bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impedance Spectroscopic Investigation of the Degraded Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell due to Ageing
Authors: Bhatt Parth , Pandey Kavita , Yadav Pankaj , Tripathi Brijesh , Kumar Manoj
Published: December 2016

This paper investigates the effect of ageing on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The electrical characterization of fresh and degraded DSCs is done under AM1.5G spectrum and the current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics are analyzed. Short circuit current density (JSC) decreases significantly whereas a noticeable increase in open circuit voltage is observed. These results have been further investigated electroanalytically using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). An increase in net resistance results in a lowerJSCfor the degraded DSC. This decrease in current is mainly due to degradation of TiO2-dye interface, which is observed from light and darkJ-Vcharacteristics and is further confirmed by EIS measurements. A reduction in the chemical capacitance of the degraded DSC is observed, which is responsible for the shifting of Fermi level with respect to conduction band edge that further results in an increase of open circuit voltage for the degraded DSC. It is also confirmed from EIS that the degradation leads to a better contact formation between the electrolyte and Pt electrode, which improves the fill factor of the DSC. But the recombination throughout the DSC is found to increase along with degradation. This study suggests that the DSC should be used under low illumination conditions and around room temperature for a longer life.
High-Order Analytic Expansion of Disturbing Function for Doubly Averaged Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem
Authors: Ito Takashi
Published: December 2016

Terms in the analytic expansion of the doubly averaged disturbing function for the circular restricted three-body problem using the Legendre polynomial are explicitly calculated up to the fourteenth order of semimajor axis ratio (α) between perturbed and perturbing bodies in the inner case (α<1), and up to the fifteenth order in the outer case (α>1). The expansion outcome is compared with results from numerical quadrature on an equipotential surface. Comparison with direct numerical integration of equations of motion is also presented. Overall, the high-order analytic expansion of the doubly averaged disturbing function yields a result that agrees well with the numerical quadrature and with the numerical integration. Local extremums of the doubly averaged disturbing function are quantitatively reproduced by the high-order analytic expansion even when α is large. Although the analytic expansion is not applicable in some circumstances such as when orbits of perturbed and perturbing bodies cross or when strong mean motion resonance is at work, our expansion result will be useful for analytically understanding the long-term dynamical behavior of perturbed bodies in circular restricted three-body systems.
Interleukin-6-174G/C Polymorphism Contributes to Periodontitis Susceptibility: An Updated Meta-Analysis of 21 Case-Control Studies
Authors: Zhu Junfei , Guo Bin , Fu Min , Guo Wushuang , Yuan Yifang , Yuan He , Zhang Suhan , Yu Haiyang
Published: December 2016

Introduction. Chronic Periodontitis (CP) is suggested to be related to gene variations. Present study aims to quantitatively estimate the association between interleukin-6- (IL-6-) 174G/C polymorphism and CP susceptibility.Materials and Methods. Pubmed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched up to May 2016. The meta-analyses were performed using STATA 12.0.Results. 21 studies were yielded. Significant associations were found under heterozygote comparison and dominant model in studies fulfilling HWE (GC versus GG: OR = 0.690, 95% CI = 0.560–0.849,P=0.000; CC + GC versus GG: OR = 0.690, 95% CI = 0.568–0.838,P<0.001); significant associations were found under heterozygote comparison and dominant model in Caucasian studies fulfilling HWE (GC versus GG: OR = 0.752, 95% CI = 0.577–0.980,P=0.035; CC + GC versus GG: OR = 0.737, 95% CI = 0.576–0.944,P=0.016); significant associations were found under allele comparison, heterozygote comparison, and dominant model in Brazilian population (C versus G: OR = 0.648, 95% CI = 0.497–0.845,P=0.001; GC versus GG: OR = 0.621, 95% CI = 0.441–0.876,P=0.007; CC + GC versus GG: OR = 0.649, 95% CI = 0.470–0.896,P=0.009).Conclusion. IL-6 174 polymorphism is associated with CP susceptibility. In Brazilian and Caucasian population, IL-6 174 GG genotype plays as a risk factor to CP.
IL4 from T Follicular Helper Cells Downregulates Antitumor Immunity
Authors: Shirota Hidekazu , Klinman Dennis M. , Ito Shuku-ei , Ito Hiroyasu , Kubo Masato , Ishioka Chikashi
Published: December 2016

Immune cells constitute a large fraction of the tumor microenvironment and modulate tumor progression. Clinical data indicate that chronic inflammation is present at tumor sites and that IL4 in particular is upregulated. Here, we demonstrate that T follicular helper (Tfh) cells arise in tumor-draining lymph nodes where they produce an abundance of IL4. Deletion of IL4-expressing Tfh cells improves antitumor immunity, delays tumor growth, and reduces the generation of immunosuppressive myeloid cells in the lymph nodes. These findings suggest that IL4 from Tfh cells affects antitumor immunity and constitutes an attractive therapeutic target to reduce immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment, and thus enhance the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. Cancer Immunol Res; 5(1); 61–71. ©2016 AACR.
Hands-On Experience: Accreditation of Pathology Laboratories according to ISO 15189
Authors: Tzankov Alexandar , Tornillo Luigi
Published: December 2016

