bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of a novel anticorrosion engineered nanomaterial on the bivalve Ruditapes philippinarum
Authors: Martins Roberto , Oliveira Tânia , Santos Cátia , Kuznetsova Alena , Ferreira Violeta , Avelelas Francisco , Caetano Ana P. F. , Tedim João , Ferreira Mário , Freitas Rosa , Soares Amadeu M. V. M. , Loureiro Susana
Published: March 2017

Metallic corrosion is an unsolved problem that has been minimized through the application of specialized coatings containing corrosion inhibitors, such as 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT).
Current status and future challenges in ionic liquids, functionalized ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvent-mediated synthesis of nanostructured TiO2: a review
Authors: Kaur Navneet , Singh Vasundhara
Published: March 2017

This review is on current advancements in IL-mediated synthesis of TiO2, and the potential for future research in this area.
Small molecule Hedgehog pathway antagonists
Authors: Trinh Trieu N. , McLaughlin Eileen A. , Gordon Christopher P. , Bernstein Ilana R. , Pye Victoria J. , Redgrove Kate A. , McCluskey Adam
Published: March 2017

Leveraging our quinolone-1-(2H)-one based Hedgehog signalling pathway (HSP) inhibitors we have developed two new classes of HSP inhibitors based on: l-tryptophan and benzo[1,3]dioxol-5-ylmethyl-[2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-ethyl]-amine.
Enhanced growth and osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells on Ti6Al4V alloys modified with reduced graphene oxide
Authors: Li Xiaojing , Lin Kaili , Wang Zuolin
Published: March 2017

Graphene and its derivatives, including graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), have been considered as promising candidates in tissue regeneration.
Alkaloids and polyketides from the South China Sea sponge Agelas aff. nemoechinata
Authors: An Liang , Song Wenjuan , Tang Xuli , de Voogd Nicole J. , wang Qi , Chu Meijun , Li Pinglin , Li Guoqiang
Published: March 2017

New pyrrole alkaloids, diterpene-adenine alkaloids with cytotoxic activity, and polyketides were isolated from the South China Sea sponge Agelas aff. nemoechinata.
Blocking celiac antigenicity of the glutamine-rich gliadin 33-mer peptide by microbial transglutaminase
Authors: Zhou Lin , Wu Yujie , Cheng Youfei , Wang Jie , Lu Jun , Gao Jinyan , Yuan Juanli , Chen Hongbing
Published: March 2017

Transamidation by mTG with variety of acyl-acceptor substrates decreased the antigenicity of gliadin peptide related to celiac disease.
Solvent free mechanochemical synthesis of Eu3+ complex and its luminescent sensing of trace water and temperature
Authors: Yang Daqing , Li Zhiqiang , He Liang , Deng Yucheng , Wang Yige
Published: March 2017

A solid state Eu(iii) complex was synthesized by a mechanochemical method and used for luminescent sensing of trace water and temperature.
Preparation, characterization, and protein-resistance of films derived from a series of α-oligo(ethylene glycol)-ω-alkenes on H–Si(111) surfaces
Authors: Qin Guoting , Yam Chi Ming , Kumar Amit , Lopez-Romero J. Manuel , Li Sha , Huynh Toan , Li Yan , Yang Bin , Contreras-Caceres Rafael , Cai Chengzhi
Published: March 2017

Films on Si(111) were prepared by photo-activated grafting of CH2CH(CH2)m(OCH2CH2)nOCH3 (m = 8, 9; n = 3–7) by using different vacuum conditions. High vacuum produced a higher thickness (40 Å) and <0.8% fibrinogen adsorption (C10EG7). Films were stable even after 28 days.
A zeolite modified carbon paste electrode based on copper exchanged clinoptilolite nanoparticles for voltammetric determination of metronidazole
Authors: Shahnazari-Shahrezaie Elahe , Nezamzadeh-Ejhieh Alireza
Published: March 2017

Modified carbonpaste elelctrode with Cu(ii)-exchanged clinoptilolite nanoparticles showed increased peak current in the presence of metronidazole.
Two in one: N-doped tubular carbon nanostructure as an efficient metal-free dual electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution and oxygen reduction reactions
Authors: Singh Dheeraj Kumar , Jenjeti Ramesh Naidu , Sampath Srinivasan , Eswaramoorthy Muthusamy
Published: March 2017

One is good enough: a nitrogen-doped pore-engineered carbon exhibits superior HER and ORR performance which is comparable and even superior to other multi-heteroatom-doped carbons and transition metal chalcogenide/oxide-based systems.
Interplaying anions in a supramolecular metallohydrogel to form metal organic frameworks
Authors: Karak Suvendu , Kumar Sushil , Bera Saibal , Díaz David Díaz , Banerjee Subhrashis , Vanka Kumar , Banerjee Rahul
Published: March 2017

A low molecular weight metallohydrogel has been selectively transformed into metal organic frameworks in the presence of different anions.
A DNP-supported solid-state NMR study of carbon species in fluid catalytic cracking catalysts
Authors: Mance Deni , van der Zwan Johan , Velthoen Marjolein E. Z. , Meirer Florian , Weckhuysen Bert M. , Baldus Marc , Vogt Eelco T. C.
Published: March 2017

