bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Al2O3 reinforced Fe–Al composite coatings prepared by double glow discharge technique
Authors: Wang C , Lin Y B , Guo X Z , Tao J
Published: August 2013

Alumina (Al2O3) particles reinforced iron aluminide coatings (Fe–Al coatings) were prepared on the surface of 316L stainless steel at only 580°C by a novel approach, namely double glow discharge technique. The chemical composition and morphology of the coatings were characterised by means of glancing angle (1°) X-ray diffractometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) respectively. The hardness, wear and corrosion behaviours of the aluminide coatings were also evaluated. The results indicated that the aluminide coatings exhibited a good wear and corrosion resistance since Al2O3 particles were well distributed in the coatings. The friction coefficient of the composite coatings increased first and then decreased with the increment of Al2O3 particles, meanwhile the corrosion potential and microhardness tended to increase. Finally, the wear mechanisms of the coatings were discussed.
kClust: fast and sensitive clustering of large protein sequence databases
Authors: Hauser Maria , Mayer Christian E , Söding Johannes
Published: August 2013

Background

Fueled by rapid progress in high-throughput sequencing, the size of public sequence databases doubles every two years. Searching the ever larger and more redundant databases is getting increasingly inefficient. Clustering can help to organize sequences into homologous and functionally similar groups and can improve the speed, sensitivity, and readability of homology searches. However, because the clustering time is quadratic in the number of sequences, standard sequence search methods are becoming impracticable.

Results

Here we present a method to cluster large protein sequence databases such as UniProt within days down to 20%-30% maximum pairwise sequence identity. kClust owes its speed and sensitivity to an alignment-free prefilter that calculates the cumulative score of all similar 6-mers between pairs of sequences, and to a dynamic programming algorithm that operates on pairs of similar 4-mers. To increase sensitivity further, kClust can run in profile-sequence comparison mode, with profiles computed from the clusters of a previous kClust iteration. kClust is two to three orders of magnitude faster than clustering based on NCBI BLAST, and on multidomain sequences of 20%-30% maximum pairwise sequence identity it achieves comparable sensitivity and a lower false discovery rate. It also compares favorably to CD-HIT and UCLUST in terms of false discovery rate, sensitivity, and speed.

Conclusions

kClust fills the need for a fast, sensitive, and accurate tool to cluster large protein sequence databases to below 30% sequence identity. kClust is freely available under GPL at http://toolkit.lmb.uni-muenchen.de/pub/kClust/.
Functional requirements driving the gene duplication in 12 Drosophila species
Authors: Zhong Yan , Jia Yanxiao , Gao Yang , Tian Dacheng , Yang Sihai , Zhang Xiaohui
Published: August 2013

Background

Gene duplication supplies the raw materials for novel gene functions and many gene families arisen from duplication experience adaptive evolution. Most studies of young duplicates have focused on mammals, especially humans, whereas reports describing their genome-wide evolutionary patterns across the closely related Drosophila species are rare. The sequenced 12 Drosophila genomes provide the opportunity to address this issue.

Results

In our study, 3,647 young duplicate gene families were identified across the 12 Drosophila species and three types of expansions, species-specific, lineage-specific and complex expansions, were detected in these gene families. Our data showed that the species-specific young duplicate genes predominated (86.6%) over the other two types. Interestingly, many independent species-specific expansions in the same gene family have been observed in many species, even including 11 or 12 Drosophila species. Our data also showed that the functional bias observed in these young duplicate genes was mainly related to responses to environmental stimuli and biotic stresses.

Conclusions

This study reveals the evolutionary patterns of young duplicates across 12 Drosophila species on a genomic scale. Our results suggest that convergent evolution acts on young duplicate genes after the species differentiation and adaptive evolution may play an important role in duplicate genes for adaption to ecological factors and environmental changes in Drosophila.
General practitioners’ views on polypharmacy and its consequences for patient health care
Authors: Köberlein Juliane , Gottschall Mandy , Czarnecki Kathrin , Thomas Alexander , Bergmann Antje , Voigt Karen
Published: August 2013

Background

Multimorbidity is defined as suffering from coexistent chronic conditions. Multimorbid patients demand highly complex patient-centered care which often includes polypharmacy, taking an average of six different drugs per day. Adverse drug reactions, adverse drug events and medication errors are all potential consequences of polypharmacy. Our study aims to detect the status quo of the health care situation in Saxony’s general practices for multimorbid patients receiving multiple medications. We will identify the most common clinical profiles as well as documented adverse drug events and reactions that occur during the treatment of patients receiving multiple medications. We will focus on exploring the motives of general practitioners for the prescription of selected drugs in individual cases where there is evidence of potential drug-drug-interactions and potentially inappropriate medications in elderly patients. Furthermore, the study will explore general practitioners’ opinions on delegation of skills to other health professions to support medical care and monitoring of patients receiving multiple medications.

Methods/design

This is a retrospective cross sectional study using mixed methods. Socio-demographic data as well as diagnoses, medication regimens and clinically important events will be analyzed retrospectively using general practitioners documentation in patients’ records. Based on these data, short vignettes will be generated and discussed by general practitioners in qualitative telephone interviews.

