bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Sea in the Poetry of Judita Vaičiūnaitė and Vizma Belševica
Authors: Stepukonienė Inga
Published: October 2018

The lyrical poetry of Judita Vaičiūnaitė (Lithuania) and Vizma Belševica (Latvia), modern poetesses of the second half of the twentieth century, vividly reflects the realities of urban culture. However, the centre of their lyricism, the woman, is projected not only in the urban environment, but also in nature. The four mythological elements (water, air, earth, and fire) are given special powers and are highly important in both Belševica’s and Vaičiūnaitė’s work. Water in their lyrical poetry becomes an inexhaustible source of spiritual and stylistic variations.
In the poetry of Vaičiūnaitė and Belševica, the sea is not a metaphor for harmony, but for anxiety, which contrasts with the representation of earth, sky, and clouds. These elements are often opposed to water paradigms like lakes, rivers, rain, snow or frost, which hide mysterious worlds. The representation of the sea is rather controversial: the overall image is shaped from a multitude of different impulses and impressions that arise from different situations of life. One of the most typical lyrical themes in Vaičiūnaitė’s and Belševica’s work is the past and remembrance of things, people, events, and phenomena. They reflect on the existence of prominent past personalities by representing their vivid images; the reader can feel the spiritual motion and projection of dynamic actions into the future. Meanwhile, memories related to the realm of water often project passiveness.
The poetry of Vaičiūnaitė and Belševica reflects a strong symbolic link between the sea and the woman. The lyrical “I”, like the sea, is silent, deep, mysterious and, at the same time, turbulent. The sea also embodies the feeling of global insecurity. The seabed metaphorically represents the threshold between the safe and the dangerous states of a woman, separating the complex world of earth from the inscrutable water world, which may instantly transform the woman’s status. The sea also implies the seme of purity and purgation, the axis of morality and value as discussed by Bachelard. Purity is one of the main value-determining categories, inseparable from the self-awareness of the lyrical “I”, which stands in opposition to the other.
In their experience of nature, they share the same motif of “motherly water”. It is not by chance that the poetry of Vaičiūnaitė and Belševica merges the elements of the sea world and reality – images of love appearing in the subconscious of the subject are directed to “the shelter creature, the nourishment creature symbolic of the mother”. This semantics of the sea brings together the poetry of the two Baltic poets.
Evaluating physiological stress in Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) rescued from bile farms in Vietnam
Authors: Narayan E , Willis A , Thompson R , Hunter-Ishikawa M , Bendixsen T
Published: October 2018

Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) face chronic stress in bile farms. In this study, we investigated whether bile-farmed bears show significantly high levels of stress at rescue and whether stress levels reduce over time in a bear sanctuary where the bears are supported with environmental enrichment and veterinary care to improve animal welfare. We measured stress hormone levels using faecal cortisol metabolites (FCM) in 16 Asiatic black bears freshly rescued from bile farms in Vietnam. Fresh faeces were collected from each bear on the rescue truck and on a weekly basis for a 22-week study period at a bear sanctuary in Vietnam. Results showed that for all 16 rescued bears (with one exception) individual FCM levels from truck samples were above mean baseline FCMs of bears previously rehabilitated to a bear sanctuary. This suggested the majority of the rescued bears were still capable of showing a stress endocrine response during the rescue operation despite being exposed to conditions causing chronic stress in bears on bile farms. Results showed that mean FCM levels of the rescued bears differed significantly between time-periods (higher at the rescue [on truck samples] compared to week 22 samples) and mean FCM levels showed an overall decline over the first 22 weeks after they arrived at the bear sanctuary. The bears also demonstrated acute FCM stress responses to management interventions at the sanctuary, such as veterinary health checks and transportation. In conclusion, rescued bears tend to modulate their stress endocrine response after rehoming at the bear sanctuary. This is an important result, indicating that the rescue effort and rehabilitation of bile-farm bears is effective. Whether this also coincides with behavioural adjustments in rehabilitating bears (eg lessening of stereotypic behaviour) warrants further investigation.
Survival rates of cat-attacked birds admitted to RSPCA wildlife centres in the UK: implications for cat owners and wildlife rehabilitators
Authors: Baker PJ , Thompson R , Grogan A
Published: October 2018

Free-ranging pet cats (Felis catus) frequently kill wildlife but also return live prey to their owners. This raises welfare concerns if live animals released by cat owners subsequently die, since this is preventable, eg through prompt euthanasia. To estimate the mortality rate of birds released alive by cat owners, we examined the fates of 3,597 cat-attacked individuals submitted to four RSPCA wildlife centres in the UK. Individuals from 64 species were received but most cases (77%) involved just seven species commonly found in urban areas. The overall mortality rate (based on all individuals received at centres, ie including those which perished in transport, those which were euthanased on arrival and those which were admitted for care after having been triaged) was 78%; the post-admittance mortality rate (n = 2,070 birds admitted for care) was 62%. On average, individuals that perished (n = 2,798) survived for 3.0 days before dying or being euthanased. Juveniles were more likely to survive to release than adults, possibly because their small size means they are less likely to receive injuries that are ultimately fatal. Extrapolating from the limited data currently available, and applying conservative estimates at each stage, we estimate that a minimum of 0.3 million birds are released annually by cat owners but subsequently die. Substantial welfare improvements could be achieved if owners were more prepared to adopt strategies to limit hunting behaviour (eg fitting cats with collars and bells) and if owners and rehabilitators were able to effectively identify individuals with fatal injuries. The latter will require studies that quantify the effects of identifiable physical injuries on the likelihood of survival to release, in order to establish effective triage criteria.
Humane euthanasia of neonates II: field study of the effectiveness of the Zephyr EXL non-penetrating captive-bolt system for euthanasia of newborn piglets
Authors: Grist A , Knowles TG , Wotton SB
Published: October 2018

