bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of potatoes and other carbohydrate-containing foods on cognitive performance, glycemic response, and satiety in children
Authors: Lee Jennifer J. , Brett Neil R. , Wong Vincent C.H. , Totosy de Zepetnek Julia O. , Fiocco Alexandra J. , Bellissimo Nick
Published: March 2019

Dietary carbohydrates have been shown to influence cognitive performance and satiety in children. However, it remains unclear whether the carbohydrate source is a primary determinant of cognitive performance and satiety. The objective was to compare the effects of white potatoes and other carbohydrate-containing foods on cognitive performance, glycemic response, and satiety in children. On 6 separate mornings, in random order, children (n = 22) consumed 50 g of available carbohydrates from microwaved mashed potatoes (prepared from fresh potatoes then frozen), deep-fried potato strips (French fries), hash browns, white rice, white beans, or skipped a meal. Cognitive performance, glycemic response, and satiety were measured over 180 min. Cognitive performance was measured using a battery of tests assessing verbal declarative memory, spatial memory, short-term memory, working memory, and information processing speed. Although cognitive performance after the treatment meals did not differ from meal skipping, children recalled more words after French fries (9.1 ± 0.4 words) compared with mashed potatoes (8.2 ± 0.3 words; p = 0.001) and white rice (8.4 ± 0.3 words; p = 0.04) on the verbal declarative memory test. Blood glucose concentrations were higher after white rice compared with white beans, mashed potatoes, and hash browns (p < 0.05). Change from baseline subjective average appetite (mm/kcal) was lower after mashed potatoes compared with all other treatment meals (p < 0.05). In conclusion, verbal declarative memory was higher after French fries and subjective average appetite was lower after mashed potatoes. Future longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these short-term findings and to elucidate the mechanism of action.
Influence of glacial flour on the primary and secondary production of sockeye salmon nursery lakes: a comparative modern and paleolimnological study
Authors: Barouillet Cécilia , Cumming Brian F. , Laird Kathleen R. , Perrin Christopher J. , Selbie Daniel T.
Published: March 2019

The increasing rate of glacier retreat and turbid glacial runoff can have a strong influence on freshwater ecosystems. Seton and Anderson lakes (British Columbia, Canada) are sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) nursery systems. Since the 1940s, the Bridge River Diversion (BRD) introduced glacially turbid water into Seton Lake. To assess the impact of the BRD on the production of Seton Lake, we combined data from limnological surveys with the analysis of subfossil cladocerans and diatoms from sediment cores, using Anderson Lake as a reference. The modern data indicate that the euphotic zone is 14 m shallower and the cladoceran density and biomass are significantly lower in Seton Lake in comparison with Anderson Lake. The paleo-data indicate that following the BRD, the sedimentary fluxes of cladoceran and diatom declined 2- to 10-fold in Seton Lake and remained low thereafter. Together, our data support declines in primary and secondary producers following the BRD, likely due to changes in light penetration and (or) other indirect influence, and provides insights into the impact of turbid meltwater on the biological production of downstream lakes.
Normal Form Analysis of ℤ2-Equivariant Singularities
Authors: Gazor Majid , Kazemi Mahsa
Published: March 2019

Singular parametric systems usually experience bifurcations when their parameters slightly vary around certain critical values, that is, surprising changes occur in their dynamics. The bifurcation analysis is important due to their applications in real world problems. Here, we provide a brief review of the mathematical concepts in the extension of our developed Maple library, Singularity, for the study of [Formula: see text]-equivariant local bifurcations. We explain how the process of this analysis is involved with algebraic objects and tools from computational algebraic geometry. Our procedures for computing normal forms, universal unfoldings, local transition varieties and persistent bifurcation diagram classifications are presented. Finally, we consider several Chua circuit type systems to demonstrate the applicability of our Maple library. We show how Singularity can be used for local equilibrium bifurcation analysis of such systems and their possible small perturbations. A brief user interface of [Formula: see text]-equivariant extension of Singularity is also presented.
Reflective Evolution Under Strategic Uncertainty
Authors: Dragicevic Arnaud Z.
Published: March 2019

We consider population dynamics of agents who can both play the cooperative strategy and the competition strategy but ignore whether the game to come will be cooperative or noncooperative. For that purpose, we propose an evolutionary model, built upon replicator(–mutator) dynamics under strategic uncertainty, and study the impact of update decay. In replicator–mutator dynamics, we find that the strategy replication under certain mutation in an unstructured population is equivalent to a negative strategy replication in a structured population. Likewise, in replicator–mutator dynamics with decay, the strategy replication under certain mutation in a structured population is equivalent to a negative replication issued from an unstructured population. Our theoretical statements are supported by numerical simulations performed on bifurcation diagrams.
BCB Curves and Contact Bifurcations in Piecewise Linear Discontinuous Map Arising in a Financial Market
Authors: Gu En-Guo , Guo Jun
Published: March 2019

In this paper, we further study a financial market model established in our earlier paper. The model dynamics is driven by a two-dimensional piecewise linear discontinuous map, which is investigated analytically and numerically for one-sided fixed points being flip saddle and two-sided fixed points being attractors. The existence of chaotic orbit is explained by using the theory of homoclinic intersection between stable and unstable manifolds of the flip saddle invariant set. The structure of chaotic attractor is disclosed. It consists of finite segments rooted on both sides of the [Formula: see text]-axis which are unstable manifolds of flip saddle invariant set. The basins and their structural changes of bounded attractors and coexisting attractors are presented by contact bifurcation theory and numerical simulations. The border collision bifurcation (BCB for short) curves are calculated and coexisting multiattractors are disclosed by overlapping periodicity regions. The results can deepen our understanding of financial markets and dynamical systems.
Chaotifying Stable Linear Complex Networks via Single Pinning Impulsive Strategy
Authors: Ling Guang , Guan Zhi-Hong , Chen Jie , Lai Qiang
Published: March 2019

