bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recovery of cefazolin and clindamycin in in vitro pediatric CPB systems
Authors: Zeilmaker‐Roest Gerdien A. , van Saet Annewil , van Hoeven Marloes P. J. , Koch Birgit C. P. , van Rosmalen Joost , Kinzig Martina , Söergel Fritz , Wildschut Enno D. , Stolker Robert J. , Tibboel Dick , Bogers Ad J. J. C.
Published: November 2019

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is often necessary for congenital cardiac surgery, but CPB can alter drug pharmacokinetic parameters resulting in underdosing. Inadequate plasma levels of antibiotics could lead to postoperative infections with increased morbidity. The influence of pediatric CPB systems on cefazolin and clindamycin plasma levels is not known. We have measured plasma levels of cefazolin and clindamycin in in vitro pediatric CPB systems. We have tested three types of CPB systems. All systems were primed and spiked with clindamycin and cefazolin. Samples were taken at different time points to measure the recovery of cefazolin and clindamycin. Linear mixed model analyses were performed to assess if drug recovery was different between the type of CPB system and sampling time point. The experiments were conducted at a tertiary university hospital. 81 samples were analyzed. There was a significant difference in the recovery over time between CPB systems for cefazolin and clindamycin (P < .001). Cefazolin recovery after 180 minutes was 106% (95% CI: 91‐123) for neonatal, 99% (95% CI: 85‐115) for infant, and 77% (95% CI: 67‐89) for pediatric systems. Clindamycin recovery after 180 minutes was 143% (95% CI: 116‐177) for neonatal, 111% (95% CI: 89‐137) for infant, and 120% (95% CI: 97‐149) for pediatric systems. Clindamycin recovery after 180 minutes compared to the theoretical concentration was 0.4% for neonatal, 1.2% for infants, and 0.6% for pediatric systems. The recovery of cefazolin was high in the neonatal and infant CPB systems and moderate in the pediatric system. We found a large discrepancy between the theoretical and measured concentrations of clindamycin in all tested CPB systems.
When land, water and green‐grabbing cumulate: Hydropower expansion, livelihood resource reallocation and legitimisation in southwest China
Authors: Rousseau Jean‐François
Published: November 2019

Hundreds of hydropower dam projects, of all sizes, have been initiated in Yunnan Province, China, since the late 1990s. This paper frames hydropower‐driven resource reallocations as resource grabs that combine aspects of land, water and green‐grabbing, investigating how two dams built along the Red River have impacted local communities and how corporate and governmental stakeholders have viewed local livelihood changes and considered compensation mechanisms. This research documents how hydropower expansion triggers changes in both land and water availability, in turn depriving riverside communities of a wide range of intersecting livelihood benefits. Villagers were compensated for some losses, but in ways that failed to address how impacts accumulated over time and how hydrologic changes would impact overall livelihood activities. Financial compensation and specific environmental and modernisation agendas legitimised resource reallocations together with the provincial, national and global development campaigns driving them. Considering how different actors experience, frame and address the impacts of hydropower development through a resource‐grabbing lens elucidates the compartmentalised approaches of distant hydropower actors as well as scholars. This study answers recent calls to mobilise the scholarship on resource‐grabbing in the service of shedding light on the socio‐political projects driving resource reallocations and their livelihood impacts.
‘Pasifika’ and ‘I‐Kiribati’ identity in Aotearoa New Zealand: ‘Dancing’ and ‘edge‐walking’ through multiple identities
Authors: Burnett Roi , Bond Sophie
Published: November 2019

This article explores the relationship between I‐Kiribati communities and the broader ‘imagined’ Pasifika community in Aotearoa New Zealand. It looks at the way a group of I‐Kiribati tertiary students experience identity within this context. Through the use of semi‐structured interviews and a discourse analysis, the study draws three main conclusions. First, that I‐Kiribati navigate multiple identities and are constantly negotiating these within different spaces. Although this contributes to uncertainties around identity, I‐Kiribati students also strategically enact identity to suit various contexts. Second, that Pasifika as a term tends to infer ‘Polynesian’ which in turn may marginalise I‐Kiribati identities within certain spaces, particularly in education settings that intend to support all Pacific identities. Yet, given such a narrow understanding of Pasifika, these efforts may counter that intention for those on the margins of, or outside the common usage of, the term Pasifika. Last, community plays a significant role in the formation of identities within minority groups, which is important for countering aspects of marginalisation experienced within broader pan‐ethnic labels such as Pasifika. Consequently, we argue that Pasifika as a label needs to better reflect inter‐Pacific diversity as well as the identity negotiations that Aotearoa New Zealand‐born Pacific peoples navigate.
Surgical experience of using the endoscope manipulator robot EMARO in totally extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair: A case report
Authors: Yoshida Daisuke , Maruyama Seiji , Takahashi Ikuo , Matsukuma Akito , Kohnoe Shunji
Published: November 2019

