bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abstract PR07: Use of a novel mouse model to investigate immune related adverse events arising from immunotherapies
Authors: Blake Stephen J. , Liu Jing , Heidi Harjunpaa , Smyth Mark J. , Teng Michele W.L.
Published: March 2017

While immunotherapy is rapidly growing as an excellent treatment for many cancer types, most immunotherapies, particularly in combination can induce immune related adverse events (irAEs) which are generally caused by immune cell activation and expansion. Although most irAEs are low grade (1-2), higher grade events (3-4) can prevent patients from completing therapy and can also be life threatening. Thus, there is a strong need to develop pre-clinical mouse models to identify which immunotherapeutic combinations induce the best anti-tumor responses without inducing severe irAEs. To replicate irAEs associated with immunotherapies in humans, we utilized the FoxP3-DTR mouse model where regulatory T-cell (Treg) depletion can be achieved by injecting diphtheria toxin (DT), releasing Treg associated immune suppression. Transient Treg depletion by a single dose of DT induced mild T-cell activation and increased T-cell immune checkpoint expression, making mice more sensitive to irAEs development from clinically relevant immunotherapies. In three tumor models, we demonstrated that transient Treg depletion with anti-PD-1 or TIM-3 had a good anti-tumor efficacy and mild irAEs. Conversely, combining transient Treg depletion with an antibody targeting the co-stimulatory receptor CD137 had a lower therapeutic window due to increased irAEs. This combination was effective in suppressing established tumors, but induced severe irAEs including elevated serum cytokines and acute liver inflammation. These irAEs were similar to those seen in clinical trials of anti-CD137 antibodies where liver toxicity was a major concern and were driven by a rapid systemic CD8+ T-cell expansion. We also demonstrated that irAEs from anti-CD137 therapy could be mitigated by neutralising TNF without impacting on anti-tumor efficacy. We believe this model can provide valuable data on the efficacy and irAEs associated with novel combination immunotherapies which may aid clinicians and pharmaceutical companies in clinical trial design. We are currently utilizing this model to predict the therapeutic irAEs and efficacy of other novel immunotherapies that are in pre-clinical and early stage clinical trials.

This abstract is also being presented as Poster B58.

Citation Format: Stephen J. Blake, Jing Liu, Harjunpaa Heidi, Mark J. Smyth, Michele W.L. Teng. Use of a novel mouse model to investigate immune related adverse events arising from immunotherapies. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2016 Oct 20-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2017;5(3 Suppl):Abstract nr PR07.
Role of the Intestinal Microbiome in Cholestatic Liver Disease
Authors: LaRusso Nicholas F. , Tabibian James H. , O'Hara Steven P.
Published: March 2017

Hepatobiliary health and disease is influenced by multiple factors including genetics, epigenetics, and the environment. Recently, multiple lines of evidence suggest that the microbiome also plays a central role in the initiation and/or progression of several liver diseases. Our current understanding of the dynamic interplay between microbes, microbial products and liver health and pathophysiology is incomplete. However, exciting insights are continually being made that support both a central role of the microbiome and a need for further interrogation of the microbes or microbe-associated molecules involved in the initiation and progression of select liver diseases.
Bile Acids and Deregulated Cholangiocyte Autophagy in Primary Biliary Cholangitis
Authors: Sasaki Motoko , Nakanuma Yasuni
Published: March 2017

Background: Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is characterized by a high prevalence of serum anti-mitochondrial antibodies against the E2 subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and bile duct lesions called chronic non-suppurative destructive cholangitis (CNSDC) in small bile ducts, eventually followed by extensive bile duct loss and biliary cirrhosis. Macroautophagy (a major type of autophagy) is a process of cellular self-digestion that plays a critical role in energy homeostasis and in the cytoprotection to various stresses. Deregulated autophagy is thought to be associated with various human diseases. Key Messages: Accumulating evidences suggest that deregulated autophagy may be a central player in the pathogenesis of PBC. Damaged cholangiocytes involved in CNSDC show vesicular expression of autophagy marker LC3 and accumulation of p62/sequestosome-1, suggesting deregulated autophagy. Deregulated autophagy may be involved in the autoimmune process via the abnormal expression of mitochondrial antigens and also in cholangiocyte senescence in bile duct lesions in PBC. In vitro study showed that hydrophobic bile acids, such as glycochenodeoxycholic acid (GCDC), as well as serum deprivation and oxidative stress, cause autophagy, deregulated autophagy and abnormal expression of mitochondrial antigens followed by cellular senescence in cholangiocytes. Although exact mechanisms of deregulated autophagy remain to be clarified, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress may be a plausible cause of deregulated autophagy induced by GCDC in cholangiocytes. Impaired ‘biliary bicarbonate umbrella' may further exacerbate the toxicity of GCDC to cholangiocytes. Interestingly, pretreatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and tauro-UDCA, which is a chemical chaperone enhancing the adaptive capacity of the ER, significantly suppressed ER stress, deregulated autophagy and cellular senescence induced by GCDC and other stresses in cholangiocytes. Conclusions: GCDC may play a role in the occurrence of deregulated autophagy and cellular senescence at least partly through the induction of ER stress in PBC. Deregulated autophagy and cellular senescence can be a promising therapeutic target in PBC.
Mechanisms of Tauroursodeoxycholate-Mediated Hepatoprotection
Authors: Häussinger Dieter , Kordes Claus
Published: March 2017

