bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Browning reduces the availability—but not the transfer—of essential fatty acids in temperate lakes
Authors: Senar Oscar E. , Creed Irena F. , Strandberg Ursula , Arts Michael T.
Published: September 2019

Atmospheric changes are leading to the browning of northern lakes (i.e. increases in catchment‐derived dissolved organic matter [DOM]), consequently altering phytoplankton biomass and community composition.

We hypothesised that lake browning and the concurrent increase in nutrients drive a shift towards greater cyanobacteria biomass. We further hypothesised that, as a consequence of this shift in phytoplankton, the content of ω‐3 (n‐3) essential fatty acids (EFA) in seston would decline, affecting the subsequent transfer of EFA to consumers across the plant–animal interface in pelagic regions of lakes.

We tested these hypotheses in the epilimnion of 30 temperate lakes in Ontario (Canada), representing a gradient of lake browning, with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) ranging from 2 to 10 mg/L and total phosphorus ranging from 6.0 to 48.5 μg/L. In each of these lakes, the concentration and composition of DOM, the biomass of phytoplankton and cyanobacteria, and the EFA content of seston, cladocerans, and copepods were measured.

An increase in aromatic DOM was associated with increased phytoplankton and cyanobacteria biomass. Due to the lower content of the EFA eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n‐3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n‐3) in cyanobacteria, this increase in phytoplankton biomass was associated with a decline in EPA and DHA content in lake seston. However, there was no significant change in EFA content of cladocerans and copepods. This homeostatic (diet‐independent) EFA composition in zooplankton suggested that, as the phytoplankton community shifted towards more cyanobacteria with lower EFA content, the cladocerans and copepods may have met their nutritional requirements by relying on alternative food sources (e.g. heterotrophic ciliates and flagellates) capable of either trophically upgrading phytoplankton‐produced EPA and DHA, or synthesising EPA and DHA de novo.

Results from this study indicate that increasing DOC from low (2 mg DOC/L) to moderate levels (15 mg DOC/L) may increase the importance of the microbial pathway in the trophic transfer of EPA and DHA from basal resources to zooplankton. However, this supplementary transfer of EFA through the microbial food web may not sustain high EPA and DHA levels in zooplankton when lake browning starts to limit primary production (>15 mg DOC/L).
Range size predicts the risk of local extinction from habitat loss
Authors: Staude Ingmar R. , Navarro Laetitia M. , Pereira Henrique M.
Published: September 2019

Aim

The geographical range size of species is a strong predictor of vulnerability to global extinction. However, it remains unclear whether range size is also a good predictor of extinction risk at much smaller scales. Here, we reconstruct biodiversity time series to ask whether species with small ranges have declined preferentially with habitat loss at the local scale.

Location

Global.

Time period

1500–2015.

Major taxa studied

Vascular plants.

Method

We collated 70 million occurrence records of 180,000 species of vascular plants from three biodiversity data‐sharing networks. We combined these with data on changes in global land use to find locations (0.25° grid cells) with biodiversity data before and after loss of natural habitat. First, we examined the change in community median range size before and after habitat loss. Second, we quantified the probabilities of local persistence of small‐ and large‐ranged species at different levels of habitat loss.

Results

Community median range size was higher after habitat loss, on average. Species with small ranges had lower probabilities of persistence than species with large ranges at already moderate habitat loss (≤50%).

Main conclusions

The loss of natural habitat has a differential effect on the local extinction risk of species with different range sizes. Given that species with small ranges decline preferentially, habitat loss can create a linkage between temporal and spatial species turnover, in that changes within communities decrease compositional differences between communities.
MOBILISATIONS OF MEDIATION AND APORIAS: READING TRAUMA AS METAPHOR IN ULRIKE DRAESNER'S SIEBEN SPRÜNGE VOM RAND DER WELT WITH CARUTH, DERRIDA, AND AGAMBEN
Authors: Ludden Teresa
Published: September 2019

This article analyses Draesner's 2014 novel through the concepts of traumatic memory and relations between the unsayable and speech. It argues through Cathy Caruth's and Jacques Derrida's poststructuralist critical theory that we can understand the tension in the text between mediation and lost origins as a discourse on historiography and the archive, as well as a reflection on the ethics of writing the embodied experiences of others’ trauma. Through strategic mobilisations of the ideas of erasure, deferral, witness, and the non‐coincidence of language and the body, the text constructs multifaceted narratives of ‘ungraspable’ trauma centring on events which are constituted by their disappearance, such as forced sterilisation and the missed encounter with the death of a character killed while fleeing his home in Silesia in 1945. The foregrounding of ‘Flucht und Vertreibung’ hides another aspect of trauma – that of the persecution of the ill and disabled under National Socialism. Giorgio Agamben's philosophy is used to argue that the text can bear witness to these silences, but, given the all‐pervasive mediatised trauma culture – of which the text willingly partakes with its aesthetics of mediation, self‐reflexivity, and designated website – the danger is that silences are drowned out.
Clinical predictors of acute hyponatremia following LARIAT ligation of the left atrial appendage
Authors: Holmes Benjamin B. , Patel Neel , Lugo Ricardo , Richardson Travis , Metawee Mohammed , Rinke Lauren Lee , Meisch Carol , Shoemaker Moore Benjamin , Ellis Christopher R.
Published: September 2019

Introduction

Hyponatremia commonly follows percutaneous exclusion of the left atrial appendage (LAA) with the LARIAT suture delivery device. The aim of this study was to evaluate for clinical predictors hyponatremia following ligation of the appendage with the LARIAT device.

