bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the epigenetic regulation of tumours and their microenvironments: opportunities and problems for epigenetic therapy
Authors: Liu Man , Zhou Jingying , Chen Zhiwei , Cheng Alfred Sze‐Lok
Published: October 2016

The tumour microenvironment plays an instrumental role in cancer development, progression and treatment response/resistance. Accumulating evidence is underscoring the fundamental importance of epigenetic regulation in tumour immune evasion. Following many pioneering discoveries demonstrating malignant transformation through epigenetic anomalies (‘epimutations’), there is also a growing emphasis on elucidating aberrant epigenetic mechanisms that reprogramme the milieu of tumour‐associated immune and stromal cells towards an immunosuppressive state. Pharmacological inhibition of DNA methylation and histone modifications can augment the efficiency of immune checkpoint blockage, and unleash anti‐tumour T‐cell responses. However, these non‐specific agents also represent a ‘double‐edged sword’, as they can also reactivate gene transcription of checkpoint molecules, interrupting immune surveillance programmes. By understanding the impact of epigenetic control on the tumour microenvironment, rational combinatorial epigenetic and checkpoint blockage therapies have the potential to harness the immune system for the treatment of cancer. Copyright © 2016 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fgf10 deficiency is causative for lethality in a mouse model of bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Authors: Chao Cho‐Ming , Yahya Faady , Moiseenko Alena , Tiozzo Caterina , Shrestha Amit , Ahmadvand Negah , El Agha Elie , Quantius Jennifer , Dilai Salma , Kheirollahi Vahid , Jones Matthew , Wilhem Jochen , Carraro Gianni , Ehrhardt Harald , Zimmer Klaus‐Peter , Barreto Guillermo , Ahlbrecht Katrin , Morty Rory E , Herold Susanne , Abellar Rosanna G , Seeger Werner , Schermuly Ralph , Zhang Jin‐San , Minoo Parviz , Bellusci Saverio
Published: October 2016

Inflammation‐induced FGF10 protein deficiency is associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a chronic lung disease of prematurely born infants characterized by arrested alveolar development. So far, experimental evidence for a direct role of FGF10 in lung disease is lacking. Using the hyperoxia‐induced neonatal lung injury as a mouse model of BPD, the impact of Fgf10 deficiency in Fgf10+/− versus Fgf10+/+ pups was investigated. In normoxia, no lethality of Fgf10+/+ or Fgf10+/− pups was observed. By contrast, all Fgf10+/− pups died within 8 days of hyperoxic injury, with lethality starting at day 5, whereas Fgf10+/+ pups were all alive. Lungs of pups from the two genotypes were collected on postnatal day 3 following normoxia or hyperoxia exposure for further analysis. In hyperoxia, Fgf10+/− lungs exhibited increased hypoalveolarization. Analysis by FACS of the Fgf10+/− versus control lungs in normoxia revealed a decreased ratio of alveolar epithelial type II (AECII) cells over total Epcam‐positive cells. In addition, gene array analysis indicated reduced AECII and increased AECI transcriptome signatures in isolated AECII cells from Fgf10+/− lungs. Such an imbalance in differentiation is also seen in hyperoxia and is associated with reduced mature surfactant protein B and C expression. Attenuation of the activity of Fgfr2b ligands postnatally in the context of hyperoxia also led to increased lethality with decreased surfactant expression. In summary, decreased Fgf10 mRNA levels lead to congenital lung defects, which are compatible with postnatal survival, but which compromise the ability of the lungs to cope with sub‐lethal hyperoxic injury. Fgf10 deficiency affects quantitatively and qualitatively the formation of AECII cells. In addition, Fgfr2b ligands are also important for repair after hyperoxia exposure in neonates. Deficient AECII cells could be an additional complication for patients with BPD. Copyright © 2016 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dynamic mechanical and free vibration behavior of natural fiber braided fabric composite: Comparison with conventional and knitted fabric composites
Authors: Rajesh M. , Pitchaimani Jeyaraj
Published: October 2016

Dynamic mechanical and experimental modal analysis has been performed on braided yarn woven fabric reinforced polyester composites and results are compared with those of conventional twisted yarn woven fabric and knitted woven fabric composites. The results revealed that storage modulus shows an increasing trend across conventional woven, knitted and braided woven fabric reinforcement, in that order. It is also observed that intra‐ply hybridization enhances storage modulus and material loss factor of the conventional woven fabric and knitted woven fabric composites. It is also observed that knitted fabric composites have higher loss factors compared with conventional and braided fabric composites. Experimental modal analysis results reveal that the braided yarn fabric enhances the stiffness of the composite structure and hence results in higher natural frequencies while knitted fabric reinforcement enhances modal loss factor of the composite structure due the spiral orientation of yarns and large gaps associated with between the yarns in kitted fabric. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:2479–2489, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Impact of phosphoproteomics in the translation of kinase‐targeted therapies
Authors: Casado Pedro , Hijazi Maruan , Britton David , Cutillas Pedro R.
Published: October 2016

