bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Procoagulant and fibrinolytic activity after polytrauma in rat
Authors: Wu Xiaowu , Darlington Daniel N. , Cap Andrew P.
Published: December 2015

The purpose of this study was to determine whether trauma-induced coagulopathy is due to changes in 1) thrombin activity, 2) plasmin activity, and/or 3) factors that stimulate or inhibit thrombin or plasmin. Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized with 1–2% isoflurane/100% oxygen, and their left femoral artery and vein were cannulated. Polytrauma included right femur fracture, and damage to the small intestines, the left and medial liver lobes, and right leg skeletal muscle. Rats were then bled 40% of blood volume. Plasma samples were taken before trauma, and at 30, 60, 120, and 240 min. Polytrauma and hemorrhage led to a significant fall in prothrombin levels. However, circulating thrombin activity did not change significantly over time. Antithrombin III and α2macroglobulin fell significantly by 2 h, then rose by 4 h. Soluble thrombomodulin was significantly elevated over the 4 h. Circulating plasmin activity, plasminogen, and D-dimers were elevated for the entire 4 h. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) was elevated at 30 min, then decreased below baseline levels after 1 h. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 was significantly elevated at 2–4 h. Neither tissue factor pathway inhibitor nor thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor changed significantly over time. The levels of prothrombin and plasminogen were 30–100 times higher than their respective active enzymes. Polytrauma and hemorrhage in rats lead to a fibrinolytic coagulopathy, as demonstrated by an elevation in plasmin activity, D-dimers, and tPA. These results are consistent with the observed clinical benefit of tranexamic acid in trauma patients.
Neuronal selectivity for spatial positions of offers and choices in five reward regions
Authors: Strait Caleb E. , Sleezer Brianna J. , Blanchard Tommy C. , Azab Habiba , Castagno Meghan D. , Hayden Benjamin Y.
Published: December 2015

When we evaluate an option, how is the neural representation of its value linked to information that identifies it, such as its position in space? We hypothesized that value information and identity cues are not bound together at a particular point but are represented together at the single unit level throughout the entirety of the choice process. We examined neuronal responses in two-option gambling tasks with lateralized and asynchronous presentation of offers in five reward regions: orbitofrontal cortex (OFC, area 13), ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC, area 14), ventral striatum (VS), dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC, area 25). Neuronal responses in all areas are sensitive to the positions of both offers and of choices. This selectivity is strongest in reward-sensitive neurons, indicating that it is not a property of a specialized subpopulation of cells. We did not find consistent contralateral or any other organization to these responses, indicating that they may be difficult to detect with aggregate measures like neuroimaging or studies of lesion effects. These results suggest that value coding is wed to factors that identify the object throughout the reward system and suggest a possible solution to the binding problem raised by abstract value encoding schemes.
Blow-Up Phenomena for Certain Nonlocal Evolution Equations and Systems
Authors: Jleli Mohamed , Samet Bessem
Published: December 2015

We provide sufficient conditions for the nonexistence of global positive solutions to the nonlocal evolution equationutt(x,t)=(J ∗ u-u)(x,t)+up(x,t), (x,t)∈RN×(0,∞),(u(x,0),ut(x,0))=(u0(x),u1(x)),x∈RN,whereJ:RN→R+,p>1, and(u0,u1)∈Lloc1(RN;R+)×Lloc1(RN;R+). Next, we deal with global nonexistence for certain nonlocal evolution systems. Our method of proof is based on a duality argument.
The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by Korean Breast Cancer Women: Is It Associated with Severity of Symptoms?
Authors: Hwang Jung Hye , Kim Woon-Yong , Ahmed Mansoor , Choi Soojeung , Kim Jiwoo , Han Dong Woon
Published: December 2015

Background. Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among patients with breast cancer could be associated with severity of the cancer symptoms experienced, but there is little evidence to prove this. This study tried to investigate any difference in the severity of breast cancer symptoms between CAM users and nonusers.Methods. The study followed cross-sectional design using structured survey questionnaire. Survey participants were recruited from four different healthcare settings in Seoul, South Korea. The survey instrument comprised 39 items including questions on demographics, use of CAM, and six main symptoms associated with breast cancer and cancer treatment.Results. Out of 288 participants, 67% stated using one or more modalities of CAM. Age, education, and time duration since diagnosis of cancer were significantly associated with use of CAM. About 90% of the CAM users experienced side effects of cancer treatment. CAM users reported more severe anxiety and skin/hair changes than nonusers.Conclusions. CAM was used by those breast cancer patients who experience more severe symptoms to alleviate the conditions associated with breast cancer and cancer treatment. Our findings revealed motivation behind the CAM use, which has profound implications for clinicians to recognize patient-perceived needs.
Computing and Controlling Basins of Attraction in Multistability Scenarios
Authors: Taborda John Alexander , Angulo Fabiola
Published: December 2015

