bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oxygen‐Sensing Nox4 Generates Genotoxic ROS to Induce Premature Senescence of Nucleus Pulposus Cells through MAPK and NF‐κB Pathways
Authors: Feng Chencheng , Zhang Yang , Yang Minghui , Lan Minghong , Liu Huan , Huang Bo , Zhou Yue
Published: September 2017

Senescence is a crucial driver of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Disc cells are exposed to high oxygen tension due to neovascularization in degenerative discs. However, the effect of oxygen tension on disc cell senescence was unknown. Herein, rat nucleus pulposus (NP) cells were cultured under 20% O2 or 1% O2. Consequently, ROS induced by 20% O2 caused DNA damage and then activated p53‐p21‐Rb and p16‐Rb pathways via ERK signaling to induce NP cell senescence. It also induced catabolic and proinflammatory phenotype of NP cells via MAPK and NF‐κB pathways. Furthermore, 20% O2 was found to upregulate Nox4 in NP cells. Small interfering RNA against Nox4 reduced ROS production induced by 20% O2 and consequently suppressed premature senescence of NP cells. On the contrary, NP cells overexpressing Nox4 produced more ROS and rapidly developed senescent signs. In consistent with the in vitro studies, the expression of Nox4, p21, and Rb was upregulated in rat degenerative discs. This study, for the first time, demonstrates that Nox4 is an oxygen‐sensing enzyme and a main ROS source in NP cells. Nox4‐dependent ROS are genotoxic and a potent trigger of NP cell senescence. Nox4 is a potential therapeutic target for disc cell senescence and IDD.
Acidic Polysaccharide from Angelica sinensis Reverses Anemia of Chronic Disease Involving the Suppression of Inflammatory Hepcidin and NF‐κB Activation
Authors: Wang Kaiping , Wu Jun , Cheng Fang , Huang Xiao , Zeng Fang , Zhang Yu
Published: September 2017

Anemia of chronic disease (ACD) is the second most prevalent anemia and frequently occurs in patients with acute or chronic immune activation. In the current study, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP) against ACD in rats and the potential mechanisms involved. The results showed that ASP inhibited inflammatory hepcidin in both HepG2 cells and ACD rats by blocking the IL‐6/STAT3 and BMP/SMAD pathways. In ACD rats, the administration of ASP increased ferroportin expression, mobilized iron from the liver and spleen, increased serum iron levels, caused an elevation of serum EPO, and effectively relieved the anemia. Furthermore, ASP inhibited NF‐κB p65 activation via the IκB kinases‐ (IKKs‐) IκBα pathway, thereby reducing the secretion of interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and TNF‐α, which is known to inhibit erythropoiesis. Our findings indicate that ASP is a potential treatment option for patients suffering from ACD.
Sympathetic Denervation Accelerates Wound Contraction but Inhibits Reepithelialization and Pericyte Proliferation in Diabetic Mice
Authors: Zheng Zhifang , Wan Yu , Liu Yishu , Yang Yu , Tang Jianbing , Huang Wenhua , Cheng Biao
Published: September 2017

Previous studies focused on the effects of sympathetic denervation with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) on nondiabetic wounds, but the effects of 6-OHDA on diabetic wounds have not been previously reported. In this study, treated mice received intraperitoneal 6-OHDA, and control mice received intraperitoneal injections of normal saline. Full-thickness wounds were established on the backs of mice. The wounds were sectioned (four mice per group) for analysis at 2, 5, 7, 10, 14, 17, and 21 days after injury. The wound areas in the control group were larger than those in the treatment group. Histological scores for epidermal and dermal regeneration were reduced in the 6-OHDA-treated group on day 21. The mast cells (MCs) in each field decreased after sympathectomy on days 17 and 21. The expression levels of norepinephrine, epidermal growth factor (EGF), interleukin-1 beta, NG2 proteoglycan, and desmin in the treatment group were less than those in the control group. In conclusion, 6-OHDA delays reepithelialization during wound healing in diabetic mice by decreasing EGF, but increases wound contraction by reducing IL-1β levels and the number of MCs. Besides, 6-OHDA led to reduced pericyte proliferation in diabetic wounds, which might explain the vascular dysfunction after sympathetic nerve loss in diabetic wounds.
A Case of Ruptured Pulmonary Hydatid Cyst of the Liver and Review of the Literature
Authors: Bulut Nilufer , Dagıstanlı Sevinc
Published: September 2017

Background. Hydatid cyst is an endemic disease frequently localized to the liver. It is frequently observed in Southeast Europe, Middle East, and Turkey. Although the cyst rupture can occur spontaneously, it can also occur upon albendazole treatment. Its surgical treatment includes cystotomy, capitonnage, and wedge resection. Material-Method. A 56-year-old male immigrant was admitted with fever, pain, and cough. Albendazole treatment was initiated and elective surgery was planned. Upon his admission to emergency service, he was diagnosed with pneumonia, and a spontaneous cyst rupture was detected. Result. Thoracotomy and cystotomy were performed. Bile leakage aspiration and lung wedge resection were also performed. Conclusion. Different surgical methods are used in the treatment of hydatid cysts depending on the localization and complications. Follow-up with antihelminthic drugs such as albendazole and mebendazole is recommended in medical treatment.
Deniable Key Establishment Resistance against eKCI Attacks
Authors: Krzywiecki Łukasz , Wlisłocki Tomasz
Published: September 2017

