bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modulation of Innate Immunity by G-CSF and Inflammatory Response by LBPK95A Improves the Outcome of Sepsis in a Rat Model
Authors: Fang Haoshu , Hua Chuanfeng , Weiss Stefanie , Liu Anding , Cheng Wenhui , Claus Ralf , Rödel Jürgen , Dirsch Olaf , Dahmen Uta
Published: November 2018

Introduction. Sepsis is the primary cause of death from infection. We wanted to improve the outcome of sepsis by stimulating innate immunity in combination with modulating the severity of inflammatory responses in rats.Method. Sepsis was induced by the injection of feces suspension (control). A 5-day course of G-CSF treatment was given before the septic insult (G-CSF). The inflammatory response was decreased using various doses of the LPS-blocking peptide LBPK95A (5 mg/kg=100%Combi group,0.5 mg/kg=10%Combi group, and0.05 mg/kg=1%Combi group). Survival rates were observed. Bacterial clearance, neutrophil infiltration, tissue damage, and the induction of hepatic and systemic inflammatory responses were determined 2 h and 12 h after the septic insult.Results. High-dose LBPK95A (100% Combi) reduced the survival rate to 10%, whereas low-dose LBPK95A (10% and 1% Combi) increased the survival rates to 50% and 80%, respectively. The survival rates inversely correlated with multiorgan damage as indicated by the serum levels of ALT and urea. G-CSF treatment increased the white blood cell counts, hepatic neutrophil infiltration, and bacterial clearance in the liver, lung, and blood. The blockade of the LPS-LBP interaction decreased neutrophil infiltration, led to increased white blood cell count, and decreased hepatic neutrophil infiltration, irrespective of dose. However, bacterial clearance improved in the 1% and 10% Combi groups but worsened in the 100% Combi group. G-CSF increased TNF-αand IL-6 levels. Irrespective of dose, the blockade of the LPS-LBP interaction was associated with low systemic cytokine levels and delayed increases in hepatic TNF-αand IL-6 mRNA expression. The delayed increase in cytokines was associated with the phosphorylation of STAT3 and AKT.Conclusion. Our results revealed that increasing innate immunity by G-CSF pretreatment and decreasing inflammatory responses using LBPK95A improved the survival rates in a rat sepsis model and could be a novel strategy to treat sepsis.
CD47 Blockade Inhibits Tumor Progression through Promoting Phagocytosis of Tumor Cells by M2 Polarized Macrophages in Endometrial Cancer
Authors: Gu Shenglan , Ni Ting , Wang Jing , Liu Yao , Fan Qiong , Wang Yiwei , Huang Ting , Chu Yiwei , Sun Xiao , Wang Yudong
Published: November 2018

There are rapidly emerging efforts to explore tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) as a tumor therapy target. Tumor cells express CD47, which can interact with the macrophages’ SIRPαtransmitting a “don’t eat me” signal to macrophages. The expression of CD47 increases in various tumors to evade immune attack. However, the expression of CD47 in endometrial cancer (EC) and the role of CD47-SIRPαin the TAMs which mediate the progression of EC remain unclear. Our study shows that there are increased TAMs in EC which dominantly consist of M2 macrophages and contribute to the progression of EC. We confirm that CD47 is highly expressed in EC tissue using the TCGA database, qPCR, and flow cytometry. Instead of directly promoting the apoptosis of EC cells, anti-CD47 blocking antibody promoted phagocytosis of EC cells by macrophages and the increased phagocytosis ability was mediated by M2 macrophages in a coculture assay. Besides, CD47 blockade inhibited the growth of the EC tumorsin vivoand increased the infiltration of macrophages with antitumor ability in the tumor microenvironment (TME). These findings might assist in developing promising strategies that blocked the CD47-SIRPa interaction for EC therapy.
Distributed Compressive Video Sensing with Mixed Multihypothesis Prediction
Authors: Zhou Chao , Chen Can , Ding Fei , Zhang Dengyin
Published: November 2018

Traditional video acquisition systems require complex data compression at the encoder, which makes them unacceptable for resource-limited applications such as wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSNs). To address this problem, distributed compressive video sensing (DCVS) represents a novel sensing approach with a simple encoder. This method shifts the computational burden from the encoder to the decoder and needs a robust reconstruction algorithm. In this paper, a mixed measurement-based multihypothesis (MH) reconstruction algorithm (mixed-MH) is proposed for DCVS to improve the reconstruction quality at low sampling rates. Considering the inaccuracy of MH prediction when measurements are insufficient, the available side information (SI) is resampled to obtain the artificial measurements, which are then integrated into real measurements via regularization. Furthermore, to avoid the negative effect of SI at high sampling rates, an adaptive regularization parameter is designed to balance the contributions of real and artificial measurements at different sampling rates. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed mixed-MH prediction scheme outperforms other state-of-the-art algorithms in the reconstruction quality at the same low sampling rate.
Investigating Determinants of Student Satisfaction in the First Year of College in a Public University in the State of Qatar
Authors: Al-Sheeb Bothaina , Hamouda Abdel Magid , Abdella Galal M.
Published: November 2018

