bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Sodium Hydroxide Treatment and Ultrafiltration on the Removal of Humic Contaminants from Archaeological Bone
Authors: Szpak P. , Krippner K. , Richards M. P.
Published: October 2017

This study compared bone collagen extraction techniques that included treatment with sodium hydroxide and 30 kDa ultrafilters using a set of well‐preserved, humic‐contaminated archaeological marine mammal bones. Treatment with sodium hydroxide was effective at removing humic contaminants from archaeological bone, although yields were significantly decreased. Yields were also significantly decreased by ultrafiltration although this study produced no evidence that 30 kDa ultrafilters were effective at selectively removing humic contaminants from archaeological bone. The combination of sodium hydroxide treatment and ultrafiltration did not produce superior results to the treatment involving only sodium hydroxide. Archaeological samples exhibiting darker colouration indicative of humic contamination should be treated with sodium hydroxide to remove these contaminants. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Type 1 diabetes and an insulin pump: an iterative review of qualitative literature
Authors: Grose Daniel N , O'Brien Casey L , Castle David J
Published: October 2017

Psychosocial factors are becoming increasingly recognised as an important component in the holistic management of people living with diabetes. However, there is limited literature available that describes the psychosocial impact of insulin pump therapy on people living with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

This paper systematically reviews recurrent themes within extant qualitative research and suggests avenues for future research. These themes explore the pump's impact on diabetes self‐management, altered self‐identity, perceptions by others and the emotional toll. The findings inform multidisciplinary health care professionals of the importance of a holistic approach to people living with type 1 diabetes. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons.
Impact of Insulin Detemir Administration Time on Hypoglycemia Rates in Hospitalized Patients
Authors: Grelle Jennifer L. , Kutter Sydney N. , Giruzzi Megan E. , Tawwater John C.
Published: October 2017

Study Objective

To determine if insulin detemir administration time affects the frequency of hypoglycemia (blood glucose level <70 mg/dl) in hospitalized patients.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Patients

A total of 357 adults (aged 18–89 yrs) who received insulin detemir for at least 48 hours while hospitalized between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2015, were included. Patients were categorized into one of three groups according to insulin detemir administration time: detemir given once/day between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. (AM group [71 patients]), detemir given once/day between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. (PM group [158 patients]), and detemir given twice/day (BID group [128 patients]).

Setting

Community hospital.

Measurements and Main Results

The primary outcome was the percentage of patient days with any occurrence of hypoglycemia. The key secondary outcomes included the percentages of patients who experienced any hypoglycemic event, severe hypoglycemia, hypoglycemia requiring treatment, and refractory hypoglycemia; time of hypoglycemia; and percentage of patients experiencing one or more episodes of hyperglycemia. The AM group had a lower proportion of days with hypoglycemia compared with the PM group (7.9% vs 11.9%, p=0.008). There was a nonsignificant trend toward a lower proportion of days with hypoglycemia in the BID group compared with the PM group (9.1% vs 11.9%, p=0.0302). No significant differences in percentage of patient days with hyperglycemia and rates of severe hypoglycemia, hypoglycemia requiring treatment, or refractory hypoglycemia were noted among the three groups.

Conclusion

Administration of detemir in the morning may reduce the occurrence of hypoglycemia in hospitalized patients. Institutions that include detemir on their formularies may consider evaluating the incidence of hypoglycemia and modifying administration schedules as part of their medication safety program.
Differential Proteomic Analysis of Dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)‐Induced Liver Fibrosis
Authors: Liu Xiujie , Dai Rongji , Ke Ming , Suheryani Imran , Meng Weiwei , Deng Yulin
Published: October 2017

Liver fibrosis is a common pathological feature of many chronic liver diseases. To characterize the entire panorama of proteome changes in dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)‐induced liver fibrosis, isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)‐based differential proteomic analysis is performed with DMN‐induced liver fibrosis rats. A total of 4155 confidently identified proteins are found, with 365 proteins showing significant changes (fold changes of >1.5 or < 0.67, p < 0.05). In metabolic activation, proteins assigned to drug metabolism enzymes (e.g., CYP2D1) change, suggesting that the liver protection mechanism is activated to relieve DMN toxicity. In addition, the altered proteins of immune response and oxidative stress may activate hepatic stellate cells. Glucose metabolism disorder in DMN model rats is demonstrated by a decrease in key enzymes (e.g., ACSL1) in fatty acid metabolism, a tricabolic acid cycle‐related enzyme (SDH), glycogenolysis enzyme, and gluconeogenesis enzymes (PC, PCKGC) and by an increase in glycolysis enzymes (e.g., HXK1). Meanwhile, alterations in iron and calcium ion homeostasis proteins are observed. Our results also show that mitochondrial dysfunction may be involved in DMN hepatotoxicity. In conclusion, these altered liver proteins in the DMN model and control rats provide data for understanding the functional mechanism of liver fibrosis.
Transthoracic catheter drainage for large symptomatic congenital pulmonary airway malformation
Authors: Oh Seong Hee , Kim Chae Young , Lee Byong Sop , Kim Dong Kwan , Kim Ellen Ai‐Rhan , Kim Ki‐Soo
Published: October 2017

Background

Surgical resection of large symptomatic congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) in newborns has high risks of mortality and postoperative morbidity. This study aimed to report the clinical outcomes of newborns who underwent percutaneous transthoracic catheter drainage (PTCD) of large symptomatic CPAM before surgical resection.

