bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transesophageal echocardiographic diagnosis of a WATCHMAN left atrial appendage closure device thrombus 10 years following implantation
Authors: Shamim Shariq , Magalski Anthony , Chhatriwalla Adnan K. , Allen Keith B. , Huber Kenneth C. , Main Michael L.
Published: November 2016

Left atrial appendage closure with the WATCHMAN device is an alternative to chronic oral anticoagulation for thromboembolic prophylaxis in atrial fibrillation patients. Left atrial device‐related thrombus (DRT) has been described in the first year after implant with an incidence of ~6%. A 79‐year‐old man underwent WATCHMAN device placement in 2006. Routine protocol specified follow‐up transesophageal echocardiograms (TEE) at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year following implant showed no evidence for DRT or peri‐device flow. A decade after device implant, the patient presented with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis and underwent repeat TEE, which revealed a 21 mm × 18 mm DRT on the LA aspect of the WATCHMAN device. He was prescribed apixaban 5 mg po BID. A TEE performed 111 days later demonstrated marked diminution in the DRT (9 mm in diameter). This case demonstrates that WATCHMAN DRT may occur late following implantation.
IL‐1B rs16944 polymorphism is related to septic shock and death
Authors: Jiménez‐Sousa María Ángeles , Medrano Luz M. , Liu Pilar , Almansa Raquel , Fernández‐Rodríguez Amanda , Gómez‐Sánchez Esther , Rico Lucía , Heredia‐Rodríguez María , Gómez‐Pesquera Estefanía , Tamayo Eduardo , Resino Salvador
Published: November 2016

Background

IL‐1β is a primary mediator of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and it may lead to shock septic. Our aim was to analyse whether IL‐1B rs16944 polymorphism is associated with the onset of septic shock and death after major surgery.

Materials and methods

We performed a case–control study on 467 patients who underwent major cardiac or abdominal surgery. Of them, 205 patients developed septic shock (cases, SS group) and 262 patients developed SIRS (controls, SIRS group). The primary outcome variables were the development of septic shock and death within 90 days after diagnosis of septic shock. The IL‐1B rs16944 polymorphism was genotyped by Sequenom's MassARRAY platform. The association analysis was performed under a recessive genetic model (AA vs. GG/GC).

Results

The frequency of septic shock was higher in patients with IL‐1B rs16944 AA genotype than in patients with IL‐1B rs16944 GG/AG genotype when all patients were taken into account (63·6% vs. 41·8%; P = 0·006), cardiac surgery (52·2% vs. 33·3%; P = 0·072) and abdominal surgery (76·2% vs. 50·2%; P = 0·023). However, the IL‐1B rs16944 AA genotype was only associated with higher likelihood of septic shock in the analysis of all population [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2·26 (95%CI = 1·03; 4·97; P = 0·042], but not when it was stratified by cardiac surgery (P = 0·175) or abdominal surgery (P = 0·467). Similarly, IL‐1B rs16944 AA genotype was also associated with higher likelihood of septic shock‐related death in all population [aOR = 2·67 (95%CI = 1·07; 4·97); P = 0·035].

Conclusions

IL‐1B rs16944 AA genotype seems to be related to the onset of septic shock and death in patients who underwent major surgery.
Promotion of resin bonding to dental zirconia ceramic using plasma deposition of tetramethylsilane and benzene
Authors: Han Geum‐Jun , Kim Jae‐Hoon , Cho Byeong‐Hoon , Oh Kyu‐Hwan , Jeong Je‐Jun
Published: November 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of plasma‐enhanced deposition of an organosilane and benzene on resin bonding to a dental zirconia ceramic. A total of 70 zirconia specimens, which were polished before sintering, were randomly divided into five groups according to surface treatments before applying a dental adhesive (each group, n = 14): group 1, no previous treatment (control); group 2, plasma deposition with tetramethylsilane (TMS); group 3, plasma deposition with benzene; group 4, sequential plasma deposition with TMS and benzene; and group 5, a zirconia primer (Z‐Prime Plus). A dental adhesive (Scotchbond Multi‐Purpose adhesive) was applied to the surface‐treated zirconia, and resin composite rods were built in to enable shear bond‐strength testing. The sequential deposition of TMS and benzene showed the highest bond strength [22.7 ± 3.7 MPa (mean ± SD)], approximately twice that of Z‐Prime Plus (10.3 ± 3.2 MPa). The plasma deposition with either TMS or benzene also significantly improved bond‐strength values compared with the negative‐control group, and their effects were not statistically different from that of Z‐Prime Plus. Following plasma deposition with TMS, the introduction of silicon–oxygen–zirconium (Si–O–Zr) bonds on the zirconia surface was confirmed via X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy showed that a silica‐like layer and a polymerizable carbon‐rich layer were formed through sequential deposition with TMS and benzene.
Glutaraldehyde collagen cross‐linking stabilizes resin–dentin interfaces and reduces bond degradation
Authors: Lee Joshua , Sabatini Camila
Published: November 2016

