bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endocardium Contributes to Cardiac Fat
Authors: Zhang Hui , Pu Wenjuan , Liu Qiaozhen , He Lingjuan , Huang Xiuzhen , Tian Xueying , Zhang Libo , Nie Yu , Hu Shengshou , Lui Kathy O. , Zhou Bin
Published: January 2016

Rationale:

Unraveling the developmental origin of cardiac fat could offer important implications for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. The recent identification of the mesothelial source of epicardial fat tissues reveals a heterogeneous origin of adipocytes in the adult heart. However, the developmental origin of adipocytes inside the heart, namely intramyocardial adipocytes, remains largely unknown.

Objective:

To trace the developmental origin of intramyocardial adipocytes.

Methods and Results:

In this study, we identified that the majority of intramyocardial adipocytes were restricted to myocardial regions in close proximity to the endocardium. Using a genetic lineage tracing model of endocardial cells, we found that Nfatc1
+
endocardial cells contributed to a substantial number of intramyocardial adipocytes. Despite the capability of the endocardium to generate coronary vascular endothelial cells surrounding the intramyocardial adipocytes, results from our lineage tracing analyses showed that intramyocardial adipocytes were not derived from coronary vessels. Nevertheless, the endocardium of the postnatal heart did not contribute to intramyocardial adipocytes during homeostasis or after myocardial infarction.

Conclusions:

Our in vivo fate-mapping studies demonstrated that the developing endocardium, but not the vascular endothelial cells, gives rise to intramyocardial adipocytes in the adult heart.
More Than Tiny Sacks
Authors: Kishore Raj , Khan Mohsin
Published: January 2016

Stem cell therapy provides immense hope for regenerating the pathological heart, yet has been marred by issues surrounding the effectiveness, unclear mechanisms, and survival of the donated cell population in the ischemic myocardial milieu. Poor survival and engraftment coupled to inadequate cardiac commitment of the adoptively transferred stem cells compromises the improvement in cardiac function. Various alternative approaches to enhance the efficacy of stem cell therapies and to overcome issues with cell therapy have been used with varied success. Cell-free components, such as exosomes enriched in proteins, messenger RNAs, and miRs characteristic of parental stem cells, represent a potential approach for treating cardiovascular diseases. Recently, exosomes from different kinds of stem cells have been effectively used to promote cardiac function in the pathological heart. The aim of this review is to summarize current research efforts on stem cell exosomes, including their potential benefits and limitations to develop a potentially viable therapy for cardiovascular problems.
Redescription of the Indo-Pacific scorpionfish Scorpaenodes guamensis (Quoy & Gaimard 1824) (Scorpaenidae), a senior synonym of seven nominal species
Authors: MOTOMURA HIROYUKI , CAUSSE ROMAIN , STRUTHERS CARL D.
Published: January 2016

The Indo-Pacific scorpionfish, Scorpaenodes guamensis (Quoy & Gaimard 1824), is redescribed on the basis of 137 specimens, including types, from a wide geographic range in the Indo-Pacific. Seven nominal species, Scorpaena rubropunctata Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes 1829, Sebastes minutus Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes 1829, Scorpaena chilioprista Rüppell 1838, Scorpaena polylepis Bleeker 1851, Centropogon echinatus Macleay 1881, Scorpaena erinacea Garman 1903, and Scorpaenopsis quiescens Seale 1906, are regarded here as junior synonyms of S. guamensis. The type status of these nominal species is discussed, and lectotypes of Scorpaena guamensis, Scorpaena rubropunctata, Sebastes minutus, and Scorpaena polylepis are herein designated. Validity of Scorpaenopsis scaber (Ramsay & Ogilby 1886) is also discussed.
A new mite of the genus Alliphis Halbert, 1923 from Iran (Acari: Eviphididae), with a summary of the world fauna
Authors: MAŠÁN PETER , BABAEIAN ESMAEIL , KAFI POUNEH
Published: January 2016

A new species of mite belonging to the genus Alliphis Halbert, 1923 is described from Iran. The description of Alliphis carinatus Mašán & Babaeian, sp. nov., is based on females collected on an unidentified coprid beetle of the genus Copris Geoffroy, 1762. The new species is unusual in having a strongly sclerotised dorsal shield with longitudinally oriented ridges. Among the 37 species which are or have been included in the genus Alliphis, only 15 of them can be now reliably classified within the genus, excluding Alliphis siculus (Oudemans, 1905) and Alliphis transversus Halliday, 2010, which probably require the new genera. Alliphis halberti Ryke & Meyer, 1957, Alliphis serrochaetae Ramaraju & Mohanasundaram, 1996 and Alliphis trichiensis Ramaraju & Mohanasundaram, 1996, are newly transferred to Alloseius Mašán & Halliday, 2009 (Eviphididae), Neopodocinum Oudemans, 1902 (Macrochelidae) and Copriphis Berlese, 1910 (Eviphididae), respectively.
Description of a new species of Oplitis Berlese, 1884, and the first record of a phoretic uropodid mite (Acari: Oplitidae) on a Neotropical solitary wasp (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)
Authors: PEREIRA MATHEUS CARVALHO SOARES DE AGUIAR , KONTSCHÁN JENŐ , BERNARDI LEOPOLDO FERREIRA DE OLIVEIRA , HERMES MARCEL GUSTAVO
Published: January 2016

