bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of biotic interactions on tropical tree performance depend on abiotic conditions
Authors: Muscarella Robert , Messier Julie , Condit Richard , Hubbell Stephen P. , Svenning Jens‐Christian
Published: November 2018

Predicting biotic responses to environmental change requires understanding the joint effects of abiotic conditions and biotic interactions on community dynamics. One major challenge is to separate the potentially confounding effects of abiotic environmental variation and local biotic interactions on individual performance. The stress gradient hypothesis (SGH) addresses this issue directly by predicting that the effects of biotic interactions on performance become more positive as the abiotic environment becomes more stressful. It is unclear, however, how the predictions of the SGH apply to plants of differing functional strategies in diverse communities. We asked (1) how the effect of crowding on performance (growth and survival) of trees varies across a precipitation gradient, and (2) how functional strategies (as measured by two key traits: wood density and leaf mass per area, LMA) mediate average demographic rates and responses to crowding across the gradient. We built trait‐based neighborhood models of growth and survival across a regional precipitation gradient where increasing precipitation is associated with reduced abiotic stress. In total, our dataset comprised ~170,000 individual trees belonging to 252 species. The effect of crowding on tree performance varied across the gradient; crowding negatively affected growth across plots and positively affected survival in the wettest plot. Functional traits mediated average demographic rates across the gradient, but we did not find clear evidence that the strength of these responses depends on species’ traits. Our study lends support to the SGH and demonstrates how a trait‐based perspective can advance these concepts by linking the diversity of species interactions with functional variation across abiotic gradients.
Cardiac contractility modulation: mechanisms of action in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and beyond
Authors: Tschöpe Carsten , Kherad Behrouz , Klein Oliver , Lipp Axel , Blaschke Florian , Gutterman David , Burkhoff Daniel , Hamdani Nazha , Spillmann Frank , Van Linthout Sophie
Published: November 2018

Heart failure (HF) is responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality and is increasing in prevalence. Although there has been remarkable progress in the treatment of HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), morbidity and mortality are still substantial. Cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) signals, consisting of biphasic high‐voltage bipolar signals delivered to the right ventricular septum during the absolute refractory period, have been shown to improve symptoms, exercise tolerance and quality of life and reduce the rate of HF hospitalizations in patients with ejection fractions (EF) between 25% and 45%. CCM therapy is currently approved in the European Union, China, India, Australia and Brazil for use in symptomatic HFrEF patients with normal or slightly prolonged QRS duration. CCM is particularly beneficial in patients with baseline EF between 35% and 45%, which includes half the range of HF patients with mid‐range EFs (HFmrEF). At the cellular level, CCM has been shown in HFrEF patients to improve calcium handling, to reverse the foetal myocyte gene programme associated with HF, and to facilitate reverse remodelling. This review highlights the preclinical and clinical literature related to CCM in HFrEF and HFmrEF and outlines the potential of CCM for HF with preserved EF, concluding that CCM may fill an important unmet need in the therapeutic approach to HF across the range of EFs.
PD‐1 expression is upregulated on adapted T cells in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis but is not required to maintain a hyporesponsive state
Authors: Mair Iris , Besusso Dario , Saul Louise , Patel Sarju D. , Ravindran Rahul , McPherson Rhoanne C. , Leech Melanie D. , O'Connor Richard A. , Anderton Stephen M. , Mellanby Richard J.
Published: November 2018

T cell adaptation is an important peripheral tolerogenic process which ensures that the T cell population can respond effectively to pathogens but remains tolerant to self‐antigens. We probed the mechanisms of T cell adaptation using an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model in which the fate of autopathogenic T cells could be followed. We demonstrated that immunisation with a high dose of myelin basic protein (MBP) peptide and complete Freund's adjuvant failed to effectively initiate EAE, in contrast to low dose MBP peptide immunisation which readily induced disease. The proportion of autopathogenic CD4+ T cells in the central nervous system (CNS) of mice immunised with a high dose of MBP peptide was not significantly different to mice immunised with a low dose. However, autopathogenic T cells in mice immunised with high dose MBP peptide had an unresponsive phenotype in ex vivo recall assays. Importantly, whilst expression of PD‐1 was increased on adapted CD4+ T cells within the CNS, loss of PD‐1 function did not prevent the development of the unresponsive state. The lack of a role for PD‐1 in the acquisition of the adapted state stands in striking contrast to the reported functional importance of PD‐1 in T cell unresponsiveness in other disease models.
One‐Dimensional Looped Chain and Two‐Dimensional Square Grid Coordination Polymers: Encapsulation of Bis(1,2,4‐Triazole)‐trans‐cyclohexane into the Voids
Authors: Adarsh Nayarassery N. , Dîrtu Marinela M. , Guionneau Philippe , Devlin Eamonn , Sanakis Yiannis , Howard Judith A. K. , Chattopadhyay Basab , Garcia Yann
Published: November 2018

