bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Redox Regulation of Cardiac ASK1 (Apoptosis Signal-Regulating Kinase 1) Controls p38-MAPK (Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase) and Orchestrates Cardiac Remodeling to Hypertension
Authors: Meijles Daniel N. , Cull Joshua J. , Markou Thomais , Cooper Susanna T.E. , Haines Zoe H.R. , Fuller Stephen J. , O’Gara Peter , Sheppard Mary N. , Harding Sian E. , Sugden Peter H. , Clerk Angela
Published: September 2020

Systemic hypertension increases cardiac workload causing cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and increased cardiac fibrosis. An underlying feature is increased production of reactive oxygen species. Redox-sensitive ASK1 (apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1) activates stress-regulated protein kinases (p38-MAPK [mitogen-activated protein kinases] and JNKs [c-Jun N-terminal kinases]) and promotes fibrosis in various tissues. Here, we determined the specificity of ASK1 signaling in the heart, with the hypothesis that ASK1 inhibitors may be used to manage fibrosis in hypertensive heart disease. Using immunoblotting, we established that moderate levels of H
2
O
2
activate ASK1 in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes and perfused rat hearts. ASK1 was activated during ischemia in adult rat hearts, but not on reperfusion, consistent with activation by moderate (not high) reactive oxygen species levels. In contrast, IL (interleukin)-1β activated an alternative kinase, TAK1 (transforming growth factor–activated kinase 1). ASK1 was not activated by IL1β in cardiomyocytes and activation in perfused hearts was due to increased reactive oxygen species. Selonsertib (ASK1 inhibitor) prevented activation of p38-MAPKs (but not JNKs) by oxidative stresses in cultured cardiomyocytes and perfused hearts. In vivo (C57Bl/6J mice with osmotic minipumps for drug delivery), selonsertib (4 mg/[kg·d]) alone did not affect cardiac function/dimensions (assessed by echocardiography). However, it suppressed hypertension-induced cardiac hypertrophy resulting from angiotensin II (0.8 mg/[kg·d], 7d), with inhibition of
Nppa/Nppb
mRNA upregulation, reduced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and, notably, significant reductions in interstitial and perivascular fibrosis. Our data identify a specific reactive oxygen species→ASK1→p38-MAPK pathway in the heart and establish that ASK1 inhibitors protect the heart from hypertension-induced cardiac remodeling. Thus, targeting the ASK1→p38-MAPK nexus has potential therapeutic viability as a treatment for hypertensive heart disease.
Who Has Seen Patients With ST‐Segment–Elevation Myocardial Infarction? First Results From Italian Real‐World Coronavirus Disease 2019
Authors: Cammalleri Valeria , Muscoli Saverio , Benedetto Daniela , Stifano Giuseppe , Macrini Massimiliano , Di Landro Alessio , Di Luozzo Marco , Marchei Massimo , Mariano Enrica Giuliana , Cota Linda , Sergi Domenico , Bezzeccheri Andrea , Bonanni Michela , Baluci Martino , De Vico Pasquale , Romeo Francesco
Published: September 2020

Background

After the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, social isolation measures were introduced to contain infection. Although there is currently a slowing down of the infection, a reduction of hospitalizations, especially for myocardial infarction, was observed. The aim of our study is to evaluate the impact of the infectious disease on ST‐segment–elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) care during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, through the analysis of recent cases of patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods and Results

Consecutive patients affected by STEMI from March 1 to 31, 2020, during social restrictions of Italian government, were collected and compared with patients with STEMI treated during March 2019. During March 2020, we observed a 63% reduction of patients with STEMI who were admitted to our catheterization laboratory, when compared with the same period of 2019 (13 versus 35 patients). Changes in all time components of STEMI care were notably observed, particularly for longer median time in symptom‐to‐first medical contact, spoke‐to‐hub, and the cumulative symptom‐to‐wire delay. Procedural data and in‐hospital outcomes were similar between the 2 groups, whereas the length of hospitalization was longer in patients of 2020. In this group, we also observed higher levels of cardiac biomarkers and a worse left ventricular ejection fraction at baseline and discharge.

Conclusions

The coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak induced a reduction of hospital access for STEMI with an increase in treatment delay, longer hospitalization, higher levels of cardiac biomarkers, and worse left ventricular function.
A Reply to Kumar’s “Omission of Data in Wrigley’s ‘Reconsidering the Industrial Revolution’”
Authors: Wrigley E. Anthony
Published: September 2020

Kumar’s criticism is justified but only because the article in question failed to specify that England had achieved self-sufficiency in temperate foodstuffs rather than all foodstuffs. The ability of English agriculture between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries to meet the country’s temperate foodstuff needs was notable, especially as the number of men employed on farms changed only marginally.
Getting to Know Someone: Familiarity, Person Recognition, and Identification in the Human Brain
Authors: Kovács Gyula
Published: September 2020

