bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detecting the effects of Fabry disease in the adult human brain with diffusion tensor imaging and fast bound‐pool fraction imaging
Authors: Underhill Hunter R. , Golden‐Grant Katie , Garrett Lauren T. , Uhrich Stefanie , Zielinski Brandon A. , Scott C. Ronald
Published: May 2015

Background

To identify quantitative MRI parameters associated with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and fast bound‐pool fraction imaging (FBFI) that may detect alterations in gray matter and/or white matter in adults with Fabry disease, a lysosomal storage disorder.

Materials and Methods

Twelve healthy controls (mean age ± standard deviation: 48.0 ± 12.4 years) and 10 participants with Fabry disease (46.7 ± 12.9 years) were imaged at 3.0 Tesla. Whole‐brain parametric maps of diffusion tensor metrics (apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC] and fractional anisotropy [FA]) and the bound‐pool fraction (f) were acquired. Mean voxel values of parametric maps from regions‐of‐interest within gray and white matter structures were compared between cases and controls using the independent t‐test. Spearman's rho was used to identify associations between parametric maps and age.

Results

Compared with controls, the left thalamus of Fabry participants had an increase in FA (0.29 ± 0.02 versus 0.33 ± 0.05, respectively; P = 0.030) and a trend toward an increase in ADC (0.73 ± 00.02 versus 0.76 ± 0.03 μm2/s, respectively; P = 0.082). The left posterior white matter demonstrated a reduction in f (10.45 ± 0.37 versus 9.00 ± 1.84%, respectively; P = 0.035), an increase in ADC (0.78 ± 0.04 versus 0.94 ± 0.19 μm2/s, respectively; P = 0.024), and a trend toward a reduction in FA (0.42 ± 0.07 versus 0.36 ± 0.08, respectively; P = 0.052). Among all parameters, only f measured in the left posterior white matter was significantly associated with age in Fabry participants (rho = –0.71; P = 0.022).

Conclusion

Parameters derived from DTI and FBFI detect Fabry‐related changes in the adult human brain, particularly in the posterior white matter where reductions in myelin density as measured by FBFI appear age related. J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2015;42:1611–1622.
In vivo monitoring of activated macrophages and neutrophils in response to ischemic osteonecrosis in a mouse model
Authors: Phipps Matthew C. , Huang YiHui , Yamaguchi Ryosuke , Kamiya Nobuhiro , Adapala Naga S. , Tang Liping , Kim Harry K. W.
Published: May 2015

Ischemic osteonecrosis (IO) is caused by disruption of the blood supply to bone. It is a debilitating condition with pathological healing characterized by excessive bone resorption and delayed osteogenesis. Although the majority of research has focused on the role of osteoblasts and osteoclasts in the disease progression, we hypothesize that innate immune cells, macrophages and neutrophils, play a significant role. With the recent development of real‐time imaging probes for neutrophils and macrophages, the purpose of this study was to investigate the kinetic immune cell response in a mouse model of IO. Our results show that induction of IO leads to a significant accumulation of activated neutrophils and macrophages at the affected tissue by 48 h after surgery. Additionally, the accumulation of these immune cells remained elevated in comparison to sham controls for up to 6 weeks, indicative of chronic inflammation. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the immune cell infiltration into the necrotic bone marrow and the increased presence of TNFα‐positive cells, demonstrating, for the first time, a direct response of these cells to ischemia induced necrotic bone. These new findings support a hypothesis that IO is an osteoimmunologic condition where innate immune cells play a significant role in the chronic inflammation. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:307–313, 2016.
BAG‐S53P4 as an additive to bone allografts: A laboratory study using an uniaxial compression test
Authors: David Putzer , Johannes Fuchs , Débora Coraça‐Huber , Ammann Christoph , Michael Liebensteiner , Michael Nogler
Published: May 2015

We want to address the clinical issue of too sparse supply of allograft in total hip replacement and ambitions of controlling the grain size distribution. Bioglass BAG‐S53P4 was evaluated as a bone graft additive to chemically treated allografts with controlled grain size distribution. Allografts were chemically cleaned (CG) and mixed with BAG‐S53P4 additive (BG) for comparison. All samples were compacted with a dropped weight apparatus and then underwent a uniaxial compression test. The yield limit was determined by a uniaxial compression test and density was recorded while flowability was calculated. There was no difference between the yield stress limit of BG and CG after compaction (p = 0.432). Adding BAG‐S53P4 reduced flowability and could indicate better interlocking mechanism between particles. Adding BAG‐S53P4 seems to have no impact on the yield stress limit. The extended allografts withstand the compaction equally good which makes it a valid bone substitute in total hip replacement. An in vivo loaded study is needed before clinical use can be recommended. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 33:1875–1879, 2015.
Choosing the right chondrocyte cell line: Focus on nitric oxide
Authors: Santoro Anna , Conde Javier , Scotece Morena , Abella Vanessa , López Verónica , Pino Jesús , Gómez Rodolfo , Gómez‐Reino Juan Jesús , Gualillo Oreste
Published: May 2015