A previous study demonstrated the effectiveness of the Bock Industries Zephyr EXL non-penetrating captive bolt, using the abolition of visual-evoked potentials as a determination of brain death, in piglets in a laboratory. A second trial, reported here, involved the field-testing of this device, on-farm, in a commercial setting. Two hundred and seven piglets (mean [± SEM] dead weight: 1.86 [± 0.74] kg) requiring dispatch under the farm's protocols were euthanased with the device and demonstrated immediate loss of consciousness, subjectively assessed by behavioural signs and no recovery. Post mortem examination of the heads was undertaken confirming massive traumatic damage to the cerebrum with associated haemorrhage and bone plate shards forced down to the level of the corpus callosum in the majority of cases. A further trial of 106 piglets demonstrated that under commercial production conditions it took less than 7 s to select, place and euthanase a piglet using the device. One hundred percent of animals in the study were immediately killed. Given this complete kill rate and the sample size of the study, a statistical 95% confidence interval provides a maximum percentage of animals that would not immediately be stunned/killed, by this mechanical non-penetrating captive-bolt system, to be at most 1.2% and at least 0%. The results here, combined with the previous study, allow recommendation of the Bock Industries Zephyr EXL as being suitable as a single application euthanasia device for piglets up to 10.9 kg liveweight.
Descriptions of four new species ofMinyomerusHorn, 1876 sec. Jansen & Franz, 2018 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), with notes on their distribution and phylogeny
Authors: Jansen M. Andrew , Franz Nico M.
Published: October 2018

This contribution adopts the taxonomic concept approach, including the use oftaxonomic concept labels(name sec. [according to] source) and region connection calculus-5 (RCC–5) articulations and alignments. Prior to this study, the broad-nosed weevil genusMinyomerusHorn, 1876 sec. Jansen & Franz, 2015 (Curculionidae [non-focal]: Entiminae [non-focal]: Tanymecini [non-focal]) contained 17 species distributed throughout the desert and plains regions of North America. In this review ofMinyomerussec. Jansen & Franz, 2018, we describe the following four species as new to science:Minyomerus ampullaceussec. Jansen & Franz, 2018 (henceforth: [JF2018]), new species,Minyomerus franko[JF2018], new species,Minyomerus sculptilis[JF2018], new species, andMinyomerus tylotos[JF2018], new species. The four new species are added to, and integrated with, the preceding revision, and an updated key and phylogeny ofMinyomerus[JF2018] are presented. A cladistic analysis using 52 morphological characters of 26 terminal taxa (5/21 outgroup/ingroup) yielded a single most-parsimonious cladogram (Length = 99 steps, consistency index = 60, retention index = 80). The analysis reaffirms the monophyly ofMinyomerus[JF2018] with eight unreversed synapomorphies. The species-group placements, possible biogeographic origins, and natural history of the new species are discussed in detail.
The Messinian stromatolites of the Sierra del Colmenar (Western Mediterranean): facies characterization and sedimentological interpretation
Authors: Villafañe Patricio Guillermo , Corbí Hugo , Cónsole-Gonella Carlos , Ruiz-Sánchez Francisco Javier , Soria Jesús Miguel
Published: October 2018

A representative outcrop of the Messinian stromatolites belonging to the Terminal Carbonate Complex unit, from the northern sector of the Bajo Segura basin (Caja de Ahorros del Mediterraneosection, Sierra del Colmenar, SE Spain) has been studied. Here, we present a detailed analysis of the architecture, external morphology, and internal morphology in order to reconstruct the environmental and palaeoecological conditions for their growth. The stromatolites macrostructure consists of a continuously doming type morphology (build up and sheets areas). These developed close to the coast and acted as a palaeogeographic barrier, reducing physical stress, channeling the erosive effect of water and favoring restricted conditions. This stromatolitic macrostructure exhibits variations in its internal morphology, giving rise to seven subfacies, which are a product of the environmental changes experienced during the growth of the microbial mats. Although broadly suggesting a coastal environment, restricted and shallow during formation, the variation in internal morphology (mesostructure and microstructure) is evidence of minor changes in the physical environment that indicate a progressive shallowing.
Impact of rising sea levels on Australian fur seals
Authors: McLean Lachlan J. , George Steve , Ierodiaconou Daniel , Kirkwood Roger J. , Arnould John P.Y.
Published: October 2018

