bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of high-fat diet on vasoconstrictor reactivity of white and brown adipose tissue resistance arteries
Authors: Hazra Sugata , Henson Grant D. , Bramwell R. Colton , Donato Anthony J. , Lesniewski Lisa A.
Published: December 2018

Blood flow regulation is a critical factor for tissue oxygenation and substrate supply. Increased reactivity of arteries to vasoconstrictors may increase vascular resistance, resulting in reduced blood flow. We aimed to investigate the effect of a high-fat (HF) diet on stiffness and vasoconstrictor reactivity of white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) resistance arteries and also investigated the interconversion of both adipose depots in the setting of a HF diet. Vasoconstrictor reactivity and passive morphology and mechanical properties of arteries from B6D2F1 mice (5 mo old) fed normal chow (NC) or a HF diet (8 wk) were measured using pressure myography. Receptor gene expression in WAT and BAT arteries and markers of WAT and BAT were assessed in whole tissue lysates by real-time RT-PCR. Despite greater receptor-independent vasoconstriction (in response to KCl, P < 0.01), vasoconstriction in response to angiotensin II ( P < 0.01) was lower in NC-BAT than NC-WAT arteries and similar in response to endothelin-1 ( P = 0.07) and norepinephrine ( P = 0.11) in NC-BAT and NC-WAT arteries. With the exception of BAT artery reactivity to endothelin-1 and angiotensin II, the HF diet tended to attenuate reactivity in arteries from both adipose depots and increased expression of adipose markers in BAT. No significant differences in morphology or passive mechanical properties were found between adipose types or diet conditions. Alterations in gene expression of adipose markers after the HF diet suggest beiging of BAT. An increase in brown adipocytes in the absence of increased BAT mass may be a compensatory mechanism to dissipate excess energy from a HF diet.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Despite no differences in passive mechanical properties and greater receptor-independent vasoconstriction, receptor-mediated vasoconstriction was either lower in brown than white adipose tissue arteries or similar in brown and white adipose tissue arteries. A high-fat diet has a greater impact on vasoconstrictor responses in white adipose tissue but leads to altered adipose tissue gene expression consistent with beiging of the brown adipose tissue.

Listen to this article's corresponding podcast at https://ajpheart.podbean.com/e/vasoconstriction-in-white-and-brown-adipose/ .
Transfer function of the rhesus macaque oculomotor system for small-amplitude slow motion trajectories
Authors: Skinner Julianne , Buonocore Antimo , Hafed Ziad M.
Published: December 2018

Two main types of small eye movements occur during gaze fixation: microsaccades and slow ocular drifts. While microsaccade generation has been relatively well studied, ocular drift control mechanisms are unknown. Here we explored the degree to which monkey smooth eye movements, on the velocity scale of slow ocular drifts, can be generated systematically. Two male rhesus macaque monkeys tracked a spot moving sinusoidally, but slowly, along the horizontal or vertical direction. Maximum target displacement in the motion trajectory was 30 min arc (0.5°), and we varied the temporal frequency of target motion from 0.2 to 5 Hz. We obtained an oculomotor “transfer function” by measuring smooth eye velocity gain (relative to target velocity) as a function of frequency, similar to past work with large-amplitude pursuit. Monkey eye velocities as slow as those observed during slow ocular drifts were clearly target motion driven. Moreover, as with large-amplitude smooth pursuit, eye velocity gain varied with temporal frequency. However, unlike with large-amplitude pursuit, exhibiting low-pass behavior, small-amplitude motion tracking was band pass, with the best ocular movement gain occurring at ~0.8–1 Hz. When oblique directions were tested, we found that the horizontal component of pursuit gain was larger than the vertical component. Our results provide a catalog of the control abilities of the monkey oculomotor system for slow target motions, and they also support the notion that smooth fixational ocular drifts are controllable. This has implications for neural investigations of drift control and the image-motion consequences of drifts on visual coding in early visual areas.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We studied the efficacy of monkey smooth pursuit eye movements for very slow target velocities. Pursuit was impaired for sinusoidal motions of frequency less than ~0.8–1 Hz. Nonetheless, eye trajectory was still sinusoidally modulated, even at velocities lower than those observed during gaze fixation with slow ocular drifts. Our results characterize the slow control capabilities of the monkey oculomotor system and provide a basis for future understanding of the neural mechanisms for slow ocular drifts.
Effects of mirror-box therapy on modulation of sensorimotor EEG oscillatory rhythms: a single-case longitudinal study
Authors: Rosipal Roman , Porubcová Natália , Barančok Peter , Cimrová Barbora , Farkaš Igor , Trejo Leonardo Jose
Published: December 2018