Accreditation is a procedure by which an authoritative body gives formal recognition that an organization is competent to carry out specific tasks according to certain standards. Accreditation of pathology laboratories according to ISO 15189 is now becoming more and more a matter of course in continental Europe. This review describes some practical experience aspects with our own pathology laboratory accreditation according to ISO 15189, and outlines the advantages, addresses critical points, and discusses certain caveats of this process.
Association of the Cholinergic Muscarinic M2 Receptor with Autonomic Nervous System Activity in Patients with Schizophrenia on High-Dose Antipsychotics
Authors: Miyauchi Masatoshi , Kishida Ikuko , Suda Akira , Shiraishi Yohko , Hattori Saki , Fujibayashi Mami , Taguri Masataka , Ishii Chie , Ishii Norio , Moritani Toshio , Hirayasu Yoshio
Published: December 2016

Background: Patients with schizophrenia have abnormal autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity compared with the general population. One reason for this difference is the muscarinic affinity for antipsychotic drugs; therefore, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the muscarinic receptor gene influence this ANS dysfunction. This study sought to determine the effect of SNPs of the cholinergic muscarinic receptor (CHRM) gene on ANS activity in patients with schizophrenia receiving antipsychotic drugs. Methods: A total of 173 Japanese patients with schizophrenia were included in this study. Heart rate variability (HRV) was measured as an index of ANS activity. SNPs in CHRM1 (rs542269 and rs2075748), CHRM2 (rs324640, rs8191992, rs1824024, and rs7810473), and CHRM3 (rs3738435, rs4620530, and rs6429157) were genotyped using the TaqMan® method. Patients were grouped according to standard equivalent conversions of chlorpromazine (CP) into a high-CP group (HG; ≥1,000 mg) and a low-CP group (LG; <1,000 mg). ANS activity was compared between the groups. In addition, we compared the total, low-frequency (LF), high-frequency (HF), and LF/HF components of the patients' HRV, and the genotype of the SNPs in both the HG and LG groups. Bonferroni correction was applied for multiple comparisons, and the Bonferroni-corrected critical p value was <0.005. Results: The A allele of the CHRM2 rs8191992 polymorphism in HG was associated with decreased ANS activity. Conclusion: Our results show reduced ANS activity in association with the CHRM2 rs8191992 polymorphism in patients with schizophrenia on high-dose antipsychotics. CHRM2 polymorphisms may play an important role in ANS activity in patients with schizophrenia.
Imaging of Cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Olthof Susann-Cathrin , Othman Ahmed , Clasen Stephan , Schraml Christina , Nikolaou Konstantin , Bongers Malte
Published: December 2016

Cholangiocarcinoma (CC) is the second most common primary hepatobiliary tumour, and it is increasing in incidence. Imaging characteristics, behaviour, and therapeutic strategies in CC differ significantly, depending on the morphology and location of the tumour. In cross-sectional imaging, CCs can be classified according to the growth pattern (mass-forming, periductal infiltrating, intraductal) and the location (intrahepatic, perihilar, extrahepatic/distal). The prognosis of CC is unfavourable and surgical resection is the only curative treatment option; thus, early diagnosis (also in recurrent disease) and accurate staging including the evaluation of lymph node involvement and vascular infiltration is crucial. However, the diagnostic evaluation of CC is challenging due to the heterogeneous nature of the tumour. Diagnostic modalities used in the imaging of CC include transabdominal ultrasound, endosonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging with cholangiopancreatography, and hybrid imaging such as positron emission tomography/computed tomography. In this review, the potential of cross-sectional imaging modalities in primary staging, treatment monitoring, and detection of recurrent disease will be discussed.
Mechanisms Underlying Endothelin-1 Level Elevations Caused by Excessive Fluoride Exposure
Authors: Sun Liyan , Gao Yanhui , Zhang Wei , Liu Xiaona , Li Bingyun , Cui Xiaohui , Sun Dianjun
Published: December 2016

Objective: To explore the mechanisms underlying endothelin-1 (ET-1) elevations induced by excessive fluoride exposure. Methods: We measured serum and bone fluoride ion content and plasma ET-1 levels and compared these parameters among different groups in an animal model. We also observed morphological changes in the aorta and endothelium of rabbits. In cell experiments, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with varying concentrations of NaF for 24h, with or without 10 µM U0126 pretreatment for 1 h. ET-1 levels in culture fluid and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, as well as ET1 gene, endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1), extracellular signal-regulating kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), pERK1/2 expression levels and RAS activation were measured and compared among the groups. Results: Plasma ET-1 levels of rabbits increased significantly in fluorinated groups compared with those in the control group. The rabbit thoracic aortas became slightly hardened in fluorinated groups compared with those in the control group, and some vacuoles were present in the endothelial cell cytoplasm of the rabbits in fluorinated groups. In our cell experiments, ET1 gene and ECE-1 expression levels in HUVECs and ET-1 expression levels in the cell culture supernatants increased significantly in some experimental groups compared with those in the control group. These trends paralleled the changes in intracellular ROS levels, RAS activation, and the pERK1/2-to-ERK1/2 ratio. After U0126 was added, ECE-1 expression and ET-1 levels decreased significantly. Conclusion: Excessive fluoride exposure leads to characteristic endothelial damage (vacuoles), thoracic aorta hardening, and plasma ET-1 level elevations in rabbits. In addition, the ROS-RAS-MEK1/2-pERK1/2/ERK1/2 pathway plays a crucial—and at least partial—role in ET-1 over-expression, which is promoted by excessive fluoride exposure.
β-Klotho as a Negative Regulator of the Peptide Transporters PEPT1 and PEPT2
Authors: Abousaab Abeer , Warsi Jamshed , Salker Madhuri S. , Lang Florian
Published: December 2016

