bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dietary Supplementation of Leucine in Premating Diet Improves the Within-Litter Birth Weight Uniformity, Antioxidative Capability, and Immune Function of Primiparous SD Rats
Authors: Liu Ting , Zuo Bin , Wang Wei , Wang Shilan , Wang Junjun
Published: April 2018

The high within-litter birth weight variation has become a big issue in multiparous animals. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of leucine supplementation in premating diet on the reproductive performance, maternal antioxidative capability, and immune function in primiparous rats. Six-week-old female SD rats were assigned to basal diet or 0.6% leucine supplemented diet for two weeks. After mating during the eighth week of age, the rats were fed with regular gestation diet. Maternal blood samples were collected on the day before mating (day −1) and day 7 and day 20 of pregnancy, while ovaries and uteruses were obtained on day −1 and on day 7, respectively. The results indicate that, compared with control group, within-litter birth weight variation was significantly decreased, while birth weights were significantly increased in the leucine group (P<0.01). Also, leucine improved the embryo distribution uniformity and the number of implantation sites in uterine. The ovarian gene expressions of LHR, CYP19A1, and VEGFA were upregulated, while Mucin-1 was decreased significantly (P<0.05). Leucine also increased the maternal antioxidant capacity and immune function. Conclusively, leucine supplementation in premating diet could improve the reproductive performance, which could be attributed to the improved oxidative and immune status.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Paracoccidioidomycosis in the Maxillofacial Region: A Report of 5 Cases
Authors: Albuquerque Neto Antonio Dionízio De , Araújo André Vitor Alves , Cerqueira Daniel Assunção , Cesconetto Lorenzzo De Angeli , Provenzano Nilton , Oliveira Eder Magno Ferreira de
Published: April 2018

Paracoccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection initially described in Brazil in 1908 by Adolfo Lutz. Manifestation of this disease depends on numerous factors, such as microorganism virulence, hormonal profile, genetic predisposition, nutrition, and immune system. It is characterized classically by cutaneous lesions, lymphadenopathy, and pulmonary involvement. It presents male predilection, which can be explained by the protective effect of female hormones. Classic presentation within oral cavity is a superficial ulcer characterized by hemorrhagic dots of moriform aspect. Treatment should be established individually and closely monitored. This manuscript aims at reporting five cases of this pathology.
Bolt Detection Signal Analysis Method Based on ICEEMD
Authors: Guo Chunhui , Zhang Zhan , Xie Xin , Yang Zhengyu
Published: April 2018

The construction quality of the bolt is directly related to the safety of the project, and, as such, it must be tested. In this paper, the improved complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition (ICEEMD) method is introduced to the bolt detection signal analysis. The ICEEMD is used in order to decompose the anchor detection signal according to the approximate entropy of each intrinsic mode function (IMF). The noise of the IMFs is eliminated by the wavelet soft threshold denoising technique. Based on the approximate entropy and the wavelet denoising principle, the ICEEMD‐De anchor signal analysis method is proposed. From the analysis of the vibration analog signal, as well as the bolt detection signal, the result shows that the ICEEMD‐De method is capable of correctly separating the different IMFs under noisy conditions and also that the IMF can effectively identify the reflection signal of the end of the bolt.
Patient and Physician Satisfaction with Analgesic Treatment: Findings from the Analgesic Treatment for Cancer Pain in Southeast Asia (ACE) Study
Authors: Thinh Dang Huy Quoc , Sriraj Wimonrat , Mansor Marzida , Tan Kian Hian , Irawan Cosphiadi , Kurnianda Johan , Nguyen Yen Phi , Ong-Cornel Annielyn , Hadjiat Yacine , Moon Hanlim , Javier Francis O.
Published: April 2018

Aim. The aim of this study was to examine patients’ and physicians’ satisfaction, and concordance of patient-physician satisfaction with patients’ pain control status. Methods. This cross-sectional observational study involved 465 adults prescribed analgesics for cancer-related pain from 22 sites across Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Pain intensity, pain control satisfaction, and adequacy of analgesics for pain control were documented using questionnaires. Results. Most patients (84.4%) had stage III or IV cancer. On a scale of 0 (no pain) to 10 (worse pain), patients’ mean worst pain intensity over 24 hours was 4.76 (SD 2.47). More physicians (19.0%) than patients (8.0%) reported dissatisfaction with patient’s pain control. Concordance of patient-physician satisfaction was low (weighted kappa 0.36; 95% CI 0.03–0.24). Most physicians (71.2%) found analgesics to be adequate for pain control. Patients’ and physicians’ satisfaction with pain control and physician-assessed analgesic adequacy were significantly different across countries (P<0.001 for all). Conclusions. Despite pain-related problems with sleep and quality of life, patients were generally satisfied with their pain control status. Interestingly, physicians were more likely to be dissatisfied with patients’ pain control. Enhanced patient-physician communication, physicians’ proactivity in managing opioid-induced adverse effects, and accessibility of analgesics have been identified to be crucial for successful cancer pain management. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT02664987).
Analysis of ROR1 Protein Expression in Mice with Reconstituted Human Immune System Components
Authors: Leung Carol S.
Published: April 2018

Receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1) is an oncofetal antigen expressed on multiple tumors and has no significant expression on normal human tissues. ROR1 is highly upregulated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) B cells. NOD-scid IL2rg−/− (NSG) mice engrafted with human CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (huNSG) achieved multilineage human immune cell reconstitution including B cells, T cells, NK cells, and DCs. Like the CLL patients, huNSG mice have abnormally high percentage of CD5-expressing B cells in the periphery. In light of this, we aim to determine whether ROR1 is expressed on huNSG B cells. Using flow cytometry analysis, we found that ROR1 was highly expressed in a proportion of bone marrow, spleen, and blood B cells, which were mostly immature B cells. Transplantation of the oncogene TCL-1-transduced CD34+ cells in neonatal NSG mice did not increase the frequency of ROR1-expressing B cells, but the mouse with the highest engraftment of transduced cells developed a tumor-like lump consisting of a high percentage of ROR1-expressing B cells. This study highlights the potential use of huNSG mice to study B cell malignant diseases and to evaluate immunotherapeutics targeting ROR1.
Hydrogen Water Drinking Exerts Antifatigue Effects in Chronic Forced Swimming Mice via Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Activities
Authors: Ara Jesmin , Fadriquela Ailyn , Ahmed Md Faruk , Bajgai Johny , Sajo Ma Easter Joy , Lee Sung Pyo , Kim Tae Su , Jung Jin Young , Kim Cheol Su , Kim Soo-Ki , Shim Kwang Yong , Lee Kyu-Jae
Published: April 2018

Purpose. This study was performed to evaluate antifatigue effect of hydrogen water (HW) drinking in chronic forced exercise mice model. Materials and Methods. Twelve-week-old C57BL6 female mice were divided into nonstressed normal control (NC) group and stressed group: (purified water/PW-treated group and HW-treated group). Stressed groups were supplied with PW and HW, respectively, ad libitum and forced to swim for the stress induction every day for 4 consecutive weeks. Gross antifatigue effects of HW were assessed by swimming endurance capacity (once weekly for 4 wk), metabolic activities, and immune-redox activities. Metabolic activities such as blood glucose, lactate, glycogen, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as well as immune-redox activities such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase, and the related cytokines were evaluated to elucidate underlying mechanism. Blood glucose and lactate were measured at 0 wk (before swimming) and 4 wk (after swimming). Results. HW group showed a higher swimming endurance capacity (p<0.001) than NC and PW groups. Positive metabolic effects in HW group were revealed by the significant reduction of blood glucose, lactate, and BUN in serum after 4 wk (p<0.01, resp.), as well as the significant increase of liver glycogen (p<0.001) and serum LDH (p<0.05) than PW group. In parallel, redox balance was represented by lower NO in serum (p<0.01) and increased level of GPx in both serum and liver (p<0.05) than PW group. In line, the decreased levels of serum TNF-α (p<0.01), IL-6, IL-17, and liver IL-1β (p<0.05) in HW group revealed positive cytokine profile compared to PW and NC group. Conclusion. This study shows antifatigue effects of HW drinking in chronic forced swimming mice via metabolic coordination and immune-redox balance. In that context, drinking HW could be applied to the alternative and safety fluid remedy for chronic fatigue control.
Development of the ECAT Preprocessor with the Trust Communication Approach
Authors: Ovaz Akpinar Kevser , Ozcelik Ibrahim
Published: April 2018

In the past several years, attacks over industrial control systems (ICS) have become increasingly frequent and sophisticated. The most common objectives of these types of attacks are controlling/monitoring the physical process, manipulating programmable controllers, or affecting the integrity of software and networking equipment. As one of the widely applied protocols in the ICS world, EtherCAT is an Ethernet-based protocol; thus, it is exposed to both TCP/IP and ICS-specific attacks. In this paper, we analyze EtherCAT field-level communication principles from the security viewpoint focusing on the protocol vulnerabilities, which have been rarely analyzed previously. Our research showed that it lacks the most common security parameters, such as authentication, encryption, and authorization, and is open to Media Access Control (MAC) spoofing, data injection, and other advanced attacks, which require superior skills. To prevent, detect, and reduce attacks over the EtherCAT-based critical systems, first, we improved the open-source Snort intrusion detection/prevention system (IDS/IPS) to support packets that are not processed over transport and network layers. Second, by incorporating a vulnerability analysis, we proposed the EtherCAT (ECAT) preprocessor. Third, we introduced a novel approach called trust-node identification and applied the approach as three rules into the preprocessor. In this sense, the ECAT preprocessor differs from other supported ICS preprocessors in the literature, such as DNP3 and Modbus/TCP. Besides supporting traditional rule expansion, it is also able to handle layer 2 packets and to apply deep packet inspection on EtherCAT packets using the trust-node approach. This method first identifies engineering-station approved nodes based on EtherCAT network information (ENI) configuration files and then deeply inspects incoming packets, considering protocol specifications. The improvements and approach have been tested on the physically developed testbed environment and we have proved that proposals can detect related attacks and provide a basic level of security over the EtherCAT-implemented systems.
Postural Stability Evaluation of Patients Undergoing Vestibular Schwannoma Microsurgery Employing the Inertial Measurement Unit
Authors: Kutilek Patrik , Svoboda Zdenek , Cakrt Ondrej , Hana Karel , Chovanec Martin
Published: April 2018

