bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intercultural integration and informational infrastructure
Authors: Boyd-Barrett Oliver
Published: September 2012

Peaceful development of large and fractious interethnic nations and regions is facilitated by and may require a shared informational infrastructure that meets the following conditions: public service orientation; independence of major state and corporate centers of power; contributing to the functioning of nationwide institutions of economic, political and cultural importance; and commanding benign public perception. With specific reference to the Russian news agency Interfax, this article explores the ‘black box’ of the often touted but seldom explicated relationship between news agencies and national or regional ‘development.’ It finds that Interfax has played an important role in the establishment of a political and economic, horizontal informational infrastructure that meets the above conditions. The article concludes that Interfax contributed to a new informational paradigm, synchronizing with macro processes of political and economic reform, and enveloping a heteroegenous swathe of Russia, the former Soviet Union (FSU) and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The agency thus helped create conditions conducive to regional, interethnic stability.
Tackling ideological clashes
Authors: Dong Haibin
Published: September 2012

This investigation is about how Chinese overseas online commentators (COOCs) respond to political discourses on China. COOCs present the ideological heterogeneity of Chinese overseas. Their diverse responses to different ideological debates show patterns that manifest how the Chinese diaspora enact their positional cultural identification. The analysis of the data showed that on both sides of the divide, the debate leads commentators to assume positions of attachment to, or detachment from, their Chinese cultural affiliations not in a set of binary oppositions but as a continuum with varying degrees. Along this division line, internal fragmentation can be further identified by different views of China’s external tension with other world powers. The notable internal complexity can arguably represent the nation’s maturation.
Culturally unconscious
Authors: Roy Sudeshna
Published: September 2012

In this article, the author critically examines The New York Times ( NYT) representation of the Israel–Palestine conflict in the recent political contexts presented by US President Obama’s Cairo speech in 2009 and leader of West Bank, President Mahmoud Abbas’s, imminent claim to nationhood at the UN in 2011. The purpose of the case study is to establish a theoretical framework for the connection between media representation of conflicts and influence on intercultural communication and relations between various cultural groups. The analysis of the editorials, op-eds, and letters to the editor reveals that media representation of conflicts has deep implications for intercultural communication and relations, that representational politics allows for overrepresentation of dominant groups in the Israel–Palestine conflict context, that discursive use of conflict terms like ‘peace,’ ‘victim,’ etc., constructs particular identities that privilege dominant groups, and that there is unconscious projection of cultural expectations of the dominant groups in the discursive representation of the conflict.
Critical questions
Authors: Oliha Hannah
Published: September 2012

Present contradictions in the intercultural communication field – the pre-eminence of western communication models and the minimization and denial of particular international and racial cultural voices – delimit the possibilities for nuanced theory building, scholarship, and teaching that may address the greatest challenge facing the world community – fostering understanding and advancing peace and security. This article introduces the notion of avant-garde epistemic confluence as one possibility for engendering greater levels of inclusion of marginalized and silenced voices at the epistemic core of the field to effectively address the evolving intergroup, multi-ethnic, and inter-religious conflicts on the world’s stage. Mobilizing principles grounded in mindfulness and intercultural alliance building at the individual and disciplinary levels via research, theorizing, and teaching is a driving force. Advancing a pragmatic vision of the intercultural communication field in this twenty-first-century moment with the potential to address complex cross-cultural and intergroup social and political tensions is the central mission.
The City and the Cross: the image of Constantinople and the Latin empire in thirteenth-century papal crusading rhetoric
Authors: Chrissis Nikolaos G.
Published: September 2012

This paper examines the way papal rhetoric made use of the image and reputation of the city of Constantinople in order to legitimise and incite support for its crusading calls for the defence of the Latin empire after 1204. A number of relevant themes that reflect the city’s temporal and religious importance are explored, such as its wealth, its relics, its imperial past and its patriarchal status as New Rome. The differences of emphasis and occasional omissions of such arguments provide insights as to what was expected to motivate the audience, while also revealing the papacy’s priorities.
Sect and Utopia in shifting empires: Plethon, Elissaios, Bedreddin
Authors: Siniossoglou Niketas
Published: September 2012

This discussion reopens the file on Plethon’s purported stay in Ottoman territory in order to trace the origins of the Plethonean belief in sectarianism as a vehicle for attaining Utopian sociopolitical ends. In the first part, possible approaches to Plethon’s alleged study with the mysterious mentor Elissaios are considered. In the second part, an argument is presented that in both the changing Ottoman Empire and the disintegrating Byzantine Empire esoteric societies contemporaneously developed a potentially antinomian role. Just like Plethon’s ‘brothers’, the ‘Brethren of Purity’ of al-Bistami, Sheikh Bedreddin and Börklüce Mustafa opted for sectarianism in order to recover a supraconfessional religious law and construe a novel political identity. This indicates the probability of a common nexus between Rumelia, the Peloponnese and the Aegean spanning confessional lines and utilizing sect as the vehicle of utopianism.
Almost stability of the Mann type iteration method with error term involving strictly hemicontractive mappings in smooth Banach spaces
Authors: Hussain Nawab , Rafiq Arif , Ciric Ljubomir B , Al-Mezel Saleh
Published: September 2012

