bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanics in human fibroblasts and progeria: Lamin A mutation E145K results in stiffening of nuclei
Authors: Apte Ketaki , Stick Reimer , Radmacher Manfred
Published: September 2016

The lamina is a filamentous meshwork beneath the inner nuclear membrane that confers mechanical stability to nuclei. The E145K mutation in lamin A causes Hutchinson‐Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS). It affects lamin filament assembly and induces profound changes in the nuclear architecture. Expression of wild‐type and E145K lamin A in Xenopus oocytes followed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) probing of isolated oocyte nuclei has shown significant changes in the mechanical properties of the lamina. Nuclei of oocytes expressing E145K lamin A are stiffer than those expressing wild‐type lamin A. Here we present mechanical measurements by AFM on dermal fibroblasts obtained from a 4‐year‐old progeria patient bearing the E145K lamin A mutation and compared it to fibroblasts obtained from 2 healthy donors of 10 and 61 years of age, respectively. The abnormal shape of nuclei expressing E145K lamin A was analyzed by fluorescence microscopy. Lamina thickness was measured using electron micrographs. Fluorescence microscopy showed alterations in the actin network of progeria cells. AFM probing of whole dermal fibroblasts did not demonstrate significant differences in the elastic moduli of nuclear and cytoplasmic cell regions. In contrast, AFM measurements of isolated nuclei showed that nuclei of progeria and old person's cells are significantly stiffer than those of the young person, indicating that the process of aging, be it natural or abnormal, increases nuclear stiffness. Our results corroborate AFM data obtained using Xenopus oocyte nuclei and prove that the presence of E145K lamin A abnormally increases nuclear stiffness.
Rhinovirus C is associated with wheezing and rhinovirus A is associated with pneumonia in hospitalized children in Morocco
Authors: Annamalay Alicia A. , Jroundi Imane , Bizzintino Joelene , Khoo Siew‐Kim , Zhang Guicheng , Lehmann Deborah , Laing Ingrid A. , Gern James , Goldblatt Jack , Mahraoui Chafiq , Benmessaoud Rachid , Moraleda Cinta , Bassat Quique , Le Souëf Peter
Published: September 2016

Human rhinovirus (RV) is commonly associated with severe acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) in children. We aimed to describe the distribution of RV species and associations between RV species and clinical features in children hospitalized with clinically severe pneumonia (CSP) in Morocco. Nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) were collected from 700 children, 2–59 months of age, admitted with CSP to the Hôpital d'Enfants de Rabat in Morocco. At least one respiratory virus was identified in 92% of children, of which RV was the most common (53%). PCR assays, sequencing, and phylogenetic tree analyses were carried out on 183 RV‐positive NPAs to determine RV species and genotypes. Of 157 successfully genotyped NPAs, 60 (38.2%) were RV‐A, 8 (5.1%) were RV‐B, and 89 (56.7%) were RV‐C. Wheezing and cyanosis were more common in RV‐C‐positive than RV‐A‐positive children (80.9% vs. 56.7%; P = 0.001 for wheezing and 10.1% vs. 0%; P = 0.011 for cyanosis). Physician's discharge diagnosis of pneumonia was more frequent among RV‐A‐positive (40.0%) than RV‐C‐positive children (20.2%; P = 0.009). RV‐A and RV‐C showed distinct seasonal patterns. Our findings suggest that RV‐C is associated with wheezing illness while RV‐A is associated with pneumonia. J. Med. Virol. 89:582–588, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Rapid and efficient enantioseparation of (S)‐amlodipine by surface‐imprinted core–shell polymer microspheres
Authors: Lai Shenzhi , Chen Chunyan , Ouyang Xiaoli , Qin Yanru , Cai Changqun , Chen Xiaoming
Published: September 2016

We present a protocol for the preparation of surface‐imprinted polymer microspheres by core–shell precipitation polymerization for the enantioseparation of (S)‐amlodipine. In this work, submicron mesoporous silica microspheres were prepared with gemini cationic surfactant as soft template. Molecularly imprinted polymers were coated on the silica supports with a low level of crosslinking, and the thickness of the thin‐walled imprinted shell was about 45 nm. The material showed fast binding kinetics for (S)‐amlodipine (within only 20 min for complete equilibrium), and the saturation adsorption capacity reached 309.2 mg/g, indicating the good accessibility of binding sites and improved mass transfer for target molecule. The imprinted microspheres exhibited an appreciable enantiomeric excess of (S)‐amlodipine of 11.3% when used as a glass chromatography column for the enantioseparation of (S)‐amlodipine from amlodipine besylate without extra chiral additives. The surface‐imprinted materials display potentially amplification for industrial enantioseparation of (S)‐amlodipine.
Promoting Cardiomyogenesis of hBMSC with a Forming Self‐Assembly hBMSC Microtissues/HA‐GRGD/SF‐PCL Cardiac Patch Is Mediated by the Synergistic Functions of HA‐GRGD
Authors: Chung Tze‐Wen , Lo Hsin‐Yu , Chou Tzung‐Han , Chen Jan‐Hou , Wang Shoei‐Shen
Published: September 2016

Bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cell microtissues (BMSCMT) enhanced cardiomyogenesis in vitro and cardiac repairs of myocardial infarcted hearts in vivo are documented. Producing human BMSCMT onto patches in vitro for cardiac tissue engineering has not been reported. For possibly producing human bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cell microtissues (hBMSCMT) on an elastic silk fibroin (SF)‐poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) based patches is hereby designed. After an elastic SF‐PCL (SP) patch is fabricated, hyaluronic acid (HA)/SF‐PCL(HSP) and HA‐GRGD/SF‐PCL(HGSP) patches are fabricated by photochemically grafting HA and HA‐GRGD onto SP surfaces. The results show that the proliferations of hBMSC on HGSP patches significantly exceed those on the other patches, as determined by 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐5‐(3‐carboxymethoxyphenyl)‐2‐(4‐sulfophenyl)‐2H‐tetrazolium assay. Notably, the formation of 5‐aza inducing cardiomyogenic differentiations of hBMSCMT/HGSP patches is observed with typical sizes of ≈317 μm wide and 26 μm high. The cardiomyogenesis of hBMSCMT/HGSP patches including the expressions of cardiac‐specific genes (e.g., Gata4) and proteins (e.g., connexin43 (CX43)) significantly exceeds those of hBMSC monolayer on the HSP and SP patches. Promoting in vitro cardiomyogenesis of hBMSC with forming cardiomyogenic differentiation of hBMSCMT/HGSP hybrid patch is possibly mediated by the synergistic functions of HA‐GRGD on enhancing the activity of F‐actin. The hBMSCMT/HGSP cardiac patch may be further employed to cardiac tissue engineering.

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Synthesis of Polylactide‐Based Core–Shell Interface Cross‐Linked Micelles for Anticancer Drug Delivery
Authors: Chen Chih‐Kuang , Lin Wei‐Jen , Hsia Yu , Lo Leu‐Wei
Published: September 2016

Well‐defined poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐allyl functional polylactide‐b‐polylactides (PEG‐APLA‐PLAs) are synthesized through sequential ring‐opening polymerization. PEG‐APLA‐PLAs that have amphiphilic properties and reactive allyl side chains on their intermediate blocks are successfully transferred to core–shell interface cross‐linked micelles (ICMs) by micellization and UV‐initiated irradiation. ICMs have demonstrated enhanced colloidal stability in physiological‐mimicking media. Hydrophobic molecules such as Nile Red or doxorubicin (Dox) are readily loaded into ICMs; the resulting drug‐ICM formulations possess slow and sustained drug release profiles under physiological‐mimicking conditions. ICMs exhibit negligible cytotoxicity in human uterine sarcoma cancer cells by using biodegradable aliphatic polyester as the hydrophobic segments. Relative to free Dox, Dox‐loaded ICMs show a reduced cytotoxicity due to the late intracellular release of Dox from ICMs. Overall, ICMs represent a new type of biodegradable cross‐linked micelle and can be employed as a promising platform for delivering a broad variety of hydrophobic drugs.

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Iron Binding and Iron Removal Efficiency of Desferrioxamine Based Polymeric Iron Chelators: Influence of Molecular Size and Chelator Density
Authors: Hamilton Jasmine L. , ul‐haq Muhammad Imran , Creagh A. Louise , Haynes Charles A. , Kizhakkedathu Jayachandran N.
Published: September 2016

Desferrioxamine (DFO) is a clinically approved, high affinity iron chelator used for the treatment of iron overload. Due to its short half‐life and toxicity, DFO is administered for 8–12 h per day, 5–7 d per week. In this manuscript, the influence of molecular properties of hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG)‐DFO conjugates on their iron binding by isothermal titration calorimetry, iron removal efficiency from ferritin in presence and absence of a low molecular weight (MW) iron chelator, and protection against iron mediated oxidation of proteins is reported. The iron binding properties of HPG‐DFO are slightly altered with size and DFO density of conjugates. The lower MW conjugate shows greater iron removal efficiency at room temperature, however, the efficacy of high MW conjugates increases at physiological temperature. The iron removal from ferritin by HPG‐DFO conjugates increases significantly in presence of a low MW chelator, suggesting the potential of combination therapy. The molecular properties of the polymer scaffold also have influence on the prevention of iron mediated oxidation of proteins by the conjugates. The results therefore help to define the iron binding thermodynamics of HPG‐DFO and their dependence on MW, and can be extended to improve the general understanding of polymeric chelator‐iron interactions in situ.

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A New Approach to Supertough Poly(lactic acid): A High Temperature Reactive Blending
Authors: Yuryev Yury , Mohanty Amar K. , Misra Manjusri
Published: September 2016

A novel approach to PLA toughening is proposed in this study. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is toughened using poly(ethylene‐n‐butylene‐acrylate‐co‐glycydyl methacrylate) (EBA‐GMA) as a reactive compatibilizer with the aid of an epoxy‐based chain extender. It is found that the toughening effect of EBA‐GMA in the binary blend investigated is strongly influenced by blending temperature. Blending at high temperatures which are non‐typical for PLA processing (over 250 °C) allows toughness to be increased by an order of magnitude when compared to the toughness of blends prepared at low temperatures (below 200 °C). This effect is attributed to a combination of factors, namely an increasing rate of reactive bonding between PLA and EBA‐GMA at elevated temperatures and enhanced interfacial adhesion between PLA and EBA‐GMA phases. DSC studies show that PLA/EBA‐GMA bonding on the interface acts as an efficient nucleator for PLA. The nucleation ability of the PLA/EBA‐GMA interface strongly depends on blend processing temperature and gradually increases with increasing blending temperature. The PLA/EBA‐GMA interface shows its highest nucleation ability at 250 °C.