In extended Key Compromise Impersonation (eKCI) attack against authenticated key establishment (AKE) protocols the adversary impersonates one party, having the long term key and the ephemeral key of the other peer party. Such an attack can be mounted against variety of AKE protocols, including 3-pass HMQV. An intuitive countermeasure, based on BLS (Boneh–Lynn–Shacham) signatures, for strengthening HMQV was proposed in literature. The original HMQV protocol fulfills the deniability property: a party can deny its participation in the protocol execution, as the peer party can create a fake protocol transcript indistinguishable from the real one. Unfortunately, the modified BLS based version of HMQV is not deniable. In this paper we propose a method for converting HMQV (and similar AKE protocols) into a protocol resistant to eKCI attacks but without losing the original deniability property. For that purpose, instead of the undeniable BLS, we use a modification of Schnorr authentication protocol, which is deniable and immune to ephemeral key leakages.
Correcting Classifiers for Sample Selection Bias in Two-Phase Case-Control Studies
Authors: Krautenbacher Norbert , Theis Fabian J. , Fuchs Christiane
Published: September 2017

Epidemiological studies often utilize stratified data in which rare outcomes or exposures are artificially enriched. This design can increase precision in association tests but distorts predictions when applying classifiers on nonstratified data. Several methods correct for this so-called sample selection bias, but their performance remains unclear especially for machine learning classifiers. With an emphasis on two-phase case-control studies, we aim to assess which corrections to perform in which setting and to obtain methods suitable for machine learning techniques, especially the random forest. We propose two new resampling-based methods to resemble the original data and covariance structure: stochastic inverse-probability oversampling and parametric inverse-probability bagging. We compare all techniques for the random forest and other classifiers, both theoretically and on simulated and real data. Empirical results show that the random forest profits from only the parametric inverse-probability bagging proposed by us. For other classifiers, correction is mostly advantageous, and methods perform uniformly. We discuss consequences of inappropriate distribution assumptions and reason for different behaviors between the random forest and other classifiers. In conclusion, we provide guidance for choosing correction methods when training classifiers on biased samples. For random forests, our method outperforms state-of-the-art procedures if distribution assumptions are roughly fulfilled. We provide our implementation in the R packagesambia.
Synchronous Ganglioneuroma and Schwannoma Mistaken for Carotid Body Tumor
Authors: Paraskevopoulos Konstantinos , Cheva Angeliki , Papaemmanuil Styliani , Vahtsevanos Konstantinos , Antoniades Konstantinos
Published: September 2017

Ganglioneuromas are a very rare benign neural tumor, commonly derived from the ganglia of the sympathetic system, and are composed of mature Schwann cells, ganglion cells, and nerve fibres. They may arise anywhere from the base of the skull to the pelvis along the paravertebral sympathetic plexus. We report a rare case of synchronous ganglioneuroma and schwannoma, mistaken for carotid body tumor. The coexistence of these two entities in head and neck region is very rare.
Analysis of Risk Factors for Kidney Retransplant Outcomes Associated with Common Induction Regimens: A Study of over Twelve-Thousand Cases in the United States
Authors: Santos Alfonso H. , Casey Michael J. , Womer Karl L.
Published: September 2017

We studied registry data of 12,944 adult kidney retransplant recipients categorized by induction regimen received into antithymocyte globulin (ATG) (N = 9120), alemtuzumab (N = 1687), and basiliximab (N = 2137) cohorts. We analyzed risk factors for 1-year acute rejection (AR) and 5-year death-censored graft loss (DCGL) and patient death. Compared with the reference, basiliximab: (1) one-year AR risk was lower with ATG in retransplant recipients of expanded criteria deceased-donor kidneys (HR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.35–0.91 and HR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.27–1.08, resp.), while AR risk was lower with alemtuzumab in retransplant recipients with >3 HLA mismatches before transplant (HR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.44–0.93 and HR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.63–1.06, resp.); (2) five-year DCGL risk was lower with alemtuzumab, not ATG, in retransplant recipients of African American race (HR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.34–0.86 and HR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.51–1.04, resp.) or with pretransplant glomerulonephritis (HR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.43–0.98 and HR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.60–1.12, resp.). Therefore, specific risk factor-induction regimen combinations may predict outcomes and this information may help in individualizing induction in retransplant recipients.
Corticospinal Plasticity in Bilateral Primary Motor Cortices Induced by Paired Associative Stimulation to the Dominant Hemisphere Does Not Differ between Young and Older Adults
Authors: Dickins Daina S. E. , Kamke Marc R. , Sale Martin V.
Published: September 2017

