bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Economic, Political, and Strategic Issues in Iran–Turkey Relations, 2002–2015
Authors: Ebrahimi Mansoureh , Yusoff Kamaruzaman , Seyed Jalili Mir Mohamadali
Published: February 2017

This article assesses the effects in terms of economic, political, and cross-border relations between Iran and Turkey after the Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AKP) came to power and examines how and to what extend Turkey intervened in several regional equations while balancing its Western advantages for its national benefit with a clear view toward achieving specific goals. Iran also reaped several positive outcomes even as regional tensions increased. The findings highlight that to manage Western strategic goals in its new international niche, Turkey optimized every potential opportunity for global bargaining to its benefit. Turkey’s relations with Iran were carefully balanced by its Western designs through the calculated applications of choices in various fields of Iran’s foreign policy.
Hsp90 inhibition destabilizes Ezh2 protein in alloreactive T cells and reduces graft-versus-host disease in mice
Authors: Huang Qingrong , He Shan , Tian Yuanyuan , Gu Yuting , Chen Pan , Li Changhong , Huang Jiefang , Liu Yongnian , Yu Hongshuang , Jin Min , Hu Shaoyan , Tong Qing , Ma Anqi , Jin Jian , Hexner Elizabeth , Fung Henry , Reshef Ran , Zhang Yi , Zhang Yanyun
Published: February 2017

Key Points

Ezh2 requires Hsp90 to maintain Ezh2 protein stability and function in alloreactive T cells. Pharmacological inhibition of Hsp90 destabilizes Ezh2 protein in alloreactive T cells and reduces GVHD but preserves graft-versus-leukemia effects.
Depletion of coagulation factor XII ameliorates brain pathology and cognitive impairment in Alzheimer disease mice
Authors: Chen Zu-Lin , Revenko Alexey S. , Singh Pradeep , MacLeod A. Robert , Norris Erin H. , Strickland Sidney
Published: February 2017

Key Points

The plasma contact system is activated early in AD mice and temporally correlated with the onset of brain inflammation. Depletion of contact system initiator FXII ameliorates brain pathology and cognitive impairment in AD mice.
Acceptability of insecticide-treated clothing for malaria prevention among migrant rubber tappers in Myanmar: a cluster-randomized non-inferiority crossover trial
Authors: Crawshaw Alison F. , Maung Thae Maung , Shafique Muhammad , Sint Nyan , Nicholas Sarala , Li Michelle S. , Roca-Feltrer Arantxa , Hii Jeffrey
Published: February 2017

Background

Insecticide-treated clothing (ITC) has long been used for military and outdoor recreational purposes and there is substantial evidence to show that it can protect against arthropod biting. As a complementary vector control measure, ITC could be used to address outdoor transmission of malaria, particularly among mobile and migrant populations and night-time workers such as rubber tappers, who may be beyond the reach of core interventions. However, more information is required on acceptability and preferences of target groups towards ITC to understand whether it could be a viable strategy in Myanmar.

Methods

A cluster-randomized, double-blind, non-inferiority crossover trial was performed to determine acceptability of ITC versus identical, untreated clothing (NTC) among migrant rubber tappers. The study took place between January and May 2015 with 234 participants in 16 clusters in Thanbyuzayat Township, Mon State, Myanmar. Participants were randomly assigned to the order of clothing distribution and followed up at 2, 4 and 6 week intervals. Acceptability was assessed through structured questionnaires, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. A cluster-level non-inferiority analysis was conducted using STATA, while qualitative data were digitally recorded, transcribed and content-analysed to identify patterns and themes, and managed thematically in Excel 2010®.

Results

Acceptability of both types of clothing was high. ITC was deduced to be non-inferior to NTC for seven out of eight indicators regarding perceptions (looks nice, is durable, is pleasant to wear for nighttime work, reduces mosquito bites, would recommend the clothing, would buy the clothing, like the clothing overall). A high proportion of respondents reported that the clothing reduced mosquito bites (ITC-98%; NTC-94%). Clothing was worn regularly (about 11 times in the previous two weeks). The most common reasons for not wearing the clothing every night were that it was being washed or dried, or the participant did not go to work.

Conclusions

The high level of acceptability suggests that ITC could be an appropriate strategy for personal protection amongst migrant rubber tappers in outdoor transmission settings in Myanmar. However, more research is needed into the feasibility and protective efficacy of ITC before it can be considered for wider roll-out.

Trial registration Clinical trials ACTRN12615000432516
Effect of Clopidogrel on Thrombus Formation in an Ex Vivo Parallel Plate Flow Chamber Model Cannot Be Reversed by Addition of Platelet Concentrates or vWF Concentrate
Authors: Jahn Kira , Suchodolski Klaudiusz , Schäfer Andreas , Sahlmann Bianca , Küster Uwe , Echtermeyer Frank , Calmer Simone , Theilmeier Gregor , Johanning Kai
Published: February 2017

BACKGROUND:

Hemorrhage is the most important complication of antithrombotic therapy with P2Y12 receptor blockers. The administration of platelet concentrates (PCs) and von Willebrand factor (vWF) concentrates are common procedures to normalize impaired primary hemostasis in bleeding patients. We tested whether this strategy reverses the effect of clopidogrel using a parallel plate flow chamber model.

