bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Methylprednisolone Pulses during Relapses of Multiple Sclerosis on the Kinetics of Anti-Interferon-Beta Antibodies
Authors: Giantzi Virginia , Karapanayiotides Theodoros , Lagoudaki Roza , Poulatsidou Kyriaki-Nefeli , Lourbopoulos Athanasios , Daniilidis Michail , Taskos Nikolaos , Milonas Ioannis , Grigoriadis Nikolaos
Published: February 2016

Background/Aims: We assessed the, hitherto unknown, impact of intravenous methylprednisolone (ivMP) pulses during relapses of multiple sclerosis (MS) on the kinetics of anti-interferon-beta neutralizing antibodies (Nabs) and binding antibodies (Babs). Methods: Babs (ELISA) and Nabs (antiviral cytopathic effect assay) titers were evaluated before, immediately after and at 1 month following ivMP in 60 MS patients. Results: ivMP reduces Nabs and Babs titers for at least 1 month. Baseline titers determine Nabs and Babs seronegativity at the end of ivMP. Clinical response to ivMP tends to be better in Nabs(+) patients. Conclusion: Sampling for Nabs/Babs should be avoided during or shortly after ivMP to avoid transient positive or negative results that may obscure the decision to switch treatment.
Strenuous exercise induces a hyperreactive rebalanced haemostatic state that is more pronounced in men
Authors: Konings Joke , Kremers Romy , Bloemen Saartje , Schurgers Evelien , Selmeczi Anna , Kelchtermans Hilde , van Meel Rinaldo , Meex Steven , Kleinegris Marie-Claire , de Groot Philip , Urbanus Rolf , Ninivaggi Marisa , de Laat Bas , Huskens Dana , Roest Mark , Remijn Jasper
Published: February 2016

Physical exercise is recommended for a healthy lifestyle. Strenuous exercise, however, may trigger the haemostatic system, increasing the risk of vascular thrombotic events and the incidence of primary cardiac arrest. Our goal was to study the effects of strenuous exercise on risk factors of cardiovascular disease. Blood was collected from 92 healthy volunteers who participated in the amateur version of the protour Amstel Gold cycling race, before and directly after the race. Thrombin generation showed a shortening of the lag time and time to peak and an increase of the velocity index. Interestingly, the endogenous thrombin potential measured in plasma decreased due to reduced prothrombin conversion. Platelet reactivity increased and this effect was stronger in men than in women. Lower fibrinogen and higher D-dimer levels after exercise indicated higher fibrin formation. On the other hand, fibrinolysis was also elevated as indicated by a shortening of the clot lysis time. Exercise activated the endothelium (von Willebrand factor (VWF) and active VWF levels were elevated) and the immune system (concentrations IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, RANTES and PDGF increased). Additionally, an increased cardiac troponin T level was measured post-exercise. Strenuous exercise induces a temporary hyperreactive state in the body with enhanced proand anticoagulant responses. As strenuous exercise has a more pronounced effect on platelet function in male subjects, this gives a possible explanation for the higher incidence of sudden cardiac death during exercise compared to women. This trial is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02048462.
Do Genetic Factors Modify the Relationship Between Obesity and Hypertriglyceridemia?
Authors: Ali Ashfaq , Varga Tibor V. , Stojkovic Ivana A. , Schulz Christina-Alexandra , Hallmans Göran , Barroso Inês , Poveda Alaitz , Renström Frida , Orho-Melander Marju , Franks Paul W.
Published: February 2016

Background—

Obesity is a major risk factor for dyslipidemia, but this relationship is highly variable. Recently published data from 2 Danish cohorts suggest that genetic factors may underlie some of this variability.

Methods and Results—

We tested whether established triglyceride-associated loci modify the relationship of body mass index (BMI) and triglyceride concentrations in 2 Swedish cohorts (the Gene–Lifestyle Interactions and Complex Traits Involved in Elevated Disease Risk [GLACIER Study; N=4312] and the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study [N=5352]). The genetic loci were amalgamated into a weighted genetic risk score (WGRS
TG
) by summing the triglyceride-elevating alleles (weighted by their established marginal effects) for all loci. Both BMI and the WGRS
TG
were strongly associated with triglyceride concentrations in GLACIER, with each additional BMI unit (kg/m
2
) associated with 2.8% (
P
=8.4×10
–84
) higher triglyceride concentration and each additional WGRS
TG
unit with 2% (
P
=7.6×10
–48
) higher triglyceride concentration. Each unit of the WGRS
TG
was associated with 1.5% higher triglyceride concentrations in normal weight and 2.4% higher concentrations in overweight/obese participants (
P
interaction
=0.056). Meta-analyses of results from the Swedish cohorts yielded a statistically significant WGRS
TG
×BMI interaction effect (
P
interaction
=6.0×10
–4
), which was strengthened by including data from the Danish cohorts (
P
interaction
=6.5×10
–7
). In the meta-analysis of the Swedish cohorts, nominal evidence of a 3-way interaction (WGRS
TG
×BMI×sex) was observed (
P
interaction
=0.03), where the WGRS
TG
×BMI interaction was only statistically significant in females. Using protein–protein interaction network analyses, we identified molecular interactions and pathways elucidating the metabolic relationships between BMI and triglyceride-associated loci.