Nitric oxide (NO) has been considered a catabolic factor that contributes to OA pathology by inducing chondrocytes apoptosis, matrix metalloproteinases synthesis, and pro‐inflammatory cytokines expression. Thus, the research on NO regulation in chondrocytes represents a relevant field which needs to be explored in depth. However, to date, only the murine ATDC‐5 cell line and primary chondrocytes are well‐established cells to study NO production in cartilage tissues. The goal of this study is to determine whether two commonly used human chondrocytic cell lines: SW‐1353 and T/C‐28a2 cell lines are good models to examine lipopolysaccharide and/or pro‐inflammatory cytokine‐driven NO release and iNOS expression. To this aim, we carefully examined NO production and iNOS protein expression in human T/C‐28a2 and SW‐1353 chondrocytes stimulated with LPS and interleukin (IL)‐1 alone or in combination. We also use ATDC‐5 cells as a positive control for NO production. NO accumulation has been determined by colorimetric Griess reaction, whereas NOS type II expression was determined by Western Blot analysis. Our results clearly demonstrated that neither human T/C‐28a2 nor SW‐1353 chondrocytes showed a detectable increase in NO production or iNOS expression after bacterial endotoxin or cytokines challenge with IL‐1. Our study demonstrated that T/C‐28a2 and SW‐1353 human cell lines are not suitable for studying NO release and iNOS expression confirming that ATDC5 and human primary cultured chondrocytes are the best in vitro cell system to study the actions derived from this mediator. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 33:1784–1788, 2015.
Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy of various madder species on wool fibers: the role of pseudopurpurin in the interpretation of the spectra
Authors: Rambaldi Diana C. , Pozzi Federica , Shibayama Nobuko , Leona Marco , Preusser Frank D.
Published: May 2015

Madder has been used as a textile dye and pigment in works of art since antiquity. Madder dyes from different botanical species are characterized by different series of anthraquinone derivatives. The occurrence of one or more of these compounds in various relative amounts may provide a useful indication of the plant species used to obtain the dye. In this work, surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was applied to the analysis of textile fibers dyed with madder from two different botanical species,Oldenlandia umbellataL. andRubia tinctorumL. The resulting SERS spectra were interpreted in light of the actual composition of the madder dyes as determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Interestingly, the SERS spectra were found to exhibit very distinctive spectral features depending on the different anthraquinone derivatives present in the dyes. In particular, the SERS spectrum ofO. umbellataL. was found to match the spectrum of alizarin, while the SERS spectrum ofR. tinctorumL. was surprisingly dominated by signals due to the less studied anthraquinone compound pseudopurpurin. With this study, we demonstrate that SERS spectra may offer valuable information regarding the major coloring constituents present in different madder species. Moreover, our work shows that not only can SERS be used successfully to differentiate among closely related anthraquinone derivatives, but also that this technique is particularly suitable for the detection of pseudopurpurin, leading to the identification of this compound in a number of works of art. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development of immunoaffinity chromatography to specifically knockout baicalin from Gegenqinlian Decoction
Authors: Zhao Yan , Feng Huibin , Shan Wenchao , Cheng Jinjun , Wang Xueqian , Zhao Yan , Qu Huihua , Wang Qingguo
Published: May 2015

Specific knockout technology provides a powerful tool to confirm the role of target compounds in a plant or its derived prescriptions, and this principle is the same as that with knockout genes. In this study, we generated an immunoaffinity column conjugated with an anti‐baicalin monoclonal antibody and then loaded Gegenqinlian Decoction extracts, followed by washing with deionized water and an elution solvent. The results of the high‐performance liquid chromatography fingerprints and high‐performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry showed that the immunoaffinity column was able to specifically knockout baicalin, oroxylin A‐7‐O‐glucuronide, wogonoside, wogonin, and baicalein from Gegenqinlian Decoction. A reliable one‐step method to specifically knockout baicalin was established with an immunoaffinity column. Gegenqinlian Decoction and its knocked‐out fraction induced the expression of superoxide dismutase and were compared in human umbilical vein endothelial cells cultured with a high glucose concentration; the results showed that the Gegenqinlian Decoction and its knocked‐out fraction showed no significant difference, which indicated that the baicalin, oroxylin A‐7‐O‐glucuronide, wogonoside, wogonin, and baicalein that were knocked out by the immunoaffinity column might not be key compounds for the induction of Gegenqinlian Decoction superoxide dismutase secretion.
Novel Nanocomposite Hydrogels Consisting of C‐Dots with Excellent Mechanical Properties
Authors: Hu Meng , Yang Yu , Gu Xiaoyu , Hu Yang , Du Zhenshan , Wang Chaoyang
Published: May 2015

Polyacrylamide (PAM)/carbon nanodot (C‐dot) nanocomposite (NC) hydrogels were successfully prepared by free radical polymerization using C‐dots as cross‐linkers. The storage modulus and the cross‐link density of NC hydrogels compared with the pure PAM hydrogel were greatly enhanced due to strong hydrogen bonding interactions between PAM and C‐dots. The swelling ratio of NC hydrogels increased with increasing the C‐dot contents. The fracture strength of PAM/C‐dot NC hydrogel was 47.5 kPa at a stretch of 2940% when the content of C‐dots was 1 wt%. C‐dots are an ideal nanomaterial for the preparation of novel NC hydrogels with excellent mechanical properties.
Indanes—Properties, Preparation, and Presence in Ligands for G Protein Coupled Receptors
Authors: Vilums Maris , Heuberger Jules , Heitman Laura H. , IJzerman Adriaan P.
Published: May 2015

