bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Angiopoietin-2 in chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis: relationship with glomerular filtration rate in the predialysis stages
Authors: Attia Fatma A. , Mohammed Nagwa A. , Ibrahim Al-Shymaa A. 
Published: January 2014

Abstract

Introduction
Cardiovascular disease has increased as a complication of chronic kidney disease even in the absence of diabetes or hypertension. Angiopoietin-1 and 2 are 55 kDa antagonistic nonredundant gatekeepers of endothelial activation and thus are potential important factors in accelerated atherosclerosis.

Aim of the study
The aim of the study was to determine angiopoietin-2 level in patients on hemodialysis (stage 5) and in the predialytic stages (stages 3 and 4) and to find the relationship between angiopoietin-2 levels and glomerular filtration rate in the predialytic stages.

Patient and methods
We prospectively studied 75 patients divided into three groups and 12 healthy controls. Group 1 included 33 patients on maintenance hemodialysis three times a week; group 2 included 21 patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease; and group 3 included 21 patients with stage 4 chronic kidney disease.

Results
We found highly significant (P < 0.01) increase in mean serum angiopoietin-2 levels in all three groups compared with the control. The mean angiopoietin-2 in group 1 was 1669.09 ± 472.64 pg/ml, in group 2 was 1206.91 ± 154.26 pg/ml, in group 3 was 1642.24 ± 113.01 pg/ml, and in control was 476.29 ± 150.37 pg/ml. Furthermore, we found highly significant (P < 0.01) increase in group 1 compared with group 2 and group 3, and in group 3 compared with group 2. Our result revealed significant negative correlation of angiopoietin-2 level with estimated glomerular filtration rate in group 2 (r – 0.858, P < 0.01) and group 3 (r – 0.825, P < 0.01), with hemoglobin in group 1 (r – 0.438, P < 0.01), and with BMI (r − 0.468, P < 0.05) and cholesterol (r − 0.503, P<0.05) in group 3; significant positive correlation was observed with uric acid (r 0.456, P < 0.05) in group 3.

Conclusion
Circulating angiopoietin-2 is a putative marker and potential mediator of atherosclerosis, is inversely related to glomerular filtration rate, and is increased with advanced chronic kidney disease. Normolipidemia in chronic kidney disease patients does not prevent atherosclerotic burden; this is because of the presence of other markers such as angiopoietin-2.
L’apport du fonctionnement en communauté d’apprentissage professionnelle de huit écoles inclusives sur l’autoappréciation en enseignement en littératie et sur le sentiment d’autoefficacité
Authors: Moreau André C. , Leclerc Martine , Stanké Brigitte 
Published: January 2014

Cet article présente les résultats d’une recherche sur le fonctionnement d’écoles en communauté d’apprentissage professionnelle (CAP) et sur sa contribution au développement professionnel des enseignants. Bien que plusieurs auteurs s’intéressent au fonctionnement des écoles en CAP, peu de recherches ont essayé de comprendre son apport à l’autoappréciation des connaissances et des compétences en enseignement en littératie et au sentiment d’autoefficacité en enseignement. Les données recueillies portent sur une période de trois ans suivant un protocole en deux temps (pré et post) auprès de 89 enseignants. Les connaissances et les compétences en enseignement en littératie ainsi que le sentiment d’autoefficacité ont été évalués au moyen de deux questionnaires réalisés au début de l’expérimentation et après trois ans. Une augmentation statistiquement significative des compétences et des connaissances en enseignement ainsi que celle de l’autoefficacité en enseignement ont été observées entre le début et la fin de la recherche. Les résultats suggèrent que le fonctionnement en CAP associé aux activités de formation et d’accompagnement aurait une influence sur les connaissances et les compétences en enseignement en littératie et, qui plus est, sur le sentiment d’autoefficacité en enseignement.
City Ville: collaborative game play, communication and skill development in social networks
Authors: Del-Moral María-Esther , Guzmán-Duque Alba-Patricia 
Published: January 2014

