bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ileocecal vascularized lymph node transfer for the treatment of extremity lymphedema: A case report
Authors: Ciudad Pedro , Manrique Oscar J , Agko Mouchammed , Liu En‐Wei , Chang Wei‐Ling , Sze‐Wei Yeo Matthew , Huang Tony Chieh‐Ting , Chilgar Ram M. , Chen Hung‐Chi
Published: May 2017

Vascularized lymph node (VLN) transfer has been of high interest in the past decade for the treatment of lymphedema, since it has been shown to be effective in reducing limb volumes, decreasing infectious episodes and improving quality of life. Multiple donor sites have been described in the quest for the optimal one. Herein, we describe a novel lymph node flap option based on the ileocolic artery and vein. The ileocecal vascularized lymph node (IC‐VLN) flap was used in the management of a 33‐year‐old male patient with lower extremity lymphedema secondary to left inguinal trauma. The patient had previously underwent a pedicled omentum flap transposition with minimal improvement in limb size and persistent episodes of infection. At 15 month follow‐up, the IC‐VLN flap improved the lymphatic drainage in the affected limb with a mean limb circumference reduction rate of 26.3%. No donor site complications or further episodes of infection were noted. According to our findings, the IC‐VLN flap may be another option for VLN transfer in very selected cases. Nevertheless, larger series with a longer follow‐up are required to analyze the efficacy and long‐term results of this flap.
Genetic determination of body fat distribution and the attributive influence on metabolism
Authors: Fehlert Ellen , Wagner Róbert , Ketterer Caroline , Böhm Anja , Machann Jürgen , Fritsche Louise , Machicao Fausto , Schick Fritz , Staiger Harald , Stefan Norbert , Häring Hans‐Ulrich , Fritsche Andreas , Heni Martin
Published: May 2017

Objective

Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have identified single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with estimates of body fat distribution. Using predefined risk allele scores, the correlation of these scores with precisely quantified body fat distribution assessed by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques and with metabolic traits was investigated.

Methods

Data from 4,944 MR scans from 915 subjects of European ancestry were analyzed. Body fat distribution was determined by MR imaging and liver fat content by 1H‐MR spectroscopy. All subjects underwent a five‐point 75‐g oral glucose tolerance test. A total of 65 SNPs with reported genome‐wide significant associations regarding estimates of body fat distribution were genotyped. Four genetic risk scores were created by summation of risk alleles.

Results

A higher allelic load of waist‐to‐hip ratio SNPs was associated with lower insulin sensitivity, higher postchallenge glucose levels, and more visceral and less subcutaneous fat mass.

Conclusions

GWAS‐derived polymorphisms estimating body fat distribution are associated with distinct patterns of body fat distribution exactly measured by MR. Only the risk score associated with the waist‐to‐hip ratio in GWAS showed an unhealthy pattern of metabolism and body fat distribution. This score might be useful for predicting diseases associated with genetically determined, unhealthy obesity.
The polynomial chaos approach for reachable set propagation with application to chance‐constrained nonlinear optimal control under parametric uncertainties
Authors: Bergner Lilli , Kirches Christian
Published: May 2017

Optimal control problems with parametric uncertainties frequently arise in control practice and can be addressed by means of a probabilistic robustification using the concept of chance constraints. In this article, we develop an efficient method based on the polynomial chaos expansion to compute nonlinear propagations of the reachable sets of all uncertain states and show how it can be used to approximate nonlinear and joint chance constraints. The strength of the obtained estimator in guaranteeing a satisfaction level is supported by providing an a priori error estimate with exponential convergence in case of sufficiently smooth solutions. The proposed approach is readily implemented in existing state‐of‐the‐art direct methods to optimal control and is evaluated for 2 real‐world nonlinear uncertain optimal control problems. The achieved level of robustness in terms of constraint satisfaction is verified by extensive Monte Carlo sampling.
Clinical outcomes following proton therapy for children with central nervous system tumors referred overseas
Authors: Indelicato Daniel J. , Bradley Julie A. , Sandler Eric S. , Aldana Philipp R. , Sapp Amy , Gains Jennifer E. , Crellin Adrian , Rotondo Ronny L.
Published: May 2017

Background

International, multidisciplinary care of children with central nervous system (CNS) tumors presents unique challenges. The aim of this study is to report patient outcomes of U.K. children referred for proton therapy to a North American facility.

Methods

From 2008 to 2016, 166 U.K. children with approved CNS tumors were treated with proton therapy at a single academic medical center in the United States. Median age was 7 years (range, 1–19). Median follow‐up was 2.6 years.

Results

The 3‐year actuarial overall survival (OS) and local control (LC) rates were 96% and 91%, respectively, for the overall group, 92% and 85% for the ependymoma subgroup (n = 57), 95% and 88% for the low‐grade glioma subgroup (n = 54), and 100% and 100%, respectively, for the craniopharyngioma subgroup (n = 45). Cyst expansion was observed in 13 patients, including one case resulting in visual impairment. Serious side effects included new‐onset seizures in three patients (1.8%), symptomatic vasculopathy in three patients (1.8%), and symptomatic brainstem necrosis in one patient (0.6%).

