bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ion Channel Dysfunctions in Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy
Authors: El-Battrawy Ibrahim , Zhao Zhihan , Lan Huan , Li Xin , Yücel Gökhan , Lang Siegfried , Sattler Katherine , Schünemann Jan-Dierk , Zimmermann Wolfram-Hubertus , Cyganek Lukas , Utikal Jochen , Wieland Thomas , Bieback Karen , Bauer Ralf , Ratte Antonius , Pribe-Wolferts Regina , Rapti Kleopatra , Nowak Daniel , Wittig Janina , Thomas Dierk , Most Patrick , Katus Hugo A. , Ravens Ursula , Schmidt Constanze , Borggrefe Martin , Zhou Xiao-Bo , Müller Oliver J. , Akin Ibrahim
Published: October 2018

Background:

Limb-Girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMD) are a heritable group of genetically determined disorders with a primary involvement of the pelvic or shoulder girdle musculature with partially cardiac manifestation, such as dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and life-threatening tachyarrhythmia. We report here that human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)–derived cardiomyocytes from a patient with LGMD2I and DCM associated with recurrent ventricular tachycardia displayed ion channel dysfunction and abnormality of calcium homeostasis.

Methods:

Dermal fibroblasts obtained from a patient with LGMD2I harboring a fukutin-related protein gene mutation (826C>A; Leu276Ile) and 3 healthy donors were reprogrammed to hiPSCs. The hiPSCs were differentiated into cardiomyocytes and used for biological and electrophysiological studies.

Results:

Compared with hiPSC cardiomyocytes from the healthy donors, the hiPSC cardiomyocytes from the patient exhibited abnormal action potentials characterized by reduced amplitude and upstroke velocity. The peak and late Na channel currents (I
Na
) as well as the peak L-type calcium channel currents were significantly reduced. The expression of SCN5A and CACNA1C was reduced in DCM cardiomyocytes, consistent with reduction of I
Na
and L-type calcium channel currents. In addition, the rapidly activating delayed rectifier potassium current (I
Kr
) was reduced, whereas the transient outward current (I
to
) and slowly activating delayed rectifier potassium current (I
Ks
) were similar in DCM and control cardiomyocytes. Finally, a significant reduction of systolic and diastolic intracellular Ca
2+
concentrations was detected in DCM cardiomyocytes.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrates that patient-specific hiPSC cardiomyocytes can recapitulate some phenotypic properties of LGMD2I with DCM and provide a platform for studies on the cardiac events in LGMD.
A Screening Approach to Identify Clinically Actionable Variants Causing Congenital Heart Disease in Exome Data
Authors: Szot Justin O. , Cuny Hartmut , Blue Gillian M. , Humphreys David T. , Ip Eddie , Harrison Katrina , Sholler Gary F. , Giannoulatou Eleni , Leo Paul , Duncan Emma L. , Sparrow Duncan B. , Ho Joshua W.K. , Graham Robert M. , Pachter Nicholas , Chapman Gavin , Winlaw David S. , Dunwoodie Sally L.
Published: October 2018

Background:

Congenital heart disease (CHD)—structural abnormalities of the heart that arise during embryonic development—is the most common inborn malformation, affecting ≤1% of the population. However, currently, only a minority of cases can be explained by genetic abnormalities. The goal of this study was to identify disease-causal genetic variants in 30 families affected by CHD.

Methods:

Whole-exome sequencing was performed with the DNA of multiple family members. We utilized a 2-tiered whole-exome variant screening and interpretation procedure. First, we manually curated a high-confidence list of 90 genes known to cause CHD in humans, identified predicted damaging variants in genes on this list, and rated their pathogenicity using American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics-Association for Molecular Pathology guidelines.

RESULTS:

In 3 families (10%), we found pathogenic variants in known CHD genes
TBX5
,
TFAP2B
, and
PTPN11
, explaining the cardiac lesions. Second, exomes were comprehensively analyzed to identify additional predicted damaging variants that segregate with disease in CHD candidate genes. In 10 additional families (33%), likely disease-causal variants were uncovered in
PBX1
,
CNOT1
,
ZFP36L2
,
TEK
,
USP34
,
UPF2
,
KDM5A
,
KMT2C
,
TIE1
,
TEAD2
, and
FLT4
.

Conclusions:

The pathogenesis of CHD could be explained using our high-confidence CHD gene list for variant filtering in a subset of cases. Furthermore, our unbiased screening procedure of family exomes implicates additional genes and variants in the pathogenesis of CHD, which suggest themselves for functional validation. This 2-tiered approach provides a means of (1) identifying clinically actionable variants and (2) identifying additional disease-causal genes, both of which are essential for improving the molecular diagnosis of CHD.
SCN5A
(Na
V
1.5) Variant Functional Perturbation and Clinical Presentation
Authors: Kroncke Brett M. , Glazer Andrew M. , Smith Derek K. , Blume Jeffrey D. , Roden Dan M.
Published: October 2018

Background:

Accurately predicting the impact of rare nonsynonymous variants on disease risk is an important goal in precision medicine. Variants in the cardiac sodium channel
SCN5A
(protein Na
V
1.5; voltage-dependent cardiac Na+ channel) are associated with multiple arrhythmia disorders, including Brugada syndrome and long QT syndrome. Rare
SCN5A
variants also occur in ≈1% of unaffected individuals. We hypothesized that in vitro electrophysiological functional parameters explain a statistically significant portion of the variability in disease penetrance.