Abstract
This paper has as its aim to analyze how CityVille, a videogame hosted on Facebook and oriented to the construction of a virtual city, can favor collaboration between gamers along with the exchange of strategies, equally contributing to learning transfer and skill acquisition. The first step consists in identifying the opportunities which the said game can offer in order to develop skills and promote learning formats linked with planning and resource management, after which a presentation is made of the opinions expressed by a sample of gamers (N=105) –belonging to the Fans-CityVille community– about the priorities established by them to communicate with their neighbors and the skills that they believe to have acquired playing this game.
85.7% of them state that they communicate with others to share strategies and expand their city. Unlike women, who value collaboration, men prioritize competition. Designing their city has enhanced a number of gamer skills in different proportions: creative skills (71.4%); organizational ones (68.0%); skills associated with decision-making and problem-solving (67.0%); and interpersonal skills through interaction with others (61.9%).
The CityVille game mode favors skill development and helps to create a ludic atmosphere of collaboration and optimal strategy exchange through communication between neighbors by strengthening their mutual relationships. Its formula moves away from the often-criticized competitive practices of other games.
A proposal for generic competence assessment in a serious game
Authors: Bezanilla María José , Arranz Sonia , Rayón Alex , Rubio Isabel , Menchaca Iratxe , Guenaga Mariluz , Aguilar Eduardo 
Published: January 2014

Abstract
This paper focuses on the design of a serious game for the teaching and assessment of generic competences, placing particular emphasis on the competences assessment aspect. Taking into account important aspects of competence assessment such as context, feedback and transparency, among other aspects, and using the University of Deusto's Generic Competences Assessment Model based on the defining of levels, indicators and descriptors as a reference point, a serious game has been designed for the development and evaluation of two Generic Competences: Problem Solving and Entrepreneurship, aimed at final-year undergraduate and first-year postgraduate students. The design process shows that having a Competence Assessment Model based on levels, indicators and descriptors is of great help in defining the game's scenarios and learning and assessment activities. Serious games can also be excellent resources to help in the development and assessment of generic competences, but not as a unique tool, since the concept of competence in itself is highly complex (integrating knowledge, skills, attitudes and values) and some elements might require other methods and techniques for its development. It also reveals the difficulties of evaluating competences in general and through serious games in particular.
Expression of ABCG2 and Bmi‐1 in oral potentially malignant lesions and oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Dalley Andrew J. , Pitty Luke P. , Major Aidan G. , AbdulMajeed Ahmad A. , Farah Camile S. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractEarly diagnosis is vital for effective treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The optimal time for clinical intervention is prior to malignancy when patients present with oral potentially malignant lesions such as leukoplakia or erythroplakia. Transformation rates for oral dysplasia vary greatly and more rigorous methods are needed to predict the malignant potential of oral lesions. We hypothesized that the expression of two putative stem cell markers, ABCG2 and Bmi‐1, would correlate with disease severity for non diseased, potentially malignant and OSCC specimens and cell lines derived from an equivalent range of tissues. We compared immunoreactive protein and relative gene expression of ABCG2 and Bmi‐1 in eight cell lines derived from source tissues ranging in disease severity from normal (OKF6‐TERT2) through mild and moderate/severe dysplasia (DOK, POE‐9n) to OSCC (PE/CA‐PJ15, SCC04, SCC25, SCC09, SCC15). We also analyzed immunoreactive protein expression of ABCG2 and Bmi‐1 in 189 tissue samples with the same range of disease severity. A trend between oral lesion severity to ABCG2 and Bmi‐1 immunostain intensity was observed. Flow cytometry of oral cell lines confirmed this trend and gave good correlation with RT‐PCR results for ABCG2 (r = 0.919, P = 0.001; Pearson) but not Bmi‐1 (r = −0.311). The results provide evidence of increased density of ABCG2 and Bmi‐1‐positive populations in malignant and oral potentially malignant lesions and derived cell lines, but that intragroup variability within IHC, flow cytometry, and RT‐PCR results compromise the diagnostic potential of these techniques for discriminating oral dysplasia from normal tissue or OSCC.
Highly EnantioselectiveMichael Addition Promoted by a New Diterpene‐Derived Bifunctional Thiourea Catalyst: A Doubly Stereocontrolled Approach to Chiral Succinimide Derivatives
Authors: Song Zhong‐Tai , Zhang Tao , Du Hai‐Long , Ma Zhi‐Wei , Zhang Chang‐Hua , Tao Jing‐Chao 
Published: January 2014

