bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anxiety and phantasy in the field: The position of the unconscious in ethnographic research
Authors: Proudfoot Jesse
Published: September 2015

This article contributes to the geographical literature on reflexivity by asking what it means to take the researcher’s unconscious seriously in ethnographic research, and proposes psychoanalysis as a theoretical and methodological resource for researching the unconscious dimensions of fieldwork. I begin by describing three moments from my fieldwork with panhandlers and drug users that evince the operation of the unconscious. I then review psychoanalytic work in the social sciences where the researcher becomes the object of analysis and situate the debate on psychoanalytic methodology as an extension of earlier work on reflexivity by feminist geographers. I outline three methods for investigating the unconscious dimensions of fieldwork: analysis, supervision, and case consultation. Summarizing my experiments with these methods, I discuss: the discovery that key elements of my research were inextricably connected to my own anxieties as a researcher, how analysis of a dream from early in the fieldwork revealed phantasies rooted in childhood and a profoundly ambivalent relationship to my informants, and I propose a dialectical method for incorporating the revelations of psychoanalytic reflexivity into research. I conclude by discussing some of the possibilities and consequences of taking the unconscious dimensions of fieldwork seriously.
Education and social reproduction: Educational mechanisms and residential segregation in Athens and Dortmund
Authors: Maloutas Thomas , Ramos Lobato Isabel
Published: September 2015

Based on quantitative data depicting two different, but equally crucial transitions within the educational career of pupils in Athens/Greece 1 and Dortmund/Germany, 2 the paper focuses on the main social selection processes reproducing educational inequalities in each city. It draws on discussions on education as a mechanism of social reproduction, on parental strategies as well as on local research regarding educational inequalities. Though the different educational strategies of middle-class parents in Athens and Dortmund can be related to differences between the two cities in terms of school systems and policies as well as of segregation levels and housing market conditions, they seem to follow a similar logic, with their objective being to create further advantage for their children.
Correlation of volumetric perfusion CT parameters with hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha expression in a rabbit VX2 tumor model
Authors: Kim Jung Im , Lee Hyun-Ju , Goo Jin Mo , Kim Min A , Chung Doo Hyun
Published: September 2015

Background

Hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) plays a critical role in tumoral angiogenesis and HIF-1α overexpression is associated with an increased risk of patient mortality in many cancers. A number of studies have introduced perfusion computed tomography (CT) as a monitoring modality for antiangiogenic therapy.

Purpose

To investigate significance of volumetric perfusion CT parameters in relationship to HIF-1α expression in VX2 tumor rabbit models.

Material and Methods

Twenty VX2 carcinoma tumors of bilateral back muscles of 10 rabbits were evaluated with serial volumetric perfusion CT in 7, 10, and 14 days after tumor implantation. CT perfusion data were analyzed to calculate blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), and permeability surface area product (PS) of whole tumor and non-necrotic peripheral area (periphery). Immunohistochemical analysis of HIF-1α expression and microvessel density (MVD) was performed.

Results

HIF-1α was expressed in 12 tumors; two, three, and seven tumors classified as scores 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Mean MVD was 24.85 ± 13.7. PS of both the whole tumor and periphery showed positive correlations with HIF-1α score (r = 0.41, P = 0.046; r = 0.43, P = 0.002, respectively). BV of periphery showed a negative correlation with HIF-1α (r = −0.48, P = 0.040). There was strong positive correlation between HIF-1α expression and MVD (r = 0.82, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

In VX2 tumors, volumetric perfusion CT parameters were of limited value for the prediction of HIF-1α activity although HIF-1α expression was found to be weakly positively correlated with PS and negatively correlated with BV.
Foot Lesions in Farmed Mink (Neovison vison)
Authors: Jespersen A. , Hammer A. S. , Jensen H. E. , Bonde-Jensen N. , Lassus M. M. , Agger J. F. , Larsen P. F.
Published: September 2015

The aim of this study was to evaluate gross and histologic lesions and epidemiologic factors of foot lesions in farmed mink. The feet of 1159 mink from 4 Danish farms were examined and lesions described. Swabs from the lesions were taken from 27 mink for microbiology, and tissue samples from a representative spectrum of feet with and without lesions ( n = 22) were examined histologically. Feet were grouped according to gross inspection: no lesions (55.1%), hair loss (7.1%), hyperkeratosis (35.8%), and crusting (5.3%). Lesions were predominantly located in plantar metatarsal skin (98.1%). Staphylococci were the most prevalent microorganisms cultured from the lesions. There was a significant association between presence of lesions and sex ( P < .0001), age ( P < .0001), and color type ( P = .023). Lesion size was significantly different between hair loss and crusts and between hyperkeratosis and crusts ( P < .0001). Histologically, lesions included varying degrees of orthokeratotic to parakeratotic hyperkeratosis and granulomatous to pyogranulomatous dermatitis with trichogranulomas as a dominant feature in all mink. The gross and microscopic lesions were comparable to physically induced changes in other species that develop as a response to repetitive friction or pressure. The condition may have an impact on animal welfare in mink production.
New graduates’ experience of evidence-based practice: An action research study
Authors: Morrison Tara , Robertson Linda
Published: September 2015

Introduction

The aim of this project was to explore how occupational therapy graduates in New Zealand engaged with evidence-based practice.

