bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hedonism and the choice of everyday activities
Authors: Taquet Maxime , Quoidbach Jordi , de Montjoye Yves-Alexandre , Desseilles Martin , Gross James J.
Published: August 2016

Significance

Decisions we make every day about how to invest our time have crucial personal and societal consequences. Most theories of motivation propose that our daily choices of activities aim to maximize positive affective states but fail to explain when people decide to engage in unpleasant yet necessary activities. We tracked the activities and moods of over 28,000 people in real time and demonstrated that people seek mood-enhancing activities when they feel bad and unpleasant activities when they feel good. These findings clarify how emotions shape behavior and may explain how humans trade off short-term happiness for long-term welfare. Overcoming such trade-offs might be critical for our personal well-being and our survival as a species.
Peripheral and central CB1 cannabinoid receptors control stress-induced impairment of memory consolidation
Authors: Busquets-Garcia Arnau , Gomis-González Maria , Srivastava Raj Kamal , Cutando Laura , Ortega-Alvaro Antonio , Ruehle Sabine , Remmers Floortje , Bindila Laura , Bellocchio Luigi , Marsicano Giovanni , Lutz Beat , Maldonado Rafael , Ozaita Andrés
Published: August 2016

Significance

This study discloses specific central and peripheral mechanisms involving cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptors in impairing the effect of acute stress on the consolidation of nonemotional memory in rodents. Both hippocampal and peripheral CB1 receptors in dopamine β-hydroxylase–expressing cells (i.e., in adrenergic/noradrenergic cells) are identified as necessary and sufficient for stress-induced memory impairment. Our study provides the foundation for the development of novel potential approaches to tackle cognitive alterations in stress-related disorders.
Link of a ubiquitous human coronavirus to dromedary camels
Authors: Corman Victor M. , Eckerle Isabella , Memish Ziad A. , Liljander Anne M. , Dijkman Ronald , Jonsdottir Hulda , Juma Ngeiywa Kisi J. Z. , Kamau Esther , Younan Mario , Al Masri Malakita , Assiri Abdullah , Gluecks Ilona , Musa Bakri E. , Meyer Benjamin , Müller Marcel A. , Hilali Mosaad , Bornstein Set , Wernery Ulrich , Thiel Volker , Jores Joerg , Drexler Jan Felix , Drosten Christian
Published: August 2016

Significance

Our results raise a scenario for the natural history of a ubiquitous respiratory coronavirus (CoV) that has established itself in humans after it was likely acquired from camels. This scenario reminds us of the pandemic potential of the Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV, an agent that is thought to be acquired from camels without presently causing sustained human-to-human transmission.
Nature of ground and electronic excited states of higher acenes
Authors: Yang Yang , Davidson Ernest R. , Yang Weitao
Published: August 2016

Significance

Higher acenes are promising organic semiconductors with versatile electronic properties. A better understanding of their ground- and electronic excited states will benefit further molecular design and future applications. However, their instability and multireference character have impeded experimental and theoretical studies. Here, we use the recently developed particle–particle random-phase approximation in combination with a diradical analysis to unveil the nature of their ground- and electronic excited states. The excitation energies are presented, along with a detailed description of the bonding nature, which switches from regular molecules to full diradicals, and then even to polyradicals. The likelihood of singlet fission is briefly discussed from an energetic perspective.
Amplification of RNA by an RNA polymerase ribozyme
Authors: Horning David P. , Joyce Gerald F.
Published: August 2016

Significance

Darwinian life requires the ability to replicate genotypes and express phenotypes. Although all extant life relies on protein enzymes to accomplish these tasks, life in the ancestral RNA world would have used only RNA enzymes. Here, we report the in vitro evolution of an improved RNA polymerase ribozyme that is able to synthesize structured functional RNAs, including aptamers and ribozymes, and replicate short RNA sequences in a protein-free form of the PCR. Thus, the replication of RNA and the expression of functional RNA can be accomplished with RNA alone. Combining and improving these activities may enable the self-sustained evolution of RNA and offers a potential route to a synthetic form of RNA life.
Mortality, Transmitter Retention, Growth, and Wound Healing in Juvenile Salmon Injected with Micro Acoustic Transmitters
Authors: Liss Stephanie A. , Brown Richard S. , Deters Katherine A. , Walker Ricardo W. , Deng Z. Daniel , Eppard M. Brad , Townsend Richard L. , Seaburg Adam G.
Published: August 2016

A cylindrical micro acoustic transmitter (AT; weight in air = 0.2 g) has been developed for injection into the peritoneal cavity of fish. Laboratory studies can provide tagging guidelines to minimize the effects of implantation techniques and transmitter burden (transmitter weight expressed as a proportion of fish weight) before use of the AT in field studies. To establish guidelines for minimizing tagging effects, we examined response variables (mortality, transmitter expulsion, growth, and wound healing) for micro AT‐injected juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha over a wide range of sizes (65–104 mm FL). The overarching goal was to determine a minimum size threshold at which the adverse effects of micro AT injection on fish are minimized. Juveniles (n = 700) were separated into four treatments: (1) AT injection, (2) injection of an AT and a PIT tag (AT+PIT), (3) injection of visible implant elastomer (marked control), and (4) unmarked (true) control. Fish were evaluated once per week for 4 weeks and at the end of the study (60 d posttagging). The AT‐ and AT+PIT‐injected fish experienced greater mortality than marked controls and grew (FL and weight gain) significantly less than marked controls, although no minimum size thresholds were detected. By 60 d posttagging, the transmitter expulsion rate was 44% for AT‐injected fish and 20% for AT+PIT‐injected fish. However, among the 90‐mm and larger fish in the AT treatment, none died or expelled a transmitter. Initial FL significantly affected wound healing for both injection treatments. A size threshold (85.1 mm FL) was identified for AT+PIT‐injected fish at 7 d posttagging, indicating that wound areas in fish smaller than 85.1 mm were larger than the wound areas in fish exceeding 85.1 mm. Our results suggest that AT or AT+PIT injection had a greater effect on smaller juvenile Chinook Salmon than on larger fish.

