title stringlengths 0 901 | abstract stringlengths 3 9.89k | PMID int64 22 25.3M | embedding listlengths 768 768 |
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New aspects of modern endoscopy. | The prognosis for patients with malignancies of the gastrointestinal-tract is strictly dependent on early detection of premalignant and malignant lesions. However, small, flat or depressed neoplastic lesions remain difficult to detect with these technologies thereby limiting their value for polyp and cancer screening. At the same time computer and chip technologies have undergone major technological changes which have greatly improved endoscopic diagnostic investigation. New imaging modalities and techniques are very notable aspects of modern endoscopy. Chromoendoscopy or filter-aided colonoscopy (virtual chromoendoscopy) with high definition endoscopes is able to enhance the detection and characterization of lesions. Finally, confocal laser endomicroscopy provides histological confirmation of the presence of neoplastic changes. The developing techniques around colonoscopy such as the retro-viewing colonoscope, the balloon-colonoscope or the 330-degrees-viewing colonoscope try to enhance the efficacy by reducing the adenoma miss rate in right-sided, non-polypoid lesions. Colon capsule endoscopy is limited to identifying cancer and not necessarily small adenomas. Preliminary attempts have been made to introduce this technique in clinical routine. | 25,132,916 | [
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Esophageal cancer management controversies: Radiation oncology point of view. | Esophageal cancer treatment has evolved from single modality to trimodality therapy. There are some controversies of the role, target volumes and dose of radiotherapy (RT) in the literature over decades. The present review focuses primarily on RT as part of the treatment modalities, and highlight on the RT volume and its dose in the management of esophageal cancer. The randomized adjuvant chemoradiation (CRT) trial, intergroup trial (INT 0116) enrolled 559 patients with resected adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction. They were randomly assigned to surgery plus postoperative CRT or surgery alone. Analyses show robust treatment benefit of adjuvant CRT in most subsets for postoperative CRT. The Chemoradiotherapy for Oesophageal Cancer Followed by Surgery Study (CROSS) used a lower RT dose of 41.4 Gray in 23 fractions with newer chemotherapeutic agents carboplatin and paclitaxel to achieve an excellent result. Target volume of external beam radiation therapy and its coverage have been in debate for years among radiation oncologists. Pre-operative and post-operative target volumes are designed to optimize for disease control. Esophageal brachytherapy is effective in the palliation of dysphagia, but should not be given concomitantly with chemotherapy or external beam RT. The role of brachytherapy in multimodality management requires further investigation. On-going studies of multidisciplinary treatment in locally advanced cancer include: ZTOG1201 trial (a phase II trial of neoadjuvant and adjuvant CRT) and QUINTETT (a phase III trial of neoadjuvant vs adjuvant therapy with quality of life analysis). These trials hopefully will shed more light on the future management of esophageal cancer. | 25,132,924 | [
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Matrix Degradative Enzymes and Their Inhibitors during Annular Inflammation: Initial Step of Symptomatic Intervertebral Disc Degeneration. | Symptomatic disc degeneration develops from inflammatory reactions in the annulus fibrosus (AF). Although inflammatory mediators during annular inflammation have been studied, the roles of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the production of MMPs and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMPs) during annular inflammation using an in vitro co-culture system. We also examined the effect of notochordal cells on annular inflammation. Human AF (hAF) pellet was co-cultured for 48 hours with phorbol myristate acetate-stimulated macrophage-like THP-1 cells. hAF pellet and conditioned media (CM) from co-cultured cells were assayed for MMPs, TIMPs, and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 levels using real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and enzyem-linked immunosorbent assay. To evaluate whether notochordal cells affected MMPs or TIMPs production on annular inflammation, hAF co-cultured with notochordal cells from adult New Zealand White rabbits, were assayed. MMP-1, -3, -9; and TIMP-1 levels were significantly increased in CM of hAF co-cultured with macrophage-like cells compared with hAF alone, whereas TIMP-2 and IGF-1 levels were significantly decreased (p<0.05). After macrophage exposure, hAF produced significantly more MMP-1 and -3 and less TIMP-1 and -2. Interleukin-1β stimulation enhanced MMP-1 and -3 levels, and significantly diminished TIMP-2 levels. Co-culturing with rabbit notochordal cells did not significantly influence MMPs and TIMPs production or COL1A2 gene expression. Our results indicate that macrophage-like cells evoke annular degeneration through the regulation of major degradative enzymes and their inhibitors, produced by hAF, suggesting that the selective regulation of these enzymes provides future targets for symptomatic disc degeneration therapy. | 25,132,928 | [
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Post-traumatic cerebral infarction following low-energy penetrating craniocerebral injury caused by a nail. | Post-traumatic cerebral infarction (PTCI) is a secondary insult which causes global cerebral hypoxia or hypoperfusion after traumatic brain injury, and carries a remarkable high mortality rate. PTCI is usually caused by blunt brain injury with gross hematoma and/or brain herniation. Herein, we present the case of a 91-year-old male who had sustained PTCI following a low-energy penetrating craniocerebral injury due to a nail without evidence of hematoma. The patient survived after a decompressive craniectomy, but permanent neurological damage occurred. This is the first case of profound PTCI following a low-energy penetrating craniocerebral nail injury and reminds clinicians of possibility this rare dreadful complication for care of head-injured patients. | 25,132,939 | [
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Recent trends in airway management: we are not ready to give up fiberoptic endoscopy. | The purpose of this correspondence is to discuss recent findings related to current trends in airway management and to discuss the utilization rates of video laryngoscopes versus traditional techniques in USA, UK, and Canada. To highlight the increased use of video laryngoscopes in difficult airway situations, data on the use of alternative airway devices at our institution collected from 2008 to 2010 are presented alongside the results of previously published surveys collected from 2002 to 2013. | 25,132,963 | [
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Indications and outcomes in adult lung transplantation. | Lung transplantation (LTx) is a treatment option for end-stage lung disease that would be otherwise fatal for specific patient populations. The most common indications for LTx in adults remain to be chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. Recent trends include performing re-transplantation while more patients over the age of 65 years are undergoing LTx. Even with these tendencies, slight improvements in survival have occurred. This article briefly reviews recent developments in adults undergoing LTx. | 25,132,968 | [
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Carcinoma buccal mucosa underlying a giant cutaneous horn: a case report and review of the literature. | Cutaneous horn is a conical, dense, and hyperkeratotic protrusion that often appears similar to the horn of an animal. Giant cutaneous horns are rare; no incidence or prevalence has been reported. The significance of cutaneous horns is that they occur in association with, or as a response to, a wide variety of underlying benign, premalignant, and malignant cutaneous diseases. A case of giant cutaneous horn of left oral commissure along with carcinoma left buccal mucosa is reported here as an extremely rare oral/perioral pathology. | 25,133,002 | [
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Role of Toll-like receptors in Helicobacter pylori infection and immunity. | The gram-negative bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infects the stomachs of approximately half of the world's population. Although infection induces an immune response that contributes to chronic gastric inflammation, the response is not sufficient to eliminate the bacterium. H. pylori infection causes peptic ulcers, gastric cancer and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. Disease outcome is linked to the severity of the host inflammatory response. Gastric epithelial cells represent the first line of innate immune defence against H. pylori, and respond to infection by initiating numerous cell signalling cascades, resulting in cytokine induction and the subsequent recruitment of inflammatory cells to the gastric mucosa. Pathogen recognition receptors of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family mediate many of these cell signalling events. This review discusses recent findings on the role of various TLRs in the recognition of H. pylori in distinct cell types, describes the TLRs responsible for the recognition of individual H. pylori components and outlines the influence of innate immune activation on the subsequent development of the adaptive immune response. The mechanistic identification of host mediators of H. pylori-induced pathogenesis has the potential to reveal drug targets and opportunities for therapeutic intervention or prevention of H. pylori-associated disease by means of vaccines or immunomodulatory therapy. | 25,133,016 | [
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Molecular mechanisms of alcohol associated pancreatitis. | Alcohol abuse is commonly associated with the development of both acute and chronic pancreatitis. Despite this close association, the fact that only a small percentage of human beings who abuse alcohol develop pancreatitis indicates that alcohol abuse alone is not sufficient to initiate clinical pancreatitis. This contention is further supported by the fact that administration of ethanol to experimental animals does not cause pancreatitis. Because of these findings, it is widely believed that ethanol sensitizes the pancreas to injury and additional factors trigger the development of overt pancreatitis. How ethanol sensitizes the pancreas to pancreatitis is not entirely known. Numerous studies have demonstrated that ethanol and its metabolites have a number of deleterious effects on acinar cells. Important acinar cells properties that are affected by ethanol include: calcium signaling, secretion of zymogens, autophagy, cellular regeneration, the unfolded protein response, and mitochondrial membrane integrity. In addition to the actions of ethanol on acinar cells, it is apparent that ethanol also affects pancreatic stellate cells. Pancreatic stellate cells have a critical role in normal tissue repair and the pathologic fibrotic response. Given that ethanol and its metabolites affect so many pancreatic functions, and that all of these effects occur simultaneously, it is likely that none of these effects is "THE" effect. Instead, it is most likely that the cumulative effect of ethanol on the pancreas predisposes the organ to pancreatitis. The focus of this article is to highlight some of the important mechanisms by which ethanol alters pancreatic functions and may predispose the pancreas to disease. | 25,133,017 | [
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Review to better understand the macroscopic subtypes and histogenesis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. | Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is macroscopically classified into three subtypes, mass-forming-type, periductal infiltrating-type, and intraductal growth-type. Each subtype should be preoperatively differentiated to perform the valid surgical resection. Recent researches have revealed the clinical, radiologic, pathobiological characteristics of each subtype. We reviewed recently published studies covering various aspects of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), focusing especially on the macroscopic subtypes and stem cell features to better understand the pathophysiology of ICC and to establish the valid therapeutic strategy. | 25,133,021 | [
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Epidemiological studies of esophageal cancer in the era of genome-wide association studies. | Esophageal cancer (EC) caused about 395000 deaths in 2010. China has the most cases of EC and EC is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in China. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the predominant histologic type (90%-95%), while the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) remains extremely low in China. Traditional epidemiological studies have revealed that environmental carcinogens are risk factors for EC. Molecular epidemiological studies revealed that susceptibility to EC is influenced by both environmental and genetic risk factors. Of all the risk factors for EC, some are associated with the risk of ESCC and others with the risk of EAC. However, the details and mechanisms of risk factors involved in the process for EC are unclear. The advanced methods and techniques used in human genome studies bring a great opportunity for researchers to explore and identify the details of those risk factors or susceptibility genes involved in the process of EC. Human genome epidemiology is a new branch of epidemiology, which leads the epidemiology study from the molecular epidemiology era to the era of genome wide association studies (GWAS). Here we review the epidemiological studies of EC (especially ESCC) in the era of GWAS, and provide an overview of the general risk factors and those genomic variants (genes, SNPs, miRNAs, proteins) involved in the process of ESCC. | 25,133,033 | [
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Visceral hypersensitivity and electromechanical dysfunction as therapeutic targets in pediatric functional dyspepsia. | Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) are common clinical syndromes diagnosed in the absence of biochemical, structural, or metabolic abnormalities. They account for significant morbidity and health care expenditures and are identifiable across variable age, geography, and culture. Etiology of abdominal pain associated FGIDs, including functional dyspepsia (FD), remains incompletely understood, but growing evidence implicates the importance of visceral hypersensitivity and electromechanical dysfunction. This manuscript explores data supporting the role of visceral hypersensitivity and electromechanical dysfunction in FD, with focus on pediatric data when available, and provides a summary of potential therapeutic targets. | 25,133,041 | [
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Negative rumor: contagion of a psychiatric department. | Over the past few decades, a sizable body of literature on the effects of rumors and gossip has emerged. Addressing rumors in the workplace is an important subject, as rumors have a direct impact on the quality of the work environment and also on the productivity and creativity of the employees. To date, little has been written on the effect of rumors and gossip in psychiatric hospitals. This article presents case vignettes of rumors spread in psychiatric hospitals and the impact on team cohesion and morale among the staff implicated in these, too often, neglected occurrences. Dynamic aspects with particular focus on rumors in psychiatric units and suggestions for remedy and treatment are presented. | 25,133,051 | [
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A survey of patients' knowledge about lithium therapy in the elderly. | Lithium is commonly used in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders. It has a narrow therapeutic range and a mortality rate of 9% in patients intoxicated during maintenance therapy. Therefore, for lithium to be prescribed safely, clinicians must ensure that patients are aware of features of lithium toxicity. We aim to identify patients' knowledge of lithium in the elderly population and associated factors that may influence this knowledge. The Lithium Knowledge Test (LKT) is a brief questionnaire that was developed as a means of identifying patients' practical and pharmacologic knowledge, which is important if therapy is to be safe and effective. The survey was conducted in the outpatient service of the Department of Old Age Psychiatry attached to a university teaching hospital in an urban area in Ireland between January 2011 and July 2011. A total of 33 patients participated in the survey, and the LKT questionnaires were completed by all participants. The LKT scores are obtained by adding up the responses to the questions, while the LKT hazard scores are obtained by adding together the responses to the questions on symptoms of toxicity. The result was analyzed using SPSS version 20 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, Illinois), and the relationships between LKT scores and LKT hazard scores as well as other variables were examined using Pearson's correlation coefficient. The mean LKT score of our sample population was 4.45, suggestive of poor knowledge of lithium, and the mean LKT hazard score was 5.85, highly suggestive of potentially hazardous lack of knowledge. There was a significant negative correlation between the LKT score and hazard score (r = -0.65, P < .01 [1-tailed]). The survey results highlight the need for patients to be given comprehensive information about lithium prior to commencement of treatment and a refresher educational program during lithium therapy. | 25,133,060 | [