METHODS:

Whole blood from patients, who received a loading dose of clopidogrel with 600 mg and an ongoing dual antiplatelet therapy with 75 mg/d clopidogrel and 100 mg/d acetyl salicylic acid, compared with blood from healthy volunteers was examined in a collagen-coated parallel plate flow chamber. Blood was perfused by suction at a shear rate of 300/s, which is equivalent to 14 dynes/cm2 to resemble shear stress in conduit arteries. Platelet-covered area, individual thrombus size, and the average thrombus size were assessed morphometrically. The equivalent of 2 or 5 units of PC and/or 2 U/mL of vWF concentrate were used in an attempt to restore coagulation capacity in blood samples of clopidogrel-treated patients.

RESULTS:

In this model, clopidogrel reduced the increase of thrombus size. The equivalent of 2 U of PC or 2 U/mL of vWF alone did not show any significant changes in thrombus size. 5 U of PC increased thrombus size in clopidogrel-treated patients (P < .05). Thrombus size in clopidogrel blood was increased by combined PC and vWF treatment (by 50%, P < .05), but this increase did not reach control levels (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS:

This flow chamber model is suitable for detection of the antiplatelet effect of clopidogrel. Ex vivo addition of PC or vWF does not overcome the effects of clopidogrel in this model, but the combination of both shows a mild and significant improvement in thrombus size.
The role of variant histone H2AV in Drosophila melanogaster larval hematopoiesis
Authors: Grigorian Melina , DeBruhl Heather , Lipsick Joseph S.
Published: February 2017

Replication-independent histone variants can replace the canonical replication-dependent histones. Vertebrates have multiple H2A variant histones, including H2AZ and H2AX that are present in most eukaryotes. H2AZ regulates transcriptional activation as well as the maintenance of gene silencing, while H2AX is important in DNA damage repair. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has only one histone H2A variant (H2AV), which is a chimera of H2AZ and H2AX. In this study we found that lack of H2AV led to the formation of black melanotic masses in Drosophila third instar larvae. The formation of these masses was found in conjunction with a loss of the majority of the primary lymph gland lobes. Interestingly, the cells of the posterior signaling center were preserved in these mutants. Reduction of H2AV levels by RNAi knockdown caused a milder phenotype that preserved the lymph gland structure but that included precocious differentiation of the prohemocytes located within the medullary zone and the secondary lobes of the lymph gland. Mutant rescue experiments suggest that the H2AZ-like rather than the H2AX-like function of H2AV is primarily required for normal hematopoiesis.
Stomach curvature is generated by left-right asymmetric gut morphogenesis
Authors: Davis Adam , Amin Nirav M. , Johnson Caroline , Bagley Kristen , Ghashghaei H. Troy , Nascone-Yoder Nanette
Published: February 2017

Left-right (LR) asymmetry is a fundamental feature of internal anatomy, yet the emergence of morphological asymmetry remains one of the least understood phases of organogenesis. Asymmetric rotation of the intestine is directed by forces outside the gut, but the morphogenetic events that generate anatomical asymmetry in other regions of the digestive tract remain unknown. Here, we show in mouse and Xenopus that the mechanisms that drive the curvature of the stomach are intrinsic to the gut tube itself. The left wall of the primitive stomach expands more than the right wall, as the left epithelium becomes more polarized and undergoes radial rearrangement. These asymmetries exist across several species, and are dependent on LR patterning genes, including Foxj1, Nodal and Pitx2. Our findings have implications for how LR patterning manifests distinct types of morphological asymmetries in different contexts.
The assembly of developing motor neurons depends on an interplay between spontaneous activity, type II cadherins and gap junctions
Authors: Montague Karli , Lowe Andrew S. , Uzquiano Ana , Knüfer Athene , Astick Marc , Price Stephen R. , Guthrie Sarah
Published: February 2017

A core structural and functional motif of the vertebrate central nervous system is discrete clusters of neurons or ‘nuclei’. Yet the developmental mechanisms underlying this fundamental mode of organisation are largely unknown. We have previously shown that the assembly of motor neurons into nuclei depends on cadherin-mediated adhesion. Here, we demonstrate that the emergence of mature topography among motor nuclei involves a novel interplay between spontaneous activity, cadherin expression and gap junction communication. We report that nuclei display spontaneous calcium transients, and that changes in the activity patterns coincide with the course of nucleogenesis. We also find that these activity patterns are disrupted by manipulating cadherin or gap junction expression. Furthermore, inhibition of activity disrupts nucleogenesis, suggesting that activity feeds back to maintain integrity among motor neurons within a nucleus. Our study suggests that a network of interactions between cadherins, gap junctions and spontaneous activity governs neuron assembly, presaging circuit formation.
Creating to understand – developmental biology meets engineering in Paris
Authors: Kicheva Anna , Rivron Nicolas C.
Published: February 2017

In November 2016, developmental biologists, synthetic biologists and engineers gathered in Paris for a meeting called ‘Engineering the embryo’. The participants shared an interest in exploring how synthetic systems can reveal new principles of embryonic development, and how the in vitro manipulation and modeling of development using stem cells can be used to integrate ideas and expertise from physics, developmental biology and tissue engineering. As we review here, the conference pinpointed some of the challenges arising at the intersection of these fields, along with great enthusiasm for finding new approaches and collaborations.
No child should feel that they are being left behind
Authors: Lee Maureen
Published: February 2017

Early years professionals have a vital role to play in narrowing the achievement gap for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, but exactly how do we get better at removing the barriers to achievement?
Oncology nurses' perceptions of end-of-life care in a tertiary cancer centre in Qatar
Authors: Libo-on Izette Larraine M , Nashwan Abdulqadir J
Published: February 2017

Background:

Nurses who work in oncology settings may lack the knowledge and skills required for end-of-life (EoL) care. A clear understanding of nurses' perceptions of EoL care is crucial for the successful improvement of care for terminally ill patients with cancer. Although many studies have underlined nurses' perspectives on EoL care, this is the first such study conducted on oncology nurses in Qatar.

