bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute liver failure after valproate exposure in patients with POLG1 mutations and the prognosis after liver transplantation
Authors: Hynynen Johanna , Komulainen Tuomas , Tukiainen Eija , Nordin Arno , Arola Johanna , Kälviäinen Reetta , Jutila Leena , Röyttä Matias , Hinttala Reetta , Majamaa Kari , Mäkisalo Heikki , Uusimaa Johanna
Published: July 2014

Patients with mutations in the POLG1 gene encoding mitochondrial DNA polymerase gamma have an increased risk of valproate-induced liver failure. POLG1 mutations are common, and these patients often suffer from intractable seizures. The role of liver transplantation in the treatment of patients with mitochondrial diseases has been controversial. We studied valproate-induced liver failure associated with POLG1 mutations and the prognosis for these patients after liver transplantation. POLG1 was analyzed in blood DNA, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was quantified in liver samples, and clinical data were collected. Five patients with valproate-induced liver failure associated with POLG1 mutations were retrospectively identified. Three patients were previously suspected to have Wilson's disease. Four patients with homozygous p.W748S and p.E1143G mutations had mtDNA depletion in the liver. One of these patients died before anticipated transplantation; the other 3 patients with liver transplantation have survived 4 to 19 years. Two patients have presented with occasional epileptic seizures, and 1 patient has been seizure-free for 11 years. One patient with a heterozygous p.Q1236H mutation (but without mtDNA depletion in the liver) died suddenly 2 years after liver transplantation. In conclusion, the POLG1 mutation status and the age at presentation of valproate-induced liver failure can affect the prognosis after liver transplantation. A heterozygous POLG1 p.Q1236H mutation was related to valproate-induced liver failure without mtDNA depletion, whereas patients homozygous for POLG1 p.W748S and p.E1143G mutations had mtDNA depletion. An analysis of the POLG1 gene should be performed for all patients with suspected mitochondrial disease before the introduction of valproate therapy, and treatment with valproic acid should be avoided in these patients. Liver Transpl 20:1402–1412, 2014. © 2014 AASLD.
Hodge cohomology of some foliated boundary and foliated cusp metrics
Authors: Gell‐Redman Jesse , Rochon Frédéric
Published: July 2014

For fibred boundary and fibred cusp metrics, Hausel, Hunsicker, and Mazzeo identified the space of L2 harmonic forms of fixed degree with the images of maps between intersection cohomology groups of an associated stratified space obtained by collapsing the fibres of the fibration at infinity onto its base. In the present paper, we obtain a generalization of this result to situations where, rather than a fibration at infinity, there is a Riemannian foliation with compact leaves admitting a resolution by a fibration. If the associated stratified space (obtained now by collapsing the leaves of the foliation) is a Witt space and if the metric considered is a foliated cusp metric, then no such resolution is required.
The Clinical Spectrum of Autosomal‐Dominant Episodic Ataxias
Authors: Kipfer Stefan , Strupp Michael
Published: July 2014

Autosomal‐dominant episodic ataxias (EAs) represent a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by recurrent episodes of cerebellar ataxia (CA). Ataxia episodes are usually of short duration and often triggered by specific stimuli. There are currently seven classified subtypes of EA. EA types 1 and 2 have the highest prevalence and are therefore the clinically most relevant. Between attacks, EA 1 is associated with myokymia. In EA 2, often an interictal downbeat nystagmus with other cerebellar ocular dysfunctions is present; patients with EA 2 may display slowly progessive ataxia and vermian atrophy. EA 1 and 2 are both channelopathies, affecting the potassium channel gene, KCNA1, in EA 1 and the PQ calcium channel‐encoding gene, CACNA1A, in EA 2. The types EA 3 to 7 are very rare and have to be further elucidated. Here, we review the historical, clinical, and genetic aspects of autosomal‐dominant EAs and their current treatment, focusing on EA 1 and 2.
Supercharging of delayed pedicled transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flaps, is it a viable option?
Authors: Vosburg R. Wesley , White Michael J. , Heckler Frederick R.
Published: July 2014

Introduction

Arterial and venous insufficiency may become evident even in delayed pedicled TRAM flaps. This study assesses the possibility of using the previously ligated deep inferior epigastric vessels for microvascular supercharging during reconstruction.

Methods

Twenty‐two patients underwent delay by ligation of the inferior epigastric vessels prior to TRAM flap breast reconstruction. The deep inferior epigastric vessels were excised at the time of reconstruction 10–14 days after delay and microscopically examined for vascular compromise that might prevent use in microvascular anastomosis at the time of reconstruction.

