bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reduction of nitric oxide level results in maturation promoting factor destabilization during spontaneous meiotic exit from diplotene arrest in rat cumulus oocytes complexes cultured in vitro
Authors: Tiwari Meenakshi , Chaube Shail K.
Published: August 2017

Nitric oxides (NO) act as one of the major signal molecules and modulate various cell functions including oocyte meiosis in mammals. The present study was designed to investigate the mechanism of NO action during spontaneous meiotic exit from diplotene arrest (EDA) in rat cumulus oocytes complexes (COCs) cultured in vitro. Diplotene‐arrested COCs collected from ovary of immature female rats after 20 IU pregnant mare's serum gonadotropins (PMSG) for 48 h were exposed to various concentrations of NO donor, S‐nitroso‐N‐acetyl penicillamine (SNAP) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor, aminoguanidine (AG) for 3 h in vitro and downstream factors were analyzed. Our results suggest that SNAP inhibited, while AG induced EDA in a concentration‐dependent manner. The iNOS‐mediated total NO, cyclic nucleotides and cell division cycle 25B (Cdc25B) levels were reduced significantly. The decreased Cdc25B was associated with the increased Thr14/Tyr15 phosphorylated cyclin‐dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) level and decreased Thr161 phosphorylated Cdk1 as well as cyclin B1 levels leading to maturation promoting factor (MPF) destabilization. The destabilized MPF finally induced spontaneous EDA. Taken together, these results suggest that reduction of iNOS‐mediated NO level destabilizes MPF during spontaneous EDA in rat COCs cultured in vitro.
A rare complication of mechanical aortic valve replacement: Separation in the region of the mitral‐aortic intervalvular fibrosa
Authors: Celik Mehmet , Güner Ahmet , Kılıçgedik Alev , Gunduz Sabahattin , Naser Abdulrahman , Eroglu Büyüköner Elif , Kahyaoglu Muzaffer , Onal Cagatay , Kahveci Gokhan
Published: August 2017

A 28‐year‐old man was admitted to our emergency service with a shortness of breath and palpitation. On admission, his blood pressure was high and he was in hypertensive pulmonary edema. His physical examination showed rales in both lungs and pansystolic murmur at mitral focus. His medical history included aortic valve replacement (AVR) because of native aortic valve infective endocarditis. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) showed normal functional aortic valve. Color flow imaging demonstrated severe mitral regurgitation with posterior eccentric jet. To examine in detail, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and three‐dimensional (3D) echocardiography were performed. TEE disclosed a separation in the subaortic curtain leading to severe mitral regurgitation from the left ventricle to the left atrium. In addition to severe mitral regurgitation with posterior eccentric jet, 26‐mm‐long pouch was seen in mitral‐aortic intervalvular fibrosa (MAIVF) at 120° TEE view. This pouch was separated from the mitral anterior leaflet junction releasing the mitral anterior leaflet and causing prolapse and chorda rupture in the A2 scallop of the mitral anterior leaflet. The MAIVF connects the anterior mitral leaflet to the posterior portion of the aortic annulus. The separation of the MAIVF represents a complication of the aortic valve replacement.
Financial Development and Economic Growth Nexus: A Revisionist Approach
Authors: Nyasha Sheilla , Odhiambo Nicholas M.
Published: August 2017

In this piece, we highlight some of the salient issues and controversies surrounding the relationship between financial development and economic growth, from both the theoretical and the empirical fronts. We first discuss the controversies on the role of financial development in economic growth; and we then proceed to review the causal relationship between financial development and economic growth. We conclude that the relationship between financial development and economic growth is highly complex, and is dependent on a number of factors. Hence, the argument that financial development always leads to economic growth should be taken with extreme caution.
Covalent dimerization of interleukin‐like epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) inducer (ILEI) facilitates EMT, invasion, and late aspects of metastasis
Authors: Kral Maria , Klimek Christoph , Kutay Betül , Timelthaler Gerald , Lendl Thomas , Neuditschko Benjamin , Gerner Christopher , Sibilia Maria , Csiszar Agnes
Published: August 2017

The interleukin‐like epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) inducer (ILEI)/FAM3C is a member of the highly homologous FAM3 family and is essential for EMT and metastasis formation. It is upregulated in several cancers, and its altered subcellular localization strongly correlates with poor survival. However, the mechanism of ILEI action, including the structural requirements for ILEI activity, remains elusive. Here, we show that ILEI formed both monomers and covalent dimers in cancer cell lines and in tumors. Using mutational analysis and pulse‐chase experiments, we found that the four ILEI cysteines, conserved throughout the FAM3 family and involved in disulfide bond formation were essential for extracellular ILEI accumulation in cultured cells. Modification of a fifth cysteine (C185), unique for ILEI, did not alter protein secretion, but completely inhibited ILEI dimerization. Wild‐type ILEI monomers, but not C185A mutants, could be converted into covalent dimers extracellularly upon overexpression by intramolecular‐to‐intermolecular disulfide bond isomerization. Incubation of purified ILEI with cell culture medium showed that dimerization was triggered by bovine serum in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. Purified ILEI dimers induced EMT and trans‐well invasion of cancer cells in vitro. In contrast, ILEI monomers and the dimerization‐defective C185A mutant affected only cell motility as detected by scratch assays and cell tracking via time‐lapse microscopy. Importantly, tumor cells overexpressing wild‐type ILEI caused large tumors and lung metastases in nude mice, while cells overexpressing the dimerization‐defective C185A mutant behaved similar to control cells. These data show that covalent ILEI self‐assembly is essential for EMT induction, elevated tumor growth, and metastasis.
Numerical verification of stress intensity factor solution for clamped single edge notched tension (SENT) specimens
Authors: Bassindale C. , Wang X. , Tyson W.R. , Xu S.
Published: August 2017