Older adults have been shown to exhibit a reduction in the lateralization of neural activity. Although neuroplasticity induced by noninvasive brain stimulation has been reported to be attenuated in the targeted motor cortex of older adults, it remains possible that the plasticity effects may instead manifest in a more distributed (bilateral) network. Furthermore, attention, which modulates neuroplasticity in young adults, may influence these effects. To address these questions, plasticity was induced in young (19–32 years) and older (65–78 years) adults using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) paired with peripheral nerve stimulation. The plasticity effects induced by this paired associative stimulation (PAS) protocol in the targeted and nontargeted hemispheres were probed using TMS-induced motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) recorded from the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscle of each hand. PAS-induced effects were highly variable across individuals, with only half of the participants in each group demonstrating the expected increase in MEP amplitude. Contrary to predictions, however, PAS-induced corticospinal plasticity manifests predominately in the targeted hemisphere for both young and older adults. Attention to the target hand did not enhance corticospinal plasticity. The results suggest that plasticity does not manifest differently across bilateral corticospinal pathways between young and older adults.
Myricetin Possesses Potential Protective Effects on Diabetic Cardiomyopathy through Inhibiting IκBα/NFκB and Enhancing Nrf2/HO‐1
Authors: Liao Hai-han , Zhu Jin-xiu , Feng Hong , Ni Jian , Zhang Nan , Chen Si , Liu Huang-jun , Yang Zheng , Deng Wei , Tang Qi-Zhu
Published: September 2017

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is associated with a greater risk of mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus. Currently, no specific treatment has been suggested for DCM treatment. This study demonstrated that myricetin (M) attenuated DCM‐associated cardiac injury in mice subjected to streptozotocin (SZT) and in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCM) challenged with high glucose. In vivo investigation demonstrated 6 months of M treatment (200 mg/kg/d) significantly alleviated cardiac hypertrophy, apoptosis, and interstitial fibrosis. Mechanically, M treatment significantly increased the activity of Nrf2/HO‐1 pathway, strengthening antioxidative stress capacity evidenced by reversed activities of GPx and SOD, and decreased MDA production. M treatment also inhibited IκBα/NF‐κB pathway, resulting in reduced secretion of inflammation cytokines including IL‐1β, TNF‐α, and IL‐6. Besides, the TGFβ/Smad3 signaling was also blunted in DCM mice treated with M. These beneficial effects of M treatment protected cardiomyocytes from apoptosis as shown by decreased TUNEL‐positive nucleus, c‐caspase 3, and Bax. Similar effects of M treatment could be reproduced in NRCM treated with high glucose. Furthermore, through silencing Nrf2 in NRCM, we found that the regulation of IκBα/NFκB by M was independent on its function on Nrf2. Thus, we concluded that M possesses potential protective effects on DCM through inhibiting IκBα/NFκB and enhancing Nrf2/HO‐1.
Analytical Validation of a New Enzymatic and Automatable Method for d-Xylose Measurement in Human Urine Samples
Authors: Sánchez-Moreno Israel , Monsalve-Hernando Carmen , Godino Ana , Illa Luis , Gaspar María Jesús , Muñoz Guillermo Manuel , Díaz Ana , Martín José Luis , García-Junceda Eduardo , Fernández-Mayoralas Alfonso , Hermida Carmen
Published: September 2017

Hypolactasia, or intestinal lactase deficiency, affects more than half of the world population. Currently, xylose quantification in urine after gaxilose oral administration for the noninvasive diagnosis of hypolactasia is performed with the hand-operated nonautomatable phloroglucinol reaction. This work demonstrates that a new enzymatic xylose quantification method, based on the activity of xylose dehydrogenase fromCaulobacter crescentus, represents an excellent alternative to the manual phloroglucinol reaction. The new method is automatable and facilitates the use of the gaxilose test for hypolactasia diagnosis in the clinical practice. The analytical validation of the new technique was performed in three different autoanalyzers, using buffer or urine samples spiked with different xylose concentrations. For the comparison between the phloroglucinol and the enzymatic assays, 224 urine samples of patients to whom the gaxilose test had been prescribed were assayed by both methods. A mean bias of −16.08 mg of xylose was observed when comparing the results obtained by both techniques. After adjusting the cut-off of the enzymatic method to 19.18 mg of xylose, the Kappa coefficient was found to be 0.9531, indicating an excellent level of agreement between both analytical procedures. This new assay represents the first automatable enzymatic technique validated for xylose quantification in urine.
DBS Programming: An Evolving Approach for Patients with Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Wagle Shukla Aparna , Zeilman Pam , Fernandez Hubert , Bajwa Jawad A. , Mehanna Raja
Published: September 2017

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery is a well-established therapy for control of motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease. Despite an appropriate targeting and an accurate placement of DBS lead, a thorough and efficient programming is critical for a successful clinical outcome. DBS programming is a time consuming and laborious manual process. The current approach involves use of general guidelines involving determination of the lead type, electrode configuration, impedance check, and battery check. However there are no validated and well-established programming protocols. In this review, we will discuss the current practice and the recent advances in DBS programming including the use of interleaving, fractionated current, directional steering of current, and the use of novel DBS pulses. These technological improvements are focused on achieving a more efficient control of clinical symptoms with the least possible side effects. Other promising advances include the introduction of computer guided programming which will likely impact the efficiency of programming for the clinicians and the possibility of remote Internet based programming which will improve access to DBS care for the patients.
Novel MARG-Sensor Orientation Estimation Algorithm Using Fast Kalman Filter
Authors: Guo Siwen , Wu Jin , Wang Zuocai , Qian Jide
Published: September 2017

