bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Guchang Capsule on Dextran Sulphate Sodium‐Induced Experimental Ulcerative Colitis in Mice
Authors: Liu Baoshan , Liu Tong , Wang Xiaohong , Zheng Xin , Wang Hong , Ma Lin
Published: May 2016

Guchang capsule (GC) is a Chinese materia medica standardized product extracted from 15 Chinese traditional medical herbs and it has been clinically used in the treatment of intestinal disease. In this study, in order to extend the research of GC in intestinal disease, we were aiming to evaluate potential effects of GC on dextran sulphate sodium‐ (DSS‐) induced murine experimental colitis and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. GC treatment attenuated DSS‐induced body weight loss and reduced the mortality. Moreover, GC treatment prevented DSS‐induced colonic pathological damage; meanwhile it inhibited proinflammatory cytokines production in colon tissues. In vitro, GC significantly reduced LPS‐induced proinflammatory cytokines production via inhibiting the activation of NF‐κB in macrophage cells, and the expressions of several long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) which were reported in regulating NF‐κB signaling pathway were obviously affected by adding GC into culture medium. In conclusion, our data suggested that administration of GC exhibits therapeutic effects on DSS‐induced colitis partially through regulating the expression of NF‐κB related lncRNAs in infiltrating immune cells.
Phylogeographic Structure of a Tethyan RelictCapparis spinosa(Capparaceae) Traces Pleistocene Geologic and Climatic Changes in the Western Himalayas, Tianshan Mountains, and Adjacent Desert Regions
Authors: Wang Qian , Zhang Ming-Li , Yin Lin-Ke
Published: May 2016

Complex geological movements more or less affected or changed floristic structures, while the alternation of glacials and interglacials is presumed to have further shaped the present discontinuous genetic pattern of temperate plants. Here we considerCapparis spinosa, a xeromorphic Tethyan relict, to discuss its divergence pattern and explore how it responded in a stepwise fashion to Pleistocene geologic and climatic changes. 267 individuals from 31 populations were sampled and 24 haplotypes were identified, based on three cpDNA fragments (trnL-trnF,rps12-rpl20, andndhF). SAMOVA clustered the 31 populations into 5 major clades. AMOVA suggests that gene flow between them might be restricted by vicariance. Molecular clock dating indicates that intraspecific divergence began in early Pleistocene, consistent with a time of intense uplift of the Himalaya and Tianshan Mountains, and intensified in mid-Pleistocene. Species distribution modeling suggests range reduction in the high mountains during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) as a result of cold climates when glacier advanced, while gorges at midelevations in Tianshan appear to have served as refugia. Populations of low-altitude desert regions, on the other hand, probably experienced only marginal impacts from glaciation, according to the high levels of genetic diversity.
Essential Oils May Leadα-Synuclein towards Toxic Fibrils Formation
Authors: Morshedi Dina , Nasouti Mahour
Published: May 2016

α-Synuclein (α-Syn) fibrillation links with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and several related syndromes. It is believed that exposure to the factors which promote fibrillation may induce and progress such neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Herein, the effects of some wildly used essential oils includingMyrtus communis(M. communis) onα-Syn fibrillation were examined.M. communisparticularly increasedα-Syn fibrillation in a concentration dependent manner. Given that applications ofM. communisare very extensive in Asian societies, especially Zoroastrians, this study was extended towards its role onα-Syn fibrillation/cytotoxicity. By using a unilamellar vesicle, it was shown that the aggregated species with tendency to perturb membrane were increased in the presence ofM. communis. In this regard, the cytotoxicity ofα-Syn on SH-SH5Y cells was also increased significantly. Inappropriately, the effects of fibrillation inhibitors, baicalein and cuminaldehyde, were modulated in the presence ofM. communis. However, major components ofM. communisdid not induce fibrillation and also the effect ofM. communiswas limited on other fibrinogenic proteins. Assuming that essential oils have the ability to pass through the blood brain barrier (BBB) along with the popular attention on aromatherapy for the incurable ND, these findings suggest an implementation of fibrillation tests for essential oils.
Treatment of Glioma Using neuroArm Surgical System
Authors: Maddahi Yaser , Zareinia Kourosh , Gan Liu Shi , Sutherland Christina , Lama Sanju , Sutherland Garnette R.
Published: May 2016

The use of robotic technology in the surgical treatment of brain tumour promises increased precision and accuracy in the performance of surgery. Robotic manipulators may allow superior access to narrow surgical corridors compared to freehand or conventional neurosurgery. This paper reports values and ranges of tool-tissue interaction forces during the performance of glioma surgery using an MR compatible, image-guided neurosurgical robot called neuroArm. The system, capable of microsurgery and stereotaxy, was used in the surgical resection of glioma in seven cases. neuroArm is equipped with force sensors at the end-effector allowing quantification of tool-tissue interaction forces and transmits force of dissection to the surgeon sited at a remote workstation that includes a haptic interface. Interaction forces between the tool tips and the brain tissue were measured for each procedure, and the peak forces were quantified. Results showed maximum and minimum peak force values of 2.89 N (anaplastic astrocytoma, WHO grade III) and 0.50 N (anaplastic oligodendroglioma, WHO grade III), respectively, with the mean of peak forces varying from case to case, depending on type of the glioma. Mean values of the peak forces varied in range of 1.27 N (anaplastic astrocytoma, WHO grade III) to 1.89 N (glioblastoma with oligodendroglial component, WHO grade IV). In some cases, ANOVA test failed to reject the null hypothesis of equality in means of the peak forces measured. However, we could not find a relationship between forces exerted to the pathological tissue and its size, type, or location.
Effect of External Scrotal Cooling on the Viability of the Testis with Torsion in Rats
Authors: Haj M. , Shasha S.M. , Loberant N. , Farhadian H.
Published: May 2016

