bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oil Extraction from “Morelos Rice” Bran: Kinetics and Raw Oil Stability
Authors: Zúñiga-Diaz J. , Reyes-Dorantes E. , Quinto-Hernandez A. , Porcayo-Calderon J. , Gonzalez-Rodriguez J. G. , Martinez-Gomez L.
Published: May 2017

“Morelos rice” is a variety of rice with certificate of denomination of origin. It is a large grain of opaque appearance and extra large size that is grown exclusively in Morelos state (Mexico). Thus, the quality and characteristics of its rice bran may affect the kinetic of the extraction process of its oil as well as its stability. Therefore, this work is oriented to determine the extraction kinetics of its oil and its oxidative stability. The latter one is obtained through the proposal of a method based on open-circuit potential measurements. The results showed that the rice bran has 21.44% of raw oil, with a chemical composition (based on fatty acids) of 48.48% oleic acid, 35.26% linoleic acid, and 14.54% palmitic acid, as well as a free fatty acid content of 8.15%. A high percentage of its oil content can be recovered in a short time at room temperature, and its extraction kinetics is a function of both the washing and the diffusion of its oil. Under storage conditions the raw oil has a high stability, at least 8 months, and its oxidative stability was of 24, 9, and 7 hours at 50°C, 80°C, and 110°C, respectively.
Comparison between Intestinal Behçet’s Disease and Crohn’s Disease in Characteristics of Symptom, Endoscopy, and Radiology
Authors: Zhang Tianyu , Hong Liwen , Wang Zhengting , Fan Rong , Zhang Maochen , Lin Yun , Cheng Mengmeng , Zhou Xiaolin , Sun Peijun , Lin Xiaoyi , Zhong Jie
Published: May 2017

Aim. To evaluate different parameters in differentiating intestinal BD from CD. Methods. The medical records of inpatients with intestinal BD and CD were retrospectively reviewed. The univariate value of different parameters was analyzed, respectively. A differentiation model was established by pooling all valuable parameters together. Diagnostic efficacy was evaluated, and a receiver operating curve (ROC) was plotted. Results. Forty-two BD patients and ninety-seven CD patients were reviewed. Demographic and clinical parameters that showed significant value included diarrhea, fever, perianal disease, oral ulcers, genital ulcers, skin lesions, and musculoskeletal lesions. Endoscopic parameters reaching clinical significance included multiple-site lesions, lesions confined to the ileocecal region, longitudinal ulcers, round or oval ulcers, punch-out ulcers, ulcers with discrete margin, ulcer size>2 cm, stricture of bowel, and anorectal involvement. Radiologic parameters aiding the differentiation included involvement segments≤3, asymmetrical pattern of involvement, intraluminal pseudopolyp formation, target sign, stricture with proximal dilation, comb sign, and fistula. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the differentiation model were 90.5%, 93.8%, 92.8%, 86.4%, and 95.8%, respectively. The cutoff value was 0.5 while the area under the ROC curve was 0.981. Conclusion. The differentiation model that integrated the various parameters together may yield a high diagnostic efficacy in the differential diagnosis between intestinal BD and CD.
Comparative Catalytic Evaluation of Nano-ZrOx Promoted Manganese Catalysts: Kinetic Study and the Effect of Dopant on the Aerobic Oxidation of Secondary Alcohols
Authors: Assal Mohamed E. , Kuniyil Mufsir , Khan Mujeeb , Shaik Mohammed Rafi , Al-Warthan Abdulrahman , Siddiqui Mohammed Rafiq H. , Labis Joselito P. , Adil Syed Farooq
Published: May 2017

This work reports the zirconia (ZrOx) nanoparticles doped MnCO3 catalysts prepared by facile and simple coprecipitation technique and the synthesis of zirconia-manganese carbonate [X% ZrOx–MnCO3] (where X% = 0–7%) catalyst which upon calcination at 400°C is converted to zirconia-manganese dioxide [1% ZrOx–MnO2] and when calcined at 500°C is converted to zirconia-manganic trioxide [1% ZrOx–Mn2O3]. A comparative catalytic study was performed to investigate the catalytic efficiency between carbonate and oxides for the selective oxidation of 1-phenylethanol by using molecular O2 as a clean oxidant. The influence of several parameters such as w/w% of ZrOx, reaction time, calcination temperature, catalyst amount, and reaction temperature has been thoroughly examined using oxidation of 1-phenylethanol as a model substrate. The 1% ZrOx–MnCO3 precalcined at 300°C exhibited the best catalytic efficiency. It was found that ZrOx nanoparticles also play an essential role in enhancing the effectiveness of the catalytic system for the aerobic oxidation of alcohols. Furthermore, the physical and chemical properties of synthesized catalysts were evaluated by microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. An extremely high specific activity of 40 mmol·g−1·h−1 with a 100% conversion of oxidation product and selectivity of >99% was achieved within extremely short reaction time (6 min).
Modification of Chitin Particles with Ionic Liquids Containing Ethyl Substituent in a Cation
Authors: Jaworska Malgorzata M. , Górak Andrzej , Zdunek Joanna
Published: May 2017

