bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aquatic Nitrate Retention at River Network Scales Across Flow Conditions Determined Using Nested In Situ Sensors
Authors: Wollheim W. M. , Mulukutla G. K. , Cook C. , Carey R. O.
Published: November 2017

Nonpoint pollution sources are strongly influenced by hydrology and are therefore sensitive to climate variability. Some pollutants entering aquatic ecosystems, e.g., nitrate, can be mitigated by in‐stream processes during transport through river networks. Whole river network nitrate retention is difficult to quantify with observations. High frequency, in situ nitrate sensors, deployed in nested locations within a single watershed, can improve estimates of both nonpoint inputs and aquatic retention at river network scales. We deployed a nested sensor network and associated sampling in the urbanizing Oyster River watershed in coastal New Hampshire, USA, to quantify storm event‐scale loading and retention at network scales. An end member analysis used the relative behavior of reactive nitrate and conservative chloride to infer river network fate of nitrate. In the headwater catchments, nitrate and chloride concentrations are both increasingly diluted with increasing storm size. At the mouth of the watershed, chloride is also diluted, but nitrate tended to increase. The end member analysis suggests that this pattern is the result of high retention during small storms (51–78%) that declines to zero during large storms. Although high frequency nitrate sensors did not alter estimates of fluxes over seasonal time periods compared to less frequent grab sampling, they provide the ability to estimate nitrate flux versus storm size at event scales that is critical for such analyses. Nested sensor networks can improve understanding of the controls of both loading and network scale retention, and therefore also improve management of nonpoint source pollution.
Novel pregnancy‐triggered episodes of CAPOS syndrome
Authors: Chang Irene J. , Adam Margaret P. , Jayadev Suman , Bird Thomas D. , Natarajan Niranjana , Glass Ian A.
Published: November 2017

Cerebellar ataxia, areflexia, pes cavus, optic atrophy, and sensorineural hearing loss (CAPOS) syndrome (OMIM# 601338) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by episodic, fever‐induced ataxic encephalopathy in childhood with residual symptoms. All identified patients have the same heterozygous missense variant c.2452G>A (p.Glu818Lys) in the ATP1A3 gene, encoding Na+/K+ ATPase α3. We describe a large CAPOS pedigree with three generations of affected members, the first ascertained in the United States. Deafness, optic atrophy, and pes cavus were present in all three members of the family evaluated. In addition, one of the affected individuals experienced markedly worsening features during her three pregnancies and in the immediate postpartum period, a potential element of the natural history of CAPOS previously unreported. We conclude that the triggering factors and clinical spectrum of pathogenic ATP1A3 variants may be broader than previously described. Targeted sequencing of ATP1A3 should be considered in any patient presenting with cerebellar ataxia triggered by febrile illness, or pregnancy and delivery, especially in the presence of sensorineural hearing loss, optic atrophy, pes cavus, or early childhood history of acute encephalopathic ataxia. Prophylactic administration of acetazolamide or flunarizine may prevent acute episodes of ataxia or mitigate neurologic symptoms, although their efficacies have not been well studied.
Effect of branching in hyperbranched alkyd on the performance of alkyd polyurethane coating
Authors: Jana Tirthankar , Koley Tapas , Dhar Tapan Kumar
Published: November 2017

Hyperbranched alkyd was synthesized by single‐step approach using trimethylolpropane, mono pentaerythritol as core material, and 2,2‐bis(methylol)propionic acid (DMPA), a combination of dehydrated castor oil fatty acid and coconut oil fatty acid as chain extender. A series of hyperbranched alkyds were prepared at different degree of branching in the alkyd structures by changing the amount of DMPA in the alkyd resin formulation. The resins were characterized by Fourier transform infrared and 1H‐nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic technique. These hyperbranched alkyds were converted into polyurethane coating after reaction with hexamethylene diisocyanate trimer at a definite ratio in the presence of dibutyltin dilaurate as a catalyst. The effect of branching and polymeric chain entanglement on the glass transition temperature, Tg of the alkyd polyurethane coating (APUC) was studied by differential scanning calorimetry technique. The performance of such APUC in terms of gloss, gloss retention under accelerated QUV radiation, natural outdoor exposed condition, mechanical, and corrosion resistance properties were enhanced with the increase of polymeric chain entanglement, i.e., compactness or higher order of branching in the alkyd resin structure. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45835.
Randomized clinical trial of hepatic resection versus radiofrequency ablation for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Ng K K C , Chok K S H , Chan A C Y , Cheung T T , Wong T C L , Fung J Y Y , Yuen J , Poon R T P , Fan S T , Lo C M
Published: November 2017

Background

Hepatic resection and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are treatment options for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Whether tumour recurrence and long-term survival favour either treatment has not been established. This randomized trial aimed to test the hypothesis that RFA is superior to hepatic resection in terms of lower tumour recurrence rate and better long-term survival.

Methods

Patients with early-stage HCC (solitary tumour no larger than 5 cm; or no more than 3 tumours, each 3 cm or smaller) were randomized into hepatic resection and RFA groups. Demographic and clinical characteristics, and short- and long-term outcome measures were compared between groups. Primary and secondary outcome measures were overall tumour recurrence and survival respectively.

