bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of QSKL on MAPK and RhoA Pathways in a Rat Model of Heart Failure
Authors: Xia Kai , Wang Qiyan , Li Chun , Zeng Zifan , Wang Yong , Wang Wei
Published: April 2017

Qishenkeli (QSKL) is one of the Chinese medicine formulae for treating heart failure and has been shown to have an antifibrotic effect. However, the mechanism of its therapeutic effects remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to explore whether QSKL could exert an antifibrotic effect by attenuating ras homolog family member A (RhoA) and mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Rats were randomly divided into sham group, model group, QSKL group, and positive control group. Heart failure was induced by ligation of the left ventricle anterior descending artery. Cardiac functions were measured by echocardiography and collagen deposition was assessed by Masson staining. Expressions of the key molecules involved in the RhoA and MAPK pathways were also measured. Twenty‐one days after surgery, cardiac functions were severely impaired and collagen deposition was remarkable, while QSKL treatment could improve heart functions and alleviate collagen deposition. Further results demonstrated that the effects may be mediated by suppressing expressions of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) and c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK). Moreover, expressions of RhoA, Rho‐associated protein kinase 1/2 (ROCK1/2), and phosphorylated myosin light chain (p‐MLC) were also downregulated by QSKL compared with the model group. The cardioprotective mechanism of QSKL on heart failure is probably mediated by regulating both the MAPK and RhoA signaling pathways.
RFA: R-Squared Fitting Analysis Model for Power Attack
Authors: Wang An , Zhang Yu , Zhu Liehuang , Tian Weina , Xu Rixin , Zhang Guoshuang
Published: April 2017

Correlation Power Analysis (CPA) introduced by Brier et al. in 2004 is an important method in the side-channel attack and it enables the attacker to use less cost to derive secret or private keys with efficiency over the last decade. In this paper, we propose R-squared fitting model analysis (RFA) which is more appropriate for nonlinear correlation analysis. This model can also be applied to other side-channel methods such as second-order CPA and collision-correlation power attack. Our experiments show that the RFA-based attacks bring significant advantages in both time complexity and success rate.
Quantitative Aortic Distensibility Measurement Using CT in Patients with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Reproducibility and Clinical Relevance
Authors: Zha Yunfei , Peng Gongling , Li Liang , Yang Chunying , Lu Xuesong , Peng Zhoufeng
Published: April 2017

Purpose.To investigate the reproducibility of aortic distensibility (D) measurement using CT and assess its clinical relevance in patients with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).Methods.54 patients with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm were studied to determine their distensibility by using 64-MDCT. Aortic cross-sectional area changes were determined at two positions of the aorta, immediately below the lowest renal artery (level 1.) and at the level of its maximal diameter (level 2.) by semiautomatic segmentation. Measurement reproducibility was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman analyses. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to assess linear associations between aorticDand anthropometric and biochemical parameters.Results.A mean distensibility ofDlevel  1.=(1.05±0.22)×10-5  Pa-1andDlevel  2.=(0.49±0.18)×10-5  Pa-1was found. ICC proved excellent consistency between readers over two locations: 0.92 for intraobserver and 0.89 for interobserver difference in level 1. and 0.85 and 0.79 in level 2. Multivariate analysis of all these variables showed sac distensibility to be independently related (R2=0.68) to BMI, diastolic blood pressure, and AAA diameter.Conclusions.Aortic distensibility measurement in patients with AAA demonstrated high inter- and intraobserver agreement and may be valuable when choosing the optimal dimensions graft for AAA before endovascular aneurysm repair.
Synthesis Approaches of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles: The Dilemma of Ecotoxicity
Authors: Naveed Ul Haq Ayesha , Nadhman Akhtar , Ullah Ikram , Mustafa Ghulam , Yasinzai Masoom , Khan Imran
Published: April 2017

Human’s quest for innovation, finding solutions of problems, and upgrading the industrial yield with energy efficient and cost-effective materials has opened the avenues of nanotechnology. Among a variety of nanoparticles, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO) have advantages because of the extraordinary physical and chemical properties. It is one of the cheap materials in cosmetic industry, nanofertilizers, and electrical devices and also a suitable agent for bioimaging and targeted drug and gene delivery and an excellent sensor for detecting ecological pollutants and environmental remediation. Despite inherent toxicity of nanoparticles, synthetic routes are making use of large amount of chemical and stringent reactions conditions that are contributing as environmental contaminants in the form of high energy consumption, heat generation, water consumption, and chemical waste. Further, it is also adding to the innate toxicity of nanoparticles (NPs) that is either entirely ignored or poorly investigated. The current review illustrates a comparison between pollutants and hazards spawned from chemical, physical, and biological methods used for the synthesis of ZnO. Further, the emphasis is on devising eco-friendly techniques for the synthesis of ZnO especially biological methods which are comparatively less hazardous and need to be optimized by controlling the reaction conditions in order to get desired yield and characteristics.
Measurement and Analysis of MANET Resilience with Fault Tolerance Strategies
Authors: Wu Weiqiang , Huang Ning , Sun Lina , Zheng Xiaolu
Published: April 2017