Method

The study adopted an action research approach. Five new graduates were recruited and worked with the researcher to identify practical problems related to using evidence-based practice and to propose solutions. Surveys, email and discussion groups were used to collect data over three action research cycles.

Findings

The main findings from this study were that new graduates are more likely to use research evidence when prompted to do this by their supervisor (or another external source) and that senior occupational therapists are identified as essential to both demonstrate and motivate evidence-based behaviours. New graduates used evidence to justify their practice to others, increase self-confidence and to inform themselves. The evidence used was commonly based on the expertise of senior therapists.

Conclusion

For new graduates the tasks of searching and evaluating evidence are secondary to developing and clarifying their clinical knowledge and skills. The expectations of the workplace and the partnership between new graduate and experienced clinician are highly influential in establishing regular habits related to evidence-based practice.
Nominally static frictional contacts under periodic loading
Authors: Barber James R
Published: September 2015

We review recent developments in the response to periodic loading of elastic systems with frictional interfaces. The steady state can involve shakedown (no slip at any point), cyclic microslip leading to energy dissipation and possible fretting damage, or ratchetting (relative rigid-body motion accumulating during each cycle). Shakedown theorems can be established for systems in which the normal and tangential problems are uncoupled, but for coupled systems, the steady state depends on the initial conditions. In such cases the system ‘memory’ resides in the slip displacements at permanently stuck nodes. Analytical and asymptotic (continuum) methods for solving cyclic slip problems are also discussed.
The role of international organizations in regime transitions: How IGOs can tie a dictator’s hands
Authors: Nygård Håvard Mokleiv
Published: September 2015

The level of violence seen during transitions from authoritarian to democratic rule varies substantially. Recently, Tunisia experienced an almost bloodless transition, while in Libya the attempt to oust the Gadhafi regime ended in a civil war. This paper looks at the dynamics of democratic transitions, and attempts to explain why some become extremely violent while others progress peacefully. Specifically, the paper looks at the potential role of international governmental organizations (IGOs) for constraining or altering the behavior of non-democratic regimes, thereby influencing regime transitions. It argues that, by alleviating commitment problems between the outgoing regime and the new elites, and by imposing sanctions that reduce an incumbent regime’s ability to reap the benefits of office, IGOs increase the likelihood of seeing a peaceful transition to democracy. However, the paper also argues that non-democratic leaders should anticipate this, and therefore that regimes that are members of highly interventionist IGOs should be less likely to liberalize at all. The paper finds evidence in favor of the proposition that IGOs increase the likelihood of a peaceful regime transition, and that non-democratic regimes that are members of highly interventionist IGOs anticipate being constrained by these organizations, and therefore are more reluctant to liberalize in the first place.
The Effects of Students’ Course Perceptions on Their Domain Identification, Motivational Beliefs, and Goals
Authors: Jones Brett D. , Tendhar Chosang , Paretti Marie C.
Published: September 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine whether students’ perceptions in a first-year university engineering course affected their engineering identification, motivational beliefs, and engineering major and career goals. Based on current motivation models and theories, we hypothesized that students’ perceptions of the components of the MUSIC Model of Motivation (the MUSIC model) in one of their first university engineering courses would predict their engineering identification, which would predict their major and career goals. We conducted exploratory factor analyses on an estimation sample of 110 students and used a two-step structural equation modeling approach with a validation sample of 333 first-year engineering undergraduates. The measurement and structural model fit indices demonstrated that the hypothesized model provided a good fit to the data, indicating that students’ perceptions of four of the five MUSIC model components were statistically related to students’ engineering identification, which then predicted their major and career goals.
Parallel robots with configurable platforms: Fundamental aspects of a new class of robotic architectures
Authors: Lambert Patrice , Herder Just L
Published: September 2015

This paper introduces general and fundamental aspects of a new class of parallel robots termed “parallel robots with configurable platforms”. The concept behind parallel mechanisms with configurable platforms is that the rigid link (non-configurable) end-effector is replaced by an additional closed-loop chain (the configurable platform). Some of the links of this closed loop are attached to the limbs so both the position and the configuration of the platform can be fully controlled from the motors located on the base. They retain the advantages of classical parallel robots, i.e. that all the motors are grounded on the base, while offering mechanical grasping capabilities via multiple contact points. Despite the few studies that have been done yet on the subject, the possible range of applications for this type of architecture is promising since it would be suitable for any application requiring both controlled grasping capabilities and high dynamic performance. This paper provides some preliminary results regarding the topology, mobility, overconstraints, Jacobian matrix, singularities and type synthesis of parallel robots with configurable platforms.
Kinematic calibration of Delta robot using distance measurements
Authors: Bai Pujun , Mei Jiangping , Huang Tian , Chetwynd Derek G
Published: September 2015

