bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hair repigmentation associated with thalidomide use for the treatment of multiple myeloma
Authors: Lovering Stephanie , Miao Wenya , Bailie Toni , Amato Dominick
Published: July 2016

A 75-year-old woman diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2007 began treatment with monthly melphalan and prednisone for a total of 9 cycles in combination with thalidomide in 2009. The patient subsequently continued on thalidomide for long-term maintenance therapy. 3 years following initiation of thalidomide, the patient mentioned to her oncologist that her hair had become darker over the years. She attributed the change to thalidomide given the temporal relationship and progressive darkening over the course of therapy. The patient denies ever using any hair colouring treatments and had longstanding grey/white hair before beginning thalidomide in 2009. A case of hair repigmentation associated with the use of lenalidomide, a 4-amino-glutamyl analogue of thalidomide, in a patient with multiple myeloma was previously reported in the literature. We report herein the first case of hair repigmentation associated with the use of thalidomide, a related immunomodulatory drug.
Breast metastasis from vaginal cancer
Authors: Chandrasekaran Neeraja , Scharifker Daniel , Varsegi George , Almeida Zoyla
Published: July 2016

Vaginal cancer is a rare malignancy accounting for 1–2% of all pelvic neoplasms. Dissemination usually occurs through local invasion and rarely metastasises to distal locations. Metastasis of vaginal cancer to the breast is extremely infrequent and unique. A 66-year-old Asian woman presented with vaginal bleeding and was found to have a vaginal mass and a left breast mass. Pathological assessment of the biopsies revealed identical squamous cell characteristics of both masses. We describe a very rare and novel case of a distally located vaginal carcinoma with metastasis to the breast Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IV (FIGO IVB). Robot-assisted extrafascial total hysterectomy with local vaginal mass excision and partial mastectomy of the left breast were performed. After surgery, the patient underwent adjuvant chemotherapy followed by breast and pelvic radiotherapy, with maintained complete remission after 3 years of follow-up. This combination of findings and treatment is very distinct with a unique and favourable response.
Use of the experience sampling method in the context of clinical trials
Authors: Verhagen Simone J W , Hasmi Laila , Drukker Marjan , van Os J , Delespaul Philippe A E G
Published: July 2016

Objective

The experience sampling method (ESM) is a structured diary technique to appraise subjective experiences in daily life. It is applied in psychiatric patients, as well as in patients with somatic illness. Despite the potential of ESM assessment, the improved logistics and its increased administration in research, its use in clinical trials remains limited. This paper introduces ESM for clinical trials in psychiatry and beyond.

Methods

ESM is an ecologically valid method that yields a comprehensive view of an individual's daily life. It allows the assessment of various constructs (eg, quality of life, psychopathology) and psychological mechanisms (eg, stress-sensitivity, coping). These constructs are difficult to assess using cross-sectional questionnaires. ESM can be applied in treatment monitoring, as an ecological momentary intervention, in clinical trials, or in single case clinical trials. Technological advances (eg, smartphone applications) make its implementation easier.

Results

Advantages of ESM are highlighted and disadvantages are discussed. Furthermore, the ecological nature of ESM data and its consequences are explored, including the potential pitfalls of ambiguously formulated research questions and the specificities of ESM in statistical analyses. The last section focuses on ESM in relation to clinical trials and discusses its future use in optimising clinical decision-making.

Conclusions

ESM can be a valuable asset in clinical trial research and should be used more often to study the benefits of treatment in psychiatry and somatic health.
Can you really swim? Validation of self and parental reports of swim skill with an inwater swim test among children attending community pools in Washington State
Authors: Mercado Melissa C , Quan Linda , Bennett Elizabeth , Gilchrist Julie , Levy Benjamin A , Robinson Candice L , Wendorf Kristen , Gangan Fife Maria Aurora , Stevens Mark R , Lee Robin
Published: July 2016

Background

Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death among US children. Multiple studies describe decreased drowning risk among children possessing some swim skills. Current surveillance for this protective factor is self/proxy-reported swim skill rather than observed inwater performance; however, children's self-report or parents’ proxy report of swim skill has not been validated. This is the first US study to evaluate whether children or parents can validly report a child's swim skill. It also explores which swim skill survey measure(s) correlate with children's inwater swim performance.

Methods

For this cross-sectional convenience-based sample, pilot study, child/parent dyads (N=482) were recruited at three outdoor public pools in Washington State. Agreement between measures of self-reports and parental-reports of children's swim skill was assessed via paired analyses, and validated by inwater swim test results.

Results

Participants were representative of pool's patrons (ie, non-Hispanic White, highly educated, high income). There was agreement in child/parent dyads’ reports of the following child swim skill measures: ‘ever taken swim lessons’, perceived ‘good swim skills’ and ‘comfort in water over head’. Correlation analyses suggest that reported ‘good swim skills’ was the best survey measure to assess a child's swim skill—best if the parent was the informant (r=0.25–0.47). History of swim lessons was not significantly correlated with passing the swim test.

