bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Nitrite and Nitrate Contents and Its Effect on Edible Bird Nest's Color
Authors: Paydar Mohammadjavad , Wong Yi Li , Wong Won Fen , Hamdi Omer Abdalla Ahmed , Kadir Noraniza Abd. , Looi Chung Yeng 
Published: November 2013

AbstractEdible bird nests (EBNs) are important ethnomedicinal commodity in the Chinese community. Recently, But and others showed that the white EBNs could turn red by vapors from sodium nitrite (NaNO2) in acidic condition or from bird soil, but this color‐changing agent remained elusive. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of nitrite and nitrate contents and its affects on EBN's color. EBNs were collected from swiftlet houses or caves in Southeast Asia. White EBNs were exposed to vapor from NaNO2 in 2% HCl, or bird soil. The levels of nitrite (NO2−) and nitrate (NO3−) in EBNs were determined through ion chromatography analysis. Vapors from NaNO2 in 2% HCl or bird soil stained white bird nests to brown/red colors, which correlated with increase nitrite and nitrate levels. Moreover, naturally formed cave‐EBNs (darker in color) also contained higher nitrite and nitrate levels compared to white house‐EBNs, suggesting a relationship between nitrite and nitrate with EBN's color. Of note, we detected no presence of hemoglobin in red “blood” nest. Using infrared spectra analysis, we demonstrated that red/brown cave‐EBNs contained higher intensities of C‐N and N‐O bonds compared to white house‐EBNs. Together, our study suggested that the color of EBNs was associated with the prevalence of the nitrite and nitrate contents.
Peripheral blood involvement in patients with follicular lymphoma: a rare disease manifestation associated with poor prognosis
Authors: Sarkozy Clémentine , Baseggio Lucile , Feugier Pierre , Callet‐Bauchu Evelyne , Karlin Lionel , Seymour John F. , Lebras Laure , Michallet Anne‐Sophie , Offner Fritz , Dumas Olivier , Traverse‐Glehen Alexandra , Ffrench Martine , Lopez‐Guillermo Armando , Berger Françoise , Coiffier Bertrand , Felman Pascale , Salles Gilles 
Published: November 2013

SummaryFollicular Lymphoma (FL) is the second most common non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtype and its course is heterogeneous. At diagnosis, some patients with FL manifest a detectable leukaemic phase (FL‐LP), but this feature has been seldom described and is poorly characterized. Among 499 patients diagnosed with FL in Lyon‐Sud hospital, 37 (7·4%) had characteristic FL‐LP (by cytological blood smears and flow cytometric analysis). In addition, 91/1135 FL patients from the PRIMA study presented FL‐LP at study entry. In order to evaluate the outcome of this Lyon‐Sud cohort, FL‐LP patients were matched with 111 newly diagnosed FL without LP according to the Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) score, age and treatment. Presence of FL‐LP was associated with shorter progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (P = 0·004 and P = 0·031, respectively). Presence of FL‐LP and high FLIPI score remained independent prognostic factors in a Cox model for time to progression (TTP). A number of circulating lymphoma cells (CLC) >4 × 109/l was the most significant predictor for a shorter TTP in this Cox model. The prognostic impact of FL‐LP on TTP was validated in the PRIMA cohort (P = 0·0004). In conclusion, FL‐LP is a rare event associated with shorter PFS and patients with CLC >4 × 109/l have a poorer outcome. These patients should be monitored carefully to consider alternative therapeutic options.
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for bladder cancer does not increase risk of perioperative morbidity
Authors: Johnson David C. , Nielsen Matthew E. , Matthews Jonathan , Woods Michael E. , Wallen Eric M. , Pruthi Raj S. , Milowsky Matthew I. , Smith Angela B. 
Published: November 2013