Orientation estimation from magnetic, angular rate, and gravity (MARG) sensor array is a key problem in mechatronic-related applications. This paper proposes a new method in which a quaternion-based Kalman filter scheme is designed. The quaternion kinematic equation is employed as the process model. With our previous contributions, we establish the measurement model of attitude quaternion from accelerometer and magnetometer, which is later proved to be the fastest (computationally) one among representative attitude determination algorithms of such sensor combination. Variance analysis is later given enabling the optimal updating of the proposed filter. The algorithm is implemented on real-world hardware where experiments are carried out to reveal the advantages of the proposed method with respect to conventional ones. The proposed approach is also validated on an unmanned aerial vehicle during a real flight. Results show that the proposed one is faster than any other Kalman-based ones and even faster than some complementary ones while the attitude estimation accuracy is maintained.
(Bio)degradable Ionomeric Polyurethanes Based on Xanthan: Synthesis, Properties, and Structure
Authors: Travinskaya T. V. , Brykova A. N. , Savelyev Yu. V. , Babkina N. V. , Shtompel V. I.
Published: September 2017

New (bio)degradable environmentally friendly film-forming ionomeric polyurethanes (IPU) based on renewable biotechnological polysaccharide xanthan (Xa) have been obtained. The influence of the component composition on the colloidal-chemical and physic-mechanical properties of IPU/Xa and based films, as well as the change of their properties under the influence of environmental factors, have been studied. The results of IR-, PMS-, DMA-, and X-ray scattering study indicate that incorporation of Xa into the polyurethane chain initiates the formation of a new polymer structure different from the structure of the pure IPU (matrix): an amorphous polymer-polymer microdomain has occurred as a result of the chemical interaction of Xa and IPU. It predetermines the degradation of the IPU/Xa films as a whole, unlike the mixed polymer systems, and plays a key role in the improvement of material performance. The results of acid, alkaline hydrolysis, and incubation into the soil indicate the increase of the intensity of degradation processes occurring in the IPU/Xa in comparison with the pure IPU. It has been shown that the introduction of Xa not only imparts the biodegradability property to polyurethane, but also improves the mechanical properties.
A Fast Implicit Finite Difference Method for Fractional Advection-Dispersion Equations with Fractional Derivative Boundary Conditions
Authors: Liu Taohua , Hou Muzhou
Published: September 2017

Fractional advection-dispersion equations, as generalizations of classical integer-order advection-dispersion equations, are used to model the transport of passive tracers carried by fluid flow in a porous medium. In this paper, we develop an implicit finite difference method for fractional advection-dispersion equations with fractional derivative boundary conditions. First-order consistency, solvability, unconditional stability, and first-order convergence of the method are proven. Then, we present a fast iterative method for the implicit finite difference scheme, which only requires storage of O(K) and computational cost of O(Klog⁡K). Traditionally, the Gaussian elimination method requires storage of O(K2) and computational cost of O(K3). Finally, the accuracy and efficiency of the method are checked with a numerical example.
Effect of Bridge‐Pier Differential Settlement on the Dynamic Response of a High‐Speed Railway Train‐Track‐Bridge System
Authors: Zhang Xiaohui , Shan Yao , Yang Xinwen
Published: September 2017

A model based on the theory of train‐track‐bridge coupling dynamics is built in the article to investigate how high‐speed railway bridge pier differential settlement can affect various railway performance-related criteria. The performance of the model compares favorably with that of a 3D finite element model and train‐track‐bridge numerical model. The analysis of the study demonstrates that all the dynamic response for a span of 24 m is slightly larger than that for a span of 32 m. The wheel unloading rate increases with pier differential settlement for all of the calculation conditions considered, and its maximum value of 0.695 is well below the allowable limit. Meanwhile, the vertical acceleration increases with pier differential settlement and train speed, respectively, and the values for a pier differential settlement of 10 mm and speed of 350 km/h exceed the maximum allowable limit stipulated in the Chinese standards. On this basis, a speed limit for the exceeding pier differential settlement is determined for comfort consideration. Fasteners that had an initial tensile force due to pier differential settlement experience both compressive and tensile forces as the train passes through and are likely to have a lower service life than those which solely experience compressive forces.
A Sensitive and Rapid Method for Detecting Formaldehyde in Brain Tissues
Authors: Yue Xiangpei , Zhang Yaoyue , Xing Wen , Chen Yutong , Mu Chenyang , Miao Zhan , Ge Peichun , Li Tingting , He Rongqiao , Tong Zhiqian
Published: September 2017

The existing methods for detecting formaldehyde (FA) in brain samples are expensive and require sophisticated experimental procedures. Here, we established a highly sensitive and selective spectrophotometric method, which is based on a reaction in which FA reacts with colorless reagent 4-amino-3-penten-2-one (Fluoral-P) to produce a yellow compound, 3,5-diacetyl-1,4-dihydrolutidine (DDL), which can be detected by a spectrophotometer at 420 nm at room temperature. The sensitive response time point was found to be at the first hour, and the optimal pH of derivative reaction was pH 6.0. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limits of quantization (LOQ) for detecting FA were 0.5 μM and 2.5 μM, respectively. Using this method, an abnormally high level of FA was detected in both the brains of FA-injected mice and autopsy hippocampus tissues from patients with Alzheimer’s disease. This finding suggests that the modified Fluoral-P method is effective for measuring levels of FA in the brains.
An EEG Tool for Monitoring Patient Engagement during Stroke Rehabilitation: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Bartur Gadi , Joubran Katherin , Peleg-Shani Sara , Vatine Jean-Jacques , Shahaf Goded
Published: September 2017