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Acute interventions and referral of patients with bipolar disorder by the psychiatric consultation liaison service in a general hospital in Germany: a retrospective analysis. | To investigate the population of bipolar patients in a general hospital in Germany who required treatment by a consultant psychiatrist. A retrospective analysis was conducted of the clinical records of 47 patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder (DSM-IV-TR criteria) who were treated by a consultant psychiatrist between 2009 and 2012 in one of the general hospitals of Charité Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany. We investigated the sections of the hospital that requested psychiatric consultations for bipolar patients, the status of these patients, and their primary cause of treatment, as well as the intervention (including pharmacotherapy) recommended by the consultant psychiatrist. For more than half of the patients, their psychiatric illness was either directly or indirectly the reason they presented to the hospital. The remaining bipolar patients were treated for various somatic illnesses unrelated to their bipolar disorder throughout the hospital, with a relative overrepresentation of patients in the neurology department. More than half of the patients were referred to a psychiatric hospital by the consultant psychiatrist. Benzodiazepines were the most commonly administered drugs for acute pharmacologic intervention. Psychiatric consultations are not frequently requested for bipolar patients compared to those with other psychiatric disorders. However, more than half of the bipolar patients needed further psychiatric treatment in a psychiatric hospital. This finding emphasizes the importance of psychiatric consultations in a general hospital for bipolar patients. The administration of benzodiazepines as an acute treatment seems to be the standard pharmacologic procedure, not a specific pharmacotherapy like mood stabilizers. | 25,133,062 | [
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Effect of ankle braces on lower extremity muscle activation during functional exercises in participants with chronic ankle instability. | Ankle bracing and rehabilitation are common methods to reduce the rate of recurrent ankle sprain in participants with chronic ankle instability (CAI). CAI participants utilize less muscle activity when performing functional exercises compared to healthy controls. The effect of ankle braces on muscle activity during functional exercises in participants with CAI has not been previously studied. To determine the effect of bracing on motor output as demonstrated by surface EMG amplitudes in participants with CAI during single limb, eyes closed balance, star excursion balance, forward lunge, and lateral hop exercises. A descriptive laboratory study was performed. Fifteen young adults with CAI performed functional exercises with and without ankle braces while surface EMG signals were recorded from the tibialis anterior, peroneus longus, lateral gastrocnemius, rectus femoris, biceps femoris, and gluteus medius. The main outcome measures were normalized surface EMG amplitudes (root mean square area) for each muscle, muscles of the shank (distal three muscles), muscles of the thigh (proximal three muscles), and total muscle activity (all six muscles) of the lower extremity. A paired t-test was performed for each dependent variable to compare conditions. The level of significance was set a priori at p ≤ 0.05 for all analyses. During the forward lunge, bracing significantly reduced muscle activity pre-initial contact in the lateral gastrocnemius and post-initial contact in the peroneus longus. During the star excursion balance anterior reach the peroneus longus, lateral gastrocnemius, rectus femoris, and gluteus medius had significantly less muscle activity during braced trials. Bracing significantly reduced thigh and total muscle activity during the anterior reach and gluteus medius activity during the posterolateral reach. There were no differences between braced and unbraced conditions during the single limb eyes closed balance, star excursion balance posteromedial reach, or during lateral hop exercises. Clinicians should be aware of the decreased muscle activity that occurs during common rehabilitation exercises when patients with CAI complete those activities while wearing ankle braces. Level III. | 25,133,076 | [
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A characterization of Chover-type law of iterated logarithm. | Let 0 < α ≤ 2 and - ∞ <β <∞. Let {X n ;n ≥ 1} be a sequence of independent copies of a real-valued random variable X and set S n = X 1+⋯+X n , n ≥ 1. We say X satisfies the (α,β)-Chover-type law of the iterated logarithm (and write X∈C T L I L(α,β)) if [Formula: see text] almost surely. This paper is devoted to a characterization of X ∈C T L I L(α,β). We obtain sets of necessary and sufficient conditions for X∈C T L I L(α,β) for the five cases: α = 2 and 0 < β <∞, α = 2 and β = 0, 1<α<2 and -∞<β<∞, α = 1 and -∞ <β <∞, and 0 < α <1 and -∞ <β <∞. As for the case where α = 2 and -∞ <β <0, it is shown that X∉C T L I L(2,β) for any real-valued random variable X. As a special case of our results, a simple and precise characterization of the classical Chover law of the iterated logarithm (i.e., X∈C T L I L(α,1/α)) is given; that is, X∈C T L I L(α,1/α) if and only if [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] whenever 1< α ≤ 2. Primary: 60F15; Secondary: 60G50. | 25,133,089 | [
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Equipment-based image-enhanced endoscopy for differentiating colorectal polyps. | The use of colonoscopy for the screening and surveillance of colorectal cancer has increased. However, the miss rate of advanced colorectal neoplasm is known to be 2% to 6%, which could be affected by the image intensity of colorectal lesions. Image-enhanced endoscopy (IEE) is capable of highlighting lesions, which can improve the colorectal adenoma detection rate and diagnostic accuracy. Equipment-based IEE methods, such as narrow band imaging (NBI), Fujinon intelligent color enhancement (FICE), and i-Scan, are used to observe the mucosal epithelium of the microstructure and capillaries of the lesion, and are helpful in the detection and differential diagnosis of colorectal tumors. Although NBI is similar to chromoendoscopy in terms of adenoma detection rates, NBI can be used to differentiate colorectal polyps and to predict the submucosal invasion of malignant tumors. It is also known that FICE and i-Scan are similar to NBI in their detection rates of colorectal lesions. Through more effective and advanced endoscopic equipment, diagnostic accuracy could be improved and new treatment paradigms developed. | 25,133,120 | [
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Randomized controlled clinical trial of oral health-related quality of life in patients wearing conventional and self-ligating brackets. | The aim of this randomized controlled clinical trial was to compare oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of patients treated with conventional, active self-ligating (ASL), and passive self-ligating (PSL) brackets in different therapeutic phases. Sixty patients (mean age 18.3 years; 29 males and 31 females) requiring orthodontic treatment were randomly and equally assigned to receive conventional (Victory Series), ASL (In-Ovation R), or PSL (Damon 3MX) brackets. OHRQoL was measured with a self-administered modified 16-item Malaysian version of the Oral Health Impact Profile for immediate (soon after the visit) and late (just before the subsequent visit) assessments of the bonding and activation phases. Data were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests. The PSL and ASL groups showed more immediate and late impacts in the bonding phase, respectively; the conventional group was affected in both the assessments. The first activation phase had similar impacts in the groups. After the second activation, the conventional group showed more immediate impacts, whereas the PSL and ASL groups had more late impacts. The commonly affected domains were "physical disability," "functional limitation," "physical pain," and "psychological discomfort." No significant differences in the prevalence and severity of immediate and late impacts on OHRQoL of the patients were noted in any therapeutic phase. No bracket system seems to ensure superior OHRQoL. This information could be useful for explaining the therapeutic phases, especially the initial one, and selecting the optimal bracket system based on the patient's preference. | 25,133,131 | [
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Treatment and retention of relapsed anterior open-bite with low tongue posture and tongue-tie: A 10-year follow-up. | The purpose of the current report is to present 6-year long-term stability and 10-year follow-up data for an adult patient who was treated with a tongue elevator for relapsed anterior open-bite. The 19-year-old male patient presented with the chief complaint of difficulty in chewing his food. Collectively, clinical and radiographic examinations revealed an anterior open-bite, low tongue posture, and tongue-tie. The patient opted for orthodontic treatment alone, without any surgical procedure. A lingual frenectomy was recommended to avoid the risk of relapse, but the patient declined because he was not experiencing tongue discomfort. Initial treatment of the anterior open-bite with molar intrusion and tongue exercises was successful, but relapse occurred during the retention period. A tongue elevator was used for retreatment, because the approach was minimally invasive and suited the patient's requirements regarding discomfort, cost, and time. The appliance changed the tongue posture and generated an altered tongue force, which ultimately resulted in intrusive dentoalveolar effects, and a subsequent counterclockwise rotation of the mandible. The results showed long-term stability and were maintained for six years through continual use of the tongue elevator. The results of this case indicated that a tongue elevator could be used not only as an alternative treatment for open-bite, but also as an active retainer. | 25,133,135 | [
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Prucalopride-associated acute tubular necrosis. | We report the first case of acute renal failure secondary to prucalopride, a novel agent for the treatment of chronic constipation. The 75 years old male patient was initiated on prucalopride after many failed treatments for constipation following a Whipple's procedure for pancreatic cancer. Within four months of treatment his creatinine rose from 103 to 285 μmol/L (eGFR 61 decrease to 19 mL/min per 1.73 m(2)). He was initially treated with prednisone for presumed acute interstitial nephritis as white blood casts were seen on urine microscopy. When no improvement was detected, a core biopsy was performed and revealed interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy. The presence of oxalate and calcium phosphate crystals were also noted. These findings suggest acute tubular necrosis which may have been secondary to acute interstitial nephritis or hemodynamic insult. The use of prednisone may have suppressed signs of inflammation and therefore the clinical diagnosis was deemed acute interstitial nephritis causing acute tubular necrosis. There are no previous reports of prucalopride associated with acute renal failure from the literature, including previous Phase II and III trials. | 25,133,152 | [
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Rare large homozygous CFTR gene deletion in an Iranian patient with cystic fibrosis. | Cystic fibrosis, a common autosomal recessive genetic disorder among Caucasians, is caused by defects in the transmembrane conductance regulatory (CFTR) gene. The analysis of CFTR gene mutations is useful to better characterize the disease, and for preconceptional screening, prenatal and preimplantation genetic diagnosis. Here we report the results of a genetic analysis in a 16-year-old boy from southwestern Iran diagnosed as having cystic fibrosis in infancy based on gastrointestinal and pulmonary manifestations, with positive sweat chloride tests. He lacked both normal and mutant forms of the fragment corresponding to the ∆F508 allele in initial genetic studies. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification-based testing revealed a homozygous deletion spanning exons 4 to 10 of the CFTR gene. We predict an in-frame deletion removing 373 amino acids based on our sequencing results. Determining CFTR gene mutations in patients and their family members would be helpful to prevent the occurrence of new cases, especially in populations in which consanguinity is common. | 25,133,155 | [
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Factors associated with spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C virus in Chinese population. | Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections spontaneously clear in approximately 15-45% of infected individuals. Factors which influence spontaneous HCV clearance remain to be identified. The purpose of the present study was to identify variables associated with spontaneous HCV clearance in a referred population of Chinese patients. The prevalence of host, viral, and environmental factors known to influence the outcome of HCV infections was compared in 92 HCV spontaneous clearance subjects and 318 HCV persistent infection subjects. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify those factors associated with spontaneous HCV clearance. In univariate analysis, female gender, a history of icteric hepatitis, serologic evidence of concurrent HBV infection, and rs12979860 CC genotype were positively associated with spontaneous HCV clearance, while alcohol consumption was negatively associated with clearance. In multivariate analysis, female gender, a history of icteric hepatitis, concurrent HBV infection, and rs12979860 CC genotype remained independent variables associated with spontaneous HCV clearance. Spontaneous HCV clearance is more likely to occur in females, subjects with a history of icteric hepatitis, HBV coinfections, and those with the rs12979860 CC genotype. | 25,133,165 | [
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Anti-inflammatory effect and mechanism of the green fruit extract of Solanum integrifolium Poir. | The green fruit of Solanum integrifolium Poir. has been used traditionally as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic remedy in Taiwanese aboriginal medicine. The goal of this study is to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity and mechanism of the green fruit extract of S. integrifolium. A bioactivity-guided fractionation procedure was developed to identify the active partition fraction. The methanol fraction (ME), with the highest phenolic content, exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect against LPS-mediated nitric oxide (NO) release and cytotoxicity in RAW264.7 macrophages. ME also significantly downregulated the expression of LPS-induced proinflammatory genes, such as iNOS, COX-2, IL-1β, IL-6, CCL2/MCP-1, and CCL3/MIP1α. Moreover, ME significantly upregulated HO-1 expression and stimulated the activation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). Pretreatment of cells with the HO-1 inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin and MEK/ERK inhibitor U0126 attenuated ME's inhibitory activity against LPS-induced NO production. Taken together, this is the first study to demonstrate the anti-inflammatory activity of green fruit extract of S. integrifolium and its activity may be mediated by the upregulation of HO-1 expression and activation of ERK1/2 pathway. | 25,133,186 | [
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Activation effects of polysaccharides of Flammulina velutipes mycorrhizae on the T lymphocyte immune function. | Flammulina velutipes mycorrhizae have increasingly been produced with increasing of F. velutipes production. A mouse model was thus used to examine potential effect of F. velutipes mycorrhizae on the immune function. Fifty female Wistar mice (5-weeks-old) weighed 15-20 g were randomly allocated into five groups. Polysaccharide of F. velutipes mycorrhizae were treated with mice and mice spleen lymphocytes. The levels of CD3(+), CD4(+), and CD8(+) T lymphocyte, interleukin-2 (IL-2), and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-α) were determined. The results showed that the proportions of CD3(+), and CD4(+) T lymphocyte, the ratio of CD4(+)/CD8(+), and the levels of IL-2 and TNF-a were significantly increased in polysaccharide of F. velutipes mycorrhizae, while the proportion of CD8(+) T lymphocyte was decreased in polysaccharide of F. velutipes mycorrhizae-dose dependent manner. Our findings indicated that a long term exposure of polysaccharide of F. velutipes mycorrhizae could activate the T lymphocyte immune function. Polysaccharide of F. velutipes mycorrhizae was expected to develop into the immune health products. | 25,133,194 | [
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Malware analysis using visualized image matrices. | This paper proposes a novel malware visual analysis method that contains not only a visualization method to convert binary files into images, but also a similarity calculation method between these images. The proposed method generates RGB-colored pixels on image matrices using the opcode sequences extracted from malware samples and calculates the similarities for the image matrices. Particularly, our proposed methods are available for packed malware samples by applying them to the execution traces extracted through dynamic analysis. When the images are generated, we can reduce the overheads by extracting the opcode sequences only from the blocks that include the instructions related to staple behaviors such as functions and application programming interface (API) calls. In addition, we propose a technique that generates a representative image for each malware family in order to reduce the number of comparisons for the classification of unknown samples and the colored pixel information in the image matrices is used to calculate the similarities between the images. Our experimental results show that the image matrices of malware can effectively be used to classify malware families both statically and dynamically with accuracy of 0.9896 and 0.9732, respectively. | 25,133,202 | [
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Bird diversity and distribution in relation to urban landscape types in northern Rwanda. | Using the point count method, linear mixed models, Shannon's diversity index, and Bray-Curtis cluster analysis, we conducted a study of the effect of urban fabric layout on bird diversity and distribution in northern Rwanda. The results showed a significant effect of city landscapes on bird richness and relative abundance; residential neighborhoods, institutional grounds, and informal settlements had the highest species diversity in comparison to other microlandscape types. Riversides were characterized by specialized bird species, commonly known to be restricted to wetland environments. Built-up areas and open field landscapes had comparable results. One Albertine Rift endemic bird species, the Ruwenzori Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris stuhlmanni), was recorded. Three migratory birds were found in Musanze city for the first time: the Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), the Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata), and the Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus). Two bird species have not been previously reported in Rwanda: the Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin) and the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina). The implications of this study are particularly relevant to urban decision makers who should consider the existence of a great diversity of avian fauna when developing and implementing master plans, especially when villages and cities are in proximity of protected areas or natural reserves. | 25,133,203 | [
