bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Macrophage-specific MHCII expression is regulated by a remote Ciita enhancer controlled by NFAT5
Authors: Buxadé Maria , Huerga Encabo Hector , Riera-Borrull Marta , Quintana-Gallardo Lucía , López-Cotarelo Pilar , Tellechea Mónica , Martínez-Martínez Sara , Redondo Juan Miguel , Martín-Caballero Juan , Flores Juana María , Bosch Elena , Rodríguez-Fernández José Luis , Aramburu Jose , López-Rodríguez Cristina
Published: October 2018

MHCII in antigen-presenting cells (APCs) is a key regulator of adaptive immune responses. Expression of MHCII genes is controlled by the transcription coactivator CIITA, itself regulated through cell type–specific promoters. Here we show that the transcription factor NFAT5 is needed for expression of Ciita and MHCII in macrophages, but not in dendritic cells and other APCs. NFAT5-deficient macrophages showed defective activation of MHCII-dependent responses in CD4+ T lymphocytes and attenuated capacity to elicit graft rejection in vivo. Ultrasequencing analysis of NFAT5-immunoprecipitated chromatin uncovered an NFAT5-regulated region distally upstream of Ciita. This region was required for CIITA and hence MHCII expression, exhibited NFAT5-dependent characteristics of active enhancers such as H3K27 acetylation marks, and required NFAT5 to interact with Ciita myeloid promoter I. Our results uncover an NFAT5-regulated mechanism that maintains CIITA and MHCII expression in macrophages and thus modulates their T lymphocyte priming capacity.
Nebulin no longer nebulous
Authors: Sedwick Caitlin
Published: October 2018

JGP study probes how nebulin affects muscle function.
A career in science policy and diplomacy: from Banana Slug to diplomat
Authors: Rao Jason E.
Published: October 2018

There are 535 members of Congress, and only two of them are trained research scientists. Yet the greatest threats the United States and the world face today require science to solve them. Climate change, infectious disease, food and water security, loss of biodiversity, environmental degradation, energy shortages, terrorism, social inequality, the list goes on. What you may not realize is that science and scientific evidence is not necessarily informing the policies and programs that combat these threats. In this Perspective, I take you through my own professional path, from graduate student to senior policy advisor in former President Barack Obama’s Office of Science and Technology Policy. I attempt to illustrate that scientific training can (and should) be applied to a diversity of careers, including my own in science policy, and international diplomacy.
How to get and keep your lab funded
Authors: Chernoff Jonathan
Published: October 2018

Much has been written about the seemingly capricious manner by which grant proposals are ranked and awarded by the National Institutes of Health and similar agencies, yet some scientists are able to maintain stable funding over long periods of time. While raw luck may certainly play a role in this process, particularly when paylines are tight, it is also possible that skill—in the art of grant writing at least—could represent a decisive factor. Here, I submit that, even as we attempt to reform and one day perfect the grant review process, there are actions that applicants can take today to get better results from the system we have.
A natural upper bound to the accuracy of predicting protein stability changes upon mutations
Authors: Montanucci Ludovica , Martelli Pier Luigi , Ben-Tal Nir , Fariselli Piero
Published: October 2018

Motivation

Accurate prediction of protein stability changes upon single-site variations (ΔΔG) is important for protein design, as well as for our understanding of the mechanisms of genetic diseases. The performance of high-throughput computational methods to this end is evaluated mostly based on the Pearson correlation coefficient between predicted and observed data, assuming that the upper bound would be 1 (perfect correlation). However, the performance of these predictors can be limited by the distribution and noise of the experimental data. Here we estimate, for the first time, a theoretical upper-bound to the ΔΔG prediction performances imposed by the intrinsic structure of currently available ΔΔG data.

Results

Given a set of measured ΔΔG protein variations, the theoretically “best predictor” is estimated based on its similarity to another set of experimentally determined ΔΔG values. We investigate the correlation between pairs of measured ΔΔG variations, where one is used as a predictor for the other. We analytically derive an upper bound to the Pearson correlation as a function of the noise and distribution of the ΔΔG data. We also evaluate the available datasets to highlight the effect of the noise in conjunction with ΔΔG distribution. We conclude that the upper bound is a function of both uncertainty and spread of the ΔΔG values, and that with current data the best performance should be between 0.7 and 0.8, depending on the dataset used; higher Pearson correlations might be indicative of overtraining. It also follows that comparisons of predictors using different datasets are inherently misleading.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Mental health and parenting stress in mothers of children with diabetes treated in a patient-centred medical home
Authors: Cohen L Adelyn , Limbers Christine A
Published: October 2018

Background

Mothers of children with diabetes are at-risk for experiencing parenting stress and diminished mental/emotional health. To the best of our knowledge, no studies to date have examined whether there are differences in these outcomes between mothers whose diabetic child is managed in a patient-centred medical home or not.

Objective

The objective of the present study was to assess whether there were differences in mental health and parenting stress among mothers whose diabetic child was managed in a patient-centred medical home or not.

Methods

Two hundred fifty-three mothers of children with diabetes (mean age = 12.50 years; SD = 3.90) from the 2011–2012 National Survey of Children’s Health were included in this study. Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to determine the amount of variance that having a patient-centred medical home contributed to maternal emotional/mental health and parenting stress.