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Effect of Organoclay Ordering and Agglomeration on Morphology and Mechanical Properties of Uncured and Dynamically Cured Ethylene‐Octene Copolymer Nanocomposites
Authors: Razavi‐Nouri Mohammad , Sabet Alireza , Tayefi Masoud , Imeni Milad
Published: September 2016

In this work, the effects of organoclay (OMMT) and cross‐linking agent on thermal and mechanical properties as well as the morphology of dynamically cured nanocomposites based on ethylene‐octene copolymer are studied. The nanocomposites containing 1, 3, 5, and 7 wt% OMMT are first prepared and then cured with 0.5 and 1 wt% dicumyl peroxide. Low angle X‐ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy reveal that the size of clay tactoids is increased with the increase of OMMT content within the nanocomposites especially for the uncross‐linked matrix. In addition, the distance between adjacent clay layers is increased for the cured nanocomposites containing 1 and 3 wt% OMMT, however, it remains relatively unchanged for higher amounts of the nanofiller. In uncross‐linked systems, the nanocomposites containing up to 5 wt% OMMT exhibit a remarkable enhancement in stress and strain at break compared to that of the matrix alone. With the addition of further OMMT content, although the stress and strain at break are both decreased, still remained much higher than that of the pristine copolymer. A mechanism is also proposed to compare the microstructure of the uncured and cured nanocomposites before and after stretching.

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Weekday sunlight exposure, but not vitamin D intake, influences the association between vitamin D receptor genotype and circulating concentration 25‐hydroxyvitamin D in a pan‐European population: the Food4Me study
Authors: Livingstone Katherine M. , Celis‐Morales Carlos , Hoeller Ulrich , Lambrinou Christina P. , Moschonis George , Macready Anna L. , Fallaize Rosalind , Baur Manuela , Roos Franz F , Bendik Igor , Grimaldi Keith , Navas‐Carretero Santiago , San‐Cristobal Rodrigo , Weber Peter , Drevon Christian A. , Manios Yannis , Traczyk Iwona , Gibney Eileen R. , Lovegrove Julie A. , Saris Wim H. , Daniel Hannelore , Gibney Mike , Martinez J. Alfredo , Brennan Lorraine , Hill Tom R. , Mathers John C. ,   on behalf of the Food4Me Study
Published: September 2016

Scope

Little is known about diet– and environment–gene interactions on 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D concentration. This cross‐sectional study aimed to investigate (i) predictors of 25(OH)D concentration and relationships with vitamin D genotypes and (ii) whether dietary vitamin D intake and sunlight exposure modified these relationships.

Methods and results

Participants from the Food4Me study (n = 1312; age 18–79) were genotyped for vitamin D receptor (VDR) and vitamin D binding protein at baseline and a genetic risk score was calculated. Dried blood spot samples were assayed for 25(OH)D concentration and dietary and lifestyle information collected. Circulating 25(OH)D concentration was lower with increasing genetic risk score, lower in females than males, higher in supplement users than non‐users and higher in summer than winter. Carriage of the minor VDR allele was associated with lower 25(OH)D concentration in participants with the least sunlight exposure. Vitamin D genotype did not influence the relationship between vitamin D intake and 25(OH)D concentration.

Conclusion

Age, sex, dietary vitamin D intake, country, sunlight exposure, season, and vitamin D genetic risk score were associated with circulating 25(OH)D concentration in a pan‐European population. The relationship between VDR genotype and 25(OH)D concentration may be influenced by weekday sunlight exposure but not dietary vitamin D intake.
19F NMR matrix‐assisted DOSY: a versatile tool for differentiating fluorinated species in mixtures
Authors: Dal Poggetto Guilherme , Antunes Victor U. , Nilsson Mathias , Morris Gareth A. , Tormena Cláudio F.
Published: September 2016

NMR is the most versatile tool for the analysis of organic compounds and, in combination with Diffusion‐Ordered Spectroscopy (‘DOSY’), can give information on compounds in complex mixtures without the need for physical separation. In mixtures where the components' diffusion coefficients are nearly identical, for example because of similar sizes, Matrix‐Assisted DOSY (‘MAD’) can help separate the signals of different constituents, resolving their spectra. Unfortunately, DOSY (including MAD) typically fails where signals overlap, as is common in 1H NMR. Using 19F NMR avoids such problems, because the great sensitivity of the 19F chemical shift to local environment leads to very well‐dispersed spectra. Another advantage is the absence of any 19F background signals from the matrices typically used, avoiding interference with the analyte signals. In this study, differentiation among fluorophenol and fluoroaniline isomers was evaluated using normal and reverse micelles—of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT)—as matrices. These surfactants provide useful diffusion separation in these difficult mixtures, with all the solutes interacting with the matrices to different extents, in some cases leading to differences in diffusion coefficient of more than 30%. The best matrices for separating the signals of both acid and basic species were shown to be AOT and CTAB, which are useful over a wide range of surfactant concentration. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using laser capture microdissection to study fiber specific signaling in locomotor muscle in COPD: A pilot study
Authors: Mohan Divya , Lewis Amy , Patel Mehul S. , Curtis Katrina J. , Lee Jen Y. , Hopkinson Nicholas S. , Wilkinson Ian B. , Kemp Paul R. , Polkey Michael I.
Published: September 2016

Introduction

Quadriceps dysfunction is important in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with an associated increased proportion of type II fibers. Investigation of protein synthesis and degradation has yielded conflicting results, possibly due to study of whole biopsy samples, whereas signaling may be fiber‐specific. Our objective was to develop a method for fiber‐specific gene expression analysis.

