bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adverse Event Recording and Reporting in Clinical Trials Comparing Lumbar Disk Replacement with Lumbar Fusion: A Systematic Review
Authors: Hiratzka Jayme , Rastegar Farbod , Contag Alec G. , Norvell Daniel C. , Anderson Paul A. , Hart Robert A.
Published: December 2015

Study Design

Systematic review.

Objectives

(1) To compare the quality of adverse event (AE) methodology and reporting among randomized trials comparing lumbar fusion with lumbar total disk replacement (TDR) using established AE reporting systems; (2) to compare the AEs and reoperations of lumbar spinal fusion with those from lumbar TDR; (3) to make recommendations on how to report AEs in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) so that surgeons and patients have more-detailed and comprehensive information when making treatment decisions.

Methods

A systematic search of PubMed, the Cochrane collaboration database, and the National Guideline Clearinghouse through May 2015 was conducted. Randomized controlled trials with at least 2 years of follow-up comparing lumbar artificial disk replacement with lumbar fusion were included. Patients were required to have axial or mechanical low back pain of ≥3 months’ duration due to degenerative joint disease defined as degenerative disk disease, facet joint disease, or spondylosis. Outcomes included the quality of AE acquisition methodology and results reporting, and AEs were defined as those secondary to the procedure and reoperations. Individual and pooled relative risks and their 95% confidence intervals comparing lumbar TDR with fusion were calculated.

Results

RCTs demonstrated a generally poor description of methods for assessing AEs. There was a consistent lack of clear definition or grading for these events. Furthermore, there was a high degree of variation in reporting of surgery-related AEs. Most studies lacked adequate reporting of the timing of AEs, and there were no clear distinctions between acute or chronic AEs. Meta-analysis of the pooled data demonstrated a twofold increased risk of AEs in patients having lumbar fusion compared with patients having lumbar TDR at 2-year follow-up, and this relative risk was maintained at 5 years. Furthermore, the pooled data demonstrated a 1.7 times greater relative risk of reoperation in the fusion group compared with lumbar TDR, although this risk decreased to 1.1 at 5-year follow-up. However, given the lack of quality and consistency in the methods of recording and reporting of AEs, we are unable to make a clear recommendation of one treatment over the other.

Conclusions

Based on the currently available literature, lumbar TDR appears to be comparable in safety to lumbar fusion. However, due to lack of consistency in reporting of AEs, it is difficult to make conclusions regarding the true safety profile of lumbar TDR. Standardization in AE reporting will significantly improve the reliability of the current literature.
Recent performance of and plasma outage studies with the SNS H− source
Authors: Stockli M. P. , Han B. , Murray S. N. , Pennisi T. R. , Piller C. , Santana M. , Welton R.
Published: December 2015

Spallation Neutron Source ramps to higher power levels that can be sustained with high availability. The goal is 1.4 MW despite a compromised radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ), which requires higher radio frequency power than design levels to approach the nominal beam transmission. Unfortunately at higher power the RFQ often loses its thermal stability, a problem apparently enhanced by beam losses and high influxes of hydrogen. Delivering as much H− beam as possible with the least amount of hydrogen led to plasma outages. The root cause is the dense 1-ms long ∼55-kW 2-MHz plasma pulses reflecting ∼90% of the continuous ∼300 W, 13-MHz power, which was mitigated with a 4-ms filter for the reflected power signal and an outage resistant, slightly detuned 13-MHz match. Lowering the H2 gas also increased the H− beam current to ∼55 mA and increased the RFQ transmission by ∼7% (relative).
Probing microhydration effect on the electronic structure of the GFP chromophore anion: Photoelectron spectroscopy and theoretical investigations
Authors: Bhaskaran-Nair Kiran , Valiev Marat , Deng S. H. M. , Shelton William A. , Kowalski Karol , Wang Xue-Bin
Published: December 2015

The photophysics of the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) chromophore is critically dependent on its local structure and on its environment. Despite extensive experimental and computational studies, there remain many open questions regarding the key fundamental variables that govern this process. One outstanding problem is the role of autoionization as a possible relaxation pathway of the excited state under different environmental conditions. This issue is considered in our work through combined experimental and theoretical studies of microsolvated clusters of the deprotonated p-hydroxybenzylidene-2,3-dimethylimidazolinone anion (HBDI−), an analog of the GFP chromophore. Through selective generation of microsolvated structures of predetermined size and subsequent analysis of experimental photoelectron spectra by high level ab initio methods, we are able to precisely identify the structure of the system, establish the accuracy of theoretical data, and provide reliable description of auto-ionization process as a function of hydrogen-bonding environment. Our study clearly illustrates the first few water molecules progressively stabilize the excited state of the chromophore anion against the autodetached neutral state, which should be an important trait for crystallographic water molecules in GFPs that has not been fully explored to date.
Pair mobility functions for rigid spheres in concentrated colloidal dispersions: Force, torque, translation, and rotation
Authors: Zia Roseanna N. , Swan James W. , Su Yu
Published: December 2015

