bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcomes after use of covered stents to treat coronary artery perforations. Comparison of old and new‐generation covered stents
Authors: Hernández‐Enríquez Marco , Lairez Olivier , Campelo‐Parada Francisco , Lhermusier Thibault , Bouisset Frédéric , Roncalli Jérôme , Elbaz Meyer , Carrié Didier , Boudou Nicolas
Published: May 2018

Objectives

To compare outcomes in patients receiving polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyurethane (PL) covered stents (CS) after coronary artery perforation (CAP).

Background

The prognosis of CAP has improved with the advent of CSs. Information is scarce about the outcomes of new‐generation CSs.

Methods

Sixty‐one patients were treated with CSs in a 5‐years period (age = 77 ± 8.75% males). Procedural and clinical data were retrospectively collected. The primary endpoint was procedural success. Secondary endpoints included death and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as a composite of death, myocardial infarction, target vessel, and lesion revascularization and need for surgical repair).

Results

Twenty‐two (36%) received PL‐CSs and 39 (65%) PTFE‐CSs. There were no differences in procedural success (86% vs 69%, P = 0.216). Time to deliver was shorter with PL‐CS despite larger length of stents (8[11] vs 15[16] min, P = 0.001; 20[5] vs 16[3] mm, P < 0.001). This group had lower rate of pericardial effusion and cardiac arrest (41% vs 72%, P = 0.028; 5% vs 26%, P = 0.045). At 1‐year follow‐up, MACE rates were similar (58% vs 56%, P = 1.000) with atrend toward TVR in the PL‐CS arm (21% vs 5%, P = 0.083). No differences were found in mortality (26% vs 41%, P = 0.385). Each group had 1 stent thrombosis and in‐stent restenosis trended higher in the PL‐CS group (12% vs 3%, P = 0.223).

Conclusions

Time to deliver was shorter with the PL‐CS and resulted in lower rate of pericardial effusion and cardiac arrest. However, there were no significant differences in procedural success and 1‐year follow‐up MACE in patients treated with PL‐CS or PTFE‐CS.
Do correlated responses to multiple environmental changes exacerbate or mitigate species loss?
Authors: Frishkoff Luke O. , Echeverri Alejandra , Chan Kai M. A. , Karp Daniel S.
Published: May 2018

Biological communities face multiple global changes simultaneously, and predicting how they will respond remains a key challenge. Co‐tolerance theory offers a framework for understanding how species‐level responses to multiple stressors affect community properties. Co‐tolerance theory predicts that positive correlations in species responses (i.e. species that are susceptible to one stressor are more likely to be highly susceptible to a second) lessen total species loss, essentially because species cannot be eliminated from a community twice. However, it is unclear whether several of the tenets of co‐tolerance theory describe real‐world communities, and what consequences result from such deviations. Here, we use an empirical dataset of bird community response to land‐use change over a climate gradient to examine co‐tolerance theory's tenet that environmental changes only harm species (not benefit them). We show that this tenet is not met, and then use simulations to examine how predictions of total species richness and community intactness vary when multiple environmental changes both harm and benefit particular species in the community. Finally, we conduct a sensitivity analysis, examining how the average species response to environmental change, as well as the variance among species, can further alter predictions. Overall, we find that predictions of co‐tolerance theory can break down when communities contain species that benefit from some environmental changes. As a result, the presence of multiple environmental changes can either compound or mitigate species loss when species’ responses are positively correlated, preventing a one‐size‐fits‐all statement regarding the effects of correlated responses. This finding highlights the need to carefully consider the underlying mechanisms of community change when making policy assessments regarding the consequences of correlations of species responses to environmental impacts.
Low‐grade ovarian serous carcinoma metastasis to the maxilla
Authors: Tocaciu S. , Fiddler C. , Krzys N. , Long E. , Chambers I.
Published: May 2018

The maxillofacial region is an uncommon site for metastases from distant primary tumours, representing only 1–2% of malignancies at this site. Such metastases usually present in the mandible rather than the maxilla. The most common sites of primary tumour are the breast, lung and kidney. We describe the clinical, radiological and histologic features of the first‐known case of a low‐grade serous carcinoma of the ovary metastasising to the posterior maxilla. Low‐grade serous carcinoma of the ovary is an uncommon entity and is biologically distinct from high‐grade serous carcinoma. Extra‐abdominal spread is uncommon and bony metastases are rare. Intraosseous metastases are often associated with disseminated disease and confer a poor prognosis.
Long‐term electrical performance of Attain Performa quadripolar left ventricular leads with all steroid‐eluting electrodes: Results from a large worldwide clinical trial
Authors: Lin Albert C. , Biffi Mauro , Exner Derek V. , Johnson W. Ben , Gras Daniel , Hussin Azlan , Singh Balbir , Yang Zhongping , Hine Douglas , Li Shelby , Crossley George H.
Published: May 2018

Background

Steroid‐eluting (SE) electrodes suppress local inflammation and lower pacing capture thresholds (PCT); however, their effectiveness on quadripolar left ventricular (LV) leads in the cardiac vein is not fully studied. We evaluated the effectiveness of SE on all four LV pacing electrodes in human subjects enrolled in the Medtronic Attain® Performa™ quadripolar LV lead study.