Background and Aim: Testicular damage due to ischemia during torsion is aggravated after reduction and reperfusion. The severity of the damage depends on the degree and duration of the torsion. Hypothermia has been successfully used in preserving the viability of ischemic organs for a prolonged period. Our aim is to evaluate the effect of external scrotal cooling in preserving testicular viability after spermatic cord torsion in rats. Methods: 100 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were equally divided into ten groups. Exposure of the right testicle for either 4 or 8 h in groups 1 and 2 were the control groups. The rats in eight groups (3–10) underwent clockwise torsion of 1,080° of the right testis around its longitudinal axis, for either 4 or 8 h. External scrotal cooling was applied during the torsion period in four groups. Half of the rats were sacrificed at the end of the torsion period, while the other rats underwent detorsion and were sacrificed 2 weeks later. All testicles were excised for histology. Results: The histological results showed that external scrotal cooling decreased both immediate and late damage to the testis, caused by torsion. A moderate degree of injury was found in the contralateral testicle in rats after torsion of the right testicle for 8 h with application of external cooling and detorsion. Conclusion: External scrotal cooling is effective in preserving the viability of the torsed testis in rats. The injury of ischemia-reperfusion, although reduced by external cooling, may endanger the contralateral testis as well, if the duration of torsion is longer than 4 h. With increased duration of torsion, orchiectomy should be considered. Application of this treatment may reduce the injury in humans awaiting surgery.
Allogeneic Platelet Gel with Autologous Cancellous Bone Graft for the Treatment of a Large Bone Defect
Authors: Smrke Dragica , Gubina Borut , Domanoviç Dragoslav , Rožman Primož
Published: May 2016

Background/Aims: A 50-year-old type 2 diabetic male with a comminuted fracture of the tibia and delayed union after insufficient initial osteosynthesis with a resulting pseudoarthrosis was treated operatively by using a graft composed of platelet gel mixed with autologous cancellous bone. The essential idea of this therapy was to combine the healing capacities of platelet-derived growth factors and osteogenic stem cells and the modeling capacity of the gel. Due to a history of diabetes, allogeneic instead of autologous platelets were used. Methods: The allogeneic platelet concentrate was ABO- and RhD-matched, leukocyte-depleted, irradiated and activated by human thrombin. The defect of 45 ml was filled with the graft mixture and fixed with an external fixator. Results: Postoperative care was uneventful. After 6 months the graft was incorporated, the bone defect was fully bridged and full weight-bearing capacity was achieved. No side effects were observed and no platelet or HLA class I antibodies were detected. Conclusion: This case report shows that the clinical use of allogeneic platelet-derived growth factors is feasible and that a prospective study is necessary to prove the effectiveness and reproducibility of this therapeutic approach.
Synergistic Antitumor Activity of Oxaliplatin in Combination with Gemcitabine in Pancreatic Tumor-Bearing Mice
Authors: Moschidis A. , Papageorgiou A. , Atmatzidis K. , Tsalis K. , Moschidis E. , Livanis J. , Chrysogelou E. , Mourelatos D. , Tsavdaridis D. , Harlaftis N.
Published: May 2016

Oxaliplatin (OX) and gemcitabine (GEM) are both drugs with proven clinical activity in various tumor types, have no overlapping toxic side effects and are different with respect to cellular metabolism. Therefore, we performed an in vivo study to determine the efficacy of the combination of these two drugs to optimize the scheduling of both substances using pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma PAN-02, subcutaneously growing in C57Bl mice. A total of 164 mice were used for cytotoxicity and antitumor studies. The combination therapy resulted in better results than those observed when the drugs were administered individually. GEM (58 mg/kg) and OX (1.0 mg/kg) achieved a 52% reduction in tumor size on day 28 after transplantation and a T/C value of 168% when the intermittent treatment schedule on days 1, 4 and 7 after inoculation was used. This treatment schedule was superior to other therapeutic schedules, producing a synergistic antitumor effect much higher than the one expected by the simple addition of the effects by OX and GEM acting independently.
Phospholipase A2 Receptor-Positive Idiopathic Membranous Glomerulonephritis with Onset at 95 Years: Case Report
Authors: Kubota Keiichi , Hoshino Junichi , Ueno Toshiharu , Mise Koki , Hazue Ryo , Sekine Akinari , Yabuuchi Junko , Yamanouchi Masayuki , Suwabe Tatsuya , Kikuchi Koichi , Sumida Keiichi , Hayami Noriko , Sawa Naoki , Takaichi Kenmei , Fujii Takeshi , Ohashi Kenichi , Akiyama Shinichi , Maruyama Shoichi , Ubara Yoshifumi
Published: May 2016