The formulation of detailed models for the dynamics of condensed soft matter including colloidal suspensions and other complex fluids requires accurate description of the physical forces between microstructural constituents. In dilute suspensions, pair-level interactions are sufficient to capture hydrodynamic, interparticle, and thermodynamic forces. In dense suspensions, many-body interactions must be considered. Prior analytical approaches to capturing such interactions such as mean-field approaches replace detailed interactions with averaged approximations. However, long-range coupling and effects of concentration on local structure, which may play an important role in, e.g., phase transitions, are smeared out in such approaches. An alternative to such approximations is the detailed modeling of hydrodynamic interactions utilizing precise couplings between moments of the hydrodynamic traction on a suspended particle and the motion of that or other suspended particles. For two isolated spheres, a set of these functions was calculated by Jeffrey and Onishi [J. Fluid Mech. 139, 261–290 (1984)] and Jeffrey [J. Phys. Fluids 4, 16–29 (1992)]. Along with pioneering work by Batchelor, these are the touchstone for low-Reynolds-number hydrodynamic interactions and have been applied directly in the solution of many important problems related to the dynamics of dilute colloidal dispersions [G. K. Batchelor and J. T. Green, J. Fluid Mech. 56, 375–400 (1972) and G. K. Batchelor, J. Fluid Mech. 74, 1–29 (1976)]. Toward extension of these functions to concentrated systems, here we present a new stochastic sampling technique to rapidly calculate an analogous set of mobility functions describing the hydrodynamic interactions between two hard spheres immersed in a suspension of arbitrary concentration, utilizing accelerated Stokesian dynamics simulations. These mobility functions provide precise, radially dependent couplings of hydrodynamic force and torque to particle translation and rotation, for arbitrary colloid volume fraction ϕ. The pair mobilities (describing entrainment of one particle by the disturbance flow created by another) decay slowly with separation distance: as 1/r, for volume fractions 0.05 ≤ ϕ ≤ 0.5. For the relative mobility, we find an initially rapid growth as a pair separates, followed by a slow, 1/r growth. Up to ϕ ≤ 0.4, the relative mobility does not reached the far-field value even beyond separations of many particle sizes. In the case of ϕ = 0.5, the far-field asymptote is reached but only at a separation of eight radii and after a slow 1/r growth. At these higher concentrations, the coefficients also reveal liquid-like structural effects on pair mobility at close separations. These results confirm that long-range many-body hydrodynamic interactions are an essential part of the dynamics of concentrated systems and that care must be taken when applying renormalization schemes.
Real-time dielectric-film thickness measurement system for plasma processing chamber wall monitoring
Authors: Kim Jin-Yong , Chung Chin-Wook
Published: December 2015

An in-situ real-time processing chamber wall monitoring system was developed. In order to measure the thickness of the dielectric film, two frequencies of small sinusoidal voltage (∼1 V) signals were applied to an electrically floated planar type probe, which is positioned at chamber wall surface, and the amplitudes of the currents and the phase differences between the voltage and current were measured. By using an equivalent sheath circuit model including a sheath capacitance, the dielectric thickness can be obtained. Experiments were performed in various plasma condition, and reliable dielectric film thickness was obtained regardless of the plasma properties. In addition, availability in commercial chamber for plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition was verified. This study is expected to contribute to the control of etching and deposition processes and optimization of periodic maintenance in semiconductor manufacturing process.
Remote synchronization of amplitudes across an experimental ring of non-linear oscillators
Authors: Minati Ludovico
Published: December 2015

In this paper, the emergence of remote synchronization in a ring of 32 unidirectionally coupled non-linear oscillators is reported. Each oscillator consists of 3 negative voltage gain stages connected in a loop to which two integrators are superimposed and receives input from its preceding neighbour via a “mixing” stage whose gains form the main system control parameters. Collective behaviour of the network is investigated numerically and experimentally, based on a custom-designed circuit board featuring 32 field-programmable analog arrays. A diverse set of synchronization patterns is observed depending on the control parameters. While phase synchronization ensues globally, albeit imperfectly, for certain control parameter values, amplitudes delineate subsets of non-adjacent but preferentially synchronized nodes; this cannot be trivially explained by synchronization paths along sequences of structurally connected nodes and is therefore interpreted as representing a form of remote synchronization. Complex topology of functional synchronization thus emerges from underlying elementary structural connectivity. In addition to the Kuramoto order parameter and cross-correlation coefficient, other synchronization measures are considered, and preliminary findings suggest that generalized synchronization may identify functional relationships across nodes otherwise not visible. Further work elucidating the mechanism underlying this observation of remote synchronization is necessary, to support which experimental data and board design materials have been made freely downloadable.
Effective permittivity of single-walled carbon nanotube composites: Two-fluid model
Authors: Moradi Afshin , Zangeneh Hamid Reza , Moghadam Firoozeh Karimi
Published: December 2015

