bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A-kinase-anchoring proteins coordinate inflammatory responses to cigarette smoke in airway smooth muscle
Authors: Poppinga Wilfred J. , Heijink Irene H. , Holtzer Laura J. , Skroblin Philipp , Klussmann Enno , Halayko Andrew J. , Timens Wim , Maarsingh Harm , Schmidt Martina
Published: January 2015

β2-Agonist inhibitors can relieve chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) symptoms by stimulating cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling. A-kinase-anchoring proteins (AKAPs) compartmentalize cAMP signaling by establishing protein complexes. We previously reported that the β2-agonist fenoterol, direct activation of protein kinase A (PKA), and exchange factor directly activated by cAMP decrease cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced release of neutrophil attractant interleukin-8 (IL-8) from human airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells. In the present study, we tested the role of AKAPs in CSE-induced IL-8 release from ASM cells and assessed the effect of CSE on the expression levels of different AKAPs. We also studied mRNA and protein expression of AKAPs in lung tissue from patients with COPD. Our data show that CSE exposure of ASM cells decreases AKAP5 and AKAP12, both capable of interacting with β2-adrenoceptors. In lung tissue of patients with COPD, mRNA levels of AKAP5 and AKAP12 were decreased compared with lung tissue from controls. Using immunohistochemistry, we detected less AKAP5 protein in ASM of patients with COPD Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage II compared with control subjects. St-Ht31, which disrupts AKAP-PKA interactions, augmented CSE-induced IL-8 release from ASM cells and diminished its suppression by fenoterol, an effect mediated by disturbed ERK signaling. The modulatory role of AKAP-PKA interactions in the anti-inflammatory effects of fenoterol in ASM cells and the decrease in expression of AKAP5 and AKAP12 in response to cigarette smoke and in lungs of patients with COPD suggest that cigarette smoke-induced changes in AKAP5 and AKAP12 in patients with COPD may affect efficacy of pharmacotherapy.
Pulmonary epithelial barrier function: some new players and mechanisms
Authors: Brune Kieran , Frank James , Schwingshackl Andreas , Finigan James , Sidhaye Venkataramana K.
Published: January 2015

The pulmonary epithelium serves as a barrier to prevent access of the inspired luminal contents to the subepithelium. In addition, the epithelium dictates the initial responses of the lung to both infectious and noninfectious stimuli. One mechanism by which the epithelium does this is by coordinating transport of diffusible molecules across the epithelial barrier, both through the cell and between cells. In this review, we will discuss a few emerging paradigms of permeability changes through altered ion transport and paracellular regulation by which the epithelium gates its response to potentially detrimental luminal stimuli. This review is a summary of talks presented during a symposium in Experimental Biology geared toward novel and less recognized methods of epithelial barrier regulation. First, we will discuss mechanisms of dynamic regulation of cell-cell contacts in the context of repetitive exposure to inhaled infectious and noninfectious insults. In the second section, we will briefly discuss mechanisms of transcellular ion homeostasis specifically focused on the role of claudins and paracellular ion-channel regulation in chronic barrier dysfunction. In the next section, we will address transcellular ion transport and highlight the role of Trek-1 in epithelial responses to lung injury. In the final section, we will outline the role of epithelial growth receptor in barrier regulation in baseline, acute lung injury, and airway disease. We will then end with a summary of mechanisms of epithelial control as well as discuss emerging paradigms of the epithelium role in shifting between a structural element that maintains tight cell-cell adhesion to a cell that initiates and participates in immune responses.
Presynaptic cholinergic neuromodulation alters the temporal dynamics of short-term depression at parvalbumin-positive basket cell synapses from juvenile CA1 mouse hippocampus
Authors: Lawrence J. Josh , Haario Heikki , Stone Emily F.
Published: January 2015

Parvalbumin-positive basket cells (PV BCs) of the CA1 hippocampus are active participants in theta (5–12 Hz) and gamma (20–80 Hz) oscillations in vivo. When PV BCs are driven at these frequencies in vitro, inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in synaptically connected CA1 pyramidal cells exhibit paired-pulse depression (PPD) and multiple-pulse depression (MPD). Moreover, PV BCs express presynaptic muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) that may be activated by synaptically released acetylcholine during learning behaviors in vivo. Using acute hippocampal slices from the CA1 hippocampus of juvenile PV-GFP mice, we performed whole cell recordings from synaptically connected PV BC-CA1 pyramidal cell pairs to investigate how bath application of 10 μM muscarine impacts PPD and MPD at CA1 PV BC-pyramidal cell synapses. In accordance with previous studies, PPD and MPD magnitude increased with stimulation frequency. mAChR activation reduced IPSC amplitude and transiently reduced PPD, but MPD was largely maintained. Consistent with a reduction in release probability ( pr), MPD and mAChR activation increased both the coefficient of variation of IPSC amplitudes and the fraction of failures. Using variance-mean analysis, we converted MPD trains to pr functions and developed a kinetic model that optimally fit six distinct pr conditions. The model revealed that vesicular depletion caused MPD and that recovery from depression was dependent on calcium. mAChR activation reduced the presynaptic calcium transient fourfold and initial pr twofold, thereby reducing PPD. However, mAChR activation slowed calcium-dependent recovery from depression during sustained repetitive activity, thereby preserving MPD. Thus the activation of presynaptic mAChRs optimally protects PV BCs from vesicular depletion during short bursts of high-frequency activity.
Immunohistological Analysis ofABCD3Expression in Caucasian and African American Prostate Tumors
Authors: Reams R. Renee , Jones-Triche Jacqueline , Chan Owen T. M. , Hernandez Brenda Y. , Soliman Karam F. A. , Yates Clayton
Published: January 2015

