bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cinnamaldehydes in Cancer Chemotherapy
Authors: Hong Su‐Hyung , Ismail Ismail Ahmed , Kang Sung‐Min , Han Dong Cho , Kwon Byoung‐Mog
Published: February 2016

Cinnamaldehyde and cinnamaldehyde‐derived compounds are candidates for the development of anticancer drugs that have received extensive research attention. In this review, we summarize recent findings detailing the positive and negative aspects of cinnamaldehyde and its derivatives as potential anticancer drug candidates. Furthermore, we describe the in vivo pharmacokinetics and metabolism of cinnamaldehydes. The oxidative and antioxidative properties of cinnamaldehydes, which contribute to their potential in chemotherapy, have also been discussed. Moreover, the mechanism(s) by which cinnamaldehydes induce apoptosis in cancer cells have been explored. In addition, evidence of the regulatory effects of cinnamaldehydes on cancer cell invasion and metastasis has been described. Finally, the application of cinnamaldehydes in treating various types of cancer, including breast, prostate, and colon cancers, has been discussed in detail. The effects of cinnamaldehydes on leukemia, hepatocellular carcinoma, and oral cancer have been summarized briefly. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A correlated stochastic model for the large‐scale advection, condensation and diffusion of water vapour
Authors: Beucler Tom
Published: February 2016

The statistically steady distribution of water vapour and its characteristics are studied in the framework of the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck (OU) turbulent dispersion model. Particles are advected by a stochastic velocity field with a finite time correlation, and condense as soon as their moisture content exceeds a local saturation value. We discretize the OU model to a finite number of velocity values, and find simple analytical solutions for the bimodal distribution of water vapour and the non‐diffusive moisture flux, which perfectly agree with the corresponding Monte‐Carlo simulations. Furthermore, we show that these simple models produce results that approximate well the OU Monte‐Carlo simulations, suggesting that they could be used as general tools to understand correlated stochastic processes that involve condensation.
A New Control Scheme for Phase‐II Monitoring of Simple Linear Profiles in Multistage Processes
Authors: Khedmati Majid , Niaki Seyed Taghi Akhavan
Published: February 2016

In this paper, a new control scheme is proposed for Phase‐II monitoring of simple linear profiles in multistage processes. In this scheme, an approach based on the U transformation is first applied to remove the effect of the cascade property involved in multistage processes. Then, a single max‐EWMA‐3 control statistic is derived based on the adjusted parameter estimates for simultaneous monitoring of all the parameters of a simple linear profile in each stage. Not only is the proposed scheme able to detect both increasing and decreasing shifts but it also has the feature of identifying the out‐of‐control parameter responsible for the source of process shift. Using extensive simulation experiments, the performance of the proposed method is evaluated and is compared with the ones of some other available methods for both weak and strong autocorrelations. Moreover, the diagnostic performance of the proposed method is evaluated. The results show that the proposed scheme performs well and works better than the competing methods. The application of the proposed method is illustrated at the end using a numerical example. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optical Beacon Sensor for Small Unmanned Aerial System State Estimation
Authors: Weibel Douglas , Lawrence Dale , Palo Scott
Published: February 2016

A new optical sensor system is presented that measures a reference vector direction relative to the body frame of a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) at medium ranges in daylight conditions with high precision and without drift using a low‐power, nonlaser, eye‐safe optical beacon. The beacon operates as a monochromatic, time‐modulated optical source, and the airborne sensor uses both optical band‐pass filtering and frequency domain signal processing to separate the beacon signal from reflected and scattered sunlight incident on the sensor's aperture, thus providing increased sensitivity. Characterization of the prototype sensor shows that the reference‐vector direction angles can be measured with an accuracy of better than 0.5% of the field of view, resulting in 0.1° accuracy over a 30 degree range, at a measurement update rate of 200 Hz. This result is based on an operating range of 134 m using a 1 W beacon with a 9° beamwidth. The prototype system was integrated into and tested on a small UAS. Flight test results are presented comparing the prototype sensor system's output to an estimate of the reference‐vector direction produced by fusing inertial measurement and GPS information, thus demonstrating how this sensor system offers a method of validating sUAS attitude estimation systems. The sensor system may also be used to augment sUAS attitude estimation systems, or for other purposes such as in a precision sUAS landing system or for state estimation in GPS‐denied environments.
Characterization study on machining PMMA thin‐film using AFM tip‐based dynamic plowing lithography
Authors: Yan Yongda , He Yang , Geng Yanquan , Hu Zhenjiang , Zhao Xuesen
Published: February 2016

