bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MR‐guided laser interstitial thermal therapy for pediatric drug‐resistant lesional epilepsy
Authors: Lewis Evan Cole , Weil Alexander G. , Duchowny Michael , Bhatia Sanjiv , Ragheb John , Miller Ian
Published: August 2015

Objective

To report the feasibility, safety, and clinical outcomes of an exploratory study of MR‐guided Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (MRgLITT) as a minimally invasive surgical procedure for the ablation of epileptogenic foci in children with drug‐resistant, lesional epilepsy.

Methods

Retrospective chart review of all MRgLITT procedures at a single tertiary care center. All procedures were performed using a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–cleared surgical laser ablation system (Visualase Thermal Therapy System). Predefined clinical and surgical variables were extracted from archived medical records.

Results

Seventeen patients underwent 19 MRgLITT procedures from May 2011 to January 2014. Mean age at seizure onset was 7.1 years (range 0.1–14.8 years). Mean age at surgery was 15.3 years (range 5.9–20.6 years). Surgical substrates were mixed but mainly composed of focal cortical dysplasia (n = 11). Complications occurred in four patients. Average length of hospitalization postsurgery was 1.56 days. Mean follow‐up was 16.1 months (n = 16; range 3.5–35.9 months). Engel class I outcome was achieved in seven patients (7/17; 41%), Engel class II in one (1/17; 6%), Engel class III in three (3/17; 18%), and Engel class IV in six (6/17; 35%). Three patients (3/8; 38%) with class I and II outcomes and five patients (5/9; 56%) with class III and IV outcomes had at least one prior resection. Fisher's exact test was not statistically significant for the association between Engel class outcome and previous resection (p = 0.64).

Significance

This study provides descriptive results regarding the use of MRgLITT in a mixed population of pediatric, lesional, drug‐resistant epilepsy cases. The ability to classify case‐specific outcomes and reduce technical complications is anticipated as experience develops. Further multicenter, prospective studies are required to delineate optimal candidates for MRgLITT, and larger cohorts are needed to more accurately define outcome and complication rates.
Acute or chronic use of lacosamide does not alter its distribution between serum and cerebrospinal fluid
Authors: Michelhaugh Sharon K. , Basha Maysaa , Rhoney Denise H. , Shah Aashit K. , Mittal Sandeep
Published: August 2015

Objective

The site of action for antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is within the brain; however, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentration is highly variable. Lacosamide (LCM) is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of partial‐onset seizures in adults, and has linear pharmacokinetics in serum. Penetration across the blood–brain barrier (BBB) is unknown. This study aims to provide additional insights into the pharmacokinetics of LCM.

Methods

Thirty adults undergoing craniotomy for treatment of intractable epilepsy or brain tumor were recruited and were either taking LCM long term (group 1, n = 15), or were LCM naive, receiving LCM as prophylaxis for surgery (group 2, n = 15). All patients received one intravenous (IV) dose (15 min infusion) immediately prior to craniotomy. CSF and arterial blood were collected simultaneously following craniotomy. LCM concentrations were measured in serum and CSF.

Results

LCM concentration differences between groups 1 and 2 for both CSF and serum were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.0005), but there was no statistically significant difference in CSF/serum ratios (group 1 = 0.726 ± 0.231; group 2 = 0.556 ±0.241; p = 0.0585). LCM concentration in serum correlated positively with CSF concentration in group 1 (Pearson r = 0.8527, p < 0.0001). The time interval between the end of dose delivery and sample collection correlated positively with the CSF/serum ratio for the drug‐naive group (Pearson r = 0.6525; p = 0.0084). Treatment with other AEDs did not affect LCM distribution between serum and CSF.

Significance

Although chronic dosing resulted in higher LCM concentrations in serum and CSF compared to drug‐naive patients, the CSF/serum ratio was not affected by LCM pretreatment. These data suggest that LCM serum concentration may reliably predict CSF concentration.
Fatigue strength assessment of partial and full‐penetration steel and aluminium butt‐welded joints according to the peak stress method
Authors: Meneghetti G. , Campagnolo A. , Berto F.
Published: August 2015

In fatigue design of welded joints, the local approach based on the notch stress intensity factors (NSIFs) assumes that the weld toe profile is a sharp V‐notch having a tip radius equal to zero, while the root side is a pre‐crack in the structure. The peak stress method (PSM) is an engineering, FE‐oriented application of the NSIF approach to fatigue design of welded joints, which takes advantage of the elastic peak stresses from FE analyses carried out by using a given mesh pattern, where the element type is kept constant and the average element size can be chosen arbitrarily within a given range. The meshes required for the PSM application are rather coarse if compared with those necessary to evaluate the NSIFs from the local stress distributions. In this paper, the PSM is extended for the first time to butt‐welded joints in steel as well as in aluminium alloys, by comparing a number of experimental data taken from the literature with the design scatter bands previously calibrated on results relevant only to fillet‐welded joints. A major problem in the case of butt‐welded joints is to define the weld bead geometry with reasonable accuracy. Only in few cases such geometrical data were available, and this fact made the application of the local approaches more difficult. Provided the local geometry is defined, the PSM can be easily applied: a properly defined design stress, that is, the equivalent peak stress, is shown (i) to single out the crack initiation point in cases where competition between root and toe failure exists and (ii) to correlate with good approximation all analysed experimental data.
Microscopic and nanoscopic observations of metallurgical structures around inclusions at interior crack initiation site for a bearing steel in very high‐cycle fatigue
Authors: Sakai T. , Oguma N. , Morikawa A.
Published: August 2015

