bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Screening for hemosiderosis in patients receiving multiple red blood cell transfusions
Authors: de Jongh Adriaan D. , van Beers Eduard J. , de Vooght Karen M. K. , Schutgens Roger E. G.
Published: January 2017

Background

The dramatic impact of hemosiderosis on survival in chronically transfused patients with hereditary anemia is well known. We evaluated whether patients receiving multiple red blood cell (RBC) transfusions are adequately screened for hemosiderosis.

Methods

We retrospectively assessed hemosiderosis screening and prevalence in adult patients that received over twenty RBC units in the University Medical Centre Utrecht from 2010 till 2015. Hemosiderosis was defined as ferritin ≥1000 μg/L. Adequate screening for chronically transfused patients was defined as any ferritin determined up to 3 months before or any moment after the last transfusion, while for patients that received all transfusions within 3 months (bulk transfusion), ferritin had to be determined after at least twenty transfusions.

Results

Of 471 patients, only 38.6% was adequately screened and hemosiderosis prevalence was 46.7%. Hemosiderosis prevalence was 47% in the chronic transfusion group and 12% in the bulk transfusion group. In patients transfused because of hematological malignancy or cardiothoracic surgery, respectively, 74% and 31% were adequately screened and hemosiderosis prevalence was 53% and 13%, respectively.

Conclusion

Hemosiderosis screening in our routine practice is suboptimal. Hemosiderosis is not an exclusive complication of multiple transfusions in the hematology ward. We recommend screening for hemosiderosis in all patients receiving multiple transfusions.
Between Regulatory and Autonomy‐Based Private Law
Authors: Dagan Hanoch
Published: January 2017

The emergent European Regulatory Private Law (ERPL) can be interpreted as a set of instruments in the service of collectivist aims and thus a radical departure of EU law from private law; but it need not. This article offers a competing interpretation of the three core pillars of ERPL: its reliance on the notion of regulated autonomy, its endorsement of access justice as a normative basis and its critique of the public/private distinction as it relates to EU law. ERPL in my reconstruction is a model for a private law system that embraces the liberal commitments to self‐determination, and thus, substantive equality, as its underlying normative infrastructure, is not overly embedded in the adjudicatory model and is sensitive to public concerns. Regulated autonomy and access justice, in this view, are local manifestations of the prescription of relational justice, which stands at the core of an autonomy‐based private law, properly interpreted. This understanding, I claim, is both normatively and jurisprudentially attractive; it is also particularly befitting to our transnational era, because it provides a non‐statist foundation for the prescriptions of non‐discrimination and accommodation.
The Transformation of Private Law Through Competition
Authors: Micklitz Hans‐W.
Published: January 2017

This paper traces the changing role of competition and its effects on private law in three different stages of the Internal Market project: (1) the promotion of competition in the original Internal Market both via contracts (competitive contract law) and through competition among legal orders (Common European Sales Law); (2) the suspension of competition in the face of financial crisis; and (3) the revitalisation of competition in the Digital Single Market. Private law—broadly understood as regulatory private law—is being deployed to achieve competing, if not conflicting, policy goals. At this stage, it is not possible, nor would it be desirable, to provide a coherent account of these phenomena. Clear‐cut overarching values cannot be identified either. Transformation through competition is just another take on European experimentalism.
The Perils of ‘As If’ European Constitutionalism
Authors: Lindseth Peter L.
Published: January 2017

This review article offers thoughts on Kaarlo Tuori's recent book, European Constitutionalism, and more particularly on what he calls the ‘disciplinary contest over the legal characterisation of the EU and its law’. As the book's title suggests, Tuori privileges the constitutional perspective in that contest, so much so—he freely admits—that his analysis ‘predetermine[s] how the EU and its law will be portrayed’. And therein also lies the book's main weakness. Tuori's predetermined ‘constitutional’ interpretation, like so much of the dominant legal discourse in the EU today, ultimately obscures the core contradiction in EU public law. National institutions are increasingly constrained in the exercise of their own constitutional authority but supranational institutions are unable to fill the void because Europeans refuse to endow them with the sine qua non of genuine constitutionalism: the autonomous capacity to mobilise fiscal and human resources in a compulsory fashion. The EU's lack of constitutional power in this robust sense derives from the absence of the necessary socio‐political underpinnings for genuine constitutional legitimacy—what we can call the power‐legitimacy nexus in EU public law. To borrow Tuori's own evocative phrase, the EU possesses at best a ‘parasitic legitimacy’ derived from the more robust constitutionalism of the Member States as well as from the positive connotations that using ‘constitutional’ terminology evokes regardless of its ultimate aptness. The result is an ‘as if’ constitutionalism, the core feature of which is an increasingly untenable principal‐agent inversion between the EU and the Member States, one with profound consequences for the democratic life of Europeans. The sustainability of integration over the long term depends on confronting these adverse features of ‘European constitutionalism’ directly, something that legal elites—whether EU judges, lawyers, or legal scholars—ignore at their peril.
Modelling the effect of race surface and racehorse limb parameters on in silico fetlock motion and propensity for injury
Authors: Symons J. E. , Hawkins D. A. , Fyhrie D. P. , Upadhyaya S. K. , Stover S. M.
Published: January 2017

Background

The metacarpophalangeal joint (fetlock) is the most commonly affected site of racehorse injury, with multiple observed pathologies consistent with extreme fetlock dorsiflexion. Race surface mechanics affect musculoskeletal structure loading and injury risk because surface forces applied to the hoof affect limb motions. Race surface mechanics are a function of controllable factors. Thus, race surface design has the potential to reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal injury through modulation of limb motions. However, the relationship between race surface mechanics and racehorse limb motions is unknown.

