bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new comorbidities index for risk stratification for treatment of unruptured cerebral aneurysms
Authors: Newman William C. , Neal Dan W. , Hoh Brian L.
Published: January 2016

OBJECTIVE

Comorbidities have an impact on risk stratification for outcomes in analyses of large patient databases. Although the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI) are the most commonly used comorbidity indexes, these have not been validated for patients with unruptured cerebral aneurysms; therefore, the authors created a comorbidity index specific to these patients.

METHODS

The authors extracted all records involving unruptured cerebral aneurysms treated with clipping, coiling, or both from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2002–2010). They assessed the effect of 37 variables on poor outcome and used the results to create a risk score for these patients. The authors used a validation data set and bootstrapping to evaluate the new index and compared it to CCI and ECI in prediction of poor outcome, mortality, length of stay, and hospital charges.

RESULTS

The index assigns integer values (−2 to 7) to 20 comorbidities: neurological disorder, renal insufficiency, gastrointestinal bleeding, paralysis, acute myocardial infarction, electrolyte disorder, weight loss, metastatic cancer, drug abuse, arrhythmia, coagulopathy, cerebrovascular accident, psychosis, alcoholism, perivascular disease, valvular disease, tobacco use, hypothyroidism, depression, and hypercholesterolemia. Values are summed to determine a patient's risk score. The new index was better at predicting poor outcome than CCI or ECI (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] 0.814 [95% CI 0.798–0.830], vs 0.694 and 0.712, respectively, for the other indices), and it was also better at predicting mortality (AUC 0.775 [95% CI 0.754–0.792], vs 0.635 and 0.657, respectively, for CCI and ECI).

CONCLUSIONS

This new comorbidity index outperforms the CCI and ECI in predicting poor outcome, mortality, length of stay, and total charges for patients with unruptured cerebral aneurysm. Reevaluation of other patient cohorts is warranted to determine the impact of more accurate patient stratification.
Hearing subclassification may predict long-term auditory outcomes after radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma patients with good hearing
Authors: Mousavi Seyed H. , Niranjan Ajay , Akpinar Berkcan , Huang Marshall , Kano Hideyuki , Tonetti Daniel , Flickinger John C. , Dade Lunsford L.
Published: January 2016

OBJECTIVE

In the era of MRI, vestibular schwannomas are often recognized when patients still have excellent hearing. Besides success in tumor control rate, hearing preservation is a main goal in any procedure for management of this population. The authors evaluated whether modified auditory subclassification prior to radiosurgery could predict long-term hearing outcome in this population.

METHODS

The authors reviewed a quality assessment registry that included the records of 1134 vestibular schwannoma patients who had undergone stereotactic radiosurgery during a 15-year period (1997–2011). The authors identified 166 patients who had Gardner-Robertson Class I hearing prior to stereotactic radiosurgery. Fifty-three patients were classified as having Class I-A (no subjective hearing loss) and 113 patients as Class I-B (subjective hearing loss). Class I-B patients were further stratified into Class I-B1 (pure tone average ≤ 10 dB in comparison with the contralateral ear; 56 patients), and I-B2 (> 10 dB compared with the normal ear; 57 patients). At a median follow-up of 65 months, the authors evaluated patients' hearing outcomes and tumor control.

RESULTS

The median pure tone average elevations after stereotactic radiosurgery were 5 dB, 13.5 dB, and 28 dB in Classes I-A, I-B1, and I-B2, respectively. The median declines in speech discrimination scores after stereotactic radiosurgery were 0% for Class I-A (p = 0.33), 8% for Class I-B1 (p < 0.0001), and 40% for Class I-B2 (p < 0.0001). Serviceable hearing preservation rates were 98%, 73%, and 33% for Classes I-A, I-B1, and I-B2, respectively. Gardner-Robertson Class I hearing was preserved in 87%, 43%, and 5% of patients in Classes I-A, I-B1, and I-B2, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term hearing preservation was significantly better if radiosurgery was performed prior to subjective hearing loss. In patients with subjective hearing loss, the difference in pure tone average between the affected ear and the unaffected ear was an important factor in long-term hearing preservation.
Epidural hematomas after the implantation of thoracic paddle spinal cord stimulators
Authors: Moufarrij Nazih A.
Published: January 2016

OBJECTIVE

There is little information on the frequency of symptomatic epidural hematomas after the implantation of paddle spinal cord stimulators (SCSs) in the thoracic spine. The purpose of this paper is to provide this metric and compare it to the frequency of symptomatic epidural hematomas for all other thoracic laminectomies combined.

METHODS

This study involved retrospectively analyzing the experience of a single surgeon in a consecutive series of patients who underwent the implantation of a thoracic paddle SCS with respect to the occurrence of a symptomatic epidural hematoma. For comparison, the occurrence of a symptomatic epidural hematoma in non-SCS thoracic laminectomies done during the same period of time was determined.

RESULTS

One hundred fifty-four thoracic paddle SCSs were implanted between May 2002 and February 2015. Despite perfect hemostasis and no preoperative risk factors, 4 of 154 patients (2.60%) developed postoperative lower-extremity weakness caused by an epidural hematoma. There were no other causes of a neurological deficit. In 3 of the 4 patients, the symptoms were delayed. Over the same time period, only 1 of 119 patients (0.84%) developed a postoperative motor deficit from a symptomatic epidural hematoma after a non-SCS laminectomy.

