bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Physics of Imponderable Fluids
Authors: Pancaldi Giuliano
Published: July 2017

This article discusses the physics of imponderable, or weightless, fluids. It first reviews the existing historical literature on the physics of imponderables before considering how supporters and sceptics of imponderables reacted after 1800 to the introduction of new instruments of analysis that followed the introduction of the Voltaic battery. The Voltaic battery was followed by the development of an array of new concepts that included sophisticated mathematical tools, unanticipated chemical procedures, and ingenious wood and brass apparatus. The tangled developments accompanying the introduction of these new instruments culminated somehow, after two decades, with the adoption of the notion of electric current. The article also explores the views of Pierre Simon Laplace regarding imponderables and how the new instruments were addressed by three authors: Jean Baptiste Biot, Humphry Davy, and André-Marie Ampère.
Instruments and Instrument-Makers, 1700–1850
Authors: McConnell Anita
Published: July 2017

This article focuses on instruments and instrument-makers during the period 1700–1850. Scientific instruments in the 150 years between 1700 and 1850 enjoyed rapid advances in design and technology that the period can usefully be divided at about 1800, though the date varied with the progress or otherwise in the lands concerned. Throughout this period the leading craftsmen were becoming better-educated, many having a good grasp of mathematics. This article deals mainly with instruments and their makers in Britain, with a brief survey of the situation in western Europe and in the United States. It first describes the political situation in Europe before discussing the British instrument-makers’ workshop practice and materials available in the craftsmen’s workshops, including brass and other alloys, glass and wood. It also considers the British market for optical instruments and philosophical instruments, along with instrument-makers and markets in Continental Europe and the United States.
Mechanics in the Eighteenth Century
Authors: Caparrini Sandro , Fraser Craig
Published: July 2017

This article focuses on mechanics in the eighteenth century. The publication in 1687 of Isaac Newton’s Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy has long been regarded as the event that ushered in the modern period in mathematical physics. The success and scope of the Principia heralded the arrival of mechanics as the model for the mathematical investigation of nature. This subject would be at the cutting edge of science for the next two centuries. This article first provides an overview of the fundamental principles and theorems of mechanics, including the principles of inertia and relativity, before discussing the dynamics of rigid bodies. It also considers the formulation of mechanics by Jean-Baptiste le Rond d’Alembert and Joseph-Louis Lagrange, the statics and dynamics of elastic bodies, and the mechanics of fluids. Finally, it describes major developments in celestial mechanics.
Was There a Scientific Revolution?
Authors: Heilbron John L.
Published: July 2017

This article asks whether there was a Scientific Revolution (SR) at anytime between 1550 and1800. The label ‘Scientific Revolution’ to indicate a period in the development of natural knowledge in early modern Europe has carved a place in historiography. This article suggests that there was SR, if SR signifies a period of time; perhaps, if it is taken as a metaphor. It illustrates how the deployment of the metaphor to seventeenth-century natural knowledge might be accomplished. It also considers the physics of René Descartes, the influence of Cartesianism throughout the Republic of Letters, and the academies. The metaphor can be useful if it is taken in analogy to a major political revolution. The analogy points to a later onset, and a swifter career, for the SR than is usually prescribed, and shows that Isaac Newton was its counter rather than its culmination.
Electrodynamics from Thomson and Maxwell to Hertz
Authors: Buchwald Jed Z.
Published: July 2017

This article examines developments in the field of electrodynamics from William Thomson and James Clerk Maxwell to Heinrich Hertz. It begins with a discussion of Michael Faraday’s work, focusing on his discovery of what was later termed ‘dielectric capacity’ and his role in the birth of field theory. It then considers Thomson’s unification of Faraday’s understanding of both electro- and magnetostatics with energy conservation, along with Maxwell’s extension of Thomson’s structure to cover electrodynamics, which for the first time brought to the fore issues concerning the electric current. It also describes Maxwellian electrodynamics and electromagnetic theory, Hermann Helmholtz’s development of a different form of electrodynamics, and Hertz’s work on electric waves.
Physics and Metrology
Authors: Olesko Kathryn M.
Published: July 2017

This article traces the history of the relationship between physics and metrology, or physical metrology. It first examines how metrology became a part of the concerns of historians of science, and particularly physics, citing the work of Alexandre Koyré, Thomas Kuhn, and Witold Kula. It then describes various approaches to physics and metrology, focusing on the construction of a standard of length based on the seconds pendulum and the determination of the unit of electrical resistance. It also discusses broader historical issues in physics and metrology, including labour practices in physics, physics pedagogy, long-term processes of modernity (bureaucratization, industrialization, and the construction of empires), and the moral and ethical connotations of standards of measure. It shows that moral values became intertwined with metrology, especially in the British context.
Rethinking ‘Classical Physics’
Authors: Gooday Graeme , Mitchell Daniel Jon
Published: July 2017

