bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perfusion of isolated rat kidney with Mesenchymal Stromal Cells/Extracellular Vesicles prevents ischaemic injury
Authors: Gregorini Marilena , Corradetti Valeria , Pattonieri Eleonora Francesca , Rocca Chiara , Milanesi Samantha , Peloso Andrea , Canevari Silvana , De Cecco Loris , Dugo Matteo , Avanzini Maria Antonietta , Mantelli Melissa , Maestri Marcello , Esposito Pasquale , Bruno Stefania , Libetta Carmelo , Dal Canton Antonio , Rampino Teresa
Published: June 2017

Kidney donation after circulatory death (DCD) is a less than ideal option to meet organ shortages. Hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) with Belzer solution (BS) improves the viability of DCD kidneys, although the graft clinical course remains critical. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) promote tissue repair by releasing extracellular vesicles (EV). We evaluated whether delivering MSC‐/MSC‐derived EV during HMP protects rat DCD kidneys from ischaemic injury and investigated the underlying pathogenic mechanisms. Warm ischaemic isolated kidneys were cold‐perfused (4 hrs) with BS, BS supplemented with MSC or EV. Renal damage was evaluated by histology and renal gene expression by microarray analysis, RT‐PCR. Malondialdehyde, lactate, LDH, glucose and pyruvate were measured in the effluent fluid. MSC‐/EV‐treated kidneys showed significantly less global ischaemic damage. In the MSC/EV groups, there was up‐regulation of three genes encoding enzymes known to improve cell energy metabolism and three genes encoding proteins involved in ion membrane transport. In the effluent fluid, lactate, LDH, MDA and glucose were significantly lower and pyruvate higher in MSC/EV kidneys as compared with BS, suggesting the larger use of energy substrates by MSC/EV kidneys. The addition of MSC/EV to BS during HMP protects the kidney from ischaemic injury by preserving the enzymatic machinery essential for cell viability and protects the kidney from reperfusion damage.
The hyper-regulation of public space: the use and abuse of Public Spaces Protection Orders in England and Wales
Authors: Brown Kevin J.
Published: June 2017

Contemporary state authorities in the United Kingdom and elsewhere have increasingly sought to regulate the use of public space. This paper explores through a doctrinal and socio-legal analysis how recently introduced Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) are being used in England and Wales to enforce majoritarian sensibilities at the expense of due process and civil liberties. PSPOs were introduced in October 2014. These orders grant considerable discretion to local authorities to use the threat of criminal sanction to regulate activities in public spaces that they regard as being detrimental to the quality of life of residents. This paper provides the first comprehensive critique of how these orders are used to target minority and vulnerable groups, while curtailing fundamental freedoms. The paper includes suggestions for reforms to make the PSPO function in a manner that is more compatible with a rights-based approach.
High‐resolution anorectal manometry: A comparison of solid‐state and water‐perfused catheters
Authors: Rasijeff A. M. P. , Withers M. , Burke J. M. , Jackson W. , Scott S. M.
Published: June 2017

Background

Anorectal manometry is the most commonly performed investigation for assessment of anorectal dysfunction. Findings from previous studies comparing water‐perfused (WP) and solid‐state (SS) techniques in the anorectum are conflicting. We compared anal sphincter pressure at rest and during dynamic maneuvers (squeezing and coughing) in healthy volunteers using SS and WP high‐resolution anorectal manometry (HR‐ARM) employing equivalent catheter configurations, a standardized protocol, and identical data acquisition and analysis software.

Methods

Sixty healthy volunteers (40F; median age: 40; range: 18‐74) underwent WP and SS HR‐ARM in randomized order. Anal resting pressure, and squeeze and cough increments were measured. Median pressure and 5th and 95th percentiles were calculated for each maneuver and compared using Wilcoxon signed‐rank test. Bland and Altman plots were used to assess agreement between the systems. The impact of gender and parity was also explored.

Key Results

Anal sphincter pressure measurements during squeeze (P<.001) and cough (P<.001) were significantly higher using SS HR‐ARM than WP HR‐ARM. No differences were seen at rest between the two types of catheter (nulliparous: P=.304; parous: P=.390; males: P=.167). Normal ranges for SS and WP manometry from this small group of healthy volunteers are presented.

Conclusions & Inferences

Greater sensitivity to rapid pressure change is one of the advantages associated with SS HR‐ARM. This is reflected in the differences observed during dynamic maneuvers performed during this study. Catheter type should be taken into consideration when selecting normal ranges for comparison to disease states.
The deeper self: an expanded view of consciousness
Authors: Paulson Steve , Hustvedt Siri , Solms Mark , Shamdasani Sonu
Published: June 2017

As science continues to explore the mysteries of the unconscious, two critical questions remain. First, can unconscious impulses, desires, and feelings be willfully raised to the level of the conscious self?, and, if so, would the unveiling of unconscious mechanisms lead to genuine self‐knowledge or empowerment? Second, can we methodically tap into the unconscious to gear ourselves along more creative lines? If the unconscious is a source of intuitive and creative inspiration, how might a more expansive understanding of consciousness help us to flourish? How can we harness the intuitive parts of ourselves to think “outside the box,” transcending the limitations of preconceived categories? And along those same lines, how would an expanded view of the unconscious frame our spiritual experiences or offer spiritual nourishment? Writer Siri Hustvedt, historian of psychology Sonu Shamdasani, and neuropsychologist Mark Solms will tackle everything from noetic experiences and the role of intuition to the phenomenon of peak experience and Jung's “collective unconscious.”
Multichannel feeding by spider functional groups is driven by feeding strategies and resource availability
Authors: Perkins Matthew J. , Inger Richard , Bearhop Stuart , Sanders Dirk
Published: June 2017

