bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of the Coach-Athlete Relationship on Passion for Sports: The Case of Male Handball Players in Super League
Authors: Güllü Sevim
Published: December 2018

The purpose of this study is to reveal out the relationship between the team players' perceived coach-athlete relationship and their passion in sports. This is a research carried out with sectional screening model. The study group consisted of 200 male handball players in super league in Turkey. Participants were asked questions with demographic information to obtain personal information. Additionally, 11 question “Coach-Athlete Relationship Scale” developed by Jowett & Ntoumanis (2004) and adapted to Turkish by Altıntaş et al. (2012) and 12 question “Athlete Passion Scale” developed by Vallerand et al. (2003) and adapted to Turkish by Kelecek & Aşçı (2013) was applied. To evaluate the obtained data SPSS 20 package program was used and percentage (%), frequency (f), Kruskal Wallis test, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were conducted. There was a positive relationship between the coach-athlete relationship and its sub-dimensions of commitment, closeness and complementarity and also between the passion for sports and its sub-dimensions of harmonious passion and obsessive passion. Besides, the regression analysis has shown that the coach-athlete relationship has a relatively high impact on the passion for sports. In other words, as the effectiveness and quality of the coach-athlete relationship increase, so does "passion", which is one of the most important motivation sources for the athletes. At the end of our research it was found that, the coach-athlete relationship was at high level. As a result, there is a relationship between coach-athlete relationship and sport passion.
XPS investigation of F-doped MnO2 nanosystems fabricated by plasma assisted-CVD
Authors: Gri Filippo , Bigiani Lorenzo , Gasparotto Alberto , Maccato Chiara , Barreca Davide
Published: December 2018

Supported Mn(IV) oxide nanomaterials were prepared by plasma assisted-chemical vapor deposition from Ar/O2 plasmas starting from a fluorinated Mn(II) β-diketonate diamine adduct. Under the adopted conditions, the target compound served as a single-source molecular precursor for the obtainment of MnO2 nanosystems uniformly doped with fluorine. The overall F content in the target materials, composed of phase-pure β-MnO2, could be tailored as a function of the deposition temperature from 100 to 400 °C, a result of particular importance in view of photocatalytic and gas sensing applications. In the present study, attention is specifically devoted to the investigation of a representative specimen by means of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Besides the wide scan spectrum, a detailed analysis of C 1s, O 1s, Mn 2p, Mn 3s, and F 1s photoelectron peaks is presented and discussed. The analyses reveal the formation of MnO2 free from other manganese oxides, with fluorine present in different chemical states, i.e., lattice F plus traces of precursor residuals at the system surface.
Radiocarbon re-dating of contact-era Iroquoian history in northeastern North America
Authors: Manning Sturt W. , Birch Jennifer , Conger Megan A. , Dee Michael W. , Griggs Carol , Hadden Carla S. , Hogg Alan G. , Ramsey Christopher Bronk , Sanft Samantha , Steier Peter , Wild Eva M.
Published: December 2018

Radiocarbon data suggest the need to reconsider current dates and assumptions for contact-era Iroquoian history.
The Costs of Living Together: Immune Responses to the Microbiota and Chronic Gut Inflammation
Authors: Kirschman Lucas J. , Milligan-Myhre Kathryn C.
Published: December 2018

While the vertebrate microbiota is critical to the normal function of many host traits, hosts may expend a large amount of energy to constrain and interface with their microbiota via their immune system to avoid the high fitness costs associated with gut dysbiosis, pathobionts, and opportunistic pathogens. All jawed vertebrates share mucosal immunity dedicated to isolating the microbiota, and a breakdown of this system can result in chronic gut inflammation.
MarR Family Transcription Factors from
Burkholderia
Species: Hidden Clues to Control of Virulence-Associated Genes
Authors: Gupta Ashish , Pande Anuja , Sabrin Afsana , Thapa Sudarshan S. , Gioe Brennan W. , Grove Anne
Published: December 2018

Species within the genus
Burkholderia
exhibit remarkable phenotypic diversity. Genomic plasticity, including genome reduction and horizontal gene transfer, has been correlated with virulence traits in several species.
Intraocular pressure change after injection of intravitreal dexamethasone (Ozurdex) implant in Korean patients
Authors: Choi Wungrak , Park Sung Eun , Kang Hyun Goo , Byeon Suk Ho , Kim Sung Soo , Koh Hyoung Jun , Lee Sungchul , Seong Gong Je , Kim Chan Yun , Kim Min
Published: December 2018

Background/Aims

To analyse intraocular pressure (IOP) changes over a period of 1 year after intravitreal dexamethasone (DEX, Ozurdex) implant injection and to compare the results with those of previously published studies that involved non-Asian populations.

Methods

A retrospective observational study was conducted. A total of 540 eyes of 503 patients who received DEX implant injection and were diagnosed with macular oedema (ME) due to various retinal diseases were examined. IOP was measured prior to injection and at 1 week, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after DEX implant injection. IOP elevation was divided into four categories: postinjection IOP of >35 mm Hg, >30 mm Hg and >25 mm Hg, and an IOP elevation of >10 mm Hg, relative to the baseline measurement.

