bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Decompression illness with hypovolemic shock and neurological failure symptoms after two risky dives: a case report
Authors: Klapa Sebastian , Meyne Johannes , Kähler Wataru , Tillmans Frauke , Werr Henning , Binder Andreas , Koch Andreas 
Published: March 2017

AbstractHypovolemia is known to be a predisposing factor of decompression illness (DCI) while diving. The typical clinically impressive neurological symptoms of DCI may distract from other symptoms such as an incipient hypovolemic shock. We report the case of a 61‐year‐old male Caucasian, who presented with an increasing central and peripheral neural failure syndrome and massive hypovolemia after two risky dives. Computed tomography (CT) scans of the chest and Magnetic resonance imaging scans of the head revealed multiple cerebral and pulmonary thromboembolisms. Transesophageal echocardiography showed a patent foramen ovale (PFO). Furthermore, the patient displayed hypotension as well as prerenal acute kidney injury with elevated levels of creatinine and reduced renal clearance, indicating a hypovolemic shock. Early hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy reduced the neurological deficits. After volume expansion of 11 liters of electrolyte solution (1000 mL/h) the cardiopulmonary and renal function normalized. Hypovolemia increases the risk of DCI during diving and that of hypovolemic shock. Early HBO therapy and fluid replacement is crucial for a favorable outcome.
Postcolonial Worlds and Translation
Authors: Bassnett Susan 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThis essay looks at the vital role played by translation in the global circulation of texts. It traces the uneasiness about both interlingual and intralingual translation that has prevailed in English literary studies and in Anglophone postcolonial studies, arguing that critiques of a Eurocentric canon have merely resulted in the inclusion of more writers who use only varieties of English. The essay goes on to suggest that as translations are increasingly seen as creative rewritings rather than as copies of a superior original, the notion of translation can be broadened to encompass a wide variety of textual interpretations and the significance of translation as an enabling force in world literature is beginning to be recognised.
Contemporary American Literature as World Literature: Cruel Cosmopolitanism, Cosmopoetics, and the Search for a Worldlier American Novel
Authors: Schoene Berthold 
Published: March 2017

AbstractWith reference to Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad (2010), Amy Waldman’s The Submission (2011) and Teju Cole’s Open City (2011), the first two parts of the article attempt a reappraisal of contemporary American literature’s world-literary potential by problematizing cosmopolitanism and neoliberal globalization in close relation to 9/11, the ideal of American multiculture and non-American assertions of alterity. Introducing Lauren Berlant’s Cruel Optimism (2011) and Mitchum Huehls’ After Critique (2016), the third part then shifts its focus onto the crisis of the neoliberal condition as lived in America today. Rather than insisting merely on thematic and demographic reprioritization, Berlant and Huehls are shown to strike at the very core of the literary and the human, exposing the ‘cruelty’ of both the novel and cosmopolitanism as residual expressions of a now anachronistic and ultimately harmful optimism regarding national cohesion and global understanding. The article concludes its search for a worldlier, more cosmopoetic American novel with an analysis of George Saunders’ short story collection Tenth of December (2013).
Caribbean Spaces and Anglophone World Literatures
Authors: Rupp Jan 
Published: March 2017

AbstractCaribbean writing in English highlights the call for a pluralization of world literature(s) in a double sense. It is produced in multiple Caribbean spaces, both domestic and diasporic, and it clearly stands for the extension of what used to be a rather small set of (Western) world literature. Moreover, not least as a legacy of the colonial New World/Old World distinction, visions of the world are at the heart of the Caribbean spatial imaginary as probed in many literary works. This article explores the trajectory of Caribbean spaces and Anglophone world literatures as a matter of migration and circulation, but also in terms of the symbolic translation by which experiences of movement and space are aesthetically mediated. Because of its global span across different locations Caribbean writing in English is constituted as world literature almost by definition. However, some works pursue a more circumscribed concern with domestic spaces and local artistic idioms, which affects their translatability and redefines a conventional ‘from national to world literature’ narrative.
Correlation of physical activity and fitness with arches of the foot in children
Authors: Truszczyńska-Baszak Aleksandra , Drzał-Grabiec Justyna , Rachwał Maciej , Chałubińska Dorota , Janowska Edyta 
Published: March 2017

