bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards an Optimal Speaker Modeling in Speaker Verification Systems using Personalized Background Models
Authors: Bouziane Ayoub , Kharroubi Jamal , Zarghili Arsalane
Published: October 2017

This paper presents a novel speaker modeling approachfor speaker recognition systems. The basic idea of this approach consists of deriving the target speaker model from a personalized background model, composed only of the UBM Gaussian components which are really present in the speech of the target speaker. The motivation behind the derivation of speakers’ models from personalized background models is to exploit the observeddifference insome acoustic-classes between speakers, in order to improve the performance of speaker recognition systems.
The proposed approach was evaluatedfor speaker verification task using various amounts of training and testing speech data. The experimental results showed that the proposed approach is efficientin termsof both verification performance and computational cost during the testing phase of the system, compared to the traditional UBM based speaker recognition systems.
Finding Knowledge from Indonesian Traditional Medicine using Semantic Web Rule Language
Authors: Gunawan Ridowati , Mustofa Khabib
Published: October 2017

One of the natural resources in Indonesia is a lot of plants which can be used in healing diseases. Thosekinds of plants can be used in “Jamu”. Jamu is a name given to traditional medicine in Indonesia. Usually Jamu is composed from several plants as ingredients. Particularly, some parts of the plant like the leaves, roots, or branches have different purpose in Jamu. Nowadays the knowledge about Jamu can be known by building Ontology. Ontology can be built and developed to enrich the content. Knowledge in Ontology is built by several rules using Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL).Knowledge gained from SWRL is easily searchable so that users can double check the results obtained.
CNR and BER Ranges for the DVB-T2 Reception-Success
Authors: Setiyanto Budi , Hidayat Risanuri , Mustika I Wayan , Sunarno Sunarno
Published: October 2017

DVB-T2 (Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestrial Second Generation) reception requires a sufficient quality of the received signal. CNR (carrier-to-noise ratio) and BER (bit-error-rate) are two of quantities describing the quality. This paper presents the range of each quantity providing a successful reception based on real data obtained by field-measurements. This data was collected from MO (mobile-outdoor) and SI (stationary-indoor) receiving-systems capturing signal sent by some on-air trial transmitters broadcasting services focused on the fixed-receivers. The result indicated that the successful and failed receptions were split into two quite separated (concentrated) ranges of post-decoded BER and therefore a boundary distinguishing them could be prominently defined. In contrast, they were spread in a wide common range of CNR and pre-decoded BER. Furthermore, the boundary that corresponded to this last quantity was ambiguous. In the case of MO reception as numerical examples, the two split ranges of post-decoded BER were less than about 10-5 and more than about 2.7 × 10-4 for the successful and failed receptions, respectively, whereas CNR as high as about 14 dB could be viewed as a soft boundary distinguishing these both reception-success conditions.
Evaluating Aggregate Functions of Iceberg Query Using Priority Based Bitmap Indexing Strategy
Authors: Sarika Prakash Kale , Prathap P.M. Joe
Published: October 2017

Aggregate function and iceberg queries are important and common in many applications of data warehouse because users are generally interested in looking for variance or unusual patterns. Normally, the nature of the queries to be executed on data warehouse are the queries with aggregate function followed by having clause, these type of queries are known as iceberg query. Especially to have efficient techniques for processing aggregate function of iceberg query is very important because their processing cost is much higher than that of the other basic relational operations such as SELECT and PROJECT. Presently available iceberg query processing techniques faces the problem of empty bitwise AND,OR  XOR operation and requires more I/O access and time.To overcome these problems proposed research provides efficient algorithm to execute iceberg queries using priority based bitmap indexing strategy. Priority based approach consider  bitmap vector to be executed as per the priority.Intermediate results are evaluated to find probability of result.Fruitless operations are identified and skipped in advance which help to reduce I/O access and time.Time and iteration required to process query is reduced [45-50] % compare to previous strategy.  Experimental result proves the superiority of priorty based approach compare to previous bitmap processing approach.
A Amazônia Azul: recursos e preservação
Authors: Castro Belmiro M. , Brandini Frederico P. , Dottori Marcelo , Fortes João F.
Published: October 2017

The area encompassed by the Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and its extensions is estimated to cover a total area of 4.5 million square kilometers, which corresponds to more than half of continental Brazil. This sea area over which Brazil is entitled to have some sort of sovereignty has been named Blue Amazon. Despite the enormous potential of resources existing in this EEZ, such as living resources, mineral resources, energy resources, and non-extractive resources – some of which have already been exploited – the perception of Brazilians as regards their sea and its resources is still incipient. One of the consequences of the lack of maritime mentality is that the exploitation of resources in the Brazilian EEZ is not always carried out in a sustainable manner
O tráfico negreiro na cartografia luso-afro-brasileira: a circulação da informação geográfica no Atlântico Sul
Authors: Kantor Iris
Published: October 2017

Just like the upheavals caused overseas by the Thirty Years' War in the 17th century, the Treaty of Utrecht, the Seven Years' War and the Napoleonic expansion changed the South and North Atlantic commercial network makeup in global scale. By the end of the 18th century, the European ports and factories in Africa were fully recorded by the cartographers from Portuguese America with great accuracy, spreading out important nautical and geographical information. We seek to highlight the circulation of the military, ethnographic and mercantile information. I will try to underline the heuristic potential of the cartographic sources for the study of the slave trade in the second half of the 18th century
Memory and spaces in dispute in San Carlos de Bariloche: the monument to Gen. Roca in the Civic Center
Authors: Silva Luciana Romão da
Published: October 2017