Background/Aims: β-Klotho, a transmembrane protein expressed in several tissues including the brain and the kidney, is critically important for inhibition of 1,25(OH)2D3 formation by FGF23. The extracellular domain of Klotho protein could be cleaved off, thus being released into blood or cerebrospinal fluid. Soluble klotho is a β-glucuronidase participating in the regulation of several ion channels and carriers. The present study explored the effect of β-Klotho protein on the peptide transporters PEPT1 and PEPT2. Methods: cRNA encoding PEPT1 or PEPT2 was injected into Xenopus laevis oocytes and glycine-glycine (2 mM)-induced inward current (IGly) taken as measure of glycine-glycine transport. Measurements were made without or with prior 24 h treatment with soluble β-Klotho protein (30 ng/ml) in the absence and presence of β-glucuronidase inhibitor D-saccharic acid 1,4-lactone monohydrate (DSAL,10 µM). Ussing chamber experiments were employed to determine electrogenic peptide transport across intestinal epithelia of klotho deficient (kl-/-) and corresponding wild type (kl+/+) mice. Results: IGly was observed in PEPT1 and in PEPT2 expressing oocytes but not in water injected oocytes. In both, PEPT1 and PEPT2 expressing oocytes IGly was significantly decreased by treatment with soluble β-Klotho protein. As shown for PEPT1, β-klotho protein decreased significantly the maximal transport rate without significantly modifying the affinity of the carrier. The effect of β-Klotho on PEPT1 was reversed by DSAL. Intestinal IGly was significantly larger in kl-/- than in kl+/+ mice. Conclusion: β-Klotho participates in the regulation of the peptide transporters PEPT1 and PEPT2.
Jagged1/Notch3 Signaling Modulates Hemangioma-Derived Pericyte Proliferation and Maturation
Authors: Ji Yi , Chen Siyuan , Xiang Bo , Li Yuan , Li Li , Wang Qi
Published: December 2016

Background: The Notch signaling pathway has been implicated in the pericyte phenotype, but its exact roles in hemangioma-derived pericytes (Hem-pericytes) remain ill defined. Methods: Hem-pericytes were stimulated by immobilized recombinant Jagged1. The potential mechanisms of Notch-induced Hem-pericytes growth arrest were investigated by cell cycle assay, and the role of the Notch in promoting Hem-pericyte maturation was also analyzed by real-time PCR and western blot. Results: Activation of Notch3 in Hem-pericytes significantly reduced cell proliferation and inhibited cell cycle transition. This event was associated with an increase in the levels of p21Cip1. Knockdown of p21Cip1 resulted in a significant rescue of Notch-induced cell growth arrest and an entry into the cell cycle. We showed that Jagged1 activation of Notch3 signaling upregulated the expression of the pericyte contractile markers smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (smMHC) and α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA), concomitant with an increase in the expression of myocardin in Hem-pericytes. We further revealed that the endothelial-derived Jagged1 modulated the Hem-pericyte phenotype via a contact-dependent mechanism. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that Jagged1 activation of Notch3 resulted in a significant decrease in cell proliferation while concomitantly promoting Hem-pericyte maturation. These data provide initial evidence that Notch induces a quiescent phenotype in Hem-pericytes.
Feasibility of Shape-Memory Ni/Ti Alloy Wire Containing Tube Elevators for Transcrestal Detaching Maxillary Sinus Mucosa: Ex Vivo Study
Authors: Li Yanfeng , Wang Fuli , Hu Pin , Fan Jiadong , Han Yishi , Liu Bin , Liu Tao , Yang Chunhao , Gu Xiangmin
Published: December 2016

Background: Osteotome sinus floor elevation is a less invasive approach to augment an insufficient alveolar bone at the posterior maxilla for dental implantation. However, this approach has some limitations due to the lack of sinus lift tools available for clinical use and the small transcrestal access to the maxillary sinus floor. We recently invented shape-memory Ni/Ti alloy wire containing tube elevators for transcrestal detaching maxillary sinus mucosa, and developed goat ex vivo models for direct visualizing the effectiveness of detaching sinus mucosa in real time during transcrestal maxillary sinus floor elevation. Methods: We evaluated our invented elevators, namely elevator 012 and elevator 014, for their effectiveness for transcrestal detaching maxillary sinus mucosa using the goat ex vivo models. We measured the length of sinus mucosa detached in mesial and distal directions or buccal and palatal directions, and the space volume created by detaching maxillary sinus mucosa in mesial, distal, buccal and palatal directions using the invented elevators. Results: Elevator 012 had a shape-memory Ni/Ti alloy wire with a diameter of 0.012 inch, while elevator 014 had its shape-memory Ni/Ti alloy wire with a diameter of 0.014 inch. Elevator 012 could detach the goat maxillary sinus mucosa in the mesial or distal direction for 12.1±4.3 mm, while in the buccal or palatal direction for 12.5±6.7 mm. The elevator 014 could detach the goat maxillary sinus mucosa for 23.0±4.9 mm in the mesial or distal direction, and for 19.0±8.1 mm in the buccal or palatal direction. An average space volume of 1.7936±0.2079 ml was created after detaching the goat maxillay sinus mucosa in both mesial/distal direction and buccal/palatal direction using elevator 012; while the average space volume created using elevator 014 was 1.8764±0.2366 ml. Conclusion: Both two newly invented tube elevators could effectively detach the maxillary sinus mucosa on the goat ex vivo sinus models. Moreover, elevator 014 has advantages over the elevator 012 for the capability to detach sinus mucosa.
Lipotoxic Palmitate Impairs the Rate of β-Oxidation and Citric Acid Cycle Flux in Rat Neonatal Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Haffar Taha , Akoumi Ali , Bousette Nicolas
Published: December 2016

