bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conventional versus Single Port Laparoscopy for the Surgical Treatment of Ectopic Pregnancy: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Gasparri Maria Luisa , Mueller Michael D. , Taghavi Katayoun , Papadia Andrea
Published: April 2018

Background/Aims: A new minimally invasive laparoscopic approach for ectopic pregnancy, the laparo-endoscopic single site surgery (LESS), has recently been introduced. The aim of this study is to compare the surgical outcome of this approach with conventional laparoscopy for ectopic pregnancy. Method: A review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses statement was performed. Electronic databases PubMed, MEDLINE, and Scopus were searched in December 2017 by searching the terms “single port laparoscopy” or “laparoendoscopic single site-surgery” or “single site laparoscopy” or “single-incision laparoscopic surgery” and “ectopic pregnancy.” Studies comparing the 2 techniques and reporting surgical outcome were selected. Endpoints included comparison of length of operative time (OT), hemoglobin drop, length of hospitalization, number of patients requiring packed red blood cells (PRBC) transfusion, intra- and post-operative complication rates between patients undergoing conventional laparoscopy and those undergoing LESS. Results: A total of 56 studies were retrieved of which 5 studies including 460 patients met selection criteria. No differences were found between conventional laparoscopy and LESS with regards to length of OT time (even after stratification for presence of hemoperitoneum and/or adhesions), length of hospitalization, mean hemoglobin drop, number of patients requiring transfusions of PRBC, and intra- and post-operative complications. Conclusion: The management of ectopic pregnancies with LESS does not seem to be superior to conventional laparoscopy.
Insights from a Case of Vitreoretinal Lymphoma
Authors: Damato Bertil E. , Bever Gregory J. , Afshar Armin R. , Rubenstein James L.
Published: April 2018

Purpose/Background: The aim of this study was to report a patient with vitreoretinal lymphoma with clinical features providing hypothesis-generating insights into the pathophysiology of this disease. Methods: Clinical history and imaging studies (i.e., fundus photography, optical coherence tomography, fundus autofluorescence, and fluorescein angiography) were documented. Results: A 71-year-old woman presented with a 2-month history of blurred vision in the right eye and bilateral vitreous infiltrates unresponsive to topical and systemic steroids. Vitreous biopsy of the left eye was diagnostic for lymphoma. Bulky subretinal deposits in the right eye responded to systemic therapy. The left fundus showed diffuse hypoautofluorescence and punctate, hyperfluorescent sub-retinal pigment epithelial tumor deposits, which resolved leaving hypoautofluorescent atrophic retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) scars, except inferotemporally, where retinal vasculopathy had occurred. Conclusions: The clinical features suggest that occlusion of the inferotemporal retinal arteriole prevented sub-RPE lymphomatous deposits and subsequent RPE atrophy in this area of vascular nonperfusion. This suggests that “primary” vitreoretinal lymphoma is secondary to hematogenous spread from systemic loci. This finding, together with the ocular tumor control achieved entirely by systemic therapy, indicates scope for studies investigating systemic treatment protocols, especially those including immune-modulatory agents.
Previous Exercise Effects in Cisplatin-Induced Renal Lesions in Rats
Authors: Francescato Heloísa D. C. , Almeida Lucas F. , Reis Natany G. , Faleiros Camila M. , Papoti Marcelo , Costa Roberto S. , Coimbra Terezila M.
Published: April 2018

Background/Aims: Physical training has beneficial effects on endothelial function and can influence the regeneration of the endothelial cell. We investigated the effect of physical training on cisplatin (CP)-induced acute kidney injury and assessed the impact of training on endothelial structure and function, and on the inflammatory processes in rats. Methods: We injected male Wistar rats subjected to previous physical training in treadmill running (trained, TR) or not (sedentary, SED) with CP (5 mg/kg) (TR+CP and SED+CP groups, respectively). Five days after the injections, blood and urine samples were collected to evaluate renal function and kidneys were harvested for morphological, immunohistochemical, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and analysis of nitric oxide (NO) levels. Results: Rats treated with CP showed increased levels of plasma creatinine and sodium and potassium fractional excretion. These alterations were associated with increase in tubulointerstitial lesions and macrophage number, reduction of endothelial cells, and increased VEGF, vimentin, and α-smooth muscle actin expression in the outer renal medulla in the SED+CP group. We also found increased levels of renal IL-1β and increased excretion of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and transforming growth factor-β compared with controls. These changes were milder in trained rats, associated with increased levels of renal tissue NO, and increased expression of p-eNOS and stromal cell-derived factor-1α (a chemokine involved in kidney repair) in the kidneys of CP-injected trained rats. Conclusions: The protective effect of previous training in CP-treated rats was associated with reduced endothelial cell lesions and increased renal production of NO in trained rats.
Ventricular Assist Device Utilization in Heart Transplant Candidates
Authors: Truby Lauren K. , Garan A. Reshad , Givens Raymond C. , Takeda Koji , Takayama Hiroo , Trinh Pauline N. , Yuzefpolskaya Melana , Farr Maryjane A. , Naka Yoshifumi , Colombo Paolo C. , Topkara Veli K.
Published: April 2018

Background:

Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs) have become a standard treatment choice in advanced heart failure patients. We hypothesized that practice patterns with regards to CF-LVAD utilization vary significantly among transplant centers and impact waitlist outcomes.