CONCLUSIONS

The occurrence of epidural hematomas after thoracic paddle SCS implantation may be underreported. Suggestions are given to decrease its incidence. It seems paradoxical that an epidural hematoma occurred 3 times more often after small SCS thoracic laminectomies than after larger non-SCS thoracic laminectomies. If confirmed by future studies, this finding may suggest that the intrusion of instruments into a confined epidural sublaminar space or the presence of a paddle and a hematoma in this restricted space may account for this differential.
Submaximal angioplasty for symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis: a prospective Phase I study
Authors: Dumont Travis M. , Sonig Ashish , Mokin Maxim , Eller Jorge L. , Sorkin Grant C. , Snyder Kenneth V. , Nelson Hopkins L. , Levy Elad I. , Siddiqui Adnan H.
Published: January 2016

OBJECTIVE

Intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) accounts for approximately 10% of ischemic strokes. The recent Stenting and Aggressive Medical Management for Preventing Recurrent Stroke in Intracranial Stenosis (SAMMPRIS) study demonstrated a high incidence of perioperative complications (15%) for treatment of ICAD with stenting. Although the incidence of stroke was lower in the medical arm, recurrent stroke was found in 12% of patients despite aggressive medical management, suggesting that intervention may remain a viable option for ICAD if perioperative risk is minimized. Angioplasty without stenting represents an alternative and understudied revascularization treatment for ICAD. Submaximal angioplasty limits the risks of thromboembolism, vessel perforation, and reperfusion hemorrhage that were frequently reported with stenting in the SAMMPRIS trial. The authors conducted a prospective Phase I trial designed to assess the safety of submaximal angioplasty in patients with symptomatic ICAD.

METHODS

This study was approved by the local institutional review board. Demographic and clinical data were prospectively collected. Angioplasty was performed with a balloon undersized to approximately 50%–70% of the nondiseased vessel diameter in patients with symptomatic ICAD who had angiographically significant stenosis of ≥ 70%. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of periprocedural complications (combined rate of death, stroke, and hemorrhage occurring within 30 days and at 1 year).

RESULTS

Among the 65 patients with symptomatic ICAD who were screened, 24 had significant angiographic stenosis that met the inclusion criteria of this study. The mean age was 64.08 years (median 65 years; SD ± 11.24 years), most were men (62.5%), and most were white (66.67%). Many patients had concomitants of vascular disease, including hypertension (95.8%), hyperlipidemia (70.83%), smoking history (54.1%), and diabetes mellitus (50.0%). Coronary artery disease (41.66%) and previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (45.83%) were frequently present. Most patients (75%) had anterior circulation stenosis. The mean preprocedure stenosis was 80.16% (median 80%, range 70%–95%). Submaximal angioplasty was performed in patients who met the inclusion criteria, with a mean postangioplasty stenosis rate of 54.62% (median 55.5%, range 31%–78%). Rates of ischemic stroke in the territory of the treated artery were 0% within 30 days and 5.55% (in the only patient who presented with recurrent stroke) at 1 year. The mortality and hemorrhage rates in this series were 0%.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates the safety of the submaximal angioplasty technique, with no permanent periprocedural complications in 24 treated patients.
Regression of ventriculomegaly following medical management of a patient with Hurler syndrome
Authors: Liang Jennifer , Singhal Ash
Published: January 2016

Hurler syndrome is the most severe form of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) Type 1. Progressive neurocognitive decline in this condition can be accompanied by macrocephaly, ventriculomegaly, and/or periventricular signal changes on MRI, which often leads to a neurosurgical referral. In this case, the authors describe a 2-year-old boy with ventriculomegaly and periventricular T2 signal changes, both of which decreased following medical management of Hurler syndrome. The authors discuss the possible mechanisms for this finding and the implications for neurosurgical treatment of this condition.
Waldertrag und Anbaurisiko in einer unsicheren Klimazukunft
Authors: Kölling Christian , Mette Tobias , Knoke Thomas
Published: January 2016

Forest productivity and cultivation risk in an uncertain climate future

Changes in climate conditions will lead to strong yet uncertain changes concerning forest growth and cultivation risk. Economic success as an important criterion for management decisions depends on both aspects, natural yield and risk. This study presents a new concept how (potential) yield and risk can be estimated from large-scale inventory data. As a result, any stand can be plotted in a yield-risk coordinate system and its future yield expectancy can be described by a trajectory in the yield-risk space. This strictly analytical approach cannot take over silvicultural decisions, but facilitates them from an objective basis. The implementation of approved economic guidelines such as the caution principle or the principle of flexibility builds upon the yield-risk approach and demonstrates benefits of climate-adapted stable mixed forest silviculture.
Vascular Health Indices and Cognitive Domain Function: Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Studies
Authors: Lim Shir Lynn , Gao Qi , Nyunt Ma Shwe Zin , Gong Lingli , Lunaria Josephine B. , Lim May Li , Ling Audrey , Lam Carolyn Su-Ping , Richards Arthur Mark , Ling Lieng Hsi , Ng Tze Pin
Published: January 2016