Results

After controlling for child sex, age, race/ethnicity and family poverty level, patient-centred medical home status was associated with better mental health for mothers and less parenting stress. Effective care coordination was the only subcomponent of the patient-centred medical home that significantly contributed to the variance in mother’s mental/emotional health and parenting stress.

Conclusions

Receiving care in a patient-centred medical home, particularly the care coordination component, may mitigate some of the negative maternal effects of managing a child’s diabetes.
Pointwise-in-time error estimates for an optimal control problem with subdiffusion constraint
Authors: Jin Bangti , Li Buyang , Zhou Zhi
Published: October 2018

In this work we present numerical analysis for a distributed optimal control problem, with box constraint on the control, governed by a subdiffusion equation that involves a fractional derivative of order $\alpha \in (0,1)$ in time. The fully discrete scheme is obtained by applying the conforming linear Galerkin finite element method in space, L1 scheme/backward Euler convolution quadrature in time, and the control variable by a variational-type discretization. With a space mesh size $h$ and time stepsize $\tau $ we establish the following order of convergence for the numerical solutions of the optimal control problem: $O(\tau ^{\min ({1}/{2}+\alpha -\epsilon ,1)}+h^2)$ in the discrete $L^2(0,T;L^2(\varOmega ))$ norm and $O(\tau ^{\alpha -\epsilon }+\ell _h^2h^2)$ in the discrete $L^{\infty }(0,T;L^2(\varOmega ))$ norm, with any small $\epsilon>0$ and $\ell _h=\ln (2+1/h)$. The analysis relies essentially on the maximal $L^p$-regularity and its discrete analogue for the subdiffusion problem. Numerical experiments are provided to support the theoretical results.
An observation-based perspective of winter haze days in four major polluted regions of China
Authors: Mao Lu , Liu Run , Liao Wenhui , Wang Xuemei , Shao Min , Liu Shaw Chen , Zhang Yuanhang
Published: October 2018

An observation-based approach is used to examine key characteristics of winter haze days in four major polluted regions in China. Major findings in this study are: first, there was no significant trend in the number of winter haze days in most provinces and districts in eastern China from 1973 to 2012, contrary to the 2.5-fold increase in the emissions of particulate matter and its precursors (PM emissions) in the same period of time. Second, meteorological and climate conditions rather than PM emissions are in control of the interannual variabilities and trends of winter haze days. These interannual variabilities (ranging from 24 to 125%) pose a substantial masking effect that must be overcome by any control of PM emissions before its impact becomes statistically detectable. Finally, we find that global warming may have contributed significantly to the trend of winter haze days in eastern China.
Effectiveness of Village Health Worker–Delivered Smoking Cessation Counseling in Vietnam
Authors: Jiang Nan , Siman Nina , Cleland Charles M , Van Devanter Nancy , Nguyen Trang , Nguyen Nam , Shelley Donna
Published: October 2018

Introduction

Smoking prevalence is high in Vietnam, yet tobacco dependence treatment (TDT) is not widely available.

Methods

We conducted a quasiexperimental study that compared the effectiveness of health care provider advice and assistance (ARM 1) versus ARM 1 plus village health worker (VHW) counseling (ARM 2) on abstinence at 6-month follow-up. This study was embedded in a larger two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in 26 community health centers (CHCs) in Vietnam. Subjects (N = 1318) were adult patients who visited any participating CHC during the parent randomized controlled trial intervention period and were self-identified as current tobacco users (cigarettes and/or water pipe).

Results

At 6-month follow-up, abstinences rates in ARM 2 were significantly higher than those in ARM 1 (25.7% vs. 10.5%; p < .001). In multivariate analyses, smokers in ARM 2 were almost three times more likely to quit compared with those in ARM 1 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.78% to 4.92%). Compared to cigarette-only smokers, water pipe–only smokers (AOR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.26% to 0.62%) and dual users (AOR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.45% to 0.86%) were less likely to achieve abstinence; however, the addition of VHW counseling (ARM 2) was associated with higher quit rates compared with ARM 1 alone for all smoker types.

Conclusion

A team approach in TDT programs that offer a referral system for health care providers to refer smokers to VHW-led cessation counseling is a promising and potentially scalable model for increasing access to evidence-based TDT and increasing quit rates in low middle-income countries (LMICs). TDT programs may need to adapt interventions to improve outcomes for water pipe users.

Implications

The study fills literature gaps on effective models for TDT in LMICs. The addition of VHW-led cessation counseling, available through a referral from primary care providers in CHCs in Vietnam, to health care provider’s brief cessation advice, increased 6-month biochemically validated abstinence rates compared to provider advice alone. The study also demonstrated the potential effectiveness of VHW counseling on reducing water pipe use. For LMICs, TDT programs in primary care settings with a referral system to VHW-led cessation counseling might be a promising and potentially scalable model for increasing access to evidence-based treatment.
Sums of Kloosterman sums in the prime geodesic theorem
Authors: Balkanova Olga , Frolenkov Dmitry
Published: October 2018

We develop a new method for studying sums of Kloosterman sums related to the spectral exponential sum. As a corollary, we obtain a new proof of the estimate of Soundararajan and Young for the error term in the prime geodesic theorem.
CE: Original Research: Patient Handling and Mobility Course Content: A National Survey of Nursing Programs
Authors: Powell-Cope Gail , Rugs Deborah , Ialynytchev Anna , Devine Debbie , McCoskey Kelsey , Zhang Yuan , Deter Lena
Published: October 2018

Purpose: Despite the evidence supporting safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) practices, anecdotal evidence suggests that such practices are not universally taught in academic nursing programs. The primary goal of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to understand what nursing programs teach students about lifting, turning, transferring, repositioning, and mobilizing patients.