Chitin cannot be dissolved in conventional solvents due to the strong inter- and intrasheet network of hydrogen bonds and the large number of crystalline regions. Some ionic liquids (ILs) have been suggested in the literature as possible solvents for chitin. Seven of them, all having an ethyl group as substituent in the cationic ring, have been tested in this work: [Emim][Cl], [Emim][Br], [Emim][I], [Emim][OAc], [Emim][Lact], [Epyr][I], and [EMS][BFSI]. Chitin was insoluble in [EMS][BFSI] while for all other ILs solubility was limited due to high viscosity of solutions and equilibria have not been reached. Changes in physical structure, particle size distribution, and crystallinity of recovered chitin depended on ionic liquid used. Increase in porosity was observed for chitin treated with [Emim][Cl], [Emim][I], [Emim][Br], and [Emim][Lact]; changes in particle size distribution were observed for [Emim][AcOH] and [EMS][BFSI]; increase in crystallinity was noticed for chitin treated with [Epyr][I] while decrease in crystallinity for [Emim][I] was noticed. All tested ionic liquids were reused four times and changes in FTIR spectra could be observed for each IL.
Androgen Receptor Localizes to Plasma Membrane by Binding to Caveolin-1 in Mouse Sertoli Cells
Authors: Deng Qiong , Wu Yong , Zhang Zeng , Wang Yue , Li Minghua , Liang Hui , Gui Yaoting
Published: May 2017

The nonclassical androgen signaling pathway translates signals into alterations in cellular function within minutes, and this action is proposed to be mediated by an androgen receptor (AR) localized to the plasma membrane. This study was designed to determine the mechanism underlying the membrane association of androgen receptor in TM4 cells, a mouse Sertoli cell line. Western blot analysis indicated testosterone-induced AR translocation to the cell membrane. Data from coimmunoprecipitation indicated that AR is associated with caveolin-1, and testosterone enhanced this association. Knockdown of caveolin-1 by shRNA decreased the amount of AR localized to membrane fraction and prevented AR membrane trafficking after being exposed to testosterone at physiological concentration. The palmitoylation inhibitor 2-bromopalmitate decreased AR membrane localization in basal condition and completely blocked testosterone-induced AR translocation to membrane fraction. These data suggested that AR localized to membrane fraction by binding with caveolin-1 through palmitoylation of the cysteine residue. This study provided a new evidence for AR membrane localization and its application for clarifying the nonclassical signaling pathway of androgens.
Radiolabeling and Quantitative In Vivo SPECT/CT Imaging Study of Liposomes Using the Novel Iminothiolane-99mTc-Tricarbonyl Complex
Authors: Varga Zoltán , Szigyártó Imola Cs. , Gyurkó István , Dóczi Rita , Horváth Ildikó , Máthé Domokos , Szigeti Krisztián
Published: May 2017

The in vivo biodistribution of liposomal formulations greatly influences the pharmacokinetics of these novel drugs; therefore the radioisotope labeling of liposomes and the use of nuclear imaging methods for in vivo studies are of great interest. In the present work, a new procedure for the surface labeling of liposomes is presented using the novel 99mTc-tricarbonyl complex. Liposomes mimicking the composition of two FDA approved liposomal drugs were used. In the first step of the labeling, thiol-groups were formed on the surface of the liposomes using Traut’s reagent, which were subsequently used to bind 99mTc-tricarbonyl complex to the liposomal surface. The labeling efficiency determined by size exclusion chromatography was 95%, and the stability of the labeled liposomes in bovine serum was found to be 94% over 2 hours. The obtained specific activity was 50 MBq per 1 μmol lipid which falls among the highest values reported for 99mTc labeling of liposomes. Quantitative in vivo SPECT/CT biodistribution studies revealed distinct differences between the labeled liposomes and the free 99mTc-tricarbonyl, which indicates the in vivo stability of the labeling. As the studied liposomes were non-PEGylated, fast clearance from the blood vessels and high uptake in the liver and spleen were observed.
Development and Characterization of New Coating Material of Blended Epoxy-Lacquer with Aluminum
Authors: Yan Xiaoxing , Cai Yunting , Lu Rong , Miyakoshi Tetsuo
Published: May 2017

This study investigated the effects of aluminum (Al) mass fraction on the performance of an epoxy-lacquer based coating. The conductivity increased and IR emissivity and gloss decreased with increased Al mass fraction. When the Al mass fraction was decreased from 40% to 30%, the adhesion and impact strength of epoxy-lacquer based coatings increased and were grade 1 and 50 Kg·cm, respectively. When the Al mass fraction was decreased to 10%, the mechanical properties of epoxy-lacquer based coatings decreased. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of coatings showed that epoxy-lacquer based coating with 30% Al mass fraction has the best corrosion resistance and the lowest porosity. The epoxy-lacquer based coating with the best stability was that of 30% Al mass fraction. Comparing epoxy-lacquer based coating with polyurethane based coating, the epoxy-lacquer based coating presents not only lower emissivity and gloss but also better mechanical properties and corrosion resistance.
Extraoral Taste Receptor Discovery: New Light on Ayurvedic Pharmacology
Authors: Gilca Marilena , Dragos Dorin
Published: May 2017

