bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of allergen‐induced bronchoconstriction on concentration of 5‐oxo‐ETE in exhaled breath condensate of house dust mite‐allergic patients
Authors: Kowal K. , Gielicz A. , Sanak M.
Published: August 2017

Background

Arachidonic acid metabolites regulate several aspects of airway function including inflammation, muscle contraction and mucous secretion.

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate concentration of selected 5‐lipoxygenase‐ and cyclooxygenase‐derived eicosanoids in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) during allergen‐induced bronchoconstriction.

Methods

The study was performed on 24 allergic rhinitis/asthma patients sensitized to a house dust mite (HDM) Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp) and 13 healthy controls (HCs). Bronchial challenge with Dp extract was performed only in the allergic patients. EBC samples were collected before (T0) and during Dp‐induced bronchoconstriction (TEAR). Eicosanoid concentration was measured using HPLC‐tandem mass spectrometry.

Results

Significant bronchoconstriction after Dp challenge was demonstrated in 15 patients (Rs), while in 9 patients (NRs) no asthmatic response could be detected. At T0 the most abundant eicosanoids in EBC of HDM‐allergic patients were LTB4 and 5‐oxo‐ETE, while in HCs EBC concentration of LTB4 was significantly greater than that of 5‐oxo‐ETE. Allergen challenge resulted in significant increase in EBC concentration of 5‐oxo‐ETE, LTD4 and 8‐iso‐PGE2 only in Rs. At TEAR, the relative change of 5‐oxo‐ETE concentration in EBC correlated with decrease of peripheral blood eosinophilia (R = −0.774; P = .0012). Moreover, the relative increase of 5‐oxo‐ETE in EBC at TEAR significantly correlated with the severity of the subsequent late asthmatic response (R = 0.683, P = .007).

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates significant up‐regulation of 5‐oxo‐ETE synthesis in HDM‐allergic patients and indicates possible involvement of that mediator in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma.
Relevant genetic polymorphisms and kidney expression of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-5 and TLR-9 in lupus nephritis
Authors: Elloumi N , Fakhfakh R , Abida O , Ayadi L , Marzouk S , Hachicha H , Fourati M , Bahloul Z , Mhiri M N , Kammoun K , Masmoudi H
Published: August 2017

Toll-like receptor (TLR) genetic polymorphisms may modify their expression causing inflammatory disorders and influencing both susceptibility and severity of lupus erythematosus. We aim to determine whether TLR-5 and TLR-9 gene polymorphisms are implicated in the susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis (LN) and to evaluate their expressions and distributions in renal LN patients' biopsies. The frequencies of two SNP in the TLR-9 gene and one in the TLR-5 gene was examined in 106 SLE patients (among them 37 LN patients) and in 200 matched controls by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment-length polymorphisms (PCR–RFLP) analysis. TLR-9 and TLR-5 expressions were assessed by reverse transcription (RT)–PCR and immunohistochemistry carried on LN renal biopsies compared to healthy renal tissue. A significant genotypic and allelic association was revealed between TLR-9-rs352140 and both SLE and LN (P < 0·05). The TLR-9 transcript level was significantly higher in LN biopsies compared to control (P < 0·05). This increase was observed histochemically in the tubulointerstitial compartment. TLR-9 was detectable in LN glomeruli patients but not in normal control glomeruli. No allelic nor genotype association was found with TLR-5-rs5744168 in SLE. but the T allele and the TT genotype were raised significantly in the LN group (P < 0·05). A significant increase in TLR-5 gene expression in LN biopsies, which contrasted with normal kidneys (P < 0·05), was confirmed by an intense and diffuse staining for TLR-5 only in LN tubules (P < 0·05). Our data show that TLR-5 and TLR-9 are susceptible genes to LN and that their expression is dysregulated in LN patients' kidneys, supporting a role of these mediators in the pathogenesis of LN.
Forschung zu Genodermatosen durch neue Genom‐Editing‐Methoden
Authors: Lehmann Janin , Seebode Christina , Emmert Steffen
Published: August 2017

Genodermatosen umfassen eine klinisch heterogene Krankheitsgruppe mit meist schwerwiegenden Auswirkungen auf die Haut. Bis heute beschränken sich die Behandlungsmöglichkeiten auf die Linderung der Symptome. Jüngste technische Fortschritte im Rahmen des Genome‐Editing leiten eine neue Ära in der Entwicklung kausaler Therapien seltener monogenetischer Erkrankungen wie Genodermatosen ein. Diese Übersichtsarbeit behandelt die Vor‐ und Nachteile der derzeit verfügbaren Nuklease‐basierten Methoden: Zinkfinger‐Nukleasen (ZFNs), transcription activator‐like effector nucleases (TALENs), Meganukleasen und das innovative clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)‐associated (Cas) nuclease 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system. Ein mechanistischer Überblick über die verschiedenen Wirkmechanismen dieser programmierbaren Nukleasen, sowie deren Bedeutung für die Kausaltherapie von Genodermatosen wird vorgestellt. Fortbestehende Grenzen und Herausforderungen, wie das effiziente Eindringen und Off‐Target‐Aktivität, werden kritisch diskutiert, um die Vergangenheit und Zukunftsaussichten der Gentherapie in der Dermatologie deutlich zu machen.
Lepra – Ein Überblick über Klinik, Diagnose und Therapie
Authors: Fischer Marcellus
Published: August 2017

Lepra ist eine chronisch verlaufende, bakterielle Infektionskrankheit, die durch Mycobacterium (M.) leprae hervorgerufen wird. 2015 wurden weltweit 210 758 neue Leprafälle diagnostiziert. Die höchsten Inzidenzen wiesen Indien, Brasilien und Indonesien auf. Der genaue Übertragungsweg von M. leprae ist bis heute nicht hinreichend geklärt, eine Tröpfcheninfektion gilt als wahrscheinlich.