This article discusses the reasons for rethinking ‘classical physics’, building upon Richard Staley’s historical enquiry into the origins of the distinction between ‘classical’ and ‘modern physics’. In particular, it challenges Staley’s thesis that ‘classical’ and ‘modern physics’ were invented simultaneously by Max Planck at the Solvay conference in 1911, arguing instead that the emergence of these notions took place separately over a period that reached as late as the 1930s. The article first considers how the identification of the ether as a key feature of classical physics has drawn historians’ attention towards its changing metaphysical fortunes during the nineteenth century. It then describes the connections between physics and industry that are obscured by the theoretical bias of any dichotomy between ‘classical’ and ‘modern physics’. Finally, it highlights continuity in the field of French experimental physics by focusing on three comparative case studies dealing with electrocapillarity, electromagnetic waves, and X-rays.
Quantum Physics
Authors: Seth Suman
Published: July 2017

This article discusses the history of quantum physics, beginning with an analysis of the process through which a community of quantum theorists and experimentalists came into being. In particular, it traces the roots and fruits of Max Planck’s papers in irreversible processes in nature. It proceeds by exploring the origin and subsequent development of Niels Bohr’s so-called ‘planetary model’ of the atom, focusing on the extension of the model by Arnold Sommerfeld and members of his school as well to Bohr’s use of his principles of correspondence and adiabatic invariance. It also considers the post-war years, as the problems of atomic spectroscopy sparked the development of new methodological approaches to quantum theory. Finally, it offers a history of the two distinct new forms of quantum mechanics put forward in the mid-1920s: Werner Heisenberg, Max Born, and Pascual Jordan’s matrix mechanics, and Erwin Schrödinger’s wave mechanics.
Galileo’s Mechanics of Natural Motion and Projectiles
Authors: Swerdlow N. M.
Published: July 2017

This article examines Galileo’s ideas about the mechanics of natural motion and projectiles. Among the subjects in mechanics considered by Galileo, the most important are ‘natural motion’, the descent of falling bodies including on inclined planes, and the motion of projectiles under an impressed force. He also considered, and made contributions to, the resistance of solid bodies to fracture and the hydrostatics of floating bodies. What is often called ‘Platonism’ in Galileo, his appeal to mathematics and idealized conditions, is in fact the abstract mathematical analysis of mechanics. This article considers Galileo’s research and writing on falling bodies and projectiles, including his early treatise De motu, the Dialogue on the Two Great Systems of the World, the manuscript Firenze Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale Galileo Ms. 72, and the Discourses and Mathematical Demonstrations concerning Two New Sciences.
Mathematics and the New Sciences
Authors: Guicciardini Niccolo
Published: July 2017

This article examines the mutual influences between mathematics and the new sciences that emerged in the long seventeenth century, whereby new scientific enterprises fostered the development of new mathematical methods and mathematical developments in turn paved the way for new scientific research. It begins with an overview of the revolutions in mathematics in the long seventeenth century and the status of the mathematical sciences in the Late Renaissance, followed by a discussion on the work of mathematicians in the late sixteenth century including Galileo, René Descartes, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Jacob Bernoulli, Gerhard Mercator, and Edmond Halley. It also describes the work done in the areas of organic geometry and mechanical curves, infinitesimals, and mechanics.
John Gower’s Allegories
Authors: Knapp Ethan
Published: July 2017

This chapter examines the poetry of John Gower, with particular emphasis on his use of mechanical allegory. It considers what drew Gower to the mechanical side of things and argues that mechanical allegory is central to several of his most interesting solutions to problems of poetic representation. To support its argument, the chapter analyzes three of Gower’s works: Mirour de l’Omme, Vox Clamantis, and Confessio Amantis. It suggests that the Mirour exemplifies the significance of naming in the poetic project, along with its so-called voicing, whereas the Vox depicts a contrasting, sudden eruption of the deictic moment. Moreover, Gower seems to have been skeptical about the use of the dream vision as a framing device in Vox. The chapter concludes with a discussion of Confessio’s central allegorical mechanism, focusing on its use of statues to represent an object world caught between the quick and the dead.
Bear Left: The Critical Psychology Project in Revolting Times
Authors: Fine Michelle
Published: July 2017

This essay reviews a new generation of social psychological constructs emergent in the volume, attending to critical psychological formulations fomenting at the transnational and transdisciplinary borders of these essays; the introduction of challenging constructs and insights/incites that derive from studying current social struggles in contentious contexts, and the shifting subjectivities of everyday people, animated in times of rising inequality, popular protest, virulent white nationalisms and xenophobia, and fragile solidarities emergent across social movements. The essay considers the theoretical formulations and methodological moves that characterize the current moment in a social psychology of injustice, reflecting on ways to chronicle at once the imprint of structural violence, the cacophony of subjectivities, and the emergence of radical possibilities. It calls for critical psychology to align with movements for justice, amplify voices unheard, and honor counternarratives in times of voracious dispossession, State violence and populist uprisings on the Left and the Right.
Perioperative Behavioral Therapy and Pelvic Muscle Strengthening Do Not Enhance Quality of Life After Pelvic Surgery: Secondary Report of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Weidner Alison C. , Barber Matthew D. , Markland Alayne , Rahn David D. , Hsu Yvonne , Mueller Elizabeth R. , Jakus-Waldman Sharon , Dyer Keisha Y. , Warren Lauren Klein , Gantz Marie G. , Meikle Susie
Published: July 2017

Background

There is significant need for trials evaluating the long-term effectiveness of a rigorous program of perioperative behavioral therapy with pelvic floor muscle training (BPMT) in women undergoing transvaginal reconstructive surgery for prolapse.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of perioperative BPMT on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and sexual function following vaginal surgery for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

Design

This study is a secondary report of a 2 × 2 factorial randomized controlled trial.

