bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of the Effect of River Basin Morphology Change on Threshold Parameters in Cimahi Flood Early Warning System
Authors: Budi Safarina Ariani , Karnisah Iin , Sena Permana Ade
Published: July 2019

Flood early warning systems are used for flood disaster preparedness to reduce disaster risks. The problem is damage of water level sensor due to aggradation which also results in river capacity reduced. The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of river basin morphology change on threshold parameters in flood early warning system. Measured hydraulic parameters are flow depth, flow velocity, and riverbed slope. Land cover was conducted using Cimahi river basin land use map to determine runoff coefficient. Rainfall-runoff model used is the Deconvolution Software program to determine unit hydrographs. Results of this study indicate that morphological changes of watershed significantly influence threshold parameters. A 0.5 m rise in river bed can reduce river capacity by 41.8% and narrowing of 16 m-wide river border dropped river capacity from 730 m3/s to 95.2 m3/s. An increase of 17 % runoff coefficient, increased direct runoff by 17%. Reducing this river capacity makes threshold parameters in flood early warning system invalid causing flood events cannot be detected earlier by the system.
Factors Affecting Post-Disaster Housing Reconstruction on Preconstruction Stage in Pidie Jaya Regency Indonesia
Authors: Malahayati Nurul , Munirwansyah  , Afifuddin Mochammad , Syamsidik
Published: July 2019

Pidie Jaya regency is one of the regencies located in Aceh Province, Indonesia. On 7 December 2016 an earthquake rocked the Pidie Jaya with a magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter scale on coordinates 5.25 ° North and 96.24 ° East latitude with an estimated in-depth of 15 km. The impact of the disaster caused a lot of damage to infrastructure, especially public housing. The Reconstruction of disaster victim housing in Pidie Jaya District uses community-based methods designed with a community organizing strategy. In the early stages of reconstruction many problems arose between the government, the management consultant, and the community beneficiaries resulting in a delay in the construction housing implementation. This period is called preconstruction, where the activities carried out focused on the preparatory activities to rebuild housing of disaster victims. Questionnaire surveys and interviews were given to stakeholders from the government, the management consultants and the community involved in housing reconstruction. Data were analyzed using statistical software. The results of this study have identified that the dominant factors influencing implementation in pre-construction are starting at the moment (1) recruitment of facilitators; (2) program training for the community; (3) formation of community organizations; (4) program socialization and coordination; (5) inventory, verification and validation of damage data; (6) design and funding. The dominant factors in the pre-construction are interrelated with each other because the problems that occur at the beginning of the pre-construction period, result in delays in the implementation of the construction of the houses. Identifying specific factors that create problems that affect the success of the project in this study is the basis for practitioners, stakeholders and the community in managing a post-disaster housing project, so that it can anticipate the occurrence of similar things in the implementation of reconstruction in the future.
Comparing Asian Gypsy Moth [Lymantria dispar asiatica (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) and L. dispar japonica] Trap Data From East Asian Ports With Lab Parameterized Phenology Models: New Tools and Questions
Authors: Trotter R Talbot , Limbu Samita , Hoover Kelli , Nadel Hannah , Keena Melody A
Published: July 2019

Management of the European gypsy moth [Lymantria dispar dispar (Linnaeus)] in North America has benefited from more than a century of research. The East Asian strains of the gypsy moth, however, bring new challenges including multiple subspecies (Lymantria dispar asiatica Vnukovskij and Lymantria dispar japonica Motschulsky), broad distributions across heterogeneous habitats, and a lack of data on the variation in the phenology of source populations, which may affect risk. To address these issues, published phenology parameters for eight populations of Asian gypsy moth were used to develop eight strain-specific agent-based phenological models. These models were applied to 47 ports in East Asia where the Asian gypsy moth is native, and output was compared with available trap data to assess the role of interpopulation variation in phenological parameters in predicting moth flight among varied locations, assess variation in the performance of models among years, and assess the importance of modeling phenology using parameters from a ‘local’ moth population. Variation in phenological parameters among the eight populations yielded variation in predicted flight times among the 47 ports analyzed, and the use of ‘local’ populations did not generally improve model fit. Model accuracy varied substantially among ports and among years within some ports. The larva-to-adult agent-based models described here have utility in estimating flight periods for some ports in their current form, but variation in model quality across the landscape suggests that there is potential for unsampled and unparameterized moth populations and factors that remain to be quantified.
Rapid Diagnosis of Tuberculosis Meningitis by Detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis Cell-Free DNA in Cerebrospinal Fluid
Authors: Li Xuelian , Du Weili , Wang Yuxuan , Liu Zichen , Li Kun , Chen Hongmei , Liu Rongmei , Ma Liping , Zhang Liqun , Dong Yujie , Che Nanying , Gao Mengqiu
Published: July 2019

Objectives

Tuberculosis meningitis (TBM) is one of the most severe forms of tuberculosis. However, TBM diagnosis is quite challenging due to nonspecific clinical presentation and the paucity of the pathogen in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. In this study, we report a new method for detecting cell-free Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA (cf-TB) in CSF and evaluate its clinical value for TBM diagnosis.

