bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Determination of Chemical Tracer Diffusion Coefficients for the La‐ and Ni‐site in La2NiO4+δ Studied by SIMS
Authors: Čebašek Nebojša , Haugsrud Reidar , Li Zuoan , Norby Truls 
Published: December 2012

Chemical (impurity) tracer diffusion of Pr, Nd, and Co into polycrystalline La2NiO4+δ was done at 950°C–1350°C in air, argon, and intermediate pO2 (5.5 × 10−3 atm O2), and diffusion coefficients were extracted from depth profiles determined by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). The Pr and Nd profiles have only one broad region, corresponding to bulk diffusion, whereas the Co tracer depth profile has two distinct regions with different slopes, where the outer shallow region represents bulk diffusion and the inner region with deep penetration depths represents grain‐boundary diffusion. It is thus concluded that the diffusivity on the Ni‐site is enhanced by grain‐boundary diffusion. The bulk diffusion was evaluated using the solution of Fick's second law for thin‐film source, and the grain‐boundary diffusion was evaluated according to Whipple‐Le Claire's equation. The average apparent activation energies for Pr and Nd bulk diffusion are 165 ± 15 kJ/mol, for Co bulk diffusion 295 ± 15 kJ/mol, and for Co grain‐boundary diffusion 380 ± 20 kJ/mol. Qualitatively, the diffusivities and activation energies follow levels and trends in agreement with those from other experimental techniques. The apparent lack of—in fact reverse—correlation between activation energy and level of diffusivity is discussed in terms of a possibility that the faster species (Ni) reach equilibrium defect concentrations while the slower (La) is in effect frozen in.
Making Work Fit Care: Reconciliation Strategies Used by Working Mothers of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Chou Yueh‐Ching , Fu Li‐yeh , Chang Heng‐Hao 
Published: December 2012

BackgroundThis study explored the experiences of working mothers with an adult child with intellectual disabilities to understand how they reconcile paid work and care responsibilities.MethodsFifteen working mothers in Taiwan with an adult child with intellectual disabilities were interviewed, and an interpretative phenomenological approach was adopted for data collection and analysis.ResultsAll included mothers prioritized their caregiving role over paid work. The strategies used by these mothers to make paid work fit with caregiving included having strong social networks and informal support for their care work, use of formal services, personal religious beliefs and positive attitudes towards care, as well as having flexible working hours due to self‐employment, good relations with employers, working positions and work locations.ConclusionsFormal systems, which include both welfare and labour policies, need to be responsive to and involved in supporting these working mothers, especially those who lack good personal networks.
Diabetes care: After the Great East Japan Earthquake
Authors: Kishimoto Miyako , Noda Mitsuhiko 
Published: December 2012