O artigo aborda a polêmica surgida entre a década de 1990 e a atual em torno de dois grupos de memórias contrapostas sobre um dos acontecimentos históricos-chave da formação do Estado Nacional argentino no século XIX, a denominada "Conquista do Deserto" (1878-1885), e seu principal comandante, o Gen. Julio Argentino Roca (1843-1914). Tal polêmica tem como principal disparador uma série de monumentos em homenagem a Roca presentes nos espaços públicos de diversas cidades da Argentina, dentre as quais, San Carlos de Bariloche, na Patagônia, onde parte da população local alega que a estátua alude não a um passado glorioso, mas ao massacre genocida que teve por alvo principalmente o povo indígena Mapuche que habitava originalmente aquela região. Aqui será exposto como tal monumento tornou-se objeto de uma disputa simbólica que revela, em seu conteúdo e origens, a emergência no espaço urbano de demandas específicas por terra, por autonomia territorial, por condições dignas de vida, reconhecimento identitário e, por fim, pela consolidação de novos espaços de representação social e política para os indígenas argentinos
City: between experience and image
Authors: Ribeiro Thiago Rocha
Published: October 2017

O ensaio constitui-se na criação de imagens a partir de fotografias e utilizando o caminhar pela cidade como procedimento de pesquisa. Particularmente se voltou para captar e explorar o conceito de Atmosferas encontrado nos textos de Peter Zumthor. Formadas por uma trama de camadas (sons, cheiros, vivências, tempos, escalas etc.) elas são subjetivas, efêmeras, de conexão imediata e principalmente protagonistas sobre a dinâmica perceptiva estabelecida entre o espaço e o sujeito. A decodificação destas experiências em discurso visual e o cruzamento com os filmes Blow-up, Her e os textos de Susan Sontag permitiu ainda estruturar uma discussão sobre questões relativas à própria construção de imagens e a nossa relação com elas
Studying the medieval Dance of Death: between the visible, the hidden and the destroyed
Authors: Schmitt Juliana
Published: October 2017

Gênero iconográfico e literário da Baixa Idade Média, a Dança Macabra apresenta certas dificuldades para seu estudo, sendo a principal delas a existência instável das obras, notadamente das imagéticas. Em muitos casos, sabe-se delas apenas por registros escritos de época. Muitas já foram destruídas, outras tantas, cobertas. As que se mantiveram visíveis possuem problemas importantes, como seu estado atual de intensa deterioração ou mesmo intervenções feitas durante o século XX que, apesar de realizadas com o intuito de conservá-las, podem tê-las descaracterizado. Para elucidar essa problemática, o artigo trata de alguns desses exemplares das Danças Macabras, como o do cemitério parisiense de Saints-Innocents e os das comunas francesas de La Chaise-Dieu, de Meslay-le-Grenet e de La Ferté-Loupière
Vestiges: [in]versions and urban registers
Authors: Duran Nathalia Valença , Monteiro Rafael Elias Abifade
Published: October 2017

O presente ensaio parte do projeto Vestígios, uma série de fotografias que aborda questões ligadas à relação entre a temporalidade e a cidade contemporânea, que se transforma e deixa suas marcas. Trata-se aqui da presença de uma ausência, registrada como memória e como movimento
The unseen of the visible: an exhibition of architecture and design
Authors: Ruggiero Amanda Saba
Published: October 2017

Com a finalidade de analisar o longo e invisível percurso manifesto em uma exposição, elegeu-se para estudo de caso a mostra How Should we live?, organizada pelo Departamento de Arquitetura e Design do Museu de Arte Moderna de Nova York (MoMA). Uma breve retomada sobre a história do museu e em especial sobre o acervo de arquitetura e design faz-se necessária, com intuito de examinar em que sentido a curadoria amplia o entendimento, produz novos significados e leituras sobre a coleção existente. Neste caso propõe destacar a presença feminina no movimento moderno, abafada pela historiografia tradicional, além de contextualizar as obras exibidas, diluindo o status de objetos individualizados e autorais, para reposicioná-los nas conjunturas sociais, econômicas e tecnológicas, aproximando-se dos propósitos defendidos pelo primeiro diretor do museu, Alfred H. Bar
Opaque and Invisible
Authors: Pinto Filipe Manuel Oliveira da Silva
Published: October 2017

O que é verdadeiramente invisível? O que é invisível e não apenas quase completamente transparente? O que é opaco e palpável e que pode estar à nossa frente mas que não se vê? Isto é, o que é verdadeiramente invisível? Este breve ensaio pretende mostrar que o que é verdadeiramente invisível está mais próximo da opacidade do que da transparência
A fat woman is naked and poses for photographs
Authors: Magalhães Fernanda
Published: October 2017

Ensaio fotoperformático A Natureza da Vida, composto por ações que acontecem em locais públicos diversos, onde o corpo de mulher gorda nua se posiciona reivindicando seus espaços e visibilidades e afirma sua existência.
Targeting Cx40 (Connexin40) Expression or Function Reduces Angiogenesis in the Developing Mouse Retina
Authors: Haefliger Jacques-Antoine , Allagnat Florent , Hamard Lauriane , Le Gal Loïc , Meda Paolo , Nardelli-Haefliger Denise , Génot Elisabeth , Alonso Florian
Published: October 2017

Objective—

Cx40 (Connexin40) forms intercellular channels that coordinate the electric conduction in the heart and the vasomotor tone in large vessels. The protein was shown to regulate tumoral angiogenesis; however, whether Cx40 also contributes to physiological angiogenesis is still unknown.

