title stringlengths 0 901 | abstract stringlengths 3 9.89k | PMID int64 22 25.3M | embedding listlengths 768 768 |
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Influence of vision and posture on grip-lift task parameters in healthy adults. | The grip-lift task enables a quantitative assessment of grasping ability. Patients are regularly assessed in a supine position, which offers a different view of the grasped object from that in the sitting position. To our knowledge, no data are currently available on the influence of posture and vision on grip-lift task parameters. We therefore aimed to determine the effects of posture and vision on these parameters. Twenty-six healthy right-handed adults performed grip-lift tasks with a manipulandum that measured different temporal and dynamic parameters in four conditions: sitting eyes open, sitting blindfolded, lying down eyes open and lying down blindfolded. A repeated-measures analysis of variance with two factors (vision and position) showed that the absence of vision affected all the parameters measured. The lying down position increased the time between the first contact with the object and the modification of the vertical force as well as the delay between the first increase of the horizontal force and the increase of the vertical force. In addition, there was a lower adaption of the horizontal force, required to squeeze the object, to the vertical force. Finally, the interaction of position and vision was associated with significant differences in the delay between the contact of each digit with the object, the maximum horizontal force and the ratio between the horizontal and vertical force during a static holding period. Both position and vision appear to affect the grip-lift task. Consequently, sequential assessments should be performed in the same condition to obtain reliable data. | 25,221,847 | [
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Relationship between SNPs and expression level for candidate genes in rheumatoid arthritis. | The study of polymorphisms of genes differentially expressed may lead to the identification of putative causal genetic variants in multifactorial diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Based on preceding transcriptomic results, we genotyped 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) belonging to six genes (S100A8, RNASE2, PGLYRP1, RUNX3, IL2RB, and LY96) showing the highest fold change (> 1.9) when level of expression was compared between RA patients and controls. These SNPs were then analysed to evaluate their role in RA. The relationship between gene expression and genotypes of SNPs was first investigated by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests in RA patients and controls. The genetic association of these SNPs with RA were then analysed using family-based association tests in trio families. We found that RNASE2 gene expression was related to rs2013109 genotypes in 14 RA patients (p = 0.030). The association study in a discovery sample of 200 French trio families revealed a significant association with RA for one SNP, PGLYRP1-rs2041992 (p = 0.019); this association was stronger in trios where RA patients carried the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope (SE) (p = 0.003). However, this association was not found in a replication sample of 240 European trio families (p = 0.6). Family-based association tests did not reveal an association between RA and any SNP of the candidate genes tested. However, RNASE2 gene expression was differentially expressed in RA patients considering a sequence polymorphism. This result led us to highlight the potential disease-specific regulation for this candidate gene in RA. | 25,221,852 | [
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Dry powder inhalers in cystic fibrosis: same old drugs but different benefits? | Newer 'innovative' formulations of antibiotics for Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection in patients with cystic fibrosis include colistimethate sodium and tobramycin in the form of dry powders for inhalation (DPIs). Whilst these DPIs are anticipated to improve patient adherence because of increased convenience and ease of administration, questions remain concerning whether they are as clinically effective, safe and cost-effective as nebulized antibiotics. This review describes the recent findings of a health technology assessment of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of colistimethate sodium and tobramycin DPIs with regard to how innovative treatments may be judged to be incrementally better than existing treatments. The original assessment was undertaken to inform the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's Technology Appraisal Programme to inform national clinical guidance on the use of these new treatments in the National Health Service. Three trials were included in the systematic review. Issues surrounding the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of colistimethate sodium DPI and tobramycin DPI are discussed in light of the considerable uncertainties associated with the available evidence. | 25,221,853 | [
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Alternatives to continuous positive airway pressure 2: mandibular advancement devices compared. | Although mandibular advancement devices (MADs) provide an alternative to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), their effectiveness and role remain unclear. Several recent studies and an updated meta-analysis have attempted to address these uncertainties. This review examines their contribution to the existing evidence and discusses the future priorities for MAD research. Recent work has examined the impact of MAD design on clinical and cost-effectiveness in milder disease. A robust comparison of CPAP and MADs in more severe OSA has reported equivalent improvements in several important health outcomes. Other notable contributions have examined compliance, definitions of treatment success and longer term outcomes of MAD therapy. There is now a growing body of evidence suggesting that MADs are a clinically and cost-effective treatment for OSA; and in some cases, patient preference may make them a better option than CPAP. Further work needs to continue to refine MAD therapy in order to optimize treatment response and compliance, whilst retaining a pragmatic and cost-effective approach that is relevant to clinical practice and sustainable in the longer term. | 25,221,854 | [
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Building a data sharing model for global genomic research. | Data sharing models designed to facilitate global business provide insights for improving transborder genomic data sharing. We argue that a flexible, externally endorsed, multilateral arrangement, combined with an objective third-party assurance mechanism, can effectively balance privacy with the need to share genomic data globally. | 25,221,857 | [
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Construction of 3,6-anhydrohexosides via intramolecular cyclization of triflates and its application to the synthesis of natural product isolated from leaves of Sauropus rostratus. | A novel synthetic approach to construct various 3,6-anhydrohexosides via an intramolecular cyclization of corresponding triflates is described. The nucleophilic attack from C3 p-methoxybenzylated hydroxyl to C6 trifluoromethanesulfonate on triflate structures triggered the cyclization reaction to provide 3,6-anhydrohexosides in excellent yields, making the strategy more efficient with respect to the reported protocols. By applying this methodology, a concise first total synthesis of natural product isolated from leaves of Sauropus rostratus was accomplished. | 25,221,862 | [
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Native chemical ligation: a boon to peptide chemistry. | The use of chemical ligation within the realm of peptide chemistry has opened various opportunities to expand the applications of peptides/proteins in biological sciences. Expansion and refinement of ligation chemistry has made it possible for the entry of peptides into the world of viable oral therapeutic drugs through peptide backbone cyclization. This progression has been a journey of chemical exploration and transition, leading to the dominance of native chemical ligation in the present advances of peptide/protein applications. Here we illustrate and explore the historical and current nature of peptide ligation, providing a clear indication to the possibilities and use of these novel methods to take peptides outside their typically defined boundaries. | 25,221,869 | [
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Antioxidant activity and mechanisms of action of natural compounds isolated from lichens: a systematic review. | Chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases are characterized by an enhanced state of oxidative stress, which may result from the overproduction of reactive species and/or a decrease in antioxidant defenses. The search for new chemical entities with antioxidant profile is still thus an emerging field on ongoing interest. Due to the lack of reviews concerning the antioxidant activity of lichen-derived natural compounds, we performed a review of the antioxidant potential and mechanisms of action of natural compounds isolated from lichens. The search terms "lichens", "antioxidants" and "antioxidant response elements" were used to retrieve articles in LILACS, PubMed and Web of Science published until February 2014. From a total of 319 articles surveyed, 32 met the established inclusion and exclusion criteria. It was observed that the most common isolated compound studied was usnic acid, cited in 14 out of the 32 articles. The most often described antioxidant assays for the study of in vitro antioxidant activity were mainly DPPH, LPO and SOD. The most suggested mechanisms of action were scavenging of reactive species, enzymatic activation and inhibition of iNOS. Thus, compounds isolated from lichens are possible candidates for the management of oxidative stress, and may be useful in the treatment of chronic diseases. | 25,221,871 | [
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Identification of desiccation tolerance transcripts potentially involved in rape (Brassica napus L.) seeds development and germination. | To investigate regulatory processes and protective mechanisms leading to desiccation tolerance (DT) in seeds, cDNA amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) in conjunction with 128 primer combinations was used to detect differential gene expression in rape seeds in response to DT during seed development and germination. We obtained approximately 8000 transcript-derived fragments (TDFs), of which 394 TDFs with differential expression patterns ("sustained expression", "up-regulated", "couple with seed DT", and "down-regulated") were excised from gels and re-amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). After sequencing and comparison with the National Center for Biotechnology Information database, 176 TDFs presented significant similarity with known genes that could be classified into the following categories: metabolism and energy, stress resistance and defense, storage, signal transduction, and other functional categories. Using semiquantitative reverse-transcription PCR and real-time PCR approaches, the significance of the differences was further confirmed in fresh seeds and dehydrated seeds. The genes that encode superoxide dismutase, peroxiredoxin, caleosin, oleosin S3, steroleosin, late embryogenesis abundant protein, glutathione reductase, β-glucosidase, S23 transcriptional repressor, and some heat-shock proteins could be associated with DT. The results of this study will aid in the identification of candidate genes for future experiments that seek to understand seed DT. | 25,221,920 | [
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C1 metabolism plays an important role during formaldehyde metabolism and detoxification in petunia under liquid HCHO stress. | Petunia hybrida is a model ornamental plant grown worldwide. To understand the HCHO-uptake efficiency and metabolic mechanism of petunia, the aseptic petunia plants were treated in HCHO solutions. An analysis of HCHO-uptake showed that petunia plants effectively removed HCHO from 2, 4 and 6 mM HCHO solutions. The (13)C NMR analyses indicated that H(13)CHO was primarily used to synthesize [5-(13)C]methionine (Met) via C1 metabolism in petunia plants treated with 2 mM H(13)CHO. Pretreatment with cyclosporin A (CSA) or l-carnitine (LC), the inhibitors of mitochondrial permeability transition pores, did not affect the synthesis of [5-(13)C]Met in petunia plants under 2 mM H(13)CHO stress, indicating that the Met-generated pathway may function in the cytoplasm. Under 4 or 6 mM liquid H(13)CHO stress, H(13)CHO metabolism in petunia plants produced considerable amount of H(13)COOH and [2-(13)C]glycine (Gly) through C1 metabolism and a small amount of [U-(13)C]Gluc via the Calvin Cycle. Pretreatment with CSA or LC significantly inhibited the production of [2-(13)C]Gly in 6 mM H(13)CHO-treated petunia plants, which suggests that chloroplasts and peroxisomes might be involved in the generation of [2-(13)C]Gly. These results revealed that the C1 metabolism played an important role, whereas the Calvin Cycle had only a small contribution during HCHO metabolism and detoxification in petunia under liquid HCHO stress. | 25,221,921 | [
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An exogenous source of nitric oxide modulates zinc nutritional status in wheat plants. | The effect of addition of the nitric oxide donor S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) on the Zn nutritional status was evaluated in hydroponically-cultured wheat plants (Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring). Addition of GSNO in Zn-deprived plants did not modify biomass accumulation but accelerated leaf senescence in a mode concomitant with accelerated decrease of Zn allocation to shoots. In well-supplied plants, Zn concentration in both roots and shoots declined due to long term exposure to GSNO. A further evaluation of net Zn uptake rate (ZnNUR) during the recovery of long-term Zn-deprivation unveiled that enhanced Zn-accumulation was partially blocked when GSNO was present in the uptake medium. This effect on uptake was mainly associated with a change of Zn translocation to shoots. Our results suggest a role for GSNO in the modulation of Zn uptake and in root-to-shoot translocation during the transition from deficient to sufficient levels of Zn-supply. | 25,221,922 | [
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MET and PI3K/mTOR as a potential combinatorial therapeutic target in malignant pleural mesothelioma. | Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis. Studies have shown that both MET and its key downstream intracellular signaling partners, PI3K and mTOR, are overexpressed in MPM. Here we determined the combinatorial therapeutic efficacy of a new generation small molecule inhibitor of MET, ARQ 197, and dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitors NVP-BEZ235 and GDC-0980 in mesothelioma cell and mouse xenograft models. Cell viability results show that mesothelioma cell lines were sensitive to ARQ 197, NVP-BEZ235 and GDC-0980 inhibitors. The combined use of ARQ 197 with either NVP-BEZ235 or GDC-0980, was synergistic (CI<1). Significant delay in wound healing was observed with ARQ 197 (p<0.001) with no added advantage of combining it with either NVP-BEZ235 or GDC-0980. ARQ 197 alone mainly induced apoptosis (20±2.36%) that was preceded by suppression of MAPK activity, while all the three suppressed cell cycle progression. Both GDC-0980 and NVP-BEZ235 strongly inhibited activities of PI3K and mTOR as evidenced from the phosphorylation status of AKT and S6 kinase. The above observation was further substantiated by the finding that a majority of the MPM archival samples tested revealed highly active AKT. While the single use of ARQ 197 and GDC-0980 inhibited significantly the growth of MPM xenografts (p<0.05, p<0.001 respectively) in mice, the combination of the above two drugs was highly synergistic (p<0.001). Our results suggest that the combined use of ARQ 197/NVP-BEZ235 and ARQ 197/GDC-0980 is far more effective than the use of the drugs singly in suppressing MPM tumor growth and motility and therefore merit further translational studies. | 25,221,930 | [
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mTORC1 is essential for early steps during Schwann cell differentiation of amniotic fluid stem cells and regulates lipogenic gene expression. | Schwann cell development is hallmarked by the induction of a lipogenic profile. Here we used amniotic fluid stem (AFS) cells and focused on the mechanisms occurring during early steps of differentiation along the Schwann cell lineage. Therefore, we initiated Schwann cell differentiation in AFS cells and monitored as well as modulated the activity of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, the major regulator of anabolic processes. Our results show that mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) activity is essential for glial marker expression and expression of Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding Protein (SREBP) target genes. Moreover, SREBP target gene activation by statin treatment promoted lipogenic gene expression, induced mTORC1 activation and stimulated Schwann cell differentiation. To investigate mTORC1 downstream signaling we expressed a mutant S6K1, which subsequently induced the expression of the Schwann cell marker S100b, but did not affect lipogenic gene expression. This suggests that S6K1 dependent and independent pathways downstream of mTORC1 drive AFS cells to early Schwann cell differentiation and lipogenic gene expression. In conclusion our results propose that future strategies for peripheral nervous system regeneration will depend on ways to efficiently induce the mTORC1 pathway. | 25,221,943 | [
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Identification of degenerate nuclei and development of a SCAR marker for Flammulina velutipes. | Flammulina velutipes is one of the major edible mushrooms in the world. Recently, abnormalities that have a negative impact on crop production have been reported in this mushroom. These symptoms include slow vegetative growth, a compact mycelial mat, and few or even no fruiting bodies. The morphologies and fruiting capabilities of monokaryons of wild-type and degenerate strains that arose through arthrospore formation were investigated through test crossing. Only one monokaryotic group of the degenerate strains and its hybrid strains showed abnormal phenotypes. Because the monokaryotic arthrospore has the same nucleus as the parent strain, these results indicated that only one aberrant nucleus of the two nuclei in the degenerate strain was responsible for the degeneracy. A sequence-characterized amplified region marker that is linked to the degenerate monokaryon was identified based on a polymorphic sequence that was generated using random primers. Comparative analyses revealed the presence of a degenerate-specific genomic region in a telomere, which arose via the transfer of a genomic fragment harboring a putative helicase gene. Our findings have narrowed down the potential molecular targets responsible for this phenotype for future studies and have provided a marker for the detection of degenerate strains. | 25,221,949 | [