This study evaluated the stability of resin–dentin interfaces treated with glutaraldehyde‐containing agents, and assessed collagen degradation in dentin matrices treated with Gluma. Microtensile bond strength (μTBS) was evaluated 24 h and 6 months after treatment with three desensitizers (Gluma Desensitizer, Gluma Desensitizer Power Gel, and MicroPrime G) and two etch‐and‐rinse adhesives (Comfort Bond & Desensitizer and iBond TE). Demineralized beams of human dentin were treated with water or Gluma, and the degradation of collagen in these beams was assessed by quantification of the dry mass loss and of the amount of hydroxyproline released from hydrolyzed specimens after 1 or 4 wk. All groups demonstrated significant reduction inμTBSafter 6 months, except for Gluma Desensitizer andiBondTEgroups, which showed decreases of 7.2% and 10.8%, respectively. The most prevalent failure mode was ‘mixed’. Significantly less hydroxyproline was released from Gluma‐treated beams than from control beams after 4 wk. Beams treated with Gluma yielded significantly less dry mass loss than did beams in the control group. Collagen cross‐linking with glutaraldehyde‐containing agents may assist in the stabilization of resin–dentin bonds by reducing the amount of collagen solubilized from dental matrices in the hybrid layer. In turn, this may contribute to the preservation of adhesive interfaces.
Behavioural Consistency in Female Resistance to Male Harassment in a Water Strider Species
Authors: Pineaux Maxime , Turgeon Julie
Published: November 2016

Sexual conflict over mating rate often implies that males persist at frequently harassing females to gain matings while females resist mating attempts. In water striders, females can resist by engaging in vigorous pre‐copulatory struggles to dislodge males, but alternative means of resistance have seldom been investigated. Contrary to males, female resistance has not been investigated as a repeatable behaviour. We used Gerris buenoi to investigate the capacity to abbreviate struggles and the tendency to hide off the water as two potential female resistance traits. Specifically, we asked whether these behaviours are repeatable and whether they vary according to sexual conflict intensity and past mating experience. Also, we studied the possible connections between these behaviours and traits linked to fitness, namely endured harassment and mating activity. The capacity to abbreviate struggles was poorly repeatable and decreased with sexual conflict intensity and endured harassment. It seems to be mainly determined by the social environment and by recent events related to sexual conflict. The tendency to hide off the water was significantly repeatable across sexual conflict intensities and can be considered as a repeatable behaviour. Hiding frequently off the water allowed females to decrease the harassment endured by females and may enhance female fitness. In nature, hiding is more readily and more frequently observed than pre‐copulatory struggles. Directly associating hiding off water with female fitness would confirm that this consistent phenotype contributes to sexually antagonistic female resistance.
The other 96%: Can neglected sources of fitness variation offer new insights into adaptation to global change?
Authors: Chirgwin Evatt , Marshall Dustin J. , Sgrò Carla M. , Monro Keyne
Published: November 2016

Mounting research considers whether populations may adapt to global change based on additive genetic variance in fitness. Yet selection acts on phenotypes, not additive genetic variance alone, meaning that persistence and evolutionary potential in the near term, at least, may be influenced by other sources of fitness variation, including nonadditive genetic and maternal environmental effects. The fitness consequences of these effects, and their environmental sensitivity, are largely unknown. Here, applying a quantitative genetic breeding design to an ecologically important marine tubeworm, we examined nonadditive genetic and maternal environmental effects on fitness (larval survival) across three thermal environments. We found that these effects are nontrivial and environment dependent, explaining at least 44% of all parentally derived effects on survival at any temperature and 96% of parental effects at the most stressful temperature. Unlike maternal environmental effects, which manifested at the latter temperature only, nonadditive genetic effects were consistently significant and covaried positively across temperatures (i.e., parental combinations that enhanced survival at one temperature also enhanced survival at elevated temperatures). Thus, while nonadditive genetic and maternal environmental effects have long been neglected because their evolutionary consequences are complex, unpredictable, or seen as transient, we argue that they warrant further attention in a rapidly warming world.
Treatment and ophthalmic sequelae in a horse with facial cellulitis and orbital abscess
Authors: Racine J. , Borer‐Germann S. E. , Navas de Solis C. , Stoffel M. H. , Klopfenstein M. , Klopfenstein Bregger M. D.
Published: November 2016

A 22‐year‐old Quarter Horse gelding with a history of dental (107) extraction 2 weeks previously was presented with facial cellulitis and an orbital abscess. The abscess was drained surgically dorsally and ventrally to the zygomatic arch and the horse was treated with parenteral antimicrobial and anti‐inflammatory drugs. The affected eye was protected with a temporary tarsorrhaphy and treated via a subpalpebral catheter. Six months after presentation, the horse was in excellent general condition and returned to previous level of exercise but showed blindness on the affected side. Pallor of the optic disc and severe attenuation of the retinal vessels, suggestive of optic disc atrophy, were present.
Radiographic evaluation in clinical practice of the types and stage of incisor tooth resorption and hypercementosis in horses
Authors: Henry T. J. , Puchalski S. M. , Arzi B. , Kass P. H. , Verstraete F. J. M.
Published: November 2016

Background

There are several reports of incisor tooth resorption and hypercementosis in horses but, to date, studies have been limited in case numbers and to advanced lesions. Tooth resorption in other species is a radiographic diagnosis of types of resorption that are often identified before clinical signs. Our goal was to evaluate radiographically incisor tooth resorption in a large population of horses, utilising interpretation criteria from canine and human dentistry.

Objective

To document and classify incisor tooth resorption and hypercementosis.

Study design

Retrospective descriptive case series.