In some high‐strength steels, a fatigue crack tends to occur at the interior inclusion after a long‐term sequence of the cyclic loadings at low stress levels, although the crack takes place at the surface in the usual life region at high stress levels. Thus, we have the duplex S–N curves consisting of the respective S–N curves for usual life region and very high‐cycle regime. It is well known that a significant fracture surface having the fine granular morphology is formed around the interior inclusion at the crack initiation site. This surface area is sometimes called as ‘fine granular area’. In this work, metallurgical structures around the interior inclusion at the fatigue crack initiation site were carefully observed by combining several special techniques such as focused ion beam technique and high‐resolution scanning electronic microscopes. Based on the current observation results, it was found that the microstructure around the interior inclusion was changed into the penny‐shape fine granular layer from the usual martensitic structure during long‐term cyclic loadings. Then, debondings along with the boundaries of the matrix and the fine granular layer have produced the small cracks inside the metallic material, and these interior cracks caused the final fatigue fracture after definite loading cycles of the crack propagation.
Relationships between botanical composition, yield and forage quality of permanent grasslands over the first growth cycle
Authors: Andueza D. , Rodrigues A. M. , Picard F. , Rossignol N. , Baumont R. , Cecato U. , Farruggia A.
Published: August 2015

This study examined the relationships between botanical composition and forage parameters (yield and forage quality variables) in 153 permanent grasslands located in the Massif Central of France. Grasslands were sampled at two vegetation stages in the first growth cycle. Botanical composition, yield, ash, crude protein, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, acid detergent lignin, organic matter digestibility (OMD) and voluntary intake (VI) were estimated for each sample. Temporal variability in species–forage parameter relationships were accounted for using innovative multivariate analyses applied mainly in ecological science. Crude protein and OMD were weakly correlated when each harvest time was analysed separately. Species–forage parameter relationships remained stable during the first growth cycle. The stability of these relationships indicates that permanent grasslands dominated by competitive species were associated with high yield and forage quality values whereas permanent grasslands composed of conservative species and/or high proportions of senescent material were associated with high structural carbohydrate values and low yield, OMD and VI values. Based on these relationships, we propose a typology of permanent grasslands along with a set of indicator species enabling non‐specialist botanists to easily classify grasslands for grassland management purposes.
Differences in the crude protein fractions of lucerne leaves and stems under different stand structures
Authors: Hakl J. , Fuksa P. , Konečná J. , Šantrůček J.
Published: August 2015

Protein degradability in forage legumes is of global importance because utilization efficiency of forage has economic and environmental consequences. However, there are no published studies on the effect of legume stand structure on differences in crude protein (CP) fractions. The main objective of the present research was therefore to investigate differences in CP fractions in leaves and stems of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) during the growing season. Stand traits were measured over 2 years, and forage was sampled at the early bud and early flower stages in the first, second and third cuts. Stems had significantly higher concentrations (in g kg−1 CP) of non‐protein (fraction A: 430 g kg−1 CP) and indigestible nitrogen (fraction C: 92 g kg−1 CP) than leaves and had lower relative content of true protein (fraction B: 478 g kg−1 CP). In the total forage (stems and leaves combined), about 80% of the variation in CP fractions was explained by year, cut and maturity. Year was the most important factor, particularly for the B fractions. Cut was the second‐most important factor; its main effect was that the relative abundance of fraction A declined from 394 g kg−1 CP in the first cut to 293 in g kg−1 CP the third cut. Maturity increased the amounts of indigestible fraction C and protein fractions B1 and B3. This was associated with the leaf weight ratio, which had an inverse relationship with maximal stem length and dry matter yield. Variation partitioning showed that 75% of CP fraction variability associated with cut, maturity and year could be explained by the evaluated stand traits. This research has highlighted the need to consider plant morphological traits when legume CP fractions are evaluated.
The current role of orthoses in treating haemophilic arthropathy
Authors: De la Corte‐Rodriguez H. , Rodriguez‐Merchan E. C.
Published: August 2015

Introduction

Haemophilic arthropathy (HA) is an inevitable consequence of repeated haemarthroses in people with haemophilia, and principally affects their ankles, knees and elbows. It is advisable that haematological treatment be complemented with rehabilitation therapy and surgery. Orthoses are devices that are used within the framework of rehabilitation, in order to change the functional or structural characteristics of the neuromusculoskeletal system.

Materials and Methods

This article reviews the design, the materials and characteristics of orthoses and the indications for the various orthoses used in HA. Ankle, knee, elbow orthoses, insoles, footwear modifications and orthopedic shoes are discussed.

Results

Orthoses can control or prevent joint movement, stabilise a specific joint or relieve the load or stress on it. These devices must be prescribed by a physician within the framework of rehabilitation. Recommendations for the proper selection and use of orthoses are highly complex.

Discussion

To maximise the benefits of this mode of therapy, a profound understanding of anatomy and biomechanics is crucial, as is an understanding of the devices available for the various joints that may be affected by HA (ankles‐feet, knees, elbows).