Der Erreger befällt bevorzugt die Haut und das periphere Nervensystem. Der Krankheitsverlauf wird von der individuellen wirtsspezifischen Immunität bestimmt. Man unterscheidet klinisch die bakterienreichen lepromatösen Verlaufsformen von den bakterienarmen tuberkulösen Lepraformen. Neben den vielfältigen charakteristischen Hauterscheinungen wird das Krankheitsgeschehen durch die Schädigung des peripheren Nervensystems bestimmt. Entstellende Mutilationen kennzeichnen klinische fortgeschrittene Krankheitsverläufe. Die derzeitigen Therapieempfehlungen beruhen auf den Empfehlungen der WHO. Bei frühzeitigem Therapiebeginn heilt die Lepra in der Regel folgenlos aus. Bakterienarme Formen werden über mindestens sechs Monate mit Rifampicin und Dapson behandelt, die Therapiedauer bei den lepromatösen Verlaufsformen dauert mindestens ein Jahr, hier kommt zusätzlich Clofazimin zum Einsatz. Unter Therapie auftretende Leprareaktionen können den Krankheitsverlauf erheblich verschlechtern. Neben der Individualbehandlung nehmen WHO‐gestützte Präventivmaßnahmen und ‐strategien in den Endemiegebieten eine Schlüsselrolle ein.
Thermal tolerance and recovery behaviour of Thorectes lusitanicus (Coleoptera, Geotrupidae)
Authors: GALLEGO BELÉN , VERDÚ JOSÉ R. , CARRASCAL LUIS M. , LOBO JORGE M.
Published: August 2017

1. Population differences in physiological responses are examined in Thorectes lusitanicus, an endemic Iberian dung beetle species, by submitting individuals of different populations to the same experimental and acclimation conditions.

2. An infrared thermography protocol was used, consisting of three assays: start of activity, cold response, and heat response. Individuals of 12 populations were studied and the comparative explanatory capacities of several environmental factors in relation to the observed inter‐population differences were examined.

3. The heating rate from chill coma to the beginning of activity was the variable with the highest discrimination power among the studied populations, accounting for 94% of the observed variance. Regarding the heat response, only six of the 16 thermal variables reached significance (inter‐population differences accounted for 52–74% in these six thermal parameters).

4. From the three considered environmental factors (Mediterranean climate, land cover, and trophic characteristics) only land cover characteristics remain statistically significant, affecting the cold response of individuals.

5. Thorectes lusitanicus is a species characterised by a high diversity of thermotolerance and recovery traits across populations with a low degree of association with broad environmental factors. Finally, it is suggested that the apterous character of this species could be a determinant factor explaining the high diversity of ecophysiological traits related to thermal stress tolerance and the recovery time.
Colonization and education: exploring the legacy of local elites in Korea
Authors: Hong Ji Yeon , Paik Christopher
Published: August 2017

In this article we examine the impact of pre‐colonial educated elites and colonization on modernization. Using the case of Joseon, as Korea was known before being colonized by Japan in 1910, we investigate how the civil exam system and scholarly traditions, as well as the provision of public schools under Japanese colonial rule, influenced levels of literacy in the colony. We introduce novel data from Joseon's historical court examination archives, colonial education records, and censuses dating back to 1930. Our findings suggest that the spread of Korean literacy during the early colonial period was strongly correlated with the historical presence of civil exam passers from the Joseon Dynasty. Regions with a greater presence of educated elites later had higher numbers of Korean teachers, as well as more private schools established as alternatives to the colonial public schools.
EAN consensus review on prevention, diagnosis and management of tick‐borne encephalitis
Authors: Taba P. , Schmutzhard E. , Forsberg P. , Lutsar I. , Ljøstad U. , Mygland Å. , Levchenko I. , Strle F. , Steiner I.
Published: August 2017

Background and purpose

Tick‐borne encephalitis (TBE) is an infection of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by tick‐borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and transmitted by ticks, with a variety of clinical manifestations. The incidence of TBE in Europe is increasing due to an extended season of the infection and the enlargement of endemic areas. Our objectives are to provide recommendations on the prevention, diagnosis and management of TBE, based on evidence or consensus decisions.

Methods

For systematic evaluation, the literature was searched from 1970 to 2015 (including early online publications of 2016), and recommendations were based on evidence or consensus decisions of the Task Force when evidence‐based data were not available.