Chaotification, aiming to make an original nonchaotic system chaotic, or enhancing an existing chaos, has attracted much attention recently. This paper investigates chaotification problem of stable linear complex networks, both discrete and continuous systems, via single pinning impulsive control. Under this scheme, the boundedness of these linear networks can be guaranteed, and the largest Lyapunov exponent of these controlled linear complex networks can be calculated in detail by theoretical analysis. Finally, two numerical examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of this strategy.
On a Generalized Centralizer Ring of a Finite Group Which Determines the Group
Authors: Rode Emma L.
Published: March 2019

The k-characters are class functions on subsets of Gkcalled the k-classes of G. For a finite group G, the k-class sums form a basis for a subring of ℂGk, which we call the k-S-ring of G, and we think of these rings as generalized centralizer rings. We show that for a finite group G the 3-S-ring determines G. More specifically, the group characters and set products of certain 3-classes of G, which we call “uniform 3-classes”, determine G.
On the Structures of K2(ℤ[G]), G a Finite Abelian p-Group
Authors: Zhang Yakun , Tang Guoping , Chen Hong
Published: March 2019

Let G be a finite abelian p-group, Γ the maximal ℤ-order of ℤ[G]. We prove that the 2-primary torsion subgroups of K2(ℤ[G]) and K2(Γ) are isomorphic when p ≡ 3, 5, 7 (mod 8), and [Formula: see text] is isomorphic to [Formula: see text] when p ≡ 2, 3, 5, 7. As an application, we give the structure of K2(ℤ[G]) for G a cyclic p-group or an elementary abelian p-group.
Examining the acute effects of retrograde versus low mean shear rate on flow-mediated dilation
Authors: Tremblay Joshua C. , Grewal Arman S. , Pyke Kyra E.
Published: March 2019

Arterial endothelial function is acutely and chronically regulated by blood flow-associated shear stress. An acute intervention employing modest forearm cuff occlusion to simultaneously increase retrograde and decrease mean brachial artery shear rate for 30 min evokes transient impairments in flow-mediated dilation (FMD). However, the independent influence of the low mean versus the retrograde shear stress components is unclear. Healthy young adults [ n = 24 (12 women, 12 men); 22 ± 2 yr, body mass index = 25 ± 2 kg/m2 (mean ± SD)] completed three laboratory visits within 1 wk. Visits consisted of 45 min of supine rest followed by a brachial artery FMD test (duplex ultrasound) before and after a 30-min intervention: control (shear rate unchanged), cuff (mean shear rate decreased, retrograde shear rate increased), or arterial compression (mean shear rate decreased, no increase in retrograde shear rate). The mean shear rate on the compression visit was targeted to match that achieved on the cuff visit. Cuff and compression trials decreased mean shear rate to a similar extent (cuff: 43 ± 22 s−1, compression: 43 ± 21 s−1; P = 0.850) compared with control (65 ± 21 s−1; both P < 0.001), with the retrograde component elevated only in the former (cuff: −83 ± 30 s−1, compression: −7 ± 5 s−1; P < 0.001). FMD decreased by 29 ± 30% ( P < 0.001) after the cuff intervention and 32 ± 24% ( P < 0.001) after the compression trial but was unchanged on the control visit (−0.3 ± 18%; P = 0.754). This was not altered by accounting for the shear rate stimulus. An increased retrograde shear stress does not appear to be obligatory for the transient reduction in FMD achieved after a 30-min exposure to low mean shear stress. These findings provide novel mechanistic insight on the regulation of endothelial function in vivo.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Low mean and retrograde shear stress are considered atherogenic; however, their relative contribution to the acute regulation of endothelial function in humans is unclear. Matched reductions in mean shear stress (30 min), with and without increases in retrograde shear stress, elicited equivalent reductions in flow-mediated dilation in men and women. These findings afford novel insight regarding the shear stress components governing the acute (dys)regulation of conduit artery endothelial function in vivo.
Patterns, Types, and Outcomes of Head Injury in Aseer Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alnaami Ibrahim , Alshehri Shbeli , Alghamdi Saeed , Ogran Meshal , Qasem Asim , Medawi Abdulrahman , Medawi Abdulmajeed , Alshahrani Saud , Sarhan Leen
Published: March 2019

