bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Efficient Method for Cellulose Nanofibrils Length Shearing via Environmentally Friendly Mixed Cellulase Pretreatment
Authors: Chen Yuan , He Yuchan , Fan Dongbin , Han Yanming , Li Gaiyun , Wang Siqun
Published: March 2017

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) have potential applications in the development of innovative materials and enhancement of conventional materials properties. This paper focused on the mixed cellulase hydrolysis with major activity of exoglucanase and endoglucanase on the cellulose length shearing. By the cooperation of two-step production route, including (1) enzymatic pretreatment using cellulase fromTrichoderma virideand (2) mechanical grinding twice, a shorter cellulose nanofiber was fabricated. The influence of enzymatic charge and hydrolysis time on cellulose fibers was analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR), and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). SEM images revealed that the surface morphology change, effective diameter sharpening, and length shearing of cellulose fibers are as a result of cellulase hydrolysis. The XRD suggested that the cellulase acted on the amorphous regions more strongly than the crystalline domains during layer-by-layer hydrolysis. The enzymatic charge and hydrolysis time significantly affected the yields and hydrolysis products concentration. The enzymatic pretreatment assisted mechanical grinding could improve the uniformity of CNF and helped to obtain CNF with exact length according to the requirement for special applications.
Multiobjective Location Routing Problem considering Uncertain Data after Disasters
Authors: Chang Keliang , Zhou Hong , Chen Guijing , Chen Huiqin
Published: March 2017

The relief distributions after large disasters play an important role for rescue works. After disasters there is a high degree of uncertainty, such as the demands of disaster points and the damage of paths. The demands of affected points and the velocities between two points on the paths are uncertain in this article, and the robust optimization method is applied to deal with the uncertain parameters. This paper proposes a nonlinear location routing problem with half-time windows and with three objectives. The affected points can be visited more than one time. The goals are the total costs of the transportation, the satisfaction rates of disaster nodes, and the path transport capacities which are denoted by vehicle velocities. Finally, the genetic algorithm is applied to solve a number of numerical examples, and the results show that the genetic algorithm is very stable and effective for this problem.
Protective Effects of Li‐Fei‐Xiao‐Yan Prescription on Lipopolysaccharide‐Induced Acute Lung Injury via Inhibition of Oxidative Stress and the TLR4/NF‐κB Pathway
Authors: Xu Lie-Qiang , Yu Xiu-Ting , Gui Shu-Hua , Xie Jian-hui , Wang Xiu-Fen , Su Zu-Qing , Li Yu-Cui , Lai Xiao-Ping , Zhan Janis Ya-Xian , Xie You-Liang
Published: March 2017

Li‐Fei‐Xiao‐Yan prescription (LFXY) has been clinically used in China to treat inflammatory and infectious diseases including inflammatory lung diseases. The present study was aimed at evaluating the potential therapeutic effects and potential mechanisms of LFXY in a murine model of lipopolysaccharide‐ (LPS‐) induced acute lung injury (ALI). In this study, the mice were orally pretreated with LFXY or dexamethasone (positive drug) before the intratracheal instillation of LPS. Our data indicated that pretreatment with LFXY enhanced the survival rate of ALI mice, reversed pulmonary edema and permeability, improved LPS‐induced lung histopathology impairment, suppressed the excessive inflammatory responses via decreasing the expression of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6) and chemokine (MIP‐2) and inhibiting inflammatory cells migration, and repressed oxidative stress through the inhibition of MPO and MDA contents and the upregulation of antioxidants (SOD and GSH) activities. Mechanistically, treatment with LFXY significantly prevented LPS‐induced TLR4 expression and NF‐κB (p65) phosphorylation. Overall, the present study suggests that LFXY protected mice from acute lung injury induced by LPS via inhibition of TLR4/NF‐κB p65 activation and upregulation of antioxidative enzymes and it may be a potential preventive and therapeutic agent for ALI in the clinical setting.
Influence of Teeth Preparation Finishing on the Adaptation of Lithium Disilicate Crowns
Authors: Salamoni Sinhori Bruna , Andrada Mauro Amaral Caldeira de , Carpena Lopes Guilherme , Monteiro Junior Sylvio , Baratieri Luiz Narciso
Published: March 2017

The polishing step of teeth preparations for crowns is a step often performed, so that there is an increased time during the clinical procedure. The aim of this study is to evaluate the marginal and internal adaptation of all-ceramic CAD/CAM lithium disilicate crowns in polished preparations for crown and nonpolished preparations for crowns. For this purpose, 20 first molars were selected, which were divided into two groups (n=10) G1, teeth that received surface roughening similar to preparation without polishing, and G2 (control), polished preparations. After the preparations were completed the teeth were scanned (Cerec Bluecam, Sirona, Bensheim, Germany), and the crowns were designed and machined using CAD/CAM technology (Sirona, Bensheim, Germany). The adaptation of the pieces was evaluated using polyvinyl siloxane replicas and stereomicroscope photographs with 70x magnifications. The normality test indicated a nonnormal result, so a Man–Whitney nonparametric test was performed. One out of the 24 measured regions showed a statistically significant difference (p=0.0494). With this study it can be concluded that crowns fabricated by CAD/CAM technology performed on unpolished preparations are not influenced by the internal marginal adaptation and the ceramic part and are different from polished preparations.
Invasive Pneumococcal Disease: Still Lots to Learn and a Need for Standardized Data Collection Instruments
Authors: Marrie T. J. , Tyrrell G. J. , Majumdar Sumit R. , Eurich Dean T.
Published: March 2017