The indane (2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐indene) ring system is an attractive scaffold for biologically active compounds due to the combination of aromatic and aliphatic properties fused together in one rigid system. This bicyclic structure provides a wide range of possibilities to incorporate specific substituents in different directionalities, thus being an attractive scaffold for medicinal chemists. Notably, many indane‐based compounds are being used in the clinic to treat various diseases, such as indinavir, an HIV‐1 protease inhibitor; indantadol, a potent Monoamine Oxidase (MAO)‐inhibitor; the amine uptake inhibitor indatraline; and the ultra‐long‐acting β‐adrenoceptor agonist indacaterol. Given the diversity of targets these drugs act on, one could argue that the indane ring system is a privileged substructure. In the present review, the synthetic and medicinal chemistry of the indane ring system is described. In more detail, it contains a comprehensive overview of compounds bearing the indane substructure with G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) activity, with particular emphasis on their structure–activity relationships (SAR).
The effect of plant sterols and different low doses of omega‐3 fatty acids from fish oil on lipoprotein subclasses
Authors: Jacobs Doris M. , Mihaleva Velitchka V. , van Schalkwijk Daniël B. , de Graaf Albert A. , Vervoort Jacques , van Dorsten Ferdinand A. , Ras Rouyanne T. , Demonty Isabelle , Trautwein Elke A. , van Duynhoven John
Published: May 2015

Scope

Consumption of a low‐fat spread enriched with plant sterols (PS) and different low doses (<2 g/day) of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from fish oil reduces serum triglycerides (TGs) and low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol (LDL‐Chol) and thus beneficially affects two blood lipid risk factors. Yet, their combined effects on TG and Chol in various lipoprotein subclasses have been investigated to a limited extent.

Methods and results

In a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, parallel study, we determined TG and Chol in 13 LP subclasses in fasting serum of 282 hypercholesterolemic subjects, who consumed either a placebo spread or one of the four spreads containing PS (2.5 g/day) and EPA+DHA (0.0, 0.9, 1.3, and 1.8 g/day) for 4 weeks. After PS treatment, total LDL‐Chol was reduced, which was not further changed by EPA+DHA. No shift in the LDL‐Chol particle distribution was observed. The addition of EPA+DHA to PS dose‐dependently reduced VLDL‐Chol and VLDL‐TG mainly in larger particles. Furthermore, the two highest doses of EPA+DHA increased Chol and TG in the larger HDL particles, while these concentrations were decreased in the smallest HDL particles.

Conclusion

The consumption of a low‐fat spread enriched with both PS and EPA+DHA induced shifts in the lipoprotein distribution that may provide additional cardiovascular benefits over PS consumption alone.
Early and progressive insulin resistance in young, non‐obese cancer survivors treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Bizzarri Carla , Pinto Rita M. , Ciccone Sara , Brescia Letizia P. , Locatelli Franco , Cappa Marco
Published: May 2015

Background

It is unclear whether there is a causative relationship between the development of metabolic syndrome (MS) and increased risk of early cardiovascular morbidity in patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) during childhood. Early identification of risk factors associated with insulin resistance, MS, and abnormal glucose tolerance during childhood or adolescence in these patients could represent a useful tool for preventing cardiovascular disorders.

Procedure

In a single‐center, prospective, descriptive, cross‐sectional study, we studied 45 survivors of hematological malignancies (age: 13.9 ± 4.8 years) treated with HSCT before the age of 18 years and 90 matched healthy controls. We collected clinical, imaging, and laboratory data including oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

Results

7/45 patients (15.6%) showed abnormal glucose tolerance at OGTT, 1/45 (2.2%) was obese, and none fulfilled the criteria for MS. A waist/height ratio >0.5 was associated with patients with abnormal glucose tolerance (85.7% of cases), compared to patients with normal glucose tolerance (42.1%) and controls (23.3%). In patients with abnormal glucose tolerance, use of total body irradiation (TBI) as conditioning regimen was more common, and time elapsed from HSCT was longer.

Conclusions

Patients treated with HSCT may develop insulin resistance early after transplantation. They do not show overt obesity, but have redistribution of fat tissue with central fat accumulation. The main factors associated with increased metabolic risk are TBI and time from HSCT. Evaluation of MS and glucose tolerance should be part of hormonal follow‐up, which should be routinely proposed to these patients. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:1650–1655. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Current and Emerging Treatments for Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation and Chronic Idiopathic Constipation: Focus on Prosecretory Agents
Authors: Thomas Rachel H. , Luthin David R.
Published: May 2015

Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS‐C) and chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) are two common functional gastrointestinal disorders that impair quality of life and pose a significant economic burden to the health care system. Current therapeutic options include lifestyle modifications, over‐the‐counter (OTC) agents, antispasmodics, serotonin agonists, and lubiprostone and linaclotide, two prosecretory prescription drugs approved for the treatment of IBS‐C and CIC. This review discusses the efficacy and safety of current treatments and emerging therapies for the treatment of IBS‐C and CIC, with a focus on the prosecretory agents. A search of the PubMed database (1966–November 2014) was performed to identify relevant articles; clinical trials on emerging agents were also identified by searching the ClinicalTrials.gov registry. OTC laxatives may relieve constipation but do not treat abdominal pain and discomfort. Antispasmodics may provide short‐term relief in patients with IBS‐C, but their utility is limited by anticholinergic adverse effects. Tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and serotonin‐norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors have shown benefit in providing global symptom relief and in improving abdominal discomfort, but further research is needed. Phase III clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of lubiprostone and linaclotide relative to placebo for the short‐term treatment of IBS‐C and CIC, with improvements reported in stool frequency, perceived constipation severity, and abdominal pain and discomfort. Relatively small response rates, higher costs, and adverse effects associated with lubiprostone and linaclotide will likely render these agents suitable as second‐line therapies in the treatment of IBS‐C and CIC. Emerging potential treatment options include prucalopride, plecanatide, elobixibat, and tenapanor. Several of these emerging therapies have novel mechanisms of action and may show promise in patients with IBS‐C and CIC who have not responded to other therapies.
High hydrogen storage capacity in calcium‐decorated silicene nanostructures
Authors: Li Feng , Zhang Changwen , Ji Wei‐Xiao , Zhao Mingwen
Published: May 2015

We report our first‐principle's calculations on the possibility of Ca‐decorated silicene sheet and zigzag silicene nanoribbons (ZSiNRs) as hydrogen storage medium. We predict that Ca atoms prefer to disperse on the silicene or at the edges of ZSiNRs without clustering, due to the strong binding between Ca and Si atoms. By adsorbing Ca atoms on the both sides of silicene, the hydrogen storage capacity can reach to 6.17 wt% (gravimetric density) with an average adsorption energy of 0.265 eV H2−1, which are quite optimial for reversible hydrogen adsorption and desorption at ambient conditions. The hydrogen storage capacity can be further improved to 8.43 wt% with the average adsorption energy in the range of 0.182–0.269 eV H2−1 in the Ca‐decorated ZSiNRs. The adsorption of H2 on Ca‐decorated Si nanostructures is mainly dominated by polarization and the orbital hybridizations. These findings indicate that the Ca‐decorated silicene and ZSiNRs have potential application in hydrogen storage.
Inhibition of Myeloid Cell Leukemia 1 and Activation of Caspases Are Critically Involved in Gallotannin‐induced Apoptosis in Prostate Cancer Cells
Authors: Park Eunkyung , Kwon Hee Young , Jung Ji Hoon , Jung Deok‐Beom , Jeong Arong , Cheon Jinhong , Kim Bonglee , Kim Sung‐Hoon
Published: May 2015

Although gallotannin contained in several medicinal plants was known to have multi‐biological activities, such as antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and antitumor effects, the underlying apoptotic mechanism of gallotannin is not fully understood so far. Thus, in the present study, the apoptotic mechanism of gallotannin was elucidated in DU145, PC‐3, and M2182 prostate cancer cells in association with myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl‐1) signaling. Gallotannin exerted dose‐dependent cytotoxicity in DU145, PC‐3, and M2182 prostate cancer cells. Also, gallotannin showed apoptotic morphological features and increased the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling positive cells and sub‐G1 accumulation in three prostate cancer cell lines. Consistently, gallotannin cleaved poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP) and attenuated the expression of procaspases 9 and 3 in three prostate cancer cell lines. Furthermore, gallotannin attenuated the expression of survival genes such as Mcl‐1, B‐cell lymphoma 2, and B‐cell lymphoma 2 extra large in three prostate cancer cell lines. Interestingly, overexpression of Mcl‐1 reversed the ability of gallotannin to cleave PARP and increase sub‐G1 population in three prostate cancer cell lines. Conversely, silencing of Mcl‐1 enhanced apoptosis by gallotannin in three prostate cancer cell lines by FACSCalibur (Becton Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA). Taken together, our findings demonstrate that inhibition of Mcl‐1 and activation of caspases are critically involved in gallotannin‐induced apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lidar‐Based Tree Recognition and Platform Localization in Orchards
Authors: Underwood James P. , Jagbrant Gustav , Nieto Juan I. , Sukkarieh Salah
Published: May 2015

We present an approach to tree recognition and localization in orchard environments for tree‐crop applications. The primary objective is to develop a pipeline for building detailed orchard maps and an algorithm to match subsequent lidar tree scans to the prior database, enabling correct data association for precision agricultural applications. Although global positioning systems (GPS) offer a simple solution, they are often unreliable in canopied environments due to satellite occlusion. The proposed method builds on the natural structure of the orchard. Lidar data are first segmented into individual trees using a hidden semi‐Markov model. Then a descriptor for representing the characteristics or appearance of each tree is introduced, allowing a hidden Markov model based matching method to associate new observations with an existing map of the orchard. The tree recognition method is evaluated on a 2.3 hectare section of an almond orchard in Victoria, Australia, over a period spanning 16 months, with a combined total of 17.5 scanned hectares and 26 kilometers of robot traversal. The results show an average matching performance of 86.8% and robustness both to segmentation errors and measurement noise. Near perfect recognition and localization (98.2%) was obtained for data sets taken one full year apart, where the seasonal variation of appearance is minimal.
Modelling ventricular fibrillation coarseness during cardiopulmonary resuscitation by mixed effects stochastic differential equations
Authors: Gundersen Kenneth , Kvaløy Jan Terje , Eftestøl Trygve , Kramer‐Johansen Jo
Published: May 2015

For patients undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and being in a shockable rhythm, the coarseness of the electrocardiogram (ECG) signal is an indicator of the state of the patient. In the current work, we show how mixed effects stochastic differential equations (SDE) models, commonly used in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modelling, can be used to model the relationship between CPR quality measurements and ECG coarseness. This is a novel application of mixed effects SDE models to a setting quite different from previous applications of such models and where using such models nicely solves many of the challenges involved in analysing the available data. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sexual Functioning and Behavior of Men with Body Dysmorphic Disorder Concerning Penis Size Compared with Men Anxious about Penis Size and with Controls: A Cohort Study
Authors: Veale David , Miles Sarah , Read Julie , Troglia Andrea , Wylie Kevan , Muir Gordon
Published: May 2015

Introduction

Little is known about the sexual functioning and behavior of men anxious about the size of their penis and the means that they might use to try to alter the size of their penis.