Objective. Patient engagement is of major significance in neural rehabilitation. We developed a real-time EEG marker for attention, the Brain Engagement Index (BEI). In this work we investigate the relation between the BEI and temporary functional change during a rehabilitation session.Methods. First part: 13 unimpaired controls underwent BEI monitoring during motor exercise of varying levels of difficulty. Second part: 18 subacute stroke patients underwent standard motor rehabilitation with and without use of real-time BEI feedback regarding their level of engagement. Single-session temporary functional changes were evaluated based on videos taken before and after training on a given task. Two assessors, blinded to feedback use, assessed the change following single-session treatments.Results. First part: a relation between difficulty of exercise and BEI was identified. Second part: temporary functional change was associated with BEI level regardless of the use of feedback.Conclusions. This study provides preliminary evidence that when BEI is higher, the temporary functional change induced by the treatment session is better. Further work is required to expand this preliminary study and to evaluate whether such temporary functional change can be harnessed to improve clinical outcome.Clinical Trial Registration. Registered with clinicaltrials.gov, unique identifier:NCT02603718(retrospectively registered 10/14/2015).
A dϕ-Strategy: Facilitating Dual-Formation Control of a Virtually Connected Team
Authors: Sharma Bibhya , Vanualailai Jito , Prasad Avinesh
Published: September 2017

This paper describes the design of new centralized acceleration-based controllers for the multitask problem of motion planning and control of a coordinated lead-carrier team fixed in a dual-formation within an obstacle-ridden environment. A dϕ-strategy, where d and ϕ are Euclidean measures with respect to the lead robot, is developed to ensure virtual connectivity of the carrier robots to the lead robot. This connectivity, built into the system itself, inherently ensures globally rigid formation between each lead-carrier pair of the team. Moreover, a combination of target configuration, dϕ-strategy, orientation consensus, and avoidance of end-effector of robots results in a second, locally rigid formation (not infinitesimally rigid). Therefore, for the first time, a dual-formation control problem of a lead-carrier team of mobile manipulators is considered. This and other kinodynamic constraints have been treated simultaneously via the overarching Lyapunov-based control scheme, essentially a potential field method favored in the field of robotics. The formulation of this new scheme, demonstrated effectively via computer simulations, is timely, given that the current proposed engineering solutions, allowing autonomous vehicles on public roads, include the development of special lanes imbued with special sensors and wireless technologies.
Effectiveness of a Lytic Phage SRG1 against Vancomycin-ResistantEnterococcus faecalisin Compost and Soil
Authors: Rahmat Ullah Sidra , Andleeb Saadia , Raza Taskeen , Jamal Muhsin , Mehmood Khalid
Published: September 2017

Nosocomial infections caused by vancomycin-resistantEnterococcushave become a major problem. Bacteriophage therapy is proposed as a potential alternative therapy. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and are ubiquitous in nature. Lytic bacteriophage was isolated from sewage water that infects VREF, the causative agent of endocarditis, bacteraemia, and urinary tract infections (UTIs). The phage produced clear plaques with unique clear morphology and well-defined boundaries. TEM results of phage revealed it to be108±0.2 nm long and90±0.5 nm wide. The characterization of bacteriophage revealed that infection process of phage was calcium and magnesium dependent and phage titers were highest under optimum conditions for VREF, with an optimal temperature range of 37–50°C. The maximum growth was observed at 37°C, hence having 100% viability. The latent period for phage was small with a burst size of 512 viral particles per bacterial cell. The phage was tested against various clinical strains and results proved it to be host specific. It can be used as a potential therapeutic agent for VREF infections. The phage efficiently eradicated VREF inoculated in cattle compost, poultry compost, and a soil sample which makes it a potential agent for clearing compost and soil sample.
Predictability of Extreme Waves in the Lorenz-96 Model Near Intermittency and Quasi-Periodicity
Authors: Sterk A. E. , van Kekem D. L.
Published: September 2017

We introduce a method for quantifying the predictability of the event that the evolution of a deterministic dynamical system enters a specific subset of state space at a given lead time. The main idea is to study the distribution of finite-time growth rates of errors in initial conditions along the attractor of the system. The predictability of an event is measured by comparing error growth rates for initial conditions leading to that event with all possible growth rates. We illustrate the method by studying the predictability of extreme amplitudes of traveling waves in the Lorenz-96 model. Our numerical experiments show that the predictability of extremes is affected by several routes to chaos in a different way. In a scenario involving intermittency due to a periodic attractor disappearing through a saddle-node bifurcation we find that extremes become better predictable as the intensity of the event increases. However, in a similar intermittency scenario involving the disappearance of a 2-torus attractor we find that extremes are just as predictable as nonextremes. Finally, we study a scenario which involves a 3-torus attractor in which case the predictability of extremes depends nonmonotonically on the prediction lead time.
Plasmablastic Lymphoma: Case Report of Prolonged Survival of an Advanced Human Immunodeficiency Patient and Literature Review
Authors: Rafei Hind , El-Bahesh Ehab , Finianos Antoine , Liu Min-Ling L. , Schechter Geraldine P.
Published: September 2017