Background.Large studies of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) are frequently lacking detailed clinical information.Methods.A population-based 15-year study of IPD in Northern Alberta.Results.2435 patients with a mean age of 54.2 years formed the study group. Males outnumbered females and Aboriginal and homeless persons were overrepresented. High rates of smoking, excessive alcohol use, and illicit drug use were seen. Almost all (87%) had a major comorbidity and 15% had functional limitations prior to admission. Bacteremia, pneumonia, and meningitis were the most common major manifestations of IPD. Almost half of the patients had alteration of mental status at the time of admission and 22% required mechanical ventilation. Myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, and new onset stroke occurred in 1.7, 1.3, and 1.1% of the patients, respectively; of those who had echocardiograms, 35% had impaired ventricular function. The overall in-hospital mortality was 15.6%.Conclusions.IPD remains a serious infection in adults. In addition to immunization, preventative measures need to consider the sociodemographic features more carefully. A standard set of data need to be collected so that comparisons can be made from study to study. Future investigations should target cardiac function and pulmonary embolism prevention in this population.
Seismic Retrofit of Reinforced Concrete Frame Buildings with Hysteretic Bracing Systems: Design Procedure and Behaviour Factor
Authors: Di Cesare Antonio , Ponzo Felice Carlo
Published: March 2017

This paper presents a design procedure to evaluate the mechanical characteristics of hysteretic Energy Dissipation Bracing (EDB) systems for seismic retrofitting of existing reinforced concrete framed buildings. The proposed procedure, aiming at controlling the maximum interstorey drifts, imposes a maximum top displacement as function of the seismic demand and, if needed, regularizes the stiffness and strength of the building along its elevation. In order to explain the application of the proposed procedure and its capacity to involve most of the devices in the energy dissipation with similar level of ductility demand, a simple benchmark structure has been studied and nonlinear dynamic analyses have been performed. A further goal of this work is to propose a simplified approach for designing dissipating systems based on linear analysis with the application of a suitable behaviour factor, in order to achieve a widespread adoption of the passive control techniques. At this goal, the increasing of the structural performances due to the addition of an EDB system designed with the above-mentioned procedure has been estimated considering one thousand case studies designed with different combinations of the main design parameters. An analytical formulation of the behaviour factor for braced buildings has been proposed.
Comprehensive Optimization of Energy Consumption and Delay Performance for Green Communication in Internet of Things
Authors: Wang Jiaze , Hu Chunhua , Liu Anfeng
Published: March 2017

Energy efficiency as well as fast data transmission is vital to green communications-based applications for Internet of Things (IoT). Wireless sensors, which constitute one of the important parts of IoT, adopt duty cycle operating mode to save energy. Although duty cycle operating mode will decrease the energy consumption of sensor nodes, it leads to a larger communication delay. In this paper, a utility-based adaptive duty cycle (UADC) routing algorithm is proposed to increase energy efficiency, reduce transmission delay, and keep long lifetime at the same time. First, UADC routing algorithm adopts a comprehensive performance evaluation function to evaluate the utility of choosing different relay nodes. Then it selects the node which maximizes the utility of the system to perform data relay. The utility function synthesizes comprehensive indexes like the reliability, energy consumption, and delay of the node. UADC routing algorithm adopts a high-duty cycle operating mode in the areas which have more remaining energy to decrease the delay. And a low-duty cycle operating mode in the energy-strained areas is adopted to ensure a long lifetime. The simulation results also prove the significant performances of our proposed algorithms.
Levodopa Responsive Parkinsonism in Patients with Hemochromatosis: Case Presentation and Literature Review
Authors: Girotra Tarun , Mahajan Abhimanyu , Sidiropoulos Christos
Published: March 2017

Hemochromatosis is an autosomal recessive disorder which leads to abnormal iron deposition in the parenchyma of multiple organs causing tissue damage. Accumulation of iron in the brain has been postulated to be associated with several neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease. The excess iron promotes Parkin andα-synuclein aggregation in the neurons. Excess iron has also been noted in substantia nigra on MRI especially using susceptibility weighted imaging in patients with Parkinson’s disease. We present a case of a young male with alleles for both C282Y and H63D who presented with signs of Parkinsonism and demonstrated significant improvement with levodopa treatment.
Sustained High Levels of Both Total and High Molecular Weight Adiponectin in Plasma during the Convalescent Phase of Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome Are Associated with Disease Severity
Authors: Tang Kang , Zhang Chunmei , Zhang Yusi , Zhang Yun , Zhuang Ran , Jin Boquan , Ma Ying
Published: March 2017

Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is characterised by an uncontrolled immune response that causes vascular leakage. Adiponectin (APN) is an adipocytokine involved in prorevascularisation and immunomodulation. To investigate the possible effects of APN in the pathogenesis of HFRS, total and high molecular weight (HMW) APN levels in the plasma of patients with HFRS were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Compared with those in healthy controls, the plasma total and HMW APN levels in patients were elevated to different degrees from the fever onset and remained high at the convalescent phase. Consistent with these results, western blot analysis additionally showed that low molecular weight (LMW), middle molecular weight (MMW), and HMW APN levels were all elevated and contributed to the elevation of the total APN level. Importantly, sustained high levels of total and HMW APN at the convalescent phase were significantly higher in patients with critical disease than those in patients with mild or moderate disease. Moreover, total and HMW APN levels negatively correlated with white blood cell count and positively correlated with platelet count and serum albumin level. These results may provide insights into understanding the roles of total and HMW APN in the pathogenesis of HFRS.
Fully Automated Robust System to Detect Retinal Edema, Central Serous Chorioretinopathy, and Age Related Macular Degeneration from Optical Coherence Tomography Images
Authors: Khalid Samina , Akram M. Usman , Hassan Taimur , Nasim Ammara , Jameel Amina
Published: March 2017