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Seven rules to live by: accommodations in social work education and the field. | Students with disabilities are a growing population in higher education (National Center for Education Statistics, 2009 ). Providing accommodations for students with disabilities can raise ethical and social justice questions and pose challenges for social work faculty, administrators, and field instructors. Social work educators must balance the legal mandates for nondiscrimination and reasonable accommodation against ethical obligations around protection of clients and preparation for practice. This article presents case examples in the context of legal analysis to help social work educators make difficult decisions about student academic performance. | 25,221,960 | [
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Improving the adoption of evidence-based practice through RN-to-BSN education. | Although enrollment in RN-to-BSN degree completion programs has grown profoundly, a dearth of literature exists regarding the impact of RN-to-BSN education and the adoption of evidence-based practice (EBP). This study examined the elements of RN-to-BSN education that improve the awareness and adoption for EBP. A mixed methods meta-synthesis was conducted using qualitative, textual-narrative, and descriptive research studies. Data from six articles were analyzed, using standardized critical appraisal instruments. Two findings were identified. First, EBP skills for RN-to-BSN students are influenced by exposure to educational partnerships, contextual teaching and learning, and practice experiences. Second, barriers to adoption exist for RN-to-BSN students, which limit advances in nursing practice. A variety of contextual teaching and learning strategies can provide empowerment for RN-to-BSN students to adopt EBP in their practice. Forming partnerships in creating EBP experiences may set the stage for RN-to-BSN leadership opportunities in today's health care system. | 25,221,989 | [
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Effect of off-season flooding on growth, photosynthesis, carbohydrate partitioning, and nutrient uptake in Distylium chinense. | Distylium chinense is an evergreen shrub used for the vegetation recovery of floodplain and riparian areas in Three Gorges Reservoir Region. To clarify the morphological and physiological responses and tolerance of Distylium chinense to off-season flooding, a simulation flooding experiment was conducted during autumn and winter. Results indicated that the survival rate of seedlings was 100%, and that plant height and stem diameter were not significantly affected by flooding. Adventitious roots and hypertrophic lenticels were observed in flooded seedlings after 30 days of flooding. Flooding significantly reduced the plant biomass of roots, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration rate (Tr), maximum photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), photochemical quenching (qP), and electron transport rate (ETR) in leaves, and also affected the allocation and transport of carbohydrate and nutrients. However, D. chinense was able to maintain stable levels of Pn, Fv/Fm, qP, ETR, and nutrient content (N and P) in leaves and to store a certain amount of carbohydrate in roots over prolonged durations of flooding. Based on these results, we conclude that there is a high flooding tolerance in D. chinense, and the high survival rate of D. chinense may be attributable to a combination of morphological and physiological responses to flooding. | 25,222,006 | [
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Self-reported alcohol use and depressive symptoms after liver transplantation. | The prevalence of alcohol use among Finnish liver transplant recipients has not been studied before. We used self-report questionnaires and correlations between alcohol use liver biochemistry and depressive symptoms at the only transplant unit of the country, during a 6-month period in 2013. The final study population consisted of 207 recipients. After verbal consent, participants filled in Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test C and Beck Depression Inventory-II. Twenty percent of patients had been transplanted because of alcoholic liver disease. Of the patients, 43% reported alcohol use any time after liver transplantation (LT) and 28% during the past 1 month. Nearly all of those who received LT during childhood reported alcohol use more often and more drinks per occasion. Statistically significant risk factors for harmful drinking were male sex, age younger than 18 years at transplantation, and years from transplantation. Neither cause nor the depression scores reached statistical significance. Alcohol users had statistically significant higher liver biochemistry markers. Our results revealed a 43% overall use of alcohol after LT and 28% use of alcohol within the last month and low depression scores. Among participants with alcohol liver disease origin, 39% and 34% any time and during the past 1 month, respectively, reported relapse. The alcohol consumption revealed in this study is similar to that of the general alcohol consumption tradition in Finland. Young males transplanted during their childhood were at most risk for harmful drinking. | 25,222,016 | [
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Type I collagen as an extracellular matrix for the in vitro growth of human small intestinal epithelium. | We previously reported in vitro maintenance and proliferation of human small intestinal epithelium using Matrigel, a proprietary basement membrane product. There are concerns over the applicability of Matrigel-based methods for future human therapies. We investigated type I collagen as an alternative for the culture of human intestinal epithelial cells. Human small intestine was procured from fresh surgical pathology specimens. Small intestinal crypts were isolated using EDTA chelation. Intestinal subepithelial myofibroblasts were isolated from a pediatric sample and expanded in vitro. After suspension in Matrigel or type I collagen gel, crypts were co-cultured above a confluent layer of myofibroblasts. Crypts were also grown in monoculture with exposure to myofibroblast conditioned media; these were subsequently sub-cultured in vitro and expanded with a 1∶2 split ratio. Cultures were assessed with light microscopy, RT-PCR, histology, and immunohistochemistry. Collagen supported viable human epithelium in vitro for at least one month in primary culture. Sub-cultured epithelium expanded through 12 passages over 60 days. Histologic sections revealed polarized columnar cells, with apical brush borders and basolaterally located nuclei. Collagen-based cultures gave rise to monolayer epithelial sheets at the gel-liquid interface, which were not observed with Matrigel. Immunohistochemical staining identified markers of differentiated intestinal epithelium and myofibroblasts. RT-PCR demonstrated expression of α-smooth muscle actin and vimentin in myofibroblasts and E-Cadherin, CDX2, villin 1, intestinal alkaline phosphatase, chromogranin A, lysozyme, and Lgr5 in epithelial cells. These markers were maintained through several passages. Type I collagen gel supports long-term in vitro maintenance and expansion of fully elaborated human intestinal epithelium. Collagen-based methods yield familiar enteroid structures as well as a new pattern of sheet-like growth, and they eliminate the need for Matrigel for in vitro human intestinal epithelial growth. Future research is required to further develop this cell culture system for tissue engineering applications. | 25,222,024 | [
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Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations and Cerebral Abscess Recurrence in a Child With Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia. | A 17-year-old boy was referred to our center with a history of brain abscess (BA) recurring after 9 years. The patient reported 2 previous treatments for pulmonary arteriovenous malformations, sporadic nosebleeds, and familial history for epistaxis. Clinical investigations revealed arteriovenous malformations in lung, brain, and liver, as well as mucocutaneous telangiectases. A definite diagnosis of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia was made based on clinical criteria and confirmed by genetic analysis. This is the first report of BA recurrence at the end of pediatric age. The present case and the literature review of all cases of BA thus far reported highlight the need to raise the suspicion of a pulmonary arteriovenous malformations, both isolated and in the context of a possible hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, for any case of BA of unexplained etiology, in children as well as in adults. | 25,222,056 | [
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CD20 and Outcome of Childhood Precursor B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Meta-analysis. | CD20 is a B-cell differentiation antigen that is expressed variably in precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL). The prognostic significance of CD20 expression in childhood BCP-ALL remains controversial. Some studies have demonstrated that CD20 overexpression correlates with worse survival in pediatric patients with BCP-ALL, but some other studies suggest a better outcome. To explore the prognostic role of high CD20 expression in pediatric BCP-ALL, we performed a meta-analysis of the previous studies that provided survival information according to CD20 expression status. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) indicated that high CD20 expression had no inferior impact on the prognosis of pediatric BCP-ALL. The summary HR for overall survival was 0.70 and combined HR for event-free survival was 1.01. These findings suggest that high CD20 expression does not influence the outcome for pediatric BCP-ALL. CD20 may lack prognostic value in children with BCP-ALL. | 25,222,059 | [
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Idiopathic Hyperammonemia That Developed During Initial Treatment With Steroid in a Patient With Newly Diagnosed Leukemia. | Idiopathic hyperammonemia (IHA) has been described as a complication of intensive chemotherapy for the treatment of hematologic malignancy but has subsequently been found in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation and in those with solid tumors treated with 5-fluorouracil. Although IHA is a rare complication, it is sometimes associated with high mortality in hematologic malignancies. Here we report the case of a 15-year-old boy in whom hyperammonemia developed during the initial treatment with prednisolone for newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia and who survived after early detection and oral lactulose therapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of IHA that was not induced by intensive chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation, or asparaginase therapy in a patient with newly diagnosed leukemia, but developed during an initial treatment with a steroid. Early detection of IHA by measuring the plasma ammonia level in patients with neurological symptoms may improve the outcome. | 25,222,063 | [
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Can Surgery be Avoided After Preoperative Chemoradiation for Rectal Cancer in the Era of Organ Preservation? Current Review of Literature. | Approximately 10% to 25% of patients have a pathologic complete response after neoadjuvant chemoradiation. There is a compelling argument for attempting to avoid surgery in carefully selected groups of patients. Although nerve-preserving surgical techniques are now standard, the rates of urinary and sexual dysfunction are significant. Also, although sphincter function and quality of life among patients undergoing an ultra-low anterior resection is acceptable, results are poorer than expected and may be disabling. Trials of omission of surgery for selected patients with complete response after preoperative chemoradiation, otherwise known as "Watch and Wait," have shown favorable long-term results. We review the current literature on accepted standards of care and identify areas of controversy and important ongoing clinical studies aiming to resolve these issues. | 25,222,074 | [
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Naturalistically observed conflict and youth asthma symptoms. | To investigate the links between naturalistically observed conflict, self-reported caregiver-youth conflict, and youth asthma symptoms. Fifty-four youth with asthma (age range: 10-17 years) wore the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) for a 4-day period to assess interpersonal conflict and caregiver-youth conflict as they occur in daily life. Conflict also was assessed with baseline self-report questionnaires and daily diaries completed by youth participants and their caregivers. Asthma symptoms were assessed using daily diaries, baseline self-reports, and wheezing, as coded from the EAR. EAR-observed measures of conflict were strongly associated with self-reported asthma symptoms (both baseline and daily diaries) and wheezing coded from the EAR. Further, when entered together in regression analyses, youth daily reports of negative caregiver-youth interactions and EAR-observed conflict uniquely predicted asthma symptoms; only EAR-observed conflict was associated with EAR-observed wheezing. These findings demonstrate the potential impact of daily conflict on youth asthma symptoms and the importance of assessing conflict as it occurs in everyday life. More broadly, they point to the importance of formulating a clear picture of family interactions outside of the lab, which is essential for understanding how family relationships "get under the skin" to affect youth health. | 25,222,090 | [
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Advanced amperometric respiration assay for antimicrobial susceptibility testing. | A ferricyanide-based electrochemical cell respiration assay was adapted for use in broad-spectrum antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Total bacterial respiration was converted into faradaic current by electro-oxidation of ferrocyanide, produced when ferricyanide is reduced by bacterial electron-transport. For Escherichia coli (E. coli), the signal was linear with 5-13 × 10(8) colony-forming units in measuring buffer. For AST, test cells were treated with drugs before ferricyanide addition; cell counts from the amperometric assay provided a measure of drug-induced cell death. Initial trials with six antimicrobial agents produced incorrect susceptibility classifications for drugs that were electroactive at the potential used to detect ferrocyanide or which affected cellular respiration rates. We therefore changed the procedure from drug-treatment and assay in the same buffer to sequential drug exposure in treatment buffer, centrifugal separation of surviving cells, cell resuspension, incubation in the presence of ferricyanide and finally ferrocyanide amperometry in drug-free buffer. Data analysis with E. coli led to an activity classification that agreed with cell culture-based ASTs, obtained by a quicker, more convenient procedure. The potential of this approach was confirmed by trials with the highly virulent bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, a particularly antimicrobial-resistant pathogen that is the cause of lethal melioidosis in tropical climates and is currently of concern as a potential bioterrorism agent. | 25,222,107 | [
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Understanding different sources of information: the acquisition of evidentiality. | This paper investigates six- to nine-year-old children's acquisition of evidentiality. In two minimally different tasks we assess whether children can be made to use a particular source of information by presenting them with a specific evidential term. That is, we assess whether children have an explicit awareness of the source requirement of the evidential terms. The results demonstrate that children explicitly understand the direct evidential term, but not the indirect evidential terms. Interestingly, the direct evidential term tested (Dutch lijken) does not encode high speaker certainty. Hence, even though the child cannot rely on speaker certainty to provide an answer, the results still show that direct evidentiality is acquired before indirect evidentiality. | 25,222,123 | [
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Graphene oxide-MnFe2O4 magnetic nanohybrids for efficient removal of lead and arsenic from water. | We show that the hybrids of single-layer graphene oxide with manganese ferrite magnetic nanoparticles have the best adsorption properties for efficient removal of Pb(II), As(III), and As(V) from contaminated water. The nanohybrids prepared by coprecipitation technique were characterized using atomic force and scanning electron microscopies, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and surface area measurements. Magnetic character of the nanohybrids was ascertained by a vibrating sample magnetometer. Batch experiments were carried out to quantify the adsorption kinetics and adsorption capacities of the nanohybrids and compared with the bare nanoparticles of MnFe2O4. The adsorption data from our experiments fit the Langmuir isotherm, yielding the maximum adsorption capacity higher than the reported values so far. Temperature-dependent adsorption studies have been done to estimate the free energy and enthalpy of adsorption. Reusability, ease of magnetic separation, high removal efficiency, high surface area, and fast kinetics make these nanohybrids very attractive candidates for low-cost adsorbents for the effective coremoval of heavy metals from contaminated water. | 25,222,124 | [
