bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical outcome after enteroscopy for small bowel angioectasia bleeding: A Korean Associateion for the Study of Intestinal Disease (KASID) multiceter study
Authors: Jeon Seong Ran , Byeon Jeong‐Sik , Jang Hyun Joo , Park Soo Jung , Im Jong Pil , Kim Eun Ran , Koo Ja Seol , Ko Bong Min , Chang Dong Kyung , Kim Jin‐Oh , Park Su Yeon ,   Small Intestine Research Group of the Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Disease (KASID)
Published: June 2016

Background and Aims

Angioectasias are the most common sources of bleeding in the small bowel. They can be treated using balloon‐assisted enteroscopy (BAE). This study aimed to identify the rebleeding rate and associated factors after BAE in patients with small bowel angioectasia bleeding.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the records of patients with bleeding due to small bowel vascular lesion in a multicenter enteroscopy database including 1108 BAEs. Finally, in rebleeding analysis, we analyzed 66 patients with angioectasia on the basis of the Yano‐Yamamoto classification. Patients who had undergone endotherapy (ET) were divided into ET (n = 45) and non‐ET (n = 21) groups. Rebleeding was defined as evidence of bleeding at least 30 days after BAE.

Results

Fifty‐three patients (80.4%) underwent only one‐side enteroscopy. The most common ET was argon plasma coagulation (87.2%). During a mean follow‐up duration of 24.5 months, ET and non‐ET groups had rebleeding rates of 15.6% and 38.1% (P = 0.059), respectively. Median rebleeding time of ET and non‐ET groups was 32.5 and 62 months, respectively. Liver cirrhosis (LC), low platelet count (< 105/μL), and transfusions were the rebleeding‐associated factors in the univariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, the presence of LC (HR 4.064, 95% CI 1.098–15.045; P = 0.036) was the only independent rebleeding‐associated risk factor.

Conclusions

ET using BAE did not significantly affect the rebleeding rate in patients with small bowel angioectasia bleeding. An independent rebleeding risk factor was the presence of LC. Regardless of ET, careful long‐term follow‐up may be needed, especially in LC patients with small bowel angioectasia bleeding.
Urinary Incontinence and Social Function in Older Australian Women
Authors: Vo Kha , Forder Peta M. , Byles Julie E.
Published: June 2016

Objectives

To investigate the relationship between urinary incontinence (UI) and subsequent development of social dysfunction, using longitudinal data collected over 15 years from women aged 70 and older.

Design

Longitudinal data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health.

Setting

Australia.

Participants

Women born between 1921 and 1926 (aged 70–75 in 1996, 85–90 in 2011) (N = 12,432).

Measurements

UI, social dysfunction, other health and demographic factors.

Results

Generalized estimating equations were used to examine the association between social dysfunction and UI over time, adjusted for time, health, and social covariates. Social dysfunction and UI increased over time in older women. UI was associated with 30% greater odds of social dysfunction (P < .001), adjusted for time, health, and social covariates in the model with no time lag. UI was also associated with social dysfunction measured one survey period later (forward time lag) (odds ratio (OR) = 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.13–1.34) and one survey period earlier (reverse time lag) (OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.19–1.43), indicating an absence of causality. Social dysfunction was associated with living in urban areas, more health conditions, poor mental health, providing care for other people, and poor physical function.

Conclusion

UI was associated with social dysfunction in older women, although the association did not appear to be causal but reflective of the women's overall level of function and general health. UI is not necessarily socially debilitating, unless a woman has other health problems.
Rectovaginal fistula: Twenty years of rectovaginal repair
Authors: Lo Tsia‐Shu , Huang Yu‐Hsin , Dass Anil Krishna , Karim Nazura , Uy‐Patrimonio Ma. Clarissa
Published: June 2016

Aim

To identify the favorable factors in rectovaginal fistula (RVF) management.

Methods

After Institutional Review Board approval (99‐0793B), we retrospectively studied all patients diagnosed, treated and followed up with RVF at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan between January 1990 and December 2009. All female patients with International Classification of Diseases RVF were included. We reviewed demographic data, socioeconomic status, clinical presentation, comorbidities, method of treatment, duration of hospitalization and clinical outcome at 12 months postoperatively.

Results

A total of 397 patients were included in the study. Fifty‐six patients (14.1%) had conservative treatment and 341 patients (85.9%) underwent surgical intervention. A total of 125 patients underwent simple repair while 216 patients underwent reconstruction. Three hundred and forty‐four patients (86.7%) had improved outcome at 12‐month follow up. Age (P = 0.003), education level (P = 0.033), ability to pay insurance (P < 0.001), and choice of treatment (P < 0.0001) were identified as significant favorable factors. An etiological factor associated with favorable outcome was RVF from obstetric complication, while that resulting from malignancy had a less favorable outcome.