Maculopathy is the excessive damage to macula that leads to blindness. It mostly occurs due to retinal edema (RE), central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR), or age related macular degeneration (ARMD). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging is the latest eye testing technique that can detect these syndromes in early stages. Many researchers have used OCT images to detect retinal abnormalities. However, to the best of our knowledge, no research that presents a fully automated system to detect all of these macular syndromes is reported. This paper presents the world’s first ever decision support system to automatically detect RE, CSCR, and ARMD retinal pathologies and healthy retina from OCT images. The automated disease diagnosis in our proposed system is based on multilayered support vector machines (SVM) classifier trained on 40 labeled OCT scans (10 healthy, 10 RE, 10 CSCR, and 10 ARMD). After training, SVM forms an accurate decision about the type of retinal pathology using 9 extracted features. We have tested our proposed system on 2819 OCT scans (1437 healthy, 640 RE, and 742 CSCR) of 502 patients from two different datasets and our proposed system correctly diagnosed 2817/2819 subjects with the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity ratings of 99.92%, 100%, and 99.86%, respectively.
E3 Ubiquitin Ligase UBR5 Drives the Growth and Metastasis of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Liao Liqiu , Song Mei , Li Xin , Tang Lili , Zhang Tuo , Zhang Lixing , Pan Yihang , Chouchane Lotfi , Ma Xiaojing
Published: March 2017

Patients with triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) are at high risk for recurrence and metastasis at an early time despite standard treatment, underscoring the need for novel therapeutic modalities. Here, we report for the first time a distinctive and profound role of the E3 ubiquitin ligase UBR5 in the growth and metastasis of TNBC. An analysis of primary TNBC specimen by whole-exon sequencing revealed strong gene amplifications of UBR5 associated with the disease. UBR5 overexpression in TNBC tissues was confirmed at mRNA and protein levels. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletion of ubr5 in an experimental murine mammary carcinoma model of TNBC dramatically abrogated tumor growth and metastasis in vivo, which could be reversed completely via reconstitution with wild-type UBR5 but not a catalytically inactive mutant. Loss of UBR5 caused an impairment in angiogenesis within the tumor, associated with increased apoptosis, necrosis, and growth arrest. Absence of UBR5 in the tumor triggered aberrant epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, principally via abrogated expression of E-cadherin, which resulted in severely reduced tumor metastasis to secondary organs. Use of NOD/SCID mice revealed that tumor-derived UBR5 facilitated tumor growth in a manner completely dependent upon immune cells in the microenvironment, whereas it promoted metastasis in a tumor cell–autonomous fashion. Our findings unveil UBR5 as a novel and critical regulator of tumor growth, metastasis, and immune response and highlight the potential for UBR5 as an effective therapeutic target for the treatment of highly aggressive breast and ovarian cancers that fail conventional therapy. Cancer Res; 77(8); 2090–101. ©2017 AACR.
The Role of PIAS SUMO E3-Ligases in Cancer
Authors: Rabellino Andrea , Andreani Cristina , Scaglioni Pier Paolo
Published: March 2017

SUMOylation modifies the interactome, localization, activity, and lifespan of its target proteins. This process regulates several cellular machineries, including transcription, DNA damage repair, cell-cycle progression, and apoptosis. Accordingly, SUMOylation is critical in maintaining cellular homeostasis, and its deregulation leads to the corruption of a plethora of cellular processes that contribute to disease states. Among the proteins involved in SUMOylation, the protein inhibitor of activated STAT (PIAS) E3-ligases were initially described as transcriptional coregulators. Recent findings also indicate that they have a role in regulating protein stability and signaling transduction pathways. PIAS proteins interact with up to 60 cellular partners affecting several cellular processes, most notably immune regulation and DNA repair, but also cellular proliferation and survival. Here, we summarize the current knowledge about their role in tumorigenesis and cancer-related processes. Cancer Res; 77(7); 1542–7. ©2017 AACR.
First-in-Human Clinical Trial of Oral ONC201 in Patients with Refractory Solid Tumors
Authors: Stein Mark N. , Bertino Joseph R. , Kaufman Howard L. , Mayer Tina , Moss Rebecca , Silk Ann , Chan Nancy , Malhotra Jyoti , Rodriguez Lorna , Aisner Joseph , Aiken Robert D. , Haffty Bruce G. , DiPaola Robert S. , Saunders Tracie , Zloza Andrew , Damare Sherri , Beckett Yasmeen , Yu Bangning , Najmi Saltanat , Gabel Christian , Dickerson Siobhan , Zheng Ling , El-Deiry Wafik S. , Allen Joshua E. , Stogniew Martin , Oster Wolfgang , Mehnert Janice M.
Published: March 2017

Purpose: ONC201 is a small-molecule selective antagonist of the G protein–coupled receptor DRD2 that is the founding member of the imipridone class of compounds. A first-in-human phase I study of ONC201 was conducted to determine its recommended phase II dose (RP2D).

Experimental Design: This open-label study treated 10 patients during dose escalation with histologically confirmed advanced solid tumors. Patients received ONC201 orally once every 3 weeks, defined as one cycle, at doses from 125 to 625 mg using an accelerated titration design. An additional 18 patients were treated at the RP2D in an expansion phase to collect additional safety, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic information.

