bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Phase I study of bortezomib in combination with irinotecan in patients with relapsed/refractory high‐risk neuroblastoma
Authors: Mody Rajen , Zhao Lili , Yanik Gregory Anthony , Opipari Valerie 
Published: April 2017

AbstractPurposePrognosis for relapsed/refractory high‐risk neuroblastoma (HR‐NBL) remains poor. Bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor, has shown preclinical activity against NBL as a single agent and in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy including irinotecan.Patients and MethodsEighteen HR‐NBL patients with primary refractory (n = 8) or relapsed (n = 10) disease were enrolled in a Phase I study using modified Time To Event Continual Reassessment Method. Bortezomib (1.2 mg/m2/day) was administered on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 intravenously (IV) and irinotecan was given IV on days 1–5 (35, 40, or 45 mg/m2/day, on dose levels [DL] 1–3, respectively). The maximum tolerated dose (MTD), dose‐limiting toxicity (DLT), and response rate were examined.ResultsEighteen NBL patients were evaluable for toxicity; 17 were evaluable for response assessment. A total of 142 courses were delivered (mean 8.2, median 2, range 1–48), with two patients receiving more than 40 courses of therapy. Two DLTs were reported, including a grade 4 thrombocytopenia (DL2) and a grade 3 irritability (DL3). MTD was estimated as DL3. Two of 17 (12%) evaluable patients showed objective responses (ORs) lasting more than 40 courses, including 1 partial remission and 1 complete remission. Four patients (23%) had prolonged stable disease (SD) lasting six or more courses, with a total of 35% study patients demonstrating clinical benefit in the form of prolonged OR or SD.ConclusionThe combination of bortezomib and irinotecan was well tolerated by patients with relapsed/refractory NBL with favorable toxicity profile. It also showed modest but promising clinical activity and merits further testing in Phase II studies.
Facile and controllable synthesis of hybrid silica nanoparticles densely grafted with poly(ethylene glycol)
Authors: Shui Yudan , Su Yunlan , Kuang Xiao , Zhao Weiwei , Cai Yuanli , Wang Dujin 
Published: April 2017

AbstractWe report that a mixture of good and poor solvents greatly enhances the grafting density of nanosized silica grafted with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) by the ‘grafting to’ method. Methoxypolyethylene glycol (MPEG) (molecular weight 750, 2000 and 4000 g mol−1) was modified in a controlled manner to prepare epoxide terminated PEG (MPEG‐EO). Silica nanoparticles were modified with N‐(2‐aminoethy)‐3‐aminopropylmethyldimethoxysilane through the silanization coupling reaction to obtain a well‐defined siloxane structure. MPEG‐EO was coupled to the modified silica by the reaction of their terminal groups in a mixed solvent (n‐decane/toluene). The grafting density of MPEG‐EO was found to be controlled by the concentration of MPEG‐EO and the ratio of n‐decane to toluene in the grafting system. Based on TGA, the maximum grafting density was found to be about 2.8, 1.47 and 0.76 chains nm−2 for molecular weights of 750, 2000 and 4000, respectively, which is extremely high compared to previous reports. This high grafting density can be explained by the decreased chain dimension of PEG in the presence of the poor solvent. The method can be applied to other nanoparticles and polymers which can greatly enhance the application of SiO2 nanocomposites. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Parent perception of the impact of using thickened fluids in children with dysphagia
Authors: Krummrich Patricia , Kline Barbara , Krival Kate , Rubin Michael 
Published: April 2017

