bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Doctor Knows Best? Tubal Ligation in Young, Childless Women
Authors: Goldrath Kathryn , Smith Lauren B.
Published: September 2016

When a gynecologist asks a twenty‐one‐year‐old patient about her use of contraception, he is surprised that she would like to have a tubal ligation. The patient says that she would “never want to bring a child into this screwed up world.” She has discussed tubal ligation with her boyfriend of one year, and he has told her that he accepts her decision. She asks her doctor if she can schedule the procedure as soon as possible. Her gynecologist mentions that he is concerned that she is very young and may eventually change her mind about having children. She insists that she has thought about it carefully and is certain that she wants the procedure. Her doctor feels very uncomfortable about this request. He consults the hospital ethics committee. Should he do as the patient asks or suggest that she wait at least six months and reconsider?
Leveling the Playing Field: Closing the Gap in Public Awareness of Genetics between the Well Served and Underserved
Authors: Kung Johnny , Wu Chao‐Ting
Published: September 2016

The impact of genetic technologies is being felt in many aspects of society, including medicine and the legal system, as well as the personal lives of individuals. How do we make sure that all segments of the population are equally aware of these technologies and have ample opportunity to voice opinions and shape the future? One ongoing effort, which began ten years ago and in which we are directly involved, is the Personal Genetics Education Project, a nonprofit initiative housed within and largely supported by the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. The goal of pgEd is to raise public awareness and promote conversations about the benefits and implications of the genetics revolution in ways that are inclusive of all voices regardless of socioeconomic, educational, ethnic, cultural, or religious background. This essay describes our approach and experience in hopes that they will be of help to others engaged in similar efforts.
Do We Count?
Authors: Capron Alexander M.
Published: September 2016

In the article “A Conceptual Model for the Translation of Bioethics Research and Scholarship,” Debra Mathews and her colleagues want to apply to bioethics various translational concepts developed for biomedical research. According to experts in translational science, this would mean evaluating not only the extent to which research produces the “changes in thinking, practice, and policy” that interest Mathews et al. but also the appropriateness of bioethics training and the level of competency of people working in the field. Their proposal thus raises two sets of questions. The first, which the authors recognize must be the starting point for their argument, is, what precisely is the field in question? The second is whether the tools of translational science provide the right means of measuring the achievements of bioethics.
What Is Bioethics Worth?
Authors: Solomon Mildred Z.
Published: September 2016

What is bioethics to do when it strives to assess the quality of its research and scholarship and when it needs to justify its work to prospective funders, especially a funder like the National Institutes of Health that privileges empirical discovery? In “A Conceptual Model for the Translation of Bioethics Research and Scholarship,” Debra Mathews and colleagues take an important first step at advancing an answer. The authors describe what they call a translational process, whereby bioethics “outputs” are translated into changes of three types: in thinking, practice, and policy. It goes nearly without saying that bioethics research and scholarship must be held accountable for changes in thinking. What raison d'etre do we have if not to deepen thinking, question assumptions, and encourage ourselves and others to examine hard issues from novel approaches? Assuredly it is hard to assess quality, and even harder to assess specific changes in thinking for which high‐quality scholarship may be responsible, but it is a necessary goal and one for which we should strive without reservation. Bioethics should also affect policy and practice. We should document how it does and the extent to which it does as often and as prominently as possible. However, let us be wary of pinning too much on practice and policy changes as the primary way of establishing bioethics’ worth.
Cultivating Synergy in Nursing, Bioethics, and Policy
Authors: Grady Christine
Published: September 2016

Nursing and bioethics have a lot in common because they share concerns about life and death, illness and health, the rights of individuals and communities, ethical patient care, health care delivery, and public health. Nurses and bioethicists contribute to ethical practice, ethics scholarship, and health policy‐making in a variety of ways. Some nurses have bioethics education or experience, some bioethicists study or collaborate closely with nurses, and some of us proudly identify as both bioethicists and as nurses. Despite certain shared and interwoven aims, bioethicists and nurses often accomplish their goals in dissimilar ways, have diverse educational and training trajectories as well as distinct roles and responsibilities, and are viewed differently within health care organizations. Yet the work of bioethics and nursing can be, and in my view should more often be, synergistic. That synergism may be especially critical in the arena of health policy and ethics. Nurses can bring extraordinary insights and real‐world experiences to the policy table but are not always considered essential contributors.
Nursing's Code of Ethics, Social Ethics, and Social Policy
Authors: Fowler Marsha D.
Published: September 2016

Modern American nursing arose during the Civil War and subsequently adopted the Nightingale educational model in the 1870s. By 1889, the journal Trained Nurse and Hospital Review had been established. It published a six‐part series on ethics in nursing. With the establishment of the American Nurses Association in 1893, the articles of incorporation gave the organization its first charge: “to establish and maintain a code of ethics.” While the rich and enduring tradition of nursing's ethics has been concerned about individual patients and their relational nexus, nursing ethics has from the beginning been a social ethics, intimately concerned both for the shape of society and for social change. This concern has been for health, conceived broadly and not focused specifically on disease and its treatment, but including the social causes of disease. Nightingale herself was an ardent social reformer, instituting a wide range of types of army sanitation reform, sanitation reform in India, and hospital and nursing reform. Despite her gender, her wealth and privilege granted her access to men in power who furthered her policy and reform agenda. From the start, then, modern nursing was imbued with a social reformist bias.
The Nurse as the Patient's Advocate: A Contrarian View
Authors: Shannon Sarah E.
Published: September 2016