Methods:

From a comprehensive literature review, we quantified the number of carriers presenting with and without disease for 1712 reported
SCN5A
variants. For 356 variants, data were also available for 5 Na
V
1.5 electrophysiological parameters: peak current, late/persistent current, steady-state V1/2 of activation and inactivation, and recovery from inactivation.

RESULTS:

We found that peak and late current significantly associate with Brugada syndrome (
P
<0.001; ρ=−0.44; Spearman rank test) and long QT syndrome disease penetrance (
P
<0.001; ρ=0.37). Steady-state V1/2 activation and recovery from inactivation associate significantly with Brugada syndrome and long QT syndrome penetrance, respectively. Continuous estimates of disease penetrance align with the current American College of Medical Genetics classification paradigm.

Conclusions:

Na
V
1.5 in vitro electrophysiological parameters are correlated with Brugada syndrome and long QT syndrome disease risk. Our data emphasize the value of in vitro electrophysiological characterization and incorporating counts of affected and unaffected carriers to aid variant classification. This quantitative analysis of the electrophysiological literature should aid the interpretation of Na
V
1.5 variant electrophysiological abnormalities and help improve Na
V
1.5 variant classification.
Circulating Branched-Chain Amino Acids and Incident Cardiovascular Disease in a Prospective Cohort of US Women
Authors: Tobias Deirdre K. , Lawler Patrick R. , Harada Paulo H. , Demler Olga V. , Ridker Paul M , Manson JoAnn E. , Cheng Susan , Mora Samia
Published: October 2018

Background:

Circulating branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs; isoleucine, leucine, and valine) are strong predictors of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), but their association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is uncertain. We hypothesized that plasma BCAAs are positively associated with CVD risk and evaluated whether this was dependent on an intermediate diagnosis of T2D.

Methods:

Participants in the Women’s Health Study prospective cohort were eligible if free of CVD at baseline blood collection (n=27 041). Plasma metabolites were measured via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Multivariable Cox regression models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for BCAAs with incident CVD (myocardial infarction, stroke, and coronary revascularization).

RESULTS:

We confirmed 2207 CVD events over a mean 18.6 years of follow-up. Adjusting for age, body mass index, and other established CVD risk factors, total BCAAs were positively associated with CVD (per SD: HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.08–1.18), comparable to LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) with CVD (per SD: HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.07–1.17). BCAAs were associated with coronary events (myocardial infarction: HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.06–1.26; revascularization: HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.11–1.25), and borderline significant association with stroke (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.99–1.15). The BCAA–CVD association was greater (
P
interaction=0.036) among women who developed T2D before CVD (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.08–1.32) versus women without T2D (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.03–1.14). Adjusting for LDL-C, an established CVD risk factor, did not attenuate these findings; however, adjusting for HbA1c and insulin resistance eliminated the associations of BCAAs with CVD.

Conclusions:

Circulating plasma BCAAs were positively associated with incident CVD in women. Impaired BCAA metabolism may capture the long-term risk of the common cause underlying T2D and CVD.
Predictors of Outcome After Alcohol Septal Ablation for Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Lu Minjie , Du Hui , Gao Zhan , Song Lei , Cheng Huaibing , Zhang Yan , Yin Gang , Chen Xiuyu , Ling Jian , Jiang Yong , Wang Hao , Li Jinghui , Huang Jinghan , He Zuoxiang , Zhao Shihua
Published: October 2018

Background—

Alcohol septal ablation (ASA) is used for treatment of medically refractory hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy patients with severe left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction. The current recommendations restrict the procedure to adults with favorable anatomy and no other coexisting surgically amenable disease. Some patients remain symptomatic with residual LVOT obstruction, thus better patient selection is required.

Methods and Results—

One-hundred and two consecutive subjects with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy who underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging, transthoracic echocardiography, and ASA were enrolled in this study. Successful ASA was defined as reduction of LVOT gradient ≥50% of baseline by echocardiographic follow-up 6 months post ASA. The relationships between segmental thickness assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiography and outcomes of ASA were compared between the 2 groups. The survival rate after ablation was 100% at 6-month follow-up. The LVOT gradient decreased ≥50% of baseline in 72% (73/102) patients. There were good correlations between the reduction of postoperative LVOT gradient and the thickness of basal anterior segment (
r
=0.371;
P
<0.001), basal anteroseptal segment (
r
=0.527;
P
<0.001), and total thickness of the above 2 segments (
r
=0.672;
P
<0.001). The area under the receiver operating curves were 0.68, 0.79 and 0.89 for predictive analysis (all
P
<0.001). The cutoff thickness of the segment 1+2 was 50.9 mm, which yielded a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 77%.

Conclusions—

Both echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging can be used effectively as noninvasive tools for patient selection for ASA procedure. A significantly thickened septum among hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy patients may be associated with a poor outcome after ASA.
Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial of FAITH (Faith-Based Approaches in the Treatment of Hypertension) in Blacks
Authors: Schoenthaler Antoinette M. , Lancaster Kristie J. , Chaplin William , Butler Mark , Forsyth Jessica , Ogedegbe Gbenga
Published: October 2018

Background:

Therapeutic lifestyle change (TLC) is a recommended treatment for patients with hypertension, but its effectiveness in community-based settings remains untested, particularly in black churches—an influential institution for health promotion in black communities.

