bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Field Study of Dried Blood Spot Specimens for HIV-1 Drug Resistance Genotyping
Authors: Parry C. M. , Parkin N. , Diallo K. , Mwebaza S. , Batamwita R. , DeVos J. , Bbosa N. , Lyagoba F. , Magambo B. , Jordan M. R. , Downing R. , Zhang G. , Kaleebu P. , Yang C. , Bertagnolio S.
Published: May 2014

Dried blood spots (DBS) are an alternative specimen type for HIV drug resistance genotyping in resource-limited settings. Data relating to the impact of DBS storage and shipment conditions on genotyping efficiency under field conditions are limited. We compared the genotyping efficiencies and resistance profiles of DBS stored and shipped at different temperatures to those of plasma specimens collected in parallel from patients receiving antiretroviral therapy in Uganda. Plasma and four DBS cards from anti-coagulated venous blood and a fifth card from finger-prick blood were prepared from 103 HIV patients with a median viral load (VL) of 57,062 copies/ml (range, 1,081 to 2,964,191). DBS were stored at ambient temperature for 2 or 4 weeks or frozen at −80°C and shipped from Uganda to the United States at ambient temperature or frozen on dry ice for genotyping using a broadly sensitive in-house method. Plasma (97.1%) and DBS (98.1%) stored and shipped frozen had similar genotyping efficiencies. DBS stored frozen (97.1%) or at ambient temperature for 2 weeks (93.2%) and shipped at ambient temperature also had similar genotyping efficiencies. Genotyping efficiency was reduced for DBS stored at ambient temperature for 4 weeks (89.3%,P= 0.03) or prepared from finger-prick blood and stored at ambient temperature for 2 weeks (77.7%,P< 0.001) compared to DBS prepared from venous blood and handled similarly. Resistance profiles were similar between plasma and DBS specimens. This report delineates the optimal DBS collection, storage, and shipping conditions and opens a new avenue for cost-saving ambient-temperature DBS specimen shipments for HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) surveillances in resource-limited settings.
Functional Annotation of Cotesia congregata Bracovirus: Identification of Viral Genes Expressed in Parasitized Host Immune Tissues
Authors: Chevignon Germain , Thézé Julien , Cambier Sébastien , Poulain Julie , Da Silva Corinne , Bézier Annie , Musset Karine , Moreau Sébastien J. M. , Drezen Jean-Michel , Huguet Elisabeth
Published: May 2014

Bracoviruses (BVs) from thePolydnaviridaefamily are symbiotic viruses used as biological weapons by parasitoid wasps to manipulate lepidopteran host physiology and induce parasitism success. BV particles are produced by wasp ovaries and injected along with the eggs into the caterpillar host body, where viral gene expression is necessary for wasp development. Recent sequencing of the proviral genome ofCotesia congregataBV (CcBV) identified 222 predicted virulence genes present on 35 proviral segments integrated into the wasp genome. To date, the expressions of only a few selected candidate virulence genes have been studied in the caterpillar host, and we lacked a global vision of viral gene expression. In this study, a large-scale transcriptomic analysis by 454 sequencing of two immune tissues (fat body and hemocytes) of parasitizedManduca sextacaterpillar hosts allowed the detection of expression of 88 CcBV genes expressed 24 h after the onset of parasitism. We linked the expression profiles of these genes to several factors, showing that different regulatory mechanisms control viral gene expression in the host. These factors include the presence of signal peptides in encoded proteins, diversification of promoter regions, and, more surprisingly, gene position on the proviral genome. Indeed, most genes for which expression could be detected are localized in particular proviral regions globally producing higher numbers of circles. Moreover, this polydnavirus (PDV) transcriptomic analysis also reveals that a majority of CcBV genes possess at least one intron and an arthropod transcription start site, consistent with an insect origin of these virulence genes.

IMPORTANCEBracoviruses (BVs) are symbiotic polydnaviruses used by parasitoid wasps to manipulate lepidopteran host physiology, ensuring wasp offspring survival. To date, the expressions of only a few selected candidate BV virulence genes have been studied in caterpillar hosts. We performed a large-scale analysis of BV gene expression in two immune tissues ofManduca sextacaterpillars parasitized byCotesia congregatawasps. Genes for which expression could be detected corresponded to genes localized in particular regions of the viral genome globally producing higher numbers of circles. Our study thus brings an original global vision of viral gene expression and paves the way to the determination of the regulatory mechanisms enabling the expression of BV genes in targeted organisms, such as major insect pests. In addition, we identify sequence features suggesting that most BV virulence genes were acquired from insect genomes.
Regulation of the Human Endogenous Retrovirus K (HML-2) Transcriptome by the HIV-1 Tat Protein
Authors: Gonzalez-Hernandez Marta J. , Cavalcoli James D. , Sartor Maureen A. , Contreras-Galindo Rafael , Meng Fan , Dai Manhong , Dube Derek , Saha Anjan K. , Gitlin Scott D. , Omenn Gilbert S. , Kaplan Mark H. , Markovitz David M.
Published: May 2014

Approximately 8% of the human genome is made up of endogenous retroviral sequences. As the HIV-1 Tat protein activates the overall expression of the human endogenous retrovirus type K (HERV-K) (HML-2), we used next-generation sequencing to determine which of the 91 currently annotated HERV-K (HML-2) proviruses are regulated by Tat. Transcriptome sequencing of total RNA isolated from Tat- and vehicle-treated peripheral blood lymphocytes from a healthy donor showed that Tat significantly activates expression of 26 unique HERV-K (HML-2) proviruses, silences 12, and does not significantly alter the expression of the remaining proviruses. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR validation of the sequencing data was performed on Tat-treated PBLs of seven donors using provirus-specific primers and corroborated the results with a substantial degree of quantitative similarity.

