei (RN) via subcortical-cortical loops, and their alteration in bipolar mania and depression, as characterized by psychomotor excitation and inhibition.

Method

In this resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study on healthy (n = 67) and BD patients (n = 100), (1) functional connectivity (FC) between thalamus and SMN was calculated and correlated with FC from SN or RN to basal ganglia (BG)/thalamus in healthy; (2) using an a-priori-driven approach, thalamus-SMN FC, SN-BG/thalamus FC, and RN-BG/thalamus FC were compared between healthy and BD, focusing on manic (n = 34) and inhibited depressed (n = 21) patients.

Results

(1) In healthy, the thalamus-SMN FC showed a quadratic correlation with SN-BG/thalamus FC and a linear negative correlation with RN-BG/thalamus FC. Accordingly, the SN-related FC appears to enable the thalamus-SMN coupling, while the RN-related FC affects it favoring anti-correlation. (2) In BD, mania showed an increase in thalamus-SMN FC toward positive values (ie, thalamus-SMN abnormal coupling) paralleled by reduction of RN-BG/thalamus FC. By contrast, inhibited depression showed a decrease in thalamus-SMN FC toward around-zero values (ie, thalamus-SMN disconnection) paralleled by reduction of SN-BG/thalamus FC (and RN-BG/thalamus FC). The results were replicated in independent HC and BD datasets.

Conclusions

These findings suggest an abnormal relationship of SMN with neurotransmitters-related areas via subcortical-cortical loops in mania and inhibited depression, finally resulting in psychomotor alterations.
Challenging the orthodoxy: a critique of Re Goldcorp and the English law approach to the certainty of subject matter
Authors: Chung Benny
Published: March 2019

Re Goldcorp Exchange Limited is a landmark, but in my opinion, mistaken Privy Council (PC) decision. First, the PC failed to apprehend the nature of bullion investment and applied the wrong legal standard. Meanwhile, I also argue that the tangible/intangible dichotomy, which is commonly adopted, is mistaken. Secondly, the approach taken by the PC was inconsistent with several common legal theories/principles. Thirdly, even if I was wrong in my previous arguments, the PC was still mistaken in holding that equitable rescission was not available to Goldcorp’s customers, who suffered financial losses, even though there existed misrepresentations.
Patterns and Predictions of Barley yellow dwarf virus Vector Migrations in Central Europe
Authors: Jarošová Jana , Żelazny Wiktor Rafał , Kundu Jiban Kumar
Published: March 2019

The bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi (L.)) is one of the most detrimental pests of cereals, causing harm mainly by transmitting Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV). R. padi migration has been monitored since 1992 using suction traps at five sites in the Czech Republic. The count data were subjected to the following different analyses: (i) the minimum temperature thresholds for the aphids to take off were determined; (ii) a partial redundancy analysis using the minimum, average, and maximum temperatures, as well as the wind speed, the precipitation total, and past aphid migration descriptors was performed to explain the relationship between aphid occurrences and weather patterns; and (iii) three types of models from the field of machine learning were used to predict aphid occurrences. According to our findings, (i) in Central Europe, 8°C is the temperature threshold for R. padi migration unless insufficient daylight delays the take-off; (ii) weather conditions occurring roughly 9 months before R. padi migration influence the migration size; (iii) the duration of the summer migration influences the autumn migration size; and (iv) the daytime and nighttime temperatures in the autumn determine the summer peak, whereas winter frosts and precipitation influence the autumn peak.
HIV and aging
Authors: Kwong Jeffrey , Reyes Darcel , Murphy Nancy , Loveless Thomas J.
Published: March 2019

Estimates indicate 70% of all individuals with HIV will be age 50 or older by 2030. Chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, malignancies, neurocognitive disorders, and osteopenia or osteoporosis, occur more frequently in patients with HIV and have become the leading cause of morbidity in this population. NPs play an integral role in helping this population age healthfully.
Youth With Chronic Pain and a History of Adverse Childhood Experiences in the Context of Multidisciplinary Pain Rehabilitation
Authors: Nelson Sarah , Smith Kelly , Sethna Navil , Logan Deirdre
Published: March 2019

Objectives:

Previous research has shown that youth with chronic pain who presented for a multidisciplinary evaluation report a history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) (eg, abuse, neglect, parent/guardian separation or divorce) at a high rate (over 80%) and that those with pain and ACEs experience increased psychosocial impairment. Outside of chronic pain, evidence also suggests that youth with a history of ACEs experience poorer treatment outcomes. However, no study to date has examined treatment outcomes in youth with chronic pain and a history of ACEs. The current study aimed to examine the role of ACEs in multidisciplinary intensive pain rehabilitation treatment outcomes for youth with chronic pain.

