bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of total column ozone, water vapour and aerosol optical thickness over Ahmedabad, India
Authors: Sharma Som , Kumar Prashant , Vaishnav Rajesh , Shukla K. K. , Phanikumar D. V.
Published: September 2017

A preliminary study was performed to investigate the quality of total column ozone (TCO), water vapour (WV) and aerosol optical thickness (AOT) available from satellite and reanalysis from atmospheric models along with in situ observations over Ahmedabad (23.03 ° N, 72.5 ° E, 55 m above mean sea level), India. Ground‐based measurements from a MICROTOPS II ozonometer as well as space‐based satellite retrieved products from the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) and an ozone monitoring instrument were analysed during December 2014 to March 2015. The European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis (ERA‐Interim) created TCO and WV were also used to assess the skill of global model reanalysis over the western part of India. An increasing trend was found in the TCO and WV parameters from the winter to summer period. Investigations showed that MODIS satellite retrieved and ERA‐Interim reanalysis WV are able to capture the trends compared with ground‐based hand‐held MICROTOPS II observations. Higher TCO was found in the MODIS data, whereas the ERA‐Interim and ozone monitoring instrument TCO matched well with ground‐based observations. Larger differences were found with the MODIS AOT in comparison to MICROTOPS II AOT observations. Further, analysis showed that ERA‐Interim has sufficient potential to be used for various meteorological applications over the western Indian region. Furthermore, the variations of TCO, WV and AOT were studied over the orographic region of Mount Abu (∼110 km aerial distance from Ahmedabad), located in the Aravali range of mountains. Ground‐based measurements at different altitudes (0.3, 1.1 and 1.67 km above mean sea level) revealed significant variations in WV and AOT. The WV varies 17.1% (30.3%) and the AOT varies 53.8% (57.5%) in 1.1 km (1.67 km), whereas no noteworthy variations are observed in the TCO in this field campaign.
Comparisons in fluctuation of muscle strength and function in patients with immune‐mediated neuropathy treated with intravenous versus subcutaneous immunoglobulin
Authors: Christiansen Ingelise , Markvardsen Lars H. , Jakobsen Johannes
Published: September 2017

Introduction

Variations in muscle strength and function have not been studied in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and multifocal motor neuropathy whose treatment regimen has been changed from intravenous to subcutaneous immunoglobulin (IVIg to SCIg).

Methods

In a prospective, open‐label study, patients were changed from monthly IVIg to weekly SCIg. The primary endpoint was variation in isokinetic muscle strength (cIKS). Secondary endpoints were variations in Medical Research Council (MRC) score, grip strength (GS), 9‐hole‐peg test (9‐HPT), and 40‐meter‐walk test (40‐MWT).

Results

The coefficient of variance of cIKS during the IVIg and SCIg treatment periods was unchanged (mean ± SD: 6.97 ± 4.83% vs. 5.50 ± 3.13%, P = 0.21). The variations in the 9‐HPT and 40‐MWT were significantly lower in the SCIg group (P = 0.01 and P = 0.005, respectively).

Discussion

When therapy was changed from IVIg to SCIg, fluctuation of muscle strength was unchanged, but performance fluctuations were diminished. Muscle Nerve 57: 610–614, 2018
An optical method for carbon dioxide isotopes and mole fractions in small gas samples: Tracing microbial respiration from soil, litter, and lignin
Authors: Hall Steven J. , Huang Wenjuan , Hammel Kenneth E.
Published: August 2017

Rationale

Carbon dioxide isotope (δ13C value) measurements enable quantification of the sources of soil microbial respiration, thus informing ecosystem C dynamics. Tunable diode lasers (TDLs) can precisely measure CO2 isotopes at low cost and high throughput, but are seldom used for small samples (≤5 mL). We developed a TDL method for CO2 mole fraction ([CO2]) and δ13C analysis of soil microcosms.

Methods

Peaks in infrared absorbance following constant volume sample injection to a carrier were used to independently measure [12CO2] and [13CO2] for subsequent calculation of δ13C values. Using parallel soil incubations receiving differing C substrates, we partitioned respiration from three sources using mixing models: native soil organic matter (SOM), added litter, and synthetic lignin containing a 13C label at Cβ of the propyl side chain.

Results

Once‐daily TDL calibration enabled accurate quantification of δ13C values and [CO2] compared with isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), with long‐term external precision of 0.17 and 0.31‰ for 5 and 1 mL samples, respectively, and linear response between 400 and 5000 μmol mol−1 CO2. Production of CO2 from native soil C, added litter, and lignin Cβ varied over four orders of magnitude. Multiple‐pool first‐order decay models fitted to data (R2 > 0.98) indicated substantially slower turnover for lignin Cβ (17 years) than for the dominant pool of litter (1.3 years) and primed soil C (3.9 years).