IMPORTANCEThe expression of HERV-K (HML-2) is tightly regulated but becomes markedly increased following infection with HIV-1, in part due to the HIV-1 Tat protein. The findings reported here demonstrate the complexity of the genome-wide regulation of HERV-K (HML-2) expression by Tat. This work also demonstrates that although HERV-K (HML-2) proviruses in the human genome are highly similar in terms of DNA sequence, modulation of the expression of specific proviruses in a given biological situation can be ascertained using next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics analysis.
Influenza Virus PB1 and Neuraminidase Gene Segments Can Cosegregate during Vaccine Reassortment Driven by Interactions in the PB1 Coding Region
Authors: Cobbin Joanna C. A. , Ong Chi , Verity Erin , Gilbertson Brad P. , Rockman Steven P. , Brown Lorena E.
Published: May 2014

Egg-grown influenza vaccine yields are maximized by infection with a seed virus produced by “classical reassortment” of a seasonal isolate with a highly egg-adapted strain. Seed viruses are selected based on a high-growth phenotype and the presence of the seasonal hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) surface antigens. Retrospective analysis of H3N2 vaccine seed viruses indicated that, unlike other internal proteins that were predominantly derived from the high-growth parent A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (PR8), the polymerase subunit PB1 could be derived from either parent depending on the seasonal strain. We have recently shown that A/Udorn/307/72 (Udorn) models a seasonal isolate that yields reassortants bearing the seasonal PB1 gene. This is despite the fact that the reverse genetics-derived virus that includes Udorn PB1 with Udorn HA and NA on a PR8 background has inferior growth compared to the corresponding virus with PR8 PB1. Here we use competitive plasmid transfections to investigate the mechanisms driving selection of a less fit virus and show that the Udorn PB1 gene segment cosegregates with the Udorn NA gene segment. Analysis of chimeric PB1 genes revealed that the coselection of NA and PB1 segments was not directed through the previously identified packaging sequences but through interactions involving the internal coding region of the PB1 gene. This study identifies associations between viral genes that can direct selection in classical reassortment for vaccine production and which may also be of relevance to the gene constellations observed in past antigenic shift events where creation of a pandemic virus has involved reassortment.

IMPORTANCE
Influenza vaccine must be produced and administered in a timely manner in order to provide protection during the winter season, and poor-growing vaccine seed viruses can compromise this process. To maximize vaccine yields, manufacturers create hybrid influenza viruses with gene segments encoding the surface antigens from a seasonal virus isolate, important for immunity, and others from a virus with high growth properties. This involves coinfection of cells with both parent viruses and selection of dominant progeny bearing the seasonal antigens. We show that this method of creating hybrid viruses does not necessarily select for the best yielding virus because preferential pairing of gene segments when progeny viruses are produced determines the genetic makeup of the hybrids. This not only has implications for how hybrid viruses are selected for vaccine production but also sheds light on what drives and limits hybrid gene combinations that arise in nature, leading to pandemics.
Cryo-Electron Microscopy Structure of Lactococcal Siphophage 1358 Virion
Authors: Spinelli Silvia , Bebeacua Cecilia , Orlov Igor , Tremblay Denise , Klaholz Bruno P. , Moineau Sylvain , Cambillau Christian
Published: May 2014

Lactococcus lactis
, a Gram
+
lactic acid-producing bacterium used for the manufacture of several fermented dairy products, is subject to infection by diverse virulent tailed phages, leading to industrial fermentation failures. This constant viral risk has led to a sustained interest in the study of their biology, diversity, and evolution. Lactococcal phages now constitute a wide ensemble of at least 10 distinct genotypes within the
Caudovirales
order, many of them belonging to the
Siphoviridae
family. Lactococcal siphophage 1358, currently the only member of its group, displays a noticeably high genomic similarity to some
Listeria
phages as well as a host range limited to a few
L. lactis
strains. These genomic and functional characteristics stimulated our interest in this phage. Here, we report the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the complete 1358 virion. Phage 1358 exhibits noteworthy features, such as a capsid with
dextro
handedness and protruding decorations on its capsid and tail. Observations of the baseplate of virion particles revealed at least two conformations, a closed and an open, activated form. Functional assays uncovered that the adsorption of phage 1358 to its host is Ca
2+
independent, but this cation is necessary to complete its lytic cycle. Taken together, our results provide the complete structural picture of a unique lactococcal phage and expand our knowledge on the complex baseplate of phages of the
Siphoviridae
family.