Let K be a nonempty closed bounded convex subset of an arbitrary smooth Banach space X and

T
:
K
→
K

be a continuous strictly hemicontractive mapping. Under some conditions, we obtain that the Mann iteration method with error term converges strongly to a unique fixed point of T and is almost T-stable on K. As an application of our results, we establish strong convergence of a multi-step iteration process.
The TSC1-TSC2 complex consists of multiple TSC1 and TSC2 subunits
Authors: Hoogeveen-Westerveld Marianne , van Unen Leontine , van den Ouweland Ans , Halley Dicky , Hoogeveen Andre , Nellist Mark
Published: September 2012

Background

Mutations to the TSC1 and TSC2 genes cause the disease tuberous sclerosis complex. The TSC1 and TSC2 gene products form a protein complex that integrates multiple metabolic signals to regulate the activity of the target of rapamycin (TOR) complex 1 (TORC1) and thereby control cell growth. Here we investigate the quaternary structure of the TSC1-TSC2 complex by gel filtration and coimmunoprecipitation.

Results

TSC1 and TSC2 co-eluted in high molecular weight fractions by gel filtration. Coimmunoprecipitation of distinct tagged TSC1 and TSC2 isoforms demonstrated that TSC1-TSC2 complexes contain multiple TSC1 and TSC2 subunits.

Conclusions

TSC1 and TSC2 interact to form large complexes containing multiple TSC1 and TSC2 subunits.
The LO-BaFL method and ALS microarray expression analysis
Authors: Baciu Cristina , Thompson Kevin J , Mougeot Jean-Luc , Brooks Benjamin R , Weller Jennifer W
Published: September 2012

Background

Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (sALS) is a devastating, complex disease of unknown etiology. We studied this disease with microarray technology to capture as much biological complexity as possible. The Affymetrix-focused BaFL pipeline takes into account problems with probes that arise from physical and biological properties, so we adapted it to handle the long-oligonucleotide probes on our arrays (hence LO-BaFL). The revised method was tested against a validated array experiment and then used in a meta-analysis of peripheral white blood cells from healthy control samples in two experiments. We predicted differentially expressed (DE) genes in our sALS data, combining the results obtained using the TM4 suite of tools with those from the LO-BaFL method. Those predictions were tested using qRT-PCR assays.

Results

LO-BaFL filtering and DE testing accurately predicted previously validated DE genes in a published experiment on coronary artery disease (CAD). Filtering healthy control data from the sALS and CAD studies with LO-BaFL resulted in highly correlated expression levels across many genes. After bioinformatics analysis, twelve genes from the sALS DE gene list were selected for independent testing using qRT-PCR assays. High-quality RNA from six healthy Control and six sALS samples yielded the predicted differential expression for 7 genes:TARDBP,SKIV2L2,C12orf35,DYNLT1,ACTG1,B2M, andILKAP. Four of the seven have been previously described in sALS studies, whileACTG1,B2MandILKAPappear in the context of this disease for the first time. Supplementary material can be accessed at:http://webpages.uncc.edu/~cbaciu/LO-BaFL/supplementary_data.html.

Conclusion

LO-BaFL predicts DE results that are broadly similar to those of other methods. The small healthy control cohort in the sALS study is a reasonable foundation for predicting DE genes. Modifying the BaFL pipeline allowed us to remove noise and systematic errors, improving the power of this study, which had a small sample size. Each bioinformatics approach revealed DE genes not predicted by the other; subsequent PCR assays confirmed seven of twelve candidates, a relatively high success rate.
Population-genetic analysis of HvABCG31 promoter sequence in wild barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum)
Authors: Ma Xiaoying , Sela Hanan , Jiao Genlin , Li Chao , Wang Aidong , Pourkheirandish Mohammad , Weiner Dmitry , Sakuma Shun , Krugman Tamar , Nevo Eviatar , Komatsuda Takao , Korol Abraham , Chen Guoxiong
Published: September 2012

Background

The cuticle is an important adaptive structure whose origin played a crucial role in the transition of plants from aqueous to terrestrial conditions. HvABCG31/Eibi1 is an ABCG transporter gene, involved in cuticle formation that was recently identified in wild barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum). To study the genetic variation of HvABCG31 in different habitats, its 2 kb promoter region was sequenced from 112 wild barley accessions collected from five natural populations from southern and northern Israel. The sites included three mesic and two xeric habitats, and differed in annual rainfall, soil type, and soil water capacity.

Results

Phylogenetic analysis of the aligned HvABCG31 promoter sequences clustered the majority of accessions (69 out of 71) from the three northern mesic populations into one cluster, while all 21 accessions from the Dead Sea area, a xeric southern population, and two isolated accessions (one from a xeric population at Mitzpe Ramon and one from the xeric ‘African Slope’ of “Evolution Canyon”) formed the second cluster. The southern arid populations included six haplotypes, but they differed from the consensus sequence at a large number of positions, while the northern mesic populations included 15 haplotypes that were, on average, more similar to the consensus sequence. Most of the haplotypes (20 of 22) were unique to a population. Interestingly, higher genetic variation occurred within populations (54.2%) than among populations (45.8%). Analysis of the promoter region detected a large number of transcription factor binding sites: 121–128 and 121–134 sites in the two southern arid populations, and 123–128,125–128, and 123–125 sites in the three northern mesic populations. Three types of TFBSs were significantly enriched: those related to GA (gibberellin), Dof (DNA binding with one finger), and light.

