bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Single‐centre validation of the EASL‐CLIF Consortium definition of acute‐on‐chronic liver failure and CLIF‐SOFA for prediction of mortality in cirrhosis
Authors: Silva Pedro E. Soares e , Fayad Leonardo , Lazzarotto César , Ronsoni Marcelo F. , Bazzo Maria L. , Colombo Bruno S. , Dantas‐Correa Esther B. , Narciso‐Schiavon Janaína L. , Schiavon Leonardo L. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractBackground & AimsThe idea of acute‐on‐chronic liver failure (ACLF) has emerged to identify those subjects with organ failure and high mortality rates. However, the absence of a precise definition has limited the clinical application and research related to the ACLF concept. We sought to validate the ACLF definition and the CLIF‐SOFA Score recently proposed by the EASL‐CLIF Consortium in a cohort of patients admitted for acute decompensation (AD) of cirrhosis.MethodsIn this prospective cohort study, patients were followed during their hospital stay and thirty and 90‐day mortality was evaluated by phone call, in case of hospital discharge. All subjects underwent laboratory evaluation at admission.ResultsBetween December 2010 and November 2013, 192 cirrhotic patients were included. At enrolment, 46 patients (24%) met the criteria for ACLF (Grades 1, 2 and 3 in 18%, 4% and 2% respectively). The 30‐day mortality was 65% in ACLF group and 12% in the remaining subjects (P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that 30‐day mortality was independently associated with ascites and ACLF at admission. The Kaplan–Meier survival probability at 90‐day was 92% in patients without ascites or ACLF and only 22% for patients with both ascites and ACLF. The AUROC of CLIF‐SOFA in predicting 30‐day mortality was 0.847 ± 0.034, with sensitivity of 64%, specificity of 90% and positive likelihood ratio of 6.61 for values ≥9.ConclusionIn our single‐centre experience the CLIF‐SOFA and the EASL‐CLIF Consortium definition of ACLF proved to be strong predictors of short‐term mortality in cirrhotic patients admitted for AD.
High inorganic phosphate concentration in coral mucus and its utilization by heterotrophic bacteria in a Malaysian coral reef
Authors: Nakajima Ryota , Tanaka Yasuaki , Yoshida Teruaki , Fujisawa Tamami , Nakayama Asami , Fuchinoue Yumi , Othman Bin Haji Ross , Toda Tatsuki 
Published: May 2014

AbstractInorganic nutrient contents of mucus released by Acropora corals and its utilization by heterotrophic bacteria at several different hour intervals in the coral mucus were investigated at a coral reef in Malaysia. The dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) concentration was 135‐fold higher than in the ambient seawater, probably due to inorganic P release from the coral gut cavity. We experimentally confirmed that heterotrophic bacteria rapidly (within 8 h) consumed ca. 80% of the initial concentration of DIP derived from coral mucus. High DIP concentration in coral mucus may enhance heterotrophic bacterial production and associated carbon flow in the microbial loop of reef ecosystems.
HIGH‐ORDER SHORT‐TIME EXPANSIONS FOR ATM OPTION PRICES OF EXPONENTIAL LÉVY MODELS
Authors: Figueroa‐López José E. , Gong Ruoting , Houdré Christian 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThe short‐time asymptotic behavior of option prices for a variety of models with jumps has received much attention in recent years. In this work, a novel second‐order approximation for at‐the‐money (ATM) option prices is derived for a large class of exponential Lévy models with or without Brownian component. The results hereafter shed new light on the connection between both the volatility of the continuous component and the jump parameters and the behavior of ATM option prices near expiration. In the presence of a Brownian component, the second‐order term, in time‐t, is of the form , with d2 only depending on Y, the degree of jump activity, on σ, the volatility of the continuous component, and on an additional parameter controlling the intensity of the “small” jumps (regardless of their signs). This extends the well‐known result that the leading first‐order term is . In contrast, under a pure‐jump model, the dependence on Y and on the separate intensities of negative and positive small jumps are already reflected in the leading term, which is of the form . The second‐order term is shown to be of the form and, therefore, its order of decay turns out to be independent of Y. The asymptotic behavior of the corresponding Black–Scholes implied volatilities is also addressed. Our method of proof is based on an integral representation of the option price involving the tail probability of the log‐return process under the share measure and a suitable change of probability measure under which the pure‐jump component of the log‐return process becomes a Y‐stable process. Our approach is sufficiently general to cover a wide class of Lévy processes, which satisfy the latter property and whose Lévy density can be closely approximated by a stable density near the origin. Our numerical results show that the first‐order term typically exhibits rather poor performance and that the second‐order term can significantly improve the approximation's accuracy, particularly in the absence of a Brownian component.
DO ARBITRAGE‐FREE PRICES COME FROM UTILITY MAXIMIZATION?
Authors: Siorpaes Pietro 
Published: May 2014