Conclusions

Our TDL method provides a flexible, precise, and high‐throughput (60 samples h−1) alternative to IRMS for small samples. This enables the use of C isotopes in increasingly sophisticated experiments to test biogeochemical controversies, such as the fate of lignins in soil.
Risk Factors for Unresectable Recurrence After Up‐Front Surgery for Colorectal Liver Metastasis
Authors: Hokuto Daisuke , Nomi Takeo , Yasuda Satoshi , Yoshikawa Takahiro , Ishioka Kohei , Yamada Takatsugu , Akahori Takahiro , Nakagawa Kenji , Nagai Minako , Nakamura Kota , Obara Shinsaku , Kanehiro Hiromichi , Sho Masayuki
Published: September 2017

Background

There is no clear evidence that preoperative chemotherapy for resectable colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) is superior to up‐front surgery (UFS). The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with poor prognosis after UFS for CRLM.

Methods

Data about consecutive patients with CRLM who underwent liver resection at Nara Medical University Hospital between January 2000 and December 2015 were retrieved from a prospective database. Recurrence that developed within 2 years after liver resection and could not be surgically resected was defined as unresectable recurrence (UR). Preoperative risk factors associated with UR after UFS were analyzed. Among the patients with the identified risk factors, the patients who were treated with UFS were compared with those who received preoperative chemotherapy via propensity score‐matching analysis.

Results

There were 167 patients treated with UFS, and 71 of them developed UR (the UR group). The overall survival (OS) rate of the UR group was significantly worse than that of the non‐UR group (5‐year survival rate: 3.8 vs. 66.8%, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified a primary colorectal cancer N factor of N2–3 as a risk factor for UR (hazard ratio 2.72, p = 0.004). Propensity score‐matching analysis demonstrated that among patients with N2–3 primary colorectal cancer the post‐initial treatment OS of the patients treated with UFS was significantly worse than that of the patients who received preoperative chemotherapy (5‐year survival rate: 11.1 vs. 30.0%, p = 0.046).

Conclusions

Patients with CRLM with a primary colorectal cancer N factor of N2–3 should be considered for preoperative chemotherapy.
Implications of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Etiology on Recurrence and Prognosis after Curative‐Intent Resection: a Multi‐Institutional Study
Authors: Zhang Xu‐Feng , Chakedis Jeffery , Bagante Fabio , Beal Eliza W. , Lv Yi , Weiss Matthew , Popescu Irinel , Marques Hugo P. , Aldrighetti Luca , Maithel Shishir K. , Pulitano Carlo , Bauer Todd W. , Shen Feng , Poultsides George A. , Soubrane Oliver , Martel Guillaume , Groot Koerkamp B. , Guglielmi Alfredo , Itaru Endo , Pawlik Timothy M.
Published: September 2017

Background

We sought to investigate the prognosis of patients following curative‐intent surgery for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) stratified by hepatitis B (HBV‐ICC), hepatolithiasis (Stone‐ICC), and no identifiable cause (conventional ICC) etiologic subtype.

Methods

986 patients with HBV‐ICC (n = 201), stone‐ICC (n = 103), and conventional ICC (n = 682) who underwent curative‐intent resection were identified from a multi‐institutional database. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to mitigate residual bias.

Results

HBV‐ICC patients more often had cirrhosis, earlier stage tumors, a mass‐forming lesion, well‐to‐moderate tumor differentiation, and an R0 resection versus stone‐ICC or conventional ICC patients. Five‐year recurrence‐free survival among HBV‐ICC and conventional ICC patients was 23.9 and 17.8%, respectively, versus a recurrence‐free of only 8.3% among patients with stone‐ICC. Similarly, 5‐year overall survival among patients with stone‐ICC was only 18.3% compared with 48.9 and 38.0% for patients with HBV‐ICC and conventional ICC, respectively. On PSM, patients with stone‐ICC group had equivalent long‐term outcomes as HBV‐ICC patients. In contrast, on PSM, stone‐ICC patients had a median overall survival of only 18.0 months versus 44.0 months for patients with conventional ICC. Median overall survival after intrahepatic‐only recurrence among patients who had stone‐ICC (6.0 months) was worse than OS among HBV‐ICC (13.0 months) or conventional ICC (12.0 months) (p = 0.006 and p = 0.082, respectively).

Conclusions

While HBV‐ICC had a better prognosis on unadjusted analyses, these differences were mitigated on PSM suggesting no stage‐for‐stage differences in outcomes compared with stone‐ICC or conventional ICC. In contrast, patients with stone‐ICC had worse long‐term outcomes. These data highlight the relative importance of ICC etiology relative to established clinicopathological factors in the prognosis of patients with ICC.
Taming Intuition
Authors: Arceneaux Kevin , Vander Wielen Ryan J.
Published: August 2017

The success of democratic governance hinges on an electorate's ability to reward elected officials who act faithfully and punish those who do not. Yet there is considerable variation among voters in their ability to objectively evaluate representatives' performance. In this book the authors develop a theoretical model, the Intuitionist Model of Political Reasoning, which posits that this variation across voters is the result of individual differences in the predisposition to reflect on and to override partisan impulses. Individuals differ in partisan intuitions resulting from the strength of their attachments to parties, as well as the degree to which they are willing to engage in the cognitively taxing process of evaluating those intuitions. The balance of these forces - the strength of intuitions and the willingness to second guess one's self - determines the extent to which individuals update their assessments of political parties and elected officials in a rational manner.
Unique Relationships Between Self-Related Constructs, Social Anxiety, and Depression in a Non-Clinical Sample
Authors: Gregory Bree , Peters Lorna
Published: August 2017