Approach and Results—

Here, we show that Cx40 contributes to physiological angiogenesis. Genetic deletion of Cx40 leads to a reduction in vascular growth and capillary density in the neovascularization model of the mouse neonatal retina. At the angiogenic front, vessel sprouting is reduced, and the mural cells recruited along the sprouts display an altered phenotype. These alterations can be attributed to disturbed endothelial cell functions as selective reexpression of Cx40 in these cells restores normal angiogenesis. In vitro, targeting Cx40 in microvascular endothelial cells, by silencing its expression or by blocking gap junction channels, decreases their proliferation. Moreover, loss of Cx40 in these cells also increases their release of PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor) and promotes the chemoattraction of mural cells. In vivo, an intravitreal injection of a Cx40 inhibitory peptide, phenocopies the loss of Cx40 in the retinal vasculature of wild-type mice.

Conclusions—

Collectively, our data show that endothelial Cx40 contributes to the early stages of physiological angiogenesis in the developing retina, by regulating vessel growth and maturation. Cx40 thus represents a novel therapeutic target for treating pathological ocular angiogenesis.
Endogenous Cholesterol Excretion Is Negatively Associated With Carotid Intima–Media Thickness in Humans
Authors: Lin Xiaobo , Racette Susan B. , Ma Lina , Wallendorf Michael , Dávila-Román Victor G. , Ostlund Richard E.
Published: October 2017

Objective—

Epidemiological studies strongly suggest that lipid factors independent of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol contribute significantly to cardiovascular disease risk. Because circulating lipoproteins comprise only a small fraction of total body cholesterol, the mobilization and excretion of cholesterol from plasma and tissue pools may be an important determinant of cardiovascular disease risk. Our hypothesis is that fecal excretion of endogenous cholesterol is protective against atherosclerosis.

Approach and Results—

Cholesterol metabolism and carotid intima–media thickness were quantitated in 86 nondiabetic adults. Plasma cholesterol was labeled by intravenous infusion of cholesterol-d
7
solubilized in a lipid emulsion and dietary cholesterol by cholesterol-d
5
and the nonabsorbable stool marker sitostanol-d
4
. Plasma and stool samples were collected while subjects consumed a cholesterol- and phytosterol-controlled metabolic kitchen diet and were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Carotid intima–media thickness was negatively correlated with fecal excretion of endogenous cholesterol (
r
=−0.426;
P
<0.0001), total cholesterol (
r
=−0.472;
P
≤0.0001), and daily percent excretion of cholesterol from the rapidly mixing cholesterol pool (
r
=−0.343;
P
=0.0012) and was positively correlated with percent cholesterol absorption (
r
=+0.279;
P
=0.0092). In a linear regression model controlling for age, sex, systolic blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and statin drug use, fecal excretion of endogenous cholesterol remained significant (
P
=0.0008).

Conclusions—

Excretion of endogenous cholesterol is strongly, independently, and negatively associated with carotid intima–media thickness. The reverse cholesterol transport pathway comprising the intestine and the rapidly mixing plasma, and tissue cholesterol pool could be an unrecognized determinant of cardiovascular disease risk not reflected in circulating lipoproteins. Further work is needed to relate measures of reverse cholesterol transport to atherosclerotic disease.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01603758.
Understanding Chylomicron Retention Disease Through Sar1b Gtpase Gene Disruption
Authors: Sané Alain Théophile , Seidman Ernest , Peretti Noel , Kleme Marie Laure , Delvin Edgard , Deslandres Colette , Garofalo Carole , Spahis Schohraya , Levy Emile
Published: October 2017

Background—

Understanding the specific mechanisms of rare autosomal disorders has greatly expanded insights into the complex processes regulating intestinal fat transport. Sar1B GTPase is one of the critical proteins governing chylomicron secretion by the small intestine, and its mutations lead to chylomicron retention disease, despite the presence of Sar1A paralog.

Objective—

The central aim of this work is to examine the cause–effect relationship between Sar1B expression and chylomicron output and to determine whether Sar1B is obligatory for normal high-density lipoprotein biogenesis.

Approach and Results—

The
SAR1B
gene was totally silenced in Caco-2/15 cells using the zinc finger nuclease technique.
SAR1B
deletion resulted in significantly decreased secretion of triglycerides (≈40%), apolipoprotein B-48 (≈57%), and chylomicron (≈34.5%). The absence of expected chylomicron production collapse may be because of the compensatory
SAR1A
elevation observed in our experiments. Therefore, a double knockout of
SAR1A
and
SAR1B
was engineered in Caco-2/15 cells, which led to almost complete inhibition of triglycerides, apolipoprotein B-48, and chylomicron output. Further experiments with labeled cholesterol revealed the downregulation of high-density lipoprotein biogenesis in cells deficient in SAR1B or with the double knockout of the 2 SAR1 paralogs. Similarly, there was a fall in the movement of labeled cholesterol from cells to basolateral medium containing apolipoprotein A-I, thereby limiting newly synthesized high-density lipoprotein in genetically modified cells. The decreased cholesterol efflux was associated with impaired expression of ABCA1 (ATP-binding cassette subfamily A member 1).