SummaryStudy aim: Physical activity is crucial for a child’s development, as well as for the development of the foot. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation of the level of physical activity and physical fitness with the arches of the foot in children in non-weight-bearing and weight-bearing conditions.Material and methods: The study population consisted of 92 children aged 10 to 14 years. We assessed their physical fitness with a modified Zuchora test. The modification consisted in choosing three (speed, jumping ability, and flexibility) out of a total of six trials. To assess the physical activity, we used a screening test - the anonymous Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity questionnaire. To analyze the arches of the foot, we used computer equipment based on the Moiré projection method.Results: Pearson’s chi-squared test did not reveal any significant correlation between physical activity, physical fitness, and longitudinal and transversal arches in children. The percentage of normal and high foot arches increased with increasing levels of physical activity and physical fitness. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test analysis confirmed a statistically significant difference (with p < 0.001) in the longitudinal and transversal arches in measurements in non-weight-bearing and weight-bearing conditions.Conclusions: 1. In the examined group, there were functional lateral and longitudinal flat feet. 2. A lowered longitudinal arch foot might reduce physical activity and fitness in adolescents.
Paramagnetic micro-particles as a tool for rapid quantification of apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban and rivaroxaban in human plasma by UHPLC-MS/MS
Authors: Wiesen Martin H.J. , Blaich Cornelia , Streichert Thomas , Michels Guido , Müller Carsten 
Published: March 2017

AbstractBackground:Assessment of the anticoagulant activity of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) is justified in special clinical situations. Here, we evaluated two independent extraction methods and developed a multi-analyte ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass (UHPLC-MS/MS) method for the quantification of apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban and rivaroxaban in human plasma.Methods:Routine extraction based on protein precipitation with acetonitrile and subsequent centrifugation was compared to sample clean-up using commercial paramagnetic micro-particles and subsequent magnetic depletion. Stable isotope-labeled analogs of all analytes were employed as internal standards. The method was validated according to international guidelines in terms of linearity, precision, trueness, sensitivity, recovery and matrix effects. The performances of both extraction methods were assessed in clinical samples obtained from patients treated with either apixaban or rivaroxaban. Additionally, we report on a patient with nonadherence to rivaroxaban treatment and fulminant pulmonary embolism.Results:The method was linear from 2 to 500 ng/mL for all analytes, and quantification of DOACs was established within a run time of 2.0 min. Based on MS/MS analyte responses, relative matrix effects were better controlled for dabigatran after extraction with paramagnetic micro-particles. Internal standards fully compensated for recovery and matrix effects in all assays, yielding equivalent results for both methods. Apixaban and rivaroxaban concentrations determined in clinical samples after extraction with both methods were in good agreement (RConclusions:A rapid and accurate multi-component UHPLC-MS/MS method for the quantification of four DOACs in human plasma was established. Paramagnetic micro-particles appear suitable for clean-up of plasma samples for LC-MS/MS-based therapeutic drug monitoring purposes.
Moving sum of number of positive patient result as a quality control tool
Authors: Liu Jiakai , Tan Chin Hon , Badrick Tony , Loh Tze Ping 
Published: March 2017