A 95-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of bilateral lower-limb edema persisting for 3 months. Serum creatinine was 1.55 mg/dl, and urinary protein excretion was 9.1 g/day. Renal biopsy revealed stage 1 membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) with immunoglobulin G4-dominant staining. This patient did not have any underlying disease such as infection with hepatitis B or C virus or malignancy, and anti-phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antibody was detected in the serum. Accordingly, idiopathic MGN was diagnosed. Corticosteroid therapy was avoided, but hemodialysis was required to treat generalized edema. The patient is currently doing well. This is the oldest reported case of idiopathic MGN with positivity for anti-PLA2R antibody.
Transfusion Independency and Histological Remission in a Patient with Advanced Primary Myelofibrosis Receiving Iron-Chelation Therapy with Deferasirox
Authors: Groepper Stefanie , Schlue Jerome , Haferlach Claudia , Giagounidis Aristoteles
Published: May 2016

Background: Iron overload is a common problem in patients with primary myelofibrosis and anemia due to transfusion dependency. This results in organ damage and toxic effects on hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow. At present, iron chelation therapy is not recommended in patients with myeloproliferative syndromes. Case Report: We describe a very interesting development in a patient with primary myelofibrosis receiving iron chelation. Transfusion independency and a nearly complete histological remission of the underlying disease occurred within a few weeks of therapy. In addition, a change in molecular genetic findings was observed. Initially a JAK2 and a U2AF1 mutation were detected in the core biopsy. During and after therapy the U2AF1 mutation progressed, whereas the JAK2 mutation could no longer be verified. Conclusion: The improvement in hematopoiesis might results from reduction of oxidative stress on hematopoietic progenitor cells or other unclear deferasirox-mediated effects, whereas the reason for the change in molecular genetic findings is unclear. It appears that deferasirox might have a modulating effect on JAK2-kinase mutations. However, further investigation of selective molecular suppression properties of deferasirox are warranted.
Prevalence of High-Grade Intraepithelial Neoplasia in Patients with Cytology Presenting Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance
Authors: Marcos Lopes Ana Cristina , Campaner Adriana Bittencourt , Henrique Laílca Quirino
Published: May 2016

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of histological high-grade lesions and cervical cancer in patients with ASCUS cytology. Methods: This is a cross-sectional prospective study involving 703 women with a uterus and atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS). The patients were submitted to a colposcopy and underwent a guided biopsy when changes on the colposcopy were detected. Results: The findings revealed 456 (64.9%) women with a normal colposcopy and 247 (35.1%) with colposcopic abnormalities. The biopsy results were: cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CIN 1) in 51 (20.6%) patients, CIN 2 in 11 (4.5%) patients, CIN 3 in 8 (3.2%) patients, and a negative result in 177 (71.7%) patients; no cases of cancer were detected. Tallying of 456 normal colposcopies and 177 negative biopsies yielded a total of 90.04% negative exams. Furthermore, around 7.2% (51/703) of the patients exhibited CIN 1, a lesion associated with a high potential for regression. The biopsy results were not associated with patient age or menopausal status. Conclusion: We conclude that cytological surveillance of patients with ASCUS is feasible and safe given the low risk of CIN 2/3 or cervical cancer.
Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer
Authors: Reinmuth Niels , Reck Martin
Published: May 2016

Immune evasion is recognized as a key strategy for cancer survival and progression. Hence, various approaches to restore antitumor immune responses are currently being investigated. In particular, agents targeting immune checkpoints, such as the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 receptor and programmed death-1 receptor, have shown potential for improving tumor responses and survival in lung cancer patients. With the first immunomodulating agents having been approved for treatment of selected lung cancer patients, there are high expectations that treatment outcomes may be improved with the incorporation of immunotherapies into the various treatment cascades.
Will Exercise Advice Be Sufficient for Treatment of Young Adults With Prehypertension and Hypertension? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Williamson Wilby , Foster Charlie , Reid Hamish , Kelly Paul , Lewandowski Adam James , Boardman Henry , Roberts Nia , McCartney David , Huckstep Odaro , Newton Julia , Dawes Helen , Gerry Stephen , Leeson Paul
Published: May 2016

Previous studies report benefits of exercise for blood pressure control in middle age and older adults, but longer-term effectiveness in younger adults is not well established. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published randomized control trials with meta-regression of potential effect modifiers. An information specialist completed a comprehensive search of available data sources, including studies published up to June 2015. Authors applied strict inclusion and exclusion criteria to screen 9524 titles. Eligible studies recruited younger adults with a cardiovascular risk factor (with at least 25% of cohort aged 18–40 years); the intervention had a defined physical activity strategy and reported blood pressure as primary or secondary outcome. Meta-analysis included 14 studies randomizing 3614 participants, mean age 42.2±6.3 (SD) years. At 3 to 6 months, exercise was associated with a reduction in systolic blood pressure of −4.40 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, −5.78 to −3.01) and in diastolic blood pressure of −4.17 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, −5.42 to −2.93). Intervention effect was not significantly influenced by baseline blood pressure, body weight, or subsequent weight loss. Observed intervention effect was lost after 12 months of follow-up with no reported benefit over control, mean difference in systolic blood pressure −1.02 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, −2.34 to 0.29), and in diastolic blood pressure −0.91 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, −1.85 to 0.02). Current exercise guidance provided to reduce blood pressure in younger adults is unlikely to benefit long-term cardiovascular risk. There is need for continued research to improve age-specific strategies and recommendations for hypertension prevention and management in young adults.
Ascidians (Tunicata) of the French Guiana Expedition
Authors: MONNIOT FRANÇOISE
Published: May 2016

Ascidians were collected along the shore of Iles du Salut and deeper on the slope in a program of evaluation of the biodiversity in Guiana. Most of the samples belong to already known species from the Caribbean area and Brazilian coast. The colonial forms dominate. The 6 new species have been dredged deeper than 50m but not found by SCUBA divers. In spite of an intensive sampling, the ascidian diversity in Guiana is low with 36 species recorded. This is the result of the abundance of sediment suspended in the water and uniformly deposited on all substrates which affects filtration rate and limits the settling of the ascidian larvae.
A taxonomic revision of the Yasuni Round-eared bat, Lophostoma yasuni
(Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)
Authors: CAMACHO M. ALEJANDRA , CHÁVEZ DANIEL , BURNEO SANTIAGO F.
Published: May 2016

The Yasuni Round-eared bat, Lophostoma yasuni, was described in 2004 by morphological analysis of the holotype, the only specimen attributed to this taxon to date. A molecular analysis using cytochrome-b sequences and a new morpholo-gical analysis that includes the holotype of L. yasuni and two specimens of L. carrikeri from near the type locality of L. yasuni were carried out. The new molecular and morphological evidence places L. yasuni within the clade of L. carrikeri. We propose that L. yasuni should therefore be considered as a synonym of L. carrikeri. An emended diagnosis for L. carrikeri extending ranges of craniodental measurements for this species is presented.
A new species of Idona DeLong (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae)
from Mexico, with an annotated list of species
Authors: PINEDO-ESCATEL J.A. , BLANCO-RODRÍGUEZ E.
Published: May 2016

A new dikraneurine leafhopper, Idona dmitrievi sp. nov., is described and illustrated from Mexico. An annotated checklist and a key for Mexican species are also provided.
Influence of Cloud Microphysics and Radiation on Tropical Cyclone Structure and Motion
Authors: Fovell Robert G. , Bu Yizhe Peggy , Corbosiero Kristen L. , Tung Wen-wen , Cao Yang , Kuo Hung-Chi , Hsu Li-huan , Su Hui
Published: May 2016

The authors survey a series of modeling studies that have examined the influences that cloud microphysical processes can have on tropical cyclone (TC) motion, the strength and breadth of the wind field, inner-core diabatic heating asymmetries, outer-core convective activity, and the characteristics of the TC anvil cloud. These characteristics are sensitive to the microphysical parameterization (MP) in large part owing to the cloud-radiative forcing (CRF), the interaction of hydrometeors with radiation. The most influential component of CRF is that due to absorption and emission of longwave radiation in the anvil, which via gentle lifting directly encourages the more extensive convective activity that then leads to a radial expansion of the TC wind field. On a curved Earth, the magnitude of the outer winds helps determine the speed and direction of TC motion via the beta drift. CRF also influences TC motion by determining how convective asymmetries develop in the TC inner core. Further improvements in TC forecasting may require improved understanding and representation of cloud-radiative processes in operational models, and more comprehensive comparisons with observations are clearly needed.
Multiscale Temporal Mean Features of Perturbation Kinetic Energy and Its Budget in the Tropics: Review and Computation
Authors: Chen Baode , Tung Wen-wen , Yanai Michio
Published: May 2016

The authors examined the maintenance mechanisms of perturbation kinetic energy (PKE) in the tropical regions for multiple time scales by computing and analyzing its budget equation. The emphasis has been placed on the mean features of synoptic and subseasonal variabilities using a 33-yr dataset. From analysis of the contributions from u-wind and υ-wind components, the PKE maximum in the Indian Ocean is attributed less to synoptic variability and more to intraseasonal variability in which the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) dominates; however, there is strong evidence of seasonal variability affiliated with the Asian monsoon systems. The ones in the eastern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are closely related to both intraseasonal and synoptic variability that result from the strong MJO and the relatively large amplitude of equatorial waves.

The maintenance of the PKE budget mainly depends on the structure of time mean horizontal flows, the location of convection, and the transport of PKE from the extratropics. In the regions with strong convective activities, such as the eastern Indian Ocean to the western Pacific, the production of PKE occurs between 700 and 200 hPa at the expense of perturbation available potential energy (PAPE), which is generated by convective heating. This gain in PKE is largely offset by divergence of the geopotential component of vertical energy flux; that is, it is redistributed to the upper- and lower-atmospheric layers by the pressure field. Strong PKE generation through the horizontal convergence of the extratropical energy flux takes place in the upper troposphere over the eastern Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, and is largely balanced by a PKE loss due to barotropic conversion, which is determined solely by the sign of longitudinal stretching deformation. However, over the Indian Ocean, there is a net PKE loss due to divergence of energy flux, which is compensated by PKE gain through the shear generation.
Dynamic Preconditioning of the Minimum September Sea-Ice Extent
Authors: Williams James , Tremblay Bruno , Newton Robert , Allard Richard
Published: May 2016

There has been an increased interest in seasonal forecasting of the Arctic sea ice extent in recent years, in particular the minimum sea ice extent. Here, a dynamical mechanism, based on winter preconditioning, is found to explain a significant fraction of the variance in the anomaly of the September sea ice extent from the long-term linear trend. To this end, a Lagrangian trajectory model is used to backtrack the September sea ice edge to any time during the previous winter and quantify the amount of sea ice advection away from the Eurasian and Alaskan coastlines as well as the Fram Strait sea ice export. The late-winter anomalous sea ice drift away from the coastline is highly correlated with the following September sea ice extent minimum . It is found that the winter mean Fram Strait sea ice export anomaly is also correlated with the minimum sea ice extent the following summer . To develop a hindcast model of the September sea ice extent—which does not depend on a priori knowledge of the minimum sea ice extent—a synthetic ice edge initialized at the beginning of the melt season (1 June) is backtracked. It is found that using a multivariate regression model of the September sea ice extent anomaly based on ice export from the peripheral Arctic seas and Fram Strait ice export as predictors reduces the error by 38%. A hindcast model based on the mean December–April Arctic Oscillation index alone reduces the error by 24%.
Scale-Dependent Representation of the Information Content of Observations in the Global Ensemble Kalman Filter Data Assimilation
Authors: Žagar Nedjeljka , Anderson Jeffrey , Collins Nancy , Hoar Timothy , Raeder Kevin , Lei Lili , Tribbia Joseph
Published: May 2016

Global data assimilation systems for numerical weather prediction (NWP) are characterized by significant uncertainties in tropical analysis fields. Furthermore, the largest spread of global ensemble forecasts in the short range on all scales is in the tropics. The presented results suggest that these properties hold even in the perfect-model framework and the ensemble Kalman filter data assimilation with a globally homogeneous network of wind and temperature profiles. The reasons for this are discussed by using the modal analysis, which provides information about the scale dependency of analysis and forecast uncertainties and information about the efficiency of data assimilation to reduce the prior uncertainties in the balanced and inertio-gravity dynamics.

The scale-dependent representation of variance reduction of the prior ensemble by the data assimilation shows that the peak efficiency of data assimilation is on the synoptic scales in the midlatitudes that are associated with quasigeostrophic dynamics. In contrast, the variance associated with the inertia–gravity modes is less successfully reduced on all scales. A smaller information content of observations on planetary scales with respect to the synoptic scales is discussed in relation to the large-scale tropical uncertainties that current data assimilation methodologies do not address successfully. In addition, it is shown that a smaller reduction of the large-scale uncertainties in the prior state for NWP in the tropics than in the midlatitudes is influenced by the applied radius for the covariance localization.
Forecaster Evaluations of High Temporal Satellite Imagery for the GOES-R Era at the NWS Operations Proving Ground
Authors: Gravelle Chad M. , Runk Kim J. , Crandall Katie L. , Snyder Derrick W.
Published: May 2016

Between February and April of 2015, the National Weather Service (NWS) Operations Proving Ground (OPG) facilitated an evaluation of the usefulness of 1-min satellite imagery for NWS operations in the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R (GOES-R) series era. The overarching goal of the evaluation was to provide quantitative and qualitative guidance to NWS management, including the regional NWS Scientific Services division chiefs, on how satellite imagery with a refresh rate of 1 min impacts NWS forecaster decision-making. During the simulations, forecasters evaluated 1- and 5-min satellite imagery while completing tasks ranging from aviation forecasting and wildfire decision support services to monitoring where convective initiation would occur and integrating the imagery into the convective warning decision-making process. Feedback was gathered to assess if the satellite imagery had influence on forecaster decision-making, if the satellite imagery provided them with more confidence in making those decisions, if forecasters could assimilate the data into operational practices, and if there were adverse impacts on forecaster workload. Forecasters overwhelmingly were of the opinion that 1-min satellite imagery improved their ability and increased their confidence to make effective forecast and warning decisions. The majority of participants expressed that they were able to internally assimilate the imagery with ease. However, feedback gathered when forecasters were asked how useful and easy the imagery was to use in convective warning operations was mixed. Some forecasters expressed difficulty integrating both satellite imagery and radar data while issuing convective warnings. Others felt that with ample training and experience the imagery would be invaluable in warning operations.
FVIII-binding IgG modulates FVIII half-life in patients with severe and moderate hemophilia A without inhibitors
Authors: Hofbauer Christoph J. , Kepa Sylvia , Schemper Michael , Quehenberger Peter , Reitter-Pfoertner Sylvia , Mannhalter Christine , Reipert Birgit M. , Pabinger Ingrid
Published: May 2016

Key Points

FVIII-specific IgG antibodies modulate FVIII half-life in patients with hemophilia A, independent of VWF antigen levels and age. Screening for FVIII-specific IgG may be beneficial in tailoring FVIII prophylactic regimens for hemophilia A patients.
Europe – from common market to political union
Authors: Simonis Heide
Published: May 2016

Abstracts

This article is about the evolution of Europe after the Second World War from a Union for coal and steel to a common market and a political union, the European Union with a common currency – the Euro. The ups and down of the process of economic and social integration are addressed, as well as the possible ways towards the future. This future could either mean a new treaty from above or a better founding from the bottom. The Nobel Peace Prize for the European Union is supposed to be a burden but also a stimulus for further political integration and sustainable development.