Methods and Results:

The United Network for Organ Sharing registry was queried to identify adult patients who were waitlisted for heart transplantation (HT) between 2008 and 2015. Each patient was assigned a propensity score based on likelihood of receiving a durable CF-LVAD before or while waitlisted. The primary outcomes of interest were death or delisting for worsening status and HT at 1 year. A total of 22 863 patients from 92 centers were identified. Among these, 9013 (39.4%) were mechanically supported. CF-LVAD utilization varied significantly between and within United Network for Organ Sharing regions. Freedom from waitlist death or delisting was significantly lower in propensity-score–matched patients who were mechanically supported versus medically managed (83.5% versus 79.2%;
P
<0.001). However, cumulative incidence of HT was also lower in mechanically supported patients (53.3% versus 63.6%;
P
<0.001). Congruous mechanical and medical bridging strategies based on clinical risk profile were associated with lower risk of death or delisting (hazard ratio, 0.88;
P
=0.027) and higher likelihood of HT (hazard ratio, 1.14;
P
<0.001).

Conclusions:

CF-LVAD utilization may lower waitlist mortality at the expense of lower likelihood of HT. Decision to use CF-LVAD and timing of transition should be individualized based on patient-, center-, and region-level risk factors to achieve optimal outcomes.
B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Assessment in Patients Undergoing Revascularization for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Redfors Björn , Chen Shmuel , Crowley Aaron , Ben-Yehuda Ori , Gersh Bernard J. , Lembo Nicholas J. , Brown W. Morris , Banning Adrian P. , Taggart David P. , Serruys Patrick W. , Kappetein Arie Pieter , Sabik Joseph F. , Stone Gregg W.
Published: April 2018

Background:

Elevated B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is reflective of impaired cardiac function and is associated with worse prognosis among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We sought to assess the association between baseline BNP, adverse outcomes, and the relative efficacy of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with left main CAD.

Methods:

The EXCEL trial (Evaluation of XIENCE Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for Effectiveness of Left Main Revascularization) randomized patients with left main CAD and low or intermediate SYNTAX scores (Synergy Between PCI With TAXUS and Cardiac Surgery) to PCI with everolimus-eluting stents versus CABG. The primary end point was the composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression to assess the associations between normal versus elevated BNP (≥100 pg/mL), randomized treatment, and the 3-year risk of adverse events.

Results:

BNP at baseline was elevated in 410 of 1037 (39.5%) patients enrolled in EXCEL. Patients with elevated BNP levels were older and more frequently had additional cardiovascular risk factors and lower left ventricular ejection fraction than those with normal BNP, but had similar SYNTAX scores. Patients with elevated BNP had significantly higher 3-year rates of the primary end point (18.6% versus 11.7%; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16–2.28;
P
=0.005) and higher mortality (11.5% versus 3.9%; adjusted HR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.48–4.19;
P
=0.0006), both from cardiovascular and noncardiovascular causes. In contrast, there were no significant differences in the risks of myocardial infarction, stroke, ischemia-driven revascularization, stent thrombosis, graft occlusion, or major bleeding. A significant interaction (
P
interaction
=0.03) was present between elevated versus normal BNP and treatment with PCI versus CABG for the adjusted risk of the primary composite end point at 3 years among patients with elevated BNP (adjusted HR for PCI versus CABG, 1.54; 95% CI, 0.96–2.47) versus normal BNP (adjusted HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.46–1.20). This interaction was stronger when log(BNP) was modeled as a continuous variable (
P
interaction
=0.002).

Conclusions:

In the EXCEL trial, elevated baseline BNP levels in patients with left main CAD undergoing revascularization were independently associated with long-term mortality but not nonfatal adverse ischemic or bleeding events. The relative long-term outcomes after PCI versus CABG for revascularization of left main CAD may be conditioned by the baseline BNP level.

Clinical Trial Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01205776.
Gata4-Dependent Differentiation of c-Kit
+
–Derived Endothelial Cells Underlies Artefactual Cardiomyocyte Regeneration in the Heart
Authors: Maliken Bryan D. , Kanisicak Onur , Karch Jason , Khalil Hadi , Fu Xing , Boyer Justin G. , Prasad Vikram , Zheng Yi , Molkentin Jeffery D.
Published: April 2018

Background:

Although c-Kit
+
adult progenitor cells were initially reported to produce new cardiomyocytes in the heart, recent genetic evidence suggests that such events are exceedingly rare. However, to determine if these rare events represent true de novo cardiomyocyte formation, we deleted the necessary cardiogenic transcription factors
Gata4
and
Gata6
from c-Kit–expressing cardiac progenitor cells.

Methods:

Kit
allele–dependent lineage tracing and fusion analysis were performed in mice following simultaneous
Gata4
and
Gata6
cell type–specific deletion to examine rates of putative de novo cardiomyocyte formation from c-Kit
+
cells. Bone marrow transplantation experiments were used to define the contribution of
Kit
allele–derived hematopoietic cells versus
Kit
lineage–dependent cells endogenous to the heart in contributing to apparent de novo lineage-traced cardiomyocytes. A Tie2
CreERT2
transgene was also used to examine the global impact of
Gata4
deletion on the mature cardiac endothelial cell network, which was further evaluated with select angiogenesis assays.

