bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The shift from plant–plant facilitation to competition under severe water deficit is spatially explicit
Authors: O'Brien Michael J. , Pugnaire Francisco I. , Armas Cristina , Rodríguez‐Echeverría Susana , Schöb Christian
Published: March 2017

The stress‐gradient hypothesis predicts a higher frequency of facilitative interactions as resource limitation increases. Under severe resource limitation, it has been suggested that facilitation may revert to competition, and identifying the presence as well as determining the magnitude of this shift is important for predicting the effect of climate change on biodiversity and plant community dynamics. In this study, we perform a meta‐analysis to compare temporal differences of species diversity and productivity under a nurse plant (Retama sphaerocarpa) with varying annual rainfall quantity to test the effect of water limitation on facilitation. Furthermore, we assess spatial differences in the herbaceous community under nurse plants in situ during a year with below‐average rainfall. We found evidence that severe rainfall deficit reduced species diversity and plant productivity under nurse plants relative to open areas. Our results indicate that the switch from facilitation to competition in response to rainfall quantity is nonlinear. The magnitude of this switch depended on the aspect around the nurse plant. Hotter south aspects under nurse plants resulted in negative effects on beneficiary species, while the north aspect still showed facilitation. Combined, these results emphasize the importance of spatial heterogeneity under nurse plants for mediating species loss under reduced precipitation, as predicted by future climate change scenarios. However, the decreased water availability expected under climate change will likely reduce overall facilitation and limit the role of nurse plants as refugia, amplifying biodiversity loss.
The cost and cost trajectory of whole‐genome analysis guiding treatment of patients with advanced cancers
Authors: Weymann Deirdre , Laskin Janessa , Roscoe Robyn , Schrader Kasmintan A. , Chia Stephen , Yip Stephen , Cheung Winson Y. , Gelmon Karen A. , Karsan Aly , Renouf Daniel J. , Marra Marco , Regier Dean A.
Published: March 2017

Background

Limited data exist on the real‐world costs of applying whole‐genome analysis (WGA) in a clinical setting. We estimated the costs of applying WGA to guide treatments for patients with advanced cancers and characterized how costs evolve over time.

Methods

The setting is the British Columbia Cancer Agency Personalized OncoGenomics (POG) program in British Columbia, Canada. Cost data were obtained for patients who enrolled in the program from 2012 to 2015. We estimated mean WGA costs using bootstrapping. We applied time series analysis and produced 10‐year forecasts to determine when costs are expected to reach critical thresholds.

Results

The mean cost of WGA over the study period was CDN$34,886 per patient (95% CI: $34,051, $35,721). Over time, WGA costs decreased, driven by a reduction in costs of sequencing. Yet, costs of other components of WGA increased. Forecasting showed WGA costs may not reach critical thresholds within the next 10 years.

Conclusion

WGA costs decreased over the studied time horizon, but expenditures needed to realize WGA remain significant. Future research exploring costs and benefits of WGA‐guided cancer care are crucial to guide health policy.
Expression of cytokine‐induced neutrophil chemoattractant suppresses tumor necrosis factor alpha expression and thereby prevents the follicles from undergoing atresia and apoptosis
Authors: Tanaka Yu , Kuwahara Akira , Ushigoe Kenjiro , Yano Yuya , Taniguchi Yuka , Yamamoto Yuri , Matsuzaki Toshiya , Yasui Toshiyuki , Irahara Minoru
Published: March 2017

Aim

Cytokine‐induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC/gro) is a CXC family chemokine, similar to interleukin‐8 in rats, and is one of the factors that regulates ovulation. However, the mechanism that regulates atresia of the ovaries postovulation is not clearly defined.

Methods

Whether antibody‐blocking of CINC/gro can alter the number of ovulated oocytes and modulate neutrophil infiltration was investigated. The effect of the antibody on the level of inflammatory cytokine production and follicular atresia was examined. Apoptosis was measured by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method and via analysis of the messenger RNA expression of Bcl‐2 and Bcl2‐associated X (Bax).

Results

The anti‐CINC/gro antibody treatment decreased the number of ovulated oocytes. The messenger RNA levels of cyclooxygenase‐2 and interleukin‐1 beta were decreased by the antibody treatment, whereas that of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha was increased. The TUNEL analysis revealed a larger number of apoptotic cells in the antibody group, compared with those in the control group, as well as a significant increase in the Bax/Bcl‐2 ratio 24 hours after human chorionic gonadotropin administration.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that ovulation is accelerated by neutrophil infiltration into the theca layer. The CINC/gro appears to synergize with interleukin‐1 beta for ovulation. By contrast, the data suggest that CINC/gro expression suppresses TNF alpha expression and that CINC/gro expression therefore prevents the follicles from undergoing atresia and apoptosis.
The Impact of Anastomotic Leakage on Anal Function Following Intersphincteric Resection
Authors: Yokota Mitsuru , Ito Masaaki , Nishizawa Yuji , Kobayashi Akihiro , Saito Norio
Published: March 2017

Background

Data regarding anastomotic leakage (AL) following intersphincteric resection (ISR) are lacking. We aimed to evaluate the effect of AL on anal function in a retrospective review of patients who developed AL following ISR.