Conclusions

Drought stress and adaptive natural selection may have been important determinants in the observed sequence variation of HvABCG31 promoter. Abiotic stresses may be involved in the HvABCG31 gene transcription regulations, generating more protective cuticles in plants under stresses.
Factors regulated by interferon gamma and hypoxia-inducible factor 1A contribute to responses that protect mice from Coccidioides immitisinfection
Authors: Woelk Christopher H , Zhang Jin X , Walls Lorraine , Viriyakosol Suganya , Singhania Akul , Kirkland Theo N , Fierer Joshua
Published: September 2012

Background

Coccidioidomycosis results from airborne infections caused by eitherCoccidioides immitisorC. posadasii. Both are pathogenic fungi that live in desert soil in the New World and can infect normal hosts, but most infections are self-limited. Disseminated infections occur in approximately 5% of cases and may prove fatal. Mouse models of the disease have identified strains that are resistant (e.g.DBA/2) or susceptible (e.g.C57BL/6) to these pathogens. However, the genetic and immunological basis for this difference has not been fully characterized.

Results

Microarray technology was used to identify genes that were differentially expressed in lung tissue between resistant DBA/2 and sensitive C57BL/6 mice after infection withC. immitis. Differentially expressed genes were mapped onto biological pathways, gene ontologies, and protein interaction networks, which revealed that innate immune responses mediated by Type II interferon (i.e.,IFNG) and the signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) contribute to the resistant phenotype. In addition, upregulation of hypoxia inducible factor 1A (HIF1A), possibly as part of a larger inflammatory response mediated by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFA), may also contribute to resistance. Microarray gene expression was confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR for a subset of 12 genes, which revealed thatIFNG HIF1AandTNFA, among others, were significantly differentially expressed between the two strains at day 14 post-infection.

Conclusion

These results confirm the finding that DBA/2 mice express more Type II interferon and interferon stimulated genes than genetically susceptible strains and suggest that differential expression ofHIF1Amay also play a role in protection.
Cerebral sparganosis in children: epidemiological, clinical and MR imaging characteristics
Authors: Gong Caigui , Liao Weihua , Chineah Ashley , Wang Xiaoyi , Hou Bob L
Published: September 2012

Background

Cerebral sparganosis in children is an extremely rare disease of central nervous system, and caused by a tapeworm larva from the genus of Spirometra. In this study, we discussed and summarized epidemiological, clinical and MR imaging characteristics of eighteen children with cerebral sparganosis for a better diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Methods

Eighteen children with cerebral sparganosis verified by pathology, serological tests and MR presentations were retrospectively investigated, and the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of the disease were studied.

Results

Twenty-seven lesions were found in the eighteen children. Twelve lesions in twelve patients were solitary while the lesions in the rest six patients were multiple and asymmetrical. The positions of the lesions were: seven in frontal, eleven in parietal, four in temporal and two in occipital lobes, one in basal ganglia, one in cerebella hemisphere and one in pons. The lesions were presented as slight hypointensity on T1-weighted images but moderate hyperintensity on T2-weighted images with perilesional brain parenchyma edema. Enhanced MR scans by using Gadopentetic Acid Dimeglumine Salt were performed in the patients, and the images demonstrated abnormal enhancements with the patterns of a peripheral ring, or a tortuous beaded, or a serpiginous tubular shape. Follow-up MR scans were preformed for eight patients, and three out of the eight cases exposed migrations and changes in shapes of the lesion areas.

Conclusions

The MR presentations in our study in general were similar to those in previous studies. However serpiginous tubular and comma-shaped enhancements of lesions have not been previously reported. The enhanced MR imaging and follow-up MR scans with the positive results from serological tests are the most important methods for the clinical diagnosis of cerebral sparganosis in children.
Upper limb position control in fibromyalgia
Authors: Bardal Ellen Marie , Roeleveld Karin , Johansen Tonje Okkenhaug , Mork Paul Jarle
Published: September 2012

Background

Motor problems are reported by patients with fibromyalgia (FM). However, the mechanisms leading to alterations in motor performance are not well understood. In this study, upper limb position control during sustained isometric contractions was investigated in patients with FM and in healthy controls (HCs).

Methods

Fifteen female FM patients and 13 HCs were asked to keep a constant upper limb position during sustained elbow flexion and shoulder abduction, respectively. Subjects received real-time visual feedback on limb position and both tasks were performed unloaded and while supporting loads (1, 2, and 3 kg). Accelerations of the dominant upper limb were recorded, with variance (SD of mean position) and power spectrum analysis used to characterize limb position control. Normalized power of the acceleration signal was extracted for three frequency bands: 1–3 Hz, 4–7 Hz, and 8–12 Hz.