Conclusions—

These findings demonstrate that the deletion of the 2
SAR1
isoforms is required to fully eliminate the secretion of chylomicron in vitro. They also underscore the limited high-density lipoprotein production by the intestinal cells in response to
SAR1
knockout.
Multimodality Intracoronary Imaging With Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Intravascular Ultrasound in Asymptomatic Individuals With High Calcium Scores
Authors: Madder Ryan D. , VanOosterhout Stacie , Klungle David , Mulder Abbey , Elmore Matthew , Decker Jeffrey M. , Langholz David , Boyden Thomas F. , Parker Jessica , Muller James E.
Published: October 2017

Background—

This study sought to determine the frequency of large lipid-rich plaques (LRP) in the coronary arteries of individuals with high coronary artery calcium scores (CACS) and to determine whether the CACS correlates with coronary lipid burden.

Methods and Results—

Combined near-infrared spectroscopy and intravascular ultrasound was performed in 57 vessels in 20 asymptomatic individuals (90% on statins) with no prior history of coronary artery disease who had a screening CACS ≥300 Agatston units. Among 268 10-mm coronary segments, near-infrared spectroscopy images were analyzed for LRP, defined as a bright yellow block on the near-infrared spectroscopy block chemogram. Lipid burden was assessed as the lipid core burden index (LCBI), and large LRP were defined as a maximum LCBI in 4 mm ≥400. Vessel plaque volume was measured by quantitative intravascular ultrasound. Vessel-level CACS significantly correlated with plaque volume by intravascular ultrasound (
r
=0.69;
P
<0.0001) but not with LCBI by near-infrared spectroscopy (
r
=0.24;
P
=0.07). Despite a high CACS, no LRP was detected in 8 (40.0%) subjects. Large LRP having a maximum LCBI in 4 mm ≥400 were infrequent, found in only 5 (25.0%) of 20 subjects and in only 5 (1.9%) of 268 10-mm coronary segments analyzed.

Conclusions—

Among individuals with a CACS ≥300 Agatston units mostly on statins, CACS correlated with total plaque volume but not LCBI. This observation may have implications on coronary risk among individuals with a high CACS considering that it is coronary LRP, rather than calcification, that underlies the majority of acute coronary events.
Validating Utility of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Score in a Large Pooled Cohort From 3 Japanese Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Studies
Authors: Yoshikawa Yusuke , Shiomi Hiroki , Watanabe Hirotoshi , Natsuaki Masahiro , Kondo Hirokazu , Tamura Toshihiro , Nakagawa Yoshihisa , Morimoto Takeshi , Kimura Takeshi
Published: October 2017

Background:

The dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) score was developed to estimate ischemic and bleeding risks from the DAPT study. However, few studies validated its utility externally. We sought to validate the utility of the DAPT score in the Japanese population.

Methods:

In a pooled cohort of 3 studies conducted in Japan (the CREDO-Kyoto [Coronary Revascularization Demonstrating Outcome Study in Kyoto] Registry Cohort-2, RESET [Randomized Evaluation of Sirolimus-Eluting Versus Everolimus-Eluting Stent Trial], and NEXT [NOBORI Biolimus-Eluting Versus XIENCE/PROMUS Everolimus-Eluting Stent Trial]), we compared risks for ischemic and bleeding events from 13 to 36 months after percutaneous coronary intervention among patients with a DAPT score ≥2 (high DS) and a DAPT score <2 (low DS).

Results:

Among 12 223 patients receiving drug-eluting stents who were free from ischemic or bleeding events at 13 months after percutaneous coronary intervention, 3944 patients had high DS and 8279 had low DS. The cumulative incidence of primary ischemic end point (myocardial infarction/stent thrombosis) was significantly higher in high DS than in low DS (1.5% versus 0.9%,
P
=0.002), whereas the cumulative incidence of primary bleeding end point (GUSTO moderate/severe) tended to be lower in high DS than in low DS (2.1% versus 2.7%,
P
=0.07). The cumulative incidences of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and stent thrombosis were also significantly higher in high DS than in low DS (2.0% versus 1.4%,
P
=0.03; 1.5% versus 0.8%,
P
=0.002; 0.7% versus 0.3%,
P
<0.001, respectively), whereas the cumulative incidences of noncardiac death and GUSTO severe bleeding were significantly lower in high DS than in low DS (2.4% versus 3.9%,
P
<0.001; 1.0% versus 1.6%,
P
=0.03, respectively).

Conclusions:

In the current population, the DAPT score successfully stratified ischemic and bleeding risks, although the ischemic event rate was remarkably low even in high DS. Further studies would be warranted to evaluate the utility of prolonged DAPT guided by the DAPT score.
Increase in Endovascular Therapy in Get With The Guidelines-Stroke After the Publication of Pivotal Trials
Authors: Smith Eric E. , Saver Jeffrey L. , Cox Margueritte , Liang Li , Matsouaka Roland , Xian Ying , Bhatt Deepak L. , Fonarow Gregg C. , Schwamm Lee H.
Published: October 2017

Background:

Beginning in December 2014, a series of pivotal trials showed that endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) was highly effective, prompting calls to reorganize stroke systems of care. However, there are few data on how these trials influenced the frequency of EVT in clinical practice. We used data from the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke program to determine how the frequency of EVT changed in US practice.

Methods:

We analyzed prospectively collected data from a cohort of 2 437 975 patients with ischemic stroke admitted to 2222 participating hospitals between April 2003 and the third quarter of 2016. Weighted linear regression with 2 linear splines and a knot at January 2015 was used to compare the slope of the change in EVT use before and after the pivotal trials were published. Potentially eligible patients were defined as last known well to arrival time ≤4.5 hours and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≥6.