Received January 25, 2016; accepted April 7, 2016 Published online August 16, 2016
Mental causation, compatibilism and counterfactuals
Authors: Moore Dwayne
Published: August 2016

According to proponents of the causal exclusion problem, there cannot be a sufficient physical cause and a distinct mental cause of the same piece of behaviour. Increasingly, the causal exclusion problem is circumvented via this compatibilist reasoning: a sufficient physical cause of the behavioural effect necessitates the mental cause of the behavioural effect, so the effect has a sufficient physical cause and a mental cause as well. In this paper, I argue that this compatibilist reply fails to resolve the causal exclusion problem.
A comparative study on wear and corrosion behaviour of HVOF- and HVAF-sprayed WC–10Co–4Cr coatings
Authors: Liu Y. , Liu W. , Ma Y. , Meng S. , Liu C. , Long L. , Tang S.
Published: August 2016

In this work, WC–10Co–4Cr coatings were separately deposited on 300M steel by high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) and high-velocity air fuel (HVAF) spraying processes. Microstructure, porosity, micro-hardness, bonding strength, wear and corrosion resistance of the coatings after different processing were investigated and compared. The result shows that dense and homogeneous microstructure existed in both two WC–10Co–4Cr coatings. Owing to lower temperature flames and higher particle velocity in the HVAF process, the HVAF-sprayed WC–10Co–4Cr coating exhibited less decarburisation, lower porosity (0.74%), higher micro-hardness (1162 HV0.3) and bonding strength (74.68 MPa) than HVOF-sprayed WC–10Co–4Cr coating. In addition, wear and corrosion resistance of these two coatings were evaluated by sliding wear test and electrochemical corrosion test. The HVAF-sprayed WC–10Co–4Cr coating also exhibited excellent wear resistance and superior corrosion property than HVOF-sprayed WC–10Co–4Cr coating.
Philosophical reflections on the mission of the European College of Sport Science: Challenges and opportunities
Authors: Loland S. , McNamee Mike
Published: August 2016

The European College of Sport Science (ECSS) was established in part to promote the integrated study of sports and related phenomena from multi‐ and interdisciplinary perspectives. There are significant and enduring philosophical, epistemological and professional challenges and opportunities that arise from this integrationist perspective. In this article, we reflect upon the challenges that have arisen in the development of sport sciences in the attempt to realize the ECSS mission. We identify three paradigmatic approaches to sports science: (1) the mechanistic; (2) the hermeneutic and (3) the critical. We critically evaluate these paradigms and their potential within the broad framework of integrationist ambitions for sports science as a scientific field.
Microtearing turbulence limiting the JET-ILW pedestal
Authors: Hatch D.R. , Kotschenreuther M. , Mahajan S. , Valanju P. , Jenko F. , Told D. , Görler T. , Saarelma S.
Published: August 2016

The first nonlinear gyrokinetic turbulence simulations that quantitatively reproduce experimental transport levels in an H-mode pedestal are reported. In the JET-ILW (ITER-like wall) pedestal, the bulk of the transport in the steep gradient region is caused by the turbulence driven by the microtearing mode (MTM). Kinetic ballooning modes are found to be in a second-stability regime. With contributions from the neoclassical and electron temperature gradient driven transport, the MTM mechanism reproduces, quantitatively, the experimental power balance across most of the pedestal.
Localized electron heating during magnetic reconnection in MAST
Authors: Yamada T. , Tanabe H. , Watanabe T.G. , Hayashi Y. , Imazawa R. , Inomoto M. , Ono Y. , Gryaznevich M. , Scannell R. , Michael C.
Published: August 2016

Significant increase in the plasma temperature above 1 keV was measured during the kilogauss magnetic field reconnection of two merging toroidal plasmas under the high-guide field and collision-less conditions. The electron temperature was observed to peak significantly at the X-point inside the current sheet, indicating Joule heating caused by the toroidal electric field along the X-line. This peaked temperature increases significantly with the guide field, in agreement with the electron mean-free path calculation. The slow electron heating in the downstream suggests energy conversion from ions to electrons through ion-electron collisions in the bulk plasma as the second electron heating mechanism in the bulk plasma. The electron density profile clearly reveals the electron density pile-up / fast shock structures in the downstream of reconnection, suggesting energy conversion from ion flow energy to ion thermal energy as well as significant ion heating by reconnection outflow.
Free surface stability of liquid metal plasma facing components
Authors: Fiflis P. , Christenson M. , Szott M. , Kalathiparambil K. , Ruzic D.N.
Published: August 2016