Conclusions

In this cohort of British children referred overseas for proton therapy, disease control does not appear compromised, toxicity is acceptable, and improvement in long‐term function is anticipated in survivors owing to the reduced brain exposure afforded by proton therapy.
The impact of the boxed warning on the duration of use for depot medroxprogesterone acetate
Authors: Eworuke Efe , Lee Joo‐Yeon , Soule Lisa , Popat Vaishali , Moeny David G.
Published: May 2017

Objective

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of the Food and Drug Administration's boxed warning on the utilization of depot medroxyprogesterone (DMPA).

Methods

From the IMS Lifelink data (2001–2009), we identified DMPA and oral combined hormonal contraceptive (CHC) users without a prescription claim 6 months before and after the first and last claim. Episodes were defined as all contiguous claims with no more than 90‐day DMPA or 30‐day CHC between claims. Days' supply (CHC) and 90‐day duration (DMPA) was used to determine episodes. We used interrupted time series to evaluate changes in the mean episode length and proportion of episodes >2 years before and after the Food and Drug Administration's November 2004 boxed warning. Stratified analyses by birth cohort were conducted.

Results

From 2001 to 2009, 126 528 DMPA and 651 356 CHC episodes were used for segmented regression. For the DMPA cohort, there was an immediate decline in the mean duration (−34.7 days [confidence interval: −45.4 to −24.1]) and episodes >2 years (−1.9% [confidence interval: −2.9% to −1.1%]) after the boxed warning. We did not observe any change in mean duration or episodes >2 years for the CHC cohort. The largest declines in mean duration and proportion >2 years were seen with the oldest women.

Conclusion

We observed a modest decline in the mean duration and episodes >2 years for DMPA use immediately after the boxed warning not observed among CHC users. In the stratified analysis, we saw declines in the duration of use >2 years in all age groups, except adolescents who continue to use DMPA for longer than 2 years. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Characterization of Aging Behavior of Butacene® Based Composite Propellants by Loss Factor Curves
Authors: Seyidoglu Tijen , Bohn Manfred A.
Published: May 2017

Butacene® is a polymeric binder with ferrocenyl groups chemically bonded to HTPB backbone. Through incorporation in the AP−Al composite propellant formulation, it leads to high burning rates (BR) >20 mm/s at 7 MPa, and low pressure exponents n<0.5, allowing more flexibility to the rocket design, keeping the characteristics (process, mechanical properties, pot‐life) of HTPB binder formulations together with a lower vulnerability (IM) contribution by Butacene®. The key molecular level characteristic of such HTPB based elastomeric binder systems of solid composite rocket propellants (SCRP) is the glass‐rubber transition region, which is mainly defined by the molecular mobility of the components in the polymeric network during the transition from energy to entropy elasticity with respect to temperature. The molecular rearrangement regions or binder mobility fractions related to the glass‐rubber transition of such composite propellants during storage are important in terms of in‐service time estimations. They are detectable by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Formulations with and without Butacene® were prepared and analyzed using the loss factor curves obtained by torsion DMA. A special modelling with so named Exponentially Modified Gaussian (EMG) distribution was used to define and quantify sub‐transition regions in the loss factor curve. SEM images revealed the network formation connected with AP bonding, which correlate to the tensile results. DMA loss factors revealed a strong oxidation with Butacene® containing formulations during aging. Burning rates of the formulations show slight increases with aging.
Effect of pathologic revision and Ki67 and ERG immunohistochemistry on predicting radical prostatectomy outcome in men initially on active surveillance
Authors: Bokhorst Leonard P. , Roobol Monique J. , Bangma Chris H. , van Leenders Geert J.
Published: May 2017

Objective

To investigate if pathologic biopsy reevaluation and implementation of immunohistochemical biomarkers could improve prediction of radical prostatectomy outcome in men initially on active surveillance.

Methods

Biopsy specimens from diagnosis until switching to radical prostatectomy in men initially on active surveillance in the Dutch part of the Prostate cancer Research International Active Surveillance (PRIAS) study were collected and revised by a single pathologist. Original and revised biopsy Gleason score were compared and correlated with radical prostatectomy Gleason score. Biopsy specimens were immunohistochemically stained for Ki67 and ERG. Predictive ability of clinical characteristics and biomarkers on Gleason ≥7 or ≥pT3 on radical prostatectomy was tested using logistic regression and ROC curve analysis.

Results

A total of 150 biopsies in 95 men were revised. In 13% of diagnostic or second‐to‐last biopsies and 20% of the last biopsies on active surveillance revision of Gleason score resulted in change of recommendation (ie, active treatment or active surveillance). Concordance with Gleason score on radical prostatectomy was however similar for both the revised and original Gleason on biopsy. Ki67 and ERG were not statistically significant predictors of Gleason ≥7 or ≥pT3 on radical prostatectomy.