ObjectiveTo determine whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is a predictor of postoperative complications, length of stay (LOS), or operating time after radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer.Patients and MethodsA retrospective review of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database was performed to identify patients receiving NAC before RC from 2005 to 2011. Bivariable and multivariable analyses were used to determine whether NAC was associated with 30‐day perioperative outcomes, e.g. complications, LOS, and operating time.ResultsOf the 878 patients who underwent RC for bladder cancer in our study, 78 (8.9%) received NAC. Excluding those patients who were ineligible for NAC due to renal insufficiency, 78/642 (12.1%) received NAC. In all, 457 of the 878 patients (52.1%) undergoing RC had at least one complication ≤30 days of RC, including 43 of 78 patients (55.1%) who received NAC and 414 of 800 patients (51.8%) who did not (P = 0.58). On multivariable logistic regression, NAC was not a predictor of complications (P = 0.87), re‐operation (P = 0.16), wound infection (P = 0.32), or wound dehiscence (P = 0.32). Using multiple linear regression, NAC was not a predictor of increased operating time (P = 0.24), and patients undergoing NAC had a decreased LOS (P = 0.02).ConclusionsOur study is the first large multi‐institutional analysis specifically comparing complications after RC with and without NAC. Using a nationally validated, prospectively maintained database specifically designed to measure perioperative outcomes, we found no increase in perioperative complications or surgical morbidity with NAC. Considering these findings and the well‐established overall survival benefit over surgery alone, efforts are needed to improve the uptake of NAC.
The ryanodine receptor agonist 4‐chloro‐3‐ethylphenol blocks ORAI store‐operated channels
Authors: Zeng Bo , Chen Gui‐Lan , Daskoulidou Nikoleta , Xu Shang‐Zhong 
Published: November 2013

BackgroundDepletion of the Ca2+ store by ryanodine receptor (RyR) agonists induces store‐operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE). 4‐Chloro‐3‐ethylphenol (4‐CEP) and 4‐chloro‐m‐cresol (4‐CmC) are RyR agonists commonly used as research tools and diagnostic reagents for malignant hyperthermia. Here, we investigated the effects of 4‐CEP and its analogues on SOCE.Experimental ApproachSOCE and ORAI1‐3 currents were recorded by Ca2+ imaging and whole‐cell patch recordings in rat L6 myoblasts and in HEK293 cells overexpressing STIM1/ORAI1‐3.Key Results4‐CEP induced a significant release of Ca2+ in rat L6 myoblasts, but inhibited SOCE. The inhibitory effect was concentration‐dependent and more potent than its analogues 4‐CmC and 4‐chlorophenol (4‐ClP). In the HEK293 T‐REx cells overexpressing STIM1/ORAI1‐3, 4‐CEP inhibited the ORAI1, ORAI2 and ORAI3 currents evoked by thapsigargin. The 2‐APB‐induced ORAI3 current was also blocked by 4‐CEP. This inhibitory effect was reversible and independent of the Ca2+ release. The two analogues, 4‐CmC and 4‐ClP, also inhibited the ORAI1‐3 channels. Excised patch and intracellular application of 4‐CEP demonstrated that the action site was located extracellularly. Moreover, 4‐CEP evoked STIM1 translocation and subplasmalemmal clustering through its Ca2+ store‐depleting effect via the activation of RyR, but no effect on STIM1 redistribution was observed in cells co‐expressing STIM1/ORAI1‐3.Conclusion and Implications4‐CEP not only acts as a RyR agonist to deplete the Ca2+ store and trigger STIM1 subplasmalemmal translocation and clustering, but also directly inhibits ORAI1‐3 channels. These findings demonstrate a novel pharmacological property for the chlorophenol derivatives that act as RyR agonists.
TLR9 and MyD88 are crucial for the maturation and activation of dendritic cells by paromomycin–miltefosine combination therapy in visceral leishmaniasis
Authors: Das Sushmita , Rani Mukta , Rabidas Vidyanand , Pandey Krishna , Sahoo Ganesh Chandra , Das Pradeep 
Published: November 2013