Recommendations

Vaccination against TBE is recommended for all age groups above 1 year in highly endemic areas (≥5 cases/100 000/year), but also for individuals at risk in areas with a lower incidence. Travellers to endemic areas should be vaccinated if their visits will include extensive outdoor activities. Post‐exposure prophylaxis after a tick bite is not recommended. A case of TBE is defined by the presence of clinical signs of meningitis, meningoencephalitis or meningoencephalomyelitis with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis (>5 × 106 cells/l) and the presence of specific TBEV serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG antibodies, CSF IgM antibodies or TBEV IgG seroconversion. TBEV‐specific polymerase chain reaction in blood is diagnostic in the first viremic phase but it is not sensitive in the second phase of TBE with clinical manifestations of CNS inflammation. Lumbar puncture should be performed in all patients with suspected CNS infection unless there are contraindications. Imaging of the brain and spinal cord has a low sensitivity and a low specificity, but it is useful for differential diagnosis. No effective antiviral or immunomodulating therapy is available for TBE; therefore the treatment is symptomatic. Patients with a potentially life threatening meningoencephalitis or meningoencephalomyelitis should be admitted to an intensive care unit. In the case of brain oedema, analgosedation should be deepened; osmotherapy and corticosteroids are not routinely recommended. If intracranial pressure is increased, therapeutic hypothermia or decompressive craniectomy might be considered. Seizures should be treated as any other symptomatic epileptic seizures.

Conclusions

Tick‐borne encephalitis is a viral CNS infection that may result in long‐term neurological sequelae. Since its incidence in Europe is increasing due to broadening of endemic areas and prolongation of the tick activity season, the health burden of TBE is enlarging. There is no effective antiviral treatment for TBE, but the disease may be effectively prevented by vaccination.
A unifying mathematical model of lipid droplet metabolism reveals key molecular players in the development of hepatic steatosis
Authors: Wallstab Christin , Eleftheriadou Dimitra , Schulz Theresa , Damm Georg , Seehofer Daniel , Borlak Jürgen , Holzhütter Hermann‐Georg , Berndt Nikolaus
Published: August 2017

The liver responds to elevated plasma concentrations of free fatty acids (FFAs) with an enhanced uptake of FFAs and their esterification to triacylglycerol (TAG). On the long term, this may result in massive hepatic TAG accumulation called steatosis hepatitis. In hepatocytes, the poor water‐soluble TAG is packed in specialized organelles: Lipid droplets (LDs) serving as transient cellular deposit and lipoproteins (LPs) transporting TAG and cholesterol esters to extra‐hepatic tissues. The dynamics of these organelles is controlled by a variety of regulatory surface proteins (RSPs). Assembly and export of VLDLs are mainly regulated by the microsomal transfer protein (MTP) and apoprotein B100. Formation and lipolysis of LDs are regulated by several RSPs. The best studied regulators belong to the PAT (Perilipin/Adipophilin/TIP47) and CIDE families. Knockdown or overexpression of SRPs may significantly affect the total number and size distribution of LDs. Intriguingly, a large cell‐to‐cell heterogeneity with respect to the number and size of LDs has been found in various cell types including hepatocytes. These findings suggest that the extent of cellular lipid accumulation is determined not only by the imbalance between lipid supply and utilization but also by variations in the expression of RSPs and metabolic enzymes. To better understand the relative regulatory impact of individual processes involved in the cellular TAG turnover, we developed a comprehensive kinetic model encompassing the pathways of the fatty acid and triglyceride metabolism and the main molecular processes governing the dynamics of LDs. The model was parametrized such that a large number of experimental in vitro and in vivo findings are correctly recapitulated. A control analysis of the model revealed that variations in the activity of FFA uptake, diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) 2, and adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) have the strongest influence on the cellular TAG level. We used the model to simulate LD size distributions in human hepatoma cells and hepatocytes exposed to a challenge with FFAs. A random fold change by a factor of about two in the activity of RSPs was sufficient to reproduce the large diversity of droplet size distributions observed in individual cells. Under the premise that the same extent of variability of RSPs holds for the intact organ, our model predicts variations in the TAG content of individual hepatocytes by a factor of about 3–6 depending on the nutritional regime. Taken together, our modeling approach integrates numerous experimental findings on individual processes in the cellular TAG metabolism and LD dynamics metabolism to a consistent state‐of‐the‐art dynamic network model that can be used to study how changes in the external conditions or systemic parameters will affect the TAG content of hepatocytes.
Fishpond dams affect leaf‐litter processing and associated detritivore communities along intermittent low‐order streams
Authors: Four Brian , Thomas Marielle , Arce Evelyne , Cébron Aurélie , Danger Michael , Banas Damien
Published: August 2017

Intermittent streams are common and widespread freshwater ecosystems globally. While dams greatly affect the ecology of permanent streams, the extent of their effects on intermittent streams remains largely unknown. The physical and chemical alterations induced by dams could have particularly strong impacts on the functioning of intermittent low‐order streams, especially due to the limitations they place on colonisation of aquatic biota from downstream permanent waters.

Leaf‐litter breakdown (LLB) and associated communities (microbes and shredders) were studied to investigate the potential ecological continuum rupture caused by fishpond dams along the longitudinal gradient of intermittent streams. Three to four sites were investigated along three reference (no dam) and three impacted (with a fishpond dam) first‐order intermittent low‐order streams.

