bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF FUSED DEPOSITION MODELING TEXTILE GEOMETRICAL FEATURES FOR STAB RESISTANT APPLICATION
Authors: S. Maidin , C. Seeying
Published: January 2016

Body armour plays a vital role to provide protection to the law enforcement and correctional officers around the world who are significantly working at risk of encountering assault in daily routine. Despite many modern fiber-based soft body armours have been developed, yet a number of historical issues continue to exist and challenge the current protective solutions. In fact, additive manufacturing (AM) presents a great design freedom and advantages in developing customized user fit lightweight product or part, it also reduces the amount of labour costs, operation time and material waste. This research therefore investigates the feasibility of using AM system to manufacture textile geometrical models, which can be used for the development of novel user fit stab–resistant body armour. Prior to the actual experiments, this paper presents the finite element analysis of a planar and five cross-sectional design of textile models that will be additive manufactured with Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) system utilizing the commonly used materials such as Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and Polycarbonate-ABS (PC-ABS) blend. A comparative analysis is performed between both materials. The purpose of this paper is basically to investigate the relationship between the cross-sectional design of textile models and their protective performance against stabbing. Firstly, a planar model and five textile model with different imbricate scale-linked designs were modeled with a CAD software. These models were simulated tested by a test blade using ANSYS software. The specification of test blade was taken from NIJ Standard-0115.00. The comparative result shows that PC-ABS has better performance to resist the knife threat than ABS due to the addition of ABS provides not only other useful properties, yet reduces the limitations of PC and at the same times without removing other superior mechanical properties. The result shows the knife penetration through the planar model was much larger than the imbricate scale-linked design models. The design of model 5 was the most appropriate as compared to other designs, which the maximum total deformation distributed on its cross section area was the lowest. This implies that the design of model 5 can be used in the experiment later and it might contribute high stab resistant towards the knife threat with impact energy of 24 Joules.
EFFECTS OF ENERGY DRINK CONSUMPTION ON ELECTROCARDIOGRAPH AND PHOTO PLETHYSMOGRAPH
Authors: Uddin Md. Bashir , Ahmad Mohiuddin , Rashid Mohd Abdur
Published: January 2016

The effects of energy drinks (ED) consumption on electrocardiograph (ECG) and photo plethysmograph (PPG) of several healthy human subjects are evaluated in this study. ECG recordings were performed with electrode lead set connected to MP36 (Biopac, USA) data acquisition unit. PPG recordings were also performed with pulse transducer connected to same data acquisition unit. ECG and PPG recordings were performed before and after having ED available in Bangladesh. Recordings were done with some interval of time from the instant of having ED. After consuming ED, it is observed that the R peak amplitude of ECG which is a vital part of QRS complex increases to a significant value. The maximum increment in R peak amplitude of ECG is found about 4.8% due to having ED which may give a short-term little boost of energy. This increment in R peak amplitude of ECG effectively continues up to 90 to 95 minutes approximately from the instant of being energized. A significant decrement is observed in peak to peak amplitude of PPG and heart rate (HR) due to the consumption of ED which may lead cardiac abnormality as well. Though the consumption of ED gives a short-term energy boost, it may cause any kinds of long- term cardiac diseases.
Deletion of Kvβ1.1 subunit leads to electrical and haemodynamic changes causing cardiac hypertrophy in female murine hearts
Authors: Tur Jared , Chapalamadugu Kalyan C. , Padawer Timothy , Badole Sachin L. , Kilfoil Peter J. , Bhatnagar Aruni , Tipparaju Srinivas M.
Published: January 2016

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

The goal of this study was to evaluate sex differences and the role of the potassium channel β1 (Kvβ1) subunit in the heart.

What is the main finding and its importance?

Genetic ablation of Kvβ1.1 in females led to cardiac hypertrophy characterized by increased heart size, prolonged monophasic action potentials, elevated blood pressure and increased myosin heavy chain α (MHCα) expression. In contrast, male mice showed only electrical changes. Kvβ1.1 binds the MHCα isoform at the protein level, and small interfering RNA targeted knockdown of Kvβ1.1 upregulated MHCα.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and debility in women in the USA, and cardiac arrhythmias are a major concern. Voltage‐gated potassium (Kv) channels along with the binding partners; Kvβ subunits are major regulators of the action potential (AP) shape and duration (APD). The regulation of Kv channels by the Kvβ1 subunit is unknown in female hearts. In the present study, we hypothesized that the Kvβ1 subunit is an important regulator of female cardiac physiology. To test this hypothesis, we ablated (knocked out; KO) the KCNAB1 isoform 1 (Kvβ1.1) subunit in mice and evaluated cardiac function and electrical activity by using ECG, monophasic action potential recordings and echocardiography. Our results showed that the female Kvβ1.1 KO mice developed cardiac hypertrophy, and the hearts were structurally different, with enlargement and increased area. The electrical derangements caused by Kvβ1.1 KO in female mice included long QTc and QRS intervals along with increased APD (APD20–90% repolarization). The male Kvβ1.1 KO mice did not develop cardiac hypertrophy, but they showed long QTc and prolonged APD. Molecular analysis showed that several genes that support cardiac hypertrophy were significantly altered in Kvβ1.1 KO female hearts. In particular, myosin heavy chain α expression was significantly elevated in Kvβ1.1 KO mouse heart. Using a small interfering RNA strategy, we identified that knockdown of Kvβ1 increases myosin heavy chain α expression in H9C2 cells. Collectively, changes in molecular and cell signalling pathways clearly point towards a distinct electrical and structural remodelling consistent with cardiac hypertrophy in the Kvβ1.1 KO female mice.
Anisotropic Inhomogeneous Poroelastic Inclusions: With Application to Underground Energy-Related Problems
Authors: Bedayat Houman , Taleghani Arash Dahi
Published: January 2016