Background and PurposeThe combination of paromomycin–miltefosine is a successful anti‐leishmanial therapy in visceral leishmaniasis (VL). This encouraged us to study its effect on Toll‐like receptor (TLR)‐mediated immunomodulation of dendritic cells (DC), as DC maturation and activation is crucial for anti‐leishmanial activity.Experimental ApproachIn silico protein–ligand interaction and biophysical characterization of TLR9–drug interaction was performed. Interaction assays of HEK293 cells with different concentrations of miltefosine and/or paromomycin were performed, and NF‐κB promoter activity measured. The role of TLR9 and MyD88 in paromomycin/miltefosine‐induced maturation and activation of DCs was evaluated through RNA interference techniques. The effect of drugs on DCs was measured in terms of counter‐regulatory production of IL‐12 over IL‐10, and characterized by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay at the molecular level.Key ResultsComputational and biophysical studies revealed that paromomycin/miltefosine interact with TLR9. Both drugs, as a monotherapy/combination, induced TLR9‐dependent NF‐κB promoter activity through MyD88. Moreover, the drug combination induced TLR9/MyD88‐dependent functional maturation of DCs, evident as an up‐regulation of co‐stimulatory markers, enhanced antigen presentation by increasing MHC II expression, and increased stimulation of naive T‐cells to produce IFN‐γ. Both drugs, by modifying histone H3 at the promoter level, increased the release of IL‐12, but down‐regulated IL‐10 in a TLR9‐dependent manner.Conclusions and ImplicationsThese results provide the first evidence that the combination of paromomycin–miltefosine critically modifies the maturation, activation and development of host DCs through a mechanism dependent on TLR9 and MyD88. This has implications for evaluating the success of other combination anti‐leishmanial therapies that act by targeting host DCs.
Diagnosing unilateral primary aldosteronism – comparison of a clinical prediction score, computed tomography and adrenal venous sampling
Authors: Sze W. C. Candy , Soh Lip Min , Lau Jeshen H. , Reznek Rodney , Sahdev Anju , Matson Matthew , Riddoch Fiona , Carpenter Robert , Berney Dan , Grossman Ashley B. , Chew Shern L. , Akker Scott A. , Druce Maralyn R. , Waterhouse Mona , Monson John P. , Drake William M. 
Published: November 2013

SummaryContextIn patients with primary aldosteronism (PA), adrenalectomy is potentially curative for those correctly identified as having unilateral excessive aldosterone production. It has been suggested that a recently developed and published clinical prediction score (CPS) may correctly identify some patients as having unilateral disease, without recourse to adrenal venous sampling.ObjectiveWe have applied the CPS to a large cohort of PA patients with defined and documented outcomes. We also incorporated a minor modification to the CPS and a radiological grading score (RGS) into our analysis to assess whether its performance could be augmented.ResultsA total of 75 patients with a robust diagnosis following bilateral adrenal venous cannulation and/or strictly defined surgical outcome were analysed. Applying the CPS to this group of patients produced a sensitivity of 38·8% and a specificity of 88·5% of correctly identifying unilateral aldosterone production. Using a suggested modification to the CPS, in which different levels of hypokalaemia were given different weightings, the sensitivity rose to 40·8%, with an identical specificity. Using the RGS alone improved sensitivity to 91·7%, but specificity was reduced to 62·5%.ConclusionApplying the recently developed CPS to this cohort of patients, it was not possible to reproduce the 100% specificity reported in the original publication. Using the modified score or incorporating the RGS did not improve its performance. In this cohort, we were unable to show superiority of the CPS over an imaging‐based strategy. CPS may have a role in guiding clinical decision‐making, especially in those whose adrenal venous sampling (AVS) has been unsuccessful.
Guided Real‐Time Scanning of Indoor Objects
Authors: Kim Young Min , Mitra Niloy J. , Huang Qixing , Guibas Leonidas 
Published: November 2013

AbstractAdvances in 3D acquisition devices provide unprecedented opportunities for quickly scanning indoor environments. Such raw scans, however, are often noisy, incomplete, and significantly corrupted, making semantic scene understanding difficult, if not impossible. Unfortunately, in most existing workflows, scan quality is assessed after the scanning stage is completed, making it cumbersome to correct for significant missing data by additional scanning. In this work, we present a guided real‐time scanning setup, wherein the incoming 3D data stream is continuously analyzed, and the data quality is automatically assessed. While the user is scanning an object, the proposed system discovers and highlights potential missing parts, thus guiding the operator (or an autonomous robot) as where to scan next. The proposed system assesses the quality and completeness of the 3D scan data by comparing to a large collection of commonly occurring indoor man‐made objects using an efficient, robust, and effective scan descriptor. We have tested the system on a large number of simulated and real setups, and found the guided interface to be effective even in cluttered and complex indoor environments.
A Semi‐Lagrangian Closest Point Method for Deforming Surfaces
Authors: Auer S. , Westermann R. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractWe present an Eulerian method for the real‐time simulation of intrinsic fluid dynamics effects on deforming surfaces. Our method is based on a novel semi‐Lagrangian closest point method for the solution of partial differential equations on animated triangle meshes. We describe this method and demonstrate its use to compute and visualize flow and wave propagation along such meshes at high resolution and speed. Underlying our technique is the efficient conversion of an animated triangle mesh into a time‐dependent implicit representation based on closest surface points. The proposed technique is unconditionally stable with respect to the surface deformation and, in contrast to comparable Lagrangian techniques, its precision does not depend on the level of detail of the surface triangulation.
Implicit Integration for Particle‐based Simulation of Elasto‐Plastic Solids
Authors: Zhou Yahan , Lun Zhaoliang , Kalogerakis Evangelos , Wang Rui 
Published: November 2013