Methods: Faculty from baccalaureate and associate's degree nursing programs in the United States were invited via e-mail to complete a 64-item survey questionnaire, which was accessible through an online link. Participants were also invited to send documents related to SPHM course content to the research team.

Results: Faculty from 228 baccalaureate and associate's degree nursing programs completed the questionnaire. Most curricula included outdated manual techniques, taught reliance on body mechanics to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries, and made use of nonergonomic aids such as draw sheets. Elements of SPHM in the curricula were less common, and nearly half of the respondents didn't know whether their affiliated clinical facilities had an SPHM program.

Conclusions: The survey results suggest many possibilities for improvement—such as partnering with faculty in physical and occupational therapy departments, clinical partnering, and working with equipment vendors—to better incorporate evidence-based SPHM principles and practices into nursing curricula.
CE: How to Predict Pediatric Pressure Injury Risk with the Braden QD Scale
Authors: Chamblee Tracy B. , Pasek Tracy A. , Caillouette Catherine N. , Stellar Judith J. , Quigley Sandy M. , Curley Martha A. Q.
Published: October 2018

The Braden QD Scale is a conceptually based, pediatric-specific, risk assessment instrument that reliably predicts both immobility-related and medical device–related pressure injuries in the pediatric acute care environment. A revision and simplification of the commonly used Braden Q Scale, the Braden QD Scale can be used to assess risk among the wide range of infants, children, and adolescents commonly treated in acute care environments. As part of a comprehensive program to prevent hospital-acquired pressure injuries, the Braden QD Scale promotes patient safety, quality of care and care monitoring, and effective resource use in pediatric hospitalized patients. The authors provide guidance on using the Braden QD Scale to assess pediatric patients and score their risk of pressure-related injury in numerous scenarios frequently encountered in acute care practice.
NICU Discharge Feeding Bundle Improves Accuracy of Postdischarge Feeding Preparation and Potentially Prevents Readmission
Authors: Vollrath Kimberly , Rosenberg Adam , Gabrielski Lisbeth , Deacon Jane , Marshall Susan , Rihn Andrew , Grover Theresa
Published: October 2018

Background:

Hospitalized infants often need fortified human milk and formulas for growth in the neonatal intensive care unit and postdischarge. Parents must learn how to properly mix infant feedings.

At the initial Children's Hospital Colorado follow-up visit, baseline data revealed a 50% rate of mixing inaccuracy of discharge feeding recipes and identified the readmission of 2 infants with life-threatening hypernatremia. A gap in discharge teaching was identified. A quality improvement project was implemented at 2 affiliated neonatal intensive care units.

Purpose/Aim:

The aim of this study was to improve parental comfort and efficacy in infant feeding preparation during hospitalization, reduce mixing inaccuracy postdischarge, and prevent readmission. The primary aim was to improve the accuracy rate at follow-up to 75% within 12 months and the sustain mixing accuracy rate at follow-up to above 95% for an additional 24 months.

Methods/Interventions:

A literature review was conducted; potential barriers were identified and strategies developed to recognize the relationships between the aim and the changes to be tested. Implementation of standardized teaching focused on the teach-back technique. Education included mixing demonstration and written instructions. Parents were expected to correctly mix the recipe 3 times before discharge.

Results:

Mixing accuracy at the initial clinic follow-up visit improved to 97%. No readmissions were reported from inaccurately prepared feedings.

Implications for Practice:

Collaborative quality improvement project with standardized teaching provided improved feeding safety and parental comfort with accuracy of discharge instructions. Primary care providers need to be aware of the importance of accurate formula or fortified human milk preparation and verify accuracy of the specific discharge recipes at the initial visit.
An Evaluation of the IOLMaster 700
Authors: Bullimore Mark A. , Slade Stephen , Yoo Paul , Otani Todd
Published: October 2018

Objectives:

To evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility of the Carl Zeiss Meditec IOLMaster 700, which uses swept-source optical coherence tomography technology, along with its agreement with the IOLMaster 500 and Lenstar LS 900.

Methods:

In a clinical practice, complete measurements were taken on one eye of 100 subjects: 51 with cataracts and 49 with clear lenses. Three sets of measurements were taken by 3 operators with three different IOLMaster 700 units, and one operator took 3 measurements with the IOLMaster 500 and the Lenstar. A random-effects model of analysis of variance was used to estimate the repeatability and reproducibility. The 95% limits of agreement (95% LoA) were calculated for all comparisons.