Ursodeoxycholate and its taurine conjugate tauroursodeoxycholate (TUDC) promote choleresis by triggering the insertion of transport proteins for bile acids into the canalicular and basolateral membranes of hepatocytes. In addition, TUDC exerts hepatoprotective and anti-apoptotic effects, can counteract the action of toxic bile acids and reduce endoplasmic reticulum stress. TUDC can also initiate the differentiation of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) including hepatic stellate cells and promote their development into hepatocyte-like cells. Although the hepatoprotective and choleretic action of TUDC is empirically used in clinical medicine since decades, the underlying molecular mechanisms remained largely unclear. Since TUDC has little or no potency to activate known bile acid receptors, such as farnesoid X receptor and transmembrane G protein-coupled bile acid receptor, other receptors must be involved in TUDC-mediated signaling. Recent research demonstrates that integrins serve as sensors for TUDC. After binding of TUDC to α5β1-integrin, the β1-integrin subunit becomes activated through a conformational change, thereby triggering integrin signaling with the downstream activation of focal adhesion kinase, c-Src, the epidermal growth factor receptor and activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases, Erks and p38. These events trigger choleresis through a coordinated insertion of the sodium-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide into the basolateral membrane and of the bile salt export pump into the canalicular membrane. In addition to its choleretic action, TUDC-induced integrin activation triggers a cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase A activation in hepatocytes, which provides the basis for the anti-apoptotic effect of TUDC. On the other hand, the TUDC-induced stimulation of MSC differentiation appears not to be mediated by integrins. This article gives a brief overview about our work on the signaling network-mediating hepatoprotection by TUDC.
The Role of Inflammation in the Mechanisms of Bile Acid-Induced Liver Damage
Authors: Cai Shi-Ying , Boyer James L.
Published: March 2017

Background: The mechanism by which bile acids induce liver injury in cholestasis remains controversial. Although high levels of bile acids are toxic when applied to liver cells, the level of toxic bile acids in the liver of most cholestatic animals and patients is <10 μM, indicating there must be alternative mechanisms. Recent studies suggest that the inflammatory response may play an important role in bile acid-induced liver injury, as pro-inflammatory cytokine expression is stimulated by bile acids in mouse hepatocyte cultures. To elucidate the mechanisms of bile acid-induced liver injury, we assessed signs of liver damage and gene expression in Abcb4-/- mice, a well-known model for cholestasis. Key Messages: Elevated plasma levels of bile acids were detected as early as 10 days after birth and at all later ages in Abcb4-/- mice compared to their wild-type littermate controls. Parallel increases in expression of Tnfα, Ccl2, Cxcl1, and Cxcl2 mRNA occurred at these early time points and throughout 12 weeks in Abcb4-/- livers. Marked hepatic neutrophil infiltration was first detected in 3-week mice, whereas histological evidence of liver injury was not detected until 6-weeks of age. Subsequent in vitro studies demonstrated that normal hepatocytes but not other non-parenchymal liver cells responded to bile acids with inflammatory cytokine induction. Conclusion: Bile acids induce the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in hepatocytes in Abcb4-/- mice that initiates an inflammatory response. This inflammatory response plays an important role in the development of cholestatic liver injury in this and other cholestatic conditions. Furthermore, understanding of these inflammatory mechanisms should lead to new therapeutic approaches for cholestatic liver diseases.
Bile Acids in Polycystic Liver Diseases: Triggers of Disease Progression and Potential Solution for Treatment
Authors: Perugorria Maria J. , Labiano Ibone , Esparza-Baquer Aitor , Marzioni Marco , Marin Jose J.G. , Bujanda Luis , Banales Jesús M.
Published: March 2017

Polycystic liver diseases (PLDs) are a group of genetic hereditary cholangiopathies characterized by the development and progressive growth of cysts in the liver, which are the main cause of morbidity. Current therapies are based on surgical procedures and pharmacological strategies, which show short-term and modest beneficial effects. Therefore, the determination of the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis appears to be crucial in order to find new potential targets for pharmacological therapy. Ductal plate malformation during embryogenesis and abnormal cystic cholangiocyte growth and secretion are some of the key mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of PLDs. However, the discovery of the presence of bile acids in the fluid collected from human cysts and the intrahepatic accumulation of cytotoxic bile acids in an animal model of PLD (i.e. polycystic kidney (PCK) rat) suggest a potential role of impaired bile acid homeostasis in the pathogenesis of these diseases. On the other hand, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) has emerged as a new potential therapeutic tool for PLDs by promoting the inhibition of cystic cholangiocyte growth in both PCK rats and highly symptomatic patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD: most common type of PLD), and improving symptoms. Chronic treatment with UDCA normalizes the decreased intracellular calcium levels in ADPKD human cholangiocytes in vitro, which results in the reduction of their baseline-stimulated proliferation. Moreover, UDCA decreases the liver concentration of cytotoxic bile acids in PCK rats and the bile acid-dependent enhanced proliferation of cystic cholangiocytes. Here, the role of bile acids in the pathogenesis of PLDs and the potential therapeutic value of UDCA for the treatment of these diseases are reviewed and future lines of investigation in this field are proposed.
An Overwhelming Desire to Be Blind: Similarities and Differences between Body Integrity Identity Disorder and the Wish for Blindness
Authors: Gutschke Katja , Stirn Aglaja , Kasten Erich
Published: March 2017

