bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of a School-Based Fitness Program on Youths’ Physical and Psychosocial Health Outcomes
Authors: Weiss Maureen R. , Phillips Alison C. , Kipp Lindsay E.
Published: June 2015

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of an existing physical fitness program (CHAMPIONS) implemented during physical education on health-related indices (BMI percentile, waist circumference, cardiorespiratory endurance), self-perceptions, academic performance, and behavioral conduct over a school year. Students in 3 intervention (n = 331) and 3 control (n = 745) middle schools participated in the study that included assessments at pre, mid, and postintervention. Multivariate repeated measures analyses indicated that boys and girls in CHAMPIONS compared favorably (p < .0125) to Controls at postintervention on cardiorespiratory endurance, and boys significantly improved on BMI percentile from pre- to mid- and postintervention (p < .0125). Students in CHAMPIONS maintained healthy BMI percentile and waist circumference values over the year. Findings provide preliminary evidence that CHAMPIONS is effective in improving or maintaining physical health indices among middle school youth.
Self-Efficacy Manipulation Influences Physical Activity Enjoyment in Chinese Adolescents
Authors: Hu Liang , Cheng Shoubin , Lu Jiaying , Zhu Lele , Chen Ling
Published: June 2015

Purpose:

In this study, we examined the effect of the manipulation of exercise self-efficacy on the enjoyment of physical activity in a sample of 44 Chinese adolescents (age = 14.27 ± .87 y), including 22 boys and 22 girls.

Methods:

The participants were randomized into a low-efficacy or high-efficacy condition, and their self-efficacy beliefs for engaging in moderate-intensity physical activity were manipulated by providing false feedback after a submaximal exercise test. The participants’ self-efficacy was measured and compared before and after the exercise test and the participants’ enjoyment of physical activity was assessed after the exercise test.

Results:

It was found that exercise self-efficacy was successfully manipulated in the expected direction in both conditions, which significantly influenced the participants’ enjoyment of physical activity. After the exercise test, the participants in the low-efficacy condition reported lower enjoyment scores relative to the high-efficacy participants.

Conclusions:

These results suggest that self-efficacy may have an important influence on the enjoyment of physical activity among Chinese adolescents. We recommend that physical activity promotion programs should be tailored to enhance adolescents’ self-efficacy beliefs and enjoyment of the experience of physical activity.
A comprehensive Xist interactome reveals cohesin repulsion and an RNA-directed chromosome conformation
Authors: Minajigi Anand , Froberg John E. , Wei Chunyao , Sunwoo Hongjae , Kesner Barry , Colognori David , Lessing Derek , Payer Bernhard , Boukhali Myriam , Haas Wilhelm , Lee Jeannie T.
Published: June 2015

Protein partners for chromosome silencing

Female mammals have two X chromosomes, one of which is almost completely shut down during development. The long noncoding Xist RNA plays a role in this process. To understand how a whole chromosome can be stably inactivated, Minajigi
et al.
identified many of the proteins that bind to the Xist RNA, which include cohesins. Paradoxically, the interaction between Xist and cohesin subunits resulted in repulsion of cohesin complexes from the inactive X chromosome, changing the three-dimensional shape of the whole chromosome.

Science
, this issue
10.1126/science.aab2276
HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies induced by native-like envelope trimers
Authors: Sanders Rogier W. , van Gils Marit J. , Derking Ronald , Sok Devin , Ketas Thomas J. , Burger Judith A. , Ozorowski Gabriel , Cupo Albert , Simonich Cassandra , Goo Leslie , Arendt Heather , Kim Helen J. , Lee Jeong Hyun , Pugach Pavel , Williams Melissa , Debnath Gargi , Moldt Brian , van Breemen Mariëlle J. , Isik Gözde , Medina-Ramírez Max , Back Jaap Willem , Koff Wayne C. , Julien Jean-Philippe , Rakasz Eva G. , Seaman Michael S. , Guttman Miklos , Lee Kelly K. , Klasse Per Johan , LaBranche Celia , Schief William R. , Wilson Ian A. , Overbaugh Julie , Burton Dennis R. , Ward Andrew B. , Montefiori David C. , Dean Hansi , Moore John P.
Published: June 2015

Steps in the right direction

HIV-1 mutates rapidly, making it difficult to design a vaccine that will protect people against all of the virus' iterations. A potential successful vaccine design might protect by eliciting broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), which target specific regions on HIV-1's trimeric envelope glycoprotein (Env) (see the Perspective by Mascola). Jardine
et al.
used mice engineered to express germline-reverted heavy chains of a particular bNAb and immunized them with an Env-based immunogen designed to bind to precursors of that bNAb. Sanders
et al.
compared rabbits and monkeys immunized with Env trimers that adopt a nativelike conformation. In both cases, immunized animals produced antibodies that shared similarities with bNAbs. Boosting these animals with other immunogens may drive these antibodies to further mutate into the longsought bNAbs. Chen
et al.
report that retaining the cytoplasmic domain of Env proteins may be important to attract bNAbs. Removing the cytoplasmic domain may distract the immune response and instead generate antibodies that target epitopes on Env that would not lead to protection.

