bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute kidney injury and 1-year mortality after colorectal cancer surgery: a population-based cohort study
Authors: Slagelse Charlotte , Gammelager Henrik , Iversen Lene Hjerrild , Sørensen Henrik Toft , Christiansen Christian F
Published: March 2019

Objectives

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent postoperative complication, but the mortality impact within different postoperative time frames and severities of AKI are poorly understood. We examined the occurrence of postoperative AKI among colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery patients and the impact of AKI on mortality during 1 year after surgery.

Design

Observational cohort study. We defined the exposure, AKI, as a 50% increase in plasma creatinine or initiation of renal replacement therapy within 7 days after surgery or an absolute increase in creatinine of 26 µmol/L within 48 hours.

Setting

Population-based Danish medical databases.

Participants

A total of 6580 patients undergoing CRC surgery in Northern Denmark during 2005–2011 were included from the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group database.

Outcomes measure

Occurrence of AKI and 8–30, 31–90 and 91–365 days mortality in patient with or without AKI.

Results

AKI occurred in 1337 patients (20.3%) of the 6580 patients who underwent CRC surgery. Among patients with AKI, 8–30, 31–90 and 91–365 days mortality rates were 10.1% (95% CI 8.6% to 11.9%), 7.8% (95% CI 6.4% to 9.5%) and 12.0% (95% CI 10.3% to 14.2%), respectively. Compared with patients without AKI, AKI was associated with increased 8–30 days mortality (adjusted HR (aHR)=4.01,95% CI 3.11 to 5.17) and 31–90 days mortality (aHR 2.08,95% CI 1.60 to 2.69), while 91–365 days aHR was 1.12 (95% CI 0.89 to 1.41). We observed no major differences in stratified analyses.

Conclusions

AKI after surgery for CRC is a frequent postoperative complication associated with a substantially increased 90-day mortality. AKI should be considered a potential target for reducing 90-day mortality.
Use of out-of-hours primary care in affluent and deprived neighbourhoods during reforms in long-term care: an observational study from 2013 to 2016
Authors: Jansen Tessa , Verheij Robert A , Schellevis Francois G , Kunst Anton E
Published: March 2019

Objectives

Major long-term care (LTC) reforms in the Netherlands in 2015 may specifically have disadvantaged socioeconomically deprived groups to acquire LTC, possibly impacting the use of acute care. We aimed to demonstrate whether LTC reforms coincided with changes in the use of out-of-hours (OOH) primary care services (PCSs), and to compare changes between deprived versus affluent neighbourhoods.

Design

Ecological observational retrospective study using routinely recorded electronic health records data from 2013 to 2016 and population registry data.

Setting

Data from 15 OOH PCSs participating in the Nivel Primary Care Database (covering approximately 6.5 million inhabitants) in the Netherlands. PCS utilisation data on neighbourhood level were matched with sociodemographic characteristics, including neighbourhood socioeconomic status (SES).

Participants

Electronic health records from 6 120 384 OOH PCS contacts in 2013–2016, aggregated to neighbourhood level.

Outcome measures and analyses

Number of contacts per 1000 inhabitants/year (total, high/low-urgency, night/evening-weekend-holidays, telephone consultations/consultations/home visits).

Multilevel linear regression models included neighbourhood (first level), nested within PCS catchment area (second level), to account for between-PCS variation, adjusted for neighbourhood characteristics (for instance: % men/women). Difference-in-difference in time-trends according to neighbourhood SES was assessed with addition of an interaction term to the analysis (year×neighbourhood SES).

Results

Between 2013 and 2016, overall OOH PCS use increased by 6%. Significant increases were observed for high-urgency contacts and contacts during the night. The largest change was observed for the most deprived neighbourhoods (10% compared with 4%–6% in the other neighbourhoods; difference not statistically significant). The increasing trend in OOH PCS use developed practically similar for deprived and affluent neighbourhoods. A a stable gradient reflected more OOH PCS use for each lower stratum of SES.

Conclusions

LTC reforms coincided with an overall increase in OOH PCS use, with nearly similar trends for deprived and affluent neighbourhoods. The results suggest a generalised spill over to OOH PCS following LTC reforms.
Are ‘dual users’ who smoke and use e-cigarettes interested in using varenicline to stop smoking altogether, and can they benefit from it? A cohort study of UK vapers
Authors: Hajek Peter , Peerbux Sarrah , Phillips-Waller Anna , Smith Charlotte , Pittaccio Kate , Przulj Dunja
Published: March 2019

Objectives

Smokers who use e-cigarettes (EC) do so mostly to stop smoking, but many continue to use both products. It is not known whether these ‘dual users’ are interested in stop-smoking medications and whether they can benefit from them.

Setting, participants and measures

Dual users were recruited over social media and posted study questionnaire and saliva kits at baseline, 3 and 6 months. Those interested in varenicline were posted the medication and received weekly calls over the first 6 weeks, followed by three calls at fortnightly intervals.