Methods

Of 68 patients prospectively recruited, 46 were diagnosed as having TBM and 22 as non-TBM. We compared the cf-TB method with CSF smear microscopy, mycobacterial culture, and the Xpert MTB/RIF assay (Xpert) using the consensus case definition for TBM proposed in 2009 as a reference standard.

Results

The sensitivity of the cf-TB test was 56.5% (26/46) in patients with TBM, and it was significantly higher than other methods: microscopy (2.2%, 1/46; P < .001), mycobacterial culture (13.0%, 6/46; P < .001), and Xpert (23.9%, 11/46; P = .001). For specificity, none of the four methods reported false-positive results in the non-TBM group.

Conclusions

The new method detecting cell-free M tuberculosis DNA in CSF is rapid and accurate for diagnosis of TBM and easily incorporated into regular laboratory tests.
Quantifying human presence in a heterogeneous urban landscape
Authors: Corsini Michela , Marrot Pascal , Szulkin Marta
Published: July 2019

Humans are a keystone species in urban ecosystems. Although the impact of human activities is increasingly reported in behavioral and evolutionary ecology, little is known about the effects of physical human presence per se. Of particular relevance is the extent to which human presence (sometimes referred to as human disturbance), is repeatable across the urban mosaic over time. We quantified human presence at fixed locations—here in a 15-m radius of great tit nestboxes—within six urban and suburban study sites. While overall human presence did not differ between urban sites, it was significantly higher than in the suburban village. Moreover, considerable variance between fixed locations was observed within each site. We reported overall high repeatability of human presence for all sites (0.57 < R < 0.88, mean: 0.76, median: 0.77). We further simulated datasets of human presence made of an increasing number of counts, and demonstrated that 10 counts of human presence (each 30 s long) made at each fixed location can generate a highly reliable indicator of human presence (R ≥ 0.6) for any urban site. We thus confirm that human presence is repeatable across the urban mosaic, thereby offering consistent cues to urban wildlife of human presence or absence in space and time. Importantly, our approach of human presence quantification allows for an effort-efficient approach to understand the effects of physical human presence at designated temporal timeframes, thereby allowing to reliably test the effects of human presence on the behavior and ecology of urban wildlife.
Optimized adaptive enrichment designs for three-arm trials: learning which subpopulations benefit from different treatments
Authors: Steingrimsson Jon Arni , Betz Joshua , Qian Tianchen , Rosenblum Michael
Published: July 2019

We consider the problem of designing a confirmatory randomized trial for comparing two treatments versus a common control in two disjoint subpopulations. The subpopulations could be defined in terms of a biomarker or disease severity measured at baseline. The goal is to determine which treatments benefit which subpopulations. We develop a new class of adaptive enrichment designs tailored to solving this problem. Adaptive enrichment designs involve a preplanned rule for modifying enrollment based on accruing data in an ongoing trial. At the interim analysis after each stage, for each subpopulation, the preplanned rule may decide to stop enrollment or to stop randomizing participants to one or more study arms. The motivation for this adaptive feature is that interim data may indicate that a subpopulation, such as those with lower disease severity at baseline, is unlikely to benefit from a particular treatment while uncertainty remains for the other treatment and/or subpopulation. We optimize these adaptive designs to have the minimum expected sample size under power and Type I error constraints. We compare the performance of the optimized adaptive design versus an optimized nonadaptive (single stage) design. Our approach is demonstrated in simulation studies that mimic features of a completed trial of a medical device for treating heart failure. The optimized adaptive design has $25\%$ smaller expected sample size compared to the optimized nonadaptive design; however, the cost is that the optimized adaptive design has $8\%$ greater maximum sample size. Open-source software that implements the trial design optimization is provided, allowing users to investigate the tradeoffs in using the proposed adaptive versus standard designs.
The evolution of gene duplicates in angiosperms and the impact of protein-protein interactions and the mechanism of duplication
Authors: Defoort Jonas , Van de Peer Yves , Carretero-Paulet Lorenzo
Published: July 2019

Gene duplicates, generated either through whole genome duplication (WGD) or small-scale duplication (SSD), are prominent in angiosperms and are believed to play an important role in adaptation and in generating evolutionary novelty. Previous studies reported contrasting evolutionary and functional dynamics of duplicate genes depending on the mechanism of origin, a behaviour that is hypothesized to stem from constraints to maintain the relative dosage balance between the genes concerned and their interaction context. However, the mechanisms ultimately influencing loss and retention of gene duplicates over evolutionary time are not yet fully elucidated. Here, by using a robust classification of gene duplicates in Arabidopsis thaliana, Solanum lycopersicum and Zea mays, large RNAseq expression compendia and an extensive protein-protein interaction (PPI) network from Arabidopsis, we investigated the impact of PPIs on the differential evolutionary and functional fate of WGD and SSD duplicates. In all three species, retained WGD duplicates show stronger constraints to diverge at the sequence and expression level than SSD ones, a pattern that is also observed for shared PPI partners between Arabidopsis duplicates. PPIs are preferentially distributed among WGD duplicates and specific functional categories. Furthermore, duplicates with PPIs tend to be under stronger constraints to evolve than their counterparts without PPIs regardless of their mechanism of origin. Our results support dosage balance constraint as a specific property of genes involved in biological interactions, including physical PPIs, and suggest that additional factors may be differently influencing the evolution of genes following duplication, depending on the species, time and mechanism of origin.
Dynamic rupture and earthquake sequence simulations using the wave equation in second-order form
Authors: Duru Kenneth , Allison Kali L , Rivet Maxime , Dunham Eric M
Published: July 2019