Methods

We evaluated 341 consecutive patients who underwent ISR between 2000 and 2012. Patients were classified into three groups: anastomotic dehiscence (AD), major AL (Clavien–Dindo grade III+), or control (<grade III or no AL). Functional assessment was performed at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after defecation through the preserved anus, and the Wexner score was calculated.

Results

Among patients who underwent ISR for low rectal cancer (anal verge, 3.7 ± 1.3 cm), 59 (17%) developed AL. Of these, 13 patients were classified as AD and 36 as major AL. The rate of the 3‐year stomal reversal was significantly lower in the major AL (78.6%) and AD groups (61.5%) than in the control group (88.7%; p < 0.01). Furthermore, the anastomotic stricture rate was higher in the AL and AD groups than in the controls (16.7 and 38.5 vs. 1.8%, respectively; p < 0.01). Wexner scores in the major AL group were poor during the early period, but were similar to the control group at the 2‐year follow‐up. In contrast, Wexner scores in the AD group remained high, even after 2 years.

Conclusions

Patients with major AL following ISR had poor anal function that recovered over 2 years, as long as AD was not present. These findings suggest that patients with major AL require a long‐term follow‐up for anal function.
Information Mismatch: Cancer Risk Counseling with Diverse Underserved Patients
Authors: Joseph Galen , Pasick Rena J. , Schillinger Dean , Luce Judith , Guerra Claudia , Cheng Janice Ka Yan
Published: March 2017

As genetics and genomics become part of mainstream Medicine, these advances have the potential to reduce or exacerbate health disparities. Gaps in effective communication (where all parties share the same meaning) are widely recognized as a major contributor to health disparities. The purpose of this study was to examine GC‐patient communication in real time, to assess its effectiveness from the patient perspective, and then to pilot intervention strategies to improve the communication. We observed 64 English‐, 35 Spanish‐ and 25 Chinese‐speaking (n= 124) public hospital patients and 10 GCs in 170 GC appointments, and interviewed 49 patients who were offered testing using the audio recordings to stimulate recall and probe specific aspects of the communication. Data analyses were conducted using grounded theory methods and revealed a fundamental mismatch between the information provided by GCs and the information desired and meaningful to patients. Several components of the communication that contributed to this mismatch and often resulted in ineffective communication included: (1) too much information; (2) complex terminology and conceptually difficult presentation of information; (3) information perceived as not relevant by the patient; (4) unintentional inhibition of patient engagement and question‐asking; (5) vague discussions of screening and prevention recommendations. Our findings indicate a need to transform the standard model of genetic counseling communication using evidence‐based principles and strategies from other fields of Medicine. The high rates of limited health literacy in the US, increasing access of diverse populations to genetic services, and growing complexity of genetic information have created a perfect storm. If not directly addressed, this convergence is likely to exacerbate health disparities in the genomic age.
Acidic Heavy Oil Recovery Using a New Formulated Surfactant Accompanying Alkali–Polymer in High Salinity Brines
Authors: Dehghan Ali Akbar , Jadaly Adel , Ayatollahi Shahab , Masihi Mohsen
Published: March 2017

The strength of a newly formulated surfactant with an alkali and polymer (AS/ASP) to improve an acidic heavy oil recovery was laboratory evaluated by various flooding experiments. The comparative role of the parameters like chemical nature, surface wettability, salinity, temperature and injection scheme were explored at high temperature and pressure on Berea sandstone rocks. According to the results the anionic surfactant is capable of providing proper oil displacement under high salinity conditions around 15 wt%. Continuous monitoring of differential pressure response and effluents’ state clearly represented the formation of an emulsified oil in high saline solutions with both alkali and surfactant. Adding sodium metaborate to the surfactant solution reduced the interfacial tension (IFT) to ultra low values and decreased the surfactant emulsion generation capability at higher salinities. Besides, adding Flopaam AN113SH to the chemical slug increased the residual oil removal owing to lower mobility ratios. So, while high capillary number and an emulsion phase were generated by the A/S slug phases, adding polymer could further enhance the performance of these chemicals. On the other hand, chemical flooding through the oil‐wet medium resulted in shorter break through time, lower differential pressure, finer emulsion formation, and lower oil recovery in comparison to the similar water‐wet cases.
Mystery of the brain metastatic disease in breast cancer patients: improved patient stratification, disease prediction and targeted prevention on the horizon?
Authors: Polivka Jiri , Kralickova Milena , Polivka Jiri , Kaiser Christina , Kuhn Walther , Golubnitschaja Olga
Published: March 2017