Conclusions

Although interobserver differences in pathology reporting on biopsy could result in a change of management strategy in approximately 13‐20% of men on active surveillance, both pathological revision and tested biomarkers (Ki67 and ERG) did not improve prediction of outcome on radical prostatectomy. Undersampling of most aggressive tumor remains the main focus in order to increase accurate grading at time of treatment decision making.
Not all breaks are equal: Variable hydrologic and geomorphic responses to intentional levee breaches along the lower Cosumnes River, California
Authors: Nichols A. L. , Viers J. H.
Published: May 2017

The transport of water and sediment from rivers to adjacent floodplains helps generate complex floodplain, wetland, and riparian ecosystems. However, riverside levees restrict lateral connectivity of water and sediment during flood pulses, making the re‐introduction of floodplain hydrogeomorphic processes through intentional levee breaching and removal an emerging floodplain restoration practice. Repeated topographic observations from levee breach sites along the lower Cosumnes River (USA) indicated that breach architecture influences floodplain and channel hydrogeomorphic processes. Where narrow breaches (<75 m) open onto graded floodplains, archetypal crevasse splays developed along a single dominant flowpath, with floodplain erosion in near‐bank areas and lobate splay deposition in distal floodplain regions. Narrow breaches opening into excavated floodplain channels promoted both transverse advection and turbulent diffusion of sediment into the floodplain channel, facilitating near‐bank deposition and potential breach closure. Wide breaches (>250 m) enabled multiple modes of water and sediment transport onto graded floodplains. Advective sediment transport along multiple flow paths generated overlapping crevasse splays, while turbulent diffusion promoted the formation of lateral levees through large wood and sediment accumulation in near‐bank areas. Channel incision (>2 m) upstream from a wide levee breach suggests that large flow diversions through such breaches can generate water surface drawdown during flooding, resulting in localized flow acceleration and upstream channel incision. Understanding variable hydrogeomorphic responses to levee breach architecture will help restoration managers design breaches that maximize desired floodplain topographic change while also minimizing potential undesirable consequences such as levee breach closure or channel incision.
Tracheal Replacement Therapy with a Stem Cell-Seeded Graft: Lessons from Compassionate Use Application of a GMP-Compliant Tissue-Engineered Medicine
Authors: Elliott Martin J. , Butler Colin R. , Varanou-Jenkins Aikaterini , Partington Leanne , Carvalho Carla , Samuel Edward , Crowley Claire , Lange Peggy , Hamilton Nicholas J. , Hynds Robert E. , Ansari Tahera , Sibbons Paul , Fierens Anja , McLaren Claire , Roebuck Derek , Wallis Colin , Muthialu Nagarajan , Hewitt Richard , Crabbe David , Janes Sam M. , De Coppi Paolo , Lowdell Mark W. , Birchall Martin A.
Published: May 2017

Tracheal replacement for the treatment of end-stage airway disease remains an elusive goal. The use of tissue-engineered tracheae in compassionate use cases suggests that such an approach is a viable option. Here, a stem cell-seeded, decellularized tissue-engineered tracheal graft was used on a compassionate basis for a girl with critical tracheal stenosis after conventional reconstructive techniques failed. The graft represents the first cell-seeded tracheal graft manufactured to full good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards. We report important preclinical and clinical data from the case, which ended in the death of the recipient. Early results were encouraging, but an acute event, hypothesized to be an intrathoracic bleed, caused sudden airway obstruction 3 weeks post-transplantation, resulting in her death. We detail the clinical events and identify areas of priority to improve future grafts. In particular, we advocate the use of stents during the first few months post-implantation. The negative outcome of this case highlights the inherent difficulties in clinical translation where preclinical in vivo models cannot replicate complex clinical scenarios that are encountered. The practical difficulties in delivering GMP grafts underscore the need to refine protocols for phase I clinical trials.
Fast‐Clearable Nanocarriers Conducting Chemo/Photothermal Combination Therapy to Inhibit Recurrence of Malignant Tumors
Authors: Zhao Lingzhi , Yuan Wei , Tham Huijun Phoebe , Chen Hongzhong , Xing Pengyao , Xiang Huijing , Yao Xin , Qiu Xiaochen , Dai Yu , Zhu Liangliang , Li Fuyou , Zhao Yanli
Published: May 2017

Inhomogeneous heating by photothermal therapy (PTT) during cancer treatment often results in the recurrence of tumors. Thus, integrating PTT with chemotherapy (CHT) may provide a complementary treatment for enhanced therapeutic efficiency. Herein, this study develops a hollow structured polymer–silica nanohybrid (HPSN) as a nanocarrier to simultaneously deliver the anticancer drug paclitaxel and photothermal agent palladium phthalocyanine to tumors through enhanced permeation and the retention effect. A combinational CHT/PTT therapy on mice bearing aggressive tumor grafts is conducted. The highly malignant tumor model, which recurs after sole treatment of PTT, can be eradicated by the combined CHT/PTT treatment. In addition, most of the off‐targeted HPSN nanocarriers can be excreted through a hepatobiliary pathway in about 10 d. Serology results show that the fast‐clearable HPSN can significantly reduce the side effect of the loaded paclitaxel drug. The present work provides an alternative approach for combinational cancer treatment with high therapeutic efficiency.
Column seismic shear load distribution in a seven‐story multi‐bay concrete frame
Authors: Phillippi Donald J. , Liuzza Gabrielle
Published: May 2017