Multichannel feeding, whereby consumers feed across resource channels such as upon herbivore and detritivore resources, acts to link discrete compartments of a food web with implications for ecosystem functioning and stability. Currently however, we have little understanding which feeding strategies of consumers underlie multichannel feeding. We therefore link spider functional group and resource density‐dependent or density‐independent feeding strategies to multichannel feeding by quantifying not only consumer diet, but also the relative availability of resources. Here we analysed herbivore (green) and detritivore (brown) prey use by spider communities in grasslands, and tested if available prey biomass proportions were linked to observed spider dietary proportions.

Different spider functional groups each linked green and brown resource channels, but while green prey were always consumed in proportion to their relative biomass, brown prey were consumed independently of proportion by some functional groups. Additionally, we found greater intraguild predation by cursorial spiders when green resources were relatively scarcer, suggesting green prey was preferred, and needed to be compensated for when rare. Overall, we observed a stronger consumer connection to the green than brown resource channel, yet this green connection was more variable due to greater range in green resource availability across grasslands and density‐dependent consumption on green prey. Consequently, multichannel feeding by spiders was determined by density‐dependent and density‐independent feeding strategies that varied by spider functional group and across resources channels. Our results demonstrate that the role of multichannel feeding by spiders in linking separate food web compartments is a dynamic component of food web structure in these wild grasslands.
Factorial structure and construct validity of an Italian version of the Fears of Compassion Scales: A study on non‐clinical subjects
Authors: Dentale Francesco , Petrocchi Nicola , Vecchione Michele , Biagioli Claudia , Gennaro Accursio , Violani Cristiano
Published: June 2017

Objectives

This study was aimed at investigating the factorial structure and the construct validity of the Italian translation of the Fears of Compassion (FC) Scales in a non‐clinical sample (i.e., Fear of Compassion From Others [FCFO], Fear of Compassion Towards Others [FCTO] and Fear of Self‐Compassion [FSC]). An exploratory factor analysis was conducted on all the items to investigate the dimensionality of the FC scales. To assess construct validity, correlations between the FC scales and a series of construct‐related measures were analysed.

Design/Methods

After being translated into Italian using a back‐translation procedure, the questionnaire was administered to a community sample of 298 participants (82 males) with a mean age of 24.31 (SD = 8.75), along with self‐report measures of psychopathological symptoms, attachment style, self‐esteem, satisfaction with life and altruistic behaviour. A behavioural test of altruism was also administered in a subsample of 40 subjects.

Results

Thirteen of 38 items did not show adequate psychometric characteristics and thus were removed. The remaining 25 items showed a clear 3‐factor solution which explained 48% of the variance. FC Scales were significantly correlated with all the construct‐related scales administered in the expected direction, with higher effect sizes for FCFO and FSC than FCTO.

Conclusions

Although 13 items were removed, results confirmed the expected three factor solution for the Italian translation of FC scales, and provided new evidence for their construct validity. In this vein, an interesting pattern of correlations emerged with psychiatric symptoms and prosocial behaviour, indicating that FCFO and FSC are more powerful correlates of psychopathology and altruism with respect to FCTO.

Practitioner points

Fears of Compassion Scales have been increasingly used in clinical and research settings.

The reduced Italian version of the FCS developed in this study is a valid and parsimonious instrument.

Fears of receiving compassion from others and from ourselves are more powerful predictors of psychopathological symptoms than fear of giving compassion to others.

Fears of Compassion Scales were correlated with both a self‐report and a behavioural measure of altruism.
Substrate specificity and safener inducibility of the plant UDP‐glucose‐dependent family 1 glycosyltransferase super‐family
Authors: Brazier‐Hicks Melissa , Gershater Markus , Dixon David , Edwards Robert
Published: June 2017

Plants contain large numbers of family 1 UDP‐glucose‐dependent glycosyltransferases (UGTs), including members that conjugate xenobiotics. Arabidopsis contains 107 UGT genes with 99 family members successfully expressed as glutathione transferase (GST)‐fusion proteins in E. coli. A high‐throughput catalytic screen was developed based on quantification of the fusion by measuring GST activity. UGT activity using UDP‐glucose as donor was then determined using 11 synthetic acceptors bearing hydroxyl, amino and thiol groups that had been shown to undergo conjugation in plant extracts. In total, 44 UGTs, largely members of the D and E groups, were active towards xenobiotics, glucosylating phenol and thiol acceptors. In contrast, N‐glucosyltransferase (NGT) activity was almost exclusively restricted to a single enzyme, UGT72B1. Using DNA microarrays, the induction of UGT transcripts following treatment with the herbicide safener fenclorim was compared in Arabidopsis and rice. D and L group members were the most safener‐inducible UGTs in both species. The respective Arabidopsis enzymes showed low conjugating activity towards xenobiotics. Using Genevestigator, a small group of safened D and L UGTs were consistently induced in response to biotic and abiotic stress suggestive of protective activities beyond xenobiotic detoxification in both species. The induction of other detoxifying gene families following treatment with fenclorim, namely cytochromes P450 and glutathione transferases, further confirmed the selective enhancement of related subfamily members in the two species giving new insight into the safening response in cereals, where herbicide tolerance is enhanced compared with dicots, which are unresponsive to these treatments.
Production of red‐flowered oilseed rape via the ectopic expression of Orychophragmus violaceus OvPAP2
Authors: Fu Wenqin , Chen Daozong , Pan Qi , Li Fengfeng , Zhao Zhigang , Ge Xianhong , Li Zaiyun
Published: June 2017

Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), which has yellow flowers, is both an important oil crop and a traditional tourism resource in China, whereas the Orychophragmus violaceus, which has purple flowers, likely possesses a candidate gene or genes to alter the flower colour of oilseed rape. A previously established B. napus line has a particular pair of O. violaceus chromosomes (M4) and exhibits slightly red petals. In this study, the transcriptomic analysis of M4, B. napus (H3), and O. violaceus with purple petals (OvP) and with white petals (OvW) revealed that most anthocyanin biosynthesis genes were up‐regulated in both M4 and OvP. Read assembly and sequence alignment identified a homolog of AtPAP2 in M4, which produced the O. violaceus transcript (OvPAP2). The overexpression of OvPAP2 via the CaMV35S promoter in Arabidopsis thaliana led to different levels of anthocyanin accumulation in most organs, including the petals. However, the B. napus overexpression plants showed anthocyanin accumulation primarily in the anthers, but not the petals. However, when OvPAP2 was driven by the petal‐specific promoter XY355, the transgenic B. napus plants produced red anthers and red petals. The results of metabolomic experiments showed that specific anthocyanins accumulated to high levels in the red petals. This study illustrates the feasibility of producing red‐flowered oilseed rape, thereby enhancing its ornamental value, via the ectopic expression of the OvPAP2 gene. Moreover, the practical application of this study for insect pest management in the crop is discussed.
Do Black Lives Matter? A Psychoanalytic Exploration of Racism and American Resistance to Reparations
Authors: Prager Jeffrey
Published: June 2017

Psychoanalysts assert that when wrongs have been done to others the impulse to apologize and forgive is natural, although in reality efforts toward interpersonal and social repair are often frustrated. This article assesses current debates on reparations for African Americans, applying psychoanalytic ideas to account for American resistance to engage in a process of reconciliation. Contemporary authors claim that racial repair requires a moral and ethical acknowledgment of and responsibility for harms committed to African Americans. This article demonstrates, in addition, reparations as a psychological necessity. Racism, however, emphasizing the reality of racial difference, continues, as always, to serve as a powerful defense thwarting the reparative impulse. The result has been the securing of physical separation between Whites and Blacks and the persistence of psychic enmeshment. Absent the implementation of a politics of reparations, African Americans will never achieve externality, or independence, from the White mind.
Awareness of Suicide Risk and Communication Between Health Care Professionals and Next‐of‐Kin of Suicides in the Month Before Suicide
Authors: Draper Brian , Krysinska Karolina , Snowdon John , De Leo Diego
Published: June 2017

Based on psychological autopsy data, the study compared awareness of suicide risk in the deceased among next‐of‐kin (NOK) and health care professionals (HCPs), and communication between these two groups in the month before death. The NOKs had significantly more knowledge about the decedent's suicide warning signs than the HCPs (90.5% vs. 44.6%). Contact between NOK and HCP was initiated more often by the family than the HCPs (29.4% vs. 5.9%). The study found communication gaps between HCPs and NOK and stresses the need for suicide prevention strategies strengthening communication between these two groups.
Evaluation of thoracic radiographs as a screening test for dogs and cats admitted to a tertiary‐care veterinary hospital for noncardiopulmonary disease
Authors: Keyserling Christine L. , Buriko Yekaterina , Lyons Bridget M. , Drobatz Kenneth J. , Fischetti Anthony J.
Published: June 2017

Thoracic radiographs are used as a screening tool for dogs and cats with a variety of disorders that have no clinical signs associated with thoracic structures. However, this practice has never been supported by an evidence‐based study. The objective of this retrospective observational study was to determine if certain canine and feline populations have a higher proportion of radiographic abnormalities, and whether any of these abnormalities are associated with patient hospitalization and outcome. Patients were excluded if current or previous examinations revealed evidence of primary respiratory or cardiac disease, malignant neoplasia, or an abnormal breathing pattern consistent with pulmonary pathology. Any notable thoracic change in the radiology report was considered important and evaluated in this study. One hundred and sixty‐six of these included patients were dogs and 65 were cats. Of the 166 dog radiographs evaluated, 120 (72.3%) had normal thoracic radiographs, while 46 (27.7%) had radiographic abnormalities. Of the sixty‐five cats included, 36 (55.4%) had normal radiographs, while 29 (44.6%) had abnormal radiographs. Canine patients with abnormal radiographs had a significantly higher lactate level (P‐value 0.0348) and feline patients with abnormal radiographs had a significantly lower packed cell volume (P‐value 0.012). A large proportion of patients that had screening thoracic radiographs (32.5%) had documented abnormalities, but a relatively low percentage (6.5%) of our total population had their clinical plan changed as a consequence of detection of these abnormalities. Findings indicated that abnormal screening thoracic radiographs are more likely in dogs with an elevated lactate and cats with anemia, or a low normal hematocrit.
Impact of phase estimation on single-channel speech separation based on time-frequency masking
Authors: Mayer Florian , Williamson Donald S. , Mowlaee Pejman , Wang DeLiang
Published: June 2017

