bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular Alterations in Dogs Treated with Minoxidil
Authors: Mesfin G. M. , Piper Richard C. , Ducharme Donald W. , Carlson Robert G. , Humphrey Stephen J. , Zins Gerald R.
Published: January 2017

Minoxidil and other potent vasodilators cause coronary arterial injury, right atrial hemorrhagic lesions, and subendocardial necrosis in dogs. This paper discusses the pathogenesis of coronary arterial and right atrial lesions associated with minoxidil in the dog. Acute coronary vascular injury characterized by segmental medial hemorrhage and necrosis and perivascular inflammation occurred only during the first few days of treatment, after which tolerance to further acute injury developed. At 30 d or more of treatment, coronary vascular injury was characterized by perivascular fibrosis rarely attended by medial distortion or hyperplasia and subintimal thickening, changes consistent with responses to previous injury. Right atrial hemorrhagic lesions, unlike coronary vascular injury, often became progressively more extensive with continued treatment. At 3 d, atrial hemorrhage and inflammation were confined to the subepicardium of the right atrium, evidently around affected subepicardial branches of the right coronary artery. At 30 d, fibrovascular proliferative right atrial lesions (granulation tissue with evidence of continual hemorrhage) extended from the epicardium to the myocardium, with eventual replacement of the atrial wall by mature connective tissue at 1 yr of treatment. Minoxidil-induced cardiovascular lesions were not prevented by treatment with a β-blocker (propranolol), or an α-blocker (dibenzylene), or by sympathetic neural activity suppression (surgical sympathectomy or constant carotid sinus nerve stimulation), suggesting that the sympathetic response to the pharmacologic activity of minoxidil was not responsible for the induction of the cardiovascular lesions. Minoxidil-related vascular lesions were confined to the most pharmacologically responsive segment of the arterial system, the coronary arteries, suggesting that medial injury may have been associated with tensile changes in the arterial wall.
Development of a Tracheal Implant Xenograft Model to Expose Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells to Toxic Gases
Authors: Everitt J. I. , Boreiko C. J. , Mangum J. B. , Martin J. T. , Iglehart J. D. , Hesterberg T. W.
Published: January 2017

A tracheal implant model was developed which enabled exposure of differentiated normal human bronchial epithelial cells (NHBE) to a single exposure of a model toxic gas (formaldehyde). NHBE cells were grown in vitro in explant culture under defined serum-free conditions from previously frozen bronchial segments, harvested, and used to repopulate de-epithelialized rabbit tracheas. Rabbit tracheal segments repopulated with NHBE cells were implanted into the subcutis of congenitally athymic nude mice. Following graft vascularization, the xenografted NHBE cells differentiated and formed a mucociliary epithelial surface which lined approximately 50% of the surface of the implant lumen. Eight weeks post-implantation both ends of the implanted grafts were cannulated, and formaldehyde (HCHO) vapor (0, 6, or 15 ppm) in humidified air was passed through the tracheal lumens. Representative epithelial surfaces were examined by light and scanning electronmicroscopy, and autoradiography prior to, immediately after, and 48 hr following a 1-hr exposure to the test vapors. Light microscopic examination of implant sections immediately following exposure to 6 and 15 ppm HCHO detected cessation of ciliary activity, which recovered by 48 hr postexposure. Scanning electron microscopic examination of the epithelial surface demonstrated mild morphologic changes, restricted to those implants exposed to 15 ppm. Findings immediately following HCHO exposure included swelling and exfoliation of individual cells, deciliation, and mucus release. Changes present after 48 hr included presence of flattened cells with few short microvilli and focal increase in the number of S-phase nuclei in the basal epithelium. These results demonstrate the utility of tracheal implants for single short-term exposure of differentiated human bronchial epithelial cells to gaseous agents. This system should prove useful for mechanistic studies of human upper airway toxicity.
Protection of Hepatotoxic and Lethal Effects of CCl by Partial Hepatectomy
Authors: Kodavanti Prasada Rao S. , Joshi Urmila M. , Young Robert A. , Meydrech Edward F. , Mehendale Harihara M.
Published: January 2017

