bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lipid Profile of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Treated with Anti‐Tumor Necrosis Factor‐Alpha Drugs Changes According to Disease Activity and Predicts Clinical Response
Authors: Cacciapaglia Fabio , Anelli Maria Grazia , Rinaldi Angela , Serafino Lucia , Covelli Michele , Scioscia Crescenzio , Iannone Florenzo , Lapadula Giovanni
Published: November 2014

Postmarketing Phase IV

Patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) frequently show an atherogenic lipid profile, which has been linked with the inflammatory reaction. Inflammatory cytokines, and particularly tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α), are implicated in the pathogenesis of both atherosclerosis and RA, and also involved in the development of the impaired lipid profile detected in active RA. Although anti‐TNF‐α agents have been proven effective in controlling joint damage and systemic inflammation, controversy remains about the effect of these drugs on the lipid profile; therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the effect of anti‐TNF‐α treatment, in combination with disease‐modifying anti‐rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and corticosteroid therapy, on the lipid profile of patients with active RA. Our data suggest that the combination anti‐TNF‐α/DMARDs/steroids do not significantly interfere with the lipid profile of RA patients. However, analysis of clinical response data showed that patients achieving low disease activity or remission seem to have a protective lipid profile, suggesting that better control of inflammation and disease activity can affect lipid metabolism. The available evidence indicates that high inflammation interferes with lipid metabolism, whereas good control of the chronic inflammatory state may positively influence the lipid profile and cardiovascular risk. Low cholesterol levels at baseline could predict a favorable outcome with anti‐TNF‐α treatment, but these data need to be confirmed by large prospective studies with long‐term follow‐up.
Cardiovascular Risk in Psoriatic Patients Detected by Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Analysis
Authors: Proietti Ilaria , Raimondi Gianfranco , Skroza Nevena , Pampena Riccardo , Bernardini Nicoletta , La Viola Giorgio , Nicolucci Francesca , Tolino Ersilia , Zuber Sara , Scordamaglia Beatrice , Balduzzi Veronica , Soccodato Valentina , Potenza Concetta
Published: November 2014

Postmarketing Phase IV

Patients affected by severe psoriasis have an increased prevalence of cardiovascular () diseases as documented by several studies. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a noninvasive method to evaluate the autonomic control of the sinus node. In this study, HRV analysis has been used to evaluate whether young patients with moderate cutaneous psoriasis have increased cardiovascular (CV) risk, in absence of CV comorbidities. Our data indicate an imbalance toward the sympathetic arm of the autonomic cardiac modulation. As the increase in sympathetic activity may be associated with a higher CV risk, moderate psoriasis could be considered to be an independent CV risk factor.
The EPIPSOFIRE project: A Preliminary Report
Authors: De Marco Gabriele , Cattaneo Angelo , Carrera Carlo G. , Gibertini Patrizia , Battafarano Norma , Marchesoni Antonio
Published: November 2014

Postmarketing Phase IV

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a musculoskeletal condition complicating psoriasis that can lead to joint deformity and disability; however, psoriatic patients may suffer from other kind of arthropathies that could be confused with PsA by nonrheumatologists. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of PsA and to determine the prevalence of other musculoskeletal conditions in a cohort of psoriatic patients. In this cohort, musculoskeletal discomfort was frequently reported, while inflammatory disorders were detected in <4% of subjects. The cohort lacked subjects with very long‐standing psoriasis duration (>20 years) or severe cutaneous disease. Because musculoskeletal discomfort symptoms affected about 62% of patients, other disorders, particularly morphologic conditions, need careful evaluation in psoriasis subjects.
Clinical Markers Predictive of Primary Inefficacy: A “Real Life” Retrospective Study in Psoriatic Patients Treated with Etanercept
Authors: Giunta Alessandro , Babino Graziella , Manetta Sara , Mazzotta Annamaria , Chimenti Sergio , Esposito Maria
Published: November 2014

Postmarketing Phase IV

Overexpression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) has been demonstrated to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of both plaque‐type psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. TNF‐α blockers, including etanercept, a human protein that acts as a TNF‐α soluble receptor, are effective in the treatment of psoriasis. This retrospective study investigated the impact of psoriasis patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics on primary inefficacy to etanercept. Our findings suggest that the presence of psoriatic arthritis is a risk factor for primary inefficacy to etanercept in the treatment of psoriasis. However, etanercept efficacy appears to be independent of patient age, gender, or previous biologic treatments.
Effect of diabetes on scintigraphic infarct size in STEMI patients undergoing primary angioplasty
Authors: De Luca Giuseppe , Parodi Guido , Sciagrà Roberto , Bellandi Benedetta , Vergara Ruben , Migliorini Angela , Valenti Renato , Antoniucci David
Published: November 2014

Background

It has been shown that among patients with ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), diabetes is associated with a significantly higher mortality, mainly because of impaired reperfusion. However, few data have been reported so far on infarct size as evaluated by well‐refined techniques, such as nuclear imaging techniques. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of diabetes in infarct size as evaluated by myocardial scintigraphy in a large cohort of STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI.

Methods

We included 830 STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI. Infarct size was evaluated at 30 days by technetium‐99 m‐sestamibi. A logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the relation between diabetes and infarct size (as above the median) after correction for baseline confounding factors.