Self-related constructs feature prominently in cognitive models of both social anxiety and depression. However, few studies have simultaneously investigated the unique relationship between self-related constructs and social anxiety and depression, while also controlling for the association between the two variables. In the present study, 522 undergraduate students completed measures of maladaptive self-beliefs, self-esteem, self-criticism, self-focused attention, self-concept clarity, social comparison, and social anxiety and depression. Bivariate correlations demonstrated that self-related constructs not only significantly correlated with social anxiety but also with depression and other self-variables. When entered simultaneously, multiple regression analyses indicated that maladaptive self-beliefs were uniquely and positively associated with social anxiety and depression, while self-esteem and self-concept clarity were uniquely and negatively associated with social anxiety and depression. A unique positive association between private self-consciousness and depression was also found. Maladaptive self-beliefs and self-esteem were the constructs most strongly associated with social anxiety and depression respectively. These findings underscore the importance of a negative self-concept even in subclinical presentations and suggest that several key self-related constructs may represent transdiagnostic vulnerability factors linking social anxiety and depression. Future research should continue to uncover unique relationships between self-related variables and social anxiety and depression in both clinical and non-clinical samples.
Verification of the Annual Dating of the 10th Century Baitoushan Volcano Eruption Based on an AD 774–775 Radiocarbon Spike
Authors: Hakozaki Masataka , Miyake Fusa , Nakamura Toshio , Kimura Katsuhiko , Masuda Kimiaki , Okuno Mitsuru
Published: August 2017

The so-called Millennium Eruption of Baitoushan Volcano is one of the largest of the Common Era but its date has been uncertain. Recently, Oppenheimer et al. (2017) reported the eruptive year as late AD 946 using a new method called carbon-14 spike matching. However, it is necessary to verify their result to confirm the eruptive year, since only one wood sample was used in their study. We verified the eruptive year by measuring 14C contents in tree rings from another wood sample buried during the Baitoushan eruption. We succeeded in reproducing the AD 774–775 14C spike (Miyake et al. 2012), and counted the number of rings from the outermost ring accompanied by bark to the ring possessing the AD 774–775 14C spike. We found the outermost ring was formed in AD 946. Our study supported the result of Oppenheimer et al. (2017), which makes the eruptive year conclusive. Also, we suggest that the 14C spike-matching method can be a prominent dating tool applicable to ancient woods that are difficult to date using the usual dendrochronology techniques.
What Affects Innovation More: Policy or Policy Uncertainty?
Authors: Bhattacharya Utpal , Hsu Po-Hsuan , Tian Xuan , Xu Yan
Published: August 2017

Motivated by a theoretical model, we examine for 43 countries whether it is policy or policy uncertainty that affects technological innovation more. Innovation activities, measured by patent-based proxies, are not, on average, affected by which policy is in place. Innovation activities, however, drop significantly during times of policy uncertainty measured by national elections. The drop is greater for more influential innovations (citations in the right tail, exploratory rather than exploitative innovations) and for innovation-intensive industries. We use close presidential elections and ethnic fractionalization to address endogeneity concerns. We uncover the mechanism underlying the main result by showing that the number of patenting inventors decreases with policy uncertainty. Political compromise, we conclude, encourages innovation.
Female hormones: do they influence muscle and tendon protein metabolism?
Authors: Hansen Mette
Published: August 2017

Due to increased longevity, women can expect to live more than one-third of their lives in a post-menopausal state, which is characterised by low circulating levels of oestrogen and progesterone. The aim of this review is to provide insights into current knowledge of the effect of female hormones (or lack of female hormones) on skeletal muscle protein turnover at rest and in response to exercise. This review is primarily based on data from human trials. Many elderly post-menopausal women experience physical disabilities and loss of independence related to sarcopenia, which reduces life quality and is associated with substantial financial costs. Resistance training and dietary optimisation can counteract or at least decelerate the degenerative ageing process, but lack of oestrogen in post-menopausal women may reduce their sensitivity to these anabolic stimuli and accelerate muscle loss. Tendons and ligaments are also affected by sex hormones, but the effect seems to differ between endogenous and exogenous female hormones. Furthermore, the effect seems to depend on the age, and as a result influence the biomechanical properties of the ligaments and tendons differentially. Based on the present knowledge oestrogen seems to play a significant role with regard to skeletal muscle protein turnover. Therefore, oestrogen/hormonal replacement therapy may counteract the degenerative changes in skeletal muscle. Nevertheless, there is a need for greater insight into the direct and indirect mechanistic effects of female hormones before any evidence-based recommendations regarding type, dose, duration and timing of hormone replacement therapy can be provided.
God knows: acquaintance and the nature of divine knowledge
Authors: DICKINSON TRAVIS M.
Published: September 2017