This paper presents a reliable nanolithography technique, namely dynamic plowing lithography (DPL) based on a commercial atomic force microscope (AFM). The poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) solution spinning on a silicon substrate is utilized to be scratched directly with an oscillating tip at its resonance frequency. The films with different thickness are obtained by adjusting the concentration of solution and post baked time. A new silicon tip is employed to conduct DPL on PMMA film surface. The geometry of nano‐line structure scratched on the film with high adhesion force is shown with a transition process, including total protuberance, protuberance with groove and groove with pile‐up. The scratching direction has less influence on the scratched depth of groove, while the shape of pile‐up is varied with directions. The depth of groove on thin films is increasing with the drive amplitude until the value of the depth reaches to the threshold value. Moreover, owing to smaller elastic modulus, the film with relatively large thickness could be modified by the tip more easily using this DPL method. SCANNING 38:612–618, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Analyzing clinical trial outcomes based on incomplete daily diary reports
Authors: Thomas Neal , Harel Ofer , Little Roderick J.A.
Published: February 2016

A case study is presented assessing the impact of missing data on the analysis of daily diary data from a study evaluating the effect of a drug for the treatment of insomnia. The primary analysis averaged daily diary values for each patient into a weekly variable. Following the commonly used approach, missing daily values within a week were ignored provided there was a minimum number of diary reports (i.e., at least 4). A longitudinal model was then fit with treatment, time, and patient‐specific effects. A treatment effect at a pre‐specified landmark time was obtained from the model. Weekly values following dropout were regarded as missing, but intermittent daily missing values were obscured. Graphical summaries and tables are presented to characterize the complex missing data patterns. We use multiple imputation for daily diary data to create completed data sets so that exactly 7 daily diary values contribute to each weekly patient average. Standard analysis methods are then applied for landmark analysis of the completed data sets, and the resulting estimates are combined using the standard multiple imputation approach. The observed data are subject to digit heaping and patterned responses (e.g., identical values for several consecutive days), which makes accurate modeling of the response data difficult. Sensitivity analyses under different modeling assumptions for the data were performed, along with pattern mixture models assessing the sensitivity to the missing at random assumption. The emphasis is on graphical displays and computational methods that can be implemented with general‐purpose software. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inference on treatment‐covariate interaction based on a nonparametric measure of treatment effects and censored survival data
Authors: Jiang Shan , Chen Bingshu , Tu Dongshengn
Published: February 2016

The investigation of the treatment‐covariate interaction is of considerable interest in the design and analysis of clinical trials. With potentially censored data observed, non‐parametric and semi‐parametric estimates and associated confidence intervals are proposed in this paper to quantify the interactions between the treatment and a binary covariate. In addition, comparison of interactions between the treatment and two covariates are also considered. The proposed approaches are evaluated and compared by Monte Carlo simulations and applied to a real data set from a cancer clinical trial. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Meta‐analysis with missing study‐level sample variance data
Authors: Chowdhry Amit K. , Dworkin Robert H. , McDermott Michael P.
Published: February 2016

We consider a study‐level meta‐analysis with a normally distributed outcome variable and possibly unequal study‐level variances, where the object of inference is the difference in means between a treatment and control group. A common complication in such an analysis is missing sample variances for some studies. A frequently used approach is to impute the weighted (by sample size) mean of the observed variances (mean imputation). Another approach is to include only those studies with variances reported (complete case analysis). Both mean imputation and complete case analysis are only valid under the missing‐completely‐at‐random assumption, and even then the inverse variance weights produced are not necessarily optimal. We propose a multiple imputation method employing gamma meta‐regression to impute the missing sample variances. Our method takes advantage of study‐level covariates that may be used to provide information about the missing data. Through simulation studies, we show that multiple imputation, when the imputation model is correctly specified, is superior to competing methods in terms of confidence interval coverage probability and type I error probability when testing a specified group difference. Finally, we describe a similar approach to handling missing variances in cross‐over studies. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Runtime latency detection and analysis
Authors: Desfossez Julien , Desnoyers Mathieu , Dagenais Michel R.
Published: February 2016

Detecting latency‐related problems in production environments is usually carried out at the application level with custom instrumentation. This is enough to detect high latencies in instrumented applications but does not provide all the information required to understand the source of the latency and is dependent on manually deployed instrumentation. The abnormal latencies usually start in the operating system kernel because of contention on physical resources or locks. Hence, finding the root cause of a latency may require a kernel trace. This trace can easily represent hundreds of thousands of events per second. In this paper, we propose and evaluate a methodology, efficient algorithms, and concurrent data structures to detect and analyze latency problems that occur at the kernel level. We introduce a new kernel‐based approach that enables developers and administrators to efficiently track latency problems in production and trigger actions when abnormal conditions are detected. The result of this study is a working scalable latency tracker and an efficient approach to perform stateful tracing in production. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Correction of Mutant p63 in EEC Syndrome Using siRNA Mediated Allele-Specific Silencing Restores Defective Stem Cell Function
Authors: Barbaro Vanessa , Nasti Annamaria A. , Del Vecchio Claudia , Ferrari Stefano , Migliorati Angelo , Raffa Paolo , Lariccia Vincenzo , Nespeca Patrizia , Biasolo Mariangela , Willoughby Colin E. , Ponzin Diego , Palù Giorgio , Parolin Cristina , Di Iorio Enzo
Published: February 2016

