bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The discourse on ‘protection of the atmosphere’ in the International Law Commission
Authors: Sand Peter H.
Published: December 2017

At its 65th session in August 2013, the United Nations International Law Commission included the topic ‘protection of the atmosphere’ in its programme of work, and has since begun to draft a set of legal guidelines, on the basis of four reports prepared by its Special Rapporteur on the subject, albeit under a severely restricted mandate. This article comments on the work so initiated, in light of the deliberations in the Commission and the draft guidelines provisionally adopted.
Measuring Individual Economic Well‐Being and Social Welfare within the Framework of the System of National Accounts
Authors: Jorgenson Dale W. , Schreyer Paul
Published: December 2017

While the agenda of “beyond GDP” encompasses measurements that lie outside boundaries of theSystem of National Accounts, key aspects of individual well‐being and social welfare can be incorporated into an SNA framework. We bring together the relevant theoretical literature and the empirical tools needed for this purpose. We show how consumption‐based measures of economic welfare can be integrated into the national accounts without changing their production or asset boundary. At the same time, explicit normative and methodological choices are required to select a social welfare function. The paper provides guidance how to make these choices transparent and how to present social welfare measures.
Initial experiences with NAM‐assisted primary repair of the BCLP deformity
Authors: Prasad Sabarinath , Ravindran Sreeja , Radhakrishnan Vasanth , Hazarey P V , Vanka Amit , Rajan Bhavya
Published: December 2017

Background

Primary surgical repair of the bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) deformity is challenging. Infant Orthopedic (IO) procedures are often used to assist surgical reconstruction of normal anatomy. Nasoalveolar molding (NAM) is a presurgical infant orthopedic procedure that attempts to reduce the cleft nasal deformity, in addition to the lip and alveolus, leading to an esthetic primary surgical repair.

Objective

NAM provides the surgical team with a better foundation for an easier and more esthetic single stage repair at the level of nose in addition to the lip and alveolus.

Method

Infant nasal cartilages are amenable to correction with NAM in the first few weeks of infancy when they retain their plasticity. NAM‐assisted surgical repair of a complete BCLP infant is discussed. Postoperatively nasal stents were used to retain results and minimize relapse.

Results

NAM helped correct premaxillary deviation and protrusion, reduce alveolar cleft width and improve the nasal morphology prior to surgery in the BCLP infant.

Conclusions

NAM helped reduce the severity of the cleft deformity in the BCLP infant and facilitated an easier and esthetic single stage primary surgical repair.
True Cowmen and Commercial Farmers: Exploring Vets’ and Dairy Farmers’ Contrasting Views of ‘Good Farming’ in Relation to Biosecurity
Authors: Shortall Orla , Sutherland Lee‐Ann , Ruston Annmarie , Kaler Jasmeet
Published: December 2017

Responsibility for biosecurity in UK farming is being devolved from government to industry, with a greater emphasis on the veterinarian (vet)‐farmer relationship. Although social science has shown that care for animals is part of ‘good farming’, the British dairy sector sees a need to improve biosecurity. This research uses the good farmer concept to compare how vets and dairy farmers define good farming for biosecurity based on qualitative interviews with 28 vets and 15 dairy farmers in England. The results revealed two conflicting ‘good farmer’ identities: the large, commercial farmer who has the economic capital to invest in biosecurity and veterinary services; and the self‐sufficient stock keeper whose cultural and social capital lead them to manage herd health independently. These identities reflect changing ‘rules of the game’, following Bourdieu's use of the term, and increasing penetration of vets’ cultural capital into the sector. They involve different constructions of risk which need to be recognised within debates about good biosecurity.
Zika virus dynamics in body fluids and risk of sexual transmission in a non‐endemic area
Authors: Sánchez‐Montalvá Adrián , Pou Diana , Sulleiro Elena , Salvador Fernando , Bocanegra Cristina , Treviño Begoña , Rando Ariadna , Serre Núria , Pumarola Tomàs , Almirante Benito , Molina Israel
Published: December 2017

Objective

To understand Zika virus (ZIKV) dynamics in fluids of infected individuals and the risk of sexual transmission.

Methods

Prospective study at two centres in Spain. Patients with probable or confirmed diagnosis of ZIKV infection were clinically followed up, and fluid samples were collected from saliva, serum, urine and semen or vaginal secretion following the study protocol. Non‐traveller‐sexual partners were offered to participate.

Results

From January 2016 to December 2016, we included a total of 11 traveller patients and six sexual contacts. Six patients were male, with a median age of 38 years (IQR 30–45). We performed 61 RT‐PCR determinations, seven of which were positive. Positive results were retrieved from serum, urine, semen and vaginal tract. One of four women tested positive for ZIKV RNA in vaginal swabs collected during the first 45 days after symptoms onset. Clearance occurred between day 37 and day 69 after symptoms onset. One of five men tested positive for ZIKV RNA in semen collected during the first 45 days after symptoms onset. Clearance occurred between day 23 and 107 after symptoms onset. Six patients had sexual relations during the defined period. All tested patients were negative for ZIKV infection by serological testing.

