bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
So, What Is Title IX? Assessing College Athletes Knowledge of the Law
Authors: Staurowsky Ellen J. , Zonder Erica J. , Riemer Brenda A.
Published: February 2017

As Title IX approaches its 50th anniversary, the state of its application to athletic departments within federally funded schools at the secondary and postsecondary levels evokes the expression “the more things change, the more things stay the same.” Title IX has been credited with successfully addressing sexual stereotypes that generally limited opportunities and created barriers for students to realize their full potential as athletes, citizens, parents, scholars, and workers (Buzuvis, 2012). As much as the educational landscape has changed as a result of Title IX, there remains a concern that schools do not have the mechanisms in place to ensure compliance five decades after the law was passed. The purpose of this study was to examine what college athletes know about Title IX and how they come to know it through a survey instrument comprised of five open-ended questions. Consistent with previous studies of coaches, athletics administrators, educators, and athletes, nearly 50% of the college athletes participating in this study did not know what Title IX was. For the remaining 50%, their perceptions of Title IX reveal large gaps in foundational understandings of what Title IX requires and how it works. The words of the respondents offer a window into their understandings and relationship with Title IX which cover a full spectrum from “it opens up the door for everyone” and “gives female athletes the support they need to succeed” to it results in an “illogical” way to achieve fairness.
Gender Negotiations of Female Collegiate Athletes in the Strength and Conditioning Environment
Authors: Roth Rachel I. , Knapp Bobbi A.
Published: February 2017

Female athletes often negotiate their meanings of femininity and athleticism due to restrictive cultural norms, with muscularity at the center of this negotiation. Using a critical feminist interactionist perspective, this study seeks to understand how female collegiate athletes negotiate their meanings of muscularity and femininity within the strength and conditioning environment. Negotiation strategies emerged from the data, including the gendered body and the weight room environment. The findings suggest that while the strength and conditioning coach is responsible for training athletes in power and speed, they must do so within the cultural context that often attempts to limit women’s physicality.
Recovering rRNA processing after heat shock
Authors: Mushegian Alexandra A.
Published: February 2017

NF-κB repressing factor controls localization and activation of an rRNA processing protein in heat stress response.
Papers of note in
Nature
542
(7639)
Authors: VanHook Annalisa M.
Published: February 2017

This week’s articles describe how cellular metabolism contributes to the development of lymphatic vessels, a proinflammatory cytokine that acts as a neuromodulator, how mechanical force frees a growth factor from its protein cage, and the gating mechanism of a cyclic nucleotide–gated ion channel.
Antitrypanosomal Activity of Sterol 14α-Demethylase (CYP51) Inhibitors VNI and VFV in the Swiss Mouse Models of Chagas Disease Induced by the Trypanosoma cruzi Y Strain
Authors: Guedes-da-Silva F. H. , Batista D. G. J. , Da Silva C. F. , De Araújo J. S. , Pavão B. P. , Simões-Silva M. R. , Batista M. M. , Demarque K. C. , Moreira O. C. , Britto C. , Lepesheva G. I. , Soeiro M. N. C.
Published: February 2017

Chagas disease is a life-threatening infection caused by a variety of genetically diverse strains of the protozoan parasite
Trypanosoma cruzi
. The current treatment (benznidazole and nifurtimox) is unsatisfactory, and potential alternatives include inhibitors of sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51), the cytochrome P450 enzyme essential for the biosynthesis of sterols in eukaryotes and the major target of clinical and agricultural antifungals. Here we performed a comparative investigation of two protozoon-specific CYP51 inhibitors, VNI and its CYP51 structure-based derivative VFV, in the murine models of infection caused by the Y strain of
T. cruzi
. The effects of different treatment regimens and drug delivery vehicles were evaluated in animals of both genders, with benznidazole serving as the reference drug. Regardless of the treatment scheme or delivery vehicle, VFV was more potent in both genders, causing a >99.7% peak parasitemia reduction, while the VNI values varied from 91 to 100%. Treatments with VNI and VFV resulted in 100% animal survival and 0% natural relapse after the end of therapy, though, except for the 120-day treatment schemes with VFV, relapses after three cycles of immunosuppression were observed in each animal group, and quantitative PCR analysis revealed a very light parasite load in the blood samples (sometimes below or near the detection limit, which was 1.5 parasite equivalents/ml). Our studies support further investigations of this class of compounds, including their testing against other
T. cruzi
strains and in combination with other drugs.
Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi Lipopolysaccharide O-Antigen Modification Impact on Serum Resistance and Antibody Recognition
Authors: Kintz Erica , Heiss Christian , Black Ian , Donohue Nicholas , Brown Naj , Davies Mark R. , Azadi Parastoo , Baker Stephen , Kaye Paul M. , van der Woude Marjan
Published: February 2017

Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhi is a human-restricted Gram-negative bacterial pathogen responsible for causing an estimated 27 million cases of typhoid fever annually, leading to 217,000 deaths, and current vaccines do not offer full protection. The O-antigen side chain of the lipopolysaccharide is an immunodominant antigen, can define host-pathogen interactions, and is under consideration as a vaccine target for some Gram-negative species. The composition of the O-antigen can be modified by the activity of glycosyltransferase (
gtr
) operons acquired by horizontal gene transfer. Here we investigate the role of two
gtr
operons that we identified in the
S
. Typhi genome. Strains were engineered to express specific
gtr
operons. Full chemical analysis of the O-antigens of these strains identified
gtr
-dependent glucosylation and acetylation. The glucosylated form of the O-antigen mediated enhanced survival in human serum and decreased complement binding. A single nucleotide deviation from an epigenetic phase variation signature sequence rendered the expression of this glucosylating
gtr
operon uniform in the population. In contrast, the expression of the acetylating
gtrC
gene is controlled by epigenetic phase variation. Acetylation did not affect serum survival, but phase variation can be an immune evasion mechanism, and thus, this modification may contribute to persistence in a host. In murine immunization studies, both O-antigen modifications were generally immunodominant. Our results emphasize that natural O-antigen modifications should be taken into consideration when assessing responses to vaccines, especially O-antigen-based vaccines, and that the
Salmonella
gtr
repertoire may confound the protective efficacy of broad-ranging
Salmonella
lipopolysaccharide conjugate vaccines.
Gas Sensing and Signaling in the PAS-Heme Domain of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Aer2 Receptor
Authors: Garcia Darysbel , Orillard Emilie , Johnson Mark S. , Watts Kylie J.
Published: February 2017

The Aer2 chemoreceptor from
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
contains a PAS sensing domain that coordinates
b
-type heme and signals in response to the binding of O
2
, CO, or NO. PAS-heme structures suggest that Aer2 uniquely coordinates heme via a His residue on a 3
10
helix (H234 on Eη), stabilizes O
2
binding via a Trp residue (W283), and signals via both W283 and an adjacent Leu residue (L264). Ligand binding may displace L264 and reorient W283 for hydrogen bonding to the ligand. Here, we clarified the mechanisms by which Aer2-PAS binds heme, regulates ligand binding, and initiates conformational signaling. H234 coordinated heme, but additional hydrophobic residues in the heme cleft were also critical for stable heme binding. O
2
appeared to be the native Aer2 ligand (dissociation constant [

K
d

] of 16 μM). With one exception, mutants that bound O
2
could signal, whereas many mutants that bound CO could not. W283 stabilized O
2
binding but not CO binding, and it was required for signal initiation; W283 mutants that could not stabilize O
2
were rapidly oxidized to Fe(III). W283F was the only Trp mutant that bound O
2
with wild-type affinity. The size and nature of residue 264 was important for gas binding and signaling: L264W blocked O
2
binding, L264A and L264G caused O
2
-mediated oxidation, and L264K formed a hexacoordinate heme. Our data suggest that when O
2
binds to Aer2, L264 moves concomitantly with W283 to initiate the conformational signal. The signal then propagates from the PAS domain to regulate the C-terminal HAMP and kinase control domains, ultimately modulating a cellular response.

IMPORTANCE
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
is a ubiquitous environmental bacterium and opportunistic pathogen that infects multiple body sites, including the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients.
P. aeruginosa
senses and responds to its environment via four chemosensory systems. Three of these systems regulate biofilm formation, twitching motility, and chemotaxis. The role of the fourth system, Che2, is unclear but has been implicated in virulence. The Che2 system contains a chemoreceptor called Aer2, which contains a PAS sensing domain that binds heme and senses oxygen. Here, we show that Aer2 uses unprecedented mechanisms to bind O
2
and initiate signaling. These studies provide both the first functional corroboration of the Aer2-PAS signaling mechanism previously proposed from structure as well as a signaling model for Aer2-PAS receptors.
Regulation of Polyhydroxybutyrate Accumulation in Sinorhizobium meliloti by the
Trans
-Encoded Small RNA MmgR
Authors: Lagares Antonio , Borella Germán Ceizel , Linne Uwe , Becker Anke , Valverde Claudio
Published: February 2017

Riboregulation has a major role in the fine-tuning of multiple bacterial processes. Among the RNA players,
trans
-encoded untranslated small RNAs (sRNAs) regulate complex metabolic networks by tuning expression from multiple target genes in response to numerous signals. In
Sinorhizobium meliloti
, over 400 sRNAs are expressed under different stimuli. The sRNA MmgR (standing for
M
akes
m
ore
g
ranules
R
egulator) has been of particular interest to us since its sequence and structure are highly conserved among the alphaproteobacteria and its expression is regulated by the amount and quality of the bacterium's available nitrogen source. In this work, we explored the biological role of MmgR in
S. meliloti
2011 by characterizing the effect of a deletion of the internal conserved core of
mmgR
(
mmgR
Δ33–51
). This mutation resulted in larger amounts of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) distributed into more intracellular granules than are found in the wild-type strain. This phenotype was expressed upon cessation of balanced growth owing to nitrogen depletion in the presence of surplus carbon (i.e., at a carbon/nitrogen molar ratio greater than 10). The normal PHB accumulation was complemented with a wild-type
mmgR
copy but not with unrelated sRNA genes. Furthermore, the expression of
mmgR
limited PHB accumulation in the wild type, regardless of the magnitude of the C surplus. Quantitative proteomic profiling and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed that the absence of MmgR results in a posttranscriptional overexpression of both PHB phasin proteins (PhaP1 and PhaP2). Together, our results indicate that the widely conserved alphaproteobacterial MmgR sRNA fine-tunes the regulation of PHB storage in
S. meliloti
.

