bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Benign Triton Tumor: Multidisciplinary Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment
Authors: Thakrar Raj , Robson Caroline D. , Vargas Sara O. , Meara John G. , Rahbar Reza , Smith Edward R.
Published: July 2014

Benign Triton tumor (neuromuscular choristoma) is a rare mass that most commonly occurs as a multinodular expansion of tissue in or around large nerves. Intracranial occurrence is uncommon. We report on a 4-year-old girl presenting with a right-sided facial mass and trismus. Imaging revealed a large, complex mass extending from the ventral aspect of the pons, along the trigeminal nerve, through the foramen ovale, and into the right infratemporal fossa. The lesion was partially enhancing, invaded adjacent infratemporal musculature, was associated with marked overgrowth of the right coronoid process, and induced bony erosion of the middle cranial fossa. After needle biopsy, a multidisciplinary team, including plastic surgery, otolaryngology, and neurosurgery, performed a combined, multistep, single-day surgical approach for resection. Unique to this case was the resection of the coronoid process, a modified middle fossa intradural and extradural approach, coupled with a transfacial infratemporal approach. Microscopically, the resected tissue showed skeletal muscle, fibrous tissue, and nerve in a disorganized arrangement characteristic of a benign Triton tumor. We present this case to illustrate diagnostic clues and pitfalls in the preoperative evaluation of a benign Triton tumor. We also highlight the pathologist's role as a partner in a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment of this rare pediatric mass, potentially the largest Triton tumor in the head reported to date.
Pediatric Gastrointestinal PEComas: A Diagnostic Challenge
Authors: Pizzi Marco , di Lorenzo Ida , d'Amore Emanuele S. , D'Angelo Paolo , Alaggio Rita
Published: July 2014

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas) in the pediatric population are very rare and frequently arise in the gastrointestinal tract. These tumors are characterized by variable morphological and immunohistochemical features, which may pose significant problems in differential diagnosis with other gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors in pediatric patients. In presenting an unusual pediatric case of gastrointestinal PEComa, we also discuss the possible differential diagnosis of this rare entity.
Speculative Cultural Constructs of the Human Condition in John Fowles’s Mantissa
Authors: Tóth Tibor
Published: July 2014

In Mantissa, Miles Green is deprived of his identity, and his Muse(s) attempt to help him reforget it through different (sub)cultural impersonations. This privately coded novel presents the process, which results in what could be termed a culturally determined variant of the postmodern human condition. My paper discusses some aspects of the way in which John Fowles reformulates his interpretations of the postmodern human condition, while demonstrating the capacity of art in general and of the novel in particular to adjust its rhetoric, narrative and technical solutions to the expectations generated by this extremely complex and difficult task.
Humanisation of the Subject in David Foster Wallace’s Fiction: From Postmodernism, Avant Pop to New Sensicerity? (Tri-Stan: I Sold Sissee Nar to Ecko, 1999)
Authors: Kušnír Jaroslav
Published: July 2014

David Foster Wallace’s fiction is often considered to be an expression of the new American fiction emerging in the late 1980s, the authors of which expressed a certain distance from the dehumanised and linguistically constructed subject of postmodern fiction, and which depicted individuals influenced by mass media, pop culture and technology in technologically advanced American society. David Foster Wallace’s short story Tri-Stan: I Sold Sissee Nar to Ecko (1999), however, was also included in the Avant-Pop Anthology (Larry McCaffery, L., eds. After Yesterday’s Crash: The Avant-Pop Anthology. London, New York: Penguin, 1995). Some other critics (Adam Kelly, for example) consider him to be an author who expresses New Sincerity in his depiction of reality, which is a tendency in fiction trying to depict human experience and emotions through the use of language and which does not emphasise the human subject and experience to be a product of the interplay of signifiers as understood by Deconstruction criticism and many postmodern authors. This paper will analyse David Foster Wallace’s use of narrative strategies that are connected with postmodern narrative techniques and, at the same time, the way they express a distance from them through a depiction of human experience as interactive communication between human subjects. In addition, the paper will analyse the poetics of the new sincerity as part of contemporary postpostmodern sensibility. That is why I use the term sensicerity to express a combination of the new sensibility and sincerity.
Nowcasting Quarterly GDP Dynamics in the Euro Area – The Role of Sentiment Indicators
Authors: Gajewski Paweł
Published: July 2014

The paper compares the most closely watched sentiment indicators with respect to their ability to nowcast quarterly GDP dynamics in the Euro Area and its biggest economies. We analyse cross-correlations and out-of-sample forecast errors generated from equations estimated by rolling regressions in fixed-length window. The results show that models employing PMI Composite perform best in the cases of the Euro Area, Germany, France and Italy, whilst Spanish GDP dynamics is best nowcasted using ESI-based models. PMI-based models generate the most accurate nowcasts at the beginning of the quarter, as well as during periods of high volatility of GDP growth rates.
Executive Remuneration Policy at Banks in Poland After the Financial Crisis - Evolution or Revolution?
Authors: Słomka-Gołębiowska Agnieszka , Urbanek Piotr
Published: July 2014

