bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Glucocorticoids attenuate the central sympathoexcitatory actions of insulin
Authors: Steiner Jennifer L. , Bardgett Megan E. , Wolfgang Lawrence , Lang Charles H. , Stocker Sean D.
Published: September 2014

Insulin acts within the central nervous system to regulate food intake and sympathetic nerve activity (SNA). Strong evidence indicates that glucocorticoids impair insulin-mediated glucose uptake and food intake. However, few data are available regarding whether glucocorticoids also modulate the sympathoexcitatory response to insulin. Therefore, the present study first confirmed that chronic administration of glucocorticoids attenuated insulin-induced increases in SNA and then investigated whether these effects were attributed to deficits in central insulin-mediated responses. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given access to water or a drinking solution of the glucocorticoid agonist dexamethasone (0.3 μg/ml) for 7 days. A hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp significantly increased lumbar SNA in control rats. This response was significantly attenuated in rats given access to dexamethasone for 7, but not 1, days. Similarly, injection of insulin into the lateral ventricle or locally within the arcuate nucleus (ARC) significantly increased lumbar SNA in control rats but this response was absent in rats given access to dexamethasone. The lack of a sympathetic response to insulin cannot be attributed to a generalized depression of sympathetic function or inactivation of ARC neurons as electrical activation of sciatic afferents or ARC injection of gabazine, respectively, produced similar increases in SNA between control and dexamethasone-treated rats. Western blot analysis indicates insulin produced similar activation of Akt Ser473 and rpS6 Ser240/244 in the ventral hypothalamus of control and dexamethasone-treated rats. Collectively, these findings suggest that dexamethasone attenuates the sympathoexcitatory actions of insulin through a disruption of ARC neuronal function downstream of Akt or mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling.
Mathematical analysis of depolarization block mediated by slow inactivation of fast sodium channels in midbrain dopamine neurons
Authors: Qian Kun , Yu Na , Tucker Kristal R. , Levitan Edwin S. , Canavier Carmen C.
Published: September 2014

Dopamine neurons in freely moving rats often fire behaviorally relevant high-frequency bursts, but depolarization block limits the maximum steady firing rate of dopamine neurons in vitro to ∼10 Hz. Using a reduced model that faithfully reproduces the sodium current measured in these neurons, we show that adding an additional slow component of sodium channel inactivation, recently observed in these neurons, qualitatively changes in two different ways how the model enters into depolarization block. First, the slow time course of inactivation allows multiple spikes to be elicited during a strong depolarization prior to entry into depolarization block. Second, depolarization block occurs near or below the spike threshold, which ranges from −45 to −30 mV in vitro, because the additional slow component of inactivation negates the sodium window current. In the absence of the additional slow component of inactivation, this window current produces an N-shaped steady-state current-voltage ( I-V) curve that prevents depolarization block in the experimentally observed voltage range near −40 mV. The time constant of recovery from slow inactivation during the interspike interval limits the maximum steady firing rate observed prior to entry into depolarization block. These qualitative features of the entry into depolarization block can be reversed experimentally by replacing the native sodium conductance with a virtual conductance lacking the slow component of inactivation. We show that the activation of NMDA and AMPA receptors can affect bursting and depolarization block in different ways, depending upon their relative contributions to depolarization versus to the total linear/nonlinear conductance.
Glycinergic inhibition to the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body shows prominent facilitation and can sustain high levels of ongoing activity
Authors: Mayer Florian , Albrecht Otto , Dondzillo Anna , Klug Achim
Published: September 2014

Neurons in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) are well known for their prominent excitatory inputs, mediated by the calyx of Held. Less attention has been paid to the prominent inhibitory inputs that MNTB neurons also receive. Because of their auditory nature, both excitatory and inhibitory synapses are highly active in vivo. These high levels of activity are known to reduce excitatory synaptic currents considerably, such that in vivo synaptic currents produced by the calyx are smaller than typically measured in standard brain slice experiments. The goal of this study was to investigate the properties of the inhibitory inputs in the Mongolian gerbil ( Meriones unguiculatus) under activity levels that correspond to those in the intact brain to facilitate a direct comparison between the two inputs. Our results suggest that inhibitory inputs to MNTB are largely mediated by a fast and phasic glycinergic component, and to a lesser degree by a GABAergic component. The glycinergic component can sustain prolonged high levels of activity. Even when challenged with stimulus patterns consisting of thousands of stimuli over tens of minutes, glycinergic inputs to MNTB maintain large conductances and fast decays and even facilitate substantially when the stimulation frequency is increased. The inhibition is mediated by a relatively small number of independent input fibers. The data presented here suggest that inhibitory inputs to MNTB sustain high levels of activity and need to be considered for a full understanding of mechanisms underlying processing of auditory information in MNTB.
Effect of Oral PUVAsol on the Quality of Life in Indian Patients Having Chronic Plaque Psoriasis
Authors: Gahalaut Pratik , Mishra Nitin , Soodan Puneet S. , Rastogi Madhur K.
Published: September 2014