Conclusions—

Our findings provide evidence that body fatness accentuates the effects of genetic susceptibility variants in hypertriglyceridemia, effects that are most evident in females.
LOX
Mutations Predispose to Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Dissections
Authors: Guo Dong-chuan , Regalado Ellen S. , Gong Limin , Duan Xueyan , Santos-Cortez Regie Lyn P. , Arnaud Pauline , Ren Zhao , Cai Bo , Hostetler Ellen M. , Moran Rocio , Liang David , Estrera Anthony , Safi Hazim J. ,   University of Washington Center for Mendelian Genomics, Leal Suzanne M. , Bamshad Michael J. , Shendure Jay , Nickerson Deborah A. , Jondeau Guillaume , Boileau Catherine , Milewicz Dianna M.
Published: February 2016

Rationale:

Mutations in several genes have been identified that are responsible for 25% of families with familial thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections. However, the causative gene remains unknown in 75% of families.

Objectives:

To identify the causative mutation in families with autosomal dominant inheritance of thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections.

Methods and Results:

Exome sequencing was used to identify the mutation responsible for a large family with thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections. A heterozygous rare variant, c.839G>T (p.Ser280Arg), was identified in
LOX
, encoding a lysyl oxidase, that segregated with disease in the family. Sanger and exome sequencing was used to investigate mutations in
LOX
in an additional 410 probands from unrelated families. Additional
LOX
rare variants that segregated with disease in families were identified, including c.125G>A (p.Trp42*), c.604G>T (p.Gly202*), c.743C>T (p.Thr248Ile), c.800A>C (p.Gln267Pro), and c.1044T>A (p.Ser348Arg). The altered amino acids cause haploinsufficiency for LOX or are located at a highly conserved LOX catalytic domain, which is relatively invariant in the population. Expression of the LOX variants p.Ser280Arg and p.Ser348Arg resulted in significantly lower lysyl oxidase activity when compared with the wild-type protein. Individuals with LOX variants had fusiform enlargement of the root and ascending thoracic aorta, leading to ascending aortic dissections.

Conclusions:

These data, along with previous studies showing that the deficiency of
LOX
in mice or inhibition of lysyl oxidases in turkeys and rats causes aortic dissections, support the conclusion that rare genetic variants in
LOX
predispose to thoracic aortic disease.
Trade Expectations and Great Power Conflict—A Review Essay
Authors: Snyder Jack
Published: February 2016

Whether economic interdependence is a cause of war or peace constitutes a central debate in international politics. Two major approaches advance diametrically opposed claims: liberal theory holds that interdependence between states promotes peace by increasing the costs of war; realist theory argues that interdependence is just another word for vulnerability, a condition that states may try to escape by seizing the resources and markets they need for self-sufficiency. Considerable evidence supports both of these claims. In Economic Interdependence and War, Dale Copeland proposes to resolve this stalemate by showing that interdependence promotes peace when states expect mutually beneficial trade to continue, but creates incentives for war when at least one of the states expects that trade trends will leave it dangerously vulnerable. Notwithstanding this book's major theoretical contributions and its impressive historical research, it leaves open several important questions about how to move forward with its agenda of theoretical development and testing.
Evaluation of Control Interfaces for Desktop Virtual Environments
Authors: Thrash Tyler , Kapadia Mubbasir , Moussaid Mehdi , Wilhelm Christophe , Helbing Dirk , Sumner Robert W. , Hölscher Christoph
Published: February 2016

Tracking and analyzing the movement trajectories of individuals and groups is an important problem with applications in crowd management and the development of transportation systems. However, real-world tracking is limited due to the size of the trackable area and the precision with which a person can be tracked. Experiments in virtual environments have many advantages, including practically unlimited sizes and the precise measurement of spatial behavior. However, the generalizability of research using virtual environments to real-world scenarios is often limited by the translation of participants’ movements to those of their avatars. We compared human movement patterns in virtual environments with different control interfaces: a handheld joystick, a mouse-and-keyboard setup, and a keyboard-only setup. With each of these controls, participants completed several movement-related tasks of varying difficulty in a limited amount of time. Questionnaires indicated that participants preferred the mouse-and-keyboard setup over the other two setups. Standard performance measures suggested that the joystick underperformed in a variety of tasks. Movement trajectories in the final task indicated that each of the control setups produced somewhat realistic behavior, despite some apparent differences from real-world trajectories. Overall, the results indicated that, given limited resources, mouse-and-keyboard setups consistently outperform joysticks and produce realistic movement patterns.
Appearance and Task Success in Novel Avatars
Authors: Won Andrea Stevenson , Bailenson Jeremy N. , Lanier Jaron
Published: February 2016