The executive remuneration policy of financial institutions has been indicated as one of the key factors that led to the recent financial crisis. As a consequence a number of legislative initiatives and best practices have been imposed,aimed at strengthening existing and creating new standards of good corporate governance at banks. The purpose of this article is to assess the effectiveness of Poland’s new regulations concerning banks' executive pay, which were introduced in the aftermath of the recent financial crisis. The research results indicate that the new legal rules have not been fully enforced. Public banks in Poland are not fulfilling the reporting obligations imposed by law and international principles. Given the crucial importance of executive remuneration policy in the financial sector to the stability of the banking sector, the inability to evaluate the progress made in the adjustment of executive remuneration practices to the new regulations may be perceived as one of the important risk factors that has not been effectively eliminated or even reduced in Poland yet.
Does Risk Aversion Matter for Foreign Asset Holdings of Pension Funds – The Case of Poland
Authors: Kurach Radosław , Papla Daniel
Published: July 2014

In this study we explore the issue of foreign assets in mandatory pension funds portfolios. First we provide an overview of the regulatory policies regarding international assets and indicate the externalitieswhich may account for the observed differences among the CEE states. Then, taking the perspective of portfolio theory, we run a simulation study to measure the diversification benefits that may be achieved by greater international asset allocation. By applying the specific constraints and exchange rate volatility to our optimization procedure, the study reflects the perspective of the Polish pensioner. However, the findings regarding risk aversion intensity and the discussed directions of further research should be of a universal character.
Automatic Enhancement of the Reference Set for Multi-Criteria Sorting in The Frame of Theseus Method
Authors: Fernandez Eduardo , Navarro Jorge , Salomon Eduardo
Published: July 2014

Some recent works have established the importance of handling abundant reference information in multi-criteria sorting problems. More valid information allows a better characterization of the agent’s assignment policy, which can lead to an improved decision support. However, sometimes information for enhancing the reference set may be not available, or may be too expensive. This paper explores an automatic mode of enhancing the reference set in the framework of the THESEUS multi-criteria sorting method. Some performance measures are defined in order to test results of the enhancement. Several theoretical arguments and practical experiments are provided here, supporting a basic advantage of the automatic enhancement: a reduction of the vagueness measure that improves the THESEUS accuracy, without additional efforts from the decision agent. The experiments suggest that the errors coming from inadequate automatic assignments can be kept at a manageable level.
On the pregnance of bodily movement and geometrical objects: A post-constructivist account of the origin of mathematical knowledge
Authors: Roth Wolff-Michael
Published: July 2014

Traditional (e.g., constructivist) accounts of knowledge ground its origin in the intentional construction on the part of the learner. Such accounts are blind to the fact that learners, by the fact that they do not know the knowledge to be learned, cannot orient toward it as an object to be constructed. In this study, I provide a phenomenological account of the naissance (birth) of knowledge, two words that both have their etymological origin in the same, homonymic Proto-Indo-European syllable ĝen-, ĝenә-, ĝnē-, ĝnō-. Accordingly, the things of the world and the bodily movements they shape, following Merleau-Ponty (1964), are pregnant with new knowledge that cannot foresee itself, and that no existing knowledge can anticipate. I draw on a study of learning in a second-grade mathematics classroom, where children (6-7 years) learned geometry by classifying and modeling 3-dimensional objects. The data clearly show that the children did not foresee, and therefore did not intentionally construct, the knowledge that emerged from the movements of their hands, arms, and bodies that comply with the forms of things. Implications are drawn for classroom instruction
Cultivating lived-body consciousness: Enhancing cognition and emotion through outdoor learning
Authors: Thorburn Malcolm , Marshall Aaron
Published: July 2014

Through using school-based outdoor learning as the research context, the paper analyses the connections between bodily experiences and the embodied mind. Recent theorizing in outdoor learning, in reflecting phenomenology and Deweyian influences, has teased out how the relationships between the self, others and nature (environment) can be extended to include embodied experiences. This would, it is argued, add something extra to either the intrinsic pursuit of enjoying practical experiences or the instrumental quest for subject knowledge gains via cognitive- informed analytical cycles of action and reflection. While generally sympathetic to this critique, we consider there is a cognitive and emotional need for embodied experiences to demonstrate that they can be suitably contemplative as well. Through drawing upon Tiberius (2008) naturalist-informed theorizing, the paper reviews the part bodily experiences in outdoor learning can play in cultivating stable values and in developing reasoning practices that provide insights into how personal responsibility can be exercised in relation to how we live. Through referencing the Scottish policy context, the paper exemplifies how learning outdoors can flourish on the basis of a joint body-mind focus; where pupils review their relations with others and nature, as well as valuing times when they are absorbed in experiences which fully engage their personal interests, skills and capacities. To enhance the prospects of these learning gains occurring we provide a self-check set of questions for teachers to review to as part of appraisal of learning and teaching outdoors
Water Quality Improvement Using Renewable Energies
Authors: Mocanu Catalina Raluca , Balanescu Liviu Valentin
Published: July 2014

To reduce the negative effects of eutrophication processes in water bodies it is necessary to improve water quality by ensuring the necessary oxygen concentration. The paper proposes a new innovative solution for the improvement of lake water quality. The premises for the implementation of the experimental floating platform which will aerate the lake waters will be presented. To give a specific view over the oxygen dispersion into the lake, numerical simulations in CFD software will be presented in different cases.

