bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Engineering D-helix of antithrombin in alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor confers antiinflammatory properties on the chimeric serpin
Authors: Yang Likui , Dinarvand Peyman , Qureshi Shabir H. , Rezaie Alireza R. 
Published: February 2014

SummaryAntithrombin (AT) is a heparin-binding serpin in plasma which regulates the proteolytic activity of procoagulant proteases of the clotting cascade. In addition to being an anticoagulant, AT also exhibits antiinflammatory activities when it binds to cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) on the endothelium via its basic residues of D-helix to elicit intracellular signalling responses. By contrast to AT, α1-proteinase inhibitor (α1-PI) is a non-heparin-binding serpin that exhibits very slow reactivity with coagulation proteases and possesses no HSPG-dependent antiinflammatory properties. To determine whether the antiinflammatory signaling specificity of AT can be transferred to α1-PI, we replaced the D-helix of human α1-PI with the corresponding sequence of human AT and expressed the chimeric serpin α1-PI/D-helix) in a bacterial expression system. High molecular weight heparin bound to α1-PI/D-helix and accelerated the inhibition of thrombin by the serpin mutant by a template mechanism reminiscent of the cofactor effect of heparin on inhibition of thrombin by AT. Like AT, α1-PI/D-helix exhibited antiinflammatory properties in both cellular and animal models. Thus, α1-PI/D-helix inhibited the barrier-disruptive effect of proinflammatory cytokines and inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-kB transcription factor in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated endothelial cells by a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, the chimeric serpin reduced lipopolysaccharide-mediated lethality, elicited a vascular protective effect and inhibited infiltration of activated leukocytes to the peritoneal cavity of mice in an HMGB1-mediated inflammatory model. These results suggest that grafting the D-helix of AT to α1-PI confers antiinflammatory properties on the serpin and that the chimeric serpin may have therapeutic utility for treating inflammatory disorders.
EphrinB-mediated reverse signalling controls junctional integrity and pro-inflammatory differentiation of endothelial cells
Authors: Liu Hui , Devraj Kavi , Möller Kerstin , Liebner Stefan , Hecker Markus , Korff Thomas 
Published: February 2014

SummaryThe EphB/ephrinB receptor-ligand system is pivotal for the development of the embryonic vasculature and for angiogenesis in the adult organism. We observed that (i) the expression of ephrinB2 and ephrinB1 is up-regulated in capillaries during inflammation, that (ii) these ligands are localised on the luminal endothelial surface, and that (iii) they interact with the ephrinB-receptor EphB2 on monocyte/macrophages. This study delineates the impact of ephrinB-mediated reverse signalling on the integrity and proinflammatory differentiation of the endothelium. To this end, in vitro analyses with human cultured endothelial cells reveal that knockdown of ephrinB2 or ephrinB1 impairs monocyte transmigration through the endothelium. While ephrinB2 but not ephrinB1 interacts with PECAM-1 (CD31) in this context, reverse signalling by ephrinB1 but not ephrinB2 elicits a c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-dependent up-regulation of E-selectin expression. Furthermore, treatment of endothelial cells with soluble EphB2 receptor bodies or EphB2-overexpressing mouse myeloma cells links ephrinB2 to PECAM-1 and induces its Src-dependent phosphorylation while diminishing Src homology phosphotyrosyl phosphatase-2 (SHP-2) activity and increasing endothelial cell permeability. We conclude that extravasation of EphB2 positive leukocyte populations is facilitated by lowering the integrity of endothelial cell junctions and enhancing the pro-inflammatory phenotype of the endothelium through activation of ephrinB ligands.
Complex Left Atrial Appendage Morphology and Left Atrial Appendage Thrombus Formation in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Yamamoto Masayoshi , Seo Yoshihiro , Kawamatsu Naoto , Sato Kimi , Sugano Akinori , Machino-Ohtsuka Tomoko , Kawamura Ryo , Nakajima Hideki , Igarashi Miyako , Sekiguchi Yukio , Ishizu Tomoko , Aonuma Kazutaka 
Published: February 2014

Background—
In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), most thrombus forms in the left atrial appendage (LAA). However, the relation of LAA morphology with LAA thrombus is unknown.

