bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing a Breast Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy Service in Peru
Authors: Ng Dianna , Ljung Britt-Marie , Bardales Ricardo , Abad Milagros , Cedano Manuel , Constant Tara Hayes , Winkler Jennifer , Balassanian Ronald
Published: July 2016

Abstract 6

Background:

Breast cancer incidence is increasing in developing countries. In 2010, 57.8% of breast cancers in Peru were at least stage III at diagnosis. Federal and regional Peruvian institutions partnered with several organizations, including UCSF, to improve access and quality of breast cancer care in Peru. Phase 1 involved screening with clinical breast exam, creating a community-based referral system for women with masses, and promoting evaluation of lesions using fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) by trained physicians, with treatment at the regional cancer institute. Curricula for each activity were developed and validated. During phase 1, in-country FNAB expertise was recognized as limited. For phase 2, the critical objective was to solidify local capacity for high-quality FNAB and integrate FNAB into standard of care for breast cancer.

Methods:

Three main activities were completed during phase 2. 1) Develop a Training of Trainers (ToT) curriculum for FNAB, and identify master trainers and trainees. 2) Facilitate endorsement of a national approach to training FNAB and undertake preliminary rollout in La Libertad region. 3) Strengthen interpretation and reporting of FNAB results.

Results:

A 5-day ToT pilot course occurred during October 19-23, 2014. Prior to the course, women with palpable masses were identified during a breast screening campaign and scheduled for FNAB. Regional, national and international clinical teams observed, procured and interpreted FNAB. Four new cases of cancer and eight cases of granulomatous mastitis were diagnosed. Slide quality before and after the training intervention will be compared. Following the course, a one-day validation meeting including physicians and national leaders took place at the national cancer center in Lima, Peru. FNAB was endorsed for early diagnosis and triage.

Conclusions:

To ensure sustainability of FNAB, cytology fellowships and training centers are needed. Strengthening partnerships will be critical for long-term capacity. An electronic reporting system will be developed to replace paper-based methods. Funding: Norwegian Cancer Society/Norwegian Breast Cancer Society (NCS/NBCS), Susan G. Komen for the Cure, The PATH Catalyst Fund.

AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST:

No COIs from the authors.
Facilitators and Barriers to Cervical Cancer Screening in Migori County, Kenya
Authors: Nishimura Holly , Yatich Nelly , Huchko Megan
Published: July 2016

Abstract 77

Background:

Cervical cancer, a disease that is largely preventable through organized screening programs, still impacts over 500,000 women every year. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest global incidence and mortality, largely due to lack of screening coverage. Low-cost and simple-to-implement screening technologies can potentially impact the rates of cervical cancer, if they are acceptable and scalable. As part of a trial to evaluate implementation strategies for cervical cancer prevention in western Kenya, we sought to identify the barriers and facilitators of screening, as well as opinions on a strategy employing self-collection of specimens for human papillomavirus (HPV) testing.

Methods:

Providers and female community members were recruited for focus groups using purposive sampling. Two focus group discussions (FGDs) with community members (n=24) and one FGD with providers (n=12) and key stakeholders were held in Migori County, Kenya, using structured guides to assess and current cervical cancer knowledge, screening practices, barriers to screening and potential strategies to facilitate screening access and uptake, including self-collected HPV testing.

Results:

Participants in both groups assessed the education around HPV, cervical cancer, and screening as very low in the community, and identified this lack of education as the main barrier to screening. Community members reported fear of pain and embarrassment as significant barriers to a screening pelvic exam. They also reported that lack of knowledge and discomfort among providers were significant barriers. Having undergone screening themselves or talking to someone with experience increased willingness to screen. Providers reported workload and lack of supplies and trained staff as significant barriers. Most participants in both FGDs felt that self-collection would help address barriers. Women expressed willingness to self-collect if given adequate instructions and if knowledgeable counselors were present to discuss results.

Conclusion:

Cervical cancer prevention strategies employing effective educational components and self-collected HPV testing could address many of the identified barriers to screening. Key findings from analysis of the focus group transcripts will be used to inform the implementation of community health campaigns.

AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST:

No COIs from the authors.
Radiation Needs In Pediatric Oncology in the Lake Region Of Tanzania
Authors: Schroeder Kristin , Olson Adam C. , Ackerson Brad , Larrier Nicole , Masalu Nestory , Chao Nelson , Likonda Beda
Published: July 2016

Abstract 32

Background:

The majority of new pediatric cancer diagnoses are made in resource-poor countries where survival rates range from 5-25%, compared with 80% in high-resource countries. A key component of treatment includes radiation therapy, but access is extremely limited in East Africa. This study estimates the potential clinical benefit of radiation therapy for pediatric oncology patients at Bugando Medical Centre (BMC), a tertiary referral center in the lake zone of Tanzania, one of two cancer treatment centers in Tanzania.

Methods:

Study design is a retrospective review of recorded hospital admissions and clinic visits to the oncology department at BMC from January 2010-December 2014. The indication for radiation therapy was extrapolated from contemporary SIOP and COG protocols. The benefits of radiotherapy, both for curative and palliative intent, were estimated based on age, diagnosis and stage at presentation by two radiation oncologists.

