bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ustekinumab: The “New Kid on the Block” in the Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis
Authors: Torres Tiago , Faria Raquel 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACT

Preclinical Research

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory seronegative spondyloarthritis associated with psoriasis. While TNF‐α inhibitors have revolutionized the treatment of rheumatic diseases, including PsA, not all patients respond to these agents while others are unsuitable or intolerant to them. Thus, there is a need for additional treatment modalities with a novel mechanism of action. In the past years, the IL‐23/Th17 axis has emerged as an important mechanism in the pathogenesis of PsA. Ustekinumab, a fully human IgG1κ monoclonal antibody that targets the common subunit p40 of IL‐12 and IL‐23, has been shown in clinical trials, to be well‐tolerated and effective in patients with active PsA. It improved signs and symptoms of PsA, inhibited radiographic progression and was effective in dactylitis, enthesitis, and skin disease, with a safety profile consistent with the one observed in patients with psoriasis. Moreover, it was to be effective in anti‐TNF‐α experienced patients, definitely fulfilling an unmet need in the management of PsA. Drug Dev Res 76 : 428–431, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effectiveness of interventions to enhance healing of chronic ulcers of the foot in diabetes: a systematic review
Authors: Game F. L. , Apelqvist J. , Attinger C. , Hartemann A. , Hinchliffe R. J. , Löndahl M. , Price P. E. , Jeffcoate W. J. ,   on behalf of the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF)
Published: September 2015

AbstractThe outcome of management of diabetic foot ulcers remains a challenge, and there remains continuing uncertainty concerning optimal approaches to management. It is for these reasons that in 2008 and 2012, the International Working Group of the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) working group on wound healing published systematic reviews of the evidence to inform protocols for routine care and to highlight areas, which should be considered for further study. The same working group has now updated this review by considering papers on the interventions to improve the healing of chronic ulcers published between June 2010 and June 2014. Methodological quality of selected studies was independently assessed by two reviewers using Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network criteria. Selected studies fell into the following ten categories: sharp debridement and wound bed preparation with larvae or hydrotherapy; wound bed preparation using antiseptics, applications and dressing products; resection of the chronic wound; oxygen and other gases, compression or negative pressure therapy; products designed to correct aspects of wound biochemistry and cell biology associated with impaired wound healing; application of cells, including platelets and stem cells; bioengineered skin and skin grafts; electrical, electromagnetic, lasers, shockwaves and ultrasound and other systemic therapies, which did not fit in the aforementioned categories. Heterogeneity of studies prevented pooled analysis of results. Of the 2161 papers identified, 30 were selected for grading following full text review. The present report is an update of the earlier IWGDF systematic reviews, and the conclusion is similar: that with the possible exception of negative pressure wound therapy in post‐operative wounds, there is little published evidence to justify the use of newer therapies. Analysis of the evidence continues to present difficulties in this field as controlled studies remain few and the majority continue to be of poor methodological quality.
Feather corticosterone reveals stress associated with dietary changes in a breeding seabird
Authors: Will Alexis , Watanuki Yutaka , Kikuchi Dale M. , Sato Nobuhiko , Ito Motohiro , Callahan Matt , Wynne‐Edwards Katherine , Hatch Scott , Elliott Kyle , Slater Leslie , Takahashi Akinori , Kitaysky Alexander 
Published: September 2015