Results:

Comparing the IOLMaster 700 and IOLMaster 500 in cataract patients, 95% LoA were −0.01 to +0.06 mm for axial length, −0.44 to +0.27 D for corneal power, and −0.18 to +0.17 mm for anterior chamber depth. Comparing the IOLMaster 700 and Lenstar for corneal thickness and lens thickness yielded 95% LoA of −4 to +13 μm and −0.26 to +0.41 mm, respectively. The repeatability and reproducibility limits for the IOLMaster 700 were ±0.014 and ±0.023 mm for axial length; ±0.26 and ±0.27 D for corneal power; ±7 and ±11 μm for corneal thickness; ±0.02 and ±0.02 mm for anterior chamber depth; and ±0.02 and ±0.05 mm for lens thickness, respectively.

Conclusions:

There was good agreement between the IOLMaster 700 and comparator instruments and superior or equivalent precision. Some differences were noted, but not considered clinically meaningful.
Stenciling-Based “Prick and Print” Technique for Harvesting Shaped Corneal Grafts for Management of Peripheral Corneal Perforations
Authors: Parmar Gautam Singh , Ghodke Bhushan , Bose Sunandini , Meena Ashok Kumar
Published: October 2018

Purpose:

To evaluate a new surgical technique (“prick and print”) for harvesting shaped donor corneal grafts in cases with perforated peripheral ulcerative keratitis (PUK).

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective case series at a tertiary center. Medical records of 13 patients with perforated PUK, who underwent tectonic eccentric keratoplasty using the stenciling-based prick and print technique during the past 1 year, were reviewed. All patients (15 eyes of 13 patients) received grafts of varying sizes and shapes (14 crescentic and 1 biconvex). Factors evaluated were tectonic integrity, graft apposition, and complications, if any. Surgical success was defined as maintenance of corneal integrity and healing of PUK.

Results:

Mean age of patients was 40.6 ± 19.4 years. Mean follow-up was 10 months. We achieved surgical success in 80% (12/15 eyes) of cases. Two eyes had graft infection, and regrafting (large circular graft) was performed for both. One eye developed new-site PUK, which was managed medically, and the graft remained viable tectonically. After surgery, 9 eyes achieved a best-corrected visual acuity of logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution +0.3 or better. No cases had graft rejection or peripheral anterior synechiae by final follow-up.

Conclusions:

The stenciling-based prick and print technique for making shaped donor corneal grafts may offer a simple, easy-to-learn surgical technique that can be used to make any shape or pattern of donor corneal grafts without involving the optical center, even in extensive peripheral corneal lesions.
Streptococcal Infections and Exacerbations in PANDAS
Authors: Nielsen Marie Ødum , Köhler-Forsberg Ole , Hjorthøj Carsten , Benros ME , Nordentoft Merete , Orlovska-Waast Sonja
Published: October 2018

Background:

The pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infection (PANDAS) hypothesis suggests an association between group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) infections and subsequent onset or exacerbation of neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder or tic disorders.

Methods:

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis including longitudinal, prospective studies on exacerbations of neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with GABHS infections in children with PANDAS. We searched PubMed and EMBASE through August 14, 2017. Two independent reviewers extracted data and we used random-effects analysis to calculate rate ratios (RR).

Results:

Three studies were included with a total of 82 PANDAS cases and 127 control children with obsessive-compulsive disorder or chronic tic disorder. PANDAS cases had a nonsignificantly increased RR of 2.33 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.63–8.70, P = 0.21, I
2 = 28.3%] for exacerbations of neuropsychiatric symptoms in temporal proximity to a GABHS infection and no increased risk of GABHS infections (RR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.56–1.73, P = 0.97, I
2 = 45%) compared with the control children. However, PANDAS cases had an increased risk of neuropsychiatric exacerbations in general with a RR of 1.54 (95% CI: 1.12–2.11, P = 0.008, I
2 = 0%) compared with the control children. The studies had methodologic heterogeneity, high risk of selection bias and differed concerning case definition and infection measures.

Conclusions:

Our findings did not show significant evidence concerning higher rates of temporally associated GABHS infections and exacerbations of neuropsychiatric symptoms in children with PANDAS. The included studies were small and limited by low GABHS rates and exacerbations. Future studies with large population sizes and routine evaluations are needed to thoroughly examine the PANDAS hypothesis.
Hemoadsorption does not Have Influence on Hemolysis During Cardiopulmonary Bypass
Authors: Bernardi Martin H. , Rinoesl Harald , Ristl Robin , Weber Ulrike , Wiedemann Dominik , Hiesmayr Michael J.
Published: October 2018

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) induces hemolysis, which manifests as plasma free hemoglobin. We investigated in a post hoc analysis of a single-center, blinded, controlled study whether the use of a novel hemoadsorption device (CytoSorb, CytoSorbents Europe GmbH, Berlin, Germany) affects hemolysis during CPB. A total of 35 patients undergoing elective CPB surgery with an expected CPB duration of more than 120 min were included in the analysis. The hemoadsorption device was used in 17 patients (intervention group) and not used in 18 patients (control group). The primary outcome was differences of postoperative free hemoglobin and haptoglobin levels. As secondary outcomes, we investigated differences in postoperative lactate dehydrogenase and bilirubin levels. Postoperative free hemoglobin levels were not significantly different between the groups. However, there were statistically significant differences between the treatment and control groups in the median levels of haptoglobin (58.4 vs. 17.9 mg/dL, respectively; P < 0.01) and lactate dehydrogenase (353.0 vs. 432.0 U/L, respectively; P < 0.05) on postoperative day 1. Thus, in this study, we did not find an effect on hemolysis in patients treated with hemoadsorption, though lower haptoglobin level and higher secondary hemolysis markers on postoperative day 1 in patients not treated with the hemoadsorber may be an indication of some moderate effect of the device. Studies with larger samples are needed to clarify the significance of the small differences detected in this study.
PROspective Evaluation of Chronic Pancreatitis for EpidEmiologic and Translational StuDies
Authors: Yadav Dhiraj , Park Walter G. , Fogel Evan L. , Li Liang , Chari Suresh T. , Feng Ziding , Fisher William E. , Forsmark Christopher E. , Jeon Christie Y. , Habtezion Aida , Hart Phil A. , Hughes Steven J. , Othman Mohamed O. , Rinaudo Jo Ann S. , Pandol Stephen J. , Tirkes Temel , Serrano Jose , Srivastava Sudhir , Van Den Eeden Stephen K. , Whitcomb David C. , Topazian Mark , Conwell Darwin L.
Published: October 2018