Conclusions

Age, education level and ability to pay insurance significantly affect 12‐month outcome of RVF. Surgery is the preferred option, while medical treatment should be used only for small rectovaginal fistulas or for patients not suitable for surgery and anesthesia. More support and assistance should be offered to those patients with unfavorable factors, such as old age, low education level and inability to afford insurance. All RVF secondary to obstetrical injury had a 100% favorable outcome compared with those secondary to surgery or malignancy. Women with suspected RVF should receive prompt and extensive evaluation to ensure immediate effective management and prevention of further serious complications.
Chorionic villous sampling through transvaginal ultrasound approach: A retrospective analysis of 1138 cases
Authors: Kamath Mohan S. , Pradhan Sujata , Edison Eunice Sindhuvi , Velayudhan Shaji Ramachandran , Antonisamy Belavendra , Karthikeyan Muthukumar , Mangalaraj Ann M. , Kunjummen Aleyamma , George Korula
Published: June 2016

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a transvaginal approach for chorionic villous sampling (CVS).

Methods

We carried out a retrospective data analysis of all the transvaginal CVS procedures performed for the purpose of prenatal diagnosis in a university‐level referral center between January 2000 and December 2014. Women underwent the prenatal testing between 10 and 17 weeks of gestation mainly for hematological disorders involving single gene defects. The main outcomes were successful sampling rate, maternal contamination rate, post‐procedure complications rates, and immediate fetal loss rate (<14 days post‐procedure).

Results

A total of 1138 transvaginal CVS were performed during the study period and were available for analysis. The sampling success rate after the first attempt was 98.5% (1121/1138) and the overall success rate was 99.6% (1133/1138). The maternal contamination rate was 0.4% (5/1138). While two patients had vaginal bleeding (0.2%), fresh retroplacental collection was noted in four patients (0.4%) post‐procedure. None of the patients developed ascending uterine infection following CVS. The immediate fetal loss rate was 0.2% (2/1138).

Conclusion

Transvaginal approach is associated with high sampling success, along with low rates of maternal contamination and post‐procedure complications; hence, it can be offered as an effective alternative method of CVS.
Risk Factors for Implant Failure and Peri‐Implant Pathology in Systemic Compromised Patients
Authors: Neves Joana , de Araújo Nobre Miguel , Oliveira Pedro , Martins dos Santos José , Malo Paulo
Published: June 2016

Purpose

To identify the possible risk factors for implant failure and peri‐implant pathology in a population of systemically compromised patients.

Materials and Methods

This retrospective clinical study included a total of 721 systemically compromised patients (422 women, 299 men), with an average age of 51 years (range: 20 to 87) rehabilitated with dental implants. The average follow‐up time was 7.3 years. The patients’ demographic variables (age and gender) and clinical variables (implant location, type of implant surface, and systemic conditions) were recorded. Outcome measures were implant failure and peri‐implant pathology. Binary logistic regression models were performed to investigate the effect of the patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics on the dependent variablesimplant failureandperi‐implant pathology. A linear regression model was performed to correlate the patient's characteristics with the number of failed implants. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals and corresponding levels of significance were estimated for each variable.

Results

Multivariate logistic regression disclosed increased age (patients over 40 years of age) as a risk factor for implant failure (OR = 2.63) and hepatitis as a risk factor for peri‐implant pathology (OR = 3.74). Multivariate linear regression disclosed rheumatologic and cardiac diseases to be correlated with a higher number of failed implants.

Conclusions

Within the limitations of this study, the results suggest no absolute contraindications for implant rehabilitation in a population of systemically compromised patients. Nevertheless, this study suggests that increasing age, rheumatological condition, cardiovascular condition, and hepatitis should be considered when performing implant‐supported rehabilitations due to their negative influence on the outcome.
Narrating and Navigating Authorities: Evangelical and Mainline Protestant Interpretations of the Bible and Science
Authors: Chan Esther , Ecklund Elaine Howard
Published: June 2016

Research on the way Protestants interpret the Bible in relationship to science has tended to focus on biblical literalists; less research, however, has examined the heterogeneity of how nonliteralists interpret the Bible. Utilizing data from semi‐structured interviews with 77 evangelical and mainline Protestants who attend high‐SES congregations, we find that members of both groups draw on similar interpretation strategies in discussing the Bible and evolution. Both eschew literal interpretations of the Bible, demarcate boundaries between the Bible and science, and subsume evolution under broader theological beliefs. Mainline Protestants and evangelicals differ in the way they interpret miracles, with mainline Protestants revealing more openness to scientific and social interpretations of the Bible's miracles, while evangelicals emphasize God's authority over nature. Findings show that different strategies are evoked depending on the issue discussed, revealing implications for a deeper understanding of the way different traditions provide resources for interpreting the Bible and its relationship to scientific issues. Finally, findings contribute to a more robust knowledge of boundary work between the Bible and science as institutional and epistemic authorities.
Shall These Bones Live? Property, Pluralism, and the Constitution of Evangelical Reform
Authors: Funk Kellen
Published: June 2016

The Supreme Court of the New Deal era transformed the US Constitution, making the Constitution's original protection of property rights give way to democratically popular regulations. In The Evangelical Origins of the Living Constitution (2014), John W. Compton argues that twentieth-century progressives turned the Court toward this “living” interpretation of the Constitution by relying on legislative methods and judicial precedents created by nineteenth-century evangelicals. Evangelical reformers accomplished national prohibition of liquor and lotteries, but their regulations destroyed property rights that were legally valid and socially acceptable at the inauguration of the Constitution. Courts ultimately acquiesced in these novel economic proscriptions because of overwhelming majoritarian sentiment driven by evangelical populism. Relying on a recent literature of law and religion, Compton alters conventional accounts of the US constitutional tradition of protecting property. This essay reverses the path of analysis and argues that evangelical concerns with constitutional property rights challenge standard accounts of law and religion in US history. Rather than a simplistic imposition of moralism, evangelical reform was derived from antislavery liberalism. The legal and religious pluralism that had impeded antislavery, however, also hindered prohibition and spurred evangelicals to seek federal remedies to national sins. Thus national prohibition, no less than New Deal constitutionalism, centered on the US dilemma of how to wield illiberal regulations to safeguard liberalism.
Comorbidity: Reconsidering the Unit of Analysis
Authors: Nichter Mark
Published: June 2016