Results

Clinicopathological data were similar in the two groups, which each contained 109 patients. The RFA group had a shorter treatment duration, less blood loss and shorter hospital stay than the resection group. Mortality and morbidity rates were similar in the two groups. The overall tumour recurrence rate was similar in the resection and RFA groups (71·3 versus 81·7 per cent respectively). The 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year overall survival rates were 94·5, 80·6, 66·5 and 47·6 per cent respectively in the resection group, compared with 95·4, 82·3, 66·4 and 41·8 per cent in the RFA group (P = 0·531). Corresponding disease-free survival rates were 74·1, 50·9, 41·5 and 31·9 per cent in the resection group, and 70·6, 46·6, 33·6 and 18·6 per cent in the RFA group (P = 0·072).

Conclusion

RFA for early-stage HCC is not superior to hepatic resection, in terms of tumour recurrence, overall survival and disease-free survival. Registration number: HKUCTR-10 (http://www.hkuctr.com).
Bioaccumulation of Potentially Toxic Elements in Cereal and Legume Crops: A Review
Authors: Murtaza Ghulam , Usman Yawar , Niazi Nabeel Khan , Usman Muhammad , Hussain Tajammal
Published: November 2017

Contamination of soil and water with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) has become a global environmental concern that could pose potential risks to human health and agriculture. The major anthropogenic sources of PTEs contamination include coal combustion processes, leather tanning operations, mining, smelting activities, and use of sewage water for irrigation. Scattered studies are available in the literature that determines the sources, bioavailability, and potential hazards due to PTEs contamination to crop plants and, ultimately, to human beings. This article reviews how solid‐ and solution‐phase chemistry of soil and existing plant species influence the bioavailability of PTEs to cereal and legume plants, along with the mechanisms involved in the uptake and accumulation. This article also describes the phytotoxic effects of PTEs and strategies to overcome these toxic effects by identifying highly tolerant cereals and legumes. Moreover, this article also summarizes recent advances in the field application and discusses perspectives to reduce PTEs accumulation in cereal and legume crops.
Simple and Efficient Purification of Recombinant Proteins Using the Heparin‐Binding Affinity Tag
Authors: Jayanthi Srinivas , Gundampati Ravi Kumar , Kumar Thallapuranam Krishnaswamy Suresh
Published: November 2017

Heparin, a member of the glycosaminoglycan family, is known to interact with more than 400 different types of proteins. For the past few decades, significant progress has been made to understand the molecular details involved in heparin‐protein interactions. Based on the structural knowledge available from the FGF1‐heparin interaction studies, we have designed a novel heparin‐binding peptide (HBP) affinity tag that can be used for the simple, efficient, and cost‐effective purification of recombinant proteins of interest. HBP‐tagged fusion proteins can be purified by heparin Sepharose affinity chromatography using a simple sodium chloride gradient to elute the bound fusion protein. In addition, owing to the high density of positive charges on the HBP tag, recombinant target proteins are preferably expressed in their soluble forms. The purification of HBP‐fusion proteins can also be achieved in the presence of chemical denaturants, including urea. Additionally, polyclonal antibodies raised against the affinity tag can be used to detect HBP‐fused target proteins with high sensitivity. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Visualization of Protein Interactions in Living Cells Using Bimolecular Luminescence Complementation (BiLC)
Authors: Verhoef Lisette G.G.C. , Wade Mark
Published: November 2017

The number of intracellular protein‐protein interactions (PPIs) far exceeds the total number of proteins encoded by the genome. Dynamic cellular PPI networks respond to external stimuli and endogenous metabolism in order to maintain homeostasis. Many PPIs are directly involved in disease pathogenesis and/or resistance to therapeutics; they therefore represent potential drug targets. A technology generally termed ‘bimolecular complementation’ relies on the physical splitting of a molecular reporter (such as a fluorescent or luminescent protein) and fusion of the resulting two fragments to a pair of interacting proteins. When these proteins interact, they effectively reconstitute the activity of the molecular reporter (typically leading to increased fluorescence or luminescence). This unit describes the selection and development of bimolecular luminescence complementation (BiLC) assays for reporting intracellular PPIs, and provides examples in which BiLC was used to identify small molecules that can modulate PPIs. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Analysis of Disulfide Bond Formation
Authors: Braakman Ineke , Lamriben Lydia , van Zadelhoff Guus , Hebert Daniel N.
Published: November 2017

In this unit, protocols are provided for detection of disulfide bond formation in cultures of intact cells and in an in vitro translation system containing isolated microsomes or semi‐permeabilized cells. First, the newly synthesized protein of interest is biosynthetically labeled with radioactive amino acids in a short pulse. The labeled protein then is chased with unlabeled amino acids. At different times during the chase, a sample is collected, membranes are lysed with detergent, and the protein is isolated by immunoprecipitation, as described. A support protocol is provided for analysis of disulfide bonds in the immunoprecipitates by SDS‐PAGE with and without prior reduction. The difference in mobility observed between the gels with nonreduced and reduced samples is due to disulfide bonds in the nonreduced protein. An additional support protocol is included that uses PEG‐maleimide to modify free thiols and follow disulfide‐bond formation by SDS‐PAGE. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Expression and Purification of Protein Complexes Suitable for Structural Studies Using Mammalian HEK 293F Cells
Authors: Nigi Irene , Fairall Louise , Schwabe John W.R.
Published: November 2017