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Role of Kinase Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and SRC in the Caerulein-Induced Acute Pancreatitis in Mice. | In this study, we identified the protein kinases that play the most distinct roles in the occurrence of acute pancreatitis (AP). Gene expression profile data were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database (GSE3644). The sample was from caerulein-induced AP mice. The intersection of the differentially expressed genes in AP mice taken from a protein kinase database was obtained for screening of the protein kinase encoded genes that were differentially expressed. Database for annotation, visualization, and integrated discovery was used for the functional enrichment analysis. Kinase inhibitors that regulated these kinases were retrieved from PubMed through text mining. Twenty-nine differentially expressed kinase encoded genes were identified through screening. The functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that the functions of these genes were primarily enriched in "mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway," followed by "extracellular regulated protein kinases pathway," "neurotrophin signaling pathway," "adherens junction," and "gap junction." SRC and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were related to extracellular regulated protein kinases pathway and also related to adherens junction as well as gap junction. On the basis of the regulated kinases, the kinase inhibitors reported in the literature were classified into multiple groups. EGFR and SRC may be coexpressed in AP. The kinase inhibitors working together in SRC and EGFR may play better efficacy in the treatment of AP. | 25,222,135 | [
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Small-molecule control of cytokine function: new opportunities for treating immune disorders. | Manipulating cytokine function with protein-based drugs has proven effective for treating a wide variety of autoimmune and autoinflammatory disorders. However, the limited ability of protein-based drugs to modulate intracellular targets, including many implicated by studies of the genetics and physiology of these diseases, and to coordinately neutralize redundant inflammatory cytokines, suggests an important and complementary role for small molecules in immunomodulatory drug development. The recent clinical approval of Janus kinase and phosphodiesterase inhibitors, along with emerging evidence from other compound classes, firmly establish small molecules as effective tools for modulating therapeutically relevant proteins that give rise to aberrant cytokine signaling or mediate its downstream consequences. | 25,222,143 | [
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Fluorinated TiO₂ as an ambient light-activated virucidal surface coating material for the control of human norovirus. | We evaluated the virucidal efficacy of light-activated fluorinated TiO₂ surface coatings on human norovirus and several surrogates (bacteriophage MS2, feline calcivirus (FCV), and murine norovirus (MNV)). Inactivation of viruses on surfaces exposed to a common fluorescent lamp was monitored and the effects of UVA intensity, temperature, and fluoride content were assessed. Destruction of RNA and capsid oxidation were evaluated for human norovirus inocula on the F-TiO₂ surfaces, while contact with the F-TiO₂ surface and exposure to residual UVA radiation of 10 μW cm(-2) for 60 min resulted in infectivity reductions for the norovirus surrogates of 2-3 log₁₀. Infectivity reductions on pristine TiO₂ surfaces in identical conditions were over 2 orders of magnitude lower. Under realistic room lighting conditions, MS2 infectivity declined below the lower detection limit after 12h. Reductions in RNA were generally low, with the exception of GII.4, while capsid protein oxidation likely played a larger role in infectivity loss. Inactivation of norovirus surrogates occurred significantly faster on F-TiO₂ compared to pristine TiO₂ surfaces. The material demonstrated antiviral action against human norovirus surrogates and was shown to effectively inhibit MS2 when exposed to residual UVA present in fluorescent room lighting conditions in a laboratory setting. | 25,222,145 | [
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Vaccine-related internet search activity predicts H1N1 and HPV vaccine coverage: implications for vaccine acceptance. | The Internet is a primary source for health-related information, and Internet search activity is associated with infectious disease outbreaks. The authors hypothesized that Internet search activity for vaccine-related information would predict vaccination coverage. They examined Internet search activity for H1N1 and human papilloma virus (HPV) disease and vaccine information in relation to H1N1 and HPV vaccine uptake. Google Insight for Search was used to assess the volume of Internet search queries for H1N1- and vaccine-related terms in the United States in 2009, the year of the H1N1 pandemic. Vaccine coverage data were also obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the state level for H1N1 vaccinations in 2009. These same measures were collected at the state level for HPV- and vaccine-related search terms in 2010 as well as HPV vaccine uptake in that year. Analyses showed that the search terms H1N1 and vaccine were correlated with H1N1 vaccine uptake; ordinal regression found the H1N1 search term was independently associated with H1N1 vaccine coverage. Similarly, the correlation between vaccine search volume and HPV coverage was significant; ordinal regression showed the search term vaccine independently predicted HPV vaccination coverage. This is among the first studies to show that Internet search activity is associated with vaccination coverage. The Internet should be exploited as an opportunity to dispel vaccine misinformation by providing accurate information to support vaccine decision making. | 25,222,149 | [
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Using estimated fetal weight from ultrasonography at 18 to 22 weeks to predict gestational diabetes mellitus and newborn macrosomia. | To determine if fetal macrosomia in the second trimester predicts the onset of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) or large for gestational age (LGA) birth weight. We performed a case-control study using data from the Diabetes in Pregnancy Clinic in our tertiary care hospital. Cases were women with GDM requiring insulin (n = 65) or controlled with diet (n = 65). Control subjects were women who screened negative for GDM at 24 to 28 weeks' gestation (n = 131). Estimated fetal weight (EFW) was determined by ultrasound at 18 to 22 weeks. Estimated fetal weight that was one standard deviation (70 g) higher at 18 to 22 weeks was not associated with subsequent GDM (adjusted OR [aOR] 1.00, 95% confidence intervals 0.61 to 1.66), but was associated with a 231 g (95% CI 128 g to 334 g) increase in birth weight and increased odds of LGA (aOR 4.02, 95% CI 1.76 to 9.19) after adjusting for gestational age at the time of estimating fetal weight, maternal age, parity, BMI and GDM treatment. EFW at 18 to 22 weeks did not predict the onset of GDM, but did predict LGA. | 25,222,163 | [
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A 10-year service evaluation of an assertive community treatment team: trends in hospital bed use. | Studies of assertive community treatment (ACT) have shown various benefits, including reduced hospital bed use. In the UK, this finding was not replicated by randomised controlled trials (RCTs), which lacked fidelity to the model. Conversely, observational studies, while limited by their inherent weakness in implying causality, have shown lower bed use. Against this background many ACT teams are being disestablished in the UK. To observe the long-term effect of ACT on bed use, incorporating methods of analysis which mitigate against some weaknesses of observational design. Bed use was compared for equal periods of time either side of starting support from an ACT team. Ninety-three people were followed for up to 10.5 years after starting ACT. Hospital bed use was compared for each person, showing a reduction from a mean of 72 d per year prior to ACT to 44 d per year during ACT (p = 0.0018). The results demonstrate that ACT is associated with reduced bed use in the UK and that it is possible to use an observational design with enhanced analysis techniques to increase evidence for causality. These techniques may have value in other service evaluations. | 25,222,169 | [
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Not just fun and games: a review of college drinking games research from 2004 to 2013. | Drinking games are a high-risk social drinking activity consisting of rules and guidelines that determine when and how much to drink (Polizzotto et al., 2007). Borsari's (2004) seminal review paper on drinking games in the college environment succinctly captured the published literature as of February 2004. However, research on college drinking games has grown exponentially during the last decade, necessitating an updated review of the literature. This review provides an in-depth summary and synthesis of current drinking games research (e.g., characteristics of drinking games, and behavioral, demographic, social, and psychological influences on participation) and suggests several promising areas for future drinking games research. This review is intended to foster a better understanding of drinking game behaviors among college students and improve efforts to reduce the negative impact of this practice on college campuses. | 25,222,171 | [
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Gender roles and binge drinking among Latino emerging adults: a latent class regression analysis. | Gender roles are often cited as a culturally specific predictor of drinking among Latino populations. This study used latent class regression to test the relationships between gender roles and binge drinking in a sample of Latino emerging adults. Participants were Latino emerging adults who participated in Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 2,442). A subsample of these participants (n = 660) completed the Bem Sex Role Inventory--Short. We conducted latent class regression using 3 dimensions of gender roles (femininity, social masculinity, and personal masculinity) to predict binge drinking. Results indicated a 3-class solution. In Class 1, the protective personal masculinity class, personal masculinity (e.g., being a leader, defending one's own beliefs) was associated with a reduction in the odds of binge drinking. In Class 2, the nonsignificant class, gender roles were not related to binge drinking. In Class 3, the mixed masculinity class, personal masculinity was associated with a reduction in the odds of binge drinking, whereas social masculinity (e.g., forceful, dominant) was associated with an increase in the odds of binge drinking. Post hoc analyses found that females, those born outside the United States, and those with greater English language usage were at greater odds of being in Class 1 (vs. Class 2). Males, those born outside the United States, and those with greater Spanish language usage were at greater odds of being in Class 3 (vs. Class 2). Directions for future research and implications for practice with Latino emerging adults are discussed. | 25,222,172 | [
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... |
Anxiety sensitivity mediates relations between emotional disorders and smoking. | Research has documented consistent and robust relations between emotional disorders (i.e., depressive and anxiety disorders) and smoking. Yet, it is presently unclear whether anxiety sensitivity--the fear of aversive internal anxiety states--accounts for the relations between emotional disorders and various smoking processes, including nicotine dependence, perceived barriers to smoking cessation, and severity of problematic symptoms during past cessation attempts. Participants (N = 465) were treatment-seeking daily tobacco smokers recruited as part of a larger tobacco-cessation study. Baseline (pretreatment) data were utilized. Emotional disorders were assessed via clinical diagnostic interview; self-report measures were used to assess anxiety sensitivity and 3 criterion variables: nicotine dependence, barriers to smoking cessation, and severity of problematic symptoms while quitting in past attempts. Emotional disorders were predictive of higher levels of nicotine dependence, greater perceived barriers to cessation, and greater severity of problematic symptoms while attempting to quit in the past; each of these relations were accounted for by the indirect effect of anxiety sensitivity. The present findings suggest that anxiety sensitivity may be an important transdiagnostic construct in explicating the nature of the relations between emotional disorders and various smoking processes. | 25,222,178 | [
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Pathway analysis of microRNA expression profile during murine osteoclastogenesis. | To design novel therapeutics against bone loss, understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating osteoclastogenesis is critical. Osteoclast formation and function are tightly regulated by transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms. This stringent regulation is crucial to prevent excessive or insufficient bone resorption and to maintain bone homeostasis. microRNAs (miRNAs) are key post-transcriptional regulators that repress expression of target mRNAs controlling osteoclast proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Disruption of miRNA-mediated regulation alters osteoclast formation and bone resorption. Prior studies profiled miRNA expression in murine osteoclast precursors treated with RANKL for 24 hours. However, a more complete miRNA signature, encompassing early, mid and late stages of osteoclastogenesis, is wanting. An Agilent microarray platform was used to analyze expression of mature miRNAs in an enriched population of murine bone marrow osteoclast precursors (depleted of B220+ and CD3+ cells) undergoing 1, 3, or 5 days of RANKL-driven differentiation. Expression of 93 miRNAs, changed by >2 fold during early, mid, and late stages of osteoclastogenesis, were identified and sorted into 7 clusters. We validated the function and expression of miR-365, miR-451, and miR-99b, which were found in distinct clusters. Inhibition of miR-365 increased osteoclast number but decreased osteoclast size, while miR-99b inhibition decreased both osteoclast number and size. In contrast, overexpression of miR-451 had no effect. Computational analyses predicted mTOR, PI3 kinase/AKT, cell-matrix interactions, actin cytoskeleton organization, focal adhesion, and axon guidance pathways to be top targets of several miRNA clusters. This suggests that many miRNA clusters differentially expressed during osteoclastogenesis converge on some key functional pathways. Overall, our study is unique in that we identified miRNAs differentially expressed during early, mid, and late osteoclastogenesis in a population of primary mouse bone marrow cells enriched for osteoclast progenitors. This novel data set contributes to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating the complex process of osteoclast differentiation. | 25,222,202 | [
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Influenza epidemiology, vaccine coverage and vaccine effectiveness in sentinel Australian hospitals in 2013: the Influenza Complications Alert Network. | The National Influenza Program aims to reduce serious morbidity and mortality from influenza by providing public funding for vaccination to at-risk groups. The Influenza Complications Alert Network (FluCAN) is a sentinel hospital-based surveillance program that operates at 14 sites in all states and territories in Australia. This report summarises the epidemiology of hospitalisations with confirmed influenza, estimates vaccine coverage and influenza vaccine protection against hospitalisation with influenza during the 2013 influenza season. In this observational study, cases were defined as patients admitted to one of the sentinel hospitals, with influenza confirmed by nucleic acid testing. Controls were patients who had acute respiratory illnesses who were test-negative for influenza. Vaccine effectiveness was estimated as 1 minus the odds ratio of vaccination in case patients compared with control patients, after adjusting for known confounders. During the period 5 April to 31 October 2012, 631 patients were admitted with confirmed influenza at the 14 FluCAN sentinel hospitals. Of these, 31% were more than 65 years of age, 9.5% were Indigenous Australians, 4.3% were pregnant and 77% had chronic co-morbidities. Influenza B was detected in 30% of patients. Vaccination coverage was estimated at 81% in patients more than 65 years of age but only 49% in patients aged less than 65 years with chronic comorbidities. Vaccination effectiveness against hospitalisation with influenza was estimated at 50% (95% confidence interval: 33%, 63%, P<0.001). We detected a significant number of hospital admissions with confirmed influenza in a national observational study. Vaccine coverage was incomplete in at-risk groups, particularly non-elderly patients with medical comorbidities. Our results suggest that the seasonal influenza vaccine was moderately protective against hospitalisation with influenza in the 2013 season. | 25,222,208 | [
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Role of miR-149C>T polymorphisms on the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in a Chinese population. | MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are thought to play a role in cancer development. We conducted a case-control study to investigate the association between polymorphisms in miR-149C>T and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk. Duplex polymerase chain reaction with the confronting 2-pair primers were taken to genotype miR-149C>T. The association between genotype frequencies of miR-149C>T and risk of HCC was estimated as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) using conditional regression analysis. Logistical regression analysis showed that the miR-149 CC genotype and C allele were associated with risk of HCC, with adjusted ORs (95%CI) of 2.07 (1.32-3.26) and 1.42 (1.06-2.12), respectively. Using the TT+TC genotype as a reference, individuals carrying the CC genotype were associated with non-significant increased risk of HCC, adjusted OR (95%CI) of 1.37 (0.91-2.07). Subgroup analysis showed that HBV-infected subjects carrying the miR-149 TC+CC genotype (OR=5.85, 95%CI=2.49-13.77) had an increased risk of HCC. In summary, our study found that miRNA-149C>T polymorphism is associated with risk of HCC, especially in HBV-infected patients. | 25,222,224 | [