Novel avatar bodies are ones that are not controlled in a one-to-one relationship between the user’s body and the avatar body, for example, when the avatar’s arms are controlled by the user’s legs, or, when the avatar has a third arm. People have been shown to complete tasks more successfully when controlling novel avatar bodies than when controlling avatars that conform to the normal human configurations, when those novel avatars are better suited to the task (Won, Bailenson, Lee, & Lanier, 2015). However, the novel avatars in such studies tend to follow two conventions. First, the novel avatars still resemble biological forms, and second, the novel extensions of the avatar are connected to the avatar body. In the following study, participants operated bodies with three arms. We examined the interaction between biological appearance of the third arm and whether it was attached to the body. There was a significant effect of biological appearance on performance, such that participants inhabiting an avatar with a biological appearance did worse overall. There was also an interaction with biological appearance and an extension that appeared detached from the participant’s body such that participants in this condition performed most poorly overall. We propose a relationship between self-reported presence and task success, and discuss the implications of these findings for the design, implementation, and use of novel avatars.
Halal Activism
Authors: Fischer Johan
Published: February 2016

The purpose of this article is to further our understanding of contemporary Muslim consumer activism in Malaysia with a particular focus on halal (in Arabic, literally “permissible” or “lawful”) products and services. Muslim activists and organisations promote halal on a big scale in the interface zones between new forms of Islamic revivalism, the ethnicised state and Muslim consumer culture. Organisations such as the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia play an important role in pushing and protecting halal in Malaysia, that is, halal activists constantly call on the state to tighten halal regulation and they also at times call for boycotting products that are associated with haram (literally, “prohibited”) impurity and unwanted foreign influences. I argue that insufficient attention has been paid to the micro-social logics of modern forms of religious consumer activism and networking in particular historical/national settings and that these issues should be explored in the interfaces between Islam, the state and market. More specifically, this article examines the above issues building on ethnography from fieldwork with three Muslim organisations in Malaysia.
Raising Successful Offspring by Chinese Middle-Class Parents
Authors: Tsang Eileen Yuk-ha , Lee Pak K.
Published: February 2016

This article analyses the intergenerational mobility of the Chinese “new middle class” in Shanghai, China. Building on the Bourdieusian concept of social capital, it puts forward a sociocultural approach to explaining the reproduction of the middle class in contemporary urban China. It explores why cultural capital and marketable professional qualification are not enough for younger members of this class to secure their class status and upward mobility. It also discusses how and why the pre-reform socialist social institutions of danwei (work unit) and hukou (household registration) continue to play decisive roles in consolidating the middle class’ life status in post-reform China. This study finds that middle-class parents capitalise on their accrued and privileged guanxi (interpersonal relationship), built on the socialist social institutions, to help their children find good jobs to maintain their own upward intergenerational mobility.
A brain motivated to play: insights into the neurobiology of playfulness
Authors: Siviy Stephen M.
Published: February 2016

Play is an important part of normal childhood development and is seen in varied forms among many mammals. While not indispensable to normal development, playful social experiences as juveniles may provide an opportunity to develop flexible behavioural strategies when novel and uncertain situations arise as an adult. To understand the neurobiological mechanisms responsible for play and how the functions of play may relate to these neural substrates, the rat has become the model of choice. Play in the rat is easily quantified, tightly regulated, and can be modulated by genetic factors and postnatal experiences. Brain areas most likely to be involved in the modulation of play include regions within the prefrontal cortex, dorsal and ventral striatum, some regions of the amygdala, and habenula. This paper discusses what we currently know about the neurobiological substrates of play and how this can help illuminate functional questions about the putative benefits of play.
Circles of Confidence in Correspondence
Authors: van den Heuvel Charles , Weingart Scott B. , Spelt Nils , Nellen Henk
Published: February 2016

Science in the early modern world depended on openness in scholarly communication. On the other hand, a web of commercial, political, and religious conflicts required broad measures of secrecy and confidentiality; similar measures were integral to scholarly rivalries and plagiarism. This paper analyzes confidentiality and secrecy in intellectual and technological knowledge exchange via letters and drawings. We argue that existing approaches to understanding knowledge exchange in early modern Europe – which focus on the Republic of Letters as a unified entity of corresponding scholars – can be improved upon by analyzing multilayered networks of communication. We describe a data model to analyze circles of confidence and cultures of secrecy in intellectual and technological knowledge exchanges. Finally, we discuss the outcomes of a first experiment focusing on the question of how personal and professional/official relationships interact with confidentiality and secrecy, based on a case study of the correspondence of Hugo Grotius.
World of Letters
Authors: Hashimoto Satoru
Published: February 2016

While the discourse of national literature was fully espoused in modern China, many Chinese classics were transposed into Europe and had a unique impact on European modernist literature. Overshadowed by these oft-discussed dynamics are Chinese modernists’ own engagements with the nation’s classics. Focusing on Daodejing, the foundational work of the Daoist canon, this paper compares Lu Xun’s modernist retelling of the legend of the birth of Daodejing with Walter Benjamin’s commentary on Bertolt Brecht’s poem featuring the same anecdote. This paper argues that both works, by reconstructing the scene of Daodejing’s first inscription, engage with this text in its lost original moment, which precedes any national identification. They open the text up to other configurations, thereby projecting alternative literary worlds. This paper thus questions the dominant conception of world literature as consisting of the circulation of nationally identified works of literature.
Why (Not) World Literature
Authors: Thornber Karen L.
Published: February 2016