In our everyday life, we continuously get to know people, dominantly through their faces. Several neuroscientific experiments showed that familiarization changes the behavioral processing and underlying neural representation of faces of others. Here, we propose a model of the process of how we actually get to know someone. First, the purely visual familiarization of unfamiliar faces occurs. Second, the accumulation of associated, nonsensory information refines person representation, and finally, one reaches a stage where the effortless identification of very well-known persons occurs. We offer here an overview of neuroimaging studies, first evaluating how and in what ways the processing of unfamiliar and familiar faces differs and, second, by analyzing the fMRI adaptation and multivariate pattern analysis results we estimate where identity-specific representation is found in the brain. The available neuroimaging data suggest that different aspects of the information emerge gradually as one gets more and more familiar with a person within the same network. We propose a novel model of familiarity and identity processing, where the differential activation of long-term memory and emotion processing areas is essential for correct identification.
Unsupervised Quality Estimation for Neural Machine Translation
Authors: Fomicheva Marina , Sun Shuo , Yankovskaya Lisa , Blain Frédéric , Guzmán Francisco , Fishel Mark , Aletras Nikolaos , Chaudhary Vishrav , Specia Lucia
Published: September 2020

Quality Estimation (QE) is an important component in making Machine Translation (MT) useful in real-world applications, as it is aimed to inform the user on the quality of the MT output at test time. Existing approaches require large amounts of expert annotated data, computation, and time for training. As an alternative, we devise an unsupervised approach to QE where no training or access to additional resources besides the MT system itself is required. Different from most of the current work that treats the MT system as a black box, we explore useful information that can be extracted from the MT system as a by-product of translation. By utilizing methods for uncertainty quantification, we achieve very good correlation with human judgments of quality, rivaling state-of-the-art supervised QE models. To evaluate our approach we collect the first dataset that enables work on both black-box and glass-box approaches to QE.
Puccinia xinyuanensis sp. nov., the causal agent of rust on wild tulip (Tulipa iliensis) in China

Authors: SONG JIAGE , AIME MARY CATHERINE , XU BIAO
Published: September 2020

A severe rust infection was observed on leaves of Tulipa iliensis in the desert regions of the Tianshan Mountains in China. The pathogen is similar to P. tulipae, a microcyclic rust of several Tulipa species, but differs in larger teliospores, and in the production of spermogonia and aecia. Herein, we describe Puccinia xinyuanensis sp. nov., an autoecious demicyclic rust of Tulipa iliensis. This is the first known rust on this host.
Kukwaea pubescens gen. et sp. nova (Helotiales, incertae sedis), a new lichenicolous fungus on Cetraria islandica, and a key to the lichenicolous fungi occurring on Cetraria s. str.

Authors: SUIJA AVE , ZHURBENKO MIKHAIL P. , Stepanchikova IRINA S. S. , HIMELBRANT DMITRY E. , KUZNETSOVA EKATERINA S. , MOTIEJŪNAITĖ JURGA
Published: September 2020

A new lichenicolous genus Kukwaea is introduced for a species discovered on Cetraria islandica from coniferous forests in European and Asian parts of Russia. The new fungus is characterized by its cupulate, brown ascomata with grey to blackish disc surrounded by brownish grey hairs, exciple of textura angularis type, with crystals in the lower part, with granulose excipular hairs obtuse at the tips, simple to forked paraphyses, Calycina-type asci, and hyaline, aseptate ascospores. The DNA sequence data confirmed its placement in Helotiales, but the exact affiliation remains open. A worldwide key for lichenicolous fungi occurring on Cetraria s. str. is provided.
Morphological and molecular identification of a new species of Cinereomyces (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) in southern China

Authors: WANG RUN-ZHI , YUAN ZHI-YONG , HAN CHANG-ZHI , ZHAO CHANG-LIN
Published: September 2020

A new poroid wood-inhabiting fungal species, Cinereomyces fimbriatus sp. nov., is proposed based on morphological and molecular characteristics. The species is characterized by resupinate, brittle basidiomata with cream pore surface, a dimitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae, broad allantoid, hyaline, thin-walled, smooth basidiospores (3.6–4.6 × 0.8–1.1 µm). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene sequences of the studied samples were generated, and phylogenetic analyses were performed with maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and bayesian inference methods. The phylogenetic analysis based on ITS sequences showed that C. fimbriatus formed a monophyletic lineage with strong supports (100% BS, 100% BT, 1.00 BPP) sister to C. lindbladii.
Camellia rostrata, a new species of yellow camellias from Southwest China

Authors: LIU ZHEN-WEN , CHAI SHENG-FENG , WU FANG-YUAN , YE PIN-MING , JIANG CHANG-JIE , ZHANG ZHI-RONG , YU XIANG-QIN , MA JIN-LIN , YANG SHI-XIONG
Published: September 2020

Camellia rostrata S.X.Yang & S.F.Chai is described and illustrated as a new species from Guangxi, China. It is morphologically closest to C. debaoensis R.C.Hu & Y.Q.Liufu, but can be easily distinguished by its abaxially glabrous leaf surface, 1.0−1.5(−2.0) cm long pedicel, powdery puberulent inner surface of bracteoles, sepals, and petals, sparsely pubescent inner filaments base, and triangle globose or ellipsoid capsule with pointed beak. The conservation status of this new species was assessed as Critically Endangered (CR).
Taxonomic revision of the recent marine Corbulidae (Mollusca, Bivalvia) from Brazil
Authors: ARRUDA ELIANE P.
Published: September 2020