Results

Of 204 participants, 124 (61%, CI=54% to 68%) expressed interest in receiving varenicline and 80 (39%, CI=32% to 45%) started varenicline (varenicline users, VU). VU were more dependent smokers (F=6.2, p=0.01) with higher cigarette consumption (F=8.7, p<0.01) who were using stronger nicotine e-liquids (F=13.9, p<0.001) than dual users not opting for varenicline (varenicline non-users, VN). In terms of abstinence for at least 3 months at the 6-month follow-up, VU were more likely than VN to report abstinence from smoking (17.5% vs 4.8%, p=0.006, RR=3.6, CI:1.4 to 9.0), vaping (12.5% vs 1.6%, p=0.007, RR=7.8, CI:1.7 to 34.5) and both smoking and vaping (8.8% vs 0.8%, p=0.02, RR=10.9, CI:1.4 to 86.6). The differences were significant across sensitivity analyses (RRs=4.9 to 14.0; p=0.02 to p<0.001 at 3 months; RRs=3.0 to 14.0; p=0.01 to p<0.001 at 6 months). VU reported a greater reduction in enjoyment of vaping by the end of the varenicline use period (F=4.1, p=0.04) and recorded a significantly greater reduction in nicotine intake than VN at 3 months (F=13.9, p<0.001) and 6 months (F=26.5, p<0.001).

Conclusion

Varenicline offered to dual users is likely to promote successful abstinence from both smoking and vaping, although a randomised trial is needed to confirm this. Among dual users who want to stop smoking, there seems to be a high level of interest in smoking-cessation treatments.
Electronic health record-based clinical decision support alert for severe sepsis: a randomised evaluation
Authors: Downing Norman Lance , Rolnick Joshua , Poole Sarah F , Hall Evan , Wessels Alexander J , Heidenreich Paul , Shieh Lisa
Published: March 2019

Background

Sepsis remains the top cause of morbidity and mortality of hospitalised patients despite concerted efforts. Clinical decision support for sepsis has shown mixed results reflecting heterogeneous populations, methodologies and interventions.

Objectives

To determine whether the addition of a real-time electronic health record (EHR)-based clinical decision support alert improves adherence to treatment guidelines and clinical outcomes in hospitalised patients with suspected severe sepsis.

Design

Patient-level randomisation, single blinded.

Setting

Medical and surgical inpatient units of an academic, tertiary care medical centre.

Patients

1123 adults over the age of 18 admitted to inpatient wards (intensive care units (ICU) excluded) at an academic teaching hospital between November 2014 and March 2015.

Interventions

Patients were randomised to either usual care or the addition of an EHR-generated alert in response to a set of modified severe sepsis criteria that included vital signs, laboratory values and physician orders.

Measurements and main results

There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in primary outcome of the percentage of patients with new antibiotic orders at 3 hours after the alert (35% vs 37%, p=0.53). There was no difference in secondary outcomes of in-hospital mortality at 30 days, length of stay greater than 72 hours, rate of transfer to ICU within 48 hours of alert, or proportion of patients receiving at least 30 mL/kg of intravenous fluids.

Conclusions

An EHR-based severe sepsis alert did not result in a statistically significant improvement in several sepsis treatment performance measures.
Relations between endomorphism rings, injectivity, surjectivity and uniserial modules
Authors: Altun-Özarslan Meltem , Facchini Alberto
Published: March 2019

For a right module [Formula: see text] over a ring [Formula: see text], we consider the set [Formula: see text] of all the endomorphisms [Formula: see text] that are not injective and the set [Formula: see text] of all the endomorphisms [Formula: see text] that are not surjective. We prove that when [Formula: see text] is a uniserial module, then [Formula: see text] is a left chain domain and [Formula: see text] is a right chain domain. The technique we make use of to prove this can be applied to arbitrary modules [Formula: see text], not-necessarily uniserial. When the endomorphisms [Formula: see text] are not in [Formula: see text] (not in [Formula: see text]), then left (right) divisibility in [Formula: see text] corresponds to inclusion in the lattice [Formula: see text] of all submodules of [Formula: see text]. This allows to study factorizations of injective (surjective, respectively) endomorphisms of [Formula: see text] analyzing finite chains in the partially ordered set [Formula: see text].
Review of Number Theory
Authors: Green Frederic
Published: March 2019

There are probably at least as many different approaches to number theory as there are books written about it. Some broad distinctions include those taking an historical versus (say) a purely modern approach, with many gradations in between, or those that are algebraically oriented (e.g., with an emphasis on reciprocity laws, or questions that relate to algebraic geometry), or still others that are more analytic. The book under review is definitely in the latter category. The "message" of the book is in the title, as primes and their density are the principle concern. In accordance with that theme, a highlight of the book is a complete proof of the prime number theorem. However, the theme and its variations are taken as springboards to other important fields, including aspects of algebraic number theory, as well as applications, such as primality testing and cryptography.
Review of Codes, Cryptology and Curves with Computer Algebra
Authors: Nagaraj S.V.
Published: March 2019

Codes, cryptology and curves are widely used today for secure as well as reliable communication. This book aims to introduce these topics to students of computer science, mathematics and physics at the masters level. It also looks at the application of computer algebra for solving related problems. It consists of twelve chapters contributed by four authors and published by Cambridge University Press. The book is also available in hardback and e-book formats, the price/ISBN being US$160/9780521817110, and US$52/9781108547826, respectively.
Technical Report Column
Authors: Kelley Dean
Published: March 2019

Welcome to the Technical Reports Column. If your institution publishes technical reports that you'd like to have included here, please contact me at the email address above.
Open Problems Column
Authors: Gasarch William
Published: March 2019

There have been two polls asking theorists (and others) what they thought of P vs NP and related questions [5, 6]. Both were written by me (William Gasarch) and appeared in the Complexity Column of SIGACT News, edited by Lane A. Hemaspaandra.