We develop an effective medium theory to obtain effective permittivity of a composite of two-dimensional (2D) aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes. Electronic excitations on each nanotube surface are modeled by an infinitesimally thin layer of a 2D electron gas represented by two interacting fluids, which takes into account different nature of the σ and π electrons. Calculations of both real and imaginary parts of the effective dielectric function of the system are presented, for different values of the filling factor and radius of carbon nanotubes.
White top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes with solution-processed nano-particle scattering layers
Authors: Schaefer Tim , Schwab Tobias , Lenk Simone , Gather Malte C.
Published: December 2015

A random scattering approach to enhance light extraction in white top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is reported. Through solution processing from fluorinated solvents, a nano-particle scattering layer (NPSL) can be deposited directly on top of small molecule OLEDs without affecting their electrical performance. The scattering length for light inside the NPSL is determined from transmission measurements and found to be in agreement with Mie scattering theory. Furthermore, the dependence of the light outcoupling enhancement on electron transport layer thickness is studied. Depending on the electron transport layer thickness, the NPSL enhances the external quantum efficiency of the investigated white OLEDs by between 1.5 and 2.3-fold. For a device structure that has been optimized prior to application of the NPSL, the maximum external quantum efficiency is improved from 4.7% to 7.4% (1.6-fold improvement). In addition, the scattering layer strongly reduces the undesired shift in emission color with viewing angle.
The observation of valence band change on resistive switching of epitaxial Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3 film using removable liquid electrode
Authors: Lee Hong-Sub , Park Hyung-Ho
Published: December 2015

The resistive switching (RS) phenomenon in transition metal oxides (TMOs) has received a great deal of attention for non-volatile memory applications. Various RS mechanisms have been suggested as to explain the observed RS characteristics. Many reports suggest that changes of interface and the role of oxygen vacancies originate in RS phenomena; therefore, in this study, we use a liquid drop of mercury as the top electrode (TE), epitaxial Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (PCMO) (110) film of the perovskite manganite family for RS material, and an Nb-doped (0.7 at. %) SrTiO3 (100) single crystal as the substrate to observe changes in the interface between the TE and TMOs. The use of removable liquid electrode Hg drop as TE not only enables observation of the RS characteristic as a bipolar RS curve (counterclockwise) but also facilitates analysis of the valence band of the PCMO surface after resistive switching via photoelectron spectroscopy. The observed I-V behaviors of the low and high resistance states (HRS) are explained with an electrochemical migration model in PCMO film where accumulated oxygen vacancies at the interface between the Hg TE and PCMO (110) surface induce the HRS. The interpreted RS mechanism is directly confirmed via valence band spectrum analysis.
Effect of axial magnetic field on a 2.45 GHz permanent magnet ECR ion source
Authors: Nakamura T. , Wada H. , Asaji T. , Furuse M.
Published: December 2015

Herein, we conduct a fundamental study to improve the generation efficiency of a multi-charged ion source using argon. A magnetic field of our electron cyclotron resonance ion source is composed of a permanent magnet and a solenoid coil. Thereby, the axial magnetic field in the chamber can be tuned. Using the solenoid coil, we varied the magnetic field strength in the plasma chamber and measured the ion beam current extracted at the electrode. We observed an approximately three times increase in the Ar4+ ion beam current when the magnetic field on the extractor-electrode side of the chamber was weakened. From our results, we can confirm that the multi-charged ion beam current changes depending on magnetic field intensity in the plasma chamber.
Improving γ-ray energy resolution, non-proportionality, and decay time of NaI:Tl+ with Sr2+ and Ca2+ co-doping
Authors: Yang K. , Menge P. R.
Published: December 2015

Commercially available thallium activated sodium iodide scintillators are typically characterized by a γ-ray energy resolution of 6.5% at 662 keV and a scintillation decay time constant of 230 ns. Energy resolution, non-proportionality, and scintillation decay time are improved when the crystal is co-doped with alkaline earth metals (Sr2+ and Ca2+). The energy resolution of NaI:Tl+ is improved to 5.3%, and the decay time is simultaneously reduced to 170 ns with Sr2+ and Ca2+ co-doping. The improvement in energy resolution, non-proportionality, and decay time are likely due to the suppression of the slow scintillation processes in NaI:Tl+.
Understanding the nonlinear dynamics of driven particles in supercooled liquids in terms of an effective temperature
Authors: Schroer Carsten F. E. , Heuer Andreas
Published: December 2015

In active microrheology, the mechanical properties of a material are tested by adding probe particles which are pulled by an external force. In case of supercooled liquids, strong forcing leads to a thinning of the host material which becomes more pronounced as the system approaches the glass transition. In this work, we provide a quantitative theoretical description of this thinning behavior based on the properties of the Potential Energy Landscape (PEL) of a model glass-former. A key role plays the trap-like nature of the PEL. We find that the mechanical properties in the strongly driven system behave the same as in a quiescent system at an enhanced temperature, giving rise to a well-characterized effective temperature. Furthermore, this effective temperature turns out to be independent of the chosen observable and individually shows up in the thermodynamic and dynamic properties of the system. Based on this underlying theoretical understanding, we can estimate its dependence on temperature and force by the PEL-properties of the quiescent system. We furthermore critically discuss the relevance of effective temperatures obtained by scaling relations for the description of out-of-equilibrium situations.
Micromagnetic modeling of domain wall motion in sub-100-nm-wide wires with individual and periodic edge defects
Authors: Dutta S. , Siddiqui S. A. , Currivan-Incorvia J. A. , Ross C. A. , Baldo M. A.
Published: December 2015