Conclusions

Reported ‘good swim skills’ was most correlated with observed swim skill. Reporting ‘yes’ to ‘ever taken swim lessons’ did not correlate with swim skill. While non-generalisable, findings can help inform future studies.
Long-term treatment with royal jelly improves bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats
Authors: Zargar Hamid Reza , Hemmati Ali Asghar , Ghafourian Mehri , Arzi Ardeshir , Rezaie Anahita , Javad-Moosavi Seyed Ali
Published: July 2016

This study investigated the anti-fibrotic potential of royal jelly (RJ) powder against bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats. The rats were given RJ orally (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg per day) for 7 consecutive days before the administration of single intratracheal instillation of bleomycin (BLM) at 7.5 IU/kg. RJ doses were continued for 21 days after BLM exposure. Fibrotic changes in the lungs were studied by cell count and analysis of cytokine levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), histopathological examination, and assaying oxidative stress biomarkers in lung tissue. The results showed that BLM administration significantly increased the fibrotic changes, collagen content, and levels of malondialdehyde and decreased total thiol and glutathione peroxidase antioxidant contents in the rats’ lung tissue. An increase in the level of cell counts and pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic cytokines such as TNF-α and TGF-β in BALF was observed. Also, it significantly decreased IFN-γ, an anti-fibrotic cytokine, in BALF. However, RJ (50 and 100 mg/kg) reversed all of these biochemical indices as well as histopathological alterations induced by BLM. The present study demonstrates that RJ, by its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, attenuates oxidative damage and fibrosis induced by BLM.
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) winter habitat selection and seasonal movements in an area of active coal mining
Authors: Poole Kim G. , Serrouya Rob , Teske Irene E. , Podrasky Kevin
Published: July 2016

Winter is an important period for most mountain ungulates due to limited availability of preferred forage and costs associated with travel through deep snow. We examined winter habitat selection by Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis Shaw, 1804) where four large, open-pit coal mines are in operation. Sheep in this area generally winter at high elevation on windswept, south-facing native grasslands. We used GPS collars and Resource Selection Function analysis to examine movements and habitat selection. A majority (79%) of the sheep were migratory and fidelity to winter ranges was high (88%). Sheep showed low use (∼10%–20%) of mine areas between November and April, followed by increased use peaking at 60%–65% in September–October. Wintering sheep were positively associated with high elevations, closeness to escape terrain, and warmer aspects. High-elevation, native grasslands were the highest ranked cover class. Most sheep that used mine areas during winter used reclaimed habitats, primarily reclaimed spoils and pits. Primary winter ranges comprised 4.3% of merged sheep range, emphasizing the limited amount of occupied winter ranges within the landscape. Disturbance to native winter range resulting from development should be minimized or be conducted in a manner that effectively manages and (or) mitigates the impacts.
Experimental Study on Elliott Wave Theory for Handoff Prediction
Authors: Vishvaksenan K. S. , Mithra K. , Kalidoss R. , Karthipan R.
Published: July 2016

The main objective for the next generation wireless network is the offer of a high data rate when the user is on the move. The key element that offers continuous connectivity is the handoff. In this paper, we propose a handoff prediction model, which can predict handoff behavior of the user well in advance and reduce the latency in the handoff operation. The prediction model is validated with real life scenario both for the pedestrian user and the vehicle user, traveling at a speed of 80[Formula: see text]km/h. The experimental result verifies the capability of the proposed algorithm to predict the future sample with accuracy and minimum latency. Simulation results demonstrate the proposed system outperforming the existing system compared to the probability of the handoff detection and minimizing the false alarm probability. There is also the fact of the proposed algorithm not requiring any additional hardware for predicting the mobility of the user.
Oxygen diffusion in a spherical cell subject to nonlinear Michaelis–Menten kinetics: Mathematical analysis by two exact methods
Authors: Fatoorehchi Hooman , Abolghasemi Hossein , Villafuerte Laura , Zarghami Reza
Published: July 2016

A nonlinear model representing oxygen diffusion accompanied by the Michaelis–Menten consumption kinetics inside a spherical cell is solved analytically by the differential transform method (DTM) and the modified Adomian decomposition method (MADM). A perfect agreement between the literature data and the results from the proposed solutions is found. The advantages and drawbacks of the two approaches are discussed and their efficiencies are compared through a CPU-time analysis.
Global synchronization for hybrid coupled neural networks with interval time-varying delays: A matrix-based quadratic convex approach
Authors: Botmart Thongchai , Yotha Narongsak , Mukdasai Kanit , Wongaree Supreecha
Published: July 2016

This paper is concerned with the global synchronization problems for coupled neural networks (NNs) with hybrid coupling and interval time-varying delays. An appropriate Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional (LKF) and Kronecker product properties are used to form some new delay-dependent synchronization conditions in terms of linear matrix inequalities. A matrix-based quadratic convex approach introduce for sufficient conditions to ensure global synchronization where the time-varying delay is continuous uniformly bounded and its time-derivative bounded by upper and lower bounds. Simulation results are given to show the effectiveness and benefits of the proposed methods.
Numerical solution of parabolic partial differential equations using adaptive gird Haar wavelet collocation method
Authors: Shiralashetti S. C. , Angadi L. M. , Kantli M. H. , Deshi A. B.
Published: July 2016