Background: The urge to be permanently blind is an extremely rare mental health disturbance. The underlying cause of this desire has not been determined yet, and it is uncertain whether the wish for blindness is a condition that can be included in the context of body integrity identity disorder, a condition where people feel an overwhelming need to be disabled, in many cases by amputation of a limb or through paralysis. Objective: The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that people with a desire for blindness suffer from a greater degree of visual stress in daily activities than people in a healthy visual control group. Method: We created a Likert scale questionnaire to measure visual stress, covering a wide range of everyday situations. The wish for blindness is extremely rare and worldwide only 5 people with an urge to be blind were found to participate in the study (4 female, 1 male). In addition, a control group of 35 (28 female, 7 male) visually healthy people was investigated. Questions addressing issues that may be experienced by participants with a desire to be blind were integrated into the questionnaire. Results: The hypothesis that people with a desire for blindness suffer from a significantly higher visual overload in activities of daily living than visually healthy subjects was confirmed; the significance of visual stress between these groups was p < 0.01. In addition, an interview with the 5 affected participants supported the causal role of visual overload. Conclusions: The desire for blindness seems to originate from visual overload caused by either ophthalmologic or organic brain disturbances. In addition, psychological reasons such as certain personal character traits may play an active role in developing, maintaining, and reinforcing one’s desire to be blind.
Fundus Autofluorescence Imaging in the Assessment of Acute Zonal Occult Outer Retinopathy
Authors: Wang Qian , Jiang Libin , Yan Weiyu , Wei Wenbin , Lai Timothy Y.Y.
Published: March 2017

Purpose: To evaluate the fundus autofluorescence (FAF) findings in eyes with acute zonal occult outer retinopathy (AZOOR) and the relationships between the FAF, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and Humphrey visual field (HVF) findings. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of the clinical features and FAF, SD-OCT, and HVF findings of 23 eyes of 22 consecutive patients with AZOOR. The mean deviation (MD) values of HVF were compared between areas of normal and abnormal FAF. Results: FAF abnormalities were detected in 21 (91.3%) eyes, with diffuse hyperautofluorescence in 19 (82.6%) eyes and mottling autofluorescence in 2 (8.7%) eyes. In all eyes with FAF abnormality, a clear boundary between the affected and unaffected retina was observed. SD-OCT revealed loss of ellipsoid zone in retinal regions corresponding to the dysfunctional areas demonstrated by HVF. The FAF abnormality also corresponded with the boundaries demonstrated by SD-OCT and/or HVF. The differences in HVF MD values between areas with normal and abnormal FAF in AZOOR eyes were significantly higher than in normal unaffected eyes (p < 0.05). Conclusions: FAF abnormalities were detected in most AZOOR eyes, and the former corresponded to the abnormal retinal regions revealed by SD-OCT and HVF. The findings suggested that FAF is a useful investigation for the assessment of AZOOR.
Smoking-Induced Changes in the Maternal Immune, Endocrine, and Metabolic Pathways and Their Impact on Fetal Growth: A Topical Review
Authors: Sabra Sally , Gratacós Eduard , Gómez Roig Maria Dolores
Published: March 2017

Perinatal maternal smoking exposure (PMSE) is one of the major environmental risk factors encountered by the fetus. PMSE is usually associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes that may manifest at different stages of life. Nevertheless, fetal growth restriction is the most common smoking-induced side effect. PMSE induces changes in the maternal multiple organ systems. These alterations may affect placentation, which subsequently affects fetal growth. It is worthy to note, however, that the extent of maternal smoking-induced changes depends mainly on the maternal level of susceptibility. Hence, the perinatal pregnancy outcomes vary depending on the interaction between the triad: the maternal, fetal, and placental modifications, making it more complex. In this review, we try to unveil the effect of smoking-induced maternal changes on the maternal immune, endocrine, and metabolic pathways and their impact on fetal growth.
Three-Dimensional Printing of a Transconjunctival Vitrectomy Trocar-Cannula System
Authors: Navajas Eduardo V. , ten Hove Martin
Published: March 2017