We present a numerical method for simulating both single-event dynamic ruptures and earthquake sequences with full inertial effects in antiplane shear with rate-and-state fault friction. We use the second-order form of the wave equation, expressed in terms of displacements, discretized with high-order-accurate finite difference operators in space. Advantages of this method over other methods include reduced computational memory usage and reduced spurious high frequency oscillations. Our method handles complex geometries, such as non-planar fault interfaces and free surface topography. Boundary conditions are imposed weakly using penalties. We prove time stability by constructing discrete energy estimates. We present numerical experiments demonstrating the stability and convergence of the method, and showcasing applications of the method, including the transition in rupture style from crack-like ruptures to slip pulses for strongly rate-weakening friction and the simulation of earthquake sequences in a viscoelastic solid with a fully dynamic coseismic phase.
GAG positioning on IL-1RI; A mechanism regulated by dual effect of glycosylation
Authors: Azimzadeh Irani Maryam , Ejtehadi Mohammad Reza
Published: July 2019

IL-1RI is the signaling receptor for the IL-1 family of cytokines that are involved in establishment of the innate and acquired immune systems. Glycosylated extracellular (EC) domain of the IL-1RI binds to agonist such as IL-1β or antagonist ligands and the accessory protein to form the functional signaling complex. Dynamics and ligand binding of the IL-1RI is influenced by presence of the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) of the EC matrix. Here a combination of molecular dockings and molecular dynamics simulations of the unglycosylated, partially N-glycosylated and fully N-glycosylated IL-1RI EC domain in the apo, GAG-bound and IL-1β-bound states were carried out to explain the co-occurring dynamical effect of receptor’s glycosylation and GAGs. It was shown that the IL-1RI adopts two types of “extended” and “locked” conformations in its dynamical pattern, and glycosylation maintains the receptor in the latter form. Maintaining the receptor in the locked conformation disfavors IL-1β binding by burying its two binding site on the IL-1RI EC domain. Glycosylation disfavors GAG binding to the extended IL-1RI EC domain by sterically limiting the GAGs degrees of freedom in targeting its binding site, while it favors GAG binding to the locked IL-1RI by favorable packing interactions.
Infaunal community responses to ancient clam gardens
Authors: Cox Kieran D , Gerwing Travis G , Macdonald Tara , Hessing-Lewis Margot , Millard-Martin Ben , Command Rylan J , Juanes Francis , Dudas Sarah E
Published: July 2019

Aquatic ecosystems have been managed for millennia. Indigenous communities in North America pioneered numerous marine resource management strategies to ensure food security and support thriving economies, which have been active throughout the Northwest Coast of North America for over 14 000 years. Developed to increase shellfish productivity, clam gardens have been active for millennia. The diverse infaunal communities within these ecosystems can act as indicators of habitat alterations and provide an opportunity to study ecological community responses to seascapes shaped by millennia-old resource management structures. To determine how community structure differs between clam gardens and unmodified areas, we assessed infaunal diversity and density between intertidal mudflats, sandflats, and clam gardens. Differences in community composition were found among site types, with certain taxa, including culturally important species increasing within clam gardens. Per cent similarity analyses indicated that infaunal communities were more dissimilar among, than within site types. Furthermore, regression trees indicated that increases in diversity and density were closely correlated with the amount of shell and gravel within each habitat, which are associated with clam garden function and management practices. Species-specific and environmental responses to clam gardens indicate that human modifications in nearshore habitats created novel and distinct types of soft sediment communities.
(R)-Ketamine Induces a Greater Increase in Prefrontal 5-HT Release Than (S)-Ketamine and Ketamine Metabolites via an AMPA Receptor-Independent Mechanism
Authors: Ago Yukio , Tanabe Wataru , Higuchi Momoko , Tsukada Shinji , Tanaka Tatsunori , Yamaguchi Takumi , Igarashi Hisato , Yokoyama Rei , Seiriki Kaoru , Kasai Atsushi , Nakazawa Takanobu , Nakagawa Shinsaku , Hashimoto Kenji , Hashimoto Hitoshi
Published: July 2019

Background

Although recent studies provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of the effects of ketamine, the antidepressant mechanism of ketamine enantiomers and their metabolites is not fully understood. In view of the involvement of mechanisms other than the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor in ketamine’s action, we investigated the effects of (R)-ketamine, (S)-ketamine, (R)-norketamine [(R)-NK], (S)-NK, (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine [(2R,6R)-HNK], and (2S,6S)-HNK on monoaminergic neurotransmission in the prefrontal cortex of mice.