Methods

A total of 1,097 subjects were included in this evaluation. At each follow‐up visit (1, 3, 6, and 12 months), LV PCT and pacing impedance were measured using either manual or automated testing methods. Summary statistics for PCT and impedance values were obtained for implant and each scheduled follow‐up visit for all lead models.

Results

Average extended bipolar (LV electrode to right ventricular Coil) PCTs for the four LV SE pacing electrodes (LV1, LV2, LV3, and LV4) on the three shapes of the quadripolar LV leads were 1.06 ± 0.97 V, 1.38 ± 1.26 V, 1.51 ± 1.33 V, and 2.25 ± 1.63 V, respectively, at 0.5‐ms pulse width. PCTs remained low and stable throughout the 12‐month follow‐up period.

Conclusion

This clinical trial demonstrated that SE on all LV pacing electrodes is associated with low and stable PCTs for all quadripolar LV lead electrodes, resulting in multiple viable vectors for LV pacing. The large number of available vectors facilitates basal pacing, avoidance of PNS, and potentially prolongs generator longevity due to lower PCTs.
The feasibility issue
Authors: Southwood Nicholas
Published: May 2018

It is commonly taken for granted that questions of feasibility are highly relevant to our normative thinking—and perhaps especially our normative thinking about politics. But what exactly does this preoccupation with feasibility amount to, and in what forms if any is it warranted? This article aims to provide an opinionated introduction to, and clearer characterisation of, the feasibility issue. I begin by discussing the question of how feasibility is to be understood. I then turn to the question of feasibility's role, suggesting that there are two quite different kinds of role questions that may be at play, though they are often run together: a question about feasibility's normative significance; and a question about its proper use in informing our normative thinking. Finally, I consider how the feasibility issue differs from certain other related issues: the demandingness issue; the issue of whether “ought” implies “can”; and the “ideal versus non‐ideal theory” issue.
Improvement of both lipid and biomass productivities of Qatar Chlorocystis isolate for biodiesel production and food security
Authors: Saadaoui Imen , Bounnit Touria , Muraikhi Maryam , Rasheed Rihab , Alghasal Ghamza , Al Jabri Hareb
Published: May 2018

Microalgae are considered a very promising alternative for biofuel production. Several strategies were developed to modulate and improve algae metabolites production to meet the requirements for biodiesel production. Most previous research evidenced that the increase of the lipid content is accompanied by a decrease of the biomass production, which increases the cost of the downstream processing. Hence, the challenge is to find special culture conditions that increase the lipid and the biomass productivities simultaneously. In the present work, we developed a strategy for the improvement of biomass and lipid productivities in a novel local microalga isolate, Chlorocystis sp. QUCCCM14, which was not previously known as a promising strain. Indeed, culturing QUCCCM14 using f/2 medium with 10× NaH2PO4 (0.15 g L−1 NaNO3 and 5.6 mg L−1 NaH2PO4) resulted in an improvement of 3.178 folds the lipid productivity reaching 56.121 mg L−1 day−1 and enhanced the biomass productivity reaching 141.363 mg L−1 day−1, simultaneously. Comparative analyses of the FAME profiles demonstrated that fed‐batch culture with phosphate or nitrate separately leads to a high production of the omega 3 fatty acids (Linolenic acid), whereas fed‐batch culture with phosphate and nitrate simultaneously increased the production of fatty acids suitable for biodiesel production.
Should I Text or Call Here? A Situation‐Based Analysis of Drivers’ Perceived Likelihood of Engaging in Mobile Phone Multitasking
Authors: Oviedo‐Trespalacios Oscar , Haque Md. Mazharul , King Mark , Washington Simon
Published: May 2018

This study investigated how situational characteristics typically encountered in the transport system influence drivers’ perceived likelihood of engaging in mobile phone multitasking. The impacts of mobile phone tasks, perceived environmental complexity/risk, and drivers' individual differences were evaluated as relevant individual predictors within the behavioral adaptation framework. An innovative questionnaire, which includes randomized textual and visual scenarios, was administered to collect data from a sample of 447 drivers in South East Queensland‐Australia (66% females; n = 296). The likelihood of engaging in a mobile phone task across various scenarios was modeled by a random parameters ordered probit model. Results indicated that drivers who are female, are frequent users of phones for texting/answering calls, have less favorable attitudes towards safety, and are highly disinhibited were more likely to report stronger intentions of engaging in mobile phone multitasking. However, more years with a valid driving license, self‐efficacy toward self‐regulation in demanding traffic conditions and police enforcement, texting tasks, and demanding traffic conditions were negatively related to self‐reported likelihood of mobile phone multitasking. The unobserved heterogeneity warned of riskier groups among female drivers and participants who need a lot of convincing to believe that multitasking while driving is dangerous. This research concludes that behavioral adaptation theory is a robust framework explaining self‐regulation of distracted drivers.
Hemodiafiltration versus conventional hemodialysis: Should “conventional” be redefined?
Authors: Maduell Francisco
Published: May 2018