Results:

The frequency of EVT use was slowly increasing before January 2015 but then sharply accelerated thereafter. In the third quarter 2016, EVT was provided to 3.3% of all patients with ischemic stroke at all hospitals, representing 15.1% of all patients who were potentially eligible for EVT based on stroke duration and severity. At EVT-capable hospitals, 7.5% of all patients with ischemic stroke were treated in the third quarter of 2016, including 27.3% of the potentially eligible patients. From 2013 to 2016, case volumes nearly doubled at EVT-capable hospitals. Mean case volume per EVT-capable hospital was 37.6 per year in the last 4 quarters. EVT case volumes increased in nearly all US states from 2014 to the last 4 quarters, but with persistent geographic variation unexplained by differences in potential patient eligibility.

Conclusions:

EVT use is increasing rapidly; however, there are still opportunities to treat more patients. Reorganizing stroke systems to route patients to adequately resourced EVT-capable hospitals might increase treatment of eligible patients, improve outcomes, and reduce disparities.
Cohort Study of ECG Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Trajectories: Ethnic Disparities, Associations With Cardiovascular Outcomes, and Clinical Utility
Authors: Iribarren Carlos , Round Alfred D. , Lu Meng , Okin Peter M. , McNulty Edward J.
Published: October 2017

Background

ECG left ventricular hypertrophy (
LVH
) is a well‐known predictor of cardiovascular disease. However, no prior study has characterized patterns of presence/absence of
ECG LVH
(“
ECG LVH
trajectories”) across the adult lifespan in both sexes and across ethnicities. We examined: (1) correlates of
ECG LVH
trajectories; (2) the association of
ECG LVH
trajectories with incident coronary heart disease, transient ischemic attack, ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and heart failure; and (3) reclassification of cardiovascular disease risk using
ECG LVH
trajectories.

Methods and Results

We performed a cohort study among 75 412 men and 107 954 women in the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program who had available longitudinal exposures of
ECG LVH
and covariates, followed for a median of 4.8 (range <1–9.3) years.
ECG LVH
was measured by Cornell voltage‐duration product. Adverse trajectories of
ECG LVH
(persistent, new development, or variable pattern) were more common among blacks and Native American men and were independently related to incident cardiovascular disease with hazard ratios ranging from 1.2 for
ECG LVH
variable pattern and transient ischemic attack in women to 2.8 for persistent
ECG LVH
and heart failure in men.
ECG LVH
trajectories reclassified 4% and 7% of men and women with intermediate coronary heart disease risk, respectively.

Conclusions

ECG LVH
trajectories were significant indicators of coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure risk, independently of level and change in cardiovascular disease risk factors, and may have clinical utility.
Sodium and Fluid Excretion With Torsemide in Healthy Subjects is Limited by the Short Duration of Diuretic Action
Authors: Shah Salim , Pitt Bertram , Brater D. Craig , Feig Peter U. , Shen Wen , Khwaja Fatima S. , Wilcox Christopher S.
Published: October 2017

Background

Loop diuretics are highly natriuretic but their short duration of action permits postdiuretic sodium retention, which limits salt loss unless dietary salt is severely restricted. We tested the hypothesis that a more prolonged duration of action would enhance salt loss.

Methods and Results

Ten healthy participants were crossed over between 20 mg of oral immediate‐release or extended‐release (
ER
) torsemide while consuming a fixed diet with 300 mmol·d
−1
of Na
+
. Compared with immediate‐release, plasma torsemide after
ER
was 59% lower at 1 to 3 hours but 97% higher at 8 to 10 hours as a result of a >3‐fold prolongation of time to maximal plasma concentrations. The relationship of natriuresis to log torsemide excretion showed marked hysteresis, but participants spent twice as long with effective concentrations of torsemide after
ER
, thereby enhancing diuretic efficiency. Compared with immediate‐release,
ER
torsemide did not reduce creatinine clearance and increased fluid (1634±385 versus 728±445 mL,
P
<0.02) and Na
+
output (98±15 versus 42±17 mmol,
P
<0.05) despite an 18% reduction in exposure. Neither formulation increased K
+
excretion.

Conclusions

Torsemide
ER
prolongs urine drug levels, thereby increasing the time spent with effective drug concentrations, reduces postdiuretic Na
+
retention, and moderates a fall in glomerular filtration rate. It caused significant Na
+
loss even during very high salt intake. Thus, a short duration of action limits salt loss with loop diuretics. These conclusions warrant testing in subjects with edema and heart failure.
Haptoglobin 2‐2 Phenotype Is Associated With Increased Acute Kidney Injury After Elective Cardiac Surgery in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Feng Chenzhuo , Naik Bhiken I. , Xin Wenjun , Ma Jennie Z. , Scalzo David C. , Thammishetti Swapna , Thiele Robert H. , Zuo Zhiyi , Raphael Jacob
Published: October 2017

Background

Recent studies reported an association between the 2‐2 phenotype of haptoglobin (Hp 2‐2) and increased cardiorenal morbidity in nonsurgical diabetic patients. Our goal was to determine whether the Hp 2‐2 phenotype was associated with acute kidney injury (
AKI
) after elective cardiac surgery in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Methods and Results

We prospectively enrolled 99 diabetic patients requiring elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Haptoglobin phenotypes were determined by gel electrophoresis. Cell‐free hemoglobin, haptoglobin, and total serum bilirubin were quantified as hemolysis markers. The primary outcome was postoperative
AKI
, as defined by the Acute Kidney Injury Network classification. The incidence of
AKI
was significantly higher in Hp 2‐2 patients compared with patients without this phenotype (non–Hp–2‐2; 55.6% versus 27%,
P
<0.01). The need for renal replacement therapy was also significantly higher in the Hp 2‐2 group (5 patients versus 1 patient,
P
=0.02). Thirty‐day mortality (3 versus 0 patients,
P
=0.04) and 1‐year mortality (5 versus 0 patients,
P
<0.01) were also significantly higher in patients with the Hp 2‐2 phenotype. In multivariable analysis, Hp 2‐2 was an independent predictor of postoperative
AKI
(
P
=0.01; odds ratio: 4.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.35–12.48).

