bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diffusion tensor imaging assessment of microstructural brainstem integrity in Chiari malformation Type I
Authors: Krishna Vibhor , Sammartino Francesco , Yee Philip , Mikulis David , Walker Matthew , Elias Gavin , Hodaie Mojgan
Published: February 2016

OBJECTIVE

The diagnosis of Chiari malformation Type I (CM-I) is primarily based on the degree of cerebellar tonsillar herniation even though it does not always correlate with symptoms. Neurological dysfunction in CM-I presumably results from brainstem compression. With the premise that conventional MRI does not reveal brain microstructural changes, this study examined both structural and microstructural neuroimaging metrics to distinguish patients with CM-I from age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects.

METHODS

Eight patients with CM-I and 16 controls were analyzed. Image postprocessing involved coregistration of anatomical T1-weighted with diffusion tensor images using 3D Slicer software. The structural parameters included volumes of the posterior fossa, fourth ventricle, and tentorial angle. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was calculated separately in the anterior and posterior compartments of the lower brainstem.

RESULTS

The mean age of patients in the CM-I cohort was 42.6 ± 10.4 years with mean tonsillar herniation of 12 mm (SD 0.7 mm). There were no significant differences in the posterior fossa volume (p = 0.06) or fourth ventricular volume between the 2 groups (p = 0.11). However, the FA in the anterior brainstem compartment was significantly higher in patients with CM-I preoperatively (p = 0.001). The FA values normalized after Chiari decompression except for persistently elevated FA in the posterior brainstem compartment in patients with CM-I and syrinx.

CONCLUSIONS

In this case-control study, microstructural alterations appear to be reliably associated with the diagnosis of CM-I, with a significantly elevated FA in the lower brainstem in patients with CM-I compared with controls. More importantly, the FA values normalized after decompressive surgery. These findings should be validated in future studies to determine the significance of diffusion tensor imaging–based assessment of brainstem microstructural integrity as an adjunct to the clinical assessment in patients with CM-I.
Myelopathic signs and functional outcome following cervical decompression surgery: a proposed myelopathy scale
Authors: El-Zuway Salem , Farrokhyar Forough , Kachur Edward
Published: February 2016

OBJECTIVE

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is the most common cause of spinal cord dysfunction in adults. In spite of this, the impact of the changes in myelopathic signs following cervical decompression surgery and their relationship to functional outcome measures remains unclear. The main goals of our study were to prospectively assess changes in myelopathic signs with a functional outcome scale (the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association [mJOA] scale) following cervical decompression surgery and to objectively test a proposed new myelopathy scale (MS).

METHODS

Between 2008 and 2011, 36 patients with CSM were observed following cervical decompression surgery. Patient data including mJOA and MS scores were prospectively collected and analyzed preoperatively and at 1 year after surgery.

RESULTS

In this cohort, reflex, Babinski, and proprioception signs showed statistically significant improvement following surgery at 1 year (p = < 0.001, p = 0.008, and p = 0.015, respectively). A lesser degree of improvement was observed with the Hoffman sign (p = 0.091). No statistically significant improvement in clonus occurred (p = 0.368). There was a significant improvement in mJOA (p ≤ 0.001) and MS (p ≤ 0.001) scores at 1 year compared with the preoperative scores. The results showed an inverse correlation between MS and mJOA scores both pre- and postoperatively (Spearman's correlation coefficient = −0.202 preoperatively and −0.361 postoperatively).

CONCLUSIONS

Improvement in myelopathic signs was noted following cervical decompression surgery in patients with CSM. The newly devised MS scale demonstrated these findings, and the new MS scale correlates with improvement in mJOA scores in this patient cohort.
Cytokines in the Germinal Center Niche
Authors: Jandl Christoph , King Cecile
Published: February 2016

Cytokines are small, secreted, glycoproteins that specifically affect the interactions and communications between cells. Cytokines are produced transiently and locally, acting in a paracrine or autocrine manner, and they are extremely potent, ligating high affinity cell surface receptors to elicit changes in gene expression and protein synthesis in the responding cell. Cytokines produced during the differentiation of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells and B cells within the germinal center (GC) niche play an important role in ensuring that the humoral immune response is robust, whilst retaining flexibility, during the generation of affinity matured antibodies. Cytokines produced by B cells, antigen presenting cells and stromal cells are important for the differentiation of Tfh cells and Tfh cell produced cytokines act both in an autocrine fashion to firm Tfh cell differentiation and in a paracrine fashion to support the differentiation of memory B cells and plasma cells. In this review, we discuss the role of cytokines during the GC reaction with a particular focus on the influence of cytokines on Tfh cells.
The Application of TAPM for Site Specific Wind Energy Forecasting
Authors: Kay Merlinde
Published: February 2016