Signaling pathways driven by protein and lipid kinases are altered in most human diseases. Therefore, pharmacological inhibitors of cell signaling are one of the most intensively pursued therapeutic approaches for the treatment of diseases such as cancer, neurodegeneration, and metabolic syndromes. Phosphoproteomics is a technique that measures the products of kinase activities and, with the appropriate bioinformatics techniques, the methodology can also provide measures of kinase pathway activation and network circuitry. Hence, due to recent technological advantages, LC‐MS‐based quantitative phosphoproteomics provides relevant information for the design and implementation of kinase inhibitor based therapies. Here, we review how phosphoproteome profiling is being used in translational research as a means to identify drug targets and biomarkers for personalizing therapies based on kinase inhibitors.
An enlarged cell wall proteome of Arabidopsis thaliana rosettes
Authors: Hervé Vincent , Duruflé Harold , San Clemente Hélène , Albenne Cécile , Balliau Thierry , Zivy Michel , Dunand Christophe , Jamet Elisabeth
Published: October 2016

Plant cells are surrounded by cell walls playing many roles during development and in response to environmental constraints. Cell walls are mainly composed of polysaccharides (cellulose, hemicelluloses and pectins), but they also contain proteins which are critical players in cell wall remodeling processes. Today, the cell wall proteome of Arabidopsis thaliana, a major dicot model plant, comprises more than 700 proteins predicted to be secreted (cell wall proteins—CWPs) identified in different organs or in cell suspension cultures. However, the cell wall proteome of rosettes is poorly represented with only 148 CWPs identified after extraction by vacuum infiltration. This new study allows enlarging its coverage. A destructive method starting with the purification of cell walls has been performed and two experiments have been compared. They differ by the presence/absence of protein separation by a short 1D‐electrophoresis run prior to tryptic digestion and different gradient programs for peptide separation before mass spectrometry analysis. Altogether, the rosette cell wall proteome has been significantly enlarged to 361 CWPs, among which 213 newly identified in rosettes and 57 newly described. The identified CWPs fall in four major functional classes: 26.1% proteins acting on polysaccharides, 11.1% oxido‐reductases, 14.7% proteases and 11.7% proteins possibly related to lipid metabolism.
Aligning, analyzing, and visualizing sequences for antibody engineering: Automated recognition of immunoglobulin variable region features
Authors: Jarasch Alexander , Skerra Arne
Published: October 2016

The analysis and comparison of large numbers of immunoglobulin (Ig) sequences that arise during an antibody selection campaign can be time‐consuming and tedious. Typically, the identification and annotation of framework as well as complementarity‐determining regions (CDRs) is based on multiple sequence alignments using standardized numbering schemes, which allow identification of equivalent residues among different family members but often necessitate expert knowledge and manual intervention. Moreover, due to the enormous length variability of some CDRs the benefit of conventional Ig numbering schemes is limited and the calculation of correct sequence alignments can become challenging. Whereas, in principle, a well established set of rules permits the assignment of CDRs from the amino acid sequence alone, no currently available sequence alignment editor provides an algorithm to annotate new Ig sequences accordingly. Here we present a unique pattern matching method implemented into our recently developed ANTICALIgN editor that automatically identifies all hypervariable and framework regions in experimentally elucidated antibody sequences using so‐called “regular expressions.” By combination of this widely supported software syntax with the unique capabilities of real‐time aligning, editing and analyzing extended sets of amino acid and/or nucleotide sequences simultaneously on a local workstation, ANTICALIgN provides a powerful utility for antibody engineering. Proteins 2016; 85:65–71. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Machine learning for atomic forces in a crystalline solid: Transferability to various temperatures
Authors: Suzuki Teppei , Tamura Ryo , Miyazaki Tsuyoshi
Published: October 2016

Recently, machine learning has emerged as an alternative, powerful approach for predicting quantum‐mechanical properties of molecules and solids. Here, using kernel ridge regression and atomic fingerprints representing local environments of atoms, we trained a machine‐learning model on a crystalline silicon system to directly predict the atomic forces at a wide range of temperatures. Our idea is to construct a machine‐learning model using a quantum‐mechanical dataset taken from canonical‐ensemble simulations at a higher temperature, or an upper bound of the temperature range. With our model, the force prediction errors were about 2% or smaller with respect to the corresponding force ranges, in the temperature region between 300 K and 1650 K. We also verified the applicability to a larger system, ensuring the transferability with respect to system size.
Is the CABIC Clean Intermittent Catheterization Patient Education Effective?
Authors: Le Danseur Maureen , Stutzman Sonja E. , Wilson Jennifer , Sislak Isabelle , Olson Dai Wai M.
Published: October 2016

Purpose:

This study examined the effectiveness of the consensus model (Clinical Advisory Board for Intermittent Catheterization [CABIC] method) for teaching clean intermittent self-catheterization (ISC). The primary hypothesis was that the CABIC method of teaching ISC would result in higher ISC knowledge and performance scores.

Design:

Prospective, non randomized, pre–post study of an educational intervention of ISC education with nursing students.

Methods:

Nursing students completed a self-report pre-/posttest, education of the CABIC method, and video recording of the CABIC method using same-gendered manikins. The Le Danseur Instrument (LDI) was used to grade the video-recorded demonstration.

Findings:

Fifty participants completed three phases of the study. Paired t test showed statistically significant improvement in ISC knowledge. A mean score of 92–93 demonstrated a high level of participant education retention.

Conclusions:

The CABIC method of teaching clean ISC is associated with improvement in generalized clean ISC knowledge and performance scores.