Two new coordination polymers [Cu(btzx)2(MeOH)2](NO3)2 (1) and [Cu(btrcy)2(H2O)2](ClO4)2·btrcy (2) have been synthesized by reacting two bis‐triazole/tetrazole‐ligands namely m‐xylylene‐bis(tetrazole) (btzx) and bis(1,2,4‐triazole)‐trans‐cyclohexane (btrcy) with Cu(NO3)2 and Cu(ClO4)2 respectively in a 1:3 metal/ligand ratio. These compounds are shown to form X‐ray quality single‐crystals under different conditions, and the crystal structures have been determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (SXRD). The SXRD data analysis revealed that 1 and 2 are 1D looped chain and 2D‐square grid coordination polymers, respectively. More interestingly, the 2D‐square grid architecture in 2 acts as an excellent host for the large guest ligand molecule btrcy, which is encapsulated within the voids of the 2D coordination polymer.
Propeller‐Shaped Fe4 and Fe3M Molecular Nanomagnets: A Journey from Crystals to Addressable Single Molecules
Authors: Cornia Andrea , Mannini Matteo , Sessoli Roberta , Gatteschi Dante
Published: November 2018

This Microreview covers the preparation and investigation of Fe4 and Fe3M complexes with a propeller‐like structure, most of which function as single‐molecule magnets (SMMs). The magnetic characterization of these highly symmetric and chemically versatile complexes has enabled the establishment of important magneto‐structural correlations regarding magnetic anisotropy and magnetic relaxation mechanisms in SMM materials. Their chemical stability and easy functionalization have been further exploited to process them into thin films, down to monolayers and submonolayers, using solution or vapor‐phase methods. The proof so obtained that surface‐supported molecules can largely retain the rich magnetic behavior of bulk phases has been a turning point in SMM research, which has the integration of SMMs into spintronic devices among its most ambitious goals.
Synthesis of Tricyclic Isoindolones via Nickel‐Catalyzed Decyclization–Addition–Cyclization of α‐Hydroxy Ynamides
Authors: Okamoto Noriko , Yanada Reiko , Sueda Takuya
Published: November 2018

Regioselective addition of 1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds to N‐alkynyl‐3‐hydroxyisoindolin‐1‐ones (α‐hydroxy ynamides) was accomplished with the use of NiII salt catalysts. The reaction proceeded by a tandem decyclization–addition–cyclization mechanism, in which a ketenimine intermediate is formed via NiII‐catalyzed isomerization of α‐hydroxy ynamides. The BF3‐catalyzed intramolecular dehydrative condensation of the resulting α‐hydroxy enamides afforded tricyclic isoindolones in good yields.
Rapid treatment of greywater (household sewage) by terrestrial weed Achyranthes aspera in SHEFROL® reactors
Authors: Abbasi S.A. , Tauseef S.M.
Published: November 2018

In arguably the first‐ever study of its kind, a common terrestrial weed, Achyranthes aspera, has been used to treat greywater (domestic sewage) of wide‐ranging strength. The weed was used in the novel SHEFROL® (SHEet Flow ROot Level) bioreactor earlier developed by the authors, of which a patent claim has been registered. Without the use of soil or any other anchor, and at very brisk rate reflected in low hydraulic retention times of just 4–6 h, A. aspera was able to achieve substantial secondary treatment and significant primary and tertiary treatments of the greywater in a clean and inexpensive fashion. Biological and chemical oxygen demands were removed to the extents of about 81 and 84%, respectively, suspended solids to the extent of 96%, and nitrogen, phosphorous, and heavy metals, to the extent of 28–41%. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38: 467–476, 2019
Social‐aware content dissemination through opportunistic D2D communications
Authors: Shao Wenjuan , Shen Qingguo , Huang Liaoruo
Published: November 2018

Last decade has witnessed rapid development in wireless network. The traffic demand is driven by enormous application data that have high‐bandwidth requirement. From the operators perspective, device‐to‐device (D2D) communications are expected to provide an efficient way of offloading cellular traffic. Note that, in the high‐density gathering cases, the redundant traffic in the cellular infrastructure can be drastically offloaded by disseminating the duplicated content through D2D communications. According to this observation, we propose a novel social‐aware content dissemination scheme through D2D communications to effectively offload cellular traffic. We base our proposition on the inherent social aspects of user mobility, exploit three social structural metrics, namely, centrality, contact rate, and intercontact time. The contributions of this paper are two‐fold. First, we integrate the carry‐forward mechanism and multihop forwarding into our D2D content dissemination scheme to fully utilize the potential of D2D networks. Second, based on social pattern, we design a two‐stage social‐aware delay prediction scheme (SADP) to improve the D2D offloading utility gain. The two stages are decision‐making stage and content dissemination stage. Based on real trace data set, we evaluate the proposed method through opportunistic D2D communications, which utilizes the aforementioned metrics to enhance offloading performance and D2D transmission utility gain. By comparing with other two well‐known schemes, SA‐Epidemic and SA‐Prophet, it has been shown that our method is superior to them in terms of offloading ratio and message delay and can substantially enhance the content dissemination performance. Since SADP is designed based on a distributed insight, it ensures that it can be adaptive to mobile network. To that end, we also look forward to the future that SADP is a promising approach applied in the application scenario of 5G network.
Design and analysis of distance error correction–based localization algorithm for wireless sensor networks
Authors: Prashar Deepak , Jyoti Kiran , Kumar Dilip
Published: November 2018