Results: No grade >1 drug-related adverse events occurred, and the RP2D was defined as 625 mg. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed a Cmax of 1.5 to 7.5 μg/mL (∼3.9–19.4 μmol/L), mean half-life of 11.3 hours, and mean AUC of 37.7 h·μg/L. Pharmacodynamic assays demonstrated induction of caspase-cleaved keratin 18 and prolactin as serum biomarkers of apoptosis and DRD2 antagonism, respectively. No objective responses by RECIST were achieved; however, radiographic regression of several individual metastatic lesions was observed along with prolonged stable disease (>9 cycles) in prostate and endometrial cancer patients.

Conclusions: ONC201 is a selective DRD2 antagonist that is well tolerated, achieves micromolar plasma concentrations, and is biologically active in advanced cancer patients when orally administered at 625 mg every 3 weeks. Clin Cancer Res; 23(15); 4163–9. ©2017 AACR.
Are There Breast Cancer Patients with Node-Negative Small Tumours, Who Do Not Benefit from Adjuvant Systemic Therapy?
Authors: Stüber Tanja , Novopashenny Igor , Diessner Joachim , Bartmann Catharina , Stein Roland , Krockenberger Mathias , Häusler Sebastian , Janni Wolfgang , Kreienberg Rolf , Blettner Maria , Wöckel Achim , Wischnewsky Manfred
Published: March 2017

Objective: To identify subgroups of patients with pT1 pN0 breast cancer (BC) who might not profit from adjuvant systemic therapy (AST). Methods: Data of 3,774 pT1 pN0 BC patients from 17 certified BC centres within the BRENDA study group were collected between 1992 and 2008 and retrospectively analysed. Uni- and multivariate analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox regression models. Results: 279 (7.4%) of the pT1 pN0 BC patients were T1a, 944 (25.0%) were T1b and 2,551 (67.6%) were T1c. There was no significant difference (p > 0.1) in recurrence-free survival (RFS)/overall survival (OAS) between patients with pT1a, pT1b, and T1c. Patients receiving any type of AST had a better outcome compared to women without AST after adjusting for age, tumour size, and intrinsic subtypes (RFS: p < 0.001; OAS: p < 0.001). AST was the most important prognostic parameter for RFS followed by intrinsic subtypes and age. Conclusion: Patients with pT1 pN0 BC profit from AST independently of molecular subtypes, tumour size, age or comorbidity, with 5-year RFS of more than 95%. The correct definition of subgroups of patients who do not need AST is still an open question.
In vitro Antibacterial Activity of 7-Substituted-6-Fluoroquinolone and 7-Substituted-6,8-Difluoroquinolone Derivatives
Authors: Leyva-Ramos Socorro , de Loera Denisse , Cardoso-Ortiz Jaime
Published: March 2017

Background: Fluoroquinolones are widely prescribed synthetic antimicrobial agents. Quinolones act by converting their targets, gyrase and topoisomerase IV, into toxic enzymes that fragment the bacterial chromosome; the irreversible DNA damage eventually causes the killing of bacteria. Thorough knowledge of the structure-activity relationship of quinolones is essential for the development of new drugs with improved activity against resistant strains. Methods: The compounds were screened for their antibacterial activity against 4 representing strains using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by measuring the diameter of the inhibition zone using concentrations between 250 and 0.004 μg/mL. Results: MIC of derivatives 2, 3, and 4 showed potent antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The effective concentrations were 0.860 μg/mL or lower. MIC for compounds 5-11 were between 120 and 515 μg/mL against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and substituted hydrazinoquinolones 7-10 showed poor antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria compared with other quinolones. Conclusion: Compounds obtained by modifications on C-7 of norfloxacin with the acetylated piperazinyl, halogen atoms, and substituted hydrazinyl showed good in vitro activity - some even better than the original compound.
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Improved Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders but Not Executive Functions: Results from a Randomized Clinical Trial with Crossover Design and Sham Condition
Authors: Shayganfard Mehran , Jahangard Leila , Nazaribadie Marzieh , Haghighi Mohammad , Ahmadpanah Mohammad , Sadeghi Bahmani Dena , Bajoghli Hafez , Holsboer-Trachsler Edith , Brand Serge
Published: March 2017

Objective: Whereas there is growing evidence that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) favorably impacts on symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD), less is known regarding the influence of rTMS on cognitive performance of patients with OCD. Here, we tested the hypothesis that rTMS has a positive impact both on symptom severity and executive functions in such patients. Methods: We assessed 10 patients diagnosed with OCD (mean age: 33.5 years) and treated with a standard medication; they were randomly assigned either to a treatment-first or to a sham-first condition. Symptom severity (experts' ratings) and executive functions (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test) were assessed by independent raters unaware of the patients' group assignments at baseline, after 2 and 4 weeks. After 2 weeks, treatment switched to sham condition, and sham condition switched to treatment condition. Results: Under treatment but not under sham conditions, symptom severity decreased. Performance on the executive function test increased continuously with every new assessment and was unrelated to rTMS treatment. Conclusion: Whereas the present study confirmed previous research suggesting that rTMS improved symptoms of OCD, rTMS did not improve executive functions to a greater degree than sham treatment. More research is needed to investigate the effect of rTMS on executive functions in patients with OCD.
Is There an Increased Prevalence of Asteroid Hyalosis in Eyes with Uveal Melanoma A Histopathologic Study
Authors: Burris Christopher K.H. , Azari Amir A. , Kanavi Mozhgan R. , Dubielzig Richard R. , Lee Vivian , Gottlieb Justin L. , Potter Heather D. , Kim Kyungmann , Raven Meisha L. , Rodriguez Maria E. , Reddy Devasis N. , Albert Daniel M.
Published: March 2017