Setting

This study was a multicenter trial.

Participants

Participants were adult women with stage 2–4 POP and SUI.

Intervention

Perioperative BPMT versus usual care and sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF) versus uterosacral ligament suspension (ULS) were provided.

Measurements

Participants undergoing transvaginal surgery (SSLF or ULS for POP and a midurethral sling for SUI) received usual care or five perioperative BPMT visits. The primary outcome was change in body image and in Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire (PFIQ) short-form subscale, 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), Pelvic Organ Prolapse-Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire short form (PISQ-12), Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGII), and Brink scores.

Results

The 374 participants were randomized to BPMT (n = 186) and usual care (n = 188). Outcomes were available for 137 (74%) of BPMT participants and 146 (78%) of the usual care participants at 24 months. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in PFIQ, SF-36, PGII, PISQ-12, or body image scale measures.

Limitations

The clinicians providing BPMT had variable expertise. Findings might not apply to vaginal prolapse procedures without slings or abdominal apical prolapse procedures.

Conclusions

Perioperative BPMT performed as an adjunct to vaginal surgery for POP and SUI provided no additional improvement in QOL or sexual function compared with usual care.
Transience, Class and Gender in Interwar Sexual Health Policy: The Case of the Liverpool VD Scheme
Authors: Caslin Samantha
Published: July 2017

Focusing on the implementation of the Liverpool VD Scheme, this article reasserts the importance of morality to interwar medical understandings about the spread of venereal disease. Despite claiming to offer impartial, practical solutions to the spread of venereal disease, the Liverpool VD Scheme, created in 1916, reflected and promoted the notion that the transient lifestyles of many of the working class presented physical and moral threats to the city. This article therefore counters suggestions that the interwar control of venereal disease was shaped by practicalities rather than moralities. Evidence is provided for the persistence of a medico-moralising that continued to place working-class sexual practices at the heart of discussions about the spread of venereal disease. However, presumptions about men’s biological need for sex combined with the local importance of the port, meaning that working-class seamen with VD were judged less harshly than working-class women with the same infections.
Sinorhizobium meliloti Chemotaxis to Multiple Amino Acids Is Mediated by the Chemoreceptor McpU
Authors: Webb Benjamin A. , Compton K. Karl , del Campo Julia S. Martin , Taylor Doris , Sobrado Pablo , Scharf Birgit E.
Published: July 2017

The legume symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti is chemoattracted to compounds exuded by germinating seeds of its host alfalfa. This response is mainly mediated by the S. meliloti chemoreceptor McpU. McpU also has a prominent contribution in sensing a synthetic amino acid (aa) mixture mimicking the amounts and composition observed in seed exudate. Here, we used the hydrogel capillary assay to quantify chemotactic responses of S. meliloti to individual aa exuded by germinating alfalfa seeds and to define the role of McpU in this behavior. S. meliloti exhibited positive chemotaxis responses to all proteinogenic aa, except for aspartate, and to citrulline, cystine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and ornithine. Wild-type responses were diverse in intensity, while a strain lacking mcpU displayed strongly diminished responses. Differential scanning fluorimetry demonstrated interaction of the purified periplasmic region of McpU (McpU-PR) with the aa, except glutamate and aspartate. We additionally tested organic acids and sugars, but there were no significant interactions with the McpU ligand-binding domain, except for citrate. Using ligand displacement, we confirmed the interaction of McpU-PR with aa representing strong and weak attractants. Our results show that S. meliloti McpU is a broad-range aa receptor mediating differential responses to individual attractants, which does not bind negatively charged aa.
An unusual case of acute parotitis in a young adult
Authors: Sehic Azra , Haenig Caitlin , Spear Francis
Published: July 2017

Acute bacterial parotitis is uncommon in young adults. Infection with Serratia marcescens is even rarer and usually found in hospitalized patients. This case report focuses on a young woman with acute bacterial parotitis caused by S. marcescens that required a longer-than-normal course of antibiotics.
Impact of Mindfulness-Based Parenting on Women in Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
Authors: Gannon Meghan , Mackenzie Michael , Kaltenbach Karol , Abatemarco Diane
Published: July 2017

Objectives:

Mothers with opioid use disorder are at high risk for maladaptive parenting. The present observational study aimed to measure the impact of a trauma-informed mindfulness-based parenting (MBP) intervention on quality of parenting behaviors of mothers primarily with opioid use disorders as well as examine associations between exposure to adverse childhood experiences and self-reported mindful parenting.

Methods:

A pretest posttest design was used with repeated measures. A total of 160 women were recruited from a substance use treatment program into the 12-week-long group-based intervention comprised didactic and experiential mindfulness activities. The Keys to Interactive Parenting Scale (KIPS) measured quality of parenting behavior, the Adverse Childhood Experiences Tool captured history of exposure to childhood trauma, and the Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting (IM-P) scale measured the degree of mindful parenting. Analyses were conducted using multilevel modeling.

