title stringlengths 0 901 | abstract stringlengths 3 9.89k | PMID int64 22 25.3M | embedding listlengths 768 768 |
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Tolerability of a probiotic in subjects with a history of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonisation. | Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a pathogen of major public health importance. Colonisation precedes infection; thus reducing MRSA carriage may be of benefit for reducing infection. Probiotics represent a novel approach to reducing MRSA carriage. We undertook a pilot feasibility randomised controlled trial of the tolerability and acceptability of probiotics for reducing nasal and intestinal carriage of MRSA. In addition, subjects were screened for vancomycin-resistant enterocococci (VRE). Subjects with a history of MRSA were recruited from a large, academic medical center and randomised to take either a placebo or probiotic (Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001). Subjects returned to the clinic after four weeks for further testing to determine adherence to the probiotic regimen and colonisation of MRSA. 48 subjects were enrolled and randomised. Nearly 25% were transplant recipients and 30% had diabetes. The probiotic was well tolerated in the study population though minor side effects, such as nausea and bloating, were observed. A majority of the subjects randomised to HN001 had good adherence to the regimen. At the four week time point among subjects randomised to the probiotic, MRSA was detected in 67 and 50% of subjects colonised in the nares and the gastrointestinal tract, respectively. Three subjects who initially tested positive for VRE were negative after four weeks of probiotic exposure. Probiotics were well tolerated in our study population of largely immunocompromised subjects with multiple comorbidities. Adherence to the intervention was good. Probiotics should be studied further for their potential to reduce colonisation by multidrug resistant bacteria. | 25,213,147 | [
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Functional impairment in adolescents and young adults with emerging mood disorders. | Between 30 and 60% of adults with unipolar or bipolar disorders exhibit impairments across multiple domains. However, little is known about impaired functioning in youth with mood disorders. To examine the prevalence of objective, subjective and observer-rated disability in a large, representative sample of young people with a primary mood disorder. Individuals aged 16-25 years presenting to youth mental health services for the first time with a primary mood disorder participated in a systematic diagnostic and clinical assessment. Impairment was assessed using objective (unemployment or disability payments), observer- (Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale; SOFAS) and self-rated measures (role functioning according to the Brief Disability Questionnaire). Of 1241 participants (83% unipolar; 56% female), at least 30% were functionally impaired on the objective, self-rated and/or observer-rated measures, with 16% impaired according to all three criteria. Even when current distress levels were taken into account, daily use of cannabis and/or nicotine were significantly associated with impairment, with odds ratios (OR) ranging from about 1.5 to 3.0. Comorbid anxiety disorders were related to lower SOFAS scores (OR = 2-5). Levels of disability were significant, even in those presenting for mental healthcare for the first time. Functional impairment did not differ between unipolar and bipolar cases, but some evidence suggested that females with bipolar disorder were particularly disabled. The prevalence of comorbid disorders (50%) and polysubstance use (28%) and their association with disability indicate that more meaningful indicators of mood episode outcomes should focus on functional rather than symptom-specific measures. The association between functioning and nicotine use requires further exploration. | 25,213,156 | [
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Stress-induced mutation rates show a sigmoidal and saturable increase due to the RpoS sigma factor in Escherichia coli. | Stress-induced mutagenesis was investigated in the absence of selection for growth fitness by using synthetic biology to control perceived environmental stress in Escherichia coli. We find that controlled intracellular RpoS dosage is central to a sigmoidal, saturable three- to fourfold increase in mutation rates and associated changes in DNA repair proteins. | 25,213,168 | [
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Apoptosis mediated by phosphatidylserine externalization in the elimination of aneuploid germ cells during human spermatogenesis. | It has been described that aneuploidies trigger cell cycle checkpoints leading to apoptosis. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the presence of chromosomal abnormalities and apoptosis in germ cells and in Sertoli cells. Fourteen diagnostic testicular biopsies from infertile patients were processed following a sequential methodology, which included enzymatic disaggregation, apoptotic staining, cell sorting, cell fixation, and fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis. The chromosome constitution of germ cells (interphase pre-meiotic germ cells, meiotic figures, post-reductional germ cells, and spermatozoa) and Sertoli cells was evaluated in non-sorted and flow-sorted cell populations (apoptotic and viable). The mean percentage of aneuploidy was compared between the three fractions in each cell type using a Kruskal-Wallis test. If significant results were obtained, a two-by-two Chi-squared test was performed. There were significant differences between the apoptotic fraction and the viable and non-sorted fractions in the pre-meiotic germ cells (p < 0.01). In the remaining cell types, no association between the presence of aneuploidy and apoptotic processes was observed, even in the case of post-reductional germ cells in which we detected the highest rates of aneuploidy regardless of the fraction analyzed. From our data, it can be inferred that most of the aneuploid post-reductional germ cells are efficiently removed from the testicular epithelium without differentiating into spermatozoa. Our results suggest that the elimination of aneuploid testicular epithelial cells is triggered by different mechanisms. Accordingly, the cellular elimination of aneuploid germ cells beyond the blood-testis barrier does not involve phosphatidylserine externalization. | 25,213,174 | [
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Manifestation of respect in the care of older patients in long-term care settings. | Respect is fundamental to ethical nursing practice. However, respect in the care of older people is seldom investigated from the perspective of patients and their next of kin. To describe the manifestation of respect in the care of older patients in long-term care settings from the perspective of older patients with memory disorders and their next of kin. A narrative inquiry on research methodology using open interviews was employed. Transcribed interviews were analysed using inductive content analysis, and from this analysis a typology was produced. The study settings were patients' own homes supported by professional home care, and nursing homes in three cities in southern Finland. A purposeful sample (N = 40) of participants (older patient, n = 20 and their next of kin, n = 20) was recruited. Half of the older patient lived at home where they received professional care and the other half lived in nursing homes. Respect in long-term care settings is manifested in patient care through the being and doing of the nurse. A typology of nurses' being and doing described three ways nurses manifested respect: 'I'm here for you', 'I'm here for work' and 'I'm not here for you'. Patient's responses to the typology were as follows: sharing, exploring and withdrawing, respectively. The analysis and typology of nurses' being and doing increases the understanding of respect in patient care in long-term care settings. Furthermore, this knowledge of respect will make it possible to develop measureable respect indices for use in the evaluation of care. | 25,213,177 | [
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Modeling tuberculosis in nonhuman primates. | Nonhuman primates have emerged as an excellent model of human tuberculosis, in large part because they recapitulate the full spectrum of infection outcome and pathology seen in humans. Several variables inherent to the nonhuman primate models of tuberculosis are discussed in this review, including the monkey species, Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains, and routes of infection, all of which can influence the model to be chosen for various studies. New technologies for studying the microbiology, immunology, and pathogenesis of tuberculosis in nonhuman primates have greatly expanded the capabilities of this model for basic and translational studies, including the development and testing of new treatment and prevention strategies for tuberculosis. | 25,213,189 | [
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How Taxol/paclitaxel kills cancer cells. | Taxol (generic name paclitaxel) is a microtubule-stabilizing drug that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of ovarian, breast, and lung cancer, as well as Kaposi's sarcoma. It is used off-label to treat gastroesophageal, endometrial, cervical, prostate, and head and neck cancers, in addition to sarcoma, lymphoma, and leukemia. Paclitaxel has long been recognized to induce mitotic arrest, which leads to cell death in a subset of the arrested population. However, recent evidence demonstrates that intratumoral concentrations of paclitaxel are too low to cause mitotic arrest and result in multipolar divisions instead. It is hoped that this insight can now be used to develop a biomarker to identify the ∼50% of patients that will benefit from paclitaxel therapy. Here I discuss the history of paclitaxel and our recently evolved understanding of its mechanism of action. | 25,213,191 | [
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Community treatment orders and the experiences of ethnic minority individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness in the Canadian mental health system. | The prevalence of Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) in the Western world has generated considerable discussion regarding best practices in the outpatient treatment of the seriously mentally ill. Although problems encountered by ethnic minority communities in the various health care systems have been studied to some degree, there is an acute dearth of information on the effects of CTOs on minority individuals. This paper presents findings from research on the lived experiences of individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds who have been the subjects of CTOs in Toronto, Canada, and their perceptions of its impact on their lives. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals who have experienced CTOs. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants (n = 24) from ethnic minority background in Toronto, Canada. Participants perceived both positive and negative impacts of CTOs. The positives included affirmation of experiences with the mental health system; improved rapport with the case management and clinical team, increased medication compliance and feelings of empowerment. The negative feedback included feelings of being coerced and the stigma associated with it. The findings of this study suggest that although CTOs are not a panacea for every mental health problem, they can be effective with a specific group who choose to follow through with the expectations of the treatment. The author, however argues that for these individuals to be on a CTO before getting better treatment, brings to the fore a number of issues with the mental health system. This is particularly concerning as it pertains to individuals of ethnic minority background. | 25,213,210 | [
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The association between Darier disease, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia revisited: a population-based family study. | Darier disease is an autosomal dominant skin disorder caused by mutations in the ATPase, Ca++ transporting, cardiac muscle, slow twitch 2 (ATP2A2) gene and previously reported to cosegregate with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in occasional pedigrees. It is, however, unknown whether these associations exist also in the general population, and the objective of this study was to examine this question. We compared a national sample of individuals with Darier disease and their first-degree relatives with matched unexposed individuals from the general population and their first-degree relatives, respectively. To examine risks for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using conditional logistic regressions. Individuals with Darier disease had a 4.3 times higher risk of being diagnosed with bipolar disorder (95% CI: 2.6-7.3) and a 2.3 times higher risk of being diagnosed with schizophrenia (95% CI: 1.1-5.2) than matched individuals from the general population. Relatives of individuals with Darier disease had a 1.6 times higher risk of having bipolar disorder (95% CI: 1.1-2.5) than relatives of matched individuals from the general population, but no increased risk of schizophrenia (risk ratio = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.4-1.8). The association between Darier disease and bipolar disorder is manifest also in the population, and our data suggest that genetic variability within the ATP2A2 gene that causes Darier disease also confers susceptibility for bipolar disorder. The Darier-causing mutations merit additional attention in molecular genetic research on bipolar disorder. | 25,213,221 | [
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Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) accumulating Bacillus spp. improve the survival, growth and robustness of Penaeus monodon (Fabricius, 1798) postlarvae. | Low larval survival resulting from suboptimal culture conditions and luminous vibriosis poses a major problem for the larviculture of penaeid shrimp. In this study, a poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) accumulating mixed bacterial culture (mBC; 48.5% PHB on cell dry weight) and two PHB accumulating bacterial isolates, Bacillus sp. JL47 (54.7% PHB on cell dry weight) and Bacillus sp. JL1 (45.5% PHB on cell dry weight), were obtained from a Philippine shrimp culture pond and investigated for their capacity to improve growth, survival and robustness of Penaeus monodon postlarvae (PL). Shrimp PL1 and shrimp PL30 were provided with the PHB containing bacterial cultures in the feed for 30 days followed by, respectively, a challenge with pathogenic Vibrio campbellii and exposure to a lethal dose of ammonia. Prior to the pathogenic challenge or ammonia stress, growth and survival were higher for shrimp receiving the PHB accumulating bacteria as compared to shrimp receiving diets without bacterial additions. After exposure to the pathogenic challenge the shrimp fed PHB accumulating bacteria showed a higher survival as compared to non-treated shrimp, suggesting an increase in robustness for the shrimp. Similar effects were observed when shrimp PL30 were provided with the PHB accumulating bacterial cultures during a challenge with pathogenic V. campbellii through the water. The survival of shrimp exposed to lethal ammonia stress showed no significant difference between PHB accumulating bacteria-fed shrimp and non-PHB treated shrimp. The data illustrate that bacilli capable of accumulating PHB can provide beneficial effects to P. monodon post-larvae during culture in terms of growth performance, survival and resistance against pathogenic infection and ammonia stress. Further investigations are required to verify the PHB effect of the bacterial cultures on the shrimp. | 25,213,234 | [
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Detection of short-range chromatin interactions by chromosome conformation capture (3C) in yeast. | We describe a modified 3C ("chromosome conformation capture") protocol for detection of transient, short-range chromatin interactions in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. 3C was initially described by Job Dekker and involves formaldehyde cross-linking to stabilize transient chromatin interactions, followed by restriction digestion, ligation, and locus-specific PCR. As such, 3C reveals complex three-dimensional interactions between distal genetic elements within intact cells at high resolution. Using a modified version of Dekker's protocol, we are able to detect gene loops that juxtapose promoter and terminator regions of yeast genes with ORFs as short as 1 kb. We are using this technique to define the cis- and trans-acting requirements for the formation and maintenance of gene loops, and to elucidate their physiological consequences. We anticipate that this method will be generally applicable to detect dynamic, short-range chromatin interactions, not limited to gene loops. | 25,213,247 | [
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Preparation of C18-functionalized Fe3O4@SiO2 core-shell magnetic nanoparticles for extraction and determination of phthalic acid esters in Chinese herb preparations. | The extraction and determination of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) residue in Chinese herbal preparations (CHP) by C18-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (C18-FS-MNP) has been firstly performed. It was synthesized through coating Fe3O4 nanoparticles with sodium silicate, followed by freeze-drying technique and then modified with C18 groups. C18-FS-MNPs prepared via freeze-drying technique were superior to those particles prepared via common vacuum drying method in terms of dispersion and extraction recovery. C18-FS-MNPs demonstrated obvious enrichment effect for four model PAEs and 478-627-fold enrichment factors were obtained. The limit of detection was <1.89ng/mL and relative standard deviation was ranging from 3.7 to 5.8%. It was successfully applied for determination of trace PAEs residue in CHP with good recoveries. | 25,213,260 | [