During the planning meeting for the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS) prior to the start of patient recruitment in 1986, there was an interest expressed in determining whether a relationship existed between the presence of uveal melanoma (UM) and asteroid hyalosis (AH). To answer this question, the ophthalmic examination form (unlike the pathology form for enucleated eyes) for each COMS patient asked whether AH was present or not. Though an increased prevalence was not found, this result was never published. A recent unpublished study at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine indicated a higher prevalence of AH in canine eyes with UM when compared to control eyes (without tumor) enucleated for goniodysgenesis. This further increased our interest in revisiting the published literature, clinical records, and histopathology slides of the enucleated eyes from the COMS study, as well as the histopathology slides on file in the University of Wisconsin Eye Pathology Laboratory. While cases with both AH and UM were occasionally encountered in the literature, clinically, we could not find a previous study focusing on these two processes. This study was conducted to explore whether such an association exists.
Repetitive DNA: A Versatile Tool for Karyotyping in Festuca pratensis Huds.
Authors: Křivánková Anna , Kopecký David , Stočes Štěpán , Doležel Jaroslav , Hřibová Eva
Published: March 2017

FISH is a useful method to identify individual chromosomes in a karyotype and to discover their structural changes accompanying genome evolution and speciation. DNA probes for FISH should be chromosome specific and/or exhibit specific patterns of distribution along each chromosome. Such probes are not available in many plants including meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.), an important forage grass species. In the present study, various DNA repeats identified in Illumina shotgun sequences specific to chromosome 4F of F. pratensis were used as probes for FISH to develop the molecular karyotype of meadow fescue and to reveal a long-range molecular organization of its chromosomes. Five tandem repeats produced specific patterns on individual chromosomes. Their use in combination with probes for rRNA genes enabled the establishment of the molecular karyotype of meadow fescue. Most of the mobile genetic elements were dispersed along all the chromosomes except for the DNA transposon CACTA, which was localized preferentially to telomeric and subtelomeric regions, and a putative LTR element, which was localized to (peri)centromeric regions. Cytogenetic mapping of the 5 tandem repeats in other accessions of meadow fescue showed a highly similar distribution and confirmed the versatility and robustness of these probes.
Predominance of G9P[4] Rotavirus from Children with Acute Gastroenteritis in Northwestern Mexico
Authors: Felix-Valenzuela Leticia , Cooley-García Dora Patricia , Cano-Rangel Manuel Alberto , Durazo-Arvizu Maria de los Angeles , Mata-Haro Veronica
Published: March 2017

In Mexico, group A rotavirus (RVA) infections remain the most common cause of severe dehydrating diarrhea in children. This study was conducted to examine the circulating RVA strains in the northwest region of Mexico. RVA strains collected from stool samples of children were genotyped, and their partial sequences were analyzed. RT-PCR of the VP4 and VP7 genes showed the partial G9P[4] genotype in all the samples. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the partial VP7 gene amplicons of 10 strains showed that they clustered in the RVA G9 lineage III, and 7 of them showed 100% identity with the reference strain LB1562, which was collected in the USA 2 years earlier. The amino acid sequences of the VP7 and VP4 antigenic regions were highly conserved between the analyzed RVA strains. Active surveillance is important for monitoring the emergence of RVA strains and their impact on cases of gastroenteritis.
Bullying and Quality of Life in Pediatric Alopecia Areata
Authors: Christensen Theresa , Yang Jessica S. , Castelo-Soccio Leslie
Published: March 2017

Alopecia areata (AA) is a clinically heterogeneous disease that is characterized by nonscarring hair loss, nail changes, and increased risk of other autoimmune disease. During clinical visits, children with AA often report bullying. We report survey results that highlight the prevalence of bullying and surrounding emotional impact of AA in pediatric patients. We found that bullying was common overall and additional psychological impact, including impairment of social and home life, was even more common. Children of all ages experienced bullying. Boys reported increased physical bullying. Interestingly, those with more severe disease and longer duration of disease experienced less bullying than those with less severe disease.
Quantitative Proteomics Analysis of Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury-Modulated Proteins in Cardiac Microvascular Endothelial Cells and the Protective Role of Tongxinluo
Authors: Li Qing , Cui He-He , Yang Yue-Jin , Li Xiang-Dong , Chen Gui-Hao , Tian Xia-Qiu , Jin Chen , Dong Qiu-Ting , Huang Pei-Sen , Xu Jun
Published: March 2017