The article focuses on a noninvasive method and system of quantifying postural stability of patients undergoing vestibular schwannoma microsurgery. Recent alternatives quantifying human postural stability are rather limited. The major drawback is that the posturography system can evaluate only two physical quantities of body movement and can be measured only on a transverse plane. A complex movement pattern can be, however, described more precisely while using three physical quantities of 3-D movement. This is the reason why an inertial measurement unit (Xsens MTx unit), through which we obtained 3-D data (three Euler angles or three orthogonal accelerations), was placed on the patient’s trunk. Having employed this novel method based on the volume of irregular polyhedron of 3-D body movement during quiet standing, it was possible to evaluate postural stability. To identify and evaluate pathological balance control of patients undergoing vestibular schwannoma microsurgery, it was necessary to calculate the volume polyhedron using the 3-D Leibniz method and to plot three variables against each other. For the needs of this study, measurements and statistical analysis were made on nine patients. The results obtained by the inertial measurement unit showed no evidence of improvement in postural stability shortly after surgery (4 days). The results were consistent with the results obtained by the posturography system. The evaluated translation variables (acceleration) and rotary variables (angles) measured by the inertial measurement unit correlate strongly with the results of the posturography system. The proposed method and application of the inertial measurement unit for the purpose of measuring patients with vestibular schwannoma appear to be suitable for medical practice. Moreover, the inertial measurement unit is portable and, when compared to other traditional posturography systems, economically affordable. Inertial measurement units can alternatively be implemented in mobile phones or watches.
The Extracellular Environment of the CNS: Influence on Plasticity, Sprouting, and Axonal Regeneration after Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Quraishe Shmma , Forbes Lindsey H. , Andrews Melissa R.
Published: April 2018

The extracellular environment of the central nervous system (CNS) becomes highly structured and organized as the nervous system matures. The extracellular space of the CNS along with its subdomains plays a crucial role in the function and stability of the CNS. In this review, we have focused on two components of the neuronal extracellular environment, which are important in regulating CNS plasticity including the extracellular matrix (ECM) and myelin. The ECM consists of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) and tenascins, which are organized into unique structures called perineuronal nets (PNNs). PNNs associate with the neuronal cell body and proximal dendrites of predominantly parvalbumin-positive interneurons, forming a robust lattice-like structure. These developmentally regulated structures are maintained in the adult CNS and enhance synaptic stability. After injury, however, CSPGs and tenascins contribute to the structure of the inhibitory glial scar, which actively prevents axonal regeneration. Myelin sheaths and mature adult oligodendrocytes, despite their important role in signal conduction in mature CNS axons, contribute to the inhibitory environment existing after injury. As such, unlike the peripheral nervous system, the CNS is unable to revert to a “developmental state” to aid neuronal repair. Modulation of these external factors, however, has been shown to promote growth, regeneration, and functional plasticity after injury. This review will highlight some of the factors that contribute to or prevent plasticity, sprouting, and axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury.
Immune Response and Partial Protection against Heterologous Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Induced by Dendrimer Peptides in Cattle
Authors: Soria I. , Quattrocchi V. , Langellotti C. , Pérez-Filgueira M. , Pega J. , Gnazzo V. , Romera S. , Schammas J. , Bucafusco D. , Di Giacomo S. , de la Torre Beatriz G. , Andreu D. , Sobrino F. , Blanco E. , Zamorano P.
Published: April 2018

Synthetic peptides mimicking protective B- and T-cell epitopes are good candidates for safer, more effective FMD vaccines. Nevertheless, previous studies of immunization with linear peptides showed that they failed to induce solid protection in cattle. Dendrimeric peptides displaying two or four copies of a peptide corresponding to the B-cell epitope VP1 [136–154] of type O FMDV (O/UKG/11/2001) linked through thioether bonds to a single copy of the T-cell epitope 3A [21–35] (termed B2T and B4T, resp.) afforded protection in vaccinated pigs. In this work, we show that dendrimeric peptides B2T and B4T can elicit specific humoral responses in cattle and confer partial protection against the challenge with a heterologous type O virus (O1/Campos/Bra/58). This protective response correlated with the induction of specific T-cells as well as with an anamnestic antibody response upon virus challenge, as shown by the detection of virus-specific antibody-secreting cells (ASC) in lymphoid tissues distal from the inoculation point.
Treatment Efficacy and Compliance in Patients with Diabetic Macular Edema Treated with Ranibizumab in a Real-Life Setting
Authors: Best Anne-Laurence , Fajnkuchen Franck , Nghiem-Buffet Sylvia , Grenet Typhaine , Quentel Gabriel , Delahaye-Mazza Corinne , Cohen Salomon Y. , Giocanti-Aurégan Audrey
Published: April 2018

Purpose. To assess real-life efficacy of ranibizumab and treatment compliance of patients with vision loss secondary to diabetic macular edema (DME). Methods. A retrospective study was conducted in DME patients treated with ranibizumab. Patients were monitored every 4 weeks for visual acuity (VA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) by SD-OCT. All patients received a loading dose of 3 monthly injections followed by retreatments on an as-needed basis. The primary endpoint was the change in VA at M12. Patient compliance to the follow-up and the correlation between the injection number and VA were also investigated. Compliance was compared to that of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) patients. Results. Seventy-two eyes of 55 consecutive DME patients were included. At baseline, the mean VA was 56.5 letters and CRT was 470 μm. At M12, the mean VA was 63.4 letters (p<0.0001), 31.1% of patients had a VA > 70 letters, the mean VA change was +6.9 letters, and the mean CRT was 361.9 μm (p=0.0001) after a mean number of 5.33 intravitreal injections. In patients who received ≥7 injections, the VA gain and final VA were significantly higher than in patients who received <7 injections. At M12, 25.45% of DME patients were lost to follow-up versus 16.8% of nAMD patients (n=55). Discussion/Conclusion. Our study confirms the real-life efficacy of ranibizumab in DME at M12 and the need for a large number of injections to achieve better visual outcomes. We also showed a trend to a lower compliance in diabetic versus nAMD patients.
Good Tolerance of Citrate Accumulation due to Plasma Exchange among Patients with Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure: A Prospective, Observational Study
Authors: Ma Yuanji , Xu Yan , Chen Fang , Wang Ying , Bai Lang , Tang Hong
Published: April 2018