Prokaryotic expression systems have been widely used to express proteins for structural studies. Such expression systems have the advantage of being economical, straightforward and fast. However, for many eukaryotic proteins and particularly protein complexes, bacterial expression systems do not produce significant yields of soluble protein. This may result from failure to efficiently transcribe/translate the required protein or may result from the formation of insoluble aggregates known as inclusion bodies. Mammalian expression systems can often produce natively folded proteins, sometimes with native post‐translational modifications. However, such expression systems are underutilized due to the perception that they are costly, technically challenging and result in limited protein yields. In fact, HEK 293F cells are straightforward to grow, transfect with high efficiency and often produce significant yields of recombinant proteins. In this unit, we describe a method to express and purify milligram quantities of a human protein complex from HEK 293F cells grown in suspension transiently transfected with the appropriate plasmids. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Photoelectrochemical Performance of BiVO4 Photoanodes Integrated with [NiFe]‐Layered Double Hydroxide Nanocatalysts
Authors: Sinclair Timothy S. , Gray Harry B. , Müller Astrid M.
Published: November 2017

We immobilized laser‐made nickel iron layered double hydroxide ([NiFe]‐LDH) nanocatalysts on BiVO4 photoanodes. We compared photoelectrochemical performance of integrated [NiFe]‐LDH–BiVO4 photoanodes in sulfite‐free aqueous electrolyte with photocurrent generation of neat BiVO4 photoanodes in aqueous electrolyte with sulfite added as sacrificial hole acceptor. We optimized catalyst mass loading, which is a tradeoff between most efficient depletion of photogenerated holes that drive catalytic turnover and parasitic light absorption by the catalyst particles. We also mitigated nanocatalyst aggregation on the BiVO4 surface by a surfactant that selectively ligated the catalysts or by dispersing the catalyst suspension more rapidly on the photoanode surface. Our rational optimization strategies enhanced photoelectrochemical performance of integrated nanocatalyst photoanodes: Two thirds of all photogenerated holes escaped loss processes in our optimized integrated [NiFe]‐LDH–BiVO4 photoanodes under 100 mW cm–2 of simulated air mass 1.5 G illumination in aqueous pH 9.2 buffered electrolyte. Our systematic optimization strategies for integration of highly efficient water oxidation nanocatalysts with a visible‐light absorber provide a path towards functional artificial photosynthesis devices.
Computer simulation and enantioselective capillary electrophoresis to characterize isomer mixtures of sulfated β‐cyclodextrins
Authors: Mikkonen Saara , Caslavska Jitka , Hruška Vlastimil , Thormann Wolfgang
Published: November 2017

The enantiomeric separation of methadone in the presence of multiple isomer mixtures of sulfated β‐cyclodextrin (S‐β‐CD) was studied experimentally with CZE and theoretically using computer simulation. Experiments were performed over many years with several lots of S‐β‐CD from the same manufacturer with a specified degree of substitution of 7–11. Large differences in the migration patterns were observed between certain lots and it was concluded that the extent of labelling in lots released after a transition time was higher than originally specified. The migration pattern was observed to be associated with (i) the ionic strength increase resulting from using S‐β‐CDs with a higher charge state and (ii) differences in buffer composition. Apparent binding constants between methadone and the S‐β‐CD and complex mobilities were determined for different lots of S‐β‐CD at varying ionic strength using phosphate and 3‐morpholino‐2‐hydroxypropanesulfonic acid buffers. The obtained values were used as input for simulations. For a given ionic strength, agreement between predicted and experimentally observed behavior was obtained for different buffers. R‐methadone has a stronger interaction with S‐β‐CD than S‐methadone. For any given configuration there is a distinct S‐β‐CD concentration range which results in the cationic migration of S‐methadone while the migration direction of R‐methadone is reversed. This configuration was demonstrated to be applicable for micropreparative CZE separations.
Using extirpation to evaluate ionic tolerance of freshwater fish
Authors: Griffith Michael B. , Zheng Lei , Cormier Susan M.
Published: November 2017

Field data of fish occurrences and specific conductivity were used to estimate the tolerance of freshwater fish to elevated ion concentrations and to compare the differences between species- and genus-level analyses for individual effects. We derived extirpation concentrations at the 95th percentile (XC95) of a weighted cumulative frequency distribution for fish species inhabiting streams of the central and southern Appalachians by customizing methods used previously with macroinvertebrate genera. Weighting factors were calculated based on the number of sites in basins where each species occurred, reducing overweighting observations of species restricted to fewer basins. Comparing the species- and genus-level fish XC95 values, XC95s for fish genera were near the XC95s for the most salt-tolerant species in the genus. Therefore, a genus-level effect threshold is not reliably predictive of species-level extirpation, unless the genus is monospecific in the assessed assemblage. Of the 101 fish species XC95 values, 5% were <509 and 10% were <565 µS/cm. The lowest XC95 for a species was 322 µS/cm, which is >300 µS/cm, the exposure estimated to extirpate 5% of macroinvertebrate genera in the central Appalachians. Above 509 µS/cm, 41 of the 101 species are expected to decline in occurrence. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:871–883. Published 2017 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
Combinatorial genetics in liver repopulation and carcinogenesis with a in vivo CRISPR activation platform†
Authors: Wangensteen Kirk J. , Wang Yue J. , Dou Zhixun , Wang Amber W. , Mosleh‐Shirazi Elham , Horlbeck Max A. , Gilbert Luke A. , Weissman Jonathan S. , Berger Shelley L. , Kaestner Klaus H.
Published: November 2017