Results

20/22 (91%) of the deep inferior epigastric vessels (20 arteries and accompanying veins) showed clot immediately adjacent to the ligature only and 2/22 (9%) showed clot extending only 5–10 mm. None of these vessels (0%) showed clot in the distal 2 cm of their length (adjacent to the flap). Evidence of intramural hematoma, delamination, and endothelial abnormalities were not found in any of the vessels. An additional patient who was a 48‐year‐old female underwent bilateral pedicled TRAM flap breast reconstruction and one of the flaps exhibited inadequate capillary refill intraoperatively after transfer to the mastectomy defect. Supercharging of the flap utilizing the previously ligated inferior epigastric artery improved capillary refill and the flap survived completely postoperatively.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate patency of the inferior epigastric vessels after ligation for TRAM delay during the time frame usually used for delay to take effect. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 35:204–206, 2015.
Achieving High‐Conversion Bulk ATRP with Good Livingness and Well Controlled by Design and Optimization of Polymerization Temperature Profile
Authors: Mohammad Rabea Ali , Zhu Shiping
Published: July 2014

Controlled radical polymerization (CRP) such as atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is often conducted in solution processes and stopped at medium monomer conversions to yield well controlled polymer samples. A great challenge lies in running bulk CRP up to high conversions but still retaining system livingness and molecular weight control. In this work, we demonstrate the achievement of good living and well controlled high‐conversion bulk ATRP by means of design and optimizing polymerization thermal histories. The initiator‐for‐continues‐activator‐regeneration (ICAR) ATRP of methyl methacrylate (MMA) is used as a model system. Employing step functions in temperature, MMA conversions are pushed up to 98% and the PMMA samples possess polydispersities <1.3. Chain extension experiments confirm good livingness of synthesized polymers collected at high conversions.
Stochastic finite elements of discretely parameterized random systems on domains with boundary uncertainty
Authors: Kundu A. , Adhikari S. , Friswell M. I.
Published: July 2014

The problem of representing random fields describing the material and boundary properties of the physical system at discrete points of the spatial domain is studied in the context of linear stochastic finite element method. A randomly parameterized diffusion system with a set of independent identically distributed stochastic variables is considered. The discretized parametric fields are interpolated within each element with multidimensional Lagrange polynomials and integrated into the weak formulation. The proposed discretized random‐field representation has been utilized to express the random fluctuations of the domain boundary with nodal position coordinates and a set of random variables. The description of the boundary perturbation has been incorporated into the weak stochastic finite element formulation using a stochastic isoparametric mapping of the random domain to a deterministic master domain. A method for obtaining the linear system of equations under the proposed mapping using generic finite element weak formulation and the stochastic spectral Galerkin framework is studied in detail. The treatment presents a unified way of handling the parametric uncertainty and random boundary fluctuations for dynamic systems. The convergence behavior of the proposed methodologies has been demonstrated with numerical examples to establish the validity of the numerical scheme. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The eXtended finite element method for cracked hyperelastic materials: A convergence study
Authors: Karoui A. , Mansouri K. , Renard Y. , Arfaoui M.
Published: July 2014

The present work aims to look into the contribution of the extended finite element method for large deformation of cracked bodies in plane strain approximation. The unavailability of sufficient mathematical tools and proofs for such problem makes the study exploratory. First, the asymptotic solution is presented. Then, a numerical analysis is realized to verify the pertinence of solution given by the asymptotic procedure, because it serves as an eXtended finite element method enrichment basis. Finally, a convergence study is carried out to show the contribution of the exploitation of such method. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nearly optimal simple explicit MPC controllers with stability and feasibility guarantees
Authors: Holaza J. , Takács B. , Kvasnica M. , Di Cairano S.
Published: July 2014

We consider the problem of synthesizing simple explicit model predictive control feedback laws that provide closed‐loop stability and recursive satisfaction of state and input constraints. The approach is based on replacing a complex optimal feedback law by a simpler controller whose parameters are tuned, off‐line, to minimize the reduction of the performance. The tuning consists of two steps. In the first step, we devise a simpler polyhedral partition by solving a parametric optimization problem. In the second step, we then optimize parameters of local affine feedbacks by minimizing the integrated squared error between the original controller and its simpler counterpart. We show that such a problem can be formulated as a convex optimization problem. Moreover, we illustrate that conditions of closed‐loop stability and recursive satisfaction of constraints can be included as a set of linear constraints. Efficiency of the method is demonstrated on two examples. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Research on the mechanical properties prediction of carbon/epoxy composite laminates with different void contents
Authors: Zhang Aying , Lu Haibao , Zhang Dongxing
Published: July 2014

The influence of the porosity on the static mechanical strength of the carbon fiber fabric reinforced epoxy composites laminates was investigated. The tensile, compressive, bending, and interlaminar strength test on the CFRP laminates with porosity of 0.33% and 1.50% were conducted and simulated by a finite element analysis model. The article proposes the failure criterion of the static mechanical strength of the fabric fiber reinforced composites based on the improved Hashin failure criterion that is suitable for the undirectional composite laminates. The basic composite strength parameters are used to evaluate the mechanical properties of CFRP laminates with different porosities. A finite element analysis model is established by using software ABAQUS™ combined with the sudden stiffness degradation model. The experiment results show that the tensile, compressive, bending, and interlaminar strength decrease with the increasing porosities. The tensile, compressive, bending, and interlaminar strength of the fabric carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites laminates are simulated accurately by the finite element model. POLYM. COMPOS., 14–20, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers
Plasma Deposition of Thermo‐Responsive Thin Films from N‐Vinylcaprolactam
Authors: Moreno‐Couranjou Maryline , Palumbo Fabio , Sardella Eloisa , Frache Gilles , Favia Pietro , Choquet Patrick
Published: July 2014