Aim. To assess the tolerance of citrate accumulation due to plasma exchange (PE) among patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Methods. A prospective, observational study was conducted among patients with ACLF who received heparin anticoagulation during PE-centered therapy without filtration and dialysis. Citrate accumulation was defined as the value of total calcium (Catot) to ionized calcium (Caion) ratio (Catot/Caion) greater than or equal to 2.5 (Catot/Caion≥2.5). Results. Fifty-four patients were enrolled. The mean age and MELD score were 50.0 ± 11.3 years old and 25 ± 7, respectively. Thirty-three patients had liver cirrhosis. The total 3-month survival rate was 57.4% (31/54). The mean Catot/Caion at the time before PE was 2.05 ± 0.14. Catot/Caion≥2.5 occurred in 100.0% (54/54) and 29.6% (16/54) of patients with mean Catot/Caion of 4.34 ± 1.52 and 2.36 ± 0.32 immediately after PE and 1 hour after PE, respectively, and these levels were much higher than those before PE (p<0.01). However, all values returned to lower than 2.5 by the next morning with no difference from those before PE (2.10 ± 0.14 versus 2.05 ± 0.14, p>0.05). Hypocalcemia (ionized calcium) and mild alkalosis were the main metabolic alterations. No symptoms associated with hypocalcemia occurred. Conclusions. Citrate accumulation is well tolerated by patients with ACLF who receive PE-centered therapy without filtration and dialysis. This study is regeristed with ChiCTR-OOC-17013618.
Zinc Promotes Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Proliferation and Differentiation towards a Neuronal Fate
Authors: Moon Mi-Young , Kim Hyun Jung , Choi Bo Young , Sohn Min , Chung Tae Nyoung , Suh Sang Won
Published: April 2018

Zinc is an essential element required for cell division, migration, and proliferation. Under zinc-deficient conditions, proliferation and differentiation of neural progenitors are significantly impaired. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) are multipotent stem cells that can differentiate into neurons. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of zinc on AD-MSC proliferation and differentiation. We initially examined the effect of zinc on stem cell proliferation at the undifferentiated stage. AD-MSCs showed high proliferation rates on day 6 in 30 μM and 100 μM of ZnCl2. Zinc chelation inhibited AD-MSC proliferation via downregulation of ERK1/2 activity. We then assessed whether zinc was involved in cell migration and neurite outgrowth during differentiation. After three days of neuronal differentiation, TUJ-1-positive cells were observed, implying that AD-MSCs had differentiated into early neuron or neuron-like cells. Neurite outgrowth was increased in the zinc-treated group, while the CaEDTA-treated group showed diminished, shrunken neurites. Furthermore, we showed that zinc promoted neurite outgrowth via the inactivation of RhoA and led to the induction of neuronal gene expression (MAP2 and nestin) in differentiated stem cells. Taken together, zinc promoted AD-MSC proliferation and affected neuronal differentiation, mainly by increasing neurite outgrowth.
Comparing Digital Phase-Locked Loop and Kalman Filter for Clock Tracking in Ultrawideband Location System
Authors: Gao Qian , Shen Chong , Zhang Kun
Published: April 2018

For timing and synchronization system, digital phase-locked loop (DPLL) and Kalman filter all have been widely used as the clock tracking and clock correction schemes for the similar structure and properties. This paper compares the two schemes used for ultrawideband (UWB) location system. The improved Kalman filter is more immune to interference.
Snacking Behaviour and Its Determinants among College-Going Students in Coastal South India
Authors: Mithra Prasanna , Unnikrishnan Bhaskaran , Thapar Rekha , Kumar Nithin , Hegde Sharana , Mangaldas Kamat Anjali , Kulkarni Vaman , Holla Ramesh , Darshan B. B. , Tanuj Kanchan , Guddattu Vasudev , Kumar Avinash
Published: April 2018

Background. Consumption of snacks in between the regular meals is a poor snacking behaviour. It is an established risk factor for several lifestyle-related disorders and has long-term effects among the younger individuals. Objectives. To study the snacking behaviour and to assess their determinants among college-going students. Methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 865 college-going students in Mangaluru. Data were collected using a pretested pro forma that was coded and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11.5. The chi-square test and random-effect logistic regression analyses were used. Results. Overall, there were 52.4% females and 47.6% males, and 76.8% of them were aged <20 years. More than half of the participants (54.3%) had the habit of snacking in between regular meals. Among them, a large proportion (78.7%) did not have any specific timings for snacking. Also, 51.1% of the students were snacking while watching TV, and 31.9% of them snacked while studying. Breakfast was the most commonly skipped meal (26.2%); of those missing the breakfast regularly, 123 (71.9%) had poor snacking behaviour. A significantly larger proportion of males had a higher frequency of snacking per day (69.3% versus 57.2%, p<0.0001) and consumed aerated drinks more frequently (22.6% versus 15.8%, p=0.011), skipped meals more often (58.6% versus 50.6%, p=0.022), and preferred adding fruits in snacks (78.1% versus 69.4%, p=0.005). Snacking frequency was proportionately higher among students of private colleges (73.6%) than that in the government colleges (55.1%). Participants from nonscience stream, nonvegetarians, and those with a tendency to skip the regular meals had significantly higher levels of poor snacking behaviour. Conclusions. The study population had a high level of poor snacking behaviour. Appropriate measures are needed among younger people to follow fixed eating patterns and avoid skipping of regular meals.
Risk Factors Associated with Severity of Nongenetic Intellectual Disability (Mental Retardation) among Children Aged 2–18 Years Attending Kenyatta National Hospital
Authors: Nemerimana Mathieu , Chege Margaret Njambi , Odhiambo Eunice Ajode
Published: April 2018