Methods:

The sample included 305 youth who had undergone intensive pain rehabilitation. Outcomes examined included pain-related and psychosocial impairment measured at baseline and discharge from the program.

Results:

Results indicated that ∼59% of this sample reported a history of ACEs with ∼21% reporting a history of ≥2 ACEs. At baseline, youth with an ACEs history reported higher somatic symptoms. However, no significant interaction was found across treatment timepoints between ACEs history and time.

Conclusions:

ACEs history was not a significant factor in treatment outcomes for youth with chronic pain who presented to intensive pain rehabilitation. However, the difference in report of ACEs history across treatment settings indicates that ACEs may be a barrier for youth to engage in recommended outpatient treatment before presenting to pain rehabilitation. Research is needed to further examine this phenomenon.
Hyperlactatemia After Intracranial Tumor Surgery Does Not Affect 6-Month Survival: A Retrospective Case Series
Authors: de Smalen Peter P. , van Ark Tom J. , Stolker Robert J. , Vincent Arnaud J.P.E. , Klimek Markus
Published: March 2019

Background:

Patients undergoing neurosurgery frequently exhibit hyperlactatemia. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with hyperlactatemia and assess how hyperlactatemia impacts survival and hospital length of stay after intracranial tumor surgery.

Materials and Methods:

This retrospective cohort study included 496 adult patients that underwent surgery between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015. We evaluated patient characteristics, surgery characteristics, pH, lactate, and blood glucose from blood samples collected on admission to the high-dependency unit and the morning after surgery, and 6-month outcome data.

Results:

Hyperlactatemia (>2.0 mmol/L) occurred in >50% of patients, but only 7.7% had acidosis. Postoperative hyperlactatemia was not correlated with 6-month survival (P=0.987), but was correlated with (median [interquartile range]) longer hospital stays (6 [4 to 8.5] d vs. 5 [4 to 8] d; P=0.006), longer surgery duration (4:53 [4:01 to 6:18] h:min vs. 4:28 [3:33 to 5:53] h:min; P=0.001), higher dexamethasone dose (16 [16 to 35] mg vs. 16 [16 to 20] mg; P<0.001), and higher blood glucose concentration (8.4 [7.5 to 9.6] mmol/L vs. 8.0 [7.1 to 8.9] mmol/L; P<0.001). Patients that received total intravenous anesthesia developed hyperlactatemia less frequently than those that received balanced anesthesia with inhalational agents (48.4% vs. 61.5%, P=0.008). Hyperlactatemia was not associated with increased postoperative neurological deficits or the need for rehabilitation therapy.

Conclusions:

Hyperlactatemia was common after intracranial tumor surgery. It did not influence 6-month outcomes but was associated with longer hospital length of stay. Several potential causative factors for hyperlactatemia were identified.
Hypertensive Postpartum Admissions Among Women Without a History of Hypertension or Preeclampsia
Authors: Wen Timothy , Wright Jason D. , Goffman Dena , D'Alton Mary E. , Attenello Frank J. , Mack William J. , Friedman Alexander M.
Published: March 2019

OBJECTIVE:

To analyze risk factors, temporality, and outcomes for women readmitted postpartum for a hypertensive indication who did not have a hypertensive diagnosis during their delivery hospitalization.

METHODS:

The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Nationwide Readmissions Database for 2010–2014 was used to evaluate risk for postpartum readmission for preeclampsia and hypertension within 60 days of discharge from a delivery hospitalization among women without these diagnoses during delivery in this cohort study. Obstetric, medical, demographic, and hospital factors associated with postpartum readmission were analyzed. Both unadjusted and adjusted analyses were performed. Risk was characterized as unadjusted and adjusted risk ratio with 95% CI. As a secondary outcome, risk for severe maternal morbidity during readmissions was also evaluated comparing women with and without hypertensive diagnoses during their delivery hospitalization.

RESULTS:

Among delivery hospitalizations without a hypertensive diagnosis at delivery, absolute rates of readmission within 60 days for a hypertensive indication were low, with one readmission occurring per 687 deliveries for all women. The rate rose to 1 in 498 among women 35–39 years of age, 1 in 337 for women 40–54, 1 in 601 for women with Medicaid, 1 in 506 for women with Medicare, 1 in 497 with cesarean delivery, 1 in 600 with postpartum hemorrhage, 1 in 455 and 1 in 378 for gestational and pregestational diabetes, respectively, 1 in 428 for asthma, 1 in 225 for chronic kidney disease, and 1 in 214 for lupus. For the secondary outcome, risk for severe maternal morbidity was higher for women without a hypertensive indication during their delivery compared with women with a diagnosis (12.1% vs 6.9%, P<.01).