Global warming is leading to many unprecedented changes in the ocean-climate system. Sea levels are rising at an increasing rate and are amplifying the impact of storm surges along coastlines. As variability in the timing and strength of storm surges has been shown to affect pup mortality in the Australian fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus), there is a need to identify the potential impacts of increased sea level and storm surges on the breeding areas of this important marine predator in Bass Strait, south-eastern Australia. Using high-resolution aerial photography and topographic data, the present study assessed the impacts of future inundation levels on both current and potential breeding habitats at each colony. Inundation from storm surges, based on a predicted rise in sea level, was modeled at each colony from 2012 to 2100. As sea level increases, progressively less severe storm surge conditions will be required to exceed current inundation levels and, thus, have the potential for greater impacts on pup mortality at Australian fur seal colonies. The results of the present study indicate that by 2100, a 1-in-10 year storm will inundate more habitat on average than a present-day 1-in-100 year storm. The study highlights the site-specific nature of storm surge impacts, and in particular the importance of local colony topography and surrounding bathymetry with small, low-lying colonies impacted the most. An increased severity of storm surges will result in either an increase in pup mortality rates associated with storm surges, or the dispersal of individuals to higher ground and/or new colonies.
Impacts of climate change on Capparis spinosa L. based on ecological niche modeling
Authors: Ashraf Uzma , Chaudhry Muhammad N. , Ahmad Sajid R. , Ashraf Irfan , Arslan Muhammad , Noor Hassaan , Jabbar Mobeen
Published: October 2018

Recent changes in climate are transforming the situation of life on Earth, including impacting the conservation status of many plant and animal species. This study aims to evaluate potential impacts of climate change on a medicinal plant that is known to be heat-tolerant, Capparis spinosa L. We used ecological niche modeling to estimate current and future potential distributions for the species, considering two emissions scenarios and five climate models for two time periods (2050 and 2070). The results in terms of areal coverage at different suitability levels in the future were closely similar to its present-day distribution; indeed, only minor differences existed in highly suitable area, with increases of only 0.2–0.3% in suitable area for 2050 and 2070 under representative concentration pathway 4.5. Given that climate-mediated range shifts in the species are expected to be minor, conservation attention to this species can focus on minimizing local effects of anthropogenic activity.
Update on pathological platelet activation in coronary thrombosis
Authors: Elia Edoardo , Montecucco Fabrizio , Portincasa Piero , Sahebkar Amirhossein , Mollazadeh Hamid , Carbone Federico
Published: October 2018

Although coronary thrombosis (CT) is integral to cardiovascular outcomes, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms remain unclear. CT may occur in case of atherosclerotic plaque erosion/rupture, or even after stenting implantation. Platelets (PLT) activation is the keystone of atherothrombosis and depends on many dysregulated elements, including endothelial dysfunction, oxidized lipoproteins, and immune response. Besides the classical view of PLT as an effector of hemostatic response, a new repertoire of PLT activities is emerging. PLT lipidome oxidation is a self‐maintaining process which promotes PLT reactivity, coagulation cascade, and inflammatory cell activation. PLT‐innate immune cell interaction is also sustained by neutrophil extracellular traps and NLRP3 inflammasome pathways. Other noteworthy emerging mechanisms are implicated in the crosstalk between PLT and surrounding cells. Especially, microvesicles (MVs) released from PLT may extend their signaling network far beyond the classical cell−cell interactions. Moreover, the recognition of noncoding RNA in PLT MVs introduce another layer of complexity in terms of intercellular signaling by a direct regulation of messenger RNA profile and gene expression in the recipient cells. The aim of this narrative review is to update the recent advance in CT and intracoronary stent thrombosis, including causal factors and potential translation of experimental evidence into the clinical setting.
Electrical conductivity and conduction mechanisms in (Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3)1−x(BiScO3)x (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.25) solid solutions
Authors: Yang F. , Wu P. , Sinclair D. C.
Published: October 2018

Large acceptor ions on B-sites are less effective in trapping oxygen vacancies and consequently less effective to suppress the oxide-ion conduction in NBT.
The relationship between environmental variables, detection probability and site occupancy by Tasmanian nocturnal birds, including the Tasmanian masked owl (Tyto novaehollandiae castanops)
Authors: Todd Michael K. , Kavanagh Rodney P. , Penman Trent D. , Bell Phil , Munks Sarah A.
Published: October 2018

Knowledge of the habitat requirements of nocturnal birds is vital for the development of effective conservation strategies. This study is the first intensive systematic survey of the occurrence of the threatened Tasmanian masked owl (Tyto novaehollandiae castanops), the Tasmanian boobook (Ninox leucopsis) and the Australian owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus) in Tasmania using call playback, spotlighting and listening techniques. Occupancy models were created that explain the spatial distribution of the three species. Temperature and wind influenced the detectability of all species. Detectability of the Tasmanian boobook was also associated with nightlight. The Tasmanian masked owl was most often found in low-elevation mature dry eucalypt forest. This may be related to a combination of availability of nesting sites, food availability and accessibility, and physiological factors. The Australian owlet-nightjar also showed a broad preference for dry eucalypt forest and avoided open country. In contrast, the Tasmanian boobook was most often found in wet eucalypt forest with higher temperatures and fewer roads. We conclude that mature dry and wet forest types at low elevations need to be carefully managed to maintain populations of Tasmania’s nocturnal birds, particularly the threatened Tasmanian masked owl. Consideration should be given to retention of a network of contiguous areas of undisturbed mature forest across forested landscapes.
It’s time for Westernization: the advantages of the early start for long-term economic development at the local level
Authors: Kampanelis Sotiris
Published: October 2018