Background. Many of the nongenetic causal risk factors of intellectual disability (ID) can be prevented if they are identified early. There is paucity on information regarding potential risk factors associated with this condition in Kenya. This study aimed to establish risk factors associated with severity of nongenetic intellectual disability (ID) among children presenting with this condition at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). Methods. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted over the period between March and June 2017 in pediatric and child/youth mental health departments of Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Kenya. It included children aged 2–18 years diagnosed with ID without underlying known genetic cause. Results. Of 97 patients with nongenetic ID, 24% had mild ID, 40% moderate, 23% severe-profound, and 10% unspecified ID. The mean age of children was 5.6 (±3.6) years. Male children were predominant (62%). Three independent factors including “labor complications” [AOR = 9.45, 95% CI = 1.23–113.29, P=0.036], “admission to neonatal intensive care unit” [AOR = 8.09, 95% CI = 2.11–31.07, P=0.002], and “cerebral palsy” [AOR = 21.18, CI = 4.18–107.40, P≤0.001] were significantly associated with increased risk of severe/profound nongenetic ID. Conclusion. The present study findings suggest that perinatal complications as well as postnatal insults are associated with increased risk of developing severe-profound intellectual disability, implying that this occurrence may be reduced with appropriate antenatal, perinatal, and neonatal healthcare interventions.
The DNA of Bacteria of the World Ocean and the Earth in Cosmic Dust at the International Space Station
Authors: Grebennikova T. V. , Syroeshkin A. V. , Shubralova E. V. , Eliseeva O. V. , Kostina L. V. , Kulikova N. Y. , Latyshev O. E. , Morozova M. A. , Yuzhakov A. G. , Zlatskiy I. A. , Chichaeva M. A. , Tsygankov O. S.
Published: April 2018

Cosmic dust samples from the surface of the illuminator of the International Space Station (ISS) were collected by a crew member during his spacewalk. The sampler with tampon in a vacuum container was delivered to the Earth. Washouts from the tampon’s material and the tampon itself were analyzed for the presence of bacterial DNA by the method of nested PCR with primers specific to DNA of the genusMycobacteria, DNA of the strains of capsular bacteriaBacillus, and DNA encoding 16S ribosomal RNA. The results of amplification followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis indicated the presence of the bacteria of the genusMycobacteriaand the extreme bacterium of the genusDelftiain the samples of cosmic dust. It was shown that the DNA sequence of one of the bacteria of the genusMycobacteriawas genetically similar to that previously observed in superficial micro layer at the Barents and Kara seas’ coastal zones. The presence of the wild land and marine bacteria DNA on the ISS suggests their possible transfer from the stratosphere into the ionosphere with the ascending branch of the global electric circuit. Alternatively, the wild land and marine bacteria as well as the ISS bacteria may all have an ultimate space origin.
Stability of Oligosaccharides Derived from Lactose and Lactulose regarding Rheological and Thermal Properties
Authors: López-Sanz Sara , Moreno Rodrigo , de la Mata M. José , Moreno F. Javier , Villamiel Mar
Published: April 2018

Prebiotic carbohydrates derived from lactulose (OsLu) are appealing ingredients that provide beneficial effects following their fermentation by the gut microbiota; however, more investigation is needed to evaluate their technological properties and applicability as a functional food ingredient in the market. In this paper, a comparative study on the rheological and thermal behavior of OsLu and a commercial mixture of galactooligosaccharides (GOS) was carried out. In both cases, there was a strong influence of temperature and shear rate on viscosity. Viscosity of OsLu was higher than that of commercial GOS and variations and rheopexy cycles were also higher for OsLu. The exponential increase of viscosity associated with the structural changes took place later in OsLu than in commercial GOS, suggesting more stability to the shear over time in the former. More stability of OsLu was also observed in the study of the effect of temperature on viscosity. In addition, the thermal study indicated different behavior of both prebiotics under the assayed conditions, showing that OsLu have lower values of glass transition temperature (Tg) than commercial GOS and that commercial GOS are more sensible against humidity. The results here obtained provide important information on the treatment and storage conditions of these prebiotic ingredients during the elaboration of functional foods.
Detection Model for Seepage Behavior of Earth Dams Based on Data Mining
Authors: Jiang Zhenxiang , He Jinping
Published: April 2018

