bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intestinal perforation in premature neonates: The need for subsequent laparotomy after placement of peritoneal drains
Authors: Mishra Prabal , Foley David , Purdie Gordon , Pringle Kevin C
Published: October 2015

Aim

In view of recent studies questioning the usefulness of peritoneal drainage (PD) in premature neonates with pneumoperitoneum, suggesting approximately 75% of those treated with PD needed delayed laparotomy, we reviewed the requirement for laparotomy after initial PD at our institution.

Methods

Retrospective cohort of all premature infants with a diagnosis of intestinal perforation (ICD Code P78.0) from 1995 to 2012. Inclusion criteria were pneumoperitoneum on x‐ray (isolated perforation or necrotising enterocolitis), birthweight <1800 g and gestational age <33 weeks.

Results

Fifty patients met the criteria (38 PD, 12 primary laparotomy). Thirty‐two per cent (95% CI 18–49%) received secondary laparotomy after initial PD. There was no significant difference when stratified according to isolated perforation (24%) versus necrotising enterocolitis (56%, P = 0.11). There was no significant difference between PD and primary laparotomy for time to full enteral nutrition, hazard ratio (HR) 0.99 (95% CI 0.48–2.04) or mortality, HR 2.15 (95% CI 0.48–9.63). The HR for mortality was partly confounded by birthweight, birthweight‐adjusted HR 1.52 (95% CI 0.32–7.23).

Conclusions

Thirty‐two per cent of neonates treated with primary PD received secondary laparotomy, with no significant difference in key outcomes. Primary PD still appears to be of benefit for those without features of necrotising enterocolitis.
Dental clinical research: an illustration of the value of standardized diagnostic terms
Authors: Kalenderian Elsbeth , Tokede Bunmi , Ramoni Rachel , Khan Maria , Kimmes Nicole , White Joel , Vaderhobli Ram , Yansane Alfa , Feilzer Albert , Walji Muhammad
Published: October 2015

Objective

Secondary data are a significant resource for in‐depth epidemiologic and public health research. It also allows for effective quality control and clinical outcomes measurement. To illustrate the value of structured diagnostic entry, a use case was developed to quantify adherence to current practice guidelines for managing chronic moderate periodontitis (CMP).

Methods

Six dental schools using the same electronic health record (EHR) contribute data to a dental data repository (BigMouth) based on the i2b2 data‐warehousing platform. Participating institutions are able to query across the full repository without being able to back trace specific data to its originating institution. At each of the three sites whose data are included in this analysis, the Dental Diagnostic System (DDS) terminology was used to document diagnoses in the clinics. We ran multiple queries against this multi‐institutional database, and the output was validated by manually reviewing a subset of patient charts.

Results

Over the period under study, 1,866 patients were diagnosed with CMP. Of these, 15 percent received only periodontal prophylaxis treatment, 20 percent received only periodontal maintenance treatment, and only 41 percent received periodontal maintenance treatment in combination with other AAP guideline treatments.

Conclusions

Our results showed that most patients with CMP were not treated according to the AAP guidelines. On the basis of this use case, we conclude that the availability and habitual use of a structured diagnosis in an EHR allow for the aggregation and secondary analyses of clinical data to support downstream analyses for quality improvement and epidemiological assessments.
Melatonin nephroprotective action in Zucker diabetic fatty rats involves its inhibitory effect on NADPH oxidase
Authors: Winiarska Katarzyna , Dzik Jolanta M. , Labudda Mateusz , Focht Dorota , Sierakowski Bartosz , Owczarek Aleksandra , Komorowski Lukasz , Bielecki Wojciech
Published: October 2015

Excessive activity of NADPH oxidase (Nox) is considered to be of importance for the progress of diabetic nephropathy. The aim of the study was to elucidate the effect of melatonin, known for its nephroprotective properties, on Nox activity under diabetic conditions. The experiments were performed on three groups of animals: (i) untreated lean (?/+) Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats; (ii) untreated obese diabetic (fa/fa) ZDF rats; and (iii) ZDF fa/fa rats treated with melatonin (20 mg/L) in drinking water. Urinary albumin excretion was measured weekly. After 4 wk of the treatment, the following parameters were determined in kidney cortex: Nox activity, expression of subunits of the enzyme, their phosphorylation and subcellular distribution. Histological studies were also performed. Compared to ?/+ controls, ZDF fa/fa rats exhibited increased renal Nox activity, augmented expression of Nox4 and p47phox subunits, elevated level of p47phox phosphorylation, and enlarged phospho‐p47phox and p67phox content in membrane. Melatonin administration to ZDF fa/fa rats resulted in the improvement of renal functions, as manifested by considerable attenuation of albuminuria and some amelioration of structural abnormalities. The treatment turned out to nearly normalize Nox activity, which was accompanied by considerably lowered expression and diminished membrane distribution of regulatory subunits, that is, phospho‐p47phox and p67phox. Thus, it is concluded that: (i) melatonin beneficial action against diabetic nephropathy involves attenuation of the excessive activity of Nox; and (ii) the mechanism of melatonin inhibitory effect on Nox is based on the mitigation of expression and membrane translocation of its regulatory subunits.
Parkinson's Disease and Pesticides Exposure: New Findings From a Comprehensive Study in Nebraska, USA
Authors: Wan Neng , Lin Ge
Published: October 2015

Background

The association between exposure to agricultural pesticides and Parkinson's Disease (PD) has long been a topic of study in the field of environmental health. This research takes advantage of the unique Nebraska PD registry and state‐level crop classification data to investigate the PD‐pesticides exposure relationship.