Clinical Relevance:

The CABIC method can be integrated into clinical practice as an evidence-based approach to teaching ISC.
Kinetics of Hydrogen Reduction of Magnetite Concentrate Particles in Solid State Relevant to Flash Ironmaking
Authors: Elzohiery Mohamed , Sohn Hong Yong , Mohassab Yousef
Published: October 2016

The kinetics of hydrogen reduction of solid magnetite concentrate particles is determined in the temperature range 1150–1350 °C as part of the development of a novel ironmaking process on‐going at University of Utah. A laminar‐flow reactor is used to provide the most uniform conditions to measure as accurately as possible the very rapid kinetics of the reduction reaction. Reduction degrees greater than 90% are achieved in a few seconds of residence time, depending on experimental conditions, which are the typical lengths of time available in a flash reaction process. Different particle size fractions are used in the experiments under various hydrogen partial pressures and residence times. The nucleation and growth model with Avrami parameter n = 1 and first‐order dependence on hydrogen partial pressure describes the reduction kinetics. The kinetics have no particle size effect within the size range and reaction conditions tested. The rate equation obtained from this work is being applied to the analysis of the data obtained from a laboratory flash reactor as well as to the design of industrial‐size flash ironmaking reactor in which hydrogen generated from the partial oxidation of natural gas is the main reducing agent.
Estimating denning date of wolves with daily movement and GPS location fix failure
Authors: Walsh Patrick B. , Sethi Suresh Andrew , Lake Bryce C. , Mangipane Buck A. , Nielson Ryan , Lowe Stacey
Published: October 2016

We used Global Positioning System (GPS) radiotelemetry data from 7 breeding female wolves (Canis lupus; n = 14 dennings) in 3 regions across Alaska, USA, during 2008–2011 to develop and compare methods for estimating the onset of denning, and thus infer timing of parturition. We developed and tested 2 estimators based on a combination of GPS radiocollar location‐fix failure and distance traveled between locations. We developed a quantitative method employing Generalized Additive Models to smooth time series of wolf data to estimate denning onset. In contrast, 3 study authors with first‐hand experience with the study wolves implemented a subjective method of estimating denning onset by visual inspection of detection and distance traveled data. We then tested the visual method for repeatability by subjecting it to 10 wolf experts not associated with this study. Side‐by‐side comparison of estimators indicates that denning onset can be precisely measured using GPS detection success and distance traveled. Furthermore, the visual‐inspection method was simple and rapid to implement and yielded more accurate (relative to assumed dates of denning onset) and precise results compared to the quantitative estimator. Although the Generalized Additive Model based approach had the advantage of estimating denning onset objectively following a set of prescribed rules in a statistical inferential framework, we found the method required significant technical capacity to implement and did not represent an improvement over simple visual‐inspection‐based estimates of denning onset. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
NHC‐stabilized Silicon(II) Halides: Reactivity Studies with Diazoalkanes and Azides
Authors: Arz Marius I. , Hoffmann David , Schnakenburg Gregor , Filippou Alexander C.
Published: October 2016

Detailed studies of the reactivity of the NHC‐stabilized (NHC = N‐heterocyclic carbene) silicon(II) halides SiI2(Idipp) (1) and SiClR(IMe4) (2‐Trip: R = ArTrip; 2‐Mes: R = ArMes) towards diazoalkanes and azides are presented (Idipp = C[N(C6H3–2,6‐iPr2)CH]2, IMe4 = C[N(Me)CMe]2, ArTrip = C6H3‐2,6‐Trip2, ArMes = C6H3‐2,6‐Mes2, Trip = C6H2‐2,4,6‐iPr3, Mes = C6H2‐2,4,6‐Me3). Treatment of 1, 2‐Trip, and 2‐Mes with the diazoalkanes (p‐Tol)2CN2 (p‐Tol = C6H4‐4‐Me) and ArMesCHN2 afforded the NHC‐stabilized silazines SiI2{N2C(p‐Tol)2}(Idipp) (3) and SiClR{N2CH(ArMes)}(IMe4) (4‐Trip: R = ArTrip, 4‐Mes: R = ArMes) as orange to yellow solids, respectively. No N2 elimination from the diazoalkanes was observed in these reactions. In comparison, the reactions of 1 or 2‐Trip with the covalent azides MesN3 or Me3SiN3, yielded after N2 elimination the yellow to colorless NHC‐stabilized silaimines SiI2(NMes)(Idipp) (5), Si(ArTrip)Cl(NMes)(IMe4) (6) and Si(ArTrip)(N3)(NSiMe3)(IMe4) (7), respectively. All compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, FT‐IR and multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Moreover, the molecular structures of 4‐Mes, 5, 6, and 7 were determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analyses.
Ammonothermal Synthesis and Characterization of Cs2[Zn(NH2)4]
Authors: Richter Theresia M. M. , Alt Nicolas S. A. , Schlücker Eberhard , Niewa Rainer
Published: October 2016