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR‐associated 9 activation (CRISPRa) systems have enabled genetic screens in cultured cell lines to discover and characterize drivers and inhibitors of cancer cell growth. We adapted this system for use in vivo to assess whether modulating endogenous gene expression levels can result in functional outcomes in the native environment of the liver. We engineered the catalytically dead CRISPR‐associated 9 (dCas9)–positive mouse, cyclization recombination–inducible (Cre) CRISPRa system for cell type–specific gene activation in vivo. We tested the capacity for genetic screening in live animals by applying CRISPRa in a clinically relevant model of liver injury and repopulation. We targeted promoters of interest in regenerating hepatocytes using multiple single guide RNAs (gRNAs), and employed high‐throughput sequencing to assess enrichment of gRNA sequences during liver repopulation and to link specific gRNAs to the initiation of carcinogenesis. All components of the CRISPRa system were expressed in a cell type–specific manner and activated endogenous gene expression in vivo. Multiple gRNA cassettes targeting a proto‐oncogene were significantly enriched following liver repopulation, indicative of enhanced division of cells expressing the proto‐oncogene. Furthermore, hepatocellular carcinomas developed containing gRNAs that activated this oncogene, indicative of cancer initiation events. Also, we employed our system for combinatorial cancer genetics in vivo as we found that while clonal hepatocellular carcinomas were dependent on the presence of the oncogene‐inducing gRNAs, they were depleted for multiple gRNAs activating tumor suppressors. Conclusion: The in vivo CRISPRa platform developed here allows for parallel and combinatorial genetic screens in live animals; this approach enables screening for drivers and suppressors of cell replication and tumor initiation. (Hepatology 2017).
IL‐6 promoter polymorphism increased risks of recurrent stroke in the young patients with moderate internal carotid artery stenosis
Authors: Ou Minghui , Liu Shunda , Ma Xiaoping , Xing Xiangluan , He Wenting , Gao Huanmin
Published: November 2017

Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) is a pleiotropic cytokine with both pro‐inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory properties. Increased serum IL‐6 is associated with higher risk of cerebral vascular diseases, however, the circulating levels of IL‐6 vary greatly between individuals for bioenvironmental or genetic interferes by IL‐6 transcription, therefore, this study was to investigate if IL‐6 promoter polymorphisms predict the recurrence of young stroke. A total of 94 patients with moderate internal carotid artery stenosis and 94 healthy subjects were selected. Color Doppler was used to screen internal carotid artery stenosis, PCR restriction enzyme fragment length polymorphism for genotypes. Stroke recurrence rates in patients with different genotypes of IL‐6 promoter were evaluated by 1‐year follow‐up. The frequencies of 634C/G genotype of IL‐6 promoter were CC 38.29%, CG 46.81%, and GG 14.90%, while CC 59.51%, CG 35.11%, GG 6.38% in the control group (P < 0.01). The frequency of G allele was significantly higher than that in the control group (38.30% vs 21.28%, P < 0.01). The relative risk was 2.2838, and 95% confidence interval was 1.0026 to 5.2026, adjusted age, sex, blood pressure, BMI, blood lipid levels and IL‐6 (P < 0.05). The recurrent rate was 25.53% at 1‐year follow‐up; the recurrent rate among carriers with wild‐type G allele (CG + GG genotype) was 32.76%, but CC 13.89% (P < 0.01). IL‐6 G allele promoter increased stroke recurrent risk, therefore, it would be a predictor for recurrence of stroke in the young with moderate internal carotid artery stenosis.
MiR‐613 suppressed the laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma progression through regulating PDK1
Authors: Wang Jing , Yang Shujuan , Ge Wensheng , Wang Ying , Han Chaodong , Li Maocai
Published: November 2017

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are aberrantly expressed in several tumors and play important role in tumorigenesis. However, little is known about the role of miR‐613 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). We determined the expression of miR‐613 in a panel of 30 LSCC specimens. Compared with the adjacent normal samples, 20 cases of LSCC tissues exhibited decreased expression of miR‐613. The average expression of miR‐613 in LSCC tissues was lower than in normal samples. Moreover, we demonstrated that exogenous expression of miR‐613 suppressed LSCC cell proliferation, invasion, and blocked G1/S phase transition. We identified that 3‐phosphoinositide‐dependent protein kinase‐1 (PDK1) was a direct target gene of miR‐613 in LSCC cell. Overexpression of miR‐613 suppressed PDK1 expression in LSCC cell. Furthermore, we demonstrated that PDK1 was upregulated in LSCC tissues. MiR‐613 expression was inversely correlated with the expression of PDK1 in LSCC tissues. Moreover, we showed that PDK1 was involved in the miR‐613‐mediated cancer suppression of LSCC cell. These results suggested that miR‐613 played as a tumor suppressor gene in LSCC partly by inhibiting PDK1 expression.
Retracted: Effects of apelin on retinal microglial cells in a rat model of oxygen‐induced retinopathy of prematurity
Authors: Zhang Wei , Zhang Ding‐Guo , Liang Xing , Zhang Wei‐Liang , Ma Jing‐Xue
Published: November 2017