The protection of drinking water resources against pollution is a common task of outstanding importance for the water management and environment protection sectors. To prevent water supply problems arising from the short and medium-term quality deterioration of resources caused by pollution incidents, it is vital to develop methods for monitoring the quality of resources as well as methods for monitoring and predicting serious pollution events to protect water users. In the case of vulnerable drinking water resources, the establishment and maintenance of an early warning monitoring system is important. Emergency treatment technologies are also needed by the waterworks to treat the water for periods when the quality of the water has temporarily deteriorated.

Innovative solutions for the improvement of water quality consist in using a floating platform equipped with aeration systems. The equipment used to aerate the lake waters is powered by the area renewable energy (solar, wind). So, this platform can be used in isolated area, where there is no energy supply from the national network.
Dural arteriovenous fistulas of the cavernous sinus - clinical case and treatment
Authors: Chiriac A. , Dobrin N. , Iencean St.M. , Poeata I.
Published: July 2014

The purpose of our article is to present the results of our treatment of dural arteriovenous fistula of the cavernous sinus by glue embolization of the external carotid artery feeders. By this case presentation we try to clarify the clinical course, with the dural carotid cavernous fistula (CCF), characterizing a pallet of symptoms, paying special attention to radiological finding and endovascular treatment.

Dural arteriovenous fistulas represent 10% to 15% of all intracranial arteriovenous malformations (A. Fox, G. Duckwiler, “Dural Arteriovenous Fistula,” presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Neuroradiology, St Louis, Mo, June 1992). Dural arteriovenous fistulas are rare clinical situation, especially examples involving the cavernous sinus. Most dural fistulas are acquired conditions, typically occurring in postmenopausal women, but sometimes in other patients in association with other condition [1,3]. These dural fistulas are most often “spontaneous” cavernous carotid shunts (usually low-flow) [2, 4, 5], usually related to a past trauma or surgery. The classical triad, represented by pulsating exophthalmos, conjunctival chemosis, and pulsatile-tinnitus are well-known clinical symptoms of these lesions but are not necessary present in the majority of the patients as first indicators.

The anatomy of these vascular malformations consists of multiple arterial feeders flowing into cavernous sinus. The arterial feeders are usually meningeal branches arising from the internal carotid artery (ICA) or the external carotid artery (ECA).

However, there are few reports of large series [1], and the clinical entity is not widely known. The purpose of this paper is to present a clinical case of a patient with dural cavernous sinus fistulae, clarify the clinical symptoms course and special attention to results of endovascular treatment.
Massive spontaneous corpus callosal hemorrhage with intraventricular extension
Authors: Harisha P.N. , Reddy V. Umamaheshwar , Agrawal Amit , Kodali Gopal
Published: July 2014

Spontaneous hemorrhage into the corpus callosum with intraventricular extension is uncommon. In the present article we describe a case 60 year female who had massive hemorrhage along the corpus callosum involving genu, body of corpus callosum and extending on ventral as well as dorsal aspect of the corpus callosum with intraventricular extension and areas of hypodensities in the body of the corpus callosum and adjacent cerebral cortex. In this case the subarachnoid and corpus callosal hemorrhage probably resulted from the ruptured aneurysms of the anterior cerebral artery.
Bilateral basal ganglia haemorrhage following motor vehicle accident: A Case report
Authors: Gupta Pankaj , Mittal R.S. , Purohit Devendra , Shekhawat Jitendra Singh , Meena Ugan Singh
Published: July 2014

Bilateral basal ganglia haemorrhage following motor vehicle accident is extremely rare in field of neurosurgery. This is presumed to be secondary to rupture of lenticulostriate or Anterior Choroidal artery by shearing, as a result of acceleration/deceleration forces. Although the exact mechanism is still not known. Isolated bilateral basal ganglia haemorrhage carries favourable prognosis. We report a rare case of 50 years old lady having bilateral basal ganglia haemorrhage with diffuse axonal injury following motor vehicle accident. Patient was managed conservatively and improved.
Task-Specific Training in Huntington Disease: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial
Authors: Quinn Lori , Debono Katy , Dawes Helen , Rosser Anne Elizabeth , Nemeth Andrea H. , Rickards Hugh , Tabrizi Sarah J. , Quarrell Oliver , Trender-Gerhard Iris , Kelson Mark J. , Townson Julia , Busse Monica ,   for the members of the TRAIN-HD project group
Published: July 2014

Background

Task-specific training may be a suitable intervention to address mobility limitations in people with Huntington disease (HD).

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety of goal-directed, task-specific mobility training for individuals with mid-stage HD.