Conclusions

Orthotic devices can reduce pain and improve quality of life of people with HA, delaying surgery in many cases.
Cystic clear cell papillary renal cell carcinoma: is it related to multilocular clear cell cystic neoplasm of low malignant potential?
Authors: Brimo Fadi , Atallah Chantal , Li Gangyong , Srigley John R
Published: August 2015

Aims

We report the morphological spectrum of nine cystic clear cell papillary renal cell carcinomas (CCP‐RCC).

Methods and results

Mean tumour size was 2.1 cm and the stage was pT1a in all cases. The original diagnosis was multilocular clear cell cystic renal neoplasm of low malignant potential (MCCN‐LMP) in five and CCP‐RCC in four patients. All examples were composed of variably sized cysts lined by one layer of clear cells. Two tumours were exclusively cystic, seven showed tubular formation in the septae and five in which the tubular growth was compact and pseudo‐solid. Two tumours had foci of nests and single cells showing similarities to the cellular areas of MCCN‐LMP. The tubular/pseudo‐solid/nested/single‐cells foci formed microscopic nodules with a mean size of 1.8 mm. Three tumours had intracystic micropapillary formation. Cells were of International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grades 1–2/4. In all cases, the neoplastic nuclei were aligned away from the basement membranes at least focally. Tumours were positive for paired box gene 8 (PAX8), carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX), cytokeratin (CK)7 and CK34BE12 and negative for CD10.

Conclusions

Cystic CCP‐RCC is a pattern that should be recognized, as it shows overlapping morphological features with both multilocular cyst and MCCN‐LMP. This series raises the question of whether some reported MCCN‐LMPs are actually cystic CCP‐RCC.
Adventitious feather replacement favours a more rapid regeneration of primaries over rectrices in two passerine bird species
Authors: De la Hera Iván , Pérez‐Tris Javier , Tellería José Luis
Published: August 2015

There is increasing evidence of adaptive preferential investment during moult in those feather tracts that are more advantageous for fitness. In this study, we assessed whether, after the manual removal of two functionally different flight feathers (one primary and one rectrix), birds from two common passerine species (Eurasian BlackcapSylvia atricapillaand European RobinErithacus rubecula) favoured the regeneration of primary (supposedly the most functionally important feathers) over rectrix feathers. Our results did not show differences between replaced primary and rectrix feathers in their final length, but demonstrated that the gap left by the loss of the primary feather was filled earlier, suggesting that a rapid repair of the most essential feather tracts is also evolutionarily advantageous during the adventitious replacement of plumage.
Photo‐Ionization of 3d‐Ions in Fluoride‐Phosphate Glasses
Authors: Möncke Doris
Published: August 2015

Interaction of radiation with glasses often modifies their properties (e.g., the refractive index). Most noticeable is a loss in transmission. Such phenomena can be exploited in photo‐sensitive materials, but have to be avoided in other applications. To improve the understanding of defect generation processes, a systematic comparison of defect formation in (fluoride‐)phosphate glasses doped with low concentrations of 3d ions was attempted. Samples doped with 10–5000 ppm of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, or Ni were irradiated in the UV range by excimer lasers. Defects, which generally form in the levels of several ppm, were characterized by optical and by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. V4+ was photo‐oxidized to the empty valence shell d0 ion. Co2+, Mn2+, and Fe2+ were all photo‐oxidized to the trivalent state while Ni2+ was photo‐reduced. The fully oxidized Ti4+ was also photo‐reduced. Cr3+ showed photo‐disproportionation into Cr2+ and Cr6+. Qualitative and quantitative changes in defect formation rates depend not only on the ion, but also on the radiation parameters, for example, the wavelength of the excimer lasers used (193, 248, 351 nm) or the initial transmission of the glass samples at the chosen laser wavelength. Defect recovery was followed up to 10 years after the irradiation experiments.
Quantum Dots in Glasses: Size‐Dependent Stokes Shift by Lead Chalcogenide
Authors: Han Na , Liu Chao , Zhao Zhiyong , Zhang Jihong , Xie Jun , Han Jianjun , Zhao Xiujian , Jiang Yang
Published: August 2015

Size‐dependent Stokes shift of PbS quantum dots (QDs) formed in the glasses was investigated. PbS QDs with diameters of 3.5 nm to 13.3 nm were precipitated in silicate glasses with different S/Pb ratios using the conventional thermal treatment method. Absorption and photoluminescence (PL) of PbS QDs were tuned from ~0.9 μm (1.38 eV) to ~2.3 μm (0.54 eV) by adjusting the diameters of PbS QDs from 3.5 nm to 13.3 nm. PL energies of QDs exhibited linear dependence on the absorption energies with a slope of 0.484 for PbS QDs with band gap energies larger than 0.98 eV, and the maximum Stokes shift was found to be 206.2 meV for 3.5 nm‐sized PbS QDs. For large PbS QDs with band gap energies smaller than 0.98 eV, Stokes shift was found to be ~20 meV or smaller. The size‐dependent Stokes shift indicated that surface defects made the main contribution and relative energy positions of these surface defects were strongly dependent on the size of PbS QDs.
A research survey: review of flexible job shop scheduling techniques
Authors: Chaudhry Imran Ali , Khan Abid Ali
Published: August 2015