An important role for all health care professionals is to be an advocate for their patients, and there is no question that many patients need advocacy to reach their health care goals. The role of advocate takes many forms, but one is to speak up when one is concerned for the safety or well‐being of a patient. A nurse is often the member of a health care team most likely to notice changes that might signal problems or poor responses to treatment. The duty of the nurse is to speak up in a timely and urgent manner when the nurse believes—or fears—that the patient's safety may be at risk. Yet the role of nurses as advocates for their patients has assumed near‐mythic status. Rather than seeing advocate as one among many equally important and interrelated professional roles, the nurse, when asked, “Who are you?” is likely to give the heartfelt and passionate answer, “The patient's advocate!” This essay examines and critically analyzes the advocacy role adopted by the nursing profession and outlines the challenges it has created to nursing's contributions to collaborative practice, ethics, and policy in health care.
Promoting the Health of Families and Communities: A Moral Imperative
Authors: Mason Diana J.
Published: September 2016

The Hill Burton Act, which was signed into law in 1946 and ended in 1997, was one of the most significant forces that shaped the health care system we have today. Providing grants and loans for the construction and expansion of hospitals across the country, it required beneficiary hospitals to give some amount of uncompensated care to the poor and uninsured in return.

The act not only led to our health care system's current emphasis on the acute‐care hospital as the primary site of health care delivery, but it also had a profound effect on nursing, fully involving the profession in an acute‐care world. The act created jobs for nurses at an unprecedented level. There are over 3.4 million nurses in the United States, and in 2013, 63 percent of all nurses worked for hospitals. Nursing education continues to emphasize acute care, despite the calls for shifting the curriculum to more community‐based content and experiences that focus on health promotion and wellness for individuals, families, and communities. It is my premise that the nursing profession and all who profess to be committed to promoting health have a moral obligation to help the nation adopt a Hill‐Burton Act of the twenty‐first century that will focus on building healthy communities, supporting families in ways that promote health, and helping individuals to live healthier lives. This would require a shift in resources from a costly health care system to investing in community development, whether job creation, building safe places to play and exercise, providing access to affordable and nutritious foods, advancing the quality of education, or other approaches to addressing and improving the social determinants of health. Making this kind of investment would speak to the principles of beneficence, least harm, and justice, particularly for socioeconomically stressed communities.
Amplification and protein overexpression of cyclin D1: Predictor of occult nodal metastasis in early oral cancer
Authors: Noorlag Rob , Boeve Koos , Witjes Max J. H. , Koole Ronald , Peeters Ton L. M. , Schuuring Ed , Willems Stefan M. , van Es Robert J. J.
Published: September 2016

Background

Accurate nodal staging is pivotal for treatment planning in early (stage I–II) oral cancer. Unfortunately, current imaging modalities lack sensitivity to detect occult nodal metastases. Chromosomal region 11q13, including genes CCND1, Fas‐associated death domain (FADD), and CTTN, is often amplified in oral cancer with nodal metastases. However, evidence in predicting occult nodal metastases is limited.

Methods

In 158 patients with early tongue and floor of mouth (FOM) squamous cell carcinomas, both CCND1 amplification and cyclin D1, FADD, and cortactin protein expression were correlated with occult nodal metastases.

Results

CCND1 amplification and cyclin D1 expression correlated with occult nodal metastases. Cyclin D1 expression was validated in an independent multicenter cohort, confirming the correlation with occult nodal metastases in early FOM cancers.

Conclusion

Cyclin D1 is a predictive biomarker for occult nodal metastases in early FOM cancers. Prospective research on biopsy material should confirm these results before implementing its use in routine clinical practice. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 326–333, 2017
3‐Hz subthreshold oscillations of CA2 neurons In vivo
Authors: Matsumoto Nobuyoshi , Okamoto Kazuki , Takagi Yuki , Ikegaya Yuji
Published: September 2016

The CA2 region is unique in the hippocampus; it receives direct synaptic innervations from several hypothalamic nuclei and expresses various receptors of neuromodulators, including adenosine, vasopressin, and oxytocin. Furthermore, the CA2 region may have distinct brain functions, such as the control of instinctive and social behaviors; however, little is known about the dynamics of the subthreshold membrane potentials of CA2 neurons in vivo. We conducted whole‐cell current‐clamp recordings from CA2 pyramidal cells in urethane‐anesthetized mice and monitored the intrinsic fluctuations in their membrane potentials. The CA2 pyramidal cells emitted spontaneous action potentials at mean firing rates of ∼0.8 Hz. In approximately half of the neurons, the subthreshold membrane potential oscillated at ∼3 Hz. In two neurons, we obtained simultaneous recordings of local field potentials from the CA1 stratum radiatum and demonstrated that the 3‐Hz oscillations of CA2 neurons were not correlated with CA1 field potentials. In tetrodotoxin‐perfused acute hippocampal slices, the membrane potentials of CA2 pyramidal cells were not preferentially entrained to 3‐Hz sinusoidal current inputs, which suggest that intracellular 3‐Hz oscillations reflect the neuronal dynamics of the surrounding networks. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Early cognitive decline in older adults better predicts object than scene recognition performance
Authors: Fidalgo Celia O. , Changoor Alana T. , Page‐Gould Elizabeth , Lee Andy C. H. , Barense Morgan D.
Published: September 2016