IMPORTANCE
Phages of
Lactococcus lactis
are investigated mainly because they are sources of milk fermentation failures in the dairy industry. Despite the availability of several antiphage measures, new phages keep emerging in this ecosystem. In this study, we provide the cryo-electron microscopy reconstruction of a unique lactococcal phage that possesses genomic similarity to particular
Listeria
phages and has a host range restricted to only a minority of
L. lactis
strains. The capsid of phage 1358 displays the almost unique characteristic of being
dextro
handed. Its capsid and tail exhibit decorations that we assigned to nonspecific sugar binding modules. We observed the baseplate of 1358 in two conformations, a closed and an open form. We also found that the adsorption to its host, but not infection, is Ca
2+
independent. Overall, this study advances our understanding of the adhesion mechanisms of siphophages.
Evaluating and classifying the readiness of technology specifications for national standardization
Authors: Baker Dixie B , Perlin Jonathan B , Halamka John
Published: May 2014

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 clearly articulated the central role that health information technology (HIT) standards would play in improving healthcare quality, safety, and efficiency through the meaningful use of certified, standards based, electronic health record (EHR) technology. In 2012, the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) asked the Nationwide Health Information Network (NwHIN) Power Team of the Health Information Technology Standards Committee (HITSC) to develop comprehensive, objective, and, to the extent practical, quantitative criteria for evaluating technical standards and implementation specifications and classifying their readiness for national adoption. The Power Team defined criteria, attributes, and metrics for evaluating and classifying technical standards and specifications as ‘emerging,’ ‘pilot,’ or ‘ready for national standardization’ based on their maturity and adoptability. The ONC and the HITSC are now using these metrics for assessing the readiness of technical standards for national adoption.
Preterm delivery and neonatal meningitis due to transplacental acquisition of non-typhoidalSalmonellaserovarmontevideo
Authors: Rai Birendra , Utekar Tushar , Ray Raja
Published: May 2014

A male infant was born at 34 weeks’ gestation to a primigravida mother. The mother had a history of 1 day of diarrhoea and mild fever 8 days prior to delivery. Her blood culture was negative during the illness and her stool did not grow any pathological organism. The baby had poor feeding during the first day of his life followed by hypoglycaemia and episodes of seizure on day 2 and 3 of life. Blood culture of the baby and placental swab from the mother grewSalmonellaserovarmontevideo. Both baby and mother were treated with a course of cephalosporin for 21 and 7 days, respectively. Although non-typhoidalSalmonellaoften causes gastroenteritis in normal humans, it can cause invasive diseases in immunocompromised hosts and people at extremes of ages. Transplacental spread ofSalmonellaneeds consideration in favourable epidemiological scenarios as its implications on fetal and newborn's life are serious.
Identifying priority medicines policy issues for New Zealand: a general inductive study
Authors: Babar Zaheer-Ud-Din , Francis Susan
Published: May 2014

Objectives

To identify priority medicines policy issues for New Zealand.

Setting

Stakeholders from a broad range of healthcare and policy institutions including primary, secondary and tertiary care.

Participants

Exploratory, semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 stakeholders throughout New Zealand.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed and coded into INVIVO 10, then compared and grouped for similarity of theme. Perceptions, experiences and opinions regarding New Zealand's medicines policy issues were recorded.

Results

A large proportion of stakeholders appeared to be unaware of New Zealand's (NZ) medicines policy. In general, the policy was considered to offer consistency to guide decision-making. In the context of Pharmaceutical Management Agency's (PHARMAC's) fixed budget for procuring and subsidising medicines, there was reasonable satisfaction with the range of medicines available—rare disorder medicines being the clear exception. Concerns raised were by whom and how decisions are made and whether desired health outcomes are being measured. Other concerns included inconsistencies in evidence and across health technologies. Despite attempts to improve the situation, lower socioeconomic groups (including rural residents) Māori and Pacific ethnicities and people with rare disorders face challenges with regards to accessing medicines. Other barriers include, convenience to and affordability of prescribers and the increase of prescription fees from NZ$3 to NZ$5. Concerns related to the PHARMAC of New Zealand included: a constraining budget; non-transparency of in-house analysis; lack of consistency in recommendations between the Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee. Constraints and inefficiencies also exist in the submission process to access high-cost medicines.

Conclusions

The results suggest reasonable satisfaction with the availability of subsidised medicines. However, some of the major challenges include access to medicines in vulnerable groups, increasing costs and demand for new medicines, access to prescribers, budgetary constraints, cultural and health literacy, patient affordability and evidence requirement for gaining subsidy for medicines.
Care seeking in tuberculosis: results from a countrywide cluster randomised survey in Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Shahed , Zaman K , Quaiyum Abdul , Banu Sayera , Husain Ashaque , Islam Akramul , Borgdorff Martien , van Leth Frank
Published: May 2014

Objectives

To explore systematically the care seeking trajectories of tuberculosis (TB) cases up to four subsequent places of care and to assess the type of services provided at each place.

Methods

TB cases detected actively during the 2007–2009 national TB prevalence survey and passively under the routine programme in the same period were interviewed by administering a standardised questionnaire. Care seeking and services provided up to four subsequent points were explored. Care seeking was further explored by categorising the providers into formal, informal and ‘self-care’ groups.

