bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of Thermal Radiation on Unsteady MHD Free Convection Flow of Jeffrey Fluid over a Vertical Plate with Ramped Wall Temperature
Authors: Mohd Zin Nor Athirah , Khan Ilyas , Shafie Sharidan
Published: February 2016

Influence of thermal radiation on unsteady magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) free convection flow of Jeffrey fluid over a vertical plate with ramped wall temperature is studied. The Laplace transform technique is used to obtain the analytical solutions. Expressions for skin friction and Nusselt number are also obtained. Results of velocity and temperature distributions are shown graphically for embedded parameters such as Jeffrey fluid parameterλ, Prandtl numberPr, Grashof numberGr, Hartmann numberHa, radiation parameterRd, and dimensionless timeτ. It is observed that the amplitude of velocity and temperature profile for isothermal are always higher than ramped wall temperature.
Management of Multiple Sclerosis in the Breastfeeding Mother
Authors: Almas Saneea , Vance Jesse , Baker Teresa , Hale Thomas
Published: February 2016

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune neurological disease characterized by inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Relapsing-Remitting MS is characterized by acute attacks followed by remission. Treatment is aimed at halting these attacks; therapy may last for months to years. Because MS disproportionately affects females and commonly begins during the childbearing years, clinicians treat pregnant or nursing MS patients. The intent of this review is to perform an in-depth analysis into the safety of drugs used in breastfeeding women with MS. This paper is composed of several drugs used in the treatment of MS and current research regarding their safety in breastfeeding including immunomodulators, immunosuppressants, monoclonal antibodies, corticosteroids, and drugs used for symptomatic treatment. Typically, some medications are large polar molecules which often do not pass into the milk in clinically relevant amounts. For this reason, interferon beta is likely safe for the infant when given to a breastfeeding mother. However, other drugs with particularly dangerous side effects may not be recommended. While treatment options are available and some data from clinical studies does exist, there continues to be a need for investigation and ongoing review of the medications used in breastfeeding mothers.
Standardizing Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for Translation to Clinical Use: Selection of GMP‐Compliant Medium and a Simplified Isolation Method
Authors: Smith J. Robert , Pfeifer Kyle , Petry Florian , Powell Natalie , Delzeit Jennifer , Weiss Mark L.
Published: February 2016

Umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UC‐MSCs) are a focus for clinical translation but standardized methods for isolation and expansion are lacking. Previously we published isolation and expansion methods for UC‐MSCs which presented challenges when considering good manufacturing practices (GMP) for clinical translation. Here, a new and more standardized method for isolation and expansion of UC‐MSCs is described. The new method eliminates dissection of blood vessels and uses a closed‐vessel dissociation following enzymatic digestion which reduces contamination risk and manipulation time. The new method produced >10 times more cells per cm of UC than our previous method. When biographical variables were compared, more UC‐MSCs per gram were isolated after vaginal birth compared to Caesarian‐section births, an unexpected result. UC‐MSCs were expanded in medium enriched with 2%, 5%, or 10% pooled human platelet lysate (HPL) eliminating the xenogeneic serum components. When the HPL concentrations were compared, media supplemented with 10% HPL had the highest growth rate, smallest cells, and the most viable cells at passage. UC‐MSCs grown in 10% HPL had surface marker expression typical of MSCs, high colony forming efficiency, and could undergo trilineage differentiation. The new protocol standardizes manufacturing of UC‐MSCs and enables clinical translation.
Coxiella burnetiiSeroprevalence and Risk Factors in Cattle Farmers and Farm Residents in Three Northeastern Provinces and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
Authors: Sun Wu-Wen , Cong Wei , Li Mao-Hui , Wang Chun-Feng , Shan Xiao-Feng , Qian Ai-Dong
Published: February 2016

Little is known aboutCoxiella burnetiiinfection among cattle farmers and farm residents in China. Thus, the present study was conducted to detect the seroprevalence ofC. burnetiiinfection and estimate associated risk factors among cattle farmers and farm residents in China. A cross-sectional study was designed, and sera of 362 people living or working on 106 cattle farms were tested forC. burnetiiIgG and IgM antibodies by immunofluorescence assay. OverallC. burnetiiseroprevalence was 35.6% (129/362, 95% CI: 30.70–40.57), and 112 participants had experienced a past infection and seventeen (4.7%) had experienced a relatively recent infection. In the final combined multilevel model, the following activities were significantly associated with presence of antibodies againstC. burnetii: milking cattle, providing general healthcare to cattle, providing birth assistance, contact dead-born animals, urbanization, and presence of mice and/or rats in the stable. Moreover, presence of disinfection equipment was a significant protective factor. This is the first study addressing the seroprevalence and risk factors ofC. burnetiiinfection in cattle farmers and farm residents in three northeastern provinces and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.
Theoretical Description of the Glass Preparation with the Necessary Optical Properties
Authors: Kurasov Victor
Published: February 2016

The method to get the glass media with necessary optical characteristics is proposed. This method is based on inserting a necessary number of heterogeneous centers of given activity into the system. The theoretical description of the nucleation process in such situation is given and the resulting formulas allow choosing the characteristics of heterogeneous centers necessary to get the required optical characteristics of the media.
Ischemic Left Ventricular Perforation Covered by a Thrombus in a Patient Presenting with Cerebral Ischemia: Importance of Time-Sensitive Performance and Adequate Interpretation of Bedside Transthoracic Echography
Authors: Fischer A. J. , Lebiedz P. , Wiaderek M. , Lichtenberg M. , Böse D. , Martens S. , Breuckmann F.
Published: February 2016