Background. Head injuries contribute to almost 50% of all injuries. Head injuries are still one of the major causes of loss of life and loss of function among young adults. Nowadays, head injury has become a major community problem. Recently, head injury has become one of the biggest issues of almost more than 57 million people in the whole world living with the neurological problem raised by TBI, in which 10 million people require hospital base care. Objectives. To determine the epidemiological aspects of patients with head injury (HI) in Aseer Central Hospital (ACH). Materials and Methods. This is a retrospective cross-sectional study. Data were gathered from patients’ files and the registrar’s database of ACH. The study duration was January 2015–December 2017. All patients with head injury admitted to ACH during the study duration were included in the study. SPSS software was used for analysis. Descriptive statistics were obtained (mean SD frequencies, percentages). Statistical tests, t test, and chi-squared test were applied to measure the significant difference among the variables. P-value less than 0.05 was considered as a significant difference. Results. There were 353 patients with head injury, and the mean ± SD of age was 27.01 ± 13.9. Motor vehicle accidents (MVA) accounted for (89.3%) of head injury. A total of 87.3% of the patients were male while 12.7% were female. Conclusion. In this study, we observed that MVA is the leading cause of brain/head injuries in the KSA, despite the implementations of new speed rules. However, with new regulations of forbidding cell phone use while driving and forcing the seat belt regulations, a major impact on these numbers is expected in the future. Thus, a future study is recommended to assess these expectations.
Effect of Experimental Parameters on the Formation of Hydrogels by Polyelectrolyte Complexation of Carboxymethylcellulose, Carboxymethyl Starch, and Alginic Acid with Chitosan
Authors: Mejía Elizabeth Henao , Contreras Héctor , Delgado Ezequiel , Quintana Germán
Published: March 2019

Differences in morphology, pH, and electric charge of chitosan (CS) based hydrogels prepared by complexation with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), carboxymethylated starch (CMS), and alginic acid (AA) at different polymers ratios and changing the order of addition were studied. CMC/CS and AA/CS hydrogels were amorphous and porous three-dimensional networks, with smaller pores at higher anionic polymer/CS ratios. Gelation time increased the agglomeration in the case of CMC/CS and CMS/CS gels. CMC/CS gels showed negative zeta potential values around −372 mV to −51 mV and CMS/CS gels in the range of −526 mV and −158 mV.
SensIoT: An Extensible and General Internet of Things Monitoring Framework
Authors: Großmann Marcel , Illig Steffen , Matějka Cornelius L.
Published: March 2019

SensIoT is an open-source sensor monitoring framework for the Internet of Things, which utilizes proven technologies to enable easy deployment and maintenance while staying flexible and scalable. It closes the gap between highly specialized and, therefore, inflexible sensor monitoring solutions, which are only adjusted to a specific context, and the development of every other solution from scratch. Our framework fits a variety of use cases by providing an easy to set up, extensible, and affordable solution. The development is based on our former published framework MonTreAL, whose goal is to offer an environmental monitoring solution for libraries to guarantee cultural heritage to be conserved and prevented from serious damage, for example, from mold formation in closed stocks. It is a solution with virtualized microservices delivered by a famous container technology called Docker that is solely executable on one or more single board computers like the Raspberry Pi by providing automatic scaling and resilience of all sensor services. For SensIoT we extended the capability of MonTreAL to integrate commodity servers into the cluster to enhance the ease of setup and maintainability on already existing infrastructures. Therefore, we followed the paradigm to distribute microservices on small computing nodes first, thus not utilizing well-known cloud computing concepts. To achieve resilience and fault tolerance we also based our system on a microservice architecture, where the service orchestration is solved by Docker Swarm. As proof of concept, we are able to present our current data collection of the University of Bamberg’s Library that runs our system since autumn 2017. To make our system even better we are working on the integration of other sensor types and better performance management of SD-cards in Raspberry Pis.
Clinical Challenges with Talimogene Laherparepvec: Cured Lymph Nodes Masquerading as Active Melanoma
Authors: Swami Umang , Swick Brian , Zakharia Yousef , Milhem Mohammed
Published: March 2019

Talimogene laherparepvec is a novel, genetically engineered, oncolytic herpes virus approved for local treatment of unresectable cutaneous, subcutaneous, and nodal lesions in patients with melanoma recurrent after initial surgery. It is administered as an intralesional injection. However, if the lesion continues to persist, it presents with a clinical challenge as when to stop treatment. Herein, we present two cases from our institution wherein the disease appeared to be persistent radiologically; however, on pathological excision, there was no evidence of disease and patients continue to be in durable remission after stopping treatment.
Amelioration of CCl4-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rabbits byLepidium sativumSeeds
Authors: Zamzami Mazin A. , Baothman Othman A. S. , Samy Fatma , Abo-Golayel Mohamed Kamel
Published: March 2019

The current study aimed to evaluate the probable protective effect ofLepidium sativumseeds (LSS) against CCl4induced hepatic injury in New-Zealand rabbits. Rabbits were randomly divided into two main groups; group-A (noninjured group, n=15) was divided to subgroups A1 (untreated control) and A2 and A3 which received 200 & 400 mg/kg bw of LSS, respectively, in their diet daily. Group-B (injured group, n=30) were subcutaneously injected with CCl4(0.5 ml/kg bw) starting from day one of the experiment and were equally divided into 3 subgroups: B1 received normal standard diet and B2 & B3 received 200 & 400 mg/kg bw of LSS, respectively, in their diet daily. Five rabbits of all subgroups were decapitated 5 and 10 weeks after experimental running. Biochemical analysis revealed significant decrease in serum levels of transaminases,γ-GT, ALP, total bilirubin, cholesterol, triglycerides associated with significant increase in the serum levels of T protein and albumin of 200 and 400 mg/kg bw of LSS protected rabbits for 5 and 10 weeks as compared with CCl4treated rabbits. Oxidative stress and depressed antioxidant system of the liver tissues were markedly obvious in the CCl4treated group. LSS administration reversed these results towards normalization. Histopathological examination of LSS protected rabbits (200 mg/kg bw of LSS for 10 weeks) showed improvement of the histoarchitectural changes of the liver induced by CCl4to the normal aspect, showing regenerating hepatocytes with no steatosis, discrete chronic venous congestion, and discrete inflammatory infiltrate. The current findings provide new evidence that LSS could reverse the hepatotoxic effects of CCl4and repair the liver functions.
Acupuncture-Analgesia-Mediated Alleviation of Central Sensitization
Authors: Lai Hsiang-Chun , Lin Yi-Wen , Hsieh Ching-Liang
Published: March 2019