Background/Aims: Diabetic hearts exhibit intracellular lipid accumulation. This suggests that the degree of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in these hearts is insufficient to handle the elevated lipid uptake. We previously showed that palmitate impaired the rate of FAO in primary rat neonatal cardiomyocytes. Here we were interested in characterizing the site of FAO impairment induced by palmitate since it may shed light on the metabolic dysfunction that leads to lipid accumulation in diabetic hearts. Methods: We measured fatty acid oxidation, acetyl-CoA oxidation, and carnitine palmitoyl transferase (Cpt1b) activity. We measured both forward and reverse aconitase activity, as well as NAD+ dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase activity. We also measured reactive oxygen species using the 2', 7'-Dichlorofluorescin Diacetate (DCFDA) assay. Finally we used thin layer chromatography to assess diacylglycerol (DAG) levels. Results: We found that palmitate significantly impaired mitochondrial β-oxidation as well as citric acid cycle flux, but not Cpt1b activity. Palmitate negatively affected net aconitase activity and isocitrate dehydrogenase activity. The impaired enzyme activities were not due to oxidative stress but may be due to DAG mediated PKC activation. Conclusion: This work demonstrates that palmitate, a highly abundant fatty acid in human diets, causes impaired β-oxidation and citric acid cycle flux in primary neonatal cardiomyocytes. This metabolic defect occurs prior to cell death suggesting that it is a cause, rather than a consequence of palmitate mediated lipotoxicity. This impaired mitochondrial metabolism can have important implications for metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity.
Protective Effects of 2-Dodecyl-6-Methoxycyclohexa-2,5 -Diene-1,4-Dione Isolated from Averrhoa Carambola L. (Oxalidaceae) Roots on High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Mice
Authors: Li Juman , Wei Xiaojie , Xie Qiuqiao , Hoa Pham Thi Thai , Wei Jinbin , He Ping , Jiao Yang , Xu Xiaohui , Giang Nguyen Thi Huong , Wen Qingwei , Huang Renbin
Published: December 2016

Background/Aims: The roots of Averrhoa carambola L. (Oxalidaceae) have long been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of diabetes and diabetes-related diseases. 2-dodecyl-6-methoxycycyclohexa-2,5-1,4-dione (DMDD) has been isolated from A. carambola L. roots, and this study was carried out to investigate the potential beneficial effects of DMDD on obesity and insulin resistance induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in mice. Methods: C57BL/6J mice were fed a HFD for 16 weeks and orally administered DMDD (12.5, 25, or 50 mg/kg of body weight per day) and metformin (280 mg/kg of body weight per day) for the last 4 weeks. Results: The body weights and adipose tissue weights as well as the serum levels of blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids, insulin, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α were significantly decreased by DMDD, and the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and myeloid differentiation factor (Myd88) in the epididymal adipose tissue was downregulated by DMDD. In contrast, insulin sensitivity was enhanced. The results of the glucose tolerance tests, insulin tolerance tests, and insulin release tests indicated that there was a marked improvement in insulin secretion, and the areas under the curve corresponding to the three tests were also significantly decreased by DMDD. The activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were simultaneously enhanced, whereas the content of malondialdehyde was decreased by DMDD in the liver homogenates of the C57BL/6J mice. In addition, hepatic steatosis and adipocyte hypertrophy, as assessed by H&E staining of liver and adipose tissues, were significantly improved by DMDD. Conclusion: These data suggest that MDD has potential benefits for the treatment of HFD-induced obesity and insulin resistance, and its effects may be associated with improvements in lipid metabolism and inhibition of the expression of TLR4 in adipose tissues.
The Association of Vitamin D Status and Vitamin D Replacement Therapy with Glycemic Control, Serum Uric Acid Levels, and Microalbuminuria in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Sipahi Savas , Acikgoz Seyyid Bilal , Genc Ahmed Bilal , Yildirim Mehmet , Solak Yalcin , Tamer Ali
Published: December 2016

Objective: To evaluate the relationship of vitamin D status and vitamin D replacement therapy with glycemic control, serum uric acid (SUA) levels, and microalbuminuria (MAU) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Subjectsand Methods: A total of 1,463 patients with T2DM and CKD (aged 14-88 years), 927 females and 536 males, were included in this study. The serum data of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, i.e., 25(OH)D, level, SUA, hemoglobin (Hb)A1c, creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) were obtained from the medical records. The Mann-Whitney U test, the χ2 test, the Mantel-Haenszel test, and linear regression models were used for data analysis. Results: Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were evident in 770 (52.0%) and 357 (24.0%) patients, respectively. Median HbA1c levels (7.3 [IQR 3.9] vs. 6.5 [IQR 2.3]%; p < 0.01) were significantly higher in patients deficient in vitamin D than in those with a normal vitamin D status. A significantly low level of vitamin D was noted with a high UACR (β −0.01; 95% CI −0.01 to −0.001; p = 0.017) and HbA1c (β −1.1; 95% CI −1.6 to −0.6; p < 0.001), but with low levels of SUA (β 1.3; 95% CI 0.5-2.2; p = 0.002). Vitamin D replacement was associated with a significantly low level of HbA1c (7.4 [2.7] vs. 6.7 [1.9]%; p < 0.001]. Conclusion: In this study, there was a high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D among T2DM patients with CKD, with a higher UACR, higher HbA1c, and lower SUA being noted as playing a role in predicting a decrease in vitamin D levels and potential benefits of vitamin D replacement therapy on glycemic control in T2DM management.
Associations of Epicardial, Abdominal, and Overall Adiposity With Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Wong Christopher X. , Sun Michelle T. , Odutayo Ayodele , Emdin Connor A. , Mahajan Rajiv , Lau Dennis H. , Pathak Rajeev K. , Wong Dennis T. , Selvanayagam Joseph B. , Sanders Prashanthan , Clarke Robert
Published: December 2016