Objective

To determine the effect of changing race surface and racehorse limb model parameters on distal limb motions.

Study design

Sensitivity analysis of in silico fetlock motion to changes in race surface and racehorse limb parameters using a validated, integrated racehorse and race surface computational model.

Methods

Fetlock motions were determined during gallop stance from simulations on virtual surfaces with differing average vertical stiffness, upper layer (e.g. cushion) depth and linear stiffness, horizontal friction, tendon and ligament mechanics, as well as fetlock position at heel strike.

Results

Upper layer depth produced the greatest change in fetlock motion, with lesser depths yielding greater fetlock dorsiflexion. Lesser fetlock changes were observed for changes in lower layer (e.g. base or pad) mechanics (nonlinear), as well as palmar ligament and tendon stiffness. Horizontal friction and fetlock position contributed less than 1° change in fetlock motion.

Main limitations

Simulated fetlock motions are specific to one horse's anatomy reflected in the computational model. Anatomical differences among horses may affect the magnitude of limb flexion, but will likely have similar limb motion responses to varied surface mechanics.

Conclusions

Race surface parameters affected by maintenance produced greater changes in fetlock motion than other parameters studied. Simulations can provide evidence to inform race surface design and management to reduce the incidence of injury.
Winning the SDG battle in cities: how an integrated information ecosystem can contribute to the achievement of the 2030 sustainable development goals
Authors: Corbett Jacqueline , Mellouli Sehl
Published: January 2017

In 2015, the United Nations adopted an ambitious development agenda composed of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs), which are to be reached by 2030. Beyond SDG 11 concerning the development of sustainable cities, many of the SDGs target activities falling within the responsibility of local governments. Thus, cities will play a leading role in the achievement of these goals, and we argue that the information systems (IS) community must be an active partner in these efforts. This paper aims to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs by developing a conceptual model to explain the role of IS in building smart sustainable cities and providing a framework of action for IS researchers and city managers. To this end, we conduct grounded theory studies of two green IS used by an internationally recognized smart city to manage water quality and green space. Based on these findings, we articulate a model explaining how an integrated information ecosystem enables the interactions between three interrelated spheres – administrative, political and sustainability – to support the development of smart sustainable cities. Moving from theory to practice, we use two real‐world scenarios to demonstrate the applicability of the model. Finally, we define an action framework outlining key actions for cities and suggest corresponding questions for future research. Beyond a simple call‐to‐action, this work provides a much‐needed foundation for future research and practice leading to a sustainable future for all.
TBL1XR1 predicts isolated tumor cells and micrometastasis in patients with TNM stage I/II colorectal cancer
Authors: Liu Hongda , Liu Zhaochen , Li Kangshuai , Li Shuo , Song Lei , Gong Zheng , Shi Weichen , Yang Hui , Xu Yunfei , Ning Shanglei , Ismail Sayed , Chen Yuxin
Published: January 2017

Background and Aim

A considerable number of early‐stage colorectal cancer (CRC) patients may develop cancer relapse or metastasis after curative surgery. Isolated tumor cells (ITC) and micrometastasis in lymph nodes (LNMM), which are undetectable by conventional pathological examination, may be one primary reason. Detection of ITC/LNMM is time‐consuming and cost‐ineffective; we aimed to find biomarkers in primary CRC tissues to help predicting ITC/LNMM status.

Methods

We enrolled 137 node‐negative patients with early‐stage CRC in this study. Existence of ITC/LNMM was identified by immunohistological staining with cytokeratin 20 in resected lymph nodes. Expression of transducin (β)‐like 1 X‐linked receptor 1 (TBL1XR1) in primary CRC tissues was also investigated. Chi‐squared test was performed to reveal the correlations between ITC/LNMM and clinicopathological characteristics. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine independent prognostic factors. Knockdown experiment together with proliferation and invasion assays were carried out to explore molecular mechanisms between TBL1XR1 and ITC/LNMM.

Results

About 29.2% (40/137) patients were identified as ITC/LNMM positive, and most of them (32/40 cases, 80%) showed high TBL1XR1 expression in primary CRC tissues. Both ITC/LNMM and TBL1XR1 expression were independent prognostic factors for disease relapse or metastasis. In vitro experiments demonstrated that TBL1XR1 can regulate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor C and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition proteins, thus mediate the process of lymph node metastasis.

