bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Egg oral immunotherapy in children (SEICAP I): Daily or weekly desensitization pattern
Authors: Martín‐Muñoz María Flora , Belver María Teresa , Alonso Lebrero Elena , Zapatero Remón Lidia , Fuentes Aparicio Victoria , Piquer Gibert Mónica , Plaza Ana María , Muñoz Román Candelaria , Martorell‐Calatayud Cristina , Martorell‐Aragonés Antonio , Blasco Cristina , Vilá Blanca , Gómez Catalina , Nevot Santiago , García Martinez Juan Miguel , Madero Jarabo Rosario , Echeverria Luis
Published: August 2018

Background

Studies are required before incorporating egg oral immunotherapy (OIT) into clinical practice. The Spanish Society of Pediatric Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology (SEICAP) conducted a multicenter, randomized controlled study assessing the effectiveness and safety of the OIT using pasteurized egg white (PEW) in egg‐allergic children.

Methods

One hundred and one egg‐allergic children (6‐9 years) were randomized for 1 year: 25 to an egg‐free‐diet (CG) and 76 to OIT (target dose 3.3 g PEW proteins), PI (30% weekly plus 5% daily increments) or PII (only 30% weekly increments) buildup patterns. Egg skin prick test, sIgE and sIgG4 serum levels, PEW double‐blind placebo‐controlled food challenge (DBPCFC), and dosing adverse reactions (DARs) were evaluated in all patients from inclusion (T0) until completing 1 year of follow‐up (T12). At T12, egg‐allergic control patients could start OIT. The effectiveness and safety of OIT and the effect of the buildup pattern were analyzed.

Results

At T12, 4/25 (16.0%) CG patients passed the PEW DBPCFC vs 64/76 (84.2%) OIT that reached total desensitization (P = 0.000); 12 egg‐allergic control patients started OIT. Finally, 72/88 (81.81%) patients reached total desensitization, 96.15% PI vs 75.80% on PII (P = 0.01). Induction period (121.12 ± 91.43, median 98.00 days) was longer in patients on PII buildup pattern, and those with allergic asthma, minor threshold dose, or higher egg sIgE (P < 0.05). Most patients (89.06%) developed DARs: 74.53% were mild; 21.90% moderate; and 3.5% requiring adrenaline‐treatment. Moderate reactions and those requiring adrenaline were more frequent in patients with allergic asthma, PII pattern, or higher egg sIgE serum antibody levels (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

PEW OIT is an effective treatment for children with persistent egg allergy. A 30% weekly plus 5% daily increment pattern could be more effective and safer than one with only 30% weekly increments.
History in the Service of Politics: Constructing Narratives of History During the European Refugee “Crisis”
Authors: Kirkwood Steve
Published: August 2018

It is common for politicians to refer to “our proud history of supporting refugees,” yet the historical record regarding responses to refugees is not straightforwardly positive. So how is history drawn upon in political debates regarding refugees? Applying discursive psychology, this article analyzes the use of history in five U.K. parliamentary debates that took place from September 2015 to January 2016 on the European refugee “crisis.” The analysis identifies six “functions” of the use of the history: resonance, continuity, reciprocity, posterity, responsibility, and redemption. It shows how references to historical events create narratives regarding the United Kingdom’s history of supporting refugees in order to construct the nation in particular ways, mobilize collective identities, and legitimize or criticize political actions. Specifically, references to the United Kingdom’s role in providing refuge to Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany functions as a hegemonic narrative that reinforces the United Kingdom’s “heroic” position and constructs the Syrian conflict as involving an oppressive dictator and innocent refugees in need to help, thereby legitimizing support for Syrian refugees. The analysis demonstrates the flexibility of historical narratives, reformulates the distinction between “psychological” and “rhetorical” uses of historical analogies, and reflects on the social and political implications of such uses of history.
A systematic quantitative literature review of aquaculture genetic resource access and benefit sharing
Authors: Humphries Fran , Benzie John A.H. , Morrison Clare
Published: August 2018

The Convention on Biological Diversity provides a framework for countries to implement laws regulating the access, use and exchange of genetic resources, including how users and providers share the benefits from their use. While the international community has been preoccupied with resolving the unintended effects of access and benefit sharing (ABS) on domestication in agriculture for the past 25 years, its far‐reaching consequences for global aquaculture has only recently dawned on policymakers, aquaculture producers and researchers. Using a systematic quantitative literature review methodology, we analysed the trends, biases and gaps in the ABS literature. Only 5% of the ABS literature related to the use and exchange of aquaculture genetic resources. Most of this literature related to use in developing countries or global use, but its authors were predominantly from developed countries. The literature covered a narrow range of countries (7) and regions (3), a narrow range of taxonomic groups (9) and a narrow range of uses. Given that aquaculture is the fastest growing global food production sector with products primarily from developing countries using over 580 species, there are significant gaps in aquaculture‐related ABS literature. We conclude that the sector needs urgent analyses on the consequences of ABS restrictions, obligations and opportunities for its early stages of domestication and product development. We recommend priority areas for attention to ensure that rapidly evolving national ABS laws take into account the special characteristics and needs of the aquaculture sector.
Buddhist global fictionalism?
Authors: Guerrero Laura P.
Published: August 2018

