bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morphometric Analysis of Rat Spinal Cord Angioarchitecture by Phase Contrast Radiography
Authors: Wu Tianding , Cao Yong , Ni Shuangfei , Luo Zixiang , Jiang Liyuan , Lu Hongbin , Hu Jianzhong
Published: September 2017

Study Design.

An advanced imaging of vasculature with synchrotron radiation X-ray in a rat model.

Objective.

To develop the potential for quantitative assessment of vessel network from two-dimensional (2D) to 3D visualization by synchrotron radiation X-ray phase contrast tomography (XPCT) in rat spinal cord model.

Summary of Background Data.

Investigation of microvasculature contributes to the understanding of pathological development of spinal cord injury. A few of X-ray imaging is available to visualize vascular architecture without usage of angiography or invasive casting preparation.

Methods.

A rat spinal cord injury model was produced by modified Allen method. Histomorphometric detection was simultaneously analyzed by both histology and XPCT from 2D to 3D visualization. The parameters including tissue lesion area, microvessel density, vessel diameter, and frequency distribution of vessel diameter were evaluated.

Results.

XPCT rendered the microvessels as small as capillary scale with a pixel size of 3.7 μm. It presented a high linear concordance for characterizing the 2D vascular morphometry compared with the histological staining (r2 = 0.8438). In the presence of spinal cord injury model, 3D construction quantified the significant angioarchitectural deficiency in the injury epicenter of cord lesion (P<0.01).

Conclusion.

XPCT has a great potential to detect the smallest vascular network with pixel size up to micron dimension. It is inferred that the loss of abundant microvessels (≤40 μm) is responsible for local ischemia and neural dysfunction. XPCT holds a promise for morphometric analysis from 2D to 3D imaging in experimental model of neurovascular disorders.

Level of Evidence: N/A
Predicting Perioperative Complications in Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery Using a Simple Sliding Scale
Authors: Yoshida Go , Hasegawa Tomohiko , Yamato Yu , Kobayashi Sho , Oe Shin , Banno Tomohiro , Mihara Yuuki , Arima Hideyuki , Ushirozako Hiroki , Yasuda Tatsuya , Togawa Daisuke , Matsuyama Yukihiro
Published: September 2017

Study Design.

A retrospective database study.

Objective.

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a sliding scale for predicting perioperative complications associated with adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery.

Summary of Background Data.

ASD surgery can have high perioperative complication rates, which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

Methods.

Data on consecutive ASD patients undergoing posterior corrective surgery over a 6-year interval were collected from a prospective database. The patients’ preoperative general condition, surgical status, and perioperative complications occurring within 30 days of surgery were analyzed and independent predictors were determined using multivariable logistic regression analysis. We made the sliding scale using cut-off values from receiver operating curve analysis and validated the performance of this model.

Results.

Three hundred four patients were included with a mean age of 62.9 years. One hundred eight patients (35.5%) were affected by at least one perioperative complication with a total of 195 perioperative complications, including neurological (12.8%), excessive blood loss (11.2%), delirium (11.2%), and infection (3.6%). Total independent predictors were age [odds ratio (OR): 1.042], operation time (OPT) (OR: 2.015), and estimated blood loss (EBL) (OR: 4.885) with cut-off values of approximately 70 years, 6 hours, and 2000 mL, respectively. Fusion of ≥10 segments (OR: 2.262), three-column osteotomy (OR: 1.860), current use of antihypertensive (OR: 2.595) and anticoagulant (OR: 7.013), and body mass index (OR: 1.160) were risk factors for neurological complications, infection, and deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary thrombosis. Our proposed sliding scale had a sensitivity of 91%, specificity of 58.1%, and the incidence of perioperative complication in the validation dataset was smaller than that without this scale (P ≤ 0.05).

Conclusion.

Patients’ age, current medication, and degenerative pathology might be independent preoperative as well as operative predictors. An age and comorbidities based sliding scale with classifications of OPT and EBL may be useful for risk prediction in ASD surgery.

Level of Evidence: 3
Whether Orthotic Management and Exercise are Equally Effective to the Patients With Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis in Mainland China?
Authors: Zheng Yu , Dang Yini , Yang Yan , Li Huabo , Zhang Lijie , Lou Edmond H. M. , He Chengqi , Wong Mansang
Published: September 2017

Study Design.

A prospective randomized controlled trial.

Objective.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of orthotic management versus exercise on spinal curvature, body symmetry, and quality of life.

Summary of Background Data.

A number of well-designed studies comparing conservative treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) have been conducted and the evidence becomes stronger. However, there is a lack of the information on the effectiveness of orthotic management versus exercise.

Methods.

The inclusion criteria recommended by the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) and the international Society on Scoliosis Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT) were used during enrollment. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to either bracing group or exercise group. Patients in the bracing group were prescribed with a rigid thoracolumbosacral orthosis and requested to wear 23 h/day, while patients in the exercise group were treated with the protocol of the Scientific Exercise Approach to Scoliosis. Data regarding angle of trunk inclination, Cobb angle, shoulder balance, body image, and quality of life (QoL) were collected every 6 months.

Results.