CCl4 is a hepatotoxic haloalkane, capable of producing hepatocellular fatty degeneration and centrilobular necrosis. Previous reports indicate induction of liver regeneration after 36-48 hr of CCl4 treatment, which is considered as a secondary effect. The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the primary effects of CCl4 on hepatic DNA synthesis and to correlate liver regeneration with CCl4 toxicity. These studies were conducted in normal and actively regenerating livers using male Sprague-Dawley rats undergoing sham operation (SH), or partial (70%) hepatectomy (PH). Incorporation of 3H-thymidine (3H-T) in hepatocellular nuclear DNA and autoradiographic analyses of liver sections served as indices for hepatocellular regeneration. Initial experiments established that peak regeneration occurs at 2 days post-PH (PH2) and liver regeneration phases out by 7 days post-PH (PH7). SH and PH rats were challenged with a single ip dose of either corn oil vehicle or CCl4 at either 0.1 ml/kg (to represent subtoxic dose) or 2.5 ml/kg (to represent toxic dose). The low dose of CCl4 was not toxic and did not alter 3H-T incorporation and percentage labelled cells at 6 or 24 hours after administration to SH, PH2 or PH7 groups, indicating that there was no interference with PH-stimulated hepatocellular regeneration. The high dose of CCl4 was significantly hepatotoxic and lethal in SH rats, while in PH2 rats both hepatotoxic and lethal effects were significantly decreased. 3H-T incorporation as well as percentage labelled cells, highly stimulated by PH, were significantly decreased by high dose of CCl4. However, hepatocellular regeneration in PH2 rats treated with high dose of CCl4 was still significantly higher than SH or PH, groups by virtue of the stronger stimulatory effect of PH. In PH7 rats, where hepatocellular regeneration had returned to the SH level, the hepatotoxic and lethal effects of the large dose of CCl4 were also restored. These findings show that the progressive phase of a single high dose of CCl4 injury which normally culminates in hepatotoxic and lethal effects is significantly mitigated by previously stimulated hepatocellular regeneration. High dose of CCl4 suppresses hepatocellular regeneration at early time points after administration in contrast to the smaller subtoxic dose of CCl4. By virtue of the much stronger stimulatory effect, PH results in the protection against the hepatotoxic and lethal effects of CCl4 despite the obtunding effects of the high dose on hepatocellular regeneration.
Effects of 0.12 and 0.80 ppm Ozone on Rat Nasal and Nasopharyngeal Epithelial Mucosubstances: Quantitative Histochemistry
Authors: Harkema Jack R. , Hotchkiss Jon A. , Henderson Rogene F.
Published: January 2017

The present study was designed to characterize the quantity of mucosubstances in surface epithelia of the rat nasal cavity and nasopharynx after short-term ozone exposure. Rats were exposed for 7 days (6 hr/day) to 0, 0.12, or 0.8 ppm ozone and were killed immediately or 7 days after the last exposure. Nasal cavities were processed for morphometric analysis of intraepithelial mucosubstances. Compared to controls, rats exposed to 0.12 ppm ozone had increased amounts of stored mucosubstances within epithelium lining the medial aspect of the nasal turbinate, but no change within the epithelium of the nasopharynx. Rats exposed to 0.8 ppm ozone had increased quantities of stored mucosubstances within the transitional and respiratory epithelia lining turbinates and lateral walls of the anterior nasal airway, and significant decreases in stored mucosubstances within the epithelium of the nasal septum at the end of exposure. Seven days after the end of exposure, the amounts of intraepithelial mucosubstances returned to control levels along the septum, but remained greater than those of controls along the turbinates and nasopharynx. We conclude that exposures to ambient levels of ozone induce significant changes in the stored secretory product of nasal epithelium in the rat, and that these changes persist for at least 7 days after cessation of exposure.
Prioritizing store plan alternatives produced with shape grammar using multi-criteria decision-making techniques
Authors: Ozdemir Sahika , Ozdemir Yavuz
Published: January 2017

To generate alternatives and variations of specific architectural models, shape grammars can be used by applying a set of geometric rules step by step. With the development in human life, advances in store design, design concept, commercial buildings’ architectural and spatial fiction, the magazine of the interior, and facade design cause rising competition between stores and also between designers. For this reason, in this paper we study the evaluation of store plan alternatives produced with shape grammar using two of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques with fuzzy numbers, namely fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy analytic network process. The main contribution of this paper is to prioritize plan alternatives using numerical methods with experts’ view. To the authors’ knowledge, this will be the first interdisciplinary study which uses MCDM techniques for evaluating shape grammar outputs in architectural design.
Can a Barthel score be derived from the FIM?
Authors: Nyein Kyaw , McMichael Linsey , Turner-Stokes Lynne
Published: January 2017

Objective: To establish whether a Barthel score derived by translation from the motor items of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) would equate to the directly scored measure.

Design: Conversion criteria for motor item scores on the FIM scale to Barthel scores were first developed. To test these criteria, 40 consecutive patients were assessed for Barthel and FIM scores by the multidisciplinary team who were unaware of the conversion criteria. The derived Barthel score was compared with the directly scored Barthel Index.