LLB increased along the longitudinal gradient in all six streams regardless of the presence of dams (from 1.5 to 8.4 fold over <1.5 km distance). This underscores the great variability of low‐order stream functioning even at fine scales. Such upstream to downstream gradients need to be taken into account before investigating the effect of any perturbation using LLB as a functional indicator.

Fishponds dams tended to increase LLB downstream, and altered the downstream microbial communities (increase in fungal densities) and shredder assemblages (increase in Gammaridae).

The effects of fishpond dams on intermittent stream functioning appeared to be most significant when they were associated with changes in hydrology, that is, when fishponds resulted in permanent flows downstream of dams. Our findings suggest that better management of fishpond dams in order to limit hydrological modifications downstream (for instance, by preventing leaks from the dam) could reduce their impact on ecosystem functioning in intermittent streams.
Contributions of insects and droughts to growth decline of trembling aspen mixed boreal forest of western Canada
Authors: Chen Lei , Huang Jian‐Guo , Dawson Andria , Zhai Lihong , Stadt Kenneth J. , Comeau Philip G. , Whitehouse Caroline
Published: August 2017

Insects, diseases, fire and drought and other disturbances associated with global climate change contribute to forest decline and mortality in many parts of the world. Forest decline and mortality related to drought or insect outbreaks have been observed in North American aspen forests. However, little research has been done to partition and estimate their relative contributions to growth declines. In this study, we combined tree‐ring width and basal area increment series from 40 trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) sites along a latitudinal gradient (from 52° to 58°N) in western Canada and attempted to investigate the effect of drought and insect outbreaks on growth decline, and simultaneously partition and quantify their relative contributions. Results indicated that the influence of drought on forest decline was stronger than insect outbreaks, although both had significant effects. Furthermore, the influence of drought and insect outbreaks showed spatiotemporal variability. In addition, our data suggest that insect outbreaks could be triggered by warmer early spring temperature instead of drought, implicating that potentially increased insect outbreaks are expected with continued warming springs, which may further exacerbate growth decline and death in North America aspen mixed forests.
Natural acidification changes the timing and rate of succession, alters community structure, and increases homogeneity in marine biofouling communities
Authors: Brown Norah E. M. , Milazzo Marco , Rastrick Samuel P. S. , Hall‐Spencer Jason M. , Therriault Thomas W. , Harley Christopher D. G.
Published: August 2017

Ocean acidification may have far‐reaching consequences for marine community and ecosystem dynamics, but its full impacts remain poorly understood due to the difficulty of manipulating pCO2 at the ecosystem level to mimic realistic fluctuations that occur on a number of different timescales. It is especially unclear how quickly communities at various stages of development respond to intermediate‐scale pCO2 change and, if high pCO2 is relieved mid‐succession, whether past acidification effects persist, are reversed by alleviation of pCO2 stress, or are worsened by departures from prior high pCO2 conditions to which organisms had acclimatized. Here, we used reciprocal transplant experiments along a shallow water volcanic pCO2 gradient to assess the importance of the timing and duration of high pCO2 exposure (i.e., discrete events at different stages of successional development vs. continuous exposure) on patterns of colonization and succession in a benthic fouling community. We show that succession at the acidified site was initially delayed (less community change by 8 weeks) but then caught up over the next 4 weeks. These changes in succession led to homogenization of communities maintained in or transplanted to acidified conditions, and altered community structure in ways that reflected both short‐ and longer‐term acidification history. These community shifts are likely a result of interspecific variability in response to increased pCO2 and changes in species interactions. High pCO2 altered biofilm development, allowing serpulids to do best at the acidified site by the end of the experiment, although early (pretransplant) negative effects of pCO2 on recruitment of these worms were still detectable. The ascidians Diplosoma sp. and Botryllus sp. settled later and were more tolerant to acidification. Overall, transient and persistent acidification‐driven changes in the biofouling community, via both past and more recent exposure, could have important implications for ecosystem function and food web dynamics.
Effectiveness of home‐based exercise in older patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A 3‐year cohort study
Authors: Wakabayashi Ritsuko , Kusunoki Yuji , Hattori Kumiko , Motegi Takashi , Furutate Ryuko , Itoh Aki , Jones Rupert CM , Hyland Michael E , Kida Kozui
Published: August 2017

Aim

To determine whether home‐based exercise can improve clinical outcomes in older patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using long‐term oxygen therapy.

Methods

Information was provided to improve chronic obstructive pulmonary disease self‐management before the onset of the present prospective 3‐year cohort study. Patients selected either home‐based exercise using a lower‐limb cycle machine (ergo‐bicycle; group E), or usual exercise (group U). To assess self‐management, the Lung Information Needs Questionnaire was evaluated every 6 months. Clinical outcomes included the 6‐min walk test, pulmonary function tests, the body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea and exercise index, St. George's respiratory questionnaire, and the number of exacerbations and hospitalizations.