Solid-state NMR techniques supported by EPR and SEM-EDX enable spatial speciation of carbon deposits in commercial fluid catalytic cracking catalysts.
Kinetics and heterogeneity of energy transfer from light harvesting complex II to photosystem I in the supercomplex isolated from Arabidopsis
Authors: Santabarbara Stefano , Tibiletti Tania , Remelli William , Caffarri Stefano
Published: March 2017

Energy transfer from the LHCII when associated with the PSI–LHCI is heterogeneous and characterised by macroscopic transfer of ∼55 ns−1and 15 ns−1, respectively.
Vibrational circular dichroism and single crystal X-Ray diffraction analyses of [Ir(bzq)2(phen)]+ (bzq = benzo[h]quinoline; phen = 1,10-phenanthroline): absolute configuration and role of CH–π interaction in molecular packing
Authors: Takimoto Kazuyoshi , Watanabe Yutaka , Mori Shigeki , Sato Hisako
Published: March 2017

The absolute configuration of a cationic iridium(iii) complex was determined in solution and solid by vibrational circular dichroism and X-ray diffraction analyses.
Correction: Controlled synthesis of Bi25FeO40 with different morphologies: growth mechanism and enhanced photo-Fenton catalytic properties
Authors: Ji Wenda , Li Mingmeng , Zhang Gaoke , Wang Pei
Published: March 2017

Correction for ‘Controlled synthesis of Bi25FeO40 with different morphologies: growth mechanism and enhanced photo-Fenton catalytic properties’ by Wenda Ji et al., Dalton Trans., 2017, DOI: 10.1039/c6dt04864a.
Female versus male biological identities of nanoparticles determine the interaction with immune cells in fish
Authors: Hayashi Yuya , Miclaus Teodora , Murugadoss Sivakumar , Takamiya Masanari , Scavenius Carsten , Kjaer-Sorensen Kasper , Enghild Jan J. , Strähle Uwe , Oxvig Claus , Weiss Carsten , Sutherland Duncan S.
Published: March 2017

Sex- and species-specific biological identities of nanoparticles determine cellular recognition and uptake by leukocytes in fishin vitro.
Formation of bioactive transformation products during glucocorticoid chlorination
Authors: Pflug Nicholas C. , Kupsco Allison , Kolodziej Edward P. , Schlenk Daniel , Teesch Lynn M. , Gloer James B. , Cwiertny David M.
Published: March 2017

Glucocorticoid (GC) release into the environment has led to widespread detection of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activity in water resources that has been shown to persist throughout conventional and some advanced wastewater treatment processes.
Mice exposed to infant formula enriched with polyamines: impact on host transcriptome and microbiome
Authors: Gómez-Gallego Carlos , García Romo María , Frías Rafael , Periago María Jesús , Ros Gaspar , Salminen Seppo , Collado Maria C.
Published: March 2017

Previous studies using a BALB/cOlaHsd model have shown the impact that the supplementation of infant formula with polyamines has on the modulation of microbial colonization and immune system development.
Oxidation of terminal diols using an oxoammonium salt: a systematic study
Authors: Miller Shelli A. , Bobbitt James M. , Leadbeater Nicholas E.
Published: March 2017

A systematic study of the oxidation of a range of terminal diols is reported, employing the oxoammonium salt 4-acetamido-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxoammonium tetrafluoroborate (4 NHAc TEMPO+BF4−) as the oxidant.
N
1-Selective alkenylation of 1-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles with alkynes via gold catalysis
Authors: Sun Chenyang , Yuan Xiao , Li Yan , Li Xiaoxiao , Zhao Zhigang
Published: March 2017

An efficient new method was developed to selectively synthesize N1-vinyl substituted 1,2,3-triazoles via gold catalyzed alkenylation of 1-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles with alkynes.
Triple-stimuli responsive polymers with fine tuneable magnetic responses
Authors: Chikh Alard I. , Soubhye J. , Berger G. , Gelbcke M. , Spassov S. , Amighi K. , Goole J. , Meyer F.
Published: March 2017

The formation of multi-stimuli responsive polymers exhibiting magnetic, pH and light sensitivity is reported.
One-pot synthesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-self-immolative polyoxalate prodrug nanoparticles for hormone dependent cancer therapy with minimized side effects
Authors: Höcherl Anita , Jäger Eliézer , Jäger Alessandro , Hrubý Martin , Konefał Rafał , Janoušková Olga , Spěváček Jiří , Jiang Yaming , Schmidt Peter W. , Lodge Timothy P. , Štěpánek Petr
Published: March 2017

One-pot synthesis of ROS-self-immolative polyoxalate prodrug NPs for cancer therapy.
Modular synthesis of propargylamine modified cyclodextrins by a gold(iii)-catalyzed three-component coupling reaction
Authors: Hui Tsz-Wai , Cui Jian-Fang , Wong Man-Kin
Published: March 2017

A modular approach for the synthesis of propargylamine modified β-cyclodextrins has been developed through a gold(iii)-catalyzed three-component coupling reaction.
Influence of side chain characteristics on the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties of tetrasubstituted tetraphenylethylene (TPE)
Authors: Ceballos Samuel A. , Gil Salvador , Costero Ana M.
Published: March 2017

The side-chain in TPE derivatives has strong influence in their aggregation induced emission.
Cationic Salecan-based hydrogels for release of 5-fluorouracil
Authors: Qi Xiaoliang , Li Junjian , Wei Wei , Zuo Gancheng , Su Ting , Pan Xihao , Zhang Jianfa , Dong Wei
Published: March 2017