In a previously published study, we showed that expression of theABCD3gene increased with increasing metastatic potential in a panel of prostate cancer cell lines derived from African American and Caucasian American men. Given importance of identifying biomarker(s) that can distinguish indolent versus aggressive prostate tumors, we conducted an immunohistochemical analysis ofABCD3expression Caucasian and African American prostate tumors.ABCD3expression in each patient population was compared with clinicopathologic characteristics, Gleason score, and age.ABCD3expression increased with increasing Gleason score (P=0.0094), age (P=0.0014), and pathology grade (P=0.0007) in Caucasian patients. Interestingly, in the AA patients,ABCD3expression highly increased to the same degree in both low and high Gleason score tumors. Similarly,ABCD3expression was elevated to the same degree in BPH derived from AA. Our findings demonstrate that increasedABCD3expression correlates with Gleason Score in CA prostate tumors. However, in AA prostate tumors,ABCD3expression was higher and was sustained in both low Gleason and high Gleason AA tumors. While the functional role ofABCD3in prostate cancer is not completely elucidated, this gene warrants further study as a potential biomarker for aggressive prostate.
Trichodinid Parasites on the Gills ofChanna punctatusfrom the Wild and Cultured Environments in Sylhet, Bangladesh
Authors: Deb Mitu , Miah Md. Faruque , Rahman Mohibur , Khan Zobada Kanak
Published: January 2015

Two trichodinid parasites,Trichodina cyprinocolaandTrichodina pediculus, were acknowledged in the gills during a sampling preparation of thirty fishChanna punctatusfrom the wild and cultured environments. However,Trichodina pediculuswas recorded only in one farmed fish. From a total of 33 parasites, 26.67% were encountered in wild and 46.67% in cultured fish. The overall incidence of infection byTrichodina cyprinocolawas 33.33% whilstTrichodina pediculuswas only 3.33%. Records from statistical analysis as well affirmed that fish host from the cultured environment constituted the highest rate of intensity(3.43±1.4), density(1.6±2.0), and infection index (11.2±13.95)values. Both trichodinid species are identified based on the study in their unique denticles structure. Relatively large size of adhesive disc with tiny curved denticles and elongated denticle rays are the exceptional denticle morphology observed inTrichodina pediculusand compact association of sickle denticles with round tangent point alongside short vigorous upright rays evaluated theTrichodina cyprinocola.
Automatic Leak Detection in Buried Plastic Pipes of Water Supply Networks by Means of Vibration Measurements
Authors: Martini Alberto , Troncossi Marco , Rivola Alessandro
Published: January 2015

The implementation of strategies for controlling water leaks is essential in order to reduce losses affecting distribution networks of drinking water. This paper focuses on leak detection by using vibration monitoring techniques. The long-term goal is the development of a system for automatic early detection of burst leaks in service pipes. An experimental campaign was started to measure vibrations transmitted along water pipes by real burst leaks occurring in actual water supply networks. The first experimental data were used for assessing the leak detection performance of a prototypal algorithm based on the calculation of the standard deviation of acceleration signals. The experimental campaign is here described and discussed. The proposed algorithm, enhanced by means of proper signal filtering techniques, was successfully tested on all monitored leaks, thus proving effective for leak detection purpose.
Delayed Presentation of Pharyngeal Erosion after Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion
Authors: Nathani Amit , Weber Alexander E. , Wahlquist Trevor C. , Graziano Gregory P. , Park Paul , Patel Rakesh D.
Published: January 2015

Dysphagia after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is common, with a prevalence ranging between 28% and 57% of cases. However, nearly all cases resolve spontaneously within 2 years, thus identifying patients who require more detailed or invasive work-up is a challenging task for clinicians. A review of literature reveals a paucity of case reports detailing work-up and successful management options. The authors performed a clinical and radiographic review of a case of a 47-year-old female who presented with persistent dysphagia 3 years following anterior cervical spine surgery and was found to have an erosive pharyngeal defect with exposed spinal hardware. The diagnosis was made with direct laryngoscopy and treatment consisted of plate removal and pharyngeal repair, followed by revision fusion with deformity correction. This case and the accompanying pertinent review of the literature highlight the importance of a thorough evaluation of dysphagia, especially in the mid- and late-term postoperative period following ACDF, when most cases of dysphagia should have been resolved. Correctly identifying the underlying etiology of dysphagia may lead to improved revision of ACDF outcomes. Unresolved dysphagia should be a red flag for surgeons as it may be the presentation of erosive esophageal/pharyngeal damage, a rare but serious complication following ACDF.
Activity ofα1-Antitrypsin and Some Lysosomal Enzymes in the Blood Serum of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease after Smoking Cessation
Authors: Woźniak Bartosz , Woźniak Alina , Konca Jacek , Górecki Dariusz , Mila-Kierzenkowska Celestyna , Szpinda Michał , Sutkowy Paweł , Wesołowski Roland
Published: January 2015