Results: A very high degree of correlation was observed between total scores of the direct and derived Barthel (Spearman's rho = 0.99), which is highly significant, and no significant differences were seen between scores for any of the individual items (Wilcoxon signed rank test). Item by item analysis across the study population was undertaken to confirm the conversion criteria. Absolute agreement between the two methods ranged from 75 to 100% and kappa values from 0.53 to 1.0.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that a Barthel Index can be derived from the motor items of the FIM and there is a good agreement with the directly assessed Barthel score. Although a larger study may help to delineate the exact conversion criteria for one item, the current system provides an accurate and usable translation of the total score and serves as a major step towards achieving a common language in outcome measurement for rehabilitation.
A longitudinal physical profile assessment of skeletal muscle manifestations in myotonic dystrophy
Authors: Nitz JC , Burns YR , Jackson RV
Published: January 2017

Objectives: To develop an assessment that describes the skeletal muscle manifestations in myotonic dystrophy subjects and then use it to quantify the presentation of skeletal muscle disability and to show change over time.

Design: A quantified skeletal muscle assessment was developed and applied three times over a two-year period at intervals around 12 months. Thirty-six subjects with myotonic dystrophy and 20 subjects without neuromuscular disability were evaluated. The assessment comprised manual muscle testing of five pairs of muscles, measuring neck flexor strength with a strain gauge, respiratory function tests, power and lateral pinch grip strength, all tests of impairment. Assessment of the ability to move from sitting to standing and fasten buttons tested disability.

Results: Results from subjects with myotonic dystrophy were compared to the normal data. The subjects with myotonic dystrophy were significantly weaker in proximal upper limb muscles, quadriceps, tibialis anterior muscles and neck flexor muscles as well as power and lateral pinch grips. There was also significant reduction in forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). Significant disability was seen in the myotonics in moving from sitting to standing and in fastening buttons. Over the two-year study period proximal upper limb and lower limb muscle strength, FVC and sit-to-stand ability declined significantly. Power grip declined but lateral pinch grip and FEV1 improved significantly. Button fastening ability improved significantly.

Conclusion: The test developed was shown to be reliable and sensitive to the change in skeletal muscle manifestations in subjects with myotonic dystrophy who were shown to be significantly weaker than normal subjects.
Improved cerebral energetics and ketone body metabolism in db/db mice
Authors: Andersen Jens V , Christensen Sofie K , Nissen Jakob D , Waagepetersen Helle S
Published: January 2017

It is becoming evident that type 2 diabetes mellitus is affecting brain energy metabolism. The importance of alternative substrates for the brain in type 2 diabetes mellitus is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ketone bodies are relevant candidates to compensate for cerebral glucose hypometabolism and unravel the functionality of cerebral mitochondria in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Acutely isolated cerebral cortical and hippocampal slices of db/db mice were incubated in media containing [U-13C]glucose, [1,2-13C]acetate or [U-13C]β-hydroxybutyrate and tissue extracts were analysed by mass spectrometry. Oxygen consumption and ATP synthesis of brain mitochondria of db/db mice were assessed by Seahorse XFe96 and luciferin-luciferase assay, respectively. Glucose hypometabolism was observed for both cerebral cortical and hippocampal slices of db/db mice. Significant increased metabolism of [1,2-13C]acetate and [U-13C]β-hydroxybutyrate was observed for hippocampal slices of db/db mice. Furthermore, brain mitochondria of db/db mice exhibited elevated oxygen consumption and ATP synthesis rate. This study provides evidence of several changes in brain energy metabolism in type 2 diabetes mellitus. The increased hippocampal ketone body utilization and improved mitochondrial function in db/db mice, may act as adaptive mechanisms in order to maintain cerebral energetics during hampered glucose metabolism.
Restoration of the response of the middle cerebral artery of the rat to acidosis in hyposmotic hyponatremia by the opener of large-conductance calcium sensitive potassium channels (BKCa)
Authors: Aleksandrowicz Marta , Dworakowska Beata , Dolowy Krzysztof , Kozniewska Ewa
Published: January 2017

Hyposmotic hyponatremia (the decrease of extracellular concentration of sodium ions from 145 to 121 mM and the decrease of hyposmolality from 300 to 250 mOsm/kg H2O) impairs response of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) to acetylcholine and NO donor (S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine). Since acidosis activates a similar intracellular signaling pathway, the present study was designed to verify the hypothesis that the response of the MCA to acidosis is impaired during acute hyposmotic hyponatremia due to abnormal NO-related signal transduction in vascular smooth muscle cells. Studies performed on isolated, cannulated, and pressurized rat MCA revealed that hyposmotic hyponatremia impaired the response of the MCA to acidosis and this was associated with hyposmolality rather than with decreased sodium ion concentration. Response to acidosis was restored by the BKCa but not by the KATP channel activator. Patch-clamp electrophysiology performed on myocytes freshly isolated from MCAs, demonstrated that hyposmotic hyponatremia does not affect BKCa currents but decreases the voltage-dependency of the activation of the BKCa channels in the presence of a specific opener of these channels. Our study suggests that reduced sensitivity of BKCa channels in the MCA to agonists results in the lack of response of this artery to acidosis during acute hyposmotic hyponatremia.
The Role of Qualitative Research Methods in Discrete Choice Experiments
Authors: Vass Caroline , Rigby Dan , Payne Katherine
Published: January 2017