Methods

The extracellular monoamine levels in the prefrontal cortex were measured by in vivo microdialysis.

Results

(R)-Ketamine and (S)-ketamine acutely increased serotonin release in a dose-dependent manner, and the effect of (R)-ketamine was greater than that of (S)-ketamine. In contrast, (S)-ketamine caused a robust increase in dopamine release compared with (R)-ketamine. Both ketamine enantiomers increased noradrenaline release, but these effects did not differ. (2R,6R)-HNK caused a slight but significant increase in serotonin and noradrenaline but not dopamine release. (S)-NK increased dopamine and noradrenaline but not serotonin release. Differential effects between (R)-ketamine and (S)-ketamine were also observed in a lipopolysaccharide-induced model of depression. An α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA) receptor antagonist, 2,3-dioxo-6-nitro-1,2,3,4- tetrahydrobenzo[f]quinoxaline-7-sulfonamide (NBQX), attenuated (S)-ketamine-induced, but not (R)-ketamine-induced serotonin release, whereas NBQX blocked dopamine release induced by both enantiomers. Local application of (R)-ketamine into the prefrontal cortex caused a greater increase in prefrontal serotonin release than that of (S)-ketamine.

Conclusions

(R)-Ketamine strongly activates the prefrontal serotonergic system through an AMPA receptor-independent mechanism. (S)-Ketamine-induced serotonin and dopamine release was AMPA receptor-dependent. These findings provide a neurochemical basis for the underlying pharmacological differences between ketamine enantiomers and their metabolites.
The Mutual Singularity of Harmonic Measure and Hausdorff Measure of Codimension Smaller than One
Authors: Tolsa Xavier
Published: July 2019

Let $\Omega \subset{\mathbb{R}}^{n+1}$ be open and let $E\subset \partial \Omega $ with $0<{\mathcal{H}}^s(E)<\infty $, for some $s\in (n,n+1)$, satisfy a local capacity density condition. In this paper it is shown that the harmonic measure cannot be mutually absolutely continuous with the Hausdorff measure ${\mathcal{H}}^s$ on $E$. This answers a question of Azzam and Mourgoglou, who had proved the same result under the additional assumption that $\Omega $ is a uniform domain.
In Vivo Validation of Peptidoglycan Recycling as a Target to Disable AmpC-Mediated Resistance and Reduce Virulence Enhancing the Cell-Wall–Targeting Immunity
Authors: Torrens Gabriel , Sánchez-Diener Irina , Jordana-Lluch Elena , Barceló Isabel María , Zamorano Laura , Juan Carlos , Oliver Antonio
Published: July 2019

Background

Searching for new strategies to defeat Pseudomonas aeruginosa is of paramount importance. Previous works in vitro showed that peptidoglycan recycling blockade disables AmpC-dependent resistance and enhances susceptibility against cell-wall–targeting immunity. Our objective was to validate these findings in murine models.

This study shows for the first time in different murine models of infection that blocking the peptidoglycan recycling in Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes an important virulence impairment and disables AmpC-mediated resistance, being hence validated as a promising therapeutic target.

Methods

Wildtype PAO1, recycling-defective AmpG and NagZ mutants, an AmpC hyperproducer dacB mutant, and their combinations were used to cause systemic/respiratory infections in mice. Their survival, bacterial burden, inflammation level, and effectiveness of ceftazidime or subtherapeutic colistin to treat the infections were assessed.

Results

Inactivation of AmpG or NagZ significantly attenuated the virulence in terms of mice mortality, bacterial load, and inflammation. When inactivating these genes in the dacB-defective background, the β-lactam resistance phenotype was abolished, disabling the emergence of ceftazidime-resistant mutants, and restoring ceftazidime for treatment. Subtherapeutic colistin was shown to efficiently clear the infection caused by the recycling-defective strains, likely due to the combined effect with the mice cell-wall– targeting immunity.

Conclusions

This study brings us one step closer to new therapies intended to disable P. aeruginosa AmpC-mediated resistance and dampen its virulence, and strongly support the interest in developing efficient AmpG and/or NagZ inhibitors.
Biotic Potential and Life Tables of Chrysodeixis includens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Rachiplusia nu, and Trichoplusia ni on Soybean and Forage Turnip
Authors: Specht Alexandre , Sosa-Gómez Daniel Ricardo , Roque-Specht Vânia Ferreira , Valduga Eduardo , Gonzatti Felipe , Schuh Sabrina Maurer , Carneiro Eduardo
Published: July 2019