Time-frequency masking is a common solution for the single-channel source separation (SCSS) problem where the goal is to find a time-frequency mask that separates the underlying sources from an observed mixture. An estimated mask is then applied to the mixed signal to extract the desired signal. During signal reconstruction, the time-frequency–masked spectral amplitude is combined with the mixture phase. This article considers the impact of replacing the mixture spectral phase with an estimated clean spectral phase combined with the estimated magnitude spectrum using a conventional model-based approach. As the proposed phase estimator requires estimated fundamental frequency of the underlying signal from the mixture, a robust pitch estimator is proposed. The upper-bound clean phase results show the potential of phase-aware processing in single-channel source separation. Also, the experiments demonstrate that replacing the mixture phase with the estimated clean spectral phase consistently improves perceptual speech quality, predicted speech intelligibility, and source separation performance across all signal-to-noise ratio and noise scenarios.
Discovery of Specific Antigens That Can Predict Microfilarial Intensity in
Loa loa
Infection
Authors: Drame Papa M. , Bennuru Sasisekhar , Nutman Thomas B.
Published: June 2017

Antigen-based immunoassays are currently needed for point-of-care quantification of
Loa loa
microfilariae (mf). Coupling transcriptomic approaches with bioinformatic analysis, we have identified 11 specific putative proteins (coding mRNAs) with potential utility as biomarkers of patent (mf

+

)
L. loa
infection. We successfully developed antigen capture immunoassays to quantify 2 (LOAG_14221 and LOAG_15846) of these proteins in individual plasma/serum samples. Of the 2 quantifiable circulating biomarkers, LOAG_14221 showed the highest degree of specificity, particularly with a monoclonal antibody-based immunoassay. Moreover, the levels of LOAG_14221 in
L. loa
mf

+

patients were positively correlated to the mf densities in the corresponding blood samples (
r
= 0.53 and
P
= 0.008 for polyclonal assay;
r
= 0.54 and
P
= 0.004 for monoclonal assay). Thus, LOAG_14221 is a very promising biomarker that will be exploited in a quantitative point-of-care immunoassay for determination of
L. loa
mf densities.
Rapid Filter-Based Detection and Culture of Burkholderia pseudomallei from Small Volumes of Urine
Authors: Michel Pierre A. , Lascols Christine , Gee Jay E. , Weigel Linda M. , Sue David
Published: June 2017

Clinical outcomes of melioidosis patients improve when the infecting agent,
Burkholderia pseudomallei
, is rapidly detected and identified by laboratory testing. Detection of
B. pseudomallei
DNA or recovery of the pathogen by culture from urine can support a diagnosis of melioidosis and guide patient care. Two new methods, designated filter-capture DNA isolation (FCDI) and filter cellular recovery (FCR), were developed to increase the sensitivity of detection and recovery of viable
B. pseudomallei
cells from small volumes (0.45 ml) of urine. DNA from eight strains of
B. pseudomallei
that were spiked into synthetic urine at low concentrations (1 × 10
2
CFU/ml) was detected in FCDI cell lysates using real-time PCR with greater consistency than with preparations from a QIAamp DNA Blood minikit. The FCR method showed greater
B. pseudomallei
detection sensitivity than conventional urine culture methods and resulted in typical colony growth at 24 h from as few as 1 × 10
2
CFU/ml. In addition, the FCR method does not rely on precipitation of a urine pellet by centrifugation and requires a smaller volume of urine. The FCDI and FCR methods described here could improve time-to-results and decrease the number of negative
B. pseudomallei
reports that are currently observed from urine culture as a consequence of samples containing low or variable bacterial cell concentrations.
Ifit2 Is a Restriction Factor in Rabies Virus Pathogenicity
Authors: Davis Benjamin M. , Fensterl Volker , Lawrence Tessa M. , Hudacek Andrew W. , Sen Ganes C. , Schnell Matthias J.
Published: June 2017

Understanding the interactions between rabies virus (RABV) and individual host cell proteins is critical for the development of targeted therapies. Here we report that interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 2 (Ifit2), an interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) with possible RNA-binding capacity, is an important restriction factor for rabies virus. When Ifit2 was depleted, RABV grew more quickly in mouse neuroblastoma cells
in vitro
. This effect was replicated
in vivo
, where Ifit2 knockout mice displayed a dramatically more severe disease phenotype than wild-type mice after intranasal inoculation of RABV. This increase in pathogenicity correlated to an increase in RABV mRNA and live viral load in the brain, as well as to an accelerated spread to brain regions normally affected by this RABV model. These results suggest that Ifit2 exerts its antiviral effect mainly at the level of viral replication, as opposed to functioning as a mechanism that restricts viral entry/egress or transports RABV particles through axons.