Purpose: The aim of this paper was to study the feasibility of manufacturing a customizable trocar-cannula system for vitreoretinal surgery utilizing commercially available three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. Methods: A digital model of a trocar-cannula system for vitreoretinal surgery was created using computer-aided design (CAD) software and printed utilizing a laser-sintering 3D printer in modified ABS thermoplastic material. The trocar-cannula prototypes were tested in pig eyes. Results: A customizable digital model was created using commercially available CAD software. Three trocar-cannulas were printed. The smallest cannulas that could be printed had dimensions between 21 and 22G. The trocar-cannulas were inserted in pig eyes after performing sclerotomies with a commercially available 20G MVR blade. One cannula broke during insertion. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the feasibility of printing a transconjunctival vitrectomy trocar-cannula system with commercially available 3D print technology. The 3D printer and build material used resulted in trocar-cannulas with functional limitations including a minimum size achievable and mechanical resistance.
The U2 snDNA Is a Useful Marker for B Chromosome Detection and Frequency Estimation in the Grasshopper Abracris flavolineata
Authors: Milani Diogo , Palacios-Gimenez Octavio M. , Cabral-de-Mello Diogo C.
Published: March 2017

In this study, we describe a strategy to determine the presence of B chromosomes in the living grasshopper Abracris flavolineata by FISH using U2 snDNA as a probe in interphase hemolymph nuclei. In individuals without B chromosomes, (0B) 2 dot signals were noticed, corresponding to A complement U2 snDNA clusters. In +1B and +2B individuals, 4 or 8 additional signals were noticed, respectively. In all cases, the absence or presence of 1 or 2 B chromosomes correlated in hemolymph and in somatic or germline tissues, validating the efficiency of the marker. Our data suggest that the B chromosome of A. flavolineata is present in all somatic tissues. B-carrying individuals showed the same number of B chromosomes in germ and somatic cells, suggesting that the B is mitotically stable. The marker was used to compare B chromosome frequency in the analyzed population with a sample collected previously, in order to test for B frequency changes and differences of B chromosome prevalence among sexes, but no statistically significant differences were noticed. The identification of living animals harboring B chromosomes will be very useful in future studies of B chromosome transmission, as well as in functional studies involving RNA analysis, thus contributing to the understanding of evolutionary history and the possible role of the B chromosome in A. flavolineata.
Hospitalizations Due to Cirrhosis: Clinical Aspects in a Large Cohort of Italian Patients and Cost Analysis Report
Authors: Di Pascoli Marco , Ceranto Elena , De Nardi Paolo , Donato Daniele , Gatta Angelo , Angeli Paolo , Pontisso Patrizia
Published: March 2017

Background and Aim: Liver cirrhosis is characterized by high morbidity and mortality rates. This study was addressed to evaluate the epidemiological and economic impact of cirrhosis on hospitalizations in a large population in Italy. Methods: Epidemiological analysis was performed using hospital discharge sheets of 57,720 hospitalizations due to liver disease from 2006 to 2008, selected from the Veneto regional archive. In a sample of 100 randomly selected hospitalizations, a detailed cost analysis was performed and a comparison was made with sets of patients admitted for heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Results: Among patients with cirrhosis, ascites emerged as the most frequent cause of admission, followed by hepatic encephalopathy, hepatocellular carcinoma, and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Encephalopathy and ascites were the complications with the highest rates of readmission. The detailed cost analysis of hospitalizations revealed that economic expenses in the set of patients admitted for cirrhosis were about 30% higher than those for patients admitted for HF or COPD, mainly due to the longer duration of hospitalization. Conclusions: Cirrhosis has a relevant epidemiological and economic impact on hospitalizations and preventive strategies for its clinical management are warranted.
MiR-543 Promotes Proliferation and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Prostate Cancer via Targeting RKIP
Authors: Du Yang , Liu Xiu-heng , Zhu Heng-cheng , Wang Lei , Ning Jin-zhuo , Xiao Cheng-cheng
Published: March 2017

Background/Aims: MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) have emerged as important post-transcriptional regulators in various cancers. miR-543 has been reported to play critical roles in hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal cancer, however, the role of miR-543 in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer has not been fully understood. Methods: Expression of miR-543 and Raf Kinase Inhibitory Protein (RKIP) in clinical prostate cancer specimens, two prostate cancer cell lines, namely LNCAP and C4-2B, were determined. The effects of miR-543 on proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells were also investigated with both in vitro and in vivo studies. Results: miR-543 was found to be negatively correlated with RKIP expression in clinical tumor samples and was significantly upregulated in metastatic prostate cancer cell line C4-2B compared with parental LNCAP cells. Further studies identified RKIP as a direct target of miR-543. Overexpression of miR-543 downregulated RKIP expression and promoted the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells, whereas knockdown of miR-543 increased expression of RKIP and suppressed the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that miR-543 promotes the proliferation and metastasis of prostate cancer via targeting RKIP.
Astragaloside Alleviates Hepatic Fibrosis Function via PAR2 Signaling Pathway in Diabetic Rats
Authors: Wang Zhenchang , Li Quanqiang , Xiang Mingpeng , Zhang Fengying , Wei Dongyu , Wen Zhixi , Zhou Ying
Published: March 2017