Background: The protection of endothelial cells (ECs) against reperfusion injury has received little attention. In this study, we used Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) labeling proteomics to investigate the modulated proteins in an in vitro model of cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) subjected to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and their alteration by traditional Chinese medicine Tongxinluo (TXL). Methods: Human CMECs were subjected to 2 h of hypoxia followed by 2 h of reoxygenation with different concentrations of TXL Protein expression profiles of CMECs were determined using tandem mass spectrometry. We evaluated several proteins with altered expression in I/R injury and summarized some reported proteins related to I/R injury. Results: TXL dose-dependently decreased CMEC apoptosis, and the optimal concentration was 800 µg/mL. I/R significantly altered proteins in CMECs, and 30 different proteins were detected between a normal group and a hypoxia and serum deprivation group. In I/R injury, TXL treatment up-regulated 6 types of proteins including acyl-coenzyme A synthetase ACSM2B mitochondrial (ACSM2B), cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B (CDKN1B), heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), transcription factor SOX-17 (SOX17), sequestosome-1 isoform 1 (SQSTM1), and TBC1 domain family member 10B (TBC1D10B). Also, TXL down-regulated 5 proteins including angiopoietin-2 isoform c precursor (ANGPT2), cytochrome c oxidase assembly factor 5 (COA5), connective tissue growth factor precursor (CTGF), cathepsin L1 isoform 2 (CTSL), and eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (LOC101930123). These types of proteins mainly had vital functions, including cell proliferation, stress response, and regulation of metabolic process. Conclusions: The study presented differential proteins upon I/R injury through a proteomic analysis. TXL modulated the expression of proteins in CMECs and has a protective role in response to I/R.
Pulmonary embolism and in situ pulmonary artery thrombosis in paediatrics
Authors: Rajpurkar Madhvi , Biss Tina T. , Amankwah Ernest K. , Martinez Denise , Williams Suzan , van Ommen C. Heleen , Goldenberg Neil A.
Published: March 2017

Data on paediatric pulmonary embolism (PE) are scarce. We sought to systematically review the current literature on childhood PE and conducted a search on paediatric PE via PubMed (1946–2013) and Embase (1980–2013). There was significant heterogeneity in reported data. Two patterns were noted: classic thromboembolic PE (TE-PE) and in situ pulmonary artery thrombosis (ISPAT). Mean age of presentation for TE-PE was 14.86 years, and 51% of cases were males. The commonest method for diagnosis of TE-PE was contrast CT with angiography (74% of patients). The diagnosis of TE-PE was often delayed. Although 85% of children with TE-PE had an elevated D-dimer at presentation, it was non-discriminatory for the diagnosis. In paediatric TE-PE, the prevalence of central venous catheters was 23%, immobilisation 38%, systemic infection 31% and obesity 13%, elevated Factor VIII or von Willebrand factor levels 27%, Protein C deficiency 17%, Factor V Leiden 14% and Protein S deficiency 7%. In patients with TE-PE, pharmacologic thrombolysis was used in 29%; unfractionated heparin was the most common initial anticoagulant treatment in 64% and low-molecular-weight heparins the most common follow-up treatment in 83%. Duration of anticoagulant therapy was variable and death was reported in 26% of TE-PE patients. In contrast to TE-PE, patients with ISPAT were not investigated systematically for presence of thrombophilia, had more surgical interventions as the initial management and were often treated with anti-platelet medications. This review summarises important data and identifies gaps in the knowledge of paediatric PE, which may help to design future studies.
ДЕТЕРМІНАНТИ ЗЛОВЖИВАННЯ АЛКОГОЛЕМ НАСЕЛЕННЯМ ЗАКАРПАТТЯ
Authors: Kruchanytsia V. V.
Published: March 2017

Мета: дослідити детермінанти зловживання алкоголем населенням Закарпаття.Матеріали і методи. У роботі використано статистичний (дані галузевої статистичної звітності за 2010–2014 рр.) та соціологічний (опитано 400 жителів Закарпатської області) методи. Результати. Найважливішими соціальними детермінантами, які виступають факторами ризику розвитку алкоголізму у дорослого населення Закарпатської області (прямий сильний кореляційний зв’язок), є безробіття, самотність, несприятливий психологічний клімат у сім’ї (конфліктна сім’я), відсутність постійного місця проживання, а медичними, відповідно, ВІЛ-інфікування. До економічних детермінант розвитку алкоголізму із прямим сильним кореляційним зв’язком належать недостатність фінансів на найважливіші потреби родини (бідність), непостійний заробіток та наявність при собі надлишкових грошей.Висновки. Визначення детермінант розвитку алкоголізму серед дорослого населення Закарпатської області є основою для розробки комплексної регіональної програми профілактики алкоголізму.
ЕФЕКТИВНІСТЬ ЛІКУВАННЯ ПРОЛЕЖНІВ У ПАЦІЄНТІВ ВІДДІЛЕННЯ ПАЛІАТИВНОЇ ДОПОМОГИ КОМУНАЛЬНОЇ 4-Ї МІСЬКОЇ КЛІНІЧНОЇ ЛІКАРНІ М. ЛЬВОВА
Authors: Ometyuh I. V. , Reha N. I. , Hospodarskyi I. Ya.
Published: March 2017

У статті описано ефективність лікування пролежнів у пацієнтів відділення паліативної допомоги. Показано низьку ефективність сучасних методів лікування пролежнів та запропоновано шляхи до її підвищення.
ЕФЕКТИВНІСТЬ ВИКОРИСТАННЯ ІНГІБІТОРІВ АЛЬФА-ГЛЮКОЗИДАЗИ У ХВОРИХ НА ЦУКРОВИЙ ДІАБЕТ 2 ТИПУ, УСКЛАДНЕНОГО ДІАБЕТИЧНОЮ СТОПОЮ
Authors: Berkela I. O. , Naumova L. V. , Yastremska I. M.
Published: March 2017

У статті наведено результати дослідження впливу інгібіторів альфа-глюкозидази на основні показники вуглеводного обміну та динаміку маси тіла у пацієнтів на цукровий діабет 2 типу, ускладнений діабетичною стопою. Автори вказують на позитивний ефект препаратів цієї групи на всі компоненти метаболічного синдрому, безпеку для організму, відсутність серйозних протипоказань і низький рівень розвитку гіпоглікемій. Воглібоз як представник групи інгібіторів альфа-глюкозидази може ефективно використовуватися у поєднанні з інсулінотерапією.
МЕДСЕСТРИНСЬКИЙ ПРОЦЕС у ПЕРІОД РЕАБІЛІТАЦІЇ ПІСЛЯ ПЕРЕНЕСЕНОГО ІНСУЛЬТУ В ДОМАШНІХ УМОВАХ
Authors: Luniova I. I.
Published: March 2017