Stress intensity factor solutions for clamped single edge notched tension (SENT) specimens, including a closed‐form function recently proposed by Zhu along with a function by CanmetMATERIALS referenced in the British Standard BS 8571, have been assessed. Solutions for an SENT specimen with a daylight‐to‐width ratio of 10 have been compared with new finite element results generated in this work to assess their accuracies. The results of this study show that the polynomial proposed by Zhu differs by no more than 0.23% compared with the numerical results over the range of 0.2 ≤a/W ≤ 0.7. The CANMET function differs by no more than 0.69% over the same range.
Ontogeny matters: Climate variability and effects on fish distribution in the eastern Bering Sea
Authors: Barbeaux Steven J. , Hollowed Anne B.
Published: August 2017

Analyses of climate effects often ignore differences in life history for individual species. We analyzed a 34‐year time series of eastern Bering Sea fish surveys to evaluate changes in distribution by length and between cold and warm shelf‐wide average water temperatures for 20 species over inhabited depth, temperature, and location. All species showed evidence of ontogenetic migration. Differences in distribution between years with warm and years with cold shelf‐wide water temperatures varied among species and within species at different lengths. For species where shelf‐wide temperature effects were detected, the mid‐sized fish were most active in changing spatial distribution. For aquatic organisms ontogenetic migration occurs because life history stages have different environmental requirements. This study illustrates the need to consider species responses to climate change over different life history stages, and that studies on ecosystem responses should take ontogenetic differences into consideration when assessing impacts.
Continental‐scale hotspots of pelagic fish abundance inferred from commercial catch records
Authors: Bouchet Phil J. , Meeuwig Jessica J. , Huang Zhi , Letessier Tom B. , Nichol Scott L. , Caley M. Julian , Watson Reg A.
Published: August 2017

Aim

Protected areas have become pivotal to the modern conservation planning toolbox, but a limited understanding of marine macroecology is hampering their efficient design and implementation in pelagic environments. We explored the respective contributions of environmental factors and human impacts in capturing the distribution of an assemblage of commercially valuable, large‐bodied, open‐water predators (tunas, marlins and mackerels).

Location

Western Australia.

Time period

1997–2006.

Major taxa studied

Pelagic fishes.

Methods

We compiled 10 years of commercial fishing records from the Sea Around Us Project and derived relative abundance indices from standardized catch rates while accounting for confounding effects of effort, year and gear type. We used these indices to map pelagic hotspots over a 0.5°‐resolution grid and built random forests to estimate the importance of 33 geophysical, oceanographic and anthropogenic predictors in explaining their locations. We additionally examined the spatial congruence between these hotspots and an extensive network of marine reserves and determined whether patterns of co‐occurrence deviated from random expectations using null model simulations.

Results

First, we identified several pelagic hotspots off the coast of Western Australia. Second, geomorphometrics explained up to 50% of the variance in relative abundance of pelagic fishes, and submarine canyon presence ranked as the most influential variable in the North bioregion. Seafloor complexity, geodiversity, salinity, temperature variability, primary production, ocean energy, current regimes and human impacts were also identified as important predictors. Third, spatial overlap between hotspots and marine reserves was limited, with most high‐abundance areas primarily found in zones where anthropogenic activities are subject to few regulations.

Main conclusions

This study reveals geomorphometrics as valuable indicators of the distribution of mobile fish species and highlights the relevance of harnessing static topography as a key element in any blueprint for ocean zoning and spatial management.
Dental care for the elderly through a Capped‐fee funding model: Optimising outcomes for primary government dental services
Authors: Conquest Jennifer H. , Skinner John , Kruger Estie , Tennant Marc
Published: August 2017

Objective

The objectives of this study were to (i) compare a Capped Payment formula for adults, to the fee‐for‐service model and the New South Wales Government services payment model; (ii) identify the presenting oral health needs of a 65+ years of age cohort during the period January 2011 to March 2015.

Background data discussing the present status of the field

Australia faces an ageing population with the vast majority accessing free market dental care, whilst the poor access Government services. This cohort retains most of their dentition increasing demand on Government services.

Materials and methods

The analysis of New South Wales Government adult de‐identified patients’ record unit data was from 2011 to 2015, for the three payment models and undertaken in three stages; (i) development of the Capped Payment Model; (ii) evaluation of twenty (20) case studies of adults 65+ years of age; (iii) analyse the cost efficiency of the three payment models.