Purpose. A first-year student’s life is a web of interrelated academic and social experiences. Most universities have rigorous processes to achieve excellence or reach high-quality standards, with “Student Satisfaction” being the central focus of all of higher education aims for excellence. This study examined the influence of various academic, social, and environmental aspects on the overall satisfaction of first-year students. Design. A questionnaire was designed and administered to first-year students, and the resulting data were analyzed using correlation, linear regression, binary logistic regression, and artificial neural networks. Findings. The findings suggested that three of the five factors explored—100-level course satisfaction, a sense of belonging, and citizenship knowledge and skills—were the best determinants of the level of first-year student satisfaction. Originality. This study examined the influence of academic, social, and environmental factors on overall student satisfaction with the college experience. Many studies have focused on how factors such as student attitudes, perceptions, and academic and social engagements impact first-year student success and retention; however, few studies have attempted to explore the influence these factors have on student satisfaction and their overall perceptions of the college experience. Discussion and Conclusion. This study has provided a snapshot of some of the key determinants of the overall student satisfaction of the first-year experience. This study can assist college administrators and instructors in their quality assurance initiatives which may include reviewing the current system, setting college priorities, and planning and allocation of future resources to better achieve higher levels of student satisfaction.
Combined Ipsilateral Humeral Shaft and Galeazzi Fractures Creating a Floating Elbow Variant
Authors: Lee Patrick , Piatek Allison Z. , DeRogatis Michael J. , Issack Paul S.
Published: November 2018

“Floating elbow” injuries of the arm traditionally represent a combination of humeral shaft and forearm fractures which require anatomic rigid open reduction and internal fixation of all fractures to allow for early range of motion exercises of the elbow. There are published variants of the floating elbow injury which include ipsilateral diaphyseal humeral fracture, proximal ulna fracture with proximal radioulnar joint disruption, and ipsilateral diaphyseal humeral fracture with elbow dislocation and both bones forearm fracture. We present the case of a 21-year-old woman whose left arm became caught between the side of a waterslide and adjacent rocks at a park. She sustained a torsional and axial loading injury to her left upper extremity resulting in ipsilateral humeral shaft and Galeazzi fractures. The combination of ipsilateral humeral shaft and Galeazzi fractures resulted in a rare floating elbow variant. Prompt open reduction and internal fixation of both fractures and early range of motion of the elbow and wrist resulted in an excellent clinical and radiographic result. Floating elbow injuries and their variants should be promptly recognized as early anatomic reduction, and rigid internal fixation can allow for good elbow function with minimization of stiffness.
Large Solid Right Atrial Thrombus Treated by AngioVac Catheter-Based Suction Thrombectomy
Authors: Schultz Jacob , Andersen Asger , Grove Erik Lerkevang , Ilkjær Lars Bo , Nielsen-Kudsk Jens Erik
Published: November 2018

We present the successful treatment of a large solid right atrial thrombus by the catheter-based suction embolectomy system AngioVac® (AngioDynamics, NY, USA). A previously healthy 60-year-old male was referred with acute pulmonary embolism, a large deep vein thrombus and a large right atrial thrombus. After one week of anticoagulation, the size of the atrial thrombus was unaltered, and the patient was treated by catheter-directed embolectomy using the AngioVac system. The solid thrombus occluded the catheter during the procedure. With the vacuum maintained, the occluded catheter was removed from the patient and the thrombus mass was removed. The remaining atrial thrombus was successfully removed by suction after the reinsertion of the catheter. The patient recovered well and was discharged 7 days after the procedure. The therapy was safe and minimally invasive.
High Dimension Model Representation-Based Response Surface for Reliability Analysis of Tunnel
Authors: Zhao Hongbo
Published: November 2018

Uncertainty is an important prosperity to rock tunnel. Reliability analysis is widely used to deal with the uncertainty. But it is difficult to be adopted in rock tunnel using the traditional reliability method because the limit state function is an implicit function. High dimension model representation (HDMR) can approximate the high dimensional, nonlinear, and implicit function using the low dimensional function. In this study, the HDMR method was adapted to approximate the limit state function through combining with response surface method (RSM). A new reliability analysis approach of HDMR-based response surface method, combined with the first-order reliability method (FORM), is developed to calculate the reliability index of tunnel, and implementation of the method is explained briefly. A circular tunnel with analytical solution and horseshoe tunnel with numerical solution are used to demonstrate the proposed method. The obtained reliability index is in excellent agreement with Low and Tang’s (2007) method and traditional RSM. It shows that HDMR-based response surface can approximate well the limit state function, and the proposed method is an efficient and effective approach for reliability analysis in tunnel engineering. It is very useful for reliability analysis of practical large-scale rock engineering.
First-Time Fathers’ Experience of Support from Midwives in Maternity Clinics: An Interview Study
Authors: Huusko L. , Sjöberg S. , Ekström A. , Hertfelt Wahn E. , Thorstensson S.
Published: November 2018