Prospective Evaluation of Chronic Pancreatitis for Epidemiologic and Translational Studies (PROCEED) is the first prospective, observational cohort study of chronic pancreatitis (CP) in the United States. The primary goals of PROCEED are to define disease progression, test the predictive capability of candidate biomarkers, and develop a platform to conduct translational and mechanistic studies in CP. Using objective and consensus-driven criteria, PROCEED will enroll adults at different stages of CP—controls, suspected CP, and definite CP. In addition to collecting detailed information using structured case report forms and protocol-mandated evaluations at baseline and during follow-up, PROCEED will establish a linked biorepository of blood, urine, saliva, stool, pancreatic fluid, and pancreatic tissue. Enrollment for PROCEED began in June 2017. As of July 1, 2018, nine clinical centers of the Consortium for the Study of Chronic Pancreatitis, Diabetes, and Pancreatic Cancer are enrolling, and 350 subjects have completed baseline evaluation. In conclusion, PROCEED will provide the most accurate and reliable estimates to date on progression of CP. The established cohort and biorepository will facilitate numerous analyses, leading to new strategies for diagnosis, methods to monitor disease progression, and treatment of CP.
Solid Pseudopapillary Neoplasm of the Pancreas in a Young Pediatric Patient
Authors: Bender Alexandra M. , Thompson Elizabeth D. , Hackam David J. , Cameron John L. , Rhee Daniel S.
Published: October 2018

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPNs) are the most common pediatric pancreatic tumor; however, most data in children are extrapolated from adults. This study describes a young presentation of SPN in a 5-year-old girl and presents a comprehensive systematic review of the literature regarding SPNs in children. A systematic review was performed using PubMed and Embase for all articles in English using predetermined search terms, including “solid pseudopapillary neoplasm” and “pediatric” and historical terms for SPN. A total of 523 pediatric patients were identified in 135 articles. Eighty-three percent of patients were female, and median age was 13.6 years. Abdominal pain was the most frequent presenting symptom (78%), and median tumor size was 8.2 cm. The pancreatic head was involved in 46% of cases. Computed tomographic scan was the most common imaging modality (87%), and 61% were diagnosed by fine needle aspiration. Surgical resection was reported in 507 patients, with a complication rate of 21.1% reported in 393 patients. Only 3.8% received adjuvant therapy, and 6.7% had recurrent disease. Solid pseudopapillary neoplasms of the pancreas are rare tumors in childhood. Male sex and pancreatic head involvement are seen more often in children than in adults. Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment with excellent results.
Use of Chlorhexidine to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in a Long-term Care Setting
Authors: McCue Margaret K. , Palmer Glen A.
Published: October 2018

Background:

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of the oral decontamination solution chlorhexidine (CHX) to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in a long-term ventilator care setting over time. Most of the research in this area has been conducted in acute and intensive care settings.

Methods:

This study was a retrospective medical record review conducted in a long-term care facility with a dedicated ventilator unit. Veterans records (N = 12) were accessed for this study. The study covered 50 months, with a 43-month time period during which CHX was administered.

Results:

While the sample size was small, many of the veterans on ventilators used CHX for years without an incident of VAP.

Conclusions:

These findings support using CHX to significantly reduce the number of days of intravenous antibiotics used to treat VAP with little side effects.
A Case Report of Pediatric Clear Cell Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder Associated With Polyomavirus
Authors: Saleem Atif , Brown Ryanne A. , Higgins John P. T. , Troxell Megan L. , Kunder Christian A. , Pinsky Benjamin A. , Zambrano Eduardo , Kao Chia-Sui
Published: October 2018