We provide direct electrophysiological evidence that mirror therapy (MT) can change brain activity and aid in the recovery of motor function after stroke. In this longitudinal single-case study, the subject was a 58-yr-old man with right-hand hemiplegia due to ischemic stroke. Over a 9-mo period we treated him with MT twice a week and measured electroencephalograms (EEG) before, during, and after each therapy session. Using advanced signal processing methods, we identified five distinct movement-related oscillatory EEG components: one slow component designated as mu rhythm and four faster components designated as sensorimotor rhythms. Results show that MT produced long-term changes of two oscillatory EEG components including the mu rhythm, which is a well-documented correlate of voluntary movement in the frequency range of 7.5–12 Hz. Specifically, MT was significantly associated with an increase in the power of mu rhythm recorded over both hemispheres and a decrease in the power of one sensorimotor component recorded over the affected hemisphere. To obtain robust, repeatable individual measures of EEG components suitable for longitudinal study, we used irregular-resampling autospectral analysis to separate fractal and oscillatory components in the EEG power spectrum and three-way parallel factor analysis to isolate oscillatory EEG components and track their activations over time. The rhythms were identified over individual days of MT training and were clearly related to the periods of event-related desynchronization and synchronization (rest, observe, and move) during MT. Our results are consistent with a model in which MT promotes recovery of motor function by altering neural activity associated with voluntary movement.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We provide novel evidence that mirror therapy (MT), which helps in the recovery of motor function after a stroke, is also associated with long-lasting changes in brain electrical activity. Using precise measurements of oscillatory EEG components over a 9-mo period in a victim of ischemic stroke, we showed that MT produced long-term increases in the mu rhythm recorded over both hemispheres and a decrease in a sensorimotor EEG component recorded over the affected hemisphere.
Learning to Air-Breathe: The First Steps
Authors: Bayley Mark , Damsgaard Christian , Thomsen Mikkel , Malte Hans , Wang Tobias
Published: December 2018

Air-breathing in vertebrates has evolved many times among the bony fish while in water. Its appearance has had a fundamental impact on the regulation of ventilation and acid-base status. We review the physico-chemical constraints imposed by water and air, place the extant air-breathing fish into this framework, and show how that the advantages of combining control of ventilation and acid-base status are only available to the most obligate of air-breathing fish, thus highlighting promising avenues for research.
High-Intensity Exercise and Mitochondrial Biogenesis: Current Controversies and Future Research Directions
Authors: Bishop David J. , Botella Javier , Genders Amanda J. , Lee Matthew J-C. , Saner Nicholas J. , Kuang Jujiao , Yan Xu , Granata Cesare
Published: December 2018

It is well established that different types of exercise can provide a powerful stimulus for mitochondrial biogenesis. However, there are conflicting findings in the literature, and a consensus has not been reached regarding the efficacy of high-intensity exercise to promote mitochondrial biogenesis in humans. The purpose of this review is to examine current controversies in the field and to highlight some important methodological issues that need to be addressed to resolve existing conflicts.
Lower Body Negative Pressure: Physiological Effects, Applications, and Implementation
Authors: Goswami Nandu , Blaber Andrew Philip , Hinghofer-Szalkay Helmut , Convertino Victor A.
Published: December 2018

This review presents lower body negative pressure (LBNP) as a unique tool to investigate the physiology of integrated systemic compensatory responses to altered hemodynamic patterns during conditions of central hypovolemia in humans. An early review published in Physiological Reviews over 40 yr ago (Wolthuis et al. Physiol Rev 54: 566–595, 1974) focused on the use of LBNP as a tool to study effects of central hypovolemia, while more than a decade ago a review appeared that focused on LBNP as a model of hemorrhagic shock (Cooke et al. J Appl Physiol (1985) 96: 1249–1261, 2004). Since then there has been a great deal of new research that has applied LBNP to investigate complex physiological responses to a variety of challenges including orthostasis, hemorrhage, and other important stressors seen in humans such as microgravity encountered during spaceflight. The LBNP stimulus has provided novel insights into the physiology underlying areas such as intolerance to reduced central blood volume, sex differences concerning blood pressure regulation, autonomic dysfunctions, adaptations to exercise training, and effects of space flight. Furthermore, approaching cardiovascular assessment using prediction models for orthostatic capacity in healthy populations, derived from LBNP tolerance protocols, has provided important insights into the mechanisms of orthostatic hypotension and central hypovolemia, especially in some patient populations as well as in healthy subjects. This review also presents a concise discussion of mathematical modeling regarding compensatory responses induced by LBNP. Given the diverse applications of LBNP, it is to be expected that new and innovative applications of LBNP will be developed to explore the complex physiological mechanisms that underline health and disease.
RMTS: A Novel Approach to Transmission Scheduling in Ad Hoc Networks by Salvaging Unused Slot Transmission Assignments
Authors: Bollapragada Subrahmanya Vikas , Russell Harlan B.
Published: December 2018

In mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) there is no centralized supervision over the network operations. In such networks, it is imperative to have protocols that are implemented locally in a distributed manner. To achieve high network performance utilizing only the wireless channels a distributed transmission‐scheduling medium‐access control (MAC) protocol is desirable. This type of protocol can guarantee a certain level of quality of service (QOS) and works well in congested networks. However, the transmission schedules are often decided in advance and if a node does not have a packet to transmit in its assigned slot then the slot is unused. We propose a protocol called recovering minislots transmission scheduling (RMTS) that salvages these unused transmission slots that would have otherwise been wasted. We show that the proposed protocol produces significant improvements in network performance over traditional transmission‐scheduling approaches.
Homocysteine-Enhanced Proteolytic and Fibrinolytic Processes in Thin Intraluminal Thrombus and Adjacent Wall of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Study In Vitro
Authors: Siennicka Aldona , Zuchowski Marta , Chełstowski Kornel , Cnotliwy Miłosław , Clark Jeremy Simon , Jastrzębska Maria
Published: December 2018