Clinical Practice Points. Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a rare and highly aggressive variant of diffuse large B cell lymphoma with median survival of advanced stage patients varying between 6 and 15 months in previous reports. We report here a human immunodeficiency virus-infected patient surviving over 12 years following treatment for advanced PBL with EPOCH chemotherapy and intrathecal therapy. This case highlights the potential for improved survival in PBL with intensive chemotherapy. Further, literature review suggests promising prospects utilizing novel targeted therapies to increase the rate of prolonged responses.
Can the Weight of an External Breast Prosthesis Influence Trunk Biomechanics during Functional Movement in Postmastectomy Women?
Authors: Hojan Katarzyna , Manikowska Faustyna
Published: September 2017

Introduction. Recent papers indicate that one-side mastectomy can produce deleterious effects on the posture and musculoskeletal system. This study was conducted to better understand the underlying mechanisms involved in trunk motion in external prosthesis users.Objective. The aim was to evaluate the changes in surface electromyographic (SEMG) activity of the erector spinae muscles (ES) in postmastectomy women with and without breast prostheses during functional body movement tests.Methods. In 51 one-side postmastectomy women the SEMG muscle activity of bilateral ES was measured during symmetrical and asymmetrical dynamic activities in a counterbalanced manner with different weights of the breast prosthesis. Range-of-motion measurements were taken for forward bending, backward bending, lateral bending, and rotation.Results. The mean level of the ES activity in the lumbar region was not affected by the weight of the external breast prosthesis during most of the functional body tests (P>0.05). The activity of ES during functional body tests with and without different external breast prostheses did not differ between the two sides of the trunk (mastectomy and nonmastectomy) for most of the movement tests (P>0.05).Conclusion. The lumbar ES activity during functional tests is not associated with the weight of the external breast prosthesis in postmastectomy women.
O ex-mágico
Authors: Reis Flávia
Published: September 2017

(Resenha): Costa, Olimpio. O ex-mágico. 2016.
Binding of FUN14 Domain Containing 1 With Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor in Mitochondria-Associated Endoplasmic Reticulum Membranes Maintains Mitochondrial Dynamics and Function in Hearts in Vivo
Authors: Wu Shengnan , Lu Qiulun , Wang Qilong , Ding Ye , Ma Zejun , Mao Xiaoxiang , Huang Kai , Xie Zhonglin , Zou Ming-Hui
Published: September 2017

Background:

FUN14 domain containing 1 (FUNDC1) is a highly conserved outer mitochondrial membrane protein. The aim of this study is to examine whether FUNDC1 modulates the mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes (MAMs), mitochondrial morphology, and function in cardiomyocytes and intact hearts.

Methods:

The impacts of FUNDC1 on MAMs formation and cardiac functions were studied in mouse neonatal cardiomyocytes, in mice with cardiomyocyte-specific
Fundc1
gene knockout (
Fundc1

f/Y

/Cre

αMyHC+/−

), and in the cardiac tissues of the patients with heart failure.

Results:

In mouse neonatal cardiomyocytes and intact hearts, FUNDC1 was localized in MAMs by binding to ER-resided inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate type 2 receptor (IP
3
R2).
Fundc1
ablation disrupted MAMs and reduced the levels of IP
3
R2 and Ca
2+
in both mitochondria and cytosol, whereas overexpression of
Fundc1
increased the levels of IP
3
R2 and Ca
2+
in both mitochondria and cytosol. Consistently,
Fundc1
ablation increased Ca
2+
levels in ER, whereas
Fundc1
overexpression lowered ER Ca
2+
levels. Further,
Fundc1
ablation in cardiomyocytes elongated mitochondria and compromised mitochondrial functions. Mechanistically, we found that
Fundc1
ablation-induced reduction of intracellular Ca
2+
levels suppressed mitochondrial fission 1 protein (
Fis1
) expression and mitochondrial fission by reducing the binding of the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) in the
Fis1
promoter.
Fundc1

f/Y

/Cre

αMyHC+/−

mice but not their littermate control mice (
Fundc1

wt/Y

/Cre

αMyHC+/−

) exhibited cardiac dysfunction. The ligation of the left ventricle artery of
Fundc1

f/Y

/Cre

αMyHC+/−

mice caused more severe cardiac dysfunction than those in sham-treated
Fundc1

f/Y

/Cre

αMyHC+/−

mice. Finally, we found that the FUNDC1/MAMs/CREB/Fis1 signaling axis was significantly suppressed in patients with heart failure.