We designed novel Salecan-based hydrogels for controlled release of 5-fluorouracil.
Nanoparticles in a box: a concept to isolate, store and re-use colloidal surfactant-free precious metal nanoparticles
Authors: Neumann Sarah , Grotheer Sarah , Tielke Julia , Schrader Imke , Quinson Jonathan , Zana Alessandro , Oezaslan Mehtap , Arenz Matthias , Kunz Sebastian
Published: March 2017

A unique approach is presented to isolate surfactant-free nanoparticles as solid powders and their subsequent use for heterogeneous catalytic processes without loss of performance.
Linker-free covalent immobilization of nisin using atmospheric pressure plasma induced grafting
Authors: Aveyard Jenny , Bradley James W. , McKay Kirsty , McBride Fiona , Donaghy David , Raval Rasmita , D'Sa Raechelle A.
Published: March 2017

The linker-free covalent immobilization of polymers on surfaces has the potential to impart new properties and functions to surfaces for a wide range of applications.
RhoA inhibits the hypoxia-induced apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction in chondrocytes via positively regulating the CREB phosphorylation
Authors: Zhang Kai , Jiang Dianming
Published: March 2017

Chondrocytes that are embedded within the growth plate or the intervertebral disc are sensitive to environmental stresses, such as inflammation and hypoxia. However, little is known about the molecular signalling pathways underlining the hypoxia-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in chondrocytes. In the present study, we firstly examined the hypoxia-induced apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction and the activation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element-binding protein (CREB) signalling in human chondrocyte cell line, C28/I2 and then investigated the regulatory role of RhoA, a well-recognized apoptosis suppressor, in such process, with gain-of-function strategy. Our results indicated that hypoxia induced apoptosis and inhibited CREB phosphprylation in chondrocytes, meanwhile, the dysfunctional mitochondria with up-regulated mitochondrial superoxide and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, whereas with a reduced mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and Complex IV activity were observed in the hypoxia-treated C28/I2 cells. However, the overexpressed RhoA blocked the hypoxia-mediated reduction in CREB phosphprylation and inhibited the apoptosis induction, along with an ameliorated mitochondrial function in the hypoxia-treated C28/I2 cells. In conclusion, the present study confirmed the reduced CREB phosphorylation, along with the apoptosis induction and mitochondrial dysfunction in the hypoxia-treated chondrocyte cells. And the overexpression of RhoA ameliorated the hypoxia-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis via blocking the hypoxia-mediated reduction in CREB phosphorylation.
Impact of anthropogenic activities on the dissemination of antibiotic resistance across ecological boundaries
Authors: Tripathi Vijay , Cytryn Eddie
Published: March 2017

Antibiotics are considered to be one of the major medical breakthroughs in history. Nonetheless, over the past four decades, antibiotic resistance has reached alarming levels worldwide and this trend is expected to continue to increase, leading some experts to forecast the coming of a ‘post-antibiotic’ era. Although antibiotic resistance in pathogens is traditionally linked to clinical environments, there is a rising concern that the global propagation of antibiotic resistance is also associated with environmental reservoirs that are linked to anthropogenic activities such as animal husbandry, agronomic practices and wastewater treatment. It is hypothesized that the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) within and between environmental microbial communities can ultimately contribute to the acquisition of antibiotic resistance in human pathogens. Nonetheless, the scope of this phenomenon is not clear due to the complexity of microbial communities in the environment and methodological constraints that limit comprehensive in situ evaluation of microbial genomes. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding antibiotic resistance in non-clinical environments, specifically focusing on the dissemination of antibiotic resistance across ecological boundaries and the contribution of this phenomenon to global antibiotic resistance.
Microfluidics: innovative approaches for rapid diagnosis of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Authors: Aroonnual Amornrat , Janvilisri Tavan , Ounjai Puey , Chankhamhaengdecha Surang
Published: March 2017

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has become a major global health concern. Rapid and accurate diagnostic strategies to determine the antibiotic susceptibility profile prior to antibiotic prescription and treatment are critical to control drug resistance. The standard diagnostic procedures for the detection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which rely mostly on phenotypic characterization, are time consuming, insensitive and often require skilled personnel, making them unsuitable for point-of-care (POC) diagnosis. Various molecular techniques have therefore been implemented to help speed up the process and increase sensitivity. Over the past decade, microfluidic technology has gained great momentum in medical diagnosis as a series of fluid handling steps in a laboratory can be simplified and miniaturized on to a small platform, allowing marked reduction of sample amount, high portability and tremendous possibility for integration with other detection technologies. These advantages render the microfluidic system a great candidate to be developed into an easy-to-use sample-to-answer POC diagnosis suitable for application in remote clinical settings. This review provides an overview of the current development of microfluidic technologies for the nucleic acid based and phenotypic-based detections of antibiotic resistance.
Semantic Processing of Sentences in Preschoolers With Specific Language Impairment: Evidence From the N400 Effect
Authors: Pijnacker Judith , Davids Nina , van Weerdenburg Marjolijn , Verhoeven Ludo , Knoors Harry , van Alphen Petra
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Given the complexity of sentence processing and the specific problems that children with specific language impairment (SLI) experience, we investigated the time course and characteristics of semantic processing at the sentence level in Dutch preschoolers with SLI.

