bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Trend for Increased Risk of Revision Surgery due to Deep Infection following Fast-Track Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: Amlie Einar , Lerdal Anners , Gay Caryl L. , Høvik Øystein , Nordsletten Lars , Dimmen Sigbjørn
Published: February 2016

Rates of revision surgery due to deep infection following total hip arthroplasty (THA) increased at a Norwegian hospital following implementation of fast-track procedures. The purpose of this study was to determine whether selected demographic (age and sex) and clinical (body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, surgery duration, length of hospital stay, cemented versus uncemented prosthesis, and fast-track procedures) factors were associated with higher risk of revision surgery due to deep infection following THA. In a prospective designed study 4,406 patients undergoing primary THA between January 2001 and January 2013 where included. Rates of infection-related revision surgery within 3 months of THA were higher among males and among patients who received fast-track THA. Adjusting for sex and age, the implemented fast-track elements were significantly associated with increased risk of revision surgery. Risk of infection-related revision surgery was unrelated to body mass index, physical status, surgery duration, length of hospital stay, and prosthesis type. Because local infiltration analgesia, drain cessation, and early mobilization were introduced in combination, it could not be determined which component or combination of components imposed the increased risk. The findings in this small sample raise concern about fast-track THA but require replication in other samples.
BacHbpred: Support Vector Machine Methods for the Prediction of Bacterial Hemoglobin-Like Proteins
Authors: Selvaraj MuthuKrishnan , Puri Munish , Dikshit Kanak L. , Lefevre Christophe
Published: February 2016

The recent upsurge in microbial genome data has revealed that hemoglobin-like (HbL) proteins may be widely distributed among bacteria and that some organisms may carry more than one HbL encoding gene. However, the discovery of HbL proteins has been limited to a small number of bacteria only. This study describes the prediction of HbL proteins and their domain classification using a machine learning approach. Support vector machine (SVM) models were developed for predicting HbL proteins based upon amino acid composition (AC), dipeptide composition (DC), hybrid method (AC + DC), and position specific scoring matrix (PSSM). In addition, we introduce for the first time a new prediction method based on max to min amino acid residue (MM) profiles. The average accuracy, standard deviation (SD), false positive rate (FPR), confusion matrix, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) were analyzed. We also compared the performance of our proposed models in homology detection databases. The performance of the different approaches was estimated using fivefold cross-validation techniques. Prediction accuracy was further investigated through confusion matrix and ROC curve analysis. All experimental results indicate that the proposed BacHbpred can be a perspective predictor for determination of HbL related proteins. BacHbpred, a web tool, has been developed for HbL prediction.
Paclitaxel Induced MDS and AML: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Bhatnagar Udit Bhaskar , Singh Daulath , Glazyrin Alexy , Moormeier Jill
Published: February 2016

Therapy related acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) have been classically linked to alkylating agents and topoisomerase inhibitors. They constitute about 1% of all AMLs. There is less evidence on association of taxanes (paclitaxel and docetaxel) with these myeloid neoplasms. We present a case of paclitaxel therapy related acute myelogenous leukemia after treatment of endometrial cancer with a regimen containing paclitaxel and carboplatin. A 63-year-old female underwent surgery followed by a total of 6 cycles of chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel. Six months after last cycle of chemotherapy, she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome with refractory anemia and excess blasts. Six weeks later, she had worsening anemia and thrombocytopenia which prompted a bone marrow biopsy which revealed acute myelomonocytic leukemia. A thorough literature review revealed 12 other case reports where taxanes have been implicated in the development of therapy related myeloid neoplasm. Based on the timeline of events in our patient, paclitaxel is the likely culprit in the pathogenesis of this myeloid neoplasm. This rare but significantly grave adverse effect should be kept in consideration when deciding on treatment options for gynecological malignancies.
Composition Design and Fatigue Curves of Hardfacing Materials for Cold Roll
Authors: Chen C. L. , Chen C. X. , Guo Z. H. , Ding J. , Han X. , Jiang Q.
Published: February 2016

In order to improve the fatigue life of cold rolls, a series of hardfacing alloys were designed by orthogonal experiments considering the interaction between carbon, chromium, and niobium. Hardfacing layers were produced by Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) arc welding. The effects of alloy content on microstructure and carbides and fatigue behavior at different load frequency and different temperature were analyzed. The results show that suitable combination of 0.5% C, 4.0% Cr, and 2.0% Nb can obtain a high hardness of 54.7 HRC for the formation of fine lath martensite and carbides with dispersed distribution. The new designed hardfacing materials have similarΔε-Ncurves with parent material in low load frequency and below 400°C.
The Therapeutic Effects of the Chinese Herbal Medicine, Lang Chuang Fang Granule, on Lupus‐Prone MRL/lpr Mice
Authors: Huang Kai-Peng , Zhang Zhi-Hao , Li Rui-Ming , Chen Xiao
Published: February 2016