In this short essay, I wish to briefly discuss smoking, polypharmacy, the human biome and multispecies relations, and biomedicalization as a means of stretching the common ways we think about comorbidity. My intent is to expand our thinking about comorbidity and multimorbidity beyond the individual as a unit of analysis, to reframe comorbidity in relation to trajectories of risk, and to address comorbid states of our own making when the treatment of one health problem results in the experience of additional health problems. I do so as a corrective to what I see as an overly narrow focus on comorbidity as co‐occurring illnesses within a single individual, and as a complement to critical medical anthropological assessments of synergistic comorbid conditions (syndemics) occurring in structurally vulnerable populations living in environments of risk exposed to macro and micro pathogenic agents.
R‐loop induced stress response by second (p)ppGpp synthetase in Mycobacterium smegmatis: functional and domain interdependence
Authors: Krishnan Sushma , Petchiappan Anushya , Singh Albel , Bhatt Apoorva , Chatterji Dipankar
Published: June 2016

Persistent R‐loops lead to replicative stress due to RNA polymerase stalling and DNA damage. RNase H enzymes facilitate the organisms to survive in the hostile condition by removing these R‐loops. MS_RHII‐RSD was previously identified to be the second (p)ppGpp synthetase in Mycobacterium smegmatis. The unique presence of an additional RNase HII domain raises an important question regarding the significance of this bifunctional protein. In this report, we demonstrate its ability to hydrolyze R‐loops in Escherichia coli exposed to UV stress. MS_RHII‐RSD gene expression was upregulated under UV stress, and this gene deleted strain showed increased R‐loop accumulation as compared to the wild type. The domains in isolation are known to be inactive, and the full length protein is required for its function. Domain interdependence studies using active site mutants reveal the necessity of a hexamer form with high alpha helical content. In previous studies, bacterial RNase type HI has been mainly implicated in R‐loop hydrolysis, but in this study, the RNase HII domain containing protein showed the activity. The prospective of this differential RNase HII activity is discussed. This is the first report to implicate a (p)ppGpp synthetase protein in R‐loop‐induced stress response.
Predictors of low estimated glomerular filtration rate after living kidney donation in a Southeast Asian population from Singapore
Authors: Tan Ru Yu , Allen John C , Kee Terence , Jafar Tazeen H
Published: June 2016

Aim

Post‐donation kidney function has not been well characterized in the Southeast Asian population. We studied a retrospective cohort of 174 living kidney donors at Singapore General Hospital between 1976 and 2012, evaluated patterns of change in kidney function using quantile regression analysis and investigated for predictors of low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min per 1.73m2. Median follow‐up time (range) was 7.8 (0.1–33.8) years following donor nephrectomy.

Results

Of the donors, 43.1% regained 75% or more of pre‐nephrectomy eGFR after 5 years post‐donation; 9.8% exhibited 100% recovery to pre‐nephrectomy eGFR. High pre‐nephrectomy eGFR was protective for risk of low post‐donation eGFR, with a 6% risk reduction for each unit increase in pre‐nephrectomy eGFR (odds ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.91–0.97; P = 0.002). This relationship was stronger in the short term (>6 months to < 5 years) than medium to long term (5 years or longer) (interaction P = 0.052).

Conclusion

In general, kidney function is well preserved following kidney donation in Southeast Asian donors. Pre‐nephrectomy eGFR is a good predictor of post‐donation eGFR, especially in the short‐term.
Association of cognitive function with tooth loss and mitochondrial variation in adult subjects: a community‐based study in Beijing, China
Authors: Gao W , Wang X , Wang X , Cai Y , Luan Q
Published: June 2016

Objectives

Cognitive impairment is a common neurological problem in elderly people. In this study, we investigated whether tooth loss, periodontal parameters, and gene variations in the mitochondrial DNA displacement loop region are potential influencing factors on cognitive function.

Design

We employed a linear regression model to estimate cross‐sectional association between number of teeth lost, periodontal parameters and Mini‐mental State Examination score, adjusting for demographic factors, socioeconomic factors, general health status, smoking, drinking, and life habits.

Participants

A total of 905 Han Chinese people, ≥50 years of age, with complete data, were enrolled. Blood samples of 567 of the subjects were analyzed for correlation between mitochondrial DNA variants and Mini‐mental State Examination score.

Results

The number of teeth lost (β = −0.042, 95% CI: −0.061, −0.024, P < 0.001), two single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) points: A189G (β = −1.540, 95% CI: −2.818, −0.263, P = 0.018) and A16164G (β = −1.053, 95% CI: −2.054, −0.052, P = 0.039) in the mitochondrial DNA displacement loop region, and haplogroup Y (β = −2.152, 95% CI: −4.062, −0.242, P = 0.027) were found to be negatively associated with Mini‐mental State Examination scores in the fully adjusted model. No correlation was found between periodontal parameters and Mini‐mental State Examination scores.