If myocardial infarction remains silent, only clinical signs of complications may unveil its presence. Life-threatening complications include myocardial rupture, thrombus formation, or arterial embolization. In the presented case, a 76-year-old patient was admitted with left-sided hemiparesis. In duplex sonography, a critical stenosis of the right internal carotid artery was identified and initially but retrospectively incorrectly judged as the potential cause for ischemia. During operative thromboendarterectomy, arterial embolism of the right leg occurred coincidentally, more likely pointing towards a cardioembolic origin. Percutaneous interventions remained unsuccessful and local fibrinolysis was applied. Delayed bedside echocardiography by an experienced cardiologist demonstrated a discontinuity of the normal myocardial texture of the left ventricular apex together with an echodense, partly floating structure merely attached by a thin bridge not completely sealing the myocardial defect, accompanied by pericardial effusion. The patient was immediately transferred to emergency cardiac surgery with extirpation of the thrombus, aortocoronary bypass graft placement, and aneurysmectomy. This didactic case reveals decisive structural shortcomings in patient’s admission and triage processes and underlines, if performed timely and correctly, the value of transthoracic echocardiography as a noninvasive and cost-effective tool allowing immediate decision-making, which, in this case, led to the correct but almost fatally delayed diagnosis.
Diversity of 4-Chloro-2-nitrophenol-Degrading Bacteria in a Waste Water Sample
Authors: Arora Pankaj Kumar , Srivastava Alok , Singh Vijay Pal
Published: February 2016

Eighteen bacterial strains, isolated from a waste water sample collected from a chemically contaminated site, Patancheru (17°32′N 78°16′E/17.53°N 78.27°E), India, were able to decolorize 4-chloro-2-nitrophenol (4C2NP) in the presence of an additional carbon source. These eighteen 4C2NP-decolorizing strains have been identified as members of four different genera, includingBacillus,Paenibacillus,Pseudomonas, andLeuconostocbased on the 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Most of the bacteria (10) belonged to the genusBacillusand contributed 56% of the total 4C2NP-degrading bacteria, whereas the members of generaPaenibacillusandPseudomonasrepresented 22% and 17%, respectively, of total 4C2NP-degrading isolates. There was only one species ofLeuconostoccapable of degrading 4C2NP. This is the first report of the diversity of 4C2NP-decolorizing bacteria in a waste water sample. Furthermore, one bacterium,Bacillus aryabhattaistrain PC-7, was able to decolorize 4C2NP up to a concentration of 2.0 mM. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis identified 5-chloro-2-methylbenzoxazole as the final product of 4C2NP decolorization in strain PC-7.
Lymphomatoid Granulomatosis with Paraneoplastic Polymyositis: A Rare Malignancy with Rare Complication
Authors: O’Brien Shanley , Schmidt Paul
Published: February 2016

Lymphomatoid granulomatosis is a rare Epstein-Barr virus driven lymphoproliferative disease. It most commonly presents with symptoms of lung involvement such as cough, chest tightness, and dyspnea or constitutional symptoms of weight loss, malaise, and fever. The diagnosis is obtained by biopsy and histopathology. Here we report the case of a 31-year-old male who presented with weight loss, rash, and weakness and was diagnosed with lymphomatoid granulomatosis with paraneoplastic polymyositis. We explore the relationship of Epstein-Barr virus with inflammatory myopathy and discuss paraneoplastic inflammatory myopathy.
Preallocated Duplicate Name Prefix Detection Mechanism Using Naming Pool in CCN Based Mobile IoT Networks
Authors: Lee Juyong , Lee Jihoon
Published: February 2016

As the number of mobile devices and IoT (internet of things) devices has explosively increased, various contents are created anytime and anywhere. To meet such trend, current internet architecture has exposed many limitations such as high control overhead due to multistaged address resolution, frequent location updates, and network congestion. Recently, information centric networking (ICN) is considered as new networking architecture to redesign current internet’s content exchange paradigm. In current ICN architecture, whenever a mobile node moves to a new domain, it needs long latency to configure and confirm the temporary name prefix. So, this paper presents an efficient name prefix configuration mechanism in mobile CCN to reduce the latency needed for the name prefix configuration during MCS’s handover. From the performance analysis, the proposed mechanism is shown to provide lower control overhead and lower resource consumption.
Aspirin Suppresses the Acquisition of Chemoresistance in Breast Cancer by Disrupting an NFκB–IL6 Signaling Axis Responsible for the Generation of Cancer Stem Cells
Authors: Saha Shilpi , Mukherjee Shravanti , Khan Poulami , Kajal Kirti , Mazumdar Minakshi , Manna Argha , Mukherjee Sanhita , De Sunanda , Jana Debarshi , Sarkar Diptendra K. , Das Tanya
Published: February 2016