Some Buddhists claim that all phenomena are empty of inherent existence and thereby endorse a kind of global anti‐realism. Buddhist global fictionalists argue that for these Buddhists, ordinary discourse is best understood in global fictionalist terms. I argue here that these attempts fail because the types of fictionalism that these accounts are modeled after structurally rely on a non‐fictionalist domain of discourse to establish normative constraints within the target fictionalist domain. If the goal of appealing to fictionalism is to help explain how discourse involving reference to entities that are unreal can still be governed by non‐arbitrary norms of acceptance, such that some conventional claims can be meaningfully described as conventionally true in contrast to other such claims that are conventionally false, then Buddhist global fictionalism undermines its own goals. It does so by eliminating the very feature of a fictionalist account – the ability to appeal to a non‐fictionalist domain – that makes possible the norms that fictionalism is invoked to explain in the first place.
Are baby boomer women redefining retirement?
Authors: Sawyer Anne‐Maree , James Sara
Published: August 2018

As the baby boomers enter later life, unprecedented numbers of women are retiring. The first generation of women to encounter retirement since its institutionalisation as an expected male life course transition in the mid‐20th century, these women are leaving the labour force at a time when the meanings associated with “retirement” are changing. Longer life expectancy, improved health outcomes, and transformations in work driven by globalisation have produced greater diversity in when, why, and how people exit the labour force. Many boomer women are disadvantaged in later life by their histories of discontinuous employment and care‐giving. Consequently, we argue, opportunities to engage in “retirement” projects of their own choosing are unequal across this population. This essay reviews qualitative studies in sociology that examine boomer women's experiences of retirement and is organised in terms of the three main approaches that inform this under‐studied field: critical/feminist gerontology, identity theory, and life course approaches. Based on our review, we posit the need for socially inclusive research, beyond the prevailing emphasis on White, middle‐class professional women; more studies examining the impact of earlier life course transitions on women's later years; and attention to the effects of “successful ageing” discourses on women's lived experiences.
Entropy‐based benchmarking methods
Authors: Temursho Umed
Published: August 2018

This paper argues that benchmarking of sign‐volatile time series has to be based on the principle of movement and sign preservation, which requires the benchmarked series to reproduce both the short‐term movements and signs of the original series. It is shown that the widely used variants of Denton method and the Causey‐Trager growth rate preservation method may violate this principle. Four variants of entropy‐based benchmarking methods are proposed that, by construction, account for the requirements of the movement and sign preservation principle. Our extensive simulations confirm that the proposed entropy methods can be regarded as plausible competitors for the well‐established benchmarking methods and may even be preferred in cases of benchmarking series that are highly volatile in sign and/or movements.
Exercise, orthoses and splinting for treating Achilles tendinopathy: a systematic review with meta-analysis
Authors: Wilson Fiona , Walshe Margaret , O’Dwyer Tom , Bennett Kathleen , Mockler David , Bleakley Christopher
Published: August 2018

Objectives

To assess the efficacy of exercise, orthoses and splinting on function, pain and quality of life (QoL) for the management of mid-portion and insertional Achilles tendinopathy, and to compare different types, applications and modes of delivery within each intervention category.

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data sources

Medline, CINAHL, Embase, AMED, WHO ICTRP, Web of Science, PEDro and Cochrane Library from inception to October 2017. Citation tracking of published studies and conference proceedings and contacting experts in the field.

Study eligibility criteria

Controlled clinical trials evaluating either exercise, orthoses or splinting for the management of Achilles tendinopathy.

Methods

Independent reviewers undertook searches, screening and risk of bias appraisal. Primary outcomes of interest were function, pain and QoL.

Results

Twenty-two studies were included (1137 participants). Moderate level evidence favoured eccentric exercise over control for improving pain and function in mid-portion tendinopathy. Moderate level evidence favoured eccentric exercise over concentric exercise for reducing pain. There was moderate level evidence of no significant difference in pain or function between eccentric exercise and heavy slow resistance exercise. There was low level evidence that eccentric exercise was not superior to stretching for pain or QoL. There was moderate level evidence that a combined exercise protocol was not superior to a lower dosage protocol for improving functional performance. There was moderate to low level evidence of a significant difference in pain (mean difference (MD) 6.3 mm, 95% CI −4.45 to 17.04, moderate) or function (MD 1.83 Victoria Institute of Sport Assessment points, 95% CI −7.47 to 11.12, low) between high-dose and low-dose eccentric training. There was high to moderate level evidence of no difference in pain (moderate) or function (high) between orthoses and control. There was low level evidence of no significant benefit in adding a night splint to an eccentric exercise programme for function, and moderate level evidence for no reduction in pain (MD −3.50, 95% CI −10.49 to 3.48). Eccentric exercise was not superior to splinting for pain (moderate evidence) or function (low level evidence).

We conditionally recommend exercise for improving pain and function in mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy. The balance of evidence did not support recommendation of one type of exercise programme over another. We conditionally recommend against the addition of a splint to an eccentric exercise protocol and we do not recommend the use of orthoses to improve pain and function in Achilles tendinopathy.
Specific TCR gene rearrangements in mycosis fungoides: does advanced clinical stage show a preference?
Authors: Marks Etan , Wang Yanhua , Shi Yang , Susa Joseph , Jacobson Mark , Goldstein D Yitzchak
Published: August 2018

Aims

The relationship between the presence of specific T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangements and clinical stage in mycosis fungoides (MF) has not been studied. We analysed a cohort of patients with a diagnosis of MF to determine the different types of specific TCR gene rearrangements present and their relationship to disease stage.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was used to select patients with a diagnosis of MF who had a skin biopsy and a positive TCR gene rearrangement study in either blood or tissue and at least 2 years of clinical follow-up.