Results

A total of 115 (13.8%) out of 830 patients suffered from diabetes. Diabetic patients were older (p < 0.001), with larger prevalence of female gender (p = 0.006) and hypertension (p = 0.001) but were less often smokers (p = 0.003). Diabetic patients had more often preprocedural thrombolysis in myocardial infarction grade 3 flow (p = 0.034) and less complete ST‐segment resolution (p = 0.009). No difference was observed in scintigraphic infarct size between diabetes and control patients (p = 0.6)), which was confirmed at multivariate analysis after correction for baseline confounding factors (Adjusted OR [95% CI] = 0.87 [0.57–1.31, p = 0.51).

Conclusion

Our study showed that among STEMI patients undergoing primary angioplasty, diabetes did not affect infarct size as compared with non‐diabetic patients. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The ascidian pigmented sensory organs: structures and developmental programs
Authors: Esposito R. , Racioppi C. , Pezzotti M.R. , Branno M. , Locascio A. , Ristoratore F. , Spagnuolo A.
Published: November 2014

The recent advances on ascidian pigment sensory organ development and function represent a fascinating platform to get insight on the basic programs of chordate eye formation. This review aims to summarize current knowledge, at the structural and molecular levels, on the two main building blocks of ascidian light sensory organ, i.e. pigment cells and photoreceptor cells. The unique features of these structures (e.g., simplicity and well characterized cell lineage) are indeed making it possible to dissect the developmental programs at single cell resolution and will soon provide a panel of molecular tools to be exploited for a deep developmental and comparative‐evolutionary analysis. genesis 53:15–33, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fruit and vegetable intake and rate of heart failure: a population‐based prospective cohort of women
Authors: Rautiainen Susanne , Levitan Emily B. , Mittleman Murray A. , Wolk Alicja
Published: November 2014

Aims

Although numerous studies have investigated fruit and vegetable consumption in association with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) such as coronary heart disease and stroke, a limited number of studies have investigated the association with heart failure. The aim of this study was to assess the association between fruit and vegetable intake and the incidence of heart failure among women.

Methods and results

In September 1997, a total of 34 319 women (aged 49–83 years) from the Swedish Mammography Cohort, free of cancer andCVDat baseline, completed a food‐frequency questionnaire. Women were followed for incident heart failure (diagnosis as primary or secondary cause) through December 2011 using administrative health registries. Over 12.9 years of follow‐up (442 348 person‐years), we identified 3051 incident cases of heart failure. Total fruit and vegetable consumption was inversely associated with the rate of heart failure {the multivariable‐adjusted rate ratio (RR) in the highest quintile compared with the lowest was 0.80 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70–0.90]}. Fruit (mutually adjusted for vegetables) were not significantly associated with rate of heart failure (RR0.94; 95%CI0.83–1.07), whereas vegetables showed an inverse association (RR0.83; 95%CI0.73–0.95). When investigating the shape of association, we found evidence of a non‐linear association (P= 0.01), and the lowest rates of heart failure were observed among women consuming ≥5 servings/day of fruit and vegetables, without further decrease with increasing intake.

Conclusions

In this population‐based prospective cohort study of women, higher total consumption of fruit and vegetables was inversely associated with the incidence of heart failure.
Functional characterization of a conserved pair of NKR‐P1 receptors expressed by NK cells and T lymphocytes in liver and gut
Authors: Kveberg Lise , Sudworth Amanda , Todros‐Dawda Izabela , Inngjerdingen Marit , Vaage John T.
Published: November 2014

Natural killer cell receptor protein 1 (NKR‐P1) molecules are C‐type lectin‐like receptors modulating cellular responses toward target cells expressing C‐type lectin‐like related (Clr) molecules. Although the function of the prototypic rat NKR‐P1A receptor and its inhibitory counterpart NKR‐P1B are known, little is known about NKR‐P1F and NKR‐P1G apart from their promiscuity for Clr ligands. Here we generated mAbs against both receptors for phenotypic and functional analyses in rat tissues. NKR‐P1F induced redirected lysis and robust Ca2+ signaling in NK cells, which were prevented by simultaneous engagement of NKR‐P1G. NKR‐P1G also inhibited NK‐cell lysis of Clr transfectants. NKR‐P1F was expressed by most NK cells and NKR‐P1A+ T cells in all tissues analyzed, and by many NKR‐P1A− intestinal T cells, while NKR‐P1G was expressed by subsets of these cells with highest prevalence in gut and liver. In the intraepithelial compartment, the proportion of NKR‐P1A+ and NKR‐P1F+ cells was high at birth and thereafter declined, while NKR‐P1B+ and NKR‐P1G+ cells increased with age. Expression levels were also modulated by cytokines, with an increase of NKR‐P1B and NKR‐P1G induced by inflammatory cytokines, and a reduction of NKR‐P1A by TGF‐β. The physiological impact of NKR‐P1 receptors might thus be dependent on age, tissue, and inflammatory status.
Optimized on‐line enantioselective capillary electrophoretic method for kinetic and inhibition studies of drug metabolism mediated by cytochrome P450 enzymes
Authors: Řemínek Roman , Glatz Zdeněk , Thormann Wolfgang
Published: November 2014