The activity ofα1-antitrypsin (AAT) and the lysosomal enzymes, cathepsin D (CTS D), arylsulfatase (ASA), and acid phosphatase, (AcP) was determined in patients with COPD (GOLD category A). Moreover, the diagnostic usefulness of these parameters in blood serum was assessed along with establishing whether smoking cessation affects these parameters. The study included 70 patients with COPD who ceased smoking (study group) and two control groups of 33 subjects each: nonsmokers without COPD (control I) and patients with COPD who continued smoking (control II). In control I, blood was taken once and in control II, at the start of the experiment and after the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd months. AAT in the patients exhibited higher activity than in the healthy subjects at all time points. AAT activity in the patients before the start of the experiment was~80% higher (P<0.001) than in control I. No statistically significant differences in CTS D, ASA, and AcP activity were found. COPD involves increased AAT activity and unchanged activities of the assessed lysosomal enzymes. Three-month tobacco abstinence does not affect these parameters in peripheral blood. Determining the AAT levels in blood serum can be used in the diagnostics of COPD.
The Role of MicroRNAs in Cardiac Stem Cells
Authors: Purvis Nima , Bahn Andrew , Katare Rajesh
Published: January 2015

Stem cells are considered as the next generation drug treatment in patients with cardiovascular disease who are resistant to conventional treatment. Among several stem cells used in the clinical setting, cardiac stem cells (CSCs) which reside in the myocardium and epicardium of the heart have been shown to be an effective option for the source of stem cells. In normal circumstances, CSCs primarily function as a cell store to replace the physiologically depleted cardiovascular cells, while under the diseased condition they have been shown to experimentally regenerate the diseased myocardium. In spite of their major functional role, molecular mechanisms regulating the CSCs proliferation and differentiation are still unknown. MicroRNAs (miRs) are small, noncoding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. Recent studies have demonstrated the important role of miRs in regulating stem cell proliferation and differentiation, as well as other physiological and pathological processes related to stem cell function. This review summarises the current understanding of the role of miRs in CSCs. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms by which miRs regulate CSCs may lead to advances in the mode of stem cell therapies for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
Awareness and Perception of Plant-Based Diets for the Treatment and Management of Type 2 Diabetes in a Community Education Clinic: A Pilot Study
Authors: Lee Vincent , McKay Taylor , Ardern Chris I.
Published: January 2015

Objective. To assess awareness, barriers, and promoters of plant-based diet use for management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) for the development of an appropriate educational program.Design. Cross-sectional study of patients and healthcare providers.Setting. Regional Diabetes Education Centre in ON, Canada.Participants.n=98patients attending the Diabetes Education Centre andn=25healthcare providers.Variables Measures. Patient questionnaires addressed demographics, health history, and eating patterns, as well as current knowledge, confidence levels, barriers to, promoters of, and interests in plant-based diets. Staff questionnaires addressed attitudes and current practice with respect to plant-based diets.Analysis. Mean values, frequency counts, and logistic regression (alpha = 0.05).Results. Few respondents (9%) currently followed a plant-based diet, but 66% indicated willingness to follow one for 3 weeks. Family eating preferences and meal planning skills were common barriers to diet change. 72% of healthcare providers reported knowledge of plant-based diets for diabetes management but low levels of practice.Conclusions and Implications. Patient awareness of the benefits of a plant-based diet for the management of diabetes remains suboptimal and may be influenced by perception of diabetes educators and clinicians. Given the reported willingness to try (but low current use of) plant-based diets, educational interventions targeting patient and provider level knowledge are warranted.
Improvement ofIn VitroOsteogenic Potential through Differentiation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Human Exfoliated Dental Tissue towards Mesenchymal-Like Stem Cells
Authors: Ishiy Felipe Augusto Andre , Fanganiello Roberto Dalto , Griesi-Oliveira Karina , Suzuki Angela May , Kobayashi Gerson Shigeru , Morales Andressa Gois , Capelo Luciane Portas , Passos-Bueno Maria Rita
Published: January 2015

Constraints for the application of MSCs for bone reconstruction include restricted self-renewal and limited cell amounts. iPSC technology presents advantages over MSCs, providing homogeneous cellular populations with prolonged self-renewal and higher plasticity. However, it is unknown if the osteogenic potential of iPSCs differs from that of MSCs and if it depends on the iPSCs originating cellular source. Here, we compared thein vitroosteogenesis between stem cells from human deciduous teeth (SHED) and MSC-like cells from iPSCs from SHED (iPS-SHED) and from human dermal fibroblasts (iPS-FIB). MSC-like cells from iPS-SHED and iPS-FIB displayed fibroblast-like morphology, downregulation of pluripotency markers and upregulation of mesenchymal markers. Comparativein vitroosteogenesis analysis showed higher osteogenic potential in MSC-like cells from iPS-SHED followed by MSC-like cells from iPS-FIB and SHED. CD105 expression, reported to be inversely correlated with osteogenic potential in MSCs, did not display this pattern, considering that SHED presented lower CD105 expression. Higher osteogenic potential of MSC-like cells from iPS-SHED may be due to cellular homogeneity and/or to donor tissue epigenetic memory. Our findings strengthen the rationale for the use of iPSCs in bone bioengineering. Unveiling the molecular basis behind these differences is important for a thorough use of iPSCs in clinical scenarios.
Polymorphic Basal Rates of Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion among Taiwanese Children with Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Lin Chia-Hung , Hsieh Feng-Ju , Van Yang-Hau , Lo Fu-Sung
Published: January 2015

