bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anti‐epileptic drugs improved serial 7s scores on the Mini‐Mental State Examination in elderly with cognitive impairment and epileptiform discharge on electroencephalography
Authors: Shiozaki Kazumasa , Kajihara Satoshi
Published: August 2018

Aim

As the population ages, epilepsy among elderly people is increasing. Epileptic seizures in the elderly are mostly complex partial seizures without convulsions, so more caution is needed in the diagnosis of epilepsy. If epileptic seizures in the context of memory impairment are overlooked, epilepsy may be misdiagnosed as dementia. However, in older patients with epilepsy, there is a possibility that cognitive function may be impaired in the interictal phase. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of anti‐epileptic drug (AED) treatment for patients with cognitive impairment and interictal epileptiform discharge (IED) on electroencephalography.

Methods

The outcome of AED administration in 50 patients who exhibited IED was retrospectively investigated. Their cognitive functions were assessed by the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) at both baseline and after AED administration.

Results

In all patients who underwent electroencephalography, IED were temporal spikes, and re‐examination of the 50 patients revealed that the frequency of temporal spikes had decreased or else disappeared in 41 patients (82%) after AED administration. In these 41 patients, the mean MMSE score significantly increased from 23.4 ± 3.7 at baseline to 24.7 ± 4.8 after AED treatment (P <0.01). Similarly, the mean serial 7s score (MMSE subscale) also improved significantly from 2.5 ± 1.8 to 3.6 ± 1.6 (P <0.01). The MMSE score was significantly improved only in the 41 patients with recovery of IED.

Conclusion

AED treatment for elderly amnestic patients with temporal spikes was effective in improving cognitive decline and related electroencephalographic abnormalities. A more thorough search of IED is necessary in elderly amnesic patients because there is a possibility that IED modifies cognitive function.
Medial temporal lobe atrophy is independently associated with behavioural and psychological symptoms in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: García‐Alberca José María , Florido Mercedes , Cáceres Marta , Sánchez‐Toro Alicia , Lara José Pablo , García‐Casares Natalia
Published: August 2018

Aim

Evidence describing the contribution of cerebral white matter disease and medial temporal atrophy (MTA) to behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) has been conflicting. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and MTA observed on magnetic resonance imaging with BPSD among patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Methods

In a cross‐sectional study of a prospective cohort of patients attending a memory clinic, 46 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (mean age: 72.38 ± 7.05 years) were studied. Sociodemographic, cognitive, and BPSD data were collected. BPSD were assessed using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Magnetic resonance imaging, WMH, and MTA were rated using the Scheltens scales for the assessment of signal hyperintensities and atrophy of medial temporal lobes. For multivariate analysis, two binary logistic regression analyses were carried out, with presence or absence of each BPSD as the dependent variable and with WMH or MTA as the predictor variable. Results of the logistic regression were analyzed to see if the significance of the WMH or MTA score was maintained in a model that factored in other possible confounding variables identified in univariate analysis.

Results

The results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that in models that accounted for confounding variables, increased total MTA was significantly associated with apathy (odds ratio = 1.605, adjusted P = 0.042) and disinhibition (odds ratio = 0.607, adjusted P = 0.042). WMH measures did not significantly predict any BPSD item.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that MTA potentially contributes to the aetiology of BPSD, and they provide evidence to support the hypothesis that Alzheimer's disease pathology itself can contribute to BPSD.
Is consciousness reflexively self‐aware? A Buddhist analysis
Authors: Finnigan Bronwyn
Published: August 2018

This article examines contemporary Buddhist defences of the idea that consciousness is reflexively aware or self‐aware. Call this the Self‐Awareness Thesis. A version of this thesis was historically defended by Dignāga but rejected by Prāsaṅgika Mādhyamika Buddhists. Prāsaṅgikas invoke a distinction between two truths or realities; they deny an ultimate reality but admit the use of conventional frameworks. This article asks whether some contemporary account can withstand Prāsaṅgika critique and be accepted as conventionally true. It analyses the commitments of contemporary versions of the Self‐Awareness Thesis into a fourfold taxonomy with distinct assessment criteria and shows how each can withstand four of the most prominent Prāsaṅgika objections. This article also discusses subtle differences in Prāsaṅgika criteria for distinguishing conventional truth and falsity and concludes by demonstrating that some defenses of the Self‐Awareness Thesis can provisionally satisfy some Prāsaṅgika criteria for conventional truth.
Prediction of stillbirth in Holstein‐Friesian dairy cattle by measuring metabolic and endocrine parameters during the peripartal period
Authors: Szenci Otto , Abdelmegeid Mohamed K. , Solymosi Norbert , Brydl Endre , Bajcsy Csaba Á. , Biksi Imre , Kulcsár Margit
Published: August 2018