IMPORTANCE
High-throughput RNA sequencing has recently uncovered an overwhelming number of
trans
-encoded small RNAs (sRNAs) in diverse prokaryotes. In the nitrogen-fixing alphaproteobacterial symbiont of alfalfa root nodules
Sinorhizobium meliloti
, only four out of hundreds of identified sRNA genes have been functionally characterized. Thus, uncovering the biological role of sRNAs currently represents a major issue and one that is particularly challenging because of the usually subtle quantitative regulation contributed by most characterized sRNAs. Here, we have characterized the function of the broadly conserved alphaproteobacterial sRNA gene
mmgR
in
S. meliloti
. Our results strongly suggest that
mmgR
encodes a negative regulator of the accumulation of polyhydroxybutyrate, the major carbon and reducing power storage polymer in
S. meliloti
cells growing under conditions of C/N overbalance.
Avoiding misdiagnosis: cystic calcified brain metastases of uterine cervical cancer mimicking neurocysticercosis
Authors: Fantini Jacopo , Sartori Arianna , Manganotti Paolo
Published: February 2017

The radiological finding of multiple calcified brain lesions is atypical for brain metastases and in absence of a clear evidence of disseminated neoplastic disease the differential diagnosis may be difficult. Calcified brain metastases (CBM) are rarely encountered in clinical practice and they mostly arise from lung, breast and gastrointestinal primitive tumours. Only one case of uterine cervical carcinoma (UCC) with CBM has been reported so far. We describe the case of a 41-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for UCC 3 years prior to observation and no evidence of neoplastic recurrence that developed cystic CBM. Owing to their peculiar radiological appearance, lesions were initially misidentified as neurocysticercosis, the most common parasitic infection of the central nervous system. We offer the reader some important teaching points for the differential diagnosis and discuss the rarity of our case.
Systematic review and meta-analysis: Tai Chi for preventing falls in older adults
Authors: Huang Zhi-Guan , Feng Yun-Hui , Li Yu-He , Lv Chang-Sheng
Published: February 2017

Objective

It remains unclear whether Tai Chi is effective for preventing falls in older adults. We undertook this systematic review to evaluate the preventive effect of Tai Chi by updating the latest trial evidence.

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods

The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched up to February 2016 to identify randomised trials evaluating Tai Chi for preventing falls in older adults. We evaluated the risk of bias of included trials using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool. Results were combined using random effects meta-analysis.

Outcome measures

Number of fallers and rate of falls.

Results

18 trials with 3824 participants were included. The Tai Chi group was associated with significantly lower chance of falling at least once (risk ratio (RR) 0.80, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.88) and rate of falls (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.69, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.80) than the control group. Subgroup analyses suggested that the preventive effect was likely to increase with exercise frequency (number of fallers: p=0.001; rate of falls: p=0.007) and Yang style Tai Chi was likely to be more effective than Sun style Tai Chi (number of fallers: p=0.01; rate of falls: p=0.001). The results might be influenced by publication bias as the funnel plots showed asymmetry. Sensitivity analyses by sample size, risk of bias and comorbidity showed no major influence on the primary results.

Conclusions

Tai Chi is effective for preventing falls in older adults. The preventive effect is likely to increase with exercise frequency and Yang style Tai Chi seems to be more effective than Sun style Tai Chi.
Evaluation of demands, usage and unmet needs for emergency care in Yaoundé, Cameroon: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Ro Young Sun , Shin Sang Do , Jeong Joongsik , Kim Min Jung , Jung Young Hee , Kamgno Joseph , Alain Etoundi Mballa Georges , Hollong Bonaventure
Published: February 2017

Objectives

To assess the burden of emergent illnesses and emergency care system usage by Yaoundé residents and to evaluate unmet needs for emergency care and associated barriers.

Design

A cross-sectional study using a community-based survey.

Setting

Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Participants

All residents living in Yaoundé were selected as the target population to investigate the needs and usage of emergency care in Yaoundé. 14 households in every health area (47 in total) were selected using 2-stage sampling.

Primary outcome measures

Unmet needs for emergency care.

Results

Among the 3201 participants from 619 households who completed the survey, 1113 (34.8%) with median age of 22 experienced 1 or more emergency conditions in the previous year. Respondents who experienced emergency conditions used emergency units (7.0%), outpatient clinics (46.5%) or hospitalisation (13.0%), and in overall, 68.8% of them reported unmet needs for emergency care. The primary reasons for not seeking healthcare were economic issues (37.2%) and use of complementary medicine (22.2%). Young age (adjusted OR (95% CI) 1.80 (1.23 to 2.62)), rental housing (1.50 (1.11 to 2.03)) and moderate household income (0.60 (0.36 to 0.99)) were associated with unmet needs for emergency care.