Robot‐assisted surgery has advanced rapidly since the 1980s. However, new equipment is still needed to overcome problems in conventional endoscopic surgery, including unique risks, such as camera shake and communication difficulties between the operator and the scopist. EMARO, an endoscope manipulator robot, is the world's first pneumatically driven endoscope‐holder robot that can operate flexibly and smoothly with the use of air pressure. We herein report the surgical experience of using EMARO in totally extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair. A 77‐year‐old Japanese man presented with bulging in the right groin area. After we diagnosed a right inguinal hernia, endoscopic inguinal hernia repair was performed. We selected the totally extraperitoneal approach with EMARO. The endoscopic procedure time was 100 minutes, and no intraoperative complications occurred. EMARO brings together features of smooth motion and good manipulation performance. This operation was performed safely and was comparable to a conventional operation completed with human assistants. Solo surgery with EMARO was beneficial in this inguinal hernia patient.
Effects of immunocastration performed at two live weights on the growth physiology, temperament and testicular development of feral beef bulls
Authors: Noya Agustí , Ripoll Guillermo , Casasús Isabel , Sanz Albina
Published: November 2019

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of administering an anti‐gonadotropin‐releasing hormone vaccine (Improvac®, developed for pigs) on the performance, temperament, testicular development, and hormone and metabolite profiles of feral bulls (Bos taurus) vaccinated at two different live weights (LW). In all, 16 Serrana de Teruel animals were involved in this 2 x 2 factorial design using the factors LW (LIGHT vs. HEAVY) and vaccine treatment (control, C vs. vaccinated, VA). All animals received the same diet (ad libitum concentrate plus straw) over a 164‐day fattening period. Temperament was assessed using chute and flight speed tests. Testicular diameter and subcutaneous fat thickness were recorded. Testosterone, IGF‐1, urea, NEFA, and creatinine profiles were analyzed. Bull weight gain was reduced in VA compared to C animals, regardless of the initial LW. The vaccine did not affect the temperament tests, subcutaneous fat thickness or NEFA and creatinine concentrations and had minor effects on linear body measures. The vaccine inhibited testicular growth, reduced plasma testosterone to residual levels, and increased urea concentrations. LIGHT‐C animals exhibited increased mean plasma IGF‐1 concentrations compared to LIGHT‐VA animals. In conclusion, vaccination reduced bull growth and sexual development irrespective of LW at immunization.
Maternal use of drugs and preeclampsia
Authors: Sahlman Heidi , Koponen Marjaana , El‐Nezami Hani , Vähäkangas Kirsi , Keski‐Nisula Leea
Published: November 2019

Aims

The aim was to compare and describe maternal use of drugs between women with preeclampsia and controls and to estimate the possible association with preeclampsia.

Methods

The study cohort was collected from the Kuopio University Hospital Birth Register, which includes information about all women who gave birth in Kuopio University Hospital during the years 2002–2016, including information from approximately 36 000 parturients, of whom 1252 had preeclampsia. Maternal use of 16 groups of drugs during pregnancy was analysed from all women with preeclampsia and 1256 controls.

Results

Every second woman had used at least 1 drug during pregnancy but those with preeclampsia had used significantly more than the controls (cases 59.5% vs controls 35.5%; p < 0.001). In both study groups, the most commonly used drugs were antibiotics (cases 19.5%, controls 17.0%), antihypertensives (cases 29.0%, controls 7.6%) and paracetamol (cases 13.1%, controls 5.9%). Women with preeclampsia had used significantly more benzodiazepines, paracetamol, antihypertensives and acid‐suppressive drugs than the women in the control group (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Women with preeclampsia were more likely to use medicines during pregnancy. While the association between benzodiazepines, antihypertensives and acid‐suppressive drugs and preeclampsia may be explained by reverse causation, the association of paracetamol with preeclampsia remains to be clarified. Because paracetamol is a frequently used drug, more information about its safety during pregnancy including its role in preeclampsia is urgently needed.
Sex‐based differences in the response to dexamethasone in bacterial meningitis: Analysis of the European dexamethasone in adulthood bacterial meningitis study
Authors: Dias Sara P. , Brouwer Matthijs C. , van de Beek Diederik
Published: November 2019

Inflammatory markers have been found at higher concentrations in women than men with bacterial meningitis. To investigate sex‐based differences in the response to dexamethasone, we performed a post hoc analysis of a double‐blind, randomised multicentre trial of dexamethasone (10 mg, 4 times daily for 4 days) vs placebo in adults with bacterial meningitis. The primary outcome measure was the Glasgow outcome scale score at 8 weeks and interaction tests were used to examine subgroup differences. Between June 1993 and December 2001, 301 patients (56% male) were randomly assigned to a treatment group: 157 received dexamethasone and 144 placebo. Although dexamethasone reduced the risk of unfavourable outcome to a greater extent in women (relative risk [RR] 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.21–0.86, P = .02) than men (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.41–1.51, P = .55), on interaction testing (ratio of RR women:men 0.53, 95% CI 0.20–1.39, P = .19) patient sex was not a significant modifier of the effect of dexamethasone.
Pre‐clinical evidence of safety and protective effect of isatin and oxime derivatives against malathion‐induced toxicity
Authors: Savall Anne Suély Pinto , Fidélis Eduarda Monteiro , Gutierrez Maria Eduarda Ziani , Martins Bianca Barreto , Gervini Vanessa Carratú , Puntel Robson Luiz , Roos Daniel Henrique , Ávila Daiana Silva , Pinton Simone
Published: November 2019

The inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a common outcome caused by organophosphorus (OPs) intoxication. Although inconsistent, the standard treatment consists of a muscarinic receptor antagonist (atropine) and AChE‐reactivating molecules such as oximes. This study proposes to test unpublished compounds which contain the moieties of isatin and/or oxime have protective effects against the toxicity induced by malathion in two animal models: Artemia salina and Rattus norvegicus (Wistar rats). The lethality was assessed in A salina, and the calculated LD50 to (3Z)‐5‐chloro‐3‐(hydroxyimino) indolin‐2‐one oxime (Cℓ‐HIN) and 2‐(5‐chloro‐2‐oxoindolin‐3‐ylidene)‐hydrazinecarbothioamide (Cℓ‐OXHS) was higher than 1000 µM while to 3‐(phenylhydrazono) butan‐2‐one oxime (PHBO) was 38 µM. Our screening showed that Cℓ‐HIN seems to be the most promising molecule, with low toxicity to A salina, protection against mortality (with or without atropine) and AChE inhibition induced by malathion. Similarly, the oral administration of 300 mg/kg of Cℓ‐HIN induced low or no toxicity in rats. The plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and cortical AChE activities were reactivated by Cℓ‐HIN (50 mg/kg, p.o.) in rats exposed to malathion (250 mg/kg, i.p). No difference was observed in paraoxonase‐1 (PON‐1) activity among groups treated. In conclusion, Cℓ‐HIN restored the cholinesterase activities inhibited by malathion in A salina and rats with low toxicity in both. Thus, the data provide evidence that Cℓ‐HIN, a compound that combines isatin and oxime functional groups, is safe and has important properties to reactivate the cholinesterases inhibited by malathion. In addition, we demonstrate the importance of a preliminary assessment in an alternative model in order to reduce the use of mammalians in drug discovery.
Treatment of acute leukaemia in adult Jehovah's Witnesses
Authors: El Chaer Firas , Ballen Karen K.
Published: November 2019

Since Jehovah’s Witness (JW) patients diagnosed with leukaemia refuse blood transfusions, they are often denied intensive chemotherapy for fear they could not survive myeloablation without blood transfusion support. Treatment of JW patients with acute leukaemia is challenging and carries a higher morbidity and mortality; however, the refusal of blood products should not be an absolute contraindication to offer multiple treatment modalities including haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In this review we discuss their optimal management and describe alternative modalities to blood transfusions to provide sufficient oxygenation and prevent bleeding.
Does empathy undermine justice? Moderating the impact of empathic concern for a White policeman on responses to police interracial violence
Authors: Johnson James , Lecci Len
Published: November 2019

White participants completed a measure of White guilt and read a passage describing a White police officer who shot an unarmed Black man. The victim’s Facebook page information and picture indicated that he engaged in stereotypical or counterstereotypical activities in his everyday life. Participants then reported their empathic concern for the officer, perceptions of whether they thought the officer had racist motives for his actions, and their perceptions regarding the appropriate punishment for the officer. For the stereotypical victim, regardless of White guilt level, greater empathy for the officer was associated with lower perceived officer racism and less punitive responding towards the officer. In the counterstereotypical condition, the inverse association between officer empathy and the central outcome variables (perceived racism and punitive responding) was reduced for high White guilt participants. Thus, under certain conditions feelings of White guilt reduce the likelihood that empathic responding towards the officer leads to greater ‘punitive leniency’ for his harmful actions towards a disadvantaged group member.
Bayesian power equivalence in latent growth curve models
Authors: Stefan Angelika M. , von Oertzen Timo
Published: November 2019

Longitudinal studies are the gold standard for research on time‐dependent phenomena in the social sciences. However, they often entail high costs due to multiple measurement occasions and a long overall study duration. It is therefore useful to optimize these design factors while maintaining a high informativeness of the design. Von Oertzen and Brandmaier (2013,Psychology and Aging, 28, 414) applied power equivalence to show that Latent Growth Curve Models (LGCMs) with different design factors can have the same power for likelihood‐ratio tests on the latent structure. In this paper, we show that the notion of power equivalence can be extended to Bayesian hypothesis tests of the latent structure constants. Specifically, we show that the results of a Bayes factor design analysis (BFDA; Schönbrodt & Wagenmakers (2018,Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 25, 128) of two power equivalent LGCMs are equivalent. This will be useful for researchers who aim to plan for compelling evidence instead of frequentist power and provides a contribution towards more efficient procedures for BFDA.
The Ecology of Activism: Professional Mobilization as a Spatial Process
Authors: Liu Sida , Halliday Terence C.
Published: November 2019

This article develops an ecological theory that shifts the paradigm of professional mobilization from causes to relational spaces. It analyzes different species of activist professionals by locating them in an ecology of activism and examining how collective action emerges from their boundary work with the ecology's increasing density and consolidation. It empirically grounds the theory by explaining the political activism of Chinese lawyers in the early twenty‐first century and how it led to a government crackdown in 2015. Using interviews, online ethnography, and archival data collected from 2005 to 2017, the research demonstrates that Chinese lawyers’ political mobilization has experienced three stages: (1) vacancy and isolation (2000–2007), (2) spatial consolidation (2008–2011), and (3) boundary work (2011–2015). The study has implications for theories of social space and for understanding professional mobilization in authoritarian contexts and beyond.
Comparing the marginal leakage and retention of implant‐supported restorations cemented by four different dental cements
Authors: Saleh Mhammad , Taşar‐Faruk Simge
Published: November 2019

Background

Despite the wide use of implants in dentistry, there is insufficient information about the ideal cement for retention.