Results:

Deletion of
Gata4
in
Kit
lineage–derived endothelial cells or in total endothelial cells using the Tie2
CreERT2
transgene, but not from bone morrow cells, resulted in profound endothelial cell expansion, defective endothelial cell differentiation, leukocyte infiltration into the heart, and a dramatic increase in
Kit
allele–dependent lineage-traced cardiomyocytes. However, this increase in labeled cardiomyocytes was an artefact of greater leukocyte-cardiomyocyte cellular fusion because of defective endothelial cell differentiation in the absence of
Gata4
.

Conclusions:

Past identification of presumed de novo cardiomyocyte formation in the heart from c-Kit
+
cells using
Kit
allele lineage tracing appears to be an artefact of labeled leukocyte fusion with cardiomyocytes. Deletion of
Gata4
from c-Kit
+
endothelial progenitor cells or adult endothelial cells negatively impacted angiogenesis and capillary network integrity.
Association of Peripheral Artery Disease With Incident Atrial Fibrillation: The ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) Study
Authors: Bekwelem Wobo , Norby Faye L. , Agarwal Sunil K. , Matsushita Kunihiro , Coresh Josef , Alonso Alvaro , Chen Lin Y.
Published: April 2018

Background

Although peripheral artery disease as defined by ankle‐brachial index (
ABI
) is associated with incident atrial fibrillation (
AF
), questions remain about the risk of
AF
in borderline
ABI
(>0.90 to <1.0) or noncompressible arteries (>1.4). We evaluated the association of borderline
ABI
and
ABI
>1.4 in the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study, a population‐based prospective cohort study.

Methods and Results

We included 14 794 participants (age, 54.2±5.8 years, 55% women, 26% blacks) with
ABI
measured at the baseline (1987–1989) and without
AF
.
AF
was identified from hospital records, death certificates, and ECGs. Using Cox proportional hazards, we evaluated the association between
ABI
and
AF
. During a median follow‐up of 23.3 years, there were 2288
AF
cases. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, hazard ratio (
HR
) (95% confidence interval) for
AF
among individuals with
ABI
<1.0 compared with
ABI
1.0 to 1.4, was 1.13 (1.01–1.27).
ABI
>1.4 was not associated with increased
AF
risk.
ABI
≤0.9 and borderline
ABI
were associated with a higher risk of
AF
compared with
ABI
1.0 to 1.4. Demographics‐adjusted
HR
s (95% confidence interval) were 1.43 (1.17–1.75) and 1.32 (1.16–1.50), respectively. However, the associations of
ABI
≤0.9 and borderline
ABI
with
AF
were attenuated after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors (
HR
[95% confidence interval], 1.10 [0.90–1.34] and 1.14 [1.00–1.30]), respectively.

Conclusions

Peripheral artery disease indicated by low
ABI
, including borderline
ABI
, is a weak risk factor for
AF
.
ABI
>1.4 is not associated with an increased
AF
risk. The relationship between peripheral artery disease and
AF
appears to be mostly explained by traditional atherosclerotic risk factors.
Methods for Measuring Viability and Evaluating Viability Indicators
Authors: Egbert Matthew D. , Pérez-Mercader Juan
Published: April 2018

Life and other dissipative structures involve nonlinear dynamics that are not amenable to conventional analysis. Advances are being made in theory, modeling, and simulation techniques, but we do not have general principles for designing, controlling, stabilizing, or eliminating these systems. There is thus a need for tools that can transform high-level descriptions of these systems into useful guidance for their modification and design. In this article we introduce new methods for quantifying the viability of dissipative structures. We then present an information-theoretical approach for evaluating the quality of viability indicators, measurable quantities that covary with, and thus can be used to predict or influence, a system's viability.
J.G.A. Pocock’s Barbarism and Religion
Authors: Young B.W.
Published: April 2018

There are no parallels to the career of J.G.A. Pocock in Anglophone scholarship; the singularity of his intellectual trajectory is traced here through constant appeal to his enquiry into the intellectual environments in which Gibbon conceived and wrote his Decline and Fall; the present essay is an attempt at applying much the same interpretative principles at work in the six volumes of Barbarism and Religion both to Pocock and to this culminating study, interpreted as a summa of his practice as an intellectual historian. Pocock is an historian, not a philosopher, and this affects his conception of Enlightenment, which he treats critically as an historian rather than reifying it in the manner of many philosophers. Pocock’s project is to undo the very idea of an ‘Enlightenment Project.’ Barbarism and Religion is not only a study of eighteenth-century conceptions of erudition and the Republic of Letters; it is a contemporary contribution to both.
Three new species of Begonia (section Baryandra, Begoniaceae) from Luzon Island, the Philippines
Authors: RUBITE ROSARIO R. , PENG CHING-I , CHUNG KUO-FANG , LIN CHE-WEI , EVANGELISTA LUISITO T. , TANDANG DANILO N. , CALLADO JOHN REY C. , HUGHES MARK
Published: April 2018