In this paper, we applied the adaptive grid Haar wavelet collocation method (AGHWCM) for the numerical solution of parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs). The approach of AGHWCM for the numerical solution of parabolic PDEs is mentioned, the obtained numerical results, error analysis are presented in figures and tables. This shows that, the AGHWCM gives better accuracy than the HWCM and FDM. Some of the test problems are taken for demonstrating the validity and applicability of the AGHWCM.
Certain problems related to generalized Srivastava–Attiya operator
Authors: Challab K. A. , Darus M. , Ghanim F.
Published: July 2016

In this paper, we study certain properties involving the generalized Srivastava–Attiya operator. A set of subordination results are obtained and some special cases connected with the Hurwitz–Lerch zeta function and their relevances with known results are also pointed out.
Surface rupture of the 1911 Kebin (Chon–Kemin) earthquake, Northern Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan
Authors: Arrowsmith J. Ramón , Crosby Christopher J. , Korzhenkov Andrey M. , Mamyrov Ernest , Povolotskaya Irina , Guralnik Benny , Landgraf Angela
Published: July 2016

The 1911 Chon–Kemin (Kebin) earthquake culminated
c.
30 years of remarkable earthquakes in the northern Tien Shan (Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan). Building on prior mapping of the event, we traced its rupture in the field and measured more than 50 offset landforms. Cumulative fault rupture length is >155–195 km along 13 fault patches comprising six sections. The patches are separated by changes of dip magnitude or dip direction, or by 4–10 km-wide stepovers. One <40 km section overlaps and is parallel to the main north-dipping rupture but is 7 km north and dips opposite (south). Both ends of the rupture are along mountain front thrust faults demonstrating late Quaternary activity. We computed the moment from each fault patch using the surface fault traces, dip inferred from the traces, 20 km seismogenic thickness, rigidity of 3.3×10
10
N m
−2
and dip slip converted from our observations of the largely reverse sense of motion vertical offsets. The discontinuous patches with
c.
3–4 m average slip and peak slip of <14 m yield a seismic moment of 4.6×10
20
Nm (
M
w
7.78) to 7.4×10
20
Nm (
M
w
7.91). The majority of moment was released along the inner eastern rupture segments. This geological moment is lower by a factor of 1.5 from that determined from teleseismic data.
Leveraging Neighbor Attributes for Classification in Sparsely Labeled Networks
Authors: McDowell Luke K. , Aha David W.
Published: July 2016

Many analysis tasks involve linked nodes, such as people connected by friendship links. Research onlink-based classification(LBC) has studied how to leverage these connections to improve classification accuracy. Most such prior research has assumed the provision of a densely labeled training network. Instead, this article studies the common and challenging case when LBC must use a single sparsely labeled network for both learning and inference, a case where existing methods often yield poor accuracy. To address this challenge, we introduce a novel method that enables prediction via “neighbor attributes,” which were briefly considered by early LBC work but then abandoned due to perceived problems. We then explain, using both extensive experiments and loss decomposition analysis, how using neighbor attributes often significantly improves accuracy. We further show that using appropriate semi-supervised learning (SSL) is essential to obtaining the best accuracy in this domain and that the gains of neighbor attributes remain across a range of SSL choices and data conditions. Finally, given the challenges of label sparsity for LBC and the impact of neighbor attributes, we show that multiple previous studies must be re-considered, including studies regarding the best model features, the impact of noisy attributes, and strategies for active learning.
Shop-Type Recommendation Leveraging the Data from Social Media and Location-Based Services
Authors: Yu Zhiwen , Tian Miao , Wang Zhu , Guo Bin , Mei Tao
Published: July 2016

It is an important yet challenging task for investors to determine the most suitable type of shop (e.g., restaurant, fashion) for a newly opened store. Traditional ways are predominantly field surveys and empirical estimation, which are not effective as they lack shop-related data. As social media and location-based services (LBS) are becoming more and more pervasive, user-generated data from these platforms are providing rich information not only about individual consumption experiences, but also about shop attributes. In this paper, we investigate the recommendation of shop types for a given location, by leveraging heterogeneous data that are mainly historical user preferences and location context from social media and LBS. Our goal is to select the most suitable shop type, seeking to maximize the number of customers served from a candidate set of types. We propose a novel bias learning matrix factorization method with feature fusion for shop popularity prediction. Features are defined and extracted from two perspectives: location, where features are closely related to location characteristics, and commercial, where features are about the relationships between shops in the neighborhood. Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art solutions.
Scalable Clustering by Iterative Partitioning and Point Attractor Representation
Authors: Shao Junming , Yang Qinli , Dang Hoang-Vu , Schmidt Bertil , Kramer Stefan
Published: July 2016

Clustering very large datasets while preserving cluster quality remains a challenging data-mining task to date. In this paper, we propose an effective scalable clustering algorithm for large datasets that builds upon the concept of synchronization. Inherited from the powerful concept of synchronization, the proposed algorithm, CIPA (Clustering by Iterative Partitioning and Point Attractor Representations), is capable of handling very large datasets by iteratively partitioning them into thousands of subsets and clustering each subset separately. Using dynamic clustering by synchronization, each subset is then represented by a set of point attractors and outliers. Finally, CIPA identifies the cluster structure of the original dataset by clustering the newly generated dataset consisting of points attractors and outliers from all subsets. We demonstrate that our new scalable clustering approach has several attractive benefits: (a) CIPA faithfully captures the cluster structure of the original data by performing clustering on each separate data iteratively instead of using any sampling or statistical summarization technique. (b) It allows clustering very large datasets efficiently with high cluster quality. (c) CIPA is parallelizable and also suitable for distributed data. Extensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach.
Agents Vs. Users
Authors: Verbert Katrien , Parra Denis , Brusilovsky Peter
Published: July 2016