Methods and Results:

The FAITH study (Faith-Based Approaches in the Treatment of Hypertension) evaluated the comparative effectiveness of a TLC intervention plus motivational interviewing (MINT) sessions versus health education (HE) alone, on blood pressure (BP) reduction among blacks with uncontrolled hypertension. Data were collected on 373 participants meeting eligibility criteria (self-identification as black, age ≥18 years, self-reported diagnosis of hypertension, and uncontrolled BP [BP ≥140/90 or ≥130/80 mm Hg with diabetes mellitus or chronic kidney disease]) from 32 New York City churches. The MINT-TLC intervention plus motivational interviewing treatment comprised 11 weekly group sessions on TLC plus 3 MINT sessions delivered monthly by lay health advisors. The HE control group received 1 TLC session plus 10 sessions on health topics delivered by local experts. The outcomes were BP reduction at 6 months (primary) and BP control and BP reduction at 9 months (secondary). The sample mean age was 63 years; 76% women, with mean BP of 153/87 mm Hg. Using linear mixed-effects regression models, the MINT-TLC intervention plus motivational interviewing group had a significantly greater systolic BP reduction of 5.79 mm Hg compared with the HE group at 6 months (
P
=0.029). The treatment effect on systolic BP persisted at 9 months but had reduced significance (5.21 mm Hg;
P
=0.068). The between-group differences in diastolic BP reduction (0.41 mm Hg) and mean arterial pressure (2.24 mm Hg) at 6 months were not significant. Although the MINT-TLC intervention plus motivational interviewing group had greater BP control than the HE group at 9 months, the difference was not statistically significant (57.0% versus 48.8%; odds ratio, 1.43; 95% CI, 0.90–2.28).

Conclusions:

A community-based lifestyle intervention delivered in churches led to significantly greater reduction in systolic BP in hypertensive blacks compared with HE alone.

Clinical Trial Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01065831.
Abstract WMP110: Building Successful Hospital-Community Networks for Stroke Survivors and Their Family Caregivers
Authors: Lutz Barbara J , Gesell Sabina B , Coleman Sylvia W , Sissine Mysha E , Barton-Percival Blair , Cummings Doyle M , Mettam Laurie H , Halladay Jacqueline R , Duncan Pamela W
Published: October 2018

Introduction:
Stroke patients, caregivers and providers are often frustrated by a lack of knowledge about community resources to optimize post-acute stroke care and recovery. To address this gap, an innovative model of care is being tested in the COMprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services (COMPASS) Study, a PCORI-funded cluster-randomized pragmatic trial in North Carolina (NC). Hospital-based post-acute nurse care coordinators (PAC) and advanced practice providers partnered with community organizations to build 20 community resource networks (CRNs) providing transitional care to stroke survivors and caregivers. Community organizations include Area Agencies on Aging, Community Care of NC Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network, and NC Department of Health and Human Services.

Methods:
In May 2017, 337 members from 19 CRNs were surveyed to assess the utility of the CRNs and their impact on connecting survivors to community-based services. COMPASS team members, including PACs from all intervention hospitals and 36 community representatives from 17 CRNs responded (N=85, 25% response rate).

Results:
80% of the PACs had contacted CRN members for help connecting patients to community-based services; 65% found the CRN very useful or useful. By working together hospital and community members felt their CRN was able to respond to stroke / TIA patients’ needs and problems: 30% to a great extent, 41% mostly, 9% sometimes, 11% a little, 10% not at all. In open-ended comments, streamlined referrals and partnerships with community pharmacists were identified as beneficial. Lack of transportation services in rural areas was a barrier. Some community service providers reported not being contacted again after the initial convening with the hospital.

Conclusion:
PACs were able to build local CRNs to integrate medical services with community-based services as a strategy for addressing functional and social determinants of health. The majority reported that working with their CRN helped them optimize patients’ recovery after stroke. Future analyses will assess patient utilization of recommended community services. A quality metric assessing hospital-community partnerships may help solidify significance of this important and often overlooked part of care.
Dynamics of Spatio-Temporal Binding in Rats
Authors: Malet-Karas Aurore , Noulhiane Marion , Doyère Valérie
Published: October 2018

Time and space are commonly approached as two distinct dimensions, and rarely combined together in a single task, preventing a comparison of their interaction. In this project, using a version of a timing task with a spatial component, we investigate the learning of a spatio-temporal rule in animals. To do so, rats were placed in front of a five-hole nose-poke wall in a Peak Interval (PI) procedure to obtain a reward, with two spatio-temporal combination rules associated with different to-be-timed cues and lighting contexts. We report that, after successful learning of the discriminative task, a single Pavlovian session was sufficient for the animals to learn a new spatio-temporal association. This was seen as evidence for a beneficial transfer to the new spatio-temporal rule, as compared to control animals that did not experience the new spatio-temporal association during the Pavlovian session. The benefit was observed until nine days later. The results are discussed within the framework of adaptation to a change of a complex associative rule involving interval timing processes.
New species of Pseudoscorpiones (Arachnida) from tree hollows in a Mediterranean oak forest in Spain
Authors: HERNÁNDEZ-CORRAL JESÚS , ZARAGOZA JUAN A. , MICÓ ESTEFANÍA
Published: October 2018