AbstractBackground:Recently, the total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) assay used in a laboratory had a positive bias of 0.03 μg/L, which went undetected. Consequently, a number of post-prostatectomy patients with previously undetectable PSA concentrations (defined as <0.03 μg/L in that laboratory) were being reported as having detectable PSA, which suggested poorer prognosis according to clinical guidelines.Methods:Through numerical simulations, we explored (1) how a small bias may evade the detection of routine quality control (QC) procedures with specific reference to the concentration of the QC material, (2) whether the use of ‘average of normals’ approach may detect such a small bias, and (3) describe the use of moving sum of number of patient results with detectable PSA as an adjunct QC procedure.Results:The lowest QC level (0.86 μg/L) available from a commercial kit had poor probability (<10%) of a bias of 0.03 μg/L regardless of QC rule (i.e. 1:2S, 2:2S, 1:3S, 4:1S) used. The average number of patient results affected before error detection (ANPed) was high when using the average of normals approach due to the relatively wide control limits. By contrast, the ANPed was significantly lower for the moving sum of number of patient results with a detectable PSA approach.Conclusions:Laboratory practitioners should ensure their QC strategy can detect small but critical bias, and may require supplementation of ultra-low QC levels that are not covered by commercial kits with in-house preparations. The use of moving sum of number of patient results with a detectable result is a helpful adjunct QC tool.
Determinants of Distribution Logistics in the Construction Industry
Authors: Bukova Bibiana , Brumercikova Eva , Kondek Pavol 
Published: March 2017

AbstractGlobal business is currently still influenced by the economic crisis and the economic development in each country of the EU. The construction sector is among the most affected sectors of the national economies. The production of building material is a part of the construction industry. Several companies of this sector in the European Union use business logistics effectively. The overall efficiency of the company is influenced by many various external and internal determinants, especially the distribution logistics.
The Differential Pressure Signal De-noised by Domain Transform Combined with Wavelet Threshold
Authors: Zhang Yuhao , Wang Haihui , Li Chao 
Published: March 2017

AbstractIn the process of estimating the thrust of an aircraft engine, there is a big problem that the differential pressure signal has large fluctuation. To deal with this problem, we develop an effective and robust adaptive de-noising algorithm based on domain transform combined with wavelet transform (D-WT). First, we do the domain transform for the signal, then sample the transformed signal, and finally the wavelet threshold transform is performed for the signal. Compared with the traditional wavelet transforms, the D-WT method filters the noise effectively and keeps more details.
Human papillomavirus first and second generation vaccines–current status and future directions
Authors: Pouyanfard Somayeh , Müller Martin 
Published: March 2017

AbstractIt has been more than 10 years that the first prophylactic papillomavirus vaccine became available, although distribution has been mainly limited to the more affluent countries. The first two vaccines have been a great success, hundreds of millions of women and a much smaller number of men have been vaccinated ever since. In a few countries with high vaccination coverage, in particular Australia but also parts of Great Britain and others, clinical impact of vaccination programs is already visible and there are indications for herd immunity as well. Vaccine efficacy is higher than originally estimated and the vaccines have an excellent safety profile. Gardasil9 is a second generation HPV virus-like particle vaccine that was licensed in 2015 and there are more to come in the near future. Currently, burning questions in respect to HPV vaccination are the duration of protection – especially in regard to cross-protection – reduction of the three-dose regimen and its impact on cross-protection; and duration of response, as well as protection against oropharyngeal HPV infections. Furthermore, researchers are seeking to overcome limitations of the VLP vaccines, namely low thermal stability, cost, invasive administration, limited coverage of non-vaccine HPV types, and lack of therapeutic efficacy. In this review we summarize the current status of licensed VLP vaccines and address questions related to second and third generation HPV vaccines.
On the Conditional Power in Survival Time Analysis Considering Cure Fractions
Authors: Kuehnapfel Andreas , Schwarzenberger Fabian , Scholz Markus 
Published: March 2017

AbstractConditional power of survival endpoints at interim analyses can support decisions on continuing a trial or stopping it for futility. When a cure fraction becomes apparent, conditional power cannot be calculated accurately using simple survival models, e.g. the exponential model. Non-mixture models consider such cure fractions. In this paper, we derive conditional power functions for non-mixture models, namely the non-mixture exponential, the non-mixture Weibull, and the non-mixture Gamma models. Formulae were implemented in the
Ocimum gratissimum Linn. Leaf extract inhibits free radical generation and suppressed inflammation in carrageenan-induced inflammation models in rats
Authors: Ajayi Abayomi M. , Ologe Mary O. , Ben-Azu Benneth , Okhale Samuel E. , Adzu Bulus , Ademowo Olusegun G. 
Published: March 2017