The aim of this paper is to describe and prove a new method to compute and control the basins of attraction in multistability scenarios and guarantee monostability condition. In particular, the basins of attraction are computed only using a submap, and the coexistence of periodic solutions is controlled through fixed-point inducting control technique, which has been successfully used until now to stabilize unstable periodic orbits. In this paper, however, fixed-point inducting control is used to modify the domains of attraction when there is coexistence of attractors. In order to apply the technique, the periodic orbit whose basin of attraction will be controlled must be computed. Therefore, the fixed-point inducting control is used to stabilize one of the periodic orbits and enhance its basin of attraction. Then, using information provided by the unstable periodic orbits and basins of attractions, the minimum control effort to stabilize the target periodic orbit in all desired ranges is computed. The applicability of the proposed tools is illustrated through two different coupled logistic maps.
Using the Network Metaphor to Design, Deliver, and Maintain a Construction Management Curriculum
Authors: Saad Ihab M. H.
Published: December 2015

Construction management programs accredited by the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) are responding to new standards for accreditation, as the accreditation process itself is being changed to primarily focus on learning outcomes. These changes offer an opportunity and a challenge for existing programs to readjust and restructure to meet the increasingly changing expectations within the construction market. Using a network metaphor, with a critical path consisting of critical activities, activity codes, and constraints, can be a successful methodology to develop/align a construction management curriculum. As with any network, this approach can be used as both planning and control tool, being revisited regularly for further fine-tuning responding to the feedback resulting from assessment efforts to “close the loop.” The resulting network can be presented in both tabular and/or graphical format highlighting the critical path and particular critical activities (learning concepts) within that path. Different resources can be applied to the schedule reflecting their commitment and availability limits (space, labs, computers, etc.).
Role of Sphingolipids in the Pathobiology of Lung Inflammation
Authors: Ghidoni Riccardo , Caretti Anna , Signorelli Paola
Published: December 2015

Sphingolipid bioactivities in the respiratory airways and the roles of the proteins that handle them have been extensively investigated. Gas or inhaled particles or microorganisms come into contact with mucus components, epithelial cells, blood barrier, and immune surveillance within the airways. Lung structure and functionality rely on a complex interplay of polar and hydrophobic structures forming the surfactant layer and governing external‐internal exchanges, such as glycerol‐phospholipids sphingolipids and proteins. Sphingolipids act as important signaling mediators involved in the control of cell survival and stress response, as well as secreted molecules endowed with inflammation‐regulatory activities. Most successful respiratory infection and injuries evolve in the alveolar compartment, the critical lung functional unit involved in gas exchange. Sphingolipid altered metabolism in this compartment is closely related to inflammatory reaction and ceramide increase, in particular, favors the switch to pathological hyperinflammation. This short review explores a few mechanisms underlying sphingolipid involvement in the healthy lung (surfactant production and endothelial barrier maintenance) and in a selection of lung pathologies in which the impact of sphingolipid synthesis and metabolism is most apparent, such as acute lung injury, or chronic pathologies such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Split-Framework in Mandibular Implant-Supported Prosthesis
Authors: Marin Danny Omar Mendoza , Dias Kássia de Carvalho , Paleari André Gustavo , Pero Ana Carolina , Arioli Filho João Neudenir , Compagnoni Marco Antonio
Published: December 2015

During oral rehabilitation of an edentulous patient with an implant-supported prosthesis, mandibular flexure must be considered an important biomechanical factor when planning the metal framework design, especially if implants are installed posterior to the interforaminal region. When an edentulous mandible is restored with a fixed implant-supported prosthesis connected by a fixed full-arch framework, mandibular flexure may cause needless stress in the overall restorative system and lead to screw loosening, poor fit of prosthesis, loss of the posterior implant, and patient’s discomfort due to deformation properties of the mandible during functional movements. The use of a split-framework could decrease the stress with a precise and passive fit on the implants and restore a more natural functional condition of the mandible, helping in the longevity of the prosthesis. Therefore, the present clinical report describes the oral rehabilitation of an edentulous patient by a mandibular fixed implant-supported prosthesis with a split-framework to compensate for mandibular flexure.Clinical Significance.The present clinical report shows that the use of a split-framework reduced the risk of loss of the posterior implants or screws loosening with acceptable patient comfort over the period of a year. The split-framework might have compensated for the mandibular flexure during functional activities.
Existence and Iteration of Positive Solutions to Third-Order BVP for a Class ofp-Laplacian Dynamic Equations on Time Scales
Authors: Rao A. Kameswara
Published: December 2015

We investigate the existence and iteration of positive solutions for the following third-orderp-Laplacian dynamic equations on time scales:(ϕp(uΔΔ(t)))∇+q(t)f(t,u(t),uΔΔ(t))=0,  t∈[a,b],αu(ρ(a))-βuΔ(ρ(a))=0,  γu(b)+δuΔ(b)=0,  uΔΔ(ρ(a))=0,whereϕp(s)isp-Laplacian operator; that is,ϕp(s)=sp-2s,  p>1,  ϕp-1=ϕq, and1/p+1/q=1.By applying the monotone iterative technique and without the assumption of the existence of lower and upper solutions, we not only obtain the existence of positive solutions for the problem, but also establish iterative schemes for approximating the solutions.
Metalloproteinases and Their Tissue Inhibitors in Comparison between Different Chronic Pneumopathies in the Horse
Authors: Barton Ann Kristin , Shety Tarek , Bondzio Angelika , Einspanier Ralf , Gehlen Heidrun
Published: December 2015