The energy industry uses weather forecasts for determining future electricity demand variations due to the impact of weather, e.g., temperature and precipitation. However, as a greater component of electricity generation comes from intermittent renewable sources such as wind and solar, weather forecasting techniques need to now also focus on predicting renewable energy supply, which means adapting our prediction models to these site specific resources. This work assesses the performance of The Air Pollution Model (TAPM), and demonstrates that significant improvements can be made to only wind speed forecasts from a mesoscale Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) model. For this study, a wind farm site situated in North-west Tasmania, Australia was investigated. I present an analysis of the accuracy of hourly NWP and bias corrected wind speed forecasts over 12 months spanning 2005. This extensive time frame allows an in-depth analysis of various wind speed regimes of importance for wind-farm operation, as well as extreme weather risk scenarios. A further correction is made to the basic bias correction to improve the forecast accuracy further, that makes use of real-time wind-turbine data and a smoothing function to correct for timing-related issues. With full correction applied, a reduction in the error in the magnitude of the wind speed by as much as 50% for “hour ahead” forecasts specific to the wind-farm site has been obtained.
Sleep-Wake Regulation and Its Impact on Working Memory Performance: The Role of Adenosine
Authors: Reichert Carolin , Maire Micheline , Schmidt Christina , Cajochen Christian
Published: February 2016

The sleep-wake cycle is regulated by a fine-tuned interplay between sleep-homeostatic and circadian mechanisms. Compelling evidence suggests that adenosine plays an important role in mediating the increase of homeostatic sleep pressure during time spent awake and its decrease during sleep. Here, we summarize evidence that adenosinergic mechanisms regulate not only the dynamic of sleep pressure, but are also implicated in the interaction of homeostatic and circadian processes. We review how this interaction becomes evident at several levels, including electrophysiological data, neuroimaging studies and behavioral observations. Regarding complex human behavior, we particularly focus on sleep-wake regulatory influences on working memory performance and underlying brain activity, with a specific emphasis on the role of adenosine in this interplay. We conclude that a change in adenosinergic mechanisms, whether exogenous or endogenous, does not only impact on sleep-homeostatic processes, but also interferes with the circadian timing system.
Replacing Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with Systemic Exercise Intolerance Disease Is Not the Way forward
Authors: Twisk Frank
Published: February 2016

Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), described in the medical literature since 1938, is characterized by distinctive muscular symptoms, neurological symptoms, and signs of circulatory impairment. The only mandatory feature of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), introduced in 1988 and redefined in 1994, is chronic fatigue, which should be accompanied by at least four or more out of eight “additional” symptoms. The use of the abstract, polythetic criteria of CFS, which define a heterogeneous patient population, and self-report has hampered both scientific progress and accurate diagnosis. To resolve the “diagnostic impasse” the Institute of Medicine proposes that a new clinical entity, systemic exercise intolerance disease (SEID), should replace the clinical entities ME and CFS. However, adopting SEID and its defining symptoms, does not resolve methodological and diagnostic issues. Firstly, a new diagnostic entity cannot replace two distinct, partially overlapping, clinical entities such as ME and CFS. Secondly, due to the nature of the diagnostic criteria, the employment of self-report, and the lack of criteria to exclude patients with other conditions, the SEID criteria seem to select an even more heterogeneous patient population, causing additional diagnostic confusion. This article discusses methodological and diagnostic issues related to SEID and proposes a methodological solution for the current “diagnostic impasse”.
Entropy Generation and Natural Convection of CuO-Water Nanofluid in C-Shaped Cavity under Magnetic Field
Authors: Chamkha Ali , Ismael Muneer , Kasaeipoor Abbas , Armaghani Taher
Published: February 2016

This paper investigates the entropy generation and natural convection inside a C-shaped cavity filled with CuO-water nanofluid and subjected to a uniform magnetic field. The Brownian motion effect is considered in predicting the nanofluid properties. The governing equations are solved using the finite volume method with the SIMPLE (Semi-Implicit Method for Pressure Linked Equations) algorithm. The studied parameters are the Rayleigh number (1000 ≤ Ra ≤ 15,000), Hartman number (0 ≤ Ha ≤ 45), nanofluid volume fraction (0 ≤ φ ≤ 0.06), and the cavity aspect ratio (0.1 ≤ AR ≤ 0.7). The results have shown that the nanoparticles volume fraction enhances the natural convection but undesirably increases the entropy generation rate. It is also found that the applied magnetic field can suppress both the natural convection and the entropy generation rate, where for Ra = 1000 and φ = 0.04, the percentage reductions in total entropy generation decreases from 96.27% to 48.17% for Ha = 45 compared to zero magnetic field when the aspect ratio is increased from 0.1 to 0.7. The results of performance criterion have shown that the nanoparticles addition can be useful if a compromised magnetic field value represented by a Hartman number of 30 is applied.
Classification Active Learning Based on Mutual Information
Authors: Sourati Jamshid , Akcakaya Murat , Dy Jennifer , Leen Todd , Erdogmus Deniz
Published: February 2016