Background. Research shows that first-time fathers want to take part in preparation for birth and parenthood but they describe being excluded by health professionals. Aim. The aim of this study was to illustrate first-time fathers’ experiences of support from midwives in maternity clinics as a step in the validation of “The Father Perceived-Professional-Support” (The FaPPS) scale. Methods. A qualitative content analysis with an inductive and deductive approach was used; seven first-time fathers were strategically selected and interviewed. In the inductive part the following open question was asked: “How did you perceive the support from the antenatal midwife/midwives?” In the deductive part, the fathers were asked to respond to the FaPPS scale, in order to receive their thoughts and understanding of the scale, inspired by the “Think-aloud” method. Findings. The inductive results showed two main categories: Experience of not knowing what support they needed and Experience of being excluded. The fathers found support from other fathers in parental education classes, but they lack time to discuss. Overall it seems as if the fathers answered both from their own perspective and from the mothers’ perspective. This was not evident in the deductive results. The FaPPs scale should therefore include professionals’ ability to strengthen social support from other first-time fathers and professionals’ ability to offer support to the mother. Conclusion and Clinical Implications. The fathers experienced exclusion both by themselves and also by midwives. Midwives should offer both parents the opportunity to pose questions. It is important for expectant fathers that time for discussion is planned in parental education classes. The FaPPS scale is useful but needs further development. Parts of our result are in line with earlier research, for decades; therefore it is necessary to focus more on support for fathers.
Virtual Net: A Decentralized Architecture for Interaction in Mobile Virtual Worlds
Authors: Shen Bingqing , Guo Jingzhi
Published: November 2018

With the development of mobile technology, mobile virtual worlds have attracted massive users. To improve scalability, a peer‐to‐peer virtual world provides the solution to accommodate more users without increasing hardware investment. In mobile settings, however, existing P2P solutions are not applicable due to the unreliability of mobile devices and the instability of mobile networks. To address the issue, a novel infrastructure model, called Virtual Net, is proposed to provide fault‐tolerance in managing user content and object state. In this paper, the key problem, namely, object state update, is resolved to maintain state consistency and high interaction responsiveness. This work is important in implementing a scalable mobile virtual world.
Modulation of Mutant KrasG12D-Driven Lung Tumorigenesis In Vivo by Gain or Loss of PCDH7 Function
Authors: Zhou Xiaorong , Padanad Mahesh S. , Evers Bret M. , Smith Bethany , Novaresi Nicole , Suresh Shruthy , Richardson James A. , Stein Emily , Zhu Jingfei , Hammer Robert E. , O'Donnell Kathryn A.
Published: November 2018

PROTOCADHERIN 7 (PCDH7), a transmembrane receptor and member of the Cadherin superfamily, is frequently overexpressed in lung adenocarcinoma and is associated with poor clinical outcome. Although PCDH7 was recently shown to promote transformation and facilitate brain metastasis in lung and breast cancers, decreased PCDH7 expression has also been documented in colorectal, gastric, and invasive bladder cancers. These data suggest context-dependent functions for PCDH7 in distinct tumor types. Given that PCDH7 is a potentially targetable molecule on the surface of cancer cells, further investigation of its role in tumorigenesis in vivo is needed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of its inhibition. Here, we report the analysis of novel PCDH7 gain- and loss-of-function mouse models and provide compelling evidence that this cell-surface protein acts as a potent lung cancer driver. Employing a Cre-inducible transgenic allele, we demonstrated that enforced PCDH7 expression significantly accelerates KrasG12D-driven lung tumorigenesis and potentiates MAPK pathway activation. Furthermore, we performed in vivo somatic genome editing with CRISPR/Cas9 in KrasLSL-G12D; Tp53fl/fl (KP) mice to assess the consequences of PCDH7 loss of function. Inactivation of PCDH7 in KP mice significantly reduced lung tumor development, prolonged survival, and diminished phospho-activation of ERK1/2. Together, these findings establish a critical oncogenic function for PCDH7 in vivo and highlight the therapeutic potential of PCDH7 inhibition for lung cancer. Moreover, given recent reports of elevated or reduced PCDH7 in distinct tumor types, the new inducible transgenic model described here provides a robust experimental system for broadly elucidating the effects of PCDH7 overexpression in vivo.

Implications:

In this study, we establish a critical oncogenic function for PCDH7 in vivo using novel mouse models and CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, and we validate the therapeutic potential of PCDH7 inhibition for lung cancer.
Efficacy, Safety, and Biomarkers of Response to Azacitidine and Nivolumab in Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Nonrandomized, Open-Label, Phase II Study
Authors: Daver Naval , Garcia-Manero Guillermo , Basu Sreyashi , Boddu Prajwal C. , Alfayez Mansour , Cortes Jorge E. , Konopleva Marina , Ravandi-Kashani Farhad , Jabbour Elias , Kadia Tapan , Nogueras-Gonzalez Graciela M. , Ning Jing , Pemmaraju Naveen , DiNardo Courtney D. , Andreeff Michael , Pierce Sherry A. , Gordon Tauna , Kornblau Steven M. , Flores Wilmer , Alhamal Zainab , Bueso-Ramos Carlos , Jorgensen Jeffrey L. , Patel Keyur P. , Blando Jorge , Allison James P. , Sharma Padmanee , Kantarjian Hagop
Published: November 2018