Discussion

To be able to improve outpatient health care management for patients receiving multiple medications, the current status quo of care, risk factors for deficient treatment and characteristics of concerned patients must be investigated. Furthermore, it is necessary to understand the physicians’ decision making process regarding treatment.
Co-infection of human parvovirus B19 with Plasmodium falciparum contributes to malaria disease severity in Gabonese patients
Authors: Toan Nguyen L , Sy Bui T , Song Le H , Luong Hoang V , Binh Nguyen T , Binh Vu Q , Kandolf Reinhard , Velavan Thirumalaisamy P , Kremsner Peter G , Bock C-Thomas
Published: August 2013

Background

High seroprevalence of parvovirus B19 (B19V) coinfection with Plasmodium falciparum has been previously reported. However, the impact of B19V-infection on the clinical course of malaria is still elusive. In this study, we investigated the prevalence and clinical significance of B19V co-infection in Gabonese children with malaria.

Methods

B19V prevalence was analyzed in serum samples of 197 Gabonese children with P. falciparum malaria and 85 healthy controls using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and direct DNA-sequencing.

Results

B19V was detected in 29/282 (10.28%) of Gabonese children. B19V was observed more frequently in P. falciparum malaria patients (14.21%) in comparison to healthy individuals (1.17%) (P<0.001). Notably, the mild-malaria group revealed significantly lower hematocrit levels in B19V/P. falciparum co-infection than in P. falciparum mono-infection (P<0.05). Genetic analysis revealed a predominance of B19V genotype-1 (71.43%) in the studied population. However, B19V-genotype 2 was observed significantly more often in children with severe-malaria than in mild-malaria (P=0.04).

Conclusion

Our findings reveal that B19V-infection is frequent in Gabonese children with P. falciparum malaria and signifies a possible contribution of B19V on the clinical course of malaria in a genotype-dependent manner. B19V co-infection should be considered as a additional diagnostic measure in malaria patients with life threatening anemia.
Systematic review of genome-wide gene expression studies of bipolar disorder
Authors: Seifuddin Fayaz , Pirooznia Mehdi , Judy Jennifer T , Goes Fernando S , Potash James B , Zandi Peter P
Published: August 2013

Background

Numerous genome-wide gene expression studies of bipolar disorder (BP) have been carried out. These studies are heterogeneous, underpowered and use overlapping samples. We conducted a systematic review of these studies to synthesize the current findings.

Methods

We identified all genome-wide gene expression studies on BP in humans. We then carried out a quantitative mega-analysis of studies done with post-mortem brain tissue. We obtained raw data from each study and used standardized procedures to process and analyze the data. We then combined the data and conducted three separate mega-analyses on samples from 1) any region of the brain (9 studies); 2) the prefrontal cortex (PFC) (6 studies); and 3) the hippocampus (2 studies). To minimize heterogeneity across studies, we focused primarily on the most numerous, recent and comprehensive studies.

Results

A total of 30 genome-wide gene expression studies of BP done with blood or brain tissue were identified. We included 10 studies with data on 211 microarrays on 57 unique BP cases and 229 microarrays on 60 unique controls in the quantitative mega-analysis. A total of 382 genes were identified as significantly differentially expressed by the three analyses. Eleven genes survived correction for multiple testing with a q-value < 0.05 in the PFC. Among these wereFKBP5andWFS1, which have been previously implicated in mood disorders. Pathway analyses suggested a role for metallothionein proteins, MAP Kinase phosphotases, and neuropeptides.

Conclusion

We provided an up-to-date summary of results from gene expression studies of the brain in BP. Our analyses focused on the highest quality data available and provided results by brain region so that similarities and differences can be examined relative to disease status. The results are available for closer inspection on-line at Metamoodics [http://metamoodics.igm.jhmi.edu/], where investigators can look up any genes of interest and view the current results in their genomic context and in relation to leading findings from other genomic experiments in bipolar disorder.
Application of the COOP/WONCA charts to aged patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a comparison between Japanese and Chinese populations
Authors: Yamaguchi Midori , Nakao Motoyuki , Obata Hideto , Ikeda Hideki , Kanda Tetsuro , Wang Qiao , Hara Yoriko , Omori Hisamitsu , Ishihara Yoko
Published: August 2013

Background

The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is similar in Japan and China and is increasing due to high rates of smoking in these countries. Reducing COPD is an important public health issue. The goals of this study were to verify the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the COOP/WONCA charts, a tool for measuring health status, and to examine the qualitative differences in health status between Japanese and Chinese patients with COPD and between these patients and healthy subjects.

Methods

From 2008 to 2011, we examined the factors affecting the health status of Japanese and Chinese populations living in six cities. Participants were patients with COPD staged according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria (140 Japanese, 201 Chinese) and healthy subjects (243 Japanese, 199 Chinese), all 50 to 79 years old. Health status was measured by using the COOP/WONCA charts, and basic information such as smoking status and medical history was reported by the participants.

