bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy after cesarean section: A case report and literature review
Authors: Ruiz Sara , Martinez‐Marin Miguel , Luque Pilar , Nassar Nadia , Oros Daniel
Published: December 2016

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is clinically identical to acute myocardial infarction. We report an unusual case of TCM and review similar cases in pregnant women. A young woman with no pre‐existing cardiovascular risk factors suffered sudden dyspnea during a cesarean section. Electrocardiography (ECG) showed T‐wave inversion. We observed acute lung edema and left ventricular systolic dysfunction on echocardiography. A cardiac catheterization diagnosed TCM. We reviewed 20 cases of TCM; 17 cases occurred during the post‐partum period and three during pregnancy. Five of these cases had vaginal deliveries and the remaining cases had cesarean sections. Within the latter group, five cases appeared intraoperatively. With the exception of one patient with normal ECG results, all other patients progressed, with changes in ECG readings and elevation of cardiac enzyme serum levels. However, cardiac catheterization revealed that coronary arterial damage did not occur in any of the cases. After three months, each patient fully recovered.
Characteristics of Accredited Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound Laboratories in the United States
Authors: Farrell Mary Beth , Choi John Y. , Ziu Endrit , Cockroft Kevin M.
Published: December 2016

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to describe in detail the characteristics and accreditation compliance of laboratories in the United States applying for Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) transcranial Doppler (TCD) accreditation.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of all applicant laboratories from 2012 to 2015. We used the IAC database to extract laboratory characteristics and guideline compliance metrics.

RESULTS

Evaluation of 97 laboratories demonstrated that 67% were hospital‐based and located in the South (43.3%), corresponding to the location of “Stroke Belt” states. Cases from 186 interpreting physicians, of which 110 (59%) were neurologists, were evaluated during the accreditation process. Established practice was the most common training pathway (54.8%), and a majority had not obtained an additional vascular interpretation credential (72.6%). From 318 case studies, the most frequent indications were subarachnoid hemorrhage (31.0%), stroke (17.0%), and carotid stenosis (14.3%).

Although most laboratories had been previously accredited, accreditation was delayed for 77.3% due to incomplete studies (33.0%), discrepant findings between the report and the laboratory's diagnostic criteria (23.7%), and discrepant findings between the report and the waveforms/images (17.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that there are significant differences between IAC applicant laboratories and laboratories represented by Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) claims data. In addition, accurate study reporting, physician training, and ongoing quality improvement activities may not be optimized in laboratories applying for accreditation. With the information learned from this study, educational strategies by professional organizations, including the IAC, can be tailored to help improve TCD practice.
Time to viral suppression is not related to achievement of SVR12 in HCV GT1‐infected patients treated with ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir with or without ribavirin
Authors: Alqahtani S. , Ozaras R. , Isakov V. , Wyles D. , Ferenci P. , Feld J. J. , Calinas F. , Gschwantler M. , Gane E. , Crawford D. , Jacobson I. M. , Dumas E. O. , King M. , Sulkowski M.
Published: December 2016

High rates of sustained virologic response at post‐treatment week 12 (SVR12) were achieved in six phase 3 trials of ombitasvir (OBV, an NS5A inhibitor), paritaprevir (an NS3/4A protease inhibitor) co‐dosed with ritonavir (PTV/r) + dasabuvir (DSV, an NS5B RNA polymerase inhibitor) (ie, 3D regimen) with or without ribavirin (RBV) in adults with chronic genotype (GT) 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We assessed whether time to first HCV RNA value below the lower limit of quantification in patients with and without cirrhosis was associated with achievement of SVR12. Data were analysed from GT1‐infected patients enrolled in six phase 3 studies of 3D ± RBV. Patients who experienced non‐virologic failure were excluded from analysis. HCV RNA was determined using the Roche COBAS TaqMan RT‐PCR assay (lower limit of quantification, LLOQ =25 IU/mL). SVR12 was analysed by week of first HCV RNA suppression, defined as HCV RNA <LLOQ. The analysis included a total of 2027 patients. Cumulative proportions of subjects with initial HCV RNA suppression <LLOQ at weeks 1, 2, 4 and 6 were 31%, 81%, 99% and 100%, respectively. SVR12 was achieved by 98%, 97%, 98% and 92% of patients with initial suppression at Weeks 1, 2, 4 and 6, respectively (P=.42, trend test). Across six phase 3 trials of 3D ± RBV, most patients achieved viral suppression by week 2. Time to viral suppression was not associated with subsequent achievement of SVR12, suggesting that on‐treatment virologic monitoring may not be necessary with this regimen.
Heterozygosity but not inbreeding coefficient predicts parasite burdens in the banded mongoose
Authors: Mitchell J. , Vitikainen E. I. K. , Wells D. A. , Cant M. A. , Nichols H. J.
Published: December 2016