Pseudoscorpions inhabiting mature Quercus pyrenaica Willd. trees have been surveyed using hollow emergence traps and window traps in Salamanca, Spain. Three new species are described: Neobisium (N.) hispanicum Zaragoza & Hernández-Corral, n. sp., Rhacochelifer gaeli Zaragoza & Hernández-Corral, n. sp. and Rhacochelifer nonidezi Zaragoza & Hernández-Corral, n. sp. The genera Amblyolpium Simon, 1898 and Beierochelifer Mahnert, 1977 and the species Amblyolpium dollfusi Simon, 1898 and Beierochelifer peloponnesiacus (Beier, 1929) are new records for the Iberian Peninsula. Beierochelifer peloponnesiacus jonicus (Beier, 1932) is shown to be a junior subjective synonym of B. peloponnesiacus n. syn. New regional records of five other species belonging to the families Cheliferidae, Chernetidae and Withiidae are given. Keys are given for the species of the genera Pseudorhacochelifer Beier, 1976 and Rhacochelifer Beier, 1932 with elongated keels on posterolateral corners of carapace and anterior tergites in males, and for the Rhacochelifer species of the Iberian Peninsula. Complementary data to the description of the female syntypes from Caravaca (Murcia, mainland Spain) and males from the Canary Islands of Rhacochelifer pinicola (Nonídez, 1917) are given. Brief redescriptions of the female of Neobisium (N.) maroccanum Beier, 1930 and the male of Rhacochelifer euboicus Mahnert, 1977 are provided. The previous record of R. disjunctus from Slovakia is shown to be an error for R. euboicus. New data on the distribution and habitats of species of Cheliferidae, Chernetidae and Withiidae are given.
Redescription of enigmatic spider genus Stoliczka O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885 (Araneae: Lycosoidea) based on the type species
Authors: MARUSIK YURI M. , NADOLNY ANTON A.
Published: October 2018

The type species of Stoliczka O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885—S. insignis O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885—is redescribed for the first time, based on a lectotype here designated. The genus has an uncertain taxonomic position. Originally, it was placed in Lycosidae, while it is currently considered a Pisauridae (Pisaurinae). It includes only two species known from the Western Himalayas, of which the type species remains known only from the females and S. affinis Caporiacco, 1935, which is known from a juvenile only. An uncommon behavioral feature of these spiders is the attachment of egg cocoons to the spinnerets like in the Lycosidae. The absence of the male does not allow us to clarify the taxonomic assignment of this enigmatic genus.
The genus Sicoderus Vanin 1986 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Erodiscini) in the West Indies
Authors: ANDERSON ROBERT S.
Published: October 2018

The genus Sicoderus Vanin is revised for the West Indies. A total of 32 species are known with 18 new species described herein as follows: Sicoderus aeneus (Haiti), S. alternatus (Dominican Republic), S. bautistai (Dominican Republic, Haiti), S. beatyi (Cuba), S. bipunctiventris (Cuba), S. caladeler (Cuba), S. detonnancouri (Dominican Republic), S. franzi (Puerto Rico), S. guanyangi (Dominican Republic), S. humeralis (Dominican Republic), S. lucidus (Dominica), S. medranae (Dominican Republic, Haiti), S. perezi (Dominican Republic), S. pseudostriatolateralis (Dominican Republic, Haiti), S. striatolateralis (Dominican Republic), S. thomasi (Haiti), S. turnbowi (Dominican Republic), and S. woodruffi (Grenada). All species are described or redescribed, natural history information is summarized and a listing of locality data from all specimens examined is included. A key is provided to all West Indian species of the genus. All species distributions are mapped and all (excepting S. propinquus Vanin) are represented by habitus images and images of male genitalia.
Pseudalataspora vanderlingeni n. sp. (Myxosporea: Bivalvulida) from gall bladders of the Cape hakes Merluccius capensis Castelnau, and M. paradoxus Franca (Teleostei: Merlucciidae)
Authors: REED CECILE , KALAVATI CHAGANTI , MACKENZIE KEN , COLLINS CATHERINE , HEMMINGSEN WILLY
Published: October 2018

A new species of myxosporean parasite is described from the gall bladders of the hakes Merluccius capensis Castelnau and M. paradoxus Franca (Pisces: Teleostei) caught off the west and south coasts of South Africa. The new species, Pseudalataspora vanderlingeni, is described morphologically and molecularly and compared with the 15 other species of Pseudalataspora previously described from marine fish. Although a molecular description is available on GenBank for only one of these 15 species, the morphological description supports the status of P. vanderlingeni as a new species. Earlier reports, without detailed descriptions, of Leptotheca sp. and Ceratomyxa sp. from the same hosts caught off Namibia were very likely to have been of P. vanderlingeni. These earlier studies reported high prevalences of infection, similar to those of >60% described in the present study. The effects of fixation and freezing on the dimensions of spores of Pseudalataspora spp. are described, and the status of the genus Pseudalataspora within the family Ceratomyxidae is discussed.
Secondary structure transformation and mechanical properties of silk fibers by ultraviolet irradiation and water
Authors: Liu Hongling , Zhao Suhua , Zhang Qian , Yeerken Tasixiang , Yu Weidong
Published: October 2018