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Flavonoids in Juglans regia L. leaves and evaluation of in vitro antioxidant activity via intracellular and chemical methods. | Flavonoids are rich in Juglans regia L. leaves. They have potent antioxidant properties, which have been related to regulating immune function and enhancing anticancer activity. Herein, qualitative and quantitative determination of flavonoids from J. regia leaves was carried out using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization and negative ion detection (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) by comparison of the retention times and mass spectral fragments with standard substances or related literatures. Seventeen compounds were identified and major components are quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside (453.11 μg/g, dry weight), quercetin-3-O-arabinoside (73.91 μg/g), quercetin-3-O-xyloside (70.04 μg/g), kaempferol-O-pentoside derivative (49.04 μg/g), quercetin-3-O-galactoside (48.61 μg/g), and kaempferol-O-pentoside (48.46 μg/g). The in vitro intracellular antioxidation indicated that flavonoids from J. regia leaves could reduce the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in RAW264.7 cells and showed good radical scavenging activities. These results proved to be more related to the flavonoids that could be considered in the design of new formulations of dietary supplements or functional foods. | 25,133,218 | [
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Prediction of the reference evapotranspiration using a chaotic approach. | Evapotranspiration is one of the most important hydrological variables in the context of water resources management. An attempt was made to understand and predict the dynamics of reference evapotranspiration from a nonlinear dynamical perspective in this study. The reference evapotranspiration data was calculated using the FAO Penman-Monteith equation with the observed daily meteorological data for the period 1966-2005 at four meteorological stations (i.e., Baotou, Zhangbei, Kaifeng, and Shaoguan) representing a wide range of climatic conditions of China. The correlation dimension method was employed to investigate the chaotic behavior of the reference evapotranspiration series. The existence of chaos in the reference evapotranspiration series at the four different locations was proved by the finite and low correlation dimension. A local approximation approach was employed to forecast the daily reference evapotranspiration series. Low root mean square error (RSME) and mean absolute error (MAE) (for all locations lower than 0.31 and 0.24, resp.), high correlation coefficient (CC), and modified coefficient of efficiency (for all locations larger than 0.97 and 0.8, resp.) indicate that the predicted reference evapotranspiration agrees well with the observed one. The encouraging results indicate the suitableness of chaotic approach for understanding and predicting the dynamics of the reference evapotranspiration. | 25,133,221 | [
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A memristive hyperchaotic system without equilibrium. | A new memristive system is presented in this paper. The peculiarity of the model is that it does not display any equilibria and exhibits periodic, chaotic, and also hyperchaotic dynamics in a particular range of the parameters space. The behavior of the proposed system is investigated through numerical simulations, such as phase portraits, Lyapunov exponents, and Poincaré sections, and circuital implementation confirmed the hyperchaotic dynamic. | 25,133,225 | [
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Simple BiCMOS CCCTA design and resistorless analog function realization. | The simple realization of the current-controlled conveyor transconductance amplifier (CCCTA) in BiCMOS technology is introduced. The proposed BiCMOS CCCTA realization is based on the use of differential pair and basic current mirror, which results in simple structure. Its characteristics, that is, parasitic resistance (R x) and current transfer (i o/i z), are also tunable electronically by external bias currents. The realized circuit is suitable for fabrication using standard 0.35 μm BiCMOS technology. Some simple and compact resistorless applications employing the proposed CCCTA as active elements are also suggested, which show that their circuit characteristics with electronic controllability are obtained. PSPICE simulation results demonstrating the circuit behaviors and confirming the theoretical analysis are performed. | 25,133,230 | [
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Dynamic finite element analysis of mobile bearing type knee prosthesis under deep flexional motion. | The primary objective of this study is to distinguish between mobile bearing and fixed bearing posterior stabilized knee prostheses in the mechanics performance using the finite element simulation. Quantifying the relative mechanics attributes and survivorship between the mobile bearing and the fixed bearing prosthesis remains in investigation among researchers. In the present study, 3-dimensional computational model of a clinically used mobile bearing PS type knee prosthesis was utilized to develop a finite element and dynamic simulation model. Combination of displacement and force driven knee motion was adapted to simulate a flexion motion from 0° to 135° with neutral, 10°, and 20° internal tibial rotation to represent deep knee bending. Introduction of the secondary moving articulation in the mobile bearing knee prosthesis has been found to maintain relatively low shear stress during deep knee motion with tibial rotation. | 25,133,247 | [
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Structural health monitoring of civil infrastructure using optical fiber sensing technology: a comprehensive review. | In the last two decades, a significant number of innovative sensing systems based on optical fiber sensors have been exploited in the engineering community due to their inherent distinctive advantages such as small size, light weight, immunity to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and corrosion, and embedding capability. A lot of optical fiber sensor-based monitoring systems have been developed for continuous measurement and real-time assessment of diversified engineering structures such as bridges, buildings, tunnels, pipelines, wind turbines, railway infrastructure, and geotechnical structures. The purpose of this review article is devoted to presenting a summary of the basic principles of various optical fiber sensors, innovation in sensing and computational methodologies, development of novel optical fiber sensors, and the practical application status of the optical fiber sensing technology in structural health monitoring (SHM) of civil infrastructure. | 25,133,250 | [
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Method to eliminate flux linkage DC component in load transformer for static transfer switch. | Many industrial and commercial sensitive loads are subject to the voltage sags and interruptions. The static transfer switch (STS) based on the thyristors is applied to improve the power quality and reliability. However, the transfer will result in severe inrush current in the load transformer, because of the DC component in the magnetic flux generated in the transfer process. The inrush current which is always 2 ~ 30 p.u. can cause the disoperation of relay protective devices and bring potential damage to the transformer. The way to eliminate the DC component is to transfer the related phases when the residual flux linkage of the load transformer and the prospective flux linkage of the alternate source are equal. This paper analyzes how the flux linkage of each winding in the load transformer changes in the transfer process. Based on the residual flux linkage when the preferred source is completely disconnected, the method to calculate the proper time point to close each phase of the alternate source is developed. Simulation and laboratory experiments results are presented to show the effectiveness of the transfer method. | 25,133,255 | [
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On the generalization of Lehmer problem and high-dimension Kloosterman sums. | For any fixed integer k ≥ 2 and integer r with (r, p) = 1, it is clear that there exist k integers 1 ≤ a i ≤ p - 1(i = 1, 2, …, k) such that a 1 a 2 ⋯ a k ≡ r mod p. Let N(k, r; p) denote the number of all (a 1, a 2, ⋯ a k ) such that a 1 a 2 ⋯ a k ≡ r mod p and 2†(a 1 + a 2 + ⋯ + a k ). In this paper, we will use the analytic method and the estimate for high-dimension Kloosterman sums to study the asymptotic properties of N(k, r; p) and give two interesting asymptotic formulae for it. | 25,133,256 | [
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Feasibility of using phase change materials to control the heat of hydration in massive concrete structures. | This paper presents experimental results that can be applied to select a possible phase change material (PCM), such as a latent heat material (LHM), to control the hydration heat in mass concrete structures. Five experimental tests (microconduction, simplified adiabatic temperature rise, heat, and compressive strength tests) were conducted to select the most desirable LHM out of seven types of inorganic PCM used in cement mortar and to determine the most suitable mix design. The results of these experimental tests were used to assess the feasibility of using PCM to reduce hydration heat in mass concrete that was examined. The experimental results show that cement mortar containing barium- [Ba(OH)2 · 8H2O] based PCM has the lowest amount of total hydration heat of the cement pastes. The barium-based PCM provides good latent heat properties that help to prevent volume change and microcracks caused by thermal stress in mass concrete. | 25,133,259 | [
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The laws of natural deduction in inference by DNA computer. | We present a DNA-based implementation of reaction system with molecules encoding elements of the propositional logic, that is, propositions and formulas. The protocol can perform inference steps using, for example, modus ponens and modus tollens rules and de Morgan's laws. The set of the implemented operations allows for inference of formulas using the laws of natural deduction. The system can also detect whether a certain proposition a can be deduced from the basic facts and given rules. The whole protocol is fully autonomous; that is, after introducing the initial set of molecules, no human assistance is needed. Only one restriction enzyme is used throughout the inference process. Unlike some other similar implementations, our improved design allows representing simultaneously a fact a and its negation ~a, including special reactions to detect the inconsistency, that is, a simultaneous occurrence of a fact and its negation. An analysis of correctness, completeness, and complexity is included. | 25,133,261 | [
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Low power upconversion mixer for medical remote sensing. | This work presents the design of a low power upconversion mixer adapted in medical remote sensing such as wireless endoscopy application. The proposed upconversion mixer operates in ISM band of 433 MHz. With the carrier power of -5 dBm, the proposed mixer has an output inferred 1 dB compression point of -0.5 dBm with a corresponding output third-order intercept point (OIP3) of 7.1 dBm. The design of the upconversion mixer is realized on CMOS 0.13 μm platform, with a current consumption of 594 μA at supply voltage headroom of 1.2 V. | 25,133,266 | [
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[Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in patients with acute chest pain]. | Acute chest pain is a common reason for presentation to the emergency department. It can be caused by a wide variety of diseases, some of which are potentially lethal, so it must be diagnosed quickly. The rise of computed tomography to evaluate patients with acute chest pain is noteworthy. However, computed tomography is not without limitations in this context. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging is a potentially useful technique in this group of patients, although its availability and the time required for examinations restrict its use to specific indications. | 25,133,284 | [
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Comparison of oxidation resistance of UHMWPE and POM in H2O2 solution from ReaxFF reactive molecular dynamics simulations. | The oxidation mechanism of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and polyoxymethylene (POM) in hydrogen peroxide solution was investigated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations via reactive force field (ReaxFF) method. MD results from ReaxFF suggested that UHMWPE provided better antioxidation activity at high temperature (>373 K) than its POM counterpart in the same concentration of hydrogen peroxide solution. Furthermore, POM was relatively more susceptible to erosion and swelling because of the infiltration of H2O2 solution. Calculations of the diffusion coefficient at different temperatures permit further understanding of the chemical phenomena involved in the level of oxidation in the course of MD simulations. Results of the simulations are generally consistent with the previous experimental available in literature. The simulations also provide new insights into understanding the mechanism resulting oxidation products among the interested polymers. | 25,133,290 | [
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Peroxides as "switches" of dialkyl H-phosphonate: two mild and metal-free methods for preparation of 2-acylbenzothiazoles and dialkyl benzothiazol-2-ylphosphonates. | Two mild and metal-free methods for the preparation of two kinds of important benzothiazole derivatives, 2-acylbenzothiazoles and dialkyl benzothiazol-2-ylphosphonates, respectively, were developed. The dialkyl H-phosphonate (RO)2P(O)H exists in equilibrium with its tautomer dialkyl phosphite (RO)2POH. TBHP triggered α-carbon-centered phosphite radical formation, whereas DTBP triggered phosphorus-centered phosphonate radical formation. The two types of radicals led respectively to two different reaction processes, the direct C2-acylation of benzothiazoles and C2-phosphonation of benzothiazoles. | 25,133,294 | [
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Discovery of a highly selective caspase-3 substrate for imaging live cells. | Caspases are a family of cysteine proteases that are well-known for their roles in apoptosis and inflammation. Recent studies provide evidence that caspases are also integral to many additional cellular processes, such as differentiation and proliferation. Likewise, aberrant caspase activity has been implicated in the progression of several diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and sepsis. These observations establish the importance of caspases to a diverse array of physiological functions and future endeavors will undoubtedly continue to elucidate additional processes that require caspase activity. Unfortunately, the existence of 11 functional human caspases, with overlapping substrate specificities, confounds the ability to confidently assign one or more isoforms to biological phenomena. Herein, we characterize a first-in-class FRET substrate that is selectively recognized by active caspase-3 over other initiator and executioner caspases. We further apply this substrate to specifically image caspase-3 activity in live cells undergoing apoptosis. | 25,133,295 | [
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Families with children with medical complexity and self-management of care: a systematic review of the literature. | This review analyzes the quantitative literature on children with medical complexity (CMC). Using the Pediatric Self-Management Model, evidence is summarized into facilitators and barriers to self-management. Current quantitative research focuses on the caregiver burden in families with CMC. A model for social work with families with CMC was introduced in response to these findings. A re-envisioned model allows the child with medical complexity to be seen as whole rather than focusing on typically deficit-based areas of medical specialty or service provision. | 25,133,298 | [
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Screening, testing, and reporting for drug and alcohol use on labor and delivery: a survey of Maryland birthing hospitals. | Recent amendments to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act tie the receipt of federal block grants to mandatory reporting of substance-exposed newborns. To determine rates of screening, testing, and reporting of drug and alcohol use at the time of delivery, we administered a telephone survey of nursing managers and perinatal social workers at Maryland birthing hospitals. Of the 34 hospitals, 31 responded (response rate 91%). Although 97% of hospitals reported universal screening, only 6% used a validated instrument. Testing was reported by 94% with 45% reporting universal maternal testing and 7% universal newborn testing. Only 32% reported obtaining maternal consent prior to testing. There is significant heterogeneity in screening and testing for substance use in birthing hospitals. Given federal reporting mandates, state-level practices need to be standardized. | 25,133,299 | [