Method

We measured N400 responses to semantically congruent and incongruent spoken sentences (e.g., “My father is eating an apple/*blanket”) in a group of 37 Dutch preschoolers with SLI and in a group of 25 typically developing (TD) peers. We compared the time course and amplitude of the N400 effect between the two groups.

Results

The TD group showed a strong posterior N400 effect in time windows 300–500 ms and 500–800 ms. In contrast, the SLI group demonstrated only a reliable N400 effect in the later time window, 500–800 ms, and did not show a stronger presence at posterior electrodes.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that the neuronal processing of semantic information at sentence level is atypical in preschoolers with SLI compared with TD children.
Fault tolerance in switched ASMs with intermittent faults
Authors: Yang Jung‐Min , Kwak Seong Woo
Published: March 2017

This study presents new results of fault recovery in switched asynchronous sequential machines (ASMs). The proposed strategy incorporates switching operations and corrective control to tolerate intermittent faults for which any recovery procedure is infeasible for finite time after initial fault occurrence. Each submachine constituting the switched ASM serves as a temporary substitution for the faulty submachine. The reachability of the switched ASM is analysed and a methodology is proposed to determine the existence condition for a corrective controller that achieves fault recovery in an asynchronous mechanism. Using the proposed scheme, the authors implement a fault‐tolerant read‐only memory controller for on‐board computers on field‐programmable gate array systems and validate its applicability through a case study.
Event‐triggered consensus with guaranteed ‐gain in networks with directed topologies
Authors: Noorbakhsh Seyed Mohammad , Ghaisari Jafar
Published: March 2017

The study addresses the consensus problem for multi‐agent systems (MASs) with directed topologies by proposing an event‐triggered control approach which can reduce the control input actuations, communication network usage and computing resources utilisation meanwhile maintains a desirable disturbance rejection performance. For each agent, a local event‐triggering mechanism (ETM) checks the violation of a pre‐designed triggering condition periodically to determine the triggering instants. Each agent broadcasts data to the neighbours whenever an event is triggered by its local ETM. Thereby, continuous‐time communications between agents are avoided. Besides, the event‐based control input of each agent is updated just at its own triggering instants and remains constant between trigger times which extends the lifespan of the agent actuators and facilitates more energy saving. It is further theoretically proved that the MAS with the proposed event‐based controller maintains a desirable finite ‐gain performance index against the time‐varying external disturbances in ‐space. Illustrative examples are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
A note on upper-patched generators for Archimedean copulas
Authors: Di Bernardino Elena , Rullière Didier
Published: March 2017

The class of multivariate Archimedean copulas is defined by using a real-valued function called the generator of the copula. This generator satisfies some properties, including d-monotonicity. We propose here a new basic transformation of this generator, preserving these properties, thus ensuring the validity of the transformed generator and inducing a proper valid copula. This transformation acts only on a specific portion of the generator, it allows both the non-reduction of the likelihood on a given dataset, and the choice of the upper tail dependence coefficient of the transformed copula. Numerical illustrations show the utility of this construction, which can improve the fit of a given copula both on its central part and its tail.
Chondromyxoid Fibroma of the Skull Base: Our Experience with an Elusive Disease
Authors: D'Andrea Giancarlo , Trasimeni Guido , Wierzbicki Venceslao , Picotti Veronica , Serraino Alessandra , Caruso Riccardo , Pesce Alessandro
Published: March 2017

Chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) is an extremely rare lesion of the skull base. This histologic type typically predilects metaphysis of the long bones. It is locally invasive/infiltrative, and this tendency is more concerning in the skull base, where a radical resection is often technically impossible because of the presence of vital neurovascular structures. We present a case of a 19-year-old woman who presented with a sudden onset of right facial weakness, progressively worsening to a severe disfiguring motor weakness. Gadolinium-enhanced brain magnetic resonance imaging showed an osteolytic lesion located in the right mastoid involving the stylomastoid foramen and the right seventh cranial nerve. A partial mastoidectomy was performed, with an excellent rate of tumor resection and complete local control of the disease at follow-up. The analysis of current literature indicates that a radiologic diagnosis is rarely strictly convincing of CMF. Histologic diagnosis is often difficult due to the lack of a specific immunohistochemical pattern of chondrosarcoma. Surgery is currently recognized as the mainstay to manage this lesion, although a trend toward adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) currently is seen. Although a tendency of local recurrence is well recognized in the literature, the very slow and indolent behavior of this lesion plus the trend to enhance local control of the disease with high-dose RT pushed us to a reappraise the role of radical skull base surgeries burdened by the risks of major complications, cosmetic deformities, and additional neurologic deficits.
Gastroprotective Effect of Thymoquinone on Water Immersion Restraint Stress Induced Ulceration in Rats
Authors: Ahmad Syed , Najmi Abul , Kaundal Madhu , Akhtar Mohd
Published: March 2017

To evaluated the role of thymoquinone (TQ) on stress induced ulceration progress in rats subjected to water immersion restraint as a stress (WRS) condition model.

Wistar albino rats were divided into different groups; the animals were subjected to WRS. TQ (10 mg/kg) alone and TQ with ranitidine (20 mg/kg) were administered per orally as pre treatment for 7 days. On 8th day the animals were sacrificed, gastric juice, pH, acid secretion, acid output, ulcer index and markers of oxidative stress and histopathology were determined.