Conclusion

ZIKV shedding persistence in genital fluids occurs in a significant number of symptomatic patients after visiting an endemic area. We did not find any ZIKV seroconversion among the three male contacts who were investigated. Diagnostic algorithms may be updated to include genital tract fluid specimens in the diagnostic process.
CAUSATION, DISPOSITIONS, AND PHYSICAL OCCASIONALISM
Authors: Schultz Walter J. , D'Andrea‐Winslow Lisanne
Published: December 2017

Even though theistic philosophers and scientists agree that God created, sustains, and providentially governs the physical universe and even though much has been published in general regarding divine action, what is needed is a fine‐grained, conceptually coherent account of divine action, causation, dispositions, and laws of nature consistent with divine aseity, satisfying the widely recognized adequacy conditions for any account of dispositions.1 Such an account would be a basic part of a more comprehensive theory of divine action in relation to the fundamental concepts of science and of mathematics. Our aim in this article is simply to present such a theory.
Síndrome de disfunción de la articulación sacroiliaca. Análisis clínico de los resultados a corto y mediano plazo de una serie de 115 pacientes tratados con bloqueo selectivo percutáneo
Authors: Abadía Laura , Acevedo González Juan Carlos
Published: December 2017

Objetivo: el síndrome de disfunción de la articulación sacroiliaca es una de las principales causas de dolor lumbar. Este artículo muestra cómo se evaluó el curso clínico de personas sometidas a bloqueos selectivos percutáneos para el tratamiento del dolor sacroiliaco. Materiales y métodos: se trataron 115 pacientes que asistieron a consulta entre noviembre de 2006 y mayo de 2013. Fueron diagnosticados con síndrome de disfunción de la articulación sacroiliaca. Se realizaron 131 bloqueos de esta articulación, llevados a cabo por uno de los autores (JCA) con técnica percutánea bajo visión fluoroscópica. El análisis se realizó a partir de la información de la historia clínica con un seguimiento de hasta un año. Resultados: se evaluó la intensidad del dolor con la escala visual análoga y se encontró que el 67 % de los pacientes presentó mejoría superior al 50 % del dolor. El 35 % presentó mejoría superior al 75 % del dolor. Conclusiones: el tratamiento del dolor lumbar secundario a una alteración en la articulación sacroiliaca puede ser tratado con la realización percutánea de bloqueo selectivo con esteroides y anestésicos. 
Valores séricos de ácido fólico en un grupo de pacientes mayores de 18 años de edad en un hospital de alta complejidad
Authors: Salamanca Lyda , Ordoñez Vásquez Adriana , Cardozo Romero Claudia , Suárez Obando Fernando
Published: December 2017

Resumen
Objetivo: establecer las concentraciones séricas de ácido fólico en un grupo de pacientes adultos. Métodos: medición del ácido fólico con inmunoanálisis en 1797 sujetos. Se calcularon medidas de tendencia central e índice de confianza al 95 %. Se compararon grupos etarios y sexos con pruebas no paramétricas. Resultados: la media global de ácido fólico sérico fue: 11,61 ng/ml (DE: 6,05). La media en mujeres fue de 11,87 ng/ml (DE: 6,09). La media en hombres fue de 11,31 ng/ml (DE: 6). Se reportaron los percentiles 5, 50 y 95 por sexo y edad. En el 2 % de los casos se encontró ácido fólico < 2 ng/ml (2 % de hombres y 3 % de mujeres). Discusión: las concentraciones séricas de ácido fólico son mayores en mujeres que en hombres (p = 0,024), lo que contrasta con la noción de déficit del micronutriente en el sexo femenino. Conclusiones: las cantidades descritas son un comparador adecuado para mediciones en muestras de población general.
Pautas para el examen oftalmológico. Enfoque para el estudiante de medicina y el médico general
Authors: Rios Zuluaga Julian David , Bettin Torres Lura , Naranjo Salazar Santiago , Suárez Garavito Jaime Andrés , De Vivero Arciniegas Clemencia
Published: December 2017

El examen oftalmológico debe ser una actividad obligatoria para el estudiante de medicina y el médico general. Su realización es de suma importancia en la atención de pacientes con síntomas oculares, quienes requieren una evaluación oftalmológica completa y una descripción clínica adecuada. Este artículo surge ante la necesidad que tienen los estudiantes de medicina y los médicos generales de realizar un adecuado examen oftalmológico en sus prácticas clínicas, con el fin de poder establecer diagnósticos claros y así brindar un tratamiento correcto o solicitar la remisión pertinente a un paciente que requiera el cuidado de un oftalmólogo.
Elementos traza y trastorno afectivo bipolar
Authors: Cruz Ramírez Kerly Viviana , Benavides Solarte Mario Fernando , Gómez Restrepo Carlos
Published: December 2017

Introducción: Los elementos traza u oligoelementos son micronutrientes disponibles en mínima cantidad en el cuerpo humano y constituyen funciones vitales, lo que les confiere su importancia. El exceso o déficit en las concentraciones de oligoelementos como zinc, litio, cobre y plomo podrían estar involucrados en las diferentes fases del trastorno afectivo bipolar. Objetivo: Analizar la información actual disponible en la literatura sobre la relación entre elementos traza y el trastorno afectivo bipolar. Métodos: Búsqueda en paralelo por dos revisores en las bases de datos Ovid, Pubmed, SciELO y Cochrane. Resultados: Se encontraron un total de 47 artículos publicados entre 1988 y 2015, aunque al final se evaluaron 12 artículos en texto completo. Conclusiones: La literatura disponible sugiere asociación entre altas cantidades de zinc en fase maniaca y escasa presencia en la fase depresiva de pacientes con trastorno afectivo bipolar. No se encontró asociación significativa con los otros oligoelementos.
Deterioro funcional hospitalario. Revisión y actualización con una perspectiva orientada a mejorar la calidad de atención del anciano
Authors: Lozano Rengifo Maria Juliana , Chavarro Carvajal Diego Andrés
Published: December 2017

