bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anticoagulant treatment for acute pulmonary embolism: a pathophysiology-based clinical approach
Authors: Agnelli Giancarlo , Becattini Cecilia
Published: February 2015

The management of patients with acute pulmonary embolism is made challenging by its wide spectrum of clinical presentation and outcome, which is mainly related to patient haemodynamic status and right ventricular overload. Mechanical embolic obstruction and neurohumorally mediated pulmonary vasoconstriction are responsible for right ventricular overload. The pathophysiology of acute pulmonary embolism is the basis for risk stratification of patients as being at high, intermediate and low risk of adverse outcomes. This risk stratification has been advocated to tailor clinical management according to the severity of pulmonary embolism.

Anticoagulation is the mainstay of the treatment of acute pulmonary embolism. New direct oral anticoagulants, which are easier to use than conventional anticoagulants, have been compared with conventional anticoagulation in five randomised clinical trials including >11 000 patients with pulmonary embolism. Patients at high risk of pulmonary embolism (those with haemodynamic compromise) were excluded from these studies. Direct oral anticoagulants have been shown to be as effective and at least as safe as conventional anticoagulation in patients with pulmonary embolism without haemodynamic compromise, who are the majority of patients with this disease. Whether these agents are appropriate for the acute-phase treatment of patients at intermediate–high risk pulmonary embolism (those with both right ventricle dysfunction and injury) regardless of any risk stratification remains undefined.
Effects of antenatal multiple micronutrient supplementation on lung function in mid-childhood: follow-up of a double-blind randomised controlled trial in Nepal
Authors: Devakumar Delan , Stocks Janet , Ayres Jon G. , Kirkby Jane , Yadav Sushil K. , Saville Naomi M. , Devereux Graham , Wells Jonathan C.K. , Manandhar Dharma S. , Costello Anthony , Osrin David
Published: February 2015

A randomised trial of prenatal multiple micronutrient supplementation in Nepalese women increased birthweight and weight at 2 years of age in offspring, compared to those born to mothers who only received iron and folic acid supplements. Further follow-up of this cohort provided an opportunity to investigate the effect of antenatal multiple micronutrients on subsequent lung function by measuring spirometry at 7–9 years of age inchildren born during the trial.

841 children (80% of the cohort) were seen at mean±sd8.5±0.4 years. Technically successful spirometry results were obtained in 793 (94.3%) children, 50% of whom had been randomised to micronutrient supplementation. Background characteristics, including anthropometry, were similar in the two allocation groups.

Lung function was also similar, mean (95% CI) difference in z-scores (supplementation minus control) was −0.08 (−0.19–0.04), −0.05 (−0.17–0.06) and −0.04 (−0.15–0.07) for forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity and FEV1/FVC, respectively. Compared with healthy white children, FEV1and FVC in the “healthy” Nepalese children were ∼1 (∼13%) z-score lower, with no difference in FEV1/FVC.

We conclude that, compared with routine iron and folic acid, multiple micronutrient supplementation during pregnancy has no effect on spirometric lung function in Nepalese children at 8.5 years of age.
Gait patterns in COPD: the Rotterdam Study
Authors: Lahousse Lies , Verlinden Vincentius J.A. , van der Geest Jos N. , Joos Guy F. , Hofman Albert , Stricker Bruno H.C. , Brusselle Guy G. , Ikram M. Arfan
Published: February 2015

Gait disturbances in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may lead to disability and falls. As studies assessing gait kinematics in COPD are sparse, we investigated associations of COPD with various gait domains and explored a potential link with falling.

Gait was measured within the prospective, population-based Rotterdam Study (age ≥55 years) using an electronic walkway and summarised into seven gait domains: Rhythm, Variability, Phases, Pace, Tandem, Turning and Base of Support. Rhythm is a temporal gait aspect that includes cadence and reflects how quickly steps are taken.

Persons with COPD (n=196) exhibited worse Rhythm (−0.21 sd, 95% CI −0.36– −0.06 sd) compared with persons with normal lung function (n=898), independent of age, sex, height, education, smoking or analgesic use, especially when dyspnoea and severe airflow limitation or frequent exacerbations (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease group D: −0.83 sd, 95% CI −1.25– −0.41 sd) were present. A lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s was associated with worse Rhythm and Pace, including lower cadence and gait velocity, respectively. Importantly, fallers with COPD had significantly worse Rhythm than nonfallers with COPD.

This study demonstrates that persons with COPD exhibit worse Rhythm, especially fallers with COPD. The degree of Rhythm deterioration was associated with the degree of airflow limitation, symptoms and frequency of exacerbations.
Methylation-dependent SOX9 expression mediates invasion in human melanoma cells and is a negative prognostic factor in advanced melanoma
Authors: Cheng Phil F , Shakhova Olga , Widmer Daniel S , Eichhoff Ossia M , Zingg Daniel , Frommel Sandra C , Belloni Benedetta , Raaijmakers Marieke IG , Goldinger Simone M , Santoro Raffaella , Hemmi Silvio , Sommer Lukas , Dummer Reinhard , Levesque Mitchell P
Published: February 2015

Background

Melanoma is the most fatal skin cancer displaying a high degree of molecular heterogeneity. Phenotype switching is a mechanism that contributes to melanoma heterogeneity by altering transcription profiles for the transition between states of proliferation/differentiation and invasion/stemness. As phenotype switching is reversible, epigenetic mechanisms, like DNA methylation, could contribute to the changes in gene expression.