Several approaches have been researched to help people deal with abundance of information. An important feature pioneered by social tagging systems and later used in other kinds of social systems is the ability to explore different
community relevance prospects
by examining items bookmarked by a specific
user
or items associated by various users with a specific
tag
. A ranked list of recommended items offered by a specific
recommender engine
can be considered as another relevance prospect. The problem that we address is that existing personalized social systems do not allow their users to explore and combine multiple relevance prospects. Only one prospect can be explored at any given time—a list of recommended items, a list of items bookmarked by a specific user, or a list of items marked with a specific tag. In this article, we explore the notion of combining multiple relevance prospects as a way to increase effectiveness and trust. We used a visual approach to recommend articles at a conference by explicitly presenting multiple dimensions of relevance. Suggestions offered by different recommendation techniques were embodied as
recommender agents
to put them on the same ground as users and tags. The results of two user studies performed at academic conferences allowed us to obtain interesting insights to enhance user interfaces of personalized social systems. More specifically, effectiveness and probability of item selection increase when users are able to explore and interrelate prospects of items relevance—that is, items bookmarked by users, recommendations and tags. Nevertheless, a less-technical audience may require guidance to understand the rationale of such intersections.
Students' motivation toward laboratory work in physiology teaching
Authors: Dohn Niels Bonderup , Fago Angela , Overgaard Johannes , Madsen Peter Teglberg , Malte Hans
Published: July 2016

The laboratory has been given a central role in physiology education, and teachers report that it is motivating for students to undertake experimental work on live animals or measuring physiological responses on the students themselves. Since motivation is a critical variable for academic learning and achievement, then we must concern ourselves with questions that examine how students engage in laboratory work and persist at such activities. The purpose of the present study was to investigate how laboratory work influences student motivation in physiology. We administered the Lab Motivation Scale to assess our students' levels of interest, willingness to engage (effort), and confidence in understanding (self-efficacy). We also asked students about the role of laboratory work for their own learning and their experience in the physiology laboratory. Our results documented high levels of interest, effort, and self-efficacy among the students. Correlation analyses were performed on the three motivation scales and exam results, yet a significant correlation was only found between self-efficacy in laboratory work and academic performance at the final exam. However, almost all students reported that laboratory work was very important for learning difficult concepts and physiological processes (e.g., action potential), as the hands-on experiences gave a more concrete idea of the learning content and made the content easier to remember. These results have implications for classroom practice as biology students find laboratory exercises highly motivating, despite their different personal interests and subject preferences. This highlights the importance of not replacing laboratory work by other nonpractical approaches, for example, video demonstrations or computer simulations.
The prevalence of exercise prescription-related course offerings in United States pharmacy school curricula: Exercise is Medicine
Authors: Dirks-Naylor Amie J. , Griffiths Carrie L. , Gibson Jacob L. , Luu Jacqueline A.
Published: July 2016

Exercise training has proven to be beneficial in the prevention of disease. In addition, exercise can improve the pathogenesis and symptoms associated with a variety of chronic disease states and can attenuate drug-induced adverse effects. Exercise is a drug-free polypill. Because the benefits of exercise are clear and profound, Exercise is Medicine, a joint initiative between the American Medical Association and American College of Sports Medicine, was launched in 2007 to call on all health care providers to counsel patients and prescribe exercise in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease states. Pharmacists play an increasing role in direct patient care and are the most accessible health care providers in the community. Thus, pharmacists should be knowledgeable in counseling patients on the frequency, intensity, time, and type of exercise that is appropriate for various conditions and disease states. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of didactic course offerings in United States pharmacy school curricula regarding training in exercise prescription. School websites were accessed for information regarding course offerings in PharmD programs. No United States pharmacy schools offered courses that were dedicted to the role of exercise in disease prevention or exercise prescription in disease management. Ninety percent of pharmacy schools did not offer courses with the keywords “exercise,” “fitness, or ”physical activity“ in the title or description. The data suggest that student pharmacists are not adequately trained to counsel patients on the benefits of exercise or exercise prescription.
The use of simulation as a novel experiential learning module in undergraduate science pathophysiology education
Authors: Chen Hui , Kelly Michelle , Hayes Carolyn , van Reyk David , Herok George
Published: July 2016

