bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of thermal treatment on the optical performance of InGaN/GaN light emitting diodes
Authors: Meneghini Matteo , Zhu Dandan , Humphreys Colin J. , Berti Marina , Gasparotto Andrea , Cesca Tiziana , Vinattieri Anna , Bogani Franco , Meneghesso Gaudenzio , Zanoni Enrico
Published: October 2015

This paper describes a detailed analysis of the effects of high temperatures on the optical performance and structural characteristics of GaN-based LED structures with a high threading dislocation density. Results show that, as a consequence of storage at 900 °C in N2 atmosphere, the samples exhibit: (i) an increase in the efficiency of GaN and quantum-well luminescence, well correlated to an increase in carrier lifetime; (ii) a decrease in the parasitic luminescence peaks related to Mg acceptors, which is correlated to the reduction in the concentration of Mg in the p-type region, detected by Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS); (iii) a diffusion of acceptor (Mg) atoms to the quantum well region; (iv) a reduction in the yield of Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS)-channeling measurements, possibly due to a partial re-arrangement of the dislocations, which is supposed to be correlated to the increase in radiative efficiency (see (i)).
Functional short-chain carbohydrates (prebiotics) in the diet to improve the microbiome and health of the gastrointestinal tract
Authors: Muir J. G. , Yao C. K. , Gibson P. G.
Published: October 2015

Advancement in technologies to identify and quantify bacterial species in the gastrointestinal tract has escalated interest in its microbiome worldwide. There is enormous interest in understanding the roles that bacterial species play in gastrointestinal health and overall wellbeing. What constitutes a ‘healthy gut microbiome’ includes: favourable fermentation-dependent characteristics such as butyrate supply to all regions, minimisation of putrefaction of proteins, and adequate laxation. The relative abundance of specific bacterial species with certain functional characteristics is also important and include: traditional prebiotic bacteria – Bifidobacteria; strongly butyrate-producing – Clostridium coccoides and Faecalibacterium prausnitzi as well as a mucus-associated bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila. Manipulation of diet and dietary factors may be essential to favourably influence these fermentation-dependent parameters and select for growth of beneficial bacterial species. In this regard, this laboratory has identified indigestible oligosaccharides with prebiotic effects and now has an extensive database that quantifies indigestible oligosaccharides in a wide variety of foods including whole grains, cereals, legumes, seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Future research in this area should consider the role of dietary components that best establish and maintain a ‘healthy gut microbiome’.
Clinical and epidemiological features of congenital cytomegalovirus infection globally
Authors: van Zuylen Wendy J
Published: October 2015

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common non-genetic cause of congenital disability. As a herpesvirus that infects the majority of the population, CMV is able to establish a lifelong latent infection in the host. Any time during pregnancy, a primary CMV infection, reactivation of latent CMV or a new viral strain can infect the placenta and the developing foetus, resulting in congenital CMV infection. Each year, an estimated 2000 children are born with congenital CMV infection in Australia, leaving ~500 children with permanent disabilities such as hearing or vision loss, or mental disability. Despite the clinical importance of congenital CMV, there is limited awareness and knowledge in the medical and general community about congenital CMV infection. This article reviews the global epidemiology and clinical features of maternal and congenital CMV infections.
Animal models of human cytomegalovirus congenital infection
Authors: Farrell Helen
Published: October 2015

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is highly species-specific, which means that it is unable to productively infect laboratory animals. Despite this caveat, studies of animal CMV counterparts in their natural hosts have revealed significant correlations with observed neuropathological effects of congenital HCMV infection and have improved our understanding of host responses to vaccination. The biological relatedness between human and animal CMVs has been confirmed by phylogenetic analyses; the conservation of ‘core' genes that are essential for virus replication as well as genes that contribute similar mechanisms for virus persistence in their respective host species. The common animal models of HCMV congenital infection include Rhesus CMV (RhCMV), guinea-pig CMV (GPCMV) and mouse CMV (MCMV). Whilst animal models of CMV do not fully recapitulate HCMV infection, they each offer specific advantages in understanding HCMV congenital/perinatal infection (summarised in Table 1).
Use of otolith quality flags to assess distributional dynamics in Baltic cod stocks
Authors: Stötera Sven , Krumme Uwe
Published: October 2015

In the Baltic Sea, cod spawn in several basins separated by shallower sills. The mixing dynamics between two cod stocks and their components remain largely unclear, yet such mixing has gained attention in recent years because signs of recovery in the eastern Baltic cod population suggested spillover into the western basin. In the present study, we assessed whether quality flags (QF) of cod otoliths (QF categories: readable, uncertain or unreadable) can be used to evaluate spillover. Analysis of ~80000 otoliths taken between 2007 and 2013 showed that the Darß and Drogden sills consistently separated large numbers of readable otoliths in the shallower western area (subdivision (SD) 21–SD23) from large proportions of uncertain and unreadable otoliths in the deeper eastern basins (SD25–SD29). SD24 was a mixing area: the western statistical rectangles resembled SD22 and SD23, whereas the eastern rectangles resembled SD25, in close association with basin topography. QF proportions did not differ on the various spatial and temporal scales examined, regardless of grouping by sex or length class. This suggests that increased spillover from the east has not occurred since 2007. However, the large proportion of uncertain otoliths in SD24 and inconsistencies in QF determination may mask the detection of trends in mixing.
Otolith shape variation provides a marker of stock origin for north Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus)
Authors: Brophy Deirdre , Haynes Paula , Arrizabalaga Haritz , Fraile Igaratza , Fromentin Jean Marc , Garibaldi Fulvio , Katavic Ivan , Tinti Fausto , Karakulak F. Saadet , Macías David , Busawon Dheeraj , Hanke Alex , Kimoto Ai , Sakai Osamu , Deguara Simeon , Abid Nouredinne , Santos Miguel Neves
Published: October 2015