This paper deals with kinematic calibration of the Delta robot using distance measurements. The work is mainly placed upon: (1) the error modeling with a goal to classify the source errors affecting both the compensatable and uncompensatable pose accuracy; (2) the full/partial source error identification using a set of distance measurements acquired by a laser tracker; and (3) design of a linearized compensator for real-time error compensation. Experimental results on a prototype show that positioning accuracy of the robot can significantly be improved by the proposed approach.
An evaluation of dexterity and cutaneous sensibility tests for use with medical gloves
Authors: Mylon Peter , Lewis Roger , Carré Matt J , Martin Nicolas
Published: September 2015

The ability of selected dexterity and cutaneous sensibility tests to measure the effect of medical glove properties (material, fit, and number of layers) on manual performance was analyzed. Manual performance testing of gloves to-date has focused on thicker gloves where the effects are more obvious. However, clinicians have reported dissatisfaction with some medical gloves and a perceived detriment to performance of new materials compared to latex. Three tests (Purdue Pegboard Test, Crawford Small Parts Dexterity Test, and Semmes-Weinstein Monofilaments) were performed by 18 subjects in five hand conditions (ungloved; best-fitting, loose-fitting and a double layer of latex examination gloves; best-fitting vinyl gloves). Tests were performed in the ungloved condition first, and the order of the gloved tests was randomized. Learning behavior was also measured. The Purdue test showed a significant effect of hand condition, but no differences between latex and vinyl. No significant effect of hand condition was found in the Crawford “Pins and Collars” test, but the “Screws” test showed promising discrimination between glove types. The Monofilaments test showed a significant effect of hand condition on cutaneous sensibility, particularly a reduction when “double-gloving,” but no significant differences between glove types. Existing tests show some ability to measure the effect of gloves and their properties on manual performance but are not comprehensive and require further validation. In order to fully describe the effects of medical gloves on manual performance, further tests should be designed with greater resolution and that better replicate clinical manual tasks.
Extension of D-H parameter method to hybrid manipulators used in robot-assisted surgery
Authors: Singh Amanpreet , Singla Ashish , Soni Sanjeev
Published: September 2015

The main focus of this work is to extend the applicability of D-H parameter method to develop a kinematic model of a hybrid manipulator. A hybrid manipulator is a combination of open- and closed-loop chains and contains planar and spatial links. It has been found in the literature that D-H parameter method leads to ambiguities, when dealing with closed-loop chains. In this work, it has been observed that the D-H parameter method, when applied to a hybrid manipulator, results in an orientational inconsistency, because of which the method cannot be used to develop the kinematic model. In this article, the concept of dummy frames is proposed to resolve the orientational inconsistency and to develop the kinematic model of a hybrid manipulator. Moreover, the prototype of 7-degree-of-freedom hybrid manipulator, known as a surgeon-side manipulator to assist the surgeon during a medical surgery, is also developed to validate the kinematic model derived in this work.
Exploring Variations Within Situational Couple Violence and Comparisons With Coercive Controlling Violence and No Violence/No Control
Authors: Nielsen Samantha K. , Hardesty Jennifer L. , Raffaelli Marcela
Published: September 2015

We examined variations within situational couple violence among 23 divorcing mothers and compared them with mothers with coercive controlling violence and no violence/no control. Situational couple violence had great variability in frequency and severity of violence, fear, harassment, and protective strategies. In some cases, situational couple violence was frequent and severe and resembled coercive controlling violence in its consequences. The dynamics of fear and harassment in situational couple violence and in the divorce process in general warrant attention. Finally, mothers reported mental health symptoms that did not differ by group, which is likely due to the stresses of divorce.
New dimension of slow food movement using supercritical fluid technology and methods to influence society by effective marketing strategies
Authors: Uzel Ruhan Aşkın
Published: September 2015

Although slow food movement is a well-known movement nowadays, in order to make it more widespread to the society, necessity to develop and to adapt new techniques has become inevitable for healthier consumption age. For this purpose, possibility of increased usage of healthy foods with addition of natural extracts using new techniques came out from relevant questionaries applied to people of different age groups. In this study, specific properties of supercritical carbon dioxide at distinct temperatures and water in subcritical conditions were used to obtain extracts rich in water-soluble organic compounds. Experiments were carried out at pressures of 10, 20, 30, and 40 MPa and temperatures ranging from 40 to 200 ℃ with and without modifier for 2 h of extraction time. The flow rate was kept at 4 and 1 ml/min for CO2 and water, respectively. The highest water-soluble organic compound recovery yield was 78.10%. Results were supported by marketing strategies to announce this new application and products to the society. Group of sample questions was prepared to investigate (a) frequency of staple food usage, (b) the brand names and relevant reasons that bring up consumers to buy specifically same branded products, (c) knowledge about the ingredients and how advertising effects purchasing decision, etc. Finally, efficiency increase in slow food consumption was proved with supercritical fluid technology to draw attention to the health of consumers with newer and functional healthy foods.
Risk-based Audits in a Behavioral Model
Authors: Hashimzade Nigar , Myles Gareth
Published: September 2015