Results:

A total of 221 pediatric patients were identified. The most common recorded diagnoses were Burkitt lymphoma (n=36), other non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n=33), Wilms tumor (n=32), acute leukemia (n=28) and retinoblastoma (n=23). Treatment received included chemotherapy only for 163 patients (74%), surgery only for 5 patients (2%), and a combination of chemotherapy and surgery for 30 patients (14%). No patients received radiation therapy due to lack of availability at our center. For 77 patients (35%), staging information was insufficient and the potential benefit of radiation therapy could not be determined. Of the remaining 144 cases, radiation could have been included in the treatment plan for 49 patients (34%, 95% CI 26-42%). Of these, 41 patients (84%, 95% CI 74-94%) could have been treated with curative intent and 8 patients (16%, 95% CI 6-26%) could have benefitted from palliative radiation therapy.

Conclusion:

Radiation therapy is an essential treatment modality for pediatric cancer but has limited availability in East Africa. In our population, roughly one third of presenting patients would have benefitted from radiation as part of their treatment. Most patients who would benefit from radiation therapy would be treated with curative intent. Introducing radiation has the potential to significantly improve pediatric cancer outcomes in the lake zone of Tanzania.

AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST:

No COIs from the authors.
Schistosomiasis and Bladder Cancer in Egypt: A Historical Analysis
Authors: Daniel Afkera , Bhatt Ami
Published: July 2016

Abstract 8

Background:

Schistosoma haematobium has an extensive history in Egypt, with certain regions of the country reporting infection rates as high as 70%. This parasite has also been linked to bladder cancer since the beginning of the 20th century. However, little was done to elucidate a causal linkage between schistosomiasis and bladder cancer prior to the 1940s. This paper examines the reasons for this lack of attention, and the conditions that eventually stimulated research in Egypt on the connection between the two diseases.

Methods:

Through a review of secondary sources, interpretation of primary sources, and archival research at the Rockefeller Foundation, I have been able to trace and analyze the relationship between schistosomiasis and bladder cancer in Egypt.

Results:

Much of the research spearheaded by imperial powers during the colonial era focused on maintaining the short-term health of agricultural workers crucial to the colonial economy. As a long-term sequelae of infection, bladder cancer did not immediately impede the efficiency of this labor force. Thus, while research into schistosomiasis infection boomed throughout the colonial period, inquiry into its relationship to bladder cancer was stifled until power transitioned to Egyptians themselves and reforms took hold that brought Egyptian scientists to the forefront.

Conclusion:

Renewed interest in the link between schistosomiasis and bladder cancers from the 1940s followed an important shift in the political structures that governed scientific research in Egypt and led to the ascendancy of Egyptian scientists and physicians. This shift changed research agendas. As public health and medical practitioners work globally to advance health systems, lessons learned from Egypt's early experiences in schistosomiasis control and bladder cancer intervention are a reminder of the importance of including local scientific communities and internal organizations in the process of producing medical knowledge and public health infrastructures.

AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST:

Afkera Daniel No relationship to disclose Ami Bhatt Patents, Royalties, Other Intellectual Property: I have a patent pending focused on therapeutic, diagnostic and interventional approaches to targeting of Bradyrhizobium enterica, a novel bacterium I and colleagues discovered that appears to be associated with a complication of stem cell transplantation.
A Multimodal Optical Imaging Platform for the Early Detection of Gastric Malignancies
Authors: Tang Yubo , Carns Jennifer , Quang Timothy , Reina Enrique M. , Gonzalez Susana , Rosen Daniel G. , Anandasabapathy Sharmila , Richards-Kortum Rebecca R.
Published: July 2016

Abstract 14

We developed a novel multimodal video endoscope and evaluated its usefulness for the early detection of gastric neoplastic lesions. The imaging platform is a modified upper GI endoscope capable of white light imaging (WLI), widefield vital-dye fluorescence imaging (VFI) and high-resolution microendoscopy (HRME) in a single endoscopic insertion. A custom filter module is attached to the distal tip of the endoscope to enable VFI; HRME is performed by introducing a fiber optic probe through the endoscope working channel. Proflavine, a vital dye that stains nuclei is used to provide image contrast in both VFI and HRME. VFI images of proflavine stained tissue reveal the glandular patterns of the gastric mucosa, while HRME images reveal nuclear morphology with subcellular resolution. The performance of the platform was evaluated in a pilot study to image 35 patients with known or suspected gastric cancer undergoing either endoscopy or surgical resection. Patients were recruited at Mount Sinai Hospital, NY, and Hospital Evangelico in Siguatepeque, Honduras. For each patient, images were acquired with WLI, VFI and HRME sequentially during endoscopy. Images of neoplasia show disruption and effacement of glandular patterns. These alterations are visualized with enhanced contrast in VFI when compared to WLI; HRME images presenting the nuclear architecture at a subcellular level confirm these findings. Results suggest that this multimodal imaging platform can potentially enable a two-step protocol for early gastric cancer detection, wherein suspicious areas are red flagged with improved contrast using VFI, and then further imaged with HRME to confirm whether neoplasia is present based on changes in nuclear morphology. Given the convenient adaptation of the system design to other commercial endoscopes and the low cost of HRME (< $2,500), the utility of this multimodal imaging platform should be further evaluated in in vivo studies and low-resource settings.

AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST:

Yubo Tang No relationship to disclose Jennifer Carns No relationship to disclose Timothy Quang No relationship to disclose Enrique M. Reina No relationship to disclose Susana Gonzalez No relationship to disclose Daniel G. Rosen Research Funding: Biotheragnostics Sharmila Anandasabapathy Honoraria: Medial Medical Rebecca R. Richards-Kortum Consulting or Advisory Role: Janssen Global Services Research Funding: Merck
International Cancer Control Leadership Forum Program
Authors: Singh Tulika , Kostelecky Brenda , Stevens Lisa
Published: July 2016

Abstract 43

A National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP) comprises an important part of a country's non-communicable disease (NCD) plan and can help countries meet NCD targets outlined in the WHO Global NCD Action Plan. A comprehensive cancer control plan is based on data such as a country's cancer burden and cancer risk factors, available resources, and local context of culture and health care. The plan provides a systematic framework for implementation of evidence-based and cost-effective strategies for cancer prevention and control.

The International Cancer Control Leadership Forum is a 2-3 day regional workshop with thematic seminar modules on cancer control planning and implementation, as well as interactive action planning sessions. The goal is to increase the capacity of participating countries to initiate or enhance cancer control planning and implementation through a multisectoral approach. The country teams are composed of high-level leaders who represent government agencies, civil society, oncology professionals, and academia.

The program approach engages country teams over a year and a half. Approximately 3-6 months prior to the forum, teams conduct a situational analysis of the cancer burden and cancer control planning efforts in their country. During the Forum, teams are introduced to evidence-based approaches and exchange best-practices with colleagues to develop a 12-month action plan to move their cancer control planning and implementation efforts forward. In the year after the Forum, country teams and Forum faculty meet for 3-4 follow-up phone calls to address technical assistance needs as countries begin to implement their action plan. Thus far, Forums have been held in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific, the Caribbean, Middle East-North Africa, Latin America, and Central Asia regions.

The country teams report that the Forum provides an important opportunity to plan with diverse stakeholders. Participants also report increased awareness and knowledge on developing and implementing a national cancer control plan, and learn best-practices from their colleagues in neighboring countries. In some Forums, countries have shown interest to work collaboratively towards regional initiatives.

AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST:

No COIs from the authors.
Comparison of Thrombelastography-Derived Fibrinogen Values at Rewarming and Following Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Cardiac Surgery Patients
Authors: Fabbro Michael , Gutsche Jacob T. , Miano Todd A. , Augoustides John G. , Patel Prakash A.
Published: July 2016

BACKGROUND:

The inflated costs and documented deleterious effects of excess perioperative transfusion have led to the investigation of targeted coagulation factor replacement strategies. One particular coagulation factor of interest is factor I (fibrinogen). Hypofibrinogenemia is typically tested for using time-consuming standard laboratory assays. The thrombelastography (TEG)-based functional fibrinogen level (FLEV) provides an assessment of whole blood clot under platelet inhibition to report calculated fibrinogen levels in significantly less time. If FLEV values obtained on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) during rewarming are similar to values obtained immediately after the discontinuation of CPB, then rewarming values could be used for preemptive ordering of appropriate blood product therapy.

METHODS:

Fifty-one cardiac surgery patients were enrolled into this prospective nonrandomized study to compare rewarming fibrinogen values with postbypass values using TEG FLEV assays. Baseline, rewarming, and postbypass fibrinogen values were recorded for all patients using both standard laboratory assay (Clauss method) and FLEV. Mixed-effects regression models were used to examine the change in TEG FLEV values over time. Bland-Altman analysis was used to examine bias and the limits of agreement (LOA) between the standard laboratory assay and FLEVs.

RESULTS:

Forty-nine patients were included in the analysis. The mean FLEV value during rewarming was 333.9 mg/dL compared with 332.8 mg/dL after protamine, corresponding to an estimated difference of −1.1 mg/dL (95% confidence interval [CI], −25.8 to 23.6; P = 0.917). Rewarming values were available on average 47 minutes before postprotamine values. Bland-Altman analysis showed poor agreement between FLEV and standard assays: mean difference at baseline was 92.5 mg/dL (95% CI, 71.1 to 114.9), with a lower LOA of −56.5 mg/dL (95% CI, −94.4 to −18.6) and upper LOA of 242.4 mg/dL (95% CI, 204.5 to 280.3). The difference between assays increased after CPB and persisted after protamine administration.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results revealed negligible change in FLEV values from the rewarming to postbypass periods, with a CI that does not include clinically meaningful differences. These findings suggest that rewarming samples could be utilized for ordering fibrinogen-specific therapies before discontinuation of CPB. Mean FLEV values were consistently higher than the reference standard at each time point. Moreover, bias was highly heterogeneous among samples, implying a large range of potential differences between assays for any 1 patient.
Novel and potential physiological roles of vacuolar-type H+-ATPase in marine organisms
Authors: Tresguerres Martin
Published: July 2016

The vacuolar-type H+-ATPase (VHA) is a multi-subunit enzyme that uses the energy from ATP hydrolysis to transport H+ across biological membranes. VHA plays a universal role in essential cellular functions, such as the acidification of lysosomes and endosomes. In addition, the VHA-generated H+-motive force can drive the transport of diverse molecules across cell membranes and epithelia for specialized physiological functions. Here, I discuss diverse physiological functions of VHA in marine animals, focusing on recent discoveries about base secretion in shark gills, potential bone dissolution by Osedax bone-eating worms and its participation in a carbon-concentrating mechanism that promotes coral photosynthesis. Because VHA is evolutionarily conserved among eukaryotes, it is likely to play many other essential physiological roles in diverse marine organisms. Elucidating and characterizing basic VHA-dependent mechanisms could help to determine species responses to environmental stress, including (but not limited to) that resulting from climate change.
The behavioral regulation of thirst, water collection and water storage in honey bee colonies
Authors: Ostwald Madeleine M. , Smith Michael L. , Seeley Thomas D.
Published: July 2016