Acquired chemoresistance has curtailed cancer survival since the dawn of chemotherapy. Accumulating evidence suggests a major role for cancer stem cells (CSC) in chemoresistance, although their involvement in acquired resistance is still unknown. The use of aspirin has been associated with reduced cancer risk and recurrence, suggesting that the anti-inflammatory drug may exert effects on CSCs. In this study, we investigated the contribution of CSCs to acquired chemoresistance of breast cancer and the avenues for reversing such effects with aspirin. We observed that the residual risk of recurrence was higher in breast cancer patients who had acquired chemoresistance. Treatment of preexisting CSCs with a genotoxic drug combination (5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide) generated an NFκB–IL6–dependent inflammatory environment that imparted stemness to nonstem cancer cells, induced multidrug resistance, and enhanced the migration potential of CSCs. Treatment with aspirin prior to chemotherapy suppressed the acquisition of chemoresistance by perturbing the nuclear translocation of NFκB in preexisting CSCs. Therefore, disruptions to the NFκB–IL6 feedback loop prevented CSC induction and sensitized preexisting CSCs to chemotherapy. Collectively, our findings suggest that combining aspirin and conventional chemotherapy may offer a new treatment strategy to improve recurrence-free survival of breast cancer patients. Cancer Res; 76(7); 2000–12. ©2016 AACR.
A Comprehensive Meta-analysis of Case–Control Association Studies to Evaluate Polymorphisms Associated with the Risk of Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Figlioli Gisella , Elisei Rossella , Romei Cristina , Melaiu Ombretta , Cipollini Monica , Bambi Franco , Chen Bowang , Köhler Aleksandra , Cristaudo Alfonso , Hemminki Kari , Gemignani Federica , Försti Asta , Landi Stefano
Published: February 2016

Background: Linkage analyses and association studies suggested that inherited genetic variations play a role in the development of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC).

Methods: We combined the results from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) performed by our group and from published studies on DTC. With a first approach, we evaluated whether a SNP published as associated with the risk of DTC could replicate in our GWAS (using FDR as adjustment for multiple comparisons). With the second approach, meta-analyses were performed between literature and GWAS when both sources suggested an association, increasing the statistical power of the analysis.

Results: rs1799814 (CYP1A1), rs1121980 (FTO), and 3 SNPs within 9q22 (rs965513, rs7048394, and rs894673) replicated the associations described in the literature. In addition, the meta-analyses between literature and GWAS revealed 10 more SNPs within 9q22, six within FTO, two within SOD1, and single variations within HUS1, WDR3, UGT2B7, ALOX12, TICAM1, ATG16L1, HDAC4, PIK3CA, SULF1, IL11RA, VEGFA, and 1p31.3, 2q35, 8p12, and 14q13.

Conclusion: This analysis confirmed several published risk loci that could be involved in DTC predisposition.

Impact: These findings provide evidence for the role of germline variants in DTC etiology and are consistent with a polygenic model of the disease. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(4); 700–13. ©2016 AACR.
A Novel Epigenetic Signature for Early Diagnosis in Lung Cancer
Authors: Diaz-Lagares Angel , Mendez-Gonzalez Jesus , Hervas David , Saigi Maria , Pajares Maria J. , Garcia Diana , Crujerias Ana B. , Pio Ruben , Montuenga Luis M. , Zulueta Javier , Nadal Ernest , Rosell Antoni , Esteller Manel , Sandoval Juan
Published: February 2016

Purpose: Lung cancer remains as the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, mainly due to late diagnosis. Cytology is the gold-standard method for lung cancer diagnosis in minimally invasive respiratory samples, despite its low sensitivity. We aimed to identify epigenetic biomarkers with clinical utility for cancer diagnosis in minimally/noninvasive specimens to improve accuracy of current technologies.

Experimental Design: The identification of novel epigenetic biomarkers in stage I lung tumors was accomplished using an integrative genome-wide restrictive analysis of two different large public databases. DNA methylation levels for the selected biomarkers were validated by pyrosequencing in paraffin-embedded tissues and minimally invasive and noninvasive respiratory samples in independent cohorts.

Results: We identified nine cancer-specific hypermethylated genes in early-stage lung primary tumors. Four of these genes presented consistent CpG island hypermethylation compared with nonmalignant lung and were associated with transcriptional silencing. A diagnostic signature was built using multivariate logistic regression model based on the combination of four genes: BCAT1, CDO1, TRIM58, and ZNF177. Clinical diagnostic value was also validated in multiple independent cohorts and yielded a remarkable diagnostic accuracy in all cohorts tested. Calibrated and cross-validated epigenetic model predicts with high accuracy the probability to detect cancer in minimally and noninvasive samples. We demonstrated that this epigenetic signature achieved higher diagnostic efficacy in bronchial fluids as compared with conventional cytology for lung cancer diagnosis.