Purpose:

This study primarily sought to measure nurses' perceptions of EoL care at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) in Qatar.

Methods:

A quantitative, cross-sectional, self-reported study. Nurses at the NCCCR reported their perceptions of EoL care using the Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying (FATCOD) scale, which consisted of 30 items scored on a five-point Likert scale. Seventy-eight nurses working in oncology settings completed the tool.

Results:

Approximately one third (33–35%) of the participants had positive perceptions of EoL care. The majority (67%) of the participants were uncertain or ambivalent regarding EoL events and situations. There was no significant relationship between the participants' profiles and their perceptions of EoL care. However, very few of them had completed educational courses in death and dying.

Conclusion:

Nurses have an important impact on EoL care, and continuous education is necessary to improve their confidence when they work with dying patients and their families. An in-house programme to help nurses cope with compassionate exhaustion and humanistic and relational care is highly recommended.
Incontinence-associated dermatitis: new insights into an old problem
Authors: Voegeli David
Published: February 2017

Incontinence affects many. David Voegeli discusses how to differentiate skin damage associated with moisture from pressure ulcers, and the importance of structured skin care

Incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD) is a common skin disorder seen in patients with incontinence. Typically IAD presents as inflammation of the skin surface characterised by redness, and in extreme cases, swelling and blister formation. If untreated this usually rapidly leads to excoriation and skin breakdown, which may subsequently become infected by the skin flora. While this is a common condition encountered in all areas of nursing practice, gaps remain in our understanding of the many contributing factors. A lack of standardised definitions of IAD, differences in terminology, and a bewildering increase in products available to prevent and manage IAD, makes it difficult for nurses to deliver evidence-based care. However, it is an area where nursing research has made a considerable contribution over the past few years. This article explores the current thinking on IAD and the implications for nursing practice.
Malignant Catarrhal Fever in Indonesia and Its Control Strategy
Authors: Damayanti Rini
Published: February 2017

Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is an immunoproliferative and lethal disease of many species of the order Artiodactyla (such as families Bovidae, Cervidae and Suidae) caused by a member of the MCF virus (MCFV) group belongs to the genus Macavirus in the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae. There are two types of MCF i.e. Wildebeest-Associated MCF (WA-MCF) which is caused by Alcelaphine Herpesvirus-1 (AlHV-1) with wildebeest as reservoir animal; and Sheep-Associated MCF (SA-MCF) which is caused by Ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2) with sheep and goats as reservoir animals. AlHV-1 virus has already been isolated whereas OvHV-2 has not been isolated so that vaccines are not yet available. Both types cannot be differentiated by clinical and pathological findings. This disease was previously diagnosed based on the epidemiological information and clinicopathological findings, but now it can be diagnosed by using molecular biological tests. This paper describes the epidemiology of MCF virus, MCF cases in Indonesia and efforts to control this disease. In Indonesia, SA-MCF cases have been reported almost in all provinces as endemic as well as epidemic nature. Separation of reservoir animal with susceptible species, "producing" a SA-MCF virus free sheep and attempt to develop a recombinant vaccine against SA-MCF is the main control strategy that can be suggested.
New records of invasive Parakeet hybrids in Spain. A great opportunity to apply the rapid response mechanism
Authors: Postigo Jose-Luis
Published: February 2017

Prevention, early warning and rapid response are the most effective measures in preventing the impacts of invasive
species. The Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri, is an invasive species widely spread across Europe,
including Spain. The Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria is also an invasive species established in Europe,
but not in Spain, although a species distribution model classified parts of Spain as ‘highly suitable’ and an invasion
risk assessment predicted a ‘high risk of invasion’ in Europe. The first hybrids from these two species were
recently detected in Spain. Based on these data, we suggest to capture the hybrids to prevent further invasion
and possible interaction with other invasive parakeets in Spain.
India’s Trade Potential and Free Trade Agreements: A Stochastic Frontier Gravity Approach
Authors: Kumar Surender , Prabhakar Prerna
Published: February 2017

This paper analyses the role of Free Trade Agreements in determining export and import efficiency levels in India using stochastic frontier version of gravity model. We estimate the impact of selected FTAs of India (its bilateral FTAs, FTA with ASEAN and South Asian FTA) and regulatory quality on the efficiency of exports and imports over the period of 2000–2014. The results indicate that India’s bilateral FTAs and its FTA with the ASEAN group help in improving the export and import efficiency respectively. However, the South Asian Free Trade Agreement is statistically insignificant for India’s export and import efficiency. The results also highlight importance of trading partners’ regulatory quality for enhancing the India’s trade efficiency and note that the impacts of regulatory quality are non-monotonic.
AMH levels in girls with various pubertal problems
Authors: Savas-Erdeve Senay , Sagsak Elif , Keskin Meliksah , Cetinkaya Semra , Aycan Zehra
Published: February 2017

Background:

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is produced by granulosa cells surrounding follicles that have undergone recruitment from the primordial follicle pool but have not been selected for dominance (preantral and early antral follicles). In healthy girls, serum levels of AMH vary considerably between individuals. We aimed to evaluate the AMH level in girls with premature thelarche (PT) and central precocious puberty (CPP).