Volume of gastric juice, acid secretion was increased, while pH decreased in WRS animals. TQ pre-treated group showed reduction in the above parameters. The combination group showed more significant results than TQ and ranitidine alone on the above parameters. TQ decreased the ulcer index (UI), again combination group showed more significant decreased in UI. Oxidative stress markers were reduced and antioxidant enzymes were augmented. Gastric mucosa was protected as demonstrated by histological slides.

The present study is one of its kinds to demonstrate anti ulcer effect of TQ against the water immersion restraint method of stress ulceration. Thus, TQ has the potential to be the promising drug for stress induced gastric ulcers.
Insights into the mechanism of membrane pyrophosphatases by combining experiment and computer simulation
Authors: Shah Nita R. , Wilkinson Craig , Harborne Steven P. D. , Turku Ainoleena , Li Kun-Mou , Sun Yuh-Ju , Harris Sarah , Goldman Adrian
Published: March 2017

Membrane-integral pyrophosphatases (mPPases) couple the hydrolysis of pyrophosphate (PPi) to the pumping of Na+, H+, or both these ions across a membrane. Recently solved structures of the Na+-pumping Thermotoga maritima mPPase (TmPPase) and H+-pumping Vigna radiata mPPase revealed the basis of ion selectivity between these enzymes and provided evidence for the mechanisms of substrate hydrolysis and ion-pumping. Our atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of TmPPase demonstrate that loop 5–6 is mobile in the absence of the substrate or substrate-analogue bound to the active site, explaining the lack of electron density for this loop in resting state structures. Furthermore, creating an apo model of TmPPase by removing ligands from the TmPPase:IDP:Na structure in MD simulations resulted in increased dynamics in loop 5–6, which results in this loop moving to uncover the active site, suggesting that interactions between loop 5–6 and the imidodiphosphate and its associated Mg2+ are important for holding a loop-closed conformation. We also provide further evidence for the transport-before-hydrolysis mechanism by showing that the non-hydrolyzable substrate analogue, methylene diphosphonate, induces low levels of proton pumping by VrPPase.
Single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with osteochondrosis dissecans in Warmblood horses at different stages of training
Authors: Lewczuk D. , Hecold M. , Ruść A. , Frąszczak M. , Bereznowski A. , Korwin-Kossakowska A. , Kamiński S. , Szyda J.
Published: March 2017

The genetic background of osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) has been studied for years, but the compatibility of the position of markers has not been reached between results, probably because of unknown additional effects that may influence the results, such as definition of the trait, gene–environmental interactions and the dynamics of trait development. The aim of the study was to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) associated with the occurrence of OCD in Polish Warmblood sport breed horses in two different stages of training. Warmblood horses (87 stallions and 114 mares) were phenotyped and genotyped. Horses were X-rayed twice, at the beginning and at the end of the tests (100 days for stallions and 60 days for mares). Ten images per horse were collected using digital equipment for the fetlocks, stifles and hocks. The DNA was genotyped using the Illumina Neogen Equine Array. Statistical analysis included the Cochran–Armitage test and logistic regression assuming an additive model of inheritance. The Monte Carlo Markov Chain method was also applied to determine heritability coefficients. Nineteen and twenty SNP were identified that were significantly associated with OCD using logistic regression at the first and second stage of training, respectively. Four SNP were significant for both stages of training. The estimation of the heritability of a horse’s OCD status does not achieve the same level at different stages of training. The study on the genetic background of horse OCD should include as much detailed information on their training as possible.
Mechanism of sodium channel block by local anesthetics, antiarrhythmics, and anticonvulsants
Authors: Tikhonov Denis B. , Zhorov Boris S.
Published: March 2017

Local anesthetics, antiarrhythmics, and anticonvulsants include both charged and electroneutral compounds that block voltage-gated sodium channels. Prior studies have revealed a common drug-binding region within the pore, but details about the binding sites and mechanism of block remain unclear. Here, we use the x-ray structure of a prokaryotic sodium channel, NavMs, to model a eukaryotic channel and dock representative ligands. These include lidocaine, QX-314, cocaine, quinidine, lamotrigine, carbamazepine (CMZ), phenytoin, lacosamide, sipatrigine, and bisphenol A. Preliminary calculations demonstrated that a sodium ion near the selectivity filter attracts electroneutral CMZ but repels cationic lidocaine. Therefore, we further docked electroneutral and cationic drugs with and without a sodium ion, respectively. In our models, all the drugs interact with a phenylalanine in helix IVS6. Electroneutral drugs trap a sodium ion in the proximity of the selectivity filter, and this same site attracts the charged group of cationic ligands. At this position, even small drugs can block the permeation pathway by an electrostatic or steric mechanism. Our study proposes a common pharmacophore for these diverse drugs. It includes a cationic moiety and an aromatic moiety, which are usually linked by four bonds.
ProtVista: visualization of protein sequence annotations
Authors: Watkins Xavier , Garcia Leyla J , Pundir Sangya , Martin Maria J ,   UniProt Consortium
Published: March 2017

ProtVista is a comprehensive visualization tool for the graphical representation of protein sequence features in the UniProt Knowledgebase, experimental proteomics and variation public datasets. The complexity and relationships in this wealth of data pose a challenge in interpretation. Integrative visualization approaches such as provided by ProtVista are thus essential for researchers to understand the data and, for instance, discover patterns affecting function and disease associations.