This study investigated how a honey bee colony develops and quenches its collective thirst when it experiences hyperthermia of its broodnest. We found that a colony must strongly boost its water intake because evaporative cooling is critical to relieving broodnest hyperthermia, and that it must rapidly boost its water intake because a colony maintains only a small water reserve. We also clarified how a colony's water collectors know when to spring into action – by sensing either more frequent requests for fluid or greater personal thirst, or both. Finally, we found that the behavioral flexibility of a colony's water collectors enables them not only to satisfy their colony's current water needs but also to buffer their colony against future extreme water stresses by storing water in their crops and in their combs.
Refuging rainbow trout selectively exploit flows behind tandem cylinders
Authors: Stewart William J. , Tian Fang-bao , Akanyeti Otar , Walker Christina J. , Liao James C.
Published: July 2016

Fishes may exploit environmental vortices to save in the cost of locomotion. Previous work has investigated fish refuging behind a single cylinder in current, a behavior termed the Kármán gait. However, current-swept habitats often contain aggregations of physical objects, and it is unclear how the complex hydrodynamics shed from multiple structures affect refuging in fish. To begin to address this, we investigated how the flow fields produced by two D-shaped cylinders arranged in tandem affect the ability of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to Kármán gait. We altered the spacing of the two cylinders from l/D of 0.7 to 2.7 (where l=downstream spacing of cylinders and D=cylinder diameter) and recorded the kinematics of trout swimming behind the cylinders with high-speed video at Re=10,000–55,000. Digital particle image velocimetry showed that increasing l/D decreased the strength of the vortex street by an average of 53% and decreased the frequency that vortices were shed by ∼20% for all speeds. Trout were able to Kármán gait behind all cylinder treatments despite these differences in the downstream wake; however, they Kármán gaited over twice as often behind closely spaced cylinders (l/D=0.7, 1.1, and 1.5). Computational fluid dynamics simulations show that when cylinders are widely spaced, the upstream cylinder generates a vortex street that interacts destructively with the downstream cylinder, producing weaker, more widely spaced and less-organized vortices that discourage Kármán gaiting. These findings are poised to help predict when fish may seek refuge in natural habitats based on the position and arrangement of stationary objects.
Rational Agency from a Truth-Functional Perspective
Authors: Kubyshkina Ekaterina , Zaitsev Dmitry V.
Published: July 2016

The aim of the present paper is to introduce a system, where the epistemic state of an agent is represented truth-functionally. In order to obtain this system, we propose a four-valued logic, that we call the logic of rational agent, where the fact of knowing something is formalized at the level of valuations, without the explicit use of epistemic knowledge operator. On the basis of this semantics, a sound and complete system with two distinct truth-functional negations (an “ontological” and an “epistemic” one) is provided. These negations allow us to express the statements about knowing or not knowing something at the syntactic level. Moreover, such a system is applied to the analysis of knowability paradox. In particular, we show that the paradox is not derivable in terms of the logic of rational agent.
Distributed Relation Logic
Authors: Allwein Gerard , Harrison William L. , Reynolds Thomas
Published: July 2016

We extend the relational algebra of Chin and Tarski so that it is multisorted or, as we prefer, typed. Each type supports a local Boolean algebra outfitted with a converse operator. From Lyndon, we know that relation algebras cannot be represented as proper relation algebras where a proper relation algebra has binary relations as elements and the algebra is singly-typed. Here, the intensional conjunction, which was to represent relational composition in Chin and Tarski, spans three different local algebras, thus the term distributed in the title. Since we do not rely on proper relation algebras, we are free to re-express the algebras as typed. In doing so, we allow many different intensional conjunction operators.We construct a typed logic over these algebras, also known as heterogeneous algebras of Birkhoff and Lipson. The logic can be seen as a form of relevance logic with a classical negation connective where the Routley-Meyer star operator is reified as a converse connective in the logic. Relevance logic itself is not typed but our work shows how it can be made so. Some of the properties of classical relevance logic are weakened from Routley-Meyer’s version which is too strong for a logic over relation algebras.
Moral Hazard in Dynamic Risk Management
Authors: Cvitanić Jakša , Possamaï Dylan , Touzi Nizar
Published: July 2016

We consider a contracting problem in which a principal hires an agent to manage a risky project. When the agent chooses volatility components of the output process and the principal observes the output continuously, the principal can compute the quadratic variation of the output, but not the individual components. This leads to moral hazard with respect to the risk choices of the agent. To find the optimal contract, we develop a novel approach to solving principal–agent problems: first, we identify a family of admissible contracts for which the optimal agent’s action is explicitly characterized; then, we show that we do not lose on generality when finding the optimal contract inside this family, up to integrability conditions. To do this, we use the recent theory of singular changes of measures for Itô processes. We solve the problem in the case of CARA preferences and show that the optimal contract is linear in these factors: the contractible sources of risk, including the output, the quadratic variation of the output and the cross-variations between the output and the contractible risk sources. Thus, like sample Sharpe ratios used in practice, path-dependent contracts naturally arise when there is moral hazard with respect to risk management. In a numerical example, we show that the loss of efficiency can be significant if the principal does not use the quadratic variation component of the optimal contract.