AbstractWe present a novel particle‐based method for stable simulation of elasto‐plastic materials. The main contribution of our method is an implicit numerical integrator, using a physically‐based model, for computing particles that undergo both elastic and plastic deformations. The main advantage of our implicit integrator is that it allows the use of large time steps while still preserving stable and physically plausible simulation results. As a key component of our algorithm, at each time step we compute the particle positions and velocities based on a sparse linear system, which we solve efficiently on the graphics hardware. Compared to existing techniques, our method allows for a much wider range of stiffness and plasticity settings. In addition, our method can significantly reduce the computation cost for certain range of material types. We demonstrate fast and stable simulations for a variety of elasto‐plastic materials, ranging from highly stiffelastic materials to highly plastic ones.
Efficient Smoke Simulation on Curvilinear Grids
Authors: Azevedo Vinicius C. , Oliveira Manuel M. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractWe present an efficient approach for performing smoke simulation on curvilinear grids. Our technique is based on a fast unconditionally‐stable advection algorithm and on a new and efficient solution to enforce mass conservation. It uses a staggered‐grid variable arrangement, and has linear cost on the number of grid cells. Our method naturally integrates itself with overlapping‐grid techniques, lending to an efficient way of producing highly‐realistic animations of dynamic scenes. Compared to approaches based on regular grids traditionally used in computer graphics, our method allows for better representation of boundary conditions, with just a small increment in computational cost. Thus, it can be used to evaluate aerodynamic properties, possibly enabling unexplored applications in computer graphics, such as interactive computation of lifting forces on complex objects. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, both in 2‐D and 3‐D, through a variety of high‐quality smoke animations.
Polar NURBS Surface with Curvature Continuity
Authors: Shi K.-L. , Yong J.-H. , Tang L. , Sun J.-G. , Paul J.-C. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractPolar NURBS surface is a kind of periodic NURBS surface, one boundary of which shrinks to a degenerate polar point. The specific topology of its control‐point mesh offers the ability to represent a cap‐like surface, which is common in geometric modeling. However, there is a critical and challenging problem that hinders its application: curvature continuity at the extraordinary singular pole. We first propose a sufficient and necessary condition of curvature continuity at the pole. Then, we present constructive methods for the two key problems respectively: how to construct a polar NURBS surface with curvature continuity and how to reform an ordinary polar NURBS surface to curvature continuous. The algorithms only depend on the symbolic representation and operations of NURBS, and they introduce no restrictions on the degree or the knot vectors. Examples and comparisons demonstrate the applications of the curvature‐continuous polar NURBS surface in hole‐filling and free‐shape modeling.
Space requirement of a prefabricated bar on two interforaminal implants: a prospective clinical study
Authors: Albrecht Dominic , Ramierez Ami , Kremer Urs , Katsoulis Joannis , Mericske‐Stern Regina , Enkling Norbert 
Published: November 2013