Localization error is the main criteria to decide the efficiency on any localization approach. In case of range‐free hop‐based localization approaches, position coordinates estimation is done through the common steps like the calculation of the minimum hop count, hop size, and then later on applying the multilateration or least square approach. There are many improvements that have been made in the form of various algorithms through some changes in the common steps for the reduction of localization error. It has been observed that the existing algorithms are still having the highest value of localization error. To overcome the deficiencies in the existing algorithms, a novel distance error correction metric–based approach has been introduced. This paper presents a distance error correction–based algorithm (DEC‐hop) for the hop‐based localization approach for a wireless sensor network. Distance‐based error correction factor that is introduced in this paper further reduces the localization error value to some extent. For measuring the effectiveness and the preciseness of the given approach, it is inspected with other improved algorithms based on DV‐hop. Simulation results have confirmed that the proposed error correction–based algorithm outperforms the other variety of improved hop‐based algorithms. Results are analyzed in terms of various factors like the localization error, accuracy, and error variance against the parameters of interest taken as node amount, anchor ratio, and communication range of the node.
Third‐ and fourth‐order well‐balanced schemes for the shallow water equations based on the CWENO reconstruction
Authors: Castro Manuel J. , Semplice Matteo
Published: November 2018

High‐order finite volume schemes for conservation laws are very useful in applications, due to their ability to compute accurate solutions on quite coarse meshes and with very few restrictions on the kind of cells employed in the discretization. For balance laws, the ability to approximate up to machine precision relevant steady states allows the scheme to compute accurately, also on coarse meshes, small perturbations of such states, which are very relevant for many applications. In this paper, we propose third‐ and fourth‐order accurate finite volume schemes for the shallow water equations. The schemes have the well‐balanced property thanks to a path‐conservative approach applied to an appropriate nonconservative reformulation of the equations. High‐order accuracy is achieved by designing truly two‐dimensional (2D) reconstruction procedures of the central WENO (CWENO) type. The novel schemes are tested for accuracy and well‐balancing and shown to maintain positivity of the water height on wet/dry transitions. Finally, they are applied to simulate the Tohoku 2011 tsunami event.
Hepatoprotective effects of blue honeysuckle on CCl4‐induced acute liver damaged mice
Authors: Lee You‐Suk , Cho Il Je , Kim Joo Wan , Lee Min‐Ki , Ku Sae Kwang , Choi Jae‐Suk , Lee Hae‐Jeung
Published: November 2018

The objective of this study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of blue honeysuckle (BH) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)‐induced acute hepatic damage in mice. The experiment used a total of 60 ICR mice, which were divided into six groups. Except for the intact control groups, all groups received a single intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 after a 7 day pre‐treatment period with distilled water, BH extracts, or silymarin. Twenty‐four hours after the CCl4 injection, the following observations, representative of classical oxidative stress‐mediated centrolobular necrotic acute liver injuries, were observed: decreased body weight; small nodule formation and enlargement on the gross inspections with related liver weight increase; elevation of serum AST and ALT, increases in hepatic lipid peroxidation and related depletion of endogenous antioxidants and antioxidative enzymes; centrolobular necrosis; increases in apoptotic markers, lipid peroxidation markers, and oxidative stress markers. However, liver damage was significantly inhibited by the pre‐treatment with BH extracts. The present study demonstrated that oral administration of BH extracts prior to exposure to CCl4 conferred favorable hepatoprotective effects. These results demonstrated that BHe possessed suitable properties for use as a potent hepatoprotective medicinal food.
Settlement procedures and stock market efficiency
Authors: Lin Emily , Chen Carl R.
Published: November 2018

This study examines why most derivatives markets that settle on the day following expiration choose the opening rather than the closing price as the final settlement price (FSP), whereas most markets that settle on the expiration day select an average rather than a single price as the FSP. Four exogenous changes in the Taiwan Futures Exchange settlement procedures provide an experimental basis for studying the settlement procedures’ impact on underlying assets. Greatest market efficiency is observed when the FSP is determined by a single rather than an average price and hypothesize that manipulation is prevented at the expense of market quality.
Detrital geochronology of the Gondwana sequence of the Lesser Himalaya of the Nepal Himalaya
Authors: Bhandari Saunak , Xiao Wenjiao , Ao Songjian , Windley Brian F. , Li Rui , Esmaeili Rasoul
Published: November 2018

Detrital age relationship between major lithounits of the orogeny and foreland basin strata can elucidate orogenic events. However, analyses of some selected samples of a certain time interval from a sedimentary basin can lead to misjudgement. We present detrital zircon U–Pb age analyses of some older sedimentary strata of the Tansen Group, a renowned basin for the explanation of the Himalayan Orogeny. Sandstone and tuff samples of the Permian and Cretaceous Periods from the Gondwana sequence of the Lesser Himalaya of eastern Nepal and western Nepal were subjected to U–Pb age analyses, and the results were compared with available younger strata of the same basin along with the major lithotectonic units of the Himalaya. The detrital zircon age population of different units enables us to propose a new stratigraphic framework for the eastern Nepal Gondwana sequence and correlate them with the well‐established Gondwana sequence of the western Nepal Lesser Himalaya. This study reveals that the source region for the Gondwana sequence (Permian to Cretaceous) and post‐Gondwana sequence (Eocene to Miocene) is alternating and casts doubt upon the famous implications for the India and Asia collision and metamorphic core exhumation made from the basin analysis of these sedimentary basins of the southern part of the Himalayan Thrust Fold Belt (HTFB). Furthermore, we argue that these basins cannot be used for the reconstruction of collision and exhumation history of the Himalaya as being used. Alternatively, the results are more consistent with the possibilities of recent unconventional hypotheses of sediment contribution of the Greater Himalaya to the Permian strata of the Lesser Himalaya and the Cretaceous rifting of the Tibetan–Himalayan Microcontinent followed by the accretion of the microcontinent before collision of India and Asia.
Geochemical and Sm–Nd isotopic evidence for the composition of the Palaeoproterozoic crust of the West African Craton in Ghana
Authors: Sakyi Patrick Asamoah , Manu Johnson , Su Ben‐Xun , Kwayisi Daniel , Nude Prosper M. , Dampare Samuel Boakye
Published: November 2018