The breast cancer (BC) diagnosis currently experiences the epidemic evolution with more than half of million deaths each year. Despite screening programmes applied and treatments available, breast cancer patients frequently develop distant metastases. The brain is one of the predominant sites of the metastatic spread recorded for more than 20% of BC patients, in contrast to the general population, where brain tumours are rarely diagnosed. Although highly clinically relevant, the brain tumour mystery in the cohort of breast cancer patients has not been yet adequately explained. This review summarises currently available information on the risk factors predicting brain metastases in BC patients to motivate the relevant scientific areas to explore the data/facts available and elucidate disease-specific mechanisms that are of a great clinical utility.
Amino acid PET and MR perfusion imaging in brain tumours
Authors: Filss Christian P. , Cicone Francesco , Shah Nadim Jon , Galldiks Norbert , Langen Karl-Josef
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Despite the excellent capacity of the conventional MRI to image brain tumours, problems remain in answering a number of critical diagnostic questions. To overcome these diagnostic shortcomings, PET using radiolabeled amino acids and perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) are currently under clinical evaluation. The role of amino acid PET and PWI in different diagnostic challenges in brain tumours is controversial.

Methods

Based on the literature and experience of our centres in correlative imaging with PWI and PET using O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine or 3,4-dihydroxy-6-[18F]-fluoro-l-phenylalanine, the current role and shortcomings of amino acid PET and PWI in different diagnostic challenges in brain tumours are reviewed. Literature searches were performed on PubMed, and additional literature was retrieved from the reference lists of identified articles. In particular, all studies in which amino acid PET was directly compared with PWI were included.

Results

PWI is more readily available, but requires substantial expertise and is more sensitive to artifacts than amino acid PET. At initial diagnosis, PWI and amino acid PET can help to define a site for biopsy but amino acid PET appears to be more powerful to define the tumor extent. Both methods are helpful to differentiate progression or recurrence from unspecific posttherapeutic changes. Assessment of therapeutic efficacy can be achieved especially with amino acid PET, while the data with PWI are sparse.

Conclusion

Both PWI and amino acid PET add valuable diagnostic information to the conventional MRI in the assessment of patients with brain tumours, but further studies are necessary to explore the complementary nature of these two methods.
Minimaliser les dépendances Aʹ : résomptifs vs lacunes
Authors: Pan Victor Junnan
Published: March 2017

Cet article étudie la dérivation de deux types de dépendances Aʹ – les relatives et les structures à dislocation à gauche – dans le cadre du programme minimaliste. Le mandarin montre qu'une relative contenant soit un pronom résomptif soit une lacune et une dislocation à lacune sont dérivées par l'opération Accorder et sont soumises aux contraintes de localité et qu'une dislocation résomptive est dérivée parMatchsans conditions d’îlot. «Transferts multiples» et « épellations multiples » sont légitimés dans les dépendances établies par Accorder mais pas dans celles dérivées parMatch. Le choix du mécanisme dérivationnel dépend de l'interprétabilité des traits formels attachés à la sonde ainsi qu’à la cible dans une dépendance Aʹ.
Short-Term Job Shadowing Experience Benefits for Undergraduate Rehabilitation Students
Authors: Oswald Gina R. , Alderman Lee Ann , Willmering Penny
Published: March 2017

This study explored the subjective experiences of rehabilitation services undergraduate students in a short-term job shadowing experience. Experiential reflections of 61 undergraduate rehabilitation services students (females = 91 per cent, age range 18–22 for 77.5 per cent of sample) from a midsized state university in the USA with a brief job shadowing assignment were gathered utilising reflection journals and analysed through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Four interrelated themes emerged: encouragement to enter case management professions, field experience based definition of case management, appreciation of time management in case manager role, and application of related course material learned in the classroom. Results from the study suggest a brief job shadowing experience does improve students’ career exploration, understanding of aspects of a typical career for undergraduate rehabilitation graduates, and how to connect course material to the field.
Does my posterior look big in this? The effect of photographic distortion on morphometric analyses
Authors: Collins Katie S. , Gazley Michael F.
Published: March 2017

Most geometric morphometric studies are underpinned by sets of photographs of specimens. The camera lens distorts the images it takes, and the extent of the distortion will depend on factors such as the make and model of the lens and camera and user-controlled variation such as the zoom of the lens. Any study that uses populations of geometric data digitized from photographs will have shape variation introduced into the data set simply by the photographic process. We illustrate the nature and magnitude of this error using a 30-specimen data set of Recent New Zealand Mactridae (Mollusca: Bivalvia), using only a single camera and camera lens with four different photographic setups. We then illustrate the use of retrodeformation in Adobe Photoshop and test the magnitude of the variation in the data set using multivariate Procrustes analysis of variance. The effect of photographic method on the variance in the data set is significant, systematic, and predictable and, if not accounted for, could lead to misleading results, suggest clustering of specimens in ordinations that has no biological basis, or induce artificial oversplitting of taxa. Recommendations to minimize and quantify distortion include: (1) that studies avoid mixing data sets from different cameras, lenses, or photographic setups; (2) that studies avoid placing specimens or scale bars near the edges of the photographs; (3) that the same camera settings are maintained (as much as practical) for every image in a data set; (4) that care is taken when using full-frame cameras; and (5) that a reference grid is used to correct for or quantify distortion.
Exploring the Political Agenda of the European Parliament Using a Dynamic Topic Modeling Approach
Authors: Greene Derek , Cross James P.
Published: March 2017

