bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
GI stem cells – new insights into roles in physiology and pathophysiology
Authors: Henning Susan J. , von Furstenberg Richard J.
Published: April 2016

This overview gives a brief historical summary of key discoveries regarding stem cells of the small intestine. The current concept is that there are two pools of intestinal stem cells (ISCs): an actively cycling pool that is marked by Lgr5, is relatively homogeneous and is responsible for daily turnover of the epithelium; and a slowly cycling or quiescent pool that functions as reserve ISCs. The latter pool appears to be quite heterogeneous and may include partially differentiated epithelial lineages that can reacquire stem cell characteristics following injury to the intestine. Markers and methods of isolation for active and quiescent ISC populations are described as well as the numerous important advances that have been made in approaches to the in vitro culture of ISCs and crypts. Factors regulating ISC biology are briefly summarized and both known and unknown aspects of the ISC niche are discussed. Although most of our current knowledge regarding ISC physiology and pathophysiology has come from studies with mice, recent work with human tissue highlights the potential translational applications arising from this field of research. Many of these topics are further elaborated in the following articles.
GABAB receptors enhance excitatory responses in isolated rat retinal ganglion cells
Authors: Garaycochea Jay , Slaughter Malcolm M.
Published: April 2016

Key points

GABA is an inhibitory transmitter but can sometimes produce paradoxical excitatory effects through synaptic networks.

We found a novel GABA‐mediated excitation within a single retinal cell. It involves a chain of events from receptor stimulation to the sequential modulation of two associated channels, resulting in enhanced neuroexcitability.

GABAB receptor activation selectively suppresses N‐type calcium channels.

The BK‐type potassium channels are exclusively linked to the N‐type calcium channel.

Thus, stimulation of GABAB receptors suppresses an outward current, increasing the excitatory range of single neurons.

GABAB receptors (GABABRs) suppress voltage‐gated calcium channels and activate G‐protein coupled potassium channels (GIRK and TREK channels), both mechanisms serving to inhibit neurons. In isolated rat retinal spiking neurons, GABABRs produce both actions but the net effect is to enhance excitatory signals. This is because GABABRs selectively suppress N‐type calcium channels, which in turn are specifically linked to BK channels. Consequently, when GABABRs are stimulated there is a reduction in outward current, allowing neurons to extend their level of depolarization. Whereas many retinal neurons use L‐type channels to stimulate vesicle fusion, the suppression of N‐type channels augments dynamic range without affecting transmitter release.
Flexible Riser Configuration Design for Extremely Shallow Water With Surrogate-Model-Based Optimization
Authors: Chen Jinlong , Yan Jun , Yang Zhixun , Yue Qianjin , Tang Minggang
Published: April 2016

The aim of this paper is to study the optimization design of a steep wave configuration based on a surrogate model for an extremely shallow water application of a flexible riser. As the traditional technique of riser configuration design is rather time-consuming and exhaustive due to the nonlinear time domain analysis and large quantities of load cases, it will be challenging when engineers address an extreme design, such as the configuration design in the case of extremely shallow water. To avoid expensive simulations, surrogate models are constructed in this paper with the Kriging model and radial basis function (RBF) networks by using the samples obtained by optimal Latin hypercubic sampling (LHS) and time domain analysis in a specified design space. The RBF model is found to be easier to construct and to show better accuracy compared with the Kriging model according to the numerical simulations in this work. On the basis of the RBF model, a hybrid optimization is performed to find the minimum curvature design with corresponding engineering constraints. In addition, an optimized design is found to meet all of the design criteria with high accuracy and efficiency, even though all of the samples associated with construction of the surrogate model fail to meet the curvature criterion. Thus, the technique developed in this paper provides a novel method for riser configuration design under extreme conditions.
Peptidomimetic Small Molecules Disrupt Type IV Secretion System Activity in Diverse Bacterial Pathogens
Authors: Shaffer Carrie L. , Good James A. D. , Kumar Santosh , Krishnan K. Syam , Gaddy Jennifer A. , Loh John T. , Chappell Joseph , Almqvist Fredrik , Cover Timothy L. , Hadjifrangiskou Maria
Published: April 2016

Bacteria utilize complex type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) to translocate diverse effector proteins or DNA into target cells. Despite the importance of T4SSs in bacterial pathogenesis, the mechanism by which these translocation machineries deliver cargo across the bacterial envelope remains poorly understood, and very few studies have investigated the use of synthetic molecules to disrupt T4SS-mediated transport. Here, we describe two synthetic small molecules (C10 and KSK85) that disrupt T4SS-dependent processes in multiple bacterial pathogens.
Helicobacter pylori
exploits a pilus appendage associated with the
cag
T4SS to inject an oncogenic effector protein (CagA) and peptidoglycan into gastric epithelial cells. In
H. pylori
, KSK85 impedes biogenesis of the pilus appendage associated with the
cag
T4SS, while C10 disrupts
cag
T4SS activity without perturbing pilus assembly. In addition to the effects in
H. pylori
, we demonstrate that these compounds disrupt interbacterial DNA transfer by conjugative T4SSs in
Escherichia coli
and impede
vir
T4SS-mediated DNA delivery by
Agrobacterium tumefaciens
in a plant model of infection. Of note, C10 effectively disarmed dissemination of a derepressed IncF plasmid into a recipient bacterial population, thus demonstrating the potential of these compounds in mitigating the spread of antibiotic resistance determinants driven by conjugation. To our knowledge, this study is the first report of synthetic small molecules that impair delivery of both effector protein and DNA cargos by diverse T4SSs.