In the 1980s, conventional hemodialysis was considered as dialysis with acetate dialysate, dialysis machines without volumetric control, low blood flow and low‐flux dialyzers; in the 1990s, the concept of conventional hemodialysis changed due to technological advances in dialysis machines, control of ultrafiltration and the widespread use of bicarbonate dialysate, which allowed an increase in blood flow and the use of synthetic high‐flux dialyzers. To avoid backfiltration‐induced adverse reactions, exogenous replacement fluid was promoted but its adoption was limited for technical and financial reasons. This scenario changed in 1995 with the development of on‐line hemodiafiltration (HDF) techniques using the dialysis fluid itself as a replacement fluid. Dialysis machines were modified to perform on‐line HDF, incorporating safety filters to ensure the quality of this replacement fluid (ultrapure dialysate). After more than two decades of clinical experience and technological development with high‐volume HDF, the present article discusses whether HDF can currently be considered as the standard conventional treatment for chronic hemodialysis patients. A review of the evidence indicates that the time has come to consider HDF as the conventional hemodialysis treatment for the following reasons: first, technological development in water treatment and advances in dialysis machines, as well as the widespread use of synthetic high‐flux dialyzers has made it a feasible proposition. Second, there is an absence of published literature showing any undesirable effects. Finally, scientific evidence is available showing the superiority of HDF over hemodialysis in overall and cardiovascular mortality in both prevalent and incident patients.
Clinical characteristics and outcomes of late‐onset BK virus nephropathy in kidney and kidney‐pancreas transplant recipients
Authors: Imlay Hannah , Whitaker Kathryn , Fisher Cynthia E. , Limaye Ajit P.
Published: May 2018

Background

BK virus nephropathy (BKPyVAN) is a major complication in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) and typically occurs within 1 year of transplant. Guidelines vary in recommendations for BKPyV screening beyond 1 year. A systematic characterization of risk factors and outcomes of late‐onset (>1 year) BKPyVAN has not previously been reported.

Methods

We retrospectively compared characteristics and outcomes of early‐ (<1 year) and late‐onset BKPyVAN (definitive [biopsy‐confirmed] or presumptive [plasma BKPyV >10 000 copies/mL]) in a cohort of 671 KTR and simultaneous kidney‐pancreas transplant (SPK) recipients between 2008 and 2013 at a single US transplant center. Proportions were compared using Chi‐square or Fisher's exact test with P < .05 considered significant.

Results

BKPyVAN was diagnosed in 96 (14.3%) patients (proven 16.7%, presumptive 83.3%): 79 (82.3%) early‐ and 17 (17.7%) late‐onset. The proportion with late‐onset BKPyVAN was significantly higher among SPK than KTR (4 of 7 [57.1%] vs 13 of 89 [14.6%], P = .017). Late‐onset represented “de novo” infection (no BKPyV detection within the first year) in 14 (82.4%) and progression of earlier lower grade BKPyV reactivation in 3 (17.6%). Clinical outcomes were similar for early‐ and late‐onset BKPyVAN (P > .05 all comparisons). In a pooled analysis of prior studies of BKPyVAN in SPK recipients, 62.9% (17 of 27) were late‐onset.

Conclusion

A significant proportion of BKPyVAN is late‐onset, especially among SPK recipients, and supports a longer duration of BKPyV monitoring for SPK recipients than recommended in some guidelines.
DisseminatedMycobacterium bovisinfection post‐kidney transplant following remote intravesicalBCGtherapy for bladder cancer
Authors: Ziegler Jennifer , Ho Julie , Gibson Ian W. , Nayak Jasmir G. , Stein Markus , Walkty Andrew , Orr Pamela
Published: May 2018

Intravesical Bacillus Camlette‐Guérin (BCG) is the treatment of choice for non‐muscle invasive bladder cancer, and has been used successfully for over 40 years. A rare and potentially fatal complication of intravesicalBCGtherapy isBCG‐induced sepsis. We report a rare case in which a patient with end‐stage renal disease secondary to chronic granulomatous interstitial nephritis underwent remote, pre‐transplant intravesicalBCGtreatment for high‐grade non‐invasive papillary bladder carcinoma. The patient subsequently received a deceased donor kidney transplant 5 years afterBCGtherapy, with thymoglobulin induction therapy and standard triple maintenance immunosuppression. Two years post‐transplant, he developedBCG‐induced sepsis confirmed by cultures from urine, blood, and left native kidney biopsy. He died from disseminatedBCG‐induced sepsis and failure of his renal allograft. This case highlights the potential adverse reactions associated with intravesicalBCGtherapy that may occur years after bladder cancer therapy is completed, and should heighten physician awareness forBCG‐related infections during pre‐transplant assessment and post‐transplant care of solid organ transplants recipients.
Mothers do not enhance tonal contrasts in child-directed speech: Perceptual and acoustic evidence from child-directed Mandarin lexical tones
Authors: Wong Puisan
Published: May 2018

Prosodically, child-directed speech typically has a higher pitch and more varied pitch contours. Studies that have examined acoustic differences between child-directed and adult-directed vowels and consonants have reported mixed results and proposed two hypotheses explaining the function of the acoustic modifications in child-directed speech. The hyperarticulation hypothesis suggests that mothers enhance the phonemic contrasts in child-directed speech to facilitate speech and language acquisition in children. The pragmatic hypothesis claims that the acoustic differences between child-directed and adult-directed speech result from mothers' expression of affective emotions towards young children. In tone languages, pitch is used at the syllable level to make lexical contrasts and at the utterance level to serve pragmatic functions. This study compared the perceptual clarity and acoustic characteristics of adult-directed and child-directed Mandarin tones to test the two hypotheses. 1648 child-directed and adult-directed tones produced by 20 mothers in monosyllabic and disyllabic words were low-pass filtered to eliminate segmental information and presented to five judges for tone identification. Child-directed tones were identified with poorer accuracy than adult-directed tones. Acoustic analysis revealed that child-directed tones, regardless of tone type, were produced with higher pitch and more positive slopes than adult-directed tones. The findings did not support the hyperarticulation hypothesis.
Evaluating Performance During Maximum Effort Vertical Jump Landings
Authors: Harry John R. , Barker Leland A. , Eggleston Jeffrey D. , Dufek Janet S.
Published: May 2018