Results

The Japanese and Chinese versions of the COOP/WONCA charts were shown to be reliable and valid by test-retest, comparison with the SF-36 and respiratory symptoms, and correlation of results obtained from patients and their physicians. Stepwise multiple regression analyses demonstrated that “Physical fitness”, “Daily activities”, and “Social activities” were predicted by COPD status and/or respiratory symptoms; “Feelings” by nationality and respiratory symptoms; “Pain” by sex and respiratory symptoms; and “Overall health” by nationality. When the COOP/WONCA scores were stratified by nationality, age, sex, and COPD status, the difference of each score between the patients and healthy subjects was larger for the Chinese subjects than for the Japanese. The physical, psychosocial activities, and pain scores increased significantly as COPD status worsened in Chinese subjects, whereas these scores were not affected by sex, age, or COPD status for Japanese subjects. Brinkman index and use of smoky fuel indoors affected the COOP/WONCA scores in Chinese patients but not in Japanese patients.

Conclusions

The Japanese COOP/WONCA charts are reliable and valid. COPD more severely affected the health status of Chinese participants than of Japanese participants. These results suggest that countermeasures against insufficient health care and smoky environments may improve the health status of Chinese patients with COPD.
The association of anthropometry indices with gout in Taiwanese men
Authors: Lin Wen-Yu , Lung Chia-Chi , Liu Ting-Sung , Jian Zhi-Hong , Ko Pei-Chieh , Huang Jing-Yang , Ho Chien-Chang , Chen Shih-Chang , Chiang Yi-Chen , Liaw Yung-Po
Published: August 2013

Background

To examine the association of anthropometry indices with gout and to compare the performance of indices to predict gout in Taiwanese men.

Methods

There were 1443 male subjects aged more than 20 years who participated in the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT, 1993–1996). Anthropometric evaluation consisted of weight, height, hip and waist circumference (WC) with later body mass index (BMI), waist to height (WHtR) and waist to hip (WHR) estimations. We conducted 4 logistic models to determine the relationships between anthropometric indices and gout. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to compare the predictive performance and to identify the optimal cut-off points, sensitivity and specificity of these indices for gout in men.

Results

After controlling for other covariables, the adjusted odds ratios for the mid and top tertiles of WHtR were 2.55 (95% CI: 1.16, 5.59) and 3.01 (95% CI: 1.13, 7.99), respectively, but no linear association was found for BMI, WHR and WC. In ROC curve, the greatest area under curve was 0.684 for WHtR and the cut-off point of WHtR was 0.57.

Conclusions

WHtR had a significant linear association with gout in Taiwanese men and was superior to BMI, WHR and WC.
Cirsium brevicaule A. GRAY leaf inhibits adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells and C57BL/6 mice
Authors: Inafuku Masashi , Nugara Ruwani N. , Kamiyama Yasuo , Futenma Itsuki , Inafuku Ayako , Oku Hirosuke
Published: August 2013

Background

Various flavonoids obtained from the genus Cirsium have been reported to exhibit beneficial effects on health. The present study evaluated the antiobesity effects of Cirsium brevicaule A. GRAY leaf (CL) by using 3T3-L1 cells and C57BL/6 mice that were fed a high-fat diet (HFD).

Methods

Dried CL powder was serially extracted with solvents of various polarities, and these extracts were tested for antiadipogenic activity using 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Mice were fed experimental HFD supplemented with dried CL powder for 4 wk. Lipid levels and mRNA levels of genes related to lipid metabolism were determined in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and the white adipose tissue (WAT) and liver of mice fed on a HFD.

Results

Treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with a hexane extract of CL significantly reduced cellular lipid accumulation and expression of the fatty acid synthase (FASN) gene. Dietary CL reduced the serum levels of non-esterified fatty acids in HFD-fed mice. Significant decreases in subcutaneous WAT weight and associated FASN gene expression were observed in the mice fed the experimental CL diet. Dietary CL also reduced the hepatic lipid and serum levels of a hepatopathic indicator in the HFD-fed mice. A significant reduction in mRNA levels of FASN and HMG-CoA reductase were observed in the livers of the CL-diet group. Dietary CL, on the other hand, increased in the hepatic mRNA levels of genes related to β-oxidation, namely peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α, calnitine palmitoyltrasferase 1A, and uncoupling protein 2. Expression of the insulin receptor gene was also significantly increased in the livers of mice-fed the CL diet.

Conclusions

The present study therefore demonstrated that CL suppresses lipid accumulation in the WAT and liver partly through inhibiting mRNA levels of FASN gene and enhancing the lipolysis-related gene expression.
Activation state-dependent interaction between Gαq subunits and the Fhit tumor suppressor
Authors: Zuo Hao , Chan Grace P W , Zhu Jing , Yeung Wendy W S , Chan Anthony S L , Ammer Hermann , Wong Yung H
Published: August 2013

Background

The FHIT tumor suppressor gene is arguably the most commonly altered gene in cancer since it is inactivated in about 60% of human tumors. The Fhit protein is a member of the ubiquitous histidine triad proteins which hydrolyze dinucleoside polyphosphates such as Ap3A. Despite the fact that Fhit functions as a tumor suppressor, the pathway through which Fhit inhibits growth of cancer cells remains largely unknown. Phosphorylation by Src tyrosine kinases provides a linkage between Fhit and growth factor signaling. Since many G proteins can regulate cell proliferation through multiple signaling components including Src, we explored the relationship between Gα subunits and Fhit.