Science
, this issue p.
139
,
10.1126/science.aac4223
, p.
156
; see also p.
191
Genome Sequence of Mycobacteriophage Mindy
Authors: Pope Welkin H. , Bernstein Nicholas I. , Fasolas Christina S. , Mezghani Nadia , Pressimone Catherine A. , Selvakumar Priyanga , Stanton Ann-Catherine J. , Lapin Jonathan S. , Prout Ashley K. , Grubb Sarah R. , Warner Marcie H. , Bowman Charles A. , Russell Daniel A. , Hatfull Graham F.
Published: June 2015

Mycobacteriophage Mindy is a newly isolated phage of
Mycobacterium smegmatis
, recovered from a soil sample in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Mindy has a genome length of 75,796 bp, encodes 147 predicted proteins and two tRNAs, and is closely related to mycobacteriophages in cluster E.
Draft Genome Sequence of Gluconobacter oxydans NL71, a Strain That Efficiently Biocatalyzes Xylose to Xylonic Acid at a High Concentration
Authors: Miao Yuanyuan , Zhou Xin , Xu Yong , Yu Shiyuan
Published: June 2015

Gluconobacter oxydans
NL71, a selected strain in the crude lignocellulosic hydrolysate, catalyzed 600 g/liter xylose to 586.3 g/liter xylonic acid at 95.1% yield. The biocatalysis of xylose yielded three times higher than the best previous output, providing a possibility of the industrial scale utilization of lignocellulosic xylose. Due to its promising industrial applications, we sequenced the complete genome of strain
G. oxydans
NL71 to further our understanding of its overall metabolism.
Genome Sequence of
Porticoccus hydrocarbonoclasticus
Strain MCTG13d, an Obligate Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon-Degrading Bacterium Associated with Marine Eukaryotic Phytoplankton
Authors: Gutierrez Tony , Whitman William B. , Huntemann Marcel , Copeland Alex , Chen Amy , Kyrpides Nikos , Markowitz Victor , Pillay Manoj , Ivanova Natalia , Mikhailova Natalia , Ovchinnikova Galina , Andersen Evan , Pati Amrita , Stamatis Dimitrios , Reddy T. B. K. , Ngan Chew Yee , Chovatia Mansi , Daum Chris , Shapiro Nicole , Cantor Michael N. , Woyke Tanja
Published: June 2015

Porticoccus hydrocarbonoclasticus
strain MCTG13d is a recently discovered bacterium that is associated with marine eukaryotic phytoplankton and that almost exclusively utilizes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as the sole source of carbon and energy. Here, we present the genome sequence of this strain, which is 2,474,654 bp with 2,385 genes and has an average G+C content of 53.1%.
Full-Genome Sequence of the First G8P[14] Rotavirus Strain Detected in the United States
Authors: Mijatovic-Rustempasic Slavica , Roy Sunando , Sturgeon Michele , Rungsrisuriyachai Kunchala , Reisdorf Erik , Cortese Margaret M. , Bowen Michael D.
Published: June 2015

This is a report of the complete genomic sequence of a rare rotavirus group A G8-P[14]-I2-R3-C2-M2-A3-N2-T6-E2-H3 strain detected in a stool sample from a 57-year-old subject.
High-intensity interval training for improving health-related fitness in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Costigan S A , Eather N , Plotnikoff R C , Taaffe D R , Lubans D R
Published: June 2015

Background

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) may be a feasible and efficacious strategy for improving health-related fitness in young people. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the utility of HIIT to improve health-related fitness in adolescents and to identify potential moderators of training effects.

Methods

Studies were considered eligible if they: (1) examined adolescents (13–18 years); (2) examined health-related fitness outcomes; (3) involved an intervention of ≥4 weeks in duration; (4) included a control or moderate intensity comparison group; and (5) prescribed high-intensity activity for the HIIT condition. Meta-analyses were conducted to determine the effect of HIIT on health-related fitness components using Comprehensive Meta-analysis software and potential moderators were explored (ie, study duration, risk of bias and type of comparison group).

Results

The effects of HIIT on cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition were large, and medium, respectively. Study duration was a moderator for the effect of HIIT on body fat percentage. Intervention effects for waist circumference and muscular fitness were not statistically significant.

Conclusions

HIIT is a feasible and time-efficient approach for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition in adolescent populations.
Temporal trends in socioeconomic inequalities in obesity prevalence among economically-active working-age adults in Scotland between 1995 and 2011: a population-based repeated cross-sectional study
Authors: Zhu Jin , Coombs Ngaire , Stamatakis Emmanouil
Published: June 2015

Objectives

Obesity has been an alarming public health issue in the UK. Socioeconomic inequalities in obesity have been well-studied, however limited studies addressed inequality trends over time and none of them in Scotland.

Methods

We used nationally-representative data from the Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) across four time points between 1995 and 2010/2011. Respondents were economically active adults aged 16–65 years (N=27 059, 12 218 men). Socioeconomic position (SEP) was assessed by highest educational qualification, occupational social class and household income (2003 and 2010/2011 only) as well as a composite SEP score. We carried out sex-stratified logistic regression analyses (adjusted for age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, self-rated general health and physical activity) and we computed the relative index of inequality (RII).

Results

Between 1995 and 2010/2011, obesity prevalence increased in both men (from 17% in 1995 to 30.2% in 2010/2011, 2010/2011 OR of obesity compared with 1995=2.07; 95% CI 1.83 to 2.34) and women (from 18.4% to 30.2%; OR=1.85; 95% CI 1.66 to 2.07). Increase in obesity prevalence was observed across all socioeconomic strata, within which the most rapid increase was among males from the highest socioeconomic groups. RII showed that educational inequalities in obesity narrowed for both men (p=0.007) and women (p=0.008). Income inequalities in obesity between 2003 and 2010/2011 in women were also reduced (p=0.046) on the relative scale.

