bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long‐term consequences of pain, anxiety and agitation for critically ill older patients after an intensive care unit stay
Authors: Jeitziner Marie‐Madlen , Hamers Jan PH , Bürgin Reto , Hantikainen Virpi , Zwakhalen Sandra MG
Published: May 2015

Aims and objectives

This study investigated whether an intensive care unit (ICU) stay is associated with persistent pain, anxiety and agitation in critically ill older patients.

Background

Patients hospitalised in the ICU are at risk for experiencing pain, anxiety and agitation, but long‐term consequences for older patients have rarely been investigated.

Design

Prospective nonrandomised longitudinal study.

Methods

Pain, anxiety and agitation, measured with a numeric rating scale (0–10), were assessed in older patients (≥65 years) hospitalised in the medical‐surgical ICU of a university hospital. Agitation during the ICU was assessed with the Richmond Agitation‐Sedation Scale. Data collection occurred during the ICU, one week after the stay and six and 12 months after hospital discharge. Data were collected from an age‐matched community‐based comparison group at recruitment and after six and 12 months. Study recruitment took place from December 2008–April 2011.

Results

This study included 145 older patients (ICU group) and 146 comparison group participants. Pain was higher in the ICU group one week after discharge, although pain levels in general were low. Both groups reported no or low levels of pain after six and 12 months. Anxiety levels in general were low, although higher in the ICU group one week after ICU discharge. After six and 12 months, anxiety in both groups was comparable. Throughout the study, levels of agitation were similar in both groups.

Conclusions

Critically ill older patients did not experience increased pain, anxiety or agitation 12 months after an ICU stay.

Relevance to clinical practice

This study positively shows that an ICU stay is not associated with persistent pain, anxiety and agitation thus providing additional information to older patients and their families when making intensive care treatment decisions. Adequate management of pain during and after an ICU stay may minimise the suffering of older patients.
Unruptured second‐trimester ovarian pregnancy
Authors: Elwell Kyler E. , Sailors Joseph L. , Denson Pamela K. , Hoffman Barbara , Wai Clifford Y.
Published: May 2015

Ovarian ectopic pregnancies are rare, with the majority diagnosed in the first trimester and often treated due to symptoms related to ovarian rupture. We report our experience with the diagnosis, management, and histologic evaluation of an unruptured second‐trimester ovarian ectopic pregnancy. A 37‐year‐old woman presented with vague abdominal discomfort and irregular menses. Ultrasound detected a 16‐week 4‐day gestation with cardiac motion in the right adnexa and no evidence of an intrauterine pregnancy. Laparotomy with right salpingo‐oophorectomy was performed, with removal of an unruptured pregnancy from the ovary. Although intraoperative examination and postoperative histopathologic evaluation demonstrated the classic Speigelberg criteria, it did not assist in the preoperative diagnosis, nor impact the treatment of the ovarian ectopic pregnancy in this case.
Novel pathophysiological cause for post‐partum hemorrhage: Case report of post‐partum hemorrhage with occult abnormal artery diagnosed on pelvic angiography
Authors: Iwagaki Shigenori , Miyazaki Tatsuhiko , Mizuno Tomoko , Kondo Hiroshi , Morishige Ken‐Ichirou
Published: May 2015

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of post‐partum hemorrhage (PPH) caused by an occult abnormal artery detected shortly after delivery on pelvic angiography (PAG). Initially, a diagnosis of uterine atony was made because the apparent cause of hemorrhage was not detected via the usual obstetrical examination. An abnormal artery, however, was suspected on PAG and confirmed on pathology. This case suggests a novel cause of persistent PPH resistant to obstetric management. Obstetricians should be aware that an abnormal artery may cause PPH, and that radiology may be required for diagnosis.
When Someday Is Today: Carrying Forward the History of Old Age and
Inheritance into the Age of Medicaid
Authors: Case Mary Anne
Published: May 2015

This review essay of Hendrik Hartog's (2012) Someday All
This Will Be Yours undertakes a brief overview of some of
the massive changes in middle‐class planning for old age and inheritance in
the United States over the course of the past century, focusing on the
increased role of the state as a source of funding and regulation, the rise
of the elder law bar, and the resulting new tools and motives for the
transfer of property in exchange for care in the age of Medicaid.
Resisting Multiple Narratives of Law in Transition Countries: Russia and
Beyond
Authors: Hendley Kathryn
Published: May 2015

The literature on the role of law in countries with so‐called hybrid
regimes that are stuck somewhere between democracy and authoritarianism
tends to dwell on the politicization of law and the courts. This has the
effect of discounting the importance of the vast majority of cases that are
decided in accord with the law. Taking Russia as a case study, this essay
reviews a cross‐section of the literature on its courts in order to document
this tendency and explore why alternative narratives of law have failed to
gain traction: Burbank's Russian Peasants Go to
Court (2004); Feifer's Justice in
Moscow (1964); Kaminskaya's Final
Judgment (1982); Ledeneva's Can Russia
Modernise? (2013); McDonald's Face to the
Village (2011); Politkovskaya's Putin's
Russia (2004); Popova's Politicized Justice
in Emerging Democracies (2012); and Romanova's
Butyrka (2010).
Identification of magnetite in lunar regolith breccia 60016: Evidence for oxidized conditions at the lunar surface
Authors: Joy Katherine H. , Visscher Channon , Zolensky Michael E. , Mikouchi Takashi , Hagiya Kenji , Ohsumi Kazumasa , Kring David A.
Published: May 2015