There is an ongoing debate regarding the nature of memory deficits that occur in the early stages of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI has been associated with atrophy to regions that process objects, namely perirhinal and lateral entorhinal cortices. However, it is currently unclear whether older adults with early MCI will show memory deficits that are specific to objects, or whether they will also show memory deficits for other stimulus classes, such as scenes. We tested 75 older adults using an object and scene recognition task with stimulus‐specific interference (i.e., exposure to irrelevant object or scene stimuli). We found an interaction (P = 0.05) whereby scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a neuropsychological test with high sensitivity to MCI, shared a stronger relationship with object recognition than with scene recognition performance. Interestingly, this relationship was not modulated by the stimulus category of interfering items. To further explore these findings, we also tested an amnesic patient (DA) with known medial temporal lobe damage. Like older adults with early signs of MCI, DA showed poorer object recognition than scene recognition performance. Additionally, his performance was not modulated by the stimulus category of interfering material. By demonstrating that object memory is more predictive of cognitive decline than scene memory, these findings support the notion of perirhinal and lateral entorhinal cortex dysfunction in the early stages of MCI. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
NPS Pollution Reduction from Alpine Fields using Surface Cover Material and Soil Amendments
Authors: Won Chulhee , Shin Minhwan , Lee Suin , Park Younshik , Lee Youngjoon , Shin Yongchul , Choi Joongdae
Published: September 2016

We described the effects of straw mat cover and soil amendments on runoff, agricultural non‐point source nNPS) pollution and crop yield on sloping alpine fields in Korea. Two sandy loam field plots were prepared. One was a control plot and the other (SPG) was an experimental plot treated with rice straw, polyacrylamide (PAM) and gypsum (rice straw mat (3,300 kg/ha) + PAM (5 kg/ha) + gypsum (1 ton/ha)). Chinese cabbage was cultivated in the plots and seven rainfall‐runoff events were monitored during the growing season in 2012. Less runoff and a lower NPS pollution load were measured from the SPG plot, compared to those from the control plot. The SPG plot had 29.4% less runoff and the pollution load was reduced by 86.6% for suspended solids, 34.7% for total nitrogen and 39.1% for total phosphorus. The Chinese cabbage yield at the SPG plot was 39,600 kg/ha, which was about 40% higher than that at the control plot. These results indicated that the SPG treatment could not only reduce runoff and agricultural NPS pollution but also increase crop yield and be a best management practice for sandy loam sloping fields in Korea. © 2016 The Authors. Irrigation and Drainage Published by John wiley & Sons Ltd.
Silicification of the medial tooth in the blue crab Callinectes sapidus
Authors: Nesbit Katherine T. , Roer Robert D.
Published: September 2016

Observations of cuticular structures mineralized with silica within the Crustacea have been limited to the opal teeth of copepods, mandibles of amphipods, and recently the teeth of the gastric mill in the blue crab Callinectes sapidus. Copepod teeth are deposited during premolt, with sequential elaboration of organic materials followed by secretion of silica into the tooth mold. The timing of mineralization is in stark contrast to that of the general integument of crustaceans in which calcification is completely restricted to the postmolt period. To determine the timing of molt‐related deposition and silicification of the teeth of the gastric mill, the medial tooth of the blue crab C. sapidus was examined histologically and ultrastructurally across the molt cycle. Histological data revealed deposition of the organic matrix of the epicuticle and exocuticle during premolt. No evidence of postmolt changes in the thickness of the epicuticle and exocuticle, or any deposition of endocuticle, was observed. Scanning electron microscopy revealed degradation of the outer surface of the old tooth during premolt. During premolt, epithelial structures resembling papilla appeared to secrete a fibrous web that coalesces to become the matrix of the new tooth. Semi‐quantitative elemental analyses indicated simultaneous deposition of silica and organic matrix, and demonstrated a homogeneous distribution of silicon throughout the epicuticle of the tooth at all stages. However, there is evidence of deposition (presumably silicification) during postmolt as spaces between the papillae become filled in. Thus, the pattern and timing of deposition and silicification of the tooth are different from both teeth of copepods and the general exoskeleton of decapods, and may facilitate rapid resumption of feeding and consumption of the exuvia in early postmolt. J. Morphol. 277:1648–1660, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
New perspectives on ACL injury: On the role of repetitive sub‐maximal knee loading in causing ACL fatigue failure
Authors: Wojtys Edward M. , Beaulieu Mélanie L. , Ashton‐Miller James A.
Published: September 2016