Purpose

To determine the cement bond strength and marginal leakage of crown and partial denture cemented to implant abutments by four different types of cement.

Materials and Methods

Eighty‐four direct abutments were divided into eight groups (n = 7). Fifty‐six crown and bridge restorations were cemented using zinc phosphate (ZM), temporary cement (TM), resin‐modified glass‐ionomer cement (GM), and self‐adhesive resin cement (RM). After cementation, thermal cycling and incubation in basic fuchsin dye was applied. The maximum load to failure, marginal leakage, and fracture modes were evaluated.

Results

The mean of retention strength for the bridges (874 N) was higher than the crown samples (705 N) (P = .005). The mean of retention strength for each cement group was ZM = 1298, RM = 1027, GM = 646, and TM = 187 N (P ≤ .0001). Marginal leakage was recorded in majority of the samples; the highest incidence was detected for ZM samples. The cement fracture was mostly adhesive in nature.

Conclusion

Self‐adhesive resin and resin‐modified glass ionomer cement had better mechanical properties to retain implant supported restorations.
Use of surrogate species to cost‐effectively prioritize conservation actions
Authors: Ward Michelle , Rhodes Jonathan R. , Watson James E.M. , Lefevre James , Atkinson Scott , Possingham Hugh P.
Published: November 2019

Conservation efforts often focus on umbrella species whose distributions overlap with many other flora and fauna. However, because biodiversity is affected by different threats that are spatially variable, focusing only on the geographic range overlap of species may not be sufficient in allocating the necessary actions needed to efficiently abate threats. We developed a problem‐based method for prioritizing conservation actions for umbrella species that maximizes the total number of flora and fauna benefiting from management while considering threats, actions, and costs. We tested our new method by assessing the performance of the Australian federal government's umbrella prioritization list, which identifies 73 umbrella species as priorities for conservation attention. Our results show that the federal government priority list benefits only 6% of all Australia's threatened terrestrial species. This could be increased to benefit nearly half (or 46%) of all threatened terrestrial species for the same budget of AU$550 million/year if more suitable umbrella species were chosen. This results in a 7‐fold increase in management efficiency. We believe nations around the world can markedly improve the selection of prioritized umbrella species for conservation action with this transparent, quantitative, and objective prioritization approach.
914. CENTAUREA AFRICANA
Authors: Hind Nicholas
Published: November 2019

Centaurea africana L. (Compositae: Cardueae: Centaureinae) is illustrated and described. The species has a long history of cultivation that probably exceeds 350 years, although it is apparently rarely available from commercial sources as seed or plant material. Other than the tribal name to use when placing this species, its more recent recognition as a species of Rhaponticoides Vaill. is not accepted; the issue of Vaillant names is once again raised. The capitula of C. africana are considered heterogamous and disciform, not radiant, with the few marginal florets possessing equal length, certainly non‐showy, corolla lobes, and usually containing staminodes. A number of synonyms, appearing in a couple of well‐known databases, are excluded; one belongs to a purple‐flowered species endemic to northern Morocco, the other to a yellow‐flowered, pinnatisect‐leaved plant of northern Spain. A potentially exciting use of one flavonoid extracted from flowering parts of the plant, algerianin, in combatting human myeloid leukaemia, is highlighted.
Understandings of the component causes of harm from cigarette smoking in Australia
Authors: King Bill , Borland Ron , Yong Hua‐Hie , Gartner Coral , Hammond David , Lewandowsky Stephan , O'Connor Richard
Published: November 2019

Introduction and Aims

To investigate relationships between smoking‐related behaviours and knowledge of the disease risks of smoking and the causes of smoking harms, using a four‐way division of ‘component causes’: nicotine, other substances found in unburned tobacco, combustion products of tobacco and additives.

Design and Methods

The data were collected using an on‐line survey in Australia with 1047 participants in three groups; young non‐smokers (18 to 25), young smokers (18 to 25) and older smokers (26 and above).

Results

Most participants agreed that cancer and heart disease are major risks of smoking but only a quarter accurately quantified the mortality risk of lifetime daily smoking. Very few (two of 1047) correctly estimated the relative contributions of all four component causes. Post‐hoc analyses reinterpreting responses as expressions of relative concern about combustion products and nicotine showed that 29% of participants rated combustion products above nicotine. We delineated six relative concern segments, most of which had distinctive patterns of beliefs and actions. However, higher levels of concern about combustion products were only weakly positively associated with harm reducing beliefs and actions.

Discussion and Conclusions

Most smokers do not appear to understand the risks of smoking and their causes well enough to be able to think systematically about the courses of action open to them to reduce their health risk. To facilitate informed decision‐making, tobacco control communicators may need to better balance the dual aims of creating fear/negative affect about smoking and imparting knowledge about the health harms and their mechanisms.
Endoscopic submucosal dissection for superficial hypopharyngeal cancer with thin endoscope
Authors: Muramoto Takashi , Sakai Eiji , Ohata Ken
Published: November 2019

Watch a video of this article
Genetic variation in dopamine neurotransmission and motor development of infants born extremely‐low‐birthweight
Authors: Worley Gordon , Erickson Stephen W , Gustafson Kathryn E , Nikolova Yuliya S , Ashley‐Koch Allison E , Belsky Daniel W , Goldstein Ricki F , Page Grier P , Cotten C Michael ,   Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network
Published: November 2019

Aim

To determine if genetic variation associated with decreased dopamine neurotransmission predicts a decrease in motor development in a convenience cohort study of infants born extremely‐low‐birthweight (ELBW).