Conclusions

Identification of ITC/LNMM is significant in evaluating clinical outcome and guiding adjuvant chemotherapy for early‐stage CRC patients. TBL1XR1 overexpression in CRC tissues can serve as an efficient biomarker to predict the status of ITC/LNMM.
The Effects of Regulating Hidden Add‐On Costs
Authors: KO K. JEREMY , WILLIAMS JARED
Published: January 2017

We examine the welfare effects of price and disclosure regulation in a model where firms can shroud add‐on costs, such as penalty fees for consumer financial products. Such regulation can increase or decrease welfare even when there are no direct costs. There are, however, strong complementarities between price controls and disclosure mandates: conditional on disclosure being mandated, price controls always (weakly) increase welfare, and conditional on prices being sufficiently constrained, disclosure mandates always (weakly) increase welfare.
Interest Rates in Trade Credit Markets
Authors: BARBOSA KLENIO , MOREIRA HUMBERTO , NOVAES WALTER
Published: January 2017

All things equal, interest rates should increase with the borrower's risk. And yet, Klapper, Laeven, and Rajan (2012) cannot find such a positive relation in a broad sample of trade credit contracts. We shed some light on this puzzle by arguing that competition between informed and uninformed suppliers weakens the link between the trade credit cost and the borrower's creditworthiness. Our model implies that trade credit rates are more likely to increase with the borrower's risk if suppliers are less profitable, have high cost of funds, or sell inputs to firms plagued by moral hazard and financial distress.
Changes in the Federal Reserve Communication Strategy: A Structural Investigation
Authors: HIROSE YASUO , KUROZUMI TAKUSHI
Published: January 2017

This paper structurally investigates the changes in the Fed's communication strategy since the mid‐1990s through the lens of anticipated and unanticipated disturbances to a Taylor rule. The anticipated disturbances are identified using Treasury bond yield data in estimating a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model with a term structure of interest rates. Our estimation results show that the Fed's decisions were unanticipated for market participants until 1999, but thereafter a larger portion of its future policy actions tended to be communicated in advance. We also find that the relative contribution of the anticipated monetary policy disturbances to macroeconomic fluctuations became larger after 1999. The bond yield data is indispensable to these results, since it contains crucial information on an expected future path of the federal funds rate.
Why Do Shoppers Use Cash? Evidence from Shopping Diary Data
Authors: WAKAMORI NAOKI , WELTE ANGELIKA
Published: January 2017

Recent studies find that cash remains the dominant payment choice for small‐value transactions despite the prevalence of alternative payment methods such as debit and credit cards. An important policy question is whether consumers truly prefer using cash or merchants restrict card usage. Using unique shopping diary data, we estimate a payment choice model with individual heterogeneity, controlling for merchants' acceptance of cards. Based on a policy simulation imposing universal card acceptance among merchants, we find that overall cash usage would decrease by only 8.0 percentage points, implying that cash usage in small‐value transactions is driven mainly by consumer preferences.
Vitamin D receptor polymorphisms and the polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review
Authors: Reis Guilherme Victor Oliveira Pimenta dos , Gontijo Natália Alves , Rodrigues Kathryna Fontana , Alves Michelle Teodoro , Ferreira Cláudia Natália , Gomes Karina Braga
Published: January 2017

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most frequent endocrinological disorder that affects women of reproductive age, leading to metabolic alterations, such as hyperandrogenism, obesity, menstrual irregularities, insulin resistance, and polycystic ovaries. The etiology remains unclear, but several genetic and environmental factors have been correlated with manifestations of this syndrome. Vitamin D plays important roles in metabolic pathways affected by PCOS, including calcium homeostasis, the insulin pathway, and sex hormone synthesis. Vitamin D concentration has been related with the severity of this disorder, and vitamin D receptor polymorphisms have been shown in some studies to have an association with some of the patterns presented by PCOS. The objective of this study is to provide an up‐to‐date review about vitamin D receptor polymorphisms and their association with PCOS.
Outcomes of uterine cervical cancer patients with pelvic lymph node metastases after radiotherapy without boost irradiation of metastases
Authors: Yoshizawa Eriko , Koiwai Keiichiro , Ina Hironobu , Fukazawa Ayumu , Sakai Katsuya , Ozawa Takesumi , Matsushita Hirohide , Kadoya Masumi
Published: January 2017

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of uterine cervical cancer patients with pelvic lymph node (PLN) metastases after radiotherapy without boost irradiation of the metastases and to clarify the necessity of the boost irradiation of metastatic lesions.

Methods

Thirty‐two patients with uterine cervical cancer metastasizing only to the PLN were treated with definitive radiotherapy without boost irradiation of the metastases between 2008 and 2012 at our institution and were selected for this study. The pattern of progression, overall survival, and progression‐free survival were analyzed.

Results

Ninety percent of the PLN metastases were controlled by radiotherapy. Twenty‐two of 32 patients (69%) experienced progression. Distant metastases as initial progression were observed in 21 of these 22 patients (95%). Only two patients experienced failures in pre‐treatment metastatic PLN as initial progression, along with other failures. Severe late lower gastrointestinal toxicities were not observed in any patients. Two‐year cumulative overall survival and progression‐free survival were 74% and 31%, respectively.

Conclusion

Boost irradiation of PLN metastases is not necessarily indispensable. Further studies to examine the necessity of boost irradiation of PLN metastases in radiotherapy for uterine cervical cancer patients with metastases are required.
Decidual arteriolopathy with or without associated hypertension modifies the underlying histomorphology in placentas from diabetic mothers
Authors: Stanek Jerzy
Published: January 2017

Aim

The aim of this study was to retrospectively document the impact of hypertensive conditions in pregnancy and decidual arteriolopathy on the patterns of placental injury in maternal diabetes mellitus (MDM).