In this paper, we review a series of studies that we initiated to examine mechanisms of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the hope that these injuries, and their sequelae, can be better prevented. First, using the earliest in vitro model of a simulated single‐leg jump landing or pivot cut with realistic knee loading rates and trans‐knee muscle forces, we identified the worst‐case dynamic knee loading that causes the greatest peak ACL strain: Combined knee compression, flexion, and internal tibial rotation. We also identified morphologic factors that help explain individual susceptibility to ACL injury. Second, using the above knee loading, we introduced a possible paradigm shift in ACL research by demonstrating that the human ACL can fail by a sudden rupture in response to repeated sub‐maximal knee loading. If that load is repeated often enough over a short time interval, the failure tended to occur proximally, as observed clinically. Third, we emphasize the value of a physical exam of the hip by demonstrating how limited internal axial rotation at the hip both increases the susceptibility to ACL injury in professional athletes, and also increases peak ACL strain during simulated pivot landings, thereby further increasing the risk of ACL fatigue failure. When training at‐risk athletes, particularly females with their smaller ACL cross‐sections, rationing the number and intensity of worst‐case knee loading cycles, such that ligament degradation is within the ACL's ability to remodel, should decrease the risk for ACL rupture due to ligament fatigue failure.© 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:2059–2068, 2016.
Nutrient content and nutrient availability of sorghum wet distiller's grain in comparison with the parental grain for ruminants
Authors: Trujillo Ana I , Bruni María , Chilibroste Pablo
Published: September 2016

BACKGROUND

The present study aimed to compare wet sorghum distiller's grain (WSDG) with sorghum grain (SG) in terms of: (i) chemical composition; (ii) in situ rumen degradation kinetics of organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF); (iii) crude protein (CP) sub‐fractions; (iv) in situ disappearance at 12 and 48 h; and (v) energy values. The WSDG intestinal digestibility (ID) of undegradable crude protein (UCP) was compared to soybean meal (SBM).

RESULTS

Compared to SG, WSDG exhibited: (i) lower (P < 0.01) dry matter and non‐fiber carbohydrate content, whereas the other chemical components were higher (P < 0.01); (ii) higher (P < 0.01) degradation rates of OM and NDF and lower (P < 0.01) degradable fraction of OM and NDF; (iii) lower (P < 0.05) contents of CP sub‐fractions A, B1 and B2, and higher (P < 0.05) contents of B3 and C; (iv) lower (P < 0.05) protein disappearance at 12 and 48 h and higher UCP; and (v) lower (P < 0.05) energy content. The ID of UCP for WSDG was lower (P < 0.05) compared to SBM.

CONCLUSION

The WSDG as a supplement provides a good source of energy. To enable its use as a protein supplement, further studies should be performed. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
The genetics of the bitter taste receptor T2R38 in upper airway innate immunity and implications for chronic rhinosinusitis
Authors: Cohen Noam A.
Published: September 2016

Objective

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) refractory to therapeutic intervention may involve a particularly resistant infection known as a bacterial biofilm. Critical to biofilm formation is the microbial process of quorum sensing whereby microbes secrete factors that regulate the expression of microbial genes involved in biofilm formation, persistence, and virulence. Here, we review recent work demonstrating that the bitter taste receptor T2R38, expressed on the apical surface of the sinonasal epithelium, serves a sentinel role in eavesdropping on microbial quorum‐sensing communications and regulates localized innate biocidal defenses. Furthermore, studies investigating whether cilia are necessary for T2R38 expression and function in the upper airway are presented.

Methods

Primary human sinonasal air–liquid interface cultures were used to elucidate cellular pathways responsive to quorum‐sensing molecules, whereas clinical studies investigated the contribution of T2R38 polymorphisms to recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis.

Results

T2R38 is stimulated by acyl‐homoserine lactones, gram‐negative quorum‐sensing molecules, and subsequently activates nitric oxide‐dependent innate immune responses. The formation of mature cilia is necessary for T2R38 expression and function, and polymorphisms that underlie T2R38 functionality appear to be involved in susceptibility to upper respiratory infection and recalcitrant CRS.

Conclusion

Taste receptors are emerging as critical components of early‐phase respiratory innate immunity, detecting molecules used by microbes to communicate and stimulating localized host defenses. Genetic polymorphisms are very common within the taste receptors, and recent linkage studies have demonstrated associations of taste receptor genetics with CRS. Lastly, ciliogenesis, which is often impacted in CRS, is critical for the functional expression of T2R38.