Methods

First, Geographic Information System and satellite remote sensing data were adopted to calculate exposure to different pesticides for Nebraska residents. An integrated spatial exploratory framework was then adopted to explore the association between PD incidence and exposure to specific pesticide ingredients at the county level.

Results

Our results reveal similarities in geographic patterns of pesticide exposure and PD incidence. The regression analyses indicate that, for most Nebraska counties, PD incidence was significantly associated with exposure to certain pesticide ingredients such as alachlor and broxomy. However, the results also suggest that factors other than pesticide exposure may help further explain the risk of PD at the county level.

Conclusions

We found significant associations between PD incidence and exposure to different pesticide ingredients. These results have useful implications for PD prevention in Nebraska and other agricultural states in the United States.
Disparities in Alcohol, Drug Use, and Mental Health Condition Prevalence and Access to Care in Rural, Isolated, and Reservation Areas: Findings From the South Dakota Health Survey
Authors: Davis Melinda M. , Spurlock Margaret , Dulacki Kristen , Meath Thomas , Li Hsin‐Fang (Grace) , McCarty Dennis , Warne Donald , Wright Bill , McConnell K. John
Published: October 2015

Purpose

Research on urban/rural disparities in alcohol, drug use, and mental health (ADM) conditions is inconsistent. This study describes ADM condition prevalence and access to care across diverse geographies in a predominantly rural state.

Methods

Multimodal cross‐sectional survey in South Dakota from November 2013 to October 2014, with oversampling in rural areas and American Indian reservations. Measures assessed demographic characteristics, ADM condition prevalence using clinical screenings and participant self‐report, perceived need for treatment, health service usage, and barriers to obtaining care. We tested for differences among urban, rural, isolated, and reservation geographic areas, controlling for participant age and gender.

Findings

We analyzed 7,675 surveys (48% response rate). Generally, ADM condition prevalence rates were not significantly different across geographies. However, respondents in isolated and reservation areas were significantly less likely to have access to primary care. Knowledge of treatment options was significantly lower in isolated regions and individuals in reservation areas had significantly lower odds of reporting receipt of all needed care. Across the sample there was substantial discordance between ADM clinical screenings and participant self‐reported need; 98.1% of respondents who screened positive for alcohol or drug misuse and 63.8% of respondents who screened positive for a mental health condition did not perceive a need for care.

Conclusion

In a predominantly rural state, geographic disparities in ADM conditions are related to differences in access as opposed to prevalence, particularly for individuals in isolated and reservation areas. Educational interventions about ADM condition characteristics may be as important as improving access to care.
An end‐to‐end urethral anastomosis after inguinal tunnelization: a new technique in a dog
Authors: Minier K. , Bemelmans I. , Benoit J.
Published: October 2015

An 8‐year‐old male dog was presented with a peri‐urethral intrapelvic mass with the characteristics of a sarcoma on computed tomography and cytology evaluation. A two‐step procedure leading to a permanent urinary diversion was performed. During the same procedure, the caudal pelvic urethra and mass were resected and an extrapelvic anastomosis of the pelvic portion of the urethra to its penile portion was performed after passage of the pelvic urethra through the inguinal canal. The procedure successfully produced a tension‐free end‐to‐end urethral anastomosis and no complications were observed during the postoperative period. Histologically, the lesion was reported as a narrowly excised liposarcoma. A 4‐week course of curative intent of radiotherapy was initiated 2 weeks after surgery. Eight months later, the dog was free of clinical signs.
Death by sex in an Australian icon: a continent‐wide survey reveals extensive hybridization between dingoes and domestic dogs
Authors: Stephens Danielle , Wilton Alan N. , Fleming Peter J.S. , Berry Oliver
Published: October 2015

Hybridization between domesticated animals and their wild counterparts can disrupt adaptive gene combinations, reduce genetic diversity, extinguish wild populations and change ecosystem function. The dingo is a free‐ranging dog that is an iconic apex predator and distributed throughout most of mainland Australia. Dingoes readily hybridize with domestic dogs, and in many Australian jurisdictions, distinct management strategies are dictated by hybrid status. Yet, the magnitude and spatial extent of domestic dog–dingo hybridization is poorly characterized. To address this, we performed a continent‐wide analysis of hybridization throughout Australia based on 24 locus microsatellite DNA genotypes from 3637 free‐ranging dogs. Although 46% of all free‐ranging dogs were classified as pure dingoes, all regions exhibited some hybridization, and the magnitude varied substantially. The southeast of Australia was highly admixed, with 99% of animals being hybrids or feral domestic dogs, whereas only 13% of the animals from remote central Australia were hybrids. Almost all free‐ranging dogs had some dingo ancestry, indicating that domestic dogs could have poor survivorship in nonurban Australian environments. Overall, wild pure dingoes remain the dominant predator over most of Australia, but the speed and extent to which hybridization has occurred in the approximately 220 years since the first introduction of domestic dogs indicate that the process may soon threaten the persistence of pure dingoes.
Glomerular filtration rate measured by 99mTc‐DTPA renal dynamic imaging is significantly lower than that estimated by the CKD‐EPI equation in horseshoe kidney patients
Authors: Qi Yan , Hu Panpan , Xie Yuansheng , Wei Kai , Jin Meiling , Ma Guangyu , Li Qinggang , Xu Baixuan , Chen Xiangmei
Published: October 2015

Aim

Gate's glomerular filtration rate (gGFR) measured by 99mTc‐DTPA renal dynamic imaging and estimated GFR (eGFR) estimated by the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD‐EPI) equation are two indexes used to evaluate renal function. However, little is known about whether gGFR can be used to accurately assess renal function in horseshoe kidney (HSK) patients with renal fusion anomalies.