Aim

To compare sexual functioning and behavior in men with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) concerning penis size and in men with small penis anxiety (SPA without BDD) and in a control group of men who do not have any concerns.

Methods

An opportunistic sample of 90 men from the community were recruited and divided into three groups: BDD (n = 26); SPA (n = 31) and controls (n = 33).

Main Outcome Measures

The Index of Erectile Function (IEF), sexual identity and history; and interventions to alter the size of their penis.

Results

Men with BDD compared with controls had reduced erectile dysfunction, orgasmic function, intercourse satisfaction and overall satisfaction on the IEF. Men with SPA compared with controls had reduced intercourse satisfaction. There were no differences in sexual desire, the frequency of intercourse or masturbation across any of the three groups. Men with BDD and SPA were more likely than the controls to attempt to alter the shape or size of their penis (for example jelqing, vacuum pumps or stretching devices) with poor reported success.

Conclusion

Men with BDD are more likely to have erectile dysfunction and less satisfaction with intercourse than controls but maintain their libido. Further research is required to develop and evaluate a psychological intervention for such men with adequate outcome measures.
Feasibility and performance evaluation of a 6LoWPAN‐enabled platform for ubiquitous healthcare monitoring
Authors: Touati Farid , Mnaouer Adel Ben , Erdene‐Ochir Ochirkhand , Mehmood Waiser , Hassan Ammad , Gaabab Brahim
Published: May 2015

Technology has revolutionized medical practices by enabling more convenient and non‐intrusive monitoring of patient's health, leading to next generation ubiquitous healthcare (u‐healthcare). The exploitation of the Internet protocol version 6 addressing space along with the miniaturization of electronic devices has fostered providing interoperability and connectivity of wearable sensor devices in wireless body area networks to the Internet of Things. In this paper, we propose to integrate the IPv6 over low power wireless personal area network (6LoWPAN) to the u‐healthcare monitoring system architecture. The main objective is to study the feasibility of the 6LoWPAN‐enabled platform in real‐world scenarios dealing with medical data. The performance evaluation of this platform is carried out initially through simulations using OMNet++ and then supported by an experimental study using sensor motes and a customized micro‐computing unit. Performance metrics such as throughput, end‐to‐end delay, packet error rate, and energy consumption are investigated under acute health conditions, where patient's health information has to be sent continuously and at maximum rate to the care provider. The obtained results show that the proposed 6LoWPAN solution fulfills the main quality of service requirements of u‐healthcare applications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Topology, dynamics, and heterogeneity in immune signaling
Authors: Webb J. Taylor , Behar Marcelo
Published: May 2015

Development and function of the immune system depends on cells exchanging information between themselves and with their environment. This information is processed and integrated by complex signal transduction and gene regulatory networks with rich temporal dynamics. A growing body of evidence points to a combination of network topology and temporal dynamics as a fundamental link between stimulus and function. Recent findings also bring cellular variability and stochastic events to the forefront as additional determinants of cell population responses to immune cues. In this article, we review examples of how the trinity of network topology, temporal dynamics, and cellular variability together determine the immune function. In particular we focus on Nuclear Factor kappa‐B and T‐cell receptor signaling networks as they have proven fertile ground for studying how function arises from the combination of topology, dynamics, and variability in a context of great clinical importance. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2015, 7:285–300. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1306

This article is categorized under:

Biological Mechanisms > Cell Signaling

Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Mechanistic Models

Biological Mechanisms > Regulatory Biology
Structure and Properties of One‐dimensional Homometallic Complexes [Cu5(CN)5(5‐ph‐2,2′‐bpy)3]n and [Cu(SCN)(5‐ph‐2,2′‐bpy)]n (5‐ph‐2,2′‐bpy = 5‐Phenyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine)
Authors: Cui Shuxin , Zuo Minghui , Wang Haiyu , Xu Jie
Published: May 2015

The complexes [Cu5(CN)5(5‐ph‐2,2′‐bpy)3]n (1) and {Cu(SCN)(5‐ph‐2,2′‐bpy)}n (2) were prepared by reaction of CuCl2 with different bridging ligands such as cyanide‐ or thiocyanate under hydrothermal conditions in the presence of 5‐phenyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine (5‐ph‐2,2′‐bpy). The copper ions are bridged by cyanide anions to form 1D ribbon with 26‐membered {Cu10(CN)8} rings in complex 1, whereas the metal ions are bridged by thiocyanate anions to form a 1D chain in complex 2.
Retrograde access of the left atrium for pulmonary vein isolation using magnetic navigation after closure of an atrial septum defect
Authors: De Roeck L. , Riahi L. , Wijchers S. , Stockman D. , De Greef Y. , Schwagten B.
Published: May 2015