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of a chiral drug can significantly differ between application of the racemate and single enantiomers. During drug development, the characteristics of candidate compounds have to be assessed prior to clinical testing. Since biotransformation significantly influences drug actions in an organism, metabolism studies represent a crucial part of such tests. Hence, an optimized and economical capillary electrophoretic method for on‐line studies of the enantioselective drug metabolism mediated by cytochrome P450 enzymes was developed. It comprises a diffusion‐based procedure, which enables mixing of the enzyme with virtually any compound inside the nanoliter‐scale capillary reactor and without the need of additional optimization of mixing conditions. For CYP3A4, ketamine as probe substrate and highly sulfated γ‐cyclodextrin as chiral selector, improved separation conditions for ketamine and norketamine enantiomers compared to a previously published electrophoretically mediated microanalysis method were elucidated. The new approach was thoroughly validated for the CYP3A4‐mediatedN‐demethylation pathway of ketamine and applied to the determination of its kinetic parameters and the inhibition characteristics in presence of ketoconazole and dexmedetomidine. The determined parameters were found to be comparable to literature data obtained with different techniques. The presented method constitutes a miniaturized and cost‐effective tool, which should be suitable for the assessment of the stereoselective aspects of kinetic and inhibition studies of cytochrome P450‐mediated metabolic steps within early stages of the development of a new drug.
Developing a multiplex mtSNP assay for forensic application in Han Chinese based on mtDNA phylogeny and hot spot
Authors: Ren Zheng , Luo Haibo , Song Feng , Wei Wei , Yang Yuyou , Zhai Xiandun , Chen Xiaogang , Hou Yiping
Published: November 2014

We designed one multiplex assay with a reduced number of SNPs from whole mitochondrial genome as a screening approach for forensic purposes and developed a multiplex SNaPshot assay with 26 mitochondrial SNPs (mtSNPs). This assay included 16 target mtSNPs that defined the main haplogroups in Chinese population and ten hot‐spot mtSNPs found by pyrosequencing. To validate our multiplex mtSNP assay, we not only analyzed a Chinese Han population sample, but also sequenced the complete control region of same set of individuals. Fifty‐one haplotypes were observed in 204 individuals using our multiplex mtSNP assay and the haplotype diversity was estimated to be 0.9626. Our multiplex mtSNP assay could also distinguish some individuals sharing the same control region sequences. The same mtSNP profiles were obtained from the bloodstain, hair shaft, and salivary swab from same individuals. A good profile could be obtained with 50 pg of DNA. It was evident that our multiplex mtSNP assay not only improved the discrimination power, but also allowed allocating mitochondrial DNA profiles to particular haplogroups not clearly defined with the control region alone. We highlight the importance of the balance of target mtSNPs for haplogroup assignment and hot‐spot mtSNPs for increasing discrimination power.
A bootstrap calculation of confidence regions for proportions of sediment contributed by different source areas in a ‘fingerprinting’ model
Authors: Clarke Robin T.
Published: November 2014

When ‘fingerprinting’ is used to identify what proportions Ps (s = 1, …, g) of suspended sediment come from g different source areas, measures of the uncertainties in estimates of the Ps are also required. These uncertainties are influenced by two kinds of correlation whose effects are rarely recognized in the literature. These are (i) correlation between the estimated Ps because they must add to 1 and (ii) correlation between the geochemical tracers measured in sediment samples. This paper uses bootstrap procedures to identify joint confidence regions for the estimated proportions [responding to correlation of type (i)] and to explore alternatives to the ‘standard’ least‐squares criterion used to estimate the proportions when tracer measurements are correlated [correlation of type (ii)].

Using a limited dataset with three sediment source areas for illustration (g = 3), results were obtained from 5000 bootstrap samples, using two criteria (standard and generalized least squares, GLS) with two inequality constraints: (a) 0 ≤ Ps ≤ 1, where Ps is the fraction of suspended sediment contributed by the s‐th source area (s = 1, 2, 3) and (b) 0 < Ps < 1, which, the paper argues, better represents reality. Approximate 95% confidence regions for the Ps, given by the two criteria and two inequality constraints, were compared. Using inequality constraint (a), the confidence region given by the GLS criterion was slightly smaller than that given by the standard; using constraint (b), the two confidence regions' boundaries were almost identical, suggesting that the effects of correlations between tracers were not large for the dataset used. For both criteria, the scatter amongst estimated proportions Ps obtained by bootstrapping was large, raising issues concerning the efficiency of sampling and the allocation of sampling effort, both in source areas and in transported suspended sediment. The results suggest that apparently small differences in the constraints applied to the proportions Ps can give quite different numerical results. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A hydrologic routing model suitable for climate‐scale simulations of arctic rivers: application to the Mackenzie River Basin
Authors: Beighley R.E. , Eggert K. , Wilson C.J. , Rowland J.C. , Lee H.
Published: November 2014