More and more research studies are revealing unexpectedly important roles of taste for health and pathogenesis of various diseases. Only recently it has been shown that taste receptors have many extraoral locations (e.g., stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas, respiratory system, heart, brain, kidney, urinary bladder, pancreas, adipose tissue, testis, and ovary), being part of a large diffuse chemosensory system. The functional implications of these taste receptors widely dispersed in various organs or tissues shed a new light on several concepts used in ayurvedic pharmacology (dravyaguna vijnana), such as taste (rasa), postdigestive effect (vipaka), qualities (guna), and energetic nature (virya). This review summarizes the significance of extraoral taste receptors and transient receptor potential (TRP) channels for ayurvedic pharmacology, as well as the biological activities of various types of phytochemical tastants from an ayurvedic perspective. The relative importance of taste (rasa), postdigestive effect (vipaka), and energetic nature (virya) as ethnopharmacological descriptors within Ayurveda boundaries will also be discussed.
Modification of Functional Properties of Whey Protein Isolate Nanocomposite Films and Coatings with Nanoclays
Authors: Müller Kerstin , Jesdinszki Marius , Schmid Markus
Published: May 2017

Whey protein based films have received considerable attention to be used for environment friendly packaging applications. However, such biopolymers are prevented for use in commercial packaging due to their limited mechanical and barrier performance. The addition of nanofillers is a common method to overcome those drawbacks of biopolymers. Whey protein isolate (WPI) based nanocomposite cast films and coatings were produced using montmorillonite and vermiculite clay as nanofiller in different concentrations. Uniform distribution of filler within the polymeric matrix was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength as well as Young’s modulus were increased after increasing the filler content, while elongation at break values decreased. All samples showed weak barrier potential against water vapor. Nanoclay incorporation, however, reduced water vapor transmission rates by approximately 50%. The oxygen barrier performance was improved for all nanocomposites. Results also indicated proportionality with the filler ratio according to applied models. The highest barrier improvement factors (BIF) were greater than five for the cast films and even greater than sixteen for the coatings. Developed WPI-based composites depicted nanoenhanced material properties representing a promising alternative to fossil-based packaging films.
The Antioxidant Machinery of Young and Senescent Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells and Their Microvesicles
Authors: Bodega Guillermo , Alique Matilde , Bohórquez Lourdes , Ciordia Sergio , Mena María C. , Ramírez Manuel R.
Published: May 2017

We examine the antioxidant role of young and senescent human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and their microvesicles (MVs). Proteomic and Western blot studies have shown young HUVECs to have a complete and well‐developed antioxidant system. Their MVs also contain antioxidant molecules, though of a smaller and more specific range, specialized in the degradation of hydrogen peroxide and the superoxide anion via the thioredoxin‐peroxiredoxin system. Senescence was shown to be associated with a large increase in the size of the antioxidant machinery in both HUVECs and their MVs. These responses might help HUVECs and their MVs deal with the more oxidising conditions found in older cells. Functional analysis confirmed the antioxidant machinery of the MVs to be active and to increase in size with senescence. No glutathione or nonpeptide antioxidant (ascorbic acid and vitamin E) activity was detected in the MVs. Endothelial cells and MVs seem to adapt to higher ROS concentrations in senescence by increasing their antioxidant machinery, although this is not enough to recover completely from the senescence‐induced ROS increase. Moreover, MVs could be involved in the regulation of the blood plasma redox status by functioning as ROS scavengers.
Fresh Snack Food Channel Evaluation Model for Integrating Customers’ Perception of Transaction Costs in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Po-Yu
Published: May 2017

The primary purpose of this study was to explore how food dealers develop methods that facilitate transaction efficiency and how they select the optimal food channels. This study establishes a model according to the impact of transaction cost factors on consumers’ decision-making regarding purchase of fresh snack foods. Using fresh snack foods in Taiwan as an example, this study employed a fuzzy analytic network process to solve decision-making problems with multiple criteria by comparing the interaction between each transaction cost factor to obtain the factor weightings as well as the weightings of the transaction costs at each decision stage. This study found that food safety assurance and providing sufficient nutrition information were the most essential topics; thus, the optimal choice for snack food producers is to develop retail outlets. This study construction process proposed is innovative and operational, and the results may provide a reference for snack food dealers or microfood enterprises to assist them in developing their food channels.
Repair of Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm with Thrombosed Infrarenal Component: A Modified Hybrid Technique without Aortic Cross Clamping
Authors: Abou-Al-Shaar Hussam , Zaza Khaled J. , Sharif Muhammad Anees , Koussayer Samer
Published: May 2017

The authors report the successful repair of a Crawford type III thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) with a thrombosed infrarenal component using a modified hybrid technique without aortic clamping in a high-risk patient. A 64-year-old male with a history of hypertension, diabetes, and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease presented with acute on chronic backache and bilateral short distance claudication. A computerized tomography scan demonstrated a large, nonleaking Crawford type III TAAA with thrombosed infrarenal component of the aneurysm. In addition, both common iliac arteries were occluded with the chronic thrombus. A single-stage, modified hybrid procedure involving an aortobifemoral bypass without aortic clamping, debranching of right renal, superior mesenteric, and celiac arteries as well as an endovascular repair of the thoracic aneurysm was performed. Unfortunately, despite a technically sound repair, the patient died postoperatively from a massive pulmonary embolism. TAAA with a thrombosed infrarenal aorta and bilateral common iliac arteries can be repaired using a single-stage modified hybrid procedure without aortic clamping in high-risk patients who cannot tolerate thoracotomy and aortic cross clamping.
Water and Sanitation Hygiene Practices for Under-Five Children among Households of Sugali Tribe of Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, India
Authors: Reddy B Venkatashiva , Kusuma Yadlapalli S. , Pandav Chandrakant S. , Goswami Anil Kumar , Krishnan Anand
Published: May 2017