Pain can trigger central amplification called central sensitization, which ultimately results in hyperalgesia and/or allodynia. Many reports have showed acupuncture has an analgesic effect. We searched the related article on PubMed database and Cochrane database to discover central sensitization pathway in acupuncture analgesia. We summarized that acupuncture enhances the descending inhibitory effect and modulates the feeling of pain, thus modifying central sensitization. The possible mechanisms underlying the analgesic effects of acupuncture include segmental inhibition and the activation of the endogenous opioid, adrenergic, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid/kainate pathways. Moreover, acupuncture can locally reduce the levels of inflammatory mediators. In clinical settings, acupuncture can be used to treat headache, neuropathic pain, low back pain, osteoarthritis, and irritable bowel syndrome. These mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia may be involved in the alleviation of central sensitization.
Effect of Plastrum Testudinis Extracts on the Proliferation and Osteogenic Differentiation of rBMSCs by Regulating p38 MAPK-Related Genes
Authors: Shang Qi , Yu Xiang , Ren Hui , Shen Gengyang , Zhao Wenhua , Zhang Zhida , Huang Jinjing , Yu Peiyuan , Liang De , Tang Jingjing , Jiang Xiaobing
Published: March 2019

Extracts from plastrum testudinis (PTE) are active compounds that have been used to treat bone diseases in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. In previous studies, we demonstrated their effects on glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis both in vivo and in vitro. However, the mechanisms by which PTE regulates the osteogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) in vitro remain poorly understood. In this study, rBMSCs were treated with medium (CON), PTE, osteogenic induction (OI), and a combination of PTE and OI (PTE+OI) over a 21-day period. We found that PTE significantly promoted rBMSCs osteogenic differentiation and mineralisation after 21 days of culturing. Moreover, PTE+OI further enhanced the differentiation and mineralisation process. PTE upregulated STE20, IGF1R, and p38 MAPK mRNA expression and downregulated TRAF6 mRNA expression. The extracts inhibited TRAF6 protein expression and promoted STE20, IGF1R, and phosphorylated p38 MAPK protein expression. Our results imply that PTE promotes the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs by upregulating p38 MAPK, STE20, and IGF1R and downregulating TRAF6 expression, which may provide experimental evidence of the potential of PTE in the treatment of osteoporosis.
Current State and Future Trends: A Citation Network Analysis of the Orthokeratology Field
Authors: Sanchez-Tena Miguel Angel , Alvarez-Peregrina Cristina , Sanchez-Valverde Jose , Villa-Collar Cesar
Published: March 2019

Introduction. Citation network analysis is a powerful tool that allows for a visual and objective representation of the past, present, and potential future directions of a research field. The objective of this study is using citation analysis network to analyse the evolution of knowledge in the field of orthokeratology. Materials and Methods. The database used in this citation networks analysis study was Scopus. The descriptor used was “orthokeratology” limited to three fields: title, keywords, and/or abstract, analysing the five most cited authors. Only articles cited at least twenty times were used. The computer software used was UCINET with two types of analysis, qualitative and quantitative. Results. 27 nodes have been included according to the search and inclusion criteria. In qualitative analysis, based on illustrate results, the relationships among nodes and their positions and connections show how the study of Cho et al. in 2005 is clearly positioned as a central cutoff point in the network. Quantitative analysis reveals the normalized value of the sample and shows how the study of Cho et al. in 2005 presents the highest percentage of input connections. Conclusions. This study shows the state of the flow of information in the orthokeratology field by providing links in bibliographic citations from a qualitative and quantitative point of view.
The Impact of Breast Clinic on the Mastectomy and Axillary Clearance Rates at a Tertiary Hospital in an Eastern Caribbean Nation: A Comparative Study
Authors: Islam Shariful , Aziz Imran , Shah Jitendra , Oba Jacob , Harnarayan Patrick , Rampersad Arlene Jammie , Naraynsingh Vijay
Published: March 2019

Background. Breast cancer is the leading form of cancer in women in Trinidad and Tobago. Traditionally the practice of mastectomy or wide local excision with or without axillary clearance was applied to most of these patients. This is often associated with significant morbidity and a poor cosmetic outcome with both negatively impacting the patients quality of life. The aim of our study was to assess the mastectomy and axillary clearance rate before and after the introduction of a specialty breast clinic in September 2012. Design and Methods. This is a retrospective comparative study of all female patients who underwent breast cancer surgery at our tertiary hospital 3 years prior to and 3 years after starting of breast clinic (between January 2010 and December 2015). Patients were identified from the surgical log books of our hospital. There are 5 surgical units at our hospital and in one of those units the lead surgeon had a special interest in surgical oncoplastic breast surgery. That unit formed the breast clinic in August 2012. Results. There were 532 women (256 before breast clinic and 276 after breast clinic era) with histologically verified breast cancer operated on between January 2010 and December 2015. The overall mastectomy rate was reduced from 62% to 51% (0.7 to 0.4) and the axillary clearance rate from 66.79% versus 37.31% (0.6 to 0.4) after the introduction of the clinic with p values of 0.007 and 0.009, respectively. Conclusions. The introduction of breast clinic has significantly reduced the mastectomy and axillary clearance rate at our teaching hospital.
Prevalence and Risk Factors ofHelicobacter pyloriInfection among Children Aged 1 to 15 Years at Holy Innocents Children’s Hospital, Mbarara, South Western Uganda
Authors: Aitila Phoebe , Mutyaba Michael , Okeny Simon , Ndawula Kasule Maurice , Kasule Rashid , Ssedyabane Frank , Okongo Benson , Onyuthi Apecu Richard , Muwanguzi Enoch , Oyet Caesar
Published: March 2019