Background—

Although adiposity is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF), the importance of epicardial fat compared with other adipose tissue depots remains uncertain. We sought to characterize and compare the associations of AF with epicardial fat and measures of abdominal and overall adiposity.

Methods and Results—

We conducted a meta-analysis of 63 observational studies including 352 275 individuals, comparing AF risk for 1-SD increases in epicardial fat, waist circumference, waist/hip ratio, and body mass index. A 1-SD higher epicardial fat volume was associated with a 2.6-fold higher odds of AF (odds ratio, 2.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.89–3.60), 2.1-fold higher odds of paroxysmal AF (odds ratio, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.45–3.16) and, 5.4-fold higher odds of persistent AF (odds ratio, 5.43; 95% CI, 3.24–9.12) compared with sinus rhythm. Likewise, a 1-SD higher epicardial fat volume was associated with 2.2-fold higher odds of persistent compared with paroxysmal AF (odds ratio, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.66–2.88). Similar associations existed for postablation, postoperative, and postcardioversion AF. In contrast, associations of abdominal and overall adiposity with AF were less extreme, with relative risks per 1-SD higher values of 1.32 (95% CI, 1.25–1.41) for waist circumference, 1.11 (95% CI, 1.08–1.14) for waist/hip ratio, and 1.22 (95% CI, 1.17–1.27) for body mass index.

Conclusions—

Strong and graded associations were observed between increasing epicardial fat and AF. Moreover, the strength of associations of AF with epicardial fat is greater than for measures of abdominal or overall adiposity. Further studies are needed to assess the mechanisms and clinical relevance of epicardial fat.
MicroRNA-33 Controls Adaptive Fibrotic Response in the Remodeling Heart by Preserving Lipid Raft Cholesterol
Authors: Nishiga Masataka , Horie Takahiro , Kuwabara Yasuhide , Nagao Kazuya , Baba Osamu , Nakao Tetsushi , Nishino Tomohiro , Hakuno Daihiko , Nakashima Yasuhiro , Nishi Hitoo , Nakazeki Fumiko , Ide Yuya , Koyama Satoshi , Kimura Masahiro , Hanada Ritsuko , Nakamura Tomoyuki , Inada Tsukasa , Hasegawa Koji , Conway Simon J. , Kita Toru , Kimura Takeshi , Ono Koh
Published: December 2016

Rationale:

Heart failure and atherosclerosis share the underlying mechanisms of chronic inflammation followed by fibrosis. A highly conserved microRNA (miR), miR-33, is considered as a potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis because it regulates lipid metabolism and inflammation. However, the role of miR-33 in heart failure remains to be elucidated.

Objective:

To clarify the role of miR-33 involved in heart failure.

Methods and Results:

We first investigated the expression levels of miR-33a/b in human cardiac tissue samples with dilated cardiomyopathy. Increased expression of miR-33a was associated with improving hemodynamic parameters. To clarify the role of miR-33 in remodeling hearts, we investigated the responses to pressure overload by transverse aortic constriction in miR-33–deficient (knockout [KO]) mice. When mice were subjected to transverse aortic constriction, miR-33 expression levels were significantly upregulated in wild-type left ventricles. There was no difference in hypertrophic responses between wild-type and miR-33KO hearts, whereas cardiac fibrosis was ameliorated in miR-33KO hearts compared with wild-type hearts. Despite the ameliorated cardiac fibrosis, miR-33KO mice showed impaired systolic function after transverse aortic constriction. We also found that cardiac fibroblasts were mainly responsible for miR-33 expression in the heart. Deficiency of miR-33 impaired cardiac fibroblast proliferation, which was considered to be caused by altered lipid raft cholesterol content. Moreover, cardiac fibroblast–specific miR-33–deficient mice also showed decreased cardiac fibrosis induced by transverse aortic constriction as systemic miR-33KO mice.

Conclusion:

Our results demonstrate that miR-33 is involved in cardiac remodeling, and it preserves lipid raft cholesterol content in fibroblasts and maintains adaptive fibrotic responses in the remodeling heart.
Maternal Urinary Bisphenol A Concentration During Midterm Pregnancy and Children’s Blood Pressure at Age 4
Authors: Bae Sanghyuk , Lim Youn-Hee , Lee Young Ah , Shin Choong Ho , Oh Se-Young , Hong Yun-Chul
Published: December 2016