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Efficacy and day 7 plasma piperaquine concentrations in African children treated for uncomplicated malaria with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine. | One promising new Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) is dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA-PQ). However, the pharmacokinetics of piperaquine and the relationship between drug levels and clinical efficacy are incompletely characterized, particularly in children. We performed a single-arm open-label trial in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. A total of 379 participants aged 6 months or more with uncomplicated falciparum malaria were enrolled. Each participant received daily dose of DHA-PQ for three days and followed for 42 days. Parasitological efficacy was analyzed, considering rates of recrudescence and overall recurrence. PK was an exploratory endpoint and a priori, no sample size had been determined. Day 7 capillary and venous plasma concentrations of piperaquine were measured in children aged 2-10 years. Of the 379 participants, 365 (96.3%) completed 42 days of follow-up. The median daily dose of PQ was 18.5 mg/kg [6.5-24]. Treatment with DHA-PQ was well tolerated with fever and parasitemia resolution within 48 hours in nearly all children. Recurrent malaria within 42 days of follow-up occurred in 31.3% (10/34) of children less than 2 years old, 16.0% (16/106) of those aged 2-5 years, 9.4% (15/160) of those aged 5-10 years, and none (0/68) of those over 10 years old. After genotyping, 3 of 41 recurrent episodes were recrudescence. An exploratory analysis shows that children with successful treatment outcomes had significantly higher median plasma concentrations of PQ compared to those with recurrent malaria within 42 days after therapy, considering either capillary samples (68 ng/ml [50-85] compared to 48 ng/ml [36-55], p<0.001) or venous samples (42 ng/ml [29-59] compared to 25 ng/ml [19-44], p<0.001). DHA-PQ was effective for uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria treatment and offers an alternative to other ACTs. Recurrent malaria was mainly due to new infections after treatment and was correlated with low day 7 PQ concentration in the youngest patients. Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN59761234. | 25,133,389 | [
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MiR-152 may silence translation of CaMK II and induce spontaneous immune tolerance in mouse liver transplantation. | Spontaneous immune tolerance in mouse liver transplantation has always been a hotspot in transplantation-immune research. Recent studies revealed that regulatory T cells (Tregs), hepatic satellite cells and Kupffer cells play a potential role in spontaneous immune tolerance, however the precise mechanism of spontaneous immune tolerance is still undefined. By using Microarray Chips, we investigated different immune regulatory factors to decipher critical mechanisms of spontaneous tolerance after mouse liver transplantation. Allogeneic (C57BL/6-C3H) and syngeneic (C3H-C3H) liver transplantation were performed by 6-8 weeks old male C57BL/6 and C3H mice. Graft samples (N = 4 each group) were collected from 8 weeks post-operation mice. 11 differentially expressed miRNAs in allogeneic grafts (Allografts) vs. syngeneic grafts (Syngrafts) were identified using Agilent Mouse miRNA Chips. It was revealed that 185 genes were modified by the 11 miRNAs, furthermore, within the 185 target genes, 11 of them were tightly correlated with immune regulation after Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis and Genbank data cross-comparison. Verified by real-time PCR and western blot, our results indicated that mRNA expression levels of IL-6 and TAB2 were respectively down regulated following miR-142-3p and miR-155 augment. In addition, increased miR-152 just silenced mRNA of CaMK II and down-regulated translation of CaMK II in tolerated liver grafts, which may play a critical role in immune regulation and spontaneous tolerance induction of mouse liver transplantation. | 25,133,393 | [
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Proteomics-identified Bvg-activated autotransporters protect against bordetella pertussis in a mouse model. | Pertussis is a highly infectious respiratory disease of humans caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Despite high vaccination coverage, pertussis has re-emerged globally. Causes for the re-emergence of pertussis include limited duration of protection conferred by acellular pertussis vaccines (aP) and pathogen adaptation. Pathogen adaptations involve antigenic divergence with vaccine strains, the emergence of strains which show enhanced in vitro expression of a number of virulence-associated genes and of strains that do not express pertactin, an important aP component. Clearly, the identification of more effective B. pertussis vaccine antigens is of utmost importance. To identify novel antigens, we used proteomics to identify B. pertussis proteins regulated by the master virulence regulatory system BvgAS in vitro. Five candidates proteins were selected and it was confirmed that they were also expressed in the lungs of naïve mice seven days after infection. The five proteins were expressed in recombinant form, adjuvanted with alum and used to immunize mice as stand-alone antigens. Subsequent respiratory challenge showed that immunization with the autotransporters Vag8 and SphB1 significantly reduced bacterial load in the lungs. Whilst these antigens induced strong opsonizing antibody responses, we found that none of the tested alum-adjuvanted vaccines - including a three-component aP - reduced bacterial load in the nasopharynx, suggesting that alternative immunological responses may be required for efficient bacterial clearance from the nasopharynx. | 25,133,400 | [
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Chinese American immigrant parents' emotional expression in the family: Relations with parents' cultural orientations and children's emotion-related regulation. | The present study examined 2 measures of Chinese American immigrant parents' emotional expression in the family context: self-reported emotional expressivity and observed emotional expression during a parent-child interaction task. Path analyses were conducted to examine the concurrent associations between measures of emotional expression and (a) parents' American and Chinese cultural orientations in language proficiency, media use, and social affiliation domains, and (b) parents' and teachers' ratings of children's emotion-related regulation. Results suggested that cultural orientations were primarily associated with parents' self-reported expressivity (rather than observed emotional expression), such that higher American orientations were generally associated with higher expressivity. Although parents' self-reported expressivity was only related to their own reports of children's regulation, parents' observed emotional expression was related to both parents' and teachers' reports of children's regulation. These results suggest that self-reported expressivity and observed emotional expression reflect different constructs and have differential relations to parents' cultural orientations and children's regulation. | 25,133,412 | [
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Why does placement of persons with Alzheimer's disease into long-term care improve caregivers' well-being? Examination of psychological mediators. | Caregiving for individuals with Alzheimer's disease is associated with chronic stress and elevated symptoms of depression. Placement of the care receiver (CR) into a long-term care setting may be associated with improved caregiver well-being; however, the psychological mechanisms underlying this relationship are unclear. This study evaluated whether decreases in activity restriction and increases in personal mastery mediated placement-related reductions in caregiver depressive symptoms. In a 5-year longitudinal study of 126 spousal Alzheimer's disease caregivers, we used multilevel models to evaluate placement-related changes in depressive symptoms (short form of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale), activity restriction (Activity Restriction Scale), and personal mastery (Pearlin Mastery Scale) in 44 caregivers who placed their spouses into long-term care relative to caregivers who never placed their CRs. The Monte Carlo method for assessing mediation was used to evaluate the significance of the indirect effect of activity restriction and personal mastery on postplacement changes in depressive symptoms. Placement of the CR was associated with significant reductions in depressive symptoms and activity restriction and was also associated with increased personal mastery. Lower activity restriction and higher personal mastery were associated with reduced depressive symptoms. Furthermore, both variables significantly mediated the effect of placement on depressive symptoms. Placement-related reductions in activity restriction and increases in personal mastery are important psychological factors that help explain postplacement reductions in depressive symptoms. The implications for clinical care provided to caregivers are discussed. | 25,133,414 | [
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PAX7 expression defines germline stem cells in the adult testis. | Spermatogenesis is a complex, multistep process that maintains male fertility and is sustained by rare germline stem cells. Spermatogenic progression begins with spermatogonia, populations of which express distinct markers. The identity of the spermatogonial stem cell population in the undisturbed testis is controversial due to a lack of reliable and specific markers. Here we identified the transcription factor PAX7 as a specific marker of a rare subpopulation of A(single) spermatogonia in mice. PAX7+ cells were present in the testis at birth. Compared with the adult testis, PAX7+ cells constituted a much higher percentage of neonatal germ cells. Lineage tracing in healthy adult mice revealed that PAX7+ spermatogonia self-maintained and produced expanding clones that gave rise to mature spermatozoa. Interestingly, in mice subjected to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, both of which damage the vast majority of germ cells and can result in sterility, PAX7+ spermatogonia selectively survived, and their subsequent expansion contributed to the recovery of spermatogenesis. Finally, PAX7+ spermatogonia were present in the testes of a diverse set of mammals. Our data indicate that the PAX7+ subset of A(single) spermatogonia functions as robust testis stem cells that maintain fertility in normal spermatogenesis in healthy mice and mediate recovery after severe germline injury, such as occurs after cancer therapy. | 25,133,429 | [
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Actinomycotic mastoiditis complicated by sigmoid sinus thrombosis and labyrinthine fistula. | Actinomyces is a rare pathogen that can be the cause of infections in the digestive and urinary tracts, skin, genitalia, and lungs, which generally have an indolent clinical course. However, in some cases these can be locally destructive and become generalized infections. Actinomyces has been previously implicated in infections of the middle ear, nasopharynx, and sinuses, occasionally causing complications such as chronic mastoiditis. Here we describe the case of a 10-year-old-male presenting with nausea, vomiting, and headache who developed intracranial complications of actinomycotic mastoiditis. | 25,133,452 | [
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Identification and functional analysis of pheromone and receptor genes in the B3 mating locus of Pleurotus eryngii. | Pleurotus eryngii has recently become a major cultivated mushroom; it uses tetrapolar heterothallism as a part of its reproductive process. Sexual development progresses only when the A and B mating types are compatible. Such mating incompatibility occasionally limits the efficiency of breeding programs in which crossing within loci-shared strains or backcrossing strategies are employed. Therefore, understanding the mating system in edible mushroom fungi will help provide a short cut in the development of new strains. We isolated and identified pheromone and receptor genes in the B3 locus of P. eryngii and performed a functional analysis of the genes in the mating process by transformation. A genomic DNA library was constructed to map the entire mating-type locus. The B3 locus was found to contain four pheromone precursor genes and four receptor genes. Remarkably, receptor PESTE3.3.1 has just 34 amino acid residues in its C-terminal cytoplasmic region; therefore, it seems likely to be a receptor-like gene. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR (real-time qRT-PCR) revealed that most pheromone and receptor genes showed significantly higher expression in monokaryotic cells than dikaryotic cells. The pheromone genes PEphb3.1 and PEphb3.3 and the receptor gene PESTE3.3.1 were transformed into P5 (A3B4). The transformants were mated with a tester strain (A4B4), and the progeny showed clamp connections and a normal fruiting body, which indicates the proposed role of these genes in mating and fruiting processes. This result also confirms that PESTE3.3.1 is a receptor gene. In this study, we identified pheromone and receptor genes in the B3 locus of P. eryngii and found that some of those genes appear to play a role in the mating and fruiting processes. These results might help elucidate the mechanism of fruiting differentiation and improve breeding efficiency. | 25,133,513 | [
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Surface coating mediated swelling and fracture of silicon nanowires during lithiation. | Surface passivation of silicon anodes is an appealing design strategy for the development of reliable, high-capacity lithium-ion batteries. However, the structural stability of the coating layer and its influence on the lithiation process remain largely unclear. Herein, we show that surface coating mediates the swelling dynamics and the fracture pattern during initial lithiation of crystalline silicon nanopillars. We choose conformally nickel coated silicon architectures as a model system. Experimental findings are interpreted based on a chemomechanical model. Markedly different swelling and fracture regimes have been identified, depending on the coating thickness and silicon nanopillar diameter. Nanopillars with relatively thin coating display anisotropic swelling similar to pristine nanopillars, but with different preferred fracture sites. As the coating thickness increases, the mechanisms become isotropic, with one randomly oriented longitudinal crack that unzips the core-shell structure. The morphology of cracked pillars resembles that of a thin-film electrode on a substrate, which is more amenable to cyclic lithiation without fracture. The knowledge provided here helps clarify the cycling results of coated nanosilicon electrodes and further suggests design rules for better performance electrodes through proper control of the lithiation and fracture. | 25,133,525 | [
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Mimosa (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia) prevents oxidative DNA damage induced by cadmium exposure in Wistar rats. | The Mimosa (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia) is a plant native from South America; it is used in the traditional medicine systems for treating bacterial, fungal, parasitic and inflammatory conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antigenotoxic and antioxidant activities induced by mimosa (M. caesalpiniifolia) in multiple rodent organs subjected to intoxication with cadmium chloride. A total of 40 Wistar rats (8 weeks old, 250 g) were distributed into eight groups (n = 5), as follows: Control group (non-treated group, CTRL); Cadmium exposed group (Cd); cadmium exposure and treated with extract at 62.5 mg/kg/day; cadmium exposure and treated with extract at 125 mg/kg/day; cadmium exposure and treated with extract at 250 mg/kg/day; cadmium exposure and treated with ethyl acetate fraction at 62.5 mg/kg/day. For evaluating the toxicogenetic potential of mimosa, two groups were included in the study being treated with extract at 250 mg/kg/day and acetate fraction of mimosa at 62 mg/kg/day, only. Extract of mimosa at concentrations of 62.5 and 125 mg decreased DNA damage in animals intoxicated with cadmium when compared to cadmium group. In a similar manner, treatment with ethyl acetate fraction of mimosa at 62.5 mg concentration in animals previously exposed to cadmium reduced genetic damage in peripheral blood cells. In a similar manner, the treatment with ethyl acetate fraction reduced DNA damage in liver cells. Oxidative DNA damage was reduced to animals exposed to cadmium and treated with 125 mg of extract as well as those intoxicated to cadmium and treated with 62.5 of acetate fraction of mimosa. Taken together, our results indicate that mimosa prevents genotoxicity induced by cadmium exposure in liver and peripheral blood cells of rats as a result of antioxidant activity. | 25,133,553 | [
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[The relationship between the temperature increase caused by phacoemulsification and the damage to the corneal endothelium]. | Endothelial cell damage can be found after a phacoemulsification. The reason for this cell damage is not yet known. The temperature rise inside the anterior chamber during the emulsification of the lens is considered as a potential damage mechanism. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the temperature increase and the cell damage. This study was performed with 86 enucleated porcine eyes, which were divided into six groups A-F. Group A served as control group. Phacoemulsification was simulated in the groups B-E with different surgically relevant system settings. The temperature change was measured simultaneously with temperature sensors inside the anterior chamber. Inside the eyes of group F, the instruments were positioned and irrigation and aspiration were activated, but no ultrasound was applied. For all 86 corneas, the endothelial cell damage was quantified with a standardised evaluation protocol using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A potential correlation was checked between the observed cell damage and the measured temperature rise. The highest temperature increase in group E with an obstructed aspiration line and an output power setting of 50 % was 17.77 °C. The temperature increase in group D with an output power setting of 100 % and unblocked fluid flow was significantly lower (p = 0.006). The highest temperature increase in group D was 8.89 °C. In contrast, the cells in group D were rated with a significantly lower score value than the cells in group E (p < 0.001). No significant correlation between the temperature rise and the cell damage could be obtained in due consideration of all measured data. However, an increase of the output power setting was connected with a non-linear increase of the cell loss. The temperature rise was not the main reason for the endothelial cell damage in the performed experiments. Therefore, there seems to be no causal relationship between the temperature increase inside the anterior chamber during a common phacoemulsification and the endothelial cell damage. Due to the strong dependence between the output power setting and the cell damage, the lowest output power setting should be used during surgery which ensures the emulsification of the nucleus. | 25,133,560 | [