Increasing attention to the enduring processes of cosmopolitanism, globalization, and transnationalism, together with growing frustration with the geographic, linguistic, and conceptual limitations of many fields of literature, has led in the past two decades to burgeoning interest in the discipline of world literature. Institutes, conferences, articles, volumes, and journals on various aspects of world literature are proliferating around the world as never before. But the challenges facing world literature remain significant. One of the largest is the field’s continuing biases, and in particular its tendency—despite its name—to privilege literature that not only has been embraced by Western readers but also conforms to the expectations of Western scholars. Just as important is the failure of world literature to integrate the study of literature more comprehensively with urgent matters of global significance. The pages below elaborate on the first challenge and address the second, identifying several opportunities going forward.
A taxonomic survey of the genus Vitis L. (Vitaceae) in Italy, part II: the ‘Euro-American’ hybrids
Authors: Ardenghi Nicola M.G. , Banfi Enrico , Galasso Gabriele
Published: February 2016

New names are assigned to two ‘Euro-American’ nothospecies of Vitis originating from the artificial crossing of Euro-Mediterranean V. vinifera with two American species, employed both as rootstocks and for wine production, and spontaneously occurring in Italy and other European countries: V. ×bacoi (= V. riparia × V. vinifera) and V. ×goliath (= V. riparia × V. rupestris × V. vinifera). Original and detailed descriptions, illustrations and information on distribution and ecology are provided, along with an updated identification key. Late-season leaf pigmentation, presence/absence of phylloxera galls, ripe berries flavor, and seed morphology proved to be useful characters for the identification of the treated species and nothospecies. Nomenclatural aspects regarding V. riparia × V. vinifera are also discussed.
Rediscovery of Macrosamanea macrocalyx (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae), a threatened endemic species from the Middle Xingu River, Amazonia, Brazil
Authors: Silva Wanderson Luis , Soares Marcos Vinícius , Silva Francismeire Bonadeu , Morim Marli Pires , Iganci João Ricardo , Santos João Ubiratan
Published: February 2016

Macrosamanea macrocalyx is an endemic species from the state of Pará in Brazil. It was described based on specimens collected by A. Ducke in 1916 and J.G. Kuhlmann in 1924, in the municipality of Altamira. Since then, the species has not been recorded. The construction of the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam on the Xingu River permanently flooded a large area in this region. We report the rediscovery of M. macrocalyx in its natural habitat, and provide new taxonomic information, particularly the first description of the mature fruits and seeds. We evaluate its conservation status as critically endangered (CR), based on current knowledge and the IUCN criteria.
A review of the Japanese species of the genus Scardia Treitschke (Lepidoptera, Tineidae), with description of a new species
Authors: OSADA YOHEI , SAKAI MAKOTO , HIROWATARI TOSHIYA
Published: February 2016

Taxonomy of the Japanese species of the genus Scardia is reviewed, and a new species, namely Scardia fusca sp. nov., is described based on the adult morphology.
Influence of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation and Sea Surface Temperature Variability on Downward Wave Coupling in the Northern Hemisphere
Authors: Lubis Sandro W. , Matthes Katja , Omrani Nour-Eddine , Harnik Nili , Wahl Sebastian
Published: February 2016

Downward wave coupling occurs when an upward-propagating planetary wave from the troposphere decelerates the flow in the upper stratosphere and forms a downward reflecting surface that redirects waves back to the troposphere. To test this mechanism and potential factors influencing the downward wave coupling, three 145-yr sensitivity simulations with NCAR’s Community Earth System Model [CESM1(WACCM)], a state-of-the-art high-top chemistry–climate model, are analyzed. The results show that the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) and SST variability significantly impact downward wave coupling. Without the QBO, the occurrence of downward wave coupling is significantly suppressed. In contrast, stronger and more persistent downward wave coupling occurs when SST variability is excluded.

The above influence on the occurrence of downward wave coupling is mostly due to a direct influence of the QBO and SST variability on stratospheric planetary wave source and propagation. The strengths of the tropospheric circulation and surface responses to a given downward wave coupling event, however, behave differently. The surface anomaly is significantly weaker (stronger) in the experiment with fixed SSTs (without QBO), even though the statistical signal of downward wave coupling is strongest (weakest) in this experiment. This apparent mismatch is explained by the differences in the strength of the synoptic-scale eddy–mean flow feedback and the possible contribution of SST anomalies in the North Atlantic during the downward wave coupling event. The weaker synoptic-scale eddy–mean flow feedback and the absence of the positive NAO-related SST-tripole pattern in the fixed SST experiment are consistent with a weaker tropospheric response to downward wave coupling. The results highlight the importance of synoptic-scale eddies in setting the tropospheric response to downward wave coupling.
Exploring the Effects of Solar Radiation Management on Water Cycling in a Coupled Land–Atmosphere Model*
Authors: Dagon Katherine , Schrag Daniel P.
Published: February 2016