Availability and Implementation

ProtVista is a JavaScript component released as an open source project under the Apache 2 License. Documentation and source code are available at http://ebi-uniprot.github.io/ProtVista/.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The Role of Hypoxia in Angiogenesis and Extracellular Matrix Regulation of Intervertebral Disc Cells During Inflammatory Reactions
Authors: Kwon Woo-Keun , Moon Hong Joo , Kwon Taek-Hyun , Park Youn-Kwan , Kim Joo Han
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND

The intervertebral disc (IVD) is an avascular structure, and is therefore stable under hypoxic conditions. Previous studies have demonstrated that hypoxia might be related to symptomatic degenerative disc diseases (DDDs); however, the pathomechanism is still poorly understood.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the effect of hypoxia on the production of inflammatory mediators, angiogenic factors, and extracellular matrix-regulating enzymes of IVD cells during inflammatory reactions.

METHODS

Human nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF) cells harvested during surgery for DDDs were cultured in macrophage conditioned media or interleukin (IL)-1β-stimulated media under hypoxic (2%) and normoxic (21%) conditions. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α transcription factor activation was analyzed by western blotting. IL-6, IL-8, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, MMP-3, tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease (TIMP)-1, and TIMP-2 in conditioned media were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

NP cells expressed higher hypoxia-inducible factor-1α in the IL-1β-stimulated group under hypoxic condition. MMP-1 was significantly increased in the AF cells under hypoxic condition; TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were significantly decreased in both naïve NP and AF cells during hypoxia. Both cells in macrophage conditioned media significantly diminished the production of IL-6 and VCAM, while VEGF significantly increased during hypoxia. After 1 ng/mL IL-1β stimulation, IL-8, VEGF, MMP-1, and MMP-3 were significantly increased in both cell types during hypoxia, while VCAM, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 were decreased.

CONCLUSION

We found that hypoxia can enhance the angiogenic ability of IVD during inflammatory reactions, and cause progress in development of DDD via extracellular matrix regulation in this in vitro study.
Implementation of a Postoperative Outpatient Care Pathway for Delayed Hyponatremia Following Transsphenoidal Surgery
Authors: Bohl Michael A , Ahmad Shahjehan , White William L , Little Andrew S
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND

After transsphenoidal surgery, delayed hyponatremia (DH) is the leading cause of 30-d unplanned hospital readmissions.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the impact of a DH care pathway on 30-d readmissions after transsphenoidal surgery.

METHODS

Data from before and after DH care pathway implementation were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics and clinical characteristics were compared. Readmission causes, clinical pathway failures, sodium trends, and symptoms were evaluated.

RESULTS

Before the DH care pathway implementation, 229 (55%) patients were treated (group 1); afterward, 188 (45%) were treated (group 2). Baseline characteristics were equivalent between groups, except for glucocorticoid supplementation, which was higher in group 2. The incidence of detected DH was significantly lower in group 1 (16/229, 7%) than group 2 (29/188, 15%) (P = .006) likely due to the impact of routine screening in group 2. Ten group 1 patients (4%) were readmitted for hyponatremia and 6 (3%) were managed as outpatients. Eleven group 2 patients (6%) were readmitted and 17 (9%) were managed as outpatients. Readmission rates between groups were similar (P = .49). Patients readmitted with severe hyponatremia experienced symptoms ≥24 h before presentation. The protocol failed to prevent readmission because outpatient management for mild or moderate DH (n = 4) failed, sodium levels precipitously declined after normal screening (n = 3), and severe hyponatremia developed after scheduled screenings were missed (n = 3).

CONCLUSION

Although more DH patients were identified after care pathway implementation, readmission rates were not reduced and clinical outcomes were not changed. Because DH onset timing varies, some patients have highly acute presentation, and most readmitted patients develop symptoms before reaching their sodium nadir, close symptom monitoring may be a reasonable alternative to routine screening.
An Unbalanced Inflammatory Cytokine Response Is Not Associated With Mortality Following Sepsis: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Frencken Jos F. , van Vught Lonneke A. , Peelen Linda M. , Ong David S. Y. , Klein Klouwenberg Peter M. C. , Horn Janneke , Bonten Marc J. M. , van der Poll Tom , Cremer Olaf L.
Published: March 2017

Objective:

The prevailing theory of host response during sepsis states that an excessive production of pro-inflammatory mediators causes early deaths, whereas a predominantly anti-inflammatory response may lead to immunosuppression, secondary infection, and late deaths. We assessed inflammatory (im)balance by measuring pro-inflammatory interleukin-6 and anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 during three distinct time periods after sepsis, and assessed its association with mortality.

Design:

Prospective observational cohort.

Setting:

Two tertiary mixed ICUs in The Netherlands.

Patients:

Consecutive patients presenting with severe sepsis or septic shock from 2011 to 2013.

Interventions:

None.

Measurements and Main Results:

We repeatedly measured plasma interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 concentrations using cytometric bead array. Poisson regression was used to analyze the relation between inflammatory markers measured on 1) ICU admission and day 4 mortality, 2) day 4 and day 28 mortality, and 3) ICU discharge and 1-year mortality. Secondary outcome was development of ICU-acquired infections. Among 708 patients, 86 (12%) died within 4 days, 140 (20%) died between days 4 and 28, and an additional 155 (22%) died before 1 year. Interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 levels were both independently associated with mortality, but the balance of this response as modelled by an interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 interaction term was not (relative risk, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.95–1.04 on admission; relative risk, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.98–1.06 on day 4; and relative risk, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.98–1.29 at ICU discharge). However, inflammatory imbalance on day 4 was associated with development of ICU-acquired infections (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.77–0.98).