The present study provides a taxonomic revision of living species of Corbulidae from Brazil based on shell characters, including the examination of the type material and specimens from different collections from Brazil, USA and Europe. There are twelve species of Corbulidae in Brazil belonging to Corbula, Caryocorbula, Juliacorbula, Tenuicorbula and Varicorbula. Caryocorbula chittyana, Caryocorbula marmorata, Caryocorbula luteola and Juliacorbula bicarinata are new occurrences in Brazil. Corbula dietziana, Caryocorbula swiftiana and Caryocorbula chittyana have identical shell morphologies to species from the Eastern Pacific possibly indicating closer phylogenetic relationships. Corbula tryoni and Corbula patagonica appear to be endemic to South America. These latter species are similar to Corbulidae from the Indo-Pacific. Based on comparisons with type material, the following synonymies are suggested: Corbula uruguayensis, traditionally considered a synonym of Caryocorbula swiftiana, is a specimen in pre-accretion stage of C. patagonica, and Corbula caribaea, Corbula barratiana and Corbula kjoeriana are synonyms of Caryocorbula swiftiana. Three species have great morphological variability, C. patagonica, C. swiftiana and Juliacorbula aequivalvis; most species exhibit great post-larval ontogenetic variability.
Taxonomic notes on Alpheus inopinatus Holthuis & Gottlieb, 1958 and Alpheus cf. lobidens De Haan, 1849 from Kuwait (Malacostraca: Decapoda: Alpheidae)
Authors: ANKER ARTHUR , AL-KANDARI MANAL , DE GRAVE SAMMY
Published: September 2020

The status of the common intertidal snapping shrimp, Alpheus inopinatus Holthuis & Gottlieb, 1958, is discussed based on newly collected material from Kuwait. Alpheus inopinatus was previously confused with morphologically very similar species in the Alpheus lobidens De Haan, 1849 species complex, formerly identified as A. crassimanus Heller, 1862 and herein tentatively referred to as A. cf. lobidens. The material herein examined strongly supports the validity of A. inopinatus based on several morphological characters, as well as differences in the colour pattern, compared to other members of the A. lobidens complex.
Contributions to the knowledge of the Eratoidae. X. Revision of the genus Archierato Schilder, 1933 (Mollusca: Gastropoda)
Authors: FEHSE DIRK , SIMONE LUIZ RICARDO L.
Published: September 2020

The identity of Archierato maugeriae (Gray in Sowerby I, 1832) comb. nov., A. martinicensis (Schilder, 1933) comb. nov. and A. dalli (Morretes, 1941) comb. nov. from the Western Atlantic as well as of A. galapagensis (Schilder, 1933), A. columbella (Menke, 1847) comb. nov. and A. panamaensis (Carpenter, 1856) comb. nov. from the east Pacific are clarified based on the type specimens. The assignment to the genus Archierato Schilder, 1933 is confirmed. The clarification of the well-known, often misinterpreted taxa results in the description of four new species: Archierato michaelmonti nov. sp., Archierato rhondae nov. sp., Archierato janae nov. sp. and Archierato guadeloupensis nov. sp.
Immature stages of three species and new records of five species of Phylloicus Müller (Trichoptera, Calamoceratidae) in the northern region of Brazil
Authors: DE SOUZA-HOLANDA PAULA MAYARA , PES ANA MARIA , HAMADA NEUSA
Published: September 2020

The larvae, pupae, and cases of Phylloicus amazonas Prather 2003, P. fenestratus Flint 1974, and P. passulatus Prather 2003 are described and illustrated, and the adult females of P. amazonas and P. passulatus are illustrated. Additionally, the lateral coremata with an eversible membranous sac and the everted phallus of the male of P. passulatus are illustrated and described. Larval bionomics are presented for each species. First records of species are presented for Brazil (P. passulatus), Pará state (P. amazonas, P. dumasi Santos & Nessimian 2010, P. elektoros Prather 2003), and Tocantins state (P. fenestratus).
Scientific and Human Errors in a Snow Model Intercomparison
Authors: Menard Cecile B. , Essery Richard , Krinner Gerhard , Arduini Gabriele , Bartlett Paul , Boone Aaron , Brutel-Vuilmet Claire , Burke Eleanor , Cuntz Matthias , Dai Yongjiu , Decharme Bertrand , Dutra Emanuel , Fang Xing , Fierz Charles , Gusev Yeugeniy , Hagemann Stefan , Haverd Vanessa , Kim Hyungjun , Lafaysse Matthieu , Marke Thomas , Nasonova Olga , Nitta Tomoko , Niwano Masashi , Pomeroy John , Schädler Gerd , Semenov Vladimir A. , Smirnova Tatiana , Strasser Ulrich , Swenson Sean , Turkov Dmitry , Wever Nander , Yuan Hua
Published: September 2020