Design

This study was a randomized, blinded, feasibility trial; participants were randomly assigned to control (usual care) and intervention groups.

Setting

This multisite study was conducted in 6 sites in the United Kingdom.

Patients

Thirty individuals with mid-stage HD (13 men, 17 women; mean age=57.0 years, SD=10.1) were enrolled and randomly assigned to study groups.

Intervention

Task-specific training was conducted by physical therapists in participants' homes, focusing on walking, sit-to-stand transfers, and standing, twice a week for 8 weeks. Goal attainment scaling was used to individualize the intervention and monitor achievement of personal goals.

Measurements

Adherence and adverse events were recorded. Adjusted between-group comparisons on standardized outcome measures were conducted at 8 and 16 weeks to determine effect sizes.

Results

Loss to follow-up was minimal (n=2); adherence in the intervention group was excellent (96.9%). Ninety-two percent of goals were achieved at the end of the intervention; 46% of the participants achieved much better than expected outcomes. Effect sizes on all measures were small.

Limitations

Measurements of walking endurance were lacking.

Conclusions

The safety of and excellent adherence to a home-based, task-specific training program, in which most participants exceeded goal expectations, are encouraging given the range of motivational, behavioral, and mobility issues in people with HD. The design of the intervention in terms of frequency (dose), intensity (aerobic versus anaerobic), and specificity (focused training on individual tasks) may not have been sufficient to elicit any systematic effects. Thus, a larger-scale trial of this specific intervention does not seem warranted.
Characteristics of melt convection during Kyropoulos sapphire crystal growth
Authors: Fang HaiSheng , Zhang Zhi , Jin ZeLin , Wang Sen , Xu JianFeng
Published: July 2014

Melt flows in the Kyropoulos sapphire growth system include Marangoni convection and buoyancy convection. From the seeding stage to the final growth stage, both the area of the free surface and melt height decrease to zero from initial values, and hence the flow pattern in the melt varies during growth. To study systematically melt convection and its influence on the growth process, a non-dimensional parameter is introduced to denote the relative strength of Marangoni convection to buoyancy convection. Temperature and stream function distributions for the different growth stages are simulated. It is found that Marangoni convection is negligible during the early growth. However, it plays an important role in the late growth. The remelting of the crystal surface starts when Marangoni convection becomes dominant, and thus it may be related to this convection mode. The interface shape is found to be changing during the whole growth process, which reduces the industrial productivity of sapphire. Interface convexity, crystal diameter and the non-dimensional parameter are presented as functions of the melt height. Interface convexity is further described as a function of the non-dimensional parameter. The results are consistent with experimentally observed phenomena.
Metastatic renal cell carcinoma, with a radiographically occult primary tumor, presenting in the operative site of a thoracic meningioma: long-term follow-up
Authors: Heary Robert F. , Agarwal Nitin , Barrese James C. , Barry Maureen T. , Baisre Ada
Published: July 2014

Lesions metastatic to the site of a meningioma resection from a different primary tumor are rare. Metastasis of a tumor without a known primary tumor is also rare. Metastasis of a renal cell carcinoma, without an identifiable primary tumor, to the bed of a meningioma resection has not been previously reported.

The authors describe the case of a 54-year-old man who presented with decreased sensory and motor function in the lower extremities. He underwent T3–5 laminectomies and gross-total removal of an intradural, extramedullary meningioma. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient regained full neurological function. After a 3-year period, he developed progressive upper thoracic pain and lower-extremity paresthesias. Imaging studies showed an epidural mass at the T2–4 levels and what appeared to be blastic involvement of the T2–4 vertebrae. A metastatic workup was negative. Emergency revision laminectomies yielded a fibrous, nonvascular mass. Neuropathology was consistent with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. After 6 months, the patient's symptoms of pain and paresthesias recurred. Repeat excision, with decompression of the spinal cord, revealed tumor cells morphologically and immunophenotypically similar to those obtained from the prior surgery. Cytogenetic analysis confirmed the presence of metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

A novel case of an epidural metastatic renal cell carcinoma, of unknown primary origin, in the same operative bed of a previously resected intradural, extramedullary meningioma of the thoracic spine is reported.
Migration of fragments into the spinal canal after intervertebral polyethylene glycol implantation: an extremely rare adverse effect
Authors: Akgun Bekir , Ozturk Sait , Cakin Hakan , Kaplan Metin
Published: July 2014