Methods

Horses presented for routine dental care >5 years old were included only if owners were unaware of incisor pathology. Radiographs (three views) were obtained of the incisor teeth and incisor teeth resorption was classified according to the radiographic criteria described for man and dogs. Hypercementosis and its location were recorded.

Results

Tooth resorption was detected in 149 of 169 (88.2%) horses and 951 of 1952 (48.7%) of incisor teeth. The classification system used was applicable in 926 (97.2%) of 951 affected teeth. Hypercementosis was detected in 34 (20.1%) horses and 148 (7.6%) teeth. As horses increased in age, resorption and hypercementosis was more frequent; no significant differences were found among sex or breed categories. All horses with hypercementosis had resorption, but only 23.4% of horses with resorption had hypercementosis. Advanced (stage ≥3) resorption was detected in 159 (8.1%) teeth and 54 (32.0%) horses in an otherwise clinically healthy population.

Main limitations

Certain horses’ anatomy precluded isolation of the mandibular third incisor teeth from the canine teeth due to superimposition.

Conclusions

Incisor tooth resorption, in particular external replacement resorption and external inflammatory resorption, is common in horses. Hypercementosis is consistently associated with resorption, but the inverse association is inconsistent.
Automatic estimation of exercises' difficulty levels in a tutoring system for teaching the conversion of natural language into first‐order logic
Authors: Perikos Isidoros , Grivokostopoulou Foteini , Kovas Konstantinos , Hatzilygeroudis Ioannis
Published: November 2016

The estimation of the difficulty level of exercises is a fundamental aspect of intelligent tutoring systems, and it is necessary in order to achieve better adaptation to the students' needs and maximize learning efficiency. In this article, we present an approach to automatically estimates the difficulty level of exercises in natural language (NL) to first‐order of logic (FOL). The estimation of an exercise's difficulty level is based on the complexity of the corresponding answer, that is the FOL formula, as well as the structure and the semantics of the exercise, that is a natural language sentence and it is carried out in two main steps. Initially, a preliminary estimation is performed based on the complexity of the FOL formula. The system takes as input parameters the number, the type and the order of quantifiers, the number of implications, and the number of different connectives. Afterwards, the final estimation is made based on both semantic aspects of the NL sentence and the structure of the FOL formula. An evaluation study was conducted to assess the system's performance, and the results are very encouraging.
Influence of WFIKKN1 on BMP1‐mediated activation of latent myostatin
Authors: Szláma György , Vásárhelyi Viktor , Trexler Mária , Patthy László
Published: November 2016

The NTR domain of WFIKKN1 protein has been shown to have significant affinity for the prodomain regions of promyostatin and latent myostatin but the biological significance of these interactions remained unclear. In view of its role as a myostatin antagonist, we tested the assumption that WFIKKN1 inhibits the release of myostatin from promyostatin and/or latent myostatin. WFIKKN1 was found to have no effect on processing of promyostatin by furin, the rate of cleavage of latent myostatin by BMP1, however, was significantly enhanced in the presence of WFIKKN1 and this enhancer activity was superstimulated by heparin. Unexpectedly, WFIKKN1 was also cleaved by BMP1 and our studies have shown that the KKN1 fragment generated by BMP1‐cleavage of WFIKKN1 contributes most significantly to the observed enhancer activity. Analysis of a pro‐TGF‐β ‐based homology model of homodimeric latent myostatin revealed that the BMP1‐cleavage sites are buried and not readily accessible to BMP1. In view of this observation, the most plausible explanation for the BMP1‐enhancer activity of the KKN1 fragment is that it shifts a conformational equilibrium of latent myostatin from the closed circular structure of the homodimer to a more open form, making the cleavage sites more accessible to BMP1. On the other hand, the observation that the enhancer activity of KKN1 is superstimulated in the presence of heparin is explained by the fact KKN1, latent myostatin, and BMP1 have affinity for heparin and these interactions with heparin increase the local concentrations of the reactants thereby facilitating the action of BMP1.

Enzymes

Furin: EC 3.4.21.75; BMP1, bone morphogentic protein 1 or procollagen C‐endopeptidase: EC 3.4.24.19.
Mutations in PLCδ1 associated with hereditary leukonychia display divergent PIP2 hydrolytic function
Authors: Nomikos Michail , Thanassoulas Angelos , Beck Konrad , Theodoridou Maria , Kew Jasmine , Kashir Junaid , Calver Brian L. , Matthews Emily , Rizkallah Pierre , Sideratou Zili , Nounesis George , Lai F. Anthony
Published: November 2016

Hereditary leukonychia is a rare genetic nail disorder characterized by distinctive whitening of the nail plate of all 20 nails. Hereditary leukonychia may exist as an isolated feature, or in simultaneous occurrence with other cutaneous or systemic pathologies. Associations between hereditary leukonychia and mutations in the gene encoding phospholipase C delta‐1 (PLCδ1) have previously been identified. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying PLCδ1 mutations and hereditary leukonychia remain uncharacterized. In the present study, we introduced hereditary leukonychia‐linked human PLCδ1 mutations (C209R, A574T and S740R) into equivalent residues of rat PLCδ1 (C188R, A553T and S719R), and investigated their effect on the biophysical and biochemical properties of the PLCδ1 protein. Our data suggest that these PLCδ1 mutations associated with hereditary leukonychia do not uniformly alter the enzymatic ability of this protein leading to loss/gain of function, but result in significantly divergent enzymatic properties. We demonstrate here for the first time the importance of PLC‐mediated calcium (Ca2+) signalling within the manifestation of hereditary leukonychia. PLCδ1 is almost ubiquitous in mammalian cells, which may explain why hereditary leukonychia manifests in association with other systemic pathologies relating to keratin expression.
Critical roles of Cyclin D1 in mouse embryonic fibroblast cell reprogramming
Authors: Oh Hye‐rim , Kim Junghoon , Kim Jungho
Published: November 2016