Transseptal puncture is the most commonly used technique to perform electrophysiological procedures in the left atrium. This case report describes a pulmonary vein isolation in a patient with a paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, complicated by the presence of an oversized Amplatzer device (AGA Medical Corp., Golden Valley, MN). A retrograde approach using the magnetic navigation system (Niobe, Stereotaxis Inc., St Louis, USA) was performed, and showed to provide a feasible, safe and successful alternative for catheter ablation of cardiac arrhythmias in patients in whom the classic transseptal approach is impossible.
Consumption, Health, and Disposability inSpongeBob SquarePants
Authors: Piatti-Farnell Lorna
Published: May 2015

In recent years, food scholarship has extended its preoccupation with consumption to interrogating the relationship between eating, culture and waste, and their effects on the environment. Simultaneously, food-related concerns have also become a recurrent part of popular culture, where examples from children's television provide fertile ground for discussion. This article analyses the multiple representations of food, consumption, and waste in Stephen Hillenburg's animated seriesSpongeBob SquarePants. Focusing on the specific food-related pedagogical philosophies that seem recurrent in the series, and following in Henry Giroux's footsteps by seeing a link between popular culture and educational structures, my discussion unravels the show's engagement with the over-consumption of fast food, the acculturation of the burger as the American meal par excellence, and environmental issues of ‘over-production’. I aim to show how, ultimately,SpongeBob SquarePantsoffers an evaluation of the connection between consumption, health, and disposability in contemporary Western societies.
Lessons Learned From Hospital Ebola Preparation
Authors: Morgan Daniel J. , Braun Barbara , Milstone Aaron M. , Anderson Deverick , Lautenbach Ebbing , Safdar Nasia , Drees Marci , Meddings Jennifer , Linkin Darren R. , Croft Lindsay D. , Pineles Lisa , Diekema Daniel J. , Harris Anthony D.
Published: May 2015

BACKGROUND

Hospital Ebola preparation is underway in the United States and other countries; however, the best approach and resources involved are unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To examine costs and challenges associated with hospital Ebola preparation by means of a survey of Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) members.

DESIGN

Electronic survey of infection prevention experts.

RESULTS

A total of 257 members completed the survey (221 US, 36 international) representing institutions in 41 US states, the District of Columbia, and 18 countries. The 221 US respondents represented 158 (43.1%) of 367 major medical centers that have SHEA members and included 21 (60%) of 35 institutions recently defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as Ebola virus disease treatment centers. From October 13 through October 19, 2014, Ebola consumed 80% of hospital epidemiology time and only 30% of routine infection prevention activities were completed. Routine care was delayed in 27% of hospitals evaluating patients for Ebola.

LIMITATIONS

Convenience sample of SHEA members with a moderate response rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Hospital Ebola preparations required extraordinary resources, which were diverted from routine infection prevention activities. Patients being evaluated for Ebola faced delays and potential limitations in management of other diseases that are more common in travelers returning from West Africa.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015;00(0): 1–5
How to Tackle a Nue (aka Anime)
Authors: Yoshioka Shiro
Published: May 2015

As a research subject, Japanese animation or anime is like a nue, an imaginary Japanese bird that has the head of an ape, the torso of a raccoon, the tail of a snake, and the limbs of a tiger. Depending on the perspective from which you are looking at it, and what you want to see in it, you can academically approach anime from numerous angles. Furthermore, contemporary anime is increasingly and inextricably entangled with other media, such as manga, videogames, novels, and live-action films in terms of content, distribution, and consumption. As such, it is very difficult to single out anime as a research subject. The global popularity of anime in the past twenty years adds a further twist by introducing numerous voices from fans and scholars from different parts of the world as well as Japan.
Stage and Page in Early-Modern Japan
Authors: Gundry David
Published: May 2015

Wondrous Brutal Fictions and Publishing the Stage will together expand and enrich the scholarly conversation on the theater of Tokugawa-period Japan and its interfaces with various genres of literature and the visual arts. The former volume consists of translations by R. Keller Kimbrough of seventeenth-century sekkyō and ko-jōruri (old jōruri) preceded by an informative and insightful introduction. It will be of great interest to scholars specializing in early-modern Japanese literature, history, and religion, and would lend itself to inclusion in reading lists for both undergraduate- and graduate-level courses. Publishing the Stage, edited by Kimbrough and Satoko Shimazaki, gathers together a wide-ranging assortment of papers on the symbiotic relationship between theater and publishing in Edo- and early Meiji-period Japan, all presented in March 2011 at an interdisciplinary conference held at the Center for Asian Studies of the University of Colorado, Boulder. Its eleven essays (seven written in English and four in Japanese) will be of use not only to scholars in the fields of Japanese literature and performance but also to historians and specialists in art history.
Circadian clock control of connexin36 phosphorylation in retinal photoreceptors of the CBA/CaJ mouse strain
Authors: ZHANG ZHIJING , LI HONGYAN , LIU XIAOQIN , O'BRIEN JOHN , RIBELAYGA CHRISTOPHE P.
Published: May 2015