The ability to rapidly complete a jump landing has received little attention in the literature despite the need for rapid performance in a number of sports. As such, our purpose was to investigate differences between groups of individuals who land quickly (FAST) and slowly (SLOW) relative to peak vertical ground reaction forces (vGRFs), loading rates, rates of vGRF attenuation, contributions to lower extremity mechanical energy absorption at the involved joints, and the onsets of preparatory joint flexion/dorsiflexion. Twenty-four healthy adults (26.1 [3.3] y, 75.7 [18.9] kg, 1.7 [0.1] m) were stratified into FAST and SLOW groups based on landing time across 8 jump-landing trials. Independent t tests (α = .05) and effect sizes (ESs; large ≥ 0.8) compared differences between groups. A greater rate of vGRF attenuation (P = .02; ES = 0.95) was detected in the FAST group. The FAST group also exhibited greater contributions to lower extremity energy absorption at the ankle (P = .03; ES = 0.98) and knee (P = .03; ES = 0.99) during loading and attenuation, respectively. The SLOW group exhibited greater contributions to energy absorption at the hip during loading (P = .02; ES = 1.10). Results suggest that individuals who land quickly utilize different energy absorption strategies than individuals who land slowly. Ultimately, the FAST group’s strategy resulted in superior landing performance (more rapid landing time).
Concurrent Validity of a Portable Force Plate Using Vertical Jump Force–Time Characteristics
Authors: Lake Jason , Mundy Peter , Comfort Paul , McMahon John J. , Suchomel Timothy J. , Carden Patrick
Published: May 2018

This study examined concurrent validity of countermovement vertical jump reactive strength index modified and force–time characteristics recorded using a 1-dimensional portable and laboratory force plate system. Twenty-eight men performed bilateral countermovement vertical jumps on 2 portable force plates placed on top of 2 in-ground force plates, both recording vertical ground reaction force at 1000 Hz. Time to takeoff; jump height; reactive strength index modified; and braking and propulsion impulse, mean net force, and duration were calculated from the vertical force from both force plate systems. Results from both systems were highly correlated (r ≥ .99). There were small (d < 0.12) but significant differences between their respective braking impulse, braking mean net force, propulsion impulse, and propulsion mean net force (P < .001). However, limits of agreement yielded a mean value of 1.7% relative to the laboratory force plate system (95% confidence limits, 0.9%–2.5%), indicating very good agreement across all of the dependent variables. The largest limits of agreement were for jump height (2.1%), time to takeoff (3.4%), and reactive strength index modified (3.8%). The portable force plate system provides a valid method of obtaining reactive strength measures, and several underpinning force–time variables, from unloaded countermovement vertical jump. Thus, practitioners can use both force plates interchangeably.
Assessment of Knee Kinetic Symmetry Using Force Plate Technology
Authors: Nelson Aaron , Koslakiewicz Nathan , Almonroeder Thomas Gus
Published: May 2018

Context: Athletes who have undergone an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction often demonstrate more pronounced interlimb knee kinetic symmetry in comparison with uninjured athletes, even after they have completed rehabilitation. Part of the reason for the persistent asymmetry may be that sports medicine professionals are typically not able to assess knee joint kinetics within the clinic setting. Developing measures to assess knee joint kinetic symmetry could help to augment current rehabilitation practices. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which interlimb vertical ground reaction force (GRF) symmetry can predict knee kinetic symmetry during a drop landing task. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Motion analysis laboratory. Participants: A total of 21 uninjured subjects (9 males and 12 females). Protocol: Three-dimensional kinematic data were collected using a multicamera system while subjects performed double-leg drop landings. GRF data were collected synchronously using 2 adjacent force plates. Main Outcome Measures: Knee joint moments and power were calculated for both limbs during the landing trials. An interlimb symmetry index (dominant/nondominant limb) was calculated for both the peak knee joint moment and power variables, as well as for the peak vertical GRFs. Linear regression analyses were performed to determine if the degree of symmetry in the peak vertical GRFs predicted the degree of symmetry for the kinetic variables. Results: The symmetry index for the vertical GRFs was a significant predictor of the symmetry indices for the knee joint moments (r = .81; P < .001) and power (r = .88; P < .001). Conclusion: Interlimb symmetry in the peak vertical GRFs can be used to predict knee joint kinetic symmetry during a double-leg drop landing task.
R-Ras2 is required for germinal center formation to aid B cells during energetically demanding processes
Authors: Mendoza Pilar , Martínez-Martín Nuria , Bovolenta Elena R. , Reyes-Garau Diana , Hernansanz-Agustín Pablo , Delgado Pilar , Diaz-Muñoz Manuel D. , Oeste Clara L. , Fernández-Pisonero Isabel , Castellano Ester , Martínez-Ruiz Antonio , Alonso-Lopez Diego , Santos Eugenio , Bustelo Xosé R. , Kurosaki Tomohiro , Alarcón Balbino
Published: May 2018