IMPORTANCE
Many human and plant pathogens utilize complex nanomachines called type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) to transport proteins and DNA to target cells. In addition to delivery of harmful effector proteins into target cells, T4SSs can disseminate genetic determinants that confer antibiotic resistance among bacterial populations. In this study, we sought to identify compounds that disrupt T4SS-mediated processes. Using the human gastric pathogen
H. pylori
as a model system, we identified and characterized two small molecules that prevent transfer of an oncogenic effector protein to host cells. We discovered that these small molecules also prevented the spread of antibiotic resistance plasmids in
E. coli
populations and diminished the transfer of tumor-inducing DNA from the plant pathogen
A. tumefaciens
to target cells. Thus, these compounds are versatile molecular tools that can be used to study and disarm these important bacterial machines.
Biosynthesis of Conjugate Vaccines Using an O-Linked Glycosylation System
Authors: Pan Chao , Sun Peng , Liu Bo , Liang Haoyu , Peng Zhehui , Dong Yan , Wang Dongshu , Liu Xiankai , Wang Bin , Zeng Ming , Wu Jun , Zhu Li , Wang Hengliang
Published: April 2016

Conjugate vaccines are known to be one of the most effective and safest types of vaccines against bacterial pathogens. Previously, vaccine biosynthesis has been performed by using N-linked glycosylation systems. However, the structural specificity of these systems for sugar substrates has hindered their application. Here, we report a novel protein glycosylation system (O-linked glycosylation viaNeisseria meningitidis) that can transfer virtually any glycan to produce a conjugate vaccine. We successfully established this system inShigellaspp., avoiding the construction of an expression vector for polysaccharide synthesis. We further found that different protein substrates can be glycosylated using this system and that the O-linked glycosylation system can also effectively function in other Gram-negative bacteria, including some strains whose polysaccharide structure was not suitable for conjugation using the N-linked glycosylation system. The results from a series of animal experiments show that the conjugate vaccine produced by this O-linked glycosylation system offered a potentially protective antibody response. Furthermore, we elucidated and optimized the recognition motif, named MOOR, for theO-glycosyltransferase PglL. Finally, we demonstrated that the fusion of other peptides recognized by major histocompatibility complex class II around MOOR had no adverse effects on substrate glycosylation, suggesting that this optimized system will be useful for future vaccine development. Our results expand the glycoengineering toolbox and provide a simpler and more robust strategy for producing bioconjugate vaccines against a variety of pathogens.

IMPORTANCERecently, the rapid development of synthetic biology has allowed bioconjugate vaccines with N-linked protein glycosylation to become a reality. However, the difficulty of reestablishing the exogenous polysaccharide synthetic pathway inEscherichia colihinders their application. Here, we show that an O-linked protein glycosylation system fromNeisseria meningitidis, which has a lower structure specificity for sugar substrates, could be engineered directly in attenuated pathogens to produce effective conjugate vaccines. To facilitate the further design of next-generation bioconjugate vaccines, we optimized a novel short motif consisting of 8 amino acids that is sufficient for glycosylation. Our results expand the application potential of O-linked protein glycosylation and demonstrate a simpler and more robust strategy for producing bioconjugate vaccines against different pathogens. In the future, bacterial antigenic polysaccharides could be attached to major histocompatibility complex binding peptides to improve immunological memory or attached to protein subunit vaccine candidates to provide double immune stimulation.
Structures of Pathogenic Fungal FKBP12s Reveal Possible Self-Catalysis Function
Authors: Tonthat Nam K. , Juvvadi Praveen Rao , Zhang Hengshan , Lee Soo Chan , Venters Ron , Spicer Leonard , Steinbach William J. , Heitman Joseph , Schumacher Maria A.
Published: April 2016

Invasive fungal infections remain difficult to treat and require novel targeting strategies. The 12-kDa FK506-binding protein (FKBP12) is a ubiquitously expressed peptidyl-prolyl isomerase with considerable homology between fungal pathogens and is thus a prime candidate for future targeting efforts to generate a panfungal strategy. Despite decades of research on FKBPs, their substrates and mechanisms of action remain unclear. Here we describe structural, biochemical, andin vivoanalyses of FKBP12s from the pathogenic fungiCandida albicans,Candida glabrata, andAspergillus fumigatus. Strikingly, multiple apoA. fumigatusandC. albicansFKBP12 crystal structures revealed a symmetric, intermolecular interaction involving the deep insertion of an active-site loop proline into the active-site pocket of an adjacent subunit. Such interactions have not been observed in previous FKBP structures. This finding indicates the possibility that this is a self-substrate interaction unique to theA. fumigatusandC. albicansfungal proteins that contain this central proline. Structures obtained with the proline in thecisandtransstates provide more data in support of self-catalysis. Moreover, cysteine cross-linking experiments captured the interacting dimer, supporting the idea that it forms in solution. Finally, genetic studies exploring the impact of mutations altering the central proline and an adjacent residue provide evidence that any dimeric state formedin vivo, where FKBP12 concentrations are low, is transient. Taken together, these findings suggest a unique mechanism of self-substrate regulation by fungal FKBP12s, lending further novel understanding of this protein for future drug-targeting efforts.