The metasedimentary rocks of the Sefwi and Lawra volcanic belts in Ghana respectively were analysed for their major and trace elements and Sr‐Nd isotopic compositions to constrain the provenance, palaeo‐weathering conditions, and tectonic setting of the rocks. Geochemical characteristics of the metasedimentary rocks show low to moderate chemical weathering in their source regions and the rocks are interpreted to have been derived from mixture of mafic and felsic rock components. The LREE show much enrichment in relation to the HREE (LaN/LuN, 4.67‐11.66). The εNd (2.1 Ga) values of −0.12 to +3.72 strongly suggest that the source of the sedimentary rocks was derived from a depleted mantle source and that they were most likely produced in an almost entirely oceanic environment with minor influence from the continental crust. The Nd model ages ranging from +2.05 to 2.41 Ga suggest possible contributions of a pre‐Birimian crustal material (or Archaean?) in the source material of the volcanic rocks. The rock types that contributed as detritus to the Birimian metasedimentary rocks were mainly pyroclastics and basalts, and their REE patterns suggest that the contribution to the phyllites can be modelled after 20% basalt, 13% andesite, and 67% dacite. Similarly, the schists can be modelled as a mixture of 16% basalt, 34% andesite, and 50% dacite. The Nd isotopic modeling implies that the bulk of the sedimentary detritus was supplied by the Palaeoproterozoic volcanic arc with contributions of less than 10% from the pre‐Birimian crust (Archaean?).
Release of astroglial vimentin by extracellular vesicles: Modulation of binding and internalization of C3 transferase in astrocytes and neurons
Authors: Adolf Andrej , Rohrbeck Astrid , Münster‐Wandowski Agnieszka , Johansson Malin , Kuhn Hans‐Georg , Kopp Marcel Alexander , Brommer Benedikt , Schwab Jan Markus , Just Ingo , Ahnert‐Hilger Gudrun , Höltje Markus
Published: November 2018

Clostridium botulinum C3 transferase (C3bot) ADP‐ribosylates rho proteins to change cellular functions in a variety of cell types including astrocytes and neurons. The intermediate filament protein vimentin as well as transmembrane integrins are involved in internalization of C3bot into cells. The exact contribution, however, of these proteins to binding of C3bot to the cell surface and subsequent cellular uptake remains to be unraveled. By comparing primary astrocyte cultures derived from wild‐type with Vim−/− mice, we demonstrate that astrocytes lacking vimentin exhibited a delayed ADP‐ribosylation of rhoA concurrent with a blunted morphological response. This functional impairment was rescued by the extracellular excess of recombinant vimentin. Binding assays using C3bot harboring a mutated integrin‐binding RGD motif (C3bot‐G89I) revealed the involvement of integrins in astrocyte binding of C3bot. Axonotrophic effects of C3bot are vimentin dependent and postulate an underlying mechanism entertaining a molecular cross‐talk between astrocytes and neurons. We present functional evidence for astrocytic release of vimentin by exosomes using an in vitro scratch wound model. Exosomal vimentin+ particles released from wild‐type astrocytes promote the interaction of C3bot with neuronal membranes. This effect vanished when culturing Vim−/− astrocytes. Specificity of these findings was confirmed by recombinant vimentin propagating enhanced binding of C3bot to synaptosomes from rat spinal cord and mouse brain. We hypothesize that vimentin+ exosomes released by reactive astrocytes provide a novel molecular mechanism constituting axonotrophic (neuroprotective) and plasticity augmenting effects of C3bot after spinal cord injury.
Measurement and evaluation of whole‐body vibration exposure in drivers of cargo vehicle compositions
Authors: Bortolini Alexander , Miguel Letícia Fleck Fadel , Becker Tiago
Published: November 2018

The present study carries out measurements and evaluations of whole‐body vibration (WBV) exposure in drivers of a cargo vehicle composition, traveling under different conditions of roads and loading, to compare and assess the health risk through the various criteria provided by vibration exposure standards. Using the acceleration data measured in the seat, the WBV exposure of the drivers is evaluated according to the criteria provided by five standards: three different versions of ISO 2631 (Part 1, 1985 and 1997; Part 5, 2004), the European Directive 2002/44/EC and the new Brazilian regulation NR‐15 published in 2014. Comparisons investigating the differences between the standards are presented. The results of the experimental data indicate that the current version of the NR‐15 is more restrictive than the other standards considered in this paper. Thus, these results can contribute to improve the criteria used in the new NR‐15.
Regulatory T cells expressing abundant CTLA‐4 on the cell surface with a proliferative gene profile are key features of human head and neck cancer
Authors: Matoba Takuma , Imai Masaki , Ohkura Naganari , Kawakita Daisuke , Ijichi Kei , Toyama Tatsuya , Morita Akimichi , Murakami Shingo , Sakaguchi Shimon , Yamazaki Sayuri
Published: November 2018