Ectrodactyly-Ectodermal dysplasia-Clefting (EEC) syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant disease caused by heterozygous mutations in the p63 gene and characterized by limb defects, orofacial clefting, ectodermal dysplasia, and ocular defects. Patients develop progressive total bilateral limbal stem cell deficiency, which eventually results in corneal blindness. Medical and surgical treatments are ineffective and of limited benefit. Oral mucosa epithelial stem cells (OMESCs) represent an alternative source of stem cells capable of regenerating the corneal epithelium and, combined with gene therapy, could provide an attractive therapeutic avenue. OMESCs from EEC patients carrying the most severe p63 mutations (p.R279H and p.R304Q) were characterized and the genetic defect of p.R279H silenced using allele-specific (AS) small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Systematic screening of locked nucleic acid (LNA)-siRNAs against R279H-p63 allele in (i) stable WT-ΔNp63α-RFP and R279H-ΔNp63α-EGFP cell lines, (ii) transient doubly transfected cell lines, and (iii) p.R279H OMESCs, identified a number of potent siRNA inhibitors for the mutant allele, which had no effect on wild-type p63. In addition, siRNA treatment led to longer acquired life span of mutated stem cells compared to controls, less accelerated stem cell differentiation in vitro, reduced proliferation properties, and effective ability in correcting the epithelial hypoplasia, thus giving rise to full thickness stratified and differentiated epithelia. This study demonstrates the phenotypic correction of mutant stem cells (OMESCs) in EEC syndrome by means of siRNA mediated AS silencing with restoration of function. The application of siRNA, alone or in combination with cell-based therapies, offers a therapeutic strategy for corneal blindness in EEC syndrome.
Design recommendations for reinforced concrete interfaces based on statistical and probabilistic methods
Authors: Figueira Diogo , Sousa Carlos , Calçada Rui , Serra Neves Afonso
Published: February 2016

A concrete interface is a material discontinuity that requires special care with respect to structural design and assessment. Therefore, the definition of design expressions based on experimental testing data must ensure the necessary reliability depending on the type of structure and its use. The present work describes a new proposal for the design of concrete interfaces subjected to shear loading for different roughness profile types. The proposal is characterized by three linear branches (for monotonic loading) and an S‐N curve (for cyclic loading) and is the result of a parametric analysis of existing experimental data ( obtained by the authors and also from an extensive literature search) based on statistical and probabilistic methods. Design expressions were defined in order to minimize the dispersion and variability of the safety factor values for each experimental test considered and also to assure that those values are within a target range (defined according to reliability considerations). These improvements became clearer when the new proposal was compared with the most common design code recommendations.
Behaviour of reinforced concrete rectangular sections based on tests complying with seismic construction requirements
Authors: López‐López Andrés T. , Tomás Antonio , Sánchez‐Olivares Gregorio
Published: February 2016

The prediction of the seismic behaviour of reinforced concrete elements using numerical models has become a field of growing interest in recent years due to the importance of the effects induced by seismic loads applied to reinforced concrete structures. The simulation of the hysteretic behaviour of the plastic hinges generated in the structure when the seismic load acts requires the use of models that are able to describe the sectional behaviour of structural members. Thus, the main objective of the present paper is the adjustment of several empirical expressions that reduce the computational time needed to simulate the yield and ultimate behaviour of a given reinforced concrete rectangular section under either monotonic or cyclic loading. The expressions are calibrated with a selection of tests, taken from a published database of more than 1000 tests, according to the criterion that the selected specimens comply with the seismic construction requirements of the main international building codes (EC‐2, EC‐8 and ACI‐318). Owing to their robustness and the acceptable computation time for low‐dimensional problems, genetic algorithms are used for this calibration. The equations proposed can be employed by structural engineers for the design and analysis of actual structural elements used in ordinary reinforced concrete buildings located in seismic areas, and provide more accurate results than other expressions.
Fatigue behaviour of a normal‐strength concrete – number of cycles to failure and strain development
Authors: Hümme Julian , von der Haar Christoph , Lohaus Ludger , Marx Steffen
Published: February 2016

The fatigue behaviour of concrete is gaining new relevance against the backdrop of continuous developments in concrete construction. Modern types of concrete are achieving ever higher strengths; hence, concrete structures are becoming increasingly attractive for new fields of application such as onshore and offshore wind turbines. The fatigue of concrete has a special relevance for these cyclically loaded structures and knowledge of the number of cycles to failure is no longer sufficient for their design. There are further questions concerning strain and stiffness development and the combination of fatigue loading and maritime environmental conditions which have been investigated with new testing methods at Leibniz Universität Hannover within the scope of the ”ProBeton“ research project. The first results of this project, which is supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, are presented here.
Toxic effects of mercury on the cell nucleus of Dictyostelium discoideum
Authors: Boatti Lara , Rapallo Fabio , Viarengo Aldo , Marsano Francesco
Published: February 2016