Method

Four hundred and ninety‐eight infants born ELBW had genome‐wide genotyping and a neurodevelopmental evaluation at 18 to 22 months of age, corrected for preterm birth. A polygenic risk score (PRS) was created to combine into one predictor variable the hypothesized influences on motor development of alleles at seven independent single nucleotide polymorphisms previously associated with relative decreases in both dopamine neurotransmission and motor learning, by summing the number of alleles present in each infant (range=0–14). The motor development outcome was the Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition. The linear regression models were adjusted for seven clinical and four genetic ancestry covariates. The mean PRS of infants with cerebral palsy (CP) was compared to those without CP.

Results

PRS was inversely related to PDI (p=0.011). Each 1‐point increase in PRS resulted in an average decrease in PDI of 1.37 points. Patients with CP did not have a greater mean PRS than those without (p=0.67), both with and without adjustment for covariates.

Interpretation

Genetic variation that favors a decrease in dopamine neurotransmission predisposes to a decrease in motor development in infants born ELBW, but not to the diagnosis of CP.

What this paper adds

Genetic variation in dopamine neurotransmission was associated with a decrease in motor development in infants born at an extremely‐low‐birthweight.

It does not predispose to the diagnosis of cerebral palsy.
Role of endogenous glucagon‐like peptide‐1 enhanced by vildagliptin in the glycaemic and energy expenditure responses to intraduodenal fat infusion in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Xie Cong , Wang Xuyi , Jones Karen L. , Horowitz Michael , Sun Zilin , Little Tanya J. , Rayner Christopher K. , Wu Tongzhi
Published: November 2019

Aim

To evaluate the effects of the dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitor vildagliptin on glycaemic and energy expenditure responses during intraduodenal fat infusion, as well as the contribution of endogenous glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) signalling, in people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Methods

A total of 15 people with T2DM managed by diet and/or metformin (glycated haemoglobin 49.3 ± 2.1 mmol/mol) were studied on three occasions (two with vildagliptin and one with placebo) in a double‐blind, randomized, crossover fashion. On each day, vildagliptin 50 mg or placebo was given orally, followed by intravenous exendin (9–39) 600 pmol/kg/min, on one of the two vildagliptin treatment days, or 0.9% saline over 180 minutes. At between 0 and 120 minutes, a fat emulsion was infused intraduodenally at 2 kcal/min. Energy expenditure, plasma glucose and glucose‐regulatory hormones were evaluated.

Results

Intraduodenal fat increased plasma GLP‐1 and glucose‐dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), insulin and glucagon, and energy expenditure, and decreased plasma glucose (all P < 0.05). On the two intravenous saline days, plasma glucose and glucagon were lower, plasma intact GLP‐1 was higher (all P < 0.05), and energy expenditure tended to be lower after vildagliptin (P = 0.08) than placebo. On the two vildagliptin days, plasma glucose, glucagon and GLP‐1 (both total and intact), and energy expenditure were higher during intravenous exendin (9–39) than saline (all P < 0.05).

Conclusions

In well‐controlled T2DM during intraduodenal fat infusion, vildagliptin lowered plasma glucose and glucagon, and tended to decrease energy expenditure, effects that were mediated by endogenous GLP‐1.
Evaluating heart function in patients with POEMS syndrome
Authors: He Tianhua , Tian Zhuang , Liu Yong‐tai , Li Jian , Zhou Dao‐bin , Fang Quan
Published: November 2019

Aims

Our aim is to investigate the characterized echocardiographic cardiac measurements of POEMS syndrome and determine its relationship with clinical manifestations.

Methods and Results

The cross‐sectional study included 27 treatment‐naïve patients with newly diagnosed POEMS syndrome and 26 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy volunteers. Information of clinical manifestations, serological tests, pulmonary function tests, and both conventional echocardiograph and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) were collected and analyzed. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used for determining the related clinical and echocardiographic parameters. Compared to healthy people, left ventricular (LV) mass index (LVMI) was elevated in patients with POEMS syndrome (41.3 ± 11.0 g/m2.7, P < .05). LV systolic dysfunction was found by decreased mitral S′ (9.0 ± 2.2 m/sec, P < .01), and diastolic dysfunction by mitral E’/A’ (1.10 ± 0.42, P < .05), E/E’ (8.69 ± 4.06, P < .001) on lateral, and E/E’ (7.90 ± 3.28, P = .133) on septal mitral annulus. The presence of decreased tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) (22.2 ± 3.5 mm, P < .01) and lateral tricuspid S′ (11.1 ± 1.8 m/sec, P < .05) suggested deterioration of right ventricular (RV) systolic function. Parameters obtained from standard echocardiograph (tricuspid E/A ratio and DT) and TDI ((lateral tricuspid annulus E’/A’ and E/E’) indicated reduced RV diastolic function. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) was presented in six patients. Correlation analysis suggested that PH was related to total lung capacity (TLC) and diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide (DLCO).