Conclusions

Residents of Yaoundé had a high demand for emergency care, and high unmet needs were observed due to low emergency care usage. Development of a cost-effective, universal emergency care system is urgently needed in Cameroon.
Difficult orotracheal intubation in dogs and cats
Authors: Mathis Alessandra
Published: February 2017

In veterinary practice, difficult orotracheal intubation is an uncommon occurrence but it can be a life‐threatening situation. Arduous tracheal intubation can occur for a number of reasons, sometimes unknown to the veterinary surgeon until the patient is anaesthetised. This article explores the causes of difficult orotracheal intubation and how to prepare for this type of situation, as well as describing how to proceed in the case of a difficult, or even seemingly impossible, orotracheal intubation.
Review of acute ischaemic stroke in Pakistan: progress in management and future perspectives
Authors: Nomani Ali Zohair , Nabi Sumaira , Badshah Mazhar , Ahmed Shahzad
Published: February 2017

Ischaemic stroke is a major cause of neurological morbidity and mortality. The objective of this review article is to summarise facts pertaining to acute ischaemic stroke and its various aspects in a developing country like Pakistan, where resources are limited and the healthcare system is underdeveloped. No large-scale epidemiological studies are available to determine the true incidence of stroke in Pakistan. We reviewed the available literature on stroke from Pakistan and through this article we primarily aim to present the current acute ischaemic stroke management in Pakistan in juxtaposition to that of the developed world. We also intend to highlight areas for future development and improvement in management. The routine practice in Pakistan is that of using stat dose of aspirin in emergency (ER) at large with only a handful of centres offering thrombolytic therapy with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischaemic stroke. This too is faced with the problem of long window periods before the patient reaches a proper stroke care centre. The facilities of interventional therapies like arterial thrombolysis and endovascular surgery are non-existent and rehabilitation facilities limited. The opportunities for training physicians in acute stroke are also scarce. Stroke in children is underdiagnosed and that in women not availing facilities at stroke care centres. While basic research has gained pace regarding local demographic data, advanced research and genetic studies are extremely limited. The field of stroke neurology needs to grow at a substantial pace in Pakistan to be at par with the developed world.
Implications of δCP = −90∘ towards determining hierarchy and octant at T2K and T2K-II
Authors: Ghosh Monojit , Goswami Srubabati , Raut Sushant K.
Published: February 2017

The T2K experiment has provided the first hint for the best-fit value for the leptonic CP phase [Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text] from neutrino data. This is now corroborated by the NO[Formula: see text]A neutrino runs. We study the implications for neutrino mass hierarchy and octant of [Formula: see text] in the context of this data assuming that the true value of [Formula: see text] in nature is [Formula: see text]. Based on simple arguments on degeneracies in the probabilities, we show that a clear signal of [Formula: see text] coming from T2K neutrino (antineutrino) data is only possible if the true hierarchy is normal and the true octant is higher (lower). Thus, if the T2K neutrino and antineutrino data are fitted separately and both give the true value of [Formula: see text], this will imply that nature has chosen the true hierarchy to be normal and [Formula: see text]. However, we find that the combined fit of neutrino and antineutrino data will still point to true hierarchy as normal but the octant of [Formula: see text] will remain undetermined. We do our analysis for both, the current projected exposure ([Formula: see text] pot) and planned extended exposure ([Formula: see text] pot). We also present the CP discovery potential of T2K emphasizing on the role of antineutrinos. We find that one of the main contributions of the antineutrino data is to remove the degenerate solutions with the wrong octant. Thus, the antineutrino run plays a more significant role for those hierarchy-octant combinations for which this degeneracy is present. If this degeneracy is absent, then only neutrino run gives a better result for fixed [Formula: see text]. However, if we marginalize over [Formula: see text] then, sensitivity corresponding to mixed run can be better than pure neutrino run.
Design of Low Leakage PVT Variations Aware CMOS Bootstrapped Driver Circuit
Authors: Sharma Vijay Kumar
Published: February 2017

This paper describes a novel complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) bootstrapped driver circuit for driving large resistive capacitive (RC) loads. The proposed bootstrapped driver reduces the leakage as well as process, voltage and temperature (PVT) variations from the boosted nodes with higher switching speed. Very large scale integration (VLSI) designers need boosted output for the logic circuits which are operating in ultra-deep submicron regime under widespread use of low voltage. Proposed CMOS bootstrapped driver circuit is easy in design; built with minimum number of transistors and have high boosting efficiency with sharp output performance. Comparative evaluations with existing bootstrapped driver circuits are reported. Simulation results are derived by HSPICE tool with predictive technology model (PTM) bulk CMOS process fabrication at 32 nm technology node. The ability of large leakage reduction makes this driver superior as compared to active drivers. An average of 96.97% leakage current is saved at nominal ultra-low voltage of 0.15 V. Monte-Carlo analysis indicates that the proposed bootstrapped driver has less sensitivity of PVT variations. The power consumption and delay sensitivities are reduced by 10 × and 4.12 × as compared to conventional circuit.
A direct search for neutron nuclei in decay of 238U
Authors: Bystritsky V. M. , Dudkin G. N. , Kuznetsov S. I. , Padalko V. N. , Syrtanov M. S.
Published: February 2017