Background/Aims: Astragaloside (AGS) extracted from radix astragalin (Huangqi) has been considered to be beneficial to liver diseases. In this study, we examined the role played by AGS in alleviating hepatic fibrosis function via protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) mechanisms. We hypothesized that AGS affects PAR2 signaling pathway thereby improving hepatic function in rats with hepatic fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). We further hypothesized that AGS attenuates impaired hepatic function evoked by CCl4 to a greater degree in diabetic animals. Methods: ELISA and Western Blot analysis were used to examine PAR2 signaling pathway in diabetic CCl4-rats and non-diabetic CCl4-rats. Results: AGS inhibited the protein expression of PAR2 and its downstream pathway PKA and PKCɛ in CCl4-rats. Notably, the effects of AGS were greater in CCl4-rats with diabetes. AGS also significantly attenuated the CCl4-induced upregulations of pro-inflammatory cytokines, namely interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α accompanied with decreases of collagenic parameters such as hexadecenoic acid, laminin and hydroxyproline. Additionally, AGS improved the CCl4-induced exaggerations of liver index and functions including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase. Moreover, TGF-β1, a marker of hepatic fibrosis, was increased in CCl4-rats and AGS inhibited increases in TGF-β1 induced by CCl4. Conclusions: AGS alleviates hepatic fibrosis by inhibiting PAR2 signaling expression and its effects are largely enhanced in diabetic animals. Targeting one or more of these signaling molecules may present new opportunities for treatment and management of hepatic fibrosis; and results of our study are likely to shed light on strategies for application of AGS because it has potentially greater therapeutic effectiveness for hepatic fibrosis in diabetes.
Anti-Fibrosis Effect of Relaxin and Spironolactone Combined on Isoprenaline-Induced Myocardial Fibrosis in Rats via Inhibition of Endothelial–Mesenchymal Transition
Authors: Cai Jiejie , Chen Xiao , Chen Xingxing , Chen Lingzhi , Zheng Gaoshu , Zhou Hao , Zhou Xi
Published: March 2017

Background: The effect of relaxin and spironolactone combined on myocardial fibrosis has not been reported. Thus, we investigated the effect of the combined therapy on isoprenaline-induced myocardial fibrosis and the mechanism. Methods: Rats were injected subcutaneously with isoprenaline to induce myocardial fibrosis and underwent subcutaneous injection with relaxin (2 µg·kg-1·d-1) and given a gavage of spironolactone (30 mg·kg-1·d-1) alone or combined for 14 days. In vitro, the endothelial–mesenchymal transition was induced with transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) pretreated with relaxin, 200 ng/ml, and/or spironolactone, 1uM. Results: Relaxin and spironolactone used alone or combined improved cardiac function and decreased cardiac weight indices; reduced fibrous tissue proliferation; reduced levels of type I and III collagen; decreased the expression of α–smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and increased the expression of cluster of differentiation-31 (CD31) in rats with isoprenaline-induced myocardial fibrosis. In vitro, compared with TGF-β treatment, relaxin and spironolactone used alone or combined with TGF-β decreased cell mobility, α-SMA and vimentin levels but increased vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) and endothelial CD31levels. Especially, combined therapy had more remarkable effect than relaxin and spironolactone used alone both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: Relaxin and spironolactone combined affected isoprenaline-induced myocardial fibrosis in rats that the mechanism might be inhibition of the cardiac endothelial–mesenchymal transition.
Ischemic Stroke After Treatment of Intraprocedural Thrombosis During Stent-Assisted Coiling and Flow Diversion
Authors: Adeeb Nimer , Griessenauer Christoph J. , Moore Justin M. , Foreman Paul M. , Shallwani Hussain , Motiei-Langroudi Rouzbeh , Gupta Raghav , Baccin Carlos E. , Alturki Abdulrahman , Harrigan Mark R. , Siddiqui Adnan H. , Levy Elad I. , Ogilvy Christopher S. , Thomas Ajith J.
Published: March 2017

Background and Purpose—

Intraprocedural thrombosis poses a formidable challenge during neuroendovascular procedures because the risks of aggressive thromboembolic treatment must be balanced against the risk of postprocedural hemorrhage. The aim of this study was to identify predictors of ischemic stroke after intraprocedural thrombosis after stent-assisted coiling and pipeline embolization device placement.

Methods—

A retrospective analysis of intracranial aneurysms treated with stent-assisted coiling or pipeline embolization device placement between 2007 and 2016 at 4 major academic institutions was performed to identify procedures that were complicated by intraprocedural thrombosis.

Results—

Intraprocedural thrombosis occurred in 34 (4.6%) procedures. Postprocedural ischemic stroke and hemorrhage occurred in 20.6% (7/34) and 11.8% (4/34) of procedures complicated by intraprocedural thrombosis, respectively. Current smoking was an independent predictor of ischemic stroke. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of ischemic stroke or postprocedural hemorrhage with the use of abciximab compared with the use of eptifibatide in treatment of intraprocedural thrombosis.

Conclusions—

Current protocols for treatment of intraprocedural thrombosis associated with placement of intra-arterial devices were effective in preventing ischemic stroke in ≈80% of cases. Current smoking was the only independent predictor of ischemic stroke.
The Role of Media Usage on Building Social Capital: Multiculturalism in Korea Case
Authors: Jin Chang-Hyun
Published: March 2017

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the use of mass media by immigrant women in Korea and their capacity to form and build social capital, centering on their use of media such as; television, newspapers and the Internet. To achieve this research goal, the concept of social capital was reviewed and the relationship between trust, civic engagement and socio-political participation, which are components of social capital, were investigated.