In the last 25 years, extensive research has been carried out addressing the flexible job shop scheduling (JSS) problem. A variety of techniques ranging from exact methods to hybrid techniques have been used in this research. The paper aims at presenting the development of flexible JSS and a consolidated survey of various techniques that have been employed since 1990 for problem resolution. The paper comprises evaluation of publications and research methods used in various research papers. Finally, conclusions are drawn based on performed survey results.
The Statistics of Tragedy
Authors: Brent Eric S.
Published: August 2015

On the Western Front during the First World War, 237 British soldiers were executed for desertion. Was the punishment an effective deterrent, or were lives needlessly wasted? Eric S. Brent investigates

For British soldiers fighting on the Western Front, was capital punishment an effective deterrent against desertion? Eric S. Brent investigates
The Bayesian Flip: Correcting the Prosecutor's Fallacy
Authors: Skorupski William P. , Wainer Howard
Published: August 2015

From mammogram results to the O. J. Simpson trial and null hypothesis significance testing – William P. Skorupski and Howard Wainer demonstrate a straightforward method for avoiding errors in statistical reasoning
Phase Transformation of Metastable ZnSnO3 Upon Thermal Decomposition by In‐Situ Temperature‐Dependent Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Bora Tanujjal , Al‐Hinai Muna H. , Al‐Hinai Ashraf T. , Dutta Joydeep
Published: August 2015

Temperature‐dependent in‐situ Raman spectroscopy is used to investigate the phase transformation of zinc metastannate (ZnSnO3) to zinc orthostannate (Zn2SnO4) induced upon annealing in the ambient. ZnSnO3 microcubes (MCs) were synthesized at room temperature using a simple aqueous synthesis process, followed by characterization using electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Annealing of the ZnSnO3 MCs was carried out up to 1000°C, while recording the Raman spectra in‐situ at regular intervals. Phase transformation from metastannate to orthostannate was found to begin around 500°C with an activation energy of ~0.965 eV followed by the recrystallization into the inverse spinel orthostannate phase at ~750°C. Results from this study provide detailed understanding of the phase transformation behavior of perovskite ZnSnO3 to inverse spinel Zn2SnO4 upon thermal annealing.
Central role of neutrophil in the pathogenesis of severe acute pancreatitis
Authors: Yang Zhi‐wen , Meng Xiao‐xiao , Xu Ping
Published: August 2015

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is an acute abdominal disease with the strong systemic inflammatory response, and rapidly progresses from a local pancreatic damage into multiple organ dysfunction. For many decades, the contributions of neutrophils to the pathology of SAP were traditionally thought to be the chemokine and cytokine cascades that accompany inflammation. In this review, we focus mainly on those recently recognized aspects of neutrophils in SAP processes. First, emerging evidence suggests that therapeutic interventions targeting neutrophils significantly lower tissue damage and protect against the occurrence of pancreatitis. Second, trypsin activation promotes the initial neutrophils recruitment into local pancreas, and subsequently neutrophils infiltration in turn triggers trypsin production. Finally, neutrophils have the unique ability to release neutrophil extracellular traps even in the absence of pathogens.
Association of common polymorphisms in the IL2RA gene with type 1 diabetes: evidence of 32,646 individuals from 10 independent studies
Authors: Tang Wei , Cui Dai , Jiang Lin , Zhao Lijuan , Qian Wei , Long Sarah Alice , Xu Kuanfeng
Published: August 2015

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the interleukin 2 receptor alpha (IL2RA) gene have been suggested to be associated with type 1 diabetes (T1D) susceptibility. However, the results from individual studies are inconsistent. To explore the association of IL2RA polymorphisms with T1D, including rs11594656, rs2104286, rs3118470, rs41295061 and rs706778, a meta‐analysis involving 10 independent studies with 19 outcomes was conducted: five studies with a total of 10,572 cases and 12,956 controls were analysed for rs11594656 with T1D risk, three studies with 7300 cases and 8331 controls for rs2104286, three studies with 3880 cases and 5409 controls for rs3118470, five studies with 11,253 cases and 13,834 controls for rs41295061 and three studies with 1896 cases and 1709 controls for rs706778 respectively. Using minor allelic comparison, the five investigated SNPs were all observed to have a significant association with T1D: For rs11594656, fixed effect model (FEM) odds ratio (OR) 0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83, 0.91; rs2104286, FEM OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.77, 0.85; rs3118470, FEM OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.16, 1.31; rs41295061, random effect model (REM) OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.60, 0.76 and rs706778 FEM OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.08, 1.33. Similar results were obtained when all the included studies were calculated by a REM. Our meta‐analysis suggests that all five SNPs in the IL2RA gene are risk factors for T1D risk, and rs11594656, rs2104286 and rs41295061 are the most associated SNPs in the populations investigated. This conclusion warrants confirmation by further studies.
Comparative genome sequencing to assess the genetic diversity and virulence attributes of 15 Vibrio anguillarum isolates
Authors: Busschaert P , Frans I , Crauwels S , Zhu B , Willems K , Bossier P , Michiels C , Verstrepen K , Lievens B , Rediers H
Published: August 2015