An experiment in direct registration of neutron nuclei ([Formula: see text]) using a multineutron detector has been conducted for the first time. The results indicate the presence of hexaneutron and/or octaneutron emission in decay of [Formula: see text]U nuclei. The multineutron detector consisted of 20 3He-filled counters placed in a polyethylene moderator. Samples (emitters) of uranium trioxide (UO3) were used as sources of neutron nuclei. The experiment was conducted for a period of 112.66 days. Thus, the ratios of probabilities of hexaneutron and/or octaneutron emission by the [Formula: see text]U nuclei to the probabilities of [Formula: see text]-decay have been determined as upper bounds at a 90% confidence level: [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].
Emission-Dependent Production for Environment-Aware Demand in Cap-and-Trade System
Authors: Zhu Lili , Zhou Juanjuan , Yu Yuanyuan , Zhu Jiaang
Published: February 2017

This paper focuses on the impact of ‘cap-and-trade’ mechanism and customer’s environmental awareness on emission-dependent manufacturer. Carbon emission cap from the perspective of government will be confirmed. In the ‘cap-and-trade’ system, emission permit becomes one of the key factors of production for emission-dependent firms. If the cap is insufficient to satisfy the target production, extra permit should be purchased via trading, otherwise, the remaining permit will be sold to other firms. Since the product demand has been influenced due to the consideration of customer environmental awareness, the production will be decided by analyzing the produced decision-making process of the emission-dependent firm in this case. Base on the consideration of improving environment benefits, carbon emission cap of this kind of manufacturer will be determined. Additionally, numerical analysis is considered. We found that it is profitable for the manufacturer investing; meanwhile, the emission intensity of this manufacturer is ameliorative. And emission reduction investment should be encouraged by the environmental administration in some way of preferential policy.
The performance of the quantum adiabatic algorithm on spike Hamiltonians
Authors: Kong Linghang , Crosson Elizabeth
Published: February 2017

Spike Hamiltonians arise from optimization instances for which the adiabatic algorithm provably out performs classical simulated annealing. In this work, we study the efficiency of the adiabatic algorithm for solving the “the Hamming weight with a spike” problem by analyzing the scaling of the spectral gap at the critical point for various sizes of the barrier. Our main result is a rigorous lower bound on the minimum spectral gap for the adiabatic evolution when the bit-symmetric cost function has a thin but polynomially high barrier, which is based on a comparison argument and an improved variational ansatz for the ground state. We also adapt the discrete WKB method for the case of abruptly changing potentials and compare it with the predictions of the spin coherent instanton method which was previously used by Farhi, Goldstone and Gutmann. Finally, our improved ansatz for the ground state leads to a method for predicting the location of avoided crossings in the excited energy states of the thin spike Hamiltonian, and we use a recursion relation to understand the ordering of some of these avoided crossings as a step towards analyzing the previously observed diabatic cascade phenomenon.
The Next Frontier in Communication and the ECLIPPSE Study: Bridging the Linguistic Divide in Secure Messaging
Authors: Schillinger Dean , McNamara Danielle , Crossley Scott , Lyles Courtney , Moffet Howard H. , Sarkar Urmimala , Duran Nicholas , Allen Jill , Liu Jennifer , Oryn Danielle , Ratanawongsa Neda , Karter Andrew J.
Published: February 2017

Health systems are heavily promoting patient portals. However, limited health literacy (HL) can restrict online communication via secure messaging (SM) because patients’ literacy skills must be sufficient to convey and comprehend content while clinicians must encourage and elicit communication from patients and match patients’ literacy level. This paper describes the Employing Computational Linguistics to Improve Patient-Provider Secure Email (ECLIPPSE) study, an interdisciplinary effort bringing together scientists in communication, computational linguistics, and health services to employ computational linguistic methods to (1) create a novel Linguistic Complexity Profile (LCP) to characterize communications of patients and clinicians and demonstrate its validity and (2) examine whether providers accommodate communication needs of patients with limited HL by tailoring their SM responses. We will study >5 million SMs generated by >150,000 ethnically diverse type 2 diabetes patients and >9000 clinicians from two settings: an integrated delivery system and a public (safety net) system. Finally, we will then create an LCP-based automated aid that delivers real-time feedback to clinicians to reduce the linguistic complexity of their SMs. This research will support health systems’ journeys to become health literate healthcare organizations and reduce HL-related disparities in diabetes care.
A Study of 358 Cases of Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Receiving Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy: Improving the Seventh Edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer T-Staging System
Authors: Zhou Qin , He Yuxiang , Zhao Yajie , Wang Yin , Kuang Weilu , Shen Liangfang
Published: February 2017

To evaluate the rationality and limitations of the seventh edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (the 7th AJCC edition) T-staging system for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The prognosis of 358 patients with stage T3/T4 NPC treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) was analyzed with the Kaplan–Meier method or the log-rank test. The 7th AJCC staging system of NPC has some limitations in that the T category is neither the significant factor in OS/LRFS nor the independent prognostic factor in OS/LRFS/DMFS/DFS (P>0.05). After adjustment by anatomic structures, univariate analysis has shown that the adjusted-T category has statistical significance between T3 and T4 for OS (86.4% and 71.3%, P=0.002), LRFS (97% and 90.9%, P=0.048), DMFS (90.9% and 77.2%, P=0.001), and DFS (86.2% and 67.5%, P=0.000), and multivariate analysis has shown that the adjusted-T category is an independent prognostic factor for OS/DMFS/DFS (with the exception of LRFS). Then, GTV-P was taken into consideration. Multivariate analysis showed that these nT categories serve as suitable independent prognostic factors for OS/DMFS/DFS (P<0.001) and LRFS (HR = 3.131; 95% CI, 1.090–8.990; P=0.043). The 7th AJCC staging system has limitations and should be improved by including the modifications suggested, such as anatomic structures and tumor volume adjustment.
Are the Pathological Characteristics of Prostate Cancer More Aggressive or More Indolent Depending upon the Patient Age?
Authors: Ji Guangjie , Huang Cong , Song Gang , Xiong Gengyan , Fang Dong , Wang He , Hao Han , Cai Lin , He Qun , He Zhisong , Zhou Liqun
Published: February 2017