Contents

The aim of this study was to determine whether measurements of certain metabolic (non‐esterified fatty acid, β‐hydroxybutyrate, glucose, total protein, albumin, urea‐nitrogen, aspartate aminotransferase, total calcium, inorganic phosphate and magnesium) and endocrine (cortisol, thyroxine, triiodothyronine, insulin and insulin‐like growth factor) parameters in the peripartal period (2 months and 3 weeks before expected calving and within 1 hr after calving) were related to the prevalence of stillbirth in a Holstein‐Friesian farm in Hungary. All together 155 dairy cattle (n = 22 primiparous, n = 133 multiparous cows) were monitored in two separate years selected randomly on the same farm. Overall, the prevalence of stillbirth was 11% (n = 17). Significantly higher stillbirth rate was detected in case of heifer calvings (OR = 8.5), and when ≥3 assistants (severe dystocia; OR = 8.9) were needed to assist at calving while the body condition score of the dams, the bodyweight and gender of the newborn calves, the percentage of posterior presentations had no significant effect on stillbirth rate. There were no significant differences between cows without and with stillbirth in case of any measured metabolic and endocrine parameters during the examined time periods. At the same time, some of the metabolic parameters (TP, AST and inorg.P) showed some significant differences among the stillbirth groups, but stillbirth could not be predicted by the measured parameters and therefore the role of metabolic and/or endocrine changes on the prevalence of stillbirth needs further elucidation.
Age‐related changes in the bovine corpus luteum function and progesterone secretion
Authors: Hori Konomi , Matsuyama Shuichi , Nakamura Sho , Iwata Hisataka , Kuwayama Takehito , Miyamoto Akio , Shirasuna Koumei
Published: August 2018

Contents

Decreased fertility associated with maternal ageing is a well‐known critical problem, and progesterone (P4) concentration decreases during the menopause transition in women. The corpus luteum (CL) secretes P4, thereby supporting the implantation and maintenance of pregnancy. It is proposed that a bovine model is suitable for studying age‐associated decline of fertility in women because the physiology of cows is similar to that of women and cows have a greater longevity compared with other animal models. Thus, we investigated the age‐dependent qualitative changes and inflammatory responses in the bovine CL. In vivo experiment: Cows were divided into three groups, namely, young (mean age: 34.8 months), middle (80.1 months) and aged (188.9 months). Blood samples were collected on days 7 and 12 during the estrous cycle. In vitro experiments: Cows were divided into young (mean age: 27.6 months) and aged (183.1 months). The CL tissues of these groups were collected from a local slaughterhouse and used for tissue culture experiments. An in vivo experiment, plasma P4 concentration in aged cows was significantly lower than that in young cows, whereas no difference was found regarding the area of CL. An in vitro examination in the bovine CL tissues showed that the luteal P4 concentration, P4 secretion, and mRNA expression of StAR and 3β‐HSD were lower in aged cows compared with young cows, especially in the early luteal phase. However, no differences were detected in the mRNA expression of inflammation‐ and senescence‐related factors and inflammatory responses to lipopolysaccharides between the CL tissues from young and aged cows, indicating that an age‐dependent increase in inflammation is not involved in the luteal function. P4 production and secretion from the bovine CL diminish in old cows, especially during the early luteal phase, suggesting that senescence may affect the luteal function in cows.
Durfee Rectangles and Pseudo‐Wronskian Equivalences for Hermite Polynomials
Authors: Gómez‐Ullate David , Grandati Yves , Milson Robert
Published: August 2018

We derive identities between determinants whose entries are Hermite polynomials. These identities have a combinatorial interpretation in terms of Maya diagrams, partitions and Durfee rectangles, and serve to characterize an equivalence class of rational Darboux transformations. Since the determinants have different orders, we analyze the problem of finding the minimal order determinant in each equivalence class, and describe the solution using an elegant graphical interpretation. The results are applied to provide a more efficient representation for exceptional Hermite polynomials and for rational solutions of the Painlevé IV equation. The latter are expressed in terms of the Okamoto and generalized Hermite polynomials.
Dolomitization by hypersaline reflux into dense groundwaters as revealed by vertical trends in strontium and oxygen isotopes: Upper Muschelkalk, Switzerland
Authors: Adams Arthur , Diamond Larryn W. , Aschwanden Lukas
Published: August 2018

The Trigonodus Dolomit is the dolomitized portion of the homoclinal ramp sediments of the Middle Triassic Upper Muschelkalk in the south‐east Central European Basin. Various dolomitizing mechanisms, followed by recrystallization, have been previously invoked to explain the low δ18O, high 87Sr/86Sr, extensive spatial distribution and early nature of the replacive matrix dolomites. This study re‐evaluates the origin, timing and characteristics of the dolomitizing fluids by examining petrographic and isotopic trends in the Trigonodus Dolomit at 11 boreholes in northern Switzerland. In each borehole the ca 30 m thick unit displays the same vertical trends with increasing depth: crystal size increase, change from anhedral to euhedral textures, ultraviolet‐fluorescence decrease, δ18OVPDB decrease from −1·0‰ at the top to −6·7‰ at the base and an 87Sr/86Sr increase from 0·7080 at the top to 0·7117 at the base. Thus, dolomites at the top of the unit record isotopic values similar to Middle Triassic seawater (δ18OVSMOW = 0‰; 87Sr/86Sr = 0·70775) while dolomites at the base record values similar to meteoric groundwaters from the nearby Vindelician High (δ18OVSMOW = −4·0‰; 87Sr/86Sr = >0·712). According to water–rock interaction modelling, a single dolomitizing or recrystallizing fluid cannot have produced the observed isotopic trends. Instead, the combined isotopic, geochemical and petrographic data can be explained by dolomitization via seepage‐reflux of hypersaline brines into dense, horizontally‐advecting groundwaters that already had negative δ18O and high 87Sr/86Sr values. Evidence for the early groundwaters is found in meteoric calcite cements that preceded dolomitization and in fully recrystallized dolomites with isotopic characteristics identical to the groundwaters following matrix dolomitization. This study demonstrates that early groundwaters can play a decisive role in the formation and recrystallization of massive dolomites and that the isotopic and textural signatures of pre‐existing groundwaters can be preserved during seepage‐reflux dolomitization in low‐angle carbonate ramps.
Associations of social support and alexithymia with psychological distress in Finnish young adults
Authors: Saikkonen Suvi , Karukivi Max , Vahlberg Tero , Saarijärvi Simo
Published: August 2018