This article examines the ‘early start’ hypothesis at the local level in the context of Australian colonization. It is found that the longer a place experiences economic activity under European management, the higher the level of economic development it achieves in the long-run. A theoretical framework is proposed under which a set of dynamic forces work in aggregate and enhance urban economic development. Results from several robustness checks that account for an array of possible biases validate the initial findings. Overall, the nature of Australian colonization reflects a relatively random variation in the duration of the Western presence at the local level, causing uneven urban development.
Generalized displacement of DNA- and RNA-binding factors mediates the toxicity of arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptides
Authors: Lafarga V. , Sirozh O. , Díaz-López I. , Hisaoka M. , Zarzuela E. , Boskovic J. , Jovanovic B. , Fernandez-Leiro R. , Muñoz J. , Stoecklin G. , Ventoso I. , Fernandez-Capetillo O.
Published: October 2018

Due to their capability to transport chemicals or proteins into target cells, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are being developed as therapy delivery tools. However, and despite their interesting properties, arginine-rich CPPs often show toxicity for reasons that remain poorly understood. Using a (PR)n dipeptide repeat that has been linked to amyotrophic-lateral sclerosis (ALS) as a model of an arginine-rich CPP, we here show that the presence of (PR)n leads to a generalized displacement of RNA- and DNA-binding proteins from chromatin and mRNA. Accordingly, any reaction involving nucleic acids such as RNA transcription, translation, splicing and degradation or DNA replication and repair are impaired by the presence of the CPP. Interestingly, the effects of (PR)n are fully mimicked by PROTAMINE, a small arginine-rich protein that displaces histones from chromatin during spermatogenesis. We propose that widespread coating of nucleic acids and consequent displacement of RNA- and DNA-binding factors from chromatin and mRNA accounts for the toxicity of arginine-rich CPPs, including those that have been recently associated to the onset of ALS.
Designing metabolic division of labor in microbial communities
Authors: Thommes Meghan , Wang Taiyao , Zhao Qi , Paschalidis Ioannis Ch. , Segrè Daniel
Published: October 2018

Microbes face a tradeoff between being metabolically independent and relying on neighboring organisms for the supply of some essential metabolites. This balance of conflicting strategies affects microbial community structure and dynamics, with important implications for microbiome research and synthetic ecology. A “gedanken experiment” to investigate this tradeoff would involve monitoring the rise of mutual dependence as the number of metabolic reactions allowed in an organism is increasingly constrained. The expectation is that below a certain number of reactions, no individual organism would be able to grow in isolation, and cross-feeding partnerships and division of labor would emerge. We implemented this idealized experiment usingin silicogenome-scale models. In particular, we used mixed integer linear programming to identify tradeoff solutions in communities ofEscherichia colistrains. The strategies we found reveal a large space of nuanced and nonintuitive metabolic division of labor opportunities, including, for example, splitting the TCA cycle into two separate halves. The systematic computation of possible division of labor solutions for 1-, 2-, and 3-strain consortia resulted in a rich and complex landscape. This landscape displays a nonlinear boundary, indicating that the loss of an intracellular reaction is not necessarily compensated by a single imported metabolite. Different regions in this landscape are associated with specific solutions and patterns of exchanged metabolites. Our approach also predicts the existence of regions in this landscape where independent bacteria are viable, but outcompeted by cross-feeding pairs, providing a possible incentive for the rise of division of labor.
A framework for space-efficient variable-order Markov models
Authors: Cunial Fabio , Alanko Jarno , Belazzougui Djamal
Published: October 2018

Motivation

Markov models with contexts of variable length are widely used in bioinformatics for representing sets of sequences with similar biological properties. When models contain many long contexts, existing implementations are either unable to handle genome-scale training datasets within typical memory budgets, or they are optimized for specific model variants and are thus inflexible.

Results

We provide practical, versatile representations of variable-order Markov models and of interpolated Markov models, that support a large number of context-selection criteria, scoring functions, probability smoothing methods, and interpolations, and that take up to 4 times less space than previous implementations based on the suffix array, regardless of the number and length of contexts, and up to 10 times less space than previous trie-based representations, or more, while matching the size of related, state-of-the-art data structures from Natural Language Processing. We describe how to further compress our indexes to a quantity related to the redundancy of the training data, saving up to 90% of their space on repetitive datasets, and making them become up to 60 times smaller than previous implementations based on the suffix array. Finally, we show how to exploit constraints on the length and frequency of contexts to further shrink our compressed indexes to half of their size or more, achieving data structures that are 100 times smaller than previous implementations based on the suffix array, or more. This allows variable-order Markov models to be trained on bigger datasets and with longer contexts on the same hardware, thus possibly enabling new applications.