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Next-generation sequencing of colorectal cancers in chinese: identification of a recurrent frame-shift and gain-of-function Indel mutation in the TFDP1 gene. | Abstract Re-sequencing of target genes is a highly effective approach for identifying mutations in cancers. Mutations, including indels (insertions, deletions, and the combination of the two), play important roles in carcinogenesis. Combining genomic DNA capture using high-density oligonucleotide microarrays (NimbleGen, Inc.) with next-generation high-throughput sequencing, we identified approximately 1600 indels for colorectal cancers in the Chinese population. Among them, 5 indels were localized to exonic regions of genes, including the TFDP1 (transcription factor Dp-1) gene. TFDP1 is an important transcription factor that coordinates with E2F proteins, thereby promoting transcription of E2F target genes and regulating the cell cycle and differentiation. We report here the identification of a recurrent frame-shift indel mutation (named indel84) in the TFDP1 gene in colorectal cancers by next-generation sequencing. We found in a validation set that TFDP1 indel84 is present in 70% of colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues. Wild-type TFDP1 encodes a protein of 410 amino acids with a potential DNA binding site at its N-terminal followed by several functional protein domains. The TFDP1 indel cDNA would generate an alternative TFDP1 protein missing the first 120 amino acids and potentially affecting the DNA binding domain. We further demonstrated that the TFDP1 indel84 mutation generated a gain-of-function phenotype by increasing cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC cells. Our study identified a key molecular event for CRC that might have great diagnostic and therapeutic potentials. | 25,133,581 | [
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Reproducibility and consistency of proteomic experiments on natural populations of a non-model aquatic insect. | Population proteomics has a great potential to address evolutionary and ecological questions, but its use in wild populations of non-model organisms is hampered by uncontrolled sources of variation. Here we compare the response to temperature extremes of two geographically distant populations of a diving beetle species (Agabus ramblae) using 2-D DIGE. After one week of acclimation in the laboratory under standard conditions, a third of the specimens of each population were placed at either 4 or 27°C for 12 h, with another third left as a control. We then compared the protein expression level of three replicated samples of 2-3 specimens for each treatment. Within each population, variation between replicated samples of the same treatment was always lower than variation between treatments, except for some control samples that retained a wider range of expression levels. The two populations had a similar response, without significant differences in the number of protein spots over- or under-expressed in the pairwise comparisons between treatments. We identified exemplary proteins among those differently expressed between treatments, which proved to be proteins known to be related to thermal response or stress. Overall, our results indicate that specimens collected in the wild are suitable for proteomic analyses, as the additional sources of variation were not enough to mask the consistency and reproducibility of the response to the temperature treatments. | 25,133,588 | [
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Precise engineering of siRNA delivery vehicles to tumors using polyion complexes and gold nanoparticles. | For systemic delivery of siRNA to solid tumors, a size-regulated and reversibly stabilized nanoarchitecture was constructed by using a 20 kDa siRNA-loaded unimer polyion complex (uPIC) and 20 nm gold nanoparticle (AuNP). The uPIC was selectively prepared by charge-matched polyionic complexation of a poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(L-lysine) (PEG-PLL) copolymer bearing ∼40 positive charges (and thiol group at the ω-end) with a single siRNA bearing 40 negative charges. The thiol group at the ω-end of PEG-PLL further enabled successful conjugation of the uPICs onto the single AuNP through coordinate bonding, generating a nanoarchitecture (uPIC-AuNP) with a size of 38 nm and a narrow size distribution. In contrast, mixing thiolated PEG-PLLs and AuNPs produced a large aggregate in the absence of siRNA, suggesting the essential role of the preformed uPIC in the formation of nanoarchitecture. The smart uPIC-AuNPs were stable in serum-containing media and more resistant against heparin-induced counter polyanion exchange, compared to uPICs alone. On the other hand, the treatment of uPIC-AuNPs with an intracellular concentration of glutathione substantially compromised their stability and triggered the release of siRNA, demonstrating the reversible stability of these nanoarchitectures relative to thiol exchange and negatively charged AuNP surface. The uPIC-AuNPs efficiently delivered siRNA into cultured cancer cells, facilitating significant sequence-specific gene silencing without cytotoxicity. Systemically administered uPIC-AuNPs showed appreciably longer blood circulation time compared to controls, i.e., bare AuNPs and uPICs, indicating that the conjugation of uPICs onto AuNP was crucial for enhancing blood circulation time. Finally, the uPIC-AuNPs efficiently accumulated in a subcutaneously inoculated luciferase-expressing cervical cancer (HeLa-Luc) model and achieved significant luciferase gene silencing in the tumor tissue. These results demonstrate the strong potential of uPIC-AuNP nanoarchitectures for systemic siRNA delivery to solid tumors. | 25,133,608 | [
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Targeted rehabilitation after extracellular matrix scaffold transplantation for the treatment of volumetric muscle loss. | Rehabilitation therapy is an important aspect of recovery after volumetric muscle loss. However, the traditional rehabilitation approach involves a period of rest and passive loading followed by gradual active loading. Extracellular matrix is a naturally occurring material consisting of structural proteins that provide mechanical strength, structural support, and functional molecules with diverse bioactive properties. There is evidence to suggest that the addition of aggressive regenerative rehabilitation protocols immediately after surgical implantation of an extracellular matrix scaffold to an area of volumetric muscle loss has significant benefits for extracellular matrix remodeling. Rehabilitation exercises likely provide the needed mechanical signals to encourage cell migration and site-specific differentiation in the temporal framework required for constructive remodeling. Herein, the authors review the literature and present an example of an aggressive rehabilitation program implemented immediately after extracellular matrix transplantation into a severely injured quadriceps muscle. | 25,133,624 | [
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The longitudinal impact of intimate partner aggression and relationship status on women's physical health and depression symptoms. | Intimate partner aggression (IPA) has many detrimental effects, particularly among young women. The present study examined the longitudinal effects of IPA victimization and relationship status on physical health and depression symptoms in a sample of 375 community women between the ages of 18 and 25 years. All variables were assessed at 4 occasions over a 12-month period (i.e., 1 assessment every 4 months). Multilevel modeling revealed that IPA victimization had both between- and within-person effects on women's health outcomes, and relationship status had within-person effects when women did not report current IPA. Although IPA was generally related to greater physical health problems and depression symptoms, these findings varied depending on both the type of aggression experienced (i.e., psychological vs. physical) and relationship status (i.e., whether participants were in the same relationship or a new relationship). Findings suggest that IPA can be harmful to both physical and mental health, particularly among young women who stay in abusive relationships. Results highlight the importance of developing effective IPA intervention programs and providing help and resources to women who are experiencing physical or psychological IPA in their relationships. | 25,133,642 | [
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PEGylation of concanavalin A to improve its stability for an in vivo glucose sensing assay. | Competitive binding assays utilizing concanavalin A (ConA) have the potential to be the basis of improved continuous glucose monitoring devices. However, the efficacy and lifetime of these assays have been limited, in part, by ConA's instability due to its thermal denaturation in the physiological environment (37 °C, pH 7.4, 0.15 M NaCl) and its electrostatic interaction with charged molecules or surfaces. These undesirable interactions change the constitution of the assay and the kinetics of its behavior over time, resulting in an unstable glucose response. In this work, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains are covalently attached to lysine groups on the surface of ConA (i.e., PEGylation) in an attempt to improve its stability in these environments. Dynamic light scattering measurements indicate that PEGylation significantly improved ConA's thermal stability at 37 °C, remaining stable for at least 30 days. Furthermore, after PEGylation, ConA's binding affinity to the fluorescent competing ligand previously designed for the assay was not significantly affected and remained at ~5.4 × 10(6) M(-1) even after incubation at 37 °C for 30 days. Moreover, PEGylated ConA maintained the ability to track glucose concentrations when implemented within a competitive binding assay system. Finally, PEGylation showed a reduction in electrostatic-induced aggregation of ConA with poly(allylamine), a positively charged polymer, by shielding ConA's charges. These results indicate that PEGylated ConA can overcome the instability issues from thermal denaturation and nonspecific electrostatic binding while maintaining the required sugar-binding characteristics. Therefore, the PEGylation of ConA can overcome major hurdles for ConA-based glucose sensing assays to be used for long-term continuous monitoring applications in vivo. | 25,133,655 | [
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Maternal and umbilical cord copeptin levels in pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction. | The aim of this study was to compare maternal and fetal serum copeptin concentrations in pregnancies complicated by isolated fetal growth restriction (FGR), and uncomplicated pregnancies, and to investigate relationships between copeptin levels and clinical parameters. Maternal and fetal serum copeptin levels were measured in 21 women with pregnancies complicated by isolated FGR and 20 women with normal pregnancies (control group). Doppler assessment of the uterine and umbilical arteries was performed in each patient. Maternal serum copeptin levels were significantly higher in women with isolated FGR compared to controls (p = 0.042). In addition, maternal copeptin levels were inversely correlated with the uterine artery pulsatility and resistance indices and positively correlated with neonatal birth weight. Umbilical vein copeptin levels were significantly increased in neonates with adverse outcomes (p = 0.001). Increased maternal copeptin concentration may reflect a response to stress, thus serving as a compensatory mechanism in pregnancies complicated by FGR. | 25,133,666 | [
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Lithium potential variations for metastable materials: case study of nanocrystalline and amorphous LiFePO4. | Much attention has been paid to metastable materials in the lithium battery field, especially to nanocrystalline and amorphous materials. Nonetheless, fundamental issues such as lithium potential variations have not been pertinently addressed. Using LiFePO4 as a model system, we inspect such lithium potential variations for various lithium storage modes and evaluate them thermodynamically. The conclusions of this work are essential for an adequate understanding of the behavior of electrode materials and even helpful in the search for new energy materials. | 25,133,677 | [
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Activated CD8+ T lymphocytes inhibit neural stem/progenitor cell proliferation: role of interferon-gamma. | The ability of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs) to self-renew, migrate to damaged sites, and differentiate into neurons has renewed interest in using them in therapies for neurodegenerative disorders. Neurological diseases, including viral infections of the brain, are often accompanied by chronic inflammation, whose impact on NSC function remains unexplored. We have previously shown that chronic neuroinflammation, a hallmark of experimental herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) in mice, is dominated by brain-infiltrating activated CD8 T-cells. In the present study, activated CD8 lymphocytes were found to suppress NSC proliferation profoundly. Luciferase positive (luc+) NSCs co-cultured with activated, MHC-matched, CD8+ lymphocytes (luc-) showed two- to five-fold lower luminescence than co-cultures with un-stimulated lymphocytes. On the other hand, similarly activated CD4+ lymphocytes did not suppress NSC growth. This differential lymphocyte effect on proliferation was confirmed by decreased BrdU uptake by NSC cultured with activated CD8 T-cells. Interestingly, neutralizing antibodies to interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) reversed the impact of CD8 lymphocytes on NSCs. Antibodies specific to the IFN-γ receptor-1 subunit complex abrogated the inhibitory effects of both CD8 lymphocytes and IFN-γ, indicating that the inhibitory effect of these cells was mediated by IFN-γ in a receptor-specific manner. In addition, activated CD8 lymphocytes decreased levels of nestin and Sox2 expression in NSCs while increasing GFAP expression, suggesting possible induction of an altered differentiation state. Furthermore, NSCs obtained from IFN-γ receptor-1 knock-out embryos were refractory to the inhibitory effects of activated CD8+ T lymphocytes on cell proliferation and Sox2 expression. Taken together, the studies presented here demonstrate a role for activated CD8 T-cells in regulating NSC function mediated through the production of IFN-γ. This cytokine may influence neuro-restorative processes and ultimately contribute to the long-term sequelae commonly seen following herpes encephalitis. | 25,133,679 | [
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Diabetes mellitus aggravates hemorrhagic transformation after ischemic stroke via mitochondrial defects leading to endothelial apoptosis. | Diabetes is a crucial risk factor for stroke and is associated with increased frequency and poor prognosis. Although endothelial dysfunction is a known contributor of stroke, the underlying mechanisms have not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanism by which chronic hyperglycemia may contribute to the worsened prognosis following stroke, especially focusing on mitochondrial alterations. We examined the effect of hyperglycemia on hemorrhagic transformation at 24 hours after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in streptozotocin (STZ) -induced diabetic mice. We also examined the effects of high-glucose exposure for 6 days on cell death, mitochondrial functions and morphology in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMVECs) or human endothelial cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iCell endothelial cells). Hyperglycemia aggravated hemorrhagic transformation, but not infarction following stroke. High-glucose exposure increased apoptosis, capase-3 activity, and release of apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) and cytochrome c in HBMVECs as well as affected mitochondrial functions (decreased cell proliferation, ATP contents, mitochondrial membrane potential, and increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 activity, but not reactive oxygen species production). Furthermore, morphological aberration of mitochondria was observed in diabetic cells (a great deal of fragmentation, vacuolation, and cristae disruption). A similar phenomena were seen also in iCell endothelial cells. In conclusion, chronic hyperglycemia aggravated hemorrhagic transformation after stroke through mitochondrial dysfunction and morphological alteration, partially via MMP-9 activation, leading to caspase-dependent apoptosis of endothelial cells of diabetic mice. Mitochondria-targeting therapy may be a clinically innovative therapeutic strategy for diabetic complications in the future. | 25,133,692 | [
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Dopamine D2-like receptors modulate unconditioned fear: role of the inferior colliculus. | A reduction of dopamine release or D2 receptor blockade in the terminal fields of the mesolimbic system clearly reduces conditioned fear. Injections of haloperidol, a preferential D2 receptor antagonist, into the inferior colliculus (IC) enhance the processing of unconditioned aversive information. However, a clear characterization of the interplay of D2 receptors in the mediation of unconditioned and conditioned fear is still lacking. The present study investigated the effects of intra-IC injections of the D2 receptor-selective antagonist sulpiride on behavior in the elevated plus maze (EPM), auditory-evoked potentials (AEPs) to loud sounds recorded from the IC, fear-potentiated startle (FPS), and conditioned freezing. Intra-IC injections of sulpiride caused clear proaversive effects in the EPM and enhanced AEPs induced by loud auditory stimuli. Intra-IC sulpiride administration did not affect FPS or conditioned freezing. Dopamine D2-like receptors of the inferior colliculus play a role in the modulation of unconditioned aversive information but not in the fear-potentiated startle response. | 25,133,693 | [