Introduction. The basal dose of insulin, proportion of total daily insulin, and circadian variation during continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) therapy among children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) have not been fully elucidated.Materials and Methods. A total of 45 childhood patients with T1D receiving CSII therapy at Pediatrics Department of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between 2004 and 2012 were analyzed. Patients were classified according to Tanner stage.Results. HbA1c was significantly reduced in all Tanner groups within three months of CSII therapy (from 67 mmol/mol (8.3%) to 54 mmol/mol (7.1%),P<0.05). The actual basal proportion of total daily insulin use was 34–40%. The circadian distribution of basal insulin differed markedly between the five Tanner groups. Basal insulin requirement was highest between 3:00 and 7:00 h in Tanner stages 1-2. In stages 3-4, a lower nocturnal basal insulin that increased gradually until daytime was noted. Adolescents (stage 5) displayed a high insulin peak between 6:00 and 11:00 h, and a smaller peak between 19:00 and 23:00 h.Conclusions. A smaller proportion of basal insulin to total daily insulin use, as well as varied circadian patterns of insulin use, characterized these children with T1D.
The Safety and Efficacy of an Enzyme Combination in Managing Knee Osteoarthritis Pain in Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: Bolten Wolfgang W. , Glade Michael J. , Raum Sonja , Ritz Barry W.
Published: January 2015

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and comparator-controlled trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of an enzyme combination, as Wobenzym, in adults with moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Adults (n=150) received Wobenzym, diclofenac (a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, NSAID), or placebo for 12 weeks. Improvement in pain scores (Lequesne Functional Index) did not differ between subjects treated with Wobenzym or diclofenac, and both treatment groups improved compared to placebo (P<0.05). Reduction in total WOMAC scores (secondary outcome measure) did not differ between Wobenzym and diclofenac, although only diclofenac emerged as different from placebo (P<0.05). The median number of rescue medication (paracetamol) tablets consumed was less in the Wobenzym group compared to placebo (P<0.05), while there was no difference between diclofenac and placebo. Adverse events were similar in frequency in Wobenzym and placebo groups (7.2% and 9.1% of subjects, resp.) and higher in diclofenac group (15.6%). Wobenzym is comparable to the NSAID diclofenac in relieving pain and increasing function in adults with moderate-to-severe painful knee OA and reduces reliance on analgesic medication. Wobenzym is associated with fewer adverse events and, therefore, may be appropriate for long-term use.
Metabolomic Profiling in Perinatal Asphyxia: A Promising New Field
Authors: Denihan Niamh M. , Boylan Geraldine B. , Murray Deirdre M.
Published: January 2015

Metabolomics, the latest “omic” technology, is defined as the comprehensive study of all low molecular weight biochemicals, “metabolites” present in an organism. As a systems biology approach, metabolomics has huge potential to progress our understanding of perinatal asphyxia and neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy, by uniquely detecting rapid biochemical pathway alterations in response to the hypoxic environment. The study of metabolomic biomarkers in the immediate neonatal period is not a trivial task and requires a number of specific considerations, unique to this disease and population. Recruiting a clearly defined cohort requires standardised multicentre recruitment with broad inclusion criteria and the participation of a range of multidisciplinary staff. Minimally invasive biospecimen collection is a priority for biomarker discovery. Umbilical cord blood presents an ideal medium as large volumes can be easily extracted and stored and the sample is not confounded by postnatal disease progression. Pristine biobanking and phenotyping are essential to ensure the validity of metabolomic findings. This paper provides an overview of the current state of the art in the field of metabolomics in perinatal asphyxia and neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy. We detail the considerations required to ensure high quality sampling and analysis, to support scientific progression in this important field.
An Eleven-Year Retrospective Study of Endogenous Bacterial Endophthalmitis
Authors: Nishida Takashi , Ishida Kyoko , Niwa Yoshiaki , Kawakami Hideaki , Mochizuki Kiyofumi , Ohkusu Kiyofumi
Published: January 2015

Purpose. To determine the clinical features, microbial profiles, treatment outcomes, and prognostic factors for endogenous bacterial endophthalmitis (EBE).Methods. The medical records of 27 eyes of 21 patients diagnosed with EBE for 11 years were reviewed. Collected data included age, site of infection, visual acuities (VAs), microbial profiles, and treatment regimen.Results. The mean age was 68.5 years. Gram-positive organisms accounted for 76.2%, while gram-negative ones accounted for 19.0%.Staphylococcus aureuswas the most common causative organism (52.3%) of which 72.7% wasmethicillin-resistant S. aureus. A final VA of ≥20/40 was achieved in 44% and 20/200 or better was in 64%. Eyes with initial VA of ≥20/200 (P= 0.003) and focal involvements (P= 0.011) had significantly better final VA. Initial VA (P= 0.001) and the interval between onset of ocular symptoms and intravitreal antibiotic injection (P= 0.097) were associated with final VA in eyes receiving intravitreal antibiotics.Conclusions. EBE is generally associated with poor visual outcome; however the prognosis may depend on initial VA, extent of ocular involvement, and an interval between onset of ocular symptoms and intravitreal antibiotic injection. Early diagnosis and early intravitreal injection supplement to systemic antibiotics might lead to a relatively good visual outcome.
Design of a Fault Detection and Isolation System for Intelligent Vehicle Navigation System
Authors: Huang Wei , Su Xiaoxin
Published: January 2015