The association of an uropodid mite with a solitary eumenine wasp is reported for the first time. Five mite specimens were found on a specimen of the wasp Zethus pallidus Smith, 1857, collected in southeastern Brazil. The mites are described as a new species, Oplitis ticumbi Kontschán & Bernardi sp. nov. In addition some notes on the biology of these mite specimens associated with Z. pallidus are presented.
A Field Study of Pixel-Scale Variability of Raindrop Size Distribution in the Mid-Atlantic Region
Authors: Tokay Ali , D’Adderio Leo Pio , Wolff David B. , Petersen Walter A.
Published: January 2016

The spatial variability of parameters of the raindrop size distribution and its derivatives is investigated through a field study where collocated Particle Size and Velocity (Parsivel2) and two-dimensional video disdrometers were operated at six sites at Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, from December 2013 to March 2014. The three-parameter exponential function was employed to determine the spatial variability across the study domain where the maximum separation distance was 2.3 km. The nugget parameter of the exponential function was set to 0.99 and the correlation distance d0 and shape parameter s0 were retrieved by minimizing the root-mean-square error, after fitting it to the correlations of physical parameters. Fits were very good for almost all 15 physical parameters. The retrieved d0 and s0 were about 4.5 km and 1.1, respectively, for rain rate (RR) when all 12 disdrometers were reporting rainfall with a rain-rate threshold of 0.1 mm h−1 for 1-min averages. The d0 decreased noticeably when one or more disdrometers were required to report rain. The d0 was considerably different for a number of parameters (e.g., mass-weighted diameter) but was about the same for the other parameters (e.g., RR) when rainfall threshold was reset to 12 and 18 dBZ for Ka- and Ku-band reflectivity, respectively, following the expected Global Precipitation Measurement mission’s spaceborne radar minimum detectable signals. The reduction of the database through elimination of a site did not alter d0 as long as the fit was adequate. The correlations of 5-min rain accumulations were lower when disdrometer observations were simulated for a rain gauge at different bucket sizes.
Seasonal Variability in Middepth Gyral Circulation Patterns in the Central East/Japan Sea as Revealed by Long-Term Argo Data
Authors: Kang Sok Kuh , Seung Young Ho , Park Jong Jin , Park Jae-Hun , Lee Jae Hak , Kim Eun Jin , Kim Young Ho , Suk Moon-Sik
Published: January 2016

Trajectories of Argo floats deployed in the East/Japan Sea from 2001 to 2014 reveal that the middepth gyral circulation pattern of the Japan basin, the central part of the East/Japan Sea, undergoes a seasonal variation. The middepth circulation of the Japan basin is found to be characterized usually by the gyres trapped to the east of the Bogorov Rise (E-gyres) and those extending farther westward into the whole basin (BW-gyres). The E-gyre trajectories are generally associated with the turning of the floats toward deeper regions off the isobaths. This occurs in winter either on the northern or eastern side of the eastern Japan basin. It seems that the upstream part of the otherwise BW-gyre is subject to a strong negative wind stress curl in winter, and there the circulating water columns are driven toward the deeper region, thus triggering the formation of the E-gyre. The topographic effect associated with the Bogorov Rise seems to interfere thereafter in the process of determining the passage of the E-gyre. Otherwise, the water columns continue to flow along the isobaths, hence maintaining the BW-gyre. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first observational evidence of seasonal variability in the middepth gyral circulation pattern in the East/Japan Sea. It suggests that oceanic middepth circulation, usually known to be quasi steady or slowly varying on climatological time scales, might also undergo a significant seasonal variation as it does in the East/Japan Sea.
Reflectivity and Liquid Water Content Vertical Decomposition Diagrams to Diagnose Vertical Evolution of Raindrop Size Distributions
Authors: Williams Christopher R.
Published: January 2016

This study consists of two parts. The first part describes the way in which vertical air motions and raindrop size distributions (DSDs) were retrieved from 449-MHz and 2.835-GHz (UHF and S band) vertically pointing radars (VPRs) deployed side by side during the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) held in northern Oklahoma. The 449-MHz VPR can measure both vertical air motion and raindrop motion. The S-band VPR can measure only raindrop motion. These differences in VPR sensitivities facilitates the identification of two peaks in 449-MHz VPR reflectivity-weighted Doppler velocity spectra and the retrieval of vertical air motion and DSD parameters from near the surface to just below the melting layer.