Background. Increased mortality is associated with poor household water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) practices. The objective was to study the WaSH practices for under-five children among households of Sugali Tribe, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in four mandals in 2012. A total of 500 households with under-five children were identified. Data was collected from mothers/caregivers. A summary WaSH score was generated from four specific indices, water, sanitation, hygiene, and hand washing practices, and determinants were identified. Results. Of the total households, 69% reported doing nothing at home to make the water safe for drinking. Over 90% of the households reported storing water in a utensil covered with a lid and retrieving water by dipping glass in the vessels. Open defecation was a commonly reported practice (84.8%). About three-fifths of the study’s households reported using water and soap for cleaning dirty hands and one-third (37.4%) reported using water and soap after defecation. The median WaSH score was 15. In the hierarchical stepwise multiple linear regression, only socioeconomic variables were significantly associated with WaSH score. Conclusion. WaSH related practices were generally poor in people of the Sugali Tribe in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Surgical Orthodontic Treatment of a Patient Affected by Type 1 Myotonic Dystrophy (Steinert Syndrome)
Authors: Cacucci Laura , Ricci Beatrice , Moretti Maria , Gasparini Giulio , Pelo Sandro , Grippaudo Cristina
Published: May 2017

Myotonic dystrophy, or Steinert’s disease, is the most common form of muscular dystrophy that occurs in adults. This multisystemic form involves the skeletal muscles but affects also the eye, the endocrine system, the central nervous system, and the cardiac system. The weakness of the facial muscles causes a characteristic facial appearance frequently associated with malocclusions. Young people with myotonic dystrophy, who also have severe malocclusions, have bad oral functions such as chewing, breathing, and phonation. We present a case report of a 15-year-old boy with anterior open bite, upper and lower dental crowding, bilateral crossbite, and constriction of the upper jaw with a high and narrow palate. The patient’s need was to improve his quality of life. Because of the severity of skeletal malocclusion, it was necessary to schedule a combined orthodontic and surgical therapy in order to achieve the highest aesthetic and functional result. Although therapy caused an improvement in patient’s quality of life, the clinical management of the case was hard. The article shows a balance between costs and benefits of a therapy that challenges the nature of the main problem of the patient, and it is useful to identify the most appropriate course of treatment for similar cases.
Combining Carcinoembryonic Antigen and Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio to Predict Brain Metastasis of Resected Lung Adenocarcinoma Patients
Authors: Wang Wei , Bian Chao , Xia Di , He Jin-Xi , Hai Ping , Zhao Ren , Wang Yan-Yang
Published: May 2017

We aimed to evaluate the role of pretreatment carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in predicting brain metastasis after radical surgery for lung adenocarcinoma patients. The records of 103 patients with completely resected lung adenocarcinoma between 2013 and 2014 were reviewed. Clinicopathologic characteristics of these patients were assessed in the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Brain metastasis occurred in 12 patients (11.6%). On univariate analysis, N2 stage (P = 0.013), stage III (P = 0.016), increased CEA level (P = 0.006), and higher PLR value (P = 0.020) before treatment were associated with an increased risk of developing brain metastasis. In multivariate model analysis, CEA above 5.2 ng/mL (P = 0.014) and PLR ≥ 120 (P = 0.036) remained as the risk factors for brain metastasis. The combination of CEA and PLR was superior to CEA or PLR alone in predicting brain metastasis according to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis (area under ROC curve, AUC 0.872 versus 0.784 versus 0.704). Pretreatment CEA and PLR are independent and significant risk factors for occurrence of brain metastasis in resected lung adenocarcinoma patients. Combining these two factors may improve the predictability of brain metastasis.
Electrical Resistivity of Concrete for Durability Evaluation: A Review
Authors: Azarsa Pejman , Gupta Rishi
Published: May 2017

Degradation processes in reinforced concrete structures that affect durability are partially controlled by transport of aggressive ions through the concrete microstructure. Ions are charged and the ability of concrete to hold out against transfer of ions greatly relies on its electrical resistivity. Hence, a connection could be expected between electrical resistivity of concrete and the deterioration processes such as increase in permeability and corrosion of embedded steel. Through this paper, an extensive literature review has been done to address relationship between concrete electrical resistivity and its certain durability characteristics. These durability characteristics include chloride diffusivity and corrosion of reinforcement as these have major influence on concrete degradation process. Overall, there exists an inverse or direct proportional correlation between these parameters. Evaluated results, from measuring the concrete electrical resistivity, can also be used as a great indicator to identify early age characteristics of fresh concrete and for evaluation of its properties, determination of moisture content, connectivity of the micropores, and even condition assessment of in-service structures. This paper also reviews and assesses research concerning the influential parameters such as environmental conditions and presence of steel rebar and cracks on measuring electrical resistivity of concrete. Moreover, concrete resistivity concept, application, and its various measurement techniques are introduced.
LC‐QTOF‐MS Analysis and Activity Profiles of Popular Antioxidant Dietary Supplements in Terms of Quality Control
Authors: Sieniawska Elwira , Baj Tomasz , Sawicki Rafal , Wanat Aleksandra , Wojtanowski Krzysztof Kamil , Ginalska Grazyna , Zgorka Grazyna , Szymanska Jolanta
Published: May 2017