This paper was accepted by Gustavo Manso, finance.
Antifungal Effect of Silver Nanoparticles on Rickia wasmannii Cavara (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales) Infecting Myrmica scabrinodis Nylander (Formicidae) Ants
Authors: Pfliegler Walter P , Tálas László , Báthori Ferenc , Tartally András , Pócsi István , Szemán-Nagy Gábor
Published: July 2016

Rickia wasmannii Cavara (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales) is an ectoparasitic fungus infecting Myrmica ants. Ant-parasitic Laboulbeniales and their interactions with the hosts have been in the focus of several studies. To assess the effects of these fungi, comparison of infected and uninfected or completely treated ants are needed. So far, treating Laboulbeniales infection was only achieved with cockroaches, but not with ants. We present a simple, yet relatively long, AgNP topical treatment that reduces or eliminates Rickia infection from Myrmica scabrinodis ants without affecting their lifespan. We discuss the possibilities of the proposed treatment in the light of the biology of Rickia.
Alcohol Consumption and Cardiac Biomarkers: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study
Authors: Lazo Mariana , Chen Yuan , McEvoy John W , Ndumele Chiadi , Konety Suma , Ballantyne Christie M , Sharrett A Richey , Selvin Elizabeth
Published: July 2016

BACKGROUND

The role of alcohol in the development of subclinical cardiovascular disease is unclear. We examined the association between alcohol consumption and markers of subclinical cardiac damage and wall stress.

METHODS

We studied the cross-sectional and prospective associations of alcohol consumption with high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) measured at 2 time points, 6 years apart (baseline, 1990–1992; follow-up, 1996–1998), in over 11000 participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study with no history of cardiovascular disease. Alcohol consumption was categorized as follows: never, former, current: ≤1, 2–7, 8–14, and ≥15 drinks/week.

RESULTS

Compared to never drinkers, persons who consumed 2–7 drinks per week were less likely to have increased hs-cTnT (≥14 ng/L) at baseline (odds ratio = 0.67, 95% CI, 0.46–0.96), and had a lower risk of incident increases in hs-cTnT at follow-up (relative risk = 0.70, 95% CI, 0.49–1.00). Conversely, there was a positive association between alcohol intake and NT-proBNP concentrations at baseline. Consumption of ≥15 drinks/week was positively associated with incident increases in NT-proBNP (≥300 pg/mL) at the 6-year follow-up visit (relative risk = 2.38, 95% CI, 1.43–3.96).

CONCLUSIONS

In this community-based study of middle-aged adults without a history of cardiovascular disease, moderate drinking was associated with lower concentrations of hs-cTnT, a marker of chronic subclinical myocardial damage, and positively associated with NT-proBNP, a biomarker of cardiac wall stress. Our results suggest that the cardiac effects of alcohol are complex. Cardiac biomarkers may help improve our understanding of the full cardiovascular effects of alcohol consumption.
Risk factors for hypertensive crisis in children with acute glomerulonephritis
Authors: Yuniarchan Sherly , Prasetyo Risky Vitria , Soemyarso Ninik Asmaningsih , Noer Mohammad Sjaifullah
Published: July 2016

Background Hypertensive crisis occurs in 1-4% of the hypertensive pediatric population, mostly due to acute glomerulonephritis (AGN). Some factors have been suggested to affect blood pressure (BP) in children, such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, obesity, and socioeconomic status, but little is known for risk factors for hypertensive crisis in AGN.Objective To analyze the risk factors for hypertensive crisis in children with AGN.Methods Retrospectively, we studied possible risk factors for hypertensive crisis in children with AGN at Dr. Soetomo Hospital from 2007 to 2011. Hypertensive crisis was defined as systolic BP ≥180 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥120 mmHg (for children ≥ 6 years of age); and systolic and/or diastolic BP >50% above the 95th percentile (for children aged <6 years). We evaluated the demographic and clinical characteristics as potential risk factors. Statistical analysis was done with Chi-square, Fisher’s exact, and logistic regression tests. Variables with P <0.25 in the univariable analysis were further analyzed by the multivariable logistic regression model. A P value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results There were 101 children included (mean age 9.7 (SD 2.17) years), with a male-to-female ratio of 2.7:1. Hypertensive crisis occurred in 42 (41.6%) children, of whom 8 had hypertensive urgency and 34 had hypertensive emergency. Proteinuria was seen in 53 children with AGN (52.5%) and was the significant risk factor for hypertensive crisis in our subjects (OR=2.75; 95%CI 1.16 to 6.52; P=0.021). Gender, clinical profiles, ethnicity, nutritional status, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were not significant risk factors for hypertensive crisis.Conclusion Proteinuria is the significant risk factor for hypertensive crisis in children with AGN.
The role of glucomannan fiber in childhood functional constipation
Authors: Aulia Indiana , Supriatmo Supriatmo , Azlin Emil , Sinuhaji Atan Baas
Published: July 2016