Twenty-four patients in the bracing group and 29 patients in the exercise group participated in this study. For the intergroup comparison, the bracing group showed better results about the correction of spinal curvature (Cobb angle at the first 12 months of intervention, P = 0.039), scores concerning QoL, especially function (P < 0.001), mental health (P < 0.001), and total score (P < 0.001), were higher than that of the exercise group. The results of body symmetry evaluation did not differ significantly between the two groups. For the intragroup comparison, parameters of spinal curvature (baseline vs. 12-month, P < 0.03 in the exercise group and P < 0.001 in the bracing group), QoL (baseline vs. 12-month, P < 0.001), and TAPS (baseline vs. 12-month, P < 0.033) significantly improved over the studied period. Shoulder balance (baseline vs. 12-month, P < 0.005) showed significant improvement only in the bracing group.

Conclusion.

Both interventions of bracing and exercise showed significant treatment effectiveness on the patients with AIS. Bracing was superior to capture corrections in parameters of spinal curvature and body symmetry, while the QoL, especially in aspect of the functional and psychological status, was significantly better in the exercise group.

Level of Evidence: 1
Chronic exposure to insufficient sleep alters processes of pain habituation and sensitization
Authors: Simpson Norah S. , Scott-Sutherland Jennifer , Gautam Shiva , Sethna Navil , Haack Monika
Published: September 2017

Chronic pain conditions are highly comorbid with insufficient sleep. While the mechanistic relationships between the 2 are not understood, chronic insufficient sleep may be 1 pathway through which central pain-modulatory circuits deteriorate, thereby contributing to chronic pain vulnerability over time. To test this hypothesis, an in-laboratory model of 3 weeks of restricted sleep with limited recovery (5 nights of 4-hour sleep per night followed by 2 nights of 8-hour sleep per night) was compared with 3 weeks of 8-hour sleep per night (control protocol). Seventeen healthy adults participated, with 14 completing both 3-week protocols. Measures of spontaneous pain, heat-pain thresholds, cold-pain tolerance (measuring habituation to cold over several weeks), and temporal summation of pain (examining the slope of pain ratings during cold water immersion) were assessed at multiple points during each protocol. Compared with the control protocol, participants in the sleep-restriction protocol experienced mild increases in spontaneous pain (P < 0.05). Heat-pain thresholds decreased after the first week of sleep restriction (P < 0.05) but normalized with longer exposure to sleep restriction. By contrast, chronic exposure to restricted sleep was associated with decreased habituation to, and increased temporal summation in response to cold pain (both P < 0.05), although only in the past 2 weeks of the sleep-restriction protocol. These changes may reflect abnormalities in central pain-modulatory processes. Limited recovery sleep did not completely resolve these alterations in pain-modulatory processes, indicating that more extensive recovery sleep is required. Results suggest that exposure to chronic insufficient sleep may increase vulnerability to chronic pain by altering processes of pain habituation and sensitization.
Comparison of an Electromagnetic Middle Ear Implant and Hearing Aid Word Recognition Performance to Word Recognition Performance Obtained Under Earphones
Authors: Chang C. Y. Joseph , Spearman Michael , Spearman Brian , McCraney Anna , Glasscock Michael E.
Published: September 2017

Objective:

To report the results of patients with the Maxum middle ear implant (MEI) and compare word recognition scores (WRS) and speech perception gap (SP Gap) of Maxum versus optimally fit hearing aids (HA).

Study Design:

Case series with chart review.

Setting:

Single, private otology clinic.

Patients:

Eleven ears, in nine adult patients (two women; average age 62.7 yr).

Interventions:

Twelve consecutive ears with moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) underwent implantation of the Maxum system. One patient was not included due to inadequate preoperative testing.

Main Outcome Measures:

Primary outcome measures included word recognition score (WRS) and SP Gap (maximum word understanding [PB max] – WRSaided) improvement compared with HAs.

Results:

The average Maxum WRS was 64.7% (range, 28–94%), a 41.6% improvement (range, 10–66%) over HAs (p < 0.001). The average Maxum SP Gap was 6.6% (range, −8 to 24%), a 41.6% improvement (range, 10–66%) over HAs (p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

These data demonstrate that the Maxum provides superior WRS than HAs for patients with significant aided SP Gaps. There is a significant, very strong correlation between Maxum WRS and PB max (r = 0.85, p = 0.001). This implies that PB max may reasonably predict WRS outcomes with Maxum before implantation, and the SP Gap can reasonably predict the degree of additional potential benefit with Maxum. In advising patients who may be candidates for both a CI and MEI, PB max and SP Gap measurements will provide useful predictive information to help clinicians counsel patients on their choice of hearing technology.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4
A Comparison of Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays for the Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance Markers and Sequence Typing From Clinical Nucleic Acid Amplification Test Samples and Matched Neisseria gonorrhoeae Culture
Authors: Peterson Shelley W. , Martin Irene , Demczuk Walter , Hoang Linda , Wylie John , Lefebvre Brigitte , Labbé Annie-Claude , Naidu Prenilla , Haldane David , Mulvey Michael R.
Published: September 2017

Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays to detect antimicrobial resistance–associated mutations were tested on Neisseria gonorrhoeae–positive clinical samples with matched isolates. Of the nucleic acid amplification tests/cultures, 87.7% (64/73), 98.6% (72/73), and 98.4% (62/63) predicted cephalosporin, ciprofloxacin, and azithromycin susceptibilities, respectively. N. gonorrhoeae multiantigen sequence type was correctly predicted for 98.7% (79/80), and 13 of 58 N. gonorrhoeae–negative specimens showed false-positive results.
Cellular Angiofibroma of the Nasopharynx
Authors: Erdur Zülküf Burak , Yener Haydar Murat , Yilmaz Mehmet , Karaaltin Ayşegül Batioğlu , Inan Hakki Caner , Alaskarov Elvin , Gozen Emine Deniz
Published: September 2017

Angiofibroma is a common tumor of the nasopharynx region but cellular type is extremely rare in head and neck. A 13-year-old boy presented with frequent epistaxis and nasal obstruction persisting for 6 months. According to the clinical symptoms and imaging studies juvenile angiofibroma was suspected. Following angiographic embolization total excision of the lesion by midfacial degloving approach was performed. Histological examination revealed that the tumor consisted of staghorn blood vessels and irregular fibrous stroma. Stellate fibroblasts with small pyknotic to large vesicular nuclei were seen in a highly cellular stroma. These findings identified cellular angiofibroma mimicking juvenile angiofibroma. This article is about a very rare patient of cellular angiofibroma of nasopharynx.
Bigger is better: Comparison of alternative devices for tension hemopneumothorax and pulseless electrical activity in a Yorkshire swine model
Authors: Leatherman Matthew L. , Fluke Laura M. , McEvoy Christian S. , Pokorny Douglas M. , Ricca Robert L. , Martin Matthew J. , Gamble Christopher S. , Polk Travis M.
Published: September 2017

BACKGROUND

Tension pneumothorax is a cause of potentially preventable death in prehospital and battlefield settings and 14-gauge angiocatheter (14G AC) decompression remains the current treatment standard, despite its high incidence of failure. Traumatic pneumothorax is often associated with hemothorax, but 14G AC has no proven efficacy for associated hemothorax. We sought to compare the 14G AC to three alternative devices for treatment of tension hemopneumothorax (t-H/PTX) in a positive-pressure ventilation swine model.

METHODS

Our tension model was modified to incorporate a persistent air leak and pleural blood. Tension physiology was achieved with escalating carbon dioxide insufflation via transdiaphragmatic trocar, and 10% estimated blood volume was instilled into each chest. Intervention was randomized between 14G AC, 10-gauge angiocatheter (10G AC), modified Veress-type needle (mVN), and 3-mm laparoscopic trocar (LT). After recovery, serial tension-induced pulseless electrical activity (PEA) events were induced and decompressed. Success of rescue, time to rescue, and physiologic data were recorded.

RESULTS

One hundred ninety-five t-H/PTX and 88 PEA events were conducted in 25 swine. Laparoscopic trocar and 10G AC were more successful and had faster median time to rescue for t-H/PTX compared with 14G AC, whereas mVN performed comparably. Following PEA, 14G AC and mVN succeeded at rescue only 50% and 57% of the time, whereas 10G AC and LT had 100% success at return of spontaneous circulation. Time to successful return of circulation following PEA did not differ between devices; however, there was a noticeable difference in the rate of meaningful hemodynamic recovery following PEA favoring LT and 10G AC. There were no significant injuries noted.

CONCLUSIONS

While mVN performed comparably to 14G AC, both have unacceptable failure rates. Ten-gauge AC and LT performed superiorly in both t-H/PTX and PEA. We believe there is now ample evidence supporting replacement of the 14G AC with 10G AC in current treatment recommendations.
Women and the legitimization of (not) engaging in paid work: logics from Lebanon
Authors: Karam Charlotte M. , Afiouni Fida
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how public (i.e. culture, state, paid work) and private (i.e. household) patriarchal structures work to shape a woman’s own legitimacy judgments concerning not engaging in paid work. The authors trace the intersection and interaction of legitimacy logics at both the collective (i.e. validity) and individual (i.e. propriety) levels, thereby gaining a better contextual understanding of each woman’s perception of career opportunities and limitations.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative methodology drawing from 35 semi-structured interviews with Lebanese women. A multilevel analytic framework combining the institutional structures of private and public patriarchy with the micro-processes of institutional logics is used.

Findings

Legitimization of (not) engaging in paid work is often tied to patriarchal logics that favor private sphere responsibilities for women, particularly related to the relational and instrumental logics of childrearing and husband-oriented responsibilities. Women’s legitimacy judgment formation seems to be based on multilevel cues and on differential instances of evaluative vs passive judgment formation. Some appear to passively assume the legitimacy of the logics; while others more actively question these logics. The findings suggest that active questioning is often overwhelmed by the negative and harsh realities making the woman succumb to passivity and choosing not to engage in paid work.

Originality/value

This study provides: a better mapping of the individual woman’s daily cognitions concerning the legitimacy of (not) engaging in paid work; and a unique multilevel analytic framework that can serve as a useful example of contextualizing career research.
From the informal economy to the meaning of informality
Authors: Ram Monder , Edwards Paul , Jones Trevor , Villares-Varela Maria
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess ways in which informality can be understood and reviews an emerging area of management scholarship. The origins and nature of informality are discussed with the aid of two different theoretical tools: “workplace sociology” (WS) and “mixed embeddedness” (ME).