The dietary supplements with claimed antioxidant activity constitute a substantial part of the dietary supplement market. In this study, we performed the LC‐QTOF‐MS analysis and investigated the activity profiles of popular antioxidant dietary supplements from different chemical groups in terms of quality control. The commonly used antioxidant tests and statistical analysis revealed that substantial part of the results was comparable if 1 g sample was considered, but while comparing single and daily doses, significant differences in antioxidant values were noticed in all assays. The best antioxidant activity was obtained in ORAC assay (from 142 to 13814 μM of Trolox equivalents per 1 g of sample), and the strongest correlation occurred between TPC and ORAC. The LC‐QTOF‐MS analysis revealed that catechins were present in samples having the best antioxidant activity and that dietary supplements showing the weakest activity contained very small amount of any chemical constituents.
Evaluation of the Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties of Phragmanthera capitata (Sprengel) Balle (Loranthaceae), a Mistletoe Growing on Rubber Tree, Using the Dilution Techniques
Authors: Ohikhena Franklin Uangbaoje , Wintola Olubunmi Abosede , Afolayan Anthony Jide
Published: May 2017

The alarming increase in multidrug resistance of pathogenic microorganisms to conventional drugs in recent years has prompted the search for new leads in alternative remedies in natural products. Hence, this study was aimed at evaluating the antimicrobial properties of Phragmanthera capitata, a parasitic mistletoe growing on rubber trees. The in vitro antimicrobial activities of the acetone, methanol, ethanol, and aqueous extracts were investigated using five gram-negative and five gram-positive bacteria and four fungi. A 96-well resazurin broth and agar dilution techniques were used for the determination of the Minimum Inhibitory and Bactericidal Concentrations. The antibacterial activity of the organic extracts had comparative effects on all the bacteria with a MIC of 1.25 to 5 mg/mL and MBC of 2.5 to 10 mg/mL. However, the acetone extract showed higher bactericidal effect while the aqueous extract was not active. The organic solvent extracts also showed antifungal activities on two of the fungi with a MIC of 1.25 mg/mL to 10 mg/mL. However, the aqueous extract had the highest activity inhibiting all the fungi with a MIC of ≤0.3125 to 1.25 mg/mL. The study supports the ethnomedicinal claims of P. capitata as a remedy for the diseases/infections caused by these organisms.
Five-Year Incidence and Progression of Diabetic Retinopathy in Patients with Type II Diabetes in a Tertiary Care Center in Lebanon
Authors: Mehanna Carl-Joe , Abdul Fattah Maamoun , Tamim Hani , Nasrallah Mona P. , Zreik Raya , Haddad Sandra S. , El-Annan Jaafar , Raad Samih , Haddad Randa S. , Salti Haytham I. S.
Published: May 2017

Objective. To estimate the 5-year incidence of progression rate and regression rate and risk factors for diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a cohort of Lebanese patients with type II diabetes. Methods. We followed a cohort of 462 Lebanese patients with type II diabetes for over 5 years at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. Patients underwent yearly complete ophthalmic evaluation and fundus photographs and were assessed for the incidence, stage, and evolution of DR using modified Airlie House classification. Results. Among the 462 patients, 281 had no DR at baseline. The 5-year cumulative incidence of any DR was 10% (95% CI: 6–13), and only baseline microalbuminuria correlated with the development of DR (OR=10.53, 95% CI: 4.39–25.23, p<0.0001). Among the 181 patients with baseline DR, the worsening and regression rates of DR were 31.5% (95% CI: 25–38) and 9% (95% CI: 5–13), respectively. Microalbuminuria also approached statistical significance as a risk factor for DR worsening (OR=1.89, 95% CI: 0.97–3.70, p=0.06). Conclusion. The 5-year incidence of DR in this hospital-based cohort is relatively low. Microalbuminuria was independently associated with the incidence and progression of the disease. We recommend to screen patients with type II diabetes for microalbuminuria as prognostic for the development and worsening of DR.
Expression of Five Neuroblastoma Genes in Bone Marrow or Blood of Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Neuroblastoma Provides a New Biomarker for Disease and Prognosis
Authors: Marachelian Araz , Villablanca Judith G. , Liu Cathy W. , Liu Betty , Goodarzian Fariba , Lai Hollie A. , Shimada Hiroyuki , Tran Hung C. , Parra Jaime A. , Gallego Richard , Bedrossian Nora , Young Sabrina , Czarnecki Scarlett , Kennedy Rebekah , Weiss Brian D. , Goldsmith Kelly , Granger Meaghan , Matthay Katherine K. , Groshen Susan , Asgharzadeh Shahab , Sposto Richard , Seeger Robert C.
Published: May 2017

Purpose: We determined whether quantifying neuroblastoma-associated mRNAs (NB-mRNAs) in bone marrow and blood improves assessment of disease and prediction of disease progression in patients with relapsed/refractory neuroblastoma.

Experimental Design: mRNA for CHGA, DCX, DDC, PHOX2B, and TH was quantified in bone marrow and blood from 101 patients concurrently with clinical disease evaluations. Correlation between NB-mRNA (delta cycle threshold, ΔCt, for the geometric mean of genes from the TaqMan Low Density Array NB5 assay) and morphologically defined tumor cell percentage in bone marrow, 123I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) Curie score, and CT/MRI-defined tumor longest diameter was determined. Time-dependent covariate Cox regression was used to analyze the relationship between ΔCt and progression-free survival (PFS).