IMPORTANCEFKBP12 is acis-transpeptidyl-prolyl isomerase that plays key roles in cellular protein homeostasis. FKBP12s also bind the immunosuppressive drug FK506 to inhibit the phosphatase calcineurin (CaN). CaN is required for virulence ofA. fumigatus,C. albicans,C. glabrata, and other deadly fungal pathogens, marking FKBP12 and CaN as potential broad-spectrum drug targets. Here we describe structures of fungal FKBP12s. Multiple apoA. fumigatusandC. albicansFKBP12 structures reveal the insertion of a proline, conspicuously conserved in these proteins, into the active sites of adjacent molecules. This suggests that these proteins might serve as their own substrates. Cysteine disulfide trapping experiments provide support for this self-interaction and hence possible intermolecular catalysis by these enzymes.
Effects of Ganglioside on Working Memory and the Default Mode Network in Individuals with Subjective Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Jeon Yujin , Kim Binna , Kim Jieun E. , Kim Bori R. , Ban Soonhyun , Jeong Jee Hyang , Kwon Oran , Rhie Sandy Jeong , Ahn Chang-Won , Kim Jong-Hoon , Jung Sung Ug , Park Soo-Hyun , Lyoo In Kyoon , Yoon Sujung
Published: April 2016

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial examined whether the administration of ganglioside, an active ingredient of deer bone extract, can improve working memory performance by increasing gray matter volume and functional connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) in individuals with subjective cognitive impairment. Seventy-five individuals with subjective cognitive impairment were chosen to receive either ganglioside (330[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/day or 660[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/day) or a placebo for 8 weeks. Changes in working memory performance with treatment of either ganglioside or placebo were assessed as cognitive outcome measures. Using voxel-based morphometry and functional connectivity analyses, changes in gray matter volume and functional connectivity in the DMN were also assessed as brain outcome measures. Improvement in working memory performance was greater in the ganglioside group than in the placebo group. The ganglioside group, relative to the placebo group, showed greater increases in gray matter volume and functional connectivity in the DMN. A significant relationship between increased functional connectivity of the precuneus and improved working memory performance was observed in the ganglioside group. The current findings suggest that ganglioside has cognitive-enhancing effects in individuals with subjective cognitive impairment. Ganglioside-induced increases in gray matter volume and functional connectivity in the DMN may partly be responsible for the potential nootropic effects of ganglioside. The clinical trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT02379481).
The Roles of 4β-Hydroxywithanolide E from Physalis peruviana on the Nrf2-Anti-Oxidant System and the Cell Cycle in Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Peng Chieh Yu , You Bang Jau , Lee Chia Lin , Wu Yang Chang , Lin Wen Hsin , Lu Te Ling , Chang Fei-Ching , Lee Hong Zin
Published: April 2016

4[Formula: see text]-Hydroxywithanolide E is an active component of the extract of Physalis peruviana that has been reported to exhibit antitumor effects. Although the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated protein (ATM)-dependent DNA damage signaling pathway in 4[Formula: see text]-hydroxywithanolide E-induced apoptosis of breast cancer MCF-7 cells was demonstrated in our previous study, the relationship between ROS production and the cellular defense system response in 4[Formula: see text]-hydroxywithanolide E-induced cell death requires further verification. The present study suggests that ROS play an important role in 4[Formula: see text]-hydroxywithanolide E-induced MCF-7 cell death in which anti-oxidants, such as glutathione or N-acetylcysteine, can resist the 4[Formula: see text]-hydroxywithanolide E-induced accumulation of ROS and cell death. Furthermore, N-acetylcysteine or glutathione can reverse the 4[Formula: see text]-hydroxywithanolide E-induced changes in the cell cycle distribution and the expression of cell cycle regulators. We found that the 4[Formula: see text]-hydroxywithanolide E-induced ROS accumulation was correlated with the upregulation of Nrf2 and Nrf2-downstream genes, such as antioxidative defense enzymes. In general, the activity of Nrf2 is regulated by the Ras signalling pathway. However, we demonstrated that Nrf2 was activated during 4[Formula: see text]-hydroxywithanolide E-induced MCF-7 cell death in spite of the 4[Formula: see text]-hydroxywithanolide E-induced inhibition of the Ras/Raf/ERK pathway. The activity and protein expression of superoxide dismutase and catalase were involved in the 4[Formula: see text]-hydroxywithanolide E-induced ROS production in MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, 4[Formula: see text]-hydroxywithanolide E was demonstrated to significantly reduce the sizes of the tumor nodules in the human breast cancer MDA-MB231 xenograft tumor model.
IL-4Gene Polymorphism May Contribute to an Increased Risk of Atopic Dermatitis in Children
Authors: Shang Hong , Cao Xiu-Li , Wan Yu-Jie , Meng Jin , Guo Lu-Hong
Published: April 2016