Conclusions

Obesity prevalence in Scotland increased substantially between 1995 and 2010/2011, although socioeconomic inequalities have decreased due to the more rapid increase in the higher socioeconomic strata.
Compromised communication: a qualitative study exploring Afghan families and health professionals’ experience of interpreting support in Australian maternity care
Authors: Yelland Jane , Riggs Elisha , Szwarc Josef , Casey Sue , Duell-Piening Philippa , Chesters Donna , Wahidi Sayed , Fouladi Fatema , Brown Stephanie
Published: June 2015

Introduction

Difficulties associated with communication are thought to contribute to adverse perinatal outcomes experienced by refugee background women living in developed countries. This study explored Afghan women and men's experience of language support during pregnancy, labour and birth, and health professionals’ experiences of communicating with clients of refugee background with low English proficiency.

Methods

Interviews were conducted with (1) Afghan women and men in the first year after having a baby in Australia, by multilingual, bicultural researchers and (2) midwives and medical practitioners providing care to families of refugee background. Analysis was conducted thematically.

Results

Sixteen Afghan women, 14 Afghan men, 10 midwives, five medical practitioners and 19 community-based health professionals (refugee health nurses, bicultural workers, counsellors) providing maternity or early postnatal care participated. Midwife and medical informants concurred that accredited interpreters are generally booked for the first pregnancy visit, but not routinely used for other appointments. Very few Afghan participants reported access to on-site interpreters. Men commonly interpreted for their wives. There was minimal professional interpreting support for imaging and pathology screening appointments or during labour and birth. Health professionals noted challenges in negotiating interpreting services when men were insistent on providing language support for their wives and difficulties in managing interpreter-mediated visits within standard appointment times. Failure to engage interpreters was apparent even when accredited interpreters were available and at no cost to the client or provider.

Conclusions

Improving identification of language needs at point of entry into healthcare, developing innovative ways to engage interpreters as integral members of multidisciplinary healthcare teams and building health professionals’ capacity to respond to language needs are critical to reducing social inequalities in maternal and child health outcomes for refugee and other migrant populations.
Three-dimensional levee and floodwall underseepage
Authors: Jafari Navid H. , Stark Timothy D. , Leopold Aaron L. , Merry Scott M.
Published: June 2015

Levee and floodwall seepage models based on two-dimensional (2D) conditions can underpredict landside vertical hydraulic gradients and uplift pressures due to excavations and convex bends. The Sherman Island levee system is used to calibrate a three-dimensional (3D) seepage model to evaluate the effect of finite landside excavations and convex levee bends on landside seepage. The model shows that a 3D analysis is required for a landside excavation with an aspect ratio (length to width) less than 1L:1.5W. For drainage canals and ditches that parallel a levee or floodwall and are wider than 15 m, gradients at the excavation center are essentially equal to 2D vertical gradients but greater than 2D gradients near the excavation sidewalls. The Sherman Island calibrated seepage model also confirms concave bends diverge seepage and yield lower vertical gradients than 2D models. Varying the degree of levee curvature (ω = 45°–100°) indicates that sharper convex bends (ω = 100°; axisymmetric radius, 150 m) cause vertical gradients that can be about 150% greater than 2D analyses.
Combining statolith element composition and Fourier shape data allows discrimination of spatial and temporal stock structure of arrow squid (Nototodarus gouldi)
Authors: Green Corey P. , Robertson Simon G. , Hamer Paul A. , Virtue Patti , Jackson George D. , Moltschaniwskyj Natalie A.
Published: June 2015

While arrow squid (Nototodarus gouldi) in Australia are currently managed as a single population, biological differences in individuals between locations of capture suggests these are separate stocks requiring stock-specific harvest strategies. We used two techniques to derive information about stock structure from different parts of the life cycle, providing a novel holistic approach to exploring stock structure. This study combined two techniques, statolith shape and statolith elemental composition, to determine dispersal patterns of N. gouldi between regions and evidence of separate stocks. While adult statolith shape provided evidence that adults caught in the two locations belonged to different stocks, statolith elemental composition suggested that N. gouldi caught at each location had hatched throughout their distribution, with egg mass and juvenile drift potentially facilitated by seasonal longitudinal ocean currents. However, there was evidence of asymmetry in ontogenetic movement of N. gouldi, with adults in Victoria contributing more to the Great Australian Bight stock than vice versa and with the implication that the Victorian stock may need to be managed as the source stock.
RECENT DRAG REDUCTION DEVELOPMENTS DERIVED FROM DIFFERENT BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONAL SURFACES: A REVIEW
Authors: LUO YUEHAO , ZHANG DEYUAN , LIU YUEFEI
Published: June 2015

Reducing energy consumption and protecting the environment has always been becoming the pursing goal and object for mankind, especially in the past several decades. Our living environment is all surrounded by the fluids, and the friction in turbulence has progressively developed into the important proportion of energy consumption. Therefore, how to realize the drag reduction in turbulence has turned into the imperative issue to be resolved, and many scholars have made great contributions in the field with achieving so many profits. In this paper, three different typical biological functional surfaces including sharkskin, lotus leaf and dolphin skin are reviewed and generalized systematically and comprehensively, the drag reduction mechanisms based on boundary layer control are generalized. The paper will enable the potential readers to better understand the recent progresses in exploring drag reduction technologies in turbulence, with improving the comprehension of the drag reduction mechanism and extending the relevant technologies into more applications.
CONSTRUCTION AND VALIDATION OF A THREE-DIMENSIONAL FINITE ELEMENT MODEL OF THE DISTAL RADIOULNAR JOINT
Authors: SUN JIANWEI , YAN BINGSHAN , NIE WENZHONG , ZHI ZHONGZHENG , GUI KEKE , WANG MINGXIN , YIN WANGPING
Published: June 2015

Objectives: The study was to establish a precise three-dimensional (3D) finite element model (FEM) of the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) and then to validate its accuracy for the application to the research on clinical biomechanics. Materials and methods: The right forearm DRUJ of a volunteer (male, 28 years old, 62 kilograms) was scanned by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The resulting sectional images were input into MIMICS10.1 and ANSYS10.0 to generate 3D FEM of the DRUJ. With this FEM, the bending load, axial compression load and the torsion load conditions were simulated, and the vonmises stress distribution of the DRUJ was detected. The simulation results were compared with the biomechanics experiment results which were reported by the literatures. Results: The constructed FEM consisted of 333,805 elements and 508,384 nodes. Together, the simulation results with this FEM were in consistent with those of the reported experiments in bending load, axial compression load and torsion load conditions. Discussion: The 3D FEM of the DRUJ can reflect the real geometric structure of the DRUJ objectively and the simulation with this FEM can predict the results of the biomechanics experiments successfully.
Functional characteristics of L1156F-CFTR associated with alcoholic chronic pancreatitis in Japanese
Authors: Kondo Shiho , Fujiki Kotoyo , Ko Shigeru B. H. , Yamamoto Akiko , Nakakuki Miyuki , Ito Yasutomo , Shcheynikov Nikolay , Kitagawa Motoji , Naruse Satoru , Ishiguro Hiroshi
Published: June 2015

Although cystic fibrosis is rare in Japanese, measurement of sweat Cl−has suggested mild dysfunction of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in some patients with chronic pancreatitis. In the present study, we have investigated the association of CFTR variants and chronic pancreatitis in Japanese and the functional characteristics of a Japanese- and pancreatitis-specific CFTR variant, L1156F. Seventy patients with alcoholic chronic pancreatitis, 18 patients with idiopathic chronic pancreatitis, and 180 normal subjects participated. All exons and their boundaries and promoter region of the CFTR gene were sequenced. Human embryonic kidney-293 cells were transfected with three CFTR variants (M470V, L1156F, and M470V+L1156F), and the protein expression was examined. Xenopus laevis oocytes were injected with the CFTR variants, and bicarbonate (HCO3−) transport activity was examined. CFPAC-1 cells were transfected with the CFTR variants and Cl−/HCO3−exchange activity was examined. Six variants (E217G, I556V, M470V, L1156F, Q1352H, and R1453W) were identified in the coding region of the CFTR gene. Cystic fibrosis-causing mutations were not found. The allele frequencies of L1156F and Q1352H in alcoholic chronic pancreatitis (5.0 and 7.9%) were significantly ( P < 0.01) higher than those in normal subjects (0.6 and 1.9%). L1156F was linked with a worldwide CFTR variant, M470V. Combination of M470V and L1156F significantly reduced CFTR expression to ∼60%, impaired CFTR-mediated HCO3−/Cl−transport activity to 50–60%, and impaired CFTR-coupled Cl−/HCO3−exchange activity to 20–30%. The data suggest that the Japanese-specific CFTR variant L1156F causes mild dysfunction of CFTR and increases the risk of alcoholic chronic pancreatitis in Japanese.
Splenic autonomic denervation increases inflammatory status but does not aggravate atherosclerotic lesion development
Authors: Kooijman Sander , Meurs Illiana , van Beek Lianne , Khedoe P. Padmini S. J. , Giezekamp Annabel , Pike-Overzet Karin , Cailotto Cathy , van der Vliet Jan , van Harmelen Vanessa , Boeckxstaens Guy , Berbée Jimmy F. P. , Rensen Patrick C. N.
Published: June 2015

The brain plays a prominent role in the regulation of inflammation. Immune cells are under control of the so-called cholinergic anti-inflammatory reflex, mainly acting via autonomic innervation of the spleen. Activation of this reflex inhibits the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and may reduce the development of atherosclerosis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of selective parasympathetic (Px) and sympathetic (Sx) denervation of the spleen on inflammatory status and atherosclerotic lesion development. Female APOE*3-Leiden.CETP mice, a well-established model for human-like lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis, were fed a cholesterol-containing Western-type diet for 4 wk after which they were subdivided into three groups receiving either splenic Px, splenic Sx, or sham surgery. The mice were subsequently challenged with the same diet for an additional 15 wk. Selective Px increased leukocyte counts (i.e., dendritic cells, B cells, and T cells) in the spleen and increased gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines in the liver and peritoneal leukocytes compared with Sx and sham surgery. Both Px and Sx increased circulating proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6. However, the increased proinflammatory status in denervated mice did not affect atherosclerotic lesion size or lesion composition. Conclusion: Predominantly selective Px of the spleen enhances the inflammatory status, which, however, does not aggravate diet-induced atherosclerotic lesion development.
Rapidly elevated levels of PGC-1α-b protein in human skeletal muscle after exercise: exploring regulatory factors in a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Gidlund Eva-karin , Ydfors Mia , Appel Susanna , Rundqvist Helene , Sundberg Carl Johan , Norrbom Jessica
Published: June 2015

Individuals with high skeletal muscle mitochondrial content have a lower risk to acquire cardiovascular and metabolic disease, obesity, and type II diabetes. Regular endurance training increases mitochondrial density through a complex network of transcriptional regulators that in an accumulated way are affected by each single exercise bout. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of a single exercise bout on the levels of PGC-1α and related regulatory factors important for the initial phase of skeletal muscle adaptation. Ten men and ten women were randomized to either an exercise group (60 min cycling at a work load corresponding to 70% of peak oxygen uptake) or a nonexercising control group. Skeletal muscle biopsies were taken before, at 30 min, and at 2, 6, and 24 h after the intervention. Twenty-two mRNA transcripts and five proteins were measured. With exercise, protein levels of PGC-1α-ex1b increased, and this elevation occurred before that of total PGC-1α protein. We also demonstrated the existence and postexercise expression pattern of two LIPIN-1 (LIPIN-1α and LIPIN-1β) and three NCoR1 (NCoR1-1, NCoR1-2, and NCoR1-3) isoforms in human skeletal muscle. The present study contributes new insights into the initial signaling events following a single bout of exercise and emphasizes PGC-1α-ex1b as the most exercise-responsive PGC-1α isoform.
Integrating Multiple Correlated Phenotypes for Genetic Association Analysis by Maximizing Heritability
Authors: Zhou Jin J. , Cho Michael H. , Lange Christoph , Lutz Sharon , Silverman Edwin K. , Laird Nan M.
Published: June 2015

Many correlated disease variables are analyzed jointly in genetic studies in the hope of increasing power to detect causal genetic variants. One approach involves assessing the relationship between each phenotype and each SNP individually and using a Bonferroni correction for the effective number of tests conducted. Alternatively, one can apply a multivariate regression or a dimension reduction technique, such as principal component analysis, and test for the association with the principal components of the phenotypes rather than the individual phenotypes. Inspired by the previous approaches of combining phenotypes to maximize heritability at individual SNPs, in this paper, we propose to construct a maximally heritable (MaxH) phenotype by taking advantage of the estimated total heritability and co-heritability. The heritability and co-heritability only need to be estimated once; therefore, our method is applicable to genome-wide scans. The MaxH phenotype is a linear combination of the individual phenotypes with increased heritability and power over the phenotypes being combined. Simulations show that the heritability and power achieved agree well with the theory for large samples and two phenotypes. We compare our approach with commonly used methods and assess both the heritability and the power of the MaxH phenotype. Moreover, we provide suggestions for how to choose the phenotypes for combination. An application of our approach to a GWAS on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease shows its practical relevance.
How Normal Is a ‘Normal' Heart in Fetuses and Infants with Down Syndrome?
Authors: Calkoen Emmeline , Adriaanse Bauke , Haak Monique , Bartelings Margot , Kolesnik Adam , Niszczota Cezary , van Vugt John , Roest Arno , Blom Nico , Gittenberger-de Groot Adriana , Jongbloed Monique
Published: June 2015

Background: Congenital heart disease is present in 44-56% of fetuses with Down syndrome (DS). There are, however, signs that hearts in DS without apparent structural heart defects also differ from those in the normal population. We aimed to compare the atrioventricular (AV) septum and valves in 3 groups: DS without AV septal defect (DS no-AVSD), DS with AVSD (DS AVSD) and control hearts. Methods: The ventricular septum, membranous septum and AV valves were examined and measured in histological sections of 15 DS no-AVSD, 8 DS AVSD and 34 control hearts. In addition, the ventricular septum length was measured on ultrasound images of fetal (6 DS AVSD, 9 controls) and infant (10 DS no-AVSD, 10 DS AVSD, 10 controls) hearts. Results: The membranous septum was 3 times larger in DS no-AVSD fetuses compared to control fetuses, and valve dysplasia was frequently (64%) observed. The ventricular septum was shorter in patients with DS both with and without AVSD, as compared to the control group. Conclusion: DS no-AVSD hearts are not normal as they have a larger membranous septum, shorter ventricular septum and dysplasia of the AV valves as compared to control hearts.
MiR-22 Suppresses BMP7 in the Development of Cirrhosis
Authors: Ji Dong , Li Bing , Shao Qing , Li Fan , Li Zhongbin , Chen Guofeng
Published: June 2015

Background/Aims: New strategies for the prevention and treatment of cirrhosis are urgently needed for improving therapeutic outcome. A role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the pathogenesis of cirrhosis has been recently acknowledged, whereas the exact involved miRNAs as well as the associated molecular signaling pathways have not been determined. Specifically, the studies on the relationship between miR-22 and bone morphogenic protein 7 (BMP7) in the development of cirrhosis are lacking. Methods: We examined the correlation of the levels of miR-22 and bone morphogenic protein 7 (BMP7) in the liver biopsies from patients with cirrhosis. We examined overexpression or suppression of miR-22 on BMP7 in hepatocytes. We examined the binding of miR-22 to the 3'-UTR of BMP7 mRNA. Finally, in a carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced cirrhosis model in mice, we gave mice adeno-associated viruses carrying antisense of miR-22, and examined its effects on BMP7 levels and the hallmarks of cirrhosis. Results: The levels of miR-22 and BMP7 in the liver biopsies from patients were strongly and inversely correlated. MiR-22 inhibited BMP7 expression in hepatocytes, through directly binding the 3'-UTR of BMP7 mRNA. Expression of antisense miR-22 significantly attenuated the levels of liver fibrosis, portal hypertension and sodium retention caused by CCl4, possibly through upregulation of BMP7. Conclusions: MiR-22 promotes the development of cirrhosis through BMP7 suppression.
Pioglitazone Identifies a New Target for Aneurysm Treatment: Role of Egr1 in an Experimental Murine Model of Aortic Aneurysm
Authors: Charolidi Nicoletta , Pirianov Grisha , Torsney Evelyn , Pearce Stuart , Laing Ken , Nohturfft Axel , Cockerill Gillian W.
Published: June 2015

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ agonists have been shown to inhibit angiotensin II (AngII)-induced experimental abdominal aortic aneurysms. Macrophage infiltration to the vascular wall is an early event in this pathology, and therefore we explored the effects of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ agonist pioglitazone on AngII-treated macrophages. Using microarray-based expression profiling of phorbol ester-stimulated THP-1 cells, we found that a number of aneurysm-related gene changes effected by AngII were modulated following the addition of pioglitazone. Among those genes, polycystic kidney disease 1 (PKD1) was significantly up-regulated (multiple testing corrected p < 0.05). The analysis of the PKD1 proximal promoter revealed a putative early growth response 1 (EGR1) binding site, which was confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and quantitative PCR. Further analysis of publicly available ChIP-sequencing data revealed that this putative binding site overlapped with a conserved EGR1 binding peak present in 5 other cell lines. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that EGR1 suppressed PKD1, while AngII significantly up-regulated PKD1, an effect counteracted by pioglitazone. Conversely, in EGR1 short hairpin RNA lentivirally transduced THP-1 cells, reduced EGR1 led to a significant up-regulation of PKD1, especially after treatment with pioglitazone. In vivo, deficiency of Egr1 in the haematopoietic compartment of mice completely abolished the incidence of CaCl2-induced aneurysm formation.
Hidradenitis Suppurativa Management in the United States: An Analysis of the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and MarketScan Medicaid Databases
Authors: Davis Scott A. , Lin Hsien-Chang , Balkrishnan Rajesh , Feldman Steven R.
Published: June 2015

Purpose: To present nationally representative data demonstrating how frequently hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) occurs in specific groups and how it is currently managed. Methods: We analyzed data from the 1990-2009 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) and the 2003-2007 MarketScan Medicaid databases for patients with a diagnosis of HS (ICD-9-CM code 705.83). Visits per 100,000 population of each race and ethnicity were calculated using the 2000 US Census data for specific demographics. Results: There were 164,000 patient visits (95% CI: 128,000-200,000) annually with a diagnosis of HS in the NAMCS, and 17,270 HS patients were found in the MarketScan Medicaid over the 5-year period. Antibiotics were the most common treatment, followed by pain medications, topical steroids, and isotretinoin. Prescriptions of biologics and systemic methotrexate, cyclosporine, and acitretin were not observed in the NAMCS. Physicians prescribed medications in 74% of visits and used procedures in 11% of visits. African Americans, females, and young adults had higher numbers of visits for HS. Conclusions: Our data showing a maximum of 0.06% of the population being treated for HS in a given year are consistent with the low estimates of HS prevalence. Compared to the current prescribing patterns, the more frequent prescription of biologics and systemic treatments may yield better outcomes.
Granulocyte/Monocyte Adsorptive Apheresis in Moderate to Severe Ulcerative Colitis - Effective or Not?
Authors: Kruis Wolfgang , Nguyen Phuong , Morgenstern Julia
Published: June 2015

Background and Aims: Adsorptive granulocyte/monocyte apheresis (GMA) has shown promising efficacy in the treatment of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). But a sham-controlled study was negative. A post-hoc analysis of this trial may haul out patients responding to GMA. Methods: A total of 168 UC patients with a disease activity (DAI) between 6 and 11 were enrolled in this study. Out of 168 patients, 112 received GMA and 56 sham apheresis. The basis for this post hoc analysis is the clinical study report issued by Otsuka America Pharmaceutical. Results: Baseline histology was available for 165 patients. Only 38% (63 of 165) of patients showed microscopic erosion/ulceration (group P). The remaining 62% of patients did not show microscopic erosion/ulceration (group A). The patients in group P showed significantly higher DAI, flexible proctosigmoidoscopy score and neutrophil infiltration into the colonic mucosa than those in group A (p = 0.0132, p = 0.0243 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Likewise, group P patients had a significantly (p = 0.0275) higher remission rate (11 of 46; 23.9%) when treated with GMA than with sham procedure (0 of 17; 0%). Conclusions: Patients in group P who had more active UC than those in group A showed clear clinical efficacy in response to GMA. We believe that true DAI should be specified for further randomized controlled trials.
The Role of Monitoring Arterial Stiffness with Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index in the Control of Lifestyle-Related Diseases
Authors: Shirai Kohji , Saiki Atsuhito , Nagayama Daiji , Tatsuno Ichiro , Shimizu Kazuhiro , Takahashi Mao
Published: June 2015