The second part of this study used the retrieved DSD parameters to decompose reflectivity and liquid water content (LWC) into two terms, one representing number concentration and the other representing DSD shape. Reflectivity and LWC vertical decomposition diagrams (Z-VDDs and LWC-VDDs, respectively) are introduced to highlight interactions between raindrop number and DSD shape in the vertical column. Analysis of Z-VDDs provides indirect measure of microphysical processes through radar reflectivity. Analysis of LWC-VDDs provides direct investigation of microphysical processes in the vertical column, including net raindrop evaporation or accretion and net raindrop breakup or coalescence. During a stratiform rain event (20 May 2011), LWC-VDDs exhibited signatures of net evaporation and net raindrop coalescence as the raindrops fell a distance of 2 km under a well-defined radar bright band. The LWC-VDD is a tool to characterize rain microphysics with quantities related to number-controlled and size-controlled processes.
The prevalence of symptoms of depression and anxiety, and the level of life stress and worry in New Zealand Māori and non-Māori women in late pregnancy
Authors: Signal T Leigh , Paine Sarah-Jane , Sweeney Bronwyn , Muller Diane , Priston Monique , Lee Kathryn , Gander Philippa , Huthwaite Mark
Published: January 2016

Objective:

To describe the prevalence of symptoms of depression and anxiety, and the level of life stress and worry in late pregnancy for Māori and non-Māori women.

Methods:

In late pregnancy, women completed a questionnaire recording their prior history of mood disorders; self-reported current depressive symptoms (⩾13 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), current anxiety symptoms (⩾6 on the anxiety items from the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), significant life stress (⩾2 items on life stress scale) and dysfunctional worry (>12 on the Brief Measure of Worry Scale).

Results:

Data were obtained from 406 Māori women (mean age = 27.6 years, standard deviation=6.3 years) and 738 non-Māori women (mean age = 31.6 years, standard deviation=5.3 years). Depressive symptoms (22% vs 15%), anxiety symptoms (25% vs 20%), significant life stress (55% vs 30%) and a period of poor mood during the current pregnancy (18% vs 14%) were more prevalent for Māori than non-Maori women. Less than 50% of women who had experienced ⩾2 weeks of poor mood during the current pregnancy had sought help. Being young was an independent risk factor for depressive symptoms, significant life stress and dysfunctional worry. A prior history of depression was also consistently associated with a greater risk of negative affect in pregnancy.

Conclusion:

Antenatal mental health requires at least as much attention and resourcing as mental health in the postpartum period. Services need to specifically target Māori women, young women and women with a prior history of depression.
Problems and Prospects of the BCIM Economic Corridor
Authors: Uberoi Patricia
Published: January 2016

This article takes a critical look at the new Chinese ‘One Belt, One Road’ (OBOR) or ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI) for 21st century Eurasian connectivity and economic integration from the perspective of the proposed Bangladesh–China–India–Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM-EC). The BCIM-EC is a sub-regional cooperation project that aims to link the land-locked provinces of southwest China with eastern India and the Bay of Bengal through northern Myanmar, India’s northeast region, and Bangladesh. However, within months of being mooted in May 2013, the BCIM-EC was yoked to another connectivity initiative, the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and the two encompassed within President Xi Jinping’s grand vision for a new overland and maritime Silk Road. As of now, India has (i) endorsed the BCIM-EC, (ii) rejected the CPEC and (iii) maintained studied silence on the OBOR initiative per se. Where does that conundrum leave the BCIM-EC? And to what extent, if at all, can India leverage OBOR to its own advantage?
Critical Listening and Storying: Fostering Respect for Difference and Action Within and Beyond a Native American Literature Classroom
Authors: San Pedro Timothy , Carlos Elijah , Mburu Jane
Published: January 2016

Relying on the intersections of Indigenous Research Methodologies and Humanizing Research, the authors of this article argue that by re-centering relationships through critical listening and storying, we are better suited to co-construct our shared truths and realities in the space between the telling and hearing of stories. As we do so, we move beyond the sometimes dehumanizing “slash” of researcher/participant and professor/student and into more fertile spaces where our collective desires for educational, political, and social change are forged because of our commitment to sustaining meaningful relationships as well as our refusal to ignore our impact on each other.
Being visible in public space: The normalisation of asymmetrical visibility
Authors: Hatuka Tali , Toch Eran
Published: January 2016

Over recent decades, cities have been radically transformed by information and communication technologies (ICTs) that modify people’s daily lives by reorganising mobility, infrastructure systems and physical spaces. However, in addition to the role that technology plays in the development of the infrastructure in our cities, it is also being used ‘as a means of control’. This view of technology as a disciplinary tool that restructures space, time and the relations among activities has been promoted by scholars who have shown that technology is also a means of saturating and sustaining contemporary capitalist societies and deepening inequalities. However, the situation is far more complex than that. Technology is not only used top-down but also bottom-up, with individuals using technological devices to share and enhance their visibility in space. This bidirectional paradigm – of vertical surveillance and horizontal sharing – contributes to a sense of ‘being exposed’ in public space that normalises practices of sharing personal data by individuals and thus results in diminished privacy. This argument is supported by an experiment conducted on smartphone users that includes personal interviews and the use of a smartphone Android application that combines online tracking with experience sampling. The findings show a convergence between the online and offline worlds (a ‘public’ situation in the offline world is also considered as such in the online world), which is a condition that contributes to the normalisation of ‘asymmetrical visibility’. Based on these results, the paper ends with a discussion of the contemporary meaning of public space.
The role of industrial diversity in economic resilience: An empirical examination across 35 years
Authors: Brown Lathania , Greenbaum Robert T
Published: January 2016