Seepage behavior detecting is an important tool for ensuring the safety of earth dams. However, traditional seepage behavior detection methods have used insufficient monitoring data and have mainly focused on single-point measures and local seepage behavior. The seepage behavior of dams is not quantitatively detected based on the monitoring data with multiple measuring points. Therefore, this study uses data mining techniques to analyze the monitoring data and overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings. The massive seepage monitoring data with multiple points are used as the research object. The key information on seepage behavior is extracted using principal component analysis. The correlation between seepage behavior and upstream water level is described as mutual information. A detection model for overall seepage behavior is established. Result shows that the model can completely extract the seepage monitoring data with multiple points and quantitatively detect the overall seepage behavior of earth dams. The proposed method can provide a new and reasonable means of quantitatively detecting the overall seepage behavior of earth dams.
Attribute-Based Anonymous Handover Authentication Protocol for Wireless Networks
Authors: Zeng Yongbin , Guang Hui , Li Guangsong
Published: April 2018

Mobile wireless networks are widely used in our daily lives. Seamless handover occurs frequently and how to guarantee security and efficiency during handover procedure is a major challenge. A handover authentication protocol with nice properties can achieve goals. Protocols proposed in recent years more or less have some security vulnerability. In this paper, we outline security requirements for handover authentication protocols and then propose an anonymous protocol based on a new attribute-based signature scheme. The proposed protocol realizes conditional privacy preserving, user revocation, and session key update as well as mutual authentication and anonymity. Besides, it achieves fine-grained access control due to attributes representing real identity. What is more, experiment shows the proposed protocol has a superior performance.
Frequency Variation of the AC Order Parameter Susceptibility of the Metamagnetic Ising Model
Authors: Gulpinar Gul
Published: April 2018

The extensive investigation of the absorptive and reactive parts of the AC order parameter susceptibility spectra of iron group dihalides, which is obtained on the basis of Onsager theory of irreversible processes, revealed the fact that the diagonal phenomenological rate coefficients γs and γm have an important impact on the nature of the order parameter relaxation process. The number of the relaxation peaks appearing in the double logarithmic plots of χs′′ versus field frequency ω and the number of plateau regions in χs′ spectrum depends on the values of γs and γm. Only for γs≫γm does the relaxation evolve from a simple Debye exponential at high temperatures to a two-step process at lower temperatures in which there exist two long relaxation times characterizing the relaxation of staggered magnetization. In parallel with these characteristics of the order parameter relaxation, Cole-Cole plots (χs′′-χs′) are shown to consist of two arcs in the metamagnetic phase and of a semicircle in the paramagnetic phase.
ELISA Development for Serum Hemeoxygenase-1 and Its Application to Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Authors: Hara Yu , Shinkai Masaharu , Taguri Masataka , Nagai Kenjiro , Hashimoto Satoru , Kaneko Takeshi
Published: April 2018

Background. Hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) is an essential enzyme in heme catabolism and has been proposed as a biomarker of lung disease prognosis. We modified a commercial HO-1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit to achieve higher sensitivity and evaluated if serum HO-1 could be a biomarker to predict the prognosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients.Methods. Serum samples were collected from 15 healthy volunteers to validate the modified ELISA. In the 22 patients with ARDS who were enrolled, serum HO-1 was measured upon diagnosis (D0) and at 7 days after diagnosis (D7).Results. The serum HO-1 concentration could be measured in all healthy volunteers. The intra- and interassay tests and the percentage recovery test were acceptable. Compared with normal control subjects, patients with ARDS had significantly higher D0 HO-1 concentrations (75.4 ng/mL versus 31.7 ng/mL,P<0.001). The 28-day survival was significantly better in patients with low D0 HO-1 (<75.8 ng/mL) than in those with high D0 HO-1 (≥75.8 ng/mL) (mortality rate: 18% versus 73%,P=0.016). Nonsurvivors had significantly higher D0 and D7 HO-1 concentrations than survivors (P<0.05).Conclusion. Serum HO-1 may be a useful biomarker to predict the prognosis of patients with ARDS.
YAP/TAZ Initiates Gastric Tumorigenesis via Upregulation of MYC
Authors: Choi Wonyoung , Kim Jeongsik , Park Jaeoh , Lee Da-Hye , Hwang Daehee , Kim Jeong-Hwan , Ashktorab Hassan , Smoot Duane , Kim Seon-Young , Choi Chan , Koh Gou Young , Lim Dae-Sik
Published: April 2018

YAP and TAZ play oncogenic roles in various organs, but the role of YAP/TAZ in gastric cancer remains unclear. Here, we show that YAP/TAZ activation initiates gastric tumorigenesis in vivo and verify its significance in human gastric cancer. In mice, YAP/TAZ activation in the pyloric stem cell led to step-wise tumorigenesis. RNA sequencing identified MYC as a decisive target of YAP, which controls MYC at transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. These mechanisms tightly regulated MYC in homeostatic conditions, but YAP activation altered this balance by impeding miRNA processing, causing a shift towards MYC upregulation. Pharmacologic inhibition of MYC suppressed YAP-dependent phenotypes in vitro and in vivo, verifying its functional role as a key mediator. Human gastric cancer samples also displayed a significant correlation between YAP and MYC. We reanalyzed human transcriptome data to verify enrichment of YAP signatures in a subpopulation of gastric cancers and found that our model closely reflected the molecular pattern of patients with high YAP activity. Overall, these results provide genetic evidence of YAP/TAZ as oncogenic initiators and drivers for gastric tumors with MYC as the key downstream mediator. These findings are also evident in human gastric cancer, emphasizing the significance of YAP/TAZ signaling in gastric carcinogenesis.