Luzon is the largest island of the Philippines, and because of its isolation from other landmasses it has developed a unique diversity of flora and fauna. Included in this rich biodiversity of flora are members of genus Begonia of the family Begoniaceae. In a joint expedition to the island, botanists from Taiwan and the Philippines found three unknown Begonia species and compared them with potentially allied species. The three species are clearly members of Begonia section Baryandra. Studies of literature, herbarium specimens, and living plants support the recognition of the three new species: Begonia droseroides, B. gabaldonensis, and B. madulidii. This brings the total of Begonia species in section Baryandra to sixty-eight, of which 85.3% are endemic to the Philippines.
Three new species of Senecio (Compositae: Senecioneae) from the Alto Marañón, Huánuco region, Central Peru
Authors: MONTESINOS-TUBÉE DANIEL B. , PINO GUILLERMO , ZÁRATE-GÓMEZ RICARDO
Published: April 2018

Three new species of Senecio (Compositae: Senecioneae) from Central Peru are described and illustrated. Morphological characters are used in order to distinguish them from the closest species. Senecio crassiandinus Montesinos & Pino has succulent leaves with cuticle composed of translucid white glands, bright yellow disc florets with blotches of pale reddish-brown in the corolla throat and linear-oblong achenes covered with trichomes, which distinguish it from the other South American species of the genus. Senecio inghamii Montesinos has oblanceolate-ovate to rhombic-quadrate leaves, short-sized, with serrate-quadrate dentation, upper surface lustrous and glossy, lower surface densely covered with whitish lanuginose pubescence, capitules bear trilobulated ray florets, achenes copiously covered by fimbriate hairs which differentiates it from its closest relative, S. pensilis Greenm. Senecio roseoandinus Montesinos & R. Zárate is a unique pubescent species characterized for being a perennial rhizomatous herb, with lanuginose and arachnoid trichomes, leaves elliptic-lanceolate, thick, densely arachnoid to glabrous (lustrous, glossy, dark green), margin entire to crenate, synflorescence in racemes, capitules discoid, corolla pale yellow but turning fuchsia-pink at maturity, achenes oblong, striate, and glabrous. All three new species are distributed in the Alto Marañon river mountain slopes, at altitudes ranging from 2000 up to 4200 m a.s.l. The species are, so far, only known from their type localities in the Huánuco region.
Eleven new species of Spilogona Schnabl, 1911 (Diptera, Muscidae) from the Altai Mountains of Russia, with key to species
Authors: SOROKINA VERA S.
Published: April 2018

Eleven new Spilogona species: Spilogona altaica sp. nov., Spilogona antoninae sp. nov., Spilogona colorata sp. nov., Spilogona decolorata sp. nov., Spilogona improvisa sp. nov., Spilogona insolita sp. nov., Spilogona longissima sp. nov., Spilogona novgorodovana sp. nov., Spilogona platyfrons sp. nov., Spilogona tanushka sp. nov., Spilogona tara sp. nov. and a key is provided to the 53 species known from the Altai Mountains including 21 species are newly recorded for the Altai, and seven of them also represent new records from Russia: Spilogona meadei (Schnabl, 1915), Spilogona orthosurstyla Xue & Tian, 1988, Spilogona placida (Huckett, 1932), Spilogona setigera (Stein, 1907), Spilogona sororcula (Zetterstedt, 1845), Spilogona spinicosta (Stein, 1907), Spilogona stackelbergi Hennig, 1959). And four species represent new records for the Palaearctic Region: Spilogona flavinervis Huckett, 1965, Spilogona imitatrix (Malloch, 1921), Spilogona nutaka Huckett, 1965, Spilogona incerta Huckett, 1965. Three new synonymies are proposed: Spilogona impar (Stein, 1907) = Spilogona deflorata (Holmgren, 1872), Spilogona churchillensis Huckett, 1965 = Spilogona quinquesetosa (Schnabl, 1915), and Spilogona robusta Huckett, 1965 = Spilogona sordidipennis (Holmgren, 1883). The pictures of the new species are given and the male terminalia are figured. New faunistic data are given for some previously described species of Altai Spilogona.
Diversity and distribution patterns of Calcareous sponges (subclass Calcinea) from Martinique
Authors: FONTANA TAYARA , CÓNDOR-LUJÁN BÁSLAVI , AZEVEDO FERNANDA , PÉREZ THIERRY , KLAUTAU MICHELLE
Published: April 2018

Calcareous sponges of the subclass Calcinea from Martinique (Caribbean Sea) are presented under an integrative perspective (morphology and DNA: ITS and C-LSU). Eleven species of six genera have been found in Martinique, three of them being new to science: Borojevia crystallina sp. nov., Clathrina delicata sp. nov., and Ernstia adunca sp. nov. Among these new records, four species were previously known from other Caribbean localities: Arturia vansoesti, Clathrina insularis, C. mutabilis, and Leucaltis clathria. Two species previously known in Brazilian waters are reported for the first time in the Caribbean Sea: Arturia alcatraziensis and C. cf. cylindractina. Finally, the occurrence of C. aurea and Leucetta floridana in Martinique is confirmed. The two molecular markers (ITS and C-LSU) and the morphological characters considered (e.g. body shape, aquiferous system and spicules) provided congruent classifications what tend to confirm their reliability for the taxonomy of Clathrinida. After the present work, a total of 17 species of Calcarea are recognised for Martinique. We discuss three types of distribution patterns (Endemic, Caribbean-Brazil, and Amphi-Atlantic), Martinique likely playing an important role as stepping stone to garantee connectivity among populations of Calcinea in the Atlantic.
A new species of the sponge Raspailia (Raspaxilla) (Porifera: Demospongiae: Axinellida: Raspailiidae) from deep seamounts of the Western Pacific
Authors: EKINS MERRICK , DEBITUS CÉCILE , ERPENBECK DIRK , HOOPER JOHN N.A.
Published: April 2018