Teaching of pathophysiology concepts is a core feature in health professional programs, but it can be challenging in undergraduate medical/biomedical science education, which is often highly theoretical when delivered by lectures and pen-and-paper tutorials. Authentic case studies allow students to apply their theoretical knowledge but still require good imagination on the part of the students. Lecture content can be reinforced through practical learning experiences in clinical environments. In this study, we report a new approach using clinical simulation within a Human Pathophysiology course to enable undergraduate science students to see “pathophysiology in action” in a clinical setting. Students role played health professionals, and, in these roles, they were able to interact with each other and the manikin “patient,” take a medical history, perform a physical examination and consider relevant treatments. Evaluation of students' experiences suggests that using clinical simulation to deliver case studies is more effective than traditional paper-based case studies by encouraging active learning and improving the understanding of physiological concepts.
Lack of hepcidin ameliorates anemia and improves growth in an adenine-induced mouse model of chronic kidney disease
Authors: Akchurin Oleh , Sureshbabu Angara , Doty Steve B. , Zhu Yuan-Shan , Patino Edwin , Cunningham-Rundles Susanna , Choi Mary E. , Boskey Adele , Rivella Stefano
Published: July 2016

Growth delay is common in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD), often associated with poor quality of life. The role of anemia in uremic growth delay is poorly understood. Here we describe an induction of uremic growth retardation by a 0.2% adenine diet in wild-type (WT) and hepcidin gene ( Hamp) knockout (KO) mice, compared with their respective littermates fed a regular diet. Experiments were started at weaning (3 wk). After 8 wk, blood was collected and mice were euthanized. Adenine-fed WT mice developed CKD (blood urea nitrogen 82.8 ± 11.6 mg/dl and creatinine 0.57 ± 0.07 mg/dl) and were 2.1 cm shorter compared with WT controls. WT adenine-fed mice were anemic and had low serum iron, elevated Hamp, and elevated IL6 and TNF-α. WT adenine-fed mice had advanced mineral bone disease (serum phosphorus 16.9 ± 3.1 mg/dl and FGF23 204.0 ± 115.0 ng/ml) with loss of cortical and trabecular bone volume seen on microcomputed tomography. Hamp disruption rescued the anemia phenotype resulting in improved growth rate in mice with CKD, thus providing direct experimental evidence of the relationship between Hamp pathway and growth impairment in CKD. Hamp disruption ameliorated CKD-induced growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor 1 axis derangements and growth plate alterations. Disruption of Hamp did not mitigate the development of uremia, inflammation, and mineral and bone disease in this model. Taken together, these results indicate that an adenine diet can be successfully used to study growth in mice with CKD. Hepcidin appears to be related to pathways of growth retardation in CKD suggesting that investigation of hepcidin-lowering therapies in juvenile CKD is warranted.
Dietary nitrate supplementation: impact on skeletal muscle vascular control in exercising rats with chronic heart failure
Authors: Ferguson Scott K. , Holdsworth Clark T. , Colburn Trenton D. , Wright Jennifer L. , Craig Jesse C. , Fees Alex , Jones Andrew M. , Allen Jason D. , Musch Timothy I. , Poole David C.
Published: July 2016

Chronic heart failure (CHF) results in central and peripheral derangements that ultimately reduce skeletal muscle O2 delivery and impair exercise tolerance. Dietary nitrate (NO3−) supplementation improves skeletal muscle vascular function and tolerance to exercise. We tested the hypothesis that NO3− supplementation would elevate exercising skeletal muscle blood flow (BF) and vascular conductance (VC) in CHF rats. Myocardial infarction (MI) was induced (coronary artery ligation) in young adult male rats. After 21 days of recovery, rats randomly received 5 days of NO3−-rich beetroot juice (CHF + BR, n = 10) or a placebo (CHF, n = 10). Mean arterial pressure (carotid artery catheter) and skeletal muscle BF (radiolabeled microspheres) were measured during treadmill exercise (20 m/min, 5% grade). CHF-induced dysfunction, as determined by myocardial infarction size (29 ± 3% and 33 ± 4% in CHF and CHF + BR, respectively) and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (18 ± 2 and 18 ± 2 mmHg in CHF and CHF + BR, respectively), and exercising mean arterial pressure (131 ± 3 and 128 ± 4 mmHg in CHF and CHF + BR, respectively) were not different ( P > 0.05) between groups. Total exercising hindlimb skeletal muscle BF (95 ± 5 and 116 ± 9 ml·min−1·100 g−1 in CHF and CHF + BR, respectively) and VC (0.75 ± 0.05 and 0.90 ± 0.05 ml·min−1·100 g−1·mmHg−1 in CHF and CHF + BR, respectively) were 22% and 20% greater in BR-supplemented rats, respectively ( P < 0.05). During exercise, BF in 9 and VC in 10 hindlimb muscles and muscle portions were significantly greater in the CHF + BR group. These results provide strong evidence that dietary NO3− supplementation improves skeletal muscle vascular function during exercise in rats with CHF and, thus, support the use of BR as a novel therapeutic modality for the treatment of CHF.
Fibroblast growth factor 21 is required for beneficial effects of exercise during chronic high-fat feeding
Authors: Loyd Christine , Magrisso I. Jack , Haas Michael , Balusu Sowmya , Krishna Radha , Itoh Nobuyuki , Sandoval Darleen A. , Perez-Tilve Diego , Obici Silvana , Habegger Kirk M.
Published: July 2016