Results

A total of 136 patients (group E = 72; group U = 64), with a mean age of 74.2 years were enrolled. Total Lung Information Needs Questionnaire scores improved over 3 years for group E (P = 0.003). The distance of the 6‐min walk test was well maintained in group E, but significantly decreased in group U (P < 0.001). The percentage of forced expiratory volume in 1 s at baseline was lower in group E (P = 0.016), but was maintained over 3 years, whereas a significant reduction was seen in group U (P = 0.001). The body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea and exercise index significantly worsened in both groups over 3 years (group E: P = 0.011; group U: P < 0.001), whereas a significant decrease in the number of exacerbations was noted in group E (P = 0.009).

Conclusions

Patients who undertook home‐based exercise using an ergo‐bicycle were able to maintain clinical outcomes including 6‐min walk test distance and percentage of forced expiratory volume in 1 s predicted, and recorded fewer exacerbations over 3 years. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 42–49.
Adjustment of target weight based on absolute blood volume reduces the frequency of intradialytic morbid events
Authors: Kron Susanne , Schneditz Daniel , Czerny Jutta , Leimbach Til , Budde Klemens , Kron Joachim
Published: August 2017

Introduction: Adequate volume management removing excess volume and at the same time avoiding intradialytic morbid events (IME) remains a core problem in current hemodialysis (HD) therapy. Recently, we developed a feasible method to determine absolute blood volume (Vs, in mL/kg) in patients on HD. The aim of this study was to investigate the suitability of Vs measurements for volume management.

Methods: Following a 4 week baseline phase to quantify the frequency of IME, volume status was determined in a single specified HD session during which Vs was measured using dialysate dilution, volume overload (Vo, L) was measured using bioimpedance spectroscopy, and the occurrence of IME was recorded. Target weight was then adjusted and the frequency of IME was recorded during 4 weeks of follow‐up.

Findings: Forty‐five patients participated in this study. Twenty‐two (49%) patients experienced 66 IME in 12% of HD treatments during baseline. In 15 (33%) patients who experienced IME during volume assessment both Vs (60.7 ± 4.0 vs. 73.7 ± 11.3 mL/kg, P < 0.001) and Vo (1.1 ± 0.9 vs. 2.5 ± 1.8 L, P < 0.01) were significantly lower than in stable patients, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the ≤65 mL/kg Vs threshold to predict IME was 87%, 100%, and 91%, respectively. Target weight was increased (+1.5 kg) or decreased (−5 kg) in 32 patients. The frequency of IME fell to 0.9% of all HD sessions in the following 4 weeks (P < 0.001).

Discussion: Adjustment of target weight based on information of Vs, Vo, and IME appears as a feasible approach to reduce the frequency of IME.
“Towards a connected history of bondage in the Mediterranean: Recent trends in the field”
Authors: Hershenzon Daniel
Published: August 2017

This review article examines recent scholarship on Christian captives in the early modern western Mediterranean. It points out how piracy, captivity, and ransom linked the lives of Christian and Muslim captives, and by extension connected Spain, France and the Italian Peninsula with Morocco and Ottoman Algiers and Tunis. It focuses on slavery, captivity, and redemption, namely, on issues of labor, on the importance of writing as a tool to facilitate ransom, and on the rescue mechanisms that enabled the ransom and return home of captives.
Western medicine in Africa to 1900, Part I: North, West and Central Africa
Authors: Roberts Jonathan
Published: August 2017

As Part I of the history of Western Medicine in Africa before 1900, this article covers North, West, and Central Africa regions where European medical practitioners struggled to gain recognition within established pluralistic networks of herbal and spiritual therapies. Western medicine started at a disadvantage, with no treatments to combat tropical illness or epidemic disease. Nonetheless, practitioners from Europe gradually defined their role as healers along the coast of Africa, first as slave‐ship surgeons, missionaries, and explorers and later as physicians and sanitary officials. African patients showed ongoing skepticism toward Western medicine, in particular surgery at hospitals, but they did recognize that European pharmaceuticals could be useful in curing some illnesses. Western medicine did not “save” the people of Africa, nor did it achieve hegemony on the continent, but by 1900, it was able to gain a footing in each of these regions.
Harlem, the “New Negro,” and the cultural roots of Azikiwe's nationalist politics
Authors: Nwakanma Obi
Published: August 2017

“Harlem, the New Negro, and the cultural roots of Nnamdi Azikiwe's Nationalism”