An outstanding concern raised over the implementation of liquid metal plasma facing components in fusion reactors is the potential for ejection of liquid metal into the fusion plasma. The influences of Rayleigh–Taylor-like and Kelvin–Helmholtz-like instabilities were experimentally observed and quantified on the thermoelectric-driven liquid-metal plasma-facing structures (TELS) chamber at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. To probe the stability boundary, plasma currents and velocities were first characterized with a flush probe array. Subsequent observations of lithium ejection under exposure in the TELS chamber exhibited a departure from previous theory based on linear perturbation analysis. The stability boundary is mapped experimentally over the range of plasma impulses of which TELS is capable to deliver, and a new theory based on a modified set of the shallow water equations is presented which accurately predicts the stability of the lithium surface under plasma exposure.
Excitation of the beta-induced Alfvén eigenmode by a plasma flow around the magnetic island
Authors: Marchenko V.S. , Panwar A. , Reznik S.N. , Ryu C.M.
Published: August 2016

It is well known that the rotation of a magnetic island in the reference frame of plasma guiding centers generates parallel electron current outside the island, which is induced by the geodesic curvature of a magnetic field (Smolyakov et al 2007 Phys. Rev. Lett. 99 055002). It is shown in the present work that the surface part of this current located at the island separatrix can drive a pair of counter-propagating, tearing-parity, beta-induced Alfvén eigenmodes, which have the same helicity as that of the magnetic island and form a standing wave in the island frame. These Alfvénic modes can accompany tearing activity in tokamak discharges without energetic particles.
Validation of conducting wall models using magnetic measurements
Authors: Hanson J.M. , Bialek J. , Turco F. , King J. , Navratil G.A. , Strait E.J. , Turnbull A.
Published: August 2016

The impact of conducting wall eddy currents on perturbed magnetic field measurements is a key issue for understanding the measurement and control of long-wavelength MHD stability in tokamak devices. As plasma response models have growth in sophistication, the need to understand and resolve small changes in these measurements has become more important, motivating increased fidelity in simulations of externally applied fields and the wall eddy current response. In this manuscript, we describe thorough validation studies of the wall models in the mars-f and valen stability codes, using coil–sensor vacuum coupling measurements from the DIII-D tokamak (Luxon et al 2005 Fusion Sci. Technol. 48 807). The valen formulation treats conducting structures with arbitrary three-dimensional geometries, while mars-f uses an axisymmetric wall model and a spectral decomposition of the problem geometry with a fixed toroidal harmonic n. The vacuum coupling measurements have a strong sensitivity to wall eddy currents induced by time-changing coil currents, owing to the close proximities of both the sensors and coils to the wall. Measurements from individual coil and sensor channels are directly compared with valen predictions. It is found that straightforward improvements to the valen model, such as refining the wall mesh and simulating the vertical extent of the DIII-D poloidal field sensors, lead to good agreement with the experimental measurements. In addition, couplings to multi-coil, n  =  1 toroidal mode perturbations are calculated from the measurements and compared with predictions from both codes. The toroidal mode comparisons favor the fully three-dimensional simulation approach, likely because this approach naturally treats n  >  1 sidebands generated by the coils and wall eddy currents, as well as the n  =  1 fundamental.
Fusion nuclear science facilities and pilot plants based on the spherical tokamak
Authors: Menard J.E. , Brown T. , El-Guebaly L. , Boyer M. , Canik J. , Colling B. , Raman R. , Wang Z. , Zhai Y. , Buxton P. , Covele B. , D’Angelo C. , Davis A. , Gerhardt S. , Gryaznevich M. , Harb M. , Hender T.C. , Kaye S. , Kingham D. , Kotschenreuther M. , Mahajan S. , Maingi R. , Marriott E. , Meier E.T. , Mynsberge L. , Neumeyer C. , Ono M. , Park J.-K. , Sabbagh S.A. , Soukhanovskii V. , Valanju P. , Woolley R.
Published: August 2016

A fusion nuclear science facility (FNSF) could play an important role in the development of fusion energy by providing the nuclear environment needed to develop fusion materials and components. The spherical torus/tokamak (ST) is a leading candidate for an FNSF due to its potentially high neutron wall loading and modular configuration. A key consideration for the choice of FNSF configuration is the range of achievable missions as a function of device size. Possible missions include: providing high neutron wall loading and fluence, demonstrating tritium self-sufficiency, and demonstrating electrical self-sufficiency. All of these missions must also be compatible with a viable divertor, first-wall, and blanket solution. ST-FNSF configurations have been developed simultaneously incorporating for the first time: (1) a blanket system capable of tritium breeding ratio TBR  ≈  1, (2) a poloidal field coil set supporting high elongation and triangularity for a range of internal inductance and normalized beta values consistent with NSTX/NSTX-U previous/planned operation, (3) a long-legged divertor analogous to the MAST-U divertor which substantially reduces projected peak divertor heat-flux and has all outboard poloidal field coils outside the vacuum chamber and superconducting to reduce power consumption, and (4) a vertical maintenance scheme in which blanket structures and the centerstack can be removed independently. Progress in these ST-FNSF missions versus configuration studies including dependence on plasma major radius R
0 for a range 1 m–2.2 m are described. In particular, it is found the threshold major radius for TBR  =  1 is