Conclusions

Hp 2‐2 phenotype is an independent predictor of postoperative
AKI
and is associated with decreased short and long‐term survival after cardiac surgery in patients with diabetes mellitus.
Prediction Score for Anticoagulation Control Quality Among Older Adults
Authors: Lin Kueiyu Joshua , Singer Daniel E. , Glynn Robert J. , Blackley Suzanne , Zhou Li , Liu Jun , Dube Gina , Oertel Lynn B. , Schneeweiss Sebastian
Published: October 2017

Background

Time in the therapeutic range (
TTR
) is associated with the effectiveness and safety of vitamin K antagonist (
VKA
) therapy. To optimize prescribing of
VKA
, we aimed to develop and validate a prediction model for
TTR
in older adults taking
VKA
for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism.

Methods and Results

The study cohort comprised patients aged ≥65 years who were taking
VKA
for atrial fibrillation or venous thromboembolism and who were identified in the 2
US
electronic health record databases linked with Medicare claims data from 2007 through 2014. With the predictors identified from a systematic review and clinical knowledge, we built a prediction model for
TTR
, using one electronic health record system as the training set and the other as the validation set. We compared the performance of the new models to that of a published prediction score for
TTR
,
SAM
e‐
TT
2
R
2
. Based on 1663 patients in the training set and 1181 in the validation set, our optimized score included 42 variables and the simplified model included 7 variables, abbreviated as
PROSPER
(Pneumonia, Renal dysfunction, Oozing blood [prior bleeding], Staying in hospital ≥7 days, Pain medication use, no Enhanced [structured] anticoagulation services, Rx for antibiotics). The
PROSPER
score outperformed
SAM
e‐
TT
2
R
2
when predicting both
TTR
≥70% (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.67 versus 0.55) and the thromboembolic and bleeding outcomes (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.62 versus 0.52).

Conclusions

Our geriatric
TTR
score can be used as a clinical decision aid to select appropriate candidates to receive
VKA
therapy and as a research tool to address confounding and treatment effect heterogeneity by anticoagulation quality.
Inhibiting Histone Deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) Promotes Functional Recovery From Stroke
Authors: Tang Ying , Lin Yu‐Hui , Ni Huan‐Yu , Dong Jian , Yuan Hong‐Jin , Zhang Yu , Liang Hai‐Ying , Yao Meng‐Cheng , Zhou Qi‐Gang , Wu Hai‐Yin , Chang Lei , Luo Chun‐Xia , Zhu Dong‐Ya
Published: October 2017

Background

Stroke is a leading cause of long‐term disability worldwide. However, current therapies that promote functional recovery from stroke are limited to physical rehabilitation. No pharmacological therapy is available. Thus, understanding the role of histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) in the pathophysiological process of stroke‐induced functional loss may provide a novel strategy for stroke recovery.

Methods and Results

Focal stroke was induced by photothrombosis. LV‐HDAC2‐shRNA‐GFP, LV‐GFP, Ad‐HDAC2‐Flag, or Ad‐inactive‐HDAC2‐Flag was microinjected into the peri‐infarct area immediately after stroke. HDAC inhibitors were microinjected into the peri‐infarct area 4 to 10 days after stroke. Grid‐walking task and cylinder task were conducted to assess motor function. Golgi‐Cox staining, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and electrophysiology were used to reveal the mechanisms underlying stroke recovery. Knockdown or knockout of HDAC2 promoted stroke recovery, whereas overexpression of HDAC2 worsened stroke‐induced functional impairment. More importantly, trichostatin A, a pan‐HDAC inhibitor, promoted functional recovery from stroke in WT mice when used in the delayed phase, but it was ineffective in
Hdac2
conditional knockout (
Hdac2
CKO) mice. Treatment with suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, a selective HDAC1 and HDAC2 inhibitor, in the delayed phase of stroke produced sustained functional recovery in mice via epigenetically enhancing neuroplasticity of surviving neurons in the peri‐infarct zone.

Conclusions

Our novel findings provide evidence that HDAC2 is a crucial target for functional recovery from stroke. As there are clinically available HDAC inhibitors, our findings could be directly translated into clinical research of stroke.
The Evolution of Sex through the Baldwin Effect
Authors: Bull Larry
Published: October 2017

This article suggests that the fundamental haploid-diploid cycle of eukaryotic sex exploits a rudimentary form of the Baldwin effect. With this explanation for the basic cycle, the other associated phenomena can be explained as evolution tuning the amount and frequency of learning experienced by an organism. Using the well-known NK model of fitness landscapes, it is shown that varying landscape ruggedness varies the benefit of the haploid-diploid cycle, whether based upon endomitosis or syngamy. The utility of pre-meiotic doubling and recombination during the cycle are also shown to vary with landscape ruggedness. This view is suggested as underpinning, rather than contradicting, many existing explanations for sex.
Droplets As Liquid Robots
Authors: Čejková Jitka , Banno Taisuke , Hanczyc Martin M. , Štěpánek František
Published: October 2017