Methods

Among all 5248 > 20 weeks’ placentas, the frequencies of 19 selected clinical and 24 placental phenotypes were compared between 287 MDM placentas and 4961 remaining placentas (control group [CG]) before and after further exclusion of 85 and 611 patients with hypertensive conditions (gestational hypertension, pre‐eclampsia, chronic hypertension).

Results

Cesarean section rate, heavy placentas, decidual arteriolopathy, microscopic chorionic pseudocysts, and chorangiosis were more common in MDM than in the CG both before and after exclusion of hypertensive conditions. The frequencies of preuterine patterns of chronic hypoxic placental injury and plasma cell deciduitis became statistically significant only after exclusion of hypertensive conditions.

Conclusion

Hypertensive conditions of pregnancy may obscure the underlying preuterine placental hypoxic pattern in MDM placentas. Even in normotensive patients, decidual arteriolopathy, and shallow placental implantation significantly impact placental histomorphology in MDM.
Accounts of bullying on Twitter in relation to dentofacial features and orthodontic treatment
Authors: Chan A. , Antoun J. S. , Morgaine K. C. , Farella M.
Published: January 2017

Social media offers an accessible resource for gaining valuable insights into the social culture of bullying. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively analyse Twitter posts for common themes relating to dentofacial features, braces and bullying. Twitter's database was searched from 2010 to 2014 using keywords relevant to bullying, teeth and orthodontics. Two investigators assessed the Twitter posts, and selected those that conveyed the experiences or opinions of bullying victims. The posts were qualitatively analysed using thematic analysis. Of the 548 posts screened, 321 were included in the final sample. Four primary categories relating to ‘dental‐related bullying’ were identified: (i) morphological features, (ii) psychological and psychosocial impact, (iii) coping mechanisms and (iv) the role of family. Bullied individuals reported a diverse range of psychological impacts and coping mechanisms. Secondary categories were also identified. Family members, for example, were found to play both a contributory and mediatory role in bullying. In summary, social media can provide new and valuable information about the causal factors and social issues associated with oral health‐related bullying. Importantly, some coping mechanisms may mitigate the negative effects of bullying.
Does Religious Belief Matter for Grief and Death Anxiety? Experimental Philosophy Meets Psychology of Religion
Authors: Feldman David B. , Fischer Ian C. , Gressis Robert A.
Published: January 2017

It is commonly reasoned that religious belief moderates death anxiety and aids in coping with loss. However, a philosophical perspective known as meta‐atheism includes the claim that avowed religious believers grieve deaths and experience death anxiety as intensely as avowed atheists. Thus, we report a study comparing religious believers and nonbelievers on measures of death anxiety and grief. We further investigated the relationships between certain religious beliefs (views of God, afterlife belief, religious orientation) and death anxiety, as well as both painful grief reactions and grief‐related growth. We surveyed 101 participants across the United States, ranging in age (19 to 57), education, and ethnicity. Participants avowing some form of religious belief, in comparison to those not, did not demonstrate lower levels of death anxiety. They did, however, display higher levels of a certain type of death acceptance. Additionally, those professing belief reported less grief and greater growth in response to loss. Greater afterlife belief was not associated with less grief; however, it was associated with both greater grief‐related growth and lower death anxiety.
Urban American Indian Youth Spirituality and Religion: A Latent Class Analysis
Authors: Kulis Stephen S. , Tsethlikai Monica
Published: January 2017

This article explores the interconnected spiritual, religious, and cultural worlds of the majority of American Indian (AI) youth who live in urban areas: their patterns of involvement in religion and Native spirituality and associated well‐being. Latent class analysis of data from 205 AI middle school students identified five distinctive classes using survey measures of religious affiliation, attendance at services, adherence to Christian and traditional spiritual beliefs, Native spirituality, and Native cultural practices. Two classes were Christian groups: one attending Christian churches and following Christian beliefs but uninvolved with Native beliefs, spirituality, or cultural practices; and a nominal Christian group affiliated with but not attending church and unattached to belief systems. Two groups followed Native beliefs and spiritual practices, one affiliated with the Native American Church and another unaffiliated with any church. The fifth, nonreligious group, had no religious affiliation, followed neither Christian nor traditional beliefs, and was uninvolved in Native spirituality and cultural practices. The two groups embracing AI spirituality reported better academic performance, more reservation contact, higher AI enculturation, and stronger bicultural orientations.
Role of moesin, Src, and ROS in advanced glycation end product‐induced vascular endothelial dysfunction
Authors: Zhang Wei‐jin , Li Pei‐xin , Guo Xiao‐hua , Huang Qiao‐bing
Published: January 2017

The disruption of endothelial integrity and the occurrence of angiogenesis in response to AGEs contribute greatly to micro‐ and macrovascular complications associated with DM. Among human dermal, brain, and retinal vascular ECs, activation of ERM, moesin, by phosphorylation of Thr‐558 is involved in AGE‐induced hyperpermeability and angiogenesis via the Rho and ROCK (Rho/ROCK) and p38 pathways. Src also plays an important role in AGE‐induced endothelial barrier dysfunction by phosphorylating moesin, VE‐cadherin, and FAK. Furthermore, recent studies have demonstrated that ROS serve as a key mediator of the AGE‐induced endothelial response. ROS inhibition would greatly benefit ECs. This review focuses on the role of moesin in microvascular permeability and angiogenesis, and on the involvement of Src and ROS in endothelial barrier disruption.
Conserved cysteine residues determine substrate specificity in a novel As(III) S‐adenosylmethionine methyltransferase from Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Chen Jian , Li Jiaojiao , Jiang Xuan , Rosen Barry P.
Published: January 2017