This study aimed to elucidate the associations betweeninterleukin-4(IL-4) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 590C/T and 589C/T, serum IL-4 levels, and atopic dermatitis (AD) in children.Methods. A total of 82 children with AD were randomly selected as the case group and divided into mild group (15 cases), moderate group (46 cases), and severe group (21 cases). Additionally, 100 healthy children were selected as the control group. Genotype frequencies of IL-4 SNPs were detected by PCR-RFLP. Serum IL-4 levels were measured by ELISA.Results. Significant differences were shown in genotype distributions and allele frequencies of 589C/T and allele frequencies of 590C/T (allP<0.05). Serum IL-4 levels in the mild, moderate, and severe groups were significantly higher than those in the control group; significant differences were found among these three groups with increased severity of AD. Serum IL-4 levels of heterozygote and mutant homozygote carriers in the mild, moderate, and severe groups were higher than wild homozygote carriers in those three groups and the control group (allP<0.05).Conclusion. 590T and 589T alleles ofIL-4gene may be associated with high levels of serum IL-4, which may increase the risk of AD in children.
Late-Onset Mania in a Patient with Movement Disorder and Basal Ganglia Calcifications: A Challenge for Diagnosis and Treatment
Authors: Roiter Beatrice , Pigato Giorgio , Perugi Giulio
Published: April 2016

Age of onset can have a significant impact on clinical course and pathophysiological mechanism of bipolar disorder. Late-onset bipolar episodes are more likely linked to medical illnesses and so are frequently classified as “secondary” forms of mood disorder. We discuss the case of a patient who at the age of 58 presented his first delusional-manic episode. He also had mild frontal and occipital cortical atrophy, white matter posterior ischemic lesions, and small basal ganglia calcifications. Seven years later, he presented a second manic episode with new emergent hyperkinetic choreiform symptoms. Taking into account movement disturbances, the presence of basal ganglia calcification, and worsening of cortical atrophy, we performed a differential diagnosis between Fahr disease, Fahr’s syndrome, calcifications due to ageing, supersensitivity psychosis, and dementia. Valproate, quetiapine, and tetrabenazine were sequentially administered and yielded a good therapeutic response as regards manic and movement symptoms. Relationship between medications and course of specific symptoms was observed.
Cross-Calibration of GE Healthcare Lunar Prodigy and iDXA Dual-Energy X-Ray Densitometers for Bone Mineral Measurements
Authors: Saarelainen J. , Hakulinen M. , Rikkonen T. , Kröger H. , Tuppurainen M. , Koivumaa-Honkanen H. , Honkanen R. , Hujo M. , Jurvelin J. S.
Published: April 2016

In long-term prospective studies, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) devices need to be inevitably changed. It is essential to assess whether systematic differences will exist between measurements with the new and old device. A group of female volunteers (21–72 years) underwent anteroposterior lumbar spine L2–L4 (n=72), proximal femur (n=72), and total body (n=62) measurements with the Prodigy and the iDXA scanners at the same visit. The bone mineral density (BMD) measurements with these two scanners showed a high linear association at all tested sites (r=0.962–0.995;p<0.0001). The average iDXA BMD values were 1.5%, 0.5%, and 0.9% higher than those of Prodigy for lumbar spine (L2–L4) (p<0.0001), femoral neck (p=0.048), and total hip (p<0.0001), respectively. Total body BMD values measured with the iDXA were −1.3% lower (p<0.0001) than those measured with the Prodigy. For total body, lumbar spine, and femoral neck, the BMD differences as measured with these two devices were independent of subject height and weight. Linear correction equations were developed to ensure comparability of BMD measurements obtained with both DXA scanners. Importantly, use of equations from previous studies would have increased the discrepancy between these particular DXA scanners, especially at hip and at spine.
Predicting Subcellular Localization of Apoptosis Proteins Combining GO Features of Homologous Proteins and Distance Weighted KNN Classifier
Authors: Wang Xiao , Li Hui , Zhang Qiuwen , Wang Rong
Published: April 2016

Apoptosis proteins play a key role in maintaining the stability of organism; the functions of apoptosis proteins are related to their subcellular locations which are used to understand the mechanism of programmed cell death. In this paper, we utilize GO annotation information of apoptosis proteins and their homologous proteins retrieved from GOA database to formulate feature vectors and then combine the distance weighted KNN classification algorithm with them to solve the data imbalance problem existing in CL317 data set to predict subcellular locations of apoptosis proteins. It is found that the number of homologous proteins can affect the overall prediction accuracy. Under the optimal number of homologous proteins, the overall prediction accuracy of our method on CL317 data set reaches 96.8% by Jackknife test. Compared with other existing methods, it shows that our proposed method is very effective and better than others for predicting subcellular localization of apoptosis proteins.
Gold Nanoplates as Cancer-Targeted Photothermal Actuators for Drug Delivery and Triggered Release
Authors: Brann Tyler , Patel Dhruvinkumar , Chauhan Rajat , James Kurtis T. , Bates Paula J. , Malik Mohammad Tariq , Keynton Robert S. , O’Toole Martin G.
Published: April 2016