Resumen

El deterioro funcional hospitalario se caracteriza por la pérdida de, al menos, una de las actividades básicas de la vida diaria con respecto a la funcionalidad previa al inicio de la enfermedad aguda. Tiene factores de riesgo asociados que son modificables durante la hospitalización y de ahí la importancia de la identificación temprana y la intervención oportuna. Por eso se debe conocer esta entidad clínica, debido a las complicaciones asociadas que se pueden presentar tanto a corto como a largo plazo, entre las cuales están aumento de la estancia hospitalaria, presencia de complicaciones médicas, mayor riesgo de institucionalización, mayores costos para el sistema de salud y aumento de la mortalidad. El objetivo de esta revisión es conocer la forma de presentación, los factores de riesgo, la identificación temprana y los programas de intervención para mejorar la calidad de atención en los pacientes ancianos hospitalizados por enfermedad médica. 
Actividad física en residentes de medicina familiar de Bogotá y su recomendación a los pacientes
Authors: Barrios Martínez Maria Camila , Gil Maldonado Fabio Andrés , García Manriquez Juan Gabriel
Published: December 2017

Resumen

Objetivo: Identificar los hábitos de actividad física (AF) en residentes de medicina familiar de Bogotá y las recomendaciones que dan sobre esta a los pacientes. Metodología: Estudio de corte transversal con aplicación de parte de la encuesta de Healthy Doctor = Healthy Patient y preguntas sobre las “Características del médico y de la práctica clínica” de la iniciativa Exercise is Medicine® en los profesionales en formación en medicina familiar de 5 universidades de Bogotá. Resultados: El total de participantes fue de 97 residentes, quienes reportaron AF vigorosa, moderada y leve. Conclusiones: Los resultados evidenciados y comparados con la literatura internacional disponible (Reino Unido, Estados Unidos, Nueva Zelanda y Canadá) muestran que hay convergencia en la necesidad de capacitar médicos de atención primaria en la forma correcta de interrogar y recomendar la AF, de forma escrita, teniendo el formato incluido en la historia clínica esto respaldado por iniciativas internacionales. 
Acute Respiratory Infection by Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in a Population of Older Adults in Colombia
Authors: Cubides Nidi Lorena Corredor , Beltrán Suárez Karent Juileth , Segura Salgero Juan Camilo , Bettin Torres Laura , Coriat Budik Jeanette , Vargas Chacón Pilar Rocio , Silva Valencia Maria Juliana , Guiza Forero Lilia Patricia , Gutiérrez Fernández Maria Fernanda , Hidalgo Díaz Marylin , Diez Ortega Hugo
Published: December 2017

Abstract

Introduction: Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) is a heterogeneous group of viral and bacterial respiratory pathologies including Chlamydophila pneumoniae (CP) and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) that are not routinely identified; these infections in the older adults have mortality rates 3 to 5 times higher than that recorded in other age groups. Methods: this study was conducted prospectively to determine the proportion of atypical bacterial pathogens in older adults with ARI in Bogotá. Microbiological diagnosis was determined by real-time PCR (qPCR) in samples of respiratory origin and serology for antibodies IgG, IgA and IgM to MP and CP. Results: A total of 71 patients were enrolled from 2012 to 2013. Upper respiratory infections were diagnosed in the 69% of patients and lower respiratory infections in 31%. MP was identified in 9.8% and CP in 8.5%. Conclusions: these findings indicated that CP and MP must be viewed as a significant etiological agent of ARI in older adults in Bogotá.
Analytical Solution for the Electric Arc Dynamics and Heat Transfer When Exposed to a Magnetic Cross-Field
Authors: Abdo Youssef , Rohani Vandad , Cauneau François , Fulcheri Laurent
Published: December 2017

The motion of the gliding DC electric arc under the effect of magnetic field is investigated. The temperature distribution in the inside and the outside of the moving arc is computed. The temperature distribution for the fixed-spot arc is also obtained. It appears that the gas relative velocity inside the arc gives rise to heat convection, which has an impact on the arc motion. A practical analytical solution is derived using magneto gas dynamic equations in order to investigate the heat transfer occurring in the arc and its vicinity, to determine its characteristics, and to estimate its velocity when it is exposed to external and electrode-induced magnetic fields. Two methods are suggested: one for the free-burning arc and the other for arc burning between close surrounding walls.
Double Play! Examining the Relationship Between MLB’s Corporate Social Responsibility and Sport Spectators’ Behavioral Intentions
Authors: Kim Joon Kyoung , Ott Holly K. , Hull Kevin , Choi Minhee
Published: December 2017