Resilience is usually considered as the ability of network fault tolerance. To improve the resilience of MANET, fault tolerance strategies such as routing protocols are usually employed which will impact resilience of MANET. For resilience measurement and fault tolerance strategies’ efficiency evaluation, the impact of fault tolerance strategies deserves a detailed study. However, the general MANET resilience measurement methods do not consider the fault tolerance strategies as individual resilience influence factors, let alone reflecting the interplay among strategies that deployed on different network layers. Thus, it results in a limitation on efficiency assessment of fault tolerance strategies. In this paper, it models fault tolerance strategies for MANET resilience measurement with considering strategies as individual resilience influence factors. Firstly, through analyzing the features of fault tolerance strategies that deployed on physical and logical layers of network, we built a hierarchical network model to describe the resilience impact of strategies. Then, based on this network model, we proposed fault tolerance strategies model to measure resilience of MANET. Particularly, the model can well support the interplay study among different strategies through contrasting the quantitative value defined by strategy model. At last, a case study was given for verification and analysis.
NOTCH1 Signaling Regulates Self-Renewal and Platinum Chemoresistance of Cancer Stem–like Cells in Human Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Zhang Yun , Xu Wei , Guo Huiqin , Zhang Yanmei , He Yuexi , Lee Sau Har , Song Xin , Li Xiaoyan , Guo Yongqing , Zhao Yunlong , Ding Cheng , Ning Fei , Ma Yuanyuan , Lei Qun-Ying , Hu Xiaoyu , Li Shengnan , Guo Wei
Published: April 2017

Cancer stem–like cells (CSC) are thought to drive tumor initiation, metastasis, relapse, and therapeutic resistance, but their specific pathogenic characters in many cancers, including non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), have yet to be well defined. Here, we develop findings that the growth factor HGF promotes CSC sphere formation in NSCLC cell populations. In patient-derived sphere-forming assays (PD-SFA) with HGF, CD49f and CD104 were defined as novel markers of lung CSC (LCSC). In particular, we isolated a subpopulation of CD166+CD49fhiCD104−Lin− LCSC present in all human specimens of NSCLC examined, regardless of their histologic subtypes or genetic driver mutations. This specific cell population was tumorigenic and capable of self-renewal, giving rise to tumor spheres in vitro and orthotopic lung tumors in immune-compromised mice. Mechanistic investigations established that NOTCH1 was preferentially expressed in this cell subpopulation and required for self-renewal via the transcription factor HES1. Through a distinct HES1-independent pathway, NOTCH1 also protected LCSCs from cisplatin-induced cell death. Notably, treatment with a γ-secretase inhibitor that blunts NOTCH1 function ablated self-renewing LCSC activity and restored platinum sensitivity in vitro and in vivo. Overall, our results define the pathogenic characters of a cancer stem–like subpopulation in lung cancer, the targeting of which may relieve platinum resistance in this disease. Cancer Res; 77(11); 3082–91. ©2017 AACR.
Western Diet Deregulates Bile Acid Homeostasis, Cell Proliferation, and Tumorigenesis in Colon
Authors: Dermadi Denis , Valo Satu , Ollila Saara , Soliymani Rabah , Sipari Nina , Pussila Marjaana , Sarantaus Laura , Linden Jere , Baumann Marc , Nyström Minna
Published: April 2017

Western-style diets (WD) high in fat and scarce in fiber and vitamin D increase risks of colorectal cancer. Here, we performed a long-term diet study in mice to follow tumorigenesis and characterize structural and metabolic changes in colon mucosa associated with WD and predisposition to colorectal cancer. WD increased colon tumor numbers, and mucosa proteomic analysis indicated severe deregulation of intracellular bile acid (BA) homeostasis and activation of cell proliferation. WD also increased crypt depth and colon cell proliferation. Despite increased luminal BA, colonocytes from WD-fed mice exhibited decreased expression of the BA transporters FABP6, OSTβ, and ASBT and decreased concentrations of secondary BA deoxycholic acid and lithocholic acid, indicating reduced activity of the nuclear BA receptor FXR. Overall, our results suggest that WD increases cancer risk by FXR inactivation, leading to BA deregulation and increased colon cell proliferation. Cancer Res; 77(12); 3352–63. ©2017 AACR.
SSRP1 Cooperates with PARP and XRCC1 to Facilitate Single-Strand DNA Break Repair by Chromatin Priming
Authors: Gao Ying , Li Changling , Wei Leizhen , Teng Yaqun , Nakajima Satoshi , Chen Xiukai , Xu Jianquan , Leger Brittany , Ma Hongqiang , Spagnol Stephen T. , Wan Yong , Dahl Kris Noel , Liu Yang , Levine Arthur S. , Lan Li
Published: April 2017

DNA single-strand breaks (SSB) are the most common form of DNA damage, requiring repair processes that to initiate must overcome chromatin barriers. The FACT complex comprised of the SSRP1 and SPT16 proteins is important for maintaining chromatin integrity, with SSRP1 acting as an histone H2A/H2B chaperone in chromatin disassembly during DNA transcription, replication, and repair. In this study, we show that SSRP1, but not SPT16, is critical for cell survival after ionizing radiation or methyl methanesulfonate–induced single-strand DNA damage. SSRP1 is recruited to SSB in a PARP-dependent manner and retained at DNA damage sites by N-terminal interactions with the DNA repair protein XRCC1. Mutational analyses showed how SSRP1 function is essential for chromatin decondensation and histone H2B exchange at sites of DNA strand breaks, which are both critical to prime chromatin for efficient SSB repair and cell survival. By establishing how SSRP1 facilitates SSB repair, our findings provide a mechanistic rationale to target SSRP1 as a general approach to selectively attack cancer cells. Cancer Res; 77(10); 2674–85. ©2017 AACR.
Locoregional Effects of Microbiota in a Preclinical Model of Colon Carcinogenesis
Authors: Tomkovich Sarah , Yang Ye , Winglee Kathryn , Gauthier Josee , Mühlbauer Marcus , Sun Xiaolun , Mohamadzadeh Mansour , Liu Xiuli , Martin Patricia , Wang Gary P. , Oswald Eric , Fodor Anthony A. , Jobin Christian
Published: April 2017