Percutaneous intervertebral hydrogel (polyethylene glycol) implantation is a current treatment procedure that aims to restore hydration of a degenerated disc. There have been a few studies that claim that polyethylene glycol is successful for pain relief as the intervertebral space restores its hydration and elasticity. This procedure is reported to be indicated for discogenic low-back pain and mild radicular pain as it contributes to disc restoration. In this report, the authors describe the case of a 43-year-old woman who was admitted with low-back and right leg pain. Muscle strength in dorsiflexion of the right ankle and right toe was 3/5. The patient had undergone hydrogel implantation for L4–5 intervertebral disc restoration 2 days prior to presentation. There was a significant increase in the patient's complaints after hydrogel implantation, and acute weakness in the right ankle and toe had developed. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar vertebrae, which was performed before the hydrogel implantation, showed a significant narrowing of the L4–5 disc space height, and a disc herniation that extended to the right neural foramen and caused compression of the dural sac. The patient underwent surgery immediately. The sequestered disc fragment that caused a prominent stenosis in the spinal canal, as well as hydrogel fragments, was removed. There was an improvement in the patient's complaints and motor deficit postoperatively. In this paper, a very rare complication is reported. In patients who have increased pain after intervertebral hydrogel implantation and who develop a neurological deficit, the migration of the applied material into the spinal canal should be considered.
Evaluation of the Outcome of IRPG 910 and Polypropylene in Terms of Cosmesis and Cost for Skin Closure in Cleft lip Surgery
Authors: Bhuyian Md. Akbar Hossain , Chowdhury Shahanara , Hoque Shafiqul
Published: July 2014

This prospective, comparative and interventional study was conducted in Bangabandu Sheikh Mujib medical university in Dhaka and Center Point Hospital pvt .ltd in chittagong to evaluate advantage of using readily absorbable synthetic suture material IRPG 910 over non absorbable polypropylene in repair of cleft lip between time period of January 2003 to May 2004 in fulfillment of final part MS degree in pediatric surgery. A total of 26 patients with cleft lip (with or without cleft palate) who underwent operative procedure were included in this study. All the patients between the age of 3 months to 10 years having unilateral cleft lip with or without cleft palate were included while those with grossly deformed face or those associated with major anomaly were excluded. Patients were divided into two groups, one group with 12(46%) as cases were IRPG 910 was used as a skin closure material and one group with 14(56%) as control group where polypropylene was used. In all the cases Milards procedure was used except for one with central defect where linear closure was done, at the end of the study it is justified that IRPG 910 is as good as polypropylene as a suture material of choice in repair ofcleft lip considering every pros and cons of both suturematerials namely cost effectiveness, patientcompliance, post operative complication and out come. The most beneficial thing about using IRPG 910 over polypropylene was that it can avoid second anesthesia for stitch removal.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jpsb.v1i1.19451
Two Case Reports of Peutz Jegher's Syndrome
Authors: Hanif Abdul , Hasina Kaniz , Hassan Md. Kamrul , Talukder Shah Alam , Islam Md. Kabirul
Published: July 2014

We are reporting two cases in a family, Elder sister was 10 year old & younger one was 8 years old. Both of them were presented to us with the features of gastric outlet obstruction. Further examination revealed that there is pigmentation on their mucocutanious junction of lips. Their father also had pigmentation on the muco cutanious junction of lips.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jpsb.v1i1.19471
Film Support and the Challenge of ‘Sustainability’: On Wing Design, Wax and Feathers, and Bolts from the Blue
Authors: Gillian Doyle
Published: July 2014

In recognition of the importance of film in generating both economic and cultural value, the UK Labour government set up a new agency – the United Kingdom Film Council (UKFC) – in 2000 with a remit to build a sustainable film industry. But, reflecting a plethora of differing expectations in relation to the purposes behind public support for film, the UKFC's agenda shifted and broadened over the organisation's lifetime (2000–11). Apparently unconvinced by the UKFC's achievements, the Coalition government which came to power in May 2010 announced the Council's abolition and reassigned its responsibilities as part of a general cost-cutting strategy. Based on original empirical research, this article examines how the UKFC's sense of strategic direction was determined, how and why the balance of objectives it pursued changed over time and what these shifts tell us about the nature of film policy and the challenges facing bodies that are charged with enacting it in the twenty-first century.
Lindsay Anderson and the Legacy of Free Cinema
Authors: Izod John , Magee Karl
Published: July 2014

Accepting that Free Cinema's legacy has been found on British cinema and television screens in the work of directors other than Lindsay Anderson, this article investigates whether Anderson's own films and television programmes made after the mid-1970s (including not only those that were released but others that were not completed) reveal a continuing commitment to what he liked to call the Free Cinema ‘tradition’ of film-making. In so doing it draws critical attention to Anderson's lesser known later works such as The Old Crowd, Is That All There Is?, In Celebration, The Whales of August and Glory! Glory! as well as to unmade projects such as The Grand Babylon Hotel, Dress Gray, Vile Bodies, Empire and If (2)….
Celebrating Lindsay Anderson's In Celebration
Authors: McFarlane Brian
Published: July 2014

On stage, Lindsay Anderson directed ten plays by David Storey, who also wrote the novel on which This Sporting Life is based. Anderson directed Storey's In Celebration both in the theatre, at the Royal Court in 1969, and on television, for the American Film Theatre in 1975. Although it focuses primarily on the television version of In Celebration, a work which is all too often neglected in critical discussions of Anderson's output, this article examines Anderson as a director for both stage and screen, and also explores the numerous significant links between Storey's and Anderson's oeuvres.
Effect of Lignocellulose Related Compounds on Microalgae Growth and Product Biosynthesis: A Review
Authors: Miazek Krystian , Remacle Claire , Richel Aurore , Goffin Dorothee
Published: July 2014