Two stocks of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) inhabit the north Atlantic; the western and eastern stocks spawn in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea respectively. Trans-Atlantic movements occur outside spawning time whereas natal homing maintains stock structure. Commercial fisheries may exploit a mixed assemblage of both stocks. The incorporation of mixing rates into stock assessment is precluded by uncertainties surrounding stock discrimination. Otolith shape descriptors were used to characterise western and eastern stocks of Atlantic bluefin tuna in the present study and to estimate stock composition in catches of unknown origin. Otolith shape varied with length and between locations and years. Within a restricted size range (200–297-cm fork length (FL)) the two stocks were distinguished with an accuracy of 83%. Bayesian stock mixture analysis indicated that samples from the east Atlantic and Mediterranean were predominantly of eastern origin. The proportion assigned to the eastern stock showed slight spatial variation; however, overlapping 95% credible intervals indicated no significant difference (200–297cm FL: central Atlantic, 73–100%; Straits of Gibraltar, 73–100%; Morocco, 50–99%; Portugal 64–100%). Otolith shape could be used in combination with other population markers to improve the accuracy of mixing rate estimates for Atlantic bluefin tuna.
High-speed spelling with a noninvasive brain–computer interface
Authors: Chen Xiaogang , Wang Yijun , Nakanishi Masaki , Gao Xiaorong , Jung Tzyy-Ping , Gao Shangkai
Published: October 2015

Significance

Brain–computer interface (BCI) technology provides a new communication channel. However, current applications have been severely limited by low communication speed. This study reports a noninvasive brain speller that achieved a multifold increase in information transfer rate compared with other existing systems. Based on extremely precise coding of frequency and phase in single-trial steady-state visual evoked potentials, this study developed a new joint frequency-phase modulation method and a user-specific decoding algorithm to implement synchronous modulation and demodulation of electroencephalograms. The resulting speller obtained high spelling rates up to 60 characters (∼12 words) per minute. The proposed methodological framework of high-speed BCI can lead to numerous applications in both patients with motor disabilities and healthy people.
Nup132 modulates meiotic spindle attachment in fission yeast by regulating kinetochore assembly
Authors: Yang Hui-Ju , Asakawa Haruhiko , Haraguchi Tokuko , Hiraoka Yasushi
Published: October 2015

During meiosis, the kinetochore undergoes substantial reorganization to establish monopolar spindle attachment. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the KNL1–Spc7-Mis12-Nuf2 (KMN) complex, which constitutes the outer kinetochore, is disassembled during meiotic prophase and is reassembled before meiosis I. Here, we show that the nucleoporin Nup132 is required for timely assembly of the KMN proteins: In the absence of Nup132, Mis12 and Spc7 are precociously assembled at the centromeres during meiotic prophase. In contrast, Nuf2 shows timely dissociation and reappearance at the meiotic centromeres. We further demonstrate that depletion of Nup132 activates the spindle assembly checkpoint in meiosis I, possibly because of the increased incidence of erroneous spindle attachment at sister chromatids. These results suggest that precocious assembly of the kinetochores leads to the meiosis I defects observed in the nup132-disrupted mutant. Thus, we propose that Nup132 plays an important role in establishing monopolar spindle attachment at meiosis I through outer kinetochore reorganization at meiotic prophase.
Molecular control of irreversible bistability during trypanosome developmental commitment
Authors: Domingo-Sananes Maria Rosa , Szöőr Balazs , Ferguson Michael A.J. , Urbaniak Michael D. , Matthews Keith R.
Published: October 2015

The life cycle of Trypanosoma brucei involves developmental transitions that allow survival, proliferation, and transmission of these parasites. One of these, the differentiation of growth-arrested stumpy forms in the mammalian blood into insect-stage procyclic forms, can be induced synchronously in vitro with cis-aconitate. Here, we show that this transition is an irreversible bistable switch, and we map the point of commitment to differentiation after exposure to cis-aconitate. This irreversibility implies that positive feedback mechanisms operate to allow commitment (i.e., the establishment of “memory” of exposure to the differentiation signal). Using the reversible translational inhibitor cycloheximide, we show that this signal memory requires new protein synthesis. We further performed stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture to analyze synchronized parasite populations, establishing the protein and phosphorylation profile of parasites pre- and postcommitment, thereby defining the “commitment proteome.” Functional interrogation of this data set identified Nek-related kinase as the first-discovered protein kinase controlling the initiation of differentiation to procyclic forms.
Responses of New World flying squirrels to the acute stress of capture and handling
Authors: Desantis Lanna M. , Bowman Jeff , Lahoda Candace V. , Boonstra Rudy , Burness Gary
Published: October 2015