Results: NB-mRNA was detectable in 83% of bone marrow (185/223) and 63% (89/142) of blood specimens, and their ΔCt values were correlated (Spearman r = 0.67, P < 0.0001), although bone marrow Ct was 7.9 ± 0.5 Ct stronger than blood Ct. When bone marrow morphology, MIBG, or CT/MRI were positive, NB-mRNA was detected in 99% (99/100), 88% (100/113), and 81% (82/101) of bone marrow samples. When all three were negative, NB-mRNA was detected in 55% (11/20) of bone marrow samples. Bone marrow NB-mRNA correlated with bone marrow morphology or MIBG positivity (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.007). Bone marrow and blood ΔCt values correlated with PFS (P < 0.001; P = 0.001) even when bone marrow was morphologically negative (P = 0.001; P = 0.014). Multivariate analysis showed that bone marrow and blood ΔCt values were associated with PFS independently of clinical disease and MYCN gene status (P < 0.001; P = 0.055).

Conclusions: This five-gene NB5 assay for NB-mRNA improves definition of disease status and correlates independently with PFS in relapsed/refractory neuroblastoma. Clin Cancer Res; 23(18); 5374–83. ©2017 AACR.
Constitutive Activation of Smoothened in the Renal Collecting Ducts Leads to Renal Hypoplasia, Hydronephrosis, and Hydroureter
Authors: Gupta Deepak Prasad , Hwang Jae-Won , Cho Eui-Sic , Kim Won , Song Chang Ho , Chai Ok Hee
Published: May 2017

Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling plays a major role in and is essential for regulation, patterning, and proliferation during renal development. Smoothened (Smo) plays a pivot role in transducing the Shh-glioma-associated oncogene Kruppel family member. However, the cellular and molecular mechanism underlying the role of sustained Smo activation in postnatal kidney development is still not clearly understood. Using a conditional knockin mouse model that expresses a constitutively activated form of Smo (SmoM2) upon Homeobox-B7-mediated recombination (Hoxb7-Cre), the effects of Shh signaling were determined in postnatal kidney development. SmoM2;Hoxb7-Cre mutant mice showed growth retardation with a reduction of body weight. Constitutive activation of Smo in the renal collecting ducts caused renal hypoplasia, hydronephrosis, and hydroureter. The parenchymal area and glomerular numbers were reduced, but the glomerular density was increased in SmoM2;Hoxb7-Cre mutant mice. The expression of Patched 1, the receptor of Shh and a downstream target gene of the Shh signaling pathway, was highly restricted and it was upregulated in the inner medullary collecting ducts of the kidney. The proliferative cells in the mesenchyme and collecting ducts were decreased in SmoM2;Hoxb7-Cre mutant mice. This study showed for the first time that sustained Smo inhibits postnatal kidney development by suppressing the proliferation of the mesenchyme and medullary collecting ducts in mice.
Relationship between Elevated Intraocular Pressure and Divided Peripapillary Sector Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in a Cynomolgus Monkey Laser-Induced Ocular Hypertension Model
Authors: Noguchi Tetsuro , Shimazawa Masamitsu , Hamaguchi Koji , Araki Tomoaki , Horai Naoto , Hara Hideaki
Published: May 2017

Aims: We investigated the relationship between elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and changes in global and peripapillary sector retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness around the optic nerve head (ONH) in the laser-induced ocular hypertension monkey model. Methods: To induce high IOP, green laser photocoagulation burns were applied around the trabecular meshwork of 1 eye from each of 12 cynomolgus monkeys. The animals had been acclimated to IOP measurement under conscious conditions for more than 2 months, and IOP was chronologically measured. RNFL thickness was measured for 6 peripapillary sectors and global area using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Results: After model induction, marked IOP elevation and enlarged optic disk cupping were observed. Thinning of the RNFL associated with elevated IOP was observed around the ONH from 6 until 9 weeks after laser treatment, and the degree of reduction in RNFL thickness varied between the peripapillary sectors. Correlations between cumulative IOP elevation and RNFL thickness reduction were statistically significant for the temporal-superior (p = 0.024), nasal-inferior (p = 0.044), and temporal (p = 0.049) sectors, and global RNFL (p = 0.018). Conclusions: These results suggest that this model reflected the pathology of clinical glaucoma in terms of the specific pattern of RNFL thinning around the ONH.
Aqueous Humor Levels of Soluble Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor and Inflammatory Factors in Diabetic Macular Edema
Authors: Noma Hidetaka , Mimura Tatsuya , Yasuda Kanako , Motohashi Ryosuke , Kotake Osamu , Shimura Masahiko
Published: May 2017

Aqueous levels of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (sVEGFR) and inflammatory factors were measured in 35 patients (37 eyes) with diabetic macular edema (DME) receiving anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy. Aqueous levels of growth factors (VEGF, placental growth factor [PlGF], and platelet-derived growth factor AA [PDGF-AA]), sVEGFR-1 and -2, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, interleukin (IL)-6, -8, -12, and -13, and interferon-inducible 10-kDa protein (IP-10) were significantly higher in the DME group than in the nondiabetic control group. The sVEGFR-2 level was significantly correlated with the neurosensory retinal thickness, as well as with the levels of growth factors (VEGF and PDGF-AA) and inflammatory factors (MCP-1, IL-6, and IL-8). Three growth factors (VEGF, PlGF, and PDGF-AA) were also significantly correlated with each other, as were sVEGFR-1 or -2 and the inflammatory factors (MCP-1, IL-6, IL-8, and IP-10). These findings suggest that sVEGFRs and growth/inflammatory factors have an important role in DME.
Provocation of Migraine after Maximal Exercise: A Test-Retest Study
Authors: Varkey Emma , Grüner Sveälv Bente , Edin Fredrik , Ravn-Fischer Annica , Cider Åsa
Published: May 2017