Understanding the stress change in a reservoir generated by fluid production/injection is important for field development purposes. In this paper, we provide the Eshelby solution for stress and strain distribution inside and outside of an anisotropic poroelastic inhomogeneity due to pore pressure changes inside the inhomogeneity. The term anisotropic inhomogeneity refers to an inhomogeneity with anisotropic poroelastic constants. Some graphical results for strain and stress ratios for different material properties and geometries are presented as well. Anisotropy in elastic properties has been studied extensively in the last century; however, anisotropy in poroelastic properties, despite its potential significant impact in different engineering problems, has not been explored thoroughly. The results show how neglecting the effect of anisotropic poroelastic properties may result in large differences in calculated stresses. Due to the authors' primary interest in geomechanical problems, the discussions and examples are chosen for applications involving fluid withdrawal/injection into hydrocarbon reservoirs.
Robust source-range estimation using the array/waveguide invariant and a vertical array
Authors: Cho Chomgun , Song H. C. , Hodgkiss W. S.
Published: January 2016

The array invariant based on beam-time migration has been proposed for source-range estimation using a horizontal or vertical array (VA), with no need for forward model computations. The approach has been demonstrated successfully with experimental data in shallow water using a horizontal towed array. Recently, the array invariant has been shown to be a special case of the waveguide invariant theory. In this paper, the unified array/waveguide invariant approach to source-range estimation is applied to a short-aperture VA in a fluctuating ocean environment over a one-day period. Specifically, the mean range estimates using a 12-m long VA in ∼100 m deep water are <8% relative error for a source (2–3 kHz) at 6-km range, demonstrating the robustness of this approach.
Early memory phenotypes drive T cell proliferation in patients with pediatric malignancies
Authors: Singh Nathan , Perazzelli Jessica , Grupp Stephan A. , Barrett David M.
Published: January 2016

Enriching stem central memory cells rescues poor T cell expansion, expanding patient eligibility for cellular therapy.
Draft Genome Sequence of a Virulent Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp.
brasiliense
Isolate Causing Soft Rot of Cucumber
Authors: Onkendi Edward M. , Ramesh Aadi Moolam , Kwenda Stanford , Naidoo Sanushka , Moleleki Lucy
Published: January 2016

Pectobacterium carotovorum
subsp.
brasiliense
causes soft rot and blackleg diseases on potatoes, ornamentals, and other crops of economic importance. Here, we report a draft genome sequence of a highly virulent
P. carotovorum
subsp.
brasiliense
strain, PcbHPI01, isolated from a cucumber in South Africa.
An exceptional outcome from a rare cause of postpartum haemodynamic collapse
Authors: Delisle Megan , Metcalfe Jennifer , Rivard Justin
Published: January 2016

We present a case of a 26-year-old woman presenting with haemorrhagic shock without any overt bleeding on postpartum day 2. Work up revealed intra-abdominal haemorrhage from an unclear source in the pelvis. She was intubated, resuscitated with mostly crystalloids, and started on norepinephrine and dopamine, in a rural hospital with limited resources. She was then transferred to the closest tertiary care centre 3 h away by air. On arrival, she was hypothermic (34.9°C) and had developed severe metabolic acidosis (pH 6.89). A massive transfusion protocol was initiated. She underwent an emergency laparotomy and the origin of the active bleeding was believed to be a branch of the right internal iliac artery. Haemostasis was achieved with packing. She was subsequently taken to interventional radiology for angioembolisation of the right uterine artery as an alternative to haemostatic hysterectomy. Her final diagnosis was rupture of an extrauterine uterine artery pseudoaneurysm.
Unusual cause of flare in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis
Authors: Glanville James Robert William , Penn Henry
Published: January 2016

A 53-year-old woman attended for a routine outpatient appointment for follow-up of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-positive vasculitis. Her disease had relapsed despite appropriate medical management with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), as evidenced by rising acute phase response and antimyeloperoxidase titre with ongoing symptoms. On further questioning, she had been taking oral charcoal as part of a detoxification diet, which we postulate was causing significantly impaired MMF absorption. This case report summarises the presentation and highlights the importance of a thorough drug history, and should prompt the reader to keep an open mind with regard to drug interactions and treatment regimen adherence when treatment is, unexpectedly, seemingly failing.
Intraclass correlation and design effect in BMI, physical activity and diet: a cross-sectional study of 56 countries
Authors: Masood Mohd , Reidpath Daniel D
Published: January 2016

Objectives

Measuring the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and design effect (DE) may help to modify the public health interventions for body mass index (BMI), physical activity and diet according to geographic targeting of interventions in different countries. The purpose of this study was to quantify the level of clustering and DE in BMI, physical activity and diet in 56 low-income, middle-income and high-income countries.