In this study, the Hillslope River Routing (HRR) model was modified for arctic river basin applications and used to route surface and subsurface run‐off from the Community Land Model (CLM) in the Mackenzie River Basin (MRB) for the period 2000–2004. The HRR modelling framework performs lateral surface and subsurface run‐off routing from hillslopes and channel/floodplain routing. The HRR model was modified here to include a variable subsurface active layer thickness (ALT; permafrost) to enable subsurface water to resurface, a distributed surface storage component to store and attenuate the rapid generation of snowmelt water, compound hillslopes to account for the low relief near rivers and floodplains, and reservoir routing to complete the total surface and subsurface water storage accounting. To illustrate the new HRR model components, a case study is presented for the MRB. The basin is discretized into 5077 sub‐basins based on a drainage network derived from the global digital elevation model (DEM) developed from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) sensor on board NASA's Terra satellite and river widths extracted from LandSat images. The median hillslope land area is 68.5 km2 with a flow length of 2.8 km. Gridded CLM surface and subsurface run‐offs are remapped to the HRR model's irregular sub‐basins. The role of each new model component is quantified in terms of peak annual streamflow (magnitude and timing) at select locations and basin‐wide total water storage anomalies. The role of distributed surface storage is shown to attenuate the relatively rapid generation of snowmelt water, impact the annual peak hydrograph (reduced peaks by >30% and detailed peak by >20 days), and account for 20% of the monthly total water storage anomalies averaged over the year and ranging from 14 to 25% (−10 to 30 mm) throughout the year. Although additional research is needed to dynamically link spatially distributed ALT to HRR, the role of ALT is shown to be important. A basin‐wide, uniform 1 m ALT impacts the annual peak hydrograph (reduced peaks by 9% and detailed peak by 8 days) and trends in total water storage anomalies. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Role of Temperament in Children's Reliance on Others as Sources of Information
Authors: Canfield Caitlin F. , Saudino Kimberly J. , Ganea Patricia A.
Published: November 2014

By 3 years of age, children generally have a firm understanding of others' reliability, but there is considerable variation among individual children. Little attention has been paid to factors that influence such individual differences. This study addressed this by assessing the relation between reliability understanding and temperament in children approaching their third birthday. We measured children's ability to judge a speaker's trustworthiness and to selectively learn new information from a reliable informant. Observer ratings provided assessments of children's activity, task orientation, and affect/extraversion. Significant associations between selective trust and the temperament dimension of affect/extraversion were found, along with associations between selective trust and gender and language ability. This indicates that the ability to ascertain whether a speaker is a reliable person from whom to learn is related to several individual child characteristics. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Obesity Bias in Children: The Role of Actual and Perceived Body Size
Authors: Kornilaki Ekaterina N.
Published: November 2014

The aim of this study was to examine how children perceive their body size and whether their actual or perceived body size can explain their anti‐fat views. Four hundred and fourteen 5–6, 7–8 and 9–10‐year‐old children were read short vignettes depicting two characters, one possessing a positive and the other a negative quality. Following each vignette, participants were asked to pick the story characters among thin, average and obese figures. Obesity bias was defined as the attribution of the positive quality to the thin or average figure and the corresponding negative one to the obese. Body mass index determined children's actual body size. Perceived body size was determined with the use of Collins' (1991) figures of increasing size. The results showed that actual body size affected the accuracy of perceived body size. While the majority of average children were accurate at identifying their body size, most overweight and obese children tended to underestimate it. The accuracy of body size perception improved with age. Obesity bias did not relate to children's actual but to their perceived body size: Those who perceived themselves as heavier exhibited less bias. The implications of the findings are discussed in relation to children's developing identity, and suggestions are made for future research. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
2,3,5,4′‐tetrahydroxystilbene‐2‐O‐β‐d‐glucoside protects human umbilical vein endothelial cells against lysophosphatidylcholine‐induced apoptosis by upregulating superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase
Authors: Zhao Jing , Xu Shouzhu , Song Fan , Nian Lun , Zhou Xuanxuan , Wang Siwang
Published: November 2014

2,3,5,4′‐Tetrahydroxystilbene‐2‐O‐β‐d‐glucoside (TSG) has been shown to protect human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) from lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC)‐induced injury; however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains to be determined. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective mechanism of TSG against LPC‐induced injury in HUVECs. We established a stable LPC‐induced cell model by treating HUVECs with various concentrations of LPC and found 10.0 µg/mL of LPC to be optimal for inducing HUVECs injury. The effects of TSG on LPC‐induced cell injury were assessed by cell counting kit‐8, apoptosis assay, transmission electron microscope, and measurement of malondialdehyde (MDA), the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione peroxidase, and mitochondrial membrane potential. The mRNA and protein levels of caspase‐3, Bax, Bcl‐2, PARP‐1, and cytochrome C were assayed by real‐time reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting, respectively. TSG pretreatment was able to prevent LPC‐induced HUVECs injury and restore cell viability in a concentration‐dependent manner. LPC treated cells showed typical apoptotic morphological changes including cytoplasmic vacuolation, swollen mitochondria, and characteristic biochemical hallmarks of apoptosis including loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, activation of caspase‐3, decrease of Bcl‐2, increase of PARP‐1, upregulation of Bax, and release of cytochrome C, all of which were apparently inhibited by TSG pretreatment. Treatment of HUVECs with LPC led to decrease of SOD and glutathione peroxidase in addition to rapid increase of MDA and ROS levels. Pretreatment with TSG restored SOD and glutathione peroxidase levels to that of normal levels, and significantly decreased ROS and MDA levels. Our data indicate that TSG inhibits apoptosis of HUVECs mediated by LPC through blocking the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and suggest that the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of TSG are related to the activation of SOD and glutathione peroxidase, the clearance of intracellular ROS, and reduction of lipid peroxidation. © 2014 IUBMB Life, 66(10):711–722, 2014
Acute toxicity of 50 metals to Daphnia magna
Authors: Okamoto Akira , Yamamuro Masumi , Tatarazako Norihisa
Published: November 2014