Inflammation and microbiota are critical components of intestinal tumorigenesis. To dissect how the microbiota contributes to tumor distribution, we generated germ-free (GF) ApcMin/+and ApcMin/+;Il10−/− mice and exposed them to specific-pathogen-free (SPF) or colorectal cancer-associated bacteria. We found that colon tumorigenesis significantly correlated with inflammation in SPF-housed ApcMin/+;Il10−/−, but not in ApcMin/+mice. In contrast, small intestinal neoplasia development significantly correlated with age in both ApcMin/+;Il10−/− and ApcMin/+ mice. GF ApcMin/+;Il10−/− mice conventionalized by an SPF microbiota had significantly more colon tumors compared with GF mice. Gnotobiotic studies revealed that while Fusobacterium nucleatum clinical isolates with FadA and Fap2 adhesins failed to induce inflammation and tumorigenesis, pks+Escherichia coli promoted tumorigenesis in the ApcMin/+;Il10−/− model in a colibactin-dependent manner, suggesting colibactin is a driver of carcinogenesis. Our results suggest a distinct etiology of cancers in different locations of the gut, where colon cancer is primarily driven by inflammation and the microbiome, while age is a driving force for small intestine cancer. Cancer Res; 77(10); 2620–32. ©2017 AACR.
Photodynamic Therapy Using Photosensitizer-Encapsulated Polymeric Nanoparticle to Overcome ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter Subfamily G2 Function in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Roh Yoon Jin , Kim Ju Hee , Kim In-Wook , Na Kun , Park Jae Myung , Choi Myung-Gyu
Published: April 2017

Chlorin-based photosensitizers are commonly used in photodynamic therapy (PDT). These drugs are effluxed by cell membrane transporters, such as the ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2). PDT efficacy is limited in tumor cells expressing high levels of these proteins. Pancreatic cancer cell lines AsPC-1 and MIA PaCa-2, which have high and low ABCG2 expression, respectively, were used, and ABCG2-overexpressing MIA PaCa-2 cells were generated. We compared PDT efficacy between chlorin e6 (Ce6) and cationic photosensitizer–encapsulated polymeric nanoparticle (PS-pNP), which is comprised with Ce6, polyethylene glycol, and polyethylenimine. The intracellular concentration of Ce6 was significantly higher in MIA PaCa-2 cells than in AsPC-1 or ABCG2-overexpressing MIA PaCa-2 cells. PS-pNP increased intracellular levels of the photosensitizer in all cell lines. The cell viability experiments indicated increased Ce6 resistance in ABCG2-overexpressing cells. In contrast, PS-pNP produced similar levels of cytotoxicity in each of the cancer cell lines tested. Singlet oxygen production was higher in cells treated with PS-pNP than in those treated with Ce6. Furthermore, in heterotopic and orthotopic AsPC-1 xenograft mouse models, PDT using PS-pNP significantly reduced tumor volume in comparison with that of Ce6 treatment. PS-pNP could increase intracellular Ce6 concentration, which was related with reduced ABCG2-mediated efflux of Ce6, thereby enhancing the effects of PDT in pancreatic cancer cells. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(8); 1487–96. ©2017 AACR.
Sevelamer and Other Anion-Exchange Resins in the Prevention and Treatment of Hyperphosphataemia in Chronic Renal Failure
Authors: Wrong Oliver , Harland Clive
Published: April 2017

Sevelamer, or more precisely ‘sevelamer hydrochloride’, is a weakly basic anion-exchange resin in the chloride form that was introduced in 1997 for the treatment of the hyperphosphataemia of patients with end-stage renal failure, usually those on long-term haemodialysis. The rationale for this therapy was that sevelamer would sequester phosphate within the gastrointestinal tract, so preventing its absorption and enhancing its faecal excretion. Over the succeeding years, large numbers of patients have been treated with sevelamer, and it has fulfilled expectations in helping to control the hyperphosphataemia of end-stage renal failure. However, it is only one of many anion-exchange resins that could be used for this purpose, some of which are currently available for clinical use and are much less costly than sevelamer. Theoretical considerations suggest that some of these other resins might be at least as efficient as sevelamer in sequestering phosphate in the gastrointestinal tract. Neither sevelamer, nor any of these other agents, has been submitted to a proper metabolic balance study to measure the amount of phosphate sequestered by the resin in the bowel, and without this information it is impossible to judge which is the ideal resin for this purpose.
Neuroimmune-Endocrine Interactions during Early Pregnancy in an Autoimmune Context: Focus on Macrophage Activation
Authors: Larocca Luciana , Ramhorst Rosanna , Roca Valeria , Calafat Mario , Aisemberg Julieta , Franchi Ana , Pérez-Leirós Claudia
Published: April 2017