Selecting a subset of samples to label from a large pool of unlabeled data points, such that a sufficiently accurate classifier is obtained using a reasonably small training set is a challenging, yet critical problem. Challenging, since solving this problem includes cumbersome combinatorial computations, and critical, due to the fact that labeling is an expensive and time-consuming task, hence we always aim to minimize the number of required labels. While information theoretical objectives, such as mutual information (MI) between the labels, have been successfully used in sequential querying, it is not straightforward to generalize these objectives to batch mode. This is because evaluation and optimization of functions which are trivial in individual querying settings become intractable for many objectives when we are to select multiple queries. In this paper, we develop a framework, where we propose efficient ways of evaluating and maximizing the MI between labels as an objective for batch mode active learning. Our proposed framework efficiently reduces the computational complexity from an order proportional to the batch size, when no approximation is applied, to the linear cost. The performance of this framework is evaluated using data sets from several fields showing that the proposed framework leads to efficient active learning for most of the data sets.
Popular Orientalism: Somerset Maugham in Mainland Southeast Asia
Authors: Doran Christine
Published: February 2016

Based on his experiences during a journey through mainland Southeast Asia in 1923, Somerset Maugham wrote a book of colonial travel entitled The Gentleman in the Parlour. As the work of one of the most popular writers of the twentieth century, Maugham’s travelogue both expressed and helped to shape contemporary thinking about Southeast Asia and Western imperialism. Focusing especially on his representations of Burma and Cambodia, an analysis is presented of Maugham’s book in the light of postcolonial scholarship, especially the theoretical insights developed under the inspiration of Edward Said’s Orientalism. Despite its pretensions to be apolitical, Maugham’s travel book is shown to be a repository of Western colonial ideas and attitudes, integrally involved in the circulation of the prevailing European discourse of high imperialism. As such, it is a valuable resource for historians and other scholars who wish to understand the way that discourse worked at the level of popular literature.
Shock and Awe: Trauma as the New Colonial Frontier
Authors: Clark Natalie
Published: February 2016

The health of Indigenous girls in Canada is often framed and addressed through health programs and interventions that are based on Western values systems that serve to further colonize girls’ health and their bodies. One of the risks of the recent attention paid to Indigenous girls’ health needs broadly and to trauma more specifically, is the danger of contributing to the “shock and awe” campaign against Indigenous girls who have experienced violence, and of creating further stigma and marginalization for girls. A focus on trauma as an individual health problem prevents and obscures a more critical, historically-situated focus on social problems under a (neo)colonial state that contribute to violence. There is a need for programs that provide safer spaces for girls that address their intersecting and emergent health needs and do not further the discourse and construction of Indigenous girls as at-risk. The author will present her work with Indigenous girls in an Indigenous girls group that resists medical and individual definitions of trauma, and instead utilizes an Indigenous intersectional framework that assists girls in understanding and locating their coping as responses to larger structural and systemic forces including racism, poverty, sexism, colonialism and a culture of violence enacted through state policy and practices.
Health Impact Assessment for Second-Hand Smoke Exposure in Germany—Quantifying Estimates for Ischaemic Heart Diseases, COPD, and Stroke
Authors: Fischer Florian , Kraemer Alexander
Published: February 2016

Evidence of the adverse health effects attributable to second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure is available. This study aims to quantify the impact of SHS exposure on ischaemic heart diseases (IHD), chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), and stroke in Germany. Therefore, this study estimated and forecasted the morbidity for the three outcomes in the German population. Furthermore, a health impact assessment was performed using DYNAMO-HIA, which is a generic software tool applying a Markov model. Overall 687,254 IHD cases, 231,973 COPD cases, and 288,015 stroke cases were estimated to be attributable to SHS exposure in Germany for 2014. Under the assumption that the population prevalence of these diseases and the prevalence of SHS exposure remain constant, the total number of cases will increase due to demographic aging. Assuming a total eradication of SHS exposure beginning in 2014 leads to an estimated reduction of 50% in cases, compared to the reference scenario in 2040 for all three diseases. The results highlight the relevance of SHS exposure because it affects several chronic disease conditions and has a major impact on the population’s health. Therefore, public health campaigns to protect non-smokers are urgently needed.
Virulence Factors and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates in Ready-to-Eat Foods: Detection of S. aureus Contamination and a High Prevalence of Virulence Genes
Authors: Puah Suat , Chua Kek , Tan Jin
Published: February 2016

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the leading causes of food poisoning. Its pathogenicity results from the possession of virulence genes that produce different toxins which result in self-limiting to severe illness often requiring hospitalization. In this study of 200 sushi and sashimi samples, S. aureus contamination was confirmed in 26% of the food samples. The S. aureus isolates were further characterized for virulence genes and antibiotic susceptibility. A high incidence of virulence genes was identified in 96.2% of the isolates and 20 different virulence gene profiles were confirmed. DNA amplification showed that 30.8% (16/52) of the S. aureus carried at least one SE gene which causes staphylococcal food poisoning. The most common enterotoxin gene was seg (11.5%) and the egc cluster was detected in 5.8% of the isolates. A combination of hla and hld was the most prevalent coexistence virulence genes and accounted for 59.6% of all isolates. Antibiotic resistance studies showed tetracycline resistance to be the most common at 28.8% while multi-drug resistance was found to be low at 3.8%. In conclusion, the high rate of S. aureus in the sampled sushi and sashimi indicates the need for food safety guidelines.
p38 MAPK Is Activated but Does Not Play a Key Role during Apoptosis Induction by Saturated Fatty Acid in Human Pancreatic β-Cells
Authors: Šrámek Jan , Němcová-Fürstová Vlasta , Balušíková Kamila , Daniel Petr , Jelínek Michael , James Roger , Kovář Jan
Published: February 2016