Exercise is an effective therapy against the metabolic syndrome. However, the molecular pathways underlying the advantageous effects of exercise are elusive. Glucagon receptor signaling is essential for exercise benefits, and recent evidence indicates that a downstream effector of glucagon, fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), is implicated in this response. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that FGF21 action is necessary in mediating metabolic effects of exercise. We utilized acute exhaustive treadmill exercise in Wistar rats to identify a putative, concomitant increase in plasma glucagon and FGF21 with the increase in glucose and lactate following exercise. To test the necessity of FGF21 action in the exercise response, we exposed FGF21 congenitally deficient mice ( Fgf21 −/−) and their wild-type (Wt) littermates to chronic high-fat (HF) feeding and inoperable (sedentary) or operable (exercise) voluntary running wheels. Physiological tests were performed to assess the role of FGF21 in the beneficial effect of exercise on glucose metabolism. Wt and Fgf21 −/− littermates exhibited similar running behavior, and exercise was effective in suppressing weight and fat mass gain and dyslipidemia independently of genotype. However, exercise failed to positively affect hepatic triglyceride content and glucose tolerance in HF diet-fed Fgf21 −/− mice. Furthermore, Fgf21 −/− mice exhibited an impaired adaptation to exercise training, including reduced AMP-activated protein kinase activity in skeletal muscle. This study demonstrates that FGF21 action is necessary to achieve the full metabolic benefits of exercise during chronic HF feeding.
Pregnancy at high altitude in the Andes leads to increased total vessel density in healthy newborns
Authors: Gassmann Norina N. , van Elteren Hugo A. , Goos Tom G. , Morales Claudia R. , Rivera-Ch Maria , Martin Daniel S. , Cabala Peralta Patricia , Passano del Carpio Agustin , Aranibar Machaca Saul , Huicho Luis , Reiss Irwin K. M. , Gassmann Max , de Jonge Rogier C. J.
Published: July 2016

The developing human fetus is able to cope with the physiological reduction in oxygen supply occurring in utero. However, it is not known if microvascularization of the fetus is augmented when pregnancy occurs at high altitude. Fifty-three healthy term newborns in Puno, Peru (3,840 m) were compared with sea-level controls. Pre- and postductal arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) was determined. Cerebral and calf muscle regional tissue oxygenation was measured using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Skin microcirculation was noninvasively measured using incident dark field imaging. Pre- and postductal SpO2 in Peruvian babies was 88.1 and 88.4%, respectively, which was 10.4 and 9.7% lower than in newborns at sea level ( P < 0.001). Cerebral and regional oxygen saturation was significantly lower in the Peruvian newborns (cerebral: 71.0 vs. 74.9%; regional: 68.5 vs. 76.0%, P < 0.001). Transcutaneously measured total vessel density in the Peruvian newborns was 14% higher than that in the newborns born at sea level (29.7 vs. 26.0 mm/mm2; P ≤ 0.001). This study demonstrates that microvascular vessel density in neonates born to mothers living at high altitude is higher than that in neonates born at sea level.
Home-based aerobic exercise training improves skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism in patients with metabolic myopathies
Authors: Porcelli Simone , Marzorati Mauro , Morandi Lucia , Grassi Bruno
Published: July 2016

Aerobic training can be effective in patients with mitochondrial myopathies (MM) and McArdle's disease (McA). The aim of the study was to use noninvasive functional evaluation methods, specifically aimed at skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism, to evaluate the effects of an aerobic exercise training (cycle ergometer, 12 wk, 4 days/wk, ∼65-70% of maximal heart rate) in 6 MM and 7 McA. Oxygen uptake and skeletal muscle vastus lateralis fractional O2 extraction by near-infrared spectroscopy were assessed during incremental and low-intensity constant work rate (CWR) exercises before (BEFORE) and at the end (AFTER) of training. Peak O2 uptake increased significantly with training both in MM [14.7 ± 1.2 vs. 17.6 ± 1.4 ml·kg−1·min−1 (mean ± SD)] and in McA (18.5 ± 1.8 ml·kg−1·min−1 vs. 21.6 ± 1.9). Peak skeletal muscle fractional O2 extraction increased with training both in MM (22.0 ± 6.7 vs. 32.6 ± 5.9%) and in McA (18.5 ± 6.2 vs. 37.2 ± 7.2%). During low-intensity CWR in both MM and McA: V̇o2 kinetics became faster in AFTER, but only in the patients with slow V̇o2 kinetics in BEFORE; the transient overshoot in fractional O2 extraction kinetics disappeared. The level of habitual physical activity was not higher 3 mo after training (FOLLOW-UP vs. PRE). In MM and McA patients a home-based aerobic training program significantly attenuated the impairment of skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism and improved variables associated with exercise tolerance. Our findings indicate that in MM and McA patients near-infrared spectroscopy and V̇o2 kinetics can effectively detect the functional improvements obtained by training.
Evaluation of TRANSFoRm Mobile eHealth Solution for Remote Patient Monitoring during Clinical Trials
Authors: Jankowski Jarosław , Saganowski Stanisław , Bródka Piotr
Published: July 2016