The positive influence of social support on psychological wellbeing is well documented but the research among young adults is scarce. Additionally, it is still unclear what type of social support explains the positive influence in this age group. Alexithymia has been linked to lacking social support and higher levels of psychological distress, but the underlying mechanisms are not well known. We aimed to assess the association of social support and alexithymia with psychological distress in a sample of young adults. The non‐clinical sample comprised 316 young Finnish adults (mean age 23 years). Psychological distress was assessed using the 12‐item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‐12), alexithymia was measured with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS‐20) and social support with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). The associations were assessed using regression analyses. TheTAS‐20 (p =0.002) andMSPSS(p =< 0.001) total scores were significantly associated with theGHQ‐12 scores even after adjustment for sociodemographic variables. For the model with theTAS‐20 andMSPSSsubscales, the Difficulty Identifying Feelings subscale score of theTAS‐20 scale (p <0.001) and the Family subscale score of theMSPSSscale (p =0.010) were significantly associated with theGHQ‐12 scores. Our results show that low social support and high levels of alexithymia are associated with increased psychological distress both in females and males. Perceived social support from family explained the association between social support and psychological distress to a significant extent. Regarding alexithymia, the association with psychological distress was mainly related to difficulties identifying feelings.
On the accuracy in high‐dimensional linear models and its application to genomic selection
Authors: Rabier Charles‐Elie , Mangin Brigitte , Grusea Simona
Published: August 2018

Genomic selection is today a hot topic in genetics. It consists in predicting breeding values of selection candidates, using the large number of genetic markers now available owing to the recent progress in molecular biology. One of the most popular methods chosen by geneticists is ridge regression. We focus on some predictive aspects of ridge regression and present theoretical results regarding the accuracy criteria, that is, the correlation between predicted value and true value. We show the influence of singular values, the regularization parameter, and the projection of the signal on the space spanned by the rows of the design matrix. Asymptotic results in a high‐dimensional framework are given; in particular, we prove that the convergence to optimal accuracy highly depends on a weighted projection of the signal on each subspace. We discuss on how to improve the prediction. Last, illustrations on simulated and real data are proposed.
Predictive Validity of Proposed Diagnostic Criteria for the Suicide Crisis Syndrome: An Acute Presuicidal State
Authors: Yaseen Zimri S. , Hawes Mariah , Barzilay Shira , Galynker Igor
Published: August 2018

Background

Determining imminent risk of suicide continues to challenge psychiatrists. To this end, we test the clinical utility of a proposed set of diagnostic criteria for the suicide crisis syndrome (SCS) for prediction of imminent suicidal thoughts and behaviors prospectively.

Method

One hundred and seventy individuals hospitalized for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) were evaluated within 72 hr of admission with measures assessing symptoms of the proposed SCS, history of STB, current ideation, and depression severity. Four‐eight weeks following discharge, STB were reassessed. Associations between SCS and postdischarge attempts were examined using chi‐square and logistic regression analyses. The receiver operator characteristic analysis was used to test the optimal number of symptoms required to meet proposed SCS criteria.

Results

The syndrome was maximally informative about short‐term risk of postdischarge suicide behavior when all criteria were met. The syndrome conferred a sevenfold increase in risk of postdischarge suicide attempt, and significantly improved prediction by standard risk factors, which was null to limited.

Conclusions

The SCS diagnostic criteria are supported and appear to describe a clinically meaningful syndrome in a high‐risk population. Assessment of SCS may meaningfully improve clinical assessment of imminent suicide risk. Further study is needed to better understand the syndrome and its applicability in low‐risk populations.
Immigration and the British news media: Continuity or change?
Authors: Smith David , Deacon David
Published: August 2018

This article examines research carried out over the last 40 years in the area of media and migration in the British context. This thematic review of more than 60 empirical studies explores how U.K. media attention to the immigration issue has fluctuated over time, but has displayed consistent negativity in its terms of reference, exclusionary features, and significant interpretative limitations, not least in the conflation of distinct types of migration.
Selling slumber: American neoliberalism and the medicalization of sleeplessness
Authors: Barbee Harry , Moloney Mairead Eastin , Konrad Thomas R.
Published: August 2018