In chronic respiratory disease, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) contribute to pathological tissue destruction when expressed in excess, while tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) counteract MMPs with overexpression leading to fibrosis formation. They may be out of balance in equine pneumopathies and serve as biomarkers of pulmonary inflammation. We hypothesized that MMPs and TIMPs correlate to clinical findings and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology in different equine chronic pneumopathies. Using a scoring system, 61 horses were classified controls as free of respiratory disease (n = 15), recurrent airway obstruction (RAO, n = 17), inflammatory airway disease (IAD, n = 18), or chronic interstitial pneumopathy (CIP, n = 11). Zymography and equine MMP and TIMP assays were used to detect MMP‐2, MMP‐8, MMP‐9 as well as TIMP‐1, and TIMP‐2 in BALF supernatant. MMP‐2, TIMP‐1, and TIMP‐2 concentrations were significantly increased in RAO and IAD compared to controls. MMP‐9 concentration and MMP‐8 activity evaluated by fluorimetry were significantly increased in RAO, IAD, and CIP. These results were confirmed by zymography for MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 activity in 52 horses. In conclusion, MMPs and TIMPs correlate well with clinical and cytologic findings. These findings support the usefulness of MMPs, TIMPs, and their ratios to evaluate the severity of respiratory disease and may help to identify subclinical cases.
Herpes Simplex Viral Encephalitis Masquerading as a Classic Left MCA Stroke
Authors: Abdelmalik Peter A. , Ambrose Timothy , Bell Rodney
Published: December 2015

Objective. Stroke is a clinical diagnosis, with a history and physical examination significant for acute onset focal neurological symptoms and signs, often occurring in patients with known vascular risk factors and is frequently confirmed radiographically.Case Report. A 79-year-old right-handed woman, with a past medical history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and prior transient ischemic attack (TIA), presented with acute onset global aphasia and right hemiparesis, in the absence of fever or prodrome. This was initially diagnosed as a proximal left middle cerebral artery (MCA) stroke. However, CT perfusion failed to show evidence of reduced blood volume, and CT angiogram did not show evidence of a proximal vessel occlusion. Furthermore, MRI brain did not demonstrate any areas of restricted diffusion. EEG demonstrated left temporal periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges (PLEDs). The patient was empirically loaded with a bolus valproic acid and started on acyclovir, both intravenously. CSF examination demonstrated a pleocytosis and PCR confirmed the diagnosis of herpes simplex viral encephalitis (HSVE).Conclusions. HSVE classically presents in a nonspecific fashion with fever, headache, and altered mental status. However, acute focal neurological signs, mimicking stroke, are possible. A high degree of suspicion is required to institute appropriate therapy and decrease morbidity and mortality associated with HSVE.
Cone Algorithm of Spinning Vehicles under Dynamic Coning Environment
Authors: Zhang Shuang-biao , Li Xing-cheng , Su Zhong
Published: December 2015

Due to the fact that attitude error of vehicles has an intense trend of divergence when vehicles undergo worsening coning environment, in this paper, the model of dynamic coning environment is derived firstly. Then, through investigation of the effect on Euler attitude algorithm for the equivalency of traditional attitude algorithm, it is found that attitude error is actually the roll angle error including drifting error and oscillating error, which is induced directly by dynamic coning environment and further affects the pitch angle and yaw angle through transferring. Based on definition of the cone frame and cone attitude, a cone algorithm is proposed by rotation relationship to calculate cone attitude, and the relationship between cone attitude and Euler attitude of spinning vehicle is established. Through numerical simulations with different conditions of dynamic coning environment, it is shown that the induced error of Euler attitude fluctuates by the variation of precession and nutation, especially by that of nutation, and the oscillating frequency of roll angle error is twice that of pitch angle error and yaw angle error. In addition, the rotation angle is more competent to describe the spinning process of vehicles under coning environment than Euler angle gamma, and the real pitch angle and yaw angle are calculated finally.
Aorto-Uni-Iliac Stent Grafts with and without Crossover Femorofemoral Bypass for Treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms: A Parallel Observational Comparative Study
Authors: Elkassaby Mohammed , Alawy Mahmoud , Ali Mohamed Zaki , Tawfick Wael A. , Sultan Sherif
Published: December 2015

We investigated the safety and efficacy of primary aorto-uni-iliac (AUI) endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) without fem-fem crossover in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and concomitant aortoiliac occlusive disease. 537 EVARs were implemented between 2002 and 2015 in University Hospital Galway, a tertiary referral center for aortic surgery and EVAR. We executed a parallel observational comparative study between 34 patients with AUI with femorofemoral crossover (group A) and six patients treated with AUI but without the crossover (group B). Group B patients presented with infrarenal AAAs with associated total occlusion of one iliac axis and high comorbidities. Technical success was 97% (n=33) in group A and 85% (n=5) in group B (P=0.31). Primary and assisted clinical success at 24 months were 88% (n=30) and 12% (n=4), respectively, in group A, and 85% (n=5) and 15% (n=1), respectively, in group B (P=0.125). Reintervention rate was 10% (n=3) in group A and 0% in group B (P=0.084). No incidence of postoperative critical lower limb ischemia or amputations occurred in the follow-up period. AUI without crossover bypass is a viable option in selected cases.
SLC46A3 Is Required to Transport Catabolites of Noncleavable Antibody Maytansine Conjugates from the Lysosome to the Cytoplasm
Authors: Hamblett Kevin J. , Jacob Allison P. , Gurgel Jesse L. , Tometsko Mark E. , Rock Brooke M. , Patel Sonal K. , Milburn Robert R. , Siu Sophia , Ragan Seamus P. , Rock Dan A. , Borths Christopher J. , O'Neill Jason W. , Chang Wesley S. , Weidner Margaret F. , Bio Matthew M. , Quon Kim C. , Fanslow William C.
Published: December 2015