Background. Psoriasis is associated with a high impact on health-related QoL (quality of life). PUVAsol has been successfully used for treating psoriasis instead of standard PUVA therapy in developing countries. However, data for PUVAsol therapy and its effect on QoL in psoriatic patients is meagre.Objective. To investigate the effect of PUVAsol on the quality of life in patients having chronic plaque psoriasis.Materials and Methods. An observational prospective study done in patients having chronic plaque psoriasis. PASI and DLQI were calculated before initiating treatment with oral PUVAsol. These were compared with the respective scores after 12 weeks of regular treatment with PUVAsol. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0.Results. Both PASI and DLQI showed statistically significant reduction after 12 weeks of regular treatment. 90% of patients responded favourably to PUVAsol therapy in the study and all the domains of DLQI showed significant reduction except domain of “work and school.”Conclusion. Our results show that regular PUVAsol treatment improves the physical appearance of disease as evident by decrease in PASI scores. It also improves the QoL of the patients. This study will add upon the growing evidence of efficacy of PUVAsol.
Interglacials, Milankovitch Cycles, Solar Activity, and Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Marsh Gerald E.
Published: September 2014

The existing understanding of interglacial periods is that they are initiated by Milankovitch cycles enhanced by rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. During interglacials, global temperature is also believed to be primarily controlled by carbon dioxide concentrations, modulated by internal processes such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the North Atlantic Oscillation. Recent work challenges the fundamental basis of these conceptions.
Design and Study of Cognitive Network Physical Layer Simulation Platform
Authors: An Yongli , Wang Dong , Xiao Yang
Published: September 2014

Cognitive radio technology has received wide attention for its ability to sense and use idle frequency. IEEE 802.22 WRAN, the first to follow the standard in cognitive radio technology, is featured by spectrum sensing and wireless data transmission. As far as wireless transmission is concerned, the availability and implementation of a mature and robust physical layer algorithm are essential to high performance. For the physical layer of WRAN using OFDMA technology, this paper proposes a synchronization algorithm and at the same time provides a public platform for the improvement and verification of that new algorithm. The simulation results show that the performance of the platform is highly close to the theoretical value.
Creeping Attachment Involving Dental Implants: Two Case Reports with a Two-Year Follow-Up from an Ongoing Clinical Study
Authors: Pereira Neto Armando R. Lopes , Passoni Bernardo Born , de Souza José Moisés , de Souza João Gustavo Oliveira , Benfatti César Augusto Magalhães , Magini Ricardo de Souza , Bianchini Marco Aurélio
Published: September 2014

Introduction. This paper describes case reports where coronal growth of soft tissue on implant threads was observed after surgery for soft tissue graft. This phenomenon is known as “creeping attachment.”Methods. Two patients were submitted to gingival graft procedure including subepithelial connective tissue graft and masticatory mucosal graft. A two-year follow-up appointment was performed.Results. After a two-year follow-up gingival growth over titanium surfaces characterizing the “creeping attachment” phenomenon was observed. This gingival growth happened over abutment and threads surfaces.Conclusion. The creeping attachment phenomenon is possible over titanium surfaces and has not yet been reported in the relevant literature over this kind of structure.
Microgeographical Variations in Coloration of Male Iberian Wall Lizards May Be Related to Habitat and Climatic Conditions
Authors: Gabirot Marianne , López Pilar , Martín José
Published: September 2014

Intraspecific variations in coloration may represent a compromise between selection for intraspecific communication and selection for thermoregulation and predator avoidance. Iberian wall lizards,Podarcis hispanica, exhibit substantial levels of intraspecific variation that cannot be necessarily attributed to genetic differences. We compared variations in coloration and habitat use of three phenotypically distinct populations ofP. hispanicain Central Spain. Results suggested that differences in coloration may be related to habitat characteristics and climatic conditions. Thus, lizards from populations with colder temperatures were darker and larger, which may favor thermoregulation. Lizards that lived in habitats with more vegetation and darker granite rocks showed a dark brown to black dorsal coloration. In contrast, lizards from habitats with gypsum and light sandy soil without vegetation or large rocks had a brighter yellow to green dorsal coloration. These differences may increase crypsis to predators in each habitat. There were also differences in the characteristics and relative importance of sexual visual signals (i.e., ventrolateral coloration and number of lateral blue spots) and chemical signals (i.e., number of femoral pores) that might increase efficiency of communication in each environment. Natural selection for traits that allow a better thermoregulation, predator avoidance, and communication might lead to population divergence.
Pollution Status of Pakistan: A Retrospective Review on Heavy Metal Contamination of Water, Soil, and Vegetables
Authors: Waseem Amir , Arshad Jahanzaib , Iqbal Farhat , Sajjad Ashif , Mehmood Zahid , Murtaza Ghulam
Published: September 2014