CONCLUSION:

Risk for hypertensive postpartum readmissions for women without delivery-hospitalization preeclampsia or hypertension is low. Future comparative effectiveness and clinical research is indicated to determine whether earlier postpartum identification of elevated blood pressure followed by increased surveillance and counseling may further reduce risk.
Postpartum Contraception Usage Among Somali Women in Olmsted County, Minnesota
Authors: Cope Adela G. , Mara Kristin C. , Weaver Amy L. , Casey Petra M.
Published: March 2019

OBJECTIVE:

To compare postpartum contraception use between Somali and non-Somali women.

METHODS:

A retrospective cohort study was performed using the Rochester Epidemiology Project. All Somali women aged 18 and older with live singleton births in Olmsted County, Minnesota, in 2009–2015 (n=317) were included, and a group of age-matched non-Somali women (n=317) were identified. Postpartum contraception was defined as the use of any method within 12 months after the first delivery within the study period. Rates of contraception use and types of contraception used were compared between groups using χ2 analysis. Among Somali women, an a priori list of factors was evaluated for associations with postpartum contraception use by including these factors in a multivariable logistic regression model.

RESULTS:

After the index birth, 33 Somali women did not present for follow-up, compared with 12 non-Somali women (10.4% vs 3.8%, difference 6.6%, 95% CI 2.3–10.9%). Somali women were less likely to use postpartum contraception than non-Somali women (69.4% vs 92.8%, odds ratio [OR] 0.18, 95% CI 0.11–0.29). Among those using postpartum contraception, both groups had comparable use of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) (19.9% vs 23.7%, difference −3.8%, 95% CI −11.8% to 4.0%) and non-LARC hormonal contraception (39.3% vs 42.4%, difference −3.1%, 95% CI −12.7% to 6.0%). However, Somali women were more likely to use less reliable methods (40.3% vs 20.8%, difference 19.5%, 95% CI 11.0–28.5%). Among Somali women, contraception use was less likely with older maternal age (OR 0.12 for oldest vs youngest quartile, 95% CI 0.04–0.37) and more likely with prepregnancy contraception use (OR 15.46, 95% CI 5.18–46.18).

CONCLUSION:

Somali women were less likely to use postpartum contraception. Similar practices and beliefs may also be present in other immigrant populations. Recognition of sociocultural differences in immigrant populations and potential health care provider biases may improve patient–provider relationships and counseling practices.
Validation of a Model Predicting De Novo Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women Undergoing Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery
Authors: Jelovsek J. Eric , Ploeg J. Marinus van der , Roovers Jan-Paul , Barber Matthew D.
Published: March 2019

OBJECTIVE:

To validate a previously developed prediction model for de novo stress urinary incontinence (SUI) after undergoing vaginal surgery for pelvic organ prolapse (POP).

METHODS:

Model performance was determined using a cohort of women who participated in two, 14-center randomized trials in the Netherlands that evaluated whether postoperative SUI 1 year after surgery was reduced with or without concomitant midurethral sling at the time of surgery for symptomatic women who had at least stage 2 POP. Age, number of previous vaginal births, urine leakage associated with urgency, history of diabetes, body mass index, preoperative stress test result, and placement of a midurethral sling were used to calculate the predicted probability of an individual developing de novo SUI. Predicted probabilities were compared with outcomes and quantitated using the concordance index and calibration curves. Model accuracy was compared with and without the preoperative stress test, and net reclassification improvement was measured using probability cutoffs of 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4.

RESULTS:

Of 239 participants who did not report preoperative SUI and underwent surgery, 152 were eligible for analysis with complete baseline and outcome data. Model discrimination was acceptable and consistent with performance in the original development cohort when the preoperative stress test result was included (concordance index 0.63; 95% CI 0.52–0.74) and had lower discrimination than when the stress test variable was not included (concordance index 0.57; 95% CI 0.46–0.67, P=.048). The model that included the stress test variable was most accurate when predicted probabilities of de novo SUI were between 0 and 50%, and it correctly reclassified upward 5.9% (95% CI −14.8 to 26.8) of participants with de novo SUI and correctly reclassified downward 16.9% (95% CI 6.6–27.7) of participants without de novo SUI.

CONCLUSION:

On external validation, the model was predictive of de novo SUI after vaginal prolapse surgery and may facilitate decision making regarding concomitant sling placement.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION:

Nederlands Trial Register, NTRR 1197 en 1070.