Microalgae contain valuable compounds that can be harnessed for industrial applications. Lignocellulose biomass is a plant material containing in abundance organic substances such as carbohydrates, phenolics, organic acids and other secondary compounds. As growth of microalgae on organic substances was confirmed during heterotrophic and mixotrophic cultivation, lignocellulose derived compounds can become a feedstock to cultivate microalgae and produce target compounds. In this review, different treatment methods to hydrolyse lignocellulose into organic substrates are presented first. Secondly, the effect of lignocellulosic hydrolysates, organic substances typically present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates, as well as minor co-products, on growth and accumulation of target compounds in microalgae cultures is described. Finally, the possibilities of using lignocellulose hydrolysates as a common feedstock for microalgae cultures are evaluated.
Novel Bioactive Antimicrobial Lignin Containing Coatings on Titanium Obtained by Electrophoretic Deposition
Authors: Erakovic Sanja , Jankovic Ana , Tsui Gary , Tang Chak-Yin , Miskovic-Stankovic Vesna , Stevanovic Tatjana
Published: July 2014

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is the most suitable biocompatible material for bone implant coatings; its brittleness, however, is a major obstacle, and the reason why research focuses on creating composites with biopolymers. Organosolv lignin (Lig) is used for the production of composite coatings, and these composites were examined in this study. Titanium substrate is a key biomedical material due to its well-known properties, but infections of the implantation site still impose a serious threat. One approach to prevent infection is to improve antimicrobial properties of the coating material. Silver doped hydroxyapatite (Ag/HAP) and HAP coatings on titanium were obtained by an electrophoretic deposition method in order to control deposited coating mass and morphology by varying applied voltage and deposition time. The effect of lignin on microstructure, morphology and thermal behavior of biocomposite coatings was investigated. The results showed that higher lignin concentrations protect the HAP lattice during sintering, improving coating stability. The corrosion stability was evaluated in simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 °C. Newly formed plate-shaped carbonate-HAP was detected, indicating enhanced bioactive performance. The antimicrobial efficiency of Ag/HAP/Lig was confirmed by its higher reduction of bacteria Staphylococcus aureus TL (S. aureus TL) than of HAP/Lig coating. Cytotoxicity assay revealed that both coatings can be classified as non-toxic against healthy immunocompetent peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).
Joint Identification of Genetic Variants for Physical Activity in Korean Population
Authors: Kim Jayoun , Kim Jaehee , Min Haesook , Oh Sohee , Kim Yeonjung , Lee Andy , Park Taesung
Published: July 2014

There has been limited research on genome-wide association with physical activity (PA). This study ascertained genetic associations between PA and 344,893 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in 8842 Korean samples. PA data were obtained from a validated questionnaire that included information on PA intensity and duration. Metabolic equivalent of tasks were calculated to estimate the total daily PA level for each individual. In addition to single- and multiple-SNP association tests, a pathway enrichment analysis was performed to identify the biological significance of SNP markers. Although no significant SNP was found at genome-wide significance level via single-SNP association tests, 59 genetic variants mapped to 76 genes were identified via a multiple SNP approach using a bootstrap selection stability measure. Pathway analysis for these 59 variants showed that maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY) was enriched. Joint identification of SNPs could enable the identification of multiple SNPs with good predictive power for PA and a pathway enriched for PA.
DADS Suppresses Human Esophageal Xenograft Tumors through RAF/MEK/ERK and Mitochondria-Dependent Pathways
Authors: Yin Xiaoran , Zhang Jun , Li Xiaoning , Liu Dong , Feng Cheng , Liang Rongrui , Zhuang Kun , Cai Chenlei , Xue Xinghuan , Jing Fuchun , Wang Xijing , Wang Jun , Liu Xinlian , Ma Hongbing
Published: July 2014

Diallyl disulfide (DADS) is a natural organosulfur compound isolated from garlic. DADS has various biological properties, including anticancer, antiangiogenic, and antioxidant effects. However, the anticancer mechanisms of DADS in human esophageal carcinoma have not been elucidated, especially in vivo. In this study, MTT assay showed that DADS significantly reduced cell viability in human esophageal carcinoma ECA109 cells, but was relatively less toxic in normal liver cells. The pro–apoptotic effect of DADS on ECA109 cells was detected by Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) staining. Flow cytometry analysis showed that DADS promoted apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner and the apoptosis rate could be decreased by caspase-3 inhibitor Ac-DEVD-CHO. Xenograft study in nude mice showed that DADS treatment inhibited the growth of ECA109 tumor in both 20 and 40 mg/kg DADS groups without obvious side effects. DADS inhibited ECA109 tumor proliferation by down-regulating proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). DADS induced apoptosis by activating a mitochondria-dependent pathway with the executor of caspase-3, increasing p53 level and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and downregulating the RAF/MEK/ERK pathway in ECA109 xenograft tumosr. Based on studies in cell culture and animal models, the findings here indicate that DADS is an effective and safe anti-cancer agent for esophageal carcinoma.
Protein and Essential Amino Acids to Protect Musculoskeletal Health during Spaceflight: Evidence of a Paradox?
Authors: Hackney Kyle , English Kirk
Published: July 2014