IMPORTANCE
Rabies is a fatal zoonotic disease with a nearly 100% case fatality rate. Although there are effective vaccines for rabies, this disease still takes the lives of about 50,000 people each year. Victims tend to be children living in regions without comprehensive medical infrastructure who present to health care workers too late for postexposure prophylaxis. The protein discussed in our report, Ifit2, is found to be an important restriction factor for rabies virus, acting directly or indirectly against viral replication. A more nuanced understanding of this interaction may reveal a step of a pathway or site at which the system could be exploited for the development of a targeted therapy.
Epidemiological and Serological Investigation into the Role of Gestational Maternal Influenza Virus Infection and Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Mahic Milada , Che Xiaoyu , Susser Ezra , Levin Bruce , Reichborn-Kjennerud Ted , Magnus Per , Stoltenberg Camilla , Chauhan Lokendrasingh , Briese Thomas , Bresnahan Michaeline , Surén Pål , Hornig Mady , Mjaaland Siri , Lipkin W. Ian
Published: June 2017

The causes of most cases of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are unknown. Some epidemiological studies suggest that maternal gestational influenza virus infection may increase the risk of ASD in offspring. Here, we describe an analysis of a large birth cohort with results based on questionnaires that prospectively addressed subjective reports of influenza-like illness and serological assays for objective determination of influenza virus infection. Although serologic evidence of gestational influenza virus infection alone was not associated with risk, positive serology and symptoms of influenza-like illness cannot yet be definitely ruled out as a risk factor.
Development of a CRISPR-Cas9 System for Efficient Genome Editing of Candida lusitaniae
Authors: Norton Emily L. , Sherwood Racquel K. , Bennett Richard J.
Published: June 2017

The ability to perform efficient genome editing is a key development for detailed mechanistic studies of a species.
Candida lusitaniae
is an important member of the
Candida
clade and is relevant both as an emerging human pathogen and as a model for understanding mechanisms of sexual reproduction. We highlight the development of a CRISPR-Cas9 system for efficient genome manipulation in
C. lusitaniae
and demonstrate the importance of species-specific promoters for expression of CRISPR components. We also demonstrate that the NHEJ pathway contributes to non-template-mediated repair of DNA DSBs and that removal of this pathway enhances efficiencies of gene targeting by CRISPR-Cas9. These results therefore establish important genetic tools for further exploration of
C. lusitaniae
biology.
Integration of sexually transmitted infection (STI) services into HIV care and treatment services for women living with HIV: a systematic review
Authors: Kennedy Caitlin E , Haberlen Sabina A , Narasimhan Manjulaa
Published: June 2017

Objective

To review and critically appraise the existing evidence on integration of sexually transmitted infection (STI) services into HIV care and treatment services for women living with HIV.

Design

Systematic review.

Data sources

Four electronic databases were searched through 16February 2017 using keywords for HIV, STIs and integration. Reference lists of included articles and other reviews were also screened.

Review methods

We included studies that compared women living with HIV who received STI services integrated into HIV care and treatment services with those who received HIV care and treatment services without integrated STI services or standard of care.

Results

Of 170 articles identified, 3 studies reported in 4 articles were included. Two studies evaluated comprehensive care for people living with HIV in the UK; in both cases, quality and uptake of STI services seemed to improve following integration. The third study conducted a comparative case study across different models of care in Swaziland: two clinics integrated with sexual and reproductive health services (including STI services), and two stand-alone HIV clinics (without STI services). Coverage for Pap smears among women living with HIV was higher at the fully integrated site, but there was no significant difference in the prevalence of sexual health screening or advice on sexual health. Reported client satisfaction was generally higher at the stand-alone HIV clinic, and a diverse range of factors related to implementation of different care models challenged the notion that integrated services are always superior or desired.

Conclusion

While there is a limited evidence base for integrating STI services into HIV care and treatment services, existing studies indicate that integration is feasible and has the potential for positive outcomes. However, diverse population needs and health system factors must be considered when designing models of care to provide STI services to women living with HIV.
Pregnancy-specific stress, fetoplacental haemodynamics, and neonatal outcomes in women with small for gestational age pregnancies: a secondary analysis of the multicentre Prospective Observational Trial to Optimise Paediatric Health in Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Authors: Levine Terri A , Grunau Ruth E , Segurado Ricardo , Daly Sean , Geary Michael P , Kennelly Mairead M , O’Donoghue Keelin , Hunter Alyson , Morrison John J , Burke Gerard , Dicker Patrick , Tully Elizabeth C , Malone Fergal D , Alderdice Fiona A , McAuliffe Fionnuala M
Published: June 2017

Objectives

To examine associations between maternal pregnancy-specific stress and umbilical (UA PI) and middle cerebral artery pulsatility indices (MCA PI), cerebroplacental ratio, absent end diastolic flow (AEDF), birthweight, prematurity, neonatal intensive care unit admission and adverse obstetric outcomes in women with small for gestational age pregnancies. It was hypothesised that maternal pregnancy-specific stress would be associated with fetoplacental haemodynamics and neonatal outcomes.

Design

This is a secondary analysis of data collected for a large-scale prospective observational study.

Setting

This study was conducted in the seven major obstetric hospitals in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Participants

Participants included 331 women who participated in the Prospective Observational Trial to Optimise Paediatric Health in Intrauterine Growth Restriction. Women with singleton pregnancies between 24 and 36 weeks gestation, estimated fetal weight <10th percentile and no major structural or chromosomal abnormalities were included.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Serial Doppler ultrasound examinations of the umbilical and middle cerebral arteries between 20 and 42 weeks gestation, Pregnancy Distress Questionnaire (PDQ) scores between 23 and 40 weeks gestation and neonatal outcomes.