Governmental agencies (www.epa.gov/mercury) and the scientific community have reported on the high toxicity due to mercury. Indeed, exposure to mercury can cause severe injury to the central nervous system and kidney in humans. Beyond its recognized toxicity, little is known regarding the molecular mechanisms involved in the actions of this heavy metal. Mercury has been also observed to form insoluble fibrous protein aggregates in the cell nucleus. We used D. discoideum to evaluate micronuclei formation and, since mercury is able to induce oxidative stress that could bring to protein aggregation, we assessed nuclear protein carbonylation by Western Blot. We observed a significant increase in micronuclei formation and 14 carbonylated proteins were identified. Moreover, we used isotope‐coded protein label (ICPL) and mass spectrometry analysis of proteins obtained by lysis of purified nuclei, before of tryptic digestion to quantify nuclear proteins affected by mercury. In particular, we examined the effects of mercury that associate a classical genotoxic assay to proteomic effects into the nucleus. The data present direct evidences for mercury genotoxicity, nuclear protein carbonylation, quantitative change in core histones, and the involvement of pseudouridine synthase in mercury toxicity. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 417–425, 2017.
Enhancing Iterative Dichotomiser 3 algorithm for classification decision tree
Authors: Khedr Ayman E. , Idrees Amira M. , El Seddawy Ahmed I.
Published: February 2016

Data mining tasks such as clustering and classification have proved to highly impact various fields such as business, including the banking sector, as well as medicine, including the radiology sector. As the decision‐making process is critically dependent on the availability of high‐quality information presented in a timely and easily understood manner, the successful application of efficient data mining approaches is a great support for achieving the required target in the available time. This study presents an enhancement for the Iterative Dichotomiser 3 (ID3) classification decision tree algorithm based on two related approaches, namely, data partitioning and parallelism. The study applied the proposed algorithm in the banking and radiology sectors; as data have been classified to the defined fields’ clusters, the processing time and the results’ accuracy parameters have been compared with the ID3 algorithm and have proved an enhancement in both parameters. WIREs Data Mining Knowl Discov 2016, 6:70–79. doi: 10.1002/widm.1177

This article is categorized under:

Algorithmic Development > Hierarchies and Trees

Application Areas > Government and Public Sector

Application Areas > Health Care

Technologies > Classification
Development and regulation of exosome‐based therapy products
Authors: Batrakova Elena V. , Kim Myung Soo
Published: February 2016

Recently, various innovative therapies involving the ex vivo manipulation and subsequent reintroduction of exosome‐based therapeutics into humans have been developed and validated, although no exosome‐based therapeutics have yet to be brought into the clinic. Exosomes are nanosized vesicles secreted by many cells that utilize them for cell‐to‐cell communications to facilitate transport of proteins and genetic material. Comprised of cellular membranes with multiple adhesive proteins on their surface, exosomes offer distinct advantages that exceptionally position them as highly effective drug carriers. Additionally, exosomes can exert unique biological activity reflective of their origin that may be used for therapy of various diseases. In fact, exosomes have benefits of both synthetic nanocarriers and cell‐mediated drug delivery systems, and avoid their limitations. This concise review highlights the recent developments in exosome‐based drug delivery systems and the main regulatory considerations for using this type of therapeutic in clinic. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2016, 8:744–757. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1395

This article is categorized under:

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology

Toxicology and Regulatory Issues in Nanomedicine > Regulatory and Policy Issues in Nanomedicine
Measurement of linear attenuation coefficients of normal and malignant breast tissues using synchrotron radiation
Authors: Mirji Santosh , Badiger N. M. , Kulkarni Suyamindra S. , Gai P. B. , Tiwari M. K.
Published: February 2016

The linear attenuation coefficients of normal and malignant breast tissues have been measured in the energy range of 8–18 keV using Indus‐2 synchrotron source. The intensity of the incident as well as transmitted X‐ray photons in normal and malignant breast tissues is measured with AXUV 100GX silicon photodiode detector. Using these intensities, the linear attenuation coefficients of normal and malignant breast tissues have been measured. The measured linear attenuation coefficient values of cancer tissue are found to be higher than that of normal tissue throughout measured energy region. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Non‐Saccharomyces and Saccharomyces strains co‐fermentation increases acetaldehyde accumulation: effect on anthocyanin‐derived pigments in Tannat red wines
Authors: Medina Karina , Boido Eduardo , Fariña Laura , Dellacassa Eduardo , Carrau Francisco
Published: February 2016