As recovery from the Great Recession continues, economic development scholars and practitioners are again focused on the pace and the sustainability of recovery, as well as on efforts to minimise the severity of future downturns. This paper contributes to the literature by exploring the relationship between industry diversity and economic resilience over time. Using fixed effects models with data from the Bureau of Labour Statistics and the Census Bureau, the paper examines the influence of industrial diversity and concentration on unemployment rate stability in Ohio counties between 1977 and 2011. Results indicate that while more concentrated counties had lower unemployment rates when times were good, counties with more diverse industry structures fared better during times of national or local employment shocks. The paper also finds that there is a relationship between concentration in particular industries and the ability to withstand a shock changes over the 35 years examined, thus highlighting the need to take care when interpreting findings over shorter periods and the need to consider the particular industry of dependence. While local policymakers have little ability to affect industrial concentration in the short run, the paper recommends that highly concentrated counties adopt policies that may help buffer their economies to effects of negative shocks.
Organizations and Survey Research
Authors: Fulton Brad R.
Published: January 2016

Surveys provide a critical source of data for scholars, yet declining response rates are threatening the quality of data being collected. This threat is particularly acute among organizational studies that use key informants—the mean response rate for published studies is 34 percent. This article describes several response enhancing strategies and explains how they were implemented in a national study of organizations that achieved a 94 percent response rate. Data from this study are used to examine the relationship between survey response patterns and nonresponse bias by conducting nonresponse analyses on several important individual and organizational characteristics. The analyses indicate that nonresponse bias is associated with the mean/proportion and variance of these variables and their correlations with relevant organizational outcomes. After identifying the variables most susceptible to nonresponse bias, a final analysis calculates the minimum response rate those variables needed to ensure that they do not contain significant nonresponse bias. Heuristic versions of these analyses can be used by survey researchers during data collection (and by scholars retrospectively) to assess the representativeness of respondents and the degree of nonresponse bias variables contain. This study has implications for survey researchers, scholars who analyze survey data, and those who review their research.
Suffering, Misunderstanding, and Suffering Misunderstanding: The Markan Misunderstanding Motif as a Form of Jesus’ Suffering
Authors: Dinkler Michal Beth
Published: January 2016

Broad references to ‘suffering’ in early Christian literature can give the false impression that all early Christians conceived of suffering in the same way, and that depictions of suffering in early Christian texts all function similarly. And yet, close attention to specific texts reveals the opposite: early Christian authors depict suffering differently, and the rhetoric of suffering functions in diverse ways in individual texts. My thesis is as follows: The two motifs that have long taken pride of place in Markan scholarship – Jesus’ suffering and the disciples’ repeated incomprehension (the so-called ‘misunderstanding motif’) – are in fact two sides of the same coin. In Mark, being misunderstood is a form of social ostracism, and thus contributes to the suffering that Jesus must endure.
The τίς ἐξ ὑμῶν Similitudes and the Extent of Q
Authors: Sloan David B.
Published: January 2016

Most recent studies of Q are built on the assumption that Q is not much more extensive than the double tradition, a questionable assumption given that Mark is much more extensive than the components of Mark that are found in both Matthew and Luke and that Matthew’s selective rather than consecutive approach to Q may have caused him to leave out many verses of Q. This article considers three similitudes unique to Luke that begin with the phrase τίς ἐξ ὑμῶν (Lk. 11.5-8; 14.28-33; 17.7-10) as well as one that is paralleled in Matthew but has been omitted from the Critical Edition (Lk. 14.5 par. Mt. 12.11-12) and argues that all four of these passages are from Q. The criteria of Vassiliadis and Kloppenborg for ﬁnding Q passages in Lukan Sondergut are used, with particular emphasis on Kloppenborg’s ‘stylistic coherence’.
Spirituality and Religiosity in Adolescents Living With Sickle Cell Disease
Authors: Clayton-Jones Dora , Haglund Kristin , Belknap Ruth Ann , Schaefer Jame , Thompson Alexis A.
Published: January 2016

This study purports to address paucity in the literature regarding how adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) describe and experience spirituality and religiosity (S/R). This was a qualitative descriptive study. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine adolescents ( Mage = 16.2 years). Data were analyzed using a template analysis style and a concurrent analysis process of data reduction. Three major themes encompassed the participants’ descriptions of the relationships between S/R, health and illness in their lives including S/R as sources for coping, influence of S/R beliefs on health and illness, and sharing S/R with Health Care Providers (HCPs). S/R as coping mechanisms included six threads: interconnecting with God, interconnecting with others, interconnecting with creative arts, scriptural metanarratives, transcendent experiences, and acceptance and finding meaning. Expectations of health providers included two threads: Religiosity is private/personal and sharing spiritual and religious beliefs is risky. S/R are particularly salient for adolescents with SCD.
The conditions of practical action: Neoliberalism and sustainability in the Australian road construction industry
Authors: White Cameron
Published: January 2016