This study examined the impact of exposure to corporate social responsibility (CSR) messages on individuals’ attitudes and behavioral intentions toward a Major League Baseball (MLB) team’s CSR efforts. Using a 2 (information source: team source or a third-party source) × 2 (CSR initiatives: efforts to help cancer patients or military appreciation recognition) with two nonfactorial control conditions (team source or a third-party source) experimental design, this study aims to identify how factors such as information source, perceived sincerity, and different types of CSR activities impact a MLB team’s CSR messaging on social media. Path analysis was used to examine significant paths between variables; results indicated that CSR messages generated a halo effect, thus providing implications for how MLB teams should develop CSR strategies and most effectively communicate about these efforts. Theoretical and practical implications of study results are discussed.
Closed Genome Sequence of Chryseobacterium piperi Strain CTM
T
/ATCC BAA-1782, a Gram-Negative Bacterium with Clostridial Neurotoxin-Like Coding Sequences
Authors: Wentz Travis G. , Muruvanda Tim , Lomonaco Sara , Thirunavukkarasu Nagarajan , Hoffmann Maria , Allard Marc W. , Hodge David R. , Pillai Segaran P. , Hammack Thomas S. , Brown Eric W. , Sharma Shashi K.
Published: December 2017

Clostridial neurotoxins, including botulinum and tetanus neurotoxins, are among the deadliest known bacterial toxins. Until recently, the horizontal mobility of this toxin gene family appeared to be limited to the genus
Clostridium
. We report here the closed genome sequence of
Chryseobacterium piperi
, a Gram-negative bacterium containing coding sequences with homology to clostridial neurotoxin family proteins.
High-Quality Draft Genome Sequence of
Curtobacterium
sp. Strain Ferrero
Authors: Osdaghi Ebrahim , Forero Serna Natalia , Bolot Stephanie , Fischer-Le Saux Marion , Jacques Marie-Agnès , Portier Perrine , Carrère Sébastien , Koebnik Ralf
Published: December 2017

Here, we present the high-quality draft genome sequence of
Curtobacterium
sp. strain Ferrero, an actinobacterium belonging to a novel species isolated as an environmental contaminant in a bacterial cell culture. The assembled genome of 3,694,888 bp in 49 contigs has a G+C content of 71.6% and contains 3,516 predicted genes.
Multiple simultaneous infections in a patient with well-controlled HIV: when Occam’s razor fails
Authors: Sherley Miranda , Martin Sarah Jane
Published: December 2017

Multiple concurrent infectious processes have previously been reported in the context of advanced HIV with significant immunosuppression. Here we report a case of multiple infections in a 56-year-old man with well-controlled HIV diagnosed 5 years earlier. Soon after returning to Australia following 12 years living in Thailand, he became unwell with fevers, night sweats, arthralgia and myalgia. There were no localising symptoms and examination was unremarkable. Investigations revealed positive syphilis (Treponema pallidum) serology with an RPR of 16, a positive urine culture (Klebsiella pneumoniae), a pulmonary nodule, a liver abscess and colitis (Entamoeba histolytica). Recovery was only complete when all the individual infections were treated.
Cardiac myosin-binding protein C is a novel marker of myocardial injury and fibrosis in aortic stenosis
Authors: Anand Atul , Chin Calvin , Shah Anoop S V , Kwiecinski Jacek , Vesey Alex , Cowell Joanna , Weber Ekkehard , Kaier Thomas , Newby David E , Dweck Marc , Marber Michael S , Mills Nicholas L
Published: December 2017

Objective

Cardiac myosin-binding protein C (cMyC) is an abundant sarcomeric protein and novel highly specific marker of myocardial injury. Myocyte death characterises the transition from hypertrophy to replacement myocardial fibrosis in advanced aortic stenosis. We hypothesised that serum cMyC concentrations would be associated with cardiac structure and outcomes in patients with aortic stenosis.

Methods

cMyC was measured in two cohorts in which serum had previously been prospectively collected: a mechanism cohort of patients with aortic stenosis (n=161) and healthy controls (n=46) who underwent cardiac MRI, and an outcome cohort with aortic stenosis (n=104) followed for a median of 11.3 years.

Results

In the mechanism cohort, cMyC concentration correlated with left ventricular mass (adjusted Î²=11.0 g/m2 per log unit increase in cMyC, P<0.001), fibrosis volume (adjusted Î²=8.0 g, P<0.001) and extracellular volume (adjusted Î²=1.3%, P=0.01) in patients with aortic stenosis but not in controls. In those with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) indicative of myocardial fibrosis, cMyC concentrations were higher (32 (21–56) ng/L vs 17 (12–24) ng/L without LGE, P<0.001). cMyC was unrelated to coronary calcium scores. Unadjusted Cox proportional hazards analysis in the outcome cohort showed greater all-cause mortality (HR 1.49 per unit increase in log cMyC, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.01, P=0.009).

Conclusions

Serum cMyC concentration is associated with myocardial hypertrophy, fibrosis and an increased risk of mortality in aortic stenosis. The quantification of serum sarcomeric protein concentrations provides objective measures of disease severity and their clinical utility to monitor the progression of aortic stenosis merits further study.

Clinical trial registration

NCT1755936; Post-results.
Histone Mutations in Cancer
Authors: Funato Kosuke , Tabar Viviane
Published: December 2017

Recurrent driver mutations in the genes encoding histones have been recently described in pediatric brain tumors, as well as in chondroblastomas and giant cell tumors of the bone. The mutations are often heterozygous and frequently comprise single amino acid substitutions in the tails of histone variants. Substitutions of methionine to lysine on H3.3K27 or H3.3K36 are the most common alterations, occurring in diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) and chondroblastomas, respectively. Current data suggest that histone mutations alter the epigenetic landscape in tumor cells and lead to a blockade of differentiation, but the mechanisms underlying oncogenesis are not fully understood. These mutations also exhibit a propensity for exclusive expression in specific cell lineages and, in the case of brain tumors, a remarkable anatomic and developmental specificity. The histone mutations have raised interest in promising novel therapeutic strategies that incorporate epigenetic drugs.
Educational Technology in Iranian High Schools: EFL Teachers’ Attitudes, Perceived Competence, and Actual Use
Authors: Jahanban-Isfahlan Hasan , Hadidi Tamjid Nasrin , Seifoori Zohreh
Published: December 2017

It goes without saying that technology has influenced virtually all spheres of our lives, and teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) is not an exception to this rule. Also, teachers’ undeniable and decisive role in the integration of technology into teaching is not to be taken a blind eye on. With this in mind, this study explored Iranian high school EFL teachers’ attitudes toward, their perceived competency in, and their actual use of instructional technology in their classrooms. 120 randomly selected junior and senior high school Iranian EFL teachers filled out The Survey of High School EFL Teachers’ Attitudes toward Computer Technology. Over 600 junior and senior high school students filled out Students’ Questionnaire Surveying the Use of Educational Technology by English Teachers in Classrooms. The results indicated that even though Iranian teachers have an overall positive attitude toward (computer) technology, they are not sufficiently competent to use it in their classes, and this lack of competence may be one of the main barriers to the full use of technology in their classes.
Abstract A11: A deep learning approach for extracting clinically relevant information from pathology reports
Authors: Saib Waheeda Banu , Kumar Pavan , Siwo Geoffrey , Dlamini Gciniwe , Singh Elvira , Candy Sue , Klipin Michael
Published: December 2017

Data-Driven Healthcare, IBM Research Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa

The National Cancer Registry (NCR) in South Africa plays a significant role in reporting nationwide cancer statistics and raising the global awareness of the massive impact of cancer. The government requires confirmed cancer cases to be reported to the NCR. Due to manual processes and the increasing magnitude of reports received annually, a considerable lag time exists in cancer statistics, which means the extent of the cancer cases is currently not understood. In addition, the unstructured free-text also needs to be processed in order to identify clinical information that could be important for public health planning. We present initial results from a deep learning approach to address this time lag. Deep learning is a powerful machine-learning algorithm that has made strides in the area of medical image recognition and speech processing. The deep learning system takes as input 2000 de-identified breast cancer pathology reports provided by the NCR in collaboration with the University of Witwatersrand Medical School. The pathology reports are first preprocessed using the Tf-idf (term frequency-inverse document frequency) method, which suggests how important a word is to a document in a corpus by assigning a numerical statistic to each word and hence obtain a term frequency document matrix. The high dimensional data matrix is, input into an unsupervised learning autoencoder, a data compression algorithm used to attain rich features that best represents the specific breast cancer topography and morphology. Unlike other approaches, our approach relies on non-dictionary sources such as clinical empirical knowledge extracted from the reports and dictionary sources such as the 12,000 medical diagnoses available in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10). The output from the deep learning system can be used to automate the classification of reports into their corresponding topography and morphology. The system could also be used to create a visual analytics system to aid data exploration and trend analysis of the current state of cancer in South Africa.

Citation Format: Waheeda Banu Saib, Pavan Kumar, Geoffrey Siwo, Gciniwe Dlamini, Elvira Singh, Sue Candy, Michael Klipin. A deep learning approach for extracting clinically relevant information from pathology reports [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR International Conference: New Frontiers in Cancer Research; 2017 Jan 18-22; Cape Town, South Africa. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(22 Suppl):Abstract nr A11.
Pancreatic Pseudocyst Ruptured due to Acute Intracystic Hemorrhage
Authors: Okamura Kunishige , Ohara Masanori , Kaneko Tsukasa , Shirosaki Tomohide , Fujiwara Aki , Yamabuki Takumi , Takahashi Ryo , Komuro Kazuteru , Iwashiro Nozomu , Kimura Noriko
Published: December 2017

Rupture of pancreatic pseudocyst is one of the rare complications and usually results in high mortality. The present case was a rupture of pancreatic pseudocyst that could be treated by surgical intervention. A 74-year-old man developed abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, and he was diagnosed with cholecystitis and pneumonia. Three days later, acute pancreatitis occurred and computed tomography (CT) showed slight hemorrhage in the cyst of the pancreatic tail. After another 10 days, CT showed pancreatic cyst ruptured due to intracystic hemorrhage. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography revealed leakage of contrast agent from pancreatic tail cyst to enclosed abdominal cavity. His left hypochondrial pain was increasing, and CT showed rupture of the cyst of the pancreatic tail into the peritoneal cavity was increased in 10 days. CT showed also two left renal tumors. Therefore we performed distal pancreatectomy with concomitant resection of transverse colon and left kidney. We histopathologically diagnosed pancreatic pseudocyst ruptured due to intracystic hemorrhage and renal cell carcinoma. Despite postoperative paralytic ileus and fluid collection at pancreatic stump, they improved by conservative management and he could be discharged on postoperative day 29. He has achieved relapse-free survival for 6 months postoperatively. The mortality of pancreatic pseudocyst rupture is very high if some effective medical interventions cannot be performed. It should be necessary to plan appropriate treatment strategy depending on each patient.
Suberanilohydroxamic Acid as a Pharmacological Kruppel‐Like Factor 2 Activator That Represses Vascular Inflammation and Atherosclerosis
Authors: Xu Yanni , Xu Suowen , Liu Peng , Koroleva Marina , Zhang Shuya , Si Shuyi , Jin Zheng Gen
Published: December 2017

Background

Kruppel‐like factor 2 (
KLF
2) is an important zinc‐finger transcription factor that maintains endothelial homeostasis by its anti‐inflammatory, ‐thrombotic, ‐oxidative, and ‐proliferative effects in endothelial cells. In light of the potent vasoprotective effects of
KLF
2, modulating
KLF
2 expression or function could give rise to new therapeutic strategies to treat cardiovascular diseases.

Methods and Results

High‐throughput drug screening based on
KLF
2 promoter luciferase reporter assay was performed to screen
KLF
2 activators. Real‐time
PCR
and western blot were used to detect gene and protein expression. Identified
KLF
2 activator was orally administered to ApoE
−/−
mice to evaluate anti‐atherosclerotic efficacy. By screening 2400 compounds in the Spectrum library, we identified suberanilohydroxamic (SAHA) acid, also known as vorinostat as a pharmacological
KLF
2 activator through myocyte enhancer factor 2. We found that
SAHA
exhibited anti‐inflammatory effects and attenuated monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells inflamed with tumor necrosis factor alpha. We further showed that the inhibitory effect of
SAHA
on endothelial inflammation and ensuing monocyte adhesion was
KLF
2 dependent using
KLF
2‐deficient mouse lung endothelial cells or
KLF
2 small interfering
RNA–
depleted human endothelial cells. Importantly, we observed that oral administration of
SAHA
reduced diet‐induced atherosclerotic lesion development in ApoE
−/−
mice without significant effect on serum lipid levels.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that
SAHA
has
KLF
2‐dependent anti‐inflammatory effects in endothelial cells and provide the proof of concept that
KLF
2 activation could be a promising therapeutic strategy for treating atherosclerosis.
Inscription on the Chalice of Solomon
Authors: Lourié Basil
Published: December 2017

A new analysis of the so-called Inscription on the Chalice of Solomon (known mostly from literary documents in Slavonic) is based on the totality of the available sources, including a recently published (2000) Greek recension and recently found (2013) but unpublished two Latin ones. It is argued that the text was written in Hebrew in the late Second Temple period, being therefore roughly contemporaneous to the Damascus Document and some other Dead Sea Scrolls and representing a similar but different liturgy and theology. The original liturgical setting of the chalice as a liturgical utensil is some kind of new wine festival.
The Universal and the Status of Genera-Species Division in Clement of Alexandria
Authors: Biriukov Dmitry
Published: December 2017

In this paper I will defend an interpretation of Clement of Alexandria’s teaching about categories, according to which the categories apply only to the material world, but not to intelligible and divine reality. I draw the parallel between Clement’s theory and a corresponding doctrine offered by Eunomius, the leader of Arianism in the second half of the fourth century, which he developed as a reaction to the Nicaean horizontal discourse of Triadology.
The structure and development of interxylary and external phloem in Aquilaria sinensis
Authors: Luo Bei , Ou Yeling , Pan Biao , Qiu Jian , Itoh Takao
Published: December 2017

The structure and development of interxylary phloem (IP) and external phloem in Aquilaria sinensis were investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy. Complete IP strands were isolated, measuring 14 ± 4 mm in length and 417 ± 124 μm in width. The outer margin of IP was composed of two to three layers of fusiform parenchyma cells. The development of IP can be divided into five stages: 1) Locally IP starts its differentiation within a small segment of a broad cambial zone, at the cost of xylem differentiation. 2) Inward growth of IP advances, and fibres and sieve tubes differentiate. 3) IP is constricted by the encroachment of immature xylem cells between cambium and immature IP. 4) IP is isolated from the cambium and surrounded by immature, non-lignified xylem tissue. 5) IP is surrounded by lignified xylem tissue, and the fibres within IP become lignified.

In all the phloem islands in a ten-year-old stem, sieve elements showed positive staining of callose with aniline blue. However, no staining of callose was observed in the external secondary phloem of agarwood trees collected from two different sites. No sieve tubes or sieve pores were detected by SEM observation of numerous serial cross and radial sections of the external phloem. We therefore conclude that sieve tubes are absent from the external phloem or extremely rare and that the transport of photosynthetic products in the stem of A. sinensis takes place in the interxylary phloem.
Astonishing diversity revealed: an annotated and illustrated inventory of Nudipleura (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) from Mozambique
Authors: TIBIRIÇÁ YARA , POLA MARTA , CERVERA JUAN LUCAS
Published: December 2017