Metals are essential for human life and physiological functions but may sometimes cause disorders. Therefore, we conducted acute toxicity testing of 50 metals in Daphnia magna: EC50s of seven elements (Be, Cu, Ag, Cd, Os, Au and Hg) were < 100 µg l−1; EC50s of 13 elements (Al, Sc, Cr, Co, Ni, Zn, Se, Rb, Y, Rh, Pt, Tl and Pb) were between 100 and 1000 µg l−1; EC50s of 14 elements (Li, V, Mn, Fe, Ge, As, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Cs, Ba, W and Ir) were between 1,001 and 100,000 µg l−1; EC50s of six elements (Na, Mg, K, Ca, Sr and Mo) were > 100,000 µg l−1; and. 7 elements (Ti, Zr, Bi, Nb, Hf, Re and Ta) did not show EC50 at the upper limit of respective aqueous solubility, and EC50s were not obtained. Ga, Ru and Pd adhered to the body of D. magna and physically retarded the movement of D. magna. These metals formed hydroxides after adjusting the pH. Therefore, here, we distinguished this physical effect from the physiological toxic effect. The acute toxicity results of 40 elements obtained in this study were not correlated with electronegativity. Similarly, the acute toxicity results of metals including the rare metals were also not correlated with first ionization energy, atomic weight, atomic number, covalent radius, atomic radius or ionic radius. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
2, 3, 7, 8‐Tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin induces premature senescence of astrocytes via WNT/β‐catenin signaling and ROS production
Authors: Nie Xiaoke , Liang Lingwei , Xi Hanqing , Jiang Shengyang , Jiang Junkang , Tang Cuiying , Liu Xipeng , Liu Suyi , Wan Chunhua , Zhao Jianya , Yang Jianbin
Published: November 2014

2, 3, 7, 8‐tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin (TCDD) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant that could exert significant neurotoxicity in the human nervous system. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism underlying TCDD‐mediated neurotoxicity has not been clarified clearly. Herein, we investigated the potential role of TCDD in facilitating premature senescence in astrocytes and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Using the senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase (SA‐β‐Gal) assay, we demonstrated that TCDD exposure triggered significant premature senescence of astrocyte cells, which was accompanied by a marked activation of the Wingless and int (WNT)/β‐catenin signaling pathway. In addition, TCDD altered the expression of senescence marker proteins, such as p16, p21 and GFAP, which together have been reported to be upregulated in aging astrocytes, in both dose‐ and time‐dependent manners. Further, TCDD led to cell‐cycle arrest, F‐actin reorganization and the accumulation of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, the ROS scavenger N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) markedly attenuated TCDD‐induced ROS production, cellular oxidative damage and astrocyte senescence. Notably, the application of XAV939, an inhibitor of WNT/β‐catenin signaling pathway, ameliorated the effect of TCDD on cellular β‐catenin level, ROS production, cellular oxidative damage and premature senescence in astrocytes. In summary, our findings indicated that TCDD might induce astrocyte senescence via WNT/β‐catenin and ROS‐dependent mechanisms. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tributyltin alters secretion of interleukin 1 beta from human immune cells
Authors: Brown Shyretha , Whalen Margaret
Published: November 2014

Tributyltin (TBT) has been used as a biocide in industrial applications such as wood preservation, antifouling paint and antifungal agents. Owing to its many uses, it contaminates the environment and has been found in human blood samples. Interleukin‐1 beta (IL‐1β) is a pro‐inflammatory cytokine that promotes cell growth, tissue repair and immune response regulation. Produced predominately by both monocytes and macrophages, IL‐1β appears to increase the invasiveness of certain tumors. This study shows that TBT modifies the secretion of IL‐1β from increasingly reconstituted preparations of human immune cells. IL‐1β secretion was examined after 24‐, 48‐h or 6‐day exposures to TBT in highly enriched human natural killer (NK) cells, monocyte‐depleted peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MD‐PBMCs), PBMCs, granulocytes and a preparation combining both PBMCs and granulocytes (PBMCs+granulocytes). TBT altered IL‐1β secretion from all of the cell preparations. The 200 nM concentration of TBT normally blocked the secretion of IL‐1β, whereas lower concentrations (usually 5–50 nM) elevated secretion of IL‐1β. Examination of the signaling pathway(s) responsible for the elevated secretion of IL‐1β was carried out in MD‐PBMCs. Pathways examined were IL‐1β processing (Caspase‐1), mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB). Results indicated that MAPK pathways (p44/42 and p38) appear to be the targets of TBT that lead to increased IL‐1β secretion from immune cells. These results from human immune cells show IL‐1β dysregulation by TBT is occurring ex vivo. Thus, the potential for in vivo effects on pro‐inflammatory cytokine levels may possibly be a consequence of TBT exposures. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of Pre‐ and Post–Combined Multidoses of Epigallocatechin Gallate and Coenzyme Q10 on Cisplatin‐Induced Oxidative Stress in Rat Kidney
Authors: Fatima Sabiha , Al‐Mohaimeed Noura , Arjumand Sadia , Banu Naheed , Al‐Jameil Noura , Al‐Shaikh Yazeed
Published: November 2014