Results:

The MBP intervention resulted in clinically significant improvements in KIPS total and all subscale scores and an IM-P total score. Data showed higher baseline Adverse Childhood Experiences and higher program attendance significantly predicted improved overall quality of parenting behaviors at a greater rate over time. Higher IM-P scores were associated with greater rate of improvement in KIPS total and all subscale scores.

Conclusions:

Study findings suggest a trauma-informed MBP intervention for parenting women with opioid use disorders is associated with significant clinical improvements in quality of parenting behavior. Results of this model show promise in supporting parenting of mothers receiving treatment for opioid use disorders to enhance bonding and parenting.
Large Eyelid Defect Repair Using a Free Full-Thickness Eyelid Graft
Authors: Memarzadeh Khashayar , Engelsberg Karl , Sheikh Rafi , Malmsjö Malin
Published: July 2017

Large eyelid full-thickness defects are traditionally repaired using flaps with a blood-supplying pedicle, for the reconstruction of the anterior or posterior lamella or both. This is a 2-stage procedure involving occlusion of vision in the affected eye for 4–8 weeks, as the flap pedicle is not divided until vascularization is deemed adequate. However, the importance of using a flap with a pedicle to ensure adequate perfusion of the graft has recently been questioned.
Autologous Latissimus Dorsi Breast Reconstruction Flap Salvage: Microvascular Anastomosis with Serratus Branch
Authors: Kuta Victoria , LeBlanc Martin
Published: July 2017

Autologous breast reconstruction has become a standard option during the recovery of breast cancer survivors. Although pedicle damage is a rare complication of this procedure, extensive torsion or tension can lead to partial or total flap failure. We report a case of partial flap salvage after accidental transection of the pedicled blood supply within the intramuscular course of a latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap. This salvage technique involved microvascular anastomosis between the remaining vasculature of the latissimus dorsi pedicle and the serratus branch of the thoracodorsal artery and vein.
Comparative Study of Prepectoral and Subpectoral Expander-Based Breast Reconstruction and Clavien IIIb Score Outcomes
Authors: Bettinger Lynne N. , Waters Linda M. , Reese Stephen W. , Kutner Susan E. , Jacobs Daniel I.
Published: July 2017

Background:

Prepectoral breast reconstruction is increasingly popular. This study compares complications between 2 subpectoral and 1 prepectoral breast reconstruction technique.

Methods:

Between 2008 and 2015, 294 two-staged expander breast reconstructions in 213 patients were performed with 1 of 3 surgical techniques: (1) Prepectoral, (2) subpectoral with acellular dermal matrix (ADM) sling (“Classic”), or (3) subpectoral/subserratus expander placement without ADM (“No ADM”). Demographics, comorbidities, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy were assessed for correlation with Clavien IIIb score outcomes. Follow-up was a minimum of 6 months.

Results:

Surgical cohorts (n = 165 Prepectoral; n = 77 Classic; n = 52 No ADM) had comparable demographics except Classic had more cardiac disease (P = 0.03), No ADM had higher body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.01), and the Prepectoral group had more nipple-sparing mastectomies (P < 0.001). Univariate analysis showed higher expander complications with BMI ≥ 40 (P = 0.05), stage 4 breast cancer (P = 0.01), and contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (P = 0.1), whereas implant complications were associated with prior history of radiation (P < 0.01). There was more skin necrosis (P = 0.05) and overall expander complications (P = 0.01) in the Classic cohort, whereas the No ADM group trended toward the lowest expander complications among the 3. Multivariate analysis showed no difference in overall expander complication rates between the 3 groups matching demographics, mastectomy surgery, risks, and surgical technique.

Conclusions:

Prepectoral and subpectoral Classic and No ADM breast reconstructions demonstrated comparable grade IIIb Clavien score complications. BMI > 40, stage 4 cancer, and contralateral prophylactic mastectomy were associated with adverse expander outcomes and a prior history of radiation therapy adversely impacted implant outcomes. Ninety-day follow-up for expander and implant complications may be a better National Surgical Quality Improvement Program measure.
Cicatricial Ectropion Secondary to Graft-Versus-Host Disease
Authors: Powell Marion R. , Davies Brett W.
Published: July 2017

Ocular complications of graft-versus-host disease are well documented. While skin changes due to graft-versus-host disease have been mentioned in the literature, cicatricial ectropion has not been previous reported. The authors present a case of a 31-year-old male with cicatricial ectropion secondary to graft-versus-host disease requiring treatment with a full thickness skin graft.
Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided Portal Venous Access:
Authors: Garg Rajat , Rustagi Tarun
Published: July 2017