Lunar regolith breccias are temporal archives of magmatic and impact bombardment processes on the Moon. Apollo 16 sample 60016 is an “ancient” feldspathic regolith breccia that was converted from a soil to a rock at ~3.8 Ga. The breccia contains a small (70 × 50 μm) rock fragment composed dominantly of an Fe‐oxide phase with disseminated domains of troilite. Fragments of plagioclase (An95‐97), pyroxene (En74‐75, Fs21‐22,Wo3‐4), and olivine (Fo66‐67) are distributed in and adjacent to the Fe‐oxide. The silicate minerals have lunar compositions that are similar to anorthosites. Mineral chemistry, synchrotron X‐ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) studies demonstrate that the oxide phase is magnetite with an estimated Fe3+/ΣFe ratio of ~0.45. The presence of magnetite in 60016 indicates that oxygen fugacity during formation was equilibrated at, or above, the Fe‐magnetite or wüstite–magnetite oxygen buffer. This discovery provides direct evidence for oxidized conditions on the Moon. Thermodynamic modeling shows that magnetite could have been formed from oxidization‐driven mineral replacement of Fe‐metal or desulphurisation from Fe‐sulfides (troilite) at low temperatures (<570 °C) in equilibrium with H2O steam/liquid or CO2 gas. Oxidizing conditions may have arisen from vapor transport during degassing of a magmatic source region, or from a hybrid endogenic–exogenic process when gases were released during an impacting asteroid or comet impact.
Shock and annealing in aubrites: Implications for parent‐body history
Authors: Rubin Alan E.
Published: May 2015

Several aubrites (e.g., LAP 03719, Bishopville, Khor Temiki, ALH 83015) contain orthopyroxene grains that exhibit more‐pronounced shock effects than associated olivine grains. The orthopyroxene grains in these samples have clinoenstatite lamellae on (100) and exhibit weak mosaic extinction, characteristic of shock stage S4; the olivine grains exhibit either sharp optical extinction, characteristic of shock stage S1 (as in LAP 03719), or undulose extinction (shock stage S2), as in Bishopville and ALH 83015. The Khor Temiki regolith breccia contains S1 and S2 olivine grains. Because literature data show that diffusion is much slower in orthopyroxene than in olivine, it seems likely that aubrites experienced postshock, impact‐induced annealing. After differentiation, the aubrite parent asteroid suffered major collisions that caused extensive brecciation of near‐surface materials and damaged orthopyroxene and olivine crystal lattices. As a result of these impact events, some aubrites were shocked and buried within warm ejecta blankets or beneath fallback debris under the crater floor. Entombed olivine crystal lattices healed (and became unstrained, reaching shock stage S1), but orthopyroxene lattices retained their S4‐level shock‐damaged features. Aubrites with S4 orthopyroxene and S2 olivine were probably very weakly shocked again after olivine was annealed to S1.
Local and Systemic Changes in Pain Sensitivity After 4 Weeks of Calf Muscle Stretching in a Nonpainful Population: A Randomized Trial
Authors: Bartholdy Cecilie , Zangger Graziella , Hansen Lisbeth , Ginnerup‐Nielsen Elisabeth , Bliddal Henning , Henriksen Marius
Published: May 2015

Background

Stretching is often used in clinical practice for a variety of purposes, including pain therapy. The possible mechanism behind the effect of stretching remains to be clarified.

Aim

To investigate whether 4 weeks of unilateral stretching of the calf muscles would affect local and central pain sensitivity.

Method

This study was a randomized assessor‐blinded clinical study. Healthy participants (age 18 to 40) were included and randomized. Participants in the intervention group were instructed to perform 2 stretching exercises targeting the calf muscles; 3 times 30 seconds, 7 days a week for 4 weeks on the dominant leg. Participants in the control group were instructed not to do any stretching for 4 weeks. Pressure pain threshold (PPT) and temporal summation (TS) of pressure pain were measured on the stretched calf, the contra‐lateral calf, and contra‐lateral lower arm using a computerized cuff algometer. Analyses of variance on the per‐protocol population (defined as participants that adhered to the protocol) were used to assess group differences in the changes from baseline.

Result

Forty healthy volunteers were included, of which 34 participants adhered to the protocol (15 intervention group/19 control group). No statistically significant group differences in the changes from baseline were found regarding PPT and TS measurements for the stretched calf, the contra‐lateral calf, and the arm.

Conclusion

Four weeks of regular stretching of the calf muscles does not affect pressure pain sensitivity, suggesting that pressure pain sensitivity is unaffected by stretching in a healthy population. The mechanisms underlying any benefits of regular stretching remain to be explained.
Estimating the Diurnal Cycle and Daily Insolation of Ultraviolet and Photosynthetically Active Radiation at the Sea Surface
Authors: Kuwahara Victor S. , Taguchi Satoru
Published: May 2015