Methods and Results—

We prospectively enrolled 633 consecutive patients who were candidates for catheter ablation for symptomatic drug-resistant AF. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was performed to assess LAA thrombus. LAA structure was assessed by 3-dimensional TEE. LAA orifice area, depth, volume, and number of lobes were measured on reconstructed 3-dimensional images. Clinical characteristics and echocardiographic measures were compared to determine variables predicting LAA thrombus. Excluded were 69 (10.9%) patients who met the exclusion criteria. Finally, this study comprised 564 patients, of whom LAA thrombus was observed in 36 (6.4%) patients. Multivariate analysis revealed CHADS
2
(Congestive heart failure, Hypertension Age>75, Diabetes mellitus and prior Stroke or transient ischemic attack) score (
P
=0.002), left ventricular ejection fraction (
P
=0.01), degree of spontaneous echo contrast (
P
=0.02), left atrial volume (
P
=0.02), and number of LAA lobes (
P
<0.001) to be independently associated with thrombus formation. Most patients with LAA thrombus (32/34, 94.4%) had ≥3 LAA lobes, whereas LAA thrombus was observed in only 2 (0.7%) of 296 patients with 1 or 2 lobes. LAA volume significantly decreased in patients maintaining sinus rhythm after catheter ablation (
P
=0.0009). Number of LAA lobes did not change in any patient.

Conclusions—
Complex LAA morphology characterized by an increased number of LAA lobes was associated with the presence of LAA thrombus independently of clinical risk and blood stasis. This study suggests that LAA morphology might be a congenital risk factor for LAA thrombus formation in patients with AF.
Stroke Alters Respiratory Burst in Neutrophils and Monocytes
Authors: Ruhnau Johanna , Schulze Karsten , Gaida Bernadette , Langner Sönke , Kessler Christof , Bröker Barbara , Dressel Alexander , Vogelgesang Antje 
Published: February 2014

Background and Purpose—
Stroke-induced immune alterations predispose patients to infections. Although the relationship between stroke and the adaptive immune system has been investigated in detail, to date it is unknown whether the innate immune system, which forms the first line of antibacterial defense, is also impaired in patients with stroke. Therefore, we investigated whether chemotaxis, phagocytosis, oxidative burst, degranulation of defensins, and NETosis in monocytes and in neutrophil granulocytes are altered in patients with stroke compared with controls.

Methods—
Sixty-three patients having acute ischemic stroke were recruited within 12 hours of symptom onset; blood was sampled on admission and on days 1, 3, 5, and 7. Thirty-seven age-matched controls were also recruited. Cell migration, phagocytosis, and oxidative burst of phagocytes were determined in vitro. Human neutrophil peptides 1 to 3 and serum metanephrine levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and NETosis was quantified by immunohistochemistry.

Results—
The key mechanisms required for bacterial killing, oxidative burst, and NETosis were significantly reduced in samples taken from patients with stroke compared with controls, whereas migration, phagocytic function, and defensin production remained unimpaired in monocytes and granulocytes from patients with stroke.

Conclusions—
Stroke-induced immune alterations include impairment of the first-line defense performed by specialized phagocytes against bacteria. The hypothesis that these changes enhance susceptibility to acquired infections is supported by our observation that on admission oxidative burst in monocytes was more impaired in patients with stroke with subsequent stroke-associated infections.
Passing Knowledge: André Thevet’s Cosmographical Epistemology
Authors: Frisch Andrea 
Published: February 2014

Abstract
This essay reconsiders whether the standard of a totalizing synthesis can take the appropriate measure of the epistemological orientation implicit in André Thevet’s cosmographic writings. By focusing attention on and contextualizing Thevet’s frequently repeated remark that he is describing something “in passing,” I argue that the hallmark of Thevet’s cosmographic discourse is its explicit provisionality: for all its authority and authenticity, such discourse is predicated on a belief in the inherent flux and impermanence of its object. I conclude that if we can construe Thevet’s non-totalizing, provisional cosmography as a legitimate form of cosmographic knowledge of the globe in the period, rather than as the last, tortured gasp of a self-destructing genre, we can perhaps reconsider both the value and the function of “passing knowledge” in the history of cosmographic discourse.
European Theories and Local Therapies: Mordexi and Galenism in the East Indies, 1500-1700
Authors: Hausse Heidi 
Published: February 2014