The tools of predictive analytics are widely used in the analysis of large data sets to predict future patterns in the system. In particular, predictive analytics is used to estimate risk of engaging in certain behavior. Risk-based audits are used by revenue services to target potentially noncompliant taxpayers, but the results of predictive analytics serve predominantly only as a guide rather than a rule. “Auditor judgment” retains an important role in selecting audit targets. This article assesses the effectiveness of using predictive analytics in a model of the compliance decision that incorporates several components from behavioral economics: subjective beliefs about audit probabilities, a social custom reward from honest tax payment, and a degree of risk aversion that increases with age. Simulation analysis shows that predictive analytics are successful in raising compliance and that the resulting pattern of audits is very close to being a cutoff rule.
The role of sensorial processes in Q’eqchi’ Maya healing: A case study of depression and bereavement
Authors: Hatala Andrew R. , Waldram James B.
Published: September 2015

Theory and research on the healing practices of Indigenous communities around the globe have often been influenced by models of “symbolic healing” that privilege the way patients consciously interpret or derive meaning from a healing encounter. In our work with a group of Q’eqchi’ Maya healers in southern Belize, these aspects of “symbolic healing” are not always present. Such empirical observations force us to reach beyond models of symbolic healing to understand how healing might prove effective. Through the extended analysis of a single case study of rahil ch’ool or “depression,” we propose to advance understanding of forms of healing which are not dependent on a shared “mythic” or “assumptive world” between patient and healer or where therapeutic efficacy does not rely on the patient’s ability to “believe” in or consciously “know” what is occurring during treatment. In this we demonstrate how the body, as a site of experience, transformation, and communication, becomes the therapeutic locus in healing encounters of this kind and argue that embodied mediums of sensorial experience be considered central in attempts to understand healing efficacy.
Still being ‘Mother’? Consumption and identity practices for women in later life
Authors: Mansvelt Juliana , Breheny Mary , Stephens Christine
Published: September 2015

Studies of mothering and consumption have primarily focussed on mothers to be and mothers of young children with little known about the intersection between consumption and mothering beyond the years of childhood dependence. This article argues that performances of mothering enacted through consumption do not end with children leaving home. Many women were consciously ‘Still being mother’, with consumption choices significant in the ways in which mothering identities were performed. The analysis of interviews from three studies of family life, living standards and consumption in older age identified three constructs of the ‘good’ mothering of adult children. Aspects of the ‘provisioning mother’ were evident in providing for children through gifts, material and financial support. Appropriate consumption practices by adult children demonstrated the ‘role model mother’ who has taught her children well. Mothers also framed themselves as ‘independent mothers’ who had sufficient social and financial resources to not burden children, hinting not only at their own ‘controlled’ consumption practices but also at future changes in mothering and consumption that might need to be managed as they aged. These mothering identities were not static and were exhibited differently across a range of living standards. ‘Still being mother’ mattered, but the resources available to women to shape these identities through consumption practices differed according to their material circumstances, expectations and familial relations, which had implications for their identity as independent mothers and children.
Dosimetric Comparison Between 3-Dimensional Conformal and Robotic SBRT Treatment Plans for Accelerated Partial Breast Radiotherapy
Authors: Goggin L. M. , Descovich M. , McGuinness C. , Shiao S. , Pouliot J. , Park C.
Published: September 2015

Accelerated partial breast irradiation is an attractive alternative to conventional whole breast radiotherapy for selected patients. Recently, CyberKnife has emerged as a possible alternative to conventional techniques for accelerated partial breast irradiation. In this retrospective study, we present a dosimetric comparison between 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy plans and CyberKnife plans using circular (Iris) and multi-leaf collimators. Nine patients who had undergone breast-conserving surgery followed by whole breast radiation were included in this retrospective study. The CyberKnife planning target volume (PTV) was defined as the lumpectomy cavity + 10 mm + 2 mm with prescription dose of 30 Gy in 5 fractions. Two sets of 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy plans were created, one used the same definitions as described for CyberKnife and the second used the RTOG-0413 definition of the PTV: lumpectomy cavity + 15 mm + 10 mm with prescription dose of 38.5 Gy in 10 fractions. Using both PTV definitions allowed us to compare the dose delivery capabilities of each technology and to evaluate the advantage of CyberKnife tracking. For the dosimetric comparison using the same PTV margins, CyberKnife and 3-dimensional plans resulted in similar tumor coverage and dose to critical structures, with the exception of the lung V5%, which was significantly smaller for 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, 6.2% when compared to 39.4% for CyberKnife-Iris and 17.9% for CyberKnife-multi-leaf collimator. When the inability of 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy to track motion is considered, the result increased to 25.6%. Both CyberKnife-Iris and CyberKnife-multi-leaf collimator plans demonstrated significantly lower average ipsilateral breast V50% (25.5% and 24.2%, respectively) than 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (56.2%). The CyberKnife plans were more conformal but less homogeneous than the 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy plans. Approximately 50% shorter treatment times and 50% lower number of delivered monitor units (MU) were achievable with CyberKnife-multi-leaf collimator than with CyberKnife-Iris. The CyberKnife-multi-leaf collimator treatment times were comparable to 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, however, the number of MU delivered was approximately 2.5 times larger. The suitability of 10 + 2 mm margins warrants further investigation.
Nonpharmacological Management of Gout and Hyperuricemia: Hints for Better Lifestyle
Authors: Kakutani-Hatayama Miki , Kadoya Manabu , Okazaki Hirokazu , Kurajoh Masafumi , Shoji Takuhito , Koyama Hidenori , Tsutsumi Zenta , Moriwaki Yuji , Namba Mitsuyoshi , Yamamoto Tetsuya
Published: September 2015