During fermentation, Saccharomyces cerevisiae releases into the medium secondary metabolic products, such as acetaldehyde, able to react with anthocyanins, producing more stable derived pigments. However, very limited reports are found about non‐Saccharomyces effects on grape fermentation. In this study, six non‐Saccharomyces yeast strains, belonging to the genera Metschnikowia and Hanseniaspora, were screened for their effect on red wine colour and wine‐making capacity under pure culture conditions and mixed with Saccharomyces. An artificial red grape must was prepared, containing a phenolic extract of Tannat grapes that allows monitoring changes of key phenol parameters during fermentation, but without skin solids in the medium. When fermented in pure cultures, S. cerevisiae produced higher concentrations of acetaldehyde and vitisin B (acetaldehyde reaction‐dependent) compared to M. pulcherrima M00/09G, Hanseniaspora guillermondii T06/09G, H. opuntiae T06/01G, H. vineae T02/05F and H. clermontiae (A10/82Fand C10/54F). However, co‐fermentation of H. vineae and H. clermontiae with S. cerevisiae resulted in a significantly higher concentration of acetaldehyde compared with the pure S. cerevisiae control. HPLC–DAD–MS analysis confirmed an increased formation of vitisin B in co‐fermentation treatments when compared to pure Saccharomyces fermentation, suggesting the key role of acetaldehyde. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hamiltonian structure and conservation laws of two‐dimensional linear elasticity theory
Authors: Medvedev S. B. , Grebenev V. N.
Published: February 2016

In this study, the existence of Hamiltonian structures for a two‐dimensional, linear‐elastic model is considered. We show that this model admits the so‐called noncanonical singular Poisson bracket. Casimir functionals are found by using the singularity properties of the Poisson bracket obtained. We also demonstrate that these functionals are conserved for an arbitrary choice of Hamiltonian. Excepting the energy functional, we prove that there no exists conservation laws of zero order.
Top-Yukawa effects on the β-function of the strong coupling in the SM at four-loop level
Authors: Zoller M.F.
Published: February 2016

Abstract

We present analytical results for the QCD β-function extended to the gaugeless limit of the unbroken phase of the Standard Model at four-loop level. Apart from the strong coupling itself we include the top-Yukawa contribution and the Higgs self-coupling. We observe a numerically small non-naive γ
5 contribution at order y

t

4
g

s

4
, a feature not encountered in lower loop orders. We discuss the treatment of γ5 which is more involved than in previous calculations at three-loop level.
THE GREEN–OSHER INEQUALITY IN RELATIVE GEOMETRY
Authors: YANG YUNLONG , ZHANG DEYAN
Published: February 2016

In this paper we give a proof of the Green–Osher inequality in relative geometry using the minimal convex annulus, including the necessary and sufficient condition for the case of equality.
Sex-dependent association between erythrocyten-3 PUFA and type 2 diabetes in older overweight people
Authors: Abbott Kylie A. , Veysey Martin , Lucock Mark , Niblett Suzanne , King Katrina , Burrows Tracy , Garg Manohar L.
Published: February 2016

The association betweenn-3 PUFA intake and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is unclear, and studies relating objective biomarkers ofn-3 PUFA consumption to diabetic status remain limited. The aim of this study was to determine whether erythrocyten-3 PUFA levels (n-3 index;n-3I) are associated with T2D in a cohort of older adults (n608). To achieve this, then-3I (erythrocyte %EPA+%DHA) was determined by GC and associated with fasting blood glucose; HbA1c; and plasma insulin. Insulin resistance (IR) was assessed using the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA--IR). OR for T2D were calculated for each quartile ofn-3I. In all, eighty-two type 2 diabetic (46·3 % female; 76·7 (sd5·9) years) and 466 non-diabetic (57·9 % female; 77·8 (sd7·1) years) individuals were included in the analysis. In overweight/obese (BMI≥27 kg/m2), the prevalence of T2D decreased across ascendingn-3I quartiles: 1·0 (reference), 0·82 (95 % CI 0·31, 2·18), 0·56 (95 % CI 0·21, 1·52) and 0·22 (95 % CI 0·06, 0·82) (Ptrend=0·015). A similar but non-significant trend was seen in overweight men. After adjusting for BMI, no associations were found betweenn-3I and fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, insulin or HOMA-IR. In conclusion, higher erythrocyten-3 PUFA status may be protective against the development of T2D in overweight women. Further research is warranted to determine whether dietary interventions that improven-3 PUFA status can improve measures of IR, and to further elucidate sex-dependent differences.
Correlates of dietary energy misreporting among European adolescents: the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) study
Authors: Bel-Serrat Silvia , Julián-Almárcegui Cristina , González-Gross Marcela , Mouratidou Theodora , Börnhorst Claudia , Grammatikaki Evangelia , Kersting Mathilde , Cuenca-García Magdalena , Gottrand Frederic , Molnár Dénes , Hallström Lena , Dallongeville Jean , Plada Maria , Roccaldo Romana , Widhalm Kurt , Moreno Luis A. , Manios Yannis , De Henauw Stefaan , Leclercq Catherine , Vandevijvere Stefanie , Lioret Sandrine , Gutin Bernard , Huybrechts Inge
Published: February 2016