AbstractIn this paper we ask whether, given a stock market and an illiquid derivative, there exists arbitrage‐free prices at which a utility‐maximizing agent would always want to buy the derivative, irrespectively of his own initial endowment of derivatives and cash. We prove that this is false for any given investor if one considers all initial endowments with finite utility, and that it can instead be true if one restricts to the endowments in the interior. We show, however, how the endowments on the boundary can give rise to very odd phenomena; for example, an investor with such an endowment would choose not to trade in the derivative even at prices arbitrarily close to some arbitrage price.
A FIRST‐ORDER BSPDE FOR SWING OPTION PRICING
Authors: Bender Christian , Dokuchaev Nikolai 
Published: May 2014

AbstractWe study an optimal control problem related to swing option pricing in a general non‐Markovian setting in continuous time. As a main result we uniquely characterize the value process in terms of a first‐order nonlinear backward stochastic partial differential equation and a differential inclusion. Based on this result we also determine the set of optimal controls and derive a dual minimization problem.
Thresholds Between, Worlds Apart
Authors: Burnham Scott 
Published: May 2014

AbstractIn the Adagio from Schubert's String Quintet, music of otherworldly bearing frames and encloses an utterly contrasting music of churning turmoil. The analysis offered in this article addresses those passages that connect and mediate this contrast: the sighing codetta to the first section which makes an impossibly poignant fuss before coming to a close in E major; the trill which whisks the action from there into F minor; the stunning broken‐off harmonies which form the retransition back to the opening; the brief flare of F minor right before the movement's final cadence.These threshold passages are then compared to various spots within the rest of the Quintet, such as the way that the Trio section relates to the Scherzo, or the use of prominent semitonal manoeuvres at the opening of the first movement and the close of the finale. The essay concludes with some reflections on the ways Schubert's thresholds can be heard to invoke the plight of mortality or to suggest a loss of faith in a stable reality.
Asymptomatic post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder diagnosed at one year protocol renal allograft biopsy
Authors: Kitajima Kazuki , Sasaki Hideo , Koike Junki , Nakazawa Ryuto , Sato Yuichi , Yazawa Masahiko , Tsuruoka Kayo , Kawarazaki Hiroo , Imai Naohiko , Shirai Sayuri , Shibagaki Yugo , Chikaraishi Tatsuya 
Published: May 2014

AbstractPost‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a neoplastic complication with a potentially fatal outcome that develops as a consequence of immunosuppression, and is mainly associated with Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) infection. A 70‐year‐old woman underwent a live unrelated, ABO‐incompatible renal transplant for end‐stage renal disease. One year after transplantation, protocol biopsy revealed pathological changes indicative of the histological subtype of ‘early lesions of PTLD’ according to the World Health Organization classification, while the patient showed no clinical signs or symptoms. The patient was finally diagnosed with EBV‐positive PTLD by in situ hybridization for EBER (EBV‐encoded RNA), and was successfully treated based on the reduction of immunosuppression. Protocol biopsy within the first post‐transplant year is the only diagnostic measure to detect asymptomatic early PTLD, which allows for early intervention and leads to better outcomes.
De novo proteinuria with pathological evidence of glomerulonephritis after everolimus induction
Authors: Miura Masayoshi , Yanai Mitsuru , Fukasawa Yuichiro , Higashiyama Hiroshi , Ito Yosuke , Tamaki Tohru 
Published: May 2014