Although pluripotent stem cells hold great promise in the fields of human disease modeling and regenerative medicine, the molecular basis of Oct‐4, Sox2, Klf4, and c‐Myc (OSKM)‐induced cellular reprogramming remains unclear. To investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in cellular reprogramming, we studied the immediate effects of expression of the OSKM reprogramming factors on mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) in this study. Induction of the OSKM reprogramming factors significantly altered primary MEF growth properties. Although MEFs not expressing the reprogramming factors underwent replicative senescence within 9–12 days in culture, MEFs expressing the four reprogramming factors proliferated continuously throughout the duration of the experiment, suggesting that the expression of the OSKM reprogramming factors inhibits or delays replicative senescence. Cell cycle progression by the reprogramming factors was accompanied by the accumulation of Cyclin D1 through the early stages of reprogramming in MEFs, leading us to hypothesize that it might play a positive role in cellular reprogramming. Consistent with this hypothesis, forced Cyclin D1 expression enhanced reprogramming if administered concomitant with expression of the OSKM reprogramming factors. Most importantly, unlike wild‐type MEFs expressing reprogramming factors, the number of emerging alkaline phosphatase‐positive cyclin D1‐null colonies was significantly reduced and cyclin D1‐null MEFs were unable to initiate mesenchymal‐to‐epithelial transition. Our studies demonstrate that cyclin D1 is an essential gene in the reprogramming process and that activation of cyclin D1 by reprogramming factors is an important process for somatic cell reprogramming.
Maxed out macs: physiologic cell clearance as a function of macrophage phagocytic capacity
Authors: Zent Clive S. , Elliott Michael R.
Published: November 2016

The phagocytic clearance of host cells is important for eliminating dying cells and for the therapeutic clearance of antibody‐targeted cells. As ubiquitous, motile and highly phagocytic immune cells, macrophages are principal players in the phagocytic removal of host cells throughout the body. In recent years, great strides have been made in identifying the molecular mechanisms that control the recognition and phagocytosis of cells by macrophages. However, much less is known about the physical and metabolic constraints that govern the amount of cellular material macrophages can ingest and how these limitations affect the overall efficiency of host cell clearance in health and disease. In this review we will discuss, in the contexts of apoptotic cells and antibody‐targeted malignant cells, how physical and metabolic factors associated with the internalization of host cells are relayed to the phagocytic machinery and how these signals can impact the overall efficiency of cell clearance. We also discuss how this information can be leveraged to increase cell clearance for beneficial therapeutic outcomes.
Application of the cohesive zone model for analysing the edge crack propagation of steel sheet in the cold rolling process
Authors: Zan D. Q. , Sun Q. , Pan H. L. , Chen J. J. , Wang Z. D.
Published: November 2016

In the cold rolling process, the expansion and coalescence of micro‐defects can make steel sheet quality descend and create edge crack in the steel sheet. And the edge crack can cause the strip rupture completely. In this research, the cohesive zone model (CZM) was used to analyse the initiation and propagation of edge crack in the cold rolling process with the non‐reversing two‐high mill. A bi‐linear traction–separation law was utilized which is primarily given by the CZM parameters including the cohesive stress, T, and the cohesive energy, Γ. Compared with other popular models such as the Gurson–Tvergaard–Needleman (GTN) model, the CZM presents certain advantages because it requires a smaller number of parameters to be defined. Comparison results of the experiments and simulation illustrated that the CZM can provide accurate prediction for the propagation of edge crack in the cold rolling process. Parametric analysis was carried out and showed that the extent of the crack propagation increases with the increasing of the reduction ratio.
Dissecting Foreign Bank Lending Behavior During the 2008–2009 Crisis
Authors: Choi Moon Jung , Gutierrez Eva , Martinez Peria Maria Soledad
Published: November 2016

This paper analyzes the lending behavior of foreign‐owned banks during the recent global crisis. Using bank‐level panel data for 51 countries, the paper explores the role of affiliate and parent financial characteristics, host location, as well as the impact of parent geographic origin and reach on foreign banks’ credit growth. Overall, the analysis finds robust evidence that foreign banks curtailed the growth of credit relative to other banks, independent of the host region in which they operate. Banks from the United States reduced loan growth less than other parent banks. Neither the global nor regional reach of parent banks influenced the lending growth of foreign affiliates. Parent capitalization and not parent funding explained the behavior of foreign bank credit growth during the global crisis. However, funding did affect the lending behavior of domestic and foreign banks in host countries, with those relying more heavily on deposits suffering a smaller decline in bank lending. Although not the focus of the paper, we also find that government‐owned banks played a countercyclical role in all regions.
Strong thermal acclimation of photosynthesis in tropical and temperate wet‐forest tree species: the importance of altered Rubisco content
Authors: Scafaro Andrew P. , Xiang Shuang , Long Benedict M. , Bahar Nur H. A. , Weerasinghe Lasantha K. , Creek Danielle , Evans John R. , Reich Peter B. , Atkin Owen K.
Published: November 2016