Methods

This was a retrospective, descriptive study based on review of the medical records of newborn infants who required surgical resection of large symptomatic CPAM at a single tertiary hospital from 2001 to 2017. The clinical outcomes were compared between patients who underwent surgical resection following PTCD (PTCD group) and those who underwent surgical resection alone (non‐PTCD group).

Results

A total of 17 newborns were included. PTCD was performed in seven cases; the median age at the time of the initial PTCD was 4 days (range, 0‐20 days). Following PTCD in all cases, chest radiograph demonstrated a dramatic reduction in the sizes of the cysts and improvement of mediastinal shift and the Alveolar‐arterial oxygen difference decreased. The median duration between initial PTCD and surgery was 4 days (range, 2‐33 days). PTCD‐related complications included pneumothorax (n = 2), catheter displacement (n = 1), and failure to drain (n = 1). Compared with the non‐PTCD group (6 of 10), the PTCD group had a tendency toward lower rates of postoperative complications (1 of 7).

Conclusion

PTCD can be an effective interim management for symptomatic newborn infants who require emergency surgical resection of large CPAM.
The yerba mate intake has a neutral effect on bone: A case–control study in postmenopausal women
Authors: da Veiga Denise T. A. , Bringhenti Raísa , Bolignon Aline A. , Tatsh Etiane , Moresco Rafael N. , Comim Fabio V. , Premaor Melissa O.
Published: October 2017

Nutritional factors have been associated with osteoporosis and fractures. The intake of coffee may increase the risk of fracture whereas the intake of black and green tea is associated with its reduction. Recently, consumption of yerba mate was associated with increased bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Nonetheless, its influence on fracture is not known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of yerba mate tea intake on fractures, bone markers, calcium homeostasis, and oxidative stress in postmenopausal women. A case–control study was carried out in South Brazil, 46 women with fractures and 49 controls completed the study. There was no significant difference between the frequency of fractures in women who drank mate tea and women who did not (48.3% vs. 48.5%, p = .99). Moreover, there was no significant difference concerning the serum levels of total calcium, phosphorus, PTH, vitamin D, P1NP, and CTX in the subjects with the history of yerba mate use when compared to controls. Higher serum levels of NOx were found in women who drank the yerba mate infusion. In conclusion, the yerba mate intake is not associated with fracture, and it appears to have a neutral effect on the bone metabolism.
Drag associated with 3D trapped lee waves over an axisymmetric obstacle in two‐layer atmospheres
Authors: Teixeira M. A. C. , Miranda P. M. A.
Published: October 2017

Mountain‐wave drag is evaluated explicitly using linear theory and verified against numerical simulations for the flow of idealized two‐layer atmospheres with piecewise‐constant stratification over an axisymmetric mountain. Static stability is either higher in the bottom layer and lower in the top layer (Scorer's atmosphere) or neutral in the bottom layer and positive in the top layer, separated by a sharp temperature inversion (Vosper's atmosphere). The drag receives contributions from long mountain waves propagating vertically in the upper layer and from short trapped lee waves propagating downstream, either in the lower layer or at the inversion. This trapped lee‐wave drag, which is typically not represented in parametrizations, acts on the atmosphere at low levels. As in flow over a 2D ridge, this drag has several maxima as a function of the height of the interface between the two layers for Scorer's atmosphere and is maximized by a marked Scorer parameter contrast between those layers. In Vosper's atmosphere, there is a single trapped lee‐wave drag maximum for Froude numbers near one, when the wind speed matches the phase speed of the dominant interfacial waves, and this drag is maximized for relatively low interface elevations, for which waves at the inversion have higher amplitude. The 3D flow geometry allows resonant wave modes to have various horizontal orientations and a continuous spectrum, forming a dispersive ‘Kelvin ship wave’ pattern, and expanding the regions in parameter space where the drag is non‐zero relative to 2D flow, but it also decreases the drag magnitude dispersively. Nevertheless, the trapped lee‐wave drag on an axisymmetric obstacle can still equal or exceed the drag associated with vertically propagating waves and the reference hydrostatic drag valid for a uniformly stratified atmosphere.
A sobering assessment of small‐molecule force field methods for low energy conformer predictions
Authors: Kanal Ilana Y. , Keith John A. , Hutchison Geoffrey R.
Published: October 2017

We have carried out a large scale computational investigation to assess the utility of common small‐molecule force fields for computational screening of low energy conformers of typical organic molecules. Using statistical analyses on the energies and relative rankings of up to 250 diverse conformers of 700 different molecular structures, we find that energies from widely used classical force fields (MMFF94, UFF, and GAFF) show unconditionally poor energy and rank correlation with semiempirical (PM7) and Kohn–Sham density functional theory (DFT) energies calculated at PM7 and DFT optimized geometries. In contrast, semiempirical PM7 calculations show significantly better correlation with DFT calculations and generally better geometries. With these results, we make recommendations to more reliably carry out conformer screening.
Application of Bayesian analysis to the doubly labelled water method for total energy expenditure in humans
Authors: Ruan Yue , Bluck Les C.J. , Smith James , Mander Adrian , Singh Priya , Venables Michelle
Published: October 2017

Rationale

The doubly labelled water (DLW) method is the reference method for the estimation of free‐living total energy expenditure (TEE). In this method, where both 2H and 18O are employed, different approaches have been adopted to deal with the non‐conformity observed regarding the distribution space for the labels being non‐coincident with total body water. However, the method adopted can have a significant effect on the estimated TEE.