AbstractA 68‐year‐old man who underwent living‐unrelated kidney transplantation from his spousal donor was immunosuppressed with tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil. Despite his uneventful clinical course, protocol biopsy at 2 years post transplant showed de novo CNI tubulotoxicity despite low tacrolimus exposure. Everolimus was added in order to discontinue TACER. However, prominent proteinuria impeded continuation of everolimus since biopsy showed diffuse glomerular endocapillary proliferation without C4d deposition. No donor‐specific antibody was detected. Pulse steroids were given and proteinuria returned to normal with histological reversal.
Proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal immunoglobulin A light‐chain deposits in the renal allograft
Authors: Setoguchi Kiyoshi , Kawashima Yoichiro , Tokumoto Tadahiko , Toma Hiroshi , Mizoguchi Shogo , Horita Shigeru , Yamaguchi Yutaka , Tanabe Kazunari 
Published: May 2014

AbstractWe herein describe the unique case of a 59‐year‐old man who underwent living kidney transplantation for IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and developed progressive kidney failure associated with the appearance of proliferative glomerulonephritis. An early protocol biopsy revealed recurrent IgAN with mesangial IgA2 deposits restricted to a single immunoglobulin λ light‐chain isotype. Despite treatment with tonsillectomy and rituximab, the patient eventually lost his allograft 31 months after transplantation. Serum electrophoresis showed a monoclonal IgA pattern. This case might share common pathological characteristics with the newly described entity referred to as proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal IgG deposits.
Current problems in screening, diagnosis and treatment of polyomavirus BK nephropathy
Authors: Masutani Kosuke 
Published: May 2014

AbstractPolyomavirus BK nephropathy (BKVN) is an important infectious complication in kidney transplantation. Since graft survival in patients with BKVN is poor, current clinical practice focuses on screening for viral replication, and pre‐emptive reduction of immunosuppression in viraemic patients. Urinary cytology, nucleic acid testing of urine and/or plasma, and viral‐specific staining of biopsy specimens are necessary for diagnosis. Infected tubular cells show intranuclear inclusions, lysis or necrosis, and shedding into the tubular lumen. But such light microscopy findings are quite focally observed in many cases, and varying degrees of tubulointerstitial inflammation mimicking T‐cell‐mediated acute rejection make accurate diagnosis difficult. There is a histological classification of BKVN originally reported by the University of Maryland in 2001, and modified by American Society of Transplantation Infectious Disease Community of Practice, which focuses on interstitial inflammation and fibrosis. Another classification was proposed by the Banff Working Group in 2009 (Banff Working Proposal), which focuses on acute tubular injury instead of interstitial inflammation. The usefulness of the Banff Working Proposal is now under consideration with a multicenter study being conducted, but it has not yet reached a clear conclusion. In this review, the current screening strategies for the replication of BK virus, difficulties with diagnosis, histopathological classifications, treatments, and prognostic factors of BKVN are discussed.
Epithelial‐myoepithelial carcinoma arising in the palate: a rare case report and review of the literature
Authors: Kawamata A. , Yamane M. , Nakazato Y. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThis report describes our recent experience with a case of epithelial‐myoepithelial carcinoma of the left palate and reviews previously reported cases of this rare malignancy. A 68‐year‐old woman presented with painless nodular swelling of the left hard palate. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses confirmed a diagnosis of epithelial‐myoepithelial carcinoma. We performed a partial maxillectomy through a lateral rhinotomy incision under general anaesthesia. During the surgery, the entire tumour mass was removed with clear surgical margins. The patient continued to undergo clinical follow‐up and radiological assessments for a period of 2.5 years with no evidence of recurrent or metastatic disease. Epithelial‐myoepithelial carcinoma is a rare malignancy that requires immunohistochemical validation of diagnosis and may be successfully treated with surgery alone.
ATP citrate lyase activity is post‐translationally regulated by sink strength and impacts the wax, cutin and rubber biosynthetic pathways
Authors: Xing Shufan , van Deenen Nicole , Magliano Pasqualina , Frahm Lea , Forestier Edith , Nawrath Christiane , Schaller Hubert , Gronover Christian S. , Prüfer Dirk , Poirier Yves 
Published: May 2014