This study examined the correlates of dietary energy under-reporting (UR) and over-reporting (OV) in European adolescents. Two self-administered computerised 24-h dietary recalls and physical activity data using accelerometry were collected from 1512 adolescents aged 12·5–17·5 years from eight European countries. Objective measurements of height and weight were obtained. BMI was categorised according to Cole/International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) cut-off points. Diet-related attitudes were assessed via self-administered questionnaires. Reported energy intake (EI) was compared with predicted total energy expenditure to identify UR and OV using individual physical activity objective measures. Associations between misreporting and covariates were examined by multilevel logistic regression analyses. Among all, 33·3 % of the adolescents were UR and 15·6 % were OV when considering mean EI. Overweight (OR 3·25; 95 % CI 2·01, 5·27) and obese (OR 4·31; 95 % CI 1·92, 9·65) adolescents had higher odds for UR, whereas underweight individuals were more likely to over-report (OR 1·67; 95 % CI 1·01, 2·76). Being content with their own figures (OR 0·61; 95 % CI 0·41, 0·89) decreased the odds for UR, whereas frequently skipping breakfast (OR 2·14; 95 % CI 1·53, 2·99) was linked with higher odds for UR. Those being worried about gaining weight (OR 0·55; 95 % CI 0·33, 0·92) were less likely to OV. Weight status and psychosocial weight-related factors were found to be the major correlates of misreporting. Misreporting may reflect socially desirable answers and low ability to report own dietary intakes, but also may reflect real under-eating in an attempt to lose weight or real over-eating to reflect higher intakes due to growth spurts. Factors influencing misreporting should be identified in youths to clarify or better understand diet–disease associations.
Low vitamin D levels and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, evidence for their independent association in men in East China: a cross-sectional study (Survey on Prevalence in East China for Metabolic Diseases and Risk Factors (SPECT-China))
Authors: Zhai Hua-Ling , Wang Ning-Jian , Han Bing , Li Qin , Chen Yi , Zhu Chun-Fang , Chen Ying-Chao , Xia Fang-Zhen , Cang Zhen , Zhu Chao-Xia , Lu Meng , Lu Ying-Li
Published: February 2016

Recent studies have suggested an association between vitamin D and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, some results are subject to debate. This study was carried out to evaluate the correlation between NAFLD and vitamin D in men and women in East China. The data were obtained from a cross-sectional study that focused on the health and metabolic status of adults in sixteen areas of East China. According to ultrasonic assessments, the patients were divided into normal and NAFLD groups. Demographic characteristics and biochemical measurements were obtained. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore the association. In total, 5066 subjects were enrolled, and 2193 (43·3 %) were diagnosed with NAFLD; 84·56 % of the subjects showed vitamin D deficiency. Subjects with high vitamin D levels had a lower prevalence of NAFLD, particularly male subjects. Within the highest quartile of vitamin D levels, the prevalence of NAFLD was 40·8 %, whereas the lowest quartile of vitamin D levels showed a prevalence of 62·2 %, which was unchanged in women across the vitamin D levels. Binary logistic analysis showed that decreased vitamin D levels were associated with an increased risk of NAFLD (OR 1·54; 95 % CI 1·26, 1·88). This study suggests that vitamin D levels are significantly associated with NAFLD and that vitamin D acts as an independent factor for NAFLD prevalence, particularly in males in East China. Vitamin D interventional treatment might be a new target for controlling NAFLD; elucidating the mechanism requires further research.
Trypanosoma evansiin naturally infected Dromedary Camels: lipid profile, oxidative stress parameters, acute phase proteins and proinflammatory cytokines
Authors: EL-BAHR S. M. , EL-DEEB W. M.
Published: February 2016

Additional biomarkers are essential for control ofTrypanosoma evansi(T. evansi) infection in dromedary camels. Two groups of 30 camels each, one naturally infected withT. evansiand other normal healthy were executed. The basis for the infection was the positive findings of clinical examination, blood smears and latex agglutination test. Blood samples of both groups and its harvested serum were used for the estimation of present serobiochemical parameters. The present findings revealed significant decrease (P⩽ 0·05) in triacylglycerol, cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol with significant increase (P⩽ 0·05) in low density lipoprotein cholesterol, beta hydroxyl butyric acids, non-esterified fatty acids, haptoglobin, serum amyloid A, ceruloplasmin, fibrinogen, interleukins, tumour necrosis factor-α, interferon gamma, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione and catalase of infected camels compared with the control. The present study suggests lipid profile, acute phase proteins, proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress parameters as biomarkers forT. evansiinfection in camels.
Comparative phylogeography of two monogenean species (Mazocraeidae) on the host of chub mackerel,Scomber japonicus, along the coast of China
Authors: YAN SHUAI , WANG MING , YANG CHAO-PIN , ZHI TING-TING , BROWN CHRISTOPHER L. , YANG TING-BAO
Published: February 2016

In the present paper, the phylogeographies of two monogenean species,Pseudokuhnia minorandKuhnia scombri, on the same species of host,Scomber japonicus, were studied. Fragments of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene were sequenced for 264 individuals ofP. minorand 224 individuals ofK. scombricollected from 10 localities along the coast of China. Genetic diversity ofK. scombriwas higher than that ofP. minor, which may imply thatP. minorhas a lower evolution rate and/or is a younger species. The neighbour-joining (NJ) trees of both parasites were comprised of two clades without association to sample sites, which is the signature of remixing populations following past division. Analyses of molecular variance and pairwise fixation index revealed different genetic structures for the populations of these two closely related species along the coast of China:P. minorwithout significant genetic structure, whileK. scombrihas some genetic differentiation. Both neutrality tests and mismatch distribution suggested that the populations of these two species of parasites experienced population expansion in the late Pleistocene era due to the glacial–interglacial cycles induced by climatic oscillations.
Impact of host sex and group composition on parasite dynamics in experimental populations
Authors: TADIRI C. P. , SCOTT M. E. , FUSSMANN G. F.
Published: February 2016