PrefaceThe Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami destroyed large parts of Japan's Tohoku district. Special efforts were made regarding the prompt distribution of medical supplies, including insulin, for diabetic patients. However, many diabetic patients in the shelters lost their blood glucose control as a result of the unfavorable living environment. The high‐calorie food provided led to severe postprandial hyperglycemia. Furthermore, mental stress can aggravate diabetic control and these patients require special mental care. We have a few suggestions to propose in preparation for future disasters based on the experience gained from our shelter visits during this disaster. First, people in the affected areas had no way of accessing such information in the early days after the disaster. Therefore, we should consider the practical means of distributing important information in various situations. Second, guidelines and manuals for both diabetic patients and healthcare providers need to be created for the various situations that occur in the event of a natural disaster. We already have a few, but situations vary and several guidelines are required to cover different conditions. Manuals for the prescription of antidiabetic agents will be useful, especially for doctors who are not specialized in diabetes. Third, patients should be educated beforehand as to what to do and what to be prepared for in the case of a disaster; each of the various situations that might be encountered should be covered. Lectures about these issues might be included in educational classes for diabetic patients organized by each medical institution.
Comparison of the skin biophysical parameters of Southeast Asia females: forehead–cheek and ethnic groups
Authors: Lee M.R. , Nam G.W. , Jung Y.C. , Park S.Y. , Han J.Y. , Cho J.C. , Suh K.D. , Hwang J.K. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractBackground  Regional and ethnic (racial) differences in skin properties are well known. However, regional and racial studies are limited and have studied skin properties using an insufficient number of subjects and limited ethnic groups, except in the case of some recent studies.Objective  The aim of this study was (1) to compare the skin biophysical parameter among the large scale of Southeast Asia females group and (2) to compare skin properties of the forehead and cheek.Methods  We measured and compared seven skin biophysical parameters, such as skin hydration, sebum, skin pH, melanin index, erythema index, skin elasticity and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), of the forehead and cheek of a large population of Indonesian (n = 200), Vietnamese (n = 100) and Singaporean females (n = 97).Results  At the point of site difference, there were significant differences in five biophysical parameters (skin hydration, skin pH, melanin index, erythema index and skin elasticity) in Indonesian females. In Vietnamese and Singaporean women, they were significant differences in five biophysical parameters (skin hydration, skin pH, melanin index, erythema index and TEWL). At the point of ethnic difference, the Indonesian women had the highest skin pH and melanin index between the different ethnic groups. Vietnamese women had the highest skin hydration and TEWL in the forehead, whereas Singaporean women had the highest skin elasticity.Conclusion  The skin biophysical parameters are different between the forehead and cheek among Southeast Asian females. It also reveals that the biophysical parameters are different in same racial group.
Immunopathogenic characterization of cutaneous inflammation in Behçet’s disease
Authors: Cho S. , Kim J. , Cho S. B. , Zheng Z. , Choi M.J. , Kim D.Y. , Bang D. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractBackground  Behçet’s disease (BD) is a recurrent multisystemic inflammatory disease characterized by recurrent oral aphthous and genital ulcers, ocular lesions and cutaneous lesions. Although many studies of cytokine levels in sera of BD patients have been conducted, there are only limited number of studies about the cytokine expression and cellular infiltration in the BD‐related skin lesions.Objectives  To investigate the immunophenotypes and cytokine profiles of BD‐related skin lesions.Methods  Twenty patients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for BD with BD‐related skin lesions were enrolled in this study. We assessed the histopathological features of BD‐related skin lesions by immunohistochemical studies with anti‐human CD4, CD8, CD68, FoxP3, CD‐11b, IFN‐γ and IL‐4 antibodies.Results  Immunophenotyping of inflammatory infiltrating cells showed that CD68+ macrophages were the most common type of infiltrated cells in erythema nodosum‐like lesions, erythema multiforme‐like lesions and Sweet’s syndrome‐like lesions, whereas neutrophils were the main population of inflammatory infiltrating cells in papulopustular lesions. In all of the four types of BD‐related skin lesions, the percentage of CD8+ T cells was higher than that of CD4+ T cells (P < 0.05), and IL‐4 expression was stronger than IFN‐γ expression (P < 0.05).Conclusion  In this study, we assessed the infiltrating inflammatory cells and cytokine expression of acute cutaneous lesions in BD through immunohistochemical staining of BD‐related skin lesions. Further studies about the disease activity and the molecular biology underlying the cutaneous inflammation are needed to understand the detailed pathogenesis of BD.
Sterile inflammation in hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury: Present concepts and potential therapeutics
Authors: van Golen Rowan F , Reiniers Megan J , Olthof Pim B , van Gulik Thomas M , Heger Michal 
Published: December 2012

AbstractIschemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury is an often unavoidable consequence of major liver surgery and is characterized by a sterile inflammatory response that jeopardizes the viability of the organ. The inflammatory response results from acute oxidative and nitrosative stress and consequent hepatocellular death during the early reperfusion phase, which causes the release of endogenous self‐antigens known as damage‐associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). DAMPs, in turn, are indirectly responsible for a second wave of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS) production by driving the chemoattraction of various leukocyte subsets that exacerbate oxidative liver damage during the later stages of reperfusion. In this review, the molecular mechanisms underlying hepatic I/R injury are outlined, with emphasis on the interplay between ROS/RNS, DAMPs, and the cell types that either produce ROS/RNS and DAMPs or respond to them. This theoretical background is subsequently used to explain why current interventions for hepatic I/R injury have not been very successful. Moreover, novel therapeutic modalities are addressed, including MitoSNO and nilotinib, and metalloporphyrins on the basis of the updated paradigm of hepatic I/R injury.
Mitochondrial peroxiredoxin‐5 as potential modulator of mitochondria‐ER crosstalk in MPP+‐induced cell death
Authors: De Simoni Stéphanie , Linard Dominique , Hermans Emmanuel , Knoops Bernard , Goemaere Julie 
Published: December 2012