Conclusions:

We conclude that FUNDC1 binds to IP
3
R2 to modulate ER Ca
2+
release into mitochondria and cytosol. Further, a disruption of the FUNDC1 and IP
3
R2 interaction lowers the levels of Ca
2+
in mitochondria and cytosol, both of which instigate aberrant mitochondrial fission, mitochondrial dysfunction, cardiac dysfunction, and heart failure.
A Polarimetric Analysis of Ice Microphysical Processes in Snow, Using Quasi-Vertical Profiles
Authors: Griffin Erica M. , Schuur Terry J. , Ryzhkov Alexander V.
Published: September 2017

This study implements a new quasi-vertical profile (QVP) methodology to investigate the microphysical evolution and significance of intriguing winter polarimetric signatures and their statistical correlations. QVPs of transitional stratiform and pure snow precipitation are analyzed using WSR-88D S-band data, alongside their corresponding environmental thermodynamic High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model analyses. QVPs of KDP and ZDR are implemented to demonstrate their value in interpreting elevated ice processes. Several fascinating and repetitive signatures are observed in the QVPs for differential reflectivity ZDR and specific differential phase KDP, in the dendritic growth layer (DGL), and at the tops of clouds. The most striking feature is maximum ZDR (up to 6 dB) in the DGL occurring near the −10-dBZ ZH contour within low KDP and during shallower and warmer cloud tops. Conversely, maximum KDP (up to 0.3° km−1) in the DGL occurs within low ZDR and during taller and colder cloud tops. Essentially, ZDR and KDP in the DGL are anticorrelated and strongly depend on cloud-top temperature. Analyses also show correlations indicating larger ZDR within lower ZH in the DGL and larger KDP within greater ZH in the DGL. The high-ZDR regions are likely dominated by growth of a mixture of highly oblate dendrites and/or hexagonal plates, or prolate needles. Regions of high KDP are expected to be overwhelmed with snow aggregates and crystals with irregular or nearly spherical shapes, seeded at cloud tops. Furthermore, QVP indications of hexagonal plate crystals within the DGL are verified using in situ microphysical measurements, demonstrating the reliability of QVPs in evaluating ice microphysics in upper regions of winter clouds.
Identifying the Study Process Dimensions of Australian University Students
Authors: Watkins David
Published: September 2017

This investigation of 540 first year university students using the ‘approaches to studying’ inventory casts doubt on the validity of the meaning/reproducing/achieving model of the study process domain espoused by Entwistle and Biggs. Rather it suggests that the reproducing dimension can be broken down into surface/confusion and operation learning components. Little evidence was found of the role of achievement motivation in the study methods adopted by these students. The surface/confusion factor was the only factor consistently significantly correlated with tertiary grades. This study supports earlier findings with students at another Australian university that arts students and mature students are more likely to adopt deep-level approaches to study. However there was no agreement as to whether males or females were more inclined to adopt such an approach.
Does Tertiary Education Produce Religious Change?
Authors: De Vaus David
Published: September 2017

This study considers whether tertiary institutions have an impact on the religious orientation of students. While other studies have examined this question, they suffer from important methodological weaknesses which leave their interpretations open to question. By using a longitudinal research design with control groups, this study of 375 16-to 18-year-olds shows that tertiary institutions have no distinctive impact on student religious orientation. It is suggested that the lack of distinctive impact is partly because attending tertiary institutions has no distinctive impact on the reference groups of students.
An Empirical Demonstration of Bias in HSC Examination Results
Authors: Dunn Terrence R.
Published: September 2017

This study examines the question of bias in the way Higher School Certificate (HSC) scores relate to university results. Separate regressions of university results on HSC scores were carried out for students having different high school backgrounds. These analyses showed that, across faculties and years, HSC scores were biased against state school students. That is, state school students perform better at university than do independent school students having the same HSC scores. Two models of fair selection were then used to show that, in order for selection to be fair, a lower cut-off should be used for state school students.
Qualitative Changes in Conceptions of the World around Us as an Educational Outcome: Pre-school Student Teachers’ Way of Apprehending Children at Play
Authors: Hasselgren Biörn , Marton Ference
Published: September 2017

An alternative model for describing effects of education is argued for. This model is based on the conceptualization of learning as a qualitative change in our way of understanding some aspect of the world around us; and it follows from this that, when describing educational effects, we should aim at finding out what changes have taken place and to what extent. This particular research approach is illustrated by an empirical study of how pre-school student teachers’ apprehensions of children at play change as a function of their education. There were four distinctively different ways of apprehending discerned:fragmentary (enumeration of various details without any coherence); partialistic (focus is on one part of the whole scene depicted, the rest is left out); chronological (events are ordered in a temporal sequence); and abstracting (the scene is seen as illustrating a superordinate idea). There was a developmental pattern observed going from either a fragmentary or a partialistic apprehension to a chronological one and from there to an abstracting apprehension.
Education and Change in South Australia
Authors: Skilbeck Malcolm
Published: September 2017

Publication of a major state report whose interest lies primarily in its proposals for the recentralization of school curriculum is a sign of the transformation that is occurring in several parts of the world. What the Keeves Report, Education and Change in South Australia, says on this subject has already provoked a strong, critical reaction in parts of the Australian education community, not least from the teachers associations. But it is not only the curriculum analysis which has great topical interest. Set against the Keeves Committee's views on (1) the nature of social change, (2) the professional roles of teachers, and (3) the scope and functions of the state education bureaucracy, the proposals for concentration of curriculum power within that bureaucracy and very largely at state, not regional or local, level may be seen as a determined attempt to recentralize authority for education generally. The Report is an unusual example of sustained examination of curriculum policy and administration, prepared at a time of economic if not social crisis in a State until recently identified with optimism and innovation. By its uncompromising stand on the key question of where authority in a state system might best lie, it raises fundamental questions about public sector control, which take it well beyond the milieu of South Australian education.
Spotlight Screener as a Predictor of First-grade Reading Achievement
Authors: Sheppard John L. , Sheppard Marlene J.
Published: September 2017