The gap-junction-forming protein connexin36 (Cx36) represents the anatomical substrate of photoreceptor electrical coupling in mammals. The strength of coupling is directly correlated to the phosphorylation of Cx36 at two regulatory sites: Ser110 and Ser293. Our previous work demonstrated that the extent of biotinylated tracer coupling between photoreceptor cells, which provides an index of the extent of electrical coupling, depends on the mouse strain. In the C57Bl/6J strain, light or dopamine reduces tracer coupling and Cx36 phosphorylation in photoreceptors. Conversely, darkness or a dopaminergic antagonist increases tracer coupling and Cx36 phosphorylation, regardless of the daytime. In the CBA/CaJ strain, photoreceptor tracer coupling is not only regulated by light and dopamine, but also by a circadian clock, a type of oscillator with a period close to 24 h and intrinsic to the retina, so that under prolonged dark-adapted conditions tracer coupling is broader at night compared to daytime. In the current study, we examined whether the modulation of photoreceptor coupling by a circadian clock in the CBA/CaJ mouse photoreceptors reflected a change in Cx36 protein expression and/or phosphorylation. We found no significant change in Cx36 expression or in the number of Cx36 gap junction among the conditions examined. However, we found that Cx36 phosphorylation is higher under dark-adapted conditions at night than in the daytime, and is the lowest under prolonged illumination at any time of the day/night cycle. Our observations are consistent with the view that the circadian clock regulation of photoreceptor electrical coupling is mouse strain-dependent and highlights the critical position of Cx36 phosphorylation in the control of photoreceptor coupling.
Controversies Surrounding the Reception of Valī “Dakhanī” (1665?–1707?) in Early Tażkirahs of Urdu Poets
Authors: DHAVAN PURNIMA , PAUWELS HEIDI
Published: May 2015

Early Urdu poetry, at the time called Reḳhtah, forms a remarkable example of the circulation of ideas in early modern India. Scholars trace its modern form to the reception in early eighteenth-century Delhi of a Southern literary idiom, usually called Dakhanī that is itself the result of repeated waves of migration from North India to the Deccan. While the historical origins of Urdu occupy an arena of lively scholarly debate, its later historical and literary importance is quite clear. By the start of the nineteenth century a highly literary and Persian-inflected form of Urdu would swiftly replace Persian in elite circles. Thus we have a historically significant moment at which the confluence of the vernacular and the cosmopolitan created a new cosmopolitan vernacular, however this process remains understudied.
The development of shared syntax in second language learning
Authors: HARTSUIKER ROBERT J. , BERNOLET SARAH
Published: May 2015

According to Hartsuiker et al.'s (2004) shared-syntax account bilinguals share syntactic representations across languages whenever these representations are similar enough. But how does such a system develop in the course of second language (L2) learning? We will review recent work on cross-linguistic structural priming, which considered priming in early second language learners and late second language learners as a function of proficiency. We will then sketch our account of L2 syntactic acquisition. We assume an early phase in which the learner relies on transfer from L1 and imitation, followed by phases in which language- and item-specific syntactic representations are added and in which such representations become increasingly abstract. We argue that structural priming effects in L2 (and between L1 and L2) depend on the structure of this developing network but also on explicit memory processes. We speculate that these memory processes might aid the formation of new representations.
Inflexibility of Some Hydrological Models Limits Accuracy
Authors: Kollipara Puneet
Published: May 2015

Reducing the number of fixed assumptions may improve the accuracy of complex process-based models.
A Base-Independent Repair Mechanism for DNA Glycosylase—No Discrimination Within the Active Site
Authors: Blank Iris D. , Sadeghian Keyarash , Ochsenfeld Christian
Published: May 2015

The ubiquitous occurrence of DNA damages renders its repair machinery a crucial requirement for the genomic stability and the survival of living organisms. Deficiencies in DNA repair can lead to carcinogenesis, Alzheimer, or Diabetes II, where increased amounts of oxidized DNA bases have been found in patients. Despite the highest mutation frequency among oxidized DNA bases, the base-excision repair process of oxidized and ring-opened guanine, FapydG (2,6-diamino-4-hydroxy-5-formamidopyrimidine), remained unclear since it is difficult to study experimentally. We use newly-developed linear-scaling quantum-chemical methods (QM) allowing us to include up to 700 QM-atoms and achieving size convergence. Instead of the widely assumed base-protonated pathway we find a ribose-protonated repair mechanism which explains experimental observations and shows strong evidence for a base-independent repair process. Our results also imply that discrimination must occur during recognition, prior to the binding within the active site.
Nonautophagic cytoplasmic vacuolation death induction in human PC-3M prostate cancer by curcumin through reactive oxygen species -mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress
Authors: Lee Wei-Jiunn , Chien Ming-Hsien , Chow Jyh-Ming , Chang Junn-Liang , Wen Yu-Ching , Lin Yung-Wei , Cheng Chao-Wen , Lai Gi-Ming , Hsiao Michael , Lee Liang-Ming
Published: May 2015