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Metabolomics provide new insights on lung cancer staging and discrimination from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. | Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer are widespread lung diseases. Cigarette smoking is a high risk factor for both the diseases. COPD may increase the risk of developing lung cancer. Thus, it is crucial to be able to distinguish between these two pathological states, especially considering the early stages of lung cancer. Novel diagnostic and monitoring tools are required to properly determine lung cancer progression because this information directly impacts the type of the treatment prescribed. In this study, serum samples collected from 22 COPD and 77 lung cancer (TNM stages I, II, III, and IV) patients were analyzed. Then, a collection of NMR metabolic fingerprints was modeled using discriminant orthogonal partial least squares regression (OPLS-DA) and further interpreted by univariate statistics. The constructed discriminant models helped to successfully distinguish between the metabolic fingerprints of COPD and lung cancer patients (AUC training=0.972, AUC test=0.993), COPD and early lung cancer patients (AUC training=1.000, AUC test=1.000), and COPD and advanced lung cancer patients (AUC training=0.983, AUC test=1.000). Decreased acetate, citrate, and methanol levels together with the increased N-acetylated glycoproteins, leucine, lysine, mannose, choline, and lipid (CH3-(CH2)n-) levels were observed in all lung cancer patients compared with the COPD group. The evaluation of lung cancer progression was also successful using OPLS-DA (AUC training=0.811, AUC test=0.904). Based on the results, the following metabolite biomarkers may prove useful in distinguishing lung cancer states: isoleucine, acetoacetate, and creatine as well as the two NMR signals of N-acetylated glycoproteins and glycerol. | 25,213,261 | [
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The factors associated with medication errors in adult medical and surgical inpatients: a direct observation approach with medication record reviews. | Observing real situations in clinical practice can provide undetected information regarding problems in the medication process. The aims of this study were to describe the frequency, types, and severity of medication errors in medical and surgical inpatients as well as to study the relationship between medication errors and associating factors. A cross-sectional study using direct observations and medication record reviews was conducted to assess how 32 registered nurses administered 1058 medications to 122 inpatients in four medical and surgical wards at a university hospital in Finland between April and May 2012. Observations were recorded using a structured observation form and patients' medication record reviews (n = 122) before and after the observations were conducted. A multiprofessional team analysed and classified all of the detected errors and assessed their severity. A logistic regression was used to analyse the factors (work environment, team, person-specific, patient-specific or medication-related) associated with medication errors. At least one error was found in 22.2% (235/1058) of administered medications, 63.4% of which were medication administration errors and 18.3% of which were documentation errors. Of the medication administration errors, 59.1% involved an incorrect administration technique. 3.4% of errors caused harm to patients. Statistically significant factors that increased the risk of medication errors included every other weekday, except Sunday; morning shifts; increased rushes; nurses asking for help; and increased number of medications that patients used. Factors that decreased the risk of errors included administering medications through an oral route, double-checking the drugs, and additional people in the medication room at the same time. Medication errors in inpatient care are frequent, and improvements to increase safety are vital. More attention to medication administration techniques, administration instructions and attitudes toward safety are needed to prevent problems. | 25,213,297 | [
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Cardiac rehabilitation wait times and relation to patient outcomes. | Most cardiac rehabilitation (CR) associations have published guidelines recommending timely and early access. To review the effects of early CR initiation on patient outcomes, and to describe the wait times associated with positive outcomes. Studies were identified via a limited systematic search on key resource databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL. A focused Internet search was conducted with a concentrated grey literature search for evidence reports. Studies which enrolled adult cardiac patients who were eligible to participate in a CR program, based on CR guidelines, were considered. Methodological filters limited retrieval for articles published between January 1, 2002-March 4, 2013. Two reviewers screened references which were identified by the search strategy by examining the titles and abstracts. If the abstract identified the appropriate patient group, and addressed CR wait times, the full article was obtained for inclusion consideration. Ten articles were included for review. Results were extracted from included studies, and results were synthesized narratively. Early access was generally shown to be safe, and to have positive effects in terms of cardiac function and patient enrollment. Positive effects on functional capacity were shown with CR initiation within 3 months from an index event. Effects on quality of life were null in the long-term. Wait times ranged from 8.5-127.0 days. Seventeen days may be the optimal wait time to balance benefit with risk. Timely access to cardiac rehab can achieve greater patient enrolment. Research on the effects of early access on heart healthy behaviors and mental health are needed. Evidence-based recommendations for wait times should be formulated by indication. Delays to intake should be minimized, and wait times shortened significantly, so that patients can reap the maximum benefits from CR participation. | 25,213,305 | [
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Experience and the ever-changing brain: what the transcriptome can reveal. | The brain is an ever-changing organ that encodes memories and directs behavior. Neuroanatomical studies have revealed structural plasticity of neural architecture, and advances in gene expression technology and epigenetics have demonstrated new mechanisms underlying the brain's dynamic nature. Stressful experiences challenge the plasticity of the brain, and prolonged exposure to environmental stress redefines the normative transcriptional profile of both neurons and glia, and can lead to the onset of mental illness. A more thorough understanding of normal and abnormal gene expression is needed to define the diseased brain and improve current treatments for psychiatric disorders. The efforts to describe gene expression networks have been bolstered by microarray and RNA-sequencing technologies. The heterogeneity of neural cell populations and their unique microenvironments, coupled with broad ranging interconnectivity, makes resolving this complexity exceedingly challenging and requires the combined efforts of single cell and systems level expression profiling to identify targets for therapeutic intervention. | 25,213,333 | [
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Inhibition of serotonin transporter expression by C/EBPβ in LPS-activated macrophage cells (HD11). | Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) transporter (5-HTT) is involved in inflammation and the stress response. In this study, we examined the regulation of 5-HTT expression in macrophage HD11 cells in response to bacterial LPS. Long-term exposure of cells to LPS (6-18 h) produced a decrease in 5-HTT mRNA expression. Accordingly, reduced 5-HTT activity measured by 5-HT uptake was also observed in LPS-treated HD11 cells. Moreover, LPS treatment, as well as co-transfection with an expression vector encoding the chicken CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (C/EBPβ), resulted in inhibition of 5-HTT promoter activity. Indeed, sequence analysis revealed several C/EBPβ binding motifs in the upstream region of the 5-HTT gene, which specifically interacted with C/EBPβ both in an in vitro band shift assay and in living HD11 cells. The C/EBPβ binding was activated in cells treated with LPS. The role of C/EBPβ in LPS inhibition of 5-HTT expression was further confirmed by small interfering RNA interference, which demonstrated that knockdown of endogenous C/EBPβ attenuated the inhibition of 5-HTT expression in LPS-treated cells. Taken together, the results suggest that C/EBPβ plays a critical role in regulating the 5-HTT gene in macrophages in response to pro-inflammatory stimuli. | 25,213,348 | [
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Progress of biological agents on psoriatic arthritis. | Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory arthritis, characterized by mild arthralgia to severe joint deformities. Long term management of these diseases with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and diseasemodifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) is limited due to lack of efficacy and potential organ toxicity. Recently, the approval of injectable biologics, such as T cell inhibitors and TNF-α antagonist, has changed the treatment of moderateto- severe psoriasis and PsA. Unlike NSAIDs and DMARDs, TNF-α antagonists not only provide unambiguous benefits for the skin and joints, but also prevent the progression of structural damage in peripheral joints. Biological agents in the treatment of PsA have broad prospects. More and more biological agents are being developed for the treatment of PsA. In the current review, we will discuss the progress of biological agents on PsA. | 25,213,361 | [
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Gradient-based electrical properties tomography (gEPT): A robust method for mapping electrical properties of biological tissues in vivo using magnetic resonance imaging. | To develop high-resolution electrical properties tomography (EPT) methods and investigate a gradient-based EPT (gEPT) approach that aims to reconstruct the electrical properties (EP), including conductivity and permittivity, of an imaged sample from experimentally measured B1 maps with improved boundary reconstruction and robustness against measurement noise. Using a multichannel transmit/receive stripline head coil with acquired B1 maps for each coil element, and by assuming negligible Bz component compared to transverse B1 components, a theory describing the relationship between B1 field, EP value, and their spatial gradient has been proposed. The final EP images were obtained through spatial integration over the reconstructed EP gradient. Numerical simulation, physical phantom, and in vivo human experiments at 7 T have been conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. Reconstruction results were compared with target EP values in both simulations and phantom experiments. Human experimental results were compared with EP values in literature. Satisfactory agreement was observed with improved boundary reconstruction. Importantly, the proposed gEPT method proved to be more robust against noise when compared to previously described nongradient-based EPT approaches. The proposed gEPT approach holds promises to improve EP mapping quality by recovering the boundary information and enhancing robustness against noise. | 25,213,371 | [
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Immune dysregulation in human subjects with heterozygous germline mutations in CTLA4. | Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) is an inhibitory receptor found on immune cells. The consequences of mutations in CTLA4 in humans are unknown. We identified germline heterozygous mutations in CTLA4 in subjects with severe immune dysregulation from four unrelated families. Whereas Ctla4 heterozygous mice have no obvious phenotype, human CTLA4 haploinsufficiency caused dysregulation of FoxP3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells, hyperactivation of effector T cells, and lymphocytic infiltration of target organs. Patients also exhibited progressive loss of circulating B cells, associated with an increase of predominantly autoreactive CD21(lo) B cells and accumulation of B cells in nonlymphoid organs. Inherited human CTLA4 haploinsufficiency demonstrates a critical quantitative role for CTLA-4 in governing T and B lymphocyte homeostasis. | 25,213,377 | [
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Propagating phonons coupled to an artificial atom. | Quantum information can be stored in micromechanical resonators, encoded as quanta of vibration known as phonons. The vibrational motion is then restricted to the stationary eigenmodes of the resonator, which thus serves as local storage for phonons. In contrast, we couple propagating phonons to an artificial atom in the quantum regime and reproduce findings from quantum optics, with sound taking over the role of light. Our results highlight the similarities between phonons and photons but also point to new opportunities arising from the characteristic features of quantum mechanical sound. The low propagation speed of phonons should enable new dynamic schemes for processing quantum information, and the short wavelength allows regimes of atomic physics to be explored that cannot be reached in photonic systems. | 25,213,379 | [
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Pregnane X Receptor and P-glycoprotein: a connexion for Alzheimer's disease management. | The translational failure between preclinical animal models and clinical outcome has alarmed us to search for a new strategy in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Interlink between Pregnane X Receptor (PXR) and P-glycoprotein (Pgp) at the blood brain barrier (BBB) has raised hope toward a new disease modifying therapy in AD. Pgp is a major efflux transporter for beta amyloid (Aβ) at human BBB. A literature survey reveals diminished expression of Pgp transporter at the BBB in AD patients. Pregnane X Receptor is a major transcriptional regulator of Pgp. Restoration of Pgp at the BBB enhances the elimination of the Aβ from brain alongside and inhibits the apical to basolateral movement of Aβ from the circulatory blood. This review concentrates on in vitro, in vivo, and in silico advancements on the study of the PXR in context to Pgp and discusses the substrate and inhibitor specificity between PXR and Pgp. | 25,213,397 | [
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Tone and sentence perception in young Mandarin-speaking children with cochlear implants. | The purpose of this study was to examine the outcomes of cochlear implantation in young children in terms of (1) perception of lexical tones in quiet, (2) perception of sentences in quiet and in noise, (3) the effects of five demographic variables (i.e., preoperative hearing level, age at implantation, duration of cochlear implants use, maternal educational level, and whether a child underwent a hearing aid trial before implantation) on lexical tone perception and sentence perception, and (4) the relationship between lexical tone perception and sentence perception. 96 participants, aged from 2.41 years to 7.09 years, were recruited in mainland China. The children exhibited normal cognitive abilities and received unilateral implants at an average age of 2.72 years, with ages ranging from 0.69 to 5 years of age. The mean score for tone identification was 77% (SD=13%; chance level=50%). Tone 2/tone 3 was the most difficult tone contrast to identify. Children with a longer duration of CI use and whose mothers had more years of education tended to perform better in sentence perception in quiet and in noise. Having undergone a hearing aid trial before implantation and more residual hearing were additional factors contributing to better sentence perception in noise. The only demographical variable that related to tone perception in quiet was duration of CI. In addition, while there was a modest correlation between tone perception and sentence perception in quiet (rs=0.47, p<0.001), the correlation between tone perception in quiet and sentence perception in noise was much weaker (rs=-0.28, p<0.05). The findings suggested that most young children who had been implanted before 5 years of age and had 1-3 years of implant use did not catch up with their aged peers with normal hearing in tone perception and sentence perception. The weak to moderate correlation between tone perception in quiet and sentence perception might imply that the improvement of tone perception in quiet may not necessarily contribute to sentence perception, especially in noise condition. | 25,213,422 | [
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Prognosis of patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinomas based on the Child-Pugh score: subclassifying the intermediate stage (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B). | Retrospective evaluation of intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patient survival after undergoing chemoembolization based on the Child-Pugh score. Data of intermediate-stage HCC patients undergoing chemoembolization were gathered from 43 centers in Japan. Overall survival rates were compared with Child-Pugh scores. Of the 329 patients examined in this study, Child-Pugh scores were 5 (CP-5) in 136 patients (41.3%), 6 (CP-6) in 101 patients (30.7%), 7 (CP-7) in 58 (17.7%), 8 (CP-8) in 22 (6.7%), and 9 (CP-9) in 12 (3.6%). Two-year survival rates were 77.5% in CP-5 patients (p = 0.047 vs. CP-6), 65.1% in CP-6 patients (p = 0.038 vs. CP-7), 51.3% in CP-7 patients (p = 0.30 vs. CP-8, p = 0.034 vs. CP-9), 50.3% in CP-8 patients (p = 0.0065 vs. CP-9), and 16.7% in CP-9 patients. Two-year survival rates were 77.2% in 139 patients meeting the 4 tumors of 7 cm criterion with Child-Pugh class A (B1) (p < 0.0001 vs. B2), 59.5% in 178 patients other than B1 and B3 (B2) (p = 0.0014 vs. B3), and 16.7% in 12 patients with Child-Pugh score 9 (B3). The Child-Pugh score is a useful prognostic factor to stratify intermediate-stage HCC patients. | 25,213,426 | [