Sleeplessness is an ancient and cross‐cultural phenomenon that is socially structured and restructured against a backdrop of ideology and inequality. In an effort to make sense of sleeplessness, some scholars have invoked the medicalization framework, which highlights consumerism, managed care, biotechnology, and physicians as key “engines” that foster the transformation of this formerly “normal” condition to one that people view as a medical problem. However, this burgeoning literature has not answered the call of medical sociologists to situate the medicalization process in a political economic context. In this article, we employ the case study of sleeplessness and the creation of the “Sleep Industrial Complex” to expand the medicalization framework and illustrate how American neoliberalism creates an ideal environment for the primary engines of medicalization. We identify three critical features of American neoliberalism—enhancement culture, commodification of health, and a “productivity imperative”—that act in concert with the driving engines to foster an environment wherein medicalization not only survives but also thrives.
Parents Who Left College and Children's Postsecondary Educational Attainment
Authors: Fomby Paula , Cross Christina J.
Published: August 2018

More than one in five U.S. adolescents resides in a household where neither parent holds a postsecondary degree but at least one parent spent some time in college. We consider how a distinctive combination of cultural and economic resources in college leaver families enables or constrains young adults’ educational pathways. Greater resources in college leaver families explains about half of the advantage in any college enrollment and four‐year college enrollment for young adults in these families compared to those from families where neither parent attended college. But this resource advantage is relatively small compared to families where either parent holds at least a bachelor's degree, and given any enrollment, children from college leaver families are no more likely to finish college than are their peers whose parents never attended. Results are robust to various specifications of parents’ college leaver status. Data are from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Child Development Supplement and Transition into Adulthood Supplement (N = 2,334).
On development of portable digital holographic speckle pattern interferometry system for remote‐access monitoring and documentation in art conservation
Authors: Tornari Vivi
Published: August 2018

Artworks are delicate objects representative of the most high values of human kind that require constant control over the situation they are in and effective actions to preserve them and deliver them safely to next generations. As such, the non‐destructive or minimally destructive nature of operator–artwork interactions has been considered as essential in this field. The complete diagnosis of the status of the art object signifying a full knowledge of invisible defects and their morphology allows its timely and correct maintenance and ensures its durability. It is herein presented the basic technical information on the development of a portable system termed Digital Holographic Speckle Pattern Interferometry (DHSPI) for the structural diagnosis of works of art. DHSPI has been tested on a variety of conservation problems over the years. It is a completely portable and fully PC driven automated system for the detection and non‐destructive diagnosis of the structural alterations of an artwork, whether they are defects lying on the subsurface or between the layers below it, the fringe number information allows the depth estimation and the complete documentation. The system exploits the benefits of a highly coherent laser beam as essential presupposition for remote on‐field access—that is the main emphasis given here—to immovable/movable art objects. It takes advantage of a CCD camera as photosensitive medium to record the interference of the retro reflected object laser beam from the object under consideration with a twin reference laser beam. The device allows micro projections of the defects on the surface of the object to be detected with a resolution that corresponds to half the wavelength of the laser beam. Local disparities, in relation to the total response of the object, are directly correlated to the detected microdisplacement of object surface as structural defects. Special tailor‐made software allows full control of the system, processing of the data, and extraction of anomalies. Direct visual qualitative observation of the displacement processes is followed as captured in the monitor. A second custom‐made software—not presented in detail here—enables further processing of the results to improve their imaging, quantification, and dimensioning. The final result is a quantitative map of alterations, the coordinates, and the classification of their risks which can be also extracted if further information is necessary. The qualitative or quantitative documentation map can be used as a guide to the conservator for maintenance and restoration work. Further on, the system also allows observation of the object's response to climate changes in order to predict the formation of alterations or the evolution of existing ones providing the only known direct tool for scheduling preservation strategies.
Determination of viremia cut‐off for risk to develop BKPyV‐associated nephropathy among kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Bicalho Camila Silva , Oliveira Renato dos Reis , David Daísa Ribeiro , Fink Maria Cristina Domingues Silva , Agena Fabiana , Castro Maria Cristina , Panutti Cláudio , David‐Neto Elias , Pierrotti Ligia Camera
Published: August 2018

Background

BK polyomavirus (BKPyV)‐associated nephropathy (BKPyVAN) is a consequence of BKPyV replication in the urinary tract in kidney transplant recipients (KTR).

Objectives

The objectives were to determine the prevalence of BKPyV replication and BKPyVAN, risk factors associated to sustained viremia and BKPyVAN, and viremia cut‐off that best predict the occurrence of sustained viremia and nephropathy in KTR of a single University Hospital Kidney Transplant Center.

Patients and Methods

All KTR undergoing transplantation from August 2010 to December 2011 were enrolled and monitored up to 2 years posttransplantation for BKPyV viruria by decoy cells shedding or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and viremia by PCR. Kidney biopsy was indicated if sustained viremia (two or more viremia above 10 000 copies/mL) to confirm BKPyVAN diagnosis.

Results

In this study, 326 transplants were performed and 246 patients were included. Prevalence of viruria was 36.9%, viremia 22.3% and nephropathy 3.2%. Male gender was the only risk factor associated to sustained viremia or nephropathy. Cut‐off value of viremia that best discriminates the progression to sustained viremia and to BKPyVAN was 37 488 and 44 956 copies/mL, respectively.