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis is grounded in empirical material reflecting different aspects of informality mainly within the ethnic economy, such as a study on the implementation of the National Minimum Wage regulations (Ram et al., 2007; Jones et al., 2004, 2006).

Findings

The authors argue that the combination of WS and ME provides a valuable means of content and character of informality. It can also help to explaining variations and patterns within the informal economy, as well as understanding new forms of informality in the ethnic economy and beyond in “superdiverse” contexts.

Originality/value

This paper bridges two different theoretical approaches to explain the interactions between the firm and state regulations, as well as the workplace relations between employer and employees.
The making of a moral economy: women's views of monetary transactions in an ‘egg sharing for research’ scheme
Authors: Haimes Erica , Williams Robin
Published: September 2017

There are growing debates about the appropriateness of offering money in exchange for the provision of bodily materials for clinical treatment and research. The bioethics literature and many practice guidelines have generally been opposed to such entanglement, depicting the use of money as contaminating, creating undue inducement, exploitation and commodification of the human body. However, two elements have been missing from these debates: (i) the perspectives of those people providing bodily materials when money is offered; and (ii) systematic empirical engagement with the notion of ‘money’ itself. This article seeks to fill those gaps in knowledge by providing detailed insights from a project investigating the views and experiences of women who volunteered to provide eggs for research in exchange for reduced fees for fertility treatment. Analysis of 29 semi‐structured interviews reveals multiple ways in which volunteers reason through the involvement of ‘money’ in this domain and shows how their accounts diverge from pessimistic understandings of the role of monies in everyday life. When volunteers speak in detail about the monetary aspects of their participation they draw major, recurring, distinctions in five overlapping areas: their depiction of the monetized world of fertility treatment; their views of the different forms that money can take; a distancing of their actions from their understandings of how markets and commodities work; their location of the transactions within a particular clinic, and the ongoing importance of their eggs, post‐transaction.

This article: (i) responds to calls for concrete case studies to assist understandings of the inter‐relationships of money and specific aspects of social life; (ii) adds to the sociology of money literature by providing empirical insights into how notions of money are deployed; (iii) presents much‐needed perspectives from providers of bodily materials; and (iv) contributes to ongoing conversations between bioethics and sociology.
Industry competition in China: an external governance mechanism or an external incentive
Authors: Zhang Tingting , Zeng Weiqiang , Zhong Ruohan , Li Yanxi
Published: September 2017

We focus on the impact of industry competition on earnings management in listed companies in China. Empirical analysis reveals the following: (1) When competition within an industry is relatively low, it lowers the extent of earnings management; (2) when competition is relatively high, earnings management is promoted.; (3) within an industry, the more intense the competition, the more companies manipulate earnings when in an inferior competitive position; and (4) state‐owned enterprises that are at a competitive disadvantage within an industry rely more on real earnings management strategies, whereas these effects are insignificant in private firms.
Biomarkers in solid organ transplantation
Authors: van Gelder Teun
Published: September 2017

Recipients of solid organs such as the kidney and heart are treated with standard immunosuppressive regimens, and personalized medicine has not yet reached the clinic for this patient population. Biomarkers potentially will allow treatment regimens to be adjusted, according to the needs of the individual patient. Biomarkers may reflect the degree of immunosuppression of the immune system, or they may reflect early damage to the transplanted organ.
Density dependence, prey accessibility and prey depletion by fisheries drive Peruvian seabird population dynamics
Authors: Barbraud Christophe , Bertrand Arnaud , Bouchón Marilú , Chaigneau Alexis , Delord Karine , Demarcq Hervé , Gimenez Olivier , Torero Mariano Gutiérrez , Gutiérrez Dimitri , Oliveros‐Ramos Ricardo , Passuni Giannina , Tremblay Yann , Bertrand Sophie
Published: September 2017

In marine ecosystems top predator populations are shaped by environmental factors affecting their prey abundance. Coupling top predators’ population studies with independent records of prey abundance suggests that prey fluctuations affect fecundity parameters and abundance of their predators. However, prey may be abundant but inaccessible to their predators and a major challenge is to determine the relative importance of prey accessibility in shaping seabird populations. In addition, disentangling the effects of prey abundance and accessibility from the effects of prey removal by fisheries, while accounting for density dependence, remains challenging for marine top predators. Here, we investigate how climate, population density, and the accessibility and removal of prey (the Peruvian anchovy Engraulis ringens) by fisheries influence the population dynamics of the largest sedentary seabird community (≈ 4 million individuals belonging to guanay cormorant Phalacrocorax bougainvillii, Peruvian booby Sula variegata and Peruvian pelican Pelecanus thagus) of the northern Humboldt Current System over the past half‐century. Using Gompertz state–space models we found strong evidence for density dependence in abundance for the three seabird species. After accounting for density dependence, sea surface temperature, prey accessibility (defined by the depth of the upper limit of the subsurface oxygen minimum zone) and prey removal by fisheries were retained as the best predictors of annual population size across species. These factors affected seabird abundance the current year and with year lags, suggesting effects on several demographic parameters including breeding propensity and adult survival. These findings highlight the effects of prey accessibility and fishery removals on seabird populations in marine ecosystems. This will help refine management objectives of marine ecosystems in order to ensure sufficient biomass of forage fish to avoid constraining seabird population dynamics, while taking into account of the effects of environmental variability.
Forest tree neighborhoods are structured more by negative conspecific density dependence than by interactions among closely related species
Authors: Chen Lei , Comita Liza S. , Wright S. Joseph , Swenson Nathan G. , Zimmerman Jess K. , Mi Xiangcheng , Hao Zhanqing , Ye Wanhui , Hubbell Stephen P. , Kress W. John , Uriarte Maria , Thompson Jill , Nytch Christopher J. , Wang Xugao , Lian Juyu , Ma Keping
Published: September 2017