Design

Cross-sectional study design.

Setting

Multicountry national survey data.

Methods

The World Health Survey (WHS), 2003, data were used to examine clustering in BMI, physical activity in metabolic equivalent of task (MET) and diet in fruits and vegetables intake (FVI) from low-income, middle-income and high-income countries. Multistage sampling in the WHS used geographical clusters as primary sampling units (PSU). These PSUs were used as a clustering or grouping variable in this analysis. Multilevel intercept only regression models were used to calculate the ICC and DE for each country.

Results

The median ICC (0.039) and median DE (1.82) for BMI were low; however, FVI had a higher median ICC (0.189) and median DE (4.16). For MET, the median ICC was 0.141 and median DE was 4.59. In some countries, however, the ICC and DE for BMI were large. For instance, South Africa had the highest ICC (0.39) and DE (11.9) for BMI, whereas Uruguay had the highest ICC (0.434) for MET and Ethiopia had the highest ICC (0.471) for FVI.

Conclusions

This study shows that across a wide range of countries, there was low area level clustering for BMI, whereas MET and FVI showed high area level clustering. These results suggested that the country level clustering effect should be considered in developing preventive approaches for BMI, as well as improving physical activity and healthy diets for each country.
Complexity in the new NHS: longitudinal case studies of CCGs in England
Authors: Checkland Katherine , McDermott Imelda , Coleman Anna , Perkins Neil
Published: January 2016

Objective

The reform in the English National Health Services (NHS) under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 is unlike previous NHS reorganisations. The establishment of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) was intended to be ‘bottom up’ with no central blueprint. This paper sets out to offer evidence about how this process has played out in practice and examines the implications of the complexity and variation which emerged.

Design

Detailed case studies in CCGs across England, using interviews, observation and documentary analysis. Using realist framework, we unpacked the complexity of CCG structures.

Setting/participants

In phase 1 of the study (January 2011 to September 2012), we conducted 96 interviews, 439 h of observation in a wide variety of meetings, 2 online surveys and 38 follow-up telephone interviews. In phase 2 (April 2013 to March 2015), we conducted 42 interviews with general practitioners (GPs) and managers and observation of 48 different types of meetings.

Results

Our study has highlighted the complexity inherent in CCGs, arising out of the relatively permissive environment in which they developed. Not only are they very different from one another in size, but also in structure, functions between different bodies and the roles played by GPs.

Conclusions

The complexity and lack of uniformity of CCGs is important as it makes it difficult for those who must engage with CCGs to know who to approach at what level. This is of increasing importance as CCGs are moving towards greater integration across health and social care. Our study also suggests that there is little consensus as to what being a ‘membership’ organisation means and how it should operate. The lack of uniformity in CCG structure and lack of clarity over the meaning of ‘membership’ raises questions over accountability, which becomes of greater importance as CCG is taking over responsibility for primary care co-commissioning.
Portrait of a process: arts-based research in a head and neck cancer clinic
Authors: Gilbert Mark A , Lydiatt William M , Aita Virginia A , Robbins Regina E , McNeilly Dennis P , Desmarais Michele Marie
Published: January 2016

The role of art in medicine is complex, varied and uncertain. To examine one aspect of the relationship between art and medicine, investigators analysed the interactions between a professional artist and five adult patients with head and neck cancer as they cocreated portraits in a clinical setting. The artist and four members of an interdisciplinary team analysed the portraits as well as journal entries, transcripts of portrait sessions and semistructured interviews. Over the course of 5 months, 24 artworks evolved from sittings that allowed both the patients and the artist to collaborate around stories of illness, suffering and recovery. Using narrative inquiry and qualitative arts-based research techniques five emergent themes were identified: embracing uncertainties; developing trusting relationships; engaging in reflective practices; creating shared stories; and empowerment. Similar themes are found in successful physician–patient relationships. This paper will discuss these findings and potential implications for healthcare and medical education.
Study on the effect of high V doping on the conductivity of anatase TiO2
Authors: Hou Qingyu , Li Wencai , Xu Zhenchao , Zhao Chunwang
Published: January 2016

Based on density functional theory (DFT) and local density approximation (LDA), the band structure and the density of states of all models of pure and V-doped anatase TiO2systems were calculated using plane-wave ultra-soft pseudo potential method after geometry optimization. The calculation results show that, with the increase of the doping concentration of V in anatase TiO2, the free electron concentration and electron effective mass increase; the electronic mobility and electronic conductivity decrease, which is consistent with the change trend of the experimental results.
Fuzzy-Based Techniques in Human-Like Processing of Social Network Data
Authors: Zadeh Lotfi A. , Abbasov Ali M. , Shahbazova Shahnaz N.
Published: January 2016

Social networks have gained a lot attention. They are perceived as a vast source of information about their users. Variety of different methods and techniques has been proposed to analyze these networks in order to extract valuable information about the users – things they do and like/dislike. A lot of effort is put into improvement of analytical methods in order to grasp a more accurate and detailed image of users. Such information would have an impact on many aspects of everyday life of people – from politics, via professional life, to shopping and entertainment.