Vibrio anguillarum is the causative agent of vibriosis, a deadly haemorrhagic septicaemic disease affecting various marine and fresh/brackish water fish, bivalves and crustaceans. However, the diversity and virulence mechanisms of this pathogen are still insufficiently known. In this study, we aimed to increase our understanding of V. anguillarum diversity and virulence through comparative genome analysis of 15 V. anguillarum strains, obtained from different hosts or non‐host niches and geographical regions, among which 10 and 5 strains were found to be virulent and avirulent, respectively, against sea bass larvae. First, the 15 draft genomes were annotated and screened for putative virulence factors, including genes encoding iron uptake systems, transport systems and non‐ribosomal peptide synthetases. Second, comparative genome analysis was performed, focusing on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and small insertions and deletions (InDels). Five V. anguillarum strains showed a remarkably high nucleotide identity. However, these strains comprise both virulent and avirulent strains towards sea bass larvae, suggesting that differences in virulence may be caused by subtle nucleotide variations. Clearly, the draft genome sequence of these 15 strains represents a starting point for further genetic research of this economically important fish pathogen.
A modified prognostic score for critically ill patients with cirrhosis: An observational study
Authors: Bao Qiongling , Wang Baohong , Yu Liang , Weng Honglei , Ge Jianping , Li Lanjuan
Published: August 2015

Background and Aims:

It is controversial whether patients with cirrhosis benefit from the intensive care unit (ICU) management. To identify the patients in whom ICU care may offer recovery, this study aimed to determine specific risk factors and to establish a novel prognostic score for 3‐month mortality in critically ill patients with cirrhosis.

Methods:

An observational study was performed from August 2008 to May 2014, encompassing 349 critically ill patients with cirrhosis during their ICU stay (a 70% training and 30% validation set).

Results:

The overall 3‐month mortality rate was 68.1% in training cohort. Prothrombin time, serum bilirubin, use of vasopressors, hepatic encephalopathy, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome at admission were identified as being strongly correlated with the 3‐month prognosis. Based on these five variables, a modified score for critically ill cirrhosis (MSCIC) was developed. An increasing MSCIC was significantly correlated with a reduction in the rate of survival (P < 0.001). Moreover, excellent predictive power was found when the MSCIC was used (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.856 ± 0.047), which was significantly better than the prognostic efficiency of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (P < 0.001), Model for End‐stage Liver Disease (P = 0.02), Simplified Acute Physiology Score (P = 0.023), and the Child‐Turcotte‐Pugh score (P = 0.01); the MSCIC score was slightly better than that of Chronic Liver Failure‐Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (P = 0.068). The similar result was obtained in validation set.

Conclusions:

The MSCIC is an easily adopted tool with a high prognostic efficacy for patients with advanced cirrhosis; MSCIC may act as a supplement to the clinical judgment of physicians when considering the prognosis.
Pinch grip strength as an alternative assessment to hand grip strength for assessing muscle strength in patients with chronic kidney disease treated by haemodialysis: a prospective audit
Authors: El‐Katab S. , Omichi Y. , Srivareerat M. , Davenport A.
Published: August 2015

Background

Muscle weakness and wasting are prevalent in haemodialysis (HD) patients, and substantially increase mortality. Convenient, readily applicable screening tests for routine clinical practice are required. Hand grip strength (HGS) has been validated in HD patients but cannot be readily measured during a HD session. On the other hand, pinch strength (PS) can be measured during a HD session, and we aimed to compare the two methods of assessing muscle strength.

Methods

We measured pinch strength (PS) and hand grip strength (HGS) in 209 adult HD patients. The mean of three measurements was taken.

Results

The mean (SD) HGS was 15.3 (7.1) kg, compared to a PS of 2.9 (1.5) kg (P < 0.0001). HGS was weaker in the arteriovenous fistula (AVF) arm than the non‐AVF arm [14.01 (6.9) versus 16.4 (7.1) kg (P < 0.001)], as was PS [AVF arm 2.63 (1.30) versus 3.08 (1.65) kg (P < 0.001)]. We found a strong correlation between HGS and PS (r = 0.82, P < 0.001. Comparing HGS and PS, we found a mean difference of 12.08 kg (Bland–Altman analysis), although the absolute difference was smaller with lower HGS.

Conclusions

We found PS to be highly correlated with HGS, and was more convenient for patients because PS could be readily performed during the HD session. PS may provide an easier screening tool for muscle strength than HGS for dialysis patients, although further validation studies are required.
Comprehensive Review of the Stillborn Placenta
Authors: Weida Jennifer N. , Schubert Frank P. , Pastrick Meredith A. , Patil Avinash S.
Published: August 2015

Stillbirth is a common complication of pregnancy, affecting one in every 160 women in the United States who are pregnant. Stillbirth has a significant adverse medical and psychological impact on families. Identifying the cause of stillbirth can yield recommendations for the management of future pregnancies, provide a risk of recurrence, and give families a sense of closure. The placental examination is one component of a comprehensive stillbirth investigation. A systematic approach to the examination of the placenta is presented, along with an explanation of critical findings that have been associated with stillbirth. A checklist for placental evaluation by the provider who attends the birth is provided, along with information on stillbirth assessment programs.
Care and Service at Home for Persons With Dementia in Europe
Authors: Bökberg Christina , Ahlström Gerd , Leino‐Kilpi Helena , Soto‐Martin Maria E. , Cabrera Esther , Verbeek Hilde , Saks Kai , Stephan Astrid , Sutcliffe Caroline , Karlsson Staffan
Published: August 2015

Purpose

To describe available and utilized formal care and service at home for persons with dementia, from diagnosis to end‐of‐life stage, in eight European countries.