Northern ( Glaucomys sabrinus ) and southern ( G. volans ) flying squirrels have glucocorticoid (GC; stress hormone) levels higher than most vertebrates but virtually no binding capacity for these GCs via the carrier protein, corticosteroid-binding globulin. Thus, their total GCs are essentially all free and biologically active. However, the GC estimates come from blood samples taken after squirrels had been in live traps, and thus in a stress-induced state. Obtaining baseline values for physiological variables is valuable for assessing the response of vertebrates to stressors in their environment. We compared baseline plasma total cortisol levels (within 3min of capture) to stress-induced levels (after 30min of trap restraint) in both flying squirrel species. We recorded baseline cortisol levels that were some of the highest ever reported for mammals, indicating their stress axes operate at a higher set point than most other species. As part of the stress response, we also measured 4 indices in addition to cortisol. Total cortisol and free fatty acids increased in both species, as predicted. In contrast with our predictions, blood glucose and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio showed no overall change, and hematocrit decreased significantly. New World flying squirrels therefore appear to have a stress response that differs from many other mammals. The selective forces driving the physiology of these animals remain elusive, but this lineage may provide an interesting comparative system for the study of stress axis function and its evolution among vertebrates.
The Five Factor Model of Personality in Business and Industry
Authors: Siebert Scott E. , DeGeest David S.
Published: October 2015

Personality traits have played a central role in industrial/organizational psychology, human resource management, and organizational behavior, the key fields in the application of psychology to business and industry. In the early years, excessive optimism led scholars to unrealistic expectations about the value of personality traits at work. This was followed by a period of profound pessimism regarding the value of personality as an explanatory variable when the unrealistic expectations were inevitably disappointed. More recently, advances in theory and methodology have led scholars to re-examine the role of personality with more realistic expectations. The Five Factor Model (FFM) has predominated as an integrative personality structure for conceptualizing and researching the relationship of personality to workplace outcomes. Five specific domains of research are considered herein: personnel selection; employee motivation, attitudes, and behavior; leadership; teams; and entrepreneurship. The chapter ends with open questions for future research in this domain.
Ben Jonson’s Plays 1604–1614
Authors: Martin Mathew R.
Published: October 2015

The accession of James I marks the beginning of a change in Jonson’s poetics. In his Jacobean plays, Jonson’s increased insistence upon the application of neoclassical laws is countered by the increasing unruliness of nature. Art, Jonson claims, should imitate and perfect nature, yet in both his major comedies and Sejanus and Catiline art’s primary purpose appears to be to destroy nature or reduce it to a ‘standing reserve’ ready for consumption. Conversely, in these plays nature emerges as an ontologically unstable category. Deformed, diseased, and virulent, nature disrupts art’s attempts to imitate and perfect it. Nature becomes a lack transformed by the artifices of human desire into a simulacrum of itself behind which it ultimately vanishes.
The English, Scottish, and Irish Reformations
Authors: Heal Felicity
Published: October 2015

The impact of Protestantism on England, Scotland, and Ireland has long been the subject of intense historical debate. This article looks first at recent developments in historiography, especially focusing on England, and emphasizes studies on doctrine, religious culture, and individual responses to the challenge of new forms of belief. It then turns to the experience of conversion, and the language of emotion that men and women used to express their sense of regeneration. Though becoming fully Protestant was an intensely personal experience, it was followed for the godly by a duty to convert others. This was undertaken through congregational discipline—most notable in Scotland—through national liturgies, preaching, catechizing, and bible reading. A majority of the Irish resisted attempts to make them Protestants. Elsewhere the dilemma was how to live with the uncooperative and indifferent within a visible, national church. This was an unresolved tension, especially in England.
The Age of Development and Continuity, 12th–15th Centuries CE
Authors: Katz Marion
Published: October 2015

This article examines the historical development and social and intellectual functioning of Islamic law in the twelfth through fifteenth centuries. In particular, it considers the progressive stabilization and institutionalization of the four classical Sunni madhhabs (schools of law) and the corresponding developments in Imami Shi‘ism; developments in legal theory (usul al-fiqh); and the practical administration of the law. It also discusses the various forms of ijtihad and taqlid that could generate new legal rulings, along with the textual forms and real-world interactions within which legal judgments were sought and expressed. Finally, it looks at the fatwa, which consists of a legal opinion issued in response to an inquiry (istifta’).
Latin
Authors: Harrison Stephen J.
Published: October 2015

This chapter looks at Latin literature in the Roman Empire, focusing on its role in expressing Roman domination of the Mediterranean world—its competition with the Greek literature it both admired and sort to displace, its technical texts (e.g. Pliny’s Natural History and the texts of Roman law) which expressed practical mastery, its reinforcement of imperial ideology in the presentation of the princeps, especially in the contexts of the initial dedications of various works and of formal imperial panegyric, its presentation of non-Roman races in historiography and ethnography, its expression of political hegemony through the key texts of the epic genre, and its final move though a particular focus on the figure of the emperor into another world-dominating discourse—that of Christianity.
Social Norms and Their Enforcement
Authors: Nolan Jessica M.
Published: October 2015