Theists typically believe that Godknowsall truths. However, accounts of divine omniscience almost always focus on thescopeof God's knowledge or perhaps on whether certain kinds of facts are there to be known by God, such as counterfactuals of creaturely freedom or future contingent facts. Very rarely do these accounts include for analysis thenatureof God's knowledge. In this article, I develop an acquaintance theory of God's knowledge where acquaintance with an epistemic relation that guarantees that the truth of God's beliefs is necessary for knowledge. I argue that this view achieves an ideal way of knowing, worthy of the divine being.
Unconstitutional Change of Government: A New Crime within the Jurisdiction of the African Criminal Court
Authors: VAN DER WILT HARMEN
Published: August 2017

One of the most interesting and controversial crimes that belong to the subject matter jurisdiction of the newly to be established African Criminal Chamber is undoubtedly the crime of unconstitutional change of government. This article explores the question why this offence is upgraded to the regional level of criminal law enforcement. After all, any criminalization of the conduct at a regional level and the concomitant inclusion of the offence in the jurisdiction of regional courts raises questions about the right of foreign intervention in internal political affairs and the curtailment of the right to rebel. The crime of unconstitutional change of government is tested against these principles and it is concluded that they do not impede criminalization, nor the elevation of the crime to a regional level. In search of a positive argument in defence of the inclusion of the crime within the jurisdiction of the African Court, I contend that the best explanation is that insurgencies are not contained to single states but are inclined to spread to other countries. In view of the specific African experience, where endemic conflicts have proved to be contagious, it is clear that states have a common interest in suppressing both the dynamic and static form of unconstitutional change of government.
Physical–biological interactions influencing large toothfish over the Ross Sea shelf
Authors: Ashford Julian , Dinniman Michael , Brooks Cassandra
Published: September 2017

We add comments to a recent series of publications in peer-reviewed journals concerning the distribution of large Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) found over the inner shelf of the Ross Sea. We note that earlier fish ecologists advanced innovative hypotheses invoking physical–biological interactions with life history, and that these, far from being disproved, have been relegated by more immediately pressing management concerns. We argue that, despite the considerable advances achieved by research groups working onD. mawsoni, an understanding of distribution and abundance is incomplete without reference to the physical structure that supports their life history. We briefly consider hypotheses highlighted by the recent literature in the context of major features of the shelf circulation in the Ross Sea, in particular intrusions of modified Circumpolar Deep Water along trough systems. We suggest physical–biological interactions that may be involved and call for improvements in the monitoring programme that can help test between the competing hypotheses.
Availability of dopamine transporters and auditory P300 abnormalities in adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: preliminary results
Authors: Chu Ching-Lin , Lee I Hui , Chi Mei Hung , Chen Kao Chin , Chen Po See , Yao Wei Jen , Chiu Nan Tsing , Yang Yen Kuang
Published: August 2017

Objective

Previous studies have indicated that there is dopamine transporter (DAT) dysregulation and P300 abnormality in adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, the correlations among the three have not been fully explored.

Methods

A total of 11 adults (9 males and 2 females) with ADHD and 11 age-, sex-, and education-level-matched controls were recruited. We explored differences in DAT availability using single-photon emission computed tomography and P300 wave of event-related potentials between the two groups. The correlation between DAT availability and P300 performance was also examined.

Results

DAT availability in the basal ganglia, caudate nucleus, and putamen was significantly lower in the ADHD group. Adults with ADHD had lower auditory P300 amplitudes at the Pz and Cz sites, as well as longer Fz latency than controls. DAT availability was negatively correlated to P300 latency at Pz and Fz.

Conclusions

Adults with ADHD had both abnormal DAT availability and P300 amplitude, suggesting that ADHD is linked to dysfunction of the central dopaminergic system and poor cognitive processes related to response selection and execution.
Is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy focusing on Depression and Anxiety Effective for People with Long-Term Physical Health Conditions? A Controlled Trial in the Context of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Wroe Abigail L. , Rennie Edward W. , Sollesse S. , Chapman J. , Hassy A.
Published: August 2017

Background: It is unclear as to the extent to which psychological interventions focusing specifically on depression and anxiety are helpful for people with physical health conditions, with respect to mood and condition management. Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of a modified evidence-based psychological intervention focusing on depression and anxiety for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), compared with a control intervention. Method: Clients (n = 140) who experienced mild to moderate depression and/or anxiety and had a diagnosis of T2DM were allocated to either diabetes specific treatment condition (n = 52) or standard intervention (control condition, n = 63), which were run in parallel. Each condition received a group intervention offering evidence-based psychological interventions for people with depression and anxiety. Those running the diabetes specific treatment group received additional training and supervision on working with people with T2DM from a clinical health psychologist and a general practitioner. The diabetes specific treatment intervention helped patients to link mood with management of T2DM. Results: Both conditions demonstrated improvements in primary outcomes of mood and secondary outcome of adjustment [95% confidence interval (CI) between 0.25 and 5.06; p < 0.05 in all cases]. The diabetes specific treatment condition also demonstrated improvements in secondary outcomes of self-report management of T2DM for diet, checking blood and checking feet, compared with the control condition (95% CIs between 0.04 and 2.05; p < 0.05 in all cases) and in glycaemic control (95% CI: 0.67 to 8.22). The findings also suggested a non-significant reduction in NHS resources in the diabetes specific treatment condition. These changes appeared to be maintained in the diabetes specific treatment condition. Conclusions: It is concluded that a modified intervention, with input from specialist services, may offer additional benefits in terms of improved diabetic self-management and tighter glycaemic control.
Thermal conductivity and air-mediated losses in periodic porous silicon membranes at high temperatures
Authors: Graczykowski B. , El Sachat A. , Reparaz J. S. , Sledzinska M. , Wagner M. R. , Chavez-Angel E. , Wu Y. , Volz S. , Wu Y. , Alzina F. , Sotomayor Torres C. M.
Published: August 2017