Probing the photo-degradation of silk fibers is helpful to protect silk cultural relics. Studying the interactions between sericin and fibroin is essential for understanding the ageing degradation of silk fibers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies demonstrate that compared to the silk fibers under 38℃ water, the variety of β-sheet structure under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation with or without water increases and then decreases due to the removal of sericin and the damage to the peptide chains. Meanwhile, the mechanical properties of silk fibers are investigated by measuring the stress–strain curves and the ultimate tensile strength. The changes of E modulus on strain ε are calculated and the results are used to describe the mechanism of elastic, elasto-plastic and plastic strain in silk fibers under stretching. In addition, the stress degradation rates of silk fibers indicate that the synergetic role of water and UV irradiation can cause the breakage of crosslinks in the fibers with the increase of ageing time. The calculation of artificial degradation life estimation also shows that the existence of water affects the life of silk fibers. This study demonstrates that the appropriate condition can be employed for the protection of ancient silk fabrics.
Assembling Fairtrade: Practices of progress and conventionalization in the Chilean wine industry
Authors: Herman Agatha
Published: October 2018

The global Fairtrade system is multiple, heterogeneous and dynamic. The processes that underlie its contextual formations are key, and this paper analyses these through bringing together assemblage thinking and social practices to discuss Fairtrade in the Chilean wine industry. Local-level contestations and appropriation highlight the different forms Fairtrade takes at the micro-scale, which maintain a contextual heterogeneity without challenging the overall coherence of the Fairtrade economy. Power relations are uneven and the important role of local and international ‘assemblage converters’ in catalysing and curtailing possibilities for Fairtrade practices is highlighted. These operate within and across scales, interacting, and varyingly integrated, with other similarly multi-scalar assemblages to support or disrupt particular stabilized compositions. Fairtrade emerges as simultaneously globally coherent and locally fragmented, a system in constant motion between alternative and conventional relations and practices. To challenge creeping conventionalization, the paper concludes that maintaining space for unpredictability and creativity is critical to Fairtrade’s future through making space for enhancing opportunities and for alternatives to take flight.
Exploring research on high-speed vehicle attitude control with plasma virtual flap manipulation
Authors: Xin Wang , Jie Yan , Yerong Zhang
Published: October 2018

This work provides an attitude solution for a high-speed vehicle using plasma aerodynamic control called “plasma virtual flap” manipulation. This paper describes the concept of using plasma active control as plasma virtual flap for off-design attitude manipulation problem. Design of an attitude controller considering plasma aerodynamic effects for the high-speed vehicle is presented. The aerodynamic lift and drag force features in the high speed, long duration cruise flight with plasma actuator effect are introduced, where the estimated models and attitude controller are established. This paper documents the development and capabilities of plasma virtual flap attitude control authority. Simulation results are presented to exhibit the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Binders alternative to Portland cement and waste management for sustainable construction – Part 2
Authors: Coppola Luigi , Bellezze Tiziano , Belli Alberto , Bignozzi Maria C , Bolzoni Fabio , Brenna Andrea , Cabrini Marina , Candamano Sebastiano , Cappai Marta , Caputo Domenico , Carsana Maddalena , Casnedi Ludovica , Cioffi Raffaele , Cocco Ombretta , Coffetti Denny , Colangelo Francesco , Coppola Bartolomeo , Corinaldesi Valeria , Crea Fortunato , Crotti Elena , Daniele Valeria , De Gisi Sabino , Delogu Francesco , Diamanti Maria V , Di Maio Luciano , Di Mundo Rosa , Di Palma Luca , Donnini Jacopo , Farina Ilenia , Ferone Claudio , Frontera Patrizia , Gastaldi Matteo , Giosuè Chiara , Incarnato Loredana , Liguori Barbara , Lollini Federica , Lorenzi Sergio , Manzi Stefania , Marino Ottavio , Marroccoli Milena , Mascolo Maria C , Mavilia Letterio , Mazzoli Alida , Medici Franco , Meloni Paola , Merlonetti Glauco , Mobili Alessandra , Notarnicola Michele , Ormellese Marco , Pastore Tommaso , Pedeferri Maria Pia , Petrella Andrea , Pia Giorgio , Redaelli Elena , Roviello Giuseppina , Scarfato Paola , Scoccia Giancarlo , Taglieri Giuliana , Telesca Antonio , Tittarelli Francesca , Todaro Francesco , Vilardi Giorgio , Yang Fan
Published: October 2018

The paper represents the “state of the art” on sustainability in construction materials. In Part 1 of the paper, issues related to production, microstructures, chemical nature, engineering properties, and durability of mixtures based on binders alternative to Portland cement were presented. This second part of the paper concerns the use of traditional and innovative Portland-free lime-based mortars in the conservation of cultural heritage, and the recycling and management of wastes to reduce consumption of natural resources in the production of construction materials. The latter is one of the main concerns in terms of sustainability since nowadays more than 75% of wastes are disposed of in landfills.
Characterisation and possible hazard of an atypical asbestiform sepiolite associated with aliphatic hydrocarbons from Sassello, Ligurian Apennines, Italy
Authors: Giustetto Roberto , Macaluso Loredana , Berlier Gloria , Ganjkhanlou Yadolah , Barale Luca
Published: October 2018