The antiapoptotic and antiautophagic abilities of cancer cells constitute a major challenge for anticancer drug treatment. Strategies for triggering nonapoptotic or nonautophagic cell death may improve therapeutic efficacy against cancer. Curcumin has been reported to exhibit cancer chemopreventive properties. Herein, we report that curcumin induced apoptosis in LNCaP, DU145 and PC-3 cells but triggered extensive cytoplasmic vacuolation in PC-3M cells. Electron microscopic images showed that the vacuoles lacked intracellular organelles and were derived from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Moreover, curcumin-induced vacuolation was not reversed by an apoptosis- or autophagy-related inhibitor, suggesting that vacuolation-mediated cell death differs from classical apoptotic and autophagic cell death. Mechanistic investigations revealed that curcumin treatment upregulated the ER stress markers CHOP and Bip/GRP78 and the autophagic marker LC3-II. In addition, curcumin induced ER stress by triggering ROS generation, which was supported by the finding that treating cells with the antioxidant NAC alleviated curcumin-mediated ER stress and vacuolation-mediated death. An in vivo PC-3M orthotopic prostate cancer model revealed that curcumin reduced tumor growth by inducing ROS production followed by vacuolation-mediated cell death. Overall, our results indicated that curcumin acts as an inducer of ROS production, which leads to nonapoptotic and nonautophagic cell death via increased ER stress.
Circulating miR-497 and miR-663b in plasma are potential novel biomarkers for bladder cancer
Authors: Du Mulong , Shi Danni , Yuan Lin , Li Pengchao , Chu Haiyan , Qin Chao , Yin Changjun , Zhang Zhengdong , Wang Meilin
Published: May 2015

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), abundant and highly stable in the plasma, have been widely reported. This greatly pursued us to investigate whether plasma miRNAs could be considered as powerful biomarkers for diagnosing bladder cancer (BC). We performed a plasma miRNAs profile with the TaqMan Low Density Array and a two-phase validation to detect the candidate miRNAs expression by quantitative PCR. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and the area under curve (AUC) were used to evaluate diagnostic accuracy. A total of eight plasma miRNAs abnormally expressed between BC patients and healthy controls in microarray analysis (i.e., elevated miRNAs for miR-505, miR-363 and miR-663b and decreased for miR-99a, miR-194, miR-100, miR-497 and miR-1 in BC plasma). In further independent cohorts, miR-497 and miR-663b with significantly differential expression were confirmed. Moreover, the AUC, sensitivity and specificity were raised to 0.711 (95% CI = 0.641-0.780), 69.7% and 69.6%, respectively, when miR-497 and miR-663b were integrated. This is the first study systematically exploring the existence of specific plasma miRNAs as early diagnostic biomarkers for BC in Chinese population; and these findings supported that plasma miR-497 and miR-663b could be promising novel circulating biomarkers in clinical detection of BC.
Suppression of creep-regime dynamics in epitaxial ferroelectric BiFeO3 films
Authors: Shin Y. J. , Jeon B. C. , Yang S. M. , Hwang I. , Cho M. R. , Sando D. , Lee S. R. , Yoon J.-G. , Noh T. W.
Published: May 2015

Switching dynamics of ferroelectric materials are governed by the response of domain walls to applied electric field. In epitaxial ferroelectric films, thermally-activated ‘creep’ motion plays a significant role in domain wall dynamics and accordingly, detailed understanding of the system’s switching properties requires that this creep motion be taken into account. Despite this importance, few studies have investigated creep motion in ferroelectric films under ac-driven force. Here, we explore ac hysteretic dynamics in epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films, through ferroelectric hysteresis measurements and stroboscopic piezoresponse force microscopy. We reveal that identically-fabricated BiFeO3 films on SrRuO3 or La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 bottom electrodes exhibit markedly different switching behaviour, with BiFeO3/SrRuO3 presenting essentially creep-free dynamics. This unprecedented result arises from the distinctive spatial inhomogeneities of the internal fields, these being influenced by the bottom electrode’s surface morphology. Our findings further highlight the importance of controlling interface and defect characteristics, to engineer ferroelectric devices with optimised performance.
Microbiota prevents cholesterol loss from the body by regulating host gene expression in mice
Authors: Zhong Chun-Yan , Sun Wei-Wei , Ma Yinyan , Zhu Hongling , Yang Pan , Wei Hong , Zeng Ben-Hua , Zhang Qian , Liu Yu , Li Wen-Xia , Chen Yixin , Yu Liqing , Song Zhi-Yuan
Published: May 2015

We have previously observed that knockout of Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1 (NPC1L1), a cholesterol transporter essential for intestinal cholesterol absorption, reduces the output of dry stool in mice. As the food intake remains unaltered in NPC1L1-knockout (L1-KO) mice, we hypothesized that NPC1L1 deficiency may alter the gut microbiome to reduce stool output. Consistently, here we demonstrate that the phyla of fecal microbiota differ substantially between L1-KO mice and their wild-type controls. Germ-free (GF) mice have reduced stool output. Inhibition of NPC1L1 by its inhibitor ezetimibe reduces stool output in specific pathogen-free (SPF), but not GF mice. In addition, we show that GF versus SPF mice have reduced intestinal absorption and increased fecal excretion of cholesterol, particularly after treatment with ezetimibe. This negative balance of cholesterol in GF mice is associated with reduced plasma and hepatic cholesterol and likely caused by reduced expression of NPC1L1 and increased expression of ABCG5 and ABCG8 in small intestine. Expression levels of other genes in intestine and liver largely reflect a state of cholesterol depletion and a decrease in intestinal sensing of bile acids. Altogether, our findings reveal a broad role of microbiota in regulating whole-body cholesterol homeostasis and its response to a cholesterol-lowering drug, ezetimibe.