The study (n=335) measured the effects of consuming major media types on the formation of social capital within the sample population and identified the relationship between generic consumption patterns associated with individual media and the formation of social capital. In addition, this paper sheds light on the notion that a person’s socio-demographic background affects the formation and building of social capital and that trust and civic engagement affects socio-political participation.
Ideology as Narrative
Authors: Halverson Jeffry R. , Greenberg Nathaniel
Published: March 2017

This article examines a corpus of extremist Islamist texts for the period from 2007 to 2012, including transcripts of audio and videos produced by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghrib (AQIM). Utilizing narrative analysis, we examine the way AQIM used mythic discourse to disseminate its ideology to audiences and to defend its actions and focus on the deployment of longstanding culturally-embedded ‘master narratives’ in fragmentary forms as sense-making devices. In the process, we argue that narrative analysis can provide insights into ideologies and organizations in the Middle East and North African region that may elude other analytical methods.
On Shifting Grounds of ‘Citizen Journalism’ in Egypt
Authors: Onodera Henri
Published: March 2017

Before and after the January 25 uprisings in Egypt, public and scholarly attention moved from the early political bloggers to today’s citizen journalists who use not only blogs but any available means to disseminate alternative information. The use of new ‘information and communication technologies’ (ICTs) is no longer an asset for the secular-civil opposition only. Since 2011, various groups, including the Salafists and the military, have resorted to the use of ICTs to establish their influence in public life. In this article, I offer an examination of citizen journalism as political practice and public debate in the Middle East and North Africa. This research may shed light on the everyday appropriations of this traveling concept and the meanings it engenders through actual practices in given socio-cultural contexts. I also argue that the ambiguities around the Arabic translations of citizen journalism provide a way to examine the uneasy processes of state transformation in today’s Egypt.
Re-Thinking Lupercalia
Authors: Alonso Fernández Z.
Published: March 2017

This paper is an addendum to the article “Choreography ofLupercalia: Corporeality in Roman Public Religion”, published in the latest issue ofgrms. In my previous essay, I explored the methodological possibilities of the notion ‘choreography’, a concept that has been critically re-elaborated by dance scholars in the past two decades, and applied it to the wandering of theLuperciin order to understand the performative role of their mobility and physicality as traits shared with other dances within the realm of Roman public religion. The aim of the current article is to refine the approaches proposed forLupercaliaby examining aspects of training, performance, and reception that are intrinsic to this choreographic practice, and to observe these elements in light of the Roman idea ofsodalitas(‘corporation’). This approach will allow us to determine how dancing—and, more exactly, corporeality—works in the construction of Roman identities.
Ambrosian Hymns
Authors: Pöhlmann Egert
Published: March 2017

After the abortive attempts of the bishop Hilarius of Poitiers, Ambrosius, bishop of Milan, created with themetrum Ambrosianumthe starting point for Latin Hymnody by using a familiar pagan meter, theiambic dimeter, as the basic line. Combining four such lines into a stanza he followed the type of the four-line stanzas of Horace. With eight such stanzas he found a model for Christian hymnody for centuries. The text of four of the innumerable Ambrosian hymns is attested for Ambrosius by Augustine. As the ancient notation fell into disuse in the 6th centuryad, the melodies of the Ambrosian hymns were transmitted orally until the 10th century. They appear in the medieval manuscripts with neumatic or alphabetic notation, but without rhythmical values and adorned by rich melismata, which mirror the predilections of each monastic community. Five of them are attributed to Ambrosius, from which this inquiry has to begin.
What is Cochlearia venusta (Cruciferae)?
Authors: GERMAN DMITRY A.
Published: March 2017

Available material on the improperly known Cruciferae (Brassicaceae) species, Cochlearia venusta (Pseudosempervivum venustum), is revised and identified. The taxon is found to be conspecific with the eastern Anatolian endemic Noccaea bornmuelleri, previously long known as Thlaspi bornmuelleri (based on Syrenopsis bornmuelleri). The 10-years younger S. bornmuelleri is reduced to synonymy of C. venusta and a combination Noccaea venusta is validated. Original material of both names is briefly discussed; a lectotype (instead of holotype) is recognized for S. bornmuelleri and that is designated for C. venusta.
Non-Gaussian Analysis of Observations from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Compared with ERA and MERRA Reanalyses
Authors: De Souza-Machado Sergio , Tangborn Andrew , Sura Philip , Hepplewhite Christopher , Strow L. Larrabee
Published: March 2017