Results

Integrative analysis of methylation and gene expression datasets of five proliferative and five invasion melanoma cell cultures reveal two distinct clusters. SOX9 is methylated and lowly expressed in the highly proliferative group. SOX9 overexpression results in decreased proliferation but increased invasion in vitro. In a B16 mouse model, sox9 overexpression increases the number of lung metastases. Transcriptional analysis of SOX9-overexpressing melanoma cells reveals enrichment in epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathways. Survival analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas melanoma dataset shows that metastatic patients with high expression levels of SOX9 have significantly worse survival rates. Additional survival analysis on the targets of SOX9 reveals that most SOX9 downregulated genes have survival benefit for metastatic patients.

Conclusions

Our genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression study of 10 early passage melanoma cell cultures reveals two phenotypically distinct groups. One of the genes regulated by DNA methylation between the two groups is SOX9. SOX9 induces melanoma cell invasion and metastasis and decreases patient survival. A number of genes downregulated by SOX9 have a negative impact on patient survival. In conclusion, SOX9 is an important gene involved in melanoma invasion and negatively impacts melanoma patient survival.
Transcript and protein expression decoupling reveals RNA binding proteins and miRNAs as potential modulators of human aging
Authors: Wei Yu-Ning , Hu Hai-Yang , Xie Gang-Cai , Fu Ning , Ning Zhi-Bin , Zeng Rong , Khaitovich Philipp
Published: February 2015

Background

In studies of development and aging, the expression of many genes has been shown to undergo drastic changes at mRNA and protein levels. The connection between mRNA and protein expression level changes, as well as the role of posttranscriptional regulation in controlling expression level changes in postnatal development and aging, remains largely unexplored.

Results

Here, we survey mRNA and protein expression changes in the prefrontal cortex of humans and rhesus macaques over developmental and aging intervals of both species’ lifespans. We find substantial decoupling of mRNA and protein expression levels in aging, but not in development. Genes showing increased mRNA/protein disparity in primate brain aging form expression patterns conserved between humans and macaques and are enriched in specific functions involving mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, mitochondrial function and neurodegeneration. Mechanistically, aging-dependent mRNA/protein expression decoupling could be linked to a specific set of RNA binding proteins and, to a lesser extent, to specific microRNAs.

Conclusions

Increased decoupling of mRNA and protein expression profiles observed in human and macaque brain aging results in specific co-expression profiles composed of genes with shared functions and shared regulatory signals linked to specific posttranscriptional regulators. Genes targeted and predicted to be targeted by the aging-dependent posttranscriptional regulation are associated with biological processes known to play important roles in aging and lifespan extension. These results indicate the potential importance of posttranscriptional regulation in modulating aging-dependent changes in humans and other species.
Fate by RNA methylation: m6A steers stem cell pluripotency
Authors: Zhao Boxuan Simen , He Chuan
Published: February 2015

The N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of mRNA has a crucial function in regulating pluripotency in murine stem cells: it facilitates resolution of naïve pluripotency towards differentiation.
Nostoc sp. extract induces oxidative stress-mediated root cell destruction in Mimosa pigra L.
Authors: Sukkhaeng Siriphan , Sanevas Nuttha , Suwanwong Srisom
Published: February 2015

Background

Mimosa pigra is an invasive weed in some regions of South East Asia and Australia. Our previous study has revealed that a cyanobacterium, Nostoc sp., extract can inhibit root growth in M. pigra seedlings. In this study, some physiological processes involve oxidative stress-mediated cell death and root ultrastructure were investigated to clarify the mechanisms of root growth suppression and bioherbicidal potential of the extract.

Results

Nostoc sp. extract enhanced overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at 24 h, the intensity of red fluorescence increased at 72 h, and caused a slightly increased H2O2 consistent with the activation of scavenging enzymes (catalase, ascorbic acid peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and peroxidases). This suggests that oxidative stress occurred in the presence of the extract which was supported by increased cell death and lipid peroxidation at 24 h. Reduction of malondialdehyde content and an increase in cell death at 72 h indicated oxidative damage and cellular leakage. Ultrastructural changes were determined at 72 h by scanning electron micrographs which confirmed the damage of epidermal and root cap cells and the disaggregation and destruction of root tip cells. Transmission electron micrographs showed the dissolution of the middle lamella, deposition of some substances in vacuoles, and abnormal mitochondria (swollen mitochondria and indistinct cristae).