Results

The mean baseline IOP was 13.45±2.95. The mean IOP gradually increased until 2 months postinjection (IOP=16.85±5.96 mm Hg, p<0.001) and then gradually decreased until 12 months postinjection (IOP=13.80±4.04mm Hg, p=0.16). IOP was >25 mm Hg in 57 eyes (10.6%), >30mm Hg in 29 eyes (5.4%) and >35mm Hg in 9 eyes (1.7%); IOP exhibited >10 mm Hg elevation from the baseline IOP in 61 eyes (11.3%). Overall, the incidence rate of IOP elevation after DEX treatment was 12.6% (68 eyes). Among the 68 eyes (12.6%) with elevated IOP, 60 (11.1%) required treatment: 59 (10.9%) required IOP-lowering medication and 1 (0.2%) ultimately required surgical interventions.

Conclusions

The incidence of adverse IOP elevation requiring the prolonged use of IOP-lowering medication and surgical intervention after DEX implantation was significantly lower than the incidence reported in previous Western population-based studies. Intravitreal DEX injection may therefore be an effective and relatively safe treatment modality for ME in Asian patients.
mCME project V.2.0: randomised controlled trial of a revised SMS-based continuing medical education intervention among HIV clinicians in Vietnam
Authors: Gill Christopher J , Le Ngoc Bao , Halim Nafisa , Chi Cao Thi Hue , Nguyen Viet Ha , Bonawitz Rachael , Hoang Pham Vu , Nguyen Hoang Long , Huong Phan Thi Thu , Larson Williams Anna , Le Ngoc Anh , Sabin Lora
Published: December 2018

Background

Continuing medical education (CME) is indispensable, but costs are a barrier. We tested the effectiveness of a novel mHealth intervention (mCME V.2.0) promoting CME among Vietnamese HIV clinicians.

Methods

We enrolled HIV clinicians from three provinces near Hanoi. The 6-month intervention consisted of (1) daily short message service multiple-choice quiz questions, (2) daily linked readings, (3) links to online CME courses and (4) feedback messages describing the performance of the participant relative to the group. Control participants had equal access to the online CME courses. Our primary endpoint was utilisation of the online CME courses; secondary endpoints were self-study behaviour, performance on a standardised medical exam and job satisfaction.

Results

From 121 total HIV clinicians in the three provinces, 106 (87.6%) enrolled, and 48/53 intervention (90%) and 47/53 control (89%) participants completed the endline evaluations. Compared with controls, intervention participants were more likely to use the CME courses (risk ratio (RR) 2.3, 95% CI 1.4 to 3.8, accounting for 83% of course use (P<0.001)). Intervention participants increased self-study behaviours over controls in terms of use of medical textbooks (P<0.01), consulting with colleagues (P<0.01), searching on the internet (P<0.001), using specialist websites (P=0.02), consulting the Vietnam HIV/AIDS treatment guidelines (P=0.02) and searching the scientific literature (P=0.09). Intervention participants outperformed controls on the exam (+23% vs +12% score gains, P=0.05) and had higher job satisfaction.

Conclusion

The mCME V.2.0 intervention improved self-study behaviour, medical knowledge and job satisfaction. This approach has potential for expansion in Vietnam and similar settings.

Trial registration number

NCT02381743.
DHA supplementation during prenatal ethanol exposure alters the expression of fetal rat liver genes involved in oxidative stress regulation
Authors: Feltham Bradley A. , Louis Xavier L. , Kapourchali Fatemeh Ramezani , Eskin Michael N.A. , Suh Miyoung
Published: December 2018

Prenatal ethanol (EtOH) exposure is known to induce adverse effects on fetal brain development. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been shown to alleviate these effects by up-regulating antioxidant mechanisms in the brain. The liver is the first organ to receive enriched blood after placental transport. Therefore, it could be negatively affected by EtOH, but no studies have assessed the effects of DHA on fetal liver. This study examined the effects of maternal DHA intake on DHA status and gene expression of key enzymes of the glutathione antioxidant system in the fetal liver after prenatal EtOH exposure. Pregnant Sprague–Dawley dams were intubated with EtOH for the first 10 days of pregnancy, while being fed a control or DHA-supplemented diet. Fetal livers were collected at gestational day 20, and free fatty acids and phospholipid profile, as well as glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPx1) gene expressions, were assessed. Prenatal EtOH exposure increased fetal liver weight, whereas maternal DHA supplementation decreased fetal liver weight. DHA supplementation increased fetal liver free fatty acid and phospholipid DHA independently of EtOH. GR and GPx1 messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions were significantly increased and decreased, respectively, in the EtOH-exposed group compared with all other groups. Providing DHA normalized GR and GPx1 mRNA expression to control levels. This study shows that maternal DHA supplementation alters the expression of fetal liver genes involved in the glutathione antioxidative system during prenatal EtOH exposure. The fetal liver may play an important role in mitigating the signs and symptoms of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in affected offspring.
Analysis of the fusion cross sections for 16,18,20O + 12C systems at low energies
Authors: Kocak G.
Published: December 2018

Fusion cross section data for the 16,18,20O + 12C systems at energies near and below the Coulomb barrier are studied within the framework of the optical model. To examine these reactions, the microscopic nucleon–nucleon double folding potentials for real and imaginary parts are found. To make a comprehensive analysis of the effect of neutron-rich systems, we used three different reactions from stable to unstable systems. The microscopic nucleon–nucleon double folding potentials show very good agreement for 16,18,20O + 12C systems with a very weak imaginary potential. Also, we have obtained better agreement by using fully microscopic nucleon–nucleon double folding potentials with the 20O + 12C system’s experimental data than in previous works, but especially at low energies we still have some problems reproducing the 20O + 12C system’s fusion cross section data.
Calotropis giganteaPromotes Neuritogenesis and Synaptogenesis through Activation of NGF-TrkA-Erk1/2 Signaling in Rat Hippocampal Neurons
Authors: Haque Md Nazmul , Mohibbullah Md , Hong Yong-Ki , Moon Il Soo
Published: December 2018