Methods:

Girls with CPP (n=21), PT (n=24) and a control prepubertal group (n=22) were included in the study.

Results:

AMH levels were significantly higher in the PT group than the prepubertal control group and similar to the CPP group. AMH levels in the CPP group were similar to the prepubertal control group. AMH levels showed a significant negative correlation with luteinizing hormone (LH), free testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) levels in the PT group. AMH levels were negatively correlated with height standard deviation score (HSDS), body mass index (BMI) SDS values and positively correlated with sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels in the CPP group. These levels were positively correlated with SHBG levels in the control prepubertal group.

Conclusions:

Serum AMH levels in girls with PT was found to be higher than in prepubertal girls. AMH levels in the CPP group were not different compared with the PT and control groups.
The Impacts of Mutual Collaboration Experience and Domain Knowledge Levels on CAIS Behavior: An Experimental Study
Authors: Wu Dan , Liang Shaobo , Xiang Xue
Published: February 2017

Some studies have investigated participants’ information-seeking practices from the perspective of mutual collaboration experience and level of domain knowledge. This study provides insights into collaborative academic information-seeking (CAIS) behaviour. The article explores whether groups with different levels of domain knowledge and mutual collaboration experiences had different CAIS behaviour. It also asked whether domain knowledge level or mutual collaboration experience had an impact on CAIS behaviour. We describe a user study with 18 participants in nine pairs with an experimental collaborative information-seeking tool, the participants categorized into three types of groups: high domain knowledge level and few mutual collaboration experiences (Group 1), low domain knowledge level and many mutual collaboration experiences (Group 2), and no domain knowledge level and no mutual collaboration experience (Group 3). Quantitative and qualitative data analysis were used to analyse the user data collected. The results showed that compared with members of Group 3, participants in Groups 1 and 2 had a better understanding of search tasks and were aware of the ways of completing the tasks successfully. They did not depend on the information-retrieval system when constructing search queries, and adopted diverse cooperation strategies. They were more likely to recommend information to their partners. Domain knowledge had greater impact on CAIS behaviour than collaboration experience. The findings help us to understand social interactions among community members and help CAIS researchers to understand user interactions and inform information system designers as they design collaborative systems to facilitate social communication in the information-seeking process. Our work was limited by the group types we chose and the small group size, which could affect the generalizability of our findings and should be addressed in future studies.
Eco-efficient electrocatalytic C–P bond formation
Authors: Budnikova Yulia H. , Gryaznova Tatyana V. , Grinenko Valeriya V. , Dudkina Yulia B. , Khrizanforov Mikhail N.
Published: February 2017

The development of practical, efficient and atom-economical methods of formation of carbon-phosphorus bonds remains a topic of considerable interest for the current synthetic organic chemistry and electrochemistry. This review summarizes selected topics from the recent publications with particular emphasis on phosphine and phosphine oxides formation from white phosphorus, chlorophosphines in electrocatalytic processes using aryl, hetaryl or perfluoroalkyl halides as reagents. This review includes selected highlights concerning recent progress in modification of catalytic systems for aromatic C–H bonds phosphonation involving metal-catalyzed ligand directed or metal-induced oxidative processes. Furthermore, a part of this review is devoted to phosphorylation of olefins with white phosphorus under reductive conditions in water-organic media. Finally, we have also documented recent advances in ferrocene C–H activation and phosphorylation.
Studies on 99Mo–99mTc adsorption and elution behaviors using the inorganic sorbent ceric tungstate and conventional organic resins
Authors: El-Sweify Fatma H. , Abdel Fattah Alaa El-Din A. , El-Sheikh Ragaa , Aly Shorouk M. , Ghamry Mohamed A.
Published: February 2017

Adsorption behavior of 99Mo(VI) and 99mTc(VII) was studied on ceric tungstate (CeW) and compared with the adsorption on the conventional cation and anion exchangers Dowex-50X8 and AG-2X8, respectively. The studies were carried out under static and dynamic conditions. The effect of contact time and pH on the adsorption was investigated under static conditions. High Kd-values for sorption of 99Mo(VI) on (CeW) were obtained over the investigated pH range. 99mTc was adsorbed with much lower Kd-values. The Kd-values were pH dependent. Kd-values of 99Mo-adsorption on AG-2X8 were lower than those on (CeW) and vice versa for 99mTc. Ionic species of both elements were not adsorbed on Dowex-50X8, indicating the absence of cationic species and the adsorption of both elements on AG-2X8 and (CeW) as anionic species. The loading and elution behaviors of 99Mo and 99mTc on (CeW) were studied using different eluents. 99Mo remained strongly adsorbed under all conditions whereas 99mTc was easily eluted. Adsorption of some fission products, i.e. 95Zr(IV) and 95Nb(V), in addition to 123mTe(IV) and 75Se(IV), as representatives of their corresponding fission product isotopes, as well as 181Hf, as probable radioactive contaminant was also studied. Solutions of the ionic species of those metals were loaded in mixtures together with 99Mo on (CeW) columns. Strong adsorption of those ionic species and 99Mo on (CeW) was found whereas 99mTc was easily eluted. Different eluents were investigated for eluting 99mTc from 99Mo-adsorbed on (CeW).
Understanding of Tensile Test Results on Small Size Specimens of Certified Reference Material BCR-661
Authors: Vandermeulen W. , Puzzolante J.-L. , Scibetta M.
Published: February 2017