I have conducted a third poll. The results of that poll will appear in Lane's column in this issue (Volume 50, Number 1, March 2019). In the article I did not give my own answers [though I commented on other people's answers in square brackets]. By contrast, this column contains my answers about the status of P vs. NP. For information on what is the status of P vs NP see Scott Aaronson's article [1], Lance Fortnow's article [3], or (for the layperson) Lance Fortnow's book [4].
Cross-Cultural Validation of the English Chronic Pain Myth Scale in Emergency Nurses
Authors: Martorella Geraldine , Lacasse Anaïs , Kostic Michelle , Schluck Glenna
Published: March 2019

Background. Utilization of the emergency department (ED) by patients seeking relief from chronic pain (CP) has increased. These patients often face stigmatization, and the ED is no exception. The French-Canadian Chronic Pain Myth Scale (CPMS) was developed to evaluate common societal misconceptions about CP including among healthcare providers. To our knowledge, no tool of this nature is available in English. Objectives. This study thus aimed at determining to what extent a new English adaptation of the CPMS could provide valid scores among US emergency nurses. The internal consistency, construct validity, and internal structure of the translated scale were thus examined. Methods. After careful translation of the scale, the English CPMS was administered to 482 emergency nurses and its validity was explored through a web-based cross-sectional study. Results. Acceptable reliability α>0.7 was reported for the first and third subscales. The second subscale’s reliability coefficient was below the cutoff (α=0.67) but is still considered adequate. As expected, statistically significant differences were found between nurses suffering from CP vs nurses not suffering from CP, supporting the construct validity of the scale. After exploratory factor analysis, similar internal structure was found supporting the 3-factorial nature of the original CPMS. Conclusion. Our results provide support for the preliminary validity of the English CPMS to measure knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards CP among emergency nurses in the United States.
Automatic Optic Disc Segmentation Based on Modified Local Image Fitting Model with Shape Prior Information
Authors: Gao Yuan , Yu Xiaosheng , Wu Chengdong , Zhou Wei , Lei Xiaoliang , Zhuang Yaoming
Published: March 2019

Accurate optic disc (OD) detection is an essential yet vital step for retinal disease diagnosis. In the paper, an approach for segmenting OD boundary without manpower named full-automatic double boundary extraction is designed. There are two main advantages in it. (1) Since the performances and the computational cost produced by iterations of contour evolution of active contour models- (ACM-) based approaches greatly depend on the initialization, this paper proposes an effective and adaptive initial level set contour extraction approach using saliency detection and threshold techniques. (2) In order to handle unreliable information generated by intensity in abnormal retinal images caused by diseases, a modified LIF approach is presented by incorporating the shape prior information into LIF. We test the effectiveness of the proposed approach on a publicly available DIARETDB0 database. Experimental results demonstrate that our approach outperforms well-known approaches in terms of the average overlapping ratio and accuracy rate.
Immunobiotics Beneficially Modulate TLR4 Signaling Triggered by Lipopolysaccharide and Reduce Hepatic Steatosis In Vitro
Authors: Kanmani Paulraj , Ansari AbuZar , Villena Julio , Kim Hojun
Published: March 2019

Hepatic inflammation and injury may result from the translocation of pathological bacteria and their proinflammatory mediators. Probiotics attenuate hepatic diseases related to inflammation by exhibiting immunoregulatory effects. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate lipid reduction and immunoregulatory potentials of probiotic bacteria in vitro. HepG2 cells treated with total cellular fluid (TCF) of LABs reduced lipid accumulation. Moreover, cells responded to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by producing higher levels of IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, and TNF-α. TCF of LABs treatment showed remarkably diminished levels of the expression of these cytokines via modulation of the expression of TLR-negative regulators, as well as MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Moreover, heat-killed LABs were able to diminish TGF-β, IL-1β, and IL-6 and to increase IL-10 and TLR4 levels in THP-1 cells. LABs also decreased the protein level of TNF-α. These results demonstrated that immunobiotics exhibit potent immunoregulatory activity and may be used as effective therapeutic agents to alleviate inflammatory response.
Noninvasive Monitoring of Allogeneic Stem Cell Delivery with Dual-Modality Imaging-Visible Microcapsules in a Rabbit Model of Peripheral Arterial Disease
Authors: Fu Yingli , Weiss Clifford R. , Kedziorek Dorota A. , Xie Yibin , Tully Ellen , Shea Steven M. , Solaiyappan Meiyappan , Ehtiati Tina , Gabrielson Kathleen , Wacker Frank H. , Bulte Jeff W. M. , Kraitchman Dara L.
Published: March 2019