Loopers such as Chrysodeixis includens (Walker), Rachiplusia nu (Guenée), and Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) are important defoliators in soybean, sunflower, and crucifer crops, respectively, in countries of the Americas. The biotic potential of these polyphagous species of Plusiinae was comparatively examined considering crop rotation and succession scenarios in which crucifer crops are cultivated during or after Brazilian winter. All the species developed and reproduced on soybean (BRS 133 Embrapa) and forage turnip (Cati AL 1000, Wolf Seeds do Brasil). The development of C. includens was similar on both host plants. The survival of R. nu was lower on forage turnip than on soybean. In contrast, T. ni performance (survival, fecundity, pupal weight) was better on forage turnip than on soybean. This suggests that in crop rotation and succession scenarios of soybean after brassicacea, C. includens is likely to have a higher number of generations per year and could be potentially more harmful.
Multicenter study of primary systemic therapy with docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab for HER2-positive operable breast cancer: the JBCRG-10 study
Authors: Ueno Takayuki , Masuda Norikazu , Sato Nobuaki , Ohtani Shoichiro , Yamamura Jun , Matsunami Nobuki , Kashiwaba Masahiro , Takano Toshimi , Takahashi Masato , Kaneko Koji , Ohno Shinji , Morita Satoshi , Toi Masakazu
Published: July 2019

Background

The original aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment sequence and anthracycline requirement in docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab therapy. After one death in the anthracycline-containing arm, the protocol was amended to terminate the randomization. The single-docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab arm was continued to examine the efficacy and safety of the anthracycline-free regimen.

Methods

Women with human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-positive, operable and primary breast cancer were randomized to receive 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (four cycles) followed by docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab (four cycles), or docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab followed by 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide, or docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab (six cycles). After the protocol amendment, patients were allocated to the docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab arm alone. The primary endpoint was a pathological complete response.

Results

In total, 103 patients were enrolled between September 2009 and September 2011: 21, 22 and 24 patients in the 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab; docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab followed by 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide and docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab arms, respectively, and 36 patients in the docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab arm after the protocol amendment. In total, 60 patients were allocated to the docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab arm, in which the pathological complete response rate was 45.8%, and disease-free survival at 3 years was 96.6%. Patients with stage I or IIA in the docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab arm showed good disease-free survival (100% at 3 years). The comparison of efficacy among the three arms was statistically underpowered. Left ventricular ejection fraction decreased significantly after 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel–docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab (P = 0.017), but not after docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab followed by 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide or docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab.

Conclusions

The pathological complete response rate for docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab was similar to previous reports of anthracycline-containing regimens. Docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab might be an option for primary systemic therapy in human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-positive early breast cancer. A larger confirmatory study is necessary.
Flooding and Arboviral Disease: Predicting Ross River Virus Disease Outbreaks Across Inland Regions of South-Eastern Australia
Authors: Tall Julie A , Gatton Michelle L
Published: July 2019

Flood frequency is expected to increase across the globe with climate change. Understanding the relationship between flooding and arboviral disease can reduce disease risk and associated costs. South-eastern Australia is dominated by the flood-prone Murray-Darling River system where the incidence of Australia’s most common arboviral disease, Ross River virus (RRV), is high. This study aimed to determine the relationship between riverine flooding and RRV disease outbreaks in inland south-eastern Australia, specifically New South Wales (NSW). Each study month from 1991 to 2013, for each of 37 local government areas (LGAs) was assigned ‘outbreak/non-outbreak’ status based on long-term trimmed-average age-standardized RRV notification rates and ‘flood/non-flood’ status based on riverine overflow. LGAs were grouped into eight climate zones with the relationship between flood and RRV outbreak modeled using generalized estimating equations. Modeling adjusted for rainfall in the previous 1–3 mo. Spring–summer flooding increased the odds of summer RRV outbreaks in three climate zones before and after adjusting for rainfall 1, 2, and 3 mo prior to the outbreak. Flooding at any time of the year was not predictive of RRV outbreaks in the remaining five climate zones. Predicting RRV disease outbreaks with flood events can assist with more targeted mosquito spraying programs, thereby reducing disease transmission and mosquito resistance.
Assessment of abdominal organ motion using cine magnetic resonance imaging in different gastric motilities: a comparison between fasting and postprandial states
Authors: Nonaka Hotaka , Onishi Hiroshi , Watanabe Makoto , Nam Vu Hong
Published: July 2019