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Identification of genes involved in regulatory mechanism of pigments in broiler chickens. | Chicken is an important model organism that unites the evolutionary gap between mammals and other vertebrates and provide major source of protein from meat and eggs for all over the world population. However, specific genes underlying the regulatory mechanism of broiler pigmentation have not yet been determined. In order to better understand the genes involved in the mechanism of pigmentation in the muscle tissues of broilers, the Affymetrix microarray hybridization experiment platform was used to identify gene expression profiles at 7 weeks of age. Broilers fed canthaxanthin, natural lutein, and orangeII pigments (100 mg/kg) were used to explore gene expression profiles). Our data showed that the 7th week of age was a very important phase with regard to gene expression profiles. We identified a number of differentially expressed genes; in canthaxanthin, natural lutein, and orangeII, there were 54 (32 upregulated and 22 downregulated), 23 (15 upregulated and 8 downregulated), and 7 (5 upregulated and 2 downregulated) known genes, respectively. Our data indicate that the numbers of differentially expressed genes were more upregulated than downregulated, and several genes showed conserved signaling to previously known functions. Thus, functional characterization of differentially expressed genes revealed several categories that are involved in important biological processes, including pigmentation, growth, molecular mechanisms, fat metabolism, cell proliferation, immune response, lipid metabolism, and protein synthesis and degradation. The results of the present study demonstrate that the genes associated with canthaxanthin, natural lutein, and orangeII are key regulatory genes that control the regulatory mechanisms of pigmentation. | 25,222,226 | [
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Torasemide reduces dilated cardiomyopathy, complication of arrhythmia, and progression to heart failure. | The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence and types of arrhythmia and their relationship with the severity and prognosis of chronic heart failure (CHF) in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and to investigate the therapeutic effect of torasemide versus furosemide on CHF and incidence of arrhythmia. DCM patients with NYHA cardiac function II-IV were continuously monitored using a 24-h dynamic electrocardiogram (Holter), and arrhythmia incidence was analyzed by computer automatic analysis combined with manual assessment. In total, 125 participants were evenly divided into two groups: torasemide group which received 10 mg oral torasemide once daily) and regular anti-heart failure treatment (N=65), and furosemide group which received torasemide (20 mg once daily orally) and regular antiheart failure treatment (N=60). Another 60 normal healthy persons served as the normal control group. Incidence and severity of arrhythmia increased when degree of CHF was elevated. Size of left atrium was related to atrial fibrillation and size of left ventricle was related to malignant arrhythmia. At 3 months after treatment, cardiac function in both groups improved and incidence and severity of arrhythmia in both groups were reduced. However, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was higher in the torasemide group than in the furosemide group, while incidence of arrhythmia was lower in the torasemide group. Arrhythmias frequently occurred in patients with DCM and HF. Type of cardiac arrhythmia is closely related to ventricular enlargement and cardiac function grade. Torasemide is better for improving cardiac function to reduce arrhythmia and CHF compared to furosemide. | 25,222,231 | [
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MTHFR C677T polymorphism and osteoporotic fracture in postmenopausal women: a meta-analysis. | Numerous studies have evaluated the association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and osteoporotic fracture risk in postmenopausal women. However, the results have been inconsistent. We performed a meta-analysis of the association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and osteoporotic fracture risk in postmenopausal women. Only seven case-control studies were retrieved, with a total of 4258 patients and 3454 healthy controls. Meta-analysis results showed no significant association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and osteoporotic fracture risk in postmenopausal women for all genetic models (for TT vs CC: OR=0.99, 95%CI=0.72-1.39; for TT vs TC: OR=1.02, 95%CI=0.87-1.20; for CC+TC vs TT: OR=0.96, 95%CI=0.71-1.28; for TT+TC vs CC: OR=0.93, 95%CI=0.84-1.03). In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, the results also showed no significant association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and susceptibility to osteoporotic fracture in postmenopausal women in both Caucasian and Asian populations. In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggests that MTHFR C677T polymorphism may not be associated with susceptibility to osteoporotic fracture in postmenopausal women. | 25,222,234 | [
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Population structure and genetic diversity of maize inbreds derived from tropical hybrids. | The objectives of this study were to identify the population structure and to assess the genetic diversity of maize inbreds. We genotyped 81 microsatellite loci of 90 maize inbreds that were derived from tropical hybrids and populations. The population structure analysis was based on a Bayesian approach. Each subpopulation was characterized for the effective number of alleles, gene diversity, and number of private alleles. We also performed an analysis of molecular variance and computed a measure of population differentiation (FST). The genetic distances were computed from the similarity index of Lynch and the dissimilarity measures proposed by Smouse and Peakall. The cluster analyses were based on the unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages and Tocher method. The clustering efficiency was assessed by the error rate of the discriminant analysis. We also performed a principal coordinates analysis. The population structure analysis revealed three tropical heterotic pools, which have been used by worldwide and Brazilian maize seed companies. The degree of genetic differentiation and of intra- and inter-population genetic diversity for these tropical heterotic pools are comparable to that observed for temperate and subtropical heterotic pools. The higher allelic frequency variation within each tropical heterotic pool and the high genetic diversity between the inbreds were evidence of heterotic groups within the main tropical heterotic pools. | 25,222,235 | [
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Distribution of CXCR2 +1208 T/C gene polymorphisms in relation to opportunistic infections among HIV-infected patients in Limpopo Province, South Africa. | Interleukin 8 (IL-8) is a chemokine produced by macrophages and other cell types, including epithelial cells, and its receptor is CXCR2. IL-8 plays an important role in the initiation and amplification of inflammatory diseases, including opportunistic infections. With the advent of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, opportunistic infections have become major health concerns. However, the role of host genetics on the occurrence of these infections has not been clearly defined. In this study, genomic DNA was extracted from 185 HIV-infected individuals in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Allele-specific polymerase chain reaction was used to genotype the CXCR2 +1208 T/C gene. Genotypes CC, TT, and TC were associated with chest pains, frequent headaches, loss of weight, diarrhea, and loss of appetite among HIV patients. A significant association between the CC genotype and chest pains was found (P=0.035). The TC genotype was associated with loss of appetite (P=0.044) and chest pains (P=0.042). A weak association between diarrhea and the TT genotype was found (P=0.082). No association was observed between tuberculosis and the genotypes. Immunological characteristics, such as viral load and CD4 count, were not significantly associated with the genotypes. The results of the present study suggest that carriers of the TC genotype are more susceptible to chest pain, but that this genotype confers a protective effect against loss of appetite. The CC genotype was found to confer protection against chest pain but appeared to increase susceptibility to headaches. Further studies using larger samples are necessary to confirm these results. | 25,222,246 | [
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Association of MLL3 expression with prognosis in gastric cancer. | Low expression of myeloid/lymphoid or mixed-lineage leukemia 3 (MLL3) is reportedly associated with gastric cancer and tumor progression. The purpose of this study was to examine the expression of MLL3 in tissue samples of patients with gastric cancer and to analyze the relationship between MLL3 protein expression and clinical records. Using immunohistochemical staining and Kaplan-Meier analysis for MLL3 in gastric cancer patients, we found that low expression of MLL3 had a significant relationship with a low survival rate compared to positive MLL3 expression in the patients analyzed (P<0.05). Our data suggest that MLL3 expression plays a vital role in gastric cancer development, and that this protein is an important marker for the prognosis of gastric cancer. | 25,222,251 | [
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Xuemaitong granules attenuate carotid atherosclerosis by decreasing the expression of CD14+CD16+ monocytes, IL-6, TNF-α, and hsCRP. | Carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) has been extensively studied because its position can be easily observed. Our objective was to investigate the effects of Xuemaitong granules on the generation and activation of CD14+CD16+ monocytes on the inflammatory reaction in CAS patients. In this study, 22 male apolipoprotein E (apoE)-deficient mice were fed a high-fat diet for 13 weeks. After induction of an atherosclerotic plaque, the animals were randomly divided into the Xuemaitong granule group (450.5 mg/kg via intragastric administration, N=11) and the control group (equal volume saline via intragastric administration, N=11). Venous blood was obtained to analyze monocyte and CD14+CD16+ inflammatory monocyte levels, as well as interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). For clinical studies, 100 CAS patients received oral administration of Xuemaitong granules for 6 months. Monocytes, CD14+CD16+ inflammatory monocytes, and the inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-a, and hsCRP were analyzed. Compared with the control group, a remarkable decrease in the number of monocytes and CD14+CD16+ inflammatory monocytes as well as TNF-a, hsCRP, and IL-6 was noted in the Xuemaitong group. Compared with before treatment levels, the proportions of monocytes and their subsets of CD14+CD16+ inflammatory monocytes and the concentration of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-a, and hsCRP significantly decreased. Xuemaitong granules played a significant role in the anti-inflammatory reactions. In addition, the granules attenuated the expression of the CD14+CD16+ inflammatory monocytes, resulting in the downregulation of the cytokines IL-6, TNF-a, and hsCRP. | 25,222,252 | [
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Case report. Novel and recurrent COL7A1 mutations in Chinese patients with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa pruriginosa. | Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa pruriginosa (DEB-Pr) is a rare subtype of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB). This disease is characterized by severe itching, lichenoid nodules or prurigo-like lesions, and linear scarring with a predilection for the extensor limbs. Pathogenic mutations in the type VII collagen alpha 1 (COL7A1) gene have been identified. We analyzed mutations in the COL7A1 gene in a Chinese family including 5 affected individuals with typical DEB-Pr and in a patient previously reported with sporadic DEB-Pr. The entire coding region and exon-intron boundaries of COL7A1 were detected by polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing. We identified one novel heterozygote mutation (c.6842G>T, p.G2281V) and a second mutation (c.5443G>A, p.G1815R) reported previously in patients with DEB. Our findings contribute to the COL7A1 mutation database and further reveal the genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity of DEB-Pr. | 25,222,259 | [
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Comorbid addiction and major mental illness in Europe: a narrative review. | Most evidence about comorbid addiction and major mental illness comes from the USA, since this literature remains relatively limited in many European countries. The purpose of this review was to examine prevalence, policies, and treatment systems of comorbid substance misuse and psychotic illness in Europe, illustrating differences and similarities with US findings. Based on computerized main databases searches, a narrative review was performed. The availability of substances but also the social contexts in terms of individual and local issues are factors likely to explain different dual diagnosis prevalence rates in Europe as compared with the USA. Integrated models implemented following US example might perform differently within the context of well-established European Union (EU) community mental health services. Such programs would require additional resources and radical redesign of service delivery systems. | 25,222,286 | [
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Electrophysiological spatiotemporal dynamics during implicit visual threat processing. | Numerous studies have found evidence for corticolimbic theta band electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillations in the neural processing of visual stimuli perceived as threatening. However, varying temporal and topographical patterns have emerged, possibly due to varying arousal levels of the stimuli. In addition, recent studies suggest neural oscillations in delta, theta, alpha, and beta-band frequencies play a functional role in information processing in the brain. This study implemented a data-driven PCA based analysis investigating the spatiotemporal dynamics of electroencephalographic delta, theta, alpha, and beta-band frequencies during an implicit visual threat processing task. While controlling for the arousal dimension (the intensity of emotional activation), we found several spatial and temporal differences for threatening compared to nonthreatening visual images. We detected an early posterior increase in theta power followed by a later frontal increase in theta power, greatest for the threatening condition. There was also a consistent left lateralized beta desynchronization for the threatening condition. Our results provide support for a dynamic corticolimbic network, with theta and beta band activity indexing processes pivotal in visual threat processing. | 25,222,294 | [
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Small-molecule labeling of live cell surfaces for three-dimensional super-resolution microscopy. | Precise imaging of the cell surface of fluorescently labeled bacteria requires super-resolution methods because the size-scale of these cells is on the order of the diffraction limit. In this work, we present a photocontrollable small-molecule rhodamine spirolactam emitter suitable for non-toxic and specific labeling of the outer surface of cells for three-dimensional (3D) super-resolution (SR) imaging. Conventional rhodamine spirolactams photoswitch to the emitting form with UV light; however, these wavelengths can damage cells. We extended photoswitching to visible wavelengths >400 nm by iterative synthesis and spectroscopic characterization to optimize the substitution on the spirolactam. Further, an N-hydroxysuccinimide-functionalized derivative enabled covalent labeling of amines on the surface of live Caulobacter crescentus cells. Resulting 3D SR reconstructions of the labeled cell surface reveal uniform and specific sampling with thousands of localizations per cell and excellent localization precision in x, y, and z. The distribution of cell stalk lengths (a sub-diffraction-sized cellular structure) was quantified for a mixed population of cells. Pulse-chase experiments identified sites of cell surface growth. Covalent labeling with the optimized rhodamine spirolactam label provides a general strategy to study the surfaces of living cells with high specificity and resolution down to 10-20 nm. | 25,222,297 | [
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Hospital length-of-stay is associated with rhinovirus etiology of bronchiolitis. | To determine whether hospital length-of-stay (LOS) for bronchiolitis is influenced by the causative virus: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or rhinovirus. This prospective study was carried out in 3 university hospitals in Finland during 2 consecutive winter seasons. We enrolled consecutive children <2 years of age hospitalized with an attending physician's diagnosis of bronchiolitis. All enrolled children were included in the primary analysis. A parallel analysis was also conducted using a stricter definition for bronchiolitis (age <12 months and no history of wheeze). Polymerase chain reaction was used to test the nasopharyngeal aspirate samples for multiple respiratory pathogens. The median age of the 408 children was 8 months, 73% had no history of wheeze and their median hospital LOS was 2 days. 144 (35%) children had RSV only and 92 (23%) children rhinovirus only infections. Children with rhinovirus only had shorter duration of prehospital symptoms, higher disease severity score at entry and more often a history of wheezing (all P ≤ 0.001). Controlling for 7 demographic and clinical characteristics, those with rhinovirus only had shorter hospital LOS when compared with children with RSV only (adjusted odds ratio: 0.45; 95% confidence interval: 0.22-0.92; P = 0.03). The rhinovirus only finding was similar in the subset of 206 children with stricter diagnosis (adjusted odds ratio: 0.30; 0.06-1.49; P = 0.14). Hospital LOS is associated with rhinovirus etiology of bronchiolitis. Our data call attention to the importance of both RSV and rhinovirus testing in clinical research. | 25,222,302 | [
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Elevated aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index in perinatally HIV-infected children in the United States. | Elevated aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index may signal liver fibrosis. Among 397 US children with perinatal HIV infection, at baseline was >1.5 in 0.8% [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.2-2.2%) and >0.5 in 6.5% (95% CI, 4.3-9.4%); incidence on study was 0.5 (95% CI, 0.2-1.2) and 6.4 (95% CI, 4.8-8.3) per 100 person-years, respectively. Long-term liver outcomes after perinatal HIV infection warrant further study. | 25,222,306 | [
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Acquired drug resistance during inadequate therapy in a young child with tuberculosis. | Drug resistance in children with tuberculosis is usually primary (transmitted); however, resistance acquisition during treatment is possible. We describe a child with tuberculosis who acquired drug resistance while receiving directly observed but inadequate first-line therapy and the programmatic and clinical factors that may have contributed to resistance acquisition. | 25,222,312 | [