Results

A total of 273 TB cases were included in this study, of which 33 (12%) were detected during the survey and 240 (88%) from the TB registers. Out of the 118 passively detected cases who first sought care from an informal provider, 52 (44.1%) remained in the informal sector at the second point of care. Similarly, out of the 52, 17 (32.7%) and out of the 17, 5 (29.4%) remained in the informal sector at the third and fourth subsequent points of care, respectively. All the 33 actively detected cases had ‘self-care’ at the first point, and 27 (81.8%) remained with ’self-care’ up to the fourth point of care. Prescribing drugs (59–99%) was the major type of care provided by the formal and informal care providers at each point and was limited to the non-existent practice of investigation or referrals.

Conclusions

Free TB services are still underutilised by TB cases and informal caregivers remained the major care providers for such cases in Bangladesh. In order to improve case detection, it is necessary that the National Tuberculosis Programme immediately takes effective initiatives to engage all types of care providers, particularly informal providers who are the first point of care for the majority of the TB suspects.
Material, psychosocial and sociodemographic determinants are associated with positive mental health in Europe: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Dreger Stefanie , Buck Christoph , Bolte Gabriele
Published: May 2014

Objectives

To investigate the association between psychosocial, sociodemographic and material determinants of positive mental health in Europe.

Design

Cross-sectional analysis of survey data.

Setting

34 European countries.

Participants

Representative Europe-wide sample consisting of 21 066 men and 22 569 women aged 18 years and over, from 34 European countries participating in the third wave of the European Quality of Life Survey (2011–2012).

Outcome

Positive mental health as measured by the WHO-5—Mental Well-being Index, while the lowest 25% centile indicated poor positive mental health.

Results

The prevalence of poor positive mental health was 30% in women and 24% in men. Material, as well as psychosocial, and sociodemographic factors were independently associated with poor positive mental health in a Europe-wide sample from 34 European countries. When studying all factors together, the highest OR for poor positive mental health was reported for social exclusion (men: OR=1.73, 95% CI 1.59 to 1.90; women: OR=1.69, 95% CI 1.57 to 1.81) among the psychosocial factors. Among the material factors, material deprivation had the highest impact (men: OR=1.96, 95% CI 1.78 to 2.15; women: OR=1.93, 95% CI 1.79 to 2.08).

Conclusions

This study gives the first overview on determinants of positive mental health at a European level and could be used as the basis for preventive policies in the field of positive mental health in Europe.
Everyone gets involved: fostering a high quality teaching and learning culture in the NHS
Authors: McElnay Philip , Bakhbakhi Danya , Sansom Jane
Published: May 2014

The aim was to create an environment where doctors at all levels felt like an important part of the education team.

Two teaching fellows were appointed to deliver teaching, encourage participation, and quality-assure teaching. An innovative electronic logbook named Teaching Log (T-Log) was developed to reliably “record and reward” teaching occurring at all career levels. A mentor scheme for medical students was established. Mentor training was provided for junior doctors. A near-peer teaching programme was developed for final year medical students on important skills required to be a safe junior doctor.

Between September 2013 and January 2014, 83 doctors at our institution logged 657 teaching episodes using the electronic T-Log. 23% were F1s, 14% were F2s, 24% CT1-2s. 36% of sessions were delivered to 3rd year medical students and 36% were delivered to 5th year students. 24% were small group seminars, 26% were bedside teaching sessions, 12% were lectures, 5% were simulation sessions and 9% were clinical skills. 20% of sessions were delivered to a single student. 100% of respondents (15) agreed that T-Log was easy to use. 100% agreed that T-Log was useful. 100% agreed that they would continue to use T-Log.

A survey found the mean score for usefulness of the mentor scheme to be 9.1 (1=not useful, 10=very useful). Students saw their mentors on average 6.5 times during a 10 week period. Confidence scores for all key areas of the curriculum were increased following implementation of the scheme. 100% of students would recommend this scheme to next year’s final year students and 100% of mentor respondents (n=8) would participate in the scheme again.

Rewarding those who contribute to teaching provides incentive to further increase the quality of education provided to students. T-Log rewards teaching activity. It also provides useful data at an individual level or at institutional level.
Inequalities in unintentional injuries between indigenous and non-indigenous children: a systematic review
Authors: Möller Holger , Falster Kathleen , Ivers Rebecca , Jorm Louisa
Published: May 2014

Background

Indigenous children suffer a disproportionally high burden of unintentional injuries. A more detailed understanding of the underlying causes, risk factors and gaps in research is required to inform prevention efforts and direct future research. The aim of this review was to systematically assess the evidence regarding differences in rates of unintentional injuries between indigenous and non-indigenous children and to identify leading causes and underlying risk factors contributing to these differences.

Method

We systematically searched the literature including 10 electronic databases, institutional websites and reference lists of relevant studies. Due to the substantial heterogeneity between studies, results were summarised in a narrative synthesis and no meta-analysis was carried out.