Conclusions: Minimally invasive epigenetic biomarkers have emerged as promising tools for cancer diagnosis. The herein obtained epigenetic model in combination with current diagnostic protocols may improve early diagnosis and outcome of lung cancer patients. Clin Cancer Res; 22(13); 3361–71. ©2016 AACR.
Validation and Cultural Adaptation of the Arabic Version of the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10)
Authors: Farahat Mohamed , Mesallam Tamer A.
Published: February 2016

Background and Objectives: The Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) is a 10-item self-administered questionnaire. It is a noninvasive tool to measure patients' perception of their swallowing problems. The purposes of the present study were to develop an Arabic version of the EAT-10 and to evaluate its validity, consistency, and reliability in the Arabic-speaking population with oropharyngeal dysphagia. Setting and Design: This was a prospective study carried out at the Communication and Swallowing Disorders Unit, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Subjects and Methods: The Arabic EAT-10 was administered to 138 patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia and 83 control subjects. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were evaluated. Content and clinical validity were studied, and the EAT-10 results were compared across patients and control groups. Results: The Arabic EAT-10 showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.92). Also, good test-retest reliability was found for the total scores of the Arabic EAT-10 (intraclass correlation = 0.73). There was a significant difference in Arabic EAT-10 scores between the oropharyngeal dysphagia group and the control group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the Arabic EAT-10 is a valid tool that can be used for screening of dysphagia-related problems in an Arabic-speaking population.
Utilizing Genomics through Family Health History with the Theory of Planned Behavior: Prediction of Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors and Preventive Behavior in an African American Population in Florida
Authors: Seaborn Cynthia , Suther Sandra , Lee Torhonda , Kiros Gebre-Egziabher , Becker Alan , Campbell Ellen , Collins-Robinson Jackie
Published: February 2016

Aim: African Americans are disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to assess to what extent African Americans' knowledge and awareness of family health history and related risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes influence their likelihood of adopting a preventive behavior. Methods: This study employed an anonymous pencil-and-paper, self-administered survey consisting of two sections. Section 1 was a modified version of the US Surgeon General's Family Health History Initiative and the American Diabetes Association Diabetes Risk Factor Survey. Section 2 of the survey was based on the constructs of the theory of planned behavior. Over 394 African American participants completed the survey. Results: ‘Perceived behavioral control' was the strongest predictor of ‘likelihood of adopting preventive behavior'. Participants were aware of their family history as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, but it was not a significant predictor of behavior modifications based on that knowledge. Conclusion: The lack of perceived risk in this population shows the importance of not only knowing one's risk factors but translating those risk factors to a more personalized form that fits into the current lifestyle of the individual in a meaningful way.
Age-Dependent Impact of Medication Underuse and Strategies for Improvement
Authors: Meid Andreas D. , Haefeli Walter E.
Published: February 2016

Background: Medication underuse is common in aging populations and, because of the growing risk for competing deaths, the benefit of preventive medicines gradually vanishes with advancing age, thus limiting their success. Objective: To estimate the optimum time of initiation of the secondary prevention of cardiovascular events, we examined the impact of appropriate pharmacotherapy for different starting ages at which it is implemented. Methods: In the competing risk framework, we obtained the population's life course from life tables, combined it with effect estimates quantifying the real-world effectiveness of secondary prevention, and compared the outcome of patients not receiving appropriate treatment (underuse) with those receiving preventive medicines that have demonstrated a reduction in the transition to serious cardiovascular events (START criteria). Starting at the age of 55 years, the population proportions of the distinct states of the framework were calculated for each year of chronological age in subgroups of appropriate treatment and underuse. These proportions were used over a follow-up period to estimate measures of treatment effectiveness and risks of underuse. Results: Despite increasing relative effectiveness with advancing age, benefits measured by patient-relevant endpoints, such as life years gained (LYG) or gained quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), markedly dropped after the starting age of 75 years, but even at an initiation age of 85 years, QALYs gained exceeded 1 year. Conclusion: Interventions targeting medication underuse may achieve considerable benefits at any stage of later life, while the benefit is probably largest if appropriate treatment is started before 75 years.
Brachial-Ankle Pulse Wave Velocity: Background, Method, and Clinical Evidence
Authors: Munakata Masanori
Published: February 2016

Background: The populations of many developed countries are becoming progressively older. In aged societies, assessment of total vascular risk is critically important, because old age is usually associated with multiple risks. In this regard, pulse wave velocity (PWV) could be a global cardiovascular marker, since it increases with advancing age, high blood pressure, hyperglycaemia, and other traditional risks, summating cardiovascular risks. Carotid-femoral PWV has been widely applied in Western countries and has been used as a gold-standard PWV measure. However, this measure has never been implemented by general practitioners in Japan, possibly because of methodological difficulties. The life expectancy of Japanese people is now the highest in the world, and the establishment of an adequate total vascular risk measure is an urgent need. Against this background, brachial-ankle PWV was developed at the beginning of this century. Summary: Measurement of this parameter is easy, and its reproducibility is good. Moreover, the generality of the methodology is guaranteed. Brachial-ankle PWV has been reported to consistently increase with most traditional cardiovascular risk factors except dyslipidaemia. A meta-analysis of cohort studies including various levels of risk has shown that a 1 m/s increase in brachial-ankle PWV is associated with a 12% increase in the risk of cardiovascular events. Moreover, simultaneous evaluation of the ankle-brachial index could allow further risk stratification of high-risk individuals, who are common in aged societies. This unique feature is indispensable for the management of aged populations, who usually are exposed to multiple risks and have polyvascular diseases. This evidence, however, is chiefly derived from East Asian countries. The collection of data from Caucasian populations, therefore, remains a task for the future. Key Message: Brachial-ankle PWV has the potential to become a measure of arterial stiffness worldwide.
High Testosterone Preoperative Plasma Levels Independently Predict Biopsy Gleason Score Upgrading in Men with Prostate Cancer Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy
Authors: Porcaro Antonio Benito , Petroziello Aldo , Brunelli Matteo , De Luyk Nicolò , Cacciamani Giovanni , Corsi Paolo , Sebben Marco , Tafuri Alessandro , Tamanini Irene , Caruso Beatrice , Ghimenton Claudio , Monaco Carmelo , Artibani Walter
Published: February 2016