Saturated stearic acid (SA) induces apoptosis in the human pancreatic β-cells NES2Y. However, the molecular mechanisms involved are unclear. We showed that apoptosis-inducing concentrations of SA activate the p38 MAPK signaling pathway in these cells. Therefore, we tested the role of p38 MAPK signaling pathway activation in apoptosis induction by SA in NES2Y cells. Crosstalk between p38 MAPK pathway activation and accompanying ERK pathway inhibition after SA application was also tested. The inhibition of p38 MAPK expression by siRNA silencing resulted in a decrease in MAPKAPK-2 activation after SA application, but it had no significant effect on cell viability or the level of phosphorylated ERK pathway members. The inhibition of p38 MAPK activity by the specific inhibitor SB202190 resulted in inhibition of MAPKAPK-2 activation and noticeable activation of ERK pathway members after SA treatment but in no significant effect on cell viability. p38 MAPK overexpression by plasmid transfection produced an increase in MAPKAPK-2 activation after SA exposure but no significant influence on cell viability or ERK pathway activation. The activation of p38 MAPK by the specific activator anisomycin resulted in significant activation of MAPKAPK-2. Concerning the effect on cell viability, application of the activator led to apoptosis induction similar to application of SA (PARP cleavage and caspase-7, -8, and -9 activation) and in inhibition of ERK pathway members. We demonstrated that apoptosis-inducing concentrations of SA activate the p38 MAPK signaling pathway and that this activation could be involved in apoptosis induction by SA in the human pancreatic β-cells NES2Y. However, this involvement does not seem to play a key role. Crosstalk between p38 MAPK pathway activation and ERK pathway inhibition in NES2Y cells seems likely. Thus, the ERK pathway inhibition by p38 MAPK activation does not also seem to be essential for SA-induced apoptosis.
The Role of Cdkn1A-Interacting Zinc Finger Protein 1 (CIZ1) in DNA Replication and Pathophysiology
Authors: Liu Qiang , Niu Na , Wada Youichiro , Liu Ju
Published: February 2016

Cdkn1A-interacting zinc finger protein 1 (CIZ1) was first identified in a yeast-2-hybrid system searching for interacting proteins of CDK2 inhibitor p21Cip1/Waf1. Ciz1 also binds to CDK2, cyclin A, cyclin E, CDC6, PCNA, TCF4 and estrogen receptor-α. Recent studies reveal numerous biological functions of CIZ1 in DNA replication, cell proliferation, and differentiation. In addition, splicing variants of CIZ1 mRNA is associated with a variety of cancers and Alzheimer’s disease, and mutations of the CIZ1 gene lead to cervical dystonia. CIZ1 expression is increased in cancers and rheumatoid arthritis. In this review, we will summarize the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of CIZ1 in these physiological and pathological processes.
Active Site Mutations as a Suitable Tool Contributing to Explain a Mechanism of Aristolochic Acid I Nitroreduction by Cytochromes P450 1A1, 1A2 and 1B1
Authors: Milichovský Jan , Bárta František , Schmeiser Heinz , Arlt Volker , Frei Eva , Stiborová Marie , Martínek Václav
Published: February 2016

Aristolochic acid I (AAI) is a plant drug found in Aristolochia species that causes aristolochic acid nephropathy, Balkan endemic nephropathy and their associated urothelial malignancies. AAI is activated via nitroreduction producing genotoxic N-hydroxyaristolactam, which forms DNA adducts. The major enzymes responsible for the reductive bioactivation of AAI are NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase and cytochromes P450 (CYP) 1A1 and 1A2. Using site-directed mutagenesis we investigated the possible mechanisms of CYP1A1/1A2/1B1-catalyzed AAI nitroreduction. Molecular modelling predicted that the hydroxyl groups of serine122/threonine124 (Ser122/Thr124) amino acids in the CYP1A1/1A2-AAI binary complexes located near to the nitro group of AAI, are mechanistically important as they provide the proton required for the stepwise reduction reaction. In contrast, the closely related CYP1B1 with no hydroxyl group containing residues in its active site is ineffective in catalyzing AAI nitroreduction. In order to construct an experimental model, mutant forms of CYP1A1 and 1A2 were prepared, where Ser122 and Thr124 were replaced by Ala (CYP1A1-S122A) and Val (CYP1A2-T124V), respectively. Similarly, a CYP1B1 mutant was prepared in which Ala133 was replaced by Ser (CYP1B1-A133S). Site-directed mutagenesis was performed using a quickchange approach. Wild and mutated forms of these enzymes were heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli and isolated enzymes characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy to verify correct protein folding. Their catalytic activity was confirmed with CYP1A1, 1A2 and 1B1 marker substrates. Using 32P-postlabelling we determined the efficiency of wild-type and mutant forms of CYP1A1, 1A2, and 1B1 reconstituted with NADPH:CYP oxidoreductase to bioactivate AAI to reactive intermediates forming covalent DNA adducts. The S122A and T124V mutations in CYP1A1 and 1A2, respectively, abolished the efficiency of CYP1A1 and 1A2 enzymes to generate AAI-DNA adducts. In contrast, the formation of AAI-DNA adducts was catalyzed by CYP1B1 with the A133S mutation. Our experimental model confirms the importance of the hydroxyl group possessing amino acids in the active center of CYP1A1 and 1A2 for AAI nitroreduction.
Generation of Potent Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Neutralizing Antibodies from Mouse Phage Display Library for Cancer Therapy
Authors: Lai Yan-Da , Wu Yen-Yu , Tsai Yi-Jiue , Tsai Yi-San , Lin Yu-Ying , Lai Szu-Liang , Huang Chao-Yang , Lok Ying-Yung , Hu Chih-Yung , Lai Jiann-Shiun
Published: February 2016