Results

This study found that the Government model was the most cost effective. The Capped‐fee model performed less efficiently, particularly in the 75+ age group, with the fee‐for‐service model generally more costly. It was $2580 (85%) more costly for the 65‐74 age cohort, and $4619 (66%) for the 75+ age cohort.

Conclusion

Policy makers in partnership with Government and private service providers should seek to develop partnerships with Government, private services and universities, scope opportunities in applying a Capped‐fee funding model, and one that helps address the oral needs of the elderly.
Subjectification and Confession in Contemporary Memoirs of Abduction and Prolonged Captivity
Authors: Hillsburg Heather A.
Published: August 2017

A striking trend is emerging in the Canadian and American literary landscape, and memoirs with the following narrative trajectory are now widely read: a stranger abducts a young woman, and holds her captive for years. She endures sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, eventually escapes, and returns to her former life. The sole scholarly discussion about these memoirs frames them as empowering for the authors, but the social and economic factors that inform these texts remain unaddressed. Drawing from Michel Foucault's discussion of the confession, this article complicates and extends this analysis. First, it situates memoirs by Elizabeth Smart, Amanda Berry and Gena DeJesus, Jaycee Dugard, Michelle Knight, and Josefina Rivera as examples of the Foucauldian sexual confession. It then maps the ways memoirs enable the authors to voice their understanding of the social and economic factors that both gave rise to their plight and inform media discussions that blame them for their suffering. I will ultimately argue that memoirs function as a public venue to resist or reject dominant interpretive frames that shape a survivor's experiences, while simultaneously reaffirming the ubiquity of these lines of thinking.
The effects of hatching asynchrony on growth and mortality patterns in Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops nestlings
Authors: Hildebrandt Barbara , Schaub Michael
Published: August 2017

Growth is a fundamental life history trait in all organisms and is closely related to individual fitness. In altricial birds, growth of many traits is restricted to the short period between hatching and fledging and strongly depends on the amount of food that parents deliver and the extent of hatching asynchrony. However, empirical studies of energy allocation to growth of different body size traits as a function of hatching asynchrony are scarce. We studied growth and mortality of Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops, a species with a long breeding season and high brood size variance, whose nestlings show pronounced hatching asynchrony, in order to test how hatching asynchrony affects different growth traits in the context of territory quality, season and brood size. The growth of five body traits (body mass, and lengths of tarsus, third primary, bill and longest crest feather) was investigated to understand how it was affected by brood size, hatching date and order, and territory quality. In total, 241 nestlings from 39 nests were measured every 4 days in 2014 in south‐western Switzerland. Brood size, hatching date and hatching order had the strongest influence on growth trajectories, although tarsus growth was only marginally affected by these variables. Nestlings that hatched earlier than their siblings were heavier and had longer third primaries, bills and crest feathers compared with later‐hatched siblings. In territories of high quality, hatching order differences disappeared for body mass growth, but persisted for lengths of third primary, bill and crest feathers. Brood size was inversely associated with third primary, bill and crest feather lengths, but positively associated with body mass. Nestling mortality was higher in later‐hatched nestlings and in broods that were raised in territories of lower quality. Our study shows that in nestlings, energy was allocated differentially between body traits and this allocation interacted with hatching order and territory quality. Rapid mass gain by nestlings was prioritized in order to increase competitive ability. Our results provide support for the brood reduction hypothesis as an explanation of hatching asynchrony in Hoopoes.
THE REGRESS‐PROBLEM: A REPLY TO VERMAZEN
Authors: Moya Carlos J.
Published: August 2017

This paper is intended to meet some objections that Vermazen has raised about the treatment of the regress‐problem in the author's book on the philosophy of action. This problem is shown to involve a skeptical claim about the very existence of actions as distinct from happenings. It is argued, against Vermazen's contention, that only one version of the problem is at work in that book and that, while Danto's basic actions, McCann's volitions and O'Shaughnessy's and Hornsby's tryings do not solve, after analysis, that version of the problem, the author's proposal does in fact provide a solution to it.
COMPOSITION AND COINCIDENCE
Authors: Olson Eric T.
Published: August 2017

Many philosophers say that the same atoms may compose at once a statue and a lump of matter that could outlive the statue. I reject this because no difference between the statue and the lump could explain why they have different persistence conditions. But if we say that the lump is the statue, it is difficult to see how there could be any human beings. I argue that this and analogous problems about material objects admit only of solutions that at least appear to be radically at odds with our ordinary thinking.
Persistency of left atrial linear lesions after radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: Data from an invasive follow‐up electrophysiology study
Authors: Mujović Nebojša , Marinković Milan , Marković Nebojša , Stanković Goran , Lip Gregory Y. H. , Blomstrom‐Lundqvist Carina , Bunch T. Jared , Potpara Tatjana S.
Published: August 2017

Background

Data on the roof line (RL) and mitral isthmus line (MIL) reconnections after atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation (CA) are scarce.

Objective

We studied the RL and MIL completeness and localization of reconnection sites in consecutive patients after their first‐ever AF‐CA.