Design

A descriptive cross‐country design concerning eight European countries as a part of the European research project RightTimePlaceCare.

Methods

The research team in each country used a mapping system to collect country‐specific information concerning dementia care and service system. The mapping system consists of 50 types of care and service activities. Sixteen of the 50 predefined activities concerning care and service at home were selected for this study and subdivided into three categories, following the stages of dementia.

Findings

Availability was reported to be higher than utilization, and the findings indicated more similarities than differences among the eight countries involved. Even though there were several available activities of “basic care and services” and “healthcare interventions,” they were utilized by few in most countries. Furthermore, “specialized dementia care and services” were sparsely available and even more sparsely utilized in the participating countries.

Conclusions

The findings indicated that persons with dementia in Europe received formal care and service on a general, basic level but seldom adjusted to their specific needs.

Clinical Relevance

This study describes the gap between service provision and utilization enabling nurses to develop individually adjusted care plans for persons with dementia during the progress of the disease. The findings do not include matters of quality of care or how to best organize effective care and services. However, the activities of care and services presented here should shed light on what room there is for improvement when it comes to enabling persons with dementia to go on living at home.
Role of nurse practitioners in reducing cardiovascular risk factors: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Klemenc‐Ketis Zalika , Terbovc Alenka , Gomiscek Bostjan , Kersnik Janko
Published: August 2015

Aims and objectives

To determine the impact of nurse practitioners' counselling on reducing cardiovascular risk factors in patients participating in routine preventive check‐ups.

Background

A new model of ‘renewed’ family practice was introduced in Slovenia as a pilot project in 2011, in which nurse practitioners are included in a team carrying out preventive activities and managing patients with stable chronic diseases.

Design

A retrospective cohort study.

Methods

This study was conducted in 16 family medicine practices (eight renewed and eight regular family practices). In each family practice, a systematic sample was selected of registered patients participating in a cardiovascular preventive check‐up. Data on sex, age, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, smoking, level of physical activity and cardiovascular risk were collected. Patients attending renewed family practices received counselling on risk factors from nurse practitioners (test group), and patients attending regular family practices received counselling from family physicians (control group). Data were collected again at least one and no more than five years after the baseline consultation.

Results

There were 128 patients in the test group and 129 patients in the control group. At the control visit, the patients counselled by nurse practitioners had significantly lower levels of systolic blood pressure and cholesterol and practiced regular physical activity significantly more often than patients counselled by family physicians.

Conclusion

Nurse practitioners can be at least as successful as physicians when counselling patients on cardiovascular risk factors during their preventive check‐ups.

Relevance to clinical practice

This study showed that nurse practitioners have an important role in managing patients at the primary care level.
Red Nostalgia: Commemorating Mao in Our Time
Authors: Hung Ruth Y.Y.
Published: August 2015

This essay departs from the figure of exoticism to theorize chinoiserie for the twenty‐first century, so we may better address the new realities and forces at work in the context surrounding the (re)creation and redefinition of the “orient.” The paper takes as its focus the cult of posthumous Mao that became fervent in the 1990s and has since the turn of the millennium created a nexus in which global capitalism and “effective authoritarianism” negotiate conflicting interests and, together, create a line of development in their search for a global modernity. I argue that Chinese state capitalism in the twenty‐first century took advantage of cultural consumerism made possible by global capital while working upon and with the genealogy of orientalism, of chinoiserie, in the so‐called West. I seek to show that the commodity industry of posthumous Mao today witnesses chinoiserie's transformation from a western fantasy into a policed imagination – a chinoiserie with Chinese characteristics. For the first time, perhaps, in the case of “China,” the orient constructs itself, for its own purposes, as the “Orient,” the product of a new chinoiserie that serves the state along the lines of its nationalist and universalizing ambitions.
Sound Advice and Internal Reasons
Authors: Tubert Ariela
Published: August 2015

Reasons internalism holds that reasons for action contain an essential connection with motivation. I defend an account of reasons internalism based on the advisor model. The advisor model provides an account of reasons for action in terms of the advice of a more rational version of the agent. Contrary to Pettit and Smith's proposal and responding to Sobel's and Johnson's objections, I argue that the advisor model can provide an account of internal reasons and that it is too caught up in the psychology of the actual agent to be able to account for anything other than internal reasons.
The Regulatory Status of Genome‐edited Crops
Authors: Wolt Jeffrey D. , Wang Kan , Yang Bing
Published: August 2015

Genome editing with engineered nucleases (GEEN) represents a highly specific and efficient tool for crop improvement with the potential to rapidly generate useful novel phenotypes/traits. Genome editing techniques initiate specifically targeted double strand breaks facilitating DNA‐repair pathways that lead to base additions or deletions by non‐homologous end joining as well as targeted gene replacements or transgene insertions involving homology‐directed repair mechanisms. Many of these techniques and the ancillary processes they employ generate phenotypic variation that is indistinguishable from that obtained through natural means or conventional mutagenesis; and therefore, they do not readily fit current definitions of genetically engineered or genetically modified used within most regulatory regimes. Addressing ambiguities regarding the regulatory status of genome editing techniques is critical to their application for development of economically useful crop traits. Continued regulatory focus on the process used, rather than the nature of the novel phenotype developed, results in confusion on the part of regulators, product developers, and the public alike and creates uncertainty as of the use of genome engineering tools for crop improvement.
Epithelial barrier and oral bacterial infection
Authors: Groeger Sabine E. , Meyle Joerg
Published: August 2015