ABSTRACTA doubly stereocontrolled organocatalytic asymmetric Michael addition to the synthesis of substituted succinimides is described. Starting from aldehydes and maleimides, both enantiomers of the succinimides could be obtained in high to excellent yields (up to 98%) and enantioselectivities (up to 99%) when one of the two special chiral diterpene‐derived bifunctional thioureas was individually used as a catalyst. Moreover, these catalysts can be efficiently used in large‐scale catalytic synthesis with the same level of yield and enantioselectivity. Chirality 00:000–000, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mechanical behavior of masonry materials at high temperatures
Authors: Andreini Marco , Caciolai Mauro , La Mendola Saverio , Mazziotti Lamberto , Sassu Mauro 
Published: January 2014

SummaryAn experimental campaign is presented to determine the effects of high temperatures on the mechanical properties of several materials for masonry walls (blocks and mortars), testing a series of cylindrical specimens (diameter of 100 mm and height of 200 mm). After compression tests at 20 °C, an experimental procedure was designed for high‐temperature testing. The cylindrical samples were heated in a muffle furnace, then were inserted into a specific apparatus (called ‘thermos’) for maintaining the prescribed temperature, and finally were subjected to a mechanical compression test. The results obtained by applying this procedure show a common variation of the strength, reduction of modulus of elasticity, and corresponding increments of the ultimate strain with temperature enhancement. Specific diagrams and discussion on the results are performed for each material. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Psychosocial and medical aspects of older suicide completers in Israel: a 10‐year survey
Authors: Shelef Assaf , Hiss Jehuda , Cherkashin Gali , Berger Uri , Aizenberg Dov , Baruch Yehuda , Barak Yoram 
Published: January 2014

ObjectivesThe rate of completed suicide among the elderly continues to be the highest of any age group worldwide. The aim of the present study was to investigate the sociodemographic data, mental and physical health characteristics, and suicide methods of the elderly population who completed suicide in Israel.MethodsA national retrospective record‐based case series study of consecutive elder (50 years or older) suicide completers who had undergone autopsy over a 10‐year period was conducted.ResultsThree hundred and fourteen consecutive records of suicide completers, 69.6% males, and mean age 64.7 were analyzed. The largest group (38%) emigrated from the Former Soviet Union and 19% emigrated from East Europe. Immigrants from East Europe committed suicide at an older age.Hanging was the predominant suicide method. Jumping from height increased more than threefold in the ‘old‐old’(older than 75 years) group. Hanging and firearms were more frequently used by males. Females were more likely to employ poisoning and suffocation.A significant minority (30%) had been diagnosed as suffering from psychiatric morbidity. Most common diagnoses were depression and alcohol abuse or dependence. Physical disorders (mainly cardiovascular disease and malignancy) were present in 27% of cases. Subjects with psychiatric illness were more likely to complete suicide at a younger age compared with subjects with physical illness.ConclusionsFindings of male predominance, psychiatric morbidity, and physical illness are consistent with previously published studies. Immigrants from East Europe completed suicide at an older age and the older victims had used more lethal methods of suicide. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hepatocellular carcinoma: Short‐term reproducibility of apparent diffusion coefficient and intravoxel incoherent motion parameters at 3.0T
Authors: Kakite Suguru , Dyvorne Hadrien , Besa Cecilia , Cooper Nancy , Facciuto Marcelo , Donnerhack Claudia , Taouli Bachir 
Published: January 2014