Neuroimmune-endocrine interactions seem to be central to the dialogue between the mother and the growing embryo during normal pregnancy. A proinflammatory Th1 microenvironment appears to be associated with embryo implantation but an excess of these cytokines may be deleterious. When normal gestation is subjected to stressful stimuli as those provided by a chronic inflammatory milieu, the activation profile of T cells and macrophages may be temporarily changed. Although much evidence supports the protective role of pregnancy in Th1 autoimmune diseases, the comprehension of the maternofetal interaction in an inflammatory context may serve to get more insight into pregnancy failures. Macrophages integrate multiple inputs and signals of neuroimmune-endocrine systems and they appear as major participants in either embryo implantation or loss. Changes at the macrophage level during gestation might help to understand their regulatory role in embryo implantation as well as to disclose their local and systemic pathogenic potential.
Endothelium-Dependent and -Independent Vasodilation Involving Cyclic GMP: Relaxation Induced by Nitric Oxide, Carbon Monoxide and Light
Authors: Furchgott Robert F. , Jothianandan Desingaro
Published: April 2017

The characteristics of carbon monoxide (CO)-induced, endothelium-independent relaxation of rabbit aorta were compared with those of nitric oxide (NO)-induced and light-induced relaxation and endothelium-dependent relaxation mediated by endothelium-dependent relaxing factor (EDRF). CO was less than one thousandth as potent as NO as a relaxant. Various findings, including an increase in cyclic GMP associated with CO-induced relaxation, led to the conclusion that CO – like NO, EDRF and light – produces relaxation as a result of its stimulation of guanylate cyclase. LY 83583, which generates superoxide, was a potent, fast-acting inhibitor of acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation and NO-induced relaxation, and a fairly potent, moderately fast-acting inhibitor of photorelaxation, but only a very weak inhibitor of CO-induced relaxation. The ability of LY 83583 as well as hemoglobin to inhibit photorelaxation is consistent with the hypothesis that on radiation a photo-induced relaxing factor is formed which can stimulate guanylate cyclase and which can be inactivated by superoxide and by hemoglobin.
Immunophenotype of Chinese Patients with T-Lineage Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Its Association to Biological and Clinical Features
Authors: Tong Haixia , Lu Chunwei , Wang Qiushi , Wang Hong , Wang Huihan
Published: April 2017

Background/Aims: To investigate the immunophenotype of 46 Chinese patients with T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and its association with biological and clinical features. Methods: 46 patients with T-ALL were immunophenotyped by flow cytometry, and 30 cases were also subjected to karyotype analysis by R-banding technology. The clinical and biological characteristics of T-ALL patients between MyAg+ and MyAg– groups were analyzed. Results: Myeloid antigen (MyAg) expression was documented in 41.3% of the 46 T-ALL cases. Abnormal karyotypes were detected in 17 out of 30 (56.7%) cases. Our data showed that the median lowest white blood cell (WBC) count and lowest hemoglobin level, higher CD34 positivity, and a lower proportion of patients with splenomegaly were found to be correlated with MyAg+ T-ALL. No statistical difference was noted in the complete remission (CR) rate, relapse rate, induction death rate or total death rate among MyAg+ and MyAg– patients. In our cohort, none of the antigens tested affected the CR rate after the first induction. Conclusion: Our results indicate that MyAg expression in patients with T-ALL was not associated with adverse presenting clinical and biological features as well as response to induction treatment. The expression of surface antigens had no impact on initial chemotherapy CR achievement.
Immunology of Schizophrenia
Authors: Müller Norbert
Published: April 2017

Increased proinflammatory markers like cytokines have been described in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of patients suffering from schizophrenia. Animal models have shown that a hit in early life to the immune system might trigger a lifelong increased immune reactivity. Many epidemiological and clinical studies show the role of various infectious agents as risk factors for schizophrenia with overlap to other psychoses. The first large-scale epidemiological study in psychiatry from Denmark clearly demonstrates severe infections and autoimmune disorders during lifetime to be risk factors for schizophrenia. Genetic studies have shown the strongest signal for schizophrenia on chromosome 6p22.1, in a region related to the major histocompatibility complex and other immune functions. The vulnerability-stress-inflammation model is important as stress may increase proinflammatory cytokines and even contribute to a lasting proinflammatory state. The immune system itself is considered an important further piece in the puzzle, as in autoimmune disorders in general, which are always linked to three factors: genes, the environment and the immune system. Alterations of dopaminergic, serotonergic, noradrenergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission have been shown with low-level neuroinflammation and may directly be involved in the generation of schizophrenic symptoms. Loss of central nervous system volume and microglial activation has been demonstrated in schizophrenia in neuroimaging studies, which supports the assumption of a low-level neuroinflammatory process. Further support comes from the therapeutic benefit of anti-inflammatory medications in specific studies and the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory intrinsic effects of antipsychotics.
Connecting Ears to Eye Muscles: Evolution of a ‘Simple' Reflex Arc
Authors: Straka Hans , Fritzsch Bernd , Glover Joel C.
Published: April 2017

Developmental and evolutionary data from vertebrates are beginning to elucidate the origin of the sensorimotor pathway that links gravity and motion detection to image-stabilizing eye movements - the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). Conserved transcription factors coordinate the development of the vertebrate ear into three functional sensory compartments (graviception/translational linear acceleration, angular acceleration and sound perception). These sensory components connect to specific populations of vestibular and auditory projection neurons in the dorsal hindbrain through undetermined molecular mechanisms. In contrast, a molecular basis for the patterning of the vestibular projection neurons is beginning to emerge. These are organized through the actions of rostrocaudally and dorsoventrally restricted transcription factors into a ‘hodological mosaic' within which coherent and largely segregated subgroups are specified to project to different targets in the spinal cord and brain stem. A specific set of these regionally diverse vestibular projection neurons functions as the central element that transforms vestibular sensory signals generated by active and passive head and body movements into motor output through the extraocular muscles. The large dynamic range of motion-related sensory signals requires an organization of VOR pathways as parallel, frequency-tuned, hierarchical connections from the sensory periphery to the motor output. We suggest that eyes, ears and functional connections subserving the VOR are vertebrate novelties that evolved into a functionally coherent motor control system in an almost stereotypic organization across vertebrate taxa.
Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans: A Case Report
Authors: Chan I Lym , Carneiro Sueli , Menezes Mariana , Ramos-e-Silva Stella , Magalhães Taíssa , Cuzzi Tullia , Ramos-e-Silva Marcia
Published: April 2017