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Oral Candida carriage and prevalence of Candida species among Maras powder users and non-users. | The aim of this study was to investigate Candida carriage and species in Maras powder users and non-users. This study included 100 volunteering men in 12 cafés in the city of Kahramanmaras, Turkey. A questionnaire composed of questions about socio-demographic features and Maras powder use was filled in by the participants. Culture specimens were obtained from bilateral buccal mucosa and dorsum of the tongue with a sterile cotton-tipped swap. The specimens were inoculated in Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA). The mean age of the participants was 48.0 ± 12.5 years (min = 20, max = 70). Fifty-four percent of the Maras powder users and 22% of the non-users were Candida carriers. The difference between the groups was significant (P = 0.001). The most frequently isolated species was Candida albicans at a rate of 44% in the Maras powder users and at a rate of 18% in the non-users. Other frequent species were Candida glabrata at a rate of 6% in the Maras powder users and 2% in the control group and Candida tropicalis at a rate of 4% in the Maras powder users and 2% in the nonusers. We found that a significantly high rate of the Maras powder users was Candida carriers. It should be kept in mind that opportunistic infections may be caused by Candida species in Maras powder users especially with immunosuppressive conditions since Candida species are likely to lead to such infections in cases of immunosuppressive diseases. | 25,213,478 | [
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[Anaplasic large cell lymphoma after breast prosthesis removal: about a case]. | There has recently been a new controversy about the appearance of a particular histological type of lymphoma, anaplasic large cell lymphoma, in patients carriers of breast implants, with no causal link has been established for the moment. We report the case of a patient of 67 years old with recurrent effusion breast after explantation of breast prosthesis. The diagnosis of anaplasic large cell lymphoma was made after histological examination of the entire peri-prosthetic capsule after removal of most common diagnoses such as infection. Taking in hematological load was then established with the administration of chemotherapy to complete remission. All peri-prosthetic recurrent effusion should suggest the diagnosis of anaplasic large cell lymphoma, the definitive diagnosis requires the completion of a total capsulectomy with histological examination of the entire capsule. | 25,213,486 | [
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Importance of blood cultures from peripheral veins in pediatric patients with cancer and a central venous line. | When an infection is suspected in a child with cancer and a central venous line (CVL), cultures are often only obtained from the CVL and not from a peripheral vein (PV). This study was undertaken to evaluate the importance of concomitant blood cultures from the CVL and a PV. Clinical data and the results of all cultures taken concomitantly from the CVL and a PV were registered prospectively in children admitted with fever from April 2008 to December 2012 at the Department of Pediatrics at Aarhus University Hospital Skejby. During the study period 654 paired cultures obtained from the CVL and from a PV within two hour of each other were included. A true bloodstream infection (BSI) was registered in 112 episodes. In 20 (17%) out of 112, true BSI growth of a microorganism was detected only in the culture from a PV including seven cases of Escherichia coli and three cases of Staphylococcus aureus. In 52 episodes the same microorganism was cultured from both the CVL and a PV. Twenty-four of these episodes were classified as catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) using differential time to positivity. In total, 64 (57%) of all true BSI were defined as CRBSI. Blood cultures should be obtained from a PV in addition to cultures from CVL at the onset of fever in pediatric patients with cancer in order to maximize the findings of true BSIs. The frequency of CRBSI may be over-estimated if blood cultures are drawn from CVL only. | 25,213,546 | [
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Vascular endothelial growth factor gene therapy improves nerve regeneration in a model of obstetric brachial plexus palsy. | The treatment of obstetric brachial plexus palsy has been limited to conservative therapies and surgical reconstruction of peripheral nerves. In addition to the damage of the brachial plexus itself, it also leads to a loss of the corresponding motoneurons in the spinal cord, which raises the need for supportive strategies that take the participation of the central nervous system into account. Based on the protective and regenerative effects of VEGF on neural tissue, our aim was to analyse the effect on nerve regeneration by adenoviral gene transfer of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in postpartum nerve injury of the brachial plexus in rats. In the present study, we induced a selective crush injury to the left spinal roots C5 and C6 in 18 rats within 24 hours after birth and examined the effect of VEGF-gene therapy on nerve regeneration. For gene transduction an adenoviral vector encoding for VEGF165 (AdCMV.VEGF165) was used. In a period of 11 weeks, starting 3 weeks post-operatively, functional regeneration was assessed weekly by behavioural analysis and force measurement of the upper limb. Morphometric evaluation was carried out 8 months post-operatively and consisted of a histological examination of the deltoid muscle and the brachial plexus according to defined criteria of degeneration. In addition, atrophy of the deltoid muscle was evaluated by weight determination comparing the left with the right side. VEGF expression in the brachial plexus was quantified by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Furthermore the motoneurons of the spinal cord segment C5 were counted comparing the left with the right side. On the functional level, VEGF-treated animals showed faster nerve regeneration. It was found less degeneration and smaller mass reduction of the deltoid muscle in VEGF-treated animals. We observed significantly less degeneration of the brachial plexus and a greater number of surviving motoneurons (P < 0·05) in the VEGF group. The results of this study confirmed the positive effect of VEGF-gene therapy on regeneration and survival of nerve cells. We could demonstrate a significant improvement on the motor-functional as well as on the histomorphological level. However, increased vascularization of the nerve tissue caused by VEGF does not seem to be the major reason for these effects. The clinical use of adenoviral VEGF-gene therapy in the newborn cannot be justified so far. | 25,213,596 | [
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Multiple overlapping stent-assisted coiling of complex aneurysms: a single-center experience. | Coil embolization of wide-necked and fusiform aneurysms is challenging and is frequently associated with recanalization despite assistance of any additional device. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and mid-term outcomes of complex aneurysms after multiple overlapping stent-assisted coiling (OSAC). We retrospectively evaluated 26 wide-necked and fusiform atherosclerotic or dissecting aneurysms that were treated with multiple OSAC. Eight aneurysms (30·8%) presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage and one (3·9%) with intracranial hemorrhage. Complete embolization was achieved in 15 of the 26 aneurysms (57·7%), while remnant neck was identified in nine (34·6%) and remnant aneurysm was noted in two (7·7%). Immediate procedure-related complications were observed in five patients (19·2%) including two with asymptomatic in-stent thrombosis, one with transient right-sided weakness, one with decreased mentality, and one with aphasia and quadriplegia. A procedure-related permanent neurologic deficit (modified Rankin scale scores of 1 and 5) was noted in two patients (7·7%). Angiographic follow-up (mean duration 23·9 months) after OSAC was carried out in 18 patients (69·2%): 11 (61·1%) were stable, 3 (16·7%) improved, 3 (16·7%) had minor compaction, and 1 had major recanalization (5·5%). One recurred aneurysm after OSAC and two recanalized aneurysms after single stenting were re-treated using additional stent-assisted coiling, and there was no recanalization in these three aneurysms during the 25·7 months after re-treatment. Multiple OSAC is feasible and effective for complex aneurysms and recurrent aneurysms after stent-assisted coiling. | 25,213,599 | [
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The development and validation of an early warning system to prevent the acquisition of 12-lead resting ECGs with interchanged electrode positions. | A fraction of routine resting ECG's are taken with electrode positions interchanged, leading to possible clinical misinterpretation. Develop and test a method to detect and prevent electrode reversals at the electrocardiograph before the ECG is acquired. The algorithm is based on QRS axis and P amplitudes for limb electrode reversals, and P-Q-RS amplitude distances to detect chest electrode reversals. The evaluation method involved a large (>18,000) hospital database for which serial ECG's were available and was based on simulated juxtapositions. The 7 most common lead reversals could be detected with a specificity of 99.8% per type and an average sensitivity of 90%, excluding LA-LL reversal (22% sensitivity). Results are similar to retrospective studies that used smaller, more homogeneous datasets. The early warning system reduces the ECG's recorded with reversal by 80%, at the price of a modest false alert rate of 1.4%. | 25,213,624 | [
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Single agent efficacy of the VEGFR kinase inhibitor axitinib in preclinical models of glioblastoma. | Anti-angiogenic therapy is a promising therapeutic strategy for the highly vascular and malignant brain tumor, glioblastoma (GBM), although current clinical trials have failed to demonstrate an extension in overall survival. The small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor axitinib that targets vascular endothelial growth factor receptor, potently inhibits angiogenesis and has single-agent clinical activity in non-small cell lung, thyroid, and advanced renal cell cancer. Here we show that axitinib exerts direct cytotoxic activity against a number of patient-derived GBM stem cell (GSCs) and an endothelial cell line, and inhibits endothelial tube formation in vitro. Axitinib treatment of mice bearing hypervascular intracranial tumors generated from human U87 glioma cells, MGG4 GSCs and mouse 005 GSCs significantly extended survival that was associated with decreases in tumor-associated vascularity. We thus show for the first time the anti-angiogenic effect and survival prolongation provided by systemic single agent treatment with axitinib in preclinical orthotopic GBM models including clinically relevant GSC models. These results support further investigation of axitinib as an anti-angiogenic agent for GBM. | 25,213,669 | [
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Global extent of chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium vivax: a systematic review and meta-analysis. | Chloroquine is the first-line treatment for Plasmodium vivax malaria in most endemic countries, but resistance is increasing. Monitoring of antimalarial efficacy is essential, but in P. vivax infections the assessment of treatment efficacy is confounded by relapse from the dormant liver stages. We systematically reviewed P. vivax malaria treatment efficacy studies to establish the global extent of chloroquine resistance. We searched Medline, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews to identify studies published in English between Jan 1, 1960, and April 30, 2014, which investigated antimalarial treatment efficacy in P. vivax malaria. We excluded studies that did not include supervised schizonticidal treatment without primaquine. We determined rates of chloroquine resistance according to P. vivax malaria recurrence rates by day 28 whole-blood chloroquine concentrations at the time of recurrence and study enrolment criteria. We identified 129 eligible clinical trials involving 21,694 patients at 179 study sites and 26 case reports describing 54 patients. Chloroquine resistance was present in 58 (53%) of 113 assessable study sites, spread across most countries that are endemic for P. vivax. Clearance of parasitaemia assessed by microscopy in 95% of patients by day 2, or all patients by day 3, was 100% predictive of chloroquine sensitivity. Heterogeneity of study design and analysis has confounded global surveillance of chloroquine-resistant P. vivax, which is now present across most countries endemic for P. vivax. Improved methods for monitoring of drug resistance are needed to inform antimalarial policy in these regions. Wellcome Trust (UK). | 25,213,732 | [
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Carbon nanofibers decorated with molybdenum disulfide nanosheets: synergistic lithium storage and enhanced electrochemical performance. | Traditional lithium-ion batteries that are based on layered Li intercalation electrode materials are limited by the intrinsically low theoretical capacities of both electrodes and cannot meet the increasing demand for energy. A facile route for the synthesis of a new type of composite nanofibers, namely carbon nanofibers decorated with molybdenum disulfide sheets (CNFs@MoS2), is now reported. A synergistic effect was observed for the two-component anode, triggering new electrochemical processes for lithium storage, with a persistent oxidation from Mo (or MoS2) to MoS3 in the repeated charge processes, leading to an ascending capacity upon cycling. The composite exhibits unprecedented electrochemical behavior with high specific capacity, good cycling stability, and superior high-rate capability, suggesting its potential application in high-energy lithium-ion batteries. | 25,213,751 | [
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A prospective, observational study of added medium-dose cytosine arabinoside versus As2O3 for elderly patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia. | This open-label, prospective, observational study aimed to evaluate disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), PML-RARα polymerase chain reaction (PCR) monitoring and safety in elderly patients with de novo acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) who were treated with either arsenic trioxide (As2O3) or medium-dose cytosine arabinoside (MiDAC) as frontline consolidation regimens. A total of 167 patients (age≥65 years old) received all-trans retinoic acid + daunorubicin as induction therapy. Of these patients, 22 died before attaining complete remission; the remaining 145 subjects received MiDAC- or As2O3-based consolidation therapy. As2O3 was superior to MiDAC for improving DFS and OS. This benefit appeared to result from the longer 5-year DFS (92.0 vs. 69.1%, P<0.01) and OS (94.5 vs. 79.7%, P<0.05) of As2O3 compared to MiDAC. PCR monitoring demonstrated that As2O3 promoted a lower positive rate than MiDAC (21.7 vs. 4.5%, P<0.05), but this treatment had no advantage for maintaining a low positive rate in the high-risk group. The most common life-threatening adverse drug effects in patients with MiDAC were platelet counts<25×10(9)/L (85.7%), leukocyte counts<1.0×10(9)/L (81.4%) and severe infection (84.3%). In contrast, the As2O3 regimen rarely caused leukocyte counts<1.0×10(9)/L (22.7%, P<0.01), platelet counts<25×10(9)/L (37.3%, P<0.01) or severe infection (21.3%, P<0.01). These data confirm that MiDAC should not be added during the initial consolidation of patients with APL because this treatment is far less effective, particularly in patients with a low-risk profile, and far more toxic than As2O3. | 25,213,763 | [
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Angular-resolved magnetometry beyond triclinic crystals part II: torque magnetometry of Cp*ErCOT single-molecule magnets. | The experimental investigation of the molecular magnetic anisotropy in crystals in which the magnetic centers are symmetry related, but do not have a parallel orientation has been approached by using torque magnetometry. A single crystal of the orthorhombic organometallic Cp*ErCOT [Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadiene anion (C5Me5(-)); COT=cyclooctatetraenedianion (C8H8(2-))] single-molecule magnet, characterized by the presence of two nonparallel families of molecules in the crystal, has been investigated above its blocking temperature. The results confirm an Ising-type anisotropy with the easy direction pointing along the pseudosymmetry axis of the complex, as previously suggested by out-of-equilibrium angular-resolved magnetometry. The use of torque magnetometry, not requiring the presence of magnetic hysteresis, proves to be even more powerful for these purposes than standard single-crystal magnetometry. Furthermore, exploiting the sensitivity and versatility of this technique, magnetic anisotropy has been investigated up to 150 K, providing additional information on the crystal-field splitting of the ground J multiplet of the Er(III) ion. | 25,213,767 | [
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Triple-layered mixed co-culture model of RPE cells with neuroretina for evaluating the neuroprotective effects of adipose-MSCs. | Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy is promising for neuroprotection but there is no report of an appropriate in vitro model mimicking the situation of the in vivo retina that is able to test the effect of MSCs in suspension or encapsulated with/without a drug combination. This study aims to establish a viable mixed co-culture model having three layers: neuroretina explants (NRs), retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and adipose tissue-derived MSCs (AT-MSCs) for evaluating adipose-MSC effects. AT-MSCs were grown on the lower surface of a transwell membrane and RPE cells were grown on the bottom of a culture plate as monocultures. A transwell membrane was inserted into a culture plate well. NR was placed as an organotypic culture on the upper surface of the transwell membrane. Thus, a triple-layered co-culture setup was constructed. In double-layered setups, NR were co-cultured with AT-MSCs or RPE cells. Optimum medium, experiment execution period and transwell membrane permeability (TMP) were determined. MSC effects on RPE cell proliferation and NR reactive gliosis were evaluated. Limitations were discussed. Our study shows that neurobasal A with DMEM (1:1) mixed medium was suitable for viability of all three layers. AT-MSC growth decreased TMP significantly, 30-60 % in 3- to 6-day periods. Spontaneous NR reactive gliosis limits the experiment execution period to 6 days. AT-MSCs maintained their undifferentiated nature and showed no or limited neuroprotective effects. In this study, we successfully assembled viable double- and triple-layered co-culture setups for AT-MSCs, RPE and NR, optimised conditions for their survival and explored setup Limitations. | 25,213,807 | [