Liquid droplets are very simple objects present in our everyday life. They are extremely important for many natural phenomena as well as for a broad variety of industrial processes. The conventional research areas in which the droplets are studied include physical chemistry, fluid mechanics, chemical engineering, materials science, and micro- and nanotechnology. Typical studies include phenomena such as condensation and droplet formation, evaporation of droplets, or wetting of surfaces. The present article reviews the recent literature that employs droplets as animated soft matter. It is argued that droplets can be considered as liquid robots possessing some characteristics of living systems, and such properties can be applied to unconventional computing through maze solving or operation in logic gates. In particular, the lifelike properties and behavior of liquid robots, namely (i) movement, (ii) self-division, and (iii) group dynamics, will be discussed.
A Chemical Reaction Network to Generate Random, Power-Law-Distributed Time Intervals
Authors: Krauss Patrick , Schulze Holger , Metzner Claus
Published: October 2017

In Lévy walks (LWs), particles move with a fixed speed along straight line segments and turn in new directions after random time intervals that are distributed according to a power law. Such LWs are thought to be an advantageous foraging and search strategy for organisms. While complex nervous systems are certainly capable of producing such behavior, it is not clear at present how single-cell organisms can generate the long-term correlated control signals required for a LW. Here, we construct a biochemical reaction system that generates long-time correlated concentration fluctuations of a signaling substance, with a tunable fractional exponent of the autocorrelation function. The network is based on well-known modules, and its basic function is highly robust with respect to the parameter settings.
Toward a monograph of non-marine Ulvophyceae using an integrative approach (Molecular phylogeny and systematics of terrestrial Ulvophyceae II.)
Authors: DARIENKO TATYANA , PRÖSCHOLD THOMAS
Published: October 2017

Phylogenetic analyses of SSU rDNA sequences have shown that coccoid and filamentous green algae are distributed among all classes of the Chlorophyta. One of these classes, the Ulvophyceae, mostly contains marine seaweeds and microalgae. However, new studies have shown that there are filamentous and sarcinoid freshwater and terrestrial species (including symbionts in lichens) among the Ulvophyceae, but very little is known about these species. Ultrastructural studies of some of them have confirmed that the flagellar apparatus of zoospores (counterclockwise basal body orientation) is typical for the Ulvophyceae. In addition to ultrastructural features, the presence of a “Codiolum”-stage is characteristic of some members of this algal class. We studied more than 50 strains of freshwater and terrestrial ulvophycean microalgae obtained from the different public culture collection and our own isolates using an integrative approach. Three independent lineages of the Ulvophyceae containing terrestrial species were revealed by these methods. Unexpectedly each of these lineages contained several isolates that morphologically developed a high degree of phenotypic plasticity, and included hidden phylogenetic diversity that let us to the description of several new genera and species.
The phylogenetic position of Polysiphonia scopulorum (Rhodomelaceae, Rhodophyta) based on molecular analyses and morphological observations of specimens from the type locality in Western Australia
Authors: HUISMAN JOHN M. , KIM BYEONGSEOK , KIM MYUNG SOOK
Published: October 2017

Considerable uncertainty surrounds the phylogenetic position of Polysiphonia scopulorum, a species with an apparently cosmopolitan distribution. Here we report, for the first time, molecular phylogenetic analyses using plastid rbcL gene sequences and morphological observations of P. scopulorum collected from the type locality, Rottnest Island in Western Australia. Morphological characteristics of the Rottnest Island specimens allowed unequivocal identification, however, the sequence analyses uncovered discrepancies in previous molecular studies that included specimens identified as P. scopulorum from other locations. The phylogenetic evidence clearly revealed that P. scopulorum from Rottnest Island formed a sister clade with P. caespitosa from Spain (JX828149 as P. scopulorum) with moderate support, but that it differed from specimens identified as P. scopulorum from the U.S.A. (AY396039, EU492915). In light of this, we suggest that P. scopulorum be considered an endemic species with a distribution restricted to Australia. Our results showed the existence of several distinct clades among the species of Polysiphonia sensu lato, including the clade containing P. scopulorum which did not join with the generitype Polysiphonia stricta (i.e., Polysiphonia sensu stricto). This suggests that the P. scopulorum clade might represent a separate genus, however, further studies including multi-gene analyses are recommended before recognizing any segregate taxa.
The nomenclature of two hybrid taxa in Carex sect. Vesicariae (Cyperaceae) currently assigned as Carex rostrata var. borealis and Carex stenolepis
Authors: ELVEN REIDAR , PEDERSEN A. TIRIL M. , BJORÅ CHARLOTTE S.
Published: October 2017

In a recent study of Carex sect. Vesicariae in northern Europe, two hybrid species were identified using microsatellite markers. Whereas both taxa already have names associated with them, we find that these names are not appropriate for use. In this study, the taxon previously described as C. rostrata var. borealis is raised to species level as the hybrid taxon Carex ×saamica (from C. rostrata × C. rotundata). We furthermore show that the name C. stenolepis, after designation of a lectotype, becomes a synonym of C. rostrata, and hence accept C. ×grahamii as the priority name for the hybrid taxon (from C. saxatilis × C. vesicaria) previously denoted as C. stenolepis. Arguments for these choices are given. Four other species names that have been assigned to the two hybrid taxa are discussed. Types are identified or designated for the names C. rostrata var. borealis, C. stenolepis, and C. ×grahamii. A key to the hybrid taxa and their parents is given.
Zehneria longiflora (Cucurbitaceae), a new species from Kenya
Authors: WEI NENG , MIYAWA DANIEL ODHIAMBO , DAVID MELLY KIMUTAI , NGUMBAU VERONICAH MUTELE , ZHONG ZHI-XIANG , MWACHALA GEOFFREY , HU GUANG-WAN , WANG QING-FENG
Published: October 2017