Dieser Artikel behandelt die Europas nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg von einer Gemeinschaft für Kohle und Stahl zu einem gemeinsamen Markt und einer politischen Union mit einer gemeinsamen Währung – dem Euro. Die Aufs und Abs der ökonomischen und sozialen Integration werden angesprochen, ebenso wie die möglichen Wege in die Zukunft. Die Zukunft könnte entweder einen neuen Vertrag von oben oder besser eine Grundlegung von unten bedeuten. Der Friedensnobelpreis für die Europäische Union mag sowohl eine Bürde aber auch eine Ermunterung für weitere politische Integration sowie nachhaltige Entwicklung sein.
Brazilian Society for Food and Nutrition position statement: gluten-free diet
Authors: Pantaleão Lucas Carminatti , Rogero Marcelo Macedo , Amancio Olga Maria Silverio
Published: May 2016

Position statement: The Brazilian Society for Food and Nutrition (SBAN) bases the following position statement on a critical analysis of the literature on the indications of a gluten-free (GF) diet. (1) There is insufficient evidence to assume that healthy individuals would experience any benefits from the consumption of a GF diet. (2) Recent studies suggest that gluten sensitivity may be confounded by sensitivity to low-fermentable, poorly absorbed, short-chain carbohydrates known as fermentable oligo-, di-, and mono-saccharides and polyols (FODMAPs). (3) Epidemiological data supports that even overweight celiac disease (CD) individuals fail to achieve weight loss under a GF diet. (4) Recent experimental data showed possible deleterious effects of GF feeding on the intestinal microbiota of healthy individuals. (5) GF diets can be healthy for the general population, as long as GF-processed foods are avoided, and the ingestion of other whole grains, and low-energy-density vegetables is assured. This position statement has been externally reviewed and approved by the board of the Brazilian Society for Food and Nutrition, and has not gone through the journal’s standard peer review process.
Prognostic Impact of the Combination of Recurrence Score and Quantitative Estrogen Receptor Expression (ESR1) on Predicting Late Distant Recurrence Risk in Estrogen Receptor–Positive Breast Cancer After 5 Years of Tamoxifen: Results From NRG Oncology/National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project B-28 and B-14
Authors: Wolmark Norman , Mamounas Eleftherios P. , Baehner Frederick L. , Butler Steven M. , Tang Gong , Jamshidian Farid , Sing Amy P. , Shak Steven , Paik Soonmyung
Published: May 2016

Purpose

We determined the utility of the 21-Gene Recurrence Score (RS) in predicting late (> 5 years) distant recurrence (LDR) in stage I and II breast cancer within high and low-ESR1–expressing groups.

Patients and Methods

RS was assessed in chemotherapy/tamoxifen-treated, estrogen receptor (ER) –positive, node-positive National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project B-28 patients and tamoxifen-treated, ER-positive, node-negative B-14 patients. The association of the RS with risk of distant recurrence (DR) 0 to 5 years and those at risk > 5 years was assessed. An ESR1 expression cut point was optimized in B-28 and tested in B-14.

Results

Median follow-up was 11.2 years for B-28 and 13.9 years for B-14. Of 1,065 B-28 patients, 36% had low (< 18), 34% intermediate (18 to 30), and 30% high (≥ 31) RS. Of 668 B-14 patients, 51% had low, 22% intermediate, and 27% high RS. Median ESR1 expression by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was: B-28, 9.7 normalized expression cycle threshold units (CT) and B-14, 10.7 CT. In B-28, RS was associated with DR 0 to 5 years (log-rank P < .001) and > 5 to 10 years (log-rank P = .02) regardless of ESR1 expression. An ESR1 expression cut point of 9.1 CT was identified in B-28. It was validated in B-14 patients for whom the RS was associated with DR in years 5 to 15: 6.8% (95% CI, 4.4% to 10.6%) versus 11.2% (95% CI, 6.2% to 19.9%) versus 16.4% (95% CI, 10.2% to 25.7%) for RS < 18, RS 18 to 30, and RS ≥ 31, respectively (log-rank P = .01).

Conclusion

For LDR, RS is strongly prognostic in patients with higher quantitative ESR1. Risk of LDR is relatively low for patients with low RS. These results suggest the value of extended tamoxifen therapy merits evaluation in patients with intermediate and high RS with higher ESR1 expression at initial diagnosis.
Corticosteroids Are Essential for Maintaining Cardiovascular Function in Male Mice
Authors: Cruz-Topete Diana , Myers Page H. , Foley Julie F. , Willis Monte S. , Cidlowski John A.
Published: May 2016

Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis results in the release of hormones from the adrenal glands, including glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids. The physiological association between corticosteroids and cardiac disease is becoming increasingly recognized; however, the mechanisms underlying this association are not well understood. To determine the biological effects of corticosteroids on the heart, we investigated the impact of adrenalectomy in C57BL/6 male mice. Animals were adrenalectomized (ADX) at 1 month of age and maintained for 3–6 months after surgery to evaluate the effects of long-term adrenalectomy on cardiac function. Morphological evaluation suggested that ADX mice showed significantly enlarged hearts compared with age-matched intact controls. These changes in morphology correlated with deficits in left ventricular (LV) function and electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities in ADX mice. Correlating with these functional defects, gene expression analysis of ADX hearts revealed aberrant expression of a large cohort of genes associated with cardiac hypertrophy and arrhythmia. Combined corticosterone and aldosterone replacement treatment prevented the emergence of cardiac abnormalities in ADX mice, whereas corticosterone replacement prevented the effects of adrenalectomy on LV function but did not block the emergence of ECG alterations. Aldosterone replacement did not preserve the LV function but prevented ECG abnormalities. Together, the data indicate that adrenal glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids either directly or indirectly have selective effects in the heart and their signaling pathways are essential in maintaining normal cardiac function.
Displaced Modernism: Shklovsky's Zoo, or Letters Not About Love and the Borders of Literature
Authors: Bulatova Asiya
Published: May 2016

From its first publication in 1923, Viktor Shklovsky's book Zoo, or Letters Not about Love has been discussed as a text that takes up a borderline position between literature and literary theory. The fact that the book was written and first published in Berlin ensured its place in studies of émigré literature concerned with geographic borders. In light of this twofold understanding of border as a boundary between genres and a category of literary cartographies, this article offers a rethinking of the notion of border in Shklovsky's early poetics. It suggests that the subject's geographic displacement (e.g., exile) provides a vantage point from which a reevaluation of established genres and discourses of textual production becomes possible. The experience of exile allows Shklovsky to challenge such categories as fiction (in literary and historical narratives) and nonfiction (both theory and autobiography). This becomes possible because in Zoo, or Letters Not about Love language is no longer presented as a medium of representation but rather as a means of re-creating the writer's unstable literary and ideological position in postrevolutionary Russia and abroad. During his exile, which disrupted his contribution to the development of “the science of literature” undertaken by the formalist clique in Moscow and Petrograd, Shklovsky used writing as a way of constructing the Soviet writer's experience of émigré life. To further investigate the link between language and exile, the article draws parallels between Shklovsky's writings on the subject and Jacques Derrida's theories of writing, which link the inherent instability of language to its essential foreignness.
Possible Worlds in the History of the Novel
Authors: Bormann Daniel Candel
Published: May 2016

The article analyzes the “fictional” worlds employed by literary historians with a tool grounded in possible worlds theory. The core of the tool's spatiotemporal framework is applied to four literary histories which cover the history of the novel from its beginnings to the twentieth century: Thomas Pavel's “The Novel in Search of Itself: A Historical Morphology,” Michael McKeon's Origins of the English Novel: 1600 – 1740, Elizabeth Deeds Ermarth's The English Novel in History: 1840 – 1895, and Franco Moretti's The Modern Epic: The World System from Goethe to García Márquez. The analysis confirms adherence to the tool's patterns in the four histories. Such adherence may help us understand ways academics and specifically historians think about literature and validate the spatiotemporal framework as an analytic tool. In the current “post-postmodern” context of history as both an engagement with literary forms and a search for truth, knowledge of the former advances a grasp of the latter.
On the Literariness of the Author Interview
Authors: Yanoshevsky Galia
Published: May 2016

This article explores the literary functions of the author interview in all types of media (printed or broadcast, single or collected interviews). It claims that the literariness of the interview resides in the conversational exchange that takes place during the interview, in the way the interlocutors handle the question and answer form typical of media interviews. Through struggle for the interview's control but also through cooperation, the interviewer and interviewee produce a physical, psychological, and intellectual portrait of the interviewee. Literariness is also manifest in the written account of the interview, where the interviewer gains control of the interview by imposing his or her style on the narrative up to the point where it becomes his or her own oeuvre. Finally, the literariness of the author interview is featured in large interview collections through the mapping of the literary field and literary history.
No Future or Still in Year One? Revisionist versus Lyricist Approaches to the French Revolution
Authors: Perovic Sanja
Published: May 2016

Since 1989 there have been competing accounts of the French Revolution. For self-styled revisionist historians such as François Furet, the revolutionary period that began in 1789 is over and should be analyzed historically. The philosopher Alain Badiou, in contrast, claims that historicization denies the very nature of the revolutionary event. By considering the French revolutionary calendar and the concept of time it expresses, this article argues that neither interpretation fully grasps the French Revolution's own temporality. I apply Andrew Abbott's distinction between lyrical and narrative modes to reformulate the Furet/Badiou dispute as a more general problem of understanding the performative function of revolutionary language and symbolic dates.
Beyond the Turn: Ernst Bloch and the Future of Speculative Materialism
Authors: Moir Cat
Published: May 2016

This article makes a case for the relevance of Ernst Bloch's philosophy to thinking through the political consequences of contemporary “speculative materialist” theory. Quentin Meillassoux's speculative materialism offers a vision of the world in which a future of justice may be materially possible, but there is little or nothing human beings can practically do to bring it about. Meanwhile, according to Bloch's understanding of the concept, human beings are capable of bringing about a better future for all through practical political struggle. Comparing these two thinkers, I argue that the future of speculative materialism, both in the sense of the future such a theory imagines and in that of the future of the theory itself as a politically viable materialism, must engage with the heritage of Bloch's thought.
Pleospdione, A Tricyclic Natural Product with Dense Oxygenation at the A-Ring: Total Synthesis and Incongruity of the Originally Assigned Structure and its C3-Epimer
Authors: Takikawa Hiroshi , Ishikawa Yui , Yoshinaga Yuki , Hashimoto Yoshimitsu , Kusumi Takenori , Suzuki Keisuke
Published: May 2016