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Nanobiodevice-based single biomolecule analysis, single-cell analysis, and in vivo imaging for cancer diagnosis, cancer theranostics, and iPS cell-based regenerative medicine. | Numerous nanobiodevices have been developed for cancer diagnosis through the analysis of cancer cells and cancer-related biomolecules, cancer gene therapy, and iPS cell-based regenerative medicine. A microchamber array, which is fabricated on a plastic chip, enables to develop a reliable circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection technique for cancer metastasis diagnosis. A nanopillar-array or a nanowire-array on a quartz chip allows ultrafast analysis of DNA and microRNA within 1 s for the molecular diagnosis of cancer. Immunopillar devices, which contain a tremendous amount of antibody-immobilized microparticles inside an immunopillar structure, have realized fast and low invasive "from blood to analysis" type biomarker detection of cancer with a pM detection sensitivity within 5 min. Quantum dots and gene delivery nanodevices are applied to single cancer cell diagnosis, in vivo imaging for iPS cell based regenerative medicine, and theranostic devices for cancer diagnosis and therapy. | 25,213,813 | [
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Entropy and long-range correlations in DNA sequences. | We analyze the structure of DNA molecules of different organisms by using the additive Markov chain approach. Transforming nucleotide sequences into binary strings, we perform statistical analysis of the corresponding "texts". We develop the theory of N-step additive binary stationary ergodic Markov chains and analyze their differential entropy. Supposing that the correlations are weak we express the conditional probability function of the chain by means of the pair correlation function and represent the entropy as a functional of the pair correlator. Since the model uses two point correlators instead of probability of block occurring, it makes possible to calculate the entropy of subsequences at much longer distances than with the use of the standard methods. We utilize the obtained analytical result for numerical evaluation of the entropy of coarse-grained DNA texts. We believe that the entropy study can be used for biological classification of living species. | 25,213,853 | [
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Nuclear enrichment of folate cofactors and methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 1 (MTHFD1) protect de novo thymidylate biosynthesis during folate deficiency. | Folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism is a metabolic network of interconnected pathways that is required for the de novo synthesis of three of the four DNA bases and the remethylation of homocysteine to methionine. Previous studies have indicated that the thymidylate synthesis and homocysteine remethylation pathways compete for a limiting pool of methylenetetrahydrofolate cofactors and that thymidylate biosynthesis is preserved in folate deficiency at the expense of homocysteine remethylation, but the mechanisms are unknown. Recently, it was shown that thymidylate synthesis occurs in the nucleus, whereas homocysteine remethylation occurs in the cytosol. In this study we demonstrate that methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 1 (MTHFD1), an enzyme that generates methylenetetrahydrofolate from formate, ATP, and NADPH, functions in the nucleus to support de novo thymidylate biosynthesis. MTHFD1 translocates to the nucleus in S-phase MCF-7 and HeLa cells. During folate deficiency mouse liver MTHFD1 levels are enriched in the nucleus >2-fold at the expense of levels in the cytosol. Furthermore, nuclear folate levels are resistant to folate depletion when total cellular folate levels are reduced by >50% in mouse liver. The enrichment of folate cofactors and MTHFD1 protein in the nucleus during folate deficiency in mouse liver and human cell lines accounts for previous metabolic studies that indicated 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate is preferentially directed toward de novo thymidylate biosynthesis at the expense of homocysteine remethylation during folate deficiency. | 25,213,861 | [
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A signal transducer and activator of transcription 3·Nuclear Factor κB (Stat3·NFκB) complex is necessary for the expression of fascin in metastatic breast cancer cells in response to interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. | IL-6 mediated activation of Stat3 is a major signaling pathway in the process of breast cancer metastasis. One important mechanism by which the IL-6/Stat3 pathway promotes metastasis is through transcriptional regulation of the actin-bundling protein fascin. In this study, we further analyzed the transcriptional regulation of the fascin gene promoter. We show that in addition to IL-6, TNF-α increases Stat3 and NFκB binding to the fascin promoter to induce its expression. We also show that NFκB is required for Stat3 recruitment to the fascin promoter in response to IL-6. Furthermore, Stat3 and NFκB form a protein complex in response to cytokine stimulation. Finally, we demonstrate that an overlapping STAT/NFκB site in a highly conserved 160-bp region of the fascin promoter is sufficient and necessary to induce transcription in response to IL-6 and TNF-α. | 25,213,863 | [
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The Patterning of Sub-500 nm Inorganic Oxide Structures. | Elastomeric perfluoropolyether molds are applied to pattern arrays of sub-500 nm inorganic oxide features. This versatile soft-lithography technique can be used to pattern a wide range of materials; in this work inorganic oxides including TiO2 , SnO2 , ZnO, ITO, and BaTiO3 are patterned on a variety of substrates with different aspect ratios. An example of TiO2 posts is shown in the figure. | 25,213,887 | [
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Manipulating the Local Light Emission in Organic Light-Emitting Diodes by using Patterned Self-Assembled Monolayers. | Patterned organic light-emitting diodes are fabricated by using microcontact- printed self-assembled monolayers on a gold anode (see background figure). Molecules with dipole moments in opposite directions result in an increase or a decrease of the local work function (foreground picture), providing a direct handle on charge injection and enabling local modification of the light emission. | 25,213,893 | [
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Investigating the composition of dissolved organic matter in natural water in rare earth mine using EEM-PARAFAC analysis. | In this study, we have characterized three fluorescent components of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the surface and underground water of one rare earth element ore district by excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). Two protein-like components (C1, tyrosine and C2, tryptophan) and one humic-like component (C3) were identified by the DOM Fluor-PARAFAC model, with C3 constituting more than 95% of the total DOM, while C1 and C2 occupying a tiny fraction of DOM. The distribution of three PARAFAC-identified components was strongly influenced by the river direction, terrain and location of various water samples. The results suggested that DOM of samples collected from downstream or a central region had higher fluorescence intensity than those of upstream or surrounding the center. In addition, a negative linear correlation (R(2) = 0.8465) between pH (5.7-9.2) and fluorescence intensity of C3 was observed, indicating that the increase of pH might enhance the intensity of fluorescent humic-like substances. Although the fluorescence intensity of C1 and C2 was independent of pH changes, strong quenching effects of different heavy metals were presented for C1, and evident positive correlations between C2 and concentrations of rare earth metals (La, Ce, Tb, Dy, Tm, etc.) were observed, which showed that tyrosine-like (C1) and tryptophan-like (C2) substances were assumingly responsible for metal binding and adsorption in water, respectively. Based on EEM-PARAFAC modeling, all the fluorescence EEMs of samples could be decomposed into a three-component model, and their potential applications in water quality monitoring and metal-binding indicator were likely to be developed in the fluorescence analysis of natural water. | 25,213,919 | [
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Changes in phenolic profile and antioxidant activity during production of diced tomatoes. | Tomatoes and tomato-based products are rich in antioxidants such as carotenoids, vitamin C and polyphenols. The industrial processing of diced tomatoes involves heat treatments in which these antioxidant compounds may be potentially affected. In this study, we evaluate the effect of each separate step in the dice-making process. Three technological processes were investigated: Hot, Cold and Cold treated with calcium salt (CaCl2). Four stages were monitored in each process: (1) fresh tomatoes; (2) peeled tomatoes; (3) diced tomatoes; and (4) final product after sauce addition. The main tool for minimising or counteracting the eventual processing damage was the strategy of 'reconstitution', achieved by adding a sauce rich in seeds and peels with high levels of antioxidants and phenolics to the diced tomatoes. Different analyses were carried out in order to evaluate the effect of each processing step. First, total polyphenols (TP) were evaluated using Folin-Ciocalteau (F-C) assay and antioxidant activity using ABTS(+) and DPPH assays. Flavonols, flavanones, hydroxycinnamic and phenolic acids were then quantified using liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS). The combination of principal component analysis (PCA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that each processing step induces alterations in the antioxidant and phenolic profile, and in particular sauce addition and calcium treatment significantly affected the levels of antioxidants and phenolics during the dice-making process. | 25,213,947 | [
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Characterisation of sweetpotato from Papua New Guinea and Australia: Physicochemical, pasting and gelatinisation properties. | The physicochemical and functional properties of flours from 25 Papua New Guinean and Australian sweetpotato cultivars were evaluated. The cultivars (white-, orange-, cream-, and purple-fleshed, and with dry matter, from 15 to 28g/100g), were obovate, oblong, elliptic, curved, irregular in shape, and essentially thin-cortexed (1-2mm). Flour yield was less than 90g/100g solids, while starch, protein, amylose, water absorption and solubility indices, as well as total sugars, varied significantly (p<0.05). Potassium, sodium, calcium, and phosphorus were the major minerals measured, and there were differences in the pasting properties, which showed four classes of shear-thinning and shear-thickening behaviours. Differential scanning calorimetry showed single-stage gelatinisation behaviour, with cultivar-dependent temperatures (61-84°C) and enthalpies (12-27J/g dry starch). Oval-, round- and angular-shaped granules were observed with a scanning electron microscope, while X-ray diffraction revealed an A-type diffraction pattern in the cultivars, with about 30% crystallinity. This study shows a wide range of sweetpotato properties, reported for the first time. | 25,213,955 | [
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A novel and enhanced approach for the assessment of the total carotenoid content of foods based on multipoint spectroscopic measurements. | We have devised a more sensible approach to estimate the carotenoid content of orange juices, which can be regarded as a model system of food with intricate carotenoid pattern. For this purpose spectroscopic information at several wavelengths and spectra of the juices and not from their carotenoid extracts were considered, such that more accurate and rapid quantitative assessments can be achieved. The wavelengths proposed on the basis of the characteristic vector method were 420, 455, 515, 545 and 610nm or 420, 445, 510, 545 and 605nm, depending on the measurement conditions. The correlations between the carotenoid content and the reflectances at these wavelengths were very good (R=0.94 and 0.90, respectively). Additionally, it was demonstrated that the colour of the juices could be assessed with very good accuracy considering them. Due to its simplicity and rapidity, this method is intended to facilitate the quality control of the carotenoid content of foodstuffs in the industry and/or in the field. | 25,213,969 | [
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The study of deoxynivalenol and its masked metabolites fate during the brewing process realised by UPLC-TOFMS method. | The co-occurrence of deoxynivalenol (DON) and deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (DON-3-Glc) has been recently reported in malt and beer. In this study, the concentration changes were monitored within the brewing process of four beer brands: light, dark tap and two lagers, produced from ground malt mixtures differing in composition, and also mycotoxins content. A simple and rapid method employing DON-dedicated immunoaffinity columns (IAC) for the selective pre-concentration, followed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (UPLC-TOFMS) system for the reliable quantification at (ultra)trace levels, was validated for all experimental matrices. The results document the key role of the malt contamination nature. While in the first monitoring period a significant increase of both DON and DON-3-Glc occurred (up to 250% and 450%, respectively), fairly different trends were observed when new malts were used for identical technological processing (in some beers a decrease of DON and only a small increase of DON-3-Glc occurred). Worth noticing, that the outcome of the brewing process was surprisingly reproducible for a particular malt mixture. In the final phase, a small monitoring study comparing Czech and Austrian alcohol-free and conventional beers was carried out. | 25,213,970 | [
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Extraction and deglycosylation of flavonoids from sumac fruits using steam explosion. | The effects of steam explosion on the extraction and conversion of flavonoids from sumac fruits were studied. Steam explosion caused the reduction of particle size and led to the formation of large fissures and micropores on the sumac fruit coat. However, there was little change in total flavonoid content. A study of the process kinetics showed that the flavonoid yield of sumac fruits steam-exploded at 200°C for 5min reached the maximum of 19.65mg/g dry weight at 20min, which was about 8-fold higher than that of the raw sample. In addition, quercitrin (quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside), the dominant flavonoid in sumac fruits, was deglycosylated and converted into quercetin by steam explosion. The conversion ratio was 84.51% under the steam explosion condition of 200°C for 5min. It can be concluded that steam explosion is a promising process for application in flavonoid extraction and conversion in the food industry. | 25,213,979 | [
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Sensory assessment and chemical measurement of astringency of Greek wines: Correlations with analytical polyphenolic composition. | The purpose of this study was to measure the astringency of selected Greek red wines and to assess the relationship between sensory and chemical data. Nine red wines produced by three native Greek grape varieties (agiorgitiko, xinomavro and mavrodafni) were used and their astringency and bitterness was assessed by a trained panel. In addition, their astringency was estimated chemically employing the ovalbumin precipitation method. Their polyphenolic composition was also determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The sensory data showed that mandilaria was the most astringent variety whereas agiorgitiko was the least. Statistical analysis of the results indicated that the chemical data obtained for astringency significantly correlated with the sensory determinations. In addition, significant correlations were obtained between the sensory data and the wine polyphenolic composition. | 25,213,982 | [
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Mercury speciation in seafood samples by LC-ICP-MS with a rapid ultrasound-assisted extraction procedure: Application to the determination of mercury in Brazilian seafood samples. | This paper describes a simple method for mercury speciation in seafood samples by LC-ICP-MS with a fast sample preparation procedure. Prior to analysis, mercury species were extracted from food samples with a solution containing mercaptoethanol, l-cysteine and HCl and sonication for 15min. Separation of mercury species was accomplished in less than 5min on a C8 reverse phase column with a mobile phase containing 0.05%-v/v mercaptoethanol, 0.4%m/v l-cysteine and 0.06molL(-1) ammonium acetate. The method detection limits were found to be 0.25, 0.20 and 0.1ngg(-1) for inorganic mercury, ethylmercury and methylmercury, respectively. Method accuracy is traceable to Certified Reference Materials (DOLT-3 and DORM-3) from the National Research Council Canada (NRCC). With the proposed method there is a considerable reduction of the time of sample preparation. Finally, the method was applied for the speciation of mercury in seafood samples purchased from the Brazilian market. | 25,213,989 | [
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Respiratory failure after treatment of pneumothorax. | A 40-year-old man presented with an eight day history of left-side pleuritic chest pain and dyspnea. Chest examination revealed decreased air entry at the left lung. Chest X-ray examination revealed a large pneumothorax and a chest tube was successfully placed. Two hours after the procedure, auscultation revealed crackles over the left lung and oxygen saturation was 88% on room air. Chest radiography was repeated and showed a fully expanded left lung with alveolar-interstitial infiltrates. | 25,214,007 | [