BCR-661 is a Nimonic 75 Certified Reference Material for tensile testing, available from the European Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements. The certification is based on specimens with a diameter of 10 mm. Since for several purposes small specimens are desirable, an attempt was made to qualify a specimen with a diameter of 2.4 mm. It was found that for cylindrical specimens made by turning neither the 0.2 % proof stress, nor the tensile strength values corresponded with the certified values. Rectangular section specimens made by electro-discharge machining gave correct stress values but too high elongations. The reduction of area values were for all specimens satisfactory. It was shown that the stress deviations found in the turned specimens are due to the presence of a work hardened layer caused by machining. Annealing of turned specimens resulted in correct strength values. With regard to the elongation values the influence of the specimen shape and possible specimen head deformation seem to be important factors.
Cerebellar Roles in Self-Timing for Sub- and Supra-Second Intervals
Authors: Ohmae Shogo , Kunimatsu Jun , Tanaka Masaki
Published: February 2017

Previous studies suggest that the cerebellum and basal ganglia are involved in sub-second and supra-second timing, respectively. To test this hypothesis at the cellular level, we examined the activity of single neurons in the cerebellar dentate nucleus in monkeys performing the oculomotor version of the self-timing task. Animals were trained to report the passage of time of 400, 600, 1200, or 2400 ms following a visual cue by making self-initiated memory-guided saccades. We found a sizeable preparatory neuronal activity before self-timed saccades across delay intervals, while the time course of activity correlated with the trial-by-trial variation of saccade latency in different ways depending on the length of the delay intervals. For the shorter delay intervals, the ramping up of neuronal firing rate started just after the visual cue and the rate of rise of neuronal activity correlated with saccade timing. In contrast, for the longest delay (2400 ms), the preparatory activity started late during the delay period, and its onset time correlated with self-timed saccade latency. Because electrical microstimulation applied to the recording sites during saccade preparation advanced self-timed but not reactive saccades, regardless of their directions, the signals in the cerebellum may have a causal role in self-timing. We suggest that the cerebellum may regulate timing in both sub-second and supra-second ranges, although its relative contribution might be greater for sub-second than for supra-second time intervals.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTHow we decide the timing of self-initiated movement is a fundamental question. According to the prevailing hypothesis, the cerebellum plays a role in monitoring sub-second timing, whereas the basal ganglia are important for supra-second timing. To verify this, we explored neuronal signals in the monkey cerebellum while animals reported the passage of time in the range 400–2400 ms by making eye movements. Contrary to our expectations, we found that neurons in the cerebellar dentate nucleus exhibited a similar preparatory activity for both sub-second and supra-second intervals, and that electrical simulation advanced self-timed saccades in both conditions. We suggest that the cerebellum plays a causal role in the fine adjustment of self-timing in a larger time range than previously thought.
Spatial Tuning Shifts Increase the Discriminability and Fidelity of Population Codes in Visual Cortex
Authors: Vo Vy A. , Sprague Thomas C. , Serences John T.
Published: February 2017

Selective visual attention enables organisms to enhance the representation of behaviorally relevant stimuli by altering the encoding properties of single receptive fields (RFs). Yet we know little about how the attentional modulations of single RFs contribute to the encoding of an entire visual scene. Addressing this issue requires (1) measuring a group of RFs that tile a continuous portion of visual space, (2) constructing a population-level measurement of spatial representations based on these RFs, and (3) linking how different types of RF attentional modulations change the population-level representation. To accomplish these aims, we used fMRI to characterize the responses of thousands of voxels in retinotopically organized human cortex. First, we found that the response modulations of voxel RFs (vRFs) depend on the spatial relationship between the RF center and the visual location of the attended target. Second, we used two analyses to assess the spatial encoding quality of a population of voxels. We found that attention increased fine spatial discriminability and representational fidelity near the attended target. Third, we linked these findings by manipulating the observed vRF attentional modulations and recomputing our measures of the fidelity of population codes. Surprisingly, we discovered that attentional enhancements of population-level representations largely depend on position shifts of vRFs, rather than changes in size or gain. Our data suggest that position shifts of single RFs are a principal mechanism by which attention enhances population-level representations in visual cortex.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTAlthough changes in the gain and size of RFs have dominated our view of how attention modulates visual information codes, such hypotheses have largely relied on the extrapolation of single-cell responses to population responses. Here we use fMRI to relate changes in single voxel receptive fields (vRFs) to changes in population-level representations. We find that vRF position shifts contribute more to population-level enhancements of visual information than changes in vRF size or gain. This finding suggests that position shifts are a principal mechanism by which spatial attention enhances population codes for relevant visual information. This poses challenges for labeled line theories of information processing, suggesting that downstream regions likely rely on distributed inputs rather than single neuron-to-neuron mappings.
Cep78 controls centrosome homeostasis by inhibiting EDD‐DYRK2‐DDB1VprBP
Authors: Hossain Delowar , Javadi Esfehani Yalda , Das Arindam , Tsang William Y
Published: February 2017