Methods

We proposed a Bayesian reasoning approach to modify an assumed prior distribution for the space ratio using experimental data to derive the TEE. A Bayesian hierarchical approach was also investigated. The dataset was obtained from 59 adults (37 women) who underwent a DLW experiment during which the 2H and 18O enrichments were measured using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS).

Results

TEE was estimated at 9925 (9106‐11236) [median and interquartile range], 9646 (9167–10540), and 9,638 (9220–10340) kJ·day−1 for women and at 13961 (12851–15347), 13353 (12651–15088) and 13211 (12653–14238) kJ·day−1 for men, using normalized non‐Bayesian, independent Bayesian and hierarchical Bayesian approaches, respectively. A comparison of hierarchical Bayesian with normalized non‐Bayesian methods indicated a marked difference in behaviour between genders. The median difference was −287 kJ·day−1 for women, and −750 kJ·day−1 for men. In men there is an appreciable compression of the TEE distribution obtained from the hierarchical model compared with the normalized non‐Bayesian methods (range of TEE 11234–15431 kJ·day−1 vs 10786–18221 kJ·day−1). An analogous, yet smaller, compression is seen in women (7081–12287 kJ·day−1 vs 6989–13775 kJ·day−1).

Conclusions

The Bayesian analysis is an appealing method to estimate TEE during DLW experiments. The principal advantages over those obtained using the classical least‐squares method is the generation of potentially more useful estimates of TEE, and improved handling of outliers and missing data scenarios, particularly if a hierarchical model is used.
Improving Meaningful Use of Accommodations by Multilingual Learners
Authors: Shafer Willner Lynn , Mokhtari Kouider
Published: October 2017

For more than two decades, accommodations have served as the primary strategy for ensuring the valid participation of multilingual learners (MLLs) in high‐stakes summative assessments. Using historical analyses of the evolution of testing accommodation guidelines and related instructional practices, the authors explain how the application of accessibility principles to test development and testing guidelines has reframed accommodations into three categories: accommodations, accessibility features, and administration considerations. The authors then discuss what educators can do to more effectively prepare MLLs by integrating these supports into instruction that targets strategic reading and engagement with text and illustrate how the transfer of paper‐oriented reading strategies to digital texts requires explicit attention to foster effective use of embedded accommodations and accessibility features. The authors also provide sample professional development activities to build educator awareness about ideas for integrating MLL test preparations around accommodations into close reading instruction of digital texts.
Diagnostic yield of chromosomal microarray analysis in fetuses with isolated increased nuchal translucency: a French multicenter study
Authors: Egloff M. , Hervé B. , Quibel T. , Jaillard S. , Le Bouar G. , Uguen K. , Saliou A.‐H. , Valduga M. , Perdriolle E. , Coutton C. , Coston A.‐L. , Coussement A. , Anselem O. , Missirian C. , Bretelle F. , Prieur F. , Fanget C. , Muti C. , Jacquemot M.‐C. , Beneteau C. , Le Vaillant C. , Vekemans M. , Salomon L. J. , Vialard F. , Malan V.
Published: October 2017

Objective

To determine the frequency and nature of copy number variants (CNVs) identified by chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) in a large cohort of fetuses with isolated increased nuchal translucency thickness (NT) ≥ 3.5 mm.

Methods

This was a retrospective, multicenter study, including 11 French hospitals, of data from the period between April 2012 and December 2015. In total, 720 fetuses were analyzed by rapid aneuploidy test and the fetuses identified as euploid underwent CMA. CNVs detected were evaluated for clinical significance and classified into five groups: pathogenic CNVs; benign CNVs; CNVs predisposing to neurodevelopmental disorders; variants of uncertain significance (VOUS); and CNVs not related to the phenotype (i.e. incidental findings).

Results

In 121 (16.8%) fetuses, an aneuploidy involving chromosome 13, 18 or 21 was detected by rapid aneuploidy test and the remaining 599 fetuses were euploid. Among these, 53 (8.8%) had a CNV detected by CMA: 16/599 (2.7%) were considered to be pathogenic, including 11/599 (1.8%) that were cryptic (not visible by karyotyping); 7/599 (1.2%) were CNVs predisposing to neurodevelopmental disorders; and 8/599 (1.3%) were VOUS. Additionally, there was one (0.2%) CNV that was unrelated to the reason for referral diagnosis (i.e. an incidental finding) and the remaining 21 were benign CNVs, without clinical consequence. Interestingly, we identified five genomic imbalances of the 1q21.1 or 15q11.2 regions known to be associated with congenital heart defects.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates the benefit of CMA in the etiological diagnosis of fetuses with isolated increased NT. It is worth noting that most (69%) of the detected pathogenic CNVs were cryptic. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Cover Image, Volume 8, Issue 6
Authors: Roy Rajat , Huang Yueyang , Seckl Michael J. , Pardo Olivier E.
Published: October 2017

The cover image, by Rajat Roy et al., is based on Advanced Review Emerging roles of hnRNPA1 in modulating malignant transformation, DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1431.

image
The Crystal Structures of Pb5Sb4S11 (Boulangerite) – A Phase Transition Explains Seemingly Contradictory Structure Models
Authors: Schultz Peter , Nietschke Frederik , Wagner Gerald , Eikemeier Christoph , Eisenburger Lucien , Oeckler Oliver
Published: October 2017