Cs2[Zn(NH2)4] was synthesized under ammonothermal conditions (sc‐NH3, 523 K, 155 MPa) from CsNH2 and Zn. Growth of cm‐sized crystals succeeded upon application of a temperature gradient. The crystal structure is based on the motif of a hexagonal closed packing of [Zn(NH2)4]2– ions with occurrence of no significant hydrogen bridges according to distances and vibrational spectroscopy. Cs+ ions are located within octahedral and tetrahedral holes of the packing.
Expedient Access to Normal‐ and Abnormal‐ N‐Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) Magnesium Compounds from Imidazolium Salts
Authors: Ghadwal Rajendra S. , Rottschäfer Dennis , Schürmann Christian J.
Published: October 2016

Treatment of imidazolium salts (IPrH)Cl (1) and (IPrH)I (2) with MeMgI leads to the formation of normal N‐heterocyclic carbene (nNHC) compounds (IPr)MgCl(I) (3) and (IPr)MgI2 (4) [IPr = 1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene], respectively. By employing a similar strategy, the first magnesium compound (aIPrPh)MgI2(OEt2) (6) featuring an abnormal‐NHC [aIPrPh = 1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)‐2‐phenyl‐imidazol‐4‐ylidene] is prepared by the treatment of a C2‐arylated imidazolium salt (IPrPh)I (5) with MeMgI. While the deprotonation of 1 and 2 can be accomplished at room temperature, an elevated temperature is required to deprotonate 5 with MeMgI. This is most likely due to the higher pKa value of the C4‐H than that of the C2‐H hydrogen atom. Salt metathesis reaction of 6 with KN(SiMe3)2 cleanly leads to the formation of a magnesium amide derivative (aIPrPh)Mg{N(SiMe3)2}2 (7). Compounds 3, 4, 6, and 7 were characterized by elemental analyses and NMR spectroscopic studies. The molecular structures of 3, 4, and 6 were determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analyses.
Risk Factors for Anastomotic Stricture Post‐esophagectomy with a Standardized Sutured Anastomosis
Authors: Ahmed Zuhair , Elliott Jessie A. , King Sinead , Donohoe Claire L. , Ravi Narayanasamy , Reynolds John V.
Published: October 2016

Background

Benign anastomotic strictures occur frequently after esophagectomy, and impact on postoperative recovery, nutritional status, and quality of life. This large cohort study explored the incidence of stricture after transthoracic (2‐ and 3‐stage) and transhiatal resections with uniform single‐layer sutured anastomotic technique, and aimed to identify independent risk factors.

Methods

Patients undergoing esophagectomy with gastric conduit reconstruction between February 2001 and October 2014 were studied prospectively. Symptomatic anastomotic stricture was defined as dysphagia requiring endoscopic dilatation, and refractory strictures as those requiring >5 dilatations. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine factors independently associated with stricture development.

Results

Five‐hundred and twenty‐four patients, 77 % with adenocarcinoma, underwent esophagectomy [2‐stage, n = 328 (62.6 %); 3‐stage, n = 129 (23.3 %); transhiatal, n = 74 (14.1 %)], with an overall inhospital mortality rate of 2.7 %. 58.5 % of patients received neoadjuvant therapy [chemotherapy only, n = 119 (22.7 %); chemoradiation, n = 188 (35.9 %)]. Anastomotic stricture developed in 125 patients (24.5 %), was refractory in 20 (3.9 %) and required a median of 2 dilatations (range 1–18). On multivariable analysis, ASA grade (P < 0.05), cervical anastomosis (P < 0.001), and a significant postoperative cardiac event (P < 0.05) were independently associated with stricture risk. Refractory strictures were independently associated with anastomotic leak (P = 0.01) and transhiatal resections (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Benign anastomotic strictures are common, particularly with cervical reconstruction, and after transhiatal resection. Refractory strictures are rare. Where fitness and oncologic equivalence apply, a thoracic anastomosis provides significant advantages compared with a cervical anastomosis in terms of anastomotic stricture risk.
Potential of an Al-Ti-MgAl2O4 Master Alloy and Ultrasonic Cavitation in the Grain Refinement of a Cast Aluminum Alloy
Authors: Sreekumar V. M. , Babu N. H. , Eskin D. G.
Published: October 2016

A new grain refining master alloy containing MgAl2O4 and Ti was synthesized by in situ reaction of TiO2 particles in an Al-Mg melt. MgAl2O4 particles formed were distributed in the melt by ultrasonic cavitation processing. The obtained master alloy showed considerable (50 pct) grain refining ability in a commercial A357-type Al-Si alloy. Ultrasonication contributed further to 25 pct in the grain refinement. In comparison with a commercial Al-5 pct Ti-1 pct B master alloy, the efficiency of the new master alloy is less at a lower addition rate. Nevertheless, both master alloys performed similarly at higher additions. The strength and ductility of the inoculated and ultrasonicated alloy showed at least a 10 pct and a 50 pct increase, respectively, as compared with non-grain-refined alloy and a similar mechanical performance in comparison with the alloy inoculated with Al-5 pct Ti-1 pct B master alloy.
Localization and distribution of superoxide dismutase‐1 in the neural tube morphogenesis of chick embryo
Authors: Dhage Prajakta A. , Kamble Lekha K. , Bhargava Shobha Y.
Published: October 2016

Superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD‐ 1) is an antioxidant enzyme that regulates the levels of Reactive oxygen species (ROS) by catalyzing the conversion of superoxide radical into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and oxygen. ROS are known to play a significant role in various cellular processes, via redox modification of a variety of molecules that participate in signaling pathways involved in this processes. As the levels of ROS in cells are controlled by the levels of antioxidant enzymes, thus SOD‐1 may be indirectly involved in regulating different cellular processes by maintaining the required levels of H2O2. Therefore, in the present study we have investigated the possible involvement of SOD‐ 1 in the neurulation during the development of chick embryo. During gastrulation, SOD‐ 1 immunoreactivity was observed throughout the ectoderm and cauda mesoderm areas, however, its presence during neurulation was restricted to certain areas of neural tube particularly in the dorsal neural tube where neural tube closure takes place. Assaying enzyme activity revealed a significant increase in the SOD activity during neurulation. Further, inhibition of SOD‐ 1 by Diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) induced abnormalities in the development of the neural tube. SOD‐ 1 inhibition specifically affected the closure of neural tube in the anterior region. Thus, here we report the presence of SOD‐ 1 mainly in the ectoderm and tissues of ectodermal origin during gastrulation to neurulation which suggests that it may be involved in the regulating the cellular processes during neural tube morphogenesis.
Influence of Functional Capacity Evaluation on Physician's Assessment of Physical Capacity of Veterans With Chronic Pain: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Peppers Dominique , Figoni Stephen F. , Carroll Breda W. , Chen Michael M. , Song Sungchan , Mathiyakom Witaya
Published: October 2016

Background

Physicians have difficulty predicting patients' occupational limitations, abilities, and success from clinical evaluation (CE) of pathology and impairments, especially in the presence of chronic pain. Additional information from a functional capacity evaluation (FCE) may improve the accuracy of their physical capacity assessments. It is not known whether FCE information will change these assessments. No such study has been published using Veterans or non‐Veterans.

Objective

To determine the influence of FCE data on the physician's assessment of the US Department of Labor's Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) work capacity levels of Veterans with chronic moderate‐intensity pain.

Design

Retrospective analysis.

Setting

Tertiary care medical center.

Participants

Veterans aged 18‐60 years with moderate chronic musculoskeletal pain who were seeking employment.

Methods

Two kinesiotherapists performed FCEs on all participants, namely, the lumbar protocol of the EvalTech Functional Testing System (BTE, Inc, Hanover, MD). One physiatrist performed CEs in all participants. Two other physiatrists assessed DOT physical capacity levels using CE data alone and later using combined CE and FCE data.

Main Outcome Measurements

DOT physical capacity level (sedentary = 1, light = 2, medium = 3, heavy = 4, very heavy = 5).

Results

Of 55 charts reviewed, 27 met inclusion/exclusion criteria. The mean age was 38 years, and there were 25 male and 2 female participants. The predominant pain location was the lower back. DOT scores for 2 physicians were averaged. The mean ± SD DOT scores for CE only and CE+FCE conditions were 2.04 ± 0.33 and 2.40 ± 0.90, respectively. In all, 65% of DOT scores changed (17% decreased and 48% increased at least 1 level) after FCE data were considered. A 1‐sample t test revealed that the mean CE+FCE DOT score was significantly greater than the mean CE‐only score (by 20%, P = .02). Interrater agreement (weighted κ) for CE+FCE‐based DOT scores was much higher than for CE alone (0.715 versus 0.182).

Conclusion

The addition of FCE data to CE changed the majority of physician‐assigned DOT levels. FCE significantly increased the mean DOT physical work capacity level provided by the physician to Veterans with chronic moderate‐intensity pain, especially if the initial assessment was designated as “light.” FCE may facilitate a more objective and accurate determination of Veterans' work capacity.

Level of Evidence

III
Percutaneous Needle Tenotomy for the Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Mattie Ryan , Wong Joseph , McCormick Zachary , Yu Sloane , Saltychev Mikhail , Laimi Katri
Published: October 2016

Objective

To analyze the literature to determine whether controlled studies on percutaneous tenotomy have been published, and if so, to systematically assess the efficacy of percutaneous tenotomy for the treatment of tendinosis at the lateral epicondyle of the elbow.

Design

Systematic review of the available literature.

Methods

Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases were searched in November 2015, unrestricted by date. After the initial search, we excluded conference proceedings, theses, reviews, expert opinions, and publications written in languages other than English. Next, 2 independent reviewers screened all of the remaining records with regard to their titles and abstracts, and subsequently, the full texts of identified publications potentially relevant to the present study.

Results

Six articles focused on percutaneous tenotomy, none of which were controlled against a placebo or conservative treatment group. The absence of true randomized controlled trials created a great deal of heterogeneity between the studies; thus we could not include any of our studies in the intended final quantitative analysis with meta‐analysis tools. We describe all 6 studies identified by this systematic review with a detailed analysis of the procedural methods, outcome measures, and conclusions of each study.

Conclusions

Percutaneous tenotomy presents an alternative to surgical release of the common extensor tendon for the treatment of chronic tendinosis at the lateral epicondyle of the elbow. Current research supporting the efficacy of this procedure, however, is of low quality (level II to level IV).