Homocysteine (Hcy) may affect the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) through enhancement of proteolysis and an impaired coagulation/fibrinolysis system. Intensified haemostatic capacity may promote local proteolytic degradation of the aortic wall. This study aimed to examine the effects of Hcy on haemostatic and proteolytic processes in samples of thick and thin fragments of the ILT and underlying walls.Subjects and Methods. Thirty-six patients who underwent AAA surgery were enrolled. Aneurysm tissue sections were incubated with DL-Hcy (100 and 500μmol/L) in a series of experiments and analyzed for concentration/activity of proteolytic and haemostatic markers by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results. Incubation of wall underlying thin ILT segments (B) with DL-Hcy resulted in an increase of active MMP-2 levels compared to control tissue (9.54 ± 5.88 versus 7.44 ± 4.48, p=0.011). DL-Hcy also induced t-PA and plasminogen concentration increases in thin thrombus sections (B1) compared to control tissue (respectively: 1.39 ± 1.65 versus 0.84 ± 0.74, p=0.024; 11.64 ± 5.05 versus 10.34 ± 5.52, p=0.018). In contrast, wall adjacent to thick thrombus segments (A) showed decreases in MMP-2 and TF activities compared to control (respectively, 5.89 ± 3.39 versus 7.26 ± 5.49, p=0.046; 67.13 ± 72.59 versus 114.46 ± 106.29, p=0.007). In thick ILT sections (A1), DL-Hcy decreased MMP-2 activity and t-PA and plasminogen concentrations compared to control tissue (respectively, 2.53 ± 2.02 versus 3.28 ± 2.65, p=0.006; 0.67 ± 0.57 versus 0.96 ± 0.91, p=0.021; 9.25 ± 4.59 versus 12.63 ± 9.56, p=0.017). In addition, analysis revealed positive correlations at all sites between activities/concentrations of MMP-2, TF, and PAI-1 measured in control tissues and after incubation with DL-Hcy.Conclusions. These data indicate the potential for excess Hcy to enhance damage of arterial wall in thinner AAA segments as a result of the increased activity of MMP-2 and fibrinolytic factors.
Doxazosin and Carvedilol Treatment Improves Hepatic Regeneration in a Hamster Model of Cirrhosis
Authors: Serna-Salas Sandra Alejandra , Navarro-González Yesenia Danyeli , Martínez-Hernández Sandra Luz , Barba-Gallardo Luis Fernando , Sánchez-Alemán Esperanza , Aldaba-Muruato Liseth Rubí , Macías-Pérez José Roberto , Ventura-Juárez Javier , Muñoz-Ortega Martin Humberto
Published: December 2018

Regulation of the mechanisms of fibrosis is an important goal in the treatment of liver cirrhosis. One mechanism is the participation of hepatic stellate cells in fibrogenesis when activated by catecholamines. Consequently, α/β adrenoblockers are proposed as an alternative treatment for chronic liver lesions such as fibrosis and/or cirrhosis and for possible liver regeneration. We herein analyzed the effect of doxazosin and carvedilol treatments during the regeneration of tissue in a hamster model of liver cirrhosis. Tissue samples were examined by H&E and PAS to evaluate tissue damage and with Sirius red to assess collagen fiber content. ALT, AST, albumin, and total proteins were examined by spectrophotometry. Determination of the levels of α-SMA and TGF-β in hepatic tissue was examined by Western blot and of the expression of TIMP-2, MMP-13, α-FP, HGF, CK-7, and c-Myc was examined by qPCR. Treatment with doxazosin or carvedilol prompted histological recovery and reduced collagen fibers in the livers of cirrhotic hamsters. The expression of TIMP-2 decreased and that of MMP-13 increases in animals treated with adrenoblockers with respect to the group with cirrhosis. Additionally, the concentration of α-SMA and TGF-β declined with both drugs with respect to placebo p<0.05. On the other hand, each drug treatment led to a distinct scenario for cell proliferation markers. Whereas doxazosin produced no irregularities in α-FP, Ki-67, and c-Myc expression, carvedilol induced an increment in the expression of these markers with respect to the intact. Hence, doxazosin and carvedilol are potential treatments for the regression of hepatic cirrhosis in hamsters in relation to the decrease of collagen in the hepatic parenchyma. However, at regeneration level we observed that doxazosin caused slight morphological changes in hepatocytes, such as its balonization without affecting the hepatic function, and on the other hand, carvedilol elicited a slight irregular expression of cell proliferation markers.
Potential of Zeolite and Algae in Biomass Immobilization
Authors: Emami Moghaddam Seyed Amirebrahim , Harun Razif , Mokhtar Mohd Noriznan , Zakaria Rabitah
Published: December 2018

The interest in utilizing algae for wastewater treatment has been increased due to many advantages. Algae-wastewater treatment system offers a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional treatment processes such as electrocoagulation and flocculation. In this biosystem, algae can assimilate nutrients in the wastewater for their growth and simultaneously capture the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis resulting in a decrease in the greenhouse gaseousness. Furthermore, the algal biomass obtained from the treatment process could be further converted to produce high value-added products. However, the recovery of free suspended algae from the treated effluent is one of the most important challenges during the treatment process as the current methods such as centrifugation and filtration are faced with the high cost. Immobilization of algae is a suitable approach to overcome the harvesting issue. However, there are some drawbacks with the common immobilization carriers such as alginate and polyacrylamide related to low stability and toxicity, respectively. Hence, it is necessary to apply a new carrier without the mentioned problems. One of the carriers that can be a suitable candidate for the immobilization is zeolite. To date, various types of zeolite have been used for the immobilization of cells of bacteria and yeast. If there is any possibility to apply them for the immobilization of algae, it needs to be considered in further studies. This article reviews cell immobilization technique, biomass immobilization onto zeolites, and algal immobilization with their applications. Furthermore, the potential application of zeolite as an ideal carrier for algal immobilization has been discussed.
Analyzing Nonlinear Dynamics via Data‐Driven Dynamic Mode Decomposition‐Like Methods
Authors: Le Clainche Soledad , Vega José M.
Published: December 2018

This article presents a review on two methods based on dynamic mode decomposition and its multiple applications, focusing on higher order dynamic mode decomposition (which provides a purely temporal Fourier‐like decomposition) and spatiotemporal Koopman decomposition (which gives a spatiotemporal Fourier‐like decomposition). These methods are purely data‐driven, using either numerical or experimental data, and permit reconstructing the given data and identifying the temporal growth rates and frequencies involved in the dynamics and the spatial growth rates and wavenumbers in the case of the spatiotemporal Koopman decomposition. Thus, they may be used to either identify and extrapolate the dynamics from transient behavior to permanent dynamics or construct efficient, purely data‐driven reduced order models.
Eigenvalue Bounds for a Class of Schrödinger Operators in a Strip
Authors: Karuhanga Martin
Published: December 2018

This paper is concerned with the estimation of the number of negative eigenvalues (bound states) of Schrödinger operators in a strip subject to Neumann boundary conditions. The estimates involve weighted L1 norms and Lln⁡L norms of the potential. Estimates involving the norms of the potential supported by a curve embedded in a strip are also presented.
A Linkage Between Thyroid and Breast Cancer: A Common Etiology?
Authors: Bolf Eric L. , Sprague Brian L. , Carr Frances E.
Published: December 2018

Breast and thyroid cancers are two malignancies with highest incidence in women. These cancers often occur metachronously. Women with thyroid cancer are at increased risk for subsequent breast cancer; women with breast cancer have an increased incidence of later development of thyroid cancer, suggesting a common etiology. This bidirectional relationship is reported worldwide; however, the underlying reasons for this co-occurrence are unknown. In this review, we summarize the current epidemiologic evidence and putative mechanisms of these metachronous or synchronous cancers. Key potential causative factors are chemotherapy and radiotherapy of the primary tumor, genetic variants linking the two diseases, hormonal signaling both from the thyroid gland and from estrogens, and lifestyle and environmental factors. There is a critical need for additional epidemiologic studies focused on gender and regional incidence together with molecular investigations on common tumorigenic pathways in these endocrine cancers. Understanding the putative mechanisms will aid in the diagnosis and clinical management of both diseases.
The Antitumor Drugs Trabectedin and Lurbinectedin Induce Transcription-Dependent Replication Stress and Genome Instability
Authors: Tumini Emanuela , Herrera-Moyano Emilia , San Martín-Alonso Marta , Barroso Sonia , Galmarini Carlos M. , Aguilera Andrés
Published: December 2018

R-loops are a major source of replication stress, DNA damage, and genome instability, which are major hallmarks of cancer cells. Accordingly, growing evidence suggests that R-loops may also be related to cancer. Here we show that R-loops play an important role in the cellular response to trabectedin (ET743), an anticancer drug from marine origin and its derivative lurbinectedin (PM01183). Trabectedin and lurbinectedin induced RNA–DNA hybrid-dependent DNA damage in HeLa cells, causing replication impairment and genome instability. We also show that high levels of R-loops increase cell sensitivity to trabectedin. In addition, trabectedin led to transcription-dependent FANCD2 foci accumulation, which was suppressed by RNase H1 overexpression. In yeast, trabectedin and lurbinectedin increased the presence of Rad52 foci, a marker of DNA damage, in an R-loop–dependent manner. In addition to providing new insights into the mechanisms of action of these drugs, our study reveals that R-loops could be targeted by anticancer agents. Given the increasing evidence that R-loops occur all over the genome, the ability of lurbinectedin and trabectedin to act on them may contribute to enhance their efficacy, opening the possibility that R-loops might be a feature shared by specific cancers.

Implications:

The data presented in this study provide the new concept that R-loops are important cellular factors that contribute to trabectedin and lurbinectedin anticancer activity.
The Relationship between Weight Status and Depressive Symptoms in a Population Sample with Obesity: The Mediating Role of Appearance Evaluation
Authors: Weinberger Natascha-Alexandra , Kersting Anette , Riedel-Heller Steffi G. , Luck-Sikorski Claudia
Published: December 2018

Objectives: Identifying the underlying pathways between obesity and depression and which individuals with obesity are at risk for developing depressive symptoms is important for improving prevention and treatment efforts. The current study investigated appearance evaluation as a potential mediator of the relationship between obesity and depression. Methods: A total of 1,000 participants with a self-reported BMI greater than 30 kg/m2 were interviewed about their experiences with an elevated body weight and completed measures on appearance evaluation and depression. Results: A negative relationship between satisfaction with appearance and BMI and a negative association between satisfaction with appearance and depression was found in men and women. Men reported less depressive symptoms and higher satisfaction with appearance compared to women. While no mediation effect could be determined in women, satisfaction with appearance mediated the obesity-depression relationship in men. Conclusions: Efforts to reduce adverse effects of either obesity or depression need to take the reciprocal relationship between the two conditions into account. The current findings underscore the importance of appearance evaluation for treatment efforts in individuals with obesity. Interventions addressing body image might improve both, psychological distress and weight management efforts in general.
Comparative Study of MSCA-1 and CD146 Isolated Periosteal Cell Subpopulations
Authors: Umrath Felix , Thomalla Carla , Pöschel Simone , Schenke-Layland Katja , Reinert Siegmar , Alexander Dorothea
Published: December 2018

Background/Aims: Periosteal tissue is a valuable source of multipotent stem cells for bone tissue engineering. To characterize these cells in detail, we generated an immortalized human cranial periosteal cell line and observed an increased MSCA-1 and CD146 expression, as well as an earlier and stronger mineralization compared to the parental cells. Further, we detected a higher osteogenic potential of MSCA-1high compared to MSCA-1low cranial periosteal cell (CPC) fractions. In the present study, a possible synergism of MSCA-1 and CD146 for periosteal cell mineralization was investigated. Methods: MSCA-1/CD146 positive and negative CPCs were magnetically isolated (MACS) or sorted by flow cytometry (FACS) and subjected to osteogenic differentiation. The expression of osteogenic marker genes in the four subpopulations was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. Furthermore, the co-expression of osteogenic markers/antigens was analyzed by multispectral imaging flow cytometry (ImageStream, AMNIS). The mineralization potential was assessed by the quantification of alizarin stainings. Results: While the total cell yield after separation was higher using MACS compared to the FACS approach, the isolation of MSCA-1+/- and CD146+/- subpopulations was more efficient with the FACS separation. The accuracy of the FACS separation of the four distinguished cell subpopulations was confirmed by multispectral imaging flow cytometry. Further, we detected increasing levels of MSCA-1 and CD146 during in vitro differentiation in all subpopulations. However, MSCA-1 expression was significantly higher in the MSCA-1+/CD146+ and MSCA-1+/ CD146- subpopulations, while CD146 expression remained clearly lower in these fractions. Significantly higher gene expression levels of osteogenic markers, ALP and RUNX2, were detected in MSCA-1+ compared to MSCA-1- CPCs at different time points during in vitro differentiation. Staining and quantification of calcium phosphate precipitates revealed a significantly higher mineralization potential of MACS separated MSCA-1+ and CD146- CPCs, compared to their respective counterparts. FACS sorted CPCs displayed earlier mineralization in both MSCA-1+ fractions (d13), while later (d28) only the CD146+/MSCA-1- fraction had a significantly lower calcium phosphate concentration compared to all other fractions. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate, that MSCA-1+ cells isolated from CPCs represent a subpopulation with a higher osteogenic potential. In contrast, we found a lower osteogenic potential in CD146+ CPCs. In conclusion, only MSCA-1, but not CD146, is a suitable marker for the isolation of osteoprogenitors from CPCs.
A educação pela linguagem em Perto do coração selvagem e A maçã no escuro
Authors: Teixeira Mona Lisa Bezerra
Published: December 2018

Em perto do coração selvagem e A maçã no escuro, os protagonistas oscilam entre a aproximação junto a outros indivíduos e o isolamento, como uma espécie de exercício de aprendizagem diante da existência. E nesse processo de educação dramático, a linguagem é muitas vezes expressa de maneira contraventora. Joana e Martim nunca estão satisfeitos com os questionamentos que fazem e tampouco com as respostas que alcançam. Mas suas trajetórias de angústia evidenciam, sob várias nuances, o desamparo da condição humana, tão bem representado pela forma do romance.
Os miseráveis e a causa do povo
Authors: Galvão Walnice Nogueira
Published: December 2018

Grande poeta e dramaturgo, Victor Hugo destacou-se igualmente no romance: Os miseráveis constitui um marco no desenvolvimento do gênero épico. Inextricavelmente ligado à militância do autor em prol dos oprimidos, assinala o ponto mais alto da vocação humanitária do Romantismo, seu senso messiânico e seu sopro titânico. Na literatura brasileira a grife do Mestre assinalaria a obra de vários discípulos, entre outros Castro Alves e Euclides da Cunha.
Development and Preliminary Validation of a Medicare Claims–Based Model to Predict Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Class in Patients With Heart Failure
Authors: Desai Rishi J. , Lin Kueiyu Joshua , Patorno Elisabetta , Barberio Julie , Lee Moa , Levin Raisa , Evers Thomas , Wang Shirley V. , Schneeweiss Sebastian
Published: December 2018

Background:

Ejection fraction (EF) class is an important predictor of treatment response in heart failure (HF); however, administrative claims databases lack information on EF, limiting their usefulness in clinical and health services research of HF.

Methods and Results:

We linked Medicare claims data to electronic medical records containing EF measurements for a cohort of 11 073 patients with HF from 2 academic medical centers. A a claims-based model predicting EF class was constructed using data from center 1 (“training sample”) and validated using data from center 2 (“testing sample). Linear and logistic regression models with least absolute square shrinkage operator and Bayesian information criteria were developed to select the relevant predictor variables out of the total 57 candidate variables in the training sample. Higher accuracy was noted in the testing sample with models classifying patients into 2 EF classes (reduced EF <0.45) versus preserved EF (≥0.45) when compared with classifying patients into 3 EF classes (reduced, <0.40, moderately reduced, 0.40–0.49, or preserved, ≥0.50). In the testing sample, the most efficient model had 35 predictors and resulted in 83% of patients being correctly classified (95% CI, 82%–84%). The model had positive predictive value of 0.73 (95% CI, 0.68–0.78) and 0.84 (95% CI, 0.83–0.86) and sensitivity of 0.29 (95% CI, 0.25–0.32) and 0.97 (95% CI, 0.97–0.98) for reduced and preserved EF, respectively. In addition to HF-specific diagnosis codes, other factors including age, sex, medication use, and comorbidities, such as myocardial infarction and valve disorders, were important discriminators between EF classes.

Conclusions:

The claims-based model developed in this study may be used to identify patient subgroups with specific EF class in studies evaluating the health outcomes, utilization patterns, and cost, of HF patients in routine care when EF measurements are not available.
Comparative Cost-Effectiveness of Clinic, Home, or Ambulatory Blood Pressure Measurement for Hypertension Diagnosis in US Adults
Authors: Beyhaghi Hadi , Viera Anthony J.
Published: December 2018

Previous cost-effectiveness models found ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) to be a favorable strategy to diagnose hypertension; however, they mostly focused on older adults with a positive clinic blood pressure (BP) screen. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of 3 methods of BP measurement for hypertension diagnosis in primary care settings among 14 age- and sex-stratified hypothetical cohorts (adults ≥21 years of age), accounting for the possibility of both false-positive (white-coat hypertension) and false-negative (masked hypertension) clinic measurements. We compared quality-adjusted life-years and lifetime costs ($US 2017 from the US healthcare perspective) associated with clinic BP measurement, home BP monitoring, and ABPM under 2 scenarios: positive and negative initial screen. Model parameters were obtained from published literature, publicly available data sources, and expert input. In the screen-positive scenario, ABPM was the dominant strategy among all age and sex groups. Compared with clinic BP measurement, ABPM was associated with cost-savings ranging from $77 (women 80 years of age) to $5013 (women 21 years of age). In the screen-negative scenario, ABPM was the dominant strategy in all men and women <80 years of age with cost-savings ranging from $128 (women 70 years of age) to $2794 (women 21 years of age). Sensitivity analyses showed that results were sensitive to test specificity and antihypertensive medication costs. ABPM is recommended as the diagnostic strategy of choice for most adults in primary care settings regardless of initial screening results.
Out-of-Clinic Sympathetic Activity Is Increased in Patients With Masked Uncontrolled Hypertension
Authors: Siddiqui Mohammed , Judd Eric K. , Jaeger Byron C. , Bhatt Hemal , Dudenbostel Tanja , Zhang Bin , Edwards Lloyd J. , Oparil Suzanne , Calhoun David A.
Published: December 2018

Masked uncontrolled hypertension (MUCH) is defined as controlled automated office blood pressure (BP; AOBP <135/85 mm Hg) in-clinic in patients receiving antihypertensive medication(s) but uncontrolled BP out-of-clinic by 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM; awake ≥135/85 mm Hg). We hypothesized that MUCH patients have greater out-of-clinic sympathetic activity compared with true controlled hypertensives. Patients being treated for hypertension were prospectively recruited after 3 or more consecutive clinic visits. All patients were evaluated by in-clinic automated office BP, plasma catecholamines, and spot-urine/plasma metanephrines. In addition, out-of-clinic 24-hour ABPM, 24-hour urinary for catecholamines and metanephrines was done. Out of 237 patients recruited, 169 patients had controlled in-clinic BP of which 156 patients had completed ABPM. Seventy-four were true controlled hypertensives, that is controlled by clinic automated office BP and by out-of-clinic ABPM. The remaining 82 were controlled by clinic automated office BP, but uncontrolled during out-of-clinic ABPM, indicative of MUCH. After exclusion of 4 patients because of inadequate or lack of 24-hour urinary collections, 72 true controlled hypertensive and 80 MUCH patients were analyzed. MUCH patients had significantly higher out-of-clinic BP variability and lower heart rate variability compared with true controlled hypertensives, as well as higher levels of out-of-clinic urinary catecholamines and metanephrines levels consistent with higher out-of-clinic sympathetic activity. In contrast, there was no difference in in-clinic plasma catecholamines and spot-urine/plasma levels of metanephrines between the 2 groups, consistent with similar levels of sympathetic activity while in clinic. MUCH patients have evidence of heightened out-of-clinic sympathetic activity compared with true controlled hypertensives, which may contribute to the development of MUCH.
Confidence interval for quantiles and percentiles
Authors: Ialongo Cristiano
Published: December 2018

Quantiles and percentiles represent useful statistical tools for describing the distribution of results and deriving reference intervals and performance specification in laboratory medicine. They are commonly intended as the sample estimate of a population parameter and therefore they need to be presented with a confidence interval (CI). In this work we discuss three methods to estimate CI on quantiles and percentiles using parametric, nonparametric and resampling (bootstrap) approaches. The result of our numerical simulations is that parametric methods are always more accurate regardless of sample size when the procedure is appropriate for the distribution of results for both extreme (2.5th and 97.5th) and central (25th, 50th and 75th) percentiles and corresponding quantiles. We also show that both nonparametric and bootstrap methods suit well the CI of central percentiles that are used to derive performance specifications through quality indicators of laboratory processes whose underlying distribution is unknown.
Standardization in laboratory medicine: Two years’ experience from category 1 EQA programs in Spain
Authors: Ricós Carmen , Bullich Sandra , Fernández-Calle Pilar , Fernández-Fernández Pilar , García-Lario José-Vicente , Alvarez Virtudes , Simón Margarita , Marques Fernando , Minchinela Joana , Corte Zoraida , Ventura Montserrat , Diaz-Garzón Jorge , González-Lao Elisabet , Boned Beatriz , Perich Carmen
Published: December 2018

Introduction: Standardization is the ability to obtain interchangeable results leading to same medical interpretation. External quality assessment (EQA) is the main support of the on-going harmonization initiatives. Aim of study was to evaluate results obtained from two years category 1 EQA program experience in Spain and determine the impact of applying this type of EQA program on the analytical standardization. Materials and methods: According to the analytical method, traceability and instrument different groups were established which results were evaluated by calculating mean, coefficient of variation and percent of deviation to the reference value. Analytical performance specifications used to the results' evaluation were derived from biological variation for bias and from the inter-laboratory coefficients of variation found in a previous pilot study. Results: Only creatinine measured by enzymatic methods gave excellent results, although few laboratories used this method. Creatine kinase and GGT gave good precision and bias in all, but one instrument studied. For the remaining analytes (ALT, ALP, AST, bilirubin, calcium, chloride, glucose, magnesium, potassium, sodium, total protein and urate) some improvement is still necessary to achieve satisfactory standardization in our setting. Conclusions: The two years of category 1 EQA program experience in Spain have manifested a lack of standardization of 17 most frequent biochemistry tests used in our laboratories. The impact of the information obtained on the lack of standardization is to recommend abandoning methods such as ALT, AST without exogenous pyridoxal phosphate, Jaffe method for creatinine, and do not use non-commutable calibrators, such as aqueous solutions for calcium and sodium.
Sigma metric revisited: True known mistakes
Authors: Coskun Abdurrahman , Serteser Mustafa , Ünsal Ibrahim
Published: December 2018

Six Sigma methodology has been used successfully in industry since the mid-1980s. Unfortunately, the same success has not been achieved in laboratory medicine. In this case, although the multidisciplinary structure of laboratory medicine is an important factor, the concept and statistical principles of Six Sigma have not been transferred correctly from industry to laboratory medicine. Furthermore, the performance of instruments and methods used in laboratory medicine is calculated by a modified equation that produces a value lower than the actual level. This causes unnecessary, increasing pressure on manufacturers in the market. We concluded that accurate implementation of the sigma metric in laboratory medicine is essential to protect both manufacturers by calculating the actual performance level of instruments, and patients by calculating the actual error rates.
Case report: An index of suspicion in hyponatraemia
Authors: Barkhuizen Marizna , Hoffmann Mariza , Zöllner Ekkehard WA , Erasmus Rajiv T. , Zemlin Annalise E.
Published: December 2018

Serum indices can give valuable information and should be interpreted as a result. Lipaemia can influence results through different mechanisms, an
important one being the electrolyte exclusion effect. A case of pseudohyponatraemia due to this is reported. A 15-year-old female with type 2 diabetes
was seen for follow-up. Her biochemistry results revealed severe hyponatraemia of 118 mmol/L. Her capillary glucose concentration was 13.7
mmol/L with a corrected sodium of 122 mmol/L. A lipaemic index of 3+ (absolute value 1320) was noted, which was not flagged by the laboratory
information system, as it was below the critical lipaemia limit for sodium determination. Repeated analysis of the same sample using a direct ion
selective electrode method, the serum sodium concentration was 134 mmol/L (sodium corrected for glucose = 138 mmol/L). A triglyceride concentration
was requested, which was severely raised (100.1 mmol/L). The electrolyte exclusion effect is an analytical phenomenon that causes falsely
low electrolyte concentrations in the presence of severe lipaemia or hyperproteinaemia when using indirect analytical methods. These methods are
used on many modern-day automated chemistry analysers and should be considered in a patient with asymptomatic hyponatraemia.
In Pursuit of Shadows: Al-Hariri’s Maqāmāt
Authors: Roxburgh David J.
Published: December 2018

Focusing on the well-known 1237 Maqāmāt copied and illustrated by Yahya b. Mahmud. b. Yahya. b. Abi al-Hasan b. Kurriha al-Wasiti (Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris, Ms. Arabe 5847), this essay reexamines the question of the interaction between al-Hariri’s text and al-Wasiti’s interpretation of it through a cycle of narrative paintings.  The absence of such an approach can be explained by scholarly judgments going back to D. S. Rice’s essay of 1959—in which he argues that the images are a distraction—mostly restated in subsequent studies by Richard Ettinghausen (1962), David James (1974), and Oleg Grabar (1984). Grabar concluded that “the purpose and success of the story lie exclusively in its language, not in its narrative,” an assessment that gave license to the interpretation of al-Wasiti’s paintings as indices of contemporary culture and society.  This essay considers the various effects of the paintings on the text and its meaning, and examines the interplay between truth and fiction, a tension that was at issue since the immediate reception of al-Hariri’s work.
卡嶺語動詞的派生形態
Authors: Jacques Guillaume
Published: December 2018

提要

本文描寫卡嶺語動詞的幾種派生形態，包括應用態/使動態的-t 後綴以及表示反使動態的聲母清濁交替，並討論這些派生形態對原始漢藏語構擬的貢獻。
Identifying Early Sino-Vietnamese Vocabulary via Linguistic, Historical, Archaeological, and Ethnological Data (早期漢越語詞彙的確認—— 來自語言學、歷史學、考古學、民族學的資料證據)
Authors: Alves (歐邁強) Mark J.
Published: December 2018

In this study, over 60 Chinese loanwords in Vietnamese are claimed to have been borrowed during the East Han or West Jin Dynasties. These Early Sino-Vietnamese (esv) words are identified via a combination of linguistic, historical, archaeological, and ethnological data sources and frameworks. Such an interdisciplinary method helps to confirm or refute these words’ status as loanwords and as belonging to this specific historical period. The combined linguistic and extralinguistic data also leads to hypotheses about possible phonological changes in Chinese from the Old Chinese (oc) to Middle Chinese (mc) periods. In particular, while Sino-Vietnamese words from the mc period have expected qusheng tones for Chinese qusheng loanwords, oc-era esv words have either shangsheng or, unexpectedly, pingsheng tones. It is hypothesized that esv words with shangsheng tones for oc
qusheng words were borrowed earliest, while esv items with pingsheng represent a later stage in oc in which final *-s was in the process of being lost in the first few centuries ce.

本文重點討論東漢或西晉時代借自漢語的60多個早期漢越語詞，通過語言學、歷史學、考古學、民族學等多個學科，綜合使用各種資料加以論證。這種跨學科的方法可用來解答它們是否屬於外來詞、這些詞是否屬於此一歷史時期的問題。此外，語言學材料和非語言學材料的結合還使我們能夠就上古到中古可能存在的語音變化提出假設；具體說來，源自中古的漢越語借詞本該以去聲對應漢語去聲，然而在源自上古時代的早期漢越語中卻可以是上聲甚至是出人意料的平聲。我們因此可以假設：對應古音去聲的早期漢越語上聲出現得比較早，而對應上古音去聲的早期漢越語平聲，應該出自*-s逐漸消亡的晚期上古音階段，即剬元紀年的頭幾個世紀。(This article is in English.)
Field identification of Eriogonum corymbosum vars. nilesii and aureum (Polygonaceae)
Authors: ELLIS MARK W. , WOLF PAUL G. , ROWE CAROL A.
Published: December 2018

Eriogonum corymbosum vars. nilesii and aureum have been difficult to distinguish in the field due to their phenotypic similarities. Greater understanding of the ranges of these two varieties has been demonstrated by genetic analyses over the past decade. However, field identification remains problematic, and current dichotomous keys do not provide reliable traits, or trait combinations, to enable botanists to confidently distinguish these two taxa. We examined morphological characters among individuals from six populations of E. corymbosum (three of var. nilesii and three of var. aureum). We found significant differences between these two varieties in petiole length, leaf length, and the ratios of leaf-blade length to petiole length and leaf-blade width to petiole length. We also found qualitative differences in adaxial leaf color and inflorescence-stem pubescence. Petiole length was the significantly different trait with the least overlap between varieties, making it practical for distinguishing between E. corymbosum vars. nilesii and aureum in the field. Moreover, these six trait differences lend further support to genetic findings in previous studies that confirmed the existence of these two taxa and demonstrated their limited ranges and rarity.
The dipterous Leptophlebiidae of Borneo (Insecta, Ephemeroptera)
Authors: SARTORI MICHEL , DERLETH PASCALE
Published: December 2018

This paper deals with two mayfly species (Ephemeroptera) belonging to the family Leptophlebiidae and inhabiting a lowland dipterocarp forest in East Kalimantan (Indonesia). Isca lea sp. nov. is relatively abundant in our study site and differs from all other known species by its 7 th gill composed of two lamellae instead of one. A peculiar species previously identified as Dipterophlebiodes sp. (Leptophlebiinae) belongs to a new genus Kilariodes gen. nov. (Atalophlebiinae), characterized, among others, by the shape of the mandibles and of the labrum. Kilariodes marifae sp. nov. is extremely rare and has been found in a single stream. Both new species lack posterior wings or wing pads.
Two new species of the rare orb weaving spider genus Deione (Araneae: Araneidae) from China
Authors: MI XIAO-QI , PENG XIAN-JIN , YIN CHANG-MIN
Published: December 2018

The orb-weaving spider genus Deione is diagnosed by having two pairs of vertically arranged humps posteriorly on the abdomen and by the enlarged tibia II of males. Two new species of this genus from Yunnan Province in China, Deione ovata n. sp. and Deione renaria n. sp. are described here.
On two snapping shrimps, Alpheus baccheti n. sp. and A. coetivensis Coutière from the Tuamotu Islands, French Polynesia (Crustacea, Decapoda)
Authors: ANKER ARTHUR
Published: December 2018

The present study deals with two species of the snapping shrimp genus Alpheus Fabricius, 1798 recently collected on a shallow reef flat of Makemo, central Tuamotu Islands, French Polynesia. Alpheus baccheti n. sp., is described on the basis of a single complete male specimen (holotype). The new species appears to be most closely related to the species of the A. lobidens de Haan, 1849 and A. strenuus Dana, 1852 species complexes, but can be easily distinguished from all of them by the presence of a distoventral tooth on the merus of the third and fourth pereiopods. The presence of Alpheus coetivensis Coutière, 1908 in the Tuamotu Islands is confirmed on the basis of several specimens from Makemo; some taxonomic remarks are provided for this species. The diagnostic colour patterns are illustrated for both A. baccheti n. sp. and A. coetivensis.