In the literature, many seemingly contradictory structure models of boulangerite, ideally Pb5Sb4S11, and the related mineral falkmanite have been reported. These can be explained by a phase transition between a low‐temperature (LT) modification (P21/c, a ≈ 8.07 Å, b ≈ 23.5 Å, c ≈ 21.6 Å, β ≈ 100.7°) and a disordered high‐temperature (HT) modification [Pnma, a = 23.530(2) Å; b = 4.0385(8) Å and c = 21.273(2) Å, R1(obs) = 0.039] that occurs above ca. 350–400 °C. The almost completely ordered distribution of lead and antimony cations in the LT modification involves a superstructure; the corresponding reflections are obvious in electron and X‐ray diffraction patterns. Partial ordering may render them more or less diffuse. They vanish upon heating above the transition temperature, also for originally ordered natural boulangerite (from Trepča, Kosovo), and appear again after annealing below the phase transition temperature (e.g. at 330 °C). The HT phase is characterized by pronounced cation disorder. Cation ordering can be described by group‐subgroup relationships which may also serve for a unified description of various structure models from literature. Starting from the orthorhombic HT phase, a translationengleiche followed by an isomorphous symmetry reduction yields the degrees of freedom required for cation ordering. The non‐standard setting A21/d11 is optimal for a unified comparison of all known structure models. Varying degrees of ordering reported in literature and observed for various new samples suggest that the transition is kinetically controlled. These relationships also contribute to the long‐lasting discussion about the nomenclature of minerals with the sum formula Pb5Sb4S11 or very similar ones. A precise structure determination of a single crystal (grown by chemical vapor transport) using synchrotron radiation along with detailed electron diffraction investigations and high‐resolution electron microscopy confirms the statistically disordered structure model of the quenched high‐temperature phase. Bond‐valence sums (BVS) and interatomic distances confirm the interpretation of cation split positions as the superposition of the corresponding independent cation positions in the LT phase. Measurements of transport properties indicate very low n‐type electrical and thermal conductivities for both modifications. The order‐disorder transition significantly affects the Seebeck coefficient.
Investigation of the Crystal Structure, Characterization, Hirshfeld Surface, and Theoretical Study of (C6H14N)5[HP2Mo5O23]·4H2O
Authors: Harchani Ali , Haddad Amor
Published: October 2017

The synthesis of an organoammonium diphosphopentamolybdates(VI), (C6H14N)5[HP2Mo5O23]·4H2O (1), is reportet. The molecular structure and spectroscopic analysis were performed using experimental techniques like X‐ray diffraction, FT‐IR, and UV/Vis. The single crystal analysis of the title compound shows that the compound crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system with space group P21/c and cell constants of a = 12.7934(2) Å, b = 14.8145(2) Å, c = 27.2637(5) Å, and β = 92.9298(14)°. The Hirshfeld surfaces and the associated 2D fingerprint plots were investigated to study the intermolecular interactions in the crystal packing and this study has confirmed that the hydrogen bonding interactions play a dominating role in the stability of crystal structure. The theoretical calculations were done using PM3 semi‐empirical model and several properties were studied.
Lipoprotein‐associated phospholipase A2 activity in obese adolescents with and without type 2 diabetes
Authors: Seyfarth Julia , Reinehr Thomas , Hoyer Annika , Reinauer Christina , Bächle Christina , Karges Beate , Mayatepek Ertan , Roden Michael , Hofer Sabine E. , Wiegand Susanna , Woelfle Joachim , Kiess Wieland , Rosenbauer Joachim , Holl Reinhard W. , Meissner Thomas
Published: October 2017

Lipoprotein‐associated phospholipase A2 (Lp‐PLA2) was identified as a strong predictor for cardiovascular events. Furthermore, it is highly associated with obesity. The role of Lp‐PLA2 in diabetes mellitus is controversial and analyses, especially in adolescents with type 2 diabetes (T2D), are missing. Therefore, we compared Lp‐PLA2 activity between two obese age‐, sex‐, and BMI‐matched cohorts of adolescents with and without T2D. Relationships between Lp‐PLA2 activity and age, BMI, hemoglobin A1c, lipids, and adipokines were evaluated. Lp‐PLA2 activity was analyzed in serum of 72 obese adolescents without T2D (mean age 15.2 ± 1.6 years) and in 65 obese adolescents with T2D (mean age 15.5 ± 1.8 years). Clinical data were obtained from the Diabetes‐Patienten‐Verlaufsdokumentation (DPV) registry. Surprisingly, obese adolescents with T2D had lower levels of Lp‐PLA2 activity than obese children without T2D (160.2 ± 45.0 versus 180.9 ± 35.6 nmol/min/ml, p = 0.003), but this decrease could only be detected in male (158.8 ± 45.3 versus 190.8 ± 31.3 nmol/min/ml, p < 0.001) and not in female adolescents (162.1 ± 45.5 versus 167.7 ± 37.1 nmol/min/ml, p = 0.60). In multiple linear regression analysis, differences in Lp‐PLA2 activity between cohorts remained large and significant (ß‐coefficient: −31.60, 95% confidence interval [−49.27;−13.93], p < 0.001). Furthermore, Lp‐PLA2 activity was positively associated with BMI (ß‐coefficient: 2.04 [0.68;3.40], p = 0.004) and negatively associated with the adipokines leptin (ß‐coefficient: −0.53 [−0.89;−0.17], p = 0.004) and adiponectin (ß‐coefficient: −3.06, [−5.63;−0.48], p = 0.02). Elevated mean glucose concentrations in adolescents with T2D were not associated with an increase but with a decrease of Lp‐PLA2 activity. Hence, in young patients with T2D the Lp‐PLA2 activity as a risk predictor for cardiovascular events needs further investigation.
A New Explanation and Proof of the Paradoxical Scoring Results in Multidimensional Item Response Models
Authors: Jordan Pascal , Spiess Martin
Published: October 2017