The oral epithelial barrier separates the host from the environment and provides the first line of defense against pathogens, exogenous substances and mechanical stress. It consists of underlying connective tissue and a stratified keratinized epithelium with a basement membrane, whose cells undergo terminal differentiation resulting in the formation of a mechanically resistant surface. Gingival keratinocytes are connected by various transmembrane proteins, such as tight junctions, adherens junctions and gap junctions, each of which has a specialized structure and specific functions. Periodontal pathogens are able to induce inflammatory responses that lead to attachment loss and periodontal destruction. A number of studies have demonstrated that the characteristics of pathogenic oral bacteria influence the expression and structural integrity of different cell–cell junctions. Tissue destruction can be mediated by host cells following stimulation with cytokines and bacterial products. Keratinocytes, the main cell type in gingival epithelial tissues, express a variety of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including interleukin‐1alpha, interleukin‐1beta, interleukin‐6, interleukin‐8 and tumor necrosis factor‐alpha. Furthermore, the inflammatory mediators that may be secreted by oral keratinocytes are vascular endothelial growth factor, prostaglandin E2, interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist and chemokine (C‐C motif) ligand 2. The protein family of matrix metalloproteinases is able to degrade all types of extracellular matrix protein, and can process a number of bioactive molecules. Matrix metalloproteinase activities under inflammatory conditions are mostly deregulated and often increased, and those mainly relevant in periodontal disease are matrix metalloproteinases 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 13 and 24. Viral infection may also influence the epithelial barrier. Studies show that the expression of HIV proteins in the mucosal epithelium is correlated with the disruption of epithelial tight junctions, suggesting a possible enhancement of human papilloma virus infection by HIV‐associated disruption of tight junctions. Altered expression of matrix metalloproteinases was demonstrated in keratinocytes transformed with human papilloma virus‐16 or papilloma virus‐18,. To summarize, the oral epithelium is able to react to a variety of exogenous, possibly noxious influences.
Oral keratinocyte stem/progenitor cells: specific markers, molecular signaling pathways and potential uses
Authors: Calenic Bogdan , Greabu Maria , Caruntu Constantin , Tanase Cristiana , Battino Maurizio
Published: August 2015

Oral keratinocyte stem cells reside in the basal layers of the oral epithelium, representing a minor population of cells with a great potential to self‐renew and proliferate over the course of their lifetime. As a result of the potential uses of oral keratinocyte stem cells in regenerative medicine and the key roles they play in tissue homeostasis, inflammatory conditions, wound healing and tumor initiation and progression, intense scientific efforts are currently being undertaken to identify, separate and reprogram these cells. Although currently there is no specific marker that can characterize and isolate oral keratinocyte stem cells, several suggestions have been made. Thus, different stem/progenitor‐cell subpopulations have been categorized based on combinations of positive and/or negative membrane‐surface markers, which include integrins, clusters of differentiation and cytokeratins. Important advances have also been made in understanding the molecular pathways that govern processes such as self‐renewal, differentiation, proliferation, wound healing and programmed cell death. A thorough understanding of stem‐cell biology and the molecular players that govern cellular fate is paramount in the quest for using stem‐cell‐derived therapies in the treatment of various oral pathologies. The current review focuses on recent advances in understanding the molecular signaling pathways coordinating the behavior of these cells and in identifying suitable markers used for their isolation and characterization. Special emphasis will also be placed on the roles played by oral keratinocyte stem and progenitor cells in normal and diseased oral tissues and on their potential uses in the fields of general medicine and dentistry.
A Controlled Trial Using Natural Language Processing to Examine the Language of Suicidal Adolescents in the Emergency Department
Authors: Pestian John P. , Grupp‐Phelan Jacqueline , Bretonnel Cohen Kevin , Meyers Gabriel , Richey Linda A. , Matykiewicz Pawel , Sorter Michael T.
Published: August 2015

What adolescents say when they think about or attempt suicide influences the medical care they receive. Mental health professionals use teenagers' words, actions, and gestures to gain insight into their emotional state and to prescribe what they believe to be optimal care. This prescription is often inconsistent among caregivers, however, and leads to varying outcomes. This variation could be reduced by applying machine learning as an aid in clinical decision support. We designed a prospective clinical trial to test the hypothesis that machine learning methods can discriminate between the conversation of suicidal and nonsuicidal individuals. Using semisupervised machine learning methods, the conversations of 30 suicidal adolescents and 30 matched controls were recorded and analyzed. The results show that the machines accurately distinguished between suicidal and nonsuicidal teenagers.
In vivo Rac/Rop localization as well as interaction with RhoGAP and RhoGDI in tobacco pollen tubes: analysis by low‐level expression of fluorescent fusion proteins and bimolecular fluorescence complementation
Authors: Sun Jia , Eklund D. Magnus , Montes‐Rodriguez Adriana , Kost Benedikt
Published: August 2015