Accurate determination of the diurnal variability and daily insolation of surface (0+) and subsurface (0−) irradiance are essential to estimate several physical, chemical and biological processes occurring at the surface layer of marine environments. Natural downwelling PAR and spectral UVR were examined on eight occasions at 0+ and 0− to refine empirical models, particularly in the UVR spectrum. The diurnal variability in UVR and PAR were wavelength dependent and were modeled by a sinusoidal equation. The best fit for PAR at 0+ and 0− was the sinusoid power of n = 2 and n = 2.5, respectively. In the UVR spectrum, sinusoids increased as wavelengths decreased ranging from n = 2–5. Higher n values in the UV‐B spectrum suggest sharper increase/decrease near sunrise and sunset hours, ultimately reducing the final value of daily insolation at specified wavelengths. Calculated daily insolation of UV‐B/(UV‐A + PAR) ratio suggests that photoinhibition from exposure to UV‐B occurs within a shorter biologically effective day length than PAR, and is high during summer and low during winter. These results suggest that biogeochemical calculations based on diurnal models of irradiance measurements would benefit from accurate solar noon references and wavelength specificity, particularly in the UVR spectrum.
Acoustic ranging of small arms fire using a single sensor node collocated with the target
Authors: Lo Kam W. , Ferguson Brian G.
Published: May 2015

A ballistic model-based method, which builds upon previous work by Lo and Ferguson [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 132, 2997–3017 (2012)], is described for ranging small arms fire using a single acoustic sensor node collocated with the target, without a priori knowledge of the muzzle speed and ballistic constant of the bullet except that they belong to a known two-dimensional parameter space. The method requires measurements of the differential time of arrival and differential angle of arrival of the muzzle blast and ballistic shock wave at the sensor node. Its performance is evaluated using both simulated and real data.
Direct visualization of shear waves in viscoelastic fluid using microspheres
Authors: Labuda C. , Tierney C. M. , Dayavansha E. G. Sunethra K. , Gladden J. R.
Published: May 2015

Wormlike micellar fluids, being viscoelastic, support shear waves. Shear waves in 500 mM CTAB-NaSal micellar fluid were visualized by seeding the fluid with 212–250 μm diameter polyethylene microspheres. This method was compared to visualization through birefringence induced by shear stress in the fluid. Measured shear wave speeds were 733 and 722 mm/s, respectively, for each technique. Particle displacement was a sinusoidal function of time and displacement amplitude decreased quadratically with distance from the source. This supports the possibility of using particle amplitude measurements as a measure of attenuation even at low fluid concentration where birefringence visualization techniques fail.
“It Makes Me Feel Like I Am an Important Part of This Team”: An Exploratory Study of Coach Confirmation
Authors: Cranmer Gregory A. , Brann Maria
Published: May 2015

Coaches are recognized as important sources of athlete experiences (e.g., learning, sport satisfaction, relationships with teammates), but little attention has been devoted to how coaches foster positive self-perceptions. The current exploratory study proposes that coaches are likely sources of confirmation (i.e., feeling of recognition, endorsement, and acknowledgment). This assumption was substantiated via 12 interviews with Division I volleyball players during the 2013 season as 6 confirming acts and messages used by coaches were identified (i.e., individualized communication, personal relationships, encouragement, demands for improvement, recognition, and demonstration of investment). In addition, 4 phenomena that influence confirmation were identified (i.e., adversity, knowledge of other coaches, athletes’ roles on the team, and timing). These results extend confirmation to the sport context, provide sport communication scholars with a novel framework to understand athlete–coach communication, and illustrate that various phenomena (including starting status) can influence confirming communication between athletes and coaches.
#NBCfail: Thematic Analysis of Media and Public Discourse Surrounding Editing of Russia’s Olympic Gymnastics Fall
Authors: Moore Jensen , Hesson Ashley , Jones Khristen
Published: May 2015

This research examined how NBC Universal’s coverage of the Olympic final for the women’s gymnastics teams influenced the news media’s and public’s perceptions of the event. Guided by framing and social construction of reality, the authors conducted a thematic analysis on 487 textual items from mainstream-news and social-media sites. Major themes found were creating drama, caring about ratings/money, crossing ethical lines, embarrassing other media, and following news routines. The analysis indicated that audience members did not prefer the edited version of events. Although incomplete coverage shaped viewers’ perceived reality, many used alternative resources to form an accurate understanding of reality.
A Mock Debate on the Washington Redskins Brand: Fostering Critical Thinking and Cultural Sensitivity Among Sport Business Students
Authors: Tryce Stephanie A. , Smith Brent
Published: May 2015

This article details a sport business project intended to provide students with an opportunity to analyze critically the convergence of business, cultural, and social justice issues associated with the controversial name of the Washington Redskins football franchise. In the context of a mock debate, three teams of students represented separate interests—the Native American community, the Washington Redskins management, and Washington, D.C. government—to advocate for and against a recently proposed name change. Taking up this real topic in contemporary sport business, students received intensive exposure to self-directed learning, cultural competence, simulated debate, and spontaneous questions. Students reported in their personal reflections that the project helped improve their critical analysis of stakeholders’ positions, cultural awareness, and sensitivity to factors that can help and hinder brand meaning.
Response to Comments on “Evidence for mesothermy in dinosaurs”
Authors: Grady John M. , Enquist Brian J. , Dettweiler-Robinson Eva , Wright Natalie A. , Smith Felisa A.
Published: May 2015

D’Emic and Myhrvold raise a number of statistical and methodological issues with our recent analysis of dinosaur growth and energetics. However, their critiques and suggested improvements lack biological and statistical justification.
Brazil cuts red tape stifling biodiversity studies
Authors: Escobar Herton
Published: May 2015