Calotropis gigantea (L.) R. Br (Apocynaceae) (commonly known as milkweed or crown flower) is a large shrub native to temperate regions of Asia, including China, Bangladesh and India and has a long history of use in traditional medicines. In this study, we investigated the neuromodulatory effects of the ethanol extracts of C. gigantea leaves (CGE) during synaptogenesis in the late stage of neuronal development and during early stage neuritogenesis in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Maximum neuritogenic activity was achieved at a CGE concentration of 7.5[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/ml. At this concentration, CGE facilitated the early development of cytoarchitecture, as evidenced by increases in morphometric parameters, such as, the numbers, lengths, and number of branches of initial neurites, axon and dendrites. During the synaptogenic stage (DIV 14), immunocytochemistry (ICC) showed that CGE upregulated synaptic vesicle 2 (SV2, a marker of axon terminals) and postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95, a postsynaptic marker) and their colocalization. CGE upregulated nerve growth factor (NGF) and activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2), which is blocked by a TrkA-specific inhibitor suggesting the neuritogenic and synaptogenic potential of CGE was due to the activation of NGF-TrkA-Erk1/2 signaling. Moreover, UPLC of CGE did not detect stigmasterol, an active component of C. gigantea. However, the chloroform-methanol and ethyl acetate subfractions of CGE exhibited initial neuritogenic activity, suggesting that multiple active components were responsible for the neurotrophic-mimetic properties of CGE. Our data prove the neuromodulatory ability of CGE and provide a means of identifying new active phytochemicals with potential nootropic, preventative or therapeutic effects on the human brain.
Globalization and Environment: An Asian Experience
Authors: Ghosh Sudeshna
Published: December 2018

This paper explores the causal association between globalization and carbon dioxide emanations in a panel set of 17 low- and low-middle-income countries and 12 upper-middle and high-income countries of Asia, respectively. The time series of observations run from 1974 to 2014. The Westerlund (2007) panel cointegration test reveals that there exists a long-run cointegrating relationship in both the panel set of observations between globalization and CO2 emissions. For the panel of upper-middle and high-income countries of Asia the long-run panel (heterogeneous elasticities) shows that globalization does not cause environmental damage, contrary to the observation based on lower- and lower-middle-income countries. The study is in conformity with the Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis. The Granger causality between the variables is explored by utilizing the Dumitrescu and Hurlin (2012) Granger Causality tests. The empirical observation shows that globalization-led environmental causality is valid for lower- and lower-middle-income countries of Asia. So proper sustainable green and clean technology must be adopted for the low-income countries to stop the negation of the growth process in the near future.
Seed-Guided Topic Model for Document Filtering and Classification
Authors: Li Chenliang , Chen Shiqian , Xing Jian , Sun Aixin , Ma Zongyang
Published: December 2018

One important necessity is to filter out the irrelevant information and organize the relevant information into meaningful categories. However, developing text classifiers often requires a large number of labeled documents as training examples. Manually labeling documents is costly and time-consuming. More importantly, it becomes unrealistic to know all the categories covered by the documents beforehand. Recently, a few methods have been proposed to label documents by using a small set of relevant keywords for each category, known as
dataless text classification
. In this article, we propose a seed-guided topic model for the dataless text filtering and classification (named DFC). Given a collection of unlabeled documents, and for each specified category a small set of seed words that are relevant to the semantic meaning of the category, DFC filters out the irrelevant documents and classifies the relevant documents into the corresponding categories through topic influence. DFC models two kinds of topics:
category-topics
and
general-topics
. Also, there are two kinds of category-topics: relevant-topics and irrelevant-topics. Each relevant-topic is associated with one specific category, representing its semantic meaning. The irrelevant-topics represent the semantics of the unknown categories covered by the document collection. And the general-topics capture the global semantic information. DFC assumes that each document is associated with a single category-topic and a mixture of general-topics. A novelty of the model is that DFC learns the topics by exploiting the explicit word co-occurrence patterns between the seed words and regular words (i.e., non-seed words) in the document collection. A document is then filtered, or classified, based on its posterior category-topic assignment. Experiments on two widely used datasets show that DFC consistently outperforms the state-of-the-art dataless text classifiers for both classification with filtering and classification without filtering. In many tasks, DFC can also achieve comparable or even better classification accuracy than the state-of-the-art supervised learning solutions. Our experimental results further show that DFC is insensitive to the tuning parameters. Moreover, we conduct a thorough study about the impact of seed words for existing dataless text classification techniques. The results reveal that it is not using more seed words but the document coverage of the seed words for the corresponding category that affects the dataless classification performance.
MacroBase
Authors: Abuzaid Firas , Bailis Peter , Ding Jialin , Gan Edward , Madden Samuel , Narayanan Deepak , Rong Kexin , Suri Sahaana
Published: December 2018