We present a typical case of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans with local recurrence 2 months after surgery and, motivated by this patient, make a review of the most important aspects. This is a rare tumor and we call special attention to the fact that its recurrence is extremely frequent, so there is absolute need to observe these patients periodically after surgery.
Coenzyme Q and the Respiratory Chain: Coenzyme Q Pool and Mitochondrial Supercomplexes
Authors: Enriquez José Antonio , Lenaz Giorgio
Published: April 2017

Two alternative models of organization of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (mETC) have been alternatively favored or questioned by the accumulation evidences of different sources, the solid model or the random collision model. Both agree in the number of respiratory complexes (I-IV) that participate in the mETC, but while the random collision model proposes that Complexes I-IV do not interact physically and that electrons are transferred between them by coenzyme Q and cytochrome c, the solid model proposes that all complexes super-assemble in the so-called respirasome. Recently, the plasticity model has been developed to incorporate the solid and the random collision model as extreme situations of a dynamic organization, allowing super-assembly free movement of the respiratory complexes. In this review, we evaluate the supporting evidences of each model and the implications of the super-assembly in the physiological role of coenzyme Q.
Discontinuation of Antiplatelet Treatment and Risk of Recurrent Stroke and All-Cause Death: A Cohort Study
Authors: Østergaard Kamilla , Pottegård Anton , Hallas Jesper , Bak Søren , dePont Christensen René , Gaist David
Published: April 2017

Background: We wished to examine the impact of antiplatelet drug discontinuation on recurrent stroke and all-cause mortality. Methods: We identified a cohort of incident ischaemic stroke patients in a Danish stroke registry, 2007-2011. Using population-based registries we assessed subjects' drug use and followed them up for stroke recurrence, or all-cause death. Person-time was classified by antiplatelet drug use into current use, recent use (≤150 days after last use), and non-use (>150 days after last use). Lipid-lowering drug (LLD) use was classified by the same rules. We used Cox proportional hazard models to calculate the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of recurrent stroke or death associated with discontinuation of antiplatelet or LLD drugs. Results: Among 4,670 stroke patients followed up for up a median of 1.5 years, 237 experienced a second stroke and 600 died. Compared with current antiplatelet drug use, both recent use (1.3 (0.8-2.0)), and non-use (1.3 (0.8-1.9)) were associated with increased recurrent stroke risk. The corresponding HRs of death were 1.9 (1.4-2.5) for recent and 1.8 (1.4-2.3) for non-use of antiplatelet drugs. Recent statin use was associated with markedly increased risk of death (2.1 (1.7-2.6)), and only marginally with recurrent stroke (1.2 (0.9-1.6)). Conclusions: Antiplatelet drug discontinuation may be associated with an increased recurrent stroke risk. Our results on death risk indicate that non-pharmacological biases, such as ‘sick stopper', may threaten the validity of this risk estimate.
Welche Risiken und Nebenwirkungen hat Psychotherapie? - Entwicklung des Inventars zur Erfassung Negativer Effekte von Psychotherapie (INEP)
Authors: Ladwig Inga , Rief Winfried , Nestoriuc Yvonne
Published: April 2017

Hintergrund: Negative Effekte von Psychotherapie sind bis heute wenig systematisch untersucht. Diese Studie stellt die Konstruktion eines Selbstbeurteilungsverfahrens zur Erfassung negativer Effekte von Psychotherapie vor. Patienten und Methoden: Ein Itempool zur breiten Erfassung möglicher erlebter negativer Veränderungen durch Psychotherapie in den Bereichen intrapersonelle Veränderungen, Partnerschaft, Freunde und Familie, Arbeitsplatz, therapeutisches Fehlverhalten und Stigmatisierung wurde über Literaturrecherchen und Expertenbefragungen generiert. Items wurden bipolar formuliert, um ein negatives Priming zu verhindern. Zusätzlich wurde die jeweilige Attribution der Veränderung auf die Psychotherapie oder andere externe Ursachen erfragt. Im Zeitraum von November 2010 bis Februar 2011 nahmen 195 ehemalige Psychotherapiepatienten (74,9% weiblich; Alter M = 38,4 Jahre; SD = 11,8) an einer Onlineuntersuchung teil, bei der auch die Rahmenbedingungen der Psychotherapie erfragt wurden. Ergebnisse: Von 195 Befragten gaben 93,8% (n = 183) an, negative Effekte durch ihre Psychotherapie erlebt zu haben. Die höchsten Raten erlebter negativer Effekte ergaben sich in den Bereichen intrapersonelle Veränderungen (15,8%), Stigmatisierung (14,9%) und Partnerschaft (12,0%). Schwerwiegendes therapeutisches Fehlverhalten wie sexuelle Belästigung (2,6%) oder körperliche Gewalt (1%) durch den Therapeuten hatten eine geringe Prävalenz. Anhand von Itemanalysen sowie inhaltlichen Kriterien wurde das Inventar zur Erfassung negativer Effekte von Psychotherapie (INEP) mit 21 Items erstellt (α = 0,86). Diskussion: Ein Großteil der negativen Veränderungen trat innerhalb des therapeutischen Settings auf (z.B. verletzende Aussagen des Therapeuten, Phasen der Niedergeschlagenheit). Zudem wurden mehr negative Effekte genannt, wenn die therapeutische Beziehung als negativ beschrieben wurde. Schlussfolgerung: Negative Effekte von Psychotherapien sind feststellbar und können mittels Patientenbefragungen und einer systematischen Analyse, via INEP erfasst werden. Die Analyse des Instruments in weiteren klinischen Subpopulationen ist notwendig.
Evaluation of the Relative Concentration of Serum Fatty Acids C14:0, C15:0 and C17:0 as Markers of Children's Dairy Fat Intake
Authors: Golley Rebecca K. , Hendrie Gilly A.
Published: April 2017