Reducing the switching energy of devices that rely on magnetic domain wall motion requires scaling the devices to widths well below 100 nm, where the nanowire line edge roughness (LER) is an inherent source of domain wall pinning. We investigate the effects of periodic and isolated rectangular notches, triangular notches, changes in anisotropy, and roughness measured from images of fabricated wires, in sub-100-nm-wide nanowires with in-plane and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy using micromagnetic modeling. Pinning fields calculated for a model based on discretized images of physical wires are compared to experimental measurements. When the width of the domain wall is smaller than the notch period, the domain wall velocity is modulated as the domain wall propagates along the wire. We find that in sub-30-nm-wide wires, edge defects determine the operating threshold and domain wall dynamics.
Coupling between flexural modes in free vibration of single-walled carbon nanotubes
Authors: Liu Rumeng , Wang Lifeng
Published: December 2015

The nonlinear thermal vibration behavior of a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) is investigated by molecular dynamics simulation and a nonlinear, nonplanar beam model. Whirling motion with energy transfer between flexural motions is found in the free vibration of the SWCNT excited by the thermal motion of atoms where the geometric nonlinearity is significant. A nonlinear, nonplanar beam model considering the coupling in two vertical vibrational directions is presented to explain the whirling motion of the SWCNT. Energy in different vibrational modes is not equal even over a time scale of tens of nanoseconds, which is much larger than the period of fundamental natural vibration of the SWCNT at equilibrium state. The energy of different modes becomes equal when the time scale increases to the microsecond range.
Obesity diminishes synaptic markers, alters microglial morphology, and impairs cognitive function
Authors: Bocarsly Miriam E. , Fasolino Maria , Kane Gary A. , LaMarca Elizabeth A. , Kirschen Gregory W. , Karatsoreos Ilia N. , McEwen Bruce S. , Gould Elizabeth
Published: December 2015

Significance

In humans, obesity impairs cognition and produces atrophy of brain regions associated with learning and memory, but few studies have investigated the underlying cellular mechanisms. We used a diet-induced model of obesity in rats to study excessive weight gain and found that early stage obesity, before the onset of diabetes or metabolic syndrome, produced deficits on cognitive tasks that require the prefrontal cortex. Impaired cognition was associated with synapse loss, including reduced numbers of dendritic spines and expression of synaptic proteins, as well as structural alterations in the brain’s immune cells, the microglia. These results strongly suggest that obesity must be considered as a contributing factor to brain dysfunction, with implications for its increasing frequency in contemporary western society.
Ketamine produces antidepressant-like effects through phosphorylation-dependent nuclear export of histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5) in rats
Authors: Choi Miyeon , Lee Seung Hoon , Wang Sung Eun , Ko Seung Yeon , Song Mihee , Choi June-Seek , Kim Yong-Seok , Duman Ronald S. , Son Hyeon
Published: December 2015

Significance

The rapid antidepressant response is produced by ketamine administration. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the antidepressant-like action of ketamine remain incomplete. Here we show for the first time to our knowledge that ketamine stimulates the phosphorylation (Ser259/Ser498) and nuclear export of histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5). As a consequence, myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) transcriptional activity is enhanced and results in the induction of MEF2 target gene expression. We further show that ketamine down-regulates and, at the same time, phosphorylates HDAC5 to attenuate its repressive influence on transcription in the hippocampus. These studies unveil a previously unidentified role of HDAC5 in regulating neuronal function in response to ketamine, and thus provide the foundation for new approaches for the treatment of major depression.
Topological analyses in APP/PS1 mice reveal that astrocytes do not migrate to amyloid-β plaques
Authors: Galea Elena , Morrison Will , Hudry Eloise , Arbel-Ornath Michal , Bacskai Brian J. , Gómez-Isla Teresa , Stanley H. Eugene , Hyman Bradley T.
Published: December 2015

Significance

We sought to identify forces shaping the interaction between astrocytes and amyloid-β plaques by performing a spatial analysis, using tools from statistical physics, of 3D images from living transgenic mice. We discovered that astrocytes are repelled by other astrocytes and by plaques. The implications are (
i
) that a tight balance of repulsive factors maintains the highly territorial astrocyte organization and (
ii
) that, contrary to a belief widely held by Alzheimer’s researchers, astrocytes do not break this order, migrate to plaques, and phagocytose them. We conclude that astrocytes do sense something within the plaque microenvironment, as shown by the dramatic up-regulation of their key molecule, GFAP, but there is little change in position. These small positional changes are directed away from plaques.
Human cerebral organoids recapitulate gene expression programs of fetal neocortex development
Authors: Camp J. Gray , Badsha Farhath , Florio Marta , Kanton Sabina , Gerber Tobias , Wilsch-Bräuninger Michaela , Lewitus Eric , Sykes Alex , Hevers Wulf , Lancaster Madeline , Knoblich Juergen A. , Lachmann Robert , Pääbo Svante , Huttner Wieland B. , Treutlein Barbara
Published: December 2015