The centrosome plays a critical role in various cellular processes including cell division and cilia formation, and deregulation of centrosome homeostasis is a hallmark feature of many human diseases. Here, we show that centrosomal protein of 78 kDa (Cep78) localizes to mature centrioles and directly interacts with viral protein R binding protein (VprBP). Although VprBP is a component of two distinct E3 ubiquitin ligases, EDD‐DYRK2‐DDB1VprBP and CRL4VprBP, Cep78 binds specifically to EDD‐DYRK2‐DDB1VprBP and inhibits its activity. A pool of EDD‐DYRK2‐DDB1VprBP is active at the centrosome and mediates ubiquitination of CP110, a novel centrosomal substrate. Deregulation of Cep78 or EDD‐DYRK2‐DDB1VprBP perturbs CP110 ubiquitination and protein stability, thereby affecting centriole length and cilia assembly. Mechanistically, ubiquitination of CP110 entails its phosphorylation by DYRK2 and binding to VprBP. Cep78 specifically impedes the transfer of ubiquitin from EDD to CP110 without affecting CP110 phosphorylation and binding to VprBP. Thus, we identify Cep78 as a new player that regulates centrosome homeostasis by inhibiting the final step of the enzymatic reaction catalyzed by EDD‐DYRK2‐DDB1VprBP.
Kritinio ir kūrybinio mąstymo sąsaja
Authors: Penkauskienė Daiva
Published: February 2017

Kritinis ir kūrybinis mąstymas buvo ir yra vieni iš svarbiausių žmonių gebėjimų, jie turi būti ugdomi ir puoselėjami ne tik dėl asmeninės, bet ir dėl visuomeninės gerovės. Dėl koncepcijų ir sampratų įvairovės sunku susigaudyti, kas yra kūrybinis, o kas – kritinis mąstymas. Kartais jie laikomi vienas kitam prieštaraujantys, o kitąkart – turintys jungiančių bruožų ir net tapatūs. Straipsnyje siekiama aptarti kūrybinio ir kritinio mąstymo sampratą ir išryškinti jų sąsają. Tai daroma remiantis kūrybiškumo ir kritinio mąstymo tyrimais, atskleidžiančiais kūrybiškai ir kritiškai mąstančios asmenybės bruožus, mąstymo procesą ir jo vertinimo rezultatus. Užsienio autorių moksliniai atradimai ir įžvalgos papildomi Lietuvoje atliktų kritinio ir kūrybinio mąstymo tyrimų išvadomis, patvirtinančiomis esamą jų sąsają.
Pediatric Hospital Medicine: A Proposed New Subspecialty
Authors: Barrett Douglas J. , McGuinness Gail A. , Cunha Christopher A. , Emans S. Jean , Gerson William T. , Hazinski Mary F. , Lister George , Murray Karen F. , St. Geme Joseph W. , Whitley-Williams Patricia N.
Published: February 2017

Over the past 20 years, hospitalists have emerged as a distinct group of pediatric practitioners. In August of 2014, the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) received a petition to consider recommending that pediatric hospital medicine (PHM) be recognized as a distinct new subspecialty. PHM as a formal subspecialty raises important considerations related to: (1) quality, cost, and access to pediatric health care; (2) current pediatric residency training; (3) the evolving body of knowledge in pediatrics; and (4) the impact on both primary care generalists and existing subspecialists. After a comprehensive and iterative review process, the ABP recommended that the American Board of Medical Specialties approve PHM as a new subspecialty. This article describes the broad array of challenges and certain unique opportunities that were considered by the ABP in supporting PHM as a new pediatric subspecialty.
Effect of current intensity and duration on the effectiveness of head-only electrical stunning in pigs under commercial conditions
Authors: Végh Ákos , Abonyi-Tóth Zsolt , Rafai Pál
Published: February 2017

After head-only electrical stunning of pigs sequential animal-based measurements were carried out right after stunning as well as before and after bleeding in order to analyse how unconsciousness is achieved and maintained in relation to recorded and calculated technical parameters such as electric current intensity, electric work, duration of stunning, and stun-to-bloodletting period. The measurements were performed at three different slaughterhouses on 9 different days under routine slaughtering conditions. The data of 405 pigs were analysed. The effectiveness of stunning was measured by the number of parameters at two (adequate and acceptable) levels. Current intensity had a predominant effect on the effectiveness of stunning and on the maintenance of unconsciousness. The duration of stunning played a role only as part of the electric work, which manifested itself in the maintenance of unconsciousness. Stunning proved acceptable in 99% of the cases, provided that the minimum current intensity of 1.02 Amp was secured. In 99% of the cases unconsciousness could be maintained at an acceptable level beyond bloodletting when the electric work was at least 8,089.38 Joules. Recovery of consciousness depends on the stun-to-stick period: the best time of bloodletting is less than 32 seconds from the end of stunning.
Propionibacterium acnes phylogenetic type III is associated with progressive macular hypomelanosis
Authors: Petersen Rolf L. W. , Scholz Christian F. P. , Jensen Anders , Brüggemann Holger , Lomholt Hans B.
Published: February 2017

Progressive macular hypomelanosis (PMH) is a skin disorder that is characterized by hypopigmented macules and usually seen in young adults. The skin microbiota, in particular the bacterium Propionibacterium acnes, is suggested to play a role.

Here, we compared the P. acnes population of 24 PMH lesions from eight patients with corresponding nonlesional skin of the patients and matching control samples from eight healthy individuals using an unbiased, culture-independent next-generation sequencing approach. We also compared the P. acnes population before and after treatment with a combination of lymecycline and benzoylperoxide.

We found an association of one subtype of P. acnes, type III, with PMH. This type was predominant in all PMH lesions (73.9% of reads in average) but only detected as a minor proportion in matching control samples of healthy individuals (14.2% of reads in average). Strikingly, successful PMH treatment is able to alter the composition of the P. acnes population by substantially diminishing the proportion of P. acnes type III.