Methods

Nineteen HSK patients (HSK group) diagnosed by renal imaging and 38 CKD patients with “normal kidney shape” (non‐HSK group) matched to the HSK patients in terms of gender, age and biochemical indicators at Chinese PLA General Hospital were enrolled in this study. Gender, age, serum total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr), gGFR and eGFR were recorded and analyzed using χ2 test, t‐test, and Wilcoxon test which was presented as median(IQR).

Results

(1) There were no significant differences in gender, age, TP, ALB, BUN, Scr, or eGFR between these two groups. (2) In HSK patients, the renogram showed abnormal renal axis with the lower poles orientated medially. The timed uptake curve showed that the isotope excretion in the HSK group was slower than that in the non‐HSK group. (3) For all HSK patients, gGFR was significantly lower than eGFR (range –12.52 mL/min per 1.73m2 to –93.18 mL/min per 1.73m2). There was no significant difference in eGFR between the HSK [96.42 (36.02) mL/min per 1.73 m2] and non‐HSK groups [94.46 (33.00) mL/min per 1.73 m2]. The gGFR of the HSK group [41.18 (16.60) mL/min per 1.73m2] was much lower than that of the non‐HSK group [86.42(26.40) mL/min per 1.73m2, P < 0.001] and the eGFR of the HSK group (P < 0.001). The gGFR and eGFR of the non‐HSK group were not significantly different.

Conclusion

gGFR measured by 99mTc‐DTPA renal dynamic imaging is significantly lower than eGFR estimated by the CKD‐EPI equation, which indicates that isotope renogram cannot accurately evaluate the GFR of HSK patients.
Clinical Outcomes of Patients with HIV Undergoing Lead Extraction for Infectious and Noninfectious Indications
Authors: COHEN JOSHUA A. , GOVEA ALAYN , CARRILLO ROGER G.
Published: October 2015

Background

With the increasing prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus positive (HIV+) patients in the United States, and the association between HIV and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, the use of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) in patients with HIV has become more common. With the increasing incidence of device‐related complications, lead extraction is becoming a topic of importance in this population. As the use of implantable devices increases in the HIV+ population, complications are to be expected; therefore, lead extraction in the HIV population must be addressed.

Methods

From January 2004 to May 2013, 1,018 patients requiring lead extraction were referred to a single, high‐volume tertiary cardiovascular center. Within this group of patients, 10 were HIV+. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of this cohort and reported clinical variables of interest.

Results

Infection was the most common indication for lead extraction and device removal. Four patients were in advanced heart failure, and the overall average ejection fraction of the sample population was 32.7 ± 16.3%. In addition, the majority of patients had one or more medical comorbidities. Devices removed, in order of frequency, were implantable cardioverter defibrillators, permanent pacemakers, and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices. On average, 35.6 ± 41.6 months elapsed from implantation of the oldest lead to the date of extraction. There were no major or minor complications and all procedures were clinically successful.

Conclusions

Laser lead extraction is both safe and effective in patients with HIV. This study sets a level of clinical precedent regarding the management of CIED infection or malfunction in patients with HIV.
A new phosphatic‐shelled cirripede (Crustacea, Thoracica) from the Lower Jurassic (Toarcian) of Germany – the oldest epiplanktonic barnacle
Authors: Gale Andy , Schweigert Günter
Published: October 2015

A new genus and species of phosphatic‐shelled eolepadid barnacle from the Posidonia Shale (Toarcian, falciferum Zone) of Zell u. Aichelberg, southern Germany, is described as Toarcolepas mutans gen. et sp. nov. Numerous disarticulated individuals, associated with fossil wood, are present in a piece of concretionary limestone, and these are interpreted as having lived epiplanktonically attached to driftwood. The taxonomy of the Late Triassic – Early Cretaceous family Eolepadidae is reviewed, and two further species (T. gaveyi (Withers, 1920) and T. lotharingica (Méchin, 1901)) are referred to Toarcolepas. The chemistry of valve composition of the Carboniferous Praelepas and Triassic–Jurassic eolepadid cirripedes is investigated using X‐ray dispersive analysis, and the ubiquitous presence of abundant phosphorus is taken as evidence that these taxa had a primary phosphatic composition, now preserved as francolite. A significant change in shell chemistry from phosphate to calcium carbonate took place during the evolution of the Thoracica, during the Late Triassic or Early Jurassic. The driving force behind this change may have been related to the reduced predation pressure associated with acquisition of an epiplanktonic mode of life. Calcite is softer, but energetically cheaper to deposit than phosphate mineral phases.
Antitropicality and convergent evolution: a case study of Permian neospiriferine brachiopods
Authors: Lee Sangmin , Shi G. R. , Park Heeju , Tazawa Jun‐Ichi
Published: October 2015