Methylation of inorganic arsenic is a central process in the organoarsenical biogeochemical cycle. Members of every kingdom have ArsM As(III) S‐adenosylmethionine (SAM) methyltransferases that methylates inorganic As(III) into mono‐ (MAs(III)), di‐ (DMAs(III)) and tri‐ (TMAs(III)) methylarsenicals. Every characterized ArsM to date has four conserved cysteine residues. All four cysteines are required for methylation of As(III) to MAs(III), but methylation of MAs(III) to DMAs(III) requires only the two cysteines closest to the C‐terminus. Fungi produce volatile and toxic arsines, but the physiological roles of arsenic methylation and the biochemical basis is unknown. Here they demonstrate that most fungal species have ArsM orthologs with only three conserved cysteine residues. The genome of Aspergillus fumigatus has four arsM genes encoding ArsMs with only the second, third and fourth conserved cysteine residues. AfArsM1 methylates MAs(III) but not As(III). Heterologous expression of AfarsM1 in an Escherichia coli conferred resistance to MAs(III) but not As(III). The existence of ArsMs with only three conserved cysteine residues suggest that the ability to methylate MAs(III) may be an evolutionary step toward enzymes capable of methylating As(III), the result of a loss of function mutation in organisms with infrequent exposure to inorganic As(III) or as a resistance mechanism for MAs(III).
Perturbation of manganese metabolism disrupts cell division in Streptococcus pneumoniae
Authors: Martin Julia E. , Lisher John P. , Winkler Malcolm E. , Giedroc David P.
Published: January 2017

Manganese (Mn) is an essential micronutrient and required cofactor in bacteria. Despite its importance, excess Mn can impair bacterial growth, the mechanism of which remains largely unexplored. Here, we show that proper Mn homeostasis is critical for cellular growth of the major human respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. Perturbations in Mn homeostasis genes, psaBCA, encoding the Mn importer, and mntE, encoding the Mn exporter, lead to Mn sensitivity during aerobiosis. Mn‐stressed cells accumulate iron and copper, in addition to Mn. Impaired growth is a direct result of Mn toxicity and does not result from iron‐mediated Fenton chemistry, since cells remain sensitive to Mn during anaerobiosis or when hydrogen peroxide biogenesis is significantly reduced. Mn‐stressed cells are significantly elongated, whereas Mn‐limitation imposed by zinc addition leads to cell shortening. We show that Mn accumulation promotes aberrant dephosphorylation of cell division proteins via hyperactivation of the Mn‐dependent protein phosphatase PhpP, a key enzyme involved in the regulation of cell division. We discuss a mechanism by which cellular Mn:Zn ratios dictate PhpP specific activity thereby regulating pneumococcal cell division. We propose that Mn‐metalloenzymes are particularly susceptible to hyperactivation or mismetallation, suggesting the need for exquisite cellular control of Mn‐dependent metabolic processes.
A long‐term study of burning effects on a plant pathogen in tallgrass prairie
Authors: Dendy S. P. , Tong B. , Alexander H. M. , Fay P. A. , Murray L. , Xing Y. , Garrett K. A.
Published: January 2017

Tallgrass prairie species have evolved with regular exposure to fire. However, burning has been used as a management tool for reducing plant disease in agricultural systems, posing the question of how plant pathogens of tallgrass prairie would be affected by burning. The rust fungusPuccinia dioicae, infectingErigeron strigosus(Asteraceae), was studied for 8 years in long‐term experiments to evaluate the effects of burning in native tallgrass prairie. This experiment also allowed evaluation of the effects of nutrient additions, althoughE. strigosuswas rare in the plots with added nutrients in most years. Burning reduced rust severity in most years, but effects from additions of nutrients were rarely observed. There was high interannual variation in rust severity within a location, suggesting that weather may be the most important of these three abiotic factors in determining infection. An analysis of weather variables associated with disease severity found that solar radiation in the month prior to sampling was associated with severity in unburned plots; temperature approximately 2 months prior to sampling was also associated with severity in burned plots. High interannual variation also suggests that the effects of this pathogen on its host would be sporadic and difficult to study in short‐term experiments.
Bright light therapy for sleep disturbance in dementia is most effective for mild to moderate Alzheimer's type dementia: a case series
Authors: Sekiguchi Hirotaka , Iritani Shuji , Fujita Kiyoshi
Published: January 2017

Background

Sleep problems in people with dementia are common and place a high burden on caregivers. Although hypnotic agents are often used to treat sleep disturbances, their use is associated with a considerable number of high‐risk side‐effects such as daytime sleepiness, amnesia, and an increased frequency of falling. The administration of bright light therapy (BLT) in the morning was a non‐pharmacological remedy that was expected to treat sleep disorders in patients with dementia by entraining the circadian rhythm to ameliorate disturbances to the normal sleep–wake cycle. However, there are some unsolved issues related to the application of BLT, including the types of dementia for which it is effective and its efficacy in the different stages of cognitive decline and dementia. Furthermore, a protocol for effective BLT has not yet been proposed.