Heat conduction in silicon can be effectively engineered by means of sub-micrometre porous thin free-standing membranes. Tunable thermal properties make these structures good candidates for integrated heat management units such as waste heat recovery, rectification or efficient heat dissipation. However, possible applications require detailed thermal characterisation at high temperatures which, up to now, has been an experimental challenge. In this work we use the contactless two-laser Raman thermometry to study heat dissipation in periodic porous membranes at high temperatures via lattice conduction and air-mediated losses. We find the reduction of the thermal conductivity and its temperature dependence closely correlated with the structure feature size. On the basis of two-phonon Raman spectra, we attribute this behaviour to diffuse (incoherent) phonon-boundary scattering. Furthermore, we investigate and quantify the heat dissipation via natural air-mediated cooling, which can be tuned by engineering the porosity.
Editing an α-globin enhancer in primary human hematopoietic stem cells as a treatment for β-thalassemia
Authors: Mettananda Sachith , Fisher Chris A. , Hay Deborah , Badat Mohsin , Quek Lynn , Clark Kevin , Hublitz Philip , Downes Damien , Kerry Jon , Gosden Matthew , Telenius Jelena , Sloane-Stanley Jackie A. , Faustino Paula , Coelho Andreia , Doondeea Jessica , Usukhbayar Batchimeg , Sopp Paul , Sharpe Jacqueline A. , Hughes Jim R. , Vyas Paresh , Gibbons Richard J. , Higgs Douglas R.
Published: August 2017

β-Thalassemia is one of the most common inherited anemias, with no effective cure for most patients. The pathophysiology reflects an imbalance between α- and β-globin chains with an excess of free α-globin chains causing ineffective erythropoiesis and hemolysis. When α-thalassemia is co-inherited with β-thalassemia, excess free α-globin chains are reduced significantly ameliorating the clinical severity. Here we demonstrate the use of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing of primary human hematopoietic stem/progenitor (CD34+) cells to emulate a natural mutation, which deletes the MCS-R2 α-globin enhancer and causes α-thalassemia. When edited CD34+ cells are differentiated into erythroid cells, we observe the expected reduction in α-globin expression and a correction of the pathologic globin chain imbalance in cells from patients with β-thalassemia. Xenograft assays show that a proportion of the edited CD34+ cells are long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells, demonstrating the potential of this approach for translation into a therapy for β-thalassemia.
Sirt6 deficiency exacerbates podocyte injury and proteinuria through targeting Notch signaling
Authors: Liu Min , Liang Kaili , Zhen Junhui , Zhou Meng , Wang Xiaojie , Wang Ziying , Wei Xinbing , Zhang Yan , Sun Yu , Zhou Zhuanli , Su Hua , Zhang Chun , Li Ningjun , Gao Chengjiang , Peng Jun , Yi Fan
Published: August 2017

Podocyte injury is a major determinant of proteinuric kidney disease and the identification of potential therapeutic targets for preventing podocyte injury has clinical importance. Here, we show that histone deacetylase Sirt6 protects against podocyte injury through epigenetic regulation of Notch signaling. Sirt6 is downregulated in renal biopsies from patients with podocytopathies and its expression correlates with glomerular filtration rate. Podocyte-specific deletion of Sirt6 exacerbates podocyte injury and proteinuria in two independent mouse models, diabetic nephropathy, and adriamycin-induced nephropathy. Sirt6 has pleiotropic protective actions in podocytes, including anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects, is involved in actin cytoskeleton maintenance and promotes autophagy. Sirt6 also reduces urokinase plasminogen activator receptor expression, which is a key factor for podocyte foot process effacement and proteinuria. Mechanistically, Sirt6 inhibits Notch1 and Notch4 transcription by deacetylating histone H3K9. We propose Sirt6 as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of proteinuric kidney disease.
Human Primary Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Cells and Their in vitro Progenies Display Distinct Transcriptional Profile Signatures
Authors: Ghazanfari Roshanak , Zacharaki Dimitra , Li Hongzhe , Ching Lim Hooi , Soneji Shamit , Scheding Stefan
Published: August 2017

Bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) are a rare population of cells that gives rise to skeletal tissues and the hematopoietic stroma in vivo. Recently, we have demonstrated that BM-MSCs fulfill stringent in vivo stem cell criteria when propagated as non-adherent mesenspheres but not as adherent-cultured cells. Motivated by these profound functional differences, the current study aimed to identify potential important MSC regulators by investigating global gene expression profiles of adherent and non-adherent culture-derived BM-MSCs in comparison with primary BM-MSCs. A substantial number of genes were differentially expressed between primary and culture-expanded cells already early upon culture, and numerous genes were found to be different when comparing adherent and non-adherent BM-MSCs. Cluster analysis identified 16 sets of genes of which two displayed comparable gene expression levels in primary and non-adherent cultured cells, but not in adherent cultured cells. This pattern suggested that these clusters contained candidate regulators of BM-MSCs. Gene expression differences were confirmed for selected genes and BM-MSC transcription factors by protein analysis and RT-PCR, respectively. Taken together, these data demonstrated profound gene expression changes upon culture of primary BM-MSCs. Moreover, gene cluster differences provide the basis to uncover the regulatory mechanisms that control primary and cultured BM-MSCs.
Acupuncture and related therapies used as add-on or alternative to prokinetics for functional dyspepsia: overview of systematic reviews and network meta-analysis
Authors: Ho Robin S. T. , Chung Vincent C. H. , Wong Charlene H. L. , Wu Justin C. Y. , Wong Samuel Y. S. , Wu Irene X. Y.
Published: August 2017

Prokinetics for functional dyspepsia (FD) have relatively higher number needed to treat values. Acupuncture and related therapies could be used as add-on or alternative. An overview of systematic reviews (SRs) and network meta-analyses (NMA) were performed to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of different acupuncture and related therapies. We conducted a comprehensive literature search for SRs of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in eight international and Chinese databases. Data from eligible RCTs were extracted for random effect pairwise meta-analyses. NMA was used to explore the most effective treatment among acupuncture and related therapies used alone or as add-on to prokinetics, compared to prokinetics alone. From five SRs, 22 RCTs assessing various acupuncture and related therapies were included. No serious adverse events were reported. Two pairwise meta-analyses showed manual acupuncture has marginally stronger effect in alleviating global FD symptoms, compared to domperidone or itopride. Results from NMA showed combination of manual acupuncture and clebopride has the highest probability in alleviating patient reported global FD symptom. Combination of manual acupuncture and clebopride has the highest probability of being the most effective treatment for FD symptoms. Patients who are contraindicated for prokinetics may use manual acupuncture or moxibustion as alternative. Future confirmatory comparative effectiveness trials should compare clebopride add-on manual acupuncture with domperidone add-on manual acupuncture and moxibustion.
Optical-flow based non-invasive analysis of cardiomyocyte contractility
Authors: Czirok Andras , Isai Dona Greta , Kosa Edina , Rajasingh Sheeja , Kinsey William , Neufeld Zoltan , Rajasingh Johnson
Published: August 2017

Characterization of cardiomyocyte beat patterns is needed for quality control of cells intended for surgical injection as well as to establish phenotypes in disease modeling or toxicity studies. Optical-flow based analysis of videomicroscopic recordings offer a manipulation-free and efficient characterization of contractile cycles, an important characteristics of cardiomyocyte phenotype. We demonstrate that by appropriate computational analysis of optical flow data one can identify distinct contractile centers and distinguish active cell contractility from passive elastic tissue deformations. Our proposed convergence measure correlates with myosin IIa immuno-localization and is capable to resolve contractile waves and their synchronization within maturing, unlabeled induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte cultures.
Stable reconstruction of the (110) surface and its role in pseudocapacitance of rutile-like RuO2
Authors: Zakaryan Hayk A. , Kvashnin Alexander G. , Oganov Artem R.
Published: August 2017

Surfaces of rutile-like RuO2, especially the most stable (110) surface, are important for catalysis, sensing and charge storage applications. Structure, chemical composition, and properties of the surface depend on external conditions. Using the evolutionary prediction method USPEX, we found stable reconstructions of the (110) surface. Two stable reconstructions, RuO4–(2 × 1) and RuO2–(1 × 1), were found, and the surface phase diagram was determined. The new RuO4–(2 × 1) reconstruction is stable in a wide range of environmental conditions, its simulated STM image perfectly matches experimental data, it is more thermodynamically stable than previously proposed reconstructions, and explains well pseudocapacitance of RuO2 cathodes.
Omni-resonant optical micro-cavity
Authors: Shabahang Soroush , Kondakci H. Esat , Villinger Massimo L. , Perlstein Joshua D. , El Halawany Ahmed , Abouraddy Ayman F.
Published: August 2017

Optical cavities transmit light only at discrete resonant frequencies, which are well-separated in micro-structures. Despite attempts at the construction of planar ‘white-light cavities’, the benefits accrued upon optically interacting with a cavity – such as resonant field buildup – have remained confined to narrow linewidths. Here, we demonstrate achromatic optical transmission through a planar Fabry-Pérot micro-cavity via angularly multiplexed phase-matching that exploits a bio-inspired grating configuration. By correlating each wavelength with an appropriate angle of incidence, a continuous spectrum resonates and the micro-cavity is rendered transparent. The locus of a single-order 0.7-nm-wide resonance is de-slanted in spectral-angular space to become a 60-nm-wide achromatic resonance spanning multiple cavity free-spectral-ranges. The result is an ‘omni-resonant’ planar micro-cavity in which light resonates continuously over a broad spectral span. This approach severs the link between the resonance bandwidth and the cavity-photon lifetime, thereby promising resonant enhancement of linear and nonlinear optical effects over broad bandwidths in ultrathin devices.
TRIB3 inhibits proliferation and promotes osteogenesis in hBMSCs by regulating the ERK1/2 signaling pathway
Authors: Zhang Cui , Hong Fan-Fan , Wang Cui-Cui , Li Liang , Chen Jian-Ling , Liu Fei , Quan Ren-Fu , Wang Jin-Fu
Published: August 2017