R

0

⩾
1.7

m, and a smaller R
0  =  1 m ST device has TBR  ≈  0.9 which is below unity but substantially reduces T consumption relative to not breeding. Calculations of neutral beam heating and current drive for non-inductive ramp-up and sustainment are described. An A  =  2, R
0  =  3 m device incorporating high-temperature superconductor toroidal field coil magnets capable of high neutron fluence and both tritium and electrical self-sufficiency is also presented following systematic aspect ratio studies.
On certain 𝐿-functions for deformations of knot group representations
Authors: Kitayama Takahiro , Morishita Masanori , Tange Ryoto , Terashima Yuji
Published: August 2016

We study the twisted knot module for the universal deformation of an

SL

2

\textrm {SL}_2

-representation of a knot group and introduce an associated

L
L

-function, which may be seen as an analogue of the algebraic

p
p

-adic

L
L

-function associated to the Selmer module for the universal deformation of a Galois representation. We then investigate two problems proposed by Mazur: Firstly we show the torsion property of the twisted knot module over the universal deformation ring under certain conditions. Secondly we compute the

L
L

-function by some concrete examples for

2
2

-bridge knots.
Polarized synchrotron emission from the equatorial current sheet in gamma-ray pulsars
Authors: Cerutti Benoît , Mortier Jérémy , Philippov Alexander A.
Published: August 2016

Polarization is a powerful diagnostic tool to constrain the site of the high-energy pulsed emission and particle acceleration in gamma-ray pulsars. Recent particle-in-cell simulations of pulsar magnetosphere suggest that high-energy emission results from particles accelerated in the equatorial current sheet emitting synchrotron radiation. In this study, we re-examine the simulation data to compute the phase-resolved polarization properties. We find that the emission is mildly polarized and that there is an anti-correlation between the flux and the degree of linear polarization (on-pulse: ∼15 per cent, off-pulse: ∼30 per cent). The decrease of polarization during pulses is mainly attributed to the formation of caustics in the current sheet. Each pulse of light is systematically accompanied by a rapid swing of the polarization angle due to the change of the magnetic polarity when the line of sight passes through the current sheet. The optical polarization pattern observed in the Crab can be well-reproduced for a pulsar inclination angle ∼60° and an observer viewing angle ∼130°. The predicted high-energy polarization is a robust feature of the current sheet emitting scenario which can be tested by future X-ray and gamma-ray polarimetry instruments.
Multiple genes, especially immune-regulating genes, contribute to disease susceptibility in systemic sclerosis
Authors: Ma Yunqing , Zhou Xiaodong
Published: August 2016

Purpose of review

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune disorder that occurs in a genetically susceptible host. Genetic studies of SSc in recent years have defined or suggested a number of new genes with polymorphisms conferring susceptibility to or protection against SSc.

Recent findings

Although not all genes fall neatly into one functional category, the major genes with polymorphisms associated with SSc are those involved in immune regulation and inflammation, especially T-cell differentiation, proliferation, activation, B-cell signaling, and innate immunity.

Understanding the functions of SSc-associated genes will provide important new insights in future studies to explore the pathogenesis of SSc, as well as to develop targeted therapies for SSc.
Correction of Facial Deformity in Sturge–Weber Syndrome
Authors: Yamaguchi Kazuaki , Lonic Daniel , Chen Chit , Lo Lun-Jou
Published: August 2016

Background:

Although previous studies have reported soft-tissue management in surgical treatment of Sturge–Weber syndrome (SWS), there are few reports describing facial bone surgery in this patient group. The purpose of this study is to examine the validity of our multidisciplinary algorithm for correcting facial deformities associated with SWS. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on orthognathic surgery for SWS patients.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review included 2 SWS patients who completed the surgical treatment algorithm. Radiographic and clinical data were recorded, and a treatment algorithm was derived.

Results:

According to the Roach classification, the first patient was classified as type I presenting with both facial and leptomeningeal vascular anomalies without glaucoma and the second patient as type II presenting only with a hemifacial capillary malformation. Considering positive findings in seizure history and intracranial vascular anomalies in the first case, the anesthetic management was modified to omit hypotensive anesthesia because of the potential risk of intracranial pressure elevation. Primarily, both patients underwent 2-jaw orthognathic surgery and facial bone contouring including genioplasty, zygomatic reduction, buccal fat pad removal, and masseter reduction without major complications. In the second step, the volume and distribution of facial soft tissues were altered by surgical resection and reposition. Both patients were satisfied with the surgical result.

Conclusions:

Our multidisciplinary algorithm can systematically detect potential risk factors. Correction of the asymmetric face by successive bone and soft-tissue surgery enables the patients to reduce their psychosocial burden and increase their quality of life.
Bipolar Latissimus Dorsi Transfer through a Single Incision: First Key–Step in Poland Syndrome Chest Deformity
Authors: Watfa William , di Summa Pietro G. , Raffoul Wassim
Published: August 2016

Poland syndrome is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by a unilateral congenital absence of the sternocostal head of the pectoralis major muscle. The absence of the pectoralis major does not only result in chest asymmetry but also in a missing anterior axillary fold, which is essential for natural anatomical appearance in both male and female patients. In Poland syndrome patients, we perform bipolar latissimus dorsi flap transfer, which can be associated with a sublatissimus implant in women. All procedures are performed through a single short midaxillary incision, and tendon translocation in this technique allows the creation of the anterior axillary fold and thus a natural chest appearance. Moreover, this technique can be performed by any plastic surgeon operating under a basic operating room setting.
Do learning collaboratives strengthen communication? A comparison of organizational team communication networks over time
Authors: Bunger Alicia C. , Lengnick-Hall Rebecca
Published: August 2016

Background:

Collaborative learning models were designed to support quality improvements, such as innovation implementation by promoting communication within organizational teams. Yet the effect of collaborative learning approaches on organizational team communication during implementation is untested.