SummaryCytosolic acetyl‐CoA is involved in the synthesis of a variety of compounds, including waxes, sterols and rubber, and is generated by the ATP citrate lyase (ACL). Plants over‐expressing ACL were generated in an effort to understand the contribution of ACL activity to the carbon flux of acetyl‐CoA to metabolic pathways occurring in the cytosol. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants synthesizing the polyester polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) from cytosolic acetyl‐CoA have reduced growth and wax content, consistent with a reduction in the availability of cytosolic acetyl‐CoA to endogenous pathways. Increasing the ACL activity via the over‐expression of the ACLA and ACLB subunits reversed the phenotypes associated with PHB synthesis while maintaining polymer synthesis. PHB production by itself was associated with an increase in ACL activity that occurred in the absence of changes in steady‐state mRNA or protein level, indicating a post‐translational regulation of ACL activity in response to sink strength. Over‐expression of ACL in Arabidopsis was associated with a 30% increase in wax on stems, while over‐expression of a chimeric homomeric ACL in the laticifer of roots of dandelion led to a four‐ and two‐fold increase in rubber and triterpene content, respectively. Synthesis of PHB and over‐expression of ACL also changed the amount of the cutin monomer octadecadien‐1,18‐dioic acid, revealing an unsuspected link between cytosolic acetyl‐CoA and cutin biosynthesis. Together, these results reveal the complexity of ACL regulation and its central role in influencing the carbon flux to metabolic pathways using cytosolic acetyl‐CoA, including wax and polyisoprenoids.
Hyperbaric oxygen for the treatment of nonhealing arterial insufficiency ulcers
Authors: Heyboer Marvin , Grant William D. , Byrne Joseph , Pons Paula , Morgan Monica , Iqbal Bilal , Wojcik Susan M. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThere is limited data regarding hyperbaric oxygen's effectiveness in the treatment of nonhealing arterial insufficiency ulcers. This study was designed to analyze healing rates and amputation rates in patients who underwent adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen for a nonhealing arterial insufficiency ulcer. A retrospective chart review was completed on patients who underwent hyperbaric oxygen for arterial insufficiency ulcers that failed to heal despite standard treatment. Information collected included complete ulcer healing, amputation, and patient characteristics. There were 82 patients identified. A majority did not have diabetes (84.1%). The overall rate of healing was 43.9%. The overall major amputation rate was 17.1%. The amputation rate among those who healed was 0% compared to 42.4% among those not healed (p < 0.0001). Dialysis was predictive of major amputation (p = 0.03). Our findings suggest hyperbaric oxygen can play a role in management of arterial insufficiency ulcers that have failed standard treatment. The overwhelming majority of these patients did not have diabetes, which allows this study to be translated to patients with a primary arterial insufficiency ulcer. These results support the use of hyperbaric oxygen for select nonhealing arterial insufficiency ulcers that have failed standard therapy and the need for a prospective pilot study.
Genetic strain differences in the development of peritoneal fibroproliferative processes in mice
Authors: Marques Suzane M. , Castro Pollyana R. , Campos Paula P. , Viana Celso T. R. , Parreiras Patricia M. , Ferreira Mônica A. N. , Andrade Silvia P. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractFibroproliferative processes are regulated by a wide variety of tissue components and genetic factors. However, whether there are genetic differences in peritoneal fibroproliferative tissue formation, with consequent differences in response to drug treatment, is unclear. We characterize the influence of the genetic background on peritoneal fibroproliferative tissue induced by sponge implants in DBA/1, Swiss, C57BL/6, and BALB/c mouse strains. In addition, responses to dipyridamole in the implants were evaluated. Angiogenesis, assessed by intra‐implant hemoglobin content, was highest in Swiss mice, whereas levels of vascular endothelial growth factor were highest in C57BL/6 mice. The levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and of inflammatory enzymes (myeloperoxidase‐ and N‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucosaminidase) were also strain‐related. The pro‐fibrogenic markers transforming growth factor beta‐1 and collagen were lowest in implants placed in DBA/1 mice, whereas those in C57BL/6 mice had the highest levels. Differential sensitivity to dipyridamole was also observed, with this compound being pro‐angiogenic in implants placed in DBA/1 mice but antiangiogenic in implants placed in Swiss. An overall anti‐inflammatory response was observed in the inbred strains. Antifibrogenic effects were observed only in implants placed in C57BL/6 mice. These important strain‐related differences in the development of peritoneal fibrosis and in response to dipyridamole must be considered in the design and analysis of studies on fibrogenesis in mice.
Effects of interleukin‐10 on cutaneous wounds and scars in humans of African continental ancestral origin
Authors: Kieran Ingrid , Taylor Catherine , Bush Jim , Rance Mark , So Karen , Boanas Adam , Metcalfe Anthony , Hobson Rosalind , Goldspink Nick , Hutchison John , Ferguson Mark 
Published: May 2014