Today, in the digital age, the mobile devices are more and more used to aid people in the struggle to improve or maintain their health. In this paper, the mobile eHealth solution for remote patient monitoring during clinical trials is presented, together with the outcomes of quantitative and qualitative performance evaluation. The evaluation is a third step to improve the quality of the application after earlier Good Clinical Practice certification and validation with the participation of 10 patients and 3 general practitioners. This time the focus was on the usability which was evaluated by the seventeen participants divided into three age groups (18–28, 29–50, and 50+). The results, from recorded sessions and the eye tracking, show that there is no difference in performance between the first group and the second group, while for the third group the performance was worse; however, it was still good enough to complete task within reasonable time.
Radiofrequency Energy in Hepatic Bed during Partial Cystectomy for Hydatid Liver Disease: Standing Out from the Usual Conservative Surgical Management
Authors: Mantonakis Eleftherios , Papalampros Alexandros , Moris Demetrios , Dimitrokallis Nikolaos , Sakarellos Panagiotis , Griniatsos John , Felekouras Evangelos
Published: July 2016

Background. Surgical treatment of hydatid liver disease (HLD) is divided into conservative and radical procedures. While conservative techniques are easier and faster to perform, there is an emerging need to reduce their morbidity and recurrence rates. Our aim was to present and evaluate the efficiency and safety of the application of radiofrequency energy (TissueLink® and Aquamantys® systems) in hepatic bed during partial cystectomy.Materials and Methods. Eighteen consecutive patients with hydatid liver cysts were referred to our department between April 2006 and June 2014. Data about demographics, mortality, morbidity, and recurrence rate were obtained and analyzed retrospectively.Results. The mean follow-up was 38 months (range: 4–84 months). The postoperative course of most patients was uneventful. One case of recurrence was found in our series in a patient with 4 cysts in the right lobe, 3 years after initial treatment. He was reoperated on with the same method.Conclusions. Saline-linked RF energy seems to be an effective means to be employed in conservative surgical procedures of HLD, with satisfactory postoperative morbidity. Recurrence rates appear to be low, but further follow-up is needed in order to draw safer conclusions.
Low‐Dose Methylmercury‐Induced Apoptosis and Mitochondrial DNA Mutation in Human Embryonic Neural Progenitor Cells
Authors: Wang Xinjin , Yan Mengling , Zhao Lina , Wu Qing , Wu Chunhua , Chang Xiuli , Zhou Zhijun
Published: July 2016

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a long‐lasting organic pollutant primarily found in the aquatic environment. The developing brain is particularly sensitive to MeHg due to reduced proliferation of neural stem cell. Although several mechanisms of MeHg‐induced apoptosis have been defined in culture models, it remains unclear whether mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation is involved in the toxic effect of MeHg, especially in the neural progenitor cells. In the present study, the ReNcell CX cell, a human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) line, was exposed to nanomolar concentrations of MeHg (≤50 nM). We found that MeHg altered mitochondrial metabolic function and induced apoptosis. In addition, we observed that MeHg induced ROS production in a dose‐dependent manner in hNPCs cells, which was associated with significantly increased expressions of ND1, Cytb, and ATP6. To elucidate the mechanism underlying MeHg toxicity on mitochondrial function, we examined the ATP content and mitochondrial membrane potential in MeHg‐treated hNPCs. Our study showed that MeHg exposure led to decreased ATP content and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, which failed to match the expansion in mtDNA copy number, suggesting impaired mtDNA. Collectively, these results demonstrated that MeHg induced toxicity in hNPCs through altering mitochondrial function and inducing oxidative damage to mtDNA.
Acute Lower Leg Compartment Syndrome: A Rare Complication following CABG
Authors: Tahir Muazzam , Galvin Sean
Published: July 2016

Compartment syndrome of lower legs following coronary artery bypass grafting is a rare complication which results from a combination of local and systemic factors. Early recognition is vital for good outcome. The case discussed describes this rare complication of CABG resulting in long term disability.
The Hypoglycemic and Antioxidant Activity of Cress Seed and Cinnamon on Streptozotocin Induced Diabetes in Male Rats
Authors: Qusti Safaa , El Rabey Haddad A. , Balashram Sarah A.
Published: July 2016

The present study aimed to estimate the stimulation of pancreas of rats with streptozotocin induced diabetes using 20% (w/w) garden cress seed (Lepidium sativum) and cinnamon methanol extracts. The positive control diabetic group showed a significant increase in fasting blood sugar, lipid peroxide, interleukin‐6, carboxymethyl lysine, serum uric acid, urea, creatinine, immunoglobulins, and urine albumin and a significant decrease in antioxidant enzymes, sodium ions, potassium ions, and urine creatinine. Severe histopathological changes in the kidney and pancreas tissues in hyperglycemic rats were also shown in the positive control diabetic group. Meanwhile, the groups that were treated with 20% garden cress seed and cinnamon methanol extracts showed a significant decrease in fasting blood sugar and all elevated abovementioned biochemical parameters and an increase in the lowered ones restoring them nearly to the normal levels of G1. Kidney and pancreas tissues were also ameliorated and restored nearly to the normal status. Both garden cress seed and cinnamon methanol extracts succeeded in controlling hyperglycemia in rats with streptozotocin induced diabetes and ameliorated the biochemical and histopathological changes because of their antioxidant activity acquired by their possession of phenolic phytochemicals.
Estimation of Stator Resistance and Rotor Flux Linkage in SPMSM Using CLPSO with Opposition-Based-Learning Strategy
Authors: He Jian , Liu Zhao-Hua
Published: July 2016