Methods

We prospectively included 41 consecutive AF patients who underwent predefined lesion sets of two circumferential lines (CLs) for ipsilateral pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) combined with a RL and lateral MIL. Three months after CA, all patients underwent invasive follow‐up procedure for line persistency evaluation, irrespective of clinical outcome.

Results

At the time of index ablation, PVI‐CLs, RL, and MIL was completed in 41 (100%), 39 (95%), and 34 (83%) of patients, respectively. At the 3‐month follow‐up procedure, reconnections of PVI‐CLs, RL, and MIL were found in 61% (25/41), 28% (11/39), and 24% (8/34) of patients, respectively. The 3‐month reconnections were located commonly in the anterior and posterior PVI‐CL segments, and rarely in the right third of RL and in the posterior part of MIL. The 3‐month reconnections were rarely seen at the sites of acute reconnections during index procedure (6%, 20%, and 25% of the PVI‐CL segments, RL segments, and MIL segments, respectively).

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first study systematically investigating the reconnection of standardized left atrium linear lesions such as RL and MIL after RF‐CA for AF in consecutive patients. The RL and MIL 3‐month reconnection rates were relatively low (28% and 24%), with poor anatomical concordance between the sites with acute and 3‐month reconnections.
Inhibitory control and lexical alignment in children with an autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Hopkins Zoë , Yuill Nicola , Branigan Holly P.
Published: August 2017

Background

Two experiments investigated the contribution of conflict inhibition to pragmatic deficits in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Typical adults’ tendency to reuse interlocutors’ referential choices (lexical alignment) implicates communicative perspective‐taking, which is regulated by conflict inhibition. We examined whether children with ASD spontaneously lexically aligned, and whether conflict inhibition mediated alignment.

Methods

Children with ASD and chronological‐ and verbal‐age‐matched typically developing controls played a picture‐naming game. We manipulated whether the experimenter used a preferred or dispreferred name for each picture, and examined whether children subsequently used the same name.

Results

Children with ASD spontaneously lexically aligned, to the same extent as typically developing controls. Alignment was unrelated to conflict inhibition in both groups.

Conclusions

Children with ASD's referential communication is robust to impairments in conflict inhibition under some circumstances. Their pragmatic deficits may be mitigated in a highly structured interaction.
Epizootics of Streptococcus agalactiae infection in captive rays from Queensland, Australia
Authors: Bowater R O , Dennis M M , Blyde D , Stone B , Barnes A C , Delamare‐Deboutteville J , Horton M A , White M , Condon K , Jones R
Published: August 2017

The aim of this study was to describe two epizootics of high mortalities from infection with Streptococcus agalactiae, occurring in captive rays held in a marine display aquarium in south‐east Queensland, Australia, in 2009 and 2010. Five different species of rays were affected, including mangrove whiprays (Himantura granulata), estuary rays (Dasyatis fluviorum), eastern shovelnose rays (Aptychotrema rostrata), white‐spotted eagle rays (Aetobatus narinari) and blue‐spotted mask rays (Neotrygon kuhlii). This report describes the history of both epizootics including collection, quarantine and husbandry of rays, the disease epizootics, clinico‐pathological features of the disease, antimicrobial therapy, autogenous vaccine production, and laboratory studies including clinical and histopathology, bacteriology, PCR, molecular serotyping and sequencing of the bacterium S. agalactiae.
The convective drying of grape seeds: Effect of shrinkage on heat and mass transfer
Authors: Azzouz S. , Hermassi I. , Chouikh R. , Guizani A. , Belghith A.
Published: August 2017

Detailed knowledge of thermal, hydric and mechanical phenomena within a product during drying helps decrease energy costs by reducing the exposure time and improve product quality by respecting the severe standards requirements. In this context, we simulate the spatiotemporal behavior of a highly deformable product saturated with water during convective drying. The numerical simulation of heat and mass transfer states consists of solving the full conductive solid phase conservation equation, the convecto‐diffusive conservation equation of the liquid water together with the energy equation. These equations are coupled by the solid phase contraction rate due to water removal, which represents the shrinkage. The thermo‐physical properties of the considered product, grape in our case, were determined from characterization experiments. Measurement series were carried out in a laboratory‐drying loop and the obtained numerical results are found to be in good agreement with the experimental ones. The simulation allows the monitoring of the time evolution of temperature and humidity inside the product for different drying conditions. At 20% relative humidity of drying air, the ideal temperature was found to be 55 °C and not 60 °C, which minimizes the cost of drying and conserves better the structure of the product. The simulation results of a deformable product can be extended to deformable foodstuffs to minimize the exposure time needed for predefined final water content.