Herein, plasma deposited thermally responsive thin polymer films from N‐vinylcaprolactam (NVCL) is reported for the first time by using a low pressure RF plasma process. While FT‐IR and XPS analyses highlight the film chemistry, ToF‐SIMS combined with MALDI‐MS analyses allow to accurately identify different oligomer distributions in the deposited film. The switching behavior of these smart surfaces is confirmed with water contact angle measurements at low and high temperatures, allowing also to estimate the Lower Critical Solution Temperature.
Review of Sn‐Doped Hematite Nanostructures for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting
Authors: Ling Yichuan , Li Yat
Published: July 2014

Hematite (α‐Fe2O3) nanostructures have been extensively studied as photoanodes for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. However, the photoactivity of pristine hematite nanostructures is limited by a number of factors, including poor electrical conductiviy and slow oxygen evolution reaction kinetics. Previous studies have shown that using tin (Sn) as an n‐type dopant can substantially enhance the photoactivity of hematite photoanodes by modifying their optical and electrical properties. Here, the recent accomplishments in using Sn‐doped hematite photoanodes for solar water splitting are highlighted.
Extremophilic Polysaccharide for Biosynthesis and Passivation of Gold Nanoparticles and Photothermal Ablation of Cancer Cells
Authors: Raveendran Sreejith , Chauhan Neha , Palaninathan Vivekanandan , Nagaoka Yutaka , Yoshida Yasuhiko , Maekawa Toru , Kumar D. Sakthi
Published: July 2014

Extremophiles are the group of organisms that are far overlooked for exploring novel biomaterials in the field of material science and bionanotechnology. Extremophilic bacterial‐sulfated exopolysaccharide, mauran (MR), is employed for the bioreduction and passivation of gold nanoparticles (AuNps) to enhance the biocompatibility of AuNps and used for photothermal ablation of cancer cells. Here, various concentrations of MR solution are tested for the reduction of HAuCl4 solution in the presence as well as in the absence of an external reducing agent, to produce mauran‐gold nanoparticles (MRAu Nps). These biocompatible nanocomposites are treated with cancer cell lines under in vitro conditions and NIR irradiated for complete ablation. MRAu Nps‐treated cancer cells on immediate exposure to infrared radiation from a femtosecond pulse laser of operating wavelength 800 nm are subjected to hyperthermia causing cell death. Biocompatible MR stabilization could fairly reduce the cytotoxicity caused by bare AuNps during biomedical applications. Application of a biocompatible polysaccharide from extremophilic bacterial origin for reduction and passivation of AuNps and used for a biomedical purpose is known to be first of its kind in bionanofusion studies.
Determination of Thermal History by Photoluminescence of Core‐Shelled Quantum Dots Going Through Heating Events
Authors: Lan Yucheng , Wang Hui , Skula Nitin , Chen Xiaoyuan , Lu Yalin , Chen Gang , Ren Zhifeng
Published: July 2014

A kind of novel thermal history nanosensors are theoretically designed and experimentally demonstrated to permanently record thermal events. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of core‐shelled quantum dots (QDs) CdSe/ZnS irreversibly shifts with heating histories (temperature and duration) of thermal events. The induced PL shift of the QDs CdSe/ZnS is employed to permanently record thermal histories. We further model a kind of thermal history nanosensor based on the thermal‐induced phenomena of core‐shelled QDs to permanently record thermal histories at microscale and demonstrate to reconstruct temperature and duration of heating events simultaneously from PL spectra of the QDs. The physical mechanism of the sensors is discussed.
Phytochemistry and Antileishmanial Activity of the Leaf Latex ofAloe calidophilaReynolds
Authors: Abeje Fetene , Bisrat Daniel , Hailu Asrat , Asres Kaleab
Published: July 2014

Leishmaniasis is a major protozoal disease threatening the lives of 350 million people throughout the world. However, the therapeutic options for the disease are limited. In the present study, the antiprotozoal activity of the latex obtained from the Ethiopian plantAloe calidophilaReynolds was evaluated byin vitrotesting againstLeishmania aethiopicaandLeishmania major. It was found that the latex possesses moderate activity against both parasites with IC50values of 64.05 and 82.29 µg/mL, respectively. Phytochemical investigation resulted in the isolation of three anthrones identified as aloinoside, aloin, and microdontin on the basis of IR, MS,1H NMR, and13C NMR spectral data. The isolated compounds showed strong antileishmanial activity with IC50values ranging from 1.76 to 6.32 µg/mL againstL. aethiopicaand from 2.09 to 8.85 µg/mL againstL. major. Although these values were higher than those of amphotericin B (IC50 = 0.109 and 0.067 µg/mL), the selectivity indices (813.35 and 694.90, respectively, againstL. aethiopicaandL. major) of aloinoside were much better than those of the standard drug (423.49 and 688.96). The results indicate that the isolated compounds have the potential to be used as a scaffold for the development of safe and cost‐effective antileishmanial agents. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Study of protein and RNA in dendritic spines using multi‐isotope imaging mass spectrometry
Authors: Brismar H. , Aperia A. , Westin L. , Moy J. , Wang M. , Guillermier C. , Poczatek J. C. , Lechene C.
Published: July 2014