Results

43 patients were identified and divided into two groups. The first group consisted of 23 patients with early stage disease (IA-IIA) that was either stable or went into partial or complete remission with minimal intervention. None of these patients advanced to late stage disease. The second group consisted of 20 patients who had either late stage disease at diagnosis or progressed to late stage disease at some point in time. In the first group, only 4/23 (17%) patients had a single TCR gene rearrangement in the Vɣ1–8 region. In contrast, the second group had 13/20 (65%) patients with a single TCR gene rearrangement in the Vɣ1–8 region (p=0.002).

Conclusion

The presence of a single TCR gene rearrangement in the Vɣ1–8 region could possibly be related to a more advanced stage of MF. However, more comprehensive studies, such as next generation sequencing, with a larger cohort is necessary for a more definitive conclusion.
Does environment influence childhood BMI? A longitudinal analysis of children aged 3–11
Authors: van der Zwaard Babette C , Schalkwijk Annemarie A H , Elders Petra J M , Platt Lucinda , Nijpels Giel
Published: August 2018

Background

Childhood overweight/obesity has been associated with environmental context, such as green space, gardens, crime and deprivation. This paper assesses the longitudinal association between environment and body mass index (BMI) for children across the ages of 3–11 years. It also investigates the relationship between environment and child overweight/obesity

Methods

6001 children from the UK Millennium Cohort Study living in England were analysed. We estimated fixed effects linear and logistic regression models of the association between environment (levels of green space, gardens, crime and deprivation) and BMI/overweight of children at four time points between the ages of 3 and 11. Models were adjusted for age-related changes in weight, child sex and education level of the main carer.

Results

Statistically significant associations were found between environmental measures of both more gardens and lower levels of crime and lower BMI (effect size (95% CI) respectively: −0.02 (−0.04 to 0.00), −0.04 (−0.07 to −0.02)). Areas with less crime were associated with a slightly lower odds of overweight among children with a higher educated parent (OR 0.93 (0.87–0.99))

Conclusions

By exploiting longitudinal measures of environment and BMI this study is able to establish a more causal association between environment and BMI. Environments with more gardens and lower crime tend to result in slightly lower BMI. However, the effect sizes are small and non-significant odds of changing weight status do not support environmental factors as a key determinant of cohort changes in childhood overweight/obesity.
Extending group actions on metric spaces
Authors: Abbott Carolyn , Hume David , Osin Denis
Published: August 2018

We address the following natural extension problem for group actions: Given a group [Formula: see text], a subgroup [Formula: see text], and an action of [Formula: see text] on a metric space, when is it possible to extend it to an action of the whole group [Formula: see text] on a (possibly different) metric space? When does such an extension preserve interesting properties of the original action of [Formula: see text]? We begin by formalizing this problem and present a construction of an induced action which behaves well when [Formula: see text] is hyperbolically embedded in [Formula: see text]. Moreover, we show that induced actions can be used to characterize hyperbolically embedded subgroups. We also obtain some results for elementary amenable groups.
The ‘tunnel’ valleys of East Anglia and Fenland, UK: subaerial, not subglacial
Authors: Gallois Ramues
Published: August 2018

Integrated field surveys, continuously cored boreholes and seismic-reflection surveys in Fenland and the adjacent marine embayment of The Wash have revealed a network of concealed valleys. These are interpreted as a pre-glacial, cold-climate fluvial system that entered the North Sea via a gap in the Chalk escarpment at the mouth of The Wash. The pre-glacial Fenland valley system was overridden by an ice sheet during the Anglian Stage (Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 12) when it became infilled with glacial deposits, mostly till and varved clay. East of the Chalk escarpment, a pre-glacial network of dipslope valleys drained directly to the North Sea. This was also overridden by Anglian ice and locally over-deepened, presumably by subglacial meltwater. The over-deepened parts have been referred to as tunnel valleys by various authors, but they can be more accurately described as glacially modified fluvial valleys. The analysis of high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles in the North Sea and adjacent areas has revealed complex anastomosing networks of tunnel valleys that were formed subglacially without a fluvial precursor or superimposed on possible fluvial systems that were glacially modified to the extent that they cannot now be confidently identified as fluvial in origin. In comparison, the concealed fluvial valleys of East Anglia and Fenland have been subject to minor glacial modifications, and are morphologically distinct from the North Sea examples. They should not be referred to as tunnel valleys. Prior to the Anglian glaciation, the rivers that flowed from the Midlands to the North Sea passed through one of two gaps in the Chalk escarpment, the Goring Gap in the south and a similar gap that is now concealed beneath the Wash. The field evidence does not support the presence of an additional gap in the intervening Bury St Edmunds area. A wide embayment to the north of this in the Thetford to Swaffham area in which the crest of the Chalk escarpment has been displaced eastwards by up to 20 km is an Anglian glaciation erosion feature.
Notch signaling regulates arterial vasoreactivity through opposing functions of Jagged1 and Dll4 in the vessel wall
Authors: Basu Sanchita , Barbur Iulia , Calderon Alexander , Banerjee Suhanti , Proweller Aaron
Published: August 2018