Results

Concerns about physical symptoms and body image at 35–40 weeks were associated with lower odds of abnormal UAPI (OR 0.826, 95% CI 0.696 to 0.979, p=0.028). PDQ score (OR 1.073, 95% CI 1.012 to 1.137, p=0.017), concerns about birth and the baby (OR 1.143, 95% CI 1.037 to 1.260, p=0.007) and concerns about physical symptoms and body image (OR 1.283, 95% CI 1.070 to 1.538, p=0.007) at 29–34 weeks were associated with higher odds of abnormal MCA PI. Concerns about birth and the baby at 29–34 weeks (OR 1.202, 95% CI 1.018 to 1.421, p=0.030) were associated with higher odds of AEDF. Concerns about physical symptoms and body image at 35–40 weeks were associated with decreased odds of neonatal intensive care unit admission (OR 0.635, 95% CI 0.435 to 0.927, p=0.019).

Conclusions

These findings suggest that fetoplacental haemodynamics may be a mechanistic link between maternal prenatal stress and fetal and neonatal well-being, but additional research is required.
The use of honeybees and honey as environmental bioindicators for metals and radionuclides: a review
Authors: Herrero-Latorre C. , Barciela-García J. , García-Martín S. , Peña-Crecente R.M.
Published: June 2017

Honeybees interact strongly with vegetables, air, soil, and water in the vicinity of the hive and, as a consequence, pollutants from these sources are translated to the honeybees and to the hive products. Therefore, over the last decades of the past century, honeybees and honey have been proposed as possible bioindicators for the study of the environmental status of the area surrounding the hive. This work is a critical review on the use of the hive as a passive sampling device and on the use of honeybees and honey as environmental bioindicator substrates for metals and radionuclides. The design of sampling networks, sampling procedures, sample pretreatments, analytical techniques, data analysis, and other influencing factors in this area are also reviewed.
Admissible states and physical-constraints-preserving schemes for relativistic magnetohydrodynamic equations
Authors: Wu Kailiang , Tang Huazhong
Published: June 2017

This paper first studies the admissible state set [Formula: see text] of relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (RMHD). It paves a way for developing physical-constraints-preserving (PCP) schemes for the RMHD equations with the solutions in [Formula: see text]. To overcome the difficulties arising from the extremely strong nonlinearities and no explicit formulas of the primitive variables and the flux vectors with respect to the conservative vector, two equivalent forms of [Formula: see text] with explicit constraints on the conservative vector are skillfully discovered. The first is derived by analyzing roots of several polynomials and transferring successively them, and further used to prove the convexity of [Formula: see text] with the aid of semi-positive definiteness of the second fundamental form of a hypersurface. While the second is derived based on the convexity, and then used to show the orthogonal invariance of [Formula: see text]. The Lax–Friedrichs (LxF) splitting property does not hold generally for the nonzero magnetic field, but by a constructive inequality and pivotal techniques, we discover the generalized LxF splitting properties, combining the convex combination of some LxF splitting terms with a discrete divergence-free condition of the magnetic field. Based on the above analyses, several 1D and 2D PCP schemes are then studied. In the 1D case, a first-order accurate LxF-type scheme is first proved to be PCP under the Courant–Friedrichs–Lewy (CFL) condition, and then the high-order accurate PCP schemes are proposed via a PCP limiter. In the 2D case, the discrete divergence-free condition and PCP property are analyzed for a first-order accurate LxF-type scheme, and two sufficient conditions are derived for high-order accurate PCP schemes. Our analysis reveals in theory for the first time that the discrete divergence-free condition is closely connected with the PCP property. Several numerical examples demonstrate the theoretical findings and the performance of numerical schemes.
Microwave assisted polyol synthesis of CuGaSe2 nanoparticles for solar cell application
Authors: Grevtsev A. S. , Levin O. V. , Tverjanovich A. S.
Published: June 2017

Chalcopyrite CuGaSe2 nanocrystals with average size about 90 nm were synthesized by quick and cheap microwave assisted polyol method without special dissolving of Se in organic solvents. Composition, structure and optical properties of the obtained particles correspond to pure bulk CuGaSe2. CuGaSe2/PCBM composite films produced from the synthesized nanoparticles possess reproducible photovoltaic response.
Cuprate High Temperature Superconductors and the Vision for Room Temperature Superconductivity
Authors: Newns Dennis M. , Martyna Glenn J. , Tsuei Chang C.
Published: June 2017

Superconducting transition temperatures of 164 K in cuprate high temperature superconductors (HTS) and recently 200 K in H3S under high pressure encourage us to believe that room temperature superconductivity (RTS) might be possible. In considering paths to RTS, we contrast conventional (BCS) SC, such as probably manifested by H3S, with the unconventional superconductivity (SC) in the cuprate HTS family. Turning to SC models, we show that in the presence of one or more van Hove singularities (vHs) near the Fermi level, SC mediated by classical phonons ([Formula: see text]phonon frequency) can occur. The phonon frequency in the standard [Formula: see text] formula is replaced by an electronic cutoff, enabling a much higher [Formula: see text] independent of phonon frequency. The resulting [Formula: see text] and isotope shift plot versus doping strongly resembles that seen experimentally in HTS. A more detailed theory of HTS, which involves mediation by classical phonons, satisfactorily reproduces the chief anomalous features characteristic of these materials. We propose that, while a path to RTS through an H3S-like scenario via strongly-coupled ultra-high frequency phonons is attractive, features perhaps unavailable at ordinary pressures, a route involving SC mediated by classical phonons which can be low frequency may be found.
U–Pb zircon geochronology of Cretaceous arc magmatism in eastern Chukotka, NE Russia, with implications for Pacific plate subduction and the opening of the Amerasia Basin
Authors: Pease Victoria , Miller Elizabeth , Wyld Sandra J. , Sokolov Sergey , Akinin Viacheslav , Wright James E.
Published: June 2017