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADC) target cytotoxic drugs to antigen-positive cells for treating cancer. After internalization, ADCs with noncleavable linkers are catabolized to amino acid-linker-warheads within the lysosome, which then enter the cytoplasm by an unknown mechanism. We hypothesized that a lysosomal transporter was responsible for delivering noncleavable ADC catabolites into the cytoplasm. To identify candidate transporters, we performed a phenotypic shRNA screen with an anti-CD70 maytansine-based ADC. This screen revealed the lysosomal membrane protein SLC46A3, the genetic attenuation of which inhibited the potency of multiple noncleavable antibody–maytansine ADCs, including ado-trastuzumab emtansine. In contrast, the potencies of noncleavable ADCs carrying the structurally distinct monomethyl auristatin F were unaffected by SLC46A3 attenuation. Structure–activity experiments suggested that maytansine is a substrate for SLC46A3. Notably, SLC46A3 silencing led to relative increases in catabolite concentrations in the lysosome. Taken together, our results establish SLC46A3 as a direct transporter of maytansine-based catabolites from the lysosome to the cytoplasm, prompting further investigation of SLC46A3 as a predictive response marker in breast cancer specimens. Cancer Res; 75(24); 5329–40. ©2015 AACR.
Targeted Deletion of p53 in Lgr5-Expressing Intestinal Stem Cells Promotes Colon Tumorigenesis in a Preclinical Model of Colitis-Associated Cancer
Authors: Davidson Laurie A. , Callaway Evelyn S. , Kim Eunjoo , Weeks Brad R. , Fan Yang-Yi , Allred Clinton D. , Chapkin Robert S.
Published: December 2015

p53 has been shown to mediate cancer stem–like cell function by suppressing pluripotency and cellular dedifferentiation. However, there have been no studies to date that have addressed the specific effects of p53 loss in colonic adult stem cells. In this study, we investigated the consequences of conditionally ablating p53 in the highly relevant Lgr5+ stem cell population on tumor initiation and progression in the colon. In a mouse model of carcinogen (AOM)-induced colon cancer, tamoxifen-inducible Lgr5-driven deletion of p53 reduced apoptosis and increased proliferation of crypt stem cells, but had no effect on tumor incidence or size. Conversely, in a mouse model of colitis-associated cancer, in which mice are exposed to AOM and the potent inflammation inducer DSS, stem cell–specific p53 deletion greatly enhanced tumor size and incidence in the colon. These novel findings suggest that the loss of p53 function in stem cells enables colonic tumor formation only when combined with DNA damage and chronic inflammation. Furthermore, we propose that stem cell targeting approaches are valuable for interrogating prevention and therapeutic strategies that aim to specifically eradicate genetically compromised stem cells. Cancer Res; 75(24); 5392–7. ©2015 AACR.
Mechanistic Investigation of Bone Marrow Suppression Associated with Palbociclib and its Differentiation from Cytotoxic Chemotherapies
Authors: Hu Wenyue , Sung Tae , Jessen Bart A. , Thibault Stephane , Finkelstein Martin B. , Khan Nasir K. , Sacaan Aida I.
Published: December 2015

Purpose: Palbociclib (PD-0332991) is the first selective cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor approved for metastatic breast cancer. Hematologic effects, especially neutropenia, are dose-limiting adverse events for palbociclib in humans.

Experimental Design: Reversible hematologic effects and bone marrow hypocellularity have been identified in toxicology studies in rats and dogs after palbociclib treatment. To understand the mechanism by which the hematologic toxicity occurs, and to further differentiate it from the myelotoxicity caused by cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents, an in vitro assay using human bone marrow mononuclear cells (hBMNC) was utilized.

Results: This work demonstrated that palbociclib-induced bone marrow suppression occurred through cell-cycle arrest, with no apoptosis at clinically relevant concentrations, was not lineage-specific, and was reversible upon palbociclib withdrawal. In contrast, treatment with chemotherapeutic agents (paclitaxel and doxorubicin) resulted in DNA damage and apoptotic cell death in hBMNCs. In the presence or absence of the antiestrogen, palbociclib-treated hBMNCs did not become senescent and resumed proliferation following palbociclib withdrawal, consistent with pharmacologic quiescence. The breast cancer cells, MCF-7, conversely, became senescent following palbociclib or antiestrogen treatment with additive effects in combination and remained arrested in the presence of antiestrogen.

Conclusions: Palbociclib causes reversible bone marrow suppression, clearly differentiating it from apoptotic cell death caused by cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents. This study also distinguished the cell-cycle arresting action of palbociclib on normal bone marrow cells from the senescent effects observed in breast cancer cells. These results shed light on the mechanism and support risk management of palbociclib-induced bone marrow toxicity in the clinic. Clin Cancer Res; 22(8); 2000–8. ©2015 AACR.
Genetic Effect of Chemotherapy Exposure in Children of Testicular Cancer Survivors
Authors: Kryukov Gregory V. , Bielski Craig M. , Samocha Kaitlin , Fromer Menachem , Seepo Sara , Gentry Carleen , Neale Benjamin , Garraway Levi A. , Sweeney Christopher J. , Taplin Mary-Ellen , Van Allen Eliezer M.
Published: December 2015

Purpose: Cancer survivors express anxiety that chemotherapy exposure may lead to transmissible genetic damage in posttreatment children. Preclinical models suggest that chemotherapy exposure may result in considerable genomic alterations in postexposure progeny. Epidemiologic studies have not demonstrated a significant increase in congenital abnormalities in posttreatment children of cancer survivors, but the inherited genome-wide effect of chemotherapy exposure in humans is unknown.