Background: Few studies have comprehensively evaluated the relationship between vascular disease and cognition of older adults without cardiac disease. Objective: We explored the associations of structural atherosclerosis, vascular stiffness, and reactivity with global, memory, attention, language, visuospatial ability, and executive function in community-dwelling, non-demented older Asians without cardiac diseases. Methods: Cognition was assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (n = 308) and detailed neuropsychological tests (n = 155). Vascular measures included carotid intima-media thickness; aortic stiffness [carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (CFPWV), aortic augmentation index (AI), and aortic pulse pressure (PP)]; carotid stiffness [elasticity modulus (Ep), beta index (β), arterial compliance (AC), carotid AI]; and endothelial function [reactive hyperemia index (RHI)]. Multivariable analyses controlled for potential confounding by demographics, apolipoprotein E genotype and cardiovascular risk factors. Results: The participants’ mean age was 63.0 ± 6.1 years. Inverse associations with MMSE were found for AC (β= 0.128, p = 0.019), Ep (β= –0.151, p = 0.008), β index (β= –0.122, p = 0.029), carotid stiffness z-score (β= –0.154, p = 0.007); with executive function for CFPWV (β= –0.209, p = 0.026), AC (β= 0.214, p = 0.005), Ep (β= –0.160, p = 0.050), β index (β= –0.165, p = 0.041), and both aortic (β= –0.229, p = 0.010) and carotid (β= –0.208, p = 0.010) stiffness z-scores; with verbal memory for AI (β= –0.229, p = 0.004) and aortic (β= –0.263, p = 0.004) stiffness z-score; with language for AI (β= –0.155, p = 0.025), aortic stiffness z-score (β= –0.196, p = 0.011). RHI positively correlated with visuospatial ability (β= 0.195, p = 0.013) and executive function (β= 0.151, p = 0.045). Conclusion: The results support a link between systemic vascular health and neurocognitive function in older Asian adults. Subclinical noninvasive measures of arterial stiffness and reactivity may identify individuals vulnerable to cognitive impairment.
Lifelong Reading Disorder and Mild Cognitive Impairment: Implications for Diagnosis
Authors: Lebowitz Brian K. , Weinstein Cheryl , Beiser Alexa , Seshadri Sudha , Wolf Philip A. , Auerbach Sandford , Au Rhoda
Published: January 2016

Although neuropsychological tests are commonly used in the evaluation of possible mild cognitive impairment (MCI), poor test scores may be indicative of factors other than neurological compromise. The current study assessed the role of lifelong reading disorder on MCI classification. Community dwelling older adults with a suspected developmental reading disorder were identified by inference based on reading test performance. Individuals with a suspected reading disorder were significantly more likely to perform at a level consistent with MCI on several commonly used neuropsychological tests. The findings suggest a relationship between a history of reading disorder and MCI classification.
Integrating Biomarkers for Underlying Alzheimer’s Disease in Mild Cognitive Impairment in Daily Practice: Comparison of a Clinical Decision Support System with Individual Biomarkers
Authors: Rhodius-Meester Hanneke F.M. , Koikkalainen Juha , Mattila Jussi , Teunissen Charlotte E. , Barkhof Frederik , Lemstra Afina W. , Scheltens Philip , Lötjönen Jyrki , van der Flier Wiesje M.
Published: January 2016

Background: Recent criteria allow biomarkers to provide evidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathophysiology. How they should be implemented in daily practice remains unclear, especially in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients. Objective: We evaluated how a clinical decision support system such as the PredictAD tool can aid clinicians to integrate biomarker evidence to support AD diagnosis. Methods: With available data on demographics, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and MRI, we trained the PredictAD tool on a reference population of 246 controls and 491 AD patients. We then applied the identified algorithm to 211 MCI patients. For comparison, we also classified patients based on individual biomarkers (MRI; CSF) and the NIA-AA criteria. Progression to dementia was used as outcome measure. Results: After a median follow up of 3 years, 72 (34%) MCI patients remained stable and 139 (66%) progressed to AD. The PredictAD tool assigned a likelihood of underlying AD to each patient (AUC 0.82). Excluding patients with missing data resulted in an AUC of 0.87. According to the NIA-AA criteria, half of the MCI patients had uninformative biomarkers, precluding an assignment of AD likelihood. A minority (41%) was assigned to high or low AD likelihood with good predictive value. The individual biomarkers showed best value for CSF total tau (AUC 0.86). Conclusion: The ability of the PredictAD tool to identify AD pathophysiology was comparable to individual biomarkers. The PredictAD tool has the advantage that it assigns likelihood to all patients, regardless of missing or conflicting data, allowing clinicians to integrate biomarker data in daily practice.
Empirically Defining Trajectories of Late-Life Cognitive and Functional Decline
Authors: Hochstetler Helen ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Trzepacz Paula T. , Wang Shufang , Yu Peng , Case Michael , Henley David B. , Degenhardt Elisabeth , Leoutsakos Jeannie-Marie , Lyketsos Constantine G.
Published: January 2016

