bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Elbow Arthroplasty: From Normal to Failure
Authors: Levin Elizabeth , Plotkin Benjamin
Published: March 2019

Total elbow arthroplasty is currently an established surgical treatment for several pathologies of the elbow. Although initially used primarily in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, indications for total elbow arthroplasty have expanded and now include trauma, primary and secondary osteoarthritis, fracture nonunion, and following neoplasm resection. Desired outcomes of elbow arthroplasty include decreasing patient pain, restoration of function and mobility, and prevention of or treatment for instability. In comparison with total elbow arthroplasty, radial head replacements are most commonly performed following trauma. An additional technique, capitellar resurfacing arthroplasty, was developed in an effort to prevent early-onset osteoarthritis secondary to altered elbow biomechanics following radial head replacement. Complications of these surgeries include loosening, fracture, instability and dissociation, bushing wear, and particle disease.
(Pseudo) “Exclusive” Contracts: An Insidious Business Practice that Selectively Damages IR
Authors: Niedzwiecki Gerald
Published: March 2019

Contracting is an important part of running the business of private practice interventional radiology. A basic knowledge of contracting is vital for the practicing interventionalist to best position him or herself to excel in private practice. Exclusive contracts are common in interventional, diagnostic, and radiology practices. Such contracts, however, may significantly limit the practice of individual interventional radiologists and impede the growth of interventional procedures in communities at large. This article outlines the role of exclusive contracts in interventional practices, and describes the limitations of such contracts.
All About Shoulder Arthroplasty: What Radiologists Should Know
Authors: Chen Karen , Chen James
Published: March 2019

Over the last decade, the number of shoulder arthroplasty procedures has been increasing and evolving. The types of prostheses have also been evolving, and familiarity with the various design types will assist in postoperative assessment for hardware complications. New preoperative planning tools are available that have radically changed the protocol of preoperative image studies performed. This article reviews the main types of shoulder prostheses, discusses radiologic studies required before surgery, and describes the common complications of shoulder arthroplasty.
Grounded hyperspheres as squashed wormholes
Authors: Alshal H , Curtright T
Published: March 2019

We compute exterior Green functions for equipotential, grounded hyperspheres in N-dimensional electrostatics by squashing Riemannian wormholes, where an image charge is placed in the branch of the wormhole opposite the branch containing the source charge, thereby providing a vivid geometrical approach to a method first suggested in 1897 by Sommerfeld. We compare and contrast the strength and location of the image charge in the wormhole approach with that of the conventional Euclidean solution where an image charge of reduced magnitude is located inside the hypersphere. While the two approaches give mathematically equivalent Green functions, we believe they provide strikingly different physics perspectives.
Si and Sn doping of ε-Ga2O3 layers
Authors: Parisini A. , Bosio A. , Montedoro V. , Gorreri A. , Lamperti A. , Bosi M. , Garulli G. , Vantaggio S. , Fornari R.
Published: March 2019

Low resistivity n-type ε-Ga2O3 epilayers were obtained for the first time either by adding silane to the gas phase during the metal organic vapour phase epitaxy deposition or by diffusing Sn in nominally undoped layers after the growth. The highest doping concentrations were few 1018 cm−3 and about 1017 cm−3 for Si and Sn doping, with corresponding resistivity below 1 and 10 Ω cm, respectively. Temperature dependent transport investigation in the range of 10-600 K shows a resistivity behavior consistent with the Mott law, suggesting that conduction through localized states dominates the electrical properties of Si- and Sn-doped samples. For both types of dopants, two different mechanisms of conduction through impurity band states seem to be present, each of them determining the transport behavior at the lower and higher temperatures of the measurement range.
Pattern formation in a diffusive intraguild predation model with nonlocal interaction effects
Authors: Han Renji , Dai Binxiang , Chen Yuming
Published: March 2019

In this paper, we investigate the spatiotemporal pattern formation in a diffusive intraguild predation (IGP) model with a nonlocal interaction term in the growth of the shared resource, which extends previous studies of local reaction-diffusion IGP model. We first perform the stability and Hopf bifurcation analyses for the unique positive equilibrium of the corresponding non-spatial system, and give analytical formulas to determine the direction and stability of the bifurcating periodic solutions. Then the linear stability analysis for the nonlocal model shows that the nonlocal interaction is a key mechanism for the formation of Turing patterns. Numerical simulations show that low conversion rate from resource to IG predator can induce stationary Turing patterns, intermediate conversion rate can induce regular oscillatory patterns, and high conversion rate can induce irregular spatiotemporal chaotic patterns for certain diffusive rate. The impact of nonlocal interaction on the resulting patterns with certain diffusive rate is further explored by numerical simulations, which show that nonlocal interaction can induce pattern transition from stationary Turing patterns to non-stationary oscillatory patterns, and even to spatiotemporal chaotic patterns with the increase of the nonlocal interaction tensity. In addition, spatiotemporal chaotic patterns are found in the Turing-Hopf parametric space, which enrich pattern dynamics for diffusive IGP models with nonlocal interactions.
Optimizing the transformation of energy in Germany
Authors: Kim Meeri
Published: March 2019

Using a quantitative model analysis, a new article looks at three core elements affecting a nation’s energy transformation from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
New fabrication technique for quantum dots on silicon CMOS chips
Authors: Johnson-Groh Mara
Published: March 2019

Using a transfer printing method, researchers developed a CMOS-friendly silicon photonic chip that could pave the way for large-scale quantum technology.
Tetrazoles for biomedicine
Authors: Popova Elena A. , Trifonov Rostislav E. , Ostrovskii Vladimir A.
Published: March 2019

The tetrazole ring is an important pharmacophore. It is a structural component in many drugs, drug candidates (or lead compounds) and various biochemical reagents. This review summarizes data on the use of tetrazoles in biomedicine published in the last 10 – 15 years and also views on the nature of their biological effects. The prospects for the development of new biologically active substances containing a tetrazolyl pharmacophore are analyzed.

The bibliography includes 263 references.
Travel intermediaries and information technology.
Authors: Benckendorff P. J. , Xiang Z. , Sheldon P. J.
Published: March 2019

This chapter discusses how travellers connect with suppliers through various channels using a distribution systems perspective. It starts by examining the traditional structure of these distribution channels and tracks the increasingly complex development of electronic channels. There are many different types of travel intermediaries in the travel distribution system. This chapter looks in more detail at how information technology has impacted global distribution systems, tour operators and wholesalers, traditional travel retailers, travel management companies, online intermediaries and channel managers.
Social media and tourism.
Authors: Benckendorff P. J. , Xiang Z. , Sheldon P. J.
Published: March 2019

This chapter examines social media and its impact on travellers, tourism intermediaries, suppliers and destinations. The chapter starts by providing some conceptual foundations, then shifts to the different social media platforms and how travellers and travel organizations can use them. The chapter concludes by considering the need for a strategic approach to the use of social media by travel organizations. Strategic applications of social media include marketing and sales, market intelligence, customer service, reputation management, recruitment and partnerships.
Hospitality information systems.
Authors: Benckendorff P. J. , Xiang Z. , Sheldon P. J.
Published: March 2019

This chapter examines the use of information technology (IT) in the hospitality and foodservice sectors. The first section describes IT systems and applications used in the accommodations sector, including property management systems, hotel websites and apps, and electronic hotel reservation systems, as well the use of IT in customer relationship management, guest room amenities, hotel communications, energy management, and intelligent hotel rooms. The next section describes the applications common to most foodservice establishments, including point-of-sale systems and restaurant management systems, as well as the use of IT in marketing and customer relations. The chapter concludes by discussing the need for strategic management of IT in hospitality.
Destination management and smart destinations.
Authors: Benckendorff P. J. , Xiang Z. , Sheldon P. J.
Published: March 2019

This chapter first revisits digital tourism ecosystems in the destination context, moving on to explain the development of destination management systems (DMSs), their functionality, information content and organizational structure. The chapter then discusses how destinations utilize websites and social media and position themselves in the online search market. Particularly, it introduces and explains the notion of smart destinations and how the ways we view and use information technology (IT) for destination management have shifted. It then goes on to explain how market intelligence, statistics and visitor tracking can be facilitated with IT systems. The chapter ends with key management issues such as crisis and risk management and stakeholder management, and the concept of learning destinations.
Comparing D-bar and common regularization-based methods for electrical impedance tomography
Authors: Hamilton S J , Lionheart W R B , Adler A
Published: March 2019

Objective: To compare D-bar difference reconstruction with regularized linear reconstruction in electrical impedance tomography. Approach: A standard regularized linear approach using a Laplacian penalty and the GREIT method for comparison to the D-bar difference images. Simulated data was generated using a circular phantom with small objects, as well as a ‘Pac-Man’ shaped conductivity target. An L-curve method was used for parameter selection in both D-bar and the regularized methods. Main results: We found that the D-bar method had a more position independent point spread function, was less sensitive to errors in electrode position and behaved differently with respect to additive noise than the regularized methods. Significance: The results allow a novel pathway between traditional and D-bar algorithm comparison.
Drought supersedes warming in determining volatile and tissue defenses of piñon pine (Pinus edulis)
Authors: Trowbridge Amy M , Stoy Paul C , Adams Henry D , Law Darin J , Breshears David D , Helmig Detlev , Monson Russell K
Published: March 2019

Trees are suffering mortality across the globe as a result of drought, warming, and biotic attacks. The combined effects of warming and drought on in situ tree chemical defenses against herbivory have not been studied to date. To address this, we transplanted mature piñon pine trees—a well-studied species that has undergone extensive drought and herbivore-related mortality—within their native woodland habitat and also to a hotter-drier habitat and measured monoterpene emissions and concentrations across the growing season. We hypothesized that greater needle temperatures in the hotter-drier site would increase monoterpene emission rates and consequently lower needle monoterpene concentrations, and that this temperature effect would dominate the seasonal pattern of monoterpene concentrations regardless of drought. In support of our hypothesis, needle monoterpene concentrations were lower across all seasons in trees transplanted to the hotter-drier site. Contrary to our hypothesis, basal emission rates (emission rates normalized to 30 °C and a radiative flux of 1000 μmol m−2 s−1) did not differ between sites. This is because an increase in emissions at the hotter-drier site from a 1.5 °C average temperature increase was offset by decreased emissions from greater plant water stress. High emission rates were frequently observed during June, which were not related to plant physiological or environmental factors but did not occur below pre-dawn leaf water potentials of −2 MPa, the approximate zero carbon assimilation point in piñon pine. Emission rates were also not under environmental or plant physiological control when pre-dawn leaf water potential was less than −2 MPa. Our results suggest that drought may override the effects of temperature on monoterpene emissions and tissue concentrations, and that the influence of drought may occur through metabolic processes sensitive to the overall needle carbon balance.
Adopting LEDs changes attitudes towards climate change: experimental evidence from China
Authors: Gao Yu , d’Adda Giovanna , Tavoni Massimo
Published: March 2019

The adoption of low carbon technologies needs to go hand in hand with an increased awareness of climate change and its consequences and solutions. Attitudes toward climate change are influenced by a variety of factors, most notably educational attainment and exposure to climatic events attributable to climate change. However, less is known about the effect of technology adoption on climate change beliefs and support for mitigating measures. Through a longitudinal, incentivized field experiment with Chinese households, we assess attitudes toward climate change before and after adopting efficient lighting technology. The results show differential patterns of attitudinal change: while belief in the reality of climate change and willingness to adopt energy-efficient appliances increase, support for energy taxes does not. We attribute the attitudinal change to the adoption of LED light bulbs. Further evidence suggests that experience with efficient technology, rather than knowledge acquisition, drives this change. These results highlight the importance of action-initiating behavioral intervention to complement educational programs aimed at improving knowledge.
Tautological relations via 𝑟-spin structures
Authors: Pandharipande R. , Pixton A. , Zvonkine D.
Published: March 2019

Relations among tautological classes on

M

¯

g
,
n

\overline {\mathcal {M}}_{g,n}

are obtained via the study of Witten’s

r
r

-spin theory for higher

r
r

. In order to calculate the quantum product, a new formula relating the

r
r

-spin correlators in genus 0 to the representation theory of

s
l

2

(

C

)

{\mathsf {sl}}_2(\mathbb {C})

is proven. The Givental-Teleman classification of CohFT (cohomological field theory) is used at two special semisimple points of the associated Frobenius manifold. At the first semisimple point, the

R
R

-matrix is exactly solved in terms of hypergeometric series. As a result, an explicit formula for Witten’s

r
r

-spin class is obtained (along with tautological relations in higher degrees). As an application, the

r
=
4

r=4

relations are used to bound the Betti numbers of

R
∗

(

M

g

)

R^*(\mathcal {M}_g)

. At the second semisimple point, the form of the

R
R

-matrix implies a polynomiality property in

r
r

of Witten’s

r
r

-spin class.

In Appendix A (with F. Janda), a conjecture relating the

r
=
0

r=0

limit of Witten’s

r
r

-spin class to the class of the moduli space of holomorphic differentials is presented.
High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound: A Satisfactory Noninvasive Procedure for Neck Rejuvenation
Authors: Azuelos Arié , SidAhmed-Mezi Mounia , La Padula Simone , Aboud Celine , Meningaud Jean-Paul , Hersant Barbara
Published: March 2019

Background

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is an advanced technology that has been developed in response to the growing demand for noninvasive face rejuvenation.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the rejuvenation effects, patient satisfaction, and safety of HIFU treatment of the neck in a European population.

Methods

This was a prospective study of 20 patients. The patients were treated with HIFU, and the outcomes were investigated. The modified FACE-Objective Assessment Scale, developed by our team, and the subjective Investigator Global Improvement Assessment Scale (IGIAS; –1 to 3) were used to judge the results of HIFU. Five blinded evaluators scored the procedure outcomes based on photographs taken before and 6 months after the procedure. Side effects were reported and pain was evaluated on a visual analog scale of 0 to 10.

Results

Clinical results, such as better definition of the cervicomental angle, were observed in the treated areas. The pretreatment and posttreatment evaluation scores for double chin and skin laxity were evaluated by 4 of 5 evaluators as significantly improved. The IGIAS score was between 1 and 5 in 2 patients, between 6 and 10 in 7 patients, and between 11 and 15 in 11 patients. No patients had a score between –5 and 0. No major complications were reported. The mean pain scores for the D4, M7, and S7 transducer treatments were 5.6 (range, 4.5–6.7), 4.2 (range, 2.5–5.9), and 2.05 (range, 1.05–3.05), respectively.

Conclusions

HIFU may be considered a satisfactory, simple, reproducible, rapid, and safe procedure for neck rejuvenation.

Level of Evidence: 4
Developing structural profile matrices for protein secondary structure and solvent accessibility prediction
Authors: Aydin Zafer , Azginoglu Nuh , Bilgin Halil Ibrahim , Celik Mete
Published: March 2019

Motivation

Predicting secondary structure and solvent accessibility of proteins are among the essential steps that preclude more elaborate 3D structure prediction tasks. Incorporating class label information contained in templates with known structures has the potential to improve the accuracy of prediction methods. Building a structural profile matrix is one such technique that provides a distribution for class labels at each amino acid position of the target.

Results

In this paper, a new structural profiling technique is proposed that is based on deriving PFAM families and is combined with an existing approach. Cross-validation experiments on two benchmark datasets and at various similarity intervals demonstrate that the proposed profiling strategy performs significantly better than Homolpro, a state-of-the-art method for incorporating template information, as assessed by statistical hypothesis tests.

Availability and implementation

The DSPRED method can be accessed by visiting the PSP server at http://psp.agu.edu.tr. Source code and binaries are freely available at https://github.com/yusufzaferaydin/dspred.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
G-estimation of structural nested mean models for competing risks data using pseudo-observations
Authors: Tanaka Shiro , Brookhart M Alan , Fine Jason P
Published: March 2019

This article provides methods of causal inference for competing risks data. The methods are formulated as structural nested mean models of causal effects directly related to the cumulative incidence function or subdistribution hazard, which reflect the survival experience of a subject in the presence of competing risks. The effect measures include causal risk differences, causal risk ratios, causal subdistribution hazard ratios, and causal effects of time-varying exposures. Inference is implemented by g-estimation using pseudo-observations, a technique to handle censoring. The finite-sample performance of the proposed estimators in simulated datasets and application to time-varying exposures in a cohort study of type 2 diabetes are also presented.
Strangers in Their Own World: Exploring the Relation Between Cultural Practices and the Health of Older Adults in Native Communities in Chile
Authors: Gallardo-Peralta Lorena P , Sánchez-Moreno Esteban , Rodríguez-Rodríguez Vicente
Published: March 2019

In recent years, social gerontology has emphasised the concept of cultural diversity with the purpose of understanding how there is a differentiated ageing process in the life pathways of ethnic minorities. This study analyses the implications of Indigenous cultural practices for the health of a cross-sectional sample of 569 Indigenous Chileans (Aymara = 201 and Mapuche = 368) aged sixty and over. Measures were applied for depression, health problems, consumption of medication, cultural practices and resilience. The data analysis consisted of a linear and logistic regression analysis for scores on health-related measures. The results show significant differences amongst the Indigenous groups. Mapuche participants have more depressive symptomatology, more health problems and lower consumption of medication. There are differences in the explanatory variables for mental and physical health, but the results generally confirm that maintaining Indigenous medical practices, being resilient and engaging in intergenerational transmission of Indigenous culture are related with better health. These results suggest the need to incorporate an Indigenist and/or multicultural perspective into anti-oppressive social work practice by designing interventions and policies that help to maintain and perpetuate Indigenous health practices in community spaces.
Synaptic Connectivity and Cortical Maturation Are Promoted by the ω-3 Fatty Acid Docosahexaenoic Acid
Authors: Carbone Beatrice E , Abouleish Malik , Watters Katherine E , Vogel Seth , Ribic Adema , Schroeder Olaf H-U , Bader Benjamin M , Biederer Thomas
Published: March 2019

Brain development is likely impacted by micronutrients. This is supported by the effects of the ω-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) during early neuronal differentiation, when it increases neurite growth. Aiming to delineate DHA roles in postnatal stages, we selected the visual cortex due to its stereotypic maturation. Immunohistochemistry showed that young mice that received dietary DHA from birth exhibited more abundant presynaptic and postsynaptic specializations. DHA also increased density and size of synapses in a dose-dependent manner in cultured neurons. In addition, dendritic arbors of neurons treated with DHA were more complex. In agreement with improved connectivity, DHA enhanced physiological parameters of network maturation in vitro, including bursting strength and oscillatory behavior. Aiming to analyze functional maturation of the cortex, we performed in vivo electrophysiological recordings from awake mice to measure responses to patterned visual inputs. Dietary DHA robustly promoted the developmental increase in visual acuity, without altering light sensitivity. The visual acuity of DHA-supplemented animals continued to improve even after their cortex had matured and DHA abolished the acuity plateau. Our findings show that the ω-3 fatty acid DHA promotes synaptic connectivity and cortical processing. These results provide evidence that micronutrients can support the maturation of neuronal networks.
Sonicating bees demonstrate flexible pollen extraction without instrumental learning
Authors: Switzer Callin M , Russell Avery L , Papaj Daniel R , Combes Stacey A , Hopkins Robin
Published: March 2019

Pollen collection is necessary for bee survival and important for flowering plant reproduction, yet if and how pollen extraction motor routines are modified with experience is largely unknown. Here, we used an automated reward and monitoring system to evaluate modification in a common pollen-extraction routine, floral sonication. Through a series of laboratory experiments with the bumblebee, Bombus impatiens, we examined whether variation in sonication frequency and acceleration is due to instrumental learning based on rewards, a fixed behavioral response to rewards, and/or a mechanical constraint. We first investigated whether bees could learn to adjust their sonication frequency in response to pollen rewards given only for specified frequency ranges and found no evidence of instrumental learning. However, we found that absence versus receipt of a pollen reward did lead to a predictable behavioral response, which depended on bee size. Finally, we found some evidence of mechanical constraints, in that flower mass affected sonication acceleration (but not frequency) through an interaction with bee size. In general, larger bees showed more flexibility in sonication frequency and acceleration, potentially reflecting a size-based constraint on the range over which smaller bees can modify frequency and acceleration. Overall, our results show that although bees did not display instrumental learning of sonication frequency, their sonication motor routine is nevertheless flexible.
PS01.198: THERAPEUTIC STRATEGY FOR ONCOLOGIC EMERGENCY IN ESOPHAGEAL CANCER
Authors: Fujita Junki , Muroi Hiroto , Nakajima Masanobu , Yamaguchi Satoru , Sasaki Kinro
Published: March 2019

Background

Oncologic emergency in esophageal cancer are classified into bleeding, fistula and stenosis. The esophageal cancer infiltrating surrounding organs is inoperable. Although chemoradiotherapy is often used to cure advanced esophageal cancer with invasion to other organs, the prognosis is generally poor. In this study, we investigated and assessed the outcomes of esophageal stent, bypass surgery and salvage surgery in advanced esophageal cancer with aortic invasion, combined with aortic stent-graft.

Methods

24 patients who received esophageal stent, 6 patients who received bypass surgery and 4 patients who underwent salvage surgery at the Dokkyo Medical University Hospital between April 2009 and December 2016 were reviewed retrospectively.

Results

The esophageal stent was performed for stenosis in 15 cases, airway fistula in 4 cases, lung fistula in 4 cases and mediastinal fistula in 1 case. Although oral intake improved in 21/24 cases (87.5%), all stenosis cases achieved to gain oral intake. On the other hand, the bypass surgery group achieved to gain oral intake in all cases. The days required to start oral intake in the stent group were significantly shorter than that of the bypass group (P < 0.05). The same results was obtained in the hospitalization (P < 0.05). In the salvage surgery group, the average operative duration was 580 min (range, 307–825 min), the average blood loss was 543ml (range, 194–914ml) and the average hospitalization was 32days (range, 15–47days). There were no postoperative complications and all cases have been achieved pathological complete response.

Conclusion

Even for advanced esophageal cancer needed intervention immediately, we always have investigate the curability of cancer with secured safety.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
PS02.127: PREOPERATIVE CHEMORADIATION IN CARCINOMA OF ESOPHAGUS: A RETROSPECTIVE CLINICAL AUDIT IN A SINGLE RURAL CANCER CENTRE IN INDIA
Authors: Anap Yogesh
Published: March 2019

Background

The current standard of care for the treatment of surgically resectable carcinoma of esophagus is preoperative chemoradiation followed by surgery. There is strong evidence that this trimodality approach improves survival as compared to surgery alone. We intended to study the feasibility of this approach in a single rural cancer centre in Western India.

Methods

We did the retrospective analysis of consecutively treated patients of resectable carcinoma of esophagus from March 2013 till March 2017. All patients underwent endoscopic evaluation of upper gastro-intestinal tract, biopsy, CT scan of thorax with abdomen and hematological counts for determining fitness for chemotherapy. All biopsy proven, treatment naïve, non metastatic cases of carcinoma of thoracic esophagus and gastro-esophageal region were included in the analysis. All patients underwent neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy. Radiotherapy was given with conformal technique with concomitant chemotherapy either oral capecitabine or injectable paclitaxel and carboplatin or 5FU with cisplatin. Response was evaluated after 4–6 weeks of neoadjuvant therapy with CT scan and patient were subjected for esophagectomy.

Results

One hundred and fifty eight patients were treated with neoadjuvant radiotherapy and concomitant chemotherapy. Response to this therapy was assessed by CT scan in 119 patients out of which 70% showed partial response. Esophagectomy was done in seventy patients. Histopathology report revealed complete pathological response [pCR] in 29%. At the median follow up of 36 months, the median survival of the patients who underwent surgery is 15 months as against 7 months for those who did not undergo surgery. Patients with pCR had median survival of 19 months.

Conclusion

The trimodality approach is feasible in rural set up with comparable survival outcomes with literature. The patients who underwent complete pathological response did better than those with partial pathological response. There is concern about drop-out rates after neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy due to various reasons; prime being the socio-economic constraints. This audit gave us insight into the strategic selection of the patients for the trimodality approach as well as continuous socioeconomic support throughout the treatment course.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Variability of Faecal Calprotectin in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: An Observational Case-control Study
Authors: Cremer Anneline , Ku Jade , Amininejad Leila , Bouvry Marie-Rose , Brohet Fabian , Liefferinckx Claire , Devière Jacques , van Gossum André , Smet Julie , Stordeur Patrick , Franchimont Denis
Published: March 2019

Background and Aims

Several factors have been reported to affect faecal calprotectin [FC] values, and significant variation in FC concentrations has been observed in inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] patients. We aimed to evaluate FC variability in IBD patients, and to assess the robustness of a single stool punch.

Methods

This is a single-centre observational case-control study. Disease activity was assessed using endoscopic and clinical activity scores, as well as C-reactive protein levels. Stool samples were collected twice within a 1 to 6 days interval, and FC was measured on punches and homogenates by fluorometric enzyme immunocapture assay.

Results

In all, 260 stool samples were collected from 120 patients. Intrastool variability was low, with an intraclass correlation coefficient for single measures between three punches from a single stool sample of 0.91, and median coefficient of variation [CV] of 17%. CV of two stool samples a few days apart [intra-individual variability] were significantly higher [p <0.01] with median CV of 36%. FC standard deviations correlated with mean FC levels either for intrastool or for intra-individual variability, with a Spearman’s coefficient of rank correlation of 0.85 and 0.78, respectively [p <0.01]. Disease type, location, activity, and FC levels did not influence variability.

Conclusions

A single stool punch is reliable for FC measurement, considering that intrastool variability is low. Intra-individual variability a few days apart is significantly higher. Therefore, decision-making strategies based on single measurements should consider this variability, to determine the minimum optimal variation to be achieved, rather than a cut-off, especially in high FC levels.
Effectiveness of prefabricated myofunctional appliances in the treatment of Class II division 1 malocclusion: a systematic review
Authors: Mohammed Hisham , Čirgić Emina , Rizk Mumen Z , Vandevska-Radunovic Vaska
Published: March 2019

Background

Prefabricated myofunctional appliances (PMAs) are widely advocated for correcting Class II division I malocclusion. However, their effectiveness is associated with a high amount of uncertainty within contemporary literature.

Objectives

The aim of this review was to systematically examine the available literature regarding the effectiveness of PMAs in treating Class II division 1 malocclusion in children and adolescents.

Search methods

Comprehensive unrestricted electronic searches in multiple databases as well as manual searches were conducted up to August 2018.

Selection criteria

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized studies (NRS) matching the eligibility criteria.

Data collection and analysis

Two independent review authors were directly involved in study selection, data extraction, and bias assessment. The Cochrane risk of bias tool and the ROBINS-I tool were used for assessing the risk of bias. Quantitative pooling of the data was undertaken with a random-effects model with its 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

Three RCTs comparing PMAs to activators and three NRS comparing PMAs to untreated controls met the inclusion criteria. On a short-term basis, exploratory quantitative synthesis indicated that the activators were more effective than the PMAs in correcting overjet with a mean difference of (1.1 mm; 95% CI: 0.44 to 1.77). On a long-term basis, there were no significant differences between the two appliances. Qualitative synthesis indicated less favorable soft tissue changes as well as patient experiences and compliance with the PMAs when compared to the activators. However, PMAs were associated with reduced costs compared to customized activators and modest changes when compared to untreated controls.

Conclusions

On a short-term basis, low quality of evidence suggests that PMAs were generally less effective than the activators in treating Class II division 1 malocclusion. The main advantage of PMAs seems to be their reduced costs. These results should be viewed with caution, as a definitive need for high-quality long-term research into this area is required.

Registration

PROSPERO (CRD42018108564).
Looking on the Bright Side: Aging and the Impact of Emotional Future Simulation on Subsequent Memory
Authors: Devitt Aleea L , Schacter Daniel L
Published: March 2019

Objectives

When younger adults simulated positive future events, subsequent memory is positively biased. In the current studies, we explore age-related changes in the impact of emotional future simulation on subsequent memory.

Methods

In Experiment 1, younger and older adults simulated emotional future events before learning the hypothetical outcome of each event via narratives. Memory was assessed for emotional details contained in those narratives. In Experiment 2, a shorter temporal delay between simulation and narrative encoding was used to reduce decay of simulation memory over time.

Results

Future simulation did not bias subsequent memory for older adults in Experiment 1. However, older adults performed similar to younger adults in Experiment 2, with more liberal responses to positive information after positive simulation.

Discussion

The impact of an optimistic outlook on subsequent memory is reduced with age, which may be at least partly attributable to declining memory for future simulations over time. This work broadens our understanding of the functional consequences of age-related declines in episodic future simulation and adds to previous work showing reduced benefits of simulation with age on tasks tapping adaptive functions.
Robinow syndrome skeletal phenotypes caused by the WNT5AC83S variant are due to dominant interference with chondrogenesis
Authors: Gignac Sarah J , Hosseini-Farahabadi Sara , Akazawa Takashi , Schuck Nathan J , Fu Katherine , Richman Joy M
Published: March 2019

Heterozygous missense mutations in several genes in the WNT5A signaling pathway cause autosomal dominant Robinow syndrome 1 (DRS1). Our objective was to clarify the functional impact of a missense mutation in WNT5A on the skeleton, one of the main affected tissues in RS. We delivered avian replication competent retroviruses (RCAS) containing human wild-type WNT5A (wtWNT5A), WNT5AC83S variant or GFP/AlkPO4 control genes to the chicken embryo limb. Strikingly, WNT5AC83S consistently caused a delay in ossification and bones were more than 50% shorter and 200% wider than controls. In contrast, bone dimensions in wtWNT5A limbs were slightly affected (20% shorter, 25% wider) but ossification occurred on schedule. The dysmorphology of bones was established during cartilage differentiation. Instead of stereotypical stacking of chondrocytes, the WNT5AC83S-infected cartilage was composed of randomly oriented chondrocytes and that had diffuse, rather than concentrated Prickle staining, both signs of disrupted planar cell polarity (PCP) mechanisms. Biochemical assays revealed that C83S variant was able to activate the Jun N-terminal kinase-PCP pathway similar to wtWNT5A; however, the activity of the variant ligand was influenced by receptor availability. Unexpectedly, the C83S change caused a reduction in the amount of protein being synthesized and secreted, compared to wtWNT5A. Thus, in the chicken and human, RS phenotypes are produced from the C83S mutation, even though the variant protein is less abundant than wtWNT5A. We conclude the variant protein has dominant-negative effects on chondrogenesis leading to limb abnormalities.
A Nomogram Combining Fecal Calprotectin Levels and Plasma Cytokine Profiles for Individual Prediction of Postoperative Crohn’s Disease Recurrence
Authors: Cerrillo Elena , Moret Inés , Iborra Marisa , Pamies José , Hervás David , Tortosa Luis , Sáez-González Esteban , Nos Pilar , Beltrán Belén
Published: March 2019

Background

The aims of this study were to characterize the immune response profile in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and early postoperative recurrence (POR), to identify predictive biomarkers, and to develop a noninvasive predictive tool for individual estimation of POR risk.

Methods

Sixty-one patients who had undergone ileocolonic resection for CD were prospectively included and followed up for 24 months. Fecal calprotectin (FC), analytical parameters, and plasma cytokines were obtained before surgery and at various time points during postoperative follow-up. Morphological recurrence was assessed by ileocolonoscopy or magnetic resonance enterography within 6–12 months after surgery. Clinical activity was scored using the Harvey-Bradshaw Index.

Results

Twenty-seven patients (44.3%) had morphological recurrence during follow-up. Fecal calprotectin values were significantly associated with POR risk over time. The receiver operating characteristic curve for FC provided an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.88 (95% confidence interval, 0.75–0.96), and morphological recurrence was best predicted by FC ≥160 μg/g at 6 months after surgery (85% sensitivity, 70% specificity, 26% predictive positive value, 98% negative predictive value [NPV]). The plasma cytokine profile showed higher presurgery interleukin (IL)-13 plasma levels and higher IL-6 and interferon (IFN)-γ levels at 6 months after surgery in patients with POR compared with patients without recurrence. The combination of FC, IL-6, and IFN-γ values at 6 months gave an AUC of 0.90 for predicting an early recurrence.

Conclusions

FC values <160 μg/g at 6 months have a high NPV to rule out early lesions. Combined values of FC, IL-6, and IFN-γ levels at 6 months postsurgery constitute a prognostic index with a high predictive capacity to assess the risk of early POR.
Diet and colorectal cancer in UK Biobank: a prospective study
Authors: Bradbury Kathryn E , Murphy Neil , Key Timothy J
Published: March 2019

Background

Most of the previous studies on diet and colorectal cancer were based on diets consumed during the 1990s.

Methods

We used Cox-regression models to estimate adjusted hazard ratios for colorectal cancer by dietary factors in the UK Biobank study. Men and women aged 40–69 years at recruitment (2006–10) reported their diet on a short food-frequency questionnaire (n = 475 581). Dietary intakes were re-measured in a large sub-sample (n = 175 402) who completed an online 24-hour dietary assessment during follow-up. Trends in risk across the baseline categories were calculated by assigning re-measured intakes to allow for measurement error and changes in intake over time.

Results

During an average of 5.7 years of follow-up, 2609 cases of colorectal cancer occurred. Participants who reported consuming an average of 76 g/day of red and processed meat compared with 21 g/day had a 20% [95% confidence interval (CI): 4–37] higher risk of colorectal cancer. Participants in the highest fifth of intake of fibre from bread and breakfast cereals had a 14% (95% CI: 2–24) lower risk of colorectal cancer. Alcohol was associated with an 8% (95% CI: 4–12) higher risk per 10 g/day higher intake. Fish, poultry, cheese, fruit, vegetables, tea and coffee were not associated with colorectal-cancer risk.

Conclusions

Consumption of red and processed meat at an average level of 76 g/d that meets the current UK government recommendation (≤90 g/day) was associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Alcohol was also associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, whereas fibre from bread and breakfast cereals was associated with a reduced risk.
Rigid Sides of Approximately Finite-Dimensional Simple Operator Algebras in Non-Separable Category
Authors: Suzuki Yuhei
Published: March 2019

Applying Popa’s orthogonality method to a new class of groups, we construct amenable group factors that are prime and have no infinite-dimensional regular abelian $\ast$-subalgebras. By adjusting Farah–Katsura’s solution of Dixmier’s problem to the von Neumann algebra setting, we obtain the 1st examples of prime approximately finite-dimensional factors and tensorially prime simple AF-algebras. Our results are proved in Zermelo--Fraenkel set theory with the axiom of choice (ZFC), thus in particular answering questions asked by Farah–Hathaway–Katsura–Tikuisis. We also directly determine central sequences of certain crossed products. This concludes the failure of the Kirchberg $\mathcal{O}_{\infty }$-absorption theorem in the non-separable setting.
Using word embeddings to expand terminology of dietary supplements on clinical notes
Authors: Fan Yadan , Pakhomov Serguei , McEwan Reed , Zhao Wendi , Lindemann Elizabeth , Zhang Rui
Published: March 2019

Objective

The objective of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of applying word embeddings to expand the terminology of dietary supplements (DS) using over 26 million clinical notes.

Methods

Word embedding models (ie, word2vec and GloVe) trained on clinical notes were used to predefine a list of top 40 semantically related terms for each of 14 commonly used DS. Each list was further evaluated by experts to generate semantically similar terms. We investigated the effect of corpus size and other settings (ie, vector size and window size) as well as the 2 word embedding models on performance for DS term expansion. We compared the number of clinical notes (and patients they represent) that were retrieved using the word embedding expanded terms to both the baseline terms and external DS sources expanded terms.

Results

Using the word embedding models trained on clinical notes, we could identify 1–12 semantically similar terms for each DS. Using the word embedding expanded terms, we were able to retrieve averagely 8.39% more clinical notes and 11.68% more patients for each DS compared with 2 sets of terms. The increasing corpus size results in more misspellings, but not more semantic variants and brand names. Word2vec model is also found more capable of detecting semantically similar terms than GloVe.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates the utility of word embeddings on clinical notes for terminology expansion on 14 DS. We propose that this method can be potentially applied to create a DS vocabulary for downstream applications, such as information extraction.
Detectability of Dissociative Psychoactive Substances in Urine by Five Commercial Phencyclidine Immunoassays
Authors: Gomila Isabel , Leciñena Maria Ángeles , Elorza Miguel Ángel , Pastor Yolanda , Sahuquillo Laura , Servera Miguel , Puiguriguer Jordi , Barcelo Bernardino
Published: March 2019

Methoxetamine (MXE) and the arylcyclohexylamines 3-methoxy-PCP (3-MeO-PCP) and 4-methoxy-PCP (4-MeO-PCP) are substituted analogs of the dissociative psychoactive substances ketamine and phencyclidine (PCP), respectively. They have emerged on the new psychoactive substances (NPS) market as legal alternatives to these classically banned dissociatives. Little data has been published regarding the cross-reactivity of these NPS in PCP immunoassays (IAs). The aim of this work was to explore the possibilities of detecting 3-MeO-PCP, 4-MeO-PCP, MXE and ketamine in commercial IAs for PCP. The cross-reactivity study was performed in five different PCP IAs using urine-free, spiked samples and urine samples obtained from two 3-MeO-PCP overdose cases. 3-MeO-PCP and 4-MeO-PCP showed cross-reactivity (ranging from 1–143%) in all PCP IAs evaluated. MXE only showed very weak cross-reactivity (ranged from 0.04 to 0.25%) and ketamine was not detected in any PCP IA evaluated. Urine samples from the two overdose cases were positive for PCP in all IAs evaluated. The commercial PCP IAs evaluated exhibited utility as rapid, preliminary screening techniques for 3-MeO-PCP and 4-MeO-PCP, but not for ketamine. The low reactivity of MXE limits its detectability in the PCP IAs evaluated.
Antibiosis Levels to Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Cowpea Commercial Cultivars and Landrace Varieties
Authors: Costa Eduardo Neves , Evangelista Bruna Moura Dias , Fernandes Marcos Gino
Published: March 2019

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is a major pest of cowpea, (Vigna unguiculata [L] Walp.) (Fabales: Fabaceae), and to date, few tactics are available to control this pest. This study was conducted to evaluate whether cowpea commercial cultivars and landrace varieties express antibiosis to S. frugiperda. The commercial cultivars were developed by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), and the landrace varieties were obtained from indigenous communities of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The effects of the cowpea genotypes (commercial cultivars and landrace varieties) were assessed on the development, survival, and reproductive capacity of the insect. Out of six genotypes, the two landraces were the most resistant to the pest. Landrace Juti decreased larval weight and survival, and no larvae reached the pupal phase. Landrace Nioaque adversely affected the larval and pupal weight, the period of development from larva to pupa, adult emergence, and the period of development from larva to adult. The cultivar Fradinho was classified as moderately resistant for reducing the larval and pupal weights, and delaying the period of development from larva to pupa. The cultivar Miranda was susceptible regarding the growth and survival of S. frugiperda, however, females reared on this cultivar laid a lower number of eggs. The resistant genotypes, especially the landrace varieties are promising for future plant breeding programs, with the objective of developing resistant cultivars to S. frugiperda larvae.