Stem cell therapies, although promising for treating peripheral arterial disease (PAD), often suffer from low engraftment rates and the inability to confirm the delivery success and track cell distribution and engraftment. Stem cell microencapsulation combined with imaging contrast agents may provide a means to simultaneously enhance cell survival and enable cell tracking with noninvasive imaging. Here, we have evaluated a novel MRI- and X-ray-visible microcapsule formulation for allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) delivery and tracking in a large animal model. Bone marrow-derived MSCs from male New Zealand White rabbits were encapsulated using a modified cell encapsulation method to incorporate a dual-modality imaging contrast agent, perfluorooctyl bromide (PFOB). PFOB microcapsules (PFOBCaps) were then transplanted into the medial thigh of normal or PAD female rabbits. In vitro MSC viability remained high (79±5% at 4 weeks of postencapsulation), and as few as two and ten PFOBCaps could be detected in phantoms using clinical C-arm CT and 19F MRI, respectively. Successful injections of PFOBCaps in the medial thigh of normal (n=15) and PAD (n=16) rabbits were demonstrated on C-arm CT at 1-14 days of postinjection. Using 19F MRI, transplanted PFOBCaps were clearly identified as “hot spots” and showed one-to-one correspondence to the radiopacities on C-arm CT. Concordance of 19F MRI and C-arm CT locations of PFOBCaps with postmortem locations was high (95%). Immunohistological analysis revealed high MSC survival in PFOBCaps (>56%) two weeks after transplantation while naked MSCs were no longer viable beyond three days after delivery. These findings demonstrate that PFOBCaps could maintain cell viability even in the ischemic tissue and provide a means to monitor cell delivery and track engraftment using clinical noninvasive imaging systems.
Thalamic Reticular Nucleus in Caiman crocodilus: Immunohistochemical Staining
Authors: Pritz Michael B.
Published: March 2019

The thalamic reticular nucleus in reptiles, Caiman crocodilus, shares a number of morphological similarities with its counterpart in mammals. In view of the immunohistochemical properties of this nucleus in mammals and the more recently identified complexity of this neuronal aggregate in Caiman, this nucleus was investigated using a number of antibodies. These results were compared with findings described for other amniotes. The following antibodies gave consistent and reproducible results: polyclonal sheep anti-parvalbumin (PV), monoclonal mouse anti-PV, and polyclonal sheep anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). In the transverse plane, this nucleus is divided into two. In each part, a compact group of cells sits on top of the fibers of the forebrain bundle with scattered cells among these fibers. In the lateral forebrain bundle, this neuronal aggregate is represented by the dorsal peduncular nucleus and the perireticular nucleus while, in the medial forebrain bundle, these parts are the interstitial nucleus and the scattered cells in this fiber tract. The results of this study are the following. First, the thalamic reticular nucleus of Caiman contains GAD(+) and PV(+) neurons, which is similar to what has been described in other amniotes. Second, the morphology and distribution of many GAD(+) and PV(+) neurons in the dorsal peduncular and perireticular nuclei are similar and suggest that these neurons colocalize these markers. Third, neurons in the interstitial nucleus and in the medial forebrain bundle are GAD(+) and PV(+). At the caudal pole of the thalamic reticular nucleus, PV immunoreactive cells predominated and avoided the central portion of this nucleus where GAD(+) cells were preferentially located. However, GAD(+) cells were sparse when compared with PV(+) cells. This immunohistochemically different area in the caudal pole is considered to be an area separate from the thalamic reticular nucleus.
Fatty Liver Caused by Glycogen Storage Disease Type IX: A Small Series of Cases in Children
Authors: Leuzinger Dias Catarina , Maio Inês , Brandão José Ricardo , Tomás Edite , Martins Esmeralda , Santos Silva Ermelinda
Published: March 2019

Background: The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affecting children and adolescents has increased dramatically in recent years. This increase is most probably related to the obesity pandemic and the high consumption of fructose. However, hepatic steatosis has some rare causes (e.g., some metabolic diseases) of which clinicians should be aware, particularly (but not only) when patients are non-obese or non-overweight. Differential diagnosis is notably important when pathologies have a specific treatment, such as for glycogenosis type IX (GSD-IX). Aims: To contribute to the knowledge on the differential diagnosis of NAFLD in paediatric age and to the clinical, biochemical, molecular, and histological characterisations of GSD-IX, a rare metabolic disorder. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of a small series of cases (n = 3) of GSD-IX diagnosed in the past 6 years, who were currently being followed up in the Units of Gastroenterology or Metabolic Diseases of the Paediatric Division of our hospital and whose clinical presentation was NAFLD in paediatric age. Results: Three male patients were diagnosed with NAFLD before 2 years of age, 2 with confirmed diagnosis before the age of 3 years (alanine aminotransferase [ALT], liver ultrasound, and molecular analysis) and 1 whose diagnosis was confirmed at 11 years (ALT, liver ultrasound, liver histology, and molecular analysis). None of the patients were obese or overweight, and the daily fructose consumption was unknown. The outcome was favourable in all 3 patients, with follow-up periods ranging from 2 to 6 years. Conclusion: The decision on how far the search for secondary causes of NAFLD should go can be difficult, and GSD-IX must be on the list of possible causes.
Blood Donor Screening for Hepatitis E Virus in the European Union
Authors: Boland Fiona , Martinez Auxiliadora , Pomeroy Louise , O'Flaherty Niamh
Published: March 2019