AbstractBackgroundOropharyngeal dysphagia occurs in children without known neurological disorders, increasing their risk for respiratory problems and inadequate intake. Clinicians may recommend thickening nutritive fluids; however, there is little research regarding the impact of thickening nutritive fluids on clinical outcomes in children.MethodsWe used a parental reporting tool to determine whether parents identified changes in signs of dysphagia or volume of intake when thickened fluids were incorporated into an individualized feeding program for dysphagic children without known neurological problems. Fifty‐five children diagnosed with dysphagia, for whom thickened fluids had been recommended per radiographic and clinical exam, qualified for the study. Parents of 44 children (24 females, 20 males) aged 2 weeks to 14 months completed baseline and post‐thickening (within 90 days) rating scales.ResultsCompared to baseline, parents reported significant decreases in the frequency of apnea (W = −219,P < 0.0001,r = 0.399), congestion (W = −450,P < 0.0001,r = 0.579), coughing/choking with drinking (W = −485,P < 0.0001,r = 0.603), resistance to feeding (W = −344.5,P < 0.0001,r = 0.476), vomiting during feeding (W = −409,P < 0.0001,r = 0.565), and wheezing (W = −337,P < 0.001,r = 0.449). For those children whose parents initially reported inadequate levels of intake, there was a significant (Z = 3.15,P = 0.0029,r = 0.47) increase (+49.63 mm) in the rated adequacy of liquid intake, as well as a significant increase (+1.41 oz.) in the estimated volume per feeding (Z = 224,P = 0.29,r = 0.33).ConclusionThese results provide information for clinicians and physicians to incorporate when considering the use of thickened fluids in the dysphagia management of children without a known neurological diagnosis.
Risk factors for mortality before age 18 years in cystic fibrosis
Authors: McColley Susanna A. , Schechter Michael S. , Morgan Wayne J. , Pasta David J. , Craib Marcia L. , Konstan Michael W. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractBackgroundUnderstanding early‐life risk factors for childhood death in cystic fibrosis (CF) is important for clinical care, including the identification of effective interventions.MethodsData from the Epidemiologic Study of Cystic Fibrosis (ESCF) collected 1994‐2005 were linked with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry (CFFPR) demographic and mortality data from 2013. Inclusion criteria were ≥1 visit annually at age 3‐5 years and ≥1 FEV1 measurement at age 6‐8 years. Demographic data, nutritional parameters, pulmonary signs and symptoms, microbiology, and FEV1 were evaluated as risk factors for death before age 18 years. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to model the simultaneous effects of risk factors associated with death before age 18 years.ResultsAmong 5365 patients enrolled in ESCF who met inclusion criteria, 3880 (72%) were linked to the CFFPR. Among these, 191 (5.7%) died before age 18 years; median age at death was 13.4 ± 3.1 years. Multivariable regression showed clubbing, crackles, female sex, unknown CFTR genotype, minority race or ethnicity, Medicaid insurance (a proxy of low socioeconomic status), Pseudomonas aeruginosa on 2 or more cultures, and weight‐for‐age <50th percentile were significant risk factors for death regardless of inclusion of FEV1 at age 6‐8 years in the model.ConclusionWe identified multiple risk factors for childhood death of patients with CF, all of which remained important after incorporating FEV1 at age 6‐8 years. Among the factors identified were the presence of clubbing or crackles at age 3‐5 years, signs which are not routinely collected in registries.
Indaziflam: a new cellulose‐biosynthesis‐inhibiting herbicide provides long‐term control of invasive winter annual grasses
Authors: Sebastian Derek J , Fleming Margaret B , Patterson Eric L , Sebastian James R , Nissen Scott J 
Published: April 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDIndaziflam is a cellulose‐biosynthesis‐inhibiting (CBI) herbicide that is a unique mode of action for resistance management and has broad spectrum activity at low application rates. This research further explores indaziflam's activity on monocotyledons and dicotyledons and evaluates indaziflam's potential for restoring non‐crop sites infested with invasive winter annual grasses.RESULTSTreated Arabidopsis, downy brome, feral rye and kochia were all susceptible to indaziflam in a dose‐dependent manner. We confirmed that indaziflam has increased activity on monocots (average GR50 = 231 pm and 0.38 g AI ha−1) at reduced concentrations compared with dicots (average GR50 = 512 pm and 0.87 g AI ha−1). Fluorescence microscopy confirmed common CBI symptomologies following indaziflam treatments, as well as aberrant root and cell morphology. Across five application timings, indaziflam treatments resulted in superior invasive winter annual grass control 2 years after treatment (from 84 ± 5.1% to 99 ± 0.5%) compared with imazapic (36% ± 1.2%). Indaziflam treatments significantly increased biomass and species richness of co‐occurring species 2 years after treatment.CONCLUSIONIndaziflam's increased activity on monocots could provide a new alternative management strategy for long‐term control of multiple invasive winter annual grasses that invade >23 million ha of US rangeland. Indaziflam could potentially be used to eliminate the soil seed bank of these invasive grasses, reduce fine fuel accumulation and ultimately increase the competitiveness of perennial co‐occuring species. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Bre Enhances Osteoblastic Differentiation by Promoting the Mdm2-Mediated Degradation of p53
Authors: Jin Fujun , Wang Yiliang , Wang Xiaojing , Wu Yanting , Wang Xiaoyan , Liu Qiuying , Zhu Yexuan , Liu Enqi , Fan Jianglin , Wang Yifei 
Published: April 2017