New law eases draconian measures that brought bioprospecting to a standstill.
Fine-scale diversity and extensive recombination in a quasisexual bacterial population occupying a broad niche
Authors: Rosen Michael J. , Davison Michelle , Bhaya Devaki , Fisher Daniel S.
Published: May 2015

Quasi-sexual microbe populations

Astonishing levels of fine-scale microbial diversity have been uncovered by DNA sequencing of natural populations. How this diversity is shaped and maintained and what its environmental or clinical implications might be is unclear. Using custom-made advanced statistical methods, Rosen
et al.
analyzed the evolutionary structure of a photosynthetic bacterium that grows in the hot springs of Yellowstone Park (see the Perspective by Desai and Walczak). The populations behaved neither as clones nor “ecotypes” but more like sexual organisms. These cyanobacteria have high recombination rates that maintain diversity and prevent selective sweeps that would otherwise reduce diversity.

Science
, this issue p.
1019
; see also p.
977
Synthesis and characterization of P
2
N
3
−
: An aromatic ion composed of phosphorus and nitrogen
Authors: Velian Alexandra , Cummins Christopher C.
Published: May 2015

An aromatic phosphorus and nitrogen ring

In chemistry, the term “aromatic” denotes the energy stabilization associated with electrons being shared among atoms in a ring. Benzene is the best-known aromatic compound, although numerous related hydrocarbons also manifest the property. Velian and Cummins now report a rare instance of an inorganic aromatic compound: a negatively charged pentagonal ring composed of three nitrogen and two phosphorus atoms.

Science
, this issue p.
1001
Taming the temperamental metal transformation
Authors: James Richard D.
Published: May 2015

An alloy can undergo millions of cycles of shape changes in response to stress jumps

[Also see Report by

Chluba
et al.

]
Colorectal cancer in miniature
Authors: Behjati Sam
Published: May 2015

Patient-derived tumor cell lines can be reliably generated as the basis of in vitro drug screens and personalized treatment plans.
A graphene security blanket
Authors: Wong Ian Y.
Published: May 2015

Mesenchymal stem cells clinging to graphene oxide microflakes display enhanced survival and engraftment in heart tissue.
Increasing Avermectin Production in Streptomyces avermitilis by Manipulating the Expression of a Novel TetR-Family Regulator and Its Target Gene Product
Authors: Liu Wenshuai , Zhang Qinling , Guo Jia , Chen Zhi , Li Jilun , Wen Ying
Published: May 2015

Avermectins produced by
Streptomyces avermitilis
are commercially important anthelmintic agents. The detailed regulatory mechanisms of avermectin biosynthesis remain unclear. Here, we identified SAV3619, a TetR-family transcriptional regulator designated AveT, to be an activator for both avermectin production and morphological differentiation in
S. avermitilis
. AveT was shown to indirectly stimulate avermectin production by affecting transcription of the cluster-situated activator gene
aveR
. AveT directly repressed transcription of its own gene (
aveT
), adjacent gene
pepD2
(
sav_3620
),
sav_7490
(designated
aveM
), and
sav_7491
by binding to an 18-bp perfect palindromic sequence (
CGAAACG
KTKY
CGTTTCG
, where K is T or G and Y is T or C and where the underlining indicates inverted repeats) within their promoter regions.
aveM
(which encodes a putative transmembrane efflux protein belonging to the major facilitator superfamily [MFS]), the important target gene of AveT, had a striking negative effect on avermectin production and morphological differentiation. Overexpression of
aveT
and deletion of
aveM
in wild-type and industrial strains of
S. avermitilis
led to clear increases in the levels of avermectin production.
In vitro
gel-shift assays suggested that C-5–O-B1, the late pathway precursor of avermectin B1, acts as an AveT ligand. Taken together, our findings indicate positive-feedback regulation of
aveT
expression and avermectin production by a late pathway intermediate and provide the basis for an efficient strategy to increase avermectin production in
S. avermitilis
by manipulation of AveT and its target gene product, AveM.
Rapid Point-of-Contact Tool for Mapping and Integrated Surveillance of Wuchereria bancrofti and Onchocerca volvulus Infection
Authors: Steel Cathy , Golden Allison , Stevens Eric , Yokobe Lindsay , Domingo Gonzalo J. , de los Santos Tala , Nutman Thomas B.
Published: May 2015

Elimination programs for
Wuchereria bancrofti
and
Onchocerca volvulus
are in critical need of sensitive, specific, and point-of-contact (POC) tools that can be used for surveillance years beyond cessation of mass drug administration when infection intensities are low. Previously, Wb123 and Ov16 were identified individually as potential filarial antigens for an antibody-based POC test. The present study compares single-antigen Wb123- and Ov16-based POC tests with an integrated configuration to detect antibodies to Wb123 and Ov16 simultaneously. Wb123 and Ov16 isolates were striped onto lateral flow strips containing anti-IgG4. Sera from
W. bancrofti
-,
O. volvulus
-, and other helminth-infected or -uninfected individuals were added to the strips with buffer. Strips were read for the appearance of a positive or negative test line for both antigens at 20 min and following drying. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were calculated for the single-antigen and biplex strips. Single and biplex lateral flow strips showed nearly identical results, with >90% sensitivity for Ov16 and >92% sensitivity for Wb123. Overall specificities for the single and biplex tests were 98% and 96% for Ov16 and Wb123, respectively. Biplex tests performed as well as the single-antigen tests regardless of the intensity of patient IgG4 response. The high sensitivity and specificity make these new biplex tests extremely useful for POC long-term surveillance following mass drug administration in Africa that should reduce time and cost in areas where bancroftian filariasis and onchocerciasis are coendemic.
Direct DNA Extraction from Mycobacterium tuberculosis Frozen Stocks as a Reculture-Independent Approach to Whole-Genome Sequencing
Authors: Bjorn-Mortensen K. , Zallet J. , Lillebaek T. , Andersen A. B. , Niemann S. , Rasmussen E. M. , Kohl T. A.
Published: May 2015