Inbreeding, reproduction between relatives, often impinges on the health and survival of resulting offspring. Such inbreeding depression may manifest itself through immunological costs as inbred individuals suffer increased propensity to disease, infection and parasites compared to outbred conspecifics. Here, we assess how the intestinal parasite loads of wild banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) vary with pedigree inbreeding coefficient (ƒ) and standardized multi‐locus heterozygosity. We find a significant association between increased heterozygosity and lower parasite loads; however, this correlation does not stand when considering ƒ. Such findings may be explained by local genetic effects, linkage between genetic markers and genes influencing parasite burdens. Indeed, we find heterozygosity at certain loci to correlate with parasite load. Although these tentative local effects are lost following multiple test correction, they warrant future investigation to determine their strength and impact. We also suggest frequent inbreeding within banded mongooses may mean heterozygosity is a better predictor of inbreeding than pedigree ƒ. This is because inbreeding facilitates linkage disequilibrium, increasing the chances of neutral markers representing genome‐wide heterozygosity. Finally, neither ƒ nor heterozygosity had a significant influence on the loads of two specific gastrointestinal parasites. Nevertheless, more heterozygous individuals benefited from reduced overall parasitic infection and genetic diversity appears to explain some variation in parasite burdens in the banded mongoose.
Diversity of the initial rocky planetary building materials at the edge of the solar system
Authors: Brownlee D. E. , Joswiak D. J.
Published: December 2016

Asteroids and comets are surviving members of the vast planetesimal population that was distributed across the early solar system. They appear to be a diverse set of bodies but we present evidence from comet samples that the body‐to‐body diversity of the initial rocky component mix in planetesimals may have declined with distance from the Sun. Laboratory measurements of the minor element Mn in olivine collected from Comet Wild 2 suggests that the micron‐sized rocky crystalline contents of this comet formed in numerous inner solar system environments. The results are consistent with a scenario where silicates such as olivine form at incandescent temperatures in multiple environments and then mix as they are transported to distant cold regions where silicates could accrete with ice and organics to form comets. Accreting far from silicate formation regions, many ice‐rich planetesimals are likely to have started with similar complex mixtures of diverse rocky components formed in various high‐temperature environments. This contrasts with asteroidal meteorite parent bodies whose silicates retain regional properties that give different chondrite classes their distinctive properties.
Evolution of a multi‐step phosphorelay signal transduction system in Ensifer: recruitment of the sigma factor RpoN and a novel enhancer‐binding protein triggers acid‐activated gene expression
Authors: Tian Rui , Heiden Stephan , Osman Wan A. M. , Ardley Julie K. , James Euan K. , Gollagher Margaret M. , Tiwari Ravi , Seshadri Rekha , Kyrpides Nikos C. , Reeve Wayne G.
Published: December 2016

Most Ensifer strains are comparatively acid sensitive, compromising their persistence in low pH soils. In the acid‐tolerant strain Ensifer medicae WSM419, the acid‐activated expression of lpiA is essential for enhancing survival in lethal acidic conditions. Here we characterise a multi‐step phosphorelay signal transduction pathway consisting of TcsA, TcrA, FsrR, RpoN and its cognate enhancer‐binding protein EbpA, which is required for the induction of lpiA and the downstream acvB gene. The fsrR, tcrA, tcsA and rpoN genes were constitutively expressed, whereas lpiA and acvB were strongly acid‐induced. RACE mapping revealed that lpiA/acvB were co‐transcribed as an operon from an RpoN promoter. In most Ensifer species, lpiA/acvB is located on the chromosome and the sequence upstream of lpiA lacks an RpoN‐binding site. Nearly all Ensifer meliloti strains completely lack ebpA, tcrA, tcsA and fsrR regulatory loci. In contrast, E. medicae strains have lpiA/acvB and ebpA/tcrA/tcsA/fsrR co‐located on the pSymA megaplasmid, with lpiA/acvB expression coupled to an RpoN promoter. Here we provide a model for the expression of lpiA/acvB in E. medicae. This unique acid‐activated regulatory system provides insights into an evolutionary process which may assist the adaptation of E. medicae to acidic environmental niches.
MoCDC14 is important for septation during conidiation and appressorium formation in Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Li Chaohui , Cao Shulin , Zhang Chengkang , Zhang Yonghui , Zhang Qiang , Xu Jin‐Rong , Wang Chenfang
Published: December 2016

As a typical foliar pathogen, appressorium formation and penetration are critical steps in the infection cycle of Magnaporthe oryzae. Because appressorium formation and penetration are closely co‐regulated with the cell cycle, and Cdc14 phosphatases have an antagonistic relationship with cyclin‐dependent kinases (CDKs) on proteins related to mitotic exit and cytokinesis, in this study, we functionally characterized the MoCDC14 gene in M. oryzae. The Mocdc14 deletion mutant showed significantly reduced growth rate and conidiation. It was also defective in septum formation and nuclear distribution. Septation was irregular in Mocdc14 hyphae and hyphal compartments became multi‐nucleate. Mutant conidia often showed incomplete septa or lacked any septum. During appressorium formation, the septum delimiting appressoria from the rest of the germ tubes was often formed far away from the neck of the appressoria or not formed at all. Unlike the wild‐type, some mutant appressoria had more than one nucleus at 24 h. In addition to appressoria, melanization occurred on parts of the germ tubes and conidia, depending on the irregular position of the appressorium‐delimiting septum. The Mocdc14 mutant was also defective in glycogen degradation during appressorium formation and appressorial penetration of intact plant cells. Similar defects in septum formation, melanization and penetration were observed with appressorium‐like structures formed at hyphal tips in the Mocdc14 mutant. Often a long fragment of mutant hyphae was melanized, together with the apical appressorium‐like structures. These results indicate that MoCDC14 plays a critical role in septation, nuclear distribution and pathogenesis in M. oryzae, and correct septum formation during conidiogenesis and appressorium formation requires the MoCdc14 phosphatase.
Filling In: Syncopation, Pleasure and Distributed Embodiment in Groove
Authors: Witek Maria A. G.
Published: December 2016