Antitropical distribution is a biogeographical pattern characterized by natural occurrences of the same species or members of the same clade in the middle‐ or middle‐to‐high‐latitudinal habitats of both hemispheres, either on land or in marine environments, without appearing in the intervening tropical environments. For most of the noted examples of Permian antitropical distribution, particularly in marine invertebrates, the causes of disjunctions have been mainly linked to either dispersal or vicariance models. Little attention has been paid to other possible mechanisms. This study investigated the antitropicality of some Permian neospiriferine brachiopods through detailed taxonomic revision, comparison of palaeobiogeographical distribution, and a phylogenetic analysis. Several species, previously assigned to Kaninospirifer, are here reassigned to other genera, especially to Fasciculatia in the northern hemisphere and to Quadrospira in the southern hemisphere during the Permian. Both Kaninospirifer and Fasciculatia appear to have been restricted to north‐western Pangea and north‐eastern Asia during the Permian, but there is no robust evidence to suggest their presence in the southern hemisphere to which Imperiospira and Quadrospira were confined. In spite of the distributional separation between the two pairs of neospiriferine genera in the Permian palaeobiogeographical regime, they share considerable numbers of morphological characters, such as a large shell, subdued fasciculation, and reduction of ventral adminicula. Notwithstanding these morphological similarities, our phylogenetic reconstruction of the neospiriferines does not support a close relationship between these genera. This therefore must indicate that these similar morphological features were independently acquired, probably with these taxa living in spatially separate but ecologically compatible environmental conditions in the mid‐latitudinal area of each hemisphere during the Permian. We regard this as an example of convergent evolution.
Hume and Peirce on the Ultimate Stability of Belief
Authors: Pollock Ryan , Agler David W.
Published: October 2015

Louis Loeb has argued that Hume is pessimistic while Peirce is optimistic about the attainment of fully stable beliefs. In contrast, we argue that Hume was optimistic about such attainment but only if the scope of philosophical investigation is limited to first‐order explanatory questions. Further, we argue that Peirce, after reformulating the pragmatic maxim to accommodate the reality of counterfactuals, was pessimistic about such attainment. Finally, we articulate and respond to Peirce's objection that Hume's skeptical arguments in T 1.4.1 and his commitment to common sense indicate that Hume was confused about whether we could have stable beliefs at all.
Shoot‐derived abscisic acid promotes root growth
Authors: McAdam Scott A. M. , Brodribb Timothy J. , Ross John J.
Published: October 2015

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a major role in regulating root growth. Most work to date has investigated the influence of root‐sourced ABA on root growth during water stress. Here, we tested whether foliage‐derived ABA could be transported to the roots, and whether this foliage‐derived ABA had an influence on root growth under well‐watered conditions. Using both application studies of deuterium‐labelled ABA and reciprocal grafting between wild‐type and ABA‐biosynthetic mutant plants, we show that both ABA levels in the roots and root growth in representative angiosperms are controlled by ABA synthesized in the leaves rather than sourced from the roots. Foliage‐derived ABA was found to promote root growth relative to shoot growth but to inhibit the development of lateral roots. Increased root auxin (IAA) levels in plants with ABA‐deficient scions suggest that foliage‐derived ABA inhibits root growth through the root growth‐inhibitor IAA. These results highlight the physiological and morphological importance, beyond the control of stomata, of foliage‐derived ABA. The use of foliar ABA as a signal for root growth has important implications for regulating root to shoot growth under normal conditions and suggests that leaf rather than root hydration is the main signal for regulating plant responses to moisture.
Immunogenic, cellular, and angiogenic drivers of tumor dormancy‐a melanoma view
Authors: Senft Daniela , Ronai Ze′ev A.
Published: October 2015

In tumor cells, the ability to maintain viability over long time periods without proliferation is referred to as a state of dormancy. Maintenance of dormancy is controlled by numerous cellular and environmental factors, from immune surveillance and tumor–stroma interaction to intracellular signaling. Interference of dormancy (to an ‘awaken’ state) is associated with reduced response to therapy, resulting in relapse or in metastatic burst. Thus, maintaining a dormant state should prolong therapeutic responses and delay metastasis. Technical obstacles in studying tumor dormancy have limited our understanding of underlying mechanisms and hampered our ability to target dormant cells. In this review, we summarize the progress of research in the field of immunogenic, angiogenic, and cellular dormancy in diverse malignancies with particular attention to our current understanding in melanoma.
Does Coaching Matter? A Multilevel Model Linking Managerial Coaching Skill and Frequency to Sales Goal Attainment
Authors: Dahling Jason J. , Taylor Samantha Ritchie , Chau Samantha L. , Dwight Stephen A.
Published: October 2015