Results

A total of 39 studies were included in this review. Most studies were descriptive and only five adjusted for potential confounding in the analysis. Indigenous to non-indigenous rate ratios for morbidity and mortality for unintentional injury ranged from 1.2 to 2.3 and 1.8 to 8.2, respectively. The difference varied greatly by cause of injury and between studies, ranging from a reduced risk of hospitalisation due to fall injuries to a 17-fold increased risk of mortality due to pedestrian injuries. Burns, poisoning and transport injuries were the major contributors to the increased injury burden in indigenous children. The studies offered only limited insight into the underlying causes of these differences, but socioeconomic status and parents’ educational attainment were contributing factors.

Conclusions

Indigenous children experience a significantly higher burden of morbidity and mortality from unintentional injuries across different indigenous communities worldwide. Most of these injuries are highly preventable, presenting substantial potential to improve indigenous child health. However, there is limited evidence to illuminate the underlying risk factors for unintentional injuries in indigenous children, and this is a priority for further research.
Development and initial psychometric properties of the Barriers to Physician Compassion questionnaire
Authors: Fernando Antonio T , Consedine Nathan S
Published: May 2014

Objective

Physicians are expected to be compassionate. However, most compassion research focuses on compassion fatigue—an outcome variable—rather than examining the specific factors that may interfere with compassion in a physician’s practice. This report describes the development and early psychometric data for a self-report questionnaire assessing barriers to compassion among physicians.

Methods

In 2011, a pilot sample of 75 physicians helped to generate an initial list of barriers to compassion. A final 34 item Barriers to Physician Compassion (BPC) questionnaire was administered to 372 convenience-sampled physicians together with measures of demographics, practice-related variables, stress, locus of control and trait compassion.

Results

The barriers to physician compassion were not one-dimensional. Principal component analysis revealed the presence of four distinct, face-valid and discriminable factors—physician burnout/overload, external distractions, difficult patient/family and complex clinical situation. All barrier components had adequate internal reliabilities (>0.70) and meaningful patterns of convergent and divergent validity.

Conclusions

Remaining compassionate in medical practice is difficult. With the newly developed BPC questionnaire, specific barriers to compassion can be assessed. These barriers illuminate potential targets for future self- and practice management, interventions and compassion training among physicians.
Laser control for harmonic selective enhancement
Authors: Feng Liqiang , Liu Hang
Published: May 2014

We theoretically investigate harmonic-selective enhancement by controlling the time-delayed two-color laser field. By properly controlling the delay times of the two pulses, selective enhancement of the harmonics with photon energies between 75 and 125 eV can be obtained, resulting in wavelength-tunable and bandwidth-controllable coherent extreme ultraviolet radiation. In addition, the other laser parameters’ effects on the harmonic-selective-enhancement have also been investigated.
Phonon transport in aluminum and silicon film pair: laser short-pulse irradiation at aluminum film surface
Authors: Mansoor Saad Bin , Yilbas Bekir Sami
Published: May 2014

Phonon transport in paired aluminum and silicon thin films is considered under laser short-pulse irradiation at the aluminum film surface. The Boltzmann equation is incorporated to formulate energy transport in the films. To include a volumetric source resembling laser irradiation in the aluminum film, the Boltzmann equation is modified. Thermal boundary resistance is located at the interface of the film pair. An equivalent equilibrium temperature is introduced to assess the thermal resistance of the film during the laser heating process. The phonon temperature obtained from solution of the Boltzmann equation is compared with the findings of the two-temperature model. It is found that phonon temperature obtained from the solution of the Boltzmann equation is lower than that corresponding to the two-temperature model, which is particularly true in the surface region of the aluminum film. Phonon temperature increases gradually while, early on, the electron temperature rises and decays sharply in the surface region of the aluminum film.
A suggestion for MOND
Authors: Rastall Peter
Published: May 2014

Modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) has had considerable success in describing motion in galaxies. It uses a single force which falls off inversely with the distance at large distances and inversely with the square of the distance at smaller distances. We present an alternative theory with two forces, one the traditional Newtonian inverse-square, and the other that falls off inversely with distance at large distances. This obvious possibility has been avoided because of fear that the second force would be incompatible with observed planetary motions. However, the nonlinear field equation that governs this force is shown to reduce its strength near stars. The theory is derived from a Lagrangian density with two scalar potentials. It is nonrelativistic, but nevertheless agrees with the “classical tests of relativistic gravity” and can be used to calculate the bending of light in gravitational fields. Possible applications to interactions in galactic clusters and to anomalous planetary motions are noted.
Platycladus orientalis Leaves: A Systemic Review on Botany, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology
Authors: Shan Ming-Qiu , Shang Jing , Ding An-Wei
Published: May 2014

Platycladus orientalis leaves (Cebaiye) have been used for thousands of years as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). According to the theory of TCM, they are categorized as a blood-cooling and hematostatic herb. In clinical practice, they were usually prescribed with heat-clearing herbs to reinforce the efficacy of hemostasis. The review provides the up-to-date information from 1980 to present that is available on the botany, processing research, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of the leaves. The information is collected from scientific journals, books, theses and reports via library and electronic search (Google Scholar, Pubmed and CNKI). Through literature reports, we can find that the leaves show a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, disinsection, anticancer, diuretic, hair growth-promoting, neuroprotective and antifibrotic activities. Diterpene and flavonoids would be active constituents in P. orientalis leaves. Many studies have provided evidence for various traditional uses. However, there is a great need for additional studies to elucidate the mechanism of blood-cooling and hematostatic activity of the leaves. Therefore, the present review on the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and toxicity has provided preliminary information for further studies of this herb.
Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Treasured Natural Resource of Anticancer Drug Research and Development
Authors: Wang Chao-Yun , Bai Xian-Yong , Wang Chun-Hua
Published: May 2014