AbstractPeroxiredoxin‐5 (PRDX5) is an antioxidant enzyme which differs from the other peroxiredoxins with regards to its enzymatic mechanism, its high affinity for organic peroxides and peroxynitrite and its wide subcellular distribution. In particular, the mitochondrial isoform of PRDX5 confers a remarkable cytoprotection toward oxidative stress to mammalian cells. Mitochondrial dysfunction and disruption of Ca2+ homeostasis are implicated in neurodegeneration. Growing evidence supports that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) could operate in tandem with mitochondria to regulate intracellular Ca2+ fluxes in neurodegenerative processes. Here, we overexpressed mitochondrial PRDX5 in SH‐SY5Y cells to dissect the role of this enzyme in 1‐methyl‐4‐phenylpyridinium (MPP)+‐induced cell death. Our data show that mitochondria‐dependent apoptosis triggered by MPP+, assessed by the measurement of caspase‐9 activation and mitochondrial DNA damage, is prevented by mitochondrial PRDX5 overexpression. Moreover, PRDX5 overexpression blocks the increase in intracellular Ca2+, Ca2+‐dependent activation of calpains and Bax cleavage. Finally, using Ca2+ channel inhibitors (Nimodipine, Dantrolene and 2‐APB), we show that Ca2+ release arises essentially from ER stores through 1,4,5‐inositol‐trisphosphate receptors (IP3R). Altogether, our results suggest that the MPP+ mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis is regulated by mitochondrial PRDX5 in a process that could involve redox modulation of Ca2+ transporters via a crosstalk between mitochondria and ER.
Protective effect of melatonin on TNF‐α‐induced muscle atrophy in L6 myotubes
Authors: Park Jae‐Hyung , Chung Eun Ji , Kwon Hae‐Jung , Im Seung‐Soon , Lim Jung‐Geun , Song Dae‐Kyu 
Published: December 2012

AbstractMuscle atrophy, characterized by decreased cell number and size, is a serious concern for patients afflicted with inflammatory diseases. Mounting evidence indicates that tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) plays a critical role in muscle atrophy in a number of clinical settings. We hypothesize that reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediate TNF‐α‐induced muscle cell death and hypotrophy. Recently, melatonin has attracted attention because of its free‐radical scavenging and antioxidant properties. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the possible protective role of melatonin in TNF‐α‐induced muscle cell death and hypotrophy in rat L6 myotubes. To examine this possible role, L6 myotubes were exposed to various concentrations of recombinant TNF‐α for 24 hr. We found that TNF‐α at a concentration of 100 ng/mL induced ROS generation and decreased cell viability. Further analysis revealed that apoptosis, but not autophagy, may be important for TNF‐α‐induced cell death. Melatonin significantly attenuated TNF‐α‐induced ROS generation and apoptosis. In addition, decreased muscle fiber diameter and increased muscle cell proteolysis by TNF‐α was highly attenuated by treatment with melatonin. The effects of melatonin were mediated neither through its plasmalemmal receptors nor by modulating the nuclear factor kappa B pathway activated by TNF‐α. Taken together, these results suggest that TNF‐α may mediate ROS‐induced muscle cell death and hypotrophy and that melatonin may be a useful tool for protecting against muscle atrophy stemming from inflammatory diseases.
The Effect of Vilazodone on Sexual Function During the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Clayton Anita H. , Kennedy Sidney H. , Edwards John B. , Gallipoli Susan , Reed Carol R. 
Published: December 2012

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Sexual dysfunction is common in major depressive disorder (MDD), and many serotonergic antidepressants adversely affect sexual function. Vilazodone, a novel serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitor and 5-HT1A partial agonist approved for MDD, exerts its effects at the 5-HT transporter and at both presynaptic and postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors. This mechanism may limit sexual dysfunction.

Aim
To summarize effects of vilazodone (40 mg/day, with food) on sexual function in adults with MDD.