Osteogenic differentiation in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) is regulated by various factors, including bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), Notch, growth hormones and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Tribbles homolog 3 (TRIB3), a pseudokinase, plays an important role in cancer cells and adipocytes. However, TRIB3 function in osteogenic differentiation is unknown, although it is involved in regulating signaling pathways associated with osteogenic differentiation. Here, we found that TRIB3 was highly expressed during osteogenic differentiation in hBMSCs. Inhibition of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) or phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) resulted in a significant decrease in TRIB3 expression, and expression of TRIB3 was restored by increasing insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) via activating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling. TRIB3 knock-down enhanced proliferation and decreased osteogenic differentiation at the middle stage of differentiation, and these effects were reversed by inhibiting the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-1/2. In conclusion, TRIB3 plays an important role in proliferation and osteogenic differentiation by regulating ERK1/2 activity at the middle stage of differentiation, and expression of TRIB3 is regulated by FAK in a PI3K/AKT-dependent manner.
Concentration, source identification, and exposure risk assessment of PM2.5-bound parent PAHs and nitro-PAHs in atmosphere from typical Chinese cities
Authors: Liu Di , Lin Tian , Syed Jabir Hussain , Cheng Zhineng , Xu Yue , Li Kechang , Zhang Gan , Li Jun
Published: August 2017

Sixteen parent PAHs and twelve nitro-PAHs were measured in PM2.5 samples collected over one year (2013–2014) at nine urban sites in China. During the sampling period, concentrations of individual nitro-PAHs were one or two orders of magnitude lower than their parent PAHs. Typical seasonal variations in parent PAH concentrations, which increased 10- to 80- fold in winter compared to summer, were observed in this study. Conversely, the mean atmospheric concentrations of nitro-PAHs were similar in all four seasons, with the exception of 9-nitroanthracene (9n-Ant). Compared to other nitro-PAHs which were secondary formation products, 9n-Ant had a higher concentration and made up a larger proportion of total nitro-PAHs. Positive matrix factorization results indicated that 9n-Ant sources included biomass burning (20%), vehicle exhaust emissions (43%), and secondary formation (30%). Overall, the elevated concentrations of parent PAHs observed in winter correlated with the contribution from coal combustion at all sites, especially in north China (>80%). The contribution of secondary formation products to total nitro-PAHs was measured during the summer, and was especially high in the larger cities such as Shanghai (84%), Beijing (76%), Guangzhou (60%), and Chengdu (64%), largely due to the summer concentrations of parent PAHs were markedly lower than in winter.
Ancestry & molecular evolutionary analyses of heat shock protein 47 kDa (HSP47/SERPINH1)
Authors: Kumar Abhishek , Bhandari Anita , Sarde Sandeep J. , Goswami Chandan
Published: August 2017

HSP47/SERPINH1 is key-regulator for collagen biosynthesis and its structural assembly. To date, there is no comprehensive study on the phylogenetic history of HSP47. Herein we illustrate the evolutionary history of HSP47/SERPINH1 along with sequence, structural and syntenic traits for HSP47/SERPINH1. We have identified ancestral HSP47/SERPINH1 locus in Japanese lamprey (Lethenteron japonicum). This gene remains on the same or similar locus for ~500 million years (MY), but chromosomal duplication was observed in ray-finned fishes, leading into three sets of three sets (I-III) of HSP47/SERPINH1. Two novel introns were inserted at the positions 36b and 102b in the first exon of only HSP47_1 gene from the selected ray-finned fishes. On the evolutionary time scale, the events of HSP47 duplications took placed between 416–360 MY ago (MYA) while intron insertion dates back to 231–190 MYA after early divergence of ray-finned fishes.
Magnetophoretic sorting of microdroplets with different microalgal cell densities for rapid isolation of fast growing strains
Authors: Sung Young Joon , Kim Jaoon Young Hwan , Choi Hong Il , Kwak Ho Seok , Sim Sang Jun
Published: August 2017

Microalgae – unicellular photosynthetic organisms – have received increasing attention for their ability to biologically convert CO2 into valuable products. The commercial use of microalgae requires screening strains to improve the biomass productivity to achieve a high-throughput. Here, we developed a microfluidic method that uses a magnetic field to separate the microdroplets containing different concentrations of microalgal cells. The separation efficiency is maximized using the following parameters that influence the amount of lateral displacement of the microdroplets: magnetic nanoparticle concentration, flow rate of droplets, x- and y-axis location of the magnet, and diameter of the droplets. Consequently, 91.90% of empty, 87.12% of low-, and 90.66% of high-density droplets could be separated into different outlets through simple manipulation of the magnetic field in the microfluidic device. These results indicate that cell density-based separation of microdroplets using a magnetic force can provide a promising platform to isolate microalgal species with a high growth performance.
Inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus in water by pulsed spark discharge
Authors: Zheng Jiansheng
Published: August 2017