This review article summarises hepatitis E virus (HEV) blood donation screening strategies in effect in the European Union (EU). Since 2012, eight EU countries have implemented HEV screening. Local rates of seroprevalence, RNA incidence, and molecular epidemiology are variable and not usually directly comparable. We report a range of HEV-RNA reactivity rates from 1 in 744 donations (France) to 1 in 8,636 donations (Wales) with an overall EU rate of 1 in 3,109 donations (3.2 million donations screened). HEV genotypes 3c, 3e, and 3f are the most frequently reported subtypes. In these 8 countries, both universal (n = 5) and selective (n = 3) screening policies have been introduced utilising either individual donation (ID; n = 1) or mini-pool (MP; n = 7; MP-6, -16, -24, and -96) testing. We also describe the Irish experience of HEV screening utilising an ID-NAT-based donor screening algorithm which intercepts donations even from those with low-level viraemia; 21 of 56 donors (37.5%) had a viral load (VL) < 100 IU/mL. We performed a MP-24 experiment which may prove useful to colleagues in relation to donor screening and associated blood component transmissibility. Irish results indicate that 59% of donors with a HEV-VL < 450 IU/mL may have screened negative in a MP-24.
Liquid Biopsy of Extracellular Microvesicles Maps Coronary Calcification and Atherosclerotic Plaque in Asymptomatic Patients With Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Authors: Chiva-Blanch Gemma , Padró Teresa , Alonso Rodrigo , Crespo Javier , Perez de Isla Leopoldo , Mata Pedro , Badimon Lina
Published: March 2019

Objective—

Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is the most common genetic disorder associated with premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Circulating microvesicles (cMV) are released when cells are activated. We investigated whether cMV could provide information on coronary calcification and atherosclerosis in FH patients.

Approach and Results—

Eighty-two patients (mean of 44±9 years old) with molecular diagnosis of heterozygous FH and asymptomatic cardiovascular disease were investigated. Atherosclerotic plaque characterization was performed by computed tomography angiography, and Agatston coronary calcium score and plaque composition sum were calculated. cMV were quantified by flow cytometry using AV (annexin V) and cell surface-specific antibodies. Of the 82 FH patients, 48 presented atherosclerotic plaque. Patients with atherosclerosis were men and older in a higher percentage than patients without atherosclerotic plaque. FH patients with atherosclerotic plaque showed higher levels of total AV
+
cMV, cMV AV
+
from platelet origin, from granulocytes and neutrophils, and cMV AV
+/−
from endothelial cells than FH-patients without atherosclerotic plaque. Plaque composition sum correlated with platelet- and endothelial-derived cMV, and Agatston coronary calcium score correlated with granulocyte-, platelet-, and endothelial-derived cMV. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses indicated that the cluster of platelet-, granulocyte-, neutrophil, and endothelial-derived cMV considered together, added significant predictive value to the specific SAFEHEART (Spanish Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Cohort Study) risk equation for plaque presence (area under the curve=0.866, 95% CI, 0.775–0.958;
P
<0.0001,
P
=0.030 for the increment of the area under the curve).

Conclusions—

Endothelial-, granulocyte-, neutrophil- and platelet-derived cMV discriminate and map coronary atherosclerotic plaque and calcification in asymptomatic patients with FH. Liquid biopsy of cMV may be a surrogate biomarker of coronary atherosclerotic plaque burden in FH patients.
Lysosomal Acid Lipase in Lipid Metabolism and Beyond
Authors: Li Fang , Zhang Hanrui
Published: March 2019

Lysosomal acid lipase (LAL), encoded by the lipase A (
LIPA
) gene, hydrolyzes cholesteryl esters and triglycerides to generate free fatty acids and cholesterol in the cell. The essential role of LAL in lipid metabolism has been confirmed in mice and human with LAL deficiency. In humans, loss-of-function mutations of
LIPA
cause rare lysosomal disorders, Wolman disease and cholesteryl ester storage disease, in which LAL enzyme-replacement therapy has shown significant benefits in a phase 3 clinical trial. Recent studies have revealed the regulatory role of lipolytic products of lysosomal lipid hydrolysis in catabolic, anabolic, and signaling pathways. In vivo studies in mice with knockout of
Lipa
highlight the systemic impact of
Lipa
deficiency on metabolic homeostasis and immune cell function. Genome-wide association studies and functional genomic studies have identified
LIPA
as a risk locus for coronary heart disease, but the causal variants and mechanisms remain to be determined. Future studies will continue to focus on the role of LAL in the crosstalk between lipid metabolism and cellular function in health and diseases including coronary heart disease.
Cortical Superficial Siderosis Evolution
Authors: Charidimou Andreas , Boulouis Gregoire , Xiong Li , Pasi Marco , Roongpiboonsopit Duangnapa , Ayres Alison , Schwab Kristin M. , Rosand Jonathan , Gurol M. Edip , Viswanathan Anand , Greenberg Steven M.
Published: March 2019

Background and Purpose—

We investigated cortical superficial siderosis (cSS) progression and its clinical relevance for incident lobar intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) risk, in probable cerebral amyloid angiopathy presenting with neurological symptoms and without ICH at baseline.