To discover and develop novel natural compounds, active ingredients, single herbs and combination formulas or prescriptions in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with therapeutic selectivity that can preferentially kill cancer cells and inhibit the amplification of cancer without significant toxicity is an important area in cancer therapy. A lot of valuable TCMs were applied as alternative or complementary medicines in the United States and Europe. But these TCMs, as one of the main natural resources, were widely used to research and develop new drugs in Asia. In TCMs, some specific herbs, animals, minerals and combination formulas were recorded and exploited due to their active ingredients and specific natural compounds with antitumor activities. The article focused on the antitumor properties of natural compounds and combination formulas or prescriptions in TCMs, described its influence on tumor progression, angiogenesis, metastasis, and revealed its mechanisms of antitumor and inhibitory action. Among the nature compounds, triptolide, berberine, matrine, oxymatrine, kurarinone and deoxypodophyllotoxin (DPT) with specific molecular structures have been separated, purified, and evaluated their antitumor properties in vitro and in vivo. Cancer is a multifactorial and multistep disease, so the treatment effect of combination formulas and prescriptions in TCMs involving multi-targets and multi-signal pathways on tumor may be superior than that of agents targeting a single molecular target alone. Shi Quan Da Bu Tang and Yanshu injection, as well known combination formulas and prescriptions in TCMs, have shown an excellent therapeutic effect on cancer.
Effects of Psoraleae fructus and Its Major Component Psoralen on Th2 Response in Allergic Asthma
Authors: Jin Hualiang , Wang Limin , Xu Changqing , Li Bei , Luo Qingli , Wu Jinfeng , Lv Yubao , Wang Genfa , Dong Jingcheng
Published: May 2014

This study is aimed to evaluate the effects of Psoraleae fructus (PF) on Th2 responses in a rat model of asthma in vivo and psoralen, a major constituent in PF, on Th2 responses in vitro. A rat model of asthma was established by sensitization and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA). Airway hyperresponsiveness was detected by direct airway resistance analysis. Lung tissues were examined for cell infiltration and mucus hypersecretion. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was assessed for cytokine levels. In vitro study, Th2 cytokine production was evaluated in the culture supernatant of D10.G4.1 (D10 cells) followed by the determination of cell viability, meanwhile Th2 transcription factor GATA-3 expression in D10 cells was also determined. The oral administration of PF significantly reduced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to aerosolized methacholine and decreased IL-4 and IL-13 levels in the BALF. Histological studies showed that PF markedly inhibited inflammatory infiltration and mucus secretion in the lung tissues. In vitro study, psoralen significantly suppressed Th2 cytokines of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 by ConA-stimulated D10 cells without inhibitory effect on cell viability. Furthermore, GATA-3 protein expression was also markedly reduced by psoralen. This study demonstrated that PF exhibited inhibitory effects on hyperresponsiveness and airway inflammation in a rat model of asthma, which was associated with the suppression of Th2 response. Psoralen, a major constituent of PF, has immunomodulatory properties on Th2 response in vitro, which indicated that psoralen might be a critical component of PF for its therapeutic effects.
S-Allyl L-Cysteine Protects the Retina Against Kainate Excitotoxicity in the Rat
Authors: Chao Hsiao-Ming , Chen Ing-Ling , Liu Jorn-Hon
Published: May 2014

Excitotoxicity has been proposed to play a pivotal role in retinal ischemia. Retinal ischemia-associated ocular disorders are vision threatening. The aim was to also examine whether and how S-allyl L-cysteine (SAC) can protect the retina against kainate excitotoxicity. In vivo retinal excitotoxicity was induced by an intravitreous injection of 100 μM kainate into a Wistar rat eye for 1 day. The management and mechanisms involved in the processes were evaluated by electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, histopathology, and various biochemical approaches. In the present study, the cultured retinal cells were shown to possess kainate receptors. The defined retinal excitotoxic changes were characterized by a decrease in electroretinogram (ERG) b-wave amplitudes, a loss of the fluorogold retrograde labeled retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), an increase in the apoptotic cells in the RGC layer, and an increase in vimentin or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity, a marker for Müller cells. An up-regulation in the mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and matrix metalloproteinases-9 (MMPs-9) was also detected in the retina subjected to kainate excitoxicity. Importantly, the excitotoxicity-induced alterations were significantly blunted when 100 μM SAC and/or the kainate receptor antagonist CNQX was applied. Conclusively, SAC would seem to protect the retina against kainate excitotoxicity via an inhibition of the up-regulation of iNOS and MMP-9 as well as a modulation of glial activation and apoptosis.
The Effects of Baicalin Against UVA-Induced Photoaging in Skin Fibroblasts
Authors: Min Wei , Liu Xin , Qian Qihong , Lin Bingjiang , Wu Di , Wang Miaomiao , Ahmad Israr , Yusuf Nabiha , Luo Dan
Published: May 2014

Ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation contributes to skin photoaging. Baicalin, a plant-derived flavonoid, effectively absorbs UV rays and has been shown to have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may delay the photoaging process. In the current study, cultured human skin fibroblasts were incubated with 50 μg/ml baicalin 24 hours prior to 10 J/cm2UVA irradiation. In order to examine the efficacy of baicalin treatment in delaying UVA-induced photoaging, we investigated aging-related markers, cell cycle changes, anti-oxidant activity, telomere length, and DNA damage markers. UVA radiation caused an increased proportion of β-Gal positive cells and reduced telomere length in human skin fibroblasts. In addition, UVA radiation inhibited TGF-β1 secretion, induced G1 phase arrest, reduced SOD and GSH-Px levels, increased MDA levels, enhanced the expression of MMP-1, TIMP-1, p66, p53, and p16 mRNA, reduced c-myc mRNA expression, elevated p53 and p16 protein expression, and reduced c-myc protein expression. Baicalin treatment effectively protected human fibroblasts from these UVA radiation-induced aging responses, suggesting that the underlying mechanism involves the inhibition of oxidative damage and regulation of the expression of senescence-related genes, including those encoding for p53, p66Shcand p16.
Novel Target Genes Responsive to Apoptotic Activity byOcimum gratissimumin Human Osteosarcoma Cells
Authors: Lin Chien-Chung , Chao Pei-Yu , Shen Chia-Yao , Shu Jyuan-Jen , Yen Shiow-Kang , Huang Chih-Yang , Liu Jer-Yuh
Published: May 2014

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a type of bone cancer. Eighty percent of this tumor will metastasize to the lungs or liver, and as a result, patients generally need chemotherapy to improve survival possibility. Recently, antitumor activity has been reported in Ocimum gratissimum aqueous extract (OGE), which has been the focus of recent extensive studies on therapeutic strategies due to its antioxidant properties. We performed pharmacogenomics analyses for the effect of OGE on human osteosarcoma U2-OS and HOS cell growth. Cell viability, Western blot and flow cytometry analysis were performed before performing pharmacogenomics analyses for the effect of OGE on human osteosarcoma U2-OS and HOS cell growth, including cDNA microarray and RT-PCR assays. Cell viability assays revealed that OGE significantly and dose-dependently decreased the viability of U2-OS and HOS cells. Increases in cell shrinkage, Sub-G1 fragments and the activation of caspase 3 indicated that OGE induced cell apoptosis in U2-OS and HOS cells. There was no change in human osteoblast hFOS cells. cDNA microarray assay demonstrated that the expression of cell cycle regulators, apoptosis-related factors and cell proliferation markers were all modified by OGE treatment. RT-PCR analysis also confirmed the down-regulation of SKA2 and BUB1B, and the up-regulation of PPP1R15A, SQSTM1, HSPA1B, and DDIT4 by OGE treatment. The finding of anticancer activity in OGE and the identification of some potential target genes raise the expectation that OGE may become a useful therapeutic drug for human OS.
Borexino: Low background techniques adopted during the installation
Authors: Lombardi Paolo , Goretti Augusto
Published: May 2014

Borexino achieved radiopurity world records. During each phase of the Experiment, starting from the fabrication up to the commissioning, various techniques to reach this important result have been adopted. A special care has been taken in the material screening and selection, in the component cleaning and installation and in the scintillator purification and handling. In this paper, the installation part will be described.
Projective limits of quantum symmetry groups and the doubling construction for Hopf algebras
Authors: Skalski Adam , Sołtan Piotr M.
Published: May 2014

The quantum symmetry group of the inductive limit of C*-algebras equipped with orthogonal filtrations is shown to be the projective limit of the quantum symmetry groups of the C*-algebras appearing in the sequence. Some explicit examples of such projective limits are studied, including the case of quantum symmetry groups of the duals of finite symmetric groups, which do not fit directly into the framework of the main theorem and require further specific study. The investigations reveal a deep connection between quantum symmetry groups of discrete group duals and the doubling construction for Hopf algebras.
Generalized frames for operators in Hilbert spaces
Authors: Asgari Mohammad Sadegh , Rahimi Hamidreza
Published: May 2014

In this paper we present a family of analysis and synthesis systems of operators with frame-like properties for the range of a bounded operator on a separable Hilbert space. This family of operators is called a Θ–g-frame, where Θ is a bounded operator on a Hilbert space. Θ–g-frames are a generalization of g-frames, which allows to reconstruct elements from the range of Θ. In general, range of Θ is not a closed subspace. We also construct new Θ–g-frames by considering Θ–g-frames for its components. We further study Riesz decompositions for Hilbert spaces, which are a generalization of the notion of Riesz bases. We define the coefficient operators of a Riesz decomposition and we will show that these coefficient operators are continuous projections. We obtain some results about stability of Riesz decompositions under small perturbations.
Energy-Aware Scheduling for Acyclic Synchronous Data Flows on Multiprocessors
Authors: LI DAWEI , WU JIE
Published: May 2014