Conclusions

Prevalence of viruria, viremia, and nephropathy were similar to those reported in literature but the cut‐off value of viremia that best discriminates the risk of progression to nephropathy was greater than the value usually reported, which is 10 000 copies/mL.
Health workers’ knowledge of zoonotic diseases in an endemic region of Western Uganda
Authors: Benon Asiimwe B. , Juliet Kiguli , Samuel Majalija , Catherine Kansiime , Benjamin Sunday , Michael Mahero , Innocent Rwego B.
Published: August 2018

Many factors, including lack of knowledge, influence diagnosis and reporting of disease in Sub‐Saharan Africa. Health Care workers (HCWs) are in constant interaction with communities and play an important role in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases, including zoonoses. We determined knowledge of HCWs regarding cause, vector, transmission, diagnosis and clinical symptoms of five zoonotic diseases: anthrax, brucellosis, rabies as well as Ebola and marburg haemorrhagic fevers in endemic western Uganda. This was a descriptive cross‐sectional study among HCWs based at health centres in and around Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area, Western Uganda. A self‐administered questionnaire was used to measure knowledge of these five most common zoonoses recently recorded in the area. Data were captured as true if the responses were correct or false if incorrect. Analyses were in STATA and inferential statistics by cross‐tabulation, and a chi‐square P‐value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. A majority (114/140; 81.4%) of the respondents had heard about zoonoses. The most accurately identified zoonoses were anthrax (128/140; 91.4%) closely followed by rabies (126/140; 90%), while only 21 (15%) respondents knew that cryptosporidiosis was zoonotic. Up to 20% (28/140) and 12.8% (18/140) thought that malaria and HIV, respectively, were zoonotic. There was poor overall knowledge of the endemic diseases brucellosis among all the participants, where only 1.4% (2/140) knew its causative agent, clinical symptoms and transmission. There was a total lack of knowledge (0%) about anthrax and Ebola whereby none of the 140 HCWs knew all the three above aspects required to be knowledgeable for each of the two diseases. Generally, there was poor knowledge of the five zoonoses. We recommend that medical curricula incorporate training on zoonotic and other emerging diseases, and continuing medical education regarding zoonoses should be designed for the HCWs practicing in hotspot zones.
Multisensory activation of ventral cochlear nucleus D‐stellate cells modulates dorsal cochlear nucleus principal cell spatial coding
Authors: Wu Calvin , Shore Susan E.
Published: August 2018

Key points

Dorsal cochlear nucleus fusiform cells receive spectrally relevant auditory input for sound localization.

Fusiform cells integrate auditory with other multisensory inputs.

Here we elucidate how somatosensory and vestibular stimulation modify the fusiform cell spatial code through activation of an inhibitory interneuron: the ventral cochlear nucleus D‐stellate cell.

These results suggests that multisensory cues interact early in an ascending sensory pathway to serve an essential function.

In the cochlear nucleus (CN), the first central site for coding sound location, numerous multisensory projections and their modulatory effects have been reported. However, multisensory influences on sound location processing in the CN remain unknown. The principal output neurons of the dorsal CN, fusiform cells, encode spatial information through frequency‐selective responses to direction‐dependent spectral features. Here, single‐unit recordings from the guinea pig CN revealed transient alterations by somatosensory and vestibular stimulation in fusiform cell spatial coding. Changes in fusiform cell spectral sensitivity correlated with multisensory modulation of ventral CN D‐stellate cell responses, which provide direct, wideband inhibition to fusiform cells. These results suggest that multisensory inputs contribute to spatial coding in DCN fusiform cells via an inhibitory interneuron, the D‐stellate cell. This early multisensory integration circuit likely confers important consequences on perceptual organization downstream.
Spinal dorsal horn astrocytes release GABA in response to synaptic activation
Authors: Christensen Rasmus Kordt , Delgado‐Lezama Rodolfo , Russo Raúl E. , Lind Barbara Lykke , Alcocer Emanuel Loeza , Rath Martin Fredensborg , Fabbiani Gabriela , Schmitt Nicole , Lauritzen Martin , Petersen Anders Victor , Carlsen Eva Meier , Perrier Jean‐François
Published: August 2018

Key points

GABA is an essential molecule for sensory information processing. It is usually assumed to be released by neurons.

Here we show that in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, astrocytes respond to glutamate by releasing GABA.

Our findings suggest a novel role for astrocytes in somatosensory information processing.