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important stimulator for angiogenesis in solid tumors. Blocking VEGF activity is an effective therapeutic strategy to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis. Avastin, a humanized monoclonal antibody recognizes VEGF, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. To generate potential VEGF-recognizing antibodies with better tumor regression ability than that of Avastin, we have designed a systematic antibody selection plan. From mice immunized with recombinant human VEGF, we generated three phage display libraries, scFv-M13KO7, Fab-M13KO7, and scFv-Hyperphage, in single-chain Fv (scFv) or Fab format, displayed using either M13KO7 helper phage or Hyperphage. Solid-phase and solution-phase selection strategies were then applied to each library, generating six panning combinations. A total of sixty-four antibodies recognizing VEGF were obtained. Based on the results of epitope mapping, binding affinity, and biological functions in tumor inhibition, eight antibodies were chosen to examine their abilities in tumor regression in a mouse xenograft model using human COLO 205 cancer cells. Three of them showed improvement in the inhibition of tumor growth (328%–347% tumor growth ratio (% of Day 0 tumor volume) on Day 21 vs. 435% with Avastin). This finding suggests a potential use of these three antibodies for VEGF-targeted therapy.
G-Protein-Coupled Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptors and Their Regulation of AKT Signaling
Authors: Riaz Anjum , Huang Ying , Johansson Staffan
Published: February 2016

A hallmark of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is their ability to recognize and respond to chemically diverse ligands. Lysophospholipids constitute a relatively recent addition to these ligands and carry out their biological functions by activating G-proteins coupled to a large family of cell-surface receptors. This review aims to highlight salient features of cell signaling by one class of these receptors, known as lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptors, in the context of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)–AKT pathway activation. LPA moieties efficiently activate AKT phosphorylation and activation in a multitude of cell types. The interplay between LPA, its receptors, the associated Gαi/o subunits, PI3K and AKT contributes to the regulation of cell survival, migration, proliferation and confers chemotherapy-resistance in certain cancers. However, detailed information on the regulation of PI3K–AKT signals induced by LPA receptors is missing from the literature. Here, some urgent issues for investigation are highlighted.
Relationship between Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Psoriasis: A Novel Hepato-Dermal Axis?
Authors: Mantovani Alessandro , Gisondi Paolo , Lonardo Amedeo , Targher Giovanni
Published: February 2016

Over the past 10 years, it has become increasingly evident that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a multisystem disease that affects multiple extra-hepatic organ systems and interacts with the regulation of several metabolic and immunological pathways. In this review we discuss the rapidly expanding body of clinical and epidemiological evidence supporting a strong association between NAFLD and chronic plaque psoriasis. We also briefly discuss the possible biological mechanisms underlying this association, and discuss treatment options for psoriasis that may influence NAFLD development and progression. Recent observational studies have shown that the prevalence of NAFLD (as diagnosed either by imaging or by histology) is remarkably higher in psoriatic patients (occurring in up to 50% of these patients) than in matched control subjects. Notably, psoriasis is associated with NAFLD even after adjusting for metabolic syndrome traits and other potential confounding factors. Some studies have also suggested that psoriatic patients are more likely to have the more advanced forms of NAFLD than non-psoriatic controls, and that psoriatic patients with NAFLD have more severe psoriasis than those without NAFLD. In conclusion, the published evidence argues for more careful evaluation and surveillance of NAFLD among patients with psoriasis.
Genome Studies on Nematophagous and Entomogenous Fungi in China
Authors: Zhang Weiwei , Cheng Xiaoli , Liu Xingzhong , Xiang Meichun
Published: February 2016

The nematophagous and entomogenous fungi are natural enemies of nematodes and insects and have been utilized by humans to control agricultural and forestry pests. Some of these fungi have been or are being developed as biological control agents in China and worldwide. Several important nematophagous and entomogenous fungi, including nematode-trapping fungi (Arthrobotrys oligospora and Drechslerella stenobrocha), nematode endoparasite (Hirsutella minnesotensis), insect pathogens (Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium spp.) and Chinese medicinal fungi (Ophiocordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris), have been genome sequenced and extensively analyzed in China. The biology, evolution, and pharmaceutical application of these fungi and their interacting with host nematodes and insects revealed by genomes, comparing genomes coupled with transcriptomes are summarized and reviewed in this paper.
Simulating Littoral Trade: Modeling the Trade of Wine in the Bronze to Iron Age Transition in Southern France
Authors: Crabtree Stefani
Published: February 2016

The Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France is well known today for producing full-bodied red wines. Yet wine grapes are not native to France. Additionally, wine was not developed indigenously first. In the 7th century B.C. Etruscan merchants bringing wine landed on the shores of the Languedoc and established trade relationships with the native Gauls, later creating local viticulture, and laying the foundation for a strong cultural identity of French wine production and setting in motion a multi-billion dollar industry. This paper examines the first five centuries of wine consumption (from ~600 B.C. to ~100 B.C.), analyzing how preference of one type of luxury good over another created distinctive artifact patterns in the archaeological record. I create a simple agent-based model to examine how the trade of comestibles for wine led to a growing economy and a distinctive patterning of artifacts in the archaeological record of southern France. This model helps shed light on the processes that led to centuries of peaceable relationships with colonial merchants, and interacts with scholarly debate on why Etruscan amphorae are replaced by Greek amphorae so swiftly and completely.
Effect of H2S Plasma Treatment on the Surface Modification of a Polyethylene Terephthalate Surface
Authors: Vesel Alenka , Kovac Janez , Primc Gregor , Junkar Ita , Mozetic Miran
Published: February 2016

H2S plasma created by an electrode-less radio-frequency discharge was used to modify the surface properties of the polymer polyethylene terephthalate. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry and atomic force microscopy were used to determine the evolution of the surface functionalities and morphology. A very thin film of chemically bonded sulfur formed on the surface within the first 10 s of treatment, whereas treatment for more than 20 s caused deposition of higher quantities of unbonded sulfur. The sulfur concentration reached a maximum of between 40 and 80 s of plasma treatment; at longer treatment times, the unbonded sulfur vanished, indicating instability of the deposited sulfur layer. Large differences in the surface morphology were observed.
Heptanuclear [FeIII6CrIII]3+ Complexes Experimentally Studied by Means of Magnetometry, X-ray Diffraction, XAS, XMCD and Spin-Polarized Electron Spectroscopy in Cross-Comparison with [MnIII6CrIII]3+ Single-Molecule Magnets
Authors: Dohmeier Niklas , Helmstedt Andreas , Müller Norbert , Gryzia Aaron , Brechling Armin , Heinzmann Ulrich , Heidemeier Maik , Krickemeier Erich , Stammler Anja , Bögge Hartmut , Glaser Thorsten , Joly Loïc , Kuepper Karsten
Published: February 2016

Subsequent to the similar [MnIII6CrIII]3+ single-molecule magnets (SMM), the recently studied [FeIII6CrIII]3+ structural type adsorbed thin films prepared on Si and gold-coated glass substrates have been experimentally studied by means of spin-polarized electron spectroscopy (SPES) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) at the Fe L3,2 edge using circularly-polarized synchrotron radiation. The results are cross-compared to the corresponding data obtained from the recently published measurements with Mn-based SMM [1], also in terms of the local spin and orbital magnetic moments obtained. Furthermore, [FeIII6CrIII]3+ single crystals have been experimentally studied by means of magnetometry and X-ray diffraction.
Marine Origin Polysaccharides in Drug Delivery Systems
Authors: Cardoso Matias , Costa Rui , Mano João
Published: February 2016

Oceans are a vast source of natural substances. In them, we find various compounds with wide biotechnological and biomedical applicabilities. The exploitation of the sea as a renewable source of biocompounds can have a positive impact on the development of new systems and devices for biomedical applications. Marine polysaccharides are among the most abundant materials in the seas, which contributes to a decrease of the extraction costs, besides their solubility behavior in aqueous solvents and extraction media, and their interaction with other biocompounds. Polysaccharides such as alginate, carrageenan and fucoidan can be extracted from algae, whereas chitosan and hyaluronan can be obtained from animal sources. Most marine polysaccharides have important biological properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and anti-inflammatory activity, as well as adhesive and antimicrobial actions. Moreover, they can be modified in order to allow processing them into various shapes and sizes and may exhibit response dependence to external stimuli, such as pH and temperature. Due to these properties, these biomaterials have been studied as raw material for the construction of carrier devices for drugs, including particles, capsules and hydrogels. The devices are designed to achieve a controlled release of therapeutic agents in an attempt to fight against serious diseases, and to be used in advanced therapies, such as gene delivery or regenerative medicine.
Influence of Global and Local Membrane Curvature on Mechanosensitive Ion Channels: A Finite Element Approach
Authors: Bavi Omid , Cox Charles , Vossoughi Manouchehr , Naghdabadi Reza , Jamali Yousef , Martinac Boris
Published: February 2016