A pulsed spark plasma discharge system was developed and tested as an energy efficient water sterilization method. A 5 log10 reduction on Staphylococcus aureus concentration of 108 CFU/ml was obtained. Complete inactivation was achieved for concentration of 106 CFU/ml. Of the various factors generated by an underwater spark discharge, ultraviolet radiation plays a major role. The inactivation was completely suppressed by the addition of 30 mg/L of a soluble sunscreen, Benzophenone-9. Results obtained using the pulsed spark plasma discharge showed that this system has several advantages, such as high energy efficiency, absence of harmful by-products and portability, over the conventional sterilization methods.
Mixed invasive ductal and lobular carcinoma has distinct clinical features and predicts worse prognosis when stratified by estrogen receptor status
Authors: Xiao Yi , Ma Ding , Ruan Miao , Zhao Shen , Liu Xi-Yu , Jiang Yi-Zhou , Shao Zhi-Ming
Published: August 2017

In order to investigate clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of mixed invasive ductal and lobular carcinoma (IDC-L), 209,109 primary breast cancer patients diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) or IDC-L were included. It was found that IDC-L patients had lower tumor grade and higher hormone receptor positive proportions than IDC patients. Moreover, IDC-L patients were younger and had a similar hormone receptor status compared with ILC patients. Kaplan-Meier plots showed that the breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) of IDC-L patients was significantly better than IDC patients (P < 0.001) and tended to be better than ILC patients (P = 0.166). However, after adjusting for clinicopathological factors, survival advantage of IDC-L disappeared. Subgroup analysis indicated that IDC-L had higher hazard ratios (HRs) than IDC in grade 1, grade 2, ER-positive and ER-negative subgroups. Survival analysis in ER-positive and ER-negative subgroups showed that IDC-L predicted a worse prognosis than IDC. In conclusion, IDC-L is a distinct histological subtype compared with IDC and ILC. Lower grade and higher ER-positive proportions mainly contribute to its better prognosis. In both ER-positive and ER-negative subgroups, IDC-L predicts worse prognosis than IDC, which suggested the inadequacy of IDC-based therapy and the need of escalated therapy.
Dysbiosis contributes to chronic constipation development via regulation of serotonin transporter in the intestine
Authors: Cao Hailong , Liu Xiang , An Yingying , Zhou Guoqiong , Liu Yanrong , Xu Mengque , Dong Wenxiao , Wang Sinan , Yan Fang , Jiang Kui , Wang Bangmao
Published: August 2017

Chronic constipation is a prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorder accompanied with intestinal dysbiosis. However, causal relationship between dysbiosis and constipation remains poorly understood. Serotonin transporter (SERT) is a transmembrane transport protein which re-uptakes excessive 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) from effective location to terminate its physiological effects and involves in regulating gastrointestinal motility. In this study, fecal microbiota from patients with constipation and healthy controls were transplanted into the antibiotic depletion mice model. The mice which received fecal microbiota from patients with constipation presented a reducing in intestinal peristalsis and abnormal defecation parameters including the frequency of pellet expulsion, fecal weight and fecal water content. After fecal microbiota transplantation, the SERT expression in the colonic tissue was significantly upregulated, and the content of 5-HT was decreased which negatively correlated with the gastrointestinal transit time. Moverover, fecal microbiota from the mice which received fecal microbiota from patients with constipation also upregulated SERT in Caco-2 cells. Besides, this process accompanied with the decreased abundance of Clostridium, Lactobacillus, Desulfovibrio, and Methylobacterium and an increased tend of Bacteroides and Akkermansia, which also involved in the impairment of intestinal barrier after FMT. Taken together, intestinal dysbiosis may upregulate the SERT expression and contribute to the development of chronic constipation.
Functional prediction of long non-coding RNAs in ovarian cancer-associated fibroblasts indicate a potential role in metastasis
Authors: Vafaee Fatemeh , Colvin Emily K. , Mok Samuel C. , Howell Viive M. , Samimi Goli
Published: August 2017

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) contribute to the poor prognosis of ovarian cancer. Unlike in tumour cells, DNA mutations are rare in CAFs, raising the likelihood of other mechanisms that regulate gene expression such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). We aimed to identify lncRNAs that contribute to the tumour-promoting phenotype of CAFs. RNA expression from 67 ovarian CAF samples and 10 normal ovarian fibroblast (NOF) samples were analysed to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs and a functional network was constructed to predict those CAF-specific lncRNAs involved in metastasis. Of the 1,970 lncRNAs available for analysis on the gene expression array used, 39 unique lncRNAs were identified as differentially expressed in CAFs versus NOFs. The predictive power of differentially expressed lncRNAs in distinguishing CAFs from NOFs were assessed using multiple multivariate models. Interrogation of known transcription factor-lncRNA interactions, transcription factor-gene interactions and construction of a context-specific interaction network identified multiple lncRNAs predicted to play a role in metastasis. We have identified novel lncRNAs in ovarian cancer that are differentially expressed in CAFs compared to NOFs and are predicted to contribute to the metastasis-promoting phenotype of CAFs.