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Pre-angiography total ST-segment resolution is not a reliable predictor of an open infarct-related artery. | While the cutoffs of predictive value for ST-segment elevations resolution (STSR) following thrombolysis and/or primary PCI were well documented, the impact of pre-angiography STSR has not been established yet. The aim of this study is to assess prognostic utility of pre-angiography STSR to predict pre-procedural TIMI flow in the infarct-related artery (IRA) and infarct size in STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI. A prospective study was performed, including 310 patients, admitted within 12h of symptom onset and who underwent primary PCI. ST-segment elevations were measured in: (1) qualifying ECG, (2) ECG before angiography, and (3) ECG post PCI. STSR was defined as: total (≥70%), partial (between 70% and 30%) and none (<30%). Relationships between pre-angiography STSR, initial TIMI flow and troponin T level (TnT) were analyzed. Pre-angiography STSR correlated with initial TIMI flow in the IRA (rS=0.619; p<0.001). Pre-angiography total STSR was observed in 23.2% patients. It was noted in 79.2% of patients with pre-procedural TIMI flow ≥2 and in 20.8% with TIMI flow ≤1 (p<0.001). Although the sensitivity of pre-angiography total STSR to detect pre-procedural TIMI flow ≥2 was 93%, its specificity was only 56% and the likelihood ratio was 2.1. Pre-angiography total STSR was associated with lower peak TnT level (2.2±2.5ng/ml vs. 6.4±5.0ng/ml, p<0.0001) when compared to the remaining patients. 1. Pre-angiography STSR correlates with preprocedural TIMI flow. 2. The sensitivity of pre-angiography total STSR in detection of pre-procedural TIMI flow ≥2 is high, but low specificity of only 56% makes it an unreliable predictor of an open IRA. | 25,214,008 | [
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Nijmegen breakage syndrome fibroblasts expressing the C-terminal truncated NBN(p70) protein undergo p38/MK2-dependent premature senescence. | Fibroblasts from the progeroid Nijmegen breakage syndrome that express a truncated version of the nibrin protein (NBN(p70)) undergo premature senescence and have an enlarged morphology with high levels of senescence-associated β-galactosidase, although they do not have F-actin stress fibres. Growth of these fibroblasts in the continuous presence of p38 inhibitors resulted in a large increase in replicative capacity and changed the cellular morphology so that the cells resembled young normal fibroblasts. A similar effect was seen using an inhibitor of the p38 downstream effector kinase MK2. These data suggest that NBN(p70) expressing cells undergo a degree of stress-induced replicative senescence via p38/MK2 activation, potentially due to increased telomere dysfunction, that may play a role in the progeroid features seen in this syndrome. | 25,214,013 | [
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Challenges in linking preclinical anti-microbial research strategies with clinical outcomes for device-associated infections. | Infections related to implanted medical devices have become a significant health care issue in recent decades. Increasing numbers of medical devices are in use, often in an aging population, and these devices are implanted against a background of increasing antibiotic-resistant bacterial populations. Progressively more antibiotic resistant infections, requiring ever more refined treatment options, are therefore predicted to emerge with greater frequency in the coming decades. Improvements in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of these device-associated infections will remain priority targets both for clinicians and the translational research community charged with addressing these challenges. Preclinical strategies, predictive of ultimate clinical efficacy, should serve as a control point for effective translation of new technologies to clinical applications. The development of new anti-infective medical devices requires a validated preclinical testing protocol; however, reliable validation of experimental and preclinical antimicrobial methodologies currently suffers from a variety of technical limitations. These include the lack of agreement or standardisation of experimental protocols, a general lack of correlation between in vitro and in vivo preclinical results and lack of validation between in vivo preclinical implant infection models and clinical (human) results. Device-associated infections pose additional challenges to practicing clinicians concerning diagnosis and treatment, both of which are complicated by the biofilms formed on the medical device. The critical challenges facing both preclinical research and clinical laboratories in improving both diagnosis and treatment of medical device-associated infections are the focus of this review. | 25,214,018 | [
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The non-aggregated aggrecan in the human intervertebral disc can arise by a non-proteolytic mechanism. | Analysis of both the aggregated and non-aggregated fractions of aggrecan isolated from adult human intervertebral disc using immunoblotting with antibodies specific for the different domains constituting the aggrecan core protein or atomic force microscopy revealed that many components contained the G1 domain. However, little of the disc aggrecan was able to reform aggregates with hyaluronan, as determined by gel filtration chromatography, suggesting that the G1 domains had been rendered non-functional. Since previous studies have shown that disc aggrecan undergoes non-enzymatic glycation with age, the functional effect of such modification was investigated in vitro using bovine aggrecan isolated from young animals. Incubation of monomeric aggrecan with ribose to induce glycation rendered it unable to form complexes with hyaluronan stable to agarose gel electrophoresis or gel filtration chromatography. Similarly, extended treatment of intact proteoglycan aggregate with ribose resulted in destabilisation of the complex with separation of the aggrecan from the hyaluronan. Although it is clear that proteolysis occurs in the intervertebral disc and gives rise to some non-aggregating molecules, a different mechanism is required to explain the presence of many non-aggregating molecules bearing the G1 domain. The products of non-enzymatic glycation of the globular domains of aggrecan would account for this phenomenon and explain why some of the non-aggregating molecules are still large proteoglycans. While such molecules may be retained in the nucleus pulposus, they may be able to diffuse within it, reducing the ability of the tissue to resist compression under asymmetric loading such as bending and ultimately contributing to disc degeneration. | 25,214,019 | [
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PMLABe diol synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of racemic benzyl β-malolactonate initiated by rare-earth trisborohydride complexes: an experimental and DFT study. | Polymer diols are a class of polymeric building blocks of high interest for the synthesis of complex macromolecular edifices. Rare-earth borohydride complexes are known as efficient initiators for the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic esters, directly affording α,ω-dihydroxy-telechelic polyesters. Here, were report the direct synthesis of poly(benzyl β-malolactonate) (PMLABe) diols, from the ROP of racemic (benzyl β-malolactonate) (rac-MLABe), a valuable and renewable monomer, initiated by the homoleptic [Ln(BH4 )3 (thf)3 ] (Ln=La, Nd, and Sm) complexes. These initiators enabled the controlled ROP of this β-lactone, affording well-defined syndiotactic-enriched (Pr ≈0.83) PMLABes (Mn up to 21 300 g mol(-1) , ÐM ≈1.5) as evidenced by size exclusion chromatography, (1) H and (13) C NMR spectroscopy, and MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry analyses. The first and second insertions of rac-MLABe, as assessed by DFT calculations, revealed more favorable stationary front-side than migratory back-side insertions, the thermodynamically and kinetically competitive ROP on two distinct arms with that on a one arm-only, and the thermodynamically slightly favored formation of syndiotactic-enriched PMLABes. | 25,214,039 | [
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Self-reported use of evidence-based medicine and smoking cessation 6 - 9 months after acute coronary syndrome: a single-centre perspective. | Good evidence exists to support the use of secondary prevention medications (aspirin, statins, beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)) and smoking cessation in patients after acute coronary syndromes (ACSs). Little is currently known about adherence to medication and smoking behaviour after discharge in South Africa. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of all patients with a diagnosis of ACS discharged from the Coronary Care Unit at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, between 15 November 2011 and 15 April 2012. Patients were telephoned 6 - 9 months after discharge and completed a standardised questionnaire detailing current medication use, reasons for non-adherence and smoking status. Prescribing of secondary prevention medications at discharge was high (aspirin 94.5%, statins 95.7%, beta-blockers 85.4%, ACEIs/ARBs 85.9%), and 70.7% of patients were discharged on a combination of all four drugs. At 6 - 9-month follow-up, the proportion using these medications had dropped by 8.9% for aspirin, 10.1% for statins, 6.2% for beta-blockers and 17.9% for ACEIs/ARBs. Only 47.2% remained on all four drugs, a reduction of 23.5%. Of the 56.0% of patients who were smokers, 31.4% had stopped smoking. A significant decline in adherence to recommended therapy 6 - 9 months after discharge and a poor rate of smoking cessation suggest that efforts to educate patients about the importance of long-term adherence need to be improved. Furthermore, more effective interventions than in-hospital reminders about the hazards of smoking are needed to improve smoking cessation. | 25,214,049 | [
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Injury severity in relation to seatbelt use in Cape Town, South Africa: a pilot study. | Injuries and deaths from road traffic collisions present an enormous challenge to the South African (SA) healthcare system. The use of restraining devices is an important preventive measure. To determine the relationship between seatbelt use and injury severity in vehicle occupants involved in road traffic collisions in Cape Town, SA. A prospective cohort design was used. Occupants of vehicles involved in road traffic collisions attended to by EMS METRO Rescue were included during the 3-month data collection period. Triage categories of prehospital patients were compared between restrained and unrestrained groups. Patients transferred to hospital were followed up and injury severity scores were calculated. Disposition from the emergency centre and follow-up after 1 week were also documented and compared. A total of 107 patients were included in the prehospital phase. The prevalence of seatbelt use was 25.2%. Unrestrained vehicle occupants were five times more likely to have a high triage score (odds ratio (OR) 5.4; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5 - 19.5). Fifty patients were transferred to study hospitals. Although seatbelt non-users were more likely to be admitted to hospital (p=0.002), they did not sustain more serious injuries (OR 0.44; 95% CI 0.02 - 8.8). The prevalence of seatbelt use in vehicle occupants involved in road traffic collisions was very low. The association between seatbelt non-use and injury severity calls for stricter enforcement of current seatbelt laws, together with the development and implementation of road safety interventions specifically focused on high-risk groups. | 25,214,050 | [
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Efficacy of silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) chrysalis oil as a lipid source in adult Wistar rats. | The effects of silkworm chrysalis oil, rich in n-3 α-linolenic acid (ALA), on lipid metabolism in Wistar rats were investigated. The rats were fed diets containing 7% soybean oil (control), silkworm chrysalis oil (SWO), or fish oil (FO) for 8weeks. Plasma triglyceride and glucose levels were significantly lower in the SWO group after 8weeks compared to the control and FO groups. The total cholesterol and blood urea nitrogen levels were higher in the control group than in the SWO and FO groups at 8weeks post-consumption. However, aspartate amino transferase and alanine amino transferase levels were not significantly different among all groups. A higher arachidonic acid (AA) content was detected in the control group, while lower AA levels were observed with the increase in EPA and DHA in the SWO and FO groups. These results suggest that n-3 α-linolenic acid-rich silkworm chrysalis oil can improve hyperlipidaemia and hyperglycaemia. | 25,214,076 | [
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Antifungal activity of sourdough fermented wheat germ used as an ingredient for bread making. | This study aimed at investigating the antifungal activity of sourdough fermented (Lactobacillus plantarum LB1 and Lactobacillus rossiae LB5) wheat germ (SFWG). Preliminarily, methanol and water/salt-soluble extracts from SFWG were assayed by agar diffusion towards Penicillium roqueforti DPPMAF1. As shown by hyphal radial growth rate, the water/salt-soluble extract showed the inhibition of various fungi isolated from bakeries. The antifungal activity was attributed to a mixture of organic acids and peptides which were synthesized during fermentation. Formic (24.7mM) acid showed the highest antifungal activity. Four peptides, having similarities with well known antifungal sequences, were identified and chemically synthesized. The minimal inhibitory concentration was 2.5-15.2mg/ml. Slices of bread made by addition of 4% (wt/wt) of freeze dried SFWG were packed in polyethylene bags and stored at room temperature. Slices did not show contamination by fungi until at least 28days of storage and behaved as the calcium propionate (0.3%, wt/wt). | 25,214,083 | [
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Oxidative formation and structural characterisation of new α-pyranone (lactone) compounds of non-oxonium nature originated from fruit anthocyanins. | A new group of pyranoanthocyanin-derived polyphenolic compounds was recently found to occur in aged wines and named as oxovitisins, the spectrum of which displayed only a pronounced broad absorption peak around 370nm in the UV region, being quite different from that of anthocyanin-like chromenylium pigments which present maximum absorption in the visible wavelength ranges. The possibilities and reaction conditions for the oxidative transformation of anthocyanin type flavylium cations into new type of stable pyranone structures of non-oxonium nature was studied through two-step reactions using anthocyanins obtained from different fruit extracts. The irreversible change of pyranoflavyliums to the neutral pyranone compounds by hydration and further oxidation reactions in the second step were strongly related to pH. The reaction took place only in mildly acidic solutions with the most favourable pH range 4.0-5.5, as the hemiacetal formation by the nucleophilic attack of water could be hindered at higher or lower pH. The reaction rate increased significantly with increasing temperature. The new non-oxonium compounds resulting from malvidin-3-coumaroylglucoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside were structurally characterised by MS and NMR spectroscopy and shown similarly to possess the common α-pyranone (lactone) ring between C-4 and the hydroxy group at C-5 of the anthocyanin core, which confers them with unique spectrum characteristics. The interest in new anthocyanin derivatives of non-oxonium nature with additional pyranone (lactone) ring will go beyond wine chemistry and bring expectations concerning their use in the food and pharmaceutical industry due to their spectral and structural similarity to flavones as well as their naturally occurring nature. | 25,214,087 | [
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Sulphated modification of a polysaccharide obtained from fresh persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) fruit and antioxidant activities of the sulphated derivatives. | Free radicals and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) are believed to play significant roles in ageing as well as in a number of degenerative or pathological diseases. This paper reports the preparation, characterisation and potential antioxidant activity of a type of chemically sulphated polysaccharide isolated from fresh persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) fruit. Three sulphated derivatives with variable degrees of substitution (0.8, 1.7 and 2.5) were obtained by the chlorosulphonic acid-pyridine method. The sulphated derivatives all showed dose-dependent reducing power and free radical scavenging effect of 1,1-dipheny-l-2-picrylhydrazyl, superoxide anion and hydroxyl. Our results showed that the sulphated modification of polysaccharides significantly increased their antioxidant activities and may be an effective way to prepare these valuable derivatives. | 25,214,099 | [
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Early post-mortem sarcoplasmic proteome of porcine muscle related to protein oxidation. | Oxidative deterioration or modifications of proteins which appear during meat storage and processes can result in the impairment of technological, sensorial and nutritional qualities. Improving the quality involves a better understanding of the biochemical mechanisms responsible for protein oxidation in meat. For that purpose, an analysis was conducted to investigate the relationships between the early post-mortem sarcoplasmic proteome, which contains the majority of enzymes involved in the oxidative process, and protein oxidation generated during meat storage and cooking. This study was performed in Longissimus lumborum pig muscle. In order to have sufficient variability in the proteome and in the meat oxidation level, five groups of 10 animals issued from two different breeds and raised in three different rearing systems were analysed. Protein oxidation was estimated by the measurement of carbonyl groups after 1 and 4days of refrigerated storage, and after 100°C experimental cooking of the 4days aged meat. Significant correlations (p<0.05) were observed between the level of carbonyl groups and the intensities of 104 spots of the 2D electrophoresis, out of which 52 were clearly identified. The possible involvement of some proteins in the muscle oxidative stress leading to protein oxidation is discussed. | 25,214,101 | [