Practical applications

The research of optimization of drying process of grapes led to the finding of the corresponding temperature and relative humidity of convective drying air. A proposed simulation model which takes the shrinkage of this product into account describes its behavior, gives the exposure time needed for predefined final water content. The model can be extended to other deformable products.
Determination of optimum vapor bleeding arrangements for sugar juice evaporation process
Authors: Chantasiriwan S.
Published: August 2017

The sugar juice evaporation process consists of juice heater, evaporator, and crystallizer. The juice heater increases the temperature of diluted sugar juice from the ambient temperature to the boiling point. The evaporator removes most water content of diluted sugar juice. The crystallizer removes the remaining water content, yielding raw sugar as the final product. Since both the juice heater and the crystallizer require vapor bled from the evaporator, there are interactions between the three components. A model of interactions between the three components of the sugar juice evaporation process is presented in this paper. The model yields a system of nonlinear equations that, under some specified assumptions and conditions, consists of only two free parameters. This implies that there is a unique distribution of a given total juice heater surface when vapor is bled from the first two effects of the evaporator. In contrast, if vapor is bled from the first three or four effects, there are many possible surface distributions. It is shown that there is an optimum surface distribution when vapor is bled from either the first three or four effects of the evaporator that minimizes the steam economy. The optimum four‐effect vapor bleeding arrangement results in the largest steam economy. However, the two‐effect vapor bleeding arrangement produces a larger mass flow rate of processed sugar juice than either three‐effect vapor bleeding arrangement or four‐effect vapor bleeding arrangement.

Practical applications

This paper presents a mathematical model of a sugar juice evaporation process. Although one specific process design is under consideration, the model can easily be adjusted for a different process design. This model will be useful for analysis and optimization of the process. One optimization problem mentioned in the paper is the optimum allocation of a fixed total surface among the four heat exchangers of the juice heater, which is used to increase juice temperature to the boiling point before entering the quintuple‐effect evaporator. It is found that there are two different optimum surface allocations corresponding to the maximum rate of processed juice and the minimum amount of steam required by the process. Results of this paper should provide a guideline to a process designer in selecting the juice heater that will both satisfy the required heating duty and yield the optimum performance.
High risk of stent thrombosis in the first 6 months after coronary stenting
Authors: Zwart Bastiaan , Godschalk Thea C. , Kelder Johannes C. , ten Berg Jurriën M.
Published: August 2017

Objectives

To estimate the incidence of stent thrombosis (ST) after early discontinuation of clopidogrel.

Background

Premature discontinuation of clopidogrel is the strongest risk factor for ST. In contrast, recent studies suggest that shorter dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) can be discontinued as soon as 3 months after stenting. However, these studies included very few ACS patients and were not powered for ST. Hence, little is known about the occurrence of ST in high‐risk populations when DAPT is discontinued early.

Methods

This is a subanalysis of The Dutch ST Registry 437 ST cases (mainly first‐generation DES and BMS). Acute coronary syndrome was the indication for index‐PCI in 74% of the patients. Clopidogrel discontinuation rates in ST patients and matched controls were used to calculate the absolute incidence of ST after early clopidogrel discontinuation.

Results

The overall rate of ST after cessation of clopidogrel was 4.6% (95%CI: 3.9‐5.4%), as compared to 1.7% (95%CI: 1.5‐1.9%) in patients who did not discontinue clopidogrel. The incidence of ST was 35.4% when clopidogrel was discontinued in the first 30 days after index‐PCI declining to 11.7% when clopidogrel was discontinued in the first 180 days.

Conclusions

This dedicated ST registry shows that ST rates were very high when clopidogrel was discontinued before 6 months after index‐PCI and therefore suggests that clopidogrel discontinuation in the first 6 months after ACS should be avoided.
Neighborhood Poverty and Children's Academic Skills and Behavior in Early Elementary School
Authors: Morrissey Taryn W. , Vinopal Katie M.
Published: August 2017

Neighborhoods provide resources that may affect children's cognitive and behavioral outcomes. However, it is unclear to what degree associations between neighborhood disadvantage and outcomes persist into elementary school and whether neighborhood disadvantage interacts with household disadvantage. Using data from the 2010–2011 Early Childhood Longitudinal Study‐Kindergarten Cohort (N = 15,100 children) merged with census data from the American Community Survey, this study examines associations between neighborhood poverty and children's math, reading, and behavioral outcomes at kindergarten and first and second grades. Findings indicate that as tract‐level poverty increases, children's achievement worsens after controlling for child and family characteristics. These associations persist into second grade and are stronger for children in poor versus nonpoor households. Findings suggest that neighborhood disadvantage may contribute to poorer achievement scores, particularly among children with few household resources, but that household disadvantage and other characteristics largely explain behavioral outcomes. Research and policy implications are discussed.
Clotrimazole microemulsion and microemulsion-based gel: evaluation of buccal drug delivery and irritancy using chick chorioallantoic membrane as the model
Authors: Kaewbanjong Jarika , Wan Sia Heng Paul , Boonme Prapaporn
Published: August 2017

Objectives

To investigate the efficacy of clotrimazole microemulsion (CTZ-ME) and its gel form, clotrimazole microemulsion-based gel (CTZ-MBG), for the treatment of oral candidiasis.

Methods

CTZ-ME and CTZ-MBG were characterized for droplet size and texture, respectively. The ex-vivo permeation study and irritancy assessment of CTZ-ME and CTZ-MBG were performed using chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) as the model. Antifungal activity against Candida albicans ATCC 10 231 of CTZ-ME and CTZ-MBG was determined by agar diffusion method compared to the blank counterparts.