In this chapter social norms are redefined as “rules and standards that are understood by members of a group, and that guide morally relevant social behavior by way of social sanctions, instead of the force of laws.” In line with this revised definition, the chapter includes a discussion of how and when individuals enforce social norms along with the customary review of the literature on social norms as agents of social influence. A discussion of how to maximize the impact of social norms interventions follows with special consideration given to (a) combining descriptive and injunctive norms, (b) reference groups, (c) personal relevance, and (d) cognitive resources. The chapter also includes a discussion of the tendency to underestimate the influence of social norms, both on one’s own behavior and the behavior of others. Several conflicting results are identified and suggestions are made for how to resolve them with future research.
Social Relations and Constructions of Social Identity among Roman Non-Elites
Authors: Toner Jerry
Published: October 2015

This article discusses the social relations of the Roman non-elite in two overlapping areas: the modes of behaviour that governed their communication and relations with each other; and the communal contexts in which such interaction often took place. The nature of the surviving evidence makes these tasks problematic and accounts for why they have been largely neglected by scholars to date. The article tries to reconstruct how the non-elite interacted by looking at two particular Pompeian sources: graffiti and some of the surviving examples of tavern art. The discussion concerns mainly male social relations but also looks at what the even smaller body of evidence reveals about female relations. The article describes the different modes of popular interaction, ranging from friendly support to competitive mockery. It examines the important part that skill, knowledge, wit, and sociability played in non-elite culture.
National Defence and Political Independence
Authors: Mapel David R.
Published: October 2015

Virtually everyone agrees that standard principles of interpersonal morality justify national defence against major aggressors aiming at genocide or enslavement. Do such principles also justify defensive war against ‘lesser’ or ‘purely political’ aggressors aiming solely at a state’s political independence and/or territory integrity? Although ‘reductivists’ maintain that national defence in such cases generally is justified by interpersonal morality, ‘exceptionalists’ argue that special principles for states are required to justify this sort of defensive war. This chapter examines several issues: What difference does it make if a lesser aggressor issues a conditional threat to use proportionate violence only if its demands are violently resisted? When would waging a war of national defence against lesser aggression satisfy the proportionality requirement? Do all or only some kinds of states have moral rights of national defence? How might principles of interpersonal and interstate morality be combined in a unified approach to justifying national defence?
Dimensions of Intentions
Authors: Tadros Victor
Published: October 2015

This chapter partially defends the significance of intentions to permissibility against critics and explores some different views about their relevance by exploring a range of contexts in just war theory where views about the significance of intentions make a difference in our judgments about the permissibility of military action. It clarifies two components of the doctrine of double effect (DDE) and distinguishes different versions of it. It then compares the DDE with some competing explanations of the intuitive difference between terror bombing and tactical bombing, arguing that the DDE is an important component of the right overall view of the permissibility of killing in war.
Territorial Rights and National Defence
Authors: Stilz Anna
Published: October 2015

Both just war theory and international law recognize the defence of one’s own state and its territory as the core example of just cause for war. Yet just war theorists have done little to explore what might give the state a territorial right of this kind. This chapter argues that a state has a right to territorial integrity when it meets three conditions: (1) its citizens have a right to occupy its territory, (2) its scheme of law is minimally just, and (3) the relationship of political cooperation that supports its institutions is reasonably and widely affirmed. This chapter then considers whether a state that satisfies these conditions may defend its territorial integrity with lethal force. This account does not support the common-sense conviction that defending one’s state against aggression is always morally permitted or even required. But it can establish a defensive privilege in a central range of cases.
Morphology, Molecular Identity, and Pathogenicity of Verticillium dahliae and V. longisporum Associated with Internally Discolored Horseradish Roots
Authors: Yu Jun Myoung , Cafarov Ibrahim H. , Babadoost Mohammad
Published: October 2015

During 2008 to 2009, 255 isolates of Verticillium were obtained from internally discolored horseradish roots collected from California, Illinois, and Ontario. Twenty representative isolates were selected according to morphological features and geographic origin for further characterization. Based on the conidial size, the isolates were divided into two groups: Verticillium dahliae (4.4 ± 1.23 μm) and V. longisporum (7.8 ± 1.76 μm). Genetic diversity of the isolates was determined by sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome oxidase subunit III [cox3] and NADH dehydrogenase subunit I [nad1]). Based on ITS analysis, Verticillium isolates were divided into two clades: V. dahliae and V. longisporum. However five isolates of V. longisporum (identified based on conidial size) were clustered with a V. dahliae clade, whereas the other five isolates formed a distinct V. longisporum clade. Combined analysis of the mitochondrial genes cox3 and nad1 showed that the two genetic clades of V. longisporum in ITS region analysis corresponded to the previously reported V. longisporum lineage A1/D3 and A1/D2. Pathogenicity tests revealed that all tested Verticillium isolates caused internal discoloration of horseradish roots, and there were no significant differences in either incidence or severity of root discoloration among the genetic groups.
Prevalence and Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease in Adult Patients with Sickle Cell Disease
Authors: Gosmanova Elvira O. , Zaidi Sahar , Wan Jim Y. , Adams-Graves Patricia E.
Published: October 2015

Aim

We evaluated the prevalence and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) during the 5-year period in a cohort of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) aged 18 years and older.