Earthquake‐resistant buildings are intended to resist earthquake motions through ductile inelastic response of the seismic force‐resisting system, and the design of special reinforced concrete moment frames (SMFs) requires the consideration of both strength and stiffness. SMFs are proportioned and detailed to allow for extensive inelastic deformations, and most frames are designed using elastic (or modified elastic) two‐dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) models. However, the concrete columns’ stiffnesses are significantly affected by varying axial loads caused by frame overturning. In the research presented here, a three‐dimensional, nonlinear finite element analysis (3D‐FEA) model is incorporated that includes eight‐node solid elements for concrete material and two‐dimensional beam elements for steel reinforcement. Concrete–column shear load distribution will be presented using 3D‐FEA and will be compared to typical two‐dimensional methods, and while it is widely known that columns loaded in axial compression are stronger than columns in axial tension, the compressive columns have an increased stiffness, which changes the proportionality of the shear load distribution within the concrete frame. In the case of moment frames, the increase in stiffness in compressive columns exceeds the augmentation in column strength so that the net effect is that the higher compressive columns are the most susceptible to shear loads.
Planning for Technology Integration in a Professional Learning Community
Authors: Thoma Jennifer , Hutchison Amy , Johnson Debra , Johnson Kurt , Stromer Elizabeth
Published: May 2017

Barriers to technology integration in instruction include a lack of time, resources, and professional development. One potential approach to overcoming these barriers is through collaborative work, or professional learning communities. This article focuses on one group of teachers who leveraged their professional learning community to focus on integrating technology into their literacy instruction. Through this experience, teachers changed the way they approached technology integration. This article adds to the current literature on professional development and technology integration by exploring the perspectives of three fifth‐grade teachers working in a collaborative learning community over a period of one year. Implications from this experience suggest that using common formative assessments, providing ample time to learn together, and using a facilitator can help teachers work together effectively to integrate technology into literacy instruction.
Adaptive capacity: exploring the research frontier
Authors: Mortreux Colette , Barnett Jon
Published: May 2017

In the past 15 years there has been rapid growth in research on adaptive capacity. This article critically reviews this literature, describing changes in the field over time, and highlighting the new frontiers in research. It explains how research on adaptive capacity began and remains heavily influenced by a one‐size‐fits‐all assets‐based theory that assumes that adaptation action is commensurate with the possession of capitals. It explains how this theory has been unable to explain how adaptation is actually practiced across diverse contexts and scales. The article then highlights new research, particularly that which extends analysis to include psycho‐social and institutional dimensions applied at smaller scales of analysis. This shift recognizes and helps overcome the limits of traditional approaches to adaptive capacity, but the field still lacks theories that can explain the relationship between adaptive capacity and adaptation outcomes. Drawing on findings from disaster risk reduction and behavioral science literatures, this article outlines a framework comprised of six factors that better explain how capacity is translated and mobilized into action, namely: risk attitudes, personal experience, trust in and expectations of authorities, place attachment, competing concerns, and household composition and dynamics.WIREs Clim Change2017, 8:e467. doi: 10.1002/wcc.467

This article is categorized under:

Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change > Institutions for Adaptation
Protein design: from computer models to artificial intelligence
Authors: Paladino Antonella , Marchetti Filippo , Rinaldi Silvia , Colombo Giorgio
Published: May 2017

The rational design of novel biomolecules with desired functional properties is one of the most fascinating challenges in science, with implications at the fundamental and practical levels. From the fundamental point of view, the design of proteins able to support nonnatural reactivities represents the decisive test on our understanding of the molecular mechanisms through which biomolecules operate. From the practical point of view, new designs may open the way to applications in a wide variety of fields, ranging from health to life science, and from catalysis to material sciences. During the past decades, we have witnessed an amazing transition in the application of computational methods to protein and enzyme design, from simple fold prediction to ab initio structural design. Herein, we review key areas and fundamental aspects of research in the design of protein structures, interactions, and reactivities. We also provide our perspective on the exciting range of developments that are made possible by the integration of innovations in hardware, software, and theory, while keeping an eye on the applications, challenges, and opportunities that can open up in many different domains of science. WIREs Comput Mol Sci 2017, 7:e1318. doi: 10.1002/wcms.1318

This article is categorized under:

Structure and Mechanism > Computational Biochemistry and Biophysics

Molecular and Statistical Mechanics > Molecular Dynamics and Monte-Carlo Methods
Electrophysiological analysis of synaptic transmission in Drosophila
Authors: Bykhovskaia Maria , Vasin Alexander
Published: May 2017

Synaptic transmission is dynamic, plastic, and highly regulated. Drosophila is an advantageous model system for genetic and molecular studies of presynaptic and postsynaptic mechanisms and plasticity. Electrical recordings of synaptic responses represent a wide‐spread approach to study neuronal signaling and synaptic transmission. We discuss experimental techniques that allow monitoring synaptic transmission in Drosophila neuromuscular and central systems. Recordings of synaptic potentials or currents at the larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) are most common and provide numerous technical advantages due to robustness of the preparation, large and identifiable muscles, and synaptic boutons which can be readily visualized. In particular, focal macropatch recordings combined with the analysis of neurosecretory quanta enable rigorous quantification of the magnitude and kinetics of transmitter release. Patch‐clamp recordings of synaptic transmission from the embryonic NMJ enable overcoming the problem of lethality in mutant lines. Recordings from the adult NMJ proved instrumental in the studies of temperature‐sensitive paralytic mutants. Genetic studies of behavioral learning in Drosophila compel an investigation of synaptic transmission in the central nervous system (CNS), including primary cultured neurons and an intact brain. Cholinergic and GABAergic synaptic transmission has been recorded from the Drosophila CNS both in vitro and in vivo. In vivo patch‐clamp recordings of synaptic transmission from the neurons in the olfactory pathway is a very powerful approach, which has a potential to elucidate how synaptic transmission is associated with behavioral learning. WIREs Dev Biol 2017, 6:e277. doi: 10.1002/wdev.277