Methods

In this study, we explored the efficacy of BLT in the treatment of 17 participants, including those with Alzheimer's type dementia (AD) (n = 8), vascular dementia (n = 4), and dementia with Lewy bodies (n = 5). Patients sat in front of the light box for 1 h/day from 0900 to 1000. The patients underwent treatment every day for 2 weeks.

Results

BLT led to the improvement of sleep disturbance in four participants, all of whom were AD patients. The four AD patients showed a shorter duration of illness and/or had mild to moderate AD.

Conclusion

BLT could be an effective strategy for treating dementia patients, depending on their type and grade of their dementia. To confirm this hypothesis, it would be necessary to study a larger number of cases. Non‐pharmacological therapies for sleep disorders should be emphasized as a safe form of treatment for patients with dementia.
P300 amplitude at Pz and N200/N300 latency at F3 differ between participants simulating suspect versus witness roles in a mock crime
Authors: Rosenfeld J. Peter , Ozsan Ilayda , Ward Anne C.
Published: January 2017

Based on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) study by klein Selle, Verschuere, Kindt, Meijer, & Ben Shakhar (2016), 15 participants pretended to perform a crime shown on a video, which 16 other participants pretended to witness. Both groups then experienced a P300‐based Concealed Information Test (CIT) protocol called the complex trial protocol. Both groups showed CIT effects, with a larger probe than irrelevant P300s at Pz. However, this effect was significantly larger in the suspect group. In contrast, only the suspect group showed delayed N200/N300 responses at F3—putative inhibitory signs. This supports the klein Selle et al. (2016) ANS study in that the suspect versus witness role‐playing manipulation differentially affected inhibitory (vs. orienting) aspects of the CIT situation. Our results are also consistent with Ambach, Stark, Peper, & Vaitl (2008), who saw the same autonomic response fractionation as klein Selle et al., but using Furedy's differentiation of deception method (Furedy, Davis, & Gurevich, 1988). These similarities are discussed.
Participation of TLR2 and TLR4 in Cytokines Production by Patients with Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Chronic Chagas Disease
Authors: Mendes da Silva L. D. , Gatto M. , Miziara de Abreu Teodoro M. , de Assis Golim M. , Pelisson Nunes da Costa É. A. , Capel Tavares Carvalho F. , Ramos Rodrigues D. , Câmara Marques Pereira P. , Victoriano de Campos Soares Â. M. , Calvi S. A.
Published: January 2017

Chagas disease (CD), caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a serious public health issue. Its evolution involves an acute stage, characterized by no specific symptoms, and the chronic stage during most individuals are asymptomatic, but about 30–40% of them become symptomatic presenting the cardiac or digestive disease. Host immune response mechanisms involved in symptomatic or asymptomatic chronic disease are not fully understood. The pro‐inflammatory cytokines are crucial in host resistance. However, a fine control of this inflammatory process, by action of anti‐inflammatory cytokines, is necessary to avoid tissue injury. This control was found to be responsible for no clinical manifestations in asymptomatic individuals. Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) are extremely important in defining the cytokine profile released in response to a micro‐organism. We found that patients with the cardiac form predominantly released the pro‐inflammatory cytokines: IFN‐γ, TNF‐α and IL‐17 with the involvement of both, TLR2 and TLR4. In contrast, patients with asymptomatic disease release predominantly the anti‐inflammatory cytokines IL‐10 and TGF‐β, but also with TLR2 and TLR4 participation. The mechanisms by which stimulation of the same TLRs results in release of different pattern of cytokines, depending on the patients group that is being evaluated, are discussed.
Lack of Fc Gamma Receptor IIIA Promotes Rather than Suppresses Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses after Mucosal or Parenteral Immunization with Antigen and Adjuvants
Authors: Sun J.‐B. , Holmgren J. , Cragg M. S. , Xiang Z.
Published: January 2017

The Fcγ receptor IIIA (FcγRIIIA) has traditionally been known as a positive regulator of immune responses. Consistent with this, mice deficient in FcγRIIIA are protected from various inflammation‐associated pathologies including several autoimmune diseases. In contrast to this accepted dogma, we show here that mice lacking FcγRIIIA developed increased rather than reduced both humoral and cellular immune responses to mucosal (sublingual) immunization with ovalbumin (OVA) given together with the strong mucosal adjuvant cholera toxin as well as to parenteral (subcutaneous) immunization with OVA in complete Freund's adjuvant. After either route of immunization, in comparison with concomitantly immunized wild‐type mice, FcγRIIIA−/− mice had increased serum anti‐OVA IgG (IgG1 but not IgG2) antibody responses as well as augmented cellular responses that included memory B cells and effector T cells. The increments in immune responses in FcγRIIIA−/− mice were similar to those seen in FcγRIIB−/− mice. Furthermore, OVA‐pulsed FcγRIIIA−/− DCs, similar to OVA‐specific FcγRIIB−/− DCs, had enhanced capacity to activate OVA‐specific OT‐II T cells, which was even further pronounced when DCs were pulsed with IgG1‐complexed OVA. Our data support an inhibitory–regulatory role of FcγRIIIA on vaccine/adjuvant‐induced immune responses and demonstrate that lack of FcγRIIIA can promote rather than suppress both humoral and cellular immune responses.
Una perspectiva antropológica de las organizaciones desde la caracterización sociocultural, administración y contabilidad social. Caso institución de educación superior
Authors: Cely-López Carmen Luz , Gómez-Niño Ofelia
Published: January 2017