An unusual occurrence of asbestiform sepiolite, filling veins in the antigorite serpentinites of the Voltri Unit exposed in a borrow pit (now reclaimed) in the Deiva forest, near Sassello, NW Italy, was investigated with an in-depth analytical approach aimed at studying its crystal-chemistry and structure and evaluating its possible hazards for human health. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (energy-dispersive spectroscopy mode) proved that these sepiolite fibres, apparently up to several cm long, are made up of bundles of thinner fibrils (or laths: average length > 100 µm; thickness ≈ 80 nm), with a composition consistent to that reported in the literature. The dehydration process was monitored through thermo-gravimetric analyses and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, performed at increasingT; the latter, in particular, showed the presence of moderate amounts of aliphatic hydrocarbons – not yet identified thoroughly – associated with the sample. The crystal structure refinement with the Rietveld method showed no relevant difference from the literature models, although a peculiar distribution of zeolitic H2O molecules was observed. The geological context suggests that the Sassello sepiolite precipitated from hydrothermal fluids, which were saturated in Mg and silica by the interaction of the host serpentinites. The same setting favoured formation of abiotic hydrocarbons, by means of the Fischer–Tropsch reaction. The extremely long and flexible fibrils (length/width aspect ratio >> 3) of this sepiolite specimen could represent a serious hazard for human health if air dispersed and inhaled; also, its atypical association with hydrocarbons (only reported once previously) might even favour further fragmentation in thinner units.
Accelerated, but not conventional, radiotherapy of murine B-cell lymphoma induces potent T cell–mediated remissions
Authors: Dutt Suparna , Atallah Michelle B. , Minamida Yoshitaka , Filatenkov Alexander , Jensen Kent P. , Iliopoulou Bettina P. , Tamosiuniene Rasa , Waters Jeffrey , Engleman Edgar G. , Strober Samuel
Published: October 2018

Conventional local tumor irradiation (LTI), delivered in small daily doses over several weeks, is used clinically as a palliative, rather than curative, treatment for chemotherapy-resistant diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) for patients who are ineligible for hematopoietic cell transplantation. Our goal was to test the hypothesis that accelerated, but not conventional, LTI would be more curative by inducing T cell–mediated durable remissions. We irradiated subcutaneous A20 and BL3750 lymphoma tumors in mice with a clinically relevant total radiation dose of 30 Gy LTI, delivered in 10 doses of 3 Gy over 4 days (accelerated irradiation) or as 10 doses of 3 Gy over 12 days (conventional irradiation). Compared with conventional LTI, accelerated LTI resulted in more complete and durable tumor remissions. The majority of these mice were resistant to rechallenge with lymphoma cells, demonstrating the induction of memory antitumor immunity. The increased efficacy of accelerated LTI correlated with higher levels of tumor cell necrosis vs apoptosis and expression of “immunogenic cell death” markers, including calreticulin, heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), and Hsp90. Accelerated LTI–induced remissions were not seen in immunodeficient Rag-2−/− mice, CD8+ T-cell–depleted mice, or Batf-3−/− mice lacking CD8α+ and CD103+ dendritic cells. Accelerated, but not conventional, LTI in immunocompetent hosts induced marked increases in tumor-infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and MHCII+CD103+CD11c+ dendritic cells and corresponding reductions in exhausted PD-1+Eomes+CD8+ T cells and CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ regulatory T cells. These findings raise the possibility that accelerated LTI can provide effective immune control of human DLBCL.
Physics, applications, and limitations of borehole neutron-gamma density measurements
Authors: Luycx Mathilde , Torres-Verdín Carlos
Published: October 2018

Radioactive chemical sources can pose security, health, and environmental risks when used to estimate rock porosity in situ. The oil industry has been developing solutions to eliminate radioactive chemical sources in borehole nuclear logging. Pulsed neutron generators have successfully replaced chemical sources in neutron tools, but cesium-137 is still mainly used for borehole density measurements. Neutron-activated gamma-ray measurements (neutron-gamma) are a possible alternative to radioactive chemical sources in density tools. Despite recent advances, the measurement faces challenges regarding density accuracy across diverse solid and fluid rock compositions and nonnegligible sensitivity to borehole environmental effects. We have examined a theoretical, albeit realistic, logging-while-drilling neutron-gamma density (NGD) tool operating with two inelastic gamma-ray detectors and two fast neutron detectors. With a strong emphasis on measurement physics and source-sensor design, the tool delivers density accuracies comparable to those of gamma-gamma density (GGD) tools with [Formula: see text] error in shale-free formations and [Formula: see text] in shale and shaly formations. Our work also compares NGD with GGD in terms of depth of investigation (DOI), vertical resolution, and sensitivity to borehole environmental effects to determine optimal logging conditions. NGD accuracy is limited in the presence of standoff. With inputs of caliper and mud type, empirical density corrections can be applied up to 0.64 cm (0.25 in) standoff. NGD also has limited applicability in thinly bedded formations with maximum vertical resolution of 76 cm (2.5 ft). However, the measurement outperforms GGD in the presence of invasion because its DOI is twice as large.
Depositional model and controlling factors of oolithic shoal: A case study of the Lower Triassic Feixianguan Formation in the northwestern Sichuan Basin, China
Authors: Huang Yuan , Fan Zhenyu , He Bing , Tang Song , Du Weifeng
Published: October 2018