This study analyzes the political agenda of the European Parliament (EP) plenary, how it has evolved over time, and the manner in which Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have reacted to external and internal stimuli when making plenary speeches. To unveil the plenary agenda and detect latent themes in legislative speeches over time, MEP speech content is analyzed using a new dynamic topic modeling method based on two layers of Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF). This method is applied to a new corpus of all English language legislative speeches in the EP plenary from the period 1999 to 2014. Our findings suggest that two-layer NMF is a valuable alternative to existing dynamic topic modeling approaches found in the literature, and can unveil niche topics and associated vocabularies not captured by existing methods. Substantively, our findings suggest that the political agenda of the EP evolves significantly over time and reacts to exogenous events such as EU Treaty referenda and the emergence of the Euro Crisis. MEP contributions to the plenary agenda are also found to be impacted upon by voting behavior and the committee structure of the Parliament.
MULTIPLE SOLUTIONS FOR A KIRCHHOFF EQUATION WITH NONLINEARITY HAVING ARBITRARY GROWTH
Authors: FURTADO MARCELO F. , ZANATA HENRIQUE R.
Published: March 2017

We prove the existence of infinitely many solutions$u\in W_{0}^{1,2}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FA})$for the Kirchhoff equation$$\begin{eqnarray}\displaystyle -\biggl(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}+\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}\int _{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FA}}|\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FB}u|^{2}\,dx\biggr)\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E5}u=a(x)|u|^{q-1}u+\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}f(x,u)\quad \text{in }\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FA}, & & \displaystyle \nonumber\end{eqnarray}$$where$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FA}\subset \mathbb{R}^{N}$is a bounded smooth domain,$a(x)$is a (possibly) sign-changing potential,$0<q<1$,$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}>0$,$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}\geq 0$,$\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}>0$and the function$f$has arbitrary growth at infinity. In the proof, we apply variational methods together with a truncation argument.
FromYomihontoGôkan: Repetition and Difference in Late Edo Book Culture
Authors: Reichert James R.
Published: March 2017

One of the noteworthy trends of the last years of the Edo period was the production ofgôkan(assembled volumes), reworkings of recently published material. Focusing on the digestInu no sôshi(Storybook of dogs, 1848–81) and its source text, the famedyomihon(reading book)Hakkenden(Chronicle of eight dogs, 1814–42), I use theories of adaptation, remediation, translation, and bibliographic transcription to consider the transition from one book form to another and what these changes reveal about contrasting visions of book culture, the image-text matrix, and written language at the dawn of the modern era. Through comparison of the signifying mechanisms and aesthetic principles materialized in these texts, I strive to complicate the conventional understanding of how the interpretative operations of seeing and reading obtained toward these two book formats.
Subjective measures of health and all-cause mortality – the Rotterdam Study
Authors: Sajjad A. , Freak-Poli R. L. , Hofman A. , Roza S. J. , Ikram M. A. , Tiemeier H.
Published: March 2017

Background

Subjectively assessed health is related to mortality. Various subjective indicators of health have been studied, but it is unclear whether perceived physical functioning or mental health best accounts for the relation with mortality.

Method

We studied the relation of subjective measures of health with all-cause mortality in 5538 participants of age 55 to 96 years at baseline from the Rotterdam Study. Various instruments of subjectively assessed health were used, that included basic activities of daily living (BADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), quality of life (QoL), positive affect, somatic symptoms and negative affect. All participants completed questionnaires for each subjective measure of health and were followed for mortality for a mean of 12.2 (s.e. = 0.09) years. Cox regression analysis was conducted in the total sample.

Results

In this cohort, 2021 persons died during 48 534 person-years of follow-up. All measures of subjective health were related to mortality after adjusting for age, gender, education, cognition, prevalent chronic diseases and cardiovascular risk [BADL hazard ratio (HR, calculated per Z-score) = 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29–1.41; IADL HR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.22–1.32; QoL HR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.81–0.89; positive affect HR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.88–0.96; somatic symptoms HR = 1.11, 95% CI 1.06–1.16; and negative affect HR = 1.05, 95% CI 1.01–1.10]. In the mutually adjusted model, only BADL (HR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.16–1.32) and IADL (HR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.04–1.17) remained independently associated with mortality.

Conclusions

Measures of subjectively assessed health are important indicators of mortality. Our study shows that of the different measures of subjective health, perceived physical health predicts mortality over and above mental health. Conversely, the association between mental health and mortality may partly be explained by poor perceived physical health.
Equivariant smoothing of piecewise linear manifolds
Authors: LANGE CHRISTIAN
Published: March 2017

We prove that every piecewise linear manifold of dimension up to four on which a finite group acts by piecewise linear homeomorphisms admits a compatible smooth structure with respect to which the group acts smoothly.
The potential of protected areas to halt deforestation in Ecuador
Authors: VAN DER HOEK YNTZE
Published: March 2017