Methods and Results

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 61 consecutive patients (average age 69.7 ± 9.8 years, 55.7% male) who underwent successful appendage ligation with the LARIAT device. Acute hyponatremia (AH) was defined as a drop in serum sodium (Na) by greater than or equal to 4 mmol/L within 48 hours of ligation while exaggerated acute hyponatremia (EAH) was defined as a drop greater than or equal to 10 mmol/L. Among all patients, there was a significant decrease in [Na] at 24 hours (3.26 ± 2.77 mmol/L) and 48 hours (4.98 ± 3.74 mmol/L). Thirty‐two patients (52.4%) had AH while six patients (9.8%) experienced EAH. A body mass index (BMI) of less than 28.4 kg/m2 was associated with AH (P = .037) while a BMI < 25 kg/m2 was associated with EAH (P = .021). A linear regression analysis comparing the maximum sodium decrease to the indexed left atrial (LA) diameter found that for every 1 cm/m2 increase in indexed LA diameter, there was a 2.5 mEq/L decrease in serum sodium (P = .04).

Conclusions

Hyponatremia frequently occurs following LAA ligation with the LARIAT device. A low BMI < 25 kg/m2 is associated with a drop in serum sodium of greater than 10 mmol/L while increasing indexed LA diameter predicts any AH. AH is also associated with a significantly lower systolic blood pressure 48 to 72 hours post LAA exclusion with the LARIAT device.
Body dysmorphic disorder in patients with acne: a multicentre study
Authors: Marron S.E. , Miranda‐Sivelo A. , Tomas‐Aragones L. , Rodriguez‐Cerdeira C. , Tribo‐Boixaro M.J. , Garcia‐Bustinduy M. , Gracia‐Cazaña T. , Ros‐Abarca S. , Roe‐Crespo E. , Diaz‐Díaz R.M. , Brufau‐Redondo C. , Martinez‐Gonzalez M.C. , Guerra‐Tapia A. , González‐Guerra E. , Puig L.
Published: September 2019

Background and objective

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental disorder that is difficult to diagnose, causes a lot of suffering and is more prevalent in dermatology patients than in the general population. Our objective was to screen for possible cases of BDD in patients with acne and to determine the prevalence according to DSM‐IV and DSM‐5 criteria, as well as to analyse the relationship between dermatological and sociodemographic variables.

Methods

A total of 245 patients diagnosed with acne in 11 dermatological centres in Spain were included in the study by members of the Aragon Psychodermatology Research Group and Spanish Research Group of Psychiatric Dermatology. We used the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire (BDDQ) as a screening tool.

Results

In our sample, we obtained a prevalence for BDD of 10.6% (95% CI: 7.6–13.6%). The prevalence was the same with DSM‐IV or DSM‐5 criteria. Possible cases of BDD were predominantly women (P = 0.021), and 56% had non‐inflammatory lesions vs. 30% of negative patients (P = 0.002). Positive patients as possible cases of BDD spent more than two hours on average a day worrying about their appearance. Most people only worried about one part of their body (86%), and in 95% of the cases, the part of their body that worried them was the face. The three most frequent compulsive behaviours in patients who screened positive for BDD were mirror checking (90.7%), camouflaging (79.1%) and using make‐up (72.1%).

Conclusions

As a consequence of the high prevalence of possible cases of BDD in patients with acne observed in our study, there is a need for dermatologists to screen for BDD so that they can be referred to a mental health unit to confirm the diagnosis and be offered treatment to reduce the progression of psychosocial deterioration and the development of comorbid disorders.
The effects of commonly used anaesthetics on colour measurements across body regions in the poeciliid fish, Girardinus metallicus
Authors: Wojan Erin M. , Carreiro Nalana C. , Clendenen David A. , Neldner Heather M. , Castillo Crystal , Bertram Susan M. , Kolluru Gita R.
Published: September 2019

The effects of common anaesthetics on the hue, saturation and brightness measurements of the poeciliid fish Girardinus metallicus were investigated in two experiments. For both experiments the coloration of four body regions was measured from digital images of the same males obtained under three conditions: (1) control (in a water‐filled chamber); (2) anaesthetised with MS‐222; and (3) anaesthetised with eugenol (clove oil). In experiment 1 anaesthetised fish were photographed out of water. In experiment 2 all photographs were taken in a water‐filled chamber. Anaesthetics altered coloration in both experiments. In the more methodologically consistent experiment 2 we found significantly different hue, increased saturation and decreased brightness in anaesthetic v. control conditions, consistent with darkening caused by the anaesthetics. The body regions differed in coloration consistent with countershading but did not differentially change in response to anaesthesia. These findings suggest that photographing fish in a water‐filled chamber without anaesthetic is preferable for obtaining digital images for colour analysis and that multiple body regions of fish should be measured when assessing coloration patterns meaningful in behavioural contexts, to account for the gradients caused by countershading. We are encouraged that some researchers employ such methods already and caution against using anaesthetics except when absolutely necessary for immobilisation.
In vivo real‐time diagnosis of endoscopic ultrasound‐guided needle‐based confocal laser endomicroscopy in gastric subepithelial lesions
Authors: Zhang Ming‐Ming , Zhong Ning , Gu Xiang , Wang Xiao , Zuo Xiu‐Li , Ji Rui , Li Chang‐Qing , Li Li‐Xiang , Li Zhen , Yu Yan‐Bo , Li Yan‐Qing
Published: September 2019