Background/Aims: Biomarkers can provide objective measures of dietary exposure, but their relationship with dietary intake in different populations needs to be characterized. This study aimed to determine the association between C14:0, C15:0 and C17:0 and children's dairy fat intake, and to ascertain whether these fatty acids can be used as biomarkers for detecting change in dairy fat intake. Methods: Data from a randomized controlled trial (114 healthy children of 4-13 years of age) was used. The intervention was a replacement of regular-fat dairy foods with reduced-fat or low-fat items. Serum fatty acid composition was measured and dairy intake was assessed via 3 × 24-hour diet recalls at baseline and at 12 weeks (the end of the intervention). Correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between dietary intake and fatty acids at baseline and at week 12, and for the change in biomarkers and diet between these time points. Results: Total dairy fat intake correlated with C14:0, C15:0 and C17:0 at baseline (n = 114; r = 0.24; r = 0.42; r = 0.25 respectively, all p < 0.05), but not at week 12. The change in the total amount of dairy fat (g/day) after 12 weeks was associated with a change in serum C15:0 (n = 59; r = 0.27; p = 0.04). Conclusions: C15:0 is a useful biomarker of dairy fat intake in children and can detect short-term changes in the absolute intake of dairy fat.
Management of HBV and HBV/HDV-Associated Liver Cirrhosis
Authors: Höner zu Siederdissen Christoph , Cornberg Markus
Published: April 2017

Background: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) co-infection lead to liver cirrhosis, hepatic decompensation, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: We review the current knowledge of the management of HBV mono-infection and HBV/HDV co-infection with a special emphasis on liver cirrhosis. Results: Treatment options for chronic hepatitis B are pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) alfa and nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUC). PEG-IFN is a finite option to achieve hepatitis B surface antigen loss in compensated cirrhosis. However, this goal is rare. NUC are potent to achieve HBV DNA suppression but long-term treatment is mandatory in most cases. Long-term treatment with NUC can lead to reversion of liver cirrhosis, improve liver function, prevent liver transplantation, and reduces but does not eliminate the risk for development of HCC. Treatment options for hepatitis D are limited to PEG-IFN. Although late relapse is common, treatment with PEG-IFN reduces disease progression. However, new treatments are urgently needed for HDV infection. Conclusion: Early treatment of chronic hepatitis B and D is important to prevent complications of cirrhosis. HCC surveillance remains important in patients with cirrhosis.
Körperliche Aktivität und Ernährung in der Primär- und Tertiärprävention des kolorektalen Karzinoms
Authors: Schoenberg Michael H.
Published: April 2017

Hintergrund: Verschiedene Faktoren der Lebensführung spielen eine zentrale Rolle in der Primär- und Tertiärprävention des kolorektalen Karzinoms (CRC). Das Ziel dieser Übersichtsarbeit ist es, die Datenlage zu den Auswirkungen der Lifestyle-Faktoren körperliche Aktivität (KA) und Ernährung in der Primär- und insbesondere der Tertiärprävention des CRC zusammenzufassen. Methoden: Mit Blick auf den Einfluss der Lifestyle-Faktoren auf die Prognose und die Lebensqualität (LQ) der Patienten wurde eine umfassende Literaturrecherche in Publikationen zu klinischen Studien vor allem aus den Jahren 2000 bis 2015 durchgeführt und der aktuelle Wissensstand auf der Grundlage dieser klinischen Studien zusammengefasst. Ergebnisse: Neben der Vermeidung von Risikofaktoren (wie Rauchen und übermäßiger Alkoholgenuss) können ein gesundes Körpergewicht, regelmäßige und moderate KA sowie eine mediterrane Ernährung mit viel Obst, Gemüse, Geflügel und Fisch das Erkrankungsrisiko signifikant verringern. Patienten mit bereits diagnostiziertem CRC können auch aktiv ihre CRC-Prognose und ihre LQ verbessern, indem sie ihre Lebensgewohnheiten umstellen. Patienten, die ein moderates Trainingsprogramm aufnehmen und ihre Essgewohnheiten im Sinne der mediterranen Ernährung ändern, können die krebsspezifische und die Gesamtmortalität um bis zu 40% senken und schon während der Chemotherapie ihre LQ signifikant erhöhen. Daher sollten Ärzte, die CRC-Patienten behandeln, diesen Patienten moderate KA, Kalorienrestriktion und ein mediterranes Ernährungsmuster empfehlen. Die systematische Literaturrecherche des World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR/WCRF) von 2007 zeigt zudem, dass nach der Diagnosestellung dieselben Empfehlungen zur Lebensführung gelten wie für die Prävention der Krankheit. Schlussfolgerung: Faktoren der Lebensführung wie moderate KA und mediterrane Ernährung verbessern die LQ und die Prognose von Patienten mit CRC. Die Erkenntnisse zur Wirkung der Umstellung von Lebensgewohnheiten beruhen jedoch hauptsächlich auf Beobachtungsstudien; es gibt nur wenige prospektive Studien und keine randomisierten. Daher rechtfertigen die Beobachtungsstudien kontrollierte randomisierte Studien, die die Wirkung einer solchen Umstellung auf LQ und Krebsrezidivierung nachweisen. Übersetzung aus Visc Med 2016;32:199-204 (DOI:10.1159/000446492)
Anchoring Pipeline Flow Diverter Construct in the Treatment of Traumatic Distal Cervical Carotid Artery Injury
Authors: Amuluru Krishna , Al-Mufti Fawaz , Roth William , Prestigiacomo Charles J. , Gandhi Chirag D.
Published: April 2017