Methods

We studied 98 patients with SCD. Chronic kidney disease stages I through V were defined based on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and albuminuria grades were defined based on spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio according to the 2012 Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes recommendations. In patients with eGFR of greater than 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2, CKD was diagnosed if grade A2 or A3 albuminuria was present. Chronic kidney disease progression was defined as an increase in CKD stage with an additional eGFR reduction of more than 25% from baseline.

Results

At baseline, 28.6% of patients had CKD. After a mean follow-up of 5.0 (SD, 0.9) years, 17 patients developed new CKD and the overall CKD prevalence increased to 41.8%. In addition, 8 patients experienced CKD progression. The following baseline variables were associated with the development and progression of CKD in univariate analysis: older age ( P = 0.003), higher systolic blood pressure (BP; P = 0.003), lower eGFR ( P = 0.001), higher serum creatinine ( P = 0.001), and A3 albuminuria ( P = 0.008). In multivariate analysis, baseline A3 albuminuria (adjusted odds ratio, 5.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-24.3; P = 0.048) and each 1-mm Hg increase in systolic BP (adjusted odds ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.07; P = 0.039) predicted CKD development and progression.

Conclusions

Chronic kidney disease is common in patients with SCD and its prevalence increases with age. Several baseline modifiable and nonmodifiable factors were associated with the development and progression of CKD in patients with SCD. Strategies targeting BP control and proteinuria may be beneficial for individuals with SCD.
Autoantibodies to C-Reactive Protein in Incomplete Lupus and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Jung Ju-Yang , Koh Bo-Ram , Kim Hyoun-Ah , Jeon Ja-Young , Suh Chang-Hee
Published: October 2015

Objective

Anti-C-reactive protein (CRP) antibodies have been described in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We investigated the potential of the anti-CRP antibody as a marker for disease activity in SLE patients and as a predictor of progression to SLE in patients with incomplete lupus.

Methods

Immunoglobulin G anti-CRP antibody levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

Patients with incomplete lupus exhibited clinical and immunologic characteristics different from those in SLE patients: no serositis and alopecia, more common oral ulcers and arthritis, lower disease activity index, lower positivity for antinuclear and anti–double-strand DNA antibodies, and higher complement levels. Anti-CRP antibody levels were higher in SLE patients (35.6 [35.1] AU) than in patients with incomplete lupus (23.1 [25.8] AU, P = 0.016) and normal controls (21.0 [14.3] AU, P < 0.001). Anti-CRP antibody was significantly higher in SLE patients with arthritis and correlated with disease activity markers, including antichromatin antibody. However, no difference in anti-CRP antibody levels was observed between patients with incomplete lupus that progressed to SLE and those whose did not.

Conclusion

These data suggest that anti-CRP antibodies can neither be used as biomarkers in SLE nor predict SLE progression in patients with incomplete lupus.
The Effect of Eating Speed at Breakfast on Appetite Hormone Responses and Daily Food Consumption
Authors: Shah Meena , Crisp Kelli , Adams-Huet Beverley , Dart Lyn , Bouza Brooke , Franklin Brian , Phillips Melody
Published: October 2015

Background

The effect of eating speed at a meal on appetite gut hormone responses and future food consumption is not clear. This study examined the effect of eating speed at breakfast on postprandial gut hormone responses, subjective appetite, and daily food consumption.

Methods

Twenty-five participants [68% men; age, 25.9 (8.1) years; body mass index, 25.0 (3.2) kg/m2] were recruited. Each participant consumed the same breakfast at a slow (30 minutes) and fast (10 minutes) speed, on 2 separate days, in a randomized crossover design. Blood samples were collected in the fasting state and 3 hours postprandially during each eating condition. Appetite was assessed over the same period using visual analog scales. Blood concentrations of orexigenic hormone, ghrelin, and anorexigenic hormones, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY), were determined. Daily food intake was measured, by food recall, after the slow and fast breakfast.

Results

Mixed-model repeated-measures analysis showed no eating condition or eating condition by time interaction effect on ghrelin, GLP-1, PYY, hunger, or fullness. Significant eating speed by time interaction effect on desire to eat was found ( P = 0.007). Desire to eat was lower at 60 minutes ( P = 0.007) after breakfast began during the slow versus fast eating condition. Eating speed at breakfast did not affect daily energy and macronutrient intake.

Conclusions

Eating speed at breakfast did not affect postprandial ghrelin, GLP-1, PYY, hunger, and fullness values or daily energy and macronutrient intake. Desire to eat was lower at 60 minutes in the slow versus fast eating condition, but this result could not be explained by the changes in meal-related hormones measured in the study.
Association of CCL13 Levels in Serum and Synovial Fluid with the Radiographic Severity of Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Gao Feng , Tian Jun , Pan Haile , Gao Jun , Yao Meng
Published: October 2015

Objective

CCL13, a recently identified CC chemokine, plays an important role in the process of joint destruction, which is considered a common cause for osteoarthritis (OA). This study aims to examine the relation of CCL13 levels in serum and synovial fluid (SF) with the radiographic severity of OA.