Preclinical models have shown that blocking PD-1/PD-L1 pathways enhances antileukemic responses. Azacitidine upregulates PD-1 and IFNγ signaling. We therefore conducted this single-arm trial, in which patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were treated with azacitidine 75 mg/m2 days 1 to 7 intravenously or subcutaneously with nivolumab 3 mg/kg intravenously on days 1 and 14, every 4 to 6 weeks. For the seventy patients who were treated, the median age was 70 years (range, 22–90) and the median number of prior therapies received was 2 (range, 1–7). The overall response rate (ORR) was 33%, including 15 (22%) complete remission/complete remission with insufficient recovery of counts, 1 partial response, and 7 patients with hematologic improvement maintained >6 months. Six patients (9%) had stable disease >6 months. The ORR was 58% and 22%, in hypomethylating agent (HMA)–naïve (n = 25) and HMA-pretreated (n = 45) patients, respectively. Grade 3 to 4 immune-related adverse events occurred in 8 (11%) patients. Pretherapy bone marrow and peripheral blood CD3 and CD8 were significantly predictive for response on flow cytometry. CTLA4 was significantly upregulated on CD4+ Teff in nonresponders after 2 and 4 doses of nivolumab. Azacitidine and nivolumab therapy produced an encouraging response rate and overall survival in patients with R/R AML, particularly in HMA-naïve and salvage 1 patients. Pretherapy bone marrow aspirate and peripheral blood CD3 percentage may be biomarkers for patient selection.

Significance:

Azacitidine in combination with nivolumab appeared to be a safe and effective therapy in patients with AML who were salvage 1, prior hypomethylator-naïve, or had increased pretherapy CD3+ bone marrow infiltrate by flow cytometry or IHC. Bone marrow CD3 and CD8 are relatively simple assays that should be incorporated to select patients in future trials.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 305
Depression Symptoms Predict Worse Clinical Response to Etanercept Treatment in Psoriasis Patients
Authors: Jin Waishu , Zhang Shuqing , Duan Yanjuan
Published: November 2018

Background/Aims: This study aimed to investigate the predicting values of depression and anxiety symptoms for clinical response to etanercept treatment in psoriasis patients. Methods: A total of 85 psoriasis patients who received 6 months of etanercept treatment were consecutively enrolled in this prospective cohort study. The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score was evaluated at month 0 (M0), M1, M3, and M6, and the corresponding PASI 75/90 response at each visit was assessed. Also, anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at M0, M1, M3, and M6. Results: Depression symptoms were observed to correlate with female gender (p = 0.004), longer disease duration (p = 0.018), and higher PASI score (p < 0.001), and anxiety symptoms were seen to be associated with female gender (p = 0.017), larger psoriasis-affected body surface area (p = 0.049), and higher PASI score (p = 0.017) in psoriasis patients. After etanercept treatment, HADS-Depression (HADS-D) and HADS-Anxiety (HADS-A) scores were both decreased at M1, M3, and M6 (all p < 0.001) compared with M0. Most importantly, baseline depressed patients presented with a lower PASI 75 response rate at M3 (p = 0.014) and M6 (p = 0.005), and a reduced PASI 90 response rate at M6 (p = 0.045) compared with baseline non-depressed patients. Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that depression symptoms at baseline were an independent predictive factor for the lower possibility of both PASI 75 response (p = 0.048) and PASI 90 response (p = 0.048) achievements at M6 in psoriasis patients. However, no correlation of baseline anxiety symptoms with PASI 75/90 responses was observed. Conclusion: Depression symptoms at baseline independently predict a worse clinical response to etanercept treatment in psoriasis patients.
Re-Irradiation with Stereotactic Radiosurgery/Radiotherapy for Recurrent High-Grade Gliomas: Improved Survival in the Modern Era
Authors: Gigliotti Michael J. , Hasan Shaakir , Karlovits Stephen M. , Ranjan Tulika , Wegner Rodney E.
Published: November 2018

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (fSRT) as salvage therapy for recurrent high-grade glioma and to look at the overall efficacy of treatment with linear accelerator (LINAC)-based radiosurgery and fractionated radiotherapy. Methods: From 2010 to 2017, a total of 25 patients aged 23–74 years were re-irradiated with LINAC-based SRS and fSRT. Patients were treated to a median dose of 25 Gy in 5 fractions. Results: The median overall survival (OS) after (initial) diagnosis was 39 months with an actuarial 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rate of 88, 56, and 30%, respectively. After treatment with SRS or fSRT, the median OS was 9 months with an actuarial 1-year OS rate of 29%. Local control, assessed for 28 tumors, after 6 months was 57%, while local control after 1 year was 39%. Three patients experienced local failure. There was no evidence of toxicity noted after SRS or fSRT throughout the follow-up period. Conclusion: SRS and fSRT remain a safe, reasonable, effective treatment option for re-irradiation following recurrent glioblastoma. Additionally, treatment volume may predict local control in the salvage setting.
Regulation of the Expression of the Psychiatric Risk Gene Cacna1c during Associative Learning
Authors: Sykes Lucy , Clifton Nicholas E. , Hall Jeremy , Thomas Kerrie L.
Published: November 2018