In the last decade, in the context of debates about climate change, the Australian road construction industry has focused on increasing efficiencies within road construction processes. This approach to environmental impact management is congruent with existing (road-centric) trajectories of infrastructure development. At the same time, however, it also institutionalises the systemic environmental impacts of the road network. This article examines the historical conditions within which this focus on construction efficiencies emerged as the basis of practical action. Firstly, it examines the neoliberal strategies that led to the privatisation of the Australian road construction industry in the 1990s. Secondly, these Australian road industry strategies are compared with other industry-centred harm-management initiatives and traced back to the tobacco industry tactics of the 1950s and 1960s. Finally, this article argues for a broader, interdisciplinary approach to the analysis and management of environmental impact.
Oxygenator in short-term LVAD circuit: a rescue in post-LVAD pulmonary complications
Authors: Mohite Prashant N , Patil Nikhil P , Popov Aron-Frederik , Bahrami Toufan , Simon Andre R
Published: January 2016

Pulmonary complications after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, though infrequent, can be potentially catastrophic. A 62-year-old female with cardiogenic shock, supported on short-term LVAD, developed pulmonary oedema. An oxygenator was introduced into the LVAD circuit, which improved the gas exchange and, eventually, after weaning off the oxygenator, the patient received long-term LVAD. The introduction of an oxygenator into the short-term LAVD circuit is a lifesaving manoeuvre in such a situation. It offers freedom of introducing and removing the oxygenator into the LVAD circuit without opening the chest and competing for LVAD flow.
Implantation of the Jarvik 2000® left ventricular assist device using the miniaturized extracorporeal circulation system – a case report
Authors: Formica Francesco , Bamodu Oluwaseun Adebayo , Mariani Serena , Caruso Rosa , Sangalli Fabio , Paolini Giovanni
Published: January 2016

Myocardial failure is generally considered to be a progressive, irreversible medical condition with characteristic ventricular enlargement, spatial alteration of the heart chambers, diminished cardiac inotropy and resultant dysfunctional, mechanically inefficient heart.

The Jarvik 2000®, similar to the mechanical pump, is an electrically powered, axial-flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) designed to enhance the function of the chronically failing heart and, consequently, normalize the cardiac output for a long period of time.

We report the case of 70-year-old man with congestive dilated cardiomyopathy and bioprosthetic mitral valve who underwent surgical implantation of the Jarvik 2000® LVAD, using the miniaturized extracorporeal circulation (MECC) system.

The LVAD was implanted through a left thoracotomy and the MECC system was used to avoid intraoperative spontaneous hemodynamic instability and/or malignant ventricular arrhythmia. The circulatory support with the MECC system was optimal and no complication in terms of hemodynamic instability and perioperative bleeding was recorded. The MECC system obliterated the adverse effects associated with conventional extracorporeal circulation, which are often fatal in critically-ill patients.
Logistic Regression–Based Trichotomous Classification Tree and Its Application in Medical Diagnosis
Authors: Zhu Yanke , Fang Jiqian
Published: January 2016

The classification tree is a valuable methodology for predictive modeling and data mining. However, the current existing classification trees ignore the fact that there might be a subset of individuals who cannot be well classified based on the information of the given set of predictor variables and who might be classified with a higher error rate; most of the current existing classification trees do not use the combination of variables in each step. An algorithm of a logistic regression–based trichotomous classification tree (LRTCT) is proposed that employs the trichotomous tree structure and the linear combination of predictor variables in the recursive partitioning process. Compared with the widely used classification and regression tree through the applications on a series of simulated data and 2 real data sets, the LRTCT performed better in several aspects and does not require excessive complicated calculations.
Constrained by Red Tape
Authors: van den Bekerom Petra , Torenvlied René , Akkerman Agnes
Published: January 2016

Extant public management studies examining the management of environmental challenges predominantly concentrate on the management of the erratic dimension of environmental challenges, that is, shocks. Whereas there is strong evidence that environmental shocks can be effectively managed, much less is known about more predictable environmental constraints that, likewise, challenge the organization’s functioning. The present article studies the moderating effects of managerial networking on the negative relation between environmental constraints—that is, red tape—on organizational performance. We hypothesize that red tape negatively affects public service performance. We further hypothesize that “downward,” “upward,” “sideward,” and “outward” managerial networking orientations attenuate the negative effect of red tape on public service performance. The hypotheses are tested on a data set of Dutch primary schools ( n = 523), which includes managerial networking and perceived red tape variables as well as objective, independently measured, school performance data. The results show that perceived personnel red tape negatively affects school performance but that perceived general external red tape positively affects school performance. The negative effect of personnel red tape on school performance is attenuated by “outward”-oriented managerial networking.
Classification of fatty and dense breast parenchyma: comparison of automatic volumetric density measurement and radiologists’ classification and their inter-observer variation
Authors: Østerås Bjørn Helge , Martinsen Anne Catrine T , Brandal Siri Helene B , Chaudhry Khalida Nasreen , Eben Ellen , Haakenaasen Unni , Falk Ragnhild Sørum , Skaane Per
Published: January 2016

Background

Automatically calculated breast density is a promising alternative to subjective BI-RADS density assessment. However, such software needs a cutoff value for density classification.