Conclusions

Nostoc sp. extract enhance oxidative stress by ROS production resulting in lipid peroxidation and massive cell death despite the activation of antioxidative enzymes. Understanding mechanism of action of Nostoc sp. extract will provide information for application of the extract to use as natural herbicide for control of M. pigra.
Approach to the Patient: Contraception in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Yildiz Bulent O.
Published: February 2015

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive and metabolic disorder. Patients with PCOS present with clinical signs of androgen excess (ie, hirsutism and acne), menstrual irregularities, and infertility. Combined oral contraceptive (OC) pills are the first-line medical therapy for the long-term management of PCOS. Containing a combination of estrogen and progestin, OCs restore regular menses, improve androgen excess, and provide effective contraception and protection from endometrial cancer. The benefits of hormonal contraception outweigh the risks in the vast majority of women with PCOS. However, concerns have been raised about potential adverse cardiovascular and metabolic effects of OCs. Currently available evidence indicates an increased relative risk of venous thrombosis associated with OCs varying among different formulations. Arterial thrombosis risk attributable to OCs does not appear to be significantly increased in young nonsmoking women. OC use might be associated with increased risk of diabetes in morbidly obese women with PCOS with severe insulin resistance. A tailored clinical approach to oral contraception in women with PCOS requires individualized risk stratification and management by determination of each PCOS patient's personal cardiometabolic risk profile at baseline and during follow-up. Before prescribing an OC, clinicians should document individual risk factors including age, smoking, obesity, any degree of glucose intolerance including prediabetes and diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, thrombophilia, and personal or family history of a venous thromboembolic event.
Long-term Echocardiographic and Cardioscintigraphic Effects of Growth Hormone Treatment in Adults With Prader-Willi Syndrome
Authors: Marzullo Paolo , Marcassa Claudio , Minocci Alessandro , Campini Riccardo , Eleuteri Ermanno , Gondoni Luca Alessandro , Aimaretti Gianluca , Sartorio Alessandro , Scacchi Massimo , Grugni Graziano
Published: February 2015

Context:

In Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), an altered GH secretion has been related to reduced cardiac mass and systolic function compared to controls.

Objective:

The objective was to evaluate the cardiovascular response to a 4-year GH therapy in adult PWS patients.

Study Participants:

Study participants were nine severely obese PWS adults (three females, six males) and 13 age-, gender-, and body mass index-matched obese controls.

Methods:

In an open-label prospective study, assessment of endocrine parameters and metabolic outcome, whole-body and abdominal fat scans, echocardiography, and radionuclide angiography in unstimulated and dobutamine-stimulated conditions were conducted at baseline and after 1 and 4 years of GH treatment.

Results:

GH treatment increased IGF-1 (P < .0001), decreased C-reactive protein levels (P < .05), improved visceral fat mass (P < .05), and achieved near-significant changes of fat and fat-free body mass in PWS patients. Left ventricle mass indexed by fat mass increased significantly after 1 and 4 years of GH therapy (P < .05) without evident abnormalities of diastolic function, while a trend toward a reduction of the ejection fraction was documented by echocardiography (P = .054). Radionuclide angiography revealed stable values throughout the study of both the left and right ventricle ejection fractions, although this was accompanied by a statistically nonsignificant reduction of the left ventricle filling rate. A positive association between lean body mass and left ventricle ejection fraction was evident during the study (P < .05).

Conclusions:

GH therapy increased the cardiac mass of PWS adults without causing overt abnormalities of systolic and diastolic function. Although the association between lean mass and left ventricle ejection fraction during GH therapy corroborates a favorable systemic outcome of long-term GH treatment in adults with PWS, subtle longitudinal modifications of functional parameters advocate appropriate cardiac monitoring in the long-term therapeutic strategy for PWS.
The ACA Medicaid Expansion Waiver in the Keystone State: Do the Medically Uninsured “Got a Friend in Pennsylvania”?
Authors: Olson Laura Katz
Published: February 2015

Medicaid is fundamental to near universal health insurance coverage under the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA). Its goal of broadening the program to all households with income at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level was thwarted in 2012 by a Supreme Court decision that allowed the states to choose whether or not they would join. This essay seeks to assess the status of Pennsylvania with regard to the Medicaid expansion controversy. It briefly describes the Keystone State's existing Medicaid program and the potential impact of the ACA on its growth. It then discusses Governor Tom Corbett's market-based alternative and what he achieved in his deliberations with the Obama administration. The article also discusses some of the financial considerations facing Pennsylvania policy makers in the expansion decision, the role of three of the more influential lobby groups, and the problematic situation of the medically uninsured population.
Gemcitabine and Carboplatin (Renally Dosed) Regimen for Bladder Cancer
Authors: Pritchard E. Ryan , Waddell J. Aubrey , Solimando Dominic A.
Published: February 2015

The complexity of cancer chemotherapy requires pharmacists be familiar with the complicated regimens and highly toxic agents used. This column reviews various issues related to preparation, dispensing, and administration of antineoplastic therapy, and the agents, both commercially available and investigational, used to treat malignant diseases.
Ferric Citrate
Authors: Cada Dennis J. , Cong Jasen , Baker Danial E.
Published: February 2015

Each month, subscribers to The Formulary Monograph Service receive 5 to 6 well-documented monographs on drugs that are newly released or are in late phase 3 trials. The monographs are targeted to Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committees. Subscribers also receive monthly 1-page summary monographs on agents that are useful for agendas and pharmacy/nursing in-services. A comprehensive target drug utilization evaluation/medication use evaluation (DUE/MUE) is also provided each month. With a subscription, the monographs are sent in print and are also available on-line. Monographs can be customized to meet the needs of a facility. A drug class review is now published monthly with The Formulary Monograph Service. Through the cooperation of The Formulary, Hospital Pharmacy publishes selected reviews in this column. For more information about The Formulary Monograph Service, call The Formulary at 800-322-4349. The February 2015 monograph topics are netupitant/palonosetron, naltrxone SR/bupropion SR, nintedanib, pirfenidone, and ivabradine. The Safety MUE is on netupitant/palonosetron.
Approvals, Submission, and Important Labeling Changes for US Marketed Pharmaceuticals
Authors: Baker Danial E.
Published: February 2015