Statistical relationships between higher-order moments of probability density functions (PDFs) are used to analyze top-of-atmosphere radiance measurements made by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and radiance calculations from the ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA) and the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) over a 10-yr period. The statistical analysis used in this paper has previously been applied to sea surface temperature, and here the authors show that direct satellite radiance observations of atmospheric variability also exhibit stochastic forcing characteristics. The authors have chosen six different AIRS channels based on the sensitivity of their measured radiances to a variety of geophysical properties. In each of these channels, the authors have found evidence of correlated additive and multiplicative (CAM) stochastic forcing. In general, channels sensitive to tropospheric humidity and surface temperature show the strongest evidence of CAM forcing, while those sensitive to stratospheric temperature and ozone exhibit the weakest forcing. Radiance calculations from ERA and MERRA agree well with AIRS measurements in the Gaussian part of the PDFs but show some differences in the tails, indicating that the reanalyses may be missing some extrema there. The CAM forcing is investigated through numerical simulation of simple stochastic differential equations (SDEs). The authors show how measurements agree better with weaker CAM forcing, achieved by reducing the multiplicative forcing or by increasing the spatial correlation of the added noise in the case of an SDE with one spatial dimension. This indicates that atmospheric models could be improved by adjusting nonlinear terms that couple long and short time scales.
Intermittency in Precipitation: Duration, Frequency, Intensity, and Amounts Using Hourly Data
Authors: Trenberth Kevin E. , Zhang Yongxin , Gehne Maria
Published: March 2017

Intermittency is a core characteristic of precipitation, not well described by data and very poorly modeled. Detailed analyses are made of near-global gridded (about 1°) hourly or 3-hourly precipitation rates from two updated observational datasets [3-hourly TRMM 3B42, version 7, and hourly CMORPH, version 1.0, bias corrected (CRT)] and from special runs of CESM from January 1998 to December 2013 to obtain hourly values. The analyses explore the intermittency of precipitation: the frequency, intensity, duration, and amounts. A comparison is made for all products using several metrics with a focus on the duration of events, and a new metric is proposed based on the ratio of the frequency of precipitation at certain rates (0.2–2 mm h−1) for hourly versus 3-hourly versus daily data. For all seasons and rain rates, TRMM values are similar in pattern to CMORPH, but durations are about 80%–85%. It is mainly over land in the monsoons that CMORPH exceeds TRMM rain durations. Observed duration of precipitation events in CMORPH over oceans are 12–15 h in the tropics and subtropics, much less than the ~20 h for CESM. Hence, the observational results differ somewhat but both are considerably different from the model, which has too much precipitation overall, and it precipitates far too often at low rates and not enough for intense rates, with the divide about 1–2 mm h−1. There is a need to properly represent precipitation phenomena and processes either explicitly or implicitly (parameterized).
Rear-Flank Outflow Dynamics and Thermodynamics in the 10 June 2010 Last Chance, Colorado, Supercell
Authors: Riganti Curtis J. , Houston Adam L.
Published: March 2017

On 10 June 2010, the second Verification of the Origins of Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX2) armada observed a supercell thunderstorm near Last Chance, Colorado. Tempest unmanned aircraft system (UAS) data collected in the rear-flank outflow revealed what appeared to be an elevated outflow head, turbulent wake, and a cold rear-flank internal surge (RFIS). Surface thermodynamic and kinematic data collected by the StickNet and mobile mesonet indicated that the outflow wake may have extended to or very near the surface, perhaps modifying or outright replacing the leading edge of the outflow at times. Single-Doppler data collected by the NOAA X-Pol Mobile Polarimetric Doppler Radar (NOXP) were supportive of the possibility of a downdraft in the outflow wake associated with low-level divergence. A conceptual model of the hypothesized rear-flank outflow structure in the nontornadic phase of the Last Chance supercell is presented. The observed turbulent wake is consistent with mixing associated with the release of Kelvin–Helmholtz instability rearward of a density current head. Observations also support the hypothesis that the RFIS would not have existed without the turbulent wake.
On Cost Functions in the Hybrid Variational–Ensemble Method
Authors: Duc Le , Saito Kazuo
Published: March 2017

In the hybrid variational–ensemble data assimilation schemes preconditioned on the square root of background covariance , is a linear map from the model space to a higher-dimensional space. Because of the use of the nonsquare matrix , the transformed cost function still contains the inverse of . To avoid this inversion, all studies have used the diagonal quadratic form of the background term in practice without any justification. This study has shown that this practical cost function belongs to a class of cost functions that come into play whenever the minimization problem is transformed from the model space to a higher-dimension space. Each such cost function is associated with a vector in the kernel of (Ker), leading to an infinite number of these cost functions in which the practical cost function corresponds to the zero vector. These cost functions are shown to be the natural extension of the transformed one from the orthogonal complement of Ker to the full control space.

In practice, these cost functions are reduced to a practical form where calculation does not require a predefined vector in Ker, and are as valid as the transformed one in the control space. That means the minimization process is not needed to be restricted to any subspace, which is contrary to the previous studies. This was demonstrated using a real observation data assimilation system. The theory justifies the use of the practical cost function and its variant in the hybrid variational–ensemble data assimilation method.
The Causal Impact of Grammatical Gender Marking on Gender Wage Inequality and Country Income Inequality
Authors: Shoham Amir , Lee Sang Mook
Published: March 2017

In this study, we investigate, both theoretically and empirically, the impact of language gender marking on gender wage inequality and country income inequality. We find that nations with a higher level of gender marking in their dominant language have a higher wage gap between genders. Using an instrumental variable approach, we also find that gender marking has an indirect impact on country income inequality via gender wage inequality. Furthermore, we find evidence that the income inequality of a society as a whole (Palma ratio and Gini index, interchangeably) is affected by gender wage inequality. Finally, we document that linguistic gender marking outperforms survey-based cultural gender dimensions as a predictor of both gender wage inequality and country income inequality.
Market forces and workers’ power resources: A sociological account of real wage growth in advanced capitalism
Authors: Kollmeyer Christopher
Published: March 2017