Level of Evidence

III
Polidactilias del pulgar. Tratamiento quirúrgico
Authors: de Oliveira R. , Ribak S. , Irisarri C.
Published: October 2016

Las polidactilias del pulgar, especialmente sus duplicaciones, constituyen una anomalía de frecuente presentación. Sus variantes son múltiples, lo que nos obliga a conocer cuáles son las diferencias anatómicas más relevantes en cada tipo en particular. Han sido muchas sus clasificaciones, pero la propuesta por Wassel, basada en los hallazgos radiológicos, continúa siendo tan simple como práctica. Excepto en los casos más simples, su cirugía reconstructiva es difícil, y debe ser encomendada a cirujanos con experiencia. Aun así, en los casos complejos el resultado dista de ser la obtención de un pulgar «normal», incluso con la técnica de «resección y reconstrucción» que utilizamos y que describimos en el presente artículo. Con frecuencia el tratamiento de las polidactilias se considera como algo simple y banal, y su dificultad real solamente se hace patente con el resultado desastroso de la cirugía. Las complicaciones que pueden presentarse son diversas y, en un significativo número de casos, van a requerir posteriormente una nueva cirugía reconstructiva para mejorar el resultado funcional y/o estético.
Assessing Occupancy and Its Relation to Healthcare-Associated Infections
Authors: Goldstein Neal D. , Ingraham Bailey C. , Eppes Stephen C. , Drees Marci , Paul David A.
Published: October 2016

Occupancy has been associated with risk for healthcare-associated infections, yet its definition varies widely. Occupancy can be modeled as a function of census, acuity of the patient care unit, staffing ratio, or some combination. This article discusses the appropriate parameterization of these measures and how to interpret their impact.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016:1–3
Sensor allocation problems on the real line
Authors: Kranakis Evangelos , Shaikhet Gennady
Published: October 2016

A large numbernof sensors (finite connected intervals) are placed randomly on the real line so that the distances between the consecutive midpoints are independent random variables with expectation inversely proportional ton. In this work we address two fundamental sensor allocation problems. The interference problem tries to reallocate the sensors from their initial positions to eliminate overlaps. The coverage problem, on the other hand, allows overlaps, but tries to eliminate uncovered spaces between the originally placed sensors. Both problems seek to minimize the total sensor movement while reaching their respective goals. Using tools from queueing theory, Skorokhod reflections, and weak convergence, we investigate asymptotic behaviour of optimal costs asnincreases to ∞. The introduced methodology is then used to address a more complicated, modified coverage problem, in which the overlaps between any two sensors can not exceed a certain parameter.
Compound geometric approximation under a failure rate constraint
Authors: Daly Fraser
Published: October 2016

We consider compound geometric approximation for a nonnegative, integer-valued random variable W. The bound we give is straightforward but relies on having a lower bound on the failure rate of W. Applications are presented to M/G/1 queuing systems, for which we state explicit bounds in approximations for the number of customers in the system and the number of customers served during a busy period. Other applications are given to birth–death processes and Poisson processes.
Coalescence on critical and subcritical multitype branching processes
Authors: Hong Jyy-I
Published: October 2016

Consider a d-type (d<∞) Galton–Watson branching process, conditioned on the event that there are at least k≥2 individuals in the nth generation, pick k individuals at random from the nth generation and trace their lines of descent backward in time till they meet. In this paper, the limit behaviors of the distributions of the generation number of the most recent common ancestor of any k chosen individuals and of the whole population are studied for both critical and subcritical cases. Also, we investigate the limit distribution of the joint distribution of the generation number and their types.
Distribution of the smallest visited point in a greedy walk on the line
Authors: Gabrysch Katja
Published: October 2016

We consider a greedy walk on a Poisson process on the real line. It is known that the walk does not visit all points of the process. In this paper we first obtain some useful independence properties associated with this process which enable us to compute the distribution of the sequence of indices of visited points. Given that the walk tends to +∞, we find the distribution of the number of visited points in the negative half-line, as well as the distribution of the time at which the walk achieves its minimum.
On randomly spaced observations and continuous-time random walks
Authors: Basrak Bojan , Špoljarić Drago
Published: October 2016

We consider random variables observed at arrival times of a renewal process, which possibly depends on those observations and has regularly varying steps with infinite mean. Due to the dependence and heavy-tailed steps, the limiting behavior of extreme observations until a given time t tends to be rather involved. We describe the asymptotics and extend several partial results which appeared in this setting. The theory is applied to determine the asymptotic distribution of maximal excursions and sojourn times for continuous-time random walks.
The entirely coupled region of supercritical contact processes
Authors: Tzioufas Achillefs
Published: October 2016

We consider translation-invariant, finite-range, supercritical contact processes. We show the existence of unbounded space-time cones within which the descendancy of the process from full occupancy may with positive probability be identical to that of the process from the single site at its apex. The proof comprises an argument that leans upon refinements of a successful coupling among these two processes, and is valid ind-dimensions.
Proposing the short Neurological Evaluation Scale
Authors: Ojagbemi Akin , Emsley Robin , Gureje Oye
Published: October 2016

Objectives

The time required in completing the 26 items of neurological examinations in the standard Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES) may limit its utility in pragmatic clinical situations. We propose the Short Neurological Evaluation Scale (S-NES) for use in busy clinical settings, and in research.