Background: Traumatic extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) dissections are uncommon and can be difficult to treat. Thinning of adventitia and dilatation may occur following arterial dissection, thus resulting in a fusiform pseudoaneurysm, which can subsequently cause bleeding, expanding, or pulsatile hematoma. Currently, medical management with anticoagulation remains the first line of treatment and yields good outcomes in 75% of cases with a mortality rate of 3-4%. Endovascular intervention is indicated with failure of medical therapy, progressive enlargement of a traumatic pseudoaneurysm, acute flow-related infarcts due to vessel occlusion, or when anticoagulation is contraindicated due to risk of pseudoaneurysm rupture and hemorrhage. Recognized interventional treatments include parent artery occlusion with or without revascularization, endovascular coil embolization, and covered stenting. Summary: A wide variety of endovascular stents are available that are capable of opening a stenosed vessel while obliterating the associated false lumen and providing a scaffold for embolization of the pseudoaneurysm. The use of the Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) in the management of traumatic intracranial pseudoaneurysms has been described. However, there are few reports on the usage of the PED for treating traumatic extracranial ICA dissection and/or pseudoaneurysms. However, a potential complication of the use of PED in the extracranial ICA is a hypothetical tendency to migrate in a mobile vessel. Thus, the risk of migration of the PED has encouraged practitioners to adopt strategies to limit this risk. Key Messages: We describe different techniques employed to anchor the flow-diverting construct within tortuous, mobile vessels.
Resting Heart Rate and Ischemic Stroke in Patients with Heart Failure
Authors: Nakanishi Koki , Di Tullio Marco R. , Qian Min , Thompson John L.P. , Labovitz Arthur J. , Mann Douglas L. , Sacco Ralph L. , Pullicino Patrick M. , Freudenberger Ronald S. , Teerlink John R. , Graham Susan , Lip Gregory Y.H. , Levin Bruce , Mohr Jay P. , Buchsbaum Richard , Estol Conrado J. , Lok Dirk J. , Ponikowski Piotr , Anker Stefan D. , Homma Shunichi ,   WARCEF Investigators
Published: April 2017

Background: Although high resting heart rate (RHR) is known to be associated with an increased risk of mortality and hospital admission in patients with heart failure, the relationship between RHR and ischemic stroke remains unclear. This study is aimed at investigating the relationship between RHR and ischemic stroke in patients with heart failure in sinus rhythm. Methods: We examined 2,060 patients with systolic heart failure in sinus rhythm from the Warfarin versus Aspirin in Reduced Cardiac Ejection Fraction trial. RHR was determined from baseline electrocardiogram, and was examined as both a continuous variable and a categorical variable using quartiles. Ischemic strokes were identified during follow-up and adjudicated by physician review. Results: During 3.5 ± 1.8 years of follow-up, 77 patients (5.3% from Kaplan-Meier [KM] curve) experienced an ischemic stroke. The highest incidence of ischemic stroke (21/503 [KM 6.9%]) was observed in the lowest RHR quartile (RHR <64 beats/min) compared to other groups; 22/573 (KM 5.3%) in 64-70 beats/min, 13/465 (KM 3.5%) in 71-79 beats/min, and 21/519 (KM 5.4%) in RHR >79 beats/min (p = 0.693). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that RHR was significantly associated with ischemic stroke (hazard ratio per unit decrease: 1.07, 95% CI 1.02-1.13, when RHR <64/beats/min; p = 0.038), along with a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack and left ventricular ejection fraction. Conclusions: In contrast to its beneficial effect on mortality and hospital re-admissions, lower RHR may increase the risk of ischemic stroke in patients with systolic heart failure in sinus rhythm.
At the Crossroads between Catholicism and Modernist Art
Authors: O’Connor Perks Samuel , Heynickx Rajesh , Symons Stéphane
Published: April 2017

The French Dominican monk and artist, Marie-Alain Couturier (1897–1954) was initially trained as a painter. He went on to become a friar at Le Saulchoir in Belgium, receiving his ordination in 1930. Largely recognized as the figure at the centre of the debate on the role of apostolic art in the 1940s and 1950s in France, he was a friend of many pioneers of modernist art, such as Braque, Matisse, and Picasso. Through this, he was an interlocutor between the secular domain of modernist aesthetics and the clergy’s religious world. Drawing on an unknown work of Couturier’s, the central thesis of the paper is that his thought was defined by heterogeneity and contradiction. In this manner, his thoughts on art and religion problematize and reconfigure any straightforward causal narrative which announces the unilateral victory of secular ideas.
Role of the South China Sea in Regulating the North Pacific Double-Gyre System
Authors: Yang Haiyuan , Wu Lixin , Sun Shantong , Chen Zhaohui
Published: April 2017