This study explores the effects of apelin on retinal microglial cells in rat models of oxygen‐induced retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Totally, 274 rats were selected for establishing oxygen‐induced retinopathy (OIR) models, and 92 healthy rats for control group. OIR rats were assigned into OIR, 10−5 g/L apelin, 10−4 g/L apelin, and 10−3 g/L apelin groups. Immunohistochemistry was employed to determine morphology of microglial cells and cell number. CDllb, ionized calcium‐binding adapter molecule 1 (IBA‐1), TNF‐α, and iNOS mRNA and protein expressions were identified using RT‐qPCR and Western blotting, respectively. ELISA was employed to determine the levels of VEGF and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The amoeboid microglial cells were found in the OIR and 10−3 g/L apelin groups, while bipolar microglial cells were found in the normal control, 10−5 g/L apelin and 10−4 g/L apelin groups. In the 1, 2, 3, and 4th week after apelin treatment, there were significantly decreased bipolar microglial cells, lower mRNA and protein expressions of CDllb, IBA‐1, TNF‐α and iNOS, and the levels of VEGF and GFAP in the 10−4 g/L apelin group than in the OIR, 10−3 g/L apelin and 10−5 g/L apelin groups. The differences between the normal control and 10−4 g/L apelin groups are not significant. Compared with the OIR group, the 10−5 g/L apelin and 10−3 g/L apelin groups presented decreased microglial cells and mRNA and protein expressions of CDllb, IBA‐1, TNF‐α, and iNOS. Appropriate concentration of apelin may reduce retinal microglial cells in a rat model of oxygen‐induced ROP.
On the gaps of the spectrum of volumes of trades
Authors: Krotov Denis S.
Published: November 2017

A pair of disjoint collections of k‐subsets (blocks) of a set V of cardinality v is called a t‐ trade or simply a t‐trade if every t‐subset of V is included in the same number of blocks of T0 and T1. The cardinality of T0 is called the volume of the trade. Using the weight distribution of the Reed–Muller code, we prove the conjecture that for every i from 2 to t, there are no t‐trades of volume greater than and less than and derive restrictions on the t‐trade volumes that are less than .
Variable angle gray level co‐occurrence matrix analysis of T2 relaxation time maps reveals degenerative changes of cartilage in knee osteoarthritis: Oulu knee osteoarthritis study
Authors: Peuna Arttu , Hekkala Joonas , Haapea Marianne , Podlipská Jana , Guermazi Ali , Saarakkala Simo , Nieminen Miika T. , Lammentausta Eveliina
Published: November 2017

Background

Texture analysis methods based on gray level co‐occurrence matrices (GLCM) can be optimized to probe the spatial correspondence information from knee MRI T2 maps and the changes caused by osteoarthritis, and thus possibly leading to a more sensitive characterization of osteoarthritic cartilage. Curvature of the cartilage surfaces combined with the low image resolution in relation to cartilage thickness set special requirements for an effective texture analysis tool.

Purpose/Hypothesis

To introduce a novel implementation of GLCM algorithm optimized for cartilage texture analysis; to evaluate the performance of the designed algorithm against mean T2 relaxation time analysis; and to identify the most suitable texture features for discerning osteoarthritic subjects and asymptomatic controls.

Study Type

Case control.

Population/Subjects/Phantom/Specimen/animal Model

Eighty symptomatic osteoarthritis patients and 64 asymptomatic controls.

Field Strength/Sequence

Multislice multiecho spin echo sequence on a 3T MRI system.

Assessment

The T2 relaxation time maps were manually segmented by an operator trained for the task. Texture analysis was performed using an in‐house algorithm developed in MATLAB.

Statistical Tests

Symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects were compared using Mann–Whitney U‐test. Repeatability of different features was addressed using the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). Spearman's correlations between the features were determined.

Results

The algorithm displayed excellent performance in discerning symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects. Fifteen features provided a significant difference between the groups (P ≤ 0.05) and 12 of those had P values smaller than the mean T2 differences. Most of the studied texture features were highly repeatable with CCC over 90%. For the features with significant differences, correlation with mean T2 was low or moderate (|r| ≤ 0.5).

Data Conclusion

With careful parameter and feature selection and algorithm optimization, texture analysis provides a powerful tool for assessing knee osteoarthritis with more sensitive detection of cartilage degeneration compared to the mean value of the T2 relaxation times in an identical region of interest.

Level of Evidence: 2

Technical Efficacy Stage 2

J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:1316–1327.
Ultrasonographic Criteria for Diagnosing Unilateral and Bilateral Retronychia
Authors: Fernández Javier , Reyes‐Baraona Francisco , Wortsman Ximena
Published: November 2017

Objectives

To assess the main characteristics of retronychia on ultrasonography (US) and to propose US criteria for diagnosing unilateral and bilateral cases according to the digit.

Methods

We conducted a case‐control study with retrospective, descriptive, and statistical analyses of the US images of 210 nails: 43 with retronychia and 167 normal nails. The Student t test, Fisher exact test, and Kruskal‐Wallis test, among other tests, were performed. P < .05 was considered significant.