We reviewed lifestyle factors that influence serum uric acid levels and risk of gout flare, and how to improve their deleterious effects. Since obesity increases uric acid and weight gain increases gout risk, weight reduction by daily exercise and limiting intake of excess calories is recommended. However, strenuous exercise, which causes adenine nucleotide degradation; starvation, which decreases uric acid excretion; and dehydration may raise the level of uric acid in serum and trigger gout. Increased intake of purine-rich foods, such as meat and seafood, raise the level of uric acid in serum and is associated with increased risk of gout, whereas dairy products, especially low-fat types, are associated with a lower risk of gout. Also, heavy alcohol drinking raises the uric acid level and increases the risk of gout through adenine nucleotide degradation and lactate production. Sweet fruits and soft drinks containing fructose should be moderated, since fructose may raise uric acid and increase gout risk through uric acid production and/or decreased excretion. On the other hand, the Mediterranean diet is recommended for gout patients, since it may also help prevent hyperuricemia. Furthermore, coffee and vitamin C supplementation could be considered as preventive measures, as those can lower serum uric acid levels as well as the risk of gout.
Domesticating distant suffering: How can news media discursively invite the audience to care?
Authors: Joye Stijn
Published: September 2015

Several scholars have identified an important emotional role in news media’s covering of international disasters; inviting the audience to care for people in need who are not like us. This article addresses the question of how news media can attribute a local sense of relevance to global suffering by focusing on the journalistic practice of domestication. Following a case-based methodology, we investigate how two Belgian television stations have domesticated international disasters in 2011. As the study shows, rendering distant suffering more relevant to local audiences can be realized in several ways. A critical discourse analysis identified four key discursive modes of domestication. By drawing on these modes, news journalists try to incite involvement in their representations of distant suffering, hence inviting the local audience to relate with the distant other. Domestication can lead to possible feelings of cosmopolitanism and identification, although dominant power relations of global inequality remain largely unchallenged.
The Relationship Between Self-Concept, Ability, and Academic Programming Among Twice-Exceptional Youth
Authors: Foley-Nicpon Megan , Assouline Susan G. , Fosenburg Staci
Published: September 2015

Researchers investigated the self-concept profiles of twice-exceptional students in relationship to their cognitive ability and participation in educational services. All subjects ( N = 64) had high ability (IQ score at or above the 90th percentile) and were diagnosed with either an autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n = 53) or specific learning disability (SLD; n = 11). Self-concept and ability measures were administered as a part of comprehensive evaluations to assess for co-existing high ability and disability. Despite the presence of a disability, overall self-concept profiles were in the average range, suggesting either co-occurring high ability serves as a protective mechanism or a possible positive illusory bias among participants. There was no relationship between ability, educational services, and self-concept, implying that high cognitive ability and related educational interventions are independent of how twice-exceptional students feel about themselves. Findings raise questions about the precision of traditional identification models in selecting twice-exceptional students for participation in gifted education programming.
Concept Teaching in Instrumental Music Education
Authors: Tan Leonard
Published: September 2015

This article is a review of research literature on the teaching of concepts in instrumental music education. It is organized in four parts (a) the value of concept teaching in large instrumental ensembles, (b) time spent teaching concepts during rehearsals, (c) approaches to concept teaching, and (d) implications for music education. Research has indicated that there is value to teaching conceptually. Time invested in teaching concepts has not been found to detract from performance goals; on the contrary, performance may be enhanced. Musical concepts may be taught via positive and negative instances of concepts, music terms and descriptions, modeling, and music literature. More research on concept teaching in instrumental music is warranted.
Wnt signaling induces transcription, spatial proximity, and translocation of fusion gene partners in human hematopoietic cells
Authors: Ugarte Giorgia D. , Vargas Macarena F. , Medina Matías A. , León Pablo , Necuñir David , Elorza Alvaro A. , Gutiérrez Soraya E. , Moon Randall T. , Loyola Alejandra , De Ferrari Giancarlo V.
Published: September 2015

Key Points

Wnt/β-catenin signaling increases ETO and Runx1 transcription in human hematopoietic progenitors. Wnt/β-catenin signaling enhances spatial proximity of ETO and RUNX1 genes and induces the generation of a recurrent translocation event.
Predicting recurrence after unprovoked venous thromboembolism: prospective validation of the updated Vienna Prediction Model
Authors: Tritschler Tobias , Méan Marie , Limacher Andreas , Rodondi Nicolas , Aujesky Drahomir
Published: September 2015