Lower Triassic Feixianguan oolithic shoal complexes are widely developed in the northwestern Sichuan Basin, southwest China, where they host large natural gas reserves. To understand their development and the factors that controlled their deposition, we have used observations and interpretations of outcrops, cores, thin sections, well-log data, and seismic data to characterize the geologic and geophysical properties of the oolithic shoals of the Lower Triassic Feixianguan Formation in the Jiange area, northwestern Sichuan Basin. The oolithic shoals of the Feixianguan Formation are composed of locally dolomitized oolithic grainstones or packstones deposited in a semirestricted platform environment. With a thickness of more than 50 m, oolithic shoals mainly occur in the Fei 2 Member within the southeastern Jiange area. The results indicate that the shoals mainly lie above tectonic uplifts (caused by the northwest-trending basement-involved faults) and surrounding microtopographic highs. Furthermore, the prograding clinoforms and changes in accommodation space caused by sea-level fall influence the thickness of oolithic shoal deposits, and constrain their development in highstand systems tracts, resulting in their migration coinciding with the trend of clinoform progradation. We concluded that the development of oolithic shoals in the Jiange area may be controlled by two major factors: (1) the influence of paleotopography governed by the syndepositional faults on the accumulation of oolithic shoals and (2) the role of sea-level change in the migration of oolithic shoals.
Suboptimal Use of Effective Contraceptive Methods in Young Mexican Women With Breast Cancer
Authors: Castro-Sanchez Andrea , Martinez-Cannon Bertha Alejandra , Platas Alejandra , Mohar Alejandro , Fonseca Alan , Vega Yoatzin , Fimbres-Morales Adrian , Villarreal-Garza Cynthia
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Contraceptive counseling and adherence in young women with breast cancer (BC) is a relevant issue because chemotherapy and hormonal treatment resulting in amenorrhea do not preclude unintended pregnancies. Currently, there is limited evidence from high-income countries; however, there are no studies regarding use of contraceptives in patients with BC in Mexico. This study aimed to determine the rate of contraceptive use in young Mexican women with BC during cancer treatment, characterize their contraceptive preferences, and assess contraceptive counseling by Mexican physicians.

Patients and Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted regarding contraceptive use and counseling among women age 40 years or younger at BC diagnosis who had completed chemotherapy in the previous 5 years or who were currently receiving long-term treatment with hormonal therapy and/or trastuzumab at a large tertiary health care facility in Mexico.

Results

Of a total of 104 eligible women with median age at diagnosis of 34 years, 51.1% reported using a contraceptive during chemotherapy and 45.7% reported using a contraceptive during other types of cancer treatment (hormonal therapy and trastuzumab). Of the 51 patients (49%) who were sexually active during chemotherapy, 76.5% used contraception, but only 29.4% used an effective contraceptive method. When asked about contraceptive counseling, only 16.7% recalled being advised by their health care provider. Sexually active women who received contraceptive counseling used contraceptives more often than women who were not counseled (83.3% v 22.2%).

Conclusion

A minority of young women with BC in Mexico use effective contraception methods during cancer treatment and receive contraceptive counseling. Informing all premenopausal patients with BC about effective use of contraception methods during treatment should be an essential aspect of the supportive care of young women.
Implementing a Pediatric Perioperative Surgical Home Integrated Care Coordination Pathway for Laryngeal Cleft Repair
Authors: Leahy Izabela , Johnson Connor , Staffa Steven J. , Rahbar Reza , Ferrari Lynne R.
Published: October 2018

BACKGROUND:

The Pediatric Perioperative Surgical Home (PPSH) model is an integrative care model designed to provide better patient care and value by shifting focus from the patient encounter level to the overarching surgical episode of care. So far, no PPSH model has targeted a complex airway disorder. It was hypothesized that the development of a PPSH for laryngeal cleft repair would reduce the high rates of postoperative resource utilization observed in this population.

METHODS:

Institutional review board approval was obtained for the purpose of data collection and analysis. A multidisciplinary team of anesthesiologists, surgeons, nursing staff, information technology specialists, and finance administrators was gathered during the PPSH development phase. Standardized perioperative (preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative) protocols were developed, with a focus on preoperative risk stratification. Patients presenting before surgery with ≥1 predefined medical comorbidity were triaged to the intensive care unit (ICU) postoperatively, while patients without severe systemic disease were triaged to a lower-acuity floor for overnight observation. The success of the PPSH protocol was defined by quality outcome and value measurements.

RESULTS:

The PPSH initiative included 120 patients, and the pre-PPSH period included 115 patients who underwent laryngeal cleft repair before implementation of the new process. Patients in the pre-PPSH period were reviewed and classified as ICU candidates or lower acuity floor candidates had they presented in the post-PPSH period. Among the 79 patients in the pre-PPSH period who were identified as candidates for the lower-acuity floor transfer, 70 patients (89%) were transferred to the ICU (P < .001). Retrospective analysis concluded that 143 ICU bedded days could have been avoided in the pre-PPSH group by using PPSH risk stratification. Surgery duration (P = .034) and hospital length of stay (P = .015) were found to be slightly longer in the group of pre-PPSH observation unit candidates. Rates of 30-day unplanned readmissions to the hospital were not associated with the new PPSH initiative (P = .093). No patients in either group experienced emergent postoperative intubation or other expected complications. Total hospital costs were not lower for PPSH observation unit patients as compared to pre-PPSH observation unit candidates (difference = 8%; 95% confidence interval, −7% to 23%).