CACNA1Cencodes the Cav1.2 L-type voltage-gated calcium channel. Generic variation in CACNA1C has been consistently identified as associated with risk for psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and autism. Psychiatric risk loci are also enriched for genes involved in the regulation of synaptic plasticity. Here, we show that the expression of Cacna1c is regulated in the rat hippocampus after context exposure, contextual fear conditioning and fear memory retrieval in a manner that correlates to specific memory processes. Using quantitative in situ hybridisation, the expression was down-regulated in CA1 by brief exposure to a novel context and to a conditioned context, and up-regulated in the dentate gyrus after contextual fear conditioning. No changes were measured after prolonged context exposure followed by conditioning, a procedure that retards fear conditioning (latent inhibition), nor with fear memory recall leading to extinction. These results are consistent with a selective role for Cav1.2 in the consolidation of context memory and contextual fear memory, and with processes associated with the maintenance of the fear memory after recall. The dysregulation of CACNA1C may thus be related to associative memory dysfunction in schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders.
Effective Fetal Epigenetic Biomarkers for Noninvasive Fetal Trisomy 21 Detections
Authors: Lim Ji Hyae , Lee Bom Yi , Kim Jin Woo , Han You Jung , Kim Min Hyoung , Chung Jin Hoon , Han Jung Yeol , Kim Moon Young , Ryu Hyun Mee
Published: November 2018

Introduction: Recently, we identified three novel fetal-specific epigenetic DNA regions (FSERs) on chromosome 21 for detection of noninvasive fetal trisomy 21 (T21). In this study, the diagnostic accuracies of the three FSERs were assessed on a larger panel of the first-trimester pregnant women. Material and Methods: This study was conducted with maternal plasma collected from 167 pregnant women carrying 155 chromosomally normal and 12 T21 fetuses (10–13 gestational weeks). Accuracies of FSERs for noninvasive prenatal test of fetal T21 were estimated by the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC). Results: The levels of all FSERs increased in pregnant women with T21 fetuses when compared with controls (p < 0.001 for all). The levels of the three FSERs did not differ according to maternal age, body mass index, and fetal sex at maternal blood sampling (p > 0.05 for all). In noninvasive fetal T21 detection, the AUC of FSER1, FSER2, and FSER3 were 0.859 (95% CI: 0.746–0.972), 0.919 (95% CI: 0.856–0.982), and 0.868 (95% CI: 0.746–0.990), respectively. Discussion: The findings of this study suggest that all FSERs may be useful for noninvasive fetal T21 detection, regardless of maternal age, body mass index, and fetal sex.
TLR Activation Alters Bone Marrow-Derived Macrophage Differentiation
Authors: Oppong-Nonterah Gertrude O. , Lakhdari Omar , Yamamura Asami , Hoffman Hal M. , Prince Lawrence S.
Published: November 2018

Early exposure to inflammatory signals may have a lasting impact on immune function. Present throughout embryogenesis, macrophages are key cells providing innate immune protection to the developing fetus and newborn. Here, we have used an established model of macrophage development to test how early inflammatory signals can impact cellular differentiation and function. Bone marrow-derived macrophages were treated with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 2 days after initial isolation and culture. LPS treatment during this early stage of differentiation decreased the expression of CSF1R and increased that of the mature macrophage marker F4/80. These early changes in macrophage differentiation were also measured in cells from mice lacking IKKβ, but the change in CSF1R expression after LPS treatment was blocked with MAPK inhibition. LPS-induced changes in macrophage marker expression persisted following LPS removal, suggesting that early inflammatory activation could induce a lasting developmental impact. Early LPS exposure inhibited macrophage phagocytosis of labeled E. coli while LPS had no effect on fully differentiated macrophages. Our data demonstrate that early inflammatory exposure to a microbial stimulus induce lasting phenotypic changes in macrophages.
Unusual Clinical Presentation and Association of Cranial Dermoid Tumor and Tethered Cord Syndrome
Authors: Ercan Serdar , Guzel Ebru , Guzel Aslan
Published: November 2018

Tethered cord syndrome (TCS), a neurological disorder characterized by the lower settlement of the conus medullaris, is a congenital spinal disease which is caused by split cord syndrome, meningomyelocele, and spinal tumors. Cranial dermoid tumor (CDT) is a congenital benign tumor which is generally located on the midline of the cranium. Even though TCS is highly associated with spinal dermoid tumor, the relationship of CDT and TCS is unusual. We pre­sent a case with an unusual symptom of CDT, motion-dependent pain, and an uncommon togetherness with TCS.
A Non-Lethal Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type II Mutation
Authors: Alhousseini Ali , Mahaseth Maheshwar , Zeineddine Salam , Jaiman Sunil , Berman Susan , Bryant David , Tan Sidhartha , Hernandez-Andrade Edgar
Published: November 2018

Background: We discuss the ethical decision points in a case report that describes a novel COL1A1 mutation associated to Osteogenesis Imperfecta type II, but with a non-lethal outcome. Case: A 33-year-old female underwent a 21-week ultrasound that revealed short bowed femurs and humeri with old fractures and bowed tibias and fibulas. Amniotic fluid testing revealed a novel COL1A1 mutation (c.1840G>A; p.Gly614Arg). OI Type II diagnosis was made. A previously reported mutation of the same gene but different locus (c.1840G>C; p.Gly614Arg) led to a lethal form of OI type II. The newborn was delivered via a cesarean delivery and intravenous bisphosphonates (Zaledronic acid) was administered every 3 months. Currently the infant is 22 months old, is growing, with mild bilateral conductive hearing loss. Conclusion: The unexpected clinical outcome should serve as a reminder that phenotypic variability can occur with genetic mutations. Our case shows that the diagnosis of the type of OI should be based not only on clinical findings and genetic investigations but also on the clinical course over time.
Carbon Monoxide Releasing Molecule 3 Inhibits Osteoclastogenic Differentiation of RAW264.7 Cells by Heme Oxygenase-1
Authors: Pan Yan , Song Jiahui , Ma Li , Zong Xiaoming , Chen Hui , Zhao Bin , Yu Qing , Song Hui
Published: November 2018