Ecuador, a country with nearly unparalleled levels of biodiversity and endemism, has one of the highest deforestation rates of South America. I examined whether governmentally protected areas in Ecuador have been effective at reducing deforestation. After estimating deforestation rates from existing land cover change data for 2000 to 2008, I used a matching approach to compare the rates of forest loss inside and outside protected areas, which corrected for geographic biases in the locations of protected areas. I tested for the effects of protected area age, size and level of protection on the rate of deforestation using generalized linear models. Governmentally protected areas still experienced deforestation – with no apparent effect of age, size and level of protection – of nearly 10,000 ha per year, but deforestation rates were lower inside compared to outside protected areas. Governmental protection led to the avoidance of additional deforestation of 2600–7800 ha of natural forest per year. Actions to mitigate deforestation in Ecuador are of global importance and as such it is promising that protected areas can help diminish deforestation, although the effectiveness of Ecuador's protected areas can still be improved upon.
Of Coercion and Accommodation: Looking at Japanese American Imprisonment through a Law Office Window
Authors: Muller Eric L.
Published: March 2017

Crucial to the implementation of the War Relocation Authority's (WRA) regulations of its detention camps for the uprooted Japanese American community of the West Coast were the WRA “project attorneys,” white lawyers stationed in the camps who gave legal advice to administrators and internees alike. These lawyers left behind a voluminous correspondence that opens a new window on the WRA's relationship with its prisoners, a relationship heretofore understood as encompassing coercion on one side and either compliance or resistance on the other. This article uses the voluminous correspondence of the project attorney at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming as a new lens for viewing the regulatory relationship between the WRA and the imprisoned community. It focuses on three of the many matters about which the project attorney gave advice: the design of the camp's community government, its criminal justice system, and its business enterprises. Evidence from this one law office suggests that on many key issues, the relationship between the WRA and the internees was marked not so much by coercion as by reciprocal accommodation, with each taking account of some of the preferences of the other. While the data are from just one of the ten WRA camps, they suggest a need to reconsider our understanding of how this American system of racial imprisonment operated.
The United States Military, State Development, and Slavery in the Early Republic
Authors: Ericson David F.
Published: March 2017

The U.S. military was the principal agent of American state development in the seven decades between 1791 and 1861. It fought wars, removed Native Americans, built internal improvements, expedited frontier settlement, deterred slave revolts, returned fugitive slaves, and protected existing property relations. These activities promoted state development along multiple axes, increasing the administrative capacities, institutional autonomy, political legitimacy, governing authority, and coercive powers of the American state. Unfortunately, the American political development literature has largely ignored the varied ways in which the presence of slavery influenced military deployments and, in turn, state development during the pre–Civil War period.
The Case of specialqui
Authors: MACKENZIE IAN
Published: March 2017

Feature Inheritance (Richards 2007) entails that uninterpretable features originate on the phase head C orv* and are then transferred to the associated Agree head, T or V. In the present article, it is argued that the Frenchque–quialternation is the locus of a Case contrast, implying that nominative Case originates on the complementiser and only becomes associated with T as a consequence of feature transfer.Que–quithus provides new, Case-based empirical support for the theory of Feature Inheritance. The article also suggests that theque–quialternation has an important implication for Chomsky's recent application of dynamic antisymmetry, reinterpreted in terms of labelling, to the issue of subject extraction failure. Specifically, the alternation appears to indicate that Case-matching is required, in addition to phi-feature agreement, in order for extraction to be blocked by labelling.
Crosstown Traffic: Punk Rock, Space and the Porosity of the Berlin Wall in the 1980s
Authors: HAYTON JEFF
Published: March 2017

This paper argues that crosstown traffic in the East and West German punk subculture was an essential aspect of how popular music helped to challenge the political legitimacy of the East German government. West German punks frequently crossed the border to attend Eastern punk concerts, meet with friends and trade stories and experiences, connections that helped to foster a transnational community of alternative youths. These interactions denied official claims that punk was the result of capitalist decadence while undermining the East German government's efforts at cultivating a distinctive socialist identity. Nor were border crossings unidirectional, as Eastern punks made daring attempts to connect with their Western cousins. Writing for West German fanzines, appearing in the Western press and even managing to release Eastern recordings smuggled westwards, Eastern punks crossed the Iron Curtain and in so doing, worked to present an alternative vision of Eastern youth to the world and join the global punk scene.
The Total Inotrope Exposure Score: an extension of the Vasoactive Inotrope Score as a predictor of adverse outcomes after paediatric cardiac surgery
Authors: Bangalore Harish , Gaies Michael , Ocampo Elena C. , Heinle Jeffrey S. , Guffey Danielle , Minard Charles G. , Checchia Paul , Shekerdemian Lara S.
Published: March 2017

Objective

The aim of the present study was to explore and compare the association between a new vasoactive score – the Total Inotrope Exposure Score – and outcome and the established Vasoactive Inotrope Score in children undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass

Design

The present study was a single-centre, retrospective study.

Setting

The study was carried out at a 21-bed cardiovascular ICU in a Tertiary Children’s Hospital between September, 2010 and May, 2011

Methods

The Total Inotrope Exposure Score is a new vasoactive score that brings together cumulative vasoactive drug exposure and incorporates dose adjustments over time. The performance of these scores – average, maximum Vasoactive Inotrope Score at 24 and 48 hours, and Total Inotrope Exposure Score – to predict primary clinical outcomes – either death, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation before hospital discharge – and secondary outcomes – length of invasive mechanical ventilation, length of ICU stay, and hospital stay – was calculated.

Main results

The study cohort included 167 children under 18 years of age, with 37 (22.2%) neonates and 65 (41.3%) infants aged between 1 month and 1 year. The Total Inotrope Exposure Score best predicted the primary outcome (six of 167 cases) with an unadjusted odds ratio for a poor outcome of 42 (4.8, 369.6). Although the area under curve was higher than other scores, this difference did not reach statistical significance. The Total Inotrope Exposure Score best predicted prolonged invasive mechanical ventilation, length of ICU stay, and hospital stay as compared with the other scores.

Conclusion

The Total Inotrope Exposure Score appears to have a good association with poor postoperative outcomes and warrants prospective validation across larger numbers of patients across institutions.
Effectiveness of Group Behavioural Activation for Depression: A Pilot Study
Authors: Kellett Stephen , Simmonds-Buckley Mel , Bliss Paul , Waller Glenn
Published: March 2017

Background: The evidence base for behavioural activation (BA) is mainly grounded in the individual delivery method, with much less known about the impact of group delivery. Aims: To conduct a pilot study of behavioural activation in groups (BAG) for depression delivered in a routine service setting, in order to explore acceptability, effectiveness and predictors of outcome. Methods: The manualized group treatment format was delivered in a Primary Care mental health setting, at step three of an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service. BAG was facilitated by cognitive behavioural psychotherapists, and outcome measures (depression, anxiety and functional impairment) were taken at each session. Seventy-three participants were referred and treated within nine groups. Results: BAG was an acceptable treatment generating a low drop-out rate (7%). Significant pre–post differences were found across all measures. There was a moderate to large depression effect size (d+ = 0.74), and 20% met the criteria for a reliable recovery in depression. Greater severity of initial depression and attendance of at least four BAG sessions predicted better outcomes. Conclusions: BAG appears to be an effective depression treatment option that shows some clinical promise. Further larger and more controlled studies are nevertheless required.
Designing successful post-retirement solutions by blending growth, income and protection
Authors: Morgan L.-A. , Lothian S. A.
Published: March 2017

The move from defined benefit to defined contribution (DC) has transferred the longevity and investment risks from the plan sponsor to the individual plan member. Without the actuarial cross-subsidies implied by pooling these risks, the danger of outliving one’s savings is significant. Much attention has been focussed on pre-retirement investment design but less on post-retirement. In most countries, the post-retirement systems in place are insufficient to solve this challenge for small asset sizes or small proportions of individuals’ retirement accounts. However, a number of DC markets are mature, such as Australia and Chile, and the principles of a solution that works for all must be identified. This paper researches a number of post-retirement systems around the world and identifies ten key factors that contribute to post-retirement solution design. These factors can result in an inconsistency between countries regarding the most appropriate post-retirement solution. Additionally, a disconnect is apparent between what retirees need and want in post-retirement. Successful post-retirement solutions will inevitably blend investment and insurance components in a balanced manner. With lengthening life expectancies, research supports strategies that blend a growth and income account-based approach for the first 15–20 years after retirement with longevity protection in later life.
THE TIME REQUIRED FOR ALLELE FREQUENCY CHANGE
Authors: FAN TAI-HE , SUN SHUHAO , HE PING-AN
Published: March 2017

In evolutionary theory, a key issue in selection theory is the expected time for a given amount of allele frequency change to occur. Crow and Kimura, by assuming weak selection, presented explicit results for several important cases of the directional selection and of the stochastic process. Those results played an important role in the theory of population genetics. In this paper, first we show that the weak selection assumption can be removed from most of the results of Crow and Kimura, and then we generalize those results to the most general selection model. Next, we estimate the errors of the deterministic formulae produced by proving that the deterministic formulae are limits of the corresponding stochastic formulae when the size of the population tends to infinity. Finally, we present a result which removes the restriction of Kimura’s corresponding results for a favourite recessive selection model, and we also observe that the conclusion made by Kimura about the favourite dominant selection might not be correct.
Mental health service availability and delivery at the global level: an analysis by countries’ income level from WHO's Mental Health Atlas 2014
Authors: Lora A. , Hanna F. , Chisholm D.
Published: March 2017

Aims.

The World Health Organization (WHO)’s Mental Health Atlas series has established itself as the single most comprehensive and most widely used source of information on the global mental health situation. The data derived from the latest Mental Health Atlas survey carried out in 2014 describes the availability and delivery of mental health services in the WHO's Member States, focussing on differences by country's income level.

Methods.

The data contained in this paper are mainly derived from questions relating to mental health service availability and uptake, as well as on financial and human resources for mental health. Results are presented as median values and analysed by World Bank income group. Interquartile ranges are also provided as measures of statistical dispersion.

Results.

In total, 171 out of WHO's 194 Member States were able to at least partially complete the Atlas questionnaire. The results highlight a wide gap between high and low-medium income countries in a number of areas: for example, high-income countries have 20 times more beds in community-based inpatient units and 30 times more admissions; the rate of patients cared by outpatient facilities is 40 times higher; and there are 66 times more community outpatient contacts and 15 times more mental health staff at outpatient level. Overall resources for mental health are not distributed efficiently: globally about 60% of financial resources and over two-thirds of all available mental health staff are concentrated in mental hospitals, which serve only a small proportion of patients. Results indicate that outpatient care is the only effective means of increasing the coverage for mental disorders and is expanding, but it is strongly influenced by country income level. Two elements of the network of mental health facilities are particularly scarce in low- and middle-income countries: day treatment facilities and community residential facilities.

Conclusions.

The WHO Mental Health Atlas 2014 survey provides basic mental health information at the level of WHO's Member States, concerning mental health resources and activities. Atlas promotes the use of information, usually underestimated not only in low- and middle-income countries but also in high-income countries. Information is needed not only for monitoring the scaling up of the mental health system at country level, but also for improving transparency and accountability for users, families and the public.
Rumination, Suicidal Ideation, and Suicide Attempts: A Meta-Analytic Review
Authors: Rogers Megan L. , Joiner Thomas E.
Published: March 2017

Rumination has been implicated as a risk factor for suicidal ideation and attempts, yet the literature to date has not been synthesized. We conducted a meta-analysis of the association between rumination and both suicidal ideation and attempts to consolidate the existing literature ( k = 29). Results indicated that the relationships between global rumination ( k = 13; Hedge's g = .74, p < .001, 95% CI [.45, 1.04]), brooding ( k = 12; Hedge's g = .63, p < .001, 95% CI [.35, .90]), and reflection ( k = 12; Hedge's g = .38, p = .002, 95% CI [.10, .65]) with suicidal ideation were significant. Associations between global rumination ( k = 3; Hedge's g = .26, p < .001, 95% CI [.08, .44]) and brooding ( k = 4; Hedge's g = .47, p = .004, 95% CI [.02, .91]) and suicide attempts were significant, but reflection ( k = 4; Hedge's g = .09, p = .646, 95% CI [−.54, .72]) was unrelated. However, given the limited studies included in suicide attempt analyses—and the exclusive use of cross-sectional designs and heterogeneity with regard to samples and measures—these parameters should be taken with caution. Generally, age, gender, race/ethnicity, and year of publication were not moderators, and there was little evidence for publication bias across effects, with the exception of the effect of global rumination on suicidal ideation. Several future research directions are discussed.
E3 ligase FBXW7 is critical for RIG-I stabilization during antiviral responses
Authors: Song Yinjing , Lai Lihua , Chong Zhenlu , He Jia , Zhang Yuanyuan , Xue Yue , Xie Yiwei , Chen Songchang , Dong Ping , Chen Luoquan , Chen Zhimin , Dai Feng , Wan Xiaopeng , Xiao Peng , Cao Xuetao , Liu Yang , Wang Qingqing
Published: March 2017

Viruses can escape from host recognition by degradation of RIG-I or interference with the RIG-I signalling to establish persistent infections. However, the mechanisms by which host cells stabilize RIG-I protein for avoiding its degradation are largely unknown. We report here that, upon virus infection, the E3 ubiquitin ligase FBXW7 translocates from the nucleus into the cytoplasm and stabilizes RIG-I. FBXW7 interacts with SHP2 and mediates the degradation and ubiquitination of SHP2, thus disrupting the SHP2/c-Cbl complex, which mediates RIG-I degradation. When infected with VSV or influenza A virus, FBXW7 conditional knockout mice (Lysm+FBXW7f/f) show impaired antiviral immunity. FBXW7-deficient macrophages have decreased RIG-I protein levels and type-I interferon signalling. Furthermore, PBMCs from RSV-infected children have reduced FBXW7 mRNA levels. Our results identify FBXW7 as an important interacting partner for RIG-I. These findings provide insights into the function of FBXW7 in antiviral immunity and its related clinical significance.
Photothermally triggered actuation of hybrid materials as a new platform for in vitro cell manipulation
Authors: Sutton Amy , Shirman Tanya , Timonen Jaakko V. I. , England Grant T , Kim Philseok , Kolle Mathias , Ferrante Thomas , Zarzar Lauren D , Strong Elizabeth , Aizenberg Joanna
Published: March 2017

Mechanical forces in the cell’s natural environment have a crucial impact on growth, differentiation and behaviour. Few areas of biology can be understood without taking into account how both individual cells and cell networks sense and transduce physical stresses. However, the field is currently held back by the limitations of the available methods to apply physiologically relevant stress profiles on cells, particularly with sub-cellular resolution, in controlled in vitro experiments. Here we report a new type of active cell culture material that allows highly localized, directional and reversible deformation of the cell growth substrate, with control at scales ranging from the entire surface to the subcellular, and response times on the order of seconds. These capabilities are not matched by any other method, and this versatile material has the potential to bridge the performance gap between the existing single cell micro-manipulation and 2D cell sheet mechanical stimulation techniques.
Global metabolic rewiring for improved CO2 fixation and chemical production in cyanobacteria
Authors: Kanno Masahiro , Carroll Austin L. , Atsumi Shota
Published: March 2017

Cyanobacteria have attracted much attention as hosts to recycle CO2 into valuable chemicals. Although cyanobacteria have been engineered to produce various compounds, production efficiencies are too low for commercialization. Here we engineer the carbon metabolism of Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 to improve glucose utilization, enhance CO2 fixation and increase chemical production. We introduce modifications in glycolytic pathways and the Calvin Benson cycle to increase carbon flux and redirect it towards carbon fixation. The engineered strain efficiently uses both CO2 and glucose, and produces 12.6 g l−1 of 2,3-butanediol with a rate of 1.1 g l−1 d−1 under continuous light conditions. Removal of native regulation enables carbon fixation and 2,3-butanediol production in the absence of light. This represents a significant step towards industrial viability and an excellent example of carbon metabolism plasticity.
Controllable conversion of quasi-freestanding polymer chains to graphene nanoribbons
Authors: Ma Chuanxu , Xiao Zhongcan , Zhang Honghai , Liang Liangbo , Huang Jingsong , Lu Wenchang , Sumpter Bobby G. , Hong Kunlun , Bernholc J. , Li An-Ping
Published: March 2017

In the bottom-up synthesis of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) from self-assembled linear polymer intermediates, surface-assisted cyclodehydrogenations usually take place on catalytic metal surfaces. Here we demonstrate the formation of GNRs from quasi-freestanding polymers assisted by hole injections from a scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) tip. While catalytic cyclodehydrogenations typically occur in a domino-like conversion process during the thermal annealing, the hole-injection-assisted reactions happen at selective molecular sites controlled by the STM tip. The charge injections lower the cyclodehydrogenation barrier in the catalyst-free formation of graphitic lattices, and the orbital symmetry conservation rules favour hole rather than electron injections for the GNR formation. The created polymer–GNR intraribbon heterostructures have a type-I energy level alignment and strongly localized interfacial states. This finding points to a new route towards controllable synthesis of freestanding graphitic layers, facilitating the design of on-surface reactions for GNR-based structures.
Metabolic disturbances due to a high-fat diet in a non-insulin-resistant animal model
Authors: Ramalho L , da Jornada M N , Antunes L C , Hidalgo M P
Published: March 2017

Objective:

Shift workers have metabolic changes more often than day workers. It is also known that night workers prefer foods high in saturated fat. Such data suggest that shift workers are prone to cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the objective of this study was to propose an animal model to test the effect of high-fat diet (HFD) based on shift workers’ diet.

Methods:

This is an experimental study with 20 Wistar rats. Ten rats were allocated to the control group (CG) and were fed standard diet. Ten rats were allocated to the experimental group (EG) and were fed HFD (45% fat). Serum triglycerides (TG), glucose and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-cho) were measured 5, 10 and 15 weeks after the beginning of the study. The amount of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was determined. Body weight was assessed weekly, and food and water intake were measured daily. Student’s t-test was used for independent samples, and P<0.05 was considered significant.

Results:

After 15 weeks of intervention, the EG showed increased serum levels of TG (P=0.001) and glucose (P<0.001) and decreased HDL-cho (P<0.001) when compared with the CG. The EG showed increased VAT (P=0.005) and liver weight (P=0.01). Food intake and water intake were higher in the CG (P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively), whereas energy intake showed no difference (P=0.48). No difference was found in the weight of adrenal glands (P=0.07) and body weight (P=0.63).

Conclusions:

The experimental diet was effective to show changes in the serum levels of glucose, TG and HDL-cho and visceral fat in spite of no change in body weight in 15 weeks.
Repairing atomic vacancies in single-layer MoSe2 field-effect transistor and its defect dynamics
Authors: Meng Yuze , Ling Chongyi , Xin Run , Wang Peng , Song You , Bu Haijun , Gao Si , Wang Xuefeng , Song Fengqi , Wang Jinlan , Wang Xinran , Wang Baigeng , Wang Guanghou
Published: March 2017

Atomic defects are easily created in the single-layer electronic devices of current interest and cause even more severe influence than in the bulk devices since the electronic quantum paths are obviously suppressed in the two-dimensional transport. Here we find a drop of chemical solution can repair the defects in the single-layer MoSe2 field-effect transistors. The devices’ room-temperature electronic mobility increases from 0.1 cm2/Vs to around 30 cm2/Vs and hole mobility over 10 cm2/Vs after the solution processing. The defect dynamics is interpreted by the combined study of the first-principles calculations, aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Rich single/double Selenium vacancies are identified by the high-resolution microscopy, which cause some mid-gap impurity states and localize the device carriers. They are found to be repaired by the processing with the result of extended electronic states. Such a picture is confirmed by a 1.5 cm−1 red shift in the Raman spectra.