PurposeTo evaluate short‐term test–retest and interobserver reproducibility of IVIM (intravoxel incoherent motion) diffusion parameters and ADC (apparent diffusion coefficient) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver parenchyma at 3.0T.Materials and MethodsIn this prospective Institutional Review Board (IRB)‐approved study, 11 patients were scanned twice using a free‐breathing single‐shot echo‐planar‐imaging, diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) sequence using 4 b values (b = 0, 50, 500, 1000 s/mm2) and IVIM DWI using 16 b values (0–800 s/mm2) at 3.0T. IVIM parameters (D: true diffusion coefficient, D*: pseudodiffusion coefficient, PF: perfusion fraction) and ADC (using 4 b and 16 b) were calculated. Short‐term test–retest and interobserver reproducibility of IVIM parameters and ADC were assessed by measuring correlation coefficient, coefficient of variation (CV), and Bland–Altman limits of agreements (BA‐LA).ResultsFifteen HCCs were assessed in 10 patients. Reproducibility of IVIM metrics in HCC was poor for D* and PF (mean CV 60.6% and 37.3%, BA‐LA: −161.6% to 135.3% and −66.2% to 101.0%, for D* and PF, respectively), good for D and ADC (CV 19.7% and <16%, BA‐LA −57.4% to 36.3% and −38.2 to 34.1%, for D and ADC, respectively). Interobserver reproducibility was on the same order of test–retest reproducibility except for PF in HCC. Reproducibility of diffusion parameters was better in liver parenchyma compared to HCC.ConclusionPoor reproducibility of D*/PF and good reproducibility for D/ADC were observed in HCC and liver parenchyma. These findings may have implications for trials using DWI in HCC. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2015;41:149–156. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Initial and subsequent effects of hydrochar amendment on germination and nitrogen uptake of spring barley
Authors: Bargmann Inge , Rillig Matthias C. , Kruse Andrea , Greef Jörg‐Michael , Kücke Martin 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThe application of hydrochars as soil amendments could be an option to ameliorate soil quality by enhancing nutrient and water‐holding capacity of sandy soils. But when hydrochar application is directly followed by sowing, it can decrease the soil mineral‐N concentration and the germination rate of crops. We currently lack evidence, whether these effects are persistent or transient and thus can be avoided by adjusting the application strategy, e.g., by prolonging the period between application and sowing. A set of pot trials with spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was performed to study the initial and subsequent effects of different hydrochar amendments on germination, biomass production, and plant N availability. To this end, two subsequent cultivations of barley were grown on hydrochar‐amended soil–peat substrates. The first barley cultivation was sown directly after hydrochar application. After the harvest, the same substrates were cultivated with barley again. Germination, biomass production, and N concentration in the biomass were reduced when sowing directly followed the application of hydrochars. Differences in germination rate and biomass production between hydrochar treatments depended on the hydrochar feedstock. A recultivation of the hydrochar‐amended substrates 9 weeks after hydrochar application showed no significant effects on germination and biomass production. The N concentration in plants was still lower in the hydrochar treatments despite additional fertilization. The N immobilized during the first cultivation period was not released in the following weeks. We conclude that the germination‐inhibiting substances in hydrochars were removed in the weeks after soil incorporation. This is probably due to microbial degradation of hydrochar components and a consecutive immobilization of mineral N. Hydrochar amendment had only short‐term effects on germination and biomass production of barley that can be avoided by applying hydrochar at least 4 weeks prior to sowing. The N concentration in plants was persistently low even 4 months after hydrochar application which can only be redeemed by adjusting the fertilization strategy.
Thermal Stability of Larger Carbonyl Compounds: 2‐Methylbutyraldehyde
Authors: Rosado‐Reyes Claudette M. , Tsang Wing 
Published: January 2014

ABSTRACTWe have decomposed 2‐methylbutyraldehye in single pulse shock tube experiments, at temperatures between 1075 K to 1250 K and pressures of 1.5 and 6 atm. Five reaction channels have been identified from the unimolecular products that have been detected. The products involve CC bond cleavage together with a retro‐ene reaction. Particularly remarkable is the detection of small amount of butane; the first time that an alkane has been detected in these high‐temperature experiments. The formation of butane represents evidence of the roaming radical reaction or more generally the high‐temperature radical disproportionation reaction. Ethylene is present in large yields, and this is traced to a 1,2 H‐transfer reaction involving the highly exothermic transfer of a carbonyl hydrogen to an alkyl site. The results are consistent with earlier single pulse shock tube experiments on the 2‐ketones. In particular, they confirm the earlier observation that substituting a methyl and hydrogen atom with a doubly bonded oxygen atom have very little effect on the rate constant of the adjoining CC bond. The yields of ethylene are consistent with a very low value of the carbonyl resonance energy.
Proteomics of extracellular vesicles: Exosomes and ectosomes
Authors: Choi Dong‐Sic , Kim Dae‐Kyum , Kim Yoon‐Keun , Gho Yong Song 
Published: January 2014