Background.Helicobacter pyloriinfection affects more than half of the world’s population. The infection is generally acquired during childhood but can remain asymptomatic, with long-term clinical sequelae including gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and stomach cancer.Methods. The study was approved by Institutional Review Committee of Mbarara University of Science and Technology. After obtaining informed consent from parents/legal guardians, illegible children who presented with gastrointestinal complaints at Holy Innocents Children’s Hospital were recruited; structured questionnaires were administered to the parents/guardians to collect information on sociodemographic data and risk factors ofH. pyloriinfection. Four (4) millilitres of blood was collected from each child and tested forH.pyloriblood Antibody test and stool specimens were used forH. pyloriantigen test.Results. The prevalence ofH. pyloriinfection among the study participants was 24.3%. The infection rate increased with increase in age of the participants, from 16.2% among 1to 5 years old to 27.2% among 6 to 10 years. Infections were higher among school going children (68/74, p=0.003, OR 3.9; CI: 1.5 to 10.6) and children from crowded households (59/74, p<0.001, OR 2.6, and CI 1.3 to 5.0), unsafe source of drinking water at schools (46/74, p=0.003), and lack of sanitary facility at homes (57/74, p=0.001, and OR 1.6 CI 0.7 to 3.6).Conclusion. The prevalence ofH. pyloriinfection among children aged 1 to 15 years at Holy Innocents Children’s Hospital was high and increases with age. School attendance, lack of sanitary facility, lack of safe drinking water, and overcrowding were the risk factors associated withH. pyloriinfection.
Nicotinic Agonist Inhibits Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis in CVB3-Induced Myocarditis via α3β4-nAChR/PI3K/Akt-Dependent Survivin Upregulation
Authors: Li Ping , Yan Yaoyao , Shi Youyang , Cheng Bo , Zhan Yi , Wang Qiaoyu , Ye Qiaofang , Weng Yawen , Wu Tingting , Wu Rongzhou
Published: March 2019

Background. Cardiomyocyte apoptosis is critical for the development of coxsackievirus B3- (CVB3-) induced myocarditis, which is a common cardiac disease that may result in heart failure or even sudden death. Previous studies have associated CVB3-induced apoptosis with the downregulation of antiapoptotic proteins. Here, attempts were made to examine whether nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), especially α3β4-nAChRs, were a novel therapeutic antiapoptotic target via the activation of survivin, a strong antiapoptotic protein, in viral myocarditis (VMC). Methods and Results. In the present study, we demonstrated that nAChRs, α3β4-nAChR subunits in particular, were present and upregulated in CVB3-infected neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRC) and H9c2 cells by RT-qPCR. The function of α3β4-nAChRs was next examined using its specific blocker α-CTX AuIB in vitro. The results of the TUNEL assay and western blot experiments showed that the block of α3β4-nAChRs abrogated nicotine-mediated protection of NRC from CVB3-induced apoptosis, and this effect displayed a substantial correlation with the protein expressions of pAkt, survivin, and Cleaved Caspase-3. Hence, the involvement of the PI3K/Akt pathway was further verified by LY294002, a selective inhibitor of PI3K. As a result, nicotine-mediated induction of pAkt and survivin was abolished by LY294002; meanwhile, apoptotic NRC were increased accompanied by an increase of Cleaved Caspase-3 expression. Regarding CVB3-infected BALB/c mice, the α-CTX AuIB- and LY294002-treated groups had a lower survival rate, deteriorative ventricular systolic function, and more severe inflammation than the nicotine-treated group and the modulation of pAkt, survivin, and Cleaved Caspase-3 protein expressions was similar to that in CVB3-infected NRC. In addition, we found that a nicotinic agonist reduced CVB3 replication in a dose-dependent manner in vitro, which indicates that nAChR activation may serve as a possible protection mechanism of CVB3-induced myocarditis. Conclusions. Our study demonstrated that α3β4-nAChR subunits are essential in the nicotine-mediated antiapoptotic effect of protecting cardiomyocytes from CVB3-induced apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. This protection correlated with the PI3K/Akt pathway and the inducement of the antiapoptotic protein survivin. A combination of these mechanisms serves as a novel protective response to treat viral myocarditis.
Automated Analysis of Lymphocytic Infiltration, Tumor Budding, and Their Spatial Relationship Improves Prognostic Accuracy in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Nearchou Ines P. , Lillard Kate , Gavriel Christos G. , Ueno Hideki , Harrison David J. , Caie Peter D.
Published: March 2019