Methods

Using confirmatory factor analyses, we identified 12 items of neurological examination showing significant overlap with previously reported theoretical and empirical categories of neurological soft signs (NSS) in schizophrenia. This provided justification for the development of a shorter version of the NES based on the empirically identified NSS. In the present study, we relied on existing data to present an initial validation of the S-NES against the referent standard 26-item NES. We determined sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios. Posterior-test probability was estimated using a Bayesian nomogram plot.

Results

Using data derived from 84 unmedicated or minimally treated patients with first-episode schizophrenia, 12 empirically determined items of neurological examinations showed high agreement with the 26 items in the standard NES battery (sensitivity=96.3%, specificity=100%, and posterior-test probability=100%).

Conclusions

Within limitations of validity estimates derived from existing data, the present results suggest that the design of the S-NES based on empirically identified 12 items of neurological examination is a logical step. If successful, the S-NES will be useful for rapid screening of NSS in busy clinical settings, and also in research.
ENTANGLED RELIGIONS: RESPONSE TO J. D. Y. PEEL
Authors: Larkin Brian
Published: October 2016

When Meyer and I (Larkin and Meyer 2006) wrote our article on the shared similarities between Islam and Christianity, it was intended to interrupt what seemed to us then, and still seems to me now, the tendency for studies of Christian movements to be written as if Muslims did not exist in the same polity and vice versa. Difference has been the normative grounds upon which the scholarly literature on religion in Africa has been based, usually organized around a set of binary distinctions: animist movements are opposed to mission Christianity; traditional (often Sufi) Muslims are opposed to Salafis; mainline churches to the Born-Again movement; Islam to Christianity; both of them to animism; and, finally, religion to secularism. While the particular content changes, the structural ordering does not. It is undoubtedly important, as Peel argues, to understand the theological traditions that orient the attitudes and regulate the practice of adherents, but there are other dynamics that are also important and which the emphasis on difference occludes.
UNITY THROUGH DIVERSITY: A CASE STUDY OF CHRISLAM IN LAGOS
Authors: Janson Marloes
Published: October 2016

This article presents an ethnographic case study of Chrislam, a series of religious movements that fuse Christian and Muslim beliefs and practices, in its socio-cultural and political-economic setting in Nigeria's former capital Lagos. In contrast to conventional approaches that study religious movements in Africa as syncretic forms of ‘African Christianity’ or ‘African Islam’, I suggest that ‘syncretism’ is a misleading term to describe Chrislam. In fact, Chrislam provides a rationale for scrutinizing the very concept of syncretism and offers an alternative analytical case for understanding its mode of religious pluralism. To account for the religious plurality in Chrislam, I employ assemblage theory because it proposes novel ways of looking at Chrislam's religious mix that are in line with the way in which its worshippers perceive their religiosity. The underlying idea in Chrislam's assemblage of Christianity and Islam is that to be a Christian or Muslim alone is not enough to guarantee success in this world and the hereafter; therefore, Chrislam worshippers participate in Christian as well as Muslim practices, appropriating the perceived powers of both.
REFLECTIONS ON MUSLIM–CHRISTIAN ENCOUNTERS IN WEST AFRICA
Authors: Soares Benjamin
Published: October 2016

Among historians, social scientists and scholars of religion there has been increased recognition of the importance of studying Islam and Christianity in Africa not separately but rather together as lived religions in dynamic interaction over time. In this article, I trace how scholars have arrived at such a point and consider some of the challenges of conducting research on religious encounters, and particularly those associated with studying Islam and Christianity, Muslims and Christians together. I frame this discussion in terms of some of the theoretical and methodological issues at stake in advancing the study of religious encounters in Africa and draw from my own research and the work of others on the topic, particularly in West Africa, to reflect upon how this important field of inquiry has developed and what it has accomplished.
Bolivian Tariff Policy during the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries: High Average Tariff and Unbalanced Regional Protection
Authors: PERES-CAJÍAS JOSÉ ALEJANDRO
Published: October 2016

This article demonstrates that Bolivian tariff policy during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was not as passive as previously assumed and that the average tariff ratio remained high. However, high average tariffs coexisted for a long time with free-entry rights for different products which represented the main economic activity of certain Bolivian regions. Furthermore, the competitiveness of products was sometimes mostly determined by the geographic fragmentation of the country and the uneven pattern of railway construction rather by than tariffs. Therefore, beyond its high average level, the protectionist effect of tariffs was sometimes constrained by institutional and geographical restrictions.
Demolishing Legitimacy: Bogotá’s Urban Reforms for the 1948 Pan-American Conference
Authors: OELZE MICAH
Published: October 2016

Traditional accounts of the 1948Bogotazo– the riot in Bogotá, Colombia, sparked by the assassination of populist leader Jorge Eliécer Gaitán – have overlooked the urban context that explains the extent of the destruction. Preparing to host the 1948 IX Pan-American Conference, Bogotá had undergone aggressive urban reforms that financially burdened and dispossessed residents. More than just a political figure, Gaitán was recognised as an urban advocate for the marginalised. They responded to his death by destroying reform projects and symbols of political authority. Informed by architectural journals, legislation and periodicals, this article shows that Bogotá’s elite and dispossessed alike inscribed their political projects onto the urban landscape.
Tactics of the Governed: Figures of Abandonment in Andean Peru
Authors: RASMUSSEN MATTIAS BORG
Published: October 2016