Interactions among neighbors influence the structure of communities of sessile organisms. Closely related species tend to share habitat and resource requirements and to interact with the same mutualists and natural enemies so that the strength of interspecific interactions tends to decrease with evolutionary divergence time. Nevertheless, the degree to which such phylogenetically related ecological interactions structure plant communities remains unclear. Using data from five large mapped forest plots combined with a DNA barcode mega‐phylogeny, we employed an individual‐based approach to assess the collective effects of focal tree size on neighborhood phylogenetic relatedness. Abundance‐weighted average divergence time for all neighbors (ADT_all) and for heterospecific neighbors only (ADT_hetero) were calculated for each individual of canopy tree species. Within local neighborhoods, we found phylogenetic composition changed with focal tree size. Specifically, significant increases in ADT_all with focal tree size were evident at all sites. In contrast, there was no significant change in ADT_hetero with tree size in four of the five sites for both sapling‐sized and all neighbors, even at the smallest neighbourhood scale (0–5 m), suggesting a limited role for phylogeny‐dependent interactions. However, there were inverse relationships between focal tree size and the proportion of heterospecific neighbors belonging to closely related species at some sites, providing evidence for negative phylogenetic density dependence. Overall, our results indicate that negative interaction with conspecifics had a much greater impact on neighborhood assemblages than interactions among closely related species and could contribute to community structure and diversity maintenance in different forest communities.
Corporate Environmental Management: Individual‐Level Drivers and the Moderating Role of Charismatic Leadership
Authors: Papagiannakis Giorgos , Lioukas Spyros
Published: September 2017

Drawing upon norm‐activation and social cognitive theories, we examine whether the personal norms and self‐efficacy of top managers affect their decisions to engage in environmental management initiatives (EMI). We also investigate whether this relationship is moderated by CEO charisma. Empirical evidence from a sample of 125 companies indicates that significant variation in EMI is explained by the two activators of personal norms – namely, awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility – as well as self‐efficacy with respect to environmental decisions. Furthermore, the effects of managers' personal norms on EMI engagement are more intense when charismatic leadership is present. The results offer insights into the microfoundations of proactive environmental management and their interplay with charismatic leadership. Managerial implications for firms seeking to advance their environmental conduct are discussed.
The Impact of Private Equity on Employment: The Consequences of Fund Country of Origin—New Evidence from France
Authors: Guery Loris , Stevenot Anne , Wood Geoffrey T. , Brewster Chris
Published: September 2017

This article explores the country of origin effects of private equity investment on employment in France. Using propensity score matching methodology applied to establishment‐level survey data, we find that foreign investors are significantly more likely to induce job shedding and employment insecurity than are French investors. As suggested by the literature on comparative capitalism, national differences may persist in conjunction with commonalities and trends in global capitalism.
Executing clinical proteomic studies using mass spectrometry
Authors: Jylhä A.
Published: September 2017

Biomarkers are tools of personalized medicine and potentially valuable end points for clinical studies. They can be used to measure a patient's risk to certain disease and the severity of the disease, and to predict and/or measure the patient's therapeutic response to treatment. Mass spectrometry (MS) enables simultaneous detection and quantification of most proteins, and therefore has become an attractive method for biomarker discovery in the recent years. It can be used to detect changes in cellular functions and metabolism in a more comprehensive way than the traditional immunoassays. In this presentation, the techniques used in sample preparation and MS will be demonstrated in a practical way. The presentation will cover methods used through the different phases of clinical proteomic studies from planning to discovery and validation of discovered biomarkers.
Optical coherence tomography angiography in occlusive retinal vasculitis
Authors: Ben Abderrahim K. , Zina S. , Khairallah M. , Ksiaa I. , Jelliti B. , Khairallah M.
Published: September 2017

Purpose

Fluorescein angiography (FA) has been the gold standard for the evaluation and management of occlusive retinal vasculitis. Our purpose is to describe swept‐source optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) findings in eyes with occlusive retinal vasculitis.

Methods

This prospective study included 15 patients (25 eyes) diagnosed with occlusive retinal vasculitis involving the posterior pole or the periphery. All patients were evaluated using FA, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and OCTA.