Conclusion

Number of teeth lost, mitochondrial SNPs, and haplogroup Y were correlated with cognitive function in this study population.
Physiological significance of isoprenoids and phenylpropanoids in drought response of Arundinoideae species with contrasting habitats and metabolism
Authors: Velikova Violeta , Brunetti Cecilia , Tattini Massimiliano , Doneva Dilyana , Ahrar Mastaneh , Tsonev Tsonko , Stefanova Miroslava , Ganeva Tsveta , Gori Antonella , Ferrini Francesco , Varotto Claudio , Loreto Francesco
Published: June 2016

Physiological, biochemical and morpho‐anatomical traits that determine the phenotypic plasticity of plants under drought were tested in two Arundinoideae with contrasting habitats, growth traits and metabolism: the fast‐growing Arundo donax, which also is a strong isoprene emitter, and the slow‐growing Hakonechloa macra that does not invest on isoprene biosynthesis. In control conditions, A. donax displayed not only higher photosynthesis but also higher concentration of carotenoids and lower phenylpropanoid content than H. macra. In drought‐stressed plants, photosynthesis was similarly inhibited in both species, but substantially recovered only in A. donax after rewatering. Decline of photochemical and biochemical parameters, increased concentration of CO2 inside leaves, and impairment of chloroplast ultrastructure were only observed in H. macra indicating damage of photosynthetic machinery under drought. It is suggested that volatile and non‐volatile isoprenoids produced by A. donax efficiently preserve the chloroplasts from transient drought damage, while H. macra invests on phenylpropanoids that are less efficient in preserving photosynthesis but likely offer better antioxidant protection under prolonged stress.
Interactions between temperature and intercellular CO2 concentration in controlling leaf isoprene emission rates
Authors: Monson Russell K. , Neice Amberly A. , Trahan Nicole A. , Shiach Ian , McCorkel Joel T. , Moore David J.P.
Published: June 2016

Plant isoprene emissions have been linked to several reaction pathways involved in atmospheric photochemistry. Evidence exists from a limited set of past observations that isoprene emission rate (Is) decreases as a function of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration, and that increased temperature suppresses the CO2 effect. We studied interactions between intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) and temperature as they affect Is in field‐grown hybrid poplar trees in one of the warmest climates on earth – the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States. We observed an unexpected midsummer downregulation of Is despite the persistence of relatively high temperatures. High temperature suppression of the Is:Ci relation occurred at all times during the growing season, but sensitivity of Is to increased Ci was greatest during the midsummer period when Is was lowest. We interpret the seasonal downregulation of Is and increased sensitivity of Is to Ci as being caused by weather changes associated with the onset of a regional monsoon system. Our observations on the temperature suppression of the Is:Ci relation are best explained by the existence of a small pool of chloroplastic inorganic phosphate, balanced by several large, connected metabolic fluxes, which together, determine the Ci and temperature dependencies of phosphoenolpyruvate import into the chloroplast.
Thrombolite fabrics and origins: Influences of diverse microbial and metazoan processes on Cambrian thrombolite variability in the Great Basin, California and Nevada
Authors: Harwood Theisen Cara , Sumner Dawn Y.
Published: June 2016

Thrombolites are a common component of carbonate buildups throughout the Phanerozoic. Although they are usually described as microbialites with an internally clotted texture, a wide range of thrombolite textures have been observed and attributed to diverse processes, leading to difficulty interpreting thrombolites as a group. Interpreting thrombolitic textures in terms of ancient ecosystems requires understanding of diverse processes, specifically those due to microbial growth and metazoan activity. Many of these processes are reflected in thrombolites in the Cambrian Carrara, Bonanza King, Highland Peak and Nopah formations, Great Basin, California,USA; they comprise eight thrombolite classes based on variable arrangements and combinations of depositional and diagenetic components. Four thrombolite classes (hemispherical microdigitate, bushy, coalescent columnar and massive fenestrated) contain distinct mesoscale microbial growth structures that can be distinguished from surrounding detrital sediments and diagenetic features. By contrast, mottled thrombolites have mesostructures that dominantly reflect post‐depositional processes, including bioturbation. Mottled thrombolites are not bioturbated stromatolites, but rather formed from disruption of an originally clotted growth structure. Three thrombolite classes (arborescent digitate, amoeboid and massive) contain more cryptic textures. All eight of the thrombolite classes in this study formed in similar Cambrian depositional environments (marine passive margin). Overall, this suite of thrombolites demonstrates that thrombolites are diverse, in both internal fabrics and origin, and that clotted and patchy microbialite fabrics form from a range of processes. The diversity of textures and their origins demonstrate that thrombolites should not be used to interpret a particular ecological, evolutionary or environmental shift without first identifying the microbial growth structure and distinguishing it from other depositional, post‐depositional and diagenetic components. Furthermore, thrombolites are fundamentally different from stromatolites and dendrolites in which the laminae and dendroids reflect a primary growth structure, because clotted textures in thrombolites do not always reflect a primary microbial growth structure.
First report of angio‐oedema subsequent to the administration of allergen specific sublingual immunotherapy for the management of equine hypersensitivity dermatitis
Authors: Scholz Fiona M. , Burrows Amanda K. , Muse Russell
Published: June 2016

Background

Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) offers an alternative mode of allergen delivery to subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) with the aim of inducing immunological tolerance. Currently, there are no published reports regarding the efficacy or safety of SLIT in horses.