Methods
Data sources were three Phase III studies: two 8-week, placebo-controlled studies (NCT00285376 and NCT00683592) and a 52-week open-label study (NCT00644358). Sexual function was assessed by analyzing changes from baseline to end of treatment (EOT) using validated measures.

Main Outcome Measure
Arizona Sexual Experience Scale or Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire.

Results
Population included 869 patients (vilazodone, 436; placebo, 433) from placebo-controlled studies and 599 patients from the open-label study. Sexual dysfunction prevalence was high (50%, men; 68%, women) before treatment and declined during treatment in vilazodone and placebo groups, indicating improvement on average. At EOT, stable/improved sexual function was observed in ≥91% of patients in placebo-controlled studies; treatment group differences in sexual dysfunction at EOT were not statistically significant for either sex. Differences vs. placebo in changes from baseline of sexual function scores were small and were generally not statistically significant; effect sizes (Cohen's D) were generally of low magnitude. In the placebo-controlled studies, 8.0% of vilazodone-treated patients and 0.9% of placebo-treated patients reported ≥1 sexual-function-related treatment-emergent adverse event (P &lt; 0.001).

Conclusion
Half of men and two thirds of women with MDD had sexual dysfunction at baseline; sexual function improved on average in both vilazodone and placebo groups. Results suggest that vilazodone may have a small adverse impact on sexual function in adults with MDD relative to the high prevalence of sexual dysfunction at baseline.
Decreased Immunoglobulin A Concentrations in Feces, Duodenum, and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Maeda S. , Ohno K. , Uchida K. , Nakashima K. , Fukushima K. , Tsukamoto A. , Nakajima M. , Fujino Y. , Tsujimoto H. 
Published: December 2012

BackgroundAlthough immunoglobulin A (IgA) plays a key role in regulating gut homeostasis, its role in canine inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is unknown.HypothesisIgA expression may be altered in dogs withIBD, unlike that observed in healthy dogs and dogs with other gastrointestinal diseases.AnimalsThirty‐seven dogs withIBD, 10 dogs with intestinal lymphoma, and 20 healthy dogs.MethodsProspective study. IgA and IgG concentrations in serum, feces, and duodenal samples were measured by ELISA. IgA+cells in duodenal lamina propria and IgA+CD21+peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were examined by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry, respectively. Duodenal expression of the IgA‐inducing cytokine transforming growth factor β (TGF‐β), B cell activating factor (BAFF), and a proliferation‐inducing ligand (APRIL) was quantified by real‐timeRT‐PCR.ResultsCompared to healthy dogs, dogs withIBDhad significantly decreased concentrations of IgA in fecal and duodenal samples. The number of IgA+CD21+PBMCs and IgA+cells in duodenal lamina propria was significantly lower in dogs withIBDthan in healthy dogs or dogs with intestinal lymphoma. DuodenalBAFFandAPRILmRNAexpression was significantly higher inIBDdogs than in the healthy controls. DuodenalTGF‐β mRNAexpression was significantly lower in dogs withIBDthan in healthy dogs and dogs with intestinal lymphoma.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceIBDdogs have decreased IgA concentrations in feces and duodenum and fewer IgA+PBMCs, which might contribute to development of chronic enteritis in dogs withIBD.
Strain‐encoded breast MRI in phantom and ex vivo specimens with histological validation: Preliminary results
Authors: Haruoni Ahmed A. , Hossain Jakir , El Khouli Riham , Matsuda Kant M. , Bluemke David A. , Osman Nael F. , Jacobs Michael A. 
Published: December 2012