Understanding of the extent of acclimation of light‐saturated net photosynthesis (An) to temperature (T), and associated underlying mechanisms, remains limited. This is a key knowledge gap given the importance of thermal acclimation for plant functioning, both under current and future higher temperatures, limiting the accuracy and realism of Earth system model (ESM) predictions. Given this, we analysed and modelled T‐dependent changes in photosynthetic capacity in 10 wet‐forest tree species: six from temperate forests and four from tropical forests. Temperate and tropical species were each acclimated to three daytime growth temperatures (Tgrowth): temperate – 15, 20 and 25 °C; tropical – 25, 30 and 35 °C. CO2 response curves of An were used to model maximal rates of RuBP (ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate) carboxylation (Vcmax) and electron transport (Jmax) at each treatment's respective Tgrowth and at a common measurement T (25 °C). SDS‐PAGE gels were used to determine abundance of the CO2‐fixing enzyme, Rubisco. Leaf chlorophyll, nitrogen (N) and mass per unit leaf area (LMA) were also determined. For all species and Tgrowth, An at current atmospheric CO2 partial pressure was Rubisco‐limited. Across all species, LMA decreased with increasing Tgrowth. Similarly, area‐based rates of Vcmax at a measurement T of 25 °C (Vcmax25) linearly declined with increasing Tgrowth, linked to a concomitant decline in total leaf protein per unit leaf area and Rubisco as a percentage of leaf N. The decline in Rubisco constrained Vcmax and An for leaves developed at higher Tgrowth and resulted in poor predictions of photosynthesis by currently widely used models that do not account for Tgrowth‐mediated changes in Rubisco abundance that underpin the thermal acclimation response of photosynthesis in wet‐forest tree species. A new model is proposed that accounts for the effect of Tgrowth‐mediated declines in Vcmax25 on An, complementing current photosynthetic thermal acclimation models that do not account for T sensitivity of Vcmax25.
W Function: A New Distance‐Based Measure of Spatial Distribution of Economic Activities
Authors: Kukuliač Pavel , Horák Jiří
Published: November 2016

Distance‐based methods are applied in various fields of research. In this paper, a new relative distance‐based method, the W function, is introduced. This method contributes to the assessment of spatial patterns of economic activities using the stochastic Monte Carlo simulation, and supplements the typology of distance‐based methods recently drawn up by Marcon and Puech. The capability of the W function is compared with results from the Kd and the recently defined m function methods, which are widely used for monitoring the spatial distribution of economic activities by considering several theoretical and empirical examples. The W function appears to provide more precise estimations of the density of economic activities compared to the m and Kd functions, particularly in cases of complex patterns such as double clustered distribution. It also appears to provide a more accurate evaluation of dispersion.
Farmers’ Adoption of Irrigation Technologies: Experimental Evidence from a Coordination Game with Positive Network Externalities in India
Authors: Müller Malte , Kimmich Christian , Rommel Jens
Published: November 2016

Electric irrigation contributes to food security in rural India, but deteriorating electrical infrastructures threaten the functioning of farmers’ pump sets. This problem could be solved through investments in energy-efficient technologies. However, network externalities create a coordination problem for farmers. We develop a framed field experiment to study the effects of group size, leading by example, and payoff structures on the ability to coordinate technology adoption investments. The experiment is based on a game that combines features of a step-level public goods game and a critical mass game. Our findings show that smaller groups more frequently coordinate on payoff- superior equilibria and that higher payoffs lead to more investments. Contrary to previous studies, leading by example reduces investments but has no effect on efficiency. Building on this analysis, we discuss possible bottom-up solutions to the energy crisis in rural India.
Return visits and belonging to countries of origin among young people from refugee backgrounds
Authors: McMICHAEL CELIA , NUNN CAITLIN , GIFFORD SANDRA , CORREA‐VELEZ IGNACIO
Published: November 2016

In this article, we explore the return visits of resettled young people from refugee backgrounds to their personal and/or ancestral countries of origin. We draw on qualitative data from a longitudinal study of people who fled their country of origin at an early age, many of whom were born or lived for protracted periods in countries of asylum, and resettled in Australia. We demonstrate that return visits are not simply a homecoming; the young people's narratives reflect ambivalent relationships to the homeland experienced across multiple domains of belonging. Accounts of return visits refer to three core domains of belonging – practical national belonging, family connection, and attachment to material places. We argue that a return visit gives these youths a valued opportunity to negotiate and develop their homeland connections, though not necessarily an unambiguous opportunity to belong.
The upside‐down roots of a transnational advocacy network: applying an ‘organizational ecology’ approach to the anti‐GMO network
Authors: BOWNAS RICHARD
Published: November 2016

In this article, I examine a transnational advocacy network opposed to the introduction of genetically modified crops and supportive of organic agriculture in India. I argue that this network illustrates some of the consequences of ‘upward oriented linkages’, in which professional NGO brokers focus on constructing relationships with other professional or elite partner bodies such as donor organizations, global retailers and the English language media. The ‘upside‐down’ tree that results has roots pointing upwards to global partners and to domestic elite actors but is less responsive, and less tightly bound, to mass organizations and to its purported non‐elite constituency of marginal farmers. I make this case through a methodological approach I term ‘organizational ecology’ in which I explore the idea of NGO based advocacy organizations as filling ‘niches’ in the larger political ecology of rural India and within this ‘ecology’ forming symbiotic connections to other organizations.
Bureaucratic expertise, overconfidence, and policy choice
Authors: Liu Xinsheng , Stoutenborough James , Vedlitz Arnold
Published: November 2016