As data volumes continue to rise, manual inspection is becoming increasingly untenable. In response, we present MacroBase, a data analytics engine that prioritizes end-user attention in high-volume
fast data
streams. MacroBase enables efficient, accurate, and modular analyses that highlight and aggregate important and unusual behavior, acting as a search engine for fast data. MacroBase is able to deliver order-of-magnitude speedups over alternatives by optimizing the combination of explanation (i.e., feature selection) and classification tasks and by leveraging a new reservoir sampler and heavy-hitters sketch specialized for fast data streams. As a result, MacroBase delivers accurate results at speeds of up to 2M events per second per query on a single core. The system has delivered meaningful results in production, including at a telematics company monitoring hundreds of thousands of vehicles.
Nonlinear Resonance of Cavities Filled with Bubbly Liquids: A Numerical Study with Application to the Enhancement of the Frequency Mixing Effect
Authors: Tejedor Sastre María Teresa , Vanhille Christian
Published: December 2018

This paper studies the nonlinear resonance of a cavity filled with a nonlinear biphasic medium made of a liquid and gas bubbles at a frequency generated by nonlinear frequency mixing. The analysis is performed through numerical simulations by mixing two source signals of frequencies well below the bubble resonance. The finite‐volume and finite‐difference based model developed in the time domain simulates the nonlinear interaction of ultrasound and bubble dynamics via the resolution of a differential system formed by the wave and Rayleigh–Plesset equations. Some numerical results, consistent with the literature, validate our procedure. Other results reveal the existence of a frequency shift of the cavity resonance at the difference‐frequency component, which rises with pressure amplitude and evidences the global changes undergone by the bubbly medium under finite amplitudes. Finally, this work shows the enhancement of the amplitude of the difference‐frequency component generated by parametric excitation using the nonlinear resonance shift, which is more pronounced when the second primary frequency is constant, the first one is varied to match the nonlinear resonance, and both have the same amplitude.
A Study on Ceramsite Production Using Dredging Sea Mud and Its Biofilm Formation Capacity Evaluation
Authors: Xia Ting , Li Yue , Xiao Zhixing , Wang Shixiang , Wu Qingkai , Sun Suwen , Peng Hui , Chen Dan , Wang Zhihua
Published: December 2018

Dredging sea mud produced during the coastal infrastructure construction has been gradually becoming an environmental problem in China. Making ceramsite is an attractive way to convert the waste sea mud to resources used for many industrial sectors. However, the imapct of preheating and sintering conditions on the ceramsite properties and the biofilm formation capacity of the ceramsite are still poorly understood. This study aims to fill these knowledge gaps. Results suggested the optimal conditions for the preheating temperature was 350°C, the preheating time was 15 min, the sintering temperature was 1040°C, and the sintering time was 9 min. The dredging sea mud‐derived ceramsite showed better biofilm formation capacity with high COD and NH4+‐N removal performance compared with the commercial ceramsites. The content of the chloride ion in the ceramist granules is close to zero, and the low cost of this material, implying this dredging sea mud‐derived ceramsite, could be an engineering favorable material for using it as a biocarrier in the real application.
Review of Oxidation of Gasoline Surrogates and Its Components
Authors: Piehl J. A. , Zyada A. , Bravo L. , Samimi-Abianeh O.
Published: December 2018

There has been considerable progress in the area of fuel surrogate development to emulate gasoline fuels’ oxidation properties. The current paper aims to review the relevant hydrocarbon group components used for the formulation of gasoline surrogates, review specific gasoline surrogates reported in the literature, outlining their utility and deficiencies, and identify the future research needs in the area of gasoline surrogates and kinetics model.
Methods to Compare Predicted and Observed Phosphene Experience in tACS Subjects
Authors: Indahlastari Aprinda , Kasinadhuni Aditya K. , Saar Christopher , Castellano Kevin , Mousa Bakir , Chauhan Munish , Mareci Thomas H. , Sadleir Rosalind J.
Published: December 2018

Background. Phosphene generation is an objective physical measure of potential transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) biological side effects. Interpretations from phosphene analysis can serve as a first step in understanding underlying mechanisms of tACS in healthy human subjects and assist validation of computational models. Objective/Hypothesis. This preliminary study introduces and tests methods to analyze predicted phosphene occurrence using computational head models constructed from tACS recipients against verbal testimonies of phosphene sensations. Predicted current densities in the eyes and the occipital lobe were also verified against previously published threshold values for phosphenes. Methods. Six healthy subjects underwent 10 Hz tACS while being imaged in an MRI scanner. Two different electrode montages, T7-T8 and Fpz-Oz, were used. Subject ratings of phosphene experience were collected during tACS and compared against current density distributions predicted in eye and occipital lobe regions of interest (ROIs) determined for each subject. Calculated median current densities in each ROI were compared to minimum thresholds for phosphene generation. Main Results. All subjects reported phosphenes, and predicted median current densities in ROIs exceeded minimum thresholds for phosphenes found in the literature. Higher current densities in the eyes were consistently associated with decreased phosphene generation for the Fpz-Oz montage. There was an overall positive association between phosphene perceptions and current densities in the occipital lobe. Conclusions. These methods may have promise for predicting phosphene generation using data collected during in-scanner tACS sessions and may enable better understanding of phosphene origin. Additional empirical data in a larger cohort is required to fully test the robustness of the proposed methods. Future studies should include additional montages that could dissociate retinal and occipital stimulation.
Different Dominant Models and Fairness Concern of E‐Supply Chain
Authors: Wang Yuyan , Yu Zhaoqing , Shen Liang , Ge Yan , Li Jing
Published: December 2018