Both immune profiling and tumor budding significantly correlate with colorectal cancer patient outcome but are traditionally reported independently. This study evaluated the association and interaction between lymphocytic infiltration and tumor budding, coregistered on a single slide, in order to determine a more precise prognostic algorithm for patients with stage II colorectal cancer. Multiplexed immunofluorescence and automated image analysis were used for the quantification of CD3+CD8+ T cells, and tumor buds (TBs), across whole slide images of three independent cohorts (training cohort: n = 114, validation cohort 1: n = 56, validation cohort 2: n = 62). Machine learning algorithms were used for feature selection and prognostic risk model development. High numbers of TBs [HR = 5.899; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.875–18.55], low CD3+ T-cell density (HR = 9.964; 95% CI, 3.156–31.46), and low mean number of CD3+CD8+ T cells within 50 μm of TBs (HR = 8.907; 95% CI, 2.834–28.0) were associated with reduced disease-specific survival. A prognostic signature, derived from integrating TBs, lymphocyte infiltration, and their spatial relationship, reported a more significant cohort stratification (HR = 18.75; 95% CI, 6.46–54.43), than TBs, a lymphocytic infiltration score, or pT stage. This was confirmed in two independent validation cohorts (HR = 12.27; 95% CI, 3.524–42.73; HR = 15.61; 95% CI, 4.692–51.91). The investigation of the spatial relationship between lymphocytes and TBs within the tumor microenvironment improves accuracy of prognosis of patients with stage II colorectal cancer through an automated image analysis and machine learning workflow.
The ABCD of Obesity: An EASO Position Statement on a Diagnostic Term with Clinical and Scientific Implications
Authors: Frühbeck Gema , Busetto Luca , Dicker Dror , Yumuk Volkan , Goossens Gijs H. , Hebebrand Johannes , Halford Jason G.C. , Farpour-Lambert Nathalie J. , Blaak Ellen E. , Woodward Euan , Toplak Hermann
Published: March 2019

Obesity is a frequent, serious, complex, relapsing, and chronic disease process that represents a major public health problem. The coining of obesity as an adiposity-based chronic disease (ABCD) is of particular relevance being in line with EASO’s proposal to improve the International Classification of Diseases ICD-11 diagnostic criteria for obesity based on three dimensions, namely etiology, degree of adiposity, and health risks. The body mass index as a unique measurement of obesity does not reflect the whole complexity of the disease. Obesity complications are mainly determined by 2 pathological processes, i.e., physical forces (fat mass disease) as well as endocrine and immune responses (sick fat disease), which are embedded in a cultural and physical context leading to a specific ABCD stage.
Relationship between Adaptive Changing of Lysophosphatidylethanolamine Content in the Bacterial Envelope and Ampicillin Sensitivity of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
Authors: Sanina Nina , Pomazenkova Lyudmila , Bakholdina Svetlana , Chopenko Natalia , Zabolotnaya Anna , Reutov Vladimir , Stenkova Anna , Bystritskaya Evgeniya , Bogdanov Mikhail
Published: March 2019

The low permeability of porin channels is the possible reason for Gram-negative bacterial resistance to antibiotics. The adaptive accumulation of lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis induces conformational changes of OmpF porin that may hinder the transport of antibiotics through this channel. The present study was aimed to test whether the changes in LPE content affect the resistance of bacteria to ampicillin. The addition of glucose to the culture medium was shown to simultaneously increase the level of LPE and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for ampicillin of Y. pseudotuberculosis cells 6- and 2-fold, respectively. However, the coadministration of glucose and polyphenol extract from buckwheat husks reduced the content of LPE 2-fold and restored MIC to the control value. Thus, PBEH can be used as antibiotic adjuvant to improve an antibiotic’s ability to cross the outer membrane. The present work demonstrated: (i) the role of adaptive changes in the lipid composition of Y. pseudotuberculosis in the development of antibiotic resistance, and (ii) the promising use of PBEH in combination therapy to increase the susceptibility of Gram-negative bacteria to the conventional β-lactam antibiotics, probably attenuating in vivo a previously demonstrated effect of LPE on the conformation and function of the OmpF channel.
Effects of Maternal Sildenafil Treatment on Vascular Function in Growth-Restricted Fetal Sheep
Authors: Inocencio Ishmael M. , Polglase Graeme R. , Miller Suzanne L. , Sehgal Arvind , Sutherland Amy , Mihelakis Jamie , Li Anqi , Allison Beth J.
Published: March 2019

Objective—

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of intravenous maternal sildenafil citrate (SC) administration on vascular function in growth-restricted fetal sheep.

Approach and Results—

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) results in cardiovascular adaptations that redistribute cardiac output to optimize suboptimal intrauterine conditions. These adaptations result in structural and functional cardiovascular changes, which may underlie postnatal neurological and cardiovascular sequelae. Evidence suggests SC, a potent vasodilator, may improve FGR. In contrast, recent clinical evidence suggests potential for adverse fetal consequence. Currently, there is limited data on SC effects in the developing fetus. We hypothesized that SC in utero would improve vascular development and function in an ovine model of FGR. Preterm lambs (0.6 gestation) underwent sterile surgery for single umbilical artery ligation or sham (control, appropriately grown) surgery to replicate FGR. Ewes received continuous intravenous SC (36 mg/24 h) or saline from surgery until 0.83 gestation. Fetuses were delivered and immediately euthanized for collection of femoral and middle cerebral artery vessels. Vessel function was assessed via in vitro wire myography. SC exacerbated growth restriction in growth-restricted fetuses and resulted in endothelial dysfunction in the cerebral and femoral vasculature, irrespective of growth status. Dysfunction in the cerebral circulation is endothelial, whereas smooth muscle in the periphery is the origin of the deficit.