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that leads to severe multiorgan damage. Lang Chuang Fang (LCF) is a Chinese herbal medicine that is clinically prescribed for treating SLE. In this study, we examined the therapeutic effects of LCF granule on lupus‐prone MRL/lpr mice. Female mice were randomly separated into six groups, and LCF treatment groups received LCF granule at the dosage of 0.97 g/kg/d, 1.95 g/kg/d, and 3.90 g/kg/d, respectively. Here, we found that, compared to the MRL/lpr mice, both the spleen coefficient and thymus coefficient were reduced in the LCF granule‐treated mice. There was a marked downregulation in CRP and anti‐dsDNA autoantibody and an evident upregulation of CH50 in LCF granule‐treated mice. LCF granule treatment also obviously reduced the proteinuria, BUN, and SCr levels in MRL/lpr mice at the dosage of 0.97 g/kg/d, 1.95 g/kg/d, and 3.90 g/kg/d, indicating that LCF granule alleviated the renal injury of MRL/lpr mice. Furthermore, LCF granule decreased p65 NF‐κB levels and increased Sirt1 and Nrf2 levels in the kidney tissues of MRL/lpr mice, which might elucidate the beneficial effects of LCF on lupus nephritis. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that LCF granule has therapeutic effects on lupus‐prone MRL/lpr mice.
Using Tractography to Distinguish SWEDD from Parkinson’s Disease Patients Based on Connectivity
Authors: Kim Mansu , Park Hyunjin
Published: February 2016

Background. It is critical to distinguish between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and scans without evidence of dopaminergic deficit (SWEDD), because the two groups are different and require different therapeutic approaches.Objective. The aim of this study was to distinguish SWEDD patients from PD patients using connectivity information derived from diffusion tensor imaging tractography.Methods. Diffusion magnetic resonance images of SWEDD (n=37) and PD (n=40) were obtained from a research database. Tractography, the process of obtaining neural fiber information, was performed using custom software. Group-wise differences between PD and SWEDD patients were quantified using the number of connected fibers between two regions, and correlation analyses were performed based on clinical scores. A support vector machine classifier (SVM) was applied to distinguish PD and SWEDD based on group-wise differences.Results. Four connections showed significant group-wise differences and correlated with the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale sponsored by the Movement Disorder Society. The SVM classifier attained 77.92% accuracy in distinguishing between SWEDD and PD using these identified connections.Conclusions. The connections and regions identified represent candidates for future research investigations.
Heavy Metal Contamination of Soils around a Hospital Waste Incinerator Bottom Ash Dumps Site
Authors: Adama M. , Esena R. , Fosu-Mensah B. , Yirenya-Tawiah D.
Published: February 2016

Waste incineration is the main waste management strategy used in treating hospital waste in many developing countries. However, the release of dioxins, POPs, and heavy metals in fly and bottom ash poses environmental and public health concerns. To determine heavy metal (Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ag) in levels in incinerator bottom ash and soils 100 m around the incinerator bottom ash dump site, ash samples and surrounding soil samples were collected at 20 m, 40 m, 60 m, 80 m, 100 m, and 1,200 m from incinerator. These were analyzed using the absorption spectrophotometer method. The geoaccumulation (Igeo) and pollution load indices (PLI) were used to assess the level of heavy metal contamination of surrounding soils. The study revealed high concentrations in mg/kg for, Zn (16417.69), Pb (143.80), Cr (99.30), and Cd (7.54) in bottom ash and these were above allowable limits for disposal in landfill. The study also found soils within 60 m radius of the incinerator to be polluted with the metals. It is recommended that health care waste managers be educated on the implication of improper management of incinerator bottom ash and regulators monitor hospital waste incinerator sites.
MIF Promotes Classical Activation and Conversion of Inflammatory Ly6ChighMonocytes into TipDCs during Murine Toxoplasmosis
Authors: Ruiz-Rosado Juan de Dios , Olguín Jonadab E. , Juárez-Avelar Imelda , Saavedra Rafael , Terrazas Luis I. , Robledo-Avila Frank H. , Vazquez-Mendoza Alicia , Fernández Jacquelina , Satoskar Abhay R. , Partida-Sánchez Santiago , Rodriguez-Sosa Miriam
Published: February 2016

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) mediates immunity againstToxoplasma gondiiinfection by inducing inflammatory cytokines required to control the parasite replication. However, the role of this inflammatory mediator in the cell-mediated immune response against this infection is still poorly understood. Here, we usedT. gondii-infected WT andMif−/−mice to analyze the role of MIF in the maturation of CD11b+and CD8α+dendritic cells (DCs). We found that MIF promotes maturation of CD11b+but not CD8α+DCs, by inducing IL-12p70 production and CD86 expression. InfectedMif−/−mice showed significantly lower numbers of TNF and inducible nitric oxide synthase- (iNOS-) producing DCs (TipDCs) compared to infected WT mice. The adoptive transfer ofLy6Chighmonocytes into infected WT orMif−/−mice demonstrated that MIF participates in the differentiation ofLy6Chighmonocytes into TipDCs. In addition, infectedMif−/−mice display a lower percentage of IFN-γ-producing natural killer (NK) cells compared to WT mice, which is associated with reducing numbers of TipDCs inMif−/−mice. Furthermore, administration of recombinant MIF (rMIF) intoT. gondii-infectedMif−/−mice restored the numbers of TipDCs and reversed the susceptible phenotype ofMif−/−mice. Collectively, these results demonstrate an important role for MIF inducing cell-mediated immunity toT. gondiiinfection.
A Comprehensive Study of the Discovery Potential of NOνA, T2K, and T2HK Experiments
Authors: Soumya C. , Deepthi K. N. , Mohanta R.
Published: February 2016

With the recent measurement of reactor mixing angleθ13the knowledge of neutrino oscillation parameters has improved significantly except the CP violating phaseδCP, mass hierarchy, and the octant of the atmospheric mixing angleθ23. Many dedicated experiments are proposed to determine these parameters which may take at least 10 years from now to become operational. It is therefore very crucial to use the results from the existing experiments to see whether we can get even partial answers to these questions. In this paper we study the discovery potential of the ongoing NOνA and T2K experiments as well as the forthcoming T2HK experiment in addressing these questions. In particular, we evaluate the sensitivity of NOνA to determine neutrino mass hierarchy, octant degeneracy, andδCPafter running for its scheduled period of 3 years in neutrino mode and 3 years in antineutrino mode. We then extend the analysis to understand the discovery potential if the experiments will run for (5ν+5ν¯) years and (7ν+3ν¯) years. We also show how the sensitivity improves when we combine the data from NOνA, T2K, and T2HK experiments with different combinations of run period. The CP violation sensitivity is marginal for T2K and NOνA experiments even for ten-year data taking of NOνA. T2HK has a significance above5σfor a fraction of two-fifths values of theδCPspace. We also find thatδCPcan be determined to be better than 35°, 21°, and 9° for all values ofδCPfor T2K, NOνA, and T2HK respectively.
Effects of Whole‐Body Electromyostimulation versus High‐Intensity Resistance Exercise on Body Composition and Strength: A Randomized Controlled Study
Authors: Kemmler Wolfgang , Teschler Marc , Weißenfels Anja , Bebenek Michael , Fröhlich Michael , Kohl Matthias , von Stengel Simon
Published: February 2016

High‐intensity (resistance) exercise (HIT) and whole‐body electromyostimulation (WB‐EMS) are both approaches to realize time‐efficient favorable changes of body composition and strength. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of WB‐EMS compared with the gold standard reference HIT, for improving body composition and muscle strength in middle‐aged men. Forty‐eight healthy untrained men, 30–50 years old, were randomly allocated to either HIT (2 sessions/week) or a WB‐EMS group (3 sessions/2 weeks) that exercised for 16 weeks. HIT was applied as “single‐set‐to‐failure protocol,” while WB‐EMS was conducted with intermittent stimulation (6 s WB‐EMS, 4 s rest; 85 Hz, 350 ms) over 20 minutes. The main outcome parameters were lean body mass (LBM) as determined via dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry and maximum dynamic leg‐extensor strength (isokinetic leg‐press). LBM changes of both groups (HIT 1.25 ± 1.44% versus WB‐EMS 0.93 ± 1.15%) were significant (p = .001); however, no significant group differences were detected (p = .395). Leg‐extensor strength also increased in both groups (HIT 12.7 ± 14.7%, p = .002, versus WB‐EMS 7.3 ± 10.3%, p = .012) with no significant (p = .215) between‐group difference. Corresponding changes were also determined for body fat and back‐extensor strength. Conclusion. In summary, WB‐EMS can be considered as a time‐efficient but pricy option to HIT‐resistance exercise for people aiming at the improvement of general strength and body composition.
Analysis and Classification of Stride Patterns Associated with Children Development Using Gait Signal Dynamics Parameters and Ensemble Learning Algorithms
Authors: Wu Meihong , Liao Lifang , Luo Xin , Ye Xiaoquan , Yao Yuchen , Chen Pinnan , Shi Lei , Huang Hui , Wu Yunfeng
Published: February 2016

Measuring stride variability and dynamics in children is useful for the quantitative study of gait maturation and neuromotor development in childhood and adolescence. In this paper, we computed the sample entropy (SampEn) and average stride interval (ASI) parameters to quantify the stride series of 50 gender-matched children participants in three age groups. We also normalized the SampEn and ASI values by leg length and body mass for each participant, respectively. Results show that the original and normalized SampEn values consistently decrease over the significance level of the Mann-WhitneyUtest (p<0.01) in children of 3–14 years old, which indicates the stride irregularity has been significantly ameliorated with the body growth. The original and normalized ASI values are also significantly changing when comparing between any two groups of young (aged 3–5 years), middle (aged 6–8 years), and elder (aged 10–14 years) children. Such results suggest that healthy children may better modulate their gait cadence rhythm with the development of their musculoskeletal and neurological systems. In addition, the AdaBoost.M2 and Bagging algorithms were used to effectively distinguish the children’s gait patterns. These ensemble learning algorithms both provided excellent gait classification results in terms of overall accuracy (≥90%), recall (≥0.8), and precision (≥0.8077).
Satkara (Citrus macroptera) Fruit Protects against Acetaminophen‐Induced Hepatorenal Toxicity in Rats
Authors: Paul Sudip , Islam Md. Aminul , Tanvir E. M. , Ahmed Romana , Das Sagarika , Rumpa Nur-E-Noushin , Hossen Md. Sakib , Parvez Mashud , Gan Siew Hua , Khalil Md. Ibrahim
Published: February 2016

Although Citrus macroptera (Rutaceae), an indigenous fruit in Bangladesh, has long been used in folk medicine, however, there is a lack of information concerning its protective effects against oxidative damage. The protective effects of an ethanol extract of Citrus macroptera (EECM) against acetaminophen‐induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity were investigated in rats. Rats (treatment groups) were pretreated with EECM at doses of 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg, respectively, orally for 30 days followed by acetaminophen administration. Silymarin (100 mg/kg) was administered as a standard drug over a similar treatment period. Our findings indicated that oral administration of acetaminophen induced severe hepatic and renal injuries associated with oxidative stress, as observed by 2‐fold higher lipid peroxidation (TBARS) compared to control. Pretreatment with EECM prior to acetaminophen administration significantly improved all investigated biochemical parameters, that is, transaminase activities, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, γ‐glutamyl transferase activities and total bilirubin, total cholesterol, triglyceride and creatinine, urea, uric acid, sodium, potassium and chloride ions, and TBARS levels. These findings were confirmed by histopathological examinations. The improvement was prominent in the group that received 1000 mg/kg EECM. These findings suggested that C. macroptera fruit could protect against acetaminophen‐induced hepatonephrotoxicity, which might be via the inhibition of lipid peroxidation.
Assessment of Internal Jugular Vein Size in Healthy Subjects with Magnetic Resonance and Semiautomatic Processing
Authors: Laganà M. M. , Pelizzari L. , Scaccianoce E. , Dipasquale O. , Ricci C. , Baglio F. , Cecconi P. , Baselli G.
Published: February 2016

Background and Objectives. The hypothesized link between extracranial venous abnormalities and some neurological disorders awoke interest in the investigation of the internal jugular veins (IJVs). However, different IJV cross-sectional area (CSA) values are currently reported in literature. In this study, we introduced a semiautomatic method to measure and normalize the CSA and the degree of circularity (Circ) of IJVs along their whole length.Methods. Thirty-six healthy subjects (31.22 ± 9.29 years) were recruited and the 2D time-of-flight magnetic resonance venography was acquired with a 1.5 T Siemens scanner. The IJV were segmented on an axial slice, the contours were propagated in 3D. Then, IJV CSA and Circ were computed between the first and the seventh cervical levels (C1–C7) and normalized among subjects. Inter- and intrarater repeatability were assessed.Results. IJV CSA and Circ were significantly different among cervical levels (p<0.001). A trend for side difference was observed for CSA (larger right IJV,p=0.06), but not for Circ (p=0.5). Excellent inter- and intrarater repeatability was obtained for all the measures.Conclusion. This study proposed a reliable semiautomatic method able to measure the IJV area and shape along C1–C7, and suitable for defining the normality thresholds for future clinical studies.
Genome-Wide Transcriptome Analysis of Cadmium Stress in Rice
Authors: Oono Youko , Yazawa Takayuki , Kanamori Hiroyuki , Sasaki Harumi , Mori Satomi , Handa Hirokazu , Matsumoto Takashi
Published: February 2016

Rice growth is severely affected by toxic concentrations of the nonessential heavy metal cadmium (Cd). To elucidate the molecular basis of the response to Cd stress, we performed mRNA sequencing of rice following our previous study on exposure to high concentrations of Cd (Oono et al., 2014). In this study, rice plants were hydroponically treated with low concentrations of Cd and approximately 211 million sequence reads were mapped onto the IRGSP-1.0 reference rice genome sequence. Many genes, including some identified under high Cd concentration exposure in our previous study, were found to be responsive to low Cd exposure, with an average of about 11,000 transcripts from each condition. However, genes expressed constitutively across the developmental course responded only slightly to low Cd concentrations, in contrast to their clear response to high Cd concentration, which causes fatal damage to rice seedlings according to phenotypic changes. The expression of metal ion transporter genes tended to correlate with Cd concentration, suggesting the potential of the RNA-Seq strategy to reveal novel Cd-responsive transporters by analyzing gene expression under different Cd concentrations. This study could help to develop novel strategies for improving tolerance to Cd exposure in rice and other cereal crops.
Radiofrequency Ablation with an Internally Cooled Electrode for Twin Reversed Arterial Perfusion Sequence
Authors: Wagata Maiko , Murakoshi Takeshi , Ishii Keisuke , Muromoto Jin , Sasahara Jun , Murotsuki Jun
Published: February 2016

Objective: The study aims to evaluate the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with an internally cooled electrode for twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence. Methods: From April 2008 through December 2014, we retrospectively reviewed all patients who underwent RFA with an internally cooled electrode for TRAP sequence at 3 tertiary referral centers in Japan. Results: Twenty-five monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies underwent RFA with an internally cooled electrode for TRAP sequence at 16-27 weeks of gestation. In all cases, umbilical cord blood flow cessation in the acardiac twin was confirmed by ultrasonography with color Doppler. There were 2 cases of procedure-related complications: 1 case of unintentional septostomy and 1 case of anemia in a pump twin. Fetal demise of the pump twin occurred in 3 (12%) cases. Twenty-two (88%) of 25 pump twins were delivered alive. The median gestational age at delivery was 36 + 3 weeks (range 25 + 2-40 + 5 weeks). There were 14 cases (64%) of premature deliveries before 37 weeks and 5 (23%) before 32 weeks. Conclusion: RFA with an internally cooled electrode is a feasible and effective procedure for the treatment of TRAP sequence.
Intestinal Anisakiasis Treated Successfully with Prednisolone and Olopatadine Hydrochloride
Authors: Toyoda Hideki , Tanaka Kyosuke
Published: February 2016

The clinical characteristic of gastrointestinal anisakiasis is severe abdominal pain after eating raw fish. Intestinal anisakiasis is more uncommon than gastric anisakiasis. Most patients with intestinal anisakiasis need hospitalization because anisakiasis can cause intestinal obstruction, ileus, peritonitis or intestinal perforation. We report a case of intestinal anisakiasis. A 43-year-old woman presented with symptoms of intermittent abdominal pain 2 days after eating raw fish. Her brother had eaten the same food and had been suffering from gastric anisakiasis. Abdominal ultrasonography in this patient showed localized jejunal wall thickening with dilated lumen of proximal jejunum and ascites. According to the clinical course and examinations, she was diagnosed with intestinal anisakiasis. Administration of prednisolone 5 mg/day and olopatadine hydrochloride 10 mg/day improved her symptoms quickly without hospitalization. Prednisolone was administered for 10 days, and olopatadine hydrochloride was administered for a total of 6 weeks according to ultrasonographic findings. Six months after the treatment, the abdominal ultrasonography demonstrated normal findings. This case demonstrates that ultrasonography was quite useful for the diagnosis and surveillance of intestinal anisakiasis. Furthermore, treatment with corticosteroid and an antiallergic agent could be an option for patients with intestinal anisakiasis.
Ultrasound Features and Management of Body Stalk Anomaly
Authors: Panaitescu Anca Maria , Ushakov Fred , Kalaskar Anjali , Pandya Pranav P.
Published: February 2016

Objectives: This study describes the prenatal diagnosis of body stalk anomaly (BSA) in a large series of affected pregnancies and proposes an algorithm for the differential diagnosis of abdominal wall defects in the first trimester. Methods: This was a retrospective study of all the cases of BSA diagnosed in our tertiary unit between 2009 and 2015. In all cases, we performed a detailed ultrasound examination with particular emphasis on the appearance of the amniotic membrane and content of the amniotic sac and the coelomic cavity. Results: The study included 17 cases of BSA (15 singleton pregnancies, one dichorionic-diamniotic twin pregnancy discordant for BSA and one case of conjoined twins) at a median gestational age of 12+3 (range 11+0 to 16+6) weeks. In all cases, the liver and bowel were herniated into the coelomic cavity and the amniotic sac was intact containing the rest of the fetus with a normal amount of amniotic fluid; additionally, there was severe kyphoscoliosis and positional abnormalities of the lower limbs. The umbilical cord was absent, but umbilical vessels were seen with color Doppler running from the placenta to the fetus marginally to the eviscerated abdominal content. Conclusion: BSA can be easily diagnosed from 11 weeks' gestation. Examination of the amniotic membrane continuity, content of both the amniotic sac and coelomic cavity and a short umbilical cord help in differentiating this condition from other abdominal wall defects.
Averting the Legacy of Kidney Disease - Focus on Childhood
Authors: Ingelfinger Julie R. , Kalantar-Zadeh Kamyar , Schaefer Franz ,   on behalf of the World Kidney Day Steering Committee
Published: February 2016

World Kidney Day 2016 focuses on kidney disease in childhood and the antecedents of adult kidney disease that can begin in earliest childhood. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in childhood differs from that in adults, as the largest diagnostic group among children includes congenital anomalies and inherited disorders, with glomerulopathies and kidney disease in the setting of diabetes being relatively uncommon. In addition, many children with acute kidney injury will ultimately develop sequelae that may lead to hypertension and CKD in later childhood or in adult life. Children born early or who are small-for-date newborns have relatively increased risk for the development of CKD later in life. Persons with a high-risk birth and early childhood history should be watched closely in order to help detect early signs of kidney disease in time to provide effective prevention or treatment. Successful therapy is feasible for advanced CKD in childhood; there is evidence that children fare better than adults, if they receive kidney replacement therapy including dialysis and transplantation, while only a minority of children may require this ultimate intervention. Because there are disparities in access to care, effort is needed so that those children with kidney disease, wherever they live, may be treated effectively, irrespective of their geographic or economic circumstances. Our hope is that World Kidney Day will inform the general public, policy makers and caregivers about the needs and possibilities surrounding kidney disease in childhood.
Population Genetics of the Critically Endangered Species Dipterocarpus littoralis Blume (Dipterocarpaceae) Endemic on Nusakambangan Island, Indonesia
Authors: Dwiyanti Fifi Gus , Harada Ko , Siregar Iskandar Zulkarnaen , Kamiya Koichi
Published: February 2016

Background Dipterocarpus littoralis Blume is a critically endangered dipterocarp species found only on Nusakambangan Island, Central Java, Indonesia. Patterns of genetic diversity and population genetic structure of adults and saplings in two extant populations (Kali Jati and Solok Besek) were estimated using ten microsatellite markers. Results A total of 39 alleles was found, with two and four alleles being unique in adult and sapling populations, respectively. Allelic richness and heterozygosity was similar between adult (Ar = 3.00; He = 0.423) and sapling (Ar = 3.25; He = 0.441) populations.Inbreeding coefficientsin saplingswere positive in both populations and statistically significant in Kali Jati, while those in adult populations were not significantly different from zero, indicating excessive inbreeding and selfing in the sapling populations. Genetic differentiation of the sapling populations (FST = 0.036) was slightly lower than in the adult populations (0.050), but only significantly so for saplings.Conclusions This study revealed that D. littoralis has low genetic diversity in both adults and saplings. Similarly low values in allele richness and heterozygosity suggest that reductions of population size have been ongoing for long periods in this species. Significant genetic differentiation between sapling populations but not adult populations indicates that recent fragmentation is further accelerating the isolation process.
Phylogenetical Study of Wild Banana Species (Musa L.) in Sulawesi Inferred from Internal Transcribed Spacer Region of Nuclear Ribosomal DNA Sequences
Authors: Sulistyaningsih Lulut Dwi , Megia Rita , Widjaja Elizabeth Anita
Published: February 2016

Study to determine the phylogenetic relationship of wild banana species (Musa) in Sulawesi based on the ITS regions sequences has been done. A total of 28 samples including 16 ITS sequences from GeneBank were used. Species of Ensete and Musella were incorporated as an outgroup. Total DNA was extracted by the modified CTAB. ITS-5 and ITS-4 primers were used to amplify the ITS regions. Data sequences were edited by ChromasPro and were aligned by Muscle software.Some unique nucleotides were found in M. balbisiana, M. itinerans, and M. textilis sequences. Strict consensus tree revealed from Maximum Parsimony (MP) as well as Bayesian analysis showed Musa textilis was separated from other taxa in which M. textilis become as the basal sister to M. balbisiana. By using MP analysis, M. itinerans together with M. acuminata ssp. banksii, M. acuminata var. tomentosa, and M. celebica placed in the same clade, whereas Bayesian analysis showed M. itinerans was separated and placed in different clade.
Testing Reliability of Serum Samples as a DNA Source on Captive Breeding Long-tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis)
Authors: Perwitasari-Farajallah Dyah , Farajallah Achmad
Published: February 2016

The serum realibility was tested in captive breeding conditions on the long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Serum and buffy coat were applied to standard protocol of DNA extration following the amplification of microsatellite DNA locus of D2S1777 by PCR and visualized PCR products by means of PAGE with silver staining.Â  The amount of genomic DNA extracted from serum was sufficient for genotyping individuals at DNA microsatellite locus of D2S1777 with the allele size is approximately 160 bp.Â  We show that serum can provide a reliable alternative for obtaining DNA where taking blood using anticoagulant is impracticable
Two New Aphelenchoides Fischer 1894 (Nematoda: Tylenchina) from Manipur, North East India
Authors: Chanu Loukrakpam Bina , Mohilal Naorem
Published: February 2016

Two new species of Aphelenchoides discovered from different localities of Manipur, North East India had been described in the present study. Aphelenchoides longistylus sp. nov. has a long stylet and four lateral lines which are gradually merged into two at the tail region. Aphelenchoides neominoris sp. nov. has a small body and short tail with a stylet length of 8.6 Âµm.
Study of Herbal Topical Repellent Made of Betel Leaves (Piper betle) and Patchouli Oil (Pogostemon cablin) Mixture Against Yellow Fever Mosquito (Aedes aegypti)
Authors: Widawati Mutiara , Riandi M. Umar
Published: February 2016

Introduction: Exploration of plants as natural repellants to avoid Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that transmit dengue virus to human is worthy. Betel vine leaves (Piper betle L.) could be used as the material of repellant.The study is aimed to test the repellency,potency, and the safety of Piper betel and patchoulli oil modified gel against Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.Methods: This study is an experimental study and used nulliparous (3-5 days old) female Aedes aegypti. Before the study, safety test was done which consists of an irritation test. The effectivity test used five treatments: DEET gel for positive control, piper and patchouli mixture gel, piper only gel, patchouli only gel and gel base only. The five treatments were tested as a repellant with five repetitive applications. The effectiveness of Aedes aegyptiâ€™s rejection from biting the arms was analyzed using protective percentage.Â  Results: The irritation test showed no safety concerns. Protective percentage analysis shows that modified betel vine gel has estimated mean protective power of over 90% for 6 hours. The data showed that the modified gels has about the same protective percentage as the DEET (ratio: PP (Neem+piper)/PP (DEET) =0.98; 95% confidence interval 0.93, 1.04; p-value=0.50)Conclusion Betel vine oil with modified formulation has a potential to be utilized as Aedes aegypti mosquito repellantand is safe to be used in further repellency tests.
Molecular Characterization of Begomovirus Infecting Yard Long Bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis L.) in Java, Indonesia
Authors: Nurulita Sari , Hidayat Sri Hendrastuti , Mutaqin Kikin Hamzah , Thomas John
Published: February 2016

Begomovirus was identified as one of the causal agents causing yellow mosaic disease on yard long bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis L.) in Java. Research was conducted to characterize the virus based on its nucleotide sequences.Â  Research was started by field survey to collect leaf samples, followed by virus detection using polymerase chain reaction and analysis of virus sequences.Â  Samples from Tegal, Klaten, Magelang, Cirebon, Subang, and Bogor were positively infected by Begomovirus based on specific viral DNA amplification.Â  Sequence analysis indicated that Begomovirus infecting yard long bean belongs to the same group with Mungbean yellow mosaic India virus (MYMIV) from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Nepal.Â  Further analysis showed the conserved region of Begomovirus around Common Region, i.e. â€œTATA boxâ€ Sequence, Hair Pin Loop Structure, Repetitive Sequence, and the Conserved Nonanucleotide Sequence TAATATTAC.Key words: common region, DNA sequencing, ELISA, MYMIV, PCRÂ
Robustness of Ant Colony Optimization to Noise
Authors: Friedrich Tobias , Kötzing Timo , Krejca Martin S. , Sutton Andrew M.
Published: February 2016

Recently, ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithms have proven to be efficient in uncertain environments, such as noisy or dynamically changing fitness functions. Most of these analyses have focused on combinatorial problems such as path finding. We rigorously analyze an ACO algorithm optimizing linear pseudo-Boolean functions under additive posterior noise. We study noise distributions whose tails decay exponentially fast, including the classical case of additive Gaussian noise. Without noise, the classical [Formula: see text] EA outperforms any ACO algorithm, with smaller [Formula: see text] being better; however, in the case of large noise, the [Formula: see text] EA fails, even for high values of [Formula: see text] (which are known to help against small noise). In this article, we show that ACO is able to deal with arbitrarily large noise in a graceful manner; that is, as long as the evaporation factor [Formula: see text] is small enough, dependent on the variance [Formula: see text] of the noise and the dimension n of the search space, optimization will be successful. We also briefly consider the case of prior noise and prove that ACO can also efficiently optimize linear functions under this noise model.
A dear enemy relationship in a territorial cichlid: evidence for the threat-level hypothesis
Authors: Sogawa Shumpei , Ota Kazutaka , Kohda Masanori
Published: February 2016

Despite competing for resources such as space, food and mates, many territorial animals are less aggressive towards neighbours who rarely go beyond their territorial boundaries. This so-called dear enemy phenomenon is advantageous in territorial defence, but it has not been well studied in fish. In this work, we tested the ‘correct–incorrect boundary paradigm’ of the dear enemy phenomenon using the territorial cichlid fishNeolamprologus pulcher, which exhibits dear enemy relationships. When the fish was placed in a small experimental tank, in which fish established its territory, it was initially very aggressive against a neighbouring fish in an adjacent tank, but the aggression level decreased rapidly (within 4 days). When the tank containing the neighbour was shifted to the opposite side, the focal fish was more aggressive than the day before, but it exhibited less aggression than it did against a stranger placed on the shifted side. This lower level of aggression suggested that the focal fish did not regard the shifted neighbour as a stranger. Our observations provide support for the threat-level hypothesis, according to which territory owners will modulate aggression intensity based on the threat level.
Plant diversity of Ghorkhod Protected Area, NE Iran
Authors: MEMARIANI FARSHID , JOHARCHI MOHAMMAD REZA , AKHANI HOSSEIN
Published: February 2016

Ghorkhod Protected Area (GPA) is located in a transitional zone among different biogeographical units in North Khorassan Province, NE Iran. The study area is mainly a mountainous region in western extensions of Khorassan-Kopet Dagh floristic province. We investigated the floristic composition, life form spectrum and phytogeography of the study area through several random collection efforts and 200 vegetation samples (reléves) in selected vegetation types during 2007–2012. A total of 663 vascular plant species belonging to 367 genera and 81 families are recorded as native and naturalized in GPA. Angiosperms and Dicots are among the most diverse plant groups. The richest plant families are Asteraceae (88 species), Poaceae (78), Lamiaceae (45), Brassicaceae (43), Fabaceae (38), and Caryophyllaceae (32). The genera Allium L. (17 species), Astragalus L. (15) and Cousinia Cass. (12) are the richest ones, however, the majority of the species belongs to oligotypic and monotypic genera. Life form spectrum of the study area is dominated by hemicryptophytes (38.9%) and therophytes (23.4%). Allium transvestiens Vved., Agropyron desertorum Schult., Helictotrichon turcomanicum Czopanov and Piptatherum latifolium (Roshev.) Nevski are recorded as new to Iran. The core flora of the area has the Irano-Turanian origin. However, the wide-range and widespread elements are also well represented in the study area. GPA is inhabited by several endemic, rare and narrow-range plant species, indicating the biodiversity importance of the study area in NE Iran.
Coordinated Airborne Studies in the Tropics (CAST)
Authors: Harris N. R. P. , Carpenter L. J. , Lee J. D. , Vaughan G. , Filus M. T. , Jones R. L. , OuYang B. , Pyle J. A. , Robinson A. D. , Andrews S. J. , Lewis A. C. , Minaeian J. , Vaughan A. , Dorsey J. R. , Gallagher M. W. , Le Breton M. , Newton R. , Percival C. J. , Ricketts H. M. A. , Bauguitte S. J.-B. , Nott G. J. , Wellpott A. , Ashfold M. J. , Flemming J. , Butler R. , Palmer P. I. , Kaye P. H. , Stopford C. , Chemel C. , Boesch H. , Humpage N. , Vick A. , MacKenzie A. R. , Hyde R. , Angelov P. , Meneguz E. , Manning A. J.
Published: February 2016

The main field activities of the Coordinated Airborne Studies in the Tropics (CAST) campaign took place in the west Pacific during January–February 2014. The field campaign was based in Guam (13.5°N, 144.8°E), using the U.K. Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) BAe-146 atmospheric research aircraft, and was coordinated with the Airborne Tropical Tropopause Experiment (ATTREX) project with an unmanned Global Hawk and the Convective Transport of Active Species in the Tropics (CONTRAST) campaign with a Gulfstream V aircraft. Together, the three aircraft were able to make detailed measurements of atmospheric structure and composition from the ocean surface to 20 km. These measurements are providing new information about the processes influencing halogen and ozone levels in the tropical west Pacific, as well as the importance of trace-gas transport in convection for the upper troposphere and stratosphere. The FAAM aircraft made a total of 25 flights in the region between 1°S and 14°N and 130° and 155°E. It was used to sample at altitudes below 8 km, with much of the time spent in the marine boundary layer. It measured a range of chemical species and sampled extensively within the region of main inflow into the strong west Pacific convection. The CAST team also made ground-based measurements of a number of species (including daily ozonesondes) at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program site on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea (2.1°S, 147.4°E). This article presents an overview of the CAST project, focusing on the design and operation of the west Pacific experiment. It additionally discusses some new developments in CAST, including flights of new instruments on board the Global Hawk in February–March 2015.
Network Usage, Entrepreneurial Orientation and Their Effectiveness on SMEs Growth
Authors: Martins Izaias
Published: February 2016

Research findings suggest that networks provide small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) opportunities to achieve sustainable competitive advantages and thus compete successfully in the marketplace. In this study, the research question explores the effectiveness of the network usage on the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) development and the moderate role of the EO in the network-SME growth relationship. The empirical part of the study comprises a survey of 121 manufacturing SMEs in Spain. Structural equation modelling confirmed the importance of both organisational networks and EO on SMEs growth and pointed out the positive effect of network usage on EO development.
Rheological properties of lactose-free dairy desserts
Authors: Sahin Serpil , Hamamci Haluk , Garayev Sultan
Published: February 2016

People suffering from lactose intolerance cannot digest milk or lactose-containing foods. Lactose-free diet is essential for them since they do not have the ability to produce lactase to breakdown milk sugar. Physical properties of lactose-free dairy desserts will most probably be different than that of lactose containing ones because of lactose hydrolysis. In this study, it was aimed to analyze the rheological and textural behaviors of different lactose-free dessert formulations containing different gum types and different waxy maize starch and sucrose concentrations. Waxy maize starch was used at concentrations of 0.032 g·mL−1, 0.040 g·mL−1, and 0.048 g·mL−1. In addition to waxy maize starch, guar gum, gum arabic, or κ-carrageenan at two different concentrations (1.0% w/w and 0.5% w/w) was added. Sucrose was added at concentrations of 0.14 g·mL−1 and 0.10 g·mL−1 in lactose-free desserts. Power law model was found to be suitable to explain the flow behavior of desserts. The storage and loss modulus of lactose-free desserts were higher than that of lactose-containing desserts. The κ-Carrageenan was found to be the most effective gum for structure build-up.
The Effect of Cigarette Smoking on Exercise Capacity in Patients with Intermittent Claudication
Authors: Gardner Andrew W
Published: February 2016

The purposes of this study were: (1) to determine whether peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) patients who smoked had more severe claudication pain, reduced peripheral circulation, and poorer cardiopulmonary measurements at peak exercise than non-smoking patients, and (2) to determine whether the differences between the smoking and non-smoking patients persisted after controlling for the resting ankle/brachial systolic pressure index (ABI). Thirty-eight PAOD patients (ABI = 0.59 ±0.15, mean ± SD) who smoked an average of 1.5 packs of cigarettes per day over 42 years and 100 PAOD patients (ABI = 0.74 ± 26) who had quit smoking for an average of 7 years were recruited. Smokers refrained from smoking on the day of testing. Claudication pain times, oxygen uptake, ventilation, leg oximetry, and ankle systolic pressure responses to peak exercise were recorded. The smoking group had more severe claudication pain, as maximal pain occurred 1:37 min:s sooner during exercise ( p < 0.05), and the pain took 2:21 min:s longer to subside ( p < 0.01) compared to the non-smoking group. Additionally, at peak exercise the smoking group had a lower oxygen uptake (12.8 ± 2.6 vs 13.9 ± 2.4 ml/kg/min, p < 0.01), a higher ventilation (31.7 ± 9.2 vs 27.9 ±7.1 liters/min, p < 0.05), and a higher oximeter electrode power (409 ± 55 vs 385 ± 37 mW, p < 0.01) than the non-smoking group. Differences between the groups persisted ( p < 0.05) after adjusting for resting ABI. It is concluded that cigarette smokers with PAOD had more severe claudication pain, reduced peripheral circulation, and poorer cardiopulmonary measurements at peak exercise than non-smoking patients. These differences were independent of resting ABI. Thus, cigarette smoking reduces the exercise capacity of claudicants, placing patients who smoke at an even greater risk of living a functionally dependent lifestyle.
A Novel Therapy for Lymphedema Complicated by Lymphorrhea
Authors: Szuba Andrzej , Cooke John P , Rockson Stanley G
Published: February 2016

Lymphorrhea is a rarely described complication of chronic lymphedema, in which the disrupted flow through diseased lymphatic channels gives rise to the external drainage of lymph, often heralded by the presence of an enlarging lymphocele. This report documents the applicability of the Reid sleeve, a novel, conservative form of therapy, in an unusually severe and protracted example of lymphorrhea.