Arteriosclerosis is a major contributor to cardiovascular diseases. One of the difficulties in controlling those diseases is the lack of a suitable indicator of arteriosclerosis or arterial injury in routine clinical practice. Arterial stiffness was supposed to be one of the monitoring indexes of arteriosclerosis. Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) is reflecting the stiffness of the arterial tree from the origin of the aorta to the ankle, and one of the features of CAVI is independency from blood pressure at a measuring time. When doxazosin, an α1-adrenergic blocker, was administered, CAVI decreased, indicating that arterial stiffness is composed of both organic stiffness and functional stiffness, which reflects the contraction of arterial smooth muscle. CAVI shows a high value with aging and in many arteriosclerotic diseases, and is also high in persons possessing main coronary risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, hypertension and smoking. Furthermore, when the most of those risk factors were controlled by proper methods, CAVI improved. Furthermore, the co-relationship between CAVI and heart function was demonstrated during treatment of heart failure. This paper reviews the principle and rationale of CAVI, and discusses the meaning of monitoring CAVI in following up so-called lifestyle-related diseases and cardiac dysfunction in routine clinical practice.
Galectin-3 Expression in Primary Cutaneous CD30-Positive Lymphoproliferative Disorders and Transformed Mycosis Fungoides
Authors: Mitteldorf Christina , Robson Alistair , Tronnier Michael , Pfaltz Monique C. , Kempf Werner
Published: June 2015

Background: In nodal anaplastic large cell lymphoma, strong expression of galectin-3 (Gal-3) has been found, but only very few cases of primary cutaneous lymphoma have so far been examined. Objectives: To investigate 11 primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphomas (PCALCL), 47 lymphomatoid papuloses (LYP) and 14 cases of transformed mycosis fungoides with CD30 expression (MF-T) for Gal-3 expression. Methods: A Gal-3 score was applied using a photo-based morphometric evaluation program. Double staining for CD30 and Gal-3 was performed. Furthermore, we recorded the cellular and extracellular sublocalization of the signal. Results: The Gal-3 expression in CD30+ tumor cells was significantly lower in MF-T in contrast to CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders (CD30 LPD; p < 0.001), but we found no differences between PCALCL and LYP (p = 0.42). In PCALCL Gal-3 was more often localized in the cytoplasm in contrast to LYP, in which an equal distribution in the cytoplasm and the nucleus was more common (p = 0.9). Conclusions: The lower Gal-3 expression in MF-T in comparison to CD30 LPD might be an additional criterion to differentiate both entities. The different sublocalization of the Gal-3 signal might reflect a different biological function and behavior.
Brodifacoum Induces Early Hemoglobinuria and Late Hematuria in Rats: Novel Rapid Biomarkers of Poisoning
Authors: Ware Kyle M. , Feinstein Douglas L. , Rubinstein Israel , Weinberg Guy , Rovin Brad H. , Hebert Lee , Muni Navin , Cianciolo Rachel E. , Satoskar Anjali A. , Nadasdy Tibor , Brodsky Sergey V.
Published: June 2015

Introduction: Brodifacoum (BDF) is a superwarfarin that is used primarily as a rodenticide. There have been increasing numbers of reports of human cases of accidental or intentional BDF ingestion with high mortality rate. Its broad availability and high lethality suggest that BDF should be considered a potential chemical threat. Currently, there is no biomarker for early detection of BDF ingestion in humans; patients typically present with severe coagulopathy. Since we demonstrated earlier that warfarin can induce acute kidney injury with hematuria, we tested whether BDF would also lead to change in urinary biomarkers. Material and Methods: BDF was administered to Sprague Dawley rats via oral gavage. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) was given per os in drinking water 24 h prior to BDF. Urinalysis was performed at different times after BDF administration. Anticoagulation and serum creatinine levels were analyzed in the blood. Results: We observed that within a few hours the animals developed BDF-dose-dependent transient hemoglobinuria, which ceased within 24 h. This was accompanied by a transient decrease in hematocrit, gross hemolysis and an increase in free hemoglobin in the serum. At later times, animals developed true hematuria with red blood cells in the urine, which was associated with BDF anticoagulation. NAC prevented early hemoglobinuria, but not late hematuria associated with BDF. Conclusions: We propose that transient early hemoglobinuria (associated with oxidative stress) with consecutive late hematuria (associated with anticoagulation) are novel biomarkers of BDF poisoning, and they can be used in clinical setting or in mass casualty with BDF to identify poisoned patients.
Predicting Productivity Returns on Investment
Authors: Lauer Michael S. , Danthi Narasimhan S. , Kaltman Jonathan , Wu Colin
Published: June 2015

There are conflicting data about the ability of peer review percentile rankings to predict grant productivity, as measured through publications and citations. To understand the nature of these apparent conflicting findings, we analyzed bibliometric outcomes of 6873 de novo cardiovascular R01 grants funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) between 1980 and 2011. Our outcomes focus on top-10% articles, meaning articles that were cited more often than 90% of other articles on the same topic, of the same type (eg, article, editorial), and published in the same year. The 6873 grants yielded 62 468 articles, of which 13 507 (or 22%) were top-10% articles. There was a modest association between better grant percentile ranking and number of top-10% articles. However, discrimination was poor (area under receiver operating characteristic curve [ROC], 0.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.51–0.53). Furthermore, better percentile ranking was also associated with higher annual and total inflation-adjusted grant budgets. There was no association between grant percentile ranking and grant outcome as assessed by number of top-10% articles per $million spent. Hence, the seemingly conflicting findings on peer review percentile ranking of grants and subsequent productivity largely reflect differing questions and outcomes. Taken together, these findings raise questions about how best National Institutes of Health (NIH) should use peer review assessments to make complex funding decisions.
Blend Sign on Computed Tomography
Authors: Li Qi , Zhang Gang , Huang Yuan-Jun , Dong Mei-Xue , Lv Fa-Jin , Wei Xiao , Chen Jian-Jun , Zhang Li-Juan , Qin Xin-Yue , Xie Peng
Published: June 2015

Background and Purpose—

Early hematoma growth is not uncommon in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage and is an independent predictor of poor functional outcome. The purpose of our study was to report and validate the use of our newly identified computed tomographic (CT) blend sign in predicting early hematoma growth.