Culturing before DNA extraction represents a major time-consuming step in whole-genome sequencing of slow-growing bacteria, such as
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. We report a workflow to extract DNA from frozen isolates without reculturing. Prepared libraries and sequence data were comparable with results from recultured aliquots of the same stocks.
First Case of Human Cerebral Taenia martis Cysticercosis
Authors: Brunet Julie , Benoilid Aurélien , Kremer Stéphane , Dalvit Constanza , Lefebvre Nicolas , Hansmann Yves , Chenard Marie-Pierre , Mathieu Bruno , Grimm Felix , Deplazes Peter , Pfaff Alexander W. , Abou-Bacar Ahmed , Marescaux Christian , Candolfi Ermanno
Published: May 2015

Taenia martis
is a tapeworm affecting mustelids, with rodents serving as intermediate hosts. The larval stage (cysticercus) has been found before only rarely in humans or primates. We hereby describe a case of cerebral
T. martis
cysticercosis in a French immunocompetent patient, confirmed by DNA analyses of biopsy material.
Defining the Core Genome of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium for Genomic Surveillance and Epidemiological Typing
Authors: Fu Songzhe , Octavia Sophie , Tanaka Mark M. , Sintchenko Vitali , Lan Ruiting
Published: May 2015

Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium is the most common
Salmonella
serovar causing foodborne infections in Australia and many other countries. Twenty-one
S
. Typhimurium strains from
Salmonella
reference collection A (SARA) were analyzed using Illumina high-throughput genome sequencing. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 21 SARA strains ranged from 46 to 11,916 SNPs, with an average of 1,577 SNPs per strain. Together with 47 strains selected from publicly available
S
. Typhimurium genomes, the
S
. Typhimurium core genes (STCG) were determined. The STCG consist of 3,846 genes, a set that is much larger than that of the 2,882
Salmonella
core genes (SCG) found previously. The STCG together with 1,576 core intergenic regions (IGRs) were defined as the
S
. Typhimurium core genome. Using 93
S
. Typhimurium genomes from 13 epidemiologically confirmed community outbreaks, we demonstrated that typing based on the
S
. Typhimurium core genome (STCG plus core IGRs) provides superior resolution and higher discriminatory power than that based on SCG for outbreak investigation and molecular epidemiology of
S
. Typhimurium. STCG and STCG plus core IGR typing achieved 100% separation of all outbreaks compared to that of SCG typing, which failed to separate isolates from two outbreaks from background isolates. Defining the
S
. Typhimurium core genome allows standardization of genes/regions to be used for high-resolution epidemiological typing and genomic surveillance of
S.
Typhimurium.
Involvement of the Rac1-IRSp53-Wave2-Arp2/3 Signaling Pathway in HIV-1 Gag Particle Release in CD4 T Cells
Authors: Thomas Audrey , Mariani-Floderer Charlotte , López-Huertas Maria Rosa , Gros Nathalie , Hamard-Péron Elise , Favard Cyril , Ohlmann Theophile , Alcamí José , Muriaux Delphine
Published: May 2015

During HIV-1 assembly, the Gag viral proteins are targeted and assemble at the inner leaflet of the cell plasma membrane. This process could modulate the cortical actin cytoskeleton, located underneath the plasma membrane, since actin dynamics are able to promote localized membrane reorganization. In addition, activated small Rho GTPases are known for regulating actin dynamics and membrane remodeling. Therefore, the modulation of such Rho GTPase activity and of F-actin by the Gag protein during virus particle formation was considered. Here, we studied the implication of the main Rac1, Cdc42, and RhoA small GTPases, and some of their effectors, in this process. The effect of small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated Rho GTPases and silencing of their effectors on Gag localization, Gag membrane attachment, and virus-like particle production was analyzed by immunofluorescence coupled to confocal microscopy, membrane flotation assays, and immunoblot assays, respectively. In parallel, the effect of Gag expression on the Rac1 activation level was monitored by G-LISA, and the intracellular F-actin content in T cells was monitored by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Our results revealed the involvement of activated Rac1 and of the IRSp53-Wave2-Arp2/3 signaling pathway in HIV-1 Gag membrane localization and particle release in T cells as well as a role for actin branching and polymerization, and this was solely dependent on the Gag viral protein. In conclusion, our results highlight a new role for the Rac1-IRSp53-Wave2-Arp2/3 signaling pathway in the late steps of HIV-1 replication in CD4 T lymphocytes.