Experimental Design: Two testicular cancer survivors cured with chemotherapy who had children pre- and postexposure without sperm banking were identified. Familial germline whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed for these families, and analytic methods were utilized to identify de novo alterations, including mutations, recombinations, and structural rearrangements in the pre- and postexposure offspring.

Results: No increase in de novo germline mutations in postexposure children compared with their preexposure siblings was found. Furthermore, there were no increased short insertion/deletions, recombination frequency, or structural rearrangements in these postexposure children.

Conclusions: In two families of male cancer survivors, there was no transmissible genomic impact of significant mutagenic exposure in postexposure children. This study may provide possible reassuring evidence for patients undergoing chemotherapy who are unable to have pretreatment sperm cryopreservation. Expanded cohorts that utilize WGS to identify environmental exposure effects on the inherited genome may inform the generalizability of these results. Clin Cancer Res; 22(9); 2183–9. ©2015 AACR.
Neutralisation of the anti-coagulant effects of heparin by histones in blood plasma and purified systems
Authors: Hogwood John , Gray Elaine , Komorowicz Erzsébet , Varjú Imre , Varga Zoltán , Kolev Krasimir , Longstaff Colin
Published: December 2015

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) composed primarily of DNA and histones are a link between infection, inflammation and coagulation. NETs promote coagulation and approaches to destabilise NETs have been explored to reduce thrombosis and treat sepsis. Heparinoids bind histones and we report quantitative studies in plasma and purified systems to better understand physiological consequences. Unfractionated heparin (UFH) was investigated by activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and alongside low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH) in purified systems with thrombin or factor Xa (FXa) and antithrombin (AT) to measure the sensitivity of UFH or LMWH to histones. A method was developed to assess the effectiveness of DNA and non-anticoagulant heparinoids as anti-histones. Histones effectively neutralised UFH, the IC50 value for neutralisation of 0.2 IU/ml UFH was 1.8 μg/ml histones in APTT and 4.6 μg/ml against 0.6 IU/ml UFH in a purified system. Histones also inhibited the activities of LMWHs with thrombin (IC50 6.1 and 11.0 μg/ml histones, for different LMWHs) or FXa (IC50 7.8 and 7.0 μg/ml histones). Direct interactions of UFH and LMWH with DNA and histones were explored by surface plasmon resonance, while rheology studies showed complex effects of histones, UFH and LMWH on clot resilience. A conclusion from these studies is that anticoagulation by UFH and LMWH will be compromised by high affinity binding to circulating histones even in the presence of DNA. A complete understanding of the effects of histones, DNA and heparins on the haemostatic system must include an appreciation of direct effects on fibrin and clot structure.
Staphylococcal SSL5-induced platelet microparticles provoke proinflammatory responses via the CD40/TRAF6/NFKB signalling pathway in monocytes
Authors: Bei Jun-Jie , Liu Chuan , Peng Song , Liu Cheng-Hai , Zhao Wei-Bo , Qu Xiao-Long , Chen Qiang , Zhou Zhou , Yu Zheng-Ping , Peter Karlheinz , Hu Hou-Yuan
Published: December 2015

Pathogens-induced platelet activation contributes to inflammation in cardiovascular diseases, but underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Staphylococcal superantigen-like protein 5 (SSL5) is a known activator of platelets. Here we examined whether SSL5 is implicated in Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)-induced inflammation and potential mechanisms involved. As expected, we show that SSL5 activates human platelets and induces generation of platelet microparticles (PMPs). Flow cytometry and scanning electron microscopy studies demonstrate that SSL5-induced PMPs (SSL5-PMPs) bind to monocytes, causing aggregate formation. In addition, SSL5-PMPs provoke monocyte expression and release of inflammatory mediators, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. SSL5-PMPs also enhance MCP-1-induced monocyte migration. Blockade of CD40 and CD40 ligand (CD40L) interactions with neutralising antibodies significantly reduce monocyte release of inflammatory mediators and migration induced by SSL5-PMPs. SiRNA-mediated silencing of CD40 or TNF receptor (TNFR)-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) gene largely abrogates phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of NFkB (p65). In conclusion, SSL5 provokes the release of inflammatory mediators in monocytes, at least in part, via PMPs-mediated activation of the CD40/TRAF6/NFkB signalling pathway, though it normally inhibits leukocyte function. Our findings thus reveal a novel mechanism by which S. aureus induces inflammation.
Anti-dengue virus nonstructural protein 1 antibodies contribute to platelet phagocytosis by macrophages
Authors: Chu Ya-Ting , Lin Chiou-Feng , Chang Chih-Peng , Yeh Trai-Ming , Anderson Robert , Wan Shu-Wen , Yang Yi-Wen , Lin Yee-Shin
Published: December 2015