Background and Aim

The effect of real‐time analysis of needle‐based confocal laser endomicroscopy (nCLE) for gastric subepithelial lesions (SELs) on the diagnostic value is unclear. The study aimed to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of real‐time nCLE for gastric SELs and to assess the technical aspects and safety of real‐time nCLE.

Methods

Consecutive patients with gastric SELs ≥ 1 cm were prospectively investigated by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), followed by nCLE. During EUS‐nCLE, real‐time nCLE diagnosis was made by an expert endoscopist. The procedure‐relative adverse events were assessed and recorded. One‐month washout period later, nCLE videos were reviewed off‐line by the same endoscopist. The nCLE diagnoses were compared with corresponding pathological results. Additionally, image quality and interobserver agreements for the criteria were evaluated by three experienced endomicroscopists.

Results

Except for one failing to be punctured, 60 patients completed EUS‐nCLE procedures successfully. Real‐time nCLE had high diagnostic accuracies of ≥ 88.3% for gastric SELs. There were no significant differences between real‐time and off‐line nCLE diagnoses for gastric SELs (P > 0.05). The overall accuracy of real‐time nCLE for diagnosis of gastric SELs was 86.7%. There were no procedure‐relative adverse events occurred. In addition, the mean image quality score was 3.6 (1 = poor and 5 = excellent). The interobserver agreement was “almost perfect” for ectopic pancreas and “substantial” for gastrointestinal stromal tumor, leiomyoma, and carcinoma.

Conclusions

Endoscopic ultrasound‐nCLE could provide in vivo real‐time diagnostic imaging with a high diagnostic accuracy. Meanwhile, real‐time nCLE was feasible and had a satisfactory safety profile.
Within‐person variability in curiosity during daily life and associations with well‐being
Authors: Lydon‐Staley David M. , Zurn Perry , Bassett Danielle S.
Published: September 2019

Objective

Curiosity promotes engagement in novel situations and the accruement of resources that promote well‐being. An open question is the extent to which curiosity lability, the degree to which curiosity fluctuates over short timescales, impacts well‐being.

Method

We use data from a 21‐day daily diary as well as trait measures in 167 participants (mean age = 25.37 years, SD = 7.34) to test (a) the importance of curiosity lability for depression, flourishing, and life satisfaction, (b) day‐to‐day associations among curiosity and happiness, depressed mood, anxiety, and physical activity, and (c) the role of day's mood as a mediator between physical activity and curiosity.

Results

We observe positive associations among curiosity lability and depression, as well as negative associations among curiosity lability and both life satisfaction and flourishing. Curiosity is higher on days of greater happiness and physical activity, and lower on days of greater depressed mood. We find evidence consistent with day's depressed mood and happiness being mediators between physical activity and curiosity.

Conclusions

Greater consistency in curiosity is associated with well‐being. We identify several potential sources of augmentation and blunting of curiosity in daily life and provide support for purported mechanisms linking physical activity to curiosity via mood.
Use of post‐harvest common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) residues in diet of lambs and its effect on finishing performance, rumen fermentation, protozoa population and meat characteristics
Authors: Eynipour Peyman , Chaji Morteza , Sari Mohsen
Published: September 2019

The aim of the experiment was to investigate the replacement value of common bean residues in the diet of finishing lambs as an inexpensive fodder instead of wheat straw or maize silage. Forty Arabi male lambs with average body weight of 18.90 ± 0.6 kg were randomly divided into five treatments with eight replications. The five experimental treatments consisted of control diet, and 50% and 100% replacement of bean residues with wheat straw or 25% and 50% replacement with maize silage in the control diet respectively. Lambs were slaughtered at the end of the experiment to evaluate carcass traits and meat characteristics. Dry matter intake, blood glucose, urea nitrogen, cholesterol and triglyceride concentration were not affected by the experimental treatments. Apparent digestibility of nutrients; total concentration of volatile fatty acids, acetate and butyrate; and total rumen protozoa population were linearly increased by increasing the levels of bean residues, as replacement with wheat straw (p < .05). Replacement of bean residues in control diets instead of wheat straw or maize silage caused a positive linear incremental trend for average daily gain and total weight gain. There was no significant difference in daily gain, final weight and feed conversion ratio among the treatments. Instead of wheat straw or maize silage, replacement bean residues linearly increased chewing, ruminating and eating activities per neutral detergent fibre intake (p < .05). Carcass traits and physicochemical characteristics of meat were not affected by the treatments. It is advisable to use bean residues in the diet of lambs as an alternative to the wheat straw or maize silage, because no adverse effects were observed on rumen fermentation, blood metabolites and performance; moreover, improvement in average daily gain, total weight gain and digestibility of nutrients, and the fact that bean residue is less expensive than wheat straw and maize silage.
Vestibular disease in dogs: association between neurological examination, MRI lesion localisation and outcome
Authors: Bongartz U. , Nessler J. , Maiolini A. , Stein V. M. , Tipold A. , Bathen‐Nöthen A.
Published: September 2019

Objectives

To determine whether the neurological examination correctly distinguishes between central and peripheral vestibular lesions in dogs.