To better understand the spread of disease in nature, it is fundamentally important to have broadly applicable model systems with readily available species which can be replicated and controlled in the laboratory. Here we used an experimental model system of fish hosts and monogenean parasites to determine whether host sex, group size and group composition (single-sex or mixed-sex) influenced host-parasite dynamics at an individual and group level. Parasite populations reached higher densities and persisted longer in groups of fish compared with isolated hosts and reached higher densities on isolated females than on isolated males. However, individual fish within groups had similar burdens to isolated males regardless of sex, indicating that females may benefit more than males by being in a group. Relative condition was positively associated with high parasite loads for isolated males, but not for isolated females or grouped fish. No difference in parasite dynamics between mixed-sex groups and single-sex groups was detected. Overall, these findings suggest that while host sex influences dynamics on isolated fish, individual fish in groups have similar parasite burdens, regardless of sex. We believe our experimental results contribute to a mechanistic understanding of host-parasite dynamics, although we are cautious about directly extrapolating these results to other systems.
Distinct neurobiological signatures of brain connectivity in depression subtypes during natural viewing of emotionally salient films
Authors: Guo C. C. , Hyett M. P. , Nguyen V. T. , Parker G. B. , Breakspear M. J.
Published: February 2016

Background

Establishing an evidence-based diagnostic system informed by the biological (dys)function of the nervous system is a major priority in psychiatry. This objective, however, is often challenged by difficulties in identifying homogeneous clinical populations. Melancholia, a biological and endogenous subtype for major depressive disorder, presents a canonical test case in the search of biological nosology.

Method

We employed a unique combination of naturalistic functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigms – resting state and free viewing of emotionally salient films – to search for neurobiological signatures of depression subtypes. fMRI data were acquired from 57 participants; 17 patients with melancholia, 17 patients with (non-melancholic) major depression and 23 matched healthy controls.

Results

Patients with melancholia showed a prominent loss of functional connectivity in hub regions [including ventral medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and superior temporal gyrus] during natural viewing, and in the posterior cingulate cortex while at rest. Of note, the default mode network showed diminished reactivity to external stimuli in melancholia, which correlated with the severity of anhedonia. Intriguingly, the subgenual ACC, a potential target for treating depression with deep brain stimulation (DBS), showed divergent changes between the two depression subtypes, with increased connectivity in the non-melancholic and decreased connectivity in the melancholic subsets.

Conclusion

These findings reveal neurobiological changes specific to depression subtypes during ecologically valid behavioural conditions, underscoring the critical need to respect differing neurobiological processes underpinning depressive subtypes.
The Bishop's Palace at Ely as a Prison for Recusants, 1577–1597
Authors: Young Francis
Published: February 2016

The Bishop's Palace at Ely was used as a prison for Catholics between 1577 and 1597, and between 1588 and 1597 was exclusively a prison for lay recusants. Its inmates included Abbot John Feckenham between 1577 and 1580 and Thomas Tresham, who was imprisoned in Ely four times. Unlike Wisbech Castle, however, the Palace at Ely's period as a prison for recusants has received little attention. This article draws on the documentary evidence for the Catholic prisoners in official records, as well as Tresham's extensive writings during his Ely imprisonment. It also draws on a newly discovered inventory of the Palace's contents in 1581, arguing that the prisoners, and Tresham in particular, were affected by their stay in Ely. It makes the case for the prisoners’ rich cultural life, as evidenced by the prison writings of Tresham and a fellow inmate, George Cotton, who used his time to translate Jesuit letters from Japan. The prisoners in the Bishop's Palace at Ely may have made less public noise than their fellow prisoners at Wisbech Castle, but like Wisbech, Ely was a focus of Catholic culture and resistance during the late Elizabethan period that deserves to be better understood.
Expressing Selfhood in the Convent: Anonymous Chronicling and Subsumed Autobiography
Authors: van Hyning Victoria
Published: February 2016

Convent autobiography took many forms. We find it in conversion narratives and vidas por mandato, as well as in less obvious places, including chronicles, trans-lations, poetry, saints’ lives and the myriad forms of governance documents that structured convent life. Sometimes nuns wrote under their own names, but frequently they composed anonymously. How do we locate autobiographical acts within anonymous texts? This article proposes a new genre called ‘subsumed autobiography’ to describe anonymously composed texts whose authors shape and influence their work around themes that grow out of their personal interests, theology, politics and so on. It analyses the authorial strategies deployed by the first chronicler of the English Augustinian community of St Monica's (Louvain), and pays particular attention to the themes of Catholic education, Latinity, and the legacy of Sir Thomas More. This work is predicated on an earlier article in which the anonymous author of the chronicle was identified as Mary Copley (1591/2–1669).
Exaptation—a Missing Term in the Science of Form
Authors: Gould Stephen Jay , Vrba Elisabeth S.
Published: February 2016