Abstract
This article examines written accounts of the disease mordexi roughly between 1500 and 1700 to explore the conceptual frameworks and rhetorical strategies used by early modern authors to understand and present a local disease encountered in the East Indies to European readers. Europeans understood mordexi within a framework of Galenic medicine that both normalized the tropical affliction and distinguished it from other diseases. The cause and prevention of the disease were likewise explained through the effects of local flora and climate on the body. Native treatments for mordexi, however, did not fit so easily within Hippocratic-Galenic notions of restoring humoral balance and even challenged the superiority of European medical practitioners. The article concludes that the rhetorical strategies used by European authors to convey the efficacy of native healing practices point to the limitations of a Galenic framework and how writers worked around these conceptual limits.
Philosophical Pursuit and Flight: Homer and Thucydides in Plato’s Laches
Authors: Maiullo Steve 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThis paper offers a new reading of Plato’sLachesthat examines the dialogue’s philosophical approach not only to courage but also to two literary texts that both formed and questioned traditional Athenian views of it: Homer and Thucydides. In the middle of Plato’sLaches, the eponymous character claims that the courageous man “should be willing to stay in formation, to defend himself against the enemy, and to refuse to run away.” Socrates responds by wondering whether a man can be courageous in retreat. He cites Homer’s description of Aeneas’ horses that “know how to pursue and flee quickly this way and that” (191b), a quotation that appears twice in theIliad: once at 5.222-3 when Aeneas refuses to retreat from the rampaging Diomedes and again at 8.106-8 when Diomedes retreats from Hector, despite their belief that to do so is cowardly. On the surface, it seems that the contexts of the Homeric line do not match Socrates’ argument. This paper will argue that Socrates’ apparent ‘miscue’ is both intentional and purposeful because it signals a correspondence between the Homeric scenes and Thucydides’ narrative of the Battle of Mantinea that invites criticism of Homer’s place in the value systems of contemporary Athens. Plato signals a philosophical reading of Homer’sIliadand of Thucydides’ description of the Battle of Mantinea, through which we are invited to evaluate not only the traditional model of Athenian education, embodied by the former, but also its application in fifth-century Athens, as revealed by the latter. This paper, therefore, demonstrates that the philosophical and literary strategies behind Plato’s decision to ‘misuse’ Homer reveal a disjunction between wisdom and manliness in the Athenian cultural tradition that philosophy aims to resolve.
The genus Hylebainosoma Verhoeff, 1899 (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Haaseidae): Redescription of Hylebainosoma tatranum, description of a new troglobiont species and notes to the Hylebainosoma–Romanosoma species group
Authors: TAJOVSKÝ KAREL , MOCK ANDREJ , PAPÁČ VLADIMÍR 
Published: February 2014

A revision of the taxonomy, distribution and ecology of the millipedes of the genus Hylebainosoma Verhoeff, 1899 in the Carpathians is presented. Based on the study of numerous specimens, we consider the subspecies of the species Hylebainosoma tatranum Verhoeff, 1899 described in the past as overrated, reflecting simply intrapopulational variation attributable to the rather extended area of species distribution, different habitats of its occurrence (surface and cave habitats, soil, litter and stony debris) and wide altitudinal range from the forest zone in foothills to the alpine zone above timberline. Besides the redescription of males, the morphology of female vulvae is presented for the first time. Hylebainosoma tatranum is endemic to the extensive area of the Western and Eastern Carpathians, involving Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and highly probably Ukraine. A new troglobiont species from the karst area near the Tisovec Town (Muránska planina Mts., Central Slovakia), Hylebainosoma gulickai n. sp. is described, and is considered as stenoendemic for this small karstic region, with occurrence in few nearby caves. Hylebainosoma gulickai represents the first troglobiont chordeumatid millipede found in the northern territories of the Carpathians and the northernmost troglobiont in Central Europe in general. Morphological characteristics of both males and females are presented.Taxonomic relationships between the closely related genera Hylebainosoma and Romanosoma Ceuca, 1967 are discussed and replacement of the species Hylebainosoma cavernicola (Ceuca, 1967) n. comb., Hylebainosoma oltenica (Ceuca, 1967) n. comb. and Hylebainosoma odici (Ceuca, 1979) n. comb. into the genus Hylebainosoma is proposed. The fourth species described as Romanosoma (?) birtei Ceuca, 1967 we consider as invalid taxon. Romanosoma becomes a junior subjective synonym of the genus Hylebainosoma.
Future Australian Severe Thunderstorm Environments. Part II: The Influence of a Strongly Warming Climate on Convective Environments
Authors: Allen John T. , Karoly David J. , Walsh Kevin J. 
Published: February 2014