AbstractScars in humans of African continental ancestry heal with an exaggerated inflammatory response and a generally wider scar. Interleukin‐10 is an anti‐inflammatory and antifibrotic cytokine. A randomized controlled trial in Caucasians found that exogenous interleukin‐10 resulted in improved macroscopic scar appearance and reduced scar redness. We investigated the effects of interleukin‐10 on cutaneous scarring in volunteers of African ancestral origin in an exploratory, single‐center, within‐subject, double‐blind randomized controlled trial. Fifty‐six subjects received two of four potential prerandomized concentrations of interleukin‐10 (5, 25, 100, and 250 ng/100 µL) in two full‐thickness incisions on the upper inner arms. Anatomically matching incisions on the contralateral arm were treated with placebo. Scars were excised at 1 month for histological analysis and were redosed with the same regimen. Resultant excision scars were followed up for 12 months for scar width measurement and scoring. Scoring was performed by trial doctors, subjects, and a panel. Incisions treated with 100 ng/100 µL interleukin‐10 had significantly reduced microscopic scar widths. Incisions treated with 5 and 25 ng/100 µL interleukin‐10 were also narrower, but not significantly. There were no differences observed in pro‐inflammatory or pro‐fibrotic markers between interleukin‐10 and placebo treatment. There was no long‐term evidence that 100 ng/100 µL interleukin‐10 had a therapeutic effect on macroscopic scar width or appearance, as excisions treated with this concentration were significantly wider than placebo between 8 and 12 months of maturation. Doctors showed a trend toward favoring the macroscopic appearance of placebo‐treated excisions compared with those treated with 250 ng/100 µL interleukin‐10. Panelists scored placebo‐treated excisions as significantly better‐appearing than those treated with 250 ng/100 µL interleukin‐10. Doctors' scores showed a trend toward favoring treatment with 5 ng/100 µL interleukin‐10 at 10 and 11 months post‐excision. Subjects showed a trend toward favoring treatment with 5 ng/100 µL interleukin‐10 between 5 and 9 months postexcision. Analysis of images of markedly improved scars revealed a potential subset of responders among those treated with 5 ng/100 µL interleukin‐10. No concentration of interleukin‐10 produced a statistically significant improvement in scarring compared with placebo.
Prevalence of Chlorhexidine-Resistant Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus following Prolonged Exposure
Authors: Schlett Carey D. , Millar Eugene V. , Crawford Katrina B. , Cui Tianyuan , Lanier Jeffrey B. , Tribble David R. , Ellis Michael W. 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACT

Chlorhexidine has been increasingly utilized in outpatient settings to control methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) outbreaks and as a component of programs for MRSA decolonization and prevention of skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs). The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of chlorhexidine resistance in clinical and colonizing MRSA isolates obtained in the context of a community-based cluster-randomized controlled trial for SSTI prevention, during which 10,030 soldiers were issued chlorhexidine for body washing. We obtained epidemiological data on study participants and performed molecular analysis of MRSA isolates, including PCR assays for determinants of chlorhexidine resistance and high-level mupirocin resistance and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). During the study period, May 2010 to January 2012, we identified 720 MRSA isolates, of which 615 (85.4%) were available for molecular analysis, i.e., 341 clinical and 274 colonizing isolates. Overall, only 10 (1.6%) of 615 isolates were chlorhexidine resistant, including three from the chlorhexidine group and seven from nonchlorhexidine groups (
P
> 0.99). Five (1.5%) of the 341 clinical isolates and five (1.8%) of the 274 colonizing isolates harbored chlorhexidine resistance genes, and four (40%) of the 10 possessed genetic determinants for mupirocin resistance. All chlorhexidine-resistant isolates were USA300. The overall prevalence of chlorhexidine resistance in MRSA isolates obtained from our study participants was low. We found no association between extended chlorhexidine use and the prevalence of chlorhexidine-resistant MRSA isolates; however, continued surveillance is warranted, as this agent continues to be utilized for infection control and prevention efforts.