This paper deals with the design of a fault detection and isolation (FDI) system for an intelligent vehicle, a vehicle equipped with advanced driver assistance system (ADAS). The ADASs are outfitted with sensors for acquiring various information about the vehicle and its surroundings. Since these sensors are sensitive to faults, an efficient FDI system should be developed. The designed FDI system is comprised of three parts: a detection part, a decision part, and a fault management part. The detection part applies a generalized observer scheme (GOS). In the GOS, there is bank of extended Kalman filters (EKFs), each excited by all except one sensor measurement. The residual generated from the measurement update of each EKF is therefore sensitive to all sensor faults but one. This way, the fault sensitivity pattern of the residual makes it possible to detect a fault and locate the faulty sensor. The designed FDI system has been implemented and tested off-line with actual experiment data. Good results have been obtained with diagnosing individual sensor faults and outputting fault-free vehicle states.
Crossed-Brain Representation of Verbal and Nonverbal Functions
Authors: Matute Esmeralda , Ardila Alfredo , Rosselli Monica , Molina Del Rio Jahaziel , López Elizalde Ramiro , López Manuel , Ontiveros Angel
Published: January 2015

A 74-year-old, left-handed man presented with a rapidly evolving loss of strength in his right leg associated with difficulty in walking. MR images disclosed an extensive left hemisphere tumor. A neuropsychological examination revealed that language was broadly normal but that the patient presented with severe nonlinguistic abnormalities, including hemineglect (both somatic and spatial), constructional defects, and general spatial disturbances; symptoms were usually associated with right hemisphere pathologies. No ideomotor apraxia was found. The implications of crossed-brain representations of verbal and nonverbal functions are analyzed.
Super Unit Cells in Aperture‐Based Metamaterials
Authors: Tanasković Dragan , Jakšić Zoran , Obradov Marko , Jakšić Olga
Published: January 2015

An important class of electromagnetic metamaterials are aperture‐based metasurfaces. Examples include extraordinary optical transmission arrays and double fishnets with negative refractive index. We analyze a generalization of such metamaterials where a simple aperture is now replaced by a compound object formed by superposition of two or more primitive objects (e.g., rectangles, circles, and ellipses). Thus obtained “super unit cell” shows far richer behavior than the subobjects that comprise it. We show that nonlocalities introduced by overlapping simple subobjects can be used to produce large deviations of spectral dispersion even for small additive modifications of the basic geometry. Technologically, some super cells may be fabricated by simple spatial shifting of the existing photolithographic masks. In our investigation we applied analytical calculations and ab initio finite element modeling to prove the possibility to tailor the dispersion including resonances for plasmonic nanocomposites by adjusting the local geometry and exploiting localized interactions at a subwavelength level. Any desired form could be defined using simple primitive objects, making the situation a geometrical analog of the case of series expansion of a function. Thus an additional degree of tunability of metamaterials is obtained. The obtained designer structures can be applied in different fields like waveguiding and sensing.
Characterizing the Assessment and Management of Vitamin D Levels in Patients with Osteoporosis in Clinical Practice: A Chart Review Initiative
Authors: Adachi Jonathan D. , Brown Jacques P. , Ioannidis George
Published: January 2015

Though vitamin D is important for bone health, little is known about the monitoring and management of vitamin D levels in patients with osteoporosis in clinical practice—a deficit this chart review initiative aimed to remedy. A total of 52 physicians completed profiles for 983 patients being treated for osteoporosis between November 2008 and April 2009. Information collected included demographics; fracture risk factors; availability and level of serum vitamin D measurements; and information on osteoporosis medications and calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Physicians also evaluated patients’ current regimens and detailed proposed changes, if applicable. Nearly 85% of patients were prescribed calcium and vitamin D supplements. Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels were available for 73% of patients. Of these patients, approximately 50% had levels less than 80 nmol/L, which contrasts with the 37% thought to have “unsatisfactory” vitamin D levels based on physician perceptions. Physicians felt 26% of patients would benefit from additional vitamin D supplementation. However, no changes to the osteoporosis regimen were suggested for 48% of patients perceived to have “unsatisfactory” vitamin D levels. The results underscore the importance of considering vitamin D status when looking to optimize bone health.
Effectiveness of Hyaluronic Acid Administration in Treating Adhesive Capsulitis of the Shoulder: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Lee Lin-Chien , Lieu Fu-Kong , Lee Hung-Lin , Tung Tao-Hsin
Published: January 2015