Conclusions—

SC crosses the placenta and alters key fetal vascular development. Extensive studies are required to investigate the effects of SC on fetal development to address safety before additional use of SC as a treatment.
Hypoperfusion Intensity Ratio Is Correlated With Patient Eligibility for Thrombectomy
Authors: Guenego Adrien , Marcellus David G. , Martin Blake W. , Christensen Soren , Albers Gregory W. , Lansberg Maarten G. , Marks Michael P. , Wintermark Max , Heit Jeremy J.
Published: March 2019

Background and Purpose—

Hypoperfusion intensity ratio (HIR) is associated with collateral status in acute ischemic stroke patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion. We assessed whether HIR was correlated to patient eligibility for mechanical thrombectomy (MT).

Methods—

We performed a retrospective cohort study of consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients with a proximal middle cerebral artery or internal carotid artery occlusion who underwent MT triage with computed tomography or magnetic resonance perfusion imaging. Clinical data, ischemic core (mL), HIR (defined as time-to-maximum [TMax] >10 seconds/TMax >6 seconds), mismatch volume between core and penumbra, and MT details were assessed. Primary outcome was favorable HIR collateral score (HIR <0.4) between patients who underwent MT (MT+) and those who did not (MT−) according to American Heart Association guidelines both in the <6 hours and 6 to 24 hours windows. Secondary outcomes were favorable HIR score in MT− subgroups (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale <6 versus core >70 mL) and core-penumbra mismatch volumes. Patients who did not meet guidelines were not included.

Results—

We included 197 patients (145 MT+ and 52 MT−). MT+ patients had a significantly lower median HIR compared with MT− patients (0.4 [interquartile range, 0.2–0.5] versus 0.6 [interquartile range, 0.5–0.8];
P
<0.001) and a higher mismatch volume (96 versus 27 mL,
P
<0.001). Among MT− patients, 43 had a core >70 mL, and 9 had a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale <6. MT− patients with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale <6 had a lower HIR than MT− patients with core >70 mL (0.2 [interquartile range, 0.2–0.3] versus 0.7 [interquartile range, 0.6–0.8],
P
<0.001) but their HIR was not significantly different that MT+ patients.

Conclusions—

Patients who meet American Heart Association guidelines for thrombectomy are more likely to have favorable collaterals (low HIR). HIR may be used as a marker of eligibility for MT triage.
Hybridization in Umbridae in the Hudson River, New York, with Designation of Neotypes for Umbra limi and Umbra pygmaea
Authors: SCHMIDT ROBERT E. , DANIELS ROBERT A.
Published: March 2019

We document the occurrence of a natural hybrid between the Eastern Mudminnow, Umbra pygmaea (DeKay 1842) and the Central Mudminnow, U. limi (Kirtland 1840). Hybrid individuals were collected in a supratidal pool in a fresh-tidal marsh in the Hudson River, New York. ANOVA, ANCOVA, principal components analysis, and discriminant function analysis of meristics and morphometrics showed that the hybrids were distinguishable from the parental species and were generally intermediate between them. The tidal Hudson River is the only place these species are sympatric, and hybridization must have occurred within the last several decades. We designate neotypes for Umbra pygmaea and Umbra limi.
Morphology and infraciliature of the oligotrich ciliate Strombidium rapulum (Yagiu, 1933) Kahl, 1934 (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Oligotrichida) from the intestine of sea urchin Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus Agassiz
Authors: XU DAPENG P. , SONG WEIBO B. , SUN PING , CHEN XIANG R.
Published: March 2019

The morphology and infraciliature of a poorly known endocommensal ciliate, Strombidium rapulum (Yagiu, 1933) Kahl, 1934, isolated from the intestine of the sea urchin Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus Agassiz, was investigated based on observations of specimens from living cells and fixed protargol impregnated cells. An improved diagnosis is given based on previous and current studies: large sized marine Strombidium in vivo 50–130 × 25–65 µm; dorsoventrally slightly flattened; outline ovate and turnip-shaped, tapering posteriorly and terminating in an elongate tail; apical protrusion about 5 µm long in live cells; one elongated macronucleus; girdle kinety equatorial composed of about 57 monokinetids; ventral kinety located subcaudally on right margin, composed of about 5 dikinetids; on average 16 anterior and 29 ventral membranelles.
Redescription of Chone infundibuliformis Krøyer, 1856 (Polychaeta: Sabellidae) and histology of the branchial crown appendages, collar and glandular ridge
Authors: TOVAR-HERNÁNDEZ MARÍA A. , SOSA-RODRÍGUEZ TERESA
Published: March 2019