Functional interactions between endothelial cells (ECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in the arterial wall are necessary for controlling vasoreactivity that underlies vascular resistance and tone. Key signaling pathways converge on the phosphorylation of myosin light chain (p-MLC), the molecular signature of force production in SMCs, through coordinating the relative activities of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and myosin phosphatase (MP). Notch signaling in the vessel wall serves critical roles in arterial formation and maturation and has been implicated in arterial vasoregulation. In this report, we hypothesized that Notch signaling through ligands Jagged1 (in SMCs) and delta-like protein-4 (Dll4; in ECs) regulates vasoreactivity via homotypic (SMC-SMC) and heterotypic (EC-SMC) cell interactions. Using ligand induction assays, we demonstrated that Jagged1 selectively induced smooth muscle MLCK gene expression and p-MLC content while inhibiting MP function (i.e., increased Ca2+sensitization) in a Rho kinase II-dependent manner. Likewise, selective deficiency of smooth muscle Jagged1 in mice resulted in MLCK and p-MLC loss, reduced Ca2+sensitization, and impaired arterial force generation measured by myography. In contrast, smooth muscle Notch signaling triggered by Dll4 increased expression of MP-targeting subunit 1 (MYPT1; the MP regulatory subunit), whereas arteries from endothelial Dll4-deficient mice featured reduced MYPT1 levels, enhanced force production, and impaired relaxation independent of endothelium-derived nitric oxide signaling. Taken together, this study identifies novel opposing vasoregulatory functions for ligand-specific Notch signaling in the vessel wall, underscoring instructional signaling between ECs and SMCs and suggesting that Notch signals might behave as a “rheostat” in arterial tone control.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The present study unveils novel roles for ligand-specific Notch signaling in arterial function. Smooth muscle Jagged1 and endothelial cell delta-like protein-4 ligands exhibit selective regulation of myosin light chain kinase and myosin phosphatase-targeting subunit 1/myosin phosphatase, respectively, providing a mechanistic link through which Notch signals modulate contractile activities in vascular smooth muscle. These findings may inform vascular derangements observed in human syndromes of Notch signaling deficiency while offering fundamental molecular insights into arterial physiological function.
Impact of PYROXD1 deficiency on cellular respiration and correlations with genetic analyses of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy in Saudi Arabia and Sudan
Authors: Saha Madhurima , Reddy Hemakumar M. , Salih Mustafa A. , Estrella Elicia , Jones Michael D. , Mitsuhashi Satomi , Cho Kyung-Ah , Suzuki-Hatano Silveli , Rizzo Skylar A. , Hamad Muddathir H. , Mukhtar Maowia M. , Hamed Ahlam A. , Elseed Maha A. , Lek Monkol , Valkanas Elise , MacArthur Daniel G. , Kunkel Louis M. , Pacak Christina A. , Draper Isabelle , Kang Peter B.
Published: August 2018

Next-generation sequencing is commonly used to screen for pathogenic mutations in families with Mendelian disorders, but due to the pace of discoveries, gaps have widened for some diseases between genetic and pathophysiological knowledge. We recruited and analyzed 16 families with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) of Arab descent from Saudi Arabia and Sudan who did not have confirmed genetic diagnoses. The analysis included both traditional and next-generation sequencing approaches. Cellular and metabolic studies were performed on Pyroxd1 siRNA C2C12 myoblasts and controls. Pathogenic mutations were identified in eight of the 16 families. One Sudanese family of Arab descent residing in Saudi Arabia harbored a homozygous c.464A>G, p.Asn155Ser mutation in PYROXD1, a gene recently reported in association with myofibrillar myopathy and whose protein product reduces thiol residues. Pyroxd1 deficiency in murine C2C12 myoblasts yielded evidence for impairments of cellular proliferation, migration, and differentiation, while CG10721 (Pyroxd1 fly homolog) knockdown in Drosophila yielded a lethal phenotype. Further investigations indicated that Pyroxd1 does not localize to mitochondria, yet Pyroxd1 deficiency is associated with decreased cellular respiration. This study identified pathogenic mutations in half of the LGMD families from the cohort, including one in PYROXD1. Developmental impairments were demonstrated in vitro for Pyroxd1 deficiency and in vivo for CG10721 deficiency, with reduced metabolic activity in vitro for Pyroxd1 deficiency.
Sex-specific differences in primary neonatal murine lung fibroblasts exposed to hyperoxia in vitro: implications for bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Authors: Balaji Swathi , Dong Xiaoyu , Li Hui , Zhang Yuhao , Steen Emily , Lingappan Krithika
Published: August 2018