Purpose:To evaluate the feasibility of using strain‐encoded (SENC) breast magnetic resonance images (MRI) for breast cancer detection by examining the compression and relaxation response properties in phantoms andex vivo breast samples.Methods:A tissue phantom was constructed to mimic different sizes of breast masses and tissue stiffness. In addition, five humanex vivo whole breast specimens with and without masses were studied. MR data was acquired on a 3T scanner consisting of T1‐weighted, fat suppressed spin echo T2‐weighted, and SENC breast images. Mechanical tissue characteristics (strain) of the phantoms and breast tissue samples were measured using SENC imaging in both compression and relaxation modes. The breast tissue specimens were sectioned and stained in the same plane as the MRI for histological evaluation.Results:For the phantom, SENC images showed soft masses with quantitative strain values between 35% and 50%, while harder masses had strain values between 0% and 20%. Combined compression (CMP) and relaxation (REX) breast SENC images separately categorized all masses into three different groups. For breast SENC, the signal intensities betweenex vivo breast mass and breast glandular tissue were significantly different (−7.6 ± 2.6 verses −20.6 ± 5.4 for SENC‐CMP, and 4.2 ± 1.5 verses 22.6 ± 5 for SENC‐REX, p < 0.05).Conclusions:We have demonstrated that SENC breast MRI can be used to obtain mechanical tissue properties and give quantitative estimates of strain in tumors. This feasibility study provides the basis for future clinical studies.
Development of Novel Sugar Isomerases by Optimization of Active Sites in Phosphosugar Isomerases for Monosaccharides
Authors: Yeom Soo-Jin , Kim Yeong-Su , Oh Deok-Kun 
Published: December 2012

ABSTRACT

Phosphosugar isomerases can catalyze the isomerization of not only phosphosugar but also of monosaccharides, suggesting that the phosphosugar isomerases can be used as sugar isomerases that do not exist in nature. Determination of active-site residues of phosphosugar isomerases, including ribose-5-phosphate isomerase from
Clostridium difficile
(CDRPI), mannose-6-phosphate isomerase from
Bacillus subtilis
(BSMPI), and glucose-6-phosphate isomerase from
Pyrococcus furiosus
(PFGPI), was accomplished by docking of monosaccharides onto the structure models of the isomerases. The determinant residues, including Arg133 of CDRPI, Arg192 of BSMPI, and Thr85 of PFGPI, were subjected to alanine substitutions and found to act as phosphate-binding sites. R133D of CDRPI, R192 of BSMPI, and T85Q of PFGPI displayed the highest catalytic efficiencies for monosaccharides at each position. These residues exhibited 1.8-, 3.5-, and 4.9-fold higher catalytic efficiencies, respectively, for the monosaccharides than the wild-type enzyme. However, the activities of these 3 variant enzymes for phosphosugars as the original substrates disappeared. Thus, R133D of CDRPI, R192 of BSMPI, and T85Q of PFGPI are no longer phosphosugar isomerases; instead, they are changed to a
d
-ribose isomerase, an
l
-ribose isomerase, and an
l
-talose isomerase, respectively. In this study, we used substrate-tailored optimization to develop novel sugar isomerases which are not found in nature based on phosphosugar isomerases.
Processivity and Enzymatic Mode of a Glycoside Hydrolase Family 5 Endoglucanase from Volvariella volvacea
Authors: Zheng Fei , Ding Shaojun 
Published: December 2012

ABSTRACT

EG1 is a modular glycoside hydrolase family 5 endoglucanase from
Volvariella volvacea
consisting of an N-terminal carbohydrate-binding module (CBM1) and a catalytic domain (CD). The ratios of soluble to insoluble reducing sugar produced from filter paper after 8 and 24 h of exposure to EG1 were 6.66 and 8.56, respectively, suggesting that it is a processive endoglucanase. Three derivatives of EG1 containing a core domain only or additional CBMs were constructed in order to evaluate the contribution of the CBM to the processivity and enzymatic mode of EG1 under stationary and agitated conditions. All four enzymatic forms exhibited the same mode of action on both soluble and insoluble cellulosic substrates with cellobiose as a main end product. An additional CBM fused at either the N or C terminus reduced specific activity toward soluble and insoluble celluloses under stationary reaction conditions. Deletion of the CBM significantly decreased enzyme processivity. Insertion of an additional CBM also resulted in a dramatic decrease in processivity in enzyme-substrate reaction mixtures incubated for 0.5 h, but this effect was reversed when reactions were allowed to proceed for longer periods (24 h). Further significant differences were observed in the substrate adsorption/desorption patterns of EG1 and enzyme derivatives equipped with an additional CBM under agitated reaction conditions. An additional family 1 CBM improved EG1 processivity on insoluble cellulose under highly agitated conditions. Our data indicate a strong link between high adsorption levels and low desorption levels in the processivity of EG1 and possibly other processive endoglucanses.