Results

Variance increased with load in both tasks (P < 0.001) but did not differ significantly between patients and HCs (P > 0.17). Power spectrum analysis showed that the FM patients had a higher proportion of normalized power in the 1–3 Hz band, and a lower proportion of normalized power in the 8–12 Hz band compared to HCs (P < 0.05). The results were consistent for all load conditions and for both elbow flexion and shoulder abduction.

Conclusion

FM patients exhibit an altered neuromuscular strategy for upper limb position control compared to HCs. The predominance of low-frequency limb oscillations among FM patients may indicate a sensory deficit.
Structural insights from random mutagenesis of Campylobacter jejunioligosaccharyltransferase PglB
Authors: Ihssen Julian , Kowarik Michael , Wiesli Luzia , Reiss Renate , Wacker Michael , Thöny-Meyer Linda
Published: September 2012

Background

Protein glycosylation is of fundamental importance in many biological systems. The discovery of N-glycosylation in bacteria and the functional expression of the N-oligosaccharyltransferase PglB of Campylobacter jejuni in Escherichia coli enabled the production of engineered glycoproteins and the study of the underlying molecular mechanisms. A particularly promising application for protein glycosylation in recombinant bacteria is the production of potent conjugate vaccines where polysaccharide antigens of pathogenic bacteria are covalently bound to immunogenic carrier proteins.

Results

In this study capsular polysaccharides of the clinically relevant pathogen Staphylococcus aureus serotype 5 (CP5) were expressed in Escherichia coli and linked in vivo to a detoxified version of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin (EPA). We investigated which amino acids of the periplasmic domain of PglB are crucial for the glycosylation reaction using a newly established 96-well screening system enabling the relative quantification of glycoproteins by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A random mutant library was generated by error-prone PCR and screened for inactivating amino acid substitutions. In addition to 15 inactive variants with amino acid changes within the previously known, strictly conserved WWDYG motif of N-oligosaccharyltransferases, 8 inactivating mutations mapped to a flexible loop in close vicinity of the amide nitrogen atom of the acceptor asparagine as revealed in the crystal structure of the homologous enzyme C. lari PglB. The importance of the conserved loop residue H479 for glycosylation was confirmed by site directed mutagenesis, while a change to alanine of the adjacent, non-conserved L480 had no effect. In addition, we investigated functional requirements in the so-called MIV motif of bacterial N-oligosaccharyltransferases. Amino acid residues I571 and V575, which had been postulated to interact with the acceptor peptide, were subjected to cassette saturation mutagenesis. With the exception of I571C only hydrophobic residues were found in active variants. Variant I571V performed equally well as the wild type, cysteine at the same position reduced glycoprotein yield slightly, while a change to phenylalanine reduced activity by a factor of three.

Conclusions

This study provides novel structure-function relationships for the periplasmic domain of the Campylobacter jejuni N-oligosaccharyltransferase PglB and describes procedures for generating and screening oligosaccharyltransferase mutant libraries in an engineered E. coli system.
The ΔF508-CFTR mutation inhibits wild-type CFTR processing and function when co-expressed in human airway epithelia and in mouse nasal mucosa
Authors: Tucker Torry A , Fortenberry James A , Zsembery Akos , Schwiebert Lisa M , Schwiebert Erik M
Published: September 2012

Background

Rescue or correction of CFTR function in native epithelia is the ultimate goal of CF therapeutics development. Wild-type (WT) CFTR introduction and replacement is also of particular interest. Such therapies may be complicated by possible CFTR self-assembly into an oligomer or multimer.

Results

Surprisingly, functional CFTR assays in native airway epithelia showed that the most common CFTR mutant, ΔF508-CFTR (ΔF-CFTR), inhibits WT-CFTR when both forms are co-expressed. To examine more mechanistically, both forms of CFTR were transfected transiently in varying amounts into IB3-1 CF human airway epithelial cells and HEK-293 human embryonic kidney cells null for endogenous CFTR protein expression. Increasing amounts of ΔF-CFTR inhibited WT-CFTR protein processing and function in CF human airway epithelial cells but not in heterologous HEK-293 cells. Stably expressed ΔF-CFTR in clones of the non-CF human airway epithelial cell line, CALU-3, also showed reduction in cAMP-stimulated anion secretion and in WT-CFTR processing. An ultimate test of this dominant negative-like effect of ΔF-CFTR on WT-CFTR was the parallel study of two different CF mouse models: the ΔF-CFTR mouse and the bitransgenic CFTR mouse corrected in the gut but null in the lung and airways. WT/ΔF heterozygotes had an intermediate phenotype with regard to CFTR agonist responses in in vivo nasal potential difference (NPD) recordings and in Ussing chamber recordings of short-circuit current (ISC) in vitro on primary tracheal epithelial cells isolated from the same mice. In contrast, CFTR bitransgenic +/− heterozygotes had no difference in their responses versus +/+ wild-type mice.