The nephroprotective effect of coenzyme Q10 and epigallocatechin gallate was investigated in rats with acute renal injury induced by a single nephrotoxic dose of cisplatin. Two days prior to cisplatin administration, epigallocatechin gallate and coenzyme Q10 alone and in four different combinations were given for 6 days. The treatment with antioxidants significantly protected the cisplatin‐induced increase in the levels of blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine. Both the antioxidants alone or in different combinations significantly compensated the increased malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione levels. Moreover, the decrease in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase and the concentration of selenium, zinc, and copper ions were significantly attenuated in renal tissue. In conclusion, epigallocatechin gallate and coenzyme Q10 are equally effective against cisplatin‐induced nephrotoxicity, whereas the intervention by combining these two antioxidants was found to be highly effective at low doses in attenuating oxidative stress in rat kidney.
Expected degree for RNA secondary structure networks
Authors: Clote Peter
Published: November 2014

Consider the network of all secondary structures of a given RNA sequence, where nodes are connected when the corresponding structures have base pair distance one. The expected degree of the network is the average number of neighbors, where average may be computed with respect to the either the uniform or Boltzmann probability. Here, we describe the first algorithm, RNAexpNumNbors, that can compute the expected number of neighbors, or expected network degree, of an input sequence. For RNA sequences from the Rfam database, the expected degree is significantly less than the constrained minimum free energy structure, defined to have minimum free energy (MFE) over all structures consistent with the Rfam consensus structure. The expected degree of structural RNAs, such as purine riboswitches, paradoxically appears to be smaller than that of random RNA, yet the difference between the degree of the MFE structure and the expected degree is larger than that of random RNA. Expected degree does not seem to correlate with standard structural diversity measures of RNA, such as positional entropy and ensemble defect. The program RNAexpNumNbors is written in C, runs in cubic time and quadratic space, and is publicly available at http://bioinformatics.bc.edu/clotelab/RNAexpNumNbors. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Communication through molecular bridges: Different bridge orbital trends result in common property trends
Authors: Proppe Jonny , Herrmann Carmen
Published: November 2014

Common trends in communication through molecular bridges are ubiquitous in chemistry, such as the frequently observed exponential decay of conductance/electron transport and of exchange spin coupling with increasing bridge length, or the increased communication through a bridge upon closing a diarylethene photoswitch. For antiferromagnetically coupled diradicals in which two equivalent spin centers are connected by a closed‐shell bridge, the molecular orbitals (MOs) whose energy splitting dominates the coupling strength are similar in shape to the MOs of the dithiolated bridges, which in turn can be used to rationalize conductance. Therefore, it appears reasonable to expect the observed common property trends to result from common orbital trends. We illustrate based on a set of model compounds that this assumption is not true, and that common property trends result from either different pairs of orbitals being involved, or from orbital energies not being the dominant contribution to property trends. For substituent effects, an effective modification of the π system can make a comparison difficult. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Orthogonally Resolvable Cycle Decompositions
Authors: Burgess A. , Danziger P. , Mendelsohn E. , Stevens B.
Published: November 2014

If a cycle decomposition of a graph G admits two resolutions, and , such that for each resolution class and , then the resolutions and are said to be orthogonal. In this paper, we introduce the notion of an orthogonally resolvable cycle decomposition, which is a cycle decomposition admitting a pair of orthogonal resolutions. An orthogonally resolvable cycle decomposition of a graph G may be represented by a square array in which each cell is either empty or filled with a k–cycle from G, such that every vertex appears exactly once in each row and column of the array and every edge of G appears in exactly one cycle. We focus mainly on orthogonal k‐cycle decompositions of and (the complete graph with the edges of a 1‐factor removed), denoted . We give general constructions for such decompositions, which we use to construct several infinite families. We find necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of an OCD(n, 4). In addition, we consider orthogonal cycle decompositions of the lexicographic product of a complete graph or cycle with . Finally, we give some nonexistence results.
Wfs1‐deficient animals have brain‐region‐specific changes of Na+, K+‐ATPase activity and mRNA expression of α1 and β1 subunits
Authors: Sütt S. , Altpere A. , Reimets R. , Visnapuu T. , Loomets M. , Raud S. , Salum T. , Mahlapuu R. , Kairane C. , Zilmer M. , Vasar E.
Published: November 2014