Astrocytes participate in neuronal signalling by releasing gliotransmitters in response to neurotransmitters. We investigated if astrocytes from the dorsal horn of the spinal cord of adult red‐eared turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) release GABA in response to glutamatergic receptor activation. For this, we developed a GABA sensor consisting of HEK cells expressing GABAA receptors. By positioning the sensor recorded in the whole‐cell patch‐clamp configuration within the dorsal horn of a spinal cord slice, we could detect GABA in the extracellular space. Puff application of glutamate induced GABA release events with time courses that exceeded the duration of inhibitory postsynaptic currents by one order of magnitude. Because the events were neither affected by extracellular addition of nickel, cadmium and tetrodotoxin nor by removal of Ca2+, we concluded that they originated from non‐neuronal cells. Immunohistochemical staining allowed the detection of GABA in a fraction of dorsal horn astrocytes. The selective stimulation of A∂ and C fibres in a dorsal root filament induced a Ca2+ increase in astrocytes loaded with Oregon Green BAPTA. Finally, chelating Ca2+ in a single astrocyte was sufficient to prevent the GABA release evoked by glutamate. Our results indicate that glutamate triggers the release of GABA from dorsal horn astrocytes with a time course compatible with the integration of sensory inputs.
Ex Vivo
Characterization of Effects of Renal Replacement Therapy Modalities and Settings on Pharmacokinetics of Meropenem and Vaborbactam
Authors: Sime Fekade B. , Pandey Saurabh , Karamujic Nermin , Parker Suzanne , Alexander Elizabeth , Loutit Jeffery , Durso Stephanie , Griffith David , Lipman Jeffrey , Wallis Steven C. , Roberts Jason A.
Published: August 2018

The combination product meropenem-vaborbactam, with activity against KPC-producing carbapenem-resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
, is likely to be used during renal replacement therapy. The aim of this work was to describe the extracorporeal removal (adsorption and clearance) of meropenem-vaborbactam during continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH).
Orthologues of Bacillus subtilis Spore Crust Proteins Have a Structural Role in the Bacillus megaterium QM B1551 Spore Exosporium
Authors: Manetsberger Julia , Ghosh Abhinaba , Hall Elizabeth A. H. , Christie Graham
Published: August 2018

When starved of nutrients, some bacterial species develop metabolically dormant spores that can persist in a viable state in the environment for several years. The outermost layers of spores are of particular interest since (i) these represent the primary site for interaction with the environment and (ii) the protein constituents may have biotechnological applications. The outermost layer, or exosporium, in
Bacillus megaterium
QM B1551 spores is of interest, as it is morphologically distinct from the exosporia of spores of the pathogenic
Bacillus cereus
family. In this work, we provide evidence that structurally important protein constituents of the
Bacillus megaterium
exosporium are different from those in the
Bacillus cereus
family. We also show that one of these proteins, when purified, can assemble to form sheets of exosporium-like material. This is significant, as it indicates that spore-forming bacteria employ different proteins and mechanisms of assembly to construct their external layers.
Development and Validation of 13-plex Luminex-Based Assay for Measuring Human Serum Antibodies to
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Capsular Polysaccharides
Authors: Pavliakova Danka , Giardina Peter C. , Moghazeh Soraya , Sebastian Shite , Koster Maya , Pavliak Viliam , McKeen Andrew , French Roger , Jansen Kathrin U. , Pride Michael
Published: August 2018

The pneumococcal enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) measures IgG antibodies in human serum, and it is an important assay that supports licensure of pneumococcal vaccines. The immune correlate of protection, 0.35 µg/ml of IgG antibodies, was determined by the ELISA method. Pfizer has developed a new Luminex-based assay platform to replace the ELISA. These papers describe the important work of (i) validating the Luminex-based assay and (ii) bridging the immune correlate of protection (0.35 µg/ml IgG) to equivalent values reported by the Luminex platform.
Novel Divergent Polar Bear-Associated Mastadenovirus Recovered from a Deceased Juvenile Polar Bear
Authors: Dayaram Anisha , Tsangaras Kyriakos , Pavulraj Selvaraj , Azab Walid , Groenke Nicole , Wibbelt Gudrun , Sicks Florian , Osterrieder Nikolaus , Greenwood Alex D.
Published: August 2018

Cross-species transmission of viral pathogens is becoming an increasing problem for captive-animal facilities. This study highlights how animals in captivity are vulnerable to novel opportunistic pathogens, many of which do not result in straightforward diagnosis from symptoms and histopathology. In this study, a novel pathogen was suspected to have contributed to the death of a juvenile polar bear. HTS techniques were employed, and a novel
Mastadenovirus
was isolated. The virus was present in both the tissue and blood samples. Phylogenetic analysis of the virus at both the gene and genome levels revealed that it is highly divergent to other known mastadenoviruses. Overall, this study shows that animals in isolated conditions still come into contact with novel pathogens, and for many of these pathogens, the host reservoir and mode of transmission are yet to be determined.
Advancing quality in sepsis management: a large-scale programme for improving sepsis recognition and management in the North West region of England
Authors: Nsutebu Emmanuel Fru , Ibarz-Pavón Ana Belén , Kanwar Elizabeth , Prospero Nancy , French Neil , McGrath Conor
Published: August 2018

Objective

To evaluate the impact of a collaborative programme for the early recognition and management of patients admitted with sepsis in the northwest of England.

Setting

14 hospitals in the northwest of England.

Intervention

A quality improvement programme (Advancing Quality (AQ) Sepsis) that promoted a sepsis care bundle including time-based recording of early warning scores, documenting systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria and suspected source of infection, taking of blood cultures, measuring serum lactate levels, administration of intravenous antibiotics, administration of oxygen, fluid resuscitation, measurement of fluid balance and senior review.

Main outcome measures

Inpatient mortality, 30-day readmission rates and duration of hospital ≥10 days.