Trace heavy metals, such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, chromium, nickel, and mercury, are important environmental pollutants, particularly in areas with high anthropogenic pressure. In addition to these metals, copper, manganese, iron, and zinc are also important trace micronutrients. The presence of trace heavy metals in the atmosphere, soil, and water can cause serious problems to all organisms, and the ubiquitous bioavailability of these heavy metal can result in bioaccumulation in the food chain which especially can be highly dangerous to human health. This study reviews the heavy metal contamination in several areas of Pakistan over the past few years, particularly to assess the heavy metal contamination in water (ground water, surface water, and waste water), soil, sediments, particulate matter, and vegetables. The listed contaminations affect the drinking water quality, ecological environment, and food chain. Moreover, the toxicity induced by contaminated water, soil, and vegetables poses serious threat to human health.
Acknowledged Signatures of Matrix Metalloproteinases in Takayasu’s Arteritis
Authors: Wu Gang , Mahajan Nitin , Dhawan Veena
Published: September 2014

Takayasu’s arteritis (TA) was reported as an eye disease in the year 1905 and later was confirmed as a vasculitis. Since then, the etiology of the disease remains unknown; however, characteristic clinical features suggest multiple causative factors. Recent progress in vascular biology and other disciplines enlightens the pathophysiology of TA and demonstrated induction of various nonspecific inflammatory symptoms and destruction of the arterial wall, which leads to aneurysms and rupture of the affected arteries. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as an enzyme family have well-established roles in several vascular pathologies including intima formation, atherosclerosiss and aneurysms. MMPs have been proposed to be one of the molecules with a potential of having dual role in the course of TA, first as an active participant in pathophysiology and secondly as a diagnostic biomarker for TA disease. The desire to improve our understanding of the importance of MMPs and their endogenous inhibitors (TIMPs) in TA disease and for the development of therapeutic agents has inspired basic and clinical scientists for over a decade. In the present paper, we summarized the scientific rationale which highlights the signatures of matrix metalloproteinases and their endogenous inhibitors in pathophysiology as well as their being a potential candidate as biomarker for Takayasu’s arteritis.
Sphenoid Brown Tumor Associated with a Parathyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Loya-Solís Abelardo , Mendoza-García Alejandra , Ceceñas-Falcón Luis , Rodríguez-Gutiérrez René
Published: September 2014

Brown tumors are osteolytic bone lesions that occur as a result of persistent hyperparathyroidism. They usually appear late in the natural history of the disease and are currently very rare due to an earlier diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism. We present the case of a 53-year-old female with a 2-month history of bitemporal hemianopsia and diplopia. A computed tomography showed an osteolytic bone lesion that involved the sphenoid corpus and clivus. A biopsy was made and the histopathology result was consistent with a brown tumor. The aforementioned location is very infrequent to such tumors, and therefore represented a diagnostic challenge. However, in this case, its association to primary hyperparathyroidism was the clue for the diagnosis. The association of a brown tumor secondary to a parathyroid carcinoma has been seldom reported. This case represents, to our knowledge, one of the few brown tumors described in such location and the first secondary to a parathyroid carcinoma.
Study on Calculation Models of Earth-Air Heat Exchanger Systems
Authors: Bisoniya Trilok Singh , Kumar Anil , Baredar Prashant
Published: September 2014

Modeling is very useful tool in order to predict the effect of the operating parameters like pipe length, radius, depth of burial and air flow rate on the thermal performance and heating/cooling capacity of earth-air heat exchanger (EAHE) systems. Till date many researchers have carried out a number of studies on calculation models for earth-air heat exchanger systems. The analysis of EAHE systems started with the development of one-dimensional models. The two-dimensional models came into practice during the 1990s and were replaced by three-dimensional models in recent years. Latest models are dynamic and technically more advanced which can provide room for all types of grid geometry to produce detailed thermal analysis of EAHE systems. This paper reviews on calculation models of EAHE systems as of the end of March, 2014.
Single Dose of Levofloxacin versus Three Dosages for Prophylaxis in Prostate Biopsy
Authors: Linden-Castro Edgar , Pelayo-Nieto Marcela , Alias-Melgar Alejandro , Carreño-de la Rosa Fernando
Published: September 2014

Transrectal ultrasound-guided core prostate biopsy is a key event in the diagnosis of prostate cancer, transient side events such as local pain, haematuria, haematospermia, dysuria, and rectal bleeding are reported in a large number of patients. Antimicrobial agents lower the incidence of postbiopsy infectious complications. The timing and duration of the regimen and the route of administration remain controversial. We developed a standard prophylactic regimen, in which safety and efficiency were maximized, while costs and variability were minimized. Accordingly we prospectively evaluated 425 consecutive patients, who underwent outpatient transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy after a single dose versus three doses of levofloxacin.
Trypanosoma cruziInfection and Host Lipid Metabolism
Authors: Miao Qianqian , Ndao Momar
Published: September 2014

Trypanosoma cruziis the causative agent of Chagas disease. Approximately 8 million people are thought to be affected worldwide. Several players in host lipid metabolism have been implicated inT. cruzi-host interactions in recent research, including macrophages, adipocytes, low density lipoprotein (LDL), low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), and high density lipoprotein (HDL). All of these factors are required to maintain host lipid homeostasis and are intricately connected via several metabolic pathways. We reviewed the interaction ofT. cruziwith each of the relevant host components, in order to further understand the roles of host lipid metabolism inT. cruziinfection. This review sheds light on the potential impact ofT. cruziinfection on the status of host lipid homeostasis.
Successive Nonstatistical and Statistical Approaches for the Improved Antibiotic Activity of Rare ActinomyceteNonomuraeasp. JAJ18
Authors: Arul Jose Polpass , Jebakumar Solomon Robinson David
Published: September 2014