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to explore change in communication patterns within teams from children’s mental health organizations during a year-long learning collaborative focused on implementing a new treatment. We adopt a social network perspective to examine intraorganizational communication within each team and assess change in (a) the frequency of communication among team members, (b) communication across organizational hierarchies, and (c) the overall structure of team communication networks.

Methodology/Approach:

A pretest–posttest design compared communication among 135 participants from 21 organizational teams at the start and end of a learning collaborative. At both time points, participants were asked to list the members of their team and rate the frequency of communication with each along a 7-point Likert scale. Several individual, pair-wise, and team level communication network metrics were calculated and compared over time.

Findings:

At the individual level, participants reported communicating with more team members by the end of the learning collaborative. Cross-hierarchical communication did not change. At the team level, these changes manifested differently depending on team size. In large teams, communication frequency increased, and networks grew denser and slightly less centralized. In small teams, communication frequency declined, growing more sparse and centralized.

Practice Implications:

Results suggest that team communication patterns change minimally but evolve differently depending on size. Learning collaboratives may be more helpful for enhancing communication among larger teams; thus, managers might consider selecting and sending larger staff teams to learning collaboratives. This study highlights key future research directions that can disentangle the relationship between learning collaboratives and team networks.
ADULT WITH CHICKENPOX COMPLICATED BY SYSTEMIC VASCULITIS AND BILATERAL RETINAL VASCULITIS WITH RETINAL VASCULAR OCCLUSIONS
Authors: Murdock Jennifer , Carvounis Petros E.
Published: August 2016

Purpose:

To describe an adult with chickenpox resulting in systemic vasculitis and bilateral retinal vascular occlusions.

Methods:

Single case report.

Results:

A 58-year-old man with chickenpox complicated by disseminated varicella-zoster systemic and retinal vasculitis resulting in a combined arterial and venous occlusion in one eye with multiple branch retinal vein occlusions in the other eye. There was no evidence of retinitis. The patient systemically improved after treatment with acyclovir and steroids; however, his vision remained poor.

Conclusion:

Chickenpox can be associated with systemic vasculopathy and may rarely result in multiple systemic and ocular infarcts, including severe retinal vascular occlusions.
PARANEOPLASTIC VITELLIFORM MACULOPATHY IN THE SETTING OF CHOROIDAL MELANOMA: EVOLUTION OVER ONE YEAR
Authors: Nagiel Aaron , Rootman Daniel B. , McCannel Tara A.
Published: August 2016

Background:

To illustrate the evolution of paraneoplastic vitelliform maculopathy over one year using optical coherence tomography.

Methods:

Observational case report.

Results:

A 65-year-old man with a history of ocular melanocytosis and choroidal melanoma of the left eye treated with plaque brachytherapy 3 years prior returned for his yearly follow-up visit. The visual acuity in the right eye was 20/20. Subtle thickening of the interdigitation zone layer was noted on optical coherence tomography. Over the following year, multifocal vitelliform detachments developed with progressive enlargement and coalescence of the lesions. Paraneoplastic vitelliform maculopathy developed in the fellow eye of a patient with local recurrence of previously treated choroidal melanoma.

Conclusion:

Paraneoplastic vitelliform maculopathy may develop in the fellow eye of a patient with local recurrence of their previously treated choroidal melanoma with no clinical evidence of systemic metastasis.
BASAL CELL NEVUS SYNDROME PRESENTING AS EPIRETINAL MEMBRANE AND MYELINATED NERVE FIBER LAYER
Authors: Farley Nathan D. , Sassalos Thérèse M. , Ober Michael D.
Published: August 2016

Purpose:

To report a case of epiretinal membrane and myelinated nerve fiber layer, which preceded the diagnosis of basal cell nevus syndrome, in a young girl.

Methods:

Observational case report.

Results:

A 12-year-old girl was referred for an asymptomatic epiretinal membrane. Examination revealed epiretinal membrane in the right eye without posterior vitreous separation or vitreous abnormality and bilateral myelinated nerve fiber layer. Subsequent workup yielded pathologic diagnosis of multiple skin basal cell carcinoma and odontogenic keratocysts in the jaw. Genetic testing revealed a frameshift mutation in the PTCH1 gene.

Conclusion:

Basal cell nevus syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant disease that affects multiple organ systems, including the eyes. Recognition of common ocular findings in children with basal cell nevus syndrome can lead to systemic diagnosis. Early diagnosis is critical to initiate early screening for known neoplastic associations and lifelong minimization of sun exposure to reduce the incidence and severity of basal cell carcinoma.
Corneal Erosion With Pigments Derived From a Cosmetic Contact Lens: A Case Report
Authors: Watanabe Takehito , Uematsu Masafumi , Mohamed Yasser Helmy , Eguchi Hiroshi , Imai Shoji , Kitaoka Takashi
Published: August 2016

Purpose:

To report a case of corneal erosion with pigments derived from a cosmetic contact lens (CCL).