Long-duration spaceflight results in muscle atrophy and a loss of bone mineral density. In skeletal muscle tissue, acute exercise and protein (e.g., essential amino acids) stimulate anabolic pathways (e.g., muscle protein synthesis) both independently and synergistically to maintain neutral or positive net muscle protein balance. Protein intake in space is recommended to be 12%–15% of total energy intake (≤1.4 g∙kg−1∙day−1) and spaceflight is associated with reduced energy intake (~20%), which enhances muscle catabolism. Increasing protein intake to 1.5–2.0 g∙kg−1∙day−1 may be beneficial for skeletal muscle tissue and could be accomplished with essential amino acid supplementation. However, increased consumption of sulfur-containing amino acids is associated with increased bone resorption, which creates a dilemma for musculoskeletal countermeasures, whereby optimizing skeletal muscle parameters via essential amino acid supplementation may worsen bone outcomes. To protect both muscle and bone health, future unloading studies should evaluate increased protein intake via non-sulfur containing essential amino acids or leucine in combination with exercise countermeasures and the concomitant influence of reduced energy intake.
(1H-Benzo[d][1,2,3]triazol-1-yl)(5-bromo-1-hydroxy-1H-indol-3-yl)methanone
Authors: Tibiletti Francesco , Penoni Andrea , Palmisano Giovanni , Maspero Angelo , Nicholas Kenneth , Vaghi Luca
Published: July 2014

The title compound was easily prepared by a nitrosoarene-alkyne cycloaddition reaction carried out in toluene at 80 °C. The product is a highly functionalized compound that can be further derivatized through various functional group interconversion procedures.
Validation of the Anhysteretic Magnetization Model for Soft Magnetic Materials with Perpendicular Anisotropy
Authors: Szewczyk Roman
Published: July 2014

The paper presents results of validation of the anhysteretic magnetization model for a soft amorphous alloy with significant perpendicular anisotropy. The validation was carried out for the Jiles-Atherton model with Ramesh extension considering anisotropy. Due to the fact that it is difficult to measure anhysteretic magnetization directly, the soft magnetic core with negligible hysteresis was used. The results of validation indicate that the Jiles-Atherton model with Ramesh extension should be corrected to allow accurate modeling of the anhysteretic magnetization. The corrected model may be applied for modeling the cores of current transformers operating in a wide range of measured currents.
MicroRNAs and Bone Metastasis: A New Challenge
Authors: Croset Martine , Santini Daniele , Iuliani Michele , Fioramonti Marco , Zoccoli Alice , Vincenzi Bruno , Tonini Giuseppe , Pantano Francesco
Published: July 2014

The development of bone metastases requires multistep and multicellular machinery consisting not only of processes shared with any type of metastases (formation of a pre-metastatic niche, chemotaxis of tumor cells into the host tissue, tumor cells escape from the microvasculature), but also biological interactions that are strictly related to the particular bone microenvironment (bone marrow colonization by cancer cells, osteomimicry, deregulation of bone homeostasis). MiRNAs are highly conserved, small RNAs molecules that regulate gene expression. The functional consequence of miRNA deregulation lies in the mRNA targets whose expression is altered. MiRNA networks acting as upstream regulators of these genes interfere with the initial steps of tumor local invasion and cancer cell intravasation, mainly by regulating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, the motility, invasiveness and survival abilities of these cells. The miRNA-mediated regulation on the steps of bone tropism, anchorage, homing and finally bone colonization is more tissue specific, being dependent on the expression pattern of target miRNAs in bone marrow sinusoids, bone cells and microenvironment. In that, miRNA specific expression signatures that can distinguish between primary tumors from their corresponding bone metastases might be determinants of clinical aggressiveness. In this review, we focus on the current advances on functions and molecular mechanisms by which miRNAs exert their biological roles in regulating bone metastases development.
Resveratrol Increases Nephrin and Podocin Expression and Alleviates Renal Damage in Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet
Authors: Pan Qing-Rong , Ren Yan-Long , Zhu Jia-Jia , Hu Yan-Jin , Zheng Jin-Su , Fan Hui , Xu Yuan , Wang Guang , Liu Wen-Xian
Published: July 2014

Resveratrol is well known for its anti-inflammation and anti-oxidant properties, and has been shown to be effective in alleviating the development of obesity. The purpose of this investigation was to analyze the effect of resveratrol on renal damage in obese rats induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) and its possible mechanisms. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: control, HFD, and HFD plus resveratrol (treated with 100 mg/kg/day resveratrol). Body weight, serum and urine metabolic parameters, and kidney histology were measured. Meanwhile, the activities of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), and the protein levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), nephrin and podocin in kidney were detected. Our work showed that resveratrol alleviated dyslipidemia and renal damage induced by HFD, decreased MDA level and increased SOD activity. Furthermore, the elevated NF-κB activity, increased TNF-α and MCP-1 levels, and reduced expressions of nephrin and podocin induced by HFD were significantly reversed by resveratrol. These results suggest resveratrol could ameliorate renal injury in rats fed a HFD, and the mechanisms are associated with suppressing oxidative stress and NF-κB signaling pathway that in turn up-regulate nephrin and podocin protein expression.
Coset Group Construction of Multidimensional Number Systems
Authors: Petrache Horia
Published: July 2014