Methods

CCL13 levels in serum and SF were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method in 240 patients with knee OA and 134 control subjects. The progression of OA was classified using the Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) system by evaluating x-ray changes observed in anteroposterior knee radiography.

Results

Knee OA patients had higher levels of serum CCL13 compared with control subjects. Knee OA patients with KL grade 4 showed significantly elevated CCL13 levels in serum and SF compared with those with KL grades 2 and 3. Knee OA patients with KL grade 3 had significantly higher SF levels of CCL13 compared with those with KL grade 2. CCL13 levels in serum and SF of knee OA patients were significantly correlated with disease severity evaluated by KL grading criteria.

Conclusions

CCL13 levels in serum and SF were correlated with the radiographic severity of OA. CCL13 levels in serum and SF may serve as a biomarker for the progression of OA.
Association of Human Fetuin-A rs4917 Polymorphism with Obesity in 2 Cohorts
Authors: Temesszentandrási György , Vörös Krisztián , Böröcz Zoltán , Kaszás Edit , Prohászka Zoltán , Falus András , Cseh Károly , Kalabay László
Published: October 2015

Background

Previous studies have shown association of the multifunctional hepatic protein α2HS-glycoprotein/human fetuin A with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and atherosclerosis. Reports of contribution of α2HS-glycoprotein/human fetuin A rs4917 single-nucleotide polymorphism to the development of these pathologic processes are inconsistent. We aimed to investigate the association between variants of rs4917 and parameters of obesity, lipid status, the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), adipokines (adiponectin, resistin), and insulin resistance in 2 cohorts.

Methods

Eighty-one healthy persons (cohort 1) and 157 patients with previous myocardial infarction (cohort 2) were included in this cross-sectional study. rs4917 Polymorphism was determined by the allele-specific KASP by design genotyping assays.

Results

In cohort 1, T-nucleotide carriers had lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels compared with non-T carriers. The serum concentration of TNF-α was found to be higher carrying the non-T allele in cohort 1; however, this difference was not observed in cohort 2. In cohort 2, T carriers had lower body mass index and abdominal and waist circumferences than did non-T carriers. The T nucleotide was more frequent in nonobese than in obese patients (χ2 = 5.217, P = 0.022). Nonobese, nondiabetic T carriers still had lower body mass index and waist circumference than did non-T carriers.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that the T nucleotide in rs4917 is associated with more favorable lipid status among healthy persons (i.e., lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and anthropologic parameters of obesity in cohort 2. The protective role of the T allele may also be associated with lower TNF-α levels found in healthy individuals.
Ivabradine on Aortic Stiffness in Patients with Heart Failure
Authors: Nar Gokay , Inci Sinan , Aksan Gokhan , Demirelli Selami , Soylu Korhan , Yuksel Serkan , Gulel Okan , Icli Atilla
Published: October 2015

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ivabradine treatment on aortic stiffness by measuring aortic elastic parameters in patients with heart failure (HF) receiving ivabradine treatment.

Materials and Methods

The study included clinical patients who were diagnosed with HF (ejection fraction, <35%), had sinus rhythm and persistent symptoms despite full medical treatment. The study group consisted of patients with a heart rate greater than 70 beats per minute and the control group consisted of patients with a heart rate less than 70 beats per minute. Echocardiographic measurements were conducted and aortic strain, aortic distensibility, and aortic stiffness index were calculated.

Results

By the end of the twelfth month, a decrease was observed in the left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes, whereas ejection fraction was increased ( P < 0.001). When aortic elastic parameters were evaluated between the 2 groups, there was no significant difference regarding aortic strain, aortic distensibility, and aortic stiffness index at the time of enrollment and during the visit at 3 months. At the twelfth month visit, aortic strain ( P < 0.001) and distensibility ( P < 0.001) were significantly increased, whereas there was a significant decrease in the aortic stiffness index ( P < 0.001).

Conclusions

During the follow-up at 12 months, significant improvements were observed in the left ventricular functions and aortic elastic parameters along with decreased heart rate in patients with HF receiving ivabradine treatment. This outcome may indicate that ivabradine treatment may correct aortic stiffness and may reduce aortic stiffness after 1 year of follow-up.
Gut Microbiota in Multiple Sclerosis: Possible Influence of Immunomodulators
Authors: Cantarel Brandi L. , Waubant Emmanuelle , Chehoud Christel , Kuczynski Justin , DeSantis Todd Z. , Warrington Janet , Venkatesan Arun , Fraser Claire M. , Mowry Ellen M.
Published: October 2015

Objectives

Differences in gut bacteria have been described in several autoimmune disorders. In this exploratory pilot study, we compared gut bacteria in patients with multiple sclerosis and healthy controls and evaluated the influence of glatiramer acetate and vitamin D treatment on the microbiota.