Conclusions

Taken altogether, these data suggest that ΔF-CFTR and WT-CFTR co-assemble into an oligomeric macromolecular complex in native epithelia and share protein processing machinery and regulation at the level of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). As a consequence, ΔF-CFTR slows WT-CFTR protein processing and limits its expression and function in the apical membrane of native airway epithelia. Implications of these data for the relative health of CF heterozygous carriers, for CFTR protein processing in native airway epithelia, and for the relative efficacy of different CF therapeutic approaches is significant and is discussed.
Positive hepatitis B surface antigen tests due to recent vaccination: a persistent problem
Authors: Rysgaard Carolyn D , Morris Cory S , Drees Denny , Bebber Tami , Davis Scott R , Kulhavy Jeff , Krasowski Matthew D
Published: September 2012

Background

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a common cause of viral hepatitis with significant health complications including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Assays for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) are the most frequently used tests to detect HBV infection. Vaccination for HBV can produce transiently detectable levels of HBsAg in patients. However, the time course and duration of this effect is unclear. The objective of this retrospective study was to clarify the frequency and duration of transient HBsAg positivity following vaccination against HBV.

Methods

The electronic medical record at an academic tertiary care medical center was searched to identify all orders for HBsAg within a 17 month time period. Detailed chart review was performed to identify all patients who were administered HBV vaccine within 180 days prior to HBsAg testing and also to ascertain likely cause of weakly positive (grayzone) results.

Results

During the 17 month study period, 11,719 HBsAg tests were ordered on 9,930 patients. There were 34 tests performed on 34 patients who received HBV vaccine 14 days or less prior to HBsAg testing. Of these 34 patients, 11 had grayzone results for HBsAg that could be attributed to recent vaccination. Ten of the 11 patients were renal dialysis patients who were receiving HBsAg testing as part of routine and ongoing monitoring. Beyond 14 days, there were no reactive or grayzone HBsAg tests that could be attributed to recent HBV vaccination. HBsAg results reached a peak COI two to three days following vaccination before decaying. Further analysis of all the grayzone results within the 17 month study period (43 results out of 11,719 tests) revealed that only 4 of 43 were the result of true HBV infection as verified by confirmatory testing.

Conclusions

Our study confirms that transient HBsAg positivity can occur in patients following HBV vaccination. The results suggest this positivity is unlikely to persist beyond 14 days post-vaccination. Our study also demonstrates that weakly positive HBsAg results often do not reflect actual HBV infection, underscoring the importance of confirmatory testing. This study also emphasizes that vaccination-induced HBsAg positives occur most commonly in hemodialysis patients.
Five novel glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency haplotypes correlating with disease severity
Authors: Dallol Ashraf , Banni Huda , Gari Mamdooh A , Al-Qahtani Mohammed H , Abuzenadeh Adel M , Al-Sayes Fatin , Chaudhary Adeel G , Bidwell Jeffrey , Kafienah Wael
Published: September 2012

Background

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD, EC 1.1.1.49) deficiency is caused by one or more mutations in the G6PD gene on chromosome X. An association between enzyme levels and gene haplotypes remains to be established.

Methods

In this study, we determined G6PD enzyme levels and sequenced the coding region, including the intron-exon boundaries, in a group of individuals (163 males and 86 females) who were referred to the clinic with suspected G6PD deficiency. The sequence data were analysed by physical linkage analysis and PHASE haplotype reconstruction.

Results

All previously reported G6PD missense changes, including the AURES, MEDITERRANEAN, A-, SIBARI, VIANGCHAN and ANANT, were identified in our cohort. The AURES mutation (p.Ile48Thr) was the most common variant in the cohort (30% in males patients) followed by the Mediterranean variant (p.Ser188Phe) detectable in 17.79% in male patients. Variant forms of the A- mutation (p.Val68Met, p.Asn126Asp or a combination of both) were detectable in 15.33% of the male patients. However, unique to this study, several of such mutations co-existed in the same patient as shown by physical linkage in males or PHASE haplotype reconstruction in females. Based on 6 non-synonymous variants of G6PD, 13 different haplotypes (13 in males, 8 in females) were identified. Five of these were previously unreported (Jeddah A, B, C, D and E) and were defined by previously unreported combinations of extant mutations where patients harbouring these haplotypes exhibited severe G6PD deficiency.

Conclusions

Our findings will help design a focused population screening approach and provide better management for G6PD deficiency patients.
Effects of helium and air inhalation on the innate and early adaptive immune system in healthy volunteers ex vivo
Authors: Oei Gezina TML , Smit Kirsten F , vd Vondervoort Djai , Brevoord Daniel , Hoogendijk Arjan , Wieland Catharina W , Hollmann Markus W , Preckel Benedikt , Weber Nina C
Published: September 2012

Background

Helium inhalation protects myocardium, brain and endothelium against ischemia/reperfusion injury in animals and humans, when applied according to specific “conditioning” protocols. Before widespread use of this “conditioning” agent in clinical practice, negative side effects have to be ruled out. We investigated the effect of prolonged helium inhalation on the responsiveness of the human immune response in whole blood ex vivo.