Previously we developed a promising synthetic approach to complex polycyclic natural products, including aromatic polyketides derived from the type-II polyketide biosynthesis. The approach consists of three key steps; (1) cycloaddition or cyclocondensation of nitrile oxide for assembling the carbon skeleton having an isoxazole as a 1,3-diketone equivalent, (2) benzoin cyclization for stereoselective ring fusion with an angular hydroxy group, and (3) oxidation of isoxazolium salt for installing an additional angular hydroxy group in stereoselective manner. As a synthetic exercise to highlight the utility of this approach, the first total syntheses of the proposed structure of pleospdione (1) and its C3-epimer (3-epi-1) have been achieved. The synthesis has proved the efficiency of the strategy as an entry into polyketide-derived complex architectures. At the same time, it was revealed that neither 1 nor 3-epi-1 represent the true structure of the natural product by incongruity of the NMR spectra.
Ξένια Μαρίνου, Αναζητώντας Οδοφράγματα. Αστικός Τύπος και ελληνικές συμμετοχές στον γαλλοπρωσικό πόλεμο και την Παρισινή Κομμούνα, Αθήνα, Εκδό­ σεις ΚΨΜ, 2015
Authors: ΓΑΓΑΝΑΚΗΣ ΚΩΣΤΑΣ
Published: May 2016

Δεν παρατίθεται περίληψη στα ελληνικά.
Quality Monitoring of Delivery of Physical Services for the Different Student Body
Authors: ��������  , Kudinova Viktoriya
Published: May 2016

In this study, the physical exercises were considered from the standpoint of ensuring the quality of sports and sports services that require substantial

changes in the content of educational and training process. Of the greatest importance for students of secondary schools at physical training lessons

were indicators of interaction with teachers, for pupils of high-school and lyceum students � the characteristics of the performance and reliability of the

learning process. Students of secondary schools, who exercise in the sports sections, mark off the indicators of duration of training and self-study, and

lyceum students and pupils of high-school are more focused on the choice of training facilities and the duration of the training sessions. The requirements

of involved in Youth Sports School students primarily related to enhancing the effi ciency of the training process.

Comparison of generalized indices of quality of fi tness and sports services of the diff erent school enrolment showed marked features of competitiveness:

the older the students, the more requirements are placed on the quality of physical culture and sports services. The degree of satisfaction of physical culture

and sports services provided by secondary schools and further education institutions, were signifi cantly diff erent in levels of claims of students. This

discrepancy of indices indicated that teachers were trying to attract students to physical culture and sports mainly through coercion.
A Horizon Decomposition Approach for the Capacitated Lot-Sizing Problem with Setup Times
Authors: Fragkos Ioannis , Degraeve Zeger , De Reyck Bert
Published: May 2016

We introduce horizon decomposition in the context of Dantzig-Wolfe decomposition, and apply it to the capacitated lot-sizing problem with setup times. We partition the problem horizon in contiguous overlapping intervals and create subproblems identical to the original problem, but of smaller size. The user has the flexibility to regulate the size of the master problem and the subproblem via two scalar parameters. We investigate empirically which parameter configurations are efficient, and assess their robustness at different problem classes. Our branch-and-price algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art branch-and-cut solvers when tested to a new data set of challenging instances that we generated. Our methodology can be generalized to mathematical programs with a generic constraint structure.
Quadricuspid Aortic Valve Combined with Moderate Ascending Aortic Dilatation
Authors: Uspenskiy Vladimir , Osadchii Alexei , Gordeev Mikhail
Published: May 2016

The quadricuspid aortic valve is a very uncommon malformation associated with aortic insufficiency, aortic stenosis, endocarditis, and ascending aortic dilatation. We report four cases of this aortic valve malformation. One patient with severe aortic regurgitation and moderate aortic dilatation required aortic valve replacement. Three patients had mild or moderate aortic insufficiency combined with moderate ascending aortic dilatation. These patients were referred to follow-up. The presented cases demonstrate that this aortic valve malformation may not be as rare as it appears and that attention must be paid to any quadricuspid findings during computed tomographic angiography and echocardiography.
Principles for Management of Intraoperative Acute Type A Aortic Dissection
Authors: Gukop Philemon , Chandrasekaran Vankatachalam
Published: May 2016

Intraoperative Type A aortic dissection is a rare pathology with incidence of 0.06–0.32%. It is associated with a high mortality between 30–50%. Some associated risk factors, including hypertension, enlarged aorta, peripheral vascular disease, advanced age, atheroma, and high arterial pressure on cardiopulmonary bypass, have been identified. Modification of these risk factors could reduce the incidence of this event. Prompt diagnosis and management, with the aid of intraoperative trans-esophageal echocardiography and/or epi-aortic ultrasound has been shown to reduce the mortality to 17%. We illustrate the principles of management of this pathology with the case of a 62-year-old female who developed acute Type A aortic dissection while undergoing minimally invasive mitral valve repair.