Methods

Subjects were otherwise healthy white women with or without relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis who were vitamin D insufficient. Patients with multiple sclerosis were untreated or were receiving glatiramer acetate. Subjects collected stool at baseline and after 90 days of vitamin D3 (5000 IU/d) supplementation. The abundance of operational taxonomic units was evaluated by hybridization of 16S rRNA to a DNA microarray.

Results

While there was overlap of gut bacterial communities, the abundance of some operational taxonomic units, including Faecalibacterium, was lower in patients with multiple sclerosis. Glatiramer acetate–treated patients with multiple sclerosis showed differences in community composition compared with untreated subjects, including Bacteroidaceae, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, Lactobacillaceae, Clostridium, and other Clostridiales. Compared with the other groups, untreated patients with multiple sclerosis had an increase in the Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, and Coprococcus genera after vitamin D supplementation.

Conclusions

While overall bacterial communities were similar, specific operational taxonomic units differed between healthy controls and patients with multiple sclerosis. Glatiramer acetate and vitamin D supplementation were associated with differences or changes in the microbiota. This study was exploratory, and larger studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results.
The Effects of Phellinus linteus Polysaccharide Extracts on Cholesterol Efflux in Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein–Loaded THP-1 Macrophages
Authors: Li Xiao-hui , Li Yan , Cheng Zhao-yun , Cai Xi-guo , Wang Hong-min
Published: October 2015

The removal of excess cellular cholesterol is critical for maintaining cellular cholesterol homeostasis. Phellinus linteus polysaccharide extracts (PLPEs) is an immunomudulatory agent with a molecular weight of 153 kd. Here, we analyzed the effects of PLPEs on cholesterol efflux in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)–loaded THP-1 (human acute monocytic leukemia cell line) macrophages. Various concentrations of PLPEs (5, 10, 20, and 100 μg/mL) were used to treat cells. Cholesterol efflux analysis was performed to analyze the cholesterol efflux ratio in PLPE-treated cells. Semiquantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis were conducted to assess the expression of target genes. Low dose of PLPEs (5-20 μg/mL) dose dependently enhanced cholesterol efflux to apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I), evidenced by promoting the expression of adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP)–binding cassette A1, ATP-binding cassette G1, and peroxisome proliferation–activated receptor γ, key regulators for cholesterol efflux. Moreover, GW9662, a potent antagonist of peroxisome proliferation–activated receptor γ, inhibited PLPE (20 μg/mL)–promoted cholesterol efflux to ApoA-I in a dose-dependent fashion. However, high dose of PLPEs (100 μg/mL) inhibited cholesterol efflux to ApoA-I from ox-LDL–loaded THP-1 macrophages, enhanced the production of superoxide anion, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP levels, and raised nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase subunits. Thus, these results indicate that low and high doses of PLPEs exhibit opposite effects on cholesterol efflux from ox-LDL–loaded THP-1 cells.
Effect of Coenzyme Q10 on the Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Heart Failure
Authors: Zhao Qingyan , Kebbati A. Hafid , Zhang Yuguo , Tang Yanhong , Okello Emmy , Huang Congxin
Published: October 2015

Background

There is mounting evidence to support the influence of inflammation and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF). The efficacy of coenzymeQ10 (CoQ10), an antioxidant used as an adjunct treatment in patients with AF and HF, remains less well established.

Methods

Consecutive patients with HF were randomized and divided into 2 groups: the CoQ10 group (combined administration of common drugs and CoQ10) and the control group (administration of common drugs). Ambulatory electrocardiogram Holter monitoring (24 hours), Doppler echocardiography, and evaluation of inflammatory cytokines were performed before treatment and 6 and 12 months after treatment.

Results

One hundred two patients (72 male and 30 female patients), with ages ranging from 45 to 82 years (mean age, 62.3 years), were examined. There was significant reduction in the level of malondialdehyde (3.9 ± 0.7 vs 2.5 ± 0.6 ng/mL; 3.9 ± 0.7 vs 2.3 ± 0.5 ng/mL, P < 0.05) in the CoQ10 group, whereas there was no significant difference (3.3 ± 0.8 vs 2.9 ± 0.8 ng/mL; 3.3 ± 0.8 vs 2.9 ± 0.5 ng/mL) in the control group after 6 and 12 months. Three patients (6.3%) in the CoQ10 group and 12 patients (22.2%) in the control group had episodes of AF after 12 months’ treatment ( P = 0.02). Four patients with AF in the control group went through the third Holter recording.

Conclusions

CoenzymeQ10 as adjuvant treatment in patients with HF may attenuate the incidence of AF. The mechanisms of the effect perhaps have relation with the reduced levels of malondialdehyde.
Rhinovirus-Induced Airway Disease: A Model to Understand the Antiviral and Th2 Epithelial Immune Dysregulation in Childhood Asthma
Authors: Perez Geovanny F. , Rodriguez-Martinez Carlos E. , Nino Gustavo
Published: October 2015