Hypothesis/Objective

To describe the first case of several adverse events occurring in a horse subsequent to the repeat administration of SLIT.

Animal

A seven‐year‐old, warmblood mare with a confirmed diagnosis of equine hypersensitivity dermatitis (EHD).

Methods and results

Immunotherapy was recommended for management of EHD. Due to the temperament of the horse, the owner elected to proceed with SLIT. Thirty six hours after commencing SLIT, the mare developed scleral oedema, moderate dyspnoea and abdominal discomfort. SLIT was withdrawn for 10 days and re instituted using a ten‐fold dilution of the original vaccine. Localized oedema and swelling of the tongue developed within 12 h of administration. At this juncture, SLIT was withdrawn. The horse was rechallenged with the SLIT allergen vehicle, 50% glycerine and no adverse reactions occurred. SCIT was commenced using the same allergens and no adverse events occurred with repeated administration.

Conclusions and clinical importance

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of adverse reactions developing subsequent to the administration of SLIT for the management of EHD.
The current status of nucleic acid amplification technology in transfusion‐transmitted infectious disease testing
Authors: Vermeulen M. , Lelie N.
Published: June 2016

Fully automated multiplex nucleic acid amplification technology (NAT) enabling individual‐donation (ID) or minipool of 6 (MP6) screening for HIV, HCV and HBV is provided by two major commercial players (Grifols/Hologic and Roche). In August 2014, Roche released the cobas MPX assay performed on the high‐throughput cobas 8800 and 6800 instruments. Grifols recently released their Ultrio Elite assay which includes detection of HIV‐2 and is performed on the Panther platform and allows random access of sample and reagent loading during processing, which streamlines functionality and improves turnaround time. At the end of June 2015, 61 countries perform NAT to screen the blood supply. Of these, 16 and 18 countries screen entirely with NAT systems either from Roche or from Grifols, respectively, and the remaining 27 countries use a combination of both methods in their country. Twenty countries screen entirely using ID‐NAT and the remaining 41 countries use either MP or a combination of MP and ID‐NAT. The cobas MPX Roche assay has a 95% limit of detection (LOD) of 25·7 IU/ml (CI 21·1–32·8), 7·0 IU/ml (CI 5·9–8·6) and 1·4 IU/ml (CI 1·2–1·7) for HIV‐1, HCV and HBV, respectively. The Ultrio Elite Grifols assay has a LOD of 18 IU/ml (15–23·5), 3·0 IU/ml (2·5–3·9) and 4·3 IU/ml (CI 3·8–5·0) for HIV, HCV and HBV, respectively. There have been 4 anecdotal cases of proven ID‐NAT breakthrough transmission cases of both window period (WP) and occult HBV infection (OBI) highlighting the importance of selective donor recruitment in addition to state‐of‐the‐art screening.
Pivotal role of α2 Na+ pumps and their high affinity ouabain binding site in cardiovascular health and disease
Authors: Blaustein Mordecai P. , Chen Ling , Hamlyn John M. , Leenen Frans H. H. , Lingrel Jerry B. , Wier W. Gil , Zhang Jin
Published: June 2016

Reduced smooth muscle (SM)‐specific α2 Na+ pump expression elevates basal blood pressure (BP) and increases BP sensitivity to angiotensin II (Ang II) and dietary NaCl, whilst SM‐α2 overexpression lowers basal BP and decreases Ang II/salt sensitivity. Prolonged ouabain infusion induces hypertension in rodents, and ouabain‐resistant mutation of the α2 ouabain binding site (α2R/R mice) confers resistance to several forms of hypertension. Pressure overload‐induced heart hypertrophy and failure are attenuated in cardio‐specific α2 knockout, cardio‐specific α2 overexpression and α2R/R mice. We propose a unifying hypothesis that reconciles these apparently disparate findings: brain mechanisms, activated by Ang II and high NaCl, regulate sympathetic drive and a novel neurohumoral pathway mediated by both brain and circulating endogenous ouabain (EO). Circulating EO modulates ouabain‐sensitive α2 Na+ pump activity and Ca2+ transporter expression and, via Na+/Ca2+ exchange, Ca2+ homeostasis. This regulates sensitivity to sympathetic activity, Ca2+ signalling and arterial and cardiac contraction.

image
Satellite cell activation and apoptosis in skeletal muscle from severely burned children
Authors: Fry Christopher S. , Porter Craig , Sidossis Labros S. , Nieten Christopher , Reidy Paul T. , Hundeshagen Gabriel , Mlcak Ronald , Rasmussen Blake B. , Lee Jong O. , Suman Oscar E. , Herndon David N. , Finnerty Celeste C.
Published: June 2016

Key points

Severe burns result in profound skeletal muscle atrophy that hampers recovery.

The activity of skeletal muscle stem cells, satellite cells, acutely following a severe burn is unknown and may contribute to the recovery of lean muscle.

Severe burn injury induces skeletal muscle regeneration and myonuclear apoptosis.