Purpose

To determine the volumetric density threshold which classifies fatty and dense breasts with highest accuracy compared to average BI-RADS density assessment, and to analyze radiologists’ inter-observer variation.

Material and Methods

A total of 537 full field digital mammography examinations were randomly selected from a population based screening program. Five radiologists assessed density using the BI-RADS density scale, where BI-RADS I–II were classified as fatty and III–IV as dense. A commercially available software (Quantra) calculated volumetric breast density. We calculated the cutoff (threshold) values in volumetric density that yielded highest accuracy compared to median and individual radiologists’ classification. Inter-observer variation was analyzed using the kappa statistic.

Results

The threshold that best matched the median radiologists’ classification was 10%, which resulted in 87% accuracy. Thresholds that best matched individual radiologist’s classification had a range of 8–15%. A total of 191 (35.6 %) cases were scored both dense and fatty by at least one radiologist. Fourteen (2.6 %) cases were unanimously scored by the radiologists, yet differently using automatic assessment. The agreement (kappa) between reader’s median classification and individual radiologists was 0.624 to 0.902, and agreement between median classification and Quantra was 0.731.

Conclusion

The optimal volumetric threshold of 10% using automatic assessment would classify breast parenchyma as fatty or dense with substantial accuracy and consistency compared to radiologists’ BI-RADS categorization, which suffers from high inter-observer variation.
Iterative reconstruction: comparison of techniques for reduced-dose liver computed tomography following transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Cha Min Jae , Jeong Woo Kyoung , Choi Dongil , Kim Young Kon , Lim Sanghyeok , Choi Seo-Youn , Lee Won Jae
Published: January 2016

Background

Adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) and model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) algorithms have the potential to reduce dose while maintaining image quality.

Purpose

To compare computed tomography (CT) image quality and diagnostic performance among three reconstruction techniques – ASIR, MBIR, and filtered back projection (FBP) – after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC).

Material and Methods

Of 60 patients that underwent initial TACE for HCCs, half underwent dynamic liver CT with conventional scanning protocol, and the other half with dose reduction to approximately 60% of conventional exposure. All images were reconstructed using three algorithms: FBP, ASIR, and MBIR. For objective analysis, image noise and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were compared. For subjective analysis, three radiologists independently assessed image quality. Ability to detect viable HCCs was also evaluated.

Results

MBIR and ASIR produced images with less noise and higher SNR compared with FBP regardless of radiation dosage ( P < 0.017). However, in terms of subjective parameters, such as image blotchiness, artifacts, and overall quality, MBIR was inferior to FBP and ASIR ( P < 0.001). Regarding diagnostic performance, there were no significant differences among reviewers in the detection of viable HCCs depending on the reconstruction algorithm, regardless of the dose reduction protocol ( P > 0.017).

Conclusion

Although subjective evaluations suggest that MBIR images are of lower quality compared with FBP and ASIR regardless of radiation dosage, there were no significant differences among reconstruction algorithms in diagnosis of viable HCC after TACE.
Pathologic Features of Colorectal Inflammatory Polyps in Miniature Dachshunds
Authors: Uchida E. , Chambers J. K. , Nakashima K. , Saito T. , Ohno K. , Tsujimoto H. , Nakayama H. , Uchida K.
Published: January 2016

The histopathologic characteristics of colorectal inflammatory polyps that formed in Miniature Dachshunds were compared with those of other colorectal proliferative lesions, including adenomas and adenocarcinomas. Fifty-three colorectal polypoid lesions were histopathologically classified into inflammatory polyps (26 cases), adenoma (18 cases), and adenocarcinoma (9 cases). All 26 dogs that were diagnosed with inflammatory polyps were Miniature Dachshunds, indicating that colorectal inflammatory polyps exhibit a marked predilection for this breed. The inflammatory polyps had complex histopathologic features and were classified into 3 stages based on their epithelial composition. In early stage (stage 1), the polyps tended to exhibit a thickened mucosa containing hyperplastic goblet cells, dilated crypts filled with a large amount of mucus, and mild lymphocyte and macrophage infiltration. In later stages (stages 2 and 3), more severe neutrophil infiltration, interstitial mucus accumulation, granulation tissue, and occasional osteoid tissue were seen. Also, a few small foci of dysplastic epithelial cells were detected. The hyperplastic goblet cells, which were a major component of the epithelium of the inflammatory polyps, were positive for cytokeratin 20 (CK20), while the dysplastic epithelial cells found in inflammatory polyps (stage 3) and the tumor cells of the adenomas and adenocarcinomas were negative for CK20. These CK20-negative epithelial cells exhibited cytoplasmic and nuclear immunoreactivity for beta-catenin. In addition, the epithelial cells in the inflammatory polyps demonstrated significantly higher cyclooxygenase 2 and fibroblast growth factor 2 expression than did those of the adenomas and adenocarcinomas, suggesting that the arachidonate cascade is involved in the development of colorectal inflammatory polyps in miniature dachshunds.
Histologic Lesions Induced by Murine Norovirus Infection in Laboratory Mice
Authors: Hsu C. C. , Piotrowski S. L. , Meeker S. M. , Smith K. D. , Maggio-Price L. , Treuting P. M.
Published: January 2016