The theory of fuzzy sets and systems, introduced in 1965, has the ability to handle imprecise and ambiguous information, and to cope with linguistic terms. The theory has evolved into such areas like possibility theory and computing with words. It is very suitable for processing data in a human-like way, and providing the results in a human-oriented manner.

The paper presents a short survey of works that use fuzzy-based technologies for analysis of social networks. We pose an idea that fuzzy-based techniques allow for introduction of humancentric and human-like data analysis processes. We include here detailed descriptions of a few target areas of social network analysis that could benefit from applications of fuzzy sets and systems methods.
The Effects of Environmental Regulation on Corporate Performance: A Chinese Perspective
Authors: Ramiah Vikash , Pichelli Jacopo , Moosa Imad
Published: January 2016

This paper presents empirical evidence on the effects of environmental regulation announcements on corporate performance in China when performance is proxied by stock returns. While some results indicate the effectiveness of environmental regulation, others point to the opposite. The perverse results are explained in terms of the lack of enforcement of environmental regulation, which is attributed to legislative shortcomings, poorly designed policy instruments, an unsupportive work environment for environmental regulators, a pro-growth political and social environment, and a cultural predisposition to harmony and consensus-building among those involved in the process.
Explicating Mechanical and Electrical Knowledge for Design Phase of Green Building Projects
Authors: Pourzolfaghar Zohreh , Ibrahim Rahinah , Adam Nor Mariah
Published: January 2016

Construction projects usually encompass numerous disciplines, requiring the integration of knowledge from civil, mechanical, electrical and other engineering domains. Some researchers contend that the integration of construction knowledge and experience at the early design phase would improve the overall project performance. Domination of tacit knowledge during design phase of building projects is the major source of knowledge flow problems between involved professionals. Therefore, this study intends to explicate the required mechanical and electrical knowledge which has to be considered during the conceptual design phase of a green building project. To fulfil this goal, a case study has been conducted to specify the entity of the required mechanical and electrical knowledge. The primary method for the data collection here is observation. Furthermore, this study employs the triangulation method in order to validate the collected data. The results contain the required mechanical and electrical knowledge which has to be considered during the conceptual design phase of a green building project.
Supporting Competitive Intelligence at DuPont by Controlling Information Overload and Cutting Through the Noise
Authors: Donohue David P. , Murphy Peter M.
Published: January 2016

To overcome the problems of managing too much information and curating for the valuable content, DuPont’s research, business, regulatory, manufacturing, legal, and marketing teams increasingly rely on the corporate library’s competitive intelligence (CI) team to keep up with the latest Key Intelligence Topics (KITs) affecting their strategic goals and their decision-making processes. To meet the growing demand for CI news with constrained resources, the library CI team and the software application team designed and built CIntell, a user-friendly collection of technologies and services to harvest, store, curate, and publish secondary CI information. Using exclusively open source technologies (including Weka, Rome, MySQL, Solr), CIntell automatically harvests, filters, de-duplicates, tags, classifies, and stores public and subscribed secondary information in a structured database including news, research publications, patents, government reports, and web information. The CIntell web-based user interface facilitates searching, reviewing, organising, curating, and publishing CI news of interest to a project’s owners. Implementation of CIntell has more than tripled the CI newsletter productivity of the library CI team and reduced the news clutter by more than half compared to using traditional alerting tools and sporadic DIY searching.
Multi-Label Genre Classification of Web Pages Using an Adaptive Centroid-Based Classifier
Authors: Jebari Chaker
Published: January 2016

This paper proposes an adaptive centroid-based classifier (ACC) for multi-label classification of web pages. Using a set of multi-genre training dataset, ACC constructs a centroid for each genre. To deal with the rapid evolution of web genres, ACC implements an adaptive classification method where web pages are classified one by one. For each web page, ACC calculated its similarity with all genre centroids. Based on this similarity, ACC either adjusts the genre centroid by including the new web page or discards it. A web page is a complex object that contains different sections belonging to different genres. To handle this complexity, ACC implements a multi-label classification where a web page can be assigned to multiple genres at the same time. To improve the performance of genre classification, we propose to aggregate the classifications produced using character n-grams extracted from URL, title, headings and anchors. Experiments conducted using a known multi-label dataset show that ACC outperforms many other multi-label classifiers and has the lowest computational complexity.
On Solvability of Groups with a Few Non-cyclic Subgroups
Authors: Zarrin Mohammad
Published: January 2016