Background/Aims: Increased osteoclastogenic differentiation may disrupt the balance of bone resorption and formation, giving rise to bone defective disease. The study aimed to investigate the influence of carbon monoxide releasing molecule 3 on osteoclastogenic differentiation of RAW264.7 cells, and explore the possible mechanism underlying the regulatory effect. Methods: Influence of CORM-3 on the proliferation of RAW264.7 cells was determined by CCK-8 assay. RAW264.7 cells were divided into four groups: Control group; Osteoclastogenic differentiation group, in which cells were induced osteoclastogenic differentiation in medium supplemented with 100μg/L RANKL and 50μg/L M-CSF; Degassed CORM-3-osteoclastogenic differentiation group, in which cells were pretreated with 200μmol/L degassed CORM-3 for 6hrs, and then induced osteoclastogenic differentiation; CORM-3-osteoclastogenic differentiation group, in which cells were pretreated with 200μmol/L CORM-3, and then induced osteoclastogenic differentiation. The mRNA and protein expression of RANK, TRAP, MMP-9, Cts-K and HO-1 of the cells during the osteoclastogenic differentiation was checked by RT-qPCR and Western blot. The induced osteoclasts were identified by TRAP staining. The HO-1 expression of the RAW264.7 cells was silenced by lentivirus transfection, and the expression of RANK, TRAP, MMP-9 and Cts-K was examined by RT-qPCR and Western blot. Results: CORM-3 promoted the proliferation of RAW264.7 cells at the concentration of 200μmol/L. Pretreatment with CORM-3, but not degassed CORM-3, significantly decreased the mRNA and protein expression of osteoclast-specific marker TRAP, RANK, MMP-9 and Cts-K induced by RANKL and M-CSF on day 5, 7 and 9 during the osteoclastogenic differentiation (P< 0.05). After HO-1 was silenced by lentivirus transfection, the mRNA and protein expression of TRAP, RANK, MMP-9 and Cts-K in group with CORM-3 pretreatment maintained the same level as in osteoclastogenic differentiation group. Conclusion: CORM-3 inhibits osteoclastogenic differentiation of RAW264.7 cells via releasing CO. The inhibitory effect is mediated partially by HO-1 pathway. The results suggest the potential application of CORM-3 on some bone defective diseases.
Neuroevolution of a Modular Memory-Augmented Neural Network for Deep Memory Problems
Authors: Khadka Shauharda , Chung Jen Jen , Tumer Kagan
Published: November 2018

We present Modular Memory Units (MMUs), a new class of memory-augmented neural network. MMU builds on the gated neural architecture of Gated Recurrent Units (GRUs) and Long Short Term Memory (LSTMs), to incorporate an external memory block, similar to a Neural Turing Machine (NTM). MMU interacts with the memory block using independent read and write gates that serve to decouple the memory from the central feedforward operation. This allows for regimented memory access and update, giving our network the ability to choose when to read from memory, update it, or simply ignore it. This capacity to act in detachment allows the network to shield the memory from noise and other distractions, while simultaneously using it to effectively retain and propagate information over an extended period of time. We train MMU using both neuroevolution and gradient descent, and perform experiments on two deep memory benchmarks. Results demonstrate that MMU performs significantly faster and more accurately than traditional LSTM-based methods, and is robust to dramatic increases in the sequence depth of these memory benchmarks.
irena and iea: Moving Together Towards a Sustainable Energy Future—Competition or Collaboration?
Authors: Esu Federico , Sindico Francesco
Published: November 2018

The aim of this article is to critically examine, from a legal perspective, the relationship between the International Energy Agency (iea) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (irena). The iea was established in 1973 in response to the global oil crisis. It currently has 29 member states. Its original mandate has been expanded to include ensuring reliable, affordable, and clean energy. irena was established in 2009. Its main objective is to promote sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy. With 138 member states, and many more in the process of accession, irena is becoming a truly universal organization. Both the iea and irena focus their attention on sustainable energy. Is there an institutional overlap or an unnecessary duplication in scope? Are irena’s activities in sustainable energy, which seemingly parallel those of the iea, justified by its aims and global reach? By addressing these and related questions, the article discusses whether the relationship between the iea and irena can be seen as competition or collaboration. The relationship is analysed within the context of the un Sustainable Energy for All Initiative.
Marine Renewable Energies and the European Regional Seas Conventions
Authors: Soria-Rodríguez Carlos
Published: November 2018

Marine renewable energies (mres) have become a priority in the eu due to their potential contribution to mitigating climate change and providing competitive, affordable, and secure energy (among other benefits). However, the installation, maintenance, operation, and decommissioning of mres, in addition to the energy transmission to the grid and the development of the related industry, could compromise the protection of the marine environment. The Regional Seas Conventions (rscs) are some of the relevant legal instruments for the protection of the marine environment at the European regional level. This article analyses the applicability of the rscs to mres and argues that these instruments offer only generic protection against the environmental effects associated with the deployment of these sources of energy. However, the interaction between the rscs and relevant eu secondary law instruments applicable to mres can strengthen the environmental protection against the environmental effects of mres in the eu’s maritime spaces.
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Wind Energy and Adverse Visual-Impact Litigation: A Balance of Global and Local Interests?
Authors: Jones Natalie
Published: November 2018

Wind energy is one of the world’s fastest growing forms of energy. It has many advantages over traditional forms of energy. However, visual impact is a disadvantage. Although planning applications for wind-farm developments are on the rise worldwide, the visual impact of potential developments repeatedly provokes opposition to new wind-farm projects. Litigation aimed at enjoining the construction of wind-energy facilities can slow wind-energy development and increase its cost. This article takes a comparative approach to such visual-impact litigation, looking at cases from Australia, New Zealand, and England in order to understand why planning cases are much more likely to succeed in some jurisdictions than others. I argue that in some jurisdictions decision-makers and courts are impliedly prioritizing the global, national, and local interests in favour of wind-farm development over the national and local interests in favour of landscape and visual-amenity protection.
Globalization’s Vehicle: The Evolution and Future of Emission Regulation in the icao and imo in Comparative Assessment
Authors: Smith Jeffrey J. , Ahmad M. Tanveer
Published: November 2018

Global aviation and shipping offer important lessons for the regulation of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In a relatively short period, each industry has, through international organizations, achieved seemingly effective, universally adopted rules. This article explores the historical development and prospects for air-pollution regulation by examining and comparing state delegation of rule making to the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization. It is argued that the success experienced in the regulation of the two industries’ air emissions would not have been accomplished without their multilateral organizations. That is because of the complexity of technical regulation and a lack of capacity in many states to design and implement regulations. The article examines the development of now-comprehensive air-pollution regulation by the two organizations. The lessons for regulatory design are canvassed, including for relevance to greenhouse-gas control and the emerging framework of global atmospheric protection. The question of how to assess the effectiveness of the regulation is considered in an effort to understand how progress in the two industries might be sustained. Improved regulation, it is concluded, will depend on the two governing regimes adopting measures from each other and ensuring that they are included in an emerging global atmospheric governance framework.
Adaptation to climate change in urban areas: Climate-greening London, Rotterdam, and Toronto
Authors: Mees Heleen-Lydeke P. , Driessen Peter P. J.
Published: November 2018

This article aims to gain insight into the governance capacity of cities to adapt to climate change through urban green planning, which we will refer to as climate-greening. The use of green space is considered a no-regrets adaptation strategy, since it not only absorbs rainfall and moderates temperature, but simultaneously can contribute to the sustainable development of urban areas. However, green space competes with other socio-economic interests that also require space. Urban planning can mediate among competing demands for land use, and, as such, is potentially useful for the governance of adaptation. Through an in-depth case study of three frontrunners in adaptation planning (London, Rotterdam, and Toronto), the governance capacity for climate-greening urban areas is analysed and compared. The framework we have developed utilizes five sub-capacities: legal, managerial, political, resource, and learning. The overall conclusion from the case studies is that the legal and political subcapacities are the strongest. The resource and learning sub-capacities are relatively weak, but offer considerable growth potential. The managerial sub-capacity is constrained by compartmentalization and institutional fragmentation, two key barriers to governance capacity. These are effectively blocking the mainstreaming of adaptation in urban planning. The biggest opportunities to enhance governance capacity lie in the integration of adaptation considerations into urban-planning processes, the establishment of links between adaptation and mitigation policies, investment in training programmes for staff and stakeholders in adaptation planning, and providing infrastructure for learning processes.
The Nation Ex-Situ: On climate change, deterritorialized nationhood and the post-climate era
Authors: Burkett Maxine
Published: November 2018

It is plausible that the impacts of climate change will render certain nation-states uninhabitable before the close of the century. While this may be the fate of a small number of those nation-states most vulnerable to climate change, its implications for the evolution of statehood and international law in a “post-climate” regime is potentially seismic. I argue that to respond to the phenomenon of landless nationstates, international law could accommodate an entirely new category of international actors. I introduce the Nation Ex-Situ. Ex-situ nationhood is a status that allows for the continued existence of a sovereign state, afforded all of the rights and benefits of sovereignty amongst the family of states, in perpetuity. In practice this would require the creation of a government framework that could exercise authority over a diffuse people. I elaborate on earlier calls to use a political trusteeship system to provide the framework for an analogous structure. I seek to accomplish two quite different but intimately related tasks: first, to define and justify the recognition of deterritorialized nation-states, and, second, to explain the trusteeship arrangement that will undergird the ex-situ nation. In doing so, I introduce the notion of a post-climate era, in which the very structure of human systems—be they legal, economic, or socio-political—are irrevocably changed and ever-changing.
Aureobasidium khasianum (Aureobasidiaceae) a novel species with distinct morphology
Authors: PRABHUGAONKAR ASHISH , PRATIBHA J.
Published: November 2018