Methods

Male healthy volunteers inhaled 30 minutes heliox (79%He/21%O2) or air in a cross over design, with two weeks between measurements. Blood was withdrawn at T0 (baseline), T1 (25 min inhalation) and T2-T5 (1, 2, 6, 24 h after inhalation) and incubated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipoteichoic acid (LTA), T-cell stimuli anti-CD3/ anti-CD28 (TCS) or RPMI (as control) for 2, 4 and 24 hours or not incubated (0 h). An additional group of six volunteers inhaled 60 minutes of heliox or air, followed by blood incubation with LPS and RPMI. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) was analyzed by cytometric bead array. Statistical analysis was performed by the Wilcoxon test for matched samples.

Results

Incubation with LPS, LTA or TCS significantly increased TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IFN-γ and IL-2 in comparison to incubation with RPMI alone. Thirty min of helium inhalation did not influence the amounts of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IFN-γ and IL-2 in comparison to air. Sixty min of helium inhalation did not affect cytokine production after LPS stimulation.

Conclusions

We conclude that 79% helium inhalation does not affect the responsiveness of the human immune system in healthy volunteers.

Trial registration

Dutch Trial Register:http://www.trialregister.nl/ NTR2152
Reduced Basal Ganglia μ-Opioid Receptor Availability in Trigeminal Neuropathic Pain: A Pilot Study
Authors: DosSantos Marcos Fabio , Martikainen Ilkka Kristian , Nascimento Thiago Dias , Love Tiffany M , Deboer Misty Dawn , Maslowski Eric C , Monteiro André Antonio , Vincent Maurice Borges , Zubieta Jon-Kar , DaSilva Alexandre F
Published: September 2012

Background:

Although neuroimaging techniques have provided insights into the function of brain regions involved in Trigeminal Neuropathic Pain (TNP) in humans, there is little understanding of the molecular mechanisms affected during the course of this disorder. Understanding these processes is crucial to determine the systems involved in the development and persistence of TNP.

Findings:

In this study, we examined the regional μ-opioid receptor (μOR) availability in vivo (non-displaceable binding potential BPND) of TNP patients with positron emission tomography (PET) using the μOR selective radioligand [11C]carfentanil. Four TNP patients and eight gender and age-matched healthy controls were examined with PET. Patients with TNP showed reduced μOR BPND in the left nucleus accumbens (NAc), an area known to be involved in pain modulation and reward/aversive behaviors. In addition, the μOR BPND in the NAc was negatively correlated with the McGill sensory and total pain ratings in the TNP patients.

Conclusions:

Our findings give preliminary evidence that the clinical pain in TNP patients can be related to alterations in the endogenous μ-opioid system, rather than only to the peripheral pathology. The decreased availability of μORs found in TNP patients, and its inverse relationship to clinical pain levels, provide insights into the central mechanisms related to this condition. The results also expand our understanding about the impact of chronic pain on the limbic system.
Brief intervention to reduce risky drinking in pregnancy: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wilson Graeme B , McGovern Ruth , Antony Grace , Cassidy Paul , Deverill Mark , Graybill Erin , Gilvarry Eilish , Hodgson Moira , Kaner Eileen FS , Laing Kirsty , McColl Elaine , Newbury-Birch Dorothy , Rankin Judith
Published: September 2012

Background

Risky drinking in pregnancy by UK women is likely to result in many alcohol-exposed pregnancies. Studies from the USA suggest that brief intervention has promise for alcohol risk reduction in antenatal care. However, further research is needed to establish whether this evidence from the USA is applicable to the UK. This pilot study aims to investigate whether pregnant women can be recruited and retained in a randomized controlled trial of brief intervention aimed at reducing risky drinking in women receiving antenatal care.

Methods

The trial will rehearse the parallel-group, non-blinded design and procedures of a subsequent definitive trial. Over 8 months, women aged 18 years and over (target number 2,742) attending their booking appointment with a community midwife (n = 31) in north-east England will be screened for alcohol consumption using the consumption questions of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C). Those screening positive, without a history of substance use or alcohol dependence, with no pregnancy complication, and able to give informed consent, will be invited to participate in the trial (target number 120). Midwives will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to deliver either treatment as usual (control) or structured brief advice and referral for a 20-minute motivational interviewing session with an alcohol health worker (intervention). As well as demographic and health information, baseline measures will include two 7-day time line follow-back questionnaires and the EuroQoL EQ-5D-3 L questionnaire. Measures will be repeated in telephone follow-ups in the third trimester and at 6 months post-partum, when a questionnaire on use of National Health Service and social care resources will also be completed. Information on pregnancy outcomes and stillbirths will be accessed from central health service records before the follow-ups. Primary outcomes will be rates of eligibility, recruitment, intervention delivery, and retention in the study population, to inform power calculations for a definitive trial. The health-economics component will establish how cost-effectiveness will be assessed, and examine which data on health service resource use should be collected in a main trial. Participants’ views on instruments and procedures will be sought to confirm their acceptability.

Discussion

The study will produce a full trial protocol with robust sample-size calculations to extend evidence on effectiveness of screening and brief intervention.