This study assessed abdominal organ motion induced by gastroduodenal motilities in volunteers during fasting and postprandial states, using cine magnetic resonance imaging (cine-MRI). Thirty-five volunteers underwent cine-MRI while holding their breath in the fasting and postprandial states. Gastric motility was quantified by the amplitude and velocity of antral peristaltic waves. Duodenal motility was evaluated as the change of duodenal diameter. Abdominal organ motion was measured in the liver, pancreas and kidneys. Motion was quantified by calculating maximal organ displacement in the left–right, antero–posterior and caudal–cranial directions. Median antral amplitude and velocity in the fasting and postprandial states were 7.7 and 15.1 mm (P < 0.01), and 1.3 and 2.5 mm/s (P < 0.01), respectively. Duodenal motility did not change. Median displacement for all organs ranged from 0.9 to 2.9 mm in the fasting state and from 1.0 to 2.9 mm in the postprandial state. Significant increases in abdominal organ displacement in the postprandial state were observed in the right lobe of the liver, pancreatic head and both kidneys. Differences in the median displacement of these organs between the two states were all <1 mm. Although the motion of several abdominal organs increased in the postprandial state, the difference between the two states was quite small. Thus, our study suggests that treatment planning and irradiation need not include strict management of gastric conditions, nor the addition of excess margins to compensate for differences in the intra-fractional abdominal organ motion under different gastric motilities in the fasting and postprandial states.
Non-communicable Diseases among Refugee Claimants in Greek Refugee Camps: Are Their Health-care Needs Met?
Authors: Jervelund Signe Smith , Nordheim Oda , Stathopoulou Theoni , Eikemo Terje Andreas
Published: July 2019

Little is known about the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among newly arrived refugees in Europe and whether their medical needs are met. To elucidate the prevalence of NCDs and unmet medical needs in the different migration phases, we used survey data on 267 adult asylum seekers at Greek refugee camps in 2016. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, we estimated determinants for unmet medical needs in Greece. The most prevalent reported NCDs in Greece were: back or neck pain (26.6 per cent) and severe headache (24.7 per cent). The prevalence of most NCDs in the migration phases followed a U- or J-shaped pattern: decreased during migration and increased after migration to Greece; thus, new cases of NCDs after arrival in Greece made up the vast majority of all cases. Accordingly, the refugee claimants were worse off further in the migration process. Unmet medical-care needs were reported by 41.3 per cent with one NCD after arrival in Greece. Compared with young adults, adults aged 51+ years were in increased risk of reporting unmet medical needs in Greece (odds ratio = 7.59; p = 0.015). This knowledge is important for health-care systems in receiving countries to plan for improved access to health-care services for refugees with NCDs.
Cooperative DNA binding by proteins through DNA shape complementarity
Authors: Hancock Stephen P , Cascio Duilio , Johnson Reid C
Published: July 2019

Localized arrays of proteins cooperatively assemble onto chromosomes to control DNA activity in many contexts. Binding cooperativity is often mediated by specific protein–protein interactions, but cooperativity through DNA structure is becoming increasingly recognized as an additional mechanism. During the site-specific DNA recombination reaction that excises phage λ from the chromosome, the bacterial DNA architectural protein Fis recruits multiple λ-encoded Xis proteins to the attR recombination site. Here, we report X-ray crystal structures of DNA complexes containing Fis + Xis, which show little, if any, contacts between the two proteins. Comparisons with structures of DNA complexes containing only Fis or Xis, together with mutant protein and DNA binding studies, support a mechanism for cooperative protein binding solely by DNA allostery. Fis binding both molds the minor groove to potentiate insertion of the Xis β-hairpin wing motif and bends the DNA to facilitate Xis-DNA contacts within the major groove. The Fis-structured minor groove shape that is optimized for Xis binding requires a precisely positioned pyrimidine-purine base-pair step, whose location has been shown to modulate minor groove widths in Fis-bound complexes to different DNA targets.
Zika virus NS3 is a canonical RNA helicase stimulated by NS5 RNA polymerase
Authors: Xu Shan , Ci Yali , Wang Leijie , Yang Yang , Zhang Leiliang , Xu Caimin , Qin Chengfeng , Shi Lei
Published: July 2019

Zika virus is a positive single-strand RNA virus whose replication involved RNA unwinding and synthesis. ZIKV NS3 contains a helicase domain, but its enzymatic activity is not fully characterized. Here, we established a dsRNA unwinding assay based on the FRET effect to study the helicase activity of ZIKV NS3, which provided kinetic information in real time. We found that ZIKV NS3 specifically unwound dsRNA/dsDNA with a 3′ overhang in the 3′ to 5′ direction. The RNA unwinding ability of NS3 significantly decreased when the duplex was longer than 18 base pairs. The helicase activity of NS3 depends on ATP hydrolysis and binding to RNA. Mutations in the ATP binding region or the RNA binding region of NS3 impair its helicase activity, thus blocking viral replication in the cell. Furthermore, we showed that ZIKV NS5 interacted with NS3 and stimulated its helicase activity. Disrupting NS3-NS5 interaction resulted in a defect in viral replication, revealing the tight coupling of RNA unwinding and synthesis. We suggest that NS3 helicase activity is stimulated by NS5; thus, viral replication can be carried out efficiently. Our work provides a molecular mechanism of ZIKV NS3 unwinding and novel insights into ZIKV replication.
Recurrent acute kidney injury: predictors and impact in a large population-based cohort
Authors: Holmes Jennifer , Geen John , Williams John D , Phillips Aled O
Published: July 2019

Background

This study examined the impact of recurrent episodes of acute kidney injury (AKI) on patient outcomes.