Bisphenol A (BPA) has been reported to be associated with adverse health effects, including high blood pressure (BP). BPA is also suspected to cross placenta in pregnancy and might affect children’s health. The present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of prenatal exposure to BPA on the BP of the child at the age of 4. We followed up 645 children at the age of 4 who were born from women who participated midterm during their pregnancy in a birth cohort study from August 2008 to July 2011. Because BPA and BP showed nonlinear association, we constructed a piecewise regression model to examine the association between urinary BPA concentration of mother at around 20 weeks of gestation and BP of the child at age 4 and to determine threshold level of BPA for the association. Diastolic BP of the children was positively associated with maternal urinary concentration of BPA above the threshold level measured at around 20 weeks of gestation. For 1 log unit increment of prenatal urinary BPA concentration, diastolic BP was increased by 7.9 mm Hg (SE=2.072;
P
=0.0001) after adjusting potential confounders. Pulse pressure was decreased by −8.0 mm Hg (SE=2.528;
P
=0.0015). However, systolic BP was not significantly associated with prenatal BPA concentration. The present study suggests that exposure to BPA during pregnancy is associated with higher diastolic BP of the children above a certain threshold (4.5 μg/g creatinine).
Interleukin‐37 and Dendritic Cells Treated With Interleukin‐37 Plus Troponin I Ameliorate Cardiac Remodeling After Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Zhu Ruirui , Sun Haitao , Yu Kunwu , Zhong Yucheng , Shi Huairui , Wei Yuzhen , Su Xin , Xu Wenbin , Luo Quan , Zhang Fangyuan , Zhu Zhengfeng , Meng Kai , Zhao Xiaoqi , Liu Yuzhou , Mao Yi , Cheng Peng , Mao Xiaobo , Zeng Qiutang
Published: December 2016

Background

Excessive immune‐mediated inflammatory reactions play a deleterious role in postinfarction ventricular remodeling. Interleukin‐37 (
IL
‐37) emerges as an inhibitor of both innate and adaptive immunity. However, the exact role of
IL
‐37 and
IL
‐37 plus troponin I (TnI)–treated dendritic cells (
DC
s) in ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction (
MI
) remains elusive.

Methods and Results

MI
was induced by permanent ligation of the left anterior descending artery. Our results showed that treatment with recombinant human
IL
‐37 significantly ameliorated ventricular remodeling after
MI
, as demonstrated by decreased infarct size, better cardiac function, lower mortality, restricted inflammatory responses, decreased myocardial fibrosis, and inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis. In vitro, we examined the phenotype of
IL
‐37 plus TnI–conditioned
DC
s of male C57
BL
/6 mice and their capacity to influence the number of regulatory T cells. Our results revealed that
IL
‐37 plus TnI–conditioned
DC
s obtained the characteristics of tolerogenic DCs (
tDC
s) and expanded the number of regulatory T cells when co‐cultured with splenic
CD
4
+
T cells. Interestingly, we also found that adoptive transfer of these antigen‐loaded
tDC
s markedly increased the number of regulatory T cells in the spleen, attenuated the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the infarct hearts, decreased myocardial fibrosis, and improved cardiac function.

Conclusions

Our results reveal a beneficial role of
IL
‐37 or
tDC
s treated with
IL
‐37 plus TnI in post‐
MI
remodeling that is possibly mediated by reestablishing a tolerogenic immune response, indicating that
IL
‐37 or adoptive transfer of
IL
‐37 plus TnI–treated
tDC
s may be a novel therapeutic strategy for ventricular remodeling after MI.
Trends in the Incidence of Hypertensive Emergencies in US Emergency Departments From 2006 to 2013
Authors: Janke Alexander T. , McNaughton Candace D. , Brody Aaron M. , Welch Robert D. , Levy Phillip D.
Published: December 2016

Background

The incidence of hypertensive emergency in US emergency departments (ED) is not well established.

Methods and Results

This study is a descriptive epidemiological analysis of nationally representative
ED
visit‐level data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample for 2006–2013. Nationwide Emergency Department Sample is a publicly available database maintained by the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. An
ED
visit was considered to be a hypertensive emergency if it met all the following criteria: diagnosis of acute hypertension, at least 1 diagnosis indicating acute target organ damage, and qualifying disposition (admission to the hospital, death, or transfer to another facility). The incidence of adult
ED
visits for acute hypertension increased monotonically in the period from 2006 through 2013, from 170 340 (1820 per million adult
ED
visits overall) to 496 894 (4610 per million). Hypertensive emergency was rare overall, accounting for 63 406 visits (677 per million adult
ED
visits overall) in 2006 to 176 769 visits (1670 per million) in 2013. Among adult
ED
visits that had any diagnosis of hypertension, hypertensive emergency accounted for 3309 per million in 2006 and 6178 per million in 2013.

Conclusions

The estimated number of visits for hypertensive emergency and the rate per million adult
ED
visits has more than doubled from 2006 to 2013. However, hypertensive emergencies are rare overall, occurring in about 2 in 1000 adult
ED
visits overall, and 6 in 1000 adult
ED
visits carrying any diagnosis of hypertension in 2013. This figure is far lower than what has been sometimes cited in previous literature.
Abject Digital Performance: Engaging the Politics of Electronic Waste
Authors: Ploeger Daniël
Published: December 2016

Building on anthropologist Mary Douglas’s writing on the ritual function of dirt, this article presents a strategy in digital performance art that engages with electronic waste (e-waste). It is suggested that planned obsolescence in electronics is of a particular nature that facilitates the representation of consumer technologies within the logic of a “symbolic order of technological progress,” where digital devices act as mere signifiers for abstract notions of connectivity, well-being and innovation. Conceptualizing discarded electronic devices as abject technology that is positioned outside this symbolic structure, a performance practice is proposed where abject body parts and abject technologies are connected to challenge this techno-ideology.
Warholian Repetition and the Viewer’s Affective Response to Artworks from His Death and Disaster Series
Authors: Kass Jason , Harland Beth , Donnelly Nick
Published: December 2016