Abstract
Bre is a conserved cellular protein expressed in various tissues. Its major function includes DNA damage repair and anti-apoptosis. Recent studies indicate that Bre is potentially involved in stem cell differentiation although pathophysiological significance along with the molecular mechanisms is still unclear. Here, we report that Bre protein was substantially expressed in the bone tissue and its expression was highly upregulated during the osteogenic differentiation. To test a hypothesis that Bre plays functional roles in the process of osteogenic differentiation, we examined the expression of Bre in an osteoporosis mouse model. Compared with the normal bone tissue, Bre expression in osteoporotic bone was also significantly reduced. Moreover, knockdown of Bre in the mouse bone marrow mesenchymal cells significantly reduced the expression of osteogenic marker genes, the alkaline phosphatase activity, and the mineralization capacity, while overexpression of Bre greatly promoted the osteogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, we founded that knockdown of Bre led to activation of the p53 signaling pathways exhibited by increased p53, p21, and Mdm2. However, when we inhibited the p53 by siRNA silencing or pifithrin-α, the impaired osteogenesis caused by Bre knockdown was greatly restored. Finally, we found that Bre promoted the Mdm2-mediated p53 ubiquitination and degradation by physically interacting with p53. Taken together, our results revealed a novel function of Bre in osteoblast differentiation through modulating the stability of p53.
Maternal hemodynamics in normal pregnancy: reference ranges and role of maternal characteristics
Authors: Vinayagam D. , Thilaganathan B. , Stirrup O. , Mantovani E. , Khalil A. 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACTObjectivesThe main aim of this study was to construct reference ranges of maternal central hemodynamic parameters during pregnancy. The second aim was to determine the maternal and pregnancy characteristics that influence these hemodynamic parameters.MethodsThis was a prospective cohort study of low‐risk pregnant women attending for routine antenatal care at St George's Hospital, London, UK. Exclusion criteria included any medical disorder present at the time of study recruitment, or development of hypertension or intrauterine fetal growth restriction following study recruitment. Stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO) and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) were obtained using non‐invasive cardiac output monitoring (USCOM‐1A®). USCOM‐1A utilizes a non‐imaging probe in the suprasternal notch to obtain velocity‐time integrals of transaortic blood flow at the left ventricular outflow tract. Once the distribution of the data with respect to gestational age had been determined, maternal characteristics were added to the model to test whether they provided a significant improvement in the prediction of the median value.ResultsThe study included 627 women with a singleton pregnancy. The estimated median CO was constant for a maternal age above 32 years, but was around 0.5 L/min higher for women aged ≤ 25 years (P < 0.001). Maternal weight (P < 0.001) and height (P < 0.001) significantly affected CO values and there was a significant interaction (P = 0.002) between them. In women with a height of less than 1.60 m, there was no association between median CO and weight; however, in those with a height exceeding 1.60 m, an increase in weight was associated with an increase in CO. SV was primarily associated with height (P < 0.001), although some positive association with weight (P < 0.001) could also be observed within the normal body‐mass‐index range. Greater height (P < 0.001) was associated with lower median values of SVR, with an estimated difference of around 120 dynes × s/cm5 between 1.60 m and 1.80 m. Advancing maternal age was associated with higher median SVR, with an estimated difference of around 50 dynes × s/cm5 between 25 and 35 years. Smokers had a lower SVR by 73.5 (95% CI, 8.6–138.4) dynes × s/cm5.ConclusionMaternal hemodynamics are influenced significantly by maternal age, height and weight. We provide USCOM‐1A‐specific reference ranges and a calculator for SV, CO and SVR in uncomplicated pregnancies that correct for maternal age, height and weight. This should enable clinical application and comparison in both uncomplicated and pathological pregnancies. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Peridynamic integrals for strain invariants of homogeneous deformation
Authors: Madenci Erdogan 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThis study presents the peridynamic integrals. They enable the derivation of the peridynamic (nonlocal) form of the strain invariants. Therefore, the peridynamic form of the existing classical strain energy density functions can readily be constructed for linearly elastic and hyperelastic isotropic materials without any calibration. A general form of the force density vector is derived based on the strain energy density function that is expressed in terms of the first invariant of the right Cauchy‐Green strain tensor and the Jacobian. In the case of linear elastic response for isotropic materials, the peridynamic force density vector is derived based on the classical form of the strain energy density function for three‐ and two‐dimensional analysis. Also, a new form of the strain energy density function leads to a force density vector similar to that of bond‐based peridynamics. Numerical results concern the verification of the peridynamic predictions with these force density vectors by considering a rectangular plate under uniform stretch.
News Online
Authors: Meikle Graham , Redden Guy 
Published: April 2017