Significance

We have used single-cell RNA sequencing to compare human cerebral organoids and fetal neocortex. We find that, with relatively few exceptions, cells in organoid cortex-like regions use genetic programs very similar to fetal tissue to generate a structured cerebral cortex. Our study is of interest, as it shows which genetic features underlying human cortical development can be accurately studied in organoid culture systems. This is important because although cerebral organoids have great promise for modeling human neurodevelopment, the extent to which organoids recapitulate neural progenitor proliferation and differentiation networks in vivo remained unclear.
Molecular mechanisms underlying the exceptional adaptations of batoid fins
Authors: Nakamura Tetsuya , Klomp Jeff , Pieretti Joyce , Schneider Igor , Gehrke Andrew R. , Shubin Neil H.
Published: December 2015

Significance

With pectoral fins that surround much of the body, by fusing to the head, the skate is a cartilaginous fish that has one of the most unique appendages of all vertebrates. Here, we use an unbiased RNA screen to uncover genetic pathways underlying this morphology. Unlike tetrapods and other fishes, skates induce a second growth center in the anterior region, by the redeployment of an ancient genetic module. We find that some of the genes involved in generating the anterior–posterior fin function differently in skates than they do in limbed animals. Our data reveal the mechanisms for the unique skate fin morphology and also provide insights into the genetic origins of fin variation and morphological innovation in paired appendages.
A Qualitative Analysis of Family Involvement in Prescribed Opioid Medication Monitoring among Individuals who Have Experienced Opioid Overdoses
Authors: Stumbo Scott P. , Yarborough Bobbi Jo H. , Janoff Shannon L. , Yarborough Micah T. , McCarty Dennis , Green Carla A.
Published: December 2015

Background

Little is known about the role, extent, or effects of family member involvement in monitoring and managing opioid analgesics. Knowing when or how family members monitor prescribed opioid medication taking, whether it is acceptable to patients, or how family relationships may be affected by monitoring, are not well documented.

Methods

The study was conducted at Kaiser Permanente Northwest, an integrated health plan in Oregon and Washington. Semistructured in-depth interviews ( N = 87) assessed circumstances surrounding overdose events among individuals who either experienced an opioid-related overdose or were family members of patients who died as a result of such an overdose. A subset of participants ( n = 20) described family members’ roles in monitoring opioid medications before or after overdoses. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded using Atlas.ti. We used a modified grounded theory approach to categorize emergent data and to identify common themes.

Results

When family members played roles in monitoring and managing opioid medications, clinicians were often unaware of their involvement. Patients and family members reported better outcomes when the patient, caregiver, and clinician developed a shared treatment plan. Negative outcomes included relationship stress, particularly when patients and caregivers had differing perspectives about what constituted effective pain management versus misuse and abuse.

Conclusions

When families are concerned about opioid medications, coordination between clinicians, patients, and family carers appears to clarify roles and foster better outcomes. Increased stress and worse outcomes were reported when clinicians were not actively involved and when they did not attend to carers’ concerns.
Purification and characterization of a chloride ion-dependent α-glucosidase from the midgut gland of Japanese scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis)
Authors: Masuda Yasushi , Okuyama Masayuki , Iizuka Takahisa , Nakai Hiroyuki , Saburi Wataru , Fukukawa Taro , Maneesan Janjira , Tagami Takayoshi , Naraoka Tetsushi , Mori Haruhide , Kimura Atsuo
Published: December 2015

Marine glycoside hydrolases hold enormous potential due to their habitat-related characteristics such as salt tolerance, barophilicity, and cold tolerance. We purified an α-glucosidase (PYG) from the midgut gland of the Japanese scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) and found that this enzyme has unique characteristics. The use of acarbose affinity chromatography during the purification was particularly effective, increasing the specific activity 570-fold. PYG is an interesting chloride ion-dependent enzyme. Chloride ion causes distinctive changes in its enzymatic properties, increasing its hydrolysis rate, changing the pH profile of its enzyme activity, shifting the range of its pH stability to the alkaline region, and raising its optimal temperature from 37 to 55 °C. Furthermore, chloride ion altered PYG’s substrate specificity. PYG exhibited the highest Vmax/Km value toward maltooctaose in the absence of chloride ion and toward maltotriose in the presence of chloride ion.
BROADBAND RADIO POLARIMETRY AND FARADAY ROTATION OF 563 EXTRAGALACTIC RADIO SOURCES
Authors: Anderson C. S. , Gaensler B. M. , Feain I. J. , Franzen T. M. O.
Published: December 2015