This monthly feature will help readers keep current on new drugs, new indications, dosage forms, and safety-related changes in labeling or use. Efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of this information; however, if there are any questions, please let me know at danial.baker@wsu.edu .
Let's Target this “Dirty Dozen” for Improvement during 2015; Caution: “Per Liter” Content on Manufacturers’ IV Bag Labels
Authors: Cohen Michael R. , Smetzer Judy L.
Published: February 2015

These medication errors have occurred in health care facilities at least once. They will happen again—perhaps where you work. Through education and alertness of personnel and procedural safeguards, they can be avoided. You should consider publishing accounts of errors in your newsletters and/or presenting them at your inservice training programs.

Your assistance is required to continue this feature. The reports described here were received through the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) Medication Errors Reporting Program. Any reports published by ISMP will be anonymous. Comments are also invited; the writers’ names will be published if desired. ISMP may be contacted at the address shown below.

Errors, close calls, or hazardous conditions may be reported directly to ISMP through the ISMP Web site ( www.ismp.org ), by calling 800-FAIL-SAFE, or via e-mail at ismpinfo@ismp.org . ISMP guarantees the confidentiality and security of the information received and respects reporters’ wishes as to the level of detail included in publications.
Pemetrexed Long-Term Maintenance Treatment Leading to Multiple Finger Amputation; Cardiovascular Complications after Energy Drink Consumption; Compartment Syndrome Due to Extravasation of Intravenous Contrast; Blue-Gray Mucocutaneous Discoloration with Ezogabine
Authors: Mancano Michael A.
Published: February 2015

The purpose of this feature is to heighten awareness of specific adverse drug reactions (ADRs), discuss methods of prevention, and promote reporting of ADRs to the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) MedWatch program (800-FDA-1088). If you have reported an interesting, preventable ADR to MedWatch, please consider sharing the account with our readers.
Novel Cryptic Rearrangements in Adult B-Cell Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Involving the MLL Gene
Authors: Othman Moneeb A. K. , Grygalewicz Beata , Pienkowska-Grela Barbara , Rincic Martina , Rittscher Katharina , Melo Joana B. , Carreira Isabel M. , Meyer Britta , Marzena Watek , Liehr Thomas
Published: February 2015

MLL (mixed-lineage-leukemia) gene rearrangements are typical for acute leukemia and are associated with an aggressive course of disease, with a worse outcome than comparable case, and thus require intensified treatment. Here we describe a 69-year-old female with adult B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) with hyperleukocytosis and immunophenotype CD10- and CD19+ with cryptic MLL rearrangements. G-banding at the time of diagnosis showed a normal karyotype: 46,XX. Molecular cytogenetics using multitude multicolor banding (mMCB) revealed a complex rearrangement of the two copies of chromosome 11. However, a locus-specific probe additionally identified that the MLL gene at 11q23.3 was disrupted, and that the 5′ region was inserted into the chromosomal sub-band 4q21; thus the aberration involved three chromosomes and five break events. Unfortunately, the patient died six months after the initial diagnosis from serious infections and severe complications. Overall, the present findings confirm that, by far not all MLL aberrations are seen by routine chromosome banding techniques and that fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) should be regarded as standard tool to access MLL rearrangements in patients with BCP-ALL.
The art student as data capturer: Engaging multimedia technology in teaching drawing to Visual Arts students at a tertiary level
Authors: Bull Katherine
Published: February 2015

Over the last four years I have been drawing on aspects of my own visual art practice (‘data capture’ digital drawing performances, 2004–) in my drawing teaching at the University of Cape Town. For this article I would like to share these projects and discuss the relevance of incorporating multimedia engagement in the teaching of traditional drawing at a tertiary level. First, moving images, sound, digital devices such as smartphones, tablets and engagement in online platforms are primary mediators of experience for many urban citizens. I find it relevant for students to not only reflect critically on the use of digital tools and online social platforms, but to experience and explore engaging with them directly as an experience by making them physical through drawing. In my experience through my teaching practice I have observed how this embodiment of the technology can provide useful tools of processing the volume of immaterial information that we engage with on a daily basis. A physical processing of multimedia material can also operate to provide an interesting engagement with perception, cognition and orientation. At another level, by bringing different media together in the physical studio of life drawing, there can be an interesting reflection and experience of different states of being in the world. These aspects are discussed through descriptions of a selection of my own creative practice and a second-year drawing project I teach at the Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town titled, ‘Interface: Image and text, the portrait as Dialogue’.
‘The Stone Sky’: Dwelling and habitation in other worlds
Authors: Grant Jane
Published: February 2015

Have humans always had the desire to inhabit other worlds? From the microscopic scale to the vastness of outer space, it seems our capacity for occupying uninhabitable spaces with our intellect, our bodies, our sensorium, our desire, is fundamental to our being.