Li and Zhao studied groups with a few conjugacy classes of non-cyclic subgroups. In this paper we study groups with a few non-cyclic subgroups. In fact, among other things, we give some sufficient conditions on the number of non-cyclic subgroups of a finite group to be solvable.
A New Expression of the Hermitian Solutions to a System of Matrix Equations with Applications
Authors: Song Guangjing , Yu Shaowen , Chen Ming
Published: January 2016

In this paper, a new necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a Hermitian solution as well as a new expression of the general Hermitian solution to the system of matrix equations A1X=C1 and A3XB3=C3 are derived. The max-min ranks and inertias of these Hermitian solutions with some interesting applications are shown. In particular, the max-min ranks and inertias of the Hermitian part of the general solution to this system are presented.
Collagen and heparan sulfate coatings differentially alter cell proliferation and attachmentin vitroandin vivo
Authors: Walthers Christopher M. , Lyall Chase J. , Nazemi Alireza K. , Rana Puneet V. , Dunn James C.Y.
Published: January 2016

Tissue engineering is an innovative field of research applied to treat intestinal diseases. Engineered smooth muscle requires dense smooth muscle tissue and robust vascularization to support contraction. The purpose of this study was to use heparan sulfate (HS) and collagen coatings to increase the attachment of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) to scaffolds and improve their survival after implantation. SMCs grown on biologically coated scaffolds were evaluated for maturity and cell numbers after 2, 4 and 6 weeks in vitro and both 2 and 6 weeks in vivo. Implants were also assessed for vascularization. Collagen-coated scaffolds increased attachment, growth and maturity of SMCs in culture. HS-coated implants increased angiogenesis after 2 weeks, contributing to an increase in SMC survival and growth compared to HS-coated scaffolds grown in vitro. The angiogenic effects of HS may be useful for engineering intestinal smooth muscle.
An unusual Proterozoic petroleum play in Western Africa: the Atar Group carbonates (Taoudeni Basin, Mauritania)
Authors: Martín-Monge Antonio , Baudino Roger , Gairifo-Ferreira Luis M. , Tocco Rafael , Badalì Marcello , Ochoa María , Haryono Sigit , Soriano Sofía , El Hafiz Nidal , Hernán-Gómez Julio , Chacón Beatriz , Brisson Ignacio , Grammatico Giovanni , Varadé Roberto , Abdallah Hussein
Published: January 2016

The Taoudeni Basin is the largest sedimentary basin in Africa. This intracratonic basin, which forms the sedimentary cover of the West African Craton, records episodic sedimentation since the Proterozoic. It is a largely unexplored basin, with only eight exploration wells drilled to date, although its petroleum prospectivity was established in 1974 when gas and liquids were tested in the Abolag-1 well. This paper focuses on the identification and assessment of potential source rocks and reservoirs in the Taoudeni Basin in Mauritania and aims to establish a geochemical genetic link between the occurrence of petroleum and potential sources. Various disciplines and techniques were integrated to reach a better understanding of the petroleum systems potentially existing in this basin. We also define and describe the elements and processes of the Atar-Atar (!) petroleum system. This study is an example of the exploration of an unusual and high-risk play in some of the oldest sedimentary rocks on Earth, with a long, polyphase structural evolution, a complex thermal history (where burial might not be the only controlling factor), a massively diagenetized carbonate reservoir, and large uncertainties on the timing of generation, trap formation and preservation.
Brucellaspp. Virulence Factors and Immunity
Authors: Byndloss Mariana X. , Tsolis Renee M.
Published: January 2016

Brucellosis, caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella, is an important zoonotic infection that causes reproductive disease in domestic animals and chronic debilitating disease in humans. An intriguing aspect of Brucella infection is the ability of these bacteria to evade the host immune response, leading to pathogen persistence. Conversely, in the reproductive tract of infected animals, this stealthy pathogen is able to cause an acute severe inflammatory response. In this review, we discuss the different mechanisms used by Brucella to cause disease, with emphasis on its virulence factors and the dichotomy between chronic persistence and reproductive disease.
NDH-1 and NDH-2 Plastoquinone Reductases in Oxygenic Photosynthesis
Authors: Peltier Gilles , Aro Eva-Mari , Shikanai Toshiharu
Published: January 2016

Oxygenic photosynthesis converts solar energy into chemical energy in the chloroplasts of plants and microalgae as well as in prokaryotic cyanobacteria using a complex machinery composed of two photosystems and both membrane-bound and soluble electron carriers. In addition to the major photosynthetic complexes photosystem II (PSII), cytochrome b6f, and photosystem I (PSI), chloroplasts also contain minor components, including a well-conserved type I NADH dehydrogenase (NDH-1) complex that functions in close relationship with photosynthesis and likewise originated from the endosymbiotic cyanobacterial ancestor. Some plants and many microalgal species have lost plastidial ndh genes and a functional NDH-1 complex during evolution, and studies have suggested that a plastidial type II NADH dehydrogenase (NDH-2) complex substitutes for the electron transport activity of NDH-1. However, although NDH-1 was initially thought to use NAD(P)H as an electron donor, recent research has demonstrated that both chloroplast and cyanobacterial NDH-1s oxidize reduced ferredoxin. We discuss more recent findings related to the biochemical composition and activity of NDH-1 and NDH-2 in relation to the physiology and regulation of photosynthesis, particularly focusing on their roles in cyclic electron flow around PSI, chlororespiration, and acclimation to changing environments.
Learning the Languages of the Chloroplast: Retrograde Signaling and Beyond
Authors: Chan Kai Xun , Phua Su Yin , Crisp Peter , McQuinn Ryan , Pogson Barry J.
Published: January 2016

The chloroplast can act as an environmental sensor, communicating with the cell during biogenesis and operation to change the expression of thousands of proteins. This process, termed retrograde signaling, regulates expression in response to developmental cues and stresses that affect photosynthesis and yield. Recent advances have identified many signals and pathways—including carotenoid derivatives, isoprenes, phosphoadenosines, tetrapyrroles, and heme, together with reactive oxygen species and proteins—that build a communication network to regulate gene expression, RNA turnover, and splicing. However, retrograde signaling pathways have been viewed largely as a means of bilateral communication between organelles and nuclei, ignoring their potential to interact with hormone signaling and the cell as a whole to regulate plant form and function. Here, we discuss new findings on the processes by which organelle communication is initiated, transmitted, and perceived, not only to regulate chloroplastic processes but also to intersect with cellular signaling and alter physiological responses.
The Regulation of Essential Amino Acid Synthesis and Accumulation in Plants
Authors: Galili Gad , Amir Rachel , Fernie Alisdair R.
Published: January 2016

Although amino acids are critical for all forms of life, only proteogenic amino acids that humans and animals cannot synthesize de novo and therefore must acquire in their diets are classified as essential. Nine amino acids—lysine, methionine, threonine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, valine, isoleucine, leucine, and histidine—fit this definition. Despite their nutritional importance, several of these amino acids are present in limiting quantities in many of the world's major crops. In recent years, a combination of reverse genetic and biochemical approaches has been used to define the genes encoding the enzymes responsible for synthesizing, degrading, and regulating these amino acids. In this review, we describe recent advances in our understanding of the metabolism of the essential amino acids, discuss approaches for enhancing their levels in plants, and appraise efforts toward their biofortification in crop plants.
Genomics of Immune Diseases and New Therapies
Authors: Lenardo Michael , Lo Bernice , Lucas Carrie L.
Published: January 2016

Genomic DNA sequencing technologies have been one of the great advances of the 21st century, having decreased in cost by seven orders of magnitude and opening up new fields of investigation throughout research and clinical medicine. Genomics coupled with biochemical investigation has allowed the molecular definition of a growing number of new genetic diseases that reveal new concepts of immune regulation. Also, defining the genetic pathogenesis of these diseases has led to improved diagnosis, prognosis, genetic counseling, and, most importantly, new therapies. We highlight the investigational journey from patient phenotype to treatment using the newly defined XMEN disease, caused by the genetic loss of the MAGT1 magnesium transporter, as an example. This disease illustrates how genomics yields new fundamental immunoregulatory insights as well as how research genomics is integrated into clinical immunology. At the end, we discuss two other recently described diseases, CHAI/LATAIE (CTLA-4 deficiency) and PASLI (PI3K dysregulation), as additional examples of the journey from unknown immunological diseases to new precision medicine treatments using genomics.
Giardia duodenalisinduces paracellular bacterial translocation and causes postinfectious visceral hypersensitivity
Authors: Halliez Marie C. M. , Motta Jean-Paul , Feener Troy D. , Guérin Gaetan , LeGoff Laetitia , François Arnaud , Colasse Elodie , Favennec Loic , Gargala Gilles , Lapointe Tamia K. , Altier Christophe , Buret André G.
Published: January 2016

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most frequent functional gastrointestinal disorder. It is characterized by abdominal hypersensitivity, leading to discomfort and pain, as well as altered bowel habits. While it is common for IBS to develop following the resolution of infectious gastroenteritis [then termed postinfectious IBS (PI-IBS)], the mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Giardia duodenalis is a cosmopolitan water-borne enteropathogen that causes intestinal malabsorption, diarrhea, and postinfectious complications. Cause-and-effect studies using a human enteropathogen to help investigate the mechanisms of PI-IBS are sorely lacking. In an attempt to establish causality between giardiasis and postinfectious visceral hypersensitivity, this study describes a new model of PI-IBS in neonatal rats infected with G. duodenalis. At 50 days postinfection with G. duodenalis (assemblage A or B), long after the parasite was cleared, rats developed visceral hypersensitivity to luminal balloon distension in the jejunum and rectum, activation of the nociceptive signaling pathway (increased c- fos expression), histological modifications (villus atrophy and crypt hyperplasia), and proliferation of mucosal intraepithelial lymphocytes and mast cells in the jejunum, but not in the rectum. G. duodenalis infection also disrupted the intestinal barrier, in vivo and in vitro, which in turn promoted the translocation of commensal bacteria. Giardia-induced bacterial paracellular translocation in vitro correlated with degradation of the tight junction proteins occludin and claudin-4. The extensive observations associated with gut hypersensitivity described here demonstrate that, indeed, in this new model of postgiardiasis IBS, alterations to the gut mucosa and c- fos are consistent with those associated with PI-IBS and, hence, offer avenues for new mechanistic research in the field.
Role of epithelial ion transports in inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Magalhães Diogo , Cabral José Miguel , Soares-da-Silva Patrício , Magro Fernando
Published: January 2016

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder with a complex pathogenesis. Diarrhea is a highly prevalent and often debilitating symptom of IBD patients that results, at least in part, from an intestinal hydroelectrolytic imbalance. Evidence suggests that reduced electrolyte absorption is more relevant than increased secretion to this disequilibrium. This systematic review analyses and integrates the current evidence on the roles of epithelial Na+-K+-ATPase (NKA), Na+/H+exchangers (NHEs), epithelial Na+channels (ENaC), and K+channels (KC) in IBD-associated diarrhea. NKA is the key driving force of the transepithelial ionic transport and its activity is decreased in IBD. In addition, the downregulation of apical NHE and ENaC and the upregulation of apical large-conductance KC all contribute to the IBD-associated diarrhea by lowering sodium absorption and/or increasing potassium secretion.
Age-related changes in intraventricular kinetic energy: a physiological or pathological adaptation?
Authors: Wong James , Chabiniok Radomir , deVecchi Adelaide , Dedieu Nathalie , Sammut Eva , Schaeffter Tobias , Razavi Reza
Published: January 2016

Aging has important deleterious effects on the cardiovascular system. We sought to compare intraventricular kinetic energy (KE) in healthy subjects of varying ages with subjects with ventricular dysfunction to understand if changes in energetic momentum may predispose individuals to heart failure. Four-dimensional flow MRI was acquired in 35 healthy subjects (age: 1–67 yr) and 10 patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction (age: 28–79 yr). Healthy subjects were divided into age quartiles (1st quartile: <16 yr, 2nd quartile: 17–32 yr, 3rd quartile: 33–48 yr, and 4th quartile: 49–64 yr). KE was measured in the LV throughout the cardiac cycle and indexed to ventricular volume. In healthy subjects, two large peaks corresponding to systole and early diastole occurred during the cardiac cycle. A third smaller peak was seen during late diastole in eight adults. Systolic KE ( P = 0.182) and ejection fraction ( P = 0.921) were preserved through all age groups. Older adults showed a lower early peak diastolic KE compared with children ( P < 0.0001) and young adults ( P = 0.025). Subjects with LV dysfunction had reduced ejection fraction ( P < 0.001) and compared with older healthy adults exhibited a similar early peak diastolic KE ( P = 0.142) but with the addition of an elevated KE in diastasis ( P = 0.029). In healthy individuals, peak diastolic KE progressively decreases with age, whereas systolic peaks remain constant. Peak diastolic KE in the oldest subjects is comparable to those with LV dysfunction. Unique age-related changes in ventricular diastolic energetics might be physiological or herald subclinical pathology.
Left atrial aging: a cardiac magnetic resonance feature-tracking study
Authors: Evin Morgane , Redheuil Alban , Soulat Gilles , Perdrix Ludivine , Ashrafpoor Golmehr , Giron Alain , Lamy Jérôme , Defrance Carine , Roux Charles , Hatem Stéphane N. , Diebold Benoit , Mousseaux Elie , Kachenoura Nadjia
Published: January 2016

Importance of left atrial (LA) phasic function evaluation is increasingly recognized for its incremental value in terms of prognosis and risk stratification. LA phasic deformation in the pathway of normal aging has been characterized using echocardiographic speckle tracking. However, no data are available regarding age-related variations using feature-racking (FT) techniques from standard cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We studied 94 healthy adults (41 ± 14 yr, 47 women), who underwent MRI and Doppler echocardiography on the same day for left ventricular (LV) diastolic function evaluation. From cine MRI, longitudinal strain and strain rate, radial motion fraction, and radial relative velocity, respectively, corresponding to the reservoir, conduit, and LA contraction phases, were measured using dedicated FT software. Longitudinal strain and radial motion fraction decreased gradually and significantly with aging for both reservoir ( r > 0.31, P < 0.003) and conduit ( r > 0.54, P < 0.001) phases, whereas they remained unchanged during the LA contraction phase. Subsequently, the LA contraction-to-reservoir ratio increased significantly with age ( r > 0.44, P < 0.001). Longitudinal strain rate and radial relative velocity significantly decreased with age (reservoir: r = 0.39, P < 0.001, conduit: r > 0.54, P < 0.001), and these associations tended to be stronger in women than in men. Finally, associations of LA functional indexes with age were stronger in individuals with lower transmitral early-to-atrial maximal velocity ratio and mitral annulus maximal longitudinal velocity, as well as higher transmitral early maximal-to-mitral annulus maximal longitudinal velocity ratio, highlighting the LV-LA interplay. Age-related changes in LA phasic function indexes were quantified by cine MRI images using a FT technique and were significantly related to age and LV diastolic function.
Impaired microcirculatory perfusion in a rat model of cardiopulmonary bypass: the role of hemodilution
Authors: Koning Nick J. , de Lange Fellery , Vonk Alexander B. A. , Ahmed Yunus , van den Brom Charissa E. , Bogaards Sylvia , van Meurs Matijs , Jongman Rianne M. , Schalkwijk Casper G. , Begieneman Mark P. V. , Niessen Hans W. , Baufreton Christophe , Boer Christa
Published: January 2016