FOXP3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells suppress anti‐tumor immunity. The suppression of Treg cells is regulated by cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte‐associated antigen‐4 (CTLA‐4), whose expression on the cell surface is tightly regulated. Here we found that Treg cells expressing abundant CTLA‐4 on the cell surface (surface‐CTLA‐4+ Treg) were expanded in human head and neck cancer tissues. RNA sequencing of surface‐CTLA‐4+ and surface‐CTLA‐4− Treg cells infiltrating human head and neck cancer tissues revealed that surface‐CTLA‐4+ Treg cells have a previously undescribed gene expression profile correlating to cell cycle, cell proliferation, and DNA replication. Moreover, surface‐CTLA‐4+ Treg cells were PD‐1+, actively proliferated and associated with CD45RA− FOXP3high Treg cells with strong suppressive function. Thus, surface‐CTLA‐4+ Treg cells with a proliferative gene expression signature and phenotype are key features of head and neck cancer. Targeting surface‐CTLA‐4+ Treg cells might be new strategies to evoke effective immune responses to head and neck cancer.
Can unconscious thought detect relational similarities?
Authors: Li Jiansheng , Li Xueyun , Zhang Xiaoqin , Shi Kai , He Yuhan
Published: November 2018

One of the core principles of unconscious thought theory is the bottom‐up‐versus‐top‐down principle. However, previous studies on bottom‐up‐versus‐top‐down processes focused mainly on surface similarities, and there is a lack of studies based on relational similarity. Therefore, the present study intended to examine whether unconscious thought is capable of detecting relational similarities. In two experiments, the participants were presented with three stories. One of the test stories shared surface similarity with the base story, while the other shared relational similarity with it. The results indicated that the unconscious thought group was more likely to select the story with relational similarity, while the conscious thought and immediate decision groups were more likely to select the story with surface similarity. These findings suggest that unconscious thought can detect relational similarities, thus supporting the bottom‐up‐versus‐top‐down principle.
Synergistic Antifungal Activity of Isoquercitrin: Apoptosis and Membrane Permeabilization Related to Reactive Oxygen Species in Candida albicans
Authors: Kim Suhyun , Woo Eun‐Rhan , Lee Dong Gun
Published: November 2018

Isoquercitrin (ISO), one of phytochemical isolated from aerial parts of Aster yomena, has been reported to have antifungal activity. However, the synergistic effect and the mechanism of ISO in combination with conventional antifungal agents are poorly understood. Therefore, synergistic antifungal effect between ISO and conventional antifungal agents was investigated. ISO at non‐antifungal concentration interacts synergistically with amphotericin B (AMB) and fluconazole (FLC), but the combination with flucytosine (5‐FC) showed no interaction. ISO disrupted an antioxidant system by inhibiting the activity of superoxide dismutase. This redox imbalance was shown to induce intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and oxidative stress. ISO combined with FLC caused metacaspase activation and DNA condensation, markers of apoptosis, higher than the combination with ISO/AMB. In contrast, ISO with AMB synergistically stimulated membrane permeabilization compared to ISO/FLC. Scavenging ROS consequently reduced the synergy‐induced apoptosis and membrane permeabilization, indicating combinations induced ROS were associated with the synergy effect of ISO. In conclusion, AMB and FLC enhanced the antifungal potency of ISO through oxidative stress when used in synergy. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 71(1):283–292, 2019
The use of remifentanil to facilitate smooth emergence from anaesthesia
Authors: Wilson Ming , Burnand Cally
Published: November 2018

A 52‐year‐old patient with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia presented with profound epistaxis requiring surgery. The patient was at high risk of rebleeding into the airway after achieving surgical haemostasis. Remifentanil is known to facilitate smooth emergence from anaesthesia, particularly in situations where coughing or straining on a tracheal tube could exacerbate bleeding. Remifentanil would normally be commenced at induction of anaesthesia or immediately after induction. In this case, we descibe the management of such a patient using remifentanil only at the end of the operation, to facilitate a safe extubation.
Elevated transaminase levels in the postoperative period: sevoflurane re‐exposure?
Authors: Tympa Aliki , Bekiari Altana , Kotsis Thomas , Staikou Chryssoula
Published: November 2018

Drug‐induced liver injury can be a life‐threatening complication, especially when it occurs in the peri‐operative setting. The cause of hepatic damage is not always clear and the underlying pathophysiology may be complex. We report a case of a female vascular surgical patient who developed a 27‐fold increase in liver enzymes with mild clinical symptomatology following left carotid endarterectomy under general anaesthesia. The patient had previously undergone right carotid endarterectomy in the same institution 35 days earlier when she had received the same anaesthetic and analgesic regimen without any adverse effects. In the present case, the cause of subclinical liver injury remains uncertain. We suggest that sevoflurane re‐exposure along with an idiosyncratic liver reaction might have resulted in the large increase in serum glutamic‐oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamic‐pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) values.
Ventricular standstill during lumbar surgery in the prone position
Authors: Windsor David , D'Agapeyeff Alex
Published: November 2018

We describe a case of ventricular standstill during elective lumbar surgery. On each occasion the episodes appeared to be related to dural traction. A literature search suggested this was a rare but significant event. A neurological mechanism for such events is discussed.
The use of TIVA in a patient with Gilbert's syndrome
Authors: McCawley Declan
Published: November 2018

Gilbert's syndrome is a common condition due to an inherited disorder of hepatic bilirubin metabolism. This is a report of the anaesthetic management of the use of TIVA (total intravenous anaesthesia) for breast surgery under general anaesthesia. Perioperative goals are to minimise fasting and stress during the perioperative period, while avoiding hepatotoxic drugs and those which are exclusively metabolised by the liver.
Emergency Caesarean section complicated by pre‐eclampsia associated liver rupture
Authors: Schreinemakers J. Rieneke C. , Touray Tony
Published: November 2018