AbstractChanges in climate and anthropogenic pressures might affect the composition and abundance of forage fish in the world's oceans. The junk‐food hypothesis posits that dietary shifts that affect the quality (e.g., energy content) of food available to marine predators may impact their physiological state and consequently affect their fitness. Previously, we experimentally validated that deposition of the adrenocortical hormone, corticosterone, in feathers is a sensitive measure of nutritional stress in seabirds. Here, we use this method to examine how changes in diet composition and prey quality affect the nutritional status of free‐living rhinoceros auklets (Cerorhinca monocerata). Our study sites included the following: Teuri Is. Japan, Middleton Is. central Gulf of Alaska, and St. Lazaria Is. Southeast Alaska. In 2012 and 2013, we collected “bill loads” delivered by parents to feed their chicks (n = 758) to document dietary changes. We deployed time–depth–temperature recorders on breeding adults (n = 47) to evaluate whether changes in prey coincided with changes in foraging behavior. We measured concentrations of corticosterone in fledgling (n = 71) and adult breeders' (n = 82) feathers to determine how birds were affected by foraging conditions. We found that seasonal changes in diet composition occurred on each colony, adults dove deeper and engaged in longer foraging bouts when capturing larger prey and that chicks had higher concentrations of corticosterone in their feathers when adults brought back smaller and/or lower energy prey. Corticosterone levels in feathers of fledglings (grown during the breeding season) and those in feathers of adult breeders (grown during the postbreeding season) were positively correlated, indicating possible carryover effects. These results suggest that seabirds might experience increased levels of nutritional stress associated with moderate dietary changes and that physiological responses to changes in prey composition should be considered when evaluating the effect of prey quality on marine predators.
In‐capillary probing QDs and HAT tag self‐assembly and displacement using Förster resonance energy transfer
Authors: Wang Jianhao , Li Jinchen , Zhang Chencheng , Fan Jie , Yang Li , Gu Yaqin , Liu Feifei , Wang Cheli , Dong Bingyu , Qiu Lin , Jiang Pengju 
Published: September 2015

HAT tag, a natural His affinity tag, is one of the most popular fusion tags. However, HAT tag containing three positive charges limited its self‐assembly with quantum dots (QDs). Herein, ATTO 590‐labeled HAT peptide was synthesized to self‐assemble with QDs inside the capillary. QDs and ATTO 590‐labeled HAT peptide were sequentially injected into the capillary and probed by fluorescence‐coupled CE (CE‐FL), showing an obvious Förster resonance energy transfer signal. Online self‐assembly, separation, and detection were achieved within 10 min. CE‐FL further revealed that imidazole and H6G6 peptide could partially outcompete with HAT tag on the QDs surface inside the capillary. The displacement intermediates were separated clearly using CE‐FL. Our study demonstrates the power of online CE‐FL in analyzing the binding interaction between ligands containing positive charges and QDs.
An alternative approach for the seismic rehabilitation of existing RC buildings using seismic isolation
Authors: Cardone Donatello , Flora Amedeo 
Published: September 2015

SummaryUsually, buildings with seismic isolation are designed to comply with an operational building performance level after strong earthquakes. This approach, however, may limit the use of seismic isolation for the seismic rehabilitation of existing buildings with low lateral strength or substandard details, because it often requires invasive strengthening measures in the superstructure or the use of expensive custom‐made devices. In this paper, an alternative approach for the seismic rehabilitation of existing buildings with seismic isolation, based on the acceptance of limited plastic deformations in the superstructure under strong earthquakes, is proposed and then applied to a real case study, represented by a four‐storey RC frame building. Nonlinear response‐time histories analyses of an accurate model of the case‐study building are carried out to evaluate the seismic performances of the structure, comparing different rehabilitation strategies with and without seismic isolation. Initial costs of the intervention and possible (future) repair costs are then estimated. Based on the results of this study, values of the behavior factor (i.e. response modification factor) higher than those adopted in the current codes for base‐isolated buildings are tentatively proposed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Implementation of a two‐way relay network with compute‐and‐forward in GNU Radio
Authors: Kramarev D. , Sakzad A. , Viterbo E. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractIn this paper, we present a GNU Radio implementation of a two‐way relay network testbed with physical layer network coding (PNC), namely, compute‐and‐forward. Despite the fact that the theoretical results on PNC are promising, the implementation is hindered by a number of practical problems. We first identify these problems and then propose our solutions to minimise their impact. Rather than developing complex algorithms able to cope with certain types of asynchrony, we design a synchronisation scheme for common hardware that enables implementation of general PNC algorithms with low complexity. Our experimental results show that when the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) is high, PNC relaying outperforms other relaying strategies in terms of the network throughput. As such, this work experimentally verifies the benefits of PNC predicted by the theoretical analysis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of red phosphorus on the fire properties of intumescent pine wood flour – LDPE composites
Authors: Altun Yasemin , Doğan Mehmet , Bayramlı Erdal 
Published: September 2015