Murine noroviruses (MNVs) are highly prevalent in laboratory mice, can cause persistent infections, and have been shown to infect macrophages, dendritic cells, and B cells. To address the potential impact of MNV infection on research outcomes, numerous studies have been conducted with various mouse models of human disease and have generated mixed results, ranging from no impact to significant disease. Many of these studies included histologic evaluations after MNV infection, and these results have similarly been variable in terms of whether MNV induces lesions, despite the fact that localization of MNV by viral culture and molecular techniques have demonstrated systemic distribution regardless of mouse immune status. The aim of this review is to summarize the histologic findings that have been reported with MNV infection in several mouse models. The studies demonstrate that experimental infection of MNV in wild-type mice results in minimal to no histologic changes. In contrast, immunodeficient mice consistently have detectable MNV-induced lesions that are typically inflammatory and, in the most severe cases, accompanied by necrosis. In these, the liver is commonly affected, with more variable lesions reported in the lung, gastrointestinal tract, mesenteric lymph nodes, brain, and spleen. In specific disease models including atherosclerosis, MNV infection had a variable impact that was dependent on the mouse model, viral strain, timing of infection, or other experimental variables. It is important to recognize the reported MNV lesions to help discern the possible influence of MNV infection on data generated in mouse models.
The Vital Role of Pathology in Improving Reproducibility and Translational Relevance of Aging Studies in Rodents
Authors: Treuting P. M. , Snyder J. M. , Ikeno Y. , Schofield P. N. , Ward J. M. , Sundberg J. P.
Published: January 2016

Pathology is a discipline of medicine that adds great benefit to aging studies of rodents by integrating in vivo, biochemical, and molecular data. It is not possible to diagnose systemic illness, comorbidities, and proximate causes of death in aging studies without the morphologic context provided by histopathology. To date, many rodent aging studies do not utilize end points supported by systematic necropsy and histopathology, which leaves studies incomplete, contradictory, and difficult to interpret. As in traditional toxicity studies, if the effect of a drug, dietary treatment, or altered gene expression on aging is to be studied, systematic pathology analysis must be included to determine the causes of age-related illness, moribundity, and death. In this Commentary, the authors discuss the factors that should be considered in the design of aging studies in mice, with the inclusion of robust pathology practices modified after those developed by toxicologic and discovery research pathologists. Investigators in the field of aging must consider the use of histopathology in their rodent aging studies in this era of integrative and preclinical geriatric science (geroscience).
E-cadherin, N-cadherin Expression and Histologic Characterization of Canine Choroid Plexus Tumors
Authors: Reginato A. , Girolami D. , Menchetti L. , Foiani G. , Mandara M.T.
Published: January 2016

Choroid plexus tumors (CPTs) are reported with an increasing incidence in dogs, and they call for a reexamination of histologic features and criteria of classification corresponding to their biological behavior. In this study, the human World Health Organization classification was applied to 16 canine CPTs, and the expression of molecules involved in neoplastic cell adhesion (E-cadherin, N-cadherin), invasion (doublecortin), and proliferation (Ki-67) was investigated. Mitotic index was found to be the main criterion for grading CPTs. Cell density and multilayering of papillae were also statistically associated with histologic grade. Intraventricular spread and parenchymal invasion was observed for tumors showing histologic benign features. E-cadherin was expressed in all CPT grades, independent of tumor invasion. N-cadherin immunolabeling was more expressed in grade I than high-grade CPTs, whereas doublecortin expression was not detected in CPTs. An increasing proliferative activity was observed in relation with histologic grade.
Orbiting Black/White Rays Produce an “Illusory” Gray Disk
Authors: Anstis Stuart , Dykmans Neal , Kaneko Sae , Cavanagh Patrick
Published: January 2016

An orbiting ray pattern produces an unexpected gray disk. Here we demonstrate this visual effect and its possible insights into visual temporal integration.
Reality, virtual reality, and imagery: Quality of movement in novice dart players
Authors: Kehoe Reggie , Rice Martin
Published: January 2016

Introduction

Meaning and purpose have been tenets of occupational therapy since the profession’s inception. Therefore, it is important to understand how to best employ these central concepts in practice. One way to do this is to study the “same” task under materials-based, imagery-based, and virtual reality conditions.