News matters. It is still the main forum for discussion of issues of public importance. It is where we come together to inform, persuade, influence, endorse or reject one another in a collaborative process of making meaning from events. But the news is changing - content, distribution channels, geographical constraints, production values, business models, regulatory approaches and cultural habits are all in flux, as new media technologies are adopted and adapted by users. However, despite having driven many of the changes themselves, established media organisations are in many cases struggling to adapt to this changed environment.
News Online: Transformations and Continuities is for everyone who wants to better understand the news media of the twenty-first century. With contributions from leading international scholars who question established understandings of news in the light of change, this book charts a course through recent upheavals and ranges over a broad terrain - from the BBC to experimental videogames, from Latin American newsrooms to Northeast Asian blogs, from the crisis in US newspapers to Twitter users in Iran. Each chapter provides an insightful analysis of how popular digital communications change relations of production and consumption, in addition to the effect on cultural and political participation. News Online considers the shifting boundaries between the popular and the professional made possible by the redistribution of news functions.
Graham Meikle is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Film, Media & Journalism at the University of Stirling, UK. He is the author of Interpreting News (2009) and Future Active: Media Activism and the Internet (2002).
Guy Redden is a lecturer in cultural studies at the University of Sydney, Australia. He has previously taught at the University of Lincoln (UK) and Prince of Songkla University (Thailand). His research revolves around the relationships between culture, media and economy.
Discrimination of wine lactic acid bacteria by Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Rodriguez Susan B , Thornton Mark A , Thornton Roy J 
Published: April 2017

AbstractSpecies of Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Oenococcus, and Leuconostoc play an important role in winemaking, as either inoculants or contaminants. The metabolic products of these lactic acid bacteria have considerable effects on the flavor, aroma, and texture of a wine. However, analysis of a wine’s microflora, especially the bacteria, is rarely done unless spoilage becomes evident, and identification at the species or strain level is uncommon as the methods required are technically difficult and expensive. In this work, we used Raman spectral fingerprints to discriminate 19 strains of Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Oenococcus. Species of Lactobacillus and Pediococcus and strains of O. oeni and P. damnosus were classified with high sensitivity: 86–90 and 84–85%, respectively. Our results demonstrate that a simple, inexpensive method utilizing Raman spectroscopy can be used to accurately identify lactic acid bacteria isolated from wine.
A Bacillus subtilis strain as probiotic in poultry: selection based on in vitro functional properties and enzymatic potentialities
Authors: Hmani Houda , Daoud Lobna , Jlidi Mouna , Jalleli Karim , Ben Ali Manel , Hadj Brahim Adel , Bargui Mansour , Dammak Alaeddine , Ben Ali Mamdouh 
Published: April 2017