AbstractObjectivesThis clinical study measured the dimensional changes of existing lower complete dentures due to the integration of a prefabricated implant bar. Additionally, the impact of this dimensional change on patient satisfaction and oral function was analyzed.MethodsTwenty edentulous patients (10 men/10 women; aged 65.9 ± 11.8 years) received two interforaminal implants. Subsequent to surgery, a chair side adapted, prefabricated bar (SFI Bar®, C+M, Biel, Switzerland) was inserted, and the matrix was polymerized into the existing lower denture. The change of the denture's lingual dimension was recorded by means of a bicolored, silicone denture duplicate that was sectioned in the oro‐vestibular direction in the regions of the symphysis (S) and the implants (I‐left, I‐right). On the sections, the dimensional increase was measured using a light microscope. Six months after bar insertion, patients answered a standardized questionnaire.ResultsAll dentures exhibited increased lingual volume, more extensively at S than at I (P = 0.001). At S, the median diagonal size of the denture was doubled (+4.33 mm), and at I, the median increase was 50% (I‐left/‐right = +2.66/+2.62 mm). The original denture size influenced the volume increase (P = 0.024): smaller dentures led to a larger increase. The amount of denture increase did not have negative impact on either self‐perceived oral function or patient satisfaction. Approximately, 95% of the patients were satisfied with the treatment results.ConclusionsThe lingual size of a lower denture was enlarged by the integration of a prefabricated bar without any negative side effects. Thus, this attachment system is suitable to convert an existing full denture into an implant‐supported overdenture.
Mechanism of 3D domain swapping in bovine seminal ribonuclease
Authors: Spadaccini Roberta , Ercole Carmine , Graziano Giuseppe , Wechselberger Rainer , Boelens Rolf , Picone Delia 
Published: November 2013

3D domain swapping (3D‐DS) is a complex protein aggregation process for which no unique mechanism exists. We report an analysis of 3D‐DS in bovine seminal ribonuclease, a homodimeric protein whose subunits are linked by two disulfide bridges, based on NMR and biochemical studies. The presence of the covalent bonds between the subunits stabilizes the unswapped dimer, and allows distinct evaluation of the structural and dynamic effects of the swapping with respect to the dimerization process. In comparison with the monomeric subunit, which, in solution has a compact structure without any propensity for local unfolding, both swapped and unswapped dimers show increased flexibility. NMR analysis, together with urea denaturation and hydrogen–deuterium exchange data, indicates that the two dimers have increased conformational fluctuations. Furthermore, we found that the rate‐limiting step of both the swapping and unswapping pathways is the detachment of the N‐terminal helices from the monomers. These results suggest a new general mechanism in which a dimeric intermediate could facilitate 3D‐DS in globular proteins.Structured digital abstract

BS-RNase and BS-RNase bind by nuclear magnetic resonance (View interaction)
Climate change implications of shifting forest management strategy in a boreal forest ecosystem of Norway
Authors: Bright Ryan M. , Antón‐Fernández Clara , Astrup Rasmus , Cherubini Francesco , Kvalevåg Maria , Strømman Anders H. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractEmpirical models alongside remotely sensed and station measured meteorological observations are employed to investigate both the local and global direct climate change impacts of alternative forest management strategies within a boreal ecosystem of eastern Norway. Stand‐level analysis is firstly executed to attribute differences in daily, seasonal, and annual mean surface temperatures to differences in surface intrinsic biophysical properties across conifer, deciduous, and clear‐cut sites. Relative to a conifer site, a slight local cooling of −0.13 °C at a deciduous site and −0.25 °C at a clear‐cut site were observed over a 6‐year period, which were mostly attributed to a higher albedo throughout the year. When monthly mean albedo trajectories over the entire managed forest landscape were taken into consideration, we found that strategies promoting natural regeneration of coniferous sites with native deciduous species led to substantial global direct climate cooling benefits relative to those maintaining current silviculture regimes – despite predicted long‐term regional warming feedbacks and a reduced albedo in spring and autumn months. The magnitude and duration of the cooling benefit depended largely on whether management strategies jointly promoted an enhanced material supply over business‐as‐usual levels. Expressed in terms of an equivalent CO2 emission pulse at the start of the simulation, the net climate response at the end of the 21st century spanned −8 to −159 Tg‐CO2‐eq., depending on whether near‐term harvest levels increased or followed current trends, respectively. This magnitude equates to approximately −20 to −300% of Norway's annual domestic (production) emission impact. Our analysis supports the assertion that a carbon‐only focus in the design and implementation of forest management policy in boreal and other climatically similar regions can be counterproductive – and at best – suboptimal if boreal forests are to be used as a tool to mitigate global warming.