The Spotlight for Literacy screener was examined for reliability, validity, and performance of children, related to biographical variables, by administering it to 458 first-grade Australian children early in the school year (March-April) with criterion measures of reading and mathematics (Daniels and Diack Standard Reading Tests and Metropolitan Achievement Test) being given later in October-November. Internal consistency reliability was shown by a Kuder Richardson coefficient of 0.89. Correlations of the screener with the criterion tests ranged from 0.7 to 0.8. Step-wise multiple regression analyses indicated that 11 of the 13 subtests contributed significantly to the variance, when the subtests were independent variables and the criterion tests were dependent variables. Multiple discriminant function analyses showed that hit rates of the screener as a predictor were very high for the low and high achiever groups. On the screener, girls had higher scores than boys, groups differed according to socioeconomic status (higher scores to higher SES), and children from English-speaking homes scored higher than children who had English as their second language.
Resource Allocation and Educational Need
Authors: Ross Kenneth N.
Published: September 2017

This paper describes the development and validation of an indicator of educational need which would be suitable for guiding decisions concerning resource allocation to educationally disadvantaged schools in Australia. The data employed were drawn from two sources: data describing a wide range of student characteristics (literacy and numeracy test scores, home background information, teacher ratings of classroom behaviour, etc.) which were collected from national samples of 6000 10-year-old and 6000 14-year-old students, and census data describing the characteristics of the census collector's district in which each sample member lived. Stepwise multiple regression was used to combine the census information into an indicator which was highly correlated with school mean achievement scores. An assessment of the performance of the indicator was made in terms of Accuracy and Leakage coefficients. These coefficients provided objective measures of the precision with which resources have been delivered to those students who were in most need of assistance.
Culture, Cultural Resources, and the Labour Market: A Study of a Christian Brothers College
Authors: Watkins Peter E.
Published: September 2017

The ethnographic study of Christian Brothers College, Newburyport described here is the joint undertaking of a Deakin University research team forming part of a continuous research project: Schools as Negotiated Realities. The data from that research, presented in this paper, relate to the way students of CBC gain entry into the labour market. From the evidence revealed by the data, cultural capital or cultural resources play a significant part in the way students obtain access into the workplace. The paper then develops the theoretical arguments of such scholars as Bourdieu, Passeron, Collins, and Granovetter to help explain and make sense of the data.
Beliefs about the Employed and the Unemployed Held by Senior High School Students in North Queensland
Authors: Doring Allan J.
Published: September 2017

As part of a larger study within a sociology of knowledge framework, a questionnaire designed to identify beliefs about unemployment and employment was administered to 1667 Year 10, 11, and 12 students in North Queensland high schools during the final weeks of the school year. Respondents were asked to rank 15 items on unemployment beliefs, six internal/dispositional (ID) and nine external/socio-environmental (ES), and 14 items on employment beliefs, eight ID and six ES, on a 4-point scale. Significant differences between the two groups were found only on three items. School leavers rated ‘experience’ and ‘qualifications’ more highly while school stayers rated ‘luck’ more highly. The results are discussed in relation to a concern about students leaving school with naive beliefs about their employment future in a time of increasing youth unemployment.
How can Curricula be Analysed? The Case of History Syllabuses
Authors: Partington Geoffrey
Published: September 2017

Many thousands of hours a year are spent in many countries in drawing up specific subject syllabuses and general curriculum proposals. A common feature of such activities is a transposition of aims, objectives, or rationales with subject content and activities. Teachers with their own reasons, in many cases entirely respectable ones, for what they teach, and how they teach it, leave them largely unstated, sometimes because they are not fully conscious of them. Instead teachers’ justifications are apt to be grounded in contingency.

Many teachers and ‘curriculum writers’, deeply impressed by arrays of ‘practical curriculum objectives’ and taxonomic hierarchies, seek to justify their subjects in terms of various desirable results which often follow from their pursuit, even though other subjects or activities might equally or better secure these contingent goods. As Robin Barrow (1976) justly observed of such a situation in the United Kingdom: ‘by the end of the exercise virtually every school subject that has ever been devised is shown to be justifiable in terms of more than one of the objectives’ (pp. 35–6). A general method for avoiding this and some related forms of conceptual confusion is outlined here, with history as a specific example of how its principles can be applied.
Leaving or Staying on at High School as a Career Decision-Making Process
Authors: Harvey Michael J.
Published: September 2017

This paper uses a career framework to investigate the socially constructed knowledge which students use to make decisions concerning their preferences for further schooling. A sample of students (n= 80) from a high school is used to examine student perspectives for either early school leaving or for staying on at school. Semistructured interviews identify the ‘because of’ and ‘in order to’ motives of students as they approach this critical choice point. The decision-making process of students reveals attempts to assess the costs and benefits of the school experience for the maintenance of desirable conceptions of the self. The degree of integration of school and self is central to the development of the career perspective of the high school student.