What are these spaces and how do we come to ‘know’ them? Whether mythological, religious or scientific, these minute or vast worlds are spaces that we unfold, narrate and dwell in. In his short story ‘The Stone Sky’ the novelist Italo Calvino writes of the inhabitants who live in a world that exists beneath the earth’s crust. These inhabitants who occupy the underworld exist in a mutable form that allows them to travel through the dense, dark inner landscape of the earth, through the crystal structures, the nickel sea to the earth’s core, an intricate viscous landscape quite other than the formation of matter on the earth’s surface. Calvino’s narration tells us of what is it to inhabit the interstices of the underworld, to be in a space with little intervening air, to live within the deep time scale of crystal formation. The neuroscientist Christof Koch states that ‘we live in a universe where organised bits of matter give rise to consciousness’ and that we need to extend our understanding of what consciousness really is. Could it be that these other worlds, whether planets only just glimpsed through early telescopes, or nano-landscapes at the scale of the atom are still integrated with our own fundamental make-up? Are they the product of a vastly developed pre-frontal cortex or are they a result of ideas, knowledge and experiences accumulated over billions of years? In this article I will look at the concepts of matter as a carrier of consciousness and of panpsychism as a tool with which to understand our habitation of other worlds.
Are we our fictions?: The narrative boundaries of self
Authors: Alsobrook Law
Published: February 2015

Revisiting Dawkin’s proposal of memes – a piece of thought copied from person to person – raises the question: can narrative, and by extension narratology, be utilized to explore the ‘infecting’, or transferring agent of cultural ideas, identity and the creation of self? Intriguingly, and perhaps even more relevant to the role of emergent models and the shifting divide between engineered and organic constructions, what role does media play in the fabrication of self? This article proposes to examine various attempts to define modes of being using the formative and delimiting lens of narrative. It will investigate the role of media as the carrier agent for memetic modes of being, and their application in creating and sustaining cultural individuation. Jung’s declarative of the collective unconscious and archetypes, as well as Hofstadter’s loops, a common, but neglected field of enquiry that interrogates how memetic transference begins with the stories we tell, will inform the exploration of narrative as a means to define, delineate and bound the self.
Literal transitions: From organic to digital in a constrained writing piece
Authors: Dürig Regina
Published: February 2015

The writing piece ‘Literal transitions’ proposes a literary answer to the question as to whether a potential transit from the word ‘organic’ to the word ‘digital’ exists. The piece as well as its creation process and the author’s comments on it will be described in the following. What can result from this experiment is a reflection of the language material itself, a certain degree of awareness of the implications of the traditional or unconscious constraints in language. Literal Transitions is not an explanation, but an examination with artistic means. This examination is based on three assumptions: (1) the potential of literature unfolds when writing is constrained; (2) restrictions make the language’s silence speak and (3) we need fictions to build our world.
New perspectives about Nature and life
Authors: Capucci Pier Luigi
Published: February 2015

‘Engineered’ and ‘organic’ have always represented two sides of a challenge that went along with human evolution. Since the dawn of its existence, humankind has been trying to adapt ‘Nature’, the phenomenal world, to his goals, through projects, techniques, instruments, devices, machines, in a process that received propulsion and acceleration from the advent of symbolic ability. Inside the phenomenal world, the ‘organic’ – the material carbon-based dimension on which life is founded, according to the sciences – has always represented a very important subsystem, mainly the world of the living. The ‘organic’ as food, support, pleasure, invention, care, with human skill, has been developing since prehistory, to select, hybridize and breed animals and plants, through more and more successful techniques ranging from crossbreeding to genetic manipulation and engineering. But also as ways to take care of the human body and life with tools, dresses, signs, machines and medical treatments. Scientific evolution has led to the capacity to deeply modify existing organisms and create new ones, new species that would never have evolved naturally. One major technique to describe and simulate the world and to interoperate with Nature is digital technology. Artificial intelligence, artificial life and robotics are mainly digitally based, working at the edge of Nature and the engineered. Digitally based technologies such as 3D printing and the Internet of Things can get to an intimate relationship among the engineered, the organic and Nature, blurring the divide between matter and language, life and code, ‘hardware’ and ‘software’. Hence, through sciences and technologies humanity is creating a Third Life originating from knowledge and culture, which is independently and autonomously evolving, expanding Nature from inside the realm of Nature.
Excavating the ghost from the meat-covered skeleton: An aesthetic engagement with technologically mediated medical imagery
Authors: Suzanne Sita
Published: February 2015

The interior of the body is an alien landscape, the frontiers of which we are continually expanding. Technological developments have allowed us to see more and more of what lies beneath the skin. Starting with the violently erotic public spectacle of dissection in amphitheatres, through X-ray and endoscopy, to other current and future technologies that work towards the yet to be realized ideal (or myth) of a truly non-invasive but microscopically detailed depiction of the human body. This opening up of the human interior to our gaze is not exclusively a medical phenomenon. It is an exploration that has been shared by scientists, artists and entertainers, variously reappropriating imagery and technologies of seeing. Each new invasive technology brings with it the somewhat naïve belief that it can excavate the essence of the subject, their passions, motivations and faults, their ‘souls’ for lack of a better word. Yet while an X-ray can certainly not tell us anything of the subject’s personality, as we delve deeper we discover more about our chemical and electrical natures, encouraging the perception that our consciousness is the ‘sum of our parts’. However, as technologies have become more sophisticated, there has been an increasing tendency to present the body in segments, detached from their surrounding structures. A certain objectification and distancing that occurs when we view the flesh laid open. How do we engage with these views culturally, and how do they influence how we view others and ourselves? In this article I grapple with notions of a mutating body that we are actively in the process of changing in the context of my own and others’ visual practice, with particular emphasis on making the mediated nature of these images visible. I will engage in a celebratory but critical discussion of others’ and mine.
Mean-median compromise method as an innovating voting rule in social choice theory
Authors: Ngoie Ruffin-Benoit , Ulungu E-L Berthold
Published: February 2015