Although hemodilution is attributed as the main cause of microcirculatory impairment during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), this relationship has never been investigated. We investigated the distinct effects of hemodilution with or without CPB on microvascular perfusion and subsequent renal tissue injury in a rat model. Male Wistar rats (375–425 g) were anesthetized, prepared for cremaster muscle intravital microscopy, and subjected to CPB ( n = 9), hemodilution alone ( n = 9), or a sham procedure ( n = 6). Microcirculatory recordings were performed at multiple time points and analyzed for perfusion characteristics. Kidney and lung tissue were investigated for mRNA expression for genes regulating inflammation and endothelial adhesion molecule expression. Renal injury was assessed with immunohistochemistry. Hematocrit levels dropped to 0.24 ± 0.03 l/l and 0.22 ± 0.02 l/l after onset of hemodilution with or without CPB. Microcirculatory perfusion remained unaltered in sham rats. Hemodilution alone induced a 13% decrease in perfused capillaries, after which recovery was observed. Onset of CPB reduced the perfused capillaries by 40% (9.2 ± 0.9 to 5.5 ± 1.5 perfused capillaries per microscope field; P < 0.001), and this reduction persisted throughout the experiment. Endothelial and inflammatory activation and renal histological injury were increased after CPB compared with hemodilution or sham procedure. Hemodilution leads to minor and transient disturbances in microcirculatory perfusion, which cannot fully explain impaired microcirculation following cardiopulmonary bypass. CPB led to increased renal injury and endothelial adhesion molecule expression in the kidney and lung compared with hemodilution. Our findings suggest that microcirculatory impairment during CPB may play a role in the development of kidney injury.
Genetic ablation of interleukin-18 does not attenuate hypobaric hypoxia-induced right ventricular hypertrophy
Authors: Bruns Danielle R. , Buttrick Peter M. , Walker Lori A.
Published: January 2016

Interleukin-18 (IL-18), a proinflammatory cytokine, has been implicated in pathologic left ventricular hypertrophy and is elevated in plasma of heart failure patients. However, IL-18 blockade strategies have been conflicting. The purpose of these experiments was to determine whether genetic ablation of IL-18 would protect mice against hypobaric hypoxia (HH)-induced right ventricular (RV) hypertrophy, a condition in which chamber-specific inflammation is prominent. We hypothesized that IL-18 knockout (KO) mice would be protected while wild-type (WT) mice would demonstrate RV hypertrophy in response to HH exposure. KO and WT mice were exposed to HH for 7 wk, and control mice were exposed to normoxic ambient air. Following echocardiography, the RV was dissected and flash-frozen for biochemical analyses. HH exposure increased IL-18 mRNA ( P = 0.08) in RV from WT mice. Genetic ablation of IL-18 mildly attenuated RV hypertrophy as assessed by myocyte size. However, IL-18 KO mice were not protected against HH-induced organ-level remodeling, as evidenced by higher RV weights, elevated RV systolic pressure, and increased RV anterior wall thickness compared with normoxic KO mice. These RV changes were similar to those seen in HH-exposed WT mice. Compensatory upregulation of other proinflammatory cytokines IL-2 and stromal cell-derived factor-1 was seen in the HH-KO animals, suggesting that activation of parallel inflammatory pathways might mitigate the effect of IL-18 KO. These data suggest targeted blockade of IL-18 alone is not a viable therapeutic strategy in this model.
Deleting the TGF-β receptor in proximal tubules impairs HGF signaling
Authors: Nlandu Khodo Stellor , Neelisetty Surekha , Woodbury Luke , Green Elizabeth , Harris Raymond C. , Zent Roy , Gewin Leslie
Published: January 2016

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) play key roles in regulating the response to renal injury but are thought to mediate divergent effects on cell behavior. However, how TGF-β signaling alters the response to HGF in epithelia, the key site of HGF signaling in the injured kidney, is not well studied. Contrary to our expectation, we showed that deletion of the TGF-β type II receptor in conditionally immortalized proximal tubule (PT) cells impaired HGF-dependent signaling. This reduced signaling was due to decreased transcription of c-Met, the HGF receptor, and the TGF-β-dependent c-Met transcription and increased response to HGF in PT cells were mediated by the Notch pathway. The interactions of TGF-β, HGF, and Notch pathways had biologically significant effects on branching morphogenesis, cell morphology, migration, and proliferation. In conclusion, epithelial TGF-β signaling promotes HGF signaling in a Notch-dependent pathway. These findings suggest that TGF-β modulates PT responses not only by direct effects, but also by affecting other growth factor signaling pathways.