Methods—

Consecutive patients meeting modified Boston criteria for probable cerebral amyloid angiopathy from a single-center cohort who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at baseline and during follow-up were analyzed. cSS progression was assessed by comparison of the baseline and follow-up images. Patients were followed prospectively for incident symptomatic ICH. cSS progression and first-ever ICH risk were investigated in Cox proportional hazard models adjusting for confounders.

Results—

The cohort included 118 probable cerebral amyloid angiopathy patients: 72 (61%) presented with transient focal neurological episodes and 46 (39%) with cognitive complaints prompting the baseline MRI investigation. Fifty-two patients (44.1%) had cSS at baseline. During a median scan interval of 2.2 years (interquartile range, 1.2–4.4 years) between the baseline (ie, first) MRI and the latest MRI, cSS progression was detected in 33 (28%) patients. In multivariable logistic regression, baseline cSS presence (odds ratio, 4.04; 95% CI, 1.53–10.70;
P
=0.005), especially disseminated cSS (odds ratio, 9.12; 95% CI, 2.85–29.18;
P
<0.0001) and appearance of new lobar microbleeds (odds ratio, 4.24; 95% CI, 1.29–13.9;
P
=0.017) were independent predictors of cSS progression. For patients without an ICH during the interscan interval (n=105) and subsequent follow-up (median postfinal MRI time, 1.34; interquartile range, 0.3–3 years), cSS progression independently predicted increased symptomatic ICH risk (hazard ratio, 3.76; 95% CI, 1.37–10.35;
P
=0.010).

Conclusions—

Our results suggest that cSS evolution may be a useful biomarker for assessing disease progression and ICH risk in cerebral amyloid angiopathy patients and a candidate biomarker for clinical studies and trials.
The Autonomy of eu Law and International Investment Arbitration
Authors: Koutrakos Panos
Published: March 2019

This article argues that, in the context of international investment law, the principle of autonomy need not be construed as broadly as the recent judgment in Achmea suggested. The Court’s approach in this case is formalist, inward looking and hostile to the harmonious co-existence between eu and international law. The article argues, however, that this conception of autonomy should be confined to the specific legal and policy context of investment agreements between Member States of the Union. A careful reading of Achmea supports this view. There are also sound conceptual, legal, and policy reasons that militate for a more open approach to autonomy when it comes to the Union’s trade agreements with third countries.
Response to Jackson, Stratton-Lake, and Schroeder
Authors: Streumer Bart
Published: March 2019

I argue that Jackson, Stratton-Lake, and Schroeder’s objections to my arguments for the error theory in Unbelievable Errors fail. I also argue that our inability to believe the error theory should affect our assessments of these arguments.
Accumulation of newly identified sulfur containing metabolites in Zygophyllum dumosum Boiss suggest for a role of secondary metabolism in petiole survival during the dry season
Authors: Sikron-Persi Noga , Granot Gila , Grafi Gideon , Fait Aaron
Published: March 2019

The biochemical composition of Zygophyllum dumosum Boiss (Zygophyllaceae) was analyzed in petioles collected in the summer and winter from plants growing in a natural ecosystem on a southeast-facing slope of the Negev desert. UPLC-QTOF MS based analysis identified season specific sulfur containing phenylpropanoids unreported in plants. Sulfuric-caffeic and -ferulic acid derivatives and isorhamnetin 3-O-(4-sulfate-rutinoside) were measured to accumulate specifically in the summer. The reported identification and accumulation of sulfate containing metabolites during the hot and dry summer can be related to the putative protective role reported for these compounds.
Lectotypification of the name Euonymus macrocarpus (Celastraceae)
Authors: KUMAR ANAND
Published: March 2019

A lectotype is designated here for Euonymus macrocarpus Gamble ex Oliv. (Celastraceae)
Impacts of robotic arm use on individuals with upper extremity disabilities: A scoping review
Authors: Beaudoin Maude , Lettre Josiane , Routhier François , Archambault Philippe S. , Lemay Martin , Gélinas Isabelle
Published: March 2019

Background.

Robotic arms may help users perform various activities. Even though robotic arms are commercially available, their impacts are still poorly understood.

Purpose.

This scoping review aimed to identify the potential impacts of using robotic arms for individuals with upper-extremity disabilities and appraise the scientific quality of the selected studies.

Method.

A search for studies published between 1970 and 2016 was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Compendex, and Scopus. The Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement was used to classify activities in which impacts were evaluated. The quality of each study was rated using McMaster University’s critical review form for quantitative studies.

Findings.

Thirty-six studies were reviewed, which evaluated self-care (21), productivity (33), and leisure (8). The short-term impacts were more commonly documented than long-term impacts. The impacts identified were mostly positive. The studies’ mean quality score was 8.8/15.