This paper aims at presenting a new voting function which is obtained in Balinski-Laraki's framework and benefits mean and median advantages. The so-called Mean-Median Comprise Method (MMCM) has fulfilled criteria such as unanimity, neutrality, anonymity, monotonicity, and Arrow's independence of irrelevant alternatives. It also generalizes approval voting system.
Mudzakkar dan Muannats: Sumber Pendidikan Islam Bias Gender
Authors: Setiyawan Agung
Published: February 2015

Pengelompokan kata benda Bahasa Arab ke dalam jenis mudzakkar dan muannats kerap kali menjadi sumber pemahaman yang terkesan bias gender. Penggolongan semacam ini merupakan salah satu karakteristik bahasa Arab yang berbeda dengan bahasa lainnya. Dengan adanya klasifikasi tersebut, dapat dipahami bahwa bahasa Arab memberikan pembedaan yang baku terhadap perbedaan jenis kelamin. Bias gender dalam bahasa Arab sangat menarik untuk dikaji bukan untuk merendahkan bahasa tersebut, tetapi untuk memahami apa sebenarnya bias gender dalam bahasa Arab tersebut sehingga kita tidak terjebak dalam pemahaman yang keliru dan terkesan merendahkan. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa apabila dikaji lebih mendalam, justru karakteristik mudzakar dan muannats yang ada dalam bahasa Arab merupakan suatu keunikan serta kekayaan yang mungkin tidak dijumpai dalam bahasa lain.
Internalisasi Nilai Gender melalui Dolanan Anak Tradisional
Authors: Rahmatulla Azam Syukur
Published: February 2015

Dolanan anak atau permainan tradisional anak sejatinya merupakan media yang mengandung nilai-nilai kesetaraan gender yang tinggi, di antaranya nilai equality value, cooperation value, recoqnition value, tolerance value, dan justice value. Nilainilai kesetaraan tersebut idealnya mulai diberikan sejak masa anak-anak. Ada tiga tahapan proses internalisasi nilai-nilai kesetaraan gender dalam dolanan anak, yakni Pertama, tahapan transformasi nilai yang merupakan tahapan penyampaian informasi yang baik. Kedua, tahapan transaksi nilai yang merupakan tahapan pendidikan nilai, dan ketiga, tahapan transinternalisasi yakni tahapan aplikatif dalam kegiatan sehari-hari.
Testing antiplatelet and antioxidant activity of the
extract of seven varieties of Allium cepa L.
Authors: Saplonţai-Pop Aniela , Moţ Augustin , Moldovan Marioara , Oprean Radu , Silaghi-Dumitrescu Radu , Orășan Olga , Pârvu Marcel , Gal Emese , Ionescu Corina
Published: February 2015

Background: The extracts of Allium cepa
are known for their medical use: antioxidant, antiinflammatory,
antimicrobial, fibrinolytic and antiplatelet
properties. Our study aims to establish, using in vitro tests,
the antiplatelet and antioxidant character, the link between
them and the extract acidity, from seven varieties of A. cepa.
Methodology: The qualitative and quantitative
presence of polyphenols and anthocyanins in the
extracts was determined using UV-Vis and HPLC.
Quantitative determination of the thiosulfinates
compounds was calculated using their reaction with
4-mercaptopyridine. Antioxidant character was
determined using 3 methods (FC, DPPH and TEAC),
and antiplatelet effect was measured by in vitro tests
on platelet rich plasma obtained from human blood.
Principal Findings/Results: The white variety of
A. cepa has the most alkaline pH, the largest amount of thiosulfinate compounds and the most powerful
antiplatelet effect, but a very small amount of flavonoids
and an antioxidant effect almost nonexistent, in contrast
with red variety of A. cepa which is the opposite.
Conclusions/Significance: The white variety of A. cepa had
very high anitiplatelet activity suggesting the potential
use of A. cepa extract in treating cardiovascular diseases.
Armchair Boron Nitride nanotubes—heterocyclic
molecules interactions: A computational
description
Authors: Anota Ernesto Chigo , Cocoletzi Gregorio Hernández , Tapia Andres Manuel Garay
Published: February 2015