The classical view of neuronal protein synthesis is that proteins are made in the cell body and then transported to their functional sites in the dendrites and the dendritic spines. Indirect evidence, however, suggests that protein synthesis can directly occur in the distal dendrites, far from the cell body. We are developing protocols for dual labeling of RNA and proteins using 15 N‐uridine and 18O‐ or 13C‐leucine pulse chase in cultured neurons to identify and localize both protein synthesis and fate of newly synthesized proteins. Pilot experiments show discrete localization of both RNA and newly synthesized proteins in dendrites, close to dendritic spines. We have for the first time directly imaged and measured the production of proteins at the subcellular level in the neuronal dendrites, close to the functional sites, the dendritic spines. This will open a powerful way to study neural growth and synapse plasticity in health and disease. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chemically Modified Gold Superatoms and Superatomic Molecules
Authors: Nishigaki Jun‐ichi , Koyasu Kiichirou , Tsukuda Tatsuya
Published: July 2014

Clusters of gold atoms can be viewed as superatoms, in which valence electrons confined in the particles occupy atomic‐like, discrete electronic levels. Chemical modification of the gold superatoms and their aggregated molecules (superatomic molecules) with organic ligands is a promising approach for their application as the building units of new functional materials. This account surveys the present status of the rapidly growing field of gold superatoms and superatomic molecules protected by thiolates and phosphines. The major aim of this article is to provide a simple picture for the structure, stability and bonding scheme of chemically modified superatoms and superatomic molecules for the development of a new class of hierarchical materials.
Chemistry without Bo(a)rders
Authors: Tanzer Eva‐Maria
Published: July 2014

Note from the Editor:

Science, collegiality, travel without borders. Big smiles and warmth. Eternally youthful vigor. When I think of Tetsuo Nozoe, these are the images that immediately come to mind. When I think of the Nozoe Autograph Books, I also think of time. For 40 years, Nozoe carried with him his autograph books and collected his treasures which The Chemical Record is now publishing. Vladimir Prelog signed first when he was 47 and signed last when he was almost 80. Derek Barton signed first when he was 35 and signed last when he was almost 70. Time! I was fascinated by Eva Wille's recommendation that we publish an essay by Eva‐Maria Tanzer, a young organic chemist with already a lifetime's experience in exploring chemical research in laboratories around the world. Tanzer brings to us a charming, even innocent perspective that embraces so much of Tetsuo Nozoe's ideals. We are privileged to include Tanzer's vision and her experiences in the collection of essays that accompany the Nozoe Autograph Books. Our contributors range in age and experiences, from the youthful Tanzer to the more mature (including myself!) as do the signatories in the autograph books. Tetsuo Nozoe would have beamed!

—Jeffrey I. Seeman

Guest Editor

University of Richmond

Richmond, Virginia 23173, USA

E‐mail: jseeman@richmond.edu
Accumulation of di(2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate causes endocrine‐disruptive effects in marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) embryos
Authors: Ye Ting , Kang Mei , Huang Qiansheng , Fang Chao , Chen Yajie , Liu Liangpo , Dong Sijun
Published: July 2014

Di (2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is extensively distributed in marine environments. However, limited research on the toxicological and molecular effects of DEHP on marine organisms has been conducted. Our study investigated the accumulation, elimination, and endocrine‐disruptive effects of DEHP on embryonic marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma). The medaka embryos were continuously exposed to DEHP (0.01, 0.1, and 1 mg/L) or 17β‐estradiol (E2, 0.01 mg/L) until hatching, and the newly hatched larvae were then transferred to clean sea water for 12 days of depuration. DEHP and E2 appeared to have no significant effects on the mortality and hatching rates of medaka embryos, but E2 exposure significantly delayed the hatching. Significantly higher DEHP embryonic burdens were detected in the group treated with higher DEHP (0.1 and 1 mg/L) at 10 dpf (days post fertilization). The recovered larvae showed an elimination tendency of DEHP during the recovery period. DEHP had no significant effects on the transcriptional responses of endocrine‐disrupting biomarker genes in the 3‐dpf embryos. Treatment with 0.1 and 1 mg/L DEHP elicited a significant induction of transcriptional responses of ER, PPAR, and the CYP19 genes in a concentration‐dependent manner at 10 dpf, indicating endocrine disruption may be due to bioaccumulation of DEHP. With the elimination of DEHP during the depuration period, all of the effects on these genes showed no significant effects. However, 0.1 mg/L E2 significantly affected the expression of ER, PPAR, and the CYP19 genes in the exposed embryos at both 3 and 10 dpf and recovered larvae. Therefore, these results demonstrate that accumulation of DEHP caused endocrine disruption in medaka embryos and that recovery in clean sea water may weaken the endocrine‐disrupting effects. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 116–127, 2016.
Does it Matter How We Pose the Question “How is Your Sense of Smell?”
Authors: Wehling Eike , Lundervold Astri J. , Nordin Steven
Published: July 2014