Purpose: The study aims to investigate the potential associations between preoperative plasma levels of total testosterone (TT) and biopsy Gleason score (bGS) upgrading in prostate cancer (PCA) patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP). Materials and Methods: Exclusion criteria were treatment with 5α-reductase inhibitors, LH-releasing hormone analogues or testosterone replacement. Criteria of bGS upgrading were as follows: (i) bGS 6 to pathological Gleason score (pGS) >6, (ii) bGS 7 with pattern 3 + 4 to pGS 7 with pattern 4 + 3 or to pGS >7, (iii) bGS 7 with pattern 4 + 3 to pGS >7. Patients who showed bGS >7 were excluded from the cohort. Results: The study included 209 patients. Tumor upgrading was assessed in 76 (36.4%) cases of the entire cohort, in 51 out of 130 cases (39.2%) of the bGS 6 group and 25 out of 79 patients (31.6%) in the bGS 7 cluster. Logistic regression models showed that independent clinical covariates predicting the risk of bGS upgrading included TT (OR 1.058; p = 0.027) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density (OR 23.3; p = 0.008) as well as TT (OR 1.057; p = 0.029) with PSA (OR 1.061; p = 0.023). The model suggests that 1 unit increase in TT plasma levels increases the odds of bGS upgrading by 5.8 or 5.7%. Conclusions: In summary, we have determined that high TT preoperative plasma levels independently predict bGS upgrading in men with PCA undergoing RP. Preoperative plasma levels of TT might be included as a potential marker for assessing the risk bGS upgrading.
Association between Plaque Score of the Carotid Artery and the Severity of Sleep Apnea Syndrome in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Hasegawa Daisuke , Tanaka Akihito , Inaguma Daijo , Ito Eri , Kamegai Naoki , Kato Akiko , Mizutani Minami , Shimogushi Hiroya , Shinjo Hibiki , Otsuka Yasuhiro , Takeda Asami
Published: February 2016

Background: Recently, sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) has been associated with hypertension, cardiovascular disease and death. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have higher rates of SAS, atherosclerotic complications and death than do patients without CKD. Although the relationship between SAS and atherosclerosis is well known, few papers have described this relationship in humans, especially in CKD patients. Patients and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 110 clinically stable, non-dialysis patients with CKD who attended a CKD educational program from April 2014 to September 2015. The diagnosis of SAS and its severity were assessed using a type 3 portable monitor. Other atherosclerosis-related data were obtained from the patients' medical records in order to determine the factors associated with the severity of SAS. Results: 95 men and 15 women with a mean age of 71.4 ± 9.9 years were included in the study. The patients' mean body mass index was 24.0 ± 3.9, their mean blood pressure 134.3 ± 21.2/73.6 ± 13.4 mm Hg and their mean estimated glomerular filtration rate 19.8 ± 9.5 ml/min/1.7 m2. Adjusted plaque score was a significant predictor of severe SAS (odds ratio = 1.13, p = 0.0182). Mixed plaque was significantly associated with severe SAS (correlation ratio = 0.48, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Many patients with CKD also have SAS. Our findings demonstrate the relationship between plaque score and the severity of SAS.
Plexiform Fibrohistiocytic Tumor on the Ear: Case Report and Immunohistochemical Investigation of Stromal Factor
Authors: Shido Kosuke , Fujimura Taku , Kakizaki Aya , Furudate Sadanori , Asano Masayuki , Aiba Setsuya
Published: February 2016

Plexiform fibrohistiocytic tumor (PFT) is a rare mesenchymal neoplasm of intermediate malignant potential with a high local recurrence rate. In this report, we describe a case of PFT on the ear, which showed a dense deposition of periostin (POSTN) in the stromal areas of the tumor. In addition, dense infiltration of CD163+CD206- tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) was detected in the same areas as POSTN. Since POSTN was previously reported to possess immunomodulatory effects on TAMs, our present report suggested the significance of the POSTN/TAMs axis in the progression of PFT.
Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate: Fit for What Purpose?
Authors: Warnock David G.
Published: February 2016

There is important nosologic utility in staging chronic kidney disease (CKD) based on estimates of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). These equations have been optimized for estimating GFR at a single point in time. Risk assessment models used for prognosis of specified outcome events have commonly incorporated estimated GFR (eGFR), but the validity of this approach has not been evaluated. The current objective is to evaluate the risk of all-cause mortality over a 10-year follow-up period with multivariable-adjusted Cox regression analysis, comparing CKD stages based on eGFR to Cockcroft-Gault estimated creatinine clearance (eCrCl). There were significant differences between Stage 3A and Stage 3B-5 hazard ratios for all-cause mortality (p = 0.003) using eCrCl categories, but not for the same eGFR categories (p = 0.241). Discrimination analysis showed that a clinically significant difference (relative integrated discrimination improvement 778.6%; p = 0.001) was observed between the 2 models for the age strata ≤64. While eGFR is more precise and accurate than the Cockcroft Gault equation for estimating measured GFR at a single point in time, eGFR does not perform as well as eCrCl for assessing risk of all-cause mortality over 10-year follow-up intervals.
New Management Strategies in Heart Failure
Authors: Owens Anjali Tiku , Brozena Susan C. , Jessup Mariell
Published: February 2016