We present a broadband spectropolarimetric survey of 563 discrete, mostly unresolved radio sources between 1.3 and 2.0 GHz using data taken with the Australia Telescope Compact Array. We have used rotation-measure synthesis to identify Faraday-complex polarized sources, those objects whose frequency-dependent polarization behavior indicates the presence of material possessing complicated magnetoionic structure along the line of sight (LOS). For sources classified as Faraday-complex, we have analyzed a number of their radio and multiwavelength properties to determine whether they differ from Faraday-simple polarized sources (sources for which LOS magnetoionic structures are comparatively simple) in these properties. We use this information to constrain the physical nature of the magnetoionic structures responsible for generating the observed complexity. We detect Faraday complexity in 12% of polarized sources at ∼1′ resolution, but we demonstrate that underlying signal-to-noise limitations mean the true percentage is likely to be significantly higher in the polarized radio source population. We find that the properties of Faraday-complex objects are diverse, but that complexity is most often associated with depolarization of extended radio sources possessing a relatively steep total intensity spectrum. We find an association between Faraday complexity and LOS structure in the Galactic interstellar medium (ISM) and claim that a significant proportion of the Faraday complexity we observe may be generated at interfaces of the ISM associated with ionization fronts near neutral hydrogen structures. Galaxy cluster environments and internally generated Faraday complexity provide possible alternative explanations in some cases.
Survey, Molecular Detection, and Characterization of Geminiviruses Associated with Cassava Mosaic Disease in Zambia
Authors: Mulenga Rabson M. , Legg James P. , Ndunguru Joseph , Miano Douglas W. , Mutitu Eunice W. , Chikoti Patrick C. , Alabi O. J.
Published: December 2015

A survey was conducted from April to May 2014 in 214 farmers’ fields located across six major cassava-producing provinces (Western, Northwestern, Northern, Luapula, Lusaka, and Eastern) of Zambia to determine the status of cassava mosaic disease (CMD) and the species diversity of associated cassava mosaic geminiviruses (CMG). Mean CMD incidence varied across all six provinces but was greatest in Lusaka Province (81%) and least in Northern Province (44%). Mean CMD severity varied slightly between provinces, ranging from 2.78 in Eastern Province to 3.00 in Northwestern Province. Polymerase chain reaction discrimination of 226 survey samples, coupled with complete DNA-A genome sequence analysis, revealed the presence of African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV), East African cassava mosaic virus (EACMV), and East African cassava mosaic Malawi virus (EACMMV) as single or mixed infections of different proportions. Single-virus infections were predominant, occurring in 62.8% (ACMV), 5.8% (EACMMV), and 2.2% (EACMV) of samples relative to mixed-virus infections, which occurred in 19.5% (ACMV + EACMMV), 0.4% (ACMV + EACMV), and 0.9% (ACMV + EACMV + EACMMV) of samples. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the segregation of virus isolates from Zambia into clades specific to ACMV, EACMV, and EACMMV, further confirming the presence of all three viruses in Zambia. The results point to a greater diversity of CMG across major cassava-growing provinces of Zambia and implicate contaminated cassava cuttings in disease spread.
SNP-Based Differentiation of Phytophthora infestans Clonal Lineages Using Locked Nucleic Acid Probes and High-Resolution Melt Analysis
Authors: Hansen Zachariah R. , Knaus Brian J. , Tabima Javier F. , Press Caroline M. , Judelson Howard S. , Grünwald Niklaus J. , Smart Christine D.
Published: December 2015

Phytophthora infestans, the cause of the devastating late blight disease of potato and tomato, exhibits a clonal reproductive lifestyle in North America. Phenotypes such as fungicide sensitivity and host preference are conserved among individuals within clonal lineages, while substantial phenotypic differences can exist between lineages. Whole P. infestans genomes were aligned and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified as targets for the development of clonal-lineage-specific molecular diagnostic tools. Informative SNPs were used to develop high-resolution melt (HRM) assays and locked nucleic acid (LNA) probes to differentiate lineage US-23, the predominant lineage in the Eastern United States for the past several years, from three other U.S. lineages. Three different primer pairs targeting one to three SNPs were capable of separating lineage US-23 from lineages US-8, US-11, and US-24 using HRM analysis. A fourth HRM primer pair targeted a highly variable genomic region containing nine polymorphisms within 63 bp. These primers separated US-23, US-11, and US-8 plus US-24 into three separate groups following HRM analysis but did not separate US-8 from US-24. Additionally, two LNA probes were designed to target a portion of the P. infestans genome containing two SNPs diagnostic for US-23. A single multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay containing both differentially labeled LNA probes differentiated individuals belonging to lineage US-23 from those belonging to US-8, US-11, and US-24.
Niacin and Selenium Attenuate Sepsis-Induced Lung Injury by Up-Regulating Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2–Related Factor 2 Signaling*
Authors: Kwon Woon Yong , Suh Gil Joon , Kim Kyung Su , Jung Yoon Sun , Kim Sung Hee , Kim Jae Seong , You Kyoung Min
Published: December 2015

Objectives:

To determine whether the combination therapy of niacin and selenium attenuates lung injury and improves survival during sepsis in rats and whether its benefits are associated with the activation of the glutathione redox cycle and up-regulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2.

Design:

Prospective laboratory study.

Setting:

University laboratory.

Subjects:

Human lung microvascular endothelial cells and male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 291).