There is a rather large, and unfortunate, discrepancy in the outcome between self-reported and standardized assessment of olfactory function. Questions for self-evaluation are commonly used that provide no information of with what to compare (comparison target) one’s olfactory function. We therefore investigated whether responses differed between an unspecific question and two questions providing comparison targets. Ninety-six healthy community-dwelling individuals (62.5 % women) aged 49–80 years evaluated their odor identification ability, followed by standardized assessment of odor identification ability. Results revealed that response patterns varied significantly depending on comparison target. While 81 % reported normal function when no further comparison target was presented, 69 % reported normal function when referring to age-related olfactory changes in identification ability. In turn, sensitivity of the accuracy of self-reported reduced odor identification ability (with standardized assessment as reference) increased from 11 to 37 %, whereas specificity decreased from 86 to 71 % when providing a comparison target. Accuracy of self-reported olfactory function can be increased by including a comparison target. However, standardized assessment is to be preferred over self-reported assessment, irrespective of how the question is formulated.
Isospectral periodic Torii in dimension 2
Authors: Waters Alden
Published: July 2014

We consider two dimensional real-valued analytic potentials for the Schrödinger equation which are periodic over a lattice

\mathbb{L}

. Under certain assumptions on the form of the potential and the lattice

\mathbb{L}

, we can show there is a large class of analytic potentials which are Floquet rigid and dense in the set of

C^{\infty }(\mathbb{R}^{2}/ \mathbb{L})

potentials. The result extends the work of Eskin et al., in “On isospectral periodic potentials in

\mathbb{R}^{n}

, II.”

Nous considérons les potentiels analytiques à valeurs réelles en dimension deux pour l'equation de Schrödinger qui sont périodiques sur un réseau

\mathbb{L}

. Sous certaines hypothèses sur la forme du potentiel et du réseau

\mathbb{L}

, nous montrons qu' il y a une grande classe de potentiels analytiques Floquet rigides et denses dans l'ensemble de

C^{\infty }(\mathbb{R}^{2}/ \mathbb{L})

potentiels. Ce résultat prolonge le travail de Eskin et al., dans “Les potentiels périodiques isospectraux dans

\mathbb{R}^{n}

, II.”
Roles of intraloops‐2 and ‐3 and the proximal C‐terminus in signalling pathway selection from the human calcium‐sensing receptor
Authors: Goolam Mahvash A. , Ward James H. , Avlani Vimesh A. , Leach Katie , Christopoulos Arthur , Conigrave Arthur D.
Published: July 2014

The calcium‐sensing receptor (CaSR) couples to signalling pathways via intracellular loops 2 and 3, and the C‐terminus. However, the requirements for signalling are largely undefined. We investigated the impacts of selected point mutations in iL‐2 (F706A) and iL‐3 (L797A and E803A), and a truncation of the C‐terminus (R866X) on extracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+
o)‐stimulated phosphatidylinositol‐specific phospholipase‐C (PI‐PLC) and various other signalling responses. CaSR‐mediated activation of PI‐PLC was markedly attenuated in all four mutants and similar suppressions were observed for Ca2+
o‐stimulated ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Ca2+
o‐stimulated intracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+
i) mobilization, however, was relatively preserved for the iL‐2 and iL‐3 mutants and suppression of adenylyl cyclase was unaffected by either E803A or R866X. The CaSR selects for specific signalling pathways via the proximal C‐terminus and key residues in iL‐2, iL‐3.
Impact of nutritional recovery with linear growth on the concentrations of adipokines in undernourished children living in Brazilian slums
Authors: Martins Vinicius J. B. , Neves Andrea P. O. , Franco Maria do C. P. , Clemente Ana P. G. , Sawaya Ana L.
Published: July 2014

Undernutrition in early life has been reported to be closely associated with the development of non-communicable diseases in adulthood. Adequate treatment is important for reversing these effects. In the present study, we investigated the effects of undernutrition and anthropometric recovery on the weights and heights of children in relation to the concentrations of leptin, adiponectin and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). A total of 119 children (aged 6–16 years) from the slums of São Paulo were selected according to their nutritional status and divided into three groups as follows: control (healthy without intervention, n 38) with a height-for-age Z score (HAZ) and a BMI-for-age Z score (BAZ) > − 1·6; undernourished (HAZ and/or BAZ < − 1·6, n 54); recovered from undernutrition (after treatment in a rehabilitation centre; HAZ and BAZ > − 1·6, n 27). Blood samples were collected to determine insulin, glucose, leptin, adiponectin and PAI-1 concentrations. Leptin concentrations in the undernourished group were lower than those in the control and recovered groups (mean 0·92 (95 % CI 0·67, 1·25), 2·03 (95 % CI 1·46, 2·82) and 1·66 (95 % CI 1·15, 2·44) ng/ml, P= 0·003), which had similar leptin concentrations. There were no differences in adiponectin and PAI-1 concentrations among the groups. A positive correlation between waist circumference and leptin concentrations was observed in all the girls and boys of the control group (control: r 0·729, P< 0·01; undernourished: r 0·490, P< 0·05; and recovered: r 0·829, P< 0·01; r 0·673, P< 0·05). Stronger correlations between leptin and insulin concentrations were observed in the recovered group. The results of the present study indicate that normal leptin concentrations are found when normal height and weight are achieved.
Characterization of a human–pathogenicAcanthamoeba griffiniisolated from a contact lens-wearing keratitis patient in Spain
Authors: HEREDERO-BERMEJO I. , CRIADO-FORNELIO A. , DE FUENTES I. , SOLIVERI J. , COPA-PATIÑO J. L. , PÉREZ-SERRANO J.
Published: July 2014