Thrombocytopenia is an important clinical manifestation of dengue disease. The hypotheses concerning the pathogenesis of thrombocytopenia include decreased production and increased destruction or consumption of platelets. We previously suggested a mechanism of molecular mimicry in which antibodies (Abs) directed against dengue virus (DENV) nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) cross-react with platelets. Furthermore, several lines of evidence show activation of endothelial cells (ECs) and macrophages are related to dengue disease severity. Previous studies also suggested that Ab-opsonised platelets facilitate the engulfment of platelets by macrophages. Here we show that TNF-α-activated ECs upregulate adhesion molecule expression to enhance the binding of platelets and macrophages and lead to anti-DENV NS1 Ab-mediated platelet phagocytosis. We further demonstrate that the interaction between macrophages and TNF-α-activated ECs requires binding of FcγR with the Fc region of platelet-bound anti-DENV NS1 Abs. Importantly, the binding of anti-DENV NS1 Abs to platelets did not interfere with platelet adhesion to ECs. The adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and β3 integrin expressed on ECs as well as the FcγR expressed on macrophages were critical in anti-DENV NS1 Ab-mediated platelet phagocytosis on activated ECs. Moreover, anti-DENV NS1 Abs dramatically enhanced platelet engulfment by macrophages in a murine model of DENV infection. Our study provides evidence for a novel role for anti-DENV NS1 Abs in the pathogenesis of thrombocytopenia in dengue disease by enhancing platelet phagocytosis by macrophages.
The Female Chastity Cult in Huizhou during the Late Imperial Era: Demographics, Books, and Monuments
Authors: Guo Qitao , Zurndorfer Harriet T.
Published: December 2015

This essay introduces the region of Huizhou famed for its scenery, its commercial agriculture, its merchants who traded local products all over the empire, and the lineages to which these men belonged. Huizhou was also known for the high numbers of its chaste women who during the Ming dynasty came under the scrutiny of the local community. The female chastity cult in Huizhou was manifested in various ways, and the three articles in this special Nan Nü theme issue examine how demographic data based on lineage records, special Huizhou printed editions of the classic ‘Biographies of Women’, and chastity arches built during the High Qing era (1680–1830) reveal the endorsement, complexities, and contradictions of the cult in this locale. The Appendix to this issue reviews the historiography of Huizhou studies in Chinese.
Images of Women in Late Ming Huizhou-printed Editions of the Lienü zhuan
Authors: Bussotti Michela
Published: December 2015

In the active world of late Ming publishing (1580–1644), illustrated books edited and printed by people from Huizhou had an important role, both in terms of quality and quantity. At that time, the best-sellers seem to have been literary works such as novels and theatrical plays, but Lienü zhuan (Biographies of women) editions were also popular. The profusion of visual representations beside the texts was appreciated by readers (and buyers), for both aesthetic and educative reasons. Focusing on the Gu Lienü zhuan (Ancient ‘Biographies of women’) circa 1606, and on the edition known as Huitu Lienü zhuan (Illustrated ‘Biographies of women’) also produced at the end of the Ming but better known for its reprint around the end of the eighteenth century, this article closely examines two facets of these works: the orthodoxy represented in the choice of canonical versions of the Lienü zhuan, and the expression of this orthodoxy in the depictions of female behavior according to the stories in this text.
Messianic Oeuvres in Interaction: Misattributed Poems by Shah Esmāʿil and Nesimi
Authors: Csirkés Ferenc
Published: December 2015

This paper discusses the philological, literary and cultural-historical background of 23 poems that can be found in manuscript copies of the respective divān of both Nesimi (d. 1407), the most prominent poet of the Horufi tradition, and Shah Esmāʿil, the founder of the Safavid state (r. 1501-24) who was also known for his popular Turkic poetry with a heavily messianic veneer. One possible reason for this textually detectable confluence and intermixture might be the partially oral, ritual, homiletic context with fluid notions of authorship in which these poems were performed, but there was also a broader socio-religious context of interaction between various popular messianic traditions of the day, the Horufis, the Bektashis, the Safavids and others.
Arthur Golding’s Metamorphoses
Authors: Ruiz Florinda , Gibbs Gary G.
Published: December 2015

Golding’s translation of the first complete version of Ovid’s Metamorphoses (1567) influenced authors (including Shakespeare), teachers, and, undoubtedly, most literate Elizabethans. It proved to be a popular text, but that popularity was mostly a Reformation-era phenomenon, and after 1612 the text was not reprinted until the twentieth century. Modern scholars have debated numerous issues: the nature and merits of Golding’s translation, with many judging it to be an odd transposition of the original; its engagement with the religious and political polemics of the day; and the degree to which the translation might or might not follow the moralizing approaches of previous allegorical traditions. This essay demonstrates the didactic, protreptic nature of the text and examines how Golding—a devout Calvinist—employed numerous literary devices to illustrate the frightful consequences that result from ungodly human desires and behaviors. He reinvented the text by creating an intertwined relationship between text and paratext to form the foundation of his protreptic method. With his translation Golding sought to highlight the growth of sinful behavior and to persuade readers toward his particular religious, political, and cultural concerns with contemporary English society. As the Elizabethan world died, so did the interest in Golding’s Metamorphoses; it no longer spoke to people in a significant way.
“Astrophel” and Spenser’s 1595 Quarto
Authors: Chaghafi Elisabeth
Published: December 2015