Results

Data for 7776 patients were included in this study between 1 July 2014 and 29 December 2015. Participation in the AQ Sepsis programme was associated with a reduction in readmissions within 30 days (OR 0.81 (0.69–0.95)) and hospital stays over 10 days (OR 0.69 (0.60–0.78)). However, there was no reduction in mortality. Administration of a second litre of intravenous fluid within 2 hours, oxygen therapy and review by a senior clinician were associated with increased mortality. Starting a fluid balance chart within 4 hours was the only clinical process measure that did not affect mortality. Taking a blood culture sample, administering antibiotic therapy and measuring serum lactate within 3 hours of hospital arrival were all associated with reduced mortality (OR 0.69 (0.59–0.81), OR 0.77 (0.67–0.89) and OR 0.64 (0.54–0.77), respectively) and shorter hospitalisations (OR 0.58 (0.49–0.69), OR0.81 (0.70–0.94) and OR 0.54 (0.45–0.66), respectively). However, none of these measures had an impact on the risk of readmission to hospital within 30 days.

Conclusions

The AQ Sepsis collaborative in northwest of England improved readmission and length of stay for patients admitted with sepsis but did not affect mortality. Further cost-effectiveness evaluation of the programme is needed.
CT used in the diagnosis of a cisterna chyli obstruction
Authors: DiGiovanni Lisa Cristyn , Selmic Laura Elizabeth , Cray Megan Theresa , Brunswick Randy , Griffin Lynn
Published: August 2018

Chyloperitoneum is an uncommon condition reported in cats and dogs. It is often secondary to processes such as neoplasia and therefore is associated with a grave prognosis. Diagnosis of the underlying disease process can be attempted through the use of diagnostic imaging techniques. In this case report, a five-year-old male castrated domestic longhair cat presented with a distended abdomen secondary to a chyloperitoneum. A CT was performed and identified a right perirenal mass that was concerning for neoplasia. Surgical treatment was recommended, but the owner elected for humane euthanasia due to financial constraints. A necropsy was performed, and gross findings included the presence of a perirenal dilated, tortuous, lymphatic duct. On microscopic examination with immunohistochemistry, specifically staining for CD31, the mass was diagnosed as hemangiosarcoma. It is suspected that the mass was causing obstruction to the flow of the lymphatic system resulting in a chyloperitoneum.
Spectroscopic aspects of subthreshold Siegert states
Authors: Comişel Horia , Haţegan Cornel , Ionescu Remus A. , Wolter Hermann H.
Published: August 2018

The Siegert states are approached in the framework of Bloch–Lane–Robson theory of quantum collisions. Both the bound and the quasi-stationary Siegert states are subject of the equation relating the channel R-matrix element to the logarithmic derivative. The Siegert state dependence on the decay channel parameters results in channel renormalization of reduced widths, especially near threshold. The neutron subthreshold and the electron Rydberg states are examples of subthreshold Siegert states. The Siegert approach results in Heisenberg’s S-matrix formula for the bound state and the subthreshold resonance. The Siegert state residue is a spectroscopic asymptotic normalization constant. The decay width of the electron Rydberg channel resonance is, up to a factor, the electron strength function.
Subsurface expression of a salt weld, Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Jackson Christopher A.-L. , Zhang Yue , Herron Donald A. , Fitch Peter J. R.
Published: August 2018

Salt welds form due to salt thinning by mechanical (e.g. salt-flow) and/or chemical (e.g. salt-dissolution) processes. Despite being ubiquitous in salt-bearing sedimentary basins, where they may trap large volumes of hydrocarbons, little is published on weld thickness and composition. We here use 3D seismic reflection, borehole and biostratigraphic data from the Atwater Valley protraction area of the northern Gulf of Mexico to constrain the thickness and composition of a salt weld. Seismic data image an ‘apparent weld’ at the base of a Plio-Pleistocene minibasin that subsided into allochthonous salt. Borehole data indicate the weld is actually ‘incomplete’, being
c.
24 m thick, and containing an upper 5 m-thick halite and a lower 15 m-thick halite, separated by a 4 m-thick mudstone. The age and origin of the intra-weld mudstone is unclear, although we speculate it is either: (i) Late Jurassic, representing material transported upwards from the autochthonous level within a feeder, and subsequently trapped as allochthonous salt thinned and welded; or, perhaps, more likely (ii) Pliocene, representing a piece of salt carapace reworked from the top of and eventually trapped in the now locally welded sheet. We show that 3D seismic reflection data may not resolve weld thickness, with the presence of relatively thin remnant salt lending support to models of welding based on viscous flow. The halite-dominated character of the weld also supports the hypothesis that tectonic purification may occur during salt flow.