Materials and Methods

Retrospective study on dogs with vestibular disease presenting to two referral clinics in Germany.

Results

Ninety‐three dogs were included; neurological examination suggested central vestibular disease in 62 and a peripheral lesion in 31. MRI diagnosis was central vestibular disease in 68 dogs and peripheral in 25. Of the 62 dogs with a lesion localisation diagnosed as central vestibular by neurological exam, 61 were correctly identified (98.4%). Twenty‐four of the 31 dogs diagnosed with a peripheral lesion by neurological exam had a consistent lesion on MRI (77.4%).

Clinical Significance

The neurological examination is efficient at identifying lesions in the central vestibular system but less so for peripheral lesions. Therefore it is prudent to recommend imaging in dogs that show signs of peripheral vestibular syndrome but do not rapidly respond to treatment.
Breaking the Divide: Setting Environmental Precedent in the Chicago River
Authors: Besek Jordan , Shtob Daniel
Published: September 2019

Here we argue that sociolegal processes can not only restructure social relationships through setting legal precedent but can also restructure socioenvironmental relationships through setting what we call “environmental precedent.” By environmental precedent we mean the environmental consequences of legal processes, environmental consequences that then become the new, dynamic material reality for future legal processes. We apply the concept of environmental precedent to a legal history of the Chicago River, using this case to illustrate how interactions between sociolegal and environmental processes can set environmental precedent in a way that reshuffles the social and material foundations of future legal processes.
Functional analyses of an axonemal inner‐arm dynein complex in the bloodstream form of Trypanosoma brucei uncover its essential role in cytokinesis initiation
Authors: Zhang Xuan , Hu Huiqing , Lun Zhao‐Rong , Li Ziyin
Published: September 2019

The flagellated eukaryote Trypanosoma brucei alternates between the insect vector and the mammalian host and proliferates through an unusual mode of cell division. Cell division requires flagellum motility‐generated forces, but flagellum motility exerts distinct effects between different life cycle forms. Motility is required for the final cell abscission of the procyclic form in the insect vector, but is necessary for the initiation of cell division of the bloodstream form in the mammalian host. The underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here we carried out functional analyses of a flagellar axonemal inner‐arm dynein complex in the bloodstream form and investigated its mechanistic role in cytokinesis initiation. We showed that the axonemal inner‐arm dynein heavy chain TbIAD5‐1 and TbCentrin3 form a complex, localize to the flagellum, and are required for viability in the bloodstream form. We further demonstrated the interdependence between TbIAD5‐1 and TbCentrin3 for maintenance of protein stability. Finally, we showed that depletion of TbIAD5‐1 and TbCentrin3 arrested cytokinesis initiation and disrupted the localization of multiple cytokinesis initiation regulators. These findings identified the essential role of an axonemal inner‐arm dynein complex in cell division, and provided molecular insights into the flagellum motility‐mediated cytokinesis initiation in the bloodstream form of T. brucei.
Autopsy case of MV2K‐type sporadic Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease with spongiform changes of the cerebral cortex
Authors: Iwasaki Yasushi , Hiraga Keita , Ito Shota , Ando Tetsuo , Akagi Akio , Riku Yuichi , Mimuro Maya , Miyahara Hiroaki , Kobayashi Atsushi , Kitamoto Tetsuyuki , Yoshida Mari
Published: September 2019

Comprehensive analysis is required for the accurate diagnosis of MV2‐type sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (sCJD) because it shows a wide clinicopathological spectrum. Here, we describe the clinical findings and neuropathologic observations of an autopsy‐confirmed MV2K‐type sCJD case with extensive spongiform changes of the cerebral cortex. In the early disease stages, the patient exhibited gait disturbance with ataxia and gradually showed cognitive dysfunction. Diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance images revealed hyperintense regions in the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and particularly in the thalamus. Prion protein (PrP) gene analysis revealed no mutations, and polymorphic codon 129 exhibited methionine and valine heterozygosity. During the course of the disease, a startle reaction was observed, whereas myoclonus was not observed. Electroencephalography showed no periodic sharp wave complexes. The patient died at age 61 years with 13 months total disease duration and did not reach the akinetic mutism state. Pathologic investigation revealed extensive fine vacuole‐type spongiform change in the cerebral cortex, and the appearance of vacuolation tended to be more pronounced in the deeper layers. Numerous kuru plaques were observed in the cerebellum. PrP immunostaining revealed extensive diffuse synaptic‐type PrP deposition in the cerebral cortex, and the finding was prominent in the deeper layer with perineuronal‐type PrP deposition. In the limbic system, basal ganglia, and thalamus, mixed small plaque‐type PrP with synaptic‐type PrP deposition was observed. In the cerebellar cortex, diffuse synaptic‐type PrP depositions were observed with numerous strongly immunopositive plaques. Western blot analysis of examined brain samples revealed mixed type 2 PrPSc (scrapie type) and intermediate‐type PrPSc.
Interactive rhythms across species: the evolutionary biology of animal chorusing and turn‐taking
Authors: Ravignani Andrea , Verga Laura , Greenfield Michael D.
Published: September 2019

The study of human language is progressively moving toward comparative and interactive frameworks, extending the concept of turn‐taking to animal communication. While such an endeavor will help us understand the interactive origins of language, any theoretical account for cross‐species turn‐taking should consider three key points. First, animal turn‐taking must incorporate biological studies on animal chorusing, namely how different species coordinate their signals over time. Second, while concepts employed in human communication and turn‐taking, such as intentionality, are still debated in animal behavior, lower level mechanisms with clear neurobiological bases can explain much of animal interactive behavior. Third, social behavior, interactivity, and cooperation can be orthogonal, and the alternation of animal signals need not be cooperative. Considering turn‐taking a subset of chorusing in the rhythmic dimension may avoid overinterpretation and enhance the comparability of future empirical work.
Trends in kidney transplant outcomes in children and young adults with cystinosis
Authors: Kizilbash Sarah J. , Snyder Jon , Vock David M. , Chavers Blanche M.
Published: September 2019

Temporal changes in kidney transplant outcomes for cystinosis are unknown. We used the SRTR to identify all kidney transplants performed for cystinosis in patients younger than 31 years between 1987 and 2017. We divided time into three equal eras (1987‐1997, 1998‐2007, and 2008‐2017) to assess changes in outcomes using Cox proportional and linear regression models. We examined 441 transplants in 362 patients. Age at ESRD progressively increased (12.1 vs 13.3 vs 13.4; P = .046). Eras 2 and 3 had lower risk of acute rejection (aHR 2 vs 1:0.45; P < .001) (aHR 3 vs 1:0.26; P < .001) and higher 5‐year mean GFR (difference 2 vs 1:9.2 mL/min/1.73 m2; P = .005) (difference 3 vs 1:12.9 mL/min/1.73 m2; P = .002) compared with era 1. Five‐year graft survival was similar across eras, but 5‐year patient survival was higher for era 2 (aHR: 0.25; P = .01). Seventy‐nine patients underwent retransplantation. Five‐year patient (94.2% vs 92.5%; P = .57) and graft survival (79.1% vs 74.1%; P = .52) were similar between primary and subsequent transplants. Age at ESRD, acute rejection, GFR at 5 years, and patient survival improved over time. Kidney retransplantation is associated with excellent outcomes in children and young adults with cystinosis.
Use of oral immunoglobulins to treat diarrhea in pediatric kidney transplant recipients—Single‐center experience and review of the literature
Authors: Kizilbash Sarah J. , Sudel Boris , Anderson Jessica A. , Verghese Priya S.
Published: September 2019

Effective treatment modalities for diarrhea in solid organ transplant recipients are lacking. We evaluated the effect of oral IgG on clinical course of diarrhea in pediatric kidney transplant recipients. We retrospectively studied all pediatric kidney transplant recipients who required hospitalization for diarrhea between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2017. We divided the recipients into two groups based on whether they had received oral IgG to treat diarrhea. Sixteen pediatric kidney transplant recipients required hospitalization for diarrhea over 3 years. Median age at admission was 9.25 years (IQR:12.54). Fifty‐six percent of recipients were male, and 81% were white. Four patients received oral IgG for prolonged diarrhea. Oral IgG recipients had longer diarrheal duration before admission (median (days) 14.5 vs1; P .02), a trend for greater weight loss at admission (median (kilogram) 1.4 vs 0.2; P .3), and a trend for higher acute kidney injury (>75% reduction in glomerular filtration rate: 100% vs 42%; P .36). Diarrhea resolved completely in 3 (75%) oral IgG recipients and 7 (58%) non‐oral IgG patients by discharge (P .99). One oral IgG recipient showed partial improvement but also had biopsy evidence of mycophenolate‐induced colitis. All patients tolerated oral IgG well. No patients required re‐hospitalization within 30 days of discharge. Oral IgG may be used safely and effectively to treat prolonged diarrhea in pediatric kidney transplant recipients. A larger, randomized, prospective study is needed to further assess the efficacy of oral IgG in the treatment of diarrhea.
In sickness and in health: Living HIV positive kidney donation from a wife to her husband, with 7 years' post‐transplant follow‐up
Authors: Grupper Ayelet , Goykhman Yaacov , Baruch Roni , Turner Dan , Elbirt Daniel , Okrent Smolar Lily , Katz Polina , Nachmany Ido , Lubezky Nir , Katchman Eugene
Published: September 2019

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection was traditionally considered an absolute contraindication for kidney transplantation. After the introduction of ART, several studies have demonstrated comparable patient and graft outcomes between HIV‐negative and HIV‐positive kidney recipients. The US Congress passed the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act in 2013, which permits research in the area of HIV‐positive to HIV‐positive transplantation. HIV‐infected living donation is also permitted under the HOPE Act. However, there is a concern regarding the safety of kidney donation in an HIV‐infected person, given the risk of renal disease associated with HIV infection. We report here the case of successful kidney transplantation from HIV‐positive living donor to HIV‐positive recipient performed in our center on July 2012. To the best of our knowledge, this is the earliest case done in this medical context to be reported in the literature, therefore, potentially carrying several important messages to the transplantation community. In the present case, the living‐donor kidney transplant was performed between a married couple infected with same strain of HIV‐1, both on effective ART with efficiently suppressed viral replication and satisfactory pre‐transplantation immune status.
Recent gene duplications dominate evolutionary dynamics of adaptor protein complex subunits in embryophytes
Authors: Larson Raegan T. , Dacks Joel B. , Barlow Lael D.
Published: September 2019

Adaptor protein complexes and the related complexes COPI and TSET function in packaging vesicles for transport among endomembrane compartments in eukaryotic cells. Differences in the complement of these complexes in lineages such as yeast and mammals as well as apicomplexan and kinetoplastid parasites via loss or duplication of subunits appears to reflect specialization in their respective trafficking systems. The model plant Arabidopsis thaliana possesses multiple paralogues for adaptor protein complex subunits, raising questions as to the timing and extent of these duplications in embryophytes (land plants). However, adaptor protein complex evolution in embryophytes is unexplored. Therefore, we analyzed genomes of diverse embryophytes and closely related green algae using extensive homology searches and phylogenetic analysis of 35 complex subunit proteins. The results reveal numerous paralogues, the vast majority of which, approximately 97%, arose from recent duplication events. This suggests that specialization of these protein complexes may occur frequently but independently in embryophytes.
Lack of persistent microchimerism in contemporary transfused trauma patients
Authors: Jackman Rachael P. , Utter Garth H. , Lee Tzong‐Hae , Montalvo Lani , Wen Li , Chafets Dan , Rivers Ryan M. , Kopko Patricia M. , Norris Philip J. , Busch Michael P.
Published: September 2019

BACKGROUND

Following transfusion, donor white blood cells (WBCs) can persist long‐term in the recipient, a phenomenon termed transfusion‐associated microchimerism (TA‐MC). Prior studies suggest TA‐MC is limited to transfusion following traumatic injury, and is not prevented by leukoreduction.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

We conducted a prospective cohort study at a major trauma center to evaluate TA‐MC following injury. Index samples were collected upon arrival, prior to transfusion. Follow‐up samples were collected at intervals up to one year, and beyond for those testing positive for TA‐MC. TA‐MC was detected by real‐time quantitative allele‐specific polymerase chain reaction assays at the HLA‐DR locus and several polymorphic insertion deletion sites screening for non‐recipient alleles.

RESULTS

A total of 378 trauma patients were enrolled (324 transfused cases and 54 non‐transfused controls). Mean age was 42 ± 18 years, 74% were male, and 80% were injured by blunt mechanism. Mean Injury Severity Score was 20 ± 12. Among transfused patients, the median (interquartile range) number of red cell units transfused was 6 (3,12), and median time to first transfusion was 9 (0.8,45) hours. Only one case of long‐term TA‐MC was confirmed in our cohort. We detected short‐term TA‐MC in 6.5% of transfused subjects and 5.6% on non‐transfused controls.

CONCLUSIONS

In contrast to earlier studies, persistent TA‐MC was not observed in our cohort of trauma subjects. Short‐term TA‐MC was detected, but at a lower frequency than previously observed, and rates were not significantly different than what was observed in non‐transfused controls. The reduction in TA‐MC occurrence may be attributable to changes in leukoreduction or other blood processing methods.
The canine RAD51 mutation leads to the attenuation of interaction with PALB2
Authors: Uemura Mitsuki , Ochiai Kazuhiko , Morimatsu Masami , Michishita Masaki , Onozawa Eri , Azakami Daigo , Uno Yumiko , Yoshikawa Yasunaga , Sasaki Takanori , Watanabe Masami , Omi Toshinori
Published: September 2019

RAD51 forms a complex with BRCA2 and plays a central role in the DNA damage response pathway that is associated with homologous recombination. The structures of RAD51 and its homologues are highly conserved from prokaryotes to higher eukaryotes. Although a large number of BRCA2 mutations have been reported, there are only a few reports on the mutations of RAD51, which have been shown in humans and dogs. However, several mutations of canine RAD51 were identified from mammary gland tumour tissues in a recent study. Some of these mutations seem to have an influence on the homo‐oligomerization or interaction with “Partner and localizer of BRCA2” (PALB2). In this study, we cloned the canine PALB2 homologue and investigated the effect on its interaction with the RAD51 mutants to evaluate the alteration in the function of RAD51 mutants. The A209S and T225S mutants of RAD51 show an attenuation of the interaction between RAD51 and PALB2. These results indicate that the canine RAD51 mutations can potentially alter the homologous recombination pathways in response to DNA damage in dogs.
Impact of photographer experience and number of images on telecytology accuracy
Authors: Brooker Alyssa J. , Krimer Paula M. , Meichner Kristina , Garner Bridget C.
Published: September 2019

Background

Studies evaluating the potential impact of photographer experience or the number of images evaluated using the “store‐and‐forward” method of telecytology are not reported.