Polarized Rac/Rop GTPase signaling plays a key role in polar cell growth, which is essential for plant morphogenesis. The molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for the polarization of Rac/Rop signaling during polar cell growth are only partially understood. Mutant variants of Rac/Rop GTPases lacking specific functions are important tools to investigate these mechanisms, and have been employed to develop a model suggesting that RhoGAP (GTPase activating protein) and RhoGDI (Guanine Nucleotide Dissociation Inhibitor) mediated recycling of Rac/Rop GTPases maintains apical polarization of Rac/Rop activity in pollen tubes, which elongate by ‘tip growth’ (an extreme form of polar cell growth). Despite the importance of these mutant variants for Rac/Rop functional characterization, their distinct intracellular distributions have not been thoroughly comparatively and quantitatively analyzed. Furthermore, support for the proposed RhoGAP and RhoGDI functions in apical polarization of Rac/Rop activity based on the analysis of in vivo interactions between these proteins and Rac/Rop GTPases has been missing. Here, extensive fluorescent protein tagging and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) analyses are described of the intracellular distributions of wild type and mutant variants of the tobacco pollen tube Rac/Rop GTPase Nt‐Rac5, as well as of interactions of these Nt‐Rac5 variants with RhoGAP and RhoGDI proteins, in normally growing transiently transformed pollen tubes. Presented results substantially enhance our understanding of apical dynamics of pollen tube Rac/Rop signaling proteins, confirm previously proposed RhoGAP and RhoGDI functions in Rac/Rop polarization and provide important technical insights facilitating future in vivo protein localization and BiFC experiments in pollen tubes.
VSV-EBOV rapidly protects macaques against infection with the 2014/15 Ebola virus outbreak strain
Authors: Marzi Andrea , Robertson Shelly J. , Haddock Elaine , Feldmann Friederike , Hanley Patrick W. , Scott Dana P. , Strong James E. , Kobinger Gary , Best Sonja M. , Feldmann Heinz
Published: August 2015

Shortening the time to protection

Although Ebola vaccine candidates have entered clinical trials in West Africa, there is little information available on the mechanism of protection. A single dose of the recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus–Ebola vaccine protects nonhuman primates, acting primarily through antibody responses. Marzi
et al.
found that this vaccine generates a robust immune response in macaques to a West African strain of Ebola virus within days of immunization (see the Perspective by Klenk and Becker). Innate immune responses developed in as little as 3 days and increased the chances of survival, with complete antibody protection acquired 7 days after immunization.

Science
, this issue p.
739
; see also p.
693
Genome Sequences of Four Staphylococcus capitis NRCS-A Isolates from Geographically Distant Neonatal Intensive Care Units
Authors: Lemriss H. , Lemriss S. , Martins-Simoes P. , Butin M. , Lahlou L. , Rasigade J.-P. , Kearns A. , Denis O. , Deighton M. , Ibrahimi A. , Laurent F. , El Kabbaj S.
Published: August 2015

Staphylococcus capitis
pulsotype NRCS-A was previously reported as a frequent cause of late-onset sepsis in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) worldwide. Here, we report the whole-genome shotgun sequences of four
S. capitis
pulsotype NCRS-A strains, CR03, CR04, CR05, and CR09, isolated from Belgium, Australia, the United Kingdom, and France, respectively.
Complete Genome Sequences of
Mandrillus leucophaeus
and
Papio ursinus
Cytomegaloviruses
Authors: Blewett Earl Linwood , Sherrod Carly J. , Texier Jordan R. , Conrad Tom M. , Dittmer Dirk P.
Published: August 2015

The complete genome sequences of
Mandrillus leucophaeus
and
Papio ursinus
cytomegaloviruses were determined. An isolate from a drill monkey, OCOM6-2, and an isolate from a chacma baboon, OCOM4-52, were subjected to pyrosequencing and assembled. Comparative alignment of published primate cytomegaloviruses (CMVs) showed variable sequence conservation between species.
Draft Genome Sequence of Delftia tsuruhatensis MTQ3, a Strain of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacterium with Antimicrobial Activity
Authors: Hou Qihui , Wang Chengqiang , Guo Haimeng , Xia Zhilin , Ye Jiangping , Liu Kai , Yang Yanan , Hou Xiaoyang , Liu Hu , Wang Jun , Du Binghai , Ding Yanqin
Published: August 2015

Delftia tsuruhatensis
MTQ3 is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) isolated from tobacco rhizosphere. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of
D. tsuruhatensis
MTQ3. Several functional genes related to antimicrobial activity and environment adaption have been found in the genome. This is the first genome sequence of
D. tsuruhatensis
related to PGPR.
Complete Genome Sequences of Chrysanthemum Stunt Viroid from a Single Chrysanthemum Cultivar
Authors: Choi Hoseong , Jo Yeonhwa , Yoon Ju-Yeon , Choi Seung-Kook , Cho Won Kyong
Published: August 2015

The chrysanthemum stunt viroid (CSVd), a member of the genus
Pospiviroid
with a single circular RNA genome, infects many chrysanthemum species. Here, we report 25 complete genome sequences of CSVd in a single chrysanthemum cultivar, revealing 20 variants.