Method

Participants included 34 adult novice dart players, each of whom experienced all three conditions in a randomized order. Motion capture technology was used to evaluate the quality of motion during the three conditions.

Results

Similarities between the materials-based and imagery-based condition ( p > 0.0167) suggest participants utilized preconceived concepts of throwing real darts during these two conditions. Differences between the virtual reality and imagery-based conditions ( p < 0.0167) suggest that the virtual reality condition utilized a different motor performance, focusing less on perceptions of throwing darts and more on achieving successes within the virtual environment.

Conclusion

Implications are that utilizing materials-based occupations may be more efficient than imagery-based to enhance development of a skill; imagery-based performance is more similar to the materials-based performance than the virtual reality performance. Virtual reality occupations can be utilized should the patient find meaning and purpose in virtual reality occupations or if the patient cannot engage in a materials-based counterpart.
Assessment of Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program and computational fluid dynamics estimates for power production on a Jeju Island wind farm
Authors: Ju Beomcheol , Jeong Jihyun , Ko Kyungnam
Published: January 2016

The accuracy of power production predictions made using a linear model, Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program, and the computational fluid dynamics model, Meteodyn WT, was assessed for a Seongsan wind farm on Jeju Island, South Korea. The actual data on power production from 10 Vestas V80 2 MW wind turbines were collected through a supervisory control and data acquisition system. Wind data were collected over a period of 1 year from a 70-m-height met mast which was about 1.6 km away from the wind farm. The two applications were used for estimating the annual energy production for both an entire wind farm and an individual wind turbine and accomplished this by assessing five different wind farm sizes ranging from 5 km × 5 km to 20 km × 20 km. The results showed that Meteodyn WT software performed better than the Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program in predicting power production for all the five domain sizes studied. For the entire wind farm, the relative error in annual energy production prediction was from 2.5% to 3.5% when running Meteodyn WT, while ranging from 3.8% to 11.5% when running WindPRO. While a little overestimation in the capacity factor occurred using the WindPRO application, a little underestimation was found using Meteodyn WT.
Numerical simulation of a Savonius turbine above an infinite-width forward facing step
Authors: Goh Seach Chyr , Schlüter Jörg Uwe
Published: January 2016

The Savonius turbine, although simple in construction, typically has a maximum power coefficient ( cP) of about 0.2. This is significantly lower than the cP of the axial flow propeller-type turbine which typically can be as high as 0.5. However, a simple means to improve the cP of a Savonius turbine is to install it above a forward facing step, for example, a cliff or a building. In this work, prior experimental results of the tow testing of a Savonius turbine installed above a finite-width bluff body were used to validate computational fluid dynamics simulation of the same experimental conditions. The validated simulation settings were then used to obtain the maximum cP of a similar turbine of finite width but installed above an infinite-width forward facing step over a range of installation positions above and behind the step.
Proper Cartilage Status for Meniscal Allograft Transplantation Cannot Be Accurately Determined by Patient Symptoms
Authors: Lee Bum-Sik , Bin Seong-Il , Kim Jong-Min , Kim Jae Hyan , Han Geun-Won
Published: January 2016

Background:

Candidates for meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) often already have a significant cartilage lesion when they present with a symptomatic knee. However, the level of symptoms required for MAT to be performed is poorly defined, leading to difficulties in selecting patients and the potential for further cartilage loss.

Purpose:

To evaluate if various clinical evaluation scores reflect the articular cartilage status of the lateral compartment preoperatively in symptomatic, lateral meniscus–deficient knees.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A total of 113 consecutive patients who underwent lateral MAT were reviewed. All patients were preoperatively assessed by the most common patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), including the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, Lysholm knee scale, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective form, and Tegner activity scale. The maximum grade from the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) scale on either femoral or tibial articular cartilage was used for a correlation analysis between PROMs and ICRS grades and a comparison of PROMs between patients with low-grade (ICRS grade ≤2) and high-grade (ICRS grade 3 or 4) cartilage degeneration.

Results:

More than half of the patients had high-grade cartilage degeneration, even though their mean VAS pain score was low (3.1 ± 1.3). There were no significant relationships between ICRS grades and PROMs, except for the IKDC subjective score, which was weakly associated with the ICRS grade (Spearman ρ test, 2-sided, ρ = −.200, P = .034). When comparing patients with low-grade versus high-grade cartilage degeneration, there were no differences in PROMs except for the Lysholm score (67.8 ± 14.7 vs 62.3 ± 13.9, respectively; P = .044). Notably, 37 of 58 patients (63.8%) with high-grade chondral lesions only felt pain during severe exertion.

Conclusion:

Mild or tolerable symptoms did not necessarily mean that articular cartilage was well preserved in patients undergoing MAT. The study findings suggest a need for close observation and greater caution concerning possible chondral damage in the treatment of meniscus-deficient knees.