Despite >100 clinical trials, only 2 new drugs had been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of chronic heart failure in more than a decade: the aldosterone antagonist eplerenone in 2003 and a fixed dose combination of hydralazine–isosorbide dinitrate in 2005. In contrast, 2015 has witnessed the Food and Drug Administration approval of 2 new drugs, both for the treatment of chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: ivabradine and another combination drug, sacubitril/valsartan or LCZ696. Seemingly overnight, a range of therapeutic possibilities, evoking new physiological mechanisms, promise great hope for a disease that often carries a prognosis worse than many forms of cancer. Importantly, the newly available therapies represent a culmination of basic and translational research that actually spans many decades. This review will summarize newer drugs currently being used in the treatment of heart failure, as well as newer strategies increasingly explored for their utility during the stages of the heart failure syndrome.
Myocarditis
Authors: Fung Gabriel , Luo Honglin , Qiu Ye , Yang Decheng , McManus Bruce
Published: February 2016

Viral myocarditis remains a prominent infectious-inflammatory disease for patients throughout the lifespan. The condition presents several challenges including varied modes of clinical presentation, a range of timepoints when patients come to attention, a diversity of approaches to diagnosis, a spectrum of clinical courses, and unsettled perspectives on therapeutics in different patient settings and in the face of different viral pathogens. In this review, we examine current knowledge about viral heart disease and especially provide information on evolving understanding of mechanisms of disease and efforts by investigators to identify and evaluate potential therapeutic avenues for intervention.
Smad4 Deficiency in Smooth Muscle Cells Initiates the Formation of Aortic Aneurysm
Authors: Zhang Peng , Hou Siyuan , Chen Jicheng , Zhang Jishuai , Lin Fuyu , Ju Renjie , Cheng Xuan , Ma Xiaowei , Song Yao , Zhang Youyi , Zhu Minsheng , Du Jie , Lan Yu , Yang Xiao
Published: February 2016

Rationale:

Aortic aneurysm is a life-threatening cardiovascular disorder caused by the predisposition for dissection and rupture. Genetic studies have proved the involvement of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) pathway in aortic aneurysm. Smad4 is the central mediator of the canonical TGF-β signaling pathway. However, the exact role of Smad4 in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) leading to the pathogenesis of aortic aneurysms is largely unknown.

Objective:

To determine the role of smooth muscle Smad4 in the pathogenesis of aortic aneurysms.

Methods and Results:

Conditional gene knockout strategy combined with histology and expression analysis showed that Smad4 or TGF-β receptor type II deficiency in SMCs led to the occurrence of aortic aneurysms along with an upregulation of cathepsin S and matrix metallopeptidase-12, which are proteases essential for elastin degradation. We further demonstrated a previously unknown downregulation of matrix metallopeptidase-12 by TGF-β in the aortic SMCs, which is largely abrogated in the absence of Smad4. Chemotactic assay and pharmacologic treatment demonstrated that Smad4-deficient SMCs directly triggered aortic wall inflammation via the excessive production of chemokines to recruit macrophages. Monocyte/macrophage depletion or blocking selective chemokine axis largely abrogated the progression of aortic aneurysm caused by Smad4 deficiency in SMCs.

Conclusions:

The findings reveal that Smad4-dependent TGF-β signaling in SMCs protects against aortic aneurysm formation and dissection. The data also suggest important implications for novel therapeutic strategies to limit the progression of the aneurysm resulting from TGF-β signaling loss-of-function mutations.
Red Shift: Cildo Meireles and the Definition of the Political-Conceptual
Authors: Maroja Camila
Published: February 2016

This article examines Cildo Meireles's refusal to describe Red Shift, his 1984 installation, as conceptual, political art. I use his rejection of these terms to reconsider conventional categories of the political in Latin American conceptualism as these have been historicized in the late 1990s and early 2000s. I argue that the artist builds his notions of conceptual and political art based on socio-artistic theories propagated in the short-lived but highly influential publication, Malasartes. This groundbreaking magazine, founded by Meireles and eight others in 1975, published texts crucial to Brazilian art history and translated international articles. These shaped the theoretical ideas that would inform the Brazilian art scene in the 1970s. Revisiting theses debates permits a deeper understanding of Meireles's view of art and politics. Revealing, in particular, the manner in which this generation of artists criticized the incipient art market in Brazil, then seen as synonymous with the larger art system. Proposing a differentiated art history, offering an autochthonous point of view, Malasartes's editors challenged the traditional view of the artwork as an isolated, commodified object, inserted in larger art movements through the stultifying imposition of stylistic categories on the artist. This critique of the art market helps to explain Meireles's stance on rejecting identification as a conceptual and political artist, despite the fact that his opus can be seen as both political and conceptual.
Artistic Awakening in Ankara (1953)
Authors: Ecevit Bülent
Published: February 2016