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease of the neonate characterized by impaired alveolarization and vascular growth. BPD is more common in premature male infants, but the reasons underlying sexually dimorphic outcomes are not known. It is thought that alterations in fibroblast phenotype in response to environmental stress such as hyperoxia contribute to BPD. Notch signaling creates a profibrotic environment in the lung. However, the role of hyperoxia on differential Notch pathway activation in male vs. female neonatal lung fibroblasts is not known. Primary murine lung fibroblasts from 10-day-old male and female mice were exposed to room air (21% O2, 5% CO2) or hyperoxia (95% O2, 5% CO2), and changes in cell proliferation, viability and expression of fibrosis-related genes and Notch pathway mediators were measured. Upon exposure to hyperoxia, cell proliferation was arrested in male and female fibroblasts, but cell viability was preserved. Increased Notch pathway activation was noted in male fibroblasts along with differential sex-specific modulation of key Notch pathway mediators in response to hyperoxia. α-Smooth muscle actin expression was increased in both male and female fibroblasts upon exposure to hyperoxia. Male and female fibroblasts further demonstrated distinct changes in expression of key fibrosis-related genes upon exposure to hyperoxia. Differential Notch pathway activation and distinct differences in the expression of key fibrosis-related genes might contribute to the sex-specific differences seen in hyperoxia-induced fibrosis and inhibition of lung development in BPD, with more severe implications in male neonates.
Alectinib Resistance in ALK-Rearranged Lung Cancer by Dual Salvage Signaling in a Clinically Paired Resistance Model
Authors: Tsuji Takahiro , Ozasa Hiroaki , Aoki Wataru , Aburaya Shunsuke , Funazo Tomoko , Furugaki Koh , Yoshimura Yasushi , Ajimizu Hitomi , Okutani Ryoko , Yasuda Yuto , Nomizo Takashi , Uemasu Kiyoshi , Hasegawa Koichi , Yoshida Hironori , Yagi Yoshitaka , Nagai Hiroki , Sakamori Yuichi , Ueda Mitsuyoshi , Hirai Toyohiro , Kim Young Hak
Published: August 2018

The mechanisms responsible for the development of resistance to alectinib, a second-generation anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor, are still unclear, and few cell lines are currently available for investigating ALK-rearranged lung cancer. To identify the mechanisms underlying acquired resistance to alectinib, two patient-derived cell lines were established from an alectinib-naïve ALK-rearranged lung cancer and then after development of alectinib resistance. The properties acquired during treatments were detected by comparisons of the two cell lines, and then functional analyses were performed. Coactivation of c-Src and MET was identified after the development of alectinib resistance. Combinatorial therapy against Src and MET significantly restored alectinib sensitivity in vitro (17.2-fold). Increased apoptosis, reduction of tumor volume, and inhibition of MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling molecules for proliferation and survival were observed when the three kinases (Src, MET, and ALK) were inhibited. A patient-derived xenograft from the alectinib-resistant cells indicated that combination therapy with a saracatinib and crizotinib significantly decreased tumor size in vivo. To confirm the generality, a conventional alectinib-resistant cell line model (H2228-AR1S) was established from NCI-H2228 cells (EML4-ALK variant 3a/b). In H2228-AR1S, combination inhibition of Src and MET also restored alectinib sensitivity. These data reveal that dual salvage signaling from MET and Src is a potential therapeutic target in alectinib-resistant patients.

Implications:

This study demonstrates the feasibility to elucidate personalized drug-resistance mechanisms from individual patient samples.
Comparison of Subacute Vascular Damage Caused by ADAPT versus Stent Retriever Devices after Thrombectomy in Acute Ischemic Stroke: Histological and Ultrastructural Study in an Animal Model
Authors: Peschillo Simone , Tomasello Alejandro , Diana Francesco , Hernandez David , Toccaceli Giada , Rosal-Fontana Marta , Esteves Coelho Marielle , Missori Paolo
Published: August 2018

Objectives: To assess the delayed (15 days) histological and ultrastructural changes occurring following endovascular treatment with a direct aspiration first pass technique (ADAPT) or stent retrievers (SRs) and to compare the findings in order to determine which is the least harmful technique and what changes occur. Materials and Methods: Damage to the wall of swine extracranial arteries was evaluated after ADAPT with the Penumbra system or thrombectomy with various SRs. The procedures were performed using two pigs as animal models; extracranial cervical arteries were selected based on their diameters in order to reproduce the procedures as in human intracranial arteries, and endovascular thrombectomies were done after the injection of autologous thrombi. Two weeks later, the animals were euthanized, and 60 arterial samples were obtained for analysis by optical and electron microscopy. Results: Optical and electron microscopy revealed that both techniques cause, in different way, alterations to the structure of the vessel wall. Conclusions: Both techniques caused damage to the vessel wall. The main damages were localized at the level of the tunica media and adventitia, instead of the tunica intima as in the acute phase. Further investigation is required to better understand whether these alterations could have chronic consequences.
Lorazepam as a Cause of Drug-Induced Liver Injury
Authors: Arai Toshio , Kogi Kazutoyo , Honda Yuki , Suzuki Takao , Kawai Koji , Okamoto Masako , Fujioka Takahiro , Murata Nobuhiro
Published: August 2018

Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine derivative that is globally used for the therapy of anxiety and insomnia. A 51-year-old Japanese man with yellowish discoloration of the eyes and skin and pruritus was admitted due to liver dysfunction. He had taken lorazepam approximately 5 months prior to this admission. The clinical presentation and pathologic findings in the liver were consistent with drug-induced liver injury. After cessation of lorazepam, treatment with Stronger neo-minophagen C and ursodeoxycholic acid was started, and his liver injury resolved after 59 days. This case must serve as a warning to physicians to be aware of the possibility of unexpected liver injury caused by lorazepam.
ENPP1 K121Q Functional Variant Enhances Susceptibility to Insulin Resistance and Dyslipidemia with Metabolic Syndrome in Asian Indians
Authors: Bhatti Gurjit K. , Kaur Sumanpreet , Vijayvergiya Rajesh , Bhadada Sanjay K. , Mastana Sarabjit S. , Singh Bhupinder , Bhatti Jasvinder S.
Published: August 2018