Classic theory on bureaucracy suggests that one primary source of bureaucratic power in public administration and the policy‐making process derives from bureaucratic issue‐specific expertise. Studies in psychology and behavioral economics suggest that experienced experts tend to be overconfident in estimating their expertise, but few researchers have examined whether experienced bureaucrats are prone to overconfidence and, if so, how overconfidence may correlate with their policy choice. Drawing on past theoretical and empirical literature, this study is the first to investigate these questions by using survey data collected from 579 officials in various agencies related to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Our analyses demonstrate that (a) the level of issue‐specific expertise perceived by individual bureaucrats is positively associated with their work experience/job relevance to climate change, (b) more experienced bureaucrats tend to be more overconfident in assessing their expertise, and (c) overconfidence, independently of sociodemographic characteristics, attitudinal factors and political ideology, correlates positively with bureaucrats’ risk‐taking policy choices.
Cokriging Transmissivity, Head and Trajectory Data for Transmissivity and Solute Path Estimation
Authors: Butera Ilaria , Soffia Claudia
Published: November 2016

In practical situations concerning aquifers, time and/or economic restraints often make it impossible to construct numerical models, and in these cases simple methodologies could be useful, at least for feasibility studies. In this context, the present manuscript deals with the use of a straightforward cokriging method to use data acquired from a monitoring network (transmissivity, piezometric head and trajectory data) in order to obtain useful information about the characteristics of the aquifer. Two issues have been addressed: estimation of the solute path and estimation of the transmissivity. This manuscript, compared with previous works that have applied cokriging, considers that the solute transit data originate from a source of unknown intensity and from an unknown location. The proposed cokriging systems are implemented through already developed covariance and cross‐covariance functions, considering a first‐order approximation in the log‐transmissivity variance. For this reason, numerical Monte Carlo experiments have been performed to test the accuracy of the results of the proposed cokriging procedures in both weakly () and mildly () heterogeneous transmissivity aquifers. Since a prerequisite of cokriging is a linear relationship among the involved quantities, more accurate results can be expected in weakly heterogeneous transmissivity fields, where the trajectory, transmissivity and hydraulic head data relations are almost linear. Comparing the numerical results with the analytical solutions, it in fact emerges that cokriging can be very useful for the estimation of a solute path and transmissivity when a limited set of data is available for weakly heterogeneous aquifers.
Prognostic significance of low skeletal muscle mass compared with protein–energy malnutrition in liver cirrhosis
Authors: Nishikawa Hiroki , Enomoto Hirayuki , Ishii Akio , Iwata Yoshinori , Miyamoto Yuho , Ishii Noriko , Yuri Yukihisa , Takata Ryo , Hasegawa Kunihiro , Nakano Chikage , Nishimura Takashi , Yoh Kazunori , Aizawa Nobuhiro , Sakai Yoshiyuki , Ikeda Naoto , Takashima Tomoyuki , Iijima Hiroko , Nishiguchi Shuhei
Published: November 2016

Aims

To investigate the impact of low skeletal muscle mass (LSMM) on survival as compared with protein–energy malnutrition (PEM) in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC).

Methods

A total of 206 individuals with LC were analyzed. We retrospectively examined the impact of LSMM, as defined by psoas muscle mass at the third lumber on computed tomography, on survival as compared with PEM. In terms of comparison of the effects of LSMM and PEM on survival, we used time‐dependent receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis.

Results

Our study cohort included 115 men and 91 women with a median age of 67 years. There were 140 patients with Child–Pugh A, 62 with Child–Pugh B, and 4 with Child–Pugh C. A total of 117 patients (56.8%) had LSMM and 52 patients (25.2%) had PEM. The proportion of PEM in patients with LSMM (31.62%, 37/117) was significantly higher than in patients without LSMM (16.85%, 15/89) (P = 0.0229). In the multivariate analysis for the entire cohort, the presence of hepatocellular carcinoma, lower body mass index, presence of LSMM, lower triglyceride value, poorer renal function, and higher des‐γ‐carboxy prothrombin value were found to be significant adverse predictors linked to overall survival, while presence of PEM tended to be significant. In the time‐dependent ROC analysis, all area under the ROCs for survival in LSMM at each time point were higher than those in PEM except for Child‐Pugh B patients.

Conclusion

In this comparison of LSMM and PEM on clinical outcomes in LC patients, it was shown that LSMM may have stronger prognostic impact than PEM.
Clinical outcome and prognostic factors in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with bone metastases medicated with zoledronic acid
Authors: Honda Yohji , Aikata Hiroshi , Honda Fumi , Nakano Norihito , Nakamura Yuki , Hatooka Masahiro , Morio Kei , Kobayashi Tomoki , Fukuhara Takayuki , Nagaoki Yuko , Kawaoka Tomokazu , Hiramatsu Akira , Imamura Michio , Kawakami Yoshiiku , Chayama Kazuaki
Published: November 2016

Aims

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical outcome and prognostic parameters in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and bone metastases who had received treatment with zoledronic acid (ZOL).

