bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protein misfolding diseases: Prospects of pharmacological treatment
Authors: Gámez A. , Yuste‐Checa P. , Brasil S. , Briso‐Montiano Á. , Desviat L.R. , Ugarte M. , Pérez‐Cerdá C. , Pérez B.
Published: July 2017

Protein misfolding has been linked to numerous inherited diseases. Loss‐ and gain‐of‐function mutations (common features of genetic diseases) may cause the destabilization of proteins, leading to alterations in their properties and/or cellular location, resulting in their incorrect functioning. Misfolded proteins can, however, be rescued via the use of proteostasis regulators and/or pharmacological chaperones, suggesting that treatments with small molecules might be developed for a range of genetic diseases. This work describes the potential of these small molecules in this respect, including for the treatment of congenital disorder of glycosylation (CDG) due to phosphomannomutase 2 deficiency (PMM2‐CDG).
The pathological roles of NDRG2 in Alzheimer's disease, a study using animal models and APPwt‐overexpressed cells
Authors: Rong Xian‐Fang , Sun Ying‐Ni , Liu Dong‐Mei , Yin Hua‐Jing , Peng Ying , Xu Shao‐Feng , Wang Ling , Wang Xiao‐Liang
Published: July 2017

Aims

To investigate the roles of N‐myc downstream‐regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) in the pathology of aging and neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Results

In this study, we confirmed the upregulation of NDRG2 in the brains of aging and AD animal models. To explore the role of NDRG2 in the pathology of AD at molecular level, we conducted a cell‐based assay of highly expressed wild‐type human APP695 SK‐N‐SH cells (SK‐N‐SH APPwt). By silencing and overexpressing gene of NDRG2, we demonstrated that NDRG2‐mediated increase in Aβ1‐42 was through the pathways of BACE1 and GGA3. NGRG2 improved tau phosphorylation via enhanced activity of CDK5 and decreased Pin1, but it was not affected by GSK3β pathway. NDRG2 might also induce cell apoptosis through the extrinsic (caspase 8) apoptotic pathway by interaction with STAT3.

Conclusion

Our study confirmed the upregulation of NDRG2 in AD animal models and demonstrated its important roles in AD pathology. NDRG2 might be a potential target for studying and treatment of AD.
Association between left ventricular perfusion defects and myocardial deformation indexes in heart transplantation recipients
Authors: D'Andrea Antonello , De Rimini Maria Luisa , America Raffaella , Cirillo Chiara , Riegler Lucia , Limongelli Giuseppe , D'Alto Michele , Salerno Gemma , Maiello Ciro , Muto Pietro , Russo Maria Giovanna , Calabrò Raffaele , Bossone Eduardo , Pacileo Giuseppe
Published: July 2017

The aim of the study was to analyze possible correlations between strain echocardiography (STE) and PET myocardial perfusion in a population of heart transplantation (HTx) recipients showing preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction. By STE, LV global longitudinal strain (LV GLS) was lower in HTx. PET showed no transient or chronic ischemia in 83 of 115 HTx (73%). Fixed perfusion defects were observed in 17% of HTx and reversible ischemia in 10%. Significant coronary stenosis was observed only in 10 cases. GLS was independently associated with age at HTx and fixed perfusion defects (HR 0.41; P<.001). Such relationships underline STE ability to early identify HTx pts with subclinical myocardial dysfunction during long‐term follow‐up.
Direct acting oral anticoagulants for the treatment of suspected heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia
Authors: Davis Kyle A. , Davis Daphne O.
Published: July 2017

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) therapy in hospitalized patients with suspected heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia (HIT).

Methods

Retrospective cohort study of adult patients prescribed apixaban, dabigatran, or rivaroxaban for the treatment of acute HIT from January 1, 2013 to January 1, 2017. Eligibility requirements included an intermediate or high pretest probability for HIT (4T score≥4) and a positive IgG‐specific anti‐PF4/heparin complex assay. The primary outcome measure was the composite of newly diagnosed venous or arterial thromboembolism, gangrene, or amputation due to critical limb ischemia during hospitalization.

Results

A total of 12 patients were included for analysis, five of which experienced HIT‐related thrombosis prior to initiation of DOAC therapy. Seven patients received parenteral therapy with argatroban prior to initiation of DOAC treatment. Nine patients were treated with apixaban while three received rivaroxaban for an average of 9.33 days while hospitalized. Zero patients experienced the primary outcome of HIT‐related thrombosis, and no patients experienced major bleeding post DOAC initiation. All patients achieved platelet recovery while receiving DOAC therapy.

Conclusions

In this small retrospective study of adult patients treated for acute HIT, treatment with DOAC therapy was not associated with in‐hospital thrombotic or hemorrhagic events.
Informed Options Trading Prior to Dividend Change Announcements
Authors: Zhang Jun
Published: July 2017

This paper investigates the information content of options trading prior to dividend change announcements. I find a positive (negative) relation between pre‐announcement abnormal implied volatility (IV) spread (abnormal IV skew) and cumulative abnormal stock returns around dividend change announcements. The predictive power of informed options trading is stronger for announcements of dividend reduction and when the options market is more liquid relative to the stock market and weaker when information has already been incorporated in the stock market. The predictability of informed options trading is robust to a placebo test and alternative measures of informed options trading. Overall results suggest that informed options trading predicts dividend change announcement returns.
Constraining the timing of the Great Oxidation Event within the Rubisco phylogenetic tree
Authors: Kacar B. , Hanson‐Smith V. , Adam Z. R. , Boekelheide N.
Published: July 2017

Ribulose 1,5‐bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO, or Rubisco) catalyzes a key reaction by which inorganic carbon is converted into organic carbon in the metabolism of many aerobic and anaerobic organisms. Across the broader Rubisco protein family, homologs exhibit diverse biochemical characteristics and metabolic functions, but the evolutionary origins of this diversity are unclear. Evidence of the timing of Rubisco family emergence and diversification of its different forms has been obscured by a meager paleontological record of early Earth biota, their subcellular physiology and metabolic components. Here, we use computational models to reconstruct a Rubisco family phylogenetic tree, ancestral amino acid sequences at branching points on the tree, and protein structures for several key ancestors. Analysis of historic substitutions with respect to their structural locations shows that there were distinct periods of amino acid substitution enrichment above background levels near and within its oxygen‐sensitive active site and subunit interfaces over the divergence between Form III (associated with anoxia) and Form I (associated with oxia) groups in its evolutionary history. One possible interpretation is that these periods of substitutional enrichment are coincident with oxidative stress exerted by the rise of oxygenic photosynthesis in the Precambrian era. Our interpretation implies that the periods of Rubisco substitutional enrichment inferred near the transition from anaerobic Form III to aerobic Form I ancestral sequences predate the acquisition of Rubisco by fully derived cyanobacterial (i.e., dual photosystem‐bearing, oxygen‐evolving) clades. The partitioning of extant lineages at high clade levels within our Rubisco phylogeny indicates that horizontal transfer of Rubisco is a relatively infrequent event. Therefore, it is possible that the mutational enrichment periods between the Form III and Form I common ancestral sequences correspond to the adaptation of key oxygen‐sensitive components of Rubisco prior to, or coincident with, the Great Oxidation Event.
University governance in flux. The impact of external and internal pressures on the distribution of authority within British universities: A synoptic view
Authors: Shattock Michael
Published: July 2017

This article reviews changes in British university governance over a period of nearly a century. During this time there have been considerable changes in the way universities have distributed authority in governance although the legal frameworks, statutory and legislative, have remained largely unchanged. The article shows that there were distinct phases in the internal balances within governance structures and relates these to external pressures, mostly state driven. Critics of current trends in university governance tend to look back to a utopian traditional model but the evidence suggests that the internal balances were always to a considerable extent contingent on external conditions and fluctuated accordingly. There is no evidence that while the state applied pressure for change in various aspects of governance it substantially intervened to impose constitutional changes except in respect to the Higher Education corporation (HEC) structure for the former polytechnics in 1988 and that, in its most managerial details, was in response to demands from the polytechnic directors themselves. The changes in how authority is distributed were therefore decided by the institutions themselves albeit in response to external pressures. But the article suggests that institutions’ responses were variable and that where a strong research culture existed the accumulation of social capital was such that radical changes in the distribution of authority were resisted. One consequence is that there is now much greater diversity in institutional governance structures with some pre‐1992 universities leaning much more towards HEC models, some HECs edging towards more traditional models and some institutions preserving significant elements of authority which others would regard as utopian. In Britain, reputation, research success and brand image are closely associated with the latter.
Reading the March: Interpretations and Constructions of the Welsh Marcher Lordships and the Church in Wales, c. 1100–1284
Authors: Julian‐Jones Melissa
Published: July 2017

Reading historians' views on the March of Wales from the 19th century onwards reveals a range of interpretations of the region, but these have been predominantly secular in nature. Historical constructions of Marcher lordship have varied depending on the way historiographical trends have developed, and how this subject could be placed and understood within frameworks for understanding the medieval history of England and Wales as a whole. Not since the mid‐20th century have scholars dealt with the relationship between the Church in Wales and the impact this had on the constructions and development of Marcher lordships. This article explores this gap, focusing on the interplay between Church and lordship and the scope for further exploration of earlier, influential ideas, such as R. R. Davies' view that the church in the Wales played a ‘subjugation’ role in support of the military conquest, and the more nuanced observations of Glanmor Williams, who allowed for a more complicated picture to emerge based on brief analysis of certain events before 1282. In following the threads of these scholars and highlighting more recent studies, particularly in the field of family studies, where individual case studies of Marcher families has revealed more of this complex picture, this article argues for a microcosmic approach to tackle the gap and opens up avenues for future studies.
The Secularity of Empire, the Violence of Critique: Muslims, Race, and Sexuality in the Politics of Knowledge‐Production
Authors: Thobani Sunera
Published: July 2017

In the volatile conflicts that inaugurated the twenty‐first century, secularism, democracy, and freedom were identified by Western nation‐states as symbolizing their civilizational values, in contrast to the fanaticism, misogyny, and homophobia they attributed to “Islam.” The figure of the Muslim was thus transformed into an existential threat. This paper analyzes an exchange among scholars—Is Critique Secular? Blasphemy, Injury, and Free Speech—that engages these highly contested issues. As such, the text provides a rare opportunity to study how particular significations of the West, its epistemological tradition, and its relation with Islam are contested and negotiated in a critically engaged site during a moment of global crisis. My reading of the text leads me to argue that the stabilization of the epistemic power of the West is presently reliant on a new iteration of its foundational philosophical concepts to suppress counter‐hegemonic narratives that foreground its forms of violence. Further, the terrain for this reshaping of the dominance of this tradition is gender/sexuality, such that queer politics are located at the forefront of the Western politico‐philosophical project. As such, the advancement of this tradition is co‐constitutive with that of the gendered‐sexual subject as emblematic of its highest civilizational values.
Measuring the social responsibility of European companies: a goal programming approach
Authors: García‐Martínez Gabriel , Guijarro Francisco , Poyatos Juan A.
Published: July 2017

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) can be measured by a number of different criteria, some of which are similar to each other, while others can be manifestly contrary to the general tendency. This means that some companies can obtain a good valuation in some criteria but a bad valuation in others, which makes it difficult to assess the company's overall CSR valuation. It is not easy to find a single measure that covers all aspects of corporate social performance. This paper aims to estimate multicriteria CSR performance through different models of goal programming and by taking into account all the dimensions that make up CSR. An illustrative example shows the result of applying these models to a database composed of 212 European companies, which enabled us to identify the most socially responsible group, regardless of the approach considered in the construction of the multicriteria performance. The results show that environmental and corporate governance dimensions are the most important elements in measuring this performance.
Rotors exhibit greater surface ECG variation during ventricular fibrillation than focal sources due to wavebreak, secondary rotors, and meander
Authors: Ho Gordon , Villongco Christopher T. , Yousefian Omid , Bradshaw Aaron , Nguyen Andrew , Faiwiszewski Yonatan , Hayase Justin , Rappel Wouter‐Jan , McCulloch Andrew D. , Krummen David E.
Published: July 2017

Introduction

Ventricular fibrillation is a common life‐threatening arrhythmia. The ECG of VF appears chaotic but may allow identification of sustaining mechanisms to guide therapy.

Hypothesis

We hypothesized that rotors and focal sources manifest distinct features on the ECG, and computational modeling may identify mechanisms of such features.

Methods

VF induction was attempted in 31 patients referred for ventricular arrhythmia ablation. Simultaneous surface ECG and intracardiac electrograms were recorded using biventricular basket catheters. Endocardial phase maps were used to mechanistically classify each VF cycle as rotor or focally driven. ECGs were analyzed from patients demonstrating both mechanisms in the primary analysis and from all patients with induced VF in the secondary analysis. The ECG voltage variation during each mechanism was compared. Biventricular computer simulations of VF driven by focal sources or rotors were created and resulting ECGs of each VF mechanism were compared.

Results

Rotor‐based VF exhibited greater voltage variation than focal source‐based VF in both the primary analysis (n = 8, 110 ± 24% vs. 55 ± 32%, P = 0.02) and the secondary analysis (n = 18, 103 ± 30% vs. 67 ± 34%, P = 0.009). Computational VF simulations also revealed greater voltage variation in rotors compared to focal sources (110 ± 19% vs. 33 ± 16%, P = 0.001), and demonstrated that this variation was due to wavebreak, secondary rotor initiation, and rotor meander.

Conclusion

Clinical and computational studies reveal that quantitative criteria of ECG voltage variation differ significantly between VF‐sustaining rotors and focal sources, and provide insight into the mechanisms of such variation. Future studies should prospectively evaluate if these criteria can separate clinical VF mechanisms and guide therapy.
Cytomegaloviral hypophysitis in a simian immunodeficiency virus‐infected rhesus macaque (Macacca mulatta)
Authors: Berg Melissa R. , Owston Michael A. , Gauduin Marie‐Claire , Assaf Basel T. , Lewis Anne D. , Dick Edward J.
Published: July 2017

Rhesus macaques experimentally infected with Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) experience immunosuppression and often opportunistic infection. Among the most common opportunistic infections are rhesus cytomegalovirus (RhCMV), a ubiquitous betaherpesvirus that undergoes continuous low‐level replication in immunocompetent monkeys. Upon SIV‐mediated immunodeficiency, RhCMV reactivates and results in lesions in numerous organ systems including the nervous and reproductive systems. We report the first case of cytomegaloviral hypophysitis in a SIV‐immunocompromised rhesus macaque.
Epithelial cadherin disassociates from the lateral plasma membrane of uterine epithelial cells throughout pregnancy in a marsupial
Authors: Dudley Jessica S. , Murphy Christopher R. , Thompson Michael B. , McAllan Bronwyn M.
Published: July 2017

The uterine luminal epithelium is the first site of contact between fetal and maternal tissues during therian pregnancy and must undergo specialised changes for implantation of the blastocyst to be successful. These changes, collectively termed the plasma membrane transformation (PMT), allow the blastocyst to attach to the uterine epithelium preceding the formation of a placenta. There are similarities in the morphological and molecular changes occurring in live‐bearing eutherian species during the PMT studied so far. Similar cellular remodelling occurs in a marsupial species, the fat‐tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata), despite the divergence of marsupials from eutherian mammals over 130 mya, which resulted in the evolution of distinct reproductive strategies. Adhesion molecules along the lateral plasma membrane of uterine epithelium provide a barrier to invasion by the embryo. We thus characterised the presence and change in distribution of epithelial cadherin (E‐cadherin) in uterine epithelium from non‐pregnant fat‐tailed dunnarts and compared it to dunnarts in early‐, mid‐ and late‐stage pregnancy. E‐cadherin staining is localised to the lateral plasma membrane in uterine epithelium from non‐pregnant and early‐stage pregnant dunnarts. The E‐cadherin staining is cytoplasmic in epithelium from uteri of mid‐ and late‐stage pregnant dunnarts. This loss of localised staining suggests that the adherens junction dissociates from the lateral plasma membrane, allowing for invasion between the epithelial cells by the blastocyst. As the changes during pregnancy to cadherin were similar in the laboratory rat with highly invasive (haemochorial) placentation, a live‐bearing lizard species with non‐invasive (epitheliochorial) placentation and a marsupial, the fat‐tailed dunnart, which has invasive (endotheliochorial) placentation, we suggest that the molecular mechanisms allowing for successful pregnancy are conserved among mammals during the early stages of pregnancy regardless of placental invasiveness.
Age is not a bar to PCI: Insights from the long‐term outcomes from off‐site PCI in a real‐world setting
Authors: Gerber Robert T. , Arri Satpal S. , Mohamed Mohamed O. , Dhillon Gurpreet , Bandali Alykhan , Harding Idris , Gifford Jeremy , Sandler Belinda , Corbo Ben , McWilliams Eric
Published: July 2017

Objectives

We sought to analyze the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) outcomes of very elderly patients (V. Eld. group, age >80 years) and compare their outcomes to a less elderly cohort (Eld. group, age 75‐80 years) traditionally reported in the literature.

Background

Limited data exist on peri‐procedural and long‐term outcomes following PCI in the V. Eld. (age >80 years), with under‐representation of this cohort in randomized controlled trials. These patients present with advanced complex coronary disease and multiple comorbidities.

Methods

All 580 consecutive patients aged ≥75 years (age 80 ± 4.9 years, 57.4% males) undergoing PCI between April 2006 and November 2011 were included. A total of 624 consecutive lesions were identified and analyzed. All V. Eld. patients (n = 253) were subsequently selected, and their outcomes compared to Eld. patients (n = 327). Mean follow‐up was 30.8 ± 2.7 months with 98% clinical follow‐up achieved.

Results

All comparative data are expressed as (V. Eld. vs Eld.) unless otherwise specified. All‐cause mortality was significantly higher in the V. Eld. group (11.9% vs 6.1%), although this did not translate into a significant difference in cardiac mortality (6.3% vs 3.7%) or major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (16.2% vs 12.5%). The composite incidence of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, definite/probable stent thrombosis, and TIMI major bleed was 4.7%, 1.4% 1.9%, and 6.4%, respectively with no significant difference between both cohorts.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates an acceptable occurrence of MI, death, repeat intervention, and stent thrombosis in a high‐risk group of V. Eld. patients with de novo lesions. Age alone in the absence of other non‐cardiac factors should not prohibit a patient from access to PCI.
The economic burden of opioid prescription by dentists: A 12‐month survey of consumer expenditure in Brazil
Authors: Nogueira Tulio Eduardo , Lino Patrícia Azevedo , Martins Maria Auxiliadora Parreiras , Silva Maria Elisa Souza , Leles Claudio Rodrigues , Abreu Mauro Henrique Nogueira Guimarães
Published: July 2017

Objectives

To describe consumer expenditure on opioids prescribed by dentists in Brazil during a 12‐month period.

Methods

We surveyed individual dispensed prescriptions of opioids in private pharmacies from October 2012 to September 2013. A descriptive analysis of costs included a calculation of the overall and mean maximum price to consumers. Monetary costs were converted from local currency units (Brazilian Real – BRL) to international dollars using purchasing power parity (PPP) exchanging rates.

Results

129,708 prescriptions were retrieved from the database. The overall expenditure on opioids was R$4,316,383.46 BRL or $2,721,315.82 (PPP). The mean cost of an individual prescription was R$33.27 BRL ($20.98 PPP), ranging from 14.19 to 3,255.60 BRL. Codeine was frequently prescribed (87.2 percent).

Conclusions

The expenditure on opioids is a significant cost to Brazilian patients, especially given that the Brazilian Public Health System should dispense these drugs free of charge. Codeine was the most prescribed opioid.
Multiple phases of mg‐calcite in crustose coralline algae suggest caution for temperature proxy and ocean acidification assessment: lessons from the ultrastructure and biomineralization in Phymatolithon (Rhodophyta, Corallinales)1
Authors: Nash Merinda C. , Adey Walter
Published: July 2017

Magnesium content, strongly correlated with temperature, has been developed as a climate archive for the late Holocene without considering anatomical controls on Mg content. In this paper, we explore the ultrastructure and cellular scale Mg‐content variations within four species of North Atlantic crust‐forming Phymatolithon. The cell wall has radial grains of Mg‐calcite, whereas the interfilament (middle lamella) has grains aligned parallel to the filament axis. The proportion of interfilament and cell wall carbonate varies by tissue and species. Three distinct primary phases of Mg‐calcite were identified: interfilament Mg‐calcite (mean 8.9 mol% MgCO3), perithallial cell walls Mg‐calcite (mean 13.4 mol% MgCO3), and hypothallium Mg‐calcite (mean 17.1 mol% MgCO3). Magnesium content for the bulk crust, an average of all phases present, showed a strongly correlated (R2 = 0.975) increase of 0.31 mol% MgCO3 per °C. Of concern for climate reconstructions is the potential for false warming signals from undetected postgrazing wound repair carbonate that is substantially enriched in Mg, unrelated to temperature. Within a single crust, Mg‐content of component carbonates ranged from 8 to 20 mol% MgCO3, representing theoretical thermodynamic stabilities from aragonite‐equivalent to unstable higher‐Mg‐calcite. It is unlikely that existing current predictions of ocean acidification impact on coralline algae, based on saturation states calculated using average Mg contents, provide an environmentally relevant estimate.
Predicting Cost Escalation Pathways and Deviation Severities of Infrastructure Projects Using Risk‐Based Econometric Models and Monte Carlo Simulation
Authors: Bhargava Abhishek , Labi Samuel , Chen Sikai , Saeed Tariq Usman , Sinha Kumares C.
Published: July 2017

In the past decade, infrastructure‐related legislation in the United States has consistently emphasized the need to measure the variation associated with infrastructure project cost estimates. Such cost variability is best viewed from the perspective of the project development phases and how the project cost estimate changes as it evolves across these phases. The article first identifies a few gaps in the cost overrun literature. Then it introduces a methodology that uses risk‐based multinomial models and Monte Carlo simulation involving random draws to predict the probability that a project will follow a particular cost escalation pathway across its development phases and that it will incur a given level of cost deviation severity. The article then uses historical data to demonstrate how infrastructure agencies could apply the proposed methodology. Statistical models are developed to estimate the probability that a highway project will follow any specific cost escalation pathway and ultimately, a given direction and severity of cost deviation. The case study results provided some interesting insights. For a given highway functional class, larger project sizes are associated with lower probability of underestimating the final cost; however, such a trend is not exhibited by very large projects (total cost exceeding $30M). For a given project size, higher class roads were generally observed to have a lower probability of underestimating the final cost, compared to lower class roads and this gap in probability narrows as the project size increases. It was determined that a project's most likely pathway of cost escalation is not a guarantee that it will yield any particular direction of cost deviation. The case study results also confirmed the findings of a few past studies that the probabilities of cost escalation pathways and the cost overruns differ significantly across highway districts, and attributed this to differences in administrative culture and work practices across the districts. Infrastructure managers can use the developed methodology to identify which projects are likely to experience a particular pathway of cost escalation, the direction and severity of cost deviation, and to develop more realistic project contingency estimates.
Effects of resveratrol on eNOS in the endothelium and the perivascular adipose tissue
Authors: Xia Ning , Förstermann Ulrich , Li Huige
Published: July 2017

Under physiological conditions, nitric oxide (NO) is produced in the vasculature mainly by the endothelial NO synthase (eNOS). Experiments using gene‐disrupted mice have demonstrated that eNOS has antihypertensive, antithrombotic, and antiatherosclerotic effects. Recent studies show that eNOS is expressed not only in the endothelium but also in the perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT). Resveratrol prevents eNOS uncoupling and upregulates eNOS expression and activity. These effects of resveratrol are well established for the eNOS enzyme in the endothelium. Interestingly, resveratrol also improves PVAT function. However, a causal role for eNOS in the effects of resveratrol on PVAT function has not yet been verified and needs to be studied in the future.
Acute kidney injury in congenital cardiac surgery: Pediatric risk–injury–failure–loss–end‐stage renal disease and Acute Kidney Injury Network
Authors: Tanyildiz Murat , Ekim Mesiha , Kendirli Tanil , Tutar Ercan , Eyileten Zeynep , Ozcakar Zeynep Birsin , Kavaz Asli , Yalcınkaya Fatos , Uysalel Adnan , Atalay Semra
Published: July 2017

Background

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with an increased risk of mortality, especially in pediatric intensive care units. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors of AKI in children undergoing cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease and to compare two different classification systems: pediatric risk–injury–failure–loss–end‐stage renal disease (pRIFLE) and Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 145 patients undergoing pediatric congenital heart surgery who were between 1 month and 18 years of years, and treated at a cardiovascular surgery department from January 2009 to October 2011.

Results

One hundred and thirty‐seven patients (mean age, 36.6 ± 43.3 months) were enrolled: 84 (61.3%) developed AKI according to the pRIFLE criteria (25.5%, risk; 20.4%, injury; 15.3%, failure); and 65 patients (47.4%) developed AKI according to the AKIN criteria (15.3%, stage I; 18.2%, stage II; and 13.9%, stage III). Children younger than 11 months were more likely to develop AKI (P < 0.005). Longer cardiopulmonary bypass time was associated with an increased risk of AKI (P < 0.05). pRIFLE identified AKI more frequently than AKIN (P < 0.0005). pRIFLE may help in the early identification of patient at risk for AKI and seems to be more sensitive in pediatric patients (P < 0.05). Any degree of AKI in both classifications was associated with increased mortality (pRIFLE: OR, 15.1; AKIN: OR, 11.2; P = 0.007).

Conclusion

pRIFLE identified AKI more frequently than the AKIN criteria. pRIFLE identified patients at risk for AKI earlier, and was more sensitive in pediatric patients. Any degree of AKI in both classifications was associated with increased mortality. Both sets of criteria had the same association with mortality.
Incidence and risk factors of early surgical complications in young renal transplant recipients: A persistent challenge
Authors: Rodricks Nathan , Chanchlani Rahul , Banh Tonny , Borges Karlota , Vasilevska‐Ristovska Jovanka , Hebert Diane , Patel Viral , Lorenzo Armando J. , Parekh Rulan S.
Published: July 2017

There is a paucity of data on the rate of urological and vascular complications in very young children after kidney transplant. We conducted a study on the incidence and risk factors for early post‐transplant surgical complications in young recipients (<5 years) over three decades. The primary outcome was any urological or vascular complication within 30 days of transplant, and the secondary outcome was incidence rate of graft failure reported as per 1000 person‐years. Risk factors associated with surgical complications were analyzed by logistic regression. There were 22 (26.5%) complications in 21 children with vascular thrombosis being the most common complication. There was no significant difference in the number of complications in period 1 (1985‐1994) and period 2 (1995‐2014) (P=.1). The incidence rate of graft failure was higher in period 1 (IR 70.8, 95% CI 41.1, 121.9) compared to period 2 (IR 20.7, 95% CI 9.3, 46.0). Cumulative incidence of graft survival at 1, 3, and 5 years' post‐transplant was 96.5%, 92.6%, and 90%, respectively, in those without compared to 71%, 65.1%, and 58.6%, respectively, in children with complications. In conclusion, early surgical, especially vascular, complications are quite common in young renal transplant recipients and lead to significantly reduced graft survival.
Clinical practice patterns are relatively uniform between pediatric heart transplant centers: A survey‐based assessment
Authors: Castleberry Chesney , Ziniel Sonja , Almond Christopher , Auerbach Scott , Hollander Seth A. , Lal Ashwin K. , Fenton Matthew , Pahl Elfriede , Rossano Joseph W. , Everitt Melanie D. , Daly Kevin P.
Published: July 2017

Clinical practice variations are a barrier to the study of pediatric heart transplants and coordination of multicenter RCTs in this patient population. We surveyed centers to describe practice patterns, understand areas of variation, and willingness to modify protocol. Pediatric heart transplant centers were identified, and one survey was completed per center. Simple descriptive statistics were used. The response rate was 77% (40 responses from 52 contacted centers, 37 with complete responses). Median center volume of respondents was eight transplants/year (IQR 3‐19). Most centers reported tacrolimus (36/38, 95%) and mycophenolate mofetil (36/38, 95%) as maintenance immunosuppression. Other immunosuppression agents reported were cyclosporine (7/38, 18%), everolimus or sirolimus (3/38, 8%), and azathioprine (2/38, 5%). Overall, respondents answered similarly for questions regarding clinical practices including induction therapy, maintenance immunosuppression, and rejection treatment threshold (>85% agreement for all). Additionally, willingness to change clinical practices was over 70% for all practices surveyed (35 total respondents), and 97% of centers (36/37) were willing to participate in a RCT of maintenance immunosuppression. In conclusion, we found many similar clinical practice protocols. Most centers are willing to collaborate on a common protocol in order to participate in a RCT and support a trial investigating maintenance immunosuppression.
Oral health of pediatric liver transplant recipients
Authors: Sandoval Marίa José , Zekeridou Alkisti , Spyropoulou Vasiliki , Courvoisier Delphine , Mombelli Andrea , McLin Valérie , Giannopoulou Catherine
Published: July 2017

To evaluate oral health conditions in pediatric liver transplant recipients, with special focus on caries, green staining of the teeth, gingival bleeding, and gingival overgrowth. 40 patients (mean age 11.6 years) were examined at a routine follow‐up visit, 6 months to 16 years after liver transplantation at the Swiss Center for Liver Disease in Children. After the medical examination, participants were further examined for the presence of dental caries, periodontal disease, GE, and GTC. The mean decay, missing, and filled teeth (dmft/DMFT) score was 3.8. 45% of the participants presented at least one carious lesion. Two‐third of the participants had more than 20% of sites with the presence of plaque and gingival inflammation. Signs of GE were found in 18% and GTC in 30% of the participants. A positive correlation was identified between GTC and peak serum bilirubin (P<.001) and primary diagnosis of cholestatic disease (P=.04). Gingival inflammation was associated with plaque (P<.001), use of immunosuppressive medication (P=.04), and was more pronounced in children with cholestatic disease (P=.007). Children and young adults with liver transplants presented a rather poor oral health status. Liver transplant physicians should counsel patients for regular dental follow‐up in order to avoid serious dental infections.
Characteristics of the mass media's coverage of nuclear energy and its risk: A literature review
Authors: Kristiansen Silje
Published: July 2017

Media coverage of nuclear energy is a crucial source of information about the risk of nuclear energy for the general public. As a result, scholars of communication science are very interested in the media's coverage of the nuclear energy risk. This literature review provides an overview of the state of research in this field. This article will describe the findings of empirical research and focus on how much attention the nuclear energy issue receives from the media, the tone in which it is communicated, how it is framed, and how the media depict the risk of this technology. It also argues that empirical risk‐coverage studies would be more informative if they took a broader perspective on risk. Finally, it will discuss areas for future research.
Temporal and spatial transcriptomic and microRNA dynamics of CAM photosynthesis in pineapple
Authors: Wai Ching M. , VanBuren Robert , Zhang Jisen , Huang Lixian , Miao Wenjing , Edger Patrick P. , Yim Won C. , Priest Henry D. , Meyers Blake C. , Mockler Todd , Smith J. Andrew C. , Cushman John C. , Ming Ray
Published: July 2017

The altered carbon assimilation pathway of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis results in an up to 80% higher water‐use efficiency than C3 photosynthesis in plants making it a potentially useful pathway for engineering crop plants with improved drought tolerance. Here we surveyed detailed temporal (diel time course) and spatial (across a leaf gradient) gene and microRNA (miRNA) expression patterns in the obligate CAM plant pineapple [Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.]. The high‐resolution transcriptome atlas allowed us to distinguish between CAM‐related and non‐CAM gene copies. A differential gene co‐expression network across green and white leaf diel datasets identified genes with circadian oscillation, CAM‐related functions, and source‐sink relations. Gene co‐expression clusters containing CAM pathway genes are enriched with clock‐associated cis‐elements, suggesting circadian regulation of CAM. About 20% of pineapple microRNAs have diel expression patterns, with several that target key CAM‐related genes. Expression and physiology data provide a model for CAM‐specific carbohydrate flux and long‐distance hexose transport. Together these resources provide a list of candidate genes for targeted engineering of CAM into C3 photosynthesis crop species.
The Smirnov class for spaces with the complete Pick property
Authors: Aleman Alexandru , Hartz Michael , McCarthy John E. , Richter Stefan
Published: July 2017

We show that every function in a reproducing kernel Hilbert space with a normalized complete Pick kernel is the quotient of a multiplier and a cyclic multiplier. This extends a theorem of Alpay, Bolotnikov and Kaptanoğlu. We explore various consequences of this result regarding zero sets, spaces on compact sets and Gleason parts. In particular, using a construction of Salas, we exhibit a rotationally invariant complete Pick space of analytic functions on the unit disc for which the corona theorem fails.
Four‐dimensional analogues of Dehn's lemma
Authors: Ray Arunima , Ruberman Daniel
Published: July 2017

We investigate certain 4‐dimensional analogues of the classical 3‐dimensional Dehn's lemma, giving examples where such analogues do or do not hold, in the smooth and topological categories. In particular, we show that an essential 2‐sphere in the boundary of a simply connected 4‐manifold such that is null‐homotopic in need not extend to an embedding of a ball in . However, if has abelian fundamental group with boundary a homology sphere, then bounds a topologically embedded ball in . Additionally, we give examples where such an does not bound any smoothly embedded ball in . In a similar vein, we construct incompressible tori where is a contractible 4‐manifold such that extends to a map of a solid torus in , but not to any embedding of a solid torus in . Moreover, we construct an incompressible torus in the boundary of a contractible 4‐manifold such that extends to a topological embedding of a solid torus in but no smooth embedding. As an application of our results about tori, we address a question posed by Gompf about extending certain families of diffeomorphisms of 3‐manifolds; he has recently used such families to construct infinite order corks.
A spectral incarnation of affine character sheaves
Authors: Ben-Zvi David , Nadler David , Preygel Anatoly
Published: July 2017

We present a Langlands dual realization of the putative category of affine character sheaves. Namely, we calculate the categorical center and trace (also known as the Drinfeld center and trace, or categorical Hochschild cohomology and homology) of the affine Hecke category starting from its spectral presentation. The resulting categories comprise coherent sheaves on the commuting stack of local systems on the two-torus satisfying prescribed support conditions, in particular singular support conditions, which appear in recent advances in the geometric Langlands program. The key technical tools in our arguments are a new descent theory for coherent sheaves or ${\mathcal{D}}$-modules with prescribed singular support and the theory of integral transforms for coherent sheaves developed in the companion paper by Ben-Zvi et al. [Integral transforms for coherent sheaves, J. Eur. Math. Soc. (JEMS), to appear].
Turbulent Flame Characteristics of Oxycoal MILD Combustion
Authors: Liu Ruochen , An Enke
Published: July 2017