Zehneria longiflora, a new species of Cucurbitaceae from Nandi County, Kenya, is described and illustrated here. It is most similar to Z. oligosperma, but differs mainly by its longer receptacle-tube, stamens that are inserted at the middle of the receptacle-tube and with longer filaments, as well as characters of the male and female inflorescence.
Paphiopedilum myanmaricum, a new species of slipper orchid (Cypripedioideae, Orchidaceae)
Authors: KOOPOWITZ HAROLD , IAMWIRIYAKUL PRAPANTH , LAOHAPATCHARIN SRISUDA
Published: October 2017

A distinctively different and new species of Paphiopedilum Pfitzer belonging to subgenus Brachypetalum (Hallier) Pfitzer is described from Myanmar. Cribb (1998) enumerates only four species. Since then Govaerts & Cribb (2017) itemize seven species with an additional two varieties. This subgenus is confined to mainland South-east Asia extending from Thailand and Malaysia into Indochina and south-east China. It is not surprising, then that an additional species should also be found in neighboring Myanmar.
A new species of small and highly abbreviated caecilian (Gymnophiona: Indotyphlidae) from the Seychelles island of Praslin, and a recharacterization of Hypogeophis brevis Boulenger, 1911
Authors: MADDOCK SIMON T. , WILKINSON MARK , NUSSBAUM RONALD A. , GOWER DAVID J.
Published: October 2017

A new species of indotyphlid caecilian amphibian, Hypogeophis pti sp. nov., is described based on a series of specimens from the Seychelles island of Praslin. The type series was collected in 2013 and 2014, and a referred specimen previously identified as H. brevis Boulenger, 1911 was collected from an unspecified Seychelles locality in 1957. The new species most closely resembles the Seychelles endemic Hypogeophis brevis in being short (maximum known total length in life ca. 120 mm) and long snouted, but differs by having a less anteriorly positioned tentacular aperture and fewer primary annuli and vertebrae. In having only 67–69 vertebrae, H. pti sp. nov. is the most abbreviated extant species of caecilian reported to date.
The role of intermediaries in governance of global production networks: Restructuring work relations in Pakistan’s apparel industry
Authors: Munir Kamal , Ayaz Muhammad , Levy David L , Willmott Hugh
Published: October 2017

This article locates the reorganization of work relations in the apparel sector in Pakistan, after the end of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) quota regime, within the context of a global production network (GPN). We examine the role of a network of corporate, state, multilateral and civil society actors who serve as intermediaries in GPN governance. These intermediaries transmit and translate competitive pressures and invoke varied, sometimes contradictory, imaginaries in their efforts to realign and stabilize the GPN. We analyse the post-MFA restructuring of Pakistan’s apparel sector, which dramatically increased price competition and precipitated a contested adjustment process among Pakistani and global actors with divergent priorities and resources. These intermediaries converged on a ‘solution’ that combined and enacted imaginaries of modernization, competitiveness, professional management and female empowerment, while also emphasizing low costs and female docility. We highlight the intersection of economic, political and cultural dynamics of GPNs, and reveal the gendered dimensions of GPN restructuring. We theorize the role of these actors as a transnational managerial elite in GPN governance, who led a restructuring process that preserved the hegemonic stability of the GPN and protected the interests of western branded apparel companies and consumers, but did not necessarily serve the interests of workers.
History, gendered space and organizational identity: An archival study of a university building
Authors: Liu Yihan , Grey Christopher
Published: October 2017

How do buildings contribute to an organization’s sense of what it is? In this article, we present the findings of a major archival study of an iconic university building to answer this question. Founded in the 19th century as a college for women, the building is analysed as a gendered space that embodies meanings that are selectively deployed and adapted by the present-day, now co-educational, university. By bringing together concepts of space and history so as to examine ‘space in history’ we show how over long periods of time what buildings ‘say’ about an organization change so that the past is both a legacy and a resource for shifting organizational identity.
Psychometric Properties of the Death Anxiety Scale-Extended among Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease
Authors: Sharif Nia Hamid , Pahlevan Sharif Saeed , Koocher Gerald P. , Yaghoobzadeh Ameneh , Haghdoost Ali Akbar , Mar Win Ma Thin , Soleimani Mohammad Ali
Published: October 2017

This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Persian version of Death Anxiety Scale-Extended (DAS-E). A total of 507 patients with end-stage renal disease completed the DAS-E. The factor structure of the scale was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis with an oblique rotation and confirmatory factor analysis. The content and construct validity of the DAS-E were assessed. Average variance extracted, maximum shared squared variance, and average shared squared variance were estimated to assess discriminant and convergent validity. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α = .839 and .831), composite reliability (CR = .845 and .832), Theta (θ = .893 and .867), and McDonald Omega (Ω = .796 and .743). The analysis indicated a two-factor solution. Reliability and discriminant validity of the factors was established. Findings revealed that the present scale was a valid and reliable instrument that can be used in assessment of death anxiety in Iranian patients with end-stage renal disease.