AbstractAlmost all bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotic cells shed extracellular vesicles either constitutively or in a regulated manner. These nanosized membrane vesicles are spherical, bilayered proteolipids that harbor specific subsets of proteins, DNAs, RNAs, and lipids. Recent research has facilitated conceptual advancements in this emerging field that indicate that extracellular vesicles act as intercellular communicasomes by transferring signals to their target cell via surface ligands and delivering receptors and functional molecules. Recent progress in mass spectrometry‐based proteomic analyses of mammalian extracellular vesicles derived from diverse cell types and body fluids has resulted in the identification of several thousand vesicular proteins that provide us with essential clues to the molecular mechanisms involved in vesicle cargo sorting and biogenesis. Furthermore, cell‐type‐ or disease‐specific vesicular proteins help us to understand the pathophysiological functions of extracellular vesicles and contribute to the discovery of diagnostic and therapeutic target proteins. This review focuses on the high‐throughput mass spectrometry‐based proteomic analyses of mammalian extracellular vesicles (i.e., exosomes and ectosomes), EVpedia (a free web‐based integrated database of high‐throughput data for systematic analyses of extracellular vesicles; http://evpedia.info), and the intravesicular protein–protein interaction network analyses of mammalian extracellular vesicles. The goal of this article is to encourage further studies to construct a comprehensive proteome database for extracellular vesicles that will help us to not only decode the biogenesis and cargo‐sorting mechanisms during vesicle formation but also elucidate the pathophysiological roles of these complex extracellular organelles. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev 34: 474–490, 2015.
Oocyte‐secreted factors in oocyte maturation media enhance subsequent development of bovine cloned embryos
Authors: Su Jianmin , Wang Yongsheng , Zhang Lei , Wang Bo , Liu Jun , Luo Yan , Guo Zekun , Quan Fusheng , Zhang Yong 
Published: January 2014

SUMMARYSuccessful in vitro maturation (IVM) and oocyte quality both affect the subsequent development of cloned embryos derived from somatic‐cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Developmental competence is usually lower in oocytes matured in vitro compared with those that matured in vivo, possibly due to insufficient levels of oocyte‐secreted factors (OSFs) and disrupted oocyte–cumulus communication. This study investigated the effects of OSFs secreted by denuded oocytes (DOs) during IVM on the subsequent developmental competence of cloned bovine embryos. Cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) from antral follicles of slaughtered‐cow ovaries collected from an abattoir were divided into four groups: COCs co‐cultured with and without DOs in maturation media used for SCNT, as well as COCs co‐cultured with and without DOs in maturation media used for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Based on the developmental competence and embryo quality of bovine embryos generated from these four groups, we found that co‐culturing the COCs with DOs enhanced the in vitro development of IVF and cloned bovine embryos, and potentially generated more high‐quality cloned blastocysts that possessed locus‐specific histone modifications at levels similar to in vitro‐fertilized embryos. These results strongly suggest that co‐culturing COCs with DOs enhances subsequent developmental competence of cloned bovine embryo. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 81: 341–349, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Alloisoleucine differentiates the branched‐chain aminoacidemia of Zucker and dietary obese rats
Authors: Olson Kristine C. , Chen Gang , Xu Yuping , Hajnal Andras , Lynch Christopher J. 
Published: January 2014

ObjectiveCirculating branched‐chain amino acids (BCAAs) are elevated in obesity and this has been linked to obesity comorbidities. However it is unclear how obesity affects alloisoleucine, a BCAA and pathognomonic marker of branched‐chain keto acid dehydrogenase complex (BCKDC) disorders. It has been previously established that obese Zucker rats exhibit BCKDC impairments in fat and other tissues, whereas BCKDC impairments in adipose tissue of DIO rats are compensated by increased hepatic BCKDC activity. Therefore, alloisoleucine was investigated in these two obesity models.MethodsAmino acids were extracted from plasma and measured using ultra performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.ResultsPlasma alloisoleucine was 238% higher in obese compared to lean Zucker rats. This elevation was greater than that of other BCAAs (107‐124%). DIO rats had no significant change in alloisoleucine, despite elevations in other BCAAs (15‐66%).ConclusionsAlloisoleucine was elevated in obese Zucker but not DIO rats consistent with known global impairments of BCKDC in Zucker but not DIO rats. Cytotoxic branched‐chain ketoacids (BCKAs) accumulate in genetic disorders affecting BCKDC. BCKAs increase reactive oxygen species, stress kinase activation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Inasmuch as these factors underlie obesity comorbidities, it may important to identify obese individuals with elevated alloisoleucine.