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Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the longsnout seahorse Hippocampus reidi (Ginsburg, 1933; Gasterosteiformes: Syngnathidae). | The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the longsnout seahorse Hippocampus reidi was fisrt determined in this article. The total length of H. reidi mitogenome is 16,529 bp and consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and 1 control region. The gene order and composition of H. reidi were similar to those of most other vertebrates. The overall base composition of H. reidi is 32.47% A, 29.41% T, 14.75% G and 23.37% C, with a slight A + T rich feature (61.88%). | 25,133,695 | [
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The complete mitochondrial genome of the hybrid of Siniperca chuatsi (♀) × Siniperca kneri (♂). | In this study, we reported the complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the hybrid of Siniperca chuatsi (♀)×Siniperca kneri (♂). The total length of the mitochondrial genome is 16,493 bp, with the base composition of 28.61% A, 29.21% C, 16.21% G, and 25.97% T. It contains 2 rRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, and a major non-coding control region (D-loop region). The composition and order of these genes are identical to most of other vertebrates. All the protein initiation codons are ATG, except for COX1 that begins with GTG. The complete mitogenome of the hybrid of Siniperca chuatsi (♀) × Siniperca kneri (♂) provides an important data set for the study in genetic mechanism. | 25,133,697 | [
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The complete mitogenome of Gnathopogon polytaenia (Cypriniformes; Cyprinidae). | The complete mitochondrial genome was sequenced from one of the endemic freshewater gudgeons (Gnathopogon polytaenia) in China. The mitochondrial genome sequence was 16,594 bp in size, and the gene order and contents were identical with the congeneric species G. strigatus and G. elongatus. Six genes (COII, ATP6, COIII, ND3, ND4, Cytb) had an incomplete stop codon. Base composition of the genome is A (29.1%), T (26.9%), C (25.9%) and G (18.1%) with an A + T rich feature (56%) as that of other vertebrate mitochondrial genomes. | 25,133,698 | [
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Subchronic treatment of donepezil rescues impaired social, hyperactive, and stereotypic behavior in valproic acid-induced animal model of autism. | Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of pervasive developmental disorders with core symptoms such as sociability deficit, language impairment, and repetitive/restricted behaviors. Although worldwide prevalence of ASD has been increased continuously, therapeutic agents to ameliorate the core symptoms especially social deficits, are very limited. In this study, we investigated therapeutic potential of donepezil for ASD using valproic acid-induced autistic animal model (VPA animal model). We found that prenatal exposure of valproic acid (VPA) induced dysregulation of cholinergic neuronal development, most notably the up-regulation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the prefrontal cortex of affected rat and mouse offspring. Similarly, differentiating cortical neural progenitor cell in culture treated with VPA showed increased expression of AChE in vitro. Chromatin precipitation experiments revealed that acetylation of histone H3 bound to AChE promoter region was increased by VPA. In addition, other histone deacetyalse inhibitors (HDACIs) such as trichostatin A and sodium butyrate also increased the expression of AChE in differentiating neural progenitor cells suggesting the essential role of HDACIs in the regulation of AChE expression. For behavioral analysis, we injected PBS or donepezil (0.3 mg/kg) intraperitoneally to control and VPA mice once daily from postnatal day 14 all throughout the experiment. Subchronic treatment of donepezil improved sociability and prevented repetitive behavior and hyperactivity of VPA-treated mice offspring. Taken together, these results provide evidence that dysregulation of ACh system represented by the up-regulation of AChE may serve as an effective pharmacological therapeutic target against autistic behaviors in VPA animal model of ASD, which should be subjected for further investigation to verify the clinical relevance. | 25,133,713 | [
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The involuntary excluder effect: those included by an excluder are seen as exclusive themselves. | People are highly vigilant for and alarmed by social exclusion. Previous research has focused largely on the emotional and motivational consequences of being unambiguously excluded by others. The present research instead examines how people make sense of a more ambiguous dynamic, 1-person exclusion--situations in which one person (the excluder) excludes someone (the rejected) while including someone else (the included). Using different methodological paradigms, converging outcome measures, and complementary comparison standards, 5 studies present evidence of an involuntary excluder effect: Social perceivers are quick to see included persons as though they are excluders themselves. Included individuals are seen as belonging to an exclusive alliance with the excluder, as liking the excluder more than the rejected, and as likely to perpetuate future exclusion against the rejected. Behavioral evidence reinforced these findings: The included was approached with caution and suspicion. Notably, such perceptions of the included as an excluder were drawn by the rejected themselves and outside observers alike, did not reflect the attitudes and intentions of included persons or those who simulated 1-person exclusion from the vantage point of the included, applied specifically to the included (but not someone who simply witnessed the rejected's rejection), and arose as a consequence of intentional acts of exclusion (and thus, not just because 2 individuals shared an exclusive experience). Consistencies with and contributions to literatures on balance theory, minimal groups, group entitativity, and the ostracism detection system literatures are discussed. | 25,133,726 | [
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Prediction of chemical biodegradability using support vector classifier optimized with differential evolution. | Reliable computer models for the prediction of chemical biodegradability from molecular descriptors and fingerprints are very important for making health and environmental decisions. Coupling of the differential evolution (DE) algorithm with the support vector classifier (SVC) in order to optimize the main parameters of the classifier resulted in an improved classifier called the DE-SVC, which is introduced in this paper for use in chemical biodegradability studies. The DE-SVC was applied to predict the biodegradation of chemicals on the basis of extensive sample data sets and known structural features of molecules. Our optimization experiments showed that DE can efficiently find the proper parameters of the SVC. The resulting classifier possesses strong robustness and reliability compared with grid search, genetic algorithm, and particle swarm optimization methods. The classification experiments conducted here showed that the DE-SVC exhibits better classification performance than models previously used for such studies. It is a more effective and efficient prediction model for chemical biodegradability. | 25,133,742 | [
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A highly selective sulfinate ester probe for thiol bioimaging. | We describe here hitherto unexplored chemistry of the sulfinate ester functional group as being highly selective towards nucleophilic substitution by thiols at physiological pH. Using this cleavable trigger, an optical thiol probe that is suitable for thiol bioimaging has been developed. | 25,133,745 | [
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What you see is not what you get in the PDF document format. | The sharing and storage of scientific knowledge, information and data are today mainly in digitized form, which will become the predominant means of communicating scientific work in the future. One of the best-established formats is the open standard of PDF (Portable Document Format), which is renowned for its flexibility and stability. In this article, we expose a major flaw in the format with respect to the security of confidential information, such that even organizations responsible for safeguarding and setting the standards for data management were unintentionally revealing confidential patient data. By collecting and analysing a random sample of files from a health informatics organization, we demonstrate the extent of the problem and determine its cause by code analysis of an example. In conclusion, we suggest the development of a knowledge-sharing format that does not demand expert skills for safe usage: WYSIWYS (What You See Is What You Store). | 25,133,767 | [
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Electronic patient records in action: Transforming information into professionally relevant knowledge. | The implementation of generic models for organizing information in complex institutions like those in healthcare creates a gap between standardization and the need for locally relevant knowledge. The present study addresses how this gap can be bridged by focusing on the practical work of healthcare staff in transforming information in EPRs into knowledge that is useful for everyday work. Video recording of shift handovers on a rehabilitation ward serves as the empirical case. The results show how extensive selections and reorganizations of information in EPRs are carried out in order to transform information into professionally relevant accounts. We argue that knowledge about the institutional obligations and professional ways of construing information are fundamental for these transitions. The findings point to the need to consider the role of professional knowledge inherent in unpacking information in efforts to develop information systems intended to bridge between institutional and professional boundaries in healthcare. | 25,133,770 | [
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Rearing in seawater mesocosms improves the spawning performance of growth hormone transgenic and wild-type coho salmon. | Growth hormone (GH) transgenes can significantly accelerate growth rates in fish and cause associated alterations to their physiology and behaviour. Concern exists regarding potential environmental risks of GH transgenic fish, should they enter natural ecosystems. In particular, whether they can reproduce and generate viable offspring under natural conditions is poorly understood. In previous studies, GH transgenic salmon grown under contained culture conditions had lower spawning behaviour and reproductive success relative to wild-type fish reared in nature. However, wild-type salmon cultured in equal conditions also had limited reproductive success. As such, whether decreased reproductive success of GH transgenic salmon is due to the action of the transgene or to secondary effects of culture (or a combination) has not been fully ascertained. Hence, salmon were reared in large (350,000 L), semi-natural, seawater tanks (termed mesocosms) designed to minimize effects of standard laboratory culture conditions, and the reproductive success of wild-type and GH transgenic coho salmon from mesocosms were compared with that of wild-type fish from nature. Mesocosm rearing partially restored spawning behaviour and success of wild-type fish relative to culture rearing, but remained lower overall than those reared in nature. GH transgenic salmon reared in the mesocosm had similar spawning behaviour and success as wild-type fish reared in the mesocosm when in full competition and without competition, but had lower success in male-only competition experiments. There was evidence of genotype×environmental interactions on spawning success, so that spawning success of transgenic fish, should they escape to natural systems in early life, cannot be predicted with low uncertainty. Under the present conditions, we found no evidence to support enhanced mating capabilities of GH transgenic coho salmon compared to wild-type salmon. However, it is clear that GH transgenic salmon are capable of successful spawning, and can reproduce with wild-type fish from natural systems. | 25,133,780 | [
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A long-term macroecological analysis of the recovery of a waterbird metacommunity after site protection. | We used the so called "land-bridge island" or "nested-subsets" theory to test the resilience of a highly fragmented and perturbated waterbird metacommunity, after legal protection of 18 wetlands in the western Mediterranean. Sites were monitored during 28 years and two seasons per year. The metacommunity was composed by 44 species during breeding and 67 species during wintering, including shorebirds, ducks, herons, gulls and divers (Podicipedidae). We identified a strong nested pattern. Consistent with the fact that the study system was to a large extent a spatial biogeographical continuous for thousands of years, fragmented only during the last centuries due to human activities. Non-random selective extinction was the most likely historical process creating the nested pattern, operated by the differential carrying capacity (surface-area) of the remaining sites. We also found a positive temporal trend in nestedness and a decreasing trend in species turnover among sites (β-diversity), indicating that sites are increasingly more alike to each other (i.e. increased biotic homogenization). This decreasing trend in β-diversity was explained by an increasing trend in local (α) diversity by range expansion of half the study species. Regional (γ) diversity also increased over time, indicating that colonization from outside the study system also occurred. Overall our results suggest that the study metacommunity is recovering from historical anthropogenic perturbations, showing a high long-term resilience, as expected for highly vagile waterbirds. However, not all waterbird groups contributed equally to the recovery, with most breeding shorebird species and most wintering duck species showing no geographical expansion. | 25,133,798 | [
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Walking Workstation Use Reduces Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Adults With Prehypertension. | The acute effect of low-intensity walking on blood pressure (BP) is unclear. To determine if the acute use of a walking workstation reduces ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) in prehypertensive men and women. Ten prehypertensive adults participated in a randomized, cross-over study that included a control workday and a walking workstation workday. ABP was measured for 7 hour during the workday and for 6 hour after work. Both systolic BP (SBP) (134 ± 14 vs. 137 ± 16 mmHg; P = .027) and diastolic BP (DBP) (79 ± 10 vs. 82 ± 12 mmHg; P = .001) were lower on the walking workstation day. Postwork hours (4:00 PM-10:00 PM), SBP (129 ± 13 vs. 133 ± 14 mmHg; P = .008), and DBP (74 ± 11 vs. 78 ± 13 mmHg; P = .001) were also lower on the walking workstation day. DBP load was significantly lower during the walking workstation day, with only 14% of the readings above 90 mmHg compared with 22% of the control day readings (P = .037). Accumulation of very-light-intensity physical activity (~2 METs) over the course of a single work day using a walking workstation may reduce BP burden in prehypertensive individuals. | 25,133,860 | [
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Impaired cerebrovascular reactivity in multiple sclerosis. | Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) is an inherent indicator of the dilatory capacity of cerebral arterioles for a vasomotor stimulus for maintaining a spontaneous and instant increase of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in response to neural activation. The integrity of this mechanism is essential to preserving healthy neurovascular coupling; however, to our knowledge, no studies have investigated whether there are CVR abnormalities in multiple sclerosis (MS). To use hypercapnic perfusion magnetic resonance imaging to assess CVR impairment in patients with MS. A total of 19 healthy volunteers and 19 patients with MS underwent perfusion magnetic resonance imaging based on pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling to measure CBF at normocapnia (ie, breathing room air) and hypercapnia. The hypercapnia condition is achieved by breathing 5% carbon dioxide gas mixture, which is a potent vasodilator causing an increase of CBF. Cerebrovascular reactivity was calculated as the percent increase of normocapnic to hypercapnic CBF normalized by the change in end-tidal carbon dioxide, which was recorded during both conditions. Group analysis was performed for regional and global CVR comparison between patients and controls. Regression analysis was also performed between CVR values, lesion load, and brain atrophy measures in patients with MS. A significant decrease of mean (SD) global gray matter CVR was found in patients with MS (3.56 [0.81]) compared with healthy controls (5.08 [1.56]; P = .001). Voxel-by-voxel analysis showed diffuse reduction of CVR in multiple regions of patients with MS. There was a significant negative correlation between gray matter CVR and lesion volume (R = 0.6, P = .004) and a significant positive correlation between global gray matter CVR and gray matter atrophy index (R = 0.5, P = .03). Our quantitative imaging findings suggest impairment in functional cerebrovascular pathophysiology, by measuring a diffuse decrease in CVR, which may be the underlying cause of neurodegeneration in MS. | 25,133,874 | [
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Metazoan symbionts of the yellow clam, Mesodesma donacium (Bivalvia), in southern Chile: geographical variations. | Mesodesma donacium is a dominant species on sandy beaches along the Chilean coast. However, the only previous parasite records for this species were obtained for the northern Chilean coast (20° S-33° S), which dealt with cestodes, polychaetes, and copepods. In this study, the symbiotic fauna of M. donacium in its southern distributional range is reported, and the geographical variations in the occurrence of this fauna are evaluated. A total of 565 individuals of M. donacium were captured by local fishermen from 5 localities: Mehuín (MEH) (39° 26' S), Carelmapu (CAR) (41° 44' S), Ancud (ANC) (41° 53' S), Cucao (CUC) (42° 35' S), and Quellón (QUE) (43° 24' S), covering a total distance of 450 km. To collect metazoan symbionts, the valves, mantle, gills, gonad, and digestive gland of each specimen of yellow clam were examined, and symbiont identifications were made via morphological and genetic analyses. The prevalence and mean intensity of infestation were calculated for each symbiotic species. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the differences in symbiotic load between localities. Seven metazoan symbiotic species were recorded. The most abundant species were Paranthessius mesodesmatis, Monorchiidae gen. sp., and Paravortex sp. The copepod P. mesodesmatis and metacercaria Monorchiidae gen. sp. showed a high prevalence in all localities, but their intensity of infection varied among localities. The turbellarian Paravortex sp. was most frequently associated with ANC and CUC. The digenean Sanguinicolidae gen. sp. was recorded only at CAR, and the polychaete Spionidae gen. sp. was recorded only at MEH. In its southern distributional range, M. donacium was characterized by an absence of cestodes. This absence can be explained by the absence of the definitive host. The local environmental conditions in the southern range of the host could explain the differences in symbiotic composition among localities. | 25,133,890 | [