Metabolic reprogramming of germinal center B cells requires the activity of R-Ras2.
Dual phosphorylation of Ric-8A enhances its ability to mediate G protein α subunit folding and to stimulate guanine nucleotide exchange
Authors: Papasergi-Scott Makaía M. , Stoveken Hannah M. , MacConnachie Lauren , Chan Pui-Yee , Gabay Meital , Wong Dorothy , Freeman Robert S. , Beg Asim A. , Tall Gregory G.
Published: May 2018

Phosphorylation of evolutionarily conserved sites enhances the function of the Gα subunit chaperone and regulator Ric-8A.
The Yin and Yang of SagS: Distinct Residues in the HmsP Domain of SagS Independently Regulate Biofilm Formation and Biofilm Drug Tolerance
Authors: Dingemans Jozef , Poudyal Bandita , Sondermann Holger , Sauer Karin
Published: May 2018

The membrane-bound sensory protein SagS plays a pivotal role in
P. aeruginosa
biofilm formation and biofilm cells gaining their heightened resistance to antimicrobial agents, with SagS being the control point at which both pathways diverge. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that the two distinct pathways leading to biofilm formation and biofilm drug tolerance are under the control of two sets of amino acid residues located within the HmsP sensory domain of SagS. The respective amino acids are likely part of ligand binding interaction sites. Thus, our findings have the potential not only to enable the manipulation of SagS function but also to enable research of biofilm drug tolerance in a manner independent of biofilm formation (and vice versa). Moreover, the manipulation of SagS function represents a promising target/avenue open for biofilm control.
Model Communities Hint at Promiscuous Metabolic Linkages between Ubiquitous Free-Living Freshwater Bacteria
Authors: Garcia Sarahi L. , Buck Moritz , Hamilton Joshua J. , Wurzbacher Christian , Grossart Hans-Peter , McMahon Katherine D. , Eiler Alexander
Published: May 2018

Genome streamlining is frequently observed in free-living aquatic microorganisms and results in physiological dependencies between microorganisms. However, we know little about the specificity of these microbial associations.
Outcomes of ultrathin Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (UT-DSAEK) performed in eyes with failure of primary Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK)
Authors: Graffi Shmuel , Leon Pia , Nahum Yoav , Gutfreund Shay , Spena Rossella , Mattioli Leila , Busin Massimo
Published: May 2018

Aim

To evaluate the outcomes of ultrathin Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (UT-DSAEK) performed in eyes after failure of primary Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK).

Methods

This was a retrospective, non-comparative interventional case series done in a tertiary care hospital. The study group included 21 eyes of patients which underwent UT-DSAEK following the failure of primary DMEK. Outcome measures included best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) and endothelial cell density (ECD) both recorded 6 and 12 months postoperatively as well as central graft thickness (CGT) measured 6 months after UT-DSAEK.

Results

When considering only eyes without comorbidities (17 of 21), 12 months after UT-DSAEK, BSCVA was ≥20/25 in 12/13 (92%) eyes and ≥20/20 in 4/13 (30%) eyes. Mean ECD loss rate was 38.9% at 12 months postoperatively (range 8%–57%). Six months postoperatively, CGT averaged at 81±34 µm (range 34–131 µm). No intraoperative complications were recorded. Postoperatively, one patient (no. 8) had graft wrinkles that were fixed 2 days following UT-DSAEK. Four patients have developed intraocular lens (IOL) opacification, and two of them underwent IOL exchange. No other postoperative complications were recorded.

Conclusions

UT-DSAEK is instrumental in the management of primary DMEK graft failure, allowing visual rehabilitation which is comparable with that of repeat DMEK.
Declining trends of diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy with improving diabetes care indicators in Japanese patients with type 2 and type 1 diabetes (JDDM 46)
Authors: Yokoyama Hiroki , Araki Shin-ichi , Kawai Koichi , Yamazaki Katsuya , Tomonaga Osamu , Shirabe Shin-ichiro , Maegawa Hiroshi
Published: May 2018

Objective

We examined changes in prevalence of diabetic microvascular/macrovascular complications and diabetes care indicators for adults in Japan with type 2 and type 1 diabetes over one decade.

Research design and methods

Two independent cohorts were recruited with the same inclusion criteria in 2004 (cohort 1: 3319 with type 2 and 286 with type 1 diabetes) and in 2014 (cohort 2: 3932 with type 2 and 308 with type 1 diabetes). Prevalence of complications and care indicators including achieving treatment targets for glycemia, blood pressure, lipid control, body mass index (BMI), and smoking were compared. In addition, patients in cohort 1 were re-examined in 2014 and their data were compared with the baseline data of each cohort.

Results

In type 2 diabetes, the prevalence of nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, chronic kidney disease, current smoking and stroke significantly decreased, with improvements in achieving treatment target rates in cohort 2 two as compared with cohort 1. In type 1 diabetes, the prevalence of nephropathy, retinopathy, chronic kidney disease, and hemoglobin A1Cvalues significantly decreased. Decreases in prevalence of microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes were similarly found in each age-matched and sex-matched group, whereas younger patients exhibited marked increase in BMI and lower treatment target achieving rates compared with elderly patients. Regarding normoalbuminuric renal impairment, only a slight increase in the prevalence was observed both in type 2 and type 1 diabetes. In cohort 1, re-examined in 2014, care indicators were significantly improved from 2004, while complications increased with getting 10 years older.

Conclusions

We observed declining trends of diabetic microvascular complications with improvement in diabetes care indicators in type 2 and type 1 diabetes. Younger patients with type 2 diabetes exhibited marked increase in BMI and lower rates of achieving treatment targets compared with elderly patients, which remains a concern.
Subsampling populations with spatially structured traits: a field comparison of stratified and random strategies
Authors: Puerta Patricia , Johnson Bethany , Ciannelli Lorenzo , Helser Thomas , Lauth Robert
Published: May 2018

Scientific surveys are widely used for stock assessment, but the estimated population parameters are based on the size-at-age relationship and age structure derived from a small subsample of the catch that is aged. This calls for an assessment of subsampling strategies, especially when population’s life history traits are spatially structured. In the Eastern Bering Sea, Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) size and age are spatially structured, with younger and smaller individuals being more abundant at shallower depths. We conducted parallel subsamplings during Pacific cod surveys to compare two contrasting subsampling strategies: length-stratified and random. Geographical heterogeneity of Pacific cod length resulted in divergent estimates of ages between subsampling strategies. When this spatial variability was taken into account to estimate population parameters, random strategy provided more accurate mean and modal size-at-age and estimated age structure. Bias in the length-stratified subsampling arises from the poor efficacy in capturing the geographical patterns of size observed in the population. However, combining age data samples from multiple years helps to minimize the divergences between the two strategies.
Codimension-Two Bifurcation Analysis of a Vehicle Suspension System Moving Over Rough Surface
Authors: Chen Chun-Cheng , Chang Shun-Chang
Published: May 2018

This paper examines the dynamics of a nonlinear semi-active suspension system using a quarter-car model moving over rough road profiles. The bifurcation analysis of the nonlinear dynamical behavior of this system is performed. Codimension-two bifurcation and homoclinic orbits can be discovered in this system. When the external force of a road profile was added to this system as a parameter with a certain range of values, a strange attractor can be found using the numerical simulation. Finally, the Lyapunov exponent is adopted to identify the onset of chaotic motion and verify the bifurcation analysis.
Characterizing and Predicting Users’ Behavior on Local Search Queries
Authors: Cacheda Fidel , Blanco Roi , Barbieri Nicola
Published: May 2018

The use of queries to find products and services that are located nearby is increasing rapidly due mainly to the ubiquity of internet access and location services provided by smartphone devices. Local search engines help users by matching queries with a predefined geographical connotation (“local queries”) against a database of local business listings.

Local search differs from traditional Web search because, to correctly capture users’ click behavior, the estimation of relevance between query and candidate results must be integrated with geographical signals, such as distance. The intuition is that users prefer businesses that are physically closer to them or in a convenient area (e.g., close to their home). However, this notion of closeness depends upon other factors, like the business category, the quality of the service provided, the density of businesses in the area of interest, the hour of the day, or even the day of the week.

In this work, we perform an extensive analysis of online users’ interactions with a local search engine, investigating their intent, temporal patterns, and highlighting relationships between distance-to-business and other factors, such as business reputation, Furthermore, we investigate the problem of estimating the click-through rate on local search (
LCTR
) by exploiting the combination of standard retrieval methods with a rich collection of geo-, user-, and business-dependent features. We validate our approach on a large log collected from a real-world local search service. Our evaluation shows that the non-linear combination of business and user information, geo-local and textual relevance features leads to a significant improvements over existing alternative approaches based on a combination of relevance, distance, and business reputation [1].
A Logical Analysis of Framing for Specifications with Pure Method Calls
Authors: Banerjee Anindya , Naumann David A. , Nikouei Mohammad
Published: May 2018

For specifying and reasoning about object-based programs, it is often attractive for contracts to be expressed using calls to pure methods. It is useful for pure methods to have contracts, including read effects, to support local reasoning based on frame conditions. This leads to puzzles such as the use of a pure method in its own contract. These ideas have been explored in connection with verification tools based on axiomatic semantics, guided by the need to avoid logical inconsistency, and focusing on encodings that cater for first-order automated provers. This article adds pure methods and read effects to region logic, a first-order program logic that features frame-based local reasoning and provides modular reasoning principles for end-to-end correctness. Modular reasoning is embodied in a proof rule for linking a module’s method implementations with a client that relies on the method contracts. Soundness is proved with respect to conventional operational semantics and uses an extensional (i.e, relational) interpretation of read effects. Applicability to tools based on SMT solvers is demonstrated through machine-checked verification of examples. The developments in this article can guide the implementations of linking as used in modular verifiers and serve as a basis for studying observationally pure methods and encapsulation.
Program Synthesis for Program Analysis
Authors: David Cristina , Kesseli Pascal , Kroening Daniel , Lewis Matt
Published: May 2018

In this article, we propose a
unified
framework for designing static analysers based on
program synthesis
. For this purpose, we identify a fragment of second-order logic with restricted quantification that is expressive enough to model numerous static analysis problems (e.g., safety proving, bug finding, termination and non-termination proving, refactoring). As our focus is on programs that use bit-vectors, we build a decision procedure for this fragment over finite domains in the form of a program synthesiser. We provide instantiations of our framework for solving a diverse range of program verification tasks such as termination, non-termination, safety and bug finding, superoptimisation, and refactoring. Our experimental results show that our program synthesiser compares positively with specialised tools in each area as well as with general-purpose synthesisers.
Exploiting Electrical Grid for Accurate and Secure Clock Synchronization
Authors: Viswanathan Sreejaya , Tan Rui , Yau David K. Y.
Published: May 2018

Desynchronized clocks among network nodes in critical infrastructures can degrade system performance and even lead to safety incidents. Clock synchronization protocols based on network message exchanges, though widely used in current network systems, are susceptible to delay attacks against the packet transmission. This vulnerability cannot be solved by conventional security measures, such as encryption, and remains an open problem. This article proposes to use the sine voltage waveform of a utility power grid to synchronize network nodes connected to the same grid. Our experiments demonstrate that minute fluctuations of the voltage’s cycle length encode fine-grained global time information in Singapore’s utility grid. Based on this key result, we develop a clock synchronization approach that achieves good accuracy and is provably secure against packet-delay attacks. Implementation results show that our approach achieves an average synchronization error of 0.1 ms between two network nodes that are deployed in office and residential buildings 10 km apart. When the proposed system is deployed within the same floor of an office building, the error reduces to 10 μs. When there are heavy industrial loads close to one of the two nodes 10 km apart, the system can still maintain subsecond accuracy. Moreover, when the two nodes are deployed within the same building floor with industrial loads nearby, the average synchronization error is 34 μ
Partially Invariant Patterns for
LFSR
-Based Generation of Close-to-Functional Broadside Tests
Authors: Pomeranz Irith
Published: May 2018

Close-to-functional scan-based tests are expected to create close-to-functional operation conditions in order to avoid overtesting of delay faults. Existing metrics for the proximity to functional operation conditions are based on the scan-in state. For example, they consider the distance between the scan-in state and a reachable state (a state that the circuit can visit during functional operation). However, the deviation from functional operation conditions can increase during a test beyond the deviation that is measured by the scan-in state. To ensure that the deviation does not increase, this article introduces the concept of a partially invariant pattern. The article describes a procedure for extracting partially invariant patterns from functional broadside tests whose scan-in states are reachable states. Being partially specified, partially invariant patterns are suitable for test data compression. The article studies the use of partially invariant patterns for linear-feedback shift-register (
LFSR
) based test data compression. Noting that a seed may not exist for a given partially invariant pattern with a given
LFSR
, the procedure described in this article uses an iterative process that not only matches a seed to a partially invariant pattern, but also adjusts the partially invariant pattern based on the test that the seed produces. The article also addresses the selection of
LFSR
s for the generation of close-to-functional broadside tests based on partially invariant patterns. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the procedure.
Isolation of a Reassortant H1N2 Swine Flu Strain of Type “Swine-Human-Avian” and Its Genetic Variability Analysis
Authors: Wang Long-Bai , Chen Qiu-Yong , Wu Xue-Min , Che Yong-Liang , Wang Cheng-Yan , Chen Ru-Jing , Zhou Lun-Jiang
Published: May 2018

We isolated an influenza strain named A/Swine/Fujian/F1/2010 (H1N2) from a pig suspected to be infected with swine flu. The results of electron microscopy, hemagglutination (HA) assay, hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay, and whole genome sequencing analysis suggest that it was a reassortant virus of swine (H1N1 subtype), human (H3N2 subtype), and avian influenza viruses. To further study the genetic evolution of A/Swine/Fujian/F1/2010 (H1N2), we cloned its whole genome fragments using RT-PCR and performed phylogenetic analysis on the eight genes. As a result, the nucleotide sequences of HA, NA, PB1, PA, PB2, NP, M, and NS gene are similar to those of A/Swine/Shanghai/1/2007(H1N2) with identity of 98.9%, 98.9%, 99.0%, 98.6%, 99.0%, 98.9%, 99.3%, and 99.3%, respectively. Similar to A/Swine/Shanghai/1/2007(H1N2), we inferred that the HA, NP, M, and NS gene fragments of A/Swine/Fujian/F1/2010 (H1N2) strain were derived from classical swine influenza H3N2 subtype, NA and PB1 were derived from human swine influenza H3N2 subtype, and PB2 and PA genes were derived from avian influenza virus. This further validates the role of swine as a “mixer” for influenza viruses.
Selected Enzyme Inhibitory Effects of Euphorbia characias Extracts
Authors: Fais Antonella , Era Benedetta , Di Petrillo Amalia , Floris Sonia , Piano Dario , Montoro Paola , Tuberoso Carlo Ignazio Giovanni , Medda Rosaria , Pintus Francesca
Published: May 2018

Extracts of aerial part of Euphorbia characias were examined to check potential inhibitors for three selected enzymes involved in several metabolic disorders. Water and ethanol extracts from leaves and flowers showed in vitro inhibitory activity toward α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and xanthine oxidase. IC50 values were calculated for all the extracts and the ethanolic extracts were found to exert the best effect. In particular, for the α-glucosidase activity, the extracts resulted to be 100-fold more active than the standard inhibitor. The inhibition mode was investigated by Lineweaver-Burk plot analysis. E. characias extracts display different inhibition behaviors toward the three enzymes acting as uncompetitive, noncompetitive, and mixed-type inhibitors. Moreover, ethanolic extracts of E. characias showed no cytotoxic activity and exhibited antioxidant capacity in a cellular model. The LC-DAD metabolic profile was also performed and it showed that leaves and flowers extracts contain high levels of quercetin derivatives. The results suggest that E. characias could be a promising source of natural inhibitors of the enzymes involved in carbohydrate uptake disorders and oxidative stress.
Genetic Polymorphism Study onAedes albopictusof Different Geographical Regions Based on DNA Barcoding
Authors: Fang Yiliang , Zhang Jianqing , Wu Rongquan , Xue Baohai , Qian Qianqian , Gao Bo
Published: May 2018

Aedes albopictusis a very important vector for pathogens of many infectious diseases including dengue fever. In this study, we explored the genetic polymorphism ofAedes albopictusstrains in different geographical regions using DNA barcoding of mitochondrial COI (MT-COI) gene. We collectedMT-COIsequence of 106Aedes albopictusmosquitos from 6 provinces in China including Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Yunnan, and Taiwan. The length of the sequences is 709bp with the content of A+T (67.7%) greater than that of G+C (32.3%). We identified mutations in 90 (13.68%) loci, of which 57 (63.33%) are transitions, 28 (31.11%) are transversions, and 5 (5.56%) are hypervariable loci. In addition, we obtained 42 haplotypes, 4 (9.52%) of which are shared among different populations. The haplotype diversity ofAedes albopictusis 0.882 and nucleotide diversity is 0.01017. Moreover, the pedigree network diagram shows that most haplotypes are under parallel evolution, suggesting a local expansion ofAedes albopictusin history. Finally, the Neighbor-Joining tree ofMT-COIhaplotypes reveals a certain correlation between haplotype clusters and geographical distribution, and there are differences amongAedes albopictusin different geographical regions. In conclusion, DNA barcoding ofMT-COIgene is an effective method to study the genetic structure ofAedes albopictus.
First Report of Seroprevalence and Risk Factors ofNeospora caninumInfection in Tibetan Sheep in China
Authors: Nie Lan-Bi , Cong Wei , Zou Yang , Zhou Dong-Hui , Liang Qin-Li , Zheng Wen-Bin , Ma Jian-Gang , Du Rui , Zhu Xing-Quan
Published: May 2018

Neospora caninumis an intracellular protozoan parasite which can cause abortion and stillbirth in ruminants. However, there is no information on Tibetan sheepN. caninuminfection in China. A total of 2187 serum samples were collected from Tibetan sheep in the major production areas of Luqu, Maqu, and Tianzhu in Gansu province, and Nyingchi in southeast Tibet, China. All samples were analyzed for the presence of antibodies toN. caninumusing a competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunoassay. Of the 2187 serum samples, 184 (8.4%, 95% CI 7.3-9.6) were testedN. caninumseropositive. TheN. caninumseroprevalence ranged from 4.4% (95% CI 1.4–7.4) to 11.3% (95% CI 8.2–14.4) among different regions, seasons, ages, and pregnancies, and there was no statistical significance among those groups (P> 0.05). Seroprevalence in male (10.8% 69/638) (95% CI 8.4–13.2) was significantly higher than in female (7.4% 115/1549) (OR =1.51, 95% CI 6.1–8.7) (P< 0.01). To our knowledge, this is the first report ofN. caninumseroprevalence in Tibetan sheep in China, which provides baseline data for the prevention and control ofN. caninuminfection in Tibetan sheep.
Neural Network Predictive Control for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle with Input Delay
Authors: Zhao Jiemei
Published: May 2018

A path tracking controller is designed for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) with input delay based on neural network (NN) predictive control algorithm. To compensate for the time-delay in control system and realize the purpose of path tracking, a predictive control algorithm is proposed. An NN is used to estimate the nonlinear uncertainty of AUV induced by hydrodynamic coefficients and the coupling of the surge, sway, and yaw angular velocity. By Lyapunov theorem, stability analysis is also given. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.
A Novel Heterozygous Intronic Mutation in the FBN1 Gene Contributes to FBN1 RNA Missplicing Events in the Marfan Syndrome
Authors: Torrado Mario , Maneiro Emilia , Trujillo-Quintero Juan Pablo , Evangelista Arturo , Mikhailov Alexander T. , Monserrat Lorenzo
Published: May 2018

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is an autosomal dominantly inherited connective tissue disorder, mostly caused by mutations in the fibrillin-1 (FBN1) gene. We, by using targeted next-generation sequence analysis, identified a novel intronic FBN1 mutation (the c.2678-15C>A variant) in a MFS patient with aortic dilatation. The computational predictions showed that the heterozygous c.2678-15C>A intronic variant might influence the splicing process by differentially affecting canonical versus cryptic splice site utilization within intron 22 of the FBN1 gene. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses, using FBN1 minigenes transfected into HeLa and COS-7 cells, revealed that the c.2678-15C>A variant disrupts normal splicing of intron 22 leading to aberrant 13-nt intron 22 inclusion, frameshift, and premature termination codon. Collectively, the results strongly suggest that the c.2678-15C>A variant could lead to haploinsufficiency of the FBN1 functional protein and structural connective tissue fragility in MFS complicated by aorta dilation, a finding that further expands on the genetic basis of aortic pathology.