Key findings

CTZ-ME contained nano-sized droplets and CTZ-MBG had acceptable firmness and spreadability. CTZ-ME exhibited faster CAM permeation of the drug and larger inhibition zone than CTZ-MBG as the increased viscosity of CTZ-MBG resulted in more retardation and higher fluctuations in drug diffusion. As there were no detectable visual changes in CAM blood vessels after applying CTZ-ME or CTZ-MBG, both formulations were non-irritants.

Conclusions

CTZ-ME and CTZ-MBG could deliver the drug through CAM, the model for buccal delivery. Additionally, they did not cause irritancy and had effective antifungal activity against C. albicans. The results indicated that CTZ-ME and CTZ-MBG were potential effective antifungal formulations to treat oral candidiasis.
Association between left atrial enlargement and obstructive sleep apnea in a general population of 71‐year‐old men
Authors: Holtstrand Hjälm Henrik , Fu Michael , Hansson Per‐Olof , Zhong You , Caidahl Kenneth , Mandalenakis Zacharias , Morales David , Ergatoudes Constantinos , Rosengren Annika , Grote Ludger , Thunström Erik
Published: August 2017

Left atrial enlargement has been shown to be associated with obstructive sleep apnea in patients with coronary artery disease and in sleep clinic cohorts. However, data from the general population are limited. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is an association between obstructive sleep apnea and left atrial enlargement in a random sample from a general population of 71‐year‐old men. As part of the longitudinal population study The Study of Men Born in 1943, we analysed cross‐sectional data for 411 men, all 71 years old, who had participated in an overnight home sleep study and a standardized echocardiographic examination. Of the 411 men, 29.4% had moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea [apnea–hypopnea index score of ≥15 (n = 121)]. These participants showed a significantly higher frequency of systolic heart failure, hypertension, overweight, had greater waist circumference as well as higher left atrial areas compared with men with no or mild obstructive sleep apnea (23.7 ± 5.5 cm2 versus 21.6 ± 4.5 cm2, P < 0.001). In a linear regression analysis, obstructive sleep apnea was significantly associated with left atrial enlargement after adjusting for overweight, atrial fibrillation, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, hypertension and mitral regurgitation. Compared with individuals without obstructive sleep apnea, the mean left atrial area was 1.7 ± 1.5 cm2 larger in men with severe obstructive sleep apnea (P < 0.05) and 1.3 ± 1.1 cm2 larger among men with moderate obstructive sleep apnea (P < 0.05). In this cross‐sectional study of 71‐year‐old men from the general population, left atrial area was independently associated with prevalence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea.
Evaluating the Guo–Campanella viscoelastic model
Authors: Augusto Pedro E. D. , Miano Alberto C. , Rojas Meliza Lindsay
Published: August 2017

Biological materials are characterized by complex structures and compositions, leading to viscoelastic behavior. Their viscoelastic characterization is important for the evaluation, design, and optimization of processes to ensure high quality products. Proposals of methodologies of analysis and modeling are critical steps in studying the rheological properties of these materials. In this context, a new model, the Guo–Campanella Model, was recently proposed to describe the stress‐relaxation behavior of biological material. This work is an independent and impartial evaluation of this new model. It considers 10 different samples, comprising in natura and processed foods, from both plant and animal bases. For comparison, a Generalized Maxwell Model and the Peleg Model were also evaluated. The Guo–Campanella Model fitted the stress‐relaxation data of evaluated products well, demonstrating its validity for describing the viscoelastic behavior of biological materials with different structures, sources, and processing. Finally, the Guo–Campanella Model parameters were evaluated and their interpretations and possible uses described. It was shown that the Guo–Campanella Model can be successfully used for future studies.

Practical applications

The stress‐relaxation assay is a common technique for characterizing the viscoelastic properties of biological materials. The results obtained are generally evaluated using such compound models as the Generalized Maxwell model. Although this approach is interesting from a fundamental point of view, it results in many parameters to evaluate, thus increasing the complexity and limiting the interpretation. In this sense, the Guo–Campanella Model has only two parameters, which facilitates interpretation, especially for practical applications. This work validated this model, also contributing to its interpretation by discussing the meaning of its parameters. Consequently, this is potentially useful for future studies on food properties and process design.
Education of the postprandial experience by a sensory‐cognitive intervention
Authors: Pribic T. , Vilaseca H. , Nieto A. , Hernandez L. , Malagelada C. , Accarino A. , Roca J. , Azpiroz F.
Published: August 2017

Background

Ingestion of a meal induces homeostasis‐related sensations (satiety/fullness) that have a hedonic dimension (satisfaction/mood). We have previously shown that a previous physiological intervention, a meal preload, influences the responses to a subsequent meal, specifically: it increases satiety/fullness and decreases satisfaction. We now wished to determine the differential effects of education on the homeostatic and hedonic postprandial experience.

Methods

Randomized, parallel study comparing the effect of real vs sham education on the responses to a probe meal. In two groups of healthy subjects (n = 14 each), homeostatic (satiety, fullness) and hedonic sensations (digestive well‐being, mood) in response to a probe meal (250 mL soup, 25 g bread) were measured on 2 separate days before and after a single sensory‐cognitive educational intervention (taste recognition test of supra‐ and sub‐threshold tastands for real and sham education, respectively).