SummaryRed phosphorus (RP) was used to improve the fire performance of wood flour – low density polyethylene (LDPE) composites containing ammonium polyphosphate (APP). The fire performance of LDPE‐based composites was investigated by using limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL‐94 standard, thermogravimetric analysis, and cone calorimeter. The addition of 30 wt% APP increased the LOI value from 17.5 to 24.2 and still burned to clamp (BC) in UL‐94 test. The RP showed beneficial effect when combinedly used with APP. The maximum beneficial effect was seen at ratio of 5:1 (APP : RP) with the highest LOI value of 27.2 and UL‐94 rating of V0. RP showed its beneficial effect via increasing the gas phase action of the flame retardant system. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Apolipoprotein E and Clusterin can magnify effects of personality vulnerability on declarative memory performance in non‐demented older adults
Authors: Sapkota Shraddha , Wiebe Sandra A. , Small Brent J. , Dixon Roger A. 
Published: September 2015

ObjectivesRecent research has linked psychological (personality) factors and specific genetic risk polymorphisms to performance on neurocognitive phenotypes. We examined whether episodic or semantic memory performance is associated with (a) three personality traits (i.e. neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to experience), (b) two neurodegenerative‐related polymorphisms (i.e. Apolipoprotein E (APOE; rs7412; rs429358), Clusterin (CLU; rs11136000)), and (c) cross‐domain risk interactions (magnification effects).MethodsLinear growth models were examined to test independent associations between personality traits and declarative memory performance, and potential interaction effects with APOE and CLU genetic risk. Normal older adults (n = 282) with personality and genetic data from the Victoria Longitudinal Study were included at baseline and for up to 14 years of follow‐up.ResultsFirst, we observed that higher openness to experience levels were associated with better episodic and semantic memory. Second, three significant gene × personality interactions were associated with poorer memory performance at baseline. These synergistic effects are: (a) APOE allelic risk (ε4+) carriers with lower openness to experience levels, (b) CLU (no risk: T/T) homozygotes with higher extraversion levels, and (c) CLU (no risk: T/T) homozygotes with lower neuroticism levels.ConclusionsSpecific neurodegenerative‐related genetic polymorphisms (i.e. APOE and CLU) moderate and magnify the risk contributed by selected personality trait levels (i.e. openness to experience, extraversion) on declarative memory performance in non‐demented aging. Future research could target interactions of other personality traits and genetic polymorphisms in different clinical populations to predict other neurocognitive deficits or transitions to cognitive impairment and dementia. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Does the hippocampus keep track of time?
Authors: Palombo D.J. , Keane M.M. , Verfaellie M. 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACTIn the present study, we examined the role of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) in prospective time estimation at short and long timescales using a novel behavioral paradigm adapted from rodent work. Amnesic patients with MTL damage and healthy control participants estimated the duration of nature‐based video clips that were either short (≤90 s) or long (more than 4 min). Consistent with previous work in rodents, we found that amnesic patients were impaired at making estimations for long, but not for short durations. Critically, these effects were observed in patients who had lesions circumscribed to the hippocampus, suggesting that the pattern observed was not attributable to the involvement of extra‐hippocampal structures. That the MTL, and more specifically the hippocampus, is critical for prospective temporal estimation only at long intervals suggests that multiple neurobiological mechanisms support prospective time estimation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A chitosan‐hyaluronic acid hydrogel scaffold for periodontal tissue engineering
Authors: Miranda Diego G. , Malmonge Sônia M. , Campos Doris M. , Attik Nina G. , Grosgogeat Brigitte , Gritsch Kerstin 
Published: September 2015