Este estudio se enfocó en identificar desde la antropología cultural las relaciones culturales e interculturales y socioeducativas que se establecen en las organizaciones y su incidencia en el clima laboral para el logro de los propósitos misionales, desde la perspectiva de la administración y la contabilidad social. Se estudió una institución de educación superior, perteneciente al sector de la economía solidaria; el alcance fue el conocimiento del tejido social de las organizaciones para mostrar cómo desde la comprensión de las relaciones y los significados que se establecen en la organización pueden llegar a mayor productividad. Los indicadores cualitativos permiten evaluar ventajas comparativas de la gestión del talento humano en función del conocimiento, los aprendizajes y el compromiso con los propósitos misionales u organizacionales. Los instrumentos para recolección de información fueron entrevistas semiestructuradas, grupos focales y observación participante. Las categorías emergentes son relaciones laborales, cultura e interculturalidad, aspectos socioeducativos y adaptación. 
Criar paisajes vivos, una manera de aprehender y (re) pensar la ciudad
Authors: Borja Karina
Published: January 2017

Los paisajes vivos propuestos desde la interculturalidad implican una manera de revitalizar los principios del pensamiento andino para comprender y aprehender la compleja realidad de una ciudad como Quito, donde perviven rezagos de culturas ancestrales. La idea es recuperar la emoción estética de un lugar—en este caso del barrio San Isidro de El Inca—; generar un continuo aprendizaje vivencial; y revalorar los ritos, mitos y celebraciones, con el fin de criar paisajes sanos. Esto conlleva un reconocimiento explícito de la multidimensionalidad (sociopolítica, económica, cultural y espacial) de un barrio o una ciudad con relación a su territorio. Se busca cuestionar la forma de hacer ciudades para construir plataformas que susciten diálogos y discusiones políticas.
Entre la consolidación y la latencia: Gentrificación en barrios centrales de Santiago
Authors: Contreras Yasna , Venegas Vladimir
Published: January 2017

Se confrontan aquí las transformaciones residenciales y comerciales de dos calles ancladas en barrios históricos dentro de la ciudad de Santiago en Chile. Se postula la tesis de la consolidación y la latencia de la gentrificación a partir de dos casos de estudios. Las temporalidades y espacialidades del proceso se explican por la acción de promotores inmobiliarios o pioneros particulares, pero también por la omnipresencia o ausencia de los gobiernos locales. La calle Concha y Toro responde a una gentrificación clásica discontinua, expresiva de un mosaico socioespacial donde se superponen diferentes procesos y actores. En cambio, la gentrificación de la calle Italia se encuentra entre una segunda a cuarta oleada y se explica por las acciones del gobierno local promoviendo así, espacios fetiche.
Reconocimiento de la biodiversidad urbana para la planeación en contextos de crecimiento informal
Authors: Montoya Juliana
Published: January 2017

Vivimos en un mundo cada vez más urbano que ejerce una presión sin precedentes sobre los ecosistemas. Este panorama presenta un desafío urgente en cuanto a la conservación de la biodiversidad y de muchos servicios de los ecosistemas de los que la sociedad depende. Desafortunadamente, la importancia de la biodiversidad y los beneficios que obtenemos no representan una preocupación inmediata para los aproximadamente 900 millones de personas que viven en barrios marginales, sin servicios básicos, en viviendas precarias y en condiciones de vida insalubres. Esta revisión intenta dar respuesta a cómo integrar la biodiversidad urbana a los asentamientos precarios por medio del análisis comparativo de ciudades, el estudio de criterios y herramientas de planeación, y propuestas de acciones locales para la biodiversidad en contextos informales. Estas acciones están compuestas por un kit de herramientas que presenta la convergencia territorial y social a través de referentes exitosos de cómo integrar el desafío que constituye la pobreza y la degradación de nuestros ecosistemas.
Radiative Characteristics of High-Porosity Media Containing Randomly Oriented Fibers in Space
Authors: Kamdem Herve Thierry Tagne
Published: January 2017

This paper proposed radiative characteristics' expressions for media containing randomly oriented fibers in space. In deriving these simple radiative characteristics' expressions, the fibrous medium effective extinction coefficient is defined to match with the one of large particle obtained by combining geometric optics and Fraunhofer diffraction theory. Fibrous media radiative characteristics are then derived as an average over all incident radiation angles of single fiber radiative characteristics. Theoretical hemispherical reflectance and normal transmittance predictions using the proposed fibrous media radiative characteristics based on the Mie theory agreed well with literature experiments. Therefore, media containing fiber randomly oriented in space can be scaled to a suitable equivalent media such that scattering mechanisms behave similarly to that occurring in a participating media containing spherical particles. Numerical investigations show that a theoretical model which assumes Henyey–Greenstein (HG) scattering phase function can conveniently be used for the estimation of equivalent fibrous media radiative characteristics using hemispherical reflectance measurements. On the other hand, the estimated equivalent fibrous media radiative characteristics from hemispherical measurements and using a two-flux model with isotropic scaling radiative characteristics may be subjected to serious errors in the case of semitransparent media for which the absorption is significant.
Operability
Limits of Tubular Injectors With Vortex Generators for a Hydrogen-Fueled Recuperated 100 kW Class
Gas Turbine
Authors: Bauer Stefan , Hampel Balbina , Sattelmayer Thomas
Published: January 2017