its most common type is functional constipation. The dietary fiber may be useful in childhood functional constipation management, but unfortunately the role of fiber in functional constipation is still less developed.Objective To determine the role of glucomannan in treatment of childhood functional constipation.Methods A crossover randomized controlled trial (RCT) was done from May until July 2012 in a boarding school in Medan, North Sumatera. The subjects were children with functional constipation aged 7 to 12 years. Subjects were randomised into two group receiving glucomannan fiber as polysaccharide gel (group A) and maltodextrin as placebo (group B) with each dose of 100 mg/kg/day (maximum of 5 g/day) diluted in 50 ml water/500 mg for 4 weeks, then after a wash out period we did the crossover of the two groups. Frequency and consistency of stools were recorded into diary sheet for 4 and 8 weeks of treatment. Functional constipation has been diagnosed based on Rome III criteria. Data was analyzed using independent T-test and Chi-square test.Results A total of 36 subjects were eligible with each group consisting of 18 subjects and mean of weight of 25 kg. We found significant difference in stool frequency, treated on glucomannan with P= 0.002 before and P = 0.0001 after the wash out period. For stool consistency, we found difference while treated on glucomannan 9/18 (P= 0.034) in 4 weeks before and 11/18 (P = 0.008) in 4 weeks after the wash out period.Conclusion Glucomannan has significant effect to improve functional constipation especially in 4 weeks treatment.
Interleukin (IL)‐1 in rat parturition: IL‐1 receptors 1 and 2 and accessory proteins abundance in pregnant rat uterus at term – regulation by progesterone
Authors: Ishiguro Tomohito , Takeda Jun , Fang Xin , Bronson Heather , Olson David M.
Published: July 2016

The role of interleukin‐1 (IL‐1), a pro‐inflammatory cytokine, in parturition is typically noted by changes in its concentrations. Studying the expression of its receptor family, IL‐1 receptor (IL‐1R) 1, IL‐1R2, IL‐1R accessory protein (IL‐1RAcP), and its predominantly brain isoform, IL‐1RAcPb, during late gestation in the uterus in the Long‐Evans rat is another. We assessed changes in their mRNA and protein relative abundance in the uterus and compared IL‐1RAcP and IL‐1RAcPb mRNA abundance in uterus, cervix, ovaries, placenta, and whole blood of Long‐Evans rats during late gestation or in RU486 and progesterone‐treated dams using quantitative real‐time PCR and western immunoblotting. IL‐1R1, IL‐1RAcP, and IL‐1RAcPb mRNA abundance significantly increased in the uterus at delivery whereas IL‐1R2 mRNA abundance significantly decreased. IL‐1R1 protein increased at term and IL‐1R2 protein decreased at term compared to nonpregnant uteri. IL1‐RAcPb mRNA abundance was less than IL‐1RAcP, but in the lower uterine segment it was the highest of all tissues examined. RU486 stimulated preterm delivery and an increase in IL‐1R1 mRNA abundance whereas progesterone administration extended pregnancy and suppressed the increase in IL‐1R1. These data suggest that changes in uterine sensitivity to IL‐1 occur during late gestation and suggest another level of regulation for the control of delivery. The roles for IL‐1RAcP and IL‐1RAcPb need to be determined, but may relate to different intracellular signaling pathways.
Maturation of suprathreshold auditory nerve activity involves cochlear CGRP–receptor complex formation
Authors: Dickerson Ian M. , Bussey‐Gaborski Rhiannon , Holt Joseph C. , Jordan Paivi M. , Luebke Anne E.
Published: July 2016

In adult animals, the neuropeptide calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP) is contained in cochlear efferent fibers projecting out to the cochlea, and contributes to increased suprathreshold sound‐evoked activity in the adult auditory nerve. Similarly, CGRP applied to the lateral‐line organ (hair cell organ) increases afferent nerve activity in adult frogs (post‐metamorphic day 30), yet this increase is developmentally delayed from post‐metamorphic day 4–30. In this study, we discovered that there was also a developmental delay in increased suprathreshold sound‐evoked activity auditory nerve between juvenile and adult mice similar to what had been observed previously in frog. Moreover, juvenile mice with a targeted deletion of the αCGRP gene [CGRP null (−/−)] did not show a similar developmental increase in nerve activity, suggesting CGRP signaling is involved. This developmental delay is not due to a delay in CGRP expression, but instead is due to a delay in receptor formation. We observed that the increase in sound‐evoked nerve activity is correlated with increased formation of cochlear CGRP receptors, which require three complexed proteins (CLR, RAMP1, RCP) to be functional. CGRP receptor formation in the cochlea was incomplete at 1 month of age (juvenile), but complete by 3 months (adult), which corresponded to the onset of suprathreshold enhancement of sound‐evoked activity in wild‐type animals. Taken together, these data support a model for cochlear function that is enhanced by maturation of CGRP receptor complexes.
Omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation attenuates blood pressure increase at onset of isometric handgrip exercise in healthy young and older humans
Authors: Clark Christine M. , Monahan Kevin D. , Drew Rachel C.
Published: July 2016