Background. The use of qualitative research (QR) methods is recommended as good practice in discrete choice experiments (DCEs). This study investigated the use and reporting of QR to inform the design and/or interpretation of healthcare-related DCEs and explored the perceived usefulness of such methods. Methods. DCEs were identified from a systematic search of the MEDLINE database. Studies were classified by the quantity of QR reported (none, basic, or extensive). Authors ( n = 91) of papers reporting the use of QR were invited to complete an online survey eliciting their views about using the methods. Results. A total of 254 healthcare DCEs were included in the review; of these, 111 (44%) did not report using any qualitative methods; 114 (45%) reported “basic” information; and 29 (11%) reported or cited “extensive” use of qualitative methods. Studies reporting the use of qualitative methods used them to select attributes and/or levels ( n = 95; 66%) and/or pilot the DCE survey ( n = 26; 18%). Popular qualitative methods included focus groups ( n = 63; 44%) and interviews ( n = 109; 76%). Forty-four studies (31%) reported the analytical approach, with content ( n = 10; 7%) and framework analysis ( n = 5; 4%) most commonly reported. The survey identified that all responding authors ( n = 50; 100%) found that qualitative methods added value to their DCE study, but many ( n = 22; 44%) reported that journals were uninterested in the reporting of QR results. Conclusions. Despite recommendations that QR methods be used alongside DCEs, the use of QR methods is not consistently reported. The lack of reporting risks the inference that QR methods are of little use in DCE research, contradicting practitioners’ assessments. Explicit guidelines would enable more clarity and consistency in reporting, and journals should facilitate such reporting via online supplementary materials.
Other Ways of Knowing
Authors: Hajizadeh Negin , Basile Melissa J. , Kozikowski Andrzej , Akerman Meredith , Liberman Tara , McGinn Thomas , Diefenbach Michael A.
Published: January 2017

Background. Patients with advanced-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may suffer severe respiratory exacerbations and need to decide between accepting life-sustaining treatments versus foregoing these treatments (choosing comfort care only). We designed the InformedTogether decision aid to inform this decision and describe results of a pilot study to assess usability focusing on participants’ trust in the content of the decision aid, acceptability, recommendations for improvement, and emotional reactions to this emotionally laden decision. Methods. Study participants ( N = 26) comprising clinicians, patients, and surrogates viewed the decision aid, completed usability tasks, and participated in interviews and focus groups assessing comprehension, trust, perception of bias, and perceived acceptability of InformedTogether. Mixed methods were used to analyze results. Results. Almost all participants understood the gist (general meaning) of InformedTogether. However, many lower literacy participants had difficulty answering the more detailed questions related to comprehension, especially when interpreting icon arrays, and many were not aware that they had misunderstood the information. Qualitative analysis showed a range of emotional reactions to the information. Participants with low verbatim comprehension frequently referenced lived experiences when answering knowledge questions, which we termed “alternative knowledge.” Conclusions. We found a range of emotional reactions to the information and frequent use of alternative knowledge frameworks for deriving meaning from the data. These observations led to insights into the impact of lived experiences on the uptake of biomedical information presented in decision aids. Communicating prognostic information could potentially be improved by eliciting alternative knowledge as a starting point to build communication, in particular for low literacy patients. Decision aids designed to facilitate shared decision making should elicit this knowledge and help clinicians tailor information accordingly.
Assessing the Expected Value of Research Studies in Reducing Uncertainty and Improving Implementation Dynamics
Authors: Grimm Sabine E. , Dixon Simon , Stevens John W.
Published: January 2017

Background. With low implementation of cost-effective health technologies being a problem in many health systems, it is worth considering the potential effects of research on implementation at the time of health technology assessment. Meaningful and realistic implementation estimates must be of dynamic nature. Objective. To extend existing methods for assessing the value of research studies in terms of both reduction of uncertainty and improvement in implementation by considering diffusion based on expert beliefs with and without further research conditional on the strength of evidence. Methods. We use expected value of sample information and expected value of specific implementation measure concepts accounting for the effects of specific research studies on implementation and the reduction of uncertainty. Diffusion theory and elicitation of expert beliefs about the shape of diffusion curves inform implementation dynamics. We illustrate use of the resulting dynamic expected value of research in a preterm birth screening technology and results are compared with those from a static analysis. Results. Allowing for diffusion based on expert beliefs had a significant impact on the expected value of research in the case study, suggesting that mistakes are made where static implementation levels are assumed. Incorporating the effects of research on implementation resulted in an increase in the expected value of research compared to the expected value of sample information alone. Conclusions. Assessing the expected value of research in reducing uncertainty and improving implementation dynamics has the potential to complement currently used analyses in health technology assessments, especially in recommendations for further research. The combination of expected value of research, diffusion theory, and elicitation described in this article is an important addition to the existing methods of health technology assessment.
Hepatic Lipodystrophy in Galloway Calves
Authors: Wieland M. , Mann S. , Hafner-Marx A. , Ignatius A. , Metzner M.
Published: January 2017