Purpose. To identify pathological characteristics of prostate cancer according to patient age at diagnosis.Methods. A retrospective review of 2,929 men diagnosed with prostate cancer was performed. Pathological characteristics were compared across age groups: ≤55, 56–75, and >75 years.Results. The study cohort included 133 patients (4.5%), 2,033 patients (69.5%), and 763 patients (26.0%) in the three age groups, respectively. The median pathological Gleason sums in the three age groups were 8, 7, and 8, respectively. The Gleason sum, primary Gleason score, and second primary Gleason score were significantly different among the three age groups (Z=12.975,p=0.002;Z=9.264,p=0.010;Z=6.692,p=0.035, resp.). The percentages of Gleason pattern 5 tumors for the three age groups were 44.4%, 32.3%, and 36.8%, respectively; they were significantly different (χ2=11.641,p=0.003). The percentages of tumors with Gleason score grade groups 3–5 for the three age groups were 66.9%, 60.5%, and 66.3%, respectively; they were significantly different (χ2=9.401,p=0.009).Conclusions. The present study indicated that men aged ≤55 years or >75 years show higher levels of clinically significant prostate cancer compared to patients between the ages of 55 and 75 years. Younger and more elderly male patients are more likely to have a more aggressive disease.
Functional Roles and Therapeutic Applications of Exosomes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Santangelo Laura , Battistelli Cecilia , Montaldo Claudia , Citarella Franca , Strippoli Raffaele , Cicchini Carla
Published: February 2017

Exosomes are important in intercellular communication. They assure the horizontal transfer of specific functional contents (i.e., proteins, lipids, RNA molecules, and circulating DNA) from donor to recipient cells. Notably, tumor-derived exosomes (TDEs) appear to be an important vehicle of specific signals in cancer, impacting on tumor growth and metastasis. Recent researches point to the characterization of exosomes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), the major adult liver malignancy. In this review, we summarize current findings on HCC exosomes, focusing on the identification of noncoding RNAs as exosome-enriched functional regulators and new potential biomarkers. The great potential of exosomes in future HCC diagnostic and therapeutic approaches is underlined.
The Effect of Botulinum Toxin Type A on Expression Profiling of Long Noncoding RNAs in Human Dermal Fibroblasts
Authors: Miao Ying-ying , Liu Juan , Zhu Jie , Tao Yan-ling , Zhang Jia-an , Luo Dan , Zhou Bing-rong
Published: February 2017

Objective. This study was aimed at analyzing the expressions of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in Botulinum Toxin Type A (BoNTA) treated human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) in vitro. Methods. We used RNA sequencing to characterize the lncRNAs and mRNAs transcriptome in the control and BoNTA treated group, in conjunction with application of GO (gene ontology) analysis and KEGG (kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes) analysis to delineate the alterations in gene expression. We also obtained quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to confirm some differentially expressed genes. Results. Numerous differentially expressed genes were observed by microarrays between the two groups. qRT-PCR confirmed the changes of six lncRNAs (RP11-517C16.2-001, FR271872, LOC283352, RP11-401E9.3, FGFR3P, and XXbac-BPG16N22.5) and nine mRNAs (NOS2, C13orf15, FOS, FCN2, SPINT1, PLAC8, BIRC5, NOS2, and COL19A1). Farther studies indicated that the downregulating effect of BoNTA on the expression of FGFR3P was time-related and the dosage of BoNTA at a range from 2.5 U/106 cells to 7.5 U/106 cells increased the expression of FGFR3P and COL19A1 in HDFs as well. Conclusion. The expression profiling of lncRNAs was visibly changed in BoNTA treated HDFs. Further studies should focus on several lncRNAs to investigate their functions in BoNTA treated HDFs and the underlying mechanisms.
Automatic Lumen Segmentation in Intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography Images Using Level Set
Authors: Cao Yihui , Cheng Kang , Qin Xianjing , Yin Qinye , Li Jianan , Zhu Rui , Zhao Wei
Published: February 2017

Automatic lumen segmentation from intravascular optical coherence tomography (IVOCT) images is an important and fundamental work for diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease. However, it is a very challenging task due to irregular lumen caused by unstable plaque and bifurcation vessel, guide wire shadow, and blood artifacts. To address these problems, this paper presents a novel automatic level set based segmentation algorithm which is very competent for irregular lumen challenge. Before applying the level set model, a narrow image smooth filter is proposed to reduce the effect of artifacts and prevent the leakage of level set meanwhile. Moreover, a divide-and-conquer strategy is proposed to deal with the guide wire shadow. With our proposed method, the influence of irregular lumen, guide wire shadow, and blood artifacts can be appreciably reduced. Finally, the experimental results showed that the proposed method is robust and accurate by evaluating 880 images from 5 different patients and the average DSC value was 98.1%±1.1%.
Snowflake-Shaped ZnO Nanostructures-Based Gas Sensor for Sensitive Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds
Authors: Han Tianli , Li Xuexue , Zhang Xiaoman , Liu Jinyun , Li Jinjin
Published: February 2017