Amoebae were isolated from contact lenses of a symptomatic lens wearer in Spain. Protozoa were characterized by studying their morphology, biology, protease activity and the 18S rRNA gene sequence. Morphology of the organism was observed by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Its structure corresponded to an amphizoic amoeba. The protozoa grew well at 37 °C and poorly at lower temperatures. In addition, it was capable of lysing mammalian cellsin vitro. A major 56 kDa proteolytic enzyme was observed in amoeba crude extracts by gelatin–sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Most proteolytic enzymes in protozoa extracts showed significant activity over a wide range of pH (3–9) and temperature (8–45 °C) values. The assays on inhibition of protease activity indicated strongly that enzymes detected in amoeba extracts corresponded to serine proteases and, to a lesser extent, cysteine proteases. The use of proteinase inhibitors on a tissue culture model proved that the proteinase activity is critical for developing focal lesions in HeLa cell monolayers. Finally, partial sequencing of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the isolate is closely related toAcanthamoeba griffiniH37 from the UK (T3 genotype).
Trajectory generator design based on the user's intentions for a CMC lower-limbs rehabilitation device
Authors: Seddiki L. , Guelton K. , Zaytoon J. , Akdag H.
Published: July 2014

This paper deals with the design of the control structure of a lower-limbs rehabilitation device in closed muscular chain called Sys-Reeduc. This control structure aims at providing a safe behavior to the user when performing rehabilitation exercises. It is based on two levels. The first level is concerned with the robust trajectory tracking of robotic device and has been the subject of previous studies. Nevertheless, it does not allow, by itself, the user to voluntarily drive the device. Therefore, a trajectory generator constituting the second level is presented in this paper to complete the whole control structure. This high-level control layer is described by a set of dedicated discrete state machines that provide the appropriate sequencing of elementary rehabilitation movements. These elementary movements are dynamically characterized so that clinician may choose the required trajectory parameters to adapt rehabilitation protocols and training to each individual. To realize a complete rehabilitation exercise, the sequence of elementary movements is triggered by thresholds relative to the measurement of the efforts applied by the user on the device. This allows the user to play an active role in its rehabilitation exercises and safely drive the machine at his/her own initiative. The design of the main exercises (isokinetic, isometric, and isotonic) used in the context of lower limbs rehabilitation is described, and simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed trajectory generator-based control approach.
RITUXIMAB AND TOCILIZUMAB FOR THE TREATMENT OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Authors: González-Vacarezza Nicolás , Alemán Alicia , González Graciela , Pérez Ana
Published: July 2014

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rituximab and tocilizumab compared with adalimumab, etanercept, and infliximab, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis not responding to first-line treatment, and to compare the efficacy and safety of rituximab versus tocilizumab in patients not responding to anti-tumor necrosis factor α (anti-TNF) therapy.

Methods: A literature search of randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, and systematic reviews was performed to evaluate efficacy and safety of rituximab and tocilizumab.

Results: Twenty-four RCTs were included in this systematic review with 6,357 participants; 3,450 treated with biological DMARD and 2,907 with standard care. In patients not responding to first-line treatment, rituximab shows lower response rate in at least 50 percent improvement in the American College of Rheumatology criteria (ACR50) and ACR70 compared with etanercept, at 6 months of follow-up. Tocilizumab shows higher ACR70 response rate compared with infliximab, at the same follow-up time. Other results showed no significant differences. Indirect comparisons between rituximab and tocilizumab in patients not responding for at least one anti-TNF, shows higher ACR20 response rate for tocilizumab at 6 months of follow-up. Regarding safety, adalimumab and etanercept were associated with significant fewer withdrawals due to adverse events compared with infliximab.

Conclusions: Considering efficacy, safety, and the availability of 3 anti-TNFs in the National Medicines Formulary (adalimumab, etanercept, and infliximab), it seems appropriate to remove infliximab from the coverage, and introduce tocilizumab for patients not responding for at least one anti-TNF.
The Influence of Qing Dynasty Editorial Work on the Modern Interpretation of Mathematical Sources: The Case of Li Rui's Edition of Li Ye's Mathematical Treatises
Authors: Pollet Charlotte-V.
Published: July 2014

Argument

Recent studies in Sinology have shown that Qing dynasty editors acted as philologists. This paper argues that the identification of their philological methods and editorial choices suggests that their choices were not totally neutral and may have significantly shaped the way modern historians interpreted specific works edited by mathematicians of that dynasty. A case study of the re-edition in 1798 of a Song dynasty treatise, theYigu yanduan(1259), by a Qing dynasty mathematician will illustrate this point. At the end of the eighteenth century, Li Rui (1773–1817) was asked to prepare an edition of the mathematical works written by Li Ye (1192–1279) for a private collection. Li Rui was a talented mathematician, but he was also a meticulous editor and trained philologist. He adopted his editorial model from the preparation of the imperial encyclopaedia, theSiku quanshu, but Li Rui also made some corrections to the text in an effort to restore an older version of Li Ye's treatises that had been lost. Convinced of the Chinese origin of algebra, Li Rui used philological techniques to recover the lost materials and to restore the roots of “Chinese mathematics.” TheYigu yanduancontains two algebraic procedures to set up quadratic equations, one from the procedure ofCelestial Source(tian yuan shu) and the other from theSection of Pieces[of Areas] (tiao duan). Curiously, the second procedure has not yet attracted the attention of scholars so far, although Li Rui's edition is the one typically used by twentieth-century historians of mathematics. Today, theCelestial Sourcecharacterizes “Chinese algebra.” However, the specific concerns of Li Rui about the procedure ofCelestial Source, combined with his editorial methods, contributed to this perspective.
Siting the New Economic Science: The Cowles Commission's Activity Analysis Conference of June 1949
Authors: Düppe Till , Weintraub E. Roy
Published: July 2014

