bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Schistosomiasis and Bladder Cancer in Egypt: A Historical Analysis
Authors: Daniel Afkera , Bhatt Ami 
Published: July 2016

Abstract 8 Background: Schistosoma haematobium has an extensive history in Egypt, with certain regions of the country reporting infection rates as high as 70%. This parasite has also been linked to bladder cancer since the beginning of the 20th century. However, little was done to elucidate a causal linkage between schistosomiasis and bladder cancer prior to the 1940s. This paper examines the reasons for this lack of attention, and the conditions that eventually stimulated research in Egypt on the connection between the two diseases. Methods: Through a review of secondary sources, interpretation of primary sources, and archival research at the Rockefeller Foundation, I have been able to trace and analyze the relationship between schistosomiasis and bladder cancer in Egypt. Results: Much of the research spearheaded by imperial powers during the colonial era focused on maintaining the short-term health of agricultural workers crucial to the colonial economy. As a long-term sequelae of infection, bladder cancer did not immediately impede the efficiency of this labor force. Thus, while research into schistosomiasis infection boomed throughout the colonial period, inquiry into its relationship to bladder cancer was stifled until power transitioned to Egyptians themselves and reforms took hold that brought Egyptian scientists to the forefront. Conclusion: Renewed interest in the link between schistosomiasis and bladder cancers from the 1940s followed an important shift in the political structures that governed scientific research in Egypt and led to the ascendancy of Egyptian scientists and physicians. This shift changed research agendas. As public health and medical practitioners work globally to advance health systems, lessons learned from Egypt's early experiences in schistosomiasis control and bladder cancer intervention are a reminder of the importance of including local scientific communities and internal organizations in the process of producing medical knowledge and public health infrastructures. AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: Afkera Daniel No relationship to disclose Ami Bhatt Patents, Royalties, Other Intellectual Property: I have a patent pending focused on therapeutic, diagnostic and interventional approaches to targeting of Bradyrhizobium enterica, a novel bacterium I and colleagues discovered that appears to be associated with a complication of stem cell transplantation.
A Multimodal Optical Imaging Platform for the Early Detection of Gastric Malignancies
Authors: Tang Yubo , Carns Jennifer , Quang Timothy , Reina Enrique M. , Gonzalez Susana , Rosen Daniel G. , Anandasabapathy Sharmila , Richards-Kortum Rebecca R. 
Published: July 2016

Abstract 14 We developed a novel multimodal video endoscope and evaluated its usefulness for the early detection of gastric neoplastic lesions. The imaging platform is a modified upper GI endoscope capable of white light imaging (WLI), widefield vital-dye fluorescence imaging (VFI) and high-resolution microendoscopy (HRME) in a single endoscopic insertion. A custom filter module is attached to the distal tip of the endoscope to enable VFI; HRME is performed by introducing a fiber optic probe through the endoscope working channel. Proflavine, a vital dye that stains nuclei is used to provide image contrast in both VFI and HRME. VFI images of proflavine stained tissue reveal the glandular patterns of the gastric mucosa, while HRME images reveal nuclear morphology with subcellular resolution. The performance of the platform was evaluated in a pilot study to image 35 patients with known or suspected gastric cancer undergoing either endoscopy or surgical resection. Patients were recruited at Mount Sinai Hospital, NY, and Hospital Evangelico in Siguatepeque, Honduras. For each patient, images were acquired with WLI, VFI and HRME sequentially during endoscopy. Images of neoplasia show disruption and effacement of glandular patterns. These alterations are visualized with enhanced contrast in VFI when compared to WLI; HRME images presenting the nuclear architecture at a subcellular level confirm these findings. Results suggest that this multimodal imaging platform can potentially enable a two-step protocol for early gastric cancer detection, wherein suspicious areas are red flagged with improved contrast using VFI, and then further imaged with HRME to confirm whether neoplasia is present based on changes in nuclear morphology. Given the convenient adaptation of the system design to other commercial endoscopes and the low cost of HRME (< $2,500), the utility of this multimodal imaging platform should be further evaluated in in vivo studies and low-resource settings. AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: Yubo Tang No relationship to disclose Jennifer Carns No relationship to disclose Timothy Quang No relationship to disclose Enrique M. Reina No relationship to disclose Susana Gonzalez No relationship to disclose Daniel G. Rosen Research Funding: Biotheragnostics Sharmila Anandasabapathy Honoraria: Medial Medical Rebecca R. Richards-Kortum Consulting or Advisory Role: Janssen Global Services Research Funding: Merck
International Cancer Control Leadership Forum Program
Authors: Singh Tulika , Kostelecky Brenda , Stevens Lisa 
Published: July 2016