A new species, Aureobasidium khasianum, was found growing on decaying leaves of Wightia speciosissima (Paulowniaceae) in India. It is described here with newly observed morphological features such as formation of setae having adhering conidiogenous cells and producing monilioid conidia. A phylogenetic analysis based on ITS and LSU gene regions is provided to support the taxonomic treatment.
Notes on the subfamily Stenogastrinae (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in the Philippine Islands, with description of nine new species
Authors: SELIS MARCO
Published: November 2018

New additions to the subfamily Stenogastrinae in the Philippine Islands are provided. Nine new species are described: Liostenogaster maculiceps Selis, sp. nov., Parischnogaster albofasciata Selis, sp. nov., P. mindanaonis Selis, sp. nov., and P. simillima Selis, sp. nov., from Mindanao; P. curviclypeus Selis, sp. nov. from Mindoro; P. carpenteri Selis, sp. nov. from Mindanao and Mindoro; L. bimaculata Selis, sp. nov., from Mindanao and Samar; P. nigerrima Selis, sp. nov., and P. nigriterga Selis, sp. nov. from Luzon. The male of Eustenogaster fumipennis Saito and the female of Parischnogaster giglii Selis, are described for the first time. A key to the species of Liostenogaster van der Vecht occurring in the Philippine Islands and new distributional data are provided.
Description of Drilocephalobus moldavicus Lisetskaya, 1968 (Rhabditida: Osstellidae) from Kelso Dunes, Mojave National Preserve, California, USA
Authors: BOSTRÖM SVEN , HOLOVACHOV OLEKSANDR
Published: November 2018

Specimens of Drilocephalobus moldavicus are described from the Kelso Dunes area, Mojave National Preserve, southern California. This is the first record of the genus in North America. The specimens of this population are characterized by a body length of 322–417 µm in females and 403 µm in the male; cuticle finely annulated; lateral field with five incisures, extending to phasmid and two incisures extending almost to tail terminus in both sexes; lip region helmet-shaped, offset from body contour; lips amalgamated; stoma with thin walls lacking sclerotizations; pharynx without distinct divisions, cylindrical, widening slightly at about 1/3 of its length and basally, without valves; spermatheca 14–19 µm long; postvulval uterine sac 25–27 µm long; spicules 23 µm long; and female tail conoid-elongate with rounded terminus.
Comparison and Evaluation of Statistical Rainfall Disaggregation and High-Resolution Dynamical Downscaling over Complex Terrain
Authors: Poschlod B. , Hodnebrog Ø. , Wood R. R. , Alterskjær K. , Ludwig R. , Myhre G. , Sillmann J.
Published: November 2018

Representative methods of statistical disaggregation and dynamical downscaling are compared in terms of their ability to disaggregate precipitation data into hourly resolution in an urban area with complex terrain. The nonparametric statistical Method of Fragments (MoF) uses hourly data from rain gauges to split the daily data at the location of interest into hourly fragments. The high-resolution, convection-permitting Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) regional climate model is driven by reanalysis data. The MoF can reconstruct the variance, dry proportion, wet hours per month, number and length of wet spells per rainy day, timing of the maximum rainfall burst, and intensities of extreme precipitation with errors of less than 10%. However, the MoF cannot capture the spatial coherence and temporal interday connectivity of precipitation events due to the random elements involved in the algorithm. Otherwise, the statistical method is well suited for filling gaps in subdaily historical records. The WRF Model is able to reproduce dry proportion, lag-1 autocorrelation, wet hours per month, number and length of wet spells per rainy day, spatial correlation, and 6- and 12-h intensities of extreme precipitation with errors of 10% or less. The WRF approach tends to underestimate peak rainfall of 1- and 3-h aggregates but can be used where no observations are available or when areal precipitation data are needed.
Examination of Generation Mechanisms for an English Channel Meteotsunami: Combining Observations and Modeling
Authors: Williams David A. , Horsburgh Kevin J. , Schultz David M. , Hughes Chris W.
Published: November 2018

On the morning of 23 June 2016, a 0.70-m meteotsunami was observed in the English Channel between the United Kingdom and France. This wave was measured by several tide gauges and coincided with a heavily precipitating convective system producing 10 m s−1 wind speeds at the 10-m level and 1–2.5-hPa surface pressure anomalies. A combination of precipitation rate cross correlations and NCEP–NCAR Reanalysis 1 data showed that the convective system moved northeastward at 19 ± 2 m s−1. To model the meteotsunami, the finite element model Telemac was forced with an ensemble of prescribed pressure forcings, covering observational uncertainty. Ensembles simulated the observed wave period and arrival times within minutes and wave heights within tens of centimeters. A directly forced wave and a secondary coastal wave were simulated, and these amplified as they propagated. Proudman resonance was responsible for the wave amplification, and the coastal wave resulted from strong refraction of the primary wave. The main generating mechanism was the atmospheric pressure anomaly with wind stress playing a secondary role, increasing the first wave peak by 16% on average. Certain tidal conditions reduced modeled wave heights by up to 56%, by shifting the location where Proudman resonance occurred. This shift was mainly from tidal currents rather than tidal elevation directly affecting shallow-water wave speed. An improved understanding of meteotsunami return periods and generation mechanisms would be aided by tide gauge measurements sampled at less than 15-min intervals.