Results

Several members of the Gαq subfamily (Gα16, Gα14, and Gαq) were found to co-immunoprecipitate with Fhit in their GTP-bound active state in HEK293 cells. The binding of activated Gαq members to Fhit appeared to be direct and was detectable in native DLD-1 colon carcinoma cells. The use of Gα16/z chimeras further enabled the mapping of the Fhit-interacting domain to the α2-β4 region of Gα16. However, Gαq/Fhit did not affect either Ap3A binding and hydrolysis by Fhit, or the ability of Gαq/16 to regulate downstream effectors including phospholipase Cβ, Ras, ERK, STAT3, and IKK. Functional mutants of Fhit including the H96D, Y114F, L25W and L25W/I10W showed comparable abilities to associate with Gαq. Despite the lack of functional regulation of Gq signaling by Fhit, stimulation of Gq-coupled receptors in HEK293 and H1299 cells stably overexpressing Fhit led to reduced cell proliferation, as opposed to an enhanced cell proliferation typically seen with parental cells.

Conclusions

Activated Gαq members interact with Fhit through their α2-β4 region which may result in enhancement of the growth inhibitory effect of Fhit, thus providing a possible avenue for G protein-coupled receptors to modulate tumor suppression.
Nanoindentation-induced phase transformation and structural deformation of monocrystalline germanium: a molecular dynamics simulation investigation
Authors: Lai Min , Zhang Xiaodong , Fang Fengzhou
Published: August 2013

Molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to study the nanoindentation of monocrystalline germanium. The path of phase transformation and distribution of transformed region on different crystallographic orientations were investigated. The results indicate the anisotropic behavior of monocrystalline germanium. The nanoindentation-induced phase transformation from diamond cubic structure to β-tin-Ge was found in the subsurface region beneath the tool when indented on the (010) plane, while direct amorphization was observed in the region right under the indenter when the germanium was loaded along the [101] and [111] directions. The transformed phases extend along the < 110 > slip direction of germanium. The depth and shape of the deformed layers after unloading are quite different according to the crystal orientation of the indentation plane. The study results suggest that phase transformation is the dominant mechanism of deformation of monocrystalline germanium film in nanoindentation.
A practical guide to the monitoring and management of the complications of systemic corticosteroid therapy
Authors: Liu Dora , Ahmet Alexandra , Ward Leanne , Krishnamoorthy Preetha , Mandelcorn Efrem D , Leigh Richard , Brown Jacques P , Cohen Albert , Kim Harold
Published: August 2013

Systemic corticosteroids play an integral role in the management of many inflammatory and immunologic conditions, but these agents are also associated with serious risks. Osteoporosis, adrenal suppression, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, Cushing’s syndrome, psychiatric disturbances and immunosuppression are among the more serious side effects noted with systemic corticosteroid therapy, particularly when used at high doses for prolonged periods. This comprehensive article reviews these adverse events and provides practical recommendations for their prevention and management based on both current literature and the clinical experience of the authors.
SIV infection of rhesus macaques of Chinese origin: a suitable model for HIV infection in humans
Authors: Zhou Yu , Bao Rong , Haigwood Nancy L , Persidsky Yuri , Ho Wen-zhe
Published: August 2013

Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection of Indian-origin rhesus macaques (RM) has been widely used as a well-established nonhuman primate (NHP) model for HIV/AIDS research. However, there have been a growing number of studies using Chinese RM to evaluate immunopathogenesis of SIV infection. In this paper, we have for the first time reviewed and discussed the major publications related to SIV or SHIV infection of Chinese RM in the past decades. We have compared the differences in the pathogenesis of SIV infection between Chinese RM and Indian RM with regard to viral infection, immunological response, and host genetic background. Given AIDS is a disease that affects humans of diverse origins, it is of importance to study animals with different geographical background. Therefore, to examine and compare results obtained from RM models of Indian and Chinese origins should lead to further validation and improvement of these animal models for HIV/AIDS research.
Botanical identification of medicinal roots collected and traded in Morocco and comparison to the existing literature
Authors: Ouarghidi Abderrahim , Martin Gary J , Powell Bronwen , Esser Gabrielle , Abbad Abdelaziz
Published: August 2013

Background

A literature review revealed heavy reliance on a few key publications for identification of medicinal plant species from local or vernacular names and a lack of citation of voucher specimens in many publications. There is a need for more reliable and standardized data on the identity of species used for medicine, especially because local names vary from region to region. This is especially true in the case of medicinal roots, for which identification of species is difficult. This paper contributes to existing data on the species sold as medicinal roots (and other underground plant parts such as bulbs, corms, rhizomes and tubers) in Morocco.

Methods

Data were collected in collaboration with herbalists in Marrakech and collectors in rural regions near Marrakech where species are collected from the wild. The ethno-medicinal uses of these species were also recorded.

Results

We identified the vernacular names for 67 medicinal roots (by free listing) used to treat a variety of human diseases. We were able to collect and identify one or more species for 39 of the recorded vernacular names. The ones we were not able to identify were either imported or no longer available in the markets. We collected more than one species for some of the vernacular names for a total of 43 species. We identified six new vernacular names and four species which had not been previously described in the literature. Our botanical identification matched at least one of the names listed in the literature 63% of the time and did not match any species listed in the literature 37% of the time. Of the three most commonly cited pieces of literature we compared to, we found the greatest overlap with the broader, more comprehensive work of Bellakhdar 1997 (as opposed to Benchâabane and Abbad 1997 which worked in a similarly focused geographical area). However there was only 63% agreement between Bellakhdar 1997 and our botanical identifications, and 29% of the time our identification didn’t match even the genus of any of the species listed in any of the 3 most commonly cited pieces of literature.