Results

Seventy percent of the patients were females, and the most affected digit was the big toe. Significant US diagnostic criteria were as follows: criterion 1, hypoechoic halo surrounding the origin of the nail plate; criterion 2, distance between the origin of the nail plate and the base of the distal phalanx of 5.1 mm or less in big toes and thumbs and/or a difference of 0.5 mm of this distance or greater between the affected nail and the contralateral healthy nail; and criterion 3, proximal nail fold thickness of 2.2 mm or greater for male patients or 1.9 mm or greater for female patients and/or a proximal nail fold 0.3 mm thicker or greater in comparison with the contralateral healthy nail. Cutoff points, sensitivity, and specificity with a 95% confidence interval were defined for each criterion according to the digit in cases with unilateral and bilateral involvement.

Conclusions

Ultrasonography can support the diagnosis of retronychia in unilateral and bilateral cases.
Utility of Lung Ultrasonography for Detection of Pleural Adhesions in Dogs
Authors: Uemura Akiko , Fukayama Toshiharu , Tanaka Takashi , Tanaka Ryou
Published: November 2017

Objectives

To assess lung respiratory movement (“lung sliding”) in dogs using B‐mode ultrasonography (US) and to develop a method that assesses adhesions between the parietal pleura and the lung.

Methods

Seventeen male beagles were anesthetized, and respiratory management was performed with intermittent positive pressure ventilation. Lung‐sliding assessments and adhesion examinations were performed with lung US under general anesthesia before and 2 weeks after thoracotomy. Lung sliding was scored on a 4‐level scale based on the percentage of the area that showed lung sliding (3, an area of roughly ≥80% of the intercostal space; 2, about 50% of the area of the intercostal space; 1, a small area of the intercostal space; or 0, movement absent); scores of 0, 1, and 2 indicated adhesions, whereas a score of 3 indicated no adhesions. The animals were then euthanized, and necropsy was performed to examine pleural adhesions.

Results

Lung US and necropsy findings were compared. The median lung‐sliding score for the 12 sites with pleural adhesions on necropsy was 1.5, whereas it was 3.0 for the 532 sites without pleural adhesions. The lung‐sliding score was significantly lower in the group with adhesions (P < .0001). Adhesion sites detected on necropsy were in accordance with the sites that had decreased lung‐sliding scores. Lung US could detect pleural adhesions with sensitivity of 100.0% and specificity of 87.8%.

Conclusions

Examination of lung sliding by thoracic US has high diagnostic value for detecting canine pleural adhesions and is useful in predicting adhesion sites before thoracic surgery in healthy dogs.
The effects of warming and ocean acidification on growth, photosynthesis, and bacterial communities for the marine invasive macroalga Caulerpa taxifolia
Authors: Roth‐Schulze Alexandra J. , Thomas Torsten , Steinberg Peter , Deveney Marty R. , Tanner Jason E. , Wiltshire Kathryn H. , Papantoniou Stephanie , Runcie John W. , Gurgel C. Frederico D.
Published: November 2017

Caulerpa taxifolia is a pantropical green benthic marine macroalga, and one of the best known marine invasive species in temperate coastal habitats. In Australia, this species has been introduced to seven estuaries along New South Wales and one in South Australia. How this alga will perform under future climate change scenarios is however not well defined. This study experimentally assessed the effects of ocean acidification and global warming on the growth, photosynthetic performance and the bacterial community on two populations of C. taxifolia, one native and one invasive. A range of complex significant interactive effects between pH, temperature, and initial plant size on the growth of C. taxifolia were observed, but no effect of population origin and photosystem II (PSII) fluorescence quantum yield parameters were detected. No significant effects of the treatment combinations were observed on bacterial community richness or diversity. Only one bacterial species out of 1087 present on the algae showed significant changes between pH treatments at high temperature (24°C). This bacterium belonged to the genus Planctomyces and its relative abundance was more than 10 times higher in samples with low pH compared to the control. Higher plant growth was observed under all higher pCO2 and lower pH conditions suggesting that C. taxifolia will benefit from climate change, posing a potential higher risk in invaded locations.
MicroRNA‐130a‐3p suppresses cell migration and invasion by inhibition of TBL1XR1‐mediated EMT in human gastric carcinoma
Authors: Wang Shanshan , Han Haibo , Hu Ying , Yang Wei , Lv Yunwei , Wang Limin , Zhang Lianhai , Ji Jiafu
Published: November 2017

MiR‐130a‐3p was found to play tumor suppressor role in most human cancers, except for gastric cancer. However, in this study, we demonstrated that miR‐130a‐3p was significantly down‐regulated in gastric carcinoma (GC) tissues compared with adjacent non‐neoplastic tissues, and decreased miR‐130a‐3p expression was associated with shorter overall survival (OS) and was an independent prognostic factor for OS in GC patients. Over‐expression of miR‐130a‐3p remarkably inhibited not only GC cell migration, invasion, and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro, but also tumorigenesis and lung metastasis in the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay in vivo. Conversely, inhibition of miR‐130a‐3p resulted in opposite phenotype changes in GC cells. Furthermore, TBL1XR1 was identified as a direct target of miR‐130a‐3p, and reintroduction of TBL1XR1 into miR‐130a‐3p‐transfected MGC‐803 cells reversed the inhibitory effects of miR‐130a‐3p on GC cell migration, invasion and EMT. Taken together, our data suggested that miR‐130a‐3p suppressed aggressive phenotype of GC cells partially by direct targeting and decreasing TBL1XR1 and subsequent EMT process.
Silicium bald auch in der Batterie
Authors: Tempel Hermann , Hausen Florian
Published: November 2017