Argument

In the decades following World War II, the Cowles Commission for Research in Economics came to represent new technical standards that informed most advances in economic theory. The public emergence of this community was manifest at a conference held in June 1949 titledActivity Analysis of Production and Allocation. New ideas in optimization theory, linked to linear programming, developed from the conference's papers. The authors’ history of this event situates the Cowles Commission among the institutions of postwar science in-between National Laboratories and the supreme discipline of Cold War academia, mathematics. Although the conference created the conditions under which economics, as a discipline, would transform itself, the participants themselves had little concern for the intellectual battles that had defined prewar university economics departments. The authors argue that the conference signaled the birth of a new intellectual culture in economic science based on shared scientific norms and techniques un-interrogated by conflicting notions of the meaning of either science or economics.
Making Organisms Model Human Behavior: Situated Models in North-American Alcohol Research, since 1950
Authors: Ankeny Rachel A. , Leonelli Sabina , Nelson Nicole C. , Ramsden Edmund
Published: July 2014

Argument

We examine the criteria used to validate the use of nonhuman organisms in North-American alcohol addiction research from the 1950s to the present day. We argue that this field, where the similarities between behaviors in humans and non-humans are particularly difficult to assess, has addressed questions of model validity by transforming the situatedness of non-human organisms into an experimental tool. We demonstrate that model validity does not hinge on the standardization of one type of organism in isolation, as often the case with genetic model organisms. Rather, organisms are viewed as necessarily situated: they cannot be understood as a model for human behavior in isolation from their environmental conditions. Hence the environment itself is standardized as part of the modeling process; and model validity is assessed with reference to the environmental conditions under which organisms are studied.
An Uncertain Risk: The World Health Organization's Account of H1N1
Authors: Abeysinghe Sudeepa
Published: July 2014

Argument

Scientific uncertainty is fundamental to the management of contemporary global risks. In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the start of the H1N1 Influenza Pandemic. This declaration signified the risk posed by the spread of the H1N1 virus, and in turn precipitated a range of actions by global public health actors. This article analyzes the WHO's public representation of risk and examines the centrality of scientific uncertainty in the case of H1N1. It argues that the WHO's risk narrative reflected the context of scientific uncertainty in which it was working. The WHO argued that it was attempting to remain faithful to the scientific evidence, and the uncertain nature of the threat. However, as a result, the WHO's public risk narrative was neither consistent nor socially robust, leading to the eventual contestation of the WHO's position by other global public health actors, most notably the Council of Europe. This illustrates both the significance of scientific uncertainty in the investigation of risk, and the difficulty for risk managing institutions in effectively acting in the face of this uncertainty.
Shifting Expert Configurations and the Public Credibility of Science: Boundary Work and Identity Work of Hydraulic Engineers (1980–2009)
Authors: van Rijswoud Erwin
Published: July 2014

Argument

In the Netherlands, a country of water, dikes, and dams, the role of civil engineering in policy making and public debates over flood safety have changed over the last four decades. This had not just implied that new directions in flood safety policy were considered by politics, but also that engineering experts traditionally working in this area found their credibility challenged by competing expertises. I will argue that in responding to those challenges, experts combined boundary work (upholding boundaries between science and non-science, or between different fields of expertise) with identity work, in which the planning of actions and learning from experience are informed by the identity of oneself as an expert. The views of experts on the boundary zone of science, policy, and public debate, and the role and skills one attributes to oneself, are regarded as important aspects of that identity work. On the basis of biographical-narrative research, this will show that although the four experts studied here belong to a specific generation of engineers, experiencing common challenges and developments in their field of work, the combination of identity work and boundary work results in specific roles and responses for each individual expert.
The syllabic status of final consonants in early speech: a case study
Authors: YUEN IVAN , MILES KELLY , COX FELICITY , DEMUTH KATHERINE
Published: July 2014

Young children's first attempts at CVC words are often realized with the final consonant being heavily aspirated or followed by an epenthetic vowel (e.g. cat /kæt/ realized as [kæth] or [kætə]). This has led some to propose that young children represent word-final (coda) consonants as an onset-nucleus sequence (CV.Cv) (e.g. Goad & Brannen, 2003), raising questions about the syllabic status of the final consonant. To address this issue, we conducted an acoustic analysis of a child's early production of CVC, CVCh, and CVCV words between the ages of 1;3 and 1;5. Aside from aspiration, the results showed that there were no significant acoustic differences between the CVC and CVCh forms. In contrast, there were systematic acoustic differences in C2 closure duration between the CVC/CVCh and CVCV target words, suggesting that at least some children learning English have early coda representations for monosyllabic CVC words, whether heavily aspirated or not.
Was the Gibson Paradox for real? A Wicksellian study of the relationship between interest rates and prices
Authors: Chadha Jagjit S. , Perlman Morris
Published: July 2014