Level of Evidence

N/A. Laryngoscope, 127:44–51, 2017
Composites of Polycaprolactone with Cellulose Fibers: Morphological and Mechanical Evaluation
Authors: de Oliveira Aguiar Vinícius , de Fatima Vieira Marques Maria
Published: September 2016

In the present work, alkaline followed by acid treatment was performed on curauá and jute fibers to remove the amorphous portion and to aid fibrillation. X‐ray diffraction revealed that the chemical treatments led to better organization of cellulose microfibrils and consequently an increase in their crystallinity index. Thermogravimetric analysis showed a slight decrease in thermal stability of the chemically treated cellulose fibers, however not to the point of preventing their use as filler in polycaprolactone (PCL) matrixes. SEM micrographs revealed that the chemical treatments reduced the fibers’ dimensions. Composites of PCL were prepared in a twin‐screw extruder, adding different cellulose fibers (treated curauá and jute fibers, commercial cellulose and amorphized cellulose) at 2, 5 and 10 wt.%, maintaining the processing time constant. The results suggest that increasing the fiber crystallinity leads to increased nucleation effect for PCL and that fiber with low crystallinity (amorphized) hinders crystallization of the matrix. Moreover, shorter fibers promote higher nucleation effect in the PCL matrix. SEM micrographs also revealed the presence of nanofibrillated cellulose dispersed in PCL containing chemically treated curauá and jute fibers. Finally, dynamic‐mechanical analysis (DMA) showed an increase in modulus and Tg of the composites containing 5 wt.% fibers.
Assessment of the Morphology and Interaction of PHBV/Clay Bionanocomposites: Uses as Food Packaging
Authors: da Costa Reis Dilson Cristino , Lemos Morais Ana Carolina , de Carvalho Laura Hecker , Alves Tatianny Soares , Barbosa Renata
Published: September 2016

The production of plastic waste has caused serious environmental impacts. Since the conventional polymers represent one of the largest percentages of waste, a possible solution for this environmental problem is the use of nanoclay‐biopolymers for the preparation of food packaging. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphological structure of poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) bionanocomposites and vermiculite through scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and to verify their packaging/food interaction through the total migration test. The systems were prepared with natural clay and organophilic clay by melt intercalation technique. The migration test was carried out according to the Resolution 105/99 by ANVISA. The SEM micrographs showed a small number of agglomerates for the natural systems and a more uniform structure for the organophilic systems. The migration results of all systems were within the maximum allowable limit for food packages, indicating a possible use of these materials without causing damage to food security.
Effect of the Content of Organophilic Clays and Impact Modifier on the Mechanical Properties of Poly(lactic acid) PLA Biocomposites
Authors: Cavalcanti Shirley N. , Alves Amanda M. , Agrawal Pankaj , da Silva Moacy P. , Araújo Aylanna P. M. , Araújo Edcleide M. , Mélo Tomás J. A.
Published: September 2016

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of clay content and of an impact modifier on the properties of Poly(lactic acid) – PLA/clay biocomposites without and with EG terpolymer. The biocomposites were prepared by extrusion followed by injection molding and characterized by X‐Ray Diffraction (XRD) mechanical properties and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). XRD results indicated a poor dispersion of the clay in the PLA/clay biocomposites regardless of the clay type and content. In the presence of EG terpolymer a better dispersion of the clay was obtained for the PLA/EG/OVT biocomposite. EG terpolymer proved to be a good impact modifier for PLA and the biocomposites, being the PLA/EG/OVT biocomposite the one that presented better impact strength. From the morphology analysis by SEM, plastic deformation on the fracture surface of the PLA/EG/OVT biocomposite was observed.
Effect of Cis‐13‐docosenamide in the Properties of Compatibilized Polypropylene/Clay Nanocomposites
Authors: Moreira Jefferson Fernando Mendes , Alves Tatianny S. , Barbosa Renata , de Carvalho Érica Melo , Carvalho Laura H.
Published: September 2016

The importance of obtaining materials with better properties than the pure polymer is increasing worldwide. A strategy often used to obtain better properties is the use of reinforcing fillers in the nanoscale. In this paper, polypropylene (PP) and organophilic montmorillonite (OMMT) nanocomposites were prepared, using maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (PP‐g‐MA) as compatibilizer in concentrations of 3%, 5%, 15% and 22.5% and erucamide as cointercalant in concentrations of 0.3%, 0.5%, 1% and 1.5%. The nanocomposites were prepared by the melt intercalation method with a single screw extruder. The influence of the concentration of the compatibilizer and the cointercalant on morphological and mechanical properties of the materials were examined by X‐ray diffraction, tensile test and Fourier transform infrared. The XRD results showed that the level of intercalation and/or exfoliation rises with the increase of additive concentrations, best outcomes were obtained from systems with smaller and greater percentages of clay, compatibilizer and cointercalant. The mechanical tests did not show significant rises when the concentration of PP‐g‐MA and erucamide increased. From the FTIR results, characteristic bands of the material and its possible interactions and intercalations were observed.
Efficacy and safety of abobotulinumtoxinA liquid formulation in cervical dystonia: A randomized‐controlled trial
Authors: Poewe Werner , Burbaud Pierre , Castelnovo Giovanni , Jost Wolfgang H. , Ceballos‐Baumann Andres O. , Banach Marta , Potulska‐Chromik Anna , Ferreira Joaquim J. , Bihari Katalin , Ehler Edvard , Bares Martin , Dzyak Lyudmyla A. , Belova Anna N. , Pham Emmanuel , Liu Wenzhong Jerry , Picaut Philippe
Published: September 2016

Background

Approved botulinum toxin A products require reconstitution. AbobotulinumtoxinA solution for injection is a ready‐to‐use liquid formulation of abobotulinumtoxinA.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to demonstrate the superior efficacy of abobotulinumtoxinA solution for injection to placebo and to test the noninferior efficacy of abobotulinumtoxinA solution for injection versus abobotulinumtoxinA (dry formulation) in cervical dystonia.