Methods:

A 29-year-old woman complained of foreign body sensation after wearing CCL. Slit-lamp examination of her left eye revealed corneal erosion with yellow pigment at its edges. The surface of the CCLs was examined using the rub-off test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). An elementary analysis using SEM with energy-dispersive x-ray (SEM-EDX) was also performed.

Results:

On the back surface of the CCL, the pigments easily came off during the rub-off test. An SEM examination found exposed pigments with needle-like construction on the back surface. SEM-EDX revealed the presence of carbon, oxygen, iron, titanium, and chlorine in the pigments.

Conclusion:

Direct contact between the bare pigments on a CCL and the corneal surface can cause corneal damage.
Modified Valsalva Maneuver for Venous Cannulation in Cardiopulmonary Bypass for Minimal Incision Mitral Valve Surgery
Authors: Rajaratnam Kawryshanker , Tak Chaitanya , Alexander Sweeka , Passage Jurgen
Published: August 2016

A 69-year-old man underwent minimal incision mitral valve repair for severe symptomatic mitral regurgitation. The echocardiography showed that he had normal left ventricular function with a moderately to severely dilated left atrium, a mildly dilated right atrium, and a large patent foramen ovale. The multistage venous cannulation was very challenging because we could not negotiate the guide wire from the inferior vena cava via the right atrium into the superior vena cava. Despite several attempts, the guide wire would pass into the patent foramen ovale. Methods that we routinely attempt with difficult cannulations such as withdrawing and reinserting, twisting, and to-and-fro movements did not result in success. Eventually, we attempted a novel maneuver, the modified “Valsalva maneuver,” that worked incredibly well.
The Case for a Conservative Approach to Blood Transfusion Management in Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Gunn Tyler , Paone Gaetano , Emery Robert W. , Ferraris Victor A.
Published: August 2016

Limiting blood transfusion in cardiac operations is a well-meaning goal of perioperative care. Potential benefits include decreasing morbidity and limiting procedural costs. It is difficult to identify transfusion as the cause of adverse outcomes. The need for transfusion may identify a sicker patient population at greater risk for a worse outcome that may or may not be related to the transfusion. We reviewed the indications for and adverse effects of blood transfusion in patients undergoing cardiac procedures to provide a balanced approach to management of blood resources in this population. We reviewed current literature, including systematic reviews and practice guidelines, to synthesize a practice management plan in patients having cardiac operations. Several prospective randomized studies and large population cohort studies compared a postoperative restrictive transfusion policy to a more liberal policy and found very little difference in outcomes but decreased costs with a restrictive policy. Evidence-based practice guidelines and implementation standards provide robust intervention plans that can limit harmful effects of transfusion and provide safe and effective procedure outcomes. A restrictive transfusion policy seems to be safe and effective but does not necessarily provide better outcome in most patient cohorts. The implications of these findings suggest that many discretionary transfusions could be avoided. A subset of high-risk patients could undoubtedly benefit from a more liberal transfusion policy, but the definition of high risk is ill defined.
OCT in a Myelinated Retinal Nerve Fiber Syndrome with Reduced Vision
Authors: Bass Sherry J. , Westcott Jacqueline , Sherman Jerome
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The prognosis of success with vision therapy in refractive “amblyopia” associated with the syndrome of myelinated nerve fibers (MRNF), optic disc hypoplasia, and myopia is reported to be poorer than that of anisomyopic amblyopia without these features. The reason for the poorer prognosis has not been well understood. The purpose of this study was to perform spectral domain (SD) ocular coherence tomography (OCT) to determine if there is a structural etiology that may explain the poorer prognosis.

Case Reports

Case 1 was a 12-year-old male patient with anisometropic “amblyopia” in the right eye, MRNF denser superiorly, a hypoplastic disc, and a myopic fundus with a flat intact macula. The OCT demonstrated an attenuated photoreceptor integrity line (PIL) in the macula. Case 2 was a 10-year-old male patient with a constant left esotropia, MRNF denser superiorly, a hypoplastic disc, and a myopic fundus with a flat intact macula. The OCT demonstrated an absent PIL. Case 3 was a 58-year-old female patient with a history of diabetic retinopathy OU, long-standing reduced vision in the right eye, MRNF denser superiorly, optic nerve hypoplasia, and a myopic fundus with an intact macula. The OCT demonstrated an absent PIL in the macula.