Synchronous Data Flow (SDF) is a useful computational model in image processing, computer vision, and DSP. Previously, throughput and buffer requirement analyses have been studied for SDFs. In this paper, we address energy-aware scheduling for acyclic SDFs on multiprocessors. The multiprocessor considered here has the capability of Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS), which allows processors to operate at different power/energy levels to reduce the energy consumption. An acyclic SDF graph can first be transformed to an equivalent homogeneous SDF graph and then to a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) for one iteration of it. We propose pipeline scheduling to address two closely related problems. The first problem is minimizing energy consumption per iteration of the acyclic SDF given a throughput constraint; the second problem is maximizing throughput given an energy consumption constraint per iteration of the acyclic SDF. Since the space of valid total orders of the transformed DAG is exponential, and finding the optimal order is no easy task, we first derive a valid total order, which can be achieved via various strategies, based on the DAG. Given the derived order, we design two dynamic programming algorithms, which produce optimal pipeline scheduling (including pipeline stage partitioning and the frequency setting for each stage), for the two problems, respectively. We also compare the performances of using various strategies to derive a valid total order. Analyses, experiments, and simulations demonstrate the strength of our proposed pipeline scheduling and dynamic programming algorithms.
Structural heterogeneity among four subunits in pyranose 2-oxidase: A molecular dynamics simulation study
Authors: Lugsanangarm Kiattisak , Kokpol Sirirat , Nueangaudom Arthit , Pianwanit Somsak , Nunthaboot Nadtanet , Tanaka Fumio
Published: May 2014

The homotetramer pyranose 2-oxidase (P2O) from Tetrametes multicolor contains flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) as a cofactor, and displays two conformers with different transient fluorescence spectra and lifetimes (ca. 0.1 ps and 360 ps). The ultrashort lifetimes of isoalloxazine (Iso) are ascribed to the photoinduced electron transfer (ET) from Trp168 to the excited Iso. Here, the structural heterogeneity among the four subunits in solution was studied by means of molecular dynamics simulation (MDS). The ET donor–acceptor distances in crystal and solution were compared. The distribution of the H-bond distances between Iso and the surrounding amino acids revealed appreciable differences among the four subunits. The structural fluctuations in two distant places were examined for the Iso-P and Iso-Q distances (where P and Q are Trp or Tyr) with the correlation coefficients between Iso-P and Iso-Q distances, revealing cooperative motions even though P and Q were more than 1 nm apart and located in different subunits. Moreover, distributions of the distances between Iso and its closest ionic amino acids markedly differed among the four subunits. Electrostatic (ES) energies between the Iso anion and the ionic amino acids in the entire protein were obtained using a static dielectric constant of 1. The ES energy in each subunit was strongly influenced by the other subunits, whilst the distributions of the ES energies greatly differed among the four subunits. This heterogeneous distribution of the ES energy between subunits may contribute to the large differences in the experimentally detected ET rates.
Transition metal Mo-doped boron clusters: A computational investigation
Authors: Zhao Run-Ning , Yuan Yanhong , Han Ju-Guang
Published: May 2014

Geometries associated with relative stabilities and energy gaps of the Mo -doped boron clusters have been investigated systematically by using density functional theory. The critical size of Mo -encapsulated B n structures emerges as n = 10, the evaluated relative stabilities in term of the calculated fragmentation energies reveal that the MoB 6 has enhanced stabilities over their neighboring clusters. Furthermore, the calculated polarities of the MoB n reveal that the hypercoordinated planar MoB 10 wheel is a weakened polar molecule and MoB 11 ring is a nonpolar molecule, and aromatic properties are discussed. Additionally, the MoB 10 cluster with smaller highest occupied molecular orbital–lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO–LUMO) gap is supposed to be stronger chemical activity and smaller chemical hardness. Moreover, the recorded natural populations show that the charges transfer from boron framework to Mo atom. It should be pointed out that the remarkable charge-transfer features of MoB n clusters are distinctly similar to those of transitional metal (TM)-doped Si n clusters; growth-pattern of the TMBn depends on the doped TM impurity.
Grasp-Dependent Slip Prevention for a Dexterous Artificial Hand via Wrist Velocity Feedback
Authors: Kent Benjamin A. , Engeberg Erik D.
Published: May 2014

A proportional controller is compared to a nonlinear backstepping controller with four different grasps for a dexterous anthropomorphic hand. A bioinspired grasp-dependent control scheme which autonomously modulates the grip force using wrist velocity feedback to prevent grasped object slip is also introduced. Four different grasp types are evaluated to illustrate how the wrist velocity feedback architecture must differ depending upon the manner in which objects are grasped. The backstepping controller can successfully increase grip force with wrist velocity in a robustly stable bioinspired fashion. Experimental results show that the developed backstepping controller improves the position tracking abilities for multiple periodic inputs, as well as reduces step input overshoot. The slip prevention capabilities of the backstepping controller are also demonstrated and compared to the proportional control scheme. Results of the slip prevention experiments show that both the grasp type and manipulator orientation with respect to gravity are significant factors in the performance of the controllers. The backstepping control scheme significantly improves slip prevention of grasped objects for multiple grasps and in two different orientations with respect to gravity.