Conclusion

Echocardiographic measurements found that there was elevation of LVMI, pulmonary artery hypertension, and subclinical impairment of systolic and diastolic functions of both the right and left heart in patients with POEMS syndrome.
Prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of fetal isolated right ventricular noncompaction with pulmonary artery sling: A rare case report
Authors: Zhang Jiaqi , Wang Yu , Feng Wei , Wu You
Published: November 2019

Noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium (NVM), also known as spongy myocardium, is a rare type of cardiomyopathy that has a serious impact on fetuses, children, and adults. NVM mainly affects the left ventricle, as isolated right ventricular noncompaction (IRVNC) is rare. Pulmonary artery sling (PAS) is a rare condition in which the left pulmonary artery anomalously originates from a normal positioned right pulmonary artery, and only a few studies have reported PAS in fetuses. Fetal IRVNC complicated with PAS has not been reported yet. Here, we report a case of IRVNC complicated with PAS that was diagnosed prenatally at 30 weeks gestation and confirmed by postpartum anatomy and pathology.
Women had favourable reverse left ventricle remodelling after TAVR
Authors: Chen Su‐Chan , Leu Hsin‐Bang , Chang Hsiao‐Huang , Chen I‐Ming , Chen Po‐Lin , Lin Su‐Man , Chen Ying‐Hwa
Published: November 2019

Background

Being woman is associated with higher survival rates after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) despite the increase in periprocedural complications. The left ventricle (LV) remodelling process that follows TAVR is considered to play an important role. We aim to investigate whether gender difference affects the process of LV remodelling after TAVR.

Materials and Methods

A total of 100 patients (50 men and 50 women) after TAVR were enrolled. Echocardiography was performed at baseline before the TAVR procedure and repeated upon discharge, and at three, nine and 12 months post‐TAVR.

Results

Women exhibited an early regression of LV mass and the LV mass index (LVMi) decreased 12.0% from 148.3 ± 48.0 to 130.5 ± 43.7 g/m2 at just a median of 17 days after the procedure (P < .001). Almost one‐half of the LVMi regression occurred by 17 days post‐TAVR and the LVMi regressed 22.0% by 12 months post‐TAVR. In contrast, the regression of LVMi in men seemed to be more gradual and the significant regression of LVMi from baseline began to be observed since three months later after TAVR. The LVMi reduction at nine months was 11.5% and achieved 15.4% over one year. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed only the female sex, better LVEF and greater baseline LVMi were independently associated with greater LVMi regression after TAVR, indicating female gender is an independent predictor for favourable LV remodelling after TAVR.

Conclusion

In conclusion, female patients with AS had favourable reverse remodelling with greater and earlier LV mass regression post‐TAVR compared with the male patients.
JUST A MINUTE: THE EFFECT OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WAIT TIME ON THE COST OF CARE
Authors: Woodworth Lindsey , Holmes James F.
Published: November 2019

Wait times are rising in U.S. emergency departments (EDs). The longer a patient waits to be seen, the more their condition may worsen. Notably, patients in worse condition can cost more to care for. This study estimates the effect of ED wait time on the cost of care by exploiting the quasi‐random assignment of patients to triage nurses in an instrumental variables framework. The results suggest that prolonging the wait of a patient who arrives with a serious condition by 10 minutes will increase the hospital's cost to care for the patient by an average of 6%. The magnitude of this effect dissipates (fading to zero) among patients who arrive with less serious conditions.(JEL D24, H41, I10)
BROADBAND INTERNET, FIRM PERFORMANCE, AND WORKER WELFARE: EVIDENCE AND MECHANISM
Authors: Chen Shiyi , Liu Wanlin , Song Hong
Published: November 2019

This paper examines the effect of high‐speed internet on firm's productivity and worker's wage in China. We exploit a national policy reform and devise a difference‐in‐difference strategy to address the endogeneity. We find that high‐speed internet significantly increases firm's productivity and worker's wage, and the estimate is larger for firms in industries with high skill intensity and for more educated workers. We provide suggestive evidence that the mechanism is likely from firm's increased use of skill‐biased technology and the flattened management organization. (JEL O2, O3, J3)
An Adam Smithian account of moral reasons
Authors: Ben‐Moshe Nir
Published: November 2019

The Humean Theory of Reasons, according to which all of our reasons for action are explained by our desires, has been criticized for not being able to account for “moral reasons,” namely, overriding reasons to act on moral demands regardless of one's desires. My aim in this paper is to utilize ideas from Adam Smith's moral philosophy in order to offer a novel and alternative account of moral reasons that is both desire‐based and accommodating of an adequate version of the requirement that moral demands have overriding reason‐giving force. In particular, I argue that the standpoint of what Smith calls “the impartial spectator” can both determine what is morally appropriate and inappropriate and provide the basis for normative reasons for action—including reasons to act on moral demands—to nearly all reason‐responsive agents and, furthermore, that these reasons have the correct weight. The upshot of the proposed account is that it offers an interesting middle road out of a dilemma pertaining to the explanatory and normative dimensions of reasons for informed‐desire Humean theorists.
Temperature drives pre‐reproductive selection and shapes the biogeography of a female polymorphism
Authors: Svensson Erik I. , Willink Beatriz , Duryea Mary Catherine , Lancaster Lesley T.
Published: November 2019