In this study, we examine the impact of the dominant enterprise’s fairness concern on decisions in e‐supply chains. Considering that the network platform’s service level obviously influences product sales, an e‐supply chain consisting of a single manufacturer and a single network platform is constructed. In this setting, four models of whether fairness concern is considered by the different dominant parties are investigated, and optimal decisions of the four models are compared and analyzed to study the impact of fairness concern. The findings show that when fairness concern is not taken into account, the profits when enterprises are dominating system are higher than when they are not dominating system. When fairness concern is considered, the dominant enterprise’s fairness concern is beneficial to increase the subordinate enterprise’s profit, but it will reduce its profit. And when the network platform dominates system and considers fairness concern, the sales price and the service level are the highest, indicating that consumers can get an enjoyable shopping experience. To sales price, it is negatively correlated with the fairness concern coefficient if manufacturer dominates the system, while it is positively correlated with the fairness concern coefficient if network platform dominates the system. Regardless of who has the fairness concern, fairness concern can improve the service level and increase consumer stickiness.
Early-Stage Translational Research in Perinatal Medicine
Authors: Alsweiler Jane Marie , Bloomfield Frank Harry , Harding Jane Elizabeth
Published: December 2018

Background: Pre-clinical research, which encompasses studies in animals and in the laboratory, has made significant contributions to the improvement of neonatal outcomes. Methods: Here, we describe examples of how pre-clinical research can be the starting point on the journey to the development of new interventions to improve neonatal care and outcomes and discuss recent progress in ensuring methodological and ethical rigour in pre-clinical research involving animal models. Results: Studies in pregnant sheep led to the serendipitous discovery that preterm lambs born after exogenous corticosteroid exposure were able to aerate their lungs. Subsequent clinical trials confirmed that antenatal corticosteroids given to women at risk of preterm delivery substantially reduce mortality and morbidity in babies born preterm. Animal research also contributed to discoveries in the mechanism of brain injury after hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy, leading to the use of therapeutic hypothermia as an effective treatment. However, animals are sentient creatures and there are significant ethical concerns with their use in studies to benefit human health. Mandated institutional animal research ethics committees ensure adherence to ethical requirements. To provide high-quality data which can be translated into clinical research, pre-clinical research needs to follow rigorous standards of study design and reporting. The ARRIVE guidelines provide guidance for pre-clinical research similar to that provided in the CONSORT guidelines for clinical trials and are gaining acceptance among researchers and journal editors. Conclusion: Improved scientific rigour in the use of animal research will increase the likelihood that pre-clinical research will continue to translate into improved neonatal outcomes.
Tracking Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation: A Novel Approach
Authors: Rosales Laura M. , Zhang Hanjie , Mateo Marilou , Chan Brenda , Campos Israel , Harbord Nikolas , Thijssen Stephan , Kotanko Peter
Published: December 2018

Background: The time between the creation of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and its successful use is significantly longer in hemodialysis (HD) patients in the United States compared to those in other countries, and there is an urgent need to reduce the residence time of central-venous catheters (CVC). Methods: Successful AVF creation and maturation results in typical hemodynamic changes, such as an increase in cardiac output and upper body blood flow (UBBF). In patients with CVC as vascular access, we measured once per minute intradialytic central-venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) and hemoglobin levels simultaneously using the Crit-Line Monitor. Under conditions of stable upper body oxygen consumption and arterial oxygen saturation, ScvO2 and hemoglobin concentration allows the calculation of estimated UBBF (eUBBF). In a quality improvement project, we used ScvO2 and eUBBF to track the hemodynamic changes accompanying AVF maturation. Results: Out of 11 patients (9 incident to HD, 1 female, age 61 ± 13 years), AVF maturation was successful in 9. In 1 patient, the AVF did not mature. One patient died from sudden cardiac death with a maturing AVF. In the 9 patients with successful AVF maturation, ScvO2 increased from 60.9 ± 2.7% prior to AVF creation to 73.4 ± 3.6% a week after AVF creation (19.6 ± 6.3% increase). eUBBF increased from 1.3 ± 0.3 to 2.2 ± 0.6 L/min (62.7 ± 37.5% increase); no material ScvO2 or eUBBF changes occurred in the other 2 patients. Conclusion: Our results indicate the potential utility of ScvO2 and eUBBF to track the hemodynamic response to AVF maturation. To what extent these insights translate into shortening of the time between AVF creation and successful cannulation warrants further investigations.
High Circulating Alarin Levels Are Associated with Presence of Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Fang Xia , Zhang Tingran , Yang Mengliu , Li Ling , Zhang Cheng , Hu Wenjing , Fan Xiaoyun , Liu Hua , Zhu Zhiming , Liu Dongfang , Zheng Hongting , Gu Harvest F. , Liu Rui , Yang Gangyi 
Published: December 2018