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with variable cognitive and functional decline, and it is difficult to predict who will develop the disease and how they will progress. Objective: This exploratory study aimed to define latent classes from participants in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database who had similar growth patterns of both cognitive and functional change using Growth Mixture Modeling (GMM), identify characteristics associated with those trajectories, and develop a decision tree using clinical predictors to determine which trajectory, as determined by GMM, individuals will most likely follow. Methods: We used ADNI early mild cognitive impairment (EMCI), late MCI (LMCI), AD dementia, and healthy control (HC) participants with known amyloid-β status and follow-up assessments on the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale - Cognitive Subscale or the Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) up to 24 months postbaseline. GMM defined trajectories. Classification and Regression Tree (CART) used certain baseline variables to predict likely trajectory path. Results: GMM identified three trajectory classes (C): C1 (n = 162, 13.6%) highest baseline impairment and steepest pattern of cognitive/functional decline; C3 (n = 819, 68.7%) lowest baseline impairment and minimal change on both; C2 (n = 211, 17.7%) intermediate pattern, worsening on both, but less steep than C1. C3 had fewer amyloid- or apolipoprotein-E ɛ4 (APOE4) positive and more healthy controls (HC) or EMCI cases. CART analysis identified two decision nodes using the FAQ to predict likely class with 82.3% estimated accuracy. Conclusions: Cognitive/functional change followed three trajectories with greater baseline impairment and amyloid and APOE4 positivity associated with greater progression. FAQ may predict trajectory class.
Economic Analysis of Formal Care, Informal Care, and Productivity Losses in Primary Care Patients who Screened Positive for Dementia in Germany
Authors: Michalowsky Bernhard , Thyrian Jochen René , Eichler Tilly , Hertel Johannes , Wucherer Diana , Flessa Steffen , Hoffmann Wolfgang
Published: January 2016

Background: The majority of people with dementia (PwD) live at home and require professional formal care and informal care that is generally provided by close relatives. Objective: To determine the utilization and costs of formal and informal care for PwD, indirect costs because of productivity losses of caregivers, and the associations between cost, socio-demographic and clinical variables. Methods: The analysis includes the data of 262 community-dwelling PwD and their caregivers. Socio-demographics, clinical variables, and the utilization of formal care were assessed within the baseline assessment. To evaluate informal care costs, the Resource Utilization in Dementia (RUD) questionnaire was used. Costs were calculated from a social perspective. Associations were evaluated using multiple linear and logistic regression models. Results: Formal care services were utilized less (26.3%) than informal care (85.1%), resulting in a cost ratio of one to ten(1,646 €; 16,473 €, respectively). In total, 29% of caregivers were employed, and every seventh (14.3%) experienced productivity losses, which corresponded to 1,258 € annually. Whereas increasing deficits in daily living activities were associated with higher formal and higher informal costs, living alone was significantly associated with higher formal care costs and the employment of a caregiver was associated with lower informal care costs. Conclusion: Informal care contributes the most to total care costs. Living alone is a major cost driver for formal costs because of the lower availability of potential informal care. The availability of informal care is limited and productivity losses are increased when a caregiver is employed.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Anti-Amyloid-β Autoantibodies and Amyloid PET in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy-Related Inflammation
Authors: Carmona-Iragui María , Fernández-Arcos Ana , Alcolea Daniel , Piazza Fabrizio , Morenas-Rodriguez Estrella , Antón-Aguirre Sofía , Sala Isabel , Clarimon Jordi , Dols-Icardo Oriol , Camacho Valle , Sampedro Frederic , Munuera Josep , Nuñez-Marin Fidel , Lleó Alberto , Fortea Juan , Gómez-Ansón Beatriz , Blesa Rafael
Published: January 2016

We report a biomarker and genetic evaluation of four patients with cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation (CAA-ri) treated with corticosteroids. Patients presented with focal symptomatology and cognitive impairment. MRI revealed cortical microbleeds and asymmetrical hyperintense white matter lesions (WML). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker analyses showed increased anti-Aβ autoantibodies, t-Tau, and p-Tau and decreased Aβ40 and Aβ42. After treatment, focal symptomatology disappeared, and WML and anti-Aβ autoantibodies decreased. The APOE ɛ4 allele was overrepresented. Florbetapir-PET showed cortical deposition with lower retention in swollen areas. In the case of suspected CAA-ri, both CSF anti-Aβ autoantibodies levels and Florbetapir-PET could provide highly useful data to guide the correct diagnosis.
Decreased Levels of VAMP2 and Monomeric Alpha-Synuclein Correlate with Duration of Dementia
Authors: Vallortigara Julie , Whitfield David , Quelch William , Alghamdi Amani , Howlett David , Hortobágyi Tibor , Johnson Mary , Attems Johannes , O’Brien John T. , Thomas Alan , Ballard Clive G. , Aarsland Dag , Francis Paul T.
Published: January 2016

Alpha-synuclein (α-syn) aggregations are the key pathological hallmark of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD), but are also frequently present in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Much remains unknown about the role of α-syn in the synapse and the wider role of synaptic dysfunction in these dementias. Changes in concentrations of key ‘SNAP (Soluble N-ethylmaleimide Sensitive Factor Attachment Protein) Receptor’ (SNARE) proteins as a consequence of alterations in the aggregation state of α-syn may contribute to synaptic dysfunction in patients with DLB, PDD, and AD and result in impaired cognition. We have studied a large cohort (n = 130) of autopsy confirmed DLB, PDD, AD, and control brains. Using semi-quantitative western blotting, we have demonstrated significant changes across the diagnostic groups of DLB, PDD, and AD in the SNARE and vesicle proteins syntaxin, Munc18, VAMP2, and monomeric α-syn in the prefrontal cortex, with a significant reduction of Munc18 in AD patients (p <  0.001). This correlated to the final MMSE score before death (p = 0.016). We also identified a significant negative correlation between the duration of dementia and the levels of the binding partners VAMP2 (p = 0.0004) and monomeric α-syn (p = 0.0002). Our findings may indicate that an upregulation of SNARE complex related proteins occurs in the early stages of disease as an attempt at compensating for failing synapses, prior to widespread deposition of pathological α-syn.
Blood-Borne Activity-Dependent Neuroprotective Protein (ADNP) is Correlated with Premorbid Intelligence, Clinical Stage, and Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarkers
Authors: Malishkevich Anna , Marshall Gad A. , Schultz Aaron P. , Sperling Reisa A. , Aharon-Peretz Judith , Gozes Illana
Published: January 2016

Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are vital for disease detection in the clinical setting. Discovered in our laboratory, activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP) is essential for brain formation and linked to cognitive functions. Here, we revealed that blood borne expression of ADNP and its paralog ADNP2 is correlated with premorbid intelligence, AD pathology, and clinical stage. Age adjustment showed significant associations between: 1) higher premorbid intelligence and greater serum ADNP, and 2) greater cortical amyloid and lower ADNP and ADNP2 mRNAs. Significant increases in ADNP mRNA levels were observed in patients ranging from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to AD dementia. ADNP2 transcripts showed high correlation with ADNP transcripts, especially in AD dementia lymphocytes. ADNP plasma/serum and lymphocyte mRNA levels discriminated well between cognitively normal elderly, MCI, and AD dementia participants. Measuring ADNP blood-borne levels could bring us a step closer to effectively screening and tracking AD.
An Optimized Combination of Ginger and Peony Root Effectively Inhibits Amyloid-β Accumulation and Amyloid-β-Mediated Pathology in AβPP/PS1 Double-Transgenic Mice
Authors: Lim Soonmin , Choi Jin Gyu , Moon Minho , Kim Hyo Geun , Lee Wonil , Bak Hyoung-rok , Sung Hachang , Park Chi Hye , Kim Sun Yeou , Oh Myung Sook
Published: January 2016

The progressive aggregation of amyloid-β protein (Aβ) into senile plaques is a major pathological factor of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and is believed to result in memory impairment. We aimed to investigate the effect of an optimized combination of ginger and peony root (OCGP), a standardized herbal mixture of ginger and peony root, on Aβ accumulation and memory impairment in amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP)/presenilin 1 (PS1) double-transgenic mice. In an in vitro thioflavin T fluorescence assay, 100 μg/ml OCGP inhibited Aβ accumulation to the same extent as did 10 μM curcumin. Furthermore, AβPP/PS1 double-transgenic mice treated with OCGP (50 or 100 mg/kg/day given orally for 14 weeks) exhibited reduced Aβ plaque accumulation in the hippocampus and lower levels of glial fibrillary acid protein and cyclooxygease-2 expression compared with vehicle-treated controls. These results suggest that OCGP may prevent memory impairment in AD by inhibiting Aβ accumulation and inflammation in the brain.
Efficient Metaheuristics for the Mixed Team Orienteering Problem with Time Windows
Authors: Gavalas Damianos , Konstantopoulos Charalampos , Mastakas Konstantinos , Pantziou Grammati , Vathis Nikolaos
Published: January 2016

Given a graph whose nodes and edges are associated with a profit, a visiting (or traversing) time and an admittance time window, the Mixed Team Orienteering Problem with Time Windows (MTOPTW) seeks for a specific number of walks spanning a subset of nodes and edges of the graph so as to maximize the overall collected profit. The visit of the included nodes and edges should take place within their respective time window and the overall duration of each walk should be below a certain threshold. In this paper we introduce the MTOPTW, which can be used for modeling a realistic variant of the Tourist Trip Design Problem where the objective is the derivation of near-optimal multiple-day itineraries for tourists visiting a destination which features several points of interest (POIs) and scenic routes. Since the MTOPTW is a NP-hard problem, we propose the first metaheuristic approaches to tackle it. The effectiveness of our algorithms is validated through a number of experiments on POI and scenic route sets compiled from the city of Athens (Greece).
Influences of Maternal Care on Chicken Welfare
Authors: Edgar Joanne , Held Suzanne , Jones Charlotte , Troisi Camille
Published: January 2016

In domestic chickens, the provision of maternal care strongly influences the behavioural development of chicks. Mother hens play an important role in directing their chicks’ behaviour and are able to buffer their chicks’ response to stressors. Chicks imprint upon their mother, who is key in directing the chicks’ behaviour and in allowing them to develop food preferences. Chicks reared by a mother hen are less fearful and show higher levels of behavioural synchronisation than chicks reared artificially. In a commercial setting, more fearful chicks with unsynchronised behaviour are more likely to develop behavioural problems, such as feather pecking. As well as being an inherent welfare problem, fear can also lead to panic responses, smothering, and fractured bones. Despite the beneficial effects of brooding, it is not commercially viable to allow natural brooding on farms and so chicks are hatched in large incubators and reared artificially, without a mother hen. In this review we cover the literature demonstrating the important features of maternal care in domestic chickens, the behavioural consequences of deprivation and the welfare implications on commercial farms. We finish by suggesting ways to use research in natural maternal care to improve commercial chick rearing practice.
Alcoholic Liver Disease: Update on the Role of Dietary Fat
Authors: Kirpich Irina , Miller Matthew , Cave Matthew , Joshi-Barve Swati , McClain Craig
Published: January 2016