Rhinovirus (RV) infections account for most asthma exacerbations among children and adults, yet the fundamental mechanism responsible for why asthmatics are more susceptible to RV than otherwise healthy individuals remains largely unknown. Nonetheless, the use of models to understand the mechanisms of RV-induced airway disease in asthma has dramatically expanded our knowledge about the cellular and molecular pathogenesis of the disease. For instance, ground-breaking studies have recently established that the susceptibility to RV in asthmatic subjects is associated with a dysfunctional airway epithelial inflammatory response generated after innate recognition of viral-related molecules, such as double-stranded RNA. This review summarizes the novel cardinal features of the asthmatic condition identified in the past few years through translational and experimental RV-based approaches. Specifically, we discuss the evidence demonstrating the presence of an abnormal innate antiviral immunity (airway epithelial secretion of types I and III interferons), exaggerated production of the master Th2 molecule thymic stromal lymphopoietin, and altered antimicrobial host defense in the airways of asthmatic individuals with acute RV infection.
Is Kidney Injury Molecule 1 a Valuable Tool for the Early Diagnosis of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy?
Authors: Akdeniz Derya , Celik Huseyin Tugrul , Kazanci Fatmanur , Yilmaz Hakki , Yalcin Serkan , Bilgic Mukadder Ayse , Ruzgaresen Nuket , Akcay Ali , Eryonucu Beyhan
Published: October 2015

Aim/Scope

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a common complication of diagnostic/therapeutic procedures. Serum creatinine levels are sensitive but often lead to diagnostic delays in acute kidney injury and potential misclassification of actual injury status. Kidney injury molecule (KIM-1) is a novel early marker of acute kidney injury. The aim of our study was to evaluate the KIM-1 levels in patients with CIN. We performed a single-center, nested case-control study.

Materials and Methods

Three thousand two hundred patients who had undergone coronary angiography were included in the study. Thirty-two patients were diagnosed with CIN. Twenty patients who had undergone coronary angiography but did not have CIN were evaluated as a control group (n = 20). The diagnosis of CIN was performed according to the KDIGO 2012 Acute Kidney Injury Guideline criteria. Urinary KIM-1 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay before as well as on the 6th and 48th hours of contrast exposure. Serum creatinine levels were measured before as well as on the 24th and 48th hours after angiographic procedure.

Results

We demonstrated that KIM-1 levels increased in the patients with CIN significantly on the sixth hour when compared with the baseline ( P < 0.01; median levels, 0.27 and 0.70 mg/dL) but not in the controls ( P = 0.107). The precontrast and 48th-hour KIM-1 levels were median ones and were also significantly different ( P = 0.001, the median levels were 0.27 and 0.60 mg/dL, respectively).

Conclusions

Because creatinine is a sensitive but a late marker of CIN, KIM-1 may be used for early diagnosis and early initiation of treatment and may reduce risk for morbidity.
Five-Year Period Prevalence and Characteristics of Anemia in a Large US Inflammatory Bowel Disease Cohort
Authors: Koutroubakis Ioannis E. , Ramos-Rivers Claudia , Regueiro Miguel , Koutroumpakis Efstratios , Click Benjamin , Schwartz Marc , Swoger Jason , Baidoo Leonard , Hashash Jana G. , Barrie Arthur , Dunn Michael A. , Binion David G.
Published: October 2015

Background:

Anemia is a common manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but its prevalence in the United States is not well defined. Aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of anemia in IBD patients who were followed in a US referral center.

Materials and Methods:

Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and treatment data from a prospective, consented longitudinal IBD registry between the years 2009 and 2013 were analyzed. Disease activity was evaluated using Harvey-Bradshaw index in Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) activity index in UC as well as C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Anemia was defined based on the World Health Organization criteria.

Results:

A total of 1821 IBD patients (1077 with CD, 744 with UC, median age 43.8 y, 51.9% female) were included. The 5-year period prevalence of anemia in IBD patients was 50.1%, (CD: 53.3% vs. UC: 44.7%, P=0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, anemia was associated with surgery for IBD [odds ratio (OR)=2.77; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.21-3.48; P<0.0001], female gender (OR=1.29; 95% CI, 1.04-1.61; P=0.02), C-reactive protein (OR=1.26; 95% CI, 1.16-1.37; P<0.0001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (OR=1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.03; P=0.0002), and use of biologics (OR=2.00; 95% CI, 1.58-2.52; P=0.0001) or immunomodulators (OR=1.51; 95% CI, 1.21-1.87; P=0.0003). Iron replacement therapy was administered to 46.8% of the anemic patients.

Conclusion:

Anemia has a high period prevalence in IBD patients followed at a tertiary center. Anemia is more common in CD than in UC, is associated with disease activity, and in current practice is undertreated.
Expansion of haematopoietic stem cells during development
Authors: Udroiu Ion
Published: October 2015

Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) arise in the embryo in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros region and the placenta, afterwards colonise the liver (and spleen) and finally the bone marrow, which, from birth on, remains the sole site of haematopoiesis. In mouse, after the fetal phase of rapid HSCs expansion, the number of these stem cells continues to increase after birth in order to sustain the growing blood volume of the developing infant. The number of total circulating reticulocytes seems to indicate that this growth stops around the third week of murine life, well before the whole animal stops to grow. Around the same time, a period of abundant lymphopoiesis ends. Human HSCs seem to show similar patterns during post-natal growth and these could be useful to understand the peculiar features of paediatric leukaemogenesis.