AbstractThe current challenge in treating periodontitis is regenerating the periodontium. This motivates tissue‐engineering researchers to develop scaffolds as artificial matrices that give mechanical support for osteoblasts, cementoblasts, gingival and periodontal ligament fibroblast cells. In this study, modified hyaluronic acid (HA) and chitosan (CS) were employed to create a hybrid CS‐HA hydrogel scaffold for periodontal regeneration. CS, HA, and CS‐HA scaffolds were obtained by freeze‐drying technique, resulting in porous structures suitable for use in tissue engineering. Scaffolds were submitted to gamma and UV‐sterilization without significant morphology changes. The ATR‐FTIR spectra of CS‐HA hydrogels showed peaks at 377 cm−1, 1566 cm−1, and 1614 cm−1, representing secondary amide, primary amine, and carboxyl acid respectively, and it was also observed the emergence of peaks at 886 cm−1, which probably represents the Schiff base formed in the case of hybrid CS‐HA hydrogels. The scaffolds presented a high rate of PBS uptake, reaching values higher than 95%. Thermal degradation of HA scaffolds was around 225°C and CS was around 285°C. The ATR‐FTIR spectra and swelling degree were slightly disturbed mainly after gamma sterilization, but degradation temperature did not change after sterilization. The performance of the CS‐HA hydrogel scaffolds for in vitro cell culture was tested using NIH3T3 and MG63 cell lines. The Alamar Blue test showed a significant increase in cellular viability and high CD44 expression, suggesting that the cells migrated more when seeded onto the scaffolds. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 104B: 1691–1702, 2016.
Investigating the effect of TiO2 on the structure and biocompatibility of bioactive glass
Authors: Placek Lana M. , Keenan Timothy J. , Li Yiming , Yatongchai Chokchai , Pradhan Dimple , Boyd Daniel , Mellott Nathan P. , Wren Anthony W. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractTitanium (Ti4+) containing materials have been widely used in medical applications due to its associated bioactivity in vivo. This study investigates the replacement of Si4+ with Ti4+ within the system SiO2‐Na2O‐CaO‐P2O5 to determine its influence on glass structure. This strategy was conducted in order to control the glass solubility to further improve the cellular response. Ti4+ incorporation was found to have little influence on the glass transition temperature (Tg = 520 ± 8°C) and magic angle spinning‐nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS‐NMR) shifts (−80 ppm) up to additions of 18 wt %. However, at 30 wt % the Tg increased to 600°C and MAS‐NMR spectra shifted to −88 ppm. There was also an associated reduction in glass solubility as a function of Ti4+ incorporation as determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy where Si4+ (1649–44 mg/L) and Na+ (892–36 mg/L) levels greatly reduced while Ca2+ (3–5 mg/L) and
(2–7 mg/L) levels remained relatively unchanged. MC3T3 osteoblasts were used for cell culture testing and it was determined that the Ti4+ glasses increased cell viability and also facilitated greater osteoblast adhesion and proliferation to the glass surface compared to the control glass. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 104B: 1703–1712, 2016.
A Multipurpose Lignin‐based Adsorbent for Metallic Ions, Nanoparticles and Various Organophosphate Pesticides in Hexane
Authors: Hu Shun‐Wei , Chen Shushi 
Published: September 2015

AbstractA lignin‐based adsorbent for metallic ions, nanoparticles and various agricultural organophosphate pesticides in hexane is immobilized on silica gel without further fractional purification. For most organophosphate analytes examined in this study under the same conditions, the percentage of adsorption achieved was well above 90% in 15 min, was found to be highly related to the dipole‐dipole attractions that occurred among the oxygen‐containing functional groups attached to analyte and lignin molecules and was greatly enhanced in hexane. The adsorption is believed to be reversible and surface oriented; furthermore, the interaction leading to the adsorption is not as significantly subject to the steric hindrance effect caused by the bulky group or elements surrounding the phosphorus element. Other types of interactions enhanced in hexane, such as the π‐π interaction, and hydrogen bonding in some cases, were also observed and contributed less to the percentage of adsorption. However, the adsorption of ions and nanoparticles under aqueous conditions is thought to be mainly a result of the complexation of the oxygen‐bearing hydrophobic cleft of the lignin molecule. In all cases, the nature of the analyte, the amount of adsorbent and the acidic or basic origin of the additive in matrix also affect the percentage of adsorption.
Biocatalytic Synthesis of the Anti‐diabetes Agent‐corosolic Acid by Whole Cells of Microorganisms
Authors: Fu Shaobin , Meng Qingfeng , Long Shu‐an , Zhang Yun , Sun Di‐an , Wei Gang 
Published: September 2015