IMPORTANCE
During HIV-1 assembly, the Gag proteins are targeted and assembled at the inner leaflet of the host cell plasma membrane. Gag interacts with specific membrane phospholipids that can also modulate the regulation of cortical actin cytoskeleton dynamics. Actin dynamics can promote localized membrane reorganization and thus can be involved in facilitating Gag assembly and particle formation. Activated small Rho GTPases and effectors are regulators of actin dynamics and membrane remodeling. We thus studied the effects of the Rac1, Cdc42, and RhoA GTPases and their specific effectors on HIV-1 Gag membrane localization and viral particle release in T cells. Our results show that activated Rac1 and the IRSp53-Wave2-Arp2/3 signaling pathway are involved in Gag plasma membrane localization and viral particle production. This work uncovers a role for cortical actin through the activation of Rac1 and the IRSp53/Wave2 signaling pathway in HIV-1 particle formation in CD4 T lymphocytes.
Functional Analysis of the 60-Nucleotide Duplication in the Respiratory Syncytial Virus Buenos Aires Strain Attachment Glycoprotein
Authors: Hotard Anne L. , Laikhter Elizabeth , Brooks Kelsie , Hartert Tina V. , Moore Martin L.
Published: May 2015

There are two subgroups of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), A and B, and within each subgroup, isolates are further divided into clades. Several years ago, multiple subgroup B isolates which contained a duplication of 60 nucleotides in the glycoprotein (G) gene were described. These isolates were given a new clade designation of BA based on the site of isolation, Buenos Aires, Argentina. BA RSV strains have since become the predominant circulating clade of RSV B viruses. We hypothesized that the duplicated region in G serves to enhance the function of G in the virus life cycle. We generated recombinant viruses that express a consensus BA G gene or a consensus BA G gene lacking the duplication (G
Δdup
). We determined that the duplicated region functions during virus attachment to cells. Additionally, we showed that
in vitro
, the virus containing the duplication has a fitness advantage compared to the virus without the duplication. Our data demonstrate that the duplicated region in the BA strain G protein augments virus attachment and fitness.

IMPORTANCE
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important pathogen for infants for which there is no vaccine. Different strains of RSV circulate from year to year, and the predominating strains change over time. Subgroup B RSV strains with a duplication in the attachment glycoprotein (G) emerged and then became the dominant B genotype. We found that a recombinant virus harboring the duplication bound more efficiently to cells and was more fit than a recombinant strain lacking the duplication. Our work advances a mechanism for an important natural RSV mutation.
Vaccine-Induced Linear Epitope-Specific Antibodies to Simian Immunodeficiency Virus SIVmac239 Envelope Are Distinct from Those Induced to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Envelope in Nonhuman Primates
Authors: Shen Xiaoying , Duffy Ryan , Howington Robert , Cope Alethea , Sadagopal Shanmugalakshmi , Park Haesun , Pal Ranajit , Kwa Suefen , Ding Song , Yang Otto O. , Fouda Genevieve G. , Le Grand Roger , Bolton Diane , Esteban Mariano , Phogat Sanjay , Roederer Mario , Amara Rama R. , Picker Louis J. , Seder Robert A. , McElrath M. Juliana , Barnett Susan , Permar Sallie R. , Shattock Robin , DeVico Anthony L. , Felber Barbara K. , Pavlakis George N. , Pantaleo Giuseppe , Korber Bette T. , Montefiori David C. , Tomaras Georgia D.
Published: May 2015

To evaluate antibody specificities induced by simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) versus human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope antigens in nonhuman primate (NHP), we profiled binding antibody responses to linear epitopes in NHP studies with HIV-1 or SIV immunogens. We found that, overall, HIV-1 Env IgG responses were dominated by V3, with the notable exception of the responses to the vaccine strain A244 Env that were dominated by V2, whereas the anti-SIVmac239 Env responses were dominated by V2 regardless of the vaccine regimen.
Transarterial catheter embolisation for an unusual cause of upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage
Authors: Shelmerdine Susan Cheng , Ameli-Renani Seyed , Lynch Jeremy Oliver , Gonsalves Michael
Published: May 2015

A 72-year-old man with a history of gallstones, and complex cardiac and endocrinological comorbidities, presented with severe abdominal pain and melaena. CT mesenteric angiogram showed a cystic artery pseudoaneurysm and gallbladder distended by haematoma. Subsequent mesenteric angiography confirmed a cystic artery pseudoaneurysm, which was successfully embolised with microcoils. The patient made a rapid recovery and was discharged after 3 days.
ECG artefacts mimicking atrial flutter in posterior fossa surgery
Authors: Rudigwa Priya , Babu Elakkumanan Lenin , Rajan P Sakthi , Satya Prakash M V
Published: May 2015

ECG artefacts are defined as abnormalities in the monitored ECG, which result from measurement of cardiac potentials on the body surface and are not related to the electrical activity of the heart. In the operation theatre, the use of various types of electrical equipment may interfere with ECG interpretation. We describe our experience with artefacts resembling atrial fibrillation when a nerve integrity monitoring device was used on a patient undergoing posterior fossa surgery for epidermoid tumour. These artefacts resemble serious arrhythmias and may result in unwanted interventions. To enable better identification of such artefacts, a 12-lead ECG should be considered as it will display rhythm in all the leads; while artefacts will present in only a few leads, true arrhythmia will be present in all the 12 leads. Our case report aims to increase awareness regarding ECG artefacts and to explain how to distinguish them from actual arrhythmias.
Outcomes of antiretroviral treatment in HIV-infected adults: a dynamic and observational cohort study in Shenzhen, China, 2003–2014
Authors: Huang Peng , Tan Jingguang , Ma Wenzhe , Zheng Hui , Lu Yan , Wang Ning , Peng Zhihang , Yu Rongbin
Published: May 2015

Objectives

To report 10-year outcomes of virological and immunological treatment failure rates and risk factors.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Shenzhen, China.