Conclusions:

Although both interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 productions are associated with death, the balance of these inflammatory mediators does not seem to impact either early, intermediate, or late mortality in patients presenting to the ICU with sepsis.
Serial Procalcitonin Predicts Mortality in Severe Sepsis Patients: Results From the Multicenter Procalcitonin MOnitoring SEpsis (MOSES) Study
Authors: Schuetz Philipp , Birkhahn Robert , Sherwin Robert , Jones Alan E. , Singer Adam , Kline Jeffrey A. , Runyon Michael S. , Self Wesley H. , Courtney D. Mark , Nowak Richard M. , Gaieski David F. , Ebmeyer Stefan , Johannes Sascha , Wiemer Jan C. , Schwabe Andrej , Shapiro Nathan I.
Published: March 2017

Objectives:

To prospectively validate that the inability to decrease procalcitonin levels by more than 80% between baseline and day 4 is associated with increased 28-day all-cause mortality in a large sepsis patient population recruited across the United States.

Design:

Blinded, prospective multicenter observational clinical trial following an Food and Drug Administration-approved protocol.

Setting:

Thirteen U.S.-based emergency departments and ICUs.

Patients:

Consecutive patients meeting criteria for severe sepsis or septic shock who were admitted to the ICU from the emergency department, other wards, or directly from out of hospital were included.

Interventions:

Procalcitonin was measured daily over the first 5 days.

Measurements and Main Results:

The primary analysis of interest was the relationship between a procalcitonin decrease of more than 80% from baseline to day 4 and 28-day mortality using Cox proportional hazards regression. Among 858 enrolled patients, 646 patients were alive and in the hospital on day 4 and included in the main intention-to-diagnose analysis. The 28-day all-cause mortality was two-fold higher when procalcitonin did not show a decrease of more than 80% from baseline to day 4 (20% vs 10%; p = 0.001). This was confirmed as an independent predictor in Cox regression analysis (hazard ratio, 1.97 [95% CI, 1.18–3.30; p < 0.009]) after adjusting for demographics, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, ICU residence on day 4, sepsis syndrome severity, antibiotic administration time, and other relevant confounders.

Conclusions:

Results of this large, prospective multicenter U.S. study indicate that inability to decrease procalcitonin by more than 80% is a significant independent predictor of mortality and may aid in sepsis care.
Building Effective Medical Missions with Servant Leadership Skills
Authors: Johanson Linda
Published: March 2017

Nurses are naturally drawn to service opportunities, such as short-term medical missions (STMM), which hold great potential to benefit health. But STMMs have been criticized as potentially being culturally insensitive, leading to dependency, inadvertently causing harm, or being unsustainable. Utilizing servant leadership skills, nurses can effectively build community, vision, and sustainability into STMM projects.
Aligning Career with Faith
Authors: McKnight Heather
Published: March 2017

Christian nurses are challenged by the process of incorporating faith and Christianity into their career. Nurse educators are particularly challenged to embed Christian principles into the tenure and promotion journey. Developing a God-inspired plan takes time and patience. Prayer, reflective practice, evaluation, decisions, and follow-through are areas that can be incorporated to infuse faith throughout the tenure and promotion process.
Corneal Transplantation in Auckland, New Zealand, 1999–2009: Indications, Patient Characteristics, Ethnicity, Social Deprivation, and Access to Services
Authors: Crawford Alexandra Z. , McKelvie James , Craig Jennifer P. , McGhee Charles N. J. , Patel Dipika V.
Published: March 2017

Purpose:

To analyze characteristics and indications for corneal transplantation in patients undergoing penetrating, lamellar, and endothelial keratoplasty in Auckland, New Zealand (NZ).

Methods:

Corneal transplantation data from the NZ National Eye Bank and hospital records of corneal transplant recipients in the Auckland region from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2009, were collated. Patient demographics, preoperative diagnosis, indication, ocular and medical history, visual acuity, deprivation index, and access to transplantation surgery were analyzed.

Results:

A total of 941 corneal transplants involving 770 patients were included for analysis. Mean age was 46 years. Age and ethnicity varied according to the transplant indication. A male preponderance and disproportionally high rates of Māori and Pacific ethnicity with a mean age of 30 years were observed in transplants for keratoconus. A total of 67.2% of corneal transplants were completed in the public health system and were associated with higher levels of deprivation than those completed in private facilities. Preoperative visual acuity varied according to the transplant type and indication. The most common clinical indication for corneal transplantation was keratoconus (41.3%), followed by repeat transplantation (21.0%). There was no significant change in the relative proportion of transplant indications in any year over the duration of this study (P = 0.41). A contralateral corneal transplant was present in 24.4% and glaucoma in 12.8% of penetrating keratoplasty recipients.

Conclusions:

Keratoconus is the leading indication for corneal transplantation in Auckland, NZ, and involves a disproportionately high rate of Māori and Pacific transplant recipients with a male preponderance and comparatively low mean age at the time of surgery.
Human Papillomavirus Co-Testing Results Effectively Triage Normal Cervical Cytology in HIV-Positive Women Aged 30 Years and Older
Authors: Alade Rachel O. , Vragovic Olivera , Duffy Conor , Cabral Howard J. , Stier Elizabeth A.
Published: March 2017

Objective

The aim of the study was to assess whether HIV-positive (HIV+) women aged 30 years and older with concurrent normal cervical cytology and undetectable cervical HPV have a low 3-year risk of developing cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or higher (CIN 2+) in a clinical setting.