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has evolved from a purely diagnostic to an interventional modality offering minimally invasive alternatives to surgical and radiologic interventions. This has led to a rapidly growing interest in EUS-guided vascular interventions. EUS-guided portal venous access is an emerging technique which opens a new arena for interventional vascular EUS. Portal vein can be accessed under EUS guidance with high precision and low risk of complications thus expanding its application for both benign and malignant conditions. Potential applications of EUS-guided portal vein access include: fine needle aspiration of portal vein thrombus and portal venous blood sampling for circulating tumor cells for diagnosis and staging of occult and known malignancies; portal vein angiography, portal pressure measurement, and creation of endoscopic intrahepatic portosystemic shunt; portal vein embolization and targeted drug delivery. This article will review the current literature on EUS-guided portal vein access, its feasibility and safety in animal and human studies, and current diagnostic and therapeutic applications with future directions.
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: confirming the clinical benefits far beyond anthropometry
Authors: Cúrdia Gonçalves T. , Marinho Carla , Magalhães Joana , Barbosa Mara , Monteiro Sara , Dias de Castro Francisca , Boal Carvalho Pedro , Rosa Bruno , Figueiredo Lília , Cotter José
Published: July 2017

Objectives

The real benefit of gastrostomy is still a matter of debate. We aimed to prospectively evaluate the global impact of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) in patients followed at a specialized multidisciplinary clinic, namely, the impact on the need for healthcare resources, anthropometric measures, pressure ulcers prevention and healing, and nutritional and hydration status.

Patients and methods

From the 201 patients who underwent PEG between May 2011 and September 2014, 60 were included in a prospective study. Anthropometric, clinical, and laboratorial variables were collected and compared before and after PEG. Follow-up duration, mortality, and number of emergency department visits or hospital admissions were also assessed.

Results

Thirty-three (55.0%) patients were women and the median age was 79 years. The main indications for PEG were dementia (43.3%) and poststroke dysphagia (30.0%). Four months following PEG, significant decreases in the tricipital skinfold (P=0.002) and brachial perimeter (P=0.003) were found. A decrease in the mean number of hospitalizations (1.4 vs. 0.3; P<0.001) and visits to emergency department (2.2 vs. 1.1; P=0.003) was noted in the next 6 months after PEG compared with the previous semester. In 53.8% of patients with pressure ulcers, complete healing was observed after PEG. PEG was associated with increases in hemoglobin (P=0.024), lymphocytes (P=0.041), cholesterol (P=0.008), transferrin (P<0.001), albumin (P<0.001), and total proteins (P<0.001), and a decrease in serum sodium (P=0.001).

Conclusion

Anthropometric values may not translate the early benefits of a gastrostomy. PEG decreases the need for hospital health care, facilitates healing of pressure ulcers, and induces biochemical changes that may reflect better nutrition and hydration.
Development of a prognostic nomogram for cirrhotic patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding
Authors: Zhou Yu-Jie , Zheng Ji-Na , Zhou Yi-Fan , Han Yi-Jing , Zou Tian-Tian , Liu Wen-Yue , Braddock Martin , Shi Ke-Qing , Wang Xiao-Dong , Zheng Ming-Hua
Published: July 2017

Background and aim

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a complication with a high mortality rate in critically ill patients presenting with cirrhosis. Today, there exist few accurate scoring models specifically designed for mortality risk assessment in critically ill cirrhotic patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (CICGIB). Our aim was to develop and evaluate a novel nomogram-based model specific for CICGIB.

Patients and methods

Overall, 540 consecutive CICGIB patients were enrolled. On the basis of Cox regression analyses, the nomogram was constructed to estimate the probability of 30-day, 90-day, 270-day, and 1-year survival. An upper gastrointestinal bleeding–chronic liver failure–sequential organ failure assessment (UGIB–CLIF–SOFA) score was derived from the nomogram. Performance assessment and internal validation of the model were performed using Harrell’s concordance index (C-index), calibration plot, and bootstrap sample procedures. UGIB–CLIF–SOFA was also compared with other prognostic models, such as CLIF–SOFA and model for end-stage liver disease, using C-indices.

Results

Eight independent factors derived from Cox analysis (including bilirubin, creatinine, international normalized ratio, sodium, albumin, mean artery pressure, vasopressin used, and hematocrit decrease>10%) were assembled into the nomogram and the UGIB–CLIF–SOFA score. The calibration plots showed optimal agreement between nomogram prediction and actual observation. The C-index of the nomogram using bootstrap (0.729; 95% confidence interval: 0.689–0.766) was higher than that of the other models for predicting survival of CICGIB.

Conclusion

We have developed and internally validated a novel nomogram and an easy-to-use scoring system that accurately predicts the mortality probability of CICGIB on the basis of eight easy-to-obtain parameters. External validation is now warranted in future clinical studies.
PAX8 Expression in Solitary Fibrous Tumor: A Potential Diagnostic Pitfall
Authors: Ullman David , Gordetsky Jennifer , Siegal Gene P. , Prieto-Granada Carlos N. , Wei Shi , Stevens Todd M.
Published: July 2017

