bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vision-based dynamic target trajectory and ego-motion estimation using incremental light bundle adjustment
Authors: Chojnacki Michael , Indelman Vadim
Published: May 2018

This paper presents a vision-based, computationally efficient method for simultaneous robot motion estimation and dynamic target tracking while operating in GPS-denied unknown or uncertain environments. While numerous vision-based approaches are able to achieve simultaneous ego-motion estimation along with detection and tracking of moving objects, many of them require performing a bundle adjustment optimization, which involves the estimation of the 3D points observed in the process. One of the main concerns in robotics applications is the computational effort required to sustain extended operation. Considering applications for which the primary interest is highly accurate online navigation rather than mapping, the number of involved variables can be considerably reduced by avoiding the explicit 3D structure reconstruction and consequently save processing time. We take advantage of the light bundle adjustment method, which allows for ego-motion calculation without the need for 3D points online reconstruction, and thus, to significantly reduce computational time compared to bundle adjustment. The proposed method integrates the target tracking problem into the light bundle adjustment framework, yielding a simultaneous ego-motion estimation and tracking process, in which the target is the only explicitly online reconstructed 3D point. Our approach is compared to bundle adjustment with target tracking in terms of accuracy and computational complexity, using simulated aerial scenarios and real-imagery experiments.
Confined spaces industrial inspection with micro aerial vehicles and laser range finder localization
Authors: Tripicchio Paolo , Satler Massimo , Unetti Matteo , Avizzano Carlo A
Published: May 2018

This work addresses the problem of semi-automatic inspection and navigation in confined environments. A system that overcomes many challenges at the state of the art is presented. It comprises a multirotor able to inspect an industrial combustion chamber thus working in a GPS-denied environment with poor lighting conditions, in the presence of magnetic and communication disturbances, iron dust and repetitive patterns on the structure walls. The presented system is able to pass through narrow entrances but still capable of acquiring high resolution images and to allow operators to perform inspection of the structures. Starting from the captured data, the system is able to provide a 3D reconstruction of the inspected environment for offline analysis.
From Worldview to Way of Life
Authors: Setran David
Published: May 2018

While Christian college students often develop a worldview that emphasizes both individual and social flourishing for the Kingdom of God, there are a number of barriers that may prevent them from living lives committed to others’ flourishing. In particular, many of their regular practices generate dispositions that lead in the direction of personal advancement, material security, and devotion to a narrow sphere of family and friends. The development of an others-focused Christian worldview may not be enough to combat these deeply rooted and self-focused dispositional tendencies. Instead, faculty, staff, and mentors must recognize the importance of students’ spiritual practices and the ways these can develop inclinations that both foster commitments to others’ flourishing and combat the self-focused dispositions that block such commitments. This article highlights some of those practices and addresses the ways in which these can help bridge the gap between students’ worldviews and their concrete “ways of life.”
Is the Pastoral Ministry Bad for One’s Spiritual Health?
Authors: Sorenson Eric
Published: May 2018

It was a universal conviction among the leaders of the ancient church that vocational ministry is attended by certain spiritual hazards that threaten to undo the very soul of the minister. This notion is revived in William Paley’s 1795 sermon, “Dangers Incidental to the Clerical Character.” The pastoral ministry, he warns, is comprised of “dangers inherent to the very nature of our profession.” In this ordination sermon, Paley not only identifies certain spiritual hazards, but he traces their roots to the unique context and responsibilities of daily ministry. A close reading of Paley’s sermon highlights its clear relevance to ministers in the twenty-first century, who, like all ministers throughout the history of the church, are constantly exposed to the spiritual dangers lurking in ministry itself. Such a close reading also reveals practical means by which today’s minister can be constantly vigilant to overcome these dangers.
A Rest for the Soul
Authors: Averbeck Richard E.
Published: May 2018

This article offers an interpretation of Jesus’ invitation to “rest for the soul” in Matthew 11:28–30. On this interpretation Jesus’ offer of rest is an invitation to start a whole new way of life—a life characterized by rest with God working its way into the depths of one’s soul by means of indwelling Spirit. This understanding of Jesus’ offer of rest is developed in light of the immediate context in Matthew, parallel passages in Jeremiah and Sirach and a biblical theology of the fall.
Intraneural synovial sarcoma of the tibial nerve
Authors: Hashimoto Kazuhiko , Nishimura Shunji , Fujii Kousuke , Kakinoki Ryosuke , Akagi Masao
Published: May 2018

Synovial sarcomas are malignant soft tissue tumors that carry a metastatic potential and portend poor prognoses. We report a very rare synovial sarcoma arising from the tibial nerve and describe its successful treatment including limb preservation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the 40th reported incident of intraneural synovial sarcoma, and only the fourth arising from the tibial nerve. Extensive resection of synovial sarcoma arising in the popliteal region is difficult, particularly when limb preservation is desired. Ours is the first reported patient treated for tibial nerve-derived synovial sarcoma whose limbs were preserved.
Ceruminous adenoma mimicking otitis externa
Authors: Uz Uzdan , Tan Ayca , Celik Onur
Published: May 2018

Ceruminous adenoma is an extremely rare condition that arises in the external auditory canal. The right ear canal in a 32-year-old man was obstructed by a ceruminous adenoma mimicking otitis externa and its symptoms. The lesion was resected under microscopic view using a transcanal approach. There were no tumor-related symptoms postoperatively and he has been disease free for 1 year after surgery.
Synchronous endometrial adenocarcinoma and carcinosarcoma in endometrial polyp
Authors: Alnimer Yanal , Zaghmout Osama , Azher Qazi
Published: May 2018

Introduction:

Carcinosarcoma is a rare gynecological malignancy and it usually follows an aggressive clinical course. Rarely, it can be confined to an endometrial polyp or be synchronous with another gynecological malignancy. Herein, we report a rare case of synchronous carcinosarcoma confined to an endometrial polyp and endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma arising from a distinct uterine wall site.

Case presentation:

A 57-year-old female patient presented with heavy vaginal bleeding. She underwent hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma that was diagnosed preoperatively through dilation and curettage. Full histopathological examination of the uterine specimen revealed carcinosarcoma confined to a 4 cm endometrial polyp in addition to a stage IA endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma which arose from a distinct uterine wall.

Conclusion:

Having an endometrioid endometrial cancer diagnosis preoperatively through dilation and curettage and at examination of the frozen section specimen following surgical resection should not preclude the standard full histopathological examination of the uterine specimen, since this could reveal an additional uterine malignancy, such as carcinosarcoma. Such a finding would alter the post-operative management, prognosis, and outcome even if it is confined to an endometrial polyp.
Bilateral anterior interosseous nerve syndrome with 6-year interval
Authors: Tyszkiewicz Thomas , Atroshi Isam
Published: May 2018

Flexor pollicis longus paralysis related to idiopathic anterior interosseous nerve syndrome is well known, but few reports exist on bilateral disease. A 24-year-old man with no personal or family history of neurological disease developed isolated total loss of active flexion of the right thumb’s interphalangeal joint after undergoing a wrist arthroscopy. Surgical exploration 5 weeks after onset showed flexor pollicis longus tendon to be intact; anterior interosseous nerve decompression was done with no abnormalities found. Because of persistent paralysis, electromyography was performed showing findings consistent with anterior interosseous nerve syndrome. After 7 months without recovery, the patient underwent tendon transfer. After 6 years, the patient presented with left-sided isolated flexor pollicis longus paralysis and electromyography indicated anterior interosseous nerve syndrome. Examination 9 months after onset showed persistent complete flexor pollicis longus paralysis but by 15 months spontaneous complete recovery had occurred. Anterior interosseous nerve syndrome can occur bilaterally and is likely to resolve completely without intervention but recovery may take longer than a year.
Long‐term health and treatment outcomes in adult coeliac disease patients diagnosed by screening in childhood
Authors: Kivelä Laura , Popp Alina , Arvola Taina , Huhtala Heini , Kaukinen Katri , Kurppa Kalle
Published: May 2018

Background

The diagnostic yield of coeliac disease could be improved by screening in at‐risk groups, but long‐term benefits of this approach are obscure.

Objective

To investigate health, quality of life and dietary adherence in adult coeliac patients diagnosed in childhood by screening.

Methods

After thorough evaluation of medical history, follow‐up questionnaires were sent to 559 adults with a childhood coeliac disease diagnosis. The results were compared between screen‐detected and clinically‐detected patients, and also between originally asymptomatic and symptomatic screen‐detected patients.

Results

In total, 236 (42%) patients completed the questionnaires a median of 18.5 years after childhood diagnosis. Screen‐detected patients (n = 48) had coeliac disease in the family and type 1 diabetes more often, and were less often smokers and members of coeliac societies compared to clinically‐detected patients, whereas the groups did not differ in current self‐experienced health or health concerns, quality of life or dietary adherence. Screen‐detected, originally asymptomatic patients had more anxiety than those presenting with symptoms, whereas the subgroups were comparable in other current characteristics.

Conclusion

Comparable long‐term outcomes between screen‐detected and clinically‐detected patients support risk‐group screening for coeliac disease. However, asymptomatic patients may require special attention.
Post‐infectious IBS: Defining its clinical features and prognosis using an internet‐based survey
Authors: Card Tim , Enck Paul , Barbara Giovanni , Boeckxstaens Guy EE , Santos Javier , Azpiroz Fernando , Mearin Fermin , Aziz Qasim , Marshall John , Spiller Robin
Published: May 2018

Background

Gastrointestinal infection is an important risk factor for developing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Our aim was to characterise post‐infectious IBS (PI‐IBS) compared to other IBS patients.

Methods

An internet survey of IBS patients using Rome III diagnostic questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Patient Health Questionnaire‐12 Somatic Symptom (PHQ12‐SS) scale score documenting the mode of onset was conducted.

Results

A total of 7811 participants (63.2% female), of whom 1004 (13.3%) met criteria for PI‐IBS, were studied. Seventy per cent of PI‐IBS patients described sudden onset, 35% onset while travelling, 49.6% vomiting, 49.9% fever and 20.3% bloody diarrhoea. Compared to other IBS individuals, PI‐IBS was significantly associated with living in Northern Europe and North America, having a hysterectomy, not having an appendicectomy, higher PHQ12‐SS score and having more than one toilet in the family home. PI‐IBS patients had more frequent stools. At one year recovery rate in the PI‐IBS and non‐PI‐IBS group was 19.7% and 22.2%, p = 0.15. Recovery rates were lower for females (20.7%) vs males (38.8%), those with somatisation (23.0%) vs those without (33.2%) and those living in North America or Northern Europe (21.1%) vs living elsewhere (33.9%) p ≤ 0.001.

Conclusion

PI‐IBS accounts for around 13% of all IBS in this internet sample, with some distinctive features but a similar prognosis to the remainder.
The perils of pre-election polling: Election cycles and the exacerbation of measurement error in illiberal regimes
Authors: Carlson Elizabeth
Published: May 2018

Pre-election polls are increasingly being used to forecast and study elections in new and weak democracies yet the tension that surrounds elections in less liberal regimes may make data from such surveys particularly prone to measurement error. Polls conducted before and after the 2011 Ugandan election and data gathered at various points of the election cycles in 34 African countries are compared to show that, before elections, survey respondents become increasingly wary of the interview and its purpose, especially in less liberal regimes. Those who are wary report more support for the incumbent, the incumbent’s policies and the state and effect of wariness on attitudes is significantly higher on surveys that take place immediately before elections. Misreporting increases the estimated level of support for the incumbent, and may also significantly change the apparent correlates of regime support across the election cycle. Ironically, it was found that pre-election polls may be particularly poorly suited to forecasting elections or capturing the effects of campaigns on political attitudes.
Evaluating touchless capacitive gesture recognition as an assistive device for upper extremity mobility impairment
Authors: Nelson Alexander , McCombe Waller Sandy , Robucci Ryan , Patel Chintan , Banerjee Nilanjan
Published: May 2018

Introduction

This paper explores the feasibility of using touchless textile sensors as an input to environmental control for individuals with upper-extremity mobility impairments. These sensors are capacitive textile sensors embedded into clothing and act as proximity sensors.

Methods

We present results from five individuals with spinal cord injury as they perform gestures that mimic an alphanumeric gesture set. The gestures are used for controlling appliances in a home setting. Our setup included a custom visualization that provides feedback to the individual on how the system is tracking the movement and the type of gesture being recognized. Our study included a two-stage session at a medical school with five subjects with upper extremity mobility impairment.

Results

The experimenting sessions derived binary gesture classification accuracies greater than 90% on average. The sessions also revealed intricate details in participant’s motions, from which we draw two key insights on the design of the wearable sensor system.

Conclusion

First, we provide evidence that personalization is a critical ingredient to the success of wearable sensing in this population group. The sensor hardware, the gesture set, and the underlying gesture recognition algorithm must be personalized to the individual’s need and injury level. Secondly, we show that explicit feedback to the user is useful when the user is being trained on the system. Moreover, being able to see the end goal of controlling appliances using the system is a key motivation to properly learn gestures.
The Gym as a Culture of Body Achievement: Exploring Negative and Positive Body Image Experiences in Men Attending University
Authors: Lamarche Larkin , Gammage Kimberley L. , Ozimok Brianne
Published: May 2018

This study qualitatively explored the body image experiences of men attending university ( N = 20). Participants were interviewed about comfortable and uncomfortable body-related situations. Participants also completed a measure of drive for muscularity. A thematic analysis was conducted. The results showed that the most commonly identified comfortable situation was the gym and was characterized by opportunities for positive social comparison and to wear physique-salient clothing to emphasize those positive comparisons and feelings of achievement. The gym and the beach were identified as the most common uncomfortable body-related situations characterized by a negative social comparison and associated negative thoughts and feelings related to the self and body, as well as situations involving the presence of women. Coping strategies included exercise and diet to change one’s appearance, avoidance, self-talk, and social support. Findings add to the growing understanding of the complexity of both negative and positive body image in men.
Promoting Organizational Citizenship Behaviour: The Roles of Leader–Member Exchange and Organizational Job Embeddedness
Authors: Kapil Khyati , Rastogi Renu
Published: May 2018

The study attempts to examine the role of leader–member exchange (LMX) on the organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB). The present study also explains the mediating role of organizational job embeddedness (OJE) on the relationship between LMX and OCB in a given sample. The study was conducted on a sample of 365 employees working in Indian banking industry. Survey research with a correlation statistical technique (correlation and hierarchical regression analyses) is utilized to measure the association of several variables. The results indicate that there is a significant relationship among the key study variables. The OJE was found to partially mediate the LMX–OCB relationship. The findings suggest that the organizations can proactively enhance both OJE and OCB through high quality of LMX. The study contributes to the existing literature of key study variables.
A Case of Concurrent Gastric and Pancreatic Plasmacytomas in a Patient With Multiple Myeloma: An Extremely Rare Entity
Authors: Sunkara Tagore , Sharma Santosh R. , Ofosu Andrew , Gaduputi Vinaya , Reddy Madhavi , Shahzad Ghulamullah
Published: May 2018

Multiple myeloma (MM), a plasma cell tumor, is primarily a disease of the bone marrow. Extramedullary plasmacytoma, also a plasma cell tumor, is very rare in the gastrointestinal tract and the pancreas, and only a handful cases have been documented till now. Gastric and pancreatic plasmacytomas are usually seen in elderly patients; however, cases in patients as young as 32 years of age have been reported. Commonly, patients with gastric plasmacytoma present with nonspecific symptoms like epigastric pain, abdominal fullness, anorexia, and weight loss, or serious conditions like massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding and gastric outlet obstruction. Patients with pancreatic plasmacytoma commonly present with obstructive jaundice. In this article, we present the case of a 79-year-old man with a history of MM for 3 years, diagnosed with gastric and pancreatic masses, which turned out to be plasmacytomas. To our knowledge, simultaneous occurrence of gastric and pancreatic plasmacytomas is extremely uncommon with less than 5 cases reported in the literature. We also compiled all the individual cases of gastric and pancreatic MM that have been reported in literature till now.
Learning From Failure in Cartilage Repair Surgery: An Analysis of the Mode of Failure of Primary Procedures in Consecutive Cases at a Tertiary Referral Center
Authors: Krych Aaron J. , Hevesi Mario , Desai Vishal S. , Camp Christopher L. , Stuart Michael J. , Saris Daniel B.F.
Published: May 2018

Background:

As the number of cartilage restoration procedures is increasing, so is the number of revision procedures. However, there remains limited information on the reasons for failure of primary cartilage restoration procedures.

Purpose:

To determine the common modes of failure in primary cartilage restoration procedures to improve surgical decision making and patient outcomes.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Patients who presented for revision after failed cartilage repair surgery were evaluated for factors contributing to failure of the primary procedure. All revision cases performed by a single surgeon at a tertiary center for failed cartilage restoration over a 6-year time frame were identified. In all cases, the medical records, preoperative radiographs, and magnetic resonance imaging scans were reviewed by 2 experienced cartilage surgeons. The cause for failure was categorized as malalignment, meniscal deficiency, graft or biologic failure, or instability. Univariate and descriptive statistics regarding patient demographics, index procedure, lesion location and size, and mechanism of failure were analyzed.

Results:

A total of 59 cases in 53 patients (32 male, 21 female) met the inclusion criteria. The mean patient age at the time of revision was 27.6 years, and the mean body mass index was 28.4 kg/m2. Failed index surgical procedures included 35 microfractures (59%), 12 osteochondral allograft transplantations (20%), 10 osteochondral autograft transfers (17%), 2 nonviable osteochondral allografts (3%), and 2 particulated juvenile chondral allografts (3%). The mean lesion size was 4.4 cm2. Reasons for failure included 33 cases with untreated malalignment (56%), 16 with graft failure (27%), 11 with untreated meniscal deficiency (19%), and 3 with untreated instability (5%); 4 cases demonstrated multiple reasons for failure.

Conclusion:

The most commonly recognized reason for failure was untreated malalignment. While biologic and graft failures will occur, the majority of failures were attributed to untreated background factors such as malalignment, meniscal deficiency, and instability. The stepwise approach of considering and addressing alignment, meniscal volume, and stability remains essential in cartilage restoration surgery.
Magneto-hydrodynamic Blasius flow and heat transfer from a flat plate in the presence of suspended carbon nanofluids
Authors: Nandeppanavar Mahantesh M , Reddy Gorla Rama Subba , Shakunthala S
Published: May 2018

In this article, we have discussed the effect of external magnetic field and other governing parameters on the flow and heat transfer in the presence of suspended carbon nanotubes over a flat plate. The governing equations of flow and heat transfer are derived from the Navier–Stokes and Prandtl boundary layer concept. The derived governing equations of flow and energy are non-linear partial differential equation, and these equations are converted into non-linear ordinary differential equations with corresponding boundary conditions using some suitable similarity transformations and are solved numerically using fourth-order Runge–Kutta method with efficient shooting technique. Effects of governing parameters on flow and heat transfer are shown through various graphs and explained with physical interpretation in detail. This study has applications in glass-fiber production and technology. On observing the results of this study, we can conclude that external magnetic field shows opposite behaviors on velocity and temperature and it enhances the rate of heat transfer.
Progress in automating patch clamp cellular physiology
Authors: Annecchino Luca A. , Schultz Simon R.
Published: May 2018

Patch clamp electrophysiology has transformed research in the life sciences over the last few decades. Since their inception, automatic patch clamp platforms have evolved considerably, demonstrating the capability to address both voltage- and ligand-gated channels, and showing the potential to play a pivotal role in drug discovery and biomedical research. Unfortunately, the cell suspension assays to which early systems were limited cannot recreate biologically relevant cellular environments, or capture higher order aspects of synaptic physiology and network dynamics. In vivo patch clamp electrophysiology has the potential to yield more biologically complex information and be especially useful in reverse engineering the molecular and cellular mechanisms of single-cell and network neuronal computation, while capturing important aspects of human disease mechanisms and possible therapeutic strategies. Unfortunately, it is a difficult procedure with a steep learning curve, which has restricted dissemination of the technique. Luckily, in vivo patch clamp electrophysiology seems particularly amenable to robotic automation. In this review, we document the development of automated patch clamp technology, from early systems based on multi-well plates through to automated planar-array platforms, and modern robotic platforms capable of performing two-photon targeted whole-cell electrophysiological recordings in vivo.
Disrupting polarized discourses: Can we get out of the ruts of environmental conflicts?
Authors: Lucas Chloe , Warman Russell
Published: May 2018

Polarization in environmental conflicts obstructs decision making at all scales. The Australian state of Tasmania has a history of intense polarization around environmental issues. This article uses a social study of citizens of the capital, Hobart, and a case study of a recent attempt to disrupt polarization about forestry in Tasmania, to develop a novel conceptualization of ‘ruts’ in environmental conflicts. Ruts are formed when polarizing social constructs gain a momentum that perpetuates entrenched discourse coalitions and storylines into subsequent issues. This is evidenced in attitudinal survey results, and in interviews that show how storylines from the forestry debate frame people’s responses to climate change. The case study describes negotiations in the forestry conflict that had some success in disrupting these polarized discourses. After the long-term failure of the traditional authorities of government and science to resolve conflict over Tasmania’s forests, a sub-political process emerged to directly renegotiate a shared definition of risk. The study shows that new coalitions of players from outside traditional systems of authority have the potential to disrupt polarized discourses, through the creation of shared storylines. The challenge is to be prepared to acknowledge the legitimacy of divergent values, and to seek framings that sidestep, rather than confront strongly held conflicting values. Insights from this article are likely to be of value for other environmental conflicts, including climate change.
The new mineral novograblenovite, (NH4,K)MgCl3·6H2O from the Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia: mineral description and crystal structure
Authors: Okrugin Viktor M. , Kudaeva Sharapat S. , Karimova Oxana V. , Yakubovich Olga V. , Belakovskiy Dmitry I. , Chukanov Nikita V. , Zolotarev Andrey A. , Gurzhiy Vladislav V. , Zinovieva Nina G. , Shiryaev Andrey A. , Kartashov Pavel M.
Published: May 2018

The new mineral novograblenovite, (NH4,K)MgCl3·6H2O, was found on basaltic lava from the 2012–2013 Tolbachik fissure eruption at the Plosky Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. It occurs as prismatic, needle-like transparent crystals together with gypsum and halite. Novograblenovite was formed due to the exposure of the host rocks to eruptive gas exhalations enriched in HCl and NH3. Basalt was the source of potassium and magnesium for the mineral formation. Novograblenovite crystallises in the monoclinic space groupC2/c, with unit-cell parametersa= 9.2734(3) Å,b= 9.5176(3) Å,c= 13.2439(4) Å, β = 90.187(2)°,V= 1168.91(2) Å3andZ= 4. The five strongest reflections in the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [dobs, Å (I, %) (h k l)] are: 3.330 (100) (2 2 0), 2.976 (45) ($\bar{1}\; 1\; 4$), 2.353 (29) ($\bar {2}\; 2\; 4$), 3.825 (26) (2 0 2), 1.997 (25) ($\overline {4\; 2} $2). The density calculated from the empirical formula and the X-ray data is 1.504 g cm–3. The mineral is biaxial (+) with α = 1.469(2), β = 1.479(2) and γ = 1.496(2) (λ = 589 nm); 2Vmeas.= 80(10)° and 2Vcalc.= 75.7°. The crystal structure (solved and refined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction data,R1= 0.0423) is based on the perovskite-like network of (NH4,K)Cl6-octahedra sharing chlorine vertices, and comprises [Mg(H2O)6]2+groups in framework channels. The positions of all independent H atoms were obtained by difference-Fourier techniques and refined isotropically. All oxygen, nitrogen and chlorine atoms are involved in the system of hydrogen bonding, acting as donors or acceptors. The formula resulting from the structure refinement is [(NH4)0.7K0.3]MgCl3·6H2O. The mineral is named after Prokopiy Trifonovich Novograblenov, one of the researchers of Kamchatka Peninsula, a teacher, naturalist, geographer and geologist.
Hemostatic efficacy of pathogen-inactivated vs untreated platelets: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: van der Meer Pieter F. , Ypma Paula F. , van Geloven Nan , van Hilten Joost A. , van Wordragen-Vlaswinkel Rinie J. , Eissen Okke , Zwaginga Jaap J. , Trus Michael , Beckers Erik A. M. , te Boekhorst Peter , Tinmouth Alan , Lin Yulia , Hsia Cyrus , Lee David , Norris Philip J. , Goodrich Raymond P. , Brand Anneke , Hervig Tor , Heddle Nancy M. , van der Bom Johanna G. , Kerkhoffs Jean-Louis H.
Published: May 2018

Key Points

Pathogen-inactivated platelets were noninferior in preventing bleeding only in intention-to-treat analysis. In contrast to animal models, alloimmunization could not be prevented when using pathogen-inactivated platelets.
Effects of linagliptin on endothelial function and postprandial lipids in coronary artery disease patients with early diabetes: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial
Authors: Tripolt Norbert J. , Aberer Felix , Riedl Regina , Url Jasmin , Dimsity Gudrun , Meinitzer Andreas , Stojakovic Tatjana , Aziz Faisal , Hödl Ronald , Brachtl Gabriele , Strunk Dirk , Brodmann Marianne , Hafner Franz , Sourij Harald
Published: May 2018

Background

Early glucose lowering intervention in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus was demonstrated to be beneficial in terms of micro- and macrovascular risk reduction. However, most of currently ongoing cardiovascular outcome trials are performed in subjects with manifest atherosclerosis and long-standing diabetes. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the dipeptidylpeptidase-4 inhibitor linagliptin in subjects with coronary artery disease (CAD) but early type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on a set of cardiovascular surrogate measurements.

Methods

In this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, single-center study, we included subjects with early diabetes (postchallenge diabetes (2 h glucose > 200 mg/dl) or T2DM treated with diet only or on a stable dose of metformin monotherapy and an HbA1c < 75 mmol/mol) and established CAD. Participants were randomized to receive either linagliptin (5 mg) once daily orally or placebo for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the change in flow mediated dilatation (FMD). The secondary objective was to investigate the effect of linagliptin treatment on arginine bioavailability ratios [Global arginine bioavailability ratio (GABR) and arginine to ornithine ratio (AOR)]. Arginine, ornithine and citrulline were measured in serum samples with a conventional usual amino acid analysis technique, involving separation of amino acids by ion exchange chromatography followed by postcolumn continuous reaction with ninhydrin. GABR was calculated by l-arginine divided by the sum of (l-ornithine plus l-citrulline). The AOR was calculated by dividing l-arginine by l-ornithine levels. Group comparisons were calculated by using a two-sample t-test with Satterthwaite adjustment for unequal variances.

Results

We investigated 43 patients (21% female) with a mean age of 63.3 ± 8.2 years. FMD at baseline was 3.5 ± 3.1% in the linagliptin group vs. 4.0 ± 2.9% in the placebo group. The change in mean FMD in the linagliptin group was not significantly different compared to the change in the placebo group (0.43 ± 4.84% vs. − 0.45 ± 3.01%; p = 0.486). No significant improvements were seen in the arginine bioavailability ratios (GABR; p = 0.608 and AOR; p = 0.549).

Conclusion

Linagliptin treatment in subjects with CAD and early T2DM did not improve endothelial function or the arginine bioavailability ratios.

Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02350478 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02350478)
Assembly and maintenance of GABAergic and Glycinergic circuits in the mammalian nervous system
Authors: Gamlin Clare R. , Yu Wan-Qing , Wong Rachel O. L. , Hoon Mrinalini
Published: May 2018

Inhibition in the central nervous systems (CNS) is mediated by two neurotransmitters: gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine. Inhibitory synapses are generally GABAergic or glycinergic, although there are synapses that co-release both neurotransmitter types. Compared to excitatory circuits, much less is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate synaptic partner selection and wiring patterns of inhibitory circuits. Recent work, however, has begun to fill this gap in knowledge, providing deeper insight into whether GABAergic and glycinergic circuit assembly and maintenance rely on common or distinct mechanisms. Here we summarize and contrast the developmental mechanisms that regulate the selection of synaptic partners, and that promote the formation, refinement, maturation and maintenance of GABAergic and glycinergic synapses and their respective wiring patterns. We highlight how some parts of the CNS demonstrate developmental changes in the type of inhibitory transmitter or receptor composition at their inhibitory synapses. We also consider how perturbation of the development or maintenance of one type of inhibitory connection affects other inhibitory synapse types in the same circuit. Mechanistic insight into the development and maintenance of GABAergic and glycinergic inputs, and inputs that co-release both these neurotransmitters could help formulate comprehensive therapeutic strategies for treating disorders of synaptic inhibition.
Chronic Variable Stress Induces Sex-Specific Alterations in Social Behavior and Neuropeptide Expression in the Mouse
Authors: Borrow Amanda P , Bales Natalie J , Stover Sally A , Handa Robert J
Published: May 2018

Chronic exposure to stressors impairs the function of multiple organ systems and has been implicated in increased disease risk. In the rodent, the chronic variable stress (CVS) paradigm has successfully modeled several stress-related illnesses. Despite striking disparities between men and women in the prevalence and etiology of disorders associated with chronic stress, most preclinical research examining chronic stressor exposure has focused on male subjects. One potential mediator of the consequences of CVS is oxytocin (OT), a known regulator of stress neurocircuitry and behavior. To ascertain the sex-specific effects of CVS in the C57BL/6 mouse on OT and the structurally similar neuropeptide arginine vasopressin (AVP), the numbers of immunoreactive and mRNA-containing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON) were determined using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, respectively. In addition, the mice underwent a battery of behavioral tests to determine whether CVS affects social behaviors known to be regulated by OT and AVP. Six weeks of CVS increased sociability in the female mouse and decreased PVN OT immunoreactivity (ir) and AVP mRNA. In the male mice, CVS decreased PVN OT mRNA but had no effect on social behavior, AVP, or OT-ir. CVS also increased the soma volume for PVN OT neurons. In contrast, OT and AVP neurons in the SON were unaffected by CVS treatment. These findings demonstrate clear sex differences in the effects of CVS on neuropeptides in the mouse, suggest a pathway through which CVS alters sociability and stress-coping responses in females and reveals a vulnerability to CVS in the C57BL/6 mouse strain.
Norepinephrine and T4 Are Predictors of Fat Mass Gain in Humans With Cold-Induced Brown Adipose Tissue Activation
Authors: Begaye Brittany , Piaggi Paolo , Thearle Marie S , Haskie Kaitlyn , Walter Mary , Schlögl Mathias , Bonfiglio Susan , Krakoff Jonathan , Vinales Karyne L
Published: May 2018

Context

In healthy adults with detectable cold-induced brown adipose tissue activation (CIBA), the relationships between sympathetic nervous system (SNS) or thyroid activity during energy balance (EBL) with CIBA and body composition change are undetermined.

Objective

To investigate the relationships between CIBA and thermoneutral catecholamines and thyroid hormones measured during EBL and to determine if CIBA, catecholamines, or thyroid hormones predict body composition changes.

Design, Setting, Participants, and Interventions

Twelve healthy volunteers (seven male and five female) with positive CIBA [>2 standardized uptake value (g/mL)] had 24-hour energy expenditure (24hEE) assessed during EBL via whole-room indirect calorimetry while residing on a clinical research unit. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography scans were performed after exposure to 16°C for 2 hours to quantify CIBA.

Main Outcome Measures

CIBA, 24hEE during EBL, and thermoneutrality with concomitant measurement of urinary catecholamines and plasma free T3 and free T4. Body composition at baseline and 6 months by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Results

Lower urinary norepinephrine and free T4 were associated with higher CIBA (r = −0.65, P = 0.03; and r = −0.75, P < 0.01, respectively), but CIBA was not associated with 24hEE at thermoneutrality (P = 0.77). Lower CIBA (β = −3.5 kg/standardized uptake value; P < 0.01) predicted fat mass gain, whereas higher urinary norepinephrine and free T4 predicted future fat mass gain at 6 months (β = 3.0 kg per twofold difference in norepinephrine, P = 0.03; and β = 1.2 kg per 0.1-ng/dL difference in free T4, P = 0.03, respectively).

Conclusion

Lower SNS and free thyroid measurements at baseline indicate a greater capacity for CIBA, which may be predictive against fat mass gain.
Whole Blood for Resuscitation in Adult Civilian Trauma in 2017: A Narrative Review
Authors: Pivalizza Evan G. , Stephens Christopher T. , Sridhar Srikanth , Gumbert Sam D. , Rossmann Susan , Bertholf Marsha F. , Bai Yu , Cotton Bryan A.
Published: May 2018

After a hiatus of several decades, the concept of cold whole blood (WB) is being reintroduced into acute clinical trauma care in the United States. Initial implementation experience and data grew from military medical applications, followed by more recent development and data acquisition in civilian institutions. Anesthesiologists, especially those who work in acute trauma facilities, are likely to be presented with patients either receiving WB from the emergency department or may have WB as a therapeutic option in massive transfusion situations. In this focused review, we briefly discuss the historical concept of WB and describe the characteristics of WB, including storage, blood group compatibility, and theoretical hemolytic risks. We summarize relevant recent retrospective military and preliminary civilian efficacy as well as safety data related to WB transfusion, and describe our experience with the initial implementation of WB transfusion at our level 1 trauma hospital. Suggestions and collective published experience from other centers as well as ours may be useful to those investigating such a program. The role of WB as a significant therapeutic option in civilian trauma awaits further prospective validation.
Remembering Nishu: Spatiality and Belonging in the Missouri River Bottomlands
Authors: Murray Wendi Field , Kroupa Brad KuuNUx TeeRIt
Published: May 2018

The late nineteenth and twentieth centuries witnessed profound transformations in the organization of North Dakota’s Native American communities. The end of the fur trade, depleting timber resources, and the passage of the Dawes Act in 1887 led to the eventual fissioning of the coalescent community of Like-A-Fishhook Village. Despite their co-residence at the site for almost three decades, the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara people reestablished ethnically distinct villages in the bottomlands of the Missouri River within the Fort Berthold Reservation. Most of the Arikara population settled on allotments in the Nishu area until it was inundated by the Garrison Dam in the early 1950s. Through interviews with Arikara elders, this collaborative project documents the lived experience of Nishu, now under the waters of Lake Sakakawea and visually inaccessible to their descendants. It investigates the role of spatiality and temporality in community construction—specifically, how the persistence of Arikara memory and tradition empowered residents to navigate changes wrought by the assimilative policies of the U.S government. This research revealed that Arikara memories of these submerged lands embody a dialectic of pervasive nostalgia about living there and profound trauma about being forced to leave. Through this dialectic, it elucidates how time, movement, and place are complicit in residents’ sense of belonging, and discusses the inherent challenges in (re)constructing a community’s memory of “erased” heritage.
Defining Responsibility: Printers, Politics, and the Law in Early Republican Mexico City
Authors: Zeltsman Corinna
Published: May 2018

This article explores how printers and their collaborators shaped the implementation and interpretation of freedom of the press laws in early republican Mexico City. Far from passive reproducers of texts written by elites, printers and other behind-the-scenes actors facilitated republican politics by navigating legal categories such as responsibility and authorship that were defined by liberal law yet under debate and unevenly enforced. Focusing on the production, dissemination, and fallout over a controversial 1840 promonarchist pamphlet written by the Yucatecan senator José María Gutiérrez Estrada, the article uncovers a trio of collaborators, especially the young “printer citizen” Ignacio Cumplido, who undermined official efforts to consolidate state authority over political speech and deployed high-minded liberal principles as political strategy. By shifting focus from the pamphlet's well-reasoned arguments to its places of production, reception, and regulation, the article provides insight into how freedom of the press was implemented, manipulated, and debated on the ground.
The Power and Ethics of Vernacular Modernism: The Misicuni Dam Project in Cochabamba, Bolivia, 1944–2017
Authors: Hines Sarah
Published: May 2018

This article traces the Misicuni dam project, which promised to solve water scarcity in the Central Valley of Cochabamba, Bolivia. First proposed in the 1940s, the project captured the popular imagination in the 1960s and 1970s, broke ground in the 1990s, and opened in 2017. The decisive impulse for the Misicuni dam project came from a broad democratic alliance of Cochabambinos that pressured the Bolivian state, international development banks, and contractors. This alternative history of vernacular modernism, or cross-class efforts to promote, participate in, and democratize modernist development, moves beyond the existing literature that assumes that outside political, economic, and technical elites impose modernist development projects like dams on communities from above. I argue that Cochabambinos' continued enchantment with the Misicuni dam project owed to the belief that the project's realization would fulfill the 1952 Bolivian Revolution's promise of a water-rich modernity without conflicts and competition over water.
Britannia, the Individual, and the Public Sphere: Thomson to Coleridge
Authors: Richardson John
Published: May 2018

In the eighteenth century Britannia became a vehicle for poets and other writers to reflect on the difficult place of the individual in the emerging public sphere. Writers of the first half of the century characteristically imagined the goddess in a domestic political sphere, persuading her “children” to exercise greater patriotism. She sways public opinion to effect improvement. Alone among writers of this period, James Thomson intuitively understood that no single voice had authority in the new politics and that all interventions were contingent. His 1729 Britannia ends with the goddess rushing off to Parliament and the powerless poet left behind in a bleak, coastal setting. Later in the century the importance of Britannia faded, but the patterns established in earlier texts continued. Anna Seward’s 1781Monody on Major Andrè retains some features of the tradition, but rather than move toward hope, in the manner of most earlier texts, it ends with Seward’s melancholy recognition of her own weakness. Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 1798 “Fears in Solitude,” which also retains some features of the tradition, is a sustained reflection on the individual’s limited influence in the public sphere.
Leopardi Local and Global: Italian Society, European Modernity, and Poetry’s “Natural Duty”
Authors: Luzzi Joseph
Published: May 2018

The dialogue between antimodernist and Romantic elements in the work of the Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi fueled his thinking on the crucial issue of italianità, or “Italian identity.” Leopardi wanted to protect what was unique and enduring in Italian culture, especially its ancient Roman literary heritage, yet he understood that his divided, chaotic, stagnant country needed renewal and change, a recurring subject in his early patriotic odes. His ideas on Italy in the Discorso sopra lo stato presente dei costumi degl’italiani (Discourse on the Present State of the Customs of the Italians, ca. 1824) and in the “Palinodia al marchese Gino Capponi” (“Recantation for Marchese Gino Capponi,” 1835) are intertwined with his powerful defense of the social function of poetry. Leopardi exploits the aesthetic tensions resulting from the historical rift between ancient and modern literary concerns by brilliantly applying them to the contentious role of an isolated, politically fragmented Italy in an interdependent, internationalist world.
Value and Abstraction in Thomas Hardy
Authors: Parker Ben
Published: May 2018

The production of abstract value—not limited to the transformation of labor under the exigencies of capitalism but extending to modes of signification undermined by abstract equivalence—plays an unprecedented yet overlooked role in the major novels of Thomas Hardy: unprecedented because the realist novel has been previously theorized in terms of an expressive self-production thwarted by social alienation or the usurpation of individual agency; overlooked because Hardy criticism has focused on work as a protected category of meaning creation and social continuity. Abstract value is, however, an empty quantification of labor’s duration and the enforcement of its equivalence; it is not an extension of self into world. Across his novelistic career Hardy revises the tragic weight given in his early fiction to binding material attachments, so the later novels are, by contrast, tragedies of abstract equivalence and separation. In the face of a regime of capitalist abstraction and its relentless downward mobility, Hardy upholds not the continuity or intimacy of work but the less certain affiliations of precarious and uprooted surplus populations.