Participants

2172 HIV-positive adults in the national treatment database of Shenzhen from December 2003 to January 2014.

Intervention

Antiretroviral therapy according to the Chinese national treatment guidelines.

Outcome measures

Virological and immunological treatment failure rates.

Results

Of the 3099 patients surveyed, 2172 (70.1%) were included in the study. The median age was 33 years; 78.2% were male and 51.8% were infected through heterosexual contact. The median follow-up time was 31 months (IQR, 26–38). A total of 81 (3.7%) patients died, whereas 292 (13.4%) and 400 (18.4%) patients experienced virological and immunological failures, respectively. Adjusted Cox regression analysis indicated that baseline viral load (HR=2.19, 95% CI 1.52 to 4.48 for patients with a baseline viral load greater than or equal to 1 000 000 copies/mL compared to those with less than 10 000 copies/mL) and WHO stage (HR=4.16, 95% CI 2.01 to 10.57 for patients in WHO stage IV compared with those in stage I) were significantly associated with virological failure. The strongest risk factors for immunological treatment failure were a low CD4 cell count (HR=0.46, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.66 for patients with CD4 cell counts of 50–99 cells/mm3compared to those with less than 50 cells/mm3) and higher baseline WHO stage at treatment initiation (HR=2.15, 95% CI 1.38 to 3.34 for patients in WHO stage IV compared to those in stage I).

Conclusions

Sustained virological and immunological outcomes show that patients have responded positively to long-term antiretroviral treatment with low mortality. This 10-year data study provides important information for clinicians and policymakers in the region as they begin to evaluate and plan for the future needs of their own rapidly expanding programmes.
SurgiCal Obesity Treatment Study (SCOTS): protocol for a national prospective cohort study of patients undergoing bariatric surgery in Scotland
Authors: Logue Jennifer , Stewart Sally , Munro Jane , Bruce Julie , Grieve Eleanor , Lean Mike , Lindsay Robert S , Bruce Duff , Ali Abdulmajid , Briggs Andrew , Sattar Naveed , Ford Ian
Published: May 2015

Introduction

The efficacy of bariatric surgery for large-scale, long-term weight loss is well established. However, many questions remain over the continual benefits and cost-effectiveness of that weight loss for overall health, particularly when accounting for potential complications and adverse events of surgery. Health research institutes in the UK and the USA have called for high-quality longitudinal cohort studies of patients undergoing bariatric surgery, assessing outcomes such as surgical complications, mortality, diabetes remission, microvascular complications, cardiovascular events, mental health, cost and healthcare use.

Methods and analysis

SurgiCal Obesity Treatment Study (SCOTS) is a national, prospective, observational, cohort study of patients undergoing primary bariatric surgical procedures in Scotland. This study aims to recruit 2000 patients and conduct a follow-up for 10 years postbariatric surgery using multiple data collection methods: surgeon-recorded data, electronic health record linkage, and patient-reported outcome measures. Outcomes measured will include: mortality, weight change, diabetes, surgical, cardiovascular, cancer, behavioural, reproductive/urological and nutritional variables. Healthcare utilisation and economic productivity will be collected to inform cost-effectiveness analysis.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has received a favourable ethical opinion from the West of Scotland Research Ethics committee. All publications arising from this cohort study will be published in open-access peer-reviewed journals. All SCOTS investigators (all members of the research team at every recruiting site) will have the ability to propose research suggestions and potential publications using SCOTS data; a publications committee will approve all requests for use of SCOTS data and propose writing committees and timelines. Lay-person summaries of all research findings will be published simultaneously on the SCOTS website (http://www.scotsurgeystudy.org.uk).
Addressing the Genetics of Human Mental Health Disorders in Model Organisms
Authors: McCammon Jasmine M. , Sive Hazel
Published: May 2015

Mental health disorders are notoriously difficult to diagnose and treat for a variety of reasons, including genetic heterogeneity, comorbidities, and qualitative diagnostic criteria. Discovery of the molecular pathology underlying these disorders is crucial to the development of quantitative biomarkers and novel therapeutics. In this review, we discuss contributions to the mental health field of different cellular and whole-animal approaches in characterizing psychiatric genetics and molecular pathology. These approaches include mammalian cell and neuronal culture, cerebral organoids, induced pluripotent stem cells, and the whole-animal models of nematodes, flies, mollusks, frogs, mice, and zebrafish, on the last of which we place extra emphasis. Integrative use of these cellular and animal systems in a complementary and informative fashion maximizes the potential contributions to the mental health field as a whole.
The Pyromaniac Inside You: Salmonella Metabolism in the Host Gut
Authors: Rivera-Chávez Fabian , Bäumler Andreas J.
Published: May 2015