Intervention:

In lipopolysaccharide-exposed cells, the dose-related effects of niacin and selenium were assessed, and the therapeutic effects of the combination therapy of niacin (0.9 mM) and selenium (1.5 μM) were evaluated. The role of nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 was determined using nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 knockdown cells. In endotoxemic and cecal ligation and puncture with antibiotics rats, the therapeutic effects of the posttreatments of clinically relevant doses of niacin (360 mg/kg) and selenium (60 μg/kg) were evaluated.

Measurements and Main Results:

Combination therapy reduced the hydrogen peroxide level via the synergistic activation of the glutathione redox cycle, which involves niacin-induced increases in glutathione reductase activity, and reduced the glutathione level and a selenium-induced increase in glutathione peroxidase activity. Combination therapy contributed to the up-regulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2, enhancement of glutathione synthesis, and down-regulation of nuclear factor κB signaling, but nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 knockdown inhibited the enhancement of glutathione synthesis and down-regulation of the nuclear factor κB pathway. The therapeutic effects of combination therapy on endotoxemic rats were consistent with those on lipopolysaccharide-exposed cells. In addition, the posttreatment of combination therapy attenuated lung injury and improved survival in endotoxemic and cecal ligation and puncture with antibiotics rats. However, individual therapies of niacin or selenium failed to achieve these benefits.

Conclusions:

The combination therapy of niacin and selenium attenuated lung injury and improved survival during sepsis. Its therapeutic benefits were associated with the synergistic activation of the glutathione redox cycle, reduction of hydrogen peroxide level, and up-regulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2.
Short-Term Dietary Restriction Rescues Mice From Lethal Abdominal Sepsis and Endotoxemia and Reduces the Inflammatory/Coagulant Potential of Adipose Tissue
Authors: Starr Marlene E. , Steele Allison M. , Cohen Donald A. , Saito Hiroshi
Published: December 2015

Objectives:

Visceral adipose tissue is a major site for expression of proinflammatory and procoagulant genes during acute systemic inflammation. In this study, we tested whether the loss of fat mass by dietary restriction would remove the major source of these factors resulting in improved tolerance to sepsis and endotoxemia.

Design:

Prospective, laboratory controlled experiments.

Setting:

Aging and critical care research laboratory in a university hospital.

Subjects:

Middle-aged (12-month old) male C57BL/6 mice.

Interventions:

Mice were subjected to 40% dietary restriction for 3 weeks followed by induction of abdominal sepsis or endotoxemia by intraperitoneal injection with cecal slurry or lipopolysaccharide, respectively.

Measurements and Main Results:

Compared with freely fed mice, dietary restricted mice exhibited dramatically improved survival (80% vs 0% after sepsis; p < 0.001 and 86% vs 12% after endotoxemia; p = 0.013) and significantly reduced visceral fat-derived messenger RNA expression of interleukin-6, thrombospondin-1, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and tissue factor, which positively correlated with fat mass. Plasma levels of interleukin-6 were significantly reduced by dietary restriction and correlated with adipose interleukin-6 messenger RNA levels and fat mass (p < 0.001; R
2 = 0.64 and 0.89). In vitro culture of visceral fat explants from naive dietary restricted mice showed significantly reduced interleukin-6 secretion compared with that from freely fed mice in response to lipopolysaccharide. Analysis of major adipose immune cell populations by flow cytometry demonstrated that macrophages were the only cell population reduced by dietary restriction and that CD11c+/CD206+ (M2-type) and CD11c–/CD206– (double negative) macrophages, in addition to T cells, are the major immune cell populations that produce interleukin-6 in middle-aged mice during systemic inflammation.

Conclusions:

Short-term dietary restriction drastically improved the survival outcome of middle-aged mice during both polymicrobial sepsis and sterile endotoxemia. Improved survival was accompanied by a significantly attenuated inflammatory response in adipose tissue, which is likely due to alterations of both fat mass quantity and qualitative changes, including a reduction in macrophage populations.
Ideal Hematocrit to Minimize Renal Injury on Cardiopulmonary Bypass
Authors: Ghatanatti Ravi , Teli Anita , Narayan Pradeep , Chowdhuri Kuntal Roy , Mondal Ansuman , Bhattacharya Subhankar , Sengupta Gautam , Datta Monalisa
Published: December 2015

Objective

Renal dysfunction after cardiopulmonary bypass (CBP) ranges from subclinical injury to established renal failure requiring dialysis. The pathophysiology is multifactorial, and recently, hemodilution during CBP has been thought to be an important determinant of postoperative renal injury. In this study, we attempted to assess the independent effect of hemodilution on renal function. We also aimed to identify the optimal hematocrit where hemodilution-induced renal injury is minimal.

Methods

A prospective observational study was conducted on 200 patients between February 2012 and July 2013. One hundred fifty patients were included in the study group, who were further subdivided on the basis of lowest hemodilution as mild hemodilution (>25%), moderate hemodilution (21%–25%), and severe hemodilution (<21%) categories. The primary outcome of the study was renal outcome measure, which was assessed by comparing the creatinine clearance across the groups.