The selective exposure of cancerous tissue to systemically delivered chemotherapeutic agents remains a major challenge facing cancer therapy. To address this question, a near infrared responsive oligonucleotide-coated (AS1411, hairpin, or both) gold nanoplate loaded with doxorubicin is demonstrated to be nontoxic to cells without triggered release, while being acutely toxic to cells after 5 minutes of laser exposure to trigger DOX release. Conjugation of oligonucleotides to the nanoplates is confirmed by an average increase in hydrodynamic diameter of 30.6 nm, an average blue shift of the plasmon resonance peak by 36 nm, and an average −10 mV shift in zeta potential of the particles. DOX loading through intercalation into the hairpin DNA structure is confirmed through fluorescence measurements. For both GNP-Hairpin and GNP-Hairpin-AS1411, ~60% of loaded DOX is released after the first 5 minutes of laser exposure (λ=817 nm), with complete release after two more 5-minute exposures. Preliminary proof of concept is demonstrated in vitro using A549 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines as models for breast and lung cancer, respectively. Exposure of cells to untriggered DOX-loaded conjugate with no laser exposure results in little to no toxicity, while laser-triggered release of DOX causes significant cell death.
Paragonimus kellicotti: A Lung Infection in Our Own Backyard
Authors: Johannesen Eric , Nguyen Van
Published: April 2016

Paragonimiasis is an infection caused by the lung fluke of the genusParagonimus. Within the United States, paragonimiasis has been commonly diagnosed in Southeast Asian immigrants infected with the Asian lung flukeParagonimus westermani. Infections from the North American lung fluke,Paragonimus kellicotti, have been rare, although more infections have been seen in people in the Midwestern United States. A 29-year-old male with a history of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma presented with hemoptysis. A CT scan showed a mass in the left upper lung lobe. A biopsy showed eosinophils and parasite eggs, some with a recognizable operculum. Further investigation revealed that he takes canoe trips on rivers within Missouri and would eat crayfish caught from these rivers. A blood sample was confirmed positive for Paragonimiasis serologically at the Center for Disease Control.Paragonimus kellicottiis found in rivers within the Mississippi basin. Infection occurs by consuming uncooked or undercooked crawfish. Microscopic identification of parasite eggs has been the gold standard. Serologic tests have been developed to aid in the diagnosis. Patients typically present with fever and hemoptysis. Common CT findings include pleural effusion, a mass, and lymphadenopathy. Awareness ofP. kellicottiis important to guide appropriate diagnostic testing and ensuring proper treatment.
A Novel Homogenous Hybridization Scheme for Performance Improvement of Support Vector Machines Regression in Reservoir Characterization
Authors: Akande Kabiru O. , Owolabi Taoreed O. , Olatunji Sunday O. , Abdulraheem AbdulAzeez
Published: April 2016

Hybrid computational intelligence is defined as a combination of multiple intelligent algorithms such that the resulting model has superior performance to the individual algorithms. Therefore, the importance of fusing two or more intelligent algorithms to achieve better performance cannot be overemphasized. In this work, a novel homogenous hybridization scheme is proposed for the improvement of the generalization and predictive ability of support vector machines regression (SVR). The proposed and developed hybrid SVR (HSVR) works by considering the initial SVR prediction as a feature extraction process and then employs the SVR output, which is the extracted feature, as its sole descriptor. The developed hybrid model is applied to the prediction of reservoir permeability and the predicted permeability is compared to core permeability which is regarded as standard in petroleum industry. The results show that the proposed hybrid scheme (HSVR) performed better than the existing SVR in both generalization and prediction ability. The outcome of this research will assist petroleum engineers to effectively predict permeability of carbonate reservoirs with higher degree of accuracy and will invariably lead to better reservoir. Furthermore, the encouraging performance of this hybrid will serve as impetus for further exploring homogenous hybrid system.
Increased Mortality in Diabetic Foot Ulcer Patients: The Significance of Ulcer Type
Authors: Chammas N. K. , Hill R. L. R. , Edmonds M. E.
Published: April 2016

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) patients have a greater than twofold increase in mortality compared with nonulcerated diabetic patients. We investigated (a) cause of death in DFU patients, (b) age at death, and (c) relationship between cause of death and ulcer type. This was an eleven-year retrospective study on DFU patients who attended King’s College Hospital Foot Clinic and subsequently died. A control group of nonulcerated diabetic patients was matched for age and type of diabetes mellitus. The cause of death was identified from death certificates (DC) and postmortem (PM) examinations. There were 243 DFU patient deaths during this period. Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) was the major cause of death in 62.5% on PM compared to 45.7% on DC. Mean age at death from IHD on PM was 5 years lower in DFU patients compared to controls (68.2 ± 8.7 years versus 73.1 ± 8.0 years,P=0.015). IHD as a cause of death at PM was significantly linked to neuropathic foot ulcers (OR 3.064, 95% CI 1.003–9.366, andP=0.049).Conclusions.IHD is the major cause of premature mortality in DFU patients with the neuropathic foot ulcer patients being at a greater risk.
Sporadic Burkitt Lymphoma Presenting as Acute Pancreatitis, Concurrent Sinusitis, and Enlarged Adenoids
Authors: Mahajan Vasudha , Qian You-Wen , Blake Brooke , Rojas-Khalil Yesenia , Radhakrishnan Ravi S. , Muthukumar Akila
Published: April 2016