Twenty-seven models participated in the Earth System Model–Snow Model Intercomparison Project (ESM-SnowMIP), the most data-rich MIP dedicated to snow modeling. Our findings do not support the hypothesis advanced by previous snow MIPs: evaluating models against more variables and providing evaluation datasets extended temporally and spatially does not facilitate identification of key new processes requiring improvement to model snow mass and energy budgets, even at point scales. In fact, the same modeling issues identified by previous snow MIPs arose: albedo is a major source of uncertainty, surface exchange parameterizations are problematic, and individual model performance is inconsistent. This lack of progress is attributed partly to the large number of human errors that led to anomalous model behavior and to numerous resubmissions. It is unclear how widespread such errors are in our field and others; dedicated time and resources will be needed to tackle this issue to prevent highly sophisticated models and their research outputs from being vulnerable because of avoidable human mistakes. The design of and the data available to successive snow MIPs were also questioned. Evaluation of models against bulk snow properties was found to be sufficient for some but inappropriate for more complex snow models whose skills at simulating internal snow properties remained untested. Discussions between the authors of this paper on the purpose of MIPs revealed varied, and sometimes contradictory, motivations behind their participation. These findings started a collaborative effort to adapt future snow MIPs to respond to the diverse needs of the community.
Can Weather Radars Be Used to Estimate Snow Accumulation on Alpine Glaciers? An Evaluation Based on Glaciological Surveys
Authors: Gugerli Rebecca , Gabella Marco , Huss Matthias , Salzmann Nadine
Published: September 2020

The snow water equivalent (SWE) is a key component for understanding changes in the cryosphere in high mountain regions. Yet, a reliable quantification at a high spatiotemporal resolution remains challenging in such environments. In this study, we investigate the potential of an operational weather radar–rain gauge composite (CombiPrecip) to infer the daily evolution of SWE on seven Swiss glaciers. To this end, we validate cumulative CombiPrecip estimates with glacier-wide manual SWE observations (snow probing, snow pits) obtained around the time of the seasonal peak during four winter seasons (2015–19). CombiPrecip underestimates the end-of-season snow accumulation by factors of 2.2 up to 3.7, depending on the glacier site. These factors are consistent over the four winter seasons. The regional variability can be mainly attributed to the empirical visibility of the Swiss radar network within the Alps. To account for the underestimation, we investigate three approaches to adjust CombiPrecip for the applicability to glacier sites. Thereby, we combine the factor of underestimation with a precipitation-phase parameterization. For further comparison, we apply a rain gauge catch-efficiency function based on wind speed. We validate these approaches with 14 manual point observations of SWE obtained on two glaciers during three winter seasons. All approaches show a similar improvement of CombiPrecip estimates. We conclude that CombiPrecip has great potential to estimate SWE on glaciers at a high temporal resolution, but further investigations are necessary to understand the regional variability of the bias throughout the Swiss Alps.
Insights into Supercells and Their Environments from Three Decades of Targeted Radiosonde Observations
Authors: Coniglio Michael C. , Parker Matthew D.
Published: September 2020

Hundreds of supercell proximity soundings obtained for field programs over the central United States are analyzed to reconcile differences in recent studies and to refine our knowledge of supercell environments. The large, storm-centric observation-based dataset and high vertical resolution of the sounding data provide an unprecedented look at supercell environments. Not surprisingly, storm-relative environmental helicity (SRH) is found to be larger in tornadic soundings than in nontornadic soundings. The primary finding that departs from previous studies is that storm-relative winds contribute substantially to the larger SRH. Stronger ground-relative winds and more rightward-deviant storm motions contribute to the larger storm-relative winds for the tornadic soundings. Spatial analyses of the soundings reveal lower near-ground pressure perturbations and stronger low- to midlevel cyclonic flow for the tornadic soundings, which suggests stronger mesocyclones, perhaps explaining the more rightward-deviant motions. Differences in the mean critical angle between the tornadic and nontornadic soundings are small and do not contribute to the larger mean SRH, but the tornadic soundings do have fewer instances of smaller (<60°) critical angles. Furthermore, the critical angle is shown to be a function of azimuth from the updraft. Other results include a low-to-the-ground (~250 m on average) hodograph kink for both the tornadic and nontornadic soundings and few notable differences in thermodynamic quantities, except for the expected lower LCLs related to higher RH for the tornadic soundings, somewhat smaller 0–3 km lapse rates in tornadic environments related to weaker/shallower capping inversions, and larger 0–3 km CAPE in near-field environments.
The Beginnings of the Nordic Welfare States: Similarities and Differences
Authors: Kuhnle Stein
Published: September 2020

The beginning of our present stage in the development of the welfare state can be traced to Bismarck's large-scale social insurance schemes of the 1880s. The article compares various political and economic macro-characteristics of the Nordic countries at that time, and proposes hypotheses about the timing of legislation in the Nordic nations, and about the likelihood for Nordic imitations of the principle of compulsory insurance. The article discusses why Denmark was expected to become, and in fact became, a forerunner in the Nordic context, and why the principle of compulsory insurance stood a better chance of gaining acceptance in Norway than in Denmark and Sweden.
Some Aspects of the Total Qualification Process in Denmark since 19601
Authors: Hansen Erik Jørgen
Published: September 2020