We examine the relationship between prices and interest rates for seven advanced economies in the period up to 1913, emphasising the UK. There is a significant long-run positive relationship between prices and interest rates for the core commodity standard countries. Keynes ([1930] 1971) labelled this positive relationship the ‘Gibson Paradox’. A number of theories have been put forward as possible explanations of the paradox but they do not fit the long-run pattern of the relationship. We find that a formal model in the spirit of Wicksell (1907) and Keynes ([1930] 1971) offers an explanation for the paradox: where the need to stabilise the banking sector's reserve ratio, in the presence of an uncertain ‘natural’ rate, can lead to persistent deviations of the market rate of interest from its ‘natural’ level and consequently long-run swings in the price level.
Does Interviewer Religious Dress Affect Survey Responses? Evidence from Morocco
Authors: Benstead Lindsay J.
Published: July 2014

Few studies examine religiosity-of-interviewer effects, despite recent expansion of surveying in the Muslim world. Using data from a nationally-representative survey of 800 Moroccans conducted in 2007, this study investigates whether and why interviewer religiosity and gender affect responses to religiously-sensitive questions. Interviewer dress affects responses to four of six items, but effects are larger and more consistent for religious respondents, in support of power relations theory. Religious Moroccans provide less pious responses to secular-appearing interviewers, whom they may link to the secular state, and more religious answers to interviewers wearing hijab, in order to safeguard their reputation in a society that values piety. Interviewer traits do not affect the probability of item-missing data. Religiosity-of-interviewer effects depend on interviewer gender for questions about dress choice, a gendered issue closely related to interviewer dress. Interviewer gender and dress should be coded and controlled for to reduce bias and better understand social dynamics.
Comparative metabolomics in primates reveals the effects of diet and gene regulatory variation on metabolic divergence
Authors: Blekhman Ran , Perry George H. , Shahbaz Sevini , Fiehn Oliver , Clark Andrew G. , Gilad Yoav
Published: July 2014

Human diets differ from those of non-human primates. Among few obvious differences, humans consume more meat than most non-human primates and regularly cook their food. It is hypothesized that a dietary shift during human evolution has been accompanied by molecular adaptations in metabolic pathways. Consistent with this notion, comparative studies of gene expression levels in primates have found that the regulation of genes with metabolic functions tend to evolve rapidly in the human lineage. The metabolic consequences of these regulatory differences, however, remained unknown. To address this gap, we performed a comparative study using a combination of gene expression and metabolomic profiling in livers from humans, chimpanzees and rhesus macaques. We show that dietary differences between species have a strong effect on metabolic concentrations. In addition, we found that differences in metabolic concentration across species are correlated with inter-species differences in the expression of the corresponding enzymes, which control the same metabolic reaction. We identified a number of metabolic compounds with lineage-specific profiles, including examples of human-species metabolic differences that may be directly related to dietary differences.
Quantitative Comparison of Tumor Delivery for Multiple Targeted Nanoparticles Simultaneously by Multiplex ICP-MS
Authors: Elias Andrew , Crayton Samuel H. , Warden-Rothman Robert , Tsourkas Andrew
Published: July 2014

Given the rapidly expanding library of disease biomarkers and targeting agents, the number of unique targeted nanoparticles is growing exponentially. The high variability and expense of animal testing often makes it unfeasible to examine this large number of nanoparticles in vivo. This often leads to the investigation of a single formulation that performed best in vitro. However, nanoparticle performance in vivo depends on many variables, many of which cannot be adequately assessed with cell-based assays. To address this issue, we developed a lanthanide-doped nanoparticle method that allows quantitative comparison of multiple targeted nanoparticles simultaneously. Specifically, superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles with different targeting ligands were created, each with a unique lanthanide dopant. Following the simultaneous injection of the various SPIO compositions into tumor-bearing mice, inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy was used to quantitatively and orthogonally assess the concentration of each SPIO composition in serial blood and resected tumor samples.
Feasibility study on the use of attenuated total reflectance MIR spectroscopy to measure the fructan content in barley
Authors: Cozzolino D. , Roumeliotis S. , Eglinton J.
Published: July 2014

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using attenuated total reflectance mid-infrared (ATR-MIR) spectroscopy to predict the fructan content in both barley and malt flour samples.
Multivalent hydrogen bonding block copolymers self-assemble into strong and tough self-healing materials
Authors: Chen Yulin , Guan Zhibin
Published: July 2014

ABA triblock copolymers with glassy PMMA middle blocks and dynamic hydrogen bonding terminal blocks self-assemble into nanocomposites having an excellent combination of mechanical strength and self-healing capability.
Smart dual-functional warhead for folate receptor-specific activatable imaging and photodynamic therapy
Authors: Kim Jisu , Tung Ching-Hsuan , Choi Yongdoo
Published: July 2014

Folic acid as a bi-functional warhead to develop smart dual-targeted theranostic agents.