Abstract
The influence of a warming climate on the occurrence of severe thunderstorm environments in Australia was explored using two global climate models: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Mark, version 3.6 (CSIRO Mk3.6), and the Cubic-Conformal Atmospheric Model (CCAM). These models have previously been evaluated and found to be capable of reproducing a useful climatology for the twentieth-century period (1980–2000). Analyzing the changes between the historical period and high warming climate scenarios for the period 2079–99 has allowed estimation of the potential convective future for the continent. Based on these simulations, significant increases to the frequency of severe thunderstorm environments will likely occur for northern and eastern Australia in a warmed climate. This change is a response to increasing convective available potential energy from higher continental moisture, particularly in proximity to warm sea surface temperatures. Despite decreases to the frequency of environments with high vertical wind shear, it appears unlikely that this will offset increases to thermodynamic energy. The change is most pronounced during the peak of the convective season, increasing its length and the frequency of severe thunderstorm environments therein, particularly over the eastern parts of the continent. The implications of this potential increase are significant, with the overall frequency of potential severe thunderstorm days per year likely to rise over the major population centers of the east coast by 14% for Brisbane, 22% for Melbourne, and 30% for Sydney. The limitations of this approach are then discussed in the context of ways to increase the confidence of predictions of future severe convection.
Impact of Terrain Altitude and Cloud Height on Ozone Remote Sensing from Satellite
Authors: Bai Wenguang , Wu Chunqiang , Li Jun , Wang Weihe 
Published: February 2014

Abstract
Terrain and cloud height heavily impact ozone information despite ozone being concentrated in the stratosphere. The ozone weighting function (OWF) provides important information towards understanding the capabilities and limitations of a given channel. The factors that impact the OWF can be analyzed using radiative transfer theory and modeling. At the 9.6-μm infrared spectral region, both the OWF values and peaks are related to the surface temperature, terrain altitude, and cloud height. Warmer surface temperatures, lower terrain altitude, or lower cloud levels will give larger weighting function values, and the peak of the weighting function slightly increases with the increase in surface temperature, terrain altitude, or cloud height. For longer UV bands such as 306 and 318 nm, OWF shows smaller values for higher terrains, while showing larger values when clouds are present. However, in the shorter UV bands such as 274 and 288 nm, OWF has almost no relationship with the surface and clouds. Therefore, with satellite-based infrared ozone remote sensing, high terrain and cloud presence will reduce ozone sensitivity and information content. In addition, for UV bands, the effect is spectrally dependent: lower terrain altitude and the presence of clouds will increase the zone information content in the longer UV band, but they have no effect in the short UV band. A simulation of an ozone retrieval in the infrared band shows that higher terrain results in lower precision for colder emitting surface temperatures and less ozone absorption signal.
“I Kept Coming for the Love”
Authors: Raffel Katie E. , Goddu Anna P. , Peek Monica E. 
Published: February 2014