Electromagnetic parameters are important for controller design and condition monitoring of permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) system. In this paper, an improved comprehensive learning particle swarm optimization (CLPSO) with opposition-based-learning (OBL) strategy is proposed for estimating stator resistance and rotor flux linkage in surface-mounted PMSM; the proposed method is referred to as CLPSO-OBL. In the CLPSO-OBL framework, an opposition-learning strategy is used for best particles reinforcement learning to improve the dynamic performance and global convergence ability of the CLPSO. The proposed parameter optimization not only retains the advantages of diversity in the CLPSO but also has inherited global exploration capability of the OBL. Then, the proposed method is applied to estimate the stator resistance and rotor flux linkage of surface-mounted PMSM. The experimental results show that the CLPSO-OBL has better performance in estimating winding resistance and PM flux compared to the existing peer PSOs. Furthermore, the proposed parameter estimation model and optimization method are simple and with good accuracy, fast convergence, and easy digital implementation.
Comparative Study of Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of Yellow, Green, Brown, and Red Brazilian Propolis
Authors: Machado Christiane Schineider , Mokochinski João Benhur , Lira Tatiana Onofre de , de Oliveira Fátima de Cassia Evangelista , Cardoso Magda Vieira , Ferreira Roseane Guimarães , Sawaya Alexandra Christine Helena Frankland , Ferreira Antonio Gilberto , Pessoa Cláudia , Cuesta-Rubio Osmany , Monteiro Marta Chagas , de Campos Mônica Soares , Torres Yohandra Reyes
Published: July 2016

The chemical composition and biological activity of a sample of yellow propolis from Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil (EEP‐Y MS), were investigated for the first time and compared with green, brown, and red types of Brazilian propolis and with a sample of yellow propolis from Cuba. Overall, EEP‐Y MS had different qualitative chemical profiles, as well as different cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities when compared to the other types of propolis assessed in this study and it is a different chemotype of Brazilian propolis. Absence of phenolic compounds and the presence of mixtures of aliphatic compounds in yellow propolis were determined by analysing 1H‐NMR spectra and fifteen terpenes were identified by GC‐MS. EEP‐Y MS showed cytotoxic activity against human tumour strain OVCAR‐8 but was not active against Gram‐negative or Gram‐positive bacteria. Our results confirm the difficulty of establishing a uniform quality standard for propolis from diverse geographical origins. The most appropriate pharmacological applications of yellow types of propolis must be further investigated.
Niosome Encapsulation of Curcumin: Characterization and Cytotoxic Effect on Ovarian Cancer Cells
Authors: Xu Ying-Qi , Chen Wen-Rong , Tsosie Jonathan K. , Xie Xi , Li Peng , Wan Jian-Bo , He Cheng-Wei , Chen Mei-Wan
Published: July 2016

Curcumin, a natural chemical compound found in Curcuma longa, has been applied in multiple medicinal areas from antibiotic to antitumor treatment. However, the chemical structure of curcumin results in poor stability, low solubility, and rapid degradation in vivo, hindering its clinical utilization. To address these issues, we have developed a novel niosome system composed of nonionic surfactants: Span 80, Tween 80, and Poloxamer 188. Curcumin was encapsulated in the niosomes with a high entrapment efficiency of 92.3±0.4%. This system provided controlled release of curcumin, thereby improving its therapeutic capability. Dynamic dialysis was conducted to evaluate the in vitro drug release of curcumin-niosomes. Curcumin-niosomes exhibited enhanced cytotoxic activity and apoptotic rate against ovarian cancer A2780 cells compared with freely dispersed curcumin. These results demonstrate that the curcumin-niosome system is a promising strategy for the delivery of curcumin and ovarian cancer therapy.
Jak1–STAT3 Signals Are Essential Effectors of the USP6/TRE17 Oncogene in Tumorigenesis
Authors: Quick Laura , Young Robert , Henrich Ian C. , Wang Xiaoke , Asmann Yan W. , Oliveira Andre M. , Chou Margaret M.
Published: July 2016

Bone and soft tissue tumors (BSTT) are relatively poorly understood, hampering the development of effective therapies. Here we report a critical effector pathway for the ubiquitin-specific protease 6 (USP6)/TRE17 oncogene, which is overexpressed upon chromosome translocation in various human tumors, including aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) and the related benign lesion nodular fasciitis. Ectopic expression of USP6 is known to drive formation of tumors, which recapitulate key features of ABC and nodular fasciitis; however, the identity of USP6′s relevant substrates has been obscure. Here we report that the Jak1–STAT3 signaling pathway serves as an essential effector of USP6 in BSTT formation. We found that USP6 directly deubiquitinated Jak1, leading to its stabilization and activation of STAT3. The tumorigenic potential of USP6 was attenuated significantly by CRISPR-mediated deletion of Jak1 or STAT3, or by administration of a Jak family inhibitor. Analysis of primary clinical samples of nodular fasciitis confirmed the activation of a Jak1–STAT3 gene signature in vivo. Together, our studies highlight Jak1 as the first identified substrate for USP6, and they offer a mechanistic rationale for the clinical investigation of Jak and STAT3 inhibitors as therapeutics for the treatment of bone and soft tissue tumors along with other neoplasms driven by USP6 overexpression. Cancer Res; 76(18); 5337–47. ©2016 AACR.