Liver rupture is a rare complication of pre‐eclampsia, eclampsia, or HELLP syndrome and is associated with high maternal mortality. We report a case of spontaneous rupture and haemorrhage of a subcapsular liver haematoma during an emergency Caesarean section in a patient with pre‐eclampsia and partial HELLP syndrome.
Uvula trauma using a supraglottic airway
Authors: Jellinge Marlene Ersgaard , Petersen Rasmus Hjelmar , Pachai Andra
Published: November 2018

In Denmark, approximately 500 000 anaesthetics are given each year. A laryngeal mask airway or i‐gel (Intersurgical) supraglottic airway is commonly used during anaesthesia. Uvula trauma when using such devices is not very common due to the relative ease of insertion in the majority of patients.

This case report was written to highlight the potential risks to the uvula when using a supraglottic airway, and ways we can reduce trauma and instigate treatment.
The use of rocuronium and sugammadex in Huntingdon's disease
Authors: Spooner Brendan , Eagland Karen
Published: November 2018

Huntington's disease is a rare neurodegenerative disorder. It presents the anaesthetist with many challenges, including the risk of pulmonary aspiration and potentially prolonged action of some anaesthetic drugs. There is limited information available on anaesthesia in Huntington's disease. We report a successful anaesthetic technique used for a 67‐yr‐old man with the disease who underwent an emergency operation under general anaesthesia using a modified rapid sequence induction with rocuronium and propofol. Muscle relaxation was successfully reversed using sugammadex. We recommend the use of rocuronium and sugammadex for use in Huntington's disease to minimise the risk of pulmonary aspiration.
Postoperative malignant middle cerebral artery infarction following autologous fat injection for velopharyngeal incompetence
Authors: Lawrence Natasha , Burnstein Rowan
Published: November 2018

The minimally invasive technique of autologous fat injection in the head and neck is generally considered to be a safe procedure with few complications. We report a case of malignant middle cerebral artery infarction, managed with decompressive hemicraniectomy, following autologous fat injection for the treatment of velopharyngeal incompetence. Perioperative stroke in nonvascular surgery is rare but is associated with high mortality and disability, irrespective of the cause. The potential difficulties in the diagnosis of perioperative stroke, the proposed mechanism post autologous fat injection and its management are reviewed.
Anaesthetic managment of progeria
Authors: Kumar Sathish , Badawi Claire , Gould Gerard
Published: November 2018

A 14 year old female with Hutchinson‐Gilford Progeria presented for urgent orthopaedic intervention following hip dislocation. Progeria is characterised by premature aging, with death commonly occurring by 13 yr of age due to cardiac disease. Difficult and failed intubation is common due to craniofacial abnormalities. This report aims to highlight to the anaesthetist, the issues and potential challenges presented by this extremely rare condition.
Use of thromboelastometry in assessing bleeding or thrombotic risks in a patient with congenital dysfibrinogenaemia
Authors: Ang King‐Sin , Morrison Gary
Published: November 2018

A 74‐yr old woman with congenital dysfibrinogenaemia presented with an ischaemic foot requiring a below knee amputation. She had recently undergone popliteal artery angioplasty and was transfused fibrinogen concentrate prior to the procedure. She had no known bleeding or thrombotic episodes in the past, and had not undergone genetic profiling to determine potential phenotypic presentations. On this admission, thromboelastometry was used which demonstrated a prothrombotic trace. A decision was made to withhold transfusion and surgery proceeded uneventfully. We recommend thromboelastometry as a point‐of‐care tool that could be used to provide quick information in aiding perioperative coagulation management of patients with inherited bleeding disorders.
Influence of PDLA nanoparticles size on drug release and interaction with cells
Authors: Cartaxo Ana Luísa , Costa‐Pinto Ana R. , Martins Albino , Faria Susana , Gonçalves Virgínia M. F. , Tiritan Maria Elizabeth , Ferreira Helena , Neves Nuno M.
Published: November 2018

Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) are strong candidates for the development of systemic and targeted drug delivery applications. Their size is a determinant property since it defines the NP–cell interactions, drug loading capacity, and release kinetics. Herein, poly(d,l‐lactic acid) (PDLA) NPs were produced by the nanoprecipitation method, in which the influence of type and concentration of surfactant as well as PDLA concentration were assessed. The adjustment of these parameters allowed the successful production of NPs with defined medium sizes, ranging from 80 to 460 nm. The surface charge of the different NPs populations was consistently negative. Prednisolone was effectively entrapped and released from NPs with statistically different medium sizes (i.e., 80 or 120 nm). Release profiles indicate that these systems were able to deliver appropriate amounts of drug with potential applicability in the treatment of inflammatory conditions. Both NPs populations were cytocompatible with human endothelial and fibroblastic cells, in the range of concentrations tested (0.187–0.784 mg/mL). However, confocal microscopy revealed that within the range of sizes tested in our experiments, NPs presenting a medium size of 120 nm were able to be internalized in endothelial cells. In summary, this study demonstrates the optimization of the processing conditions to obtain PDLA NPs with narrow size ranges, and with promising performance for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 107A: 482–493, 2019.
Autophagy induction and antiproliferative effect of a novel curcumin derivative MOMI‐1 on the human lung cancer cells A549
Authors: Zhou Guang‐Zhou , Shi Yan‐Yan , Wei Lin‐Lin , Sun Gang‐Chun
Published: November 2018