PAX8 is used as a diagnostic aid in classifying retroperitoneal (RP) spindle cell tumors. PAX8 positivity in a spindled RP tumor is typically associated with sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma (SRCC). However, PAX8 expression in solitary fibrous tumor (SFT), a tumor not uncommon to the RP, has not been extensively studied. We investigated the expression of PAX8 in SFTs and other spindle cell RP tumors. We collected 30 SFT, 23 SRCC, 11 gastrointestinal stromal tumors, 2 synovial sarcomas, 6 dedifferentiated liposarcomas (DDLS), 4 well differentiated liposarcomas (WDLS), and select other tumors. We identified nuclear PAX8 expression in 13 of 30 (43%) SFT, 0 of 6 (0%) DDLS, and 1 of 4 (25%) WDLS. Twenty-eight of 30 (93%) SFT, 0 of 23 (0%) SRCC, 2 of 6 (33%) DDLS, and 1 of 4 (25%) WDLS showed nuclear STAT6 expression. All gastrointestinal stromal tumors were negative for both PAX8 and STAT6. Of the 13 SFT showing PAX8 expression, 8 showed diffuse expression and 5 expressed PAX8 focally. Extrapleural SFTs were more likely to express PAX8 compared with pleural SFTs (10/13; 77% vs. 3/17; 18%, respectively; P=0.00117). Twenty of 23 (87%) SRCC expressed PAX8; the sarcomatoid component of all 23 SRCC was negative for STAT6. Of the other spindle cell tumors studied, 1 of 2 synovial sarcomas and 1 of 2 histiocytic sarcomas showed PAX8 expression. Pathologists should be aware of the potential pitfall of the relatively frequent expression of PAX8 by SFT and STAT6 expression in liposarcoma. PAX8 expression by a spindle cell lesion of RP would not allow distinction between SFT, SRCC, or sclerosing liposarcoma by itself. A STAT6+/PAX8+ phenotype excludes SRCC.
Characteristics of Patients Involved in Physical Assault in an Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Setting
Authors: SANGHANI SOHAG N. , MARSH AKEEM N. , JOHN MAJNU , SOMAN ARYA , LOPEZ LEONARDO V. , YOUNG YOLANA A. , RUSS MARK J.
Published: July 2017

Background:

Although aggressive behavior in psychiatric settings is a major concern, very few studies have focused exclusively on physical assault in a general inpatient psychiatric population.

Objectives:

This study had 3 main goals: (1) to evaluate the prevalence of assaultive behavior in an acute psychiatric hospital; (2) to identify the clinical and socio-demographic factors associated with assaultive behavior during hospitalization; and (3) to explore whether a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder increases the risk of assaultive behavior.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients admitted to acute units in a psychiatric hospital between 2009 and 2012. A subset of occurrence reports identified by a multidisciplinary team as “physical assault” was included in the analysis. Using logistic multivariate regression analysis, these patients were compared with a randomly selected nonassaultive control group, matched for length of stay to identify factors associated with assaultive behavior.

Results:

Of 757 occurrence reports, 613 met criteria for significant assault committed by 356 patients over 309,552 patient days. The assault incident density was 1.98 per 1000 patient days. In the logistic regression model of best fit, the factors significantly associated with assaultive behavior were age, legal status, and substance use. A diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder was not significantly associated with assaultive behavior.

Conclusions:

Clinicians should take extra precautions for involuntarily admitted young patients with a history of substance use, as they are more likely to exhibit assaultive behavior. A diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder in itself is not significantly associated with assaultive behavior. Screening instruments such as the Dynamic Appraisal of Situational Aggression may be useful in assessing risk of assault.
Transgender Youth in the Inpatient Psychiatric Setting: A Literature Review and Case Report
Authors: HILL WESLEY J. , SHAPIRO MICHAEL A.
Published: July 2017

Once considered pathological, transgenderism is now accepted as a variant of normal sexuality. As society has become more accepting of transgenderism, increasing numbers of transgender patients have begun to seek psychiatric care, and younger populations are embracing their gender differences. There is a paucity of literature on how best to serve transgender youth in psychiatric inpatient units. In this article, we share our experience and discuss the need for practical guidelines to help the inpatient psychiatrist navigate key topics related to this population. We then present a case report to illustrate several of these issues. A major goal of this report is to increase the literature base.
Clinical Barriers to Effective Treatment of Eating Disorders and Co-occurring Psychiatric Disorders in Transgendered Individuals
Authors: WAGNER REBECCA , STEVENS JONATHAN R.
Published: July 2017

Eating disorders (EDs) are complex and difficult to treat illnesses that are often chronic and disabling on their own accord or due to comorbidity with other psychiatric conditions. Historically, EDs have been viewed as illnesses of heterosexual, affluent white females. This stereotype increases the likelihood that these disorders will be underrecognized in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, as well as in different gender, socioeconomic, and ethnic populations. Our case report illustrates the clinical difficulties of managing a patient who presented to inpatient treatment with complaints of depression and suicidality, but who also had an active ED and was transgender.
Implementation of a Novel Adherence Monitoring Strategy in a Phase III, Blinded, Placebo-Controlled, HIV-1 Prevention Clinical Trial
Authors: Husnik Marla J. , Brown Elizabeth R. , Marzinke Mark , Livant Edward , Palanee-Phillips Thesla , Hendrix Craig W. , Matovu Kiweewa Flavia , Nair Gonasagrie , Soto-Torres Lydia E. , Schwartz Katie , Hillier Sharon L. , Baeten Jared M. ,   for the MTN-020 ASPIRE Study Team
Published: July 2017

Background:

Placebo-controlled HIV-1 prevention trials of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) have not generally used concurrent measurement of adherence because of the potential risk of unblinding. However, several pre-exposure prophylaxis trials for HIV-1 prevention among women failed to show effectiveness because of low product adherence. Evaluation of product adherence objectively during a study provides the opportunity for strengthening adherence activities at sites having low adherence.