Aging is associated with alterations of autonomic nerve activity, and dietary intake of omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in fish oil (FO), can modulate autonomic nerve activity. However, the effect of omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid consumption on age‐related cardiovascular responses at the onset of isometric handgrip exercise, a time of rapid autonomic adjustments, is unknown. Accordingly, 14 young (25 ± 1 years; mean ± SE) and 15 older (64 ± 2 years) healthy subjects ingested 4 g FO daily for 12 weeks. On pre‐ and postintervention visits, participants performed 15‐sec bouts of isometric handgrip at 10%, 30%, 50%, and 70% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) while beat‐to‐beat systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure (SBP, DBP, MAP; Finometer) and heart rate (HR; electrocardiogram) were recorded. All baseline cardiovascular variables were similar between groups and visits, except DBP was higher in older subjects (P < 0.05). FO increased erythrocyte EPA and DHA content in both groups (P < 0.05). FO attenuated MAP and DBP increases in response to handgrip in both age groups (change from baseline during 70% MVC handgrip pre‐ and post‐FO: young MAPΔ 14 ± 2 mmHg versus 10 ± 2 mmHg, older MAPΔ 14 ± 3 mmHg versus 11 ± 2 mmHg; young DBPΔ 12 ± 1 mmHg versus 7 ± 2 mmHg, older DBPΔ 12 ± 1 mmHg versus 7 ± 1 mmHg; P < 0.05). FO augmented the PP (SBP‐DBP) increase with 70% MVC handgrip in both groups (P < 0.05), but did not alter SBP or HR increases with handgrip. These findings suggest that FO supplementation attenuates MAP and DBP increases at the onset of isometric handgrip exercise in healthy young and older humans.
On the Method of Evolutionary Psychology and Its Applicability to Consumer Research
Authors: Saad Gad
Published: July 2016

There is a growing interest among marketing scholars to examine the evolutionary bases of a wide range of consumer phenomena. While specific evolutionary hypotheses are typically tested using tools familiar to marketing researchers (e.g., experiments, surveys), the method of evolutionary psychology is rooted in its unique epistemology (the manner in which knowledge is generated and organized), which comprises three elements: (1) the distinction between proximate and ultimate explanations, (2) the building of nomolological networks of cumulative evidence (triangulation of convergent lines of evidence), and (3) an organizing tree of knowledge. The purpose of this article is to describe this process using marketing-relevant examples as a means of providing a framework of best practices to marketing scholars aiming to incorporate the evolutionary lens within their research programs.
Short-Term Heart Rate Recovery is Related to Aerobic Fitness in Elite Intermittent Sport Athletes
Authors: Watson Andrew M. , Brickson Stacey L. , Prawda Evan R. , Sanfilippo Jenifer L.
Published: July 2016

Watson, AM, Brickson, SL, Prawda, ER, and Sanfilippo, JL. Short-term heart rate recovery is related to aerobic fitness in elite intermittent sport athletes. J Strength Cond Res 31(4): 1055–1061, 2017—Although heart rate recovery (HRR) has been suggested as a measure of fitness, minimal data exist among athletes. The purpose of this study was to determine if HRR is related to aerobic fitness in elite athletes and whether this relationship is influenced by sex or body composition. Eighty-four collegiate athletes (45 male athletes) underwent body fat percentage (BF%) determination by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and maximal treadmill testing followed by 5 minutes of recovery. V̇o
2max and heart rate (HRmax) were determined, and HRR was calculated as a percentage of HRmax at 10 seconds, 30 seconds, and 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 minutes after test completion. After stratifying by sex, participants were grouped as high fit or low fit based on V̇o
2max median split. Heart rate recovery was compared between sexes and fitness level at each time point. Multivariable regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of HRR using V̇o
2max, BF%, and sex as covariates. Heart rate recovery did not differ significantly between sexes and was faster among high-fit participants at 10 and 30 seconds, but at no other time. V̇o
2max was significantly correlated with HRR at 10 and 30 seconds (r = −0.34, p < 0.001 and r = −0.28, p = 0.008) only. After controlling for BF% and sex, V̇o
2max remained significantly associated with HRR at 10 seconds (p = 0.007) but not at 30 seconds (p = 0.067) or any time thereafter. Aerobic capacity is related to faster HRR during the first 30 seconds only, suggesting that only very short term HRR should be used as a measure of aerobic fitness in intermittent sport athletes.
Integrative Neuromuscular Training in Youth Athletes. Part II: Strategies to Prevent Injuries and Improve Performance
Authors: Fort-Vanmeerhaeghe Azahara , Romero-Rodriguez Daniel , Lloyd Rhodri S. , Kushner Adam , Myer Gregory D.
Published: July 2016

THE SECOND PART OF THIS REVIEW PROVIDES A FLEXIBLE APPROACH TO INTEGRATIVE NEUROMUSCULAR TRAINING (INT) WITH THE GOALS TO IMPROVE INJURY RESILIENCE AND TO ENHANCE SPORT AND MOTOR PERFORMANCE ABILITIES IN YOUTH POPULATIONS. THE PROPOSED MODEL OF INT IN THIS MANUSCRIPT PRESENTS 6 ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS: DYNAMIC STABILITY (LOWER LIMB AND CORE), STRENGTH, PLYOMETRICS, COORDINATION, SPEED AND AGILITY, AND FATIGUE RESISTANCE. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE 6 CAPACITIES ARE INTEGRAL IN ESTABLISHING AN IMPORTANT FOUNDATION BY INITIALLY DEVELOPING FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT SKILL COMPETENCY BEFORE BUILDING UPON THESE SKILLS TO ENRICH SPORTS-SPECIFIC AND ACTIVITY-SPECIFIC SKILL SETS. FOR A VIDEO ABSTRACT OF THIS ARTICLE, SEE SUPPLEMENTAL DIGITAL CONTENT 1 (SEE VIDEO, http://links.lww.com/SCJ/A190).
Celiac Disease: A Review for the Athlete and Interdisciplinary Team
Authors: Ralphs Dagmar E. , Piper Timothy J.
Published: July 2016