Hepatic lipodystrophy in Galloway calves is a fatal liver disease affecting a small proportion of the Galloway breed described in different parts of Europe and North America during the past decades. The clinical findings include a diversity of neurological signs. Clinical pathology findings frequently indicate hepatobiliary disease. Postmortem examination reveals an enlarged, pale yellow, and firm liver. Histologic lesions include hepatic fibrosis, hepatic lipidosis, and bile duct hyperplasia. To date, the etiopathogenesis remains obscure. Infectious causes, intoxications, and a hereditary origin have been considered. We describe hepatic lipodystrophy in Galloway calves from an extensively farmed cow-calf operation in southern Germany. Main clinical findings in 6 calves were consistent with hepatic encephalopathy. Clinical pathology findings in 5 of 6 tested animals revealed increased concentration of total bilirubin (maximum value [MV], 54 μmol/l; reference range [RR], <8.5 μmol/l), direct bilirubin (MV, 20 μmol/l; RR, <3.4 μmol/l), increased activity of gamma glutamyl transferase (MV, 162 U/l; RR, <36 U/l) and glutamate dehydrogenase (MV, 420 U/l; RR, <16 U/l). In addition, activity of glutathione peroxidase was decreased in all tested ( n = 5) animals (MV, 61 U/g hemoglobin [Hb]; RR, >250 U/g Hb). Postmortem examination in 6 calves revealed a firm, diffusely enlarged yellow liver with a finely nodular surface. Histologic lesions included hepatic fibrosis, hepatic lipidosis, and bile duct hyperplasia. Our findings add to the existing data on hepatic lipodystrophy in the Galloway breed and outline a protocol to aid in the diagnosis of this disorder.
Pathogenesis of Frog Virus 3 (Ranavirus, Iridoviridae) Infection in Wood Frogs (Rana sylvatica)
Authors: Forzán M. J. , Jones K. M. , Ariel E. , Whittington R. J. , Wood J. , Markham R. J. Frederick , Daoust P.-Y.
Published: January 2017

Wood frogs ( Rana sylvatica) are highly susceptible to infection with Frog virus 3 (FV3, Ranavirus, Iridoviridae), a cause of mass mortality in wild populations. To elucidate the pathogenesis of FV3 infection in wood frogs, 40 wild-caught adults were acclimated to captivity, inoculated orally with a fatal dose of 104.43 pfu/frog, and euthanized at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 9, and 14 days postinfection (dpi). Mild lesions occurred sporadically in the skin (petechiae) and bone marrow (necrosis) during the first 2 dpi. Severe lesions occurred 1 to 2 weeks postinfection and consisted of necrosis of medullary and extramedullary hematopoietic tissue, lymphoid tissue in spleen and throughout the body, and epithelium of skin, mucosae, and renal tubules. Viral DNA was first detected (polymerase chain reaction) in liver at 4 dpi; by dpi 9 and 14, all viscera tested (liver, kidney, and spleen), skin, and feces were positive. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) first detected viral antigen in small areas devoid of histologic lesions in the oral mucosa, lung, and colon at 4 dpi; by 9 and 14 dpi, IHC labeling of viral antigen associated with necrosis was found in multiple tissues. Based on IHC staining intensity and lesion severity, the skin, oral, and gastrointestinal epithelium and renal tubular epithelium were important sites of viral replication and shedding, suggesting that direct contact (skin) and fecal-oral contamination are effective routes of transmission and that skin tissue, oral, and cloacal swabs may be appropriate antemortem diagnostic samples in late stages of disease (>1 week postinfection) but poor samples to detect infection in clinically healthy frogs.
Canine Central Nervous System Neoplasm Phenotyping Using Tissue Microarray Technique
Authors: Spitzbarth I. , Heinrich F. , Herder V. , Recker T. , Wohlsein P. , Baumgärtner W.
Published: January 2017