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) spans a spectrum of liver pathology, including fatty liver, alcoholic steatohepatitis, and cirrhosis. Accumulating evidence suggests that dietary factors, including dietary fat, as well as alcohol, play critical roles in the pathogenesis of ALD. The protective effects of dietary saturated fat (SF) and deleterious effects of dietary unsaturated fat (USF) on alcohol-induced liver pathology are well recognized and documented in experimental animal models of ALD. Moreover, it has been demonstrated in an epidemiological study of alcoholic cirrhosis that dietary intake of SF was associated with a lower mortality rates, whereas dietary intake of USF was associated with a higher mortality. In addition, oxidized lipids (dietary and in vivo generated) may play a role in liver pathology. The understanding of how dietary fat contributes to the ALD pathogenesis will enhance our knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms of ALD development and progression, and may result in the development of novel diet-based therapeutic strategies for ALD management. This review explores the relevant scientific literature and provides a current understanding of recent advances regarding the role of dietary lipids in ALD pathogenesis.
Catalytic Removal of Volatile Organic Compounds
Authors: Lamonier Jean-François
Published: January 2016

The degradation of air quality by the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air particularly harms human health and our environment. [...]
Can Theory Improve the Scope of Quantitative Metazoan Metabarcoding?
Authors: Wares John , Pappalardo Paula
Published: January 2016

Using high-throughput sequencing approaches to quantify biodiversity has a number of hurdles, in particular that the number of reads for a given taxon may not be proportional to the number of individuals of that taxon in a sample. Here, we consider whether summary statistics generated in the course of population genetic analyses (such as estimates of haplotype diversity and mutation rate) may be useful in reverse inference of the number of individuals input to an assay. Although our results show that these statistics—combined with the observed number of segregating sites and number of haplotypes in the assay—may be informative, there remain significant concerns about the ability to “metabarcode” a sample and infer relative species abundance.
Optimal Coordinated Control of Power Extraction in LES of a Wind Farm with Entrance Effects
Authors: Goit Jay , Munters Wim , Meyers Johan
Published: January 2016

We investigate the use of optimal coordinated control techniques in large eddy simulations of wind farm boundary layer interaction with the aim of increasing the total energy extraction in wind farms. The individual wind turbines are considered as flow actuators, and their energy extraction is dynamically regulated in time, so as to optimally influence the flow field. We extend earlier work on wind farm optimal control in the fully-developed regime (Goit and Meyers 2015, J. Fluid Mech. 768, 5–50) to a ‘finite’ wind farm case, in which entrance effects play an important role. For the optimal control, a receding horizon framework is employed in which turbine thrust coefficients are optimized in time and per turbine. Optimization is performed with a conjugate gradient method, where gradients of the cost functional are obtained using adjoint large eddy simulations. Overall, the energy extraction is increased 7% by the optimal control. This increase in energy extraction is related to faster wake recovery throughout the farm. For the first row of turbines, the optimal control increases turbulence levels and Reynolds stresses in the wake, leading to better wake mixing and an inflow velocity for the second row that is significantly higher than in the uncontrolled case. For downstream rows, the optimal control mainly enhances the sideways mean transport of momentum. This is different from earlier observations by Goit and Meyers (2015) in the fully-developed regime, where mainly vertical transport was enhanced.
Labile and Non-Labile Fractions of Phosphorus and Its Transformations in Soil under Eucalyptus Plantations, Brazil
Authors: Costa Marlon , Gama-Rodrigues Antonio , Gonçalves José , Gama-Rodrigues Emanuela , Sales Marcus , Aleixo Seldon
Published: January 2016

Phosphorus (P) is the main limiting nutritional factor in the cultivation of Eucalyptus in Brazil. Despite this, little is known about the P fractions and dynamics in Eucalyptus soils in tropical regions. The aims of this study were (1) to evaluate the distribution of labile and non-labile fractions of P in soil in 10 sites of Eucalyptus in the state of São Paulo, Brazil and (2) to determine the interactions among the P fractions and to identify which fractions act as sinks or sources for the available P fraction. The P fractions were separated using the Hedley sequential extraction method, and the P transformation processes were evaluated via structural equation modeling. The labile P (resin-Pi + Pi and Po in NaHCO3) varied between 6% and 16%, the moderately labile P (Pi + Po in NaOH) varied between 28% and 40%, the occluded P (Pi + Po in Sonicate + NaOH) varied between 6% and 19%, the P associated with Ca (HCl-Pi) varied between 0.4% and 3% and the residual-P varied between 35% and 47%. The hypothetical structural model of soil P cycle was composed of four P pools (latent variables): the organic pool, occluded pool, inorganic pool, and available pool. The structural model was adequate to identify functional pools of P in soil, and to identify transformation processes of P based on the source-sink relationships. The available P pool was highly dependent on inorganic and occluded pools and the organic pool acted predominantly as a sink of P on available and inorganic pools. The results reinforce the high level of recalcitrance of the organic pool and the fact that Eucalyptus plants must access pools of limited-availability P to meet their nutritional demands.
Facile Synthesis of SrCO3-Sr(OH)2/PPy Nanocomposite with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity under Visible Light
Authors: Márquez-Herrera Alfredo , Ovando-Medina Victor , Castillo-Reyes Blanca , Zapata-Torres Martin , Meléndez-Lira Miguel , González-Castañeda Jaquelina
Published: January 2016