Our study suggests that P. acnes type III may play a role in the formation of PMH. Furthermore, it sheds light on substantial differences in the P. acnes phylotype distribution between the upper and lower back and abdomen in healthy individuals.
Inductive biomaterials for bone regeneration
Authors: Kasir Rafid , Vernekar Varadraj N. , Laurencin Cato T.
Published: February 2017

Inductive biomaterials are sought as alternatives to traditional materials used to treat bone defects. Traditional materials include autologous bone grafts that must be obtained surgically, and allografts that carry the risk of disease transmission and infection. Whereas the use of growth factors to stimulate bone growth has seen considerable advances, their efficacy is usually limited to supra-physiological doses with considerable side effects. On the other hand, certain biomaterials have an intrinsic ability to stimulate bone regeneration in lieu of growth factor use, and their use in repairing bone defects as well as improving the osteointegration of implants has been promising. These materials known as osteoinductive biomaterials include ceramics, metals, polymers, and composites of these materials. In this review, we examine the relevant properties of these different materials in their ability to induce bone formation.
Primary single stage repair of newborn babies with pouch colon (anorectal malformation) in a tertiary setup
Authors: Aggarwal Sumeet , Aggarwal Amika , Ded K. S.
Published: February 2017

Background: The standard procedure in the management of pouch colon is the staged procedure (SP), which has well-known disadvantages. We believe that staged procedure is unnecessary and single-stage procedure (SSP) can be done in the congenital pouch colon cases.Methods: Patients with pouch colon who underwent SSP (90 cases from 2008 to 2013) and SP (100 cases from 2003 to 2008), 65 and 55 of whom, respectively, were in regular follow-up for more than 3 years, were evaluated.Results: In SSP, male/female ratio was 87:3; in SP-94:6. Mean age of patient in SSP was 3.7 days and in SP 15 months. The distribution of cases into types I, II, III, and IV was 7, 16, 18, and 24 in SSP, and 6, 14, 15, and 20 in SP, respectively. The ratio of PSSP/SP for partial pouch colon (I and II) was 23:20 and for complete pouch colon (III and IV) was 42:35. The ratio of SSP/SP in terms of continence, mortality, and cost was 81:60, 17:53, and 1:6, respectively.Conclusions: Primary single-stage procedure gives better continence and cosmesis, with low morbidity and mortality at a low cost, and hence is recommended.
Diagnosing and Treatment of the Gallstone Intestinal Obstruction
Authors: Glukhov A. A. , Koshelev P. I. , Leybels V. N. , Boev S. N. , Enkova V. V.
Published: February 2017

Цель работы Анализ результатов диагностики и оперативного лечения больных с обтурационной желчнокаменной тон-кокишечной непроходимостью.Материал и методы Анализированы результаты лечения 15 пациенток в возрасте от 58 до 84 лет с обтурационной жел-тухой, которые были оперированы от 2 до 27 часов с момента поступления. Объем операции: лапаротомия, энтеротомия,удаление желчного камня из просвета кишки. Вмешательство на желчевыводящих путях не производилось.С целью диагностики использовались: эзофагогастроскопия, УЗИ, обзорная рентгенография брюшной полости.Результаты и их обсуждение Гладкое течение послеоперационного периода отмечено у 14 больных. Средняя длитель-ность послеоперационного периода составила 12 койко-дней. Осложнение в послеоперационном периоде развилось у однойпациентки. У 13 пациенток удаление камня из просвета кишки произведено дистально от места обтурации. У 2 больныхкамень удален из просвета кишки после смещения на 10-15 см проксимально, так как низвести его не удалось.Выводы Обтурационная тонкокишечная желчнокаменная непроходимость может протекать атипично, носить интер-миттирующий характер, что затрудняет диагностику и приводит к задержке оперативного лечения. При удалении камняиз просвета кишки предпочтительно его смещение в дистальном направлении, а при невозможности – смещение прокси-мально не менее чем на 30-40 см.Ключевые слова желчный камень, обтурационная кишечная непроходимость, хирургическое лечение
The Effectiveness Of Local Hemostasis After Endovascular Interventions
Authors: Andreev Alexander Alexeevich , Olshansky Michael Sergeevich , Suhochev Evgeniy Nikolaevich
Published: February 2017