Managerial coaching is a process of feedback provision, behavioral modeling, and goal setting with subordinates to improve their performance and address their personal challenges. Despite the popularity of coaching as a management practice, the impact of coaching on objective measures of performance remains unclear. To this end, we tested a multilevel model linking managerial coaching frequency and skill to the sales goal attainment of 1,246 sales representatives in 136 teams within a pharmaceuticals organization over a year. Managers’ coaching skill, which was evaluated in the context of a training exercise, was directly related to the annual sales goal attainment of the sales representatives that they supervised. This effect was partially mediated by team‐level role clarity, as predicted by feedback intervention theory and goal setting theory. In addition, coaching skill had a cross‐level moderating effect on the relationship between coaching frequency and sales goal attainment; coaching frequency had a negative effect on goal attainment when coaching skill was low. We discuss the implications of this finding for coaching research and practice. Overall, our results demonstrate the clear theoretical and practical importance of effective managerial coaching by drawing on multisource and multilevel measurements with a predictive design.
The value of 18F‐FDG PET in pediatric patients with post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder at initial diagnosis
Authors: Vali R. , Punnett A. , Bajno L. , Moineddin R. , Shammas A.
Published: October 2015

PTLD is a serious complication of both solid organ and BMT. This study assessed whether 18F‐FDG PET, when added to CT scan, had additional value in the initial evaluation of PTLD in pediatric patients and whether PET/CT at baseline can reliably guide biopsy. This retrospective study evaluated 34 consecutive pediatric patients (14 female), aged 3.5–17.0 yr (mean age: 9.9 yr, s.d.: 4.9 yr), who had undergone 18F‐FDG PET/CT from May 2007 to December 2014 at initial diagnosis of PTLD following heart (n = 13), lung (n = 8), kidney (n = 4), liver (n = 3), liver and bowel (n = 3), and bone marrow (n = 3) transplantation. PTLD was diagnosed histopathologically in 33 patients and was based on clinical findings, elevated EBV, and imaging and follow‐up results in one patient. On lesion‐based analysis, 18F‐FDG PET showed more lesions than conventional CT scan (168 vs. 134), but CT revealed 22 lesions negative on PET. On per patient analysis, PET detected more lesions in 13 patients, CT identified more abnormalities in seven, and both showed the same number of lesions in 14. Adding 18F‐FDG PET to CT scans upstaged the disease in seven patients (20.5%). A combination of 18F‐FDG PET and CT was also useful in guiding biopsy, being positive in 36 of 39 samples (92.3%). These findings indicated that 18F‐FDG PET and CT are complementary at initial staging of pediatric PTLD and that 18F‐FDG PET/CT scanning can guide biopsies.
Wide expression of ZEB1 in sarcomatous component of spindle cell carcinoma of the esophagus
Authors: Nakazawa Takuro , Nobusawa Sumihito , Ikota Hayato , Kuwano Hiroyuki , Takeyoshi Izumi , Yokoo Hideaki
Published: October 2015

The pathogenesis of sarcomatous component in spindle cell carcinoma (SpCC) of the esophagus is unclear. To investigate the involvement of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) in sarcomatous differentiation, we performed immunohistochemistry for Slug, Twist, ZEB1, and ZEB2, transcription factors associated with EMT and E‐cadherin, in 14 cases of SpCC of the esophagus. In order to verify the neoplastic nature of sarcomatous components, TP53 mutation status and protein expression were examined in each case. Nuclear ZEB1 expression was extensive in the sarcomatous component, greater than invasive front of carcinoma components (P < 0.0001). Membranous E‐cadherin expression was mostly lost in sarcomatous cells in all cases (P < 0.0001). The p53 expression pattern was almost concordant between the two areas in all cases. TP53 mutation analysis revealed that seven cases harbored identical mutations in both components. One case had mutations only in the sarcomatous component. It is noteworthy that none of them harbored mutation in exon 5, unlike conventional esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. These findings show that ZEB1 are widely expressed in the sarcomatous area of SpCC of the esophagus, suggesting the involvement of EMT. The avoidance of exon 5 in terms of TP53 mutation may also be a feature of the tumor.
Absence of Sperm Factors as in the Parthenogenesis Does Not Interfere on Bovine Embryo Sensitiveness to Heat Shock at Pre‐Implantation Stage
Authors: Camargo LSA , Paludo F , Pereira MM , Wohlres‐Viana S , Gioso MM , Carvalho BC , Quintao CCR , Viana JHM
Published: October 2015

Contents

Oocyte has been considered the major contributor for embryo thermo‐tolerance. However, it was shown that sperm factors can be transferred to the oocyte during fertilization, raising the question of whether the absence of such factors could interfere on embryo thermo‐tolerance. In this study, we used parthenogenesis to generate bovine embryos without spermatozoa in order to test whether the absence of sperm factors could influence their thermo‐sensitiveness at early stages. In vitro fertilized (IVF) and parthenogenetic (PA) embryos at 44 h post‐insemination/chemical activation were exposed to 38.5°C (control) or 41°C (heat shock) for 12 h and then developed for 48 h and up to blastocyst stage. Apoptosis index and expression of PRDX1, GLUT1, GLUT5 and IGF1r genes in blastocysts derived from heat‐shocked embryos were also evaluated. The heat shock decreased the blastocyst rate at day seven (p < 0.05) for IVF embryos and at day eight (p < 0.01) for both IVF and PA embryos. Total cell number was not affected by heat shock in IVF and PA blastocysts, but there was an increased proportion (p < 0.05) of apoptotic cells in heat‐shocked embryos when compared to controls. There was no interaction (p > 0.05) between method of activation (IVF and PA) and temperature (38.5°C or 41.5°C) for all developmental parameters evaluated. Expression of GLUT1 gene was downregulated (p < 0.05) by heat shock in both IVF and PA blastocyst whereas expression of GLUT5 and IGF1r genes was downregulated (p < 0.05) by heat shock in PA blastocysts. Those data show that the heat shock affects negatively the embryo development towards blastocysts stage, increases the apoptotic index and disturbed the expression of some genes in both IVF and PA embryos, indicating that the presence or absence of sperm factors does not influence the sensitivity of the bovine embryo to heat shock.
Spatial Inequality in Access to Food Assistance in Indiana
Authors: Waity Julia F.
Published: October 2015