Conclusions

More rigorous methodology and reporting are needed for medicinal plant research in Morocco. This will ensure that studies are comparable, help to protect traditional medicine users from negative health effects, and, support efforts to conserve overharvested wild medicinal plants.
Overexpression of an antimicrobial peptide derived from C. elegans using an aggregation-prone protein coexpression system
Authors: Tomisawa Satoshi , Hojo Eri , Umetsu Yoshitaka , Ohki Shinya , Kato Yusuke , Miyazawa Mitsuhiro , Mizuguchi Mineyuki , Kamiya Masakatsu , Kumaki Yasuhiro , Kikukawa Takashi , Kawano Keiichi , Demura Makoto , Aizawa Tomoyasu
Published: August 2013

Antibacterial factor 2 (ABF-2) is a 67-residue antimicrobial peptide derived from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Although it has been reported that ABF-2 exerts in vitro microbicidal activity against a range of bacteria and fungi, the structure of ABF-2 has not yet been solved. To enable structural studies of ABF-2 by NMR spectroscopy, a large amount of isotopically labeled ABF-2 is essential. However, the direct expression of ABF-2 in Escherichia coli is difficult to achieve due to its instability. Therefore, we applied a coexpression method to the production of ABF-2 in order to enhance the inclusion body formation of ABF-2. The inclusion body formation of ABF-2 was vastly enhanced by coexpression of aggregation-prone proteins (partner proteins). By using this method, we succeeded in obtaining milligram quantities of active, correctly folded ABF-2. In addition, 15 N-labeled ABF-2 and a well-dispersed heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) spectrum were also obtained successfully. Moreover, the effect of the charge of the partner protein on the inclusion body formation of ABF-2 in this method was investigated by using four structurally homologous proteins. We concluded that a partner protein of opposite charge enhanced the formation of an inclusion body of the target peptide efficiently.
Evidence for a multipotent mammary progenitor with pregnancy-specific activity
Authors: Kaanta Alice S , Virtanen Carl , Selfors Laura M , Brugge Joan S , Neel Benjamin G
Published: August 2013

Introduction

The mouse mammary gland provides a powerful model system for studying processes involved in epithelial tissue development. Although markers that enrich for mammary stem cells and progenitors have been identified, our understanding of the mammary developmental hierarchy remains incomplete.

Methods

We used the MMTV promoter linked to the reverse tetracycline transactivator to induce H2BGFP expression in the mouse mammary gland. Mammary epithelial cells (MECs) from virgin mice were sorted by flow cytometry for expression of the mammary stem cell/progenitor markers CD24 and CD29, and H2BGFP. Sorted populations were analyzed for in vivo repopulation ability, expression of mammary lineage markers, and differential gene expression.

Results

The reconstituting activity of CD24+/CD29+ cells in cleared fat pad transplantation assays was not distinguished in GFP+ compared to GFP- subpopulations. However, within the CD24+/CD29lo luminal progenitor-enriched population, H2BGFP+, but not H2BGFP-, MECs formed mammary structures in transplantation assays; moreover, this activity was dramatically enhanced in pregnant recipients. These outgrowths contained luminal and myoepithelial mammary lineages and produced milk, but lacked the capacity for serial transplantation. Transcriptional microarray analysis revealed that H2BGFP+/CD24+/CD29lo MECs are distinct from H2BGFP-/CD24+/CD29lo MECs and enriched for gene expression signatures with both the stem cell (CD24+/CD29+) and luminal progenitor (CD24+/CD29lo/CD61+) compartments.

Conclusions

We have identified a population of MECs containing pregnancy-activated multipotent progenitors that are present in the virgin mammary gland and contribute to the expansion of the mammary gland during pregnancy.
Effects of ventilation strategy on distribution of lung inflammatory cell activity
Authors: de Prost Nicolas , Costa Eduardo L , Wellman Tyler , Musch Guido , Tucci Mauro R , Winkler Tilo , Harris R Scott , Venegas Jose G , Kavanagh Brian P , Vidal Melo Marcos F
Published: August 2013

Introduction

Leukocyte infiltration is central to the development of acute lung injury, but it is not known how mechanical ventilation strategy alters the distribution or activation of inflammatory cells. We explored how protective (vs. injurious) ventilation alters the magnitude and distribution of lung leukocyte activation following systemic endotoxin administration.

Methods

Anesthetized sheep received intravenous endotoxin (10 ng/kg/min) followed by 2 h of either injurious or protective mechanical ventilation (n = 6 per group). We used positron emission tomography to obtain images of regional perfusion and shunting with infused 13N[nitrogen]-saline and images of neutrophilic inflammation with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG). The Sokoloff model was used to quantify 18F-FDG uptake (Ki), as well as its components: the phosphorylation rate (k3, a surrogate of hexokinase activity) and the distribution volume of 18F-FDG (Fe) as a fraction of lung volume (Ki = Fe × k3). Regional gas fractions (fgas) were assessed by examining transmission scans.