У статті розглянуто роль медичної сестри і родичів пацієнта у наданні допомоги хворим, які перенесли інсульт. Розглянуто основні моменти, на які необхідно звертати увагу медичним сестрам та родичам пацієнтів при наданні допомоги в період реабілітації після перенесеного інсульту.
Primary Angiitis of the Central Nervous System
Authors: Boulouis Grégoire , de Boysson Hubert , Zuber Mathieu , Guillevin Loïc , Meary Eric , Costalat Vincent , Pagnoux Christian , Naggara Olivier
Published: March 2017

Background and Purpose—

Primary angiitis of the central nervous system remains challenging. To report an overview and pictorial review of brain magnetic resonance imaging findings in adult primary angiitis of the central nervous system and to determine the distribution of parenchymal, meningeal, and vascular lesions in a large multicentric cohort.

Methods—

Adult patients from the French COVAC cohort (Cohort of Patients With Primary Vasculitis of the Central Nervous System), with biopsy or angiographically proven primary angiitis of the central nervous system and brain magnetic resonance imaging available at the time of diagnosis were included. A systematic imaging review was performed blinded to clinical data.

Results—

Sixty patients met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 45 years (±12.9). Patients initially presented focal deficit(s) (83%), headaches (53%), cognitive disorder (40%), and seizures (38.3%). The most common magnetic resonance imaging finding observed in 42% of patients was multiterritorial, bilateral, distal acute stroke lesions after small to medium artery distribution, with a predominant carotid circulation distribution. Hemorrhagic infarctions and parenchymal hemorrhages were also frequently found in the cohort (55%). Acute convexity subarachnoid hemorrhage was found in 26% of patients and 42% demonstrated pre-eminent leptomeningeal enhancement, which is found to be significantly more prevalent in biopsy-proven patients (60% versus 28%;
P
=0.04). Seven patients had tumor-like presentations. Seventy-seven percent of magnetic resonance angiographic studies were abnormal, revealing proximal/distal stenoses in 57% and 61% of patients, respectively.

Conclusions—

Adult primary angiitis of the central nervous system is a heterogenous disease, with multiterritorial, distal, and bilateral acute stroke being the most common pattern of parenchymal lesions found on magnetic resonance imaging. Our findings suggest a higher than previously thought prevalence of hemorrhagic transformation and other hemorrhagic manifestations.
An Approximation of the Error Backpropagation Algorithm in a Predictive
Coding Network with Local Hebbian Synaptic Plasticity
Authors: Whittington James C. R. , Bogacz Rafal
Published: March 2017

To efficiently learn from feedback, cortical networks need to update synaptic weights on multiple levels of cortical hierarchy. An effective and well-known algorithm for computing such changes in synaptic weights is the error backpropagation algorithm. However, in this algorithm, the change in synaptic weights is a complex function of weights and activities of neurons not directly connected with the synapse being modified, whereas the changes in biological synapses are determined only by the activity of presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons. Several models have been proposed that approximate the backpropagation algorithm with local synaptic plasticity, but these models require complex external control over the network or relatively complex plasticity rules. Here we show that a network developed in the predictive coding framework can efficiently perform supervised learning fully autonomously, employing only simple local Hebbian plasticity. Furthermore, for certain parameters, the weight change in the predictive coding model converges to that of the backpropagation algorithm. This suggests that it is possible for cortical networks with simple Hebbian synaptic plasticity to implement efficient learning algorithms in which synapses in areas on multiple levels of hierarchy are modified to minimize the error on the output.
Fast Estimation of Approximate Matrix Ranks Using Spectral Densities
Authors: Ubaru Shashanka , Saad Yousef , Seghouane Abd-Krim
Published: March 2017

Many machine learning and data-related applications require the knowledge of approximate ranks of large data matrices at hand. This letter presents two computationally inexpensive techniques to estimate the approximate ranks of such matrices. These techniques exploit approximate spectral densities, popular in physics, which are probability density distributions that measure the likelihood of finding eigenvalues of the matrix at a given point on the real line. Integrating the spectral density over an interval gives the eigenvalue count of the matrix in that interval. Therefore, the rank can be approximated by integrating the spectral density over a carefully selected interval. Two different approaches are discussed to estimate the approximate rank, one based on Chebyshev polynomials and the other based on the Lanczos algorithm. In order to obtain the appropriate interval, it is necessary to locate a gap between the eigenvalues that correspond to noise and the relevant eigenvalues that contribute to the matrix rank. A method for locating this gap and selecting the interval of integration is proposed based on the plot of the spectral density. Numerical experiments illustrate the performance of these techniques on matrices from typical applications.
Review of the genus Zeugomutilla Chen, 1957 (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae, Mutillini), with description of two new species
Authors: LELEJ ARKADY S. , WILLIAMS KEVIN A. , LOKTIONOV VALERY M. , PANG HONG , XU ZAI-FU
Published: March 2017