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Ascorbic acid enrichment of whole potato tuber by vacuum-impregnation. | The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of vacuum-impregnation (VI) for enriching the ascorbic acid content of whole potatoes. Whole potatoes were immersed in a 10% ascorbic acid (AA) solution. A vacuum pressure of 70cm Hg was applied for 0-60min, following atmospheric pressure restoration for 3h, while samples remained in the VI solution. AA concentrations of potatoes were measured using HPLC. The effects of cooking and storage time in subsets of the fortified samples were also evaluated. Results indicated that the AA concentration of whole potatoes increased with vacuum time (max 150mg/100g fr. wt.). In addition, a steam-cooking study showed that 100g of the 25min steam-cooked VI potatoes could provide adults with 90-100% of the recommended daily allowance of AA (100mg). The storage study showed that VI whole potatoes had a relatively high AA concentration (50mg/100gfr. wt.), even at 14days of storage at 4°C. This study indicated that VI treatment of whole potatoes was useful for enriching the AA content. | 25,214,103 | [
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Antioxidant activity of carrot juice in gamma irradiated beef sausage during refrigerated and frozen storage. | The antioxidant activity of carrot juice in gamma irradiated beef sausage was studied. Four batches of beef sausage were prepared, in which the first batch was formulated with water as the control. The other batches were formulated with unconcentrated carrot juice, carrot juice concentrated by 35% and 60%, respectively. Samples were irradiated at doses of 0, 3 and 4.5kGy. Then the extent of oxidation in raw sausages was determined during refrigerated and frozen storage through the determination of peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) for lipid oxidation and carbonyl content for protein oxidation. The raw sausages were sensory evaluated during storage for colour, appearance and odour, while the grilled samples were sensory evaluated for their colour, odour, taste, texture and juiciness post-treatment only. Irradiation and storage significantly increased the PV, TBARS and carbonyl content in the samples formulated with water. The carrot juice significantly decreased the oxidative processes in the samples proportionally to the juice's concentration. Furthermore, the sausages that were formulated with carrot juice had a high acceptable sensory scores as compared with the control samples. | 25,214,104 | [
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Cardiovascular protection of deep-seawater drinking water in high-fat/cholesterol fed hamsters. | Cardiovascular protection of deep-seawater (DSW) drinking water was assessed using high-fat/cholesterol-fed hamsters in this study. All hamsters were fed a high-fat/cholesterol diet (12% fat/0.2% cholesterol), and drinking solutions were normal distiled water (NDW, hardness: 2.48ppm), DSW300 (hardness: 324.5ppm), DSW900 (hardness: 858.5ppm), and DSW1500 (hardness: 1569.0ppm), respectively. After a 6-week feeding period, body weight, heart rates, and blood pressures of hamsters were not influenced by DSW drinking waters. Serum total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TAG), atherogenic index, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were decreased (p<0.05) in the DSW-drinking-water groups, as compared to those in the NDW group. Additionally, increased (p<0.05) serum Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and faecal TC, TAG, and bile acid outputs were measured in the DSW-drinking-water groups. Hepatic low-density-lipoprotein receptor (LDL receptor) and cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) gene expressions were upregulated (p<0.05) by DSW drinking waters. These results demonstrate that DSW drinking water benefits the attenuation of high-fat/cholesterol-diet-induced cardiovascular disorders in hamsters. | 25,214,107 | [
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Antioxidative activity of water extract of sweet potato leaves in Taiwan. | This study reports the preparation of four varieties of water extract from sweet potato leaves from Taiwan, including TNG10, TNG57, TNG66 and YSP, and evaluates their antioxidative activity. The EC50 values (scavenging DPPH radicals) of TNG10, TNG57, TNG66 and YSP were 0.27±0.01, 0.19±0.01, 0.41±0.02, and 0.31±0.02mg/ml, respectively, on a freeze-dry weight basis. The total phenolic contents of these water extracts were in the order: TNG57>TNG10>TNG66>YSP. The TNG10 and TNG57 extracts exhibited better reducing power and scavenging effects of superoxide radicals than did TNG66 and YSP. At a concentration of 1mg/ml, TNG10 and TNG57 significantly protected HaCaT cells from H2O2-induced cytotoxicity. The water extracts of YSP had more flavonoids than had those of TNG66 which may have contributed to their higher activity in many antioxidative assays. These results suggest that the water extracts of all four varieties of sweet potato leaves, and especially TNG10 and TNG57, display potent antioxidative effects. | 25,214,118 | [
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Gold nanoparticle modified conducting polymer of 4-(2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-pyrrole-1-l) benzenamine for potential use as a biosensing material. | Gold nanoparticle (AuNP) modified conducting polymer of 4-(2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)benzenamine (SNS-NH2) was used as the biosensing platform for glucose analysis. Electrochemical measurements were carried out by following the consumed oxygen due to the enzymatic reaction of glucose oxidase (GOx) at -0.7V vs Ag/AgCl. Optimisation of pH, enzyme loading, stability experiments were carried out. Effect of NP was investigated by monitoring the signal responses at different AuNP sizes and amounts. A linear relation of y=1.597x+0.264 (R(2)=0.993) was found for glucose concentrations between 0.002 and 5.0mM. The analytical characteristics of the system were also evaluated for glucose determination in flow injection analysis (FIA) mode. Finally, the system was checked for glucose detection on real samples. | 25,214,132 | [
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A rapid screening for adulterants in olive oil using DNA barcodes. | A distinctive methodology is developed to trace out the mixing into olive oil, which is marketed every year with 20% or more fraudulent oils. Such adulteration has been difficult to differentiate using fatty acid analysis and other available current techniques, as chemically fatty acids are same regardless of their source. The total genomic DNA isolated from olive oil, contaminated with canola and sunflower was analysed for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variation in noncoding spacer region between psbA-trnH and partial coding region of matK of plastid genome. These DNA regions were amplified by PCR using specific primers and resulting DNA sequences were matched to the predetermined consensus DNA barcode sequences of canola and sunflower for discerning the contaminations in olive oil samples. The matching of an adulterant DNA sequence with their respective DNA barcode revealed the mixing of canola and sunflower oil into olive is simpler way and the combined approach of molecular biology and bioinformatics technology can be used as an inexpensive method for ensuring the purity of olive. This plastid based molecular DNA technology can be used for rapid detection of adulteration easily up to 5% in olive oil. | 25,214,135 | [
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Quantitative analysis of phenolic compounds in Chinese hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) fruits by high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry. | Eleven major phenolic compounds (hyperoside, isoquercitrin, chlorogenic acid, ideain, epicatechin, two procyanidin (PA) dimers, three PA trimers and a PA dimer-hexoside) were quantified in the fruits of 22 cultivars/origins of three species of the Chinese hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) by HPLC-ESI-MS-SIR. Hyperoside (0.1-0.8mg/g dry mass [DM]), isoquercitrin (0.1-0.3mg/g DM), chlorogenic acid (0.2-1.6mg/g DM), epicatechin (0.9-11.7mg/g DM), PA B2 (0.7-12.4mg/g DM), PA dimer II (0.1-1.5mg/g DM), PA trimer I (0.1-2.7mg/g DM), PA trimer II (0.7-6.9mg/g DM), PA trimer III (0.01-1.2mg/g DM) and a PA dimer-hexoside (trace-1.1mg/g DM) were detected in all the samples. Ideain (0.0-0.7mg/g DM) was found in all the samples except Crataegus scabrifolia. Significant correlations between the contents of individual PA aglycons were observed (r>0.9, P<0.01). A strong correlation between flavonols was also shown (r=0.71, P<0.01). Fruits of Crataegus pinnatifida var. major had higher contents of PAs but lower contents of flavonols compared with Crataegus brettschneideri. The fruits of C. scabrifolia contained the highest level of PA dimer-hexoside, which was present in trace amounts in the fruits of C. pinnatifida. | 25,214,140 | [
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MicroRNA-10b indicates a poor prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer and targets E-cadherin. | MicroRNA-10b(miR-10b) has been reported to be dysregulated in some types of cancer and to play an important role in invasion and metastasis. It was previously found to be a tumor enhancer in NSCLC; however, its clinical significance in NSCLC has not been evaluated. We compared the expression levels of miR-10b in 73 pairs of NSCLC tissues and the corresponding noncancerous tissues, as well as in human lung cancer cell line A549 and NHBE cell line by qRT-PCR. Expression of E-cadherin (E-cad) was detected using RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. The disease-specific survival (DSS) was analyzed by log-rank test, and survival curves were plotted according to Kaplan-Meier. MiR-10b was significantly upregulated in NSCLC tissues as well as in A549 cell line. The relative miR-10b expression levels were significantly positively correlated with TNM stage (p = 0.01) and regional lymph node involvement (p < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with higher levels of miR-10b had significantly poorer survival than those with lower expression of this miRNA in patients, with a 5-year DSS of 29.5 and 63.8 %, respectively (p = 0.003). The E-cad mRNA and protein were overexpressed in miR-10b-suppressed cells compared with controls. Our results indicated that miR-10b expression was an independent prognostic factor in NSCLC patients. Furthermore, miR-10b might be necessary for driving the expression of E-cad in NSCLC. | 25,214,146 | [
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Introducing excess body weight in childhood and adolescence and comparison with body mass index and waist-to-height ratio. | Weight status in children and adolescents is commonly defined using age- and gender-corrected standard deviation scores for body mass index (BMI-SDS, also called z-scores). Values are not reliable for the extremely obese however. Moreover, paediatricians and parents may have difficulties understanding z-scores, and while percentiles are easier to gauge, the very obese have values above the 99th percentile, making distinction difficult. The notion of excess body weight (EBW) is increasingly applied in adult patients, mainly in the context of bariatric surgery. However, a clear definition is not available to date for the paediatric population. A simple definition of EBW for children and adolescents is introduced, with median weight as a function of height, age and gender (characterized by an asterisk): EBW (%) = 100x(weight-median weight*)/median weight*. EBW is compared with BMI-SDS and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Using two data sources (APV registry and German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS)) including more than 14,000 children, the relationships between these anthropometric and various metabolic parameters are analysed for a group of overweight/obese children who have sought obesity therapy (APV), for the general paediatric population and for the subset of overweight/obese children from the general population (KiGGS). The three anthropometric parameters are strongly correlated, with the linear correlation coefficients exceeding 0.8 in the general population and 0.75 in those seeking obesity therapy. Moreover, their relationship to metabolic parameters is quite similar regarding correlations and area under the curve from receiver operating characteristic analyses. EBW has similar predictive value for metabolic or cardiovascular comorbidities compared with BMI and WHtR. As it is reliable at the extreme end of the obesity spectrum, easily communicable and simple to use in daily practice, it would make a very useful addition to existing tools for working with obese children and adolescents. Its usefulness in assessing weight change needs to be studied however. | 25,214,151 | [
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Utility of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy in the inmediate postoperative period of liver transplant. | To determinate the safety of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) on hepatic allograft recipients. We reviewed the records of patients who underwent liver transplantation between October 2007 and April 2013, followed by PDT. In this time period, 25 liver recipients underwent PDT in our intensive care unit. We recorded severity index scores such as APACHE II and SAPS II, number of days since intubation, ratios of PaO2/FiO2 (arterial oxygen pressure to fraction of inspired oxygen), coagulation study findings, complications, and procedure-related mortality rates. We compared these records with the general ICU population and literature reports. The median age was 58 (IC range 47-65) and 64% were men. The median time since intubation to PDT was 11 days (IC range 6.5-15.5) and from transplant to PDT 12 days. The median ratio of PaO2/FiO2 was 212 (IC range 177-259). The median platelet count was 89 (IC range 37-149), significantly lower than the general ICU population (272 (IC range 186-381) P=.001). Complications were infrequent and included clinically remarkable major bleeding 8% (vs. 0,3% in general ICU population; P=.005), peristomal infection (4%) and ventilator-associated pneumonia 16% (vs. 2,8% in general ICU population; P=.007). There were no deaths associated with the procedures. PDT was tolerated well in recipients of liver allografts and had a relatively low risk of major complications and a low procedure-related mortality rate. | 25,214,168 | [
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Validation of a 15-item care-related regret coping scale for health-care professionals (RCS-HCP). | Coping with difficult care-related situations is a common challenge for health-care professionals. How these professionals deal with the regrets they may experience following one of the many decisions and interventions they must make every day can have an impact on their own health and quality of life, and also on their patient care practices. To identify professionals most at need for extra support, development and validation of a tool measuring coping style are needed. We performed a survey of physicians and nurses of a French-speaking University hospital; 469 health-care professionals responded to the survey, and 175 responded to the same survey one-month later. Regret was assessed with the regret coping scale developed for this study, self-report questions on the frequency of regretted situations and the intensity of regret. Construct validity was assessed using measures of health-care professionals' quality of life (including job and life satisfaction, and self-reported health) as well as sleep problems and depression. Based on factor analysis and item response analysis, the initial 31-item scale was shortened to 15 items, which measured three types of strategies: problem-focused strategies (i.e., trying to find solutions, talking to colleagues) and two types of emotion-focused strategies, A (i.e., self-blame, rumination) and B (e.g., acceptance, emotional distance). All subscales showed high internal consistency (α >0.85). Overall, as expected, problem-focused and emotion-focused B strategies correlated with higher quality of life, fewer sleep problems and less depression, and emotion-focused A strategies showed the opposite pattern. The regret coping scale (RCS-HCP) is a valid and reliable measure of coping abilities of hospital-based health-care professionals. | 25,214,189 | [
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Effects of varicocele on serum testosterone and changes of testosterone after varicocelectomy: a prospective controlled study. | To examine the hypotheses that clinical varicoceles affect baseline serum total testosterone levels (T) and varicocelectomy improves T. This prospective, nonrandomized, controlled study involved 4 groups of adult men. Varicocele-infertile treatment group (VIT) included 66 men who underwent varicocelectomy. Thirty-three varicocele-infertile control men (VIC) and 33 varicocele-fertile control men (VFC) were only observed. Normal-control (NC) group included 33 fertile men without varicocele. Varicocele groups were stratified into baseline hypogonadal (T <300 ng/dL) or eugonadal (T ≥300 ng/dL) subgroups. Main outcome measurements were between-group baseline T differences; and within-group T changes at 6- and 12-month follow-ups of men with varicocele. P <.05 was considered significant. Means (standard deviations) of baseline T in VIT, VIC, VFC, and NC were 347.4 (132.1), 339.7 (125.8), 396.6 (164.9), and 504.8 (149.7) ng/dL, respectively. The baseline T levels of varicocele groups were comparable, whereas they were significantly low compared with NC group. At 6-month follow-up, VIT demonstrated significant T improvements (mean change = 44.7 ng/dL; 12.9%; P <.0001). T changes were more remarkable among baseline hypogonadals (mean change = 93.7 ng/dL; 40.1%; P <.0001) compared with eugonadals (mean change = 8.6 ng/dL; 2.01%; P = .1223). These improvements were persistent at 12-month follow-up. Contrariwise, VIC and VFC exhibited nonsignificant T changes. Postvaricocelectomy T changes correlated significantly and inversely with baseline T (r = -0.689; P <.0001). This correlation was stronger and more significant among hypogonadals (r = -0.528; P = .004) than eugonadals (r = -0.400; P = .013). T improvements also exhibited significant positive correlations with preoperative and postoperative sperm concentrations. Baseline T was significantly low in men with varicocele compared with normal men. Varicocelectomy yielded significant T improvements among hypogonadal men but insignificant changes in eugonadals. T changes correlated strongly and significantly with baseline T and sperm concentrations. | 25,214,202 | [