Results

The causes of occlusive retinal vasculitis included Behcet disease in 12 patients (21 eyes), ocular tuberculosis in 1 patient (2 eyes), West Nile virus infection in 1 patient (1 eye) and rickettsiosis in one patient (1 eye). OCTA was superior to FA in evaluating perifoveal microvascular changes. It showed in twenty eyes (80%) areas of retinal capillary nonperfusion/hypoperfusion with or without associated rarefied, dilated, or shunting vessels. The deep retinal capillary plexus was more severely affected than the superficial capillary plexus.

Conclusions

OCTA allowed better evaluation of macular ischemia than FA in eyes with occlusive retinal vasculitis. The deep capillary plexus appeared to be more severely involved than the superficial capillary plexus.
Surgical management of neurotrophic keratitis
Authors: Shortt A.
Published: September 2017

Surgical treatment of neurotrophic keratitis (NK), is indicated in advanced disease (stages 2 and 3) refractory to medical management. The objective is to prevent stromal involvement and to prevent corneal perforation. The cornerstone of surgical therapy is tarsorrhaphy which narrows the palpebral fissure and decreases the area of exposed cornea. It can be temporary or permanent and partial or complete. An alternative to surgical tarsorrhaphy is botulium A toxin injection into the upper lid. Other surgical options are amniotic membrane transplantation to cover the epithelial defect (stage 2) or corneal ulcer (stage 3) and punctal occlusion to increase the amount of tears and improve lubrication. Corneal perforation, the ultimate sight threatening complication of NK, can be managed using cyanoacrylate glue or in larger defects a tectonic keratoplasty. Conjunctival flap may also be indicated in impending perforation. Outcomes of penetrating or lamellar corneal transplants in neurotrophic keratitis are very poor. Direct neurotization of the cornea using branches of the contralateral ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve is difficult to perform but preserves cosmesis and can restore function.
Interference of TRPA1 function affects background activity of corneal cold thermoreceptors in ageing mice
Authors: Gallar J. , Rincón‐Frutos L. , Luna C. , Velasco E. , Aracil A. , Diaz‐Tahoces A. , Acosta M.C.
Published: September 2017

Purpose

TRPA1 and TRPM8 channels provide cold sensitivity to cold thermoreceptor neurons, being activated by high‐ and low‐intensity cooling stimuli respectively. Corneal cold sensory nerve terminals (CSNTs) encode both corneal surface temperature reductions and tear osmolarity increases associated with tear evaporation, acting as `dryness detectors′. TRPM8‐dependent activity of CSNTs contribute to basal tearing and is disturbed with ageing, while the role of TRPA1‐dependent activity is still unknown. In the present work, electrical activity of CSNTs from TRPA1‐KO mice was studied to define the contribution of TRPA1 channels to cold thermoreceptor sensory input to CNS.

Methods

Nerve terminal impulse (NTI) activity of CSNTs was recorded in vitro with a glass micropipette applied to the corneal surface of eyes from C57BL/6J (WT) and TRPA1‐KO mice (18‐22 months old) continuously superfused with physiological saline solution at 34°C. Background activity at basal temperature (34°C) and the impulse response to cooling ramps (from 34 to 15°C) and to TRP channel agonists (menthol, AITC, capsaicin; added to the perfusion solution) were analyzed. Tearing rate was measured with phenol red threads.

Results

Background NTI activity of CSNTs at 34°C was slightly reduced in old TRPA1‐KO mice compared with aged‐matched WT (4.5±2.2 imp/s, n=10, vs 7.7±1.2 imp/s, n=11, p=0.22, t‐test), due to a reduced proportion of high background‐low threshold cold CSNTs. No significant differences were found in response to cooling ramps nor in tearing rate between WT and TRPA1‐KO mice.

Conclusions

Knocking TRPA1 alters background activity of CSNTs but not their response to temperature decreases, suggesting that TRPA1‐dependent input to CNS is no essential for regulation of basal tearing.

(Supported by SAF2014‐54518‐C3‐1‐R, MINECO, Spain, and ERDF, European Commission)
Low‐P melting of metapelitic rocks and the role of H2O: Insights from phase equilibria modelling
Authors: Sola Alfonso M. , Hasalová Pavlina , Weinberg Roberto F. , Suzaño Néstor O. , Becchio Raúl A. , Hongn Fernando D. , Botelho Nilson
Published: September 2017