Abandonment has become a performative idiom in Andean Peru, where it retains its purchase despite the investments of the state. Local development is tied to the desire to be governed. In spite of prolonged state presence, the villages’ relationship to authorities is continuously and persistently figured as one of abandonment: villages are abandoned because someone is deliberately holding them in such unfortunate conditions. To figure abandonment in village politics is to draw on this idiom as an effective means of both communicating the historical experience of governance and putting forward morally grounded claims to local authorities. The idiom of abandonment is therefore both effective and affective as a critique of governance and a claim to citizenship.
THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SOVEREIGN DEFAULTS IN LATIN AMERICA 1870-2012
Authors: Boonman Tjeerd Menno
Published: October 2016

This article analyzes sovereign debt defaults in four Latin American countries—Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico—for the period 1870-2012. The impact of sovereign defaults on real GDP growth is generally short-lived, while the impact in terms of output losses is deep and lasts long. Defaults in the period 1972-2012 show a deep and long-lasting impact compared to defaults in earlier periods. Moreover, the length of the contraction that follows a default is associated with favourable international conditions in the run-up to a default, while the depth of the contraction is associated with an expansive domestic economy in the run-up to a default. The results fit with boom–bust theories and sudden stop models.
History, theory, and contingency in the study of modern international relations: the global transformation revisited
Authors: Anievas Alexander
Published: October 2016

Debates engaging the problems of ahistoricism and Eurocentrism in International Relations (IR) theory have taken on new dimensions in recent years. Scholars from a variety of different theoretical traditions have aimed to reconstruct IR theory on stronger historical–sociological grounds, while re-orienting the study of IR away from the fetish of ‘Western’ thought and agency. Buzan and Lawson’sThe Global Transformationoffers a welcome contribution to these endeavours to furnish a non-Eurocentric historical sociology of international relations. This article seeks to push their project further by re-assessing the relationship between history, theory, and contingency. In particular, it interrogates whether Buzan and Lawson’s ‘configurational’ approach to the ‘global transformation’, emphasizing thecontingentconcatenation of historical events and social processes, results in a displacement of theory through an over-emphasis on the interaction of free-floating contingently related causes, causes that areexternalto any theoretical schema. This approach obscures the deeper, structural forces in the making of global modernity, most notably those that escape Buzan and Lawson’s singular focus on the ‘long 19th century’.
McManus Receives 2016 Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology Dansgaard Award
Authors:   AGU
Published: October 2016

Jerry McManus will receive the inaugural Dansgaard Award at the 2016 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, to be held 12–16 December in San Francisco, Calif., as selected by a Dansgaard Award selection committee. The award is given in recognition of the awardee's research impact, innovative interdisciplinary work, educational accomplishments (mentoring), societal impact, and other relevant contributions and to acknowledge that the awardee shows exceptional promise for continued leadership in paleoceanography or paleoclimatology.
Reconstructing Ocean Climate History
Authors: Branscombe Alexandra
Published: October 2016

Scientists recreate ocean climate data to explore historical warming—and cooling—trends in Earth's seas.
A studyforrest extension, simultaneous fMRI and eye gaze recordings during prolonged natural stimulation
Authors: Hanke Michael , Adelhöfer Nico , Kottke Daniel , Iacovella Vittorio , Sengupta Ayan , Kaule Falko R. , Nigbur Roland , Waite Alexander Q. , Baumgartner Florian , Stadler Jörg
Published: October 2016

Here we present an update of thestudyforrest(http://studyforrest.org) dataset that complements the previously released functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data for natural language processing with a new two-hour 3 Tesla fMRI acquisition while 15 of the original participants were shown anaudio-visualversion of the stimulus motion picture. We demonstrate with two validation analyses that these new data support modeling specific properties of the complex natural stimulus, as well as a substantial within-subject BOLD response congruency in brain areas related to the processing of auditory inputs, speech, and narrative when compared to the existing fMRI data for audio-only stimulation. In addition, we provide participants' eye gaze location as recorded simultaneously with fMRI, and an additional sample of 15 control participants whose eye gaze trajectories for the entire movie were recorded in a lab setting—to enable studies on attentional processes and comparative investigations on the potential impact of the stimulation setting on these processes.
Evolutionary plasticity of restorer-of-fertility-like proteins in rice
Authors: Melonek Joanna , Stone James D. , Small Ian
Published: October 2016

Hybrid seed production in rice relies on cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) induced by specific mitochondrial proteins, whose deleterious effects are suppressed by nuclear Restorer of Fertility (RF) genes. The majority of RF proteins belong to a specific clade of the RNA-binding pentatricopeptide repeat protein family. We have characterised ‘restorer-of-fertility-like’ (RFL) sequences from 13 Oryza genomes and the Brachypodium distachyon genome. The majority of the RFL sequences are found in genomic clusters located at two or three chromosomal loci with only a minor proportion being present as isolated genes. The RFL genomic cluster located on Oryza chromosome 10, the location of almost all known active rice RF genes, shows extreme variation in structure and gene content between species. We show evidence for homologous recombination events as an efficient mechanism for generating the huge repertoire of RNA sequence recognition motifs within RFL proteins and a major driver of RFL sequence evolution. The RFL sequences identified here will improve our understanding of the molecular basis of CMS and fertility restoration in plants and will accelerate the development of new breeding strategies.