This article is categorized under:

Signaling Pathways > Global Signaling Mechanisms

Invertebrate Organogenesis > Flies

Technologies > Analysis of Cell, Tissue, and Animal Phenotypes
Variable selection in the presence of missing data: imputation‐based methods
Authors: Zhao Yize , Long Qi
Published: May 2017

Variable selection plays an essential role in regression analysis as it identifies important variables that are associated with outcomes and is known to improve predictive accuracy of resulting models. Variable selection methods have been widely investigated for fully observed data. However, in the presence of missing data, methods for variable selection need to be carefully designed to account for missing data mechanisms and statistical techniques used for handling missing data. Since imputation is arguably the most popular method for handling missing data due to its ease of use, statistical methods for variable selection that are combined with imputation are of particular interest. These methods, valid and used under the assumptions of missing at random and missing completely at random, largely fall into three general strategies. The first strategy applies existing variable selection methods to each imputed dataset and then combines variable selection results across all imputed datasets. The second strategy applies existing variable selection methods to stacked imputed datasets. The third variable selection strategy combines resampling techniques such as bootstrap with imputation. Despite recent advances, this area remains under‐developed and offers fertile ground for further research.WIREs Comput Stat2017, 9:e1402. doi: 10.1002/wics.1402

This article is categorized under:

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Bootstrap and Resampling
Multi‐Center vs. Two‐Center Bonding within the Hetero‐Polyanion in Eu2GaPt2 and its Prototype Ca2SiIr2
Authors: Pöttgen Rainer , Borrmann Horst , Grin Yuri
Published: May 2017

The compound Eu2GaPt2 was synthesized from the elements in a sealed tantalum tube. Its Ca2SiIr2‐type crystal structure was refined from single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction data: space group C2/c, a = 9.8775(6), b = 5.8621(6), c = 7.9677(5) Å, β = 102.257(4)°, RF = 0.039, 1344 observed reflections, and 25 variable parameters. The platinum (iridium) atoms in Eu2GaPt2 and Ca2SiIr2 form linear chains of dumbbells [2c(Pt–Pt) or 2c(Ir–Ir) bonds, respectively]. These chains are interconnected to 2D polyanions in Eu2GaPt2 by the gallium atoms forming 4c(Ga–Pt–Ga–Pt) or by silicon atoms forming 2c(Si–Ir) bonds in Ca2SiIr2. The polyanion bonds to the europium (calcium) matrix via the pseudo lone‐pairs at the gallium (silicon) atoms.
Novel Ester‐linked Anionic Gemini Surfactant: Synthesis, Surface‐Active Properties and Antimicrobial Study
Authors: Ahire Manisha B. , Bhagwat Sunil S.
Published: May 2017

A novel anionic gemini surfactant containing an ester bond in the spacer group was synthesized using cardanol as the raw material and characterized by IR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR. The surface properties of the gemini surfactant were investigated and compared with its corresponding single chain surfactant counterpart. It was found that this novel gemini surfactant exhibited a low critical micelle concentration value (1.9 mM) and good efficiency in reducing surface tension of water (33.6 mN/m). The gemini surfactant was found to have antimicrobial activity against Gram‐negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), Gram‐positive (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria and fungi (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Candida albicans and Rhizopus stolonifer). The gemini as well as the corresponding single chain surfactant showed good antimicrobial activity against all pathogenic microorganisms studied and can be employed as an antimicrobial agent. The synthesized novel anionic gemini surfactant possesses an excellent wettability and low foamability.
Control of synthetic gene networks and its applications
Authors: J Menn David , Su Ri‐Qi , Wang Xiao
Published: May 2017

Background

One of the underlying assumptions of synthetic biology is that biological processes can be engineered in a controllable way.

Results

Here we discuss this assumption as it relates to synthetic gene regulatory networks (GRNs). We first cover the theoretical basis of GRN control, then address three major areas in which control has been leveraged: engineering and analysis of network stability, temporal dynamics, and spatial aspects.

Conclusion

These areas lay a strong foundation for further expansion of control in synthetic GRNs and pave the way for future work synthesizing these disparate concepts.
Association between the rs1042522 polymorphism in TP53 and prostate cancer risk: An updated meta‐analysis
Authors: Fan Song , Hao Zong‐Yao , Zhang Meng , Liang Chao‐Zhao
Published: May 2017

Objective

The proposal of the present study was to investigate whether the TP53 rs1042522 polymorphism confers susceptibility to prostate cancer (PCa), by performing an updated meta‐analysis.