The anti‐colonial nationalist movement was staged at two levels: the first was at the level of political nationalism and the second is at the level of cultural nationalism. Decolonization required the re‐awakening of consciousness and an affirmation of a precolonial past by its invocation through music, folklore, poetry, and the performative process. Colonialism had circulated European myths and ideas through the colonial schools, the churches, and by law. Colonized Africans were thus subjected to a process of acculturation which bound them to Europe. It required a strategy of cultural retrieval to “decolonize the mind” of Africans under the stress of colonial representations. Nnamdi Azikiwe was catalytic to this process of decolonization through his journalism, and in his own engagement as a poet considered among the pioneer West African poets writing in the English language in the 20th century. Although not much work has been done in this area, but Nnamdi Azikiwe's creative life yields an important insight, and provides a way of looking at the evolution of modern African literary and artistic culture and its links to the Harlem Renaissance. Through his newspapers, first as the Editor of the Accra Morning Post, and later as Editor and publisher of the West African Pilot in Lagos, Azikiwe was the first to bring the poets and writers of the Harlem Renaissance to a West African audience. Azikiwe's own work—both in terms of his cultural politics, and his own aesthetic practice as a poet is rooted within the context, and the ideas of the “New Negro” aesthetics of the Harlem renaissance. This essay argues for an interpretation of Nnamdi Azikiwe's cultural and political consciousness as framed within this experience of the “New Negro” and in the context of a black Atlantic formation that extends from his growing up in what MJC Echeruo has described as “New Negro” cities, to his education in the United States under the inspiration, and influence of the key figures of the Harlem renaissance, a fact which I argue becomes evident both in his poetry, and in his deployment of the cultural politics of Harlem in his own anti‐colonial nationalist work.
Quarantined histories: Sindh and the question of historiography in colonial India‐ Part I
Authors: Asif Manan Ahmed
Published: August 2017

This essay examines histories of colonial British India and the annexation of Sindh in 1843 from two perspectives. The first is the colonial historiographic project that frames the history of Islam in India, creates an archive for its study and produces the political and military dominance of Sindh. Fundamentally, it argues that Muslims in India cannot produce their own histories for they lack the language and archives for scientific objectivity. In response, a set of Indian intellectuals take on the project of writing histories of Sindh from 1890 to 1950s. These histories are written in direct dialogue with the colonial archive and insist on their engagement with social scientific methodologies and tools. In rethinking this past, the essay argues that that Urdu historiography was itself deemed unscientific by modern South Asian historians and abandoned as not “proper history.” This essay thus asks that we incorporate such histories in our genealogies of anticolonial past.
History writing, anthropomorphism, and birdwatching in colonial india
Authors: Mishra Saurabh
Published: August 2017

This paper makes an intervention into the rapidly growing and increasingly interdisciplinary field of Animal Studies, examining the challenges of writing histories of non‐humans. It does this in the context of the colonies where the task of decoding the archives presents an even greater challenge due to the new ways in which both animal species and human races were imagined. Using the example of scientific tracts about birds in colonial India, it highlights the manner in which affinities or contrasts between humans and animals were discussed. In the process, it also makes the argument that unpacking the category of “anthropomorphism” may lead us to new ways of understanding the human‐animal relationship.
HIV incidence in the Estonian population in 2013 determined using the HIV‐1 limiting antigen avidity assay
Authors: Soodla P , Simmons R , Huik K , Pauskar M , Jõgeda E‐L , Rajasaar H , Kallaste E , Maimets M , Avi R , Murphy G , Porter K , Lutsar I ,   the Concerted Action on SeroConversion to AIDS and Death in Europe (CASCADE) Collaboration in EuroCoord
Published: August 2017

Objectives

Estonia has one the highest number of new HIV diagnoses in the European Union, mainly among injecting drug users and heterosexuals. Little is known of HIV incidence, which is crucial for limiting the epidemic. Using a recent HIV infection testing algorithm (RITA) assay, we aimed to estimate HIV incidence in 2013.

Methods

All individuals aged ≥18 years newly‐diagnosed with HIV in Estonia January‐ December 2013, except blood donors and those undergoing antenatal screening, were included. Demographic and clinical data were obtained from the Estonian Health Board and the Estonian HIV‐positive patient database. Serum samples were tested for recent infection using the LAg‐avidity EIA assay. HIV incidence was estimated based on previously published methods.

Results

Of 69,115 tested subjects, 286 (0.41%) were newly‐diagnosed with HIV with median age of 33 years (IQR: 28–42) and 65% male. Self‐reported routes of HIV transmission were mostly heterosexual contact (n = 157, 53%) and injecting drug use (n = 62, 21%); 64 (22%) were with unknown risk group. Eighty two (36%) were assigned recent, resulting in estimated HIV incidence of 0.06%, corresponding to 642 new infections in 2013 among the non‐screened population. Incidence was highest (1.48%) among people who inject drugs.

Conclusions

These high HIV incidence estimates in Estonia call for urgent action of renewed targeted public health promotion and HIV testing campaigns.
Land‐use change effects on the taxonomic and morphological trait composition of ant communities in French Guiana
Authors: Salas‐Lopez Alex , Violle Cyrille , Mallia Loïc , Orivel Jérôme
Published: August 2017

Land‐use changes frequently lead to major changes in the composition and diversity of organisms. A reduction in the range of strategies enabling organisms to survive in a given environment and changes in the average trait values of species may potentially be associated with variations in species’ number and identity.

We investigated the variation in ant taxonomic composition and morphological trait diversity along a land‐use gradient in French Guiana. We measured 13 core ant morphological traits on all species sampled. We then selected the set of five traits that best captured changes along the land‐use gradient. Potential effects of the variation in morphological trait diversity and average values were evaluated by examining morphological traits individually as well as in combination.

We found that variation in taxonomic diversity was unrelated to the plot‐level morphospace. Conversely, a significant shift in taxonomic composition was accompanied by changes in the average values of community traits along the studied gradient, examined both individually and in combination.