Background: Exercise is often recommended in migraine treatment, but strenuous physical activity is also reported as a migraine trigger. The main aim of this study was to evaluate whether migraine can be triggered by a maximal exercise test, using a prospective test-retest method. A secondary aim was to compare the participants who responded to the maximal exercise test with a migraine attack with those who did not suffer a migraine attack after the test. Methods: A total of 19 patients reporting exercise as a potential trigger for their migraines were included in the study. After a baseline period of 1 month with measurements of migraine frequency, a cycle ergometer test until exhaustion was used twice on each patient. Results: A total of 14 patients were test-retested, and of these, 3 reported migraine following both tests, 5 after one of the tests, and 6 did not report migraine after either test. We observed a higher risk of migraine after 1 or 2 tests in patients with a higher baseline migraine frequency (p = 0.036). Conclusion: In conclusion, the study showed that although maximal aerobic exercise can trigger migraine attacks, it does not always provoke an attack even in those who report exercise as a migraine trigger.
Erythropoietin Hyporesponsiveness in Dialysis Patients: Possible Role of Statins
Authors: Hasegawa Takeshi , Zhao Junhui , Fuller Douglas S. , Bieber Brian , Zee Jarcy , Morgenstern Hal , Hanafusa Norio , Nangaku Masaomi
Published: May 2017

Background: Hypothesizing that statins may be useful as adjuvant treatment for renal anemia, we examined the association between statin prescription (Rx) and erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) hyporesponsiveness in Japanese hemodialysis (HD) patients prescribed ESAs. Methods: We examined 3,602 patients in 60 HD facilities dialyzed 3 times/week for ≥4 months from the Japan Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study phases 3-5 (2005-2015). Statin Rx was reported at the end of a 4-month interval (baseline) for each patient. ESA hyporesponsiveness in the subsequent 4 months was then defined as a binary indicator (mean hemoglobin [Hgb] level <10 g/dL and mean ESA dose >6,000 units/week) and separately as the ESA resistance index (ERI; mean ESA dose/[dry weight × mean Hgb]). We used adjusted logistic and linear regressions to evaluate the associations between statin Rx and ESA hyporesponsiveness. Results: At baseline, 16.2% of patients reported statin Rx; 12.8% were classified as having ESA hyporesponsiveness during 4 months of follow-up. Compared to patients without statin Rx, patients with statin Rx had lower odds of ESA hyporesponsiveness (OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.66-1.15). Similarly, the ERI was lower for those with statin Rx than without (ratio of means, 0.94; 95% CI 0.89-0.99) after adjustment for possible confounders. Conclusions: Our results suggest that statins may slightly reduce ESA hyporesponsiveness in HD patients. However, any causal inference is limited by the observational study design and unmeasured compliance with statin Rx.
Influência da inclusão do plasma sanguíneo na dieta de leitões desmamados sobre a carga viral de circovírus suíno tipo 2 (PCV2)
Authors: Monferdini Renato Pacheco , Castro Alessandra Marnie Martins Gomes de , Gerber Priscilla Freitas , Castro Junior Fernando Gomes de , Lobato Zélia Ines Portela , Baldiserra Junior Flavio Aparecido , Heinemann Marcos Bryan , Richtzenhain Leonardo José , Budiño Fábio Enrique Lemos
Published: May 2017

O plasma sanguíneo em pó (PSP), produto natural de indústria frigorífica, tem mostrado efeitos benéficos sobre o crescimento e desempenho de leitões desmamados precocemente. Atualmente, embora o circovírus suíno 2 (PCV2) tenha grande importância para a suinocultura, não há informações sobre o impacto do uso de PSP e a resposta imune ao PCV2 em infecções naturais. Este trabalho avaliou diferentes níveis de inclusão de PSP em dietas de leitões e as cargas virais de PCV2 correspondentes. Quatro níveis de inclusão de PSP foram testados em dois períodos consecutivos: 0, 2, 4 ou 6% durante o período 1 (14 aos 28 dias de idade) e 1, 2 ou 3% de PSP durante o período 2 (29 a 42 dias de idade). No período 3 (42 aos 56 dias de idade), todos os leitões foram alimentados com dieta isenta de PSP. Amostras de soro foram coletadas semanalmente e testadas para anticorpos anti-PCV2 e carga de DNA de PCV2. As concentrações de 6% e 3% de PSP fornecidas nas rações durante o período 1 e 2, respectivamente, influenciaram na carga viral de PCV2 de suínos naturalmente infectados.
Mineralocorticoid Receptor Deficiency in T Cells Attenuates Pressure Overload–Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy and Dysfunction Through Modulating T-Cell Activation
Authors: Li Chao , Sun Xue-Nan , Zeng Meng-Ru , Zheng Xiao-Jun , Zhang Yu-Yao , Wan Qiangyou , Zhang Wu-Chang , Shi Chaoji , Du Lin-Juan , Ai Tang-Jun , Liu Yuan , Liu Yan , Du Li-Li , Yi Yi , Yu Ying , Duan Sheng-Zhong
Published: May 2017