Conflicts of interests between males and females over reproduction is a universal feature of sexually reproducing organisms and has driven the evolution of intersexual mimicry, mating behaviours and reproductive polymorphisms. Here, we show how temperature drives pre‐reproductive selection in a female colour polymorphic insect that is subject to strong sexual conflict. These species have three female colour morphs, one of which is a male mimic. This polymorphism is maintained by frequency‐dependent sexual conflict caused by male mating harassment. The frequency of female morphs varies geographically, with higher frequency of the male mimic at higher latitudes. We show that differential temperature sensitivity of the female morphs and faster sexual maturation of the male mimic increases the frequency of this morph in the north. These results suggest that sexual conflict during the adult stage is shaped by abiotic factors and frequency‐independent pre‐reproductive selection that operate earlier during ontogeny of these female morphs.
Antiplatelet agents for the secondary prevention of ischaemic stroke in patients with or without renal dysfunction
Authors: Wang I.‐K. , Yen T.‐H. , Guo Y.‐C. , Sun Y. , Lien L.‐M. , Chang W.‐L. , Chen P.‐L. , Yang Y.‐C. , Sung F.‐C. , Hsu C. Y.
Published: November 2019

Background and purpose

Studies on using antiplatelet agents for secondary prevention in ischaemic stroke patients with renal dysfunction are limited. The Taiwan Stroke Registry database was used to compare the efficacy of antiplatelet agents.

Methods

From the Taiwan Stroke Registry data, 39 174 acute ischaemic stroke patients were identified and were classified into three groups by antiplatelet agent: aspirin, clopidogrel and dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with a combination of aspirin and clopidogrel. The re‐stroke incidence and 1‐year mortality were stratified by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) levels at admission: ≥90, 60–89 and <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 or on dialysis.

Results

Compared to the aspirin group, the re‐stroke differences were not statistically significant for the clopidogrel group [adjusted subhazard ratio 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84–1.08] and the DAPT group (adjusted subhazard ratio 1.03, 95% CI 0.77–1.39) after controlling for the competing risk of death. The mortality rate increased as the eGFR level declined. In addition, compared to patients taking aspirin, there was no statistically significant difference in overall 1‐year mortality for the clopidogrel group (adjusted hazard ratio 1.11, 95% CI 0.95–1.29) and for the DAPT group (adjusted hazard ratio 1.01, 95% CI 0.67–1.54). The results were consistent in different subgroups stratified by eGFR levels.

Conclusions

There was no difference in the risks of recurrent stroke and 1‐year mortality amongst ischaemic stroke patients with or without renal dysfunction receiving antiplatelet agents with aspirin, clopidogrel or dual agents with a combination of aspirin and clopidogrel, regardless of their renal dysfunction status.
Litter relocation behavior in two species of ground‐dwelling squirrels
Authors: Aliperti Jaclyn R. , Van Vuren Dirk H. , Rossi Aviva J. , Armitage Kenneth B.
Published: November 2019

Maternal investment in mammals may take many forms, including spatial relocation of offspring. Litter relocation behavior, in which a female moves her litter to a new location, has been reported for several species of carnivores and rodents but has received little study. We describe litter relocations during long‐term studies of two species of ground‐dwelling squirrels, yellow‐bellied marmots (YBM, Marmota flaviventer) and golden‐mantled ground squirrels (GMGS, Callospermophilus lateralis), to determine the distance and frequency of litter relocations and to explore possible explanations for litter relocation behavior. We observed 19 litters relocated by YBM mothers and 32 by GMGS mothers. Although YBM are much larger than GMGS, relocation distances for YBM (median = 46 m and range = 15–324 m) were not greater than those for GMGS (median = 79 m and range = 16–252 m), possibly because YBM home ranges in our study area were exceptionally small. Frequency of litter relocation was greater for GMGS (21% of litters produced) than for YBM (10%), perhaps because GMGS experience fewer social constraints or greater predation risk. We identified several possible costs (energy expenditure and vulnerability to predators while transporting young) and benefits (reduced exposure to predation risk, increased habitat quality, and social benefits) of litter relocation. Future studies should continue to explore litter relocations to better understand the ecological causes and consequences of this behavior.
The control pyramid: A model of integrated public financial control
Authors: Porras‐Gómez Antonio‐Martín
Published: November 2019

This article offers an original analytical scheme to study the institutional morphology of the financial control function in constitutional democracies, comprehensively integrating five control subsystems: internal, external, jurisdictional, political, and social. First of all we aim to answer a formal question: To what extent does a hierarchical and stratified architecture properly structure the financial control systems in constitutional democracies? Second, we address two design questions: How can we improve financial control by building upon the interconnections among the different control subsystems? And, what kind of dysfunctionalities might appear if the hierarchically stratified design of the control pyramid is not respected? The approach is predominantly legal‐institutionalist, exploring transnational control standards (with a particular focus on the European Union) and their translation into national control systems. The study is supported by an extensive literature review and a series of interviews with practitioners.
Valproic acid targets HDAC1/2 and HDAC1/PTEN/Akt signalling to inhibit cell proliferation via the induction of autophagy in gastric cancer
Authors: Sun Jie , Piao Junjie , Li Nan , Yang Yang , Kim Ki‐Yeol , Lin Zhenhua
Published: November 2019