The tectonomagmatic evolution of eastern Chukotka, NE Russia, is important for refining the onset of Pacific plate subduction, understanding the development of the Amerasia Basin, and constraining Arctic tectonic reconstructions. Field mapping and strategic sample collection provide relative age constraints on subduction-related continental arc magmatism in eastern Chukotka. Ion microprobe U–Pb zircon ages provide absolute constraints and identify five magmatic episodes (
c.
134, 122, 105, 94 and 85 Ma) separated by three periods of uplift and erosion (
c.
122–105, 94–85 and post-85 Ma). Volcanic rocks in the region are less contaminated than their plutonic equivalents which record greater crustal assimilation. These data, combined with xenocrystic zircons, reflect the self-assimilation of a continental arc during its evolution. Proto-Pacific subduction initiated by
c.
121 Ma and arc development occurred over
c.
35–50 myr. Crustal growth was simultaneous with regional exhumation and crustal thinning across the Bering Strait region. Ocean–continent subduction in eastern Chukotka ended at
c.
85 Ma. The timing of events in the region is roughly synchronous with the inferred opening of the Amerasia Basin. Simultaneous arc magmatism, extension and development of the Amerasia Basin within a back-arc basin setting best explain these coeval tectonic events.
Immunopathology of Chikungunya Virus Infection: Lessons Learned from Patients and Animal Models
Authors: Ng Lisa F.P.
Published: June 2017

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an arthropod-borne alphavirus that causes acute and chronic arthritis. The virus reemerged in the Indian Ocean islands in 2005–2006 and is responsible for outbreaks in the Caribbean islands and the Americas since late 2013. Despite the wealth of research over the past 10 years, there are no commercially available antiviral drugs or vaccines. Treatment usually involves analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and supportive care. Most studies have been focused on understanding the pathogenesis of CHIKV infection through clinical observation and with animal models. In this review, the clinical manifestations of CHIKV that define the disease and the use of relevant animal models, from mice to nonhuman primates, are discussed. Understanding key cellular factors in CHIKV infection and the interplay with the immune system will aid in the development of preventive and therapeutic approaches to combat this painful viral disease in humans.
Regulation of the unfolded protein response by noncoding RNA
Authors: McMahon Mari , Samali Afshin , Chevet Eric
Published: June 2017

Cells are exposed to various intrinsic and extrinsic stresses in both physiological and pathological conditions. To adapt to those conditions, cells have evolved various mechanisms to cope with the disturbances in protein demand, largely through the unfolded protein response (UPR) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), but also through the integrated stress response (ISR). Both responses initiate downstream signaling to transcription factors that, in turn, trigger adaptive programs and/or in the case of prolonged stress, cell death mechanisms. Recently, noncoding RNAs, including microRNA and long noncoding RNA, have emerged as key players in the stress responses. These noncoding RNAs act as both regulators and effectors of the UPR and fine-tune the output of the stress signaling pathways. Although much is known about the UPR and the cross talk that exists between pathways, the contribution of small noncoding RNA has not been fully assessed. Herein we bring together and review the current known functions of noncoding RNA in regulating adaptive pathways in both physiological and pathophysiological conditions, illustrating how they operate within the known UPR functions and contribute to diverse cellular outcomes.
Myoendothelial gap junctions mediate regulation of angiopoietin-2-induced vascular hyporeactivity after hypoxia through connexin 43-gated cAMP transfer
Authors: Xu Jing , Yang Guangming , Li Tao , Liu Liangming
Published: June 2017

Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) contributes to vascular hyporeactivity after hemorrhagic shock and hypoxia through upregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in a vascular endothelial cell (VEC)-specific and Ang-2/Tie2 receptor-dependent manner. While iNOS is primarily expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), the mechanisms of signal transfer from VECs to VSMCs are unknown. A double-sided coculture model with VECs and VSMCs from Sprague-Dawley rats was used to investigate the role of myoendothelial gap junctions (MEGJs), the connexin (Cx) isoforms involved, and other relevant mechanisms. After hypoxia, VSMCs treated with exogenous Ang-2 showed increased iNOS expression and hyporeactivity, as well as MEGJ formation and communication. These Ang-2 effects were suppressed by the MEGJ inhibitor 18α-glycyrrhetic acid (18-GA), Tie2 siRNA, or Cx43 siRNA. Reagents antagonizing cAMP or protein kinase A (PKA) in VECs inhibited Cx43 expression in MEGJs, decreasing MEGJ formation and associated communication, after hypoxia following Ang-2 treatment. The increased cAMP levels in VSMCs and transfer of Alexa Fluor 488-labeled cAMP from VECs to VSMCs, after hypoxia following Ang-2 treatment, was antagonized by Cx43 siRNA. A cAMP antagonist added to VECs or VSMCs inhibited both increased iNOS expression and hyporeactivity in VSMCs subjected to hypoxia following Ang-2 treatment. Based on these findings, we propose that Cx43 was the Cx isoform involved in MEGJ-mediated VEC-dependent regulation of Ang-2, which induces iNOS protein expression and vascular hyporeactivity after hypoxia. Cx43 was upregulated by cAMP and PKA, permitting cAMP transfer between cells.
The role of capsaicin-sensitive C-fiber afferent pathways in the control of micturition in spinal-intact and spinal cord-injured mice
Authors: Kadekawa Katsumi , Majima Tsuyoshi , Shimizu Takahiro , Wada Naoki , de Groat William C. , Kanai Anthony J. , Goto Momokazu , Yoshiyama Mitsuharu , Sugaya Kimio , Yoshimura Naoki
Published: June 2017