In multidimensional item response models, paradoxical scoring effects can arise, wherein correct answers are penalized and incorrect answers are rewarded. For the most prominent class of IRT models, the class of linearly compensatory models, a general derivation of paradoxical scoring effects based on the geometry of item discrimination vectors is given, which furthermore corrects an error in an established theorem on paradoxical results. This approach highlights the very counterintuitive way in which item discrimination parameters (and also factor loadings) have to be interpreted in terms of their influence on the latent ability estimate. It is proven that, despite the error in the original proof, the key result concerning the existence of paradoxical effects remains true—although the actual relation to the item parameters is shown to be a more complicated function than previous results suggested. The new proof enables further insights into the actual mathematical causation of the paradox and generalizes the findings within the class of linearly compensatory models.
A preliminary evaluation of glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) levels in cerebrospinal fluid across various gestational ages and clinical conditions of the neonate
Authors: Rajkumar Rahul , Bhaya Bhavana , Mamilla Divya , Czech Theresa , Kisseih Esther , Saini Arun , Chouthai Nitin
Published: October 2017

Background

This study aims to investigate glial cell derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) levels in newborns’ umbilical cord blood and cerebrospinal fluid across various perinatal growth parameters and clinical conditions.

Methods

Cord blood from 20 newborns and 58 residual CSF samples (stored after completion of clinical testing) were collected. GDNF levels were determined using GDNF ELISA kits from R&D Systems in triplicates with appropriate controls to eliminate background.

Results

Cord blood GDNF levels were significantly higher (p = 0.004) in preterm newborns (n = 6) (115.05 ± 57.17, pg/ml) when compared to term newborns (n = 14) (19.67 ± 10.67, pg/ml). GDNF levels in CSF trended (p = 0.07) higher in term newborns (n = 10) (19.56 ± 9.11, pg/ml) when compared to preterm newborns at term or post term corrected gestational ages (n = 5) (14.49 ± 3.53, pg/ml).

Conclusions

GDNF levels in preterm newborns were higher in cord blood and lower in CSF as compared to term newborns. It is important to further study circulating and CSF‐GDNF levels in newborns at different gestational ages and clinical conditions.
Influence of proton pump inhibitors on blood dabigatran concentrations in Japanese patients with non‐valvular atrial fibrillation
Authors: Kuwayama Tasuku , Osanai Hiroyuki , Ajioka Masayoshi , Tokuda Kotaro , Ohashi Hirofumi , Tobe Akihiro , Yoshida Tatsuya , Masutomi Tomohiro , Kambara Takahiro , Inoue Yosuke , Nakashima Yoshihito , Asano Hiroshi , Sakai Kazuyoshi
Published: October 2017

Background

Dabigatran is a direct thrombin inhibitor used to decrease the risk of ischemic stroke in patients with non‐valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Its prodrug, dabigatran etexilate (DE) is often co‐administrated with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) because of its adverse effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Drug‐drug interactions between DE and PPIs in daily clinical practice have not been fully elucidated.

Methods

Changes in blood dabigatran concentration (DC) were investigated using the dilute thrombin time test in a randomized, open‐label, two‐period crossover study including 34 Japanese patients with NVAF receiving dabigatran therapy with or without PPI.

Results

The average trough DC was significantly higher without PPI than with PPI (83 ± 42.3 vs. 55.5 ± 24.6 ng/mL, respectively; P < 0.001). Similarly, the average peak DC was significantly higher without PPI than with PPI (184.1 ± 107.7 vs. 124 ± 59.2 ng/mL, respectively; P = 0.0029). The average ratio of DC change at the trough and peak levels did not differ significantly among the three PPI types.

Conclusions

PPI administration significantly decreased the trough and peak DCs in patients with NVAF. Therefore, when prescribing PPIs for patients with NVAF in a clinical setting, the possibility that the bioavailability of dabigatran may decrease should be considered.
Extracardiac compression of the inferolateral branch of the coronary vein by the descending aorta in a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Konishi Hiroki , Mori Shumpei , Nishii Tatsuya , Izawa Yu , Tamada Naoki , Tanaka Hidekazu , Kiuchi Kunihiko , Fukuzawa Koji , Hirata Ken‐ichi
Published: October 2017

Extracardiac structures can cause distortion of cardiac anatomy particularly in patients presenting with a significantly dilated heart, and/or thoracic deformities. We present the case of a 69‐year‐old woman with dilated cardiomyopathy who underwent cardiac resynchronization therapy. Preoperative electrocardiography‐gated contrast‐enhanced computed tomography revealed the inferolateral wall of her significantly dilated and leftward‐rotated heart was close to the descending aorta, and the descending aorta compressed the sandwiched inferolateral branch of the coronary vein. Retrograde coronary venography performed at the time of device implantation confirmed focal stenosis of the inferolateral branch of the coronary vein.
Ten‐year experience in atenolol use and exercise evaluation in children with genetically proven long QT syndrome
Authors: Kwok Sit‐Yee , Pflaumer Andreas , Pantaleo Sarah‐Jane , Date Erin , Jadhav Mangesh , Davis Andrew Mark
Published: October 2017

Background

Due to its availability, atenolol is the primary beta‐blocker used in Australia for children with long QT syndrome. There is limited data on long‐term follow‐up of its use.