We argue that morphological trait values may be related to the success of different species in surviving in a given environment and, therefore, are indicative of the taxonomic turnover in ants along the land‐use gradient. Nevertheless, in contradiction with theoretical expectations, the morphospace is only slightly affected by habitat filtering and loosely impacted by taxonomic changes. Examining the sensitivity of the morphospace to abiotic and biotic factors and how it reflects varying ecological pressures for species is thus of the utmost importance.
Autologous tolerogenic dendritic cells derived from monocytes of systemic lupus erythematosus patients and healthy donors show a stable and immunosuppressive phenotype
Authors: Obreque Javiera , Vega Fabián , Torres Andy , Cuitino Loreto , Mackern‐Oberti Juan P. , Viviani Paola , Kalergis Alexis , Llanos Carolina
Published: August 2017

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with unrestrained T‐cell and B‐cell activity towards self‐antigens. Evidence shows that apoptotic cells (ApoCells) trigger an autoreactive response against nuclear antigens in susceptible individuals. In this study, we focus on generating and characterizing tolerogenic dendritic cells (tolDCs) to restore tolerance to ApoCells. Monocyte‐derived dendritic cells (DCs) from healthy controls and patients with SLE were treated with dexamethasone and rosiglitazone to induce tolDCs. Autologous apoptotic lymphocytes generated by UV irradiation were given to tolDCs as a source of self‐antigens. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used as a maturation stimulus to induce the expression of co‐stimulatory molecules and secretion of cytokines. TolDCs generated from patients with SLE showed a reduced expression of co‐stimulatory molecules after LPS stimulation compared with mature DCs. The same phenomenon was observed in tolDCs treated with ApoCells and LPS. In addition, ApoCell‐loaded tolDCs stimulated with LPS secreted lower levels of interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and IL‐12p70 than mature DCs without differences in IL‐10 secretion. The functionality of tolDCs was assessed by their capacity to prime allogeneic T cells. TolDCs displayed suppressor properties as demonstrated by a significantly reduced capacity to induce allogeneic T‐cell proliferation and activation. ApoCell‐loaded tolDCs generated from SLE monocytes have a stable immature/tolerogenic phenotype that can modulate CD4+ T‐cell activation. These properties make them suitable for an antigen‐specific immunotherapy for SLE.
A study based on the oxidation vaporization of LaCrO3
Authors: Yin Xinglian , Zhao Qing , Zhang Bo , He Donglin , Chang Aimin
Published: August 2017

This is a study based on the assumption that the volatilization of Cr gives rise to the poor sinterability of LaCrO3. We have studied the effect of buried materials (none, Al2O3, La2O3, Cr2O3, LaCrO3) on the sinterability of LaCrO3 by conventional sintering in air. It was observed that the sinterability of LaCrO3 in air is largely enhanced by burying with La2O3 (with a linear shrinkage of 12.5% and a relative density of 86.90%). The energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) infers that there is a volatilization of Cr in sintering of LaCrO3 in air and the volatilization of Cr does affect the sinterability of LaCrO3.
Microstructure development of hydrothermally grown TiO2 thin films with vertically aligned nanorods
Authors: Shim Jong Hyun , Bae In‐Tae , Cho Junghyun
Published: August 2017

TiO2 (rutile) thin films were deposited via a hydrothermal process by adjusting the amount of ethanol, deposition time, and temperature. Especially, various amounts of ethanol generated different degrees of supersaturation in precursor solution. It allowed us to systematically change the width, lengths, and crystallinity of a vertically aligned 1‐D nanorod structure of TiO2 films. The oriented attachment, confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, was shown to be responsible for their lateral growth of TiO2 nanorods bundled by numerous well‐oriented nanowires and their vertical growth. TiO2 nanorod thin films were also characterized via X‐ray diffraction and UV‐Vis‐NIR spectrophotometer to find a correlation between the process conditions and nanostructural evolution. Dye sensitized solar cells were assembled to relate the nanostructures of TiO2 films with the effectiveness of its role as a photoelectrode.
Optimization of dielectric heating parameters in the production of high‐voltage LiNiPO4‐core and carbon‐shell ceramics
Authors: Örnek Ahmet
Published: August 2017

Excellent core‐shell morphology and nanoscale high‐voltage LiNiPO4@C cathode materials have been synthesized by a low‐level and long‐time microwave and solvothermal synthesis methodology. The effects of the changing physicochemical parameters on the crystal‐quality and electrochemical properties of the products have been evaluated in relation to the cycling stability. X‐ray diffraction analysis shows that it is possible to synthesize phase‐pure LiNiPO4 material when the reaction parameters are carefully elaborated. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis reveals a core‐shell morphology with a coating thickness of 6‐8 nm for 30 minutes at 180°C solvothermal temperature and time‐spread microwave energy. This mentioned cathode material exhibits the best electrochemical properties, achieving a discharge capacity of 157 mAh·g−1 at a 0.l C current rate, and shows a remarkable 81% capacity retention at the end of the 80th cycle.
Two unique measurements related to flash experiments with yttria‐stabilized zirconia
Authors: Yadav Devinder , Raj Rishi
Published: August 2017