Pancreatitis and sinusitis as presentations of Burkitt lymphoma are uncommon and rarely described in children. We describe here the case of a child who presented with symptoms suggestive of sinusitis unresponsive to antibiotics, with subsequent development of abdominal symptoms due to pancreatitis. He was eventually diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma.
Intravenous Mistletoe Treatment in Integrative Cancer Care: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Procedures, Concepts, and Observations of Expert Doctors
Authors: Kienle Gunver S. , Mussler Milena , Fuchs Dieter , Kiene Helmut
Published: April 2016

Background. Mistletoe therapy (MT) is widely used in patient‐centered integrative cancer care. The objective of this study was to explore the concepts, procedures, and observations of expert doctors, with a focus on intravenous MT. Method. A qualitative interview study was conducted with 35 highly experienced doctors specialized in integrative and anthroposophic medicine. Structured qualitative content analysis was applied. For triangulation, the results were compared with external evidence that was systematically collected, reviewed, and presented. Results. Doctors perform individualized patient assessments that lead to multimodal treatment approaches. The underlying goal is to help patients to live with and overcome disease. Mistletoe infusions are a means of accomplishing this goal. They are applied to stabilize disease, achieve responsiveness, induce fever, improve quality of life, and improve the tolerability of conventional cancer treatments. The doctors reported long‐term disease stability and improvements in patients’ general condition, vitality, strength, thermal comfort, appetite, sleep, pain from bone metastases, dyspnea in pulmonary lymphangitis carcinomatosa, fatigue, and cachexia; chemotherapy was better tolerated. Also patients’ emotional and mental condition was reported to have improved. Conclusion. Individualized integrative cancer treatment including MT aims to help cancer patients to live well with their disease. Further research should investigate the reported observations.
What Is the Best Pulmonary Physiotherapy Method in ICU?
Authors: Kuyrukluyildiz Ufuk , Binici Orhan , Kupeli İlke , Erturk Nurel , Gulhan Barış , Akyol Fethi , Ozcicek Adalet , Onk Didem , Karabakan Guldane
Published: April 2016

Objective. Effects of high frequency chest wall oscillation technique were investigated on intubated ICU patients.Background. Thirty intubated patients were included in the study. The control group (n=15) received routine pulmonary rehabilitation technique. In addition to the pulmonary rehabilitation technique, the study group (n=15) was given high frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO). APACHE II, dry sputum weight, lung collapse index, and blood gas values were measured at 24th, 48th, and 72nd hours and endotracheal aspirate culture was studied at initial and 72nd hour. The days of ventilation and days in ICU were evaluated.Results. There is no significant difference between APACHE II scores of groups. The dry sputum weights increased in the study group at 72nd hour (p=0.001). The lung collapse index decreased in study group at 48th (p=0.003) and 72nd hours (p<0.001). The PO2levels increased in the study group at 72nd hour (p=0.015). The culture positivity at 72nd hour was decreased to 20%. The days of ventilation and staying in ICU did not differ between the groups.Conclusions. Although HFCWO is very expensive equipment, combined technique may prevent the development of lung atelectasis or hospital-acquired pneumonia more than routine pulmonary rehabilitation. It does not change intubated period and length of stay in ICU. However, more further controlled clinical studies are needed to use it in ICU.
Improved Association and Disassociation Scheme for Enhanced WLAN Handover and VHO
Authors: Shin Sungjin , Han Donghyuk , Cho Hyoungjun , Chung Jong-Moon
Published: April 2016

The number of mobile devices and wireless connections is significantly increasing. Among many wireless protocol types, wireless local area networks (WLANs) are expected to support a significant number of devices. Due to this reason, effective and efficient handover (HO) and vertical handover (VHO) support for WLAN mobile devices is important. A significant improvement in quality of service (QoS) can be obtained by reducing the association and disassociation interruption time for user equipment (UE) servicing real-time applications during WLAN HO and VHO operations. Based on this focus, this paper investigates the problem of using only the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) in HO and VHO decisions, which is what the current IEEE 802.11 based WLAN systems use. Experimental results presented in this paper demonstrate that only using the RSSI results in significant interruption time during HO to another WLAN access point (AP) or to a cellular base station during VHO. Therefore, in this paper, an improved association and disassociation scheme that can reduce the data interruption time (DIT) and improve the throughput performance is proposed.
Unexpected Radiologic Findings for a Casting Type of Radiolucent Colorectal Foreign Body Composed of Polyurethane Foam
Authors: Sanjo Emi , Tamamoto Fumihiko , Ogawa Shoichi , Sano Maiko , Yoshimura Tetsunori , Nozaki Miwako
Published: April 2016

Radiologic diagnosis of colorectal foreign bodies is usually not very difficult, because inserted materials are often clearly visible on plain abdominal radiographs. However, when they are radiolucent, a plain abdominal radiograph has been reported to be useless. As radiolucent colorectal foreign bodies appear as radiolucent artificial contours or air-trapped materials in the pelvis, almost always the diagnosis itself can be made by careful evaluation of plain abdominal radiographs. We encountered a case of casting type of radiolucent colorectal foreign body formed from polyurethane foam. It presented us with unexpected radiologic findings and led to diagnostic difficulties.
Morphological and Optical Characterization of High Density Au/PAA Nanoarrays
Authors: Shaban Mohamed
Published: April 2016

Hexagonal nanoarrays of Au nanorods and nanopillar were deposited on nanoporous anodic alumina (PAA) membranes utilizing dc electrodeposition. The surface morphologies and optical properties were characterized by using field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and UV-Vis spectrophotometer, respectively. The optical reflectance spectra of the as-prepared, pore widened, and 2D-Au nanorods-coated PAA membranes were studied in detail. The effects of the angle of incident, pore widening time, and electrodeposition time on the characteristic peaks positions and intensities of the fabricated nanoarrays were addressed. As the angle of incident increased, the interference peaks and transverse surface resonance are shifted to longer wavelengths, but the longitudinal surface plasmon resonance is shifted to shorter wavelengths. Also, the reflected intensities are decreased linearly for the as-prepared sample and decreased exponentially for Au/PAA samples. Using the modified Kubelka-Munk radiative transfer model, the energy gap is increased from 2.83 to 3.06 eV and the refractive index is decreased from 1.84 to 1.36 for the as-prepared and 70 min pore widened PAA membranes, respectively. Based on the advantages of the fabrication approach and the enhanced and controlled properties, this generation of Au/PAA arrays can be used as efficient building blocks for nanoelectronics and nanophotonic devices.
Implementation of the WSM5 and WSM6 Single Moment Microphysics Scheme into the RAMS Model: Verification for the HyMeX-SOP1
Authors: Federico Stefano
Published: April 2016

This paper shows the results of the implementation of two widely used bulk microphysics parameterizations (BMP) into the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System to improve the Quantitative Precipitation Forecast (QPF). The schemes are the WSM5 and WSM6 (WRF-single-moment-microphysics classes 5 and 6). The RAMS is run at high horizontal resolution (4 km) over the whole Italian territory and, to mimic the operational context, it is initialized by the analysis/forecast cycle issued at 12 UTC by the European Centre for Medium Weather Range Forecast (ECMWF). The performance of the BMP is analysed for the period of September 11 to October 31, 2012, which span most of the Special Observing Period 1 (SOP1) of the hydrological cycle in the Mediterranean experiment (HyMeX). For this period a database of daily precipitation of thousands of rain gauges over the Italian territory is available. In SOP1 few hazardous events occurred over Italy and, for one of them, the model performance is shown in detail. The potential improvement gained by combining the model outputs with different BMP in a single forecast is finally explored.
WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative: Impact of Type of Clothing Worn during Anthropometric Measurements and Timing of the Survey on Weight and Body Mass Index Outcome Measures in 6–9-Year-Old Children
Authors: Wijnhoven Trudy M. A. , van Raaij Joop M. A. , Spinelli Angela , Yngve Agneta , Lissner Lauren , Spiroski Igor , Farrugia Sant'Angelo Victoria , Pérez-Farinós Napoleón , Martos Éva , Heinen Mirjam , Kunešová Marie , Rito Ana I. , Hovengen Ragnhild , Starc Gregor , Duleva Vesselka , Pudule Iveta , Petrauskiene Ausra , Braeckevelt Lien , Hassapidou Maria , Breda João , van 't Veer Pieter
Published: April 2016

Background. The World Health Organization European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) conducted examinations in 6–9-year-old children from 16 countries in the first two rounds of data collection. Allowing participating countries to adhere to their local legal requirements or adapt to other circumstances required developing a flexible protocol for anthropometric procedures. Objectives. (1) Review intercountry variation in types of clothing worn by children during weight and height measurements, clothes weight adjustments applied, timing of the survey, and duration of data collection; (2) assess the impact of the observed variation in these practices on the children’s weight or body mass index (BMI) outcome measures. Results. The relative difference between countries’ unadjusted and clothes-adjusted prevalence estimates for overweight was 0.3–11.5%; this figure was 1.4–33.3% for BMI-for-age Z-score values. Monthly fluctuations in mean BMI-for-age Z-score values did not show a systematic seasonal effect. The majority of the monthly BMI-for-age Z-score values did not differ statistically within a country; only 1–3 monthly values were statistically different within some countries. Conclusions. The findings of the present study suggest that the built-in flexibility in the COSI protocol concerning the data collection practices addressed in the paper can be kept and thus do not necessitate a revision of the COSI protocol.
Incidence and Factors Predicting Skin Burns at the Site of Indifferent Electrode during Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation of Cardiac Arrhythmias
Authors: Ibrahim Hussain , Finta Bohuslav , Rind Jubran
Published: April 2016

Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) has become a mainstay for treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. Skin burns at the site of an indifferent electrode patch have been a rare, serious, and likely an underreported complication of RFA. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of skin burns in cardiac RFA procedures performed at one institution. Also, we wanted to determine the factors predicting skin burns after cardiac RFA procedures at the indifferent electrode skin pad site.Methods.A retrospective case control study was performed to compare the characteristics in patients who developed skin burns in a 2-year period.Results.Incidence of significant skin burns after RFA was 0.28% (6/2167). Four of the six patients were female and all were Caucasians. Four controls for every case were age and sex matched. Burn patients had significantly higher BMI, procedure time, and postprocedure pain, relative to control subjects (p< 0.05, one-tailed testing). No one in either group had evidence of dispersive pad malattachment.Conclusions.Our results indicate that burn patients had higher BMI and longer procedure times compared to control subjects. These findings warrant further larger studies on this topic.
Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(urethane-ether azomethine) Fatty Amide Based Corrosion Resistant Coatings fromPongamia glabraOil: An Eco-Friendly Approach
Authors: Alam Manawwer , Alandis Naser M. , Ahmad Naushad , Naushad Mu
Published: April 2016

A novel attempt has been made to incorporate azomethine group in the backbone of polyurethane etherPongamiaoil fatty amide. The overall reaction was carried out in different steps like preparation of N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)Pongamia glabraoil fatty amide, poly(ether fatty amide), and poly(urethane-ether) fatty amide. The hydroxyl terminated Schiff base, ethane 1,2-di(azomethine) bisphenol, reacts with fatty amide diol and is further treated with toluylene 2,4-diisocynate (TDI) to form poly(urethane-ether azomethine) fatty amide (PUEAF). These synthesized resins were characterized by FT IR,1H NMR, and13C NMR spectroscopic techniques. Molecular weight of PUEAF resin was measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), coating was made on mild steel strips, and evaluating their physicochemical and physicomechanical analysis was carried out by standard methods. The PUEAF25 coating showed highest scratch hardness (2.5 kg), gloss (90) at 45°, pencil hardness (4H), and impact resistance (150 lb/inch). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)/thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to determine the topography and thermal behavior of PUEAF. Corrosion studies of PUEAF coated mild steel were used in different corrosive media (3.5 wt% HCl, 5 wt% NaCl, and tap water) at room temperature using potentiodynamic polarization technique. The results of this study showed that PUEAF coatings exhibit good physicomechanical, anticorrosive properties and get application up to 180°C.
Flavonoids Extraction from Propolis Attenuates Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy through PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway
Authors: Sun Guang-wei , Qiu Zhi-dong , Wang Wei-nan , Sui Xin , Sui Dian-jun
Published: April 2016

Propolis, a traditional medicine, has been widely used for a thousand years as an anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant drug. The flavonoid fraction is the main active component of propolis, which possesses a wide range of biological activities, including activities related to heart disease. However, the role of the flavonoids extraction from propolis (FP) in heart disease remains unknown. This study shows that FP could attenuate ISO‐induced pathological cardiac hypertrophy (PCH) and heart failure in mice. The effect of the two fetal cardiac genes, atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and β‐myosin heavy chain (β‐MHC), on PCH was reversed by FP. Echocardiography analysis revealed cardiac ventricular dilation and contractile dysfunction in ISO‐treated mice. This finding is consistent with the increased heart weight and cardiac ANF protein levels, massive replacement fibrosis, and myocardial apoptosis. However, pretreatment of mice with FP could attenuate cardiac dysfunction and hypertrophy in vivo. Furthermore, the cardiac protection of FP was suppressed by the pan‐PI3K inhibitor wortmannin. FP is a novel cardioprotective agent that can attenuate adverse cardiac dysfunction, hypertrophy, and associated disorder, such as fibrosis. The effects may be closely correlated with PI3K/AKT signaling. FP may be clinically used to inhibit PCH progression and heart failure.
Novel Point-to-Point Scan Matching Algorithm Based on Cross-Correlation
Authors: Konecny Jaromir , Prauzek Michal , Kromer Pavel , Musilek Petr
Published: April 2016

The localization of mobile robots in outdoor and indoor environments is a complex issue. Many sophisticated approaches, based on various types of sensory inputs and different computational concepts, are used to accomplish this task. However, many of the most efficient methods for mobile robot localization suffer from high computational costs and/or the need for high resolution sensory inputs. Scan cross-correlation is a traditional approach that can be, in special cases, used to match temporally aligned scans of robot environment. This work proposes a set of novel modifications to the cross-correlation method that extend its capability beyond these special cases to general scan matching and mitigate its computational costs so that it is usable in practical settings. The properties and validity of the proposed approach are in this study illustrated on a number of computational experiments.
Three-Dimensional Short-Term Prediction Model of Dissolved Oxygen Content Based on PSO-BPANN Algorithm Coupled with Kriging Interpolation
Authors: Chen Yingyi , Xu Jing , Yu Huihui , Zhen Zhumi , Li Daoliang
Published: April 2016

Dissolved oxygen (DO) content is a significant aspect of water quality in aquaculture. Prediction of dissolved oxygen may timely avoid the financial loss caused by inappropriate dissolved oxygen content and three-dimensional prediction can achieve more accurate and overall guidance. Therefore, this study presents a three-dimensional short-term prediction model of dissolved oxygen in crab aquaculture ponds based on back propagation artificial neural network (BPANN) optimized by particle swarm optimization (PSO), which coupled with Kriging method. In this model, wavelet analysis is adopted for denoising, BPANN optimized by PSO is utilized for data analysis and one-dimensional prediction, and Kriging method is used for three-dimensional prediction. Compared with traditional one-dimensional prediction model, three-dimensional model has more real reaction of dissolved oxygen content in crab growth environment. In particular, the merits of PSO are evaluated against genetic algorithm (GA). The root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) for PSO model are 0.136445, 0.90534, and 0.15384, respectively, while for the GA model the values are 2.04184, 1.18316, and 0.21014, respectively. Furthermore, results of cross validation experiment show that the average error of this model is 0.0705 (mg/L). Consequently, this study suggests that the prediction model operates in a satisfactory manner.