Abstract

Background:

Ocimum gratissimum leaf is used in managing rheumatism and other inflammatory conditions. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of phenolic extract obtained by sequential methanol extraction of O. gratissimum leaves (MEOg).

Methods:
The methanol extract (MEOg) was obtained after sequential maceration (n-hexane, chloroform and methanol) of dried O. gratissimum leaves. The fingerprint of the extract was obtained using a high-performance liquid chromatrographic method. In vitro effects were tested by 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide (NO) free radical scavenging, lipoxygenase, and xanthine oxidase inhibitory assays. MEOg was studied for anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan-induced paw edema and air pouch inflammation in rats.

Results:
HPLC fingerprint of the extract shows the presence of caffeic acid, rutin, ferulic acid, apigenin, and quercetin. Antioxidant activity of MEOg revealed an IC50 value in DPPH (31.5±0.03 μg/mL) and NO assay (201.6±0.01 μg/mL), respectively. The extract demonstrated strong xanthine oxidase inhibitory and weak antilipoxygenase activities. MEOg (100 mg/kg) significantly inhibited carrageenan-induced paw edema by 43.2%. Furthermore, MEOg (50 and 100 mg/kg) significantly reduced exudate volume, leucocyte count, neutrophil infiltration, TNF-α, nitrites, myeloperoxidase, and malondialdehyde in carrageenan-induced air pouch inflammation. MEOg also elevated the glutathione levels in the inflammatory exudates.

Conclusions:
MEOg shows potential therapeutic benefits in slowing down inflammation and oxidative stress in chronic diseases, such as arthritis.
Evaluation of vitamin D prophylaxis in 3–36-month-old infants and children
Authors: Ozcan Alper , Kendirci Mustafa , Kondolot Meda , Kardas Fatih , Akın Leyla 
Published: March 2017