Abstract
We have proposed and validate an in vitro probiotic selection, based on enzymatic potentialities associated to well-established probiotic functional properties. A new Bacillus subtilis HB2 isolate, selected based on its high extracellular enzyme production, was chosen as a probiotic candidate for application as animal feed supplement. The HB2 strain showed an excellent acid and bile salts tolerance, a strong adhesion to chick enterocytes and produced antimicrobials against pathogens. An in vivo trial in poultry farming was conducted to evaluate the HB2 probiotic performance. After 35 days, HB2 achieved the higher growth performance than the control groups. The mortality and the feed conversion ratio were significantly decreased. Finally, the HB2 treated group showed wet litter and less severe ammonia odor in the atmosphere. Our study provides new insights into the importance of enzymatic potentialities, associated with the common functional properties, as a novel approach for probiotic selection.
Genome‐wide population genetic analysis identifies evolutionary forces establishing continuous population divergence
Authors: Takahashi Yuma 
Published: April 2017

AbstractElucidating the mechanism shaping the spatial variations of traits has long been a central concern of evolutionary biologists. Geographic clines of allele/morph frequencies along environmental gradients are suggested to be established and maintained by the balancing of two opposing evolutionary forces, namely selection that generates spatial differentiation in morph frequencies, and selection and/or stochastic factors that lead to the coexistence of multiple morphs within a population. Thus, testing for both selection and stochastic factors is necessary for a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism underlying clinal variation in morph/allele frequency in natural populations. Here, I identified the evolutionary forces responsible for clinal variation of color morph frequency in Ischnura senegalensis by comparing the population divergence of putatively neutral loci generated by high‐throughput next‐generation sequencing (FSTn) with that of the putative color locus (FSTc). No strong correlation was observed between FSTn and FSTc, suggesting that stochastic factors contribute less to color‐locus population divergence. FSTc was less than FSTn between populations exposed to similar environmental conditions, but greater than FSTn between populations exposed to different environmental conditions, suggesting that both balancing selection and divergent selection act on the color locus. Therefore, two antagonistic selection factors rather than stochastic and historical factors contribute to establishing the clinal variation of morph frequency in I. senegalensis.
Optimized Microemulsion Systems for Detergency of Vegetable Oils at Low Surfactant Concentration and Bath Temperature
Authors: Attaphong Chodchanok , Sabatini David A. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractTriglycerides and vegetable oils are amongst the most difficult oils to remove from fabrics due to their highly hydrophobic nature; this is all the more challenging as cold water detergency is pursued in the interest of energy efficiency. Recently, extended surfactants have produced very encouraging detergency performance at ambient temperature, especially at low surfactant concentration. However, the salinity requirement for extended surfactants was excessive (4–14%) and there is limited research on extended‐surfactant‐based microemulsions for cold water detergency (below 25 °C). Therefore, extended‐surfactant‐based microemulsions are introduced in this study for cold temperature detergency of vegetable oils with promising salinity and surfactant concentration. The overall goal of this study is to explore the optimized microemulsion formulations with low surfactant and salt concentration using extended surfactant for canola oil detergency at both 25 and 10 °C. It was found that microemulsion systems achieved good performances (higher than those of commercial detergents) corresponding to IFT value 0.1–1 mN/m with the surfactant concentration as low as 10 ppm and 4% NaCl at 25 °C, and as low as 250 ppm and 0.1% (1000 ppm) NaCl at 10 °C. In addition, microemulsion systems were investigated with a different salt (CaCl2, or water hardness, versus NaCl) at 10 °C, demonstrating that 0.025% CaCl2 (250 ppm) can produce good detergency; this is in the hardness range of natural water. These results provide qualitative guidance for microemulsion formulations of vegetable oil detergency and for future design of energy‐efficient microemulsion systems.
Colonizing elephants: animal agency, undead capital and imperial science in British Burma
Authors: SAHA JONATHAN 
Published: April 2017

AbstractElephants were vital agents of empire. In British Burma their unique abilities made them essential workers in the colony’s booming teak industry. Their labour was integral to the commercial exploitation of the country’s vast forests. They helped to fell the trees, transport the logs and load the timber onto ships. As a result of their utility, capturing and caring for them was of utmost importance to timber firms. Elephants became a peculiar form of capital that required particular expertise. To address this need for knowledge, imperial researchers deepened their scientific understanding of the Asian elephant by studying working elephants in Burma’s jungle camps and timber yards. The resulting knowledge was contingent upon the conscripted and constrained agency of working elephants, and was conditioned by the asymmetrical power relationships of colonial rule.