Results

Before endotoxin administration, protective (vs. injurious) ventilation was associated with a higher ratio of partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood to fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) (351 ± 117 vs. 255 ± 74 mmHg; P < 0.01) and higher whole-lung fgas (0.71 ± 0.12 vs. 0.48 ± 0.08; P = 0.004), as well as, in dependent regions, lower shunt fractions. Following 2 h of endotoxemia, PaO2/FiO2 ratios decreased in both groups, but more so with injurious ventilation, which also increased the shunt fraction in dependent lung. Protective ventilation resulted in less nonaerated lung (20-fold; P < 0.01) and more normally aerated lung (14-fold; P < 0.01). Ki was lower during protective (vs. injurious) ventilation, especially in dependent lung regions (0.0075 ± 0.0043/min vs. 0.0157 ± 0.0072/min; P < 0.01). 18F-FDG phosphorylation rate (k3) was twofold higher with injurious ventilation and accounted for most of the between-group difference in Ki. Dependent regions of the protective ventilation group exhibited lower k3 values per neutrophil than those in the injurious ventilation group (P = 0.01). In contrast, Fe was not affected by ventilation strategy (P = 0.52). Lung neutrophil counts were not different between groups, even when regional inflation was accounted for.

Conclusions

During systemic endotoxemia, protective ventilation may reduce the magnitude and heterogeneity of pulmonary inflammatory cell metabolic activity in early lung injury and may improve gas exchange through its effects predominantly in dependent lung regions. Such effects are likely related to a reduction in the metabolic activity, but not in the number, of lung-infiltrating neutrophils.
Fuzzy Pluralism
Authors: Elverskog Johan
Published: August 2013

This article, part of a Common Knowledge symposium on “the consequence of blur,” concerns the place of religion in the historical literature on Asia. It finds a minimalist approach to religion in the case of Buddhism and a maximalist approach in the case of Islam: historians of Asia have little to say about Buddhism, while they exaggerate the role of the Muslim religion. This problem is acute when treating historical circumstances in which Buddhism and Islam are involved in tandem. Although people of the two traditions interacted throughout Asia for more than a millennium, which would suggest that pluralism or something like it was operative, there is virtually no mention of the other in the religious corpus of either tradition. This essay recommends and demonstrates a historical approach more alert to the possibility that religious pluralism may best be found in the past by exploring examples of cross-religious interaction that were not religious but, simply, performed by religious people. The case examined here is of a Buddhist-Muslim interaction that changed the history of the world. The successful spread of Buddhism was tied to the technological prowess and especially the advanced hydrology of its followers, which enabled irrigation for crops, including above all cotton. The sudden “cotton boom” in ninth-century Iran, which enabled the subsequent Muslim takeover of the global cotton industry, was enabled by Buddhists who were fleeing economic collapse and political turmoil in northwest India. This transfer of technology and expertise took place even though Islam is (thought of as) fiercely resistant to alien religious influence. Religious pluralism appears to have been at work when creedal specifics were left blurry, vague, and unstipulated.
TGFβ signaling is required for sprouting lymphangiogenesis during lymphatic network development in the skin
Authors: James Jennifer M. , Nalbandian Ani , Mukouyama Yoh-suke
Published: August 2013

Dermal lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) emerge from the dorsolateral region of the cardinal veins within the anterior trunk to form an intricate, branched network of lymphatic vessels during embryogenesis. Multiple growth factors and receptors are required for specification and maintenance of LECs, but the mechanisms coordinating LEC movements and morphogenesis to develop three-dimensional lymphatic network architecture are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate in mice that precise LEC sprouting is a key process leading to stereotypical lymphatic network coverage throughout the developing skin, and that transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling is required for LEC sprouting and proper lymphatic network patterning in vivo. We utilized a series of conditional mutants to ablate the TGFβ receptors Tgfbr1 (Alk5) and Tgfbr2 in LECs. To analyze lymphatic defects, we developed a novel, whole-mount embryonic skin imaging technique to visualize sprouting lymphangiogenesis and patterning at the lymphatic network level. Loss of TGFβ signaling in LECs leads to a severe reduction in local lymphangiogenic sprouting, resulting in a significant decrease in global lymphatic network branching complexity within the skin. Our results also demonstrate that TGFβ signaling negatively regulates LEC proliferation during lymphatic network formation. These data suggest a dual role for TGFβ signaling during lymphatic network morphogenesis in the skin, such that it enhances LEC sprouting and branching complexity while attenuating LEC proliferation.
Localization microscopy coming of age: from concepts to biological impact
Authors: Sauer Markus
Published: August 2013

Super-resolution fluorescence imaging by single-molecule photoactivation or photoswitching and position determination (localization microscopy) has the potential to fundamentally revolutionize our understanding of how cellular function is encoded at the molecular level. Among all powerful, high-resolution imaging techniques introduced in recent years, localization microscopy excels because it delivers single-molecule information about molecular distributions, even giving absolute numbers of proteins present in subcellular compartments. This provides insight into biological systems at a molecular level that can yield direct experimental feedback for modeling the complexity of biological interactions. In addition, efficient new labeling methods and strategies to improve localization are emerging that promise to achieve true molecular resolution. This raises localization microscopy as a powerful complementary method for correlative light and electron microscopy experiments.
p120-catenin in cancer – mechanisms, models and opportunities for intervention
Authors: Schackmann Ron C. J. , Tenhagen Milou , van de Ven Robert A. H. , Derksen Patrick W. B.
Published: August 2013