Methods

A single‐tertiary‐center, retrospective, observational study investigating all children and adolescents who had genetically proven long QT syndrome type 1 (LQT1) and type 2 (LQT2) was conducted. Their pretreatment exercise tests were evaluated for QTc intervals into the recovery phase of exercise.

Results

Eighty six patients were identified (LQT1, 67, and LQT2, 19) from 2004 to 2014. The majority (86%) of patients were initially referred for family screening. Atenolol was administered at a mean dose of 1.58 ± 0.51 mg/kg/day. During the median follow‐up period of 4.29 years, only one proband developed ventricular arrhythmia whilst taking atenolol, No patient had cardiac arrest or aborted cardiac arrest. With respect to side effects of atenolol, only two patients had intolerable side effects necessitating changes of medication. Evaluation of exercise tests (pretreatment) demonstrated that corrected QT (QTc) intervals at 2–3 min into the recovery phase of exercise were significantly prolonged for LQT1 patients. LQT1 patients with transmembrane mutation had longer QTc intervals than their C‐terminus mutation counterparts, reaching statistical significance at 3 min into the recovery phase of exercise.

Conclusions

Atenolol is an effective treatment for genetically proven LQT1 and LQT2 children and adolescents, with good tolerability. In LQT1 patients, QTc intervals at 2–3 min into the recovery phase of exercise were significantly prolonged, particularly in patients with transmembrane mutations.
TPP, American National Security and Chinese SOEs
Authors: BHALA RAJ
Published: October 2017

Free trade agreements (FTAs) are about far more than free trade. They are about national security. A trade deal may be ambitious in liberalizing or managing cross-border flows in goods, services, intellectual property (IP), and people, but to argue for or against an FTA solely along the axis of free versus managed trade is to miss another vital purpose – the deal can, and indeed should, advance national security. This article makes two points. First, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) exemplifies the possibility of enhancing the national security the United States, through containment of China and its ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Second, the debate over the definition of state owned enterprise (SOE) is one among many illustrations in the TPP of the link between national security, trade, and containment. The 12 nations negotiating the TPP were aware of this link, and deliberated the definition of ‘SOE’. The TPP excluded the Middle Kingdom from the founding members, while the founders wrote the TPP rules to bind China if it subsequently joined the deal. Chinese SOEs were of concern to them, for bona fide national security reasons, and so also were legitimate sovereign interests in providing goods and services through their own SOEs. The evaluation by America and its 11 TPP partners, as to which entities should be included in the scope of SOE disciplines led to a set of clear rules.
Canada – Anti-Dumping Measures on Imports of Certain Carbon Steel Welded Pipe from the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (Canada–Welded Pipe), DS483
Authors: Kugler Kholofelo
Published: October 2017

The dispute principally concerns the provisional and definitive anti-dumping measures applied by Canada on imports of certain Carbon Steel Welded Pipe (CSWP) from Chinese Taipei.
European Union – Measures Affecting Tariff Concessions on Certain Poultry Meat Products (EU–Poultry Meat (China)), DS492
Authors: Kugler Kholofelo
Published: October 2017

The dispute concerns the GATT Article XXVIII negotiations of the European Union's (EU) Schedule of Concessions. The EU sought to modify its tariff concessions in respect of certain poultry products. The EU conducted this modification through two separate negotiations. The first round of negotiations were initiated in 2006 and covered the modification of tariff concessions on poultry products falling under HS Codes 0210 99 39, 1602 31, and 1602 32 19 (First Modification Package). The second round of negotiations began in 2009 and pertained to the modification of products falling under HS Codes 1602 20 10, 1602 32 11, 1602 32 30, 1602 32 90, 1602 39 21, 1602 39 29, 1602 39 40, and 1602 39 808 (Second Modification Package). In both rounds, the EU notified its intention to modify its tariff concessions under Article XXVIII of the GATT 1994. It subsequently entered into negotiations with Brazil and Thailand, which it considered to have the required legal interest to enter into these negotiations. The EU reached agreements with Brazil and Thailand and replaced its previous tariff concessions in respect of the tariff rate quotas (TRQs) for certain poultry products.
Eli Lilly and Company v. The Government of Canada, Case No. UNCT/14/2
Authors: Clamens Veronica
Published: October 2017

On 16 March 2017, an International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) tribunal chaired by Professor Albert Jan van den Berg, with co-arbitrators Gary Born (Claimant's appointee) and Sir Daniel Bethlehem (Respondent's appointee), issued its award in Eli Lilly and Company v. The Government of Canada (Award). The Award dismissed all of Eli Lilly's claims and ordered it to pay the arbitration costs and 75% of Canada's legal costs and expenses.
From Soldiers to Students: The Tests of General Educational Development (GED) as Diplomatic Measurement
Authors: Hutt Ethan L. , Stevens Mitchell L.
Published: October 2017