Metallluftbatterien gibt es seit Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts. Bisher kommt kommerziell aber nur die Zinkluftbatterie zum Einsatz, und zwar in Hörgeräten. Dafür sind Metallluftbatterien ideal, da sie über lange Zeit geringe konstante Ströme liefern. Derzeit suchen Wissenschaftler nach Elektrolyten, um ein wiederaufladbares Siliciumluftbatteriesystem herzustellen.
Vom Entdecken des kleinsten Atoms
Authors: Niese Siegfried
Published: November 2017

Der österreichische Physiker Martin Deutsch studierte zunächst in Wien und dann am Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mit dem von deutschen Kollegen entwickelten Szintillationsverfahren wies er das kleinste Atom nach, das Positronium, und bestimmte dessen Lebensdauer.
Eine coole Technik: Kryoelektronenmikroskopie
Authors: Raunser Stefan
Published: November 2017

Der Nobelpreis für Chemie geht in diesem Jahr an Joachim Frank, Jacques Dubochet und Richard Henderson. Sie haben die Grundlage geschaffen, um Strukturen von Biomolekülen hochaufgelöst mit Kryoelektronenmikroskopie zu bestimmen.
Mutig und enthusiastisch gründen
Authors: Nagler Peter
Published: November 2017

Im Jahr 1867 gründete sich die Deutsche Chemische Gesellschaft, die ältere der beiden Vorgängerorganisationen der GDCh. Die Chemische Gesellschaft entstand in einer Zeit, als in der chemischen Industrie eine Aufbruch‐ und Gründerstimmung herrschte. Kann es heute wieder so weit sein?
Outcome of pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoblastic lymphoma with hypersensitivity to pegaspargase treated with PEGylated Erwinia asparaginase, pegcrisantaspase: A report from the Children's Oncology Group
Authors: Rau Rachel E. , Dreyer ZoAnn , Choi Mi Rim , Liang Wei , Skowronski Roman , Allamneni Krishna P. , Devidas Meenakshi , Raetz Elizabeth A. , Adamson Peter C. , Blaney Susan M. , Loh Mignon L. , Hunger Stephen P.
Published: November 2017

Background

Erwinia asparaginase is a Food and Drug Administration approved agent for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) for patients who develop hypersensitivity to Escherichia coli derived asparaginases. Erwinia asparaginase is efficacious, but has a short half‐life, requiring six doses to replace one dose of the most commonly used first‐line asparaginase, pegaspargase, a polyethylene glycol (PEG) conjugated E. coli asparaginase. Pegcristantaspase, a recombinant PEGylated Erwinia asparaginase with improved pharmacokinetics, was developed for patients with hypersensitivity to pegaspargase. Here, we report a series of patients treated on a pediatric phase 2 trial of pegcrisantaspase.

Procedure

Pediatric patients with ALL or lymphoblastic lymphoma and hypersensitivity to pegaspargase enrolled on Children's Oncology Group trial AALL1421 (Jazz 13‐011) and received intravenous pegcrisantaspase. Serum asparaginase activity (SAA) was monitored before and after dosing; immunogenicity assays were performed for antiasparaginase and anti‐PEG antibodies and complement activation was evaluated.

Results

Three of the four treated patients experienced hypersensitivity to pegcrisantaspase manifested as clinical hypersensitivity reactions or rapid clearance of SAA. Immunogenicity assays demonstrated the presence of anti‐PEG immunoglobulin G antibodies in all three hypersensitive patients, indicating a PEG‐mediated immune response.

Conclusions

This small series of patients, nonetheless, provides data, suggesting preexisting immunogenicity against the PEG moiety of pegaspargase and poses the question as to whether PEGylation may be an effective strategy to optimize Erwinia asparaginase administration. Further study of larger cohorts is needed to determine the incidence of preexisting antibodies against PEG‐mediated hypersensitivity to pegaspargase.
Predicting Organizational Form Choice from Pre-Entry Characteristics of Franchisees
Authors: Weaven Scott , Baker Brent L. , Edwards Chase , Frazer Lorelle , Grace Debra
Published: November 2017

To the best of our knowledge, the research reported here represents the first attempt to analyze how beliefs and attitudes toward one's own abilities influence business form choice. We present a set of five hypotheses associated with an individual's perception of their own business acumen, business purchase determination, self-efficacy, self-regulatory focus and attitude toward customers that serve to predict an individual's choice of either franchising or independent business ownership. We also examine how these pre-entry orientations may or may not predict survival or failure across the two business models. The analysis of data gathered from 1186 Australian business operators reveals that the variables of interest do, in fact, predict business model choice but results also suggest that other factors are more predictive of survival or failure. We conclude that the key to marketing channel efficacy resides within the complementarity, or “fit”, between human form and structural form.
The limbic and neocortical contribution of α‐synuclein, tau, and amyloid β to disease duration in dementia with Lewy bodies
Authors: Ferman Tanis J. , Aoki Naoya , Crook Julia E. , Murray Melissa E. , Graff‐Radford Neill R. , van Gerpen Jay A. , Uitti Ryan J. , Wszolek Zbigniew K. , Graff‐Radford Jonathan , Pedraza Otto , Kantarci Kejal , Boeve Bradley F. , Dickson Dennis W.
Published: November 2017

Introduction

We sought to assess the individual and combined contribution of limbic and neocortical α‐synuclein, tau, and amyloid β (Aβ) to duration of illness in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).