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Electrochemical degradation of refractory pollutants using TiO2 single crystals exposed by high-energy {001} facets. | Anodic material plays a vital role in electrochemical water treatment. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been widely recognized as an excellent semiconductor photocatalyst, rather than an efficient electrocatalyst, due to its relatively low electric conductivity and poor electrochemical activity. In this work, it is found that TiO2 can actually become a superior electrocatalyst when its crystal shape and exposed facet are finely tuned. The shape-engineered TiO2 single crystals with {001} facets exhibit an excellent electro-catalytic activity and stability for degrading typical organic pollutants such as rhodamine B and bisphenol A, and treating complex landfill leachate. Its electro-catalytic superiority is mainly attributed to the single-crystalline structure and exposed polar {001} facet. Our findings could provide new possibility of utilizing TiO2 for efficient electrochemical water treatment because of its high activity, great stability, low cost and no toxicity. | 25,222,331 | [
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The impact of training schedules on the sleep and fatigue of elite athletes. | In any sport, successful performance requires a planned approach to training and recovery. While sleep is recognized as an essential component of this approach, the amount and quality of sleep routinely obtained by elite athletes has not been systematically evaluated. Data were collected from 70 nationally ranked athletes from seven different sports. Athletes wore wrist activity monitors and completed self-report sleep/training diaries for 2 weeks during normal training. The athletes also recorded their fatigue level prior to each training session using a 7-point scale. On average, the athletes spent 08:18 ± 01:12 h in bed, fell asleep at 23:06 ± 01:12 h, woke at 6:48 ± 01:30 h and obtained 06:30 ± 01:24 h of sleep per night. There was a marked difference in the athletes' sleep/wake behaviour on training days and rest days. Linear mixed model analyses revealed that on nights prior to training days, time spent in bed was significantly shorter (p = 0.001), sleep onset and offset times were significantly earlier (p < 0.001) and the amount of sleep obtained was significantly less (p = 0.001), than on nights prior to rest days. Moreover, there was a significant effect of sleep duration on pre-training fatigue levels (p ≤ 0.01). Specifically, shorter sleep durations were associated with higher levels of pre-training fatigue. Taken together, these findings suggest that the amount of sleep an elite athlete obtains is dictated by their training schedule. In particular, early morning starts reduce sleep duration and increase pre-training fatigue levels. When designing schedules, coaches should be aware of the implications of the timing of training sessions for sleep and fatigue. In cases where early morning starts are unavoidable, countermeasures for minimizing sleep loss - such as strategic napping during the day and correct sleep hygiene practices at night - should be considered. | 25,222,347 | [
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Communication of a mental health diagnosis: a systematic synthesis and narrative review. | There is limited understanding of the mechanisms used to effectively communicate with service-users about their mental health diagnoses. To conduct a systematic synthesis of studies that present data on the communication of a psychiatric diagnosis. Comprehensive database and manual searches were conducted resulting in the inclusion of 30 quantitative and qualitative papers. The majority of studies were descriptive. The rate of service-users being informed of their diagnosis has increased over the past decade. Consumer communication preferences were not always satisfactorily addressed in practice. Individual characteristics of service-users and clinicians influenced whether a diagnostic discussion took place. RESULTS from intervention studies aimed at facilitating diagnostic communication reported significant improvements in service-user satisfaction and mood and clinician communication skills. This review highlights a gap in the system of communication between clinicians and service-users. To assist clinicians to talk effectively with individuals about their mental health, communication protocols and training need to be further developed and assessed. Such developments would benefit from well-designed randomised controlled trial protocols, should incorporate service-users' preferences and address stigma-related concerns. | 25,222,370 | [
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Near-infrared light activated azo-BF2 switches. | Increasing the electron density in BF2-coodinated azo compounds through para-substitution leads to a bathochromic shift in their activation wavelength. When the substituent is dimethyl amine, or the like, the trans/cis isomerization process can be efficiently modulated using near infrared light. The electron donating capability of the substituent also controls the hydrolysis half-life of the switch in aqueous solution, which is drastically longer for the cis isomer, while the BF2-coodination prevents reduction by glutathione. | 25,222,380 | [
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Affordable housing and health: a health impact assessment on physical inspection frequency. | To characterize the prevalence of health-related housing quality exposure for the vulnerable populations that live in affordable housing. Retrospective cross-sectional study. Affordable housing properties in Ohio inspected between 2007 and 2011. Stratified random sample of physical inspection reports (n = 370), including a case study of properties receiving multiple inspections (n = 35). Health-related housing factors, including mold, fire hazard, and others. The majority of affordable housing property inspections (85.1%) included at least 1 health-related housing quality issue. The prevalence of specific health-related violations was varied, with appliance and plumbing issues being the most common, followed by fire, mold, and pest violations. Across funding agencies, the actual implementation of inspection protocols differed. The majority of physical inspections identified housing quality issues that have the potential to impact human health. If the frequency of physical inspections is reduced as a result of inspection alignment, the most health protective inspection protocol should be selected for funding agency inspections; a standardized physical inspection tool is recommended to improve the consistency of inspection findings between mandatory physical inspections in order to promote optimum tenant health. | 25,222,383 | [
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Comparative effectiveness of generic and brand-name statins on patient outcomes: a cohort study. | Statins are effective in preventing cardiovascular events, but patients do not fully adhere to them. To determine whether patients are more adherent to generic statins versus brand-name statins (lovastatin, pravastatin, or simvastatin) and whether greater adherence improves health outcomes. Observational, propensity score-matched, new-user cohort study. Linked electronic data from medical and pharmacy claims. Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older with prescription drug coverage between 2006 and 2008. Initiation of a generic or brand-name statin. Adherence to statin therapy (measured as the proportion of days covered [PDC] up to 1 year) and a composite outcome comprising hospitalization for an acute coronary syndrome or stroke and all-cause mortality. Hazard ratios (HRs) and absolute rate differences were estimated. A total of 90,111 patients who initiated a statin during the study was identified; 83,731 (93%) initiated a generic drug, and 6380 (7%) initiated a brand-name drug. The mean age of patients was 75.6 years, and most (61%) were female. The average PDC was 77% for patients in the generic group and 71% for those in the brand-name group (P<0.001). An 8% reduction in the rate of the clinical outcome was observed among patients in the generic group versus those in the brand-name group (HR, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.86 to 0.99]). The absolute difference was -1.53 events per 100 person-years (CI, -2.69 to -0.19 events per 100 person-years). Results may not be generalizable to other populations with different incomes or drug benefit structures. Compared with those initiating brand-name statins, patients initiating generic statins were more likely to adhere and had a lower rate of a composite clinical outcome. Teva Pharmaceuticals. | 25,222,387 | [
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Mental health screening in kindergarten youth: a multistudy examination of the concurrent and diagnostic validity of the Impairment Rating Scale. | Using a multistudy approach, we examined the utility of the Impairment Rating Scale (IRS; Fabiano et al., 2006) as a screening tool for detecting kindergarten children who are at risk for social, emotional, academic, and behavioral problems. In Study 1 (N = 568), we evaluated the concurrent validity, discriminant validity, and diagnostic efficiency of the parent and teacher IRS test score inferences in relation to scores from the Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC-2; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004). In Study 2 (N = 242), we addressed limitations in Study 1 and evaluated the concurrent validity, discriminant validity, and diagnostic efficiency of the parent and teacher IRS test score inferences in relation to scores from BASC-2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS; Kamphaus & Reynolds, 2007), quarterly grades, kindergarten reading competency tests, and daily behavior outcomes on a classwide discipline system. Results indicate moderate to strong concurrent and diagnostic validity utility for the teacher IRS test score inferences and low to moderate concurrent and diagnostic validity utility for the parent IRS test score inferences. IRS scores of 3 or 4 may represent appropriate cutpoints for determining risk status in kindergarten youth depending on school districts' intended use of the tool for screening. Implications for future research and practice in universal school-based screening are discussed. | 25,222,431 | [
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An information capacity limitation of visual short-term memory. | Research suggests that visual short-term memory (VSTM) has both an item capacity, of around 4 items, and an information capacity. We characterize the information capacity limits of VSTM using a task in which observers discriminated the orientation of a single probed item in displays consisting of 1, 2, 3, or 4 orthogonally oriented Gabor patch stimuli that were presented in noise for 50 ms, 100 ms, 150 ms, or 200 ms. The observed capacity limitations are well described by a sample-size model, which predicts invariance of ∑(i)(d'(i))² for displays of different sizes and linearity of (d'(i))² for displays of different durations. Performance was the same for simultaneous and sequentially presented displays, which implicates VSTM as the locus of the observed invariance and rules out explanations that ascribe it to divided attention or stimulus encoding. The invariance of ∑(i)(d'(i))² is predicted by the competitive interaction theory of Smith and Sewell (2013), which attributes it to the normalization of VSTM traces strengths arising from competition among stimuli entering VSTM. | 25,222,469 | [
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MOF-derived cobalt-doped ZnO@C composites as a high-performance anode material for lithium-ion batteries. | Cobalt (Co)-doped MOF-5s (Co-MOF-5s) were first synthesized by a secondary growth method, followed by a heat treatment to yield Co-doped ZnO coated with carbon (CZO@C). Compared with carbon-coated ZnO (ZnO@C), the doping of Co increased the graphitization degree of the carbon on the surface of CZO@C nanoparticles and enhanced the conductivity of the material. The electrochemical properties of the materials were characterized by galvanostatic discharge/charge tests. It was found that the as-synthesized CZO@C composites enabled a reversible capacity of 725 mA h g(-1) up to the 50th cycle at a current density of 100 mA g(-1), which was higher than that of ZnO@C composites (335 mA h g(-1)). | 25,222,492 | [
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Synthesis and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of 5,6-dihydropyrazolo/pyrazolo[1,5-c]quinazoline derivatives. | Some 5,6-dihydropyrazolo/pyrazolo[1,5-c]quinazoline derivatives were rationally designed, synthesized and evaluated for in vitro xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity for the first time. Some notions about structure activity relationships are presented. The compounds 6g, 6h and 6e were found to be significantly active against XO. The compound 6g emerged as the most potent XO inhibitor as compared to allopurinol and free radical scavenger. The molecular docking of 6g into the XO active site highlighted its mode of binding and important interactions such as hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking with amino acid residues like Ser876, Thr1010, Phen914, Phe1009 and Phe649 and its close proximity to dioxothiomolybdenum (MOS). | 25,222,504 | [
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A bis(amido) ligand set that supports two-coordinate chromium in the +1, +2, and +3 oxidation states. | The amido ligand -N(Si(i)Pr3)DIPP (DIPP = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl) has been used to prepare two-coordinate complexes of Cr(I), Cr(II), and Cr(III). The two-coordinate Cr(II) complex has also been used to prepare a three-coordinate Cr(III) iodide complex, which can be used to access a stable Cr(III) methyl species. | 25,222,516 | [
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Safety organizing, emotional exhaustion, and turnover in hospital nursing units. | Prior research has found that safety organizing behaviors of registered nurses (RNs) positively impact patient safety. However, little research exists on how engaging in safety organizing affects caregivers. While we know that organizational processes can have divergent effects on organizational and employee outcomes, little research exists on the effects of pursuing highly reliable performance through safety organizing on caregivers. Specifically, we examined whether, and the conditions under which, safety organizing affects RN emotional exhaustion and nursing unit turnover rates. Subjects included 1352 RNs in 50 intensive care, internal medicine, labor, and surgery nursing units in 3 Midwestern acute-care hospitals who completed questionnaires between August and December 2011 and 50 Nurse Managers from the units who completed questionnaires in December 2012. Cross-sectional analyses of RN emotional exhaustion linked to survey data on safety organizing and hospital incident reporting system data on adverse event rates for the year before survey administration. Cross-sectional analysis of unit-level RN turnover rates for the year following the administration of the survey linked to survey data on safety organizing. Multilevel regression analysis indicated that safety organizing was negatively associated with RN emotional exhaustion on units with higher rates of adverse events and positively associated with RN emotional exhaustion with lower rates of adverse events. Tobit regression analyses indicated that safety organizing was associated with lower unit level of turnover rates over time. Safety organizing is beneficial to caregivers in multiple ways, especially on nursing units with high levels of adverse events and over time. | 25,222,533 | [
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Chapter 1 posttraumatic stress disorder: a view from the operating theater. | Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that develops following exposure to a traumatic event. The prevalence and symptom severity of PTSD is greater in military combat Veterans than the civilian population. Although PTSD is a psychiatric disorder, in Veterans, it is associated with several physical comorbidities, chronic pain, substance abuse, and worse self-reported health status which may predispose them to greater perioperative morbidity and mortality. At present, the effect of surgery on the severity of PTSD is largely unknown. However, the perioperative clinician should consider PTSD a chronic illness associated with the accumulation of risk factors across the life span. | 25,222,535 | [
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Chapter 8 family caregivers of veterans: a critical review of the empirical literature and recommendations for future research. | In recent years, research on caregiving has grown in both quality and quantity. Caregivers play an important role in supporting and promoting the health and recovery of injured, disabled, and ill family members in their care. Although researchers have made a substantial contribution to our understanding of family caregiving, less is known about family caregivers of U.S. Veterans. The purpose of this review is to identify and evaluate the research surrounding caregivers of U.S. Veterans, particularly two populations of Veterans: those who returned from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and those who had suffered a stroke. A search of the available literature from 1987 to present day resulted in a review of 18 publications on Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom caregivers and 19 publications on caregivers of Veterans with stroke. We summarize empirical findings, critique the study methods, and provide our recommendations to improve the quality of care of Veterans and their caregivers. | 25,222,542 | [
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The wheat E subunit of V-type H+-ATPase is involved in the plant response to osmotic stress. | The vacuolar type H+-ATPase (V-type H+-ATPase) plays important roles in establishing an electrochemical H+-gradient across tonoplast, energizing Na+ sequestration into the central vacuole, and enhancing salt stress tolerance in plants. In this paper, a putative E subunit of the V-type H+-ATPase gene, W36 was isolated from stress-induced wheat de novo transcriptome sequencing combining with 5'-RACE and RT-PCR methods. The full-length of W36 gene was 1097 bp, which contained a 681 bp open reading frame (ORF) and encoded 227 amino acids. Southern blot analysis indicated that W36 was a single-copy gene. The quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed that the expression level of W36 could be upregulated by drought, cold, salt, and exogenous ABA treatment. A subcellular localization assay showed that the W36 protein accumulated in the cytoplasm. Isolation of the W36 promoter revealed some cis-acting elements responding to abiotic stresses. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing W36 were enhanced salt and mannitol tolerance. These results indicate that W36 is involved in the plant response to osmotic stress. | 25,222,556 | [