Availability and implementation

https://github.com/jnalanko/VOMM
The Cuon Enigma: Genome survey and comparative genomics of the endangered Dhole (Cuon alpinus)
Authors: Habib Bilal , Ghaskadbi Pallavi , Nigam Parag , Modi Shrushti , Kumar Peddamma Sathish , Sharma Kanika , Singh Vidhya , Kumar Bipin , Tripathi Abhishek , Kothandaraman Harish , Yellaboina Sailu , Baghel Dushyant Singh , Mondol Samrat
Published: October 2018

The Asiatic wild dog is an endangered monophyletic canid restricted to Asia; facing threats from habitat fragmentation and other anthropogenic factors. Dholes have unique adaptations as compared to other wolf-like canids for large litter size (larger number of mammae) and hypercarnivory making it evolutionarily notable. Over evolutionary time, dhole and the subsequent divergent wild canids have lost coat patterns found in African wild dog. Here we report the first high coverage genome survey of Asiatic wild dog and mapped it with African wild dog, dingo and domestic dog to assess the structural variants. We generated a total of 124.8 Gb data from 416140921 raw read pairs and retained 398659457 reads with 52X coverage and mapped 99.16% of the clean reads to the three reference genomes. We identified ~13553269 SNV’s, ~2858184 InDels, ~41000 SVs, ~1854109 SSRs and about 1000 CNVs. We compared the annotated genome of dingo and domestic dog with dhole genome sequence to understand the role of genes responsible in pelage pattern, dentition and mammary glands. Positively selected genes for these phenotypes were looked for SNP variants and top ranked genes for coat pattern, dentition and mammary glands were found to play a role in signalling and developmental pathways. Mitochondrial genome assembly predicted 35 genes, 11 CDS and 24 tRNA. This genome information will help in understanding the divergence of two monophlyletic canids,CuonandLycaon, and the evolutionary adaptations of dholes with respect to other canids.
Interfacial actin protrusions mechanically potentiate killing by cytotoxic T cells
Authors: Tamzalit Fella , Wang Mitchell S. , Jin Weiyang , Boyko Vitaly , Heddleston John M. , Black Charles T. , Kam Lance C. , Huse Morgan
Published: October 2018

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) kill by forming immunological synapses with target cells and secreting toxic proteases and the pore forming protein perforin into the intercellular space. Immunological synapses are highly dynamic structures that potentiate perforin activity by applying mechanical force against the target cell. Here, we employed high-resolution imaging and microfabrication to investigate how CTLs exert synaptic forces and coordinate their mechanical output with perforin secretion. Using micropatterned stimulatory substrates that enable synapse growth in three dimensions, we found that perforin release occurs at the base of actin-rich protrusions that extend from central and intermediate locations within the synapse. These protrusions, which depended on the cytoskeletal regulator WASP and the Arp2/3 actin nucleation complex, were required for synaptic force exertion and efficient killing. They also mediated physical distortion of the target cell surface during CTL-target cell interactions. Our results reveal the mechanical basis of cellular cytotoxicity and highlight the functional importance of dynamic, three-dimensional architecture in immune cell-cell interfaces.

One sentence summary

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes use F-actin-rich protrusions at the immunological synapse to potentiate perforin-and granzyme-mediated target cell killing.
Sclerosing nevus with pseudomelanomatous features: dermoscopic and confocal aspects
Authors: Bombonato C. , Pampena R. , Franceschini C. , Piana S. , Perino F. , Di Stefani A. , Ardigò M. , Fargnoli M.C. , Frascione P. , Borsari S. , Pellacani G. , Peris K. , Longo C.
Published: October 2018

Background

Sclerosing nevus with pseudomelanomatous features (SNPFs) is a clinical and pathologic entity that mimics melanoma both clinically and histologically.

The lesion is a melanocytic nevus, histologically characterized by fibrosis and a pseudomelanomatous proliferation. It is typically seen in young to middle‐aged individuals, mainly on the back, where microtrauma or inflammatory changes are more frequent. Dermoscopic description of SNPF has been reported so far in one case series.

Objective

The aim of our study was to describe the dermoscopic and confocal features of SNPF.

Methods

Histopathologically confirmed cases of SNPF were retrospectively collected from three referral centres in Italy. Only lesions with available clinical, dermoscopic and histopathological data were included; confocal images were also retrieved, when available. Lesions were evaluated for the presence of 12 dermoscopic and five confocal criteria previously described.

Results

The study population included 93 lesions in as many patients (71 men and 22 women; median age: 38 years). Dermoscopically, we found a predominance of dark colours, in particular brown and blue, which were found in all lesions and the vast majority of the lesions (86/93; 92.5%) displayed at least one structureless area. By the combination of colours and structures, we observed that the majority of the lesions (67/92; 72%) were characterized by more than one structure and more than one colour.

Confocal evaluation was performed on a subset of 24/93 lesions showing a regular architecture pattern (19/24 cases, 79%), with a predominance of the ringed pattern. The presence of focal cytologic atypia at the dermal‐epidermal junction was present in 12/24 cases (50%) with a prevalent dendritic‐shaped cell proliferation.

Conclusions

The current study demonstrated that SNPF was frequently characterized, on dermoscopic examination, by more than one structure and more than one colour and on confocal microscopy by a regular ringed pattern with focal dendritic atypical cells.
Evaluation of the agreement between TNM 7th and 8th in a population‐based series of cutaneous melanoma
Authors: Crocetti E. , Stanganelli I. , Mancini S. , Vattiato R. , Giuliani O. , Ravaioli A. , Balducci C. , Falcini F. , Pimpinelli N.
Published: October 2018

Background

The 8th edition of TNM has introduced new rules for staging cutaneous melanoma.