This project is an analysis of the spatial inequality that exists between rural and urban areas in access to food assistance agencies. I gathered the population of all food pantries and soup kitchens in 24 sample counties in Indiana and mapped the location of these agencies using geographic information system analysis. Using the population center of the census block group, I measured the distance from the population center to the nearest food assistance agency. If the closest agency was more than a mile away, the census block group was considered a food assistance desert, a concept I created that draws on the food desert measurement. I found that rural high‐poverty counties in my sample are the most likely to contain census block groups that are food assistance deserts, and urban high‐poverty counties are the least likely to contain food assistance deserts. From these findings, I determine that access to assistance agencies needs to be increased in rural areas, especially rural areas with high‐poverty rates.
Strain Rate Effects on Dynamic Fractures in Fine‐grained Granitic Rock
Authors: Huang C. , Mohanty B. , Zhu Z.
Published: October 2015

The effect of dynamic strain rates on failure responses of a fine‐grained granitic rock is studied experimentally and theoretically. Theoretical investigation employs a model incorporating dynamic fracture criterion with damage mechanics theory. Experimental investigation is conducted using split Hopkinson pressure bar device. In order to investigate the effects of microstructure on dynamic fracture failure under different loading rates, fragment debris of each tested specimen is collected and analyzed. It is found through the debris analysis that the granitic rock breaks down into the fragment debris in grain size scales and the effect of strain rates on the formation of fragment debris appears to be related to the microstructure of the rock. It is also found that dynamic inertia induced by the dynamic loading can reduce the effect of friction confinement generated by the contact between the cylindrical specimen and two split Hopkinson pressure bars on the dynamic responses of the specimen. Theoretical evaluations agree with the corresponding experimental observations.
Assessing the effectiveness of manure export plus intensive silage cropping for lowering the Olsen‐P status of P‐enriched grassland
Authors: Bailey J. S.
Published: October 2015

A substantial proportion of farmed grassland soils in Northern Ireland (NI) are overly enriched with P and pose a risk to water quality. To address this problem, manure could be exported rather than recycled to P‐enriched land and the latter intensively cropped with grass silage to deplete soil P. To assess the efficacy of such a strategy, a P‐ and K‐enriched grassland site was intensively cropped over a 6‐yr period with fertilizer N alone supplied to support silage growth. By year 6, soil P had declined from index 5 to index 3, and it was estimated that two more years of this management may bring it into the target index 2 range. Soil K, however, declined rapidly from index 4 to index 1 in just 4 yr, with the result that grass production became limited by K deficiency. It was concluded that nonrecycling of manure to P‐enriched grassland under silage management is probably the most effective strategy for lowering soil P status, but care must be taken to prevent K deficiency occurring.
Group 1 CD1‐restricted T cells and the pathophysiological implications of self‐lipid antigen recognition
Authors: Dellabona P. , Consonni M. , de Lalla C. , Casorati G.
Published: October 2015

T cell responses are generally regarded as specific for protein‐derived peptide antigens. This is based on the molecular paradigm dictated by the T cell receptor (TCR) recognition of peptide‐major histocompatibility complexs, which provides the molecular bases of the specificity and restriction of the T cell responses. An increasing number of findings in the last 20 years have challenged this paradigm, by showing the existence of T cells specific for lipid antigens presented by CD1 molecules. CD1‐restricted T cells have been proven to be frequent components of the immune system and to recognize exogenous lipids, derived from pathogenic bacteria, as well as cell‐endogenous self‐lipids. This represents a young and exciting area of research in immunology with intriguing biological bases and a potential direct impact on human health.
In silico prediction of drug therapy in catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia
Authors: Yang Pei‐Chi , Moreno Jonathan D. , Miyake Christina Y. , Vaughn‐Behrens Steven B. , Jeng Mao‐Tsuen , Grandi Eleonora , Wehrens Xander H. T. , Noskov Sergei Y. , Clancy Colleen E.
Published: October 2015

Key points

The mechanism of therapeutic efficacy of flecainide for catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is unclear.

Model predictions suggest that Na+ channel effects are insufficient to explain flecainide efficacy in CPVT.

This study represents a first step toward predicting therapeutic mechanisms of drug efficacy in the setting of CPVT and then using these mechanisms to guide modelling and simulation to predict alternative drug therapies.

Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is an inherited arrhythmia syndrome characterized by fatal ventricular arrhythmias in structurally normal hearts during β‐adrenergic stimulation. Current treatment strategies include β‐blockade, flecainide and ICD implementation – none of which is fully effective and each comes with associated risk. Recently, flecainide has gained considerable interest in CPVT treatment, but its mechanism of action for therapeutic efficacy is unclear. In this study, we performed in silico mutagenesis to construct a CPVT model and then used a computational modelling and simulation approach to make predictions of drug mechanisms and efficacy in the setting of CPVT. Experiments were carried out to validate model results. Our simulations revealed that Na+ channel effects are insufficient to explain flecainide efficacy in CPVT. The pure Na+ channel blocker lidocaine and the antianginal ranolazine were additionally tested and also found to be ineffective. When we tested lower dose combination therapy with flecainide, β‐blockade and CaMKII inhibition, our model predicted superior therapeutic efficacy than with flecainide monotherapy. Simulations indicate a polytherapeutic approach may mitigate side‐effects and proarrhythmic potential plaguing CPVT pharmacological management today. Importantly, our prediction of a novel polytherapy for CPVT was confirmed experimentally. Our simulations suggest that flecainide therapeutic efficacy in CPVT is unlikely to derive from primary interactions with the Na+ channel, and benefit may be gained from an alternative multi‐drug regimen.
Caracterización de manantiales del departamento Ancasti en la provincia de Catamarca (Argentina)
Authors: Denim Pablo , Cano Laura , Castro Ornella
Published: October 2015

Las poblaciones de la provincia de Catamarca, Argentina no tienen acceso al agua o el acceso es muy precario. Entre estas poblaciones se encuentran las de El Huayco, El Arbolito y El Puesto Nuevo, en el departamento Ancasti, donde cada familia y una escuela de la zona poseen su propia vertiente. En estos lugares se realizaron obras de captación de agua, a fin de que cada familia y la escuela tengan disponibilidad de este recurso. Con el objetivo de conocer la calidad del agua de abastecimiento de estas comunidades, se realizó un análisis del muestreo del agua en ocho manantiales. Los resultados obtenidos son en general aceptables, excepto en tres manantiales en los que se observa presencia de coliformes (Enterobacter sp.) y pseudomonas.
Interacciones socioecológicas que perpetúan la degradación de la laguna de Fúquene, Andes orientales de Colombia
Authors: Franco-vidal Lorena , Ruiz Agudelo Cesar Augusto , Delgado Juliana , Andrade German , Guzman Ana
Published: October 2015

Para redireccionar el manejo de sistemas ecológicos y sociales en degradación, hacia trayectorias resilientes de cambio frente a las transformaciones ambientales, es necesario no solo el conocimiento de sus componentes, sino también entender las interacciones entre ellos, para de esta manera anticipar, con menos incertidumbre, su dinámica como resultado de los posibles efectos del manejo. Con base en la aplicación de herramientas generales de modelamiento dinámico e ilustración de interacciones, se describen las relaciones sociales y ecológicas en un humedal altoandino en Colombia, la laguna de Fúquene, que lo han llevado a su actual estado de degradación. Se identifican las variables estructurantes del sistema, el patrón de interacciones y los aspectos críticos que se deben incorporar en la gestión del humedal, ausentes en el manejo actual, y que son esenciales para evitar su colapso como sistema ecológico y social.
A Mechanism-Based Approach From Low Cycle Fatigue to Thermomechanical Fatigue Life Prediction
Authors: Wu Xijia , Zhang Zhong
Published: October 2015

Deformation and damage accumulation occur by fundamental dislocation and diffusion mechanisms. An integrated creep–fatigue theory (ICFT) has been developed, based on the physical strain decomposition rule that recognizes the role of each deformation mechanism, and thus relate damage accumulation to its underlying physical mechanism(s). The ICFT formulates the overall damage accumulation as a holistic damage process consisting of nucleation and propagation of surface/subsurface cracks in coalescence with internally distributed damage/discontinuities. These guiding principles run through both isothermal low cycle fatigue (LCF) and thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) under general conditions. This paper presents a methodology using mechanism-based constitutive equations to describe the cyclic stress–strain curve and the nonlinear damage accumulation equation incorporating (i) rate-independent plasticity-induced fatigue, (ii) intergranular embrittlement (IE), (iii) creep, and (iv) oxidation to predict LCF and TMF lives of ductile cast iron (DCI). The complication of the mechanisms and their interactions in this material provide a good demonstration case for the model, which is in good agreement with the experimental observations.
Recommended values of clean metal surface work functions
Authors: Derry Gregory N. , Kern Megan E. , Worth Eli H.
Published: October 2015

A critical review of the experimental literature for measurements of the work functions of clean metal surfaces of single-crystals is presented. The tables presented include all results found for low-index crystal faces except cases that were known to be contaminated surfaces. These results are used to construct a recommended value of the work function for each surface examined, along with an uncertainty estimate for that value. The uncertainties are based in part on the error distribution for all measured work functions in the literature, which is included here. The metals included in this review are silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), gold (Au), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), iridium (Ir), molybdenum (Mo), niobium (Nb), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (Ru), tantalum (Ta), and tungsten (W).
Ultrasonic tracking of shear waves using a particle filter
Authors: Ingle Atul N. , Ma Chi , Varghese Tomy
Published: October 2015

Purpose:

This paper discusses an application of particle filtering for estimating shear wave velocity in tissue using ultrasound elastography data. Shear wave velocity estimates are of significant clinical value as they help differentiate stiffer areas from softer areas which is an indicator of potential pathology.