The role of the South China Sea (SCS) in regulating the North Pacific circulation is investigated using a two-layer quasigeostrophic (QG) model. The double-gyre circulations in the North Pacific with and without the SCS are compared and analyzed. It is found that the SCS acts as a sink of both potential vorticity (PV) and energy in the Pacific–SCS system for the mean state. Consequently, the Kuroshio and the upstream Kuroshio Extension (KE) are weaker in the presence of the SCS. Moreover, the eddy activity is also lower in the North Pacific Ocean because the barotropic instability is suppressed for a weaker circulation. In terms of low-frequency variations at interannual to decadal time scale, the presence of the SCS is found to enhance the variability of the latitudinal position and intensity of the KE jet. This is explained by a positive feedback process that is associated with the negative correlation between the inertia of the Kuroshio and its intrusion into the SCS.
Large Tank Evaluation of a GPS Wave Buoy for Wind Stress Measurements
Authors: Suzuki Naoya , Waseda Takuji , Donelan Mark A. , Kinoshita Takeshi
Published: April 2017

There exists considerable disagreement among the observed values of the drag coefficient CD. To develop a model of CD, the wind stress generally will be calculated from the eddy correlation method. A buoy is suitable to measure the wind stress in many sea surface conditions. However, the motion correction is very difficult because the anemometer measures the wind components, including the motion of the buoy. In this study, as a first approach, the motion of a prototype buoy system with a three-axis sonic anemometer and a six-axis motion sensor installed in the small-size GPS observation buoy was investigated. The wave tank is in the ocean engineering basin of the Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, Japan. The imposed conditions were wave periods from 1.1 to 2.5 s; wind speeds of 0, 2, and 5 m s−1; and the wave spectrum was either regular or irregular. The motion of the buoy was measured in 120 cases. For all the wave periods and without wind, the wind velocity measured by the sonic anemometer and the velocity of the anemometer motion calculated from the motion sensor data showed good agreement. Also, in the condition with wind speeds of 2 and 5 m s−1, the motion-corrected wind velocity, obtained by deducting the velocity of the anemometer motion from the wind velocity measured by the anemometer, yielded the true wind velocity with better-than-average (4.3%) accuracy. The friction velocity from corrected wind velocity components shows agreement with the friction velocity measured from a fixed sonic anemometer within expected intrinsic error. The buoy system is expected to be able to measure the wind stress in the field. The next stage is to do comprehensive field tests.
The Primitive Edge of Creativity: Destruction and Reparation in Louise Bourgeois’s Art
Authors: Schiller Britt-Marie
Published: April 2017

Viewed within the psychic geography of Thomas Ogden’s modes of generating and organizing experience, in particular the autistic-contiguous mode, Louise Bourgeois’s creative imagination can be seen as originating on what Ogden (1989) has called the primitive edge of experience. This mode, dominated by the sensory, is characterized by chaos, fragmentation, and a loss of boundaries. In dynamic movements between the depressive and the autistic-contiguous positions, between destructive and reparative impulses, Bourgeois transforms experiences of chaos, as well as destructive aggression, into aesthetic order and form, into works of art. She is able to delve into the most elemental and presymbolic modes of psychic experience and artistically harness raw feelings and sensations on what can be called the primitive edge of creativity.
Emerging Adulthood, Emergent Health Lifestyles: Sociodemographic Determinants of Trajectories of Smoking, Binge Drinking, Obesity, and Sedentary Behavior
Authors: Daw Jonathan , Margolis Rachel , Wright Laura
Published: April 2017

During the transition to adulthood, many unhealthy behaviors are developed that in turn shape behaviors, health, and mortality in later life. However, research on unhealthy behaviors and risky transitions has mostly focused on one health problem at a time. In this article, we examine variation in health behavior trajectories, how trajectories cluster together, and how the likelihood of experiencing different behavior trajectories varies by sociodemographic characteristics. We use the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) Waves I to IV to chart the most common health behavior trajectories over the transition to adulthood for cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, and sedentary behavior. We find that health behavior trajectories cluster together in seven joint classes and that sociodemographic factors (including gender, parental education, and race-ethnicity) significantly predict membership in these joint trajectories.
Developmental Predictors of Violent Extremist Attitudes
Authors: Nivette Amy , Eisner Manuel , Ribeaud Denis
Published: April 2017

Objectives:

This study examines the influence of collective strain on support for violent extremism among an ethnically diverse sample of Swiss adolescents. This study explores two claims derived from general strain theory: (1) Exposure to collective strain is associated with higher support for violent extremism and (2) the effect of collective strain is conditional on perceptions of moral and legal constraints.

Methods:

This study uses data from two waves of the Zurich Project on the Social Development of Children and Youth. We use ordinary least squares procedures to regress violent extremist attitudes at age 17 on strain, moral and legal constraints, and control variables measured at ages 15 to 17. Conditional effects were examined using an interaction term for collective strain and moral neutralization and legal cynicism, respectively.

Results:

The results show that collective strain does not have a direct effect on violent extremist attitudes once other variables are controlled. However, the degree to which individuals neutralize moral and legal constraints amplifies the impact of collective strain on violent extremist attitudes.

Conclusions:

This study shows that those who already espouse justifications for violence and rule breaking are more vulnerable to extremist violent pathways, particularly when exposed to collective social strife, conflict, and repression.