Methods

This was a phase‐3, multicenter, prospective, double‐blind, randomized, active, and placebo‐controlled study (N = 369). Patients with cervical dystonia were randomized (3:3:1) to abobotulinumtoxinA solution for injection 500 U, abobotulinumtoxinA 500 U, or placebo. Following the double‐blind phase, patients received abobotulinumtoxinA solution for injection, open‐label, for up to 4 cycles. The primary outcome was change from baseline at week 4 of the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale total score. Secondary measures included change from baseline or cycle baseline in Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale scores.

Results

At week 4, both products were superior to placebo (Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale total score least square mean decrease from baseline, abobotulinumtoxinA solution for injection 500 U −12.5, abobotulinumtoxinA 500 U −14.0, placebo −3.9; P < .0001 vs placebo). The noninferiority limit of 3 points in the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale total score at week 4 was not met for abobotulinumtoxinA solution for injection versus abobotulinumtoxinA. Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale total score reductions were maintained for up to 4 cycles of abobotulinumtoxinA solution for injection open‐label follow‐up treatment. Safety profiles of abobotulinumtoxinA solution for injection and abobotulinumtoxinA were similar, with dysphagia and injection‐site pain the most frequent drug‐related adverse events.

Conclusions

Although the predefined noninferiority criterion was not met, abobotulinumtoxinA solution for injection was similarly effective to freeze‐dried abobotulinumtoxinA in reducing Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale total scores with a similar safety profile. AbobotulinumtoxinA solution for injection efficacy was maintained with chronic open‐label treatment, and this novel formulation may add convenience as well as dosing accuracy to treatment with abobotulinumtoxinA. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Protective effects of melatonin on bovine sperm characteristics and subsequent in vitro embryo development
Authors: Pang Yun‐Wei , Sun Ye‐Qing , Jiang Xiao‐Long , Huang Zi‐Qiang , Zhao Shan‐Jiang , Du Wei‐Hua , Hao Hai‐Sheng , Zhao Xue‐Ming , Zhu Hua‐Bin
Published: September 2016

We aimed to investigate the effect of melatonin on bovine frozen‐thawed semen and its impact on fertilization outcome. Plasma membrane integrity, mitochondrial activity, acrosome integrity, and levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured in spermatozoa treated with different concentrations of melatonin. Melatonin‐treated spermatozoa were then used for in vitro fertilization, followed by analysis of subsequent embryo development and the expression of apoptosis‐ and antioxidant‐related genes. The results revealed that 10−5 and 10−3 M melatonin led to higher plasma membrane integrity, mitochondrial activity, and acrosome integrity, and significantly decreased intracellular ROS levels (P < 0.05). The blastocyst development rate of in vitro‐produced bovine embryos originating from 10−3 M melatonin‐treated spermatozoa was significantly higher, while the incidence of apoptotic nuclei in blastocysts was markedly lower than for embryos from any other group (P < 0.05). CASP3 and BAX mRNA abundance were significantly reduced whereas BCL2, XIAP, and CAT transcript abundance were significantly increased in embryos produced from spermatozoa treated with 10−3 M melatonin; GPX4 expression, however, was comparable in all treatment groups. Thus, 10−3 M melatonin can improve the quality of bovine frozen‐thawed semen. These beneficial effects appear to influence preimplantation embryos, given the correlation with its anti‐apoptotic and anti‐oxidative properties. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 83: 993–1002, 2016 © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Perioperative complications of conduit urinary diversion with concomitant cystectomy for benign indications: A population‐based analysis
Authors: Brown Elizabeth Timbrook , Osborn David , Mock Stephen , Ni Shenghua , Graves Amy J. , Milam Laurel , Milam Douglas , Kaufman Melissa R. , Dmochowski Roger R. , Reynolds W. Stuart
Published: September 2016

Aims

Beyond single‐institution case series, limited data are available to describe risks of performing a concurrent cystectomy at the time of urinary diversion for benign end‐stage lower urinary tract dysfunction. Using a population‐representative sample, this study aimed to analyze factors associated with perioperative complications in patients undergoing urinary diversion with or without cystectomy.

Methods

A representative sample of patients undergoing urinary diversion for benign indications was identified from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 1998 to 2011. Perioperative complications of urinary diversion with and without concomitant cystectomy were identified and coded using the International Classification of Diseases, version 9. Multivariate logistic regression models identified hospital and patient‐level characteristics associated with complications of concomitant cystectomy with urinary diversion.

Results

There were 15,717 records for urinary diversion identified, of which 31.8% demonstrated perioperative complications: urinary diversion with concurrent cystectomy (35.0%) and urinary diversion without concomitant cystectomy (30.6%). Comparing the two groups, a concomitant cystectomy at the time of urinary diversion was significantly associated with a complication (OR = 1.23, 95%CI: 1.03‐1.48). Comorbid conditions of obesity, pulmonary circulation disease, drug abuse, weight loss, and electrolyte disorders were positively associated with a complication, while private insurance and southern geographic region were negatively associated.