Objective

To compare TNM 7th and 8th editions in defining pathological stages of melanoma.

Methods

A population‐based series of 1847 skin melanoma from Romagna cancer registry (Italy) incident during 2003–2012 has been used to measure the agreement (with Cohen's kappa) between TNM 8th and 7th editions in defining melanoma stage. Disease‐specific survival has been computed for each stage according to TNM 7th and 8th.

Results

The agreement between the two TNM editions was quite good when considered on average (kappa = 70.7%), moderate for stage I (61.5%), nearly perfect for stage II (95.0%), but extremely poor for stage III (8.1%). The overall melanoma‐specific observed survival was 90.8% at 5 year and 88.9% at 10 year with a strong prognostic effect of stage.

Conclusion

TNM 8th edition introduces several changes which do not seem really helpful in addressing the care of stage I melanoma and may complicate the definition and comparability of stage III.
Will they stay or will they go? Narcissistic admiration and rivalry predict ingroup affiliation and devaluation
Authors: Benson Alex J. , Jeschke Jessica , Jordan Christian H. , Bruner Mark W. , Arnocky Steven
Published: October 2018

Objective

Using the narcissistic admiration and rivalry concept (NARC) as a guiding framework, the current research examines how ingroup affiliation and devaluation are connected to the self‐enhancing and self‐threatening properties of ingroups for narcissists.

Method

Participants (N = 374) completed a group decision‐making task and received feedback that factorially manipulated both individual and group performance. Across the four combinations of performance feedback, we examined the conditional effects of narcissistic admiration and rivalry on social identity, perceptions of group member ability, desire to abandon the group, and desire to expel group members.

Results

Narcissistic admiration predicted higher levels of social identity in response to ingroup success, regardless of individual performance. In contrast, narcissistic rivalry predicted more negative views of group ability, as well as a higher desire to abandon the group and expel group members in response to individual success combined with ingroup failure.

Conclusion

The results document and provide insight into narcissists’ fickle attachment to ingroups. They provide evidence of the utility of the NARC in group contexts. Our findings suggest that narcissistic admiration is linked to self‐enhancing group affiliation, whereas narcissistic rivalry is related to self‐protective group distancing and devaluation.
Effects of hydration status during heat acclimation on plasma volume and performance
Authors: Pethick Wendy A. , Murray Holly J. , McFadyen Paula , Brodie Ryan , Gaul Catherine A. , Stellingwerff Trent
Published: October 2018

The impact of hydration status was investigated during a 5‐day heat acclimation (HA) training protocol vs mild/cool control conditions on plasma volume (PV) and performance (20 km time‐trial [TT]). Sub‐elite athletes were allocated to one of two heat training groups (90 min/day): (a) dehydrated to ~2% body weight (BW) loss in heat (35°C; DEH; n = 14); (b) euhydrated heat (35°C; EUH; n = 10), where training was isothermally clamped to 38.5°C core temperature (Tc). A euhydrated mild control group (22°C; CON; n = 9) was later added, with training clamped to the same relative heart rate (~75% HRmax) as elicited during DEH and EUH; thus all groups experienced the same internal training stress (%HRmax). Five‐day total thermal load was 30% greater (P < 0.001) in DEH and EUH vs CON. There were significant differences in the average percentage of maximal work rate (%Wmax) across all groups (DEH: 24 ± 6%; EUH: 34 ± 9%; CON: 48 ± 8%Wmax) during training required to elicit the same %HRmax (77 ± 4% HRmax). There were no significant differences pre‐to post‐HA between groups for PV (DEH: +1.7 ± 10.1%; EUH: +4.8 ± 10.2%; CON: +5.2 ± 4.0%), but there was a significant pooled group PV increase, as well as a 97% likely pooled improvement in TT performance (DEH: −1.8 ± 2.8%; EUH: −1.9 ± 2.1%, CON; −1.8 ± 2.8%; P = 0.136). Due to a lack of between‐group differences for PV and TT, but pooled group increases in PV and 97% likely group increase in TT performance, over 5 days of intense training at the same average relative cardiac load suggests that overall training stress may also impact significant adaptations beyond heat and hydration stress.
An application of the MEFM to the modified Boussinesq equation
Authors: Akturk Tolga
Published: October 2018

In this paper, some travelling wave solutions of the Modified Boussinesq (MBQ) equation are obtained by using the modified expansion function method (MEFM). When the obtained solutions are commented, trigonometric functions including hyperbolic features are obtained. The 2D and 3D graphics of the solutions have been investigated by selecting appropriate parameters. All the obtained solutions provide the MBQ equation. In this work, all mathematical calculations are done with Wolfram Mathematica software.
Quantum phase transition for the XY chain with Dzyaloshinsky–Moriya interaction
Authors: Ye Biao-Liang , Luo Yan , Jiang Shu-Yuan , Zhang Dan , Xu Jian-Qin , Wang Xi-Lin , Yang Chui-Ping
Published: October 2018