Introduction. Adhesive capsulitis (AC) of the shoulder presents with an insidious onset of pain and progressive limitation of shoulder movement.Objectives. To investigate whether intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) administration alone is superior to conventional therapies and whether the addition of intra-articular HA administration to conventional therapies improves clinical outcomes in patients with AC.Methods. The PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library electronic databases were searched without language restrictions in July 2014 witha prioridefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.Results. Four randomized controlled trials (273 participants, 278 shoulders) were included in this review. Two trials compared intra-articular HA administration with conventional therapies and 2 trials evaluated intra-articular HA administration as an addition to conventional therapies. Pain and shoulder function/disability outcomes in the HA injection group were not superior to those achieved in the conventional therapy groups. No significant differences in pain or shoulder function/disability outcomes were noted between the groups with and without adjunctive HA administration.Conclusions. Intra-articular HA administration alone is not superior to conventional AC treatments, and the addition of intra-articular HA administration to conventional therapies does not provide significant added benefits. HA administration in AC patients who are receiving conventional therapies should be evaluated to avoid unnecessary medical expenditure.
Vibrational Spectroscopic Study of the Cocrystal Products Formed by Cinchona Alkaloids with 5-Nitrobarbituric Acid
Authors: Brittain Harry G.
Published: January 2015

X-ray powder diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, infrared absorption spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy have been used to study the phenomenon of cocrystal formation in the molecular complexes formed by 5-nitrobarbituric acid with four cinchona alkaloids. The cocrystal products were found to contain varying degrees of hydration, ranging from no hydration in the nitrobarbiturate-quinidine cocrystal up to a 4.5-hydrate species in the nitrobarbiturate-cinchonine cocrystal. For the nitrobarbiturate cocrystals with cinchonine, cinchonidine, and quinidine, the predominant interaction was with the quinoline ring system of the alkaloid. However, for quinine, the predominant interaction was with the quinuclidine group of the alkaloid. These properties serve to demonstrate the utility of 5-nitrobarbituric acid as a preferred reagent for chemical microscopy, since the differing range of hydrate and structural types would serve to easily differentiate the cinchona alkaloids from each other, even when different compounds contained the same absolute configurations at their dissymmetric centers.
Evidence for Contribution of CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cells in Maintaining Immune Tolerance to Human Factor IX following Perinatal Adenovirus Vector Delivery
Authors: Nivsarkar Megha S. , Buckley Suzanne M. K. , Parker Alan L. , Perocheau Dany , McKay Tristan R. , Rahim Ahad A. , Howe Steven J. , Waddington Simon N.
Published: January 2015

Following fetal or neonatal gene transfer in mice and other species immune tolerance of the transgenic protein is frequently observed; however the underlying mechanisms remain largely undefined. In this study fetal and neonatal BALB/c mice received adenovirus vector to deliver human factor IX (hFIX) cDNA. The long-term tolerance of hFIX was robust in the face of immune challenge with hFIX protein and adjuvant but was eliminated by simultaneous administration of anti-CD25+ antibody. Naive irradiated BALB/c mice which had received lymphocytes from donors immunised with hFIX developed anti-hFIX antibodies upon immune challenge. Cotransplantation with CD4+CD25+ cells isolated from neonatally tolerized donors decreased the antibody response. In contrast, cotransplantation with CD4+CD25− cells isolated from the same donors increased the antibody response. These data provide evidence that immune tolerance following perinatal gene transfer is maintained by a CD4+CD25+ regulatory population.
Luminescence Performance of Yellow Phosphor SrxBa1−xTiO3: Eu3+, Gd3+ for Blue Chip
Authors: Dong Limin , Li Jian , Li Qin , Shan Lianwei , Han Zhidong
Published: January 2015

The SrxBa1−xTiO3: Eu3+, Gd3+ phosphors are synthesized by high temperature solid‐phase method. Multiple techniques including X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used to examine the surface morphology and structural properties of SrxBa1−xTiO3: Eu3+, Gd3+ phosphors. The optical properties are presented and discussed in terms of photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra. The as‐obtained SrxBa1−xTiO3: Eu3+, Gd3+ phosphors show higher PL emission intensity (at 591, 611 nm). The peaks at 591 and 611 nm are attributed to Eu3+  5D0‐7F1, 5D0‐7F2. Gd3+ has a strong sensitization on Eu3+. A certain amount of Sr2+ and Ba2+ is contributed to the intensity of light emission. After being irradiated with blue light, the phosphor samples emit yellow light. This suggests its potential applications in many fields.
Clear Cell Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Potential Mimic of Conventional Clear Cell Renal Carcinoma on Core Biopsy
Authors: Liddell Heath , Mare Anton , Heywood Sean , Bennett Genevieve , Chan Hin Fan
Published: January 2015