Mechanosensitive (MS) channels are ubiquitous molecular force sensors that respond to a number of different mechanical stimuli including tensile, compressive and shear stress. MS channels are also proposed to be molecular curvature sensors gating in response to bending in their local environment. One of the main mechanisms to functionally study these channels is the patch clamp technique. However, the patch of membrane surveyed using this methodology is far from physiological. Here we use continuum mechanics to probe the question of how curvature, in a standard patch clamp experiment, at different length scales (global and local) affects a model MS channel. Firstly, to increase the accuracy of the Laplace’s equation in tension estimation in a patch membrane and to be able to more precisely describe the transient phenomena happening during patch clamping, we propose a modified Laplace’s equation. Most importantly, we unambiguously show that the global curvature of a patch, which is visible under the microscope during patch clamp experiments, is of negligible energetic consequence for activation of an MS channel in a model membrane. However, the local curvature (RL < 50) and the direction of bending are able to cause considerable changes in the stress distribution through the thickness of the membrane. Not only does local bending, in the order of physiologically relevant curvatures, cause a substantial change in the pressure profile but it also significantly modifies the stress distribution in response to force application. Understanding these stress variations in regions of high local bending is essential for a complete understanding of the effects of curvature on MS channels.
The Anti-Atherosclerotic Effect of Naringin Is Associated with Reduced Expressions of Cell Adhesion Molecules and Chemokines through NF-κB Pathway
Authors: Hsueh Tun-Pin , Sheen Jer-Ming , Pang Jong-Hwei , Bi Kuo-Wei , Huang Chao-Chun , Wu Hsiao-Ting , Huang Sheng-Teng
Published: February 2016

Naringin has been reported to have an anti-atherosclerosis effect but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of naringin on the TNF-α-induced expressions of cell adhesion molecules, chemokines and NF-κB signaling pathway in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The experiments revealed that naringin, at concentrations without cytotoxicity, dose-dependently inhibited the adhesion of THP-1 monocytes to the TNF-α-stimulated HUVECs. The TNF-α-induced expressions of cell adhesion molecules, including VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and E-selectin, at both the mRNA and protein levels, were significantly suppressed by naringin in a dose dependent manner. In addition, the TNF-α-induced mRNA and protein levels of chemokines, including fractalkine/CX3CL1, MCP-1 and RANTES, were also reduced by naringin. Naringin significantly inhibited TNF-α-induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB, which resulted from the inhibited phosphorylation of IKKα/β, IκB-α and NF-κB. Altogether, we proposed that naringin modulated TNF-α-induced expressions of cell adhesion molecules and chemokines through the inhibition of TNF-α-induced activation of IKK/NF-κB signaling pathway to exert the anti-atherosclerotic effect.
New URJC-1 Material with Remarkable Stability and Acid-Base Catalytic Properties
Authors: Leo Pedro , Martínez Fernando , Calleja Guillermo , Briones David , Wojtas Lukasz , Orcajo Gisela
Published: February 2016

Emerging new metal-organic structures with tunable physicochemical properties is an exciting research field for diverse applications. In this work, a novel metal-organic framework Cu(HIT)(DMF)0.5, named URJC-1, with a three-dimensional non-interpenetrated utp topological network, has been synthesized. This material exhibits a microporous structure with unsaturated copper centers and imidazole–tetrazole linkages that provide accessible Lewis acid/base sites. These features make URJC-1 an exceptional candidate for catalytic application in acid and base reactions of interest in fine chemistry. The URJC-1 material also displays a noteworthy thermal and chemical stability in different organic solvents of different polarity and boiling water. Its catalytic activity was evaluated in acid-catalyzed Friedel–Crafts acylation of anisole with acetyl chloride and base-catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of benzaldehyde with malononitrile. In both cases, URJC-1 material showed very good performance, better than other metal organic frameworks and conventional catalysts. In addition, a remarkable structural stability was proven after several consecutive reaction cycles.
Classification of Small-Scale Eucalyptus Plantations Based on NDVI Time Series Obtained from Multiple High-Resolution Datasets
Authors: Qiao Hailang , Wu Mingquan , Shakir Muhammad , Wang Li , Kang Jun , Niu Zheng
Published: February 2016

Eucalyptus, a short-rotation plantation, has been expanding rapidly in southeast China in recent years owing to its short growth cycle and high yield of wood. Effective identification of eucalyptus, therefore, is important for monitoring land use changes and investigating environmental quality. For this article, we used remote sensing images over 15 years (one per year) with a 30-m spatial resolution, including Landsat 5 thematic mapper images, Landsat 7-enhanced thematic mapper images, and HJ 1A/1B images. These data were used to construct a 15-year Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series for several cities in Guangdong Province, China. Eucalyptus reference NDVI time series sub-sequences were acquired, including one-year-long and two-year-long growing periods, using invested eucalyptus samples in the study region. In order to compensate for the discontinuity of the NDVI time series that is a consequence of the relatively coarse temporal resolution, we developed an inverted triangle area methodology. Using this methodology, the images were classified on the basis of the matching degree of the NDVI time series and two reference NDVI time series sub-sequences during the growing period of the eucalyptus rotations. Three additional methodologies (Bounding Envelope, City Block, and Standardized Euclidian Distance) were also tested and used as a comparison group. Threshold coefficients for the algorithms were adjusted using commission–omission error criteria. The results show that the triangle area methodology out-performed the other methodologies in classifying eucalyptus plantations. Threshold coefficients and an optimal discriminant function were determined using a mosaic photograph that had been taken by an unmanned aerial vehicle platform. Good stability was found as we performed further validation using multiple-year data from the high-resolution Gaofen Satellite 1 (GF-1) observations of larger regions. Eucalyptus planting dates were also estimated using invested eucalyptus samples and the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of the estimation was 84 days. This novel and reliable method for classifying short-rotation plantations at small scales is the focus of this study.
The Greenness of Major Shrublands in China Increased from 2001 to 2013
Authors: Wang Yalin , Gao Qiong , Liu Ting , Tian Yuqiang , Yu Mei
Published: February 2016