CELIAC DISEASE (CD) IS AN AUTOIMMUNE DISORDER THAT AFFECTS NUTRIENT ABSORPTION IN THE SMALL INTESTINE WHEN GLUTEN IS PRESENT IN THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT. CD AFFECTS APPROXIMATELY 2 MILLION AMERICANS. DUE TO THE INCREASING PREVALENCE OF THIS CONDITION, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ATHLETES AND THEIR INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM TO POSSESS A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISEASE, ASSOCIATED RISKS, AND MANAGEMENT OPTIONS FOR AREAS SUCH AS DIET MANAGEMENT AND EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION. THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES THE ETIOLOGY, CLIENT PRESENTATION, AND DIET AND EXERCISE MANAGEMENT FOR ATHLETES DIAGNOSED WITH CD.
Differential Contributions of Olfactory Receptor Neurons in a Drosophila Olfactory Circuit
Authors: Newquist Gunnar , Novenschi Alexandra , Kohler Donovan , Mathew Dennis
Published: July 2016

The ability of an animal to detect, discriminate, and respond to odors depends on the functions of its olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). The extent to which each ORN, upon activation, contributes to chemotaxis is not well understood. We hypothesized that strong activation of each ORN elicits a different behavioral response in theDrosophila melanogasterlarva by differentially affecting the composition of its navigational behavior. To test this hypothesis, we exposedDrosophilalarvae to specific odorants to analyze the effect of individual ORN activity on chemotaxis. We used two different behavioral paradigms to analyze the chemotaxis response of larvae to odorants. When tested with five different odorants that elicit strong physiological responses from single ORNs, larval behavioral responses toward each odorant differed in the strength of attraction as well as in the composition of discrete navigational elements, such as runs and turns. Further, behavioral responses to odorants did not correlate with either the strength of odor gradients tested or the sensitivity of each ORN to its cognate odorant. Finally, we provide evidence that wild-type larvae with all ORNs intact exhibit higher behavioral variance than mutant larvae that have only a single pair of functional ORNs. We conclude that individual ORNs contribute differently to the olfactory circuit that instructs chemotactic responses. Our results, along with recent studies from other groups, suggest that ORNs are functionally nonequivalent units. These results have implications for understanding peripheral odor coding.
Do we know how to punish?
Authors: Apt Benjamin L.
Published: July 2016

All of the current prevailing theories of criminal punishment ultimately depend on some sort of normative argument to justify why the state may penalize people found guilty of crimes. Yet each of these theories lacks a strong epistemological foundation to explain how we can know what form punishments should take. This article analyzes the epistemological gaps in the predominant theories of punishment and finds that the putative epistemological sources they do use fall short of actual knowledge. The lack of an epistemological underpinning for punishment puts the very validity of punishment in doubt. Systems for quantifying punishment, such as proportionality and sentencing guidelines, only lend an appearance of knowledge to penalization. They are not true epistemological arguments. Although social norms may at first seem to provide the bases of the requisite knowledge, norms are themselves epistemically difficult to identify, let alone prove. The article concludes that a sound epistemological basis is intrinsically unattainable in the practice of criminal punishment. The best that we can achieve as an epistemologically justifiable punishment is to follow the regulative principle of “suitability” by relying on a mixture of social norms and specific empirical observation.
Pengaruh Model PMK Terhadap Disposisi Matematis dalam Pembelajaran Matematika Tingkat SMA
Authors: Nasrullah Nasrullah
Published: July 2016

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui sejauh mana pengaruh model pembelajaran pemecahan masalah kreatif (PMK) terhadap disposisi matematis siswa sekolah menengah atas, dan membandingkannya dengan model pembelajaran langsung (PL). Penelitian ini tergolong eksperimen semu (quacy experiment) dimana subjek penelitian siswa di SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Unismuh. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan tidak berubahnya disposisi matematis siswa seiring perubahan model pembelajaran disebabkan kurangnya keaktifan siswa untuk terlibat dalam membangun kompetensi strategis. Skor disposisi matematis antara model PMK dan PL secara bersama-sama termasuk dalam kategori sedang, tetapi dengan skor 57,89% yang dicapai oleh model PL mengungguli model PMK dengan skor 42,11%. Dengan kata lain, sebagian besar siswa masih cenderung tertarik dengan model lama. Namun, dengan model PMK justru mampu mendongkrak hasil belajar matematika siswa ditunjukkan dengan besar persentase yaitu 74%, sedangkan dengan model PL sebesar 58,33%.

This study aims to understand how far the influence of model of learning creative problem solving (CPS) toward mathematical disposition of students in senior secondary school, and compared with model of direct teaching (DT). This research is kind of quacy experiment in which students of SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Unismuh as the research subject. The result of research show that unchangeably mathematical disposition in line with learning model is caused by the lack of students’ activeness getting involved in constructing strategic competence. The score of mathematical disposition between CPS together with DT is in the same of middle category, but the score of DT is 57,89% higher than that of PMK with 42,11%. In the other words, majority of students tend to be interested in the old one. However, CPS model is really able to boost students’ achievement indicated by the score of percentage, that is 74%, whereas the percentage of DT is 58,33%.