Eight species of Zeugomutilla Chen, 1957 are reviewed. Zeugomutilla angkorensis Williams, sp. nov. (Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam) and Z. pangi Lelej, sp. nov. (China: Hainan) are described and illustrated. A new combination is proposed for Z. spinulosa (André, 1898), comb. nov. (from Pristomutilla Ashmead, 1903). Zeugomutilla bainbriggei (Turner, 1911) and Z. horni (André, 1907) are newly recorded from India (Tamil Nadu), Z. pycnopyga Chen, 1957 is newly recorded from Thailand, and Z. saepes (Chen, 1957) from Cambodia and Thailand. An updated diagnosis of the genus and key to males and females are given.
LepNet: The Lepidoptera of North America Network
Authors: SELTMANN KATJA C. , COBB NEIL S. , GALL LAWRENCE F. , BARTLETT CHARLES R. , BASHAM M. ANNE , BETANCOURT ISABELLE , BILLS CHRISTY , BRANDT BENJAMIN , BROWN RICHARD L. , BUNDY CHARLES , CATERINO MICHAEL S. , CHAPMAN CAITLIN , COGNATO ANTHONY , COLBY JULIA , COOK STEPHEN P. , DALY KATHRYN M. , DYER LEE A. , FRANZ NICO M. , GELHAUS JON K. , GRINTER CHRISTOPHER C. , HARP CHARLES E. , HAWKINS RACHEL L. , HEYDON STEVE L. , HILL GEENA M. , HUBER STACEY , JOHNSON NORMAN , KAWAHARA AKITO Y. , KIMSEY LYNN S. , KONDRATIEFF BORIS C. , KRELL FRANK-THORSTEN , LEBLANC LUC , LEE SANGMI , MARSHALL CHRISTOPHER J. , MCCABE LINDSIE M. , MCHUGH JOSEPH V. , MENARD KATRINA L. , OPLER PAUL A. , PALFFY-MUHORAY NICOLE , PARDIKES NICK , PETERSON MERRILL A. , PIERCE NAOMI E. , POREMSKI ANDRE , SIKES DEREK S. , WEINTRAUB JASON D. , WIKLE DAVID , ZASPEL JENNIFER M. , ZOLNEROWICH GREGORY
Published: March 2017

The Lepidoptera of North America Network, or LepNet, is a digitization effort recently launched to mobilize biodiversity data from 3 million specimens of butterflies and moths in United States natural history collections (http://www.lep-net.org/). LepNet was initially conceived as a North American effort but the project seeks collaborations with museums and other organizations worldwide. The overall goal is to transform Lepidoptera specimen data into readily available digital formats to foster global research in taxonomy, ecology and evolutionary biology.
Comparison of Turbulence Indicators Obtained from In Situ Flight Data
Authors: Kim Soo-Hyun , Chun Hye-Yeong , Chan Pak Wai
Published: March 2017

Two indicators of turbulence—the eddy dissipation rate (EDR) and derived equivalent vertical gust velocity (DEVG)—are calculated using aircraft observations from Hong Kong–based airlines, whose aircraft included Boeing and Airbus models, for 39 months from February 2011 to April 2014. Characteristics of the two turbulence indicators that were calculated at 1-min intervals from the flight data are investigated. For Boeing and Airbus aircraft, there are large seasonal variations in the 90th and 99th percentiles of EDR and DEVG, whereas there are relatively small seasonal variations in the medians of EDR and DEVG. For the turbulence encounters estimated from EDR and DEVG, the authors compute their correlations for each level of turbulence and each type of aircraft. Strong correlations (larger than 0.7) occurred for all levels of turbulence encounters for Boeing aircraft, whereas relatively weak correlations (less than 0.5) occurred for Airbus aircraft. This difference is due to the different characteristics of recorded Boeing and Airbus aircraft data (the number of decimals and data sampling frequency). Based on correlation analyses, the authors construct the best-fit curves using mean EDR values for each DEVG bin and mean DEVG values for each EDR bin and obtain relationships between EDR and DEVG for Boeing and Airbus aircraft. The EDR and DEVG-derived EDR for moderate-or-greater-level turbulence are generally similar for Boeing aircraft.
Indo-Pacific Variability on Seasonal to Multidecadal Time Scales. Part I: Intrinsic SST Modes in Models and Observations
Authors: Slawinska Joanna , Giannakis Dimitrios
Published: March 2017

The variability of Indo-Pacific SST on seasonal to multidecadal time scales is investigated using a recently introduced technique called nonlinear Laplacian spectral analysis (NLSA). Through this technique, drawbacks associated with ad hoc prefiltering of the input data are avoided, enabling recovery of low-frequency and intermittent modes not previously accessible via classical approaches. Here, a multiscale hierarchy of spatiotemporal modes is identified for Indo-Pacific SST in millennial control runs of CCSM4 and GFDL CM3 and in HadISST data. On interannual time scales, a mode with spatiotemporal patterns corresponding to the fundamental component of ENSO emerges, along with ENSO-modulated annual modes consistent with combination mode theory. The ENSO combination modes also feature prominent activity in the Indian Ocean, explaining a significant fraction of the SST variance in regions associated with the Indian Ocean dipole and suggesting a deterministic relationship between these patterns. A pattern representing the tropospheric biennial oscillation also emerges along with its associated annual cycle combination modes. On multidecadal time scales, the dominant NLSA mode in the model data is predominantly active in the western tropical Pacific; this pattern is referred to here as the west Pacific multidecadal mode (WPMM). The interdecadal Pacific oscillation also emerges as a distinct NLSA mode, though with smaller explained variance than the WPMM. Analogous modes on interannual and decadal time scales are also identified in HadISST data for the industrial era, as well as in model data of comparable time span, though decadal modes are either absent or of degraded quality in these datasets.