Water‐fluxed melting has long been thought to have a minor influence on the thermal and chemical structure of the crust. We report here on amphibolite facies metasedimentary rocks from the 490–450 Ma Famatinian Orogen, in northwest Argentina, that have undergone water‐fluxed incongruent biotite melting at relatively low temperature, which have produced and lost a significant volume of melt. The protoliths consist of the turbiditic Puncoviscana Formation (Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian). The field area exhibits a condensed metamorphic field gradient, from greenschist to amphibolite facies suprasolidus conditions, recording a low pressure almost isobaric path, reaching peak conditions estimated at 700°C at 4 kbar. Thermodynamic modelling in the MnNCKFMASHTO system is applied to investigate melting at such low pressure as a function of water content. Calculations using a typical turbidite composition show how small amounts of added free H2O may increase significantly the melt fraction with little or no change in either the melt or residual phase compositions. They indicate negligible difference in normative An–Ab–Or proportions and ferromagnesian contents between melts derived by dehydration and water‐fluxed melts. The same is true for the content of H2O dissolved in melts, which remains constant and the melt produced is granitic whether or not aqueous fluids are present. Thus, neither the residue nor the melt composition are indicators of the presence of aqueous fluids during anatexis. Recognizing the impact of small additions of H2O to an anatectic terrane may therefore be difficult. The most significant change related to water‐fluxing is the relative proportions of minerals and melt fraction, rather than the actual mineral assemblage. The modal proportion of feldspar decreased while those of cordierite and biotite increased in the residual assemblages, as <5 mol.% of free H2O was added. The impact of this addition is to more than double the proportion of water‐undersaturated melt to 25–30 mol.%. We have also developed a simple way to estimate how much melt a residual rock has lost, if the compositional trends of the protoliths are known. In summary, we find that even though the addition of small amounts of free H2O impacts significantly on rock fertility, there is little obvious record in the field. The combined application of careful petrological investigation and thermodynamic modelling is the key to identify the influence of aqueous fluids, and exploit systems that became open not only to fluid influx but also to the extraction of melt.
The Determinants of Food Insecurity among Food Bank Clients in the United States
Authors: Gundersen Craig , Engelhard Emily , Hake Monica
Published: September 2017

The majority of poor households in the United States are food secure which is both surprising and not well‐understood. We increase our understanding by looking at a particularly vulnerable group—people visiting food pantries—through the use of the Hunger in America (HIA) 2014 data set. Along with providing information on households often overlooked in other data sets, HIA has a wide array of questions. We find, in comparison to food secure households, that food insecure households are more likely to have challenges paying their bills and are more likely to use coping mechanisms. These effects are large, especially when compared to the standard set of explanatory variables. We also find that the impact of the standard set of covariates change dramatically when we include variables that are often unobserved, suggesting that there may be biases in some of the central findings on the determinants of the food insecurity.
Incorporating biophysical ecology into high‐resolution restoration targets: insect pollinator habitat suitability models
Authors: Tomlinson Sean , Webber Bruce Lloyd , Bradshaw Sidney Don , Dixon Kingsley Wayne , Renton Michael
Published: September 2017

Species distribution models can be informative of the biodiversity impacts of changing environments at global, national, and regional scales, but are often constrained in their resolution to extents not relevant to individual, intensive ecological management programs. We constructed a high‐resolution topoclimatic model of spring and summer temperatures across a 152 km2 restoration area on the Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia, and used it to project energetic expenditure and habitat suitability estimates for four major hymenopteran pollinators. For all species, the most heavily modified landscapes were the least suitable, but only for one species, Zapsilothynnus nigripes, was there evidence that the upper thermal tolerance threshold was exceeded broadly. However, at the higher environmental temperatures that we modeled, some species would need to forage up to 10 times their own body mass every hour to meet their energetic requirements. It seems unlikely that the nutritional requirements of most insect pollinators operating at these higher metabolic rates could be met in an impoverished restoration ecosystem, although resource availability remains to be quantified in these habitats. Hence, to increase the likelihood of restoration success by restoring insect pollination networks, nutritional resources may need to be increased during restoration. Accounting for the way that thermoenergetic requirements shape ecological interactions better positions management trajectories aimed at restoring and maintaining key insect pollinators in “novel” ecosystems.
Oklahoma politician picked to lead NASA back to the moon
Authors: Voosen Paul
Published: September 2017

Dogged by climate change remarks, Jim Bridenstine is expected to champion commercial spaceflight.
Wire together, fire apart
Authors: Krupic Julija
Published: September 2017

New learning rule aligns behavioral and synaptic time scales in place cells
Zika Virus Escapes NK Cell Detection by Upregulating Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Molecules
Authors: Glasner Ariella , Oiknine-Djian Esther , Weisblum Yiska , Diab Mohammad , Panet Amos , Wolf Dana G. , Mandelboim Ofer
Published: September 2017

NK cells are innate lymphocytes that participate in many immune processes encompassing cancer, bacterial and fungal infection, autoimmunity, and even pregnancy and that specialize in antiviral defense. NK cells express inhibitory and activating receptors and kill their targets when activating signals overpower inhibitory signals. The NK cell inhibitory receptors include a uniquely diverse array of proteins named killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), the CD94 family, and the leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor (LIR) family. The NK cell inhibitory receptors recognize mostly major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I (MHC-I) proteins. Zika virus has recently emerged as a major threat due to its association with birth defects and its pandemic potential. How Zika virus interacts with the immune system, and especially with NK cells, is unclear. Here we show that Zika virus infection is barely sensed by NK cells, since little or no increase in the expression of activating NK cell ligands was observed following Zika infection. In contrast, we demonstrate that Zika virus infection leads to the upregulation of MHC class I proteins and consequently to the inhibition of NK cell killing. Mechanistically, we show that MHC class I proteins are upregulated via the RIGI-IRF3 pathway and that this upregulation is mediated via beta interferon (IFN-β). Potentially, countering MHC class I upregulation during Zika virus infection could be used as a prophylactic treatment against Zika virus.