We study quantum phase transition of the [Formula: see text] spin model with Dzyaloshinsky–Moriya interaction, by using quantum correlation measures, i.e. quantum deficit and measurement-induced disturbance. It is shown that as the Dzyaloshinsky–Moriya coupling parameter [Formula: see text] increases, the behaviors of quantum phase transition can be suppressed. We also investigate quantum phase transition for the Ising and [Formula: see text] spin models at finite temperature. It is found that quantum phase transition characterized by measurement-induced disturbance is greater than or equal to that characterized by quantum deficit. Other interesting analytical results and numerical results on quantum phase transition for the proposed spin models are also presented by applying the two measures. Furthermore, we also compare quantum deficit and measurement-induced disturbance with quantum entanglement, quantum discord and quantum coherence.
Risk Evaluation of Azithromycin-Induced QT Prolongation in Real-World Practice
Authors: Choi Young , Lim Hong-Seok , Chung Dahee , Choi Jung-gu , Yoon Dukyong
Published: October 2018

Background. Azithromycin exposure has been reported to increase the risk of QT prolongation and cardiovascular death. However, findings on the association between azithromycin and cardiovascular death are controversial, and azithromycin is still used in actual practice. Additionally, quantitative assessments of risk have not been performed, including the risk of QT prolongation when patients are exposed to azithromycin in a real-world clinical setting. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the risk of exposure to azithromycin on QT prolongation in a real-world clinical setting using a 21-year medical history database of a tertiary medical institution. Methods. We analyzed the electrocardiogram results and relevant electronic health records of 402,607 subjects in a tertiary teaching hospital in Korea from 1996 to 2015. To evaluate the risk of QT prolongation of azithromycin, we conducted a case-control analysis using amoxicillin for comparison. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to correct for age, sex, accompanying drugs, and disease. Results. The odds ratio (OR) for QT prolongation (QTc>450 ms in male and >460 ms in female) on azithromycin exposure was 1.40 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23-1.59), and the OR for severe QT prolongation (QTc>500 ms) was 1.43 (95% CI, 1.13-1.82). On the other hand, the ORs on exposure to amoxicillin were 1.06 (95% CI, 0.97-1.15) and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.70-1.09). In a subgroup analysis, the risk of QT prolongation in patients aged between 60 and 80 years was significantly higher when they are exposed to azithromycin. Conclusions. The risk of QT prolongation was increased when patients, particularly the elderly aged 60-79 years, were exposed to azithromycin. Therefore, clinicians should pay exercise caution using azithromycin or consider using other antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, instead of azithromycin.
Acute Abdomen due to Mutual Tangle of Two Small Paratubal Cysts
Authors: Kobayashi Hiroharu , Shibuya Shinichi , Iga Kentaro , Kato Keiichiro , Kato Airi , Terada Shuhei , Adachi Hiroshi
Published: October 2018

A 30-year-old woman (gravida 0) visited our hospital with a complaint of right lower abdominal pain. Transvaginal ultrasonography revealed a 5-cm swollen right ovary, which was suspected to be a mature cystic teratoma. Pelvic examination revealed moderate pain. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed a 44-mm cystic mass containing fat and calcified material in the right pelvis. Since torsion was suspected, emergent laparoscopic surgery was performed. Intraoperative findings were a swollen right ovary without torsion or congestion. Two small pedunculated 1- and 2-cm diameter paratubal cysts that grew from almost the same place of the ampulla of the right fallopian tube were observed. The thin stalk of the 1-cm paratubal cyst was entangled around the stalk of the 2-cm paratubal cyst, with its head congested. Through a small abdominal laparoscopic incision, the tumor of the right ovary and the two paratubal cysts were excised. Histopathological examination revealed that the right ovarian tumor was a mature cystic teratoma, and the two paratubal cysts had no malignancy. This case showed that only a 2-cm tumor with congestion caused the acute abdomen.
Lipids and Atherogenic Indices Fluctuation in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients on Long-Term Tocilizumab Treatment
Authors: Cacciapaglia Fabio , Anelli Maria Grazia , Rinaldi Angela , Fornaro Marco , Lopalco Giuseppe , Scioscia Crescenzio , Lapadula Giovanni , Iannone Florenzo
Published: October 2018

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are at high risk of cardiovascular (CV) events, and the chronic inflammatory state may generate quantitative and qualitative changes in lipoprotein fractions. The anti-IL-6 receptor tocilizumab (TCZ), even if effective in inflammation and joint damage prevention, determined significant alterations to RA patients’ lipid levels in randomized controlled trials, but real-world data are lacking. We evaluated the changes in lipid fraction levels and disease activity in a longitudinal cohort of RA patients on long-term treatment with tocilizumab (TCZ) in a community setting. We retrospectively selected 40 naïve-biologic RA patients on treatment with intravenous TCZ compared to 20 RA patients on methotrexate treatment as the control group. Total cholesterol (Tot-Chol), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglyceride (TG) levels were measured at the baseline and at 12, 24, and 52 weeks thereafter. At the same points, 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28), clinical disease activity index (CDAI), and EULAR clinical responses were also assessed. During the first 24 weeks, we observed in TCZ-treated patients a progressive statistically significant (p<0.001) increase in Tot-Chol, LDL, HDL, and TG, which returned close to the baseline at 52 weeks. But no changes in the lipid-related CV risk indices Tot-Chol/HDL and LDL/HDL ratios and the atherogenic index (log10 TG/HDL) were detectable. Notably, we observed a statistically significant negative correlation between changes in lipid fractions and DAS28 or CDAI. The prolonged treatment with TCZ was associated to a transient increase in cholesterol’s fractions during the first 6 months of treatment, with inverse correlation to disease activity, but with no impact on surrogate lipid indices of atherogenic risk. These findings may aid clinicians in interpreting the RA patient’s lipid profile in daily clinical practice.
Review of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections and In Vitro Urinary Tract Models
Authors: Cortese Yvonne J. , Wagner Victoria E. , Tierney Morgan , Devine Declan , Fogarty Andrew
Published: October 2018