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Extreme phenotypic variability of thyroid dysgenesis in six new cases of congenital hypothyroidism due to PAX8 gene loss-of-function mutations. | Within the last two decades, heterozygous loss-of-function PAX8 mutations have been reported in patients with a wide degree of thyroid gland dysfunction and growth despite the presence of identical mutations. To search for PAX8 mutations in a cohort of patients with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) and various types of thyroid gland defects. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a cohort of patients. The French neonatal screening program was used for recruiting patients. A total of 118 patients with CH, including 45 with familial and 73 with sporadic diseases, were included in this study. The thyroid gland was normal in 23 patients had hypoplasia, 25 had hemithyroid agenesis, 21 had athyreosis, and 21 had ectopy. We found four different PAX8 mutations (p.R31C, p.R31H, p.R108X, and p.I47T) in ten patients (six patients with CH and four family members), two with sporadic and eight with familial diseases. Imaging studies performed in the index cases showed ectopic thyroid gland (n=2), hypoplasia (n=2), eutopic lobar asymmetry (n=1), and eutopic gland compatible with dyshormonogenesis (n=1). The previously reported p.R31C and the novel p.I47T PAX8 mutations are devoid of activity. Four different PAX8 mutations were detected in six index patients with CH (ten total subjects). The p.R31C, p.R31H, and p.R108X mutations have been reported. The novel p.I47T PAX8 mutation presented loss of function leading to CH. Thyroid ectopy was observed in two cases of PAX8 (p.R31H) mutation, a finding that has not been reported previously. We observed a high inter-individual and intra-familial variability of the phenotype in PAX8 mutations, underlining that population genetic studies for CH should include patients with various clinical presentations. | 25,214,233 | [
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Concurrent changes in methyl jasmonate emission and the expression of its biosynthesis-related genes in Cymbidium ensifolium flowers. | Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is one of most abundant scent compounds in Cymbidium ensifolium flowers. In this study, the emission of MeJA and its regulation mechanism were investigated. Our results showed that emission of MeJA in C. ensifolium flowers was controlled developmentally and rhythmically. It occurred in a tissue-specific manner, and high MeJA emission was found in sepals and petals. A group of vital genes involved in the MeJA biosynthesis via the octadecanoid pathway were isolated from C. ensifolium flowers, including CeLOX, CeAOS, CeAOC and CeJMT. MeJA emission was at very low levels in unopened or half-opened C. ensifolium flowers and reached its maximal level between day 4 and 6 and declined from day 7 to 10 postanthesis. The expression of CeLOX, CeAOS, CeAOC and CeJMT increased from day 1 to day 6, and then declined from day 7 to 10 postanthesis, corresponding to the change in MeJA emission. Moreover, the expression of CeLOX, CeAOS, CeAOC and CeJMT oscillated in a rhythmic manner could reach the maximum level between 8:00 h and 16:00 h, which coincided with the MeJA emission. The high level of MeJA emission in sepals and petals coincided with the high transcript levels. The results suggest that MeJA emission in C. ensifolium flower might be directly regulated at the transcription levels. Moreover, the recombinant protein of CeJMT could specifically catalyze the jasmonic acid to form the corresponding ester MeJA. | 25,214,235 | [
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No evidence for association of insulin receptor substrate-1 Gly972Arg variant with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a mixed-ancestry population of South Africa. | The most common single-nucleotide polymorphism in the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1) gene is Gly972Arg, which is associated with a 25% increased risk of developing diabetes. The mixed-ancestry population of South Africa (SA) has one of the highest prevalences of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Africa. To report the frequency of IRS1 Gly972Arg and investigate its associations with cardiometabolic traits. DNA from 856 mixed-ancestry adults drawn from an urban community of Bellville South, Cape Town, SA, was genotyped by two independent laboratories. Oral glucose tolerance tests were performed and cardiometabolic risk factors measured. A total of 237 (24.7%) participants had T2DM. The IRS1 Gly972Arg variant was present in 7.9% of the individuals studied and only one participant (non-diabetic) carried the homozygous A/A variant. In linear and logistic regression analyses, Gly972Arg was not associated with obesity, insulin resistance/sensitivity or T2DM. The prevalence of the Gly972Arg variant in the mixed-ancestry population of SA is comparable to that reported in African Americans, but its presence is not associated with cardiometabolic traits. This suggests that the Gly972Arg variant may not aid diabetes risk evaluation in this setting, nor can such information help explain the high prevalence of diabetes previously reported in this population. | 25,214,251 | [
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Development of a training programme in disability assessment methidology based on international classification of functioning, disability and health (icf) for psychiatric disability claims in Georgia. | The new concept for social integration of people with disabilities pointed at the need to develop disability assessment methodology with the subsequent validization, based on modern approaches that conceptualise disability as arising from the interaction of a person's functional status with the physical, cultural and policy environments, therefore focussing on an individual's functional abilities. The academy of Swiss insurance medicine, ASIM, worked together with Georgian representatives to develop the principles of functional assessment and provide a method of applying these principles. As instrument for output specification the Mini ICF APP was selected, translated and back translated from German to Georgian. A training course of one day was conducted after which psychiatrists tested the approach in 5 cases each and suggested minor modifications of interpretation. After this they each performed 40 assessments with the new methodology. Doing the assessments with the new procedure was appreciated by all participants and provoked no problems. Being asked to fill out the Mini ICF form in a systematic fashion makes the reports more objective and transparent. The shift to a functional approach in evaluation of disability for work is practicable with the methodology ASIM has developed for this purpose and this fits with the present legislation. This approach could be used in other fields than psychiatry as well. | 25,214,277 | [
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[Flexible ureterorenoscopy in obese patients: results from a large monocenter cohort]. | To analyze results and morbidity after flexible ureterorenoscopy (fURS) in patients with a body mass index (BMI)>30 kg/m² and to compare with results obtained in a large cohort of non-obese patients. We conducted a retrospective monocenter study including all fURS for urinary lithiasis performed in our institution between January 2004 and December 2010. During the study period, 497 procedures were performed. Twenty-three had to be excluded because of missing data on BMI. Thus, a total of 474 procedures were included in the final analysis, 93 for obese patients (OP) and 381 for non-obese patients (NOP). Characteristics of the patients, stones and procedures were analyzed. Success was defined as clear imaging (completely stone-free) on renal tomography and ultrasonography. Mean BMI was 33.5 ± 0.3 in OP vs 23.9 ± 0.1 kg/m² in NOP (P<0.0001). Mean stone size, location, and composition were not significantly different between groups. Technical aspects (operative time, ureteral dilatation, access sheath, monobloc extraction) were also similar in OP and NOP. The immediate (63.5% for OP vs 66.1% in NOP, P=0.62) and follow-up (65.1% for OP vs 71% in NOP, P=0.26) stone-free rate were not significantly different between the groups. For stone size<1cm, SFR raised to 77% in OP vs 83% in NOP (P=0.28). The rate of minor complications Clavien II was similar in OP (7.5%) and NOP (12%). No major complication (Clavien III or IV) was observed. fURS is a safe and efficient option for the management of urinary lithiasis in obese patients. | 25,214,292 | [
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The effect of active caspase-3 on degradation of chicken myofibrillar proteins and structure of myofibrils. | The objective of this study was to investigate the potential contribution of caspase-3 to meat postmortem tenderisation by examining the role of caspase-3 in the degradation of myofibrillar proteins and disruption of myofibril structure in vitro. Myofibrillar protein prepared from chicken muscle was incubated with EDTA or EDTA plus caspase-3 at 25°C for 16h and used for detecting muscle protein degradation and ultrastructure of myofibril. Results revealed that caspase-3 reproduced the degradation patterns of titin, nebulin and α-actinin during postmortem storage of meat, but caused little proteolysis of desmin and no appearance of 28-30kDa peptides. Meanwhile, caspase-3 also induced the weakening in the I band adjacent to Z-lines, which occurred during meat postmortem ageing. Therefore, caspase-3 could account only for a part of the myofibrillar protein degradation observed in naturally aged meat and is likely involved in postmortem tenderisation of meat together with other endogenous proteases. | 25,214,324 | [
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Water status and quality improvement in high-CO2 treated table grapes. | Unfreezable water (UFW) content in berry tissues (pulp, skin, seed) and rachis of table grape clusters stored at 0°C has been studied using differential scanning calorimetry. The effect of short exposure to high CO2 (20% CO2 for 3days) and the transfer to air were also studied. Water status of pulp tissues was related to the thawing behaviour and the structural characteristics, using low-temperature scanning electron microscopy (LT-SEM). The UFW content in all tissues increased rapidly in response to high CO2 while it remained stable or decreased in untreated clusters. The strong potential of this beneficial gaseous treatment for increasing the UFW content was also evident after transfer to air. The metabolic adjustment caused by exposure to high CO2, which reduced the amount of water available to be frozen, improved stored fruit quality, thus minimising structural damage and reducing water leakage associated with the freezing-thawing process. | 25,214,326 | [
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Determination of the change of flavonoid components as the defence materials of Citrus unshiu Marc. fruit peel against Penicillium digitatum by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. | A healthy fruit peel of Citrus unshiu Marc. and one infected by Penicillium digitatum were analysed for flavonoids via high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) in the positive mode with selected ion monitoring (SIM). Among 16 flavonoid components characterised in C. unshiu Marc., four flavanones and nine flavones were identified for the first time. The identified compounds were quantified by HPLC-UV. To investigate the function of the flavonoids as defence materials, the flavonoid content change of the fruit peel inoculated with P. digitatum was monitored by HPLC. The flavonoid concentration in the infected fruit peel decreased initially after the infection and then gradually increased before finally progressively decreasing. | 25,214,328 | [
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Antioxidant and cholinesterases inhibitory activities of Verbascum xanthophoeniceum Griseb. and its phenylethanoid glycosides. | The members of Verbascum L. (Scrophulariaceae) are known to be rich in phenylethnoid glycosides, and among them Verbascum xanthophoeniceum is an endemic plant species for the Balkan region, Northwestern, and Southern Turkey. A scheme was developed for the isolation of the main active constituents that accumulate in plant aerial parts. The antioxidant activities of total methanol extracts, collected phenylethanoid glycosides fractions and specific active constituents (forsythoside B, verbascoside and leucosceptoside B) were then evaluated in 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH·), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORACFL), hydroxyl radical averting capacity (HORACFL), ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and superoxide anion (O2(-)) radical scavenging assays. In vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChe) inhibitory activities of abovementioned extracts, fractions and isolated pure compounds were also examined. Depending on the method used, forsythoside B, verbascoside and leucosceptoside B proved to be effective radical scavengers and cholinesterases inhibitors. On the basis of these findings it can be proposed that in addition to providing a potent source of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory compounds, Verbascum plants could serve as attractive mines of powerful antioxidants for various purposes. | 25,214,335 | [
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Effect of cooking on total vitamin C contents and antioxidant activity of sweet chestnuts (Castanea sativa Mill.). | In this work the total vitamin C contents (ascorbic acid+dehydroascorbic acid) and antioxidant activity of raw and cooked chestnuts was evaluated. The vitamin C contents of raw chestnuts varied significantly between the different cultivars (cv) studied and it varied from 400mg/kg dry weight (cv Lada) to 693mg/kg dry weight (cv Martaínha). The different cultivars behave differently during the cooking process concerning the loss of vitamin C. A significant decrease in the vitamin C content of the chestnuts was observed, 25-54% for the boiling process and 2-77% for the roasting process. Boiled and roasted chestnuts can be good sources of vitamin C since it may represent 22.4%, 16.2%, 26.8% and 19.4%, respectively, of the recommended dietary intake for an adult man and woman. The cooking process significantly changed the antioxidant activity of the chestnuts. A difference was observed between the cultivars during the cooking processes, concerning the antioxidant activity. For the raw chestnuts the variation in vitamin C content of the chestnuts explains 99% of the antioxidant activity variation but for the roasted and boiled chestnuts this percentage significantly decreases to 51% and 88%, respectively. Although a high antioxidant activity is still present in the cooked chestnuts, the cause for this antioxidant activity is less dependent on the vitamin C content of the chestnuts, probably due to the conversion of ascorbic acid to dehydroascorbic acid. The increase in gallic acid during the cooking process, presumably transferred from the peels to the fruit, also contributes to the high antioxidant activity observed for the cooked chestnuts. | 25,214,344 | [
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Changes in carotenoids during processing and storage of pumpkin puree. | Changes in the contents of carotenoids and their true retentions (% TR) during the production of puree of Cucurbita moschata 'Menina Brasileira' and of Cucurbita maxima 'Exposição' pumpkins and the stability of such compounds during 180days of storage were monitored by liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector. Cooking caused higher losses than commercial sterilisation. High losses of xanthophylls such as lutein and violaxanthin were noted during processing and storage of pumpkin puree. Such losses show the low stability of these compounds. The major carotenoids, pro-vitamin A carotenes, namely, α-carotene and all-trans-β-carotene for C. moschata 'Menina Brasileira' and all-trans-β-carotene for C. maxima 'Exposição' obtained high retentions (>75%) after processing. A slight degree of isomerisation of β-carotene was noted in the puree samples, but with low concentrations of cis-isomers. Storage for 180days did not significantly affect (P⩽0.05) the concentrations of these carotenoids. | 25,214,348 | [
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Role of hydroxyl radical in modification of cell wall polysaccharides and aril breakdown during senescence of harvested longan fruit. | The effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially hydroxyl radical (OH), on cellular wall disassembly in vitro and in vivo, and aril breakdown in longan fruit, were investigated. OH caused the disassembly of cell wall material (CWM) in vitro, demonstrated by the increases of total sugars and uronic acid released, and the downshift in molecular mass of CDTA soluble pectin (CSP) and Na2CO3 soluble pectin (CO3-SP). In addition, OH resulted in decreased CO3-SP content and increased CSP content in CWM suspension, suggesting the conversion of CO3-SP to CSP. Application of exogenous OH accelerated aril breakdown in longan fruit while the process was delayed by l-cysteine·HCl, a ROS scavenger. Furthermore, lower CWM content and decreased molecular mass of pectins were observed in OH-treated fruit. These results indicated that OH contributed to the degradation of cell wall polysaccharides, resulting in aril breakdown in longan fruit. | 25,214,349 | [