Objectives

This study aimed to determine the diagnostic sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of static telecytology when images were taken by experienced and inexperienced cytologists and when the number of images taken varied. Clinical agreement between the diagnoses was compared.

Methods

Fifty archived cytology cases were randomly chosen. A board‐certified clinical pathologist and a recent veterinary graduate took five images of each case. A third pathologist made a preliminary diagnosis after reviewing two images, and a final diagnosis after reviewing all images. The gold standard for comparison was the glass slide cytologic diagnosis.

Results

Se and Sp were higher for the experienced cytologist and the evaluation of more images, but differences were not statistically significant. Clinical agreement between the image and glass slide diagnoses was significantly higher when images were taken by an experienced rather than inexperienced cytologist after the evaluation of two (P = .007) and five images (P = .008). The telecytology diagnoses agreed with the gold standard diagnoses more frequently after evaluation of five images rather than two when images were captured by both the experienced (P < .001) and inexperienced cytologist (P < .001).

Conclusions

There is more clinical agreement when the photographer has more cytology experience and when more images are provided for interpretation.
Additive Manufacture of Lung Equivalent Anthropomorphic Phantoms: A Method to Control Hounsfield Number Utilizing Partial Volume Effect
Authors: Leary Martin , Tino Rance , Keller Cameron , Franich Rick , Yeo Adam , Lonski Peta , Kyriakou Elizabeth , Kron Tomas , Brandt Milan
Published: September 2019

Anthropomorphic radiotherapy phantoms require tissue-equivalent materials to achieve Hounsfield units (HU) that are comparable to those of human tissue. Traditional manufacturing methods are limited by their high-cost and incompatibility with patient-specific customization. Additive manufacture (AM) provides a significant opportunity to enable manufacture of patient-specific geometries at relatively low cost. However, AM technologies are currently limited in terms of available material types, and consequently enable very little variation in achievable HU when standard manufacturing parameters are used. This work demonstrates a novel method whereby the partial volume effect (PVE) is utilized to control the HU of an AM material, in particular, enabling low HU in the range typical of lung tissue. The method enables repeatable design of lung HU and is compatible with commercial machines using standard print parameters. A custom algorithm demonstrates the clinical application of the method, whereby patient-specific computed tomography (CT) data are algorithmically calibrated according to AM print parameters and confirmed to be robust as a custom anthropomorphic radiotherapy phantoms.
Nanofibrillar Cellulose as an Enzymatically and Flow Driven Degradable Scaffold for Three-Dimensional Tissue Engineering
Authors: Krüger Melanie , Spee Bart , Walther Andreas , De Laporte Laura , Kock Linda M.
Published: September 2019

Nanofibrillar cellulose as a naturally biocompatible scaffold material is very promising for tissue engineering. It is shear thinning but has the downside of not being degradable in animals, it can only be degraded by cellulase enzymes. In this study, a newly developed bioreactor was used to culture fibroblast spheroids under flow conditions inside nanocellulose hydrogels with and without the presence of cellulase. The aim was to control the tissue size and ideally find a match between degradation and tissue formation within this promising material. Both the concentration of cellulase and the flow rate were varied and their influence on the activity and growth of fibroblast clusters was assessed. Cluster diameters, degradation, metabolic activity, and tissue production increase with higher cellulase concentration, although concentrations above 1 g/l does not have an additional benefit. Flow leads to more viable cells, more proliferation and migration, leading to overall larger tissue constructs compared to static conditions. This is most likely due to the shear thinning effect of flow on cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) in addition to the increased nutrient supply through perfusion. At a constant cellulase concentration of 1 g/l, a flow of 2 ml/min proved to be optimal for tissue production. Therefore, degradation in combination with flow leads to more effective tissue production in CNF hydrogels, which is a very potent scaffold material for tissue engineering.
Design of an In Vitro Mock Circulatory Loop to Reproduce Patient-Specific Vascular Conditions: Toward Precision Medicine
Authors: Franzetti Gaia , Díaz-Zuccarini Vanessa , Balabani Stavroula
Published: September 2019

Patient-specific hemodynamic studies have attracted considerable attention in recent years due to their potential to improve diagnosis and optimize clinical treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Personalized computational models have been extensively investigated as a tool to improve clinical outcomes and are often validated against in vitro experimental data. Replicating patient-specific conditions in vitro is thus becoming increasingly important in cardiovascular research; experimental platforms can not only allow validation of in silico approaches but can also enable physical testing of various intervention scenarios and medical devices. Current experimental approaches suffer from shortcomings regarding personalization and biomimicry. To address some of these limitations, we have designed and developed a novel in vitro platform for the study of complex patient-specific vascular pathologies. This is achieved by using novel tunable three-element Windkessel vasculature simulators and a computer controlled pulsatile pump, coupled with mathematical models and computer routines to calibrate the parameters according to the available clinical datasets. In particular, the vessel inlet flow rate waveform and the afterload resistances and compliances are tuned in order to obtain target systolic and diastolic pressures, and cardiac output (CO) distribution. Pulse frequency (40–70 bpm), CO (2–5 l/min), resistance (0.03–10.6 mmHg s/ml), and compliance (0.07–1 ml/mmHg) values have been tested and the overall reliability of the platform components as well as its computer routines to reproduce controlled physiological conditions demonstrated.
Multiple Combustion Stages Inside a Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine Retrofitted to Natural-Gas Spark-Ignition Operation
Authors: Liu Jinlong , Dumitrescu Cosmin Emil
Published: September 2019