Methods:

During MTN-020/ASPIRE, a phase III, placebo-controlled trial of the dapivirine intravaginal ring, we implemented an adherence monitoring system. Monitoring began in quarter 1 (Q1) 2013 and continued through the conclusion of the trial. Blood plasma was collected quarterly and tested for dapivirine concentrations while maintaining blinding among study team members involved in participant management. Dapivirine concentrations >95 pg/mL, reflecting >8 hours of continuous use, were assessed as signaling product use. Study leadership monitored results on a monthly basis and provided feedback to site investigators. Experiences were shared across sites to motivate staff and counsel participants to strive toward higher adherence levels.

Results:

An upward trend in adherence was observed (P < 0.0001); the proportion of samples from subjects in the active arm with dapivirine >95 pg/mL increased from 63% in Q1 2013 to 84% by Q1 2015.

Conclusions:

Ongoing drug level testing as a marker of adherence in MTN-020/ASPIRE demonstrates the feasibility of real-time adherence monitoring while maintaining study blinding at the level of participants, sites, and study leadership. This approach is novel for large-scale effectiveness studies for HIV-1 prevention.
Effects of Hot Packs on Small-Intestinal Motility Measured by Doppler Ultrasound and Subjective Feelings in Normal Adults
Authors: Makino Yusuke , Choe Myoung-Ae
Published: July 2017

Constipation is a common problem in patients and the general population. Hot packs can relieve constipation, but the effect on small-intestinal motility remains unknown. We aimed to determine the effect of hot packs on small-intestinal motility and subjective feelings associated with bowel activity after removing the hot packs. Thirty-four normal adults were assigned to either an experimental group (n= 18) or a control group (n= 16). Hot and normal packs were applied for 10 minutes to the lumbar regions of the experimental and control groups, respectively. Small-intestinal motility was measured by Doppler ultrasound before, during, and after pack application. Subjective feelings were also evaluated after removing the packs. The number of small-intestinal peristalses and subjective feelings of 20 participants showing anechoic areas in the small-intestinal lumen were analyzed.
A Socioecological Approach to Women's Participation in Competitive Softball During Middle and Late Adulthood
Authors: Naar Jill J. , Wong Jen D. , West Stephanie T. , Son Julie S. , Liechty Toni
Published: July 2017

Informed by a socioecological framework, this qualitative study contributes to the fields of allied health and aging by identifying the factors that influence older women's participation in competitive softball. Focus groups were conducted with 6 teams of women (N = 64) ranging in age from 55 to 79 years. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. Results revealed issues of recruitment, access to resources, and breaking age-related cultural stereotypes. Knowledge from this study can offer insight into how allied health professionals might mitigate these issues to promote competitive sports alternatives for future cohorts of aging women.
Remarkable size-spectra stability in a marine system undergoing massive invasion
Authors: Buba Yehezkel , van Rijn Itai , Blowes Shane A. , Sonin Oren , Edelist Dor , DeLong John P. , Belmaker Jonathan
Published: July 2017

The Mediterranean Sea is an invasion hotspot, with non-indigenous species suspected to be a major driver behind community changes. We used size spectra, a reliable index of food web structure, to examine how the influx of Red Sea fishes into the Mediterranean Sea has impacted the indigenous species community. This is the first attempt to use changes in the size spectra to reveal the effect of biological invasions. We used data from trawl catches along Israel's shoreline spanning 20 years to estimate changes in the community size spectra of both indigenous and non-indigenous species. We found that the relative biomass of non-indigenous species increased over the 20 years, especially for small and large species, leading to a convergence with the indigenous species size spectra. Hence, the biomass of indigenous and non-indigenous species has become identical for all size classes, suggesting similar energetic constraints and sensitivities to fishing. However, over this time period the size spectrum of indigenous species has remained remarkably constant. This suggests that the wide-scale invasion of non-indigenous species into the Mediterranean may have had little impact on the community structure of indigenous species.
Changes and classification in myocardial contractile function in the left ventricle following acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Gao Hao , Aderhold Andrej , Mangion Kenneth , Luo Xiaoyu , Husmeier Dirk , Berry Colin
Published: July 2017

In this research, we hypothesized that novel biomechanical parameters are discriminative in patients following acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). To identify these biomechanical biomarkers and bring computational biomechanics ‘closer to the clinic’, we applied state-of-the-art multiphysics cardiac modelling combined with advanced machine learning and multivariate statistical inference to a clinical database of myocardial infarction. We obtained data from 11 STEMI patients (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01717573) and 27 healthy volunteers, and developed personalized mathematical models for the left ventricle (LV) using an immersed boundary method. Subject-specific constitutive parameters were achieved by matching to clinical measurements. We have shown, for the first time, that compared with healthy controls, patients with STEMI exhibited increased LV wall active tension when normalized by systolic blood pressure, which suggests an increased demand on the contractile reserve of remote functional myocardium. The statistical analysis reveals that the required patient-specific contractility, normalized active tension and the systolic myofilament kinematics have the strongest explanatory power for identifying the myocardial function changes post-MI. We further observed a strong correlation between two biomarkers and the changes in LV ejection fraction at six months from baseline (the required contractility (
r
= − 0.79,
p
< 0.01) and the systolic myofilament kinematics (
r
= 0.70,
p
= 0.02)). The clinical and prognostic significance of these biomechanical parameters merits further scrutinization.
The mechanics of hydrogel crawlers in confined environment
Authors: Vernerey Franck , Shen Tong
Published: July 2017

We present theoretical and experimental results regarding the development of temperature-sensitive hydrogel particles that can display self-motility in confined channels. Inspired by the motility of living organisms such as larva, the motion of the particle relies on the combination of two key mechanisms. The first, referred to as actuation, is enabled by the cyclic extension and retraction of the particle owing to oscillations of its temperature around the so-called lower critical solution temperature. The second, referred to as symmetry breaking, transforms the isotropic particle actuation into a directed motion owing to the asymmetric friction properties of the channel's surface. The role of particle confinement in these processes is, however, less intuitive and displays an optimal value at which the particle's step size is maximum. These observations are supported by a model that identifies the underlying locomotion mechanisms and predicts the dependency of the particle motion efficiency on the confinement condition, as well as frictional properties of the substrate. Our analysis suggests that the existence of a lubrication layer around the particle hinders its motion at low confinement, while an excessive degree of confinement is detrimental to the particle's overall deformation and, thus, to its locomotion efficiency.
Dynamic disorder in simple enzymatic reactions induces stochastic amplification of substrate
Authors: Gupta Ankit , Milias-Argeitis Andreas , Khammash Mustafa
Published: July 2017

A growing amount of evidence over the last two decades points to the fact that many enzymes exhibit fluctuations in their catalytic activity, which are associated with conformational changes on a broad range of timescales. The experimental study of this phenomenon, termed dynamic disorder, has become possible thanks to advances in single-molecule enzymology measurement techniques, through which the catalytic activity of individual enzyme molecules can be tracked in time. The biological role and importance of these fluctuations in a system with a small number of enzymes, such as a living cell, have only recently started being explored. In this work, we examine a simple stochastic reaction system consisting of an inflowing substrate and an enzyme with a randomly fluctuating catalytic reaction rate that converts the substrate into an outflowing product. To describe analytically the effect of rate fluctuations on the average substrate abundance at steady state, we derive an explicit formula that connects the relative speed of enzymatic fluctuations with the mean substrate level. Under fairly general modelling assumptions, we demonstrate that the relative speed of rate fluctuations can have a dramatic effect on the mean substrate, and lead to large positive deviations from predictions based on the assumption of deterministic enzyme activity. Our results also establish an interesting connection between the amplification effect and the mixing properties of the Markov process describing the enzymatic activity fluctuations, which can be used to easily predict the fluctuation speed above which such deviations become negligible. As the techniques of single-molecule enzymology continuously evolve, it may soon be possible to study the stochastic phenomena due to enzymatic activity fluctuations within living cells. Our work can be used to formulate experimentally testable hypotheses regarding the nature and magnitude of these fluctuations, as well as their phenotypic consequences.
NMDA receptor-dependent presynaptic inhibition at the calyx of Held synapse of rat pups
Authors: Oshima-Takago Tomoko , Takago Hideki
Published: July 2017

N
-Methyl-
d
-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) play diverse roles in synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity, neuronal development and neurological diseases. In addition to their postsynaptic expression, NMDARs are also expressed in presynaptic terminals at some central synapses, and their activation modulates transmitter release. However, the regulatory mechanisms of NMDAR-dependent synaptic transmission remain largely unknown. In the present study, we demonstrated that activation of NMDARs in a nerve terminal at a central glutamatergic synapse inhibits presynaptic Ca
2+
currents (I
Ca
) in a GluN2C/2D subunit-dependent manner, thereby decreasing nerve-evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents. Neither presynaptically loaded fast Ca
2+
chelator BAPTA nor non-hydrolysable GTP analogue GTPγS affected NMDAR-mediated I
Ca
inhibition. In the presence of a glutamate uptake blocker, the decline in I
Ca
amplitude evoked by repetitive depolarizing pulses at 20 Hz was attenuated by an NMDAR competitive antagonist, suggesting that endogenous glutamate has a potential to activate presynaptic NMDARs. Moreover, NMDA-induced inward currents at a negative holding potential (−80 mV) were abolished by intra-terminal loading of the NMDAR open channel blocker MK-801, indicating functional expression of presynaptic NMDARs. We conclude that presynaptic NMDARs can attenuate glutamate release by inhibiting voltage-gated Ca
2+
channels at a relay synapse in the immature rat auditory brainstem.