The epithelial adherens junction is an E-cadherin-based complex that controls tissue integrity and is stabilized at the plasma membrane by p120-catenin (p120, also known as CTNND1). Mutational and epigenetic inactivation of E-cadherin has been strongly implicated in the development and progression of cancer. In this setting, p120 translocates to the cytosol where it exerts oncogenic properties through aberrant regulation of Rho GTPases, growth factor receptor signaling and derepression of Kaiso (also known as ZBTB33) target genes. In contrast, indirect inactivation of the adherens junction through conditional knockout of p120 in mice was recently linked to tumor formation, indicating that p120 can also function as a tumor suppressor. Supporting these opposing functions are findings in human cancer, which show that either loss or cytoplasmic localization of p120 is a common feature in the progression of several types of carcinoma. Underlying this dual biological phenomenon might be the context-dependent regulation of Rho GTPases in the cytosol and the derepression of Kaiso target genes. Here, we discuss past and present findings that implicate p120 in the regulation of cancer progression and highlight opportunities for clinical intervention.
Preparation of Skeletal Cu Catalysts by Thermal and Chemical Treatment of Cu–Ti Amorphous Alloys and Their Enhanced Catalytic Activities
Authors: Nozaki Ai , Kamegawa Takashi , Ohmichi Tetsutaro , Yamashita Hiromi
Published: August 2013

Skeletal Cu was prepared from Cu–Ti amorphous alloy (amor-CuTi) via heating at various temperatures followed by HF treatment for extraction of Ti moieties. Thermal treatment at somewhat lower crystallization temperature of amor-CuTi followed by HF treatment leads to higher catalytic activity in the hydrogenation reaction of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol.
Bridges and gaps: The Singing Detective’s serial afterlife
Authors: O’Sullivan Sean
Published: August 2013

The Singing Detective has long been considered a high point of televisual storytelling. But what is its specific legacy as a serial narrative, particularly in the contemporary U.S. context of ambitious dramas? In many ways, the experiment of The Singing Detective remains an outlier. If the likes of Mad Men and The Sopranos have re-invigorated seriality by emphasizing the gaps between episodes—by making the narrative broken rather than connected—The Singing Detective’s continuing contribution lies in its insistence on bridging the disparate parts that make a serial: old and new, sound and image, memory and imagination, ritual and eccentricity.
Book Reviews
Authors: Brenes Carmen Sofia , McMillan Eddie , Sherry Jamie
Published: August 2013

Beyond The Screenplay: A Dialectical Approach To Dramaturgy, Zachariah Rush (2012) Jefferson, North Carolina, and London: McFarland & Company, 190 pp., ISBN: 978078646603-0, p/bk, £46.50

The Black Hole of the Camera. The Films of Andy Warhol, J. J. Murphy (2012) Berkeley, USA: University of California Press,, 303 pp., ISBN: 978 0 520 27188 3, p/bk, £19.95

Writing in Pictures: Screenwriting Made (Mostly) Painless, Joseph McBride (2012) London and Boston: Faber and Faber, 384 pp., ISBN: 9780571274376, p/bk, £20.00
Enzymatic strategies to improve removal of hexenuronic acids and lignin from cellulosic fibers
Authors: Valls Cristina , Vidal Teresa , Roncero M. Blanca
Published: August 2013

Different enzymatic strategies were applied to improve lignin and hexenuronic acid (HexA) removal. Three laccases (L) with different redox potentials were applied in combination with 1-hydroxybenzotriazole or methyl syringate to softwood sulfite and hardwood kraft fibers. The enzymes with a high-redox potential from Pycnoporus cinnabarinus and Trametes villosa were found to be the most efficient. The bleaching efficiency was not significantly influenced by the presence or absence of HexA in the different types of lignocellulosic fibers. Subsequently, the lignin or HexA removal in the presence of different mediators was evaluated in eucalyptus fibers with the T. villosa laccase (TvL). Natural mediators removed only lignin, whereas the combinations of TvL with synthetic mediators removed both HexA and lignin. The mediator violuric acid (VA) was the most efficient as judged by the properties of fiber and effluent. A xylanase pretreatment stage was found to boost the access of the LVA system to HexA without affecting lignin in the pulp.
Rho-kinase: regulation, (dys)function, and inhibition
Authors: Amin Ehsan , Dubey Badri Nath , Zhang Si-Cai , Gremer Lothar , Dvorsky Radovan , Moll Jens M. , Taha Mohamed S. , Nagel-Steger Luitgard , Piekorz Roland P. , Somlyo Avril V. , Ahmadian Mohammad R.
Published: August 2013

In a variety of normal and pathological cell types, Rho-kinases I and II (ROCKI/II) play a pivotal role in the organization of the nonmuscle and smooth muscle cytoskeleton and adhesion plaques as well as in the regulation of transcription factors. Thus, ROCKI/II activity regulates cellular contraction, motility, morphology, polarity, cell division, and gene expression. Emerging evidence suggests that dysregulation of the Rho-ROCK pathways at different stages is linked to cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative diseases as well as cancer. This review focuses on the current status of understanding the multiple functions of Rho-ROCK signaling pathways and various modes of regulation of Rho-ROCK activity, thereby orchestrating a concerted functional response.
Experimental Investigation on the Translational and Rotational Motion of Biomass Particle in a Spout-Fluid Bed
Authors: Zhang Yong , Zhong Wenqi , Jin Baosheng
Published: August 2013