Mutations in the WFS1 gene, which encodes the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) glycoprotein, cause Wolfram syndrome, a disease characterized by juvenile‐onset diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy, deafness, and different psychiatric abnormalities. Loss of neuronal cells and pancreatic β‐cells in Wolfram syndrome patients is probably related to the dysfunction of ER stress regulation, which leads to cell apoptosis. The present study shows that Wfs1‐deficient mice have brain‐region‐specific changes in Na+,K+‐ATPase activity and in the expression of the α1 and β1 subunits. We found a significant (1.6‐fold) increase of Na‐pump activity and β1 subunit mRNA expression in mice lacking the Wfs1 gene in the temporal lobe compared with their wild‐type littermates. By contrast, exposure of mice to the elevated plus maze (EPM) model of anxiety decreased Na‐pump activity 1.3‐fold in the midbrain and dorsal striatum and 2.0‐fold in the ventral striatum of homozygous animals compared with the nonexposed group. Na‐pump α1‐subunit mRNA was significantly decreased in the dorsal striatum and midbrain of Wfs1‐deficient homozygous animals compared with wild‐type littermates. In the temporal lobe, an increase in the activity of the Na‐pump is probably related to increased anxiety established in Wfs1‐deficient mice, whereas the blunted dopamine function in the forebrain of Wfs1‐deficient mice may be associated with a decrease of Na‐pump activity in the dorsal and ventral striatum and in the midbrain after exposure to the EPM. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Microbial safety and quality of fresh herbs from Los Angeles, Orange County and Seattle farmers' markets
Authors: Levy Donna J , Beck Nicola K , Kossik Alexandra L , Patti Taylor , Meschke J Scott , Calicchia Melissa , Hellberg Rosalee S
Published: November 2014

BACKGROUND

Farmers' markets have been growing in popularity in the United States, but the microbial quality and safety of the food sold at these markets is currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess the microbial safety and quality of fresh basil, parsley and cilantro sold at farmers' markets in the Los Angeles, Orange County and greater Seattle areas.

RESULTS

A total of 133 samples (52 basil, 41 cilantro and 40 parsley) were collected from 13 different farmers' markets and tested for Salmonella and generic Escherichia coli. One sample (parsley) was confirmed positive for Salmonella and 24.1% of samples were positive for generic E. coli, with a range of 0.70–3.15 log CFU g−1. Among the herbs tested, basil showed the highest percentage of samples with generic E. coli (26.9%), followed by cilantro (24.4%) and then parsley (20.0%). For 12% of samples, the levels of generic E. coli exceeded guidelines established by the Public Health Laboratory Service for microbiological quality of ready‐to‐eat foods.

CONCLUSION

Overall, this study indicates the presence of Salmonella and generic E. coli in fresh herbs sold at farmers' markets; however, additional studies are needed to determine the sources and extent of contamination. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Expression of monellin in a food‐grade delivery system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Liu Jun , Yan Da‐zhong , Zhao Sheng‐jun
Published: November 2014

BACKGROUND

Genetically modified (GM) foods have caused much controversy. Construction of a food‐grade delivery system is a desirable technique with presumptive impact on industrial applications from the perspective of bio‐safety. The aim of this study was to construct a food‐grade delivery system for Saccharomyces cerevisiae and to study the expression of monellin from the berries of the West African forest plant Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii in this system.

RESULTS

A food‐grade system for S. cerevisiae was constructed based on ribosomal DNA (rDNA)‐mediated homologous recombination to enable high‐copy‐number integration of the expression cassette inserted into the rDNA locus. A copper resistance gene (CUP1) was used as the selection marker for yeast transformation. Because variants of transformants containing different copy numbers at the CUP1 locus can be readily selected after growth in the presence of elevated copper levels, we suggest that this system would prove useful in the generation of tandemly iterated gene clusters. Using this food‐grade system, a single‐chain monellin gene was heterologously expressed. The yield of monellin reached a maximum of 675 mg L−1.

CONCLUSION

This system harbors exclusively S. cerevisiae DNA with no antibiotic resistance genes, and it should therefore be appropriate for safe use in the food industry. Monellin was shown to be expressed in this food‐grade delivery system. To our knowledge, this is the first report so far on expression of monellin in a food‐grade expression system in S. cerevisiae. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Hereditary breast cancer syndromes and genetic testing
Authors: Rich Thereasa A. , Woodson Ashley H. , Litton Jennifer , Arun Banu
Published: November 2014

Only 5% of breast cancers are explained by highly penetrant multisystem autosomal dominant hereditary disorders. Though another 20–30% has a familial presentation, the genetic and other etiologies are still not well understood. Genetic testing is now widely available and multiple professional societies have published guidelines for testing and management. Genetic testing trends include utilization of multi‐gene panels that take advantage of next‐generation sequencing as well as testing for low‐ and moderate‐penetrance susceptibility genes. J. Surg. Oncol. 2015 111:66–80. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sensitive determination of atorvastatin in human plasma by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and solidification of floating organic drop followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography
Authors: Taheri Salman , Jalali Fahimeh , Fattahi Nazir , Bahrami Gholamreza
Published: November 2014