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Functional features and protein network of human sperm-egg interaction. | Elucidation of the sperm-egg interaction at the molecular level is one of the unresolved problems in sexual reproduction, and understanding the molecular mechanism is crucial in solving problems in infertility and failed in vitro fertilization (IVF). Many molecular interactions in the form of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) mediate the sperm-egg membrane interaction. Due to the complexity of the problem such as difficulties in analyzing in vivo membrane PPIs, many efforts have failed to comprehensively elucidate the fusion mechanism and the molecular interactions that mediate sperm-egg membrane fusion. The main purpose of this study was to reveal possible protein interactions and associated molecular function during sperm-egg interaction using a protein interaction network approach. Different databases have been used to construct the human sperm-egg interaction network. The constructed network revealed new interactions. These included CD151 and CD9 in human oocyte that interact with CD49 in sperm, and CD49 and ITGA4 in sperm that interact with CD63 and CD81, respectively, in the oocyte. These results showed that the different integrins in sperm may be involved in human sperm-egg interaction. It was also suggested that sperm ADAM2 plays a role as a protein candidate involved in sperm-egg membrane interaction by interacting with CD9 in the oocyte. Interleukin-4 receptor activity, receptor signaling protein tyrosine kinase activity, and manganese ion transmembrane transport activity are the major molecular functions in sperm-egg interaction protein network. The disease association analysis indicated that sperm-egg interaction defects are also reflected in other disease networks such as cardiovascular, hematological, and breast cancer diseases. By analyzing the network, we identified the major molecular functions and disease association genes in sperm-egg interaction protein. Further experimental studies will be required to confirm the significance of these new computationally resolved interactions and the genetic links between sperm-egg interaction abnormalities and the associated disease. | 25,222,562 | [
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Control of varicella in the post-vaccination era in Australia: a model-based assessment of catch-up and infant vaccination strategies for the future. | In Australia, varicella vaccine was universally funded in late 2005 as a single dose at 18 months. A school-based catch-up programme for children aged 10-13 years without a history of infection or vaccination was funded until 2015, when those eligible for universal infant vaccination would have reached the age of high school entry. This study projects the impact of discontinuing catch-up vaccination on varicella and zoster incidence and morbidity using a transmission dynamic model, in comparison with alternative policy options, including two-dose strategies. At current vaccine coverage (83% at 2 years and 90% at 5 years), ceasing the adolescent catch-up programme in 2015 was projected to increase varicella-associated morbidity between 2035 and 2050 by 39%. Although two-dose infant programmes had the lowest estimated varicella morbidity, the incremental benefit from the second dose fell by 70% if first dose coverage increased from 83% to 95% by age 24 months. Overall zoster morbidity was predicted to rise after vaccination, but differences between strategies were small. Our results suggest that feasibility of one-dose coverage approaching 95% is an important consideration in estimating incremental benefit from a second dose of varicella vaccine. | 25,222,565 | [
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Religiosity as a Predictor of Adolescents' Substance Use Disorder Treatment Outcomes. | A growing body of research on adults with substance use disorders (SUDs) suggests that higher levels of religiosity and/or spirituality are associated with better treatment outcomes. However, investigation into the role of religiosity and spirituality in adolescent SUD treatment response remains scarce. The present study examines religiosity as a predictor of treatment outcomes in an adolescent sample, with alcohol/other drug problem recognition as a hypothesized moderator of this relationship. Problem recognition was selected as a moderator in an attempt to identify a subset of adolescents who would be more likely to use religious resources when attempting to change their substance use. One hundred twenty-seven outpatient adolescents aged 14 to 19 (Mage=16.7, SD=1.2, 24% female) were followed for 1 year after treatment intake. Growth curve analyses were used to assess the impact of baseline religiosity and problem recognition on subsequent abstinence rates, drug-related consequences, and psychological distress. On average, abstinence did not change significantly during the follow-up period, whereas drug-related consequences and psychological distress decreased significantly. Religiosity did not predict changes in abstinence or psychological distress over time. Religiosity did predict reductions in drug-related consequences over time (b=-0.20, t=-2.18, P=.03). However, when problem recognition was added to the model, the impact of religiosity on consequences became nonsignificant, and there was no interaction between religiosity and problem recognition on consequences. The main hypothesis was largely unsupported. Possible explanations include that the sample was low in religiosity and few participants were actively seeking sobriety at treatment intake. Findings suggest adolescent outpatients with SUD may differ from their adult counterparts in the role that religiosity plays in recovery. | 25,222,569 | [
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The influence of splenectomy performed simultaneously with gastrectomy on postoperative complications in patients with gastric cancer undergoing surgery with the intention to treat. | Despite the growing understanding of the pathophysiological processes in the perioperative period and significant advancements in surgical techniques, operative treatment for gastric cancer remains a challenge for surgeons, especially because the primary procedure of total or nearly total gastrectomy must at times be extended by the resection of other organs. The aim of the study was to asses the influence of concomitant splenectomy in patients undergoing curative surgery for gastric cancer on postoperative complications. The study population consisted of 258 patients who underwent surgical treatment for gastric cancer with the intention to treat. The study assessed the influence of extending the surgical intervention by splenectomy on postoperative complications, both general and surgical, including the most severe of these, i.e. oesophago-gastric anastomotic leakage, duodenal stump leakage and peritoneal fluid infections. Among the 258 gastric cancer patients receiving curative surgical treatment, the most common simultaneous intervention was splenectomy: 42/258 (16.3%), which was also accompanied by partial pancreatectomy in 8 cases. The number of surgical postoperative complications, major and minor, was similar in both subgroups: with and without splenectomy. Minor general complications, such as pyrexia with no clinically apparent reason, atelectasis, pneumonia and pleural effusion were statistically significantly more common in the subgroup with splenectomy (p=0.0001). Splenectomy performed concomitantly with gastrectomy for gastric cancer increases the risk of minor general complications. However, it does not increase the risk of severe surgical complications, such as oesophago-intestinal anastomotic leakage and does not increase the risk of death. | 25,222,578 | [
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The outcome of targeted therapy in advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) with non-exon 11 KIT mutations. | GIST is the most common mesenchymal tumour of gastrointestinal tract arising from mutation of KIT or PDGFRA gene. Surgery is the primary method of treatment, however a targeted therapy with imatinib is necessary due to recurrence. The aim of the study was to evaluate efficacy of the targeted chemotherapy in advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumours with non-exon 11 KIT mutations. Data from 279 patients with advanced GIST treated with imatinib between 2001 and 2011 were analysed in the study. Exon 11 KIT mutation was found in 192 patients (68.7%), non-exon 11 KIT mutation was found in 87 patients (31.3%): this group included lack of mutation - wild-type, exon 9 KIT mutations, exon 18 PDGFRA D842V mutations, non-D842V PDGFRA mutations as well as non-exon 9 and 11 KIT mutations. Analysis of progression-free survival and overall survival were done for the entire group of patients and for patients with particular mutations, and then effects on progression-free survival and overall survival of such factors as sex, age, imatinib dose were evaluated. Occurrence of non-exon 11 KIT mutation increases the risk of disease progression by 20% in comparison to the presence of exon 11 KIT mutation, however it does not increase the risk of patient's death. Percentage of 5-year progression-free survivals is the greatest in the case of PDGFRA mutation other than D842V mutation. Percentage of 5-year survivals in case of the presence of D842V PDGFRA mutation is more than twice worse than in the case of the other mutations. Lesion location in the gastrointestinal tract affected the risk of death, with the greatest percentage of 5-year survival for lesions located in the stomach. Such factors as sex, age at diagnosis (<50, ≥50 years) and imatinib dose did not affect the risk of disease progression and the risk of patient's death. The ratio of overall survival of patients with advanced GIST with a mutation other than exon 11 KIT mutation treated with imatinib is similar to the ratio of overall survival of patients with GIST with exon 11 KIT mutation. An exception is the group of patients with GIST in whom the presence of D842V PDGFRA mutation was found. In general, longer survival has been found in patients with GIST located in the stomach in comparison to the small intestine or other less frequent locations. Percentage of 5-year progression-free survivals is the greatest in the case of PDGFRA mutation other than D842V mutation. | 25,222,580 | [
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First- and fifth-minute Apgar scores of 0-3 and infant mortality: a population-based study in São Paulo State of Brazil. | To determine the infant mortality of newborns with 1- and 5-min Apgar scores of 0-3. Population cohort study with neonates with birth weight ≥400 g, gestational age ≥22 weeks and 1- and 5-min Apgar scores of 0-3, without malformations, born in São Paulo State (Brazil) from January 2006 to December 2007. Apgar scores were confirmed in the original certificates of live births and/or medical records. During this period, among 1,027,132 live births, 1640 met the study criteria, with an incidence of 1.6 per 1000 live births. When the 5-min Apgar score was 0, 1, 2 and 3, the infant mortality rate was 97%, 94%, 64% and 47%, respectively. Risk factors associated with infant deaths were 5-min Apgar score of 0 or 1 [odds ratio (OR) 16.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 11.1-24.8], birth weight <2500 g (OR 7.5, 95% CI 5.7-9.8), birth at hospitals outside the state capital (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.3-2.3), in private or charitable hospitals (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-2.0), and during the night shift (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0-1.7). For infants with 1- and 5-min Apgar scores of 0-3, the infant mortality is high. Besides the biological variables associated with the chance of dying, the organization of the perinatal care influences the outcome. | 25,222,589 | [
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Hand preference status and reach kinematics in infants. | Infants show age-related improvements in reach straightness and smoothness over the first years of life as well as a decrease in average movement speed. This period of changing kinematics overlaps the emergence of handedness. We examined whether infant hand preference status is related to the development of motor control in 53 infants ranging from 11 to 14 months old. Hand preference status was assessed from reaching to a set of 5 objects presented individually at the infant's midline; infants were classified into 'right preference' or 'no preference' groups. Three-dimensional (3-D) recordings were made of each arm for reaches under two distinct conditions: pick up a ball and fit it into the opening of a toy (grasp-to-place task) or pick up a Cheerio® and consume it (grasp-to-eat task). Contrary to expectations, there was no effect of hand preference status on reach smoothness or straightness for either task. On the grasp-to-eat task only, average speed of the left hand differed as a function of hand preference status. Infants in the no preference group exhibited higher left hand average speeds than infants in the right preference group. Our results suggest that while behavioral differences in the use of the two hands may be present in some infants, these differences do not appear to be systematically linked to biases in motor control of the arms early in development. | 25,222,613 | [
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Neuromodulation for mood and memory: from the engineering bench to the patient bedside. | Brain stimulation, in the form of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), has long been a gold standard treatment for depression, but today, the field of neuromodulation is rapidly changing with the advent of newer and more precise tools to alter neuroplasticity and to treat brain-based disorders. Now there are new means to induce focal seizures, as with magnetic seizure therapy (MST), or modifications to ECT. There are also surgical approaches to target brain circuits via implanted stimulators placed in the brain or on cranial nerves. Finally, there are noninvasive subconvulsive approaches for the transcranial application of either electric or magnetic fields. Collectively, these tools have transformed the face of neurotherapeutics and informed our understanding of the brain basis of complex neurobehavioral conditions. | 25,222,617 | [
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The partition behavior of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (FOSA) on microplastics. | Microplastics have been recognized as transport vectors for heavy metals and organic pollutants to marine animals. Thus, the sorption behavior of contaminant on microplastic is crucial to their transport in marine system. In this study, the sorption behavior of PFOS and FOSA (two perfluorochemicals) on three kinds of microplastics (PE, PS, and PVC) are reported. The isotherm study showed that the sorption of PFOS and FOSA on microplastics is highly linear, and it indicated that partition by hydrophobic interaction is the predominant sorption mechanism. The Kd values of FOSA on three kinds of microplastics are all higher than those of PFOS, and the reason is attributed to their different functional groups. The Kd value of FOSA on three types of microplastics followed the order as: PE>PVC>PS. Such finding may indicate that the molecule composition and structure of microplastics play important roles in their sorption processes of organic pollutants. The PFOS sorption levels on PE and PS particles were increased with the increase of NaCl and CaCl2 concentrations, while the ion concentrations have no effect on FOSA sorption. The study on the pH effects on PFOS and FOSA sorption indicated FOSA could partition under various pH conditions on three types of microplastics while PFOS sorption on PE and PS were favored with lower pH. | 25,222,623 | [
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Self-organized polyelectrolyte end-grafted layers under nanoconfinement. | Layers of end-grafted weak polyelectrolytes in poor solvent self-organize into a rich variety of structures (such as micelles, micelles coexisting with nonaggregated chains, stripes and layers with solvent-filled holes) due to the subtle competition among hydrophobic, electrostatic and steric interactions and the chemical acid-based equilibria of the weak polyelectrolyte. In this work, a molecular theory has been used to systematically study how nanoconfinement modulates the competition among these interactions and, therefore, dictates the morphology of the self-assembled layer. Two different types of confinement were considered and compared: (i) soft lateral confinement due to increasing surface coverage in a planar polyelectrolyte brush and (ii) hard vertical confinement due to the interaction of a planar polyelectrolyte brush with an opposing surface, as typically found in AFM-colloidal-tip and surface-force-apparatus experiments. It is shown that increasing the surface coverage (soft lateral confinement) or compressing the layer with an opposing wall (hard vertical confinement) have a similar qualitative effect on the morphology of the system: both types of nanoconfinement increase the stability of morphologies that extend in one or two dimensions (such as the homogeneous brush, holes and stripes) over nonextended aggregates (such as hemispherical micelles). However, vertical confinement can also lead to pillar-like structures that are not observed in the absence of the opposing wall. Interestingly, the pillar structures, which bridge the grafting and opposing surfaces, may coexist with metastable structures collapsed to the grafting surface only. This coexistence may help to understand the hysteresis commonly observed in surface-force experiments. | 25,222,704 | [