Methods—

Patients with intracerebral hemorrhage who underwent baseline CT scan within 6 hours after onset of symptoms were included. The follow-up CT scan was performed within 24 hours after the baseline CT scan. Significant hematoma growth was defined as an increase in hematoma volume of >33% or an absolute increase of hematoma volume of >12.5 mL. The blend sign on admission nonenhanced CT was defined as blending of hypoattenuating area and hyperattenuating region with a well-defined margin. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between the presence of the blend sign on nonenhanced admission CT and early hematoma growth.

Results—

A total of 172 patients were included in our study. Blend sign was observed in 29 of 172 (16.9%) patients with intracerebral hemorrhage on baseline nonenhanced CT scan. Of the 61 patients with hematoma growth, 24 (39.3%) had blend sign on admission CT scan. Interobserver agreement for identifying blend sign was excellent between the 2 readers (κ=0.957). The multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the time to baseline CT scan, initial hematoma volume, and presence of blend sign on baseline CT scan to be independent predictors of early hematoma growth. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of blend sign for predicting hematoma growth were 39.3%, 95.5%, 82.7%, and 74.1%, respectively.

Conclusions—

The CT blend sign could be easily identified on regular nonenhanced CT and is highly specific for predicting hematoma growth.
Język polski w Niemczech. Wpływ języka niemieckiego na polszczyznę Polonii niemieckiej
Authors: Blaszczyk Izabela Maria
Published: June 2015

Polish in Germany. The influence of German on the speech of Polish heritage speakers (Polonia) illustrated by the example of the use of the conditionalPolish in Germany has hardly been analyzed systematically so far, although a large population with Polish ancestry can be found there. This paper reveals how Polish heritage speakers in Germany characteristically use the conditional. The study’s findings are the result of an initial analysis of the ‘Hamburg Corpus of Bilingualism of Polish in Germany’ (HamCoPoliG). The article concludes by comparing these specific results with current, general research on heritage speakers’ use of conditional forms and shows that not all phenomena can be explained by the influence of German. Język polski w Niemczech. Wpływ języka niemieckiego na polszczyznę Polonii niemieckiejJęzyk polski Polonii niemieckiej stanowi zagadnienie, które do tej pory prawie wcale nie było systematycznie badane, mimo że Polonia jest w Niemczech liczna. Poniższy artykuł przedstawia sposób stosowania trybu przypuszczającego przez osoby drugiej lub trzeciej generacji Polonii (tzw. heritage speakers) w Niemczech. Wyniki badania opierają się na analizie korpusu „Hamburg Corpus of Polish in Germany” (HamCoPoliG). Wyniki tej analizy są porównywane z obecnymi badaniami na temat stosowania form trybu przypuszczającego u osób bilingwalnych. Pierwsze wnioski wskazują na to, że w przypadku stosowania trybu przypuszczającego w porównaniu z polszczyzną standardową zachodzi niewiele zmian, które da się wytłumaczyć wpływem języka niemieckiego.
Quantitative Precipitation Estimation from a C-Band Dual-Polarized Radar for the 8 July 2013 Flood in Toronto, Canada
Authors: Boodoo Sudesh , Hudak David , Ryzhkov Alexander , Zhang Pengfei , Donaldson Norman , Sills David , Reid Janti
Published: June 2015

A heavy rainfall event over a 2-h period on 8 July 2013 caused significant flash flooding in the city of Toronto and produced 126 mm of rain accumulation at a gauge located near the Toronto Pearson International Airport. This paper evaluates the quantitative precipitation estimates from the nearby King City C-band dual-polarized radar (WKR). Horizontal reflectivity Z and differential reflectivity ZDR were corrected for attenuation using a modified ZPHI rain profiling algorithm, and rain rates R were calculated from R(Z) and R(Z, ZDR) algorithms. Specific differential phase KDP was used to compute rain rates from three R(KDP) algorithms, one modified to use positive and negative KDP, and an R(KDP, ZDR) algorithm. Additionally, specific attenuation at horizontal polarization A was used to calculate rates from the R(A) algorithm. High-temporal-resolution rain gauge data at 44 locations measured the surface rainfall every 5 min and produced total rainfall accumulations over the affected area. The nearby NEXRAD S-band dual-polarized radar at Buffalo, New York, provided rain-rate and storm accumulation estimates from R(Z) and S-band dual-polarimetric algorithm. These two datasets were used as references to evaluate the C-band estimates. Significant radome attenuation at WKR overshadowed the attenuation correction techniques and resulted in poor rainfall estimates from the R(Z) and R(Z, ZDR) algorithms. Rainfall estimation from the Brandes et al. R(KDP) and R(A) algorithms were superior to the other methods, and the derived storm total accumulation gave biases of 2.1 and −6.1 mm, respectively, with correlations of 0.94. The C-band estimates from the Brandes et al. R(KDP) and R(A) algorithms were comparable to the NEXRAD S-band estimates.