IMPORTANCE
NK cells are innate lymphocytes that recognize and eliminate various pathogens and are known mostly for their role in controlling viral infections. NK cells express inhibitory and activating receptors, and they kill or spare their targets based on the integration of inhibitory and activating signals. Zika virus has recently emerged as a major threat to humans due to its pandemic potential and its association with birth defects. The role of NK cells in Zika virus infection is largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that Zika virus infection is almost undetected by NK cells, as evidenced by the fact that the expression of activating ligands for NK cells is not induced following Zika infection. We identified a mechanism whereby Zika virus sensing via the RIGI-IRF3 pathway resulted in IFN-β-mediated upregulation of MHC-I molecules and inhibition of NK cell activity. Countering MHC class I upregulation and boosting NK cell activity may be employed as prophylactic measures to combat Zika virus infection.
IRF9 Prevents CD8
+
T Cell Exhaustion in an Extrinsic Manner during Acute Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Infection
Authors: Huber Magdalena , Suprunenko Tamara , Ashhurst Thomas , Marbach Felix , Raifer Hartmann , Wolff Svenja , Strecker Thomas , Viengkhou Barney , Jung So Ri , Obermann Hannah-Lena , Bauer Stefan , Xu Haifeng C. , Lang Philipp A. , Tom Adomati , Lang Karl S. , King Nicholas J. C. , Campbell Iain L. , Hofer Markus J.
Published: September 2017

Effective CD8
+
T cell responses play an important role in determining the course of a viral infection. Overwhelming antigen exposure can result in suboptimal CD8
+
T cell responses, leading to chronic infection. This altered CD8
+
T cell differentiation state, termed exhaustion, is characterized by reduced effector function, upregulation of inhibitory receptors, and altered expression of transcription factors. Prevention of overwhelming antigen exposure to limit CD8
+
T cell exhaustion is of significant interest for the control of chronic infection. The transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 9 (IRF9) is a component of type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling downstream of the IFN-I receptor (IFNAR). Using acute infection of mice with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) strain Armstrong, we show here that IRF9 limited early LCMV replication by regulating expression of interferon-stimulated genes and IFN-I and by controlling levels of IRF7, a transcription factor essential for IFN-I production. Infection of IRF9- or IFNAR-deficient mice led to a loss of early restriction of viral replication and impaired antiviral responses in dendritic cells, resulting in CD8
+
T cell exhaustion and chronic infection. Differences in the antiviral activities of IRF9- and IFNAR-deficient mice and dendritic cells provided further evidence of IRF9-independent IFN-I signaling. Thus, our findings illustrate a CD8
+
T cell-extrinsic function for IRF9, as a signaling factor downstream of IFNAR, in preventing overwhelming antigen exposure resulting in CD8
+
T cell exhaustion and, ultimately, chronic infection.

IMPORTANCE
During early viral infection, overwhelming antigen exposure can cause functional exhaustion of CD8
+
T cells and lead to chronic infection. Here we show that the transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 9 (IRF9) plays a decisive role in preventing CD8
+
T cell exhaustion. Using acute infection of mice with LCMV strain Armstrong, we found that IRF9 limited early LCMV replication by regulating expression of interferon-stimulated genes and
Irf7
, encoding a transcription factor crucial for type I interferon (IFN-I) production, as well as by controlling the levels of IFN-I. Infection of IRF9-deficient mice led to a chronic infection that was accompanied by CD8
+
T cell exhaustion due to defects extrinsic to T cells. Our findings illustrate an essential role for IRF9, as a mediator downstream of IFNAR, in preventing overwhelming antigen exposure causing CD8
+
T cell exhaustion and leading to chronic viral infection.
Distribution of O-Acetylated Sialic Acids among Target Host Tissues for Influenza Virus
Authors: Wasik Brian R. , Barnard Karen N. , Ossiboff Robert J. , Khedri Zahra , Feng Kurtis H. , Yu Hai , Chen Xi , Perez Daniel R. , Varki Ajit , Parrish Colin R.
Published: September 2017

Sialic acids (Sias) are key glycans that control or modulate many normal cell and tissue functions while also interacting with a variety of pathogens, including many different viruses. Sias are naturally displayed in a variety of different forms, with modifications at several positions that can alter their functional interactions with pathogens. In addition, Sias are often modified or removed by enzymes such as host or pathogen esterases or sialidases (neuraminidases), and Sia modifications can alter those enzymatic activities to impact pathogen infections. Sia chemical diversity in different hosts and tissues likely alters the pathogen-host interactions and influences the outcome of infection. Here we explored the display of 4-O-acetyl, 9-O-acetyl, and 7,9-O-acetyl modified Sia forms in some target tissues for influenza virus infection in mice, humans, birds, guinea pigs, ferrets, swine, horses, and dogs, which encompass many natural and laboratory hosts of those viruses.
Multimodal fusion of EEG and fMRI for epilepsy detection
Authors: Wang Xiashuang , Gong Guanghong , Li Ni
Published: September 2017

Technology of brain–computer interface (BCI) provides a new way of communication and control without language or physical action. Brain signal tracking and positioning is the basis of BCI research, while brain modeling affects the treatment analysis of (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) directly. This paper proposes human ellipsoid brain modeling method. Then, we use non-parametric spectral estimation method of time–frequency analysis to deal with simulation and real EEG of epilepsy patients, which utilizes both the high spatial and the high time resolution to improve the doctor’s diagnostic efficiency.