Background: Ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase1 (ENPP1/PC-1) is a key modulator of the insulin signaling pathway, and its common variant, K121Q, increases the susceptibility to diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Objectives: The main objective of the present study was to investigate the association of ENPP1 K121Q polymorphism with the pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a north Indian population. Methods: A total of 567 participants (303 MetS subjects and 264 healthy controls) were examined for ENPP1 genotypes and various clinical parameters, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP/DBP), fasting blood glucose (FBG), cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein, and insulin. Genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Statistical analysis of the data was done using SPSS. Results: Significant increases in BMI, WC, SBP, DBP, FBG, TG, low-density lipoprotein, insulin, and Homeostasis Model Assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and of beta-cell function (HOMA-BF) were observed in MetS patients compared to healthy controls. Logistic regression analysis of data demonstrated a nonsignificant association of QQ and KQ+QQ genotypes with increased risk of MetS (OR [95% CI], 1.583 [0.455–5.507], p = 0.470 for QQ genotypes and 1.097 [0.784–1.540], p = 0.587 for KQ+QQ genotypes). Moreover, MetS subjects carrying Q alleles had significantly higher levels of TG, insulin, body fat percentage, and insulin resistance as evident by higher values of HOMA-IR. Conclusions: We conclude that ENPP1 K121Q functional variant enhances susceptibility to insulin resistance and dyslipidemia in MetS subjects of an Asian Indian population.
Disparidade das concepções de tratamento da dependência de substâncias psicoativas:
Authors: Oliveira Aislan José de
Published: August 2018

O intuito, nesta pesquisa, foi compreender o embasamento teórico presente no discurso de 17 profissionais de saúde mental que atuam em três modelos de atendimento a dependentes químicos. Os dados foram coletados por meio de questionário e classificados em três categorias de análise, segundo o arcabouço teórico-epistemológico de cada abordagem e instituição, sendo elas: o modelo biomédico (clínica), o modelo sociocultural (centro de atenção psicossocial) e o modelo psicossocial (comunidades terapêuticas). Concluiu-se que os profissionais participantes não apresentam definição específica sobre os conceitos de dependente e tratamento, relativos à dependência química, e, também, suas abordagens podem ser, por vezes, contraditórias às metodologias e ideologias das instituições analisadas.
Vulnerabilidade para o comportamento sexual de risco em usuários de álcool e outras drogas
Authors: Boska Gabriella De Andrade , Cesário Letícia , Claro Heloísa Garcia , Oliveira Márcia Aparecida Ferreira de , Domânico Andrea , Fernandes Ivan Filipe de Almeida Lopes
Published: August 2018

Objetivos: avaliar a associação entre o uso de álcool e outras drogas, variáveis sóciodemográficas e aspectos psicossociais, com o comportamento sexual de risco dos usuários. Métodos: pesquisa quantitativa transversal, entrevistados 110 usuários de um Centro de Atenção Psicossocial em Álcool e outras Drogas (CAPSad) com o instrumento Avaliação Global das Necessidades Individuais. Utilizou-se a Escala de Risco Sexual, características sociodemográficas, dias de uso de drogas e demais subescalas do instrumento. Resultados: o comportamento sexual de risco foi significativo em usuários que estavam a mais dias em uso de crack, em situação de rua e mais graves em aspectos psicossociais. Conclusão: fatores do cotidiano dos usuários tem influências importantes sobre o comportamento sexual de risco e doenças sexualmente transmissíveis.
A percepção dos moradores em relação aos Serviços Residenciais TerapêuticosThe residents’ perception about the Residential Therapeutic Services
Authors: Dadalte Aline Cristina , Soares Enio José Porfirio , Pedrão Luiz  Jorge
Published: August 2018

Os Serviços Residenciais Terapêuticos (SRTs) estão atrelados à Reforma Psiquiátrica Brasileira e ao processo da desinstitucionalização, com a finalidade de (re)inserir na comunidade pessoas com diagnósticos de transtornos mentais, egressas dos hospitais psiquiátricos. Este estudo qualitativo buscou analisar a percepção dos moradores em relação aos referidos serviços. Para tanto, participaram 31 moradores de 11 SRTs do interior do estado de São Paulo, realizaramse entrevistas semiestruturadas que foram filmadas e transcritas na íntegra e submetidas à Análise de Conteúdo temática. Os temas que emergiram referem-se à satisfação, liberdade e novo núcleo familiar. Detectaram-se melhoras: na qualidade de vida, na ampliação das redes sociais, no fortalecimento do convívio comunitário e no enfrentamento do transtorno mental desses moradores
Regional Crop Diversity and Weather Shocks in India
Authors: Auffhammer Maximilian , Carleton Tamma A.
Published: August 2018