Methods

Eligible publications investigating the association between the TP53 rs1042522 polymorphism and PCa susceptibility were selected from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. We used STATA 12.0 software to conduct the analyses. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated.

Results

A total of 17 case–control studies were retrieved reporting a total of 2683 cases and 2981 controls. However, no significant association was uncovered between the TP53 rs1042522 polymorphism and PCa susceptibility in the overall population under the five genetic models. In the stratification analysis by source of control, an increased susceptibility to PCa was identified in the population‐based (P‐B) group (CG vs. GG: OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.24–1.77, P < 0.01; CC/CG vs. GG: OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.12–1.57, P < 0.01), whereas a decreased susceptibility was uncovered in the hospital‐based (H‐B) group (CG vs. GG: OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.46–0.96, P = 0.03; CC/CG vs. GG: OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.46–0.99, P = 0.04) under heterozygous and dominant model.

Conclusion

This study did not find an association between the TP53 rs1042522 polymorphism and PCa susceptibility in the overall population and corresponding subgroup analyses except in the stratification analysis by source of control. The results suggest that the TP53 rs1042522 polymorphism is not a risk factor for PCa.
The adaptive decision-making, risky decision, and decision-making style of Internet gaming disorder
Authors: Ko C.-H. , Wang P.-W. , Liu T.-L. , Chen C.-S. , Yen C.-F. , Yen J.-Y.
Published: May 2017

Background:

Persistent gaming, despite acknowledgment of its negative consequences, is a major criterion for individuals with Internet gaming disorder (IGD). This study evaluated the adaptive decision-making, risky decision, and decision-making style of individuals with IGD.

Methods:

We recruited 87 individuals with IGD and 87 without IGD (matched controls). All participants underwent an interview based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th Edition) diagnostic criteria for IGD and completed an adaptive decision-making task; the Preference for Intuition and Deliberation Scale, Chen Internet Addiction Scale, and Barratt Impulsivity Scale were also assessed on the basis of the information from the diagnostic interviews.

Results:

The results demonstrated that the participants in both groups tend to make more risky choices in advantage trials where their expected value (EV) was more favorable than those of the riskless choice. The tendency to make a risky choice in advantage trials was stronger among IGD group than that among controls. Participants of both groups made more risky choices in the loss domain, a risky option to loss more versus sure loss option, than they did in the gain domain, a risky option to gain more versus sure gain. Furthermore, the participants with IGD made more risky choices in the gain domain than did the controls. Participants with IGD showed higher and lower preferences for intuitive and deliberative decision-making styles, respectively, than controls and their preferences for intuition and deliberation were positively and negatively associated with IGD severity, respectively.

Conclusions:

These results suggested that individuals with IGD have elevated EV sensitivity for decision-making. However, they demonstrated risky preferences in the gain domain and preferred an intuitive rather than deliberative decision-making style. This might explain why they continue Internet gaming despite negative consequences. Thus, therapists should focus more on decision-making styles and promote deliberative thinking processes to mitigate the long-term negative consequences of IGD.
Power analysis to detect treatment effects in longitudinal clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Huang Zhiyue , Muniz‐Terrera Graciela , Tom Brian D.M. ,   Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: May 2017

Introduction

Assessing cognitive and functional changes at the early stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and detecting treatment effects in clinical trials for early AD are challenging.

Methods

Under the assumption that transformed versions of the Mini–Mental State Examination, the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale–Sum of Boxes, and the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale–Cognitive Subscale tests'/components' scores are from a multivariate linear mixed‐effects model, we calculated the sample sizes required to detect treatment effects on the annual rates of change in these three components in clinical trials for participants with mild cognitive impairment.

Results

Our results suggest that a large number of participants would be required to detect a clinically meaningful treatment effect in a population with preclinical or prodromal Alzheimer's disease. We found that the transformed Mini–Mental State Examination is more sensitive for detecting treatment effects in early AD than the transformed Clinical Dementia Rating Scale–Sum of Boxes and Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale–Cognitive Subscale. The use of optimal weights to construct powerful test statistics or sensitive composite scores/endpoints can reduce the required sample sizes needed for clinical trials.

Conclusion

Consideration of the multivariate/joint distribution of components' scores rather than the distribution of a single composite score when designing clinical trials can lead to an increase in power and reduced sample sizes for detecting treatment effects in clinical trials for early AD.
The time is now – a call to action for gender equality in global health leadership
Authors: Dhatt R. , Thompson K. , Lichtenstein D. , Ronsin K. , Wilkins K.
Published: May 2017

Gender equality is considered paramount to the success of the Sustainable Development Goals and incorporated into global health programming and delivery, but there is great gender disparity within global health leadership and an absence of women at the highest levels of decision making. This perspective piece outlines the current gaps and challenges, highlighting the lack of data and unanswered questions regarding possible solutions, as well as the activity of Women in Global Health and efforts to directly address the inequity and lack of female leaders. We conclude with an agenda and tangible next steps of action for promoting women's leadership in health as a means to promote the global goals of achieving gender equality and catalyzing change.
A glacial readvance during retreat of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, British Columbia central coast
Authors: Eamer Jordan B. R. , Shugar Dan H. , Walker Ian J. , Lian Olav B. , Neudorf Christina M. , Telka Alice M.
Published: May 2017