Implications.

Additional studies with more rigorous conditions are needed to produce higher-quality scientific evidence of the long-term impacts of robotic arm use.
Moral Communities and Institutional Misconduct: A Reassessment of Religious Contextual Influences on Inmate Behavior
Authors: Drakeford Leah
Published: March 2019

Most of the research into religious influences on inmate misconduct has been undertaken with respect to personal religious participation. However, the religious environment of prisons offers potential influences on inmate behavior by providing social control and support. Currently, the literature is mixed regarding the association between religious context and inmate behavior. This article reconciles the divergent findings regarding religious contexts, and integrates recently emergent directions in religious contextual research. Using nationally representative data of inmates in state and federal prisons, I estimate multilevel models of several different forms of misconduct. The results indicate a relationship between religious context and each form of misconduct, highlighting the role of cultural contexts on inmate behavior.
Automated power management strategy for wind power generation system using pitch angle controller
Authors: Sitharthan R , Sundarabalan CK , Devabalaji KR , Yuvaraj T , Mohamed Imran A
Published: March 2019

In this literature, a new automated control strategy has been developed to manage the power supply from the wind power generation system to the load. The main objective of this research work is to develop a fuzzy logic–based pitch angle control and to develop a static transfer switch to make power balance between the wind power generation system and the loads. The power management control system is a progression of logic expressions, designed based on generating power and load power requirement. The outcome of this work targets at an improved power production, active and reactive power compensation and ensures system load constraints. To validate the proposed control strategy, a detailed simulation study is carried out on a 9-MW wind farm simulation simulated in MATLAB/Simulink environment.
Fuzzy logic–based intelligent control for hydrostatic journal bearing
Authors: Rehman Waheed UR , Luo Yuanxin , Wang Yongqin , Jiang Guiyun , Iqbal Nadeem , Rehman Shafiq UR , Bibi Shamsa
Published: March 2019

Most of the researchers are focusing to bring automation in mechanical systems. So, current research work presents a mechatronic system called active hydrostatic journal bearing that is a higher demand of fast-growing industrial needs. The objective is to improve the dynamics and static characteristics of hydrostatic journal bearing. To achieve the objective, a feedback servo controlled system is presented. A mathematical model is proposed for newly proposed active hydrostatic journal bearing with servo control. A comparison has been performed between the active hydrostatic journal bearing and traditional/conventional hydrostatic journal bearing under the influence of different dynamic conditions of load, viscosity, speed, and pressure. The results demonstrate that proposed active hydrostatic journal bearing has better performance, including controllability, stability, faster response, higher stiffness as well as better disturbance rejection. To further enhance the performance of proposed active hydrostatic journal bearing, two different control strategies are proposed such as proportional–integral–derivative and intelligent control. The results show that fuzzy logic–based intelligent control has faster response, greater amplitude reduction, and good stiffness against load. So, it shows that role of active lubrication in hydrostatic journal bearing will have potential applications in high load and high speed.
Political Identity and Financial Risk Taking: Insights from Social Dominance Orientation
Authors: Han Kyuhong , Jung Jihye , Mittal Vikas , Zyung Jinyong Daniel , Adam Hajo
Published: March 2019

This article investigates how people’s political identity is associated with their financial risk taking. The authors argue that conservatives’ financial risk taking increases as their self-efficacy increases because of their greater social dominance orientation, whereas liberals’ financial risk taking is invariant to their self-efficacy. This central hypothesis is verified in six studies using different measures of political identity, self-efficacy, and financial risk taking. The studies also use different samples of U.S. consumers, including online panels, a large-scale data set spanning five election cycles, and a secondary data set of political donations made by managers at companies. Finally, the authors articulate and demonstrate the mediating effect of individuals’ focus on the upside potential of a decision among conservatives but not liberals.
Neither friend nor enemy: Planning, ambivalence and the invalidation of urban informality in Zimbabwe
Authors: Kamete Amin Y
Published: March 2019

Planning relies on the strict classification and disposition of things in space. Intended to establish and maintain order, planning’s classifying practices are reinforced by binarisms that revolve around legality/illegality. The article deploys Bauman’s notion of the ‘stranger’ to recast hostility to informality as a symptom of antipathy against strangerhood and ambivalence. Drawing from qualitative research in urban Zimbabwe, I posit that because informality cannot be pigeonholed as either ‘friend’ or ‘enemy’, it instils a sense of unease in planners. I argue that this is a failure of the pursuit of order through binary antagonisms and contend that fixation with binarisms spawns ‘spatial undecidables’ and fuels resentment against informality. I propose that the notion of strangerhood complements and extends the concept of ‘gray spacing’.
The Governance Divide in Global Corporate Responsibility: The Global Structuration of Reporting and Certification Frameworks, 1998–2017
Authors: Pope Shawn , Lim Alwyn
Published: March 2019