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are one of the most common nosocomial infections and can lead to numerous medical complications from the mild catheter encrustation and bladder stones to the severe septicaemia, endotoxic shock, and pyelonephritis. Catheters are one of the most commonly used medical devices in the world and can be characterised as either indwelling (ID) or intermittent catheters (IC). The primary challenges in the use of IDs are biofilm formation and encrustation. ICs are increasingly seen as a solution to the complications caused by IDs as ICs pose no risk of biofilm formation due to their short time in the body and a lower risk of bladder stone formation. Research on IDs has focused on the use of antimicrobial and antibiofilm compounds, while research on ICs has focused on preventing bacteria entering the urinary tract or coming into contact with the catheter. There is an urgent need for in vitro urinary tract models to facilitate faster research and development for CAUTI prevention. There are currently three urinary tract models that test IDs; however, there is only a single very limited model for testing ICs. There is currently no standardised urinary tract model to test the efficacies of ICs.
Hirschsprung’s Associated Enterocolitis (HAEC) Personalized Treatment with Probiotics Based on Gene Sequencing Analysis of the Fecal Microbiome
Authors: Singer Georg , Kashofer Karl , Castellani Christoph , Till Holger
Published: October 2018

Approximately 40% of children with Hirschsprung’s disease (HD) suffer from Hirschsprung’s associated enterocolitis (HAEC) despite correct surgery. Disturbances of the intestinal microbiome may play a role. Treatment with probiotics based on individual analyses of the fecal microbiome has not been published for HD patients with recurrent HAEC yet. A boy with trisomy 21 received transanal pull-through at the age of 6 months for rectosigmoid HD. With four years, he suffered from recurrent episodes of HAEC. The fecal microbiome was measured during three healthy and three HAEC episodes by next-generation sequencing. The patient was started on daily probiotics for 3 months; the fecal microbiome was measured weekly. The fecal microbiome differed significantly between healthy and HAEC episodes. HAEC episodes were associated with significant decreases of Actinobacteria and significant increases of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria. Probiotic treatment led to a significant increase of alpha diversity and a significant increase of Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus as well as decreases of Rikenellaceae, Pseudobutyrivibrio, Blautia, and Lachnospiraceae. A longitudinal observation of the microbiome has never been performed following correction of Hirschsprung’s disease. Probiotic treatment significantly changed the fecal microbiome; the alterations were not limited to strains contained in the administered probiotics.
Nonlinear Forecasting Model regarding Evolutional Risk of the PPP Project
Authors: Gao Wu
Published: October 2018

The special topic of this paper is to build a nonlinear measuring model between PPP project risk and multiple variables and test it through case analysis. Nonlinear regression method was used in this research to study the risk mutation of public-private partnership (PPP) projects without any significant events. Risk evolution is influenced by three factors which include (1) macroscopic environment, (2) micro environment, and (3) subject’s capacity and their cooperative relationship. First, it reveals three main drive variables of project risk evolution through case analysis. Second, it builds a nonlinear time-varying measurement model which is then transformed to a classical regression model. Lastly, it estimates and tests the model parameter by an example. The study shows that there is an integral negative correlation among the three independent variables within a certain threshold range, revealing macro environment as the most significant factor of project risk. Analyzing the complex relationship between multiple impact variables and risk evolution of PPP projects can provide a basic tool for forecasting and control of risk.
Excisional Biopsy of the Pyogenic Granuloma in Very High-Risk Patient
Authors: Nery Dirceu Tavares Formiga , Ranali José , Zanetta Barbosa Darceny , Marangon Júnior Helvécio , Pereira Rafael Martins Afonso , Afonso Pereira Patrícia Cristine de Oliveira
Published: October 2018

Oral surgery to remove pyogenic granuloma in a high-risk patient is reported. A 47-year-old man with gastroesophageal reflux disease, diabetes mellitus II, dyslipidemia, and chronic coronary insufficiency (myocardial infarction within 2 years) with episodes of unstable angina was submitted to an excisional biopsy of hemorrhagic lesion in the lingual right mandibular gingiva. During dental treatment, the arterial blood pressure, oxygen saturation, heart rate, and electrocardiogram were monitored. Local anesthesia was performed with 0.45 ml of 3% prilocaine with 0.03 IU/ml felypressin. The anticoagulant therapy was not interrupted. No local or systemic complications were noticed during or after the surgery.