Descriptions of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet retreat after the last glacial maximum have included short-lived readvances occurring during the Older and Younger Dryas stadial periods and into the Holocene, but identification of these events has been largely limited to southwest and central British Columbia and northwest Washington State. We present evidence of a late Pleistocene readvance of Cordilleran ice occurring on the central coast of British Columbia on Calvert Island, between northern Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii. Evidence is provided by sedimentological and paleoecological information contained in a sedimentary sequence combined with geomorphic mapping of glacial features in the region. Results indicate that a cold climate existed between 15.1 and 14.3 cal ka BP and that ice advanced to, and then retreated from, the western edge of the island between 14.2 and 13.8 cal ka BP. These data provide the first evidence of a major fluctuation in the retreating ice sheet margin in this region and suggest that a cold climate was a major factor in ice readvance. These data contribute to the understanding of past temperature, ice loading and crustal response, the nature of ice margin retreat, and the paleoenvironment of an understudied area of the Pacific Northwest.
The role of climate and tectonics in aggradation and incision of the Indus River in the Ladakh Himalaya during the late Quaternary
Authors: Kumar Anil , Srivastava Pradeep
Published: May 2017

The geomorphic evolution of the upper Indus River that traverses across the southwest (SW) edge of Tibet, and the Ladakh and Zanskar ranges, was examined along a ~350-km-long stretch of its reaches. Based on the longitudinal river profile, stream length gradient index, and river/strath terraces, this stretch of the river is divided into four segments. Valley fill river terraces are ubiquitous, and strath terraces occur in the lower reaches where the Indus River cuts through deformed Indus Molasse. Optically stimulated luminescence ages of river/strath terraces suggest that valley aggradation occurred in three pulses, at ~52, ~28, and ~16 ka, and that these broadly coincide with periods of stronger SW Indian summer monsoon. Reconstructed longitudinal river profiles using strath terraces provide an upper limit on the bedrock and provide incision rates ranging from 1.0±0.3 to 2.2±0.9 mm/a. These results suggested that rapid uplift of the western syntaxes aided by uplift along the local faults led to the formation of strath terraces and increased fluvial incision rates along this stretch of the river.
Singular values and bounded Siegel disks
Authors: BENINI ANNA MIRIAM , FAGELLA NÚRIA
Published: May 2017

Letfbe an entire transcendental function of finite order and Δ be a forward invariant bounded Siegel disk forfwith rotation number in Herman's class$\mathcal{H}$. We show that iffhas two singular values with bounded orbit, then the boundary of Δ contains a critical point. We also give a criterion under which the critical point in question is recurrent. We actually prove a more general theorem with less restrictive hypotheses, from which these results follow.
More Human than Human
Authors: LAWRENCE DAVID
Published: May 2017

Within the literature surrounding nonhuman animals on the one hand and cognitively disabled humans on the other, there is much discussion of where beings that do not satisfy the criteria for personhood fit in our moral deliberations. In the future, we may face a different but related problem: that we might create (or cause the creation of) beings that not only satisfy but exceed these criteria. The question becomes whether these are minimal criteria, or hierarchical, such that those who fulfill them to greater degree should be afforded greater consideration. This article questions the validity and necessity of drawing divisions among beings that satisfy the minimum requirements for personhood; considering how future beings—intelligent androids, synthezoids, even alternate-substrate sentiences—might fit alongside the “baseline” human. I ask whether these alternate beings ought to be considered different to us, and why this may or may not matter in terms of a notion of “human community.” The filmBlade Runner, concerned in large part with humanity and its key synthezoid antagonist Roy Batty, forms a framing touchstone for my discussion. Batty is stronger, faster, more resilient, and more intelligent thanHomo sapiens. His exploits, far beyond the capability of normal humans, are contrasted with his frailty and transient lifespan, his aesthetic appreciation of the sights he has seen, and his burgeoning empathy. Not for nothing does his creator within the mythos term him “more human than human.”
SCHEDULING ON TWO PARALLEL MACHINES WITH TWO DEDICATED SERVERS
Authors: JIANG YIWEI , ZHOU PING , WANG HUIJUAN , HU JUELIANG
Published: May 2017

We study a nonpreemptive scheduling on two parallel identical machines with a dedicated loading server and a dedicated unloading server. Each job has to be loaded by the loading server before being processed on one of the machines and unloaded immediately by the unloading server after its processing. The loading and unloading times are both equal to one unit of time. The goal is to minimize the makespan. Since the problem is NP-hard, we apply the classical list scheduling and largest processing time heuristics, and show that they have worst-case ratios, $8/5$ and $6/5$, respectively.
Translating theLegenda aureain Early Modern England
Authors: Ring Morgan
Published: May 2017