Agriculture in both the developing and developed country context is highly sensitive to weather shocks. The intensity of these shocks is likely to increase under climate change, leading to an ongoing debate regarding the ability of farmers to insulate yields and income against accelerating environmental extremes. We study crop diversity as an avenue for increased resilience. Diversity in agricultural systems has been suggested in the agroecology and environmental economics literatures as a powerful means of on-farm insurance, both through physical and market-based channels. However, large-scale empirical evidence of its effectiveness is lacking, and crop diversity is largely absent from the empirical climate impacts literature. We examine the insurance benefits of crop diversity in the context of India at the height of the Green Revolution, a period of rapid change in agricultural diversification due to the increased penetration of a small set of high-yielding variety crops. Building on a basic empirical model from the climate impacts literature, we show that areas with higher crop diversity of planted area display measurably more drought resilience, both in terms of gross and net revenues. We decompose this aggregate result to show that diversification has implications for farmer welfare both through physical (yield) and market (price) channels.
Slavery in Puritan New England
Authors: Pleck Elizabeth
Published: August 2018

Wendy Warren’s deeply researched New England Bound: Slavery and Colonization in Early America depends on investigation of handwritten texts rather than the several new databases about slavery and the slave trade. Warren has tracked down references in the extant literature and added research in unpublished court cases, wills, probate inventories, and private papers in New England as well in London. With her ability to convert a line or two in a court deposition or a will into an argument about the nature of New England slavery, Warren successfully circumvents the illegibility of the archive. The theme of this highly accessible study is how the immoral conjunction of cultivating staple crops for export and racialized slavery reshaped the entire Atlantic world, beginning with a fateful exchange of goods and people between the Caribbean and New England.
Acrostichus palmarum n. sp., a cryptic species separated from A. rhynchophori by molecular sequences and hybridisation tests
Authors: Kanzaki Natsumi , Giblin-Davis Robin M.
Published: August 2018

A newAcrostichusspecies is described based upon molecular sequence profiles and hybridisation testing. The new species,A. palmarumn. sp., had been previously described as local isolates (strains) ofA. rhynchophori,i.e., an isolate recovered fromRhynchophorus cruentatusfrom South Florida (culture code RGD193) was designated as the type strain ofA. rhynchophori, and other Central and South American strains (RGD194-196), recovered fromR. palmarumwere considered as conspecific regional isolates. However, additional sequencing of ribosomal DNA loci (near full-length of small subunit, full length of internal transcribed spacer and D2-D3 expansion segments of large subunit) and partial mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene and hybridisation testing suggested the independent species status of RGD194-196. Furthermore, two strains ofA. palmarumn. sp., RGD194 and RGD195, showed partial reproductive isolation from each other,i.e., the fecundity of F1 progeny was obviously low, suggesting that geographical isolation within a widely-distributed species is occurring.
When is an aster not an aster? A new deep-sea Discorhabdella (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) with asters, from the Mozambique Channel
Authors: VACELET JEAN , CÁRDENAS PACO
Published: August 2018

Discorhabdella pseudaster n. sp. is an incrusting sponge from the upper bathyal zone of the ‘Banc du Geyser’, north of Madagascar, Mozambique Channel. This new species is described only from a single specimen but it is remarkable by the presence of spicules similar to euasters, a type of microsclere unknown in Poecilosclerida. These spicules are in fact a new example of homoplasy, being derivatives of the typical Discorhabdella pseudoastrose acanthostyles, which are here reduced to the aster-like tyles. The isochelae with a large lamella on the shaft are also quite unique in Poeciloclerida.
New sciaphilic plakinids (Porifera, Homoscleromorpha) from the Central-Western Pacific
Authors: LAGE ANAÍRA , MURICY GUILHERME , RUIZ CÉSAR , PÉREZ THIERRY
Published: August 2018

The sponge class Homoscleromorpha is a key model for the evolutionary biology of the Metazoa but its diversity remains poorly known. Here we describe six new species of the homoscleromorph family Plakinidae found in shaded habitats (submarine caves, tunnels and overhangs) of New Caledonia and Marquesas Islands, Central-Western Pacific. The new species belong to four genera: Corticium (Corticium vaceleti sp. nov.), Plakina (Plakina finispinata sp. nov.), Plakinastrella (Plakinastrella osculifera sp. nov., Plakinastrella nicoleae sp. nov. and Plakinastrella pseudolopha sp. nov.), and Plakortis (Plakortis ruetzleri sp. nov.). Plakinastrella pseudolopha sp. nov. has a novel spicule type called here ‘pseudolophose spicules’. The diversity of Homoscleromorpha is raised to 50 species in the Pacific Ocean and 120 spp. worldwide.
Mesophotic sponges of the genus Callyspongia (Demospongiae, Haplosclerida) from Cuba, with the description of two new species
Authors: BUSUTIL LINNET , GARCÍA-HERNÁNDEZ MARÍA R. , DÍAZ M. CRISTINA , POMPONI SHIRLEY A.
Published: August 2018