Tissue microarrays (TMAs) represent a useful technique for the simultaneous phenotyping of large sample numbers and are particularly suitable for histopathologic tumor research. In this study, TMAs were used to evaluate semiquantitatively the expression of multiple antigens in various canine central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms and to identify markers with potential discriminative diagnostic relevance. Ninety-seven canine CNS neoplasms, previously diagnosed on hematoxylin and eosin sections according to the World Health Organization classification, were investigated on TMAs, with each tumor consisting of 2 cylindrical samples from the center and the periphery of the neoplasm. Tumor cells were phenotyped using a panel of 28 monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, and hierarchical clustering analysis was applied to group neoplasms according to similarities in their expression profiles. Hierarchical clustering generally grouped cases with similar histologic diagnoses; however, gliomas especially exhibited a considerable heterogeneity in their positivity scores. Multiple tumor groups, such as astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas, significantly differed in the proportion of positive immunoreaction for certain markers such as p75NTR, AQP4, GFAP, and S100 protein. The study highlights AQP4 and p75NTR as novel markers, helping to discriminate between canine astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma. Furthermore, the results suggest that p75NTR and proteolipid protein may represent useful markers, whose expression inversely correlates with malignant transformation in canine astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas, respectively. Tissue microarray was demonstrated to be a useful and time-saving tool for the simultaneous immunohistochemical characterization of multiple canine CNS neoplasms. The present study provides a detailed overview of the expression patterns of different types of canine CNS neoplasms.
Proximal Stimulus for Brewster’s Phenomenon is Equivalent to That of Wheatstone’s Stereogram
Authors: Ono Hiroshi , Lillakas Linda
Published: January 2017

We examined Brewster’s perceptual phenomenon that is produced by the same binocularly equivalent proximal stimulus as Wheatstone’s stereogram. We then constructed and observed the perceptual effect created by another distal stimulus that also created an equivalent binocular proximal stimulus. All three stimulus situations produced the appearance of a tilted line in the median plane which is consistent with Hering’s rule that the average of the two local signs and binocular eye position determine visual direction. The characteristics of the proximal stimulus are also relevant to the question raised by Helmholtz regarding the empirical vertical horopter.
A Statistical Physics Perspective to Understand Social Visual Attention in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Liberati Alessio , Fadda Roberta , Doneddu Giuseppe , Congiu Sara , Javarone Marco A. , Striano Tricia , Chessa Alessandro
Published: January 2017

This study investigated social visual attention in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and with typical development (TD) in the light of Brockmann and Geisel’s model of visual attention. The probability distribution of gaze movements and clustering of gaze points, registered with eye-tracking technology, was studied during a free visual exploration of a gaze stimulus. A data-driven analysis of the distribution of eye movements was chosen to overcome any possible methodological problems related to the subjective expectations of the experimenters about the informative contents of the image in addition to a computational model to simulate group differences. Analysis of the eye-tracking data indicated that the scanpaths of children with TD and ASD were characterized by eye movements geometrically equivalent to Lévy flights. Children with ASD showed a higher frequency of long saccadic amplitudes compared with controls. A clustering analysis revealed a greater dispersion of eye movements for these children. Modeling of the results indicated higher values of the model parameter modulating the dispersion of eye movements for children with ASD. Together, the experimental results and the model point to a greater dispersion of gaze points in ASD.
Age-Related Changes in Gustatory, Homeostatic, Reward, and Memory Processing of Sweet Taste in the Metabolic Syndrome: An fMRI Study
Authors: Jacobson Aaron , Green Erin , Haase Lori , Szajer Jacquelyn , Murphy Claire
Published: January 2017

Age affects the human taste system at peripheral and central levels. Metabolic syndrome is a constellation of risk factors (e.g., abdominal obesity and hypertension) that co-occur, increase with age, and heighten risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cognitive decline. Little is known about how age, metabolic syndrome, and hunger state interact to influence how the brain processes information about taste. We investigated brain activation during the hedonic evaluation of a pleasant, nutritive stimulus (sucrose) within regions critical for taste, homeostatic energy regulation, and reward, as a function of the interactions among age, metabolic syndrome, and hunger condition. We scanned young and elderly adults, half with risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome twice: Once fasted overnight and once after a preload. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data indicated significant effects of age as well as interactive effects with metabolic syndrome and hunger condition. Age-related differences in activation were dependent on the hunger state in regions critical for homoeostatic energy regulation and basic as well as higher order sensory processing and integration. The effects of age and metabolic syndrome on activation in the insula, orbital frontal cortex, caudate, and the hypothalamus may have particularly important implications for taste processing, energy regulation, and dietary choices.
Controlling new knowledge: Genomic science, governance and the politics of bioinformatics
Authors: Salter Brian , Salter Charlotte
Published: January 2017

The rise of bioinformatics is a direct response to the political difficulties faced by genomics in its quest to be a new biomedical innovation, and the value of bioinformatics lies in its role as the bridge between the promise of genomics and its realization in the form of health benefits. Western scientific elites are able to use their close relationship with the state to control and facilitate the emergence of new domains compatible with the existing distribution of epistemic power – all within the embrace of public trust. The incorporation of bioinformatics as the saviour of genomics had to be integrated with the operation of two key aspects of governance in this field: the definition and ownership of the new knowledge. This was achieved mainly by the development of common standards and by the promotion of the values of communality, open access and the public ownership of data to legitimize and maintain the governance power of publicly funded genomic science. Opposition from industry advocating the private ownership of knowledge has been largely neutered through the institutions supporting the science-state concordat. However, in order for translation into health benefits to occur and public trust to be assured, genomic and clinical data have to be integrated and knowledge ownership agreed upon across the separate and distinct governance territories of scientist, clinical medicine and society. Tensions abound as science seeks ways of maintaining its control of knowledge production through the negotiation of new forms of governance with the institutions and values of clinicians and patients.
Failure matters: Reassembling eco-urbanism in a globalizing China
Authors: Chang I-Chun Catherine
Published: January 2017