Methods

The Welsh National electronic AKI reporting system was used to identify all cases of AKI in patients ≥18 years of age between April 2015 and September 2018. Patients were grouped according to the number of AKI episodes they experienced with each patient’s first episode described as their index episode. We compared the demography and patient outcomes of those patients with a single AKI episode with those patients with multiple AKI episodes. Analysis included 153 776 AKI episodes in 111 528 patients.

Results

Of those who experienced AKI and survived their index episode, 29.3% experienced a second episode, 9.9% a third episode and 4.0% experienced fourth or more episodes. Thirty-day mortality for those patients with multiple episodes of AKI was significantly higher than for those patients with a single episode (31.3% versus 24.9%, P < 0.001). Following a single episode, recovery to baseline renal function at 30 days was achieved in 83.6% of patients and was significantly higher than for patients who had repeated episodes (77.8%, P < 0.001). For surviving patients, non-recovery of renal function following any AKI episode was significantly associated with a higher probability of a further AKI episode (33.4% versus 41.0%, P < 0.001). Furthermore, with each episode of AKI the likelihood of a subsequent episode also increased (31.0% versus 43.2% versus 51.2% versus 51.7% following a first, second, third and fourth episode, P < 0.001 for all comparisons).

Conclusions

The results of this study provide an important contribution to the debate regarding the need for risk stratification for recurrent AKI. The data suggest that such a tool would be useful given the poor patient and renal outcomes associated with recurrent AKI episodes as highlighted by this study.
Examination of Regional Interdependence Theory in Chronic Neck Pain: Interpretations from Correlation of Strength Measures in Cervical and Pain-Free Regions
Authors: Ghamkhar Leila , Arab Amir Massoud , Nourbakhsh Mohammad Reza , Kahlaee Amir Hossein , Zolfaghari Reyhaneh
Published: July 2019

Objective

Impairments present in chronic pain conditions have been reported not to be limited to the painful region. Pain-free regions have also been proposed to be adversely affected as a cause or consequence of the painful condition. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between muscle strength in painful and pain-free regions and chronic neck pain.

Design

A cross-sectional study.

Setting

Rehabilitation hospital laboratory.

Subjects

One hundred twenty-two patients with chronic neck pain (87 female) and 98 asymptomatic volunteers (52 female) were included in the study.

Methods

Maximal isometric strength measures of the neck, scapulothoracic, shoulder, trunk, and hip muscles were assessed using a hand-held dynamometer in all participants. Pain intensity and pain-related disability were also assessed in patients through visual analog scale and Neck Disability Index scores, respectively.

Results

Principal component analysis revealed one component for each of the studied regions. Multivariate analysis of variance found neck (d = 0.46), scapulothoracic (d = 0.46), shoulder (d = 0.60), trunk flexor (d = 0.38), extensor (d = 0.36), and hip (d = 0.51) strength components to be lower in the neck pain patients compared with asymptomatic participants (P < 0.01). Logistic and linear regression analyses found the shoulder strength component both to be a significant predictor for neck pain occurrence (β = 0.53, P < 0.01) and to have a considerable effect on pain intensity score (β=–0.20, P = 0.02), respectively.

Conclusions

The results found that some pain-free regions in addition to the cervical spine to exhibit lower levels of muscular strength in neck pain patients. These findings support the regional interdependence theory, which proposes that impairments are not limited to the painful area and are possibly mediated by central mechanisms.
Do CEOs Affect Employees’ Political Choices?
Authors: Babenko Ilona , Fedaseyeu Viktar , Zhang Song
Published: July 2019

We study the relation between CEO and employee campaign contributions and find that CEO-supported political candidates receive 3 times more money from employees than candidates not supported by the CEO. This relation holds around CEO departures, including plausibly exogenous departures due to retirement or death. Equity returns are significantly higher when CEO-supported candidates win elections than when employee-supported candidates win, suggesting that CEOs’ campaign contributions are more aligned with the interests of shareholders than are employee contributions. Finally, employees whose donations are misaligned with their CEOs’ political preferences are more likely to leave their employer. (JEL G30, G38, D72, P48)

Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix and Data Supplement, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online.
The Importance of Employment in the Acculturation Process of Well-Educated Iraqis in Finland: A Qualitative Follow-up Study
Authors: Yijälä Anu , Luoma Tiina
Published: July 2019

This study considers long-term adaptation among well-educated Iraqis who applied for international protection in Finland in 2015. We interviewed the participants approximately 3 months after their arrival, and subsequently after being granted international protection 1.5 and 2.5 years after arrival. We apply a theoretically constructed Benefits of Employment in Intercultural Contexts model in the context of skilled refugees to examine the role of employment in their acculturation process. We analysed the data using qualitative content analysis. Despite the difficulties faced at the beginning of the asylum and job-search processes, employment – including inadequate employment that connected an individual to a work community – enhanced participants’ subjective well-being and promoted their whole acculturation process. The key explanation seems to lie not in increasing economic wealth but in the establishment of social networks, a sense of collective purpose, a possibility to maintain a positive identity, and importantly, the accumulation of cultural capital that employment or active functioning in work-life-related contexts enabled. By the end of the follow-up period, the aforementioned latent benefits of employment were more salient, while the urge to manifest benefits, i.e. salary, had lessened due to reconciling with having to make ends meet with the help of social benefits.
Laughter is in the air: involvement of key nodes of the emotional motor system in the anticipation of tickling
Authors: Wattendorf Elise , Westermann Birgit , Fiedler Klaus , Ritz Simone , Redmann Annetta , Pfannmöller Jörg , Lotze Martin , Celio Marco R
Published: July 2019