Solar radiation management (SRM) has been proposed as a form of geoengineering to reduce the climate effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Modeling studies have concluded that SRM, through a reduction in total solar irradiance by approximately 2%, roughly compensates for global mean temperature changes from a doubling of carbon dioxide concentrations. This paper examines the impact of SRM on the terrestrial hydrologic cycle using the Community Land Model, version 4, coupled to the Community Atmosphere Model, version 4, with reductions in solar radiation relative to simulations with present-day and elevated CO2 concentrations. There are significant global and regional impacts due to vegetation–climate interactions that are not compensated when reductions in total solar irradiance of 1%, 2%, and 3% are imposed on top of a doubling of present-day CO2 concentrations. Water cycling slows down under SRM, including decreases in global mean precipitation and evapotranspiration. Changes in runoff and soil moisture are spatially and temporally variable, with implications for local water availability. In the tropics, evapotranspiration decreases because of increases in vegetation water use efficiency. In northern midlatitudes, soil moisture increases when evapotranspiration decreases, with some exceptions during boreal summer. Changes in soil evaporation influence water cycling in the southern subtropics, rather than changes in transpiration. The hydrologic response to SRM is nonlinear, with global mean decreases greater than expected. These results imply that SRM may not compensate for higher greenhouse gas concentrations when one considers land–atmosphere interactions.
Dynamical Attribution of Recent Variability in Atlantic Overturning
Authors: Pillar Helen R. , Heimbach Patrick , Johnson Helen L. , Marshall David P.
Published: February 2016

Attributing observed variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) to past changes in surface forcing is challenging but essential for detecting any influence of anthropogenic forcing and reducing uncertainty in future climate predictions. Here, quantitative estimates of separate contributions from wind and buoyancy forcing to AMOC variations at 25°N are obtained. These estimates are achieved by projecting observed atmospheric anomalies onto model-based dynamical patterns of AMOC sensitivity to surface wind, thermal, and freshwater forcing over the preceding 15 years. Local wind forcing is shown to dominate AMOC variability on short time scales, whereas subpolar heat fluxes dominate on decadal time scales. The reconstructed transport time series successfully reproduces most of the interannual variability observed by RAPID–MOCHA. However, the apparent decadal trend in the RAPID–MOCHA time series is not captured, requiring improved model representation of ocean adjustment to subpolar heat fluxes over at least the past two decades and highlighting the importance of sustained monitoring of the high-latitude North Atlantic.
A quantitative investigation on vibration durability of viscoelastic relaxation in bolted composite joints
Authors: Zhang Z , Xiao Y , Liu YQ , Su ZQ
Published: February 2016

Time-dependent behavior and factors affecting preload relaxation in a carbon/epoxy composite bolted joint under resonance were studied. The effect of viscoelasticity of composite material on bolt relaxation was studied quantitatively through modal analysis from the perspective of energy dissipation and stiffness degradation. Damping ratio and resonance frequency were utilized to characterize the effects of preload relaxation on structural dynamic response. The loss of preload was found to decrease with increasing initial preloads over a 10 h vibration fatigue. However, an increase in preload loss occurred as exciting frequency increases. Vibration fatigue damage was found to result in decaying stiffness and amplitude responses of the bolted joints, along with an increase in damping ratio. As a proof-of-concept study, a beam-like specimens with and without bolted joints were comparatively excited to ascertain their respective dynamic responses; results revealed that relaxation in bolted joints could be attributed to the conjunct mechanisms between viscoelastic behavior of polymer matrix composites and interface friction for different contact surfaces, where such relaxation behavior was mainly due to viscoelasticity of the joint materials.
NATO Burden Sharing in Libya
Authors: Haesebrouck Tim
Published: February 2016

This study aims to explain the pattern of contributions to NATO’s military campaign in Libya. It combines collective action theory with hypotheses on balance of threat, alliance politics, and domestic constraints in a multicausal framework, which is tested with qualitative comparative analysis. The results suggest novel inferences on the interactions between partisan politics, and the benefits states wish to secure by contributing to a multilateral operation. Contrary to conventional wisdom, parties situated at the left of the ideological spectrum were more inclined to support Operation Unified Protector than parties situated at the right. Whereas left-wing governments participated if they had the resources to contribute significantly to the fulfillment of the protection mandate and either highly valued their alliance with the United States or were not facing imminent elections, right-wing governments only contributed if their countries’ interests were threatened by the crisis in Libya or their participation was critical for the operation’s success.
Can Vco2‐Based Estimates of Resting Energy Expenditure Replace the Need for Indirect Calorimetry in Critically Ill Children?
Authors: Mouzaki Marialena , Schwartz Steven M. , Mtaweh Haifa , La Rotta Gustavo , Mah Kandice , Herridge Joann , Van Arsdell Glen , Parshuram Christopher S. , Floh Alejandro A.
Published: February 2016