Shrubs have been reported to expand into grassland and polar regions in the world, which causes complex changes in ecosystem carbon, nutrients, and resilience. Given the projected global drying trend, shrubs with their superior drought resistance and tolerance may play more important roles in global ecosystem function. Shrubland exists in all of the climate zones in China, from subtropical to temperate and high cold regions, and they occupy more than 20% of the land area. In this paper, we analyzed the spatiotemporal trend of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index) for six shrubland types in China from 2001 to 2013 and its relationship to intra- and inter-annual regional climate dynamics. Existing literature reported that the vegetation index did not change significantly in China during 2000–2012. However, we found that the shrubland EVI in China increased significantly at a rate of 1.01 × 10−3 EVI·a−1 from 2001 to 2013. Two major shrubland types (subtropical evergreen and temperate deciduous) and two desert types (high-cold desert and temperate desert) increased significantly, whereas subalpine evergreen shrubland decreased at a rate of −0.64 × 10−3 EVI·a−1. We also detected a significantly lengthened growing season of temperate deciduous shrubland. The growing season length contributed significantly to the annual averaged EVI for temperate deciduous, subalpine deciduous and subtropical evergreen shrublands. Furthermore, the precipitation variation contributed more to the annual averaged EVI than the temperature. The year-round decrease in rainfall and the increase in temperature led to a significant reduction in the subalpine evergreen shrubland EVI. The enhancement of countrywide shrubland EVI may promote its contribution to the regional ecosystem function and its potential to invade grasslands.
Comparison of Sun-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence Estimates Obtained from Four Portable Field Spectroradiometers
Authors: Julitta Tommaso , Corp Lawrence , Rossini Micol , Burkart Andreas , Cogliati Sergio , Davies Neville , Hom Milton , Mac Arthur Alasdair , Middleton Elizabeth , Rascher Uwe , Schickling Anke , Colombo Roberto
Published: February 2016

Remote Sensing of Sun-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF) is a research field of growing interest because it offers the potential to quantify actual photosynthesis and to monitor plant status. New satellite missions from the European Space Agency, such as the Earth Explorer 8 FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX) mission—scheduled to launch in 2022 and aiming at SIF mapping—and from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) such as the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) sampling mission launched in July 2014, provide the capability to estimate SIF from space. The detection of the SIF signal from airborne and satellite platform is difficult and reliable ground level data are needed for calibration/validation. Several commercially available spectroradiometers are currently used to retrieve SIF in the field. This study presents a comparison exercise for evaluating the capability of four spectroradiometers to retrieve SIF. The results show that an accurate far-red SIF estimation can be achieved using spectroradiometers with an ultrafine resolution (less than 1 nm), while the red SIF estimation requires even higher spectral resolution (less than 0.5 nm). Moreover, it is shown that the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) plays a significant role in the precision of the far-red SIF measurements.
Accuracy of Reconstruction of the Tree Stem Surface Using Terrestrial Close-Range Photogrammetry
Authors: Surový Peter , Yoshimoto Atsushi , Panagiotidis Dimitrios
Published: February 2016

Airborne laser scanning (ALS) allows for extensive coverage, but the accuracy of tree detection and form can be limited. Although terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) can improve on ALS accuracy, it is rather expensive and area coverage is limited. Multi-view stereopsis (MVS) techniques combining computer vision and photogrammetry may offer some of the coverage benefits of ALS and the improved accuracy of TLS; MVS combines computer vision research and automatic analysis of digital images from common commercial digital cameras with various algorithms to reconstruct three-dimensional (3D) objects with realistic shape and appearance. Despite the relative accuracy (relative geometrical distortion) of the reconstructions available in the processing software, the absolute accuracy is uncertain and difficult to evaluate. We evaluated the data collected by a common digital camera through the processing software (Agisoft PhotoScan ©) for photogrammetry by comparing those by direct measurement of the 3D magnetic motion tracker. Our analyses indicated that the error is mostly concentrated in the portions of the tree where visibility is lower, i.e., the bottom and upper parts of the stem. For each reference point from the digitizer we determined how many cameras could view this point. With a greater number of cameras we found increasing accuracy of the measured object space point positions (as expected), with a significant positive change in the trend beyond five cameras; when more than five cameras could view this point, the accuracy began to increase more abruptly, but eight cameras or more provided no increases in accuracy. This method allows for the retrieval of larger datasets from the measurements, which could improve the accuracy of estimates of 3D structure of trees at potentially reduced costs.