This study presents the description of two Callyspongia species new to science, and the distribution of all Callyspongia species recorded during the first joint Cuba–U.S. expedition to characterize Cuban mesophotic coral ecosystems (May–June 2017). Additionally, we propose a key to identify thin branching species of the genus in the Greater Caribbean. The observations here presented are the result of underwater explorations with the Mohawk Remotely Operated Vehicle dives at 35 sites around the island, at depths of 25–188 m, recording images and videos, and collecting specimens. The depth range of five species of Callyspongia, reported before in Cuba, has been extended to deeper waters. Two specimens of branching Callyspongia were collected and described: Callyspongia (Callyspongia) pedroi sp. nov. and Callyspongia (Cladochalina) alcoladoi sp. nov. Morphometric comparisons of external and skeletal traits show clear differences with the other Callyspongia species from the Central West Atlantic with a similar thin branching habit. Callyspongia (C.) pedroi sp. nov. consists of pinkish delicate cylindrical microconulose branches (3–6 mm in diameter, 10–14 cm long) that rarely anastomose, with relatively large oval oscules (1–3 mm in diameter), and a skeleton dominated by primary and secondary fiber reticulations, discretely cored by fusiform oxeas. Callyspongia (C.) alcoladoi sp. nov. consists of grayish, smooth thin branches (3–8 mm in diameter, 20–30 cm long), profusely dividing and occasionally anastomosing, with few spiny projections (2–4 mm wide, 2–4 cm long). Its skeleton includes a highly developed ectosomal tertiary reticulation within the secondary and primary reticulation, and fibers discretely cored by predominant mucronate oxeas. Clear morphometric differences of spicules and their skeletal reticulation distinguish these species from the other six thinly branching Callyspongia species known from the Caribbean.
A Study of Pre-Warm Frontal Fog at Portland, Oregon*
Authors: Carpenter Archer B.
Published: August 2018

The Portland Airport is located within the City of Portland, and subject to the usual city smoke. Prevailing winds are from the northwest and southeast due to its location on the Willamette River. Ocean air may reach Portland from the northwest, through the lower Columbia River gorge, and from the 3outh southwest through a gap in the Coast Range. It is also exposed to the interior climate of eastern Washington and Oregon, through the upper Columbia River gorge. At times the interplay of continental and ocean air may become delicately balanced for hours, with the continuation of pre-warm-frontal fog. It has been found that formation and duration of pre-warm frontal fog may be forecast within reasonable limits. When the precipitation at Portland is warmer than the surface air into which it is falling, formation of prewarm frontal fog is favored. Gradient winds of 20–30 mph are most favorable for light pre-warm-frontal precipitation. Duration of the fog depends on a continued supply of cold surface air, warm precipitation falling into the cold surface air, and light surface winds.
On the Occurrence of Dry, Stable Maritime Air in Equatorial Regions
Authors: Deppermann C. E.
Published: August 2018

We wish to emphasize the fact that some types of maritime air, such as the South Pacific trade, though long in the equatorial regions, can remain quite dry and stable, not only while in such regions but also after leaving them for higher latitudes. It may well be that passage through a frontal zone, convergence from other causes such as Coriolis force or the pressure gradient surrounding continental heat lows, transit over warmer water surface, or even orographic effects may have much more to do with the wetness of some equatorial maritime air masses, like the true southwest monsoon of the Indian Ocean, than merely lengthy passage through the tropics aided only by local heat convection.
The Origin of Atmospheric Oxygen
Authors: Nichols Robert L.
Published: August 2018

From the literature several theories of the origin of O2 in the atmosphere are quoted: Oxygen may have been an original constituent, or formed by impact of white hot planetesimals with water vapor (the hydrogen escaping from the earth's atmosphere, or green plants release O2 in photosynthesis, or volcanic vents emitted it (probably not an original source). The author then suggests 6 other possible sources: by meteors, stony meteorites, high temperatures, or penetrating radiations, in the high atmosphere; by lightning and by decomposition of chlorine from volcanic gases, in geologically past times. It is not possible to make very accurate estimates of the quantitative importance of many of these sources.
Some Possible Relationships of Planetary Configuration and Sunspots to World Weather
Authors: Mills C. A.
Published: August 2018

Earth temperatures tend to fall as Mercury and Venus in turn pass around on the opposite side of the Sun, and to rise as each of these planets comes into the same heliocentric longitude as the earth.

Sunspot maxima visible to the earth tend to occur more often when Mercury (the only planet studied in this respect) is on the opposite side of the Sun, while sunspot minima are more frequent with Mercury on the same side as the earth.

Earth temperatures show a pronounced tendency to be above normal during falling or low phases of the 11-year sunspot cycles, and to be subnormal in the rising or high phases of these cycles.
A Stable Photoelectric Amplifier and Its Application in Ultraviolet and Ozone Studies
Authors: Stair R. , Hand I. F.
Published: August 2018

Supplementary to an earlier paper in the Review of Scientific Instruments for August, 1940, this paper gives additional technical data on the construction and a discussion of important applications of a Wheatstone bridge type of balanced direct-current photoelectric amplifier adapted for use on 110-volt a-c commercial power lines. This instrument is especially adapted for use with the standard recorders now employed by the U. S. Weather Bureau in the study of Solar radiation. The determination of the amount and variation of ozone in the stratosphere, and of the total intensity of ultraviolet solar radiation in a definite wave band, are discussed as the important applications of the instrument. Performance tests indicate that the instrument is equivalent to the older battery type in sensitivity and precision. It is, furthermore, free from the disadvantages of requiring frequent voltage adjustments, sensitivity tests, and the continual attention of an experienced operator.
A Graphical Method of Evaluating Pilot-Balloon Ascents
Authors: Pollak L. W.
Published: August 2018

An account is given of a simple plotting equipment for pilot balloon ascents which can be used for both tail and non-tail ascents.