Background: Optimal energy provision, guided by measured resting energy expenditure (REE), is fundamental in the care of critically ill children. REE should be determined by indirect calorimetry (IC), which has limited availability. Recently, a novel equation was developed for estimating REE derived from carbon dioxide production (Vco2). The aim of this study was to validate the accuracy of this equation in a population of critically ill children following cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods: This is an ancillary study to a larger trial of children undergoing CPB. Respiratory mass spectrometry was used measure oxygen consumption (Vo2) and Vco2. REE was then calculated according to the established Weir equation (REEW) and the modified, Vco2‐based equation (REECO2). The agreement between the 2 measurements was assessed using Bland‐Altman plots and mixed‐model regressions accounting for repeated measures. Results: Data from 104 patients, which included 575 paired measurements, were included. The agreement between REEW and REECO2 was biased during the 72‐hour observation period post CPB, with a mean percentage error between measurements of 11% (±7%). The most important determinant of the bias with the Vco2‐based equation was the respiratory quotient (RQ). The percentage error between REEW and REECO2 dropped to 4.4% (±2.4%) in those with an RQ between 0.8 and 1. The within‐subject variability for RQ in this cohort was wide (11%). Conclusions: IC remains the most accurate method to determine the REE of critically ill patients. Widespread availability of Vco2 data renders Vco2‐based approaches to measurement of REE attractive; however, further research is needed to ensure that REE is estimated accurately.
The Soviet Nomad
Authors: Pearson Brook W. R.
Published: February 2016

The science fiction films of Andrei Tarkovsky, Solaris (1973) and Stalker (1979), are complex responses to the repressive atmosphere of Brezhnev’s rule, after the 7-year delay in seeing Andrei Rublev (1971) released publicly. By using science fiction—a genre that Tarkovsky openly maligned—he was able to fly beneath the radar of State censorship, and develop a nuanced response to the application of Marxist theory of religion in the Soviet experience. Arguing in these films (and in others in his oeuvre) that humans still need the affective dimension of religion (though not the hierarchical, institutional elements of it that Marx had identified with sedation), Tarkovsky hid within his science fiction films a thoroughgoing critique of the Soviet application of Marx. This article uses the concept of “war machine” from the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari to analyze how Tarkovsky did this, and demonstrates that Tarkovsky’s engagement with Marx’s philosophy in these two films shares much in common with Deleuze and Guattari’s way of understanding human meaning making.
Transient increase of fractional anisotropy in reversible vasogenic edema
Authors: Kimura-Ohba Shihoko , Yang Yi , Thompson Jeffrey , Kimura Tomonori , Salayandia Victor M , Cosse Melissa , Yang Yirong , Sillerud Laurel O , Rosenberg Gary A
Published: February 2016

Brain vasogenic edema, involving disruption of the blood-brain barrier, is a common pathological condition in several neurological diseases, with a heterogeneous prognosis. It is sometimes reversible, as in posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, but often irreversible and our current clinical tools are insufficient to reveal its reversibility. Here, we show that increased fractional anisotropy in magnetic resonance imaging is associated with the reversibility of vasogenic edema. Spontaneously, hypertensive rats-stroke prone demonstrated posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome-like acute encephalopathy in response to high-dose cyclosporine A treatment; the deteriorating neurological symptoms and worsening scores in behavioral tests, which were seen in acute phase, dissappered after recovery by cessation of cyclosporine A. In the acute phase of encephalopathy, the fractional anisotropy and apparent diffusion coefficient increased in areas with IgG leakage. This increase of fractional anisotropy occurred in the absence of demyelination: fluid leakage into the myelinated space increased the axial, but not the radial, diffusivity, resulting in the increased fractional anisotropy. This increased fractional anisotropy returned to pre-encephalopathy values in the recovery phase. Our results highlight the importance of the fractional anisotropy increase as a marker for the reversibility of brain edema, which can delineate the brain areas for which recovery is possible.
Pathology of Mouse Models of Accelerated Aging
Authors: Harkema L. , Youssef S. A. , de Bruin A.
Published: February 2016

Progeroid mouse models display phenotypes in multiple organ systems that suggest premature aging and resemble features of natural aging of both mice and humans. The prospect of a significant increase in the global elderly population within the next decades has led to the emergence of “geroscience,” which aims at elucidating the molecular mechanisms involved in aging. Progeroid mouse models are frequently used in geroscience as they provide insight into the molecular mechanisms that are involved in the highly complex process of natural aging. This review provides an overview of the most commonly reported nonneoplastic macroscopic and microscopic pathologic findings in progeroid mouse models (eg, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease, intervertebral disc degeneration, kyphosis, sarcopenia, cutaneous atrophy, wound healing, hair loss, alopecia, lymphoid atrophy, cataract, corneal endothelial dystrophy, retinal degenerative diseases, and vascular remodeling). Furthermore, several shortcomings in pathologic analysis and descriptions of these models are discussed. Progeroid mouse models are valuable models for aging, but thorough knowledge of both the mouse strain background and the progeria-related phenotype is required to guide interpretation and translation of the pathology data.
Analytical anarchism? A critique of Alan Carter’s anarchist theory of history
Authors: Ingham Stuart
Published: February 2016