Clear cell papillary renal cell carcinoma (CCP-RCC) is a recently described, relatively uncommon variant of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with a reported incidence of 4.1%. Thought to only arise in those with end stage renal disease, CCP-RCC is increasingly identified in those without renal impairment. CCP-RCCs have unique morphologic, genetic, and immunohistochemical features distinguishing them from both conventional clear cell renal cell carcinomas and papillary renal cell carcinomas. Immunohistochemically, these tumors are positive for CK7 and negative for CD10 and racemase. This is in contrast to conventional cell renal cell carcinomas (CK7 negative, CD10 positive) and papillary cell carcinomas (CK7, CD10, and racemase positive). These tumours appear to be indolent in nature, with no current documented cases of metastatic spread. We present the case of a 42-year-old female who presented with an incidental finding of a renal mass that on a core biopsy was reported as clear cell carcinoma, Fuhrman grade 1. She subsequently underwent a radical nephrectomy and further histological examination revealed the tumor to be a clear cell papillary renal cell carcinoma, Fuhrman grade 1.
Can Biomarkers Help to Diagnose Early Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction?
Authors: Meluzín Jaroslav , Tomandl Josef
Published: January 2015

Early heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a frequent disease, but its diagnosis is difficult and relies mostly on the evidence of left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP) elevation during exercise. Several reports have suggested that natriuretic peptides plasma levels reflect exercise-induced increase in LVFP, but they still have significant limitations. In this context, any new laboratory biomarker that can accurately reflect LVFP elevation during exercise is desirable. Recently, cardiotrophin-1, soluble endoglin, ST2, growth differentiation factor 15, galectin-3, and other new laboratory markers associated with LVFP have emerged. However, the current data on the relationship of these biomarkers and diastolic dysfunction are limited to resting conditions. Therefore, their secretion deserves to be tested under the exercise to determine their potential role in making a diagnosis of early HFpEF.
Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma: A ceRNA Analysis Pointed to a Crosstalk betweenSOX2,TP53, and microRNA Biogenesis
Authors: Arancio Walter , Carina Valeria , Pizzolanti Giuseppe , Tomasello Laura , Pitrone Maria , Baiamonte Concetta , Amato Marco Calogero , Giordano Carla
Published: January 2015

It has been suggested that cancer stem cells (CSC) may play a central role in oncogenesis, especially in undifferentiated tumours. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) has characteristics suggestive of a tumour enriched in CSC. Previous studies suggested that the stem cell factorSOX2has a preeminent hierarchical role in determining the characteristics of stem cells in SW1736 ATC cell line. In detail, silencing SOX2 in SW1736 is able to suppress the expression of the stem markers analysed, strongly sensitizing the line to treatment with chemotherapeutic agents. Therefore, in order to further investigate the role of SOX2 in ATC, a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) analysis was conducted in order to isolate new functional partners of SOX2. Among the interactors, of particular interest are genes involved in the biogenesis of miRNAs (DICER1, RNASEN,andEIF2C2), in the control cell cycle (TP53, CCND1), and in mitochondrial activity (COX8A). The data suggest that stemness, microRNA biogenesis and functions, p53 regulatory network, cyclin D1, and cell cycle control, together with mitochondrial activity, might be coregulated.
Acute Viral Hepatitis E Is Associated with the Development of Myocarditis
Authors: Premkumar M. , Rangegowda Devraja , Vashishtha Chitranshu , Bhatia Vikram , Khumuckham Jelen Singh , Kumar Badal
Published: January 2015

Myocarditis, an inflammatory disease of heart muscle, is an important cause of dilated cardiomyopathy worldwide. Viral infection is an important cause of myocarditis. This condition presents with various symptoms, ranging from minimally symptomatic cases to fatal arrhythmia and cardiogenic shock, and may develop chronic myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy in some patients. We report the case of a 26-year-old patient with acute viral hepatitis E who developed symptomatic myocarditis. As far as we could search, this is probably the 3rd case report of this rare association.
The Organotypic Longitudinal Spinal Cord Slice Culture for Stem Cell Study
Authors: Sypecka Joanna , Koniusz Sylwia , Kawalec Maria , Sarnowska Anna
Published: January 2015

The objective of this paper is to describe in detail the method of organotypic longitudinal spinal cord slice culture and the scientific basis for its potential utility. The technique is based on the interface method, which was described previously and thereafter was modified in our laboratory. The most important advantage of the presented model is the preservation of the intrinsic spinal cord fiber tract and the ventrodorsal polarity of the spinal cord. All the processes occurring during axonal growth, regeneration, synapse formation, and myelination could be visualized while being culturedin vitrofor up to 4-5 weeks after the slices had been isolated. Both pups and adult animals can undergo the same, equally efficient procedures when going by the protocol in question. The urgent need for an appropriatein vitromodel for spinal cord regeneration results from a greater number of clinical trials concerning regenerative medicine in the spinal cord injury and from still insufficient knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in the neuroreparative processes. The detailed method of organotypic longitudinal spinal cord slice culture is accompanied by examples of its application to studying biological processes to which both the CNS inhabiting and grafted cells are subjected.
Learning a Genetic Measure for Kinship Verification Using Facial Images
Authors: Kou Lu , Zhou Xiuzhuang , Xu Min , Shang Yuanyuan
Published: January 2015

Motivated by the key observation that children generally resemble their parents more than other persons with respect to facial appearance, distance metric (similarity) learning has been the dominant choice for state-of-the-art kinship verification via facial images in the wild. Most existing learning-based approaches to kinship verification, however, are focused on learning a genetic similarity measure in a batch learning manner, leading to less scalability for practical applications with ever-growing amount of data. To address this, we propose a new kinship verification approach by learning a sparse similarity measure in an online fashion. Experimental results on the kinship datasets show that our approach is highly competitive to the state-of-the-art alternatives in terms of verification accuracy, yet it is superior in terms of scalability for practical applications.
A Case of Nephrotic Syndrome, Showing Evidence of Response to Saquinavir
Authors: Walters Giles , Choudhury Faisal A. , Nanayakkara Budhima
Published: January 2015