Edmund Spenser’s “Astrophel” tends to be regarded as a minor poem that is inadequate as an elegy for Sidney and is further overshadowed by “Colin Clouts Come Home Againe.” Originally, both poems were published in the same volume in 1595, along with works by four other poets. Nonetheless, modern readings of “Astrophel” have been substantially shaped by modern editing practice, which has separated it from the rest of the volume’s contents. This article examines the original published context of “Astrophel” in detail and argues that all of the contents of the 1595 quarto — including those not written by Spenser himself — were intended to (and should) be read as a unit.
“We are of the Sea!”
Authors: Ellinghausen Laurie
Published: December 2015

The figure of the renegade has been widely discussed in the field of early modern literary studies, with scholars situating rogue behavior within discourses of race, religion, and nationalism. However, these perspectives have not adequately addressed how domestic discourses of class and labor also shaped representations of renegades. My paper fills this gap by paying particular attention to English anxieties about vagrancy, a domestic phenomenon that manifested itself in new forms abroad, among pirates, apostates, and other traitors operating outside the geographical boundaries of the English state. Specifically, I examine the figure of Captain John Ward in Robert Daborne’s play A Christian Turned Turk (pub. 1612), in order to demonstrate previously overlooked connections between Ward’s reputation and his actual background as a lowly fisherman and conscripted sailor. This paper, by closely examining how the play and its sources construct Ward as a masterless man, sheds new light on the neglected issues of class and labor in the construction of the early modern English renegade.
A new species of Barbatula from the Russian Altai (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae)
Authors: PROKOFIEV ARTEM M.
Published: December 2015

Barbatula restricta, new species, is described from the Saldan-Kol Lake in the upper Ob River drainage in the Altai Mountains. It is distinguished from all other species of Barbatula in Asia by its body depth increasing continuously between the nape and the dorsal-fin origin and a combination of characters: nares widely spaced, upper lip with a short medial incision, lower lip without lateral expansions, mental lobes of lower lip without conical protrusions, tips of paired fins formed by 1st and 2nd branched rays, 42–45 (mean 44) vertebrae, color pattern consisting of small irregular mottles without saddles on back. An overview of the status of all nominal Asiatic Barbatula species described is given.
Two new species of the genus Peltonotellus Puton (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Caliscelidae) from northwestern China with a world checklist
Authors: MENG RUI , GNEZDILOV VLADIMIR M. , WANG YINGLUN
Published: December 2015

A checklist of Peltonotellus species is provided. Two new species, P. brevis sp. nov. from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and P. niger sp. nov. from Gansu Province are described and illustrated. Chinese species of the genus Peltonotellus as well as sexual dimorphism are briefly discussed.
Replacement names for two nematode junior homonyms
Authors: BERNARD ERNEST C. , PHILLIPS GARY
Published: December 2015

During taxonomic investigations of nematodes that parasitize millipedes, we reviewed the literature on the nematode genus Robertia Travassos & Kloss, 1961. This literature search also revealed the existence of two other identical genus-group names for taxa in Chordata and Arthropoda: Robertia Boonstra, 1948 (extinct Permian non-mammalian synapsid) and Robertia Saaristo, 2006 (theridiid spider from the Seychelles), respectively. Of these three homonyms, Robertia Boonstra, 1948 clearly has priority. The spider name Robertia recently was replaced with Seycellesa Kocak & Kemal, 2008. The nematode genus-name also is a junior homonym and requires replacement. We propose the new replacement name Traklosia for Robertia Travassos & Kloss, 1961.
Book Review: Pushpa Sundar, Business and Community: The Story of Corporate Social Responsibility in India
Authors: Sharma Seema
Published: December 2015

Pushpa Sundar, Business and Community: The Story of Corporate Social Responsibility in India, New Delhi, SAGE Publications, 2013, 392 pp., ₹ 895, ISBN 9788132109556.
Filmed in Black and White: Teaching the Concept of Racial Identity at a Predominantly White University
Authors: Richard Harriette W.
Published: December 2015

This article describes an assignment to help students learn about racial identity development. The Helms (1990a) model (white racial identity) and the Cross and Thomas (Cross, 1978) nigrescence model (black racial identity) serve as theoretical anchors for the ethnic or racial aspect of The Psychology of Race and Gender course. Students used these models to chart the development of a character's racial identity in film or literature. Students enrolled in a predominantly White university in Kentucky reported that the exercise was thought provoking, intriguing, and informative. Students agreed that the exercise should be continued for subsequent classes.
Radiographic Identification of Arthroscopically Relevant Proximal Femoral Structures
Authors: Lee W. Andrew , Saroki Adriana J. , Løken Sverre , Trindade Christiano A.C. , Cram Tyler R. , Schindler Broc R. , LaPrade Robert F. , Philippon Marc J.
Published: December 2015

Background:

Anatomic landmarks located on the proximal femur have only recently been defined, and there is a lack of radiographic guidelines for their locations presented in the literature. With the confident identification of these landmarks, radiographs could provide more assistance in preoperative evaluations, intraoperative guidance, and postoperative assessments.

Purpose:

To quantify the radiographic locations of endoscopic landmarks of the proximal femur.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

Ten cadaveric specimens were dissected, and radio-opaque hardware was placed for each landmark of interest. Radiographs were obtained and measurements recorded in anteroposterior (AP) and Dunn 45° views.

Results:

In the AP view, the gluteus medius insertion was located a mean 12.9 ± 2.4 mm and 34.7 ± 5.1 mm from the piriformis fossa and vastus tubercle, respectively. The piriformis fossa was a mean 14.8 ± 5.9 mm and 4.9 ± 1.9 mm from the anterior and posterior tips of the greater trochanter, respectively. The anterior and posterior tips of the greater trochanter were a mean 14.8 ± 5.1 mm from each other. In the Dunn 45° view, the piriformis fossa was a mean 13.3 ± 2.0 mm, and the vastus tubercle was a mean 21.5 ± 6.0 mm, from the gluteus medius insertion. Moreover, the vastus tubercle was a mean 33.5 ± 6.4 mm from the anterior tip of the greater trochanter and 31.6 ± 8.5 mm from the posterior tip of the greater trochanter.

Conclusion:

In spite of the variation in cadaveric sizes, quantitative descriptions of endoscopic landmarks were reproducible in clinical views.

Clinical Relevance:

A detailed understanding of how the described landmarks present radiographically is relevant to preoperative planning, intraoperative evaluations, and postoperative assessments.
Trajectory of Region Formation in the Eastern Himalayas
Authors: Hilaly Sarah
Published: December 2015

The extended Eastern Himalayas has been a region of India at the crossroads of the flow of ideas and commodities of states like Tibet and Assam. Yet the trajectory of its culture developed unique features in an ecological niche negotiating and interacting with other cultures. The article, while positing it within the larger Southeast Asian contours of culture seeks to look at present Arunachal Pradesh as a distinct region.
Art and mental health in Samoa
Authors: Ryan Brigid , Goding Margaret , Fenner Patricia , Percival Steven , Percival Wendy , Latai Leua , Petaia Lisi , Pulotu-Endemann Fuimaono Karl , Parkin Ian , Tuitama George , Ng Chee
Published: December 2015

Objectives:

To pilot an art and mental health project with Samoan and Australian stakeholders. The aim of this project was to provide a voice through the medium of art for people experiencing mental illness, and to improve the public understanding in Samoa of mental illness and trauma.

Methods:

Over 12 months, a series of innovative workshops were held with Samoan and Australian stakeholders, followed by an art exhibition. These workshops developed strategies to support the promotion and understanding of mental health in Samoa. Key stakeholders from both art making and mental health services were engaged in activities to explore the possibility of collaboration in the Apia community.

Results:

The project was able to identify the existing resources and community support for the arts and mental health projects, to design a series of activities aimed to promote and maintain health in the community, and to pilot these programs with five key organizations.

Conclusions:

This project demonstrates the potential for art and mental health projects to contribute to both improving mental health and to lowering the personal and social costs of mental ill health for communities in Samoa.
Strengthening research capacity in the Pacific: an example from the Atoifi Health Research Group, Solomon Islands
Authors: MacLaren David , Asugeni James , Redman-MacLaren Michelle ,   On behalf of the Atoifi Health Research Group
Published: December 2015

Objective:

To provide an example of one model of research capacity building for mental health from a remote setting in Solomon Islands.

Methods:

The Atoifi Health Research Group is building health research capacity with a health service on the remote east coast of Malaita, Solomon Islands. The group uses a ‘learn-by-doing’ approach embedded in health service and community-level health projects. The group is eclectic in nature and deliberately engages a variety of partners to discover culturally informed methods of collecting, analysing and disseminating research findings.

Results:

Key successes of the Atoifi Health Research Group are: that it was initiated by Solomon Islanders with self-expressed desire to learn about research; the learn-by-doing model; inclusion of community people to inform questions and socio-cultural appropriateness; and commitment to ongoing support by international researchers.

Conclusions:

Given different social, cultural, economic, geographic, spiritual and service contexts across the Pacific, locally appropriate approaches need to be considered. Such approaches challenge the orthodox approach of centralized investment to replicate specialist driven approaches of funder nations. Increasing expertise at all levels through participatory capacity building models that define and address local problems may be more sustainable and responsive to local mental health contexts.
Economic Impact of Missouri’s Partnership for Hope Home and Community-Based Medicaid Waiver for Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Barton Kelli N. , Gotto George S.
Published: December 2015

Missouri’s Partnership for Hope (PfH) is a home and community-based services (HCBS) Medicaid waiver that targets services to the needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). PfH is predicated on a unique federal–state–county partnership, where counties may vote to participate in PfH by leveraging funds for services. The aim of this study was to explore the economic impact of PfH. The economic contribution and impact of PfH (October 2010–September 2013) were explored using IMPLAN software and data. Results indicate that a county and state investment of US$3.5 million each leveraged US$11.7 million in federal funds, contributed almost US$22.2 million to Missouri’s gross state product (GSP), and was responsible for more than 435 jobs for Missourians. An estimated 13.8 million of those dollars were “new” to the state’s economy. Economic impact analyses showed that PfH spending facilitated economic growth. The unique structure of PfH grants counties greater administrative authority and allows the state and counties to split the state Medicaid match dollar amount. Furthermore, results indicate that encouraging participants to self-direct services, and providing support for them to do so, is beneficial to a state’s economy, particularly job creation.