Materials and Methods

We conducted a retrospective chart review of HIV+ women aged 30 years and older at a single institution with normal cervical cytology and concurrent human papillomavirus (HPV) testing between November 2008 and December 2010. The participants were stratified by initial HPV testing results and followed to either the study end point (CIN 2+) or until the last cervical cytology or colposcopy before January 2015. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to analyze CIN 2+ diagnosis for follow-up with log-rank testing of the null hypothesis. Cox proportional hazard regression was performed to calculate crude and adjusted hazard ratios controlling for ethnicity and CD4 levels.

Results

We identified 325 HIV+ women with normal cytology and follow-up; 66 (20%) of these women had detectable HPV. The cumulative diagnosis of CIN 2+ at 4 years was significantly lower in the HPV-negative cohort compared with the HPV-positive cohort (1.4%, 95% CI = 0.3%–4.6% vs 14.5%, 95% CI = 5.8%–27.1%), respectively; the median duration to CIN 2+ diagnosis was longer in the HPV-negative cohort compared with the HPV-positive cohort (4.2 years vs 1.5 years, respectively, p < .02).

Conclusions

HIV+ women aged 30 years and older with concurrent normal cervical cytology and undetectable cervical HPV have a low 3-year risk of subsequent diagnosis of CIN 2+. The study validates the recently updated US recommendations for the use of co-testing in screening HIV+ women.
Extracorporeal Circulation During Lung Transplantation Procedures: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Hoechter Dominik J. , Shen Yu-Ming , Kammerer Tobias , Günther Sabina , Weig Thomas , Schramm René , Hagl Christian , Born Frank , Meiser Bruno , Preissler Gerhard , Winter Hauke , Czerner Stephan , Zwissler Bernhard , Mansmann Ulrich U. , von Dossow Vera
Published: March 2017

Extracorporeal circulation (ECC) is an invaluable tool in lung transplantation (lutx). More than the past years, an increasing number of centers changed their standard for intraoperative ECC from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) – with differing results. This meta-analysis reviews the existing evidence. An online literature research on Medline, Embase, and PubMed has been performed. Two persons independently judged the papers using the ACROBAT-NRSI tool of the Cochrane collaboration. Meta-analyses and meta-regressions were used to determine whether veno-arterial ECMO (VA-ECMO) resulted in better outcomes compared with CPB. Six papers – all observational studies without randomization – were included in the analysis. All were considered to have serious bias caused by heparinization as co-intervention. Forest plots showed a beneficial trend of ECMO regarding blood transfusions (packed red blood cells (RBCs) with an average mean difference of −0.46 units [95% CI = −3.72, 2.80], fresh-frozen plasma with an average mean difference of −0.65 units [95% CI = −1.56, 0.25], platelets with an average mean difference of −1.72 units [95% CI = −3.67, 0.23]). Duration of ventilator support with an average mean difference of −2.86 days [95% CI = −11.43, 5.71] and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay with an average mean difference of −4.79 days [95% CI = −8.17, −1.41] were shorter in ECMO patients. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment tended to be superior regarding 3 month mortality (odds ratio = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.21–1.02) and 1 year mortality (odds ratio = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.37–1.13). However, only the ICU length of stay reached statistical significance. Meta-regression analyses showed that heterogeneity across studies (sex, year of ECMO implementation, and underlying disease) influenced differences. These data indicate a benefit of the intraoperative use of ECMO as compared with CPB during lung transplant procedures regarding short-term outcome (ICU stay). There was no statistically significant effect regarding blood transfusion needs or long-term outcome. The superiority of ECMO in lutx patients remains to be determined in larger multi-center randomized trials.
Factors Predicting Asthma in Children With Acute Bronchiolitis
Authors: Waseem Muhammad , Akobo Seleipiri Iboroma , Shaikh Faizan , DelaCruz Anyelina , Henriquez Wendy , Leber Mark
Published: March 2017

Objective

The aim of this study was to determine if there is an association between bronchiolitis and future development of asthma in children younger than 2 years.

Methods

We reviewed the medical records of 1991 patients younger than 2 years presenting to the emergency department from January 2000 to December 2010 who received a clinical diagnosis of acute bronchiolitis. Their demographic information, the number of bronchiolitis episodes, and family history of asthma were recorded. The primary care clinic records of these children were reviewed for a period of 1 year following their presentation to the emergency department to determine if they had received a diagnosis of asthma. A stepwise logistic regression was performed to determine what factors were associated with future asthma development.

Results

We reviewed the medical record of 1991 children with the diagnosis of bronchiolitis for subsequent development of asthma. The following variables were identified as predictors of subsequent asthma: male sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05–1.55), family history of asthma (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.33–1.95), atopy (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.12–1.83), age older than 5 months (OR, 1.4 95% CI, 1.13–1.66), more than 2 episodes of bronchiolitis (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.79–3.07), and allergies (OR1.6; 95% CI, 1.14–2.14).

Conclusions

In this limited sample, the predictor variables for asthma were male sex, age older than 5 months, more than 2 episodes of bronchiolitis, a history of atopy, and allergies.