Significance: YAP/TAZ activation initiates gastric carcinogenesis with MYC as the key downstream mediator. Cancer Res; 78(12); 3306–20. ©2018 AACR.
Geographic Differences in Baseline Prostate Inflammation and Relationship with Subsequent Prostate Cancer Risk: Results from the Multinational REDUCE Trial
Authors: Allott Emma H. , Markt Sarah C. , Howard Lauren E. , Vidal Adriana C. , Moreira Daniel M. , Castro-Santamaria Ramiro , Andriole Gerald L. , Mucci Lorelei A. , Freedland Stephen J.
Published: April 2018

Background: Prostate cancer incidence rates vary 25-fold worldwide. Differences in PSA screening are largely, but not entirely, responsible. We examined geographic differences in prevalence of histologic prostate inflammation and subsequent prostate cancer risk.

Methods: Seven thousand nonHispanic white men were enrolled in the REduction by DUtasteride of prostate Cancer Events (REDUCE) trial from Europe (n = 4,644), North America (n = 1,746), South America (n = 466), and Australia/New Zealand (n = 144). Histologic inflammation in baseline negative prostate biopsies was classified as chronic (lymphocytes/macrophages) or acute (neutrophils). Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine associations between region and prostate inflammation, and between region and prostate cancer risk at 2-year biopsy.

Results: Prevalence of prostate inflammation varied across region, with broadly similar patterns for acute and chronic inflammation. Relative to Europe, prevalence of acute inflammation was higher in North America [odds ratio (OR), 1.77; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.51–2.08] and Australia/New Zealand (OR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.40–3.06). Men from these regions had lower prostate cancer risk than Europeans at biopsy. Among North Americans, prevalence of acute inflammation was higher in Canada versus the United States (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.07–1.83), but prostate cancer risk did not differ between these regions. Among Europeans, prevalence of acute inflammation was lower in Northern and Eastern (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.65–0.97 and OR 0.62; 95% CI, 0.45–0.87, respectively), relative to Western Europe, and these men had higher prostate cancer risk at biopsy.

Conclusions: Prevalence of histologic prostate inflammation varied by region. Geographic differences in prostate inflammation tracked inversely with geographic differences in prostate cancer risk.

Impact: Characterization of premalignant prostate biology and the relationship with subsequent prostate cancer risk could inform prostate cancer prevention efforts. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(7); 783–9. ©2018 AACR.
Acquired Resistance of ER-Positive Breast Cancer to Endocrine Treatment Confers an Adaptive Sensitivity to TRAIL through Posttranslational Downregulation of c-FLIP
Authors: Piggott Luke , Silva Andreia , Robinson Timothy , Santiago-Gómez Angelica , Simões Bruno M. , Becker Michael , Fichtner Iduna , Andera Ladislav , Young Philippa , Morris Christine , Barrett-Lee Peter , Alchami Fouad , Piva Marco , Vivanco Maria dM. , Clarke Robert B. , Gee Julia , Clarkson Richard
Published: April 2018

Purpose: One third of ER-positive breast cancer patients who initially respond to endocrine therapy become resistant to treatment. Such treatment failure is associated with poor prognosis and remains an area of unmet clinical need. Here, we identify a specific posttranslational modification that occurs during endocrine resistance and which results in tumor susceptibility to the apoptosis-inducer TRAIL. This potentially offers a novel stratified approach to targeting endocrine-resistant breast cancer.

Experimental Design: Cell line and primary-derived xenograft models of endocrine resistance were investigated for susceptibility to TRAIL. Tumor viability, cancer stem cell (CSC) viability (tumorspheres), tumor growth kinetics, and metastatic burden were assessed. Western blots for the TRAIL-pathway inhibitor, c-FLIP, and upstream regulators were performed. Results were confirmed in primary culture of 26 endocrine-resistant and endocrine-naïve breast tumors.

Results: Breast cancer cell lines with acquired resistance to tamoxifen (TAMR) or faslodex were more sensitive to TRAIL than their endocrine-sensitive controls. Moreover, TRAIL eliminated CSC-like activity in TAMR cells, resulting in prolonged remission of xenografts in vivo. In primary culture, TRAIL significantly depleted CSCs in 85% endocrine-resistant, compared with 8% endocrine-naïve, tumors, whereas systemic administration of TRAIL in endocrine-resistant patient-derived xenografts reduced tumor growth, CSC-like activity, and metastases. Acquired TRAIL sensitivity correlated with a reduction in intracellular levels of c-FLIP, and an increase in Jnk-mediated phosphorylation of E3-ligase, ITCH, which degrades c-FLIP.

Conclusions: These results identify a novel mechanism of acquired vulnerability to an extrinsic cell death stimulus, in endocrine-resistant breast cancers, which has both therapeutic and prognostic potential. Clin Cancer Res; 24(10); 2452–63. ©2018 AACR.
Unique Heterogeneous Topological Pattern of the Metabolic Landscape in Rabbit Fetal Lungs following Tracheal Occlusion
Authors: Marwan Ahmed I. , Shabeka Uladzimir , Reisz Julie A. , Zheng Connie , Serkova Natalie J. , Dobrinskikh Evgenia
Published: April 2018

Introduction: Fetal tracheal occlusion (TO) is currently an experimental approach to drive accelerated lung growth. It is stimulated by mechanotransduction that results in increased cellular proliferation and growth. However, it is currently unknown how TO affects the metabolic landscape of fetal lungs. Materials and Methods: TO or sham was performed on fetal rabbits at 26 days followed by lung harvest on day 30. Mass spectrometry was performed to evaluate global metabolic changes. Fluorescence lifetime intensity microscopy (FLIM) was performed to estimate local free/bound NADH relative ratio as an indicator of aerobic glycolysis versus oxidative phosphorylation (glycolysis/OXPHOS). Results: TO results in a metabolic shift from tricarboxylic acid cycle towards glycolysis. FLIM reveals uniform structures in control lungs characterized by similar ratios of free/bound NADH indicating a homogenous topological pattern. Similar uniform structures are observed in shams with some variability in the glycolysis/OXPHOS ratio. In contrast, lungs following TO demonstrate different types of unique distinct topological zones: one with enlarged alveoli and a shift towards glycolysis; the other maintains balance between glycolysis/OXPHOS similar to control lungs. Conclusion: We demonstrate for the first time a unique variable topological pattern of metabolism in fetal lungs following TO with a wide variation of metabolism between zones.
Clinical Significance of miR-210 and its Prospective Signaling Pathways in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Evidence from Gene Expression Omnibus and the Cancer Genome Atlas Data Mining with 2763 Samples and Validation via Real-Time Quantitative PCR
Authors: He Rong-quan , Cen Wei-luan , Cen Jie-mei , Cen Wei-ning , Li Jia-yi , Li Mei-wei , Gan Ting-qing , Hu Xiao-hua , Chen Gang
Published: April 2018

Background/Aims: Since the function of microRNA (miR)-210 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear, we aimed to explore the clinical significance of miR-210 in NSCLC. Methods: NSCLC-related data from 1673 samples on Gene Expression Omnibus and 1090 samples on The Cancer Genome Atlas were obtained and analyzed. The expression level of miR-210 was validated via real-time quantitative PCR analysis with 125 paired clinical samples. A meta-analysis was performed to generate a comprehensive understanding of miR-210 expression and its clinical significance in NSCLC. In addition, bioinformatics analysis was also conducted to reveal the potential underlying mechanism of miR-210 action in NSCLC. Results: miR-210 expression was consistently elevated in NSCLC solid tissue samples. However, its expression was controversial in easily obtained body fluids (i.e., blood, plasma, and serum). Moreover, an overall pooled meta-analysis implied a comparatively higher level of miR-210 expression in NSCLC cancerous tissue than in normal control tissue (P < 0.001). In addition, a meta-analysis of outcome revealed a significant diagnostic capacity of miR-210 in NSCLC by detecting its expression in serum and sputum (area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve 0.82 and 0.81, respectively). miR-210 overexpression was associated with poor progression-free survival (PFS) in NSCLC and was negatively related to overall survival and disease-free survival. Bioinformatic gene enrichment and annotation analyses showed that the target genes of miR-210 were greatly enriched in cell adhesion and plasma membrane, and three pathways were considered to be the main functional circuits of miR-210: renin secretion, the cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, and cell adhesion molecules. Conclusion: In NSCLC, miR-210 expression was elevated and overexpression indicated poor PFS. Expression level of miR-210 in serum and sputum showed significant diagnostic value for NSCLC.
Palmitate Activates CCL4 Expression in Human Monocytic Cells via TLR4/MyD88 Dependent Activation of NF-κB/MAPK/ PI3K Signaling Systems
Authors: Kochumon Shihab , Wilson Ajit , Chandy Betty , Shenouda Steve , Tuomilehto Jaakko , Sindhu Sardar , Ahmad Rasheed
Published: April 2018

Background/Aims: Obesity is associated with adipose tissue inflammation which plays a key role in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Saturated free fatty acids (SFAs) levels are found to be elevated in obesity and T2D. Chemokines are known to have potent inflammatory functions in a wide range of biological processes linked to immunological disorders. Since CCL4 (Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 4), also known as macrophage inflammatory protein-1β (MIP-1β), plays an important role in the migration of monocytes into the adipose tissue, we investigated the expression of CCL4 in monocytic cells/macrophages following activation with free fatty acid palmitate. Methods: Human monocytic cell line THP-1 and macrophages derived from THP-1 and primary monocytes were stimulated with palmitate and LPS (positive control). CCL4 expression and secretion were measured with real time RT-PCR and ELISA respectively. Signaling pathways were identified by using THP-1-XBlueTM cells, THP-1-XBlueTM-defMyD cells, anti-TLR4 mAb and TLR4 siRNA. Results: Palmitate induces CCL4 expression at both mRNA and protein levels in human monocytic cells. Palmitate-induced CCL4 production was markedly suppressed by neutralizing anti-TLR-4 antibody. Additionally, silencing of TLR4 by siRNA also significantly suppressed the palmitate-induced up-regulation of CCL4. MyD88-deficient cells did not express CCL4 in response to palmitate treatment. Inhibition of NF-kB and MAPK pathways suppressed the palmitate mediated induction of CCL4. Moreover, induction of CCL4 was blocked by PI3 Kinase inhibitors LY294002 and wortmannin. Conclusion: Collectively, our results show that palmitate induces CCL4 expression via activation of the TLR4-MyD88/NF-kB/MAPK/ PI3K signaling cascade. Thus, our findings suggest that the palmitate-induced CCL4 production might be an underlying mechanism of metabolic inflammation.