Background/Aims: Alarin has been reported to be related with increased food intake and body weight. The relationship of circulating Alarin with insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome (MetS), however, is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the physiological role of Alarin and its association with MetS in humans. Methods: Newly diagnosed MetS patients (n=237) and age-matched healthy subjects (n=192) were recruited for this study. Oral glucose tolerance test, treadmill exercise, lipid infusions and euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp (EHCs) were performed. Circulating Alarin and TNFα levels were measured by ELISA. Results: Circulating Alarin levels were significantly higher in MetS patients compared with healthy subjects (0.46 ± 0.22 vs. 0.41 ± 0.14 µg/L, P < 0.01). In all studied subjects, circulating Alarin levels were positively correlated with WC, blood pressure, FBG, triglyceride, HbA1c, HOMA-IR, AUCglucose, and TNFα (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that circulating Alarin levels were correlated with MetS and insulin resistance. There was no significant change of circulating Alarin levels in the subjects with treadmill exercise for 45 min. In healthy individuals, however, glucose challenge, acute hyperglycemia and lipid infusions resulted in increased circulating Alarin levels, while acute hyperinsulinaemia transiently decreased circulating Alarin levels. Conclusion: The present study provides the evidence that circulating Alarin levels are associated with MetS and insulin resistance.
Bone Marrow–Derived Proangiogenic Cells Mediate Pulmonary Arteriole Stiffening via Serotonin 2B Receptor Dependent Mechanism
Authors: Bloodworth Nathaniel C. , Clark Cynthia R. , West James D. , Snider J. Caleb , Gaskill Christa , Shay Sheila , Scott Christine , Bastarache Julie , Gladson Santhi , Moore Christy , D’Amico Reid , Brittain Evan L. , Tanjore Harikrishna , Blackwell Timothy S. , Majka Susan M. , Merryman W. David
Published: December 2018

Rationale:

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a deadly disease of the pulmonary vasculature for which no disease-modifying therapies exist. Small-vessel stiffening and remodeling are fundamental pathological features of pulmonary arterial hypertension that occur early and drive further endovascular cell dysfunction. Bone marrow (BM)–derived proangiogenic cells (PACs), a specialized heterogeneous subpopulation of myeloid lineage cells, are thought to play an important role in pathogenesis.

Objective:

To determine whether BM-derived PACs directly contributed to experimental pulmonary hypertension (PH) by promoting small-vessel stiffening through 5-HT
2B
(serotonin 2B receptor)–mediated signaling.

Methods and Results:

We performed BM transplants using transgenic donor animals expressing diphtheria toxin secondary to activation of an endothelial-specific tamoxifen-inducible Cre and induced experimental PH using hypoxia with SU5416 to enhance endovascular injury and ablated BM-derived PACs, after which we measured right ventricular systolic pressures in a closed-chest procedure. BM-derived PAC lineage tracing was accomplished by transplanting BM from transgenic donor animals with fluorescently labeled hematopoietic cells and treating mice with a 5-HT
2B
antagonist. BM-derived PAC ablation both prevented and reversed experimental PH with SU5416-enhanced endovascular injury, reducing the number of muscularized pulmonary arterioles and normalizing arteriole stiffness as measured by atomic force microscopy. Similarly, treatment with a pharmacological antagonist of 5-HT
2B
also prevented experimental PH, reducing the number and stiffness of muscularized pulmonary arterioles. PACs accelerated pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell injury response in vitro, and the presence of BM-derived PACs significantly correlated with stiffer pulmonary arterioles in pulmonary arterial hypertension patients and mice with experimental PH. RNA sequencing of BM-derived PACs showed that 5-HT
2B
antagonism significantly altered biologic pathways regulating cell proliferation, locomotion and migration, and cytokine production and response to cytokine stimulus.

Conclusions:

Together, our findings illustrate that BM-derived PACs directly contribute to experimental PH with SU5416-enhanced endovascular injury by mediating small-vessel stiffening and remodeling in a 5-HT
2B
signaling–dependent manner.
Abstract 004: Caloric Restriction Prevents the Increase in Body Weight but not Hypertension in ALMS1 (Alström syndrome 1) Knockout Rat
Authors: King-Medina Keyona N , Ortiz Pablo A
Published: December 2018

In humans, mutations in the ALMS1 gene cause obesity, diabetes and kidney disease. The mechanisms causing these alterations are unclear. We generated ALMS1 knockout (KO) rats in the Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) genetic background and found that ALMS1 KO are hypertensive (telemetry or tail-cuff) and develop obesity and insulin resistance. We found that ALMS1 is expressed in the kidney where it regulates thick ascending limb NaCl reabsorption. However, it is unclear whether the hypertension in the ALMS1KO occurs prior to or after the development of obesity and insulin resistance. W
e hypothesize that hypertension in the ALMS1 KO rats is primarily caused by a renal defect and not secondary to obesity
. We studied the effect of control feeding or caloric restriction (CR) in body weight (BW), blood glucose, glucose tolerance test (GTT) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) by tail-cuff in ALMS1 KO and wild-type Dahl SS (WT) littermate rats. A control group of ALMS1 KO and WT rats received 30 g/day regular chow (0.4% Na). A caloric restricted (CR) group received 20% less food (24 g/day) of a custom diet with 20% higher Na, vitamins and minerals, thereby matching Na intake. At 7 weeks of age, ALMS1 KO rats had similar BW (KO: 209±13 g vs. WT: 182±15 g), baseline glucose (KO: 88±3 vs. WT: 75±7 mg/dL, N.S.) and GTT. Importantly, SBP was higher in ALMS1 KO rats (KO: 156±5 vs. WT: 143+3 mmHg, p<0.05). By 11 weeks of age, KO rats had a greater BW (KO: 393±9 vs. WT:344±5 g, p<0.05) and higher SBP (KO:186±7 vs. WT:162±7 mmHg, p<0.05). Baseline glucose was higher (KO:101±5 vs. WT:65±4 mg/dL, p<.001) and peak levels of glucose during GTT were higher (KO:464±21 vs. WT:341±33, mg/dL, p<.0.05) in KO rats. Caloric restriction for 4 weeks prevented the difference in BW between KO and WT (KO:359±8 vs. WT:340±3 g, N.S.) and lowered BW compared to control feeding (KO control: 393±9 vs. KO- CR: 359±8 g, p<0.05). However SBP remained higher than in WT (KO:178±9 vs. WT:151±3 mmHg, p<0.05) and was not different from KO fed control diet. GTT was also not different between KO control and KO-CR. We conclude that the hypertension in rats with ALMS1 deficiency occurs prior to obesity and metabolic syndrome, and that CR prevents the increase in BW but does not prevent hypertension or improve insulin resistance in this rat model.
Abstract 007: Exogenous Delivery of Alpha-Calcitonin Gene Related Peptide Inhibits Apoptosis and Oxidative Stress and Protects Against Pressure-Induced Congestive Heart Failure
Authors: Kumar Ambrish , Supowit Scott , Potts Jay D , DiPette Donald J
Published: December 2018

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is the leading cause of mortality in men and women world-wide, despite multiple but limited treatment modalities. Our laboratory and others have established that α-calcitonin gene-related peptide (αCGRP) plays a significant protective role in several cardiovascular diseases. αCGRP is a 37-amino acid neuropeptide and potent vasodilator. In αCGRP-knockout mice, pressure overload significantly exacerbates cardiac hypertrophy, dysfunction and fibrosis. The present study was performed to determine if exogenous delivery of native αCGRP was cardio-protective against pressure overload-induced CHF. Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) was performed to induce pressure overload CHF in nine week old C57/BL6 mice. One group were sham-treated, one TAC alone, and one TAC plus αCGRP (4 mg/kg bwt/day) via an implanted mini-osmotic pump. All mice had serial echocardiography performed and were sacrificed and hearts collected after 28 days. ELISA data showed that αCGRP levels in the TAC left ventricle (LV) were significantly lower compared to sham LV, while αCGRP in the TAC-CGRP LVs was similar to sham levels. TAC alone significantly decreased fractional shortening (FS) and ejection fraction (EF), and increased cardiac hypertrophy, apoptosis, and fibrosis in the LV compared to sham mice. αCGRP in the TAC mice significantly preserved LV FS and EF, (FS ±SEM: sham 46.2±1.8%, TAC 25.4±1.1%, and TAC-CGRP 36.6±1.2%; EF ±SEM: sham 78±1.9%, TAC 51.3±1.5%, and TAC-CGRP 67.4±1.5%) and attenuated apoptosis (measured by cleaved caspase-3 and TUNEL staining), fibrosis, and oxidative stress (measured by lipid peroxidation, glutathione, and 8-OHdG levels) compared to TAC alone. Moreover, TAC increased the expression of sirtuin proteins (Sirt1, 2, 3, 5, and 7) and phosphorylation of AMPK, both of which are involved in oxidative stress and energy metabolism. This increase in Sirt-1 and -2 protein level was significantly attenuated by αCGRP. In addition, αCGRP markedly reduced phospho-AMPK level in the TAC LV back to control levels. Our results show that αCGRP protects against pressure-induced CHF which may be mediated by the inhibition of myocyte apoptosis and reduction in oxidative stress. Thus, αCGRP is an exciting therapeutic agent in CHF.
Abstract 011: Regression of Left Ventricle Hypertrophy and Improvement of Ventricular Dysfunction After Renal Revascularization is Dependent of Blood Pressure Response and Etiology of Renal Artery Stenosis
Authors: Bortolotto Luiz , Macedo Thiago A , Kajita Luis J , Marino Julio C , De Lima Jose J
Published: December 2018

Background:
Renovascular hypertension promotes humoral and hemodynamic overload on the cardiovascular system and it is unknown the clinical impact of the correction of renal artery stenosis (RAS) on the structure and function of the heart.We aimed to evaluate the effect of RAS correction on blood pressure (BP) and left ventricle (LV) morphology, function and mass index (LVMI).

Methods:
Ninety-eight hypertensive patients with significant RAS (> 70%) undergoing percutaneous intervention (26%) or surgical treatment (74%) with a minimum follow-up of 12 months entered the study. We analyzed echocardiographic measurements , including LVMI and ejection fraction (EF) before and after correction of RAS. The BP response after treatment was based on AHA guidelines: cured (BP<140/90 without drugs), improved (BP <140/90 with reduction of number of drugs) and failure.

Results:
The mean age was 46 ±17 years and 60% were female. The etiology of RAS was atherosclerosis (59%), arteritis (21%) and dysplasia (20%). Before treatment, echocardiography showed LVMI=162 ± 60 g/m2, 73.5% had LV hypertrophy (LVMI > 125 g/m2) and 13 patients had systolic dysfunction (EF<50%). In a mean follow-up of 51 ± 40 months, 62% were considered cured or improved (Benefit group) and 38% as Failure. In the Benefit group, mean LVMI in the follow-up was lower than in Failure group (129 ±44 vs 169 ±42 g/m2, p<.05). The reduction of LVMI was significantly greater in Benefit than in Failure group (23 ±5 vs. 9±9 g/m2, p<.03). The systolic function normalized in 10 from 13 patients with previous dysfunction. The mean LVMI reduction was higher in patients with arteritis than in those with atherosclerosis or dysplasia.

Conclusion:
Successful renal revascularization promotes significant reduction of LV hypertrophy and normalize previously impaired systolic dysfunction in patients with RAS. The regression of ventricle mass is dependent of BP response after treatment and is more impressive in patients with arteritis.
Abstract 012: Canstatin, a Fragment of Type IV Collagen α2 Chain, Inhibits Isoproterenol-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy in Rats
Authors: Sugiyama Akira , Okada Muneyoshi , Yamawaki Hideyuki
Published: December 2018

Background:
Canstatin, a cleaved C-terminal fragment of type IV collagen α2 chain, exerts anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor effects. We previously reported that canstatin is abundantly expressed in normal myocardial tissue of rats and protective against isoproterenol-induced apoptosis in H9c2 rat cardiomyoblasts. In the present study, we investigated the in vivo effects of canstatin on isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy model rats.

Methods:
Male Wistar rats (5-week-old) were subcutaneously treated with isoproterenol (ISO, 5 mg/kg/day) or saline (Cont) for 7 days (n=4). At the same time, recombinant mice canstatin (20 μg/kg/day) or vehicle was intraperitoneally administered (n=4). After the wall thickness was analyzed by an echocardiography, the hearts were isolated and weighed. Histological analysis was performed by an Azan staining. The expression of canstatin in left ventricle was analyzed by an immunohistochemical staining.

Results:
ISO significantly increased left ventricular weight (LVW/tail length: TL) (Cont: 30.8±1.7 vs. ISO: 45.2±2.0 mg/cm, P<0.01), which was significantly inhibited by canstatin (38.9±2.1 mg/cm, P<0.05). Echocardiography showed that ISO significantly increased left ventricular posterior wall at endo-diastole (LVPWd) (Cont: 0.16±0.02 vs. ISO: 0.23±0.01 cm, P<0.05), which was suppressed by canstatin (0.18± 0.01 cm). In histological analysis, ISO significantly increased the diameter of cardiomyocytes (Cont: 17.1±1.5 vs. ISO: 23.0±0.7 μm, P<0.01), which was significantly inhibited by canstatin (17.4±0.3 μm, P<0.01). Immunohistochemical staining showed that the expression of canstatin was decreased in the hypertrophic myocardial tissue (ISO: 76.6±18.2 % relative to Cont). We confirmed that canstatin alone-treatment had not effect on LVW/TL, LVPWd and diameter of cardiomyocytes.

Conclusions:
We for the first time revealed that canstatin is preventive against isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Although further studies are needed to clarify the underlying mechanisms, our results indicate canstatin as a novel cardioprotective endogenous molecule.
Abstract 013: Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Activators Improve Vascular Function and Attenuate Placental Ischemia-Induced Hypertension
Authors: Bakrania Bhavisha A , Spradley Frank T , Travis Adam B , Sandner Peter , Granger Joey P
Published: December 2018

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy specific disorder associated with maternal hypertension and endothelial dysfunction caused by the release of anti-angiogenic and pro-inflammatory factors from the ischemic placenta. In addition, PE is associated with depletion of nitric oxide (NO), which, during normal pregnancy, binds to soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), and synthesizes cGMP, to facilitate vasodilation. A recently developed drug, sGC activators have been shown to bind to the sGC molecule and increase activity independently of NO. However, whether these drugs might have therapeutic potential in PE is not known. We tested the hypothesis that sGC activators attenuates blood pressure in a placental ischemic rat by improving vascular function. Sprague-Dawley rats underwent Sham or RUPP (Reduced Uterine Perfusion Pressure) surgery on gestational day (GD) 14, where silver clips were placed on the abdominal aorta and branches of the ovarian artery to induce placental ischemia. Animals were then placed on placebo (P) or sGC activator (80 ppm, BAY 60-2770) -supplemented (sGC-A) diets, ad libitum, from GD14-19. To determine the effect of sGC activators on vascular function, uterine arteries were isolated from Sham and RUPP operated rats and mounted on a wire myograph. Vessels were pre-constricted and vasodilation was assessed by increasing doses of the sGC activator (Cinaciguat; Sigma, St Louis, MO). On GD19, RUPP surgery had significantly increased mean arterial blood pressure as expected (Sham+P,
n
=6, 100±6 mmHg; RUPP+P,
n
=6, 117±4 mmHg; P<0.01), and was attenuated by treatment with the sGC activator (RUPP+sGC-A,
n
=6, 108±6 mmHg; P=0.02). Interestingly, in the presence of sGC activators (Cinaciguat), uterine arteries isolated from RUPP rats exhibited significantly improved vasodilation at doses of 1μM (Sham,
n
=5, 7±0.5 %; RUPP,
n
=3, 25±0.8 %; P<0.01) and 5μM (Sham,
n
=5, 7±0.5 %; RUPP,
n
=3, 28±1 %; P<0.01) compared to the Sham group. The results of this study demonstrate that activating sGC can reduce blood pressure by improving vascular function in the RUPP rat. In conclusion, these findings suggest there could be a therapeutic potential for treating preeclampsia with sGC activators.