Methods

12 COPD and 6 healthy subjects underwent quadriceps biopsy. Cryosections were immunostained for type II fibers, which were separated using laser capture microdissection (LCM). Whole muscle and different fiber populations were subject to quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results

Levels of muscle‐RING‐finger‐protein‐1 and Atrogin‐1 were lower in type II fibers of COPD versus healthy subjects (P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively), but differences were not apparent in whole muscle or type I fibers.

Conclusions

We describe a novel method for studying fiber‐specific gene expression in optimum cutting temperature compound‐embedded muscle specimens. LCM offers a more sensitive way to identify molecular changes in COPD muscle. Muscle Nerve 55: 902–912, 2017
An Eulerian–Lagrangian Weighted Essentially Nonoscillatory scheme for nonlinear conservation laws
Authors: Huang Chieh‐sen , Arbogast Todd
Published: September 2016

We develop a formally high order Eulerian–Lagrangian Weighted Essentially Nonoscillatory (EL‐WENO) finite volume scheme for nonlinear scalar conservation laws that combines ideas of Lagrangian traceline methods with WENO reconstructions. The particles within a grid element are transported in the manner of a standard Eulerian–Lagrangian (or semi‐Lagrangian) scheme using a fixed velocity v. A flux correction computation accounts for particles that cross the v‐traceline during the time step. If v = 0, the scheme reduces to an almost standard WENO5 scheme. The CFL condition is relaxed when v is chosen to approximate either the characteristic or particle velocity. Excellent numerical results are obtained using relatively long time steps.

The v‐traceback points can fall arbitrarily within the computational grid, and linear WENO weights may not exist for the point. A general WENO technique is described to reconstruct to any order the integral of a smooth function using averages defined over a general, nonuniform computational grid. Moreover, to high accuracy, local averages can also be reconstructed. By re‐averaging the function to a uniform reconstruction grid that includes a point of interest, one can apply a standard WENO reconstruction to obtain a high order point value of the function. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 33: 651–680, 2017
Adsorption characteristics of Cr (III) onto starch‐graft‐poly(acrylic acid)/organo‐modifed zeolite 4A composite: A novel path to the adsorption mechanisms
Authors: Ma Kai , Zhao Lin , Jiang Zheng , Huang Yuying , Sun Xueping
Published: September 2016

Superabsorbent polymer are extensively synthesized in our daily life, and have become important scavengers of metal ions dissolved in aquatic environment. Herein, Herein, an in‐depth study was performed to examine the morphology and adsorption properties of the starch‐graft‐poly(acrylic acid)/organo‐modifed zeolite 4A composite by coupling SEM, XRF, and ICP‐MS, and to completely characterize the Cr (III) coordination sphere within the complex by combining DFT calculations and XAS. The results showed that the adsorption capacity of the synthesized composite could reach to a very large value of 651.42 mg g−1 with initial Cr3+ concentration ascending to 50 mmol L−1, while the removal rate decreased continuously. By virtue of DFT calculations and XAS, it was found that the adsorbed chromium was coordinated by four carboxyl O in quasi‐equator plane and two water O in axial direction to form a quasi‐octahedral geometry. The Cr–O/C distance of our compound were very close to those reported values of Cr‐adsorbed organic compounds and polynuclear chromium carboxylate compounds. Finally, the combination of DFT calculations and XAS was demonstrated to be a powerful method to explore the mechanisms of metal ion adsorption onto synthesized composite. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:1223–1233, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Improving numerical experiments on persistent severe rainfall events in southern China using spectral nudging and filtering schemes
Authors: Zhao Yanfeng , Wang Donghai , Liang Zhaoming , Xu Jianjun
Published: September 2016

Using the inner field spectral nudging (IFSN) and lateral boundary filtering (LBF) methods in the regional Weather Research and Forecasting model, version 3.4 (WRF3.4), the simulation of persistent severe rainfall (PSR) events over south China was investigated. The results showed: (i) simulation using IFSN improves the forecasting of precipitation, especially for a lead time of greater than 3 days. Meanwhile, simulation with a combination of the IFSN and LBF (IFSN + LBF) methods provides better forecasts at a lead time of 5–7 days. (ii) The improvement in precipitation forecasting derives mainly from the reasonable simulation of the large‐scale circulation fields and water vapour flux convergence patterns. (iii) In terms of large‐scale circulation, the anomaly correlation coefficient can be significantly improved for lead times of 1–5 days (7–11 days) by adopting the IFSN (IFSN + LBF) method.
High‐Selectivity Electrochemical Conversion of CO2 to Ethanol using a Copper Nanoparticle/N‐Doped Graphene Electrode
Authors: Song Yang , Peng Rui , Hensley Dale K. , Bonnesen Peter V. , Liang Liangbo , Wu Zili , Meyer Harry M. , Chi Miaofang , Ma Cheng , Sumpter Bobby G. , Rondinone Adam J.
Published: September 2016