CONCLUSIONS:

A well-defined preoperative screening protocol for patients undergoing laryngeal cleft repair can reduce postoperative ICU utilization without affecting patient safety. Further research is needed to see if these findings are applicable to other complex airway surgeries.
Crisis Management and the LatinX Child
Authors: Milian Claudia
Published: October 2018

This article takes into consideration Valeria Luiselli’s Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions, a nonfictional work about unaccompanied Central American minors coming to the United States and the immigration questionnaire they must navigate to determine their US admissibility. The essay explores how the Northern Triangle’s minor—the outré LatinX child—is made into the word on bureaucratic paper. It probes a genealogy of temporary American beginnings and delves into the expulsed Central American child as a newcomer, a migrant, and the beginning of something else: a LatinX phenomenon of—and in—crisis.
Literature and Science: The State of the Field in Korean Studies
Authors: Hwang Jongyon
Published: October 2018

The relationship between Western science and Korean literature is one of the topics that has drawn much attention from scholars in the field of Korean studies for the last decade. The focus on disciplinary knowledge of science as a source for literary innovation has yielded new insights into the formation and development of modern Korean literature. However, the task remains to locate multifaceted connections between literature and science by distinguishing connecting links such as concept, rhetoric, genre, and culture and to historicize the compromises and oppositions between them as different responses to the changing conditions of modern life.
The Neurocognitive Criminology of Avenging Memories: Dissociative Violence in Young-ha Kim’s The Mnemonics of a Murderer
Authors: Shin Haerin
Published: October 2018

Young-ha Kim’s 2013 crime thriller The Mnemonics of a Murderer is a tale of neurocognitive apocalypse, wherein selfhood built upon dissociative violence turns on its own self. In the novel, a retired psychopathic serial killer suffering from Alzheimer’s disease awakens back to action upon detecting his own kind on his trail, only to discover that all was merely an elaborate construct of his deteriorating mind. The outcome is no less deadly, however, for the revelation condemns him to exposure at the hands of his own prized faculties—his memories and deeds as a murderer. Expanding on the first-person narrator’s imploding microcosm, I claim that Mnemonics demonstrates the reflexive mechanism of dissociative violence by superimposing the two-pronged neuropathology of psychopathy and dementia upon the macrocosmic climate of anomy and degeneracy in postmillennial South Korea. The recent plague of spree killings attests to a deep-seated discontent with the growing chasm of socioeconomic inequalities that betray the rosy prospects of abundance and security from the 1990s. Showing how the legacies of compressed modernity have become a reflexive mechanism of self-destruction, Mnemonics offers a chilling psychosomatic allegory of dissociative social violence in its portrayal of a system avenged by its own depravity.
Sucrose but Not Nitrate Ingestion Reduces Strenuous Cycling–induced Intestinal Injury
Authors: JONVIK KRISTIN L. , LENAERTS KAATJE , SMEETS JOEY S. J. , KOLKMAN JEROEN J. , VAN LOON LUC J. C. , VERDIJK LEX B.
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Strenuous exercise induces intestinal injury, which is likely related to splanchnic hypoperfusion and may be associated with gastrointestinal complaints commonly reported during certain exercise modalities. Increasing circulating nitric oxide (NO) levels or inducing postprandial hyperemia may improve splanchnic perfusion, thereby attenuating intestinal injury during exercise. Therefore, we investigated the effects of both dietary nitrate ingestion and sucrose ingestion on splanchnic perfusion and intestinal injury induced by prolonged strenuous cycling.

Methods

In a randomized crossover manner, 16 well-trained male athletes (age, 28 ± 7 yr;Wmax, 5.0 ± 0.3 W·kg−1) cycled 60 min at 70%Wmaxafter acute ingestion of sodium nitrate (NIT; 800 mg NO3), sucrose (SUC; 40 g), or a water placebo (PLA). Splanchnic perfusion was assessed by determining the gap between gastric and arterial pCO2(gapg-apCO2) using gastric air tonometry. Plasma intestinal fatty acid–binding protein (I-FABP) concentrations, reflecting enterocyte damage, were assessed every 20 min during and up to 60 min of postexercise recovery.

Results

The exercise protocol resulted in splanchnic hypoperfusion, as gapg-apCO2levels increased during exercise (P< 0.001), with no differences between treatments (P= 0.47). Although plasma I-FABP concentrations increased during exercise and postexercise recovery for all treatments (P< 0.0001), the increase was different between treatments (P< 0.0001).Post hoccomparisons showed an attenuated increase in I-FABP in SUC versus PLA (P= 0.020). In accordance, I-FABP area under the curve (AUC0–120) was significantly lower in SUC versus PLA (57,270 ± 77,425 vs 114,907 ± 91,527 pg·mL−1per 120 min,P= 0.002). No differences were observed between NIT and PLA (P= 0.99).

Conclusion

Sucrose but not nitrate ingestion lowers intestinal injury evoked during prolonged strenuous cycling. These results suggest that sucrose ingestion, but not nitrate, prevents hypoperfusion-induced gastrointestinal damage during exercise and, as such, may help to lower exercise-related gastrointestinal complaints.
Intracholecystic papillary-tubular neoplasm in a patient with choledochal cyst and anomalous pancreaticobiliary junction: case report
Authors: Reis de Sousa Marta , Santiago Inês , Barata Maria J , Castillo Mireia , Matos Celso
Published: October 2018

A 75-year-old female incidentally presented with an enhancing intraluminal gallbladder mass, main bile duct dilatation and anomalous pancreaticobiliary junction (APBJ) during the staging of gastric adenocarcinoma. Histopathological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of intracholecystic papillary-tubular neoplasm. Intracholecystic papillary-tubular neoplasms (ICPN) of the gallbladder are rare gallbladder neoplasms, defined as intramucosal, preinvasive, exophytic, mass forming lesions. An association between choledochal cysts and anomalous pancreaticobiliary junction with gallbladder neoplasms is well known, and this case potentially illustrates gallbladder carcinogenesis related to these biliary anomalies.