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Amelioration of the effects of obesity on short-term postoperative complications of laparoscopic and open ventral hernia repair. | Recent studies indicate that laparoscopic ventral hernia repair has a lower incidence of postoperative surgical site infections (SSI) and length of stay (LOS). There is limited literature evaluating postoperative SSI, LOS, blood loss, and operation time (OT) in obese patients. The objective of this study was to compare postoperative SSI, LOS, blood loss, and OT in obese patients undergoing laparoscopic and open ventral hernia repair (OVHR). The American College of Surgeons National Surgery Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) Participant Use File (PUF) from 2011 was used to identify patients with OVHR and laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR). Postoperative SSI, OT, LOS, and blood loss were analyzed and compared in the different patient groups using univariate and multivariate analyses. A total of 12,004 patients who underwent ventral hernia repair were included in the study. The distribution of repair types were: 6537 (54.5%) reducible OVHR, 2749 (22.9%) incarcerated OVHR, 1767 (14.7%) reducible LVHR, and 763 (6.4%) incarcerated LVHR. Of the patients with body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m 113 (3.4%) developed superficial SSI in the OVHR group compared with 7 (0.72%) of the patients in the LVHR group (P<0.01). The mean total OT was 77.9 minutes in the OVHR group, compared with 87.9 minutes LVHR for patients with BMI<25 kg/m. In the highest BMI class of >40 kg/m, OT was not significantly different between the groups. The mean LOS increased in OVHR group from 2.4 days in patients with BMI<25 kg/m to 3.7 days in patients with BMI>40 kg/m. In contrast, in the LVHR group, the LOS was decreased from a mean of 3.2 days in patients with BMI<25 kg/m to 1.9 days in patients with BMI>40 kg/m. LVHR repair is related to a decreased risk for superficial SSI's and LOS in obese patients, without extending OT. | 25,222,715 | [
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Automated graph regularized projective nonnegative matrix factorization for document clustering. | In this paper, a novel projective nonnegative matrix factorization (PNMF) method for enhancing the clustering performance is presented, called automated graph regularized projective nonnegative matrix factorization (AGPNMF). The idea of AGPNMF is to extend the original PNMF by incorporating the automated graph regularized constraint into the PNMF decomposition. The key advantage of this approach is that AGPNMF simultaneously finds graph weights matrix and dimensionality reduction of data. AGPNMF seeks to extract the data representation space that preserves the local geometry structure. This character makes AGPNMF more intuitive and more powerful than the original method for clustering tasks. The kernel trick is used to extend AGPNMF model related to the input space by some nonlinear map. The proposed method has been applied to the problem of document clustering using the well-known Reuters-21578, TDT2, and SECTOR data sets. Our experimental evaluations show that the proposed method enhances the performance of PNMF for document clustering. | 25,222,725 | [
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Granular robust mean-CVaR feedstock flow planning for waste-to-energy systems under integrated uncertainty. | In the context of robust optimization with information granules for distributional parameters, this paper investigates a two-stage waste-to-energy feedstock flow planning problem with uncertain capacity expansion costs. The objective is to minimize the worst-case overall loss in a mean-risk criterion where the risk is measured by a conditional value-at-risk operator. As a salient feature, an integrated uncertainty is considered which consists of not only the uncertainty in distribution shapes of the uncertain variables, but also the manifold uncertainties of the mean parameters. To tackle the robust optimization under such integrated uncertainty, we first discuss a distributional robust two-stage feedstock flow planning model with precise mean parameters that handles the uncertainty in distribution shape, and the model can be equivalently transformed into a linear program (LP). Furthermore, the precise-mean-based robust model is extended into the case of multifaceted uncertainty for mean-parameters that are allowed to assume intervals, historical-data-based probabilistic estimates, and/or human-knowledge-centric fuzzy set estimates, under different circumstances. These multifaceted uncertain mean-parameters are uniformly represented by using information granules, and a granular robust optimization model is then developed which maximizes the robustness of the solution within a shortfall tolerance, and realizes a tradeoff between the solution conservativeness and robustness. It is showed that the granular robust model is equivalent to solving a series of LPs and can be efficiently handled by a nested binary search algorithm. Finally, the computational study illustrates the model performance, solution analysis, and underlines a much higher scalability of the developed robust model compared to the stochastic programming approach. | 25,222,726 | [
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A comprehensive analysis of small-passerine fatalities from collision with turbines at wind energy facilities. | Small passerines, sometimes referred to as perching birds or songbirds, are the most abundant bird group in the United States (US) and Canada, and the most common among bird fatalities caused by collision with turbines at wind energy facilities. We used data compiled from 116 studies conducted in the US and Canada to estimate the annual rate of small-bird fatalities. It was necessary for us to calculate estimates of small-bird fatality rates from reported all-bird rates for 30% of studies. The remaining 70% of studies provided data on small-bird fatalities. We then adjusted estimates to account for detection bias and loss of carcasses from scavenging. These studies represented about 15% of current operating capacity (megawatts [MW]) for all wind energy facilities in the US and Canada and provided information on 4,975 bird fatalities, of which we estimated 62.5% were small passerines comprising 156 species. For all wind energy facilities currently in operation, we estimated that about 134,000 to 230,000 small-passerine fatalities from collision with wind turbines occur annually, or 2.10 to 3.35 small birds/MW of installed capacity. When adjusted for species composition, this indicates that about 368,000 fatalities for all bird species are caused annually by collisions with wind turbines. Other human-related sources of bird deaths, (e.g., communication towers, buildings [including windows]), and domestic cats) have been estimated to kill millions to billions of birds each year. Compared to continent-wide population estimates, the cumulative mortality rate per year by species was highest for black-throated blue warbler and tree swallow; 0.043% of the entire population of each species was estimated to annually suffer mortality from collisions with turbines. For the eighteen species with the next highest values, this estimate ranged from 0.008% to 0.038%, much lower than rates attributed to collisions with communication towers (1.2% to 9.0% for top twenty species). | 25,222,738 | [
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MiR393 regulation of auxin signaling and redox-related components during acclimation to salinity in Arabidopsis. | One of the most striking aspects of plant plasticity is the modulation of development in response to environmental changes. Plant growth and development largely depend on the phytohormone auxin that exerts its function through a partially redundant family of F-box receptors, the TIR1-AFBs. We have previously reported that the Arabidopsis double mutant tir1 afb2 is more tolerant to salt stress than wild-type plants and we hypothesized that down-regulation of auxin signaling might be part of Arabidopsis acclimation to salinity. In this work, we show that NaCl-mediated salt stress induces miR393 expression by enhancing the transcription of AtMIR393A and leads to a concomitant reduction in the levels of the TIR1 and AFB2 receptors. Consequently, NaCl triggers stabilization of Aux/IAA repressors leading to down-regulation of auxin signaling. Further, we report that miR393 is likely involved in repression of lateral root (LR) initiation, emergence and elongation during salinity, since the mir393ab mutant shows reduced inhibition of emergent and mature LR number and length upon NaCl-treatment. Additionally, mir393ab mutant plants have increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in LRs, and reduced ascorbate peroxidase (APX) enzymatic activity compared with wild-type plants during salinity. Thus, miR393 regulation of the TIR1 and AFB2 receptors could be a critical checkpoint between auxin signaling and specfic redox-associated components in order to coordinate tissue and time-specific growth responses and tolerance during acclimation to salinity in Arabidopsis. | 25,222,737 | [
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The relationships between serum sclerostin, bone mineral density, and vascular calcification in rheumatoid arthritis. | Recent data indicate that the secreted glycoprotein sclerostin may be involved in vascular calcification (VC). The objective of the study was to establish whether serum sclerostin levels are associated with VC in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This was a cross-sectional study. The study was conducted with ambulatory care. We compared 75 RA patients with 75 age- and gender-matched control participants. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) scores were evaluated by computed tomography. Serum sclerostin levels (determined with an ELISA) were assessed. A statistical analysis was performed to identify the determinants of serum sclerostin and VC. AAC and CAC were more prevalent and more severe in patients with RA than in controls. Higher levels of AAC (P = .02) and a higher lumbar bone mineral density (BMD; P = .03) were identified as independent determinants of higher serum sclerostin levels in RA patients, whereas male gender (P = .03), higher lumbar BMD (P < .0001), and low estimated glomerular rate (P < .001) were identified as determinants in controls. In RA patients, a multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that older age [P < .01, with an odds ratio (OR) per year 1.10] and male gender (P = .02, OR 6.79) were independent determinants of CAC and that older age (P < .001, OR 1.16) were independent determinants of AAC. In controls, the independent determinants were older age (P < .01, OR 1.19), hypertension (P < .01, OR 7.31), and lumbar BMD (P = .03, OR per 30 mg/cm(2) increment of 1.14) for CAC and older age (P = .01, OR 1.11) for AAC. Serum sclerostin levels were significantly and independently associated with AAC in RA patients. | 25,222,755 | [
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The case for single pill combinations. | Although the need for combination therapy of hypertension was obvious from the early intervention trials, administration of such therapy as fixed-dose or single-pill combinations has only reached general acceptance in recent years. The main reason for this change of mind documented in the recommendation of using single-pill combinations in almost every recent hypertension guideline is our increasing knowledge about non-adherence to drug therapy. In the multifactorial origin of non-adherence, the complexity of therapy, especially in elderly patients with comorbidities and polypharmacy, has been identified as a major factor involved. So an important rule in hypertension treatment, and maybe in drug therapy in general, is to keep things as simple as possible. | 25,222,763 | [
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Parental psychopathology and treatment outcome for anxious youth: roles of family functioning and caregiver strain. | Research has examined the effects of parental psychopathology, family functioning, and caregiver strain on treatment response in anxious youths. Although these variables have shown individual links to youth treatment response, theoretical models for their combined effects remain unexplored. This study tested the hypothesis that improvements in family functioning and reductions in caregiver strain explained the effects of parental psychopathology on youth treatment outcome in an anxiety treatment trial. A multiple mediation technique was used to test the proposed model across independent evaluator (IE), parent, and youth informants in 488 youths, aged 7-17 years (50% female; mean age = 10.7) meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for social phobia, separation anxiety, and/or generalized anxiety disorder. Youths were randomized to receive 12 weeks of cognitive-behavioral treatment (Coping Cat), medication (sertraline), their combination, or a pill placebo. At pre- and posttreatment, parents completed self-report measures of global psychopathology symptoms, family functioning, and caregiver strain; parents, youths, and IEs rated youths' anxiety symptom severity. Changes in family functioning and caregiver strain jointly explained relations between parental psychopathology and reductions in youth anxiety. Specifically, across IE and parent informants, families with higher pretreatment parental psychopathology showed more improvement in family functioning and caregiver strain, which in turn predicted greater youth anxiety reductions. Further, higher pretreatment parental psychopathology predicted greater caregiver strain reductions and, in turn, greater youth anxiety reductions, based on youths' reports of their own anxiety. Findings suggest that improvements in family functioning and reductions in caregiver strain can influence treatment outcomes for anxious youths, especially among youths with more distressed parents. | 25,222,799 | [
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Self-efficacy for exercise, more than disease-related factors, is associated with objectively assessed exercise time and sedentary behaviour in rheumatoid arthritis. | Until recently, reports of physical activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were limited to self-report methods and/or leisure-time physical activity. Our objectives were to assess, determine correlates of, and compare to well-matched controls both exercise and sedentary time in a typical clinical cohort of RA. Persons with established RA (seropositive or radiographic erosions; n = 41) without diabetes or cardiovascular disease underwent assessments of traditional and disease-specific correlates of physical activity and 7 days of triaxial accelerometry. Twenty-seven age, gender, and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls were assessed. For persons with RA, objectively measured median (25th-75th percentile) exercise time was 3 (1-11) min/day; only 10% (n = 4) of participants exercised for ≥ 30 min/day. Time spent in sedentary activities was 92% (89-95%). Exercise time was not related to pain but was inversely related to disease activity (r = -0.3, p < 0.05) and disability (r = -0.3, p < 0.05) and positively related to self-efficacy for endurance activity (r = 0.4, p < 0.05). Sedentary activity was related only to self-efficacy for endurance activity (r = -0.4, p < 0.05). When compared to matched controls, persons with RA exhibited poorer self-efficacy for physical activity but similar amounts of exercise and sedentary time. For persons with RA and without diabetes or cardiovascular disease, time spent in exercise was well below established guidelines and activity patterns were predominantly sedentary. For optimal care in RA, in addition to promoting exercise, clinicians should consider assessing sedentary behaviour and self-efficacy for exercise. Future interventions might determine whether increased self-efficacy can increase physical activity in RA. | 25,222,824 | [
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Profiling of thiol-containing compounds by stable isotope labeling double precursor ion scan mass spectrometry. | Here we developed a novel strategy of isotope labeling in combination with high-performance liquid chromatography-double precursor ion scan mass spectrometry (IL-LC-DPIS-MS) analysis for nontargeted profiling of thiol-containing compounds. In this strategy, we synthesized a pair of isotope labeling reagents (ω-bromoacetonylquinolinium bromide, BQB; ω-bromoacetonylquinolinium-d7 bromide, BQB-d7) that contain a reactive group, an isotopically labeled moiety, and an ionizable group to selectively label thiol-containing compounds. The BQB and BQB-d7 labeled compounds can generate two characteristic product ions m/z 218 and 225, which contain an isotope tag and therefore were used for double precursor ion scans in mass spectrometry analysis. The peak pairs with characteristic mass differences can be readily extracted from the two precursor ion scan (PIS) spectra and assigned as potential thiol-containing candidates, which facilitates the identification of analytes. BQB and BQB-d7 labeled thiol-containing compounds can be clearly distinguished by generating two individual ion chromatograms. Thus, thiol-containing compounds from two samples labeled with different isotope reagents are ionized at the same time but recorded separately by mass spectrometry, offering good identification and accurate quantification by eliminating the MS response fluctuation and mutual interference from the two labeled samples. Using the IL-LC-DPIS-MS strategy, we profiled the thiol-containing compounds in beer and human urine, and 21 and 103 thiol candidates were discovered in beer and human urine, respectively. In addition, 9 and 17 thiol candidates in beer and human urine were successfully identified by further comparison with thiol standards or tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Taken together, the IL-LC-DPIS-MS method is demonstrated to be a promising strategy in the profiling of compounds with identical groups in metabolomics study. | 25,222,826 | [
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Comparison of equations with estimate renal function to predict serum vancomycin concentration in patients with spinal cord injury--does the use of cystatin C improve accuracy? | Vancomycin dose selection is challenging in the spinal cord injury (SCI) population because of the difficulty in accurately estimating the renal function. Creatinine-based equations have been shown to be unreliable in this patient population. Adjusted equations designed for patients with SCI have not been well studied. Cystatin C is an alternative marker of renal function that is less affected by muscle mass and may offer improvement in estimating renal function leading to improved initial dose selection. To compare the accuracy of serum creatinine- and serum cystatin C-based equations used in a pharmacokinetic (PK) model to predict steady-state serum vancomycin concentration in an SCI population. The rationale for this study is the need for an improved predictive model to guide initial vancomycin dose design before the availability of a measured steady-state serum concentration. Patients with SCI receiving vancomycin with measured serum creatinine, cystatin C, and steady-state serum vancomycin concentration were identified. Serum creatinine- and cystatin C-based equations to estimate renal function were substituted into a population-based PK model to predict steady state-serum vancomycin concentration. Predictions using each equation in the model were compared with the measured steady-state serum vancomycin concentration. Predictive performances using each equation in the PK model were compared. The final study population included 37 patients with SCI. The Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration cystatin C equation provided significantly less bias, greater precision, and superior accuracy when used in the PK model. In the SCI population, the use of Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration cystatin C equation may improve initial vancomycin dosing. Further study into this potential is encouraged. | 25,222,855 | [