In his Death and Disaster series, Andy Warhol repeated gruesome images of suicides and car crashes. The artist’s use of repetition has been discussed extensively but not in terms of its direct impact on the viewer’s perceptual and cognitive processing. This article considers the viewer’s affective experience resulting from repeated exposure to negative images in artworks from the Death and Disaster series. The authors put forward an account of the potential affective experience of Warholian repetition based on existing experimental findings and by way of the artist’s own remarks on the relationship between repetition and affect.
Expressive Cartography, Boundary Objects and the Aesthetics of Public Visualization
Authors: Dávila Patricio , Colangelo Dave , Chan Maggie , Tu Robert
Published: December 2016

Aesthetic visualization projects that incorporate users, community stakeholders, multiple modalities and technologies emphasize the way that an artistic visualization can be both an artifact and a process—a conceptualization of aesthetic visualization that is useful for thinking about visualization in general. In this article, the authors propose the concept of the visualization as boundary object, a move away from the indexical claims of visualization and instead toward an acknowledgment of the entangled nature of social, political, economic, cultural, technological and environmental actants. Through a description of the In the Air, Tonight public visualization project, the authors suggest that by making manifest the connections between these actants, a visualization project, as a form of expressive cartography, can contribute to the visibility of and engagement with important issues (e.g. homelessness) that affect society.
Shanghai Metro Flow: Multiple Perspectives into a Subway System
Authors: Nagel Till , Groß Benedikt
Published: December 2016

One of the main characteristics of cities is the large amount of people moving around. These flows are reflected in all the subways dashing through the city. With the authors’ work, they strive to give an impression of this pulse of the city. They present Shanghai Metro Flow, consisting of an animated visualization composed of three scenes, each giving another perspective into the metro network, and an accompanying poster showing subway line details. Each visualization combines established techniques with a highly aesthetic form in order to attract people to observe and dwell on different aspects of urban mobility.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Charles Darwin, T. H. Huxley, the Origin of Cotton and Gregor Mendel (Inventor of X-rays)
Authors: Econopouly Bethany F. , Jones Stephen S.
Published: December 2016

The drawing Untitled (Charles Darwin) (1983), by the late Jean-Michel Basquiat, incorporates portraits of biologists, geneticists and genetical terms. What follows is a personal reflection on how the text and symbolism of Untitled affected the authors as plant breeders, causing them to pause and reflect on their own work and that of their field. They learned how art speaks to the spectator differently from direct conversation, allowing for subtler, but perhaps more effective, criticism and a unique opportunity for public peer review. By employing emotion and invoking empathy, art places scientists in the depths of the ethical, sociopolitical and historical contexts in which their work unfolds, urging them to see more fully. In the end, the authors expose their own biases.
“The Secrets of the Darkened Chamber”: Michael Schmidt's Berlin nach 45
Authors: Jennings Michael W.
Published: December 2016

It seems increasingly clear that the reputation of the late German photographer Michael Schmidt will rest on the three photo books that form his “Berlin trilogy:” Waffenruhe (1987), Ein-Heit (1996), and Berlin nach 45 (2005). These projects are linked by Schmidt's obsessive fidelity to Berlin and its history. Rather than offer a vision of German history through the representation of experience or through cognitive reconstruction—the strategies that structure Waffenruhe and Ein-Heit —Schmidt in Berlin nach 45 offers a vision of Berlin's history that is suggestively metaphorical. The overarching figure is that of theatricality: in a remarkable number of images, the viewer looks across a vast open stage—the great swaths of devastation left not just by the building of the Berlin Wall, but by battles, bombings, and capitalist neglect—toward a proscenium at the rear, a proscenium provided by Berlin's built environment. The viewer looks at the ruined landscapes not just from the great physical distance, but as if from a great historical distance, as if these were the ruins of a lost and perhaps irrecoverable world. This theatricality, and the affective constitution of the spectator that accompanies it, is complicated, however, by a second metaphorical system: that of the camera aperture. Many of the images in Berlin nach 45 are structured around the representation of a rectangular opening made up of the edges of buildings and fences; reading this opening as the aperture suggests that viewer and viewed alike exist within a photographic apparatus. Through excurses on William Henry Fox Talbot and Walter Benjamin, the essay explores the status and effects of this “aperture character of viewing” and its primary effect of complicity with the events that have shaped the represented space.
Dailiness According to Demand
Authors: Foster Hal
Published: December 2016

Thomas Demand's Dailies (2008–) are visual aperçus, yet often they trigger a sense of déjà vu, and this paradoxical combination of the fresh and the familiar is typical of Demand. “The images that come to me,” he tells Alexander Kluge in an extraordinary conversation, “some are very banal, others greatly laden with meaning, but actually they are all things I know.” And we know them too, or think we do. In part, this is because Demand builds his images from prior representations, such as news photos, postcards, and iPhone snaps. Yet this doubling is not performed in the interest of a postmodernist critique of reality as a construct. Demand treats the photographic mediation of the world as a given, and he assumes that we do as well; his project is less to demystify the real than to remodel and reimage it. His art is indicative of a cultural shift in the perceived relation between representations and referents, one in which the old opposition between the indexical and the constructed becomes less relevant. In a world in which almost every image is both photographic and contrived, the indexical aspect of the medium does not automatically trump its other aspects: We no longer assume the truth-value of the photographic image, and we are alert to its fictive capabilities. In this condition a new realism becomes necessary, one that uses artifice to make reality real again—that is, sensible, credible, or simply effective as such. Demand is a key figure in this new art of artifice in the service of reality.
Trace-Image to Fiction-Image: The unfolding of Theories of Photography from the '80s to the Present
Authors: Dubois Philippe
Published: December 2016