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Good outcome of haploidentical hematopoietic SCT as a salvage therapy in children and adolescents with acquired severe aplastic anemia. | Haploidentical hematopoietic SCT (haplo-HSCT) is to be established in patients with acquired severe aplastic anemia (SAA) refractory to immunosuppressive therapy and lacking HLA-matched related or unrelated donors. Graft failure (GF) and GVHD have been major obstacles to HSCT. A total of 17 children and adolescents with SAA underwent haplo-HSCT in our center. The conditioning regimen consisted of BU, fludarabine, CY and anti-thymocyte globulin. All patients received cyclosporine, short-term MTX, mycophenolate mofetil and basiliximab for GVHD prophylaxis. Mesenchymal stem cells derived from unrelated umbilical cord were infused on day 1. Neutrophil engraftment was achieved in all 17 patients in a median time of 16 days (range 9-25 days). The median time of platelet engraftment was 22 days (range 9-95 days) in 16 patients. The cumulative incidence (CI) of II-IV acute GVHD (aGVHD) at day +100 was 30.53±11.12% and III-IV aGVHD occurred in only one patient. The CI of chronic GVHD was 21.25±13.31%. Secondary GF with autologous hematopoiesis recovery occurred in one patient. The OS was 71.60±17.00% at a median follow-up of 362 (36-1321) days. These limited promising data suggest that haplo-HSCT is feasible as a salvage therapy for children and adolescents with refractory SAA who lack matched donors. | 25,133,891 | [
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A false dichotomy? Mental illness and lone-actor terrorism. | We test whether significant differences in mental illness exist in a matched sample of lone- and group-based terrorists. We then test whether there are distinct behavioral differences between lone-actor terrorists with and without mental illness. We then stratify our sample across a range of diagnoses and again test whether significant differences exist. We conduct a series of bivariate, multivariate, and multinomial statistical tests using a unique dataset of 119 lone-actor terrorists and a matched sample of group-based terrorists. The odds of a lone-actor terrorist having a mental illness is 13.49 times higher than the odds of a group actor having a mental illness. Lone actors who were mentally ill were 18.07 times more likely to have a spouse or partner who was involved in a wider movement than those without a history of mental illness. Those with a mental illness were more likely to have a proximate upcoming life change, more likely to have been a recent victim of prejudice, and experienced proximate and chronic stress. The results identify behaviors and traits that security agencies can utilize to monitor and prevent lone-actor terrorism events. The correlated behaviors provide an image of how risk can crystalize within the individual offender and that our understanding of lone-actor terrorism should be multivariate in nature. | 25,133,916 | [
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A pilot study of manual chronic partial exchange transfusion in children with sickle disease. | Objective Red cell exchange transfusion is frequently used in the management of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) either electively or chronically to maintain hemoglobin S (HbS) <30%. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the results of manual chronic partial exchange transfusion (MCPET) on level of Hb and HbS, on iron load and on the need for chelation, on risk of immunization, monitoring transfusion-transmitted viral infection, and clinical outcome. Methods We reviewed the long-term effect of MCPET in 10 children (six men and four women) with SCD and evaluated the iron balance during a median follow-up of 20 months (range: 6-36) in which 248 exchanges were performed. Results The pre-exchange median Hb value was 9.5 g/dl (range: 7.7-10.9 g/dl) and the median post-exchange value was 9.4 g/dl (range: 8.4-11.1 g/dl).The majority of patients reached an HbS of <50% with a median HbS value of 40.04% (range: 30-54). At start of the MCPET program, the median ferritin was 439 ng/ml (range: 80-1704 ng/ml). In the final evaluation, the median value of ferritin was 531 ng/ml (range: 84-3840 ng/ml). The annual calculated iron balance was 0. 28 ± 0.08 mg/kg/day. MCPET was well tolerated, and adverse effects were limited. Discussion MCPET in children with SCD is safe to prevent iron overload, and is effective and easy to use in our cohort. Conclusion Indication for chronic exchange blood transfusion is essential for patients with SCD with recurrent and frequent crises who do not respond to hydroxyurea. However, there is no consensual study for the period at which chronic transfusion can safely be stopped and further research in large population of patients with SCD will need to clarify this question. | 25,133,935 | [
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A bird's eye view of anisatin induced convulsive seizures in brain by a (1)H NMR based metabolic approach. | Anisatin is the main convulsant component in plants of the genus Illicium, many of which are important spices or folk medicines. The neurotoxicity of anisatin has been widely investigated, mainly focusing on its action on the γ-amino butyrate (GABA) system; however, little is known about the metabolic alterations that it causes. In this study, a NMR-based metabolomic approach was performed on the extracts of cortexes and cerebellums of mice administered with anisatin to explore the metabolic events associated with its intoxication. Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) revealed many differential metabolites that indicated metabolic disturbance in neurotransmission and neuromodulation (GABA, glutamate, glutamine, and taurine), stress of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (ascorbate, phosphatidylcholine, choline, and ethanolamine), energy metabolism (NAD(+)i.e., nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide, lactate, citrate, fumarate, creatine/phosphocreatine, and creatinine), amino acid metabolism (leucine, isoleucine, valine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, alanine, threonine, and glycine) and nucleic acid metabolism (NAD(+), nicotinamide/niacinamide, adenosine, and guanosine). This pilot metabolomic study on anisatin intoxication should help to develop a holistic view of convulsive seizures induced by anisatin, and provide a better understanding of the mechanisms. | 25,133,938 | [
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Probing local strain at MX(2)-metal boundaries with surface plasmon-enhanced Raman scattering. | Interactions between metal and atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials can exhibit interesting physical behaviors that are of both fundamental interests and technological importance. In addition to forming a metal–semiconductor Schottky junction that is critical for electrical transport, metal deposited on 2D layered materials can also generate a local mechanical strain. We investigate the local strain at the boundaries between metal (Ag, Au) nanoparticles and MX2 (M = Mo, W; X = S) layers by exploiting the strong local field enhancement at the boundary in surface plasmon-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). We show that the local mechanical strain splits both the in-plane vibration mode E2g(1) and the out-of-plane vibration mode A1g in monolayer MoS2, and activates the in-plane mode E1g that is normally forbidden in backscattering Raman process. In comparison, the effects of mechanical strain in thicker MoS2 layers are significantly weaker. We also observe that photoluminescence from the indirect bandgap transition (when the number of layers is ≥2) is quenched with the metal deposition, while a softened and broadened shoulder peak emerges close to the original direct-bandgap transition because of the mechanical strain. The strain at metal–MX2 boundaries, which locally modifies the electronic and phonon structures of MX2, can have important effects on electrical transport through the metal–MX2 contact. | 25,133,959 | [
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Exome sequencing in the clinical diagnosis of sporadic or familial cerebellar ataxia. | Cerebellar ataxias are a diverse collection of neurologic disorders with causes ranging from common acquired etiologies to rare genetic conditions. Numerous genetic disorders have been associated with chronic progressive ataxia and this consequently presents a diagnostic challenge for the clinician regarding how to approach and prioritize genetic testing in patients with such clinically heterogeneous phenotypes. Additionally, while the value of genetic testing in early-onset and/or familial cases seems clear, many patients with ataxia present sporadically with adult onset of symptoms and the contribution of genetic variation to the phenotype of these patients has not yet been established. To investigate the contribution of genetic disease in a population of patients with predominantly adult- and sporadic-onset cerebellar ataxia. We examined a consecutive series of 76 patients presenting to a tertiary referral center for evaluation of chronic progressive cerebellar ataxia. Next-generation exome sequencing coupled with comprehensive bioinformatic analysis, phenotypic analysis, and clinical correlation. We identified clinically relevant genetic information in more than 60% of patients studied (n = 46), including diagnostic pathogenic gene variants in 21% (n = 16), a notable yield given the diverse genetics and clinical heterogeneity of the cerebellar ataxias. This study demonstrated that clinical exome sequencing in patients with adult-onset and sporadic presentations of ataxia is a high-yield test, providing a definitive diagnosis in more than one-fifth of patients and suggesting a potential diagnosis in more than one-third to guide additional phenotyping and diagnostic evaluation. Therefore, clinical exome sequencing is an appropriate consideration in the routine genetic evaluation of all patients presenting with chronic progressive cerebellar ataxia. | 25,133,958 | [
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Acute postoperative pain relief with immediate-release tapentadol: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in South Korea. | To broaden the ethnic groups in which tapentadol IR is evaluated for treating acute postoperative pain to include Asians. In this phase 3, multicenter, double-blind, randomized study, 352 Korean adults with moderate-to-severe pain following hallux valgus surgery received tapentadol IR 50 or 75 mg or placebo orally every 4-6 hours for 72 hours. Patients requesting other (rescue) analgesics during this period were discontinued for lack of efficacy. The primary endpoint, sum of pain intensity difference (SPID) over 48 hours, was evaluated based on the difference between tapentadol IR and placebo in least squares (LS) mean change from baseline using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Secondary endpoints included the time to first rescue medication use and the distribution of responder rates. A treatment effect, favoring tapentadol IR, was observed for SPID48 (p < 0.001 for both doses vs. placebo, ANCOVA). The between-group difference (vs. placebo) in LS means of SPID48 was 76.4 (95% CI: 51.0, 101.7) for tapentadol IR 50 mg and 90.6 (95% CI: 65.1, 116.1) for tapentadol IR 75 mg. Time to first rescue medication use was delayed for tapentadol IR (p < 0.001 for both doses vs. placebo; log-rank test). The distribution of responders at 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours favored tapentadol IR (p ≤ 0.001 for both doses vs. placebo; Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test). Dizziness, nausea, and vomiting were each reported in ≥ 10% tapentadol-treated patients and at an incidence ≥ 2-fold higher vs. placebo. The study findings may be limited by study drug dosing every 4 to 6 hours and frequent monitoring during treatment, neither of which mimic pain treatment in clinical practice. However, any potential bias based on this systematic monitoring of patients would be mitigated by the randomized, double-blind nature of the study, with all treatment groups similarly affected by such biases, if any. Tapentadol IR reduced acute pain intensity, significantly more than placebo, after orthopedic surgery in Korean patients. NCT01516008. | 25,133,962 | [
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Spectacle correction versus no spectacles for prevention of strabismus in hyperopic children. | Hyperopia (far-sightedness) in infancy requires accommodative effort to bring images into focus. Prolonged accommodative effort has been associated with an increased risk of strabismus (eye misalignment). Strabismus makes it difficult for the eyes to work together and may result in symptoms of asthenopia (eye strain) and intermittent diplopia (double vision), and makes near work tasks difficult to complete. Untreated strabismus may result in the development of amblyopia (lazy eye). The prescription of spectacles to correct hyperopic refractive error is believed to prevent the development of strabismus. To assess the effectiveness of prescription spectacles compared with no intervention for the prevention of strabismus in infants and children with hyperopia. We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group Trials Register) (2014, Issue 4), Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE Daily, Ovid OLDMEDLINE (January 1946 to April 2014), EMBASE (January 1980 to April 2014), PubMed (1966 to April 2014), the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) (www.controlled-trials.com), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov) and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en). We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. We last searched the electronic databases on 3 April 2014. We also searched the Science Citation Index database in September 2013. We included randomized controlled trials and quasi-randomized trials investigating the assignment to spectacle intervention or no treatment for children with hyperopia. The definition of hyperopia remains subjective, but we required it to be at least greater than +2.00 diopters (D) of hyperopia. Two review authors independently extracted data using the standard methodologic procedures expected by The Cochrane Collaboration. One review author entered data into Review Manager and a second review author verified the data entered. The two review authors resolved discrepancies at all stages of the review process. We identified three randomized controlled trials (855 children enrolled) in this review. These trials were all conducted in the UK with follow-up periods ranging from one to 3.5 years. We judged the included studies to be at high risk of bias, due to use of quasi-random methods for assigning children to treatment, no masking of outcomes assessors, and high proportions of drop-outs. None of the three trials accounted for missing data and analyses were limited to the available-case data (674 (79%) of 855 children enrolled for the primary outcome). These factors impair our ability to assess the effectiveness of treatment.Analyses incorporating the three trials we identified in this review (674 children) suggested the effect of spectacle correction initiated prior to the age of one year in hyperopic children between three and four years of age is uncertain with respect to preventing strabismus (risk ratio (RR) 0.71; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.44 to 1.15; very low quality evidence). Based on a meta-analysis of three trials (664 children), the risk of having visual acuity worse than 20/30 at three years of age was also uncertain for children with spectacles compared with those without spectacle correction irrespective of compliance (RR 0.87; 95% CI 0.60 to 1.26; very low quality evidence).Emmetropization was reported in two trials: one trial suggested that spectacles impede emmetropization, and the second trial reported no difference in the rate of refractive error change. Although children who were allocated to the spectacle group were less likely to develop strabismus and less likely to have visual acuity worse than 20/30 children allocated to no spectacles, these effects may have been chance findings, or due to bias. Due to the high risk of bias and poor reporting of included trials, the true effect of spectacle correction for hyperopia on strabismus is still uncertain. | 25,133,974 | [
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Elucidating the ring inversion mechanism(s) for biscalixarenes. | Biscalix[4]arene can be constructed from a calix[4]arene by substitution of a methylene bridge hydrogen by another equivalent moiety. The use of biscalix[4]arenes (biscal) as precursors for the creation of new polymetallic clusters such as single-molecule magnets has potential in the fields of data storage and other applications. Polymetallic clusters involving biscal are expected to preferentially involve octadentate binding to two metal centers (one metal center per tetraphenolic pocket), requiring full inversion of one of the annular rings. In this work, we use density functional theory to establish the mechanism behind this process, considering the various energy pathways and providing insight into the preferred route to full and partial inversion. Fourteen possible pathways to full inversion are presented, including all transition states (up to seven per pathway). Subsequently, the lowest energy pathway to full inversion was found to have a barrier height of 19.31 kcal mol(-1). Solvent optimizations using PCM (with and without SMD) and CPCM solvent models suggest long-range solvent effects may be relatively unimportant in the inversion process. This study represents the first use of density functional theory to elucidate the entire potential energy surface, including barrier heights, of the ring inversion process of biscalix[4]arenes. | 25,133,976 | [