Methods:

Radio‐frequency ultrasound echo signals are used for tracking axial displacements and obtaining the time‐to‐peak displacement at different lateral locations. These time‐to‐peak data are usually very noisy and cannot be used directly for computing velocity. In this paper, the denoising problem is tackled using a hidden Markov model with the hidden states being the unknown (noiseless) time‐to‐peak values. A particle filter is then used for smoothing out the time‐to‐peak curve to obtain a fit that is optimal in a minimum mean squared error sense.

Results:

Simulation results from synthetic data and finite element modeling suggest that the particle filter provides lower mean squared reconstruction error with smaller variance as compared to standard filtering methods, while preserving sharp boundary detail. Results from phantom experiments show that the shear wave velocity estimates in the stiff regions of the phantoms were within 20% of those obtained from a commercial ultrasound scanner and agree with estimates obtained using a standard method using least‐squares fit. Estimates of area obtained from the particle filtered shear wave velocity maps were within 10% of those obtained from B‐mode ultrasound images.

Conclusions:

The particle filtering approach can be used for producing visually appealing SWV reconstructions by effectively delineating various areas of the phantom with good image quality properties comparable to existing techniques.
Evaluation of tumor‐derived MRI‐texture features for discrimination of molecular subtypes and prediction of 12‐month survival status in glioblastoma
Authors: Yang Dalu , Rao Ganesh , Martinez Juan , Veeraraghavan Ashok , Rao Arvind
Published: October 2015

Purpose:

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary brain cancer. Four molecular subtypes of GBM have been described but can only be determined by an invasive brain biopsy. The goal of this study is to evaluate the utility of texture features extracted from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans as a potential noninvasive method to characterize molecular subtypes of GBM and to predict 12‐month overall survival status for GBM patients.

Methods:

The authors manually segmented the tumor regions from postcontrast T1 weighted and T2 fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI scans of 82 patients with de novo GBM. For each patient, the authors extracted five sets of computer‐extracted texture features, namely, 48 segmentation‐based fractal texture analysis (SFTA) features, 576 histogram of oriented gradients (HOGs) features, 44 run‐length matrix (RLM) features, 256 local binary patterns features, and 52 Haralick features, from the tumor slice corresponding to the maximum tumor area in axial, sagittal, and coronal planes, respectively. The authors used an ensemble classifier called random forest on each feature family to predict GBM molecular subtypes and 12‐month survival status (a dichotomized version of overall survival at the 12‐month time point indicating if the patient was alive or not at 12 months). The performance of the prediction was quantified and compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

Results:

With the appropriate combination of texture feature set, image plane (axial, coronal, or sagittal), and MRI sequence, the area under ROC curve values for predicting different molecular subtypes and 12‐month survival status are 0.72 for classical (with Haralick features on T1 postcontrast axial scan), 0.70 for mesenchymal (with HOG features on T2 FLAIR axial scan), 0.75 for neural (with RLM features on T2 FLAIR axial scan), 0.82 for proneural (with SFTA features on T1 postcontrast coronal scan), and 0.69 for 12‐month survival status (with SFTA features on T1 postcontrast coronal scan).

Conclusions:

The authors evaluated the performance of five types of texture features in predicting GBM molecular subtypes and 12‐month survival status. The authors’ results show that texture features are predictive of molecular subtypes and survival status in GBM. These results indicate the feasibility of using tumor‐derived imaging features to guide genomically informed interventions without the need for invasive biopsies.
The role of prosody in infants' early syntactic analysis and grammatical categorization
Authors: Massicotte-Laforge Sarah , Shi Rushen
Published: October 2015

This study tested the hypothesis that phrasal prosody assists early syntactic acquisition. Stimulus-sentences consisting of French determiners and pseudo-lexical-words were ambiguous between two syntactic structures, e.g., [[TonDet felliAdj craleN]NP [vurV laDet gosineN]VP] versus [[TonDet felliN]NP [craleV vurPrep laDet gosineN]VP], which had distinct prosodic cues. French-learning 20-month-olds were familiarized with the sentences either in the prosody of one structure, or the other structure. All infants were tested with Det + N (e.g., LeDet craleN) versus Pron + V (e.g., TuPron cralesV) trials containing non-familiarized functors. Infants perceived the test-stimuli according to the familiarized structure. They used prosody to categorize words and interpret adjacent and non-adjacent syntactic dependencies.
Slow adaptation in the face of rapid warming leads to collapse of the Gulf of Maine cod fishery
Authors: Pershing Andrew J. , Alexander Michael A. , Hernandez Christina M. , Kerr Lisa A. , Le Bris Arnault , Mills Katherine E. , Nye Janet A. , Record Nicholas R. , Scannell Hillary A. , Scott James D. , Sherwood Graham D. , Thomas Andrew C.
Published: October 2015

Several studies have documented fish populations changing in response to long-term warming. Over the past decade, sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Maine increased faster than 99% of the global ocean. The warming, which was related to a northward shift in the Gulf Stream and to changes in the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and Pacific Decadal Oscillation, led to reduced recruitment and increased mortality in the region’s Atlantic cod (
Gadus morhua
) stock. Failure to recognize the impact of warming on cod contributed to overfishing. Recovery of this fishery depends on sound management, but the size of the stock depends on future temperature conditions. The experience in the Gulf of Maine highlights the need to incorporate environmental factors into resource management.