Key Points

The updated Vienna Prediction Model was developed to identify patients with unprovoked VTE who are at low risk of recurrence. In elderly patients with unprovoked VTE, the model does not discriminate between patients who develop recurrent VTE and those who do not.
On common approximate fixed points of monotone nonexpansive semigroups in Banach spaces
Authors: Bachar Mostafa , Khamsi Mohamed A
Published: September 2015

In this paper, we investigate the common approximate fixed points of monotone nonexpansive semigroups of nonlinear mappings $\{T(t)\}_{t \geq0}$

{
T
(
t
)
}

t
≥
0

, i.e., a family such that $T(0)x=x$
T
(
0
)
x
=
x
, $T(s+t)x=T(s)\circ T(t)x $
T
(
s
+
t
)
x
=
T
(
s
)
∘
T
(
t
)
x
, where the domain is a Banach space. In particular we prove that under suitable conditions, the common approximate fixed points are the same as the common approximate fixed points set of two mappings from the family. Then we give an algorithm of how to construct an approximate fixed point sequence of the semigroup in the case of a uniformly convex Banach space.
Complete genome sequence of Bacillus thuringiensis strain HD521
Authors: Li Qiao , Xu Li Z. , Zou Ting , Ai Peng , Huang Gang H. , Li Ping , Zheng Ai P.
Published: September 2015

Bacillus thuringiensis is the most widely used biological pesticide in the world. It belongs to the Bacillus cereus sensu lato group, which contains six species. Among these six species, B. thuringiensis, B. anthracis, and B. cereus have a low genetic diversity. B. thuringiensis strain HD521 shows maroon colony which is different from most of the B. thuringiensis strains. Strain HD521 also displays an ability to inhibit plant sheath blight disease pathogen (Rhizoctonia solani AG1 IB) growth and can form bipyramidal parasporal crystals consisting of three cry7 genes. These crystals have an insecticidal activity against Henosepilachna vigintioctomaculata larva (Coleoptera). Here we report the complete genome sequence of strain HD521, which has one chromosome and six circular plasmids.
Instructive role of M-CSF on commitment of bipotent myeloid cells involves ERK-dependent positive and negative signaling
Authors: Carras Sylvain , Valayer Alexandre , Moratal Claudine , Weiss-Gayet Michèle , Pages Gilles , Morlé Francois , Mouchiroud Guy , Gobert Stéphanie
Published: September 2015

M-CSF and G-CSF are instructive cytokines that specifically induce differentiation of bipotent myeloid progenitors into macrophages and granulocytes, respectively. Through morphology and colony assay studies, flow cytometry analysis of specific markers, and expression of myeloid transcription factors, we show here that the Eger/Fms cell line is composed of cells whose differentiation fate is instructed by M-CSF and G-CSF, thus representing a good in vitro model of myeloid bipotent progenitors. Consistent with the essential role of ERK1/2 during macrophage differentiation and defects of macrophagic differentiation in native ERK1−/− progenitors, ERK signaling is strongly activated in Eger/Fms cells upon M-CSF-induced macrophagic differentiation but only to a very small extent during G-CSF-induced granulocytic differentiation. Previous in vivo studies indicated a key role of Fli-1 in myeloid differentiation and demonstrated its weak expression during macrophagic differentiation with a strong expression during granulocytic differentiation. Here, we demonstrated that this effect could be mediated by a differential regulation of protein kinase Cδ (PKCd) on Fli-1 expression in response to M-CSF and G-CSF. With the use of knockdown of PKCd by small interfering RNA, we demonstrated that M-CSF activates PKCd, which in turn, inhibits Fli-1 expression and granulocytic differentiation. Finally, we studied the connection between ERK and PKCd and showed that in the presence of the MEK inhibitor U0126, PKCd expression is decreased, and Fli-1 expression is increased in response to M-CSF. Altogether, we demonstrated that in bipotent myeloid cells, M-CSF promotes macrophagic over granulocytic differentiation by inducing ERK activation but also PKCd expression, which in turn, down-regulates Fli-1 expression and prevents granulocytic differentiation.
Resilience and MRI correlates of cognitive impairment in
community-dwelling elders
Authors: Topiwala Anya , Allan Charlotte L. , Valkanova Vyara , Zsoldos Enikoá , Filippini Nicola , Sexton Claire E. , Mahmood Abda , Singh-Manoux Archana , Mackay Clare E. , Kivimäki Mika , Ebmeier Klaus P.
Published: September 2015

Background

The contribution of education and intelligence to resilience against
age-related cognitive decline is not clear, particularly in the presence
of ‘normal for age’ minor brain abnormalities.

Method

Participants (n = 208, mean age 69.2 years, s.d. = 5.4)
in the Whitehall II imaging substudy attended for neuropsychological
testing and multisequence 3T brain magnetic resonance imaging. Images
were independently rated by three trained clinicians for global and
hippocampal atrophy, periventricular and deep white matter changes.

Results

Although none of the participants qualified for a clinical diagnosis of
dementia, a screen for cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive
Assessment (MoCA) <26) was abnormal in 22%. Hippocampal atrophy, in
contrast to other brain measures, was associated with a reduced MoCA
score even after controlling for age, gender, socioeconomic status, years
of education and premorbid IQ. Premorbid IQ and socioeconomic status were
associated with resilience in the presence of hippocampal atrophy.