Clear cell carcinoma of the bladder is a rare, aggressive malignancy with fewer than 60 reported cases to date, and it has never been described in a pediatric patient. We describe a urinary bladder tumor in an 8-year-old girl, which demonstrated similar features to clear cell carcinoma of the female genital tract with additional strong expression of SV40 large T antigen by immunohistochemistry. The patient had a history of severe infantile Crohn’s disease refractory to medical therapy, necessitating eventual stem cell transplant, complicated by graft-versus-host disease. Subsequent magnetic resonance enterography showed an incidental mass arising from the bladder dome, for which a partial cystectomy was performed. Histologically, the tumor demonstrated high-grade cytologic features with hobnail morphology, organized in various architectures, including solid, papillary, and tubulocystic, with strong and diffuse expression of PAX8, CK7, p53, and SV40 by immunohistochemistry. Additional stains were performed, and SALL4, GATA3, and napsin A were focally positive, whereas ER, WT1, and p63 were all negative. The overall features were consistent with clear cell carcinoma. The patient is currently alive with no evidence of disease at 1-year follow-up, status post–partial cystectomy without adjunct therapy. Clear cell carcinoma of the bladder is a rare malignancy that may occur in pediatric patients and may be associated with polyomavirus.
18F-NaF PET/CT in Prostatic Calculi
Authors: Raynor William Y. , Al-Zaghal Abdullah , Werner Thomas J. , Høilund-Carlsen Poul F. , Alavi Abass
Published: October 2018

Primary prostatic calculi commonly present asymptomatically in men over the age of 50 years. Individual calculi form when the secretory tube is blocked by inflammation, prostatic secretions, or corpora amylacea. Although small prostatic calculi have been described as a component of normal aging, increased prevalence of calculi has been associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis. We are presenting prostatic calcification in a 69-year-old man as incidentally detected on 18F-NaF PET/CT. Although previous publications have reported 18F-NaF uptake portraying calcification in soft tissue, these findings demonstrate a new domain in which to assess calcium metabolism using 18F-NaF PET/CT.
Pediatric Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Staged With 18F-FDG PET/CT
Authors: Kong Melissa Cindy , Nadel Helen Ruth
Published: October 2018

A 15-year-old boy with autism and swallowing dysfunction presented with a 6-month history of fatigue, intermittent abdominal pain, and weight loss. He later became febrile and had multiple episodes of coffee ground emesis and melena stools. An upper endoscopy showed an esophageal mass, and a subsequent 18F-FDG PET/CT scan confirmed this finding. PET/CT also revealed metastatic disease in local lymph nodes, thus upstaging the patient and indicating poor prognosis. Consideration of these severe results and the patient’s quality of life helped guide decision making in patient management, with the ultimate decision to pursue palliative care.
Impact on Breastfeeding According to Implant Features in Breast Augmentation
Authors: Bompy Lisa , Gerenton Brice , Cristofari Sarra , Stivala Alessio , Moris Vivien , See Leslie-Ann , Rizzi Philippe , Braye Fabienne , Meningaud Jean-Paul , Zwetyenga Narcisse , Guillier David
Published: October 2018

Background

Exclusive breastfeeding is highly recommended by the World Health Organization during the first 6 months of life. In parallel, breast augmentation with implants is one of the most performed operations in aesthetic surgery.

Objective

The goal of our study was therefore to analyze the potential impact of aesthetic breast implants on breastfeeding.

Study Design

A retrospective study was carried out in 3 French university hospitals. The main inclusion criterion was adult women of childbearing age (18–50 years old) with bilateral breast hypoplasia. Some features of the surgery, such as the operative indication, the surgical approach, the implant position against the pectoral muscle, and implants features (material, volume, profile), were collected. We conducted a survey by phone about childbirth after the procedure. If the women had children after surgery, we asked them if they breastfed and the characteristics of breastfeeding.

Results

In total, 1316 patients received breast implants in the 3 centers from January 2011 to October 2016 and met our inclusion criteria. We included 1073 patients; 998 women had breast implants with no pregnancy. Among the 75 patients (7%) who gave birth after the surgery, 51 wanted to breastfeed (68%). The patients with a retroglandular implant were significantly less able to breastfeed compared with the patients with retromuscular implants (P = 0.0005). No difference was found for age, the type of surgery, the surgical approach, and the shape or type of implant between the successful breastfeeding group and failed breastfeeding group.

Conclusion

A woman with aesthetic breast implants has a 75% chance of breastfeeding if desired, regardless of the type and the volume of the implant and the surgical approach. She has an 82% probability of breastfeeding with retromuscular implants and 17% with retroglandular implants.
Single Low Dose of Human Recombinant Antithrombin (ATryn) has no Impact on Endotoxin-Induced Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation: An Experimental Randomized Open Label Controlled Study
Authors: Duburcq Thibault , Durand Arthur , Tournoys Antoine , Gnemmi Viviane , Bonner Caroline , Gmyr Valery , Hubert Thomas , Pattou François , Jourdain Mercedes
Published: October 2018

Background:

Antithrombin (AT) III physiological levels are decreased during septic shock and supplementation therapy could therefore be beneficial.

Objective:

We hypothesized that the use of recombinant human AT could reduce disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) occurrence.

Methods:

We conducted a randomized open label controlled experimental study. Ten female “Large White” pigs were challenged with i.v. infusion of Escherichia coli endotoxin. Two groups of 5 pigs were randomly assigned to receive either recombinant human AT 100 U/kg over 30 min (ATryn group) or 0.9% saline (control group). AT III levels, coagulation, hemostasis, inflammation parameters, hemodynamics, and microcirculatory parameters were measured over a 5-h period. Immediately after euthanasia, kidneys were withdrawn for histology evaluation. Statistical analysis was performed with nonparametric tests and Dunn's test for multiple comparisons.