Key Results

Before education, in both groups the probe meal induced homeostatic sensations (satiety, fullness) with a positive hedonic dimension (increased digestive well‐being and mood). In contrast to sham education, real education enhanced both homeostatic and hedonic responses to the probe meal (P < .05 vs sham education for all).

Conclusions and Inferences

Education modifies the subjects′ receptiveness and influences the responses to a meal, not only the hedonic postprandial experience, but also homeostatic sensations. Since homeostatic and hedonic responses are dissociable, education might be tailored to target different conditions.
Optimal orientation for angularly segmented multifocal corrections
Authors: de Gracia Pablo , Hartwig Andreas
Published: August 2017

Purpose

Evaluate the importance of orientation of multifocal lens designs with angular increments of addition.

Methods

Optical properties of one monofocal and three multifocal designs were analysed with the visual Strehl ratio (VSOTF) metric through‐focus (−1 to 5 D). Designs were tested in combination with the higher‐order aberrations (HOAs) of 782 subjects (1564 eyes). Simulations included one monofocal, one bifocal (eight orientations), one trifocal (four orientations), and a 4‐foci design (four orientations). Monocular and binocular performances of all designs were assessed by computing the area under the through‐focus VSOTF plots, the through‐focus range of acceptable optical performance, and, for binocular combinations, optical disparity between left and right eyes.

Results

Under monocular conditions, bifocal designs generated larger areas under the through focus VSOTF than trifocal designs and 4‐foci designs. Specifically, bifocal designs divided vertically were optimal for 48% of eyes. Trifocal designs and 4‐foci designs offered longer intervals of acceptable through‐focus vision. Coma and spherical aberration values were correlated with the optimal orientation of multifocal corrections. The best binocular combination was achieved with a monofocal and a trifocal lens. The orientation of a multifocal design with angular areas affected the final optical properties of the combination (lens plus eye).

Conclusions

The optical aberration distributions for our population of physiologically normal eyes demonstrated improved performance for some lens design orientations (i.e., left‐right segments for 2‐zone bifocals). Taking into account the HOAs of healthy patients, with special attention to coma and spherical aberration, will increase the optical quality of angularly divided multifocal solutions.
Airway plaque presenting after alteration of immunosuppression in a pediatric patient remote from heart transplantation
Authors: Ryan Thomas D. , Absalon Michael J. , de Alarcon Alessandro , Gupta Anita , Peters Anna L. , Lorts Angela , Danziger‐Isakov Lara A. , Chin Clifford
Published: August 2017

Success after solid organ transplantation is dependent on the proper balance of immunosuppression to prevent rejection of the allograft while limiting the risk of developing infections and malignancy. We present a 9‐year‐old girl, remote from transplant, who presented with airway plaque after a change in immunosuppression to include the mTOR inhibitor sirolimus. Differential diagnosis included direct medication side effect, infection, and neoplasia.
Evaluation of gene expression levels for cytokines in ocular toxoplasmosis
Authors: Maia M. M. , Meira‐Strejevitch C. S. , Pereira‐Chioccola V. L. , de Hippólito D. D. C. , Silva V. O. , Brandão de Mattos C. C. , Frederico F. B. , Siqueira R. C. , de Mattos L. C. ,   FAMERP and IAL Toxoplasma Research Group
Published: August 2017

This study evaluated levels for mRNA expression of 7 cytokines in ocular toxoplasmosis. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with ocular toxoplasmosis (OT Group, n = 23) and chronic toxoplasmosis individuals (CHR Group, n = 9) were isolated and stimulated in vitro with T. gondii antigen. Negative controls (NC) were constituted of 7 PBMC samples from individuals seronegative for toxoplasmosis. mRNA expression for cytokines was determined by qPCR. Results showed a significant increase in mRNA levels from antigen stimulated PBMCs derived from OT Group for expressing IL‐6 (at P < .005 and P < .0005 for CHR and NC groups, respectively), IL‐10 (at P < .0005 and P < .005 for CHR and NC groups, respectively) and TGF‐β (at P < .005) for NC group. mRNA levels for TNF‐α and IL‐12 were also upregulated in patients with OT compared to CHR and NC individuals, although without statistical significance. Additionally, mRNA levels for IL‐27 and IFN‐γ in PBMC of patients with OT were upregulated in comparison with NC individuals. Differences between OT and NC groups were statistically significant at P < .05 and P < .0005, respectively.
Protestant evangelicals and addiction in early modern English
Authors: Cree Jose Murgatroyd
Published: August 2017