Though carbon dioxide is a waste product of combustion, it can also be a potential feedstock for the production of fine and commodity organic chemicals provided that an efficient means to convert it to useful organic synthons can be developed. Herein we report a common element, nanostructured catalyst for the direct electrochemical conversion of CO2 to ethanol with high Faradaic efficiency (63 % at −1.2 V vs RHE) and high selectivity (84 %) that operates in water and at ambient temperature and pressure. Lacking noble metals or other rare or expensive materials, the catalyst is comprised of Cu nanoparticles on a highly textured, N‐doped carbon nanospike film. Electrochemical analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest a preliminary mechanism in which active sites on the Cu nanoparticles and the carbon nanospikes work in tandem to control the electrochemical reduction of carbon monoxide dimer to alcohol.
Gender Differences in Perceptions of Resources and Turnover Intentions of Work‐Linked Couples in Masculine Occupations
Authors: Huffman Ann Hergatt , Olson Kristine J.
Published: September 2016

Employees in work‐linked marriages have spouses that share the same family and the same workplace and/or occupation. Whereas, in recent years, there has been increasingly more research on dual‐career marriages (i.e. both spouses work, but not necessarily at the same workplace and/or occupation), there has been very little research on work‐linked marriages. The current study focuses on work resources (i.e. family supportive supervisor behaviour and job control) as key mediating processes that explain the effect of gender on turnover intentions among work‐linked employees in masculine occupations (i.e. military). Investigating gender differences is important because, compared with men, women are more likely to be in work‐linked marriages and to leave their jobs. Based on role theory and conservation of resource theory, we predicted that gender was related to turnover intentions, and this relationship would be mediated by key explanatory variables (i.e. family supportive supervisor behaviours, job control and psychological distress). Mediation analyses, conducted on a sample of men and women in work‐linked marriages (n = 309), provide support for the hypothesized model. These findings offer guidance for understanding gender differences among work‐linked employees in masculine occupations, and how these differences can affect important outcomes such as turnover intentions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Smart Carbon Nanotubes with Laser‐Controlled Behavior in Gene Delivery and Therapy through a Non‐Digestive Trafficking Pathway
Authors: Kong Fenfen , Liu Fei , Li Wei , Guo Xiaomeng , Wang Zuhua , Zhang Hanbo , Li Qingpo , Luo Lihua , Du Yongzhong , Jin Yi , You Jian
Published: September 2016

Near‐infrared (NIR) laser‐controlled gene delivery presents some benefits in gene therapy, inducing enhanced gene transfection efficiency. In this study, a “photothermal transfection” agent is obtained by wrapping poly(ethylenimine)‐cholesterol derivatives (PEI‐Chol) around single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The PEI‐Chol modified SWNTs (PCS) are effective in compressing DNA molecules and protecting them from DNaseI degradation. Compared to the complexes formed by PEI with DNA (PEI/DNA), complexes of PCS and DNA that are formed (PCS/DNA) exhibit a little lower toxicity to HEK293 and HeLa cells under the same PEI molecule weight and weight ratios. Notably, caveolae‐mediated cellular uptake of PCS/DNA occurs, which results in a safer intracellular transport of the gene due to the decreased lysosomal degradation in comparison with that of PEI/DNA whose internalization mainly depends on clathrin rather than caveolae. Furthermore, unlike PEI/DNA, PCS/DNA exhibits a photothermal conversion ability, which promotes DNA release from PCS under NIR laser irradiation. The NIR laser‐mediated photothermal transfection of PCS10K/plasmid TP53 (pTP53) results in more apoptosis and necrosis of HeLa cells in vitro than other groups, and achieves a higher tumor‐growth inhibition in vivo than naked pTP53, PEI25K/pTP53, and PCS10K/pTP53 alone. The enhanced transfection efficiency of PCS/DNA can be attributed to more efficient DNA internalization into the tumor cells, promotes detachment of DNA from PCS under the mediation of NIR laser and higher DNA stability in the cells due to caveolae‐mediated cellular uptake of the complexes.
Effect of single or combined administration of resistant starch and chitosan oligosaccharides on insulin resistance in rats fed with a high‐fat diet
Authors: Wang Junxuan , Si Xu , Shang Wenting , Zhou Zhongkai , Strappe Padraig , Blanchard Chris
Published: September 2016

In this study, rats fed with a high‐fat diet were treated with resistant starch (RS), chitosan oligosaccharide (COS), and a combination of these complexes with the aim of determining their effect on controlling blood glucose levels and improving insulin resistance (IR). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis demonstrated that an outer thin layer of film produced by COS covered the surface of RS granules and resulted in an increased particle size distribution. Cross‐linking between RS and COS was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis. Treatment of rats revealed that blood glucose concentration was lowered to almost normal levels following the administration of either COS or COS–RS complexes. Furthermore, the homeostasis model of assessment for insulin resistance index (HOMA‐IR) was reduced and the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) was increased with administration of COS–RS complexes. In summary, the consumption of COS‐RS complexes exerted a more efficient recovery of insulin sensitivity compared to individual treatments. Gene expression in liver tissue harvested from treated rats suggested that the improvement in insulin resistance was associated with enhanced hepatic glucose conversion through upregulation of GS2 and GYG1, reduction in gluconeogenesis was related to an upregulation in G6PC1 gene expression, and an alteration in glucolipid metabolism was associated with increased expression of Insig‐2.
Alloyed waterscapes: mining and water at the nexus of corporate social responsibility, resource nationalism, and small‐scale mining
Authors: Marston Andrea J.
Published: September 2016

This article reviews the relationship between mining and water governance with an emphasis on Latin America. Focusing on the last decade, it identifies three major shifts in global mineral relations: (1) changes to corporation–community relations, most noticeable in corporate social responsibility projects; (2) changes to state–society relations, where there has been a simultaneous strengthening of international support for community rights and a reassertion of the nation‐state through so‐called ‘resource nationalism’; and (3) challenges to the notion of ‘community,’ which must now stretch to encompass small‐scale and artisanal miners. While examining each of these thematic shifts, the paper draws out the relationship between mining and water, suggesting that attention to the ‘alloyed waterscape’ of global mining would provide a compelling conceptual lens through which to explore dynamics that transcend scales and institutional divides.WIREs Water2017, 4:e1175. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1175

This article is categorized under:

Engineering Water > Planning Water

Human Water > Water Governance

Science of Water > Water Quality
Thickness determination of gold layer on pre‐Columbian objects and a gilding frame, combining pXRF and PLS regression
Authors: Lopes Fabio , Melquiades Fabio Luiz , Appoloni Carlos Roberto , Cesareo Roberto , Rizzutto Marcia , Silva Tiago F.
Published: September 2016

In conservation, restoration and characterization studies of art and archaeological objects, the improvement of analytical techniques is a tendency. X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) is a versatile technique, and it has been widely used in the last decades for characterization of a great variety of materials (metals, glass, paints, inks, ceramics, etc.) applied to cultural heritage studies. Besides the chemical composition, it is possible to infer the layer thickness through XRF, enabling a general knowledge of the manufacturing techniques implemented by the culture of origin, as well as the association with the technological level reached for the production of each kind of artefact. The aim of this study is to introduce an alternative way for gold thickness determination of coatings in cultural heritage objects, combining portable XRF data and partial least square regression. As a case of study, we present the use of this methodology in portable XRF measurements performed in situ on a gilding frame in Brazil and in two pre‐Columbian artefacts from Chavin culture in Peru. Gold layers with thicknesses determined by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) were used as standards to perform a calibration model and to check the methodology before its application to unknown artefacts. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Big Data and Perioperative Nursing
Authors: Westra Bonnie L. , Peterson Jessica J.
Published: September 2016

Big data are large volumes of digital data that can be collected from disparate sources and are challenging to analyze. These data are often described with the five “Vs”: volume, velocity, variety, veracity, and value. Perioperative nurses contribute to big data through documentation in the electronic health record during routine surgical care, and these data have implications for clinical decision making, administrative decisions, quality improvement, and big data science. This article explores methods to improve the quality of perioperative nursing data and provides examples of how these data can be combined with broader nursing data for quality improvement. We also discuss a national action plan for nursing knowledge and big data science and how perioperative nurses can engage in collaborative actions to transform health care. Standardized perioperative nursing data has the potential to affect care far beyond the original patient.
Achieving Cost Reduction Through Data Analytics
Authors: Rocchio Betty Jo
Published: September 2016

The reimbursement structure of the US health care system is shifting from a volume‐based system to a value‐based system. Adopting a comprehensive data analytics platform has become important to health care facilities, in part to navigate this shift. Hospitals generate plenty of data, but actionable analytics are necessary to help personnel interpret and apply data to improve practice. Perioperative services is an important revenue‐generating department for hospitals, and each perioperative service line requires a tailored approach to be successful in managing outcomes and controlling costs. Perioperative leaders need to prepare to use data analytics to reduce variation in supplies, labor, and overhead. Mercy, based in Chesterfield, Missouri, adopted a perioperative dashboard that helped perioperative leaders collaborate with surgeons and perioperative staff members to organize and analyze health care data, which ultimately resulted in significant cost savings.
Prognostic Value of Serum D-Dimer in Noncardioembolic Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Kim Tae-Won , Song In-Uk , Chung Sung-Woo
Published: September 2016

Background: Although D-dimer levels are significantly associated with cardioembolic infarction, the significance of D-dimer levels in relation to the severity and functional outcomes of other stroke subtypes, such as lacunar and large artery atherosclerosis infarction, remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether elevated initial D-dimer levels are significantly and cross-sectionally associated with poor functional outcomes at each time point during a 9-month follow-up period. We also investigated the significance of D-dimer levels in longitudinal temporal changes of functional outcomes in these patients. Methods: We recruited 146 patients with lacunar infarction and 161 patients with large artery atherosclerosis infarction who were consecutively admitted to our hospital after acute stroke. Serum D-dimer levels were evaluated initially and the modified Rankin scale were measured initially and at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 9-month follow-up visits. Results: Patients with higher D-dimer levels had significantly worse initial functional outcomes, and these worse outcomes were maintained throughout the 9-month follow-up period compared with the low D-dimer group. However, regardless of stroke subtype, D-dimer levels did not influence long-term changes in functional outcomes over the 9-month follow-up period. Conclusion: This study suggests that elevated D-dimer levels can be used as a surrogate marker for poor functional outcomes only during the acute stage. Further evaluation of serum D-dimer levels could provide a helpful predictive marker for stroke prognosis.
The Apollon 10 PW laser: experimental and theoretical investigation of the temporal characteristics
Authors: Papadopoulos D.N. , Zou J.P. , Le Blanc C. , Chériaux G. , Georges P. , Druon F. , Mennerat G. , Ramirez P. , Martin L. , Fréneaux A. , Beluze A. , Lebas N. , Monot P. , Mathieu F. , Audebert P.
Published: September 2016

The objective of the Apollon 10 PW project is the generation of 10 PW peak power pulses of 15 fs at

$1~\text{shot}~\text{min}^{-1}$

. In this paper a brief update on the current status of the Apollon project is presented, followed by a more detailed presentation of our experimental and theoretical investigations of the temporal characteristics of the laser. More specifically the design considerations as well as the technological and physical limitations to achieve the intended pulse duration and contrast are discussed.
Clinical and Molecular Characterization of Community-Onset Urinary Tract Infections Due to Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporin-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae
Authors: Anesi Judith A. , Lautenbach Ebbing , Nachamkin Irving , Garrigan Charles , Bilker Warren B. , Wheeler Mary , Tolomeo Pam , Han Jennifer H.
Published: September 2016

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate risk factors for and molecular characteristics of community-onset extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant (ESC-R) Enterobacteriaceae (EB) urinary tract infections (UTIs) in a US health system.

DESIGN

Case-control study.

PARTICIPANTS

All patients presenting to the emergency department or outpatient practices with EB UTIs from December 21, 2010, through April 22, 2013, were included. Case patients had ESC-R EB UTIs. Control patients had ESC-susceptible EB UTIs and were matched 1:1 on study year.

METHODS

Risk factors for ESC-R EB UTI were assessed using multivariable conditional logistic regression. A subset of case isolates was evaluated for extended-spectrum beta-lactamases.

RESULTS

A total of 302 patients with community-onset EB UTI were included, of which 151 were cases. On multivariable analysis, risk factors for ESC-R EB UTI included trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole use in the prior 6 months (odds ratio, 2.40 [95% CI, 1.22–4.70];P=.01), older age (1.03 [1.01–1.04];P<.001), diabetes (2.91 [1.32–6.41];P=.008), and presentation to the emergency department ( 2.42 [1.31–4.46];P=.005). The prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases among 120 case isolates was 52% CTX-M, 29% TEM, 20% OXA, and 13% SHV. The prevalence of AmpC was 25%. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of the CTX-MEscherichia coliisolates showed no distinct clusters.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, older age, diabetes, and presentation to the emergency department were associated with community-onset ESC-R EB UTI. There was a high prevalence of CTX-M among our community isolates. Further studies are needed to determine strategies to limit emergence of these organisms in the community.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2016;1433–1439
Dietary patterns are associated with cognitive function in the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort
Authors: Pearson Keith E. , Wadley Virginia G. , McClure Leslie A. , Shikany James M. , Unverzagt Fred W. , Judd Suzanne E.
Published: September 2016

Identifying factors that contribute to the preservation of cognitive function is imperative to maintaining quality of life in advanced years. Of modifiable risk factors, diet quality has emerged as a promising candidate to make an impact on cognition. The objective of this study was to evaluate associations between empirically derived dietary patterns and cognitive function. This study included 18 080 black and white participants aged 45 years and older from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort. Principal component analysis on data from the Block98 FFQ yielded five dietary patterns: convenience, plant-based, sweets/fats, Southern, and alcohol/salads. Incident cognitive impairment was defined as shifting from intact cognitive status (score >4) at first assessment to impaired cognitive status (score ≤4) at latest assessment, measured by the Six-Item Screener. Learning, memory and executive function were evaluated with the Word List Learning, Word List Delayed Recall, and animal fluency assessments. In fully adjusted models, greater consumption of the alcohol/salads pattern was associated with lower odds of incident cognitive impairment (highest quintile (Q5)v. lowest quintile (Q1): OR 0·68; 95 % CI 0·56, 0·84;Pfor trend 0·0005). Greater consumption of the alcohol/salads pattern was associated with higher scores on all domain-specific assessments and greater consumption of the plant-based pattern was associated with higher scores in learning and memory. Greater consumption of the Southern pattern was associated with lower scores on each domain-specific assessment (allP < 0·05). In conclusion, dietary patterns including plant-based foods and alcohol intake were associated with higher cognitive scores, and a pattern including fried food and processed meat typical of a Southern diet was associated with lower scores.
The Travels and Translations of Three African Anglican Missionaries, 1890–1930
Authors: WILD-WOOD EMMA
Published: September 2016

Histories of the modern missionary movement frequently assert that converts were more successful missionaries than Europeans yet details of their work remain sparse. This article examines influential factors in the spread of Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa in two ways. It explores the complex and variable processes through life sketches of the African missionaries, Bernard Mizeki, Leonard Kamungu and Apolo Kivebulaya, who worked with the Anglican mission agencies SPG, UMCA and CMS, respectively. It identifies common elements for further scrutiny including the role of travel, translation and communication, and the development of continental centres of Christianity and the trajectories between them and local hubs of mission activity. The transnational turn of contemporary history is employed and critiqued to scrutinise the relations between the local and global in order to comprehend the appeal of Christianity in the colonial era.
The Minimised Heretic
Authors: MOLL SEBASTIAN
Published: September 2016

In the last five years, more monographs about Marcion have been published than during the hundred years before. What is it about this man that make scholars worldwide feel the need to interact with him so intensively? And why now, of all times?
Infection levels of the eyewormOxyspirura petrowiand caecal wormAulonocephalus pennulain the northern bobwhite and scaled quail from the Rolling Plains of Texas
Authors: Dunham N.R. , Peper S.T. , Downing C. , Brake E. , Rollins D. , Kendall R.J.
Published: September 2016

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and scaled quail (Callipepla squamata) have experienced chronic declines within the Rolling Plains ecoregion of Texas. Parasitic infection, which has long been dismissed as a problem in quail, has not been studied thoroughly until recently. A total of 219 northern bobwhite and 101 scaled quail from Mitchell County, Texas were captured and donated from 2014 to 2015, and examined for eyeworm (Oxyspirura petrowi) and caecal worm (Aulonocephalus pennula) infections. In 2014, bobwhites averaged 19.6 ± 1.8 eyeworms and 98.6 ± 8.2 caecal worms, and 23.5 ± 2.1 eyeworms and 129.9 ± 10.7 caecal worms in 2015. Scaled quail averaged 4.8 ± 1.0 eyeworms and 50 ± 6.8 caecal worms in 2014, and 5.7 ± 1.3 eyeworms and 38.1 ± 7.1 caecal worms in 2015. This study expands the knowledge of parasitic infection in quail inhabiting the Rolling Plains of Texas. A significant difference was documented inO. petrowiinfection between species but there was no significant difference inA. pennulabetween quail species. No significant difference was detected in parasite infection between the sexes of both northern bobwhite and scaled quail. This study also documented the highest reportedO. petrowiinfection in both species of quail. Additional research is needed on the life history and infection dynamics ofO. petrowiandA. pennulainfections to determine if there are individual- and/or population-level implications due to parasitic infection.
Childhood bullying victimization is associated with use of mental health services over five decades: a longitudinal nationally representative cohort study
Authors: Evans-Lacko S. , Takizawa R. , Brimblecombe N. , King D. , Knapp M. , Maughan B. , Arseneault L.
Published: September 2016

Background

Research supports robust associations between childhood bullying victimization and mental health problems in childhood/adolescence and emerging evidence shows that the impact can persist into adulthood. We examined the impact of bullying victimization on mental health service use from childhood to midlife.

Method

We performed secondary analysis using the National Child Development Study, the 1958 British Birth Cohort Study. We conducted analyses on 9242 participants with complete data on childhood bullying victimization and service use at midlife. We used multivariable logistic regression models to examine associations between childhood bullying victimization and mental health service use at the ages of 16, 23, 33, 42 and 50 years. We estimated incidence and persistence of mental health service use over time to the age of 50 years.

Results

Compared with participants who were not bullied in childhood, those who were frequently bullied were more likely to use mental health services in childhood and adolescence [odds ratio (OR) 2.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.88–3.40] and also in midlife (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.10–1.55). Disparity in service use associated with childhood bullying victimization was accounted for by both incident service use through to age 33 years by a subgroup of participants, and by persistent use up to midlife.

Conclusions

Childhood bullying victimization adds to the pressure on an already stretched health care system. Policy and practice efforts providing support for victims of bullying could help contain public sector costs. Given constrained budgets and the long-term mental health impact on victims of bullying, early prevention strategies could be effective at limiting both individual distress and later costs.
On the concept of a spirit
Authors: BAILEY ANDREW M.
Published: September 2016

Substance dualism is on the move. Though the view remains unfashionable, a growing and diverse group of philosophers endorse it on impressive empirical, religious, and purely metaphysical grounds. In this note, I develop and evaluate one conceptual argument for substance dualism. According to that argument, we may derive a conclusion about our nature from the mere fact that we have the concept of a spirit. The argument is intriguing and fruitful; but I shall contend that it is, nonetheless, unsound.
Hamlet and the Sovereignty of Reasons
Authors: Knapp Jeffrey
Published: September 2016

Why does Shakespeare link the psychological disintegration of Hamlet with the political disintegration of Denmark? This essay answers that question by comparing Shakespeare's tragedy to his later history plays, which foreshadow the “antic” Prince Hamlet in the “frantic” King Richard II and the “madcap” Prince Hal. All of these plays insist that a monarch pays a heavy price for claiming that he represents and even embodies the people he rules: he comes to feel internally divided, multiplicitous, populous. But the plays also cast doubt on the ability of the people to achieve any greater coherence as a sovereign power. ThroughHenry VandHamletin particular, Shakespeare offers the theater as a model of powersharingamong diverse forces: not only the monarch and the people, but also the actors, the audience, and the author.
Reality Czech: Tom Stoppard Discovers Shakespeare behind the Iron Curtain
Authors: Cantor Paul A.
Published: September 2016

Tom Stoppard'sDogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbethoffers fresh evidence of the universality of Shakespeare's genius. The play juxtaposes a perfunctory performance ofHamletin an English boarding school with a courageous staging ofMacbethas a protest against Communist tyranny in 1978 Czechoslovakia. The play shows that, paradoxically, Shakespeare's plays have less of an impact in England than they do in foreign countries, where differing political circumstances, far from forming an obstacle to appreciating Shakespeare, actually bring his plays to life with a new power. By portraying the secret police interrupting the CzechMacbeth, Stoppard explores how artists can struggle against totalitarianism, and, in particular, how they can develop secret codes to express their dissidence, even under the watchful eyes of the surveillance state. Encountering Shakespeare behind the Iron Curtain, Stoppard developed a new seriousness as a playwright and a new interest in the relation of art and politics.