Valproic acid (2‐propylpentanoic acid, VPA) has been widely used as an anticonvulsant drug and is a choice drug for seizure treatment. VPA is also used as a short‐chain fatty acid HDAC inhibitor that affects proliferation and differentiation and induces cell apoptosis in both solid and haematologic malignancies. Here, we observed that VPA treatment inhibited HDAC1/2 activity and induced autophagy in gastric cancer cells, leading to apoptosis. VPA‐induced apoptosis occurred through inhibition of the HDAC1/PTEN/Akt signalling pathway and involved alterations in Bcl‐2 and Beclin‐1. The antitumour effects of VPA were verified in vivo using SGC‐7901 xenograft models. Moreover, we evaluated the expression of HDAC1/2 in gastric cancer patient samples and revealed a positive correlation between HDAC1/2 overexpression and poor prognosis. These findings indicate that VPA may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for gastric cancer and that HDAC1/2 might be a promising therapeutic biomarker for the disease.
Material behaviour of a dual hardening steel under thermomechanical loading
Authors: Seisenbacher Benjamin , Hofinger Matthias , Winter Gerhard , Grün Florian
Published: November 2019

Dual hardening steels are a group of metals, which reach their material properties through a combination of strengthening via carbides and intermetallic precipitates. Because of their combination of mechanical properties, dual hardening steels are a promising alloying concept for hot‐work applications. The applied materials for hot‐work applications have to meet certain requirements, such as high hardness, high thermal strength, thermal stability, and fracture toughness. In this paper, a dual hardening steel in different heat treatment conditions was tested under out‐of‐phase thermomechanical loading conditions. All tests were done under full reverse strain control and the minimum temperature was kept constant. In the thermomechanical fatigue tests, solution annealed samples reached higher lifetimes compared with aged specimens. The hardness measurements show that the starting procedure of the thermomechanical fatigue leads to an increase of the hardness approximate to the values of the specimens with the ageing heat treatment. Cyclic softening can be observed in the test with the highest maximum temperature of 600°C. An increase of the maximum temperature also causes a decrease of the lifetime.
A typology of systematic reviews for synthesising evidence on health care
Authors: MacEntee Michael I.
Published: November 2019

Objectives

The objectives of this paper are to (a) Review published references to systematic reviews; (b) offer a typology of systematic reviews for synthesising evidence on health care; and (c) summarise the guides for designing, reporting and appraising the reviews.

Background

Systematic reviews play a role in finding, synthesising, transferring and implementing evidence for healthcare policy, practice guidelines and allocation of health resources. They have been particularly successful in confirming or synthesising evidence for health care by meta‐analysing aggregated data from multiple randomised controlled trials. However, concerns about the limitations of evidence from controlled trials have prompted interest in other review methods capable of locating and appraising evidence from more diverse, and possibly more realistic, healthcare situations.

Methods

An iterative citation‐tracking process with Google Search and grey literature identified 204 papers on previous typologies and methods of systematic reviews.

Results and Conclusions

There are six types of systematic reviews: narrative; meta‐analysis; scoping; qualitative; umbrella; and realist. Each type has distinct objectives, characteristics and attributes, but with much overlapping of methods and guides. Sensitivity to the need for qualitative evidence on complex human responses to ill‐health and health care has broadened the objectives and methods of health‐related systematic reviews to find, appraise and synthesis useful evidence for practice guidelines, healthcare policy and allocation of health resources.
Effects of including bioactive legumes in grass silage on digestion parameters, nitrogen balance and methane emissions in sheep
Authors: Niderkorn Vincent , Copani Giuseppe , Martin Cécile , Maxin Gaëlle , Torrent Angélique , Anglard Frédéric , Rochette Yvanne , Ginane Cécile
Published: November 2019

The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of feeding sheep with silage mixtures containing bioactive legumes on intake and digestive parameters. The bioactive legumes used were sainfoin (SF, Onobrychis viciifolia) and red clover (RC, Trifolium pratense), which contain condensed tannins (CT) and polyphenol oxidase respectively. Five treatments were assigned to two groups of sheep according to a replicated 5 × 5 Latin square design. The five types of silages tested were, on a dry matter (DM) basis: pure timothy grass silage (Phleum pratense, control, T), three binary mixtures of T‐SF, T‐RC and RC‐SF (500 g/kg each) and a ternary mixture of T‐RC‐SF (500, 250 and 250 g/kg respectively). The daily voluntary DM intake of silage mixtures containing both SF and RC was greater than for pure T silage, while the presence of SF resulted in lower organic matter digestibility compared to pure T. The rumen disappearance rate measured in situ increased linearly with the presence of SF and RC in silage. The nitrogen (N) digestibility was greater for pure T and T‐RC than for T‐SF, and the amount of N retained daily by the animals was greater for RC‐containing silages than for T and T‐SF. The methane (CH4) yield was greater for pure T than for the silage mixtures containing SF. We conclude that the presence of RC in silage could boost performances through intake and N retention, while SF‐based mixtures appear to have reduced negative environmental impacts through the reduction of CH4 emissions.