This essay traces how theories of photography have moved beyond the ontological theories of the trace-image (the index, the “it-has-been”) in the 1980s, toward, at first, more pragmatic theories linked to the uses of the image, and then toward what Dubois hypothesizes as the “theory of possible worlds” applied to the visual field. In this new understanding, the photograph is not a “trace-image-of-what-was-there” but rather a “fiction-image-of-a-world-possible.”
An Ambivalent Historian: Ouyang Xiu and His New Histories
Authors: Sung Chia-fu
Published: December 2016

This article examines the historiographical practice of Ouyang Xiu (1007-72) in the context of his scholarly and official career and of the development of traditional Chinese historiography. By focusing on where, when, and how Ouyang’s two “new histories” of the Tang and Five Dynasties were produced, I suggest that Ouyang displayed an ambivalent relationship to the Northern Song official historiographical operation both in terms of modus operandi and of the format of the final text. Acting deliberately inside and outside the Historiography Office, he wrote not only new histories but actually new “old” histories, in the sense that Sima Qian’s classical model was creatively restored. Historiographical novelty calls for contextualization, and in this case, Ouyang’s newness is embodied in the creative tension between his contemporary predicament and the applicability of various classical paradigms. 

Cet article étudie la pratique historiographique de Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072) dans le contexte de sa carrière d’érudit et de fonctionnaire et dans celui du développement de l’historiographie chinoise traditionnelle. Me demandant où, quand et comment les deux “nouvelles histoires” dues à Ouyang, celle des Tang et celle des Cinq Dynasties, ont été rédigées, j’en conclus que l’historien a entretenu une relation ambivalente avec le mode de production historiographique officiel, tant du point de vue du modus operandi que de celui de la forme finale du texte. Agissant délibérément à l’intérieur et à l’extérieur du Bureau d’historiographie, il composa non seulement des “nouvelles histoires”, mais également des nouvelles “anciennes histoires” au sens où le modèle classique de Sima Qian s’y trouvait rétabli de façon originale. L’innovation en histoire implique la contextualisation, et dans le cas présent la nouveauté de Ouyang réside dans la tension créatrice opposant ses difficultés du moment et l’applicabilité de divers paradigmes classiques.
Space, Religion, and Bodies: Aspects of Concrete Emplacements of Religious Practice
Authors: Radermacher Martin
Published: December 2016

This article takes up the implications of the spatial turn in the wider context of a material turn (Manuel A. Vásquez) and deals with concrete emplacements of religion. It argues that the concrete, material space of religious practice is not just a passive stage, but itself has ‘agency,’ i.e. it shapes and facilitates discourse and embodiment of human actors in space. The materiality of space influences sensory perception, communication and embodiment, and also relates to imaginations about space as well as social norms. The emplacement of religious practice is illustrated by examples of rooms of silence and rooms of Christian fitness classes in the United States. The article opens a research area at the interface of architecture, spatial studies, embodiment studies, and the psychology of perception – and intends to make this encounter productive for the study of religions.
Buildings on the Fringes of Society – 19th Century Protestant Asylums for ‘Idiots’ as Places of Hyper-Inclusion
Authors: Jelinek-Menke Ramona
Published: December 2016

This article analyses one Christian welfare institution and discusses the effects of its spatial location on the social position of its clients. By examining the mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion, it focuses on the early history of the Asylum of Alsterdorf for imbecile and feeble-minded children (Asyl für schwach- und blödsinnige Kinder zu Alsterdorf) in nineteenth-century Hamburg. The analytical perspective follows the concept of inclusion–exclusion as presented in Niklas Luhmann’s systems theory. It is argued here that a religious welfare institution may enclose its clients in a hyper-inclusive system for theological reasons and that, consequently, institutions of this kind contribute to the social exclusion of their clients.
Being Private in Public Space? The ‘Administration’ of ‘Religion’ in German Prisons
Authors: Jahn Sarah J.
Published: December 2016

In public institutions like prisons, the question arises if it is possible to be private in public space, because prisons are melting pots of societal change and legal practice through restrictive institutional conditions. To discuss this question, I present data of individual and organized religion in German prisons and explore the localization of ‘religion’ in prisons. Furthermore, I analyze the regulation of religious private needs in prison, using examples from Muslim practice. The analysis makes clear that ‘religion’ is administrated in a foreign way and ‘administration’ is a key term in the possibility of being private in public institutions.
“Because Faith is a Personal Matter!” Aspects of Public and Private in Religious Internet Use
Authors: Neumaier Anna
Published: December 2016

This paper addresses the concepts of public and private with regard to the use of Christian online boards. Drawing from an empirical study on religious Internet use, including qualitative and quantitative data, this article asks to what extent these boards can be characterised as new public spaces for exchange about religion, or as enhancing private engagement with religion. While media characteristics of online discussion boards encourage their understanding as public spaces, at the same time actual usage patterns mirror an increasing privatisation of religion. Instead of opting for either a public or private characterisation of online boards, this article proposes to disentangle both attributions and relate these findings to the larger debate on contemporary religion in terms of public and private.