Conclusions

A concomitant cystectomy with urinary diversion for refractory lower urinary tract dysfunction elevates risk in this population‐representative sample, particularly in those with certain comorbid conditions. This analysis provides critical information for preoperative patient counseling.
Non‐invasive characterization of real‐time bladder sensation using accelerated hydration and a novel sensation meter: An initial experience
Authors: Nagle Anna S. , Speich John E. , De Wachter Stefan G. , Ghamarian Peter P. , Le David M. , Colhoun Andrew F. , Ratz Paul H. , Barbee Robert W. , Klausner Adam P.
Published: September 2016

Aims

The purpose of this investigation was to develop a non‐invasive, objective, and unprompted method to characterize real‐time bladder sensation.

Methods

Volunteers with and without overactive bladder (OAB) were prospectively enrolled in a preliminary accelerated hydration study. Participants drank 2L Gatorade‐G2® and recorded real‐time sensation (0–100% scale) and standardized verbal sensory thresholds using a novel, touch‐screen “sensation meter.” 3D bladder ultrasound images were recorded throughout fillings for a subset of participants. Sensation data were recorded for two consecutive complete fill‐void cycles.

Results

Data from 14 normal and 12 OAB participants were obtained (ICIq‐OAB‐5a = 0 vs. ≥3). Filling duration decreased in fill2 compared to fill1, but volume did not significantly change. In normals, adjacent verbal sensory thresholds (within fill) showed no overlap, and identical thresholds (between fill) were similar, demonstrating effective differentiation between degrees of %bladder capacity. In OAB, within‐fill overlaps and between‐fill differences were identified. Real‐time %capacity‐sensation curves left shifted from fill1 to fill2 in normals, consistent with expected viscoelastic behavior, but unexpectedly right shifted in OAB. 3D ultrasound volume data showed that fill rates started slowly and ramped up with variable end points.

Conclusions

This study establishes a non‐invasive means to evaluate real‐time bladder sensation using a two‐fill accelerated hydration protocol and a sensation meter. Verbal thresholds were inconsistent in OAB, and the right shift in OAB %capacity–sensation curve suggests potential biomechanical and/or sensitization changes. This methodology could be used to gain valuable information on different forms of OAB in a completely non‐invasive way.
Surface roughness and foam morphology of cellulose acetate sheets foamed with 1,3,3,3‐tetrafluoropropene
Authors: Hopmann Christian , Hendriks Sven , Spicker Claudia , Zepnik Stefan , van Lück Frank
Published: September 2016

Cellulose acetate (CA) is a bio‐based polymer suitable to replace foamed polystyrene (PS) in packaging applications. Foam trays can be produced by thermoforming of extruded sheets foamed with physical blowing agents. In this paper, the effects of various process settings and the calibration of the sheet on foam morphology and surface quality of extruded CA sheets are presented. Different contact cooling options were applied in order to investigate their influence on surface roughness, density, and morphology of the sheets. By adjusting cooling parameters, blowing agent formulation, and process settings, smooth foam sheets with a surface roughness below 10 µm and a density in the range of 150 kg m−3 were produced. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 57:441–449, 2017. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Crystallization and photo‐curing kinetics of biodegradable poly(butylene succinate‐co‐butylene fumarate) short‐segmented block copolyester
Authors: Naghavi Sheikholeslami Sogol , Rafizadeh Mehdi , Afshar Taromi Faramarz , Shirali Hadi
Published: September 2016

Short‐segmented block copolymers of poly(butylene succinate‐co‐butylene fumarate) were synthesized and their crystallinity and crosslinking behavior were investigated.1H NMRwas used to characterize the microstructure and composition of the copolyesters. Molecular weight determination was performed using gel permeation chromatography. Based on theDSCresults all copolyesters were crystalline and the degree of crystallinity of the copolymers did not change with butylene fumarate mole fraction due to co‐crystallization of the butylene succinate and butylene fumarate groups. Crosslinked copolyesters showed a lower crystallization rate and degree of crystallinity while the crystallization temperature shifted to higher temperatures compared with uncrosslinked copolyesters due to the formation of nucleating agents by crosslinkages. Photo‐DSCwas used to investigate the crosslinking kinetics forUV‐initiated photo‐curing. Three kinetics parameters including the rate constant (k) and the orders of the initiation and propagation reactions (mandn, respectively) were determined for the quenched and unquenched copolymers. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Thermal fluctuations in a system of microcavity exciton‐polariton condensations
Authors: Bui Dinh‐Hoi , Phan Van‐Nham
Published: September 2016

The exciton‐polariton condensation scenario in a microcavity matter–light system at finite temperature is investigated in the framework of the unrestricted Hartree–Fock approximation applying the two‐dimensional exciton‐polariton model. Treating electron–hole Coulomb interaction and matter–light coupling effects on an equal footing, we analyze the temperature influence on the excitonic and photonic order parameters. In the thermal equilibrium limit, the Kosterlitz–Thouless type phase transition of the exciton‐polariton condensation has been found. Depending on detuning and excitation density one finds that the system either favors the photonic or excitonic condensate. The effect of temperature on a crossover from a BCS‐excitonic to a BEC‐polaritonic condensed state then is discussed.
H∞ output tracking control for a class of switched LPV systems and its application to an aero‐engine model
Authors: Yang Dong , Zhao Jun
Published: September 2016