Abstract 43 A National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP) comprises an important part of a country's non-communicable disease (NCD) plan and can help countries meet NCD targets outlined in the WHO Global NCD Action Plan. A comprehensive cancer control plan is based on data such as a country's cancer burden and cancer risk factors, available resources, and local context of culture and health care. The plan provides a systematic framework for implementation of evidence-based and cost-effective strategies for cancer prevention and control. The International Cancer Control Leadership Forum is a 2-3 day regional workshop with thematic seminar modules on cancer control planning and implementation, as well as interactive action planning sessions. The goal is to increase the capacity of participating countries to initiate or enhance cancer control planning and implementation through a multisectoral approach. The country teams are composed of high-level leaders who represent government agencies, civil society, oncology professionals, and academia. The program approach engages country teams over a year and a half. Approximately 3-6 months prior to the forum, teams conduct a situational analysis of the cancer burden and cancer control planning efforts in their country. During the Forum, teams are introduced to evidence-based approaches and exchange best-practices with colleagues to develop a 12-month action plan to move their cancer control planning and implementation efforts forward. In the year after the Forum, country teams and Forum faculty meet for 3-4 follow-up phone calls to address technical assistance needs as countries begin to implement their action plan. Thus far, Forums have been held in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific, the Caribbean, Middle East-North Africa, Latin America, and Central Asia regions. The country teams report that the Forum provides an important opportunity to plan with diverse stakeholders. Participants also report increased awareness and knowledge on developing and implementing a national cancer control plan, and learn best-practices from their colleagues in neighboring countries. In some Forums, countries have shown interest to work collaboratively towards regional initiatives. AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: No COIs from the authors.
Comparison of Thrombelastography-Derived Fibrinogen Values at Rewarming and Following Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Cardiac Surgery Patients
Authors: Fabbro Michael , Gutsche Jacob T. , Miano Todd A. , Augoustides John G. , Patel Prakash A. 
Published: July 2016

BACKGROUND:
The inflated costs and documented deleterious effects of excess perioperative transfusion have led to the investigation of targeted coagulation factor replacement strategies. One particular coagulation factor of interest is factor I (fibrinogen). Hypofibrinogenemia is typically tested for using time-consuming standard laboratory assays. The thrombelastography (TEG)-based functional fibrinogen level (FLEV) provides an assessment of whole blood clot under platelet inhibition to report calculated fibrinogen levels in significantly less time. If FLEV values obtained on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) during rewarming are similar to values obtained immediately after the discontinuation of CPB, then rewarming values could be used for preemptive ordering of appropriate blood product therapy.

METHODS:
Fifty-one cardiac surgery patients were enrolled into this prospective nonrandomized study to compare rewarming fibrinogen values with postbypass values using TEG FLEV assays. Baseline, rewarming, and postbypass fibrinogen values were recorded for all patients using both standard laboratory assay (Clauss method) and FLEV. Mixed-effects regression models were used to examine the change in TEG FLEV values over time. Bland-Altman analysis was used to examine bias and the limits of agreement (LOA) between the standard laboratory assay and FLEVs.

RESULTS:
Forty-nine patients were included in the analysis. The mean FLEV value during rewarming was 333.9 mg/dL compared with 332.8 mg/dL after protamine, corresponding to an estimated difference of −1.1 mg/dL (95% confidence interval [CI], −25.8 to 23.6; P = 0.917). Rewarming values were available on average 47 minutes before postprotamine values. Bland-Altman analysis showed poor agreement between FLEV and standard assays: mean difference at baseline was 92.5 mg/dL (95% CI, 71.1 to 114.9), with a lower LOA of −56.5 mg/dL (95% CI, −94.4 to −18.6) and upper LOA of 242.4 mg/dL (95% CI, 204.5 to 280.3). The difference between assays increased after CPB and persisted after protamine administration.

CONCLUSIONS:
Our results revealed negligible change in FLEV values from the rewarming to postbypass periods, with a CI that does not include clinically meaningful differences. These findings suggest that rewarming samples could be utilized for ordering fibrinogen-specific therapies before discontinuation of CPB. Mean FLEV values were consistently higher than the reference standard at each time point. Moreover, bias was highly heterogeneous among samples, implying a large range of potential differences between assays for any 1 patient.
Novel and potential physiological roles of vacuolar-type H+-ATPase in marine organisms
Authors: Tresguerres Martin 
Published: July 2016

ABSTRACTThe vacuolar-type H+-ATPase (VHA) is a multi-subunit enzyme that uses the energy from ATP hydrolysis to transport H+ across biological membranes. VHA plays a universal role in essential cellular functions, such as the acidification of lysosomes and endosomes. In addition, the VHA-generated H+-motive force can drive the transport of diverse molecules across cell membranes and epithelia for specialized physiological functions. Here, I discuss diverse physiological functions of VHA in marine animals, focusing on recent discoveries about base secretion in shark gills, potential bone dissolution by Osedax bone-eating worms and its participation in a carbon-concentrating mechanism that promotes coral photosynthesis. Because VHA is evolutionarily conserved among eukaryotes, it is likely to play many other essential physiological roles in diverse marine organisms. Elucidating and characterizing basic VHA-dependent mechanisms could help to determine species responses to environmental stress, including (but not limited to) that resulting from climate change.
The behavioral regulation of thirst, water collection and water storage in honey bee colonies
Authors: Ostwald Madeleine M. , Smith Michael L. , Seeley Thomas D. 
Published: July 2016

ABSTRACTThis study investigated how a honey bee colony develops and quenches its collective thirst when it experiences hyperthermia of its broodnest. We found that a colony must strongly boost its water intake because evaporative cooling is critical to relieving broodnest hyperthermia, and that it must rapidly boost its water intake because a colony maintains only a small water reserve. We also clarified how a colony's water collectors know when to spring into action – by sensing either more frequent requests for fluid or greater personal thirst, or both. Finally, we found that the behavioral flexibility of a colony's water collectors enables them not only to satisfy their colony's current water needs but also to buffer their colony against future extreme water stresses by storing water in their crops and in their combs.
Refuging rainbow trout selectively exploit flows behind tandem cylinders
Authors: Stewart William J. , Tian Fang-bao , Akanyeti Otar , Walker Christina J. , Liao James C. 
Published: July 2016

ABSTRACTFishes may exploit environmental vortices to save in the cost of locomotion. Previous work has investigated fish refuging behind a single cylinder in current, a behavior termed the Kármán gait. However, current-swept habitats often contain aggregations of physical objects, and it is unclear how the complex hydrodynamics shed from multiple structures affect refuging in fish. To begin to address this, we investigated how the flow fields produced by two D-shaped cylinders arranged in tandem affect the ability of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to Kármán gait. We altered the spacing of the two cylinders from l/D of 0.7 to 2.7 (where l=downstream spacing of cylinders and D=cylinder diameter) and recorded the kinematics of trout swimming behind the cylinders with high-speed video at Re=10,000–55,000. Digital particle image velocimetry showed that increasing l/D decreased the strength of the vortex street by an average of 53% and decreased the frequency that vortices were shed by ∼20% for all speeds. Trout were able to Kármán gait behind all cylinder treatments despite these differences in the downstream wake; however, they Kármán gaited over twice as often behind closely spaced cylinders (l/D=0.7, 1.1, and 1.5). Computational fluid dynamics simulations show that when cylinders are widely spaced, the upstream cylinder generates a vortex street that interacts destructively with the downstream cylinder, producing weaker, more widely spaced and less-organized vortices that discourage Kármán gaiting. These findings are poised to help predict when fish may seek refuge in natural habitats based on the position and arrangement of stationary objects.
Moral Hazard in Dynamic Risk Management
Authors: Cvitanić Jakša , Possamaï Dylan , Touzi Nizar 
Published: July 2016

We consider a contracting problem in which a principal hires an agent to manage a risky project. When the agent chooses volatility components of the output process and the principal observes the output continuously, the principal can compute the quadratic variation of the output, but not the individual components. This leads to moral hazard with respect to the risk choices of the agent. To find the optimal contract, we develop a novel approach to solving principal–agent problems: first, we identify a family of admissible contracts for which the optimal agent’s action is explicitly characterized; then, we show that we do not lose on generality when finding the optimal contract inside this family, up to integrability conditions. To do this, we use the recent theory of singular changes of measures for Itô processes. We solve the problem in the case of CARA preferences and show that the optimal contract is linear in these factors: the contractible sources of risk, including the output, the quadratic variation of the output and the cross-variations between the output and the contractible risk sources. Thus, like sample Sharpe ratios used in practice, path-dependent contracts naturally arise when there is moral hazard with respect to risk management. In a numerical example, we show that the loss of efficiency can be significant if the principal does not use the quadratic variation component of the optimal contract. This paper was accepted by Gustavo Manso, finance.
Alcohol Consumption and Cardiac Biomarkers: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study
Authors: Lazo Mariana , Chen Yuan , McEvoy John W , Ndumele Chiadi , Konety Suma , Ballantyne Christie M , Sharrett A Richey , Selvin Elizabeth 
Published: July 2016

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe role of alcohol in the development of subclinical cardiovascular disease is unclear. We examined the association between alcohol consumption and markers of subclinical cardiac damage and wall stress.METHODSWe studied the cross-sectional and prospective associations of alcohol consumption with high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) measured at 2 time points, 6 years apart (baseline, 1990–1992; follow-up, 1996–1998), in over 11000 participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study with no history of cardiovascular disease. Alcohol consumption was categorized as follows: never, former, current: ≤1, 2–7, 8–14, and ≥15 drinks/week.RESULTSCompared to never drinkers, persons who consumed 2–7 drinks per week were less likely to have increased hs-cTnT (≥14 ng/L) at baseline (odds ratio = 0.67, 95% CI, 0.46–0.96), and had a lower risk of incident increases in hs-cTnT at follow-up (relative risk = 0.70, 95% CI, 0.49–1.00). Conversely, there was a positive association between alcohol intake and NT-proBNP concentrations at baseline. Consumption of ≥15 drinks/week was positively associated with incident increases in NT-proBNP (≥300 pg/mL) at the 6-year follow-up visit (relative risk = 2.38, 95% CI, 1.43–3.96).CONCLUSIONSIn this community-based study of middle-aged adults without a history of cardiovascular disease, moderate drinking was associated with lower concentrations of hs-cTnT, a marker of chronic subclinical myocardial damage, and positively associated with NT-proBNP, a biomarker of cardiac wall stress. Our results suggest that the cardiac effects of alcohol are complex. Cardiac biomarkers may help improve our understanding of the full cardiovascular effects of alcohol consumption.
Interleukin (IL)‐1 in rat parturition: IL‐1 receptors 1 and 2 and accessory proteins abundance in pregnant rat uterus at term – regulation by progesterone
Authors: Ishiguro Tomohito , Takeda Jun , Fang Xin , Bronson Heather , Olson David M. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThe role of interleukin‐1 (IL‐1), a pro‐inflammatory cytokine, in parturition is typically noted by changes in its concentrations. Studying the expression of its receptor family, IL‐1 receptor (IL‐1R) 1, IL‐1R2, IL‐1R accessory protein (IL‐1RAcP), and its predominantly brain isoform, IL‐1RAcPb, during late gestation in the uterus in the Long‐Evans rat is another. We assessed changes in their mRNA and protein relative abundance in the uterus and compared IL‐1RAcP and IL‐1RAcPb mRNA abundance in uterus, cervix, ovaries, placenta, and whole blood of Long‐Evans rats during late gestation or in RU486 and progesterone‐treated dams using quantitative real‐time PCR and western immunoblotting. IL‐1R1, IL‐1RAcP, and IL‐1RAcPb mRNA abundance significantly increased in the uterus at delivery whereas IL‐1R2 mRNA abundance significantly decreased. IL‐1R1 protein increased at term and IL‐1R2 protein decreased at term compared to nonpregnant uteri. IL1‐RAcPb mRNA abundance was less than IL‐1RAcP, but in the lower uterine segment it was the highest of all tissues examined. RU486 stimulated preterm delivery and an increase in IL‐1R1 mRNA abundance whereas progesterone administration extended pregnancy and suppressed the increase in IL‐1R1. These data suggest that changes in uterine sensitivity to IL‐1 occur during late gestation and suggest another level of regulation for the control of delivery. The roles for IL‐1RAcP and IL‐1RAcPb need to be determined, but may relate to different intracellular signaling pathways.
Maturation of suprathreshold auditory nerve activity involves cochlear CGRP–receptor complex formation
Authors: Dickerson Ian M. , Bussey‐Gaborski Rhiannon , Holt Joseph C. , Jordan Paivi M. , Luebke Anne E. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractIn adult animals, the neuropeptide calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP) is contained in cochlear efferent fibers projecting out to the cochlea, and contributes to increased suprathreshold sound‐evoked activity in the adult auditory nerve. Similarly, CGRP applied to the lateral‐line organ (hair cell organ) increases afferent nerve activity in adult frogs (post‐metamorphic day 30), yet this increase is developmentally delayed from post‐metamorphic day 4–30. In this study, we discovered that there was also a developmental delay in increased suprathreshold sound‐evoked activity auditory nerve between juvenile and adult mice similar to what had been observed previously in frog. Moreover, juvenile mice with a targeted deletion of the αCGRP gene [CGRP null (−/−)] did not show a similar developmental increase in nerve activity, suggesting CGRP signaling is involved. This developmental delay is not due to a delay in CGRP expression, but instead is due to a delay in receptor formation. We observed that the increase in sound‐evoked nerve activity is correlated with increased formation of cochlear CGRP receptors, which require three complexed proteins (CLR, RAMP1, RCP) to be functional. CGRP receptor formation in the cochlea was incomplete at 1 month of age (juvenile), but complete by 3 months (adult), which corresponded to the onset of suprathreshold enhancement of sound‐evoked activity in wild‐type animals. Taken together, these data support a model for cochlear function that is enhanced by maturation of CGRP receptor complexes.
Omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation attenuates blood pressure increase at onset of isometric handgrip exercise in healthy young and older humans
Authors: Clark Christine M. , Monahan Kevin D. , Drew Rachel C. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractAging is associated with alterations of autonomic nerve activity, and dietary intake of omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in fish oil (FO), can modulate autonomic nerve activity. However, the effect of omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid consumption on age‐related cardiovascular responses at the onset of isometric handgrip exercise, a time of rapid autonomic adjustments, is unknown. Accordingly, 14 young (25 ± 1 years; mean ± SE) and 15 older (64 ± 2 years) healthy subjects ingested 4 g FO daily for 12 weeks. On pre‐ and postintervention visits, participants performed 15‐sec bouts of isometric handgrip at 10%, 30%, 50%, and 70% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) while beat‐to‐beat systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure (SBP, DBP, MAP; Finometer) and heart rate (HR; electrocardiogram) were recorded. All baseline cardiovascular variables were similar between groups and visits, except DBP was higher in older subjects (P < 0.05). FO increased erythrocyte EPA and DHA content in both groups (P < 0.05). FO attenuated MAP and DBP increases in response to handgrip in both age groups (change from baseline during 70% MVC handgrip pre‐ and post‐FO: young MAPΔ 14 ± 2 mmHg versus 10 ± 2 mmHg, older MAPΔ 14 ± 3 mmHg versus 11 ± 2 mmHg; young DBPΔ 12 ± 1 mmHg versus 7 ± 2 mmHg, older DBPΔ 12 ± 1 mmHg versus 7 ± 1 mmHg; P < 0.05). FO augmented the PP (SBP‐DBP) increase with 70% MVC handgrip in both groups (P < 0.05), but did not alter SBP or HR increases with handgrip. These findings suggest that FO supplementation attenuates MAP and DBP increases at the onset of isometric handgrip exercise in healthy young and older humans.