The translational and rotational motions of biomass particle in a spout-fluid bed have been investigated. Two kinds of cylindrical biomass particles with different densities were used as bed solids, which were obtained from the jujube tree. To describe the translational and rotational characteristics, virtual particle concentration and rotation angle were introduced. The former obtained by microwave heating-infrared thermal imaging technique was compared with the actual particle concentration determined by box-counting method. Based on the temperature distribution, the translational position and rotation angle of multiple tracers were distinguished. The results show that the heating characteristic of tracer depends on the tracer material. Compared to the spherical particles, non-spherical biomass particle is more likely to cause dead zone in the bed. In the flow regime of fluidizing, the flow characteristic of biomass particle relies on the jet gas velocity. The high resistance resulting from the interparticle cohesion forces hinders the rise of bubbles and weakens the radial dispersion of particle. In the fountain, homogeneous biomass particle rotates uniformly, while non-homogeneous biomass particle exhibits non-uniform rotation. In the annulus, the rotation characteristic of biomass particle depends on the structure of fountain and particle trajectory in the annulus.
Aging and speech perception: beyond hearing threshold and cognitive ability
Authors: Fostick Leah , Ben-Artzi Elisheva , Babkoff Harvey
Published: August 2013

Background: Older adults manifest difficulties in speech perception, especially when speech is accompanied by noise or when speech is rapid. Several explanations have been suggested to account for age-related changes in speech perception, such as changes in hearing sensitivity or a more general decline in cognitive functioning. The purpose of the present study was to directly examine the relative contribution of hearing sensitivity and perceptual and cognitive factors in the understanding of age-related differences in speech perception under difficult conditions.

Methods: Eighty-nine healthy participants with normal hearing thresholds, age 21–82 years, were tested for speech perception under four conditions: quiet, speech noise, white noise, and time-compressed speech at 60% compression rate. As all participants had age-normal hearing, absolute thresholds were tested for click trains, 1 kHz 15-ms duration pure tone, 1 kHz 50-ms duration pure tone, and 1.8 kHz 15-ms duration pure tone, which are relatively short and discriminative for hearing ability. Cognitive ability was examined using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (Third Edition) matrices and digit span.

Results: When words were presented against a quiet background or against white noise, speech perception was not significantly affected by aging, although in the latter case, increased thresholds predicted poorer speech perception. However, when words were presented against a background of speech noise or when speech was time-compressed at a 60% rate, age significantly predicted a decline in speech perception, even after controlling for hearing thresholds and cognitive functioning.

Conclusions: Hearing threshold for short sounds is the major factor for predicting speech perception in background noise, across age, due to changes in hearing sensitivity or in temporal resolution. For the adult and aging population with preserved cognitive ability, cognitive functioning does not predict decline in speech perception.
Growth of very low birth weight infants after increased amino acid and protein administration
Authors: Loui Andrea , Bührer Christoph
Published: August 2013

Aim: To assess the impact of a high enteral protein nutrition strategy in human milk-fed very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (<1500 g) on growth during the first 5 weeks of life.

Design: Weight, length and head circumference of VLBW infants were recorded after introduction of a high protein strategy.

Results: Forty-three infants (median/interquartile range) of gestational age 27+6 weeks (26+0/29+6), birth weight 984 g (675/1130) were included. Parenteral nutrition was administered for 16 (14/18) days and the nutritional intakes achieved target values 4.3 g/kg/day protein (4.0/4.4); 128 kcal/kg/day energy (119/131). Human milk was fortified with 0.5–2.3 g/kg/day protein powder in addition to a fortifier. Near-intrauterine growth was observed: Weight gain from days 8–35: 17.6 g/kg/day (14.9/20.5); head growth from day 1–35: 0.70 cm/week (0.50/0.80); length growth from day 1–35: 1.0 cm/week (0.8/1.2). The total protein intake was shown to have a significant impact on infant’s weight gain up to the 35th day of life.

Conclusion: High protein nutrition enables similar to fetal growth weight gain and head growth of VLBW infants during the first 5 weeks of life. These data support recently published ESPGHAN recommendations.
A note on the biasedness and unbiasedness of two-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov test
Authors: Bubeliny Peter
Published: August 2013

This paper deals with the two-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and its biasedness. This test is not unbiased in general in case of unequal sample sizes. We identify most biased distributions for some values of significance level α. Moreover, we discovered that there exists numbers of observations and significance levels α such that this test is unbiased at level α.
A harmonic function approach to Nash-equilibria of Kifer-type stopping games
Authors: Lerche Hans Rudolf , Stich Dominik
Published: August 2013

In this paper we give sufficient conditions for solving two-person zero sum stopping games. These are games where the strategy set of the two players are stopping times of a diffusion X. Our method is based on the study of harmonic functions for the diffusion and it is similar to the approach of solving optimal stopping problems developed in [2]–[4], and [12].