To date, there are some chemically synthesized curcumin derivatives which were produced and identified to evade the disadvantages of physiochemical stability and solubility of curcumin. Here, one novel curcumin derivative, (2‐(3‐{(1E)‐{(E)‐3‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxybenzylidene)‐2‐oxocyclohexylidene)methyl)‐1H‐indol‐1‐yl)acetic acid}, (abbreviated as MOMI‐1) was first used to detect the antiproliferation activity with MTT assays in different cancer cells including A549 lung cancer cells, MCF‐7, and HEPG2 cell lines, and exhibited its wide inhibition spectrum. Next, we found that MOMI‐1 could induce autophagic genesis of A549 cells by acridine orange or monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining and green fluorescent protein‐light chain 3 (GFP‐LC3) recombinant plasmid transfection analysis, respectively. Western blot analysis confirmed the LC3‐I/II conversion, beclin‐1 increase and p62 reduction of A549 cells after exposure of MOMI‐1, which suggested the typical autophagy induction. The following cell cycle test showed that MOMI‐1 could block A549 cells in G0/G1 phase. Furthermore, wounding healing experiment and transwell assays demonstrated that MOMI‐1 also possessed the antimigration ability of A549 cells. Our current results confirmed that MOMI‐1 could inhibit the proliferation and induce autophagy of A549 cells, which provide a new potential chemical candidate of antigrowth of A549 lung cancer cells. Future work needs to focus on the mechanism of autophagy pathway of A549 cells.
Gold nanoparticle and polyethylene glycol in neural regeneration in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Aghaie Tayebe , Jazayeri Mir Hadi , Manian Mostafa , Khani leila , Erfani Marjan , Rezayi Majid , Ferns Gordon A. , Avan Amir
Published: November 2018

Gold nanoparticles (GNs) have unique characteristics, for example, stability, biocompatibility, small dimensions, and low toxicity. Several clinical applications have been suggested for GNs, such as diagnosis, imaging, and drug delivery. GNs absorb infrared light, indicating their potential value for imaging. There is growing evidence showing the therapeutic application of GN for drug delivery because of their interaction with the blood‐brain barrier and DNA, the latter being associated with their genotoxic effects. GN can also be stimulated to produce high local temperatures, indicating their potential value in photodynamic therapy in the treatment of tumors. The aim of the current review is to summarize the potential applications of GNs in the biomedical field, specifically in neurodegenerative diseases.
The β subunit of soluble guanylyl cyclase GUCY1B3 exerts cardioprotective effects against ischemic injury via the PKCε/Akt pathway
Authors: Wang Xiaomin , Du Wei , Li Meng , Zhang Yong , Li Hongyu , Sun Kai , Liu Jianping , Dong Pengxia , Meng Xianda , Yi Wensi , Yang Liu , Zhao Ruiping , Hu Jiang
Published: November 2018

The soluble form of guanylyl cyclase (sGC) is the main receptor for the signaling agent nitric oxide (NO), which regulates cardiomyocyte contractile function and attenuates cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. sGC catalyzes the formation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), a regulator of vascular tone, and cardiac NO‐sGC‐cGMP signaling modulates cardiac stress responses, including ischemia and reperfusion (IR) injury. Here, we investigated the role of GUCY1B3 (the β subunit of sGC) in cardiomyocyte IR injury and myocardial infarction (MI) in vitro and in vivo. GUCY1B3 was upregulated in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes in response to IR injury, and GUCY1B3 overexpression restored IR‐induced cell death and apoptosis. Treatment with specific inhibitors of PKCδ, PKCε, and Akt suggested that the protective effects of GUCY1B3 were mediated by PKCε/Akt signaling. In a mouse model of coronary artery ligation‐induced MI, GUCY1B3 silencing aggravated MI‐induced cardiac dysfunction and increased infarct size and exacerbated cardiomyocyte apoptosis in association with the inactivation of PKCε and Akt. Our results suggest that GUCY1B3 exerts cardioprotective effects through the modulation of the PKCε/Akt activity and identify a potential mechanism involved in NO‐sGC‐cGMP signaling in the heart.
Using a panel of multiple tumor‐associated antigens to enhance the autoantibody detection in the immunodiagnosis of ovarian cancer
Authors: Wang Peng , Qin Jiejie , Ye Hua , Li Liuxia , Wang Xiao , Zhang Jianying
Published: November 2018

Background

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a major malignancy affecting a large population over the world, and a biomarker that holds diagnostic potential is of critical importance. Recently, autoantibodies have been indicated as biomarkers in multiple cancer research. The current study was designed to explore the practice of using autoantibodies in diagnostic settings by the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay of sera with a panel of tumor‐associated antigens (TAAs).

Methods

A panel of 12 TAAs was selected to detect the corresponding autoantibodies in sera sampled from 132 OC patients as case group and 147 normal healthy individuals as the control group. The diagnostic potential of this panel was evaluated by conventional evaluation, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses, and classification tree analysis.

Results

When the cutoff values were set as mean ± 2 SD for normal healthy individuals, the positive rates of antibodies to any single TAA were less than 20% both in OC and in normal healthy individuals. In a parallel screening approach, a panel of nine TAAs (p53, C‐myc, p90, p62, AHSG, 14‐3‐3zeta, RalA, Koc, and p16), obtained optimal diagnostic performance in OC with the sensitivity of 61.4% at the 85.0% specificity. In addition, when the nine TAAs were combined with CA125, the sensitivity and specificity were improved to 94.7% and 78.2%, respectively. The ROC curve analyses showed that only the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of antibodies against C‐myc, Koc, and RalA was beyond 0.6, which were 0.732, 0.668, and 0.665, respectively. The AUC of the combination was up to 0.914 (P < 0.05). Decision tree analysis showed that C‐myc, HCC1.3, RalA, and CA125 held high potential in the detection of OC. The panel of nine TAAs also identified 78.8% of OC patients who had normal CA125 levels in their serum samples, indicating that elevated CA125 and anti‐TAA antibodies appeared to be independent but supplementary biomarkers for diagnosing OC.

Conclusions

In summary, the current study further supports that a customized TAA panel can serve as a promising and powerful tool for immunodiagnosis of OC and may be particularly useful in patients with normal CA125 levels.
Berbamine ameliorates isoproterenol‐induced myocardial infarction by inhibiting mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in rats
Authors: Saranya Sithuraj , Baskaran Rathinasamy , Poornima Paramasivan , Vijaya Padma Viswanadha
Published: November 2018

Berbamine (BBM), a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid from roots, bark, and stem of Berberis plant such as Berberis aristata has a wide range of pharmacological activities. However, the evidence for the cardioprotective effect of BBM is inadequate and the molecular mechanism of BBM remains unclear. This study investigated the underlying molecular mechanism of BBM‐mediated cardioprotection on isoproterenol (ISO)‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in rats. The assays of mitochondria antioxidant status, mitochondrial marker enzymes, and electron microscopic analysis of mitochondria revealed BBM significantly prevented the mitochondrial dysfunction induced by ISO. The ISO‐induced elevation of mitochondrial oxidative stress was also curbed by BBM. Furthermore, pretreatment with BBM protected the heart tissue from ISO‐induced apoptosis as evident from decreased terminal dUTP nickend‐labeling positive cells and decreased expression of Bax, cytochrome c, cleaved caspase‐9, and caspase‐3, and poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase and increased expression of Bcl‐2 in ISO‐induced rats. These current findings suggest that BBM exerts a significant cardioprotective effect on ISO‐induced myocardial infarction in rats.
The effect of long noncoding RNAs HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA single‐nucleotide polymorphisms on breast cancer, cervical cancer, and ovarian cancer susceptibility: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Li Jia , Liu Ruijuan , Tang Shifeng , Feng Fubin , Wang Xue , Qi Lingyu , Liu Cun , Yao Yan , Sun Changgang
Published: November 2018

Recent studies have shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) polymorphisms are associated with cancer susceptibility. The greatest threat to women’s health among a variety of cancers is breast cancer (BC), cervical cancer (CC), and ovarian cancer (OC), and the incidence of it is increasing. We performed a meta‐analysis to clarify the relationship between lncRNA HOTAIR expression and BC, CC, and OC susceptibility. We thoroughly searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to obtain the relevant literature. We extracted data from case groups and control groups for each single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs4759314, rs920778, rs189663, rs12826786, rs7958904, and rs874945) and compared the relationship between alleles, codominance models, dominant and invisible models and BC, CC, and OC susceptibility. Our study included 11 studies with a total of 5322 patients. There was a significant association between the rs4759314 polymorphism of HOTAIR and susceptibility to BC, CC, and OC (codominant model: AG/AA odds ratio [OR] = 1.13 [95% confidence intervals [CI], 1.00‐1.29], GG/AA OR = 1.54 [95% CI, 1.06‐2.23]; dominant model: GG + AG/AA OR = 1.16 [95% CI, 1.02‐1.32]; and recessive model: GG/AA + AG OR = 1.51 [95% CI, 1.05‐2.19]). The association between the expression of rs920778 and BC, CC, and OC susceptibility was not clear (alleles T/C: OR = 1.28 [95% CI, 0.87‐1.89]; in codominant model: CT/CC OR = 1.10, [95% CI, 0.71‐1.71], TT/CC OR = 1.29 [95% CI, 0.59‐2.80]; dominant model: TC + TT/CC OR = 1.16, [95% CI, 0.73‐1.86]; and recessive model: TT/TC + CC OR = 1.43, [95% CI, 0.83‐2.47]). HOTAIR polymorphism rs1899663 was associated with BC, CC, and OC susceptibility to a certain extent, (alleles T/G OR = 0.90 [95% CI, 0.69‐1.16]; in the codominant model: GT/GG OR = 0.81 [95% CI, 0.50‐1.30], TT/GG OR = 1.04 [95% CI, 0.63‐1.72]; dominant model: GT + TT/GG OR = 0.82 [95% CI, 0.52‐1.29]; and recessive model: TT/GT + GG OR = 1.21 [95% CI, 0.76‐1.94]). The rs12826786, rs7958904, and rs874945 polymorphisms were associated with a certain degree of BC, CC, and OC susceptibility, but they were not statistically significant. HOTAIR rs4759314 increased susceptibility to BC, CC, and OC in some patients; rs029778 and rs1899663 also increased susceptibility to some extent. SNPs rs12826786, rs7958904, and rs874945 did not correlate with an effect on patient susceptibility to BC, CC, and OC.