Developments in Danish education since the early 1960s have resulted in a much larger proportion of youth now possessing theoretical qualifications, and a smaller proportion practical, vocational skills. Simultaneously, the proportion leaving the educational system with no vocational qualifications or qualifications preparing them for an academic career has not undergone any change during the last decade. In this article it is sought, above all, to explain the trend in educational qualifications by partly independent developments at three social levels, i.e. the macro-structural level, the central intermediary level, and the micro-structural level. The analysis points to the fact that a freezing of the educational structure has meant that the mechanisms in the micro-structure have been absolutely determining for the final result of the trend in educational qualifications.
Information in the Welfare State: Problems and Approaches
Authors: Littunen Yrjö
Published: September 2020

The most comprehensive approaches toward understanding information in modern ‘welfare states’ have been focussed on outlining state regulation in the monopoly stage of capitalism. This theoretical orientation has instigated a number of studies penetrating into the use of information for the purposes of state control and regulation, e.g. in income policies as well as in legislation. Less developed is the study of the other side of the dialectic: how do counter-processes manifest themselves in the course of increasing bureaucratic-corporativist regulation and control?

Evidence on following tendencies in ‘welfare states’ in Western Europe and their accentuation in Scandinavia is discussed. (1) Fragmentation and partial isolation of the traditional information institutions (school, science, journalism) from contemporary information-steering processes, necessitated by increasing flows of raw information in the market of knowledge. (2) Emergence of new information-steering activities, often in organized, institutionalized forms. (3) New information-steering is developed for centralized, state-monopoly regulated information needs and, on the other hand, for democratic information needs: these trends and counter-trends depend not only on power changes in the class struggle but also on changes in the content and experience-coping of information available for the large majorities of the population.
Intensive Care Unit Bed Utilization and Head Injury Burden in a Resource-Poor Setting
Authors: Wong Abby , Prin Meghan , Purcell Laura N. , Kadyaudzu Clement , Charles Anthony
Published: September 2020

Introduction

In high-income countries (HICs), the intensive care unit (ICU) bed density is approximately 20-32 beds/100 000 population compared with countries in sub-Saharan Africa, like Malawi, with an ICU bed density of 0.1 beds/100 000 population. We hypothesize that the ICU bed utilization in Malawi will be high.

Methods

This is an observational study at a tertiary care center in Malawi from August 2016 to May 2018. Variables used to evaluate ICU bed utilization include ICU length of stay (LOS), bed occupancy rates (average daily ICU census/number of ICU beds), bed turnover (total number of admissions/number of ICU beds), and turnover intervals (number of ICU bed days/total number of admissions – average ICU LOS).

Results

494 patients were admitted to the ICU during the study period. The average LOS during the study period was 4.8 ± 6.0 days. Traumatic brain injury patients had the most extended LOS (8.7 ± 6.8 days) with a 49.5% ICU mortality. The bed occupancy rate per year was 74.7%. The calculated bed turnover was 56.5 persons treated per bed per year. The average turnover interval, defined as the number of days for a vacant bed to be occupied by the successive patient admission, was 1.63 days.

Conclusion

Despite the high burden of critical illness, the bed occupancy rates, turn over days, and turnover interval reveal significant underutilization of the available ICU beds. ICU bed underutilization may be attributable to the absence of an admission and discharge protocols. A lack of brain death policy further impedes appropriate ICU utilization.
The borderline pattern descriptor in the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision: A redundant addition to classification
Authors: Mulder Roger T , Horwood L John , Tyrer Peter
Published: September 2020

Objective:

The International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision classification of personality disorder removes all categories of disorder in favour of a single diagnostic spectrum extending from no personality dysfunction to severe personality disorder. Following concerns from some clinicians and Personality Disorder Societies, it was subsequently agreed to include a borderline pattern descriptor as a qualifier of the main diagnosis. We explore the value of this additional descriptor by examining personality data in patients with major depression.

Method:

We examined personality data obtained using the Structured Clinical Interview for Personality Disorder-II in 606 patients enrolled in five randomised controlled trials of depression. The Structured Clinical Interview for Personality Disorder-II uses the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders categorical system, which includes borderline personality disorder. The International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision classification has five domain traits. Each of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders personality disorder symptoms or behaviours from Structured Clinical Interview for Personality Disorder-II was reordered into the five domains independently by two assessors. The relationship between the two systems was examined by tabular and correlational analysis.

Results:

The findings showed that the symptoms of borderline personality disorder were associated with greater severity of personality disturbance in the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision classification ( p < 0.0001) and were associated primarily with the Negative Affective, Dissocial and Disinhibited domains. There was only a weak association with the other two domains, Anankastia and Detachment.

Conclusion:

The addition of a borderline pattern descriptor is likely to add little to the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision classification of personality disorder. Its features are well represented within the severity/domain structure, which allows for more fine-grained description of the personality features that constitute the borderline concept.
The association between carotid atherosclerosis and treatment with lithium and antipsychotics in patients with bipolar disorder
Authors: Tsai Shang-Ying , Shen Ruei-Siang , Kuo Chian-Jue , Chen Pao-Huan , Chung Kuo-Hsuan , Hsiao Cheng-Yi , Huang Shou-Hung
Published: September 2020

Objectives:

Patients with bipolar disorder are at high risk of cardiovascular diseases. Among cardiovascular diseases, coronary heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of premature death and both share the pathogenesis of arterial atherosclerosis. Increased carotid intima-media thickness is sensitive for detecting early atherosclerosis and a practical index for predicting cardiovascular diseases. However, few studies investigated carotid intima-media thickness in adults with bipolar disorder. We attempted to determine the factors associated with carotid intima-media thickness in adults with bipolar disorder.

Methods:

The euthymic out-patients with bipolar I disorder aged over 20 years were recruited to measure the carotid intima-media thickness value through B-mode carotid ultrasound. Those with any psychiatric disorder, acute or life-threatening medical condition were excluded. All clinical information was obtained by reviewing medical records and directly interviewing patients with reliable others.

Results:

Of the 106 participants with a mean age of 44.5 years, 40.6% ( N = 43) had concurrent cardiovascular/endocrine/metabolic diseases. A multivariate regression indicated that higher assumed daily lithium dosage was significantly associated with a decreased carotid intima-media thickness in the whole sample. In the young subgroup (⩽45 years old, N = 63), higher current daily lithium dosage and lower body mass index were associated with lower carotid intima-media thickness. In those without concurrent cardiovascular/endocrine/metabolic diseases, higher ratio of first-generation antipsychotics exposure in relation to illness chronicity was associated with higher carotid intima-media thickness, after controlling for body mass index or age.

Conclusion:

Lithium treatment may be associated with less progression in carotid intima-media thickness and the reduced risk for atherosclerosis in adults with bipolar disorder, including those with high cardiovascular disease risk. In addition to age and body mass index, antipsychotics may increase carotid intima-media thickness even in the low cardiovascular disease-risk patients.
Use of Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin and Peak anti-Xa Monitoring In Severe SARS-CoV-2 Disease: A Brief Report
Authors: Toor Rebecca , Zamora Francis J. , Fatteh Naaz , Drexler Nathan , Lozada Jose
Published: September 2020

In 2019, a novel coronavirus was identified in Wuhan, China. This strain was classified as a pandemic in early 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO), rapidly reaching millions of cases worldwide and overwhelming intensive care units. One distinct feature identified in severe SARS-CoV-2 is abnormal and complex coagulation and hematologic abnormalities, including significantly elevated D-dimer and fibrin/fibrinogen values possibly increasing morbidity and mortality in this patient population. Aggressive anticoagulation therapy with appropriate peak anti-Xa level monitoring has produce satisfactory results at our institution. Our intent is to present a case series of our strategy to highlight the benefits of this approach.
Corruption and the quality of transportation infrastructure: evidence from the US states
Authors: Chen Can , Liu Cheol , Lee Jekyung
Published: September 2020

Few studies have linked public corruption to the quality of public infrastructure, particularly in developed countries. This article examines how public corruption affects the quality of transportation infrastructure in the context of the US states. Using state panel data for the period from 2002 to 2008, we found that public corruption had a negative impact on the quality of state roads, as captured by the International Roughness Index and overall road condition scores. This study concludes that the prevention of corruption is crucial to improving infrastructure quality and suggests preventive policy tools.

Points for practitioners

Transportation is one of the more corruption-prone sectors. This sector allows public officials discretion, attracts rent-seeking activities, and conceals malfeasance through secretive transactions. Our study finds that public corruption diminishes the quality of transportation infrastructure. Strengthening good governance is a critical way to improve public infrastructure performance. A variety of key anti-corruption strategies and actions are worth pursuing in the context of infrastructure development.
Modelling resistance welding of thermoplastic composites with a nanocomposite heating element
Authors: Brassard David , Dubé Martine , Tavares Jason R
Published: September 2020

Electrically conductive nanocomposite heating elements are being developed as a complement to traditional carbon fibre or stainless steel heating elements in resistance welding of thermoplastic composites. Here we present the development of a finite element model of the resistance welding process with these new heating elements, from which we establish a process window for high quality welded joints. The finite element model results were validated experimentally and a lap shear strength improvement of 28% is reported relative to previously published results. Fractography analysis of the broken joints revealed a thin-layer cohesive failure mode due to the brittleness of the nanocomposite heating elements.
The ‘canine rescue’ phenomenon
Authors: Byard Roger W , Langlois Neil EI
Published: September 2020

While deaths caused by interactions with dogs in medico-legal situations most often involve trauma from attacks, in certain circumstances, deaths may occur from sharing environmental hazards that the animal has been exposed to during attempted rescues. Search of the Forensic Science South Australia (FSSA), Australia, autopsy database over a 16-year period from 2004 to 2020 found three such cases, including two women aged 46 and 61 years who were both killed in separate incidents after being struck by vehicles when they attempted to rescue dogs that had strayed onto busy roads. The final case was a 53-year-old man who drowned in a river while trying to rescue his dog. A review of Internet databases and news sources revealed other cases where would-be dog rescuers had drowned in rivers and the sea or had succumbed to hypothermia in frozen lakes and waterways. Other hazardous situations involve house fires, falls from heights, electrocution and envenomation. The characteristic features of these cases are of a dog (often a pet) getting itself into, or being found in, a dangerous situation, with owners or bystanders then attempting rescue. The dangers of the situation are either ignored or underestimated by the rescuers who often also misjudge the capacity of dogs to survive/self-rescue. Cases may therefore be encountered in forensic investigations where death or serious injury has occurred during attempts to protect an animal from particular types of environmental dangers. Unlike the owners, it is not infrequently documented that the dogs have survived the danger unharmed.
Progressive and Traditional Orientations to Prosecution: An Empirical Assessment in Four Prosecutorial Offices
Authors: Meldrum Ryan C. , Stemen Don , Kutateladze Besiki Luka
Published: September 2020

In recent years, accounts of the so-called progressive prosecutor have been juxtaposed against the more traditional, law-and-order prosecutor in the United States. Yet, little effort has been made to empirically investigate these orientations among prosecutors. In this multijurisdictional study, prosecutors were asked to rate the importance of a variety of prosecutorial priorities. A factor analysis of these ratings indicates the existence of two distinct orientations toward prosecution. The first reflects a progressive orientation emphasizing social justice priorities, and the second reflects a traditional orientation emphasizing priorities pertaining to formal aspects of case processing. Results also indicate that scoring higher on the progressive orientation is associated with holding less punitive attitudes toward criminal defendants, whereas scoring higher on the traditional orientation is associated with holding more punitive attitudes. Discussion centers on the implications of the findings for recent calls regarding the reform of the criminal justice system.
Surgical repair of anomalous aortic origin of coronary artery in adults
Authors: Karangelis Dimos , Mylonas Konstantinos S , Loggos Spiros , Adreanides Elias , Tzifa Aphrodite , Mitropoulos Fotios
Published: September 2020

Anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery is a congenital abnormality of the origin or course of a coronary artery that arises from the aorta. The surgical treatment of this anomaly is highly variable and controversial and is achieved by implementing elaborate techniques of anatomic repair or by simple coronary artery bypass grafting. This review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Two independent reviewers determined whether studies met the inclusion criteria. Eligible papers were published in English, clinical studies describing surgical repair of anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery including coronary artery bypass in adults, and enrolled >5 patients. In the absence of multicentre trials, 7 single-center retrospective series were included, which demonstrated comparable short- and midterm outcomes of anatomic repair and coronary artery bypass in adults with anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery. Coronary unroofing was the preferred technique when the anomalous artery has an intramural component, but there is a risk of aortic insufficiency. Anatomic repair is technically demanding and should be carried out in experienced centers. Coronary artery bypass with internal thoracic artery or vein grafts is technically straightforward with low operative risk and comparable midterm outcomes, however, long-term outcomes are unknown. Coronary artery bypass grafting is the technique of choice for older patients, in those with concomitant coronary artery disease, as a bailout procedure for failed anatomic repair, or in centers without experience in anatomic repair for anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery.
Correlates and Mediators of Dissociation: Towards a Transtheoretical Perspective
Authors: Aksen Damla E. , Polizzi Craig , Lynn Steven Jay
Published: September 2020

We evaluated variables important to understanding dissociation ( N = 379 undergraduates). We investigated: (a) the correlations among dissociation and impulsivity, alexithymia, mindfulness, negative affect, neuroticism, sleep disturbances, and emotion dysregulation; (b) unique variance of these variables in statistically predicting dissociation scores; and (c) the statistical mediational role of emotion dysregulation and sleep in explaining dissociation. We found significant positive correlations between dissociation and emotion dysregulation, sleep, alexithymia, negative affect, impulsivity, and neuroticism as well as a significant negative correlation between mindfulness and dissociation, consistent with Lynn et al . Sleep, impulsivity, emotion dysregulation, and negative affect uniquely related to and explained significant variance in dissociation, in order from most to least variance accounted for. Sleep partially mediated the relation between emotion dysregulation and dissociation and the relation between impulsivity and dissociation. Emotion dysregulation partially mediated the relation between sleep and dissociation and the relation between impulsivity and dissociation. Additional findings provided support for bidirectional relations between sleep experiences and dissociation and emotion dysregulation and dissociation.
Human CD34+ Hematopoietic Stem Cell–Engrafted NSG Mice: Morphological and Immunophenotypic Features
Authors: Blümich Sandra , Zdimerova Hana , Münz Christian , Kipar Anja , Pellegrini Giovanni
Published: September 2020

Immunodeficient mice engrafted with human immune cells represent an innovative tool to improve translatability of animal models for the study of human diseases. Immunophenotyping in these mice focuses on engraftment rates and cellular differentiation in blood and secondary lymphoid organs, and is predominantly carried out by FACS (fluorescent activated cell sorting) analysis; information on the morphological aspects of engraftment and the prevalence of histologic lesions is limited. We histologically examined 3- to 6-month-old NSG mice, naïve or engrafted with CD34+ human hemopoietic stem cells (HSC), and employed a quantitative immunohistochemical approach to identify human and murine cell compartments, comparing the results with the FACS data. NSG mice mainly exhibited incidental findings in lungs, kidneys, testes, and adrenal glands. A 6-month-old NSG mouse had a mediastinal lymphoblastic lymphoma. The lymphoid organs of NSG mice lacked typical lymphoid tissue architecture but frequently exhibited small periarteriolar leukocyte clusters in the spleen. Mice engrafted with human HSC frequently showed nephropathy, ovarian atrophy, cataract, and abnormal retinal development, lesions considered secondary to irradiation. In addition, 20% exhibited multisystemic granulomatous inflammatory infiltrates, dominated by human macrophages and T cells, leading to the observed 7% mortality and morbidity. Immunophenotypic data revealed variable repopulation of lymphoid organs with hCD45+ human cells, which did not always parallel the engraftment levels measured via FACS. The study describes the most common pathological features in young NSG mice after human HSC engraftment. As some of these lesions contribute to morbidity, morphological assessment of the engraftment at tissue level might help improve immunophenotypic evaluations of this animal model.
Decisions on driving after brain injury/disease: Feasibility and construct validity of a new simulator assessment tool
Authors: Samuelsson Kersti , Wressle Ewa
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Driving is a complex activity involving a high level of cognitive abilities and thus might be affected after a brain injury/disease. The aim of this research was to evaluate the feasibility and construct validity of a driving simulator tool as a complement to existing driving assessments of patients with cognitive dysfunctions after a brain injury/disease.

Method

A descriptive and prospective research design was achieved. For construct validation, decisions were based on results from the Useful Field of View, Nordic Stroke Driver Screening Assessment, Trail Making Test and, when necessary for the decision, an on-road observation. Results from the simulator tool were not included in the clinical decision process.

Results

A total of 129 patients from four different rehabilitation services were included. The results showed a significant difference in test results between those who were considered medically fit versus unfit to drive. A factor analysis revealed four components, all including attention in combination with processing speed, visuospatial function, simultaneous capacity and executive function; these are all represented in the simulator tool. A correlation analysis showed that simulator subtest 3 (response/divergent response to stimuli) had the strongest correlation with most of the other tests included.

Conclusions

The simulator was found to be feasible and valid and found to include components other than those measured in the other tests.
Pericardial effusion associated with minoxidil therapy in dialyzed patients
Authors: Zarate A. , Gelfand M.C. , Horton J.D. , Winchester J.F. , Gottlieb M.J. , Lazarus J.M. , Schreiner G.E.
Published: September 2020

Pericardial effusion, diagnosed clinically or by echocardiography, was found in 13 of 16 regularly dialyzed patients (81%) receiving minoxidil for refractory hypertension. In a comparable group of 125 patients not receiving minoxidil, 28 patients (23%) had evidence of pericardial effusion, the difference between the groups being highly significant (p < 0.0005). In minoxidil treated patients, the effusions resolved spontaneously in 4 (3 remaining on treatment), required pericardiocentesis (3), or pericardiectomy (1), and persisted in 4 (3 remaining on treatment). It is suggested that minoxidil treated dialysis Patients be regularly examined for the development of Potentially threatening pericardial effusions.
Reoperative surgery in calves with a total artificial heart
Authors: Fukumasu H. , Olsen D.B. , Lawson J.H. , Mochizuki A. , Daitoh N. , Iwaya F.
Published: September 2020

Two surgical techniques have been developed in our laboratory to deal with identifiable problems in long-term artificial heart experiments. A right thoracotomy is used to deal with problems such as extensive bleeding, which occur in the immediate postoperative stage of the experiment, while a left thoracotomy is used in cases in Which the original implantation is preceded by more than one week, since extensive adhesions complicate the right thoracotomy at that stage. Pulmonary problems have been eliminated as a primary cause of difficulties after reoperation, but infection remains a serious problem.
Platelet function during haemoperfusion in acute liver failure
Authors: Hughes R.D. , Lane D.A. , Cella G. , Kakkar V.V. , Langley P.G. , Williams R.
Published: September 2020

The changes in platelet-related haemostatic parameters have been studied during haemoperfusion of eleven patients with acute liver failure. Five patients were treated by haemoperfusion with an albumin-coated resin column and six with a polymer-coated charcoal column. The platelet and white cell losses over four hours’ haemoperfusion were small in both groups. Significant increases in β-thromboglobulin (mean 341 ± SE 145 ng/ml) were seen after one hour in the patients treated by charcoal haemoperfusion. One patient in the charcoal group with the greatest rises in β-thromboglobulin (860 hg/ml) and screen filtration pressure (205 mmHg) developed severe hypotension and haemoperfusion was terminated after 1 hour. One patient in the resin group showed rapid consumption of heparin after 2 hours. Measurement of β-thromboglobulin is a sensitive assay of platelet activation during haemoperfusion. Albumin-coated resin haemoperfusion appears to be a more blood-compatible procedure with respect to platelets than charcoal haemoperfusion.
Effects of pH and urea concentration on urea removal from dialysate by enzymatic conversion and gas absorption using a capillary hemodialyzer
Authors: Pişkin E. , Chang T.M.S.
Published: September 2020

This paper reports the effects of initial urea concentrations and pH values on the performance of a capillary hemodialyzer for the removal of free ammonia (NH3) formed by enzymatic hydrolysis of urea. Air was chosen as the gas phase. NaOH was used for alkalinization of dialysate. It was shown that one of the most important parameters was free ammonia concentration. The degrees of alkalinization and the initial urea concentration, were also important. Although even without the addition of NaOH, about 42% of the initial urea can be removed in one hour.