In analogy to the appreciation of humor, that of tickling is based upon the re-interpretation of an anticipated emotional situation. Hence, the anticipation of tickling contributes to the final outburst of ticklish laughter. To localize the neuronal substrates of this process, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was conducted on 31 healthy volunteers. The state of anticipation was simulated by generating an uncertainty respecting the onset of manual foot tickling. Anticipation was characterized by an augmented fMRI signal in the anterior insula, the hypothalamus, the nucleus accumbens and the ventral tegmental area, as well as by an attenuated one in the internal globus pallidus. Furthermore, anticipatory activity in the anterior insula correlated positively with the degree of laughter that was produced during tickling. These findings are consistent with an encoding of the expected emotional consequences of tickling and suggest that early regulatory mechanisms influence, automatically, the laughter circuitry at the level of affective and sensory processing. Tickling activated not only those regions of the brain that were involved during anticipation, but also the posterior insula, the anterior cingulate cortex and the periaqueductal gray matter. Sequential or combined anticipatory and tickling-related neuronal activities may adjust emotional and sensorimotor pathways in preparation for the impending laughter response.
REM Sleep without atonia correlates with abnormal vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials in isolated REM sleep behavior disorder
Authors: Puligheddu Monica , Figorilli Michela , Serra Alessandra , Laccu Ilaria , Congiu Patrizia , Tamburrino Ludovica , de Natale Edoardo Rosario , Ginatempo Francesca , Deriu Franca , Loi Gianluigi , Fantini Maria Livia , Schenck Carlos H , Ferri Raffaele
Published: July 2019

Study Objectives

The neurophysiological hallmark of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is loss of atonia during REM sleep. Indeed, signs and symptoms of neurodegeneration can occur after years, even decades, from its beginning. This study aimed to measure neurophysiological alterations of the brainstem that potentially correlate with the severity of atonia loss, and determining whether a prodromal neurodegenerative disorder underlines this condition when it occurs as an isolated condition (iRBD).

Methods

Subjects with iRBD and matched healthy controls were recruited. The study included the recording of one-night polysomnography, vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs), and a [123I]-FP-CIT dopamine transporter (DAT) scan. The quantification of REM sleep without atonia (RSWA) was made according to two previously published manual methods and one automated method.

Results

The rate of alteration of VEMPs and VEMP score were significantly higher in iRBD patients than controls. Moreover, VEMP score was negatively correlated with the automated REM atonia index; a marginal statistical significance was also reached for the positive correlation with the visual tonic electromyographic parameter, while the other correlations, including that with DAT-scan score were not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Brainstem neurophysiology in iRBD can be assessed by VEMPs and their alterations may possibly indicate an early expression of the neurodegenerative process underlying this disorder at the brainstem level, which awaits future longitudinal confirmation. The correlation between RSWA and VEMP alteration might also represent a prodromal aspect anticipating the possible evolution from iRBD to neurodegeneration, whereas DAT-scan abnormalities might represent a later step in this evolution.
Evidence-based practice: a comparison of International Clinical Practice Guidelines and current research on physical activity for mild to moderate depression
Authors: Hess Courtney Wynne , Karter Justin , Cosgrove Lisa , Hayden Laura
Published: July 2019

In 2016, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended routine depression screening for individuals aged 13 and above. Questionnaire-based screening will likely increase treatment in patients with milder symptoms. Although professional groups who develop clinical practice guidelines recognize the importance of considering the risks and benefits of interventions, no official mandate exists for a stepped-care approach. Physical activity warrants increased consideration in guidelines, given the optimal risk/benefit profile and the increasing evidence of efficacy for the treatment and prevention of depression. The aim of the current study was to evaluate clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of major depressive disorder, specifically the recommendation of physical activity and adherence to a stepped-care approach. Authors searched three databases to identify treatment guidelines for depression. Guidelines were reviewed on the following domains regarding recommendation of physical activity: (a) front-line intervention, (b) explicit but not front-line recommendation, (c) inexplicit recommendation, (d) no mention, (e) adherence to a stepped-care approach, and (f) presentation of empirical support for their recommendation. Seventeen guidelines met inclusion criteria. Four guidelines recommended physical activity as a front-line intervention, two did not mention physical activity, eleven made some mention of physical activity, seven presented evidence to support their recommendation, and seven employed a stepped-care approach. The majority of guidelines did not use a stepped-care approach and varied greatly in their inclusion of physical activity as a recommended intervention for mild to moderate depression. Implications for practice, research, and policy are discussed.