The selection and optimization of nutritional constituents as well as their levels for the improved production of antibiotic byNonomuraeasp. JAJ18 were carried out using combination of both nonstatistical one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) method and statistical response surface methodology (RSM). Using OFAT method, starch and (NH4)2SO4were identified as suitable carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. Subsequently, starch, NaCl, and MgSO4·7H2O were recognized as the most significant media components with confidence level of above 95% using the Plackett-Burman design. The levels of the three media components were further optimized using RSM employed with Box-Behnken design. Accordingly, a second-order polynomial regression model was fitted into the experimental data. By analyzing the response surface plots as well as using numerical optimization method, the optimal levels for starch, NaCl, and MgSO4·7H2O were determined as 15.6 g/L, 0.8 g/L, and 1.98 g/L, respectively. With the optimized medium, 15.5% increase was observed in antibiotic activity of JAJ18. Results further support the use of RSM for media optimization. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of statistical media optimization for antibiotic production in rare actinomyceteNonomuraeaspecies, which will be useful for the development ofNonomuraeacultivation process for efficient antibiotic production on a large scale.
Trigonella Foenum-Graecum Seeds Lowers Postprandial Blood Glucose in Overweight and Obese Individuals
Authors: Robert Sathyasurya Daniel , Ismail Aziz Al-Safi , Wan Rosli Wan Ishak
Published: September 2014

This study determined the effects of fenugreek on postprandial plasma glucose (PPG) and satiety among overweight and obese individuals. Fourteen subjects were studied in the morning after overnight fasts on four separate occasions. Glycaemic responses elicited by 50 g carbohydrate portions of white bread and jam with or without 5.5 g of fenugreek and fried rice with or without 5.5 g fenugreek were determined over 2 h. The primary endpoint was the incremental area under the plasma glucose response curve (IAUC). Adding fenugreek to both foods significantly reduced the IAUC compared to the food alone: white bread and jam, 180 ± 22 versus 271 ± 23 mmol × min/L (P= 0.001); fried rice, 176 ± 20 versus 249 ± 25 mmol × min/L (P= 0.001). Fenugreek also significantly reduced the area under the satiety curve for white bread with jam (134 ± 27 versus 232 ± 33 mm × hr,P= 0.01) and fried rice (280 ± 37 versus 379 ± 36 mm × hr,P= 0.01). It is concluded that fenugreek significantly decreased the PPG response and increased satiety among overweight and obese individuals.
Stress Response Protein Cirp Links Inflammation and Tumorigenesis in Colitis-Associated Cancer
Authors: Sakurai Toshiharu , Kashida Hiroshi , Watanabe Tomohiro , Hagiwara Satoru , Mizushima Tsunekazu , Iijima Hideki , Nishida Naoshi , Higashitsuji Hiroaki , Fujita Jun , Kudo Masatoshi
Published: September 2014

Colitis-associated cancer (CAC) is caused by chronic intestinal inflammation and is reported to be associated with refractory inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Defective apoptosis of inflammatory cell populations seems to be a relevant pathogenetic mechanism in refractory IBD. We assessed the involvement of stress response protein cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (Cirp) in the development of intestinal inflammation and CAC. In the colonic mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis, expression of Cirp correlated significantly with the expression of TNFα, IL23/IL17, antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, and stem cell markers such as Sox2, Bmi1, and Lgr5. The expression of Cirp and Sox2 was enhanced in the colonic mucosae of refractory ulcerative colitis, suggesting that Cirp expression might be related to increased cancer risk. In human CAC specimens, inflammatory cells expressed Cirp protein. Cirp−/− mice given dextran sodium sulfate exhibited decreased susceptibility to colonic inflammation through decreased expression of TNFα, IL23, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL in colonic lamina propria cells compared with similarly treated wild-type (WT) mice. In the murine CAC model, Cirp deficiency decreased the expression of TNFα, IL23/IL17, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Sox2 and the number of Dclk1+ cells, leading to attenuated tumorigenic potential. Transplantation of Cirp−/− bone marrow into WT mice reduced tumorigenesis, indicating the importance of Cirp in hematopoietic cells. Cirp promotes the development of intestinal inflammation and colorectal tumors through regulating apoptosis and production of TNFα and IL23 in inflammatory cells. Cancer Res; 74(21); 6119–28. ©2014 AACR.
The Genomic Landscape of Pediatric Ewing Sarcoma
Authors: Crompton Brian D. , Stewart Chip , Taylor-Weiner Amaro , Alexe Gabriela , Kurek Kyle C. , Calicchio Monica L. , Kiezun Adam , Carter Scott L. , Shukla Sachet A. , Mehta Swapnil S. , Thorner Aaron R. , de Torres Carmen , Lavarino Cinzia , Suñol Mariona , McKenna Aaron , Sivachenko Andrey , Cibulskis Kristian , Lawrence Michael S. , Stojanov Petar , Rosenberg Mara , Ambrogio Lauren , Auclair Daniel , Seepo Sara , Blumenstiel Brendan , DeFelice Matthew , Imaz-Rosshandler Ivan , Schwarz-Cruz y Celis Angela , Rivera Miguel N. , Rodriguez-Galindo Carlos , Fleming Mark D. , Golub Todd R. , Getz Gad , Mora Jaume , Stegmaier Kimberly
Published: September 2014