Converting existing diesel engines to natural-gas (NG) spark-ignition (SI) operation can reduce the dependence on oil imports and increase energy security. NG-dedicated conversion can be achieved by the addition of a gas injector in the intake manifold and of a spark plug in place of the diesel injector. Previous studies indicated that lean-burn NG inside the traditional diesel chamber (i.e., a bowl-in-piston geometry) is a two-stage combustion (i.e., a fast burn inside the bowl followed by a slower burn inside the squish). However, a triple-peak apparent heat release rate (AHRR) was seen at specific operating conditions (e.g., advanced spark timing (ST) at medium load and engine speed), suggesting that one of the two combustion stages may separate again. Specifically, the burn inside the squish region divided in two events before and after top dead center (TDC). This was due to the different flow motion inside the squish during the compression stroke compared to the one in the expansion stroke, which affected the combustion environments. The result was the apparition of two close peaks in pressure trace, which suggest larger gradients in pressure and temperature than at a more delayed ST. In addition, the phasing and magnitude of three peaks of the heat release changed cycle-to-cycle. As an advanced ST is the usual strategy used in lean-burn SI combustion, understanding phenomena such as the one presented here can be important for reducing engine-out emissions and increase engine efficiency.
Radiation Model of Horizontal Jet Flame Governed by Buoyancy and Momentum
Authors: Changchun Liu , Tiandiao Deng , Shasha Zhou , Xinlei Liu , Jun Deng , Zhenmin Luo , Li Ma
Published: September 2019

Buoyancy causes a horizontal jet flame to bend upward when it loses sufficient initial momentum. Therefore, the variation in flame trajectory must be considered to accurately predict the thermal radiant flux of a horizontal jet flame governed by buoyancy and momentum. We introduce the flame trajectory equation into the linear source equation of radiation to establish a new model. The flame length ratio is calculated by flame trajectory length, horizontal projected flame length, and vertical projected flame height in the new model. This paper also presents a formula for flame lift-off distance and flame radiant fraction. We further list the geometric parameters of the horizontal-kite shape, tile-kite shape, and flame trajectory models. Comparing the experimental data and model predictions shows that the flame trajectory model is more accurate than the horizontal-kite and tile-kite models, especially when the Froude number is low. We also study the effects of flame lift-off distance and flame length ratio on predictive accuracy. The flame trajectory model computes quickly, and a normal laptop computer needs only 1.08 s to get a picture with 24,000 data points.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Fire and Human Evacuation for Nuclear Applications
Authors: Sun L. , Podila K. , Chen Q. , Bayomy A. M. , Rao Y. F.
Published: September 2019

The nuclear industry has seen an increased use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technology as a high-fidelity tool for design-basis and beyond-design-basis accident simulations. Among its applications, CFD modeling of fire and smoke propagation in confined zones (e.g., a main control room (MCR)) is a promising approach, since detailed experimental investigation under various accident scenarios would be difficult. Egress analysis considering human behaviors is of significant importance to an effective accident mitigation strategy, and high-fidelity analysis tools now encompass these parameters in the simulation and design of emergency evacuations. In this study, the fire and smoke propagation in a MCR is modeled using the large eddy simulations (LES) code fire dynamics simulator (FDS), along with an evacuation module, EVAC to simulate the emergency egress under an electrical cabinet fire scenario. The FDS results presented in this paper constitute the first step at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) in advancing the CFD modeling of fire and evacuation for nuclear applications.
A Forward Time Stepping Heat Conduction Model for Spot Melt Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Stump B. , Plotkowski A.
Published: September 2019

Solidification dynamics are crucial for determining microstructure development in additively manufactured parts. Multiphysics models based on finite element or finite volume methods may help gain insight for complicated phenomena such as fluid flow, keyholing, and porosity but are too computationally expensive to use for simulating actual builds. Recent analytic and semi-analytic solutions for moving heat sources in a semi-infinite three-dimensional space provide a way to accurately estimate the solidification conditions for entire builds. The downside to these methods is that, unlike finite element or finite volume methods, they cannot use the temperature distribution of the previous timesteps to march the solution forward in time. This paper provides the mathematical formulation and implementation of a forward time stepping (FTS) approach to an existing semi-analytic solution. The speed and accuracy of the two methods are then compared for various scan patterns. The result is that, for spot melts, the forward time-stepping model provides improvements in both speed and accuracy. This is especially true for longer simulations, where the simulation can be orders of magnitude faster. The longest simulation analyzed in this paper was roughly 30× faster when using the forward time-stepping model versus the straightforward implementation of the semi-analytic solution.