A metabolically diverse microbial community occupies all available nutrient-niches in the lumen of the mammalian intestine, making it difficult for pathogens to establish themselves in this highly competitive environment. Salmonella serovars sidestep the competition by using their virulence factors to coerce the host into creating a novel nutrient-niche. Inflammation-derived nutrients available in this new niche support a bloom of Salmonella serovars, thereby ensuring transmission of the pathogen to the next susceptible host by the fecal-oral route. Here we review the anaerobic food chain that characterizes resident gut-associated microbial communities along with the winning metabolic strategy Salmonella serovars use to edge out competing microbes in the inflamed intestine.
Automated acquisition and analysis of airway surface liquid height by confocal microscopy
Authors: Choi Hyun-Chul , Kim Christine Seul Ki , Tarran Robert
Published: May 2015

The airway surface liquid (ASL) is a thin-liquid layer that lines the luminal side of airway epithelia. ASL contains many molecules that are involved in primary innate defense in the lung. Measurement of ASL height on primary airway cultures by confocal microscopy is a powerful tool that has enabled researchers to study ASL physiology and pharmacology. Previously, ASL image acquisition and analysis were performed manually. However, this process is time and labor intensive. To increase the throughput, we have developed an automatic ASL measurement technique that combines a fully automated confocal microscope with novel automatic image analysis software that was written with image processing techniques derived from the computer science field. We were able to acquire XZ ASL images at the rate of ∼1 image/s in a reproducible fashion. Our automatic analysis software was able to analyze images at the rate of ∼32 ms/image. As proofs of concept, we generated a time course for ASL absorption and a dose response in the presence of SPLUNC1, a known epithelial sodium channel inhibitor, on human bronchial epithelial cultures. Using this approach, we determined the IC50 for SPLUNC1 to be 6.53 μM. Furthermore, our technique successfully detected a difference in ASL height between normal and cystic fibrosis (CF) human bronchial epithelial cultures and detected changes in ATP-stimulated Cl−/ASL secretion. We conclude that our automatic ASL measurement technique can be applied for repeated ASL height measurements with high accuracy and consistency and increased throughput.
An estimation of mechanical stress on alveolar walls during repetitive alveolar reopening and closure
Authors: Chen Zheng-long , Song Yuan-lin , Hu Zhao-yan , Zhang Su , Chen Ya-zhu
Published: May 2015

Alveolar overdistension and mechanical stresses generated by repetitive opening and closing of small airways and alveoli have been widely recognized as two primary mechanistic factors that may contribute to the development of ventilator-induced lung injury. A long-duration exposure of alveolar epithelial cells to even small, shear stresses could lead to the changes in cytoskeleton and the production of inflammatory mediators. In this paper, we have made an attempt to estimate in situ the magnitudes of mechanical stresses exerted on the alveolar walls during repetitive alveolar reopening by using a tape-peeling model of McEwan and Taylor (35). To this end, we first speculate the possible ranges of capillary number ( Ca) ≡ μU/ γ (a dimensionless combination of surface tension γ, fluid viscosity μ, and alveolar opening velocity U) during in vivo alveolar opening. Subsequent calculations show that increasing respiratory rate or inflation rate serves to increase the values of mechanical stresses. For a normal lung, the predicted maximum shear stresses are <15 dyn/cm2 at all respiratory rates, whereas for a lung with elevated surface tension or viscosity, the maximum shear stress will notably increase, even at a slow respiratory rate. Similarly, the increased pressure gradients in the case of elevated surface or viscosity may lead to a pressure drop >300 dyn/cm2 across a cell, possibly inducing epithelial hydraulic cracks. In addition, we have conceived of a geometrical model of alveolar opening to make a prediction of the positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) required to splint open a collapsed alveolus, which as shown by our results, covers a wide range of pressures, from several centimeters to dozens of centimeters of water, strongly depending on the underlying pulmonary conditions. The establishment of adequate regional ventilation-to-perfusion ratios may prevent recruited alveoli from reabsorption atelectasis and accordingly, reduce the required levels of PEEP. The present study and several recent animal experiments likewise suggest that a lung-protective ventilation strategy should not only include small tidal volume and plateau pressure limitations but also consider such cofactors as ventilation frequency and inflation rate.
Direct-effects and after-effects of visuomotor adaptation with one arm on subsequent performance with the other arm
Authors: Wang (왕진성) Jinsung , Lei (雷宇鸣) Yuming
Published: May 2015

Adapting to a novel sensorimotor condition is generally thought to result in the formation of an internal representation associated with the novel sensorimotor transform. While the presence of after-effects following sensorimotor adaptation is taken as evidence that such an internal representation was developed as a result of adaptation, it remains unclear whether the absence of after-effects following sensorimotor adaptation indicates that no internal representation was developed. In the present study, we examined this question by having individuals adapt to a 30° visual rotation with one arm first and testing 1) how the initial adaptation would influence subsequent performance with the other arm under the same visual condition (called direct-effects) or under a normal visual condition (called after-effects); or 2) how the initial adaptation that occurred at one workspace location would influence subsequent performance at another location with the same arm under the same or a normal visual condition. Results indicated that initial adaptation with one arm significantly influenced subsequent performance with the other in terms of direct- but not after-effects and that initial adaptation at one workspace location significantly influenced subsequent performance at a new location with the same arm in terms of both direct- and after-effects, but to different extents. These findings indicate that formation of a neural representation associated with a novel visuomotor transform does not always result in after-effects and suggest that visuomotor adaptation may involve multiple aspects of a neural representation, some of which are effector independent and some of which are effector dependent.