Conclusions

Independent contributions from a priori risk (age,
hippocampal atrophy) and resilience (premorbid function, socioeconomic
status) combine to predict measured cognitive impairment.
Effect of Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Decoction on pharmacokinetics of verapamil in rats
Authors: Xie Shan-Shan , Hu Nan , Jing Xin-Yue , Liu Xiao-Dong , Xie Lin , Wang Guang-Ji , Liu Chang-Hui
Published: September 2015

Objectives

The aim was to investigate the effect of Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Decoction (HLJDD) on the pharmacokinetic behaviour of verapamil in rats.

Methods

Rats orally received 3.33 g/kg of HLJDD extract for 14 days, and pharmacokinetics of verapamil was investigated after oral and intravenous verapamil. Norverapamil formation for assessing cytochrome P450 3A activity in hepatic and intestinal microsomes of the HLJDD-treated rats was investigated. The inhibitory effect of berberine on the formation of norverapamil in intestinal and hepatic microsomes was also evaluated.

Key findings

HLJDD treatment increased the plasma concentration of verapamil and decreased the plasma concentration of norverapamil, resulting in a 24% increase in the AUC0–480 of verapamil and a 25% reduction in the AUC0–480 of norverapamil after oral administration. However, HLJDD did not alter the pharmacokinetic behaviour of verapamil after intravenous administration. Norverapamil formation showed biphasic kinetics in both intestinal and hepatic microsomes. HLJDD treatment significantly decreased the intrinsic clearance of verapamil in intestinal microsomes, but had no effect on the hepatic metabolism of verapamil. Berberine also inhibited norverapamil formation in both intestinal and hepatic microsomes; the extent of inhibition was larger in intestinal microsomes.

Conclusions

HLJDD displayed a route-dependent effect on the pharmacokinetics of verapamil in rats. HLJDD treatment increased the bioavailability of verapamil partly via inhibiting first-pass verapamil metabolism in the intestine.
Up-regulation of the lysyl hydroxylase 2 gene by acetaminophen and isoniazid is modulated by transcription factor c-Myb
Authors: Kubota Masafumi , Shinoda Aya , Iguchi Kazuhiro , Takahashi Yukari , Usui Shigeyuki , Kiho Tadashi , Hirano Kazuyuki
Published: September 2015

Objectives

Lysyl hydroxylase 2 (LH2), an isoform of hydroxylase, catalyses the hydroxylation of lysine residues in the telopeptide of collagen to form stable and irreversible cross-linkages in collagen. Increased activity of this enzyme in activated stellate cells in human liver has been proposed to relate to the promotion of hepatic fibrosis. In the present study, we examined the regulation of LH2 expression in drug-induced liver injury in order to clarify the mechanisms behind the hepatic fibrosis caused by certain drugs.

Methods

The mRNA and protein expression of the target gene were detected by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with specific primers and Western blotting with a specific antibody, respectively.

Key findings

The expression of LH2 was increased in HepG2 cells incubated with acetaminophen and isoniazid. This increase was accompanied by an increase in the expression of c-myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog (Myb) mRNA. Over-expression of c-Myb in cells transfected with a c-Myb expression plasmid, pMbm I, caused an increase in the expression of LH2 mRNA. Mutation of the Myb-binding site in the promoter region of the LH2 gene resulted in a loss of transcriptional activation in the reporter gene assay.

Conclusions

These results suggest that c-Myb modulates the expression of the LH2 gene in HepG2 cells incubated with drugs causing hepatic fibrosis
In-vitro promoted differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells towards hepatocytes induced by salidroside
Authors: Ouyang Jing-Feng , Lou Jianguo , Yan Chen , Ren Zi-Hua , Qiao Hong-Xiang , Hong Dong-Sheng
Published: September 2015

Objectives

The present study aimed to investigate whether salidroside can induce differentiation of rat mesenchymal stem cells (rMSCs) towards hepatocytes in vitro and the mechanism of hepatic differentiation of rMSCs.

Methods

rMSCs were subject to hepatic differentiation. One, two and three weeks later, the expression of alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and albumin (ALB), cytochrome P450 (CYP450)-dependent activity and inducibility, cellular uptake of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and urea synthesis were assessed and the hepatic differentiation of rMSCs was evaluated. In order to unravel the mechanism of hepatic differentiation of rMSCs in vitro, inhibitors of extracellular regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and p38 were applied. When the process of hepatic differentiation was completed, special proteins of hepatic differentiation were detected and blocking of inhibitors was evaluated.

Key findings

Salidroside significantly induce differentiation of rMSCs towards hepatocytes. Differentiated rMSCs have typical functional hepatic characteristics. The results also showed that the ERK1/2 and PI3K signalling pathways play important roles in the regulatory effects of salidroside on hepatic differentiation of rMSCs and are involved in cell fate determinations, while the p38 signalling pathway does not.