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been considered severe risks to human health. Gas sensors for the sensitive detection of VOCs are highly required. However, the preparation of gas-sensing materials with a high gas diffusion performance remains a great challenge. Here, through a simple hydrothermal method accompanied with a subsequent thermal treatment, a special porous snowflake-shaped ZnO nanostructure was presented for sensitive detection of VOCs including diethyl ether, methylbenzene, and ethanol. The fabricated gas sensors exhibit a good sensing performance including high responses to VOCs and a short response/recovery time. The responses of the ZnO-based gas sensor to 100 ppm ethanol, methylbenzene, and diethyl ether are about 27, 21, and 11, respectively, while the response times to diethyl ether and methylbenzene are less than 10 seconds. The gas adsorption-desorption kinetics is also investigated, which shows that the gas-sensing behaviors to different target gases are remarkably different, making it possible for target recognition in practical applications.
Longitudinal Impact of the Smoking Ban Legislation in Acute Coronary Syndrome Admissions
Authors: Abreu D. , Sousa P. , Matias-Dias C. , Pinto F. J.
Published: February 2017

Background and Purpose. The association between smoking and CV has been proved; however smoking is still the first preventable cause of death in the EU. We aim to evaluate the potential impact of the smoke ban on the number of ACS events in the Portuguese population. In addition, we evaluate the longitudinal effects of the smoking ban several years after its implementation.Methods. We analyzed the admission rate for ACS before and after the ban using data from hospital admission. Monthly crude rate was computed, using the Portuguese population as the denominator. Data concerning the proportion of smokers among ACS patients were obtained from the NRACS. Interrupted time series were used to assess changes over time.Results. A decline of −5.8% was found for ACS crude rate after the smoking ban. The decreasing trend was observed even after years since the law. The effect of the ban was higher in men and for people over 65 years. The most significant reduction of ACS rate was found in Lisbon.Conclusions. Our results suggest that smoking ban is related to a decline in ACS admissions, supporting the importance of smoke legislation as a public health measure, contributing to the reduction of ACS rate.
Proteomic Analysis of Fetal Ovaries Reveals That Primordial Follicle Formation and Transition Are Differentially Regulated
Authors: Xu Mengmeng , Che Long , Yang Zhenguo , Zhang Pan , Shi Jiankai , Li Jian , Lin Yan , Fang Zhengfeng , Che Lianqiang , Feng Bin , Wu De , Xu Shengyu
Published: February 2017

Primordial follicle formation represents a critical phase of the initiation of embryonic reproductive organ development, while the primordial follicle transition into primary follicle determines whether oestrus or ovulation will occur in female animals. To identify molecular mechanism of new proteins which are involved in ovarian development, we employed 2D-DIGE to compare the protein expression profiles of primordial follicles and primary follicles of fetal ovaries in pigs. Fetal ovaries were collected at distinct time-points of the gestation cycle (g55 and g90). The identified proteins at the g55 time-point are mainly involved in the development of anatomical structures [reticulocalbin-1 (RCN1), reticulocalbin-3 (RCN3)], cell differentiation (actin), and stress response [heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (HNRNPK)]. Meanwhile, at the g90 stage, the isolated proteins with altered expression levels were mainly associated with cell proliferation [major vault protein (MVP)] and stress response [heat shock-related 70 kDa protein 2 (HSPA2)]. In conclusion, our work revealed that primordial follicle formation is regulated by RCN1, RCN3, actin, and HNRNPK, while the primordial follicle transformation to primary follicle is regulated by MVP and HSPA2. Therefore, our results provide further information for the prospective understanding of the molecular mechanism(s) involved in the regulation of the ovarian follicle development.
Objective Ventricle Segmentation in Brain CT with Ischemic Stroke Based on Anatomical Knowledge
Authors: Qian Xiaohua , Lin Yuan , Zhao Yue , Yue Xinyan , Lu Bingheng , Wang Jing
Published: February 2017

Ventricle segmentation is a challenging technique for the development of detection system of ischemic stroke in computed tomography (CT), as ischemic stroke regions are adjacent to the brain ventricle with similar intensity. To address this problem, we developed an objective segmentation system of brain ventricle in CT. The intensity distribution of the ventricle was estimated based on clustering technique, connectivity, and domain knowledge, and the initial ventricle segmentation results were then obtained. To exclude the stroke regions from initial segmentation, a combined segmentation strategy was proposed, which is composed of three different schemes: (1) the largest three-dimensional (3D) connected component was considered as the ventricular region; (2) the big stroke areas were removed by the image difference methods based on searching optimal threshold values; (3) the small stroke regions were excluded by the adaptive template algorithm. The proposed method was evaluated on 50 cases of patients with ischemic stroke. The mean Dice, sensitivity, specificity, and root mean squared error were 0.9447, 0.969, 0.998, and 0.219 mm, respectively. This system can offer a desirable performance. Therefore, the proposed system is expected to bring insights into clinic research and the development of detection system of ischemic stroke in CT.
Impact of Physical Activity on Cognitive Decline, Dementia, and Its Subtypes: Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies
Authors: Guure Chris B. , Ibrahim Noor A. , Adam Mohd B. , Said Salmiah Md
Published: February 2017