Methods

Ninety‐nine HCC patients with bone metastases who had been treated with ZOL were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. We analyzed the prognostic factors, including serum N‐telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX) levels, as bone metabolism markers.

Results

The median overall survival (OS) time was 11.5 months. Child–Pugh grade A (P = 0.004) and intrahepatic tumor stage (IHTS) T0–3 (P = 0.010) correlated significantly with favorable OS. In 46 patients with grade A and T0–3, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis defined 16 nmol BCE/L serum NTX as the cut‐off level for median OS. Multivariate analysis identified baseline serum NTX <16 nmol BCE/L (P = 0.045) as the only significant and independent determinant of OS.

Conclusion

Low baseline serum NTX level correlated with favorable outcome in bone metastatic HCC patients with Child–Pugh grade A and IHTS T0–3 treated with ZOL.
Diagnostic utility of BAP1 and EZH2 expression in malignant mesothelioma
Authors: Shinozaki‐Ushiku Aya , Ushiku Tetsuo , Morita Shigeki , Anraku Masaki , Nakajima Jun , Fukayama Masashi
Published: November 2016

Aims

Malignant mesothelioma is a highly aggressive cancer that is usually diagnosed at advanced stages; thus, highly sensitive and specific markers are necessary for its early definitive diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility and prognostic significance of BAP1 and EZH2 in malignant mesothelioma.

Methods and results

The expression of BAP1 and EZH2 was investigated by immunohistochemistry in 32 malignant mesotheliomas and 44 benign mesothelial proliferative lesions, including well‐differentiated papillary mesothelioma (n = 4), mesothelial inclusion cyst (n = 22), and reactive mesothelial hyperplasia (n = 18). BAP1 loss and high EZH2 expression were observed in 17 (53%) and 22 (66%) malignant mesothelioma cases, respectively, whereas none of the benign lesions showed BAP1 loss or high EZH2 expression. The combination of BAP1 loss and high EZH2 expression as markers to differentiate epithelioid/biphasic malignant mesothelioma from benign mesothelial lesions was highly sensitive (90%) and specific (100%). There were no statistically significant associations between parameters such as age and sex of patients, tumour location, asbestos exposure, treatment, histology, and BAP1 or EZH2 expression. Survival analysis revealed that BAP1 loss, but not high EZH2 expression, was associated with a better prognosis.

Conclusions

BAP1 loss and high EZH2 expression were highly specific to malignant mesothelioma in differentiating it from benign mesothelial proliferations, and the combination of these two markers improved the diagnostic accuracy.
HOUSING DYNAMICS OVER THE BUSINESS CYCLE
Authors: Kydland Finn E. , Rupert Peter , Šustek Roman
Published: November 2016

Housing construction, measured by housing starts, leads GDP in a number of countries. Measured as residential investment, the lead is observed only in the United States and Canada; elsewhere, residential investment is coincident. Variants of existing theory, however, predict housing construction lagging GDP. In all countries in the sample, nominal interest rates are low ahead of GDP peaks. Introducing long‐term nominal mortgages, and an estimated process for nominal interest rates, into a standard model aligns the theory with observations on starts, as mortgages transmit nominal rates into real housing costs. Longer time to build makes residential investment cyclically coincident.
BUYING LOCALLY
Authors: Mailath George J. , Postlewaite Andrew , Samuelson Larry
Published: November 2016

‘‘Buy local” arrangements encourage members of a community or group to patronize one another instead of the external economy. They range from formal mechanisms such as local currencies to informal “I'll buy from you if you buy from me” arrangements and are often championed on social or environmental grounds. We show that in a monopolistically competitive economy, buy local arrangements can have salutary effects even for selfish agents immune to social or environmental considerations. Buy local arrangements effectively allow firms to exploit the equilibrium price–cost gap to profitably expand their sales at the going price.
EFFICIENCY AND LABOR MARKET DYNAMICS IN A MODEL OF LABOR SELECTION
Authors: Chugh Sanjay K. , Merkl Christian
Published: November 2016

This article characterizes efficient labor market allocations in a labor selection model. The model's crucial aspect is cross‐sectional heterogeneity for new job contacts, which leads to an endogenous
selection threshold for new hires. With cross‐sectional dispersion calibrated to microeconomic data, 40% of empirically relevant fluctuations in the job‐finding rate arise, which contrasts with results in an efficient search and matching economy. The efficient selection model's results hold in partial and general equilibrium, as well as with sequential search.
EXCHANGE RATE PASS‐THROUGH INTO RETAIL PRICES
Authors: Antoniades Alexis , Zaniboni Nicola
Published: November 2016

We study exchange rate pass‐through and its determinants using scanner data on fast moving consumer goods sold by 1,041 outlets in the United Arab Emirates between 2006 and 2010. The data are augmented with country of origin information. Our main finding is that exchange rate pass‐through varies more across retailers within regions than across regions, and in particular that pass‐through increases with retailer market share. We also find that exchange rate pass‐through is negatively correlated with both product quality and the elasticity of substitution of the product category and positively correlated with the frequency of price adjustment.
Bioglass and Bioactive Glasses and Their Impact on Healthcare
Authors: Jones Julian R. , Brauer Delia S. , Hupa Leena , Greenspan David C.
Published: November 2016