This paper provides the first comprehensive annotated and illustrated inventory of Nudipleura from Mozambique. A total of 267 species are recorded, including 61 putative new species, documented over a period of seven years from several localities along the coast. At least 20 species need further investigation through molecular and taxomic analysis. Of the 186 confirmed described species, 118 are new records for the Mozambican fauna. Sampling was carried in tidal reefs and depths up to 60m on the subtropical and tropical coast of Mozambique. The most representative families were Chromodorididae (69 species), Discodorididae (30 species), Facelinidae (23 species) and Phyllididae (16 species). Nevertheless, a vast area of Mozambique remains unexplored, thus it is likely that the species documented here represent only a fraction of the true Nudipleura diversity of the country.
A Scheme to Assimilate “No Rain” Observations from Doppler Radar
Authors: Gao Shibo , Sun Juanzhen , Min Jinzhong , Zhang Ying , Ying Zhuming
Published: December 2017

Radar reflectivity observations contain valuable information on precipitation and have been assimilated into numerical weather prediction models for improved microphysics initialization. However, low-reflectivity (or so-called no rain) echoes have often been ignored or not effectively used in radar data assimilation schemes. In this paper, a scheme to assimilate no-rain radar observations is described within the framework of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model’s three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVar) system, and its impact on precipitation forecasts is demonstrated. The key feature of the scheme is a neighborhood-based approach to adjusting water vapor when a grid point is deemed as no rain. The performance of the scheme is first examined using a severe convective case in the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains and then verified by running the 3DVar system in the same region, with and without the no-rain assimilation scheme for 68 days and 3-hourly rapid update cycles. It is shown that the no-rain data assimilation method reduces the bias and false alarm ratio of precipitation over its counterpart without that assimilation. The no-rain assimilation also improved humidity, temperature, and wind fields, with the largest error reduction in the water vapor field, both near the surface and at upper levels. It is also shown that the advantage of the scheme is in its ability to conserve total water content in cycled radar data assimilation, which cannot be achieved by assimilating only precipitation echoes.
Laying-on Hands
Authors: Seman Jennifer Koshatka
Published: December 2017

This essay examines the ways Teresa Urrea – a curandera or Mexican faith healer – was understood by those she healed as well as the popular presses of the turn of the century as she moved out of the US–Mexico borderlands and into urban centers of San Francisco, New York City, and especially Los Angeles. Santa Teresa’s curanderismo was a cultural refuge for ethnic Mexicans who faced an increasingly racialized and antagonistic public health system in Los Angeles. At the same time, her curanderismo – exemplified by the practice of “laying on hands” – shared epistemologies with scientific medicine and other healing modalities, such as Spiritism, allopathic medicine, and indigenous healing arts. For those who lived in the liminal space between two nations and two cultures, Santa Teresa’s curanderismo provided both practical and magical medicine for the body and spirit.
A refined and translationally relevant model of chronic DSS colitis in BALB/c mice
Authors: Hoffmann Maximilian , Schwertassek Ulla , Seydel Aleksandra , Weber Klaus , Falk Werner , Hauschildt Sunna , Lehmann Jörg
Published: December 2017

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic relapsing disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Several mouse models for IBD are available, but the acute dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model is mostly used for preclinical studies. However, this model lacks chronicity and often leads to significant loss of mice. The aim of this study was to establish a refined and translationally relevant model of DSS chronic colitis in BALB/c mice. In the first part, we compared several standard therapeutic (ST) treatments for IBD in the acute DSS colitis model to identify the optimal treatment control for a DSS colitis model as compared to literature data. In the second part, we tested the two most effective ST treatments in a refined model of chronic DSS colitis. Cyclosporine A (CsA) and 6-thioguanine (6-TG) caused considerable reduction of clinical scores in acute DSS colitis. The clinical outcome was confirmed by the results for colon length and by histopathological evaluation. Moreover, CsA and 6-TG considerably reduced mRNA expression of several pro-inflammatory cytokines in spleen and colon. Both compounds also showed a substantial therapeutic effect in the refined model of chronic DSS colitis with regard to clinical scores and histopathology as well as the expression of inflammatory markers. The refined model of chronic DSS colitis reflects important features of IBD and is well suited to test potential IBD therapeutics.
Impact of Adjuvant Radiotherapy for Malignant Salivary Gland Tumors
Authors: Safdieh Joseph , Givi Babak , Osborn Virginia , Lederman Ariel , Schwartz David , Schreiber David
Published: December 2017

Objective

Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB), we investigated the characteristics, outcomes, and benefits of adjuvant therapy for patients diagnosed with malignant salivary gland tumors between 2004 and 2012.

Study Design

Retrospective analysis.

Setting

NCDB.

Subject and Methods

The cases of patients diagnosed with a nonmetastatic major salivary gland tumor who underwent resection between 2004 and 2012 were abstracted from the NCDB. Patients were further included if they had pT1‐4NX‐1M0 high‐grade disease or pT3‐4NX‐0M0 or pT1‐4N1M0 low‐grade disease. Patients were identified as having no postoperative radiation therapy or having received postoperative radiation therapy to a dose of 5000 and 7000 cGy to the head and neck region or the parotid region, and their characteristics and outcomes were compared.

Results

During the study period, 4068 patients met the inclusion criteria for this analysis, of which 2728 (67.1%) received postoperative radiation and 1340 (32.9%) did not. With a median follow‐up of 49.1 months, there was a significant improvement in overall survival associated with those receiving postoperative radiation (5 years, 56% vs 50.6%). On multivariable analysis, radiation utilization (hazard ratio, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.71‐0.86; P < 0.001) and female sex (hazard ratio, 0.88) were associated with improved survival. When the analysis was limited to patients ≤65 years old, the survival benefit was persistent on multivariable analysis.