To its admirers, theLegenda aureais a powerful expression of medieval belief. To the evangelical pamphleteers of early modern England, it was a symbol of all the failings of unreformed religion. For historians, it is a convenient shorthand for popular hagiography before the Reformation. These readings, however, understate theLegenda'soften ambiguous place in early modern devotional life. This article seeks to complicate theLegenda'shistory in late medieval and early modern England. It argues that the concept and the act of translation rendered Jacobus's text more complex than the historiographical shorthand allows. Translation contributed to theLegenda'spower as a devotional work, was a means by which it found its use, impact and wide audience, and was central to how reformers remembered both the text itself and its author. The translatedLegendawas not the exception to the narrative of the long Reformation, but an emblem of it.
Vegetable Soybean Tolerance to Pyroxasulfone
Authors: Williams Martin M. , Hausman Nicholas E. , Moody James L.
Published: May 2017

If registered for use on vegetable soybean, pyroxasulfone would expand the options for weed management systems in the crop. In order to determine the potential crop injury risk of pyroxasulfone on vegetable soybean, the objective of this work was to quantify vegetable soybean tolerance to pyroxasulfone applied PRE and EPOST. Twenty-one vegetable soybean and two grain-type soybean cultivars were treated with pyroxasulfone at 417 gaiha−1 (twice the recommended field use rate) PRE, EPOST, or not treated. Plant population density was unaffected by pyroxasulfone. Only low levels (<10%) of crop injury were observed within a few weeks after PRE and EPOST treatments. Soybean cultivars were not differentially affected by pyroxasulfone, as evidenced by the lack of interactions between cultivar and treatment for any crop response variable. The low amount of risk of crop injury associated with pyroxasulfone is no different for vegetable soybean cultivars grown in the US for commercial production than grain-type soybean.
Modulation of liver regeneration via myeloid PTEN deficiency
Authors: Ma Wen-Tao , Jia Yan-Jie , Liu Qing-Zhi , Yang Yan-Qing , Yang Jing-Bo , Zhao Zhi-Bin , Yang Zhen-Ye , Shi Qing-Hua , Ma Hong-Di , Gershwin M Eric , Lian Zhe-Xiong
Published: May 2017

Molecular mechanisms that modulate liver regeneration are of critical importance for a number of hepatic disorders. Kupffer cells and natural killer (NK) cells are two cell subsets indispensable for liver regeneration. We have focused on these two populations and, in particular, the interplay between them. Importantly, we demonstrate that deletion of the myeloid phosphatase and tensin homolog on chromosome 10 (PTEN) leading to an M2-like polarization of Kupffer cells, which results in decreased activation of NK cells. In addition, PTEN-deficient Kupffer cells secrete additional factors that facilitate the proliferation of hepatocytes. In conclusion, PTEN is critical for inhibiting M2-like polarization of Kupffer cells after partial hepatectomy, resulting in NK cell activation and thus the inhibition of liver regeneration. Furthermore, PTEN reduces growth factor secretion by Kupffer cells. Our results suggest that targeting PTEN on Kupffer cells may be useful in altering liver regeneration in patients undergoing liver resection.
PAK4 regulates G6PD activity by p53 degradation involving colon cancer cell growth
Authors: Zhang Xiumei , Zhang Xia , Li Yang , Shao Yangguang , Xiao Jianying , Zhu Ge , Li Feng
Published: May 2017

The p21-activated kinase 4 (PAK4) is overexpressed in different cancers and promotes proliferation of cancer cells. Reprogramming of glucose metabolism is found in most cancer cells which in turn supports rapid proliferation. However, the relationship between PAK4 and glucose metabolism in cancer cells has not been explored. In this study, we reported that PAK4 promoted glucose intake, NADPH production and lipid biosynthesis, leading to an increased proliferation of colon cancer cells. Mechanistically, PAK4 interacted with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), a rate-limiting enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway and increased G6PD activity via enhancing Mdm2-mediated p53 ubiquitination degradation. In addition, we demonstrated a close positive correlation between PAK4 and G6PD expression in colon cancer specimens. Furthermore, expression of PAK4 or G6PD was positively correlated with an aggressive phenotype of clinical colon cancer. These findings revealed a novel glucose metabolism-related mechanism of PAK4 in promoting colon cancer cell growth, suggesting that PAK4 and/or G6PD blockage might be a potential therapeutic strategy for colon cancer.
Construction of hierarchically porous metal–organic frameworks through linker labilization
Authors: Yuan Shuai , Zou Lanfang , Qin Jun-Sheng , Li Jialuo , Huang Lan , Feng Liang , Wang Xuan , Bosch Mathieu , Alsalme Ali , Cagin Tahir , Zhou Hong-Cai
Published: May 2017

A major goal of metal–organic framework (MOF) research is the expansion of pore size and volume. Although many approaches have been attempted to increase the pore size of MOF materials, it is still a challenge to construct MOFs with precisely customized pore apertures for specific applications. Herein, we present a new method, namely linker labilization, to increase the MOF porosity and pore size, giving rise to hierarchical-pore architectures. Microporous MOFs with robust metal nodes and pro-labile linkers were initially synthesized. The mesopores were subsequently created as crystal defects through the splitting of a pro-labile-linker and the removal of the linker fragments by acid treatment. We demonstrate that linker labilization method can create controllable hierarchical porous structures in stable MOFs, which facilitates the diffusion and adsorption process of guest molecules to improve the performances of MOFs in adsorption and catalysis.