Trial Registration

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN43218782
Increased expression of Golgi phosphoprotein-3 is associated with tumor aggressiveness and poor prognosis of prostate cancer
Authors: Hua Xing , Yu Lina , Pan Wenhai , Huang Xiaoxiao , Liao Zexiao , Xian Qi , Fang Li , Shen Hong
Published: September 2012

Background

To investigate the expression of Golgi phosphoprotein-3 (GOLPH3) in prostate cancer and determine its prognostic value.

Methods

Immunohistochemical staining for GOLPH3 was performed on tissue microarrays of 342 prostate patients. The correlation between GOLPH3 expression with its clinicopathologic factors was also analyzed in order to determine its prognostic significance.

Results

GOLPH3 expression of normal prostate tissues, benign prostate hyperplasia, high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and hormone-dependent prostate cancer (HDPC) did not show any statistically significant difference. In contrast, statistically significant difference was reported in moderate/intense GOLPH3 expression in cases diagnosed with HDPC and castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) (P < 0.0005). Moderate /intense expression of GOLPH3 was associated with androgen independence (P = 0.012), higher Gleason score (P = 0.017), bone metastasis (P = 0.024), higher baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA) (P = 0.038), and higher PSA nadir (P = 0.032). A significantly negative correlation was found between moderate/intense GOLPH3 expression and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR = 0.28, P = 0.012) and overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.42, P = 0.027). Univariated analysis indicated that moderate/intense GOLPH3 expression created a significantly prognostic impact in patients with CRPC. On the other hand, multivariate analysis indicated that GOLPH3 was a significantly independent prognostic factor of DFS (P = 0.027) in all prostate cancer patients.

Conclusions

In this study, it was discovered that the overexpression of GOLPH3 is associated with the transition of prostate cancer from hormone sensitive phase to hormone refractory phase. GOLPH3 might be an important prognostic factor of DFS and OS in patients with prostate cancer. In totality, GOLPH3 could be used as a novel candidate in devising a more effective therapeutic strategy to tackle CRPC.

Virtual slides

The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1452541171722856.
ACR Appropriateness Criteria®  Resectable Rectal Cancer
Authors: Jones William E , Thomas Charles R , Herman Joseph M , Abdel-Wahab May , Azad Nilofer , Blackstock William , Das Prajnan , Goodman Karyn A , Hong Theodore S , Jabbour Salma K , Konski Andre A , Koong Albert C , Rodriguez-Bigas Miguel , Small William , Zook Jennifer , Suh W Warren
Published: September 2012

The management of resectable rectal cancer continues to be guided by clinical trials and advances in technique. Although surgical advances including total mesorectal excision continue to decrease rates of local recurrence, the management of locally advanced disease (T3-T4 or N+) benefits from a multimodality approach including neoadjuvant concomitant chemotherapy and radiation. Circumferential resection margin, which can be determined preoperatively via MRI, is prognostic. Toxicity associated with radiation therapy is decreased by placing the patient in the prone position on a belly board, however for patients who cannot tolerate prone positioning, IMRT decreases the volume of normal tissue irradiated. The use of IMRT requires knowledge of the patterns of spreads and anatomy. Clinical trials demonstrate high variability in target delineation without specific guidance demonstrating the need for peer review and the use of a consensus atlas. Concomitant with radiation, fluorouracil based chemotherapy remains the standard, and although toxicity is decreased with continuous infusion fluorouracil, oral capecitabine is non-inferior to the continuous infusion regimen. Additional chemotherapeutic agents, including oxaliplatin, continue to be investigated, however currently should only be utilized on clinical trials as increased toxicity and no definitive benefit has been demonstrated in clinical trials.

The ACR Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed every two years by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and review include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer reviewed journals and the application of a well-established consensus methodology (modified Delphi) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures by the panel. In those instances where evidence is lacking or not definitive, expert opinion may be used to recommend imaging or treatment.
Serological and molecular survey of Leishmania parasites in apparently healthy dogs in the West Bank, Palestine
Authors: Hamarsheh Omar , Nasereddin Abedalmajeed , Damaj Safa , Sawalha SamIr , Al-Jawabreh Hanan , Azmi Kifaya , Amro Ahmad , Ereqat Suheir , Abdeen Ziad , Al-Jawabreh Amer
Published: September 2012

Background

Canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) is caused by Leishmania infantum in all Mediterranean countries. The Leishmania parasite is transmitted by the bite of a corresponding sand fly vector and primarily maintained in nature by wild and domestic reservoirs, including dogs, foxes and jackals. Infected dogs are the primary reservoir host in endemic regions and are the most significant risk disposing humans to infection. The present study aimed at assessing the prevalence of infection with Leishmania and identification of Leishmania infantum in domestic dogs in the West Bank, Palestine.

Methods

The infection rate among domestic dogs collected from seven districts in the Palestinian West Bank was investigated by examination of parasites in culture from the buffy coat using serological and molecular methods; based on ELISA, internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and cysteine protease (CPB) PCR.

Results

Out of 215 dogs examined for Leishmania, 36 (16.7%) were positive in at least one method. Twenty three animals (11.5%) were positive for Leishmania DNA, whereas, ELISA and culture revealed 16 (7.5%), and 4 (1.5%) respectively. CPB-PCR on one of three culture-positive isolates revealed Leishmania infantum as the causative agent for Leishmania infection in dogs.