Alan Carter has proposed that anarchists can develop their own theory of history by engaging with the work of analytical Marxists such as G. A. Cohen. This essay argues that Carter fails to build his own convincing theory of history because it retains too many of the faults within Cohen’s reconstructed historical materialism. In particular, his historical theory depends upon an unsustainably extravagant dialectic.
Investigating Possible Reciprocal Relations Between Depressive and Problem Gambling Symptoms in Emerging Adults
Authors: Chinneck Annie , Mackinnon Sean P. , Stewart Sherry H.
Published: February 2016

Objective:

Previous cross-sectional research has shown that depression and problem gambling co-occur. Longitudinal research, however, allows for a better determination of directionality, as behavioural changes in gambling involvement can be more reliably studied over time. Our study assesses symptoms of depression and problem gambling across 4 waves and addresses whether their relation is directional (with one reliably preceding the other), bidirectional, or pathoplastic.

Method:

As part of the Manitoba Longitudinal Study of Young Adults, prospective data were collected on Canadian young adults’ (Wave 1: n = 679, 51.8% female, aged 18 to 20 years) depressive symptoms, involvement in gambling, and risky gambling behaviour. Recruitment and the first cycle of data collection (Wave 1) took place in fall 2007. Three additional waves of data collection then occurred in 12- to 18-month intervals: fall 2008, spring 2010, and spring 2011. The Problem Gambling Severity Index and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview—Short Form were administered through telephone interview at each wave.

Results:

Bivariate growth curves showed that depressive and problem gambling symptoms were positively correlated at Wave 1, Wave 2, and Wave 4. Neither disorder was found to be a risk factor for the other, and depression and problem gambling were not pathoplastically related (that is, increases in one did not result in increases in the other over time, and vice versa).

Conclusions:

While depression and problem gambling are related, their co-occurrence may be better explained not by depressive- or gambling-related risk, but by the presence of a common underlying factor (such as substance abuse).
A Review of 20 Years of Research on Overdiagnosis and Underdiagnosis in the Rhode Island Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services (MIDAS) Project
Authors: Zimmerman Mark
Published: February 2016

The Rhode Island Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services (MIDAS) project represents an integration of research methodology into a community-based outpatient practice affiliated with an academic medical centre. The MIDAS project is the largest clinical epidemiological study using semi-structured interviews to assess a wide range of psychiatric disorders in a general clinical outpatient practice. In an early report from the MIDAS project, we found that across diagnostic categories clinicians using unstandardized, unstructured clinical interviews underrecognized diagnostic comorbidity, compared with the results of semi-structured interviews. Moreover, we found that the patients often wanted treatment for symptoms of disorders that were diagnosed as comorbid, rather than principal, conditions. This highlighted the importance, from the patient’s perspective, of conducting thorough diagnostic interviews to diagnose disorders that are not related to the patient’s chief complaint because patients often desire treatment for these additional diagnoses. While several of the initial papers from the MIDAS project identified problems with the detection of comorbid disorders in clinical practice, regarding the diagnosis of bipolar disorder we observed the emergence of an opposite phenomenon—clinician overdiagnosis. The results from the MIDAS project, along with other studies of diagnosis in routine clinical practice, have brought to the forefront the problem with diagnosis in routine clinical practice. An important question is what do these findings suggest about the community standard of care in making psychiatric diagnoses, and whether and how the standard of care should be changed? The implications are discussed.
Employer Best Practice Guidelines for the Return to Work of Workers on Mental Disorder–Related Disability Leave
Authors: Dewa Carolyn S. , Trojanowski Lucy , Joosen Margot C. W. , Bonato Sarah
Published: February 2016

Objective:

There has been an increasing number of employer best practice guidelines (BPGs) for the return to work (RTW) from mental disorder–related disability leave. This systematic review addresses 2 questions: 1) What is the quality of the development and recommendations of these BPGs? and 2) What are the areas of agreement and discrepancy among the identified guidelines related to the RTW from mental illness–related disability leave?

Method:

A systematic literature search was performed using publically available grey literature and best practice portals. It focused on the RTW of workers with medically certified disability leave related to mental disorders. The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) was used to assess the quality of the development and recommendations of these BPGs.

Results:

A total of 58 unique documents were identified for screening. After screening, 5 BPGs were appraised using AGREE II; 3 BPGs were included in the final set. There were no discrepancies among the 3, although they were from different countries. They all agreed there should be: 1) well-described organizational policies and procedures for the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders, 2) a disability leave plan, and 3) work accommodations. In addition, one guideline suggested supervisor training and mental health literacy training for all staff.