Satellite cells undergo concurrent apoptosis and activation acutely following a burn, with a net reduction in satellite cell content compared to healthy controls.

The activation and apoptosis of satellite cells probably impacts the recovery of lean tissue following a severe burn, contributing to prolonged frailty in burn survivors.

Severe burns result in profound skeletal muscle atrophy; persistent muscle loss and weakness are major complications that hamper recovery from burn injury. Many factors contribute to the erosion of muscle mass following burn trauma and we propose that an impaired muscle satellite cell response is key in the aetiology of burn‐induced cachexia. Muscle biopsies from the m. vastus lateralis were obtained from 12 male pediatric burn patients (>30% total body surface area burn) and 12 young, healthy male subjects. Satellite cell content, activation and apoptosis were determined via immunohistochemistry, as were muscle fibre regeneration and myonuclear apoptosis. Embryonic myosin heavy chain expression and central nucleation, indices of skeletal muscle regeneration, were elevated in burn patients (P < 0.05). Myonuclear apoptosis, quantified by TUNEL positive myonuclei and cleaved caspase‐3 positive myonuclei, was also elevated in burn patients (P < 0.05). Satellite cell content was reduced in burn patients, with approximately 20% of satellite cells positive for TUNEL staining, indicating DNA damage associated with apoptosis (P < 0.05). Additionally, a significant percentage of satellite cells in burn patients expressed Ki67, a marker for cellular proliferation (P < 0.05). Satellite cell activation was also observed in burn patients with increased expression of MyoD compared to healthy controls (P < 0.05). Robust skeletal muscle atrophy occurs after burn injury, even in muscles located distally to the site of injury. The activation and apoptosis of satellite cells probably impacts the recovery of lean tissue following a severe burn, contributing to prolonged frailty in burn survivors.
Specific features of a stopped pipe blown by a turbulent jet: Aeroacoustics of the panpipes
Authors: Auvray Roman , Fabre Benoît , Meneses Felipe , de la Cuadra Patricio , Lagrée Pierre-Yves
Published: June 2016

Flute-like instruments with a stopped pipe were widely used in ancient cultures and continue to be used in many musical expressions throughout the globe. They offer great flexibility in the input control parameters, allowing for large excursions in the flux and in the geometrical configuration for the lips of the instrumentalist. For instance, the transverse offset of the jet axis relative to the labium can be shifted beyond the operational limits found in open-open pipes, and the total jet flux can be increased up to values that produce highly turbulent jets while remaining on the first oscillating regime. Some of the fundamental aspects of the acoustics and hydrodynamics of this kind of instrument are studied, like the instability of the jet wave and the static aerodynamic balance in the resonator. A replica of an Andean siku has been created to observe, through the Schlieren flow visualization, the behavior of both excitation and resonator of the instrument.
Low α-defensin gene copy number increases the risk for IgA nephropathy and renal dysfunction
Authors: Ai Zhen , Li Ming , Liu Wenting , Foo Jia-Nee , Mansouri Omniah , Yin Peiran , Zhou Qian , Tang Xueqing , Dong Xiuqing , Feng Shaozhen , Xu Ricong , Zhong Zhong , Chen Jian , Wan Jianxin , Lou Tanqi , Yu Jianwen , Zhou Qin , Fan Jinjin , Mao Haiping , Gale Daniel , Barratt Jonathan , Armour John A. L. , Liu Jianjun , Yu Xueqing
Published: June 2016

Low copy number of the α-defensin
DEFA1A3
locus increases the risk for IgA nephropathy.
Quark and lepton mass matrices described by charged lepton masses
Authors: Koide Yoshio , Nishiura Hiroyuki
Published: June 2016

Recently, we proposed a unified mass matrix model for quarks and leptons, in which, mass ratios and mixings of the quarks and neutrinos are described by using only the observed charged lepton mass values as family-number-dependent parameters and only six family-number-independent free parameters. In spite of quite few parameters, the model gives remarkable agreement with observed data (i.e. Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa (CKM) mixing, Pontecorvo–Maki–Nakagawa–Sakata (PMNS) mixing and mass ratios). Taking this phenomenological success seriously, we give a formulation of the so-called Yukawaon model in detail from a theoretical aspect, especially for the construction of superpotentials and R charge assignments of fields. The model is considerably modified from the previous one, while the phenomenological success is kept unchanged.
On the perturbation of a uniform tiling with resistors
Authors: Owaidat M. Q. , Asad J. H. , Tan Zhi-Zhong
Published: June 2016

The perturbation of a uniformly tiled resistor network by adding an edge (a resistor) to the network is considered. The two-point resistance on the perturbed tiling in terms of that on the perfect tiling is obtained using Green’s function. Some theoretical results are presented for an infinite modified square lattice. These results are confirmed experimentally by constructing an actual resistor lattice of size 13 × 13.
Chaotic Dynamics and Application of LCR Oscillators Sharing Common Nonlinearity
Authors: Jeevarekha A. , Paul Asir M. , Philominathan P.
Published: June 2016

This paper addresses the problem of sharing common nonlinearity among nonautonomous and autonomous oscillators. By choosing a suitable common nonlinear element with the driving point characteristics capable of bringing out chaotic motion in a combined system, we obtain identical chaotic states. The dynamics of the coupled system is explored through numerical and experimental studies. Employing the concept of common nonlinearity, a simple chaotic communication system is modeled and its performance is verified through Multisim simulation.
Comment on “A study of phantom scalar field cosmology using Lie and Noether symmetries”
Authors: Paliathanasis Andronikos , Basilakos Spyros , Tsamparlis Michael
Published: June 2016

We show that the recent results of [S. Dutta and S. Chakraborty, Int. J. Mod. Phys. D 25 (2016) 1650051] on the application of Lie/Noether symmetries in scalar field cosmology are well-known in the literature while the problem could have been solved easily under a coordinate transformation. That follows from the property, that the admitted group of invariant transformations of dynamical system is independent on the coordinate system.
Report on the Cloud-Based Evaluation Approaches Workshop 2015
Authors: Müller Henning , Kalpathy-Cramer Jayashree , Hanbury Allan , Farahani Keyvan , Sergeev Rinat , Paik Jin H. , Klein Arno , Criminisi Antonio , Trister Andrew , Norman Thea , Kennedy David , Srinivasa Ganapati , Mamonov Artem , Preuss Nina
Published: June 2016

Data analysis requires new approaches in many domains for evaluating tools and techniques, particularly when the data sets grow large and more complex. Evaluation-as-service (EaaS) was coined as a term to represent evaluation approaches based on APIs, virtual machines or source code submission, different from the common paradigm of evaluating techniques on a distributed test collection, tasks and submitted results files. Such new approaches become necessary when data sets become extremely large, contain confidential information or might change quickly over time. The workshop on cloud-based evaluation (CBE) took place in Boston, MA, USA on November 5, 2015 and explored several approaches for data analysis evaluation and frameworks in this field. The objective was to include several stakeholders from academic partners, companies to funding agencies to cover various interests and viewpoints in the discussion of evaluation infrastructures. The workshop focused on the biomedical domain but the results are easily applicable to many domains of information analysis and retrieval.
Entity Centric Information Retrieval
Authors: Liu Xitong
Published: June 2016

In the past decade, the prosperity of the World Wide Web has led to fast explosion of information, and there is a long-standing demand on how to access such a huge volume of information effectively and efficiently. Information Retrieval (IR) aims to tackle the challenge by exploring approaches to obtain relevant information items (e.g., documents) relevant to a given information need (e.g., query) from a huge collection of textual data (e.g., the Web). Named entity (e.g., person, location, product, event, organization) is a type of term compound widely existing in textual data. Recent advances in Information Extraction make it possible to extract entities from large volume of free text efficiently, and the research community are actively exploring whether entities would contribute to the retrieval effectiveness.

In this thesis, we investigate how to leverage entities to improve retrieval in several directions. We start with finding entities with certain semantic relation, which aims at retrieving entities and their associated attributes to meet user's information need directly. This is different from traditional search paradigm in which only documents are retrieved. Entity retrieval is performed by first retrieving a list of documents and then extracting entities from those documents. We propose a novel probabilistic framework which leverages supporting documents as bridge to model the relevance between query and entities and rank entities accordingly.

On the other side, we also explore how to leverage entities to improve effectiveness of ad hoc document retrieval in two directions. The first direction is entity-centric query expansion. We find related entities of query, and perform query expansion using the names and relations of related entities. Significant improvements over several state-of-the-art feedback models could be observed on multiple data collections. Besides, we explore another direction: entity-centric relevance modeling. We propose a novel retrieval approach, i.e., Latent Entity Space (LES), which models the relevance by leveraging entity profiles to represent semantic content of documents and queries. Experimental results over several TREC collections show that LES is effective on capturing latent semantic content and can significantly improve the search accuracy of several state-of-the-art retrieval models for entity-bearing queries.

This thesis presents a series of research efforts on entity centric information retrieval in several directions, and reveals promising potential of entities on improving the retrieval effectiveness. With the fast curation of high-quality knowledge base, more information about entities could be easily accessed and integrated into retrieval models. We hope our work could serve as guideline for future work on leveraging entities to improve information retrieval in more applications.
Polymorphism rs3828903 withinMICBIs Associated with Susceptibility to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in a Northern Han Chinese Population
Authors: Zhang Yue-miao , Zhou Xu-jie , Cheng Fa-juan , Qi Yuan-yuan , Hou Ping , Zhao Ming-hui , Zhang Hong
Published: June 2016

Objectives. The variant rs3828903 withinMICB, a nonclassicalMHCclass I chain-related gene, was detected to contribute to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a Caucasian population. This study aimed to investigate the association in a northern Han Chinese population.Methods. We recruited 1077 SLE patients and 793 controls for analysis. rs3828903 was genotyped by TaqMan allele discrimination assay. Using the public databases, its functional annotations and gene differential expression analysis ofMICBwere evaluated.Results. Significant association between the allele G of rs3828903 and risk susceptibility to SLE was observed after adjusting for sex and age (P=1.87×10-2).In silicoanalyses predicted a higher affinity to transcription factors for allele G (risk) andcis-expression quantitative trait loci (cis-eQTL) effects of rs3828903 in multiple tissues (Pranging from2.79×10-6to6.27×10-38). Furthermore, higher mRNA expressions ofMICBwere observed in B cells, monocytes, and renal biopsies from SLE patients compared to controls.Conclusion. An association between rs3828903 and susceptibility to SLE has been detected in a Chinese population. This together with the functional annotations of rs3828903 convertsMICBinto a main candidate in the pathogenesis of SLE.
Spontaneous Regression of Herniated Lumbar Disc with New Disc Protrusion in the Adjacent Level
Authors: Hakan Tayfun , Gürcan Serkan
Published: June 2016