Results

The creatinine clearance decreased over a period in all three groups. When compared with mild or moderate hemodilution, the reduction in creatinine clearance was significantly higher in the group with severe hemodilution (P ≤ 0.0001). However, there was no significant difference in creatinine clearance reduction between the mild and moderate hemodilution groups (P = 0.813; 95% confidence interval, −8.41 to 10.68).

Conclusions

Based on our observations, we would like to propose that a hematocrit of 21% should be considered the critical threshold. Hematocrit below this value of 21% during CBP is associated with the most significant deterioration in renal function.
The Medication Regimen of Patients With Heart Failure: The Gerontologic Considerations and Anticholinergic Burden
Authors: Knecht Janet G. , Neafsey Patricia J.
Published: December 2015

Background:

Although prescription medication adherence has been studied in the population living with heart failure (HF), little attention has focused on the patient’s overall medication practices including over-the-counter medications. Patients with HF live with the certainty that their quality of life depends on the proper management of multiple medications. Failure to properly manage prescription medications increases the risk of exacerbation of HF and increased rates of rehospitalization.

Objectives:

The aim of the quantitative component of this study was to identify medication practices in patients with HF. The aim of the qualitative component was to identify themes of patients with high and low HF medication self-efficacy.

Methods:

A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was followed. Quantitative interviews were conducted by telephone with 41 patients living with HF around their medication-taking and lifestyle behaviors. Immediately thereafter, qualitative interviews were conducted to elicit the patient’s perspective of their therapeutic regimen.

Results:

Patients are prescribed medications not recommended for the gerontologic population and/or risk anticholinergic burden. Although highly confident, patients admit to a plethora of errors.

Conclusion:

Future study is required to ensure safe transitions to home and enhance technology to provide seamless communication between patients and providers.
Nursing-Based Dysrhythmia Detection on a Dedicated Stroke Unit Using a Unit-Based Cardiac Telemetry Monitoring System
Authors: Jastrzebski Cheryl , Hernandez Erika , Nadis Susan , Lichtenberg Robert
Published: December 2015

Background:

Acute stroke care includes cardiac rhythm monitoring in the first 24 hours. The method of monitoring varies, as do the reported findings. The nurses’ role in this process can be intensive, including primary response and review of all data. Competency is critical as the acute stroke setting can be associated with life-threatening dysrhythmias as well as the detection of atrial fibrillation that affects therapy. Limited studies exist to evaluate the effectiveness of a unit-based cardiac monitoring system for which the bedside nurse has primary responsibility.

Objective:

The goal was to determine if a unit-based cardiac monitoring system for which the bedside nurse was responsible detected clinically significant dysrhythmias.

Methods:

Stroke unit nurses completed a mandatory education program on identifying common dysrhythmias and using the monitoring equipment along with a structured algorithm for cardiac dysrhythmia detection. The nurse was responsible for all alarms as well as review of their patients’ data. Their findings were recorded and reviewed by a cardiology team after the 24-hour monitoring was completed. A total of 300 consecutive stokes, transient ischemic attack, and possible stroke patients were enrolled.

Results:

Nurses identified 96% of all significant dysrhythmias. Twenty-eight percent of the stroke patients had a dysrhythmia, of which 79% were atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter. The bedside nurses did identify all 8 new atrial fibrillation cases.

Conclusion:

Stroke unit nurses who complete an educational program can identify dysrhythmias on their patients’ unit-based cardiac monitoring systems and can improve patient outcomes.
Superiority of the Split-dose PEG Regimen for Small-Bowel Capsule Endoscopy
Authors: Magalhães-Costa Pedro , Carmo Joana , Bispo Miguel , Santos Sofia , Chagas Cristina
Published: December 2015

Goals:

We aimed to evaluate the small-bowel cleansing quality, the diagnostic yield (DY), the transit time, and the patients’ tolerability, by comparing the 2 different polyethylene glycol (PEG) administration schedules.

Background:

The use of bowel purgatives before small-bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) is recommended by the ESGE guidelines. Whether this regimen can be further refined by changing the timing of administration is unknown.

Study:

Fifty-seven patients were prospectively enrolled and randomized into 2 groups: group 1 (G1, n=29) received 2 L of PEG in the day before SBCE (time between PEG and SBCE=10 h); and group 2 (G2, n=28) received 1 L of PEG in the day before SBCE and 1 L of PEG in the morning before SBCE (time between PEG and SBCE=4 h). The primary outcome measure was small-bowel cleansing quality. Small-bowel cleansing quality was evaluated according to a previously validated grading scale.

Results:

The entire and distal half small-bowel cleansing scores were significantly higher among G2 (median score: 8 vs. 10 points, P=0.012; median score: 6 vs. 8 points, P=0.05, respectively). The DY did not differ significantly between groups. There were no significant differences in transit times between the 2 PEG regimens. Both schedules were well tolerated, showing no differences regarding symptoms while ingesting the preparation or after SBCE ingestion.

Conclusions:

Split-dose PEG regimen for SBCE preparation improved the small-bowel cleanliness, did not interfere with transit times and was equally well tolerated by the patients. No differences were observed regarding DY. ClinicalTrial.gov registration: NCT02396017.