Pediatric Ewing sarcoma is characterized by the expression of chimeric fusions of EWS and ETS family transcription factors, representing a paradigm for studying cancers driven by transcription factor rearrangements. In this study, we describe the somatic landscape of pediatric Ewing sarcoma. These tumors are among the most genetically normal cancers characterized to date, with only EWS–ETS rearrangements identified in the majority of tumors. STAG2 loss, however, is present in more than 15% of Ewing sarcoma tumors; occurs by point mutation, rearrangement, and likely nongenetic mechanisms; and is associated with disease dissemination. Perhaps the most striking finding is the paucity of mutations in immediately targetable signal transduction pathways, highlighting the need for new therapeutic approaches to target EWS–ETS fusions in this disease.

Significance: We performed next-generation sequencing of Ewing sarcoma, a pediatric cancer involving bone, characterized by expression of EWS–ETS fusions. We found remarkably few mutations. However, we discovered that loss of STAG2 expression occurs in 15% of tumors and is associated with metastatic disease, suggesting a potential genetic vulnerability in Ewing sarcoma. Cancer Discov; 4(11); 1326–41. ©2014 AACR.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1243
Organ-specific bleeding patterns of anticoagulant therapy: lessons from clinical trials
Authors: Vanassche Thomas , Hirsh Jack , Ginsberg Jeffrey , Eikelboom John
Published: September 2014

Anticoagulants are effective at preventing and treating thrombosis, but can cause bleeding. For decades, vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) have been the only available oral anticoagulants. The development of non-VKA oral anticoagulants (NOACs), which inhibit either factor Xa or thrombin stoichiometrically, has provided alternatives to VKAs for several indications. The results of recent large-scale randomised controlled trials comparing NOACs with VKAs for the prevention of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) have produced some unexpected results. As a group, NOACs showed similar efficacy as warfarin, but a reduced risk of major bleeding. The reduction in bleeding with NOACs was greatest with intracranial hemorrhage. In contrast, the relative risk of gastro-intestinal bleeding was increased with some NOACs. In this review, we explore the potential mechanisms as well as the implications of these organ-specific bleeding patterns.
ABO blood group and thrombotic vascular disease
Authors: Mannucci Pier Mannuccio , Franchini Massimo
Published: September 2014

ABO blood group antigens are complex carbohydrate molecules expressed on red blood cells and a variety of tissues. The ABO blood type is implicated in the development of a number of human diseases and there is increasing evidence regarding its involvement in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disorders, mainly through its effect on von Willebrand factor levels. In this review, after a brief analysis of the potential molecular mechanisms by which the blood group influences haemostasis, we focus on the clinical implications of such interaction. Overall, the literature data document the close relationship between venous thromboembolism (VTE) and non-O blood type, which is associated with an approximately two-fold increased risk of venous thrombosis. A supra-additive effect on VTE risk is observed when an inherited thrombophilic condition is associated with non-O blood group. A weaker association exists between non-O blood type and arterial thrombosis, which needs to be further investigated.
Redefining Expectations of Long-Term Survival After the Fontan Procedure
Authors: d’Udekem Yves , Iyengar Ajay J. , Galati John C. , Forsdick Victoria , Weintraub Robert G. , Wheaton Gavin R. , Bullock Andrew , Justo Robert N. , Grigg Leeanne E. , Sholler Gary F. , Hope Sarah , Radford Dorothy J. , Gentles Thomas L. , Celermajer David S. , Winlaw David S.
Published: September 2014

Background—

The life expectancy of patients undergoing a Fontan procedure is unknown.

Methods and Results—

Follow-up of all 1006 survivors of the 1089 patients who underwent a Fontan procedure in Australia and New Zealand was obtained from a binational population-based registry including all pediatric and adult cardiac centers. There were 203 atriopulmonary connections (AP; 1975–1995), 271 lateral tunnels (1988–2006), and 532 extracardiac conduits (1997–2010). The proportion with hypoplastic left heart syndrome increased from 1/173 (1%) before 1990 to 80/500 (16%) after 2000. Survival at 10 years was 89% (84%–93%) for AP and 97% (95% confidence interval [CI], 94%–99%) for lateral tunnels and extracardiac conduits. The longest survival estimate was 76% (95% CI, 67%–82%) at 25 years for AP. AP independently predicted worse survival compared with extracardiac conduits (hazard ratio, 6.2;
P
<0.001; 95% CI, 2.4–16.0). Freedom from failure (death, transplantation, takedown, conversion to extracardiac conduits, New York Heart Association III/IV, or protein-losing enteropathy/plastic bronchitis) 20 years after Fontan was 70% (95% CI, 63%–76%). Hypoplastic left heart syndrome was the primary predictor of Fontan failure (hazard ratio, 3.8;
P
<0.001; 95% CI, 2.0–7.1). Ten-year freedom from failure was 79% (95% CI, 61%–89%) for hypoplastic left heart syndrome versus 92% (95% CI, 87%–95%) for other morphologies.