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Control of the Maillard reaction by ferulic acid. | This study investigated how ferulic acid (FA) affects the formation of certain Maillard reaction products (MRPs), i.e., early MRPs, fluorescent and non-fluorescent advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and melanoidins in model systems. Glycation mixtures were prepared containing soy glycinin or bovine serum albumin (final concentration 10mg/ml) and fructose (222mM) in 0.2% KOH in the presence or absence of FA (12.95mM) and incubated at 60°C for 60min. The extent of the MR was estimated by analysis of free amino groups, the incorporation of sugar into the protein backbone as well as the formation of N(ϵ)-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), fluorescent AGEs (λexc=337nm, λem=350-550nm) and melanoidins (absorbance at 420nm). Formation of CML and fluorescent AGEs was reduced by nearly 90% by the addition of FA while early MRPs and melanoidins were inhibited to a lesser extent (∼10% and 28%, respectively) compared to AGE formation. A controlled formation of early MRPs was achieved by use of FA, and it is a new finding. To the best of our knowledge, for the first time the use of FA as a reliable means of obtaining novel glycoprotein preparations containing low amounts of AGEs, with the potential to be used as functional food ingredients, is proposed. | 25,214,350 | [
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Solubility of disodium 5'-guanylate heptahydrate in aqueous methanol mixtures. | The solubility of disodium 5'-guanylate heptahydrate (5'-GMPNa2) in binary aqueous methanol solvent mixtures with the temperature ranging from 278.15 to 323.15K was measured by a dynamic method with a laser monitoring observation technique. The solubility data were correlated with the Combined Nearly Ideal Binary Solvent/Redlich-Kister (CNIBS/R-K) model and the modified Jouyban-Acree model, respectively. For the ten groups of data studied, the CNIBS/R-K model was found to provide a more accurate mathematical representation of the experimental data, while the modified Jouyban-Acree model containing provisions for correlating both the solvent composition and temperature. | 25,214,352 | [
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How can we improve the use of essential evidence-based interventions? | Between 250,000-280,000 women die worldwide during pregnancy and childbirth each year and children in low- and middle-income countries are 56 times more likely to die before the age of 5 than children in high-income countries. This Editorial discusses the publishing of a supplement within Reproductive Health titled Essential interventions for maternal, newborn and child health which aims to provide a scientific basis to the recommended interventions along with implementation strategies and proposed packages of care. | 25,214,358 | [
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The incentives created by a harm reduction approach to smoking cessation: Snus and smoking in Sweden and Finland. | Tobacco harm reduction involves advocating the use of a less harmful alternative to smoking for those users who are unwilling or unable to quit. The net effect of such an approach is unclear as it may create opposing incentives. Although some smokers may substitute toward this less harmful alternative, it may reduce the incentive to quit by undermining public health efforts and may act as a gateway to smoking. This research paper aims to answer the question: Does the availability of a less harmful alternative to smoking lead to cessation? To explore the opposing incentives created by a harm reduction approach to smoking cessation, I focus on the role of snus, a popular smokeless tobacco product in Scandinavia that is widely used in Sweden. This paper exploits a quasi-natural experiment to examine the net effect resulting from these opposing incentives. While two Scandinavian countries, Sweden and Finland, joined the European Union (EU) in 1995, Finland was subject to a pre-existing EU ban on oral tobacco products while Sweden received an exemption. A difference in differences framework is used to estimate the change in the smoking rate in Finland due to the implementation of the ban. A secondary analysis uses Finnish smoking data to test for a structural break in trend. In the post-ban period, smoking was 3.47 percentage points higher in Finland relative to what it would have been in the absence of the ban. The availability of snus, a less harmful alternative to smoking, appears to have had a positive impact (reduction) on the smoking rate. Offering acceptable alternatives to cigarettes is critical in reducing smoking prevalence. | 25,214,359 | [
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Quality of life psychosocial characteristics in Greek patients with leg ulcers: a case control study. | Chronic leg ulcers are a public health problem that can have a significant impact on the patient's physical, socioeconomic and psychological status. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of life, anxiety and depression, self-esteem and loneliness in patients suffering from leg ulcers. A total of 102 patients were enrolled in the study. The quality of life, anxiety and depression, self-esteem and loneliness of the patient were assessed using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale (RSES) and the UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-Version 3), respectively. The mean DLQI score was 13·38 ± 2·59, suggesting a serious effect on the quality of life of patients. Those with leg ulcers had statistically significant higher scores according to the HADS-total scale (P = 0·031) and HADS-anxiety subscale (P = 0·015) compared with healthy volunteers. Moreover, a statistically significant difference was found between the two groups concerning the UCLA-scale (P = 0·029). Female patients presented with a higher score of anxiety (P = 0·027) and social isolation (P = 0·048), and worse quality of life (P = 0·018) than male patients. A severe quality of life impairment was documented, reflecting a significant psychosocial impact on patients with leg ulcers. | 25,214,366 | [
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Re-examining premature mortality in anorexia nervosa: a meta-analysis redux. | Anorexia nervosa (AN) is reported to have the highest premature mortality of any psychiatric disorder, but recent meta-analyses may have inflated estimates. We sought to re-estimate mortality after methodological corrections and to identify predictors of mortality. We included 41 cohorts from 40 peer-reviewed studies published between 1966 and 2010. Methods included double data extraction, log-linear regression with an over-dispersed Poisson model, and all-cause and suicide-specific standardized mortality ratios (SMRs), with 95% Poisson confidence intervals. Participants with AN were 5.2 [3.7-7.5] times more likely to die prematurely from any cause, and 18.1 [11.5-28.7] times more likely to die by suicide than 15-34 year old females in the general population. Our estimates were 10% and 49% lower, respectively, than previously reported SMRs. Risk of premature mortality was highest in studies with older participants, although confounding by treatment was present. Gender, ascertainment, and diagnostic criteria also impacted risk. | 25,214,371 | [
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Novel applications of diagnostic X-rays in activating a clinical photodynamic drug: Photofrin II through X-ray induced visible luminescence from "rare-earth" formulated particles. | In this communication we report on a novel non-invasive methodology in utilizing "soft" energy diagnostic X-rays to indirectly activate a photo-agent utilized in photodynamic therapy (PDT): Photofrin II (Photo II) through X-ray induced luminescence from Gadolinium Oxysulfide (20 micron dimension) particles doped with Terbium: Gd<formula>_{2}</formula>O<formula>_{2}</formula>S:Tb. Photodynamic agents such as Photo II utilized in PDT possess a remarkable property to become preferentially retained within the tumor's micro-environment. Upon the photo-agent's activation through (visible light) photon absorption, the agents exert their cellular cytotoxicity through type I and type II pathways through extensive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS); namely, singlet oxygen <formula>^{1}</formula>O<formula>_{2}</formula>, superoxide anion O<formula>_{2}^{-}</formula>, and hydrogen peroxide H<formula>_{2}</formula>O<formula>_{2}</formula>, within the intra-tumoral environment. Unfortunately, due to shallow visible light penetration depth (∼ 2 mm to 5 mm) in tissues, the current PDT strategy has largely been restricted to the treatment of surface tumors, such as the melanomas. Additional invasive strategies through optical fibers are currently utilized in getting the visible light into the intended deep seated targets within the body for PDT. X-ray induced visible luminescence from Gd<formula>_{2}</formula>O<formula>_{2}</formula>S:Tb particles were spectroscopically characterized, and the potential in-vitro cellular cytotoxicity of Gd<formula>_{2}</formula>O<formula>_{2}</formula>S:Tb particles on human glioblastoma cells (due to 48 Hrs Gd<formula>_{2}</formula>O<formula>_{2}</formula>S:Tb particle exposure) was screened through the MTS cellular metabolic assay. In-vitro human glioblastoma cellular exposures in presence of Photo II with Gd<formula>_{2}</formula>O<formula>_{2}</formula>S:Tb particles were performed in the dark in sterile 96 well tissue culture plates, and the corresponding changes in the metabolic activities of the glioblastoma due to 15 minutes of (diagnostic energy) X-ray exposure was determined 48 Hrs after treatment through the MTS assay. Severe suppression (> 90% relative to controls) in the cellular metabolic activity of human glioblastoma was measured due to the treatment of clinically relevant concentrations of 20 μg/ml Photo II, with Gd<formula>_{2}</formula>O<formula>_{2}</formula>S:Tb particles, and (120 kVp) diagnostic X-rays. Taken together, the in-vitro findings herein provide the basis for future studies in determining the safety and efficacy of this non-invasive X-ray induced luminescence strategy in activating photo-agent in deep seated tumors. | 25,214,384 | [
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Deconstructing Darwin: Evolutionary theory in context. | The topic of this paper is external versus internal explanations, first, of the genesis of evolutionary theory and, second, its reception. Victorian England was highly competitive and individualistic. So was the view of society promulgated by Malthus and the theory of evolution set out by Charles Darwin and A.R. Wallace. The fact that Darwin and Wallace independently produced a theory of evolution that was just as competitive and individualistic as the society in which they lived is taken as evidence for the impact that society has on science. The same conclusion is reached with respect to the reception of evolutionary theory. Because Darwin's contemporaries lived in such a competitive and individualistic society, they were prone to accept a theory that exhibited these same characteristics. The trouble is that Darwin and Wallace did not live in anything like the same society and did not formulate the same theory. Although the character of Victorian society may have influenced the acceptance of evolutionary theory, it was not the competitive, individualistic theory that Darwin and Wallace set out but a warmer, more comforting theory. | 25,214,421 | [
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The effects of gastrointestinal surgery on gut microbiota: potential contribution to improved insulin sensitivity. | Bariatric surgery induces weight loss and major improvement in insulin-resistance through many mechanisms some of which are weight independent. It is now well acknowledged that gut microbiota is involved in the development of obesity and its related metabolic diseases, at least in mice. However, its causal role in human obesity progression remains to be demonstrated. Few studies now pointed at changes in microbiota composition after bariatric surgery, suggesting links between gut microbiota switch and metabolic improvement observed after surgery. As such new potential mechanisms of actions have been proposed. The aim of this review is to describe microbiota modifications observed after bariatric surgery and its potential relationships with improved insulin resistance. We here list some hypotheses, which will need further demonstration. | 25,214,424 | [
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0.001538725,
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Understanding cerebral L-lysine metabolism: the role of L-pipecolate metabolism in Gcdh-deficient mice as a model for glutaric aciduria type I. | Inherited deficiencies of the L-lysine catabolic pathway cause glutaric aciduria type I and pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy. Dietary modulation of cerebral L-lysine metabolism is thought to be an important therapeutic intervention for these diseases. To better understand cerebral L-lysine degradation, we studied in mice the two known catabolic routes -- pipecolate and saccharopine pathways -- using labeled stable L-lysine and brain peroxisomes purified according to a newly established protocol. Experiments with labeled stable L-lysine show that cerebral L-pipecolate is generated along two pathways: i) a minor proportion retrograde after ε-deamination of L-lysine along the saccharopine pathway, and ii) a major proportion anterograde after α-deamination of L-lysine along the pipecolate pathway. In line with these findings, we observed only little production of saccharopine in the murine brain. L-pipecolate oxidation was only detectable in brain peroxisomes, but L-pipecolate oxidase activity was low (7 ± 2μU/mg protein). In conclusion, L-pipecolate is a major degradation product from L-lysine in murine brain generated by α-deamination of this amino acid. | 25,214,427 | [
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Interface-induced chiral domain walls, spin spirals and skyrmions revealed by spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy. | The spin textures of ultra-thin magnetic layers exhibit surprising variety. The loss of inversion symmetry at the interface of the magnetic layer and substrate gives rise to the so-called Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction which favors non-collinear spin arrangements with unique rotational sense. Here we review the application of spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy to such systems, which has led to the discovery of interface-induced chiral domain walls and spin spirals. Recently, different interface-driven skyrmion lattices have been found, and the writing as well as the deleting of individual skyrmions based on local spin-polarized current injection has been demonstrated. These interface-induced non-collinear magnetic states offer new exciting possibilities to study fundamental magnetic interactions and to tailor material properties for spintronic applications. | 25,214,495 | [
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0.02863496,
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The effects of training married men about premenstrual syndrome by pamphlets and short messages on marital satisfaction. | Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which includes physical, psychological and emotional symptoms that occur during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, has a negative impact on the quality of the relationship among married couples. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of educating married men by two methods, pamphlet and short messages (SMS), on marital satisfaction of the couples. The study was experimental in nature. The sample consisted of 80 couples who had visited health centers in Yazd, Iran. The subjects were randomly assigned to the two training methods and pretested and post-tested on the outcome measures. The before to after the training increase in knowledge and practice in men and marital satisfaction of couples were statistically significant. The differences between the two training methods were not statistically significant. Pamphlets and SMS, if designed properly and based on the principles of psychology, can act as influential and almost equally effective educational tools in the context of PMS. | 25,214,514 | [
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... |
Evaluation of genes encoding for the transient outward current (Ito) identifies the KCND2 gene as a cause of J-wave syndrome associated with sudden cardiac death. | J-wave ECG patterns are associated with an increased risk of sudden arrhythmic death, and experimental evidence supports a transient outward current (I(to))-mediated mechanism of J-wave formation. This study aimed to determine the frequency of genetic mutations in genes encoding the I(to) in patients with J waves on ECG. Comprehensive mutational analysis was performed on I(to)-encoding KCNA4, KCND2, and KCND3 genes, as well as the previously described J-wave-associated KCNJ8 gene, in 51 unrelated patients with ECG evidence defining a J-wave syndrome. Only patients with a resuscitated cardiac arrest or type 1 Brugada ECG pattern were included for analysis. A rare genetic mutation of the KCND2 gene, p.D612N, was identified in a single patient. Co-expression of mutant and wild-type KCND2 with KChIP2 in HEK293 cells demonstrated a gain-of-function phenotype, including an increase in peak I(to) density of 48% (P<0.05) in the heterozygous state. Using computer modeling, this increase in Ito resulted in loss of the epicardial action potential dome, predicting an increased ventricular transmural Ito gradient. The previously described KCNJ8-S422L mutation was not identified in this cohort of patients with ECG evidence of J-wave syndrome. These findings are the first to implicate the KCND2 gene as a novel cause of J-wave syndrome associated with sudden cardiac arrest. However, genetic defects in I(to)-encoding genes seem to be an uncommon cause of sudden cardiac arrest in patients with apparent J-wave syndromes. | 25,214,526 | [
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0.1758042,
0.2908929,
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0.368... |
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