A novel and sensitive dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method based on the solidification of the floating organic drop combined with high‐performance liquid chromatography and ultraviolet detection was used for the determination of atorvastatine in blood serum samples. The chromatographic separation of atorvastatin was carried out using methanol as the mobile phase organic modifier. Various parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were optimized, such as the kind and volume of extraction solvent (1‐undecanol) and disperser solvent (acetonitrile), pH, and the extraction time. The calibration curve was linear in the range of 0.2–6000 μg/L of atorvastatin (r2 = 0.995) with a limit of detection of 0.07 μg/L. The relative standard deviation for 100 μg/L of atorvastatin in human plasma was 8.4% (n = 4). The recoveries of plasma samples spiked with atorvastatin were in the range of 98.8–113.8%. The obtained results showed that the proposed method is fast, simple, and reliable for the determination of very low concentrations of atorvastatin in human plasma samples.
Benefits Derived from Rehabilitating a Degraded Semi‐Arid Rangeland in Communal Enclosures, Kenya
Authors: Mureithi Stephen M. , Verdoodt Ann , Njoka Jesse T. , Gachene Charles K. K. , Van Ranst Eric
Published: November 2014

Combating land degradation in the semi‐arid rangeland of sub‐Saharan Africa is essential to ensure the long‐term productivity of these environments. In the Lake Baringo basin in Kenya, communities and individual farmers restored indigenous vegetation inside enclosures in an effort to combat severe land degradation and address their livelihood problems. This study quantified the benefits of rangeland rehabilitation using yearly communal enclosures' utilisation data compiled by Rehabilitation of Arid Environments (RAE) Trust over a 6‐year period (2005–2010). Results showed that communal enclosures provide a source of income through the sale of fattened livestock, harvested grass seeds, hay, honey and charcoal, among other products. Regression analysis showed an increasing total enclosure income with time. The enclosures also provide grasses for thatching, livestock feed and dry season grazing. Indirect products like milk, blood and meat are essential for household nutrition and food security. These benefits reinforce the management through incentive to maintain existing enclosures and establish new ones and therefore the increasing trend in rangeland enclosure. Increased soil and biomass carbon storage could come with other indirect environmental benefits including improvement in soil quality, land productivity for pasture production and food security, and prevention of land degradation, thus leading to economic, environmental and social benefit for the local agropastoralist communities. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessing and Managing Soil Quality for Urban Agriculture in a Degraded Vacant Lot Soil
Authors: Beniston Joshua W. , Lal Rattan , Mercer Kristin L.
Published: November 2014

Following the decline of industrial manufacturing, many US cities have experienced severe population reductions that have resulted in large areas of vacant land. Urban agriculture has emerged as a desirable land use for these spaces, but degraded soils are common. Therefore, we measured soil and plant responses to amendments and management in urban lots where vacant houses had recently been demolished in Youngstown, OH, USA. Soil degradation was observed following demolition activities in the form of compaction (bulk density of 1·5–1·8 Mg m−3) and low soil microbial biomass C (21 mg C kg−1 soil). Our split‐plot experiment measured the effects of organic matter (OM) amendments produced from yard wastes and the use of raised beds on soil properties and vegetable crop yields. Two years after their application, OM amendments resulted in significant improvement to a number of soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. Vegetable crop yields were improved by OM amendments in 2011 and by both OM amendments and the use of raised beds in 2012. A soil quality index, developed using factor analysis and the Soil Management Assessment Framework, produced values ranging from 0·60 to 0·85, which are comparable to those reported for rural agricultural soils. All results indicate that urban agriculture can be productive in vacant urban land and that amendments produced from urban yard wastes can improve soil quality at previously degraded sites and increase crop yields for urban agriculture. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Venous coupler use for free‐flap breast reconstructions: Specific analyses of TMG and DIEP flaps
Authors: Bodin Frédéric , Brunetti Stefania , Dissaux Caroline , Sauleau Erik A. , Facca Sybille , Bruant‐Rodier Catherine , Liverneaux Philippe
Published: November 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this report was to present the results of comparisons of anastomotic data and flap complications in the use of venous coupler in breast reconstruction with the transverse musculocutaneous gracilis (TMG) flap and the deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap.

Methods

Over a three‐year period, 95 patients suffering from breast cancer were treated with mastectomy and breast reconstruction using free flaps. We performed 121 mechanical venous anastomoses for 105 flap procedures (80 DIEP and 25 TMG). The coupler size, anastomotic duration, number of anastomoses and postoperative complications were assessed for the entire series.

Results

The coupling device was perfectly suitable for all end‐to‐end anastomoses between the vein(s) of the flap and the internal mammary vein(s). No venous thrombosis occurred. The mean anastomotic time did not significantly differ between the DIEP (330 seconds) and TMG flap procedures (352 seconds) (P = 0.069). Additionally, there were no differences in coupling time observed following a comparison of seven coupler sizes (P = 0.066). The mean coupler size used during the TMG flap procedure was smaller than that used with the DIEP (2.4 mm versus 2.8 mm) (P < 0.001). The mean size was also smaller when double venous anastomoses were required compared to single anastomosis (2.4 mm versus 2.9 mm) (P < 0.001). The double branching was more frequent with the TMG flap (28%) than with the DIEP flap (11%).

Conclusions

The coupler size used was smaller for the TMG procedure and when double venous anastomosis was performed. Additionally, anastomotic time was not affected by the flap type or coupler size used or by anastomosis number. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 35:295–299, 2015.