Purpose The purpose of the study was to investigate how retention strategies employed by the Diabetes Empowerment Program (DEP) contributed to retention. Methods An experienced moderator conducted in-depth interviews (n = 7) and 4 focus groups (n = 29) with former DEP participants. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded using iteratively modified coding guidelines. Results were analyzed using Atlas.ti 4.2 software. Results Participants were African American and predominantly female, low income, and with more than 1 diabetes complication. Key retention themes included: (1) educator characteristics and interpersonal skills (“The warmth of the staff . . . kept me coming back for more.”), (2) accessible information (“I didn’t know anything about diabetes [before]. I was just given the medicine.”), (3) social support (“I realized I wasn’t the only one who has diabetes.”), (4) the use of narrative (“It’s enlightening to talk about [my diabetes].”), and (5) the African American helping tradition (“I went not just for myself but for my husband.”). Conclusions While many interventions focus on costly logistics and incentives to retain at-risk participants, study findings suggest that utilizing culturally tailored curricula and emphasizing interpersonal skills and social support may be more effective strategies to retain low-income African Americans in diabetes education programs.
Ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation of sporadic renal angiomyolipoma: preliminary results
Authors: Zhi-yu Han , Ping Liang , Xiao-ling Yu , Zhi-gang Cheng , Fang-yi Liu , Jie Yu 
Published: February 2014

Background Microwave ablation (MWA) has been developed as one of the most commonly used local oncologic treatments. However, there is still a dearth of studies concerning MWA in the treatment of renal angiomyolipomas (AML). Purpose To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous MWA when treating AML. Material and Methods Nineteen lesions with pathologically confirmed AML in 14 patients (5 men, 9 women; mean age, 49.2 ± 14 years) were treated with US-guided percutaneous MWA with one or two cooled-shaft needle antennae. A power output of 45 W or 50 W for 300–1140 s was emitted to achieve complete tumor necrosis. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) was performed to observe the treatment efficacy 3 days later. Patients were followed up with CEUS, computed tomography (CT), and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after 1, 3, and 6 months, and long-term ablation efficacy was evaluated every 6 months thereafter. Results Among the 19 renal lesions, 17 achieved complete ablation as monitored by US after one session of MWA, and two patients required a second session of MWA. Postoperative evaluation with CEUS showed that complete ablation was obtained in 15 lesions; however, in four lesions, complete ablation could not be attained. During the follow-up period of 6–36 months (median, 10 months), a fistula to the descending colon was found in one patient and local infection around the ablation zone was found in another. Neither injury to the renal pelvis nor damage to renal function was observed. None of the patients exhibited hematuria or abnormalities in routine urine tests during the hospitalization period or during follow-up. Minor complications, such as subcapsular bleeding, mild to moderate pain, and fever were eliminated after appropriate treatment. Conclusion MWA is an effective and minimally invasive technique for the management of AML that can preserve renal function with acceptable complication rates.
The role of US in finding intussusception and alternative diagnosis: a report of 100 pediatric cases
Authors: Ja Lim Kyoung , Lee Kwanseop , Yoon Dae Young , Moon Jin Hee , Lee Hyun , Kim Min-Jeong , Kim Sam Soo 
Published: February 2014

BackgroundThe clinical diagnosis of intussusception remains challenging, because many children with intussusception may present with non-specific signs and symptoms, which overlap with other conditions. Therefore imaging, in particular ultrasonography (US), plays a significant role in the management of these patients.PurposeTo evaluate how US can contribute to the diagnosis in clinically suspected intussusception and finding alternative diagnosis.Material and MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed reports of US examinations and medical records of 100 patients (51 boys, 49 girls; mean age, 23.0 ± 12.1 months) who underwent abdominal US for clinically suspected intussusception. Each US study was assessed for the presence or absence of intussusception and for a possible alternative diagnosis in cases interpreted as negative for intussusception.ResultsThirty-seven patients had US findings consistent with intussusception, which was confirmed by air enema. In seven patients, US studies were normal. Alternative diagnoses were identified by US for each of the remaining 56 patients, including ileocolitis ( n = 20), terminal ileitis ( n = 18), mesenteric lymphadenitis ( n = 13), choledochal cyst ( n = 1), accessory spleen torsion ( n = 1), small bowel ileus ( n = 1), midgut volvulus with bowel ischemia ( n = 1), and hydronephrosis ( n = 1).ConclusionWith the high sensitivity and specificity of this study we conclude that US is valuable in detecting intussusception and finding the alternative diagnosis.