Актуальность. В современной медицине широко используются эндоваскулярные технологии, которые доказали свою эф-фективность в диагностике и лечении различных заболеваний. Но их использование может приводить к развитию гемор-рагических осложнений, процент которых может составлять от 0,2 до 15%.Цель исследования – повышение эффективности лечения больных со злокачественными новообразованиями после эндова-скулярных вмешательств путем применения оптимальных методов локального гемостаза.Материалы исследования. Изучены результаты лечения 82 больных, которым были выполнены 221 эндоваскулярное вме-шательство правым транскутантным феморальным доступом. Пациенты были разделены на 4 группы исследования повиду применяемого метода локального гемостаза. В 1-й группе был выполнен компрессионный гемостаз; во 2-й – компрес-сионный гемостаз с использованием манжеты; в 3-й – применялось устройство ExoSeal; в 4-й – устройство PerCloseProGlide. Всем пациентам проводилось клиническое обследование, применялись общие и биохимические лабораторные,инструментальные методы исследования, визуальная шкала оценки болевого синдрома, статистическая обработка ре-зультатов.Результаты исследования. Остановка кровотечения методом мануальной компрессии занимала в среднем 13,6±4,3 ми-нут; методом компрессии с использованием манжеты – 3,0±1,0 минуты, с применением устройств ExoSeal – 3,8±1,3минут, Perclose – 6,5±2,3 минут. Вероятность развития гематом в месте выполнения пункции при использовании ману-ального гемостаза составила 33,3%, мануального гемостаза с манжетой – 5,6%, устройства ExoSeal – 3,6%, устройстваPerclose – 0%.Вывод. Применение компрессионного гемостаза с использованием манжеты позволило снизить вероятность развитиякровотечения из места пункции в 5 раз, гематом – в 5,9 раза; использование устройства ExoSeal – в 6,5 и в 9,3 раза, соот-ветственно, при проведении сравнения с традиционным компрессионным гемостазом. Применение устройства Percloseполностью исключило вероятность развития локальных геморрагических осложнений.Ключевые слова: локальный гемостаз, эндоваскулярные вмешательства, ExoSeal; PerClose ProGlide, мануальная компрес-сия
Experimental Substantiation Efficiency of new Polymer Membrane for Sealing the Suture Line During the Formation of Colonic Anastomoses
Authors: Inarhov Mikhail Alexandrovich , Lipatov Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich , Zatolokina Maria Alexandrovna , Yarmamedov Dmitry Mutalifovich
Published: February 2017

В современной абдоминальной хирургии проблема поиска новых способов и методов профилактики несостоятельностишвов анастомозов при наложении на толстую кишку продолжает оставаться открытой и постоянно требует новыхусовершенствований. Использование полимерных пленочных материалов позволяет повысить механическую прочность ибиологическую герметичность межкишечных анастомозов.Цель настоящего исследования состояла в оценке эффективности герметизации линии однорядных швов толстокишеч-ных анастомозов с помощью новых образцов пленочных имплантатов на основе полимеров карбоксиметилцеллюлозы.Материалы и методы. Проведен эксперимент на 60 кроликах. Было сформировано 3 группы исследования: контрольнаягруппа 1 – межкишечный анастомоз с использованием техники двурядного кишечного шва – шов Шмидена (первый ряд) ишов Матешука (второй ряд); контрольная группа 2 – межкишечный анастомоз с использованием однорядного шва Шми-дена; экспериментальная группа 1 – межкишечный анастомоз с использованием однорядного шва Шмидена, герметизиро-ванный образцом полимерной мембраны. Механическая прочность на разных сроках эксперимента определялась методомпневмопрессии.Результаты и их обсуждение. Во время оперативного вмешательства установлено, что изучаемый образец полимерногопленочного импланта обладает оптимальными манипуляционными свойствами, необходимыми для герметизации линиикишечного шва (эластичность, прочность, адгезивность, не требуется дополнительной фиксации шовным материалом,простота наложения мембраны, сокращение времени формирования анастомоза). Снижается повышенная проницае-мость и увеличивается уровень герметичности кишечного шва, за счет высокой степени адгезии полимерной мембраны,на фоне еще не наступившей регенерации краев серозной оболочки (феномен «биологической негерметичности»).Заключение. Полученные доклинические данные подтверждают эффективность применения новых полимерных мембранпри герметизации однорядных швов толстокишечных анастомозов.Ключевые слова: полимерные мембраны, герметичность анастомоза, прочность швов, кишечный шов.
135th birth anniversary of Alexander Fleming (The beginning of the era of antibiotics is dedicated)
Authors: Andreev Alexandr Alexeevich , Ostroushko Anton Petrovich
Published: February 2017

В 1999 году журнал «Time» включил Александра Флеминга в список 100 героев и кумиров XX века, заявив, что «открытие Флеминга породило огромную фармацевтическую промышленность, производящую синтетические пенициллины, направленные на борьбу с некоторыми самыми древними заболеваниями человечества, в числе которых сифилис, гангрена и туберкулез». По некоторым оценкам антибиотики спасли свыше 200 миллионов человек, а их открытие прибавило примерно 20 лет к средней продолжительности жизни человека в развитых странах.Александр Флеминг родился 6 августа 1881 года. В 1906 году получил степень Бакалавра Медицины и Бакалавра Хирургии с отличием и стал членом Королевского колледжа хирургов. В 1908 году он получает  степень магистра и бакалавра наук в Лондонском университете. В 1922 году Александр Флеминг открывает лизоцим. В1928 г. он становится профессором бактериологии. 7 марта 1929 года, А. Флеминг выделил и описал свойства пенициллина. 12 февраля 1941 года пенициллин был впервые применен для лечения человека. В 1943 году началось промышленное производство антибиотика.В 1944 году Флеминг был возведен в рыцарское достоинство. В 1945 году Нобелевская премия по физиологии и медицине была присуждена А.Флемингу, Х.У.Флори и Э.Б.Чейну «за открытие пенициллина и его целебного воздействия при различных инфекционных болезнях». В 1928–1946 годах А. Флеминг работал профессором микробиологии Лондонского университета, в 1947 возглавил Институт Райта–Флеминга, в 1951–1954 был ректором Эдинбургского университета.А. Флеминг был удостоен 25 почетных степеней, 26 медалей, 18 премий, 30 наград и почетного членства в 89 академиях наук и научных обществах, в том числе, Лондонского королевского общества (1943), Парижской академии наук (1946), Первый президент общества общей микробиологии.Александр Флеминг скончался от инфаркта миокарда 11 марта 1955 года. В 2009 году изображение Флеминга размещено на новой купюре в 5 фунтов стерлингов.