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Development of new estradiol-cationic lipid hybrids: ten-carbon twin chain cationic lipid is a more suitable partner for estradiol to elicit better anticancer activity. | The present study illustrates the synthesis and anticancer evaluation of six, ten, twelve and fourteen carbon chain containing cationic lipidated-estradiol hybrids. Previously, we have established the lipidation strategy to introduce anticancer activities in various pharmacophores including estradiol (ES). In this structure activity study the length of the carbon chain is narrowed down between C6-C14 to screen out the most potent anticancer molecule among the class. Among the newly developed ES-cationic lipid conjugates, ten-carbon chain containing derivative, ES-C10 (5c) exhibited 4-12 folds better anticancer activity than the previously established derivative, ES-C8 (5b) in various cancer cells of different origin. Moreover cytotoxicity of this molecule was not observed in non-cancer cells. Notably, in spite of bearing estrogenic moiety, ES-C10 exhibited anticancer activity irrespective of estrogen receptor (ER) expression status. ES-C10 exhibited prominent sub-G0 arrest of cancer cells with concomitant induction of apoptosis and demonstrated significant inhibition of tumor growth in mouse melanoma model. Collectively, ES-C10 exemplifies the development of an anticancer agent with broader activity against cancer cells of different origins. | 25,222,876 | [
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Graphene activating room-temperature ferromagnetic exchange in cobalt-doped ZnO dilute magnetic semiconductor quantum dots. | Control over the magnetic interactions in dilute magnetic semiconductor quantum dots (DMSQDs) is a key issue to future development of nanometer-sized integrated "spintronic" devices. However, manipulating the magnetic coupling between impurity ions in DMSQDs remains a great challenge because of the intrinsic quantum confinement effects and self-purification of the quantum dots. Here, we propose a hybrid structure to achieve room-temperature ferromagnetic interactions in DMSQDs, via engineering the density and nature of the energy states at the Fermi level. This idea has been applied to Co-doped ZnO DMSQDs where the growth of a reduced graphene oxide shell around the Zn(0.98)Co(0.02)O core turns the magnetic interactions from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic at room temperature, due to the hybridization of 2p(z) orbitals of graphene and 3d obitals of Co(2+)-oxygen-vacancy complexes. This design may open up a kind of possibility for manipulating the magnetism of doped oxide nanostructures. | 25,222,885 | [
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Pediatrician perceptions of an outpatient antimicrobial stewardship intervention. | Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing commonly occurs in pediatric outpatients with acute respiratory tract infections. Antimicrobial stewardship programs are recommended for use in the hospital, but less is known about whether and how they will work in the ambulatory setting. Following a successful cluster-randomized trial to improve prescribing for common acute respiratory tract infections using education plus audit and feedback in a large, pediatric primary care network, we sought to explore the perceptions of the intervention and antibiotic overuse among participating clinicians. We conducted a qualitative study using semistructured interviews with 24 pediatricians from 6 primary care practices who participated in an outpatient antimicrobial stewardship intervention. All interviews were transcribed and analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. Deep skepticism of the audit and feedback reports emerged. Respondents ignored reports or expressed distrust about them. One respondent admitted to gaming behavior. When asked about antibiotic overuse, respondents recognized it as a problem, but they believed it was driven by the behaviors of nonpediatric physicians. Parent pressure for antibiotics was identified by all respondents as a major barrier to the more judicious use of antibiotics. Respondents reported that they sometimes "caved" to parent pressure for social reasons. To improve the effectiveness and sustainability of outpatient antimicrobial stewardship, it is critical to boost the credibility of audit data, engage primary care pediatricians in recognizing that their behavior contributes to antibiotic overuse, and address parent pressure to prescribe antibiotics. | 25,222,901 | [
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Lessons learned from implementing Clostridium difficile-focused antibiotic stewardship interventions. | To determine whether controlling the prescription of targeted antibiotics would translate to a measurable reduction in hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) rates. A multicenter before-and-after intervention comparative study. Ten medical centers in the greater New York region. Intervention group comprised of 6 facilities with early antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). The 4 facilities without ASPs made up the nonintervention group. Intervention facilities identified target antibiotics using case-control studies and implemented ASP-based strategies to control their use. Pre- and postintervention hospital-onset CDI rates and antibiotic consumption were compared for a 20-month period from June 2010 to January 2012. Antibiotic usage was compared using defined daily dose, days of therapy, and number of courses prescribed. Comparisons used bivariate and regression techniques. Intervention facilities identified piperacillin/tazobactam, fluoroquinolones, or cefepime (odds ratio, 2.0-9.8 in CDI case patients compared with those without CDI) as intervention targets and selected several interventions (all included a component of audit and feedback). Varying degrees of success were observed in reducing antibiotic consumption over time. Total target antibiotic use significantly decreased (P < .05) when measured by days of therapy and number of courses but not by defined daily dose. Intravenous moxifloxacin and oral ciprofloxacin use showed significant reduction when measured by defined daily dose and days of therapy (P ≤ .01). Number of courses with all forms of these antibiotics was reduced (P < .005). Intervention hospitals reported fewer hospital-onset CDI cases (2.8 rate point difference) compared with nonintervention hospitals; however, we were unable to show statistically significant decreases in aggregate hospital-onset CDI either between intervention and nonintervention groups or within the intervention group over time. Although decreases in target antibiotic consumption did not translate into reductions of hospital-onset CDI in this study, many valuable lessons (including implementation strategies and antibiotic consumption measures) were learned. The findings can inform potential policy decisions regarding incorporating control of CDI and ASP as healthcare quality measures. | 25,222,903 | [
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Detection of nitrobenzene compounds in surface water by ion mobility spectrometry coupled with molecularly imprinted polymers. | Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) was explored in the selective detection of nitrobenzene compounds in industrial waste water and surface water, and the selectivity was theoretically elucidated with the transformation energy in the product ion formation reaction. A linear detection range of 0.5-50 ppm and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.1 ppm were found for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). With the IMS as the detection system of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) separation technique, the MIP-IMS system was proved to be excellent method to detect trace amount of nitrobenzene compounds in surface water, in which more than 87% of nitrobenzene compounds could be adsorbed on MIPs with 90-105% of recovery. | 25,222,927 | [
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A Novel ECG Data Compression Method Using Adaptive Fourier Decomposition With Security Guarantee in e-Health Applications. | This paper presents a novel electrocardiogram (ECG) compression method for e-health applications by adapting an adaptive Fourier decomposition (AFD) algorithm hybridized with a symbol substitution (SS) technique. The compression consists of two stages: first stage AFD executes efficient lossy compression with high fidelity; second stage SS performs lossless compression enhancement and built-in data encryption, which is pivotal for e-health. Validated with 48 ECG records from MIT-BIH arrhythmia benchmark database, the proposed method achieves averaged compression ratio (CR) of 17.6-44.5 and percentage root mean square difference (PRD) of 0.8-2.0% with a highly linear and robust PRD-CR relationship, pushing forward the compression performance to an unexploited region. As such, this paper provides an attractive candidate of ECG compression method for pervasive e-health applications. | 25,222,961 | [
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[Effects of water depth on the growth of Vallisneria natans and photosynthetic system II photochemical characteristics of the leaves]. | The effects of water depth on the growth of Vallisneria natans and photosynthetic system II photochemical characteristics of the leaves were investigated at three depths of 0.6, 1.3 and 2.0 m. The rapid fluorescence induction kinetics curves (OJIP) of the leaves were measured with Plant Efficiency Analyzer and analyzed with JIP-test. The results indicated that the light intensities at water depths of 0.6, 1.3 and 2.0 m were obviously different and the growth of V. natans was restricted under water depth of 2.0 m. Biomass, number of ramets, number of leaves, total root length, root surface area and other morphological indices decreased significantly with the increasing water depth, and the maximum leaf length, average leaf length, maximum leaf width changed insignificantly with the water depth. With the increasing water depth, absorption flux per reaction center (ABS/RC), trapped energy flux per RC (TR0/RC), electron transport flux per RC (ET0/RC), reduction of end acceptors at photosynthetic system I (PS I ) electron acceptor side per RC (RE0/ RC) decreased significantly. The dissipated energy flux per RC (DI0/RC) also decreased significantly, which led to no obvious difference in quantum yield for the reduction of end acceptors of PS I per photon absorbed (phiR0) and the efficiency for the trapped exciton to move an electron into the electron transport chain from QA- to the PS I end electron acceptors (deltaR0). Because the amount of active PS II RCs per CS increased significantly, photosynthesis per area of V. natans grown at 2.0 m was significantly greater than that of V. natans grown at 0.6 m. The performance index PIs, Ples, Plabs,.otal photochemistry efficiency of leaves of V. natans grown at 2.0 m was significantly in- creased, suggesting that light stress may promote a more efficient conversion of light energy to active chemical energy. V. natans leaves accommodate the low light intensity environment through activating inactive reaction centers but not through improving light utilization efficiency per reaction center, and the water depth of 1.3 m may be more suitable for the growth of V. natans. | 25,223,016 | [
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[Effect of tillage patterns on the structure of weed communities in oat fields in the cold and arid region of North China]. | In order to clarify the effects of tillage patterns on farmland weed community structure and crop production characteristics, based on 10 years location experiment with no-tillage, subsoiling and conventional tillage in the cold and arid region of North China, and supplementary experiment of plowing after 10 years no-tillage and subsoiling, oat was planted in 2 soils under different tillage patterns, and field weed total density, dominant weed types, weed diversity index, field weed biomass and oats yield were measured. The results showed that the regional weed community was dominated by foxtail weed (Setaira viridis); the weed density under long-term no-tillage was 2.20-5.14 times of tillage at different growing stages of oat, but there were no significant differences between conditional tillage and plowing after long-term no-tillage and subsoiling. Field weed Shannon diversity indices were 0.429 and 0.531, respectively, for sandy chestnut soil and loamy meadow soil under no-tillage conditions, and field weed biomass values were 1.35 and 2.26 times of plowing treatment, while the oat biomass values were only 2807.4 kg x hm(-2) and 4053.9 kg x hm(-2), decreased by 22.3% and 46.2%, respectively. The results showed that the weed community characteristics were affected by both tillage patterns and soil types. Long-term no-tillage farmland in the cold and arid region of North China could promote the natural evolution of plant communities by keeping more perennial weeds, and the plowing pattern lowered the annual weed density, eliminated perennial weeds with shallow roots, and stimulated perennial weeds with deep roots. | 25,223,030 | [
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[Seroepidemiological survey on echinococcosis in primary school pupils of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province in 2012]. | In May 2012, 11 echinococcosis-endemic counties in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan were chosen, and two primary schools were randomly selected in each county from urban and non-urban area. Serum anti-echinococcus IgG was detected by ELISA. Among 5 171 sampled children, the sero-positive rate was 0.8% (43/5 171). The rate in males and females was 0.7% (17/2 538) and 1.0% (26/2 633), respectively (chi2 = 1.581, P > 0.05). The sero-positive rate in urban schools and non-urban schools was 0.7% (14/2 078) and 0.9% (29/3 093), respectively (chi2 = 1.050, P > 0.05). The positive rate in the minorities (1.0%, 41/4273) was higher than that of the Han nationality (0.2%, 2/898)(chi2 = 4.884, P < 0.05). Compared with 2010, 2011, the total positive rate of children in 2012 declined significantly (chi2 = 112.945, P < 0.01). | 25,223,054 | [
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[Intestinal pathological changes of Kunming mice infected by Cryptosporidium and the therapeutic efficacy of spiramycin on infected mice]. | To observe the symptom, disease course of Crytosporidium-infected mice, and the therapeutic effect of spiramycin on infected mice. Seventy Kunming mice were randomly divided into normal control group (A, n = 10) and 3 experimental groups (B, C, and D). Mice in groups B, C, and D (n = 20) were immunosuppressed with 5, 7.5, and 10 mg/L dexamethasone in drinking water for two weeks, respectively. The mice were observed and the number of oocysts in fecal sample was counted daily after immunosuppression. Two weeks post immunosuppression, 50% of mice in each group were sacrificed, and small intestine was removed for observation of parasitic site. The pathological changes of mucous membrane were observed under microscope, and sIgA level in intestinal fluid was determined. Immunosuppression was withdrawn in the rest mice, and after two weeks unrecovered mice were divided into treatment group (n = 6) and control group (n = 7). Mice in treatment group were each given 2 mg/d spiramycin for 10 d. Each mouse in control group was given same amount of normal saline. The mice were observed and the oocysts shedding in fecal pellets were counted after treatment. On the 6th day post immunosuppression, Cryptosporidium sp. positive fecal samples were found in the experimental groups. The number of oocysts per gram of feces in groups D (70.3 +/- 4.0) and B (31.9 +/- 2.4) reached a peak on the 12th day and 10th day post immunosuppression, respectively (P < 0.05). The conspicuous enteron symptom was observed in each experimental group. Cryptosporidium parasitized mainly in upper jejunum. Pathological examination of intestinal mucous membrane showed that swollen mucous membrane and hemorrhages were observed in group D, and less inflammatory cell occurred in groups B and C. sIgA level in intestinal fluid of experiment mice descended, there was a statistical significance between groups D [(2.7 +/- 0.6) microg/ml], C [(3.2 +/- 0.8) microg/ml], B [(4.9 +/- 1.3) microg/ml] and A [(6.1 +/- 1.2) microg/ml] (P < 0.05). After withdrawal of immunosuppression, out of 30 positive mice, symptoms including diarrhea and loose stools improved in 17 mice. After treated with spiramycin, status of the mice got improved, and there was statistical significance in the level of oocyst shedding between treatment group (0) and control group (11.3 +/- 8.1) (P < 0.05). The level of oocyst shedding, disease course, and pathological change of intestinal mucosa membrane are closely related to immune status of Cryptosporidium-infected mice. Spiramycin is effective in treating of Cryptosporidium infection. | 25,223,061 | [
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Mean size as a unit of visual working memory. | Visual environments often contain multiple elements, some of which are similar to one another or spatially grouped together. In the current study we investigated how one can use perceptual groups in representing ensemble features of the groups. In experiment 1 we found that participants' performance improved when items were easily segmented by a grouping cue based on proximity, suggesting that spatial grouping facilitates extracting and remembering ensemble representations from visual arrays consisting of multiple elements. In experiment 2 we found that spatial grouping improved performance only when the grouped subsets were tested for the memory task, whereas it impaired performance when other subsets that were not grouped were tested, suggesting that the benefit from grouping may come from better extraction for storage, rather than later decision processes such as accessibility. Taken together, our results suggest that perceptual grouping of multiple items by proximity facilitates extraction of ensemble statistics from groups of items, enhancing visual memory of the ensembles in a visual array. | 25,223,110 | [
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