Supplementary material
:
uninterpreted seismic reflection profiles, raw biostratigraphic data and a BOEM biostratigraphic chart are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4183061
High-Frequency Oscillations in the Scalp Electroencephalogram: Mission Impossible without Computational Intelligence
Authors: Höller Peter , Trinka Eugen , Höller Yvonne
Published: August 2018

High-frequency oscillations (HFOs) in the electroencephalogram (EEG) are thought to be a promising marker for epileptogenicity. A number of automated detection algorithms have been developed for reliable analysis of invasively recorded HFOs. However, invasive recordings are not widely applicable since they bear risks and costs, and the harm of the surgical intervention of implantation needs to be weighted against the informational benefits of the invasive examination. In contrast, scalp EEG is widely available at low costs and does not bear any risks. However, the detection of HFOs on the scalp represents a challenge that was taken on so far mostly via visual detection. Visual detection of HFOs is, in turn, highly time-consuming and subjective. In this review, we discuss that automated detection algorithms for detection of HFOs on the scalp are highly warranted because the available algorithms were all developed for invasively recorded EEG and do not perform satisfactorily in scalp EEG because of the low signal-to-noise ratio and numerous artefacts as well as physiological activity that obscures the tiny phenomena in the high-frequency range.
Static Mechanical Properties and Modal Analysis of a Kind of Lift-Drag Combined-Type Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
Authors: Feng Fang , Qu Chunming , Zhao Shouyang , Bai Yuedi , Guo Wenfeng , Li Yan
Published: August 2018

In order to explore a set of methods to analyze the structure of Lift-Drag Combined-Type Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (LD-VAWT), a small LD-VAWT was designed according to the corresponding Standards and General Design Requirements for small vertical axis wind turbines. The finite element method was used to calculate and analyze the static mechanical properties and modalities of main parts of a kind of small-scale LD-VAWT. The contours of corresponding stress and displacement were obtained, and first six-order mode vibration profiles of main parts were also obtained. The results show that the main structure parts of LD-VAWT meet the design requirements in the working condition of the rated speed. Furthermore, the resonances of all main parts did not occur during operation in the simulations. The prototype LD-VAWT was made based on the analysis and simulation results in this study and operated steadily. The methods used in this study can be used as a reference for the static mechanical properties and modal analysis of vertical axis wind turbine.
Permanence and Existence of Periodic Solutions for Nicholson’s Blowflies Model with Feedback Control and Delay on Time Scales
Authors: Wang Lin-Lin , Fan Yong-Hong
Published: August 2018

Sufficient conditions are established for the permanence in a delayed Nicholson’s blowflies model with feedback control on time scales. Our investigation confirms that the bounded feedback terms do not have any influence on the permanence of this system.
Deep, Surface, or Both? A Study of Occupational Therapy Students’ Learning Concepts
Authors: Bonsaksen Tore
Published: August 2018

Background. Students’ conceptualization of learning has been associated with their approaches to studying. However, whether students’ learning concepts are associated with their personal characteristics is unknown. Aim. To investigate whether sociodemographic, education-related, and personal factors were associated with the learning concepts of Norwegian occupational therapy students. Methods. One hundred and forty-nine students (mean age 23.9 years, 79.2% women) participated in the study. The employed self-report questionnaires included the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Differences between student cohorts were analyzed with one-way analyses of variance and χ2 tests, whereas factors associated with the students’ learning concepts were analyzed with bivariate correlation and linear regression models. Results. The students’ mean scores on the deep and surface learning concept scales were similar. Spending more time on the independent study was associated with having higher scores on the unidimensional learning concept measure. Conclusions. The students’ learning concept appears to encompass a surface concept as well as a deep concept of learning, and the two ways of conceptualizing learning were positively related to each other. Over time, a mature deep concept may add to, rather than replace, a basic surface concept of learning.
Effect of Orally Administered Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz Water Extract on Macrophage and T Cell Inflammatory Response in Mice
Authors: Kwak Tae-Kyung , Jang Hyung-Seok , Lee Mi-Gi , Jung Young-Sung , Kim Dae-Ok , Kim Yoon-Bum , Kim Jong-In , Kang Hee
Published: August 2018

The rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz (AM) is a constituent of various Qi booster compound prescriptions. We evaluated inflammatory responses in macrophages and T cells isolated from mice following oral administration of AM water extract (AME). Peritoneal exudate cells were isolated from thioglycollate‐injected mice and alterations in scavenger receptors were examined. Peritoneal macrophages were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Serum cytokine responses to intraperitoneal LPS injection were also evaluated. Splenocytes were isolated and their composition and functional responses were measured. The content of atractylenolide I and atractylenolide III, known anti‐inflammatory ingredients, in AME was 0.0338 mg/g extract and 0.565 mg/g extract, respectively. AME increased the number of SRA(+)CD11b(+) cells in response to thioglycollate. Peritoneal macrophages isolated from the AME group showed no changes in inflammatory markers such as tumor necrosis factor‐ (TNF‐) α, interleukin‐ (IL‐) 6, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase‐2 but exhibited a decrease in CD86 expression. Interestingly, AME decreased the serum levels of TNF‐α and IL‐6 upon intraperitoneal injection of LPS. Regarding the adaptive immune system, AME increased the CD4(+) T cell population and major histocompatibility complex class II molecule expression in the spleen, and cultured splenocytes from the AME group showed increased production of IL‐4 concurrent with decreased interferon‐γ production during T cell activation. AME promoted the replenishment of peritoneal macrophages during the inflammatory response but its anti‐inflammatory activity did not appear to be mediated by the modulation of macrophage activity. AME also altered the immune status of CD4 T cells, promoting the Th2 response.