Ab-initio calculations using density functional
theory (DFT) are used to investigate the non-covalent
interactions between single wall armchair boron nitride
nanotubes (BNNTs) with open ends and several heterocyclic
molecules: thiophene (T; C4H4S), benzothiophene (BT;
C8H6S) and dibenzothiophene (DBT; C12H8S). In the
armchair model the nanotubes exhibit (n, n) chirality; here
we consider n = 5. The exchange-correlation energies are
treated according to the Hamprecht-Cohen-Tozer-Handy
functional in the generalized gradient approximation
(HCTH-GGA). A base function with double polarization is
used. The geometry optimization of (5,5) BNNT-X; X = T, BT
and DBT has been carried out using the minimum energy
criterion in 5 different configurations of the molecules
adsorbed on the nanotube. Our computer simulations have
found that the preferential adsorption site of the molecule
on the nanotube surface is the parallel configuration for
BT and DBT, and at one nanotube end for the T fragment,
with all cases having physical interactions. The polarity
exhibits an increase which favors the possible dispersion,
provided the electrons are polarized. The nanostructure
functionalization increases the chemical reactivity which
in turn enhances interactions between the molecule and
the nanotube. The BNNT-dibenzothiophene work function
reduction as compared with the pristine case yields the
improvement of the field emission properties.
Application of QuEChERS - High Performance
Liquid Chromatography with Postcolumn
Fluorescence Derivatization (HPLC-FLD) method
to analyze Eprinomectin B1a residues from
a pour-on conditioning in bovine edible tissues
Authors: Csuma Ana , Cristina Romeo T. , Dumitrescu Eugenia , Muselin Florin , Alexa Ersilia C. , Butnariu Monica , Gergen Iosif
Published: February 2015

A QuEChERS in house method for determining
the marker residue of eprinomectin (eprinomectin B1a)
by HPLC-FLD in bovine tissues and milk provided from
treated animals was developed and applied. Briefly: all
samples were extracted with acetonitrile using a dispersive
SPE purification stage. The ascertained detection limits
were 1 μg kg-1 and the quantification limits 2 μg kg-1.
Recoveries on tissue samples fortified in the range of
10 μg kg-1 to 200 μg kg-1 were from 80.0% to 87.2%, with
variation coefficients between 2.7% to 10.6%. The
confirmation of residues in the purified extracts was
made by LC-MS/MS after separation on an XTerra MS C18
(10 cm × 2.1 mm, 3.5 μm) column with a mobile phase of
acetonitrile / formic acid 0.1% (97:3, v/v) at a flow rate of
0.2 mL min-1 and MRM monitoring of three characteristic
ions (m/z 896.1, m/z 467.9 and m/z 329.9), resulting from
the fragmentation of molecular ions [M-H]+ (m/z 914.6)
of eprinomectin and the comparison of the abundance ratio of fragmented ions was obtained in the booth,
sample and standard at comparative concentrations.
In conclusion, this method has proven its advantage and
versatility as a routine drug residues analysis method.
Improvements in Birch’s theorem on forms in many variables
Authors: Browning T. D. , Prendiville S. M.
Published: February 2015

We show that a non-singular integral form of degree d is soluble over the integers if and only if it is soluble over

ℝ

{\mathbb{R}}

and over

ℚ
p

{\mathbb{Q}_{p}}

for all primes p, provided that the form
has at least

(

d
-

1
2

⁢

d

)

⁢

2
d

{(d-\frac{1}{2}\sqrt{d})2^{d}}

variables.
This improves on a longstanding result of Birch.
Piezoelectric Actuator Based on Two Bending-Type Langevin Transducers
Authors: Mazeika Dalius , Vasiljev Piotr , Borodinas Sergejus , Yang Ying
Published: February 2015

Langevin-type piezoelectric transducers are widely used for different industrial applications such as high-accuracy positioning, ultrasonic welding, bonding, drilling, etc. Usually Langevin-type transducers operate at longitudinal mode by employing d33 vibrations of piezoceramic elements. A novel design of piezoelectric actuator based on two bending-type Langevin transducers is introduced. Two half-wavelength transducers are connected by a special aluminum plate. Piezoceramic rings with two-directional polarizations are used for bending oscillation excitation. An input voltage with phase shifted by π/2 on different transducers is applied. The forward and backward elliptical motion of the contact tip is controlled by changing phases of electric signals on different transducers. A numerical simulation was carried out to investigate the trajectories of contact point motion and to validate the operating principle of the actuator. Experimental prototype of the piezoelectric actuator was fabricated, and the measurements of driven tip movements and mechanical output were performed. The results of numerical and experimental analysis are discussed.
Design & Performance of Wearable Ultra Wide Band Textile Antenna for Medical Applications
Authors: Singh Nikhil , Singh Ashutosh Kumar , Singh Vinod Kumar
Published: February 2015

The concept of wearable products such as textile
antenna are being developed which are capable of monitoring,
alerting and demanding attention whenever hospital
emergency is needed, hence minimizing labour and
resource. In the proposed work by using textile material
as a substrate the ultra wideband antenna is designed
especially for medical applications.Simulated and measured
results here shows that the proposed antenna design
meets the requirements of wide working bandwidth
and provides 13.08 GHz bandwidth with very small size,
washable (if using conductive thread for conductive parts)
and flexible materials. Results in terms of bandwidth, radiation
pattern, return loss as well as gain and efficiency
are presented to validate the usefulness of the current proposed
design. The work done here has many implications
for future research and it could help patients with such
flexible and comfortable medical monitoring techniques.
Solitary wave and shock wave solutions of (1+1)-dimensional perturbed Klein-Gordon,(1+1)-dimensional Kaup-Keperschmidt and (2+1)-dimensional ZK-BBM equations
Authors: Younis Muhammad , Ali Safdar
Published: February 2015