What is it about groove in music that makes people move? And what explains the physical pleasure listeners and dancers experience as they synchronise their bodies to the beat? In this article, groove is analysed phenomenologically as a triangulation of rhythmic structure, embodiment and pleasure. Following a brief review of groove research, theories of extended mind and affective practice are added to demonstrate how groove is distributed amongst mind, body and music. In this distributed process, pleasure is not caused by some cognitive‐physical stimulation, but rather emerges dynamically in the active participation in a cyclical mind‐body‐music system. The syncopated nature of the music provides the structural premise for the embodied extension. By opening up empty spaces in the rhythm – as illustrated in the house track ‘Drum Track’, by Helix (2012) – syncopations invite the body to fill in through entrainment and synchronised movement. When filling in the gaps, listeners and dancers enact aspects of the musical structure and thus become part of the groove itself. Rejecting drive‐oriented models, this article argues that it is the process in action, rather than the achievement, that makes groove pleasurable, and it makes suggestions for how this process might be socially distributed.
Extensive translational regulation during seed germination revealed by polysomal profiling
Authors: Bai Bing , Peviani Alessia , van der Horst Sjors , Gamm Magdalena , Snel ‎Berend , Bentsink Leónie , Hanson Johannes
Published: December 2016

This work investigates the extent of translational regulation during seed germination.

The polysome occupancy of each gene is determined by genome‐wide profiling of total mRNA and polysome‐associated mRNA. This reveals extensive translational regulation during Arabidopsis thaliana seed germination.

The polysome occupancy of thousands of individual mRNAs changes to a large extent during the germination process. Intriguingly, these changes are restricted to two temporal phases (shifts) during germination, seed hydration and germination. Sequence features, such as upstream open reading frame number, transcript length, mRNA stability, secondary structures, and the presence and location of specific motifs correlated with this translational regulation. These features differed significantly between the two shifts, indicating that independent mechanisms regulate translation during seed germination.

This study reveals substantial translational dynamics during seed germination and identifies development‐dependent sequence features and cis elements that correlate with the translation control, uncovering a novel and important layer of gene regulation during seed germination.
Utility of preclinical drug versus food choice procedures to evaluate candidate medications for methamphetamine use disorder
Authors: Banks Matthew L.
Published: December 2016

Substance use disorders are diagnosed as a manifestation of inappropriate behavioral allocation toward abused drugs and away from other behaviors maintained by more adaptive nondrug reinforcers (e.g., money and social relationships). Substance use disorder treatment goals include not only decreasing drug‐maintained behavior but also promoting behavioral reallocation toward these socially adaptive alternative reinforcers. Preclinical drug self‐administration procedures that offer concurrent access to both drug and nondrug reinforcers provide a translationally relevant dependent measure of behavioral allocation that may be useful for candidate medication evaluation. In contrast to other abused drugs, such as heroin or cocaine, preclinical methamphetamine versus food choice procedures have been a more recent development. We hypothesize that preclinical to clinical translatability would be improved by the evaluation of repeated pharmacological treatment effects on methamphetamine self‐administration under a methamphetamine versus food choice procedure. In support of this hypothesis, a literature review suggests strong concordance between preclinical pharmacological treatment effects on methamphetamine versus food choice in nonhuman primates and clinical medication treatment effects on methamphetamine self‐administration in human laboratory studies or methamphetamine abuse metrics in clinical trials. In conclusion, this literature suggests preclinical methamphetamine versus food choice procedures may be useful in developing innovative pharmacotherapies for methamphetamine use disorder.
The contribution of species–genetic diversity correlations to the understanding of community assembly rules
Authors: Lamy Thomas , Laroche Fabien , David Patrice , Massol François , Jarne Philippe
Published: December 2016

Community genetics aims at understanding how within‐species variation, species diversity and environmental factors interact to shape community assembly. An approach that emerged a few years ago has been to quantify the correlation between the neutral genetic diversity of a focal species and species diversity of the surrounding community (species–genetic diversity correlations, or SGDCs). We here review this approach and discuss its interpretative framework in a community ecology context. First, we show that the case for mostly positive SGDCs is probably overstated due to publication bias – only 11% are significantly positive, a fraction comparable to the significantly negative ones. This suggests that variation in area and connectivity among habitat patches, theoretically leading to positive SGDCs, is not the only factor affecting SGDCs. Second, building upon previous contributions, we propose a general framework to identify the multiple factors underpinning SGDCs, and argue that it will help deepen our understanding of community assembly, especially with regard to the ecological factors playing at metacommunity scale. Our framework distinguishes between site and community factors which can affect SGDCs either positively or negatively, depending on whether the focal species and the rest of the community are similar or dissimilar, in terms of realized niches and dispersal abilities. Empirical studies should thus go beyond simply computing SGDCs, and we provide statistical methods (e.g. structural equation modelling) to decompose SGDCs into the multiple contributions of site and community factors. As an example, we use a published dataset (freshwater snail metacommunity), and show how the role of focal population size on SGDCs had hitherto not been detected. We further discuss how considering several focal species and various delimitations of the community may help one to identify clusters of ecologically similar species. We eventually highlight the benefit that SGDC studies would get from integrating β‐diversities.
Safety of the Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillator (WCD) in Patients with Implanted Pacemakers
Authors: SCHMITT JOERN , ABACI GUEZINE , JOHNSON VICTORIA , ERKAPIC DAMIR , GEMEIN CHRISTOPHER , CHASAN RITVAN , WEIPERT KAY , HAMM CHRISTIAN W. , KLEIN HELMUT U.
Published: December 2016

Background

The wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) is an important approach for better risk stratification, applied to patients considered to be at high risk of sudden arrhythmic death. Patients with implanted pacemakers may also become candidates for use of the WCD. However, there is a potential risk that pacemaker signals may mislead the WCD detection algorithm and cause inappropriate WCD shock delivery. The aim of the study was to test the impact of different types of pacing, various right ventricular (RV) lead positions, and pacing modes for potential misleading of the WCD detection algorithm.

Methods

Sixty patients with implanted pacemakers received the WCD for a short time and each pacing mode (AAI, VVI, and DDD) was tested for at least 30 seconds in unipolar and bipolar pacing configuration. In case of triggering the WCD detection algorithm and starting the sequence of arrhythmia alarms, shock delivery was prevented by pushing of the response buttons.

Results

In six of 60 patients (10%), continuous unipolar pacing in DDD mode triggered the WCD detection algorithm. In no patient, triggering occurred with bipolar DDD pacing, unipolar and bipolar AAI, and VVI pacing. Triggering was independent of pacing amplitude, RV pacing lead position, and pulse generator implantation site.

Conclusion

Unipolar DDD pacing bears a high risk of false triggering of the WCD detection algorithm. Other types of unipolar pacing and all bipolar pacing modes do not seem to mislead the WCD detection algorithm. Therefore, patients with no reprogrammable unipolar DDD pacing should not become candidates for the WCD.
Intermuscular Two‐Incision Technique for Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Implantation: Results from a Multicenter Registry
Authors: MIGLIORE FEDERICO , ALLOCCA GIUSEPPE , CALZOLARI VITTORIO , CROSATO MARTINO , FACCHIN DOMENICO , DALEFFE ELISABETTA , ZECCHIN MASSIMO , FANTINEL MAURO , CANNAS SERGIO , ARANCIO ROCCO , MARCHESE PROCOLO , ZANON FRANCESCO , ZORZI ALESSANDRO , ILICETO SABINO , BERTAGLIA EMANUELE
Published: December 2016

Background

The traditional technique for subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S‐ICD) implantation, which involves three incisions and a subcutaneous pocket, is associated with possible complications, including inappropriate interventions. The aim of this prospective multicenter study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an alternative intermuscular two‐incision technique for S‐ICD implantation.

Methods

The study population included 36 consecutive patients (75% male, mean age 44 ± 12 years [range 20–69]) who underwent S‐ICD implantation using the intermuscular two‐incision technique. This technique avoids the superior parasternal incision for the lead placement and consists of creating an intermuscular pocket between the anterior surface of the serratus anterior and the posterior surface of the latissimus dorsi muscles instead of a subcutaneous pocket.

Results

All patients were successfully implanted in the absence of any procedure‐related complications with a successful 65‐J standard polarity defibrillation threshold testing, except in one, who received a second successful shock after pocket revision. During a mean follow‐up of 10 months (range 3–30), no complications requiring surgical revision were observed. At device interrogation, stable sensing without interferences was observed in all patients. Two patients (5.5%) experienced appropriate and successful shock on ventricular fibrillation and in four patients (11%), a total of seven nonsustained self‐terminated ventricular tachycardias were correctly detected. No inappropriate interventions were observed.

Conclusions

Our experience suggests that the two‐incision intermuscular technique is a safe and efficacious alternative to the current technique for S‐ICD implantation that may help reducing complications including inappropriate interventions and offer a better cosmetic outcome, especially in thin individuals.
The Design of the Understanding Outcomes with the S‐ICD in Primary Prevention Patients with Low EF Study (UNTOUCHED)
Authors: GOLD MICHAEL R. , KNOPS REINOUD , BURKE MARTIN C. , LAMBIASE PIER D. , RUSSO ANDREA M. , BONGIORNI MARIA GRAZIA , DEHARO JEAN‐CLAUDE , AASBO JOHAN , EL CHAMI MIKHAEL F. , HUSBY MICHAEL , CARTER NATHAN , BOERSMA LUCAS
Published: December 2016

Background

The UNTOUCHED study will assess the safety and efficacy of the subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S‐ICD) in the most common cohort of patients receiving ICDs. The primary goal is to evaluate the inappropriate shock (IAS)‐free rate in primary prevention patients with a reduced ejection fraction (EF) and compare with a historical control of transvenous ICD patients with similar programming.

Methods and Results

The UNTOUCHED study is a global, multicenter, prospective, nonrandomized study of patients undergoing de novo S‐ICD implantation for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death with a left ventricular EF ≤35%. The primary end point of this trial is freedom from IAS at 18 months. The lower 95% confidence bound of the observed incidence will be compared to a performance goal of 91.6%, which was derived from the IAS rate in MADIT‐RIT. The secondary end points are all‐cause shock‐free rate at 18 months, and system‐ and procedure‐related complication‐free rate at 1 month and 6 months. Enrollment of a minimum of 1,100 subjects from up to 200 centers worldwide is planned based on power calculations of the primary and principal secondary end points.

Conclusions

This trial will provide important data regarding the rates of inappropriate and appropriate shock therapy in real‐world use of the S‐ICD in the most common group of patients receiving ICDs.
General combining ability and heterosis regarding the phytochemical properties in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) hybrids
Authors: Kaczmarska Elżbieta , Gawroński Jacek , Jabłońska‐Ryś Ewa , Zalewska‐Korona Marta , Radzki Wojciech , Sławińska Aneta
Published: December 2016

Strawberries are a common and important fruit in human diet because of their high content of essential nutrients and beneficial phytochemicals, which have relevant biological activity in human health. In this study, six cultivars and 15 selected F1 hybrids between S4 inbred lines and tester (cv. ‘Dukat’) were evaluated in a field trial over a period of two consecutive years. The amounts of total anthocyanin, phenolics and vitamin C in fruits and antiradical activity were analysed. General combining ability (GCA) and mid‐parent heterosis were also determined for those characteristics. Among all the genotypes tested, the inbred lines of ‘Senga Sengana’ 17 showed the highest breeding value based on GCA for all studied traits. Estimated heterosis varied among genotypes tested. The highest heterosis in terms of vitamin C occurred in the offspring of clone 1387 18‐15 × ‘Dukat’, but with regard to phenols and antiradical activity in hybrid ‘Teresa’ 18‐15 with cv. ‘Dukat’. This study revealed that the differentiation in chemical composition of strawberry fruits between genotypes is clearly dependent on individual genotype combinations and demonstrated the presence of heterosis in phytochemical contents in some specific genotypic combinations.
Prolonged tacrolimus for pediatric gastrointestinal disorder: Double‐edged sword?
Authors: Hosoi Kenji , Arai Katsuhiro , Matsuoka Kentaro , Shimizu Hirotaka , Kamei Koichi , Nakazawa Atsuko , Shimizu Toshiaki , Tang Julian , Ito Shuichi
Published: December 2016

Background

Although tacrolimus (TAC) can induce remission in children with refractory inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or autoimmune gastroenteropathy (AGE), its use in maintenance therapy remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential nephrotoxic nature of prolonged TAC use.

Methods

This retrospective study reviewed children with gastrointestinal disorder who underwent kidney biopsy for the evaluation of renal damage during TAC therapy for >1 year. The clinical and histological features of renal damage were evaluated in this single‐institution cohort.

Results

Eighteen of 121 children with IBD and two children with AGE followed at a national children hospital in Tokyo, Japan, received TAC between August 2006 and April 2013. Among them, five (Crohn's disease, n = 3; autoimmune gastropathy, n = 1; autoimmune enteropathy, n = 1) received TAC for >1 year, and underwent kidney biopsy. All five had achieved remission on TAC, but had histological evidence of chronic nephrotoxicity. Renal damage in one patient with relatively low TAC trough level remained mild. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at the time of kidney biopsy was lower than at the initiation of TAC in all four available patients. Among them, eGFR improved in one patient after the decrease or discontinuation of TAC.

Conclusions

TAC appeared to be effective in children with refractory gastrointestinal disorder, but long‐term use seems to cause irreversible renal damage. Rigorous monitoring of eGFR and kidney biopsy in selected cases should be considered for the proper adjustment of TAC.
RNA Polymerase–I‐Dependent Transcription‐coupled Nucleotide Excision Repair of UV‐Induced DNA Lesions at Transcription Termination Sites, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Peyresaubes François , Zeledon Carlos , Guintini Laetitia , Charton Romain , Muguet Alexia , Conconi Antonio
Published: December 2016

If not repaired, ultraviolet light‐induced DNA damage can lead to genome instability. Nucleotide excision repair (NER) of UV photoproducts is generally fast in the coding region of genes, where RNA polymerase‐II (RNAP2) arrest at damage sites and trigger transcription‐coupled NER (TC‐NER). In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, there is RNA polymerase‐I (RNAP1)‐dependent TC‐NER, but this process remains elusive. Therefore, we wished to characterize TC‐NER efficiency in different regions of the rDNA locus: where RNAP1 are present at high density and start transcription elongation, where the elongation rate is slow, and in the transcription terminator where RNAP1 pause, accumulate and then are released. The Rpa12 subunit of RNAP1 and the Nsi1 protein participate in transcription termination, and NER efficiency was compared between wild type and cells lacking Rpa12 or Nsi1. The presence of RNAP1 was determined by chromatin endogenous cleavage and chromatin immunoprecipitation, and repair was followed at nucleotide precision with an assay that is based on the blockage of Taq polymerase by UV photoproducts. We describe that TC‐NER, which is modulated by the RNAP1 level and elongation rate, ends at the 35S rRNA gene transcription termination site.
Noninvasive red and near‐infrared wavelength‐induced photobiomodulation: promoting impaired cutaneous wound healing
Authors: Yadav Anju , Gupta Asheesh
Published: December 2016

The innumerable intricacies associated with chronic wounds have made the development of new painless, noninvasive, biophysical therapeutic interventions as the focus of current biomedical research. Red and near‐infrared light‐induced photobiomodulation therapy appears to emerge as a promising drug‐free approach for promoting wound healing, reduction in inflammation, pain and restoration of function owing to penetration power in conjunction with their ability to positively modulate the biochemical and molecular responses. This review will describe the physical properties of red and near‐infrared light and their interaction with skin and highlight their efficacy of wound repair and regeneration. Near‐infrared (800–830 nm) was found to be the most effective and widely studied wavelength range followed by red (630–680 nm) and 904 nm superpulsed light exhibiting beneficial photobiomodulatory effects on impaired dermal wound healing.
Photobiomodulation therapy in breast cancer‐related lymphedema: a randomized placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Storz Maximilian Andreas , Gronwald Benjamin , Gottschling Sven , Schöpe Jakob , Mavrova Russalina , Baum Sascha
Published: December 2016

Background

The aim of our study was to examine the effects of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) in the treatment of breast cancer‐related lymphedema using a compactly designed treatment regime consisting of eight therapy sessions in combination with a cluster laser device covering a total area size of 78.54 cm² over the axillary.

Methods

Forty patients with unilateral lymphedema were enrolled in this double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial in order to evaluate effects of PBMT on lymphedema‐related pain, quality of life, grip strength and limb volume difference. Subjects received irradiation for ten minutes per session using a cluster laser covering a beam area of 78.54 cm². The applied energy was 384 Joules resulting in an energy density of 4.89 J/cm².

Results

Post‐treatment, a 50% reduction in median pain scores and an increase in mean quality of life were observed. Mean grip strength was persistently higher after eight sessions of PBMT compared with pretreatment; however, no statistically significant intergroup differences (P > 0.05) were found over the time course.

Conclusion

PBMT using a compactly designed treatment regime in combination with a cluster laser device did not significantly improve quality of life, pain scores, grip strength and limb volume over the time course.
Photosynthetically active radiation and carbon gain drives the southern orientation of Myrtillocactus geometrizans fruits
Authors: Ponce‐Bautista A. , Valverde P. L. , Flores J. , Zavala‐Hurtado A. , Vite F. , López‐Ortega G. , Pérez‐Hernández M. A.
Published: December 2016

The equatorial orientation of reproductive structures is known in some columnar cacti from extratropical deserts. It has been hypothesised that photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) interception is the main reason for this orientation, because of its key effect on nocturnal CO2 uptake. However, there are no studies addressing both the effect of PAR and its consequence, carbon gain, on fruit orientation. Accordingly, we tested whether PAR and carbon gain could explain the southern fruit orientation of Myrtillocactus geometrizans, an inter‐tropical columnar cactus.

We studied three populations of M. geometrizans in Mexico. For each population, azimuth of fruits, total daily PAR, nocturnal acid accumulation (NAA) and fruit production were measured. The relationships between rib orientation and number of fruits, as well as total daily PAR, were evaluated using periodic regressions. The effect of total daily PAR and NAA on number of fruits was assessed using generalised linear models.

During spring, mean fruit orientation had a south azimuth for three populations. Likewise, rib orientation had a significant effect on fruit production, with the south‐facing ribs having the maximum number of fruits. Total daily PAR was highest in the south‐facing ribs, at least for those in the northern and central populations. Furthermore, during spring, there was a significant positive effect of total daily PAR and NAA on fruit production.

Our results provide strong evidence that the higher carbon gain in equatorial ribs, through a highest interception of PAR, would be the responsible factor for equatorial orientation of fruits in an inter‐tropical columnar cactus.
Collaborative Work Dynamics in Projects with Co‐Production
Authors: Rahmani Morvarid , Roels Guillaume , Karmarkar Uday S.
Published: December 2016

Many knowledge‐intensive projects such as new product and software design, research, and high technology development have flexible scope and involve co‐production between a client and a vendor. In such projects, it is often challenging to estimate how much progress can be achieved within a certain time window or how much time may be needed to achieve a certain degree of progress, especially because the client and vendor often adjust their efforts as a function of the project's progress, the time until the deadline, and the incentives in place. Effective contracts should therefore be flexible in scope and foster collaboration. In this study, we characterize the collaborative work dynamics of a client and a vendor who are engaged in a multi‐state, multi‐period stochastic project with a finite deadline. We show that when the client can verify the vendor's effort, it is optimal that they both exert high effort in one of two situations: when either not enough progress has been made and the deadline is close (deadline effect), or conversely, when so much progress has been made that the project state is close to a completion state set by the client (milestone effect). Hence, in this case, progress will typically be faster when the project is about to be stopped, due to either reaching the deadline or reaching the client's desired completion state. However, when the client cannot verify the vendor's effort, the vendor is prone to free‐riding. Considering a time‐based contract that pays the vendor a per‐period fee and a fixed completion bonus, we show that the equilibrium completion state is decreasing in the per‐period fee and increasing in the bonus, justifying the use of both incentive mechanisms in practice. Moreover, we show that, under such contracts, some form of milestone effect arises in equilibrium, but the deadline effect does not. Hence, in those cases, early progress will typically lead to early project conclusion at a high state; whereas, slow progress will typically make the project drag until the deadline while still at a low state.
Abscisic acid and transpiration rate are involved in the response to boron toxicity in Arabidopsis plants
Authors: Macho‐Rivero Miguel Ángel , Camacho‐Cristóbal Juan José , Herrera‐Rodríguez María Begoña , Müller Maren , Munné‐Bosch Sergi , González‐Fontes Agustín
Published: December 2016

Boron (B) is an essential microelement for vascular plant development, but its toxicity is a major problem affecting crop yields in arid and semi‐arid areas of the world. In the literature, several genes involved in abscisic acid (ABA) signalling and responses are upregulated in Arabidopsis roots after treatment with excess B. It is known that the AtNCED3 gene, which encodes a crucial enzyme for ABA biosynthesis, plays a key role in the plant response to drought stress. In this study, root AtNCED3 expression and shoot ABA content were rapidly increased in wild‐type plants upon B‐toxicity treatment. The Arabidopsis ABA‐deficient nced3‐2 mutant had higher transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and accumulated more B in their shoots than wild‐type plants, facts that were associated with the lower levels of ABA in this mutant. However, in wild‐type plants, B toxicity caused a significant reduction in stomatal conductance, resulting in a decreased transpiration rate. This response could be a mechanism to limit the transport of excess B from the roots to the leaves under B toxicity. In agreement with the higher transpiration rate of the nced3‐2 mutant, this genotype showed an increased leaf B concentration and damage upon exposure to 5 mM B. Under B toxicity, ABA application decreased B accumulation in wild‐type and nced3‐2 plants. In summary, this work shows that excess B applied to the roots leads to rapid changes in AtNCED3 expression and gas exchange parameters that would contribute to restrain the B entry into the leaves, this effect being mediated by ABA.
Cascading Delay Risk of Airline Workforce Deployments with Crew Pairing and Schedule Optimization
Authors: Chung Sai Ho , Ma Hoi Lam , Chan Hing Kai
Published: December 2016

This article concerns the assignment of buffer time between two connected flights and the number of reserve crews in crew pairing to mitigate flight disruption due to flight arrival delay. Insufficient crew members for a flight will lead to flight disruptions such as delays or cancellations. In reality, most of these disruption cases are due to arrival delays of the previous flights. To tackle this problem, many research studies have examined the assignment method based on the historical flight arrival delay data of the concerned flights. However, flight arrival delays can be triggered by numerous factors. Accordingly, this article proposes a new forecasting approach using a cascade neural network, which considers a massive amount of historical flight arrival and departure data. The approach also incorporates learning ability so that unknown relationships behind the data can be revealed. Based on the expected flight arrival delay, the buffer time can be determined and a new dynamic reserve crew strategy can then be used to determine the required number of reserve crews. Numerical experiments are carried out based on one year of flight data obtained from 112 airports around the world. The results demonstrate that by predicting the flight departure delay as the input for the prediction of the flight arrival delay, the prediction accuracy can be increased. Moreover, by using the new dynamic reserve crew strategy, the total crew cost can be reduced. This significantly benefits airlines in flight schedule stability and cost saving in the current big data era.
SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF URBANIZATION PATTERNS: THE CASE OF LAND USE AND POPULATION DENSITY IN THE MILAN METROPOLITAN AREA
Authors: Guastella Gianni , Pareglio Stefano
Published: December 2016

Efficiency in the provision of some large‐scale services motivates the administrative coordination of the urban functions at a more aggregate level. In Italy, the Metropolitan City (MC) has recently been introduced as an effective intermediate level between the region and the municipalities, to accommodate the integrated management of urban functions characterized by a broad spatial scope. The case of the Milan MC provides an opportunity for reflection on the extent to which the MC design should be envisioned, considering the urban morphology of an area. We analyze the patterns of urbanization, measured with population density and the share of urbanized area, considering the territories of the enlarged Milan metropolitan area, which includes the MC municipalities and of a contiguous province. The area under study can be considered a spatial continuum in which urbanization is markedly shaped by a core‐periphery pattern. We conclude that the MC design should have included all of the territories of the enlarged Milan metropolitan area, which are clearly interconnected with the Milan economy.
On the Global Behavior of Solutions of a Coupled System of Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation
Authors: Destyl Edès , Nuiro Sylvere Paul , Poullet Pascal
Published: December 2016

We mainly study a system of two coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations where one equation includes gain and the other one includes losses. This model constitutes a generalization of the model of pulse propagation in birefringent optical fibers. We aim in this study at partially answering a question of some authors in [1]: “Is the H1‐norm of the solution globally bounded in the Manakov case, when ?” We found that in the Manakov case, and when , the solution stays in , and also that the H1‐norm of the solution cannot blow up in finite time. In the Manakov case, an estimate of the total energy is provided, which is different from that has been given in [1]. These results are corroborated by numerical results that have been obtained with a finite element solver well adapted for that purpose.
The Inflammation Induced by Lipopolysaccharide can be Mitigated by Short‐chain Fatty Acid, Butyrate, through Upregulation of IL‐10 in Septic Shock
Authors: Wang F. , Liu J. , Weng T. , Shen K. , Chen Z. , Yu Y. , Huang Q. , Wang G. , Liu Z. , Jin S.
Published: December 2016

Short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs) with the anti‐inflammatory capacity are produced by intestinal bacteria; however, their effect on the acute systematical inflammation remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of SCFAs, acetate, propionate and butyrate, on septic shock and the underlying mechanism. The LPS‐induced septic model was used to evaluate the function of SCFAs by survival rate observation. Only butyrate, but not acetate or propionate, significantly decrease the mortality of septic mice. At 2 h and 6 h of LPS administration, the levels of TNF‐α, IL‐6 and IL‐1β in plasma were measured by ELISA to estimate the effects of butyrate pretreatment on excessive inflammation. And the anti‐inflammatory mediators including TGF‐β, IL‐10 and LXT4 in plasma were detected for further mechanism study in septic mice. Moreover, the murine macrophage‐like RAW 264.7 cells were stimulated by LPS to further confirm the finding in vivo. Pretreatment with butyrate led to significant attenuation of the LPS‐induced elevation of TNF‐α, IL‐6 and IL‐1β levels. However, when detecting the anti‐inflammatory factors, a significant increase in IL‐10, but not TGF‐β or LXT4, was shown in butyrate‐pretreated group. Pretreatment of RAW 264.7 cells with butyrate led to downregulation of LPS‐induced pro‐inflammatory mediators, IL‐6 and IL‐1β, but did not affect the level of TNF‐α, and increased IL‐10 (P < 0.01). In conclusion, SCFA butyrate significantly attenuated the inflammation against sepsis through upregulation of anti‐inflammatory IL‐10.
In vitro Monocyte IL‐6 Secretion Levels Following Stimulation with Autologous Spheroids Derived from Tumour or Benign Mucosa Predict Long‐term Survival in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients
Authors: Aarstad H. J. , Aarstad H. H. , Vintermyr O. K. , Kross K. W. , Lybak S. , Heimdal J.‐H.
Published: December 2016

MCP‐1/IL‐6 in vitro monocyte secretion upon coculture with autologous fragment spheroids was studied in relation to patient 5‐ and 10‐year overall survival rates in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients (n = 65) diagnosed between 1998 and 2005, nine of whom had an human papilloma virus (HPV) tumour infection. The spheroids were harvested from malignant or benign tissue during primary surgery. Two weeks following surgery, freshly isolated autologous monocytes and benign or malignant spheroids were cocultured 24 h in vitro. The IL‐6 secretion was expressed as a fraction of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) response from the same batch of monocytes. HPV status was obtained by employing PCR analyses of primary diagnostic blocks. IL‐6/MCP‐1 response levels were not found to be dependent on HPV infection status. MCP‐1 secretion did not predict prognosis, nor did in vitro IL‐6 monocyte background or LPS‐stimulated IL‐6 secretion. At 5‐year observation, dichotomized IL‐6 levels following monocyte coculture, with both malignant and benign spheroids, showed a strong trend towards predicting survival, that is a low monocyte malignant coculture response showed a survival of 31 ± 17 versus 58 ± 17% with a high such response (P = 0.057). When studying monocyte IL‐6 coculture responses evaluating benign and malignant spheroid results statistically together, a prediction of survival up to 10 years was found (hazard ratio = 0.48; confidence interval = 0.24–0.96; P < 0.05) with double low IL‐6 responses. This survival prediction was also present after an adjustment for HPV tumour infection status. In conclusion, monocyte IL‐6 in vitro secretion in cocultures with autologous spheroids/serum from HNSCCs predicted 5‐ and 10‐year survivals, both with and without tumour HPV tumour adjustment.