The GI Bill's college-attendance provisions posed an evaluation problem. How would returning veterans, most of whom were without high school diplomas, be judged fit for college? Drawing from a variety of primary source material from the years surrounding the close of World War II, we show how leaders in government, the military, and academia cooperated to produce a measure of college fitness that would deem virtually all veterans fit for college entry. We use this historical moment to develop a novel theoretical insight. Measurement is diplomatic when it facilitates transactions across institutional distinctions while recognizing and honoring those distinctions. This insight has broad utility for students of American political development.
Immigration, Occupation, and Inequality in Emergent Nineteenth-Century New England Cities
Authors: Leonard Susan Hautaniemi , Robinson Christopher , Anderton Douglas L.
Published: October 2017

This article explores the social interactions of immigration, occupation, and wealth in two urban industrial cities of nineteenth-century New England that were largely built upon, and shaped by, immigration: the very rapidly growing factory town of Holyoke, Massachusetts, and a more mixed-market and steadily growing nearby community of Northampton, Massachusetts. Both communities were emergent, rapidly industrializing, inland cities, providing a quite distinct immigration context than large established cities of the East Coast. Both were destinations for the same general ethnic immigration waves over the late nineteenth century, but with very different, and differently impacted, social spaces into which immigrants arrived. Contrasting and considering both these emergent cities allows us to ascertain the extent to which the occupational distribution and accumulation of wealth by immigrant groups supports the broad pattern of nineteenth-century assimilation, and reveals ways in which other migration processes may have been at odds, or intertwined, with the long-term historical assimilation of immigrants in such communities. Our findings support a traditional assimilationist perspective in emergent urban-industrial centers. However, they also reveal the role of universal immiseration in an industrial city dual-labor market in facilitating or forcing assimilation, the temporal advantages for ethnic groups of arriving early in growing settlements, and the more individualistic nature of economic enclaves in gaining advantages over time that did not manifest across broad immigrant or occupational groups.
Michael Katz's Contribution to Social and Social Welfare History
Authors: Stern Mark J.
Published: October 2017

Michael Katz began work on social welfare during the late 1970s with a project entitled “The Casualties of Industrialization.” That project led to a series of essays, Poverty and Policy in American History (Katz 1983), and a few years later to In the Shadow of the Poorhouse (Katz 1986). His reading in twentieth-century literature for Shadow—and the ideological and policy nostrums of the Reagan administration—allowed Katz to pivot to two books that frame contemporary welfare debates in their historical context—The Undeserving Poor in 1989 and The Price of Citizenship in 2001, as well as a set of essays Improving Poor People (Katz 1995) that he published between the two.
White House Will Nominate AccuWeather’s Barry Myers to Lead NOAA
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2017

While some observers say Myers is a good fit, critics express concern about his lack of a science background and potential conflicts of interest.
Bidirectional wavelength-division multiplexing transmission over installed fibre using a simplified optical coherent access transceiver
Authors: Erkılınç M. S. , Lavery D. , Shi K. , Thomsen B. C. , Killey R. I. , Savory S. J. , Bayvel P.
Published: October 2017

High-speed broadband services require optical fibres in access networks, in which multiple subscribers are connected to service providers, to satisfy the continuously growing bandwidth demand. The primitive signaling scheme used in access networks enables the use of low-cost equipment but diminishes the bandwidth available to end-users. Thus, current technology will be unable to support future broadband demands. Coherent communication systems offer significantly improved power- and bandwidth-efficiency, but require fundamental simplifications to become economically viable for access networks. Here, we demonstrate a promising simplified coherent receiver exhibiting a robust performance against polarisation fluctuations over an installed fibre network. It enables the realisation of high-order modulation formats and offers high sensitivities, achieving a four-fold increase in the supported number of subscribers and approximately doubling the transmission distance compared to the recently standardized access technology. The proposed solution indicates that digital coherent technology can be feasible and transform the access networks, enabling ubiquitous new services and applications with uncontended, multi-gigabits/user broadband connections.
Coralgal reef morphology records punctuated sea-level rise during the last deglaciation
Authors: Khanna Pankaj , Droxler André W. , Nittrouer Jeffrey A. , Tunnell Jr John W. , Shirley Thomas C.
Published: October 2017

Coralgal reefs preserve the signatures of sea-level fluctuations over Earth’s history, in particular since the Last Glacial Maximum 20,000 years ago, and are used in this study to indicate that punctuated sea-level rise events are more common than previously observed during the last deglaciation. Recognizing the nature of past sea-level rises (i.e., gradual or stepwise) during deglaciation is critical for informing models that predict future vertical behavior of global oceans. Here we present high-resolution bathymetric and seismic sonar data sets of 10 morphologically similar drowned reefs that grew during the last deglaciation and spread 120 km apart along the south Texas shelf edge. Herein, six commonly observed terrace levels are interpreted to be generated by several punctuated sea-level rise events forcing the reefs to shrink and backstep through time. These systematic and common terraces are interpreted to record punctuated sea-level rise events over timescales of decades to centuries during the last deglaciation, previously recognized only during the late Holocene.
Evidence for a task-dependent switch in subthalamo-nigral basal ganglia signaling
Authors: Jantz Jay J. , Watanabe Masayuki , Levy Ron , Munoz Douglas P.
Published: October 2017