Extensions of real numbers in more than two dimensions, in particular quaternions and octonions, are finding applications in physics due to the fact that they naturally capture symmetries of physical systems. However, in the conventional mathematical construction of complex and multicomplex numbers multiplication rules are postulated instead of being derived from a general principle. A more transparent and systematic approach is proposed here based on the concept of coset product from group theory. It is shown that extensions of real numbers in two or more dimensions follow naturally from the closure property of finite coset groups adding insight into the utility of multidimensional number systems in describing symmetries in nature.
Les Succédanés du Tabac (Note Préliminaire)
Authors: Cuenot A.
Published: July 2014

Pour aider le grand fumeur qui accepte de fumer moins, la cure de désuétude doit pouvoir être aidée très utilement par des substances non nicotineuses mais fumables. Celles-ci, encore peu attrayantes, peu nombreuses, peu connues et encore moins étudiées sont d'ailleurs interdites par la loi dans les pays à monopole ou très fortement concurrencées par le tabac dans les autres. En face de telles difficultés et une fois le premier mouvement de curiosité passé, elles ne peuvent espérer survivre longtemps sans l'appui des pouvoirs publics qui, pour le moment, les condamnent toutes à l'avance. En attendant cette réforme de la loi et de la jurisprudence une solution d'attente consisterait à les considérer comme des médicaments capables de contribuer à la désintoxication des fumeurs. On ne peut espérer leurs perfectionnements et leur mise au point qu'à ce prix. Cette recherche n'est d'ailleurs pas une utopie puisqu'il existe déjà de par le monde beaucoup de plantes distinctes des Nicotiana qui sont fumées habituellement et qui prouvent ainsi leur capacité à les remplacer. Jusqu'à maintenant une faible proportion de ces végétaux ont été proposés à l'appétence des fumeurs occidentaux. Il n'est pas douteux que dans un avenir probablement peu éloigné leur étude suscitera davantage d'intérêt.
APPS's stance on self‐plagiarism: Just say no
Authors: Culley Theresa M.
Published: July 2014

Should authors be able to reuse the same text in multiple papers without citing the earlier source? Known as self‐plagiarism, this practice is strongly discouraged in Applications in Plant Sciences (APPS) because it violates professional standards, is potentially deceptive, and lacks originality. The most frequent form of self‐plagiarism in APPS submissions is text recycling, which depending on the extent and location of copied text, has consequences ranging from authors being required to rewrite duplicated text or add citations, to automatic rejection of a manuscript without review. Ultimately, avoidance of self‐plagiarism will result in original articles that improve upon, and do not simply replicate, the existing literature.
Insect attachment on crystalline bioinspired wax surfaces formed by alkanes of varying chain lengths
Authors: Gorb Elena , Böhm Sandro , Jacky Nadine , Maier Louis-Philippe , Dening Kirstin , Pechook Sasha , Pokroy Boaz , Gorb Stanislav
Published: July 2014

The impeding effect of plant surfaces covered with three-dimensional wax on attachment and locomotion of insects has been shown previously in numerous experimental studies. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of different parameters of crystalline wax coverage on insect attachment. We performed traction experiments with the beetle Coccinella septempunctata and pull-off force measurements with artificial adhesive systems (tacky polydimethylsiloxane semi-spheres) on bioinspired wax surfaces formed by four alkanes of varying chain lengths (C36H74, C40H82, C44H90, and C50H102). All these highly hydrophobic coatings were composed of crystals having similar morphologies but differing in size and distribution/density, and exhibited different surface roughness. The crystal size (length and thickness) decreased with an increase of the chain length of the alkanes that formed these surfaces, whereas the density of the wax coverage, as well as the surface roughness, showed an opposite relationship. Traction tests demonstrated a significant, up to 30 fold, reduction of insect attachment forces on the wax surfaces when compared with the reference glass sample. Attachment of the beetles to the wax substrates probably relied solely on the performance of adhesive pads. We found no influence of the wax coatings on the subsequent attachment ability of beetles. The obtained data are explained by the reduction of the real contact between the setal tips of the insect adhesive pads and the wax surfaces due to the micro- and nanoscopic roughness introduced by wax crystals. Experiments with polydimethylsiloxane semi-spheres showed much higher forces on wax samples when compared to insect attachment forces measured on these surfaces. We explain these results by the differences in material properties between polydimethylsiloxane probes and tenent setae of C. septempunctata beetles. Among wax surfaces, force experiments showed stronger insect attachment and higher pull-off forces of polydimethylsiloxane probes on wax surfaces having a higher density of wax coverage, created by smaller crystals.