The association of physical activity with dementia and its subtypes has remained controversial in the literature and has continued to be a subject of debate among researchers. A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies on the relationship between physical activity and the risk of cognitive decline, all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular dementia among nondemented subjects are considered. A comprehensive literature search in all available databases was conducted up until April 2016. Well-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed with focus on prospective studies ≥ 12 months. The overall sample from all studies is 117410 with the highest follow-up of 28 years. The analyses are performed with both Bayesian parametric and nonparametric models. Our analysis reveals a protective effect for high physical activity on all-cause dementia, odds ratio of 0.79, 95% CI (0.69, 0.88), a higher and better protective effect for Alzheimer’s disease, odds ratio of 0.62, 95% CI (0.49, 0.75), cognitive decline odds ratio of 0.67, 95% CI (0.55, 0.78), and a nonprotective effect for vascular dementia of 0.92, 95% CI (0.62, 1.30). Our findings suggest that physical activity is more protective against Alzheimer’s disease than it is for all-cause dementia, vascular dementia, and cognitive decline.
Occupational Therapy Students’ Perceptions of the Role of Robots in the Care for Older People Living in the Community
Authors: Tobis Sławomir , Cylkowska-Nowak Mirosława , Wieczorowska-Tobis Katarzyna , Pawlaczyk Mariola , Suwalska Aleksandra
Published: February 2017

Background. The question arises how recent developments in robotics can contribute to the care for older people. The study is part of the EU-funded ENRICHME project.Objectives of Study. The aim of the study was to investigate opinions of occupational therapy students (OTS), as future professional caregivers, on the use of robots in care for older people.Methods. It included 26 OTS from Poznan University of Medical Sciences. To collect data, the Users’ Needs, Requirements, and Abilities Questionnaire (UNRAQ) was developed.Findings. OTS perceived the robot as “a useful device” and “an assistant” rather than “a companion” (p<0.01). In their opinion, the most important functions of the robot were related to health aspects (emergency alarms, health parameters monitoring, physical activity and memory training, and reminders about medication, drinks, etc.), scored positively by 23–26 OTS. Functions such as mood detection, encouraging to contact with friends, and monitoring of food consumption were accepted by 16-17 OTS. Two statements concerning social functions (accompanying in everyday activities and decreasing the sense of loneliness) were rated positively by less the than half of the participants.Limitations and Recommendations for Further Research. A module concerning technology use, including robotics, should constitute an important part of the curricula of both academic and continuous education of OTS.
Defined Engineered Human Myocardium With Advanced Maturation for Applications in Heart Failure Modeling and Repair
Authors: Tiburcy Malte , Hudson James E. , Balfanz Paul , Schlick Susanne , Meyer Tim , Chang Liao Mei-Ling , Levent Elif , Raad Farah , Zeidler Sebastian , Wingender Edgar , Riegler Johannes , Wang Mouer , Gold Joseph D. , Kehat Izhak , Wettwer Erich , Ravens Ursula , Dierickx Pieterjan , van Laake Linda W. , Goumans Marie Jose , Khadjeh Sara , Toischer Karl , Hasenfuss Gerd , Couture Larry A. , Unger Andreas , Linke Wolfgang A. , Araki Toshiyuki , Neel Benjamin , Keller Gordon , Gepstein Lior , Wu Joseph C. , Zimmermann Wolfram-Hubertus
Published: February 2017

Background:

Advancing structural and functional maturation of stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes remains a key challenge for applications in disease modeling, drug screening, and heart repair. Here, we sought to advance cardiomyocyte maturation in engineered human myocardium (EHM) toward an adult phenotype under defined conditions.

Methods:

We systematically investigated cell composition, matrix, and media conditions to generate EHM from embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts with organotypic functionality under serum-free conditions. We used morphological, functional, and transcriptome analyses to benchmark maturation of EHM.

Results:

EHM demonstrated important structural and functional properties of postnatal myocardium, including: (1) rod-shaped cardiomyocytes with M bands assembled as a functional syncytium; (2) systolic twitch forces at a similar level as observed in bona fide postnatal myocardium; (3) a positive force-frequency response; (4) inotropic responses to β-adrenergic stimulation mediated via canonical β
1
- and β
2
-adrenoceptor signaling pathways; and (5) evidence for advanced molecular maturation by transcriptome profiling. EHM responded to chronic catecholamine toxicity with contractile dysfunction, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, cardiomyocyte death, and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide release; all are classical hallmarks of heart failure. In addition, we demonstrate the scalability of EHM according to anticipated clinical demands for cardiac repair.

Conclusions:

We provide proof-of-concept for a universally applicable technology for the engineering of macroscale human myocardium for disease modeling and heart repair from embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes under defined, serum-free conditions.