A new species of Raspailia (Raspaxilla) frondosa sp. nov. is described from the deep seamounts of the Norfolk and New Caledonia Ridges. The morphology of the species resembles that of a frond or a fern, and its unique highly compressed axial skeleton of interlaced spongin fibres without spicules in combination with a radial extra axial skeleton of a perpendicular palisade of spicules, differentiate it from all other species of the subgenus. This species is compared morphologically to all 18 other valid species described in Raspailia (Raspaxilla).
Using Data to Inform the Science of Broadening Participation
Authors: Ginther Donna K.
Published: April 2018

In this article, I describe how data and econometric methods can be used to study the science of broadening participation. I start by showing that theory can be used to structure the approach to using data to investigate gender and race/ethnicity differences in career outcomes. I also illustrate this process by examining whether women of color who apply for National Institutes of Health research funding are confronted with a double bind where race and gender compound their disadvantage relative to Whites. Although high-quality data are needed for understanding the barriers to broadening participation in science careers, it cannot fully explain why women and underrepresented minorities are less likely to be scientists or have less productive science careers. As researchers, it is important to use all forms of data—quantitative, experimental, and qualitative—to deepen our understanding of the barriers to broadening participation.
Handheld Raman Spectrometer Instrumentation for Quantitative Tuberculosis Biomarker Detection: A Performance Assessment for Point-of-Need Infectious Disease Diagnostics
Authors: Owens Nicholas A. , Laurentius Lars B. , Porter Marc D. , Li Qun , Wang Sean , Chatterjee Delphi
Published: April 2018

Techniques for the detection of disease biomarkers are key components in the protection of human health. While work over the last few decades has redefined the low-level measurement of disease biomarkers, the translation of these capabilities from the formal clinical setting to point-of-need (PON) usage has been much more limited. This paper presents the results of experiments designed to examine the potential utility of a handheld Raman spectrometer as a PON electronic reader for a sandwich immunoassay based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In so doing, the study herein used a recently developed procedure for the SERS detection of phospho-myo-inositol-capped lipoarabinomannan (PILAM) as a means to compare the performance of laboratory-grade and handheld instrumentation and, therefore, gauge the utility of the handheld instrument for PON deployment. Phospho-myo-inositol-capped lipoarabinomannan is a non-pathogenic simulant for mannose-capped lipoarabinomannan (ManLAM), which is an antigenic marker found in serum and other body fluids of individuals infected with tuberculosis (TB). The results of the measurements with the field-portable spectrometer were then compared to those obtained for the same samples when using a much more sensitive benchtop Raman spectrometer. The results, albeit under different operational settings for the two spectrometers (e.g., signal integration time), are promising in that the limit of detection found for PILAM spiked in human serum when using the handheld system (0.18 ng/mL) approached that of the benchtop instrument (0.032 ng/mL). This work also: (1) identified potential adaptations (e.g., optimization of the plasmonically enhanced response for measurement by the handheld unit through a change in the excitation wavelength) to tighten the gap in performance; and (2) briefly examined the next steps and potential processes required to move this immunoassay platform closer to PON utility.
Alcohol Consumption and Chronic Liver Disease Mortality in New Mexico and the United States, 1999-2013
Authors: Tomedi Laura E. , Roeber Jim , Landen Michael
Published: April 2018

Objective:

Current chronic liver disease (CLD) mortality surveillance methods may not adequately capture data on all causes of CLD mortality. The objective of this study was to calculate and compare CLD death rates in New Mexico and the United States by using both an expanded definition of CLD and estimates of the fractional impact of alcohol on CLD deaths.

Methods:

We defined CLD mortality as deaths due to alcoholic liver disease, cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, and other liver conditions. We estimated alcohol-attributable CLD deaths by using national and state alcohol-attributable fractions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Alcohol-Related Disease Impact application. We classified causes of CLD death as being alcohol-attributable, non–alcohol-attributable, or hepatitis C. We calculated average annual age-adjusted CLD death rates during five 3-year periods from 1999 through 2013, and we stratified those rates by sex, age, and race/ethnicity.

Results:

By cause of death, CLD death rates were highest for alcohol-attributable CLD. By sex and race/ethnicity, CLD death rates per 100 000 population increased from 1999-2001 to 2011-2013 among American Indian men in New Mexico (67.4-90.6) and the United States (38.9-49.4), American Indian women in New Mexico (48.4-63.0) and the United States (27.5-39.5), Hispanic men in New Mexico (48.6-52.0), Hispanic women in New Mexico (16.9-24.0) and the United States (12.8-13.1), non-Hispanic white men in New Mexico (17.4-21.3) and the United States (15.9-18.4), and non-Hispanic white women in New Mexico (9.7-11.6) and the United States (7.6-9.7). CLD death rates decreased among Hispanic men in the United States (30.5-27.4).