When the English word ‘addict' emerged in the sixteenth century, it did not mean the same as addiction today. This article uses the language of early modern addiction to not only determine the meaning and use of ‘addict', but also as a means of tracing a particular readership network in reformation England. It focuses initially on the first printed appearances in the work of two evangelical writers; the three meanings they applied to the word; and the etymology behind those meanings. Next, it traces appearances of the word in the writing of early protestant reformers in England, who made almost exclusive use of the term in printed sources before 1550. This is particularly notable because there was nothing conceptually unique about the word: non‐reformers expressed the same ideas, in similar contexts, but using different words. In examining uses of the word ‘addict’ within the religious context of early sixteenth century England, this article suggests the existence of a discrete evangelical vocabulary, and thus a means of tracing a reformist readership network. More than this, it potentially reveals one means by which a persecuted and suppressed group created a sense of shared identity and community.
Linking submarine channel–levee facies and architecture to flow structure of turbidity currents: insights from flume tank experiments
Authors: de Leeuw Jan , Eggenhuisen Joris T. , Cartigny Matthieu J. B.
Published: August 2017

Submarine leveed channels are sculpted by turbidity currents that are commonly highly stratified. Both the concentration and the grain size decrease upward in the flow, and this is a fundamental factor that affects the location and grain size of deposits around a channel. This study presents laboratory experiments that link the morphological evolution of a progressively developing leveed channel to the suspended sediment structure of the turbidity currents. Previously, it was difficult to link turbidity current structure to channel–levee development because observations from natural systems were limited to the depositional products while experiments did not show realistic morphodynamics due to scaling issues related to the sediment transport. This study uses a novel experimental approach to overcome scaling issues, which results in channel inception and evolution on an initially featureless slope. Depth of the channel increased continuously as a result of levee aggradation combined with varying rates of channel floor aggradation and degradation. The resulting levees are fining upward and the grain‐size trend in the levee matches the upward decrease in grain size in the flow. It is shown that such deposit trends can result from internal channel dynamics and do not have to reflect upstream forcing. The suspended sediment structure can also be linked to the lateral transition from sediment bypass in the channel thalweg to sediment deposition on the levees. The transition occurs because the sediment concentration is below the flow capacity in the channel thalweg, while higher up on the channel walls the concentration exceeds capacity resulting in deposition of the inner levee. Thus, a framework is provided to predict the growth pattern and facies of a levee from the suspended sediment structure in a turbidity current.
Impact of treatment and outcomes for patients with posttransplant drug‐associated thrombotic microangiopathy
Authors: Epperla Narendranath , Hemauer Kathleen , Hamadani Mehdi , Friedman Kenneth D. , Kreuziger Lisa Baumann
Published: August 2017

BACKGROUND

Drug‐induced transplant‐associated thrombotic microangiopathy (DTA‐TMA) is a rare but serious complication that can occur after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) or solid organ transplantation (SOT) without guidelines for optimal management of this condition.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Given the ambiguity surrounding the treatment for DTA‐TMA, we conducted a retrospective review to evaluate the impact of different treatment strategies in DTA‐TMA patients. Our primary endpoint was to determine the overall response rate (ORR) for DTA‐TMA based on the type of treatment modality chosen while secondary endpoints included the time to response, relapse rates, and overall survival for DTA‐TMA cases.

RESULTS

There were a total of 14 DTA‐TMA patients of whom nine were post‐HCT and five were post‐SOT. Most of the DTA‐TMA cases were due to tacrolimus (n = 11) with a minority related to sirolimus (n = 3). A total of nine of 14 patients demonstrated response and five had no response to therapy. The ORR among the DTA‐TMA patients after HCT and SOT who received plasma exchange (PLEX) were 25 and 100%, respectively. The ORRs among the patients (includes HCT and SOT) who received rituximab (n = 3) and eculizumab (n = 5) were 67 and 60%, respectively. There were two relapses noted in our study and both were in the HCT group.

CONCLUSION

While discontinuation of the offending agent may be sufficient for treatment of DTA‐TMA after HCT, PLEX may be a reasonable option for DTA‐TMA after SOT. Although the results are encouraging with rituximab and eculizumab in the treatment of DTA‐TMA, larger prospective studies are needed to validate our findings.
Structural Weaknesses in the Economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina – A Brake on Growth and Development
Authors: Mastilo Zoran , Čičković Radmila
Published: August 2017

To present the status and development of economies of the countries, a number of macroeconomic indicators is available and used and the most important aggregate in the system of national accounts is the gross domestic product (GDP).An analysis of GDP serves to present the status and trends of the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). We have used the comparison method, in order to establish the status, as well as trends in the economy of BiH in comparison with the neighbouring countries with similar GDP structures and with economies of some developed countries.We note that the structure of gross value added (GVA) in BiH is not primarily oriented towards profitable activities, nor towards activities giving a synergistic effect on the entire economy. The service sector is not sufficiently developed. GDP per capita in 2015 was almost eight times lower than the one recorded in the EU member countries. The relationship between consumption and investment, in addition to the negative balance of trade, are negative determinants of the BiH economy. The global crisis has produced negative effects on the BiH economy. Such trends were imminent even in the developed countries, the only difference is that the developed countries, by size of their GDP per capita, are far stronger and more developed than the BiH economy. The economy is small in its size and growth rates are not sufficient to provide a visible progress, as is the case with developed countries.BiH needs to put maximum efforts into increasing its value added in areas that are fast and strong in contributing to the growth and development.