AbstractBackground:Vitamin D (VD) deficiency (VDD) is still a population-based health problem that affects people at different ages. The aim of this study was to evaluate VD prophylaxis for the prevention of VDD in (3–36)-month-old infants and children.Methods:Infants and children aged between 3 and 36 months, with different etiologies, admitted to outpatient and inpatient clinics from October 2010 to October 2011 at the Children’s Hospital of Erciyes University, were enrolled for the study. Their VD intake (if used; time of initiation, dosage and compliance) and nutritional status (breast-fed, formula or complementary fed) were noted. In order to study seasonal VD changes, the levels of serum calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, alkaline phosphatase activity (PLA), plasma parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 25 hydroxyvitamin 25(OH)D levels were measured at the beginning of VD supplementation during the four seasons.Results:A total of 316 subjects were enrolled in the study, consisting of 202 (63.9%) outpatient and 114 (26.1%) inpatient groups. From these subjects, 304 (96.2%) were supplemented with VD; whereas 12 (3.8%) were not. Out of the subjects supplemented with VD, 237 (75%) initiated VD after the second week of life, 267 (87.8%) were given three drops of VD daily and 209 (66.1%) had taken VD regularly. The plasma 25(OH)D levels were found to be lower in the inpatient group than the outpatient group (29.35 ng/mL and 34.35 ng/mL, respectively). The plasma 25(OH)D levels were lower during the spring and winter. VDD and VD insufficiency (VDI) was found in 31 (9.8%) and 30 (9.5%) subjects, respectively.Conclusions:The plasma 25(OH)D levels were lower in inpatient and breast-fed only subjects and in winter and spring. The national VD augmentation program seems to be beneficial for the prevention of VDD, but VDD/VDI seems to still be an important health problem.
Nonstationary Stochastic Dynamics Underlie Spontaneous Transitions between Active and Inactive Behavioral States
Authors: Melanson Alexandre , Mejias Jorge F. , Jun James J. , Maler Leonard , Longtin André 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe neural basis of spontaneous movement generation is a fascinating open question. Long-term monitoring of fish, swimming freely in a constant sensory environment, has revealed a sequence of behavioral states that alternate randomly and spontaneously between periods of activity and inactivity. We show that key dynamical features of this sequence are captured by a 1-D diffusion process evolving in a nonlinear double well energy landscape, in which a slow variable modulates the relative depth of the wells. This combination of stochasticity, nonlinearity, and nonstationary forcing correctly captures the vastly different timescales of fluctuations observed in the data (∼1 to ∼1000 s), and yields long-tailed residence time distributions (RTDs) also consistent with the data. In fact, our model provides a simple mechanism for the emergence of long-tailed distributions in spontaneous animal behavior. We interpret the stochastic variable of this dynamical model as a decision-like variable that, upon reaching a threshold, triggers the transition between states. Our main finding is thus the identification of a threshold crossing process as the mechanism governing spontaneous movement initiation and termination, and to infer the presence of underlying nonstationary agents. Another important outcome of our work is a dimensionality reduction scheme that allows similar segments of data to be grouped together. This is done by first extracting geometrical features in the dataset and then applying principal component analysis over the feature space. Our study is novel in its ability to model nonstationary behavioral data over a wide range of timescales.
Aging Effects of Caenorhabditis elegans Ryanodine Receptor Variants Corresponding to Human Myopathic Mutations
Authors: Baines Katie Nicoll , Ferreira Célia , Hopkins Philip M , Shaw Marie-Anne , Hope Ian A 
Published: March 2017

Abstract
Delaying the decline in skeletal muscle function will be critical to better maintenance of an active lifestyle in old age. The skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor, the major intracellular membrane channel through which calcium ions pass to elicit muscle contraction, is central to calcium ion balance and is hypothesized to be a significant factor for age-related decline in muscle function. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a key model system for the study of human aging, and strains were generated with modified C. elegans ryanodine receptors corresponding to human myopathic variants linked with malignant hyperthermia and related conditions. The altered response of these strains to pharmacological agents reflected results of human diagnostic tests for individuals with these pathogenic variants. Involvement of nerve cells in the C. elegans responses may relate to rare medical symptoms concerning the central nervous system that have been associated with ryanodine receptor variants. These single amino acid modifications in C. elegans also conferred a reduction in lifespan and an accelerated decline in muscle integrity with age, supporting the significance of ryanodine receptor function for human aging.
The NCA-1 and NCA-2 Ion Channels Function Downstream of Gq and Rho To Regulate Locomotion in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Topalidou Irini , Chen Pin-An , Cooper Kirsten , Watanabe Shigeki , Jorgensen Erik M , Ailion Michael 
Published: March 2017

Abstract
The heterotrimeric G protein Gq positively regulates neuronal activity and synaptic transmission. Previously, the Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor Trio was identified as a direct effector of Gq that acts in parallel to the canonical Gq effector phospholipase C. Here, we examine how Trio and Rho act to stimulate neuronal activity downstream of Gq in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Through two forward genetic screens, we identify the cation channels NCA-1 and NCA-2, orthologs of mammalian NALCN, as downstream targets of the Gq-Rho pathway. By performing genetic epistasis analysis using dominant activating mutations and recessive loss-of-function mutations in the members of this pathway, we show that NCA-1 and NCA-2 act downstream of Gq in a linear pathway. Through cell-specific rescue experiments, we show that function of these channels in head acetylcholine neurons is sufficient for normal locomotion in C. elegans. Our results suggest that NCA-1 and NCA-2 are physiologically relevant targets of neuronal Gq-Rho signaling in C. elegans.