Conclusions:

An expanded CLD definition and alcohol-attributable fractions can be used to create comprehensive data on CLD mortality. When stratified by CLD cause and demographic characteristics, these data may help states and jurisdictions improve CLD prevention programs.
Everyday without exception? Making space for the exceptional in contemporary sociological studies of streetlife
Authors: Jones Alasdair
Published: April 2018

Over the last 20 years we have witnessed an increasing prevalence of ethnographic studies concerned explicitly with the social and cultural life, and production, of space and specifically of the urban public realm. In line with a wider trend, many of these studies seek to analyse urban public life through the prism of the ‘everyday’, using accounts of the ordinary to explore the ways that city streets are used and experienced. In this article the author seeks to interrogate this multifarious deployment of ‘everydayness’ in ethnographic work on urban ‘streetlife.’ This interrogation is both theoretical, exploring how the everyday became the privileged approach for studies of the street, and methodological, asking what is it about our methodological choices that lends itself to conceptualising public life as everyday, and what might we do differently? At the same time, the article draws on ethnographic work on London’s South Bank to open up a space to consider the exceptional in sociological studies of streetlife.
Trees, rivers and gods: Paganism in the work of Martin Heidegger
Authors: Travers Martin
Published: April 2018

The concern that Heidegger voiced in his later work for the plight of nature in a world dominated by technological rationality and commercial exploitation has often been seen as sign of his commitment to environmental ethics. This paper argues that the roots of Heidegger’s concern lay elsewhere, most notably in his identification with the beliefs and practices of Germanic paganism. Beginning with a discussion of Heidegger’s notion of the ‘Geviert’ (the ‘fourfold’), this paper examines how Heidegger drew upon the elemental tropes of the pagan mind, most noticeably those that celebrated water, land and forest, to ground his appropriation of nature in an ethos of spiritualized naturalism.
Perceived Versus Actual Risk of Type 2 Diabetes by Race and Ethnicity
Authors: Yang Kyeongra , Baniak Lynn M. , Imes Christopher C. , Choi JiYeon , Chasens Eileen R.
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine associations between perceived risk and actual risk of type 2 diabetes by race and/or ethnicity.

Methods

The study sample included 10 999 adults from the 2011 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral data were collected using interviews and physical examinations. Participants were asked if they felt at risk for diabetes or prediabetes and then asked the reasons why. Data analyses were conducted with SAS to properly analyze complex survey data.

Results

About 86% of the sample (n = 9496) answered the risk perception question for diabetes, and among those, 28.4% indicated having a high perceived risk. Among this subsample, 38.3% were identified as having an actual risk for prediabetes or diabetes according to the American Diabetes Association guidelines. Across all race groups, the most frequently reported risk factors participants believed to contribute to their risk for diabetes were family history of diabetes, obesity, and poor diet habits. When the percentage of participants with an actual risk factor who correctly perceived it as a risk factor was examined, fewer Asians correctly perceived weight status and physical activity level as a risk for diabetes in contrast to the other racial/ethnic groups.

Conclusions

Our study showed that when perception was compared to actual risks, associations differed statistically by race. It will be essential to discuss their risk perception to proper screening for diabetes and relevant lifestyle modifications to prevent and delay the onset of diabetes.
Are the Motivational Effects of Autonomy-Supportive Conditions Universal? Contrasting Results Among Indians and Americans
Authors: Tripathi Ritu , Cervone Daniel , Savani Krishna
Published: April 2018

In Western theories of motivation, autonomy is conceived as a universal motivator of human action; enhancing autonomy is expected to increase motivation panculturally. Using a novel online experimental paradigm that afforded a behavioral measure of motivation, we found that, contrary to this prevailing view, autonomy cues affect motivation differently among American and Indian corporate professionals. Autonomy-supportive instructions increased motivation among Americans but decreased motivation among Indians. The motivational Cue × Culture interaction was extraordinarily large; the populations exhibited little statistical overlap. A second study suggested that this interaction reflects culturally specific norms that are widely understood by members of the given culture. When evaluating messages to motivate workers, Indians, far more than Americans, preferred a message invoking obligations to one invoking autonomous personal choice norms. Results cast doubt on the claim, made regularly in both basic and applied psychology, that enhancing autonomy is a universally preferred method for boosting motivation.
(How) Does Initial Self-Control Undermine Later Self-Control in Daily Life?
Authors: Wilkowski Benjamin M. , Ferguson Elizabeth Louise , Williamson Laverl Z. , Lappi Shaun K.
Published: April 2018

Past research suggests that self-control lapses occur more frequently following demanding experiences in daily life. However, the reason for these effects is debated. Three studies were therefore conducted to better understand self-control lapses. Exploratory analyses were conducted in Study 1 to identify possible effects. Studies 2 and 3 evaluated these effects’ reliability. Two patterns were identified. First, initial desire–goal conflict predicted later increases in subjective fatigue. This was in turn related to less effective self-control attempts. Second, initial self-control attempts also led participants to enact desires more frequently. This latter effect occurred even when (and perhaps especially when) those later desires were not resisted. In contrast, the strength model of self-control did not receive support, as initial self-control attempts did not affect the success of subsequent self-control attempts. These studies therefore suggest initial self-control does play an important role in producing later self-control lapses—just a different role than predicted by the strength model.
Restricted Variance Interaction Effects: What They Are and Why They Are Your Friends
Authors: Cortina Jose M. , Koehler Tine , Keeler Kathleen R. , Nielsen Bo Bernhard
Published: April 2018