Conclusions

This case series identifies three patients with the syndrome of MRNF, optic nerve hypoplasia, and anisomyopia in one eye with reduced vision and reports OCT findings using SD-OCT systems. All three patients demonstrated an absence or attenuation of the photoreceptor integrity line (PIL) in the macula in the affected eye. To our knowledge, there is no known association between this syndrome and abnormality of the PIL reported in the literature. Patients with this syndrome may have a guarded prognosis in the success of vision therapy.
Women With Primary Sjögren Syndrome and With Non-Sjögren Sicca Syndrome Show Similar Vulvar Histopathologic and Immunohistochemical Changes
Authors: Maddali Bongi Susanna , Orlandi Martina , De Magnis Angelina , Moncini Daniela , Del Rosso Angela , Galluccio Felice , Franchi Alessandro
Published: August 2016

The goal of this study was to evaluate the characteristics and the prevalence of histopathologic and immunohistochemical changes in vulvar biopsies, in women with Primary Sjögren Syndrome (pSS) and non-Sjögren Sicca Syndrome (nS-SS). Twenty-one women with pSS and 11 with nS-SS (investigated by xerophtalmia and xerostomia tests, biopsy of minor salivary glands, gynecological history, and gynecologic symptoms score) underwent vulvar biopsies, evaluated for histopathologic and immunohistochemicalchanges, and compared with those obtained from 26 patients with lichen sclerosus. An inflammatory infiltrate was present in 31/32 biopsies (96.9%); biopsies from pSS patients showed a mild infiltrate in 10 cases and a moderate infiltrate in 11 cases; and patients with nS-SS had a mild infiltrate in 8 biopsies and moderate infiltrate in the other 2 biopsies. By immunohistochemistry, the infiltrate was composed predominantly of T lymphocytes (CD3+), CD20+ B cells were sparse and mean CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio was 1.5. No differences were observed between the grading of the inflammatory infiltrate in nS-SS and pSS; no correlation was shown between vulvar inflammatory infiltrate score (mild or moderate) and salivary glands inflammatory score. No differences were found in gynecologic symptoms, as well as in clinical and demographical characteristics between patients with mild and those with moderate vulvar inflammatory score. A higher prevalence of moderate inflammatory infiltrate was observed in biopsies from women with lichen sclerosus than in pSS and nS-SS patients (61.5% vs. 27.5%, P=0.02). Women with pSS and nS-SS show a high and similar prevalence of vulvar inflammatory infiltrate. A gynecologic evaluation is needed both in pSS and nS-SS to assess genital involvement and, eventually, to address a therapy targeted to genital symptoms.
Gadobutrol in Renally Impaired Patients
Authors: Michaely Henrik J. , Aschauer Manuela , Deutschmann Hannes , Bongartz Georg , Gutberlet Matthias , Woitek Ramona , Ertl-Wagner Birgit , Kucharczyk Walter , Hammerstingl Renate , De Cobelli Francesco , Rosenberg Martin , Balzer Thomas , Endrikat Jan
Published: August 2016

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess the potential risk of gadobutrol-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with moderate to severe renal impairment for the development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF).

Materials and Methods

We performed a prospective, international, multicenter, open-label study in 55 centers. Patients with moderate to severe renal impairment scheduled for any gadobutrol-enhanced MRI were included. All patients received a single intravenous bolus injection of gadobutrol at a dose of 0.1 mmol/kg body weight. The primary target variable was the number of patients who develop NSF within a 2-year follow-up period.

Results

A total of 908 patients were enrolled, including 586 with moderate and 284 with severe renal impairment who are at highest risk for developing NSF. The mean time since renal disease diagnosis was 1.83 and 5.49 years in the moderate and severe renal impairment cohort, respectively. Overall, 184 patients (20.3%) underwent further contrast-enhanced MRI with other gadolinium-based contrast agents within the 2-year follow-up. No patient developed symptoms conclusive of NSF.

Conclusions

No safety concerns with gadobutrol in patients with moderate to severe renal impairment were identified. There were no NSF cases.
Diagnosis of Tensilon-Negative Ocular Myasthenia Gravis By Daily Selfie
Authors: Guterman Elan L. , Botelho James V. , Horton Jonathan C.
Published: August 2016

The initial symptoms of myasthenia gravis are usually ptosis and diplopia. The diagnosis is often confirmed by testing for anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies or by observing the effects of intravenous edrophonium (Tensilon) injection. However, these standard tests may be negative in patients with isolated ocular findings. We present the case of an 83-year-old woman with negative serologic and Tensilon testing. She was asked to photograph herself daily. The resulting sequence of daily selfies captured striking fluctuations in her ocular alignment and ptosis. Daily selfies may be a useful strategy for confirming the clinical diagnosis of ocular myasthenia gravis.
The physiological basis of bird flight
Authors: Butler Patrick J.
Published: August 2016

Flapping flight is energetically more costly than running, although it is less costly to fly a given body mass a given distance per unit time than it is for a similar mass to run the same distance per unit time. This is mainly because birds can fly faster than they can run. Oxygen transfer and transport are enhanced in migrating birds compared with those in non-migrators: at the gas-exchange regions of the lungs the effective area is greater and the diffusion distance smaller. Also, migrating birds have larger hearts and haemoglobin concentrations in the blood, and capillary density in the flight muscles tends to be higher. Species like bar-headed geese migrate at high altitudes, where the availability of oxygen is reduced and the energy cost of flapping flight increased compared with those at sea level. Physiological adaptations to these conditions include haemoglobin with a higher affinity for oxygen than that in lowland birds, a greater effective ventilation of the gas-exchange surface of the lungs and a greater capillary-to-muscle fibre ratio. Migrating birds use fatty acids as their source of energy, so they have to be transported at a sufficient rate to meet the high demand. Since fatty acids are insoluble in water, birds maintain high concentrations of fatty acid–binding proteins to transport fatty acids across the cell membrane and within the cytoplasm. The concentrations of these proteins, together with that of a key enzyme in the β-oxidation of fatty acids, increase before migration.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Moving in a moving medium: new perspectives on flight’.
The aerodynamics and control of free flight manoeuvres inDrosophila
Authors: Dickinson Michael H. , Muijres Florian T.
Published: August 2016

A firm understanding of how fruit flies hover has emerged over the past two decades, and recent work has focused on the aerodynamic, biomechanical and neurobiological mechanisms that enable them to manoeuvre and resist perturbations. In this review, we describe how flies manipulate wing movement to control their body motion during active manoeuvres, and how these actions are regulated by sensory feedback. We also discuss how the application of control theory is providing new insight into the logic and structure of the circuitry that underlies flight stability.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Moving in a moving medium: new perspectives on flight’.
Orientation in high-flying migrant insects in relation to flows: mechanisms and strategies
Authors: Reynolds Andy M. , Reynolds Don R. , Sane Sanjay P. , Hu Gao , Chapman Jason W.
Published: August 2016

High-flying insect migrants have been shown to display sophisticated flight orientations that can, for example, maximize distance travelled by exploiting tailwinds, and reduce drift from seasonally optimal directions. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the theoretical and empirical evidence for the mechanisms underlying the selection and maintenance of the observed flight headings, and the detection of wind direction and speed, for insects flying hundreds of metres above the ground. Different mechanisms may be used—visual perception of the apparent ground movement or mechanosensory cues maintained by intrinsic features of the wind—depending on circumstances (e.g. day or night migrations). In addition to putative turbulence-induced velocity, acceleration and temperature cues, we present a new mathematical analysis which shows that ‘jerks’ (the time-derivative of accelerations) can provide indicators of wind direction at altitude. The adaptive benefits of the different orientation strategies are briefly discussed, and we place these new findings for insects within a wider context by comparisons with the latest research on other flying and swimming organisms.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Moving in a moving medium: new perspectives on flight’.
The Detailed 3D Multi-Loop Aggregate/Rosette Chromatin Architecture and Functional Dynamic Organization of the Human and Mouse Genomes
Authors: Knoch Tobias A. , Wachsmuth Malte , Kepper Nick , Lesnussa Michael , Abuseiris Anis , Imam A. M. Ali , Kolovos Petros , Zuin Jessica , Kockx Christel E. M. , Brouwer Rutger W. W. , van de Werken Harmen J. G. , van IJken Wilfred F. J. , Wendt Kerstin S. , Grosveld Frank G.
Published: August 2016

The dynamic three-dimensional chromatin architecture of genomes and its co-evolutionary connection to its function – the storage, expression, and replication of genetic information – is still one of the central issues in biology. Here, we describe the much debated 3D-architecture of the human and mouse genomes from the nucleosomal to the megabase pair level by a novel approach combining selective high-throughput high-resolution chromosomal interaction capture (T2C), polymer simulations, and scaling analysis of the 3D-architecture and the DNA sequence: The genome is compacted into a chromatin quasi-fibre with ∼5±1 nucleosomes/11nm, folded into stable ∼30-100 kbp loops forming stable loop aggregates/rosettes connected by similar sized linkers. Minor but significant variations in the architecture are seen between cell types/functional states. The architecture and the DNA sequence show very similar fine-structured multi-scaling behaviour confirming their co-evolution and the above. This architecture, its dynamics, and accessibility balance stability and flexibility ensuring genome integrity and variation enabling gene expression/regulation by self-organization of (in)active units already in proximity. Our results agree with the heuristics of the field and allow “architectural sequencing” at a genome mechanics level to understand the inseparable systems genomic properties.
Genome-scale rates of evolutionary change in bacteria
Authors: Duchêne Sebastian , Holt Kathryn E. , Weill François-Xavier , Hello Simon Le , Hawkey Jane , Edwards David J. , Fourment Mathieu , Holmes Edward C.
Published: August 2016

Estimating the rates at which bacterial genomes evolve is critical to understanding major evolutionary and ecological processes such as disease emergence, long-term host-pathogen associations, and short-term transmission patterns. The surge in bacterial genomic data sets provides a new opportunity to estimate these rates and reveal the factors that shape bacterial evolutionary dynamics. For many organisms estimates of evolutionary rate display an inverse association with the time-scale over which the data are sampled. However, this relationship remains unexplored in bacteria due to the difficulty in estimating genome-wide evolutionary rates, which are impacted by the extent of temporal structure in the data and the prevalence of recombination. We collected 36 whole genome sequence data sets from 16 species of bacterial pathogens to systematically estimate and compare their evolutionary rates and assess the extent of temporal structure in the absence of recombination. The majority (28/36) of data sets possessed sufficient clock-like structure to robustly estimate evolutionary rates. However, in some species reliable estimates were not possible even with“ancient DNA”data sampled over many centuries, suggesting that they evolve very slowly or that they display extensive rate variation among lineages. The robustly estimated evolutionary rates spanned several orders of magnitude, from 10−6to 10−8nucleotide substitutions site-1year-1. This variation was largely attributable to sampling time, which was strongly negatively associated with estimated evolutionary rates, with this relationship best described by an exponential decay curve. To avoid potential estimation biases such time-dependency should be considered when inferring evolutionary time-scales in bacteria.