Vortex generators are known to be effective in augmenting the mixing of fuel jets with air. The configuration investigated in this study is a tubular air passage with fuel injection from one single orifice placed in the side wall. In the range of typical gas turbine combustor inlet temperatures, the performance vortex generator premixers (VGPs) have already been investigated for natural gas as well as for blends of natural gas and hydrogen. However, for highly reactive fuels, the application of VGPs in recuperated gas turbines is particularly challenging because the high combustor inlet temperature leads to potential risk with regard to premature self-ignition and flame flashback. As the current knowledge does not cover the temperature range far above the self-ignition temperature, an experimental investigation of the operational limits of VGPs is currently being conducted at the Thermodynamics Institute of the Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany, which is particularly focused on reactive fuels and the thermodynamic conditions present in recuperated gas turbines with pressure ratios of 4–5. For the study presented in this paper, an atmospheric combustion VGP test rig has been designed, which facilitates investigations in a wide range of operating conditions in order to comply with the situation in recuperated microgas turbines (MGT), namely, global equivalence ratios between 0.2 and 0.7, air preheating temperatures between 288 K and 1100 K, and air bulk flow rates between 6 and 16 g/s. Both the entire mixing zone in the VGP and the primary combustion zone of the test rig are optically accessible. High-speed OH* chemiluminescence imaging is used for the detection of the flashback and blow-off limits of the investigated VGPs. Flashback and blow-off limits of hydrogen in a wide temperature range covering the autoignition regime are presented, addressing the influences of equivalence ratio, air preheating temperature, and momentum ratio between air and hydrogen on the operational limits in terms of bulk flow velocity. It is shown that flashback and blow-off limits are increasingly influenced by autoignition in the ultrahigh temperature regime.
Resilience of Electricity Distribution Networks Against Extreme Weather Conditions
Authors: Forssén Kim , Mäki Kari , Räikkönen Minna , Molarius Riitta
Published: January 2017

Extreme weather forms a major threat to electricity distribution networks and has caused many severe power outages in the past. A reliable electrical grid is something most of us take for granted, but storms, heavy snowfall, and other effects of extreme weather continue to cause disruptions in electricity supply. This paper contributes to ensuring the continuity of electricity supply under adverse weather events. The aim is to describe and to analyze how the continuity of electricity supply can be ensured in the case of extreme weather. Based on the research, the energy sector is highly dependent on the existing locations and structures of the current infrastructure. Aging infrastructure is commonly seen as a main vulnerability factor. The most vulnerable parts of the electricity distribution system to extreme weather conditions are the networks built as overhead lines. However, the resilience of the networks against extreme weather can be increased significantly in all phases of a disaster management cycle. Methods and technological solutions proposed in this paper to alleviate such problems include adjacent forest management and periodic aerial inspections, situational awareness, distributed generation and microgrids, placement of overhead lines, underground cabling, and unmanned air vehicles. However, it must be noticed that the methods and their value for stakeholders are context-dependent. Thus, their applicability and appropriateness may change over time.
Complete Annotated Genome Sequences of Three Campylobacter jejuni Strains Isolated from Naturally Colonized Farm-Raised Chickens
Authors: Taveirne Michael E. , Dunham Drew T. , Perault Andrew , Beauchamp Jessica M. , Huynh Steven , Parker Craig T. , DiRita Victor J.
Published: January 2017

Campylobacter jejuni
is a leading cause of bacterially derived foodborne illness. Human illness is commonly associated with the handling and consumption of contaminated poultry products. Three
C. jejuni
strains were isolated from cecal contents of three different naturally colonized farm-raised chickens. The complete genomes of these three isolates are presented here.
Complete Genome Sequence of
Acinetobacter
sp. Strain NCu2D-2 Isolated from a Mouse
Authors: Blaschke Ulrike , Wilharm Gottfried
Published: January 2017

Whole-genome sequencing of
Acinetobacter
sp. strain NCu2D-2, isolated from the trachea of a mouse, revealed the presence of a plasmid of 309,964 bp with little overall similarity to known plasmids and enriched in insertion sequences (ISs) closely related to IS elements known from the nosocomial pathogen
Acinetobacter baumannii
.
Genome Sequence of the Symbiotic Type Strain Rhizobium tibeticum CCBAU85039
T
Authors: Torres Tejerizo Gonzalo , Wibberg Daniel , Winkler Anika , Ormeño-Orrillo Ernesto , Martínez-Romero Esperanza , Niehaus Karsten , Pühler Alfred , Kalinowski Jörn , Lagares Antonio , Schlüter Andreas , Pistorio Mariano
Published: January 2017

Rhizobium tibeticum
was originally isolated from root nodules of
Trigonella archiducis-nicolai
grown in Tibet, China. This species is also able to nodulate
Medicago sativa
and
Phaseolus vulgaris
. The whole-genome sequence of the type strain,
R. tibeticum
CCBAU85039
T
, is reported in this study.