Conclusion:

Although there were no discrepancies among the 3 BPGs, they emphasized different aspects of RTW and could be considered to be complementary. Together, they provide important guidance for those seeking to understand employer best practices for mental illness–related disability.
Computerized Self-Administered Measures of Mood and Appetite for Older Adults: The Novel Assessment of Nutrition and Ageing Toolkit
Authors: Brown Laura J. E. , Adlam Tim , Hwang Faustina , Khadra Hassan , Maclean Linda M. , Rudd Bridey , Smith Tom , Timon Claire , Williams Elizabeth A. , Astell Arlene J.
Published: February 2016

The “Novel Assessment of Nutrition and Ageing” (NANA) toolkit is a computerized system for collecting longitudinal information about older adults’ health and behavior. Here, we describe the validation of six items for measuring older adults’ self-reported mood and appetite as part of the NANA system. In Study 1, 48 community-living older adults (aged 65-89 years) completed NANA measures of their current mood and appetite alongside standard paper measures, on three occasions, in a laboratory setting. In Study 2, 40 community-living older adults (aged 64-88 years) completed daily NANA measures of momentary mood and appetite in their own homes, unsupervised, alongside additional measures of health and behavior, over three 7-day periods. The NANA measures were significantly correlated with standard measures of mood and appetite, and showed stability over time. They show utility for tracking mood and appetite longitudinally, and for better understanding links with other aspects of health and behavior.
A Pilot Study of Obesogenic Eating Behaviors in Children With Migraine
Authors: Ray Stephen , Singh Shashi Bhushan , Halford Jason C. G. , Harrold Joanne A. , Kumar Ram
Published: February 2016

We studied associations between migraine severity and obesogenic eating behaviors in children with a prospective cross-sectional, clinic-based study. Migraine severity was quantified using the PedMIDAS tool and attack frequency. Eating behaviors were assessed using the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire and the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Food intake was assessed using a Food Intake Questionnaire. Statistical tests of association between eating behavior, food intake, and adiposity with migraine severity were performed. Sixty children (mean age = 10.9 years, standard deviation = 3.1; 26 males) were recruited. There was a positive correlation between the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire desire to drink subscale and PedMIDAS scores (r = 0.41, P = .01). Attack frequency was associated with higher intake of high fat or sugar content food and drink (r = 0.27, P = .04). No association between migraine severity and adiposity was found. Suggestion that migraine severity in children is associated with certain obesogenic eating behaviors requires further large study investigation.
Augmentation of the Inotropic Effects of Dopamine Following Linezolid Administration in an Infant
Authors: Lovett Marlina E. , Estrada Maria , Sargel Cheryl , Tobias Joseph D.
Published: February 2016

Although generally safe and effective, one of the unique properties of linezolid is its weak inhibitory effect on monoamine oxidase. As such, it may interact with other medications that act through the adrenergic or serotonergic systems, including selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors and vasoactive agents. We present a 3-month-old infant who was being treated with dopamine to maintain mean arterial pressure during mechanical ventilation following viral-induced respiratory failure. Hypertension and tachycardia developed during the administration of linezolid on two separate occasions. The physiology of catecholamine metabolism is reviewed including the role of the monoamine oxidase system. The potential interaction between linezolid and vasoactive agents such as dopamine is discussed.
In vivo quantification of gentamicin released from an implant coating
Authors: Nast S , Fassbender M , Bormann N , Beck S , Montali A , Lucke M , Schmidmaier G , Wildemann B
Published: February 2016

Drug-releasing implants are gaining increasing interest. The present study reports a detailed physicochemical analysis of a polymeric coating based on poly(D,L-lactide) and the incorporated gentamicin combined with an in vitro and in vivo study of the gentamicin release. Differential scanning calorimeter, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography showed no effect of the gamma sterilisation on the coating components or an interaction of the polymer and the gentamicin. Microbiological analysis revealed an inhibition of bacterial growth on the implant surface. For the in vivo study, gentamicin-coated wires were implanted into the tibiae of rats and harvested at different time points up to day 42. To monitor the release in vivo, gentamicin was quantified in serum, bone, endosteum, kidney, and on the explanted wires. Gentamicin was detectable over a time period of 42 days in the endosteum, up to seven days in the kidney, up to 4 h in the bone and at the end of the experiment on one of eight wires. The locally released gentamicin caused no histological changes of the kidney. Microbiologically active concentrations of released gentamicin were found in the endosteum up to 4 h after implantation. The combination of different methods supports the individual results, where quantification is complemented by visualisation or antimicrobial activity. This work demonstrates that the coating procedure results in no substantial alteration of the incorporated drug and that the in vitro burst release occurs also in vivo.
Inside and Outside the House
Authors: Coleman Leo
Published: February 2016

This article presents a narrative of urban mobility and desire, and critically examines recent ethnographic approaches to subjectivity and “becoming” among rural–urban migrants and in urban life. Lately, ethnographic approaches to urban lives have emphasized mobility over fixity and sought to describe possibility and potential, even in cases of extreme abjection, in part inspired by the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze. I examine the strengths of this “vitalist” approach to urban ethnography through an extended analysis of a fragmentary narrative of urban mobility, setting it in a wider context of political change in Delhi to show that both the reality and the interpretation of these events depend upon the prior occupation and affective shaping of distinctive urban places, or milieux, and the ongoing conceptual structuring and discursive elaboration of political meanings. I argue that such affective structures and urban mediations deserve more attention in ethnographic accounts of migratory desire and becoming.