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Single water entropy: hydrophobic crossover and application to drug binding. | Entropy of water plays an important role in both chemical and biological processes e.g. hydrophobic effect, molecular recognition etc. Here we use a new approach to calculate translational and rotational entropy of the individual water molecules around different hydrophobic and charged solutes. We show that for small hydrophobic solutes, the translational and rotational entropies of each water molecule increase as a function of its distance from the solute reaching finally to a constant bulk value. As the size of the solute increases (0.746 nm), the behavior of the translational entropy is opposite; water molecules closest to the solute have higher entropy that reduces with distance from the solute. This indicates that there is a crossover in translational entropy of water molecules around hydrophobic solutes from negative to positive values as the size of the solute is increased. Rotational entropy of water molecules around hydrophobic solutes for all sizes increases with distance from the solute, indicating the absence of crossover in rotational entropy. This makes the crossover in total entropy (translation + rotation) of water molecule happen at much larger size (>1.5 nm) for hydrophobic solutes. Translational entropy of single water molecule scales logarithmically (Str(QH) = C + kB ln V), with the volume V obtained from the ellipsoid of inertia. We further discuss the origin of higher entropy of water around water and show the possibility of recovering the entropy loss of some hypothetical solutes. The results obtained are helpful to understand water entropy behavior around various hydrophobic and charged environments within biomolecules. Finally, we show how our approach can be used to calculate the entropy of the individual water molecules in a protein cavity that may be replaced during ligand binding. | 25,133,988 | [
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From micelles to fibers: balancing self-assembling and random coiling domains in pH-responsive silk-collagen-like protein-based polymers. | We study the self-assembly of genetically engineered protein-based triblock copolymers consisting of a central pH-responsive silk-like middle block (S(H)n, where S(H) is a silk-like octapeptide, (GA)3GH and n is the number of repeats) flanked by hydrophilic random coil outer blocks (C2). Our previous work has already shown that triblocks with very long midblocks (n = 48) self-assemble into long, stiff protein filaments at pH values where the middle blocks are uncharged. Here we investigate the self-assembly behavior of the triblock copolymers for a range of midblock lengths, n = 8, 16, 24, 48. Upon charge neutralization of S(H)n by adjusting the pH, we find that C2S(H)8C2 and C2S(H)16C2 form spherical micelles, whereas both C2S(H)24C2 and C2S(H)48C2 form protein filaments with a characteristic beta-roll secondary structure of the silk midblocks. Hydrogels formed by C2S(H)48C2 are much stronger and form much faster than those formed by C2S(H)24C2. Enzymatic digestion of much of the hydrophilic outer blocks is used to show that with much of the hydrophilic outer blocks removed, all silk-midblocks are capable of self-assembling into stiff protein filaments. In that case, reduction of the steric repulsion by the hydrophilic outer blocks also leads to extensive fiber bundling. Our results highlight the opposing roles of the hydrophilic outer blocks and central silk-like midblocks in driving protein filament formation. They provide crucial information for future designs of triblock protein-based polymers that form stiff filaments with controlled bundling, that could mimick properties of collagen in the extracellular matrix. | 25,133,990 | [
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Engineered M13 bacteriophage nanocarriers for intracellular delivery of exogenous proteins to human prostate cancer cells. | The size, well-defined structure, and relatively high folding energies of most proteins allow them to recognize disease-relevant receptors that present a challenge to small molecule reagents. While multiple challenges must be overcome in order to fully exploit the use of protein reagents in basic research and medicine, perhaps the greatest challenge is their intracellular delivery to a particular diseased cell. Here, we describe the genetic and enzymatic manipulation of prostate cancer cell-penetrating M13 bacteriophage to generate nanocarriers for the intracellular delivery of functional exogenous proteins to a human prostate cancer cell line. | 25,134,017 | [
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Self-assembly of a Ag nanoparticle-modified and graphene-wrapped TiO2 nanobelt ternary heterostructure: surface charge tuning toward efficient photocatalysis. | In recent years, tremendous research efforts have been made towards developing graphene (GR)-based nanocomposites for photocatalytic applications. In this work, surface-coarsened TiO2 nanobelts (SC-TNBs) closely enwrapped with monodispersed Ag nanoparticles (NPs) and GR nanosheets (i.e. Ag/GR/SC-TNBs) were fabricated using a facile self-assembly strategy followed by photoreduction. It was found that the as-prepared Ag/GR/SC-TNBs ternary heterostructure exhibited significantly improved photocatalytic performances under irradiation with UV light in comparison with blank SC-TNBs and its binary counterparts owing to the formation of double heterojunctions among the components. The intimate integration of Ag NPs and GR with SC-TNBs achieved by the self-assembly buildup exerts a profound effect on the transfer of photogenerated electrons over the SC-TNBs substrate in which Ag NPs serve as an efficient "electron reservoir" and GR as an electron transporter and collector, thus concurrently prolonging the lifetime of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs and resulting in the remarkably enhanced photoactivity over the Ag/GR/SC-TNBs ternary nanocomposite. In addition, the underlying photocatalytic mechanism was elucidated and the primary active species were determined. | 25,134,018 | [
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Alcohol-related cues potentiate alcohol impairment of behavioral control in drinkers. | The acute impairing effects of alcohol on inhibitory control are well-established, and these disinhibiting effects are thought to play a role in its abuse potential. Alcohol impairment of inhibitory control is typically assessed in the context of arbitrary cues, yet drinking environments are comprised of an array of alcohol-related cues that are thought to influence drinking behavior. Recent evidence suggests that alcohol-related stimuli reduce behavioral control in sober drinkers, suggesting that alcohol impairment of inhibitory control might be potentiated in the context of alcohol cues. The current study tested this hypothesis by examining performance on the attentional-bias behavioral activation (ABBA) task that measures the degree to which alcohol-related stimuli can reduce inhibition of inappropriate responses in a between-subjects design. Social drinkers (N = 40) performed the task in a sober condition, and then again following placebo (0.0 g/kg) and a moderate dose of alcohol (0.65 g/kg) in counterbalanced order. Inhibitory failures were greater following alcohol images compared to neutral images in sober drinkers, replicating previous findings with the ABBA task. Moreover, alcohol-related cues exacerbated alcohol impairment of inhibitory control as evidenced by more pronounced alcohol-induced disinhibition following alcohol cues compared to neutral cues. Finally, regression analyses showed that greater alcohol-induced disinhibition following alcohol cues predicted greater self-reported alcohol consumption. These findings have important implications regarding factors contributing to binge or "loss of control" drinking. That is, the additive effect of disrupted control mechanisms via both alcohol cues and the pharmacological effects of the drug could compromise an individual's control over ongoing alcohol consumption. (PsycINFO Database Record | 25,134,023 | [
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Using ecological measures of smoking trigger exposure to predict smoking cessation milestones. | This study used ecological momentary assessment data from adult daily smokers attempting to quit smoking to assess relations between exposure to contextual risk factors and cessation failure, latency to a first smoking lapse, or progression from lapse to relapse (smoking 7 days in a row). Participants were adult, daily smokers enrolled in a randomized controlled clinical trial of bupropion SR and individual counseling who were followed to 1 year postquit. Participants reported exposure to high-risk contexts and behaviors, including being where cigarettes were available or smoking was permitted, being around others smoking in prospective, real-time assessment for 2 weeks pre- and 4 weeks postquit. Results showed that greater exposure to contextual risk factors during the prequit did not predict cessation failure. However, Cox regression survival analyses revealed that spending a greater proportion of time where cigarettes were easily available following at least 1 day of abstinence predicted shorter latency to a first lapse, even after controlling for baseline risk factors such as gender, nicotine dependence, depressive symptoms, and living with a smoker. Greater cigarette availability following a lapse was not associated with progression from lapse to relapse with or without baseline risk factors in the model. This suggests that postquit environmental risk factors, such as cigarette availability, increase lapse risk, and stable risk factors, such as living with smokers and higher baseline carbon monoxide level or depressive symptoms, remain potent predictors of progression to relapse. Real-time contextual risk assessments postquit predict lapse above and beyond stable, baseline risk factors. (PsycINFO Database Record | 25,134,024 | [
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Gambling disorder: estimated prevalence rates and risk factors in Macao. | An excessive, problematic gambling pattern has been regarded as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM) for more than 3 decades (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1980). In this study, its latest prevalence in Macao (one of very few cities with legalized gambling in China and the Far East) was estimated with 2 major changes in the diagnostic criteria, suggested by the 5th edition of DSM (APA, 2013): (a) removing the "Illegal Act" criterion, and (b) lowering the threshold for diagnosis. A random, representative sample of 1,018 Macao residents was surveyed with a phone poll design in January 2013. After the 2 changes were adopted, the present study showed that the estimated prevalence rate of gambling disorder was 2.1% of the Macao adult population. Moreover, the present findings also provided empirical support to the application of these 2 recommended changes when assessing symptoms of gambling disorder among Chinese community adults. Personal risk factors of gambling disorder, namely being male, having low education, a preference for casino gambling, as well as high materialism, were identified. | 25,134,026 | [
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A longitudinal analysis of drinking and victimization in college women: is there a reciprocal relationship? | The purpose of the current study was to assess the relationship between drinking and severe physical and sexual victimization in a sample of 989 college women over 5 years. Participants completed a Web-based survey each fall semester, beginning as first-time incoming freshman, and continuing each year for 5 years. The survey was comprehensive in assessing drinking, victimization, and relevant covariates. Women were followed whether they remained at university or not. Prior year same type of severe victimization predicted current year victimization, both severe physical and sexual. However, prior year drinking did not predict current year severe victimization. Prior year severe sexual victimization predicted current year drinking. Our findings of a longitudinal relationship between severe sexual victimization and subsequent increases in drinking suggests that college women may be drinking to cope with negative sequelae that they experience as a result of the victimization. We did not find the same longitudinal relationship between drinking and severe physical or sexual victimization, suggesting that a reciprocal relationship does not exist between drinking and victimization among college women. We did find that severe sexual victimization decreased across college, suggesting that the year prior to and the first year of college may be a critical period for intervening to reduce risk for severe victimization. | 25,134,028 | [
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Employment-based reinforcement of adherence to oral naltrexone in unemployed injection drug users: 12-month outcomes. | Oral naltrexone could be a promising relapse-prevention pharmacotherapy for recently detoxified opioid-dependent patients; however, interventions are often needed to promote adherence with this treatment approach. We recently conducted a study to evaluate a 26-week employment-based reinforcement intervention of oral naltrexone in unemployed injection drug users (Dunn et al., 2013). Participants were randomly assigned into a contingency (n = 35) group required to ingest naltrexone under staff observation to gain entry into a therapeutic workplace or a prescription (n = 32) group given a take-home supply of oral naltrexone and access to the workplace without observed ingestion. Monthly urine samples were collected and analyzed for evidence for naltrexone adherence, opioid use, and cocaine use. As previously reported, contingency participants provided significantly more naltrexone-positive urine samples than prescription participants during the 26-week intervention period. The goal of this current study is to report the 12-month outcomes, which occurred 6 months after the intervention ended. Results at the 12-month visit showed no between-groups differences in naltrexone-positive, opioid-negative, or cocaine-negative urine samples and no participant self-reported using naltrexone at the follow-up visit. These results show that even after a period of successfully reinforced oral naltrexone adherence, longer-term naltrexone use is unlikely to be maintained after reinforcement contingencies are discontinued. (PsycINFO Database Record | 25,134,047 | [
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The role of avoidance and inflexibility in characterizing response to contingency management for cocaine use disorders: A secondary profile analysis. | Contingency management (CM) is a reinforcement-based approach that provides tangible rewards for objectively verified drug abstinence. CM is the most effective available behavioral intervention for cocaine use disorders; however, response to CM is variable, with significant rates of nonresponse. In the present investigation, we conducted a secondary profile analysis to identify potentially modifiable cognitive-affective characteristics associated with CM response (abstinence vs. continued use) preceding a pharmacotherapy trial for cocaine dependence. Ninety-nine cocaine-dependent, treatment-seeking adults participated in a 4-week baseline CM procedure using high-value vouchers for submission of cocaine-negative urines. Separate profiles for responders and the nonresponders were established using standardized mean scores on relevant pretreatment measures of negative affect, experiential avoidance, cocaine withdrawal/craving, and impulsivity. Results indicated no differences between responder subgroups on baseline levels of negative affect, withdrawal/craving, or impulsivity; however, CM nonresponders, relative to responders, reported significantly higher levels of avoidance and behavioral inflexibility (p < .01) in the context of distressing cocaine-related thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. These data suggest that emotion regulation skills may serve as a therapeutic strategy for enhancing response to CM for cocaine use disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record | 25,134,057 | [
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Composite photothermal platform of polypyrrole-enveloped Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle self-assembled superstructures. | Photothermal nanoplatforms with small size, low cost, multifunctionality, good biocompatibility and in particular biodegradability are greatly desired in the exploration of novel diagnostic and therapeutic methodologies. Despite Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) have been approved as safe clinical agents, the low molar extinction coefficient and subsequent poor photothermal performance shed the doubt as effective photothermal materials. In this paper, we demonstrate the fabrication of polypyrrole (PPy)-enveloped Fe3O4 NP superstructures with a spherical morphology, which leads to a 300-fold increase in the molar extinction coefficient. The basic idea is the optimization of Fe3O4 electronic structures. By controlling the self-assembly of Fe3O4 NPs, the diameters of the superstructures are tuned from 32 to 64 nm. This significantly enhances the indirect transition and magnetic coupling of Fe ions, thus increasing the molar extinction coefficient of Fe3O4 NPs from 3.65 × 10(6) to 1.31 × 10(8) M(-1) cm(-1) at 808 nm. The envelopment of Fe3O4 superstructures with conductive PPy shell introduces additional electrons in the Fe3O4 oscillation system, and therewith further enhances the molar extinction coefficient to 1.12 × 10(9) M(-1) cm(-1). As a result, the photothermal performance is greatly improved. Primary cell experiments indicate that PPy-enveloped Fe3O4 NP superstructures are low toxic, and capable to kill Hela cells under near-infrared laser irradiation. Owing to the low cost, good biocompatibility and biodegradability, the PPy-enveloped Fe3O4 NP superstructures are promising photothermal platform for establishing novel diagnostic and therapeutic methods. | 25,134,068 | [
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0.3350945,
0.1868734,
0.3290467,
-0.05562009... |
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