Although antagonists of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) have been widely used to treat heart failure, the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Recent reports show that T cells play important roles in pathologic cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. However, it is unclear whether and how MR functions in T cells under these pathologic conditions. We found that MR antagonist suppressed abdominal aortic constriction–induced cardiac hypertrophy and decreased the accumulation and activation of CD4
+
and CD8
+
T cells in mouse heart. T-cell MR knockout mice manifested suppressed cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and dysfunction compared with littermate control mice after abdominal aortic constriction. T-cell MR knockout mice had less cardiac inflammatory response, which was illustrated by decreased accumulation of myeloid cells and reduced expression of inflammatory cytokines. Less amounts and activation of T cells were observed in the heart of T-cell MR knockout mice after abdominal aortic constriction. In vitro studies showed that both MR antagonism and deficiency repressed activation of T cells, whereas MR overexpression elevated activation of T cells. These results demonstrated that MR blockade in T cells protected against abdominal aortic constriction–induced cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction. Mechanistically, MR directly regulated T-cell activation and modulated cardiac inflammation. Targeting MR in T cells specifically may be a feasible strategy for more effective treatment of pathologic cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.
A Weight-Adaptive Laplacian Embedding for Graph-Based Clustering
Authors: Cheng De , Nie Feiping , Sun Jiande , Gong Yihong
Published: May 2017

Graph-based clustering methods perform clustering on a fixed input data graph. Thus such clustering results are sensitive to the particular graph construction. If this initial construction is of low quality, the resulting clustering may also be of low quality. We address this drawback by allowing the data graph itself to be adaptively adjusted in the clustering procedure. In particular, our proposed weight adaptive Laplacian (WAL) method learns a new data similarity matrix that can adaptively adjust the initial graph according to the similarity weight in the input data graph. We develop three versions of these methods based on the L2-norm, fuzzy entropy regularizer, and another exponential-based weight strategy, that yield three new graph-based clustering objectives. We derive optimization algorithms to solve these objectives. Experimental results on synthetic data sets and real-world benchmark data sets exhibit the effectiveness of these new graph-based clustering methods.
Multiview Feature Analysis via Structured Sparsity and Shared Subspace Discovery
Authors: Chang Yan-Shuo , Nie Feiping , Wang Ming-Yu
Published: May 2017

Since combining features from heterogeneous data sources can significantly boost classification performance in many applications, it has attracted much research attention over the past few years. Most of the existing multiview feature analysis approaches separately learn features in each view, ignoring knowledge shared by multiple views. Different views of features may have some intrinsic correlations that might be beneficial to feature learning. Therefore, it is assumed that multiviews share subspaces from which common knowledge can be discovered. In this letter, we propose a new multiview feature learning algorithm, aiming to exploit common features shared by different views. To achieve this goal, we propose a feature learning algorithm in a batch mode, by which the correlations among different views are taken into account. Multiple transformation matrices for different views are simultaneously learned in a joint framework. In this way, our algorithm can exploit potential correlations among views as supplementary information that further improves the performance result. Since the proposed objective function is nonsmooth and difficult to solve directly, we propose an iterative algorithm for effective optimization. Extensive experiments have been conducted on a number of real-world data sets. Experimental results demonstrate superior performance in terms of classification against all the compared approaches. Also, the convergence guarantee has been validated in the experiment.
GP-Select: Accelerating EM Using Adaptive Subspace Preselection
Authors: Shelton Jacquelyn A. , Gasthaus Jan , Dai Zhenwen , Lücke Jörg , Gretton Arthur
Published: May 2017

We propose a nonparametric procedure to achieve fast inference in generative graphical models when the number of latent states is very large. The approach is based on iterative latent variable preselection, where we alternate between learning a selection function to reveal the relevant latent variables and using this to obtain a compact approximation of the posterior distribution for EM. This can make inference possible where the number of possible latent states is, for example, exponential in the number of latent variables, whereas an exact approach would be computationally infeasible. We learn the selection function entirely from the observed data and current expectation-maximization state via gaussian process regression. This is in contrast to earlier approaches, where selection functions were manually designed for each problem setting. We show that our approach performs as well as these bespoke selection functions on a wide variety of inference problems. In particular, for the challenging case of a hierarchical model for object localization with occlusion, we achieve results that match a customized state-of-the-art selection method at a far lower computational cost.
Deep Restricted Kernel Machines Using Conjugate Feature Duality
Authors: Suykens Johan A. K.
Published: May 2017

The aim of this letter is to propose a theory of deep restricted kernel machines offering new foundations for deep learning with kernel machines. From the viewpoint of deep learning, it is partially related to restricted Boltzmann machines, which are characterized by visible and hidden units in a bipartite graph without hidden-to-hidden connections and deep learning extensions as deep belief networks and deep Boltzmann machines. From the viewpoint of kernel machines, it includes least squares support vector machines for classification and regression, kernel principal component analysis (PCA), matrix singular value decomposition, and Parzen-type models. A key element is to first characterize these kernel machines in terms of so-called conjugate feature duality, yielding a representation with visible and hidden units. It is shown how this is related to the energy form in restricted Boltzmann machines, with continuous variables in a nonprobabilistic setting. In this new framework of so-called restricted kernel machine (RKM) representations, the dual variables correspond to hidden features. Deep RKM are obtained by coupling the RKMs. The method is illustrated for deep RKM, consisting of three levels with a least squares support vector machine regression level and two kernel PCA levels. In its primal form also deep feedforward neural networks can be trained within this framework.