Results:

AT III activity was significantly higher in the ATryn group than in the control group from 60% (213% [203–223] vs. 104% [98–115], P = 0.008, respectively) to 300 min (115% [95–124] vs. 79% [67–93], P = 0.03). Recombinant human AT supplementation had no impact on hemodynamics, microcirculatory parameters, and sequential changes of coagulation parameters (platelet count, fibrinogen level, thrombin–AT complexes, and von Willebrand factor). Interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor α values were statistically the same for both groups throughout the study. Percentage of thrombosed glomeruli and percentage of thrombosed capillary in glomerulus were not significantly different between both groups.

Conclusions:

In our model of endotoxic shock, a single low dose of recombinant human AT did not prevent DIC occurrence, severity, inflammatory profile, or hemodynamic alterations.
Spontaneous aggressive ERα+ mammary tumor model is driven by Kras activation
Authors: Campbell Katie M. , O’Leary Kathleen A. , Rugowski Debra E. , Mulligan William A. , Barnell Erica K. , Skidmore Zachary L. , Krysiak Kilannin , Griffith Malachi , Schuler Linda A. , Griffith Obi L.
Published: October 2018

The NRL-PRL murine model, defined by mammary-selective transgenic rat prolactin ligand rPrl expression, establishes spontaneous ER+ mammary tumors, mimicking the association between elevated prolactin (PRL) and risk for development of ER+ breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Whole genome and exome sequencing in a discovery cohort (n=5) of end stage tumors revealed canonical activating mutations and copy number amplifications of Kras. The frequent mutations in this pathway were validated in an extension cohort, identifying activating Ras alterations in 79% (23/29) of tumors. Transcriptome analyses over the course of oncogenesis revealed marked alterations associated with Ras activity in established tumors, compared to preneoplastic tissues, in cell-intrinsic processes associated with mitosis, cell adhesion and invasion, as well as in the tumor microenvironment, including immune activity. These genomic analyses suggest that PRL induces a selective bottleneck for spontaneous Ras-driven tumors which may model a subset of aggressive clinical ER+ breast cancers.
Comparison of single-cell whole-genome amplification strategies
Authors: Estévez-Gómez Nuria , Prieto Tamara , Guillaumet-Adkins Amy , Heyn Holger , Prado-López Sonia , Posada David
Published: October 2018

Single-cell genomics is an alluring area that holds the potential to change the way we understand cell populations. Due to the small amount of DNA within a single cell, whole-genome amplification becomes a mandatory step in many single-cell applications. Unfortunately, single-cell whole-genome amplification (scWGA) strategies suffer from several technical biases that complicate the posterior interpretation of the data. Here we compared the performance of six different scWGA methods (GenomiPhi, REPLIg, TruePrime, Ampli1, MALBAC, and PicoPLEX) after amplifying and low-pass sequencing the complete genome of 230 healthy/tumoral human cells. Overall, REPLIg outperformed competing methods regarding DNA yield, amplicon size, amplification breadth, amplification uniformity –being the only method with a random amplification bias–, and false single-nucleotide variant calls. On the other hand, non-MDA methods, and in particular Ampli1, showed less allelic imbalance and ADO, more reliable copy-number profiles and less chimeric amplicons. While no single scWGA method showed optimal performance for every aspect, they clearly have distinct advantages. Our results provide a convenient guide for selecting a scWGA method depending on the question of interest while revealing relevant weaknesses that should be considered during the analysis and interpretation of single-cell sequencing data.
Extreme resistance toPotato Virus Yin potato carrying theRystogene is mediated by a TIR-NLR immune receptor
Authors: Grech-Baran Marta , Witek Kamil , Szajko Katarzyna , Witek Agnieszka I , Morgiewicz Karolina , Wasilewicz-Flis Iwona , Jakuczun Henryka , Marczewski Waldemar , DG Jones Jonathan , Hennig Jacek
Published: October 2018

Potato virus Y(PVY) is a major potato pathogen that causes annual losses of billions of dollars. Control of its transmission requires extensive use of environmentally damaging insecticides.Rystoconfers extreme resistance (ER) to PVY and is a valuable trait in resistance breeding programs. We isolatedRystousing Resistance gene enrichment sequencing (RenSeq) and PacBio SMRT (Pacific Biosciences Single-Molecule Real Time Sequencing).Rystoencodes a nucleotide binding-leucine rich repeat (NLR) protein with an N-terminal TIR domain, and is sufficient for PVY perception and extreme resistance in transgenic potato plants. We investigated the requirements forRysto-dependent extreme resistance, and showed thatRystofunction is temperature-independent and requires EDS1 and NRG1 proteins. Rystomay prove valuable for creating PVY-resistant cultivars of potato and otherSolanaceaecrops.
STAPLER: a simple tool for creating, managing and parallelizing common high-throughput sequencing workflows
Authors: Tyrmi Jaakko S
Published: October 2018

STAPLER is a command line program intended for creating, managing and parallelizing bioinformatics workflows. Considerable emphasis has been placed on the ease of adoption and use by effortless installation, simple definition of workflows and quick-start tutorials. Custom workflows can be defined in an easy, modular way allowing the user to choose the desired input data, analysis tools and parameters with a simple parameter file. STAPLER then generates shell scripts that execute the workflow on a personal computer or in a supercomputing environment. Log files are generated to ensure that experimental results can be reproduced, and features are provided for validating run success and allowing rerunning parts of workflow if necessary. STAPLER is freely available on the web at https://github.com/tyrmi/STAPLER, implemented in Python 2 and supported on any UNIX or UNIX-like platform.
pH-induced phase transition and crystallization of soft-oxometalates (SOMs) into polyoxometalates (POMs): a study on crystallization from colloids
Authors: Paul Shounik , Sreejith S. S. , Roy Soumyajit
Published: October 2018