Basal ganglia (BG) can either facilitate or inhibit movement through excitatory and inhibitory pathways; however whether these opposing signals are dynamically regulated during healthy behavior is not known. Here, we present compelling neurophysiological evidence from three complimentary experiments in non-human primates, indicating task-specific changes in tonic BG pathway weightings during saccade behavior with different cognitive demands. First, simultaneous local field potential recording in the subthalamic nucleus (STN; BG input) and substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr; BG output) reveals task-dependent shifts in subthalamo-nigral signals. Second, unilateral electrical stimulation of the STN, SNr, and caudate nucleus results in strikingly different saccade directionality and latency biases across the BG. Third, a simple artificial neural network representing canonical BG signaling pathways suggests that pathway weightings can be altered by cortico-BG input activation. Overall, inhibitory pathways (striato-pallidal-subthalamo-nigral) dominate during goal-driven behavior with instructed rewards, while facilitatory pathways (striato-nigral and subthalamo-pallidal-nigral) dominate during unconstrained (free reward) conditions.
Genome-wide prediction of DNase I hypersensitivity using gene expression
Authors: Zhou Weiqiang , Sherwood Ben , Ji Zhicheng , Xue Yingchao , Du Fang , Bai Jiawei , Ying Mingyao , Ji Hongkai
Published: October 2017

We evaluate the feasibility of using a biological sample’s transcriptome to predict its genome-wide regulatory element activities measured by DNase I hypersensitivity (DH). We develop BIRD, Big Data Regression for predicting DH, to handle this high-dimensional problem. Applying BIRD to the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) data, we found that to a large extent gene expression predicts DH, and information useful for prediction is contained in the whole transcriptome rather than limited to a regulatory element’s neighboring genes. We show applications of BIRD-predicted DH in predicting transcription factor-binding sites (TFBSs), turning publicly available gene expression samples in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) into a regulome database, predicting differential regulatory element activities, and facilitating regulome data analyses by serving as pseudo-replicates. Besides improving our understanding of the regulome–transcriptome relationship, this study suggests that transcriptome-based prediction can provide a useful new approach for regulome mapping.
The transcriptional regulator NtrC controls glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase expression and polyhydroxybutyrate synthesis through NADPH availability in Herbaspirillum seropedicae
Authors: Sacomboio Euclides Nenga Manuel , Kim Edson Yu Sin , Ruchaud Correa Henrique Leonardo , Bonato Paloma , de Oliveira Pedrosa Fabio , de Souza Emanuel Maltempi , Chubatsu Leda Satie , Müller-Santos Marcelo
Published: October 2017

The NTR system is the major regulator of nitrogen metabolism in Bacteria. Despite its broad and well-known role in the assimilation, biosynthesis and recycling of nitrogenous molecules, little is known about its role in carbon metabolism. In this work, we present a new facet of the NTR system in the control of NADPH concentration and the biosynthesis of molecules dependent on reduced coenzyme in Herbaspirillum seropedicae SmR1. We demonstrated that a ntrC mutant strain accumulated high levels of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), reaching levels up to 2-fold higher than the parental strain. In the absence of NtrC, the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (encoded by zwf) increased by 2.8-fold, consequently leading to a 2.1-fold increase in the NADPH/NADP+ ratio. A GFP fusion showed that expression of zwf is likewise controlled by NtrC. The increase in NADPH availability stimulated the production of polyhydroxybutyrate regardless the C/N ratio in the medium. The mutant ntrC was more resistant to H2O2 exposure and controlled the propagation of ROS when facing the oxidative condition, a phenotype associated with the increase in PHB content.
Lasing with cell-endogenous fluorophores: parameters and conditions
Authors: Yong Derrick , Ding Ding
Published: October 2017

The notion of lasing with biologics has recently been realized and has rapidly developed with the collective objective of creating lasers in vivo. One major limitation of achieving this is the requirement of exogenous dyes and fluorescent materials. We thus investigate for the first time the possibility of lasing unlabelled cells, using just cell-endogenous fluorophores - the source of cell autofluorescence. In this work, we theoretically studied the lasing potential and efficiency of flavins and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) (NAD(P)H) using a dye lasing model based on coupled rate equations. Analytical solutions for one- and two-photon pumped system were used in multi-parameter studies. We found that at physiological conditions, the more abundant NAD(P)H can be lased with a cavity quality factor of 105. We then recommended the tuning of intersystem crossing to make the lasing of flavins feasible even at their low physiological concentrations. Under conditions of reduced intersystem crossing, we concluded that it is more practical to lase unlabelled cells using flavins, because lasing thresholds and cavity quality factors were both at least an order lower. We also note the higher threshold requirements and lower efficiencies of two-photon pumping, but recognize its potential for realizing lasing in vivo.
The exact phase diagram for a class of open multispecies asymmetric exclusion processes
Authors: Ayyer Arvind , Roy Dipankar
Published: October 2017

The asymmetric exclusion process is an idealised stochastic model of transport, whose exact solution has given important insight into a general theory of nonequilibrium statistical physics. In this work, we consider a totally asymmetric exclusion process with multiple species of particles on a one-dimensional lattice in contact with reservoirs. We derive the exact nonequilibrium phase diagram for the system in the long time limit. We find two new phenomena in certain regions of the phase diagram: dynamical expulsion when the density of a species becomes zero throughout the system, and dynamical localisation when the density of a species is nonzero only within an interval far from the boundaries. We give a complete explanation of the macroscopic features of the phase diagram using what we call nested fat shocks.