AbstractDiabetes is one of the most prevalent and costly global diseases. For diabetes, frequent insulin treatment and synthetic drugs are very expensive and may cause unwanted side effects. Corosolic acid (CA), a natural product, was reported to be efficient in the treatment of diabetes, meanwhile without induction of anti‐insulin antibodies and obesity. The preparation of CA attracted many researchers in the world. This study investigated the biocatalytic synthesis method of CA from ursolic acid by Streptomyces griseus subsp. griseus 4.18. LCMS analysis demonstrated that 5 day, 125 μg/mL substrate, pH=9 and 10% strain concentration were the appropriate conditions. It is estimated that biocatalysis will contribute to the development of green and sustainable synthetic processes with less time‐consuming and more environmentally friendly.
Radar Absorption Properties of Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4/PANI/epoxy Nanocomposites
Authors: Didehban Khadijeh , Yarahmadi Elham , Nouri‐Ahangarani Farshid , Mirmohammadi Seyed Amin , Bahri‐Laleh Naeimeh 
Published: September 2015

AbstractA nitratecitrate gel was prepared from metallic nitrates and citric acid by solgel process and was further used to synthesize Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanocrystalline powder by auto‐combustion. Then, two novel 15 and 35% (w/w) magnetic Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 containing polyaniline nanocomposites, named as PANI‐Ni15 and PANI‐Ni35, respectively, were prepared via in‐situ polymerization of aniline in an aqueous solution containing proper amount of Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 magnetic powder. The incorporation of the nanopowders to PANI matrix was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), IR and SEM. Synthesized PANI‐NiZn ferrite composite particles were subsequently added to an epoxy resin matrix to produce related nanocomposites. The morphological properties of these nanocomposite materials were investigated by SEM and TEM. The electromagnetic‐absorbing properties were studied by measuring the reflection loss in the frequency range of 8.0 to 12.0 GHz. Results showed the reflection loss of the PANI‐Ni35 composite is higher than pure polyaniline and PANI‐Ni15. The good reflection loss of the nanocomposites suggests their potential applicability as radar absorber.
Photophysical Properties of Ethidium Bromide in Low Concentration of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate
Authors: Lin Po‐Chen , Chang I‐Jy 
Published: September 2015

AbstractSodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is widely utilized in biomolecules separation, but high residue SDS in biomolecules samples interfere mass analysis. Ethidium bromide (EtdBr) interacts with SDS, and the formation of EtdBr‐SDS complex at low SDS concentration (0–0.1 %) results a large red shift of the n→π* transition of EtdBr from 480 nm to 530 nm. The ion pairs become non‐emissive and cause low emission intensity. While the concentration of SDS is above 0.1 %, SDS starts aggregating to form micelle. Micelle formation destabilizes the complex and the absorption maxima shift back to 513 nm while emission intensity increases. Based on the change of absorption and emission of EtdBr, a SDS concentration assay was developed. If absorption maximizes at 480 nm, the concentration of SDS of the sample is below 0.005 %. If absorption maximum is at longer wavelength than 480 nm, a second parameter, the ratio of absorbance at 513 nm and 550 nm is introduced. If the ratio is smaller than 1.5, the concentration of SDS is between 0.01–0.1 %. If the ratio is larger than 1.5, the concentration of SDS is above 0.15 %. Despite the suitable range is small, the lower limit is around the range of no mass interference.
Chemical Constituents fromAlafia BarteriOliv. Leaves with Cytotoxic Activity
Authors: Aiyelaagbe Olapeju O. , Negi Arvind S. , Hamid Abdulmumeen A. , Luqman Suaib , Kumar Sathish B. , Kaneez Fatima 
Published: September 2015

AbstractMethanol extract ofAlafia barterileaves showed cytotoxic activity on leukaemia carcinoma K562, and hepatic liver cancer cells WRL (IC50values 193.1 and 225.0 μM respectively). Isolation of the extract gave ursane triterpenoid, 28‐acety‐urs‐5,20‐dien‐2β,3β,24α‐triol,1, together with undecanol,2, stigmasterol,3and octadecanoic acid,4. The structures of these compounds were identified by spectroscopic analysis, including MS, 1D and 2D NMR, and supported with literature data. Compound1exhibited cytotoxic activity against K‐562 at 50 and 100 μM concentrations with IC5074.22 μM, while compounds2,3and4showed low inhibition of WRL, MCF‐7 and COLO cell lines.