In this work, we demonstrate a simple approach for growing 1D (one-dimensional) inorganic chains of K(C6H16N)3Mo8O26·H2O polyoxometalates (POMs) from its colloidal soft-oxometalate (SOM) phase through the variation of pH. The structure is composed mainly of a 1D inorganic chain with a β-Mo8O26
4− binding node linked using K+
via Mo—O—K linkages, which results in a cuboctahedral geometry for the K+ ions. Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface studies reveal the role of triethylammonium cations in restricting the growth of the 1D chain into 2D/3D (two-/three-dimensional) structures. During the nucleation process from the heterogeneous SOM phase, some of the intermolecular interactions in the dispersion phase are retained in the crystal structure, which was evidenced from residual O...O interactions. The crystallization of the species from its colloidal form as a function of pH was studied by the use of Raman spectroscopy and it was found that the increase in volume fraction of the β-Mo8O26
4− species in the crystallizing colloidal mixture with the decrease in pH is responsible for the nucleation. This was monitored by time-dependent DLS (dynamic light scattering) measurement and zeta-potential studies, revealing the co-existence of both the crystal and the colloidal forms at pH 3–2. This brings us to the conclusion that in the crystallization of POMs, the colloidal SOM phase precedes the crystalline POM phase which occurs via a phase transition. This work could open up avenues for the study of POM formation from the stand-point of colloidal chemistry and SOMs.
Crystal structure and Hirshfeld analysis of 2-[bis(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)methyl]benzoic acid
Authors: Sapari Suhaila , Wong Sheryn , Ngatiman Mohammad Fadzlee , Misral Huda , Hasbullah Siti Aishah
Published: October 2018

In the title compound, C26H22N2O2, the dihedral angles between the 1-methylindole units (A and B) and the benzoic acid moiety (C) are A/B = 64.87 (7), A/C = 80.92 (8) and B/C = 75.05 (8)°. An intramolecular C—H...O interaction arising from the methyne group helps to establish the conformation. In the crystal, R
2
2(8) carboxylic acid inversion dimers linked by pairs of O—H...O hydrogen bonds are observed. A Hirshfeld surface analysis shows that the greatest contributions are from H...H, C...H/H...C and O...H/H...O contacts (percentage values = 54.6%, 29.6% and 10.1%, respectively).
Crystal structure of the thalidomide analog (3aR*,7aS*)-2-(2,6-dioxopiperidin-3-yl)hexahydro-1H-isoindole-1,3(2H)-dione
Authors: Hijji Yousef , Benjamin Ellis , Jasinski Jerry P. , Butcher Ray J.
Published: October 2018

The title compound, C13H16N2O4, crystallizes in the monoclinic centrosymmetric space group, P21/c, with four molecules in the asymmetric unit, thus there is no crystallographically imposed symmetry and it is a racemic mixture. The structure consists of a six-membered unsaturated ring bound to a five-membered pyrrolidine-2,5-dione ring N-bound to a six-membered piperidine-2,6-dione ring and thus has the same basic skeleton as thalidomide, except for the six-membered unsaturated ring substituted for the aromatic ring. In the crystal, the molecules are linked into inversion dimers by R
2
2(8) hydrogen bonding involving the N—H group. In addition, there are bifurcated C—H...O interactions involving one of the O atoms on the pyrrolidine-2,5-dione with graph-set notation R
1
2(5). These interactions along with C—H...O interactions involving one of the O atoms on the piperidine-2,6-dione ring link the molecules into a complex three-dimensional array. There is pseudomerohedral twinning present which results from a 180° rotation about the [100] reciprocal lattice direction and with a twin law of 1 0 0 0 \overline{1} 0 0 0 \overline{1} [BASF 0.044 (1)].
Receding horizon control of mobile robots for locating unknown wireless sensor networks
Authors: Chen Dilong , Lu Qiang , Peng Dongliang , Yin Ke , Zhong Chaoliang , Shi Ting
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a receding horizon control approach for the problem of locating unknown wireless sensor networks by using a mobile robot.

Design/methodology/approach

A control framework is used and consists of two levels: one is a decision level, while the other is a control level. In the decision level, a spatiotemporal probability occupancy grid method is used to give the possible positions of all nodes in sensor networks, where the posterior probability distributions of sensor nodes are estimated by capturing the transient signals. In the control level, a virtual robot is designed to move along the edge of obstacles such that the problem of obstacle avoidance can be transformed into a coordination problem of multiple robots. On the basis of the possible positions of sensor nodes and virtual robots, a receding horizon control approach is proposed to control mobile robots to locate sensor nodes, where a temporary target position method is utilized to avoid several special obstacles.

Findings

When the number of obstacles increases, the average localization errors between the actual locations and the estimated locations significantly increase.

Originality/value

The proposed control approach can guide the mobile robot to avoid obstacles and deal with the corresponding dynamical events so as to locate all sensor nodes for an unknown wireless network.