This paper is an attempt to reassess the role of failure in policy mobilities. Empirically, this paper examines the various aftermaths of, and the continuing trans-local connections originating from, the prominent but un-materialized Sino-British Shanghai-Dongtan eco-city—with a particular consideration on its relation with a subsequently realized project—the Sino-Singapore Tianjin eco-city. The findings reveal that despite its apparent failure, Dongtan eco-city established a set of urban planning procedures adopted by many, including those who designed and delivered the Tianjin eco-city. Meanwhile, Dongtan’s failure to materialize motivated the Chinese government to pursue collaboration with the Singaporean government over the increased involvement of private Western partners. The intent to avoid association with Dongtan’s failure also fostered a new eco-urbanism model based on rebranding the planning practices of Singapore’s public housing. Parts of Dongtan eco-city have also lived on through the international circulation of a piece of planning software that was first developed for the failed project. This paper contributes to the policy mobilities literature by challenging its dominant focus on successful exemplars and exploring how a project fails in implementation yet parts of it remain mobile, influential and present in other developments. This paper also advances the understanding of contemporary urban sustainability by revealing how eco-urbanism models are co-produced in this globalizing era between the global North and South, as well as within the global South.
Intentional Ambiguity in Ruth 4.5: Implications for Interpretation of Ruth
Authors: Hayes Jeff
Published: January 2017

Starting from Robert Holmstedt's translation of Ruth 4.5, this article develops and applies a preliminary hermeneutic for ambiguity to Boaz's speech in 4.5 and its disambiguation in 4.9–10. Arguing for freedom to interpret ambiguous texts strategically, this study demonstrates how Holmstedt's translation coupled with the author's preliminary hermeneutic leads to a reassessment of the scene at the city gate that also resolves several persistent interpretive difficulties in Ruth.
Jonah's Complexes and Our Own: Psychology and the Interpretation of the Book of Jonah
Authors: Lasine Stuart
Published: January 2017

This article employs attribution theory to investigate why readers have made such widely varying judgments concerning the character Jonah. This branch of social psychology examines the ways in which we go about judging other people (and literary characters), including our tendency to assume that behavior is a function of robust character traits rather than the situations in which a person finds him- or herself. While some biblical scholars have appealed to ‘Jonah complexes’ in order to explain the prophet's actions, Jonah does not conform to any version of this psychological model. Nevertheless, such models are helpful to the extent that they respond to the text's emphasis on metaphors of enclosure and exposure and the fundamental human fears and fantasies which stem from this dimension of human life. This study proposes that focusing on this dimension can help one to understand why readers have made dramatically different assessments of Jonah's character and his relationship with his God.
Trauma, Remembrance, and Healing: The Meeting of Wisdom and History in Psalm 78
Authors: Hays Rebecca W. Poe
Published: January 2017

The way a text follows, bends, and breaks generic conventions can have a significant impact on the effect the text has on its readers. While wisdom and history generally stand divorced from one another, Psalm 78 unites the two genres. Recognizing patterns reminiscent of Judith Herman's trauma therapy approach in Psalm 78 illuminates the way wisdom and history function together in this psalm. Herman's classic model for trauma recovery involves moving the traumatized through three stages: reestablishing safety and stability, remembering and mourning the trauma, and reconnecting with reality. In Psalm 78, wisdom elements establish a sense of safety while historical review prompts the audience to remember its past trauma and reconnect with reality. This article argues that the linking of wisdom and history within Psalm 78 has the effect of creating a safe environment in which a traumatized community can recover and reorient themselves to the reality of their covenant relationship with God.
Finding Justice in Ancient Israelite Law: A Survey of the Legal System of the Israelites during the Post-Exodus, Pre-Exilic Period
Authors: Beaton James Daniel
Published: January 2017

The ancient Israelite tradition (for present purposes, spanning the period immediately post-exodus up until the exilic period) manifests itself in many of the prevailing theories of law and justice underlying the archetypal Western legal system. This article strives to proceed unencumbered by cultural-temporal bias to evaluate the recurring themes of structure, procedure, substance, injunction, sanction, and operation in ancient Israelite law, thereby framing that legal tradition as a cohesive whole which is notable for the parallels that can be drawn between it and the Western legal systems that we now consider ‘just’. More specifically, this article considers notions of democracy, social contract, freedom of speech, equality, rule of law, retroactive law, dissemination of law, civil and criminal procedure, development of law, natural law theory, social-welfare law (including the jubilee laws), lex talionis, and communal responsibility as a basis for punishment.
Urban geography III
Authors: Derickson Kate Driscoll
Published: January 2017