We report two measurements related to flash experiments. One is concerned with electroluminescence in yttria‐stabilized zirconia; in this case we have measured the broadening of the (UV) absorption edge in single crystal cubic zirconia below the conduction band, suggesting the generation of energy levels that are consistent with the electroluminescent spectra. The second measurement relates to the universal nature of the power density at the early onset of the flash transition in Stage I, for several ceramics flashed under a wide range of electric fields and temperature, which may be related to nonlinear thermal vibrations, so that the Debye temperature would be a lower bound for the flash‐onset.
Global phylogeography of the insect pest Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchinae) relates to the history of its main host, Vigna unguiculata
Authors: Kébé Khadim , Alvarez Nadir , Tuda Midori , Arnqvist Göran , Fox Charles W. , Sembène Mbacké , Espíndola Anahí
Published: August 2017

Aim

The seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus is an important tropical and subtropical pest of legumes distributed world‐wide. Archaeological evidence suggests an African origin with later world‐wide invasion facilitated by the last centuries’ legume trading and exchange. To date, no studies could identify the routes or timing of dispersal of the species. Here, we investigate the global phylogeography of this pest to shed light on the main inter‐continental dispersal routes that led to it becoming a cosmopolitan pest.

Location

World‐wide.

Methods

We sampled seed beetles over a large fraction of the species’ range and sequenced one nuclear and three mitochondrial loci. Using this data, we estimated spatio‐temporal phylogeographical reconstructions, and the demographic history of the species. We also used our dataset to evaluate the effect of panmixia on Bayesian demographic estimations.

Results

Callosobruchus maculatus exhibited regional and continental genetic structure, with the highest genetic diversity found in Africa. Our discrete Bayesian phylogeographical approach indicated that the species first dispersed to Asia and then colonized the pantropical belt. The three methods used for inferring the demographic history of C. maculatus indicated a recent demographic expansion in the world‐wide dataset, as well as in the subset restricted to African samples. Such a signal was, however, not observed in the subset composed of Asian specimens. This demographic expansion occurred in the Holocene and is likely explained by the spread of cowpea and other host legumes across and out of Africa.

Main conclusions

The inferred dispersal routes support the idea that the evolutionary history of C. maculatus relates to the trade of its main host plant, Vigna unguiculata. Human‐mediated processes appear to have shaped the global genetic structure of this pest. As a methodological implication, we demonstrate that coalescent‐based demographic reconstructions can be erroneous if the dataset violates the assumption of panmixia.
Complexity perspectives on clinical decision making in an intensive care unit
Authors: de Bock Ben A. , Willems Dick L. , Weinstein Henry C.
Published: August 2017

Rationale, aims, and objectives

How to clarify the implications of complexity thinking for decision making in the intensive care unit (ICU)?

Method

Retrospective qualitative empirical research. Practitioners in an ICU were interviewed on how their decisions were made regarding a particular patient in a difficult, clinical situation. Transcriptions of these interviews were coded and retrieved in Maxqda, a software program. Assisted by complexity thinking, researchers focused on the decision‐making process and the shift from analytic approaches to complex approaches.

Results

Originally, practitioners took their decisions with negligible transdisciplinary interactivity, drawing on analytical knowledge. Later on, they shifted to transdisciplinary practices, paying attention to more participation in their decision‐making processes within their complex environment.

Conclusions

Complexity thinking demonstrates that this is a better model towards understanding transdisciplinary decision making then most analytical methodologies.
Helicobacter pylori management in ASEAN: The Bangkok consensus report
Authors: Mahachai Varocha , Vilaichone Ratha‐korn , Pittayanon Rapat , Rojborwonwitaya Jarin , Leelakusolvong Somchai , Maneerattanaporn Monthira , Chotivitayatarakorn Peranart , Treeprasertsuk Sombat , Kositchaiwat Chomsri , Pisespongsa Pises , Mairiang Pisaln , Rani Aziz , Leow Alex , Mya Swe Mon , Lee Yi‐Chia , Vannarath Sengdao , Rasachak Bouachanh , Chakravuth Oung , Aung Moe Myint , Ang Tiing‐Leong , Sollano Jose D , Trong Quach Duc , Sansak Inchaya , Wiwattanachang Olarn , Harnsomburana Piyathida , Syam Ari Fahrial , Yamaoka Yoshio , Fock Kwong‐Ming , Goh Khean‐Lee , Sugano Kentaro , Graham David
Published: August 2017

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection remains to be the major cause of important upper gastrointestinal diseases such as chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, gastric adenocarcinoma, and mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. H. pylori management in ASEAN: the Bangkok consensus report gathered key opinion leaders for the region to review and evaluate clinical aspects of H. pylori infection and to develop consensus statements, rationales, and grades of recommendation for the management of H. pylori infection in clinical practice in ASEAN countries. This ASEAN Consensus consisted of 34 international experts from 10 ASEAN countries, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States. The meeting mainly focused on four issues: (i) epidemiology and disease association; (ii) diagnostic tests; (iii) management; and (iv) follow‐up after eradication. The final results of each workshop were presented for consensus voting by all participants. Statements, rationale, and recommendations were developed from the available current evidence to help clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of H. pylori and its clinical diseases.