Pyrrole monomer was chemically polymerized onto SrCO3-Sr(OH)2 powders to obtain SrCO3-Sr(OH)2/polypyrrole nanocomposite to be used as a candidate for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye (MB). The material was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV/Vis spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was observed from transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) analysis that the reported synthesis route allows the production of SrCO3-Sr(OH)2 nanoparticles with particle size below 100 nm which were embedded within a semiconducting polypyrrole matrix (PPy). The SrCO3-Sr(OH)2 and SrCO3-Sr(OH)2/PPy nanocomposites were tested in the photodegradation of MB dye under visible light irradiation. Also, the effects of MB dye initial concentration and the catalyst load on photodegradation efficiency were studied and discussed. Under the same conditions, the efficiency of photodegradation of MB employing the SrCO3-Sr(OH)2/PPy nanocomposite increases as compared with that obtained employing the SrCO3-Sr(OH)2 nanocomposite.
Concentrated Windings in Compact Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generators: Managing Efficiency
Authors: Barré Olivier , Napame Bellemain
Published: January 2016

In electric power generation, customers want generators with high efficiency. Nowadays, modern turbo-generators have efficiencies greater than 98%. Although this amount should not be obtained for all kind of machines, efficiency will remain one of the main parameters for customer choice. Efficiency is also linked to the life of the machine: the higher the efficiency is, the longer the machine’s lifetime. During the past decade, new forms of energy production have appeared and generators have been developed to fit well into this market. For example, wind generators evolved towards permanent magnet generators having high polarity and running at low speed. Nevertheless, their structure is not fixed. An industrial company has built a prototype of such a generator which uses fractional-slot concentrated-windings (FSCW). This kind of winding is not the structure used by default in such electrical machines. Another field of interest is in autonomous generators which can be used on boats. Even if everyone has in mind large merchant ships, we must not forget smaller ships, such as fishing boats and short-range cruise ships, which spend the most of their time near the coast. This kind of ship does nothave large areas for installing the electric generation or the electric propulsion. It is the reason why, in this article, we focus on the efficiency of machines using fractional-slot concentrated-windings. In many publications which compare performances between distributed and concentrated windings, the result is almost the same. The efficiency of FSCW is not as high as the efficiency associated to the machines which are using distributed windings. Design methods have to be redrawn to integrate, as soon as possible, the loss mitigation in order to provide the best efficiency in power conversion. The following discussion, step by step, introduces the loss mitigation in every part of a machine using FSCW. To close the discussion, a design is produced and it appears that efficiency can be enhanced with suitable design methods.
Bioactive Polycyclic Quinones from Marine Streptomyces sp. 182SMLY
Authors: Liang Ying , Xie Xin , Chen Lu , Yan Shilun , Ye Xuewei , Anjum Komal , Huang Haocai , Lian Xiaoyuan , Zhang Zhizhen
Published: January 2016

Chemical investigation of the cultures of marine Streptomyces sp. 182SMLY led to the discovery of two new polycyclic anthraquinones, which were elucidated as N-acetyl-N-demethylmayamycin (1) and streptoanthraquinone A (2) based on the extensive spectroscopic analysis including 2D NMR, HRESIMS, and an electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculation. Both anthraquinones remarkably suppressed the proliferation of four different glioma cell lines with IC50 values in a range from 0.5 to 7.3 μM and induced apoptosis in the glioma cells. The ratios of IC50 for normal human astrocytes to IC50 for glioma cells were 6.4–53 for 1 and >14–31 for 2. N-acetyl-N-demethylmayamycin (1) also inhibited the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with MIC 20.0 μM.
Recombinant Expression and Characterization of α-Conotoxin LvIA in Escherichia coli
Authors: Zhu Xiaopeng , Bi Jianpeng , Yu Jinpeng , Li Xiaodan , Zhang Yaning , Zhangsun Dongting , Luo Sulan
Published: January 2016

α-Conotoxin LvIA is derived from Conus lividus, native to Hainan, and is the most selective inhibitor of α3β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) known to date. In this study, an efficient approach for the production of recombinant α-Conotoxin LvIA is described. Tandem repeats of a LvIA gene fragment were constructed and fused with a KSI gene and a His6 tag in a Escherichia coli (E. coli) expression vector pET-31b(+). The recombinant plasmids were transformed into E. coli and were found to express well. The KSI-(LvIA)n-His6 fusion protein was purified by metal affinity chromatography and then cleaved with CNBr to release recombinant LvIA (rLvIA). High yields of fusion protein ranging from 100 to 500 mg/L culture were obtained. The pharmacological profile of rLvIA was determined by two-electrode voltage-clamp electrophysiology in Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing rat nAChR subtypes. The rLvIA antagonized the α3β2 nAChR subtype selectively with a nano-molar IC50. The rLvIA was analgesic in a mouse hot-plate test model of pain. Overall, this study provides an effective method to synthesize α-conotoxin LvIA in an E. coli recombinant expression system, and this approach could be useful to obtain active conopeptides in large quantity and at low cost.
Phage Inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes on San Daniele Dry-Cured Ham and Elimination of Biofilms from Equipment and Working Environments
Authors: Iacumin Lucilla , Manzano Marisa , Comi Giuseppe
Published: January 2016