Geologists are considering in earnest whether to mark the emergence of a new geological epoch – characterized by human impacts on the geology of the planet – as the dawn of the Anthropocene. In this third of three urban geography progress reports, I identify interrelated elements of what I call ‘Anthropocene thinking’ – non-linearity, reworked temporalities, and ontologies of systemicity – that invite the perceived need for ‘anticipatory governance’ and pervade contemporary urban theory and governance. This is exemplified, I argue, by two current trends in urban governance: the promotion of smart and resilient cities.
Episodic status migrainosus: A novel migraine subtype
Authors: Singh Tarun D , Cutrer F Michael , Smith Jonathan H
Published: January 2017

Objective

To report a case series of a novel migraine subtype, which we term as episodic status migrainosus (ESM), characterized by attacks of migraine exclusively lasting more than 72 hours. We hypothesized that this would represent a novel nosologic entity, possibly an unstable migraine phenotype with a high conversion rate to chronic migraine (CM).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of patients diagnosed with status migrainosus at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, between January 2005 and December 2015. All the records were then manually reviewed for patients with migraine headaches exclusively lasting more than 72 hours.

Results

We identified 18 patients with ESM, with a female predominance (15(83.3%)) and a median age of onset of 16.5 (IQR 13–19) years. The median monthly attack frequency was two (IQR 1–3), with each attack lasting a median duration of seven (IQR 4–12.5) days. Stress was the most commonly reported precipitant (11 (61.1%)). Migraine with aura was common (10 (55.6%)), as was comorbid depression (10 (55.6%)). Fifteen (83.3%) patients developed CM at a median of 7.8 (IQR 2.6–21.9) years from their first attack. There was no significant association between the time to the development of chronic migraine with either attack frequency or duration.

Conclusions and relevance

We report the existence of a novel migraine subtype, episodic status migrainosus. This migraine subtype appears to have similar clinical characteristics to episodic migraine with or without aura, except for a notably high tendency to progress to chronic migraine.
Epilepsy in hemiplegic migraine: Genetic mutations and clinical implications
Authors: Prontera P , Sarchielli P , Caproni S , Bedetti C , Cupini LM , Calabresi P , Costa C
Published: January 2017

Objective

We performed a systematic review on the comorbidities of familial/sporadic hemiplegic migraine (F/SHM) with seizure/epilepsy in patients with CACNA1A, ATP1A2 or SCN1A mutations, to identify the genotypes associated and investigate for the presence of mutational hot spots.

Methods

We performed a search in MEDLINE and in the Human Gene Mutation and Leiden Open Variation Databases for mutations in the CACNA1A, ATP1A2 and SCN1A genes. After having examined the clinical characteristics of the patients, we selected those having HM and seizures, febrile seizures or epilepsy. For each gene, we determined both the frequency and the positions at protein levels of these mutations, as well as the penetrance of epilepsy within families.

Results

Concerning F/SHM-Epilepsy1 (F/SHME1) and F/SHME2 endophenotypes, we observed a prevalent involvement of the transmembrane domains, and a strong correlation in F/SHME1 when the positively charged amino acids were involved. The penetrance of epilepsy within the families was highest for patients carrying mutation in the CACNA1A gene (60%), and lower in those having SCN1A (33.3%) and ATP1A2 (30.9%) mutations.

Conclusion

Among the HM cases with seizure/epilepsy, we observed mutational hot spots in the transmembrane domains of CACNA1A and ATP1A2 proteins. These findings could lead to a better understanding of the pathological mechanisms underlying migraine and epilepsy, therein guaranteeing the most appropriate therapeutic approach.
Chronic paroxysmal headache secondary to an orbital metastatic leiomyosarcoma: A case report
Authors: Choi Hyun Ah , Lee Mi Ji , Chung Chin-Sang
Published: January 2017

Background

Intraorbital lesions associated with symptomatic trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs) are rarely reported. We present a case of orbital metastatic leiomyosarcoma, presenting with chronic paroxysmal hemicrania-like headache.

Case report

A 43-year-old man presented with a severe paroxysmal headache in his left periocular and frontal area for a year. The attacks occurred 10–12 times per day, lasting 10–15 minutes with ipsilateral lacrimation and conjunctival injection. Neurological examination and brain MRI without contrast were unremarkable. Different medications were tried, without beneficial effects. A follow-up contrast-enhanced brain MRI performed one year after the baseline MRI revealed an enhancing mass in the left superior oblique muscle. Orbital metastatic leiomyosarcoma arising from the thigh was revealed. He received gamma knife surgery, which completely resolved the headache.

Discussion

Intraorbital lesion should be considered a possibility in patients with headache mimicking TACs. Baseline contrast-enhanced MRI is essential, and repeated MRI scans might be needed if clinically indicated.