Methods

Quantitative digital pathology of limbic and neocortical α‐synuclein, tau, and Aβ was assessed in 49 patients with clinically probable DLB. Regression modeling examined the unique and shared contribution of each pathology to the variance of illness duration.

Results

Patients with diffuse Lewy body disease had more severe pathology of each type and a shorter duration of illness than individuals with transitional Lewy body disease. The three pathologies accounted for 25% of the total variance of duration of illness, with 19% accounted for by α‐synuclein alone or in combination with tau and Aβ. When the diffuse Lewy body disease group was examined separately, α‐synuclein deposition significantly exceeded that of tau and Aβ. In this model, 20% of 24% total variance in the model for duration of illness was accounted for independently by α‐synuclein.

Discussion

In DLB, α‐synuclein is an important predictor of disease duration, both independently and synergistically with tau and Aβ.
Reconsidering NATO expansion: a counterfactual analysis of Russia and the West in the 1990s
Authors: Marten Kimberly
Published: November 2017

This article re-examines the history of NATO’s original post-Cold War enlargement to include the Visegrad states of Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. It uses both published materials and the author’s new interviews with key US and Russian policymakers, and employs robust qualitative counterfactual methods to ask two questions: whether there were any realistic alternatives to NATO enlargement, and whether NATO enlargement was responsible for the downturn in Russian relations with the West. It concludes that domestic politics were the dominant factors explaining policy directions on both the US and Russian sides; that NATO enlargement was probably inevitable given US domestic political factors and West European acquiescence; that Russia’s turn against the West preceded the NATO expansion discussion in the US; that the tenor of the Russian turn is explained by status concerns rather than military threat perceptions, and that it was aggravated most by Western unilateral airstrikes rather than NATO’s geographical enlargement; and that the one policy initiative that might have realistically slowed NATO enlargement if it had been adopted differently, Partnership for Peace, did not affect those Russian status concerns and thus could not have redirected the relationship.
The Informational Role of Party Leader Changes on Voter Perceptions of Party Positions
Authors: Fernandez-Vazquez Pablo , Somer-Topcu Zeynep
Published: November 2017

According to spatial models of elections, citizen perceptions of party policy positions are a key determinant of voting choices. Yet recent scholarship from Europe suggests that voters do not adjust their perceptions according to what parties advocate in their campaigns. This article argues that voters develop a more accurate understanding of parties’ ideological positions following a leadership change because a new leader increases the credibility of party policy offerings. Focusing on Western European parties in the 1979–2012 period, it shows that having a new leader is a necessary condition for voters to more accurately perceive the left–right placements of opposition parties. Voters do not use party platforms to form perceptions of incumbent parties’ positions, regardless of whether the leader is new or veteran. These results have important implications for models of party competition and democratic representation.
REFLECTIONS ON THE POLITICAL THOUGHT OF THE IRISH REVOLUTION
Authors: Bourke Richard
Published: November 2017

Examining the political thought of the Irish Revolution poses two distinct problems. First, we need to establish how we should date the Revolution for the purposes of intellectual history. There is no doubting that the 1916 Easter Rising was an event in British and Irish politics, but it was also an event in the world of ideas. Any serious consideration of this episode and its aftermath therefore needs to trace its origins to patterns of thought as well as shifts in affairs, and the two processes do not necessarily coincide. The second requirement for understanding the role of political thought in the Revolution is to reconstruct carefully the actual doctrines articulated and deployed. Irish historians have been reluctant to engage in this process of interpretation. Yet a more searching account of political ideas in the period has the potential to change our approach to the Revolution as a whole.
Odor-evoked inhibition of olfactory sensory neurons drives olfactory perception in Drosophila
Authors: Cao Li-Hui , Yang Dong , Wu Wei , Zeng Xiankun , Jing Bi-Yang , Li Meng-Tong , Qin Shanshan , Tang Chao , Tu Yuhai , Luo Dong-Gen
Published: November 2017

Inhibitory response occurs throughout the nervous system, including the peripheral olfactory system. While odor-evoked excitation in peripheral olfactory cells is known to encode odor information, the molecular mechanism and functional roles of odor-evoked inhibition remain largely unknown. Here, we examined Drosophila olfactory sensory neurons and found that inhibitory odors triggered outward receptor currents by reducing the constitutive activities of odorant receptors, inhibiting the basal spike firing in olfactory sensory neurons. Remarkably, this odor-evoked inhibition of olfactory sensory neurons elicited by itself a full range of olfactory behaviors from attraction to avoidance, as did odor-evoked olfactory sensory neuron excitation. These results indicated that peripheral inhibition is comparable to excitation in encoding sensory signals rather than merely regulating excitation. Furthermore, we demonstrated that a bidirectional code with both odor-evoked inhibition and excitation in single olfactory sensory neurons increases the odor-coding capacity, providing a means of efficient sensory encoding.