Conclusions

Our study showed that canine leishmania infection is prevalent with varying degrees in all the seven studied districts in Palestine despite the absence of human VL cases in 4 of these districts. The causative agent was confirmed to be Leishmania infantum.
R-CHOP with dose-attenuated radiation therapy could induce good prognosis in gastric diffuse large B cell lymphoma
Authors: Mishima Yuko , Terui Yasuhito , Yokoyama Masahiro , Nishimura Noriko , Sakajiri Sakura , Ueda Kyoko , Kuboki Yasutoshi , Nakano Kenji , Suzuki Kazuhito , Nara Eriko , Tsuyama Naoko , Takeuchi Kengo , Oguchi Masahiko , Hatake Kiyohiko
Published: September 2012

Background

The treatment strategy for gastric diffuse large cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has not been standardized in such as to the cycles of chemotherapy, dose of radiation, or necessity for the surgery. Although the results of CHOP or R-CHOP treatments have demonstrated the good prognosis, the treatments have been controversial in many cases.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 40 gastric DLBCL patients receiving chemotherapy with or without radiation in our institute. Those in stages II-IV were treated with six cycles of R-CHOP without radiation; for those in stage I, we administered three cycles of R-CHOP with radiation.

Results

The three-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 95.2 and 91.8%, respectively. Those in stage I obtained 100% of OS. The radiation dose prescribed was 30.6 Gy for CR cases and 39.6 to 40 Gy for PR after chemotherapy. Although survival rates tended to correlate with staging groups or age-adjusted IPI classifications, multivariate statistical analysis did not show clear differences. All 14 patients with initial bleeding were successfully managed without surgery during treatment.

Conclusion

R-CHOP therapy was very effective for gastric DLBCL. It may be not necessary to use more than 30.6 Gy of radiotherapy in the highly chemo-sensitive cases. Less toxic treatments should be made available to gastric DLBCL patients.
Near Infrared Spectroscopic and Hyperspectral Imaging of Compression Wood in Pinus Radiata D. Don
Authors: Meder Roger , Meglen Robert R.
Published: September 2012

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been used to predict the severity of compression wood in samples of radiata pine ( P. radiata D. Don) using a subjective microscopic assessment of compression wood as the reference method. The calibration statistics are only moderate ( R2 = 0.84, r2 = 0.6) which may be due to the subjectivity of the traditional method. Spatial resolution of compression wood in board cross-sections and discs from logs has been achieved using an improvised “NIR microscope” based on a Zeiss trinocular microscope and, more recently, using a NIR hyperspectral line camera. Compression wood was identifiable on the surface of discs across the continuum from normal wood to severe compression wood.
Hyperspectral Imaging: A Review of Best Practice, Performance and Pitfalls for in-line and on-line Applications
Authors: Boldrini Barbara , Kessler Waltraud , Rebner Karsten , Kessler Rudolf W.
Published: September 2012

The objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of best practice in hyperspectral imaging. The paper starts to review the taxonomy of the different spectral imaging techniques together with their advantages and disadvantages. The appropriate selection of cameras and spectrographs and their figures of merit are discussed and a detailed description is given of how to qualify and calibrate a pushbroom imaging system for on-line and in-line control. Special emphasis is given to detection and avoidance of specular reflection which can severely distort quantification of the spectral response. Recommendations for an ideal Lambertian illumination are given and the effects of scatter and absorption are discussed when particulate systems are investigated. Here, first principles are introduced and strategies for how to separate scatter from absorption are developed. A simple method using the Kubelka and Munk approach is examined and separated scatter and pure absorption spectra are shown. The same procedure is applied to show the lateral distribution of the separated scatter and absorption properties of an active pharmaceutical ingredient embedded in an excipient. The terms penetration and information depth are discussed and an example of penetration depth profile over wavelengths is provided. Based on a good quality optical set-up and a validated measurement procedure, a practical procedure is described to analyse the data cube using the chemometrics toolbox for hyperspectral imaging. Finally, a survey on selected applications demonstrates the future potential of hyperspectral imaging.
The Utility of near Infrared Imaging in Intra-Operative Prediction of Flap Outcome: A Reverse McFarlane Skin Flap Model Study
Authors: Sowa Michael G. , Friesen Jeri R. , Levasseur Michelle , Schattka Bernhard , Sigurdson Leif , Hayakawa Thomas
Published: September 2012

Skin flaps are complex procedures used extensively in reconstructive surgery that require post-operative monitoring to ensure that they do not fail. Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopic imaging is a convenient, non-invasive method for surgeons to examine flaps during surgery and in the early post-operative period. Using a reverse McFarlane skin flap model, we show that model-free chemometric methods as well as simple modified Beer-Lambert analysis of the NIR images provide insights into the blood supply to flaps and demonstrate that the technique can detect and localise perfusion-related complications as well as give real-time feedback to the surgeon as they try to resolve the complication. We also show that using estimates of tissue haemoglobin oxygen saturation, imaging measurements made during surgery and in the early post-operative period are highly predictive of the outcome of the flap tissue with specificities and sensitivities exceeding 85%.