This essay analyzes three polemic newspaper articles written in the early 1950s by the art critic, gallerist, and future Turkish prime minister Bülent Ecevit (1925–2006), “Artistic Awakening in Ankara” (1953), “The Artist and Politics” (1954), and “The Burden of the Intellectual” (1956). It argues that Ecevit's articles document a local intelligentsia's efforts to theorize the role of art in Turkish society at a crucial moment of political transformation. As Turkey abandoned its authoritarian past in order to conduct its inaugural experiment with multi-party democracy, Ecevit's columns took up two of the period's most pressing questions: the extent to which the state should control the local art world, and in what ways Turkey's newly enfranchised citizens might enact their individual rights within the realm of culture. The essay also demonstrates the importance of these three articles to Ecevit's subsequent political and intellectual trajectory: they were central to his lifelong efforts to continue the progressive social and political modernization project of the early Turkish Republic, while developing new forums for its critique, reinterpretation, and reinvigoration.
Dissecting Dissent and its Discontents
Authors: Gurshtein Ksenya
Published: February 2016

This review of Antipolitics in Central European Art: Reticence as Dissidence under Post-Totalitarian Rule 1956–1989 by Klara Kemp-Welch situates the book in the existing literature and discussions of post-war unofficial art in Central Europe and assesses the book's significant contributions, which include a transnational approach, an extensive analysis of six oeuvres created by unofficial artists through their socio-political contexts, and a rigorous interpretive framework built around the titular concept of “antipolitics,” which Kemp-Welch borrows from the Hungarian dissident writer György Konrád. The review, however, also suggests that applying a framework rooted in the writings of political dissidents to unofficial art risks reducing complex and ambiguous works too much to local politics and thus reinforcing Cold War assumptions about art from the former East.
Sentencing, Judicial Discretion, and Political Prisoners in Pre-War Nazi Germany
Authors: Geerling Wayne , Magee Gary B. , Smyth Russell
Published: February 2016

The tools of econometric analysis and inferential statistics reveal that senior Nazi-era judges in pre-war Germany exhibited statistically significant levels of discretion in their sentencing of individuals convicted of high treason or treason. In fact, some of these judges, though appointed to the People’s Court to serve the Nazi state, were inclined to show relative leniency, within certain political limits, when taking into account the characteristics, backgrounds, affiliations, actions, and experiences of those whom they convicted. A modicum of judicial autonomy can co-exist with dictatorship so long as it enhances the efficiency of the courts and does not impugn the regime.
Chasing a Dark Horse
Authors: Hullinger David
Published: February 2016

This paper argues that the addressee of Anacreon 417pmg, or the ‘Thracian filly’ fragment, is a virgin girl instead of ahetaira. This identification is substantiated by contextualizing the fragment within Anacreon’s corpus, by engaging in a close reading of the fragment, and by linking the fragment to theOdesof Horace. The analysis of these sources reveals an erotic chase pattern in which an experienced man pursues a youthful object of desire and suggests that this chase pattern was employed by Anacreon to compose amatory poems outside the context of the symposium.
Divine Revelation and Human Reasoning
Authors: Eidhamar Levi Geir
Published: February 2016

This article is based on qualitative interviews with 20 heterosexual and 4 lgbt Norwegian Muslims, aged between 18 and 32 years. It explores how the respondents correlate divine revelation and human reasoning in reflecting about questions such as: Did God create homosexuality? Is homosexuality a test from God? Is homosexuality a problem for society? Will non-hetero sexuality be punished in the afterlife? Is it possible to interpret the Quran in a lgbt-friendly way? The various kinds of correlation between divine revelation and human reasoning is analysed using a two-dimensional typology specifically designed for this purpose: double set of consequences (a), afterlife consequences (b), progressive interpretation (c) and eclecticism (d). This typology is empirically-grounded, based on coding of the interviews. The typology contributed to clarifying the internal differentiations within respectively restrictive and affirmative attitudes concerning homosexuality. A minority regarded homosexuality to be a problem – both for this life and life after death. The majority regarded afterlife consequences for lgbts to be the sole problem. Two lgbts interpreted the Quran progressively, and experienced harmony between their religious and sexual identity. Two other lgbts read the Quran restrictively, partly disagreeing with – and not implementing – the perceived Quranic rules.
Framing a Modern Umma
Authors: Weismann Itzchak
Published: February 2016

This article’s point of departure is that da‘wa – the preaching or call to Islam – rather than jihad constitutes the backbone of modern organized Islamic action. The Society of the Muslim Brothers made it the essence of its mission since its foundation in 1928, turning its main thrust inwards, toward the Muslims themselves. Focusing on its processes of framing within the social movement theory approach, the essay analyzes three generations of Muslim Brothers and related Islamist thinkers in three concentric geographical circles: Banna, the Egyptian founding father, who strove to re-Islamize society of Christian missionary and Western secular materialism; his moderate successors such as Sa‘id Hawwa and Fathi Yakan, who struggled to overcome the double challenge of the ordeal they suffered by the Arab authoritarian regimes and of Sayyid Qutb’s radical response; and the contemporary Islamic thinkers Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Tariq Ramadan, who seek to remold it as a dialogue and example in the Western and global environments. I argue that this resilience of the Muslim Brotherhood’s da‘wa is an important key to its survival and to the viability of its ongoing project of framing the modern umma.
Conjectures on Solṭānᶜalīshāh, the Valāyat-nāme and Shiite Sufi authority
Authors: van den Bos Matthijs
Published: February 2016