Sociologists rarely study the determinants of real wage growth, even though it affects core sociological concerns such as social stratification and income inequality. Using data from 14 countries over a 38-year period, this study assesses the multifaceted determinants of real wage growth in the manufacturing sectors of advanced capitalist societies. On this topic, neoclassical economics suggests that wages should track labor productivity, but sociological theories of class conflict suggest that both firms and workers use ‘power resources’ to shape distributional outcomes in their favor. Drawing on these ideas and others, the author argues that real wage growth is loosely related to productivity growth but strongly related to the power resources of workers. This argument is tested with panel regression techniques. The results provide strong support for a power resource theory of wage determination. The study ends by considering possible reasons for the weak effect of labor productivity on real wages.
Improved compression properties of polypropylene extrusion foams by supramolecular additives
Authors: Mörl M , Steinlein C , Kreger K , Schmidt H-W , Altstädt V
Published: March 2017

Owing to the high lightweight design potential polymer foams become increasingly important. For rigid polymer foams, requiring high dimensional stability under load, a high compression modulus is a key feature. Here, we demonstrate how supramolecular additives can be utilized to control the foam morphology and to significantly improve the compression behavior of extruded foams made of linear isotactic polypropylene. Three different 1,3,5-benzenetrisamides were selected as supramolecular additives. These additives are soluble in the polymer melt and form a supramolecular nanofiber network upon cooling, acting as nucleating sites for both, foam cells and polymer crystals. It is shown that the in situ formed nanofiber network is very effective in reducing the cell size of extruded foams. Depending on the molecular structure and the concentration of the supramolecular additives, the compression modulus of polypropylene-polymer foams can be significantly increased compared to a reference foam with talc. Unexpectedly, an improvement of 100% with a concentration of only 0.02 wt% of a supramolecular additive compared to the neat polypropylene foam featuring similar densities is achieved. This improvement cannot be correlated with the foam morphology and is most likely attributed to the presence of the supramolecular nanofiber network.
Analysis of the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) value chain in Zimbabwe
Authors: Svubure O , Struik PC , Haverkort AJ , Steyn JM
Published: March 2017

The performance of the Irish potato sector in Zimbabwe is not well understood. Using value chain analysis, this article evaluated the potato industry using quantitative data gathered from stakeholders using structured questionnaires, field observations, local knowledge and expert consultation. About 65% of potato production is processed as French fries and less than 35% for household fresh consumption. Average fresh potato household per capita consumption was 34 kg per year, while the total per capita consumption was 9 kg per year. Gross profit estimated at each linkage was at least 13%. Major factors impacting on the value chain performance relate to high production costs, low yields and a lack of farmer training. Potato marketing is also hampered by the poor road network in the country. The research recommends a lowering of production costs, supplying high yielding cultivars, providing credit facilities, guaranteed land ownership and improving the country’s road network.
Weed control in minor crops in Spain after adoption of European regulation 1107/2009/EC and directive 2009/128/EC
Authors: Santín-Montanyá MI , Fernández-Getino AP , Alonso-Prados JL
Published: March 2017

Vegetable crops have become a source of great economic importance to many countries, particularly Spain. Crops should be protected from weeds in their early stages of development to prevent yield loss. It must be noted that there are limited registered herbicides for minor regional horticultural crops that generate little commercial interest. In this article, we discuss the implementation of European Regulation (Directive on Sustainable Use of Pesticides 2009/128/EC) in National Action Plans regarding horticultural minor use crops and the use of plant protection products with reference to evidence from Spain. The Spanish National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products was implemented in 2012 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Studies of the critical period of competition for weed control are a key component to help in developing a clear scheme that can be used for the design of effective integrated weed management programs. We highlight the urgent need for research and investigation into these areas and specifically ‘minor use’ crops due to the significant reduction of active substances approved in the European Union.
“Merely hints and symbols”? Kierkegaard and the Progressive Oracles of Brideshead Revisited
Authors: DeCoste D. Marcel
Published: March 2017

Douglas Lane Patey argues Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited is a conversion story that renders Ryder’s journey to belief as one of successive devotions: to art, to romance, to Christ. While this first-person tale focuses on narrator Ryder, his spiritual progress is marked by minor characters who intervene to predict the fruit of his artistic labors and worldly loves. Brideshead features a trio of oracles who offer apt diagnoses of Ryder’s shortcomings. The cumulative force of their accuracy helps move Ryder to Christian conversion. Moreover, these seers trace, in the first of Waugh’s novels to deal with his Catholicism, a path that conforms to Kierkegaard’s three stages of life. Each of these prophets—of art, of love, of faith, respectively—helps disclose the poverty of Ryder’s understanding of the aesthetic, ethical and religious; thus their prophesies guide him to that trust in God that Kierkegaard, like Waugh, sees as our proper end.