Conclusion

In conclusion, in this large NCDB study of 4068 patients with locally advanced malignant salivary gland carcinoma, administering adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with improved overall survival.
“A smile on everybody’s face”: A multiple case study of community ukulele groups
Authors: Giebelhausen Robin , Kruse Adam J.
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this study was to explore educational and social environments of multiple American community ukulele groups. The foundations, objectives, and leadership of four community ukulele groups offer expansions to our understandings of the ways in which people are teaching and learning with the ukulele as well as what are hopefully valuable considerations for music educators. This study helps to support the notion that there is no singular experience nor ubiquitous practice for community ukulele groups, though some important values (e.g., fun) might be common. In this study, the group leaders established learning environments that were largely participatory, and while the leadership itself may not have always been democratic, the leaders’ choices were reflective of the group members’ interests and goals. Considerations include prioritizing fun, questioning presentational performance, and considering leadership styles and the role of leadership in a responsive educational environment.
The Dynamics of a Mughal Court Festival
Authors: Ghosh Rajoshree
Published: December 2017

The celebration of Nauroz, being one of the most well-defined events of the Mughal Court, finds ample space in their records. Yet, its story was not just about grandeur and magnificence, but touches several aspects of what made and sustained the empire. Building on the multiple identities of the festival, which emerges from a brief overview of its antecedents, this article examines the ways in which the sources have presented each of the emperors to have negotiated with it. However, it is on stringing them together and noting the changing nature of references that the layers begin to reveal themselves, discerning not only what the sources voiced but also may have attempted to suppress, in our endeavour to understand the cultural functioning and articulation of power in the Mughal Empire.
The Indian Diaspora in Malaya
Authors: Suppiah Ummadevi , Raja Sivachandralingam Sundara
Published: December 2017

The historiography of Malaya that deals with Indian diaspora rarely differentiates Indians on the basis of their ethnic3 origins and their relationships during the British era. The ethnic Indian populations during the British era comprised the majority Tamils, and the other groups such as the Telugus, Malayalees, Gujeratis, Chettiars, Sikhs and Indian Muslims. The ethnic groupings among those of Indian origin could be divided into three main economic classes: labour, business and civil service. This article focuses on the Chettiars as the group that comprised the business class and looks at their interactions with the other ethnic groups of Indian origin belonging to the labour class and civil service. This article demonstrates that although the Chettiar provided credit to other Indian ethnic groups, the moneylending system was one-sided, favouring only the Chettiar, who did not play a positive role in ensuring the overall socio-economic interests and welfare of working class Indians.
A Report on a Recently Discovered Ruined Gupta Temple at Khanderia, Bundi District, Rajasthan
Authors: Greaves Laxshmi
Published: December 2017

This report focuses on the recently discovered foundations of an early Gupta temple constructed from brick and stone and situated near the small village of Khanderia in the Bundi district of Rajasthan. A Śiva ekamukhaliṅ ga of exceptional beauty and sophistication lies within a sizeable sanctum, leading us to believe that this may once have been a monument of some importance. This report explores the temple ruins, the recent history of the site and the surrounding landscape. It is hoped that this article will add to scholarship on the Gupta presence in the Western Mālwa region.
Human Information Processing Shapes Language Change
Authors: Fedzechkina Maryia , Chu Becky , Florian Jaeger T.
Published: December 2017

Human languages exhibit both striking diversity and abstract commonalities. Whether these commonalities are shaped by potentially universal principles of human information processing has been of central interest in the language and psychological sciences. Research has identified one such abstract property in the domain of word order: Although sentence word-order preferences vary across languages, the superficially different orders result in short grammatical dependencies between words. Because dependencies are easier to process when they are short rather than long, these findings raise the possibility that languages are shaped by biases of human information processing. In the current study, we directly tested the hypothesized causal link. We found that learners exposed to novel miniature artificial languages that had unnecessarily long dependencies did not follow the surface preference of their native language but rather systematically restructured the input to reduce dependency lengths. These results provide direct evidence for a causal link between processing preferences in individual speakers and patterns in linguistic diversity.
Nigeria and Conflict Resolution in the Sub-regional West Africa: The Quest for a Regional Hegemon?
Authors: Ojakorotu Victor , Adeleke Adewole Ayodeji
Published: December 2017

The role of Nigeria in conflict resolution and peacekeeping efforts in Africa and other parts of the world cannot be overemphasised. The country has contributed more than 200,000 soldiers to peacekeeping missions around the world since independence. These efforts have earned it much respect in the council of nations and the recognition as being the ‘giant of Africa’. Also, Nigeria has been regarded as a ‘regional hegemon’ by some scholars because of its population size, comparatively large economic and human resources, and a bigger and well-equipped armed forces, equal in numerical strength to the armed forces of all the other countries in West Africa combined. The country played a very important role at spearheading the formation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Ceasefire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in the 1990s. It has contributed the highest fund in defraying the costs of ECOMOG deployment to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Cote d’Ivoire and Mali. This study analyses the hegemonic tendencies of Nigeria in the sub-region of West Africa. It argues that although the country is the most populous and the biggest economy in the sub-region but it does not possess the military, economic and the international support to function as a hegemonic power in West Africa.