Glass caused a revolution in health care when Bioglass was discovered by Larry Hench. It was the first material to bond with bone, rather than be encapsulated by fibrous tissue, launching the field of bioactive ceramics. Bioglass is also biodegradable. Almost 50 years on from its discovery that revolution continues. Bioactive glasses stimulate more bone regeneration than other bioactive ceramics, which is attributed to their dissolution products stimulating cells at the genetic level. This second discovery has changed the way clinicians, scientists, and regulatory bodies think about medical devices and the concept of bioactivity. The original 45S5 Bioglass has only recently found really widespread use in orthopedics, having regenerated the bones of more than 1.5 million patients. Its full potential is still yet to be fulfilled. This article takes the reader from Hench's Bioglass 45S5 to its clinical uses and products, before giving examples of nonsurgical products that now use Bioglass, from consumer products, such as toothpaste, to cosmetics. Other glasses have also found important health care applications, such as borate‐based glasses that heal chronic wounds. The revolution looks set to continue as new health care applications are being found for bioactive glasses, contributing to extending the glass age.
Optimisation of pressurised liquid extraction for antioxidative polyphenolic compound from Momordica charantia using response surface methodology
Authors: Syahariza Zainul Abidin , Torkamani Amir Ehsan , Norziah Hani M. , Mahmood Wan Ahmad Kamil , Juliano Pablo
Published: November 2016

Pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) of antioxidant compounds from bitter gourd fruits (Momordica charantia) in aqueous ethanolic solvent was investigated using response surface methodology at laboratory scale to understand key impact of extraction variables. Extraction efficiency was optimised by measuring the yield of extraction, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), ferric reducing/antioxidant power assay (FRAP) and radical scavenging activity (RSA). The optimal extraction conditions were reached at 80% ethanol concentration, 10‐min extraction time and at 160 °C. Under these extraction conditions, values of TPC (5.40 ± 0.30 g GAE per 100 g), TFC (1.50 ± 0.10 g QE per 100 g), FRAP (778.55 ± 10 μmol eq Fe (II) g−1), yield (178.50 ± 5.50 mg g−1 dc) and RSA (75.50 ± 4.50%) were achieved. Furthermore, statistical analysis revealed that antioxidative attributes of bitter gourd extract were strongly and positively correlated with extraction temperature and ethanol concentration rather than processing time. This study illustrated that PLE has the potential to extract antioxidant compounds from tropical fruit vegetables in an accelerated manner. Furthermore, influential parameters affecting the process could be optimised for further industrial intake.
Electroejaculation in patients with spinal cord injuries: A 21‐year, single‐center experience
Authors: Soeterik Timo FW , Veenboer Paul W , Oude‐Ophuis Ralph JA , Lock Tycho MTW
Published: November 2016

Objectives

To evaluate treatment results of electroejaculation in patients with spinal cord injuries and the additional value of repeated electroejaculation.

Methods

We carried out a retrospective chart analysis of all spinal cord injury patients treated with electroejaculation at University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands, from January 1994 to July 2015. Data were collected on the patients’ demographics and medical history. We evaluated sperm quality according to World Health Organization standards, pregnancy and delivery rates.

Results

A total of 230 electroejaculation procedures were carried out in 47 patients. In 227 of 230 electroejaculations (98.7%), an ejaculate could be obtained. In 169 of 230 (73.5%) electroejaculation procedures, it was possible to yield semen containing progressively motile spermatozoa. In 18 of 47 (38.3%) patients, no semen of sufficient quality could be yielded during the first electroejaculation. Repeated electroejaculation resulted in ejaculates containing progressively motile spermatozoa in seven of 18 (38.9%) of these men. Procreation was attempted through in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection in 17 couples; of these, 14 of 17 (82.4%) couples achieved pregnancy.

Conclusions

In the majority of spinal cord injury patients treated with electroejaculation, it is possible to obtain semen that can be used for assisted reproductive technologies. Repeated electroejaculation should be considered when the first procedure fails.
Physician‐performed chest ultrasound: progress and future directions
Authors: Denton Eve J. , Hannan Liam M. , Hew Mark
Published: November 2016

Background

Pleural ultrasound guidance reduces complications of pleural procedures, and lung ultrasound can diagnose the cause of acute respiratory failure. Yet as recently as 5 years ago, many respiratory physicians lacked sufficient access, training and expertise to perform a chest ultrasound.

Aims

This study examines whether progress has been achieved in chest ultrasound amongst respiratory physicians in Australia and New Zealand.

Methods

We conducted a web‐based chest ultrasound survey of adult respiratory physicians across Australia and New Zealand. We also surveyed advanced trainees.

Results

The response rate was 38% among respiratory physicians. Between 2011 and 2016, access to bedside ultrasound increased from 53 to 90%. The proportion arranging ultrasound guidance for pleural aspiration rose from 66 to 95%. The proportion demonstrably competent in pleural ultrasound increased from 4 to 21%. In 2016, 67% of physicians and 80% of advanced trainees reported available workplace supervision for ultrasound training. Use of lung ultrasound to diagnose acute pulmonary oedema and consolidation improved from 2011 but remained low at 25 and 20% respectively.

Conclusion

These results establish pleural ultrasound guidance for pleural procedures as the standard of care in our region. However, lung ultrasound remains underutilised. Ultrasound training can and should be incorporated into specialist respiratory training.