This paper aims to investigate the problem of H∞ output tracking control for a class of switched linear parameter‐varying (LPV) systems. A sufficient condition ensuring the H∞ output tracking performance for a switched LPV system is firstly presented in the format of linear matrix inequalities. Then, a set of parameter and mode‐dependent switching signals are designed, and a family of switched LPV controllers are developed via multiple parameter‐dependent Lyapunov functions to enhance control design flexibility. Even though the H∞ output tracking control problem for each subsystem might be unsolvable, the problem for switched LPV systems is still solved by the designed controllers and the designed switching law. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed control design scheme is illustrated by its application to an H∞ speed adjustment problem of an aero‐engine. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Neurotypical subjective experience is caused by a hippocampal simulation
Authors: Faw Matt , Faw Bill
Published: September 2016

We propose that the phenomenon known to neurologically intact people as ‘Subjective Experience’ is best understood as the activation of various sites in both extrinsic and intrinsic networks by a brand new episodic memory engram (i.e., a complex theta wave coding pattern originating from field CA1 of the hippocampus). Like a media news outlet, the hippocampal complex receives reportage from widely distributed structures around the brain and organizes and binds those reports together into a brand new episodic memory (i.e., a virtual‐reality, movie‐like, unified, contextualized, but vastly simplified summation of what just happened). This memory pattern is then ‘broadcast’ back to structures across the brain (via bidirectional pathways to and from the entorhinal cortex and perirhinal area) for error correction, to expedite predictive processing, and to inform sites in both extrinsic and intrinsic networks of one unified history. It is the cortical activation by the new episodic memory engram that gives rise to the event of experiencing. Because episodic memory is the only unified and contextualized representation of self‐in‐the‐world in the brain, and because it informs most of the major cortices about ‘what just happened,’ it is subjectively misinterpreted as the actual interaction of the body/mind with its environment. This misinterpretation offers insight into many of the distinct and mysterious features of neurotypical subjective experience and the pathologies of consciousness. WIREs Cogn Sci 2017, 8:e1412. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1412

This article is categorized under:

Philosophy > Consciousness

Neuroscience > Anatomy
Proof-theoretic harmony: towards an intensional account
Authors: Tranchini Luca
Published: September 2016

In this paper we argue that an account of proof-theoretic harmony based on reductions and expansions delivers an inferentialist picture of meaning which should be regarded as intensional, as opposed to other approaches to harmony that will be dubbed extensional. We show how the intensional account applies to any connective whose rules obey the inversion principle first proposed by Prawitz and Schroeder-Heister. In particular, by improving previous formulations of expansions, we solve a problem with quantum-disjunction first posed by Dummett. As recently observed by Schroeder-Heister, however, the specification of an inversion principle cannot yield an exhaustive account of harmony. The reason is that there are more collections of elimination rules than just the one obtained by inversion which we are willing to acknowledge as being in harmony with a given collection of introduction rules. Several authors more or less implicitly suggest that what is common to all alternative harmonious collection of rules is their being interderivable with each other. On the basis of considerations about identity of proofs and formula isomorphism, we show that this is too weak a condition for a given collection of elimination rules to be in harmony with a collection of introduction rules, at least if the intensional picture of meaning we advocate is not to collapse on an extensional one.
SES Gradients Among Mexicans in the United States and in Mexico: A New Twist to the Hispanic Paradox?
Authors: Beltrán-Sánchez Hiram , Palloni Alberto , Riosmena Fernando , Wong Rebeca
Published: September 2016

Recent empirical findings have suggested the existence of a twist in the Hispanic paradox, in which Mexican and other Hispanic foreign-born migrants living in the United States experience shallower socioeconomic status (SES) health disparities than those in the U.S. population. In this article, we seek to replicate this finding and test conjectures that could explain this new observed phenomenon using objective indicators of adult health by educational attainment in several groups: (1) Mexican-born individuals living in Mexico and in the United States, (2) U.S.-born Mexican Americans, and (3) non-Hispanic American whites. Our analytical strategy improves upon previous research on three fronts. First, we derive four hypotheses from a general framework that has also been used to explain the standard Hispanic paradox. Second, we study biomarkers rather than self-reported health and related conditions. Third, we use a binational data platform that includes both Mexicans living in Mexico (Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 2006) and Mexican migrants to the United States (NHANES 1999–2010). We find steep education gradients among Mexicans living in Mexico’s urban areas in five of six biomarkers of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and in the overall MetS score. Mexican migrants living in the United States experience similar patterns to Mexicans living in Mexico in glucose and obesity biomarkers. These results are inconsistent with previous findings, suggesting that Mexican migrants in the United States experience significantly attenuated health gradients relative to the non-Hispanic white U.S. population. Our empirical evidence also contradicts the idea that SES-health gradients in Mexico are shallower than those in the United States and could be invoked to explain shallower gradients among Mexicans living in the United States.