Conclusions

Salidroside can induce differentiation of rMSCs towards hepatocytes in vivo, and the ERK1/2 or PI3K signalling pathway underlie the process of hepatic differentiation.
Hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of gallic acid in paracetamol-induced liver damage in mice
Authors: Rasool Mahaboob Khan , Sabina Evan Prince , Ramya Segu R , Preety Pranatharthiharan , Patel Smita , Mandal Niharika , Mishra Punya P , Samuel Jaisy
Published: September 2015

Objectives

The aim of this research paper was to investigate the hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of gallic acid in paracetamol-induced liver damage in mice.

Methods

In the present study, the hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of gallic acid were evaluated against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in mice and compared with the silymarin, a standard hepatoprotective drug. The mice received a single dose of paracetamol (900 mg/kg body weight i.p.). Gallic acid (100 mg/kg body weight i.p.) and silymarin (25 mg/kg body weight i.p.) were administered 30 min after the injection of paracetamol. After 4 h, liver marker enzymes (aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and alkaline phosphatase) and inflammatory mediator tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were estimated in serum, while the lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase and glutathione) were determined in liver homogenate of the control and experimental mice.

Key findings

Increased activities of liver marker enzymes and elevated TNF-α and lipid peroxidation levels were observed in mice exposed to paracetamol (P < 0.05), whereas the antioxidant status was found to be depleted (P < 0.05) when compared with the control group. However gallic acid treatment (100 mg/kg body weight i.p.) significantly reverses (P < 0.05) the above changes by its antioxidant action compared to the control group as observed in the paracetamol-challenged mice.

Conclusions

The results clearly demonstrate that gallic acid possesses promising hepatoprotective effects.
Evaluation of quality of Radix Puerariae herbal medicine by isoflavonoids
Authors: Chen Tong Rong , Chen Lei An , Wei Que King
Published: September 2015

Objectives

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed to examine five isoflavonoids present in Chinese herbal medicinal products containing Radix Puerariae.

Methods

Five isoflavonids, puerarin, daidzin, genistin, daidzein and genistein, were measured by HPLC. The HPLC system was equipped with an ODS-AM-303 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm i.d., 5 μm) and established gradient system comprising glacial acetic acid/water and glacial acetic acid/acetonitrile.

Key findings

The developed HPLC system yielded good separation of the five isoflavonoids. Relative coefficients of intraday and interday analysis of variation were less than 5%. The isoflavonoid recovery from Radix Puerariae was 90–113%. Most of the Radix Puerariae products studied contained five isoflavonoids in their HPLC fingerprint. The major component was purarine, then daidzin and daidzein; genistin and genistein were the least abundant. Five Radix Puerariae herbal medicines contained various concentrations of isoflavonoids. Of the 11 scientific extracted formulas of Radix Puerariae tested, ST brands had a greater isoflavonoid content than KA and SC brands.

Conclusions

Separation and quantification of the five isoflavonoids by this HPLC method was suitable to assess the quality of Radix Puerariae herbal medicine products.
Phytantriol and glyceryl monooleate cubic liquid crystalline phases as sustained-release oral drug delivery systems for poorly water-soluble drugs II. In-vivo evaluation
Authors: Nguyen Tri-Hung , Hanley Tracey , Porter Christopher J H , Larson Ian , Boyd Ben J
Published: September 2015

Objectives

Lipid-based liquid crystals formed from phytantriol (PHY) and glyceryl monooleate (GMO) retain their cubic-phase structure on dilution in physiologically relevant simulated gastrointestinal media, suggesting their potential application as sustained-release drug-delivery systems for poorly water-soluble drugs. In this study the potential of PHY and GMO to serve as sustained-release lipid vehicles for a model poorly-water-soluble drug, cinnarizine, was assessed and compared to that of an aqueous suspension formulation.

Methods

Small-angle X-ray scattering was used to confirm the nanostructure of the liquid-crystalline matrix in the presence of the selected model drug, cinnarizine. Oral bioavailability studies were conducted in rats, and disposition of lipid and drug in segments of the gastrointestinal tract was determined over time. Differences in the digestibility and stability of formulations under digestion conditions were investigated using an in-vitro lipolysis model.

Key findings

The oral bioavailability of cinnarizine using the PHY formulation was 41%, compared to 19% for the GMO formulation and 6% for an aqueous suspension. The PHY formulation provided a Tmax for cinnarizine of 33 h, with absorption apparent up to 55 h after administration. In contrast, the Tmax for the GMO formulation was only 5 h. The PHY formulation was retained in the stomach for extended periods of time, with 56% of lipid remaining in the stomach after 24 h, in contrast to less than 1% of the GMO formulation after 8 h, suggesting that gastric retention was a key aspect of the prolonged period of absorption, which correlated with the formulations' relative susceptibility to in-vitro lipolysis and degradation.

Conclusions

PHY provides a dramatic sustained-release effect for cinnarizine on oral administration, which is linked to gastric retention of the formulation and its ability to resist digestive processing. Poorly digested liquid crystal lipid formulations therefore offer a novel class of sustained-release matrices for oral administration.