Spontaneous regression of herniated lumbar discs was reported occasionally. The mechanisms proposed for regression of disc herniation are still incomplete. This paper describes and discusses a case of spontaneous regression of herniated lumbar discs with a new disc protrusion in the adjacent level. A 41-year-old man was admitted with radiating pain and numbness in the left lower extremity with a left posterolateral disc extrusion at L5-S1 level. He was admitted to hospital with low back pain due to disc herniation caudally immigrating at L4-5 level three years ago. He refused the surgical intervention that was offered and was treated conservatively at that time. He had no neurological deficit and a history of spontaneous regression of the extruded lumbar disc; so, a conservative therapy, including bed rest, physical therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and analgesics, was advised. In conclusion, herniated lumbar disc fragments may regress spontaneously. Reports are prone to advise conservative treatment for extruded or sequestrated lumbar disc herniations. However, these patients should be followed up closely; new herniation at adjacent/different level may occur. Furthermore, it is important to know which herniated disk should be removed and which should be treated conservatively, because disc herniation may cause serious complications as muscle weakness and cauda equine syndrome.
Competitive Fixed-Bed Adsorption of Pb(II), Cu(II), and Ni(II) from Aqueous Solution Using Chitosan-Coated Bentonite
Authors: Tsai Wan-Chi , de Luna Mark Daniel G. , Bermillo-Arriesgado Hanna Lee P. , Futalan Cybelle M. , Colades James I. , Wan Meng-Wei
Published: June 2016

Fixed-bed adsorption studies using chitosan-coated bentonite (CCB) as adsorbent media were investigated for the simultaneous adsorption of Pb(II), Cu(II), and Ni(II) from a multimetal system. The effects of operational parameters such as bed height, flow rate, and initial concentration on the length of mass transfer zone, breakthrough time, exhaustion time, and adsorption capacity at breakthrough were evaluated. With increasing bed height and decreasing flow rate and initial concentration, the breakthrough and exhaustion time were observed to favorably increase. Moreover, the adsorption capacity at breakthrough was observed to increase with decreasing initial concentration and flow rate and increasing bed height. The maximum adsorption capacity at breakthrough of 13.49 mg/g for Pb(II), 12.14 mg/g for Cu(II), and 10.29 mg/g for Ni(II) was attained at an initial influent concentration of 200 mg/L, bed height of 2.0 cm, and flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. Adsorption data were fitted with Adams-Bohart, Thomas, and Yoon-Nelson models. Experimental breakthrough curves were observed to be in good agreement (R2>0.85andE%<50%) with the predicted curves generated by the kinetic models. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of CCB in the removal of Pb(II), Cu(II), and Ni(II) from a ternary metal solution.
Fabrication and Photocatalytic Properties of ZnSe Nanorod Films
Authors: Yin Jiajia , Yang Chao , Yang Xianheng , Wang Shutong , Zhang Hua , Zhou Shouhuan , Feng Guoying
Published: June 2016

ZnSe nanorod films grown on fused quartz glass substrates via a simple two-step synthesis protocol were demonstrated to be environmentally safe and effective recyclable photocatalysts. These films showed greatly enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to pulsed laser deposition ZnSe films in the degradation of methyl orange dye solutions. The well-crystalized ZnSe nanorods had a length of 15 µm and a diameter of 200 nm and were densely grown on the substrate. The morphology, crystal structure, crystal phase, and photophysical properties of the ZnSe nanorod films were investigated using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM).
An Advanced Control and Extensible Configuration for Static Var Generator
Authors: Zhang Chao , Zhang Aimin , Cui Ying , Wen Tao
Published: June 2016

An extensible configuration is proposed for static var generator (SVG) with advanced controller included for reactive power compensation of grid. Compared with the traditional configurations, the major advantage of such system configuration is that the power modules are very flexible and easy to extend or reduce without changing the main equipment of SVG under the different voltage levels. Furthermore, in order to solve the problems of modeling uncertainty, nonlinearities, and outside disturbance by using proportion integration (PI) controller, an advanced controller is proposed based on auto disturbance rejection control (ADRC). By controlling the amount and direction of reactive current, the reactive power is generated or absorbed from SVG into power grid with fast response, which can realize the excellent dynamic compensation for both the internal and external interferences. Simulations results show that the proposed controller has better performance of the transient and steady state than PI controller. Moreover, the verification tests are executed in 380 V, 6.5 kVA experiment systems, suggesting that the excellent dynamic performance and strong robustness are achieved.
Comment on “Does the Equivalence between Gravitational Mass and Energy Survive for a Composite Quantum Body?”
Authors: Crowell B.
Published: June 2016

Lebed has given an argument that when a hydrogen atom is transported slowly to a different gravitational potential, it has a certain probability of emitting a photon. He proposes a space-based experiment to detect this effect. I show here that his arguments also imply the existence of nuclear excitations, as well as an effect due to the earth’s motion in the sun’s potential. This is not consistent with previous results from underground radiation detectors. It is also in conflict with astronomical observations.