Few concepts if any are more central to Shiite Sufism (as to Shiism generally) thanvalāyat, and the current essay briefly explores its significance in and around an Iranian treatise of the early twentieth-century named theValāyat-nāme. Three perspectives frame the discussion: the modern theory of friendship generally, Christian mystical and Islamic concepts of Friendship with God, and (Sunni and) Shiite Sufi authority. It is proposed that typical Islamic formulations of Friendship with God are particularised from their mentioned Christian and secular counterparts by the Friend’s conception as an initiatory patron, which provides a basis to Sufi authority. Given that Sufi claims to patronage remain contested in Shiite spheres, where legitimacy is predicated on subordination to the Imamate, ambiguous articulations of hierarchy are crucial to understanding Shiite Sufi authority. TheValāyat-nāmeread thus sheds light on the downfall of its author, the Sufi master Solṭānᶜalīshāh (d.1909). The latter’s projection of spiritual authority unravelled on interrelated religious, economic and political grounds, in the context of the Constitutional Revolution in early twentieth-century provincial Khorasan.
Commelina catharinensis (Commelinaceae): a narrow endemic and endangered new species from Santa Catarina, southern Brazil
Authors: Hassemer Gustavo , Ferreira João Paulo Ramos , Funez Luís Adriano , Medeiros João de Deus
Published: February 2016

This contribution presents and describes Commelina catharinensis, a new, narrow endemic species only known from two very restricted areas of coastal vegetation in Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil. Both localities where this species has been collected are currently highly threatened by both legal and illegal urban advance. The new species classifies as endangered (EN) according to the IUCN criteria. We also provide here the first identification key to the species of Commelina that occur in Santa Catarina.
The genus Pirenella Gray, 1847 (= Cerithideopsilla Thiele, 1929) (Gastropoda: Potamididae) in the Indo-West Pacific region and Mediterranean Sea
Authors: REID DAVID G. , OZAWA TOMOWO
Published: February 2016

Members of the genus Pirenella are abundant inhabitants of intertidal sedimentary shores, often found in association with mangroves, on the continental margins of the western Pacific and Indian Oceans, and eastern Mediterranean Sea. Until recently, four morphological species were recognised in the tropical Indo-West Pacific region and classified in the genus Cerithideopsilla, while another species occupying the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean was classified as Pirenella conica. Molecular phylogenetic analysis has demonstrated that all these species are congeneric and here it is shown that the valid name for the genus is Pirenella. A recently published molecular study recognised a total of 16 species and the present work is a systematic account of these species. Of the 16, nine are described as new. Other significant nomenclatural acts are: fixation of type species of Pirenella as Pirenella mammillata J.E. Gray, 1847; designation of neotypes for Cerithium alatum Philippi, 1849, Cerithium microptera Kiener, 1841, Cerithium conicum Blainville, 1829, Pirenella mammillata J.E. Gray, 1847 and Murex cingulatus Gmelin, 1791; designation of lectotype for Cerithium retiferum G.B. Sowerby II, 1855. The species accounts include full synonymies, detailed descriptions of shells (based on 831 museum samples), distribution records and maps, reviews of life history, of habitat and of ecology, and some images of radulae. Details of shell sculpture are adequate for the diagnosis of most species. Distorted shells are common in some populations and are suggested to represent parasitised individuals. Some species are pests of fishponds in Southeast Asia and P. conica is the intermediate host of a trematode responsible for the human disease heterophyiasis, while others are threatened by habitat destruction.
A Stochastic Model for Diagnosing Subtropical Humidity Dynamics with Stable Isotopologues of Water Vapor
Authors: Galewsky Joseph , Rabanus David
Published: February 2016

The humidity of the free troposphere can be modeled, to first order, in terms of cold-point dehydration, followed by moistening via mixing with boundary layer air. The relative balance between these processes is of prime interest for understanding interannual variability of humidity and for understanding the water vapor feedback. Measurements of water vapor isotopic composition can provide quantitative constraints on these processes. The authors developed a stochastic model that parameterizes water vapor isotopic composition in terms of these processes and fit the model parameters to data from the Chajnantor Plateau, Chile (23°S). For August–November 2012, the average mixing ratio was 1680 ppmv, with mean water vapor δD of −234‰ and mean deuterium excess of 21‰. The data were best fit by an asymmetric last-saturation distribution with mean last-saturation mixing ratio rs of 391 (+45, −75) ppmv, a median rs of 368 (+45, −75) ppmv, and a mean mixing fraction between the freeze-dried air and moist boundary layer air of . Measurements from August to November 2014 had an average mixing ratio of 2210 ppmv, an average δD of −220‰, and an average deuterium excess of 14‰. The last-saturation distribution for this period was less skewed than for 2012, with an average rs of 520 (+42, −75) ppmv and a median rs of 507 (+25, −75) ppmv. The mean mixing fraction for 2014 was . The results show that the moistening in 2014, relative to 2012, requires increases in both the last-saturation mixing ratio and the postcondensation moistening and illustrate the utility of isotopic measurements for constraining the processes governing subtropical humidity.