Fifty-three species have been formally described in Chone Krøyer, 1856, showing wide variation in the shapes of dorsal lips, peristomium, and posterior abdominal uncini. Previous studies indicate that such variation could result in splitting of the genus; however, the original description of the type species, C. infundibuliformis did not include critical details and illustrations, and for other species, incomplete or misleading information has been provided. In order to redescribe the species C. infundibuliformis and delineate the genus, type and topotype materials were reviewed, and histological sections of the appendages of the branchial crown, collar and glandular ridge are described. The redescription points out that in C. infundibuliformis: 1) insertion of the branchial lobes is not exposed beyond the collar; 2) radioles have a paired series of pinnules of different sizes; 3) radiolar flanges are broad; 4) dorsal lips are broadly rounded, as long as wide, without mid-rib; they have hyaline cartilage, but there is no extension of the branchial skeleton; 5) dorsal lips are vascularized by a plexus of small blood vessels derived from the basal branchial blood vessels, which further back communicate with the dorsal vessel; 6) thoracic uncini have teeth above the main fang of unequal size, median tooth of basal row larger than teeth in subsequent rows; 7) uncinus shape shows variation within each torus, but no intersegmental gradation is appreciable; 8) females with oocytes distributed in all thoracic and abdominal segments; males with sperm in abdomen, with barrel-shaped nucleus and mushroom-shaped acrosome. The collar is supported by a dense mass of hyaline cartilage and covered by glandular epithelium composed of basophile glands. Acidophil glands, tubular-shaped with granulose secretions, constitute the glandular ridge. Size of teeth in thoracic uncini, presence or absence of abdominal uncini variation, latero-ventral posterior abdominal depression, dorsal lips internal construction and glandular ridge are compared among some species of Chone and close genera.
Megaphobema teceae n. sp. (Araneae, Theraphosidae), a new theraphosine spider from Brazilian Amazonia
Authors: PÉREZ-MILES FERNANDO , MIGLIO LAURA T. , BONALDO ALEXANDRE B.
Published: March 2019

A new species from Juruti River Plateau, Juruti, Pará, Brazil that fits the generic characters of Megaphobema is described. Megaphobema teceae n. sp. differs from the other four species known in this genus mainly by the presence of a conspicuous post-ocular process. This is the first record of the genus to both oriental Amazon and Brazil.
A new species of freshwater mussel (Bivalvia: Unionidae), Pleurobema athearni, from the Coosa River Drainage of Alabama, USA
Authors: GANGLOFF MICHAEL M. , WILLIAMS JAMES D. , FEMINELLA JACK W.
Published: March 2019

The Mobile Basin historically supported one of the most diverse freshwater mussel (Bivalvia: Unionidae) assemblages in North America. More than 65 species of mussels are known from the Basin, but it is difficult to determine how many species were present historically. The drainage's unique physical habitat was largely destroyed between the late 1800s and mid-1900s by impoundment and channel modifications of most of the larger rivers. Many species that were once common are now restricted to small headwater rivers and mid-sized tributaries. Recent Coosa River tributary surveys revealed a new, undescribed species of Pleurobema. This new species, Pleurobema athearni, is distinctive in outward appearance, shell morphometry and reproductive morphology, and can be distinguished from other Coosa River drainage unionids. Our analysis indicates that P. athearni is morphologically different from other similar taxa. It differs both in shell width/length and width/height ratios and thus provides a simple, quantitative means to differentiate this species from P. georgianum (Lea, 1841) Fusconaia barnesiana (Lea, 1838), and F. cerina (Conrad, 1838), which it superficially resembles and that also occur in the area. Our morphological diagnosis of this species is supported by recent molecular analyses that suggest this species is a Pleurobema and one closely related to other endemic Coosa River drainage unionids. The discovery of a new species of large, long-lived macroinvertebrate from a relatively well-sampled drainage in a populated region of the southeast United States underscores the need for more detailed surveys in isolated stretches of tributary streams. It should also serve as a reminder that almost 40 species of aquatic mollusks have been extirpated from the Mobile Basin before anything could be learned about their habitat or life history requirements.
The effects of water ageing on the tensile static and fatigue behaviors of greenpoxy–flax fiber composites
Authors: Malloum A , Mahi A El , Idriss M
Published: March 2019

This work presents the experimental results of the effect of water ageing in flax fibers reinforced greenpoxy resin matrix composite materials. The experimental study was carried out on two cross-ply laminates ([0/90]s and [+45/−45]s). First, the water uptake of the two composite materials was studied. Second, the mechanical properties were identified as a function of the immersion time. The results obtained show that the Young's modulus of composites decreases progressively to 26% for [0/90]s specimens and 46.36% for [+45/−45]s specimens after 30 days of ageing. Finally, the effects of interactions between water ageing and cyclic fatigue behavior were studied. We consider stiffness loss, hysteresis curves, energy dissipation and loss factor versus number of cycles as a function of different immersions time. A significant decrease in the mechanical characteristics of the composites as a function of the immersion time is observed. [+45/−45]s specimens are more sensitive to both fatigue and water ageing phenomena.
Empty Curriculum, Empty Mind: Teaching Mindfulness with Military Veterans
Authors: Uebel Michael
Published: March 2019

This conceptual essay places the Buddhist notion of sunyata, or emptiness, at the heart of the enterprise of teaching mindfulness with military veterans. It is a term that brings before us the necessity of having an open and “unknowing” mind, one that frees both students or clients and instructor from becoming mired in routinized, autopilot modes of psychotherapy delivery. While attention to the teaching of mindfulness has centered on the training of instructors and their employment of manualized treatment modalities, this essay shifts the emphasis to what humanistic psychologists and educationalists have termed variously fusion-knowledge (Maslow) and the live classroom (G. I. Brown). Humanistic psychological insights are brought in dialogue with the fields of knowledge management and organizational learning and, most important, transformative learning theory. The author’s group-based delivery of mindfulness in the Veterans Health Administration setting provides an example of a curriculum that is collaboratively generated and based in the ongoing creation of a common vocabulary for living and thinking mindfully. An expansive, improvisational approach to teaching mindfulness is posited as beneficial for the creation of new forms of awareness that shape our psychological and intellectual relations to the lived world.