We examined bladder and urethral sphincter activity in mice with or without spinal cord injury (SCI) after C-fiber afferent desensitization induced by capsaicin pretreatment and changes in electrophysiological properties of mouse bladder afferent neurons 4 wk after SCI. Female C57BL/6N mice were divided into four groups: 1) spinal intact (SI)-control, 2) SI-capsaicin pretreatment (Cap), 3) SCI-control, and 4) SCI-Cap groups. Continuous cystometry and external urethral sphincter (EUS)-electromyogram (EMG) were conducted under an awake condition. In the Cap groups, capsaicin (25, 50, or 100 mg/kg) was injected subcutaneously 4 days before the experiments. In the SI-Cap group, 100 mg/kg capsaicin pretreatment significantly increased bladder capacity and decreased the silent period duration of EUS/EMG compared with the SI-control group. In the SCI-Cap group, 50 and 100 mg/kg capsaicin pretreatment decreased the number of nonvoiding contractions (NVCs) and the duration of reduced EUS activity during voiding, respectively, compared with the SCI-control group. In SCI mice, hexamethonium, a ganglionic blocker, almost completely blocked NVCs, suggesting that they are of neurogenic origin. Patch-clamp recordings in capsaicin-sensitive bladder afferent neurons from SCI mice showed hyperexcitability, which was evidenced by decreased spike thresholds and increased firing rate compared with SI mice. These results indicate that capsaicin-sensitive C-fiber afferent pathways, which become hyperexcitable after SCI, can modulate bladder and urethral sphincter activity in awake SI and SCI mice. Detrusor overactivity as shown by NVCs in SCI mice is significantly but partially dependent on capsaicin-sensitive C-fiber afferents, whereas the EUS relaxation during voiding is enhanced by capsaicin-sensitive C-fiber bladder afferents in SI and SCI mice.
Biophysics and biofluid dynamics of primary cilia: evidence for and against the flow-sensing function
Authors: Nag Subhra , Resnick Andrew
Published: June 2017

Primary cilia have been called “the forgotten organelle” for over 20 yr. As cilia now have their own journal and several books devoted to their study, perhaps it is time to reconsider the moniker “forgotten organelle.” In fact, during the drafting of this review, 12 relevant publications have been issued; we therefore apologize in advance for any relevant work we inadvertently omitted. What purpose is yet another ciliary review? The primary goal of this review is to specifically examine the evidence for and against the hypothesized flow-sensing function of primary cilia expressed by differentiated epithelia within a kidney tubule, bringing together differing disciplines and their respective conceptual and experimental approaches. We will show that understanding the biophysics/biomechanics of primary cilia provides essential information for understanding any potential role of ciliary function in disease. We will summarize experimental and mathematical models used to characterize renal fluid flow and incident force on primary cilia and to characterize the mechanical response of cilia to an externally applied force and discuss possible ciliary-mediated cell signaling pathways triggered by flow. Throughout, we stress the importance of separating the effects of fluid shear and stretch from the action of hydrodynamic drag.
Store-operated calcium entry suppressed the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway in glomerular mesangial cells
Authors: Chaudhari Sarika , Li Weizu , Wang Yanxia , Jiang Hui , Ma Yuhong , Davis Mark E. , Zuckerman Jonathan E. , Ma Rong
Published: June 2017

Our previous study demonstrated that the abundance of extracellular matrix proteins was suppressed by store-operated Ca2+entry (SOCE) in mesangial cells (MCs). The present study was conducted to investigate the underlying mechanism focused on the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)/Smad3 pathway, a critical pathway for ECM expansion in diabetic kidneys. We hypothesized that SOCE suppressed ECM protein expression by inhibiting this pathway in MCs. In cultured human MCs, we observed that TGF-β1 (5 ng/ml for 15 h) significantly increased Smad3 phosphorylation, as evaluated by immunoblot. However, this response was markedly inhibited by thapsigargin (1 µM), a classical activator of store-operated Ca2+channels. Consistently, both immunocytochemistry and immunoblot showed that TGF-β1 significantly increased nuclear translocation of Smad3, which was prevented by pretreatment with thapsigargin. Importantly, the thapsigargin effect was reversed by lanthanum (La3+; 5 µM) and GSK-7975A (10 µM), both of which are selective blockers of store-operated Ca2+channels. Furthermore, knockdown of Orai1, the pore-forming subunit of the store-operated Ca2+channels, significantly augmented TGF-β1-induced Smad3 phosphorylation. Overexpression of Orai1 augmented the inhibitory effect of thapsigargin on TGF-β1-induced phosphorylation of Smad3. In agreement with the data from cultured MCs, in vivo knockdown of Orai1 specific to MCs using a targeted nanoparticle small interfering RNA delivery system resulted in a marked increase in abundance of phosphorylated Smad3 and in nuclear translocation of Smad3 in the glomerulus of mice. Taken together, our results indicate that SOCE in MCs negatively regulates the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway.