bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contribution of temporal data to predictive performance in 30-day readmission of morbidly obese patients
Authors: Povalej Brzan Petra , Obradovic Zoran , Stiglic Gregor
Published: April 2017

Background

Reduction of readmissions after discharge represents an important challenge for many hospitals and has attracted the interest of many researchers in the past few years. Most of the studies in this field focus on building cross-sectional predictive models that aim to predict the occurrence of readmission within 30-days based on information from the current hospitalization. The aim of this study is demonstration of predictive performance gain obtained by inclusion of information from historical hospitalization records among morbidly obese patients.

Methods

The California Statewide inpatient database was used to build regularized logistic regression models for prediction of readmission in morbidly obese patients (n = 18,881). Temporal features were extracted from historical patient hospitalization records in a one-year timeframe. Five different datasets of patients were prepared based on the number of available hospitalizations per patient. Sample size of the five datasets ranged from 4,787 patients with more than five hospitalizations to 20,521 patients with at least two hospitalization records in one year. A 10-fold cross validation was repeted 100 times to assess the variability of the results. Additionally, random forest and extreme gradient boosting were used to confirm the results.

Results

Area under the ROC curve increased significantly when including information from up to three historical records on all datasets. The inclusion of more than three historical records was not efficient. Similar results can be observed for Brier score and PPV value. The number of selected predictors corresponded to the complexity of the dataset ranging from an average of 29.50 selected features on the smallest dataset to 184.96 on the largest dataset based on 100 repetitions of 10-fold cross-validation.

Discussion

The results show positive influence of adding information from historical hospitalization records on predictive performance using all predictive modeling techniques used in this study. We can conclude that it is advantageous to build separate readmission prediction models in subgroups of patients with more hospital admissions by aggregating information from up to three previous hospitalizations.
Methane fluxes from tropical coastal lagoons surrounded by mangroves, Yucatán, Mexico
Authors: Chuang P.‐C. , Young M. B. , Dale A. W. , Miller L. G. , Herrera‐Silveira J. A. , Paytan A.
Published: April 2017

Methane concentrations in the water column and emissions to the atmosphere were determined for three tropical coastal lagoons surrounded by mangrove forests on the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Surface water dissolved methane was sampled at different seasons over a period of 2 years in areas representing a wide range of salinities and anthropogenic impacts. The highest surface water methane concentrations (up to 8378 nM) were measured in a polluted canal associated with Terminos Lagoon. In Chelem Lagoon, methane concentrations were typically lower, except in the polluted harbor area (1796 nM). In the relatively pristine Celestún Lagoon, surface water methane concentrations ranged from 41 to 2551 nM. Methane concentrations were negatively correlated with salinity in Celestún, while in Chelem and Terminos high methane concentrations were associated with areas of known pollution inputs, irrespective of salinity. The diffusive methane flux from surface lagoon water to the atmosphere ranged from 0.0023 to 15 mmol CH4 m−2 d−1. Flux chamber measurements revealed that direct methane release as ebullition was up to 3 orders of magnitude greater than measured diffusive flux. Coastal mangrove lagoons may therefore be an important natural source of methane to the atmosphere despite their relatively high salinity. Pollution inputs are likely to substantially enhance this flux. Additional statistically rigorous data collected globally are needed to better consider methane fluxes from mangrove‐surrounded coastal areas in response to sea level changes and anthropogenic pollution in order to refine projections of future atmospheric methane budgets.
Analysis of modulation factor to shorten the delivery time in helical tomotherapy
Authors: Shimizu Hidetoshi , Sasaki Koji , Tachibana Hiroyuki , Tomita Natsuo , Makita Chiyoko , Nakashima Kuniyasu , Yokoi Kazushi , Kubota Takashi , Yoshimoto Manabu , Iwata Tohru , Kodaira Takeshi
Published: April 2017

A low modulation factor (MF) maintaining a good dose distribution contributes to the shortening of the delivery time and efficiency of the treatment plan in helical tomotherapy. The purpose of this study was to reduce the delivery time using initial values and the upper limit values of MF. First, patients with head and neck cancer (293 cases) or prostate cancer (181 cases) treated between June 2011 and July 2015 were included in the analysis of MF values. The initial MF value (MFinitial) was defined as the average MFactual value, and the upper limit of the MF value (MFUL) was defined according the following equation: MFUL = 2 × standard deviation of MFactual value + the average MFactual

Next, a treatment plan was designed for patients with head and neck cancer (62 cases) and prostate cancer (13 cases) treated between December 2015 and June 2016. The average MFactual value for the nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and prostate cases decreased from 2.1 to 1.9 (p = 0.0006), 1.9 to 1.6 (p < 0.0001), 2.0 to 1.7 (p < 0.0001), and 1.8 to 1.6 (p = 0.0004) by adapting the MFinitial and the MFUL values, respectively. The average delivery time for the nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and prostate cases also decreased from 19.9 s cm−1 to 16.7 s cm−1 (p < 0.0001), 15.0 s cm−1 to 13.9 s cm−1 (p = 0.025), 15.1 s cm−1 to 13.8 s cm−1 (p = 0.015), and 23.6 s cm−1 to 16.9 s cm−1 (p = 0.008) respectively. The delivery time was shortened by the adaptation of MFinitial and MFUL values with a reduction in the average MFactual for head and neck cancer and prostate cancer cases.
TOPAS Simulation of the Mevion S250 compact proton therapy unit
Authors: Prusator Michael , Ahmad Salahuddin , Chen Yong
Published: April 2017

As proton therapy becomes increasingly popular, so does the need for Monte Carlo simulation studies involving accurate beam line modeling of proton treatment units. In this study, the 24 beam configurations of the Mevion S250 proton therapy system installed recently at our institution were modeled using the TOolkit for PArticle Simulation (TOPAS) code. Pristine Bragg peak, spread out Bragg peak (SOBP), and lateral beam profile dose distributions were simulated and matched to the measurements taken during commissioning of the unit. Differences in the range for all Percent Depth Dose (PDD) curves between measured and simulated data agreed to within 0.1 cm. For SOBP scans, the SOBP widths all agreed to within 0.3 cm. With regards to lateral beam profile comparisons between the measured and simulated data, the penumbras differed by less than 1 mm and the flatness differed by less than 1% in nearly all cases. This study shows that Monte Carlo simulation studies involving the Mevion S250 proton therapy unit can be a viable tool in commissioning and verification of the proton treatment planning system.
Tuning Frontier Orbital Energetics of Azaisoindigo‐Based Polymeric Semiconductors to Enhance the Charge‐Transport Properties
Authors: Huang Jianyao , Chen Zhihui , Mao Zupan , Gao Dong , Wei Congyuan , Lin Zuzhang , Li Hao , Wang Liping , Zhang Weifeng , Yu Gui
Published: April 2017

To establish a structure–property relationship between polymer backbone structures and field‐effect transistor performance has emerged as a new topic in organic electronics. The tunability and diversity of organic semiconductors provide the feasibility of controlling the electrical properties. Herein the characterization of thienothiophene‐, dithiophenylethene‐, biselenophene‐, and diselenophenylethene‐containing azaisoindigo copolymers is presented. As suggested by both theoretical calculations and experimental results, backbone electronic structure and linearity, density of side chains, aggregation, and thin film microstructure are involved in the differences in optical and electrical properties of these polymers. As the conjugation lengthens, n‐type behaviors of the polymer semiconductors are suppressed, leading to a variation from nearly balanced ambipolar behaviors to predominant p‐type characteristics. The effect of heteroatom substitution is also investigated. Notably, high hole and electron mobilities of 1.14 and 1.54 cm2 V−1 s−1 extracted from approximately ideal I–V curves are achieved with the top‐gate/bottom‐contact configuration transistors, demonstrating the potential of 7,7′‐diazaisoindigo‐based semiconducting polymers for applications in organic electronics.
Randomized clinical trial of landiolol hydrochloride for the prevention of atrial fibrillation and postoperative complications after oesophagectomy for cancer
Authors: Ojima T , Nakamori M , Nakamura M , Katsuda M , Hayata K , Kato T , Kitadani J , Tabata H , Takeuchi A , Yamaue H
Published: April 2017

Background

Atrial fibrillation is common after oesophageal surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether landiolol hydrochloride was effective and safe in the prevention of atrial fibrillation after oesophagectomy, and to see whether a reduction in incidence of atrial fibrillation would reduce other postoperative complications.

Methods

This single-centre study enrolled patients scheduled for transthoracic oesophagectomy in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial between March 2013 and January 2016. Enrolled patients were randomized with a 1 : 1 parallel allocation ratio to either landiolol prophylaxis or placebo. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of atrial fibrillation after oesophagectomy. Secondary endpoints were incidence of postoperative complications, and effects on haemodynamic and inflammatory indices.

Results

One hundred patients were enrolled, 50 in each group. Postoperative atrial fibrillation occurred in 15 patients (30 per cent) receiving placebo versus five (10 per cent) receiving landiolol (P = 0·012). The overall incidence of postoperative complications was significantly lower in the landiolol group (P = 0·046). In the landiolol group, postoperative heart rate was suppressed effectively, but the decrease in BP was not harmful. The interleukin 6 level was significantly lower on days 3 and 5 after surgery in the landiolol group (P = 0·001 and P = 0·002 respectively).

Conclusion

Landiolol was effective and safe in preventing atrial fibrillation after oesophagectomy. Registration number: UMIN000010648 (http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/).
Influence of Phenylsilane on the Textural, Structural, and Electrochemical Properties of Activated Carbon Nanofiber Composites
Authors: Choi Mi So , Kim Han Gil , Kim Bo‐Hye
Published: April 2017

Activated carbon nanofibers (ACNFs) containing oxygen, nitrogen, and silicon are prepared from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and phenylsilane (PS) by simple electrospinning. The PS introduction into a PAN solution causes a porous structure with functional groups by spontaneous sol‐gel reaction without any catalyst of PS in the physical activation process. PS‐ACNF electrode shows the highest specific capacitance, 200 F/g, and the highest energy density, 25.6–119.19 W h/kg in the range of 400‐10 000 W/kg in a 6 M KOH aqueous solution. Our results suggest that the porosity and functional groups of the supercapacitor electrodes have a strong impact on the enhanced electrochemical properties, resulting from an increased electroactive surface area.
miR‐148b inhibits glycolysis in gastric cancer through targeting SLC2A1
Authors: Ding Xiangfu , Liu Jingjing , Liu Tianzhou , Ma Zhiming , Wen Dacheng , Zhu Jiaming
Published: April 2017

Although the molecular biology of GC has been well characterized, early diagnostic biomarkers and effective therapeutic options in gastric cancer are still under investigation. Here, we found that miR‐148b expression decreased in human gastric cancer tissues compared with matched adjacent nontumor tissues by q‐PCR analysis and in situ hybridization. Further investigation revealed that overexpression of miR‐148b limited glycolysis including glucose consumption, lactate production in gastric cancer cell lines BGC‐823 and MKN45. Bioinformatics prediction uncovered that a dedicated transporters solute carrier family 2 member 1 (SLC2A1), also called GLUT1, was the direct target of miR‐148b. The target effects were further confirmed by luciferase assay and western blot analysis. Besides, a reverse correlation was observed between relative SLC2A1 and miR‐148b expression in human GC tissues compared with matched adjacent nontumor tissues. Subsequently, SLC2A1 suppression by SLC2A1 siRNA or specific inhibitor restricted the reduced effects of glycolysis mediated by miR‐148b while SLC2A1 overexpression abrogated the effect of miR‐148b on glycolysis. Our findings provided new evidence of miR‐148b in GC development through restraining glycolysis, highlighting the role of miR‐148b as a new target for GC treatment.
Cytotoxic Triterpenoids from the Stalks of Microtropis triflora
Authors: Zhang Xiao‐Wei , Wang Kui‐Wu , Zhou Man‐Qing
Published: April 2017

Bioassay‐guided phytochemical investigation of the stalks of Microtropis triflora Merr. & F.L. Freeman led to the isolation of ten triterpenes 1 – 10, including one novel compound 3,24‐epoxy‐2α,24‐dihydroxyfriedelan‐29‐oic acid (1). Their chemical structures were identified on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including HR‐ESI mass spectrometry, 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR (1H, 13C, 1H,1H‐COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY), and by comparison with the data reported. The cytotoxicities of compounds 1 – 10 against a panel of cultured human tumor cell lines (Bcap37, SMMC7721, HeLa, CNE) were evaluated. The new compound 1 showed moderate anti‐tumor activities with IC50 values of 39.22, 29.24, 23.28, and 68.81 μm/ml, respectively. These results might be helpful for explaining the use of M. triflora in traditional medicine. Triterpenes are characteristic of Microtropis genus and could be useful as potential chemotaxonomic markers.
Classification of the spliceogenic BRCA1 c.4096+3A>G variant as likely benign based on cosegregation data and identification of a healthy homozygous carrier
Authors: Byrjalsen Anna , Steffensen Ane Y. , Hansen Thomas v. O. , Wadt Karin , Gerdes Anne‐Marie
Published: April 2017

Key Clinical Message

BRCA1, c.4096+3A>G was identified in a consanguineous Danish family with several cases of breast/ovarian cancer. In silico analysis and splicing assays indicated that the variant caused aberrant splicing. However, based on segregation data and the finding of a healthy homozygous carrier, we classify the BRCA1 c.4096+3A>G variant as likely benign.
A framework for application partitioning using trusted execution environments
Authors: Atamli‐Reineh Ahmad , Paverd Andrew , Petracca Giuseppe , Martin Andrew
Published: April 2017

The size and complexity of modern applications are the underlying causes of numerous security vulnerabilities. In order to mitigate the risks arising from such vulnerabilities, various techniques have been proposed to isolate the execution of sensitive code from the rest of the application and from other software on the platform (such as the operating system). New technologies, notably Intel's Software Guard Extensions (SGX), are becoming available to enhance the security of partitioned applications. SGX provides a trusted execution environment (TEE), called an enclave, that protects the integrity of the code and the confidentiality of the data inside it from other software, including the operating system (OS). However, even with these partitioning techniques, it is not immediately clear exactly how they can and should be used to partition applications. How should a particular application be partitioned? How many TEEs should be used? What granularity of partitioning should be applied? To some extent, this is dependent on the capabilities and performance of the partitioning technology in use. However, as partitioning becomes increasingly common, there is a need for systematisation in the design of partitioning schemes.

To address this need, we present a novel framework consisting of four overarching types of partitioning schemes through which applications can make use of TEEs. These schemes range from coarse‐grained partitioning, in which the whole application is included in a single TEE, through to ultra‐fine partitioning, in which each piece of security‐sensitive code and data is protected in an individual TEE. Although partitioning schemes themselves are application specific, we establish application‐independent relationships between the types we have defined. Because these relationships have an impact on both the security and performance of the partitioning scheme, we envisage that our framework can be used by software architects to guide the design of application partitioning schemes. To demonstrate the applicability of our framework, we have carried out case studies on two widely used software packages, the Apache Web server and the OpenSSL library. In each case study, we provide four high‐level partitioning schemes—one for each of the types in our framework. We also systematically review the related work on hardware‐enforced partitioning by categorising previous research efforts according to our framework. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Drivers of community assembly in tropical forest restoration sites: role of local environment, landscape, and space
Authors: Audino Lívia D. , Murphy Stephen J. , Zambaldi Ludimila , Louzada Julio , Comita Liza S.
Published: April 2017

There is increasing recognition that community assembly theory can offer valuable insights for ecological restoration. We studied community assembly processes following tropical forest restoration efforts, using dung beetles (Scarabaeinae) as a focal taxon to investigate taxonomic and functional patterns of biodiversity recovery. We evaluated the relative importance of the local environment (i.e., canopy cover, understory cover, tree basal area, and soil texture), landscape context (i.e., habitat patch proximity and availability and percentage of surrounding area classified as natural forest or Eucalyptus spp. plantation), and space (i.e., spatial proximity of the study areas to estimate dispersal limitation or unmeasured spatially structured processes) on dung beetle species and functional trait composition across a gradient of 15 restoration sites in Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We also assessed which factors were the primary determinants in the establishment of individual dung beetle functional groups, classified according to size, food relocation habit, diet, and period of flight activity. Both species and functional trait composition were most strongly influenced by the local environment, indicating that assembly was predominantly driven by niche‐based processes. Most of the variation explained by space was co‐explained by local environment and landscape context, ruling out a strong influence of dispersal limitation and random colonization on assembly following restoration. In addition, nearly all of the variance explained by landscape context was co‐explained by local environment, suggesting that arrival and establishment at a site depends on both local and landscape‐scale environmental factors. Despite strong evidence for niche‐based assembly, a large amount of variation remained unexplained in all models, suggesting that stochastic processes and/or unmeasured environmental variables also play an important role. The relative importance of local environment, landscape context, and space changed considerably when analyzing the assembly mechanisms of each functional group separately. Therefore, to recover distinct functional traits in restoration sites, it may be necessary to manipulate different components of the local environment and surrounding landscape. Overall, this study shows that assembly rules can help to better understand recovery processes, enabling improvement of future restoration efforts.
Mixed‐severity fire history at a forest–grassland ecotone in west central British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Harvey Jill E. , Smith Dan. J. , Veblen Thomas T.
Published: April 2017

This study examines spatially variable stand structure and fire–climate relationships at a low elevation forest–grassland ecotone in west central British Columbia, Canada. Fire history reconstructions were based on samples from 92 fire‐scarred trees and stand demography from 27 plots collected over an area of about 7 km2. We documented historical chronologies of widespread fires and localized grassland fires betweenAD1600 and 1900. Relationships between fire events, reconstructed values of the Palmer Drought Severity Index, and annual precipitation were examined using superposed epoch and bivariate event analyses. Widespread fires occurred during warm, dry years and were preceded by multiple anomalously dry, warm years. Localized fires that affected only grassland‐proximal forests were more frequent than widespread fires. These localized fires showed a lagged, positive relationship with wetter conditions. The landscape pattern of forest structure provided further evidence of complex fire activity with multiple plots shown to have experienced low‐, mixed‐, and/or high‐severity fires over the last four centuries. We concluded that this forest–grassland ecotone was characterized by fires of mixed severity, dominated by frequent, low‐severity fires punctuated by widespread fires of moderate to high severity. This landscape‐level variability in fire–climate relationships and patterns in forest structure has important implications for fire and grassland management in west central British Columbia and similar environments elsewhere. Forest restoration techniques such as prescribed fire and thinning are oftentimes applied at the forest–grassland ecotone on the basis that historically high frequency, low‐severity fires defined the character of past fire activity. This study provides forest managers and policy makers with important information on mixed‐severity fire activity at a low elevation forest–grassland ecotone, a crucial prerequisite for the effective management of these complex ecosystems.
Asymmetry matters: A genomic assessment of directional biases in gene flow between hybridizing spruces
Authors: de Lafontaine Guillaume , Bousquet Jean
Published: April 2017

Assessing directional bias in interspecific gene flow might be important in determining the evolutionary trajectory of closely related species pairs. Using a set of 300 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) having variable propensity to cross species boundary, we evaluated the genomic extent and direction of interspecific gene flow in a progenitor‐derivative spruce species pair (black spruce and red spruce). A higher rate of gene flow was found from black spruce toward red spruce purebreds than vice versa. This asymmetry could reflect the historical gene flow between the two taxa at the time of species inception and during postglacial colonization. A clear asymmetry in introgression was depicted by a greater gene flow between red spruce and hybrids than between black spruce and hybrids. While backcrossing toward red spruce was invariably high across the genome, the actual species boundary is between hybrids and black spruce where gene flow is impeded at those genomic regions impermeable to introgression. Associations between hybrid index and climatic variables (total annual precipitation and mean annual temperature) were tested, as these might indicate a role for exogenous selection in maintaining the species boundary. While an apparent association was found between the hybrid index and precipitation, it collapsed when considered in light of the directional bias in interspecific gene flow. Hence, considering asymmetrical patterns of introgression allowed us to falsify an apparent role for exogenous selection. Although this was not formerly tested here, we suggest that this pattern could result from asymmetrical endogenous selection, a contention that deserves further investigations.
At‐sea distribution and habitat use in king penguins at sub‐Antarctic Marion Island
Authors: Pistorius Pierre , Hindell Mark , Crawford Robert , Makhado Azwianewi , Dyer Bruce , Reisinger Ryan
Published: April 2017

King penguins make up the bulk of avian biomass on a number of sub‐Antarctic islands where they have a large functional effect on terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The same applies at Marion Island where a substantial proportion of the world population breeds. In spite of their obvious ecological importance, the at‐sea distribution and behavior of this population has until recently remained entirely unknown. In addressing this information deficiency, we deployed satellite‐linked tracking instruments on 15 adult king penguins over 2 years, April 2008 and 2013, to study their post‐guard foraging distribution and habitat preferences. Uniquely among adult king penguins, individuals by and large headed out against the prevailing Antarctic Circumpolar Current, foraging to the west and southwest of the island. On average, individuals ventured a maximum distance of 1,600 km from the colony, with three individuals foraging close to, or beyond, 3,500 km west of the colony. Birds were mostly foraging south of the Antarctic Polar Front and north of the southern boundary of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Habitat preferences were assessed using boosted regression tree models which indicated sea surface temperate, depth, and chorophyll a concentration to be the most important predictors of habitat selection. Interestingly, king penguins rapidly transited the eddy‐rich area to the west of Marion Island, associated with the Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, which has been shown to be important for foraging in other marine top predators. In accordance with this, the king penguins generally avoided areas with high eddy kinetic energy. The results from this first study into the behavioral ecology and at‐sea distribution of king penguins at Marion Island contribute to our broader understanding of this species.
Ecological effects of dams, alien fish, and physiochemical environmental factors on homogeneity/heterogeneity of fish community in four tributaries of the Pearl River in China
Authors: Zeng Lei , Zhou Lei , Guo Ding‐Li , Fu Dong‐Hua , Xu Peng , Zeng Shuang , Tang Qin‐Dong , Chen An‐Luo , Chen Fei‐Qiao , Luo Yong , Li Gui‐Feng
Published: April 2017

In this study, we aimed to characterize the fish community structure and identify the drivers contributing to homogenization/differentiation processes in four tributaries to the Pearl River, Guangxi Province, China, over the past few decades. We sampled 22 sites seasonally from 2013 through 2015, and these sites were selected based on archived records of previous sampling conducted in the 1980s. Jaccard's faunal similarity index, cluster analysis, and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were applied to describe the homogenization/differentiation of fish community and illustrate the potential effectors. The number of fish species present in three of the four sampled tributaries declined dramatically over the past 30 years, leading toward a trend of increased fish community homogeneity throughout the watershed. Results from multidimensional scaling and cluster analyses allowed us to divide the study area into two distinct ecoregions. Four species (yellow catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco,pond loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus,Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, andsharpbelly Hemiculter leucisculus) were considered to be indicative fish species contributing more than 5% of the dissimilarity between the two eco‐regions according to the results of similarity percentage procedure. Results fromCCArevealed thatpHand latitude corresponded with the dominant fish species of each respective tributary. More specifically,CCAresults allowed us to classify dominant fish species into three distinct groups. The first group was mainly located in Guijiang characterized by higher latitudes and lowerpHvalues, the second group was widespread in the four tributaries, and the last group was primarily distributed in Yujiang, Youjiang, and Zuojiang characterized by lower latitudes and higherpHvalues. Spatial differentiation of fish community structure and temporal homogeneity of species composition were attributed to the joint actions of human interventions including construction of dams and introductions of exotic fish species that led to habitat degeneration and fragmentation, and unequal interspecies competitions.
Fungal‐host diversity among mycoheterotrophic plants increases proportionally to their fungal‐host overlap
Authors: Gomes Sofia I. F. , Merckx Vincent S. F. T. , Saavedra Serguei
Published: April 2017

The vast majority of plants obtain an important proportion of vital resources from soil through mycorrhizal fungi. Generally, this happens in exchange of photosynthetically fixed carbon, but occasionally the interaction is mycoheterotrophic, and plants obtain carbon from mycorrhizal fungi. This process results in an antagonistic interaction between mycoheterotrophic plants and their fungal hosts. Importantly, the fungal‐host diversity available for plants is restricted as mycoheterotrophic interactions often involve narrow lineages of fungal hosts. Unfortunately, little is known whether fungal‐host diversity may be additionally modulated by plant–plant interactions through shared hosts. Yet, this may have important implications for plant competition and coexistence. Here, we use DNA sequencing data to investigate the interaction patterns between mycoheterotrophic plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. We find no phylogenetic signal on the number of fungal hosts nor on the fungal hosts shared among mycoheterotrophic plants. However, we observe a potential trend toward increased phylogenetic diversity of fungal hosts among mycoheterotrophic plants with increasing overlap in their fungal hosts. While these patterns remain for groups of plants regardless of location, we do find higher levels of overlap and diversity among plants from the same location. These findings suggest that species coexistence cannot be fully understood without attention to the two sides of ecological interactions.
Autoimmune myocarditis in systemic sclerosis: an unusual form of scleroderma heart disease presentation
Authors: Ramalho Ana Rita , Costa Susana , Silva Francisco , Donato Paulo , Franco Fátima , Pêgo Guilherme Mariano
Published: April 2017

Primary cardiac involvement in systemic sclerosis is common, often subclinical, and is associated with significant mortality. We report the case of a patient who developed autoimmune myocarditis at an early stage of systemic sclerosis, who completely recovered from cardiac dysfunction under optimal medical therapy for heart failure and immunosuppression. This challenging case aims at increasing awareness around the fact that the heart is a target organ of scleroderma disease. It also highlights the importance of screening and early diagnosis of cardiac involvement, because a timely treatment may impact the quality of life of these patients and improve their prognosis.
Multi‐gel casting apparatus for vertical polyacrylamide gels with in‐built solution flow system and liquid level detectors
Authors: Maurye Praveen , Basu Arpita , Bandyopadhyay Tapas Kumar , Biswas Jayanta Kumar , Mohanty Bimal Prasana
Published: April 2017

PAGE is the most widely used technique for the separation and biochemical analysis of biomolecules. The ever growing field of proteomics and genomics necessitates the analysis of many proteins and nucleic acid samples to understand further about the structure and function of cells. Simultaneous analysis of multiple protein samples often requires casting of many PAGE gels. Several variants of multi‐gel casting/electrophoresis apparatuses are frequently used in research laboratories. Requirement of supplementary gels to match the growing demand for analyzing additional protein samples sometimes become a cause of concern. Available apparatuses are not amenable to and therefore, not recommended for any modification to accommodate additional gel casting units other than what is prescribed by the manufacturer. A novel apparatus is described here for casting multiple PAGE gels comprising four detachable components that provide enhanced practicability and performance of the apparatus. This newly modified apparatus promises to be a reliable source for making multiple gels in less time without hassle. Synchronized functioning of unique components broaden the possibilities of developing inexpensive, safe, and time‐saving multi‐gel casting apparatus. This apparatus can be easily fabricated and modified to accommodate desired number of gel casting units. The estimated cost (∼$300) for fabrication of the main apparatus is very competitive and effortless assembly procedure can be completed within ∼30 min.
Positive airway pressure adherence and mask interface in the setting of sinonasal symptoms
Authors: Schell Amy E. , Soose Ryan J.
Published: April 2017

Objectives/Hypothesis

Despite reports of lower positive pressure adherence rates with oronasal masks, patients with sinonasal problems are often prescribed this interface over a nasal interface. The aim of this study was to characterize the relationship between mask type and therapy adherence in the setting of sinonasal symptoms.

Study Design

Retrospective case series with chart review.

Methods

We reviewed 328 patients who underwent positive pressure titration between January 2012 and May 2015. Follow‐up adherence data were available for 218 patients (66.5%). Multivariate analysis examined whether patients with sinonasal symptoms have improved adherence with oronasal masks compared to nasal or nasal pillow interfaces.

Results

At a median follow‐up of 95 days, positive pressure adherence in patients with sinonasal symptoms was highest with the nasal pillow interface. When compared with oronasal interfaces, the odds of adequate therapy adherence were >5 times greater with nasal pillow interfaces (odds ratio [OR] = 5.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.61‐16.80, P = .006) and >3 times greater with nasal interfaces (OR = 3.67, 95% CI = 1.20‐11.26, P = .02) in these symptomatic patients.

Conclusions

The presence of nasal problems does not predict the need for an oronasal mask. Positive pressure adherence rates are higher with nasal and nasal pillow interfaces compared to oronasal masks, even in patients with sinonasal complaints.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 127:2418–2422, 2017
Survival, Mortality, Causes and Places of Death in a European Huntington's Disease Prospective Cohort
Authors: Rodrigues Filipe Brogueira , Abreu Daisy , Damásio Joana , Goncalves Nilza , Correia‐Guedes Leonor , Coelho Miguel , Ferreira Joaquim J. ,   REGISTRY Investigators of the European Huntington's Disease Network
Published: April 2017

Background

Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare and fatal inherited genetic disorder characterized by progressive motor, cognitive, and behavioral impairment. It leads to premature death, but data regarding advanced‐stage disease are scarce. We sought to determine HD‐associated survival, mortality, and causes and places of death.

Methods

Data from the European HD Network prospective study (REGISTRY) collected from 2001 through 2013 were used, including the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale and death report forms. Group comparisons were performed using the t test or the χ2 test. Survival analyses were computed through Kaplan‐Meier estimates of median survival. All tests were 2‐sided with a significance level of P = 0.05.

Results

In total, 5164 participants were analyzed. The mean age at diagnosis was 49 years, and the mean age at death was 58 years. At the end of the study period, there were 533 deaths (10.3% of patients). Median survival was 24 years from diagnosis and 35 years from symptom onset. The most frequent causes of death were pneumonia (19.5%), other infections (6.9%), and suicide (6.6%). The most frequent places of death were the hospital (29.8%), the home (23.9%), and nursing houses (19.8%).

Conclusions

Patients with HD tend to die from the same conditions as patients with other neurodegenerative diseases. However, compared with nonhereditary Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, the median time from onset to death is longer, and the places of death are distinctive.
Rapidly Progressive Cerebellar Hemiataxia with High Levels of GAD65 Reactive Antibodies
Authors: Wiels Wietse , Guisset Francois , Vandervorst Fenne , Peeters Ilse , Seynaeve Laura , Costa Olivier , Flamez Anja , De Keyser Jacques
Published: April 2017

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Low‐dimensional half‐metallic materials: theoretical simulations and design
Authors: Li Xingxing , Yang Jinlong
Published: April 2017

Spintronics, which uses the spin of electrons for information processing, is viewed as one of the most promising next‐generation information technology with high speed and low energy consumption. To generate pure spins for subsequent spin transport and manipulation, a half‐metallic material with 100% spin polarization around the Fermi level is highly desired. Half metal features a unique electronic structure, with one spin channel metallic while keeping the other spin channel insulating. In order to minimize the size of spintronic devices and achieve high integration density, low‐dimensional half‐metallic materials are eagerly pursued in recent years, although they are still at an early stage of theoretical predictions and corresponding experimental verifications remain challenging. Intrinsic half‐metallicity in low dimension is found to be very limited and we still lack a general scheme to achieve such materials. Alternatively, the large number of emerging nanomaterials and their easy tunability by external stimuli provide another opportunity to realize low‐dimensional half‐metals. In this article, we attempt to give a brief review of designing low‐dimensional half‐metals from theoretical aspect, and analyze the basic ideas and strategies used in the design process. Proposals on future developments are also presented. WIREs Comput Mol Sci 2017, 7:e1314. doi: 10.1002/wcms.1314

This article is categorized under:

Structure and Mechanism > Computational Materials Science
Factors Associated with Choice and Success of One- Versus Two-Stage Revision Arthroplasty for Infected Hip and Knee Prostheses
Authors: Castellani Lucas , Daneman Nick , Mubareka Samira , Jenkinson Richard
Published: April 2017

Background

Prosthetic joint infections (PJI) of hip and knee arthroplasties are becoming increasingly common with an aging population and an increasing demand for these procedures. Despite attempts at standardization, medical and surgical approaches vary widely among practitioners.

Questions/Purposes

We first sought to determine if there were specific factors associated with choice of one- versus two-stage revision. Then we investigated whether the type of revision approach influenced clinical treatment success. Finally, among two-stage revisions, we assessed if an antibiotic holiday prior to the second procedure affected clinical treatment success.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed patients who had revision surgery for infection of a hip or knee arthroplasty between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2013, at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the Holland Orthopedic and Arthritic Centre. PJI cases were identified using the Ontario Joint Replacement Registry. Infection was defined by gross intraoperative evidence of infection, positive intraoperative culture(s), and/or sinus tract prior to operation. The primary outcome was treatment failure at 1 year after revision surgery based on requirement for further surgery, ongoing infection, and/or continuous suppressive antibiotics.

Results

Of 110 eligible patients identified, 35 patients had a one-stage and 75 patients had a two-stage revision. Choice of a one-stage approach was most influenced by particular surgeon preference and was more likely for hip revision versus knee revision (OR 3.39 (95%CI 1.85–6.23). There was no statistical difference in clinical treatment success rate between one-stage (33/35; 94.2% success) and two-stage revision (63/75; 84%; p = 0.13). Enterococcus spp. (21 versus 3%; p = 0.027) and Peptostreptococcus spp. (14 versus 1%; p = 0.042) were more common among clinical treatment failures than successes, with a trend towards the same for Staphylococcus aureus (29 versus 9%; p = 0.06). Additionally, treatment success was not influenced by whether the patient had an antibiotic holiday with a two-stage revision.

Conclusion

Our findings confirm the uncertainty of surgical strategy for treatment of PJI in hip and knee arthroplasty. Superiority of one- versus two-stage revision and the value of antibiotic-free periods prior to definitive revision remain unclear. Large prospective studies or randomized controlled trials are needed to inform best practice for treatment of these complex clinical problems.
Altered levels of blood proteins in Alzheimer's disease longitudinal study: Results from Australian Imaging Biomarkers Lifestyle Study of Ageing cohort
Authors: Gupta Veer Bala , Hone Eugene , Pedrini Steve , Doecke James , O'Bryant Sid , James Ian , Bush Ashley I. , Rowe Christopher C. , Villemagne Victor L. , Ames David , Masters Colin L. , Martins Ralph N. ,   AIBL Research Group
Published: April 2017

Introduction

A blood‐based biomarker panel to identify individuals with preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) would be an inexpensive and accessible first step for routine testing.

Methods

We analyzed 14 biomarkers that have previously been linked to AD in the Australian Imaging Biomarkers lifestyle longitudinal study of aging cohort.

Results

Levels of apolipoprotein J (apoJ) were higher in AD individuals compared with healthy controls at baseline and 18 months (P = .0003) and chemokine‐309 (I‐309) were increased in AD patients compared to mild cognitive impaired individuals over 36 months (P = .0008).

Discussion

These data suggest that apoJ may have potential in the context of use (COU) of AD diagnostics, I‐309 may be specifically useful in the COU of identifying individuals at greatest risk for progressing toward AD. This work takes an initial step toward identifying blood biomarkers with potential use in the diagnosis and prognosis of AD and should be validated across other prospective cohorts.
Single‐nucleotide polymorphisms are associated with cognitive decline at Alzheimer's disease conversion within mild cognitive impairment patients
Authors: Lee Eunjee , Giovanello Kelly S. , Saykin Andrew J. , Xie Fengchang , Kong Dehan , Wang Yue , Yang Liuqing , Ibrahim Joseph G. , Doraiswamy P. Murali , Zhu Hongtu ,   Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: April 2017

Introduction

The growing public threat of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has raised the urgency to quantify the degree of cognitive decline during the conversion process of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to AD and its underlying genetic pathway. The aim of this article was to test genetic common variants associated with accelerated cognitive decline after the conversion of MCI to AD.

Methods

In 583 subjects with MCI enrolled in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI; ADNI‐1, ADNI‐Go, and ADNI‐2), 245 MCI participants converted to AD at follow‐up. We tested the interaction effects between individual single‐nucleotide polymorphisms and AD diagnosis trajectory on the longitudinal Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale‐Cognition scores.

Results

Our findings reveal six genes, including BDH1, ST6GAL1, RAB20, PDS5B, ADARB2, and SPSB1, which are directly or indirectly related to MCI conversion to AD.

Discussion

This genome‐wide association study sheds light on a genetic mechanism of longitudinal cognitive changes during the transition period from MCI to AD.
Efficacy and safety of diclofenac in osteoarthritis: Results of a network meta-analysis of unpublished legacy studies
Authors: Guyot Patricia , Pandhi Shaloo , Nixon Richard M. , Iqbal Asif , Chaves Ricardo L. , Moore R. Andrew
Published: April 2017

Background and aim

Diclofenac is widely prescribed for the treatment of pain. Several network meta-analyses (NMA), largely of published trials have evaluated the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The present NMA extends these analyses to unpublished older (legacy) diclofenac trials.

Methods

We identified randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of diclofenac with planned study duration of at least 4 weeks for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) from ‘legacy’ studies conducted by Novartis but not published in a peer reviewed journal or included in any previous pooled analyses. All studies reporting efficacy and/or safety of treatment with diclofenac or other active therapies or placebo were included. We used a Bayesian NMA model, and estimated relative treatment effects between pairwise treatments. Main outcomes included pain relief measured using visual analogue scale at 2, 4 and 12 weeks and patient global assessment (PGA) at 4 and 12 weeks for efficacy, all-cause withdrawals, and adverse events.

Results

A total of 19 RCTs (5030 patients) were included; 18 of which were double-blind and one singleblind. All studies were conducted before cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors (COXIBs) became commercially available. Data permitted robust efficacy comparison between diclofenac and ibuprofen, but the amount of data for other comparators was limited. Diclofenac 150 mg/day was more efficacious than ibuprofen 1200 mg/day and had likely favourable outcomes for pain relief compared to ibuprofen 2400 mg/day. Diclofenac 100 mg/day had likely favourable outcomes compared to ibuprofen 1200 mg/day in alleviating pain. Based on PGA, diclofenac 150 mg/day was more efficacious and likely to be favourable than ibuprofen 1200 mg/day and 2400 mg/day, respectively. Risk of withdrawal due to all causes with diclofenac and ibuprofen were comparable. Diclofenac 150 mg/day was likely to have favourable efficacy and comparable tolerability with diclofenac 100 mg/day. Results comparing diclofenac and ibuprofen were similar to those from NMAs of published trials.

Conclusions

Results from these unpublished ‘legacy’ studies were similar to those from NMAs of published trials. The favourable efficacy results of diclofenac compared to ibuprofen expand the amount of available evidence comparing these two NSAIDs. The overall benefit-risk profile of diclofenac was comparable to that of ibuprofen in OA.

Implications

The present NMA results reassures that the older unpublished blinded trials have similar results compared to more recently published trials and also contributes to increase the transparency of clinical trials performed with diclofenac further back in the past.