Adaptation has been defined and recognized by two different criteria: historical genesis (features built by natural selection for their present role) and current utility (features now enhancing fitness no matter how they arose). Biologists have often failed to recognize the potential confusion between these different definitions because we have tended to view natural selection as so dominant among evolutionary mechanisms that historical process and current product become one. Yet if many features of organisms are non-adapted, but available for useful cooptation in descendants, then an important concept has no name in our lexicon (and unnamed ideas generally remain unconsidered): features that now enhance fitness but were not built by natural selection for their current role. We propose that such features be called exaptations and that adaptation be restricted, as Darwin suggested, to features built by selection for their current role. We present several examples of exaptation, indicating where a failure to conceptualize such an idea limited the range of hypotheses previously available. We explore several consequences of exaptation and propose a terminological solution to the problem of preadaptation.
Comparative shell shape distributions in Jurassic-Cretaceous ammonites and Jurassic-Tertiary nautilids
Authors: Ward Peter
Published: February 2016

Contours of whorl expansion rate (W), distance of the generating curve from the axis of coiling (D) and shape of the generating curve (S) were plotted from data on 988 Jurassic through Cretaceous ammonite species and 205 Jurassic through Tertiary nautilid species. The areas occupied by the ammonites and nautilids are largely nonoverlapping when plotted as WD and DS graphs.

The almost complete absence of overlap in Juro-Cretaceous ammonite and nautilid shell shape distributions is consistent with the view that ammonites and nautilids were dissimilar ecologically, and evolved different shell shapes in response to different adaptational needs. The terminal Cretaceous extinction of the ammonites may have opened up new opportunities for nautilid evolution during the Tertiary, because Tertiary nautilids are dominanted by moderately compressed, hydrodynamically efficient shell shapes which were rarely present among Jurassic and Cretacepus nautilids, but common among ammonites. The restriction of nautilids to a far more limited portion (compared to ammonites) of the theoretically available spectrum of planispiral shell shapes may be due in part to fabricational constraints imposed by the simple nautilid septum and septal suture. Nautilid shell shapes were limited to globular or slightly compressed to depressed shells, which are inherently strong due to pronounced shell wall curvature, and would be strengthened to only a small extent by buttressing from internal septa. Strongly depressed or compressed shell shapes, commonly evolved among ammonoids, had flattened shell regions which are inherently weak, and would be strengthened to a considerable extent by numerous thick, or strongly folded and fluted septa and septal sutures.
Trying to be someone you can never be again: retirement as a signifier of old age
Authors: MANOR SHLOMIT
Published: February 2016

Work occupies a central place in identity formation. Consequently, retirement places retirees in a new reality that compels them to redefine themselves and adopt a new identity. The present article examines how retirees shape their identity in the absence of work. An interpretive analysis of in-depth interviews conducted with retirees in Israel shows that although retirement and old age are not necessarily equivalent or interconnected, the retirees themselves draw parallels between them, and at the same time also deny this linkage, preferring to draw a distinction between them. The findings reinforce the argument presented in the literature, namely that in contemporary society it is difficult to identify with old age. They also propose a new perspective that reveals the negotiation retirees conduct with old age, age and body, and how identity is shaped by way of denial. In this negotiation the retirees construct their identity around two central, parallel axes: retirement and old age. It further emerges that it is precisely the efforts to mask and repress old age, which are usually made in the body domain, that attest to the existence and presence of old age in their identity. Denial of old age creates a dynamic, hybrid identity that enables retirees to simultaneously accept and reject old age.
Electron plasma wave excitation by beating of two q-Gaussian laser beams in collisionless plasma
Authors: Singh Arvinder , Gupta Naveen
Published: February 2016

This paper presents a scheme for excitation of an electron-plasma wave (EPW) by beating two q-Gaussian laser beams in an underdense plasma where ponderomotive nonlinearity is operative. Starting from nonlinear Schrödinger-type wave equation in Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) approximation, the coupled differential equations governing the evolution of spot size of laser beams with distance of propagation have been derived. The ponderomotive nonlinearity depends not only on the intensity of first laser beam, but also on that of second laser beam. Therefore, the dynamics of one laser beam affects that of other and hence, cross-focusing of the two laser beams takes place. Due to nonuniform intensity distribution along the wavefronts of the laser beams, the background electron concentration is modified. The amplitude of EPW, which depends on the background electron concentration, is thus nonlinearly coupled with the laser beams. The effects of ponderomotive nonlinearity and cross-focusing of the laser beams on excitation of EPW have been incorporated. Numerical simulations have been carried out to investigate the effect of laser and plasma parameters on cross-focusing of the two laser beams and further its effect on EPW excitation.