The anti-listerial activity of generally recognized as safe (GRAS) bacteriophage Listex P100 (phage P100) was demonstrated in broths and on the surface of slices of dry-cured ham against 5 strains or serotypes (i.e., Scott A, 1/2a, 1/2b, and 4b) of Listeria monocytogenes. In a broth model system, phage P100 at a concentration equal to or greater than 7 log PFU/mL completely inhibited 2 log CFU/cm2 or 3 log CFU/cm2 of L. monocytogenes growth at 30 °C. The temperature (4, 10, 20 °C) seemed to influence P100 activity; the best results were obtained at 4 °C. On dry-cured ham slices, a P100 concentration ranging from 5 to 8 log PFU/cm2 was required to obtain a significant reduction in L. monocytogenes. At 4, 10, and 20 °C, an inoculum of 8 log PFU/cm2 was required to completely eliminate 2 log L. monocytogenes/cm2 and to reach the absence in 25 g product according to USA food law. Conversely, it was impossible to completely eradicate L. monocytogenes with an inoculum of approximately of 3.0 and 4.0 log CFU/cm2 and with a P100 inoculum ranging from 1 to 7 log PFU/cm2. P100 remained stable on dry-cured ham slices over a 14-day storage period, with only a marginal loss of 0.2 log PFU/cm2 from an initial phage treatment of approximately 8 log PFU/cm2. Moreover, phage P100 eliminated free L. monocytogenes cells and biofilms on the machinery surfaces used for dry-cured ham production. These findings demonstrate that the GRAS bacteriophage Listex P100 at level of 8 log PFU/cm2 is listericidal and useful for reducing the L. monocytogenes concentration or eradicating the bacteria from dry-cured ham.
Metagenomic Analyses Reveal That Energy Transfer Gene Abundances Can Predict the Syntrophic Potential of Environmental Microbial Communities
Authors: Oberding Lisa , Gieg Lisa
Published: January 2016

Hydrocarbon compounds can be biodegraded by anaerobic microorganisms to form methane through an energetically interdependent metabolic process known as syntrophy. The microorganisms that perform this process as well as the energy transfer mechanisms involved are difficult to study and thus are still poorly understood, especially on an environmental scale. Here, metagenomic data was analyzed for specific clusters of orthologous groups (COGs) related to key energy transfer genes thus far identified in syntrophic bacteria, and principal component analysis was used in order to determine whether potentially syntrophic environments could be distinguished using these syntroph related COGs as opposed to universally present COGs. We found that COGs related to hydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase genes were able to distinguish known syntrophic consortia and environments with the potential for syntrophy from non-syntrophic environments, indicating that these COGs could be used as a tool to identify syntrophic hydrocarbon biodegrading environments using metagenomic data.
Isolation and Biosynthetic Analysis of Haliamide, a New PKS-NRPS Hybrid Metabolite from the Marine Myxobacterium Haliangium ochraceum
Authors: Sun Yuwei , Tomura Tomohiko , Sato Junichi , Iizuka Takashi , Fudou Ryosuke , Ojika Makoto
Published: January 2016

Myxobacteria of marine origin are rare and hard-to-culture microorganisms, but they genetically harbor high potential to produce novel antibiotics. An extensive investigation on the secondary metabolome of the unique marine myxobacterium Haliangium ochraceum SMP-2 led to the isolation of a new polyketide-nonribosomal peptide hybrid product, haliamide (1). Its structure was elucidated by spectroscopic analyses including NMR and HR-MS. Haliamide (1) showed cytotoxicity against HeLa-S3 cells with IC50 of 12 μM. Feeding experiments were performed to identify the biosynthetic building blocks of 1, revealing one benzoate, one alanine, two propionates, one acetate and one acetate-derived terminal methylene. The biosynthetic gene cluster of haliamide (hla, 21.7 kbp) was characterized through the genome mining of the producer, allowing us to establish a model for the haliamide biosynthesis. The sulfotransferase (ST)-thioesterase (TE) domains encoded in hlaB appears to be responsible for the terminal alkene formation via decarboxylation.
Unimolecular Solvolyses in Ionic Liquid: Alcohol Dual Solvent Systems
Authors: Kochly Elizabeth , Lemon Nicole , Deh-Lee Anne
Published: January 2016

A study was undertaken of the solvolysis of pivaloyl triflate in a variety of ionic liquid:alcohol solvent mixtures. The solvolysis is a kΔ process (i.e., a process in which ionization occurs with rearrangement), and the resulting rearranged carbocation intermediate reacts with the alcohol cosolvent via two competing pathways: nucleophilic attack or elimination of a proton. Five different ionic liquids and three different alcohol cosolvents were investigated to give a total of fifteen dual solvent systems. 1H-NMR analysis was used to determine relative amounts of elimination and substitution products. It was found, not surprisingly, that increasing the bulkiness of alcohol cosolvent led to increased elimination product. The change in the amount of elimination product with increasing ionic liquid concentration, however, varied greatly between ionic liquids. These differences correlate strongly, though not completely, to the Kamlet–Taft solvatochromic parameters of the hydrogen bond donating and accepting ability of the solvent systems. An additional factor playing into these differences is the bulkiness of the ionic liquid anion.