Although interaction hypotheses are increasingly common in our field, many recent articles point out that authors often have difficulty justifying them. The purpose of this article is to describe a particular type of interaction: the restricted variance (RV) interaction. The essence of the RV interaction is that, as the value of one variable in a system changes, certain values of another variable in the system become less plausible, thus restricting its variance. This, in turn, influences relationships between that variable and other variables. These types of interactions are quite common, even if they are not recognized as RV interactions, and they exist at every level of analysis. The advantage of the RV interaction is that, as compared with other interaction types, it is relatively simple to justify. The different forms of RV interaction do, however, contain complexities of which a researcher must be aware. This article explains and illustrates the forms that RV interactions can take and their often counterintuitive implications. It also describes how one should go about testing them. Our intention is to help researchers strengthen and focus their interaction arguments.
Tragedy and Shakespeare Performance Studies in Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio’s Giulio Cesare (1997) and Macbeth su Macbeth (2014)
Authors: Cimitile Anna Maria
Published: April 2018

The article discusses two productions, respectively of Julius Caesar and Macbeth, by the experimental Italian theatre company Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio (SRS). My wider scope is a reflection on what I may call the ‘peregrinations’ of the sense of the tragic in our times; my more specific question is: How is the Shakespearean tragic envisioned by SRS? What does their ‘performative thinking’ reveal about tragedy and our sense of the tragic today? As the performances are in Italian, based on Italian translations of Shakespeare, the question of the different language will also be briefly considered, to listen to the ‘ear of the other’ in critical action.
Correlation of Nasal Eosinophilia and Response after Nasal Provocation Test in Patients with Nonallergic Rhinitis
Authors: Park Ki‐Ik , Jang Tae Young , Yang Seung‐Chan , Hong Hyung Sun , Kim Young Hyo
Published: April 2018

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate the relationship between nasal eosinophilia and nasal hyperresponsiveness to allergen extract.

Study Design

Retrospective chart review.

Setting

Academic tertiary rhinologic practice.

Subjects and Methods

We performed allergy tests (skin prick test and multiple allergosorbent test) and nasal cytology for 194 patients with rhinitis symptoms (76 males and 118 females; age, 11‐69 years). According to the results, they were classified into 4 groups: group A (allergic rhinitis with eosinophilia, n = 26), group B (allergic rhinitis without eosinophilia, n = 77), group C (nonallergic rhinitis with eosinophilia syndrome, n = 20), and group D (nonallergic rhinitis without eosinophilia, n = 71). We performed a nasal provocation test (NPT) using house dust mite extract and assessed the changes in symptoms and the decrease in acoustic parameters (total nasal volume and minimal cross‐sectional area [MCA]).

Results

Patients in group C were more likely to have severe rhinorrhea and sneezing than those in group D (P <. 001). After NPT, group C had greater aggravation of nasal obstruction than group D (P <. 001). Group C also showed markedly greater MCA changes as compared with group D 15 minutes after the antigen challenge (P =. 002). There was significant correlation between the number of eosinophils and an increase in nasal obstruction (r = 0.319, P =. 0009), rhinorrhea (r = 0.302, P =. 0017), sneezing (r = 0.219, P =. 0241), change in the total nasal volume 15 minutes after NPT (r = 0.287, P =. 0028), and change in the MCA 15 minutes (r = 0.322, P =. 0008) and 30 minutes (r = 0.250, P =. 0098) after NPT.

Conclusion

In patients with NAR, nasal eosinophilia is associated with provocative response after NPT. Further research should be performed to elucidate the mechanisms that underlie this phenomenon.
Nuanced Reporting of Fistulas in Laryngectomy Studies
Authors: Langerman Alexander , Mitchell Margaret
Published: April 2018

Pharyngocutaneous fistula is an important complication of laryngectomy and can vary significantly in severity. Many authors have advocated for the use of vascularized flaps (eg, pectoralis major) to reduce the risk of fistula. Prevention of small, self‐limited fistulas may not be worth the morbidity of a vascularized flap in some cases. More nuanced analysis of fistula outcomes, stratified by severity, may enable better surgeon‐patient decision making regarding the use of vascularized flaps in laryngectomy.
Substitution of venous for arterial blood sampling in the determination of regional rates of cerebral protein synthesis with L-[1-11C]leucine PET: A validation study
Authors: Tomasi Giampaolo , Veronese Mattia , Bertoldo Alessandra , Smith Carolyn B , Schmidt Kathleen C
Published: April 2018