In recent decades, as worldwide attention to corporate responsibility increased, the global corporate responsibility (GCR) movement did not converge on a singular governance model nor hybridize into myriad country-specific models. The movement, rather, bifurcated into onerous certification frameworks and more lax reporting frameworks. We examine this ‘governance divide’ in the GCR movement by investigating the cross-national diffusion of seven core GCR frameworks. We adopt a glocalization perspective that conceptualizes a vertical nesting of local and global contexts. Our cross-national quantitative analyses suggest that, while linkages to global culture have encouraged business participation in all GCR frameworks, power dependencies related to international trade and domestic factors related to effectiveness of local governance institutions have contributed to divergent diffusion patterns across reporting and certification frameworks. We discuss these findings in relation to several organizational perspectives and note their implications for further research on corporate responsibility.
Fashion and Organization Studies: Exploring conceptual paradoxes and empirical opportunities
Authors: Korica Maja , Bazin Yoann
Published: March 2019

Although frequently perceived as inconsequential and frivolous, fashion is a central interdisciplinary concept and a substantial global industry. This necessitates taking it seriously, both as a set of theoretical tensions, and as a concrete empirical phenomenon of rich potential interest to organization studies. Our essay outlines and further develops fashion’s conceptual and empirical expressions, and suggests subsequent avenues for valuable research. In particular, we commence with a discussion of three key definitions, namely fashion as individual manner, fashion as organizing of dress and fashion as a system. This enables us to problematize its industry and economy, from their historical roots and evolutions, to their varied organizational frictions, forms and practices today. We then conclude by examining the ongoing, substantial changes within the fashion industry as we have known it since the nineteenth century, and considering its potential implications and openings for organization studies scholars.
Exploring the Effects of Encouraging Student Performance With Text Assignment Reminders
Authors: Humphrey William , Laverie Debbie , Shields Alison
Published: March 2019

We explore the use of text message reminders to improve student performance. The effectiveness of text messaging reminders is examined by comparing two large sections of a course where students focused on personal branding. One section received deadline reminders by email, while the other section received opt-in text reminders. The results of the study provide empirical support that text reminders are positively related to assignments turned in on time, perceived task mastery orientation, perceived confidence with course material, and overall performance in the class. In addition, a description of how the text service can be employed in a marketing course is provided.
Review of Medical Decision Support and Machine-Learning Methods
Authors: Awaysheh Abdullah , Wilcke Jeffrey , Elvinger François , Rees Loren , Fan Weiguo , Zimmerman Kurt L.
Published: March 2019

Machine-learning methods can assist with the medical decision-making processes at the both the clinical and diagnostic levels. In this article, we first review historical milestones and specific applications of computer-based medical decision support tools in both veterinary and human medicine. Next, we take a mechanistic look at 3 archetypal learning algorithms—naive Bayes, decision trees, and neural network—commonly used to power these medical decision support tools. Last, we focus our discussion on the data sets used to train these algorithms and examine methods for validation, data representation, transformation, and feature selection. From this review, the reader should gain some appreciation for how these decision support tools have and can be used in medicine along with insight on their inner workings.
Exogenous Expression of Equine MHC Class I Molecules in Mice Increases Susceptibility to Equine Herpesvirus 1 Pulmonary Infection
Authors: Minato Erina , Aoshima Keisuke , Kobayashi Atsushi , Ohnishi Naomi , Sasaki Nobuya , Kimura Takashi
Published: March 2019

Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) uses equine major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC class I) as an entry receptor. Exogenous expression of equine MHC class I genes in murine cell lines confers susceptibility to EHV-1 infection. To examine the in vivo role of equine MHC class I as an entry receptor for EHV-1, we generated transgenic (Tg) mice expressing equine MHC class I under the control of the CAG promoter. Equine MHC class I protein was expressed in the liver, spleen, lung, and brain of Tg mice, which was confirmed by Western blot. However, equine MHC class I antigen was only detected in bronchiolar epithelium and not in other tissues, using the immunofluorescence method employed in this study. Both Tg and wild-type (WT) mice developed pneumonia 3 days after intranasal infection with EHV-1. The bronchiolar epithelial cells of Tg mice showed more severe necrosis, compared with those in WT mice. In addition, the number of virus antigen-positive cells in the lungs was higher in Tg mice than in WT mice. These results suggest that exogenous expression of equine MHC class I renders mice more susceptible to EHV-1 infection.
In their own words: Analyzing the extents and origins of absolute pitch
Authors: West Marvin Elizabeth , VanderStel Joseph , Siu Joseph Chi-Sing
Published: March 2019

Although tests of absolute pitch (AP) possessors’ abilities have been studied extensively in the laboratory, few researchers have focused their study on the experiences of AP possessors engaging in musical and nonmusical activities in their daily lives. We recorded semi-structured interviews with 30 AP musicians to investigate three research questions: what is it like to experience AP, how does AP impact musicianship and performance, and how do first-hand accounts correspond with published findings on AP types and acquisition? Recorded interviews were transcribed and coded by two independent researchers; after coding, we determined themes and connections that emerged from the data. These fall into three areas: AP associations (cross-modal); AP strength (including limitations); and AP applications (to music-making). These themes are described, illustrated with quotations, and related to current research. We document the positive and negative impacts of AP on musicianship and performance. Finally, AP possessors’ accounts lead us to endorse theories of distinct AP types and to posit an important role for implicit learning (daily updating or reinforcement of AP).