The treatment of primary nephrotic syndrome such as minimal change nephropathy, membranous nephropathy, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis nephropathy remains challenging. Whilst most cases of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome respond to steroid therapy and experience a limited number of relapses prior to complete remission, some cases suffer from frequent relapses and become steroid dependent or are primarily steroid resistant. Treatment options are limited to immunosuppressive drugs with significant side effect profiles. New modalities targeting novel pathways in the pathogenesis of nephrotic syndrome are actively sought. Here we report the case of a patient with steroid dependent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) nephrotic syndrome with a favourable response to a novel proteasome inhibitor saquinavir.
Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis after Cetuximab Chemotherapy for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Parotid Gland
Authors: Petrides Christos , Kyriakos Neofytou , Andreas Ioannou , Konstantinos Parpounas , Chrysanthos Georgiou , Athanasios Petrou , Pikoulis Emmanouil
Published: January 2015

Pneumatosis intestinalis, defined as gas in the bowel wall, is often first identified on abdominal radiographs or computed tomography (CT) scans. It is a radiographic finding and not a diagnosis, as the etiology varies from benign conditions to fulminant gastrointestinal disease. We report here a case of pneumatosis intestinalis associated with cetuximab therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck. The patient underwent laparotomy based on the CT scan and the result was pneumatosis intestinalis without any signs of necrotizing enterocolitis.
Diagnosis ofNeisseria gonorrhoeaeUsing Molecular Beacon
Authors: Sachdev Divya , Patel Achchhe Lal , Sonkar Subash Chandra , Kumari Indu , Saluja Daman
Published: January 2015

Neisseria gonorrhoeaeis an important sexually transmitted diseases (STD) causing pathogen worldwide. Due to absence of an affordable diagnostic assay, routine screening of gonococcal infection becomes impossible in developing countries where infection rates are maximum. Treatment is given on the basis of symptoms alone which leads to spread of infection. Thus, development of a rapid, sensitive, specific, and PCR based visual diagnostic assay suitable for developing countries, required for better disease management, is aimed at in present study. Endocervical swabs were collected from patients visiting gynecology department of various hospitals in Delhi. In-house PCR based assay was developed and modified to visual assay using molecular beacon for end-point detection. It was evaluated against Roche AMPLICOR NG kit andrmpgene. Specificity of beacon was confirmed by competition experiments. Diagnostic test was 98.21% specific and 99.59% sensitive whereas negative and positive predicted value were 99.40% and 98.78%, respectively. We also observed that twice the concentration (2X) of premix was stable at 4°C for 4 months and dry swab samples gave concordant results with that of wet swabs. These features make the test best suitable for routine diagnosis of genital infections in developing countries.
Enhanced Key Management Protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Cui Baojiang , Wang Ziyue , Zhao Bing , Liang Xiaobing , Ding Yuemin
Published: January 2015

With rapid development and extensive use of wireless sensor networks (WSNs), it is urgent to enhance the security for WSNs, in which key management is an effective way to protect WSNs from various attacks. However, different types of messages exchanged in WSNs typically have different security requirements which cannot be satisfied by a single keying mechanism. In this study, a basic key management protocol is described for WSNs based on four kinds of keys, which can be derived from an initial master key, and an enhanced protocol is proposed based on Diffie-Hellman algorithm. The proposed scheme restricts the adverse security impact of a captured node to the rest of WSNs and meets the requirement of energy efficiency by supporting in-network processing. The master key protection, key revocation mechanism, and the authentication mechanism based on one-way hash function are, respectively, discussed. Finally, the performance of the proposed scheme is analyzed from the aspects of computational efficiency, storage requirement and communication cost, and its antiattack capability in protecting WSNs is discussed under various attack models. In this paper, promising research directions are also discussed.
The Most Cited Papers in Osteoporosis and Related Research
Authors: Holzer Lukas A. , Leithner Andreas , Holzer Gerold
Published: January 2015

Osteoporosis is a systemic disease of the bone that affects millions of people and causes burden for both the affected individual and health systems and societies worldwide. Since the 1970s much research has been done in the field of osteoporosis. The number of citations of a paper reflects its influence and importance to the field. Thomson ISI Web of Science database was searched to retrieve a list of the fifty most cited articles related to osteoporosis and its research. The fifty most cited articles in absolute numbers in the field of osteoporosis were cited from 877 to 3056 times (mean1141±537). Most papers were published in the basic science category(n=23). 395 authors contributed; a single paper had between one and 62 authors (mean:10.02±9.9authors). 12 authors (3.04%) contributed between 7 and 4 papers; 340 authors (86.1%) were at least named once. Corresponding authors were from eight countries with most contributions from the United States (n=34, 68%). The majority of papers were published in the 1990s(n=29). The list of 50 most cited papers presents citation classics in the field of osteoporosis and related research.