In this paper, two different types of envelope solitons: solitary wave and shock wave have been obtained for the (1+1)-dimensional perturbed Klein-Gordon, (1+1)- dimensional Kaup-Keperschmidt and (2+1)-dimentional ZK-BBM equations using the solitary wave ansatz. The parameter regimes, for the existence of the solitons are identified during the derivation of the solution. Since, the nonlinear wave is one of the fundamental object of nature and a growing interest has been given to the propagation of nonlinear wave in dynamical system.
Observing the past to better understand thefuture: a synthesis of the Neogene climate inEurope and its perspectives on present climatechange
Authors: Prista Gonçalo A. , Agostinho Rui J. , Cachão Mário A.
Published: February 2015

A review of the entire Neogene climate in Europeis a useful tool for climate researchers, synthesizingpresent day knowledge on a variety of past warmer climatemodes thus facilitating the debate regarding possiblefuture climate scenarios in the Old Continent. This workcentres on the European scenario, debating possible futureprojections and describing the Miocene and Plioceneclimate in the Old Continent. With present evidences ofa global warming scenario, it is highly important that welook at past climatic events in order to better predict futureclimate changes impact in biodiversity. The review presentedhere synthesizes the literature regarding climate,faunal and floral evolution for the European Neogene, andaims to help palaeoclimatic researchers and climatologiststo characterize some of the boundary conditions for modellingpossible analogous of IPPC climate scenarios. If thefuture climate projections come to be true, it is shown thatthe Pliocene, and particularly the Mid Piacenzian WarmPeriod, should be considered as the best analogue for theimpact of a warming climate in Europe.
Lithium chloride improves the efficiency of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurospheres
Authors: Tafreshi Azita Parvaneh , Sylvain Aude , Sun Guizhi , Herszfeld Daniella , Schulze Keith , Bernard Claude C.A.
Published: February 2015

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurospheres, which consist mainly of neural progenitors, are considered to be a good source of neural cells for transplantation in regenerative medicine. In this study, we have used lithium chloride, which is known to be a neuroprotective agent, in an iPSC-derived neurosphere model, and examined both the formation rate and size of the neurospheres as well as the proliferative and apoptotic status of their contents. Our results showed that lithium enhanced the formation and the sizes of the iPSC-derived neurospheres, increased the number of Ki67-positive proliferating cells, but reduced the number of the TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells. This increased number of Ki67 proliferating cells was secondary to the decreased apoptosis and not to the stimulation of cell cycle entry, as the expression of the proliferation marker cyclin D1 mRNA did not change after lithium treatment. Altogether, we suggest that lithium enhances the survival of neural progenitors and thus the quality of the iPSC-derived neurospheres, which may strengthen the prospect of using lithium-treated pluripotent cells and their derivatives in a clinical setting.
SIRT2 suppresses non-small cell lung cancer growth by targeting JMJD2A
Authors: Xu Weihua , Jiang Kanqiu , Shen Mingjing , Qian Yongyue , Peng Yong
Published: February 2015

Lung cancer has been the most prolific cancer in China – as in the rest of the world – with a high death rate and low 5-year survival rate. Previous evidence showed that JMJD2A is over-expressed in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues, and that high level of JMJD2A predicts poor overall and disease-free survival. However, the mechanism by which JMJD2A is regulated in human NSCLC is not fully understood. In the present study, we identified that the SIRT2 as an anti-oncogenic protein in NSCLC was down-regulated. JMJD2A as a target of SIRT2 was negatively correlated with SIRT2 level in NSCLC. SIRT2 bound to the promoter region of JMJD2A and negatively regulated JMJD2A expression. In addition, we found that SIRT2 inhibited NSCLC cells proliferation, colony formation and tumor growth in vitro and in vivo in a JMJD2A-dependent manner. In summary, our findings implicate that SIRT2 suppresses non-small cell lung cancer growth through targeting JMJD2A and SIRT2 activator may serve as candidate drug for NSCLC therapy.
Novel mechanisms of action of classical chemotherapeutic agents on sphingolipid pathways
Authors: Hajj Carla , Becker-Flegler Katrin Anne , Haimovitz-Friedman Adriana
Published: February 2015

The prevailing mechanisms of action of traditional chemotherapeutic agents have been challenged by sphingolipid cancer research. Many studies have shown that ceramide generation in response to cytotoxic agents is central to tumor cell death. Ceramide can be generated either via hydrolysis of cell-membrane sphingomyelin by sphingomyelinases, hydrolysis of cerebrosides, or viade novosynthesis by ceramide synthases. Ceramide can act as a second messenger for apoptosis, senescence or autophagy. Inherent or acquired alterations in the sphingolipid pathway can account for resistance to the classic chemotherapeutic agents. In particular, it has been shown that activation of the acid ceramidase can lead to the formation of sphingosine 1-phosphate, which then antagonizes ceramide signaling by initiating a pro-survival signaling pathway. Furthermore, ceramide glycosylation catalyzed by glucosylceramide synthase converts ceramide to glucosylceramide, thus eliminating ceramide and consequently protecting cancer cells from apoptosis. In this review, we describe the effects of some of the most commonly used chemotherapeutic agents on ceramide generation, with a particular emphasis on strategies used to enhance the efficacy of these agents.