We developed and validated a method to estimate input functions for determination of regional rates of cerebral protein synthesis (rCPS) with L-[1-11C]leucine PET without arterial sampling. The method is based on a population-derived input function (PDIF) approach, with venous samples for calibration. Population input functions were constructed from arterial blood data measured in 25 healthy 18–24-year-old males who underwent L-[1-11C]leucine PET scans while awake. To validate the approach, three additional groups of 18–27-year-old males underwent L-[1-11C]leucine PET scans with both arterial and venous blood sampling: 13 awake healthy volunteers, 10 sedated healthy volunteers, and 5 sedated subjects with fragile X syndrome. Rate constants of the L-[1-11C]leucine kinetic model were estimated voxel-wise with measured arterial input functions and with venous-calibrated PDIFs. Venous plasma leucine measurements were used with venous-calibrated PDIFs for rCPS computation. rCPS determined with PDIFs calibrated with 30–60 min venous samples had small errors (RMSE: 4–9%), and no statistically significant differences were found in any group when compared to rCPS determined with arterial input functions. We conclude that in young adult males, PDIFs calibrated with 30–60 min venous samples can be used in place of arterial input functions for determination of rCPS with L-[1-11C]leucine PET.
Towards a Theory of Marketing Systems as the Public Good
Authors: Kadirov Djavlonbek
Published: April 2018

The Marketing-Systems-as-the-Public-Good framework proposed in this article outlines the general principles of interpreting change in marketing systems. The framework advances a view of purposeful temporal change based on collective practices that a) identify, develop and maintain key common resources; b) initiate public-private asset transitions; c) facilitate contributory participation of market actors in marketing system processes; and d) perpetuate attenuating mechanisms. These processes construct the system as the public good with non-excludable and non-subtractable (dis)benefits. The drive for further change arises when the system’s overarching structures infuse value creation practices with macromotive-based meaningfulness (e.g. the justice motive) which differentially resonates in market actors’ lived experiences, who through ongoing localized socio-political discourses and contestation undertake to correct perceived justice digressions. The case of the historical evolution of the Uzbek Bozor Marketing System illustrates the key elements of the proposed framework.
Long-term outcome of stenting for atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis and the effect of angiographic restenosis
Authors: Zachrisson Karin , Elverfors Sven , Jensen Gert , Hellström Mikael , Svensson Mikael , Herlitz Hans , Falkenberg Mårten
Published: April 2018

Background

Symptomatic renal artery stenosis (RAS) is mainly treated with pharmacological blood pressure control, sometimes with percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA). It is unclear if PTRA benefits these patients over time.

Purpose

To determine long-term renal function, morbidity, and mortality in patients with symptomatic RAS treated with PTRA, and whether long-term outcomes are associated with angiographic restenosis.

Material and Methods

Retrospective single-center, long-term follow-up of 57 patients with atherosclerotic RAS treated with PTRA with stent during 1995–2004 and investigated for restenosis with angiography after one year. Outcomes were retrieved from medical records and from mandatory healthcare registries. Mortality rates were related to expected survival in an age- and gender-matched population, using a life-table database. Surviving patients were assessed with blood pressures, laboratory tests, duplex ultrasonography, and radioisotope renography.

Results

Median follow-up was 11 years 7 months. Major indications for PTRA were therapy-resistant hypertension and declining renal function. Angiographic restenosis at one year was found in 21 of 57 patients (37%). Thirty-six patients (60%) died during follow-up. Main cause of death was cardiovascular events (54%). Mortality was significantly increased, and morbidity and healthcare utilization were high. Hypertension control during follow-up was stable with persistent need for anti-hypertensive medication, and renal function remained moderately reduced with no long-term difference between patients with vs. without restenosis.

Conclusion

Long-term prognosis after PTRA for atherosclerotic RAS is dismal, with high mortality and morbidity and reduced renal function, despite maintained hypertension control. Restenosis does not appear to affect late outcome.
Ovarian Germ Cell Cancer: Clinicopathologic Analysis and Outcome of 31 Cases
Authors: Kusamura Shigeki , Teixeira Luiz Carlos , dos Santos Marcos António , de Ângelo Andrade Liliana Aparecida Lucci , Campos Torres José Carlos , Sagarra Alberto , Deraco Marcello , Mauricette Derchain Sophie Françoise
Published: April 2018

Aims

The aim of the study was to evaluate some clinicopathologic characteristics and the outcome of patients with ovarian germ cell cancer (OGCC) treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

Methods

It was a clinical retrospective study. The clinical charts of 31 patients with OGCC assisted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the State University of Campinas, Brazil, from January 1986 to June 1997 were reviewed.

Results

Ten patients had dysgerminoma and 21 patients nondysgerminomatous tumors. Women with dysgerminoma and nondysgerminomatous tumors did not present differences regarding surgical staging, age, ascites or residual tumor after the initial surgery. Frozen section, performed in 16 patients, showed some discrepancy with paraffin histology diagnosis in 8 patients. Platinum-based chemotherapy was used in 5/10 patients with dysgerminoma and in 17/21 patients with nondysgerminomatous tumors, with a 5-year survival of 100% for the dysgerminoma and 53% for the nondysgerminomatous group.

Conclusions

Women with dysgerminoma and nondysgerminomatous tumors did not present differences regarding clinicopathologic characteristics. The prognosis for patients with dysgerminoma was better than for those with nondysgerminomatous tumors. Frozen section had a high error rate in diagnosing OGCC intraoperatively.