Oxycoal combustion was numerically simulated in a lab-scale cylindrical furnace (Φ200 mm × 2 m) with high-velocity oxygen jets. The mesoscopic characteristics of turbulent flame behavior such as nondimensional numbers ReT, Ka, and Da were calculated under different jet positions and jet spacing. The results show that for coflow burners, large spacing (L = 75 mm) is not favored due to poor radial mixing and the restriction of wall; except L = 75 mm, as jet spacing increases, the oxidizer flow could be internally diluted to a lower concentration and preheated to a higher temperature, at least 1000 K; for L = 60 mm conditions, the maximum temperature increase is lower than the ignition temperature (437 °C), they are, namely, oxycoal moderate or intense low oxygen dilution (MILD) combustion. For MILD conditions, the mesoscopic parameters of the flame front where temperature gradient is the largest locate in the distributed regime corresponding to l/lF > 1, ReT > 1, Kaδ > 1, and Da < 1, the global regime is depicted as 1 < l/lF < 4, 60 < ReT < 150, 50 < Ka < 500, and Da < 1; for flaming conditions, the regime is depicted as 1 < l/lF < 6, 40 < ReT < 110, 10 < Ka < 800, and Da < 1.
A Simplified Thermal Model and Comparison Analysis for a Stratospheric Lighter-Than-Air Vehicle
Authors: Zheng Wei , Zhang Xiangyi , Ma Rong , Li Yong
Published: July 2017

Transient thermal behavior modeling and simulation is a key issue in predicting flight performance of stratospheric lighter-than-air (LTA) vehicles, such as airships or balloons. To reduce computational load of the transient thermal model without significant loss of accuracy, first this paper adopted an analytical model of view factor from the element surfaces to the Earth and constructed a full distributed parameter transient thermal model. Then, the full model was validated by comparing the predictions obtained from the full model with the flight experimental data. The comparison results show that the divergence of the predicted average internal gas temperatures from the flight data is about 0.4%, and the divergence of the predicted envelop temperatures from the flight data is less than 2.4%. Furthermore, considering that the effect of the net radiation heat transfer among the inner surface enclosure on average internal gas temperature is far less than radiation heat transfer of the outer surfaces, the full model was simplified by omitting radiant heat exchange within the inner surface enclosure. The accuracy of the simplified model was investigated by comparing the predictions of average internal gas temperature and skin temperature distribution between the simplified model and full model under various conditions, such as flight time, altitude, and different external skin thermal properties. The comparison results indicate that the simplified model agrees well with the full model. The discrepancies of the predicted average internal gas temperature between the two models are less than 0.3% under most conditions, and the discrepancies of the predicted temperature distribution between the two models are also acceptable when the LTA vehicle, especially with low absorptivity/emissivity ratio coatings, operates at about 20 km altitude.
General Solution for Equation of Transient Heat Conduction in Functionally Graded Material Hollow Cylinder With Piezoelectric Internal and External Layers
Authors: Jabbari M. , Kiani M. A.
Published: July 2017

In this paper, the exact solution of the equation of transient heat conduction in two dimensions for a hollow cylinder made of functionally graded material (FGM) and piezoelectric layers is developed. Temperature distribution, as function of radial and circumferential directions and time, is analytically obtained for different layers, using the method of separation of variables and generalized Bessel function. The FGM properties are assumed to depend on the variable r, and they are expressed as power functions of r.
Intelligent Identification of Boiling Water Reactor State Utilizing Relevance Vector Regression Models
Authors: Alamaniotis Miltiadis , Cappelli Mauro
Published: July 2017

Modernization of reactor instrumentation and control systems is mainly characterized by the transition from analog to digital systems, expressed by replacement of hardware equipment with new software-driven devices. Digital systems may share intelligence capabilities where except for measuring and processing information may also make decisions. State identification systems are systems that process the measurements taken over operational variables and output the state of the reactor. This paper frames itself in the area of control systems applied to state identification of boiling water reactors (BWRs). It presents a methodology that utilizes machine learning tools, and more specifically, a set of relevance vector machines (RVMs) in order to process the incoming signals and identify the state of the BWR in real time. The proposed methodology is comprised of two stages: in the first stage, each RVM identifies the state of the BWR, while the second stage collects the RVM outputs and decides about the real state of the reactor adopting majority voting. The proposed methodology is tested on a set of real-world BWR data taken from the experimental FIX-II facility for recognizing various BWR loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs) as well as normal states. Results exhibit the efficiency of the methodology in correctly identifying the correct state of the BWR while promoting real time identification by providing fast responses. However, a strong dependence of identification performance on the form of kernel functions is also concluded.