Conclusions—

The long-term survival of the Australia and New Zealand Fontan population is excellent. Patients with an AP Fontan experience survival of 76% at 25 years. Technical modifications have further improved survival. Patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome are at higher risk of failure. Large, comprehensive registries such as this will further improve our understanding of late outcomes after the Fontan procedure.
Prevalence and Long-Term Outcome of Aortic Prosthesis–Patient Mismatch in Patients With Paradoxical Low-Flow Severe Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Mohty Dania , Boulogne Cyrille , Magne Julien , Pibarot Philippe , Echahidi Najmeddine , Cornu Elisabeth , Dumesnil Jean , Laskar Marc , Virot Patrice , Aboyans Victor
Published: September 2014

Background—

Patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and paradoxical low flow (PLF) have worse outcome compared with those with normal flow. Furthermore, prosthesis–patient mismatch (PPM) after aortic valve replacement is a predictor of reduced survival. However, the prevalence and prognostic impact of PPM in patients with PLF-AS are unknown. We aimed to analyze the prevalence and long-term survival of PPM in patients with PLF-AS.

Methods and Results—

Between 2000 and 2010, 677 patients with severe AS, preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, and aortic valve replacement were included (74±8 years; 42% women; aortic valve area, 0.69±0.16 cm
2
). A PLF (indexed stroke volume ≤35 mL/m
2
) was found in 26%, and after aortic valve replacement, 54% of patients had PPM, defined as an indexed effective orifice area ≤0.85 cm
2
/m
2
. The combined presence of PLF and PPM was found in 15%. Compared with patients with noPLF/noPPM, those with PLF/PPM were significantly older, with more comorbidities. They also received smaller and biological bioprosthesis more often (all
P
<0.01). Although early mortality was not significantly different between groups, the 10-year survival rate was significantly reduced in case of PLF/PPM compared with noPLF/noPPM (38±9% versus 70±5%;
P
=0.002), even after multivariable adjustment (hazard ratio, 2.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.5–4.45;
P
=0.0007).

Conclusions—

In this large catheterization-based study, the coexistence of PLF-AS before surgery and PPM after surgery is associated with the poorest outcome.
Joint tail and vocal alarm signals of gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis)
Authors: McRae Thaddeus R. , Green Steven M.
Published: September 2014

Threat-specific vocalizations have been observed in primates and ground squirrels, but their contemporaneous usage with visible signals has not been experimentally analyzed for association with threat type. Here we examine the eastern gray squirrel, an arboreal squirrel that uses both vocal and tail signals as alarms. Squirrels were presented with cat and hawk models simulating natural terrestrial or aerial predator attacks and also with control objects that do not resemble predators but approach in a similar manner. Individuals responded with tail signals (twitches and flags) and vocalizations (kuks, quaas and moans), but only flags and moans are associated with predator type. Moans were elicited primarily by aerial stimuli and flags by terrestrial stimuli. Eastern gray squirrels use an alarm-signaling system in which signals in each modality potentially are associated with particular attributes of a threat or may be general alarms. Terrestrially-approaching stimuli yielded vocal and tail alarm signals regardless of whether the stimulus resembled a predator. With aerially-approaching stimuli, however, quaas were used more often when the stimulus resembled an aerial predator than when it did not. An approaching object’s physical appearance may therefore affect squirrels’ responses to aerial, but not terrestrial, objects. When the stimuli resembled real predators approaching in the natural manner (terrestrially or aerially), both tail flags and vocal moans were associated with predator type, so we also considered moans and flags together. The presence and absence of moans and flags in an alarm signaling bout yields a higher statistical index of predictive association as to whether the threat is aerial or terrestrial than does either component alone.
History in the Context of the Georgian-Abkhazian Conflict
Authors: Hewitt George
Published: September 2014

The 2014 disturbances in the Ukraine occasioned renewed discussion of the 2008 Russo- Georgian War. As the situation continued to worsen in eastern Ukraine, US President Obama announced on a visit to Poland at the start of June that the US and NATO would strengthen ties even with the non-NATO-member-states of the Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. This last has aspirations of membership, even though it does not control the republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which most of the world nevertheless regards as integral parts of Georgia. As long as the Georgian-Abkhazian dispute remains unresolved, there will be problems regarding inter-state relations with/for western Transcaucasia. And there can be no resolution of the Abkhazian issue without a proper understanding of Abkhazia’s history (both ancient and more recent); it was to try to ensure that the debate is not based on misconceptions, unsubstantiated assertions or even plain errors that this article was written. It is grounded on a consideration of a range of materials (from Agathias’ Greek text through relevant discussions in Georgian, Russian and English). The toppling of Abkhazia’s democratically elected president (Aleksandr Ankvab) at the end of May 2014 makes the question of Abkhazia even more topical.
The Mediatization of Diplomacy
Authors: Pamment James
Published: September 2014

Practitioners and scholars are increasingly aware that an array of new actors, communication technologies, agendas and expectations are changing the institution of diplomacy. How diplomatic actors are known and experienced through their representation assumes an increasingly important, and uncertain, role. This article argues that these changes to the field should be considered in terms of the shifting ontological and epistemological conditions for representing and experiencing diplomatic identities. In support of this, the article investigates the influence of mediated communication upon the production of knowledge and the ability to experience others through use of the term ‘mediatization’. Mediatization refers to the ways in which communication technologies have become so integrated into everyday activities that our knowledge and experience of the world is significantly altered, often in ways that appear banal and taken for granted. In the diplomatic context, mediatization involves placing pressure on actors to negotiate issues and identity salience in new ways; to coordinate and negotiate over codes and norms for representation within different mediated environments; and to strategically manage identities, messages and representational modalities within objective-led campaigns. This analysis is used to question further the relationship linking communication, diplomacy and public diplomacy, with the conclusion that public diplomacy can no longer be considered as entirely external communicative activities attached to the diplomatic world, since these are — in an age of mediatization — necessarily part of diplomacy proper. Rather, public diplomacy makes most sense in that coordinating role, as a form of semiotic and normative coalition-building within organizations and among connected stakeholders.
Jet Lag: A Neglected Problem of Modern Diplomacy?
Authors: Caldwell Dan , Hocking William G.
Published: September 2014

The observations and anecdotes of diplomats and policy-makers in memoirs and interviews clearly document their experience with jet lag and raise important questions: what are the physical and mental effects of jet lag; what impact does jet lag have on leaders and diplomatic negotiations; and finally, what can be done to ameliorate these effects? This article addresses these central questions.
‘Soft’ Coercive Diplomacy versus Informal Resistance: Attempts at Deporting ‘Illegal Vietnamese’ from Reunifying Germany, 1990-1995
Authors: Maass Matthias
Published: September 2014

During the period of Germany’s reunification in the early 1990s, disagreement between Germany and Vietnam over the return of Vietnamese individuals to Vietnam escalated into a diplomatic dispute that also spilled over into Vietnam’s negotiations with the European Union over a major eu–Vietnam treaty. In mid-1995, however, the German and Vietnamese governments finally agreed on a repatriation arrangement that allowed Germany to begin deporting about 40,000 Vietnamese who were living in Germany illegally.

This article explores the episode in the wider context of diplomatic dispute resolution. While Germany was demanding full cooperation from Vietnam on the issue of returning Vietnamese nationals, the Vietnamese government initially resisted large-scale repatriation for economic and social reasons. Hanoi attempted to frame the discussion within bilateral negotiations, economic costs and human rights, whereas Bonn argued from the perspective of customary international law and applied increasingly coercive diplomacy. German authorities escalated the disagreement and made economic threats with the aim of changing Hanoi’s behaviour.

In order to frame this approach analytically, this article uses a modified form of coercive diplomacy. The analysis proceeds in three stages: first, the article analyses the origins of the dispute, which had its roots in German reunification; second, it evaluates the legal arguments advanced by each side; and third, it investigates Germany’s ‘soft’ coercive diplomacy and Vietnam’s response. The article concludes with an evaluation of Germany’s approach, benchmarking 1995’s diplomatic outcome against results on the ground, namely the number of returnees to Vietnam.
An illustrated key to and diagnoses of the species of Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) associated with decaying carcasses in Argentina
Authors: ABALLAY FERNANDO H. , CHANI-POSSE MARIANA R. , AYÓN MARÍA ROSANA , MALDONADO MARÍA BELÉN , CENTENO NÉSTOR D.
Published: September 2014

A key to 24 Staphylinidae species associated with decaying carcasses in Argentina is presented, including diagnoses, illustrations, distributional and bionomical data for these species. This article provides a table of all species associated with carcasses, detailing the substrate from which they were collected and geographical distribution by province. All 24 Staphylinidae species recorded are grouped into three subfamilies: Aleocharinae (three species of Aleochara Gravenhorst and one species of Atheta Thomson), Oxytelinae (one species of Anotylus Thomson) and Staphylininae (18 species, two belonging to the tribe Xantholinini and 16 species belonging to the tribe Staphylinini). A discussion is presented on the potential forensic importance of some species collected on human and pig carcasses.
Fungus-feeding phlaeothripine Thysanoptera in the genus Holothrips from Australia and New Caledonia, with a structurally similar new genus, Holoengythrips
Authors: MOUND LAURENCE A. , TREE DESLEY J.
Published: September 2014

Ten species of Holothrips, including seven new species, are recognized from Australia, with one further new species from New Caledonia. A new genus, Holoengythrips, is described from Australia, with nine new species that look similar to Holothrips species in having elongate maxillary stylets that are close together medially for the full length of the head. In contrast to species of Holothrips, the species of Holoengythrips are strongly sexually dimorphic, with antennal segment VIII separated from VII and the maxillary stylets more slender, and the males have a pore plate on the eighth sternite. Holoengythrips is therefore considered to be more closely related to Hoplandrothrips.
The minute, fungus-feeding species of Sophiothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae) from Australia and New Zealand
Authors: MOUND LAURENCE A. , TREE DESLEY J.
Published: September 2014

Five new species of Sophiothrips are described from mainland Australia, of which one is widespread in the eastern part of the continent, with a second widespread across the northern tropical zone. These species appear to be members of the breviceps species-group from the Old World tropics. One of these five is particularly unusual within the genus in that the maxillary stylets are retracted into the head anterior to the postoccipital ridge. A sixth new species is described from Australia that is known only from Norfolk Island, but this is closely related to two species that are endemic to New Zealand. A key is provided to the nine species recognised.
Intense and Extreme Wind Speeds Observed by Anemometer and Seismic Networks: An Eastern U.S. Case Study
Authors: Pryor S. C. , Conrick R. , Miller C. , Tytell J. , Barthelmie R. J.
Published: September 2014

The scale and intensity of extreme wind events have tremendous relevance to determining the impact on infrastructure and natural and managed ecosystems. Analyses presented herein show the following. 1) Wind speeds in excess of the station-specific 95th percentile are coherent over distances of up to 1000 km over the eastern United States, which implies that the drivers of high wind speeds are manifest at the synoptic scale. 2) Although cold fronts associated with extratropical cyclones are a major cause of high–wind speed events, maximum sustained and gust wind speeds are only weakly dependent on the near-surface horizontal temperature gradient across the front. 3) Gust factors (GF) over the eastern United States have a mean value of 1.57 and conform to a lognormal probability distribution, and the relationship between maximum observed GF and sustained wind speed conforms to a power law with coefficients of 5.91 and −0.499. Even though there is coherence in the occurrence of intense wind speeds at the synoptic scale, the intensity and spatial extent of extreme wind events are not fully characterized even by the dense meteorological networks deployed by the National Weather Service. Seismic data from the USArray, a program within the Earthscope initiative, may be suitable for use in mapping high-wind and gust events, however. It is shown that the seismic channels exhibit well-defined spectral signatures under conditions of high wind, with a variance peak at frequencies of ~0.04 s−1 and an amplitude that appears to scale with the magnitude of observed wind gusts.
Large-Eddy Simulation of a Residual Layer: Low-Level Jet, Convective Rolls, and Kelvin–Helmholtz Instability
Authors: Nakanishi Mikio , Shibuya Ryosuke , Ito Junshi , Niino Hiroshi
Published: September 2014

Diurnal variations of an atmospheric boundary layer from 0900 LST on day 33 to 0600 LST on day 34 of the Wangara experiment are studied using a large-eddy simulation (LES) model that includes longwave radiation and baroclinicity. The present study directs its particular attention to phenomena in a residual layer (RL). As the surface heat flux decreases, an inertial oscillation is initiated and is accompanied by a low-level jet (LLJ) at a height of approximately 200 m. The maximum wind speed of the LLJ exceeds 12 m s−1 at 0300 LST on day 34. After 2100 LST on day 33, the horizontal advection due to the LLJ under a large-scale horizontal gradient of temperature destabilizes the RL and consequently induces horizontal convective rolls, parallel to a vertical wind shear (VWS) vector, between heights of 400 and 1400 m. The VWS in the layer between the bottom of the convective rolls and the gradually growing LLJ maximum is intensified after midnight, and the gradient Richardson number falls below its critical value of 0.25 at a height of 400 m at 0130 LST on day 34. An empirical orthogonal function analysis demonstrates that Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) vortices appear below the convective rolls and are coupled with them. This study suggests that horizontal convective rolls can occur in an RL because an LLJ often advects warmer air to the lower layer according to a large-scale gradient of temperature and that the rolls may coexist with KH vortices in a stable boundary layer because the LLJ gradually increases a VWS.
Isolating the Role of Surface Evapotranspiration on Moist Convection along the Eastern Flanks of the Tropical Andes Using a Quasi-Idealized Approach*
Authors: Sun Xiaoming , Barros Ana P.
Published: September 2014

The contribution of surface evapotranspiration (ET) to moist convection, cloudiness, and precipitation along the eastern flanks of the tropical Andes (EADS) was investigated using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model with nested simulations of selected weather conditions down to 1.2-km grid spacing. To isolate the role of surface ET, numerical experiments were conducted using a quasi-idealized approach whereby, at every time step, the surface sensible heat effects are exactly the same as in the reference simulations, whereas the surface latent heat fluxes are prevented from entering the atmosphere. Energy balance analysis indicates that surface ET influences moist convection primarily through its impact on conditional instability, because it acts as an important source of moist entropy in this region. The energy available for convection decreases by up to approximately 60% when the ET contribution is withdrawn. In contrast, when convective motion is not thermally driven or under conditionally stable conditions, the role of latent heating from the land surface becomes secondary. At the scale of the Andes proper, removal of surface ET weakens upslope flows by increasing static stability of the lower troposphere, as the vertical gradient of water vapor mixing ratio tends to be less negative. Consequently, moisture convergence is reduced over the EADS. In the absence of surface ET, this process operates in concert with damped convective energy, suppressing cloudiness and decreasing daily precipitation by up to around 50% in the simulations presented here.